The Tigrens' Glory (7 page)

“You don’t need a code, and your access will not be monitored,” Lariah said.  “There are some subjects that are restricted for children, and there are some aspects of Jasani history and biology that we prefer to keep to ourselves.  Otherwise, there is no censoring of information on Jasan.”

Glory was so stunned that for a long moment she could only sit and stare at Lariah in disbelief.  She’d hoped the gender restrictions would be less severe on Jasan.  It hadn’t occurred to her that there wouldn’t be any at all.  “This is a gift more precious than you can know, Highness.  I thank you.”

“Before I became the Dracons’ Arima I was a librarian,” Lariah said.  “Helping people find the knowledge they seek has always been important to me.  Because of that, I have some small idea of what this means to you.  I’m very happy to be able to help you in this regard.”  Then, because she could see that Glory was becoming uncomfortable with the strength of her own emotions, she stood up and moved to the porch railing, giving the other woman a moment of privacy.  When she heard Glory stand, she asked, “Are you ready to go?”

“Yes, I am,” Glory replied, coming to stand beside her.  Lariah was surprised to see Glory smiling, and couldn’t help but return it.

“I’ve spent many years developing the ability to hide my emotions, Lariah, and after less than a day, you are ruining all of my hard work.”

“I’d apologize, but I’m not sorry,” Lariah said unrepentantly.  She really wanted to ask Glory why she felt hiding her emotions was important to begin with, but she sensed that Glory wasn’t ready for that yet.  They’d only just met, after all.  She reminded herself that they’d have plenty of time to get to know each other better over the days and weeks to come, and kept her questions to herself. 

***

A few short minutes later, Glory was sitting beside Lariah in the Bearens’ living room, struggling not to stare at their hostess.  Hope Bearen was one of the most striking women she’d ever seen.  With her turquoise eyes, the gold and silver winged mark that she and her Rami bore on their foreheads, the three different colored braids on one side of her head, and the stylized birds encircling one wrist, Glory had a difficult time not bombarding Hope with questions. 

She sighed softly to herself.  The tight grip she’d learned to keep on her innate curiosity was, apparently, falling by the wayside even faster than her ability to hide her emotions.  Fortunately, her desire not to embarrass Lariah was greater than her blossoming curiosity, so she remained silent. 

After Lariah made the introductions and they were all seated, Hope turned to look at her Rami, who stood behind her just as Trey and Val stood behind Lariah.  “Jackson, would one of you please bring me the gem mosaic?” Hope asked of the gigantic man who bent over the back of the sofa when she turned her head.  “You know the one I mean?”

“Of course,
Niha
,” Jackson said, kissing her warmly.  “I’ll be right back.”  Glory blinked, but otherwise was careful not to reveal her shock.  She’d thought that Lariah and the Dracons were unusual in their obvious affection for one another.  Apparently, that was not the case.  She’d witnessed more public kisses between men and women in the past twenty four hours than she had in all the years of her life on Ramouri.  Jackson took one step sideways and vanished, which Glory was also becoming accustomed to.

“I assume that Lariah told you I was a Keeper?” Hope asked.

“Yes, she did,” Glory replied.  “She also explained what that means.”

“Good, that helps,” Hope said, smiling at Lariah.  “The Jasani have a number of artifacts from their original home world that they keep in a vault.  At the council’s request, I went through them recently and set aside those I felt were meant to be given to some unknown person, at some unknown point in time.”  Hope shrugged.  “Psychic abilities are not always precise.  Now that I’ve met you, I’m certain that one of those objects, a mosaic made of gemstones, is meant for you, Glory.  Jackson has gone to get it for you.”

“Does this object have power?” Glory asked.  “Will it be able to help me find the Tigren?”

Hope shook her head regretfully.  “I know the object is meant for you, but I don’t know why, or what you are meant to do with it.  I have the ability to read objects, but I’ve been warned not to read those things meant for others.”

Jackson reappeared with the mosaic in his hands.  It was about eight inches high by ten inches wide, set in a one inch deep polished frame fashioned from some extremely hard but transparent material.  Jackson looked at Hope, who nodded toward Glory rather than risk touching the object herself.  He crossed the room and held it out to her.

Glory accepted the mosaic with both hands, surprised at its weight.  When she lowered it to her lap and looked at it, a gasp escaped before she was able to prevent it.

