by Lexy Wolfe
Chapter 31
Filled with the cheerful sounds of a typical morning breakfast, the dining room went suddenly silent, eyes drawn to the archway to the common room. Kelafy, positively delighted, snapped her fingers. "Quickly now! Bring two more chairs and place settings for the Swordanzen!" As Almek and his students offered greetings, the headwoman ushered the pair to the table. "And bring more food! We cannot have anyone going hungry, now, can we?"
Looking bemused and annoyed at all the fuss and attention, Storm tried to be reasonable with the headwoman. "You do not need to make extra work for your people. We are only waiting for Master Bard Mureln and Master Healer Taylin to finish so we can go into Ithesra with them."
"Nonsense!" Kelafy waved at the pair imperiously to come into the room completely. "You and Master Skyfire are but skin and bones. Sit! Sit!" The two Swordanzen blinked at each other, looked down at themselves, then back, shrugging. The headwoman poured water for them, before turning to Lyra who stood near the pair of Desanti, smiling apologetically to them. "Miss Lyra, dear child, come with me to the kitchen to get something our Githalin Swordanzen would like, would you?"
Lyra bowed and said obediently, "Yes, Miss Kelafy." She shrugged helplessly at the Desanti as she followed the older woman into the kitchen.
Skyfire chuckled at Storm's exasperated sigh. "I suppose we should be grateful they want to feed us at all," he pointed out. The others at the table chuckled at his comment.
Storm managed a half smile, though her growing annoyance was apparent. "I would be more grateful if instead of doing what they want, they would do what we wanted."
Watching the two Desanti from the head of the table, Ash said off-handedly, "Perhaps if you would stop clinging so stubbornly to your desert habits, no one would need to override your wishes with common sense."
"What did you say?" Storm asked in a dangerously quiet voice.
"You heard me, Githalin Swordanzen," Ash replied implacably.
Almek and Mureln flinched as everyone else fell abruptly silent. The room felt as though there were a violent summer thunderstorm threatening to suddenly strike. Skyfire put a hand on Storm's shoulder, murmuring in Swordanzen in an attempt to diffuse the tension. Storm shoved his hand off, standing and gripping the edge of the table until her fingernails dug into the hardened wood.
"I see. You know best about everything, don't you, Illaini Magus? Nothing is right unless it is Forentan right," Storm hissed, fixing Ash with feral, green-gold eyes. "Have you judged all I have told you of Desanti as foolish 'desert habits'? Do you think we are ignorant children who know nothing and must have someone else think for us?"
Ash met the fury with a calm expression. "If you are going to act like an ignorant child, then you will be treated as one," he replied matter-of-factly. "Now sit down and calm down, Storm il'Thandar."
The two mercenaries looked at Storm's reaction to Ash's words. "Aw, damn it all," Emil muttered, grabbing his glass and the wine bottle before backing away from the table. Emaris just picked up his plate and cup, scooting away from the table to continue eating his breakfast, ignoring the tension.
Terrence bit his lip, tearing his eyes away from Storm to look at Ash uncertainly. "Master Ash, perhaps you shouldn't—"
In that dangerously quiet voice, Storm echoed Ash's words. "'Calm down'?" She straightened, her hands balling into fists at her sides. "You think I need to calm down?" Before anyone could move or speak, she grabbed the two glasses of water, and flung them across the room, narrowly missing Ash as they shattered against the wall behind him, bringing Kelafy and Lyra to a shocked halt in the kitchen doorway.
With an ear-splitting yell, Storm brought her fists down onto the tabletop, the wood exploding into a shower of splinters, and collapsing. "I take no orders from defilers!" she snarled, turning on her heel and stalking out. The outer door slammed so hard, a lantern rocked off its hook and crashed to the floor in the common room. One of the other servants rushed out to make sure it was a magelight lantern and not one of the lit oil ones.
For once, Skyfire did not go after Storm immediately, glaring at Ash. "You are supposed to be the best and brightest of your people. Do you have a death wish or are you just an arrogant fool?" He pointed in the direction Storm went. "The Raging One named His daughter true, yet you constantly dismiss the risk of rousing her fury. She is not and will not ever be spineless and meek as you Forenten seem to prefer your women. You are lucky you do not have a knife between your eyes right now!"
