Rations in hand, she couldn't stall any longer. With a sigh, she turned toward her travelling companion again. "I'm afraid this is all I have."
He shrugged, and settled against a tree trunk. "I've survived on less."
Crossing back to the fire, Telyn gave her curiosity a little rein. "You're a mercenary."
A sardonic half-smile curved up one side of his mouth. "That's what they say."
"Are you saying you're not?"
He leveled those smoky gray-green eyes at her, and the whirling sensation of falling clenched in Telyn's belly. After a moment, his deep voice slid over her. "I'm not much for titles."
Telyn resisted the urge to fan herself. Why was she so damned hot? She burned with a fever from the inside out, but she wasn't sick. Had Raiador changed her that much? Was she now turning into a Salamandar?
Her eyelids fluttered, and when she could again focus, she found Nacaris beside her, his hand hovering just above the skin of her face.
"What manner of witch are you?" His muttered words sounded thick and as confused as she felt. Her pulse beat against the confines of her skin, as if it meant to break free entirely, and a heat she didn't understand bathed her skin. Yet her eyelids felt weighted, and her body trembled as if chilled to the core.
"I..." She didn't know what to say.
Nacaris' face filled her vision, and then the world went dark, even as she became aware of his lips against hers, the barest brush of his mouth against hers, before he retreated with a groan.
"Sorry." The word cut straight to Telyn's core, and pried her lids open, to find him staring morosely at the fire.
"For what?" Was that husky croak really her voice?
He shook his head, and then cast a wry, sideways glance her way. "If you don't know, then we narrowly avoided bigger trouble than I thought."
She blinked, and then slowly surfaced from her daze. Understanding dawned, and she uttered a short laugh. "You think I'm a virgin."
He offered her an awkward, one-shouldered shrug. "Seemed to fit."
Telyn chuckled then, as the humor of it all crashed over her. "I'm a warrior, and I haven't always had the Gildgard creed to stick to. I'm not near as innocent as you believe."
He turned his head, his gaze narrowed in a way that unnerved her. If she didn't know better, she'd say he was jealous. Which was impossible. "How's that, then?"
She grinned as she shook her head and held out the rations again. "No way. That's not a subject I'm about to discuss. Food?"
He took the offered food, and settled back next to her in a companionable manner. "So, you've been leading this chase. Do you have an idea where you're going?"
She elbowed him, feeling more at ease all of a sudden than she had since she first met him. It was as if that one kiss redefined their entire relationship. At very least, it told her she could trust him.
"Very funny. Yes, I know where we're going."
"Care to share?"
She shrugged. "In a day or two, we'll stop in Brassanburg."
He frowned. "Another delay?"
"A fact-finding detour," she corrected lightly. "Without this stop, we'll never find him."
He arched one brow at her curiously. "Buying a Scrier's Ball there, are we?"
Her grin widened. "No. But I'm going to see a man who's the next best thing."
He tensed, and suddenly the ease of the moment evaporated. "One of those lovers of yours?"
Telyn laughed. She couldn't help it -- the mere idea of scholarly, effeminate Seoman Piatun as her lover brought a fresh round of laughter. The man would probably die of fright if he ever saw a naked woman outside of his anatomy studies. Yet, the thought of watching Nacaris squirm a little roused the imp in her. Slanting him a grin and a wink, she allowed, "Maybe."
He scowled, but said nothing more.
"After I speak with Seoman, I'll know where to head next."
He grunted a reply, and continued to stare grumpily into the flames of the campfire. Telyn wondered if she'd gone too far, but she needed this test. She needed to know that she wouldn't have to worry about Nacaris turning on her, when it finally came time to put her plan into action.
Moving away to roll into her cloak for the night, Telyn sighed to herself. Brassanburg was likely to be the last time the safety of city walls surrounded her until this quest was complete. After that, she would be at the mercy of the wilderness, accompanied only by this man. If their kiss earlier was any indication, the wilderness wasn't likely to be enough of a distraction. She hadn't lied to him -- not exactly. Strictly speaking, she wasn't a virgin. She needn't tell him that she'd only had one lover in her entire life, or that theirs had been a relationship of respect and love that wasn't necessarily sexual. Dariadus saw her education in the arts of seduction as a responsibility meant for someone who could show her the proper care -- someone who loved her. She'd known at the time nothing would come of it. She wasn't Dariadus' type.
