Whisper (15 page)

It was late by the time they headed back. Aesri had kept them longer than they had planned on staying. Darius thought she would have kept them right through the evening meal if he hadn’t insisted they return to the inn.

Carly’s head felt like it was spinning. It seemed to her as if the weight of the world had been placed squarely on her shoulders. Aesri had tried to comfort her saying that Rah’s plans were never clear, and Carly may play no larger role in all this than the importance of her presence. Carly hoped rather than believed that to be true. She didn’t know this Rah very well yet, but it didn’t seem like he was the kind of god who did things in a small way–subtle, perhaps, but never small.

Dearra was also feeling a bit overwhelmed. Brin had told her his story, but she had no idea the story had affected so many, or that there was an entire race of people committed to aiding him. She was embarrassed to realize she had never given any thought to
helping
Brin. To her, he was her friend and her weapon. Stopping to ponder him caged, trapped against his will, was uncomfortable, in much the same way it was when she thought of Pip in the same situation. Her love for Phillip insisted she take action, and there was nothing she wouldn’t do to free him. Now that same love for Brin was needling her to act on his behalf, though she wasn’t sure exactly what she could do to help.

Darius felt Dearra’s grip tighten and loosen around his waist as she rode behind him. He knew she was wrestling with something inside herself. Darius wondered how Brin was doing with all of this. The dragon hadn’t spoken much, which wasn’t normal.
You, all right, Brin?
He asked.

I’ve been trapped in a sword for a thousand years, strapped to the hip of a teenaged girl-warrior, and now I have Tolah only knows how many fairies all chomping at the bit to “save” me. How do you think I am?

I can see how all that could be tough on you, but it’s not as though the fairies are against you. I would think it would be much worse if that were the case.

There’s no telling with the Etrafarians. They are devoted to Rah and trying to do his will. The only problem with that is that sometimes they get it wrong. Tolah knew Rah. He was here in the beginning when Rah spoke openly to his children. Tolah says that while Rah is a loving and compassionate god, he is also unpredictable. It’s all a bunch of nonsense if you ask me. I trust what I can see and touch.

T
ell me, Brin: do you trust Dearra?

Of course I do.

You trust her because she loves you, and you know she would do anything for you, right?

Absolutely.

Tell me, Brin’du Drak’Tir, what does love look like? What does it feel like?

Shut up, Darius.

Darius chuckled softly to himself.
I’m just saying that not everything can be seen or touched. I see no dragon, but one is with me none the less.

Have you always been this annoying?

Worse, my friend, much, much worse. You should meet my father. He could tell you stories that would make your tail curl.

Do you ever miss your family, Darius?
Brin asked seriously.
From what I know of you, family is very important. I would think it to be very difficult for you to be separated from them.

Darius seemed to consider Brin’s question carefully before he answered.
It was hard, Brin, but not in the way you mean. I am not alone, now; it was the first nineteen years of my life that were spent in solitude. I had to leave my home to find my family.

You’re a good man, Darius.

Brin! That’s very kind of you. Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell people you have a soft heart and that you can be nice when the mood strikes you?

No, not really. Who would believe it?

Darius laughed aloud, startling Dearra and Carly. “Sorry,” he said. “Brin was—”

“Say no more,” Dearra said. “I completely understand.”

***

Hugh paced anxiously in front of the stables and rushed forward to meet them when they arrived. He reached up to help Dearra down from her perch and scolded Darius sharply. “Boy, you could give some thought to a father’s feelings. Jacob tries to harm our girls only last night, and now you’re out until all hours, with no word to anyone.”

Khan lowered himself down to one knee to allow Carly to gently slide to the cobbled street. “Peace, Lord Hugh,” Carly said. “You sent us for answers, and we have them. Come, now. We’re all hungry and tired. Let’s not stand in the street arguing over things that cannot be changed.”

“Well put, Carly,” Daniel said, as he stepped from the shadows. “He’s been a bear since late afternoon, pacing around and making everyone tense. I told him you would be along when you were finished and to stop worrying so much.”

“Sound advice, Weapons Master,” Darius said, nodding. “So you were only out here to pace beside him for moral support?”

Having been caught, all Daniel could do was shrug and grin.

“Well, we’re here now, so let’s go in to our meal,” Dearra said. “Carly has a lot to share with you.” She stood on tip toe and kissed her father’s cheek. “Thanks for worrying about me, Father.”

Hugh grumbled something about headstrong daughters and Breken boys, but Dearra only laughed and tugged him towards the inn.

Daniel took Carly’s arm, but when he moved, she remained still, and he looked down at her with concern. Her eyes were dark, thin worry lines were etched into her forehead, and she looked tired out.

Carly crooked a finger at him, and he lowered his head. She kissed his cheek, as Dearra had done to Hugh a moment earlier, wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered, “Thanks for worrying about me.”

Daniel held her close. She rubbed her soft cheek against his rough one. She was so little and seemed so fragile; he hated to see her worried. His mouth touched hers in a sweet kiss that turned more heated as her embrace tightened around his neck. It seemed to Daniel she was using the kiss to seek solace in order to escape from the events of the day. Her motives soon grew unimportant to Daniel when he found himself matching the urgency of her kiss.

Their moment together ended abruptly when Khan whinnied loudly from his stall. The sound of splintering wood rent the air as powerful hooves smashed against the door that held him. The boys who had cared for the animals housed there approached nervously, and began their efforts to calm him.

Carly rolled her eyes. “He’s not a good sharer,” she explained. She went inside and stroked a hand against the agitated animal’s neck. “Easy, Prince. Easy now, most magnificent of horses. Shhhh, hush. Rest now, Khan. Eat well, and dream of the paradise that comes after this world, fields of clover, and sunshine, and many, many mares.” The horse nickered contentedly.

