by Tora Moon
“Hey, Little Red, what’s wrong?”
“Have you seen Keandran?”
His eyebrows crinkled in thought. When he looked at her again, his mouth was pursed and his eyes narrowed. “No, I haven’t seen him since this morning.”
Rizelya found her squad-pack and asked them. No one had seen him since the first battle of the day.
“He’s gone,” she admitted.
“He finally succumbed to the siren’s call,” Saffren added, rubbing her arms. “With all the control janacks we’ve encountered, it was only a matter of time before he did.”
“Hey, we don’t have to put up with the mangy cur anymore,” Aistrun said with a smile. “And I didn’t have to kill him, even better.”
“Do you think he can survive in the swamps?” Leistral asked. “I didn’t like him any more than the rest of you, but still. The swamps…” she shuddered.
“I doubt it,” Eidstrun said. “I’ve never heard of anyone surviving alone in the swamps. Good riddance. He was bad people.”
No one argued with him. Rizelya knew she had tried to bring Keandran into the pack, but he refused to be drawn in. Without him, her squad-pack would be stronger.
The next morning the group was eating breakfast, stalling the start of another long day of battling monsters, when the safe house gate opened. A large platoon trotted into the courtyard. The dark blue and blood-red barding proclaimed them to be from the Strunlair fighting-packs. Rizelya joined Saehala and Laynar to greet the newcomers.
“You are a sight for sore eyes,” Laynar said, lifting her hand in greeting to the alpha leading the platoon.
“Our scouts saw you yesterday and when you didn’t arrive at the keep we came to help.” The alpha threw back her hood and surveyed the exhausted group. She had deep burgundy-red hair and her red eyes were ringed with gold. She was a rare double fire Talent, moderated with a smidgen of Yellow. Seeing her pale skin, Rizelya understood why the woman kept her hood up. Her skin would easily sunburn. She sat waiting with an air of authority.
Laynar introduced the alphas in the group. When she presented Saehala and Saehalstrun as the Strunven Keep Alphas, the woman jerked back in surprise.
“What happened to Sujeen and Teraposan?”
“We had to challenge them,” Saehala said tersely. “We’ll explain to the Clan Alphas, not to some platoon leader.”
“You will explain to me.” The woman’s face turned red, her eyes narrowed, and she sat straighter in the saddle. “I am Beladi.”
Saehala blanched and quickly bowed her head and dropped to her knees. She had just insulted the Clan Alpha. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was you.”
The rest followed Saehala’s example. Rizelya bowed her head so Beladi wouldn’t see her anger. If Beladi had introduced herself, there wouldn’t have been a faux pas.
Beladi seemed mollified by the obeisance. “Tell me the story as we ride.”
Rizelya’s group quickly saddled horses and readied to leave. With such a large force, Rizelya doubted they’d have trouble with monsters today.
Home. Soon she’d be able to go home.
***
The previous bombardment by the monsters stopped with the arrival of the larger force. A short ride from the safe house had them clattering through the gates of Strunlair Keep. Rizelya sighed in relief. They had made it in time for the clan meeting with a day to spare.
Rizelya gazed around the keep with interest, as she hadn’t been here before. The keep was larger than any of the others in the territories, and grander. The sweeping porch of the Clan-house was white marble and the house was beautiful gray granite with flecks of mica sparkling in the sun. Columns of black marble held up a balcony and the double doors leading into the house were dark ironwood polished to a glossy shine. Bands of metal, which looked like helstrim, strengthened the doors. Strunlair had been the first keep built after the Great War and the appearance of the monsters.
The population in most of the territory keeps was between two and three thousand people. Strunlair Keep, as the capital of the province, boasted double that number. Streets led from the central plaza of the Clan-house and Temple. Rizelya had heard Histrun talking about the many small plazas found in the keep and the great bazaar where goods from all over Lairheim could be found. He had a belt buckle made from a rare seashell found on the coast of Keistanlair. Maybe one day Rizelya would be able to travel to the other clan provinces. She’d especially like to see the great plains and the wild horses.