“Glory?” Lariah asked, concerned by what was, from Glory, a very strong reaction.

“It’s them,” she said hoarsely, then cleared her throat before continuing in her usual cool tone.  “This is Kyerion, Kirkeon, and Cadeon, though I do not know which is which.  I only just learned their names, and I could not see Kyerion when he told them to me.”  She paused for a long moment while her stomach did an uncomfortable roll before adding, “And a female.”

“You are certain?” Trey asked in surprise, looking over Glory’s shoulder as her fingers stroked the gemstones that made up the three dimensional mosaic.

“Yes, Prince Trey, I am certain,” she said.  “The males I’d know anywhere.  I’ve seen them in my dreams for years in this form, but I’ve no idea who the female is.  I have no memory of a female in my dreams.”

“We only saw one tigrenca in the image,” Hope said as she got up and crossed the room to where Glory sat so that she could look down on the mosaic.  “We had to look at it from a certain angle to spot it.  You see four?”

“Yes,” Glory said.  With gentle fingers she indicated the three male tigrenca arrayed in a half circle, blending into the myriad shades of yellow, orange, red, and black of the jungle flora with their striped fur and short curved horns.  One had gold eyes with matching gold stripes, another had silver eyes and stripes, and the third had copper eyes and stripes.  Then she pointed at the fourth tigrenca, in the foreground, that she knew with absolute certainty was female.  That one had orange and black stripes, and blue eyes.  They were all as plain as day to her, though no one else seemed able to spot the males until she pointed them out. 

“Glory, why do you say the blue eyed tigrenca is female?” Trey asked. 

Glory stared at the mosaic in silence.  That was a very good question.  “I don’t know, Prince Trey.  I just know the one with blue eyes is female.”  She pulled her gaze from the mosaic.  “I thank you, Arima Hope,” she said, standing up and bowing formally.  “You have given me a gift for which I shall be ever grateful.”

“You’re welcome, Glory,” Hope said, returning to her seat.  Two of her Rami helped her to sit, the love in their eyes when they looked at their very pregnant Arima causing Glory’s throat to feel tight, though she didn’t understand why.  “I must point out that it was not mine to give,” Hope continued once she was seated.  “It belonged to the Jasani people, and it was the Fates who decreed it yours.”

“Then I owe them a debt of gratitude as well,” Glory replied.

“I think that your efforts to return the Tigren to the Jasani are thanks enough,” Hope replied.

“I hope that I do not let you, or your people, down,” Glory said.  “If I do, it will not be for lack of trying.  That much I can promise.”

“No one can ask for more than that,” Hope replied.

“Thank you for helping us, Hope,” Lariah said, crossing the room to give Hope a quick hug.  “Tell my nephews that I’m sorry I missed them, please.  Give them hugs from me and tell them I’ll pop in this afternoon for a visit.”

“I will, Lariah,” Hope said.  “But, you don’t have to leave so soon, do you?”

“I’m afraid so,” Lariah replied.  “We’re off to see Honey.  She was kind enough to set aside some time between patients for us, and we don’t want to be late.  Get some rest.”

The Dracons spoke with the Bearens for a moment, then Trey placed a hand on Glory’s shoulder, and Val wrapped Lariah in his arms.  In the blink of an eye the four of them were standing outside the clinic next to the Lobos’ home.  Trey opened the door to a newly constructed waiting room for Lariah and Glory, who took seats while Val spoke with the nurse behind the reception desk.

“Honey’s with a patient, but she’ll be finished soon,” he said before taking a position that placed his body directly between the door and the women.  Glory nodded approvingly.  Even though the Dracons were on their own property, they did not take Lariah’s safety for granted. 

Glory wasn’t surprised by her protective feelings toward Lariah.  Protectiveness was a part of who she was, and always had been.  She
was
surprised, however, by how much she genuinely liked Lariah after knowing her for so short a time.  No one had ever tried to get to know her before, or befriend her.  None of her fellow female warriors, few as they were, had responded to her attempts to breach the barrier of her royal blood in an effort to get to know them.  As a result, she had no real idea how to
be
a friend.  But she wanted very much to try. 

Lariah had made all of the overtures so far.  It was Glory’s turn, but she wasn’t sure how to go about it.  She decided that making an effort to show interest in Lariah personally, as opposed to Jasan in general, would be a good place to start.  She considered and discarded several ideas before choosing one that she was curious about anyway. 

