A/N: Here's Chapter 7! I had so many people beg me to update, I had to. Thanks to all my reviewers, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: All of it belongs to Tamora Pierce.


Whispering Winds: Chapter 7

Kayla searched the halls of the palace frantically, searching for anyone that could tell her what was going on, but the palace seemed to be deserted. Dashing down yet another hallway, Kayla cursed softly as she came to another dead end. Slowing to a stop, she started to breathe slowly, meditating. Reaching out to find the connection she and Kyia shared, Kayla let her Gift out. The blue-green Gift drifted lazily down the hallway and turned the corner. Kayla followed her magic, invisible to anyone who didn't have the Gift.

Her Gift led her to a suite of rooms where a silver Gift glittered: Kyia. Kayla pulled her Gift back into her body, and then stared in shock as she realized whose rooms her Gift had led her to: Shyam's. Pushing away the looming dread that threatened to overwhelm her, Kayla pushed open the door.

The room was quiet and dark, lit only by the fire and a few branches of candles. The only sound that broke the deep silence in the room was Kyia's quiet sobs. Kayla turned to her cousin, wondering what was wrong. Kyia was sobbing into Jasson's shoulder, and at any other time, Kayla would have found the sight amusing, but right now, she was too worried to care.

"Kyia?" Kayla whispered, resting her hand gently on her cousin shoulder. Kyia lifted red-rimmed gray eyes to her cousin worried blue-green ones, and moved into her cousin's open arms. Kayla cradled her cousin, murmuring softly into her ear, trying to calm her down. Something had shaken Kyia, and even though Kayla didn't know what it was, she tried to soothe her cousin.

"I'm so sorry," Kyia murmured into her cousin's shirt, and Kayla looked up, confused.

"What happened?" She asked, and Kyia gestured wordlessly towards the bed. Kayla turned and gasped in shock. She stumbled forward a few steps, but the pain was too much, and she fell to her knees. Vaguely, in the back of her mind, she winced at the pain as her knees made contact with the hard stone, but the world around her had enclosed her in a cold bubble, and she could only stare in shock at the prone figure on the bed.

Shyam Alden lay stretched on his bed, his unmoving form peaceful. He looked like he was sleeping, and Kayla would have believed that, if his chest was still rising. He was dead. Somewhere in the back of her mind, something clicked, but Kayla was too busy trying to check the tears that fell down her cheeks. She lowered her head as grief swamped her, raven black hair hiding her face from view. Her shoulders shook with silent sobs, and her tears ran unchecked.

She couldn't believe it. Her mentor, friend, and uncle of sorts…dead. He had been fine earlier that day, but now… Kayla raised her head and stared blankly aheadas Kyia came to her side. Kyia sank to her knees beside her cousin. "I'm sorry," she murmured, but Kayla just shook her head, trying to deal with the shock.

Wrenching herself out of her cousin's grip, Kayla fled the room, tears spilling down her cheeks. Kyianna got to her feet to go after her, but Jasson grabbed her arm. "Let her be," he advised, pulling Kyia into his arms. Reluctantly, Kyia nodded, but still stared in the direction her cousin had disappeared, worried.


Kayla didn't stop running until she had reached the stables. Wiping away her tears, she walked down the aisle, searching for one stall in particular. Elsu watched her, brown eyes confused. Kayla let herself into the stall, wrapping her arms around the horse's neck and letting the tears fall again. The stallion draped his head over her shoulder, sighing deeply as he relaxed.

"He's not coming back," Kayla murmured into the bay's mane, wiping her tears away. "I'm so sorry." Elsu nickered softly, as if trying to comfort the girl.

"Excuse me," a new voice cut into Kayla's pain. Kayla pulled away from the horse, and turned to find a woman watching her. The woman had wavy, smoky brown hair, and kind, dark brown eyes. Next to her stood a young man, about twenty, with messy brown hair and bright brown eyes.

At Kayla's confused look, the woman explained, "We're going to help calm this horse down. He's had a shock, but Tobe—she motioned to the young man next to her—and I both have wild magic."

"Sarralyn…" the young man—Tobe—protested. Sarralyn gave him one stern look, and Tobe stepped up to Elsu, stroking the horse's nose before placing both hands on the stallion's head.

"Hush, fellow," he murmured before closing his eyes. Kayla watched in curiosity as copper fire, illuminated by her Gift, flowed into the stallion's head. A moment later, Tobe opened his eyes and stepped away from the stallion, brown eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"He understands now," he murmured, and Elsu snorted, as if agreeing. Kayla rested a hand on the bay's neck and nodded her thanks. Tobe squeezed her hand in sympathy and turned away. Sarralyn curtsied to Kayla before following Tobe.

Kayla turned her attention back to the stallion, running her hand over his coat. She grabbed a brush and began running it over the horse's sides. She paused as she found a long gash, stretching the length of the stallion's flank. Elsu snorted and shied away from Kayla as she tried to inspect it, so she moved away to think. It looked like someone had tried to cut Elsu's saddle off of him, but had cut too deep and sliced the horse's side.

Pushing the gash out of her mind, Kayla finished brushing the horse and wiped awaythe tears that had begun to fall again. Letting herself out of the stall, Kayla turned to the stall next to it, letting herself in. She wrapped her arms around Whirlwind's neck, and let the tears fall in torrents. Whirlwind nudged her mistress, brown eyes confused.


Kayla ran through the streets of the Corus marketplace, not caring where she ended up. Her legs giving out, she sat down hard in the dust, not caring how muddy she got her black dress. Her black hair was pinned up, matching her black dress. She had fled the temple service for Shyam, her pain too much to handle. For what seemed the fourteenth time that week, her tears began to fall. The tears dropped from her chin, mixing with the gentle raindrops that had begun to fall. The tears, mixed with the rain, dropped to the ground, splattering in the dust.

"Dani?" A familiar voice asked, and Kayla looked up, not bothering to wipe away her tears. She sniffed, trying and failing to produce a smile. Dagger and Mite stood above her, hair darkened by the falling rain. Dagger's face was creased with worry as he gazed down at Kayla.

Kayla dropped her eyes to the wet ground, suddenly ashamed of her appearance. Suddenly, strong arms gently lifted her to her feet, and Kayla lifted her pained blue-green eyes to Dagger's hazel ones.

"Dani, what's wrong?" Dagger asked as Mite watched, worried. Kayla shook her head, unable to explain. How could she tell them that one of her close friends had died, without giving too much away? She shook her head again, trying to get the image of the funeral pyre out of her mind.

"He's gone," she found herself murmuring into Dagger's strong shoulder. Dagger looked confused, but decided not to ask. He simply pulled her closer, enclosing her in a tight embrace. Kayla rested against him, grateful for the comfort.

"Are you going to be okay?" Dagger asked as Kayla pulled away. She nodded, pulling herself reluctantly from his arms. She began to walk in the direction of the temple, but suddenly, the world spun around her, and she stumbled, swaying.

"Dani?" She heard Dagger's confused voice behind her, and she tried to answer, but the world was spinning again. Tired, she let her body swag, and as she fell back, she felt strong arms catch her. She was lifted up, and that was the last thing she remembered as the world went black.


A/N: I'm sorry for such a short chapter, but please don't flame me! All will be explained by the end of the story, and some of it will be shown in Chapter 8! Please review, even if you didn't like how it ended!