Chapter 37

Sleepless, and fearful for Carthan's safety, I was a wreck next morning when the children awoke. There was little point in trying to explain the absence of their father and they stared at me wide-eyed with worry.

Tarin said with all the certainty and fearlessness of a six-year-old, "We have to go get him Lara."

"It's too dangerous, love," I said, hugging him for his bravery.

"Xodo says he'll come with us," Cara said. "He knows where he went."

I gaped at my daughter. "How could he know that!"

"Paddy (Paddy?) told him that 'Than jumped over the wall and didn't come back. We could all jump over the wall and find him and then jump back."

She grinned. Easy, I sensed from her mind. If only it were!

I decided to wait a day to give Carthan the opportunity to free himself from whatever situation he had encountered. Then I would go in myself. Without doubt that was the longest day – and night – of my life.

Next morning, after slinging my sheathed rapier over my shoulder, I realized all of them were watching me – Cara, Tarin, Belle, Paddy and Xodo. Tarin said, "We're coming too Lara all of us." The twins were dressed for hiking, each carrying a small pack.

"Absolutely not, Tarin. You will remain here with Xodo and the calots where you will be safe."

His eyes, the colour of a stormy ocean, were on the verge of tears. "If you don't come back with 'Than what do we do? I'm not big enough to look after all of us!"

That was not a scenario I had visualized. So positive was I that I would find my mate, I had not once imagined not returning at all. I paused in horror at what I had nearly done and sat on the ground abruptly, filled with remorse and tortured with indecision.

Tarin wrapped his arms around me. "It's okay Lara we'll all go together. You'll see it's okay. Nobody can hurt the calots and Xodo is really really strong. They'll take care of us."

Dazed from stress and lack of sleep, I looked into the earnest grey eyes of my sensible little son, who was so very much like his father. He was right. The calots, and probably Xodo too, were worth a dozen guardsmen each. If we – all of us – couldn't prevail, no one could.

But – oh Issus! I agonized – Cara and Tarin were children.

Within the hour we reached the city. The skies above were still devoid of flyers and we had met no one en route. The gates were closed, and I visualized Carthan leaping to the top of that 30 foot wall. I wished I were free to try, but of course that was impossible. Taking a deep breath, I unslung my scabbard over my head and rapped the rapier's hilt hard on the gate three times. Not really expecting a response I was surprised – and alarmed – when it slowly creaked open. I quickly replaced the scabbard out of sight on my back.

I wonder now what the two guards' first impression was as they beheld us standing in a row before them: a fair-skinned woman with red hair, two tiny matching human beings, a hulking Black Ape, and two calots, teeth bared with menace. To the men's credit they did not run screaming into the city. Rather, they stood their ground, albeit with looks of apprehension, and drew their swords.

"Who – who are you?" the first guard stammered, not knowing how to treat us.

I said, "We are travellers, seeking my mate who entered your city two days ago."

The guards looked at each other, baffled. My heart sank.

The second guard said, rather too quickly, "Wait here. I will fetch the Dwar."

As he jogged off, clearly eager to leave the scene, his unhappy comrade waved his sword threateningly. "Do not move."

I placed my hands on Belle and Paddy's heads, silently bidding them to remain calm. Sensing Xodo's rising anxiety, the twins each took one of his hands to soothe him. We waited thus for several long minutes until the second guard returned with an officious Dwar whose sneer disappeared when he realized his subordinate had not been exaggerating.

"Who are you?" he demanded, abruptly recalling his superior rank.

"I am Lara of Helium. I seek my mate who entered your city two days ago."

"Helium, you say?" His lip curled again. "Then your mate must be the man who sneaked into Kobol like an assassin two days ago. He was caught and has been arrested for attempted murder of our jeddak. You, of course, must be an accessory. Take them!" he said to the guards.

I had to think fast, but what to do? Since the only way I could protect my children was to stay with them, I dared not engage the guards. I also needed the calots and Xodo inside the city walls. When I ordered them telepathically to flee and await my summons, Belle and Paddy sped off along a side street and Xodo clambered up the elaborately carved decorations of a nearby building and disappeared over its roof. The three men, alarmed but helpless to prevent the animals' escape, made no effort to follow.

Drawing my children close, I surrendered.

We were taken to a guard post nearby where the Dwar commenced to interrogate me in the presence of his guards.

"What are these – things?" He said, waving at the twins.

Biting off a retort, I said, "They are my children,"

His eyes widened as he studied them. "Children? Are they deformed?" He raised his eyebrows in mock disbelief, deliberately baiting me.

I choked back rage and barely resisted drawing my blade to run him through. With an effort I managed a simple, "No."

His skeptical demeanor did not help my mood. My hand continued to itch as he moved closer to peer at the twins. "Surely they cannot speak."

"We can too," Cara said, outraged.

"Me too," added Tarin unnecessarily.

"Ha! They must be Therns," the Dwar said, grabbing Cara's hair and pulling hard.

She screamed, and I reached over my shoulder to draw my rapier. "Leave her alone!" I shouted.

The Dwar released Cara's hair and pivoted to face me. "Why is she still armed?" he snarled at the guards while his sword slithered from its sheath.

He hardly had time to pull it all the way out before I was upon him. The guard room was barely large enough for close-in fighting and we stood almost toe to toe, swinging at each other with little finesse. He was able, but I was faster. Soon I had him bent backward over a desk, blade to his throat, when something struck my head from behind.

I sank slowly to the floor, semi-conscious and unable to control my movements.

From the corner of my eye I saw a small figure dart forward to snatch up my rapier. I watched, helpless and horrorstruck, as my little son engaged the Dwar in the most incredible display of fencing imaginable. Taking huge leaps with his Earthly muscles, Tarin repeatedly flew right over the man's head, swinging the rapier with all his might. His movements were so quick that the Dwar was unable to locate him in time to connect. Tarin, however, connected several times with slices and jabs to various parts of the Dwar's body. A scalp wound bled profusely into the man's eyes.

But fencing is hard work, especially for an inexperienced six-year-old, and Tarin soon began to falter. In spite of his injuries, the Dwar swiped the blood from his eyes with the back of his hand and kept coming, determined to rid himself of this nuisance.

When Tarin landed after another mighty leap, he stumbled and fell in a heap on the floor. "No!" I managed to scream as the Dwar's blade descended on my helpless son.

A mighty roar brought the Dwar up short, his blade only inches from Tarin's head. Straining to turn my uncooperative body, I managed to look back at the door where I saw Cara holding it open for a frenzied Xodo. The ape leapt upon the Dwar and with an opposing twist by two pairs of hands, broke the man's neck with a sickening snap.

The guards, their fortitude vanishing in the face of such fury, fled.