Having a purpose seemed to completely change Rihou's manner. With something to focus on, he was able to push past the macabre images burned into his mind and soul. It didn't take long before he acted like normal again. It was only a relative normality, though. Even those who hadn't known him long knew something had changed. He had made the transition to being an adult under painful circumstances, and though he and his brother and sister were all technically the same age, he looked older than they did.
A meeting was called for that evening, and Rihou didn't feel at all awkward with his new position among the rebels. He could only assume that his innate bossiness had finally become useful. Still, he was grateful for Elissa's presence. She didn't always say anything to him. Sometimes she simply held onto his arm or his hand and reminded him that she was there. She had become his lifeline.
The meeting consisted of them, Ewan, Kyle, and Thalia. Rihou liked Thalia a lot. She was quick and nimble both physically and mentally. She looked ridiculously innocent for someone in her mid-twenties, but he knew it to be one of her best weapons. She was also a master of disguise, and claimed she could pass as anyone. He thought he would be able to know her anyway, so she would test him once and while. It would be something fun amid everything happening.
Nick and Naomi had opted out of the meeting since the room was small, and both were still reeling a little at the things happening. Rihou's ability to roll with the punches was something they had both always envied, yet they also knew that their ability to heal was much better than his. They wouldn't forget what they had seen, but it wouldn't fester inside. It just felt surreal. Everything they had ever known was no more.
In the meeting, Ewan spread out a map of the City-States. "This is just cursory since you need to brush up on the area. I'm no Scholar, so I can't just tell you everything I've read myself. But essentially, we're looking at a serious pain in the ass."
"Where do we stand? We're called rebels, but that doesn't quite seem accurate." Rihou propped his feet on the table and leaned back in his chair.
Ewan liked him for that alone. "It's definitely a bit of a misnomer, but since we're technically rebelling against the status quo, it's apt. We're more like . . . misfits than anything else."
"As for where we stand," Kyle spoke up, "our personal army size is roughly one unit's worth of soldiers. We have some stragglers here and there, but we're not much over a thousand total. Everyone here has come from all over the City-States, though some soldiers actually came over from Taron to join us when they found out what Ewan and I were up to."
"Why's that?"
Thalia murmured, "Let's say that there's a lot of respect for Sir Kyle and Sir Ewan."
"Sir?" Rihou began to grin. "You two are knights?"
"Yes." It was a mutter from Ewan. "Tyrian is a sadistic man. He wanted us knighted for doing things we couldn't not do, and made sure it happened. We still can't live it down." Casually, he added, "I assume you've met Tyrian before. He vowed to be the one who brought Divan home and told his family what had happened."
"Yeah, I did. When we met, we kinda understood why our dads had been friends." Rihou smiled. "We're friends too. We've sent occasional letters over the last few years. I told him when my birthday was, and he was going to try to make it in time for the celebration. I'm glad now that he didn't. He doesn't need to deal with our crap after dealing with his."
Kyle had no doubts whatsoever that if Tyrian caught wind of the goings-on, he would be there in a heartbeat to support his 'little brother.' He also couldn't be sure that Tyrian hadn't already known Rihou was the second Kaiten Star. Tyrian's sixth sense, while not as expansive as Rihou's seemed to be, was certainly more developed since he was a full-fledged Kaiten. "Tyrian protects his friends," he said after a moment. "You may as yet see him."
"I'll send him home." Rihou waved it off. "So we stand at one unit in size, and since our Fortress isn't located in a city, we're essentially under our own authority." He crossed his arms as he thought quickly. "If there was anything left of Erube, we could count on them joining us. Well, technically, we could say they have. The survivors are Gertie and Ulrich, so the city belongs to them, the people, and if they're with us, then so is the city."
"That . . . is a good point." Kyle smiled wryly. "That never even occurred to me."
"That's why you put me in charge," Rihou noted cheerfully. He drummed the fingers of his right hand on the table, drawing two curious gazes and two unsurprised ones. "Until we figure out who led the attack on Erube, and why, we can't really go knocking on anyone's door saying 'hey, you're next. Help us and we'll help you.' How many cities even know we exist?"
