'Not my fault you’re tired. Blame that on Rumal.'
She laughed, swatting at me when I zoomed past to borrow a comb from her dressing table. I dressed carefully this morning, selecting pieces I tended not to wear. While I might want to take it slow with Alek for the moment, that didn’t mean I couldn’t tease him. Besides, I was still considering my take-it-slow notion anyway.
Loi hurried along after the other three as they raced to the Griffon quarters. She still felt a bit raw from the attack the other night. Her dreams were full of that nasty creature and in the background of every dream a woman laughed. She couldn’t seem to get that laugh, cruel and callous, out of her head. Sabyn waited for her when they arrived, while everyone else fussed around getting ready he took her aside into the stable hands’ room.
'Hey.' He held a hand to her cheek while he stared with concern into her eyes. 'How are you?'
Tears tumbled out when she tried to respond. He sat and pulled her onto his lap.
Sabyn knew she hadn’t gotten over the shock yet and felt a moment of anger at Elena. Sure, she might be able to patch them up after a fight, but that didn’t change the fact that it had happened. Loi looked like she walked on eggshells since the attack, but she hadn’t spoken about it at all. Perhaps his timing was off approaching it now, but he wanted her to genuinely enjoy today. As he rocked her, smoothing her hair, she began to speak. 'Can’t get it out of my head.'
'I know.'
She went quiet again, he hugged her tighter. 'It’s normal, Loi, honest.'
She nodded against his chest. 'Silly isn’t it? But I just feel so, so, vulnerable and,' she gulped, hesitating before continuing. 'Weak.'
He knew what she meant. Loi trained for years to learn to defend herself, with that came a confidence in her abilities. To be caught out like she had, made it feel like none of it mattered. 'It’s not silly, Loi.' He told her about the time he’d been caught out.
Loi listened in astonishment while he described all the feelings he’d gone through when it happened; fear, revulsion and shame. Just the same way she felt. The anxious flutters in her stomach dissipated a little, she managed to stop crying. He gave her a loving smile then kissed her deeply. When he pulled away, leaving her heart pounding, he pressed his forehead to hers. 'I promise, Loi, I will do everything I can to see you safe. Believe it or not, you’re going to be more than capable of wiping out dozens of nasty creatures with a thought soon. That’s the reason Elena’s pushing you so hard. The four of you are going to be extremely formidable.' His words echoed in her mind. She’d doubted her abilities since the attack, but he said it with such reverence.
'Really?'
Sabyn chuckled, 'Out of this world.' He pulled her in for another kiss.
Alek helped me into a heavy overcoat when Sabyn and Loi came out of the back room. We could see she’d been crying, but the smile she gave us seemed brighter. I caught Sabyn’s eye, mouthing 'thanks' once Loi walked past.
'Hurry up people!'
We turned and laughed at Citaan, all ready and waiting on Phroma’s back, bouncing with excitement. The heavy overcoat she wore concealed her baby bump, at the moment she looked like an over-tall, impatient child. Alek still hadn’t told me where we were going, but if I went by Citaan’s reaction, it would be good.
Alek snapped shut the last clasp on Cat’s overcoat and tossed her up on to Loushka’s back. 'Hey! Manners much.' Cat poked her tongue out at him. He glowered at her. You can’t actually die from sexual frustration, the annoying voice in his mind pointed out. A certain part of his anatomy disagreed. It didn’t seem fair that she could strut around in that and still have the go-slow rule in place. Really, those thigh high boots ought to be worn over pants. Not under a long skirt with splits on either side, several inches higher than them. Maybe he should make her wear the coat while they were there.
‘Good luck with that.’ Loushka smirked at him.
‘Stay out of my head,’ he growled.
‘What’s the problem with her skirt? At least she can move easily. I recall Rayna wearing less.’
Alek froze. ‘Crap.’
Loushka laughed which caused everyone to turn and stare, while he flushed at the thought of having to explain that to Cat.
I wriggled inside my coat, trying to get comfortable. We all had to wear the coats because when the griffons leapt it apparently got very cold. I hope we leave soon, I’m melting under all this fabric. The men are lucky; they just have to wear their armor. I wonder what Alek said to Loushka that was so funny? He doesn’t look amused. He’d scowled at me since I strutted in this morning but now appeared distracted.
