by James Hunt
Iala was shocked by this sudden confidence in her. It was touching, but also enraging. Her imagination was not so limited, she had spent many years in the field as it was, and had fought Zecairins and seen the carnage they bring. Her wandering thoughts were interrupted by Tarin's consoling touch.
"Head our Queen's advice. Do not take that journey." He smiled sadly. Iala took a deep calming breath, squared her shoulders, and nodded agreement as she pushed the thoughts from her mind.
"I can appreciate Tamain's desire to learn how we cured the curse," Niyana said thoughtfully. "If he truly is an outsider from their madness, then his heart must ache, just as ours do, to see what our people have become." She looked to both of her advisers, and they nodded their agreement. "He has his alliance regardless of how I feel about his kind."
****
In the marshes southeast of Zecair, fireflies floated about in the darkness of night and the chirps of crickets and croaks of frogs sang. A small hamlet had been crudely erected over the bog and shallow waters from rough hewn planks, logs, branches, and rope.
The warm moist air clung to his bare chest uncomfortably and Tamain stirred awake. His eyes opened and he took in his surroundings, but he could see nothing in the darkness. He could feel her laying beside to him in the darkness, her hand on his chest, and her cheek pressed against it. She stirred awake just as he did.
"Tamain?" Kelria said uncertainly.
"My lovely mouse," he groaned and brought a hand to his temples. "I cannot see, where are we?" He felt her sit up, place her hands on his face, and gently hold open an eyelid as she inspected him.
"Home," she said. "No it is not so dark. Your eyes have a cloudy white look to them. I'll go get Corella." Tamain chuckled darkly as she got up and left the hut.
"The one thing I cannot heal," he sighed. "Let us pray it passes." He struggled to sit up, his whole body ached as if he had fought off a dragon bare handed. But he was whole, and naked. A thin blanket, damp from sweat and the humidity clung uncomfortably to his legs. He pulled it around his waist modestly and sat up to allow his senses to take in his surroundings. It felt like home. Kelria was still with him. They must have won the battle. But what of the Leaf Knights? He hadn't been able to give them his response.
Soft footsteps at the doorway announced a visitor.
"How did the day go?" He asked, eager to hear news.
"Dearest Tamain of the Discarded has won the day," Eola's voice returned. Tamain looked in her direction, surprised obviously, but he did not move out of bed.
"I did not think I would see you again," He said calmly. He could not deduce why she would be here. The only possibility was curiosity, or... "I am sorry for your loss." He said. Despite the end results, it was still her child he had killed.
"Oh?" She said coyly. "Should I take my revenge upon your flesh?" She said with mock anger. Without warning nails dragged across his chest and drew blood. Tamain winced and brought a hand up to guard against his unseen visitor. Suddenly he realized how foolish that was of him. He was completely defenseless, and something about her demeanor said that no one else knew she was here. He would have to play this more carefully. "Should I expect remuneration? Will you give me a new son?" she stroked his ear with her fingertips. He could hear her kneeling beside him, and he cautiously turned his head to face her even though he could not see her. Gentle hands touched his chest, and her wet tongue licked the blood drawn by her nails from his chest. One lick, and then her touch was gone.
"You are very strong, Tamain of the Discarded. Wise, kind, but a dreamer none the less." she chided him. "Seek out the shaman in your dreams if you want answers. But do not seek me, you have sided with the Lunarians." Her words were a mystery to him, but he felt her footsteps leave his room.
"Wait, Eola," He said, and she paused. "You have been shunned for so long. Would you at least entertain the idea of a home here? With us? Perhaps not today, but someday soon. There is strength in numbers, strength to protect your daughters and their daughters. You need not disappear to time and memory. There is no need to be alone anymore." There was a pause. She leapt at him. He expected to be scratched again, but instead kissed him. Deeply. Fiercely. Her hands cradled his head and wouldn't let him go. His manflesh responded despite his confusion. He could feel her trembling. Sadness? Happiness? Fear? Damn this blindness...
But all too soon it was over, and she left without another word. Leaving behind a stunned Tamain unsure of what to say or do.
Kelria returned a moment later with someone that smelled familiarly of musk – Corella. He shifted in his sitting position and adjusted his blanket to cover his erection.
"Such modesty. Tam." Corella teased him. He ignored her, still flustered, and allowed her to work at inspecting him. She took hold of his head, and by his estimation was looking into his eyes.
"It'll pass," He assured them. "I've overexerted myself before."
"It takes its toll over time, Tam," She argued. "Are you hungry?"
"Do we have any roast pig?" He joked.
"Just a few lizards left, today's fish didn't last long." Kelria said. Tamain smiled at her. She was apparently fitting in nicely. Tamain nodded agreement, and she left to go fetch some, allowing Corella some time to sit with him.
"Tam, why is there a large white feather in your bed?" She said curiously, stroking the fresh scratches on his chest with it. "And these?" Tamain wasn't sure what all she knew, but he assumed Rollis had reported most of it.
"The mother Harpai paid her respects." He said. "She was both grateful and irate. Blood masters had captured her after all. These were just a polite warning, but I think I won her over in the end."
