No, Jahrra’s conscience told her. No, you don’t know him as well as you’d like.
She brushed those thoughts aside. Her anger, her injured pride, her feeling of betrayal had wrangled control of her good senses, and now, her emotions were calling all the shots.
Instead of listening to reason, she cast it aside and said, “I’ve spent more time with him than any of you. He wouldn’t betray us. He wouldn’t betray me. He’s the regent’s son, for goodness’ sake! He would be the last person to turn information over to the enemy!”
Ellyesce only looked at her, his expression one of pity. And that was the final straw. White hot fury surged through Jahrra. He and Jaax were keeping secrets from her, conspiring behind her back. And, she was, once again, left standing on her own, looking like an idiot. She wanted nothing more than to hurt them back, the way they had hurt her. But she especially wanted to wound Jaax because this was, essentially, his doing.
In an act of childish rage, she kicked at the snow on the ground, sending it scattering in Dervit’s direction. The limbit leapt out of the way and gave her a pained look. She was too angry to even apologize to him. Huffing out a small growl of frustration, she turned and marched back through the rocks toward Phrym.
“Jahrra,” Ellyesce called after her, making his own way to the clearing. “Jahrra, wait!”
“No!” she called out over her shoulder as she hauled herself into Phrym’s saddle. “I need some time to myself. Would you please take Dervit back to the cabin? I’m going to keep riding for a while. Do not follow me.”
Ellyesce stopped his forward progress and furrowed his brow. Jahrra gave him a scathing look as she turned Phrym back down the trail. He let her go without further protest. Good. She was too irate to be civil to anyone at the moment. She would complete the loop around the city, and hopefully, by the time she returned to the stables, she would have cleared her head a little.
Yet, even after spending the rest of the morning walking Phrym around the city, Jahrra still hadn’t quite shaken her irritation. She was calmer than she had been, but her anger toward her guardian remained a low simmering fire in her heart. On top of that, she had the news Ellyesce had shared about the Red Flange to consider as well. And what he had said about Keiron. The latter she refused to believe. Keiron was not a spy. He could not be spilling information to the Tyrant’s soldiers. But Jaax hadn’t told her about his plans to leave for Nimbronia the next evening, either. Because he didn’t want her telling Keiron. A pang of hurt pushed through the anger. She would have kept that secret. If Jaax had come to her in confidence, as he did the first day he asked her to watch what she said and did around the citizens of Cahrdyarein, she would have obeyed him. Because he would have been extending his trust.
Jahrra glanced up from Phrym’s back only to be surprised to find the stable a few blocks ahead. Her ride was over, and she would now have to go back to the cabin. To get ready for the ball. Could she still enjoy it after all that had happened? Sighing, Jahrra decided it would be in everyone’s best interest if she acted as if the conversation with Ellyesce had never taken place.
After leaving Phrym in the care of the stable master, she returned to get ready for the dance, feeling a bit less excited about the event than she had much earlier that morning. The cabin was empty when she entered, Dervit nowhere to be found. She wondered if he had also thought it wise to take a walk after witnessing the argument between her and Ellyesce in the meadow. Groaning, Jahrra crossed the room, her feet dragging against the wooden floorboards. On the table beside her bed, she found a note addressed to her. Curious and wary, Jahrra cracked the seal and started to read.
Jahrra,
I wanted to apologize for the way our conversation went this morning. Neither Jaax nor I ever meant to keep knowledge from you, and you must believe me when I tell you every decision your guardian made in regards to keeping certain facts from you was done for your sake. I know you are angry, and hurt, and you have every right to be, but I hope you will accept my apology, for I so value your friendship.
- Ellyesce
Jahrra wrinkled her nose at the letter, but felt a wave of clemency wash over her regardless. She was still angry, but the white hot edge of her rage had cooled.
The door latch clicked then, and Jahrra glanced up to find Dervit poking his head inside. His eyes rounded when he saw her, and he flattened his ears against his head in a gesture of diffidence. Guilt washed over her again. Poor Dervit. He shouldn’t have been caught in the middle of her fight with Ellyesce.
“Can I come in?” he asked carefully.
Jahrra tossed aside the note and breathed, “Of course.”
She spent the next few minutes apologizing to her friend. Dervit only shook his head, telling her she had every right to be angry.
“I would be upset, too,” he assured her. “But perhaps you can put that all on hold. The ball begins in two hours, and it will take us forever to walk up to the fortress. I say we forget about outside threats and overbearing dragons for the evening and have some fun.”
Jahrra gave him a surprised look, but soon his good cheer had her laughing. What he said made absolute sense. Why shouldn’t she enjoy the evening? All of her worries could wait until tomorrow morning, and tomorrow evening when they were fated to leave Cahrdyarein for good. Why not, for once, cast aside her responsibilities and concerns and let her guardian deal with the intrigue and danger? After all, was he not doing just that by leaving her out of the loop? Feeling a sudden surge of energy, Jahrra placed her hands on her hips and faced her small friend.
“You know what, Dervit?” she stated rather boldly, a smile gracing her face. “You are absolutely right!”
-Chapter Twelve-
The Equinox Ball
As the sun set on a world enveloped in white, Dervit left Jahrra so she might have some privacy to get ready for the Spring Equinox ball. Jaax, she had learned from her limbit friend, would be meeting them at the regent’s home. Apparently, he’d been kept busy the entirety of the day playing the passive diplomat. That was all fine and good, in Jahrra’s opinion. She figured seeing the dragon might set off her anger once again, so she was glad he wasn’t around to get on her nerves.
Fifteen minutes before departing for the event, Dervit returned to the cabin wearing some new clothes he’d purchased from the local tailor, with a rather crisply dressed Ellyesce in tow. The aloof elf approached Jahrra cautiously, kindly complimenting her on her dress and giving her what she considered a rather cowed smile. Neither of them brought up their earlier argument, and Jahrra was glad for it.
The three companions soon joined the flow of foot traffic heading up the main road toward the mountaintop fortress. For several minutes they simply strolled along without speaking, listening only to the cheery chatter of those around them. Eventually, though, Jahrra grew tired of the silence wedged between them.
“Ellyesce,” she said, taking a deep breath, “I am sorry for my outburst this morning. It was a shock to get all that information at once, and I was angry.”
“Jahrra, stop,” he said, holding up a hand. The two of them slowed to a halt, and the crowd parted around them. “You had every right to be angry, and I should not have told you anything. It was my mistake. Everything I wrote in the letter I left for you was the truth.”
Jahrra pressed her lips together and nodded.
“I know,” she said, her voice raspy. “You are forgiven. And I’ve decided the best course of action is to act as if I know nothing, at least until we are safe within the boundaries of Nimbronia.”