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 los
t, 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 about 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!”
Darius paused before answering. “That’s because you think like a Maj, Dearra. You would never have to worry one of your own people would use knowledge of your gift against you to take your life.”
“Oh,” was all she could think to say to that statement.
“What about you, then, Darius?” Hugh said, joining in. “Your ability with animals is quite impressive. You must have some tales to tell of your own. Did you have an animal companion like Reo in Darak?”
Darius shrugged and went back to staring at the fire until they wondered if he would ever answer, he was silent for so long.
“There was a puppy, once. I was still young, but I had grown out of the children’s ranks and was afforded a certain measure of freedom when I wasn’t training. Packs of dogs are everywhere in the city, and it’s not unusual to see one in the streets dead or dying after a fight between packs. This little one must have been just old enough to follow his mother around, but nowhere near ready to scrap with the others.
“When I found him, one ear had been shredded, and he was bleeding from a dozen wounds. I was sure he was dying, but I just couldn’t leave him to perish in the street. If it wouldn’t have been dark, I could never have risked being seen to show that kind of weakness, but as it was, there was no one to see, so I stuffed the quaking bundle into my shirt and walked on. The closeness of our bodies seemed to comfort him.
“I spent weeks nursing him back to health. It was near impossible to keep him hidden, especially as he got better and ventured out to look for me, but I managed. I still remember how he would run up to me and lick my hands and face in greeting.” Darius smiled softly at the memory.
“What happened to him?” Carly asked, though she wasn’t really sure she wanted to know.
“My father found me with him one day. He seemed slightly
put out that I had the animal with me, but not angry, like I thought he would be. He looked at me for a while without saying anything, and then bent down and lifted the dog up by the scruff to inspect him. I thought for sure he would kill the pup, but there was nothing I could say that would prevent it, and I was too scared to speak anyway. After what seemed like forever, he told me to get back to my training, and that he would keep the animal safe for me. I didn’t dare ask about him after that.
“It must have been six months later when he called me before him. He had a surprise for me, he said. In my absence, he had trained the dog properly. The puppy I had known was gone. What was left was a snarling and half crazed monster. He was the ideal Breken dog, trained exclusively to kill. I thanked my father for his gift. There was nothing else I could do except destroy the animal the first chance I got. His mind had been turned and it was the kindest thing I could think to do for him. My father never asked about the dog, and I never mentioned him again either.”
“That’s awful, Darius,” Carly said in a breathy voice.
“No, Carly; that’s Darak. You wanted to know and I told you. And stop looking at me like that. It was a long time ago.”
“I think that’s more than enough for one night,” Daniel said brusquely.
“Agreed,” Hugh said a little less forcefully.
Darius rose, stretched, and shot a meaningful look at William. “Well, my brother, the hour grows late,” he said. “We had best be to our beds or we won’t be able to pull ourselves from them come sunrise. What do you say, William?”
“Yes, I am with you, Darius,” William said somewhat cryptically. Dearra thought it a rather odd way to say you were ready for bed.
“What about you, Daniel?” Darius asked, turning in Daniel’s direction.
Daniel looked up casually at Hugh. Dearra missed the small nod her father gave.
“Yes, Darius,” Daniel said. “I think that sounds like a good idea.”
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