Chapter Eleven
Devona wasted no time jumping to her feet, nearly knocking over Aiden in her hurried rush to her old friend, throwing her arms around his neck fondly with what she hoped appeared to be a genial hug.
"Coran, I'm so relieved that you're still alive." She muttered, then said with more volume. "I would have looked for you sooner, honestly, but situation after situation emerged after the Searing. I must regretfully admit you had slipped my mind far too easily."
Coran peered over Devona's shoulder, noting Yuu's left eyebrow twitching in annoyance, and the somewhat curious expressions on the faces of her traveling companions. "Yes, well, we've all had much on our minds these last two odd years." The prince answered understandingly, "I can't say I had much opportunity to wonder how my dear Devona was faring. Fortunately, I can see that you have been well."
Pulling himself away, he extended a friendly arm to Mhenlo, who dutifully stood and grasped the forearm in welcome.
"It was a pleasant surprise to learn you were still among the living… and a great honor to see it for myself once again, your highness." The monk said lightly.
"Mhenlo, what did I say I was going to do if you called me 'your highness' one more time?" Coran answered with a sly grin.
"While I have no doubt some here would take great enjoyment in seeing me strung by my toes off the Ashford spire, we have more pressing business to attend to."
"Am I the only person here who doesn't know the prince personally?" Cynn quipped, rolling her eyes as if annoyed.
"I suspect not, my lady." Prince Coran replied. "So I suppose it would be prudent to have due introductions." Devona frowned disapprovingly at Coran's easy going smile as the prince added, "And since I am at the disadvantage here, I must ask who you are."
The elementalist stood gracefully, and made a sweeping curtsey that Devona knew must have been well practiced. "I am Cynn, of the Tania family of Surmia. Normally proper respect would demand a proper title, but since I have no desire to be strung to anything, I do hope that I am not overstepping my bounds by calling you by your given name in the future."
"Not at all, fair Cynn. In such a relatively personal setting, I find it quite welcome, in fact." Coran answered, but with a sardonic smile that belied just what he felt of the display. Devona felt reassured that he hadn't changed in that regard. One of the few ways he resembled his departed father.
"I am honored, dear Coran. I hope I will prove worthy of it."
Devona rolled her eyes and snorted. To Cynn's credit, she refused to be baited, determined not to shatter her ladylike demeanor so quickly upon meeting the prince in person. Devona was actually looking forward to the calm, mild-mannered Cynn for however long it took for the elementalist to feel comfortable enough to show her true colors.
"I'm sure you will." The prince said in temporary parting, turning to the final member of the group. His brows furrowed thoughtfully, and he said, "Something tells me we've met before, at least in passing… but for the life of me I can't think as to where…"
"My father did some personal scouting for your father before the Searing, and I frequently joined him on those forays. You wouldn't have even been in your teens at the time. That might have been where. At any rate, I am Aidan, a simple ranger of Ascalon." Aidan interjected, exchanging forearm grasps briefly. "I'm sure we'll have much more time to get to know each other, but as the monk has said, I am certain there is much to go over."
"Indeed." Coran agreed, then with a playful smile, said, "Should I introduce you, dear Yuu, or are you feeling particularly anti-social today?"
The black clothed woman grunted, and turned her chin up distastefully. "Do whatever you wish. Don't expect me to curtsey, however."
"And you all have already met Yuu. She is the daughter of Idori, the governor of this colony, if you will. You will not find a man or woman who knows the lay of the land better, nor will you easily find one more deadly with a piece of sharpened steel."
"Charmed." Was the woman's not so cheerful rejoinder, "Now, since you supposedly have business to discuss, why not get to it. Time might not be our ally."
"Quite right." Coran agreed. "Now, since it's quite clear why you are here, I'm going to make something quite clear myself. I am not leaving this place while the people of this colony are in harm's way."
Devona sighed, knowing this to be exactly like the Coran she knew. Honorable to a fault.
Coran seemed to sense this. "No, Devona, I'm not going to stand for a mindless, hopeless final stand and slaughter. We've been preparing to evacuate the colony, and make for Ascalon ourselves. The presence of you four makes it much more viable."
"Why's that?" Cynn queried.
"The land has changed since the Searing. Cliff faces have risen and fallen; rivers have been turned to tar and diverted on new courses. Lakes that were once there are no longer, and new lakes in different places have taken their place. We don't have much knowledge of this new landscape past roughly one day's travel. We would have been wandering near blind the rest of the way. And in Charr territory… that's not a good way to move."
