Defiance (Rise of the Iliri Book 3) (38 page)

Dalyr wiped at his face.  "I saw him, a white one, all white, and he darted through the lines to save this new recruit.  The Terrans had the guy cornered, ya know, and we couldn't get to him.  But the wolf?  He rushed them – and jumped on one.  Another swung at him, and it was like a bad story.  He axed his own man, but the wolf, he got hit bad, too.  Fuck, Kaisae.  Have you heard them scream?"  He pulled away from her shoulder and looked up at her face.

Sal nodded. "Sounds like a woman dying."

"I called a push, and my squad got the new guy behind our line, and we took out those Terrans, but the wolf?  He was hurt bad.  I remembered what you said in the tent, about helping them, and I kept saying that word, ayte, and I tried to pick him up, but I think I hurt him." 

"It's our battle lust," Sal explained.  "Pain makes us frenzy.  I almost killed Colonel Vayu the same way.  We can't help it when it's bad enough."

The soldier bit at his lips and slowly bobbed his head, but her words couldn't break his memory.  "Well, when I lifted him, he screamed again, like he was dying or shit.  So I tried to run back to the med tents with him, but someone slammed into me, and I squeezed too hard, and he lost it.  He started biting me.  I grabbed his head, and his legs were dangling, and we made it here.  Our wolf – Roo, right?" Sal nodded.  "She growled something at him, and he just went limp.  That's how I got him to the healers, but, I couldn't see from that eye.  I thought I'd lost it."

Sal rubbed his hand.  "You may have, but they put you back together.  That's what their healers do.  They aren't perfect, and they leave scars, but they put you back together."

Dalyr took a deep breath, then looked up into her eyes.  "Is he ok?  The wolf?"

Roo?  Is the Orassae available?  Can you link me?

I can,
Roo replied, and Sal felt her perception shift.

"Let me ask," Sal told the soldier.

Kaisae,
Rragri greeted her.

Orassae.  The soldier you asked me to see?  He wants to know if your mate will be ok.

A surge of appreciation flooded through her. 
Yes.  He will be fine.  He too will have a scar.  Tell the human that whatever he wants, I am in his debt. 

Sal relayed that.  "Rragri said that her mate will also have a scar, but he'll be fine.  She wants you to know that she is personally in your debt."

"You're talking with her?  Now?"

Sal tapped her temple.  "Iliri and grauori can do this.  Now, is there anything she can do for you?"

"What's his name?" Dalyr asked.  "I'd just, I dunno, I'd like to know his name."

Rragri, the human wants to know your mate's name.

It's Arrgro.  If he will allow it, my Ahnor wishes to thank him personally.

"His name is Arrgro, and he wants to thank you but isn't sure if you'd see him," Sal told Dalyr.

"I'd like that, actually.  I dunno, Kaisae, it feels like it matters more if I can see he's ok." 

Sal passed that along to Rragri and closed the link between them.  Then she shifted to her knees, preparing to stand.  "The doctors said I'm not supposed to upset you, so I can't stay long.  Rest for now.  I know how much healing takes out of you.  Ok?"

The soldier nodded at her.  "Ok."  After a long pause, he asked, "You sure I'm not going to be ugly, Kaisae?"

"Soldier, you've earned the right to call me Sal.  And yes, I'm sure."  She brushed his hair away from the scars and looked closely at them.  "Before, I think you were pretty?  With these, you look like a man, not a boy." Sal's voice changed to a gentle whisper, and she focused on how nice sleep would be for him.  "Now, you look like the kind of man who deserves respect."  She gently pressed the soldier back into his pallet.  "Sleep, hero.  You want to make a good impression on the Orassae."  One last time she caressed the side of his face, pushing reassurance deep into the human's mind.  Beneath her hand, he smiled, his eyes slipping closed.

Chapter 41

Sal stepped carefully between sleeping men, making her way to the door.  Outside the tent, Jase would be waiting.  She hadn't expected to influence that man's mind so easily.  The trick had always been used by iliri women to cause blinding lust – as a defense.  To her knowledge, she was the only Kaisae to ever make it something to help others.  She hoped it lasted for more than the few seconds she'd touched the wounded man.

"Kaisae," a voice called to her, and Sal stopped, seeing the human who'd taken her to Dalyr.

"Yes, Doctor?"

"Sorry, it's Kalev.  Kalev Loke, and I was watching."

She nodded at him.  "He'll be ok, I think."

Kalev nodded at her, "Yeah.  Kaisae -"

"Sal.  You healed my men, the least you can do is call me Sal."

He nodded.  "Sal, that man, before you came?  If his eyes were open, he was trying to end his life.  He's due for sedation, but," he gestured to the man's bed, "he's sleeping.  I thought I saw him smile, too."

"You did.  Kalev, I'm no doctor, but I know soldiers.  Did anyone tell him what he did?"

"We thought that reliving it would make things worse."

