Tianna was getting more apprehensive as she saw the exit growing larger. She slowed her horse and hung back, letting the Draaks lead. By the time Tianna exited the tunnel, the members of the quest were already surrounded by people racing forward to greet the returning warriors. While she listened to people cheer, Tianna slid off her horse but stayed back in the shadows. She took a minute to gaze on Haven.
Haven was amazing. It was a stronghold build up the cliff side and into the mountain. Everything as far as she could see looked like it was carved right out of the rock. The buildings, homes, roads, and walls were all made out of solid stone. She had suspected that Haven would be made of grey stone like a human castle, but this stone held many colors within its depths. She could see the reds, browns, and yellows of minerals, layers of different kinds of stones swirled together, and even what looked to be embedded gems. When the sun struck a wall, it gave off a slight twinkling.
What she didn’t see anywhere was the color green. Other than moss creeping along some of the walls, she could see no trees, bushes, or even flowers. Green seemed to be a color that wasn’t in their nature-made decorating vocabulary. She knew there had to be green somewhere since they needed to grow crops and raise cattle for food. She had seen her Draaks eat during their travels so she knew they loved food—a lot of food.
The buildings themselves were tall and strong, intertwining together with curving roads snaking between. As she scanned up the mountain, she could see more and more structures and turrets. In the distance, a waterfall flowed magically over the side of the mountain. She couldn’t see where it landed but, based on the placement of the structures, it must flow under the main part of Haven.
As Tianna continued to admire the lay of the land from her shadowed corner, people continued to appear from every direction. Some ran, some walked, while others flew in as fully shifted dragons.
In Haven, people shifted back and forth from their dragon form which left many standing around naked. She had traveled with males for months now so she should’ve been comfortable around nudity, but she still wasn’t. She was raised human, which came with different stigma associated with public nudity. Her Faye nature would fit in well with Draak customs but, when her Faye side wasn’t in play, she continued to struggle with public nudity. She wondered if some day she would ever be so comfortable. She thought to herself, “The Draaks must have thought I was being so silly. They really didn’t care if they saw my body or not.”
As she watched, Tianna felt like she was intruding in private scenes between family members and wanted nothing more than to go hide in a tree, except there were no trees. She just prayed none of the naked individuals came to greet her.
Tianna saw a beautiful woman with a young girl in her arms running toward Marcus. She knew this must be his mate Sharay and daughter Isabella. As soon as Marcus saw them, he jumped off his horse and ran to them with his arms wide. He picked up both of his girls and hugged them tight. When he and his mate kissed, it was so full of love that it made a lump form in Tianna’s throat. Once they came up for air, his little girl gave him a big kiss and hugged his neck so hard Marcus started to laugh. He held her tight and seemed like he would never let her go.
Tianna watched as Seth was greeted by a couple that she figured must be his parents. He had never talked much about his family. They seemed happy to see him but didn’t have the overwhelming love of Marcus’ family. She would have to ask him about that someday.
Gabriel was met by several Draaks that had a striking resemblance to him. They were all Gabriel’s size, or just a little smaller, but they all looked just as tough. Tianna assumed they were some of his many sons.
Tianna enjoyed watching the family reunions until she witnessed Nathaniel’s reunion. It wasn’t a mother, father, or siblings that greeted him. It was a mob of beautiful, tall, strong females. He had at least a dozen of them trying to hang onto him. Some were bold enough they jumped into his arms and wrapped their legs tight around his waist while kissing him senseless. The pain in Tianna chest went from longing to anger.
When Tianna saw Raven heading his way, she decided that was her cue to be anyplace else. She left her horse with a young Draak that had come around to collect them. When they saw her, they just stared not knowing what to make of her. Ignoring their reaction, Tianna simply handed them her reins and started, walking up the road. She hugged the outer edge of the crowd and everyone backed away from her as she scooted around them. She figured she could give herself her own tour and catch back up with her friends later.
Tianna had advanced to where the crowd numbers had thinned when she heard her name being called. She knew it was Gabriel. She slouched, bowed her head, and quickened her pace. She really didn’t want to become the main item on display in a show and tell.
Gabriel called her name again. His voice was getting louder so she knew he was pushing through the crowd toward her. There was nowhere really to go so she straightened her shoulders, turned around, and watched Gabriel and his family members head her way.
When Gabriel was next to her, he asked a little perplexed, “Where are you going?”
Tianna scanned the ever growing crowd and said, “I felt a little out of place, so I was going to try to find a quiet corner to hide until the crowd cleared.”
Gabriel grabbed her hand and pulled her next to him as he scanned the young warriors standing around him. “I’d like you all to meet Tianna of the Faye. She’s been our wizard and traveling companion for the last several months.”
Tianna liked hearing her name with a title. They stared at her like they’ve never seen anything quite like her, which was probably the truth. To Tianna’s great relief, it was a look of absolute curiosity and not of fear or disgust.
