Sworn To Transfer

“I am Rainburn,” he continued. “You have traveled a long way to be here, Ciardis Weathervane. You should rest as well.”

“I’m not leaving Terris.”

He paused and turned slightly to gesture to a large armchair with blankets and pillows making a comfortable nest. “I assumed you wouldn’t. Your bed will be here tonight. By your friend’s side.”

“I’m not tired.”

“My apologies. I assumed the long journey would be stressful even for a Weathervane.”

“You assume a lot of things.”

Reaching down, he said, “But perhaps the chair would be comfortable anyway.”

Ciardis was too tired to feel the soothing tendrils he sent through her mind, the push to sleep. She didn’t argue as she settled into the chair and, with one last look at Terris’s resting form, collapsed into a deep sleep.

*****

The next morning she awoke to Alexandra standing over her. She carried coffee and a sandwich. Brusquely, she said, “All of us need to go to the Greeting Hall.” Ciardis turned quick eyes to Terris, who was still asleep.

“With the exception of the wounded,” Alexandra continued with a sip of her own coffee.

“It’s required. We need to present our party to the representatives. Come, Ciardis, Terris will be fine in the healer’s care,” said Vana.

Ciardis quietly stood. Her mouth tasted like shit that even the coffee couldn’t disguise and her eyes felt gritty. She was well rested, but that was the extent of her feel-good self this morning. She stank.

“I need a bath,” she said irately. She wasn’t sure if she was mad at Vana for getting Terris into this situation, Alexandra for putting her in this situation, or that damn healer for putting her to sleep last night. She decided it didn’t matter. She had enough ire in her for all of them.

“You’ll get it later,” said Meres with a smirk. He had clearly had a bath and wore new, clean clothes. Ciardis extended her ire to him, as well, for good measure.

They all walked out silently, with Ciardis making sure to tell the healer on staff to come get her immediately when Terris awoke. As they walked in the morning sun, light shining brightly down upon them, Ciardis noticed they were in some kind of tree city. Homes were built high up in the branches of massive trees. Except for a few buildings at the base of the giant tree trunks like the healing center, the world of the Panen was in the skies. Turning in a circle, she took in the people walking along elaborate bridges and walkways up above her. Of course their destination was on the ground, located not too far from Terris’s bedside. She didn’t have the time or the inclination to investigate further before they arrived at a large meeting hall. But she put it on her to-do list for later.

The four of them walked side-by-side to the front of the hall where three men awaited them. They bore the same slender body structure that Alexandra and all the Panen did. They had the same pointed ears with tufts of fur and chestnut eyes, as well. But their skin was weird. It was as if an artist had taken a deep, rich brown and a verdant green and swirled them together. But the swirl hadn’t been completed, and they’d been left with mottled brown and green skin.

As they walked forward, Alexandra cursed. “These are my people’s warriors. I was hoping for the village council. Say nothing; I’ll do the talking.”

Hmm. I guess that explains the skin that looks like living camouflage. I wonder if it rubs off.

Meres tilted his neck until Ciardis heard an audible crack and felt the barest hint of magic from him. Vana had her hands folded across her chest, an impolite gesture for a companion, but cleverly put her hands in position to grab the knives she had hidden up her sleeves.

Am I the only one not prepared for a fight?

The man in the middle stood ramrod straight. His long hair was pulled back and he had a stony expression on his face. Without warning he was in motion. He had no sword or knife in his hands, but he didn’t look like he was running to them for a hug, either.

Alexandra moved just as fast. She met him in the middle of the room with a swift kick. He was faster. He dodged the blow like lightning. She was crafty and had already dropped to kick his feet out from under him. As he fell backwards she dove towards him with a knife. Grabbing his throat, she moved behind him and held the knife against his neck. His pulse beat steadily in his jugular vein just under the tip of her knife.

It should have been over then. It wasn’t. The second man came forward. Sword raised, he headed for the three humans. Meres pulled a sword out. Vana’s knives appeared like magic. Ciardis grabbed a hardwood staff that she’d been eyeing for a few minutes. They began to position themselves to surround him and face off against the third one if he joined in.

And then a voice called out from the entrance, “Stop! Immediately.”

They all turned to see a man with pale skin and long gray hair staring at them from the entrance to the building.

His gaze swept over the scene and he abruptly dismissed two of the warriors.

They sheathed their weapons and left the meeting hall without a word. Alexandra released the one she held at knifepoint. That one didn’t even glance back at the woman who held a knife at his back. He stepped forward and bowed briskly as he said, “Grandfather.”

The old man leaned on his cane and continued to stare.

“Such reprehensible behavior. From both of you. Julius, why didn’t you properly greet our guests?”

The warrior gave them all an unhappy stare.

He turned to Alexandra and stiffly, “You are once more welcome at our hearth.”

With a cold glance at her companions, he said, “Your guests, on the other hand...”

“That’s going to be a problem, Brother,” Alexandra replied through gritted teeth, “as I brought them here to settle the war on the kith.”

“Brother?” echoed Ciardis.

Chapter 22

Alexandra ignored them. “Thank you for coming, Grandfather,” she said. “Before you stand the envoys from the Algardis Emperor: Lord Mage Meres Kinsight, Master of Beasts; Lady Companion Vana Cloudbreaker, Master of Codes and the Unknown; and Companion Trainee Ciardis Weathervane.”

The old man chuckled. “And by the envoys’ faces, you’ve left out a lot of details with them.”

He looked them over carefully, then turned around and began walking to the door. “Let’s get them up to speed, shall we?”

The siblings looked at each other uncomfortably and then Julius followed the old man out. Alexandra motioned for the group to follow.

As they walked the Panen patriarch said, “Lord Mage Meres Kinsight, I assume you know of the death of the Cardiara female. What you don’t know is that there are more deaths...many more.”

Ciardis flashed back to her conversation with the merchant, Alexandra and Maree Amber in the middle of the night. They had been warned to expect worse numbers than the reports conveyed but apparently Meres had not.

They came to very large and open plain. It was clear of trees and shrubs but not bodies. From end to end, the area was filled with death. But not humans—kith. The ones who weren’t dead lay moaning on the ground in agony. Amid it all, dozens of healers in blue and white—human as well as kith—raced back and forth attending to patients.

“For weeks injured kith have been appearing in the field,” the old man said.

“They have two kinds of wounds,” said Alexandra, stepping forward. “Long, diagonal strikes, like those done by a knife, and singes and burns, as if the victim were set on fire. The burns we have been able to mend, but ...”