The Awakening (19 page)

Jaax indicated Jahrra to join him and as they made their way back up the steps and out into the lobby, the voices of the crowd rose once again. Jahrra wanted nothing more than to run from the building, leap upon Phrym and ride home as fast as she could. There were at least two hundred people, maybe more, in that assembly hall. Would they all want to talk to her?

“If it makes you feel any better,” Jaax murmured next to her ear as they crested the final few steps, “refreshments will be provided.”

“You purposely neglected to tell me I would have to personally greet every single member of the Coalition,” she hissed back.

She hadn’t forgotten about her discovery of his manipulation regarding her classes.

“It won’t be that bad,” Jaax assured her, moving to stand in the center of the large foyer.

Along the walls, Jahrra noted several tables laden with food and beverages. Casting her guardian one more angry look, she quickly walked over to the punch bowl and fetched herself something to drink. Just then, the Coalition members started filing from the wide open doors. Jahrra froze and darted a terrified look at Jaax. The dragon merely watched her, one eyebrow lifted to match the quirk of his mouth. Jahrra cursed silently to herself. As frightened as she was at being rushed by hundreds of people, she was too proud to return to Jaax’s side.

At first, everyone headed for the large Tanaan dragon standing in the middle of the grand hall. Upon finding Jahrra absent from his side, they began looking around in puzzlement. If the object of their search hadn’t been her, Jahrra would have laughed out loud. Eventually, the men and women closest to her spotted her and hurried over, smiles plastered on their faces. It was obvious they were fighting the desire to run at her. Taking a large drink of the punch, Jahrra set it down on the table and steeled herself for the first wave.

“Oh, it is
so
wonderful to meet you at last!” a middle-aged Nesnan woman cried, holding her hand out to Jahrra.

Reluctantly, Jahrra took her hand and shook it.

“I am Lorria, and I can hardly believe Ethoes has finally sent you to us.”

Jahrra murmured some polite thanks and soon the others were upon her as well. She shook hands with Nesnans, Resai, those whose ancestors had been dwarves and even some of the centaurs.

Anthar came over as well, a great grin on his face.

“I’m glad to finally meet you,” he said.

Jahrra smiled back. “But you already know me.”

“Well, of course, but I must follow protocol and offer you the same greeting as everyone else here.”

He waved a great arm around the busy hall and then turned the gesture into an elegant bow. Jahrra laughed, her nerves and anger at Jaax finally fading away.

“Tell me the truth professor,” Jahrra said, “you knew who I was all along, didn’t you?”

The centaur took a breath, thought about his answer, then said, “I had my suspicions.”

Jahrra wasn’t convinced. Yes, many citizens of Lidien had learned of her identity, but it wasn’t as if she had gone about in a fancy carriage declaring throughout the entire city who she was. And she never discussed it while attending class. But she was sure Anthar had known since that first day in this very hall.

She crossed her arms and looked up at him. “So it’s just a coincidence that you, and several of my other professors, happen to be Coalition members?”

“Well,” he began, shifting his weight and stomping the ground with one of his hoofs, “perhaps Jaax did mention–”

“Ugh, I knew it!” she breathed, dropping her hands and reaching for her glass of punch once again. She took another drink and set it down.

“Jahrra, he merely wants to protect you,” Anthar said in defense of the dragon. “And several professors have ties to the Coalition–”

“I understand that,” she retorted, cutting him off. “What I don’t understand is why he must do so without telling me.”

The centaur crossed his arms over his chest, his mouth quirking in a small, knowing grin. “And how would you react if he were to tell you beforehand?”

Jahrra opened her mouth to deny she would ever object, but before she could say anything she released a breath and shook her head.

“I guess I would fight him,” she admitted reluctantly. “But that doesn’t make it right, and it still grates at me.”

“Of course it does,” Anthar replied cheerily.

“Ah, there you are Anthar!”

Jahrra turned to see another centaur, no, not a centaur, but a ceniket, making her way through the crowd as she moved towards them. Jahrra couldn’t remember seeing her during the meeting and wondered if she had been there at all. Her coat was snow white, her hair a pale blond and her eyes a clear blue. She trotted up to Anthar and reached for his face. She wasn’t as tall as he was and had to pull his head down in order to give him a quick kiss.

