by D. L. Kramer
"So what brings you out this way, Captain?" she asked Kile. Her black hair was piled haphazardly on top of her head, with a few sweat-soaked strands hanging around her face and down her back. Her cheeks were flushed on her pale skin, and her green eyes gleamed. She wore no blouse, only a buttoned vest and wrist guards. Her breeches reached to the top of her hips, lacing up both outer sides, and her boots came to just below her knees.
"I thought I'd come with Adie this time," Kile said. "I 'adn't seen ye since ye're brother died almost ten years ago." He paused, considering her with a faint smile. "Ye 'aven't changed much except for bein' a bit taller."
"You're sure about that?" she asked, giving him a sideways glance and breathing hard from the fight, the action making the close fit of her vest that much more obvious.
"Ye wanted to dress like that when ye were six," Kile said evenly, smiling at her. "Ye just 'ad to grow into it. And I swear ye slept with that sword in ye're cradle. I told ye're father he was a damned fool for givin' it to ye when ye were born."
Lady Takis chuckled, then looked at Adie.
"The new applications are in my office somewhere," she said. "They wanted to come in before training, but I told them to keep their arses out of the hold until spring. I don't want to have to feed a bunch of freeloaders through the winter. When they start earning their keep I'll feed them."
"Ye definitely turn out some of the hardiest Mo'ani," Kile shook his head slowly. "I think ye drive 'em harder than ye're father."
"Thank the Archbishop," Lady Takis shrugged. "He's the bastard who made me like this." She looked at Paki, Bear and Rena, pausing the longest on Bear.
"Ye're takin' students along with ye now?" she asked, mimicking Kile's accent perfectly.
"These two are a little more than just students," Kile said, smiling at her imitation. "Mo'ani's 'ad Bear for about ten years and I brought Paki to the Stronghold about six years ago. They seem to 'ave worked their way into doin' a bit more than the usual pickin' up gear in the trainin' yard." He motioned to both boys, introducing them as he mentioned their names. "Rena was the daughter of Lord Gian."
Lady Takis raised an eyebrow at this. "You turned to our side?" she asked Rena.
Rena shrugged. "I can't turn sides when I was never on the other one," she said evenly. "Unfortunately, Lord Olorun here doesn't believe me."
"This is Brijade, Lady of Takis Hold," Kile introduced Lady Takis to Paki, Bear and Rena. "I'd 'ave warned ye about 'er, but I haven't seen 'er since she was six."
"I wouldn't have wanted you to warn anyone about me anyway," Brijade said. She jumped up on the fence and swung her legs over, then dropped to the ground. "Come on, I'll show you to some rooms."
Lady Takis led them to the keep and inside. The main hall was dimly lit and bare. The Takis achievement of arms hung on the far wall and Paki noted it as they were led past. Two foxes faced each other with a crossed sword and arrow between them. He wondered what the history behind it was as they turned down a hallway leading to a staircase. Taking them upstairs, Brijade showed them to rooms off the west hall, then left so they could clean up and rest before dinner.
After finding their room, Bear went down to the stable to get Tiimu while Paki washed up, then got clean water. He was just pulling on a clean tunic when Bear returned.
"How long do you think we're going to be here?" Bear asked, pulling off his shirt and vest after dropping Tiimu on the bed. He splashed water over his face, then dunked his hair into the deep bowl.
"I have no idea," Paki shrugged. He sat down and Tiimu jumped down, then climbed up beside him. Paki scratched his shoulders as the little fox bit at his tail. "How're the horses?"
"They're okay," Bear said, wringing out his hair. "Chase's already bit at two stablehands. I was thinking of taking him for a run to wear him out. This steady traveling makes him too anxious."
"You had the final watch last night though," Paki pointed out. "You should probably sleep. I can take him."
"I'm okay." Bear flipped his hair back over and ran his fingers through it to straighten the tangles. Paki didn't know why he bothered; his hair was so fine and straight that the tangles practically fell out of it when it dried. It didn't have the natural wave Paki's had. "It shouldn't take long." Bear picked up his clean tunic and pulled it on, then put his vest over it. "Ayita should be okay to go, and I doubt Lady Takis has much of a library here." Paki and Bear usually went on long rides together, and Paki caught Bear's suggestion that he not spend all his time here in a library.
