Darius ignored the dragon, but Dearra silently scolded him: Brin, why is it you only seem to chime in when it’s to cause trouble lately?
Me? Dearra, I’m hurt. Brin’s voice was thick with sarcasm. I only ever have your best interests at heart, you know that.
Darius gave a snort of disgust before speaking. “Carly, one little knife isn’t going to help much. We can’t constantly worry about you getting hurt. Now, just be a good little girl, and stay with Dearra.”
Oh, Darius, Brin said sadly. Just when I was growing fond of you. You’re in for it now.
Darius looked at his traveling companions. The normally sedate Carly was red-faced and almost shaking as she struggled to control herself. Dearra’s mouth opened and closed as she seemingly started to speak and then had to stop and begin again, searching for words strong enough. Daniel shrugged and took a half step backwards. Friendship was one thing, but there was no way he wanted any part of this.
Brin laughed. You’d better think quickly, boy.
Just as Dearra was gathering herself to begin screaming at the arrogant Breken before her, he took her in his arms. Shocked, she swatted at him in an effort to push him away, but as his lips met hers, the fight went slowly out of her.
Darius pulled back cautiously. She looked up at him and quirked an annoyed brow, but she seemed much less likely to kill him where he stood than she had only a moment before. Carly, however, seemed, if anything, even angrier than before. Most likely she was simmering over Dearra’s defection.
“Daniel?” Darius said softly, his gaze returning to Dearra.
“Yes, Darius?” Daniel responded with a note of humor in his voice.
“You could help a fellow out, you know. Unless you want me to take care of that one, too,” he said. He laughed and Dearra swatted at him again, though this time more playfully than before.
“No, I think I can handle this one myself,” Daniel said. His voice had grown a bit more serious.
Carly glared at Daniel as he stepped forward. “Try it, and you’ll be sorry,” she said.
“Now, sweet, be fair. It wasn’t me who said those rude things. Besides, you haven’t kissed me in ages. What does a fellow have to do for a little attention around here? Run on four legs and whinny?”
Carly’s anger melted away, and she stood on tiptoe to receive her kiss.
“I am sorry, ladies,” Darius said, sincerely. I just know this city well, and I worry. It’s a dangerous place to be, and we need to be on our guard.”
“I’m sorry, too, Darius. We’ll go on, as you said, with Carly and I in the middle.”
“No, Dearra. You walk with me, and Carly can walk with Daniel, and we can watch each other.”
Darius stroked the side of her face gently and his thumb traced over her lower lip, and Dearra smiled glowingly. A small tremble swept through her at the intimate touch, and she was glad to know that even though Darius was much more careful around her now, he was still willing to show affection for her, even if it was in small doses. Darius took Dearra’s hand tenderly in his, and they continued on.
You’re such a pushover, Fuzzy. I wouldn’t have let him off the hook that easily. Then again, I have never understood why anyone would want to mash their faces together like that in the first place, I mean, what if they had bad breath? No, if I wanted to impress a female, I would send my blood to my wings so that they turned purple, and spread them wide. It really is a remarkable sight to see; I’m quite stunning, you know.
“Has it occurred to you that I am not a dragon and I don’t have wings?” Darius asked.
Well, yes, that is a drawback. But really, boy, is face-mashing the best you can do? Certainly you have other ways to impress a female? I’ve seen you bathing—what about that, that—whatever you call it? Maybe you could wave that around a bit.
Darius turned beet red; Dearra couldn’t help but tease, “Yes, Darius. Why don’t you try that? Maybe I would find that more to my liking.”
“I…I don’t think we should be talking about this,” Darius said, stammering.
What? What am I missing? Brin asked. Is it…is it…not impressive? I’ve never really paid that much attention to you humans.
Dearra giggled but Darius looked annoyed. “It’s very impressive!”
“Really?” Dearra said, looking slightly interested.
“I, well, I mean…I…Oh, here! This is the place,” Darius said, clearly relieved to have been done with the conversation.
