Shannen smiled.
“Now tell me what was so funny.”
Shannen bit her lip. “I was just thinking about my reputation, and how I am very likely the only human woman on the planet to have bedded not one, but two aliens. Can you imagine the talk if that little bit of information were to get out?” She started laughing again, and, after a moment, Daarik joined her.
“You are taking this Renn thing very well,” he said.
“Well, there is nothing to do about it now. I wish he had told me, of course, but based on what you told me, I can understand why he could not. Do you think his grandfather will really send someone to collect him now?”
“He seems to think so.”
“If they try to take him against his will, we have to protect him.”
“The planet is already at war with one alien race. Do you really want to anger another?” Daarik asked, though there was humor in his tone.
“Maybe we can get all of our interstellar wars finished at once, and then be able to relax.”
She heard, felt, Daarik’s low laugh, and it warmed her.
“I was so afraid I would never hear from you again, that Darathar had been attacked. Not knowing was—”
“A nightmare,” he finished for her.
“Yes.”
“Once this is over, I’m not letting you out of my sight again. I have regretted it since the moment you walked out of my life.”
“We both know I will do what I need to do, whether you like it or not.”
She felt his sigh vibrate through their connection. “Why are you so vexing?”
“You would be bored if I was a proper little wife. We both know it. Luckily for both of us, I do not have a proper bone in my body.”
“Very lucky for me, in some cases,” he said, and she laughed. They were silent for a few moments, just reveling in each other’s presence.
“You really did it,” he finally said, and there was that pride again.
“I did.”
“I am going to enjoy rubbing that in Kinari’s face. He was so sure you had no chance against Edwell.”
“He thinks like a soldier. I am not a soldier,” she said with a shrug. “But I will also enjoy reminding him often about how wrong he was.”
“You should sleep. If you are heading for Ashwall, I’ll meet you there. It will only take us a few days to get there.”
“We are still quite far from there. We are sticking to areas where we have some cover, and we have many children and injured people with us.”
“Then I will find you if you’re not here when we arrive.”
“If it is still there at all,” Shannen reminded him.
“We will deal with that when we come to it. Sleep.”
“Stay with me,” she murmured.
“Of course.”
Shannen lay on her side, keeping her arm outstretched, and let Daarik’s presence through their connection soothe her. When she dozed off, it was almost as good as having him at her side, and she longed for their bed, their room with the view looking out over the forest near Darathar. She slept more soundly than she had in weeks, and when she woke, it was only because Daarik was whispering that he loved her. The sun peeked over the horizon, and she felt their connection drift away.
“I love you, too,” she murmured, hoping he’d heard her, and knowing that even if he hadn’t, he already knew. He was the one person in her life she never hid herself from. She had tried, and found it impossible.
She sat up and stretched. It was time to move, as far away from Tanris as possible. With any luck, the Sarlene would think them all dead and go back to wherever they had come from.
Chapter Nine
As they began their long, slow trek again, Shannen filled Camille and the rest of her Maidens in on what she had discussed with Daarik the night before. Like her, they were more than a little alarmed to hear about the supposed motivation behind the attacks, but there seemed to be some comfort in at least knowing for certain what it was they were facing. The knowledge that the Maarlai and their king were still alive seemed to lift everyone’s mood as well.
What a difference a devastating attack makes. Even those among her companions who had been citizens of Tanris, who had long and terrifying memories of the war against the Maarlai, seemed heartened by the fact that they were not as alone in this fiery world as they had felt after the attack. The Maarlai still lived. King Daarik still lived. Renn Kinari, Lord of Ashwall, still lived.
At first, upon seeing how relieved her people were to hear about Daarik and Renn’s safety, Shannen wondered if they would fall back into what they knew: looking to the nearest ranked male for leadership. Would they defer to Daarik, or even to Renn, rather than her? It should not have bothered her, perhaps, and she tried not to let her consternation show.
Had Edwell been right? They had followed her willingly enough when she and her Maidens were saving their lives and healing their wounds, but would that continue?
She shook it off. She could not wish for their respect or loyalty. They liked her. She knew that. They found her amusing. She had spent most of her life thumbing her nose at what her people considered “respectable.”
It was time for them to learn a new standard of respectability. She knew it was an uphill battle, but it was one she was more than willing to fight.
Camille walked by her side, and they talked about their plans, both for the immediate situation and for the future.
“When we get to Darathar, one of the first things we are going to do is open a school.”
“Who is going to teach? Most of us never even learned to read. Definitely, none of the women, and most of the children came up after Edwell started shutting the schools down.”
“I have a few ideas. I know how to read.”
“I think you will be busy with other things, Your Highness.”
Shannen smiled. “All right. So not me, perhaps. All of the Maarlai know how to read—”
“So they’ll teach us Maarlai?”
Shannen glanced at her. “They can read Common as well.”
Camille thought that over, then shook her head. “The world is changing.”
“Too quickly?”
Camille grinned. “I knew joining up with you would speed things along. This was even more than I could have hoped for.” Her smile faded a bit. “I wish my daughter had lived to see this day. A woman as ruler, the hope of going to school, of learning to read. She might have had a future.”