“Tarthan is finally asleep, but Gessa needs to get home. It is nearly midnight and I’m expecting her to come into the nursery tomorrow.”

Anthar sighed and glanced down at Jahrra. The lovely ceniket followed his gaze, noticing Jahrra for the first time.

“Oh! I beg your pardon,” she said in a very kind voice, “I hadn’t noticed you were in the middle of a conversation.”

“It’s quite alright, Mirrial,” he said lovingly. “Jahrra didn’t know of my plan to have you come rescue me.”

Jahrra gave him a puzzled look and he laughed.

“I feared I might get trapped here by some of our more enthusiastic members, so I commissioned Mirrial to come fetch me, claiming some emergency of sorts.”

Jahrra laughed, easily forgiving her professor for conspiring with Jaax.

“And here I am, being neglectful of proper social etiquette.” Anthar cleared his throat and said, holding his arm out to the ceniket, “Jahrra, might I present Mirrial, my lovely wife. Mirrial, this is Jahrraneh Drisihn, the human child promised to us.”

Mirrial blinked several times, then her face lit up with joy. “Oh, but my husband has told me so much about you! You seem very well-suited to his class on wildlife.”

The ceniket reached out a hand and Jahrra took it, giving Anthar a knowing look. He merely grinned and shrugged his shoulders. Hadn’t known who she was indeed. Had Jaax spoken with all her professors, asking them to watch over her? Jahrra shook her head. She would be angry later.

Five more minutes of conversation ensued and then both Anthar and Mirrial were off.

“I was telling the truth about Gessa, and Tarthan has a nasty habit of staying awake for as long as he can,” Mirrial explained.

“Tarthan is our son and he is a very rambunctious toddler,” Anthar added to appease Jahrra’s puzzled look.

She smiled, imagining what a young centaur might be like. Jahrra watched as they left, walking arm in arm and waving to friends as they passed. The hall was finally beginning to empty out but there were still plenty of Coalition members to pester her for a word or two. After making friends with a few more Nesnan men, Jahrra looked up to find Dathian standing in front of her. She stilled, wondering what to say to him.
Why did you behave like a common elf if you are really a prince?
was one of many questions she wished to ask.

Jahrra bent her knees in a formal curtsy but Dathian held up a hand and shook his head slightly. He really did look regal, dressed in his finery, despite his glasses. Jahrra remembered how he had pretended to struggle up the hill earlier that week and how it was clear he wasn’t making much of an effort at all. He would have been exposed to his fair share of horsemanship and sword play if he were really a prince. It was no wonder he hadn’t really struggled. But why all the pretending?

“Please don’t curtsy,” he said. “You must wonder why I behaved the way I did, that day you helped retrieve my book.”

Jahrra could only nod.

Dathian took a breath and looked away, his arms still clasped loosely behind his back. Eventually, he returned his gaze to Jahrra.

“I’m the fifth son of the king of Dhonoara with no chance of inheriting the throne, unless my father and my older brothers should ever encounter something to relieve them of their immortality. Very unlikely to happen.”

Jahrra nodded again.

“I’ve been raised as a prince, learning all sorts of courtly manners and the proper actions a prince must make, but I have always wanted to escape that life. Since I’m so far away from ever inheriting the throne, my parents entertained my desire to leave home and study. The last thing I want is for the citizens of Lidien to learn who I truly am.”

Jahrra released a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. His secrecy and strange behavior made perfect sense now. Of course he wished anonymity. Had she not complained of her treatment in Crie, and had she not wanted her true identity to remain unknown for as long as possible? Jahrra smiled and crossed her arms.

“Well, that explains a lot. You feared I would find your name listed somewhere in that book of yours, or research another until I did.”

Dathian grinned back, looking very much at ease now that Jahrra seemed to be in sympathy with him.

“The members of the Coalition know, of course, but so far they have given me their word of not informing anyone outside our group exactly how high up in the royal family I sit. If anyone sees me in my fine clothes, I admit to being a duke’s second cousin, nothing more.”

Jahrra laughed. She was so relieved he didn’t dislike her, and she told him as much. “I thought you were angry at me for some reason.”

Dathian cringed. “I was afraid of that, but I couldn’t divulge my identity. And I had no idea who you were at the time. Shall we keep our confidences to ourselves then? I won’t tell anyone who you are and you won’t tell them who I am?”

