by Tora Moon
*Then it’s settled,* Graak said firmly. He held out his mug for more taevo. *We do not have this drink. Perhaps when this is all over we can begin to trade. I believe our alliance should not end when we have defeated these invaders.*
Blazel nodded with approval. “Trade would benefit both our species. You have many fine things and we have taevo.” He laughed as he held up his mug. “Seriously, there are many things we can share and trade between us.”
“But first, we have to rid the world of the Malvers monsters,” Chariel said. “We can’t think about trading when it’s so dangerous to travel.”
*Then after we deal with these invaders, we will put our efforts to do just that,* Graak said. *That is, if Moraak becomes the heir. He would likely support this idea of trade. His brother Daelaak would not. As you saw, he believes we should continue to isolate ourselves from the rest of the world. It is only the mountains that stop the Malvers monsters from our territory. If the Malvers themselves should escape their exile, they will hunt us down and kill every last Phengriff.*
“Do you think we can defeat this invader?” Wisah turned her cup in her hand and glanced up shyly at Graak. “They did come from the sky.”
*We shall see if they can be killed. If they can, then yes, I believe we can remove them from our world. It has been a long day. I must go see to my flight. Sleep well, my friends.*
Rizelya had tried to keep from thinking about the strange people who had invaded her world. Why had they landed in Shandir’s Crater? Who were they? Were they friends or foes? Her thoughts and worries kept her awake until well into the night.
* * *
The sound of birds slowly intruded into Blazel’s sleepy mind. He cracked one eye open to see the pale light of dawn. He started to push himself up when Rizelya snaked her arm around his neck and pulled him back down.
“We’re not leaving at dawn today,” she whispered, then kissed his throat.
He grabbed the top of their blankets and pulled them over their head. Kissing her deeply he began to let his hands roam over her body. He cupped her breasts and bent lower to let his tongue gently sweep across a nipple. He felt it harden under his tongue and took it into his mouth. Rizelya groaned, and her searching hands found his manhood. He throbbed with need. Their lovemaking this time was hard and fast. They were both too exhausted to prolong it. Rizelya kissed his chest, then laid her head on it. Blazel wrapped her in his arms, then they both drifted back to sleep.
With a muttered growl, Blazel flung his arm over his eyes to block out the obnoxious light. As he came more aware and awake, he realized Rizelya was no longer warming his side. He might as well get up too. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and opened them to find a mug held in front of his nose. He took a deep breath, inhaling savory smell of deep roasted taevo. His gaze traveled up the arm of the cup-bearer. The sunlight framed Rizelya’s face. He leaned forward and kissed her fingers before taking the mug.
“A scout arrived a little while ago.” She stood waiting for him to get to his feet. After taking a few sips from her mug, she continued, “Moraak will be here in an octar. It gives us just enough time to eat breakfast and clean up. Aistrun caught a rabbit and it’s roasting now. The last of our porridge is boiling. It’s a good thing we’re in Sanctuary Territory. We’ll be able to stop at a safe house and eat something besides rabbit stew and porridge.”
“That will be good.” He stretched, throwing his arms out wide. “I didn’t get enough sleep. I’ll be glad when we get to the Sanctuary and can stop moving for a few days, if not a chedan.”
“I wouldn’t count on it.”
They joined the others at the fire. Jaehaas was sitting curled up on his knees next to Wisah. Blazel walked behind him so he could get a good look at his injuries. They weren’t as swollen or red, and he couldn’t see any oozing from them like there had been yesterday.
“You look better,” Blazel said.
“I be better.” Jaehaas flicked his tail across his back and then winced as it caught the edge of a cauterized wound. “I should be able to run with you today.”
“Oh, no you don’t,” Wisah said. “Your wounds need another day to heal.” She patted his shoulder. “I know you don’t like the sling, dearest, but I don’t want to lose you.”
“I be fine. Really. I’ve been injured before and it only took a few days to heal.”
“Not like this you haven’t!”
“We’ll see how he moves after we eat,” Chariel interrupted. She shook her spoon at Jaehaas. “But mind you, if any of those wounds are still seeping, it will be the sling for you.”
Jaehaas ducked his head in agreement.
