by Shea, K. M.
That was a problem. If they were from Calnor Tari couldn’t fight back.
Chapter 4
Heroics
They leaped at Tari, cornering her faster than she could slip away. She shouted, but one of them slipped a gag into her mouth while two others grabbed her wrists and pulled her arms behind her back.
Tari struggled like a wild horse. She kicked one of the men in the gut, kneed another in his back, and planted her shoe on another’s face. One of the smarter attackers pulled her legs out from underneath her, pushing her to the ground in a heap.
The men exchanged heated words as Tari tried to shout past the gag. They flipped her over and tied her wrists behind her back, angrily speaking again when Tari kicked out.
Tari’s white hot anger froze over when one of them held a dagger to her throat.
They hauled her to her feet, the edge of the dagger made a thin but painful slice on Tari’s neck when she moved too slowly. Tari clamped down on the adrenaline that threatened to rush her system. If she wanted to get out alive and keep her vows as an Evening Star she would have be crafty.
Terror and rage howled in her, however, when one of the men stepped close to her, leaning into her and sniffing.
Tari tried to knee him and was hit in the back of her head for her efforts. She slumped forward, fighting to stay conscious as her attackers exchanged harassed whispers.
They tied her ankles together and carried Tari like a slain pig hanging between two men.
Tari tried to wriggle out of their grip and gave another muffled shout. They hit her in the head again with a wooden staff.
Tari went limp, numbly swinging between her kidnappers. Her eyes were drawn to the flickering light of a garden lamp, which just so happened to be the direction Arion came from.
It took Tari a few moments to recognize the nightmare descending on her as the stone faced captain. He was nothing but a silhouette running down a path, but he moved like a hunting wolf. His sword, already drawn, glowed silver as the soft haze of the moon cast shadows on his face. His storm cloud eyes were eerie and haunting in the darkness.
He patrols at night, how interesting, Tari vaguely thought as she swung, barely registering the panic of her kidnappers.
Arion was on them before they had a chance to react. He attacked without hesitation, drawing blood and screams as he devastated the kidnappers. His first target was the one closest to him. He purposely struck down on the man’s shoulder guard—getting a shout out of him—before kicking him in the kneecap, bringing him to his knees. Arion then slammed him in the head with his boot, knocking the attacker out.
Tari was abandoned, landing on the ground with a painful thud. Arion slammed the hilt of his sword into the gut of the attacker that previously held Tari’s legs and threw him against a tree.
Even in her stupor Tari was pretty sure she heard the crunch of breaking bones.
A swing of his sword and Arion disarmed the assailant with the dagger. He grabbed the man’s head and slammed it into a tree trunk before spinning around and nailing a fleeing attacker in the back with a dagger.
The last kidnapper shouted and turned to run. He stumbled over a tree root before Arion reached out and flipped him over his shoulder, slamming the man into the ground with a sickening crack.
It was over in a matter of seconds, before it started really. It was slaughter. Arion rushed the men like a wolf feasting on lambs.
Arion knelt next to Tari, cutting the ropes on her wrists and ankles with a dagger.
“Did they hurt you?”
“No,” Tari said, groaning when her head swam as she tried to sit up. “Not much,” she amended.
Arion blew a whistle as Tari settled back down on the ground, the stinging, smothering scent of blood grasping at her throat.
Tari yelped when Arion unexpectedly picked her up, carrying her easily.
The higher vantage point gave Tari an excellent view of the carnage. Although Tari was not certain Arion had killed any of the men there was plenty of blood. Feeling ill, Tari turned and pressed her head against Arion’s shoulder. “I think I’m going to be sick,” she admitted in a small voice as a squad of the garden guards stormed into the area.
“It was an ambush,” Arion said to the soldiers as Tari focused on breathing. “Six men. All of them should be down but alive. Take them to the jail for questioning and medical attention. Signal for backup. There are probably lookouts in the garden. Spread out and search the area.”
