1
Raiyn had stopped talking about his dreams a long time ago. It wasn't that they weren't important, but he hated the feelings that always accompanied telling someone about them. Those who thought they were merely dreams treated them lightly, while those who knew their worth tended to exude a wariness that Raiyn had eventually realized was geared toward him as much as it was to what he had seen.
Still, as he woke in a cold sweat, gripping his bedsheets in terror, he wondered if this was something he should talk to someone about. It wasn't that he hadn't seen terrible things in the past…but this was different. It was a vision of the Later, but this one had ended so differently.
"Why?" he mumbled to himself. "The Later doesn't usually show Raiyn…"
He shuddered, pushing himself out of bed and moving to the door. He had lost any desire to go back to sleep, and he could see the first rays of dawn coming through the window. The kitchens would be baking pastries by now.
The guard at the door straightened at attention as Raiyn pulled it open, struggling just a bit with its heaviness. "Lord Raiyn! You're up early," the man said, offering a tight smile.
"Hello, Dran," Raiyn mumbled. "I'm going to get something to eat."
"I'll accompany you," Dran insisted, moving to follow.
"Please, don't—" Raiyn started, but Dran cut him off.
"By your parents' orders, my Lord," he reminded gently. Raiyn hesitated, and Dran paused as well. Raiyn turned to meet the guard's eye, holding his gaze. It only took a moment to locate the faint, golden thread tied to the man's soul…invisible to the eye, but easily found with Raiyn's abilities. He smiled, holding the guard's attention while reaching out with his own soul.
"I'll be fine, Dran. Please stay here," he murmured. Mentally, he pictured himself tugging on the thread, wrapping it gently around one finger. When he saw the guard's expression go lax, he sighed internally. That should be enough.
"Well…if you're sure," Dran conceded, slightly dazed as he moved back to his post. Raiyn mentally released Dran's thread and moved quickly to disappear down the hallway. He tried to distract himself with thoughts of pastries, but his chest felt tight.
Father will be angry, his voice whispered in his mind. Dran will get in trouble. Is it worth it, just to walk alone?
He was so lost in his own emotions that he didn't pick up on Pippa's feelings until he had stumbled into her sight. He looked up when he realized, but it was too late—she had spotted him.
"Raiyn!" she called, practically bounding down the hallway. Her hair was tied back tightly in multiple plaits, and she already seemed to be covered in a sheen of sweat. She had clearly been up before the dawn, most likely training. He supposed that made sense; Raiyn couldn't remember a time when she hadn't been on the move.
"Pip," he replied, trying to mask his feelings. Usually, the sight of his cousin cheered him up, but right now he was having a hard time keeping his dream from her. Of anyone, Pippa was the most likely to listen to him without reacting negatively to him, but if he told her what he had seen, he knew she would still worry about what it meant.
"You usually sleep in," she accused, pinning him in a headlock and rustling his hair. "You just couldn't contain your excitement, huh, birthday boy?"
Raiyn blinked, not bothering to try fighting his cousin's hold, since he knew it would be useless. "That's right," he remembered. "It's Raiyn's birthday today."
The headlock tightened. "Wanna try that again?" Pippa demanded, and Raiyn winced.
"It's…my birthday today," he corrected, and Pippa finally released him with a sigh.
"It's been a while since you slipped into third person," she accused. "But you're eight now. You can't keep talking like that, or people will think you're slow or something."
They already think that, Raiyn thought dryly. "I'm sorry," he offered. "I wasn't paying attention."
"Yeah, you seem a little distracted," Pippa agreed, folding her arms. Suddenly, she was studying him closely. "By the way, where's your bodyguard? You're supposed to have one."
Raiyn winced. "You don't have one," he pointed out, trying to slip by her. "Besides, I'm just going to the kitchen—"
Pippa grabbed his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. Though still technically on the short side for a sixteen-year-old, she made up for it with brute strength. "I don't have to have a bodyguard because I'm strong enough to beat anyone who could even be assigned to be my bodyguard," she reminded. "Until you can claim to do the same, you're supposed to have one." She narrowed her eyes. "You didn't weasel out of it by pulling your tricks again, did you?"
Raiyn glanced at her. "I'm hungry," he muttered, meeting her eye. Her thread was visible, but he didn't dare touch it. Pippa had learned long ago what his manipulation felt like, and he knew he wouldn't get away with it.
And you're supposed to do it at all, ever…whether you can get away with it or not, the voice inside chided, causing him to wince again.
"Well…I guess I can let it slide, since it's your birthday…but don't blame me if you get another infamous Hershel-lecture for it," she sighed as she released him again. "But before you scamper off, I have something for you."
Raiyn turned, his interest piqued. Pippa flashed him a grin before pulling the sword from the sheath at her waist.
"Ta-da!" she said, holding it out. Raiyn stared at it before looking up at her.
"Um…your sword?"
He smile faded as she gave him a long look. "I swear…you basically can read people's minds, and yet you're horrible at noticing things right in front of your face." She held up the sword. "This doesn't look anything like my sword—mine's way longer, with a totally different hilt!"
Raiyn stared at it blankly. "Um…if you say so."
"Take it," Pippa insisted, forcing it into his hands. He accepted it gingerly, and she positioned it correctly in his hands. "See? It's a shortsword. It has a totally different feeling, right?"
"Swords don't have feelings," Raiyn countered. "They're just hunks of metal."
His observation earned him a swat on the back of the head. "Respect your blade! It's the first rule of being a swordsman!"
"My blade?" he repeated, the realization dawning. "So…this is your gift to me?"
"It's a good weapon," Pippa insisted. "Even if it was made by mop-head."
Raiyn squinted at the insignia on the blade. "Oh…Teag made this," he realized.
"You smile at that?" Pippa demanded. "It's not from him—I paid for it! It's from me!" She huffed angrily, pushing a curl out of her face that had escaped one of her plaits. "The thing is, you're definitely old enough to learn how to defend yourself. It's time you start carrying something like this."
"I appreciate the thought," Raiyn offered, still holding the sword gingerly. "But…I already have a knife."
Pippa rolled her eyes. "A healer's knife, barely sharp enough to cut flower stalks. That isn't going to do you any good if you get attacked. You're the Heir of the West, remember? I shouldn't have to remind you that you could be targeted at any time."
"I just…I don't really like the thought of hurting people," Raiyn pointed out, wishing he had somewhere that he could put the sword down so he didn't have to keep holding it.
"If they're attacking you, you have to hurt them!" Pippa snapped. "Don't you remember everything that happened four years ago?"
"I remember fine," Raiyn assured, looking at his reflection in the sword. "But if someone attacks me, I'll just ask them to stop."
"That's not how the world works," Pippa chided. "I wish you wouldn't act so naïve. It makes me worry about you." She took the sword from him, using it to do a few practice swings. "I have a sheathe for it, but I forgot it at my dad's forge. We'll pick it up tonight, when we go to the central province to see them."
"Isn't it technically Teag's forge?" Raiyn asked, with a knowing smile.
Pippa scowled. "How many times do we have to go over this? It's my Dad's—he just lets Mop-head use it. My parents wouldn't have moved to that village if they really trusted him to run it on his own."
"I guess," Raiyn offered. His stomach was growling now, and Pippa snorted.
"Well, I'll let you go get something to eat. After all, Uncle Hershel will want to see you once he's up, I'm sure."
Raiyn smiled, but inside, he felt cold. "Right, he probably will," he agreed, the memory of his nightmare coming to his mind. "Um…thanks for the sword, Pip. I'll see you later!"
"You sure will—there should be plenty of time for some sword practice before we leave for the central province!" she called as he hurried down the hall toward the kitchen.
Raiyn shuddered as he walked away. "So much to look forward to," he muttered, praying that there would at least be pastries waiting for him.
Considering that they'd been married for years now, Theo thought he would be better at extracting himself from bed in the morning, but as he felt Rook's arms tighten around him, he realized he had once again failed.
"Where are you going?" Rook mumbled. "It's early and you don't have any meetings today."
"Yeah, but I'm hungry," Theo pointed out, rolling over to face her. Rust-colored eyes peered at him through a mess of bed-head.