"Most of them. Word travels fast. I'm friends with the mayor of the biggest city, so she definitely knows about us." Ewan shook his head wryly. "In her words 'Ewan, I can't do anything to help you until you get your head out of the sand and look and act as serious as I know you are.'"
"Start shaking out the sand then," his leader told him. He looked at Thalia. "While you're checking into the asshole who chose to destroy an innocent city, get a feel for how the other cities are reacting. I'd think that those who are wary of similar treatment might be the most likely to want to join together. Then we can just start a wave rolling."
"You've got it, Lord Rihou," she said instantly.
His brows shot up. "Lord Rihou?"
She grinned. "You're the son of the late General Divan Royaltine, so you are nobility. You and Lady Naomi. I know you two want to keep it hush-hush that you're from Foresalia, but you can't change the fact that you're from a long lineage."
"Yeah, but our parents died."
"And that doesn't automatically mean you're not noble anymore," the informant retorted politely. "You inherited everything, right?" She ruffled his hair with a grin. "Then you're Lord Rihou. I say so, and I know everything. So there."
The door swung shut behind her as she left and Rihou suddenly laughed. "Damn it. Naomi and I chose to give up the titles that came with Dad's estate. We were adopted by Nick's parents, and there was no need to be formal. And the town never was formal with us anyway."
"Ah, well." Ewan grinned at him. "Now you know how we feel! And, anyway, if this snowball you're predicting starts gaining enough momentum, you'll likely get called 'Lord Rihou' as a sign of respect anyway. And Elissa better watch herself or she'll get the 'guilt by association' title of Lady Elissa."
Elissa smiled demurely. "I'm no lady, but I do a great impersonation of one."
With nothing they could truly do until Thalia returned with information, the Rebels were left at a standstill. Rihou immediately assigned Nick and Naomi the task of training Kyle and Ewan on the tactics and techniques of Foresalia. Naomi, though she had never intended to join any army, was as well trained as her brothers. Once Ewan and Kyle got up to speed, they all four took on training the soldiers. Naomi could only marvel at her little brother and the transformation inside him. He hadn't been made a leader. He was a leader. The ease and skill with which he took over seemed to imply he had always been meant to do it.
While training went on, Rihou holed himself up in the small library at the Fortress and began reading everything he could get his hands on about the history of the City-States. He wanted to know as much as the citizens did, if not more. He didn't want them to see an outsider butting into their business. He wanted them to see someone who loved the country as much as they did.
And, curiously, he did. Though the City-States didn't truly look any different from Foresalia because both were dense with forests, there was still something about this country on the west side of the river that he liked. Maybe it was because of the layout; the maps showed that the route between all cities was clearly labeled and marked by roads wide enough for wagons to pass. Trees were kept trimmed back away from the roads so that it was easier to see where the roads went to in the distance.
All cities, not just Erube, were built inward of trees to prevent fire spread if something burned. One city on a lake had cleared the land of trees for quite a ways around the border so that there was room for farmland. People could live in the city but still be on a farm. Most other farms scattered across the country. Whatever city they were closest to was the one they followed the laws of, but they were not actually beholden to them. The concept behind the City-States was certainly sound, and would no doubt have worked for quite a while longer had there been no war in the world.
Rihou felt as if he had come home here in the City-States. He was sure, no matter how things went in Foresalia, that he wouldn't go back. Maybe to visit his family, but not to live. He had no doubts in his mind that he would unite the City-States and drive out Foresalia. He wasn't sure beyond that, though he really hoped for more than staying to each side of the river. An alliance or something would be MUCH better for all involved.
And, really, if the City-States were strong, then Foresalia would have to play nice. They would be sandwiched between two peaceful, allied, countries. That was on his agenda too, once the country was united. He knew he could count on Tyrian to help him get an alliance with Taron going if he couldn't do it himself, but he wanted to try it on his own first. Ewan was right: he was the only one who could do this. He didn't know how he was sure, but he was.
