Larna thought about it. Then, she pressed her lips against mine. Both of us inched apart, looked at each other and started giggling again.
“This will not be working if we laugh,” said Larna.
“You did that just to see how I would react,” I accused her.
Larna shrugged. “I was curious.”
I leaned in close and put my hand on Larna’s cheek. “Try again?” I breathed, kissing the corner of her mouth. Larna did not use words to answer and this time, neither of us laughed.
…
Chapter Three:
Finally, the trail leveled out and we reached a large stone plateau. Our sensitive noses caught the scent of cook fires and warm bodies, even though we were still a fair distance away from camp. “They will not be welcoming at first,” Larna warned me, adjusting the weight of her pack on her strong shoulder.
“Why?”
“We might be working for the Queen. I have not been to my village for years and we have no one to speak for us.”
“We came here to help and they are going to treat us like prisoners? That seems like an impractical way to build an army.”
“But the safest way.”
I frowned, fiddling with the piece of twine around my neck that held the Deadeye. It was warm against my collarbone. Perhaps there were other magic-workers in the rebel camp.
“Dinna worry, Tuathe. They will only question us, not torture us.” I was still wary as the sounds of talking and movement drifted towards me. I tensed the tiny muscles behind my ears, but they would not rotate in my human form.
Finally, we reached the edge of the camp. Tents and several fires were scattered about haphazardly. A few semi-permanent buildings had been erected from wooden planks. Although the place seemed barren, it was clearly efficient. Nothing unnecessary was kept in camp. Everyone existed on the bare essentials.
I felt Larna tug at the sleeve of my shirt. “Are you disappointed?” she asked. I could tell that she was worried about my answer. “I am the reason you…” Larna still felt guilty for our banishment from the Farseer pack. I held her hand, sending reassurance.
“Not disappointed at all,” I said. It was the truth. I had lived in much worse conditions at Baxstresse while working as a servant. I was sure that surviving in the camp required a lot of effort, but I had never been afraid of hard work.
The weather was cold, but several people were outside anyway. All of them turned to watch us as Teb and Jerico’s party led us towards the second-largest of the plank buildings. “Wait here,” Teb ordered us, leaving us beside Jerico.
“Someone go with him,” the mountain of a man ordered. “Canna let him be the only one to give a report. He’ll be getting it all wrong.”
Another of the young rebels nodded respectfully at the large man. He followed Teb inside of the building. “You must be talking to the truth-seekers,” Jerico explained as we waited. “If you are not here to betray us, you may ask Jett Bahari to join the camp.”
“That is how you weed out spies?”
Jerico nodded. “We do not let our group grow too quickly and everyone is tested.”
“If you are so afraid of spies,” Larna asked, “why are you trusting us?”
“You are Wyr,” said Jerico. “Creatures like you hate the magic-stealer.” I knew that he was talking about the Queen. There was still so much I did not know about her. I would have to ask Larna some questions later. “They only fight for her if they are puppets of the witch and you are not.”
Cold fear twisted in my belly. “I almost was,” I whispered. For perhaps the first time, I understood the fate that I had escaped. I had not been given much time to think about my kidnapping. Larna and the Farseer pack kept me too busy. Now, I allowed myself to feel grateful that Mogra had not put me under her control.
“Then you were lucky,” said Jerico.
“How are you knowing so much about us?” Larna asked. She did not sound suspicious, only curious and perhaps a little surprised. “Humans hate the Wyr. My village turned me out.”
Jerico thought about his answer. “I am a woodsman. I lived in the Forest long before the rebellion. It has no secrets from me.”
I wanted to ask if Jerico had met other free-willed Wyr like us, but Teb and the young soldier came out of the meeting house and a voice called to us from inside. “Go in,” said Jerico. His large hand on my back urged me forward, but his touch was very gentle.