"You bottomless pit," she accused. "Sometimes it feels like you love food more than me."
"Not true," he scoffed, moving her hair out of her face. "Come on, Rook…you're not usually this clingy."
"It's cold," she argued, though she had a hint of her usual smirk now. "It's still winter, you know. You're really going to leave me here to freeze alone?"
"It never gets that cold in the south," Theo argued, but then he leaned forward to kiss her good morning. Rook finally released him, rolling onto her back.
"You're sure you're just hungry?" she asked, her eyes following him as he got out of bed. "Or maybe you're having trouble sleeping, because you're going to visit your parents today?"
Theo glanced at her, and Rook raised an eyebrow. "I go visit them all the time," he pointed out, pulling on a tunic. "I'm not scared of them, you know."
"Mmmm…but you're going to bring it up today, aren't you?" Rook pressed.
Theo fumbled with his belt, taking a few tries before he managed to get it on right. "Well, yeah. That's the plan."
"I remember the plan being that you talk to them about this months ago," Rook countered. "But you keep getting cold feet."
Theo strapped on his sword. "It's not cold feet. It just wasn't the right time before."
"So what makes today so special?" Rook asked, pushing herself upright.
The Southern Leader shrugged, scraping his hair back into a bun. "Today we agreed to go over more of the logistics of the Coronation," he reminded. "So…it's a better time to bring it up." The hair slipped through his fingers before he could get it properly secured, and struggled for another minute before he felt Rook's hands take over.
"And…you're sure you don't want me to come with you today?" she asked softly, finishing his hair.
Theo sighed. "It's not that I don't want you there…but I don't want them distracted by having you there when I bring it up. I still don't know exactly how they're going to respond."
"You don't think they'll call off the coronation, do you?" Rook murmured. Theo turned around to give his wife a tight smile.
"I wouldn't think so. They've been talking about retiring for the last two years, so now that they've finally picked a date and let the other leaders know, it would be awkward to take it back now."
"I guess," Rook agreed, scanning his outfit as if looking for any other flaws she could fix. After a moment, she sighed. "Well, don't let me keep you from your breakfast, Sir bottomless pit."
"Mmm...maybe breakfast can wait a few more minutes," Theo countered with a smirk as he wrapped his arms around Rook's waist. She kissed him back when he kissed her, but then Rook pulled away to give him a serious look.
"Theo…promise me you'll talk to them about it today."
His smile faded, but he held her gaze. "I promise."
If there was one thing that continued to shock Raiyn throughout his life, it was the fact that people generally seemed more comfortable in his father's presence than his mother's. He wasn't sure exactly when he became aware that people treated his parents differently, but it boggled him that the general consensus was that Myrah was aloof and difficult to read, while Hershel was considered a warm and approachable person.
Being able to sense how people felt was different than understanding their reasons behind the feelings they had, and Raiyn had dedicated a lot of time to thinking about the latter. Eventually, he had reached the personal conclusion that most people simply didn't know his parents very well. To some, his mother's emotions were hard to predict, similar to how people who only visit the ocean on very rare occasion have a hard time determining whether the crashing waves they see on a given day should be considered calm or intense. For Raiyn, who had lived been near both the ocean and his mother his entire life, understood both very well. With a simple look, he could tell whether Myrah was happy, stressed, calm, or upset, even if her expressions or body language didn't seem obvious.
His father, on the other hand, was the one person Raiyn still hadn't figured out. On the surface, Hershel was like a calm lake, which is probably why most people found him less intimidating than Myrah. However, a calm surface could still be hiding any manner of turmoil in its depths. Though all people mask their emotions at various times for various reasons, Raiyn could still always sense someone's true feelings if he put in the effort to. The only exception was his father—Hershel was a master of keeping his feelings barred from Raiyn. He could be smiling, his body language calm and even affectionate…and yet the barricade masking his inner feelings would be as unyielding as ever, blocking Raiyn from sensing them. The only times that Hershel's feelings were palpable to Raiyn were in times when he was interacting with other people, or when he was very upset.
Though Raiyn knew that Hershel could technically be feeling whatever he looked like he was feeling, not being able to know with certainty was unnerving, and besides…if his father was happy around him, why bother hiding his feelings at all? Why block off his access to the depths of the lake, unless there were things there he didn't want Raiyn to know?
"Lord Raiyn?" Dran's voice cut into Raiyn's thoughts, and he blinked as he came out of his stupor. The door to his father's office was in front of them, and Raiyn tried to keep the smile on his face. After breakfast, he had returned to his room to allow Dran to join him. After all, he knew that if he showed up to speak with his father without an escort, he would be sealing his fate for the lecture Pippa mentioned.
"Sorry, I was thinking," Raiyn offered. "Did you already knock?"
"Not yet," Dran offered, and Raiyn reached out to do so himself. After a pause, his father called from inside.
"Come in."
Raiyn released the breath he was holding. He hadn't been sure his father was even inside, given that he couldn't sense him the way he could anyone else, whether there were walls and doors in the way or not.
"I'll be waiting for you here," Dran offered as he pushed the door open. "Don't sneak out without me when you're done."
Raiyn nodded and entered Hershel's office, trying to keep himself from worrying too much. The smell of the office enveloped him—a mix of various drying herbs and strongly-brewed tea. Hershel was seated at his desk, organizing and stamping various parchment. He looked up as Raiyn came in, offering a smile.
"Hello, Raiyn," he said, gesturing to the comfortable chair near his desk. "I'm almost done."
Raiyn obliged, sinking into the chair while he studied his father. Hershel worked quickly, his eyes scanning each page before stamping. When he finally put the stack of finished work off to the side, he picked up his cup of tea and finished the remainder with a single gulp.
"Would you like some?" Hershel offered, reaching for another cup after refilling his own with more tea.
"Um…no." Raiyn rubbed his arm, and his father's smile faded.
"What is it?" he asked, and Raiyn glanced up to see Hershel studying him closely.
How can he always tell how I'm feeling, when he doesn't even have power? Raiyn thought bitterly. He tried a smile. "What is what?" he asked, but Hershel's expression didn't change.
"What's bothering you?"
"Nothing," Raiyn insisted, but as his father continued to watch him, he couldn't help but fidget in the chair. "Pip said that you wanted to see me."
"I did," Hershel agreed, setting the teapot to one side, unconsciously rubbing the large dent in its side. "But now that you're here, it's clear something's bothering you. What is it? Did you have another dream?"
Raiyn flinched, and Hershel's brow furrowed.
"What did you see?" he asked carefully, and Raiyn struggled to swallow around the lump in his throat. He wasn't sure why he thought he could hide it from his father, and the fact that he had failed was hardly surprising. Still, he couldn't help but feel a little bitter.
"It was…different," Raiyn managed at last. "Usually, I see other people. This time, it was Raiyn…er, me. I was on a big rock at night, and the ocean was all around me, crashing. There were flowers everywhere, growing straight out of the rock somehow. I'd never seen that place before, but it felt familiar, and…"
He trailed off, realizing suddenly that he could sense something. His eyes flicked up to meet Hershel's, and though his father's expression didn't betray as much, he was certain he felt fear coming from him. Fear? I haven't even told him the scary part yet, Raiyn thought in surprise.
"Um…Father?" he prompted, and Hershel blinked.
"You know, not every dream has to mean something," he offered with a tight smile, and the feeling of fear disappeared once again behind his wall. "Everyone dreams about being in new places or with new people from time to time. It's actually pretty normal."
Raiyn felt a flash of annoyance. "But it wasn't normal," he insisted. "It was definitely showing me the Later."
Hershel fidgeted with his cup of tea. "How could you be sure?"
"Because it smelled like it…tasted like it," Raiyn explained, frustrated that he didn't have a better way to describe how it all worked in his mind. "I know the Later, just like I know the Before and the Now. I don't get them mixed up anymore like I used to—"
"Well, what else happened in this dream?" Hershel asked, cutting him off. His tone was light, and Raiyn wasn't sure whether his father was truly not taking him seriously, or if he was purposefully keeping things from him again. Why are you so full of secrets? Raiyn wondered, still feeling frustrated. Why do you close yourself off from me?
