“Highness, we would ask that the meeting be put off for approximately one month,” Maxim said.
“Why?” Garen asked.
“I received word from Jacques Vulpiran that his team has completed a portion of the data retrieval from the computers taken from the compound on Li-Hach-Cor. Another slave compound has been identified which may hold more abducted women.”
“And it would be best to hit it as soon as possible,” Garen guessed. “Before anyone realizes that their location may have been compromised.”
“Yes, Highness,” Maxim agreed. “As it is, we will be delayed several days so that Summer can assist Saige in Healing the women we brought back from Li-Hach-Cor.”
“I agree, the captive women take precedence,” Garen said. “The interview with Mara will wait until you return.”
“Thank you, Highness,” Maxim said with a formal bow.
Garen nodded, then checked his watch. “I promised Lariah that we would meet at the palace in about half an hour, so we should be on our way.”
“We would speak with you privately for a moment, Highness, if you do not mind,” Olaf Gryphon asked. Garen glanced at Olaf in surprise.
“It is a matter of some importance,” Olaf added.
“Certainly,” Garen said. He turned to the Bearens and the Katres. “If the rest of you would go ahead and let the ladies know that we will be there soon, it would be appreciated.”
“We have a quick errand to run in Berria,” Maxim said. “It will not take more than a few minutes, then we will go straight to the palace at all speed.”
“There is no need for you to rush,” Jackson said. “We will be pleased to go ahead and let everyone know you will be along shortly.”
“We thank you,” Maxim said with a short bow.
“No problem,” Jackson replied. “Will the other Consuls be joining us there?”
“No,” Garen replied. “The Vulpiran consuls are off-planet right now, and the Falcorans had business to tend to on their ranch. As this is an informal meeting, we have agreed to vid it and forward it to them.”
Jackson nodded, then the Katres and the Bearens all bowed and turned to leave. A moment later only the Dracons, the Lobos and the Gryphons remained.
“If you prefer, we can step away,” Faron offered. As Prime Guardians, the Lobos would never leave the Dracon Princes unguarded off of their ranch, especially in these times. With their sharp, lobo hearing they would have to step very far away indeed to avoid hearing the conversation. But they could at least offer a semblance of privacy.
“Thank you for the offer, Lord Protector,” Olaf Gryphon said, “but that will not be necessary.”
“How can we be of assistance?” Garen asked politely.
“We have decided to step down as Consuls of Clan Gryphon,” Olaf said bluntly.
Garen was astonished, as were all of the warriors present. Olaf and his younger brothers, Randolf and Rudolf, had been Consuls of Clan Gryphon for five hundred years, longer than any other consuls had held the post, and they were very good at it. They were level headed and even tempered, both rare traits for the usually volatile members of Clan Gryphon.
“May I ask why you have made this decision?” Garen asked.
“As you are aware, our Clan is nearly as small as your own, High Prince,” Olaf said. “It is most important that we all find mates and have children, to ensure the continuation of our Clan. The Gathering of the Nine made it abundantly clear to us all how tragic it is for our entire race to lose a Clan. Because we have been unable to find a mate in all the years we have searched, we feel it would be best to step down and allow a younger male-set to take over. One who may have a better chance of fulfilling their duties to Clan Gryphon.”
“Olaf, we understand your concerns and your feelings on this matter,” Garen said. “We, too, felt despair during the long wait for our Arima. But three Arimas have been found in just the last couple of years. Does that not give you hope that you may find yours, as well?”
“Yes, we have felt hope in the knowledge of the Arimas that have been found,” Olaf said. “But what chance is there that, after so many years, we will find ours? We should have selected a human woman to mate with long ago, but we have dreamed too long of one woman, and have been unable to settle for another. In this we have failed our Clan. It is time to put away our dreams, and allow others a chance to fulfill theirs.”
“You have dreamt of one woman in particular?” Garen asked.
“Yes, for all time,” Olaf replied with a hint of wistfulness that the other warriors pretended not to notice.
