"Chinga soup. It's an Arakite specialty," Tarrin told him. "Sorry, I should have warned you about it."
"Now I'm curious," Thean said, filling a bowl. "I had some chinga soup in Arkis once. About burned the fur off my ears, but I have to admit, it was pretty tasty after you got past that." He sipped at a spoonful, then breathed out heavily and laughed. "It's even hotter!" he laughed. "Tasty, though."
"Thean, you are weird," Kimmie teased him.
"Get as old as me, and you'll try new things just because they're new," he told her, taking another sip of the soup.
"Anything else on this table that can kill me, Tarrin?" Arren asked plaintively.
Tarrin laughed. "No, the soup is about it, Duke Arren. Everything else is safe."
"Just Arren, if you don't mind," he grunted. "I think we can dispense with titles. You're about the only one that uses it anyway," he added with a grin.
"Were-cats aren't much impressed by human titles," Jesmind shrugged. "You'll get more respect from us by your actions than who your parents were."
"I've noticed," he said, trying the anthari. "My, now this is good," he said with a smile.
"A personal favorite of mine," Tarrin told him. "Dolanna made it for me once. It's a dish native to Sharadar."
"I'll have to ask her for the recipe," Arren said. "As soon as I get Torrian rebuilt and get things back to normal, anyway. Right now, my chefs can only cook basic things to feed all the refugees."
"I wish there was something I could do to help you with that, Arren," Tarrin sighed. "But unfortunately, about the only thing I can do is give you some gold to help cover the costs of rebuilding."
"I'll take that with gratitude," Arren nodded eloquently. "Anything you can do to help would be appreciated."
"I'm going to help with that, Duke," Sathon told him. "I have a group of Druids on their way here. They'll use their magic to help you feed and clothe your people, and help to rebuild the city as quickly as you can. They should be here about the same time the refugees go to the villages and get some clothes, and then come back. You'll need their help to rebuild the city, but Fae-da'Nar will help in the recovery any way we can."
"That's very nice of you, Sathon," Arren smiled.
"We can't help but feel responsible for it, Arren," Sathon sighed. "Tarrin is one of us. What he has done here reflects on us all, so we must act to correct it."
"I didn't have any choice, Sathon," Tarrin said grimly. "I already feel guilty enough about it."
"I understand that, Tarrin, and believe me, I believe you didn't have any choice. I went around and saw all the bones. There had to be at least four or five thousand soldiers in the city. I just can't believe that they managed to hide so many men from us, right under our noses!"
"They probably had a plan for it," Thean speculated. "Made most of their army stay inside, had a system of rotating them in and out so it looked like it was the same men entering or leaving a building, when it was actually different men. The question is, why would they do it?"
"Simple, Thean. They were hiding their numbers from the Rangers, in case they ever tried a direct assault on the city," Sathon told him.
"That brings it up," Tarrin grunted. "Arren, you have a spy in your ranks."
"A spy? How do you know?"
"The Dals and the ki'zadun knew every element of the plan," he replied. "They knew when and where to look for Ariana. They set fire to a building to make it look like I did it, and they had archers, siege engines, just about everything all loaded up and waiting for us. They knew we were coming, and they knew what we were going to do. Every part of it. It was like one of them was sitting around that table when we made the plan."
"That, is serious," Arren said grimly, leaning back and setting his fork down. "Do you have any idea who it is?"
"No idea, but it has to be someone that heard the entire plan. An officer or other high-ranking official in your army."
"It would have had to have been one of my senior officers," Arren fretted. "They're the only ones that knew the plan outside those of us who were at the table."
"Or someone on one of those officers' staffs," Thean added. "If that's who it is, odds are he heard the plan from the officer he works for. I know how humans love to gossip."
"Sorry to ruin your dinner this way, but I felt you should know," Tarrin told him.
"Well, I can enjoy the dinner now, and then worry later," he said with a faint smile. "I'll find him, Tarrin. Don't you worry about that."
"Good."
"Now then, what is that over there? It looks delicious."
Very little was discussed after that. They all enjoyed the banquet of foods that Tarrin had conjured from many different cultures. After they finished off the main meal, Tarrin Conjured uta for all of them, and was pleased that they all thought that it was one of the most delicious things they had ever tasted. Jesmind especially seemed to go crazy over it, swiping half the uta off Tarrin's plate and wolfing it down. When she eyed the honey-smothered pasty on her daughter's plate, Jasana growled at her and pulled her plate away from her mother defensively.