Unfortunately for the other Rebels, his single-minded determination to learn everything he could meant that he neither slept nor ate much. Naomi was pretty sure it was just another way he dealt with the things they had seen, but it drove her crazy. She stormed into the library and demanded, "Eat before I force feed you!"
"No, thanks."
She fought the urge to pull on her hair. "Rihou," she said in aggravation, "there's nothing stopping you from eating while you're reading! It's been three days! I know I've always said you could subsist on your stubbornness, but come on!"
"I'm not hungry, sis, but thanks." He barely looked up from the book in front of him. There were hints of dark smudges under his eyes that made the glitter inside all the more pronounced. It seemed to always be there lately, as if no longer hidden away.
Frustrated, she swung out of the room. "Damn it!" She propped her hands on her hips as she stared at those in the area. "I'm going to kick someone's ass over this!"
Everyone moved out of her way quickly. Working with Ewan had taught them that the temperamental types were not only honest about being violent when angry, but usually quite correct. Naomi saw the reaction and rolled her eyes. "Not you guys! I'm not at the point of picking a random target yet!" She spotted Nick and pointed at the library. "You try! He won't even listen to me!"
Nick gave her a high-five as he went past as if handing off in a relay race. He went into the library and over to Rihou. He firmly closed the book in his brother's face. "Hi. We're worried. Time for lunch, Rihou."
Rihou let him pull the book away and then promptly grabbed another. "No, thanks. I'm not really hungry right now. Maybe later."
"You said that this morning!" Nick was beginning to understand why Naomi had swung out of the room the way she had. He was beginning to feel a bit dramatic himself. "Rihou," he said, frustrated, "you don't need to be the new Scholar of the City-States! Leave it to Thalia to have the information you need!"
"She can't be with me at all times," Rihou noted reasonably. He propped his feet on the table without looking up from the book. "I know my limits, Nicholas. Don't worry about me."
Nick muttered under his breath, "Limits? You don't have any!"
He stalked out of the room and somehow refrained from slamming the door. He looked at Naomi and she looked at him. As one, they both turned down the hall and shouted, "Elissa!" If there was anyone who could outwit or out-stubborn Rihou, it was the blonde bard.
They found her helping Raine fine tune her aim with her daggers. Raine's skill with them was not only a caravan trick, but also an effective method of self-defense. At slightly over thirteen, she was old enough to enter large-scale combat—between military units—if needed. She was as determined as anyone else to help Rihou however she could, and that meant upping her skills from just small combat to large.
Elissa herself was flat out lethal no matter how she held a dagger. Both Nick and Naomi suspected she was vastly more than just a bard who knew a bit of self-defense. She moved and walked with an ultra-feminine and sultry rhythm, but it seemed more like a veneer than bone deep. She actually moved with the precision grace of someone fully trained for a long while. She was a year older than Naomi, and the caravan had never said where they came from. She was almost as much an enigma as the whole situation.
"Help," Naomi told her without preamble.
"Let me guess: Rihou." Elissa sighed when both nodded. "I was actually going to make him take a break this evening, but now is as good a time as any. I understand where he's coming from, but he can't live on sheer stubbornness." She tossed her hair over her shoulder and headed into the Fortress. "Leave it to me."
When Rihou heard the door open, he barely stifled a sigh. Why couldn't they all just let him be? Really, he was just fine.
The book was pulled out of his hands and he looked up with a scowl. To his surprise, it was Elissa standing beside him. Before he could blink, she had tossed the book across the room and sat down across his lap. It forced him to put his feet down and sit upright before they both fell on the floor. Not that that was a hardship. He was just enough taller that she remained at eye level even when she sat on his lap. The way she faced him gave him an unfiltered and glorious view of her sultry beauty.
Her hands splayed across his chest with a visible tactile delight that had his instant attention. Every muscle tightened and hunger prowled hotly through his blood. "You have two choices," she almost purred. "You can take a break and go for a walk with me, or we can sit here for a few hours while I torment you."
His hands curled around her waist of their own volition. If she was near, it seemed as if he couldn't stop himself from touching her. The scent and feel of her skin had become as crucial to him as air. He could do what he needed to, but only if she was there. "You do realize that the second option is not entirely unappealing, correct?"
