“Oh…” He pretended to think, then flashed her a smile. “I suppose it can wait.”
“In that case—” She stopped and stared over his shoulder. “Lancer Tal!” Stiffening, she thumped her fists to her chest and bowed her head.
Gehrain turned to face the figure in the doorway. “Lancer,” he said more calmly. To Vellmar’s surprise, he did not offer a salute.
“Gehrain.” The Lancer’s gaze flicked to Vellmar. “Welcome to Blacksun, Lead Guard. And congratulations on your promotion.” She made no move to cross the threshold, and Vellmar’s initial excitement faded as she saw the tension in her bearing. Not only that, but—what in the name of the Goddess was she wearing? That shirt looked like it had eight holes in it.
“I’ll get changed,” Gehrain said.
Lancer Tal nodded as he walked to the door. “My apologies, Vellmar,” she said. “I forgot Gehrain doesn’t live here anymore. And for future reference, I don’t require salutes in the living quarters. This is your home, and you’re off duty. We’ll leave you to get unpacked and relax. I’ll see you tomorrow at the oath ceremony.”
“Wait,” Vellmar said before she had a chance to second-guess herself. “Are you on some sort of training mission?” She gestured toward the ragged shirt.
To her embarrassment, both of them looked amused.
“That’s her running outfit,” Gehrain said. “Colonel Micah and I have tried to convince her to wear something a little more dignified, but she refuses.”
“I wear dignified clothes all day long. When I run, I want comfort.” Lancer Tal gave Vellmar a mock glare. “So don’t even think about trying to pick up where Gehrain is now leaving off.”
“I won’t,” said Vellmar, who found even that mock glare intimidating. “But may I accompany you tonight instead of Gehrain? I’ve spent the day in transit; I’d love the chance to stretch out my legs.”
Gehrain gave her a surprised, grateful look, while the Lancer’s expression was much harder to read. She nodded once. “Get changed. But be warned that I’m not in the best of moods.”
“Yes, my Lancer.” Vellmar picked up her bag and hustled into the bedroom, leaving her enigmatic new oath holder at her door. Realizing her lapse, she poked her head back out and saw Gehrain and the Lancer in quiet discussion. “Please, Lancer Tal, come inside. I’ll just be two ticks.” She swore softly to herself as she pulled off her tunic and threw it onto the bed. Leaving the Lancer outside…great way to make a first impression.
But she’d already made a good first impression, she reminded herself while digging out her workout clothes. That was what got her here. Now she just had to make a second one.
She was back out the door in the promised two ticks, though there hadn’t been enough time to pull on her running shoes. Gehrain was gone, and Lancer Tal was leaning against the now-closed front door, arms crossed over her chest.
“Slow down,” she said. “You’ll end up with your shoes on the wrong feet.”
“Yes, my Lancer.” Vellmar sat on the nearest chair to put on her shoes.
“And stop with the ‘my Lancer.’ Just Lancer is fine.”
Vellmar nodded as she focused on her shoe straps. “Yes, my—I mean, Lancer.” She flushed with embarrassment, though she fronted it instantly. “I’m ready,” she announced a few moments later, standing up and bouncing a little in place.
Lancer Tal watched with a half-smile. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For making me feel better already. Let’s go.” She hit the palm pad and walked out into the corridor with Vellmar one step behind her. They strode through the unfamiliar halls of the State House in silence, eventually emerging from a side door into the cool night air. The rain had diminished to a mist, for which Vellmar was grateful. She wasn’t used to the constant autumn rains of Blacksun Basin. Koneza was much drier.
The Lancer didn’t even wait for the door to finish closing before breaking into a jog, heading down a path toward the center of the park. Vellmar was momentarily surprised, but caught up quickly with her longer stride.
“Lancer Tal, we’re staying on the State House grounds, correct?”
“Yes. Don’t worry, I learned my lesson quite some time ago about leaving secure areas without a proper escort.”
