The Obsidian Palace (Through the Fire Book 3)

by Benjamin Medrano

  “Yeah, we can’t stand out here all day,” Tadrick agreed, then smiled at Ruethwyn. “See you in a bit.”

  “Alright. Have fun, you three. Maybe I’ll give it a try tomorrow, assuming I don’t wake up a few hours before dawn again,” Ruethwyn agreed, looking around. There was a bench across from the bathhouse, so she supposed she wasn’t the only one to wait while others bathed.

  As they went inside, she plopped down and started to think. The nature of shadows and darkness was oddly alien, but she was figuring out a few elements of their nature.

  It was strange to Ruethwyn that no one approached her as she sat this time. One of the children she’d seen the day before had started toward her, but the young girl had been gently redirected to the bathhouse by an elven woman with dark hair and a ready smile. It was interesting, considering how she’d been swarmed in Tyrness, and somewhat relieving.

  A few kitsune came out as she idly kept an eye out for her friends, but she expected it’d take them a while to finish up. Even so, she was jarred out of her thoughts after maybe half an hour as she saw Rithara step out of the bathhouse, adjusting the way her robe hung. Cerid wasn’t far behind her, but the sight of them took Ruethwyn off guard.

  “Ah, Ruethwyn. I saw the others inside, but I thought you were just running behind or the like,” Rithara said, smiling warmly as she approached. “Are you not bathing?”

  “No, I have a spell for bathing, and wasn’t aware there was a bathhouse when I woke early, so I used that,” Ruethwyn explained, smiling in return as she stood respectfully. “I’ll likely visit tomorrow, but I didn’t see the need to take a second bath under the circumstances.”

  “I see. Well, it explains why you weren’t there,” Rithara said, smiling gently.

  Cerid laughed and smiled as he added. “Also, we have some good news for you, too. The council met last night, and we see no reason to object to you visiting the ancestors, as long as you have an escort. Not that the ancestors need protection from you, as they’re more than capable of defending themselves, but because it’s best for us to have a clear idea of what’s going on, and to prevent you from making any missteps.”

  “That’s good to hear,” Ruethwyn said, giving a slight bow of her head. “I greatly appreciate the opportunity, and I have no objections to an escort.”

  “I didn’t think you’d mind,” Rithara said, smiling. “As for those who’ll accompany you, we’re planning on me and Sir Pendas. The council wants someone who doesn’t really know you present, to give an unbiased report.”

  “Ah, well, that means I get to meet someone new, doesn’t it?” Ruethwyn replied, grinning as she added, “And I assume he has a knighthood, since you called him by a title.”

  “True!” Cerid agreed, laughing. “I think he’ll like you, honestly. Most of our clan is easy to get along with. Not all, by any stretch of the imagination, but most of us.”

  “I’ve noticed so far. May I ask when you were planning on the meeting?” Ruethwyn asked, growing a little more nervous about the idea, despite herself.

  “Likely a bit after lunch. We can meet them, then come back and have the feast this evening, and introduce the group of you to the clan as a whole. Plenty of people are curious to meet you, after all,” Cerid said, smiling slyly as he added, “Some of them want to get to know you even better than that. You did help rescue Rithara, after all.”

  “Um, I think my life is a bit complicated at the moment,” Ruethwyn replied, flushing at his tone.

  “What does that have to do with enjoying yourself?” Cerid asked skeptically, his grin far too broad for her taste.

  Rithara coughed softly and spoke firmly. “Cerid? Behave yourself. Ruethwyn is not kitsune, remember? She hasn’t adapted to the peculiarities of our clan.”

  “Err, you have that right,” Ruethwyn admitted, shaking her head and relaxing as Cerid laughed and almost visibly backed off. “In fact, I met Jael this morning. It was an… interesting experience.”

  “Jael? My, you must have been up early. What did you think of them?” Cerid asked, his eyebrows rising.

  “Jael was… odd. Forward, yet interesting despite that. I don’t really know what to think of… them,” Ruethwyn spoke slowly, thinking things through. “It was also interesting that I felt a sort of kinship with them, as there were a couple of similarities in how we thought about things. Not major ones, but… Jael was interesting.”