"No, not reliving it, but giving his loss a meaning.  Soldiers live to help.  That's why we do this.  Just like you.  Let him know it worked and he'll feel vindicated.  Unlike you, I could prove to him that his wounds aren't as disfiguring as he thinks."

"How?"

Sal gestured for the doctor to follow her outside.  Jase met them at the door, a sly smile on his lips.  "Kalev Loke, Jase, my mate," she introduced.

Kalev glanced at her strangely, then nodded at the Ahnor.

"All of my soldiers know that I will not lie to them.  There've been enough incidents and rumors to prove that I'm serious about it."  Sal shrugged.  "What I told that man convinced him that a few scars were worth it."

Kalev glanced at Jase again, and he grinned wide enough to show his sharp teeth.  "She tends ta be very persuasive."  Then he asked Sal,
Did it work?

"And if I'm not mistaken," Sal continued, nodding quickly at Jase, "those scars should fade soon?"

"Yeah.  It'll be months still, but they shouldn't be as noticeable.  We tried to tell him, but he kept saying that his girl would leave him."

"I'll make sure his unit keeps an eye on him.  If there's a problem, I'll take care of it.  You know who he saved, right?" she asked the doctor.

"No.  It was a grauori, that's all I know."

"He saved Rragri's mate, her Ahnor."  When Kalev continued to look at her blankly, she continued, "The leader of the Grauoran army's lover.  That's the mutt who tore at his face.  Arrgro took the hit to save a human, Dalyr took the bite to save the relations between our species.  He's a hero, Kalev.  Tonight, the Orassae and her mate will come to pay their thanks.  Let them.  It will do Dalyr more good to be pampered by the leader of the grauori people than any sedatives you can pump into him.  Ok?"

Kalev finally began to relax, and with a handshake the iliri left the medical tent. 

Sal and Jase wound through celebrations, men passing them flagons of liquor.  Jase sampled as many as he could, enjoying the shocked faces of soldiers watching their leaders tilt the bottle up.  By the time they reached the Black Blades' camp, Sal was smiling, and somewhere along the way, she'd acquired a bottle of mead. 

"Ah, you're back," Blaec said as she rounded the last tent.

"I had to stop by the medical pavilion and the humans are throwing a pretty intense party out there.  How are things here?"

"Well enough.  Dom's begging for your advice, Ilija is beside himself, and we have almost two hundred Terrans that surrendered.  What's next?"

She scratched at one ear.  "I need to speak with Dom first," Sal said, looking between Blaec and Jase.  "Can you two get me some ideas for what to do with these humans?  I'll call for you as soon as I have a few things settled with the King and the Colonel."

"Ya gonna want a read on Ilija?" Jase asked.

"No," Sal told him.  "If you wanted to share what you know, you already would've.  We all got that Jarl's his kid.  What I don't know is what he wants to do about it."

"Marry her."  Jase pushed his pewter hair back.  "His mate is Dom's little sister, kitten.  She has two a 'em, both are Ilija's.  He's been caring fer them, but they never told the kids cuz a royal bastard can get more than a Sergeant's son."

"Shit, are you serious?" Blaec whispered.

Jase nodded.  "Yeh.  He has na told a soul.  Hell, I did na even catch it from him until the ball.  That's why Ilija's been so crazy 'bout this king."

Sal groaned, putting all of the pieces together.  "Ok.  Well, that gives me something to work with, at least.  If Roo can get a chance to listen in on the Shields, that'd help, too.  I'd love to know what the men are saying about that little revelation on the field."  She waved it away.  "Maast.  I guess we can ignore that and deal with it later, but if Dom's in a good mood, I might as well use it."

Before she could walk away, Blaec pulled her closer to kiss her head.  "Trust your gut, Sal.  So far you've done a damned good job of cleaning up the mess we sent you into.  Cyno and I'll figure out something to do with the Terrans."

Jase nodded at her, thumping Blaec on the shoulder.  "Yell when ya need us, kitten."

"I will.  Thank you, my loves."  Tossing a smile back, she left the Blade's camp, leaving her bottle of mead where the other iliri would find it.  As she passed the last black tent, Zep fell in beside her.

"The Kaisae goes nowhere without a guard at her side, babe."  His shirt hung open, and his sword lay in full view at his waist.

"They're Anglians, Zep.  I'm safe here." 

He just shrugged. 

Together, they wove through the milling crowd of soldiers.  Some men pressed bottles at them and many cheered when Sal accepted a drink offered to her.  She made sure to do little more than taste the liquor, though.  Halfway to the King's pavilion, the path was choked with men celebrating their victory.  Sal pushed her way between them, unwilling to break up the party, and Zep followed behind her.  The humans towered over her; Sal quickly lost sight of Zep in the crowd.  She pushed between another group of men, aiming in the direction of the Anglian banner flying high above the King's tent when a man grabbed her. 

He spun Sal to face him, a drunken grin on his face and muttered something incoherent.  She sighed and tried to pull away, but the drunk held her tightly.

"Let go of the Kaisae" an Anglian soldier yelled at the drunk.

