Quest for the Sun Orb

by Laura Jo Phillips

  “Yes, a bit,” she admitted. “I know that even should you agree with Una, you would not say such a thing to me. You are a good man, Tomas.”

  “Why do you think I am good?” Tomas asked before he could stop himself. “Few people do, you know.”

  “No, I do not know that,” she replied. “And I don’t think you are good, I know it. Your aura tells me.”

  “What is an aura?”

  “It is difficult to explain,” she said. “It appears to me as a colored light that surrounds you. Your aura is blue, like the sky on a bright spring day. The first time that I saw you there was a lot of gray in it, and it was very small, and I knew that you suffered great sorrow. Now, it is larger, and brighter, though there is more gray around the edges now that you’ve been thinking of Saigar. You are happier now, I think, in spite of your sadness. But there is no evil in you, Tomas. If there was, I would see it.”

  “I thought you could not see after the sun went down,” he said.

  “I do not see auras with my eyes,” she replied. “And please, don’t ask me how I see them because I do not know. I only know that I do. I also know that just now your aura brightened considerably. Why is that?”

  “Probably because you have just told me that there is no evil in me,” Tomas replied.

  “You thought that you were evil?” Tiari asked in disbelief. “How could you think such a thing about yourself?” As soon as the words were out of her mouth she knew the answer. “Saigar.”

  “Yes, Saigar,” Tomas agreed. “I feared that my friendship with him, and my blindness toward his evil, meant that I was evil as well.”

  “I suppose that makes sense,” Tiari said. “But it is not correct. You are not evil, Tomas. I really think you must discuss this with Prince Zakiel and Karma. She is Lady Techu, speaker for the dead, is she not?”

  Tomas blinked in surprise. Why had he not thought of that? “If I decide to speak with them, would you mind coming with me?”

  “You would want me there?” Tiari asked in surprise.

  “Yes,” Tomas replied. As he spoke, he looked up to see Kapia entering from the neighboring tent and leapt to his feet.

  “Good evening, Cousin,” he said politely.

  “Hello, Tomas,” Kapia replied.

  “Are you all right?” Tiari asked, hearing the tension in Kapia’s voice.

  “Yes, and no,” Kapia said with a short laugh. “I’m worried about Bredon, mostly.”

  “Sir Bredon is both intelligent, and strong,” Tomas said. “If anyone can get through the trials he now faces, he can, and will.”

  “Thank you, Tomas,” Kapia said. She stepped forward and impulsively threw her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. “It means a lot to me that you think that, and that you are trying to reassure me, Cousin.”

  “It means a lot to me that you would so easily forgive my years of stupidity,” Tomas said in a low voice. “Thank you, Kapia.”

  Kapia gave Tomas one more squeeze, then stepped back. “I don’t wish to be rude, but I must go to bed at once.”

  “Of course,” Tomas said. “I will get out of your way.”

  “You are not in the way, Tomas,” Kapia said quickly. “Please, stay and keep Tiari company.”

  Once Kapia was gone, Tomas sat down again. “The reason I came to see you this evening was to let you know that I’ve found a blade that I think will be prefect for you,” he said.

  “Really?” Tiari asked, excited. “May I see it?” She blushed. “I meant, may I touch it, since obviously I cannot see at the moment.”

  “I understood you,” Tomas said, smiling at her blush. “I’m afraid I cannot let you touch it until Nikura examines it first. It belonged to Saigar, and I will take no chances with your health and well being.”

  “I understand,” she said. She was disappointed, but also pleased that Tomas seemed to care that much about her.

  “If Nikura clears it, I will need another day or two to make some preparations. After that, how soon would you like to begin your lessons?”

  “Right away, if that’s all right with you, Tomas,” she said.

  “That’s very all right with me,” he replied.

  Tiari’s face lit up. “I can hardly wait. Are you sure you don’t mind teaching me?”

  “I’m positive,” Tomas replied. “In truth, I am looking forward to it as much as you are.”

