by Anna Logan
There was obviously more to the story. How old was this girl? How was she connected to Yhkon and Grrake? Why would she go with them on a trip to Zentyre? Where was she now, and why shouldn’t the twins or Nakelsie talk about her?
Someone cleared their throat behind her. It was Haeric, standing in the doorway of the inn’s lobby, regarding them with concern. “What Kae said about the subject is all the more anyone need know, for everybody’s sake.”
They all stared at him, before awkwardly looking away as he advanced. He sat down with a forced smile. “Anyway, I’m here to inform you that unless we hear from Yhkon before then, we’ll be leaving for Calcaria the day after tomorrow. So, one more day of training with Grrake for you wards, lucky you.” He finished with a wink. Clearly wanting them to forget the mysterious, unsettling conversation about Tessa.
“Okay, great.” She managed. It was the best she could do to respond in kind. “Hey, um,” she shoved a lock of hair behind her ear. “Um, I was wondering, could I and whoever else wants to go down to the beach and get in the water, some time?”
Haeric chuckled. “If you’re crazy enough to purposely get wet at this time of year, then sure. Don’t try to swim in it, though. You might get pulled out by the current or meet up with some larger creatures.”
She shook her head. “I can’t swim anyway. Just wanted to get my feet wet.”
“Then go right on ahead.”
“Thanks.” She got up, backing up to survey everyone at the table better. “Anyone else?”
In the end, they all decided to go. She wasn’t the only one who didn’t have any previous experience with the ocean. At the beach, Naylen, Brenly, Alili, and the twins all were taking off their shoes and socks to wade in with her. Her parents remained on dry ground, as did Wylan and Nakelsie.
When her bare feet sank into the soft, cool sand, she grinned. She curled her toes, digging them deeper.
“Come on!” Kae grabbed her arm, pulling her toward the water. Talea took Alili’s hand and followed. They ran to the wet sand and into the water. It was cold against her ankles at first, but before long she didn’t even notice it. Her feet sinking into the muddy sand, she waded in deeper, giggling with her friend and Alili, who she’d decided could officially be called her adopted little sister.
Alili stopped. Bending over, she submerged almost her whole arm into the water, pulling it back out dripping wet. She opened her hand so Talea could see the shell in her palm.
She’d only ever seen a seashell once in her life. A man had come to the village once when she was a child. He’d had a wagon full of toys, books, household items, general trinkets; all for sale. Seles had told her he was called a peddler. But a laborer’s village wasn’t a good place for a peddler; either the villagers had no money to buy his merchandise, or the lord would have him chased off. In the case of the man with the seashells when he visited Vissler, it had been both.
After that, all three of them set to work collecting the prettiest shells. Brenly joined them. Several minutes in, Talea was lost in the simple joy of finding the different shells…so much so that she didn’t realize they had been joined by the Wardens until Tarol threw her over his shoulder, carried her deep enough in that it was up to his chest, and threw her in, laughing all the while at her protests.
She came up sputtering, laughing, and chiding him all at the same time. Just as she got her footing and noticed that there was a sly glint in his eyes, a wave knocked her back under. When she came back up, he was chuckling merrily at her. A grin stretched her cheeks. “Everyone, get Tarol!”
Tarol had a brief moment to realize his doom before Talea, Kae, and Haeric all tackled him. Only when he had been thoroughly dunked did they relent, with victorious cheers.
Her gaze fell on where Grrake was sitting with Wylan and Nakelsie, on shore. What fun is that?! She wondered if Yhkon would be on land or in the water, if he were present. If he were on land, she’d get him in the water, because dunking him sounded like an irresistible opportunity. She couldn’t help wishing that he was there with them.
Talea plowed her way toward the beach, almost being smacked down by another wave. Once out of the water, she jogged to where Grrake, Wylan and Nakelsie were. “Why aren’t you guys in the water? You missed out on dunking Tarol.”
Nakelsie was rubbing grains of sand between her fingertips, a nostalgic smile on her lips. “Well, it’s not Wylan’s and my first time at the ocean. We lived in a trade port town.”
