Some things were worth more than money, and to a being whose very existence hinged on being free, it was one of the most wonderful feelings in the world.
To: Title EoF
Chapter 16
Down and down and down, until finally the ground was once again where it was supposed to be.
Tarrin felt bitterly disappointed that it was over. Ariana was on the ground, fluttering her wings slightly for some strange reason, and with a sigh of regret, Tarrin climbed out of the basket and put his paws back on the hot, sandy soil of the desert floor.
Ariana had done a good job of it. They were some thirty longspans to the northwest of the edge of the cloud. She had spiralled down lazily, taking her time, but moving ever further out to the northwest with each broad circle. It was some time in the afternoon, and they had come down in an area where those stunted desert bushes were starting to regrow after a denuding pass by Selani flocks. The Selani themselves were well southeast of them, well beyond any area where they may be a danger to him, or pose a danger to themselves because of him.
Sarraya flitted out of the basket as Tarrin stretched, then absently returned to his humanoid form. Ariana blew out her breath and looked at him, then grunted softly. "I take it that you don't have any water, do you?" she asked. "Flying like that makes me thirsty."
Tarrin just gave her a look, then glanced at Sarraya. "One full waterskin, coming up," she declared. Tarrin held out his paw as Sarraya summoned up her Druidic power, and a full waterskin appeared in his paw.
"Magic!" Ariana breathed.
"I'm a Faerie, girl," Sarraya said chidingly. Tarrin handed it to the Aeradalla emotionlessly, and the woman gave it a suspicious look before opening it.
"This is safe, isn't it?" she asked.
Sarraya gave her a hard look, and Ariana laughed. "Sorry, stupid question," she apologized, then took a long, deep draw from the skin.
Tarrin crossed his arms and looked down at the much shorter Aeradalla. The tops of her wings nearly came up to the level of his eyes, though. "Alright, now you can tell me how you ended up as a serving wench."
Ariana chuckled ruefully. "Well, there's not a whole lot to it," she said. "When I got home, I found out that my house had been annexed by the Ruling Council, as had everything I owned. They had declared me dead. Well, my parents are both dead and my sister is married to a noble and had disowned me-I'm not up to her standards, you see. So I didn't have anyone to turn to for help. I lost all my assets when I was captured by the Arakites, and the Ruling Council took what was left. I was destitute, so I had to get a job. I worked in warehouses and festhalls, trying to get up enough money for a crossbow, so I could at least hunt for my own food. I nearly had enough, when the lackeys from the Palace tracked me down and said that I owed taxes on the house that they took from me while I was gone!" She spat. "Damned greedy bastards," she growled. "Ever since the King was wounded, they've been running roughshod all over us commoners, and we can't do anything about it, because they have magicians and we don't. They've been taxing us into the poorhouse!"
"What happened to your king?" Sarraya asked.
"He got a little too close to what he thought was a dead inu," she sighed. "It took a big piece out of him, and what was worse, it tore off one of his wings."
Sarraya and Tarrin exchanged glances, then Sarraya laughed brightly. "Well, Ariana, I think that your governmental problems should be clearing up right about now," the Faerie said with a broad grin.
"What are you talking about?"
"We saw a one-winged Aeradalla in that obelisk at the center of the city," Tarrin told her. "We healed him before we left."
Ariana gaped at him. "You did? That's wonderful!" she said excitedly. "He went there, hoping that Shaervan would restore him."
"Shaervan?" Sarraya asked.
"Our god," Ariana replied. "That place is the holiest of places. It's said that Shaervan rested there after he made our city, that he wrote the Book of Joy there, the holy book of our people, and he left behind an object to ensure that we would always be safe and happy. Only the king and the High Priest can go there." She gave him a quick look. "You were there? What's there?" she asked quickly. "Everyone passes rumors about what's inside the obelisk."
"I think it would be a dishonor to your god to pass around his secrets, Ariana," Tarrin said calmly. "Let's just say that there is something there, and it does what your people say it does. That's all I'm going to say about it, so leave it be."
She gave him a slightly disappointed look.
Sarraya laughed. "I hope your king has some backbone, girl," she told Ariana. "From the sound of it, his Ruling Council won't be very happy that he's coming back. He may have to step on some necks."
"King Andos is a strong king," Ariana told her calmly. "He's loved by the people, and he's very shrewd. All he'll have to do is hold one of his courts where anyone can state a grievance, and that'll be the end of the Ruling Council." She gave them a sudden anxious look. "I can get my house back!" she declared. "I just have to tell the king what happened!"
"You can just see the king whenever you want?" Sarraya asked.
"I can," she said with a little smile. "My father was one of the king's advisors before he retired, and he remembers our name. If I go to the Palace and make it clear it's something very important, he'll see me."
"He didn't look quite that old," Sarraya told Tarrin. "At least not under all that waste."
"What are you talking about?" Ariana asked.
"He didn't look old enough to be friends with your father," Tarrin told her.
"Well, he was only a boy when he took the throne," she replied. "Men like my father helped guide him while he got used to the throne. I like to think that my father had a hand in making him the king he is today. But I guess that's a little arrogant."
"Truth isn't arrogance," Tarrin said dismissively.
"Well, in any event, I really have to get back," she said quickly. "If I hurry, I can be sleeping under my old roof by tonight. I was thinking I'd take you wherever you're going, but I hope you don't mind if I take care of this."
Tarrin looked away from her. "I wouldn't let you take me anywhere, Ariana," he said grimly. "There's something I need to do yet, and until that's done, I can't leave. You'd be waiting a long time to take me anywhere, so it's best if you just go home."
Ariana stared at him. "Is there anything I can do to help? First you save me, now you've healed my king. You should be rewarded for that. Can we do anything for you? Anything at all?"
"I don't need anything," Tarrin told her.
Give her a shaeram, the voice of the Goddess came to him. It was not a gentle voice. It was a commanding voice. Give her a shaeram, and tell her that if she ever needs you, that she can contact you.
Why, Mother? he thought to himself. Why would I ever need to talk to her? I don't understand.
That was not a suggestion, kitten, she said sharply. You are one of my children, and that gives me the right to tell you to do things you don't understand from time to time.
As you command, Mother, he said with immediate submission. He would not disobey his goddess. How do I get a shaeram?
How do you get anything? came her reply, and then he felt her presence retreat back away from him.
That was that. The Goddess didn't often order him to do anything, and when she did, that meant that it was important enough not to question. Obviously, the Goddess knew something that he didn't, and he would yield to her superior wisdom.