"Was she pretty?" Corella reached down and grabbed his hidden erection, giving it a tormenting squeeze of attention.
"When I last saw her she was," He groaned, somewhat yearning, somewhat annoyed. Corella withdrew. Her teasing was poor form at the moment. Tamain might be able to jest away his injury, but there was still the seriousness of it brought on by its uncertain curability.
"I am disturbed that she just walked in here without us knowing," She remarked. "She must have followed you."
"Secrecy has always been our only defense," Tamain said. "This time we slipped up."
Kelria returned a moment later with a few cooked lizards on a spit. Tamain ate what he could and left the rest. Corella ushered Kelria out of his room for a moment.
"I'm going to borrow her Tam, so you can get some rest. You'll need it for your big day tomorrow. You have a meeting to plan." Corella reminded him. Tamain's countenance sank. She knew she had hit him hard just when his shoulders needed a relief from their burdens. But this alliance was his idea, and he could not let it slip by because of his condition. "If you need anything..." she trailed off and closed the rickety door to his shack. Corella had known him for a long time, and she knew he would be up all night brooding. But by morning he would have a plan for them for how to deal with the Lunarians.
"Thank you for taking care of him," She said and guided Kelria away with her arm around her hip. The two women were wearing lightweight one-piece dresses that ended at the knees. It was the only comfortable thing they could wear in this oppressive humidity. Ever since they had returned with Tamain, Kelria had somehow proven herself to them and the entire village had opened up to her more so than the few she had met at The Hole.
There were families here with children and elders. Most of the inhabitants were Zecairins but there were a few Cutharin lizardmen who were most likely former slaves. Kelria had been amazed to see half-naked Zecairin children run by with little more on their bodies than her, but she understood why. At times it was almost hard to breathe in the dense air. She was used to the clearer, crisper mountain air. Word had been spread about her, at first the locals were cautious and curious. Some of the older Zecairins obviously still harbored resentment, and shied away, but the Discarded spoke for her. The militia force she had met in the cave were the ones who identified themselves as The Discard
ed. However they had all taken non-traditional Zecairin names – yet another thing that established themselves differently from their kin.
"Just for tonight," Corella said as she guided her into a different shack. "He's back to being all yours tomorrow."
"Do you know what's wrong with him?" Kelria asked, standing in the doorway. The shack was empty but there was a rope strung bed with a stuffed mattress, along with a pillow and blanket. Corella turned back, walked past her inside and sat down on the bed.
"Every now and then a magic user bites off more than they can handle when they summon more energy than their body is used to channeling." She said and patted the mattress beside her. "Sometimes we face desperate moments, and it can mean life or death. Tam is smart. He's skilled. But sometimes he's too ready to throw himself into the fire." Corella tossed her hair back and smiled. Kelria got the impression she wasn't just talking about his magic using habits. She realized this woman knew Tamain better than she did. So she sat down, hugged the pillow to her body a bit defensively and listened. "And yet, he usually pulls through and makes things work. That's why we all look up to him for leadership, he's seen more of the rest of the world than we have, and he see ways for how things can work out." Kelria digested all that this woman said for a moment. Corella stepped in and kissed her cheek, but Kelria shied backwards as she lingered a moment.
"I thought I should warn you that Tam and I have shared more than just a few arguments." She winked slyly, trailing her fingertips over the Lunarin's ear. Kelria scowled, unsure how to interpret her warning, as playful as it was.
"My friend, Queen Niyana..." Kelria started to say, but found the words too afraid to come out. Her ears started to turn a deep blush that crept down to her cheek. Corella withdrew casually when Kelria couldn't finish her sentence for the distraction.
"She escaped from Zecair. Or so I heard. Did you as well?" Corella started, trying to help the words come out that Kelria was struggling with.
"No." Kelria smiled and shook her head. "But Niyana... had some things done to her....So she picked up some... bad habits." She managed to force out. Corella arched an interested eyebrow, but was clearly confused here. "There are things that Zecairins like to do – Zecairin women... That Lunarin women don't do." She managed to explain. Corella slowly nodded in understanding.
"I think I understand," She smiled affectionately and patted her thigh. "But don't blame me for trying. You are cute..." she smiled, gave Kelria's knee a squeeze, but withdrew her hand. "And brave. That must have been hard to say. I knew our people had some differences, and that's an important one to know. I'll leave you two alone then." She sighed wistfully and gave her a mocking pout.
"For Zecairins, joining is mostly recreational." Corella leaned back against the wall and looked off at the rest of the modest, empty room. "Cutharins take a pride – one male takes a group of mates. But that is also because male children are rare, and the girls outnumber them. Humans tend to mate for life, but they do like to test the waters first. No, Zecairins are... very different it would seem." she sighed a bit. "So tell me, how do Lunarians handle romance?" Kelria blushed a bit, thought for a moment, and replied.
"We take lifelong mates. There is even a ceremony to celebrate the union." She began. Corella repositioned herself, laying down on her half of the mattress and propping her head up attentively, eager to learn more. "Usually, it last for our entire lives. But there are times when two hearts can grow apart, especially for the noble families. Usually the couple just moves away from one another for a time, but eventually they reunite after many years."