Telyn peeked back over her shoulder toward where Nacaris still sat. Her experience with Dariadus didn't prepare her for Nacaris, or the feelings he stirred in her. However, she didn't have time for a relationship right now. Pel Brun was out there somewhere, and he knew where the Phoenix Book was hidden.
Stifling a yawn, Telyn decided she was too tired to think about any of this, tonight. She sighed and turned back into her cloak, wrapping it tighter against the night chill, even as the foggy thought occurred to her that winter was on the way. That was her last thought before she slid into the arms of sleep. However, that sleep was far from blissful.
A harsh battle cry broke the stillness of a misty forest meadow, answered by the croaking growls and muttered oaths of a shadowy menace. Dark shapes became dark figures, then huge warriors, clad in dark leather armor, with their bulbous heads covered by conical metal helms. Their skin oozed dark liquid from open sores, and their eyes were wild and blood-shot. With growls of rage and chilling cries of bloodlust, they hurtled across the meadow toward Telyn, their eyes glaring straight through her.
Telyn whipped around to see their quarry, and found herself face-to-face with Nacaris. His grey-green eyes flashed fire and loathing as he glared back at his adversaries. His mud-brown hair was shot with even more colored cloth, braided into a significantly larger number of tiny braids in Borderlander fashion -- a braid for each blood oath. And to judge by that number, he'd been busy racking them up. His chest was bare and gleaming with sweat, mingled with soot and mud. In his right hand, he clutched a long Borderlander hand-and-a-half sword, while his left hand gripped the hilt of a glowing Majin blade.
Telyn's gaze turned slowly, to see the horde of monstrous warriors surge, howling, over the man who stood before her.
Telyn jerked from sleep with a cry, yanked abruptly back to the night-draped campsite. Her heart thudded heavily in her throat, and her breath sawed through her lungs as her gut squeezed with pain. What had she just seen?
"Telyn?" His deep voice came out of the shadowy night, before she saw him move through the dim light of the fire's embers to her side. "Are you all right?"
Swallowing hard, Telyn pushed back her fear, and nodded. She didn't want to think about her dream. Nacaris was a mercenary, and it was no secret that Borderlanders and Rahians were constantly engaged in skirmishes. The feud between the Gild and Bathron was nothing, compared to the war between the passionate Borderlanders and the ghoulish Rahians.
"I'm fine."
He was close enough now that she could see his face, and tell that he wasn't convinced. "You've been restless since you went to sleep. Troubling dreams?"
She shivered as she recalled the scene in her dreams. She wasn't about to tell him what she'd seen. She still had no idea what it meant. She looked up to tell him no, but found she couldn't lie. The concern in his eyes tugged at her heart, and pulled the truth from her.
"A little," she admitted. "It's probably nothing, though."
You should not dismiss your dreams so readily, young Phoenix.
Telyn shook her h
ead, sure that was Sala's voice. Which was impossible. Great Helios, was she going mad?
It is I, Telyn. Do not fight your dreams -- you search for the key to the power in your blood. Even before you find that key, you will occasionally tap into its power, as you did when you fought that Assassin on the Mountain.
Telyn blinked, and realized that Nacaris was watching her cautiously. She cleared her throat, and shook her head. "Sorry. What did you say?"
"I asked if you wanted to talk about it."
She sighed. She knew she couldn't hide this, now. He wasn't about to let it go. "It was a battle."
He frowned. "One you've been through? You lost someone important to you?"
She dropped her gaze. How was she supposed to answer that, without giving away too much? "No. And yes."
His brow furrowed. "I don't understand."
Telyn's throat tightened and a shocking sting burned her eyes. Dropping her head to disguise her reaction, she drew deep breaths until she felt steady enough to answer. "It wasn't something I've been through. Have you ever fought against the Rahians?"