"Oh, I know." She feathered her lips across the pulse beating so hard in his neck. "But if I torment you, I won't be sharing your bed. Everyone will know it. And I'm sure you can concentrate if you try hard enough, but I'm thinking you won't be of much use to anyone in that state."
He could have called her bluff. He knew damned well that whatever she dished out would be just as much torture on her because the fire that burned between them was very mutual. He could already feel it inside her body, the fine trembling inside that was a feminine giveaway of her own desire. More than her threat of torment, that delicate shivering was a serious turn on. And that, he then realized, was her real ultimatum. He could go for a break, or he could endure the guilt of knowing that she suffered as bad, if not worse, than he did.
"You win," he said on a sigh. He skimmed his lips across her cheek and then lightly across her lips. She wore makeup only when performing, so her lips were free of the red paint she used. She didn't need it, in his opinion. Her lips were naturally dark and tempting and it took much effort on his part to not nibble on her lower lip at any given moment. "Wanna know something?" he asked softly, his voice husky.
Her fingers threaded into his hair. "What?" Her voice, when she spoke, sounded soft and almost breathy. It couldn't be helped. The way he looked at her made breathing optional rather than obligatory. Her whole body ached to feel his as close as possible. If he had called her bluff, she wasn't even sure she would have survived the effort of going through with it.
"In my life, I have only found one thing that I don't have the willpower to resist. I've survived losing my mother, my father, and now I've survived witnessing a madman's massacre. I've willingly jumped into the fire rather than the frying pan, and I'm trying to save a country from war and devastation. Among all that, only one thing has ever made it near impossible to find self-control."
"And that is?"
"You."
She had heard some of the most poetic words in the world from some of the most adept would-be lovers. She had been flattered and praised and even been written about in poem and song—much to her chagrin. For almost four years, she had gotten used to people visibly lusting after her.
Not a single one had ever affected her as much as the knowledge that she alone could rattle the control of this man. This man who bore up under the harshest circumstances and had the weight of Destiny riding on his shoulders. A man whose iron will was great enough that he could not break under any circumstance . . . was shaken by her mere presence. Her breath unraveled raggedly. "Well then."
He gave in to temptation and lightly nipped at her lower lip just to savor the shiver that rippled through her body. "Unless you want me to start getting intimately acquainted with you sooner rather than later—as in right here, on the library table—you might want to get off my lap so we can take that walk, and I can jump in the river."
"To paraphrase someone around here, that option is not entirely unappealing." She did, however, get off his lap with more grace than haste. When his hand slid up her leg under her skirt, she burst into laughter. "Rihou, that tickles!"
"I was wondering what you had on under here," he told her unrepentantly with a grin. "Since I know it has the same splits as a female dagger user, and I know you wear a dagger hidden on your leg," his fingers lightly toyed with the garter and tormented her sensitive nerves, "I was wondering just what you had on under this."
She firmly removed his hands before he distracted her further. She then found the split in the skirt and pulled it up so he could see that she wore a pair of snug shorts that matched her bodice. "Common fare for any female dagger user," she told him. "You never know what's going to happen in battle." She winced wryly. "One memorable incident, I was trying to outrun some monsters. Ended up in the river, and my skirts were slowing me down. Had to abandon them. Wearing what I do underneath, I was lucky enough to not arrive in my underwear at the nearest town."
He nodded gravely. "There would have been mass heart attacks amongst the people of town, no doubt. But I'm sure this wasn't much better." He got to his feet and tried to ignore the throbbing in his arousal. Hell, his whole body throbbed, including his teeth and his skin. Wryly, he said, "It wouldn't have taken you hours to torment me." With characteristic humor, he asked, "Will you torment me later when I can return the favor?"
She just shook her head. "You're impossible." She caught his hand. "Come on. Let's take that walk." She fluttered her lashes at him. "You can try to court me. You promised you would, and I see nothing stopping you."
"And here I was hoping you'd court me." He sighed. "Oh well. A man can hope." He didn't bother to resist as she tugged him out of the library and through the Fortress. He just grinned a bit at seeing others boggle over her strength; she kept it hidden deceptively well.
