The Quest for the Heart Orb (10 page)

“Of course,” Ren said, suddenly closer to tears than she’d been since her mother’s death.  She never allowed herself to cry.  Tears brought out the scales on her face.  “
Brai
Adaya told me that people would be more accepting than I was used to once I went out into the world.  I’m afraid that I didn’t really believe her.”

“I’d like to tell you that you can put all the prejudice you’ve suffered behind you forever, but that would be a lie,” Karma said.  “I can only tell you that those of us here, in this room, have learned to accept and embrace our differences.  They’re what make us who we are, and we’ve learned not only to be proud of them, but to rely on them.  I hope that one day you will be able to do the same.”

“I will try,” Ren said, thinking of
Brai
Sierna’s words to her on the subject not long ago.

Karma nodded, then dropped the subject.  “Now, I must leave you ladies and give my husband the news that we are going home.”  She stood up, then paused.  “Kapia, will you please see that Ren has proper clothing for riding tomorrow?”

“I will,” Kapia replied.  “Good luck with Zakiel.”  Karma laughed softly as she left with Lashi at her heels.

“I imagine you have questions for us, Ren,” Kapia said when Karma was gone.  “Please, feel free.  I promise you that neither Tiari nor I will be offended no matter what you ask.”

“How can you make such a promise in advance?” Ren asked.

“As Karma once said to me, you can ask what you like, so long as you understand beforehand that asking a question doesn’t necessarily mean I will answer it,” Kapia replied.

“That seems fair, Princess Kapia.”

Kapia shook her head.  “Though it is against custom in Isiben to use a person’s first name without permission, we women of the Orb Quest do not follow that rule amongst ourselves.    Please call me
Kapia
, Lady Tiari just
Tiari
, and Lady Techu
Karma
, if you will.  We prefer it.  We consider ourselves sisters of a sort, and hope that you will soon feel the same.

Ren nodded, too overwhelmed by Kapia’s words to speak.  After a few moments she opened her mouth, then closed it again.  There were things she wanted to say, feelings she wanted to express to these women who’d accepted her as no others ever had, but she couldn’t seem to find the words.  She looked up at Kapia, then Tiari, and realized that they understood.  Somehow, they really understood how she felt.  And they didn’t need her to say a single word about it.  She smiled her thanks, then reached for her freshly refilled cup.  She sipped her tea, taking a moment to calm herself. 

“What would you like to ask?” Tiari said, breaking the silence when Ren seemed calmer.  Ren gave her a grateful smile.

“I suppose my first question is, what injuries do Karma and you, Tiari, have that would impede your travel?  If it’s not too personal to ask.”

“I burned my feet quite badly while retrieving the Sun Orb,” Tiari said.  “Karma was attacked and carried off by a harpy during the battle we told you about here, on the
Hidden Sister
, a couple of weeks ago.  She suffered deep claw marks on her back.”

“I have never seen a demon, but I have read about them,” Ren said.  “It’s my understanding that people can die from the infection caused by a single scratch from a harpy’s filthy claws.”

“It’s true,” Kapia said.  “Fortunately, the Argiari who stayed here to guard the Sun Orb, had advanced medicine.  Otherwise we might have lost both Karma and Tiari to their injuries.  Instead, they are already healed.”

“Are you often attacked by harpies?” Ren asked. 

“We were, but not anymore,” Kapia said.  “There are no harpies left on all of Rathira now.”

“Truly?” Ren asked in surprise.  “How did this happen?”

“When the harpy picked Karma up in its claws and flew away with her, Zakiel became Vatra to get her back,” Kapia explained.  “When he saw how badly she was injured, his rage was such that he destroyed every harpy on Rathira.”

“Can he destroy all the demons?” Ren asked hopefully.

“No,” Kapia said, shaking her head.  “What he did could have killed Zakiel, and according to Nikura, it
should
have killed him.  His metamorphosis into Vatra only began a couple of months ago, and it takes a year to become strong enough to withstand Vatra’s powers.  Zakiel can’t risk using that much power again.”  Ren blushed, feeling foolish.  If Vatra could have killed all the demons, obviously he would have done so already.

“I suppose that you’d like to know why my eyes have no pupils,” Tiari said, deliberately interrupting Ren’s thoughts.

“That is not a question I would have asked,” Ren said carefully, though she had wondered.