They finished eating and cleaned up their campsite. Chariel examined Jaehaas's wounds, then had him go through his paces. Blazel came up to stand next to her, draping an arm over her shoulders.
“He’s stiff and favoring his right side,” Blazel noted. “But he’s moving well.”
“How much farther until we reach the Sanctuary?” Chariel asked as she continued to watch Jaehaas.
Blazel thought for a moment. “Well, it took us three days the last time, but then we were riding slowly to ease you and Wisah into riding. If we continue at the pace we have been, tomorrow. If we slowed a bit so he could run with us, then two.”
“Let’s slow up a bit. It hurts his pride to be carried like he has been.” Chariel waved to Jaehaas and yelled, “Jaehaas come here!”
A light sheen of sweat covered Jaehaas's hide and face. When he presented his right flank to Chariel, Blazel could see the wounds were still sealed tight. Chariel ran a light finger over the wounds.
“No seepage. You can run with us, but …” She held up a hand to forestall Jaehaas's whoop. “If I see you faltering or it breaks open, I’ll have Graak’s people carry you.”
“I be careful,” Jaehaas promised. “I’d much rather return to the Sanctuary and the Supreme on my own four feet.” He ducked down to brush a light kiss on Chariel’s cheek.
The sound of distant thunder made them all search the sky. A smudge high in the air soon resolved itself to be wing upon wing of Phengriffs. The light seemed to gleam off of the lead Phengriff, Moraak. Rizelya came up to stand beside Blazel and her hand found his as they watched the sky darken with three hundred Phengriffs filling it in a huge wedge. Aistrun and Wisah soon joined them. Graak landed near them a few moments before the rest of his flight.
“Oh, what a marvelous sight,” Rizelya breathed. “How can we not win with so magnificent a force fighting with us?”
*I agree with you.* Graak lifted his head to the sky. *I haven’t ever seen so many Phengriffs in flight all at once. It is beautiful,* he said in awe.
Moraak folded his wings back and made a swift dive toward the waiting group. A contingent of ten followed him down. The rest began to lower their altitude more slowly. The clearing wasn’t large enough for all three hundred Phengriff to land.
*They will find roosts in the trees,* Graak said. *The ones with Moraak will be his advisers and guards. Ah, I see Sheekeek is with his entourage. Good, we need a mystic’s advice.* He turned to Chariel. *Not saying yours isn’t good enough, but we will need all we can get.*
Chariel smiled at him. “It isn’t a problem. I like Sheekeek. I’m glad he’s come. He and the Supreme will get on well.”
Then the Phengriffs were backwinging to land, throwing dirt and leaves in the air. They landed in perfect formation with Moraak in the lead, two massive Thunder Wings at his side and one at his back. Sheekeek peeked around another huge Phengriff and waved at the group.
*Greetings, my lord,* Graak said.
Aistrun stepped forward and dropped to one knee in front of Moraak, then said the traditional greeting to the Phengriff lords. Graak gave him an approving nod.
*You have been practicing, my friend,* Moraak said, indicating for Aistrun to rise. *It is good we have found you at last. Are you all well? We saw the signs of a battle with sabertigers.*
*We were attacked,* Graak agreed
. *Telek was killed and Keeru was injured. His wing is healing thanks to the care of Priestess Chariel.*
*And were any of you hurt?* Moraak asked the Posairs.
“Yes, my lord,” Aistrun answered. “Jaehaas was hurt quite badly.”
Moraak motioned for Jaehaas to approach him. He examined the wounds, a shrill whistle escaping him. *You are lucky, Jaehaas, those wounds are deep. I am pleased you survived and are healing. Where are we?*
*At the boundary to Sanctuary Territory,* Graak said. *It is but a half days’ flight to the Sanctuary itself, or so Blazel assures me.*
“But it’s two or more for us on horseback,” Blazel added, “if we allow for our injured.”
Moraak looked up at the morning sun. Blazel followed his gaze.
*If you leave him here, how long?* Moraak asked.
“A day … day and a half.”
*Good! Then I will meet you at the Sanctuary’s gates at sundown tomorrow. It will give you a bit more time. We will rest here, and my army will make camp in this forest until we have spoken with your Supreme.*
Blazel and the others bowed to Moraak, who then turned away and began giving orders to his commanders.