“We understand how difficult this is for you all, but, as is evident from these recent discoveries, this is a time of great danger for Jasan,” Garen argued carefully. “You three have great experience and wisdom, traits which we greatly value and rely upon. I fear we will need your input more than ever in the days ahead. You have served our people long and well, and we will, of course, support whatever decision you make. However, we would ask that, in the interests of Jasan, you not step down at this time.”
Olaf bowed his head and thought for a few moments, then he looked to his brother Rand, the middle brother on the right, then Rudy, the youngest on the left. Both Gryphons appeared motionless to the Dracons and the Lobos, but Olaf saw something in their faces that told him they would agree with whatever he decided.
“We apologize, High Prince,” Olaf said. “We made our decision to step down based on personal reasons, and for what we believe to be the benefit of our Clan. We did not consider the ramifications of such an action to Clan Jasani, and in that, we failed again. The well-being of our people as a whole must take precedence over all things. Therefore, we shall abide by your request and retain our position for as long as our people, all of our people, have need of us.”
“We thank you,” Garen said with a deep nod. “Your loyalty and honor are greatly appreciated.”
Olaf, Rand and Rudy all bowed, then took a step back, ending the formalities.
“Would the Gryphons care to fly with the Dracons?” Garen asked.
Olaf’s eyes widened. He was ashamed that they had not considered the needs of the Jasani as a whole when they had made their decision to step down. That Prince Garen would make such an offer at this time was an indication that the Prince held no animosity toward the Gryphons for their request.
“It would be an honor,” Olaf replied with another bow.
“We shall leave you in company with the Gryphons,” Faron said to Garen with a bland expression. Again Olaf was surprised. He understood quite clearly that the Lord Protector was leaving the safety of the Dracons in his hands, and that was not something Faron Lobo would ever do lightly.
Olaf bowed low to Faron in acknowledgement of the honor and the trust that was being offered to himself and his brothers. He barely caught Garen’s sigh of exasperation and bit back a smile. The High Prince did not like to be coddled any more than any warrior would. But they were the Princes of Jasan, and being guarded went with the title.
Faron, Dav and Ban turned and headed for the ground-car that they had driven out to the Council Complex, leaving the Dracons and the Gryphons on the lawn. Garen called his dracon first, followed shortly by Trey and Val. As soon as the dracons completed their change, Olaf called his gryphon. Moments later there were three twenty-five foot long, leopard spotted dracons on the neat lawn before the council building, and three enormous gryphons.
The gryphons were not as big as the dracons, perhaps only twenty feet from the tips of their beaks to the ends of their leonine tails, but they were very compact and stocky. Their heads, necks and forelegs were like those of Earth eagles, while the rest of their bodies resembled that of Earth lions. Their fur was a rich, golden brown on their bodies and wings, with the exception of a thick ruff around their necks, ankles, and the tips of their tails which was a deep, olive green.
The distinguishing characteristic between the Gryphons was the color of their eyes. Olaf’s eyes were the same olive
green as the markings in their fur. Randolf’s eyes were light golden brown, and Rudolf’s eyes were a deep, dark shade of brown that was nearly black.
With a sharp snap of his wings, Garen leapt into the air, Trey and Val only a moment behind him. Olaf, Rand and Rudy followed, their smaller wings cracking with a deeper, booming sound that hinted at less speed, but more sheer strength. The Gryphons shot into the air just after the Dracons, spreading out to cover the Princes from the rear as they turned toward the Hidden City a few short miles away.
Chapter 6
Jasan, Hidden City, Royal Palace
Summer sat on the floor of the large sitting room in the palace, holding Rayne in her lap as she watched Salene and Tani discuss what appeared to be a very important subject. Both girls stood in the middle of the room and gabbled at each other, each one waiting for the other to finish speaking before voicing her own opinion. The conversation included various facial expressions and expansive arm and hand gestures, but as it was all in the incomprehensible language of babies, neither Lariah, Saige nor Summer had a clue what they were discussing. Whatever it was, it was both fascinating and hilarious to watch.