Tari yelped and clung to Arion as he started walking, not so much in fear but from the sensations rolling in her stomach. “Where are we going?”
“To the palace infirmary. You’re bleeding.”
“I’d rather not. It’s not that bad,” Tari said.
“Your wits are not about you and you’ve got blood all over your dress. It’s bad enough to warrant medical attention.”
“Then I don’t want to go the infirmary. My rooms, please. There’s an elf healer who has permanent residence in the royal wing for emergencies,” Tari said. She was surprised and pleased with herself. Thank goodness for Evlawyn’s habit of rattling off information when frightened.
Tari barely registered when Arion altered his course and breathed easier when they entered her quiet but welcoming wing. Tari did not think to ask Arion how he knew which rooms were hers as he stopped directly in front of her quarters and pushed open the door to Tari’s sitting room.
Arion talked quietly to the human guard he had abducted somewhere along the way as he carefully set Tari down on a cushioned bench.
“How did you know where to find me? How did you know what was going on?” Tari asked, briefly placing a hand to her temple as Arion stood.
She heard the hush of armor and cloth when Arion shrugged. “You don’t scare easily. I don’t think you’ve been frightened since we were bonded, and your terror was unmistakable.”
Tari removed her hand from her forehead. “What?”
Arion found a plump pillow and carefully eased it behind her head. “What is your what in reference to?”
“What do you mean about my terror? Can you smell it or something? Were you in the area?” Tari asked.
Arion frowned slightly, his eyebrows furrowing. “What do you mean, why would I need to be near you?”
Tari blinked rapidly as she strained her brain to understand what he was saying and failed. “I don’t understand how you would have known I was frightened.”
Arion hesitated. “You mean to say you aren’t aware of my… moods?”
“No. Are you aware of mine?” Tari asked with a great amount of growing dread.
“Slightly. It feels more like intuition.”
“I’m dreadfully sorry Captain Arion but it has been a long night, I am not as intelligent as I normally am, and this sounds potentially embarrassing. Can you please explain in more than a single sentence?”
Arion cracked a smile. “It’s not that I feel what you’re feeling. It’s more that I instinctively know you are feeling irritated, or tired, or, in this case, terrified, even if you are halfway across the palace. I assume it is a side effect of our Nodusigm bond. You do not have the same sensations?”
Tari tried to feel for any sensations or moods beyond her own but felt nothing but haze. “No,” she said as the elf healer entered the room. She glanced at Tari before speaking quietly to her assistant.
“What happened?” Arion asked.
“When?” Tari dumbly asked.
“In the gardens.”
“Oh. I was walking and they jumped me. I could tell they were from Calnor because of their clothes and the way they looked,” Tari said gesturing to her face. “You Calnor men tend to have bushy eyebrows. So I couldn’t hurt them. Seer Ringali is already furious. If he finds out I raised a finger against a human from Calnor I’m pretty sure he’ll hang me from my toes over the ocean for a full day,” Tari said, ending her explanation with a frown. “Everything feels really odd,” she announced. “Not so much feels as looks.”<
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“You were hit on the head?”
“Twice. I also landed on my head when they dropped me. That hurt. Can I have something to drink? The swill they served at the party was awful. You have blood on you; I hope it’s not yours?”
“No, they didn’t have a chance to injure me,” Arion said, stepping aside when the healer bent over Tari.
“Don’t lose the hair pins, please. It took Evlawyn forever to get them just right,” Tari said as the healer carefully examined Tari’s skull, ruining her styled hair.
The healer spoke to Arion. He made the sign gesture for “cannot understand,” and the wrinkles on his forehead smoothed when an elvish translator swept into the room. The translator stood in a corner with Arion, and the two spoke in hushed tones.
