Kellinar sensed Belan meant more than the words he had spoken. “I will do my best.”
“That is all anyone can ask.” Belan gave his shoulder a squeeze before releasing it. “I must get ready to face the sour Artlia.”
Kellinar tried to smile at Belan’s humor. “Good luck, my friend.”
Kirynn stared down the arrow, focusing on the target beyond. She let it fly. It made a satisfying thunk as it landed in the center. Almost three months of training several hours a day showed. Though she had learned the basics of the bow during her training in Boromar, it wasn’t something she mastered. She hadn’t wanted to be an archer, they began battles then fell back, giving the field to those trained in close-quarter techniques. Kirynn never wanted to fall back.
The compact, yet far-reaching bows of Shadereen differed from the cumbersome longbows of Boromar. She would be able to use this one from Syrakynn’s back and also in regular combat until she either ran out of arrows or the enemy got too close, and then swap it for her zahri. Granted, learning to swap the two weapons quickly off her back while not tangling them was an exercise in frustration, but she was getting better.
The weapons master working with her today nodded. “You are doing better. Now, change weapons, the enemy is upon you.”
Kirynn reached over her shoulder with her right hand, pulling the quick release on her zahri. As it dropped, she caught it while tossing the bow over her head to hang across her chest. She yanked to lock it into the clip on the back of her shoulder.
The weapons master attacked. Kirynn swept her zahri up. Her placement of the bow was off and it slid around, tangling in the longer weapon. The flat side of the master’s blade smacked across her chest. He shook his head. “You did not place the bow right and failed to secure it fully in the clip. However, you were quicker this time. Well done.”
“Not quick enough. Don’t offer praise until there is a reason to give it.” This was the first time she’d worked with Mendoc. Like the others, he was too soft, too quick to praise. “If I ‘die,’ there is nothing to say well done about. Don’t insult me. This kind of coddling is for those still in the interim barracks in Boromar. I left those behind long ago.”
Master Mendoc studied her for a long moment. “Very well. Bring your bow to bear again and this time do it in a timely manner.”
Without a word, Kirynn went to work. Many in Shadereen thought she drove herself too hard. In a sense, they were right. It wasn’t without reason though. Reasons that were beyond becoming proficient with a new weapon. She did it to find her emotions again. To feel something.
Trilene was the worst battle she’d ever fought in. Even two bloody years on the front against Kanther hadn’t prepared her for the level of butchery and misery she witnessed. In Boromar, it had been drilled into her that empathy had no place in war, only normal life. They were expected to learn how to shut it off and then reconnect. Students who couldn’t learn this didn’t graduate.
The level of disconnect necessary for the battle at Trilene made it difficult for her to reconnect again. Unlike others who had battled there, the images weren’t burned into her memory. One had to care in order for things to linger.
The Border Guards suffered from nightmares and stress. Shadereen hadn’t been at war with any other nation since it had established its borders five hundred years before. The Border Guards hunted Kojen; the common soldiers dealt with lawbreakers. Never before had they taken human lives or ignored the injured and dying in order to preserve their own lives. Guilt weighed on them as much as anything else did.
Kirynn, however, felt nothing. She had turned dispassionately away from burning children, unarmed men, and women as they were cut down in order to stay focused, to kill as she needed to. Sometimes, she envied the others even with the issues they faced. Boromar turned out unequaled killers, but at what expense? For three months, she’d watched the world move forward and felt nothing.
Kirynn nocked another arrow and sent it flying toward its target. Perhaps if she mastered this, she would feel something. Pride, excitement, anything. Even Syrakynn was unable to help her find her emotions. Mendoc opened his mouth to say something and froze, staring over her shoulder. Kirynn spun, ready for whatever might be coming their way and stopped.
Three of the ladies of Shadereen walked into the training yard. Not only was their presence unexpected, their style of dress was as well. Instead of frilly, ridiculous dresses, they were dressed in leather boots, breaches, and cotton shirts. The elaborate piles of curls normally perched on their heads had been replaced with tight coils at the back of their necks. Kirynn recognized them: Wives of the Council of Seven.