"You don't think she spends much time reading?" Paki asked, grinning.
"Not the way she handled that sword." Bear picked up Tiimu and put him on his shoulder as Paki stood up. "She may not even know if she has a library. And if the captain does put you two up against each other while we're here, go down fast and stay down."
Paki chuckled as he followed Bear into the hall. "I don't think it's as easy to pull a double handed sword away like that."
"Depends on if she breaks your arms first or not." They left the keep, seeing no sign of Kile, Adie or anyone else. Outside, Brijade was once again in the training yard. She stood at one end, her sheathed sword between her knees as she adjusted a buckle on one wrist guard. Across from her, a young man just a couple of years older waited patiently. He held a longsword in one hand and a dagger in the other, and was wearing a chain shirt and chain pauldrons.
"I wonder if she knows she really ought to be wearing something other than a vest and wrist guards," Paki said absently as they made their way to the stable.
Bear pulled open the stable door, pausing to look over at the training yard. "I don't see anything wrong with what she's wearing," he said with a shrug and smile.
"You wouldn't," Paki rolled his eyes as they entered the stable. Ayita nickered softly at him and he walked to her stall while Bear went to Chase's. Directly across from him, another horse pushed against his stall door, snorting towards him and Bear. Paki turned toward the big stallion and recognized him immediately as a Dwellers' horse. The muscles in his neck tensed and relaxed as he pushed again on his stall door, his black coat glistening in the light.
Paki paused to reach over and scratch his nose before going to get Ayita's saddle and tack. The horse expressed his restlessness in Paki's mind, then went back to pushing on his door.
"Looks like a match for Chase," Bear said, leading Chase from his stall to saddle him.
"Yes, he does," Paki agreed. He saddled and bridled Ayita quickly, scratching the stallion on the nose once more before leading her out of the stable. Bear also paused to pat the stallion and Paki heard him apologize for not being able to take him out with them.
The Mo'ani standing guard at the gate of Takis Hold told them the safest route to run the horses on, and promised to let Kile know where they had gone.
Chase was indeed anxious to run and they broke into a gallop almost immediately. Once again Ayita's stamina was greater than Chase's and she was still willing to run when the bigger horse was exhausted. Not long after slowing to a walk, they found the lake the Mo'ani had mentioned.
Unlike Gale Lake to the west of Bavol Hold, this lake was murky and the water dark. Paki and Bear didn't stay long and were soon on the road back to Takis Hold.
They arrived just in time for dinner and were quickly taken to the small dining room where Kile, Adie and Rena were sitting with Brijade and another man. They had all cleaned up and changed into clean clothes, except for Lady Takis, who had only taken her hair down and removed her wrist guards. Her hair hung in heavy locks down to the middle of her back, almost as long as Bear's. The man sitting with her was clean-shaven and had gentle, almost sad eyes. His reddish blonde hair hung several inches past his shoulders, and his eyes were so lightly colored, Paki couldn't be sure what color they were. He carried himself like the other Mo'ani warriors, though, and Paki had no doubt he was someone of importance here at Takis.
"About time ye showed up," Kile said as the door was shut behind Paki and Bear. He mot
ioned to the two empty chairs and they sat in them.
"Did we miss something?" Bear asked, cutting a slice of bread from the loaf beside his plate.
"Not really," Adie said. "They were discussing deserters from the church guard ranks."
"I still like the idea of targets for the archers," Brijade said, taking a drink from her goblet.
Paki winced as he cut a piece of meat. Brijade certainly didn't believe in taking things slowly.
"Aye," Kile nodded his head. "But if ye kill 'em too fast, then they're no good to ye."
"They're no good anyway," Brijade shrugged.
"If they're just common soldiers, they wouldn't know that much," Paki pointed out.
"That's right," Brijade toasted him with her goblet before turning back to Kile.