"Do not speak to me with disrespect," Ash warned, already having stood to avoid the contents of his breakfast from falling onto his lap when Storm destroyed the table.
Skyfire did not back down, shaking a fist at Ash. "You pompous ass. You demand respect, but it is fine for you to give my th'yala none of the respect she has earned a thousand times over?" With defiant pride, Skyfire spat to one side before making a dismissive gesture. "You are a hypocrite, and I was a fool to believe you could be otherwise." He turned on his heel, stalking out to catch up to Storm. Lyra shoved the tray of food at Kelafy, running to catch up to the man.
Almek had remained silent, watching the interplay. "He is right, Ash. You are being a hypocrite." The Illaini Magus flinched at the Dusvet Guardian's toneless rebuke, not meeting Almek's eyes, his cheeks flushing with shame at the public chastisement. "We are all guilty of trying to convince the Desanti to change their behaviors to some degree. But you have been making it a point to try shaming Storm in front of us recently to manipulate her into obedience."
Ash clenched his fists, defensive of the criticism. "She keeps acting like a stubborn child! How many times has she nearly starved herself for no good reason?"
"By Desanti culture, her reasons were sound, if not always necessary by our standards." Mureln met Ash's glare unflinchingly. "Who are we to judge what she should or should not do to fulfill her duties as Githalin Swordanzen?" The bard made a sharp gesture. "She has tried her best to explain life in their world, as the Raging One bid her do. You do not even accept anything she has tried to teach you about desert ways. You judge and dismiss everything out of hand because you believe you know better."
"I do not!" Ash fired back, cheeks flushing with emotion.
Almek's voice was grave. "If you do not, then you are doing a poor job making it apparent to the Desanti."
"It is useless to try to make Storm and Skyfire eat or sleep like we do." Taylin bit her lip as everyone turned their attentions towards her, surprised the healer spoke up. "The Desanti are physically unable to eat more than they have been since we got here, or change their sleep patterns to match ours."
"How can you say that?" Ash demanded. "They are humans just like we are. They are not beasts!"
Taylin looked up at the others' startled expressions. "Storm permitted me to use my healing ability to see the truth." She looked at Almek. "After the Great War, the Guardians of Desanti descent returned to Desantiva and... The Desanti were altered so they could better survive the wastes. I am not sure if the changes were by choice or a result of the final attack that resulted in the Second Sundering, but it is inherent, not something they are able to change easily if at all."
"That is where the Desanti Guardians disappeared to?" The Dusvet Guardian looked surprised, then thoughtful. "That would explain the strong Guardian energies their people seem to possess." He frowned, thoughts turned inward, "And some of what happened at Fortress."
Ash blinked several times. "...Altered? Storm never said anything about..."
Mureln studied the mage for several moments. "Ash, are you completely incapable of accepting things for what they are without someone having to justify them?" He waved a hand in the direction the two Desanti had left in. "Or accepting others' justifications even if you do not agree with them?"
"Of course I..." Ash closed his eyes, sighing. "I can. But I haven't with her." He pressed his lips together grimly. "I need to find Storm and apologize."
"Good luck finding her," Skyfire stated grimly as he retu
rned, a fretful Lyra hovering by his side. "She left."
Almek stood, looking both perplexed and worried. "You mean went somewhere to cool off."
"I mean left," Skyfire repeated. "I cannot sense her anywhere." He turned his disappointed, angered gaze on Ash. "Neither can Kailee nor the Raging One. You cannot find a Swordanzen who does not want to be found. Especially not the best of us."
Gritting his teeth, Ash stalked out. "I'll find her."
Chapter 32
The wind gusted just as the main door burst open and Storm stalked out, slamming it behind her. From within the stables, the drizar shrilled in response to his rider's fury, the sound of shattering wood from a stall door mingling with the cries of "Take cover!" from the stable hands. Stopping three steps away from the house, Storm looked up at the trees, narrowing her gaze on a specific branch as the drizar shoved his way out of the stables to join her. His snapping at the stable hand startled the boy back inside where it was safer.
Eyes fixed on one point, Storm crouched down to pick up a stone, removing the long leather strap that she used as a headband.
