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Part 3 of The Sacred Child
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Peja's Wonderful World of Makebelieve Import
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2020-11-04
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2005-05-26
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The Sacred Child: Book 3

Summary:

With Anne seriously injured and Karae's blindness driving her into herself, it's a struggle just to make it home, but the sparks don't really start to fly until they get there....

Notes:

(See the end of the work for notes.)

Chapter Text

Four long, arduous days after Lady Anne had first been injured and Karae had vanished, Yelan crouched by the rear legs of his stallion making final adjustments to the support ropes of Lady Anne's sledge and watching dawn crawl grudgingly over the horizon. Reassured, he stood and walked towards the animal's head, reveling in the extra warmth the newly risen sun was bringing to what had been a bitterly cold morning.

As he strained his eyes to pick out the castle on the horizon, Yelan battled mixed feelings about finally coming home. The joy of seeing the king and Tano again, several days of sleep in a warm bed and consistent meals would all be welcome, but he dreaded Lord Roland's reaction to the condition in which his wife and daughter would soon be returned to him.

Lady Anne, her right leg as shattered as it had been when her horse had first descended on it, remained in a state of very deep sleep, removed from any pain. Karae, though now conscious, had not yet recovered emotionally. Throughout the journey back to the castle, she had been lapsing more and more frequently into long periods of silent withdrawal, drinking water and eating only when it occurred to her or when it was offered.

At various times during the trip home, every member of the group had made some attempt to draw out the young woman when she was noticed slipping away into her own world; everyone except Yelan. From the looks he'd been receiving the previous evening, he was fairly certain that he would presently be hung up by his toes if he didn't join the cheer-up campaign the rest of them seemed to be engaged in.

For the moment, he was content to allow Ryun and the others to think him callous and cold. He believed he knew all too well where Karae was, figuratively, running away to. He had spent several months in that bleak realm himself after his initial transition into immortality, and it felt like centuries had passed since. He also knew that no amount of pleasant conversation could or would entice his friend away from that world until her time there was over, whatever tasks she had set for herself were completed and she turned and walked away from the darkness of her own volition.

Sighing deeply, Yelan returned to the sledge, gave a seemingly loose knot a final tug and strolled towards the wagon where Ryun and Tess were deeply enmeshed in a heated argument that threatened to boil over any moment.

"I'm warning you, Tess. This is Aruk we're talking about. If you even mention it he'll tear you apart. I can guarantee you won't last two minutes."

"I know Aruk as well as you do, Ryun. Yelan and I have discussed this and we both agree we can't just spring this on him when we finally make it to the Keep. If he does have some type of latent ability it isn't right to let him go on denying it."

"Will being right dull the pain when Aruk rips your lungs out through your navel?"

"Let him bluff and bluster all he cares to. He knew exactly what it meant when he found Karae before we could, and if I have to tie him to a tree and beat him with that cursed coffee-pot of his, he's going to admit it!"

"Even if he does understand, Tess, he doesn't want anything to do with it. Where's the sense in torturing him?"

"He has to be made to see the good he could do with his talent. The first step is for him to acknowledge out loud that he has it at all."

"Why don't you try teaching a grizzly bear to play guitar instead? You'd have more luck, and the grizzly might at least do you the favor of a quick death. Aruk won't be so generous."

"For once will you quit with the jokes? This isn't funny."

"My humor keeps my sanity intact. Yours, I'm beginning to have doubts about...."

Feeling he had stayed out of the conversation long enough, Yelan, after requesting that Tess translate once again, began to add his thoughts to the discussion.

- Her sanity isn't in question, Ryun. She's absolutely right. Aruk must face the truth. If he does possess even a small amount of magic he must confront the fact head on and learn to use his power wisely. -

"I see. Like Karae's been learning about hers?" Ryun spat caustically

To his credit, Yelan's expression remained placid; presenting no outward sign that the young man's words had reached him.

Tess simply stared, open-mouthed, for several seconds, shocked that such a comment had come from Ryun, before her anger at his words flared, her eyes narrowing to slits as she prepared to respond. Only Yelan's easy smile and his firm grip on her forearm halted her before she could take action.