The silence drew her attention, and she raised her gaze to find shock on Nacaris' face. Then, with a heavy sigh, he sank down beside her and nodded. "A few times."
Hope caused her pulse to jump. Had she merely picked up on some event from his past? "Alone?"
He barked a short laugh. "Do I look that stupid to you?"
Her heart plummeted. "No."
He looked at her askance. "So you saw me facing a whole troop of Rahians?"
She nodded, and was surprised when he chuckled, the sound deep and husky as it flowed over her.
"Don't worry, balnyt," he whispered, leaning closer to her. "It was only a dream."
Then, before she could argue the point, his lips settled over hers for the second time that night.
Shock plunged through Telyn, followed by a heat that swept away all other thought but the familiar scent and feel of Nacaris. Flashes of memory danced through her mind, of a boy on the verge of manhood, and a burning kiss on the moonlit dunes. Her heart pounded loud in her ears, and her body felt turned inside out with needs and desires she couldn't explain.
Nacaris' strong hands slid down her body, setting flash fires in their wake. Telyn pressed closer with a small groan, her hands fisting in his tunic and tugging roughly upward. Nacaris broke their kiss with a sound partway between a groan and a chuckle as he covered her hands, halting her frantic motion.
"Slow down, balnyt." His husky whisper flowed over her, calming and arousing at the same time. Only, Telyn didn't want to go slow. If she slowed down, she might think. And if she thought about what she was doing, she'd never have the courage to carry it through.
Nacaris must have sensed her panic. He grasped her upper arms lightly and held her away as he searched her face. After a long moment, one hand lifted to skim her face lightly. "What are you so frightened of?"
Telyn swallowed jerkily, unnerved that he saw through her so easily. This was an area of her soul she let no one into -- not since that night on the dunes. Remembered fear clutched her now, and again she felt the urge to flee. Only, this time, she had nowhere to run to.
"I... I can't talk about it, Nacaris." She implored him with her eyes to leave her secrets be. "Please, don't ask."
Another moment of silence, during which Telyn's heart beat loud in her ears. She didn't want to believe this moment might decide her destiny, but she couldn't ignore the possibility, either. Then, with a slow nod, Nacaris set her free of the terrible dread that she was perched on the edge of failure.
"I won't ask, balnyt, but I'm here if you want to talk about it."
"Right now," she murmured, moving a step closer as tense need built in the core of her being, aching for him to make it all right, again. "I just need you to hold me."
The breath rushed from him, and his lips twitched in a shaky smile as his hand cupped the side of her neck. "You have no idea how long I've waited to hear that."
His head dipped, and the soft reverence of his kiss was Telyn's undoing. Sinking against him, she let the feel of his hands and mouth take her away as she succumbed to the magic of feelings so new and precious Telyn had no words to give them.
Her soul rose and fell, dancing like the starlight above, beneath his reverent, consuming kiss, and she struggled to recall all the reasons this wasn't love.
As that thought pierced the aching need radiating through her, fear clutched her, and she struggled away from him. As much as she wanted Nacaris, right now, she wasn't ready to give up control. She feared giving another control of her feelings, her heart. Wasn't that what love was? Giving up control? She couldn't do that, for fear of what she'd become. Her gaze burned into Nacaris, trying to read his intentions. She wanted to believe he was honorable, that what she felt was true. Still, the secrets she sensed around him left her wary and afraid of the damage loving a man like Nacaris could do. But, Great Gods, how she wanted him...
"What's wrong?" His fingers whispered across her face, and Telyn sought the comfort of his touch in spite of herself and her fears. She couldn't explain what was wrong. Instead, she shook her head wordlessly.
His thumb feathered her lips, and they tingled beneath his touch. Then, with a small, wry smile, he leaned forward and brushed a light kiss over her lips. She leaned into the kiss, craving his love with the fire that raged in her soul, even though her mind hung back. After a long moment, Nacaris withdrew.
