Chapter Three: The Norwood Grant
Firekeeper dismounted Nahni, the paint horse she had received from Harjeedian in Liglim, while by her side, Derian swung from Prahini's saddle. Her adoptive father, Earl Kestrel had requested that she stay at the Norwood Grant for half a year and she had eagerly complied. Firekeeper not seen him or the other members of the family since her return from Misheemnekuru. To her utmost bliss, Derian had also been invited, to inspect the Earl's most recent horse purchases, but mostly because he had become good friends with Edlin.
Firekeeper grinned at the tall redhead as he stooped over to loosen his horse's girth. He looked up to catch her eyes, smiling as well. The bubble they seemed to be enveloped in was ruptured by a loud, excited voice.
"I say Firekeeper!!! Is that you?" Edlin strolled up to the two, his lean, lanky frame now almost as tall as Derian's. Firekeeper could see that his face and kind words would be enough to break some poor girl's heart in the near future.
"Edlin!" she said happily, reaching up to embrace her adoptive brother, having just as much trouble as when she tried to hug Derian. "You've grown some!"
He laughed, looking down at her. "Firekeeper, this doesn't look like you at all! But you haven't grown one inch – have you shrunk?" She rolled her eyes.
Edlin ruffled her hair in quite a brotherly manner, reaching around her to shake Derian's hand. "Long time no see, what?" he said lightly.
"You're almost as tall as I am!" Derian said, laughing.
"Firekeeper!" a few voices called in unison. Earl Kestrel and the rest of the family were crossing from the house to the group of three.
Firekeeper embraced the Earl, saying so only he could hear, "I'm so glad to see you again, Father!"
She pulled away to look at his face, and saw his features were slightly frozen into a state of shock. "That's the first time you've ever called me Father," he said with unusual emotion in his voice and tears in his eyes. However, he regained composure of himself, and again became a dignified figure.
Earl Kestrel shook hands briskly with Derian. "I'm pleased that you both could come on such short notice."
"I appreciate your invitation to come along with Firekeeper," he said politely.
"Well," Earl Kestrel replied with a twinkle in his eye, "the servants who look after the Kestrel residence in Eagle's Nest have passed word along to me that you two have been nigh inseparable since Firekeeper returned from Liglim."
Firekeeper interjected smoothly, seeing Derian's cheeks about to turn pink, and said, "Derian was my first human friend, and I hadn't seen him in over a year. It's perfectly understandable, no?"
Earl Kestrel nodded. "Perfectly understandable," he said in agreement. She heard Derian let of a tiny sigh of relief and she carefully moved back an inch to tread firmly on his foot. His almost silent hiss of breath told Firekeeper he understood her message. "Let's see you both settled in, and then we can continue this conversation. I have many a question I wish to ask you, Firekeeper."
Derian and Firekeeper were guided by an impassive servant to their rooms. The first stop was at Derian's room, which was situated in a rather bare part of the manor. Many other doors lined the walls, and Firekeeper hoped that one of them would belong to her, but she saw that the servant intended to lead her along elsewhere. Derian handed Firekeeper her bag, which he had been carrying for her as a proper gentleman.
She took it with a curtsy and smile, all for the servant's benefit. When he had turned his back to lead her down the hallway, she turned to Derian with an expression of poutiness on her face. She blew him an air kiss before following the servant.
Firekeeper was yet again disappointed when she found her room was nowhere within sneaking distance of Derian's. It was beyond a very long corridor of servants' rooms, and as her guide informed her, four or five were always roaming the corridors at night.
She flopped onto the plush bed in her chamber, hating how she sunk into the covers and pillows with no effort. As the fabric enclosed Firekeeper, she thought of how much fun could be had with Derian amongst the bedspread.
Derian stood before Earl Kestrel, listing off the positive and negative points of each of his seven new horses.
"The palomino mare is a sturdy, trustworthy mount, but the bit the previous owner used on her cut into her tongue and cheeks, so she is in pain every time the bit touches those sensitive areas. When this happens she has a tendency to shy. I would advise not using a bit and training her to respond to human touches instead of that of a metal bit."
Earl Kestrel nodded as Derian finished his last critique, hastily scribbling notes on a piece of parchment.
"Thank you. You may go." He said without looking up from the paper.
Derian turned to walk for the study door, but his feet turned of their own accord to face the earl again. "May I ask you something, sir?"
Earl Kestrel peered up from his notes. "Of course."
Derian's mouth seemed to work of its own will before his brain could comprehend what he was about to say. "May I have Firekeeper's hand in marriage?" he blurted.
A moment later, the consequences of his rash action sunk into his mind. He blushed a bright scarlet, and ran from the earl's study as fast as his feet would carry him, with Earl Kestrel's gaze burning into his back as he went.
An hour later found Derian huddled upon a bench in the Norwood garden. He buried his face in his hands, mentally punishing himself for his stupid mouth. Out of the corner of his eye through his fingers, Derian saw Firekeeper seat herself on the bench beside him. He did his best to hide his face from her.
Gently, she tugged his fingers away from his eyes. "What happened?" she asked softly, rhythmically rubbing Derian's hands in her own.
He glanced away as he mumbled his answer. He couldn't bear to look at her sweet face. "I did something idiotic that will probably separate us forever."
