A/N—Please read and review. Thank you. I hope you enjoy.
Mindelan, Tortall
Summer 457
Andera fidgeted, shifting her weight from foot to foot. Her face was pleasant, soft cream in color and flawless in texture. Her purple eyes flashed continually with emotions that weren't shown in any other lines of her face. She ran her tong over her lips and absently messed with long, blonde locks.
"Staring at you reflection for hours isn't going to change it, Kit. Believe me, I've tried." Andera whirled around, her violet Tortallan style skirt spinning out around her and brushing against the mirror. Her oldest sister, Oranie, stood in the doorway. Her light brown hair was in ringlets and face paint accented her hazel eyes and long lashes. She had delicate facial features and a short stature draped in a yellow Tortallan dress.
"I wasn't trying to change it, Anie. I fit in much better here, anyway." Oranie moved to stand beside Andera.
"I miss Yamani, too." Oranie's voice was full of sympathy. They stood together in silence.
"May we join you?" A sweet, musical voice said from the open doorway. Kel and Adie, both in Tortallan dresses, came into the room. Adie was built and featured like Oranie but taller. Kel, at only fifteen, was taller then Adie and broad across the shoulders. Her brown hair was cut to her shoulders, the minimum length allowed by law. She looked distinctly uncomfortable in the fancy gown.
"Are they here yet?" Oranie asked.
"No, and we are supposed to be down when they arrive. Show good lady behavior." Adie's tone was heavy with sarcasm. Andera smiled at her sister, as sarcasm was her favorite form of expression. "How are we supposed to entertain and host the people who took over our country?"
"They are coming to formally welcome us, Adie. The king requested we return and sent his men to greet us." Oranie replied calmly.
"Into our own home!" Adie demanded scornfully.
"I agree with Adie." Andera whispered, moving to be by Kel and standing on tiptoe to reach the older girl's ear.
"We all do, but we know better then to say it." Kel's voice was as calm as Oranie's.
Andera's eyes alighted with mischief, a look Kel had long ago learned to be wary of. "I have to tell you something."
"Do I want to know?" Kel whispered under Oranie and Adie's conversation.
"We can still practice glaive and anything else for that matter." Kel fixed her surprised, hazel gaze on Andera. "The law only forbids teaching females how to fight and females using or carrying weapons in public. You and I have already been instructed and there's no law keeping us from practicing in our own home." Kel couldn't help but smile.
"Ladies." A voice called from down the hall. They filed out of the room, their faces set in Yamani masks of calm, betraying no emotions. The sitting room was immaculate, the rest of the family arranged around it in grand dress. Iness, the oldest in the family, caught Andera's arm as she passed him. Andera stopped and smiled up at him.
Iness looked back down at her, his eyes stern. "You'll be good, Kit."
"Yes Iness." Andera promised. "I'll behave. I won't say a thing."
"Alright." Just then the maid they had charged with watching for their guests ran in.
"They're here." Ilane declared. Andera shrank back into the corner of the room with Kel as Piers and Iness went out to greet their visitors. The five Gennature men were led into the sitting room and Piers ran the introductions. Andera stepped forward and curtsied when her name was mentioned but she kept her eyes to the ground, feeling increasingly uncomfortable. Only Kel and Iness noticed this unusual meekness. After introductions, the Gennature paid little attention to the youngest girls so they fled to the courtyard.
They sat down in the grass, their skirts spread carelessly around them. Kel leaned back against the wall and Andera lay on the grass in the shade, her head on her arms. She closed her eyes, forcing her mind and body to relax. Since arriving in Tortall her nerves had been on edge, especially with the arrival of the Gennature. Kel watched Andera through lowered eyelashes, trying to hide her worry. The whole family had noticed Andera's decreased appetite and withdrawn mood but she had avoided all their questions as to the cause. Now her skin was pale under her tan and her eyes had dark circles under them. She wore an expression of intense concentration.
"Are you alright?" Kel asked after awhile. She wasn't expecting an answer but Andera surprised her.
"I don't know how to explain it, but no." Andera's tone was calm but it caught Kel's full attention. She had learned long ago to trust Andera's strange instincts.
"What's bothering you?"
"Being in Tortall and them." She gestured towards the house. "Everything here just feels—I don't know—unstable." She paused and opened her eyes, rolling over on her stomach so she could peer up at Kel through her eyelashes. "You know those nightmares I have sometimes, the ones that wake me up but that I can't remember?" Kel nodded. "I've been having them almost every night since we got here. I woke Iness up last night and he came in and asked me what was wrong but I couldn't even tell him I was shaking so badly. And the thing that gets to me is I can't remember any of it, like the void in my memory before being with you in Yamani."
"Do you think they are connected?" Kel asked.
