by T. S. Ryder
Then all hell broke loose. On one side, Mara was rallying her supporters to gather a mob and find Teresa to ‘burn her like the witch she is’; on the other, Elder Fanag was trying – and, unfortunately, failing – to defuse the situation. And, in the middle, was Kenner, who found himself with no idea what to do for the first time in his life. He knew in his heart Teresa wasn’t the traitor, but he had no way to prove it, and no way to protect her.
This was all his fault, he thought, hating himself in that moment. If he hadn’t had broken the rules just to give them both a bit of joy that evening, if he hadn’t been stupid and told her things he knew she had to find out in her own time, no one would be able to cast doubt in her direction.
But he did break the rules, and he was stupid, and now Teresa might die for it.
Unless he reached her first, he decided and took to the sky to the utter surprise of everyone around him.
As quick in action as she was to throw accusations around, Mara shapeshifted and went after him, but Kenner used his advantage well and created enough space between them to lose her halfway to his destination. He also had the added advantage of knowing exactly where he was going – Teresa was helping one of the local farmers gather her fruit crops today on one of the Eastern isles.
He didn’t waste time explaining why he was there or extracting her safely.
He just swooped down and snatched her from the ground, careful not to hurt her, and then flew, far away and as fast as he could, out of Kinai territory and onto a small, uninhabited atoll that marked the first third of the distance away from the Firuzian Kingdom. He first put Teresa down, who was terrified and demanding answers, and then came down as well, changing forms as he landed because of the lack of space.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” Teresa yelled at him, “You have no right to grab me like I’m some dumb farm animal on a grazing field!”
Kenner let her vent and spoke up only when it seemed she’d exhausted herself screaming. “Skatians were spotted trying to sneak into the Rookery today,” he told her. “And Mara convinced everyone that you were the one who told them about it and taught them what to do.”
Teresa’s face paled instantly. “But... but I didn’t,” she stuttered. “You know I didn’t. I spent every moment I wasn’t working for the past three days in bed with you. I couldn’t have told them even if I’d wanted to!”
She began to shake uncontrollably, and Kenner pulled Teresa into a long, tight hug. “I know you didn’t,” he assured her. “We had the bad luck of not being the only lovers on the Isle of Ponds the other night – Mara and one of the men from the Squadron were there as well, tucked away in the woods. They saw and heard the entire conversation we had before we went down to the ponds, and she’s using that as proof against you.”
“That bitch,” Teresa murmured into his chest. “What does she have against me, anyway? She’s never even talked to me, but she hated me from the moment she saw me.”
Kenner sighed. “I’m afraid that’s my fault,” he admitted, though he would’ve preferred not to speak of it. “She and I were an item at one point, but we quickly parted ways – she was a little too unhinged in her passions for me, and I was not ambitious enough for her liking. But it seems I was the only one who took the ending of our relationship seriously.” He closed his eyes, feeling like a fool. “Arul tried to warn me, but I kept brushing it off. She is one of the two best fliers in the Squadron, and I didn’t want to believe she could be such a liability because I didn’t want to be forced to send her away.”
Teresa just sighed and, after letting herself soak up his strength for a few minutes more, broke their embrace, ready to face the horror now.
“So what do we do next?” she asked, “We can’t leave things the way they are. If they thought I was guilty before, they must be fully convinced of it after the way you stopped them from getting to me.” Unfortunately, she was likely to be completely right about that.
“The only thing that could save you now is if we find the real culprit,” he said, and she nodded.
“All right... but how do we do that? What do we know so far that could help point us in the right direction?” She kept asking questions, her past as an investigator surfacing to help her resolve this problem, and he told her everything he knew.
She thought on all the information he had given her for a while, pacing the small berth of the atoll, and he gave her the space she needed to work things out in her head. Meanwhile, he sat down in the shade of a small palm close to the beach and tried to think about what they could do if the worst came to the worst and they never found the real traitor. At the moment, they had nothing but the clothes on their back, and that limited their options severely. Even if they had the money, where could they go? Back to Skatia? He’d never do that to Teresa. Running to the Makish and the Firuzians was likewise not possible, because the Kinai did trade with both nations, and they would not be able to hide there for long. The only other solution was to try and find some lonely mountain in the Garn territory, or another island, bigger and better equipped than this one, but both of those options sounded much easier said than done.
“You know, the more I think about it, the more it seems to me our safest bet would be to locate the Skatian ship Arul said he saw and force whoever is leading their expedition to admit who their source was.” Teresa suddenly sat by his side, shaking him out of his rather depressing thoughts.
“That... might actually work,” he noted, as he thought her suggestion over. “But if we want to catch them, I’d have to leave right away, and leave you here, because I will need all of my maneuvering ability to force them into submission.”
Teresa nodded gravely. “I know, and I hate the idea, but what other choice do we have?”
Kenner said nothing. There was no need to. They both knew the answer to that question was ‘none’.
“I have nothing to leave you with,” Kenner said quietly. “No food. No water. No weapons.”