"I'll be there when you're ready." He reached out, folded her into his embrace. Together, they sat before the fire, and Telyn stared into the flames as she listened to the steady beat of Nacaris' heart beneath her ear. The combined dance of light and sound lulled her away into the darkness, where she didn't have to think anymore.
*****
A whisper along the corner of her mind dragged Telyn from the blissful arms of dreamless sleep. Roused, she extracted herself carefully from Nacaris' arms and wrapped herself in her cloak as she looked around, wondering what had pulled her from the deepest sleep she'd had in cycles.
A flare from the campfire drew her attention, and she saw Sala reclining comfortably among the embers.
"You woke me?" Telyn demanded grumpily. "What for?"
There is much to discuss.
She glanced toward Nacaris, to make sure he still slept, and then crawled closer to the fire. "No kidding."
You must start training, and soon. There is little time left for you to open yourself to the power in your blood. We must work on this.
"Now?" She couldn't help that she sounded incredulous. This couldn't be a coincidence. "I didn't sleep with him."
Pity. Doing so might have made the task ahead easier.
Telyn's frown deepened. She didn't like the sound of that. Besides, something Sala said bothered her. She'd heard it before, up on Raiador, and she still had no idea what it meant.
"What do you mean with all that cryptic stuff about 'the power in my blood'? I didn't inherit my mother's skill, or the Healers would have snatched me up when I was a child, and I would never have been sent to Raiador all those cycles ago. And my father had no power to pass on."
A peal of tiny bells signaled Sala's amusement, as her color flared brightly in humor.
You believe Ashes powerless? Remember, Telyn, that he was a warrior.
"So? I'm a warrior. Nacaris is a warrior. What does that have to do with anything?"
Warriors come by much power in their chosen life. Yet, Ashes was a warrior only by choice. When he came to us, he had abandoned his blood-right. His Clan was destroyed, scattered to the winds of spirit, and he believed that secrets should remain with the dead. He was the Phoenix, the one who must rise when others fall. He possessed the power, if not the knowledge or skill, to remake the world, had he lived. His blood was tied to the World Forge.
"You mean my father was a Majin?" Telyn couldn't believe what she was hearing. Why had her mother never told her anything about her father, or prepared her for this at all? "I can
't believe this."
It is true.
She shook her head, trying to make sense of it all. "But... Why did he come here, to Gild lands, when he knew it could mean his death? I've never understood that."
Because Raiador Called him, much as it Called you.
"Wait." Telyn scooted a little closer. "I thought that was your people who Called me, back at Raiador."
Sala shivered an orange-blue hue for a moment. My people and I are but servants of our home and provider. Raiador is the source of all Fire in the world, the original spark which brought the land to life. It is the World Forge of myth and legend. The warmth of the World Forge, and all the passion in the world, is tied to our sacred Mountain. That is why, when it sensed his pure intentions, Raiador drew the Majin.
"To craft the Phoenix Book." Telyn understood at last what Sala was getting to.
Aye.
Telyn sighed. "I still don't understand what this has to do with me, or Raiador Calling me."
Sala flared impatiently. It is simple. When the Majin scattered his Elemental Gifts during the Great War of Majik, the woman to whom he entrusted the sacred book was with child. Her child was born with both mortal blood and the blood of the World Forge twined inside him. He was the first Phoenix. Since him, one descendant of each generation of his line is born of the World Forge's blood.
"Ashes." Telyn nodded, understanding what her diminutive companion was saying. "He was born of the World Forge's blood. That's why he was compelled to go to Raiador." She stopped then, as a terrifying thought wound through her. "But Ashes was the last of his line..."
Sala sparked and bobbed encouragingly. It is the Prophecy. All of the children of the World Forge have been male, unable to perform the last three rituals of the Book, until you. You are meant to awaken the slumbering Forge, and renew the world.
Sickening dread built in Telyn. She didn't want this. There were some burdens too heavy for any shoulders, and hers carried enough of a load. Yet, as she stared down at her hands, scarred by life and battle, she knew Sala spoke the bitter truth. No matter what she wanted, this was her destiny. Finally, in a hoarse whisper, she asked the one question she could not escape. "How?"
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