Property of Kimra Lelanst, do not duplicate without consent.
Kalika found the rest of the day easy. She chose not to go and see her horse or veer from the usual routine straight away. Something inside still denied the deal but it was small and she doubted it would last long.
Seres was busy as he always was, so she did not come in contact with him again. Midway through the afternoon Elgaron appeared looking extremely flustered. She ignored the other harem and pulled Kalika to her feet. Then with quick efficient hands she took new measurements.
“You’ll have to help me out with designs of course girl.” Elgaron muttered as she worked. “We’ve taken in many girls and I suspect those we have aren’t dressed half so well as he’ll expect you to be.” Elgaron continued to muter as she worked but Kalika paid little attention. Seres had been true to his word obviously he had had a long discussion with Elgaron. When Elgaron asked her questions about the clothes of her people Kalika answered automatically and as honestly as she could. She had never made clothes, she knew little about the questions Elgaron asked.
The others watched the process surprised more then confused. Elgaron rarely left her tent and was rarely anything other then angry around them. Flustered was something new to them. When Elgaron left however they did not ask her to explain the dressmakers presence.
Besides that nothing unusual happened. Seres was kept well into the night working and the others feel asleep as they always did. Rel slept on his bed at Selen's orders. As often seemed the case Selen took it upon herself to make the decision when Seres was not there. Kalika suspected there would have been much bickering and fighting otherwise. Selen was fair and kept good control of everything around her.
Kalika’s only wish as she drifted into sleep was that she had been brave enough to volunteer for Seres bed. Seres had not specified he had to be in the bed on the nights she chose and those where the nights she wanted.
* * * * *
Kalika woke with the rest of the harem early the next morning taking her time to let her mind wake up before she moved. The other harem rose from bed faster then her scattering quickly and preparing for the meal. That meant Seres was there, they wouldn’t have found the energy to move so quickly if they didn’t have a purpose. Kalika groaned at the thought of him being there, pulling the blanket over her head to securely hide herself from any of them. It did little to help, once the people around her were awake Kalika could never find rest, but she pretended to annoy them.
“Get up.” Selen whispered and shook Kalika gently. Selen still remained her friend, though Kalika was at even more a loss to explain there friendship then she was to explain Togne’s. “Kalika, Seres says where all to get up.” Selen’s grip tightened a bit when Kalika showed no sign of response and she shook her harder.
“Okay.” Kalika growled unimpressed, she may have been awake but the order to rise did little for her. She had not heard the command being spoken, but Selen if nothing else never lied about orders. Selen waited a long moment before she stood and exited the small sleeping wing of the tent. Kalika waited until she was sure no one else was in the enclosure then stood disregarding her nightshirt and absently pulling on a pair of pants and a top.
She left the sleeping area and sat at the breakfast table, some were already seated, those who didn’t have duties at the breakfast table. It was well played out, those with the best morning temperament dealt with breakfast while the rest of them shared the other duties. Kalika herself often found herself having to clean after dinner, but it filled the time between her combat training, something she realised Seres had revoked his ban on.
From her seat Kalika kept her eyes on Seres as he rose from his bed, waking Rel with a rough shake. He dressed quickly, something she had found disconcerting first few weeks of her stay. Seres did not find any embarrassment in being naked before them, although he never strode about naked he never even looked at them when he changed.
Kalika had made it a habit of hers to take the seat around the table where her back was to him, the others never minded the view although often Yan would take the space beside her.
That Kalika had sat where she could see him proved her anxiety, they had not discussed which nights she had to spend in his bed just how many. And he would not order them all to the table without a reason, usually he let her sleep late, perhaps he had known about her training for as long as she had been doing it.
She realised she was being obvious and turned her attention to the food set out before her. Questions she had not thought to ask in the briskness of there discussion the day before plagued her. She wanted to know if he spelt bare all the time or just the nights he slept with his bed companion, that Rel and Seres had slept with each other in the night was not worth questioning. Seres rarely spent a night without sex and Rel was a very amorous partner who they all knew would have waited awake for his return in anticipation.
Seres took his seat at the table where it always was left for him. Kalika wondered what would happen if she accidentally sat there one morning. Rel was fast to her seat still half asleep.
“Selen, Yan.” Seres began once they where all seated.
Kalika looked up with everyone else. Commands where given to Selen because she tended to control things by default. Only when that broke down did Yan take control, like a reluctant dictator. She was the first lady of the harem, she had been there the longest and not even Rel defied her when Yan gave an order. But Yan giving orders or even resolving conflicts was rare, she preferred to fade into the corner.
“Kalika has my bed any and every night she requests it.” Seres said it calmly but the reaction was instant. No one started shouting or glaring at her but the others suddenly found there breakfast requiring far more attention then usual.
“My lord?” Selen whispered in response and Kalika could hear Selen's shock at the order. Kalika looked across the table to find Yan watching her with a guarded expression in her golden eyes. Selen was staring at Seres in utter and unguarded disbelief.
“Don’t question my orders Selen.” Seres voice was steel and Kalika saw Selen quickly look away from him at her food.
He sounded angry Kalika noted curiously, but his tone did not make her suspect him of being in a violent mood. She felt herself relax at the order, she had the decision to make so she could choose the nights he was least likely to return. Some nights he didn’t return until the morning, those where the nights she would aim for. But his order she knew would make it difficult for her to attempt to befriend the others. She did not know how they would react when they realised he was not bedding her but she knew no matter what happened they would be angry with her for being so singled out.
“That goes for all of you. Pilly, Di’ark, Liza, Rel, Deril, Tesh, Togne. Don’t question my order.” He looked at each as he said there names. He sounded much more threatening with his smooth calm voice and they all nodded quickly in response. The rest of the meal was eaten in silence, until Seres rose. “Kalika your guard is due in half a turn.” He didn’t need to say he expected good behaviour, after his order she would remain on good behaviour for at least a week, or until she found herself in his bed.
The time between Seres leaving the tent and the others reacting seemed stretched, none of them wanted to say anything while he might hear.
Rel found the courage the fastest. “A guard?” She demanded turning her dangerous blue eyes on Kalika. Kalika found all other eyes turned on her.
“We don’t have guards!” Tesh squealed. “What makes the Karaiki slut worth a guard?”
Kalika bit into her lip, she had always known Tesh would be her worst enemy in the harem. That their two country’s had long held a grudge against each other seemed to be enough of a pretence for dislike.
“I don’t care about the guard!” Pilly shouted. “What gives her the right to his bed? Anytime she wants!” Pilly stood with a huff, knocking her food across the table almost purposefully adding drama to her actions. The others scampered out of the foods way. “I’ll not clean that up either. Let his favourite look after the work.”
“I’ll not clean your mess up for you.” Kalika growled, the anger at such a declaration burning into her gut.
“Pilly, calm down.” Yan ordered in a whisper of a voice, her eyes still on Kalika. The others where shocked for once they did not expect Yan to be the voice of reason. “You ask what gives her the right? My lord gives her the right. And for any of us, that should be enough.” Yan locked her eyes with each of them before looking at the table. “And the rules have not changed, Pilly, you will clean your own mess.”
There was a subtle strength about Yan that made the others obey returning there attention to there food as Pilly cleaned hers off the table and floor where is had fallen. Kalika did not look at Yan as they all sat in silence, she suspected Yan’s expression would hurt far more then any of the others.