- I appreciate the thought, but I'm quite capable of holding up my side of an argument, Tess. -

Turning to Ryun, Yelan began to sign slowly. - From what little I've learned about you in the past few days, Ryun, I believe you're already regretting the tone of that last remark if not the content, so why don't we just agree that it never happened. As regards Karae, I know I don't need to remind you that she is as free a citizen of this kingdom as you or I. It was her choice to go traipsing off alone, following the misguided lead of her wounded ego, without a single clue as to the devastation she might be loosing on the world or herself. -

Here, Yelan paused, considering his words carefully, his face no longer so expressionless. - What Karae has endured need never have happened. If I could possibly go back and prevent her from being hurt, I wouldn't hesitate to try. We have that chance with Aruk, and if we don't take it, we're going to end up sitting together years from now, looking back on this time and regretting the steps we didn't take to protect and support him. -

Ryun's response was swift, though his voice no longer held any genuine conviction, and he could only meet Yelan's eyes for a moment or two at a time.

"This "so-called" talent of Aruk's could be anything from a once in a lifetime flash to another overflow from Karae. How can you be so sure he won't be fine if we just leave him alone?"

- I live every day with the guilt of always being in the wrong place when Karae needed me, Ryun. That's how I can be so sure. -

Disturbed that Yelan seemed to be taking far too much on himself, Tess gripped his shoulder gently and tried to console him.

"That guilt doesn't belong to you. You couldn't do more for Karae than she allowed you to, and you aren't responsible for her pushing you away. You're her friend, Yelan. Friends can only do so much."

- I understand that. The guilt *is* mine, Tess, at least partially, but it's alright. I don't wallow in it. I use it to help me make better decisions. I won't let Aruk go through what Karae has. Not when I'm in a position to prevent it. -

"Hold on, Yelan. Even if what we believe is true, Aruk is miles from being what Karae is."

- The principle is the same. The result will be the same. - Yelan paused once again, gazing at Ryun, attempting to gauge whether his friend's standing on the issue had changed even slightly. - So. Are we all finally agreed about what needs to be done? -

At last Ryun nodded slightly, though his expression remained brooding and skeptical.

"Fine. I agree, but all the logic in the world won't make Aruk's reaction any less berserk."

"You, Aruk and I will deal with whatever comes, the same way we always have." Tess reassured him, one arm around his shoulder to pull him closer to her side while the other hand crept toward his head. Tess grinned like a maniac and although Ryun tried to pull away, his companion refused to release him.

"You touch my hair and you're a dead woman, Tess. For once I got it looking just the way I wanted this morning, so don't you dare even try to mess it up. Don't you dare."

"Did you actually think I'd forgotten about that little tickle- torture session you and Aruk put me through? You should know better. Ah, retribution. For pure enjoyment, there's just nothing like it."

Tess' arm, which had been casually draped over Ryun's shoulder, now wrapped around his neck just tightly enough to prevent his escape and wasn't released until all Ryun's careful styling had been utterly destroyed. Scowling fiercely at Tess, Ryun blew upwards into the mass of fawn-colored locks now hanging full in his face and stalked off to find his comb and mirror.

Feeling much better now that Ryun had been repaid, Tess turned to find Yelan and secure his silence so that her revenge on Aruk wouldn't be ruined. After a brief moment of searching she discovered him leaning against the wagon, crouched close to the ground, head on his knees, struggling to control his laughter.

"You won't tell Aruk about this will you? I still have plans for him."

- Of course not. - Yelan replied as he stretched to his full height once again. - After witnessing that little masterpiece of retaliation, I'm dying to see what you have in store for poor Aruk. -

"First things first. If I survive telling him about the keep..."

- Yes. Well, if necessary it can wait for a short while. When we communicated last night, Ethan said that EarthHeart agreed that Karae deserved a week or two of rest before starting another journey. -

When Tess' expression darkened momentarily at the mention of Ethan's name, Yelan threw a mildly questioning glance in her direction.

"It's nothing, really. He just isn't exactly in my good graces at the moment. He never should have left. I refuse to accept that there wasn't something he could have done for her."

- You know his reasons are perfectly sound. He needs all the time he can get to talk to EarthHeart and prepare for Karae's arrival. -

"It's going to be at least five weeks, possibly six, before any of us get there, Yelan. He'll have everything ready and be sitting on his thumbs in two."

