The Talented (39 page)

“
A gift for you, from the
Talented weaver.”

Adrienne looked the cloak
over more closely, achieving Oneness and examining it again. The
fabric had clearly been made using a Talent, but other than the
shimmer of the fabric and the surprising texture, Adrienne did not
see how it was different from other cloaks.

It was a strange gift, and
not only because it was from someone she had never met. In this
part of Samaro, cloaks were unnecessary for the most part. Unless
it was raining, a cloak would only add to the heat of the day. “I
see,” Adrienne said.

The color was nice, the
silky feel rather decadent and decidedly unsuitable for travel. All
the cloak would do was take up valuable room in her saddle
bag.

“
Aren’t you going to try it
on?” Louella asked.

The healer seemed so
excited by the gift that Adrienne had no choice but to slip the
cloak over her shoulders. It fell about her perfectly, and was
lighter and cooler than she had expected, as if she was not wearing
a cloak at all. Perhaps it would not be such a nuisance, though she
still could not imagine wearing it while traversing the
plains.

“
It looks good,” Louella
said. “And you don’t look excited at all.” She laughed, as if she
found something amusing in Adrienne’s reaction.

“
It’s a nice cloak,”
Adrienne said, in case Louella was friends with the Talented
weaver, though the healer had never introduced the woman to
Adrienne in all of the months they had been friends. “I’m just not
sure how useful it will be.”

“
You might want a cloak
once we get to the mountains,” Malokai said. “It gets colder
there.” But Malokai did not look impressed by the gift
either.

“
I suppose that you don’t
know what it does.” Louella shook her head. “You never did get to
know the other Talented. Barbara, the weaver, said that this cloak
will blend into the background. It will help you to hide, should
hiding become necessary.”

Adrienne lifted an eyebrow
skeptically.

“
She said to wrap the cloak
around yourself—cover yourself with it completely—and achieve
Oneness. The cloak will hide you.” Louella smiled. “It’s also water
proof and should keep you warm on a cold night, if hiding is not
what you need.”

Adrienne was not sure that
she believed Barbara’s tales, but the one thing she had learned in
Kessering was that when it came to Talents, anything was possible.
She nodded and folded the cloak into a small bundle before setting
it on top of the other supplies.

“
And Malokai,” Pieter said.
“I’ve made something for you.” He handed over a knife in a plain
leather sheath.

Malokai unsheathed the
knife to reveal a blade of magnificent blue. Adrienne let out a
whistle of appreciation. The slightly curved blade was easily six
inches long, and she knew without testing that it would be wickedly
sharp.

“
I figure a warrior can
always use another knife,” he said. “I would have tried making a
new blade for your
urahu,
but I wouldn’t know where to start.”

Malokai smiled and
accepted the knife. “It’s a great gift,” he said. “Thank
you.”

“
Thank you both for this,”
Adrienne said, pulling out her purse and taking out the coins
needed to pay Louella and Pieter back for what they had purchased.
“I’m sorry that we have to leave so soon.”

Pieter nodded and offered
Malokai and Adrienne firm handshakes and well wishes. Louella’s
smile was tremulous, and her eyes bright with tears. “I’m going to
miss you so,” Louella said as she pulled Adrienne in for a hug.
“You’re not mad that we aren’t joining you, are you?”

“
Of course not,” Adrienne
assured her.

“
Because this is the only
home I remember,” Louella said. “I’m not ready to leave
yet.”

“
Louella,” Adrienne rested
her hand on the blonde’s shoulder and held it there until Louella
met her eyes. “Don’t feel bad about staying here. It’s best that
you stay with the other Talented here in Kessering. Both you and
Pieter.”

Louella smiled despite the
tears that glistened in her eyes. “Can you at least say where
you’re going?”

Adrienne shook her head
apologetically. “I don’t want you to have to lie to
Ben.”

Louella nodded. “Be safe.”
She turned to Malokai and pulled him into a tight hug. Her head
went only to his chest, and he tensed for a moment before relaxing
into the embrace.

The initial tension
Malokai had shown when he first met the petite blonde, which
Adrienne had finally concluded must be due to Louella’s obvious
Almetian heritage, had faded as Malokai had gotten to know the
healer, and Adrienne thought that he might now miss Louella as much
as Louella would miss him. “Both of you be safe. Come back if you
can.”

Louella’s eyes said that
she knew very well they would not be back. Unlike her and Pieter,
Adrienne and Malokai were not welcome in Kessering, not really. And
the commission would probably not be friendly to them if they were
to return.

“
If you need anything, send
for us,” Pieter said. “There are hard times ahead.”

Adrienne smiled and nodded
curtly before she and Malokai took their goods and left before more
words could be said.

Adrienne was grateful she
had made it away without shedding any tears, though her eyes stung
from the effort of holding them back. She hadn’t cried when she had
left Kyrog, and she would not cry now that she was leaving
Kessering.

Thom watched her solemnly
when they entered the newly rebuilt stable and Adrienne began
saddling Strider. Between her saddlebags and Malokai’s belongings,
it was clear no one would be riding the horse.

And it was clear to the
young stable boy that this would not be a short trip. “You’re
leaving, aren’t you?” Thom asked, his eyes filled with dejection
and a small dose of anger.

“
Yes,” Adrienne said. She
would not return the welcome this boy—her first friend in
Kessering—had given her with a lie.

“
You can’t leave. I’m not a
good fighter yet,” the boy said.

Adrienne smiled. “You were
good enough to beat up the kid that was harassing you,” Adrienne
reminded him. She had lectured him afterwards about not resorting
to violence, but she knew that the older, bigger boy had learned a
lesson when Thom had beaten him in a fight. She didn’t regret
teaching Thom anything.

“
I don’t see why you have
to leave,” Thom said, wiping his arm across his face to get rid of
the traitorous tears, so humiliating for a boy of his
age.

“
It’s time,” Adrienne said
softly, her heart aching for the boy, and for herself.

“
The least you could do is
leave me your horse,” Thom said, causing Adrienne to
laugh.

“
You wish.” She walked over
and ruffled the boy’s hair, feeling most of the ache in her chest
fade. “Thank you for taking care of Strider,” she said, pulling a
silver penny from her purse. It would be the last he would get from
her, but he had earned everything she had given him and more. “If
you could do just one more thing, and not tell anyone we left
unless they ask.”

“
I won’t tell them even
then,” Thom promised.

“
You can tell them then,”
Adrienne said. “I don’t want you to lie. Just wait until they
ask.”

Thom looked uncertain, as
if he wanted to prove his loyalty by keeping her secret forever,
but finally he surrendered to the will portrayed through her dark
brown eyes. “Fine,” he said with a heavy sigh.

“
Thank you.” Adrienne
ruffled his hair again. “Ready to go?” she asked
Malokai.

The M’bai warrior nodded,
and they left the stable with the laden warhorse. Adrienne had her
sword at her hip, and Malokai had his
urahu
strapped to his back. Both of
them possessed Talents that most people could barely dream
of.

And they were headed for
the Modabi Mountains.

Thank you for reading and
I hope you have enjoyed the book.

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welcome.

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