"Um…I don't really remember the rest," Raiyn lied, averting his gaze. His father might be able to tell that he was lying, but he didn't care. If his father wasn't going to trust him with things, then Raiyn would return the favor.
"Hmm. If you have another dream like it, let me know," Hershel said, his gaze on his tea. "If it's really bothering you, we could speak with Iona about it."
Raiyn bristled. "The last time I asked Yona for help with my dreams, she gave me that tea," he reminded. "The one that made it so I wouldn't dream at all."
"Well…if these dreams are keeping you up at night, that isn't good for your health," Hershel tried gently. "Maybe it would be better if—"
"It wouldn't," Raiyn cut in, his tone sharper than usual. His hands balled into fists as she stared at his father. "I don't like it."
There—he swore he saw his father flinch, but the next moment Hershel was continuing like nothing was wrong. "All right. I can talk to Iona about it for you, if you want…and tell her you don't want the tea." He sat his cup off to one side, though he hadn't actually drunk any of it yet. "Anyway, is there anything else you want to talk about?"
"Um, not really. You're the one who wanted to see me," Raiyn reminded.
Hershel blinked. "Oh…right. Well, I wanted to give you this." He fumbled around his desk for a moment before finally coming across what he was looking for. He passed it across the desk to Raiyn, who accepted it gently. It was a leather-bound book, with the Western Fortress Crest on it. Raiyn opened it and realized that the pages were blank. "Your mother mentioned that you said you wished you had a place to keep all your thoughts, since they get crowded in your head," Hershel explained. "Now that you're doing better with reading and writing, we got you this, so you'd have a place to keep your extra thoughts."
"Oh," Raiyn mumbled. It was a good gift, better than a sword…but instead of excitement, Raiyn just felt shame for the way he had just been thinking about his father.
"Do you not like it?" Hershel asked, and Raiyn glanced at his father again.
"I do!" he insisted, his grip tightening on the book. "I just…um. Writing is difficult, and mother still can't read most of what I write during our lessons. I don't want to mess up the book with all my scribbles."
Hershel's expression softened. "I see," he offered. "Well…you've been practicing hard, but I know it isn't easy for you. But you know, I was older than you are when I first learned how to read and write."
"You've told me that before," Raiyn said, staring down at the book. "But…it only took you so long because you had no one to teach you. I've had lots of people, but it just doesn't work in my head the way it's supposed to." He could feel tears starting to sting his eyes, and he felt a flash of panic. This is a nice gift, he chided himself. If you cry, father will take it the wrong way, and think you hate it. Then who knows what he'll think about you then.
"Don't be too hard on yourself," Hershel offered, pushing himself to his feet as he moved around the desk. "It will come, Raiyn. Some things are easier for some people, and some things are harder. It's just life."
It's not just life, Raiyn thought, desperately trying to keep his tears at bay. I'm different—why won't you admit that? Why do you and Mother always skirt around it? I'm not the same as everyone else…they can't see the Later, or the Before. They can't feel someone's emotions from across the realm.
"This is your book, so it doesn't matter if other people can read it, anyway. As long as you know what the words say, then that's all that matters…right?" Hershel finally prompted.
"Right," Raiyn whispered. "Thank you for the gift. When mother is finished with her meeting, I'll thank her as well."
"Meeting?" Hershel asked, suddenly looking puzzled. "I don't think she has a meeting today."
"She's in one now," Raiyn insisted, honing in on his mother's feelings from across the fortress to be sure. "She's with Duljac and some others I don't really know very well." He furrowed his brow, focusing further. "I think…Duljac is asleep. It must be a boring meeting."
His father didn't answer, and when Raiyn looked up again, Hershel's expression had the same glazed over look that it often took when Raiyn talked about his powers. Raiyn immediately fell quiet, wondering if he had said something wrong, but then his father smiled and put a hand on his head.
"I'm sure she'll love to see you once it's over, then," he said before moving to the door. "I've got a few classes I'm teaching this afternoon, but make sure you're ready to leave a few hours before nightfall, and we'll head to Syn and Tolan's. And Raiyn…we'll be taking the hoofers this time."
Raiyn felt a flash of panic. "But—"
"You rode them all the time with me when you were younger," Hershel reminded. "Just because you know how to transport doesn't mean you should use it for anything but emergencies, remember?"
"All right," Raiyn muttered. "But Pip won't be happy."
"Pippa enjoys hoofer riding," Hershel corrected. "And…I think you could too, if you let yourself. They never scared you when you were younger."
"Can I ride with Mother, at least?" Raiyn asked, shuddering at the thought of the large animals.
"You're big enough now that you really should be riding your own," Hershel pointed out. "Do you want Syn and Tolan to see you double-riding at your age?"
"They don't care. I don't care," Raiyn insisted. "The hoofers don't listen to me when I ride them alone. I can't make them do what I want. They're not like people—" He cut off the sentence as he realized what he was saying, but his father had already paused. "They can't understand when I talk to them, I mean, and I'm still not good at using reins," the boy corrected quickly.
"Right," Hershel murmured, his expression hard to read. "Anyway, be sure you're ready to leave tonight, and make sure you stay with Dran."
"I will," Raiyn promised, wondering if his father was aware he had gone to breakfast that morning without his bodyguard.
"See you tonight," Hershel offered, but he headed out the door without waiting for Raiyn's reply.
It's almost like…he's running away from me, Raiyn thought, but he shook the thought from his head, turning his attention to the book in his hands. If he could find a quiet place to hide from Pippa, maybe he could spend the afternoon filling his new book with thoughts instead of practicing with a sword he already knew he'd never use.
2
The food kept sticking in Theo's throat, and his parents seemed concerned as he began coughing once again.
"Are you getting sick?" his father asked, and Theo waved off his concern.
"Just keep inhaling crumbs," he assured with a final cough. "Sorry."
"So, do you think the south will be able to adjust to the leadership change?" Keyda asked as they continued to eat in the rulership's private dining room.
"I'm sure everyone will go through growing pains at first, but I think ultimately it will be alright." Theo leaned back in his chair and sighed. "Honestly, I feel like Dynmar is going to have a relatively easy time taking over. I feel like most southerners like him better than me, anyway—he's a southerner himself, and served under both Ottan and me."
"He seems capable," Cole agreed. "Even though he's only attended to the Central Meetings in a training capacity, the times I've talked to him make it clear he has a good head on his shoulders. He also gets along well with the other leaders…even Pescar, which is a good sign. Ancients know it would be nice for the South and East to get along for once."
"Mahlyn is still planning on staying on as his Captain of the Guard, right?" Keyda pressed.
"Yes," Theo agreed. "And Ylba wants to stay on as the healer…but we'll see if Dynmar is willing to keep her on. She comes in handy occasionally…but has a tendency to slack off whenever possible."
"Are there any other issues that need to be addressed before you leave the South to Dynmar for the coronation?" Cole asked.
Theo nearly said no, but the word caught in his throat as easily as the crumbs. His parents seemed to notice, and he reached for his cup of tea. "Well…there is something, but it's on a personal note."
His heart began to pound, and he thought about all the other times the last few months he had tried to bring this up. He had brainstormed a thousand different ways he could have this conversation, but now his mind had gone completely blank.
"What is it?" Keyda asked, her tone gaining an edge.
"I want to get bound to Rook." The words slipped out, and he felt the blood rush to his face. His parents were silent, and he risked a glance up, expecting shock or concern. Instead, he saw his parents sharing a long look.
"Be honest with us, Theo," his mother finally said as she looked back at him. "Is she pregnant?"
Theo's face flushed even redder. "No! She's not. That's not why I want to get bound to her." He cleared his throat, trying to organize his thoughts. "She's been by my side the entire time I was in the south. I never would have made it through all those years there without her, and I want her by my side the rest of my life. So…I want your permission to hold a binding. My binding."
"Well, I can't say we haven't seen this coming," Cole offered with a smile, surprising Theo. "We've been well aware that the two of you have been…um…"
"Intimate," Keyda supplied, giving her son a pointed look. "Honestly, we thought you would have brought up binding earlier."
Theo rubbed his neck, feeling a rush of shame. He hadn't necessarily been trying to hide his and Rook's intimacy from his parents, but realizing that they'd known the whole time felt embarrassing. "Does that mean…you aren't against it?" he asked tentatively.
