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about you,” he said in a dry, rasping voice that was barely audible, “but I’m going to get a drink.”

chapter nine
    T here was an immediate surge of motion as the group started toward the waterfall. But Thorn’s voice stopped them in their tracks.
    â€œStand fast!” he roared. They responded immediately to the note of command in his voice. He glared at them, then continued. “We’ll go in formation. Arrowhead, forming on Stig. Keep your eyes open and your weapons ready.”
    He knew all too well that a wild rush to get water would leave them vulnerable to ambush, if there were any potential enemies nearby. Distracted by the prospect of easing their maddening thirst, they would be easy targets. It was a tribute to the years of drilling under his command that their discipline held now and they formed into an inverted-V shape, with Stig at the point. Hal and Ingvar stood to his left and right and the others fanned out behind them. Thorn nodded, satisfied.
    â€œMove out, Stig,” he ordered and the big first mate led the way, jogging through the soft sand, his steps causing the coarse grains to squeak together as they were compacted, then released.
    The crew moved up the beach, with Thorn bringing up the rear. Their eyes scanned the surrounding trees.
    As they drew closer to the spot where the waterfall splashed onto the rocks, among a series of sparkling pools, Jesper couldn’t stand it any longer. He broke ranks and raced up the beach, throwing himself facedown in the first of the pools and lapping at the water like a dog.
    â€œBlast you, Jesper,” Thorn muttered. The others heard the angry tone in his voice and maintained their formation. As they reached the water, Thorn gestured to Lydia.
    â€œLydia. Keep watch with me.”
    He reasoned that the girl’s long experience of stalking and hunting would make her sense of personal self-discipline stronger than the others’. She nodded and stepped back as the others waited.
    â€œAll right,” he said gruffly. “Get to it.”
    They broke ranks immediately and dashed toward the nearest pool, where Jesper was still lying belly down, sucking in great quantities of water. Edvin, ever the planner, had brought their drinking mugs with him, and the water skin. He handed out the mugs to them now and they filled them, standing or kneeling in the shin-deep, beautifully cold water, and drank. Then they refilled them and drank again. Edvin filled his own mug and took a deep draft. Then he filled two more and took them to where Thorn and Lydia stood guard.
    The old sea wolf acknowledged his thoughtfulness with a nod.
    Lydia allowed him a beaming smile. “Thanks, Edvin,” she said.Then she couldn’t wait any longer and let the first draft of cold, refreshing water slide down her parched throat.
    Thorn followed suit, taking a deep draft. Then he lowered the mug. “Not too fast too soon,” he warned them. “You’ll just throw it all up if you do.”
    And of course Jesper, who had been facedown in the water, sucking in huge gutfuls, chose that moment to do just that. Fortunately, he managed to clamber to his feet and move away from the pond before he threw up on the rocks nearby, his stomach and throat heaving.
    Thorn watched him, one eyebrow raised. “There’s always one,” he muttered.
    â€œAnd it’s usually Jes,” Lydia replied, smiling.
    They exchanged a conspiratorial glance and shrugged, before beginning to scan the land around them again. Then Hal and Stig approached them, having slaked their thirst with several mugs of water. Hal jerked a thumb at the pool.
    â€œYour turn,” he said. “We’ll keep watch.”
    Thorn nodded gratefully. “Let’s g—” he began, but Lydia was already dashing to the water, kneeling to fill her mug, throwing her head back to drink it, letting it slide slowly down her throat. Grinning, Thorn allowed his