The Chosen

by K. J. Nessly

“Do you have any plans for today, Dave?” Natalie asked after they had eaten.

  David noticed she looked more awake now that she had eaten and her frown had mostly disappeared. “Not particularly no, why?”

  Natalie shrugged. “I was wondering if we could visit the village today.”

  Kathryn and Jenna, who had been in the process of clearing the dishes, stopped and stared at her. Even Matt, who had been suspecting something big, was taken aback. All looked at David waiting for his answer.

  He thought about for a couple moments. “I guess I don’t see why we couldn’t go,” he finally decided.

  Natalie shrieked with delight and ran upstairs to change.

  “I hope you know what you’ve just gotten yourself into,” Matt warned.

  “Whatwe’ve gotten ourselves into,” David corrected. “We’re all going.”

  “I’m not going,” Kathryn spoke up, surprising them all.

  Dave turned to face her. “Why not?”

  She turned to face him, her face expressionless. “I need to exercise Destiny and I can’t do that while visiting the village.”

  “Can’t you do that after we get back?”

  “No.”

  He turned to her looking very surprised. “Why not?”

  “Because we’re going to be gone all day.”

  David frowned at her. “I don’t know if I like the idea of you going out by yourself.”

  “I’m not going to be alone. Destiny and Lerina will be with me,” she reminded him somewhat sharply.

  At her words, David was sent back in time to the day he met her on the cliffs—when she had tersely informed him that she wasn’t climbing alone and that Lord Jasse had approved Destiny to be her companion. Finally he nodded.

  Kathryn stood and without saying another word exited the house.

  “Is she always like this?” David asked the remainder of his team.

  Jenna nodded slowly. “Kathryn keeps to herself, especially now that Natalie and Lindsey are haranguing her every chance they get.”

  Luke shook his head sadly. “Now we barely even see her between shifts, she completes her chores, gives about a one radian training session for the rest of us, and then disappears into the forest and doesn’t return until her second shift begins.”

  So Matt had been telling the truth. Everyone had noticed. Except him. “Does anyone know where she goes?”

  Matt looked at him in amazement. “Have you ever tried to track her? It’s like trying to track the air—impossible.” He cocked his head to one side. “Maybe I should ask her for extra lessons…” Mulling over the idea, he retreated back into the kitchen.

  Tracking the air, David thought. I can track the air with my power.

  “I seriously doubt that she’ll spend all day exercising with Destiny,” Jenna added. “It was probably just an excuse so that she doesn’t have to spend all day in Natalie’s company.”

  David frowned. “I guess that’s one thing I’ll have to work on.”

  “What do you have to work on?” Natalie asked as she bounded into the room.

  Slightly startled David shook his head. “Nothing. Are you ready to go?”

  “Yes.” She looked around the room. “Where’s Kathryn?”

  “She decided to spend the day with Destiny.”

  Natalie nodded happily. “Good, she’s boring. I’m glad she’s not coming.” She turned to ask Jenna a question and missed David’s frown.

  Chapter 14

  After a few more minutes of preparation the group was ready to travel. As they saddled their horses, David caught sight of Kathryn leaving. Hurriedly he put down his bags and rushed toward her. “Kathryn, wait a second.”

  She paused, turning in her saddle. Destiny sat perched on the horn preening. She wasn’t in uniform but wore a white cloak over her similarly colored tunic, jerkin, and tights.Where did she get those clothes? He’d never seen her in anything but black-gray or green.

  “Are you sure you won’t come with us?”

  “I have no interest in seeing a village I’ve already seen a dozen times while on patrol,” she replied tersely.

  “And I really do not like the idea of you going off alone, unarmored, and unarmed,” he reiterated.

  “Something you made abundantly clear at breakfast. And I am armed,” she added coldly. Her breath came out in clouds of white frost, giving her the appearance of a snow queen ready to turn him into an icicle.

  Even her tone of voice added to the illusion. The ice was warmer than her manner. Oh yes, the distant and cold woman from the cliff was back. “What happens if you get into trouble that you can’t handle?” he asked a little impatiently. “How will the rest of us know to come and help you?”

