«Then I will bless them without laying hands upon them. Because, one way or another, I will do this. We owe them that much.»
***
Many more than thirty-sixdahl’reisencame forward to offer their lives for her. So many more that Ellysetta nearly wept to see it. They looked at her with such determination and pride. Despite Rain’s assurances, it did not seem right that so many immortal lives should be sacrificed for hers.
She made no further attempt to dissuade them except to refuse the service of anydahl’reisenwith a living mate or child. “No woman will be widowed, no child orphaned, on my behalf,” she declared. Something in her voice, or perhaps the light of battle in her eyes, must have convinced them to heed her word, because two dozen of the volunteers bowed their heads and stepped back, withdrawing as she requested.
From those remaining, Farel selected thirty-six tall, fierce men, all of whom seemed to grow taller and fiercer when Farel chose them. They ringed around him as he gave them their final commands and farewells. When he was finished, eachdahl’reisenremoved his Soul Quest crystal from around his neck and handed it to Farel. The gesture pierced Ellysetta’s heart. She knew, without asking, why they did it: Warriors heading for certain death would not give the Eld more Tairen’s Eye to pervert intoselkahr.
“Wait,” she commanded when the thirty-six would have departed. “Is it not customary forshei’dalinsto bless Fey warriors before they head into battle? “
Shock rippled across thedahl’reisens’faces, and when she approached them, they fell back, casting alarmed looks at Farel first, then Rain. Ellysetta halted. She would not chase these men around like a girl threatening boys with kisses in a schoolyard. “Rain, tell them.”
With a face carved of pure stone, Rain said, “The Feyreisa will bless you before you leave.”
Thedahl’reisenstopped in their tracks. Around them, their brethren murmured amongst themselves with a mixture of shock, awe, and disapproval.
“Come here, to me,” she ordered.
The warriors shared uncertain glances, then reluctantly approached her, stopping a man length away and dropping to one knee.
With Rain at her side, she approached the first warrior. “For myshei’tan’ssake, I cannot touch you,” she said. “But I ask that you drop your shields.”
Thedahl’reisenlurched back in horror.“Teska, kem’falla,”he pleaded, “I bear shame enough for choosing the Shadowed Path instead of the honor ofsheisan’dahlein.Do not blacken my soul further by forcing me to share the evil in my heart with you. Just speaking the words of the blessing is enough—and more than I deserve.”
Anger blossomed in her heart. It was an abomination to her that this man was about to die on her behalf, yet still he thought himself evil and unworthy of a simple kindness. “What is your name?”
Thedahl’reisenlooked up. His eyes were lavender, almost the same shade as Rain’s. “Varian,kem’falla.”
“Varian, if there were evil in your heart, you would not be trying so hard to spare me from it.” She lifted her chin and glared at them all, her eyes hot with righteous anger. “You are worthy. All of you are worthy. Never doubt it.”
Fierce anger burned inside her at the thought of these proud, brave men fighting and suffering for their people, only to receive banishment and a life of torment as their reward. And even then they continued to defend the very people who had rejected them.
She would not reject them. She would not allow them to flinch from her in shame. She could not stop them from their course, but she would not allow them to face their deaths believing themselves unloved and unworthy.
Ellie reached out and placed her hands on either side of Varian’s face. She did not touch him, but even so his pain and despair screamed up her nerves, radiating from his unshielded body in palpable waves. She gave a choked cry. The agony of his soul was intense, like putting her hand on a hot griddle and willing it to stay there as the flesh seared away. But when Varian started to raise his shields again, she barked “Do not!” and spun a fierce web of Spirit to stop him. She had fought and won the battle to save the tairen kitlings. She would fight and win this battle, too.
Rain’s hands gripped her shoulders. Love and strength poured into her.«Weave your blessing, shei’tani. I am with you.»
At his touch, peace settled over her raging emotions and muted thedahl’reisen’sdespair. She closed her eyes, gathering her emotions and summoning the shining golden magic of hershei’dalin’slove. Fierce love. Unwavering acceptance. Belonging. Family. Ellysetta wove those emotions and memories into her thoughts and sent them arrowing into the mind of the warrior whose face she held between her hovering palms.
“You honor me, Varian. May the gods watch over you and keep you safe. Go with my blessing and my love, and come back to me if you can.” Instead of delivering the traditionalshei’dalin’skiss to his brow, she poured upon him a small, radiant burst of her essence, absorbing his terrible sorrow and returning love in its stead.
When she released him, he bent his head and clumsily reformed his shields. Though hisdahl’reiseneyes, incapable of tears, remained dry, his shoulders quaked with the force of his emotions. He fumbled with his Fey’cha belts, pulling free one of the many black-handled daggers. Both his hands and his voice shook as he sliced his palm and let six drops of blood fall upon the small blade and spoke the vow of blood-swearing. “I know adahl’reisenhas no right to this honor,” he declared, staring up at Rain, “but I do ask that this pledge be witnessed.”
“Witnessed,” Rain agreed. He glanced at Farel. “The bond requires a second.”
“I do not understand you at all, Tairen Soul,” thedahl’reisengeneral muttered, his expression wavering between disapproval and disbelief. Then he turned to Varian and barked, “Witnessed. And may the gods have mercy on all our blighted souls.”
Varian’s blade flashed briefly, sealing the bond, and he held it out to Ellysetta, hilt first.
She took the Fey’cha and Rain spun a quick Earth weave to add Varian’s steel alongside the otherlu’tansteel woven into her studded scarlet leathers. “Do you have family in the Fading Lands, Varian?”
Startled, thedahl’reisenlooked to Rain as if for guidance before answering,“Aiyah, kem’falla.I have two younger brothers—at least I did when the Wars ended.”
“And your parents? “
“They died in the Wars.”
