Six Heirs (26 page)

“If you only knew! If you knew! It’s been more than a moon since I’ve spoken to anyone! My friend, my friend!”

Yan patiently waited for them to remember he was there, which they did shortly thereafter, when Bowbaq finally put Grigán down and let him regain his balance.

“I’m pleased as well, Bowbaq. Very pleased.”

“Who’s this young man?”

“This is Yan. Léti’s promised one.”

The giant’s face lit up again, while Yan recovered from the shock. Is that what Grigán thought? How? When?

He didn’t have much time to think about it. Bowbaq had bounded toward him, and Yan took his turn being twirled around in an embrace. Curses, the man was strong! The giant lifted him two feet in the air as if it were nothing.

“My friend! Léti’s promised one,” Bowbaq repeated, laughing, twirling the poor Kaulien around to get a good look at him.

His good mood was contagious, and Yan couldn’t help but find this giant very nice, simple, and good-natured. His presence in the group might restore a bit of joy.

The Northerner finally put down his new friend and turned toward Grigán, who took a step back, scared of a fresh display of affection.

“There’s only two of you?” he asked in a more serious tone.

“There’s also Léti and Corenn. They’re waiting for us a few leagues from here.”

“Léti and Corenn! Good! All my friends! And the others?”

“The others, we don’t know. Actually...for some, we know,” Grigán concluded gravely, gripping the Northerner’s shoulder.

They only exchanged a glance, but it was long enough. Bowbaq lost his smile.

“Etólon? Jasporan? Humeline?”

“We don’t know about Humeline.”

After a few moments, the giant asked with hope “And Xan?”

Grigán shook his head sadly. Bowbaq’s face darkened.

“We are unsure about many.”

The warrior was about to add something else. It wasn’t like him to lie and give false hope. Then he asked, “Is Ipsen all right? And Prad, and Iulane?”

Bowbaq lifted his head a little. He still had his family.

“Yes, as far as I know. Ipsen is in Rowk, with her clan and the kids. Mir is with them. They should be safe for a few moons.”

“That’s good.” Grigán didn’t know what else to add.

Yan filled the silence; he also was worried about his loved ones.

“Well...what do you say we go meet up with the others now?”

Bowbaq’s smile returned.

“Yes! I need to embrace my little Kauliennes!”

They were immediately on their way.

Even though Yan was filled with apprehension at the thought of a gathering with his beloved, he couldn’t help but laugh in advance at the idea of the giant noisily twirling a pouting and rebellious Léti.

Léti was bored to death. It had been over a deciday since Yan and Grigán left, and she didn’t know how to keep herself busy. Sitting stupidly against a tree made her crazy, and when she stood up and made as if to walk off, however short a distance away, Corenn was the one who went crazy, only with worry.

She admitted, only to herself, though, that she had acted without thinking. Of course she couldn’t have gone with the men—she used the word as a slur—and left her aunt alone. It was also out of the question that all four of them should go and abandon the horses, or to impose such a march on Corenn, who wasn’t used to that.

Yet all that didn’t excuse Yan’s behavior. He, who was supposed to know her better than anyone, from whom she expected help and support, treated her like a mere capricious child. And no, she didn’t think she deserved that.

If that was the kind of influence Grigán had over them, well, then it was harmful. Despite everything they owed him, certain things couldn’t be ignored or forgiven. His arrogance and contempt, for example.

Before, she would have confided in her aunt about her feelings. But Master Grigán had become a taboo subject of conversation for them: Corenn, so at ease with the art of diplomacy, admitted she felt completely overwhelmed by problems relating to war, and joyfully left this responsibility to her old friend. She would undoubtedly side with him.

Furthermore, Léti knew there was no possibility of getting the last word in a discussion with her aunt. Not for her or for anyone else, for that matter. She preferred to avoid diving headfirst into certain defeat.

There was no solution to her problem. All she wanted was to be useful. And all she needed to do was convince Grigán, since whether she liked it or not, everything depended on him. But the grump was as thickheaded as a block of wood, hidebound and stubborn, with a mind no wider than a fishing line.

She stood up again to take a few steps. Following the warrior’s directions, they had put several leagues between them and their point of departure. But Corenn had overdone it, and they’d gone further than expected. Maybe the men had gotten lost?

She began hoping that was all it was.

Corenn also showed signs of worry. She, who was usually so patient, was constantly on the lookout for their companions’ return and startled at every suspicious sound. She was now pacing as well.

Léti felt her anger subside bit by bit as time went by, and now she was left feeling frustrated, with a hint of anxiety.

What if something had happened to them? Something serious?

“No, no, and no! Really, it’s not a good idea. I mean, Bowbaq, you should understand how dangerous it is.”

“I know,” the giant apologized, embarrassed. “But it’s wrong to leave behind useless signs. You should always do your best to erase them.”

“It’s wrong? And getting yourself stabbed over and over with a dagger, that sounds right to you? You could have dated your signs, if it bothers you so much!”

“I didn’t find enough fangs. And it’s not the same. A sign, even an old one, even with a date, should be trustworthy. That’s why it’s wrong.”

“No. Please humor me and forget it. If you want, I can come by here and pick them up someday. I promise you.”

“Thank you, my friend,” the giant said simply, giving the warrior a thump.