Daniel and Carly came alongside them and Dearra noticed Carly’s face was flushed and she wore a small smile. Dearra wondered what they had been discussing. Whatever it was, it seemed to have brightened Carly’s mood.
“What exactly are we looking at?” Daniel said.
“The building at the end of the alley. It’s a tavern frequented by pirates and thieves mostly, but there are all different kinds of thieves. The ones we want are part of a guild, called the Sayeh. They have spies throughout the city. It may be worth the risk to try and buy some information here.”
“The Sayeh?” Carly asked.
“The Shadow,” Darius translated.
Humph, might as well call them what they are: deceivers. Sellers of souls. The scum of the sands.
Not your favorite people, I take it? Dearra asked silently.
They sold my location to the Breken who tricked me, and led to me being trapped in this form, so no, they are not exactly on my list of friends. Not that the list is terribly long to begin with, but still.
“What is it?” Carly asked, seeing Dearra’s frown.
“Brin says they aren’t very trustworthy, but I think we should risk it. Let’s go, Darius.”
“Well, I was thinking I would go, and Daniel could stay here to watch…I mean, you three could wait here.”
“Darius, how long have you known me? What would make you think I would wait out here?” Dearra tapped her foot, clearly wanting an answer to her question.
“This is different, Dearra. I’m Breken. This is my home. I will be able to get more information by myself. There’s no reason for you to endanger—I mean, you would only hinder my bargaining. If they see me with you, I would lose face.” Darius smiled, pleased with the way he had changed tack at the last moment. The last thing he wanted to do was anger Dearra by telling her he was worried for her safety. Not that he didn’t enjoy distracting her, but he preferred not to make her mad in the first place.
“Don’t be silly, Darius. If they are any kind of spies at all, then surely they already know we are together. Walking hand and hand practically to their front door might have tipped them off. Now, let’s stop wasting time and get in there.”
“Dearra, I think— Daniel started to say, but Carly laid a hand on his arm.
“Don’t do it, Daniel. You’ll just get sucked in,” she warned.
“Dearra, I know you can fight, but these people are dangerous, and you aren’t familiar with—”
“How familiar do I need to be? I’ve fought pirates before. Breken, too, for that matter and I—”
“Now listen here, Dearra. This isn’t up for discussion! I’m telling you that—”
“You’re telling me? I don’t think you know—”
It might have gone on like that indefinitely, but the sound of screams and angry shouts interrupted the bickering pair. They looked to see people scattering in the distance, and heard cries of panic which grew louder as whatever it was they ran from grew closer.
Daniel stepped in front of Carly, trying to shield her from whatever was creating the panic in its wake. When they were finally able to see what was coming, Daniel shook his head and stepped away from Carly, allowing her to see Khan as he raced in their direction, dragging the lead rope, that had been tied to his halter, behind him. The giant horse threw his head back and snorted as he trotted steadily towards them. People scampered out of his way as best they could, but in a few instances Khan knocked an unwary pedestrian to the ground in his effort to get to Carly. He slowed as he neared her,
and seemed to lower his head as he came closer, almost like a child expecting a scolding from a displeased parent.
“Khan,” Carly sighed. “I told you to go with them. I was coming. You need to be patient, my friend.”
“I think he actually feels sorry for what he’s done,” Dearra said.
“Don’t bet on it,” Darius said. “I don’t sense any remorse in him at all. It’s more like…well, like he’s quite proud of himself for finding her.”
Khan snorted and threw his head again, prancing menacingly at Darius who dodged aside in time to avoid being stepped on.
“Of all the arrogant, pig headed…” Darius grumbled. “As if the dragon wasn’t bad enough, now we have this.”
Carly laughed and scratched an itchy spot on Khan’s side. “You have to admit, it was pretty clever how he was able to find me.”