  “That is a good way to describe Jael. I expect you’d have a few difficulties in picking them out normally, since you don’t have our sense of smell, but Jael is unusual even for a kitsune,” Rithara said, looking amused. “The vast majority of us can’t shapeshift as easily as they can. It’s an impressive gift.”

  “I can believe that. I’ve seen some people shapeshift before, but never so fluidly,” Ruethwyn agreed, nodding slightly. “I can’t imagine being able to do it, myself.”

  “If your request is granted, you’re going to be able to imagine it, and possibly a bit more than that,” Cerid said, then glanced at Rithara. “Either way, shall we go? We ought to finish preparing for the day.”

  “Of course,” Rithara agreed, looking at Ruethwyn once more as she added, “I’ll see you later, Ruethwyn. I expect your friends won’t take too much longer to get out, though I could be mistaken.”

  “Thank you, both of you,” Ruethwyn replied, nodding her head respectfully. “I’m sure they will, and I’ll see you later.”

  Ruethwyn sat back down as Korima’s parents continued on their way, watching them go with their tails swishing back and forth slowly. The two looked so happy together that it was touching, and a bit depressing as well. It took a while for Ruethwyn’s thoughts to settle down as she thought about things, sighing heavily. She missed her parents, even if they hadn’t been quite as… obvious in their feelings as Cerid and Rithara were.

  Just as she was getting her thoughts back in order, Ruethwyn noticed her friends exiting the bathhouse. She stood and started to greet them, but then she saw how quickly Sella and Tadrick were walking, and the expressions on their faces.

  Sella and Tadrick were both flushed, which she could understand after having bathed, but the color was much more pronounced than she’d have expected. In fact, both looked quite embarrassed, and the look of sheer entertainment on Korima’s face didn’t help in the slightest.

  “Ah, did something happen?” Ruethwyn asked, tilting her head in confusion. “You two look… unsettled.”

  “They’re public baths,” Sella said tersely, sounding flustered.

  “Yes… I rather knew that, seeing as at least a dozen locals have entered since you did,” Ruethwyn agreed, nodding slowly. “What does that have to do with it?”

  “You don’t understand, Rue. They’re mixed baths,” Tadrick said, flushing even brighter red. “Everyone is using a single, huge pool.”

  “That’s not true! There are a couple of smaller pools as well!” Korima protested, but she giggled an instant later.

  “They’re all in the same room!” Sella retorted, and Ruethwyn blinked, then flushed slightly.

  “Ah, I see. So you were expecting to be separated out by gender, and instead you walked into a room where everyone was in the same room,” Ruethwyn said, suddenly thankful that she hadn’t joined them. That would have been an enormous shock for her.

  “And they were all staring!” Sella exclaimed, blushing furiously.

  “That’s just because you were so incredibly embarrassed,” Korima said, her grin growing even broader. “They wouldn’t have found you nearly as interesting otherwise.”

  “Besides, having met Jael this morning, there’s really no reason for kitsune to be concerned about separating people. When all of them can change to either gender, what’s the point?” Ruethwyn asked, then hesitated before adding, “That said, I’m not sure I’m willing to use the baths tomorrow. That sounds like it’d be uncomfortable for me.”

  “Oh, no you don’t!” Sella said, her tone suddenly sharp. “If I have to go i
n there, you get to suffer through it with me. With all of us.”

  Korima grinned, and Ruethwyn sighed, raising her eyebrows. “Really? Well, we’ll have to see what happens. In the meantime, let’s get back to the house to dress, hm? I talked to Rithara, and I might have a meeting after noon.”

  “Sure, let’s go. I’d like to hide indoors,” Tadrick said, and he quickly headed down the path, leaving them behind as Ruethwyn’s eyebrows rose further.

  As he left, Ruethwyn saw a younger kitsune leave the baths, her hair a dark brown and with a pretty face. Her lips curved into a smile as she looked after Tadrick, and Ruethwyn considered for a moment. Then she turned to Korima.

  “What has Tadrick so embarrassed?” Ruethwyn asked. “I don’t know that I’ve ever seen him that out of sorts.”

  Korima giggled, and even Sella smiled at that. A moment later, the kitsune explained with a snicker. “Oh, that’s simple to answer. See, Mother was there, along with a lot of other attractive women. Let’s just say that a guy paying a little too much attention is far more obvious than a woman.”