The guardsman mage on duty dropped his camouflage spell when she would not look away. "What are you doing?" The man frowned as Storm adjusted the strap and set the stone in the cradle formed.
Storm started swinging the sling. "Giving you reason not to know which direction I leave in," she replied tonelessly. Before the man could ask what she was talking about, she released the stone. The man tried to dive to the side to avoid the projectile, but was too slow. The rock glanced off his head. He collapsed, barely keeping from falling to the merciless ground.
Waiting until she was assured he still breathed and would not fall off, Storm mounted the drizar and the creature shrieked defiantly before taking off at a speed he had not run at since leaving the desert. The woman leaned close against his back, holding his neck tightly as she guided him so his trail would remain obscured.
They had ridden at a distance-eating pace for an hour before they slowed their pace, long away from Ithesra. Storm turned her attention away from flight to finding shelter. Pain shot through her shoulder as she felt Thandar seeking to touch her mind, shattering the barrier she had thrown up against even him. Aelia! What is wrong? Where are you going?
Tears came to Storm's eyes as Thandar's questions brought what drove her away to the forefront of her mind. "Anywhere but this place," she whispered harshly. "I have failed Father. I cannot do what he asks of me. I cannot teach them. I cannot teach him. He only hears what he wants."
She felt Thandar's anger bubbling through her bond to the Totani. You are in pain... He has hurt you! A surge of rage made Storm grimace. I will kill him!
"No, Thandar!" Nearing a spring pool that rested by an abandoned root hollow, Storm urged the drizar to stop. She dismounted and looked at the sky, shivering, having left without taking her warmer clothes. "No. Do not kill the Illaini Magus. Please."
The intensity of the bond tightened, making Storm gasp, clutching her shoulder. The drizar nuzzled her worriedly. He does not deserve your heart, Aelia. That one is the son of the defilers. He deserves no boons from us.
Letting the drizar nudge her towards the root hollow to shelter against the cold, Storm asked, "How can you say that? He returned Dzee to Father. No one else could have done that. Desantiva owes him everything!" Sinking to her knees in the dried leaves, head bowed, she whispered, "He saved her. I nearly destroyed her."
Your father loves you more than any of His other children, Aelia, the voice in her mind said in gentler tones. And neither He nor Dzee blame you. You did not know who she was, and when you did, you worked to return her to us. Quietly, Thandar added, Your father grieves your absence. You have not sought His touch since He returned to Desantiva. You have barely sought out mine. And now you are without Skyfire? You know the danger of remaining alone.
Curling in a ball against the drizar's side as the beast settled himself by her, Storm closed her eyes tightly. "I deserve to be alone. I have failed everyone." Pressing the heels of her hands against her temples, she shut Thandar out of her mind. "I do not deserve anyone."
Chapter 33
Ash stopped short when he heard the guardsman in the tree groan. Seeing the man holding his head as he started to push himself upright, he quickly cast a spell to manipulate the air to catch the man as he slipped off his perch, easing him to the ground.
"Master Ash?" the man asked in bewilderment, squinting up at Ash as the Illaini Magus knelt by him. The guardsman groaned, putting a hand to his head. He pulled his hand away in shock, red staining his fingertips. "Bloody hells," he muttered.
"What happened, Meris?" Ash asked, knowing full well what happened was Storm. He forced his voice to calm neutrality. The mage noticed the trail of blood in the main's hair. "Looks like you got a pretty good knock there."
Meris' eyes went wide. "That desert woman of yours! She hit me with a rock." Grimacing, he rubbed his head gingerly as he swore colorfully. "She said something about giving me a reason not to know where she was going."
Ash swore under his breath. Standing, he looked around but as expected, did not see any sign of the direction Storm had left in. He held up his hand to look at the star-shaped scar on his palm, a dull glow pulsing beneath the skin. Closing his hand into a fist, he looked to Meris. "Come on. Master Healer Taylin can see to your injury. I doubt the Swordanzen intended any lasting damage, but I want to be certain."
"What the hells is going on?" Nolyn appeared just at that moment, jogging down the path that led to Ithesra proper. Two guardsmen were with him. "Meris, report!" When the man explained with a little more detail, implying it was Storm but leaving her name out specifically, Nolyn scowled at him. "Why the hells didn't you duck?" Not waiting for an excuse, he waved his hand to the young man with him. "Take him inside to the healer. Rayn, take his position. And watch your head!" he added curtly.
