The Defender

by Rachel Rossano

  “That explains why he is feeling guilty. What about you?” She glanced at me as we joined the procession onto the trail. “Why are you feeling guilty?”

  I bit my tongue. This wasn’t what I wanted to be talking about at the moment. However, this new experience meant that I could never escape the subject without making it obvious I was avoiding it. Mutual honesty was going to be the only way we were going to function within commisceo. I should at least make the first move toward that. “I should have seen it.”

  She frowned. Even though shadows hid her face, I could sense her frown over our connection. “You aren’t all-knowing.”

  “But I still should have seen the evidence in front of my face. Your exhaustion, Renato’s lack of understanding of some of my questions, your falling asleep on your feet, my witnessing you going about your duties. Zez, I should have realized what was going on and stopped it.”

  “You had other things, more important things on your mind.” Annoyance flooded me. It took me a moment to identify that it was coming from her. “You were preoccupied with your duties. When you are organizing supplies, planning troop movements, and interpreting intelligence data, I don’t think anyone would expect you to notice small things like whether or not I am sleep-deprived. Ease up on yourself, Hadrian. You are only a fallible being. You have limits, too.”

  “I promised your father that I would take care of you,” I pointed out.

  She reached across the short distance between our horses and touched my hand. “You are doing a better job than my father ever did.”

  I thought of my fumbling attempt to marry her off to Eldivo, a boy clearly her inferior, and the attempt on her life only a few days ago. I didn’t agree with her, and considering the feelings raging around me at the memories, she knew it.

  “You are going to have to trust me that it is true,” she said. Her acute wave of sadness penetrated our connection as Korneli’s horse pushed between us.

  “Plantonio has something to ask about our travel plans,” he announced. “He is getting himself worked up into a regular fury over it. Hadrian, I strongly recommend that you get that man to sleep more than four hours at a time. Soon he is going to be dangerous to be around. All I did was ask how many more days we were from the meeting place, and he roared at me as though I had insulted his honor.”

  I sighed. It was yet another problem that needed my attention and intervention. “I will go speak to him.”

  Gently tugging on the reins, I pull my stallion’s head away from Korneli and kneed the horse forward toward where Plantonio was muttering under his breath. Thanks to Zez’s stronger perceptions, I could feel the irritation and frustration rolling off of him as I approached. Now if I could only figure out how to use this new awareness wisely, these kinds of things would be a lot easier to deal with.

  * * *

  Zezilia

  “So, how is it going?” Korneli asked. He peered through the darkness in my direction. Our path was winding between trees as it meandered in the direction of a dark forest ahead. Somewhere out in the distance before us, the maps I had seen said there were rolling plains. It was hard to believe considering the current terrain of woods broken up by brief stretches of rocky fields. At least the moonlight was bright, and we could see where we were headed beyond the single lantern that Plantonio carried at the head of the group. This was the moonlight that Korneli was trying to use to read my face. It was a hopeless task.

  “Well, all things considering?” I replied.

  Hadrian’s frustration oozed over our connection with the occasional sensations of the smell of his clothing and the shifting of his horse’s gait beneath him. All this was in spite of the distance between us.

  “It is strange being in someone else’s head while they are in yours.”

  “No madness yet?” Korneli’s attempt at humor didn’t disguise his concern.

  I laughed. “No signs yet.”

  “Has Hadrian discussed with you what he has planned when we reach the troops?”

  “No. He hasn’t mentioned it.” We rode in silence for a moment. “Why are you asking me? Isn’t he speaking with you, Renato, and Plantonio about these things?”

  “Enough. He is doing what he needs to do to keep everyone organized I was thinking more along the lines of the role you are going to play.”

  I shook my head. “He hasn’t mentioned anything.”

  Korneli grunted. “Strange. He hasn’t been exactly forthcoming about his personal plans. He sometimes makes plans for everyone, including himself, but he conveniently communicates only everybody else’s jobs before disappearing to execute his agenda.”

