“Not doing any business that I can see,” Khujann muttered under his breath as he pushed past his father and started to walk across the bridge. Sath caught his son by the scruff and hauled him back until they were nose to nose. They stared at each other for a moment, and then both started laughing.
“That was a lot easier when you were a cub,” Sath said, grinning.
“I didn’t talk back that much when I was a cub!” Khujann replied, his grin matching his father’s. Sath released his son and gave him a sound clap on the back before they continued across the bridge.
“No, you were much, much worse then,” Sath said. He looked back behind them for Gin. “You coming, Gin?” he called out over his shoulder.
“Of course, where else would I be?” she said, smiling. This was home for her now – sort of, anyway. Gin spent little time in the Great Forest after taking her station as Nature Walker and Guardian of the Forest. She was welcomed back to Aynamaede as though royalty – once word spread that the Nature Walker had returned—but she was not as comfortable in that role as Sath was serving as Rajah. It was decided that the High Council would continue to serve the citizens of the treetop city – after replacing almost all of the members and making it a public entity. The Nature Walker would remain the liaison between those who called the Great Forest home and their deities, Sephine and Kildir, as well as the conduit for the magic they bestowed upon their faithful. Four times per season, Gin returned to the Great Forest to greet her people, hear their petitions, heal as many afflictions as she could, and preside over marriages and funeral rites. Sometimes the Forest felt more like home than others—at those times, the trips home never seemed long enough for her. She loved her time on Qatu’anari, and the Qatu treated her as one of their own, but she was never there long enough either. The constant traveling reinforced within her the uncertainty of where her real home really was.
Sath and Khujann seemed the only real family she had now. Kaewenye and Iseabel, her wood elf cousins, were progressing well in their studies and didn’t need her guidance anymore. They didn’t even come to see her with the other young ones in the tree city when she visited. Cursik, Lairky, and her parents were dead. Nelenie—her childhood friend who was like a sister to her—was presumed dead; Gin hadn’t heard from her in ages. She tried not to dwell on thoughts of the audacious blonde paladin – it hurt her heart too much to think of the what-ifs that come with a life lived as a mercenary warrior. Tairneanach was thriving in Tee and Nehrys’s home as their nanny, and Hack and Elysiam had left on an extended hunting trip alone.
Recent relations among those who called Orana home – save the dark elves, of course – were peaceful; as Guardians, Gin and Sath had little to do other than perform ceremonial duties and keep watch in case the dragons returned from the Dark Side of the World. Sath settled back into life as Rajah of his people. Hulan had served as Prince Consort and Regent for Khujann during the hunt for Taeben that kept the Rajah away from the palace, but now that Sath had returned to Qatu’anari, Hulan was no longer needed in the Regent role. Hulan had taken Sath’s place in the Fabled One’s hunting party and was now a full member of the Fabled Ones. He performed diplomatic duties in the role usually held by the First Wife now and then, but for the most part, Hulan stayed out hunting. Gin was sure this was due in no small part to Khujann’s resemblance to Kazhmere, Hulan’s true love. He loved the Prince as his own cub, but he had not been the same since Kazhmere’s death. Gin wondered if he was with Hack and Elysiam and if they were all keeping safe. A life lived rough on the hunt was exciting, but also very dangerous.
In sharp contrast to that, life in the Qatu city was ordered and regimented. Thanks to Sath’s discretion, no one but his closest advisors and Hulan knew of Gin’s involvement in Kahzmere’s death, so she was welcomed to Qatu’anari with open arms. She wasn’t sure if he had done that because of any feelings he had left for her, or just to make sure he didn’t have to expend extra resources to keep her safe—both, perhaps. Kazhmere had been very well-liked, and her death and subsequent pronouncement as Princess Royal had been a cause for weeks of mourning in Qatu’anari. Gin worried from time to time that her presence was another reason for Hulan’s absence. To any outside observer, the Rajah and the Nature Walker were perfectly matched, but privately Gin and Sath had a rough road still ahead of them. She knew that there were rules she had to follow to regain his trust after everything that had gone before. Gin considered him for a moment, letting the memories wash over her. “One day,” she said quietly, “we will work on regaining my trust in YOU, Sath. But not today.”
“Did you say something?” Sath asked without looking back at her.
“Nope,” she replied, grabbing his tail as she had during the early days when they would hunt together, and she didn’t want to get lost. Sath smiled wide and picked up his pace as Gin followed along, her mind wandering as she held on tightly to his tail. At first, when they returned from their maiden diplomatic trip as Guardians and were probably as close as they had ever been, Sath had talked of making her First Wife, but the citizens of Qatu’anari were not