"Ahh," Arren said in contentment. "What I wouldn't give right now for some of your father's apple wine," he told Tarrin.
"There's still some of it left," he told him. "They didn't find all of it we had stored at the farm."
"Really? You'll have to send me some."
Without much thought, Tarrin Conjured one of the casks of apple wine, making it appear on the ground just beside the table. "There it is," he said.
Arren laughed. "That's a handy little ability there, Tarrin," he said as he and Thean picked up the cask and set it on a stand that Sathon Conjured for them. Sathon produced a tap, and the cask was tapped and wine was poured for them. Jasana sniffed suspiciously at the wine that was set before her, then sipped at it.
"It's good. It tastes fruity," Jasana announced, then she drained the glass. "Can I have more?"
"Of course, cub," Jesmind told her, pouring her another cup.
"Isn't that a bit much for such a youngling?" Arren asked delicately.
"Alcohol doesn't affect us, Arren," Kimmie smiled. "Our metablism burns it out long before it can make us drunk. It's perfectly safe for her to drink it."
"Ah," Arren sounded. "I didn't know that."
"I'm surprised you didn't say something about a child drinking wine. Where I come from, it's considered taboo."
"You must be from Tor, then," he smiled. "It's perfectly acceptable here, so long as the parent doesn't let the child get drunk. That's bad form."
"Torians are a bit high-collared," Kimmie said with a chuckle. "I had any number of moral apoplexies after I was turned. Were-cat ways are about as different from Torian ways as you can get."
"You aren't a natural Were-cat?" Arren asked.
She shook her head, taking a sip of wine. "Me and Tarrin are the only two of us who were turned. Were-cats are usually extremely careful about biting people."
"One of their few disciplines," Sathon teased with a smile, looking at Thean.
"I learn more and more every day," Arren said, sipping his wine.
"Well, I should get some rest. I have to rejoin the others on the way to Suld. It'll take some serious effort to catch up with them now. Now that they aren't forced to wait for horses, they're moving at a fair clip."
"How are you going to do that?" Arren asked curiously.
"He's going to enchant a horse," Tarrin replied, "so that it can run faster than any other horse, and hold the pace for days on end. He should catch up with the others in a few days."
"Very good, Tarrin. I see you were paying attention when I taught you," Sathon smiled.
"I'm not a total bonehead, Sathon," Tarrin told him mildly.
"Could have fooled me," Jesmind jibed, elbowing him in the ribs. He looked at her, then saw her mischevious smile. Jesmind was feeling a bit frisky. All the sweets in that uta was probably getting to her. "I think it's time to put Tarrin to bed. He isn't fully recovered yet, and
he needs to rest." She looked around. "That means that all of you take what you want off the table and go," she declared. "I won't have your talking disturbing him."
"She's the soul of courtesy, isn't she?" Kimmie remarked to Thean.
"The absolute soul of it, cub," Thean said with a straight face. "Let's clear the table of anything snackish and remove ourselves before she starts losing her graceful veneer."
They all stood up. Tarrin took Arren's hand in his paw and shook it. "I won't see you again for a while, Arren," he announced. "I'll be leaving tomorrow with the other Were-cats for Suld. I hope things go well for you."
"With all the help we're going to get, I think things will be just fine," Arren smiled. "Torrian will be rebuilt, better than ever before. Just wait and see."
"I will see it," he told him. "When all this is over, I'm coming home. Aldreth is where I belong. I'll have to pass through Torrian to get home, you know."
"I'll be happy for that. We can visit each other and keep up on things."
"We will at that. Good luck, Arren."
"May Karas grant you fair skies and good roads for your journey," he replied.
"Tomorrow at sunrise, come back over here and pick up what I'm going to leave for you," he told him.
"What is it?"
"You'll see," Tarrin smiled. "Just make sure you bring some strong men you can trust. That's all I'm going to say."
"Well, alright," Arren said. "But don't go out of your way on my account."