Talea punched Wylan’s arm playfully. “You never told me that, Sir Secrecy.” Oh, oops. Not sure I’m supposed to call him that out loud.
The coltish, contented glint in his eyes made her grin wider. “Was I required to tell you everything, Madam Meddlesome?”
There was a happy twinge of warmth in her chest. She couldn’t help wondering with pleasure if he’d been inwardly calling her that as long as she’d been inwardly calling him Sir Secrecy. Though why it would please her that he would call her “Madam Meddlesome,” she didn’t know. “Obviously. Now. Grrake, what’s your excuse?”
Before that, he’d had on one of his usual tranquil, kind expressions. At her address, his features scrunched into the type of grimace Naylen used to make at vegetables when they were younger. “I don’t like cold water.”
Nakelsie snorted on a laugh. “Isn’t that the truth.” When both Wylan and Talea looked at her curiously, she explained. “I brought him and Yhkon water once while they were training. But they were quarreling about something and kept ignoring me, so I splashed it on them. Grrake squealed like a girl.”
Scowling—something she’d never seen him do—Grrake hugged his arms to his torso. “That water was frigid. More like ice than anything.”
“Mm-hmm,” Nakelsie was snickering at him. Talea gave him an expectant look.
With a roll of his eyes, he exhaled forcefully. “Fine. Fine. Drag an old man into freezing water and watch him die of hypothermia.”
“By the sound of it,” Nakelsie got up, brushing sand off her pants. Talea had yet to see her wear a dress. “We won’t be dragging an old man in, so much as a baby.”
With an inarticulate growl and a playful sparkle in his eyes, Grrake pounced as if to tackle her. She dodged with impressive agility, sprinting into the water, where she gave him a taunting smile. Muttering, he bent down to take off his boots and roll up his pant legs, before reluctantly advancing into the water. Talea and Wylan followed.
Grrake seemed to forget his errand of catching Nakelsie as he stepped in, cringing and looking at the water as if it had betrayed him. Talea had a feeling Nakelsie and Wylan were scheming the same thing as her. Sure enough, they all went about discreetly luring him in deeper, just a little deeper…before tripping his feet out from under him.
And sure enough, he yelped. It wasn’t quite squealing like a girl, but it was close enough that Talea’s stomach was beginning to feel sore from laughter. His grouchy expression and stuttered threat that they’d pay for it at tomorrow’s training session, only made it better.
~♦~
Go to sleep.
Talea sighed, rolling over in the plush bed. Easier said than done, apparently. Alili, beside her, had fallen asleep nearly upon hitting the pillow. But sleep was evading her.
Which didn’t make sense. She ought to have been tired, after all the training, and frolicking about in the ocean for an hour. But no, there she lay, unable to keep her eyes closed.
There wasn’t even as much to think about as there used to be, back when she’d lie awake during their travels. Well, there was still the matter of being one of eight destined to save the San Quawr and lead a war. That little joy. There wasn’t any need to contemplate whether the Wardens were “good,” though. Nor whether what they said was true. Or worry about her father.
Still, she supposed there was quite a bit to work with. How about the fact that they were probably headed to the Shadow Region, of all places, the day after tomorrow? Unless it was past midnight, which it probably was…in that
case, tomorrow. Or how about Yhkon. One could always find something to think about when it came to the mysterious lead Warden. Especially with the added topic of this Tessa person.
If Grrake really was going to get back at them in training for dunking him, come morning, then she’d regret not getting any sleep. Yet she was getting up anyway. Putting on her pants, shirt, and boots, tiptoeing out of the room and out of the inn.
It was a clear, brisk night. The sky inky black, peppered with twinkling stars. Kameon’s two moons shining opposite of each other, as if competing. As usual, Lunmar was winning—poor Jesko was just too small to compete with the light of a moon twice its size.
The town was quiet. In a way, it always was. It reminded her somewhat of Vissler—peaceful, simple. Except, there was no lord ruling over the people here, nor did they toil away endlessly for meager pay, without any chance of achieving better.
