He grinned, his eyes shining with relief, then gave Jaax a questioning glance. The green Tanaan dragon nodded, looking somewhat humbled by Kehllor’s selfless confession. It dawned upon Jahrra then that it had taken a great deal of courage to admit what he had in front of everyone.
Turning to the roiling crowd once again, Kehllor took a deep breath and, using his strong voice, said, “Because of my honesty and aid in this manner, Jaax has offered me Shiroxx’s old position and I have gratefully accepted it. Though I feel I do not deserve it, I hope,” he raised his voice higher to be heard over the crowd, “I hope that I can live up to those duties and prove myself worthy of such an honor.”
“I also support Raejaax in his decision,” Dathian called out.
Jahrra jumped. She had almost forgotten her friend was standing just below her.
“We do as well,” said Anthar and a handful of centaurs standing beside him.
Slowly but surely, the pledge to support Jaax’s decision was proclaimed throughout the hall.
Jahrra stepped down from the dais where the podium stood and placed a hand against Jaax’s foreleg. She could feel his tension as if it were a knotted cord just beneath his scales. Gradually, as his supporters stepped forward, that tension drained away and Jahrra noticed her own anxiety dissipating as well. By the time all opinions had been voiced the majority was fully behind Jaax. Rohdann looked livid.
“I thank you for your support and assure you my decision was not easily made,” Jaax addressed the crowd, his voice sounding a little unpracticed. “I hope that in the future I will be able to bring such issues up with the group as a whole and we’ll make such dramatic decisions together.”
The hall remained relatively quiet and just like that the great issue regarding Shiroxx’s dismissal, the one that had stirred up so much excitement, was a thing of the past.
Jaax, taking advantage of the sudden silence, cleared his throat and moved on, “And now, since we are all here, on to the issues that have been plaguing us for quite some time.”
The meeting ran late, as was expected, but Jahrra didn’t feel tired. She felt exhilarated. She had addressed the Coalition and they had listened to her, not in the sense that they’d obeyed her words but in the sense that they wanted to hear what she had to say.
Jaax spent the remainder of the meeting updating everyone on his findings in Nimbronia and his own interpretation of that information. The king of the Creecemind still wouldn’t budge or waver from his neutral position in the impending war that was sure to happen. Jaax seemed frustrated when he spoke of this and Jahrra knew the dragon had tried everything possible to get the supreme ruler of the province to help. She wasn’t sure how he would, seeing as the royal had refused for so many years.
By the end of the conference everyone had forgotten its explosive beginning, everyone except Rohdann it seemed. As Jaax wrapped up the night and called a dismissal, Jahrra began inching her way towards the door. She wanted to leave before Jaax could get a chance to berate her in front of everyone. Despite the turn of events and her standing up for him she knew he would still feel it his duty to explain the folly in her actions. She knew this, of course, but she would rather receive it back home where only Neira could witness it.
Luckily, everyone seemed too preoccupied with their own discussions as they poured from the doors that they didn’t notice Jahrra slipping out. She made it as far as the outer hall before someone stopped her.
“Well played tonight, Miss Jahrra.”
Jahrra froze, allowing a few Coalition members to flow around her.
“Using your position as the Chosen One to bail Jaax out of yet another sticky situation,” Rohdann continued. “I’m surprised at you; I figured you to be intelligent enough to see beyond his desire for personal gain.”
That time it was a sneer and Jahrra felt her stomach twist in anger. Rohdann was just like Shiroxx; mean spirited and concerned only about himself. But unlike Shiroxx, he had never once spoken to her directly.
She took a breath, stood as straight and tall as her tired body would allow and glared at the dragon. She doubted her look of ire did much, for Rohdann gazed back coolly as if her irritation had as much power to sway him as a gentle summer breeze.
He was an imposing creature, Jahrra noticed. His solid black color made him seem bigger than he was, even though she knew he was no larger than Jaax, and his pale blue eyes reminded her of ice. He wore the mantle of his high status in dragon society, a status similar to the one Jaax possessed, in the form of a jeweled filigree and matching chain pendant. For some reason or another Jahrra got the impression that physical appearance was important to this Tanaan.
Suddenly, she was glad she didn’t know him better. She took a breath, addressing the dragon as was proper for his station, “Lord Rohdann, how long have you known Jaax?”
The black Tanaan actually blinked in surprise but was quick to compose himself. That was not the response he had been expecting. Jahrra tried not to smile.
“Several years,” he sniffed.
“How many is several?” she pressed.
Rohdann merely stood there, looking too self-important to answer her pointless questions. Jahrra took advantage.
“Since you refuse to give me an exact number, I have no idea what number ‘several’ might stand for in your case,” she replied, crossing her arms over her chest, “and since we are talking in terms of estimates and obscure numbers, I can assure you that I myself have known Jaax for ‘several’ years and can attest to his character and qualifications.”
Rohdann’s eyes narrowed but before he could reply, Jahrra hardened her voice and said, “You, on the other hand, would be the worst possible candidate to lead this Coalition and I’m pretty sure that that’s your primary ambition. But if you ever try to usurp Jaax’s authority again I will personally see to it that your efforts come to nothing and that you are removed just like your friend Shiroxx. How’s that for using my position as the ‘Chosen One’?”
Jahrra pushed past him without even waiting for a reaction. She knew it had been foolish to provoke Rohdann but she was tired of the negative attitudes and veiled threats.
She was so distracted by her irritation that she didn’t notice Kehllor until she ran into him.
“Sorry,” she mumbled at first, trying to skirt around his foreleg.
“Where do you think you’re going?” The young dragon had a lilt to his voice, as if he was trying to hold back laughter.
Jahrra blinked up at him, her anger melting away as she smiled.
“You would stand directly in my way and force me to trip?” she insisted, taking a step to the side to allow two elves to pass.
“Well, you were so determined to run through something I thought it most gentlemanly to offer my arm to you,” Kehllor gave a mock bow and Jahrra couldn’t help but release a bottled-up laugh.
His sudden playful behavior was so contradictory to what he’d been like under Shiroxx’s influence that she couldn’t help but be gleeful.
Her laughter made Kehllor smile.
“That was some fine work just now,” the Tanaan dragon said, jerking his head back in the direction from where Jahrra had come.
Jahrra stiffened and felt her face flush. “Oh, you witnessed that huh?”
She started rubbing at her elbow with one hand as she searched the great entrance hall for either Rohdann or Jaax. She hoped she wouldn’t see either before tomorrow morning.
Kehllor lowered his head so that it was even with Jahrra’s and gave her a scrutinizing look. “You know, there is a lot more to you than meets the eye, young human.”