“Well, I guess one thing’s settled,” Daniel interrupted. “We aren’t going in there now,” he said, hooking a thumb in the direction of the tavern where a large crowd was milling about. “We’ve pretty much lost the fight to remain unnoticed. Besides, I’m starving.”
Dearra laughed. “Always the practical one, Daniel,” she said.
“He’s right,” Darius said, shaking his head, his disappointment plain. “It’s just as well; it was probably a bad idea anyway.”
The group continued on their trek. Dearra chatted as she walked, but her eyes were everywhere, marking landmarks as she went.
Chapter 16
When they met up with Hugh and William at the inn, everyone took some time to wash before dinner. After a quick splash of cool water to remove a layer of dust, Dearra felt greatly revived.
Carly and Dearra dressed in their own clean clothes before going down to join the men for the evening meal. While the outfits Darius had provided for them were quite pretty, it felt good to be in their own clothes again. With home so far away, any reminder of Maj was comforting. Darius had said their Maj garments would be fine in the evenings, since it got so much colder at night, but he had also purchased heavy outer robes to wear over their Parsaian garb. They would be much less likely to attract notice if they needed to venture out after dark wearing those garments than if they wore their Maj attire. Dearra thought she finally had some small idea of what it must have been like for Darius all of those months in a place so very different from where he had grown up.
When Dearra and Carly came down to dinner, they were surprised to see a low table, set quite lavishly. The men had been reclining on cushions set about the table, but they stood as the young women entered the room. When she sat, Dearra had time to better take in the unusual sights and smells before her. So far, they had only had time for simple fare—bread, cheese, and some fresh fruit had been the extent of their culinary adventures—but this was truly impressive. There were plates of oval flat bread browned in stone ovens, a plate of fresh herbs sat at one end (she recognized the basil and tarragon, but the others were a mystery), a round of cheese whose strong aroma reminding her of feta, pickles, peeled and sliced cucumbers, and a plate heaped with lamb, steaming next to a large bowl of sticky, brown rice. A little further down the table was an even larger bowl overflowing with pomegranates, plums, and apricots. Dearra’s mouth watered, and she enthusiastically began to fill her plate.
The chatter around the table was lively as they shared the events of the day. Daniel roared with laughter when Carly demonstrated her new skill for Hugh and William. When she rose from the ground, a little higher than she had on her first attempt, Hugh swore a low oath and promptly dumped the rice-filled bread he was holding into his lap. Daniel found the whole thing amusing, especially since he had known what to expect, but Hugh seemed sorry to have wasted the scrumptious dish he had been enjoying. Dearra quickly put together a new wrap to replace the one he had lost, and his mood seemed to brighten as he asked question after question of Carly. William sat quietly, as usual, enjoying his food and smiling at the excited conversation that surrounded him.
Hugh was glad to hear they had been able to acquire the horses they would need, and at such a savings, it would leave them more money to bargain with. Plus, there was no telling how long they would need to stay there.
Hugh and William had spent their day trying to get a better lay of the land, keeping their ears open for useful information. They revealed that not long after they had left the inn, they acquired Breken escorts. The men followed them from a distance, shadowing the two wherever they went. While it was true that the Breken made no effort to approach, it was also true they did nothing to conceal themselves.
“It’s a good thing we hid most of the silver,” Darius remarked. “Those two were probably watching to see if you carried a large portion of it with you, and there were certainly others who had searched our quarters while we were out.”
“What?” Dearra said shocked. “I didn’t notice anything out of place. You must be wrong, Darius.”
“Of course you didn’t. They’re Breken. They could go through every frilly under garment you own, and you would never be the wiser,” Darius teased.
“Oh, no way. I would know. No one touches my…well, no one would get away with it without my knowing.”
“I did,” Darius said cockily. “I especially liked the one with the blue ribbons on the—”
Darius was stopped by the cold tip of Hugh’s sword pressing lightly against his neck. He also noticed that, unlike the last time he had been in a similar circumstance, Dearra seemed in no particular hurry to offer him assistance.
