Chapter Three

Arany and Astrik

January 4th:

There he sat, his muscles working steadily. His brown hair fell into one of those lovely ice blue eyes. He shook his head, not daring to break his concentration as he worked the metal. He hit it with a hammer and it slowly fell into position. Sparks flew from it, going in every direction.

I watched with my mouth slightly open. He was gorgeous, sitting there, playing with fire. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up, and his breeches fit snugly over his well muscled legs. I'm in love, and I can't say anything. He knows it. But he's with someone. I can't have him because he's too good to have two girls.

All the other men in the city would kill to have two girls after them. But not him. He's too perfect.

He got up, and doused the red-hot metal in a bucket of water. He eyed his work for a minute afterwards, then set it down, making sure it fit right into the hilt. Then he hung it on the wall, beside all the others. Then he turned to face me. A smile lit up his face as he walked over. His eyes sparkle like icicles when he smiles. And I know it's a special "me" smile. I've seen the girl who's his lover. He never gives her that smile. I've never seen him give anyone that smile. And I should know. I spend all my free time around here.

"Kadi, Kadi, Kadi." His voice was deep and melodic. I wanted to sink into it. Especially when he brushed my hair out of my face. "How did I not know you were here? Watching me like a hawk, as usual."

I wanted to make a smart remark, to prove to him that I'm not a tongue-tied girl. That I'm better than his lover. But I couldn't think of anything to say.

He sighed, and sat down on a stool. "You'd best. . ." But he broke off. He never doesn't know what to say. He always has something to say. He always says what he thinks. So he couldn't possibly have been thinking the same thing he was saying. "C'mere," he said at last.

I walked up to him, the heat of the fire burning against my face as it beat behind his back. He smiled again. It stopped my heart to see his face like that. I couldn't breathe when he smiled like that. Then he grabbed my hands, and pulled me down onto his lap. Before I knew what was happening, he was kissing me. His arms were around me, holding me there. Even sitting on his lap, he was still tall enough to kiss me thoroughly.

In seconds he was holding me in his arms, still kissing me. Yet somehow--how I think I shall never know--he had managed to work all of my clothes off, without once stopping his kisses.

He kissed my neck, his hand resting on my chest. I touched the muscles in his chest, and felt them tense under my fingers. He stopped kissing me for just a minute. He met my gaze, his eyes filled with desire. "Oh, Kadi. I wish I'd told you sooner. You don't know how much I love you. And now you're going to leave--and I love you."

My eyes filled with tears, but I fought them back. I buried my face in his shoulder, and cried then. They came, no matter how hard I fought. And he put his head on top of mine, and he cried too. And then. . . then we made love.

Oh. . . I miss you. I miss you my love. Not a day have we been gone from Maren, and already I miss your sweet kisses, and even sweeter love-making. I love you, my love. I love you.

Astrik. . .

Kadi stared at the page, streaked with long dried tears, the words blotted with them. Writing paint ran around the page, drawing the letters out strangely. Kadi ran a finger over the dried page of her diary, reading the last word over and over again. Her love. Her Astrik. And then she cried.

While Kadi cried someone knocked on her door. She didn't notice for long minutes, she was crying so hard. Her throat hurt, too, when she finally got up and opened the door. And there was Jonathan Standing there. "Kadi, what's wrong?" he asked.

Kadi bit down on her lip, red-hot tears streaming slowly from her eyes. "N-nothing," she choked out through her hot and swollen throat. "I. . . nothing." And then Kadi burst into tears again.

"It's okay," Jonathan said softly, closing the door with his foot as he put his arms around Kadi. Kadi buried her face in the folds of his tunic and cried. She felt like a child, sniffling in the King's clothes, but she couldn't help it. She missed him so much! "Shh." Jonathan rocked her slowly back and forth, his cheek against the top of her head.

Kadi sniffed and wiped the tears off her face with the back of her hand. She pulled back, and Jonathan let her go. "S-sorry," she sniffed. "I shouldn't have lost it like that. I'm s-sorry."