She wandered on, without a specific direction or destination in mind. During her free time over the last few days, she’d explored the entirety of Jalkiva with her family and friends. There wasn’t anything new to see. It was cold enough to make her shiver. But she meandered on, enjoying the serenity of it all. The silence and calm of a town at rest.
The flutter of wings drew her attention upwards, back to the sky. Two white forms flew overhead, descending toward the nearby beach. It must have been Yhkon, with some companion. She took off at a jog in the direction the lareers had gone.
When she arrived, the lareers had landed and multiple figures were climbing off of each. Yhkon and four companions? Clasping and unclasping her chilled hands, she watched unnoticed, looking for clues as to identity. One of the individuals was Yhkon’s height and size. He wore a hood and mask that made it impossible to see his face or hair. But the way he moved was familiar. “Yhkon?”
He stopped, in the middle of unloading some gear from the lareer’s back. All five of the figures were now facing her. The one she thought to be Yhkon approached, pulling down his hood and mask. It was him. “Hey,” he stopped in front of her. “What are you doing up so late?”
She smiled at him. “I just couldn’t sleep, then I saw you guys fly by. Who, um…who are…”
He must have understood the question she was unable to phrase properly, because he led her forward toward the four men. Their stature made it obvious enough that they were male, even if they, too, wore the hoods and masks. One of them towered over even Yhkon, with the broadest shoulders and biggest arms she’d ever seen. “Talea, these are the other Wardens.”
Of course. Hoods. Masks. Should have thought of that. “Oh. Um, hi.” Oh my word. Was that the best you could do?
They took down their hoods and masks. The giant of a man stepped forward, making her want to step backward as he loomed over her. He extended his hand, which she took. It entirely engulfed hers, huge and calloused. He had the same chocolate-colored skin as Alili, which she could only guess meant they were Canadise. “I’m Larak, Silquije Shive.” His voice suited his size perfectly: deep and baritone.
The next man stepped forward, taking his place. He was younger than Larak but older than Yhkon, perhaps late twenties. Handsome features, a confident grin, and a glint in his eyes that she could only describe as brash. “I’m Reshga, you can call me Resh. Silquije Xen. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Talea.”
“You, too,” she murmured, unsure how to respond.
The third to step forward was not what she was expecting. He was probably around Yhkon’s age, with obvious Irlaish heritage, but he could have passed for younger with his boyish appearance and happy eyes. The smile he gave her was friendly, kind, and a little sheepish. “I’m Ahjul. I’m glad to meet you. Oh, and uh, Silquije Hyrru.”
She smiled back at him. It was impossible not to. “Glad to meet you, too.”
The final Warden looked to be in his thirties and had the golden-tan complexion and sandy hair of the Sanonyans, like Yhkon and Grrake. The lightly colored, intense eyes, too. Everything about him was intense. It came as no surprise that he would be an elite warrior. “I’m Gustor, Silquije Lavess.”
Talea swallowed. Say something. “You two look like you ought to be brothers or cousins or something,” she told Yhkon and Gustor. Maybe all Sanonyans looked alike, because Grrake had similar features to them, too.
Resh chuckled. “That’s the way with Sanonyans. They all look the same.”
Gustor shrugged. “Maybe we think that all Irlaish or all Zentyrens look alike.”
“In any case,” Yhkon shook his head, “we’re still not related. Now, let’s get these lareers unloaded and get to bed.” His tone was clipped. Something had him angry, she could tell. She could also tell he hadn’t had much sleep.
Talea helped as best she could with the task, but mostly she got the feeling she was in the way. The Wardens worked efficiently and quickly. They certainly didn’t need her assistance.
As they were unloading the equipment into a shed outside the inn, Talea found an opportunity to quietly speak to Yhkon when he was a little way off from the others. “So what are they doing here? I mean, I didn’t realize they were coming.”
He yanked the harness of one of the lareers with more force than necessary. “Kaydor has instigated the Eradication in Zentyre. We have to go and get the other four wards now before he does.”