Teresa cupped his chin and made him look at her. “I can handle being hungry and thirsty for a day. And, if you hurry, there might not even be any need for a weapon.” She kissed him with passion, leaning her whole body and all its soft, plentiful curves against his before she released him. “Go,” she whispered, and Kenner gave her one more quick embrace before he left her, racing against the clock and the incredible odds stacked against them.
Chapter Nine
Some six hours later, Teresa would’ve killed for one of those contraptions their creators claimed purified urine into drinking water. Hunger did not bother her much, as the harsh summer heat effectively killed her appetite, but thirst was a different matter altogether. She did her best to stick to the shade and barely moved at all to conserve energy but to no avail. Bit by bit, the sun was draining her, until she began to see things, like boats on the horizon and dragons in the sky...
Wait... dragons?
Was it Kenner? Had he found the Skatians? Was he returning to her?
Gathering every last ounce of drive she possessed, Teresa rose to her feet just as the dragon lowered itself for a landing, shapeshifting in that familiar, fluid way as its feet touched the ground.
But instead of Kenner, the Darkwing who landed on the atoll’s shores was none other than Mara herself.
The disappointment was too much for Teresa’s exhausted faculties, and she lost consciousness , falling at the dragon lady's feet.
When she finally woke again, she was locked away in a cage, in the basement of the Long House on the Central Isle of Kinai, and Elder Fanag was sitting on a stool in front of her.
“Oh, thank heavens!” the old woman sighed in relief, “I was afraid we’d lost you, child.” Still weak, Teresa somehow managed to sit up, barely able to keep her eyes open. Her throat felt too dry to make any sounds, let alone speak, but Elder Fanag waved her hand and poured something that smelled divine into a wooden bowl she handed to Teresa through the bars. “Do not force yourself to speak. You’ll just hurt
yourself more,” the old woman advised her. “Then again, I doubt it would’ve made much of a difference if you could speak. I’m afraid the Council of Elders decided Kenner and you have violated our most sacred laws, and the only reason they haven’t executed you yet is because they want to cut the both of you together and send your heads to the Skatian Emperor.”
A flash of panic ran over Teresa’s face, but the Elder just waved her head sadly. “I’m sorry, child. I can believe Kenner had only the best of intentions when he told you about the Rookery and the Joining,” she said. “And I might even believe you when you say you kept his confidence. But the evidence points in the opposite direction, and this is too grave a subject for even the smallest amount of leniency towards the accused. If Kenner returns of his own volition and accepts punishment for his sins, he might make it out of this with his life, though nothing more than that. You, however... nothing short of a miracle can save you.”
The old woman rose from her stool. “Eat. Finding Kenner might take a while, and there’s no need to make your last days any more uncomfortable than they have to be.” She gave Teresa a sad smile. “I hope whatever gods you pray to take your soul under their merciful fold,” she said and left.
Alone in the dark, Teresa put down the bowl and laid back down on the floor, curling herself up. She fought the urge to cry, refusing to give up hope.
So long as Kenner was out there, she had to have faith that he would come to her rescue one more time.
Chapter Ten
The sun was setting by the time Kenner reached the Central Isle of Kinai. He hovered over the Long House until the Elders, the Darkwing Squadron lead by Mara and anyone else who wanted to see this altercation had gathered, and then he opened the paw of his left hind leg and an unconscious Skatian woman in tattered clothes dropped on the ground with a loud thud. Only then did he land, the crowd making way for his massive beastly form. He was too tired to shift in the air, and his exhaustion showed plainly on his face once he was a man again.
“Who is this?” one of the Elders demanded.
Kenner replied with more patience and respect than he had believed he had in him at that moment. “She is Esplyn of House Rida, the Skatian noble who once owned my Teresa. Arul can confirm her identity for you. She is to be kept in the cages of the Long House until she is fit enough to testify against the person who revealed to her the secret and the location of the Rookery.”
“You do not give orders here anymore!” Mara snapped at him, but Kenner only gave her an annoyed look and turned back to the Elder.
“Even if what she says is true, I am still owed a fair trial,” he said calmly, knowing, unlike Mara, that letting his emotions get the better of him was not the smart thing to do. “As was Teresa,” he added. “But all I found when I came back for her were a few fallen scales, so I’m assuming you’re keeping her prisoner.” There was no mistaking the open threat of those words and the Elder who was squaring off with him gulped.
“You assume correctly.” Elder Fanag appeared then. “But she has already been convicted, and is but awaiting execution.” The corner of the Elder’s lips turned upwards a little as if she had been praying something like this would happen, but she continued in her usual, detached tone. “However, if you can provide new proof attesting to her innocence, and the value of that proof can be verified, then your Teresa might yet come out of this ordeal with her life.”
She turned to the other members of the Council. “I suggest we all retire for the evening, to allow for Kenner and his witness to rest and replenish their strength,” she said. “We can hear the testimonials and conduct Kenner’s trial on the morrow.” As no one had anything against the idea, the crowd began to dissipate, but Elder Fanag had a few more words to say. “I shall host your lady witness, Kenner,” she informed him, her tone such that it made clear he would do better not to argue with her. “You may sleep in your home, but the Darkwing Squadron will serve as your security detail.” Kenner translated from between the lines: you are a flight risk, and we will not risk letting you out of our sight again.
