AN: Hello! long time to see, hu?
Thanks for your patient everyone with this chapter, It's a little later than I planned but I didn't get my university commitments wrapped up like I had hoped too. I've been working on research project that has dragged on longer that expected (like three months longer) and has taken up a lot of my time but it is likely to result in my first publication, which is very exciting as an undergraduate. The final stage of the report has kept me from writing this story after my exams finished, but I think I can safely say that it is finally done and I can devote my free time for this and next week to writing Stealing Time with out any guilt.
"We ran out of room on the main corridor, which when you think about it is a good thing." Mara lead Karigan and Cade around the corner at the end of the rider corridor. "You too are the first to have a room around here so the whole corridor is yours, just until we get more riders."
"That just means more privacy for the love birds." Tegan whispered loudly to Garth, the two had joined Mara in showing Karigan and Cade their new room. Karigan felt herself blush as the other couple giggled behind her and a glance at Cade's pink cheeks told her he had heard the comment too.
"It's the largest room on the corridor." Mara explained as she opened the door and stepped through for everyone to follow. "Fastion thinks it used to be a meeting room, or a common room."
Cade turned to Karigan with a surprised look. "Fastion likes exploring the older parts of the castle." She explained
It was a large room, by Rider wing standards certainly. Carved support pillars formed a natural divide between the two halves of the room. The close side had been fitted out like a small sitting room, with bookshelves and two comfortable looking if mismatched and worn armchairs in front of the hearth. The far side of the room was dominated by the large bed with gilt and elaborately carved headboard.
"It's a beauty isn't it?" Garth gestured to the bed and beamed proudly.
Karigan was rather at a lost for words to describe the bed, and shared a glance with Cade who looked similarly bemused.
"It's stunning." Mara supplied. "They are stunned."
Garth had also found a serviceable vanity for her and bureau for Cade, each completed by their friends with the essentials.
"Thank you, you have clearly gone to some trouble." Cade said looking up from the shaving kit laid out for him.
"It's no trouble," Garth shrugged, putting an arm around Tegan's sholders.
"Everyone wants you to feel welcome." Said Tegan. "You are an honorary Rider now."
"You have certainly done that." Cade assured her.
"Come to the common room, and meet all the green Greenies. Everyone is excited to meet you both and hear about your arrival at the feast for Aeryc's Night." Tegan suggested.
"Maybe latter, we have to visit Condor." Karigan said. She wasn't sure she was really up to handling everyone's curiosity and questions yet. She also wanted to have some time with Cade to her self, and didn't want to share him with all the curious Riders.
"We should all go to the Cock and Hen, and make a real celebration of your return!" Tegan nudged Garth, "let's tell everyone and organize it."
"All right," Said Mara, reading Karigan's silence better than the other riders. "Let's go and organize that for a few day's time. Give Karigan and Cade some time to settle in." She herded the other two out of the room shooting Karigan a smile over her shoulder as she left.
Karigan closed the door with relief and watched Cade take a seat on the bed running his hands through his hair.
"Are you okay, is this overwhelming?" She asked.
"A little." He admitted smiling up at her as she walked over to him.
"Are you going to be alright for your first training session tomorrow?"
"Oh yes." He smiled broadly. "I'm really looking forward to it. I'm just not sure I want to face a room of curious people with questions about the future."
Karigan nodded, completely understanding. "Let's dress warmly, and I'll take you to meet Condor."
Karigan wrapped an arm around Cade's back and leaned into his warmth as they watched Condor prance about the pasture. His excitement spread to the other horses and some of them leapt about with him. Every now and then Condor came back to the railing where they where and they would stroke his head and neck, Cade somewhat tentatively at first, before he cantered away again.
"I was worried he wouldn't like me." Cade admitted. "After Raven's response to me."
Remembering the stallion's possessiveness Karigan laughed. "Although Raven was an intelligent horse he didn't have Condor's sense." It was bitter sweet to remember Raven.
"He will be an intelligent horse. We will re-write the future and Raven will get to be a proper Green Rider horse, with a rider who cares for him as much as you love Condor." Cade promised her.
She met his determined look and nodded her agreement.
Condor whinnied and drew her attention back as pranced past them. She felt some stirrings of guilt as he clearly delighted in her attention.
"I should have visited him sooner." Karigan confessed.
"You have had a lot to deal with." Cade countered.
She knew that was true. Reports, visits and checks on her eye had filled the few days since she returned. Her eye… Karigan recalled the visit from Somial that morning and shivered remembering his words when he had looked at it. It seemed to make everyone uncomfortable and now she understood why.