Mendoc frowned, but bowed briefly. “How may I be of assistance, my ladies?”
Lord Mannoc’s wife, Arlenyi, stepped forward. “We wish to learn.”
“Learn what?”
Arlenyi gestured at the various weapons in the training yard. “How to use these.”
“I…” Mendoc stared at the three women then looked at Kirynn as if unsure what to do.
Kirynn shrugged. “Find them some practice swords and someone to teach them what to do. I will continue to practice on my own until you return.”
Mendoc hesitated for a moment before striding from the training yard. Kirynn turned back to the target and sent another arrow flying while the women stood close to each other in silence.
Mendoc returned with a group of other weapon masters. Though noticeably uncomfortable, they all grabbed a variety of wooden practice swords and laid them out on a table for the women. Solen, a weapons master Kirynn had worked with several times, beckoned the women forward. “Come, hold them, get a feel for them, and decide which you want to start with.”
The women approached and stared at the swords. Finally, Arlenyi reached for one and picked it up. Her action seemed to embolden her companions. They too began picking up a sword, testing it, and putting it down and trying a new one.
Kirynn watched from afar. She should have felt something at this odd display. Instead, she felt nothing, although she found it interesting. She went back to swapping weapons while Mendoc berated her slowness.
“What is the meaning of this?” Lord Mannoc’s shout echoed off the stone walls of the open-air training yard. Everyone turned as he stormed across the hard-packed dirt. Kirynn narrowed her eyes at him. Whether or not she felt anything, Shadereen had agreed to Dragon Law, and it was her duty to uphold it.
“They said they wanted to learn,” Mendoc said and shifted under the glare of Lord Mannoc.
Mannoc turned to his wife. “What in the name of the Fates do you think you are doing down here dressed like that, Arlenyi? And attempting to learn weapons no less?”
Arlenyi wilted in the face of his anger. “We just wanted to learn, and I doubt it can be done in a dress.”
“You,” he pointed his finger at her face, “will take yourself back inside the keep and put on appropriate clothing this instant, and I will never hear of this learning weapons again.” His voice became low and menacing, “Do you understand me? You are a woman, now get inside and start acting like a proper one again.”
Arlenyi took a step back and glanced at her two companions. Both women stared at the ground. Kirynn eased the arrow from the bowstring and gave Mannoc a flat look. “You have no right to stop her or order her around.”
He spun toward her. “I have every right. She is my wife, and I will not have this kind of behavior from her.”
“Husband isn’t synonymous with owner, Mannoc, and the label of wife doesn’t make her less than you. Dragon Law clearly states that anyone can learn anything they wish.” Kirynn glanced at Arlenyi. “However, they do have to actually want it and if they do, while things get settled here, they may have to stand up for themselves to get it.”
Arlenyi stared at her for a long moment before raising her chin, squaring her shoulders, and looking back at her husband. “I will not return to the hold like a ‘proper wife’ as you put it. I have the right to be here, t
he right to learn, and intend to do so.”
“You will not. You will behave like you are supposed to.”
Her amber eyes turned icy. “Do stop whining, Mannoc, it is grating on my ears.”
He wasn’t whining, but Kirynn felt the first sense of emotion while watching his face turn an interesting shade of red at the implication. Satisfaction threaded its way through her along with a sense of relief. She was finally beginning to thaw.
Arlenyi gave him the same kind of down-her-nose look that Kirynn had seen Taela use on people. The one that said the person it was directed at was the dirt beneath her shoe. “If it displeases you so to see me dressed like this and taking part in learning the use of weapons, then perhaps you should seek out one of the many simpering harlots you take to your bed while I sleep alone.”
Mannoc sneered at her. “You will never be any good at this. No more than you are at pleasing me in bed or any other area of my life.”
She gave him a mirthless smile. “I fail to please you? How did Di’shan Kirynn put it that night at the ball? Oh yes, I believe it was, ‘you could not find it with both hands and a map.’ So the feeling is mutual, husband. Unlike you, I have enough honor to never take another to my bed in order to find out if another man could do better and maybe show me what ‘it’ is, since I have never had the pleasure of finding out with you as a bed partner.”