Vellmar sensed a story there, but she didn’t know the Lancer nearly well enough to ask. Instead, she concentrated on taking in her surroundings in as much detail as possible. Her mothers were both warriors and had taught her from childhood to use all of her senses. So she watched, listened, took in the scents, and felt the air currents as they swirled through the fine mist. The sooner she established a familiarity with what was normal for this environment, the sooner she would be able to do her duty properly.
They passed a fountain splashing quietly in a small clearing, then turned into a path overhung by tall trees spaced at regular intervals. The tiny droplets of moisture gathered at the tips of the leaves, grew too fat to hold themselves up any longer, and fell to the ground with a heavy splat. With the constant sound of falling drops, Vellmar kept expecting to feel rain on her face and was slightly discomfited when nothing touched her skin but mist.
Perhaps Fahla heard her. An enormous drop splatted on her head as they passed beneath a tree, and she smiled at the absurdity of it. The clouds weren’t raining; the trees were.
She breathed deeply, reveling in the multilayered scents that were so different from the high, dry plains of Koneza. Here she could smell decaying wood and leaves, freshly cut grass, loamy soil that had been recently raked, and all manner of trees and plants that she didn’t know yet. But she would learn them.
After half a length, they joined another path near the encircling wall and picked up speed. Lancer Tal might be short, but she moved quickly. Vellmar had to extend her stride to match her.
A length later, the Lancer was running in a flat sprint and Vellmar’s long legs were no longer helping. She was up to her aerobic limit and desperately hoping that this was as fast as they would go, because she had no more speed left in her.
After nearly half a hantick of nothing but hard breathing, she had figured out a few things. One, Lancer Tal used running as a stress release. Two, something had her very stressed tonight. Three, there was clearly not going to be any need for awkward conversation, which was a great relief given that Vellmar could barely get enough air as it was. And four, a circuit of the State House grounds was about two lengths. They were now on their fifth circuit, and she silently pleaded for it to be the last one. She wasn’t used to running full speed for such a distance, and it would be embarrassing beyond belief to drop out. She would rather die. Then again, at this rate, death might be a real possibility.
As if in answer to her prayers, the Lancer slowed from her all-out run to a more relaxed jog. Vellmar tried not to whimper in relief, but her lungs were planning to hold a celebratory dance as soon as they recovered.
They had gone halfway around their fifth circuit when Lancer Tal finally spoke.
“Are your legs stretched out yet?”
“Shek, yes,” Vellmar blurted before she could stop herself.
The Lancer laughed so hard that she had to stop and put her hands on her knees. “Oh, Fahla,” she gasped, and laughed again. “I needed that. Thank you. I’d apologize for doing that to you, but damn, it was worth it. I feel so much better.”
“I’m glad I could help,” Vellmar said dazedly.
“Oh, you did.” Lancer Tal straightened and began a cool-down walk, still smiling.
Feeling emboldened by what was so far turning out to be an extraordinary first day, Vellmar said, “If you want to talk about what’s bothering you, I’m a good listener. And I don’t know anyone here, so I can’t make any judgments.”
Lancer Tal gave her a keen glance, then looked forward again.
/> When a full tick of silence passed, Vellmar knew she had put a foot wrong. She wanted to apologize, but thought it might make her sound even more stupid than she already did.
“Tell me something,” Lancer Tal said unexpectedly. “If you wanted to find someone who couldn’t be found, how would you go about it?”
This had to be about Herot Opah. Everyone on the planet knew that the Alsean Investigative Force was looking for him as the accomplice in the assassination attempt. And they had the best investigators on Alsea at their disposal, so if they couldn’t find Opah, he was well and truly hidden. How in the name of the Goddess was a newly promoted Lead Guard supposed to come up with a different angle than the AIF?
A breeze blew Vellmar’s hair off her face, and she absently noted that the wind had backed around. Then she remembered her parents’ training.
