A blanket of silence descended over the group, and Jahrra gazed at her guardian with her mouth hanging open. She had no idea Jaax had been watching Dervit so closely, and she could tell by Dervit’s own stunned expression that he was honored beyond measure to be given such a responsibility. When his entire village had failed to see anything of worth in him, Jaax, a total stranger, had not only found that worth, but had praised it in a way his own people had not. For a split second, Jahrra was brought back to the day Jaax offered Kehllor his position as the Coalition leader. And how could she be surprised now? Her Tanaan guardian certainly had a knack for rooting out hidden talents among those who were often cast by the wayside.
Jahrra shook off her surprise and grinned, but then just as quickly crossed her arms and glared at her guardian. “Thank you for making it sound like I’m completely incapable of protecting myself,” she sniffed. “I have had several years of training in defense and fighting skills, lessons you insisted I take, remember?”
“Well, then you’re all set,” Ellyesce teased. “Unless, of course, the thin mountain air gets the better of you again.”
Jahrra picked up a small pillow and threw it at him, but he easily deflected it with the arm on his good side before smiling impishly in her direction.
“So, young Dervit, are you up for the challenge?” Jaax asked, ignoring the elf and his ward.
Dervit stood up once more and held up his right hand. “On the first evening star to show its face on Solsticetide Eve, I do swear my allegiance to Jahrra and her faithful companions.”
“Another limbit superstition?” Jahrra queried.
Dervit gave her a lopsided grin and nodded once.
“Very well. Welcome then, to the Coalition of Ethoes, Dervit of Felldreim. From this point on, you will strive to watch over Jahrra and help her fulfill her destiny.”
“Excellent,” Ellyesce proclaimed, rubbing his hands together. “Now that we’ve got all that out of the way, and now that we know to avoid Morivan’s greed for knowledge, let us hear the tale of what happened on the road once Jahrra, Dervit and I fled.”
Jaax exhaled a deep breath, one tinged with smoke, and turned his head to stare at his front feet. “There was more than one squadron hunting us on the road,” he said, his jaw tight.
Ellyesce’s eyes grew wide. “But I only saw the one group,” he insisted.
Jaax nodded. “They have dark mages with them, remember? I think they detected your tracing spell and contacted the other squadrons closest to them and ordered them to band together. I also believe they were told to follow just beyond your range.”
Ellyesce let his head fall against the chair’s back rest. “Of course,” he whispered. “There could have been ten squadrons a hundred yards behind the one I tracked, just waiting for my magic to drop so they could move in.”
It was apparent in his tone of voice that Ellyesce was extremely angry with himself.
Jaax shook his head. “What’s done is done, Ellyesce. And now, we know what trickery they play at. We’ll be better prepared when it comes time to leave Cahrdyarein.”
“Do you think Morivan will give us any trouble while we’re here?” Jahrra asked.
Jaax let his gaze fall upon her. “I hope not, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he tries to bully us into giving up information about the Coalition and what our plans are with regards to the Crimson King. And as far as I know, he doesn’t realize that Dhuruhn is still not entirely convinced of your existence. We need the Creecemind dragons if we are to stand a chance against Cierryon. Currently, the king of Nimbronia wishes to stay out of this fight. Gaining Dhuruhn’s support is key. I suppose that information could be harmful to us in the wrong hands, so we mustn’t let that detail slip.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. Jahrra stood up to brew some more tea, and while she was walking around, topping off everyone’s cup, she asked, “Will the Red Flange try to attack us now that we are behind the wall?”
“I highly doubt it,” Jaax said. “Even if all of them were healthy and whole, which they are not,” he noted with a gleam in his eye, “it would take three times their number to even have a chance at breaching the wall. Not only is it one of the tallest structures in western Ethoes, but it is at least thirty feet thick. And the gate is warded with ancient, powerful magic. The archers of Cahrdyarein are well trained and would have the enemy picked off before they could make it up the road.”
Jahrra breathed a sigh of relief. At least they could relax, to some extent, for the time being.
“We will try to move on in less than a fortnight,” Jaax said. “Hopefully, our presence can be tolerated until then.”
Ellyesce yawned and stretched, then winced when the action pulled at his arrow wound. “I do believe we should call it a night. Despite our midday rest, I’m sure we’re all on the verge of exhaustion.”
Jahrra nodded numbly. She couldn’t agree more.
“I’ll be in the cabin directly across the road,” the elf said upon standing.
Jaax sat up in order to let his friend pass. Ellyesce gave a half-hearted wave and limped out into the dark.
“Do you mind if I sleep on the couch in here with you?” Dervit asked Jahrra timidly.
She smiled. Poor Dervit. Surely, he had some idea of what he was getting himself into when he joined up with a dragon, a young woman and an elf, but she was almost certain it didn’t involve becoming the constant companion of the most hunted person in Ethoes.
He had been very quiet the whole evening, and Jahrra wondered if he regretted his decision, and just how much of what they discussed he actually understood. Did he even know what the Coalition of Ethoes was? Had he ever heard of the prophecy that named her as the one to bring about the downfall of the Crimson King? Had his community of limbits been so isolated, they’d not been told of Ciarrohn and his mortal anchor in Ghorium?
Jahrra shook her head. He probably hadn’t, but it wouldn’t be long before he knew just about everything she, Jaax and Ellyesce knew.
Finally, she glanced at him and said, “I was hoping you’d stay in here with me.”
Dervit nodded, then turned toward the couch and started making himself a little nest out of the cushions and blankets.
“Jahrra,” Jaax called from the doorway.
She turned and walked over, stepping out into the dark and closing the door carefully behind her. Just like everything else, she had learned to interpret her guardian’s tones. This one meant their conversation didn’t need to include a third party.
“I want you to be very careful around Morivan and his family,” he said.
Jahrra furrowed her brow. Hadn’t they already discussed this inside?
“I know,” she stated.
“Good,” he said. “Perhaps tomorrow, you can explore the city a little and find out where Cahrdyarein’s soldiers practice. How long has it been since you’ve had a good sparring lesson?”
“Not since Lidien,” she admitted.
Another thought struck her then, and she snorted softly.
“What?” Jaax asked.
“It’s too bad you’ve banned me from interacting with Morivan’s family,” she said, “because his son offered to test out my skills while I’m here.”