Kalika rose from the table as quickly as she could, she would have found it easier if they had continued shouting over her head. The silence pressed in against her. She left the tent and bathed in the pool quickly. Then pulled on the same ruff pants and top as before looking at the frayed hems she admitted her first stop that day would have to be Elgaron's. She planned to not give Seres a reason to break the deal.
“Your guard is here.” Yan’s voice was bland but there seemed more kindness then usual, it was probably sympathy for how the others had treated her. Sympathy from Yan was strangely acceptable from others it tended to be intolerable.
Kalika watched as Yan disappeared through the tent door again. She wondered if the guard would wait and decided she didn’t really care. She sat on the log by the bath breathing in the strongly scented wind. It would rain before the week was out, maybe before the day was done. The grass tingled between her toes bending to the will of the wind. Breathing in deeply Kalika relaxed her body, she had been ready for a confrontation and had gotten one. That Yan had interrupted was good, there was no real way to resolve the conflict except by overpowering it and putting it aside.
Faintly as she relaxed she heard an unfamiliar sound, it took her a long time to identify it and was surprised, it was the sound of waves breaking against the shore. The impossibility of it work her up and she stood, pushing the sound out of her mind, they where to far inland for any such noise to be more then her imagination, and there weren’t even any decent sized rivers nearby.
Kalika walked through the tent without a glance at any of the harem, and left the tent with little thought to her guard. It took her five steps from the tent to realise she was being followed. She turned to face a tall man, well muscled with dark hair and eyes. His expression was solemn but it did nothing to prevent him from being attractive. He watched her with alert intensity.
“You’re my guard?” Her voice betrayed her rage but it was not at him, the harem where still in her thoughts.
“If you are Kalika the tenth lady of the Lord Mage Seres Harem I am your guard.” He did not respond to the anger in her voice and she could here it was not really a question. Something told her Seres had made sure the guard knew what she looked like, other wise he would not have started following her unquestioningly.
“Fine.” She turned from him, and continued walking but her feet where calmer and she didn’t need to stamp as much as usual. The guard had a calming effect on her. He followed with no reluctantly mirroring her steps through the fan fare of a waking camp.
She glanced once or twice at the guard as she proceeded. He was not dressed in the typical uniform of the guards but he had a captain insignia pinned onto his chest. At his waist hung a sword she doubted she could hold. That was understandable she was a marksman not a fighter.
The eyes of an eagle her brother had taunted once in there fathers hearing. The result had been interesting, she had yet to see her father gain that shade of purple a second time.
As she walked Kalika chose to make it difficult for her guard. Wondering how much it would take for him to get sick of her.
“Do you think I warrant your time Captain?” Kalika asked as playfully as possible, dispelling her foul mood.
“I do as I am commanded, my lady, I do not think on it.” His voice was extremely guarded which amused her more.
“Which means you think it’s a complete waste of time but you’d have your head cut off for saying otherwise.” Kalika jibbed, she turned left heading deeper into the folds of tents. It had a life of it’s own now, it had been very much the army camp before but slowly people had begun to take a place. If left alone long enough she suspected it could become a town in it’s own right.
“As you wish my lady.” His voice seemed a little less then dry, he was trying to hide his dislike.
“I’m a prisoner sir, you can insult me all you like but don’t you dare treat me with airs.” Her voice was tight. She had been raised to dislike the curt praise people gave only because they where told they had to.
“And what would the Tenth Lady of the Lord Mage’s Harem wish to be called?”
That tittle annoyed her more then the brisk ‘my lady’s’ so she turned on him sharply. She wondered if she would be stuck with the same guard every day or if it would vary, she hoped it was the same she did not want to have to repeat reprimands on a daily basis.
“My name is Kalika, Captain. Which you already know.”
“The Tenth Lady of the Lord Mage’s Harem perhaps does not understand the politics of a guard. One does not become friends with a guard, nor do they demand terms of familiarity. It is not only extremely dangerous for the guarded it is dangerous for the guard.” His voice was stern, she would have guessed he’d been trained for the army since birth the way he acted. But he was too obedient and courteous to ever become more then a captain.
“How is that?” Kalika made herself sound stupid, although she did not know the answer she doubted it was so puzzling that she had to sound like one of the other harem members, but she felt the ruse required until she could get the guards measure.
“If the guarded and guard-“
“Just say the lady, not the guarded, I feel a headache arriving already and confusing me further will do little to help.” Her impatience helped with her tone of stupidity.
“If the lady and the guard do claim familiarity there is a powerful chance the Lord Mage would have the guards head removed. And in the vague chance that, that is not the case. A friendship or even familiarity between the guard and lady would make the guard lax in his duties and could prove fatal to the lady. Far better to use all formalities and maintain the correct stance of a guard, then to be happy with a new friend and dead the next day.” He wasn’t even looking at her, she suspected he was reciting something he had learnt once.
“You word things poorly.” Kalika retorted but not angrily, there was a certain sense she could fathom from the guards words. He started at her words and stared at her. “And I feel, Captain that you are in grave danger, because you are closer to being my friend then you suspect.” Her words where true as she turned from him and continued on. There was something about his acid manner that made her like him more then anyone she had meet in the camp. She also found the idea amusing since he was obviously trying to prevent her from liking him.
“Why where you assigned to me?” Kalika asked over her shoulder. It was strange that if Seres did not trust his noble generals that he would trust this captain.
“The Lord Mage believed you needed a guard.”
“Yes but why you?” She looked over her shoulder carefully scrutinizing him again, taking his measure. There was nothing out of the usual about him, in fact if anything he reminded her of her brother.
“Because I am a loyal subject of the Sorcerer’s Assemblage, and I am an excellent fighter. Both of which the Lord Mage thought essential.” His expression was guarded and she guessed there was more to it but cared too little on the answer to pursue it further.
They moved in silence, he shadowed her although anyone who looked would know that was what he was doing. Subtlety was not the point of her guard.
When they reached Elgaron's tent Kalika tried to order him to wait outside but he ignored her and followed her into the shop.
“Elg?” Kalika called loudly. Elgaron stuck her head out into the waiting room.
“I’ve not finished a dress yet dear, I can only work so fast as my hands will let me.” As Elgaron spoke she eyed the guard with discomfort.
“I’m going riding anyway.” Kalika announced, her voice refused to be second questioned, but the guard didn’t seem inclined to argue anyway. “So I’ll just take some pants and a top if you have them.” Kalika hoped she didn’t, she was comfortable in the old clothes.
“Well now.” Elgaron almost frowned then disappeared deeper into the tent. Kalika followed and felt the guard do likewise. “I didn’t really have time to get to them last night.”
Material was scattered about the floor being sorted through by two girls. Kalika had seen them before though only once or twice and never managed to remember there names. The two where as close to apprentices as Elgaron would allow.
Kalika waited patiently as the old lady rummaged through a wooden chest. Elgaron held some pants up for a second and shook her head stuffing them back into the chest.
“There’s nothing any better then what you’ve already got, dear.” Elgaron eyed Kalika’s clothes with an air of distrust. “I can give you something tomorrow, mid day at the latest.” Elgaron waved over at a pile of material that looked as though it was half way through becoming something wearable. “If I’d known it was a hurry I would have had them done yesterday.”