The healer finished going over Tari and offered her two freshly picked leaves before dabbing at the dried blood on Tari’s neck “Chew the leaves, it will dull the pain. I don’t believe you have any serious wounds, but I suspect your head is going to ache when you wake up tomorrow. It would be wise if you tell Captain Arion this. He looks distraught,” the healer said, gently wiping Tari’s neck with a clean cloth before smearing a paste that smelled of peppermint on the cut. She nodded gravely to Arion and the translator before leaving.
Tari groaned as she pushed herself up on her elbows.
“Well?” Arion said.
“She said I’m fine, what were you talking about?”
“Arrangements for your safety. I would like to post a guard outside the door of your room, but I am afraid it would break propriety,” Arion said.
Tari frowned before she pulled herself into an upright position. “I fail to see how. Although that would be a rather uncomfortable posting for the guard, it would be better to have him stationed in my sitting room. After all the next attempt may be to climb in through my window. If they do I plan to throw a chamber pot at them,” Tari said before scowling. “I get the feeling I’m talking much more than I ought to.”
“A guard in your rooms would be inappropriate,” Arion said, shaking his head.
Tari and the elf translator stared at Arion. “Why?” the translator said before remembering himself and speaking in Calnoric.
Arion cleared his throat. “Because he would be stationed inside your room.”
“So?”
Arion briefly shut his eyes. “I was always told your race was enigmatically pure and untainted, but I never imagined you would be this clueless in your chastity. Very well, for this evening the guard will be posted in your sitting room. I expect direct protection will be unnecessary tomorrow.”
The elvish translator nodded and bowed to both Arion and Tari. “I will inform Our King Celrin of the evenings’ events, good evening to you,” he said before signing “farewell” to Arion.
Tari swung her feet to the floor as the translator slipped out of the room. Before Tari could push herself into a standing position Evlawyn was there, supporting Tari’s elbow.
“Thank you Evlawyn. Ah, Evlawyn this is the honorable Captain Arion, my bond partner who apparently reads my mind.”
“Emotions.”
“Sorry, emotions. Although I’m not certain that’s much better.”
Evlawyn bobbed a quick curtsey in Arion’s direction before she went back to guarding Tari.
“I’m not going to fall Evlawyn,” Tari said, the barest tick of irritation in her voice.
“I’m not certain you’re the best judge of your reactions right now,” Arion said.
“Of course I am. Go on Evlawyn, all I want is to climb into bed, but first I must finish speaking to the Captain,” Tari decreed.
Evlawyn looked unconvinced until Arion formed the sign for “all is well.” The young elf disappeared into Tari’s bedroom without protest.
Tari frowned as she inspected herself. “Curses, I’ve ruined one of my best dresses.”
“They must have knocked your mouth loose when they jostled your head,” Arion said, unbuckling his dress chestplate before setting it on the cushioned bench Tari had recently vacated.
“Perhaps a little, but I normally talk far more than I should. You’re planning to stay for long?”
“I will be the one guarding you this evening.”
“Don’t be silly. You’ve been up all day; you can hardly stay awake all night as well.”
“It won’t be a problem,” Arion said, sliding his cape off his shoulders before rolling his shoulders in a stretch.
Tari watched for a moment. “Thank you, Captain Arion.”
Arion hesitated and Tari tilted her head. “You can tell the thought of a guard is reassuring to me, can’t you?”
Arion slowly nodded.
Tari sighed and leaned against a wall for support. “This emotion sensing is getting quite out of hand, but that was not all I was thanking you for. Thank you for coming, for rescuing me tonight. I’m afraid… I’m afraid I haven’t been fair to you, Captain.”
“Arion.”
“Pardon?”
“Please, call me Arion.”
Tari smiled. “Arion,” she said. “I owe you a great debt, perhaps my life. Thank you.”
Arion bowed solemnly at the waist. When Tari turned to leave he spoke, “I apologize as well, for I believe I have given you the wrong impression.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. I know I am not much of a conversationalist. I am usually slow to respond and I use few words, but it is not that I do not enjoy speaking to you.”