Rather than answer right away, his parents made eye contact again. "We aren't…against it. But doing it directly after your coronation may not be the best timing," Cole tried.
"Why?" Theo demanded. "I'm not afraid of letting everyone know what she means to me."
"It's not about that," Keyda tried. "A binding would give Rook political power—make her part of a Rulership. In the south, everyone was aware of your romantic relationship, but she didn't have the power of a leader."
"I don't care that it gives her political power," Theo argued. "In fact—I want her to have political power." He studied his parents accusingly. "Do you really think that she's still plotting something, after everything? That she's just been playing the long game to get political power?"
"Of course not," Cole cut in with a sigh. "But…others in the realm could take it that way."
"So what?" Theo asked. "You guys didn't care about what people would think of Dad getting bound to you, and he was an outsider."
"You're talking about a big commitment, Theodynn," his mother pointed out. "We just want to make sure that you aren't rushing into it."
"Rushing?" Theo repeated, dumbfounded. "We've known each other for five years, and been together for four of them! You guys were bound younger than I am now, I would add."
"We aren't saying that you can't get bound," Cole tried. "We just think it may be good to take another step in your relationship before getting bound."
Theo just stared. "Like what?"
"Well," Cole said, glancing at Keyda. "You guys could get married first, for instance. Have a big wedding in Ninjago, and then after you've been Ruler for a year or two and things are going well and you have everything under control, we could do the binding."
Theo's heart sunk. "You…think we should get married?" he repeated.
"It's the same as being bound, technically," Cole pointed out. "The commitment is the same, but we just think that a wedding wouldn't complicate things so close to you taking over the realm."
"I…we…" Theo's throat felt tight, and he scrambled to figure out how to reply.
"It's not an oni tradition, but if Rook would be against it, then I don't know that she's really wanting to get bound for the right reasons," Keyda added.
"She's not against it," Theo snapped, his face burning with further shame.
"How do you know?" Cole asked in surprise. "Have you two talked about Ninjago marriages before?"
"I know because…we're already married." The confession slipped out, and Cole and Keyda stared at him in shock.
"You're…what?" Cole asked, and Keyda pushed herself to her feet.
"Look, I meant to tell you guys before now, I swear," Theo stammered as he stood as well. "In fact, the fact that the secret never got out in the last three years—"
"What are you talking about?" Keyda demanded. "You got married? In secret?" A whip of aural wind rustled the dishes on the table. "Did you say three years?"
"I just…I wanted to show Rook I was committed, and I knew it wasn't the time for a binding back then," Theo tried. "So we eloped—"
"Where? In Ninjago?" Cole asked. "Who all knew about this?"
"Uh…" Theo trailed off, his heart pounding as he studied his parents' hurt expressions. "It…wasn't supposed to be a big deal. Like we just signed the paperwork at the courthouse—there was no ceremony or anything."
"And you didn't think that we would have liked to know?" Keyda demanded. "Or that we would have liked to have been there?"
"It was back when all that stuff had gone down with me getting sick, and you guys blamed Rook—"
"So you decided to have a wedding and not invite us as punishment?" his mother guessed angrily.
"No…listen. I just didn't want anything distracting from the moment—"
"And we would have been distracting?" Cole asked, and the disappointment in his expression was crushing. Theo struggled to figure out how to dig himself out of this, but he had already known that they wouldn't take this news well. It's why he hadn't ever told them, and honestly, he hadn't been planning on bringing it up today.
"I always was planning on us getting bound, so the marriage thing just happened on a whim," Theo tried. "Considering how intense bindings are, and how many people will be there for it, I didn't want a big ceremony for the wedding. It was…more personal, just between us, so we'd know we were committed to each other. But obviously I want you involved in my binding—it was always supposed to be the ceremony that would include everyone."
"Does Amber know you got married without your family?" Keyda demanded. "Or have you kept this from your sister, as well?"
Theo hesitated. "She…uh." He cleared his throat, and his father narrowed his eyes.
"She knew, didn't she?" Cole realized.
"And she wasn't upset about not being there?" Keyda scoffed. "I'm shocked she didn't tell us about it!"
"I asked her not to—"
"Because you knew we would be upset!" Keyda accused, and Theo flinched as he saw the tears in his mother's eyes.
"Please, don't take this as some kind of personal attack," Theo begged.
"It's hard for it to not feel personal," Cole pointed out, folding his arms.
"People elope all the time," Theo tried. "Ashley—"
"Ashley at least told everyone that she and Will were married afterward," Cole cut in. "She didn't hide it from her own parents for three years! They were the first ones who were told about it."
"And…I wanted to tell you," Theo tried. "There just was never a good time. I knew you'd react like this—"
"Do we not have a right to feel hurt?" Keyda demanded. "How would you feel, in our shoes?"
Theo sighed. "I'd be hurt, too," he admitted. "I didn't do it to hurt you, but at the time…I don't know. I didn't think you guys would have approved of the marriage, so I thought…" he trailed off, and Cole sighed.
"That it would best to leave us out of it completely?" his father finished.
Theo didn't answer, but he knew his expression betrayed his feelings. They were staring at him, no doubt still waiting for an explanation that made sense, but there wasn't anything else to say. "I'm sorry," he offered at last.
"You're sorry?" Keyda muttered. "But you wouldn't have even told us today, if we hadn't brought up marriage. Was your plan just to keep it from us forever? Or just until you got permission for the binding?" She threw her hands up into the air. "Would you even be asking our permission for that, if it wasn't required? If you could get bound privately, you probably would have already, huh?"
"Stop," Theo begged. "Look, I really do want your blessing for the binding, and not just because it's required…and I want you there, too. I want everyone there who wants to come."
They didn't respond, and when Keyda moved to leave the room, Theo's heart sunk. He supposed he really couldn't blame them for being hurt, and found himself wishing he had told them years ago, so they could already be at a point where they'd moved past it. If they ever move past it.
"You don't wear a wedding band," Cole pointed out softly as Keyda left the room. "So…you wanted your marriage to stay secret, at least from us."
"We didn't exchange rings," Theo explained, looking down at his hand. "It's…something I wanted to do at my binding, the way you and Mom did."
"Then why get married at all?"
"Because I wanted Rook to know that I loved her and wanted to be with her forever, not just during our time in the south. She had this fear that I'd kick her to the curb the second I became the Ruler someday. I needed a way to show her I was committed…and by agreeing to do it, she showed that she was committed to me as well."
Cole was silent, and Theo didn't say anything else while he waited for his father to answer. After a few minutes, Cole rubbed his face. "Well…don't expect us to answer about a binding immediately. Here we were, thinking we had reached a point of trust with you."
"Dad—"
"We'll talk again soon. For right now…I think we need some time to think about everything," Cole said. "Your elopement aside, I still don't think right now is a good time for a binding."
Theo wanted to argue further, but he finally sighed, realizing there wasn't anything really left to say. "I'll come back in a few days, and we can talk again," he relented. Cole nodded, and then went to follow his wife. However, he paused at the door, glancing back at his son.
"When you come back, bring Rook," he said. Theo blinked in surprise, but then Cole had disappeared through the door.
The village was on the smaller side, but close enough to the Central Fortress that you could see it in the distance. Pippa had never expected her parents to settle down in the Central Province…honestly, she hadn't ever really expected her parents to settle down at all. It felt like every other year they were moving to one place or another, so the fact that they had stayed put in this village for the past few years in a row actually made her wonder if this was the place they were planning on staying forever, or whether they would grow tired of it and move again soon.
Pippa pulled her hoofer to a stop as they reached her parents' house. Rather than a tent, the house was made of stone and mortar. Her father always said it was because a tent was tricky to set up and maintain in a village full of permanent structures, but Pippa suspected that they were actually putting down roots here. After all, the only reason they had moved here at all was so her father could be closer to the forge he had built while still being near the central fortress; if he was still planning on working there for the time being without living there, she supposed there weren't many better options than this.
At the sound of hoofers, Syn opened the door and poked her head out. When she caught sight of Pippa, the woman smiled warmly. "Tolan! They're here—come help with the hoofers."