‘What was that exchange about?’ I thought to Loushka
‘Alek will have to explain. Nice outfit by the way—why has it got him mumbling about going slow?’
I chuckled. ‘That’d be my payback for that awful week he put me through. I might consider reneging, but I’m not telling him that.’
‘Nice one.’
‘Thanks.’
Alek scowled at the two of us while we communicated. I couldn’t help giving him a naughty smile and wink. He hopped up into the front seat without a word so I took great pleasure in scooting forward, wrapping my arms tight around his waist.
‘Come on, Loushka, let's go.’
‘You know, I think Cat wants your attention.’
He gritted his teeth at the mocking tone.
'Alek, Alek, Alek,' Cat chanted his name in an annoyingly cute voice.
‘Fine. Block your mind, Loushka, if you don’t want to be scarred.’
The griffon chuckled while she walked out to the courtyard. ‘Thanks for the warning.’
He took a firm grip of Cat’s thigh, with a swift move he jerked her around, so she straddled his lap. Those emerald eyes stared up at him in pretend innocence, while the twist of her lips gave away the mischievous intent.
'Catherine.'
Hee. Now this was fun. I couldn’t help but smirk when he said my name like that. Exasperation and frustration all rolled into one, just the way I liked it. Opening my eyes even wider I pouted. 'You haven’t commented on my outfit. I picked it out 'specially for you.'
The affected childish tone irritated him to no end. He yanked her closer so she pressed against his breastplate. Straight away her energy flared out, her expression changing from innocence to challenging. His body knew that look and responded. He bit off a curse. Getting a hard-on while wearing armor is NOT comfortable. The chuckle Cat gave suggested she knew all too well what’d just happened.
'Oi!' Rumal yelled from Kerak’s back. 'Cut that out you two, there’s a time and a place and it ain’t now.'
Like you can bloody speak, Alek thought, how many nights have you been absent from the quarters. Everyone else in the group hooted and hollered at the couple. Might as well give them something to yell about. He cupped a hand behind her head, kissing her bruisingly hard, venting a little of his frustration. 'We’ll discuss your outfit later.'
'Geez if they don’t watch out they’ll be expecting soon,' Gredel muttered to his wife.
Citaan laughed, murmuring in his ear, 'You know, I’m pretty sure it requires more than kissing.'
He chuckled, giving her a careful hug. She only just showed and even though he loved having her company, he pleaded with her to stay at home today. She’d refused of course. She wasn’t going to miss out on the markets and enjoying the girls’ company. The five of them got along well but due to the training schedule, the girls rarely got to spend much time with her. Still, he worried about the baby and his lovely wife exhausting herself with excitement. 'Are you sure you won’t stay back? It’s not that long to wait.' She gave him an annoyed look. He sighed. Elena did say it would be fine and Phroma promised to take it slow.
Chapter Thirty One
The five griffons pushed off then gathered in a circle high above the courtyard and began to hum—a low, rumbling sound. Kassie watched in breathless anticipation as she felt the griffons energy rise. A shimmering
in the middle of the circle caught her eye, she went to lean forward. Rumal’s arms locked tight around her. 'Hush,' he breathed. 'Don’t move.' She complied, watching the shimmering grow more pronounced. It developed a spherical shape, growing until an obvious ball of swirling silver and blue energy hung in the air. The intensity of the hum increased, she could feel the energy crackling and twisting around them. 'Hold your breath,' Rumal snapped.
Kerak gave a strong flap of his wings, diving into the swirling mass. Darkness surrounded them. She lost any sense of up and down, and couldn’t even feel Rumal or Kerak. A sense of panic began to well in her chest while she continued to hold her breath. Suddenly it grew light again and she could breathe. She blinked rapidly, looking around. 'Welcome to Rhdanon, Kass,' Rumal smiled. Kerak moved so they could watch the others come through; such a strange sight. There was no visible orb on this side but just before a griffon came through, the sound of their energy suddenly rang out. Then the griffon and riders appeared, like stepping through a doorway. It went silent again until the next came through.