A happy cry spilled from the Clan-house, and the twins, Kami and Tami rushed out and ran to Dehali. Laughing, they pulled her off her horse and swamped her with kisses. Laynar slid off her horse and ran into her grandmother Layhalya’s arms. Rizelya and her squad-pack quickly dismounted. Shaydan and Drustrun came down the steps with Keep Alpha Keshanal. Rizelya was happy to see the old woman and her friends again.
“You made it on time,” Keshanal said, giving Rizelya a hug.
“Barely,” Rizelya grimaced. “I swear the monsters were trying to keep us from getting here.”
A burst of laughter drifted to them from the courtyard. Grazeen and Gehan stepped out of the circle of warriors, their bright green and yellow hair a striking contrast to all the redheads surrounding them.
“I see you’ve brought some new friends.” Keshanal nodded to Rizelya’s new pack members. “It’s strange to see red fighting leathers on other Talents.”
“They are good fighters. Wait until you see what Saffren can do with water.”
“A Blue?”
Rizelya nodded, rocking back on her heels. “A very strong Blue.”
Saffren threaded her way out of the crowd. She tossed back her sapphire blue hair with a laugh at one of the comments.
“I added not only a Yellow and a Blue, but a Green and two Browns to my pack. They have some interesting ways of using their magic to fight the monsters.” She leaned closer to Keshanal and said earnestly, “We need every fighter we can get. The monsters aren’t following any set pattern now, the nests are bigger, and they’re doing strange things like waiting in ambush for us. We don’t have enough Reds to do the job anymore.”
“I know. I can’t wait to see the demonstration from your pack tomorrow.” Keshanal laughed at Rizelya’s confusion. “Word of your innovations preceded you. When Beladi heard you were nearby, she rushed out to meet you. You’re becoming quite famous, you know.”
Rizelya groaned. It explained why Beladi had paid so much attention to her during the ride. She didn’t want to be famous. She had more than enough notoriety from being her parents’ daughter. Everything she’d done on this trip was to help her people, not draw attention to herself.
She didn’t have time to feel self-pity. A swirl of warmed air warned her as Eiden and Kaieli rushed down the stairs. A moment later, she was gathered in their arms. She nuzzled Kaieli’s neck, relishing the touch and smell of her heart sister. The rest of her pack from Strunland Keep clamored for attention. Aistrun’s boisterous hugs had everyone laughing.
Behind them, paused on the steps, Naila and Histrun waited for the jubilant greetings to calm down. He grinned at her and gave her a small salute. Rizelya frowned at them and playfully shook a fist at them. Neither she nor Aistrun could go back to being just fighters now. They had truly become alphas during the journey. Seeing the grin on Naila’s face, Rizelya suspected it was their whole plan and the monster danger had given them the excuse they needed.
While on this journey Rizelya had met many people and found friends in every keep. The monsters had changed and were doing strange things, but her people were learning new ways to fight them. Leistral and Dehali were excellent teachers of the cold-air shield and the fire shield. Rizelya gazed fondly at the new additions to her pack. They had proved other Talents besides Red could fight and kill the monsters.
Now if she’d quit having those pesky dreams, life could return to normal.
Later that evening Rizelya dressed for the feast that would begin the clan m
eeting. Kaieli sat on the bed, her feet curled underneath her. A tight-fitting bodice in bronze silk showed off Kaieli’s curves. A long amber necklace caressed the top of her bosom. Her deep brown, almost black, hair was piled on the top of her head with a few curls framing her face. Tonight her blue-gray eyes were a slate gray.
Rizelya frowned into the mirror as she tried to do something as elegant with her own hair. Sighing, she brushed out the mess she’d made and pulled the front into a ponytail, leaving the rest long and wavy down her back.
Kaieli had brought Rizelya a dress out of the same bronze silk, but the cut was looser to hide her lack of curves. The sleeveless bodice showed off her muscular arms, and the color brought out the brown tones in her deep auburn hair and made her brown eyes even darker. Other than the red in her hair, there wasn’t a speck of red to be found in her wardrobe tonight. It was a nice change from the red leathers she wore every other day in her life. She smoothed her hands over her dress, luxuriating in the feel of silk rather than leather under her fingers.