Yan noticed that the warrior took his time giving explanations to Bowbaq. Doubtless because they knew each other well. Maybe there was hope of softening the warrior up yet.

Finally, after a long walk through the Lorelien forest, they found Léti and Corenn, whose worries were instantly swept away.

Léti ran to the giant and threw her arms around his neck, to Yan’s disappointment. He had hoped for something for himself, without knowing exactly what.

The gathering between Corenn, Léti, and Bowbaq was just as acrobatic as the one with Grigán. The young woman didn’t protest against this somewhat violent form of greeting, but actually seemed to enjoy it.

When Léti was back on the ground, Yan gathered his courage to attempt a reconciliation.

“Everything go all right?” he said in his kindest voice.

She responded sharply, “Obviously. What did you think would happen?”

She had stopped smiling when she turned toward him. That hurt him even more than her acid tone. Curses, curses, curses! It would be dékades before Léti would forgive him.

The idea crossed his mind, only for an instant, to stand up to her and argue about it. Frightened, he shoved the thought out of his head. Once was enough. He had done enough damage already.

The compliments and polite exchanges continued. Bowbaq raved about Léti’s beauty, and teased her at the same time, regretting that she had grown up so fast. Corenn inquired about the Northerner’s family, and rejoiced at the good news.

Grigán politely waited until everyone had calmed down a little before he asked them to pack up camp. They headed out on foot, since Bowbaq didn’t have a horse. It would only be a slight exaggeration to say that it would have been easier for Bowbaq to carry the horse than vice versa.

Bowbaq told them all about his trek, from the frozen plains of Arkary to the Lorelien scrubland, making sure to include his last few days of waiting.

“Someone responded to my cyclops in Berce. Was it you?”

“It was me,” Yan told him proudly.

“Alone?”

“Of course, alone. Do I really seem that incompetent?” Yan joked.

“No, what I meant was that two people responded. From two different places.”

They all thought about this second sign for a moment, then Grigán suggested, “That could have been a trap from the Züu.”

“The what?”

“The Züu, the people who are hunting us! Clearly we have a lot to tell you.”

“It could have been Yan’s beggar,” Léti suggested.

Yan smacked his hand on his forehead and looked at the sun’s position. Caught up in his problems with Léti, he had forgotten about everything else.

“We’re supposed to meet him at the apogee. Today!”

They all looked at the sun’s position.

Grigán remarked, “So you mean right about now. Where is he?”

“He told me to meet him on the beach where the gatherings used to take place. I guess he means the beach behind Berce.”

“Well, at least it’s not that far away. What happened exactly?”

And Yan told them about their dangerous first encounter in the stable, Rey’s decisive intervention, and how the young man had helped Yan get out of town without a hitch.

Grigán didn’t know what to think.

“I don’t know that particular Kercyan. Zatelle, yes, and her grandson, Mess. But not Rey.”

Corenn interrupted, “Yes you do. Zatelle had another grandson that she brought one or two times.”

“That’s true, I remember,” Bowbaq added.

“But no one knows him as an adult. Anybody could be trying to impersonate him, without us knowing the difference.”

“He said that he set the tent on fire,” Yan interjected curiously.

His friends exchanged knowing looks.

“It’s true, he’s definitely the one who pulled that stupid prank.”

Grigán confirmed Corenn’s memory. “I remember it too. And the well-deserved punishment Zatelle gave him. I also remember that I was the one who dragged him out of his hiding place, while everyone else was wondering if he hadn’t been burned up.”

“I feel sorry for the poor fellow,” Léti said half-jokingly. “That must have been enough to turn him off to life as an heir.”

Grigán didn’t respond to her comment.

“So, you think it’s him?” Yan asked Corenn.

“I can’t see why not. Zatelle told me once that he had become an actor. Sounds like he would be the type to disguise himself as a beggar.”

Yan agreed. He figured the jokester, with his cynicism and taste for drama, must be an artistic type. Or a depraved thief.

“One last thing. He wanted to warn you that the Grand Guild is also in on the hunt. What is that anyway?”

Grigán stopped as if frozen.

“Are you sure?”

“That’s what he said. So what does it mean?”

The warrior and Corenn exchanged a dark, foreboding look. No one else understood.

“The Grand Guild,” Corenn began joylessly, “is the organized consolidation of virtually all the largest criminal bands. Simply put, it means that the Züu have an army at their disposal. Several hundreds of men, even thousands.”

Yan understood better. Grigán could congratulate himself for having been so extraordinarily cautious on their trip to
Berce. All the roads, all the towns, must have been watched by the same type of crooks that he had met at the gates.

“How does he know?” the warrior asked, stroking his mustache.

“I’m not sure. That’s all he said.”

Grigán and Corenn seemed deeply affected by this news. The Züu really weren’t taking any chances.

The warrior drew the discussion to a close. “We have to go. This Rey might be one of ours. Yan?”

The boy cringed. He didn’t realize that Grigán would need his help again, but he was the only one who could recognize last night’s savior. A shame. He would have really liked to spend some more time with Léti, in hopes of making up with her before the end of the day.

Léti! Hopefully she wouldn’t try and join them again. He would oppose her once again anyhow, but didn’t relish the idea of a new fight.

Grigán told the others to meet at the little abandoned house where they had stayed two nights before. Apparently, Léti didn’t have any objection. Shocked, Yan saw that Bowbaq wasn’t coming with them.