Mannoc stared at Arlenyi as if he’d never seen her before in his life. Maybe he hadn’t. It was nice to see that all the ladies of Shadereen weren’t the brainless twits Kirynn had taken them for at first. Mannoc snarled and swung his hand at Arlenyi’s face.
In one smooth motion, Kirynn raised the bow and loosed the arrow. It pierced his palm right through the middle. Mannoc shouted curses and cradled his hand near his body while drops of blood stained his shirt. He shot her a venomous look. “You will pay for this.” His eyes were full of disgust when he turned back to Arlenyi. “You both will.”
No one moved as the lord strode from the yard. After several minutes filled with a heavy silence, Mendoc stepped toward Kirynn. “That was a good shot.”
“It was a horrible shot. I was aiming for his head.” Kirynn took a deep breath and sighed. “I guess I need more practice.”
Arlenyi smiled. “Horrible shot or not, I thank you.” With a shaky hand, she turned and reached for one of the wooden swords “I think I would like to learn this one first.”
Kirynn nocked another arrow and sent it toward the target, hitting it squarely. Maybe she had more emotion back than she realized. If she were as disconnected as she had been during battle, the arrow would have likely landed true. Somewhere inside the doors were opening again, which was probably a good thing. Whether or not Mannoc was the hind end of a donkey, it wouldn’t have gone over well if she’d killed him at this point. Even if he did deserve it.
Vaddoc sat on a tall rock watching Syrakynn and Namir set the large sand spiders on fire before snapping them up and eating them. They both claimed the spiders tasted better cooked. He had to agree. They had a mushy and somewhat liquid texture inside when raw.
The wide-open desert spread out around him, only tall cactus and scrubby bunches of brown grass broke up the scenery. Below him, Kirynn practiced shooting lizards and spiders stirred up by the dragons. Arrows zinged through the air, impaling the creatures eight times out of ten. A number he knew was unsatisfactory for the driven woman.
One of Kirynn’s arrows struck a large lizard. Half a second later, the entire arrow burst into flames. The smell of cooked lizard flesh filled the air as it burned from the inside out. Vaddoc stared at the reptile in shock. “What in the name of the Fates?”
She flashed him a grin. “It’s something I’ve been working on. This one is better.” Raising the bow she let another arrow fly, this time at one of the huge spiders rousted out of its hiding place by the dragons. The arrowhead pinned the arachnid to the ground. For a moment, nothing happened then the spider exploded in a shower of parts.
“That weave doesn’t always work. Sometimes it just burns like the other one.” Kirynn nocked another arrow and took aim at another target.
Stunned, Vaddoc watched the display. “What made you think of such a thing?”
She shrugged. “Since my aim isn’t perfect, I wanted to make sure my arrows would still be deadly, even if I didn’t hit a vital organ.”
It made sense, even if it did seem brutal. Then again, after what happened in Trilene, what did he care how a Shadow Rider died? Anything that made sure they were dead was good with him.
“Are the ladies still coming to the training yard?” he asked when she paused in her live moving-target practice.
“Every day for the past week. There are more of them now. All of the wives of the Council of Seven and several of the younger lower-ranking women. There are also about five young women from the common people who have requested and been granted training.”
Vaddoc stared at the dragons for a long time…“Shadereen changes.”
Kirynn shrugged. “Everything changes; it’s the only thing anyone can count on.”
Vaddoc nodded but didn’t respond. The changes in Shadereen were easier for him to swallow than others. His time spent in Galdrilene had opened him up to most of what was happening in his birth nation. The other changes though, those tried to strangle him.
His father and older brother had both been killed by Kojen. Lenyi, the first woman he had ever loved was killed before his eyes by Kojen. How was he supposed to look at a Ke’han and see anything but a Kojen? They were different, Trilene had proved that and yet he couldn’t get past the way they looked. Working with them was now part of his duty and he wouldn’t fail in that, but would he ever trust them?