  “Are you concerned he is going to go off on his own and try to resolve something without help?”

  “I know it sounds foolish, but I wouldn’t put it past him. He would claim he is protecting the defender who is supposed to escort him or some such lie.”

  “Do you want me to keep an eye on him?” I asked.

  “You are the best equipped.”

  As equipped as I was, I couldn’t help wondering why he didn’t ask Hadrian about his intentions. For such close friends, they didn’t seem to discuss much. I, on the other hand, had no qualms asking Hadrian about his plans. After all, we were linked and would most likely be together. “I will watch out for him,” I promised. “Not that he needs a mother.”

  Korneli laughed, a short hollow sound. “Just watch his back, Zez, and I will feel a lot better.”

  I nodded. “I will.”

  “Thank you.”

  With that, he dropped back and melted into the shadows. Up ahead, Hadrian and Plantonio were deep in an argument. Hadrian’s shoulders tensed, and he gestured in a way that made his hand hurt. I pulled my attention away from him just as he drove home his point.

  I will be right with you. Hadrian’s rich scent flooded my mouth as his thought crossed my mind.

  I will wait. Once his attention fully focused on his conversation again, I withdrew into myself and sought the Almighty’s presence. Now was the perfect time to spend some time in prayer.

  Despite Hadrian’s reassurance, it was hours before he joined me. He promptly brought up a list of experiments that we needed to try with our new commisceo link. They kept us busy for the rest of the night’s journey. I didn’t remember that I intended to ask him about his plans for later until we were settling down for the night.

  Shall we try a ConProp? He asked.

  I glanced around. The heavy brush had thinned to occasional trees and bushes. Spotting a clearing a short ways away, I jutted my chin toward it. How about there?

  After a short argument with Renato and Plantonio about the wisdom of this venture, Hadrian followed me to the spot that looked the best—the end of the biggest cleared area. Plantonio insisted that the area be checked for hidden sharp rocks. Then he, Korneli, and Renato positioned themselves in a half circle around the perimeter to cushion Hadrian’s fall if my ConProp threw him. I waited until I could see their combined energy encircling him before asking, Ready?

  Hadrian took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and replied, Yes.

  I closed my own eyes and prayed. Almighty, please protect him. Then, I triggered the ConProp. My Talent-sense blinked out as I opened my eyes. Hadrian stood before me.

  As my heart plummeted to my toes and the air around me lost all warmth, his face briefly registered the same emotions ripping through me. At first, it was a pleasant surprise that we were both standing and fine, which was quickly followed by an overwhelming sensation of isolation.

  I knew to expect this, I reminded myself as I dropped my gaze and fought back tears. However, this was worse than the brief encounter a week ago. Everything within me cried out for what it had just lost, Hadrian’s presence. I literally trembled with the desire for something I couldn’t identify. Tears burned the back of my eyes, and my stomach transformed into a hollow shell. I refuse to cry. I straightened my back, rearranged my face into a mask of calm, and tried to smile as a large hand closed
over my shoulder.

  “Are you going to be alright?”

  I looked up to find Hadrian looking down at me. Worry and shock, mirroring my own, clouded his dark eyes.

  “It just took me by surprise,” I admitted.

  He smiled sadly. “Me too. I am sorry.”

  “At least I haven’t detected any madness.”

  He laughed softly and squeezed my shoulder. “Are you sure you would know if you were?”

  My smile strengthened. “No. You are probably right.”

  His eyes softened as he examined my face, filling with warmth and an emotion I couldn’t identify. “Let me know if this is too much, okay?”

  I opened my mouth to reassure him that I would be fine, but he stopped me by pressing a fingertip to my lips. “Think about it, sleep on it, and we will talk tomorrow.” His eyes darkened slightly, but it could have been a trick of the morning light. He abruptly turned away and yelled something to Renato.

