Tears of War

by A. D. Trosper

  Slowly the room emptied. Kirynn waited for everyone to leave before collecting her dress and slipping into it. She wasn’t shy about changing clothing in front of others, but she didn’t want to listen to their scandalized remarks while she dressed.

  In the fashion of Boromar and the dress she had worn to her introduction ceremony after Syrakynn hatched, this dress’ silky material clung to every curve of her body. Unlike the dress she wore to the ceremony, this one didn’t have a high collar. Instead, the front swooped low in a deep V, revealing a considerable amount of her breasts and the Di’shan pendant that nestled above them. Though ankle length, it had slits up both sides that bared her legs nearly to the hip when she walked.

  There was a practical reason behind the slits. In case of a need to fight, it freed her legs from the constraints of a full skirt. Kirynn also would not be piling her hair up on her head in a ridiculous bunch of curls. Her braid kept her thigh length hair neatly contained and out of her way. It would be fine like that just like it always was.

  Kirynn rummaged in the sack she’d brought for several small containers. Another thing the noble ladies here lacked—besides a decent brain between them—was a good knowledge of face paint. She rarely ever used it, but it was something her mother insisted she learn. Kirynn smiled at the thought of her mother. She hadn’t completed more than the first two rounds of weapons training as a child, but she had been proud of Kirynn for finishing it all and becoming a valuable soldier.

  Her mother’s voice echoed in her thoughts as memories of her mother sitting her down to learn face painting filled her mind. “You are a great warrior and have excelled well beyond your age-mates. But there are times when battles are not to be fought with zahris or other sharp weapons. Sometimes, they are fought on the battle grounds of the mind. The weapons for these wars are far more subtle.” Her mother had opened a case full of powders and vials. “You are stunningly beautiful, my daughter, and these will enhance that. Men can be conquered with the right visuals. Their minds are easy to manipulate when they aren’t thinking with the right one. Women will either despise you or want to be you. Either of the scenarios can be manipulated to your advantage.”

  Her mother was a hard woman and even though she chose not to become a Defender of Boromar, she still had little room in her life for silliness or things that were a waste of time. She smiled, thinking of her mother among the ladies of Shadereen. There would have been little tolerance for the gossiping and preening.

  Kirynn settled in front of a mirror. She didn’t have the extensive case her mother had, but it was enough. In short order her eyes were enhanced. Without it looking like she applied much of anything, her lashes were darker and thicker, her eyes drew attention and appeared larger and greener. Her lips held a touch of color giving them a fuller look and her cheekbones were highlighted.

  She observed her handiwork. Yes, her mother would be proud. Subtlety was the key her mother had always said. Highlighting everything that was already there while making it look completely natural. Kirynn smiled, thinking of the member of the Council of Seven she had her eye on. Something about him made her think he would make a good bed partner. From the gossip in the dressing room, she gathered her assumptions were right.

  Kirynn stood, placed the items back in the pouch, and left the room. Music floated down the hall from the big open double doors at the end. It sounded like the party had already started. That suited her just fine. She walked forward, swaying her hips so that her legs flashed through the slits in the dress.

  The doors opened onto a large balcony with two sets of sweeping stairs leading down from either side. Kirynn descended the stairs, glancing across the huge room where people crowded around the edges at various tables and dancers already moved about the middle of the floor. As Kirynn passed two men she smiled at them and watched shock fill their faces while their eyes roamed over her body.

  The looks and expressions were as she expected. The men’s jaws dropped and their eyes widened as they tried to look and not look at her at the same time. The women’s expressions ranged from shock, to envy, to outrage. She glided past them all and into the middle of the room where the dancers were. Several men faltered over their feet and received glares from their dance partners.

  Kirynn strolled up to where Vaddoc moved across the floor with a beautiful young woman. She smiled sweetly at the woman who gaped back. “Excuse me honey, but I would like a moment to dance with my fellow Dragon Rider.”

  The girl-woman backed off with a dirty look. Kirynn ignored her and slid into Vaddoc’s arms. He rolled his eyes slightly. “You did not have to do that.”