Evidently Rayne was following the conversation as she suddenly shook her head and climbed out of Summer’s lap to join in. Summer turned to Lariah, who met her gaze with a grin, then Saige, who appeared to be choking on the effort to hold back her laughter. Finally the three sisters came to some amicable conclusion and, together, headed toward the toy box in the corner of the room.
“That was amazing,” Summer said when the girls were out of earshot. “Do they do that often?”
“Yes,” Lariah said. “Garen, Trey and Val said they’ve never seen anything like it, so maybe it’s a girl thing.”
“If my daughters do that, I’m going to vid them,” Saige said. “It’s priceless.”
“I wonder why I didn’t think of that,” Lariah said. “I’m going to ask Trey to get a vid system set up so we can record them the next time.”
As Summer watched Saige and Lariah discuss their daughters, she smiled at the warm feeling of friendship she shared with them. Even though she had just met Lariah a couple of days before at the Gathering of the Nine, as it was coming to be called, she felt a strong connection with both women, and they to her. The bond of friendship she had with Darleen had been forged by their shared experiences, and she knew it was one which would not be easily broken. But the connection she had with Saige and Lariah was different. It was deeper, more spiritual, as though they were sisters cut from the same cloth, but using vastly different patterns.
There was a brief knock on the door, which opened a moment later to reveal three men that Summer had not met. They were tall, as all Jasani seemed to be, though they were not as tall as the Katres, or the Dracons. They all had long, white-blonde hair and pale eyes that gave her an impression of coolness. The warmth of their smiles dispelled that impression immediately as they entered the room and spotted the children at play on the other side of the room. It was clear to Summer that all three men wanted more than anything else to go directly to the little girls, but they went to Lariah instead and bowed.
“We greet you, Princess Nahoa-Arima Lariah,” the lead male said as they all bowed, though Summer noted that none of them lost their smiles.
Lariah stood up and returned their bow, doing a fairly good job of hiding her exasperation with the formality. “I greet you, Jackson, Clark and Rob Bearen,” she said. “Have you met Summer?”
Jackson Bearen turned to Summer and shook his head. “Although we did see you at the Gathering of the Nine, we have not yet been honored by an introduction.”
“Jackson Bearen, this is Arima Summer Katre,” Lariah said. “Summer, this is Jackson, Clarkson and Robson Bearen, the Jasan Planetary Security Chiefs.”
Summer rose to her feet and reached out to shake hands with Jackson Bearen. She knew they preferred bowing, but hand shaking was more normal and automatic for her.
Jackson smiled and shook her hand without hesitation. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Arima Katre,” he said. “We have heard much of your feats from your Rami.”
Summer wasn’t really sure what to say to that so she occupied herself with shaking hands with Clark and Rob instead.
“Hi, guys,” Saige said when Summer was finished. “It’s great to see you again.”
Jackson started to bow to Saige, but she rolled her eyes and stepped forward, giving the broad shouldered man a quick hug. She then hugged Clark and Rob as well, grinning widely at their embarrassed smiles.
“How are your daughters?” Clark asked her.
“Beautiful, perfect, and asleep,” Saige said with a grin. “You three will have to spoil them another time.”
Suddenly there was a squeal from one of Lariah’s daughters, quickly followed by matching squeals from the other two. Everyone turned to watch all three of them running as quickly as they could on their chubby little legs toward the Bearens, their smiling faces alight with happiness, their arms stretched high in expectation of being picked up.
Rayne reached Clark first and he lifted her into the air with a careful swoop that had the usually quiet child giggling happily. Salene went to Jackson and Tani to Rob, each getting their own exciting swoop as well.
Summer, Saige and Lariah sat down, watching as the Bearens and the Dracon princesses laughed and played together. Within moments all three of the Bearens were on the floor near the toy box, playing with the girls. Salene had a small brush which she was using to brush Jackson’s hair with. Rayne and Clark were playing with dolls, and Tani was curled up in Rob’s lap as he read a book to her that she had selected.