- He's human, Tess, and he has human emotions. Don't deny him his legitimate share of guilt and helplessness. If those feelings meant it was difficult for him to be around Karae.... we have no right to judge him. The rest of us feel the same way. We just reacted differently. -

Yelan's words drew Tess' thoughts away from her own dilemma with Aruk and from Ethan as well. Her eyes turned, almost painfully, to where Karae sat, legs bent double under her, as unaware of the dampness of the grass as she seemed uninterested in the rest of the world.

"Will she ever be herself again? Seeing her like this is so much worse than before. Then, her silence was out of her control. Knowing she could come to me and talk, and she chooses not to.... "

- Karae will recover once enough time has passed. If she's ever going to come to terms with all that's happened, she has a great deal to work through and a difficult journey to make. Nothing we can do.... -

"I know. I know." Tess broke in, her tone a mixture of deep concern and mild irritation, her eyes on Karae once again. "This isn't the time to be holding her hand, no matter how much I might wish she needed me to."

- What she needs is to see this path to the end, Tess. I know how hard it is. I walked it myself a long time ago. Interference from others only makes the journey longer and tougher. She'll talk to us when she's ready. Trust me, after forty-eight hours you'll be begging someone to put her back the way she is now. -

"Not a chance." Tess laughed.

- We'll see. - Yelan warned, grinning. - Well. Do you think you're ready to meet Tano and Lord Roland? -

"If I had another twenty years I wouldn't be ready. I even had a nightmare about it last night. Tano and the king took one look at Lady Anne and tossed Ryun, Aruk and I in the dungeon for the rest of our natural lives on a once a month ration of moldy bread and moat water."

- In the words of an extremely wise woman, 'not a chance.' Lord Roland knows everything, the good and the bad news. My lady's condition won't be any surprise to him. -

"He hasn't seen her yet. His having the knowledge is one thing, but.... she's so pale and her leg looks atrocious. If he loves her as deeply as you described to me last night, I hope he has deep reserves of strength. He'll need them."

No longer truly involved in the conversation, Tess dropped to a sitting position a few feet from where Yelan stood, staring into the middle distance, distracted by a pain and a memory that were hers alone.

- Your mother? -

"Always. It isn't exactly the kind of memory that fades with time."

- You didn't have the resources to cope with it then. Few children would. Karae is developing them now, in her own fashion, just as you did. When she's learned what she needs to learn, I'm sure she'll let us know. Then perhaps you'll teach each other something about appreciating one's limitations and the detrimental effects of excessive guilt over situations one has no control of. -

Grinning devilishly, Tess rose to her knees, extended her arms in front of her and lowered her forehead to the ground.

"Yes, oh my master. Do you wish to impart any further words of great wisdom to your unworthy slave or may I crawl off to my filthy pallet and bowl of gruel, oh possessor and fount of all knowledge?"

Laughing, Yelan stretched out a foot and gently toppled Tess onto her left side.

- I get enough sarcasm from Karae. The last thing I need is a second source to double the torment. -

"Hey. We may not be schooling each other in humility but at least you know she's taught me something."

- Karae does have some talents that aren't enormously annoying, you know. Ask her to teach you to paint, for goodness sakes. Anything would be better than one more person in the world with her razor sharp tongue and acerbic sense of humor. -

As she rose to her feet, Tess' grin only deepened.

"Sorry. It's too late. For your information, God happens to prize intelligent women like Karae and me and he's peopled half the world with us. Learn to live with it."

After favoring Yelan with a brief view of her tongue, Tess turned, giggling, and began to scrutinize the brass and new wood on a wagon wheel she had repaired the previous day. Smiling ruefully, Yelan watched her work for a moment before turning back to his own tasks.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Inside the castle, emotions were, perhaps, running even higher than on the plain several miles away. Since early that morning, when the word had come from Yelan that he, Karae and the rest of their party were nearing home, Tano had found it more than his job was worth to try and keep Lord Roland in a chair for more than five minutes at a time instead of standing at the window watching for the wagon that would bring his family home. After an hour or so of trying, Tano surrendered and joined his master at the window facing the hill the prodigals would soon appear over.

"I cannot fathom in the least why I am still sitting here instead of catching up on the two thousand pounds of work that has piled up on my desk in the past week."

"Because you're a good friend and you'd never leave me alone to face what's happened to Anne."

"Of course not, your majesty." Tano replied, his mildly dubious expression belying his words. "My point was that they will arrive whether you and I are there to pounce on them at the gate or not. Our becoming fixtures at this window will not change what is or suddenly cause them all to appear at our feet simply because we wish it to be so."

