A while later, the sun was firmly piercing through the trees, and the rest of the crew had crawled from their beds to begin the day. Kiran had packed three separate bags with extra supplies and equipment and the fruits and vegetables born from Jinx’s earth magic the night before. They could split into pairs, and each take a bag and use it to learn what they could.

He offered Jinx the first bag, since as the resident earth witch she was responsible for creating a good portion of its contents. He would have offered the next to Ransom, but his burly friend had already stepped up beside Jinx, towering over her short frame. The witch rolled her eyes, but did not complain, so he turned to the rest of the crew.

“Someone should stay with the Rock,” he said, wishing it could be Roar, but knowing she would never go for it. “Duke, you all right with holding down the camp?” The old man deserved a lie-in after the frantic pace they had set to cross the wildlands.

But Duke stood, his posture firmer than Kiran had seen it in years. “No, I will be going. I have been coming to this city longer than any of you have been alive. There’s a better chance I might recognize someone who can help us.”

Kiran blinked, but did not argue. He had in many ways taken over leading the team in recent years because Duke did not go out into the storms as much as he used to, but the man would always be in charge. Whatever he said went.

“Okay. Then it’ll have to be you, Bait.”

Immediately, the lanky, ginger-haired teen was on his feet. “Oh come on, I’m not the novie anymore.”

Ransom snorted from his position behind Jinx. “You’ll always be the novie. Novie.”

“That is it,” Bait declared. “Next time you fall asleep, that beard is mine.” He mimed snipping motions with his fingers at the hunter, who was wider than two of him put together.

Kiran sighed, both annoyed and relieved that at least some things could be depended on to stay the same. “Roar might be our newest member, but it makes no sense for Roar to stay since she’s the reason we’re here. Now, you can whine to Sly and see if she will swap with you, but somehow I doubt your tears will move her.”

Speaking of Sly, he looked around for the quietest member of their group and found her at the edge of the trees, one of the bags of trade goods already in her arms. He looked down to where he had set the third bag at his feet. Sure enough, it was gone, and he had never noticed a thing.

“Well?” the dark-skinned, stealthy hunter asked. “Are we ready?”