There were also many grinning faces as they headed outside, but he didn't mind. He was putty in her hands. He knew it, wasn't ashamed of it, and therefore wasn't embarrassed by it. She was just as weak to him. It was all fair.
The walls of the Fortress enclosed quite a bit of forest so it didn't matter that they didn't go outside. A few feet into the trees and they had privacy. He took a deep breath of air and felt some of the tension melt out of his shoulders. "You were right," he told her. "I needed this."
She rested her head against his shoulder. "I'm often right. Haven't you heard you should never argue with a bard?"
"I begin to be the tiniest bit suspicious that you are a bit more than just a bard, 'lisa. Don't get me wrong. Most would never think twice about the image you present. And I believe you have the heart of a bard. The soul . . . maybe not so much. Raine seems more like a bard than you do, but there's something a little different about her as well."
"Possibly because we weren't born bards," she offered readily. "When Raine was about one, our hometown in Foresalia was lost in a battle against the Empire. I was about seven or so. I don't even really remember where our town was located. I think it was rebuilt, but I just don't know." She stayed quiet for a few moments, turning over the things she could and could not say. "I had been injured. We got away somehow anyway. Ended up in another city, and we were taken in by a brothel owner."
His head jerked toward her sharply. "What?" His eyes darkened with the promise of temper. "Tell me you weren't hurt."
"Of course not! Lady Devenrue is a very kind woman. If I had no desire to grow up and work there, then she was certainly not going to make me! The people that worked there were there because they wanted to be, as is nearly always the case." She smiled ruefully. "That doesn't mean, however, that I didn't learn a few things by observation and listening to conversations. For the record," she continued candidly, "I've never practiced anything I picked up. You would have been my test partner."
"I stand ready and willing to help you practice anything," he told her with a grin.
"I got that impression when I was sitting on your lap." She eased up to kiss the corner of his smile. "Our time there was not unhappy, though it was certainly . . . unusual. See, when I was twelve, a fight broke out in the brothel. A client beat one of the girls pretty badly. He was going to go after someone else, but I knocked him down the stairs. We'd never encountered something like that before. We hadn't even had a bodyguard for the place because it was so rare to happen."
"So you decided to step in?" he asked.
"Did I neglect to mention that I'd been training for the last five years before the incident in how to use daggers as well as how to handle myself with my hands? Lady Devenrue was determined I be able to protect myself if needed. I'm damned good, Rihou. I'm one of the best dagger users in the world, frankly. It's not just my aim, which you can't discount. I can do short-range combat in a way that other dagger users can't."
"And that explains that," he said in satisfaction. "You move like you do because your body is as well trained as mine or any other soldier's, if not better."
"I'm stronger than you have thus far seen." She grinned at him. "Just remember that."
"You have yet to drag me anywhere I don't want to go, so it doesn't bother me." He caught a handful of her hair and tugged her head back to steal a kiss. "I find you to be sexy and beautiful and impossible and I'm crazy about you."
Her lips trembled and she suddenly turned to throw her arms around his waist. She burrowed against him, seeking his heat and his strength, needing to imprint him inside her soul. She couldn't determine where it had started or how it had happened. From that moment she had seen him at the celebration, she had known she was lost. Love? It seemed a vulgar and inelegant word for the emotions that burned inside her.
He didn't hesitate; his arms slid around her just as tightly. He buried his face in her hair and savored how it felt to hold her. She was incredibly safe and secure to him. The strong arms circling his waist were his only sanity. "Elissa." He framed her face with his hands and drew her up for a tender kiss.
Even as she sighed softly into his lips, he kept the kiss gentle. He wanted, needed, her to know just how deep his feelings went. That something special they had both sensed was there. Partially love, partially something else. Something even more powerful. They would not exist without each other.
They slowly eased apart. "We know where we'll end up," he said huskily. "And no doubt sooner rather than later."
She pressed her fingers to her lips. The man was dangerous with his kisses. "I knew it from that first kiss. I'm worried I could get addicted to you, Rihou."