Shannen nodded. She knew that Camille had lost a teenage daughter who had run away, with Camille’s blessing, rather than marry a man she had no desire to marry. Edwell did not care overmuch what happened outside his palace walls, unless it concerned his armies bringing him treasure. Shannen doubted he even wondered about what many of his people went through.
“How did you hear about your daughter?” Shannen asked quietly.
“A neighbor found her body and brought it to me,” Camille answered, looking straight ahead. “It looked like she either fell and hit her head, or someone…” she trailed off, and Shannen got the idea.
“I killed him,” Camille continued. She glanced at Shannen, who was almost too shocked to say anything else. “After the funeral, I went to him, and he laughed, saying that she got what she deserved for running from him. I know I’m supposed to say that I lost my mind, that it was grief… I knew exactly what I was doing, and I would do it over and over again if I had the chance.”
“I am sorry for your loss.”
Camille let out a short laugh, with no humor in it. “I am hardly the only one who has lost under your uncle’s reign, as well as your father’s.” She stopped, and Shannen stopped as well. Camille turned to face her, meeting her eyes. “I expect much, much better from my Queen. I believe in you.”
Shannen nodded. “I expect to be much, much better than George and Edwell, too. I mean, really. I am better than both of them, even in my sleep.”
Camille snorted, and they continued on.
They had finally made their way out of the hills, which made for easier traveling, but now they were mostly out in the open, which made her feel twitchy and nervous. The children seemed grateful for it, running back and forth, playing tag amongst the adults as they sat, trying to rest up a bit. Luckily, they had found a relatively-clean stream, and they filled as many containers as they could while they rested. It would be quite a while before they came across potable water again. It was late afternoon, and she knew they needed to find a sheltered area in which to bed down for the night. She tried to remember her trip from Tanris to Darathar, and then back to Tanris to claim her crown.
There was an old structure that must have been a storage facility or something like that a long time ago, not too far from where they were. Getting there would take them off of their easterly course, though, and Shannen did not want to add any more time to their trip than she already had to, traveling as slowly as they were. She dropped down onto a fallen tree trunk, letting her bow slide off of her shoulder, and watched the children running around nearby as she thought it over.
The most straightforward thing would be to just set up camp wherever they could, then continue on the next morning. No detours. If they did not light a fire, it was unlikely that the Sarlene would target them.
At the same time, it was getting late in the season and the nights could be frigid, especially out in the open as they were, without the shelter of the hillsides. And it was not just about her desires now. She watched the children in their little encampment. Too many of them, most of them orphans now. Some ran around as if the energy within them would explode if they did not run it off. Others sat, too quietly. These were the ones who had lost family. Many of them had been only children, and had lost everyone. They had spent the previous day and night sniffling, crying. Today, many of them wore the stunned, confused expression of someone who is incapable of believing the horrors they have just lived through. And still others, usually the older children, wore looks of absolute rage.
They were owed an explanation. She had told her Maidens, who had told the warriors in hushed tones about what it was they were facing. But these children deserved to know as well, maybe even more than anyone else.
Most of the older children had formed a small group, and they sat apart from the rest of the camp, silent, angry, grieving. Shannen stood up and walked over to them. They looked at her blankly.
“The aircraft that attacked Tanris were piloted by beings known as the Sarlene,” she said, not bothering with pleasantries. She remembered too well what it was like to be their age. The last thing they would want, especially just now, was some adult talking at them. But the statement got their attention, and they all looked a little more focused. “Apparently, they are an alien race who has had a centuries-long feud with Earth. Humans look a lot like the Sarlene, and, zealots that they are, they see that fact as an affront to their god. So they have decided that we cannot be allowed to exist.” She met a few of their glances, and continued. “They first attacked a very long time ago, but an alien coalition protected Earth. The planet never even knew it was in danger. But now, those who headed that coalition are no longer around, and the Sarlene saw their chance.”
“Why Tanris?” one of the girls asked. She was thin, pale, with red hair and dark eyes.
“Tanris is very visible. It looks impressive. And even if it is no longer the center of power that it once was, it was still home to a large population of humans.”
“Probably in league with the gods-damned Maarlai,” one of the teenage boys muttered.
Shannen held her temper in check, even as a few of the other young people looked uneasy. “I can see why you might think that. But they are not. The Maarlai are in just as much danger as we are.”
“Right,” the boy snorted. “Unlike you, I’ve been in school. I know what life was like before the Maarlai declared war on us. We had technology. We had weapons that could destroy any enemy. The Maarlai took that from us, and now look where we are: waiting for another alien race to destroy us. They weakened us, and now these Sarlene will finish us off.”
“Mind your tongue,” the first girl hissed. “This is our Queen. Show some respect, Raj.”
“She is not my Queen. We don’t have queens. We have kings,” the boy, Raj, said as he rose to his feet. “I’d rather be dead than swear allegiance to a weak, useless woman, let alone a woman like this one.” He glanced at Shannen. “My father worked for Edwell. I’ve heard all about you.”