  Ruethwyn blinked, then flushed and shook her head. “Ah, I see. I suppose he would find that embarrassing. Let’s catch up, shall we?”

  “Sure! Maybe we can tease him some more, too,” Korima said, chasing after him.

  Ruethwyn laughed and followed after her, with Sella by her side. A few moments later, she blinked as Sella calmly slipped her arm through the crook of Ruethwyn’s.

  Chapter 20

  “What do you mean, I can’t come with?” Korima demanded, looking outraged as she glared at her mother. Rithara just looked at her calmly in return, a slight smile playing over her lips.

  “I mean that you can’t come with us, Korima. Only three of us are visiting the ancestors, myself, Sir Pendas, and Ruethwyn. If you really want to visit them, you can do so after we’re done,” Rithara replied, setting the last of the dishes in the drying rack and wiping off her hands with a towel.

  “But why?” Korima asked, and Ruethwyn suppressed the urge to giggle at the frustration in the kitsune’s voice, carefully drying a plate with the rag she was holding. “I want to hear what’s said!”

  “I’m afraid that you tend to interrupt and make conversations much more complex, dear. As we don’t wish for the conversation to be any more difficult than it has to be, you aren’t allowed to come with,” Cerid said, shaking his head. “In fact, the decision was that the fewer people who were involved, the better.”

  Tadrick snickered in amusement, grinning as he spoke up. “You know, they do have a point, Korima. You tend to cause conversations to go sideways and offtrack.”

  “So does Rue!” Korima protested, looking at Ruethwyn.

  “Yes, but she’s still more focused than you are,” Sella retorted.

  “I don’t think the decision is up for debate, Korima. You’re just going to have to ask me about it later… or better yet, get a report from your mother,” Ruethwyn said, drying another dish with the rag and handing it to Cerid, who put it away. Cerid and Rithara had protested slightly at her offer to help but hadn’t put up much of a fight when she insisted. As nice as they’d been, she didn’t feel like it was right to not even help with cleaning up after the meal.

  “That’s right. Sir Pendas agreed, so it’s settled. The ancestors have already been informed, so if you want to argue with anyone, you’re going to have to take it up with them,” Rithara said, giving her daughter a level look. “This isn’t an argument you’re going to win, dear.”

  “Well, phooey. This isn’t any fun,” Korima said crossly, folding her arms as her ears flattened slightly.

  “I’m sure it won’t take too long, one way or another,” Ruethwyn said, then paused and looked at the two adults, asking. “Will it?”

  “It shouldn’t. The ancestors aren’t the types to take their time coming to decisions, though they do consider carefully first,” Cerid said, sitting down and looking thoughtful. “Your request is going to be unusual enough to give them pause, but they have a lot more experience than we do.”

  “Alright,” Ruethwyn said, relaxing a little. “I’d best expect a lot of questions, then.”

  “That’s probably a good idea, Rue,” Tadrick agreed.

  “I still don’t like it,” Korima said, obviously disgruntled. “I’ll cooperate, but I’ll have you know that I’m not happy about it.”

  “You’ve made your point known, dear,” Rithara replied, obviously unfazed. “Thank you for helping dry the dishes, Ruethwyn. Shall we go outside? I expect Sir Pendas to arrive any minute.”

  “Sure,” Ruethwyn agreed, and looked at the others, smiling and shrugging. “Sorry, these meetings keep seeming to be ones I can’t have you around for.”

  “It’s fine, Rue. Korima might sulk, but I understand,” Sella said.

  “That was uncalled for,” Korima said, her ears still almost flat as she sulked.

  “Still true,” Tadrick said, looking amused. “Good luck, Rue, I’ll probably explore a bit while you’re gone. The town is interesting, and I want to see more of it.”

  “Alright, just don’t cause any trouble, hm?” Ruethwyn said, smiling in return.

  “I think you’re the one who needs to worry about that,” Tadrick told her, but Ruethwyn just laughed and shook her head. Then she looked at Rithara and spoke simply. “I’m ready whenever you are.”

  “Then let’s go,” Rithara said, leaning down to give Cerid a gentle kiss, then she headed for the front of the house.

  “Have fun!” Cerid called out. “I’ll ask you about the details later.”

  Ruethwyn followed Rithara outside, and blinked as the kitsune stretched, looking up at the sky, which was studded with a few clouds. Rithara stopped in the street to look around, then shrugged. “Well, it looks like he’s not here yet, so we’ll have to wait.”