  Feeling slightly numb, I returned to my horse and hazily unpacked my bedding. It wasn’t until I was lying down in the shade of an ancient oak, a slight distance from Renato’s bed. Then, I realized I had still forgotten to ask about the plans for the troops and his personal movements. Reinitiating my Talent senses, I reached out to brush his mind, but he was deep in conversation with Korneli. It would wait until tomorrow. I pulled my blanket tighter around me and settled in to sleep.

  * * *

  Chapter XII

  Zezilia

  Sunrise was still an hour away. The eastern sky, a clear, wide expanse unbroken by trees or mountains, stretched its sleep-darkened arms and softly began to glow with the first hints of morning. I had never seen so much sky at once before. I was used to the rolling hills of central Pratinus or the steamy flora-covered lands in the south. This was the first time I had experienced the plains, and I could see why Hadrian picked it as a gathering place. Large flat expanses of tall grass only broken by small boulders and an occasional shrub made sneaking up on a camp nearly impossible. Still, we hadn’t spotted the camp.

  Hadrian’s worry about not having enough men or supplies hung over my senses like a damp cloud, despite the crisp morning air filling my lungs. I was beginning to wonder if he ever stopped worrying about things. This was only the most recent set of concerns the hour. After two days of his worries leaking into my head over our connection, I was beginning to feel depressed no matter how often I told myself that worrying didn’t resolve anything, the Lord had everything under control. His purpose was set, and there was nothing we could do to ruin it. Still, I couldn’t help feeling discouraged with Hadrian’s despair on the edge of my thoughts.

  It didn’t help that there was little I could do to reassure him. Once we experimented through all the possible uses of the commisceo link, an exhausting day and a half, he moved on to planning the strategy for the troop movements, a lengthy endeavor since we didn’t know the amount of men and supplies waiting for us. Plantonio, a veteran of other skirmishes, and Hadrian discussed at length what tactic to take in every instance and argued over details. I was tempted to ConProp to shut it all out, but I had promised Korneli to watch Hadrian. So, watch and listen, I did.

  “Our first move will be to send out scouts.” Plantonio’s sage taste whispered over the commisceo link.

  “If they haven’t already done so,” Hadrian agreed. “Selwyn will have all those kinds of arrangements made and in motion if he has arrived before us.”

  Selwyn would be there? I glanced over at Hadrian. Did that mean that Errol would be there also? And what about the girls? Surely they wouldn’t be there. A council of war would hardly be an appropriate place for…

  Slow down, Hadrian admonished me as he tried to soothe my anxiety. I met his gaze as he glanced back at me for a moment. I have a hard enough time keeping up with Plantonio without your questions. I couldn’t see the irritation on his face, but I could certainly detect the traces in his thoughts.

  Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt. I carefully pulled my racing thoughts from the outer regions of my mind. However, I couldn’t stop hoping to see Candra. It seemed as though years had passed since I last saw her. Memories of the willow farm flooded over me.

  “Well, you certainly took your time about getting here.” A new taste flooded my senses, overwhelming my mouth with the essence of oranges. Startled, I brought my head up and looked around. I didn’t know anyone who tasted of oranges. Instinctively, my defender training took over. Within seconds a wall of energy surrounded Hadrian and his mount.

  “Emil?” Hadrian regarded the young man standing in the center of the road. Hadrian’s demeanor said nothing of the whirlwind of emotion that whipped through him.

  “Emil!” Hadrian dismounted so fast that his horse protested and stamped his feet. I barely had time to drop the shield before he pushed through it. Hadrian tackled the man, embracing him as though they had known each other forever.

  “Emil!” Korneli called out as he urged his mount past me to greet the stranger. When he reached him, he thumped him on the back. As I approached, with Renato right behind me, I overheard Korneli saying. “Where have you been keeping yourself, stranger? You have been worrying Ilias. Don’t they have writing utensils in that hole up north?”

