Warriors' Providence (Cadi Warriors Book 2)(72)

"Surprised?" Dagaa asked.

"Beyond words." Providence beamed.

The wind blew through the trees, lazily rustling her hair, as the birds and insects called out their melodies amongst the verdant foliage just a handful of yards away. Providence reached out and took Dagaa and Madhava's hands. As her small fingers twined with their larger ones, Providence felt a true sense of peace wash over her for the first time in a long while. This moment was truly a gift. Providence felt her misgivings about their odd threesome drop away as she stared at the stunning beauty around her and soaked up the presence of her men. It felt like they were partaking in some sort of divine communion   as if the Creator was smiling down on them.

Providence didn't know how long they sat before Dagaa broke the silence, his finger stroking her wrist.

"Not far from here is a manx stable. I thought we'd go for a ride and check out one of the caverns." Dagaa suggested.

"Sounds good." Madhava agreed.

Providence recalled seeing the manx in the stable at Kagan's home. The giant tan and black, stripped feline was the size of an overgrown horse, yet still had the temperament of a tiger. Though surprisingly it had nuzzled Giselle like a house cat when she introduced Providence to it.

"I've never ridden a horse much less a giant cat." Providence said.

"It’s okay, these manx are very tame. They're trained for trails not war, like Idris back home." Madhava encouraged.

"I think you'll enjoy riding." Dagaa added.

It wasn't long before Providence was sitting in a saddle on top of a manx of her very own as a stable hand held the creature steady.

"Hold onto the reigns. It will follow us, so don't worry about steering." Dagaa said as he leapt onto his own mount.

They were off an instant later, trotting down the trail with Dagaa in the lead and Madhava behind her. Providence held on tight, though the ride was graceful and smooth, as the feline traversed rocky inclines that would have been difficult on foot or even by horseback.

They passed over several ridges then began a steep descent into the valley. At the bottom was the fast-moving river they'd followed earlier. A tributary branched off, and they traveled its banks for a few miles, till it disappeared into the side of the mountain.

"Here we are." Dagaa announced.

Madhava jumped off his manx and tied it up to a nearby tree, making certain it could still reach the water to drink. He then helped Providence down, grasping her waist in his strong grip.

Madhava chuckled.

"What?" Providence asked.

"When I first met Giselle, she surprised me by dismounting off a manx like a tiny warrior. I had no clue she could even ride." Madhava smiled at the memory.

"I remember that. It was at the final battle. She slid of the manx's back down its tail. She learned that move from Sabin." Dagaa said.

"I was just starting to realize something was up with that cagey female." Madhava shook his head.

"Yeah, she's a character for sure." Dagaa snickered.

"So Giselle really helped to end the war?" Providence asked. Her friend didn't brag much about the details but others had hinted at it.

"Yep. We would've never learned about the chemical weapon or the fact the Toufik could fight if it weren't for her." Dagaa related.

"As I recall the trees rolling into the road, and warriors pouring from holes in the earth was her doing too." Madhava added with a shake of his head. "You should have seen my face. I was shocked as shit when the ground erupted with hordes of warriors."

"I can imagine, I was pretty stunned at the sight myself, and I knew it was going to happen." Dagaa grinned.

"I'm just glad things turned out the way they did." Providence replied.

The thought of her two men being mortal enemies was so foreign to her. It made her worry as she recalled their fight for Prime. But her men seemed so happy to leave all that in the past.

"Come on, you are going to love this." Dagaa encouraged as he forged ahead.

They entered the gaping hole in the mountain side, following beside the river that breached it. It was pitch black till Dagaa and Madhava produced an artificial light.

"Oh!" Providence exclaimed as the lantern lit up the channel.

The rocky walls were layered and striated, the river had carved them smooth over hundreds of years, as it ate into the rocky face. The stunning pattern reminded Providence of marbled paper with it wavy swirling veins of blue, yellow and black.

"Is this what that vase in the treehouse is made of?" Providence asked a she felt the glassy wall beside her.

"Yes. My father found a boulder that had come loose and took it to a stone mason to carve."

"I'm glad I'm getting to see this." Madhava said as he explored a side passage.