The road to Neskaya
(Mabry Aldaran: Mabry Slemmons; Rafael Lindir: Laura Lulli; Jorik Hastur: Jurij Gosso; Cristilyn Aillard & Timorelle: Cris Lawton; Kyrrdis Hamilton: Sarah Glenn; Annelys Aillard: Annalisa Sanseverino;
Roybard Alton: Roberto D'Aimmo; Congratulatia Ridenow y Elhalyn: Marcello Bellavista)
Very far from the Yellow Forest…
Congratulatia was sipping her tea when a laran flash suddenly hit her.
The vision she had was so heart-breaking and devastating that she let her cup drop from her hand.
She gasped, paralized in horror.
Her Jorik and the harlot from Aldaran in romantic togetherness?
It was only a matter of seconds, but Congratulatia was distraught already. She grabbed her fan and started fanning vigorously. She was breathing heavily.
"No! No, it must have been a possible future, not the certain one! I have to scan the futures in order to know exactly what will go on..." She was thinking.
She tried to relax and to focus her laran, but was too upset to succeed.
"CURSE YOU, MABRY!! CURSE YOU TO ZANDRU'S HELL!!!" She shrieked.
A little while later, an evil grin was crossing her beautiful visage.
"In any case, it is not possible to love a dead one, and I will make sure that the harlot from Aldaran kicks the bucket as soon as possible..." She giggled and called her multi-named maid to come cleaning the mess.
That night around the firecamp, Jorik was keeping watch. Many things had happened since the day he had left Thendara. Kyrrdis seemed to be a skilled technician, nearly a keeper. Roybard was still unfathomable, but his "disagreements" with his sister Annelys were very strange...
There had been that attack with Terran lasers; consequently, a circle had formed of people who had never before worked together in a circle until then.
And there was Mabry. Jorik felt guilty. She needed training and he could not make her go to Neskaya. But with those Terranans around it would be too dangerous... Or was he simply trying to keep Mabry nearby?
Almost as if he had summoned her, a hand gently touched Jorik's shoulder.
"I cannot sleep, Jorik," said Mabry. "My head hurts, and Annelys is snoring."
Mabry's face was hidden by the dark and could not give away to Jorik the turmoil in her mind and heart, but Jorik's laran revealed many things the girl would have rather kept to herself. Normally, she would almost certainly have been able to, but now with her laran so perilously out of control, many things slipt through.
She was afraid of Myria - though the reason for that escaped him.
She wanted to talk to him. There was something she wanted to say, but was afraid to say, even more than she was afraid of Myria.
She sat down beside him, and offered him her hand."I...I...I'm going to miss you, Jorik."
Jorik felt Mabry's feelings and an infinite tenderness for her. He lowered his barrier a little to let her know how much he cared for her. - Oh, Jorik, you should know that there is no way to lower the barrier "a little"... It is either up or down! He turned toward Mabry, firelight reflected in his eyes.
"My greatest desire, preciosa, is to keep you with me forever...And I cannot think about letting you go: it's too a great sorrow for me."
Mabry gasped in astonishment, and then the tattered remnant of her barrier came down. Her feelings mirrored his almost exactly. "Jorik," she whispered, her voice nervous and tense. A tear slid down her cheek. "I never knew. Oh, Jorik."
"Yes, Mabry. I had to see it in your eyes, but now I know it too:...I love you." Said Jorik by wiping her tear with a finger.
Mabry leaned against his shoulder. "I love you." She looked up at him, and kissed him. This was not the childish kiss she had given him at the Midsummer ball. This was the kiss of a woman in love.
They kept themselves hug and remained so for a long time. Noone spoke, they were enjoying the moment and the sweetness of their love finally revealed.
After a moment Jorik spoke: "Mabry, love, that will not be easy. I'm a Hastur and you are an Aldaran, the Council is not going to be happy."