Jonathan shook his head, smiling sadly. "Don't be sorry," he told her. There isn't a reason on earth for you to be sorry. You're upset about something--it's absolutely allowed. Understand? Now, care to tell me what's wrong?"

Kadi sniffed again. She had never told anyone--anyone--about Astrik. Was it time to let go? To tell someone, and move on? Was Jonathan that someone?

She made up her mind then, and there. And she knew she would have to stick to it. Once she had spilled, then she couldn't take it back--ever. Kadi picked up her journal and sat down. She stared at her lap and listened as Jonathan took his seat. "I. . . I was reading my journal. In Maren. . . There was someone I loved in Maren. His name was Astrik. I loved him. . . But he. . . He had someone, and didn't want me. I loved him!" she wailed, tears falling onto her lap.

"You miss him?" he said after a moment's silence.

Kadi stared at her lap, at the journal in her lap. "With all my heart," she whispered weakly. "I. . . I pledged my heart to him you know. It was a K'miri ceremony."

Jonathan nodded. "I think Buri mentioned something like that once. Listen to me Kadi. You've got to let go. I know you love him. I love someone I can't ever have too. But it's likely you'll never see him again. There's no point in pining over someone you can't have."

Kadi found it strange that Jonathan could possibly love someone he could never have. He was King! How could there be anyone he couldn't have? She chanced the question, risky as it was. "Who do you love?" Kadi whispered, still staring at her lap.

"I. . . I love Alanna."

Kadi looked up into his eyes. They were cloudy, but not with tears. Kadi read the lie written on his face. "You love Alanna?" she asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.

Jonathan nodded. But his eyes looked pained. Kadi bit back a smirk. He was lying, and she knew it. Now she would have to find out who he loved--just for the fun of it.

"Listen," Jonathan began.

"What?"

"I have some free time. I was wondering if you'd be interested in teaching me a little of that great riding you can do."

"Sure, let's go." Kadi was glad she would have something to do. To take her mind of Astrik for a while.

They made their way to the stable, and Kadi fetched her tack from the trunk the hostler, Stefan, had given her. Kadi rubbed Everglade's black coat to shine, and put her bridle on. She led the horse out of her stall, still feeling a bubble of happiness that wouldn't burst in her chest.

Everglade stomped and gave her mistress a look that said, "I don't want to go."

"That's nice," Kadi replied, stroking the mare's muzzle. "I don't want to try the palace horses. You're good enough for me, thank you very much."

Everglade glared, but didn't say anything else.

Jonathan led a skewbald stallion out of the stall down the isle, and led him over. He bore feather on his legs, the mark of a draft horse. A long white patch went across his right eye, which was blue instead of the dark brown that looked black. "Kadi, I would like you to meet Aranho. It's--"

"I know," Kadi replied. "It's in Maren. Aranho--peerless."

Jonathan smiled. "That's right. I forgot you're from Maren."

"It's K'mir, actually," Kadi went on, feeling proud that she knew something different. "There's a saying too. Saphlial micanna est tulio ne Aranho. When the Peerless one comes, all will flee."

"Riding bareback?" Jonathan asked with a smile.

"Why not?" Kadi replied, touching Aranho's muzzle. The stallion nickered a greeting. "Hello," Kadi said, staring into Aranho's big, black eyes.

"What?"

"I said 'hello'."

"No, you didn't."

Kadi frowned at Jonathan. "I didn't?"

He shook his head. "You said something in some other language. And what's more it's some other language I don't know. Can you do that again?"

"Do what again?" Kadi felt irritated now.

"Speak in that language again."

"I didn't speak in any language," Kadi insisted.

"Yes, you definitely did," Jonathan told her, crossing his arms over his blue tunic. "And I don't know what language it was."

Kadi opened her mouth to argue. "Just say 'hello' again! If that's what you said," Jonathan said crossly.

"Fine," Kadi grumbled. "Hello."

"That was Common," Jonathan said, shaking his head. "Maybe. . . You were touching Aranho when you said it. Try that."

