relief.
“Did I do it right?”
“I guess we won't know that until you try to bring it back.”
She smiled wanly. “You're a real comfort.”
“I do my best.”
Suddenly she laughed. Whether from relief or amusement she did not know. There was a lightness in her that came from more than just the knowledge that she had successfully hidden Sanctuary. It came from somewhere inside her. It was as if she had stepped over an invisible wall that she had not known was holding her back.
“What's so funny?”
“I know this is going to sound crazy, but I think that for the first time in my life, I'm actually happy to be alive.”
Brak smiled slowly. “So am I.”
Sitting close together for warmth, they settled down with their backs to a large pine tree and waited in companionable silence for the dragons to return.
CHAPTER 52
“Oh Tarja, they're beautiful!” Mandah breathed reverently.
He glanced at her and smiled. She was staring up at the sky as though seeing something from her dreams. He had allowed her to come to greet their new guests because he could think of no way to stop her. And besides, of all the people in the Citadel, Mandah was the least likely to offend the Harshini when they arrived.
Tarja watched the dragons settling on the sandy floor of the amphitheatre, almost as awestruck as Mandah and the Defenders who stood behind him. He hadn't expected there to be so many of them. Or so many dragons. Garet Warner studied the swarming sky with a frown, then turned to him with a shake of his head.
“I hope you know what you're doing, Tarja,” he murmured.
“My Lord! Sir!”
Tarja turned towards the urgent voice. A cadet was running towards him across the sand. Garet had pulled all the Cadets out of training and was using them as messengers and for minor administrative tasks to free up as many Defenders as possible. The lad was no more than fourteen and seemed torn between fear and pride that he had been chosen for such an important task as he skidded to a halt in front of the Lord Defender.
“What's wrong?” Tarja asked.
“It's the Kariens, sir. Captain Symin sent me to fetch you.”
“What are they up to now?” Garet asked.
“It's the dragons, sir. Ever since they appeared the Kariens have been going wild. Some of them are even fleeing the field.”
Garet glanced at Tarja in surprise. “Well, that's an unexpected bonus. I'll check out what's happening at the gate. You'd better stay here and keep your new friends under control.”
Garet followed the boy back to the tunnel entrance, as a tall Harshini with dark red hair slid gracefully from the back of the dragon that looked like the one who had accosted Tarja at the vineyard near Testra. He walked forward to greet her, pushing back a momentary wave of apprehension. She looked so much like R'shiel.
“Hello, Tarja.”
“Shananara.”
“Thank you for letting us come home.”
“You may not thank me in a few days. We're under siege, and you're not exactly welcome here. This isn't going to be easy.”
“I know.” She noticed Mandah, who had followed Tarja cautiously, and smiled at the young woman. “Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?”
“Of course. Shananara, this is Mandah Rodak. Mandah, this is Her Highness, Princess Shananara te Ortyn.”
“I'm
“Your Majesty. Divine One,” she gushed, falling to her knees in the sand. The young pagan woman looked set to faint with happiness.
Shananara smiled indulgently. “Arise, child. We have no time to stand on ceremony.” She looked at Tarja then, and her smile broadened mischievously. “I fear I have an apology to make, my Lord Defender. Childish and petty as it may seem, I'm afraid I could not resist taunting your besiegers. We strafed the fields surrounding the Citadel on our approach. I fear I've caused something of a panic among the Kariens.”
Tarja tried without success to hide his amusement. “I'm sure I can find it in myself to forgive you.”
“I thought you might.”
He glanced over her shoulder at the other Harshini, who were climbing down from their dragons and looking about them with expressions ranging from happiness to rapture. There were no children among them, which surprised him a little.
“I've made arrangements for you to be accommodated in the dormitories. As we've no Sisterhood any longer, there didn't seem any point keeping the Novices and the Probates.”
“What did you do with them?” Shananara asked with a hint of concern.
He was tempted to tell her he'd murdered them all in their beds, just to see what her reaction would be, but thought better of it. “We sent them home.”
“May we visit the Temple of the Gods?” When Tarja looked at her blankly, she smiled. “I believe you call it your Great Hall.”
“Tomorrow, perhaps, and I'd prefer you did it in small groups. Hundreds of Harshini marching through the streets of the Citadel might cause a riot.”
“We shall be discreet, my Lord.”
“Thank you. Mandah will act as liaison between us. She's a pagan, and a number of her people are here. I thought you might be more comfortable dealing with them, rather than the Defenders.”
“Your consideration of our feelings is both unexpected and appreciated, Tarja,” she told him with a slight bow. “It seems R'shiel was correct when she said you could be trusted.”
“She's not with you?”
“She and Brak had something else to take care of, but they should be back by nightfall. Which brings me to a rather delicate matter. I cannot ask the demons to stay melded in dragon form, and you have nowhere to accommodate them in any case. But if I dissolve them, I cannot guarantee their good behaviour.”
Tarja groaned silently. He hadn't thought about that when he'd told R'shiel the Harshini could return. On the other hand, she had conveniently neglected to mention that the demons were a part of the deal.
“Can't you just... disappear them, or something?”
Shananara laughed. “A demon you can't see is likely to cause a lot more trouble than one you can keep an eye on, Tarja. I'll do what I can, but I really should dissolve the melds.”
“Just try to keep them out of trouble.”
“I will. And now, if you would be so kind as to let us find our accommodation, we'd like to settle in. It has been a long night.”
“Mandah will show you the way.”
Shananara looked at him with a sad little smile. “We know the way, Tarja.”
Tarja refused to acknowledge the unspoken accusation. “These men will escort you.”
“Are we prisoners?”
“They are for your protection, Shananara. I'm not worried about what you'll do to the citizens of the Citadel; I'm worried about what they'll do to you.”
“Then once again I thank you for your consideration. Will we meet again later? There are things we need to