"Tano."

"Yes, your majesty."

"I would really prefer a little silence just now. You can wait here with me or you can go wait by the portcullis in nothing but your boots. Either way I will have quiet. I trust we understand each other?"

"Exquisitely, my lord."

"Good."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Closing his eyes, Yelan turned his face to the sun, cherishing it for a last moment before climbing up into the driver's position and gently encouraging the horses forward. When a small, almost unfamiliar voice came from behind him, he halted the animals, turned and extended his arm into the back of the wagon to assist the speaker forward. Jumping down again, he walked back to talk to Tess.

- Can you come forward for a while? I need help on the wagon. -

"What is it? One of the horses pull up lame?"

- No. Translation duties. Karae has finally rejoined us. -

"Thank the good Lord for that." Tess replied with a long held sigh of relief as she slid to the ground. "But she understands.... Damn. If she can't see your signs, you two don't communicate."

- That's not quite true, but we'll discuss that another time. Will you help? -

"Of course. Give me just a minute. I'll be right with you."

Tess rapidly secured her reins to the rear of the wagon with practiced movements and rushed forward to where Karae and Yelan waited for her.

- I know you have questions, Tess, but please hold onto them for a while. Karae's not quite ready. -

Intuiting that it might disturb Karae to hear responses without questions, Tess answered Yelan in rapid sign then climbed up beside Karae.

-- I understand. For the moment I'll restrict the conversation to pleasant subjects and whatever you need translated. --

- Good. Will you make a start while I get us home? We're less than five miles out now. We can be there in an hour; less if I'm able to concentrate on my driving. -

-- Of course. Go ahead and get the horses moving. -- "Karae. It's Tess."

"I know that, silly." Karae replied softly adding a diminutive, exhausted smile. "I'd know your voice even if we hadn't spent hours talking. Where are we?"

"Almost home. Yelan says it's not quite five miles to the castle."

"Good. Tano and I have a great deal to discuss."

Turning from his task with a shocked expression, Yelan quickly signed a short sentence to Tess before returning his attention to the path before him.

"Yelan wants me to confirm that those words actually came from your lips. I don't understand. Who is Tano and why is Yelan surprised that you'd talk to him?"

"Sorry. That's too long a story. I promise you'll hear it some night when you feel like staying up to see the sun rise. Suffice it to say that we had some differences and that I'm willing to put them aside temporarily. I need some questions answered and he's convenient."

"I don't suppose I'd be any help in that department."

"No."

"I didn't think so, but I had to ask." Tess replied with a small smile.

"I know. You and I will talk, Tess. I promise. There's so much I still need to know about the keep before I just stroll in there and become EarthHeart's showpiece."

When Tess didn't answer immediately, Karae assumed the wait was for a message from Yelan and returned to her own thoughts momentarily until Tess spoke again.

"Yelan wants you to know that EarthHeart has no special students, no favorites. He's right. As minimal as my powers are, I was treated no better and no worse than any other student. When he wasn't happy, my eardrums bled from the shouting just like everyone else's." Tess related, her last words obscured behind her barely contained chuckles, laughter which the other two didn't bother to try and hide. From the corner of her eye, Tess noticed Yelan bidding for her attention once again. When he had delivered his missive, Tess, once again not wanting Karae to hear her answer, responded to Yelan in sign.

-- No. She isn't ready to hear that, Yelan. Give her time to relax. She said she wants to talk about the keep, just not here and now. She's relatively happy at the moment. Don't ruin that until it's absolutely necessary. --

- She has to understand everything. Otherwise she's walking over the edge of a bottomless pit. -

-- You know better than that. How can you say... --

- I'm looking at it from her point of view. If Karae feels even the slightest bit trapped, she will run and never look back. If that happens, and we could have prevented it.... -

-- I promise I will tell her, but not until she comes to me. It would do even more harm to push something like this on her at the wrong moment. --

- Fine. As long as you understand that if you don't step in at some point, I will. Find her something to eat will you? I know there's bread and fruit back there somewhere, but what else we have left may be hit or miss. -

-- Great idea. I'm starved too. --

- You had breakfast less than an hour ago. How can you possibly be hungry again? -

-- Accept all of me, including my appetite, or accept none. Those are the rules. -- Tess shot back cheerfully as she turned to Karae once again.