“Not even you are that fast Elgaron.” Kalika retorted, rather distracted by Elgaron’s melancholy tone.
Elgaron looked up at Kalika surprised by the words. Kalika expected her to speak and was surprised when Elgaron turned sharply onto her apprentices. “Don’t crush the lilac Shez!” Both apprentices looked up surprised, then the taller apprentice looked down to where her foot stood on a light purple material. With a squeal she jumped aside, looking flustered for the action. “Now dear.” Elgaron turned back, her expression bland. “If that’s all? I’m rather busy, what with the Silver Moon just around the corner.” Elgaron's voice was very businesslike as she pushed Kalika out the door.
Kalika was surprised and a little hurt by the sudden change in Elgaron’s countenance. She had come to consider Elgaron as one of her best friends, even back home she had few friends who didn’t want something from her.
Forgetting about the guard again Kalika began for the picket fences. The prospect of seeing her horse cheered her, brushed away the hurt feelings, and put her confusion aside for a time when she had little else to do then worry.
It took little time to get to the picket fenced area where the horses where kept although Kalika had never managed to go there more then the once. Kalika leant against the fence watching the horses roam about freely. Laboriously stables had begun to be built, she doubted they would be complete before the rains, but was aware of what the building of solid buildings meant. The army was going nowhere fast.
Looking at each of the horses she realised her own was not among them. The thought agitated her, and she turned sharply from them, not even bothering to check a second time. She knew horses as well as any other Karaiki, and it was certainly not there.
“Where else are there horses?” Kalika demanded of the captain when she noticed him standing in the shadows. The days heat was starting to affect the captain, although she noticed he was standing in perfect attention.
“It is not my job to answer questions.” He replied indignant that she was paying him any attention.
“No, but I doubt you want to wander about aimlessly any more then I do.” Kalika snapped, her irritation reappearing. She bit into her lip sharply and glanced at the sky trying to distract her irritation. It would rain before the day was out, there where only thin clouds about but the air was promising a down pour. It occurred to her that Seres would be extremely busy if the camp was thrown into disarray with a storm. The prospect cheered her, if the weather played as it was promising to she would sleep in his bed that night and be done with it.
“There would be horses at the training yards, and horses out with the patrols, some horses would probably be travelling with the supply wagons but not the army trained horses. There may even be a horse or two being ridden around by the higher officers.”
“To the training yards we go then.” Kalika hoped her horse would be there, there was little hope of finding it otherwise. She began for the training yards, guessing the pathway by putting her memory of the camp to use. The guard was of little help, every time she asked a question of him he would brush it aside. By the end of the walk she had his name, Allen, and little else.
When they reached the training yards Kalika stopped at the fence again watching all the horses arranged. She paid little attention to the combat training that sprawled across the field. Nor to the archery training which made her fingers itch with memory. There hadn’t been a day before when she hadn’t shot at least one arrow.
“What can I do for you miss?” A soldier strolled over to her, he was dressed in formal training gear and held the insignia of a Lieutenant, she guessed second lieutenant but could not be certain. As he lent on the fence leering at her with amusement she sensed Allen tense, he obviously took anything as a threat. Kalika ignored the man beyond noticing his rank, her eyes scanning the horses. With elation she found the horse she had ridden, nameless it remained but she could expect little else.
“I want that horse.” Kalika stated bluntly pointing across the field to where two men sat saddled and fighting with wooden swords.
“Do you now?” The lieutenant seemed a little surprised by her blunt manner and the fact that she was ignoring him.
“I am the Tenth Lady of the Lord Mage Seres harem.” Kalika declared imperiously and stood straight looking down her nose at the man. She was tall something, even compared to some men but she didn’t make a point of making it visible unless she wanted obedience. “The Lord Mage bids me keep my horse, and that is my horse.” The lieutenant snorted almost in contempt.
“If it’s your horse, then why’s someone else riding it?”
“Because they obviously did not know it was mine.” Kalika replied with a snap, but she wasn’t angry, she was watching the horse wondering if they would have to get reacquainted.
“Well if it’s your horse, why don’t you go get it then?” The lieutenant was ready to laugh at the prospect.
“Very well.” Kalika’s voice was even as she pulled herself over the fence and began walking across the field. Some of the men stopped at stared at her, she was in pants and a top but that did little to hide that she was female. She heard her guard curse in a whisper and follow her over the fence.
When Kalika came to the mock battle her horse seemed involved in she stoped, it would do little good to interrupt such a scene. At the first sign of pause Kalika gave a sharp whistle. Every horse in the vicinity turned it’s head to look at her. In the corner of her eyes she saw one man getting knocked off his horse, his focus distracted. Her own horse turned sharply, nearly dislodging it’s rider, then it trotted over to her butting her with it’s big head.
“Hello again.” Kalika responded quickly patting it’s muzzle. It breathed a hot stale air into her face and the smile that had been threatening to appear split her face. For a horse even Seres company did not seem like an evil.
“Here now what are you doing girl?” The soldier on the horse glared down at her and tugged at the reigns.
“I’m taking my horse, sir.” Kalika told him sternly. “Kindly dismount, if anything on my horse is yours take it now, if it’s standard equipment then I’ll put it away when I’m done.” Her eyes dared him to argue and he was tempted, being ordered about by a girl was hardly acceptable in any man’s eyes.
“The Lord Mages Tenth has given you an order Private. I suspect he would be displeased if it was ignored.” The bark from her guard made her jump almost as high as the private. The private was quickly dismounting pulling things from the saddle bag at the same time. When he stepped away he looked disgruntled but obedient.
Kalika ignored all the looks she felt on her back and quickly mounted the horse. Almost silently she whispered the oath she was not so certain of this horse yet that she would not make a point of the oath a second time. The horse however seemed glad for her company and accepted the oath with all the manners of a horse. Her guard confiscated the horse off the nearest man and rode up beside her.
“No where outside the camp.” He warned almost pleasantly but she didn’t need the reminder.
* * * * *
Kalika curled up under the soft down blankets, listening to the rain that had broken just before dusk as it struck the tents roof. Breathing in the strong scent of oranges that lingered in the pillow. It was his smell, but there was nothing unsettling about it.
The moment she had been certain the rain would detail him she had made her claim to his bed. She presumed he would make an effort to be there during the first week of the bargain just to annoy her, so she wouldn’t get another opportunity to sleep alone as the rain was providing her with. None of the harem had protested, though she had seen Rel itching to say something no confrontation occurred. She wondered if they realised, as she did, the likeliness of him not returning till very late.
The rain was a soothing sound, added to the comfort of Seres bed she drifted into sleep easily. It was not a solid sleep, she was too wary to allow her body the privilege of shutting down completely. So she was mildly aware when Seres entered the tent.
The strong sent of grass and water blew in through the tent door way, betraying his entry. She listened to his soft footfalls as he walked about the tent. She considered opening her eyes curious of what he was doing but knew the action would awaken her body from the relaxation it had slipped into.
Outside the tent voices where drowned out with the downpour, leaving only the muffled calls of those inconvenienced by the rain.
She heard when Seres reached the side of the bed and did not respond when he gently smoothed her hair from her eyes. There was the softest touch against her check, so gentle she wondered if it was real.