"We've had a problem with them trying to get into the keep to kill Lady Takis," the man beside her said, his deep voice quiet and commanding.
"Rouvin has a point," Adie said, cutting a piece from an apple. "I certainly wouldn't trust them unless they gave me a very good reason to right from the start.
Paki sighed and glanced over at Rena. He turned back to his dinner when she looked up at him.
"I know I wouldn't want to see what Lord Valin would do to deserters," Bear commented. Paki nodded his agreement.
"Speaking of Valin," Brijade said, breaking off a piece of bread. "We heard it was under siege, and I'm guessing since you're here, captain, it's safe again. How are things there?"
"Holdin'," Kile answered. "Desan turned traitor, and when we left, Rial was determined to stay as 'er lord."
"How many men does he have left?" Rouvin asked.
"Thirty," Adie replied. "But Kile left some...extra measures in place. There's also the villagers."
Brijade and Rouvin exchanged looks.
"Two hundred fifty?" Rouvin asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Three hundred," Brijade corrected, then turned to Kile with a faint smile. "I have enough Mo'ani here to form three armies, they probably won't even be missed."
"I don't want ye endangerin' ye're own borders," Kile cautioned.
"Trust me," Brijade toasted him with her goblet. "Besides, Lord Devayne likes checking in on me every couple of months. If something comes up, I can have a rider at Devayne Hold in less than two days." She turned back to Rouvin. "I'll get something written up tonight for them to take with. Remind me if I don't have it done by morning."
"Yes, m'lady," he said, smiling faintly.
The rest of their dinner passed with small talk, and afterwards they retired to their rooms. Paki had just fallen asleep when the now-familiar humming woke him again. He didn't bother looking around the room anymore; he knew it was all in his dreams now, and as real as it seemed, the woman was never there.
After tossing and turning for several minutes, Paki gave up. Moving silently, he dressed and slipped from the room, careful not to disturb Bear or Tiimu. Just as he did at the Stronghold, he soon found himself in the stable, lighting a lamp and heading for his horse's stall. Ayita was also awake and seemed to be waiting for him. Getting a brush from the tack room, he unlatched her stall, then slipped inside and latched the low door behind him.
Paki took his time brushing her, working every tangle from her mane. He was just starting on her tail when the stable door opened and closed again. Not having any reason to worry, he didn't bother lowering his lamp.
Brijade appeared in the walkway, twisting her hair on top of her head again, then pulling it through to a knot. Paki noticed she'd finally put on a blouse under her vest, though she hadn't bothered tying the laces and it was too thin to offer any protection from even a light breeze.
"Is something wrong?" she asked, stopping in front of the Dwellers' stallion across the stable from him. The stallion leaned down to nuzzle the back of her head as she turned to look at Paki.
"I couldn't sleep," Paki shrugged. "But that's not unusual."
"Nice to know I'm not the only one," Brijade sighed. "Dreams?" she asked.
"Some woman in mine keeps humming and it wakes me up," Paki answered. "You?"
Brijade studied him for a moment. "Can that Dwellers' mare keep up?"
"Unless that stallion has wings," Paki said, accepting her challenge.
"Come on," Brijade chuckle as she opened the stallion's stall. "This is Essian," she nodded to the spirited horse. "Ayita already introduced herself." Pulling the bit and bridle off the nail beside the stall, she slipped it expertly onto Essian's head.
Paki returned the brush, then retrieved Ayita's bit and bridle and did the same. He didn't bother getting her saddle, and realized Brijade hadn't gotten one for Essian.
They led the two horses from the stable and the Mo'ani at the gate opened the doors for them without any questions. Outside, they pulled themselves onto their horses' backs, and Paki was glad he didn't have the stallion with him. Even though he'd grown quite a bit since first meeting Kile, he knew his head still wouldn't quite clear the huge plowhorse's shoulders.
"You found the lake on your ride earlier?" Brijade asked.
"Yes," Paki answered.
"Good," she said. "Then if we get separated, I'll wait for you there." Brijade turned forward on Essian's back and he jumped into a gallop.
Ayita responded immediately to Paki's thought and matched Essian's speed.