"Yelan's suggesting food, little one. Could you do with something in your stomach?"

Grimacing, Karae disdained the offer.

"Actually, a cup of cold water would be heaven right now. I've never had a sore throat this awful."

"Cold won't be a problem. The water might be. Hang on for a minute. I'll go see if those gluttons behind us have emptied the cask yet. You're sure about breakfast? Not even a piece of bread? I'd hate to eat in front of you if you didn't have at least a little something."

"No, you wouldn't. You'd enjoy it thoroughly, the way you always do." Karae responded, chuckling. "I'm positive. The water is all I want right now."

"Accepted. I'll be right back with...."

Still speaking as she turned to move into the back of the wagon, Tess was cut off mid-sentence by a sudden flood of hostile words from the spot in the rear where Ryun and Aruk had been, seemingly, riding side by side in peace until only moments before.

"Look. You tell me what you meant right now you worthless cloud of swamp gas, or I'll cut you into pieces so small the ants won't be able to find 'em!"

Whirling back around, her expression a disconcerting mixture of exasperation, rage and concern, Tess tugged on Yelan's shoulder.

"Dear God in Heaven, they're at it again, Yelan. Stop and wait here for me, alright?"

When the young man refused to respond, Tess tried again.

"I'm going over the side, whether you stop or not. If not, I'll see you at the castle whenever I get there."

Shaking his head, lowering his chin to his chest, Yelan abruptly hauled back so hard on the reins that Tess, one leg already over the edge, was thrown backwards across Karae's lap, startling the second girl into a brief, but piercing, screech audible for two miles in every direction. Signing sharply and quickly to Tess, Yelan jumped down from his seat and stalked back to where Aruk had Ryun by the throat and his hunting blade half freed from its sheath.

"I'm so sorry for scaring you, Karae." Tess said, "I'll explain in a minute. Stay right here, alright? I promise, I'll be back as soon as I can."

Shivering slightly, Karae nodded, not wanting to be left alone but having heard enough to understand that Tess was needed more desperately elsewhere.

When she finally made her way back to her friends, Tess was stunned to see Ryun kneeling on the ground retching dryly and massaging his neck and Aruk hopping crazily on his right leg while clutching the other knee tightly. Turning to Yelan, Tess watched him breathe heavily through his nose for a minute or so before asking the only pertinent question.

-- What happened?! --

- He was choking him. Ryun was nearly unconscious when I got here. Aruk wouldn't pay any attention to me. -

-- So you hit him? --

- Of course not. It's impractical to try and hit someone on a horse. -

-- So? --

- I kicked him. Really hard. -

-- You kicked him in the knee? --

- It worked didn't it? - Yelan signed back stiffly, his expression clearly revealing that his tolerance had reached its upper limit. - Ryun survived and Aruk learned I can break up a fight damn fast if I have to; and this better be the last one between here and home or neither of you is getting there in one piece! - he continued, directing the last part of his tirade straight at the other two men.

"Yelan. Go see to Karae. I don't want to leave her alone any longer than I absolutely have to."

- I'm not finished... -

"Yes you are. Go. Karae needs you." Tess reminded him, her tone softening. After a final flurry of signs and a glance filled with daggers for Aruk and Ryun, he returned to the front of the wagon.

"What was that last little speech all about then?" Aruk asked from the spot in the dirt where he sat massaging his knee.

"He had a suggestion for what to do with you two if you don't stop acting like the prize specimens at a dumbest jackass contest."

"Which was?"

"Binding you hand and foot, gagging you and tossing you into the wagon facing each other. That way you can both think all the nasty, bloody thoughts you want about the other, but you won't be able to do a damn thing about it and none of us will have to listen to it or risk our necks getting between you! If it were up to me, I'd do it now and not give either of you another chance. My God, Aruk! What if Yelan hadn't intervened? Would you have actually choked Ryun to death? Do you even know how far you'll go anymore in the name of idiocy and rage? And you!" Tess roared, turning her frustration on the younger of the two. "When will you learn that just being around you can irritate Aruk? Why can't you keep your feet in the stirrups instead of shoving them in your big mouth every five seconds?!"

Ryun, finally able to manage a few words around the bruises and swelling already forming on his throat, spoke at last.

"Me?! He tried to kill me, the bloody...."

With a single glance from Aruk, Ryun stopped his protestations mid-whine.