Namir raised his head and looked in his direction. “The Ke’han are as different from the Kojen as you are from the Shadow Riders. They will not betray you.”
Vaddoc didn’t bother to answer; the dragon knew the thoughts that filled him. He turned away from the amber eyes of the golden dragon. If only he could see it the way Namir did.
The familiar crescent of Galdrilene’s caldera ridge filled Taela’s vision as Paki came through the Slide. So much had changed it felt as if they were gone forever. She blinked back the tears that welled unbidden. Anevay wouldn’t be there when they landed. In New Sharren, she’d been able to ignore the empty spot in the bond. Able to bury herself in helping others and pretend it was all a bad dream, and that Anevay was back in Galdrilene working on her weave.
She wasn’t though. It was a silly thing to try and pretend. Taela knew that rationally. Her irrational heart, however, had wanted to hide from the pain as long as it could. She swallowed the lump clogging her throat and wiped away the tears that leaked down her cheeks. Taking a deep breath, she lifted her chin and blanked her mind of everything. For now, she wouldn’t think about it.
Paki touched down just ahead of Kellinar and Shryden, her landing made awkward by the heavy load of the dragon’s nearly developed young in her belly. It wouldn’t be long now. Soon, Paki would lay the second clutch of eggs in Galdrilene. It could only be hoped with the changing world fewer eggs would die.
Mckale strolled out to meet them. For a moment, Taela felt a flash of surprise at seeing him instead of Bardeck who had never failed to greet riders as they landed. The loss and sadness tugged at her, and she fought to ignore it.
She unbuckled the safety straps and slowly slid from the saddle. Mckale smiled, his silver eyes warm. “It’s good to see you both again, you’ve been missed.”
Kellinar returned the smile although Taela felt the heavy sorrow her bondmate suppressed. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I hear we have a new rider.”
Mckale nodded. “That we do. A young woman named Liora. Mage Councilor Amariel has taken to finding any called by the song since Maleena needs to stay closer to home. Maleena feels them and senses their general area then Tellnox and I take the Mage Councilor there to locate the possible new rider.”
Taela smiled
to herself as she watched her friend, so obviously comfortable in his role. With all of the other mature dragons and their riders scattered, Galdrilene had turned to Maleena and Mckale to fill the roles left behind by Bardeck and Emallya. It looked like they were handling them well.
“You might as well take some time to wash up. Kirynn and Vaddoc haven’t returned from Shadereen yet.” He glanced behind them. “Where are Jocelynn and Varnen?”
Kellinar pulled Shryden’s saddle off so the dragon could swim in the lake. “They had a couple of things they wanted to finish. They should be here before the end of the day.”
“I have a few things to do before I visit the baths,” Taela said as she loosened the straps then hefted Paki’s saddle into her arms.
Kellinar nodded and carried the blue’s saddle toward the equipment cave. “I’m going to hit the baths then I’m headed down to the docks to…do some things.”
Mckale nodded and said nothing, though Taela sensed he knew they were avoiding facing the inevitable. He was right in one sense, in another they were handling it the best they knew how. She stowed Paki’s saddle on its rack and untied her small pack.
Kellinar slung his pack over his shoulder and dropped a brief kiss on her lips. “I’ll see you at evening meal.”
Taela nodded and watched him leave the cave. Taking a deep breath, she too left. It really wasn’t a long walk to the records room though this afternoon it seemed altogether too long and too short at the same time. The fragrance of roses in full bloom wafted on the warm breeze through the Great Hall as she walked down it to the small hallway.
She stood in front of the closed door for several minutes, trying to stamp down the foolish hope that Anevay would look up from where she sat at the desk, surrounded by scrolls and notes. Taela had spent the briefest of times in that room after the battle at Trilene. She’d merely glanced at the notes Anevay had left, careful not to touch anything. Her mind had been in such turmoil, nothing in those notes had made any sense. Maybe they would now.
Ashes And Spirit (Book 3) Page 3