introduced as Darva, sister of the warlord, Obah Sitheh. Darva expressed concern over Pandy’s solitary state until Peniff revealed how Salmeh had almost adopted her. The conversation confirmed the Haroun was Salmeh’s son, Bedistai.
“It’s nice to see you’re up and around,” Peniff told him. “You had me worried.”
“It’s good to be moving.”
“What happened to you?” Pandy asked, now that his injury had become mentionable. Looking from Bedistai to Miened to Darva, then back again to Peniff, she asked, “What happened to all of you?”
Miened explained about the abductions, how Darva had been taken hostage by Kael’s minions in an attempt to force her brother to surrender. She related how, after Bedistai had rescued her, Harad, at Kael’s direction, had recruited Peniff to locate the pair. To insure his cooperation, Kael had ordered Miened and her children imprisoned.
“So he kidnapped you as well?” Pandy asked.
Peniff nodded. “That seems to be his primary occupation.”
Miened went on to explain how, after Darva was reunited with her brother, Peniff and Bedistai had brought a group of Haroun hunters to barakMis. After freeing his family, he brought them to Mostoon. The four were casualties of those events, she explained, Bedistai most of all.
While Pandy considered the account, Peniff inquired about the Haroun’s current condition. Bedistai placed a hand on his bandage and said, “As you can see, I’m still recovering.” Regarding Peniff in turn, he asked, “And you, my friend?”
Peniff avoided the question and, instead, drew Miened aside. Although Pandy could not make out their words, as the conversation wore on, she could see Miened’s expression transform from curiosity to distress. Her lips clenched, tears ran down her cheeks and she shook her head with increasing vehemence each time Peniff spoke.
“No!” she finally exclaimed. “I won’t let you.”
“Please, Miened… ”
“I won’t hear of it. You reunite us only to leave us again? What kind of man are you?”
Peniff’s mouth opened, but before he could explain, Miened turned away. She remained with her back to him for almost a minute. Then, when the awkwardness grew unbearable, she turned back to face him.
In a quieter tone, she said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.”
Even so, the silence continued and Pandy was searching for something to say when Peniff said, “There is no other way.”
“How do you know?”
“You know how I know,” he replied, side-stepping the obvious.
Miened glanced at Pandy.
“She’s just a child. Are you going to leave us based on a child’s flight of fancy?”
Peniff shook his head. “She’s not wrong.”
Distraught but resigned, Miened’s shoulders drooped and she wrapped her arms around herself.
“She has to go south to Liad-Nur,” he continued. “War or no war, she’s too young to do it on her own.”
“What about… ?” Miened indicated the hunter with a jerk of her head.
“Bedistai? I’m sure he would choose to accompany her under different circumstances, but look at him. The man is barely alive. He’s lucky he made it home.”
“One of the others can go in his place,” argued Miened.
“One of the Haroun?” Peniff scoffed. “Those lands and their ways are completely beyond their experience and none of them can protect her as I can.”
“And your children? What will you tell Broodik and Halli?”
“I will tell them the truth.”
Refusing to meet his eyes, she slumped even more, her posture reflecting defeat as again they both lapsed into silence.
By way of distraction, Darva asked Pandy, “What about Harad? Are you certain he’s coming?”
Pandy nodded. “Eventually, but not now. When he does, it will be with an army.”
Darva laughed and turned to Bedistai. “If he does, he’s a fool. The last time he came to Mostoon, you humiliated him.”
“He has a score to settle,” Bedistai replied.
“Then he will fail,” Darva
“It’s nice to see you’re up and around,” Peniff told him. “You had me worried.”
“It’s good to be moving.”
“What happened to you?” Pandy asked, now that his injury had become mentionable. Looking from Bedistai to Miened to Darva, then back again to Peniff, she asked, “What happened to all of you?”
Miened explained about the abductions, how Darva had been taken hostage by Kael’s minions in an attempt to force her brother to surrender. She related how, after Bedistai had rescued her, Harad, at Kael’s direction, had recruited Peniff to locate the pair. To insure his cooperation, Kael had ordered Miened and her children imprisoned.
“So he kidnapped you as well?” Pandy asked.
Peniff nodded. “That seems to be his primary occupation.”
Miened went on to explain how, after Darva was reunited with her brother, Peniff and Bedistai had brought a group of Haroun hunters to barakMis. After freeing his family, he brought them to Mostoon. The four were casualties of those events, she explained, Bedistai most of all.
While Pandy considered the account, Peniff inquired about the Haroun’s current condition. Bedistai placed a hand on his bandage and said, “As you can see, I’m still recovering.” Regarding Peniff in turn, he asked, “And you, my friend?”
Peniff avoided the question and, instead, drew Miened aside. Although Pandy could not make out their words, as the conversation wore on, she could see Miened’s expression transform from curiosity to distress. Her lips clenched, tears ran down her cheeks and she shook her head with increasing vehemence each time Peniff spoke.
“No!” she finally exclaimed. “I won’t let you.”
“Please, Miened… ”
“I won’t hear of it. You reunite us only to leave us again? What kind of man are you?”
Peniff’s mouth opened, but before he could explain, Miened turned away. She remained with her back to him for almost a minute. Then, when the awkwardness grew unbearable, she turned back to face him.
In a quieter tone, she said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.”
Even so, the silence continued and Pandy was searching for something to say when Peniff said, “There is no other way.”
“How do you know?”
“You know how I know,” he replied, side-stepping the obvious.
Miened glanced at Pandy.
“She’s just a child. Are you going to leave us based on a child’s flight of fancy?”
Peniff shook his head. “She’s not wrong.”
Distraught but resigned, Miened’s shoulders drooped and she wrapped her arms around herself.
“She has to go south to Liad-Nur,” he continued. “War or no war, she’s too young to do it on her own.”
“What about… ?” Miened indicated the hunter with a jerk of her head.
“Bedistai? I’m sure he would choose to accompany her under different circumstances, but look at him. The man is barely alive. He’s lucky he made it home.”
“One of the others can go in his place,” argued Miened.
“One of the Haroun?” Peniff scoffed. “Those lands and their ways are completely beyond their experience and none of them can protect her as I can.”
“And your children? What will you tell Broodik and Halli?”
“I will tell them the truth.”
Refusing to meet his eyes, she slumped even more, her posture reflecting defeat as again they both lapsed into silence.
By way of distraction, Darva asked Pandy, “What about Harad? Are you certain he’s coming?”
Pandy nodded. “Eventually, but not now. When he does, it will be with an army.”
Darva laughed and turned to Bedistai. “If he does, he’s a fool. The last time he came to Mostoon, you humiliated him.”
“He has a score to settle,” Bedistai replied.
“Then he will fail,” Darva
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