What? There was an empty feeling in her gut, that wasn’t hunger. “You mean…”
Yhkon faced her with a frown that was etched deep into his expression, as if he’d been wearing it for days and it had become permanent. “You, Wylan, and the twins will be coming, too. We’ll leave as soon as possible.”
~♦~
“I don’t feel right about it.” Brenly shook her head, turquoise eyes soft with worry. “I feel like we should be coming with you.”
Talea shook her head against the pillow. “Yhkon already said no.”
Brenly turned over, now lying on her back. “I know. And I understand why. And I guess I even agree with him. I’m just…worried about you.”
She raked a hand through her hair. Alili was snuggled close against her. Talea had been worried the little girl would take the news hard, that she wouldn’t handle Talea departing very well. So far, though, she seemed to understand. She seemed to know that there was no way around it. And, she seemed content to remain with her newly found parents. “I’ll be okay. It’s not as if I’m on my own in a group of strangers. I trust them.”
“I do, too,” Brenly sighed. “But I’ll miss you.”
That couldn’t be reasoned away. “I’ll miss you, too,” she whispered. Ever since she was eight years old, ever since the lightning had first come, Brenly had been with her. Brenly had been her best friend, the big sister she’d never had, her companion and confidant. They’d never been apart for more than a week in all that time.
And what about her parents? Naylen? Alili? She was leaving them all behind. They would go to Calcaria and dwell there, safely, while she ventured into Zentyre to gather the other wards. Zentyre, her home, but also a hostile land that no longer wanted her, because she was San Quawr. She was one of thousands that Kaydor sought to Eradicate.
Naylen wanted to come with her. He’d argued with Yhkon about it, too, until eventually the Warden had lost patience and bluntly told him that though Naylen wasn’t helpless, he would be a liability in a battle. He could handle a bow, but not a sword. Neither could the wards, of course, but they could summon lightning to their fingertips at any second. That made a world of difference.
She knew her brother was upset. She knew her parents were upset. They didn’t want their daughter flying off with eight men and a few teenagers to spend weeks or months in a dangerous region, going against the law all the while, making themselves a target. To them, she wasn’t someone with an incredible ability that was perhaps more powerful than the most skilled swordsman. To them, she was their daughter, first and foremost.
It was strange. For as much as she was frightened by the prospect herself, for as much as she hate
d to leave her family and security behind for unknown and peril…she wanted to go. She wanted to be what the Wardens claimed she was: capable, essential, someone more than a laborer.
I can do this. I’m ready for it.
Talea planted a kiss on top of Alili’s head before getting out of the bed. Brenly had slipped into their room half an hour ago and climbed in with them, but now she got up, too. “I guess you’d best get ready,” she said quietly.
“Yeah.” She tugged at a tangle in her hair. “Who knows when I’ll get another real bath, so best start there.”
It was her intention to rush through the process of getting ready, lest she be late and hold the others up. But she kept drifting into her thoughts, thinking about what lay ahead of her, forgetting about such simple things as washing her hair or getting her shirt buttoned. When she returned to the room bathed and dressed, Brenly and Alili helped her pack her things. There wasn’t much to be packed: extra pairs of pants and shirts—at least this time, she could travel in comfortable clothing—and a couple dresses for when she might need to go into civilization and blend in. A few other basic items.
That was it. There was nothing left to keep her from going downstairs.
So she did, her pack over her shoulder and Brenly and Alili on her heels. The Wardens were, as usual, already downstairs and ready to go. So was Wylan. Her parents were downstairs, too, and Nakelsie. Seles took both of her hands as she neared, tears in her eyes.
Naylen and the twins joined them before long. They all ate a delicious breakfast that was hard to enjoy. Yhkon left the inn, and they all followed.
There were four lareers, each with a saddle that seated three on its back. While the Wardens began securing the gear, the rest of them were left to make their goodbyes.
Loestin’s hand gripped her upper arm, almost as if he intended to forcefully restrain her. “I still think this is a bad idea.”
“Dad.” She looked at him, imploring. Try to understand. “I have to do this. You know that.”