Kadi felt silly as she reached out and touched Aranho's muzzle. But she did so. Stroking it gently she said, "Hello, Aranho."

"There you go!" Jonathan said triumphantly. "That wasn't in any language I've ever heard."

"It wasn't in Common?" Kadi asked, confused.

He shook his head.

"Or Maren, or K'mir?"

He shook his head, again.

Everglade nickered. Kadi turned to face her mare. "Say that again," she whispered. Everglade snorted and tossed her head. Kadi swallowed. "Did you hear that?" she asked Jonathan.

"Hear what?" he replied.

"I could have sworn someone just told me that I was speaking in the language of the Horse Whisperers. And the sound came from Everglade."

Everglade neighed, stomping her hoof insistently. Aranho tossed his head, nickering. "Can. . . are they saying something?" Jonathan asked, threading Aranho's reins through his fingers. He turned to the big stallion. "I have half a mind to hit you," he told him sternly. "I would if there wasn't a chance you were talking to Kadi. Obedience is the key to warhorse."

"Wait!" Kadi grabbed Jonathan's arm as it moved to slap Aranho on the shoulder to settle him. "Let me try." Kadi put her hand between Aranho's flaring nostrils. "Quit," she whispered. Something flooded her. Her arm felt very heavy, and then the weight lifted and Aranho settled down.

"By the Black God, Mithros, Goddess. . . You really are a Horse Whisperer, Kadi. If they really exist. Forget riding. We're going to talk to Numair."

"But--"

"Now." Jonathan's voice was deadly, his hand on Kadi's arm. A shiver passed down her spine. Her arm tingled. She shook the feeling away. That wasn't allowed. Silently, she led Everglade back to her stall, and untacked her.

"Don't you go being all joyous or anything," Kadi said sternly. Everglade nickered that she would most definitely be all joyous.

Grumbling Kadi waited in the isle, listening to the horses around her. The blue roan that she had seen Jonathan ride in the Royal Forest introduced himself as Elrigath, meaning friend in K'mir. A buckskin mare in the stall next to Elrigath said she was called Tierinel, meaning forever in K'mir, and was Burriram Tourakom's horse. On the other side of Elrigath a palomino mare said she was called Moonlight, and was Alanna's horse. All around Kadi the horses said their hellos, and shared bits of stable gossip. Kadi was particularly fond of sharp tongued Tierinel and Thayet's horse, a chestnut with a blaze and a stocking on her left front leg called Ralnsin, meaning gorgeous in K'mir.

"Kadi? Kadi? Helloooo?" Kadi was jerked back to reality as Jonathan shook her by the shoulders. "What's up?" he asked, meeting her eyes.

Kadi shook her head. The gentle throb of a headache on it's way pounded by her temple. "The horses," she whispered in awe. "They have voices. They talk to me."

Jonathan frowned. "Do they?" he asked. "I have to wonder if we should ever doubt Numair again. He's a genius to say the least. What did they say?" He took her by the arm as he talked and steered her out of the stable and through a courtyard to the palace. Then they turned down a corridor and headed for the library.

"The blue roan is your horse. He says his name is Elrigath. The little buckskin is Tierinel, Buri's horse. The chestnut with the blaze and stocking is Ralnsin, Thayet's horse. The palomino is Moonlight, Alanna's horse. And so is the bay charger she calls Chocolate. She rode him on our ride last week. And there's a group of horses that the pages who don't a horse ride."

Jonathan rubbed his temples. "And I thought work ended when I left the briefing room. . . Here we are." He motioned for her to go through the door first.

Kadi entered a large room with shelves stacked in every free area; so close that you could barely make your way between the shelves. Books and scrolls overflowed from them, and chairs were stuffed in all the free corners.

"This way." Jonathan led them along the wall and into a back room through a pair of heavy green curtains.

Kadi stepped inside after him, and blinked in the darkness. The only light in the room came from a candle placed atop a table. Stacks of books were all around it, and someone was craned over one, his face lit up by the candle. The curtains to the only window were pulled tight shut, and there were covers across all the bookshelves that needed keys to open.