With a gentle sigh he moved away from her. Kalika kept her hands still although the sudden need to press the spot of her check where he had touched threatened to overwhelm her. She fought the need away eventually and returned her now alert attentions to Seres. He moved about the other side of the bed in near silence, only the whisper of his clothes was audible above the rain.
When at last he drew into the bed he did not approach her nor bridge the distance between them in anyway.
Kalika waited in the dark listening to the rain once more. And once more she drifted into a calm sleep.
* * * * *
Kalika watched as the harem flittered about the tent aimlessly. There was little cleaning to do, there never was and the tent managed to stay miraculously clean most the time. Selen had told her that they had slaves to clean there rooms in the palace, why they didn’t have them here Kalika could not guess.
Outside a horn was blowing loudly across the tents. It was out of place, but Kalika paid as little attention to it as she twisted the bronze coin between her fingers. She was counting the moments before she buckled and went walking in the rain. The others seemed content to sit around doing nothing and make a fuss when ever they had to go outside. Obviously rain was not something they had much experience with. She wondered if Allen was standing like the loyal guard at the tent doorway and grimaced at the thought. He would not enter the tent, no man with even a grain of intelligence would do anything that daring especially while the memory of Justin lingered.
Yan sat in a corner stitching something together with delicate fingers, seemingly unaware of the others antics. Rel was throwing herself about the room, trying to engage everyone one but the talkative in conversation. Kalika was pleased to be exempt from them this once. Of course that Seres hadn’t slept with her was very well known to them. They had made it there duty to know such things and seemed more confused at how she was singled out then they had been before they knew he left her untouched.
Pilly and Di’ark twittered, giggling helplessly. Kalika wondered what they where talking of, merely because she could think of nothing worth talking, yet alone giggling about. Selen was organising something while Togne scribbled something in her book.
Surrendering to the foul mood, produced by the confinement Kalika jumped to her feet slamming the coin into the ground watching it skittled of in an odd direction. Her dramatic and unexpected movement had them all look at her.
“I’m going out.” Kalika snapped, she headed for the back entrance.
“Kali!” Seres called. She spun sharply, surprised by his voice in a tent where he had not appeared to be. It made her feel better that he was standing in the doorway dripping water and staring at her, he had only just arrived.
The weather made her more placid then usual so when he motioned her out the door she obliged, the prospect of the rain did nothing to deter her obedience, she had been about to walk out into it anyway.
Stepping outside the warm tent into the tyrannical downpour was a shock to her system, but she thrived at the feeling. Her thin white shirt was soaked before Seres shut the tent flap and pulled her further from the warmth. Then he faced her.
“Seres?” Kalika enquired marvelling at the feel of cold water as it traced down her spine. The water seemed hardly to touch, yet alone affect Seres.
“Allen’s taken ill from the weather, Kali. I’m quite disappointed I wasn’t informed of it earlier.” The way he spoke the words set her on her guard.
“It’s not my fault!” She raised her hands quickly in a sign of surrender but also to prepare them to defend herself.
Seres shook his head. “Of course it’s not.” His eyes focused, brightening. “It is not the point.” He paused uncertain, she would have been gratified to see him so unsettled if it hadn’t mortified her. He went to pace, and she caught his arm, stopping him before he had taken more then a step.
“What is it?” Her voice was fast, and because of the rain she made it loud. He turned towards her at the touch and met her eyes with his hesitant grey ones. He took her spare hand, spreading her fingers and she felt leather and wood press into her palm. She closed her grip around the item tightly, and looked down startled by the warmth the construct fed her numbing fingers. Secure in her grip she found a bow and the strap for a quiver or arrows.
Speedily she looked up, locking her eyes with his again, trying to fathom his reasons for giving her the weapon. He did not make her wait.
“Guard them for me.” His voice was soft despite the rain which his touch and words rendered meaningless. She shoved the weapon back at him not releasing her hold on it. The shaft felt good in her hand, smooth and warm, ready to kill at her command. It hammered fire through her body offering her the comfort she had lacked since being disarmed. She did not really want to surrender it.
“Why don’t you guard them?” Who them where was not a point of thought there was only one group of people Seres would ever want guarded.
His eyes blazed with impatience for a moment, then he calmed, pushing her fist curled around the weapon back to her.
“We’ve had some disturbances around the camp. Nothing big, everything just small enough to be overlooked by a weak commander. My guess is there in the forests nibbling at our outskirts for the blue lady knows what reason.” He shifted. “Who ever they are, they’ve been using magic to sneak about the camp.” Uncertainly she strengthened her grip on the bow. “That leaves you, and the others without my protection or the Bresaur's. I can’t maintain them at that far a distance.”
“But we’ll still have the other guards, even without Allen.” Kalika replied, the quiver of arrows seemed to sing reassurance to her aching fingers. She wondered when she could shoot an arrow, she hadn’t been able to for months and no matter what was happening she wanted to renew her friendship with the craft.
“Half the guards that are assigned to the harem have come down with illness from the sudden downpour. And the only other man in the camp I would trust within a span of my women has already left for the !@#$en forest.” Seres rubbed his jaw, eyes alive with uncertainty. It was the first time she had seen him uncertain and the expression did nothing to help her hate him. “Guard them for me.” He repeated, his voice came out soft but certain, his eyes locked with hers did not waver at the request. “I don’t know who these men are or what there intentions are, but I can not hunt them down and protect you all at the same time.” He gripped her elbow and pulled her closer. “Please.” His voice was certainly weak on the word and it made Kalika’s chest tighten with her own uncertainty.
“What makes you think I can?” Kalika demanded, his eyes flicked over his shoulder towards the forest, these intruders where bothering him. She had seen little stir him beyond a monotone of care.
“What makes you think you cant?” He replied evenly despite the disturbance of his mind. She felt a pang of guilt for having said anything, knowing she should have simply accepted the task. She nodded in spite of the protests she felt building in her mind. He nodded, a weak smile replacing his uncertain then letting her go walked quickly into the tent.
Kalika followed him inside quickly.
“Kalika’s in command, no one’s to disobey her tonight.” He snapped the order hastily, and turned quickly. As he left the tent, brushing past her, he gave her one futile smile that did little to cheer her. The looks on the harems faces as they stared at her, in shock over Seres order did much to unsettle her. She wondered if even loyalty to Seres would have them obey her. She shouldn’t have bothered worrying, Seres had them too well trained.
“Up!” She snapped, revelling in the position of authority she had been raised to take. “Where moving for the night.” The others jumped at her words, quickly depositing there items neatly.
She thought as she watched them, about the sudden departure of Seres. He had betrayed a vital piece of information about the Bresaur's in that brief conversation. They where his constructs, a manifestation of his power, and he could only maintain them at a certain proximity to himself. That the camp was more then likely left virtually unguarded played on her thoughts predominantly. Another opportunity to escape falling to pieces with each moment. But escape seemed like an alien idea, it seemed less important as her comfort in the camp increased. It was lax of her, her grandfather would have cut her ear off. He’d tried to do that once already, she had the scar to prove it, and it had been for much less then being lax.
She wondered as she briskly walked them out of the tent exactly where she planed to take them. Some of her friends had considered it obscure of her, that without thinking she knew what she was doing, and it often was the right thing to do. She was so used to it she relied on it most the time. Now as they walked through the muddy street she caught up with herself. And as her own plan laid out before her she was pleased to see she had lost little of her tactical skills while in confinement.
