Protector Of The Grove (Book 2) (31 page)

“
Nonsense
,” Mellinda scoffed. “
We studied that thing tonight and came no closer to understanding how to make one. It could take years. Decades of practice. Do you have the patience for that? Does Aloysius? He may be a gnome, but he seems to be accelerating his plans for power. I doubt he waits. He may just have us killed and give the rings to a more experienced wizard
.”

Arcon stifled a curse. Blast that witch, but she was usually right. It would be easier for him to turn the academy party over to the gnome. But he had examined the rogue horse that Tarah Woodblade had called Esmine and the creature was beautiful, a marvel. He didn’t like the thought of it dying at Aloysius hands.

Mellinda couldn’t hear his thoughts or feelings, but she could read his body language quite well. She scoffed. “
You want to help them, don’t you? This isn’t for strategic reasons. You just want to be on the good side for once. Please don’t. I have good reasons for wanting that Woodblade girl dead.
”

“And why shouldn’t I?” he snapped aloud, then quieted himself. He was coming close enough to camp that one of the men on watch might hear him.
I’m tired of being the plaything of people like you and Ewzad Vriil and Aloysius. My time at the
Mage
School
, the life I was living . . . It was all good before you showed up. I enjoyed what I was doing. Now I hate doing what I do. I hate myself
!

“
Ugh, I thought you were over this by now
,” she groaned. “
I understand you wanting to do things that feel good, but do you know what feels the best? Staying alive. So let’s say you help those academy fools here. What’s next? Are you going to start actually doing something for the resistance? Hmm? I’ll tell you right now that the resistance is going to lose. They’re likely dying back in the gnome homeland right now along with all of the other scholars Aloysius wants to get rid of
.

“
Or do you plan on running off and going somewhere else to ‘do good’? You’d better do it quietly, because what happens when someone recognizes that you have the Rings of Stardeon? What happens when someone recognizes the great traitor Arcon? Do you think you can say, ‘Don’t attack me. I’ve changed my ways. I’m on your side now’? No. They’d be too busy tying a noose for your neck to listen. What about-
.”

Enough
! he said.
You’ve made your point, you evil conniving witch
! He kicked out in frustration and stubbed his toe on a rock. He crouched, clutching his foot and hissing through his teeth at the pain, wanting nothing more than to scream in rage.

“
Hmph
!” she replied. “
Insulting me changes nothing. Your choices are simple. You can help those nobodies and spend your life on the run. Or you can help Aloysius and gain power. If you rise high enough, you can become the boss. Then you can control your life. You can do what you want.
” She sighed.
“
Or just let yourself get killed and end it. Just remember, whatever you do, you’re bringing me along with you. If you die, I die
.”

And if that happens I make the world a better place
, he replied. But she was right about one thing. He had no desire to die. Better to go on hating himself than to feel nothing at all. He stood and continued on towards his tent, making sure to keep to the darkness.
Then again, maybe there’s another option. Perhaps I can help them just this once. Aloysius needn’t know I was involved. They get away. The rogue horse is gone. I feel good about myself for once and I can find another way to climb into his good graces
.

“
Too risky
,” Mellinda said. “
And it is so much easier to simply turn them in and reap the rewards now. When Aloysius has his super weapon he’ll rise to power that much quicker and take us along with him. Is it worth throwing all of that away for one moment of feeling good
?”

 Arcon slipped between two of the sentries and stopped behind his tent to remove the disguising spells and take off the rings. Then, looking like himself, he walked around to the front of his tent and slipped inside. He lay down on his cot, his mind unsettled.

Mellinda didn’t stop talking. She tried everything; cajoling, manipulating, and berating him all evening long to get him to follow her plan. Arcon let her voice fade down to a dull roar in the back of his mind as he debated his decision. He had only a few hours to decide.

Gladstone was the third largest city in Dremaldria behind Dremald and Sampo. It sat in the southwestern corner of Dremaldria. Starting at the base of the mountains and ending at the banks of the Wide River, it also bordered Malaroo and the southern corner of Razbeck. It hosted the most heavily used ferry system over the river, and was both a trade hub and an important stop for those traveling up the Grandriver road. Gladstone also happened to be Sir Hilt’s home town.

Sir Hilt had decided to stop there for a couple nights in order for Deathclaw and Gwyrtha to catch up before they traveled into Malaroo. He had picked an inn called The Marsh Flower. It was a small place just outside the city where there was much less traffic and thus much less of a threat that the nightbeast could find a way to attack. It was also one of the few places around whose owners didn’t think twice about serving Roo-Tan customers.

The rooms were clean and the food was decent, but it was not busy this time of year. In fact, as the owners complained, the inn was half empty at the moment. Most of their business was with people who wanted to stay out of the city limits while traveling between countries and, unfortunately for them winter was the time of year when people least wanted to travel into Dremaldria.

But those weren’t the main reasons Hilt had chosen the place. The truth was he didn’t want his father to know he was nearby. Unfortunately, word that a named warrior was staying in the inn got passed around anyway. It only took one day before a representative from the Slarr family arrived to request Sir Hilt’s presence at the palace.

