ZEDD KARSTARK

The Cinnamon Khalasar arrived at their new campsite along the Melancholy River. Zedd missed the wide open sky of the prairie, but given the summer heat and long days, the shade supplied by the Cinnamon Forest was a necessary respite. Horses were the only animals capable of sweating—Zedd didn’t know humans could sweat—which gave them unmatched endurance, but, in a scorching summer? Better to hide in the dense shade of the Cinnamon Forest.

Zedd finished setting up her tent and tossing her pack inside (she’d unpack everything later). Telekinesis wasn’t just a magic, it was a necessary way of life here. When she finished with hers, she headed right to the central area and helped Khal Karstark organize setting up his and the doctors’ tents, too, because working ropes and holding stakes upright for others to smash into the ground with hooves? Perfect teamwork.

After two hours of this, the camp was mostly set-up and established for the night. Good timing, too, because the sun was lowering—sunset seemed about an hour off—and while she didn’t have time to check the blacksmithing infrastructure… well, it was always best to relax after setting up camp. Took a lot of magic and horsepower.

However, when she left Khal Karstark and meandered towards the Melancholy River, he asked her if she’d noticed the strange bite marks on some of the horses in the herd.

She hadn’t noticed until he’d pointed it out, but now she couldn’t unsee the problem. Gaia’s heart, she was still too goddamn green to even think about leading her own Khalasar, wasn’t she? Everytime she thought she was ready, she gleaned a new thing from walking in her grandfather’s shadow. But that was the way of the Dothraki.

Zedd snorted. Sent those thoughts flying.

She waded into the Melancholy River. A few large shadows: catfish, most likely, because crocodiles had long since learned to skiddaddle when they heard the thunder of hooves.

And lowered her head for a much-needed, long-awaited drink of water.