Tari placed her cheek against the archway that led to her bedroom. “Do you mind when I visit you in your workplace?”
“No, but you don’t enjoy it,” Arion said with confidence.
Tari frowned. “What?”
“You are always so formal, and I know you visit with a great deal of reservation.”
Tari’s jaw almost dropped. That was his problem? He thought she was being formal? Tari swallowed her surprise and said, “I apologize if I am formal, but in elven culture it takes time to form friendships. They must be cultivated, it takes dedication, which I thought I was showing and, and…Your quietness can be very intimidating.”
Arion nodded, taking in Tari’s words. “Although we can easily communicate that does not mean the wide gap of our cultures was bridged.”
Tari leaned heavier against the archway. “So you don’t mind if I chatter and I can bang about your office without fear of disturbing you?”
“Yes.”
Tari uneasily straightened. “This is going to be more difficult than I thought. We are, I mean.”
“It has been my experience that anything worth fighting for does not come easily.”
“But we’ve got to try,” Tari said. “We’re the first like this. Ever. We need to try. Imagine what it would mean if we really became partnered friends.”
Arion inclined his head in a slight nod.
Tari and Arion stared at each other for a few moments before Arion turned to place his chestplate on the ground. “You should probably retire, Tari. It has been a long day for you.”
“Yes. Thank you again, Arion. Good night,” Tari said before beating a hasty retreat.
This bond she shared with the captain. It wasn’t like the lovely stories or legends where they formed an instantaneous friendship. They would have to work at it, and Tari was very likely to be unintentionally insulted in the future by the quiet captain, but this was real and the stakes were high. Arion was right. Their bond was something worth fighting for.
When Tari woke it was to a storm of missives, worried officials (human and elf alike), and hot fruit bread.
“Where is Arion?” Tari asked, nibbling on a piece of warm bread. The butter had melted on top and was a perfect combination with the sweet berries in the flaky crust.
Evlawyn leaned against the buckling door of Tari’s rooms, armed with a broom. “He left at dawn, Lady Tari,” Evlawyn said before briefly opening the door and smacking whatever unfortunate official sat outside with the broom. “The Lady Tari must prepar
e herself for the day before she can receive visitors,” she shrilly announced before slamming the door shut.
Tari spread more butter on her bread with amusement. “That’s the spirit Evlawyn. Thank you for facing them for me.”
Evlawyn mewled as she leaned against the door again.
Tari stood, taking her bread with her, and ambled to the massive wardrobe her clothes were stored in. She swung it open and reflected on her clothes as she ate more bread. “More of my things arrived yesterday?”
“Yes,” Evlawyn said from the sitting room. Tari pushed aside some of her clothes as Evlawyn added. “Your practice Evening Star clothes mostly, and some more morning dresses.”
“Did they happen to send any of my Evening Star official uniforms?”
“No, I don’t believe so. Would you like me to request that they be sent?”
Tari thoughtfully fingered the silky material of her practice clothes. “Yes, please. If possible send word to Seer Ringali.”
“Your instructor? Does he have your clothes?” Evlawyn asked, bewildered.
“No, but I suspect he hasn’t sent me a scalding message because he’s coming to visit me. If he does he can bring my clothes with him.”
At the noon hour Tari stared at the door to Arion’s office. It seemed to loom and stretch above her like a dooming dragon. Tari swallowed and tried to bolster her sagging spirits. She took a breath and raised her hand to knock, but hesitated.
Arion wants me to be informal. I can do this.
Tari pushed the door open with such force it banged into the wall and bounced back. “Good Afternoon Arion,” Tari said, entering his office before she could be told to come in.
Arion was standing behind his desk, speaking to two uniformed guards. “Good afternoon, Tari. How are you feeling?” he said.
Tari elegantly slumped into one of two chairs in the room. “Like I was kicked in the head by a horse,” Tari said. “Did you get enough rest?”
Arion nodded, and Tari leaned back and closed her eyes when he returned his attention to his men.