The room was silent once again. The fire, now burning low, whispered but no longer crackled. Jahrra was afraid to look at Jaax’s face, worried she would find mockery or amusement. The very thought deflated her. If she couldn’t face her closest ally then what chance did she have against her enemies? Jahrra glanced up but the look on her guardian’s face was one of complete and utter surprise. Of all the things for Jahrra to say, she decided, this had probably been the furthest from what her guardian had expected.
“You worry about my opinion of you?”
Jaax’s voice was rough, his manner guarded.
Jahrra simply nodded and shrugged self-consciously, at a loss for words. Jaax seemed to be so as well, for he remained quiet for several moments more.
“Perhaps we should call it a night,” he finally said. “I know that neither of us has had much sleep since yesterday.”
Jahrra nodded quickly, turning on her heel and heading towards the stairs that led up to her room.
As she left the great room behind Jaax watched her, his mind strangely drawn back to a late winter afternoon and his thoughts returning to a certain conversation he had had with an old woman in a dark forest several months before.
-Chapter Twenty-Four-
The Liar and the Fraud
Classes resumed the next day and Jahrra was glad to have the distraction, despite the lingering exhaustion from her long weekend. Perhaps Jaax was right; maybe she wasn’t ready for or capable of being on the front lines of the Coalition quite yet. Perhaps she should just go back to listening to what was said and keeping her input to herself.
Jahrra squashed that thought as she pressed through the woods on her way to Phrym’s stable. It was too late to move backwards and besides, she would have to learn how to work with her guardian’s colleagues eventually. True, she already discussed Coalition matters with Dathian and Anthar, and now, it seemed, Kehllor, but she had to be willing to interact with everyone. She shook her head. She would just wait and see how much damage her outburst had caused before coming to any premature conclusions.
Phrym was pleased to see her, as usual, whinnying his greeting with great fervor. The other horses and semequins joined in, hoping that they would be paid a visit this chilly morning. The stable hand on duty helped Jahrra saddle him and soon she and Phrym were trotting down the middle of the cobbled street in the direction of the University buildings.
Jahrra didn’t get a chance to see her friends until the end of the day, for it was one of the two weekdays she didn’t share any classes with them. They waited for her in their usual corner of the practice fields. As soon as Jahrra had Phrym secured to the closest fence post, Senton broke away from his conversation with Torrell and came hurrying over.
“What happened this weekend?” he demanded in a breathless tone.
Jahrra had to step back to avoid his forward movement.
“What do you mean?” she asked cautiously.
Was he talking about what had happened at the meeting? If so, how had he found out? Everything discussed at the Coalition meetings wasn’t supposed to be known to the general public.
Senton just waved his hand about and continued, “At the Coalition meeting! Rumor has it that Raejaaxorix tossed someone out and that that pompous black Tanaan dragon who thinks he rules supreme over Lidien, Lord Rohdann, threatened to kill him.”
By now Senton had garnered the attention of those practicing nearby. Gritting her teeth, Jahrra grabbed his arm and dragged him back towards a curious Torrell.
“What’s the matter with you?” she hissed. “This couldn’t have waited until after practice and preferably somewhere where the entire population of Lidien wouldn’t overhear?”
She crossed her arms and glared at him. Senton actually blushed, something the exuberant young man wasn’t prone to doing, and rubbed the spot where Jahrra had grabbed him.
Finally, he seemed to regain some of his composure. “Everyone has already heard. In fact, people have been pestering me all day for details.”
Jahrra felt her face drain of all color and pinched the bridge of her nose. Her head suddenly hurt.
It was then that Torrell decided to join the conversation.
“You look terrible,” she said, eyeing her friend carefully.
“Oh, thank you very much!” Jahrra snapped. “You would look terrible too if you’d been up all night and awake through the next day.”
Senton’s defensive posture melted away and he lowered his voice. “Jahrra, tell us what happened.”
Jahrra sighed and gave him a hard look. He looked genuinely concerned and she allowed herself to believe his reckless hastiness was a result of his worry for her.
“I’ll tell you after practice today, okay?”
“Alright,” was all Senton said.
“Now, where’s Dathian and Lohra?”
Torrell answered. “Dathian’s going to be late and Lohra . . . ?” She trailed off and gave Senton a look.
He sighed and shrugged. “I don’t think she’ll be joining us any longer.”
“Why, what happened?” Torrell asked, actually sounding regretful.
Senton shrugged again, then grinned sheepishly. “Uh, difference of opinion. Don’t worry, it wasn’t working out anyway.”
Jahrra wondered what he had meant by that but she was glad her friend didn’t seem too damaged by the situation, so she didn’t press him for details. Torrell, on the other hand, did.
“Just forget it, Torrell!” he snapped when she tried to prod, snatching up a wooden sword and taking a swing at her.
Luckily, Torrell’s reflexes were better than most.
The rest of that afternoon passed by in what Jahrra could only describe as observed solitude. After a half an hour of practice, Dathian showed up looking flustered. Jahrra cast him a curious glance but the look on his face told her not to ask. With a sinking feeling, she wondered if he had suffered any repercussions from her behavior at that weekend’s meeting.
As they left the practice field just before sunset, Jahrra became aware of several passersby giving them sidelong glances and even full out stares. Some people even stopped to whisper as she and her friends led their horses through the University plaza. Apparently Senton had been correct; everyone had heard about the goings on of the Coalition meeting that weekend.
Jahrra gritted her teeth. What exactly had they heard? And who had told them? Her stomach dropped and her blood suddenly felt chilled. Had Shiroxx and Rohdann already begun to seek their revenge? If anyone could spread an outrageous yet believable rumor, one that might make Jahrra look unfavorable in the eyes of the citizens of Lidien, it was Shiroxx. As if to answer at least one of her questions, someone passing by on the crowded plaza bumped Jahrra.
“Sorry,” she mumbled.
“You had better be sorry, you fraud!” the young man shot back over his shoulder.
Jahrra felt her face go white in shock. Fraud? What had he meant by that? The people pressing around them seemed to give her space, as one might give an unfamiliar, vicious looking dog a wide berth.
Jahrra felt suddenly sick. Memories from her past began to bubble up; memories she’d had no need for in a long time. She recalled that first day of school in Aldehren so long ago and all the subsequent years she’d spent in the company of the twins and their ostracizing cronies.
For a slight moment Jahrra felt real panic but she caught it early and pushed it away. No, she thought forcefully, I am not that weak girl any longer and these people have been misinformed. But those thoughts were hard to keep a hold of as she and her friends made their way to the edge of campus, the looks and whispers following her like a vulture waiting for a dying animal to keel over and expire.