  “You are such a kind man, Tomas,” Tiari said before yawning widely. “Please excuse me,” she said, blushing again. “As much as I would like to stay up and talk away the night with you, I’m afraid that I’m not used to long days in the saddle.”

  “I remember what that’s like, believe it or not,” Tomas said. “We will have more opportunities to talk, should you wish it.”

  “That makes it easier for me,” she said. Tiari stood up, glad that she’d had a few days to learn the layout of the tent. She didn’t want to make a fool of herself in front of Tomas by walking into the walls or tripping over something.

  “Your bath is ready, if you still want it,” Lashi said from behind her. Tiari considered skipping it. After her long conversation with Tomas she wanted nothing more than to go to bed where she could go over it in her mind, word for word, and commit it to memory as she fell asleep. But she knew how much time and effort had gone in to preparing a tub of hot water for her, and she would not let Lashi’s work go to waste.

  “Thank you, Lashi,” she said. “Goodnight, Tomas.”

  “Sleep well, Tiari,” Tomas said, his voice sounding oddly strangled to her ears. Her smile faltered a little. Had she said something wrong? She couldn’t ask him with Lashi standing right beside her, so she turned and went through the flap into her sleeping chamber.

  Tomas stood there for a few long moments, staring at the flap of heavy fabric that separated him from Tiari as images of her in a tub of steaming water rolled through his mind. He could see her so clearly; her pale skin glistening with moisture, strands of damp hair framing her face, her blue eyes heavy lidded, her sweet lips turned up in an inviting smile. He shook his head in an effort to dispel the images, and resolutely turned his back on the entrance to her chamber. Perhaps it would be best if he spent the next hour or so guarding the women’s tent from the outside, in the cool, fresh air.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Bredon? Can you hear me, Bredon?”

  “Yes, I can hear you,” Bredon said, wondering if she could hear the sheer relief in his mental voice. “I had almost decided you wouldn’t be able to speak with me tonight.”

  “I’m sorry, Bredon,” Kapia said. “I was speaking with Zakiel. He wants me to ask if you can tell him where you are.”

  Bredon had expected this ever since he’d spoken to Kapia the night before. He knew he’d have to provide Zakiel with some landmark that was significant enough to appear on one of his charts, and had been on the lookout all day.

  “Tell Zakiel that I’m watching for something that will help him to mark my location,” he said. “I’ve been traveling through an area of rolling hills and small woods for two days now, but I’ve seen no people, no mountains, no water large enough to be anything but seasonal. As soon as I see something, I’ll let you know.”

  “All right, I’ll tell him,” Kapia replied. “Using what you told me last night, Zakiel figures you are about two weeks from Darkly Fen right now. Give or take.”

  “Thank you, Kapia, that helps a lot,” Bredon said with some relief. He hated not knowing where he was, or how far he was from his destination, but Marene was being incredibly secretive on that subject. “How are you, Kapia? Are you well?”

  “It helps a great deal that I can speak with you now, Bredon,” she replied. “I miss you so much, and I worry about you all the time.”

  “I’m sorry to put you through so much distress,” he said. “I would not have done so had I any other choice.”

  “I know that, Bredon,” she replied. “I would not have expected anything from you other than what you did. I’m jus
t feeling a bit sorry for myself I suppose.”

  “I’ve never known you to indulge in self-pity, Kapia, and I’ve known you since the day of your birth. Somehow, I doubt you’ve taken up the practice now.”

  “Bredon, I have a confession to make,” Kapia said hesitantly. “I don’t want to make you angry, but I have to tell you this.”

  “You can tell me anything, Kapia,” Bredon said. “What is it?”

  “It’s about your knife, Mintaka-Til. It had dark magic in it, from Marene. It’s how she found us when we went to claim the Moon Orb. I couldn’t keep carrying it, but I couldn’t just throw it away either, so I left it in the cradle where the Moon Orb was. I’m so sorry, Bredon. You entrusted it to me, and I know I let you down, but honestly, I didn’t know what else to do.”

