Oathbreaker

completely drained. Conspiracy is for the young. Combining it with a love affair is insanity.

Warrl gave an amused snort from where he lay curled on his chosen spot on the hearth. :You manage well enough, wise one,: the rough voice in Jadrek's mind said.

That is solely, I suspect, because our opportunities have numbered far less than our wishes, Jadrek thought at him, feeding a little more revived just by the casual contact with the kyree's lively mind. I fear that even the supposed wisdom of accumulated years fails to keep my desire from outstripping my capabilities. The only difference between my youth and my age is that now I am not ashamed to admit the fact.

The kyree snorted contemptuously again, but Jadrek ignored him and continued. Furthermore, I shudder to think what Tarma is likely to say about this liaison when she learns of it.

:You know less about her than you think,: was the kyree's enigmatic reply. Suddenly the great beast raised his head, and stared in the direction or the palace. :A message-:

'What?' Jadrek asked aloud, as Kethry turned to look sharply at the lupine creature.

:Tarma sends her regrets, but Char requires her presence, and she seems to think that the tran-dust he intends to abuse this evening might make him talkative. Needless to say, she does not intend to miss her opportunity.: The kyree turned warm and glowing eyes on the Archivist. :She asks me to come to the stable at dark, so that she can return here afterward without worrying about spies on her backtrail. I would suggest, given your earlier plaint about not having any time to yourselves, that you might take advantage of the occasion that has been presented to you ... unless you have other plans.:

Jadrek nearly choked on a laugh at Kethry's indignant blush.

'I think we can find some way of filling in the time,' he said aloud, as she glared at both of them. The hour grew late; the candle burned down to a stub, and Kethry replaced it -- and still no sign of Tarma. Jadrek regretted -- more than once -- that his ability to communicate with Warrl was sharply limited by distance.

Kethry suddenly dropped the candle end she was about to discard, and her whole body tensed.

'What?' Jadrek asked, anxiously, wondering if she had sensed some sort of occult probing in their direction.

'It's -- anger,' she replied, distantly. 'Terrible, terrible anger. I've never felt anything like this in her before.'

'Her? Her who?' She didn't answer him, and he said, a little more sharply. 'Who, Keth? Keth?'

She shook her head as if to clear it, and resumed her seat at the table, but he could see that her hands were trembling before she clasped them in front of her on the table to conceal the fact.

'Keth?' he repeated gently, but insistently.

'It's -- it's the she'enearan bond between us,' she said at last. 'We each can feel things the other does, sometimes. Jadrek, she's in a killing rage; she's just barely keeping herself under control! And I can't tell why.'

She looked up at him, and he could see fear, the mirror to his own, in her eyes. 'I've never felt anything like this out of her; she's usually so controlled, even when I'm ready to spit nails. It has to be something Char said or did -- but what could bring her to the brink like this? There's enough rage resonating down the bond that I'm half prepared to go kill something!'

'I don't know,' he said slowly. 'And I'm almost afraid to find out.'

They stared at each other helplessly, until finally he reached out and laid his hand over her clenched ones, offering what little comfort he had to give.

After that, it was just the deadly waiting.

Finally, after both of them had fretted themselves into a state of nervous exhaustion, they heard Warrl's nails clicking on the wooden steps outside. Tanna's presence was revealed only by the creaking of the two trick boards, one in the fifth step, one in the eighth -- otherwise she never made a sound. Kethry jumped to her feet, ran to the door and flung it open.

Tarma/Arton stood in the light streaming from the door, so very still that for a moment Jadrek wasn't entirely certain she was breathing. She remained in the doorway for a long, long moment, her face utterly expressionless -- except for the eyes, which burned with a rage so fierce Kethry stepped back an involuntary pace or two.

Warrl came up from behind her and nudged Tarma's hand with his nose; only then did she seem to realize where she was, and walk slowly inside, stopping only when she came to the table.

She did not take a seat as she usually did; she continued to stand, half-shrouded in shadows, and looked