Andera shrugged and frowned. "I don't know. When I wake up it's like there's something in my head that I should know but I just can't reach it." Andera struggled to explain what she meant. "Do you want to go for a ride?" She asked, her tone suddenly bright and carefree. "I've been trying to familiarize myself with the land around Mindelan."
"Alright." Kel answered, standing up and pulling Andera to her feet.
The stables were crowded with the addition of the Gennature's horses. Kel picked a large, mud brown stallion she had been riding since they had gotten to Mindelan. He was old and stubborn but had a gentle nature. Andera had also found a favorite horse upon arrival at Mindelan. She was a tall and thin roan mare. She had green eyes, odd on a horse, and was just old enough to be ridden. She was curious and energetic but well mannered. Andera had named her Emerald. They put bridles and bareback blankets only on the animals.
"We're supposed to have an escort if we leave the grounds." Andera reminded Kel. "I promised Iness I'd be good today."
"Well, who do you usually take? You've been riding everyday." Andera handed Emerald's reigns to Kel.
"I'll see if he's willing." Andera ducked back into the stable and climbed up to the hayloft. A young man of about thirteen lounged in the hay, looking up when he heard Andera coming. He had thick red hair, long and messy with hay mixed in. Light, small freckles covered his heart-shaped face, small, bony nose and high cheekbones. He had green eyes, a look of mischief always present in them. He was stretched out on his back, thin legs bent at the knees and his arms making a pillow behind his head.
"Ya goin' out?" He asked, his voice cracking and jumping octaves. He frowned and coughed while Andera laughed.
"Yes, Kel and I want to go riding."
"I thought you'd be inside entertain' them Gennature all day." His voice had regained its normal melodic tenor.
"We escaped. Are you coming or not, Daecon?"
Daecon got lazily to his feet. "Sure." He jumped down from the hayloft and Andera climbed after him. He put a blanket and bridle on one of the huge, gentle-natured carthorses. "Where are ya goin'?" His voice cracked again.
"Somewhere new." Andera replied, walking next to Daecon as he led the horse out to Kel. "Kel, this is Daecon, one of the stable boys here. Daecon, Lady Keladry." Daecon bowed, sweeping his arm out in an exaggerated movement.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, milady. I'll be your escort for the evening."
"Pleasure." Kel replied, noting the look in his eyes that was so much like Andera's. At least the ride will be interesting. Kel thought, mounting her horse. Though I think it's going to lead to trouble. Andera and Daecon also mounted up and the three of them trotted nonchalantly through the gate. They picked their way to the creek that ran through the forest outside of Mindelan's walls and followed it north. Daecon led them along the twisting bank, riding in the water when the footing became too steep. Kel followed him and Andera brought up the rear, diligently committing every inch of the countryside to memory. When the ground flattened out, Kel rode up beside Daecon, leaving Andera to herself.
"Is this your normal route?" She asked, gesturing back the way they had come.
"No, milady."
"It's just Kel." Kel broke in.
"Well, it's always 'some place new' with that one." He nodded his head to Andera. Kel looked over her shoulder. Andera's eyes were in constant motion, taking in everything while her face remained blank. "There's somethin' different 'bout her, too? She doesn't talk much, just watches. The other day she knew ahead that Merric's gang was commin' so we could get off the road."
"Merric?" Kel asked, partly to change the subject. The family tried to keep Andera's Sight and strong Gift secret.
"He's a village kid who doesn't like me much. Can't imagine why." Daecon was quiet for a moment then started again in a whisper. "She's memorizin' it, the country and the town. I just don't know why. We go on rides so she can see the land and sometimes she'll climb up to the loft and listen t'all the gossip I know—askin' questions when I ain't clear enough. I wouldn't tell the lady, I mean Lady Tilaine, any of it but Andera's motives are different then most nobles. So are yours."
"How do you figure that?"
Daecon smiled. "You ain't ridin' sidesaddle, lady." Kel smiled as well. "Would you mind tellin' me about t'Islands? Andera just has me talk and I'm curious."
"I don't mind in the least." Kel said and searched her memory for a good Yamani tale to tell. Kel had gone through three stories and answered a dozen questions when they came out onto a road that cut through the trees. It went over the creek in a well-made stone bridge and wound away in both directions. Daecon reigned up his horse and Andera caught up to them.
"Where does it go that way?" Andera asked, nodding up the road across the bridge.
"Scanra eventually." Daecon replied with a shrug. "The old boarder was a lot closer but now there's miles of forests full of roving bandit tribes. Only big, heavily armed groups venture far in that direction."
"Are you saying it was actually safer before the Gennature conquered both our lands?" Kel asked.
Daecon nodded. "Like the south."
"And the town's that way?" Kel waved her hand down the road in the opposite direction.
"Yep, it connects to the Great Road North, through Treabond and into Corus, past Corus you go into a lot of unfriendly territory to Port Legann."