Larna’s fingers were still linked with mine. When we stepped through the door, she did not let go. It was dark inside, even though candles flickered on the simple table. The room was not decorative, only practical. There were some chairs, two tables, papers, quills, and a barrel of drinking water.
A large, dark-skinned man was sitting at one of the tables. He was enormous, like Jerico, and without looking at them side-by-side, I could not tell which was taller. His chin was cut in a firm square and his eyes were dark, too. There was an old woman beside him, but she wore a black cloak and it was hard to make out her face, even with my new eyes.
Behind the leader and the woman were two guards. They seemed unnecessary, since the large man could probably defeat anyone that tried to attack him without any difficulty.
“Some of my men,” he said slowly, examining us, “seem to think that you are both spies.” His voice was very deep and he had a strange accent that I could not place. There was a pause. “I do not think so. But if you bring a weapon inside of this room and do not give it up, except during a battle, the penalty is death.”
Immediately, Larna took the knife from her belt and dropped it onto the ground. My knife, which I did not use very often, was tucked in my pack where I could not reach it. I decided to set the pack down anyway.
“Do you agree to be searched or will you leave?”
“We agree,” said Larna, looking at me to make sure.
Jett Bahari waved at the two men. “Search them,” he ordered.
The men were quick and professional, without any wandering hands. We were not asked to remove our clothes, but we did have to take off our boots and turn them upside-down. It did not take very long. I had braced myself for something much more intrusive and time-consuming.
“You may step forward,” Jett Bahari said when he determined that we had no weapons. “My men have also told me that you are Wyr. If you change in here without warning, my guards will attack you. Do you understand?” Jett Bahari did not seem to think that we would try and kill him, but he wanted us to understand the rules. Since my other-skin was a weapon to him, I was not offended.
“We understand,” I said. Larna did not look happy, but she did not object, either. “Stop pouting,” I whispered. “You told me that they were strict until the truth-seekers approve of us.” Larna gave me a look, but did not say anything.
“I will be testing you,” said the old woman, speaking for the first time. She pulled back her hood. She was even more ancient than I thought. Her face was a network of deep, craggy lines, especially around her eyes. Her skin was a tough, leathery brown. In a small way, she reminded me of Kalwyn. Instinctively, I touched the Deadeye, which rested at the v of my throat.
I felt the humming magical aura that came from the old woman and was comforted by the familiar sensation of magical energy. The woman looked surprised. I wondered if she could feel it when I sensed her, like an invisible touch. I was sure that she could sense the magic around me.
“This one is a shaman,” the woman told Jett Bahari. “That is Kalwyn’s totem.”
Immediately, both of their faces softened.
“You know Kalwyn?” Jett Bahari asked, sounding much friendlier, although he had not been cold before, only professional.
“I was her student,” I said.
“Was?”
“An evil creature of magic took her shape. Larna and I killed it, but we could not save her.” Jett Bahari looked very upset, but the old woman did not seem surprised, although a sad, thoughtful look crossed her face.
“It is a gre
at loss,” said the old woman. “Did Kalwyn give you that or did you take it from her when she died?”
“She gave it to me, along with two other things. They are in my bag.”
“What were the other things?”
“The dragon hourglass and a sketch from her library.” Since I was not prompted, I did not tell them what the sketch depicted. Some deep-rooted instinct warned me not to talk about Umbra and the stolen dragon magic.
The old woman nodded. “I would like to see the hourglass, but Kalwyn gave it to you and I will not take it. Maybe another day, you will allow me to examine it.” I nodded, not making any promises. I felt very protective of Kalwyn’s gifts. “We will not test you, young shaman,” the woman continued. “I will trust any student of Kalwyn’s with my life.”
I was touched by her faith in me, a complete stranger. “Thank you,” I said, surprised that I did not need to prove myself. I remembered my lover and reached down to touch her hand with mine. She squeezed my fingers lightly. “What about my mate?” If Jett Bahari was surprised by my declaration, he did not show it. His face remained blank.