“I know, that’s why I brought it up myself,” Tiari said, smiling.  “I was born this way.  I can see perfectly well by the light of the sun, but otherwise I cannot see at all.  Oh, except that I can see in the light of the Sun Orb when it’s fully expanded.”

“That’s why Lashi opened the shutters?  So you could see?”

“Yes,” Tiari said.  “I thought you should know so that if you see me walking around bumping into walls after the sun goes down, you’ll know why.”

Kapia laughed.  “Don’t believe that, Ren.  Tiari never bumps into things.  She memorizes everything while there’s daylight for her to see by so when it’s dark she can move around as easily as when it’s light.”

“Not quite that easily,” Tiari said with a blush of her own.  “Now, on to another subject, please.  Do you have any other questions, Ren?”

“I do,” Ren admitted.  “I’m curious about our journey.  When we travel, where do we sleep?”

“In tents,” Kapia said.  “Now that Tiari has married Tomas, you and I will share a tent, if you don’t mind.  We’ll each have our own sleeping chamber, so you’ll have privacy.  If you’d prefer a tent to yourself, I believe we have a few small ones that aren’t being used.”

“There are extra tents?” Tiari asked in surprise.

“There are now, yes,” Kapia said soberly.  “We’ve lost a few men on this quest.”  Tiari nodded sadly.

“What is a
tent
?” Ren asked.

Kapia’s eyebrows rose in surprise.  “You told us that you traveled for days to get here.  Did you sleep under the stars in this cold weather?”

“There are traveler’s huts along the path down
Nu Senna
.  They are somewhat like this building we are now in, though not so large or so well built.  We walked each day until we came to one, then stopped, though I’m certain we would have made the journey much more quickly otherwise.  From the foot of
Nu Senna
it was only a few day’s walk to the
Hidden Sister
, and we did sleep beneath the stars then.”

“Traveler’s huts,” Kapia said.  “That must be handy, especially in deep winter when the snow flies, but there are no such huts for us to use.  We carry tents, structures made of fabric that are setup at night, then taken down and folded so the diplos can carry them during the day.”

“How clever,” Ren said, trying to picture such a thing in her mind.  “Of course I do not object to sharing, Kapia.”  She wondered how they cooked inside an enclosure made of fabric without burning it, or how they warmed it, or kept it from blowing away when the winter winds came, but decided she’d see the answers with her own eyes soon enough.  She sipped her tea, wondering what to ask next.  “Are the diplo really so gentle?”

“They really are,” Tiari said earnestly.  “I spent my entire life locked in a dark little hut, alone, until Kapia and Karma rescued me.  The first thing I saw when I stepped out into the light was a diplo, and it scared me so badly I nearly ran back inside.  But they truly are very gentle and sweet.”

Ren stared at Tiari, dumbfounded yet again.  She thought she’d been lonely living among people who mostly shunned her.  In one sentence Tiari had shown her that, in comparison, her own life had been easy.  There was a lesson there, somewhere.

Kapia really wanted to ask about the stones on Ren’s forehead, but felt that was a subject best saved for another time since she didn’t appear to enjoy talking about herself much.  In fact, Ren was looking as though she could use a break.  “How about you and I go for a walk to the paddock, Ren,” she suggested.  “I’ll introduce you to the diplos, and we can ask the head drover to help us pick one out for you to ride.”

“I would like that very much, Kapia,” Ren said.  “Will you come, too, Tiari?”

“Tiari won’t be able to walk for another couple of weeks,” Kapia said.  “In fact, I bet Tomas is hovering outside as we speak, waiting to take her home so she can rest.”  Kapia looked at Tiari carefully.  “From the looks of you Tiari, you need it.”

“Yes, I am a little tired,” she admitted.  “But first, we should do as Karma asked and check Ren’s clothing.”

“Oh yes, I’d forgotten,” Kapia said, turning to Ren.  “A divided skirt is necessary for riding comfortably.  If you don’t have one, Caral can alter something of yours, or I can loan you one.  You’re taller than me, so it might be a bit short, but otherwise I think it would fit you well enough.”

“You’re very kind,” Ren said.  “However,
Brai
Adaya had an entirely new wardrobe made for me before I left, and insisted that several divided skirts be included.”

“If you have no objection, Hara Ren, I will be glad to unpack your things for you,” Caral offered.