Hilt had only gone begrudgingly and that was mainly because he felt obligated to tell his father about his newly adopted daughter. He left early in the morning and Yntri insisted on accompanying him, excited about the prospect of seeing the inside of the human palace again. The rest of the party stayed behind in the inn. The academy men lounged in the common room while the rest of them gathered in Jhonate’s room.

Jhonate had spent most of the journey to Gladstone from the Mage School making up for lost time, grilling Justan on her people’s customs and more specifically the complexity of her family relationships. Today was no different.

“And father’s fourth wife?” Jhonate asked.

Justan grimaced, struggling to remember. “Uh, that would be Alexis bin Hoon, first daughter of Veldris bin Hoon. Her ribbon mark is orange and her children are Jeanene, Meldexis, and Lassa; all daughters.” Jhonate kept staring at him, raising one eyebrow. Justan sighed. There was just so much information to remember. “Your father married her because he saw her at the Blooming Dance and he liked her eyes.”

“No,” Jhonate said.

“That was Mother Meldreth,” Jhexin said with a yawn. He was laying on the bed, his feet crossed and his boot heels resting on the footboard. “She’s his fifth wife. He married her because after dealing with Mother Alexis he wanted to be spontaneous.”

“Shh!” Jhonate said, shooting him a frown. “Do not give him hints.”

“Oh-oh-oh, right,” Justan said, giving Jhexin a grateful smile. “He married Alexis because the Hoon family was gaining in prestige and he liked that she was just as much a believer in the Roo traditions as he is. But he never felt much attraction for her and she was terribly stern and that’s why he married Meldreth for her eyes.”

“See what I mean, fullbrother?” Jhonate said, smacking Jhexin’s arm with the butt of her staff. “You reminded him.”

Jhexin winced and rubbed his arm. “Does your betrothed really need to know all those details? It is unseemly.”

“These kinds of details are important if he is to navigate the politics of our family once we arrive,” Jhonate said. “Father makes no attempt to hide his reasons for marrying his wives. Why should we?”

“The problem is that some of the things you are teaching him are not exactly true anymore,” Qurl said. He was sitting backwards on his chair, straddling it and resting his chin in his palm as he looked out the window of their room, watching a cart meander down the street below. “Father likes to keep Mother Alexis around him now. She’s become one of his favorites. He still wears Mother Jahndra’s green ribbon in his braid, but he listens to Mother Alexis when he’s making decisions.”

“Since when?” Jhonate asked. “The only time I heard him speak of Mother Alexis was to complain about her nagging.”

“Since maybe two years ago,” Qurl said, sighing. “That’s not all that has changed either. He has taken to wearing his Jharro armor almost all the time now. He says it shows readiness.”

“Like the day he attacked Hilt?” Justan asked.

“That was . . . unfortunate,” Qurl acknowledged. “But it was Jhonate’s fault that father was so angry at the time.”

“I am sorry that the rest of you had to deal with father’s wrath after I left,” Jhonate said. It wasn’t the first time she had apologized to them. Something had changed between Jhonate and her brothers while they were at the Mage School. Justan wasn’t sure exactly what that was, but he saw it as a welcome improvement. “There is no need for you two to keep bringing it up.”

“It was reality for us, sister,” said Qurl. “But I am no longer angry with you if that helps.”

Justan
,
we near your position
, Deathclaw said suddenly through the bond.
Do you wish us to come to you
?

No, Deathclaw. Stay off of the road. We don’t need to scare anyone. I’m coming out to meet you
.

Very well
, the raptoid replied.

I’m going to wait too
, Gwyrtha added with excitement.
Come quick
!

“They’re close by,” Justan said. He stood and strapped on his swords and quiver. “I’m going to go and meet them.”

“You are not going alone,” Jhonate said.

Qurl stood as well. “Your bonded are here, then, Sir Edge? I shall go with you.”

“Anything to get out of this place,” Jhexin agreed, rolling out of the bed.

Justan shrugged. “Fine with me.” Not that he had expected anything different. He couldn’t so much as urinate without two people accompanying him. The nightbeast was too much of a threat.

They gathered their things and left their room, heading down the short staircase into the inn’s common room. Poz and Aldie were sitting by the fire, tankards of ale in their hands. The Roo-Tan brothers gave them disapproving looks.

Jhonate walked over and instructed them to let Hilt and Yntri know where they were going. Before she turned to leave, she said sternly, “It is foolish to be drinking this time of day. Were I still an academy member, I would clout you. Especially you, Poz. You had better hope Sir Hilt doesn’t catch you.”

Jhonate gave them a parting glare and turned away. The two academy soldiers looked at each other and quickly drained their tankards while Justan and the others walked out into the sunlight.

Winters in the Gladstone area were quite mild, more like extended periods of fall than the winters Justan was used to. The air was still chilly, but rarely stayed below freezing for long and they only received the occasional snowfall. Jhonate’s brothers didn’t even bother wearing their cold weather gear.

Justan and the three Roo-Tan siblings walked across the Grandriver road and took one of the smaller side streets that led into the foothills at the base of the mountains. Most of the trees were bare in the area, but here and there were clusters of leafy evergreens. It was into a small grove of these that Justan stepped and found Deathclaw waiting.

