As she proceeded to make her way back to the cabin, some other notion began brewing in her head. If he had such faith in her, what sort of wager was Jaax willing to make against the Crimson King? Jahrra shuddered. She didn’t want to think about that now. She didn’t want to think about it ever. Instead, she grasped for the strands of that pleasant warmth which had spread through her when Jaax told her he was proud of her, and she wrapped them carefully around her heart. The time would come one day when that’s all she’d have to give her strength, so she might as well start now.
The following day, Jahrra practiced with Pendric again, but this time instead of fighting her, he questioned her about her techniques. Jahrra gladly shared her knowledge, knowing that Yaraa and Viornen wouldn’t mind. By noon, practice was over, although she really hadn’t done much in the field of physical activity. She was glad of it, though. After yesterday’s workout, she didn’t mind a day of light practice. Besides, the revelation from her guardian was still weighing heavily on her mind. It had arrived so far out of the blue, and seemed so uncharacteristic of him. And that, of course, only encouraged her overactive imagination to contemplate other possibilities. Did Jaax know something she didn’t? Had he told her he was proud of her because he wanted her to know before something drastic happened?
Jahrra swallowed back her anxiety. True, Jaax wasn’t the type to express his feelings, but it’s not like he hadn’t done so before. She just hoped that this time it wasn’t because of some impending doom he was privy to. If so, she would be extremely angry with him. He had promised to keep her informed of any news or plans regarding her fate. She just had to trust he’d keep his word.
“There you are!” a familiar voice called out, making Jahrra jump in surprise.
“Hello, Keiron,” she said, smiling.
She hadn’t seen him since the beginning of practice yesterday, and he hadn’t come by the cabin to walk with her to the sparring field that morning, either.
As if he could read her thoughts, he cleared his throat and said, “Sorry about my absence this morning. I had to cover someone’s shift on the wall.”
Jahrra gave him another cursory glance. He did look a bit tired.
“Had to get up three hours early,” he offered with a shamefaced grin.
Almost immediately, the uneasy feeling Jahrra had been experiencing dissipated. So maybe it wasn’t Jaax’s impromptu arrival at her practice yesterday that really had her tied up in knots. Perhaps, it was really stemming from Keiron’s absence.
“And,” Keiron continued, “I’d like to make it up to you.”
Jahrra cast him an inquiring gaze. “Oh? How so?”
“Will you please come with me?” he asked, instead of answering her question.
Jahrra glanced over her shoulder to make sure Dervit was still preoccupied with his own practice, then nodded and hopped down from the fence.
“That depends,” she said, placing her hands on her hips. “Where are we going?”
Keiron bit back a grin. “Just for a walk.”
He indicated the thick woods beyond the edge of the practice yard. If they were just going for a walk, what harm could it be? Still, her conscience nagged at her. She had promised Jaax, and herself, she’d be more careful around this young man.
“I don’t know,” she finally said, her voice wary.
“It’s a popular walking and jogging trail, Jahrra,” Keiron explained, in mild exasperation. “It starts just behind the practice fields and stays well within the wall. I promise.”
His purposeful mention of the wall had Jahrra eyeing him suspiciously. Had Jaax talked to him, too? If so, she might just die of embarrassment. Scattering that unnerving thought to the wind, she continued her perusal. But no matter how hard she scrutinized Keiron’s clear eyes and alluring smile, she could detect no malice emanating from him. As far as her instincts were concerned, he simply wished to go for a walk, and that was the end of it.
“Alright, but not for long,” she conceded. “Dervit will be done with practice soon, and we promised Ellyesce we’d take the horses out for exercise this afternoon.”
Their elvin companion had been much more mobile in the recent days, so he had taken the initiative to accompany Jaax on his daily meetings with Morivan and his advisors in the mornings, and then volunteering to walk the wall in the afternoons, trying to detect a change in the magic. So far, he had uncovered nothing.
“Then, we’ll just go to the Round and come back,” Keiron said with a cheery smile, offering Jahrra his elbow.
She felt foolish placing her hand there, but Keiron refused to retract his offer, and it would have been even more foolish for her to continue to ignore it. With her hand safely tucked in the crook of Keiron’s elbow, Jahrra allowed him to lead the way. They strolled around the perimeter of the practice field, but cut across before it ended in order to avoid the archers.
Once on the opposite end of the training yard, Jahrra spotted the trailhead. It was well marked with a sign and a short fence on either side. Eventually, the fence tapered off, and the trail meandered down the hillside and through the mixed evergreen and deciduous woods. A few trainees jogged past them several feet in, and Jahrra could see others along the trail, some running off to the side and performing a variety of exercises with the equipment set up for their use.
“This trail also serves as an obstacle course,” Keiron said when he noticed Jahrra’s curiosity.
She nodded and kept walking, wondering when she’d get her hand back. It wasn’t unpleasant, this attention from Keiron, just something she wasn’t used to. The two of them traveled at a comfortable pace for a half an hour or so before the winding, and at times steep, path brought them to a wide open area clear of most trees but ringed by large stones. A thin waterfall, currently rather heavy with snowmelt, crashed from the hillside they’d just descended. The water continued to flow in a swift rush, arching around the stones on one side. Keiron finally released Jahrra’s hand, and she spun around, her mouth agape in awe. This place was beautiful. Behind the stones, a cluster of dogwoods displayed the buds of flowers to be, some of them already in bloom, their blush-pink petals creating a pleasant contrast against the pale gray granite. Jahrra counted at least five more trails, all running off in different directions from this central location.
“What is this place?” she breathed.
“The Round,” Keiron answered with pride, standing back to observe Jahrra enjoying the beautiful space. “It was constructed when the founders of Cahrdyarein first arrived here. They wanted to create a space to meditate when their work was through.”
Jahrra could see how such a place would soothe one’s mind and spirit after a day of hard labor. She stepped away from the center of the glen and headed toward one of the standing stones. Beneath it was another slab of granite set at just the right height for a bench. When she cast her gaze around the circle once more, she noticed many other stone benches as well.
She sat down and rested her head against the closest standing stone, closing her eyes and pulling in a deep breath.
“In a month or so, this place will be alive with flowers,” Keiron said from the center of the great circle. His voice was calm and gentle. Soothing like the sound of the running water. “The mountain dogwoods will all be in bloom, and the wildflowers will finally open up and show their faces.”
Jahrra grinned, imagining the scene he painted in her mind. The relaxing sound of water and the mixed chorus of birdsong lulled her thoughts, and she imagined coming here after every practice for the rest of her stay in Cahrdyarein.