"We don't really need help," Pippa pointed out, dismounting so she could bring the hoofer over to the stalls her father had built next to the home. One of the stalls had Shadow, the hoofer her father used to get to and from the fortress, but the other two were empty. Pippa glanced back at her aunt and uncle, who were dismounting as well. "We brought too many hoofers again."
"You can tie yours up over here by the trough," a familiar voice ordered, and she looked up to see her father coming out of the door near the stalls.
"Tot—I mean…Uncle Tolan!" Raiyn called, having dismounted from his mother's hoofer.
"I see you rode here today, Squirt. Honestly, we were expecting you to pop in unannounced like always," Tolan said.
Raiyn didn't answer, fidgeting with the collar of his shirt. Syn left the doorway to come give him a hug. "Don't mind your Uncle…we don't mind when you pop in to visit, you know."
"We're encouraging him not to rely on transporting so much," Hershel offered, and Syn moved to hug her brother.
"Heya, Hershel. How have things been?"
Pippa moved up to her father, bored with the normal small-talk pleasantries. "Hey, Raiyn—I bet my dad will show you a few tricks with your new sword while we're here."
Raiyn's expression clouded, and Tolan glanced at his daughter. "That's right—you had Hot-stuff make him a sword," he said.
"It turned out pretty good, despite Teag being the one who made it," Pippa admitted. "But I left the sheath at the forge—did you happen to see it?"
Tolan shrugged. "Not that I remember. It's probably still there now—why don't you go pick it up and tell Teag it's quitting time. He was supposed to be here an hour ago."
Pippa rolled her eyes. "Same old mop-head, it sounds like," she muttered. "Don't let Raiyn eat all the loaves while we're gone, though."
"I only did that once," Raiyn pointed out as he came over. He looked uncomfortable, still tugging at his collar the way he did when he was nervous. Pippa reached out to grab his hand.
"Leave it. You look nice."
"It's scratchy," Raiyn mumbled. Pippa knew he hated wearing his formal clothes—in fact, she knew that he would still run around shirtless like he did as a little kid if he thought he could get away with it. After her rebuke, he stopped messing with his collar, but then he was swiping at the hair in his face.
"Is your hair bothering you, Raiynee?" Syn asked, having come over to join them. Raiyn didn't answer, but Syn gently removed his hair tie so she could redo his hair, which had become mussed from the hoofer ride. Raiyn stood frozen until she finished, and Syn smiled as she cupped his face.
"You really do look just like your father," she murmured. "A spitting image of Hershel when he was younger."
Raiyn flushed, and Pippa sighed.
"I keep telling him he should cut it off, if it bothers him so much," she pointed out.
"But it looks so nice," Syn argued, tugging on his little ponytail. "You look so grown up, Raiyn."
"Thank you, Aunt Syn," Raiyn offered stoically, and Tolan snorted.
"You sure talk a lot more formally than you used to, Squirt," he pointed out.
Raiyn fidgeted, his hand going up to his collar again. "Pip said I talked like a baby too much. She said people will take me more seriously if I talk like this."
"Pippa," Syn chastised, shooting her daughter a look.
"What?" Pippa demanded, folding her arms. "I'm not wrong! He sounds closer to his age now that he isn't using words like 'mama' and 'daddy' and 'pip-pip.' He's eight now, you know."
"I know," Syn replied, pulling Raiyn in for another hug. "But it feels like just yesterday he was born!"
Raiyn melted into her embrace, burying his face into his aunt as he hugged her back. Hershel and Myrah had finished settling their hoofers, and they came to join the group.
"Is Teag going to join us?" Hershel asked, looking around for the young man.
"He's supposed to be, but it seems like he lost track of time at the forge again," Tolan explained. "Half the time, he even sleeps there—I wouldn't be surprised if he forgot you were coming today."
"I'm going to go get him," Pippa explained. "I have to pick something up, anyways."
"Don't get in a fight while you're there," Syn called after her. "Just let him know dinner is ready and he'll come when he wants."
Pippa scoffed. "It's not like I plan on getting in fights with him. He's just so infuriating, he makes me want to punch his face in every time I see him."
"Real mature there, Fluff," Tolan said dryly, and Pippa rolled her eyes as she headed down the path that would lead to the forge.
Teag paused to wipe his face and keep the sweat from dripping into his eyes. Inscribing his insignia was hardly the most difficult part of making a sword, but if he messed it up, it made the finished product look sloppy even if the rest of it was impeccable. He gripped the etching tool tightly as he went in for the first mark, but a voice called out from behind and broke his concentration.
"Don't you have somewhere to be?"
Teag managed to keep from scratching the sword with his tool, and he groaned internally as he recognized the voice. "Do you have to yell?" he muttered, turning to face the young woman standing in the doorway of the forge. It was then he realized the sun had gone down—he was late. He scowled, setting his tools on the table. "Did they send you to get me as punishment?" He expected a snide reply, but Pippa just stared at him, her expression hard to read. He stared back, smirking. "What? Can't think of a comeback?" he challenged.
She blinked, then turned away with a scowl of her own. "Hardly. Geez—what do have against wearing a shirt? You're gonna get burns all over you. I thought you were supposed to be a professional or something now."
Teag glanced down at himself. "Blacksmiths hardly ever wear shirts," he pointed out. "It gets way too hot in here for the extra layers."
"Yeah, but like…you're supposed to wear an apron or something," she argued, now wandering the forge, scanning the counters as if looking for something.
"I don't need one when I'm inscribing," he said flatly. "What are you doing? Trying to find something you can steal?"
"As if." Pippa rolled her eyes. "How can you run a business when you treat your customers so poorly? I'm looking for the sheath for the sword I paid for. You better not have given it to someone else."
"Oh, that," Teag realized, moving to a bin in the corner of the room to get the sheath in question. "Did you give Raiyn the sword? What did he think?"
Pippa shrugged. "He can't even tell the difference between a training shortsword and a double-edged longsword. So…he liked it fine, since he doesn't know enough to realize it's not that great of quality."
Teag paused in bringing the sheath over to give her a withering look. "There's nothing wrong with the quality," he countered. "I can sell a sword like that for double what I charged you for it, you know."
"Only if someone's an idiot," Pippa scoffed, reaching out for the sheath. She wasn't meeting his eye, and Teag scowled as he handed it over.
"Geez, that's the last time I make something for you, ungrateful Pip-squeak."
She looked up at that, her eyes flashing. "I swear, call me that one more time—"
"Grow a little, and maybe the name won't stick anymore," Teag challenged, folding his arms as he looked down at her. Though he had also been on the shorter side growing up, he had finally sprouted up in the last few years, while Pippa's physic mirrored her mother's rather than her father's.
"You should try growing up," she replied angrily. "You're still the same old Mop-head. You talk big, but give me a sword, and I'll wipe the floor with you, size difference or not."
"I wouldn't be so sure," Teag argued. "Tolan's been an ogre about sword training lately. I'm sure I'm about as good as you are now, considering you spend all your time picking flowers in the west.""Shows what you know," Pippa scoffed, but there was a glint in her eye now. "Tomorrow morning, we're sparring. That's the only way to know whether anything other than your head has grown in the last year."
Teag narrowed his eyes, but he realized that he had walked into a trap. He could hide behind his usual excuse that he was too busy, but he knew that she'd rip him a new one if he did. He took a step closer, looking down at her as menacingly as he could. "Fine," he agreed. "Just don't go crying to Tolan if I hurt your feelings."
"Have I ever been the kind to go crying?" she asked dryly, but she wouldn't meet his eye again. Was she actually nervous, or just distracted? "Seriously though, clean yourself up. You can't come to dinner like that or you'll ruin everyone's appetite."
Teag rolled his eyes, moving to where he kept a separate bucket and rag for cleaning up. In the glow of the forge's dying fire, he could see that he was covered in the usual grime from the day. Though part of him would have loved to spite Pippa by showing up exactly as he was, the thought of looking so unkempt in front of Hershel made him disregard the idea quickly. It was annoying—even though he was a man now, and thus shouldn't need anyone's validation, he still couldn't bring himself to give Hershel any reason to suspect that he wasn't taking care of himself.