“Hey, you gorgeous yet?” Aistrun called as he thumped on the door. Without waiting for an invitation, he strode into the room. He passed a cursory glance over Rizelya and then eyed Kaieli. “Yep, you’re gorgeous. Oh, and you too, Little Red.”
Aistrun’s red leathers were replaced by a crisp white shirt, the laces opened to reveal his broad chest. Shiny black leather pants fit his muscular legs like a glove. He tugged at the cuffs of his shirt. A pale gold satin jerkin with burnished gold embroidery finished his outfit. Rizelya noticed he had shaved and cut his red-gold hair which had grown past his shoulders in the several chedan they’d been gone from home.
“May I escort you beautiful ladies?” Aistrun held out his hands in invitation. “Please. The food smells amazing. I’m about to shrivel up and die of starvation.”
Kaieli giggled, then held out her hand for him to help her off the bed. Rizelya rolled her eyes and shook her head, but took his elbow. The three friends headed down to the feast. At the doors leading into the huge dining hall, they met the rest of their squad-pack. The ladies looked lovely in their brightly colored gowns and the men handsome in formal jerkins or jackets. Rizelya felt a pain of grief when she looked for and couldn’t find Keandran.
The group swept into the dining hall. The long tables were set with china and crystal. Rizelya gasped. There hadn’t been such craftsmanship since the Great War. The place settings must be ancient. The tablecloths were in the colors of the different keeps. Rizelya approached the table with the rose and turquoise tablecloth. Next to it was the sapphire blue and carmine red of the Strunell Keep. Shaydan was already sitting and gave Rizelya a little wave. On the other side was the sky blue and pink of Strundale Keep. Rizelya hadn’t gone there and didn’t know anyone at the table. Further down the room she saw the teal blue and purple of Strunven Keep. She glanced at Grazeen and Maellyn and the others from Strunven.
“Do you want to go sit with Strunven?”
Maellyn gave her a wry smile and shook her head. “No, we’re part of your pack now. Besides, we spent all afternoon with them.”
“Unless you don’t want us anymore,” Raeleen said, her eyes wide.
Rizelya reached out and patted Raeleen on her arm. “Of course I want you. You’re my pack.”
The group settled around the table with the other Strunland representatives. Eidstrun sat next to his twin sister, Eiden, their yellow heads tipped toward each other, shoulders touching. There were only a few Yellows in the sea of Red. The Strunlair table and her own table were the only ones where other Talents were represented.
The various keep alphas sat at a table at the front of the room, slightly raised above the rest. Naila saw her looking at them and raised her cup. Rizelya knew she couldn’t hide from her alphas much longer. She’d spent the afternoon relaxing; first she basked in the hot waters of the bathing room and then Kaieli treated Rizelya to a marvelous massage, during which she fell asleep. She’d slept until Kaieli woke her to get ready for dinner.
Clan-Alpha Nestrun stood and tapped his glass. As people noticed Nestrun’s imposing presence, chatter ceased and everyone turned respectfully to listen to their alpha. Nestrun was tall, almost seven feet, and was a big man. The crystal glass looked tiny in his giant hand. His red hair was streaked with green and was cut close to his head. There were laugh lines around his pale green eyes.
“My people,” Nestrun began, his voice a deep baritone, “we are gathered for the direst of circumstances. After a thousand years, our ancient enemy the Malvers monsters have changed and threaten our survival more than ever before. We must fight differently than even our parents did in order to win. Luckily, we have some innovative young people who are showing us the way. Tomorrow they’ll begin teaching us their new techniques, even old wolves like me. Tonight we celebrate and honor their accomplishments.” Nestrun held up his glass. “To Rizelya, Aistrun, and their squad-pack.”
Everyone turned to face Rizelya’s table and toasted them. Rizelya felt her ears burn in embarrassment.
Nestrun sat back down, and young people streamed into the room carrying heaping platters of food the amount and variety astounded Rizelya. After five chedan of living mostly on soups and stews, she had missed mashed tubers, crusty hot bread, and tender lamb chops. Flaky berry pies finished the meal. By the time Rizelya pushed back from the table, her stomach was hurting. Aistrun’s eyes were heavy lidded after the massive amounts of food he’d consumed.