  “It’s all right, Kapia,” Bredon said. “Do not worry yourself so. Worrow told me that the knife was tainted. I’m the one who must apologize to you for giving you a gift that put you in such danger. I promise you, I am not upset with you, and I’m glad that you no longer carry it. There is nothing, no one, more important to me than you, Kapia Thank you for putting it in a safe place, though. I would have understood had you tossed it into the sea.”

  “I couldn’t do that,” Kapia said. “One day, I will return for it. When all of this is over and the world is safe again.”

  “One day, you and I will go and retrieve it, together,” Bredon said.

  “I like that idea very much,” Kapia said.

  “Your voice is growing faint,” Bredon said. “Are you getting tired?”

  “Yes, I’m afraid so,” she replied. “Before we stop, did you learn anything new about the artifact from Marene?”

  “Not very much,” Bredon replied. “She told me it was a scepter of some sort, left behind by some demons, but other than that I got nothing useful. I’ll keep trying.”

  “All right, I’ll let Zakiel know,” Kapia said, her voice so soft now that he had to strain to hear her.

  “How much of a toll does this take on you?” Bredon asked. “Physically, I mean.”

  “It’s more draining than I expected,” Kapia admitted. “But I don’t care. It lets me talk with you.”

  “I care,” Bredon said. “As much as it means to me to hear your voice, I think you must limit yourself. Perhaps once a week?”

  “No, Bredon, that is not enough,” she objected. “I admit I don’t think I can do this every day. But please, not once a week.”

  “What do you suggest then?” Bredon asked.

  “Every other day.”

  “No, that is too much,” Bredon said. “How about twice a week?”

  “All right,” Kapia said reluctantly. “If I become stronger, I’ll contact you more often though.”

  “Agreed,” Bredon said. “Right now I barely can hear you, my beloved, so please, go and rest now.”

  “Goodnight, Bredon. I will try to speak with you again on the third night after tonight.”

  “I’m already looking forward to it, surna,” Bredon replied. “Sleep well, and please, take care of yourself.”

  Bredon felt Kapia leave, and was instantly sad at the loss. More than anything he wanted to be with her, but he knew that he was incredibly lucky just to be able to speak with her. He admonished himself to be happy with what he had and climbed into his bed roll. One way or another, he would rid himself of the pestilence in his head named Marene. When he did, he would return to Kapia as quickly as he could. With that goal in mind, he fell asleep.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Here,” Tomas said, offering a plain leather scabbard to Tiari. “Nikura checked this carefully and declared it free of dark magic.”

  Tiari looked at him in mild reproof. “I know that you would never give me anything that you were not certain was safe.”

  Tomas smiled, amazed that she trusted him so easily. “That is true, in a sense,” he said. “However, blades are dangerous all by themselves if one does not practice proper care around them.”

  “Dangerous how?” Tiari asked as she accepted the leather scabbard. It was lighter than she’d expected, and quite slender. The leather was dark, with a few scratches and nicks in it. The silver handle of the blade extended from one end of the scabbard, but she did not try to pull it out.

  “This is very sharp,” Tomas warned. “The blade is two edged, meaning it is sharp on both sides, unlike cooking knives you may be used to. It would be all too easy for you to seriously injure yourself with this if you are the least bit careless.”

  “How am I to learn with something so dangerous?” Tiari asked, suddenly nervous.

  “We will use wooden practice swords,” Tomas said. He bent down and removed two wooden swords from the bag. They looked just like swords except they were made from wood, and had many nicks and scratches on them.

  “I asked Sir Stiven to alter this one to more closely match the size and weight of the sword you will be using,” he said, taking the sword from her and handing her the wooden one instead. “That’s why we had to wait a couple of days before beginning.”

  “Which one is Sir Stiven?” Tiari asked as he bent to return the real sword to the bag. “I must be sure to thank him for his efforts. This feels just a shade heavier than the steel one. He did an excellent job.”

  “Yes, he did,” Tomas said. “He is an excellent carver. I have thanked him, but if you like I will introduce you to him later so you may do the same.”