Aidan nodded, "Of course. You know the path to where we were found, and we can take it from there. But even if we know the shortest path, which for your information, would likely be due south towards Fort Ranik, there are a lot of people here. Moving in such a large group would likely attract attention you don't want."
"Correct. We'll have to split up into many small groups, perhaps no more than eight per party. Yuu and Grazz will lead the way initially, placing markers for later groups to follow. You, Aidan, will lead the second group, and will assume the lead once we enter unfamiliar territory."
The next two hours were spent ironing out the particulars of their escape, until finally a detailed course of action was set, including what could be safely taken with the colonists, as well as to who of note would comprise each group.
"Well, with that finished, I suppose it would be a good idea for me to be brought to speed on the state of Ascalon." Coran said with a sigh. "With all of the immediate royal family assumed dead, I would suspect that Barradin is currently in charge… unless something happened to him?"
"No. Barradin is as well as if he had never been through the Searing." Devona said with a grin. "It's amazing what that man had managed to live through." She then noticed the prince shudder, ever so slightly. Had she not known him as she did, she likely would have missed it. "You don't like him, Coran?"
"That's… not it." Coran answered. "By all accounts and my own limited estimation of the man, he's honorable, loyal, and more intelligent than one would immediately assume… he's just a little overzealous at times. Like, for example, his repeated attempts to join every daughter he could with every son my father had. It worked well with Rurik and Althea, I suppose… but the thought of marrying Lady Gemma made my skin crawl."
"Why's that?" Cynn asked, her noble upbringing helping fuel her curiosity of the royal court. "One would think a reinforcing of that line would be a good thing."
"Well, firstly… she was meaning to be a necromancer. She used to send me gifts… attached to whatever twisted perversion of nature she could conjure. It was rather unnerving to have a bone horror hand me a note in the middle of a lesson, as you many imagine. Secondly… she wasn't exactly my type."
"What did your father have to say about that?"
"Well, after a couple months, I gathered the courage to tell my father about it, and he reminded Barradin that Barridan himself witnessed my betrothal to someone else, and that my father was still quite serious about it."
"You were engaged?" Cynn remarked with surprise, "I never knew anything about that."
"Well, let's be serious. I was rather insignificant on the royal scene at the time. I mean, the lords and high ranking officers knew about it, but it probably wasn't important enough to set off the gossip mill."
Had anyone been paying attention, they would have noticed Devona visibly stiffen and pale when Cynn asked, "So… who were you bonded to, if I may be so bold to ask?"
Coran's eyebrows rose and he turned to the warrior, who starting mouthing the word "no" to the prince repeatedly. With a sly grin, he asked, "You didn't tell them?"
Cynn turned on Devona, and snarled, "You know about this?"
By then, Coran had turned to Mhenlo, and quipped. "I'm amazed you didn't tell them. Back in our abbey days, you couldn't stop talking about everyone and everything."
"You know too?" Cynn snapped, spinning about almost violently.
She then gave Aidan an evil eye, and the ranger sighed, "Oh, come off it, Cynn. How would I know if you don't?"
"So, is this a big secret, or can anyone be privy to information that half of those present already have knowledge of?" The elementalist demanded crossly. She so hated to be out of the loop…
Devona started shaking her head, as if begging Coran not to answer, but the prince smiled in amusement once again, and pointing to the young warrior said, "Well… her."
Devona's head thumped loudly on the tabletop. Even though she knew the issue would have to have been addressed at some point, it hadn't dulled the embarrassment of the disclosure in the slightest. She wanted to die… slowly, quickly, painfully, painlessly… it didn't matter at that moment.
"Well, now it makes sense…" Aidan mused softly, his hand dropping to his chin.
That stirred the warrior, who lifted her head, and said assertively, "I did not go on this search because of some arrangement made before the Searing!"
The ranger smirked playfully, and replied, "I wasn't thinking about that, actually. It merely had always seemed odd to me how even the Armsmasters of Ascalon would take orders from a woman with no military rank like you, without question or complaint. It makes sense now."
"Of course…" Cynn added teasingly, "It simply wouldn't be considered a good career move to upset a future princess, right?"
Devona's head once again dropped to the tabletop. She was never going to hear the end of this…