“I be not staying here!” Jaehaas cried, grabbing onto Rizelya’s arm. “Please don’t make me stay here alone.”
Rizelya raised an eyebrow in question at Chariel, who nodded.
“Okay,” Rizelya said. “You may come with us. But if you slow us down, we’ll leave you at a safe house and come get you after Moraak meets with the Supreme.”
Jaehaas nodded his understanding.
*I will stay here with the prince,* Graak said softly. *It wouldn’t do to take his surprise away from him. He knows he makes an impressive sight and wishes to use it to his advantage with the Supreme. We hear she is formidable.*
“She is,” Blazel said. “Remind him she sent us looking for you. She knows we need this alliance with you to survive the coming madness.”
Graak dipped his head, then turned to catch up with Moraak.
Within half an octar packs were secured on the multas, the horses were saddled, and the Posairs were riding down the rough road. Rizelya set a quick pace, but not so fast that Jaehaas couldn’t keep up. They stopped often for short rests, just long enough for Jaehaas to catch his breath and relieve the ache in his wounded flank. Soon the road became better maintained, and not long after they passed the first safe house.
The summer sun shone down on them as they continued to ride. The sky was the purple of dusk when Rizelya guided the group off the road and into the gates of a safe house. As soon as they were in the courtyard, Jaehaas stopped, his head hanging and his hindquarters quivering. Chariel reached for the reins of Wisah’s horse. Wisah, bag in hand, slid down and went to Jaehaas. Blazel, riding in the rear, passed them as Wisah was rubbing liniment into Jaehaas's sore back and hindquarters.
When he arrived in the stables, Aistrun was rubbing down Chariel’s horse. Blazel assumed she was in the safe house fixing dinner. In the three chedans they had been traveling, he’d learned Rizelya wasn’t much of a cook. If they wanted an edible meal, then anyone of their group besides Rizelya did the cooking. Blazel wearily slid off Lighzel, led her to a clean stall, and laid out fresh straw for her bed. After rubbing her down, he filled a bucket with water and the manger with fresh hay. He measured out a healthy portion of grain for her as well. All the horses had been worked hard and needed the extra rations.
The beds in the safe house were narrow cots, barely big enough for a man. Blazel pushed his and Rizelya’s cots together. Aistrun saw what he was doing and with a grin did the same thing to his and Chariel’s cots.
“How are you holding up, Jaehaas?” Rizelya asked as Wisah and Jaehaas came into the house.
“I be hanging in there. I’ll live.”
“None of his gashes tore open,” Wisah said. “There isn’t any bleeding. He should do fine tomorrow.”
“It isn’t much farther to the Sanctuary,” Blazel said. “We made much better time than I expected. We should arrive there well before sundown. I’m so glad it’s summer and not winter. Sundown comes much later this time of year.”
The others nodded agreement. They ate a meal of rice, beans, and hot pan bread. It tasted good after days of eating rabbit stew and porridge. After eating, they all found their beds and quickly went to sleep.
Blazel roused at Rizelya’s touch on his face.
“Wake up, lover. We need to leave soon.”
Blazel elbowed himself to a sitting position to see the pale gray light of predawn. Groaning, he got up and dressed. Breakfast was cold leftovers and a mug of hot taevo.
“Let’s go, let’s go,” Chariel said, gulping the last of her taevo. “I can’t wait to get back home and sleep in my own bed.”
Aistrun frowned at her. “But if you sleep in your bed, I can’t sleep with you. You live in the cloister.”
“None of us will be sleeping with our lovers while in the Sanctuary,” Wisah said. “Certainly not us priestesses. The Supreme won’t allow it. Only if we were bond-mates.”
“Then let’s do it,” Aistrun said, his eyes lighting up.
“No,” Chariel said, crossing her arms over her chest. “It isn’t a thing to be rushed or done just so we can have sex. It’s a lifelong bond.” Her lip trembled and her eyes watered. “Besides, the Supreme would never allow it for me.”
“Why not?” Aistrun’s brows furrowed in confusion.
“Because she’s a Gray,” Rizelya answered softly. She had a haunted look in her eyes. “And not just any Gray, but a charcoal Gray. We’ve become so used to seeing her, we don’t see anything unusual. To us, she’s just our friend and pack-mate. But to others, she will awaken the ancestral hatred for Malvers, even if they don’t know why they’re afraid of her.”