His words silenced the men around them.  Dozens of soldiers reached for their weapons.  Two men grabbed the offender, pulling him away from her.  In seconds, the giddy soldier was face first on the ground.  In the stunned silence, Zep pushed to her side.

"I see what you mean, demon.  You're pretty safe with these men."

She flicked an ear his way to let him know she'd heard.  "Guys, let him up.  He's drunk enough to have forgotten his manners, that's all."

"You sure, Kaisae?" a soldier asked her.  "He grabbed you, sir."

"I'm sure, soldier.  You all deserve the celebration."  She raised her voice to the men around her, "And thank you all.  Enjoy yourselves.  We just kicked the shit out of Terric!"

The men cheered, and someone passed her a bottle.  Sal lifted it to her lips, the cheap liquor too acidic to be enjoyable, but the men laughed at seeing her take the drink.  Zep grabbed the bottle after her, and took a long pull, passing it back.

"Anglians!" He teased them, "You need to get something better than this pig piss."

The men laughed and cheered again, their mood restored.  Zep grabbed Sal's wrist and pushed ahead, dragging her in his wake.  When the throng of human bodies thinned around them, he let go and smiled.

"Sal, that's fucking impressive.  I knew these men liked you, but damn.  They love us," he said.

"I know, Zep.  I love this place as much as I hate the idea of a monarchy."

"Then change it," he teased, but his expression changed as the words came out if his mouth.  Stepping to the side of the path, he gestured for her to come closer.  When she did, he spoke softly.  "Sal, do you know how the Empire started?"

"No," she admitted.  "Not really."

"The Emperor – we didn't know his name until today – he stopped a war between a couple of tribes in Terric.  He was charming, and the people loved him."  Sal nodded, urging him to go on, knowing he would get to his point eventually.  "Sal, they
gave
him the power.  The more he did, the more they loved him.  They begged him to rule them, to solve all their problems.  How much have you changed Anglia?"

Sal saw where this was headed.  "Enough.  Probably more than enough.  Zep, I won't rule.  I don't want to.  I've encouraged them to find their own path, and I've smoothed out a few wrinkles, but that's all.  I've said nothing to Dominik about his government.  I've merely suggested that he respect the grauori.  It's up to them how they solve that."

Zep nodded.  "Ok.  Just be careful.  The Emperor thought he was helping when he started.  I'm sure of it.  All of their propaganda?  It's meant to make life better for Terrans.  I know we want our freedom and all, but we can't enslave the humans to get it.  Well, yours.  The iliri, I mean."

"Ours," she assured him.  "And I know, Zep.  I promise.  My only goal is to save our people.  Anglia has to earn their own freedom."

He hooked a finger in her belt and pulled her closer, dropping his voice.  "You're not saying something, babe." 

She sighed.  "Dominik offered us a home here.  Freedom, equal rank, and a retirement pension – everything we've wanted."

"So why aren't we taking it?"

"Because Blaec's right.  We're not done yet.  When humans stop killing iliri, when we don't have to hide our differences... shit, Zep, when we can be proud of our packs in public, that's when we'll be done."

Zep shook his head.  "It won't happen in our lives, little demon.  We aren't gods.  That's what I'm trying to tell you.  The Emperor is a man, and he got above himself and is now calling himself a god.  We aren't like him.  We don't want to
be
like him."

"I know, but we can't stop now.  There's one more thing we still need to do, and we can't let anything get in our way.  We have to finish this, and you know it."

"Ok.  Sal?"

"Yeah?"

"When we're done..."  He glanced away for a moment before continuing, "When this is over, and we settle down.  Do I get to stay a part of the pack?"

She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her head to his chest.  "Yes, Zep.  You're my brother.  Your mind is as Iliran as mine.  You smell a lot better than the rest of us," she giggled, "but you're one of us."

He blinked a few times quickly and smiled weakly at her.  "Thanks, kid.  I'll be by your side, ya know that.  To the end."

"I don't think you understand," Sal told him.  "I'm not just saying that.  You felt the Shields, right?"

He nodded.

"They're nothing like you.  You feel like steel and sharp teeth in my head.  They feel like sand, gravel, and rough cloth.  You're
nothing
like them.  You think like us, you feel like us, you just don't smell or taste like us."  Sal stepped closer to Zep, grabbed his belt, and slipped her fingers into the waistband of his pants, right against his skin.  "Who knows?  Maybe it worked," she teased, tickling the tattoo she knew was there.

He laughed and pulled her hands out of his pants.  "Go talk to the King and stop teasing me, demon."

"I thought I wasn't your type."  She grinned as she walked away.

You're my sister, Sal.  That's not the same as not being my type,
Zep thought to her retreating back.

She was still smiling when she greeted the Verdant Shields outside the King's tent.  "How'd you two get on guard duty?" she asked.

Tebio shrugged.  "Long story," he said.  Caein nodded in agreement.

"Not good enough, men.  What's the story?"  Sal persisted.

They looked at each other, and Caein sighed.  "Kaisae, it's the Colonel.  He's making us crazy."