Lost in Barbarian Space(36)
She smiled. “Ranks up there with warrior humility.”
He gave her a smile. “No need for humility when you’re so very good.”
She snorted. “Okay, my humble warrior, are you ready to go?”
“Yes.” Colm reached behind his seat, rummaged around and pulled out the emergency pack. Honor did the same, and added a few more items she scavenged. “We just have to decide where to go.”
She pulled her Sync from her pocket and expanded the adaptable screen. “Okay. Because the location of the wreckage was programmed into the marlin’s computer, that’s where we were aiming for. It looks like we’ve crash-landed nearby. God, I hope we didn’t lead the pirates right to what they’re looking for.” A muscle ticked in her jaw. “Because they sure as hell aren’t getting their hands on the Valhalla, the murdering bastards.” She looked outside again. “I don’t see any wreckage out there.”
“Let’s not worry about a wreck right now.” Colm was more worried about keeping them alive.
Honor hit a red button near the canopy and the entire shattered canopy popped outward.
Together, they climbed out.
Colm felt his boots sink into the snow. The wind hit, and it was like an icy blade. He pulled his coat tighter around his body.
“Goddammit.” Honor was touching her thigh. “My right leg is burning.”
“I can carry you—”
“No. I can walk.”
He would see how she went. If her leg was too bad, he was carrying her, her protests be damned. He looked around, but saw no features, no shelter, just snow.
He wasn’t going to mention the wolves.
Honor held her Sync close to her face. “I can see the storm about to hit. We’re just on the edge of it.” She looked up at him. “It’ll last for several hours and we can’t be topside in it. It looks like there’s an entrance to an ice cave a klick that way.” She pointed and took a step.
He saw her wince. Colm slid his arm across her shoulders. “Your leg is hurting.”
“Not enough to stop me getting out of here. It’s damn cold.” Her voice was laced with determination.
His brave warrior. “Then let’s go. I’d prefer it if I was the one keeping you warm.”
“Get me out of this snow, warrior, and we can keep each other warm.”
Together, they started walking.
Chapter Ten
Honor concentrated on moving through the thick snow. They hadn’t gone far when her Sync iced over. The screen flickered and died. Dammit.
“It’s too cold for my Sync. I’ve lost the map. We’ll have to look for the entrance to the caves visually.” God, they’d be lucky to find anything in these conditions.
The cold was beginning to seep through her suit. It was designed to withstand the cold…but not the conditions the storm was bringing. She shivered.
Suddenly, Colm tugged her toward him. He pulled her in under his coat and wrapped it around them both. The shock of heat made her moan. The fur was warm, and the warrior even more so. She let it sink into her.
“This will slow us down,” she said.
“I won’t have you cold.”
The implacable will in his tone made her smile. “Thanks.”
They kept walking, the snow getting deeper, and the temperature dropping more. It was hard going, and with every step, Honor’s leg burned.
She wasn’t sure how much farther they’d gone, when she realized her eyelids were starting to droop. She shook her head and fought to stay conscious.
But the lethargy was sinking in, and she was losing the energy to fight it.
Her next step made her stumble and she fell to her knees in the snow.
Suddenly, she was scooped up into hard arms, the fur resettled around them. She was too cold to complain. She snuggled into Colm’s chest. “I have a confession to make.”
He made a small sound that rumbled through his chest.
“I like you holding me. My father never did. He was always trying to toughen me up. Running obstacle courses and sparring against my brothers.” She knew her father loved her, but he was a military man. “Snuggling and cuddling have never been part of my life.”
Colm’s arms tightened around her.
“I bet your family was perfect. Strong warrior father, caring mother, loving family.” It seemed Markaria had perfected strong family units.
Silence. She felt Colm’s body go stiff. She frowned and blinked her heavy eyelids. What had she said wrong?
“My father was a warrior.” Colm’s voice was almost as icy as the snow around them. “My mother was an artisan. She made jewelry.”
Silence again, and Honor felt the terrible tension in his body grow.