Jahrra nodded and held her hand up as if to pledge a vow. “Your secret is safe with me. But I’m afraid my identity has already been noticed. Many people already know and there is no keeping it from the entire population of Lidien.”

Dathian nodded then sighed. “It’s hard to make any lasting friends when you have such secrets to keep.”

“Then you shall be my friend. And I have a feeling you are a fair hand at swordplay.”

Dathian grinned wickedly. “How did you know?”

“Your highness, your costumes are superb but your acting skills? Atrocious.”

Dathian lifted a brow.

“You may have fooled our classmates on our hike but I knew you weren’t struggling. Sword fighting keeps you fit and if I am correct in my assumptions, then your royal upbringing would have demanded it.”

Dathian barked out a laugh. “You are far sharper than I originally thought. It seems I had good reason to fear your interest in my book. But please don’t call me ‘your highness’. Dathian will do just fine. And may I call you Jahrra?”

“Absolutely,” Jahrra said with a grin, thrusting a hand in his direction.

Dathian took it and shook it firmly.

“So, are you up for a little sport after class next week?”

Dathian nodded and sketched a quick bow. “I would be delighted.”

-
Chapter Twelve
-

Rescuing Dragons and Playing Hostess

The weeks following Jahrra’s first introduction to the Coalition flew by faster than she could take count of them. Summer was in full swing now and she found herself out on the deck above the kitchen more often than not, watching the bees buzz busily among the flowers she had planted in the empty flowerboxes. She was still angry at Jaax for his underhanded way of signing her up for her classes and she’d approached him about it the moment they got back from their meeting with the Coalition. Jahrra had stood in the center of the great room, her arms crossed with the dim light of the lanterns and candles casting her dark shadow across the spacious floor.

Jaax had merely shrugged nonchalantly and said, before disappearing down the hall to seek his own chambers for the night, “Although we are in Lidien I’ll not risk leaving you unguarded. At least I know that each time you step out of this house there will be others to keep their eyes on you just in case someone decides to cause you harm.”

Jahrra had gritted her teeth, a horrible habit she was beginning to develop, and tromped up the stairs to change into her night clothes. She would just have to put up with Jaax’s unpleasant ways of controlling her. Despite her irritation, she did wonder who might mean her harm in this city that held Ethoes and her more pleasant offspring in such high regard. Then again, she also knew from past experience that not everyone was going to like her, try as she might to please those she met. For now, she would cast aside her exasperation at her guardian and try to enjoy the fact that she was at last happy with very few bad memories or dreams creeping into her current life. She would enjoy what remained of the summer and try to look on the bright side of things.

The warm season was beautiful in Lidien. The flower pots and small gardens were overflowing with blossoms and vegetables, the trees that shaded the many streets showing their best in greenery and the soft pastels of their blossoms. The air was rich with floral scents and the citizens of Lidien seemed more cheerful as the warm weather continued and the days grew longer. The flower shops were busy with young men seeking a favor for the girls they wished to court and the young ladies were dressed in their best summer gowns. Jahrra merely grinned at all the merriment, glad to share in their lightness of heart.

As the season dragged on Jahrra found herself practicing longer and more often with Torrell and Senton, and now Dathian. When the royal elf first showed up the week after the Coalition meeting, Torrell had asked, in her usual blatant way, what he was doing there. When Dathian explained he’d been invited by Jahrra, two pairs of surprised eyes had fallen upon her.

Jahrra had merely shrugged. “I ran into him last weekend and he explained that the book had belonged to a cherished grandmother. It was all a misunderstanding and I invited him to join us.”

“Could have been a little more straightforward with the reason for your rudeness,” Torrell had muttered, not quite under her breath.

Senton seemed pleased to have another male around, so he didn’t complain at all.

It turned out, to Jahrra’s great delight and slight surprise, that Dathian was even more skilled than either her or Torrell.

“Where on Ethoes did you learn
that
?” Torrell had breathed after being soundly beaten by the elf.

Dathian rolled his shoulder in response. “My parents are highly skilled and I learned from them.”

Of course he gave up no more information and Torrell had to force herself to be satisfied with that much.

At the start of autumn the University closed for a few weeks, giving the professors and the students a break to rest their minds. Jahrra spent much of this time practicing with her friends and anyone who would challenge them, riding Phrym through the parks or (when Jaax was unaware of it) in the woods surrounding the boundaries of the city.