Loi watched the process with fascination, turning to smile at Kassie. Loushka came through and Cat stared wide-eyed when they came around to wait with the others. Just Phroma was left. The dark griffon came through smoothly, the gateway closed with a loud chime.
Citaan beamed at the girls, hopping in the saddle. 'C’mon, it’ll be getting busy. Let’s go!' Everyone laughed while the girls exchanged questioning looks. They’d soon see what all the fuss was about.
The forest was much sparser here and I could smell salt in the air. I squirmed in the saddle, trying to see more. Alek laughed at me. ‘Pull Cat up to standing,’ Loushka thought to us both. ‘It’s a good view.’
Helping me out of the stiff overcoat, Alek pulled me to my feet. I leaned back against him, looking out. What a spectacular sight. We approached what must be a city. It looked miles bigger than Gartoll, I could just make out a harbor littered with boats. Feeling a rush of excitement I twisted to look up at Alek. 'Are we going to the city?'
'No, we’re going to somewhere even better.'
We settled back down onto the saddle, I stretched my arms out, relieved to be rid of that coat.
'Would you stop that?'
'What?' I looked up in surprise as he stared down with a bemused smile.
'I said we’d discuss your outfit later, arching your back like that isn’t helpful.'
Whoops. I’d actually forgotten how low the v-neck on my sweater was. I laughed at him. 'No-one’s making you look.' The griffons flew lower, we could make out houses and people now. All of them looked up to see us. Some waved and shouted while others just gaped. The attention was funny, I frequently forgot the status of the Griffon Guard and Alek. I could see a large, make that huge, clearing coming up. It teemed with people. My jaw dropped, it had to be the largest crowd we’d seen yet. The griffons appeared to know the place well. I got a shock when Loushka dived low over the crowd and let out a screeching roar. The others followed suit with the crowd screaming back in excitement.
The griffons wheeled around and landed in a smaller, empty clearing, just beyond. 'What is that place?' demanded Sian. Daron grinned and motioned for her to slide down from Nesha.
‘That’s the Rhdanon Markets,’ Nesha informed her. ‘A favorite place of ours. You'll love it.’
They waited for everyone to climb down then set off with the griffons padding along behind. The trees were slender, about half the height of the ones in the forest by the castle. There was a definite seaside feel to the place. Sand was visible underfoot, blown in with the wind. The sound of the crowd grew louder. Sian glanced at Daron, a little nervous. Picking up on it, he reached out to draw her close so they walked side by side with his arm around her.
The track we followed widened out. Citaan, who walked in front with Gredel, gave a little skip and a squeal of excitement. Everyone began to laugh, Alek squeezed my hand. 'If you hadn’t yet noticed, the markets are a favorite of Citaan’s.'
She spun back to make a face at him before winking at me. 'You wait, Alek. Cat and the girls will love it just as much.' As she spoke we walked into the market clearing. It was loud with voices, vocal and telepathic, with a mass of creatures before us; a total shock to the senses. The griffons were vocal, greeting everyone. It seemed strange to hear them out loud.
Cat and the other girls stared about in amazement. It made the men smile. Rhdanon was Elion’s cosmopolitan city and the market was packed. Alek caught sight of a water sprite couple and glanced down to see if Cat had noticed. She had and wore an intent expression while studying them, alternating glances at Citaan comparing the differences. Someone caught his eye, he recognized his friend Ieran. Smiling, he strode forward to clap hands in greeting with him. 'Ieran. It’s good to see you.'
I stepped out of the way so Alek and his friend could catch up. His friend looked unusual, a tall slender frame with dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. He had slanted light brown eyes, framed with cursive brows that I would have thought drawn on if I wasn’t standing so close. A long neck and fingers, and tan skin with green under tones. I wonder what he is? While I waited for the conversation to finish so I could ask Alek, I heard his friend say. 'I’m surprised we haven’t seen you sooner, Alek. We’d begun to think the rumors true; Rayna’s been rather beside herself.'