* * * * *
Kalika sat in the corner of the tent. Seres work tent, not his harems tent. The tent they had struck the deal in. There was a bed, in the corner, barely touched and she wondered what the point of it’s existence was. Perhaps it was for the nights when he didn’t return but she continued to doubt he got any sleep on those nights.
The harem had tried to squish onto that bed, huddled beneath thick blankets. Yan had surrendered and curled up on the floor, she seemed in many ways more hardened then the others, it was one of the few times she betrayed her strength and Kalika made sure she would remember it. The other eight made a comical picture in there disgruntled attempts to fit on the bed. Kalika ignored them as best she could, watching the door and listening to every noise that was made.
The bow sat on her lap, ready to fire, an arrow above it. It would take less then a second to load the weapon, another to draw it and aiming had never been a problem with her. Two maybe three seconds and she could kill an intruder, if she heard them coming, if they where not cloaked in magic. She wanted the Phoenix Arrow, she wanted the certainty that it would protect her. In the distances, she could almost feel it. But it wasn’t a physical distance, if she had travelled for a hundred years and searched every crevice she knew she would not find it.
A noise made her jump, crouching quickly and drawing the arrow in the bow. She followed the noise, someone walking outside. She had chosen this tent because there where people around, but it gave her the extra task of deciphering every noise that drifted through the thing tent walls. But if the harem was in danger, if these strangers wanted to cause them harm, this would not be the first place they would look.
The noise faded and she relaxed a bit again, sitting once more in a meditative seat, resting the weapon on her knees. There was one door to this tent, although the walls where material. One entrance they could use without cutting through the walls. She would hear if they cut through the walls, she would see if they walked through the door. She would have that moment of preparation the harems tent may have deprived her of.
As she sat, listening for the smallest noises and even further. The sound of waves flickered in the distance. She fought the urge to focus on it, trying to remember to protect the harem. But every time its sound came to her ears she found herself reaching with her hearing to find it. The problem was the sound seemed to come for everywhere, once she was focusing on it. She found herself entranced, it seemed as much a song as her arrow would emit, but it was so different, cool and smooth, without the fire, but it would complement the fire song.
When someone spoke behind her, her attention snapped into overdrive, shoving the sound of water away from her. She rolled forwards from her seat pulled the bow and arrow into her grip and drawing and turning towards the noise in the same movement. Then she paused staring at the empty tent, arrow pinned where she was sure noise had come from. Her heart thundered as she watched waiting for the sound to repeat itself, and then she heard it again, outside the tent she realised with frustration. She knew her attention belonged to the moment not fairytale sounds that played in her imagination.
Slowly the person walked on, and all noise was gone. She waited for a long time weapon ready, then returned to her guard, and the sound of waves did not intrude on her again, although it played silently in the distance.
In the end her body kept her awake all night, her nerves strained from the continual sounds that popped up at random around her. Absently through the night she wondered who would bother to attack a harem, other then perverted men. But then again, Seres was very attached to his amazingly small harem, and if someone was trying to unbalance him or hold something against him, the harem would be the prefect instrument for that. Still it was a passing thought, and she only spared the briefest moment for it.
* * * * *
It was early morning when the camp filled with noise. Kalika found herself waking from the haze of her mind to the sounds. Her body was protesting her sudden awareness with its need to sleep but she ignored it. She stood smoothly from her seat. She hadn’t slept, she had kept her vigil, closing down every function that was not necessary, but preparing to wake them up if the need be.
The harem, still sound asleep as the thin rays of light slid in under the tent door, where unaffected by the commotion. Kalika repelled the need to go and see what the cause for the commotion was but found herself pacing the room. There was little that could be done, she had her duty, but she was a curious cat who needed to know everything that was happening around her. One of the traits, she had been assured once, that made her perfect for her duties.
When the tent door flapped open, she turned unconsciously drawing the arrow still tight in her grip and aiming where the intruder’s chest was most likely to be. She watched the hand that drew the flap aside, counting her heart beats, reminding herself to give the person, who ever they where, a chance to explain. A stranger’s head popped into view, a cheery expression on his face.
Kalika twisted the arrow mechanically, a reflex she had acquired some where along her journeys. Then controlling her voice began as coldly as she could. “Can I help you?”
The man started at her voice, turning to find the weapon pointed so perfectly at his chest. For a moment he froze, the colour gone from his face then he shook his head as if reminding himself that if he didn’t speak the arrow wouldn’t remain held back for long.
“Err…” He began unsteadily looking about the room at the harem curled onto the bed. At one point in the night, Tesh had also surrendered the bed to curl up on the floor beside Yan. The rest of them still looked comical, though her mind was too strained to truly appreciate the image. Kalika cleared her throat a little to remind him to hurry up and he jumped, staring down the arrow shaft once more. “Errr… The Lord Mage, has, umm, sent a request for his whores to return to his tent. My men and I are to escort them.” He seemed a bit more certain, having delivered his message.
Kalika clicked her tongue at the man thoughtfully the arrow still drawn. She was certainly untrustworthy of the man’s words, he seemed far stupider then the usual person Seres would send with such tidings, and it almost seemed a falsified stupidity. Also the way he watched her, a strange glint in his eyes as if he was amazed by her, but then she reasoned she was holding a weapon. But above all her little misgivings she wanted to shoot the stranger for using the word whores. Though by all technical definitions they where, Seres harem seemed something more then the typical group of pretty girls collected for pleasure, he seemed more attached then he was meant to be, plus there where so few of them. A man of twenty-five should have had at least twice the number, especially one who was basically a king.
“Give me proof or I’ll kill you where you stand.” Kalika drawled, pretending to be bored, though her heart pounded with the intensity of the moment. She held the man’s life in her hands, she could have killed him, even if he turned to run she knew the arrow would be there before he got to the door. She thought he was a fool for having entered the tent so certainly with a weapon levelled at him.
“P-proof?” He stuttered suddenly unsure. Kalika grinned automatically, enjoying the look of fear on his face. “Like what?” He demanded hotly, inching towards the exit, the tone intended as a distraction did little to help him.
“Another move and we’ll see how fast you run with an arrow embedded in your chest.” Kalika growled, in the corner of her eyes she saw several of the harem sitting up in the bed starting at the scene. It was just like them to wake up at inopportune moments. “Now sir. I believe you where trying to convince me of something?” Kalika continued as if she hadn’t voice the threat, the less she emphasised it the more uncertain he would be. After all the arrow was drawn, there was no doubt she knew how to use her weapon.
Before he could speak however she heard those all too familiar foot falls of a Bresaur and it’s ugly head poked in through the door war.
Her stance relaxed automatically and the weapon, still drawn went to the ground. She could remember Seres words from the night before, and she had pieced together enough about them to know that anything they knew, he knew. They where an interesting kind of magic, and she wondered how long it had taken him to create them.
“Okay.” Kalika replied slowly, then turned to the others. They where already tumbling out of the bed, and standing up, fixing their hair and adjusting sleep dishevelled clothes. Kalika tensed her left shoulder and released the pressure. She was awake after her vigil but every muscle in her body was pleading for sleep. She tried to sooth them as effortlessly as possible while waiting for the harem to think they where prepared.
“Oh, and his tenths to attend him at the slave camp.” The man added vaguely. Kalika’s head snapped onto him sharply, and the girls where staring at her.
“Why?” Kalika demanded with a tight voice. Something didn’t feel right suddenly. She wasn’t sure what it was or why she only took notice of it at that moment but she realised as her heart beat increased that what ever it was it was now unavoidable.
“Didn’t ask.” The man retorted a little amused by her discomposure. She swung her weapon up sharply and targeted him, but the words of her deal with Seres, the deal she had memories rang through her mind. She wouldn’t release the arrow, but the little man probably didn’t know that.
“Why?” She repeated allowing her anger to slip into her voice. He still looked far to stupid for her liking, but then she tried to remind herself that it was entirely possible he was simply dense. He watched the arrow targeted once more on his chest with wide eyes.
“Honest, I didn’t ask.” He replied in a near whisper. Kalika let the weapon drop quickly. He was too stupid to lie, that much was obvious. Trying to ignore the feelings that swept through her, making her hands shake just that little bit and her mind drift in ten different directions at once she stepped out of the tent. The Bresaur broke away from the small group of guards to her side, guiding her along a pathway she had never been allowed to walk before. The knowledge that inside the slave camps she probably knew people twisted deep into her, but it was shadowed by the foreboding feeling leaking into her senses.
* * * * *
Kalika stepped into the clearing before the slave camp with apprehension. Her chest restricted that little but further. The knots in her stomach tightening to near unbearable levels. Her hands, tucked tightly into the pockets of her leather pants trembled unrelentingly.
The air was murmuring words of distress to her, nothing like her arrow when it told her of danger, these words where uncertain and lacked clarity. There was a tinge of familiarity to the sensation that made her more nervous.
She paid little attention to the throng of people who manoeuvred through the large clearing as she continued to follow the Bresaur. It cleared a quick and easy path way, cutting through the people in a direct line towards a cluster of generals. Her eyes picked up the presence of nearly all the generals and she realised there was a war council happening in the middle of the mayhem. A person pushed into her as he dodged around the giant creature, and Kalika pushed him away, her mind still unfocused by the urgency in the air.
In her mind she tried to pinpoint where in her memory the familiarity of the feeling tracing through her stemmed from.
Her thoughts returned her to a family dinner she had been forced to sit through when she was ten. She had been sitting by the end of the table, her brother doing everything he could to lighten her dejected mood. Her father had left the meal early, after a row with her grandfather. Her grandfather had sat across the room by a giant fire refusing, as always, to sit with the family. There had been a feeling, similar, though more bitter then desperate, digging into her while Esarel continued to chatter.
Kalika collided with something solid, taking her thoughts from the memory.
“Watch where your going!” A soldier snarled as he spun on her fist ready to strike. Her hands moved to defend, but before they had risen far the soldier had stopped his strike staring at her confused. Suddenly the hand dropped, he looked around to make sure no one had seen his error and then disappeared into the crowd. Kalika gave a sigh, and pushed an escaping piece of hair behind her ear allowing memories to take hold of her once more.
She could remember running from the dinner to throw up. She hadn’t wanted to return but a maid had dragged her back in the end. In defiance to the force she had curled up on a chair by her grandfather refusing to participate in the gathering.
It had been normal. Kalika mused as she stopped at the edge of the make shift table. Just another family dinner. Long lost relatives who she never knew scattered amongst ones she saw all the time, and who ever else they had dragged along. She could remember what they had eaten, even some of Esarel’s bad jokes, the ones he still used but had with age made him seem charming. But there was nothing out of the ordinary she could recall.
She shook her head, removing silly unexplainable thoughts, the night probably had nothing to do with the desperation in the air. It was crying out for something, begging for assistance. She strained to listen to it’s words a little as several of the generals glanced at her. She found Seres, standing at the end of the table with the air of authority he never relinquished. The generals had set up to the side of the crowd, not even noticed by the people who trudged past on there duties. Again her mind hardly took notice of this.
She did however notice Seres’ strange demeanour. His body was slightly hunched, his eyes distracted and weary, his skin seemed white under his strong tan and all as once she was overtaken with the urge to ask if he was okay. She squashed the urge, ashamed of herself for letting it exist at all.
“A council Kalika.” Seres voice was tight to match his hidden discomfort and he looked up at her for a moment, his grey eyes unusually dark as he took in her appearance.
She ignored him and glanced at the other generals, wondering at his strange behaviour. She found two or three of the generals looking less affected but still uncomfortable with something. She realised from the placid unaffected expressions of the rest of them that it was something other then battle plans that was causing the reactions. With a jolt of realisation and a growl at herself for not figuring it out before she recognised the air was filled with magic. It must had been the few generals who where affected had some sort of magical ability, otherwise why them. That left the seed of curiosity in her mind, she reasoned that she must therefore be slightly magical. Her mind blazed with that thought, hadn’t Seres said something like that before? But no. He had merely said Togne had no magic, and she had no skill, but it wasn’t a denial either. The thought of her having magic seemed a bit wrong, after all, it was a hereditary thing the last she had heard, at least the normal kind was.
Then again. She told herself rather sternly. I have cousins who have magic, and with the history of m- She stopped mid thought, her body going slightly rigid as another thought crossed her mind. Her head snapped around to the slave camp, separated only by a wooden fence and several guards, she scanned for faces and found nothing. Her heart was pumping as memory over turned her existence.
That night, that one dinner party, it had been special. It had been the first time she felt him, known he was there, but she’d refused to talk after the meal, so she hadn’t meet him, hadn’t pinned the strange currents in the air for what they where. It had been another year before they meet the second time.
It was strange how the tinge of death seemed to capture her senses as thoughts tumbled about her body. Strange how she suddenly knew exactly where she was meant to look but didn’t want to. Her body was rigid with the want to never acknowledge what every other part of her was telling her. If she turned, if she looked she knew she would crumble, but she couldn’t just stand there left uncertainty. There was always hope, hope that she was wrong, that it was all some strange dream, and it was the hope that had her turn around to look over the crowds heads. Her body choked, her mouth unable to respond to the millions of words she wanted to stutter, to scream.
Ivian. Her mind whispered to the wind and the response was immediate. The dull throb of the air’s murmurs broke into roaring words that made little sense but overcame every, everything but her. She didn’t see several peoples feet falter, or others collapsing to the ground in shock as what had been a mild irritation they had ignored became an unbearable flood of emotions that had nothing to do with them.
The response, the fear and desperation that flooded through and past her made her break from the frozen pose she had taken.
Her feet moved, faster then any of them would have believed possible and from her throat came a scream that resounded through the sky growing in intensity. She knew she shouted his name aloud, her body trembling with the need to collapse combined with the need to continue. Her breath poured from her body in that single scream that carried further into a screech then anything she had ever uttered before. Every head turned to her, even those who where not in eye sight had to turn to the source of the noise.
She ignored them scuttling up the stairs to the gallows, her body trembling though desperation moved her beyond normal capability’s. Her voice felt raw, the sound of her scream dead in the air, lingering over the absolutely silent camp. She reached to her back drawing an arrow out of the quiver and gripped the shaft by the point. Then struggling to reach she began to saw the wretched rope from Ivian’s neck with the arrow tip. By the time the rope snapped the frozen crowd was murmuring with unrest.
Kalika caught his body against her own lowing him to the floor, because her legs wouldn’t hold her up and she knew she couldn’t hold him up. She pushed his mattered hair from his face, loosening the noose that still wrapped around his neck and throwing it aside, ignoring the bruises and protruding bones that suddenly became visible. She yanked his shirt collar up as far as it would go to cover the deadly wound, tears trickling down her face as her other shaking hand continued to push the hair from his face. His hair argued the new arrangement and sprung back into it’s messy state. His hair had always been unruly.
Realising the pointlessness of the action she succumb to the tears and sobbed pulling his body tighter into her grip and resting her lips against forehead. She was oblivious to anything but his cold skin pressed under her trembling lips, her fingers clasped around his arm’s digging into flesh with enough force to bruise him had he still been alive.
A hand roughly pulled at her shoulder, and she reacted as she was trained to. Her hand gripped a new arrow, the other disregarded long ago. She stood as she spun around, a smooth motion that surprised the heavily built man behind her. His hand hardly had time to fall to his side before the arrow point was being jammed towards his face.
Ivian’s emotions still pounded in the air, they would for hours, that was something she knew from experience. And feeling his desperation, his fear and that tiny tinge of surrender that was buried beneath everything else drove her to anger. His feelings as he walked to his death, and she had been busy guarding a bunch of stupid squealing girls.
“Barbarian!” She screamed, shattering the silence.
Before the arrow reached the startled man’s face her wrist was detained by an extremely strong grip. She gritted her teeth, killing two killing twenty she didn’t care, she would not fail in Ivian’s vengeance. She twisted around the grip on her wrist still strong and went to hit the new man with her right hand. Again her wrist was caught before contact and she was staring into his grey eyes. There was no other feeling then anger for those eyes at that moment, nothing could supersede the turmoil emotions that ragged through her.
“Disgusting pigs!” She cried rage choking her voice.
She ripped her hands from his grip, the arrow still tight in her grip and slashed at him instead. It was something she had wanted to do for so long. He teased her, he provoked her, tested her at every corner for what reason she had no idea. And now he stood before her, an expression of stunned shock obvious on his features and he was trying to deny her of the vengeance she would enact on Ivian’s killers.
“How dare you! How dare you kill him!” Her mind was reeling, Ivian dead. It felt so unreal, only the anger in her blood keeping her aware that it was happening.
Seres avoided her lunge’s easily, twisting out of the way of her fist as it attempted what the arrow had failed to do.
“He attacked the camp Kali.” Seres voice was tight, nothing was fathomable from his tone though.
“You had no right to kill him!” She screeched side stepping and trying a new angle of attack. The movements between the two where fast and skilled, neither faltering in there attack or defence.
Every set of eyes in the vicinity was locked on the two as they moved. More people where tumbling into the clearing to watch. Strangely some people in the slave camps where trying to break through. Kalika guessed what that meant but ignored it. She continued to press her attack on Seres, becoming more and more infuriated as he avoid every blow like it was a dance not an attack.
Her body trembled more, her mind shifting from the dead man on the floor to the man who was driving her insane with the ease he ignored her anger with. His focused eyes where locked on her, his mouth almost unmoving but there was the slightest hint that he was trying to speak but couldn’t get a sound, yet alone a word, out. Her body pumped with adrenaline and rage, tinged with determination. Her heart thundered deep in her chest, her body still shaking managed to move smoothly, her mind in a jumble clung to the only thing she could understand at such a moment of crisis, violence.
Then Kalika lunged with a force she was not expecting and Seres was ready for. He side stepped the attack and her fist skidded past him, barely missing him, but still missing. Her caught her wrist before she could pull it back for another attempt. This time his grip was tighter. He yanked her forwards and caught the hand still clutching an arrow. Had she thought to pull the bow off her shoulder and shoot him, instead of attack in a fury, she probably would have succeeded. But a crazed girl who had just lost an obvious loved one had very little chance of winning a fist fight.
Seres stared at her face, his own expression set in rage as his grip around her wrists became painful. Kalika tried to pull away, looking around sharply for an object of assistance. The crowd was staring dumbfound at the drama before them. She ignored them and looked too Seres boot, where she knew he kept a weapon, but it was as unattainable as everything else. She struggled against that powerful grip for as long as her body could maintain the anger, then she looked into his eyes demanding a release so she could kill him. His expression was of equal anger, though it was for different reasons. Her breath caught at the amount of anger that was being thrown at her from his eyes, her heart stopping. Something told her she had gone too far, but for Ivian how could she not? Ivian who had never hidden anything from her, who had been nothing but loyal to her. Ivian who-
Her thoughts broke into oblivion when he dropped her wrists, his hands latching at her , one around the back of her neck, the other weaving into her hair. She hardly had a second to realise her hands where free before his mouth was against her. She was acting on instincts, instincts born from training but more importantly instincts that where buried a hundred times deep within her. Her hands latched around him unthinkingly in response. Pulling her body tightly against his as she deepened a kiss she had never realised she was longing for. He pushed deeper against her, his desire throbbing into her senses, his hands preventing her retreat though she was far from moving away. Her body responded to him, warming at the contact, burning with the need to keep him locked to her. As he deepened the kiss, exploring her mouth with an expert tongue Kalika realised what was happening, and more importantly what she was forgetting.
With a strength of will she did not know she had she disengaged herself from his warm body, pulling away from the amazing sensations shaking her body, pushing him back two steps and making her own retreat to the other side of Ivian’s body. That way she wouldn’t loose sight of her objective, but for some reason her mind wouldn’t lock onto Ivian, all she could do was think about Seres’ lips buried against her own. The burning heat of the moment, the knowledge that it was a contact she had yearned for, it all pilled into her senses leaving her confused.
Nearly crying out in anger at herself and the world that felt she needed more complications, she collapsed to the floor gripping at the body and pulling it to her. She rested Ivian’s limp head on her lap and again tried to smooth his hair out of his eyes. Refusing too look away from the corpse trying to tell herself the shaking was anger and had nothing to do with the kiss that had shattered her sense.
Every time she blinked she could feel Seres lips on hers and she could not deny the pleasure she had felt, her own desire, repulsive as she found it in such a situation responding to him. He had no right to control her like that, to make her forget Ivian. To make her forget her duty.
Her thoughts did switch then, turning her attention to the head on her lap. Ivian was dead. Ivian who should never have been away from Botearal in the first place. She tried to understand why he was there. Obviously he had been captured and hung, but she could not understand why. Her guards where in the slave camp, she could hear one or two of them shouting inaudibly across the clearing. Why hadn’t Ivian been put with the slaves, why was he dead?
With shaking fingers she cleaned grime from Ivian’s check, eyes unfocused with tears. “Why him?” Her voice cracked with the words and she refused to look at Seres, afraid for the first time in her life of loosing control of herself and the situation. It already was spiralling out of her grasp, and she needed to reign it in. “Why him?” She shouted more angry, her fingers dug into Ivian’s shoulders, he would have hit her if he was alive. Realising she was harming the body she forced fingers to relax.
“Why not?” Seres voice was dead of emotion, and she hated him for that. Her body had every emotion she had ever felt thrown in together and none of them explaining which moment had birthed them. She looked up, her anger rekindled at such callous words, for some reason she expected more from him.
“He would have said!” She screamed, her fingers unconsciously brushing Ivian’s hair.
“Said what?” The other man on the gallows demanded.
It was the first time she remembered there where others present, and she glared death at the man for interrupting her, her eyes skidded only momentarily to the gawping crowd. In Seres dark grey eyes she saw her answer, she saw he was hiding something and she knew above all things that she was right.
“He would have told you!” She shouted in anger at Seres, again ignoring everyone else. “It was his right to live!”
“I’m taking over a country Kalika.” Seres yelled suddenly, the anger making his eyes bright instantaneously. “Do you think I care if one royal bastard gets hung?” His voice was flooded with fury, but she did not back down. His words shocked her to the bone and she jumped up letting her fury fire her once more.
“But it’s the rules!” She cried, almost in pain, but she wouldn’t cry this time, she refused to be weak before him. “Royal blood has the right to be ransomed!” She clenched her fists, hitting him wouldn’t work, besides he had shown well enough he could avoid the blows if he tried. But hadn’t that been what she had been taught, that royal blood was given the exception, rules laid down centuries ago by the greatest kings of the land.
“Royal blood?” The stranger on the gallows mused almost thoughtfully though not repentfully.
“I’m taking over a country Kalika. I’m not walking in and trying to steal the nobles money. I don’t care about the money. I want the country. And the less royal blood there is floating around the less resistance I have. Especially the immediate line to the throne! What was he third for the throne?” Seres stared into her conveying his own thoughts, trying to justify in a strange way the death of the boy.
“How dare you!” Kalika wished for her arrow then, wished with all her might that it would give her the chance to kill him. But it did not come and she was left to fight him on her own. “Duke Ivian…” She stumbled, she didn’t want him to make sense but she didn’t know what to say. “…He should have been put in the slave camps. Anything! He should have been poisoned, not hung! How dare you kill him so disgracefully!” She shook all over. “How dare you kill him!” She flung her fist at him one more time in hope and was surprised when she felt it contact with the flesh of his shoulder jolting him backwards a step. Had she thought it would hit, she would have aimed for his face.
There was a gasp from some of the crowd and Kalika too realised what she had just done.
“That’s it.” Her growled his eyes blazing almost white with intensity. Magic flooded around her, a power that froze her where she stood, she could see it this time, like he made no effort to hide his magic. White lights pooled around her drawing her tightly in, her legs and arms unable to argue the movement the magic pushed her in. The magic lifted her from the floor pushing her back, off the gallows with a strength that gave her no room to argue. She found herself stuck in mid air, the magic still relentlessly pooling around her.
“Lord Mage?” The stranger on the gallows asked looking at Seres, fear evident in his voice.
“I am fine.” Seres snapped and he flicked his hand towards a tent near by. She was afraid as she was pushed into the tent by the magic, and when it set her too the floor it kept it’s grip around her, not allowing her to move.
So she waited, watching the tent flaps uncertainly. He was angry, the blazing white of his eyes proved it more then the obvious anger in his voice. He usually didn’t display anger like that, and she was worried by the instant change. But she was not repentant. He had killed the third in line for the throne of the Karaiki people, and her duty to protect had been taken from her.
Seres entered shortly after her, though he had given her time to collect herself from the abrupt and staggering display of his power. To just throw magic about was not something Seres was renowned for, in fact it took a lot for him to use his magic for anything but battle, and then he used a set three spells. His Bresaur's, invisibility and a disguise for him in the more fevered battles.
He paused at the door and waved his hand around him imperiously. It took a moment for her to feel the magic beyond that binding her. Then he stalked towards her, and she felt the magic restrains vanish. Around she still felt the magic in the air, but it’s purpose she was uncertain off. Seres expression was dark, but for the bright whites of his usually placid grey eyes.
He gripped her collar and pulled her close to him to allow her to see his rage although she hardly needed the proximity to do so. He radiated anger with more intensity then he had ever displayed before.
“The next time you defy me before my men, I will, whether I wish to or not, beat you until there is no part of your body that is not bruised.” His voice was flat, it wasn’t a threat, it was a fact and that scared her. Her breaths became short at the words, and she hated herself for betraying fear to this man. “As to that boy.” He continued, his voice taking on emotions again, though which emotions she could not tell.
“He is sixteen, by all rights a man. You will not defile his memory by looking down on him.” Kalika growled with animosity, he had said nothing about arguing with him in private, and from the level of his voice he didn’t care if others overheard the conversation. A faint notion that the magic in the air had something to do with his disregard for overhears hardly kept her attention for a second.
“His younger then you?” Seres asked distractedly.
“I never told you my age.” She growled at him, of course Ivian was younger then her.
“Yan must have told me.” He replied quickly, his tone softer and still distracted. He seemed to catch himself quickly. “As to that-“ he paused to look at her pointedly and relented “-young man. I would have you know he was the leader of the party I went off to hunt last night.”
“So I helped you.” Kalika snapped bitterly. She regretted not having at least taken the time to escape. It would have been easy enough to do.
Seres chose to ignore her bitter interruption. “The young man, had a large amount of magic I did not want him throwing about the place. Trust me. Mage’s can do a lot more damage then royal blood. I really wouldn’t care one way or the other if he was royal, but frankly a mage of any level bares watching.”
“But he was only a Sentiment Wizard!” She shouted fiercely, glaring at Seres angry. “He couldn’t do anything else!”
“And you think a Sentiment Wizard is not a threat?” Seres demanded on the edge of exasperation. Kalika wondered at the sound of his voice, his anger had gone, she didn’t know where it had just disappeared somewhere along the line.
“What could he do to you? All his ever been able to do is push his emotions out.” Kalika made a fist, he wasn’t angry, but her own anger had not faded.
“And you saw the reaction of that today! With enough force, or enough emotion he can debilitate anyone with even the slightest magic potential. You think that’s not a threat?” Seres had released her before, but he grabbed her shoulders this time, pulling her to stare into his eyes. Kalika wanted to look away to argue, he would not make her see Ivian’s death as acceptable, she refused to let it happen. In her own mind, she understood the logic behind it, but she refused to let her mind explain it too the rest of her.
“Then why did you have to hang him?” She demanded turning to the only part of the conversation she knew she would be right about.
“That’s how we kill people. Everyone goes that way, noble commoner, we don’t make distinctions when it comes to killing.”
“Barbarian.” Kalika spat the word at him hatefully. There was venom on her tongue as she stared at his almost hurt expression. “His body is mine. I’ll give him the burial he should have. You will not take that from him, or from me.”
“His body is meant to hang there for the next week, with his eight companions. As a warning for any invaders that follow.” Seres warned, though his voice was somewhat uncertain.
“I will give him the burial he should have. You will not defile my-“ She stop short on the word about to break from her throat and swallowed forcing herself to try again. “You will not defile my Duke with any more dishonour. You killed him with force, I will burry him with grace.” Her voice was soft, she was beginning to see the danger of talking to much. In anger she had nearly slipped, and she hatted that thought above all things. Seres made her say things without thinking, no one else had ever had that effect on her.
“Fine.” Seres sighed his expression looking forlorn. “But you will do this discreetly. And you will tell no one.” He went to leave, then stopped turning back to face her, his eyes extremely dark. “Don’t ignore my warning.” He left before she could even catch her breath remembering the words he’d said upon entering the tent. And once more her legs crumbled beneath her, leaving her to cry her soul out in the relative darkness.
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Property of Kimra Lelanst, do not duplicate without consent. |
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