“Who was your father?” Shannen asked.
“Morten. He was a farrier for the palace.”
Shannen nodded. “Oh, I remember Morten.”
“I’m sure you do.”
“He was a good man. He often gave the lunch your mother packed for him to a few of the orphan boys who hung around the stables. And when your mother realized what was going on, she started packing even more food. He was the only one who would teach me to ride a horse. That kind of thing was not permitted for girls.”
Raj watched her warily.
“So, I am sorry for your loss. You have all lost so much. You are grieving. You are angry and hurt. I thought you were at least owed the little bit of information we know about our attackers. The fear is that they will attack the other larger settlements next, if they have not already. We have no reason to believe that the Maarlai will be spared. Despite the fact that they are not human, they are residents of Earth, and the Sarlene want the planet cleansed. We are heading to Ashwall next. It was still standing a week ago when I passed through on my way to Tanris. I have no doubt that Lord Kinari will take in any who want to stay at Ashwall. The rest can come with me to Darathar.”
“Why would we want to go to Darathar?” another of the girls, a dark-skinned, dark-haired girl nearing womanhood, asked quietly. She did not seem disdainful, but genuinely curious.
“It is time for us to truly unite, equally, with the Maarlai. Their king is my husband. Now that I am queen, our people and theirs can start learning how to work together. If the Sarlene come back, or, worse, if they ever decide to land those aircraft, we will need every fighter we can get, human and Maarlai.” She paused. Some, such as Raj, looked disgusted. Others, including all of the girls, seemed interested. “I also want to open a school. Our people have gone too long without even that basic right. Learning to read, learning about history and science and art… I want anyone who wants to learn to be able to.”
“My father had a few books. He hid them in our cellar after they were outlawed," the first girl said, and the other girl, the dark-haired one, nodded.
“This is moronic,” Raj muttered. “I’m going to stay at Ashwall. Maybe Lord Kinari will take it all back from you if enough of us fight for him.”
“Not likely. Lord Kinari is one of my oldest friends. But go ahead and try to convince him. That should go well,” Shannen said. She was beginning to lose what little patience she had.
“Be quiet, Raj,” the first girl said, looking at Shannen.
“You can’t talk to me like that,” Raj said, raising his voice.
“Actually, she can,” Shannen said.
“I see what you're doing,” Raj said, eyes narrowed.
“What is it you see?”
“You’re thinking to win all of the women over to your side with your stupid promises of education and rights. You forget that all of the warriors are men. It doesn’t matter what you promise the women if they’re unable to actually fight for it.”
At that moment, Camille and Reena were walking past. Camille met Shannen’s eye, and Shannen gave her a small nod. Camille moved quickly, flin
ging her daggers, one after another, into a tree trunk just behind where Raj was sitting. The group gasped, and Raj looked at the daggers in horror, then looked back at Camille. At that moment, Reena gave her spiked club a lazy twirl in her hand. Without a word, Camille claimed her daggers and then rejoined Reena, and they continued on their path.
“I so want to learn to do that,” one of the other girls said with a grin.
“Me too.”
“That is so wrong!” Raj shouted. “It is unseemly. They’re practically feral.”
“It is amazing. No one would even think of trying to make me do something I did not want to do if I knew how to do that,” the first girl said dreamily. “Can we learn to do that?”
“No!” Raj said.
“Yes,” Shannen said with a smile. “When we reach Darathar, you will all learn how to defend yourselves. The Maarlai women are all trained that way. You should be, too.”
“We’re not animals like them,” Raj said.
“Be quiet, Raj,” several of the girls said at the same time.
“Our king is Maarlai,” the first girl said. “Edwell bent knee to King Elrek, and now King Daarik is in charge. Pretending the Maarlai never won is stupid. They did. My aunt and uncle live near Darathar,” she said, meeting Shannen’s eyes. “My uncle is a farmer, and the Maarlai often buy from him. Not take, the way Edwell did, but actually pay him a fair price. He says they’re really nice, and when bandits started causing trouble, stealing the few farm animals my uncle and aunt had, King Elrek sent Maarlai guards to catch them, and they did.”
Shannen smiled. “That sounds very much like Elrek. And his son is even more devoted to our people than his father was.”
“Because Daarik is married to you,” the second girl said, and Shannen nodded.
“Yes. He is a wise and fair ruler, but he understands what it means to me to see our people treated well.”
“They seem so scary,” the second girl said.
“They are physically imposing," Shannen admitted, thinking of her husband with his stone-gray skin, dark hair, fearsome tusks, and enormous bulk. The memory of his bare chest, bulging with muscle as he held himself over her body, flashed through her mind. She felt a blush rise to her face and was grateful, as always, for her veil. She cleared her throat. "They seem so different. But I made friends among the Maarlai, and my husband and I are devoted to each other. I do not plan on all of you staying there forever, unless we can all work it out, and if that is wanted. But for the immediate future, it is best if we stick together as much as possible. And, as I said, you are free to stay at Ashwall if you prefer.”
Riven (Exile Book 2) Page 10