"I won't," Tarrin told him. He noticed Jesmind's expectant glare. "It looks like my taskmistress over there is getting impatient that I'm not laying down," he grinned, jerking a thumb at his mate. "I'd better go before she drags me off by the ear."
"Good luck to you," Arren said, shaking his paw one more time, then turning to pick up the cask of apple wine.
"Good journey, Tarrin. I'll see you in Suld," Sathon nodded.
"You too," Tarrin replied, then turned to where Thean and Kimmie were putting on their cloaks. "Remember, you two, be back here before dawn," Tarrin called. "I'll leave you behind if you're late!"
"We'll be here, Tarrin," Thean assured him as he took the cask of wine from Arren to let him put on his cloak. "We have tents behind yours. So we'll be in shouting distance."
They all padded out into the rain, leaving Tarrin and Jesmind standing at the table while Jasana drank the rest of the apple wine they'd given her. "This stuff makes my ears feel funny," she told them.
"It'll pass in a moment, cub," Jesmind said calmly.
"It's a good kind of funny, though," she added quickly.
"I know. Well, my mate, let's put you to bed. Finish that up and come to bed, Jasana."
"Umm," she sounded, taking another drink.
"I forgot about the leftovers," Jesmind growled as an afterthought. "We can't leave that laying around. It'll attract scavengers."
"I'll take care of them," Tarrin said, absently banishing the contents of the table, leaving it clear of everything except Jasana's mug of wine.
"Now I know you ahve to be tired," Jesmind told him, taking his paw and dragging him towards their tent. "You know, it's too bad Jasana isn't staying with Kimmie tonight," she purred in his ear as he started following her as she backed towards the tent, stepping out into the rain.
"Like that's going to stop you," Tarrin teased. "You'll just wait for her to go to sleep, like last time."
"It's the challenge of not waking her up that makes it exciting," Jesmind grinned.
"Aren't I supposed to be needing rest?"
"I won't wear you out too much. After all, if you're strong enough to do magic, you're strong enough to bed me, aren't you?"
"My, you're just a little hypocrit today," he teased as she pulled him into the tent and immediately reached for his shirt tail.
She laughed. "I think that dessert is making me all hot and bothered," she told him.
"You certainly ate enough of it," he told her as Jasana came into the tent. "I thought Jasana was going to bite you there for a moment."
"I'm the one that was supposed to take it off her plate," Jasana complained as she started to undress.
"You're just too slow, cub," Jesmind teased her. "Now off with your clothes and into bed."
"Yes, mama," she said obediently. Or about as obediently as Jasana ever got.
"You too, my mate," Jesmind ordered, pulling her shirt off. "I'm ready for bed, and you need your rest. And you know how I hate it when I don't have you to cuddle with when I'm sleepy."
That was true enough, he'd come to discover. Jesmind loved cuddling, even when she wasn't feeling frisky. She also woke up any time he left the bed, for any reason, no matter how carefully he tried to get out of bed without waking her. Almost as if him not being there disturbed her enough to wake her up. As soon as his scent began to get distant from her, it woke her up.
He laid down in the soft bedroll as Jesmind tucked in Jasana, then said his goodnights to his daughter as Jesmind cuddled up to him in their bedroll. They would leave tomorrow, and it would be something that the others would probably never forget. He looked forward to the idea of flying again; it was such a wonderful thing. But there would be no dawdling this time. They had to get to Suld, and that meant a straight line to the city. Two days or so, he figured. He'd be sleeping in the Tower in two nights. He'd be back with his sisters, back with his natural parents and sister, back with the rest of his family in two days. That was something that made him feel very content. He wasn't expectant or anxious at all, now that the end of his long journey away from Allia and Keritanima was nearly over. He'd see them in two days, along with everyone else he considered family. They were all there, waiting for him, and he couldn't wait to see them. His old family would meet his new family, and together, they would all share the bonds that cemented them together. He just hoped that Jesmind and Jasana would fit in with the rest of his rather unusual family. But things would work out. He had a good feeling about it.
Jesmind started nibbling at his neck, deciding to start playing with him before Jasana was completely asleep. She certainly was affectionate tonight. He reminded himself not to feed her so much uta the next time. Or at least only feed her lots of it when he wanted her to be very bouncy.