  She laughed. “It’s good for her to be reminded I have first claim on you, even if I don’t plan on making that claim tonight.”

  He glanced across the room and then looked back at her. “Still planning on tripping Lord Deslin into bed?”

  “Unless you think he will be able to resist me.”

  As they danced he moved an arm’s length away and eyed her up and down with an appreciative light in his eyes before pulling her close again. “I doubt there is a man in the room that could say no and more than a few who will be sorely disappointed that they aren’t your intended target.”

  Kirynn smiled. “Surely you don’t plan on spending the night alone.”

  He chuckled. “I have no intention of spending it alone.”

  She turned her head as they swirled past the crowd and looked at the gathered women. “Who is your target?”

  “You interrupted my dance with her and likely destroyed her sense of self-beauty.”

  Kirynn couldn’t help laughing. “It isn’t my fault the women of Shadereen have no idea how to properly dress.”

  “I used to think it was quite attractive,” he said, humor flashing in his amber eyes. “But then some woman from Boromar ruined it for me.”

  “I don’t know how you can see around those awful dresses.”

  He leaned forward and whispered in her ear. “Easy, I imagine them without the dresses.”

  This time she roared with laughter. “I think either I’m wearing off on you or you’re spending too much time with Kellinar.”

  He laughed with her and then grabbed her hand. “Go catch your target.” Kirynn made a half-spin and stepped away from the dance with him.

  She made it halfway across the dance floor before Lord Mannoc stopped her. Tall, with dark hair to his shoulders and golden eyes, he was a standard Shaderian man. A cocky smile lit his face as he asked her to dance.

  Irritated, Kirynn took his hand. She didn’t like him much. Something about him rubbed her the wrong way. He looked at her as they moved through the steps together. “So what are you and Vaddoc to each other?”

  Ah, he wanted to test the waters with her. She smiled slightly. “We are fellow Dragon Riders, good friends and occasional bed partners. Why do you ask?”

  For a moment he looked taken back by her blunt reply. “You do say what you are thinking.”

  She shrugged. “Why play games? Might as well get to the point don’t you think?”

  He nodded, a thoughtful look in his eyes and said, “Then I will get to the point with you. I would like you to join me tonight in my quarters.”

  Kirynn laughed and his eyes narrowed. “What do you find funny?”

  “Lord Mannoc, it isn’t going to happen.”

  A scowl knotted his brows together. “May I ask why?”

  “Of course.” She smiled sweetly. “Number one, you have a wife, or have you forgotten her? Apparently you have, if the conversations I listened to all day are any indication. Did you forget I spent the day with all of the ladies? Gossip seems to be their favorite past time and according to the gossip tree,” she leveled a look at him, “you couldn’t find it with both hands and a map.”

  He dropped his hands and stepped back, anger storming in his eyes. Kirynn reached up and patted his cheek. “I don’t feel like giving lessons tonight.” She turned and walked away, leaving him there to fume.r />
  Her target, Lord Deslin, stood only a few feet away. Not quite as tall as the others and with a receding hairline, he wasn’t the most handsome man in the room. It wasn’t his looks that drew her but instead the way he used his hands. Something about the simple way he held a glass of wine, or smoothed his scroll-worked coat, told her those hands would know what to do. Kirynn stopped and smiled up at him as he gazed back, though not at her face. A look of chagrin passed over him. He cleared his throat, looked away from her body, and met her eyes.

  “Would you like to dance with me, Lord Deslin?” she asked, putting a subtle inflection on the word dance to give it a double meaning.

  He held out his hand, his eyes dropping again before jerking back to her face. She smiled wider, loving the rush of the hunt as she placed her hand in his. He drew her hand up and kissed it, his eyes still locked on hers. “I would love to, my lady.”

  She stepped into his arms and whispered in his ear, “I’m no lady.”

  Deslin coughed and cleared his throat again then slowly stepped among the dancers with her. Kirynn glanced at Vaddoc as he moved by, the same pretty woman as before in his arms. By her smile, Vaddoc had charmed her thoroughly. It would be a good evening for them both.