“I’d find out how everyone else had looked and then look a different way,” she said. “Sometimes it’s not where you look, but how.”
Lancer Tal came to an abrupt halt, staring straight ahead. “Great Mother. I wonder if that would work?”
Vellmar kept quiet, watching while the Lancer gazed at nothing. The mist thickened and turned to rain, spattering off their uncovered heads and beginning to soak through their shirts, and still they stood there.
At last Lancer Tal turned her head. “Vellmar, I require your services.”
“I’m at your disposal.”
“Good. Then I’d like you to meet someone.”
CHAPTER 24:
A different way
Tal led her new Lead Guard through the State House and up to her personal quarters. For just a moment, as the door opened at her palm touch, she thought perhaps she should have given poor Vellmar a chance to shower. But then Salomen was in front of her, looking at her with fear in her eyes, and Tal forgot how sweaty they were. She hadn’t meant to leave Salomen alone this long.
“I’m sorry, but five lengths turned into ten,” she said. “I just needed some air.”
“I know.” Salomen stood an arm’s length away, clearly wanting more but too aware of their guest.
“Salomen, may I introduce Lead Guard Fianna Vellmar. She’s just arrived from Koneza, and I’m afraid I didn’t even give her time to unpack before dragging her out with me. Vellmar, this is the future Bondlancer of Alsea, Raiz Salomen Opah.”
“Well met,” said Vellmar politely. “Ah, I’m a bit sweaty, but…” She tentatively held out her palm.
“Well met.” Salomen touched her palm without hesitation. “And I could wish that you’d had a more leisurely arrival, but I’m glad Andira had your company.”
“So am I,” said Tal, moving them all into the living area. “Vellmar, would you like some water?”
“Yes, please.”
“Sit down. I’ll bring it over.”
Tal drank her glass while filling a second one, which she handed off to Vellmar before taking a seat next to Salomen. “Vellmar gave me an idea about finding Herot.”
Salomen paled. “You mean if he’s alive.”
Sometimes, Tal thought, honesty wasn’t always the best thing for a relationship. But Salomen had known something was very wrong when she returned from Micah’s quarters, and lying wasn’t an option. The truth had not been much better.
“I think he is,” she said gently. “While I was running, I remembered that vengeance killings aren’t usually done in secret. The whole point is to advertise that honor has been reclaimed. If someone killed Herot, they would want the world to know. So I don’t think it’s happened.”
“Yet,” Salomen said.
“Excuse me.” Vellmar was watching them with a frown of concentration. “Are you worried that a warrior might exact a vengeance killing in your name?”
“Yes, I am. You just arrived, so you’re a little out of touch. I sent out a directive today, forbidding all warriors from vengeance actions on my behalf. The problem is that it took me eight days to realize that the directive might be necessary.”
“But it shouldn’t be necessary. You didn’t die; there’s no vengeance to be gained. It’s not legal.”
“You and every normal warrior know that, but it’s the fringe I’m worried about. Herot Opah has stayed out of sight too long to be doing it on his own. Today we learned that he was seen leaving the transit station in Napoline in the company of two warriors wearing the uniform of Lancer’s Guards.”
“My Guards!” Vellmar paused before continuing in a quieter voice. “So someone is using our uniform for their gain, and you want to find Herot Opah before anything can happen.”
“Exactly.” Tal met Salomen’s eyes again. “I asked Vellmar how she would go about finding someone who couldn’t be found. She said she’d look a different way. And that made me think about what Lanaril found in her literature search.”
“You didn’t tell me you heard from Lanaril.” After this afternoon’s debacle, Salomen was sensitive about anything being kept from her.
“She called just before I closed down my office. I was…distracted by other concerns after that. Anyway, she found a reference in a very old history. It said that the divine spark acts as a lens, magnifying the bearer’s natural abilities. When we said it was as if our powers were multiplied, we were right.”
“I don’t—”
“What if it’s not just our powers that we can magnify? Vellmar’s empathic rating is the same as mine.”