Gabriel introduced those around him. Some were sons while others were grandsons. As each was introduced, they came forward and kissed her hand. She noticed they breathed in deep as her skin approached their mouths. She guessed her Faye blood was having an effect on them.
She watched as a very handsome warrior stepped forward.
Gabriel smiled and said, “Tianna, I would like you to meet Aryyn.”
During their travels, Tianna had heard quite a bit about him and knew that he was Gabriel’s only child by his third mate. She died while giving birth to him. She also knew he was a captain in the Royal Guard as the mark on his neck confirmed.
She held out her hand to him. “It’s wonderful to finally meet you. Your father has told me all about you.”
Like the others, he placed her fingers in the palm of his hand and raised her hand to his mouth. He gave her the gentlest kiss on her knuckles. As he held her hand close to his mouth, he breathed her scent in deep and sighed. He tilted his head up, glancing deep into her eyes, and gave her a dazzling smile. His smile was an exact match to Gabriel’s. Tianna guessed that he was the spitting image of Gabriel when he was younger and had hair. She couldn’t help but let out a giggle when she thought of a bald Gabriel with hair.
Instead of releasing Tianna’s hand, Aryyn gently turned her hand over, kissing the tips of each of her fingers. These were followed by additional kisses down her palm. She was mesmerized by the feather-light caress of his lips on her skin, and heat started to move up her arm. When his mouth reached her wrist, he blew gently and kissed her on her pulse point.
Tianna’s pulse sped and her body trembled.
Aryyn chuckled at her response. He squeezed her hand and pulled it toward his body, pressing it against his chest. “The pleasure is all ours, my lady. To spend months with this lovely creature at your side would be beyond words.”
His voice caressed Tianna’s body like silk.
When Gabriel heard Tianna sigh deep, he growled and whacked his son on the back of his head saying, “Show off.”
Aryyn reluctantly released her hand and gave his father a broad smile. “You taught me well, father.”
“Too well I fear.”
Aryyn continued to look between Tianna and his father. “Since
I know how busy you’ll be over the next few days, I would like to volunteer my services to escort the fair Tianna around Haven.” He gave her a deep bow.
Gabriel pulled Tianna against the side of his body and said, “Thanks son, but I think I can take care of Tianna.”
Tianna giggled at the exchange, wrapping her arms around Gabriel’s waist and hugging him tight. Aryyn looked at his father with admiration.
Tianna asked Gabriel about the location of the rest of his offspring. He replied, “Some are running around here somewhere, others have moved on to other villages, and a few are out on quests for the Seer. You’ll meet more of them when they come here for the Festival of Fire.”
Soon Gabriel’s family was joined by Seth’s and Marcus’. Introductions were made and Tianna thought that she would never be able to remember all of their names.
Tianna saw Nathaniel being dragged away by his overly-friendly group of admirers. Gabriel must have seen the pain in her eyes because he pulled her closer to him and whispered, “Why don’t we go back to my place, get cleaned up, and rest for a few minutes.”
Tianna nodded in gratitude.
Marcus called to the rest of those around him. “Let’s all meet at the training field for evening meal. You can get us caught up on what has been happening while we’ve been away.”
Everyone agreed and they headed up the street together. Marcus was still holding Isabella tight in his arms. He was talking intently to Sharay so his pace was slower and soon Tianna had caught up with them.
Isabella turned to look at Tianna and smiled. “Are you a princess?” she asked with the curiosity of her six years of age.
Tianna smiled but shook her head. “No, I’m from a village called Trille.”
Isabella held out her hand toward Tianna’s hair. “You look like a princess to me.” She started to stroke her hair and made “Oooo” noises of delight. Tianna let her play with the beads braided into her hair until they split apart to go to their separate homes. Having children nearby made Tianna relax a little. Tianna continued on with Gabriel at her side.
Tianna was pleasantly surprised by Gabriel’s home. Given that he was a warrior, she expected his home to be more like Zarin’s—dark and cluttered with warrior weapons. Instead she found a beautifully decorated home full of color and light. He did have warrior items, but they were all neatly on display.
After she was given a full tour, he asked, “We’ve had a long day. Is there anything I can get for you?”
Tianna sniffed her arms and scrunched up her face. “What I really want is to soak in a hot bath. I smell of horses and sweat.” He gave her a deep bow.
Once the bath was ready, he left her alone to enjoy her private time. Tianna sighed when she sunk deep into the water.
When it was getting close to time for evening meal, Gabriel checked on Tianna, finding that she had already finished her bath and was fast asleep on his bed. He heard a quiet purr coming from her chest. He walked over and smiled down at her, giving her a gentle kiss on her cheek.
She stirred, stretched, and smiled back up at him.
Gabriel whispered, “It’s time to get ready for evening meal. Everyone will be anxious to get to know you.”
Tianna’s face fell and the purring stopped abruptly. “Can’t I just stay here? You need time alone with your family. I don’t want to intrude.”