  Kathryn pierced him with a look that told him exactly what she thought ofthat idea. “Unlike others in the Dragons,” she said coldly. “I don’t get into trouble I can’t handle.”

  He had a suspicion he knew exactly who she was referring to. And while he didn’t argue with her on that point, he did have another concern. “And what if the situation develops to a point beyond your control? David pointed out. “You can’t control every situation.”

  She looked at him for a long time. Finally she asked, “Do you have a suggestion?”

  “Come with us.”

  “Other than that.”

  David sighed and thought a moment. His eyes landed on the eagle. “How about using Destiny as a signal?”

  Kathryn’s eyes flickered towards the bird still perched and preening on her saddle horn, “Destiny as a signal?”

  “You train Destiny to fly to me when you’re in trouble.”

  “To you?”

  David wished she would drop the condescension in her tone. “Yes to me,” he ground out tersely. It was as if she was deliberately trying to make him dislike her. “Train her to come to me and land on my shoulder.”

  “She won’t even let youpet her,” she reminded him.

  “She obeysyou. I’m sure you can manage.”

  “I’ll consider it,” Kathryn said as she turned to leave.

  His irritation overflowed. “One more thing.”

  She turned towards him, impatience flickering across her face for an instant. “Now what?”

  “You and Destiny agreed to give a climbing demonstration, when were you planning on showing the rest of the Dragons?”

  She gave him a frigid look, reminding him just who exactly had forced her into such an agreement, before she waved her hand around. “Do you see any cliffs around here?” she asked impatiently. “When you see one let me know, otherwise good day.”

  David watched her ride off before returning to his horse. It had taken tremendous self-control not to remind the agitated woman that there was a training wall in their backyard. He couldn’t blame her completely though. He’d let his aggravation dictate his interaction with her. From now on he would put “questioning her competency” first on the topics he should never bring up in her presence. It was a reminder he shouldn’t have needed. Logic told him that if he didn’t trust her, he would never have let her lead two shifts on her own. So why did every conversation he had with her seem to bring it up?

  Exhaling in frustration, this time with himself, he urged Rumer in the direction of the stables. Luke was just exiting, cooing softly to his mount, as he approached.

  “Whatever you needed to talk to Kathryn about, I’m guessing it didn’t go well,” he remarked after taking one look at his friend’s face.

  David let out a heavy sigh. “I tried to get her to agree to train Destiny to fly to me in case she got into any trouble she couldn’t handle.”

  “I’m pretty sure I can guess how wellthat idea went with her.”

  David grunted as his friend swung himself up into his saddle. “Luke,” he said shaking his head. “For the first time I can understand why Natalie might want to annoy her.”

  “That bad, huh?”

  “I’ve seen nobles who were nicer.”

  “Well Kathryn d
oesn’t like feeling boxed in, which I’m sure is what being a part of this family feels like at times.”

  Throwing a sideways glance at his friend, David asked, “When did you become so wise?”

  Luke shrugged. “Guess that’s what happens when I spend a lot of time around Amy.” He glanced over to where the rest of the group was still saddling and chatting, and then turned back to face his friend speaking in a low tone, “although for being Kathryn’s besthuman friend she knows about as much as we do about Kathryn’s past.”

  “Luke,” David said as the others began to join them, “I have a feeling only Kathryn knows the truth.”

  “And she’s not telling.”

  “Who’s not telling what?” Natalie demanded as she rode up between them.

  David grabbed frantically for an answer that didn’t involve Kathryn, but Luke smoothly stepped in. “Where Cass learned her cooking skills. It couldn’t have been at the school, they fed us bricks for biscuits.”

  Natalie rolled her eyes dramatically and shrugged. “Who cares, let’s go shop!”

  David fought to keep his head from shaking. Now he understood why Kathryn felt the urge to get away from Natalie.