Mabry sighed. "After all the pressure they put on us a few months ago, now that we agree to it, they're going to refuse to let us?" Then with a touch of irony in her voice. "How typical."
Then Mabry blushed lightly and gave Jorik an interrogative look.
"Yes, - added Jorik "When your training is completed, I will ask for your hand in marriage."
Mabry nodded her agreement. "Jorik, there is nothing I would like more."
Then she yawned. "I'm kind of tired." She gave him a final kiss.
"Goodnight, beloved." She walked silently away from him, to her much-needed rest.
"Good night, preciosa." said Jorik.
Rafael was tired.
All that laran work he wasn't used to had given him an awful headache, and even if he was deadly tired, and wished nothing but some good sleep, he just couldn't close his eyes.
But he had probably dozed off for a while, since he couldn't remember Mabry leaving her sleeping bag. Why she wasn't near him?
Mabry. She was constantly moaning for her headache, and he was feeling so impotent...and more than a bit guilty. Where was she, right now? He didn't need to be a laranzu to guess that she was probably with Jorik Hastur.
A sting of jealousy reached Rafe's heart. *why doesn't she ask me for some confort*
But immediately, sensible as he was, he remembered the way Mabry had always talked about her "puppy", and a soft smile twisted his lips. *I should have known that this would happen. She's a woman, after all...even if I don't like at all the idea of her growing up so quickly*
Rafael was happy for her. He did know what loving someone meant...he just hoped that Jorik loved Mabry as well. After jealousy, and that strange happiness, now was the time for being ashamed.
Because the first thought that hit Rafe's mind, after reasoning about Jorik and Mabry, was: *Now I won't need anymore to hide my feelings for my sweet Eliadha...will the Council accept a free-mate marriage for a Comyn Regent?*
Jorik and Mabry exchanged only a look the morning after. They already knew what they had to do that day. Jorik raised to speak.
"Comi'i, we lasted enough here. We have a mission to complete: we must go in the Yellow Forest and find out who is damaging the Forest.
"But not the whole group is going there. The Lady of Aldaran, even if she helped very well during last fight, must go to Neskaya to get her training." Said this, Jorik addressed himself to Mabry.
"Mabry, you know how much I'd want you to be with me. Most because it's extremely dangerous for you to leave the group. However I think it will be safe for you and your Regent to go directly to Neskaya."
Jorik stared at Rafe now.
"It will be not a joke for you to reach Neskaya. But two persons can succeed where the whole group could fail. Not to mention some laran trick that could help you. Would you accept to escort Lady Mabry to Neskaya?"
Rafael was astonished. This was what he'd been waiting for since Mabry and he had reached the group, but still...Jorik hadn't shown before the tiniest wish to let Mabry go away.
Something should have happened between Mabry and Jorik, that night...something that should have made Mabry's mere closeness unbearable to him.
Seeing that Rafe was not speaking Jorik added: "I love her, dom Rafael. And if I let Damisela Mabry in your hands it's because I trust you. Will you protect your Lady at your own life risk?"
Rafe gasped. Then he gulped, and desperately searched his mind for an answer to give.
So THIS had happened the night before. It wasn't only a suspect, now...and Rafe ought to give credit to Jorik for his guts. Admitting his love before all this people!!
Rafe coughed, slightly. "A ves ordenes vai dom, s'dia shaya. I will protect Lady Mabry with my own life, if it's necessary. I would have done this anyway" he blinked to Mabry, whose face was of a bright red, strangely suiting her "since this is the reason why I followed her to Corandolis, but I'm deeply honoured by your confidence" he bowed to Jorik, and added "su serva, dom"
"I did know I could rely on you, dom Rafael. I had no doubt, but I'm glad to hear it from your own voice." Jorik said.
Then Rafael turned to Mabry, who was still staring at her feet, and gently took her hand. "Come Milady. Let's go pack our luggages, and saddle our horses"
Jorik looked at Mabry... Who knows whether she would still want him once finished her training? It would have been more easy to keep Mabry near... But Jorik knew he did the right choice. He turned toward the rest of the party who was amazed and repressed a smile.
