A/N: Wow, three chapters in three days! I have no idea what's going on, my muse is pushing me big time to get these done. Thanks to all my reviewers, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Disclaimer: The world is Tamora Pierce's. The characters are mine.
Whispering Winds: Chapter 6
Kayla stared at the door in front of her, wondering if she should go in. Somehow, this simple wooden door scared her more than the imposing oak doors of the throne room. On the other side of this simple door was her cousin, who was feeling betrayed and hurt. Losing her nerve, Kayla turned away and walked down the hallway, trying to gather the courage to go back and open the door.
Walking further down the corridor, she found a familiar figure walking towards her: Prince Jasson. Kayla bit her lip. She and Jasson hadn't spoken since Kyia had found them in the garden three days ago, and she didn't know what to say to him. Watching him approach her, Kayla marveled at the changes. Prince Jasson was pale, with dark circles under his eyes, as if hehadn't sleep at all.
Coming to abreast of her, the prince walked with one sole destination in mind: Kyia's rooms. Seeing where he was headed, Kayla reached out and grabbed Jasson's arm. Thrown off balance by this new weight, Jasson stumbled before straightening and meeting her sympathetic gaze.
"Don't," Kayla warned him in a low voice. "Don't go in there."
Jasson stared at her, blue eyes desperate. "I have to," he said hoarsely; sounding desperate, he added, "I love her."
Kayla smiled grimly. "That may be true," she told him, "but Kyia has been hurt, and the last person she needs to see right nowis you."
Something in her voice told Jasson that this was true, and he slowly nodded. "Will you tell her I love her?"
Kayla shook her head. "You have to tell her," she said, a plan forming in her mind. Seeing Jasson starting to pull away, towards Kyia's rooms, she tightened her grip. "Let me talk to her first," she told the prince, releasing him. Jasson nodded, and with renewed purpose, Kayla retraced her steps until she stood in front of Kyia's door again.
Knocking, she received no answer, so she called through the door, "Kyia?" No answer. Sighing, Kayla pushed the door open. She walked forward, only to be met by a glittering shield of silver light surrounding the doorway. Sighing in frustration, Kayla touched one hand, glowing with blue-green fire, to the shield. The silver light dissolved, leaving her with a clear picture of the room in front of her.
Her cousin lay sprawled out on her bed, red-eyed, staring at the ceiling. Her hair, that was once nice and neat, lay in knots. She hadn't changed out of the cream dress she had been wearing that night, and next to her, Solana looked on with worried green eyes.
Seeing Kayla at the door, the cat voiced what seemed to be a relieved meow and hopped off the bed. Stepping into the room, Kayla softly closed the door behind her. At the door's muted click, Kyia sat up, glaring daggers at her cousin, who hadn't moved from the doorway.
"I don't want to talk to you," she hissed, her normally warm voice filled with rage. Kayla flinched and took a step forward.
"Kyia," she murmured, and at the sound her name, her cousin's gray eyes flashed dangerously. "Kyia," Kayla continued, seeing that her cousin hadn't exploded yet, "I'm sorry."
"You're sorry?" Kyia growled, enraged. "You're sorry? I find you out in the gardens kissing the man I love and all you have to say for yourself is that you're sorry?"
Kayla flinched again in the face of her cousin's anger, but nevertheless took a step forward. "That's just it, Kyia," she told her cousin bluntly, "I don't love Jasson."
Kyia stared at her cousin for a moment, and then blinked. "What?"
"I don't love the prince," Kayla told her honestly. Seeing her cousin's rage turn to confusion, she crossed to the side of the bed and sat down. "I knew you loved him," she told Kyia.
Kyia tilted her head to stare at her cousin, gray eyes no longer angry. "Then why did you kiss him?" She asked, confused.
Kayla grasped her cousin's hand and lowered her head, ashamed and embarrassed. "I went out to the gardens to escape the formalities," she mumbled. "Jasson found me out there, and we were talking, when we were about to be interrupted by a group of nobles. Jasson told me that the only way for them to leave us only would be if he kissed me," she told her cousin, staring resolutely at the quilt that covered the bed, refusing to meet her cousin's gaze.
"He kissed me, but it was only to keep the nobles from finding us. I swear to the Goddess that it was all act," Kayla said softly. "I felt nothing for him."
"And that's when I walked in?" Kyia's voice was soft and thoughtful.