Summer had never in her life seen men so enamored of children not their own, and she could not tear her eyes from the sight. If ever there were men who needed and wanted children, she was looking at them.
She glanced at Lariah and Saige, noting the hint of sadness in the other women’s smiles. Summer felt the same way. The Bearens were clearly good men who would make great fathers. She had only just met them, but found herself hoping that they would soon find their own Arima.
Summer’s thoughts were interrupted as she felt the approach of her men. She turned toward the door, as did Lariah and Saige as they, too, felt the approach of their own men.
A moment later the door opened and a group of big Jasani males filed into the room. As large as the room was, the Jasani warriors seemed to fill it to overflowing with their presence. Maxim, Loni and Ran went straight to Summer, Maxim holding his hand out to help her up off the floor. After their greetings, Maxim led her to a sofa where the two of them sat, Loni and Ran taking up a position standing behind them. The Lobos greeted Saige and settled around her on another sofa, while the Gryphons stood nearby.
The Dracon Princesses squealed in fresh delight as their fathers entered the room, racing toward them as they had the Bearens earlier. Garen, Trey and Val spent a few moments greeting their daughters, then set them back down to play with their toys. The Bearens and Eldar Hamat took chairs and the Dracons joined Lariah on the sofa where she sat.
“As you ladies are aware, we have just come from viewing the Xanti,” Garen began after everyone was settled. “Once again, Arima Katre, I wish to thank you for your efforts on behalf of all Jasan.”
“I did not do it alone,” Summer replied. “Maxim, Loni and Ran, as well as the crew of the Vyand, Doc, and Darleen Flowers also played big roles in our success.”
Garen nodded. “Before we begin the main portion of our discussion, I would like to address the subject of Darleen Flowers.”
Summer tensed a little next to Maxim, but schooled her features to stillness. She had no clue what the Prince was going to say. She knew only that she would defend Darleen in all ways, at all times.
“I have spoken with everyone involved concerning Darleen’s past crimes,” Garen said. “The general consensus is that she should be given a pardon due to the valor she displayed at the Li-Hach-Cor compound, and also in consideratio
n of the year she spent as a captive. However, I am not altogether certain that is the wisest course of action at this time.”
Summer forced herself to remain calm and keep her mouth shut. This was the High Prince of Jasan, after all, so leaping up and calling him names was probably not going to be helpful.
“Part of the reason I am not convinced is that I have not met this new and improved version of Darleen Summers,” Garen continued. “Also, I cannot forget that one woman, Riata, is no longer with us. I greatly admired and respected Riata, and the Jasani people owe a dept of gratitude to her.”
“Garen,” Saige said softly, instantly gaining the attention of all in the room. “Riata has asked that Darleen be forgiven for her actions. Further, I must tell you that Darleen has her own role in the future of the Clan Jasani. What that role is, I don’t know, but it was enough that Riata told me of it. You don’t need to forgive her, nor do you need to pardon her. However, I ask that you leave her to continue as she is now.”
“That’s good, because I do not wish to pardon her,” Garen admitted. “Because of her, we lost a faithful and honorable Healer, and we nearly lost Lariah and our daughters, not to mention you, Saige. But, I am not so thick-headed that I have forgotten what the Nine said to us the other night. Because of that, I will follow your advice Saige, and leave Darleen as she is. I understand that she wishes to be allowed to continue in her quest to free those women still missing, and that is an honorable task that I have no objection to. When she is finished with that quest, we will revisit this issue.”
Summer wanted to say something in Darleen’s defense, but she knew that there really wasn’t anything to be said. Darleen had made bad choices for bad reasons. She not only admitted it, she also agreed that she had to pay the price for her actions. The Prince was not being cruel or unjust. He was, in fact, giving Darleen exactly what she had asked for; time to free her fellow abductees.
The Bearens' Hope: Book Four of the Soul-Linked Saga Page 4