Chapter 29
The rain came to an end sometime during the night, leaving the dark pre-dawn to which Tarrin emerged misty, a bit unseasonably cold, and overcast. Water still clung to the grass, made the outside of their tent wet to the touch. The cloudy skies made it very dark, just enough light penetrating the clouds to allow him to see in shades of slightly murky gray as he looked out over the empty field. The lights of the fires of the soldiers were behind them, a good longspan distant, too far to grant light to their small encampment. He looked to the other tent erected there, a tent that Kimmie and Thean were sharing, and he could hear and see from the faint spot of light inside that they were up and getting ready. They had lit a candle or some other small light in there, and it cast shadows against the side of the tent.
They were leaving today. He already knew what he was going to do, and how he wanted to go about doing it, so that wasn't something concerning him. He was just worried how the others were going to take it. He wasn't sure about that, outside of Jasana's youthful excitement about the prospect of flying through the air. That, and his mate's already voiced reluctance to it.
Jesmind. It was curious. He thought about that as he waited for her to finish dressing Jasana, waited for Thean and Kimmie to get ready. It was strange that the daughter of Triana, who was one of the strongest Druids alive, was so...against magic. It wasn't the idea of flying that bothered her, it was the idea of doing it on the back of a matgical creature. She hated him using his Druidic powers, considering it to be cheating. She had hated the Tower, and seemed to have a pretty universal disdain for magic and all things magical. She had a pretty formidable barrier to overcome, now that he thought of it. Her mother was a magician, her daughter was a magician, and her current mate was a magici
an. She was surrounded by magic, and yet she seemed to have an aversion to it. He wondered why. He could understand her distrust of Sorcerers, because of what they did to her. But why not be accustomed to, even like, Druidic magic?
That, he realized, was a question to ask Triana. She was Jesmind's mother, after all, and she knew Jesmind alot better than he did. She would know the answer to that question.
Jasana announced her presence by grabbing the end of his tail and holding fast to it, as she tended to do. He wasn't quite sure why she did that. She did it to both him and Jesmind, almost like telling them where she was, or that she was there. Having that little paw on his tail was an eerie sensation, because he didn't really like people grabbing his tail. But he'd come to learn to like it after being around her. It told him that his daughter was with him, and that always made him happy. "Morning, cub," he told her without turning around. "Did you sleep well?"
"Umm," she hummed in answer, though her spirit wasn't quite awake yet. Jasana was not an early riser. "Except you and mama woke me up," she accused.
Tarrin didn't answer that. "Blame your mother," he finally told her.
"I did," she replied. "She promised not to be so loud next time."
"Well, that's good," he said delicately. Jasana wasn't a human girl. Her mother had already explained all sorts of things to her that a human girl wouldn't learn for a long time. Sex among the Were-cats didn't hold the same social stigma that it did among humans. That was why Jesmind had been willing to engage him with Jasana in the same tent. He'd usually have been resistant, but trying to fend off a frisky Jesmind was about as easy as turning a mountain inside out with a shovel and a pick. A pair of Were-cats wouldn't just mate in a public city street, nor would they in a social gathering; they did have some human moral traits. But mating in the presence of an intimate family member wasn't considered such a big deal, so long as they were discreet about it. Jesmind usually was discreet...except when she got--he steered his thoughts away from that.
It just showed him again how little he really knew his mate. He didn't know what her favorite foods were, or what kind of literature she liked, or even why she didn't seem to like magic. Jesmind had always been something of a fixture in his life, but she had always been...mysterious. He had gotten used to thinking of her as a mystery, and to his own discredit, hadn't bothered to try to solve her. He knew some things about her. That she was willful, stubborn, independent, direct, and bold. But she was also an exquisitely tender, loving, compassionate, caring person with those around which she felt comfortable. He understood her outward personality, could predict or deflect impending explosions of temper, and could calm her down when needful, but he still hadn't come to learn about the woman hiding within the Were-cat. It was her inner personality, the true tides of emotion that drove her, that he did not yet know or understand. Since they'd been together, he'd had his mind so occupied by other things, he had simply accepted her presence without taxing himself by her too much. That was his own mistake, and he was ready to admit it. She was more than just Jesmind, or the woman he slept with. She was his mate, and that implied certain responsibilities he had towards her, much more than if she were nothing but a single night's tryst.
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