"That's when you walked in," Kayla affirmed, finally meeting her cousin's gaze. Kyia's gray eyes were shining with unshed tears, but she was smiling.
"I'm sorry," she murmured, squeezing Kayla's hand, a way of letting her know she was forgiven. "I just assumed…"
Kayla cut her off. "Don't be sorry," she murmured, wiping her cousin's tears away. "I would have assumed the same thing."
Both girls grinned at each other, and Kayla sighed with relief. She knew that things would be easier for them both now, but there was still one more thing that needed to be done. As if in answer to her unspoken thought, a knock came from the door, and a male voice called tentatively, "Kyia?"
Kyia gasped and blushed as she recognized Jasson's voice. She glanced accusingly at Kayla, but all her cousin did was squeeze her hand and whisper, "It's okay, he just came to apologize."
Kyia nodded, got off the bed, and hurried over to her small table and mirror, quickly brushing her hair and washing her face. She reached for her paints, but Kayla, coming up behind her, grabbed her arm, stopping her.
"Don't," she whispered. "If Jasson truly loves you, he won't care whether your face is painted or not."
Kyia blushed a becoming shade of pink. "He loves me?" she whispered incredulously. Kayla nodded, and walked over to the door. At Kyia's slightnod, she opened the door to admit a very nervous prince.
Waiting for a moment to see what would happen, Kayla watched as Jasson crossed to her cousin's side and took her hand. Slipping out of the room silently, leaving the two lovers alone, Kaylagrinned triumphantly. Her work here was done.
Having the afternoon off, with no social events or negotiations, Kayla wandered the corridors, not really minding where they took her. She was surprised, therefore, when she suddenly ended up at the stables. From what she could see, no grooms or stable boys were around, and that was just fine with her.
The horses, some of the finest in the kingdom, looked at her over the stall doors. Kayla passed them all by, looking for one in particular. Towards the end of the row, a black-and-white head stuck out in all the bays, blacks, grays and chestnuts.
Crooning softly to Whirlwind, Kayla let herself into the stall. As she closed the door, Kayla was surprised to find she didn't feel the customary nudge to her back. Turning around, she found her mare eyeing her reproachfully fromone corner of the stall. Kayla realized with a jolt that she hadn't been spending much time with her horse, with everything else going on. Hand up, she presented her mare with a mint that she had swiped.
Ears pricked, Whirlwind stepped forward, interested. The pinto mare lipped the mint from Kayla's palm, then butted her head against her mistress' chest. Laughing, Kayla gently pushed her mare's head out of the way and grabbed one of the many combs hanging from the stable wall. Lowering her head, Whirlwind stood still as Kayla brushed her black and white coat, brown eyes half-closed with contentment. Finishing, Kayla scratched Whirlwind's nose affectionately and let herself out of the stall. Turning the corner, she jumped when she heard a familiar voice coming from the next stall over.
"You had to bribe your horse?" Kayla peered into the next stall and grinned. Shyam was using a hoof pick on his stallion's back hooves. Seeing the Shang Wolf's six foot tall frame bent over a horse's hoof was an interesting sight. Finished with the hooves, Shyam straightened up and glanced at Kayla before grabbing a brush. "Well?" he asked.
"I didn't bribe Whirlwind," Kayla sniffed, "I gave her a treat."
Shyam snorted. "Didn't look that way to me."
Kayla refused to dignify that comment with an answer, so she grabbed a comb and began to comb out the bay stallion's longmane.
Shyam murmured to his horse as he worked, but stopped abruptly and gazed at Kayla sharply. "Did you and Kyia reconcile?"
Kayla nodded, and Shyam's hazel eyes shone with relief. "Good," he sighed. "I didn't want to have to tell your mother that you two were fighting."
"We weren't fighting," Kayla told him, "we had a misunderstanding."
Shyam nodded, not really listening, and then grinned, turning to look at her. "Are she and Prince Jasson still avoiding each other?"
Kayla'ssmug grin gave him all the answer he needed. "Good," he murmured, patting his horse. "Those two belong together."
Turning, the Shang Wolf grabbed his saddle off the stall door. Kayla looked at him in surprise. "You're going for a ride?"
Shyam nodded. "Elsu and I bothneed to stretch our legs," he told her, patting the stallion. Elsu snorted and stomped his hooves as Shyam tightened the saddle. Leading his horse out of the stall, Shyam suddenly stopped and looked at Kayla.