  “Where have you been?” Hadrian asked the man at the same time.

  Emil shrugged, avoiding both Hadrian and Korneli’s gazes. “I have been around. You know, here and there.” Then looking up at me, he smiled. “So, are you going to introduce me to the lovely lady?”

  I blinked at him in surprise. He stood at about the same height as Hadrian, had the same skin tone and nose, but that was where the resemblance ended. Where Hadrian’s eyes were dark and somber, Emil’s were a pale blue. His hair, dark and curly, showed no hint of grey or silver. The smile he flashed at me was obviously calculated to impress and disarm me. However, I wasn’t even the slightest bit inclined to be enamored. I much preferred Hadrian’s straightforward honesty.

  “I am not sure she would like it.” The laughter in Hadrian’s voice drew my attention to his face. He was studying my features intently while he smiled in amusement.

  Emil looked offended. “What do you mean she wouldn’t like it? How would you know? Have you been spreading lies about me?” Then he turned to me. “Don’t believe anything this imp has said about me. He is just jealous of my good looks.” He jabbed Hadrian in the ribs. “Tell her I am a decent fellow.”

  “Hardly,” Hadrian managed.

  “He hasn’t told me anything about you, sir,” I responded.

  “In that case,” Emil stepped forward and bowed gracefully, “Allow me to enlighten you. I am Emil, Hadrian’s older brother.”

  “We don’t have time for this,” Plantonio protested. “Why are you out here?”

  “I am the lookout.” Emil gestured off to the west where an outcropping of boulders rose above the plain. “I have already alerted them to your arrival.” He tilted his head to the side as he received a sending. “They have food and beds waiting for you.” Turning on his heel, he set off toward camp.

  “So, who is she?” Emil asked Hadrian.

  “Zezilia Ilar.”

  “The daughter of King Ostin Ilar?” He glanced over his shoulder as though to check that we were following him. His pale eyes flickered over me for a second before they moved on. “Is she with him or us?”

  “Us.”

  “Are you certain?”

  “More certain than I am of your allegiance.”

  Emil studied Hadrian’s profile for a bit. “In that case, I should make sure they can accommodate a lady’s needs.”

  While Emil was occupied with that, I asked Hadrian, Why didn’t you tell him that I could hear every word?

  I don’t want everyone to know about the commisceo. It is a long forgotten technique and best kept secret. If I told Emil and the word got around, no one would be willing to send to me because none of our conversations would be private. I also don’t want your skills to become public
knowledge.

  You should perhaps make that clear to Korneli, Renato, and Plantonio.

  You are right. He sought out Korneli’s mind even as we passed the first of the tents. Ignoring his conversations, I devoted my attention to observing our surroundings. Initializing my defender training again, I established a thin layer of energy around Hadrian and barricaded my mind.

  You don’t need to do that, Hadrian commented while still conversing with Plantonio.

  I would rather be safe.

  He returned to concentrating on Plantonio.

  The camp inhabitants showed signs of rising for the day. Half-dressed men gathered around campfires and leaned over steaming bowls with bread in their hands. A few were gathered in open areas between tents and going through the standard exercises with a ferrum or a dagger. As we passed, many of the men snapped to attention, saluting Hadrian. The farther we went, the more men in various states of dress lined the way, saluting or bowing. A few cheered as though greeting a great hero.

  Do all these men know you? I asked.

  I have spent the last year and a half making sure that they do. My progress was intended to gather support and mobilize our Talented under the guise of checking on trainers and trainees.

  I would say that you efforts were successful.

  There still aren’t enough men. His weary resignation whispered along our connection. The new sept son has many more men at his command, a mixture of Talent and non-Talent. We have no idea how many the Elitists have, and each of their warriors is worth ten of ours by our best estimations.

  Several events in the Revelation sprang to mind. The Almighty is a veteran of overwhelming odds. It is how He reveals His glory.