spoiling for a fight with my ClanBrother. "Whatever the hour or circumstance, we are all still friends. Come and join us, Captain."
Xonea greeted Qonja and Hawk in a polite but reserved fashion, refused my offer of tea, and remained on his feet. "My ClanFather has spoken to me of this expedition you intend to take to Saraced. Given the current political situation there, I advise against it."
"He must have also told you that oKia is one of three worlds on the Aksellan map that was not marked as harboring the black crystal," I said. "It is important that we discover if that is still the case, and if so, why."
"You acquired this mining map from the Trellusans," Xonea said. "What if it is not authentic? What if they counterfeited it in order to lure you and Duncan to this world?"
"Why resort to such an elaborate ruse?" I spread out my hands. "They had the means to keep us imprisoned on Trellus. If they wished to collect a bounty for us, why would they give us a map and let us go? How could they know we would choose to sojourn to oKia, for that matter?"
His mouth tightened. "I do not like this. We can protect you better on Joren than in open space."
"That is why I asked Xonal to have you transport the expedition on the Sunlace ," I pointed out. "There is no one we trust more to keep us safe."
My ClanBrother turned his head and eyed Reever, who nodded his agreement. "Very well. If you are to go, it will be on my ship." He then regarded Qonja and Hawk. "I suppose you two intend to accompany us."
"Jarn has consented to our joining the crew, but it is your ship," Qonja said, his tone cool. "If our presence is as unwelcome there as it has been almost everywhere else, we should be told now."
Xonea had been the one to expose Qonja and Hawk's relationship to the Adan, I recalled.
"There has been much debate among the Houses over your bond," Xonea said. "I am like most of our people in that I value our traditions and wish to see them preserved. I also believe the primary responsibility of those who Choose is to have children. Still, even one such as I can see the bond that exists between you and Hawk. It appears as real and enduring as"--he glanced at me--"any other I have witnessed."
Qonja put his hand on Hawk's shoulder. "It is."
"Then this time, I will save you some trouble and assign you both to the same quarters on the Sunlace ." Xonea turned to Reever. "The ship has been undergoing some refitting at the Zamlon docks. I am traveling there tomorrow to inspect the work. If you and Jarn wish to accompany me, I will call for you in the morning."
Like Xonea's, my husband's expression gave away none of his feelings. "We would, thank you."
"Be ready to leave by midrise." With a nod to the rest of us, my ClanBrother left.
"Am I hallucinating?" Hawk asked softly, "Or did I just hear Captain Xonea Torin acknowledge our bond?"
Qonja grinned. "If you did not, it was a shared hallucination."
I heard a low, distressed sound, and looked past Qonja to see our daughter standing on the other side of the room with Fasala just inside the entrance to the courtyard.
"Your pardon, Healer Jarn." Fasala looked miserable. "I did not wish to interrupt your visit, so I brought Marel back through the courtyard."
"It's all right, Fasala." The stricken look on Marel's small face told me how much of our discussion she had overheard. "I am sorry we did not have the chance to talk to you about the sojourn first."
"You told ClanUncle and Hawk and even Fasala." Marel knuckled away the tears in her eyes and gave me a defiant look. "You told everyone about it. Everyone but me. Now what will my friends say?" She ran off to her room, and Reever followed her.
"I think we should go," Hawk said, and gave me a brief farewell embrace. Against my ear, he murmured, "The young are very forgiving."
After I saw out Qonja and Hawk, I returned to hear the sounds of my daughter sobbing and Reever speaking in a low, soothing voice.
"Since your return from Trellus,
Xonea greeted Qonja and Hawk in a polite but reserved fashion, refused my offer of tea, and remained on his feet. "My ClanFather has spoken to me of this expedition you intend to take to Saraced. Given the current political situation there, I advise against it."
"He must have also told you that oKia is one of three worlds on the Aksellan map that was not marked as harboring the black crystal," I said. "It is important that we discover if that is still the case, and if so, why."
"You acquired this mining map from the Trellusans," Xonea said. "What if it is not authentic? What if they counterfeited it in order to lure you and Duncan to this world?"
"Why resort to such an elaborate ruse?" I spread out my hands. "They had the means to keep us imprisoned on Trellus. If they wished to collect a bounty for us, why would they give us a map and let us go? How could they know we would choose to sojourn to oKia, for that matter?"
His mouth tightened. "I do not like this. We can protect you better on Joren than in open space."
"That is why I asked Xonal to have you transport the expedition on the Sunlace ," I pointed out. "There is no one we trust more to keep us safe."
My ClanBrother turned his head and eyed Reever, who nodded his agreement. "Very well. If you are to go, it will be on my ship." He then regarded Qonja and Hawk. "I suppose you two intend to accompany us."
"Jarn has consented to our joining the crew, but it is your ship," Qonja said, his tone cool. "If our presence is as unwelcome there as it has been almost everywhere else, we should be told now."
Xonea had been the one to expose Qonja and Hawk's relationship to the Adan, I recalled.
"There has been much debate among the Houses over your bond," Xonea said. "I am like most of our people in that I value our traditions and wish to see them preserved. I also believe the primary responsibility of those who Choose is to have children. Still, even one such as I can see the bond that exists between you and Hawk. It appears as real and enduring as"--he glanced at me--"any other I have witnessed."
Qonja put his hand on Hawk's shoulder. "It is."
"Then this time, I will save you some trouble and assign you both to the same quarters on the Sunlace ." Xonea turned to Reever. "The ship has been undergoing some refitting at the Zamlon docks. I am traveling there tomorrow to inspect the work. If you and Jarn wish to accompany me, I will call for you in the morning."
Like Xonea's, my husband's expression gave away none of his feelings. "We would, thank you."
"Be ready to leave by midrise." With a nod to the rest of us, my ClanBrother left.
"Am I hallucinating?" Hawk asked softly, "Or did I just hear Captain Xonea Torin acknowledge our bond?"
Qonja grinned. "If you did not, it was a shared hallucination."
I heard a low, distressed sound, and looked past Qonja to see our daughter standing on the other side of the room with Fasala just inside the entrance to the courtyard.
"Your pardon, Healer Jarn." Fasala looked miserable. "I did not wish to interrupt your visit, so I brought Marel back through the courtyard."
"It's all right, Fasala." The stricken look on Marel's small face told me how much of our discussion she had overheard. "I am sorry we did not have the chance to talk to you about the sojourn first."
"You told ClanUncle and Hawk and even Fasala." Marel knuckled away the tears in her eyes and gave me a defiant look. "You told everyone about it. Everyone but me. Now what will my friends say?" She ran off to her room, and Reever followed her.
"I think we should go," Hawk said, and gave me a brief farewell embrace. Against my ear, he murmured, "The young are very forgiving."
After I saw out Qonja and Hawk, I returned to hear the sounds of my daughter sobbing and Reever speaking in a low, soothing voice.
"Since your return from Trellus,
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