She turned to Daniel. “Come on, Daniel,” she said. “He’ll be all right, now.” Carly turned towards the inn.

“You go ahead, sweet. I just want to talk to the stable boys a moment. Make sure they know what to do if he acts up again.”

Carly nodded and gave him a loving smile before turning and heading inside, but instead of speaking to the stable boys, Daniel turned to Khan and said, “You understand me, don’t you?”

Khan tossed his head as if nodding.

“You’re devoted to her, I get that. I even appreciate that,” Daniel said softly.

Khan pawed the ground with one hoof and threw his head high.

“But listen carefully, Prince Pain in the Butt, if you ever ruin a moment like that again I’ll see to it that you get to see that horse paradise Carly was talking about. Now, do we understand one another?” Daniel asked.

When no answer came, Daniel said, “Good, then.” But as he turned to go, Khan spun in his stall so that his back end faced Daniel, lifted his tail, and produced a rather impressive pile of dung. When he had finished, he pivoted so that he was facing Daniel again and whinnied a high, long sound that Daniel thought sounded remarkably like laughter.

“Stupid, horse,” he mumbled, and left the stables.

***

Daniel entered the inn and made his way to the common room, following the voices of his friends.

“Daniel’s not going to like it,” William said, shaking his head.

“Not going to like what?” Daniel asked casually. The fact that Carly’s was the only happy face in the room should have told him it was something bad.

“Well,” Hugh began, “our Breken visitor has decided we are to be trusted enough for a one on one conversation with his master, as well as the opportunity to check on Phillip and ensure he is well.”

“I don’t understand,” Daniel said. “That’s good, isn’t it? At the very least, it means we’re one step closer to finishing this and getting home.”

Darius spoke next, taking the burden from Hugh: “True, Daniel, but you understood from the beginning that this was going to be a long, drawn out affair. The Breken are a much ritualized people in some ways. I think it makes up for the everyday chaos around them to have certain ways of conducting business.”

“Yeah, I got that. So what am I not going to like?”

Hugh cleared his throat, as if willing himself to speak.

Carly bounced lightly on the balls of her feet, as if fighting to stay silent.

Darius spoke in answer to his question, saving Hugh, yet again. “The meeting is only for one negotiator. The rest of us will stay here. That’s the arrangement.”

Thin lines of concern appeared on his forehead. “Which one is it to be?” Daniel asked.

Hugh came forward and put his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “We agreed, before we ever set out, who would fill that role.”

Realization finally dawned on Daniel and he said, “Not a chance! No. I suggested we bring her along because I…because I wanted to…because—”

“It doesn’t matter why, Daniel,” Darius said. “The Breken know she’s our negotiator now, and they will have no other.”

“When did all of this happen? I was here when Behrouz came. I don’t remember any of that.”

“You had gone out to look for Carly, and it just sort of came up.” Hugh rubbed a hand at the back of his neck, trying to ease some of the tension growing there.

“Just sort of came up? What in Cyrus’s name, Hugh? What were you thinking?” Daniel shook his head. “It doesn’t matter what the Breken will or will not have. We’ll just have to send someone else.”

Carly had been patient long enough, and she opened her mouth to have her say. “Now listen here: I am more than capable of seeing to this. I have a hundred times more experience than any of you when dealing with this sort of thing.”

“Carly, sweet,” Daniel said, taking her hands in his. “You haven’t exactly been yourself lately. Calm is needed for these negotiations. What happens if you have one of your…your fairy moments? What then?”

Carly chewed on her lower lip. He was right, of course. In order to do this she would need to be in complete control. What if she slipped? She longed for the adventure, but she also worried about her ability to control her budding abilities. Luckily, Darius interrupted to save her from having to decide.

“She has to go, Daniel. To send someone else now would be an insult. It would be as good as shouting from the middle of the streets that we don’t trust them.”

“We don’t!” Daniel bellowed.

“No, but to say so openly could endanger Pip.”

Daniel sighed. “I see I have no choice in all of this. What about sending someone with her? I would feel so much better about it if we were able to send someone with her.”

“We can,” William said softly.

Hugh shot him a threatening look.

“Well then, that’s different!” Daniel said, having already decided he would make the best escort.

Daniel’s demeanor had cheered noticeably, but Darius stiffened and turned his attention to William. “Not Dearra,” Darius growled.

Dearra’s head snapped up, her eyes sparkling with interest.

“They can’t force us to send her, Darius,” Hugh said consolingly.

“He was pretty specific,” William said, earning him another glare from Hugh.

“Is that true?” Dearra asked. “She can bring
me
as escort?”

“Or go alone,” Hugh said. “Honestly, Dearra, why would they harm Carly? There would be no gain in it for them.”

“Father!” Dearra shouted. “How can you even think of sending her out into the desert alone? There are more than Breken warriors out there to be wary of. It’s a two day trip, alone across the sands. How could you even consider such a thing as sending her by herself?” Dearra wrapped her arm around Carly’s waist, and the two young women stood united.

“What about those sand serpents Darius told you about?” Hugh asked, desperately casting about for anything that might prevent his remaining child from putting herself under Breken control. “What are the two of you going to do against something like that?”

“Darius and I talked about that, Father. He told me those snakes are very, very rare, and that even those who live in the desert could easily go their whole lives without ever seeing one. Isn’t that right, Darius?”

“Yes, I did say that, but—”

“See, Father? There’s nothing to worry about. You wouldn’t really make her go without me, would you?”