Kenner simply nodded and walked towards his house, the Squadron trailing him in two straight lines. The one to the left was headed by Arul. The one to the right, by Mara, who, as usual, had something to say.
“What do you see in that fat bitch to risk everything you have for her?” she wanted to know. “You never fought like that for me.”
“She is the love of my life,” he replied honestly. “And you weren’t worth fighting for.”
That stunned Mara so profoundly that she stopped dead in her tracks, and the members of the Squadron who followed did the same, like the well-oiled machine they were.
Kenner, Arul and the rest didn’t wait for them.
Tomorrow morning, upon receiving the summons from the Council of Elders, Kenner made his way into the Long House, where every bit of space that could be occupied had been filled. There were too many spectators for Kenner’s comfort, but the more people could see firsthand what was about to happen here, the better it was for Teresa, so he gritted his teeth and endured for her sake.
When he saw her brought in, her skin pale and her hands tied behind her back, he tried to reach her and free her from her bonds, but Arul and another member of the Squadron stopped him. “She’s just a little sickly from dehydration,” his friend whispered in his ear. “I know it pains you to see her so, but you’ll do her no favors if you lose your temper now.” He was right, as usual, and Kenner paid heed to his second’s advice, well aware of the results that had come from failing to do so the last time.
As per custom, the accusers had the first say, with Mara spewing venom in every direction, and both Arul and her dumb little lover boy called in as her witnesses. The men simply repeated the same statements as before, with minimal displays of emotion, Mara’s lover out of embarrassment and Arul for the sake of objectivity.
When the defense’s turn came, Kenner stood up for both of them. He asked that Lady Esplyn be brought, since they had kept her away to make sure that nothing could influence her to change her testimony, and so she wouldn’t accidentally overhear anything pertaining to the true nature of the Rookery.
When she came in, all pride and elegance, flanked by two guards at each side, Kenner asked Arul and several other members of the Squadron who’d met the lady during their mission to Wallaria to confirm her identity. Then he finally called the lady herself, who, as it turned out, had quite a tale to tell.
“About... oh, two or three nights ago, this one...” she began, in her signature insincerely sweet voice, and pointed straight to Mara, making several people in the Long House audibly gasp, “...appeared on the roof of my mansion and demanded that I speak with her. She knew how devastated I was because the Emperor made me sell my Hele to... this...” She made a disgusted face as she looked at Kenner, who gave the insult exactly as much attention as it deserved – nothing. “She offered me a chance to both get her back and get a brand-new, Kinai slave free of charge. She told me to send the best oarsmen I could find in a few kayaks, and have them meet her on a designated day at the designated time at the base of your stupid volcano, and she would bring Hele and a Kinai boy tied and gagged. Just imagine my surprise when she not only backed out on her own agreement but brought another one of her friends with her, and then killed the men I had sent to meet her and sunk their kayaks!” From the sound of it, Lady Esplyn mourned the loss of her boats more than the men who operated them.
“Lies!” Mara screamed. “It’s lies, all lies! Kenner must’ve paid her to perjure herself!”
But Lady Esplyn only laughed to that accusation. “He couldn’t afford it,” she replied condescendingly. “And besides, my ship still lies in your waters, where this brute dragged it onto the Obsidian Ridge,” she added, pointing angrily at Kenner. “Just fly out there and question the crew. They know everything.”
Realizing at last that her scheme had just imploded before her very eyes, Mara tried to flee, but the Blackwings didn�
�t allow her to get very far.
Kenner, however, decided he had waited much too long as it was, and ran to Teresa’s side. The crowd around them alternated between congratulating them and jeering at Mara, as she was taken away to wait for her trial in the cages, while the Elders attempted to call for some order, and failed miserably.
Only Elder Fanag looked happy at this unholy mess, smiling at Kenner and Teresa, and patting him on the back. “Well done, boy,” she praised him. “I knew you could do it.”
Kenner wisely decided not to remind the Elder that she was contradicting some of her earlier statements and, instead, put his arm around Teresa’s shoulders and nodded. “Thank you... but, if you’ll excuse us now, we’d rather like to go home.”
The old lady shooed them away, laughing all the while, and Kenner was glad they could get the hell out of there.
There were things he had to say to his Teresa, things he had to do to show her just how much he had missed her, and he could only feel free to indulge those needs in the privacy of their own house.
Chapter Eleven
After the initial drama, the rest of the process went far more smoothly and quickly.
Lady Esplyn was questioned some more, and when it became clear she was only Mara’s dupe and knew nothing of consequence to the Kinai, she was flown back to her home in Wallaria by Arul. And, since he was already going to the Skatian capital, the First Lieutenant of the Blackwing Squadron was also tasked with paying a visit to the Emperor with a large chest of presents from the Kinai craftsmen for some preemptive damage control.
The Council concluded that the instabilities in Mara’s character, which were obviously growing more and more prominent, were a result of a Joining that hadn’t gone exactly right, but had gone well enough for the cracks in it to only just now be starting to show. She was sentenced to death, but before the execution could be held, she hung herself in her own home, refusing to the end to bow down to anyone.