  Kirynn padded quietly about the room, collecting her shoes and stockings. She lifted her dress from where it lay in the corner. The snug bodice was ripped. Well, she couldn’t fault Deslin for being impatient. She’d driven the poor man to the brink of insanity before finally permitting him to touch her in that way.

  A smile spread across her face. He’d been good. Not as good as Vaddoc, but then Vaddoc had learned a lot from her. Even so, the romp in the bed with Deslin was worth a ruined dress. It wasn’t like she would need another one like it any time soon. She’d made it clear to the Council that she would attend last night’s ball but would refuse invitations to more. Every now and then it was fun to lady up and wear dresses and face paint, but only once in a very great while; anything more than that would drive her crazy.

  Kirynn glanced at the dress again and shrugged; no point in bothering to put it on. It wouldn’t cover much now anyway. She slung it over one arm and held her shoes in her hand. Deslin continued to snore heavily among the twisted sheets on the bed as she left the room.

  “Good morning, my dragon love,” she sent to Syrakynn.

  “Good very early morning, my rider,” Syrakynn returned. “Namir and Cat still sleep in the courtyard while I perch on the wall and watch over them. I still don’t trust all of these people. Not that they would be able to kill Namir before he woke anyway, but we figure it’s best to head off a problem before it arises.”

  Kirynn nodded. The dragon couldn’t see her but she would sense it. “I agree. It’s a shame there is no suitable place for you to sleep.”

  “Perhaps one day the Earth riders can build something for us. I have memories of such things from before the War of Fire,” Syrakynn sent hopefully.

  Ahead of her, a male servant dropped the tray he carried. It hit the floor with a clatter as dishes and their contents scattered. He stared at Kirynn, his eyes wide and his mouth open. She whipped around to look behind her. The hall was empty. She turned back. What was his problem?

  The man dropped his eyes to the floor, red flushing his face until she wondered if he would burst into flames. What in the name of the Fates was wrong with him? He glanced in her direction once more before staring at his feet again. “Your pardon, my lady.”

  Kirynn glanced down and rolled her eyes. Oh for Fates sake, what was their problem with a little bit of skin? So what if she was naked, he was a grown man; surely he’d seen a female body before. Although given the way the women here dressed, maybe they never took their clothes off around men, not even for a romp. She would have to ask Vaddoc.

  She picked her way around the tray and its spilled contents, pausing in front of the servant. Kirynn laid her hand on the side of his face making him look up. “Why do you act as if you are embarrassed? It’s my body and I’m not embarrassed. Unless you feel it isn’t worth looking at.”

  “N…no, my lady. It is most worthy of looking at. It is just… just not proper, my lady.”

  She rolled her eyes again. “First of all stop calling me lady. And as for this, it’s called the female body and there’s nothing embarrassing about it. However, I can see you’re quite distressed over it.” She arched an eyebrow. “Hmm, perhaps you swing the other way?”

  “What?” His eyes got bigger. “No, my— no, I just, it is not...”

  She laughed at his discomfort. “I will continue on my way now so that you can get on about your day.”

  “You shouldn’t torment them so much,” came Syrakynn’s amused sending.

  “It isn’t my fault they teach their men that the female body is something to ogle at and play with instead of something natural,” Kirynn sent back as she continued down the hall to her room.

  She closed the door behind her and tossed the dress on the floor. Using the basin on the table by the door, she washed away the remnants of the face paint before throwing on some clothes. She wanted a bath but figured if the people here were going to react so strongly to nakedness, then it would be better to have some clothes on before hunting down a place to bathe.

  Kirynn stepped into the hall and felt a sharp sting in her neck. She reached up and grabbed at the area. Her hand came away with a small quill stained on one end with her blood and something else. Dark numbness rolled over her body. Somewhere in the distance, Syrakynn roared. A heavy weight settled around her neck cutting off her connection to her dragon. Kirynn fumbled for her magic but whatever had been on the end of the quill dragged her under.