"On the contrary we must continue our travel. According to Timorelle's calculations we will reach the Yellow Forest in a couple of days...Or the remainings of the Yellow Forest. We must strenghten our shields and our watch turns... Questions?"
Roybard smiled."Well, in a couple of days we will be in the Forest....and then, vai dom? You have taken us here. Now tell us what are we supposed to do" Probably he just liked to put Jorik in difficult situation.
Jorik smiled too. "Dom Roybard, I did expect a question from you, so I looked for it, to make easier for you to ask!"
"...However I was hoping you would have given back the favour with an easier question!"
Jorik was still smiling and dom Roybard was not able to do a little smile too. Jorik continued:
"In fact we cannot know what we are going to do with the Forest. We are here to check and, if we can, repair the damage. We have the following actions to perform."
"First, escorting Timorelle to the Yellow Forest. Second, ensuring ourselves that the Yellow Forest, that is Chieri's home, is still suitable for that role; in case it's not we will find out whether it is possible to repair the damage. "Third, ensuring ourselves that the main cause of the damage is removed, so that the Forest will not suffer harm anymore. Fourth, bringing the situation back to normality; this would include many things like finding a job for people left unoccupied by Terranans, destroying Terranan weapons they could have left behind and so on."
Jorik pretended to wipe off his sweat with the sleeve. "Do you have another long question, dom Roybard?"
Annelys hardly heard Jorik speech. She was lost in her dreams...well, probably it was the Ridenow gift...she felt joy and love all around her. It was beautiful... it was a sensation of peace and happiness. She tried to send it to the others...in this way she was saying "I'm sorry" for all the troubles she caused in the circle.
She sent a telepathic message to Kirridis. * Thanks...breda*
Kyrrdis replied *You're welcome* with a telepathic pulse of affection. She was glad that the terrible tension from the night before was gone; even Roybard's challenge to Jorik seemed to be merely a challenge and not a criticism.
Rafael gathered the few belongings of his that still hadn't been packed, and every now and again looked stealthily at Mabry. She was silently doing the same, and Rafe was really surprised to notice that not a single sigh was escaping from her lips.
*My* Rafe thought *when I left Thendara to follow her, and it came the time to greet my Eli...* the mere thought of her gave him wonderful vibrations *I was hardly able to think to what I was doing. How can she be so cold, knowing that she's not going to see Jorik for such a long time?*
But the young Regent was too happy to be again on his way to Neskaya, and then Aldaran, and then, when all the tasks would be over....Dalereuth *each day brings me nearer to you, querida*....
If he had looked more attentively, he would have seen what was behind her apparent coldness. He would have seen the hard twist of her lips, meaning that she didn't think at all that the matter between her and the regents was over. Definitely.
Mabry packed her things up. She was perfectly aware of Rafe's 'secret' glancing,
*Evanda! Are men foreseeable!!*, but being a much better actress than him, she didn't give herself away.
Mabry tried to concentrate on saddling her horse, but her mind was not calm at all.
*If Rafael thinks that he's won...he'll discover really soon how wrong he is* She wasn't going to Neskaya because she was obeying him!! He ought to know that.
She was going indeed exclusively in order to learn some control. *And because Jorik told so*. At the thought of Jorik's arms around her, she couldn't help smiling softly, but she tried to hide this immediately. She didn't want Rafe to see her.
Her puppy was haranguing his "troops" like the leader he was. She giggled.
How different he could be, when he was with her...dancing with her in the moonlight...Well, after all memories were going to help her during her training at Neskaya.
A soft coughing behind her back broke her concentration. She didn't even turn.
"Yes, I'm ready. I'm greeting Jorik in a minute, Rafe." Her Regent bowed to her back, and Mabry restrained herself from sighing, while she was wildly wishing that it could be Jorik, and not Rafe, the one who would lead her to Neskaya.
