The Last of the Wilds

chair. She followed and found him crouching in the narrow gap between the chair and the wall, staring at her defiantly.

“Mnn,” he said around the ring.

“Not yours,” she said firmly. She held out her hand. “Give it to me.”

“Nf yrs,” the veez mumbled. Mine! he sent telepathically, giving up on trying to vocalize around the ring.

“Give,” she ordered. “Now.”

The veez blinked at her. She shuffled forward and reached toward him. As she expected, he darted away, behind another chair.

She stood up and sighed. Testing her like this was his current bad habit. Mairae assured her all veez did this and eventually grew bored with the game, but in the meantime Mischief’s behavior was annoying. Most of the time Auraya managed to ignore it, but this morning she didn’t have the time to indulge him.

He was moving around the room now, avoiding her. She did not like to use magic on him. It was always better to use persuasion.

“Give Auraya ring or Mischief no fly,” she said.

There was a pause, then a muffled word. He did not emerge.

I have used that threat before, she thought ruefully.

“Auraya go away,” she said. “Not take Mischief. Leave Mischief alone long time.”

The pause was longer, then there was a whimper that twisted her heart, and he came bounding out. He raced across the room, ran up her circ and wrapped himself around her neck.

She held out her hand. The ring dropped into it. Mischief’s head drooped onto her shoulder and he sighed.

“Owaya stay.”

“Auraya and Mischief fly,” she said.

“Fly now?”

“Later.”

She moved to a chair and sat down. At once he climbed down into her lap and demanded scratches. As she obliged him with one hand she held up the ring in the other. Abruptly she remembered Chaia. She could still sense him.

:Sorry about that.

She felt a wave of amusement from him.

:I am used to interruptions, he replied.

She considered the ring.

:What happened to the old ring? she asked Chaia.

:The Pentadrians still have it. They do not completely understand its properties, or they would have used it against you.

She shuddered at the thought. It had been bad enough witnessing the Siyee spy harried out of the sky by the Pentadrians’ black birds into the enemy’s midst. She could imagine how much worse it could have been. If the wearer was tortured, for example. She did not have to watch, but knowing that something like that was occurring because of her would be awful.

:Can you destroy the ring? she asked.

:Only through another. Its power will diminish eventually.

:Can you speed up...?

A knock at the main door interrupted her. She reached out to the mind of the person behind it and smiled. Drawing a little magic, she willed the door open.

Danjin stepped inside.

“Good morning, Auraya of the White,” he said, making the sign of the circle.

“Good morning, Danjin Spear,” she replied. “Come in and sit down.”

He moved to one of the chairs. Mischief looked at the adviser, his whiskers twitching, then curled up and went to sleep.

“I’ll be leaving in a few hours,” she told Danjin. “Before I go, I have something to give to you. Catch.”

She tossed the ring toward Danjin. He caught it neatly. As he examined the ring his expression remained mild, but she could read the lingering misgivings in his mind.

I can’t help feeling reluctance at having someone in my head again, even though it’s only Auraya. This is a necessary requirement of my position, however. He slipped the ring on his finger.

“It will shield your mind from Dreamweavers who might try to invade your dreams,” she told him.

He looked at her. “So I can work with them on your behalf.”

“Yes.” Auraya thought of the hospice, and felt a nagging worry return. “It won’t be as difficult a job as you might expect. Dreamweavers and healers alike are being as cooperative as possible. I have another task for you. The Siyee ambassadors have asked for someone to teach them our language and we need people here who can speak theirs. Would you like to be one of those people?”

He smiled. “Of course. I managed to pick up a few words during the weeks before the battle.”

“Mairae is translating for them,” she told him. “Which is keeping her busy. You’ll be her favorite person in all Jarime if you learn fast.”

“I consider myself warned.”

Auraya laughed. “Don’t set your hopes too high.”

“Me? I’m not nearly pretty enough for Mairae. Besides, my wife would kill me.”

“She would. How is she?”

He nodded. “Well.” His smile widened. “You know your life is good when it wouldn’t make a thrilling tale. I’ve come to relish that.”

“I hope it stays that way. Now, is there anything you think I need to do before I go? Anything that can be done in an hour, that is.”

As Danjin considered he turned the ring around and around. Auraya felt a twinge of guilt. She had not told him the entire truth about it. The ring would blanket his mind from all minds but Auraya’s, which was not exactly what had been intended. It wasn’t supposed to shield the wearer’s mind from the other White, but it did. The White and the welcome-tree tenders had never tried to make a ring like this before, and by the time they had realized the error it had been too late to grow another one. The decision had been made for Auraya to leave for Si and she needed the ring now.

Juran had told her to keep the flaw from Danjin. He might still work it out, Auraya thought. Circumstances might make him realize the other White can’t read his mind.

:I doubt he would take advantage of the situation, Chaia said. He can be trusted.

:Yes.

:Even so, the ring should be destroyed when you return.

She smothered a sigh. Once again she would have to visit the grove every day, no matter the weather or how busy she was, to encourage the growth of another replacement link ring.

“The only matter we haven’t dealt with is Mischief,” Danjin said suddenly. He looked down at the veez. “Would you like me to visit every day, as before?”

She grinned and shook her head. “He’s coming with me.”

“Really? That will be a treat for the Siyee.” His voice was heavy with irony.

“And for him.” She picked up Mischief and put him on the seat, then stood up. “Thank you for your help these last few days, Danjin. If there’s anything else, speak to me via the ring.”

“I will,” he replied. They moved to the door. “Have a safe journey and be careful in Si.”

She opened the door. “Of course.”

He smiled and stepped outside. Closing the door, Auraya turned to regard the room. She didn’t know how long it would be before she returned to it. At least this time she would not have to worry about poor Mischief pining away on his own - or tormenting Danjin.

He looked up at her, whiskers twitching.