Salomen looked from her to Vellmar and back again, a sudden excitement marking the moment she understood. “Yes,” she said. “I want to try, if Lead Guard Vellmar agrees.”
“Agrees to what?” Vellmar asked.
“A Sharing with Salomen and me.” At her wide-eyed shock, Tal added, “Listen, Vellmar. This is important. When Salomen and I Share, we have the ability to extend our empathic senses a very long way. But there are limits to our range. I think your empathic strength might help us extend and focus that range, and we could use it to search for Herot. If you’re willing to join us, that is.”
Vellmar stared at her. “Exactly what kind of range are you talking about? I can sense out to six lengths with line of sight, but that’s it. I’ve never heard of anyone going farther than that. I don’t see how this is going to help you.”
“We’ve sensed well over a thousand lengths,” Tal said.
Vellmar was speechless, and Salomen took pity on her. “I know this must feel surreal to you,” she said, “especially since you just arrived and you don’t know us. But somewhere out there, my brother might be in mortal danger, and you may be able to help us find him. Nothing else has worked so far, and I’m worried that our time is running out.”
After a few pipticks of uncomfortable silence, Vellmar straightened in her chair. “I came here to serve,” she said firmly. “I will do so in any manner you see fit. If that means Sharing, then I will be honored to link with you and Raiz Opah.”
Tal had already decided she liked her new Lead Guard when the poor woman hadn’t uttered a single word while Tal ran them into the ground. Now she found her respect notching up several levels. “Thank you,” she said.
“Yes, thank you,” Salomen added. “But I have one thing to ask before we begin this.”
“Of course,” Vellmar said.
Salomen sniffed delicately. “The two of you really need to take a shower.”
CHAPTER 25:
Sharing a search
Vellmar looked around the Lancer’s bathroom in awe. She had seen entire barracks that would fit into this space. If someone turned off the lights while she was showering, she might never find her way out.
She walked across what felt like an entire wallball court to the shower. There were several settings to activate the water, one of which turned on a dual waterfall in a smaller cubby off the main shower. “Holy shek,” she whispered. She had
to try that one.
Warm water sluiced over both her front and back, the effect luxurious beyond belief. She wished she could stay and enjoy it, but the knowledge that Lancer Tal and her bondmate were waiting made her take an even faster shower than normal.
As she toweled off, she thought about the mystery of Raiz Opah. When Lancer Tal had introduced her as the future Bondlancer, Vellmar had barely been able to front her shock. All of the news stories had referred to Opah as the Lancer’s producer lover, and like everyone else on the planet, Vellmar had assumed it was a relationship of convenience. Opah was a fine-looking woman, the Lancer had spent a moon on her holding… It made sense that they would enjoy each other’s company. But Lancers did not choose their mates from the producer caste. That hadn’t happened in at least ten generations, maybe fifteen.
Opah was obviously something out of the ordinary. That had been verified while the Lancer had taken her shower, leaving Vellmar with her bondmate. Opah had treated her with complete respect and courtesy, making conversation, putting her at ease…the second most–powerful person on the planet, acting as if they were equals! And all at a time when she must be stressed beyond measure. Vellmar had lived her entire life in constant awareness of the hierarchy of rank, but she had never met anyone like the new Bondlancer.
She hung up the towel and wrapped herself in the thick, warm robe that Lancer Tal had provided. Padding across the vast tiled floor, she paused in the arched doorway to watch the two women in the living area.
They were huddled close together on the wide seat, facing each other with knees touching and hands clasped. Lancer Tal was saying something in low tones, and Opah was nodding, the stress and fear evident on her face. But she was fronting it perfectly.
Vellmar took one step out and stopped when the realization hit. A producer was fronting perfectly. What in Fahla’s name was a producer doing with a front like that?
Without a Front: The Warrior's Challenge (Chronicles of Alsea Book 3) Page 19