"Are you to cold, should we go in?" Cade asked rubbing her shoulder.
"No, I want to watch Condor some more."
They did eventually retreat inside, when Cade protested his nose was frozen and burrowed it into Karigan's neck.
They remained very quite for the rest of the day and mostly kept to themselves. A brief appearance was made in the common room, but all of the attention focused on them was draining, and they retreated to their room quickly after dinner.
Karigan sat by Cade on the bed as he took off his boots. "This is nice, living together."
"It is." He agreed sitting up and smiling at her.
Karigan leaned over to kiss him, and as he kissed her back she threw her arms around his shoulders and pushed him backwards on to the bed. She felt him wince in pain and pulled back guiltily.
"I'm sorry." She mumbled.
"It's alright. You just have to be gentle with me Kari."
"I suppose I should let you rest." She said sitting up. "Not over-tax you. You have your first training session tomorrow morning after all."
Cade laughed. "I wouldn't go that far." He pulled her back down to kiss him again, and she didn't protest.
Cade was eager for his first training session. He had been a little disappointed to learn he wouldn't be training with Karigan's teacher Drent who everyone said was the best, but he also only took the best students and Cade would have to prove himself as such to get that change to train with him. He knew that Master Gresia was a sword master as well, and after he got over his initial disappointment he vowed to make the most of her training and show her the respect deserved by her master rank. He was aware that he still needed to work on changing some of his Empire-taught attitudes to women.
Karigan had taken him to the training grounds, having a session with Drent herself that morning. Cade was a little reluctant to leave her side after she pointed out Gresia, Karigan seemed apprehensive about her training, no doubt because of her eye. He wanted to sooth and support her, Cade knew however she wouldn't appreciate him cooing over her in public so he kissed her hand and wished her luck.
Arms Master Gresia was a serious looking woman in her middle years, with dark hair pulled back severely. She greeted Cade as he approached with a smile that momentarily changed her face from severe to kind.
"The captain tells me you have had some training, though not from an arms master." Gresia said. "So we better start by seeing what you can do. Warm up and we'll start with some basic forms."
Gresia gave Cade a practice sword and directed him to the middle of their ring. Remembering as best he could how Karigan had taught him to calm his breath and centre himself while moving Cade blocked the noises around them out and when through a few warming up excises. He felt a little hampered by his left arm in the sling, it changed his balance and put him off.
Once he had completed a short warm up Gresia started giving him basic forms to try. Cade was pleased to find he executed them well despite his injured shoulder; He was able to adjust his balance and compensate for it.
Quickly Gresia moved on to more difficult forms, beginning to really test Cade's ability. Far too often for his liking he felt himself fumble, or an execution wouldn't be as fluid as he wanted. However he knew all the forms she named.
"All right, interesting." Gresia muttered as she walked around him and picked up a practice sword herself. Cade felt a little frustrated, he wanted to know if he had done well or not.
Gresia stood before him and raised her sword in an easy defensive position. "Now I will give you a from, and you will use it to attack me."
At first she just blocked and met his swings, before beginning to dodge him and move around, making him chase and follow her. This was much more challenging that executing forms alone, but this was what sword fighting really was, focusing on your movements while having to consider the behavior of an opponent.
By the time the end of their session had come Cade was beginning to feel the strain of the exertion after spending a few days inactive, and so long before doing little more that riding in a cart all day.
"I'm not sure what to make of you." Gresia told him thoughtfully. "You know some very advanced forms and know them well, yet your basics are sloppy and you are poor at judging the movements of an opponent."
Cade shrugged. "I haven't done much sparing, and I've never had to fight with a sword."
"Hmm, it shows. Still you have promise, and even today I saw an improvement by the end of the session. If you are willing to work hard we could really make something of you."
Cade tried not to beam with pride at her words. "Thank you, I'll work really hard."
Gresia dismissed him, and Cade made his way back over to the castle entrance. He cast a glance over and saw Karigan still working with the man who must be Drent. He understood her trepidation now, Drent had her trying to attack him blindfolded, presumably following the sound of his feet. Cade watched as Drent landed a blow on the side Karigan left open and winced for her.
Feeling a surge of protectiveness Cade hurried away, he couldn't stay and watched that without wanting to hit the man back. Cade knew he wasn't a sword master, but he didn't understand how unnecessarily hitting his beloved would help her fight with one eye. Poor Kari, as if she hadn't suffered enough.