Ash arched an eyebrow at Nolyn. "You responded considerably faster than I expected," the man confessed, holding up his right hand with the star-shaped scar. "I thought you would be a few hours at least.
"I was already on my way here," the guardsman replied crisply. He held up his hand with the mirroring star-shaped scar that glowed softly. Putting his hand on Ash's shoulder, he pulled him aside to speak privately. "You've been unusually agitated for days. Now this? What is going on?"
"I need your help tracking Storm."
"Storm? She attacked Meris?" Nolyn stared in disbelief. He looked back towards the house where the man had gone in barely repressed anger. "He was supposed to remain hidden."
Ash waved a dismissive hand. "Don't blame him. The Swordanzen have known about your watchers for a sevenday at least, if not since the first day. Don’t ask me how. They've no more magic than any of the others of their people." Ash grabbed Nolyn's arm, quiet desperation in his grip. "I need to find someone who doesn't want to be found and has hidden herself from divine servants and gods alike."
Nolyn considered the man for several moments. "You really pissed her off, didn't you?" Ignoring the glare, he smirked and looked towards the forest. He knelt, touching the ground lightly. "Ah, there we are. The drizar's tracks lead west from here." He took several steps and crouched again, touching the ground and whistling in amazement. "Incredible. If the drizar can hold this pace, they could be halfway to the World Spine by sunset."
Ash frowned, taking a few steps away from Nolyn, staring out into the forest. "West? That makes no sense. Desantiva is south from here. I would think she'd want to go home. Except..." He sighed. "She is forbidden from returning home."
Nolyn jarred Ash out of his thoughts by grabbing his arm. "Let's worry about sense later. Right now, we need to find your Swordanzen woman. And to do that, I need the sun to see the drizar's tracks." He grumbled. "The damned beast doesn't leave much. He leaps like a tri-tail deer but he doesn't leave deep impressions." Standing, he looked at Ash. "It is like he knew where to land to minimize his tracks."
The senior stab
le hand hurried out to meet the two master mages, leading two horses saddled with supplies. The two mages mounted and rode off. Their pursuit was slowed because Nolyn repeatedly had to stop and dismount to locate the drizar's trail.
Ash watched Nolyn as they stopped for the fifth time, when suddenly pain stabbed through his head, golden light blinding him.
His cry of pain startled Nolyn. He went to Ash, putting his hand on his arm. "Ash? Ash, what is it?"
Unable to answer, Ash ground his teeth together as he clutched his head with both hands. "Thandar," he managed to get out, both statement and plea for relief.
Find her, Thandar seethed in his mind. The flood of emotions and images nearly overwhelmed the Illaini Magus. And as fast as the mental contact came, it ended, leaving Ash shaken and dazed.
"Ash!" Nolyn called again, finally getting through the haze that rang through his mind. "Ash, what happened?"
Grabbing Nolyn's hand, it took several moments until Ash could speak. Nolyn was shaken at the haunted look in the depths of Ash's azure eyes. "We have to find Storm." Images of desert ragewinds tearing through Desantiva's barren expanses unabated, the reverberations of the people's suffering through the Psia Re because of the Raging One's grief over his lost daughter lingered. "The lives of Desantiva's children rests on it."
"What?" Nolyn stared in shock. "Why-?"
Straightening up, the Illaini Magus shook his head to clear it. "She's shut out her Totani. And her father's grief, the Raging One's grief, is Desantiva's grief." He looked at Nolyn desperately. "Did you find her trail?"
Nodding, Nolyn quickly returned to his horse. "Yes, this way. It would be easier to follow if the sun wasn’t getting so low, but we're lucky. She is not being as careful to conceal herself now." The horses surged forward in unison to resume the hunt.
It was nearly dark when they reached a clearing by a spring pool embraced in a greater oak's giant roots. The shadows were long and deep as the sun sank below the horizon, only the afterglow of dusk colored the sky. Nolyn was silent as he examined the ground, searching. "This isn't good," the guardsman captain muttered, speaking his thoughts aloud. "If I can't pick up the trail, we will need to shelter for the night. There is a low hollow up in this tree. It'll be safe enough from ground predators."