Puzzled by his sharp hazel gaze, Kayla looked upat him, confused. Suddenly, the Shang Wolf reached out and pulled her into a tight hug. "Remember, little warrior," he whispered in her ear, "remember who you are and where you come from. Don't get so caught up in one identity that you forget who you truly are." Releasing her, he placed a chaste kiss on her forehead and mounted Elsu.
He glanced down and her one last time and smiled before booting his horse into a trot and disappearing into the sunlight, headingin the direction ofthe forest.
Kayla stared after him, thoroughly confused. She had no idea what his parting words had meant, but she knew that they were important. Tucking his words away in the back of her mind for later examination, she whistled softly for Danika, and hurrying back to her rooms, changed into her usual Corus outfit: undyed breeches and ashirt. Hurrying through the halls, hoping she wouldn't get caught, Kayla hurried out into the Corus sunlight, once again assuming the role of Dani.
"Dani!" The familiar cry reached her ears, and Kayla spun with a smile to see Mite racing towards her. Scooping the boy up, she gave him a hug before setting him down again. "You came back!" The little boy exclaimed, almost dancing with excitement.
"Yes, I did," Kayla agreed, grinning.
"Want to see what Dagger showed me this morning?" Mite asked enthusiastically.
Kayla grinned and let the little boy pull her towards a familiar building: The Dancing Dove. She was now a regular there,but everyone knew her as Dani, a visiting commoner and friend of the King of Thieves. But instead of taking her inside the tavern, Mite pulled her around the side, down a familiar dusty path. Stopping in front of a familiar stone house, Mite looked up at her.
"Watch me!" He beamed, with all the pride he could muster. "Dagger taught me how to climb across a roof today! He says I'm a natural!" Before Kayla could say anything, Mite was climbing up the side of his house like a monkey. Making it to the roof, he pulled himself up, and beaming, trotted to the edge so he could see Kayla's reaction. She grinned up at him and waved. Pleased with himself, Mite proceeded to clamber all around the roof.
"Proud of himself, isn't he?" Kayla jumped; she hadn't heard Dagger come up beside her. He walked with a catlike grace, not making a sound. He grinned at her, hazel eyes twinkling. "You made it back to us alive," he commented, making Kayla grin.
"I did," she agreed, fighting back the blush that threatened to spread over her cheeks whenever he was near. She had only seen him three times since that first meeting, but new and disturbing feeling had begun to appear when he was around.
"Would you like to go on an errand with us?" Dagger asked, watching her carefully. Kayla grinned, she loved hearing about their 'errands' and had often wondered what they stole. She nodded, drawing a grin from Dagger.
"Mite," he shouted up to his younger brother. "Get down here! Dani's coming with us on an errand!" Mite grinned joyfully and scrambled down from the roof as fast as his legs could carry him. He bounced up to Kayla, still grinning.
"You'll love it, Dani!" He promised. "I always have so much fun!"
Kayla grinned at his enthusiasm. "I can't wait," she told him.
Suddenly, silver fire glittered next to her ear: a speaking spell. Kayla knew the silver fire was Kyia's and she wondered why her cousin was summoning her now. She grinned. It probably had something to do with Jasson.
But the smile slid right off her face as she listened to what Kyia was saying. "Kayla, you need to come back to the palace." Kayla's face drained of all color as she listened to Kyia's voice break with emotion, as if her cousin was trying to hold back sobs. Her cousin didn't cry unless she was truly upset. She listened to the rest: "Something's happened. You need to come back." The speaking spell repeated itself one more time, but Kayla wasn't listening anymore.
"What is it?" Dagger had seen Kayla face go white. He placed a hand on her shoulder, concerned. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know," Kayla told him truthfully. "I have to go." Scooping up her cat, she turned to leave. Dagger's hand on her shoulder stopped her.
"Do you want us to come with you?" Kayla gave him a grim smile.
She shook her head. "I'll be fine, I just need to go." With that, she disappeared, down the street and around the corner. The hustle of themarketplace was slowing, and the crowds were thinner than before. Kayla was within sight of the palace when she stopped short.
Brought to her on the rising wind, from the direction of the forest,came the unmistakable howl of a wolf. The wolf's howl echoed eerily once, twice, and thendied away. Kayla started walking again, quickening her pace to an all-out run, the rapid beating of her hearttelling her that something was very, very wrong.
A/N: Another cliffy! I know you guess hate these, but they are necessary for the plot to continue. So, any guesses on what happened? Tell me what you think by reviewing and no flames please!