“We will test her, but it will be quick. I do not think that she will betray us.”
Part of me wanted to insist that if they trusted me enough to skip my tests, they should trust my Tuathe, too. I stayed silent, not wanting to cause any more trouble for her. Larna was not a traitor and had nothing to lose.
Larna took it in stride, as though she had expected that response. “I am ready,” she said, her chin held at a steady angle, neither proud nor afraid.
Light flared and I saw that the old woman had lit a red candle. The flame jumped and danced in the dim tent, even though there was no wind. In the flickering light, she held up something that had been sitting in her lap. It was an unlit stick of incense. She touched its tip to the candle flame, causing the end of the stick to smoke. Soon, the scent of burning thyme filled the tent.
Kalwyn had not taught me much about herbs. The few that I knew how to use were for healing. Herbs were a much greater part of an Oracle’s work. As the smell grew stronger, I could sense magic mixed with the smoke. Perhaps the woman had prepared them in a special way beforehand.
The old woman’s voice rose above the incense. “What is your name?” she asked. I did not know what I had expected – maybe a mysterious couplet or spell – but this procedure seemed too simple.
“Larna,” said my lover.
“What is your last name?”
“My family rejected me. I am not using my last name anymore.”
The oracle did not object to that answer. “Where were you born?” she asked instead.
“Katar.”
She moved on to the more serious questions. “Why have you come here?”
“Cate and I were banished from our pack. We want to help the rebellion.”
“Why do you want to help the rebellion?”
The flame of the candle danced in both of Larna’s shining, dark eyes. “The Queen burned my village. Mogra changed me into a Wyr. Monsters have invaded my home, the Forest.” She paused. “I want to stop the pointless deaths.”
The oracle nodded, approving of her answers. “Have you ever been in contact with the Queen or other enemies of the rebellion?”
“No.”
“Are you loyal to the Queen or other enemies of the rebellion?”
“No.”
“Do you plan to communicate with the Queen or other enemies of the rebellion?”
“No.”
“If you join the rebellion, do you swear to be loyal to Jett Bahari and help him restore order and peace to the Kingdom of Amendyr?”
There was no hesitation. “Yes.”
The old woman put out the candle and incense, the dark sleeves of her cloak pooling on the surface of the table. “Step forward, Larna,” she requested. Larna obeyed, curious about what would happen next. “Closer.” She stepped closer. “Hold out your hand.” Carefully, the old woman took clippings from Larna’s nails with a small pair of silver scissors. Then, she snipped a piece of Larna’s hair.
“What is that for?” Larna asked, not un-politely.
“I can use them to trace you if you ever do betray us and run away or if you are captured. I can also use them for spells. Dinna worry, young pup, I will ask you before I use them.” She smiled and I was reminded of Kalwyn, who had also called Larna ‘young pup’. “Congratulations, you have passed your test. Welcome to the Rebellion.”
Larna looked surprised. “That is all?”
The oracle smiled. “You want more tests? I can give them to you. I do not think you are a spy. My special incense sticks should have made you tell the truth.”
My mate shook her head. “No. I just expected… I am not sure what I was expecting.”
“Now that you are finished your tests, I will tell you my name. I am Auriye.”
Larna brushed her palm on her leggings and held out a hand for Auriye to shake. She took it. I stepped forward, taking my rightful place beside my lover. Auriye took my hand, too. Her grip was surprisingly strong.
Then, Jett Bahari offered his hand. “Let me be the second to welcome you,” he said. “You are the first Wyr to join us, but we hope that others will follow. Maybe even some Liarre.”
Although they were created by magic like the Wyr centuries ago, Liarre bred and survived on their own. They lived in a small territory to the northwest of Amendyr. Half human and half beast, they came in many strange combinations. The Feliarre had the lower bodies of giant cats. The Dracarre had human torsos on top of scaly lizard legs. Most frightening of all, the Arachniarre’s lower halves were shaped like the round, bulbous bodies of spiders. In the pictures I had seen, they even had all eight legs.