What? I froze, listening but Alek shrugged the remark off. Loushka gave a husky cough of a laugh, I turned to her. ‘Who’s Rayna?’
‘A human female who’s been interested in Alek for some time. She has a stall here, I’m sure she’ll be along soon.’
Hmm.
Alek finished talking to Ieran and turned to Cat with a smile. 'Ieran's Elven. We've been friends for years. I met him when we first started practicing leaping.'
'Uh-huh. Who’s Rayna?'
‘Loushka!’
‘Wasn’t my fault, she overheard Ieran and asked me.’ The griffon gave him a serves-you-right look then wandered over to join Tomiar and Nesha.
'So?'
Better get this over with. He sighed. 'Rayna’s someone I had… fun with, for a few years.'
Cat’s face appeared impassive. 'How recently?'
'Oh, not for a good couple of years,' he assured her, while waiting for her reaction. She seemed to take it well.
'Okay. Thanks for letting me know.' She wandered after the others then paused to glance back when he hadn’t moved. 'You coming?' Feeling a little stunned, Alek followed. Well that was easy, he thought, I'm almost disappointed.
Kassie and Rumal stopped at a stall that sold maps. Rolls and rolls of them were piled at the back of the stall. The stall owner eyed them curiously and she stared back. She’d never seen anything like it. It walked on all fours, its lower back dipping down to shorter hind legs. It had skin that reminded her of an elephant, wrinkled and loose looking. Dark green with black eyes, long green lashes and a narrow face with a protruding muzzle. Cat and Alek stopped with them at the stall.
'Greetings,' the stall owner whispered. 'How may I be of service to you?'
'Do you have a world map?' enquired Cat. It inclined its head, turning to look.
'What is it?' Kassie breathed into Rumal’s ear, he smiled down at her.
'A fenria, traditionally a forest dweller.'
They looked over the map, she exchanged a look with Cat. Gar'nyse was huge, far bigger than Earth. Elion appeared to be the largest land mass, she could see now how far the griffons had leapt this morning. Impressive, she thought. A large mass at the bottom of the map had forbidden written across it, she looked to Rumal. 'Why does this say forbidden?'
He glanced down at where her finger rested on the map. 'That’s Jenviet’s territory. Not a place you want to go.'
'What you really want is a disk map,' Alek arched an eyebrow at the stall owner. 'Do you have one?'
The stall owner shook his head. 'No, your Highness, they are so expensive I don’t find them worthwhile to stock. Other stalls within the market place do though.'
We continued on, it looked like it would take us most of the day to walk around the market, with so much to see; jewelry, magick, weapons, maps, even exotic animal stalls. Daron and Sian joined us while we made our way around as Citaan and Gredel caught up with friends.
They stopped at a weapons stall next and the men watched in amusement while the girls enthusiastically studied each piece. Cat appeared much taken with a sleeve that held throwing blades, while Sian examined an expanding sword with great interest. Daron laughed at her. 'Pixie, I don’t think you need that. You’ve got a sword.'
Both Kassie and Cat began to laugh as they exclaimed, 'Pixie?'
Sian ignored the girls and gave him her best innocent eyes. 'But this one I can fit in my pocket. It’s practically an accessory.' He gave her an exasperated look then leaned forward to bargain with the stall owner.
I exchanged a bemused glance with Kass when Daron paid for the sword Sian wanted. She always excelled at getting men to buy things for her, though usually it was drinks not weapons. I looked back at the throwing sleeve in my hands. The stall owner began to run through its attributes, again. 'Extremely durable, the sleeve is made of dragon skin and will last for eons. The edges of the blades have been touched with Elendite. They will cut through almost anything. Of course the throwing blades are charmed to return.'
'Return?' I’d been distracted by his appearance. I knew he was a goblin from the one Daron had pointed out for us before, but being so close was fascinating. He had the now familiar greenish brown skin, large slanted eyes and triangular ears. His ears had dark brown and cyan stripes and the light hair that ran down the back of his head, disappearing under his shirt, was the same.
The stall owner nodded, seizing the sleeve from my hands. 'Observe.'
The Arrival: An Epic Fantasy Romance Page 31