“But … but she’s part of our pack now. She has to come with us.”
“Perhaps the Supreme will allow her to,” Rizelya said.
“She must let me,” Chariel said. “The prophecy isn’t finished. We’ve only found the alliance.” She gave a small smile to Aistrun. “Don’t worry, you’re not done with me yet.”
Aistrun wrapped her in his arms and kissed her deeply. “I will never be done with you,” he said hoarsely.
Rizelya turned away from them and headed out the door. Blazel followed her. At the stable entrance, he caught her arm and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I’m dreading leaving the mountains. The Sanctuary will be just another stop in our journeying. Once we pass its protection, I’m afraid I’ll be swamped again with visions from the Malvers. They nearly crippled me. I don’t remember the ride from Strunhelos Keep to the Sanctuary. I was locked in the nightmare of the Malvers cruelty. I’m not sure I can face it again. To see and feel the deaths of so many … children … animals … she showed me all of it.” Rizelya covered her face with her hands.
Blazel folded her into his embrace and held her while she cried. She soon brushed away the tears from her eyes. She leaned against his chest for a moment longer and then pushed out of his arms. She straightened her shoulders and put on a brave smile.
“I won’t let her win,” Rizelya said forcefully.
He reached out and rubbed the last of her tears away with his thumb. “You’re one of the strongest people I know. We’ll find a way to block her from your mind. You mentioned you had a Blue in your pack. Perhaps she can help you.”
“That’s right, Saffren. She did say Blues were taught to shield their minds.”
When she smiled at him again, it was with hope.
The road to the Sanctuary was smooth and well maintained. The sound of thundering hooves echoed off the crushed stone. They rode over a hill in the late afternoon, and before them sprawled the Sanctuary. A herd of horses and multas grazed in a pasture and sheep roamed the green hills.
Women wearing broad brimmed hats, brown tunics, and trousers worked the fields. Young girls, their white hair shimmering in the sun, ran and played in the cloist
er’s central green space. Here, life was slow and peaceful. They were far from the depravations of the Malvers monsters and didn’t live in constant fear of an attack. He would do anything in his power to keep this territory from the Malvers’s evil.
He guided the group around the pastures and fields to the road leading to the great gates. The guards waved them through, and they clattered into the guest courtyard. He looked up at the sky. Sundown was still an octar or two away. They should have time to clean up before Moraak arrived.
A team of young girls hurried from the stables to care for their horses. He caught the attention of one.
“Tell the Supreme we’ve returned and that she will soon have guests.”
The girl’s eyes widened and she sped from the courtyard and into the Sanctuary’s inner sanctum. He then pushed open the door to the guest area and, with the others following behind him, even Chariel and Wisah, he strode to the guest house they had lived in prior to leaving on their quest. All he could think of was a hot bath—and loving Rizelya.
Chapter 16
The saddlebags thrown over Rizelya’s shoulder weighed her down as she trudged next to Blazel into the guest house. She was exhausted. It had taken them sixteen days to reach the Phengriff city of Alkaak, but their mad dash back to the Sanctuary had cut that time in half. She needed rest, her people needed rest, and most of all her horses needed rest.
Blazel pulled open the guest house door for her, and she tripped on the small step up. Her fall was halted by Blazel’s strong arm. Rizelya pushed her saddlebags back onto her shoulder. The tired footsteps of her pack staggering on the stone floors made her hope they could stay here for a few days to recuperate. Jaehaas’s step stuttered and dragged.
“I’ll make sure a healer comes to see you,” Wisah said to Jaehaas.
“I’m not sure if I want to sleep, eat, or bathe first.” Rizelya heard the fatigue in her voice.
“Bath!” The others said in unison.
At the next intersection in the corridor she turned left toward the bathing room. Steam filled the room. After dropping her bags on a bench, she hurriedly tore off her clothing and made her way to the waiting wash buckets. She sat on a stool, reached for the soap pot, and felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up over it to find Blazel with a rag already soaped. With smooth, almost caressing movements, he soaped her back. His hands slid around to cup her breasts. A small gasp escaped her as the heat of desire blazed within her.