He grinned swiftly. "Good. I say we take it a day at a time. If we can resist, then it isn't the right time. We've waited this long, we might as well wait for it to be right." When her brows came together suspiciously, he dropped a kiss on her nose. "Yes, I inferred what you think I was inferring. Most people take their first lover at or around sixteen with their parents' permission, but I never really met anyone I wanted that much," he admitted candidly. "And then I saw you on my birthday."
"I suppose I should be grateful I don't have to ask your adopted parents for permission to seduce you," she murmured drolly. "That was my thought when I saw you. 'Please be legal!'"
"I am legal and more than willing to be seduced." He tucked her under his arm and continued on their walk. "But I do feel it only fair to tell you my intentions are honorable. You'll never get rid of me, 'lisa. I'm an honest guy. I know my heart. When I saw you, I knew you were it for me. And I'm fine with that."
She sighed contentedly and let her head rest on his shoulder again. "I'm honest too. And I definitely knew you were it. I love you so much it's ridiculous. I guess I don't mind taking it a day at a time."
"I see many cold showers in my future. Especially since you like to tease me."
She snorted softly. "You sound inordinately cheerful about that."
He skimmed his hand down her body and let it rest on her waist. "You're hot. I'm a lucky guy; what can I say?"
They had circled around the Fortress and were back at the entrance. Ewan waited for them there, and he smiled when he saw the way they walked. "Is there going to be a need for a betting pool?" he asked politely. "To see who can guess when you two are going to take the logical and, in my opinion, necessary next step in your relationship?"
"Hey, if you guys need something to do," Rihou told him, "feel free. We don't even know. We're just letting things happen as they will." He absently nuzzled Elissa's hair and then studied his friend. "Were you waiting for me?"
"Thalia's back with some interesting information." He fell into step beside Rihou as they went into the Fortress. "Things are going to be more of a bitch than we thought. Since we all need to know, we're just gathering in the common room."
The common room was very packed because of it, with a lot of people hanging out on the railing of the second floor. Nick and Naomi sat with Xander, Gertie, and Ulrich at a table while Kyle stood near the front of the room talking to Thalia. Kyle didn't look very happy about whatever he was being told, and Thalia wasn't much more cheerful.
"Okay," Rihou said as he stopped next to them. "Let's hear it." He glanced at the cacophony of noise behind him and then looked over at Naomi.
She let out an ear-piercing whistle that instantly silenced the room. "Thank you," she said. "Go ahead, Thalia."
Thalia took a quick breath. "It would seem that the attack on Erube was carried out directly by Sarcon Malady, the crown prince of Foresalia. He's taken over command of the Foresalia Army. King Utheron has fallen gravely ill. Many think he won't live for much longer, and that would make Sarcon king. The princess of the kingdom, Sarcon's little sister, Calandra, has been tending to their father and may be completely unaware of events."
"I know she is," Nick said instantly and fiercely. "She came with King Utheron to visit Rihou's father when we were eleven; she was twelve. We got to talk with her. She was really nice, and I really believe that if she knew what was happening, she'd try to stop it!"
"I agree," Naomi said swiftly. "This isn't us being loyal, guys. Most of Foresalia have always bemoaned two facts. One, Princess Calandra is younger than Prince Sarcon. Two, women can't inherit the throne because of some stupid archaic law we can't get rid of. King Utheron is land-hungry, but not bone-deep nasty. I don't think he'd have done what Sarcon did!"
Thalia nodded. "They're both correct. To be honest, no one knows anything about Sarcon Malady. While the type of attack from Foresalia was shocking, I'm finding that no one was shocked to learn that Sarcon was behind it. We can't even hope to guess what his goal is right now. Maybe he's just trying to conquer us by the most brutal method possible. You know, if he completely wipes out a city or two, the others will surrender to avoid the same thing."
Rihou crossed his arms tightly against the chill roughening his skin as he remembered the man who had laughed delightedly in the face of death and blood. How that man had deliberately murdered a woman after offering her escape. A flicker of darkness and a memory of fires burning in hell flickered across his eyes. "It's not that simple," he said softly.