Essian continued toward the lake at a full gallop, only stopping when he reached the shores. Paki pulled in Ayita at the same time, stopping beside Lady Takis.
"I come out here sometimes in the dead of night," Brijade said after several minutes. "This is where the church guards drowned my parents and left my brother's body when they killed him several years later."
Paki looked at her, not sure what to say.
"I'm sorry," he finally managed. That explained why she was so bitter toward the Archbishop. "How old were you?" he asked.
"I was still a baby when my parents were killed," Brijade answered. "I was about six when my brother died." Paki kept quiet, waiting for her to continue. After several more seconds, Brijade slid from Essian's back and walked to the lake's edge. The murky water lapped at her boots. Paki swung his leg over Ayita's head and dropped to the ground, but stayed back by the horses.
"Lord Devayne came and stayed until I picked the lock on my father's office door," she continued. "I was ten. He told me if I was old enough to want to know what was in there, I was old enough to become Takis' Lady. I had my sword put in my hand the next morning."
Paki caught an odd note in her voice and walked up behind her, suddenly knowing what her dreams were of.
"You'll be strong enough when you have to be," he said quietly. "Takis won't fall." He doubted it would reassure her to hear that, especially from him, but he had to say it.
Brijade turned to look at him in the moonlight.
"Only a king could make a promise like that," she said, an odd note to her voice. "And I might not live long enough to see one."
"I think you will," he argued. "I've watched you with that curved sword."
"Practice," she sighed, turning back to the lake. "And lots of it. I've seen your sword, but your friend doesn't train with one?"
"Bear likes shooting things," Paki shrugged. "When he has a sword in his hands, he's more a danger to himself than any opponent."
"Bear," Brijade repeated the name. "Why such an odd name?"
"His birthname is Sewati," Paki answered. "He says it means 'a bear's curved claws' or something like that. Mo'ani started calling him Bear and it sort of stuck."
Brijade smiled and nodded as she looked back out at the lake. "I like his hair," she said after a moment.
Something occurred to Paki and he was glad the night hid his smile. He'd seen the way Bear had looked at Brijade when they were on their way to the stable earlier that afternoon. "You know, you two have a few things in common already," he said casually.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Brijade turned to face him.
Paki shrugged. "To start with, he likes
his hair, too."
"Oh? What else?" Brijade invited. Her tone was serious, but Paki had caught the flash of hope in her eyes.
"His mother died before he came to live with the Mo'ani, and he thinks it was the BishopLord back in his home who had her killed," Paki explained. "I've heard him talk about slicing open whoever did it, then strangling them with their own insides."
Brijade pursed her lips. "I hadn't thought of that one," she admitted quietly. "How long are you staying?"
"I honestly don't know," Paki shrugged. "That's up to Kile. I think he's stalling about taking Rena back to the Stronghold."
"Why?"
"He doesn't trust her."
"Hasn't Nicho told him she's telling the truth?"
"Probably," Paki shrugged. "But he can be very stubborn when he wants to be."
"Can't we all?" Brijade nodded.
"I guess," Paki agreed after a moment, not letting himself think about Rena's blue eyes. If he couldn't sleep before, he really wouldn't be able to if that's all he thought about.
"You like her, don't you?" Brijade asked.
Paki looked down at her, slightly surprised. "What makes you think that?" he asked. He didn't think he'd been that obvious about his feelings.
Brijade smiled. "You haven't even been here an entire day, and if you two spend any more time looking at each other's turned heads and backs, I'm going to throw something sharp at you both."
"We don't--"
"Yes, you do," Brijade interrupted.
Paki sighed, knowing there was no way to argue with her, or she probably would throw something sharp at him.
"Rena's...pretty," he admitted grudgingly.
"Pretty?" Brijade repeated. "That's the best you can come up with?"
"I'm not a poet," Paki shrugged.
"What I wouldn't give to have eyes like that," Brijade said.
Paki smiled, knowing he could make her as uncomfortable as she was making him.
"I happen to know for a fact that Bear likes green eyes," he said quietly.
"You don't fight fair, do you?"