“Hugh, leave the boy be; the lamb is getting cold,” Daniel said without looking up from his plate.
“But he…but my daughter’s…he saw…” Hugh seemed beside himself with fatherly indignation.
Carly and William continued to enjoy their meal, completely ignoring the drama unfolding before them.
“Oh for Cyrus’s sake, Hugh!” Daniel said, “He didn’t see her in them. Now, just eat your supper.” Hugh grumbled, sheathed his sword, and went back to his food.
Darius stroked a hand at the small indentation that had been left by the blade, taking note of the smug grin on Hugh’s face. Amazingly, the man had been having a bit of fun at the young Breken’s expense.
Darius shook his head and said, “Well, anyway, I can see where Dearra gets her sense of humor.”
Hugh’s grin grew wider until he broke into hearty waves of full throated laughter. The others were soon laughing as well. Darius couldn’t stop a small chuckle of his own, though it was decidedly more reserved than his dinner companions.
After they ate, they spent some time just relaxing. Hachiro came in and unobtrusively lit the fire for the evening, doing his best to not irritate his Breken guest. He also brought them some wine and unfermented fruit juice. Though the men seemed to enjoy the wine, Carly and Dearra wrinkled their noses after only a small sip, and filled their cups with the juice instead. They frequently had wine on Maj, but this seemed stronger and had an earthy flavor that was unfamiliar to them.
“I’ll say this, Darius, while your home seems a pretty inhospitable place, the food here is excellent.” Hugh gave his stomach an appreciative pat, and took another drink of wine.
“Maj is my home, now,” Darius said quietly.
Hugh sat up straighter in his chair. His expression became serious. “Yes, it is,” he said. “That was insensitive of me, Darius.”
“No, it’s fine, really. Besides, Bandar was never my home. The city I grew up in is called Darak. If you think this place is inhospitable, be glad you aren’t going there.”
“What was it like, Darius?” Dearra asked. “You tell us so little about yourself and your past.”
Darius shook his head and stared blankly at the fire before him. “It’s not something I’m anxious to share. My people are not like you. Whenever I tell you about my past, you all look at me differently for a while. I feel…ashamed.”
Carly put a comforting hand on Darius’s shoulder. “We look at you like that because we care abo
ut you. It’s not that the things you tell us happen; it’s that they happened to you.”
“Carly’s right,” Hugh added. “Besides, like you said, Maj is your home, now, so that makes us your people, not them.”
Darius felt the warmth of acceptance wash over him. He noticed Daniel and William were nodding their agreement, and Dearra had moved to sit nearer to him. It seemed a little petulant to deny them the history they asked for when they offered him their love and support like that. Darius reached up and patted Carly’s hand before asking, “What would you like to know?”
“I’m not sure,” Dearra said. “You’ve already told us a little about the region, and even a story from your childhood.”
Darius had told them about the time he and three other boys had been sent into the Breken desert to bring back a cat for one of the Breken masters, but he had also told Dearra one other tale about his youth. He glanced at her wondering if she had shared that with Carly.
Dearra read the question in his expression and gave a tiny shake of her head that went unnoticed by everyone else but Darius.
“What about something more recent?” Carly continued. “What did you do in Darak?”
“You mean besides learning to duck?” Darius asked.
Carly giggled. “Yes, besides that.”
“Most of the time, I trained young men how to fight. Not the children, though; they were trained separately. I got them when they were older. That’s not very interesting to speak about, though. It was pretty much the same thing day after day.”
“I should think it would be very interesting!” Carly said. “All those Breken with different magical abilities…it must have been a challenge to always be on your toes, never knowing what to expect.”
“Most of the gifts of which you speak are pretty subtle. Many of the warriors I trained didn’t often use their gifts.”
“Why not?” Dearra leaned forward, anxious to hear more. “If I had a talent like that, I would use it all the time!”
The Destiny Series Boxed Set: Books 1-3 Page 38