“I hope you don’t think me forward, Lariah, but is Hope Bearen your sister?” she asked.

Lariah blinked at her, obviously startled.  “No, she isn’t.  Why do you ask?”

Glory flushed, worried she’d asked an inappropriate question.  It was too late to take it back, especially since Lariah had now asked her a question which she couldn’t refuse to answer.  “You referred to her sons as your nephews.  I was curious because you look nothing like her, or her Rami.” 

Val and Trey stiffened slightly and Lariah reached over to place one hand on Trey’s arm while sending a reassuring smile to Val.  “It’s all right, guys,” she said.

“I apologize,” Glory said, noting the tension in the men.  She wished very much that the floor would open up and swallow her.  “It was not my place to ask such a personal question.”

“You misunderstand, Glory,” Lariah said, reaching out to touch Glory lightly on the shoulder.  “I’m not offended by your question.  My sister, Ellicia, was the boys’ birth mother.  Before she died, she asked the Bearens to raise her sons, and they agreed.  Do you remember that we told you there were Lost Clans?”

“Yes, of course,” Glory said.

“There are two, of them,” Lariah said.  “One is Clan Tigren, as you know.  The other is Clan Owlfen.  By some miracle, Ellicia’s sons are Owlfen.  Hope’s cousin, Harlan, was their father, and the only family member Hope had left, just as Ellicia was my only family member.  Now that they have both passed to the beyond, the boys are the only link I have to Ellicia, as they are the only link Hope has to her cousin.  It took me many months to accept the loss of my sister, which is why Trey and Val become worried whenever the subject comes up.  My grief was extreme, and caused much heartache and worry for them.”

Glory pressed her palms together and bowed her head over them.  “I am sorry for the loss of your loved one, Lariah.”

“Thank you, Glory,” Lariah replied with a sad smile. 

“I’m glad to know that the Fates lent a hand in returning the Owlfen to their people,” Glory said after a moment.  “Perhaps they will aid me in returning the Tigren to you, as well.”

“We can only hope and pray that’s the case,” Lariah said.  “Well, that, and assist you in every way we can.”

“Hello Lariah, Trey, Val,” a petite woman with long, straight, golden brown hair and light blue eyes said as she entered the waiting room. 

“Hello Honey,” Lariah said, standing up.  “I hope this isn’t too inconvenient for you.”

“Not at all,” Honey said, smiling as she gestured for them to follow her.  “Come on back to my office.”

Once Trey had fetched a couple of extra chairs and they were all crowded into the little office Honey shared with Doc, Lariah introduced Honey and Glory.  “It’s nice to meet you, Glory,” Honey said.  “Nica told me about you.”

“She is a special child,” Glory said.  “You look much like her.”

“She’s my baby sister,” Honey said.  “Our mother passed away when Nica was born, so I’ve raised her as though she were a daughter to me.  She truly is a joy.  So, you’d like me to see if you have a psychic talent, is that correct?”

“Yes,” Glory said.  “I’ve never experienced anything like the abilities Lariah has spoken of, though.”

Honey got up from behind her desk and rolled her chair closer to where Glory sat.  Then she held out one hand and, after a moment’s hesitation, Glory placed one of her gloved hands in Honey’s.

“This would probably work better without the glove,” Honey said. 

Glory froze for a moment, her breath catching in her throat.  Then she swallowed hard and began to remove her glove.

“No, wait,” Honey said.  “How about if I just place a hand on your forearm instead?”

“Will that work?” Glory asked.

“Sure,” Honey said.  “I just get a better connection of I can touch your skin.  It doesn’t matter if it’s your hand or not.”  Glory held out her arm, hiding her relief as Honey wrapped her fingers around her wrist just above the edge of the glove. 

“Just relax as much as you can,” Honey said softly.  “This will only take a moment.”

Glory tried to do as Honey asked, but her mind was racing as fast as her heart.  She wasn’t sure if she wanted a psychic talent or not.  She really didn’t need another reason for people to mark her as different.  On the other hand, if she had some ability that could help her find and free the Tigren, she’d be grateful for it no matter the cost to herself. 

Several moments passed, the only sound in the room the soft breathing of the occupants.  Just when Glory was beginning to think there was nothing for Honey to find, the other woman opened her eyes and smiled.  “You’re a Dream Walker.”