  They rode into the village in groups. David led Natalie, Leia, and Rachel. Luke led Matt and Jenna. Natalie talked the entire way about things David hadn’t thought were worthy to start a conversation, let alone be the subject of one for twenty minutes. Finally they reached Leneal.

  Natalie dismounted with a bounce and hurried into the market place, Rachel right behind her.

  David and Leia took a slower pace and gently allowed themselves to become one with the villagers.

  Leneal was a large village complete with, taverns, pubs, blacksmith, a trading square, market square, apothecary, prison house, and town hall. The trading square was surrounded by variously sized booths that could be closed up and secured at the end of the trading day. The booths sported various and sundry goods ranging from those locally grown and crafted to the exotic and arcane imported from beyond the kingdom. Its cobblestone streets cut down on the dust during the summer months and provided easy access to the residential areas. In truth, the village was more like a large town, but the people preferred to call Leneal a village because of the camaraderie shared by its inhabitants.

  Because they didn’t have anything to trade, the Dragons bypassed the trading square and headed to the market. Due to the weather, the market square had been tented with large sailcloth sheets and small fires were burning on the corner of each stand giving off a smoky but warm atmosphere.

  Natalie and Rachel immediately gravitated towards a fabric merchant and began perusing the numerous bolts displayed. Leia stopped at a nearby booth that sold books while David stood back and watched them. He had no interests in any of the items displayed, although he needed a new pitchfork since Luke had broken the last one while attempting to throw it like a spear. He smiled at the memory. Luke was excellent in battle but clueless in the barn. Matt was outraged at the abuse the farm tools had been subjected to since Luke had started working in the barn and kept referring to him as the careless high-born.

  Leia rejoined him, watching Natalie and Rachel bicker with the merchant over costs. “What is she going to do with all that fabric?” David asked.

  Leia shrugged, paging through the small book she had bought, which as far as David could see only contained blank pages. “Who knows, I’ve never understood why the nobles need so many clothes.”

  “Me either,” David agreed.

  She glanced up from her planned purchase to look at him. “But,” glancing around to make sure no one was listening, she lowered her voice and asked, “don’t you come from a noble family?”

  He grinned. “Just because I come from a noble family, doesn’t mean that I fully understand or agree with all the noble practices.”

  “Are there any more like you?”

  “Sure, we just get sidelined by the majority who like things the way they are.”

  “Too bad that’s something we can’t change.”

  “We?”

  Leia looked around cautiously again, making sure that no one was eavesdropping on their conversation. “We as in…you know,” she said quietly, unable to voice their profession. “Nobility harbors such deep prejudices that it’s hard for them to get along with anybody who’s not a noble.”

  David nodded his agreement, watching as Natalie and the merchant finally settled on a price. “Believe me, Leia. I feel the same way you do. It’s almost too bad we are who we are and therefore can’t afford to draw attention to ourselves.”

  Natalie and Rachel joined them, each toting two bolts of fabric. “Shall we continue?” Natalie asked brightly.

  “Natalie, what in the kingdom’s name are you going to do with all this fabric?” Leia asked as she eyed the four bolts.

  Natalie shrugged and tossed her hair over her shoulder, an impressive move for someone whose hands were full. “Save it for a rainy day? Who knows? I just like to have it on hand. What did you get?”

  Leia blushed. “Just a small journal for writing and drawing.” She nervously slipped it into the front pocket of her dress, as if she was ashamed of it. “I’m trying to work on my drawing skills.”

  “If you want I could ask Lindsey to give you some lessons, she’s an excellent artist and loves to teach.”

  Leia’s eyes grew wide. “Would you?” She asked breathlessly. “I would appreciate it so much. I love to draw—I’m just not good at it.”

  Natalie graced her with a dazzling smile. “I bet Lindsey could have you drawing like a professional in no time.”

  They moved on, Natalie stopped at nearly every booth and almost always bought something. By the time they met up with the others halfway though, Natalie had acquired a box full of feminine items that no man would ever be caught dead with let alone know how to use, four bolts of fabric, a harp, needles and thread, two small wooden boxes, tea herbs, fabric dyes, a new spindle for the spinning wheel, and several other items he didn’t know how to identify. And since Leia was eyeing some of those items just as curiously, he surmised that they weren’t merely items to pander to female pastimes.