Gabriel gave her an exasperated sigh. He knew she felt like an outsider and just wanted to hide. He took her hand and pulled her up, saying, “My family is going to love you. Actually, given the looks on my sons’ faces earlier, I’m going to have to keep you close by my side. They might try to steal you away, especially that charmer son of mine, Aryyn.”
As he spoke, Tianna could feel his power surge. She was surprised how much she liked the feeling of protection that she was still sensing from Gabriel, but she said, “Now that we’re in Haven, you don’t have to continue protecting me. Although I like being by your side, I don’t want to interfere with your normal life. I’ll find myself another place to stay.”
He leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose. “You’re part of my family now and are welcome in my home for as long as you want.”
Tianna sat up. “Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
He secretly hoped that she never had to find out.
Gabriel dressed, but Tianna wasn’t sure what to wear. In the end, she put on something comfortable. Since this was the first night to meet his family, she decided to wear the leather dress that she wore the night she met Gabriel. He chuckled in approval.
They arrived at the training field where many of his family members had already gathered and started a large campfire. Tianna watched and listened to the sounds of Gabriel’s sons wrestling with Seth. It didn’t take long before the camp fire was surrounded by not just family but by many others from Haven who wanted to formally welcome the quest home. As the crowd size grew, so did Tianna’s unease. She fell back into the shadows, feeling like an outsider but, every time she found a quiet corner, one of her former traveling companions would find her and pull her back. They all refused to let her hide.
Her unease grew to a painful level when Nathaniel joined the gathering with Raven trailing behind him. Tianna could tell that Nathaniel was angry and was trying to get away from Raven, but Raven refused to leave his side. Tianna didn’t feel sorry for him. He got himself into his situation, he could get himself out.
Tianna tried to ignore them, keeping herself as far away as she could from the couple. As hard as she tried to keep them out of her mind, Tianna felt chills up her spine whenever Raven laughed, which she seemed to do often and in an unnecessarily loud tone. She wanted to walk up to her and whack her in the chest with a branch to knock the laugh out of her. The image brought a brief smile to Tianna’s face.
Throughout the evening, everyone shared events within Haven over the last year while the travelers told their stories of the magical villages they had visited. Everyone cringed when they heard about Tianna indulging in the diet of the Inari.
Tianna defended the people she now considered family and said, “Bugs can be good for you and they don’t all taste bad. The key is in the preparation. I bet I could make you a dish that you would love.”
Seth replied, “I think I speak for everyone when I say, you can keep your bugs. We’ll stick to foods that we don’t normally scrape off the bottom of our feet.”
Seth became very animated when he told the stories of the giant’s from Knightstorm and of the warrior competition. He received sturdy pats on his back when he told of his win in the tracker challenge. Everyone was shocked to hear that Tianna had won at archery. Tianna was grateful that other stories of her at Eden and of Kai remained unspoken.
When Marcus’ mate Sharay asked how the travelers had met Tianna, Gabriel was happy to share how she dropped out of a tree and threatened to kill him. Everyone laughed.
Aryyn was quite pleased to hear of Tianna’s skills in archery and said, “I’m also an archer. Maybe someday soon we can go out to the training field and shoot together.”
Tianna nodded with a smile.
They all shared evening meal together and the stories went on well into the night. Many of the unmated males were distracted from the tales when Tianna sang songs to Isabella and shook out her hair so she could practice making braids. It had already grown several inches since it had been cut and was once again projecting a life of its own. Isabella giggled as Tianna’s hair played back.
When Tianna realized the distraction she had inadvertently caused, she stopped singing and blushed.
Later, when Sharay saw Tianna rocking her sleeping daughter in her arms, she decided it was time to call it a night. She was the first to announce that she was taking her family home, but others took the hint, agreeing it was time to let the travelers have a good night’s rest.
Tianna cursed at herself for watching Nathaniel leave with Raven at his side.
When several of Gabriel’s sons asked Tia
nna where she would be staying, Gabriel could feel her tense. He saved her from having to respond by taking her hand and saying, “She’ll be staying with me until we find her a place of her own.” Their shoulders drooped in disappointment, since they were all prepared to offer their homes to her. Seeing the looks in his sons’ eyes, Gabriel quickly sent them all away.
Tianna gave Gabriel’s hand a squeeze as a silent thank you.
Once back at Gabriel’s, he headed toward the bedroom saying, “Let’s call it a night. We’ll have to get up early to go see the Seer.”
Tianna stopped at the bedroom door. Although she had been sharing a bed roll with Gabriel and Nathaniel for weeks, she was a little nervous about going into the bedroom with him. Lying together in a cold campground was very different than crawling into his bed.
Gabriel turned around and saw her apprehensiveness. “If this makes you uncomfortable, we can make other arrangements. I have another room you could stay in.”
Unquiet Slumber Page 40