"You sure know a lot about roads for a stable boy." Andera commented dryly.
"I like maps." Daecon replied.
"I do, too, but they don't have many Tortallan maps in Yamani. At least—"
"Are there spidrens in these woods?" Andera's voice was detached and hallow, a tone Kel was very familiar with.
"Loads but you needn't worry, ladies; they normally stay away from the castle and…" Daecon trailed off when he realized neither girl was listening. Kel was tensely scanning the trees and Andera had her eyes tightly closed, her whole body rigid. "Um." Daecon started but as he did Andera turned her mare and started at a gallop over the bridge. Kel and Daecon followed directly behind her. As Kel turned her horse she saw a long, black leg feel out onto the road. The spidren's human head followed its incest leg and it saw the riders start out across the bridge. Daecon looked over his shoulder as the spidren stalked out to the open road.
"Watch out!" He yelled. Andera and Kel glanced over their shoulders. The spidren rose up on its hind legs, exposing its spinner. Andera turned Emerald and leaped off the bridge. A little more slowly, Kel and Daecon did the same. A thick thread of sticky, green web shot out where they had just been. The creek was deeper and wider here, almost a river. Only Daecon was still on his horse when they hit the water and struggled, unable to find footings. Kel was pulling herself back onto the stallion's back but the sight of the spidren on the bridge made her gasp and drop back into the water. Daecon rolled off his horse into the water. The spidren cocked its head as three of its prey disappeared under the water. Kel surfaced right below the bridge. She gave a strong kick and grabbed onto the edge of the bridge, the uneven stone making easy handholds. The current swept Andera and Daecon towards Kel. Kel grabbed Andera's arm, pulling her out of the current. Kel's stallion found a footing and pulled itself out of the creek. The spidren say the easier target and captured the animal with a shot of green web. Andera screamed. The other horses, their eyes white with terror, struggled to get out of the creek and onto solid ground. Daecon grabbed a rock on the opposite bank but didn't climb out of the water. The spidren crossed the bridge to its prey.
"Get hold of the bridge." Kel ordered. Andera nodded mutely and let go of Kel to grab the bridge. "Now use the bridge to get to the opposite bank." Kel said, "Come on, Kit. One hand in front of the other." Andera started pulling herself through the water. Kel started behind her. A horse's pained scream almost made Andera lose her grip but Kel whispered for her to keep on. Seeing the girls start across the creek, Daecon climbed out and slunk back to the base of the bridge. The spidren didn't notice Daecon help Andera and Kel out of the creek. They caught their breaths for a moment then stood up and ran. The spidren heard them and looked around for a moment, confused by all the action. It settled its attention, finally, on the stallion and the three children sped down the road as fast as they could. They stayed on the road and didn't pause until they were within sight of Mindelan's gate. They stopped, hanging on each other and gasping for breath.
"Kel! Kitten!" Kel looked up at the sound of her father's voice. Him and her brothers rode down on them from the courtyard.
"I think we missed supper." Andera said, having recovered from their adventure except for her soaked hair and clothes. Kel nodded, noticing for the first time how late it was.
"Where have you been?" Conal demanded.
"Are you alright?" Piers asked more gently. "All in one piece?"
"Yes," Kel answered, "just wet."
"Then lets get you inside and into dry clothes." Piers said. Iness bent over and easily pulled Andera up into the saddle with him.
"I didn't say a thing." She said to him mischievously then more seriously added. "What are they doing?"
"The ladies are entertaining them. We'll just get you upstairs and you won't have to face them at all."
"Thanks Iness." They dismounted at the stables. Daecon was about to take the horses but Piers insisted he come inside and dry off as well. Andera and Kel went upstairs, trading their wet gowns for Yamani kimonos, then all three of them ate a light supper, yawning by the time they finished. The story about what had happened would wait for the next day.
Andera woke herself up with her own scream that night. She clamped her jaw shut and lay in bed trembling. She wasn't surprised to hear a faint knock then her door opening. "Kit?" Iness' voice was soft and soothing. "Real or black?" He sat down on the side of her bed.
"I don't remember." Andera whispered.
"It's hard to tell you everything's going to be alright when I don't even know what it's about."
Andera yawned, beginning to feel better just because of Iness' presence. "It does complicate matters."
"Are you going to be able to go back to sleep?"
"No."
"Then why don't we go downstairs? We haven't read half the books in the library yet." Andera smiled and nodded, getting out of bed and pulling on her robe.
Downstairs Andera lit two of the library's candles with her Gift and coaxed the embers into a small fire. Iness got a book off the shelf and a blanket. They settled on the couch, Andera tucking herself under Iness' arm and using his shoulder as a pillow. He pulled the blanket over both of them and settled into reading. Shortly after Andera fell asleep. Iness read to himself a little longer then shifted so he could use the arm of the couch as a pillow and slept as well.