Jorik was talking to Annelys and Roybard, when she reached him. She had meant to be cold to him as well, but she simply couldn't. As he saw him, her heart pounded more quickly, and she couldn't help throwing herself in his loving arms. "I'll miss you so, my puppy!"
Jorik held her tightly, but it was just a brotherly kiss, the one he gave her. Roybard and Annelys were staring at him. Anyway, his arms, the kiss itself, and lowered barriers told Mabry how much he cared and suffered from their parting.
"Adelandeyo, breda. Make me proud of you" he simply said, leaving her.
Mabry merely nodded, gulping. She gestured to Rafe, signaling she was ready, and off they were, riding their horse on the road to Neskaya. *I will, Jorik. I will"
I felt Jorik's last words of fare-well. *Be good, chiya.* A slight tease, to make me feel better. I knew Rafe had been eavesdropping, but he could not have caught those words, so quickly sent along the bond that was slowly growing between me and Jorik. It was so much easier to think now. Now that the thunder had completely stopped for the first time since Corandolis Tower. My fingers strayed to the lovely necklace around my neck. We had been so silly to think it had even possibly been responsible for my lack of control. I saw it now with perfect clarity.
Trying to hide, even from myself, what was between Jorik and me, had been to much, when added to keeping my temper and control, and then when I realized what my regents were doing to Aldaran, the very last bit of control had slipped. Now with my lvoe for Jorik out in the open, it was so much easier. I knew it would be alright as long as I could rely on Jorik.
Then it began to rain. Rafe looked at me suspisciously. I shook my head. "Not my doing. It's perfectly natural - I think."
It kept raining and it kept getting harder. "Zandru's Hell's!" I swore, with irritation. Suddenly I missed Diego. He had always scolded me about my swearing. Rafe, it seemed, hadn't even noticed. I was pretty sure he was thinking about Eliadha, so I didn't bother him. I knew how it felt to be thinking about one you loved. I sighed, and fell into a day-dream, remembering the days when we had been fighting the catmen who had captured Diego. That had been fun!
*She's still mad at me* Rafe pretended not have heard Mabry's cursing, since he was pretty sure that anything he could say now, it would have probably annoyed her even more. *Where did I go wrong...* the young man kept on blaming himself.
The weather was _awful_, and evidently had nothing to do with Mabry's Rockraven Gift. But it was getting darker, and they ought to find a shelter soon.
Mabry sneezed, and Rafe soon imitated her. The Lady Aldaran giggled, and then burst out into a good laughter, which Rafael happily shared. That was more or less the only sound that broke their silence during the trip.
"Ouch! Stupid horse! Are you trying to unsaddle me?" said Mabry. A few second later, she forgot her rage, as she heard a cursing from behind. She turned to see her Regent on the ground, massaging his back, with a pitiful expression on his face. Mabry couldn't help laughing like crazy.
But what was Rafe looking at? She followed his stare, and saw him. A little man was on the road, pointing a tiny dagger at them.
There are few things I dislike as much as having a dagger pointed at me. Makes me sort of uneasy, you understand? But, when a dagger is pointed at me, I have always found it best to be polite. I tried not to make it too obvious when my hand went to my sword hilt (yes, I still have it!) "Greetings. We mean you no harm."
The dwarf looked at em, as if he would like to see me try. "You Big Folk be awful noisy. Make it very difficult for honest people to sleep."
That irritated me. Rafe and I hadn't been that noisy, had we?
"Could ye trouble yerself to this o'er-powerin racket from some o'er locality?"
I was getting even more irritated by the moment. "Who are you?"
Then the little demon had the nerve to laugh at me! "So names it be? Already? Ye should know better then to go so fast with a question like thet. Call me Flidais from Nest Cernan , if ye like, and thet there thang down!"
My sword, which I had been ready to draw, leapt to the ground. The annoying little man hadn't even moved one inch! I snarled at him.