  “As you say,” Ruethwyn replied, nodding as she looked around the peaceful town.

  For a minute, they were silent, then Rithara looked at Ruethwyn, almost as if weighing her words before she spoke. “Korima likes you, Ruethwyn. I’m not sure if she’s told you that.”

  “She did. She kissed me when I was in bed after the incident over midwinter, then we had a much more… forthright conversation about it a week later, and a little around the time we left the academy,” Ruethwyn replied, flushing and looking away. “I still have a hard time with the idea, honestly.”

  “It’s good that she told you, but why do you have a hard time with it?” Rithara asked, looking at Ruethwyn curiously, but smiling gently as she did. “I’m not going to try to push you together, mind, I’m just curious.”

  “I’m just… trying to finish my quest before doing anything else. If I rescue the other villagers, I think I’ll be in a place where I can think about it. I mentioned it to Jael last night, but with Korima and Sella…” Ruethwyn let her voice trail off for a moment. Eventually she spoke a bit more plaintively. “I’ve never been pursued before! I don’t know how to react, and I can’t make sense of my feelings! If anything, I’m surprised that I haven’t run away and hidden from them.”

  Rithara surprised Ruethwyn by laughing, and the woman smiled more warmly. “Ah, I see. That would be a problem, wouldn’t it? Well, it does tell me that you aren’t maliciously leading her on. I’m content to see how things come out, and her story of what you’ve been through so far is intriguing.”

  Ruethwyn’s eyes widened, and she quickly asked, “You aren’t planning to actually turn it into a ballad or play, are you? Korima has been planning on it, but I was hoping it wouldn’t go anywhere.”

  “No matter who you are, unless no one else knows about it, doing something impressive will spawn stories, Ruethwyn,” Rithara said kindly. “I know for a fact that a few stories about your stand against the fire demons in the portal have gone around. Not necessarily accurate stories, but stories nonetheless. I’m not going to promise that we won’t perform something about you. I’m also not going to promise that we are.”
r />   “I guess that’s true,” Ruethwyn said, wincing at the idea of stories going around about her.

  A kitsune came around the corner at a jog, drawing Ruethwyn’s gaze, and her eyebrows rose at the sight of the red-haired man. His ears were slightly larger than most of the other kitsune she’d seen, and he was lean and muscular as most of their men tended to be. He also had a large, double-headed axe slung behind him, and he was wearing reinforced leather armor that jingled with each step. The man slowed as he saw them, smiling wryly.

  “Drat, it looks like I’m a bit late,” the man said, nodding respectfully to Rithara and Ruethwyn. “My apologies, Rithara, I thought I was keeping track of time better. I presume this must be Ruethwyn?”

  “It’s fine, Sir Pendas. There wasn’t a specific time when we’d be done with lunch,” Rithara said, nodding to the man. “Ruethwyn, this is Sir Pendas. Sir Pendas, Ruethwyn Sylaris.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sir Pendas,” Ruethwyn said, taking a moment to curtsey. As she did so, she saw the man’s gaze shift for a moment.

  His amber gaze was sharp, penetrating, and not entirely trusting, she thought. It only lasted for an instant, though, and he nodded to her as he stood straight, almost at attention as he spoke. “Greetings, Miss Sylaris. Thank you for your assistance in rescuing Rithara this past fall, her loss would have been a true tragedy.”

  “Korima is a friend of mine, and I could count on one hand the number of people before her who’d completely ignored my injuries when they spoke to me. It was my pleasure to do so,” Ruethwyn replied simply, growing nervous again.

  “Shall we go? I know you’re not entirely comfortable with this, Sir Pendas, but that’s why you’re coming with. The ancestors will be able to make a decision on their own,” Rithara said mildly, as if talking about the weather.

  “Certainly,” Sir Pendas replied, his expression flickering slightly. “Come along, Miss Sylaris.”

  “Very well,” Ruethwyn agreed, wondering why he wasn’t happy with what they were doing. She didn’t say anything, though, instead following as they started down the street, heading east toward what looked like a slightly older section of the forest surrounding the enclave, and one that was closer. After a minute, she asked, “Is there anything I should know before we get there? Korima only talked vaguely about the elders and your ancestors.”