Teag pulled the sweat-soaked bandana from his head, tossing it into the corner before grabbing the rag to rub the soot and sweat off his face and torso so he could put on the change of clothes he had brought. I'm going to be really late, he realized as he scrubbed. Ancient's…I was supposed to be there hours ago. Tolan's going to rip me a new one.
He turned to grab his tunic as he finished his quick clean, and realized with a start that Pippa was still in the doorway. "What are you waiting around for? I said I'm coming," he snapped.
She stiffened. "I…I'm just making sure you're actually getting cleaned up," she stammered, and Teag rolled his eyes.
"Geez, what are you? My mom?" he griped as he pulled his tunic on. "You can go tell everyone I'm on my way. They're free to start without me, if they haven't already."
"Next time, don't lose track of the time, and I wouldn't have to come treat you like a kid," Pippa threw back before storming out the door, still clutching the sheath. Teag watched her go and then shook his head, moving to change out of his grimy trousers.
"Geez, that girl's just as much trouble as ever."
3
"Well…it sounded like it went as well as we had thought it would. Minus bringing up the fact that we're already married—but that's a topic we should have breached a long time ago," Rook pointed out, and Theo sagged.
"It was kind of a nightmare…though, I almost expected them to react worse. Mom didn't even yell, but that doesn't mean she wasn't crazy hurt by it."
"It makes sense," Rook murmured, we did go behind their backs. The two of them were talking outside, on the outskirts of the training field as they watched Mahlyn organize the guard forces. New recruits fumbled to follow her instructions, while the veterans sparred in another area.
"I didn't expect to see so many new recruits," Theo murmured. "They're all southern?"
"As far as I know. Mahlyn's been doing most of the organizing," Rook offered.
"Huh. I guess southerners are more willing to guard Dynmar than me, because they consider him one of them," Theo mused. Rook bumped his shoulder with her own.
"Please. We've had plenty of southerners join our ranks over the past three years. You put in the work to get the south where it is today, so don't get butthurt if things are a little easier for him than they were for you."
Theo smiled, but he still seemed sad. "It's going to be weird to leave here and go back to the Central Fortress," he pointed out. "This has really become home, in my mind."
"Yeah," Rook agreed. It was something she had been worried about too, and not just because she had been born and raised in the south. The thought of living full time in the central fortress, with Theo's parents hovering over them constantly made her anxious for a variety of reasons. It could be that living in close proximity could finally get them on better terms, but it was more likely like things could take a turn for the worse. Especially now that they know we eloped. They weren't necessarily treating me like a member of the family, but they weren't treating me like the enemy anymore at least.
"Leader Theodynn!" a voice called, cutting into their thoughts. A young woman bounded over, slick with sweat from her training. Theo held up a hand to greet her, though he glanced over at where Mahlyn was still drilling the force's newest members.
"Are you supposed to be avoiding your training, Shirka?" he asked, though he smiled. The young woman glanced over at Mahlyn as well, grimacing slightly.
"She's pretty busy with those newbs," she said. "Besides, I just had a quick question."
"I'm pretty sure I can guess," Rook pointed out as she folded her arms. "The answer hasn't changed since you last asked, though."
Shirka's expression fell. A few yards behind her, there were four others who were pretending to be focused on their sparring, but Rook knew they were listening as well, so she raised her voice.
"It's unlikely you will be able to join us when we go to the Central Fortress," she said. One of the young men scowled, while another flushed red at being called out. The oldest of the group met Rook's eye evenly, while the other young woman pretended not to hear her at all.
"Okay, but hear us out," Shirka begged. "I know you made that announcement that the southern guards had to stay in the south, and only those who were originally from the Central Fortress would be allowed to transfer with back with you, if they wanted—"
"So where's the confusion?" Rook demanded, raising an eyebrow.
"That announcement was for the guards, right? But even though we've been training with you for the last four years, we aren't technically guards yet."
"Gyro is," Rook pointed out, and Shirka glanced at the oldest of her companions.
"Well…it isn't his fault he was a few years older than us and is already official," she said. The young woman straightened, pushing her hair out of her face as she met Rook's eye. "You've said before that the five of us were the strongest of all the recruits you've trained. We put in the time and effort since the beginning, even though Leader Theodynn considered us too young to be official members of the guard force. In a few weeks, Tyme and I will finally be old enough to join, and Syra a few months after that. And…Reg eventually."
"I'm as old as the rest of you!" the scowling young man called out, no longer even pretending to practice as he glared at the back of Shirka's head. "No one can prove otherwise!"
"Your voice just barely changed," Syra accused in her typical monotone voice, and Reg gave her a deadly look.
"Shut up!"
"Shirka, there's no question that you five are strong and capable," Theo cut in, and everyone turned their attention to the leader. "And I'm excited for you all to be able to join the force officially. Dynmar might not even keep the age rule in place once I'm gone, so you may be able to join the moment I leave." Theo sighed. "The thing is, you being as strong as you are is one of the main reasons I don't feel like I can bring you to the Central Fortress with us. In this time of transition, the south is going to need people like you—"
"Leader Theodynn…with all due respect, we don't want to join the guard force for the sake of the south," Shirka cut in. Theo blinked at the interruption, and though Shirka flushed with shame, she continued boldly. "We all decided to take Rook's offer up back in the beginning because we wanted to make a better life for ourselves than we had before. We trained as hard as we did so that we could work for the two of you…not just whoever happens to be in charge of the south. Let us come with you—be part of your personal guard. Don't you want some familiar faces when you go back to the Central Fortress?"
"And the truth is, you can't make us stay here." Syra had walked over to join them, her face as expressionless as ever. "Since you barred us from joining before now, we haven't actually made an oath or anything. Except Gyro, I guess."
"That's right!" Reg growled. "If you won't let us come, we'll just quit and do whatever in Ancient's name we want!"
"Guys," Tyme hissed, still looking mortified as he glanced to where the Captain of the Guard was across the field. "Stop making a scene. Mahlyn—"
"Shut up, Tyme," Reg snapped. "Mahlyn's not the boss of us; we aren't even guards yet, that's the whole point!"
"That's enough," Rook cut in, and the five snapped to attention at her tone. She studied each of them, her mind going back to when she had first started training excess servants to be part of the guard force. Of the fifty or so that joined, nearly all had climbed the ranks to the top of the force in the last few years, besides the dozen who were still below Theo's age cut off, and thus hadn't been sworn in yet. If it had been up to Rook, they would have been part of the force officially a long time ago—especially these five, who truly were the most capable that she had trained. "You cannot come and bully your way into getting what you want, looking for loopholes to get around the orders you've received. You've had a few years of training, sure…but there are many guards in this force and at the Central Fortress who have had many, many more. Don't elevate yourself to a status you haven't yet earned, just because you consider yourselves to be some kind of protege."
The five glanced at each other, looking abashed, but not like they were finished arguing. However, by now, Mahlyn had noticed their absence from the training and barked out an order.
"Twenty laps around the field for all the time you've wasted, you five!" she called. Tyme flinched at the command, and the group hesitated.
"You were given an order," Rook pointed out firmly, her hand on the hilt of her sword. With that, they finally moved to follow Mahlyn's command, and Rook shook her head as she watched them go. "Cocky things."
"They've grown a lot these last few years, haven't they?" Theo mused as he watched them go.
"Yeah. Almost makes me want to give them what they want…if only so I can keep training them. Ancients know they need the cockiness drilled out of them," Rook replied.
"I wish we could take them, but I don't know that we could without opening a whole new can of worms," Theo sighed. "The fact of the matter is, all of the recruits that you've trained personally seem to have more loyalty to you than the south. If we let those five join us, the southern guard force could end up defecting to do the same."
"Well…they have a point though. They aren't technically guards yet…other than Gyro."
"But then the other seven guards who are too young to join will want to come with us too," Theo insisted.
"So? Like Syra pointed out, they could just leave anyway once we do since they haven't joined with an oath, and that feels like a waste of talent."
"I suppose," Theo sighed, rubbing his face. "Just another thing to bring up with Dynmar, I guess."
"The two of you have a lot to talk about," Rook agreed. "I can't tell if he's dreading the upcoming change or excited for it."