He replied mildly as if by explanation. "I bees testy when I bees awakened. And ye should know better than te threaten me. I'd leave it there if I beed you."
The little dwarf's way of speaking was definitely getting on my nerves."Not unless you take it from me!" I determinedly picked up my sword and replaced it in its scabbard. "Look I didn't mean to offend. Rafe and I will be on our way. Can you help me? Some directions to Neskaya would be greatly appreciated."
"I be pied fer pretection, and dappled fer deception," he said in a bored tone. "How da ye know I bees not in league with them Terranan?"
I forced myself to remain calm. "I don't, but you sort of have a dagger pointed at me, and you look like you know how to use it."
"Now that leastaways bees true." He laughed and sheathed his dagger. He looked at me and apparently decided he could trust me. "I ha' beed the blade of a sword. I ha' beed a star at night, an eagle, a stag inna forest. I had beed in this world and died, twice; I ha' beed harp and harper both." I decided that this dwarf belonged in a strait jacket.
"I know how many worlds there bees, I know the laranlore that Hastur larned. I ha' seed the moon fra' undersea, and I know the answers to all the riddles there bees, Mabry the Harpy, Mabry Aldaran."
"I hate riddles."
"Come I will give ye food and drink."
I was hungry, so I helped Rafe up, and we followed the little dwarf.
After following the dwarf a short ways, I found myslef in a fairly comfortable room - considering that it was perched in the branches of a tree.
"I ha' beed a tree." He said conversationally.
I exchanged a glance with Rafe, and when I was sure the dwarf wasn't looking wound a finger clockwise around my ear, quite clearly stating my opinion of our current company.
Rafe spoke then. "We're sorry we disturbed you. We are on our way to Neskaya" he gave me a look that spoke volumes "after a fairly interesting encounter with some Terranan. They attacked us in the middle of the night and used blasters."
"I knows all that," the dwarf said with some frustration. "The girl bees in love with the puppy o' the Hasturs."
"Well," Rafe began. "I think she is." I was tempted to stick my tongue out at him.
Flidais seemed completely uninterested in converstion, now. He began rummaging through a small drawer, and soon pulled out a small figurine of gold, which I did not get more than a glance at, before he turned his back to us.
A few minutes later I felt something, like a storm about to begin. And then the shining figure of a woman appeared before him.
"Gently!" he said to her, "This bees one of my homes, and tonight ye owes me."
"Very well." Sharra's glow lessened - the difference between the red radiance of the sun, and a candle flame. "Is all well?"
"It bees well," he replied.
Rafe and I were beginning to recover from our shock. This dwarf was talking to Sharra! The same goddess who generations ago, had demolished my city!"
"It is well," she said. "I am here now."
He seemed about to interrupt her - imagine! to be brave enough to interrupt Sharra!
She gave him a look that could have melted rock, and made it bow and tremble at her feet. "Speak not ever to me again of what I owe. I owe nothing, ever, but what has been promised, and if I promise, it is not a debt, but a gift, never forget."
Flidais, obviously was not as stupid as he had at first seemed. He got on his knees to her, and spoke in n apologetic tone. "I ha' knowed the shining o' the goddess o' flames."
"It is well." Apparently, Sharra had a tendency to repeat herself. "I go now. These two I will take. You did well to summon me, for I find this most interesting, and I have laid claim to the man."
I shook. I wanted to get out of here! Now!
"Why, goddess?" He asked her.
"It pleases me. And, forest one, I will keep my promise to you. A promise."
And then it was as if a blackness overcame my eyes, and I knew no more.
Rafael felt, more than seeing, Mabry fainting. Well, fainting was not the word...her mind, her presence had been sort of erased from his sphere of consciousness. He was worried, terrified was the right word, about his lady, and what's more he wasn't able to move anymore.
What is going to happen to the young Regent? Discover it in
Sharra's lust
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