Reaching the Rider wing Cade quickly freshened up and changed into clean clothes, a borrowed rider shirt and the blue jacket Captain Mapstone had found for him. He had been given a few sets of clothing to make do for now, but this fit him best and he wanted to look presentable because he was going to speak to the king.
A Greenfoot runner met Cade outside the Rider wing at the appointed time and took him to the king's office.
When he was announced and let in the king greeted him in a friendly manner and offered him a seat.
"Captain Mapstone told me that you are interested in helping us with our little project." The king began and settled behind his desk.
"Yes. I would like to help in any way I can." Cade was uneasy, he was honored and flattered that they thought he could be of use, but he had no idea why the king had though of him.
"There are a number of records," The king explained. "Kept in the Castle library, at Selium and by the caretakers in the tombs. I have no idea if they will have any helpful information about this dragonfly device but I need someone to see what can be found. Officially, you are being hired to do some research for the Queen, to satisfy and interest she has in her family's early lineage."
The King handed Cade a letter. He opened it to find a formal letter of introduction to the Castle librarian, written in the queen's own hand. It introduced him as a scholar from her home province, and asked he be given the same access she would to the libraries' resources.
"You can write to Selium and request what information they have on the early Sealander Clan and the legends of the Sea Kings, and the Weapons will report to you about what the caretaker's records contain."
Cade folded the letter and looked up at the king. Zachary was watching him with an unreadable expression.
"I don't understand why you are asking me." Cade confessed.
Zachary sat back in his chair and looked thoughtful. "Unfortunately I have learnt the hard way that not everyone can be trusted. It has been far too easy for Second Empire to get people into the Castle and I don't want to run the risk of any information about this getting to them. Thus the cover story."
Cade frowned. "But that explanation makes it even more questionable that you would trust me, someone you don't know."
The king nodded. "I trust Karigan and Laren beyond doubt. I trust their opinion of you."
"I see." And he did, or at least he was beginning to.
"Here is an advance on your salary, to get you settled in." The king handed across a small purse of coins. "Did you have any other questions?"
Shaking his head Cade stood and thanked the king, knowing he was dismissed.
In the corridor out side the study Cade wondered how he was going to find the library.
That night after feeling like Drent had beaten her black and blue Karigan lay in bed and listened to Cade tell her about his afternoon exploring the library.
"I couldn't believe it, just how extensive the records are, so many that date back to the long war. I really makes me realize how much was lost in my time, how much of our heritage was destroyed." As Cade spoke the fire in their hearth lit up his expressions. Karigan happily watched, thinking enthusiasm defiantly enhanced to his good looks. "I realize what the professor and I uncovered was a small fraction of what there is to know. He would have loved the chance to explore the library."
"He would be happy his protégé is being given the chance." Karigan said.
Cade smiled sadly at her. "I wonder if in the new future, Professor Josston will meet a Cade. I wonder if I'll exist."
"What do you mean?" Karigan frowned. "You exist, you're here."
"I talked to the Eletians about it. Somial said he didn't understand how I could exist when the future I am from hasn't happened." Cade told her.
"If you think like that, you'll go mad." She whispered.
They where quiet for a moment, both consumed by their thoughts.
"Do you think you will find anything useful? In the records?" Karigan asked.
"The king isn't certain we will. But who knows?" Cade shrugged. "He thinks very highly of you, Zachary."
"I know." Karigan mumbled.
Cade look at her expectantly like he was waiting for her to say something else and Karigan felt terribly guilty. She felt guilty keeping this from him, but what could she say, how could she possibly explain this to him? It seemed the better option avoid it for now. She supposed she was being naïve not to think he would be a common topic of conversation between them. She squirmed under Cade's gaze and rubbed at her eye absentmindedly.
"Don't Kari." He muttered and held her hand away from her eye. "Is it hurting you?"
"It just itches."
"Do you want to take the bandage off and let it breath?"
She froze and she was sure her panic was clear on her face. This was another topic she didn't want to discuss, but it was one Cade was going to push.
"I know you think it will change things, but it won't Kari. You're my bright wondrous Green Rider. You will still be the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."
"Not tonight, not yet. I'm not ready." Karigan said.
"Alright." Cade stroked her hair soothingly. "I'll be here when you are ready."
NA: Please except my premiss about Cade and the research project. Sorry if I'd made mistakes, it's late and I can't proof read when I'm sleepy but I wanted to post it tonight.