She also became quite a regular attendant at the Coalition meetings. After all, she wouldn’t be back in school for two weeks so she figured sitting in and listening to Jaax and his colleagues was a good way to spend her extra time. Especially since now she was very much entangled with the fate of all those involved. She often sat next to Dathian when she could and soon became familiar with the many players, so to say.

Dathian whispered the names, titles and opinions of those who stood to speak at any time during the lengthy meetings. Most of those who had been seated on the stage that first night were important leaders in their part of the world, but at least half of them thought only of their own region and not the world as a whole.

“That could pose a problem in the future,” Dathian murmured during one of the more subdued meetings. “If everyone is only thinking of themselves no one will consider what we can accomplish together.”

Jahrra nodded her agreement but then scowled as she caught sight of Shiroxx watching her from her place among the crowd. Her eyes were narrowed and she tilted her head just so, so that Jahrra might think she placed her attention elsewhere.

Dathian followed Jahrra’s gaze.

“Ah,” he said quietly, “that one. She might be the largest leech I’ve ever met. Intent on draining all the joy out of a room. You should go ask what type of blood she prefers.”

Jahrra stopped her laugh in her nose and had to cover her mouth with her hand. Jaax, who was standing near the podium, listening intently to one of the member’s concerns, turned his gaze on her and gave her a withering look. With some effort, Jahrra managed a straight face. With regards to questioning Shiroxx on her preference of blood type, Jahrra was pretty sure she already knew. After growing bored with glaring at Jahrra, the female dragon’s glance fell upon Jaax. Jahrra tried not to shiver but she feared she failed.

To get her thoughts off of the red Tanaan dragon, Jahrra looked next to her golden scaled companion. The other dragon appeared smaller and younger than both Jaax and Shiroxx but it was clear he was of Tanaan descent. From her seat on the stage Jahrra couldn’t quite make out all of his features, but there was a great scar running up one side of his neck. She wondered how he’d received it but before she could think any further on it, Dathian was there to assist her again.

“Our lady Shiroxx’s companion is Kehllor. I don’t know much about him but I do know his parentage and history are relatively unknown.”

“Where did he get that scar?” she whispered back as her guardian’s voice filled the assembly hall, answering the queries that had been laid before him.

Dathian merely shrugged. He seemed to know everyone here and what their specific role was in the Coalition. If he didn’t know much about this Kehllor then maybe no one did.

Jahrra decided to let her curiosity go for now. She had seen the younger dragon at a few other meetings and although they hadn’t yet been introduced she was sure it would happen at some point in time. Whenever she saw him during these gatherings in Essyel Auditorium, he was always with Shiroxx and the other black Tanaan, but Kehllor always stayed close to her side as if she held him there with a leash. Jahrra snorted at the idea, her usual feeling of disgust towards the red dragon creeping up a bit. She would have let the same feeling apply to Kehllor, but there was something in his eyes that held her at bay. Was it fear? Loathing? No, worse, something she had felt too often in her life: helplessness.

A strange realization crept over her then. Kehllor was being controlled. And Jahrra had an idea of who was to blame: Shiroxx. She didn’t know the female dragon very well but she had seen her in action. After that first official meeting in the library Jahrra had been on her guard. Even a week later, when Jaax had made good on his promise to walk with her in the gardens, she knew better than to skip along and pretend like everyone was on their best behavior. Shiroxx was trying to control her, or Jaax, as well. Yes, she was trying to direct Jaax in one way or another. How could Jahrra have missed it? But there was one little problem to this scheme of hers: Jaax was impossible to control.

Jahrra let her eyes wander to the pair of Tanaan standing off to the side once more. Gratefully, Shiroxx’s other companion, Rohdann, wasn’t present. Dathian had told Jahrra about him at the last Coalition meeting. She would have just ignored the black dragon but there was something about the way his pale blue eyes had considered her, as if he was planning to hunt her down and eat her for breakfast. His coloring didn’t help either; the blackness of his scales drawing the eye the way a dark shadow spread across the ground forces one to take notice of it. When Jahrra had asked what he was like, Dathian merely sniffed and told her he was just like Shiroxx.