"Not now, Ryun. I do believe she's serious this time. We've finally fed her up." Aruk replied, standing gingerly, his pacifying words at direct odds with the grave tone in which they were spoken. "Whatever you want, Tess. Alright. Your face says this is the last straw, and I won't lose you over a foolish, pointless fight. I'll do whatever you ask. Just don't act on what I see in your eyes. Please."

"You always could read me. You're right. I am ready to leave both of you behind. If you refuse to put this infantile feuding in the past, if you can't bear to behave as the men you are, then I will walk away and never spare a backward glance for either of you. Do you think I don't know that you'd both lay your lives down for the other in the space between heartbeats if it came to it?"

Breathing deeply, staring at the ground, Aruk pondered how to answer, seeking a way to speak the truth without causing Tess to sever the final thread of the bond that had held the three of them together so long.

"The question.... Family is family. You and Ryun are mine. You don't deny or abandon your own. Ever."

"Ryun?" Tess intoned, turning in the direction of her younger companion. "Well? Do you keep your mouth shut for the duration of the trip or do I get the ropes and the gag? Hmm?

Crouching several yards from Aruk, Ryun continued to massage his rapidly discoloring throat and gave no answer one way or the other. "Don't bother. After what you've just survived, I'll just assume you agree. Now. You go ride up front with Karae and Yelan." she ordered, pointing in Ryun's general direction. "Tell Yelan he'll just have to wait if he wants to talk to her. Move, Ryun. Now, or it won't be a choice! That look on your face will only cause more trouble."

When Ryun still refused to respond, Tess stalked to where he knelt, dropped to his level and spoke close to his cheek, her voice low, her tone thrumming with anger and tension.

"Do you seriously think that if Aruk decides to finish what he started, that I have the slightest chance of stopping him?"

Tess gave Ryun another moment, but quickly realized he wasn't about to let the assault go. Standing, she grasped the back of his shirt tightly, pulled him to his feet and propelled him toward where the horses waited patiently for Yelan's next command.

"Do as I say! Get up there where your mouth won't get your head handed to you!" Tess commanded, climbing onto his mount.

After one last long stare behind him, Ryun finally obeyed and climbed up between Karae and Yelan. Moments later he was mildly startled to feel Karae's hands drop gently onto his right shoulder, then make their way, with a great deal of halting uncertainty, around to his throat. When he turned to look at her he saw that her eyes had slipped closed and a beatific smile, such as he hadn't seen grace her lips in far too long, beamed from her. Soon, to his confusion, Ryun felt his own eyelids begin to dip, their weight suddenly too much for him to struggle with.

"I heard Tess talking about what happened. I want to help."

Frightened, Ryun brought an arm up between them as if to deflect or turn away her touch, but lowered it slowly when Karae spoke again. "Relax, Ryun. I know you're thinking about that night, but this is different. I can feel it. Trust me. Please?"

Wanting to believe her calming words, Ryun ceased fighting the fatigue washing over him and allowed his lids to fall as he felt Karae slide a hand over the bruises on either side of his neck.

Pushing aside the panic that accompanied not understanding or controlling what was working through her body, Karae finally, for the first time, surrendered completely to her power and to what it seemed to want her to do and be.

Ryun felt nothing but bursts of warm air flowing around and over him, most intense where Karae's hands lay, but devoid of the pain and terror he'd been anticipating.

When the gentle fingers fell away from his skin at last, it took several minutes, a swallow or two and a tentative throat clearing before he fully realized what Karae had done for him.

"Karae...."

Yelan's hand on his elbow halted any awkward questions or expressions of gratitude Ryun had been about to attempt. In the other man's eyes Ryun saw a need to communicate something he considered vital and responded to the yearning in a tone of reassurance he didn't feel.

"Whatever it is, it can wait until we get to the castle and Tess is available to translate. If she's speaking to me, that is."

Raising his hand to his throat, Ryun skimmed his fingers over flesh no longer swollen and tender from Aruk's attack and began to shiver, though not from the morning temperatures. After a long moment of shock, he stole a fast sidelong glance at Karae, praying she couldn't sense how shaken he was. Refocusing his gaze on the path ahead, he turned his thoughts inward and tugged his heavy winter cloak tighter around him, his trembling increasing despite everything he did to keep warm. The icy chill gripped the very depths of him, holding him immobile except for the persistent shaking.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *