pinched the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger. Indris raised his eyebrows, clearly unimpressed with the outburst. “I am the Asrahn, and I deserve your respect.”
“And I’m a scholar, Asrahn. My life was neither yours to give nor to take. I do respect you and am grateful for your mercy, though need I remind you I bow before none except the Sēq Masters or the Mahj in Mediin?”
Before she knew what she had done, Mari found herself halfway to where Indris stood. How dare he? Her hand had curled into a fist. Strength flowed from ankles, through calves, thighs, hips, and torso, into her arms, and—
Indris’s left eye burned. From light brown to red, to yellow-flecked orange as if the eye were filled with flame. A circle of characters in an unknown language, limned in fire, flared around his pupil for a moment. Light haloed him, a mother-of-pearl shine that plunged the rest of him into silhouette. Fear lanced her. Made her pause for the slightest moment. A heartbeat. Then she continued forward, gratified to see Indris’s eyes widen ever so slightly in surprise.
“Fall back!” Knight-Colonel Chelapa cracked in her parade-ground voice. Mari stopped where she was, balanced on theballs of her feet, a coiled spring. “Return to your position, Feyassin! Now!”
Mari bowed to her Asrahn, then to her commanding officer before she retreated to her post. Her mouth was dry. Not because of the fear. Fear was healthy, natural, something to be embraced so it could be accepted rather than ruin her. Her surprise came from the sense of outrage she had felt at Indris’s dismissal of the Asrahn. It was the same instinct that had seen her defend the Asrahn at the Battle of Amber Lake. It was a Feyassin’s instinct, rather than a conspirator’s.
Vashne eyed Mari with irritation, though it was Ariskander he spoke to. “You should know one of your Lion Guard was found in the city this afternoon.”
“What did it say?” Nehrun choked out too quickly.
“Knight-Colonel Ekko was badly wounded.” Mari’s voice echoed from behind her war-mask.
Ariskander closed his eyes. “I take it Far-ad-din was not with him? Will Ekko survive his wounds?”
“No, he was alone. I believe he’ll recover,” Mari added. “Were he an Avān, or a Human, I’d have my doubts. But a Tau-se?” She shrugged. Mari had seen Tau-se soldiers fight on with the most horrific of wounds, then walk from battle as if being pierced by four or five arrows was the most common thing in the world. “Ekko was determined to reach here with news. He’s asked to speak with you or Indris.”
Though not Nehrun
, she thought to herself.
“I’ll speak with it. But how can it be trusted?” Nehrun said incredulously. “We’ve no idea what happened out there, or why it returned without completing its mission!”
“The Tau-se don’t lie.” Indris snorted. “It’s not in them. Ekko will have a good reason why he returned without Far-ad-din.”
“If Ekko has news”—Vashne was intent—“I would hear it.”
“Our efforts here aren’t a total loss, Vashne.” Ariskander smiled. He talked briefly about the relief efforts he had brokered with local businesses and those of the upper castes who remained, Seethe, Avān, and Human. The people appeared to be content to wait—satisfied Vashne, through Ariskander, was a man of his word. “That said, there are other issues we need to deal with. Each day we’re getting reports of faction fighting between the Great Houses and Hundred Families. We need to start sending people home, Vashne, before they take their personal wars to the streets and innocents get hurt.”
Yet it was not only the factions causing trouble. Roadrangers threatened merchant traffic along the roads near Amnon. There had been encounters with the Fenlings close to the army camps outside the city walls. Personnel and supplies had gone missing. Tales of reedwife sightings had caused a panic among some of the soldiery. There was
“And I’m a scholar, Asrahn. My life was neither yours to give nor to take. I do respect you and am grateful for your mercy, though need I remind you I bow before none except the Sēq Masters or the Mahj in Mediin?”
Before she knew what she had done, Mari found herself halfway to where Indris stood. How dare he? Her hand had curled into a fist. Strength flowed from ankles, through calves, thighs, hips, and torso, into her arms, and—
Indris’s left eye burned. From light brown to red, to yellow-flecked orange as if the eye were filled with flame. A circle of characters in an unknown language, limned in fire, flared around his pupil for a moment. Light haloed him, a mother-of-pearl shine that plunged the rest of him into silhouette. Fear lanced her. Made her pause for the slightest moment. A heartbeat. Then she continued forward, gratified to see Indris’s eyes widen ever so slightly in surprise.
“Fall back!” Knight-Colonel Chelapa cracked in her parade-ground voice. Mari stopped where she was, balanced on theballs of her feet, a coiled spring. “Return to your position, Feyassin! Now!”
Mari bowed to her Asrahn, then to her commanding officer before she retreated to her post. Her mouth was dry. Not because of the fear. Fear was healthy, natural, something to be embraced so it could be accepted rather than ruin her. Her surprise came from the sense of outrage she had felt at Indris’s dismissal of the Asrahn. It was the same instinct that had seen her defend the Asrahn at the Battle of Amber Lake. It was a Feyassin’s instinct, rather than a conspirator’s.
Vashne eyed Mari with irritation, though it was Ariskander he spoke to. “You should know one of your Lion Guard was found in the city this afternoon.”
“What did it say?” Nehrun choked out too quickly.
“Knight-Colonel Ekko was badly wounded.” Mari’s voice echoed from behind her war-mask.
Ariskander closed his eyes. “I take it Far-ad-din was not with him? Will Ekko survive his wounds?”
“No, he was alone. I believe he’ll recover,” Mari added. “Were he an Avān, or a Human, I’d have my doubts. But a Tau-se?” She shrugged. Mari had seen Tau-se soldiers fight on with the most horrific of wounds, then walk from battle as if being pierced by four or five arrows was the most common thing in the world. “Ekko was determined to reach here with news. He’s asked to speak with you or Indris.”
Though not Nehrun
, she thought to herself.
“I’ll speak with it. But how can it be trusted?” Nehrun said incredulously. “We’ve no idea what happened out there, or why it returned without completing its mission!”
“The Tau-se don’t lie.” Indris snorted. “It’s not in them. Ekko will have a good reason why he returned without Far-ad-din.”
“If Ekko has news”—Vashne was intent—“I would hear it.”
“Our efforts here aren’t a total loss, Vashne.” Ariskander smiled. He talked briefly about the relief efforts he had brokered with local businesses and those of the upper castes who remained, Seethe, Avān, and Human. The people appeared to be content to wait—satisfied Vashne, through Ariskander, was a man of his word. “That said, there are other issues we need to deal with. Each day we’re getting reports of faction fighting between the Great Houses and Hundred Families. We need to start sending people home, Vashne, before they take their personal wars to the streets and innocents get hurt.”
Yet it was not only the factions causing trouble. Roadrangers threatened merchant traffic along the roads near Amnon. There had been encounters with the Fenlings close to the army camps outside the city walls. Personnel and supplies had gone missing. Tales of reedwife sightings had caused a panic among some of the soldiery. There was
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