Now Jahrra felt like crying, but instead of embarrassing herself on the side of the street in front of the citizens of Nimbronia, she shifted one of her crutches to the other arm and reached down to gather Dervit into a great hug.
“You will always be welcome among us, Dervit. I promise you that.”
She set him back down, careful not to put any weight on her bad leg, and smiled again. “No matter what befalls us down the road, I know I’ll be that much braver because you are there with me.”
Her words brought her back to the conversation she’d had with Jaax earlier that morning. He, too, pledged to be there for her and offer her some of his courage. And now, she realized, she could find it elsewhere as well, in this small limbit who contained more courage and honor in his small body than some of the dragons she knew. That thought made her smile.
“Jahrra, Dervit!” Ellyesce called from the end of the street some fifty yards ahead. “What’s the hold up?”
Jahrra glanced up and waved at him.
“I guess we had better catch up,” she offered with a grin.
Dervit returned her smile and sketched a quick bow, doffing his cap and extending an arm in the elf’s direction.
“After you,” he piped.
Jahrra laughed, returning her second crutch to her empty arm, then swung her way toward Ellyesce. Dervit soon caught up, his step more buoyant as he hummed a cheerful tune. Yes, Jahrra could face any range of monsters with such friends by her side.
The stables were mostly empty when Jahrra and her companions reached them fifteen minutes later. Phrym, in his usual way, knew Jahrra was approaching before he could even see her. He let out a round of complaints that set the other horses off and made the stable boy on duty grumble. Jahrra was only able to appease her semequin with an apple pilfered from a basket near the front of the building.
“See? I’m okay, boy. I was just resting from yesterday’s adventure.”
She scratched his forehead and gazed into his smoky eyes. They seemed more concerned than usual, so she stood back and balanced on her good leg, then set the crutches aside and held her arms out at her sides.
“All in one piece. I didn’t fall to the bottom of the gorge. I knew Jaax would catch me.”
Still, Phrym tossed his head and dug at the ground with his hoof until Jahrra came to stand beside him. While she patted and reassured her equine friend, Ellyesce checked on his own semequin, and Dervit visited with Rumble and Whinsey’s mare.
An hour later, Ellyesce was encouraging them to return to the castle. Jahrra had brushed out Phrym’s mane and tail and had checked all the scrapes and bruises he’d gained from the fight on the bridge, but she was loathe to leave so soon.
“The banquet is scheduled to begin in a few hours, and we all need to get back in order to make ourselves presentable. We want to make a good impression on his highness and all his vassals, do we not?”
“You’re right,” Jahrra grumbled as she turned to give Phrym another hug. “I’ll come back tomorrow, if I get a free moment.”
She kissed his velvet nose and fed him one more apple before joining Ellyesce and Dervit at the door.
“So, why didn’t you go with Jaax this morning to meet with the dignitaries?” Jahrra queried, wondering why she hadn’t thought to ask before.
“Jaax requested that I stay nearby in case you wanted to explore. Since I am somewhat familiar with this city, and since my rank isn’t as important as your guardian’s, I agreed.”
Jahrra stopped her forward movement, causing Dervit to bump into her.
“What do you mean, rank?”
Ellyesce glanced over his shoulder, his brow furrowed.
“His position in the Coalition is greater than mine, considering I’m not an official member,” he said.
“Why not?” Jahrra pressed, making her way up the street to where he stood.
Something crossed his eyes then, but was there and gone in an instant.
“That is a long and complicated story, I’m afraid,” he answered quietly, almost absently.
Jahrra watched him carefully for a while, but whatever had taken over the elf’s thoughts did not resurface again. More secrets and intrigue for her to puzzle over in her free time.
Ellyesce shook his head and chuckled drily. “A tale for another time, perhaps. I share the Coalition’s goals, so it doesn’t really matter in the long run.”
And just like that, the subject was dropped. Jahrra’s senses, however, continued to prickle in the wake of the elf’s veiled remarks. As the three companions climbed their way back up to the castle, she reminded herself that although Ellyesce was an ally to them, this latest mystery, as minute as it may seem, proved that he was still as much a stranger as a friend. And she best not forget that fact, either.
“Drat!” Jahrra hissed as she stood back, staring at the two dresses lying out on the bed before her.
After she, Ellyesce and Dervit returned to their rooms, she had committed herself to getting ready for the evening’s dinner party. Besides the spacious common room of her suite, she’d also discovered a small bedchamber adjoining her room. It was entirely enclosed and the bed looked much more comfortable than the couch she’d slept on the night before. Before seeking the bathing room, she had pulled out the two dresses she’d brought with her from Lidien and laid them out on the bed.
Now, she stood wrapped in a large drying cloth, glaring at the two garments which both looked horribly wrinkled. The blue one would have been her first choice, but she had worn it to the Spring Equinox ball in Cahrdyarein, and it could use a good cleaning. Besides, it dredged up memories of that night and who she’d spent it with. The last thing she needed was to be reminded of Keiron while trying to make a good impression with the court of Nimbronia. Curling her lip and fighting back a wave of regret, she eyed the other dress. It was a gown she had never even worn, one of the dresses Jaax had insisted on commissioning for her in Lidien. As an important member of the Coalition, and being the human meant to bring about the fall of the Crimson King, Jahrra had been expected to be presentable during the Coalition meetings in Lidien.
The dress was absolutely beautiful, even to Jahrra’s prejudiced eye. Made from rich, deep green quilted velvet with what looked like emeralds sewn into the corners where the gold threading met, the gown was a work of art. Golden laces to match the thread crossed up the front of the bodice, and the heavy overskirt split to reveal folds of cream-colored silk beneath. A stitched brocaded pattern of interweaving thorn bushes and red flowers covered the pale underskirt, and upon closer inspection Jahrra realized the brambles were actually branches of bloodrose and the red flowers the roses themselves. Tiny beads of cut ruby, jet, peridot and topaz accentuated the colors in the bloodrose vines, and long streams of similar silk spilled from velvet sleeves, which ended at Jahrra’s elbows.
The dress was fit for a queen, and during any other circumstance, Jahrra wouldn’t dream of wearing it. But now, as she stood admiring the expensive garment, she considered Jaax’s words about winning over King Dhuruhn’s good opinion. Would dressing in her most formal clothing make a positive first impression? Or would he, like some of those in Lidien, see her as a fraud?
A knock on the door tore Jahrra’s attention away from her perusal of the magnificent dress. She clutched the drying cloth more tightly around herself and scuttled over to the bedroom door.