  David had managed to buy a pitchfork, only to notice that Luke had done the exact same thing.

  “Now we have a spare for when I break this one,” Luke laughed after seeing the two pitchforks.

  “Natalie, what in the region did you buy?” Matt asked incredulously, eying the bulging saddlebags.

  She pushed out her lower lip in a sulky pout. “Just items I thought we needed.”

  Cautiously, Matt poked a finger beneath the flap of the first bag. “A harp? Why do we need a harp?” he asked as the first item revealed itself to him.

  “Our house is too quiet. We need some music,” Natalie sparkled emphatically.

  David laughed out loud. “Do you know how to play the harp, Natalie?”

  She turned to smile at him. “No, but Cass does. I’m sure we can get her to play for us.”

  “I’m sure she would be delighted to play for us,” David agreed, “After we convince her that we really do want to hear her play and that she really is good enough to play for us.”

  Everyone laughed at that observation. Cass was talented in several areas but extremely self-conscious about her abilities. She was the only one who would ever think she wasn’t good enough to do anything, while being the first one to tell someone else that they had exceptional talent and were good enough.

  The group parted and continued on their separate ways. David bought a new feed sack near the end of the marketplace while Natalie continued to buy up nearly everything in sight.

  Shortly before mid-day they regrouped and purchased seasoned pork, broiled skimmer fish, goat cheese, black beans, and freshly baked bread. The girls trumped up sandwiches for the group that they devoured and washed down with a light ale. Afterward they fed, watered and loaded the pack horses with Natalie’s goods.

  As they rode home, the sun reached its ze
nith but it offered no reprieve from the winter temperatures. The air was as cold as an icehouse and chapped their skin. As his breath came and went in bursts of white fog, David couldn’t help but wonder what Kathryn had done all morning and if she would be home when they arrived.

  Kathryn rode off struggling to contain her anger. So David wanted her to train Destiny to fly to him in case of an emergency. Hah! That was a laugh. There was no way she was about to train Destiny to respond to him. It was bad enough having Jasse able to instruct her bird, but David too? Absolutely not!

  Kathryn shooed Destiny off her perch and nudged Lerina into a gallop. Destiny let out an annoyed call and took off overhead. As she rode Kathryn’s anger mounted.

  To think that David had had the nerve to insinuate that she got herself into trouble. It wasn’t like she was Natalie. Just last night it had been Natalie who had gotten herself into trouble right at the beginning of the shift and the rest of the Dragons had had to get her out of trouble. Kathryn could still feel the echoes of the headache resulting from that particular adventure. Natalie had insisted on intervening in a small argument that had needed no Guardian intervention and the result had sent the entire tavern into a huge brawl—and that was only the beginning of the night. For the next four radians Natalie and found multiple ways to make trouble. Even Luke and Tyler had been on the verge of strangling her.

  No, Kathryn decided,Natalie is the type who needs an emergency signal, not me. She rode hard for the entire morning, exploring the forest and the surrounding areas—pushing Lerina, Destiny, and herself to the limit.

  By mid-afternoon she was hot, tired, and sweaty. She led Lerina back to the glade where her waterfall sat frozen and dismounted. Removing the halter and loosening the saddle straps she patted her horse’s neck and opened her palm to reveal a treat. Lerina eagerly went for the orange calby tuber and Kathryn smiled.

  She climbed up onto the rocks next to the falls and sat down on one of the rocks, the cold seeping past her unprotected clothing. The sweat that she had worked up began to freeze on her skin. Shivering, she pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders but didn’t stand up, reveling in the sensation of being able to feel, even if it was unpleasant. Pulling her hair out of its bun she let it tumble down her back, shaking it out to release the stiffness of being pulled back all day in the cold weather. She would never admit it to anyone, but there were many days where putting her hair up gave her a headache. Letting it down, something she never did back at the house, was a relief.