"I think he'll end up changing a lot, and I'm trying to prepare myself for it," Theo admitted with a grimace. "After spending all this time making the changes that feel right to me, knowing he could go in and change them all over again is making me wonder if I really want to leave the south." He frowned thoughtfully. "I could just give the rulership to someone else and stay here forever."
"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Rook smirked. "I trust the south with Dynmar…but I don't know that I trust the realm with anyone else but you."
"Not just me," Theo argued, shooting her a smile. "You'll be ruling it with me, remember."
Rook made a face. "Oh yeah. Guess I better work on my speeches, huh?"
"If you want…though I'm thinking the Central Fortress can take a page out of the south's book. Even after I take over, I want to keep the focus on what I do rather than what I say."
"A good plan," Rook murmured. The sun had dipped beneath the mountains in the distance, and Mahlyn was calling out for the guards to file in now. "Things have been good the last year or so…peaceful. It's going to feel strange to have to start all over again."
"Agreed, but there's no way that taking over for my parents will be as chaotic as our first year here," Theo pointed out. "I'm really hoping that after surviving that year, everything else will feel easy."
Rook snorted. "Don't tempt fate like that, you hoofer-brain," she said, but then her expression fell. "We haven't had any trouble with Ottan's followers in the past few years, but that could all change once we leave the South. I hope Dynmar won't turn a blind eye to them."
"I don't think he would. Anyone still supporting Ottan would put Dynmar's position in jeopardy, after all."
"True," Rook murmured.
"Though, maybe Ottan's supporters have given up. He's been in prison for years, and there haven't been any attempts to do anything about it. We never tracked down Laysha, or Ern, but they'd be well known in the south so they're probably hiding out in some other province. They have to know the second they try anything, they'll be arrested as well."
"Maybe," Rook offered, though she didn't feel as convinced. "Maybe those rats have been hibernating, biding their time…or they've been accruing new members. It doesn't sit well with me that we never did find them, or that Saesh character."
Theo's expression clouded. "He never did come ask me for a favor."
"I'd expect we haven't seen the last of him," Rook sighed. "My guess is he's been waiting for you to take over for your parents. A favor from a Ruler is a lot more valuable than one from a leader, after all."
"I guess…but if it's something I'm morally against doing, I'm not going to do it, whether I'm a ruler or a leader," Theo said. "He seemed to understand that at the time."
"He understands you a little too well," Rook countered. "Just don't forget how dangerous he is, okay? He hurt Tolan to get to you, manipulated you into sending me away, and bartered with Alan's life. He's not afraid to use people you care about to control you."
Theo's expression darkened. "Don't worry—I remember," he murmured. "I'm not going to just do whatever he says the moment he shows up again. I'll be careful about it…and my hope is that we'll be able to take him into custody when he finally does show his face again. He might have given us the intel to help Alan, but I'll never forgive him for what he did to Tol."
Rook studied his face, and she finally reached out to tug on Theo's hair. He glanced back at her, and she smiled.
"It seems we've stumbled into a bitter mood," she pointed out. "How about we go get something to eat, and we can talk about how to overcome the crisis at hand, rather than dreaming up future problems."
The leader blinked. "Which crisis?"
Rook raised an eyebrow. "Your parents."
"You have to hold it tightly," Pippa chastised. Raiyn sighed but adjusted his grip on the sword in his hand. The sun had just started to rise, and he couldn't help but glance at the homes around Tolan and Syn's. He hoped that people wouldn't complain about Pippa making a commotion this early.
"Pip—" he started, but she cut him off.
"You weaseled out of practice yesterday, but that doesn't mean I'm letting you off the hook. It's not too hot out—this is the perfect time for this." She took a fighter's stance with her own sword, the look in her eye making it clear that she was serious. "This training is important—just as important as reading and writing. You're already a lot older than I was when I learned, so we have some catching up to do."
Raiyn lifted his sword, and his cousin came for him. He blocked it sloppily, wincing at the jolt that ran up his arm. His stance drooped, and the point of Pippa's sword rested against his neck.
"See how easy it would be for someone to kill you?" she demanded. "Reset. Next time, block me like you don't want to die!"
Raiyn did as he was told, but after a few more failed attempts, his frustration was building. Pippa knocked the sword from his hands, and Raiyn tugged furiously at the collar of his shirt.
Pippa gestured to it. "Take it off, if it's bugging you," she said. "But then pick up your sword again."
Raiyn stripped his shirt, but he didn't move to reclaim his sword. "Pippa, if someone attacked me, this isn't how I would stop them," he insisted.
Her expression darkened. "I won't let you give up on training this easily. You can't just roll over every time someone threatens you!" She lifted her sword, ready to go again. "Pick up your sword, Raiyn."
"No." He didn't want to make Pippa upset with him, but he had reached his limit for this. His arms were aching, and even without his shirt bothering him, his hair kept falling in his eyes and was driving him crazy.
"You're not a little kid anymore!" she snapped. "Don't you remember what happened with those outsiders? Do you want that to happen again? You have to learn to protect yourself, and you're old enough now that I'm not letting you keep avoiding it!"
The image of the emotionless tent-man came to Raiyn's mind, and he shuddered. He didn't like dwelling in that period of the Before. Most people didn't talk to him about it, and he knew it was because they hoped he didn't remember. However, the Before came to him even more clearly than the Later. My power didn't work on the tent-man, Raiyn admitted to himself. He didn't have any strings…but he wasn't real. Real people have strings, and I can make it so they won't hurt me.
"Pick up your sword!" Pippa shouted, and Raiyn continued to stand defiantly, his mind swirling with unwanted memories. He glanced at the house, wishing that Tolan or Syn would come save him. His mother and father had left early to travel to the Central Fortress to visit the rulers, and Raiyn was beginning to wish that he had gone with them.
"Leave me alone, or I'll transport," Raiyn warned, turning his back to the sword on the ground as he tried to walk away. "I don't want to fight anymore."
"Don't turn your back on an opponent!" Pippa snapped, and he could hear her coming for him. "Pick up your sword, or I'll—"
"I said, leave me alone!" Raiyn snapped. He could sense her behind him, her anger radiating off of her in a thick coil of red. Tears smarted his eyes as he whirled at his cousin before she could reach him. Without thinking, he mentally grabbed the red coil, yanking it fiercely. "STOP!"
Pippa came to standstill, making a noise like she had been punched in the stomach. Her sword dropped from her hand, and for half-a-second, her eyes glowed red.
Nausea rolled over Raiyn, and he released the coil immediately, stumbling backward. Pippa blinked, her body sagging as grabbed her head.
"What in Ancient's name…" she muttered, and Raiyn's tears began to escape as he reached out.
"It…was an accident—" he started, and as Pippa glanced up at him, he could feel her confusion. He expected her to be angry again, but to his horror, he felt a flash of fear come from her instead.
"Yo, Pip-squeak! Try to keep it down—you're pissing off the whole neighborhood."
Raiyn and Pippa flinched at the voice, and they turned to see Teag coming out of the house, shooting them both an irritated look. Bile rose in Raiyn's throat. Had Teag just seen what had happened? Did he realize?
"Shut up!" Pippa snapped back, no longer looking dazed as she picked up her sword. "It's for his own good—he needs to learn to fight."
"Or you just like picking on weaker opponents," Teag countered, folding his arms. His dreadlocks were long—much longer than they had been when Raiyn had first met him in the Before. They reached down his back, and Teag usually kept them tied back, or used a bandana to keep them out of his face.
"Only when you are the weaker opponent," Pippa said back, and Teag rolled his eyes.
"Are we still on for a sparring match? Or do you want to make your cousin cry more first?"
"Don't just walk out here with a cocky attitude like you know what's going on!" Pippa snapped back. Raiyn had retreated a bit now, slowly picking up his own sword. He tried to slip it into his sheath without attracting attention, but then Teag was calling out to him.
"Hey, Raiyn—lemme borrow that," the young man said. Raiyn froze, and Teag gestured to the sword he was holding. "Your cousin had the gall to question its quality yesterday. If I beat her with it, then she'll really have to eat her words, huh?"