Ren stared.  No one had offered to do anything like that for her before.  She glanced quickly at Kapia, who nodded.  “Um…I would appreciate that, Caral, thank you,” she said finally.  As soon as Caral disappeared into the next room, Ren turned to Kapia.  “Will you please explain to me why everyone uses the word
Hara
when they speak to me?”

“It is a term of respect,” Kapia said.  “You are the Maiden of the Heart Orb, so everyone will use
Hara
when they speak to you.  If anyone fails to do so without your permission, it’s a sign of disrespect, and you should let me or Karma know immediately.”

“All right,” Ren said.  “What word should I use if I must speak to any of the men?”

“Normally that would vary, but you’re lucky,” Kapia said.  “All of the warriors with us are Knights, though they took a temporary cut in rank to Hunter to be included on the Orb Quest.  That means you can use
Sir
for all of them, except Zakiel of course.  You don’t use an honorific with the servants and drovers because you outrank them.”

“Thank you,” Ren said, relieved that it would be so simple.

“Shall we go now?” Kapia asked, stepping to the window and looking out.  “It’s warmed up since this morning.  I don’t think we’ll need cloaks.” 

“It’ll be nice to walk without being encumbered by a pack or a cloak,” Ren said, smiling.

“No doubt,” Kapia said.  “That pack you carried is quite heavy, but you won’t have to carry it anymore.”

“You two have fun with the diplos,” Tiari called as they walked out the door.  “If you see Nosey, give him a treat from me.”

“I will,” Kapia called back, grinning to see Tomas hovering nearby, exactly as she’d expected.  She laughed as he hurried inside, then she turned to lead Ren away.

***

Marl stood in the shade beside the building Prince Zakiel used as a meeting hall, watching as Princess Kapia and the new woman, Ren, Maiden of the Heart Orb, stepped outside.  The air in his lungs stilled as he watched her tall, elegant figure walk beside Princess Kapia. 

When he’d seen her on the trail only her face had been visible, and that shadowed by the hood of her cloak.  But it had been more than enough.  For the very first time in his twenty-eight years, he desired a woman. 

That was not to say that he had never experienced sexual urges before, for he certainly had.  But it had never been more than an urge of his body, like thirst or hunger.  This was different.  Much different.  This was deep, insistent, persistent desire caused by, and directed toward, one specific woman.  And that was after seeing no more than her face.  But what a face!

He didn’t even have to close his eyes to picture every detail of it.  Wide sparkling green eyes, framed with thick dark gold lashes.  A full mouth with a tiny mole at one corner.  High cheekbones and milky skin, accentuated by the intriguing gemstones she wore on her forehead.  He’d never seen a more beautiful woman.

This was his first opportunity to see her without her cloak, and there was nothing that could have induced him to turn away from the sight.  She wore a plain cream colored sweater and a long brown wool skirt, but the heavy fabrics did nothing to hide her lush figure.  He caught a brief glimpse of high firm breasts, a ridiculously tiny waist, and a long, slender neck before the women turned to walk away from where he stood.  His gaze caught helplessly on her hips as they swayed in graceful counterpoint to the mass of shining golden braids that fell to the small of her back.  It was all he could do to hold back the groan that rose in him.  He had to remind himself very sternly, for at least the hundredth time, that he was not worthy of a woman such as Ren.  He could look his fill, but he
would
keep his distance.

“Marl,” a familiar voice said.  He’d heard the sound of approaching footsteps so wasn’t startled that someone was behind him.  He was mildly surprised, however, to be addressed.  He turned around and lowered his head in a respectful nod.

“Sir Garundel.”

“Prince Zakiel tells me that we have you to thank for the safety of the Maiden of the Heart,” Garundel said.  “You are to be commended.”

The memory of Ren staring at him in surprise as he ran toward her, oblivious to the bear-cat mere feet behind her, it’s fangs and claws bared as it prepared to pounce, flashed through his mind, freezing the blood in his veins.  He pushed the image away.  “It was luck,” he replied, glad that leading his own Hunter Pack had taught him how to hide his true thoughts and emotions.  “I just happened to be in the right place, at the right time.”

“What of the bear-cat?” Garundel asked, not bothering to argue with the obvious and, from Marl, expected, understatement. 

“The spear finished the job before I reached it,” Marl said.  “I regretted it’s destruction until I saw that the poor beast had a gangrenous paw.  It must have been half mad from the pain.”