“There are Liarre here?” I asked excitedly. I had always wanted to see a Liarre for myself. Many people on the eastern side of the kingdom went their entire lives without meeting one.
“Not yet,” said Jett Bahari. “We have sent delegates to them, hoping for an alliance.” He examined us thoughtfully. “Perhaps they will be more receptive to another magical species that is tied to animals.”
“Oh no, more traveling,” Larna muttered.
Jett Bahari grinned. “There are no plans yet,” he assured us. “It was just an idea.” With a practiced hand, he extinguished the incense stick and the candle flame with the tips of his fingers. “My men will show both of you to a tent for the night. Usually, our fighters train together for the first part of the day, unless they have other duties. In your case, I doubt that weapons training would be of much use to you.”
“Thank you for offering us a place to sleep,” lowering her shoulders and placing her feet close together to take up less space. Her body language with Jett Bahari surprised me. Normally, Larna was a confident Wyr. She held her head and tail high, not afraid to show her dominant disposition. The only time I remembered seeing her take a submissive stance was while talking to Farseer. For the moment, she had accepted Jett Bahari as her commanding officer, if not her Alpha.
“Thank you,” I echoed.
“Elaran, come here,” said Jett Bahari. A familiar person stepped forward. It was the young soldier that had come to fetch us earlier while we were waiting with Jerico. “You will show our guests to an empty tent for the night.” The leader’s words were carefully chosen. We were ‘guests’. Not yet accepted in to the rebel’s pack, but not prisoners or enemies, either.
Elaran, who was little more than a boy, looked only too pleased to accompany us. He almost seemed ready to thank Jett Bahari for the honor. His light eyes glanced shyly towards me and then he quickly looked away. I almost blushed. I could smell his interest and wondered if that was the reason he wanted to show us to our tent.
…
Chapter Four:
We said good night to Jett Bahari and Auriye and followed Elaran, who had a long-limbed step for such a young man. He might have been even younger than Larna and me. I remembered my question from a few days ago. How old was Larna? I
was curious.
“How old are you, Tuathe?” I asked, purposely saying the word so that Elaran, who kept shooting me quick looks out of the corner of his eye, would know that I was not available. Either he was lost in thought and did not hear or he ignored the endearment.
“Why are you wanting to know that?” Larna asked. She was in a good mood. Passing Auriye’s tests had given her new confidence.
“I can’t ask a simple question?” I said, pretending to be offended. Larna just gave me a look. “I was wondering how much older you were than me. It can’t be by much.”
“I dinna know how much older I am than you.”
“You don’t know how old you are?”
Larna grinned, showing even white teeth. In wolf form, her tail would have wagged. “No,
I dinna know how old you are, little bird.”
That surprised me. “I never told you?” It seemed that there was a lot my mate and I did not know about each other. I made a mental note to start asking more questions. “Nineteen,” I said, knowing that Larna would not answer my question until I answered hers. She could be very patient when she wanted to be.
“I am one year older than you,” she said.
“Here you are.” Elaran interrupted. His face still looked cheerful, so I guessed that he had not been paying attention to our conversation. He seemed a little distracted and I could smell no disappointment around him. He still had not made the connection between Larna and me. I decided to wait and see if he got over his small spark of attraction before speaking with him.
Larna, who had finally noticed Elaran’s interest in me, stepped close to my side and nodded. Her good mood vanished instantly. I patted her bottom through the fabric of her leggings behind our backs, where Elaran could not see. “Good night,” he said, oblivious.
A look of annoyance flashed across Larna’s face. I tried to comfort her wordlessly. “Good night,” I said, “and thank you.”
“Maybe I could show you around tomorrow?” He asked nervously, rubbing at the back of his neck with his hand.
“Maybe,” I said, not wanting to commit to anything.
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