Neither Ewan nor Kyle said anything. Though they didn't know how, they knew he was right. It couldn't be simple, not when he was there. The others didn't know what they did, yet they all felt that Rihou was right. They wanted it to be easy, but how did you fight against someone who didn't play by the rules?
The front door suddenly banged open and a shout lifted as a small griffin flew inside. It was little more than a fledgling, roughly the size of a small pony, and its paws were still slightly too big for its body. Half of its feathers were fully developed and the other half downy. With a trill of happiness, it shot across the room and tackled Ewan onto the floor.
"Oomph!" He sighed as the griffin sat on him. It had been three years, but he would have known this overgrown bird-cat anywhere. "Hi, Xero. Kyle, get her off me!"
Kyle hid a grin as he firmly tugged Xero down. "Don't worry," he called to those present. "She's an old friend of mine and Ewan's." He turned Xero's face toward where Rihou stood. "Xero, that's Rihou. He's our friend and our leader." Like Tyrian, he thought, though he didn't say it aloud. He was fairly positive Xero would notice.
And indeed she did. She sniffed at Rihou and then brightened visibly and rubbed against him contentedly. The sound she made was somewhere between a purr and a trill and she sat beside him as if to stake a claim. Griffins were notoriously possessive of their prides, and if she considered Rihou part of that pride, then there would be no stopping her from protecting him.
Rihou couldn't help but be both fascinated and amused at how he could feel the same kinship with Xero that he felt with the others. He ran his hands over her head softly and rubbed the itchy new growth of feathers. Normally only a Listening Relic allowed people to understand beasts who could not speak. But Xero . . . he heard her heart clearly without one. "I guess now we have a mascot," he teased her. He laughed when she butted him, and it seemed as if those fleeting memories of hell had evaporated.
"They gather when needed," Elissa murmured so softly only Kyle and Ewan heard her.
The door opened again and a bedraggled Elf walked in. She wore the familiar clothing of an archer, and a bow and quiver perched on her back. Her pale pink hair had been tied up on top of her head, and her brown eyes looked quite grumpy. Her delicately pointed ears hung more down than up, a clear indication of her mood. "Has anyone seen a griffin with more sass than sense?"
Rihou grinned at her. "I think she's claimed me. I'm Rihou Royaltine, resident leader of the Rebels. Can I borrow Xero for a while? I think we need her as much as we need the others here."
In a way, Skyla was not shocked by the news. If what Xero felt for Rihou was at all like what she felt, then she didn't blame the griffin at all. It was a very fierce and unusual feeling to have, that instant punch of love and recognition and desire to protect. Rihou needed her too. She was sure of it. "Her mistress asked me to take over training her, so I guess you'd need to borrow me too."
Gravely, he asked, "Do you hit everything you shoot at?"
"Ninety-nine percent of the time. The other one percent I'm deliberately aiming to miss." She propped a hand on her hip. "I have no home. No country is mine. But I have this tiny issue with war and death, so you can count on me to help you save the City-States, Lord Rihou."
"Thank you," he said simply. Not by so much as a blink did he reveal the suspicions that suddenly churned inside his heart. It seemed far too coincidental that this would be happening. A war was brewing, he was the only one who could end it, and now he had all these people showing up that he knew he needed to help him? Even if he hadn't been friends with Tyrian—which, really, was its own clue—he would have begun to start wondering.
His hand sought Elissa's, and he held on tightly when she laced her fingers with his. A part of him didn't want to know if he was right. But more of him, the deepest part of him, knew he was. Running away wasn't an option. If he left, there would be no one to stand in the way of the madness encroaching on the land.
"Well, then," Ewan said after a moment. "I say we head to Carvinia next. It's the closest city to where we are. A day or two to the west. Let's see if we can't get them on our side. Do you agree, Rihou?"
Rihou
nodded. "They were the top of my list too. We can set out tomorrow."
His gaze lowered slightly. "I only pray we get there first."
©Stacy J. Garrett. Do not reprint or redistribute without permission.
Chapter 6->
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