"Why is it different for the noble houses?" Corella asked, intrigued.
"Because they live much longer, sometimes for many centuries." Kelria explained. Corella arched an eyebrow. "It's proof of their pure lineage." There was a reverie going on in Kelria's mind that her blank stare told of. Corella let the silence come between them for awhile as she processed what she had learned and how it would affect her old friend and her new friend. "I'm sorry, what was I saying?" Kelria finally said. Corella looked up and caught a glimpse of sadness in her eyes.
"Who were you thinking about?" Corella said with a warm smile. She stroked her friend's knee affectionately. She knew the question was a bit intruding, but she felt the need to learn more. For Tam's sake... she told herself. Kelria's lip trembled for a moment.
"An old lover," she finally said, her voice struggling to keep its resolve. "He... betrayed me." Her bottom lip suddenly curled up, and she had to bite it to keep it from quivering. "...and I was exiled." Corella gave her a moment, all the while stroking her knee affectionately to remind her that she was there.
"Zecairins form bonds a little differently," She said with a coy smile. Trying to distract the girl from her painful memory. "We don't normally limit ourselves to just one pairing. But sometimes, if they're really, really good." She bit her lower lip and let her eyes flutter back inside her head as part of an act to make her point. "Most of us aren't limited to the same sex also." she winked at Kelria. "Mating, the sex part at least, is more for fun. It's not viewed as a treasure to reserve for someone we love. It's more of a test to prove compatibility – if you can't make your mate happy in bed, then they're not right for you because they aren't paying attention to you. That's something you might want to have a talk with Tam about at some time. The first part, I mean." Kelria nodded.
They talked all throughout the night. But when the weariness of the day finally set into her muscles, and Kelria started to have trouble keeping her head up despite her candid responses to Corella's question, her hostess gently tucked her into bed with the pillow she hugged closely to her body fluffed back into shape first before sliding it under her head. Kelria was practically asleep already by the time she finished and was snuffing off the oil lamp hanging from the ceiling.
Corella closed the door quietly and turned her thoughts to more serious matters as she made her rounds around the walkways. Fireflies kept her company in the black air as she walked barefooted over the planked walkways. Hers was the night watch. She wouldn't have been able to sleep anyways. Not with this alliance looming over them. Such a thing had never been done before – Zecair and Lunar were eternal enemies. Had Tamain not come up with the idea himself, she would laugh the fool that suggested it out of town. For Tamain to have suggested it made it ten times as dangerous. He often overreached and stirred too many hornet nests at once, but before the dust was settled and the day won, he was usually proven right.
Usually...
****
Niyana stretched out on the tree limb, giving her stiff back some relief. The late afternoon sun peaked through the leaves and she warded it off with a hand to shade her eyes. Then she settled back down against the tree's trunk. She sat perched not far from ground level and watched a brief clearing beyond the tree in front of her. Her people were in position. She had ordered them to keep vigil but this was going to be her mission, and they were not to become involved unless absolutely necessary. Tarin and Iala both had reservations about her direct involvement, but their protestations were limited to wanting her to have a second nearby. She had proven herself more than capable in the days after her purification, so in her estimation there was little more that having backup would accomplish but add to the chaos if this meeting took a wrong turn.
She closed her eyes against the bright sunlight. This felt wrong. But her mind could not give her a reason not to proceed other than that they were shadow elves. Her trials within Zecair were still fresh in her memory. As she closed her eyes she could still feel the pain, the humiliation, the violation, and the terror all over again. However there was a vague fugue element to it as if she was witnessing it happen to someone else. But she had done those things, even though she had not wanted too. It was a troubling thought to reconcile her own mind and thoughts with those something else committed while in her body. Whatever presence the Demon Blood drug had placed inside her, it had given her compulsions she would never have had otherwise. This
singular aspect is what gave her the strength to reconcile that horrible time. It was what allowed her reason to win out against her anger. It was what also allowed her to appreciate Tamain's position – as a non-corrupted his frustration with his people must be as great as her wrath against them.
The new camp was set up by mid morning. The previous night Niyana had ordered they pack up and relocate so this meeting could take place without giving away their interests. All of the patrols had been issued new orders, and the unit had marched south away from the mountainside and the Monastery. If all went well, she was hoping to allow for a little celebration for her Knights and give them the opportunity to relax and get to know their new comrades in arms. It would be difficult, but she made sure she had met with each Knight in turn before today. She told them what was to come, and read their expressions when they learned of the proposed alliance with rogue Zecairins. Surprise was the most common reaction, followed by uncertainty, disapproval, but acceptance none the less. They all had sharp minds, and could see the tactical advantage to allying themselves to the enemy of their enemy. Kalek had aided her efforts by relating the story of his encounter with the demon spawn. Heralding The Discarded's brave tale earned them some respect with her Knights, and some healthy skepticism as to what they truly were. Niyana had a more crude goal in mind – she needed Tamain's power. If he could slay a demon-spawn he could help assault this monastery.