  The sound of water lapping at stone banks penetrated the darkness, echoing through the thick fog in Kirynn’s mind. Her wrists and shoulders ached and something cool and rough pressed against her back. She struggled to open her eyes. What happened? A memory of a sharp sting floated to the surface. A quill with something on the end… her thoughts faded, swallowed by the fog.

  “She is coming around.” A male voice echoed in her ears.

  “Good, it will be interesting to see how this works,” said the voice of a disembodied female.

  Another female voice, different than the first, remarked, “As long as it does work.”

  “If you’re afraid and would like to go up top and help the Kojen, feel free to leave.” The first female voice returned, a silky hypnotic tone to it.

  Someone cleared their throat and the male voice asked, “Do I have to stay? You have her now. I’ve done my part in your experiment.”

  The voice was familiar. Kirynn struggled to push past the darkness in her mind to remember where she had heard it.

  The silky voiced female laughed. “Coward. Be gone with you. Go play like you are one of those siding with Galdrilene but don’t forget, I own you.”

  “Yes, my lady.”

  Footsteps crunched across gravel and echoed around her. Where was all of the echoing coming from? Kirynn finally convinced her eyelids to lift. The blurry world swam into view. She hung from a thick rope bound tight around her wrists. Kirynn dipped a toe down but it didn’t meet the ground. That would explain the pain in her wrists and shoulders. Someone was going to die for this and it wasn’t going to be her.

  “Ah, you are finally awake.” The silky voice was back.

  Kirynn’s head lolled and bumped against the rough wall behind her as she tried to look around. Torches flickered around a low ceilinged cave. An arch in one wall led into darkness, though her bond-enhanced eyes picked up the dim shimmer of the torchlight off a massive pool of water on the other side of it.

  “Look at me.”

  She struggled to get control of the muscles in her neck and managed to flop her head forward. A woman stood gazing at her from a safe distance so Kirynn couldn’t reach her with her feet. Red hair, so dark it was almost the color of dried blood, hung long around a pale face. Dark smudges marred the skin under deep green eyes. A thick bla
ck ring rimmed the outer edge of her irises. Who had eyes like that? They were creepy.

  Creepy-woman smiled and her eyes held something twisted in them. Kirynn reached for Syrakynn and her magic at the same time and found…nothing. No magic, no dragon, just aching emptiness.

  Panic flickered around the edges of her thoughts but she squashed it ruthlessly. Syrakynn wasn’t dead or she would be feeling Separation. Whatever stopped her from touching her magic must also be keeping her from the dragon.

  Kirynn glared at the woman. “What have you done? If you have harmed my dragon, you will die.” She paused for a moment and smiled. “Well, you are going to die anyway, but it will be much slower if my dragon is injured.”

  Another woman stepped to the side of the first. Her mousy brown hair was mostly covered with a head scarf. “Your dragon was fine the last I saw. Although with the Kojen tearing things apart up above, I cannot say for certain she still remains that way.”

  Creepy-woman moved closer, looking at Kirynn through narrowed eyes. Mouse-woman’s hazel eyes widened in her olive-toned face. “Be careful, Azurynn, stay out of her reach.”

  Azurynn cut her strange-colored eyes at the second woman. “I’m not a fool, Sulwyna.” She turned back to Kirynn. “You cannot sense your dragon? Then it appears my little experiment is working.”

  A heavy rustling pulled Kirynn’s attention away. Two large shadows shifted in the cavern beyond the arched opening. A sick feeling crept into Kirynn as fear tried to claw at her. Shadow Dragons. She looked back at the two women in understanding. Shadow Riders.

  “I finally sense some fear in her,” Sulwyna said.

  Azurynn nodded. “I sense it too although it makes no difference.” The dark green eyes regarded Kirynn. “She’s been trained to control it and overcome it, haven’t you?”

  Kirynn ignored her and sought the silence in her mind. When she found the emptiness, she began to explore it. It felt like an open hole but it wasn’t. Her exploration revealed a wall. Invisible and barely felt, but there nonetheless. The two Shadow Riders were still talking. Kirynn tuned them out so she could concentrate on the wall. She slid along it. Syrakynn was somewhere in the darkness on the other side.