Jonathan motioned for Kadi to follow, and she did. Jonathan stepped around some books on the floor, and tapped the man on the shoulder. He started, leaping to his feet.

"Numair, it's alright," Jonathan said quietly.

The man breathed a sigh of relief. Kadi studied him as he and Jonathan talked quietly for a moment. He was a dark skinned man with black hair tied back in a short horse-tail. He was at least six foot five, a good five-or-so inches taller than Jon. He had dark brown eyes, and was wearing a white shirt and green breeches.

Jonathan said something, and led Numair over. "Numair Salmalin, this is Kadina of Reliem, who goes by Kadi. We think she may be a Horse Whisperer."

Numair peered down at Kadi. "The last of the Horse Whisperers?" he asked, his voice a mere croak.

Wonder how long he's been reading, and eating all this dust, Kadi wondered.

"What makes you think that?"

"It as Raoul's assumption at first. And now I think I've proof enough for me. We went to the stables today, and she started talking in some foreign tongue to Aranho."

"You sure it's not something from north of Scanra perhaps?" Numair asked, fingering his horse-tail.

"No, I'm not sure. But she said she didn't even know she wasn't speaking Common. And when she told Aranho to quit it, he stopped."

Numair nodded. "What do you think, Kadi?" he asked. "Do you think you're a Horse Whisperer."

"I think I'm not sure, sir," Kadi said, deciding to play it safe. "I think that you're the one with the experience. And I know nothing about magic. Everyone in my family's Giftless. It's been that way for generations."

"Can anyone in your family talk to horses?" Numair asked.

Kadi shook her head. "Not that I'm aware, sir."

"Please, just Numair's fine."

Kadi nodded.

"Is she. . . Is it possible?" Jonathan asked.

Numair nodded. "Yes. It's very possible. I don't know if she's the last though. Let's hope she's not, because if she is. . ." He shuddered.

"What?" Jonathan asked.

"There is a prophecy," Numair said. "A prophecy that the last of the Horse Whisperers must bring them back, or die trying."

"And how does one do that if they're the last?"

"Magic. Magic, and a horse."

"I don't understand."

"I don't know," Numair said, sounding exasperated. "It's just a prophecy Your Majesty. They don't give exact details. What I know is that it is said it takes magic, and a horse with whom they have an inseparable bond. But. . . For all we know she's not the last! So it's no big deal."

"How does she have this ability if her family doesn't?"

"It can be dormant. It's possible that with so much blood that doesn't contain the gene, it's been all but wiped out. It's possible that it was dormant in her family line, and activated in her. By the Gods will, or by nature, I'm not sure. But that's more than likely what happened. There is. . . There is one thing though, that doesn't fit."

"What one thing?" Jonathan asked, running his fingers through his hair.

"It says in the prophecy that. . . That the child will be the son of Arany and Astrik."

Kadi's heart thumped in her chest at the mention of the name Arany. She must have turned pale, because Jonathan looked at her worriedly. "Are you alright, Kadi?" he asked, resting a hand on her arm.

A shiver of pleasure crept down Kadi's spine.

NO! she screamed at herself. I do not love him. I cannot. I will not!

"I'm fine," she choked out. "So, I'm not the last of the Horse Whisperers. That's nice to know." She smiled at the two men. But it was strained.

"There's a chance of course. Prophecy's can be a little flaky." Numair said.

"I have to go now," Kadi said. She had to go. Really. Before she burst into tears and spilled everything. It was her secret--to bear alone. She wouldn't burden them with it. She bowed to Jonathan--she was still wearing a shirt and breeches--and shook Numair's hand. Then she left quickly.

Ooh! R-E-V-I-E-W please!!! So. . . Why is she nervous at the mention of the name Arany? And what is her secret to bear alone? She loves Astrik. She pledged her heart to him. But Jonathan doesn't know everything about him. And. . . Dunh, dunh, dunh! Is she falling for Jonathan? Is that what it all means?