Raiyn glanced at his cousin, who scowled but didn't argue against Teag using it, so the younger boy walked over and woodenly handed the sword over. Teag checked the balance before shooting him a smile.
"Thanks. You can watch if you want, or leave. I'll keep Pip-squeak occupied for a bit and get her out of your hair."
"I told you, don't call me that!" Pippa snapped, and Raiyn glanced at his cousin. He could see the anger coming off of her, but there was something else as well. He squinted at her, realizing that Pippa was nervous, which was a rare emotion to see coming from her. That's probably my fault, he realized.
Raiyn moved to sit up against the wall of Tolan and Syn's house, wrapping his arms around his knees as he watched Pippa and Teag prepare to spar. He watched Pippa closely, looking for any strange behavior. He wasn't exactly sure what he had just done, and he prayed it wouldn't have lasting side effects. Up until now, he had been able to see emotions like anger and fear, but they had always floated around people like smoke…how had he managed to grab onto her anger? And what had it done to Pippa?
"Ready when you are," Teag was saying, and Pippa didn't wait to be told twice. Raiyn flinched as she launched at the blacksmith. She was moving a lot faster than when she had battled against him, but Teag didn't even seem phased as he blocked the blow.
Will Pippa tell my father? Raiyn thought as he watched them fight. What will he say, if she does? Will he talk to Iona about it? Should I talk to Iona about it?
Raiyn wasn't sure what to call the feeling sitting in his stomach like a trembling viper. He remembered back when he first told Iona about the golden strings he could see—the ones that made it easier to convince people to do things if he tugged on them. She had seemed disturbed by his explanation, and together, she and Hershel had told Raiyn to ignore the strings from now on. "I can sense emotions too," Iona had said. "But I can't see them the way you can. However, just because you can see things others can't doesn't mean you should involve yourself in others' feelings. Look, but don't touch, alright?"
However, following that order had definitely been easier said than done. No matter how many times people told him—or how many times he told himself—Raiyn couldn't resist relying on his skill at times when others just weren't listening to him. He knew it didn't hurt them, just left them a little confused at times, but besides knowing he could make Iona and his father angry, he didn't really understand the harm. However, whatever he had done to Pippa early had felt wrong, and he felt sicker the more he thought about it.
"Is that all you got?" Teag was saying now, and Raiyn turned his attention back to the sparring. Teag was blocking blow after blow, and Pippa was definitely annoyed. "I pound metal all day every day— if you're trying to overpower me, you'll have to hit harder."
"Bold words, coming from someone stuck on the defensive!" Pippa panted. After unleashing another flurry of attacks, she managed to get behind Teag and moved to take advantage of his blind spot. His block wasn't as clean as those he had been making, but he did stop her attack. Another flash of anger came off of Pippa, and she finally withdrew.
"That attack's a sneaky one, but I've already seen you use it a dozen times to end fights over the years," Teag pointed out. "Try to be less predictable."
"You only barely managed to block it. Standing in a blacksmith forge all day every day has made you stiff, whether you're training with my Dad or not," Pippa threw back. Teag moved to go on the offensive, and Pippa blocked his attacks. She held her sword with two hands, and Teag only held Raiyn's with one. Seeing his sword next to Pippa's like this, Raiyn could see how they were different. Pippa's was a lot longer, and he wondered if it made it harder for Teag to fight with a shorter sword.
"Can't deny the quality of the sword now, can you?" the blacksmith demanded as Pippa blocked each of his blows. "See how it holds its own against a much bigger weapon?"
"Quick that stupid marketing talk," Pippa growled. "This is a fight, so get your head in it!"
She began moving faster—even faster than earlier in the fight. Both she and Teag looked like they were getting tired as their fight went on, and Raiyn hugged his knees tighter. He could see how determined each was to win. This is why I hate stuff like this, he thought. There's always a winner and loser…someone always ends up upset.
"Running out of steam?" Pippa demanded as Teag began losing ground.
"You wish," he replied. He was taller than Pippa by about a head, but Pippa continued to be faster. Teag started holding his sword with both hands, and Pippa was forced to halt her offensive march as her opponent's blows became stronger. "I've gotten better since the last time we faced," Teag pointed out. "If you've been stagnant this whole time in the west—"
"Don't get cocky, mop-head," Pippa growled as the emotion cloud around her swirled with various colors. Raiyn leaned forward in spite of himself as sparks danced across the cloud—he knew what that meant.
Sure enough, the emotional cloud flashed like lightning and Pippa's hands erupted with aura. Teag's own emotional cloud shifted to betray his sudden wariness, but he wasn't able to react in time. Pippa launched into an onslaught of both sword attacks and blasts of power, and it wasn't long before the taller oni was overwhelmed. Raiyn winced as Teag hit the ground, and the next moment, Pippa's sword was at his throat.
"I win," she panted, and Raiyn could see the anger drifting off of the bested oni. However, before Teag could say anything, a voice called out from the doorway near Raiyn.
"That's cheating, Fluff," Tolan accused, and Raiyn turned in surprise. With his attention on the battle, he hadn't realized his uncle had been watching as well.
Pippa grimaced, looking up to meet her father's eye. "In a real battle, you use whatever you can to win," she argued.
"Maybe, but you only used your power because you didn't trust your swordplay. You've gotten sloppy—have you been shirking training out in the west?"
Pippa flushed, and Teag pushed her sword away from his throat. "Get off of me, will ya, you big cheater?" he muttered as he tried to sit up.
Pippa's face turned a darker red as she turned, seemingly only just realizing that she was sitting on top of Teag in order to pin him and get the winning blow. She stumbled to her feet, backing away from the blacksmith as her emotions shifted. She was still annoyed, but Raiyn was surprised to see that she seemed to be embarrassed and even nervous again.
"It would only be cheating if Teag didn't have power, but he does. Just because he sucks at using it doesn't mean I shouldn't get to." Pippa pointed at the blacksmith accusingly. "He's stiff, and he spends too long to make decisions. He relies too heavily on his strength, and—"
"I wasn't saying that Hot-Stuff had a perfect battle," Tolan assured dryly. "We have lots to go over during our next training."
Teag groaned, but he didn't argue as he moved toward Raiyn. The young oni straightened as Teag held out his sword. "Thanks for letting me borrow it, Raiyn. I'm glad it managed to hold up—it should serve you well."
"Um…yeah. Thanks for making it," Raiyn replied as he accepted the blade.
"Anyway, the point is, I did best him," Pippa insisted, pushing her sweaty curls out of her face. "So next time you want to run your mouth, Hot-stuff, remember I'm better than you."
"You won't stay that way, if you don't start training more vigorously," Tolan said, studying his daughter. "You've fallen into a pattern, relying on the same moves over and over instead of analyzing your opponent properly. How long are you sticking around here? You could use some retraining yourself."
Pippa scowled, but then she shrugged. "Dunno. You'll have to ask Hershel and Myrah."
"You know, you could stick around even if they don't," Tolan pointed out dryly.
"Hershel won't be happy if I skip our lessons," Pippa insisted, sheathing her sword. "We've been working on poisons and their antidotes, and they take a lot of practice."
Tolan grunted, but then he was pushing the door open. "Let's give the rest of the village a break from the early morning cacophony. Come in and get something to eat, and we can talk about all the areas you can both grow based on this lack-luster performance." He disappeared back inside, and Teag and Pippa both groaned.
"I don't remember agreeing to this this match being a test," Teag muttered, but he headed into the house anyway. Pippa hesitated, but she finally moved to follow. Raiyn lingered by the door, and before his cousin went inside, he grabbed her arm.
"Pip—" he started, and she flinched at his touch. Raiyn's heart sank, and he released her as he continued. "Um, about…what I did. I'm really sorry, it was an accident…"
"Everyone's told you a thousand times, Raiyn—you're not supposed to be using those kinds of tricks," she accused.
"I know…I'm sorry." Raiyn fidgeted a little longer before blurting the thought eating away at him. "Are you going to tell my father?"
Pippa studied his miserable expression and finally sighed. "He'll just overreact," she muttered. "I'm no snitch…but you gotta promise you're never going to do that again, Raiyn."
Raiyn's eyes filled with tears of relief, and he embraced her tightly. "I promise, Pip."