“There’s a weave around this little house to shield you. A six-fold weave. They used Azrahn. They must have spun it when we were unconscious.” That statement ended with a distinct rumble of unease.
“Are we prisoners? “
“I don’t know. Their intentions are a mystery, but they claim Gaelen sent them to rescue us from the Eld.”
“Have you tried to reach him to confirm that?”
“Of course, but the six-fold weave blocked me.” He smoothed his hands over her hair. “Half of me wants to burn this village down about their ears. The other half wants to thank them. All thesel’doris gone from both of us. Our steel is not here, but I could break through that six-fold weave without half trying. They have to know that. I don’t think they mean us harm.” He gave a short, humorless laugh. “And I can hardly believe I’m hearing myself say that. But why would they have rescued us from the Eld, removed thesel’dorin both of us, and healed us?”
“I don’t know.”
A knock sounded on the cabin door and Ellysetta barely had time to pull the linen sheet up around herself and Rain before the door opened to admit the white-haired woman Ellysetta remembered from last night.
She held Rain’s armor and Ellysetta’s leathers in her arms, and two other village women followed on her heels, carrying trays of food and drink. The women deposited the food on a table beside the door, sneaking furtive looks at Rain and Ellysetta before exiting the room and closing the door behind them.
The white-haired woman set the armor and leathers down. “My name is Sheyl. I am the healer who tended you last night.” She inspected the two of them with a healer’s critical eye. “You both appear recovered from your injuries. I hope you slept well.” She looked at Ellysetta. “No remnant pain?”
Ellysetta shook her head. “None, thank you.”
“Very good.” Sheyl laced her fingers together and regarded them silently for a moment. She seemed to be fighting some silent debate within herself. After a moment, she drew a breath and forced a smile. “Your leathers and armor have been cleaned and mended. Your weapons will be returned to you when you leave the village. Farel is waiting for you now. I will give you time to eat and dress, then take you to him. “
She turned to leave, then stopped again with her hand on the door latch. “Thedahl’reisenwere once the Fading Lands’ greatest warriors. Remember that.” She lifted the latch and slipped out of the cabin.
“What was that about?” Ellysetta asked, frowning.
“I’m not certain,shei’tani.”He rose from the bed and began to dress.
The Fading Lands ~ Dharsa
When the Massan entered the hall where they conducted their business, they found Kieran vel Solande waiting for them.
“Kieran,” the Massan leader, Tenn v’En Eilan, greeted him as theshei’dalinand the other members of the Massan entered and took their seats. “Your mother told us you had emerged safely from your ordeal and were returning home. We are glad to see you well. What can we do for you so early this morning? “
Kieran had been up half the night, using the new Warrior’s Path his father had shown him so he could get news from Orest. The battle was going badly. As for Ellysetta and Rain, no one was certain as to their fates.
His hands clenched at his sides. He couldn’t believe Tenn and the others were sitting around the table so calmly. “You can tell me what in the gods’ names were you thinking when you banished the Feyreisen and delivered his truemate—ashei’dalinand a Tairen Soul—into the hands of the Eld?”
“Mind your tongue, young warrior,” Tenn warned. “We did no such thing.”
“Of course you did. What else did you think would happen when you declared herdahl’reisenand expelled her from the safety of the Fading Lands? You call yourselves warriors of honor?” He hawked and spat on the floor.“Thatfor your honor.”
“How dare you?” Venarra v’En Eilan, Tenn’sshei’tani,who’d taken Marissya’s place as theShei’dalin,jumped to her feet. “How dare you insult the Massan in such a manner?”
“How dare you betray our king and put his mate at risk?” he shot back.
“Weputherat risk?” Nurian v’En Soma, Spirit master of the Massan, gave a short laugh. “Fey, you don’t know what you’re talking about. It wasshewho putusat risk. Shei’Kess showed us the evil she would bring. Death, war, destruction, the Fading Lands overrun by Dark ones,hersitting on the ruins of the Tairen Throne.”
“Venarra, Nurian, please.” Tenn held up a hand. “Kieran is young and passionate, and he shares a bond of friendship with Rain vel’En Daris because of the years they spent together at the Academy. He doesn’t understand what it takes to lead a country, the hard decisions we must make, all the consequences we must weigh when making those decisions.”
“Hard decisions?” Kieran laughed.
“Yes, hard decisions,” Tenn reiterated. “Contrary to whatever your parents or your friends may have led you to believe, we banished Rain and Ellysetta for one reason only: because they both willingly and deliberately wove the forbidden magic.”
“Aiyah,my mother told me,” Kieran said, unimpressed by the revelation.
“Look at him,” Yulan, the Earth master of the Massan, said in tones of disbelief. “He knows what they did, and he doesn’t care.”
“I know they spun Azrahn to save the tairen.”