Firekeeper let go of his hands to turn his face to her. "Do you remember what you told me about being wolf?"
He nodded, his eyes brimming over with tears as he absorbed her face for what he felt would be the last time.
"It is the same here. Even if we are not together physically, we will be together here," here she touched his head, "and in here." Firekeeper laid her hand across Derian's heart, and kissed him with all her passion.
An approaching presence made Firekeeper tear her lips from Derian's. Earl Kestrel stood before them, his face inscrutable. She glanced over at Derian, who was blushing and stuttering incomprehensibly. The earl observed their position through narrowed eyes – Firekeeper's hand across Derian's chest, Derian's hand splayed across her thigh.
For some strange reason, Earl Kestrel appeared sad as he turned away.
Derian threw the clothing scattered around his room into his traveling bag. Firekeeper sat on the bed next to the bag, trying to reason with him.
"Why do you have to go?" she wanted to know.
"Your father just caught me kissing you! I can't stay after he witnessed that!"
When Derian turned away, Firekeeper tugged the clothes out of the bag and tossed them across them room. When he turned back, he found his bag empty and his before neatly-folded clothing strewn over the floor. He muttered something that she didn't quite catch, and depositing the rest inside the bag, went to pick up the other clothing. Firekeeper tossed the clothing in the bag over to the opposite side of the room.
As Derian bent over to retrieve the rumpled attire, a knock sounded at the door. The person didn't wait for answer, but instead walked straight in.
"May I speak to you alone, Derian?" Earl Kestrel asked.
Derian shot Firekeeper a glare as if to say, "I told you so." She nodded to the earl and strode from the room.
It took a lot of self-will to resist her urge to listen at the door. Firekeeper instead stormed outside, through the gardens, until she reached the border of the surrounding forest. One look at her face was enough to make anyone who saw her scurry for cover.
She cut straight to the heart of the forest, occasionally stumbling over the hem of her dress. In a sudden fit of spontaneity, she flung her clothes away, letting the chilly breeze caress her body. Then she ran.
Derian watched nervously as Earl Kestrel paced the length of the room. His hand twitched up and down the seaming of his bag, his eyes tracking the earl's movements with his heart leaping spastically in his chest.
Eventually Earl Kestrel stopped pacing and faced Derian. "At length I have reached my decision," he said grimly. The younger man's face fell, feeling in his heart that he would never see Firekeeper again. He hung his head to hide the tears gathering in his eyes. "I will allow you to ask Firekeeper for her hand in marriage."
At these words, Derian's head shot up in shock. For a few moments, he was utterly speechless, his face blank.
"I can't guarantee her answer will be yes," Earl Kestrel warned. "It is up to her to decide whether she wishes to spend her life with you."
"All I want is a chance," he said hoarsely.
"But don't ask until I give her this," the earl requested. He held out his hand to Derian, revealing a tiny, silver wolf charm on a necklace resting on his palm. "From Holly I discovered her birthday, which happens to fall on the second day of the wolf moon."
"It fits her," Derian said, fighting back his tears of happiness.
"Do you have such a pendant?"
Derian nodded. "My mother gave me my horse marriage pendant when I came back from Liglim." He tugged the necklace from the pouch in his bag, and clasped it around his neck.
"I'll give this to her later this afternoon. You may ask her when we sit in the study to speak this evening."
Derian nodded, remembering the family meeting the Kestrels held every evening. He had since been invited to join, considering as he was a good family friend.
Overcome with emotion, Derian embraced the smaller man in gratitude.
When Firekeeper returned from her run in the woods, she discovered that no one had been particularly worried over her destination. She washed up, and sat through the dinner with the other members of her family and Derian. Firekeeper constantly tried to catch his eye, but whenever she attempted this, he seemed to be deep in serious conversation with Edlin at the opposite end of the table.
When they were making their way to the study, Earl Kestrel slipped something into Firekeeper's hand. "Put it on so it can be seen," he whispered in her ear.
She opened her hand to see a tiny, silver wolf charm dangling from a silver chain. Firekeeper put it on, feeling the silver warm against her skin.
In the study she flopped into a leather armchair, not willing to participate in the discussion unless personally requested.
About a few minutes into the discussion, she witnessed a small, silent discourse between Derian and the earl. Earl Kestrel nodded slightly to Derian, who, with a nervous intake of breath, made his way to where she was seated.
He perched on the armrest, and took a deep breath. "Firekeeper, I have something to ask you."
Firekeeper nodded, immediately alert. There was something different about his tone. Anxiety mixed with fear. That was what she heard in his voice.
"I don't know how else I can say this besides the way it'll come out." Derian gulped, obviously preparing himself for the main point of his speech.
"Firekeeper, will you marry me?"
This was definitely not what she had expected. Firekeeper was stunned into silence for a moment. Derian's face seemed to fall, thinking he was to be disappointed.
But Firekeeper replied with the only answer she could give. And that was, "Yes."
She rose out of her chair slightly to gently kiss him. "Yes, I will marry you," she said more softly. Firekeeper kissed him again, tugging him down to occupy the seat with her. This was what she needed – what she always wanted. She had found the one person in the world she wanted to be with. Blind Seer had been right. He couldn't make her happy. Only Derian could.