  “Thank you,” Tiari said. “What do I do first?”

  “To begin, we will go over the proper way to hold your sword, and a few safety rules.”

  “All right,” Tiari agreed eagerly. She did not care if they began by learning how to make a sword, so long as he taught her how to use it.

  “I want you to continue to hold the sword as long as you can while we do this,” Tomas said.

  “Um...all right,” Tiari asked, thinking that was a strange thing to say.

  “As light as that thing feels now, I promise you that it will soon become heavy. You need to build up your strength so that you can wield it for extended periods of time without tiring.”

  “Oh, that makes sense,” Tiari said brightly.

  As Tomas went over the basics of sword safety and the first stances and forms, he began to relax a little. Tiari was a good listener and an eager student, and he found that he enjoyed teaching her. Especially when he realized that she had a definite flair for the sword.

  She held it as though it were an extension of her own arm, something that his own teachers had tried to get him to do, but which he’d never fully succeeded at. The bow was his weapon, not the sword. But it was obviously Tiari’s.

  He ended the lesson when he saw that she was straining to hold the practice sword correctly. He realized that she would never willingly end the lesson herself by admitting to fatigue. He would need to keep a careful eye on her lest she harm herself.

  “That’s enough for today,” he said, not mentioning her arm which was now trembling visibly.

  “That was wonderful, Tomas,” she said, ignoring her discomfort. What was a little pain compared to the gift he was giving her? “Thank you so much for doing this.”

  “You are most welcome, Tiari,” he said, smiling at her enthusiasm. He remembered feeling that way about learning the bow.

  “That went well,” Karma said, joining them. Tomas had seen her watching them after she finished her lesson with Kapia, and was relieved by her presence. If he was doing a poor job of teaching Tiari, he wanted to know about it.

  “Yes, it did,” Tomas agreed. “Was my teaching all right?”

  “Your teaching was perfect,” Karma said. “I don’t know much about the sword, but she seems to have a natural feel for it, much like Kapia and I have for the staff.”

  “Yes, I think so too,” Tomas said.

  “Does that mean you think I’ll really be able to learn enough to defend myself?” Tiari asked hopefully.

  “It means that we think you won’t need to be
taught very much before your natural affinity for the blade takes over,” Karma said.

  “You’re going to be very good with this weapon,” Tomas said. “Your biggest problem is that you need to gain strength. But that will come in time with the food and exercise you are now getting.”

  “Is there anything I can do to hurry that along?”

  “I can give you some exercises to do while riding during the day,” Karma said. “They worked well for Kapia, and will help to build strength. The most important thing is that you work at it daily, and continue to eat well.”

  “Thank you, Karma,” Tiari said. “You cannot believe what this means to me.”

  “Actually, I can,” Karma said with a smile. “By the way, Tomas, I think it would be wise to split each lesson. Teach her something, then blindfold her and go over it again. That way she will develop her skills both with and without sight.”

  “I will do that, Karma,” Tomas said. “Thank you for the reminder. Here, Tiari, I have one more thing for you.” He bent down and reached into the bag once more, this time pulling out a thick leather belt that had been cut down significantly. He threaded the leather through the slits on the scabbard, then stood up and handed it to Tiari.

  “You should start wearing this regularly,” he said. “It can be difficult to become used to having the extra weight on one side of your body. Only wear it until you become fatigued, then take it off. Eventually you will be able to wear it without noticing it.”

  Tiari eagerly wrapped the belt around her waist, but it was immediately obvious that it wasn’t going to work. As small as the sword was, it still nearly touched the ground. Tomas frowned as he watched Tiari take a few experimental steps. Her knee bumped it on the first step, her foot on the second, and it became caught in a small bush on the third.

  “I once knew a woman who fought with a sword,” Karma said. “Summer Katre is quite tall, and the blade she used was quite long, but I think the proportions are much the same as Tiari’s to that blade. Summer often carried her sword on her back, in a harness designed for that purpose. I think that might work for Tiari.”