Jahrra shook her head and got back to her previous thoughts. She could consider Rohdann later, perhaps when he was actually present. Instead, she turned back to the idea of Shiroxx controlling Kehllor. It was as plain as day now. The female dragon, resplendent and looking regally bored as ever, and Kehllor, a bronze statue beside her, eyes hard as flint, scowling and looking as if he waited for the simplest of instructions so that he could please his mistress.

Jahrra shivered and Dathian cast her a curious look. “You can’t be cold,” he whispered.

He’d returned to his laid back stance, listening to the political banter once again.

“No,” Jahrra said automatically, taking what seemed like the first breath after holding it for a very long time. “Just thinking.”

Dathian chuckled quietly. “A very dangerous endeavor, I should think.”

Jahrra narrowed her eyes at the red and gold dragons once again, ignoring her friend’s jibe. She decided then and there that she would try, though she had no idea how she could succeed, at getting Kehllor out of Shiroxx’s claws. As if hearing her thoughts, Shiroxx turned her head and spoke a few quiet words to her young companion. Kehllor hid an infinitesimal flinch but nodded his head and stood to leave.

“Yes,” Jahrra whispered, her eyes glued to the Tanaan dragon now leaving the hall, “a very dangerous endeavor indeed.”

She stood up from her place on the edge of the stage. Dathian gave her a surprised look and formed his mouth in a question.

“I need to visit the privy,” Jahrra hissed and scuttled off, taking one of the side exits so as not to disturb the entire congregation. Or to draw Jaax’s attention away from his current distraction.

Jahrra pushed the door open and bolted up the stairs that would take her to the main foyer. She sprinted out into the hallway, hoping to see Kehllor, but cursed and began moving more quickly just as the golden tail of a dragon disappeared through the doorway out onto the plaza.

“Kehllor, wait!” she called, shocking herself at her own brazenness.

Was it just a few short weeks ago she’d dreaded meeting anyone in the Coalition? Now she was chasing after members she had not yet been introduced to.

To her surprise, the Tanaan dragon stopped and cast her a confused but disgruntled glance over his shoulder. She hurried down the stairs to keep up.

“Hello,” she breathed. “Sorry, you don’t know me, but–”

“I know who you are,” he said, his voice as cool and clipped as Shiroxx’s, but deeper and smoother.

“Yes, well, most people do by now,” Jahrra responded with a grin. “Do you mind if we go over there?”

She pointed to the shade of the large oak she liked so well. Kehllor hesitated, looking her up and down as if studying a potential enemy. Jahrra took the time to catch her breath and study this new dragon just as carefully. He was smaller than Jaax, perhaps a few feet shorter and not as broad in the shoulders. His scales, upon closer inspection, had a slight green tinge to them but were spangled with gold, bronze and copper flecks.

“I just wanted to introduce myself properly, since I didn’t get a chance to speak with you the other night.”

Finally they were in the shade and Jahrra took advantage of the short stone wall encircling the tree. She sat and gave Kehllor her full attention. The scar that ran up his neck continued past his eye, something she hadn’t noticed from a distance before. It was a wonder his eye, a dark blue, hadn’t lost any of its function. It must have been a terrible wound at some point and Jahrra wondered once again how he’d received it. An image of Shiroxx slashing her claws in anger flashed into her mind. She did away with it just as quickly as it arrived. The female dragon was too controlled for violence of that sort, and it seemed too cruel, even for her.

“I’m Jahrra,” she finally said, “and I’ve been told your name is Kehllor?”

The dragon nodded, his rigid stance relaxing a little.

“I’m sorry if I’m keeping you from anything important,” she said, waving a hand over the mildly crowded plaza. “It’s just that I saw you get up to leave and thought it might be a good time to introduce myself without all those people around.”

The dragon still wasn’t speaking and Jahrra felt as if she was babbling.

She took a breath and said, “Anyways, if you have something to do for Shiroxx I don’t want to keep you.”

“No,” he finally said, his voice softer now. “I mean, yes, she asked me to run an errand for her but it is not an emergency. I can spare a few minutes.”

Jahrra grinned inwardly, trying not to let it show on her face. So, he was answering to Shiroxx’s beck and call, but from his tone and what he’d told her, he didn’t seem too happy about it. Jahrra dearly wanted to know what Shiroxx had done to keep such a tight rein on him but that would be far too blatant a thing to ask. Besides, most people who had to suffer the power of others didn’t like to talk about it. She should know, what with her own issues with Jaax.