A group of Yellows and Browns brought out instruments and began to play. Tables were pushed to the side of the room to create space for dancing. Aistrun pulled Rizelya onto the floor for a spirited dance. She whirled away from him and was caught by Eidstrun. They danced for a set and then she was whirled again, this time into Histrun’s arms.
“You’ve done well, girl,” he said with pride. “I knew there was a leader in you waiting to come out.”
“You and Naila have ruined me and Aistrun. There’s no way we can return to being just fighters.”
“It was about time. This situation, as bad as it is, was too good to pass up. You two were the only choice for the mission.”
“Couldn’t you have just called a clan meeting like Keshanal did and save us the trouble?” Rizelya frowned at him.
Histrun laughed. “Of course we could. But you needed to stop hiding from your abilities. Besides, it gave you the opportunity to find new ways of fighting the monsters. We wouldn’t have discovered the other Talents were capable of fighting without you.”
She dropped her head on his shoulder, unwilling for him to see her pride at his words. After a few more turns, she looked over his shoulder. Naila was dancing with Aistrun. A turn later and Histrun had taken Rizelya off the dance floor, Aistrun and Naila right behind him.
“Now, talk. No more hiding.” Naila gestured to the door.
Rizelya sighed and gave her alphas a wry smile. They went to a small office and shut the door.
After they were all settled in chairs, Histrun looked at Rizelya then Aistrun. “Report. We’ll hear everything that happened on your journey.”
Rizelya glanced at Aistrun and motioned for him to go ahead. He didn’t leave anything out, including her propensity to faint after killing the control janack. Histrun and Naila listened without interrupting. Rizelya knew they’d drill them with questions once Aistrun was finished.
“And”—Aistrun turned to look at Rizelya then back at the Alphas—“she’s been having strange dreams.”
She should have known he would tattle on her. She wanted to punch him but couldn’t with the alphas’ gaze boring into her.
“Dreams? Of what?” Naila said, leaning forward.
“When the control janack is present, I hear humming. I don’t pass out from touching the protrusion.” Rizelya glared at Aistrun. “When I touch the protrusion, I see a strange woman and her angry screaming is so loud it makes me pass out. In my dreams I see the same woman. She is gaunt and has very pale gray skin, so pale it’s almost t
ranslucent. She has charcoal-gray hair and black eyes. She wears a strange device on her head which harvests some sort of food for the others.”
Rizelya paused, closing her eyes. She thought about all the dreams and the sense of a mind behind the control janack. She opened her eyes and in a bleak voice said, “She controls the monsters. I think she even created them. She calls them ‘her pets.’ The monsters aren’t our ancient enemies. She and her people are.”
Naila sat back in her chair, her fingers drumming on the arm of the chair. Histrun groaned, then stood up and went to the window. When he turned back, his face was pale.
“If there’s someone controlling the monsters, we don’t have a chance,” Histrun said.
“The Sanctuary. The Supreme Priestess,” Naila said quietly. “She needs to know. She’ll know what to do.”
Histrun walked back and rested his hand on Naila’s shoulder. “Yes, she will. You two will go to the Sanctuary and tell the Supreme White Priestess all you’ve experienced. Rizelya, don’t hold back. Tell her everything.”
Rizelya rubbed her face. She had known this was a possibility. It was one reason she had been avoiding Naila and Histrun all day. It would be some time now before she could go home.
***
As soon as breakfast was over the next morning, Rizelya and her squad-pack led a procession through the clan keep to the practice arena. She glanced back at Keshanal who gave her an encouraging nod. Shaydan and Laynar were behind the keep alphas and would lend a hand in the demonstrations and training. Naila had decreed Rizelya and Aistrun would leave for the Sanctuary as soon as the others had been trained in their new techniques.
Eiden beamed with pride when Dehali demonstrated the cold-air shield and how to use it. Beladi looked at Eiden with new respect. The cold air and fire shields were hits with the fighting teams. They could all anticipate how the shields would help them during the battle.