“Deathclaw! I’m so happy to see you!” Justan said, rushing forward to give the raptoid a big hug. Deathclaw allowed this for a few moments, even patting Justan’s back before pushing him away.

“I am glad to have returned to find you alive.” Deathclaw said, then addressed Jhonate. “You have done an adequate job of protecting your mate. He received very few injuries while I was away.”

“Thank you, Deathclaw,” she replied, inclining her head at him.

“Where is Gwyrtha?” Justan asked.

“She is hiding,” the raptoid replied with a roll of his reptilian eyes. “She wishes for you to find her.”

Justan turned to the others. “Fourth son. Sixth son. This is Deathclaw.”

“Your bonded is terrifying,” Jhexin remarked, his eyes wide. He had seen Gwyrtha briefly the day she had left but this was his first time to see the raptoid.

Deathclaw blinked at the man. “Thank you.”

“You look different,” Justan said, squinting at the raptoid as he looked closer.

Deathclaw thumbed the black bandolier he wore across his chest. “These are the throwing knives that Hugh the Shadow gave to me.”

“No. That’s not it. It’s your lips!” Justan said. He reached up and pulled Deathclaw’s upper lip back, exposing his teeth.

Deathclaw pulled his head free of Justan’s grip and stepped back. “I have become used to them.”

“No it’s not that. They’re thicker than when I made them, and-,” Justan resisted the urge to reach for Deathclaw’s head again. “Do you mind if I look at them from inside the bond?”

“I suppose that would be acceptable,” said the raptoid cautiously.

I am hiding
, Gwyrtha reminded.

Justan closed his eyes and sent his mind’s eye through the bond.
I was right, Deathclaw. They look far different from when I made them. They’re much more supple and have a greater range of movement. I can’t even see the places where I stretched your tissues to make things work. It’s like they have become exactly what you had asked for
.

I am a raptoid
, Deathclaw replied.
My body adapts
.

No
, Justan said. He pulled back through the bond and opened his eyes, smiling at Deathclaw as he made a realization.
Your dragon heritage might let your body adapt to things like changes in temperature, but this is something unnecessary to your survival.
You willed this
.

“What do you mean?” Deathclaw asked.

“You did like Gwyrtha does when she makes herself smaller or hardens her scales,” Justan said.

I’m hiding
, Gwyrtha said again, frustrated that Justan had not started looking.

“I cannot do such things,” the raptoid replied, ignoring her.

“Maybe you can. That’s what I’m saying. Your body make up is much like Gwyrtha’s. You just don’t have the huge amount of energy to power the changes like she does,” Justan suppressed a laugh as he became more excited by the idea. “What you do have is an immense amount of control and awareness of your body. It allows you to do things like command it to heal a particular wound. Your lips were bothering you so much when you left, I think you just sort of willed them to change until they were the way you liked them.”

Deathclaw reached up and rubbed his lips with the side of his finger. Could this be so? If he had done this with his lips, what other changes could he make? “Perhaps. I shall think on this.”

“Why are they making such a big deal about lips?” Qurl asked.

“Deathclaw did not always have them,” Jhonate explained.

There was a sudden burst of movement in the trees above. Justan took two quick steps to the side. Gwyrtha crashed to the ground where he had been standing, bringing down a flurry of waxy leaves with her.

I was hiding
! she said accusingly. She was in her smaller and faster form, but it would still have really hurt if he hadn’t moved out of the way.
Why did you not find me
?

“I knew where you were the whole time,” Justan replied. “You need to find new hiding places. I’m used to your old tricks.” He embraced her shaggy head. “I missed you.”

She licked him in reply.
Do we ride now
?

“We’re just waiting for Hilt,” Justan said.

She changed back into her original form and Qurl shook his head. “Terrifying indeed.”

Hilt showed up a half hour later with Stanza loaded up and a slightly inebriated Poz and Aldie in tow. The two guards had been soundly chastised and Yntri had given them small roots to chew on to sober them up. From the sour looks on their faces, it didn’t taste good.

“Deathclaw!” Hilt said, greeting the raptoid warmly. He clapped Deathclaw on the back and gave his bandoleer an approving nod. “Throwing knives? Did Hugh give those to you.”

“He did,” Deathclaw replied.

“What a great idea.” Hilt said. “Adding a ranged weapon will be good for you. Nice lips, by the way. Edge did a great job with them.”

“It looks like you had a good time at the palace,” Qurl said.

Hilt’s smile fell. “I had to promise my father I would return soon with Beth and show him our baby,” He sighed and looked back towards the city with distaste. “The sad thing is that Beth will be eager to go.”

“Why don’t you like your home palace?” Poz asked. He himself had minor Dremaldrian nobility in his blood. His father had married a Woldon girl and Poz had always enjoyed visiting with her side of the family as a child.

“It’s the extravagance, mostly,” Hilt replied. “And the priorities of the nobility. So many parts of the city are struggling and yet the nobles still have their parties. Every time I go there, I get treated like I’m one of them. I don’t like the reminder.”