Chapter 13

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Dain sprawled on the upstairs parlor couch, his head resting comfortably in Geneal’s lap while she gently ran her fingers through his hair. It was getting long enough, he thought, down to his shoulders. He was surprised Carryn hadn’t said anything to either of them about their appearance. She did have far more important problems to deal with, he supposed. Those difficulties threatened to intrude, but Dain stubbornly forced them from his mind.

“What are you thinking?” Geneal asked. He opened his eyes, looking up at her.

“I’m trying not to.” He pulled in a breath and sat up. “Mostly I’ve been thinking that I don’t want to leave again so soon.”

“Doesn’t seem fair.”

“Fair?” He shook his head. “We were so looking forward to being here. I thought, maybe Carryn has decided to risk giving us a break. All the way here I kept thinking; I’ll get to spend some time with you. Won’t that be nice? And we’ll be safe and all our friends will be there.”

She moved closer and pulled him into her arms. “This can’t go on forever. When it’s all finally over, you’ll have all the time you want.”

“Will I?” he asked and a chill shook him. Somehow, he didn’t think so.

“Of course you will.”

He straightened, looking at her. “You know I’m in love with you,” he said, smiling at the shock he saw in her eyes. “And I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You know that, right? Dynan asked me what I was waiting for and I’d never really put it in that frame of mind, but I haven’t been able to think about anything else since then. Would you marry me? I mean, would you want to?”

Geneal laughed softly. “I haven’t exactly put it in that frame of mind either, Dain, mostly because I’ve always assumed you’d have to marry for political reasons.”

Dain grunted. “When my father was alive, that was true. But now? Dynan won’t marry me off to just anyone.”

“That’s true. If you could then, I would say yes. You know I love you too.”

He smiled and kissed her, not sure he’d actually asked her to marry him or not, but didn’t think it really mattered. The simple fact that she wanted to made him happier than he imagined and he began to understand what Dynan meant.

With that understanding came fear as well as joy. Those emotions were swiftly overcome by desire as Geneal moved against him, drowning out all the other thoughts that swirled through his mind, except the one that made him want her so intensely he eased her down on the couch, heedless of where they were. Geneal didn’t seem to care either and proceeded to remove his clothes with the precision of a surgeon.

The weak sun fell in the west, and night draped over the buildings, shadowed in perpetual mist. Dain stood on the porch watching the grey thicken, reflecting the compound lights, and casting an eerie, unnatural glow. He wondered how he would stand leaving again so soon and then answered himself; the same way he’d tolerated everything else that had happened. His thoughts drifted with the mist, swirling in patches, still in others, then settling in one place before moving on. Dark to light.

He thought about Maralt and Kamien, and what they were doing to innocent people. He thought about Ralion and Sheed, and their mission to rescue the Ahrelds from certain death, when there shouldn’t be a need for it; shouldn’t be fear in a land once filled with peaceful intentions. He didn’t doubt the guards would succeed, but something whispered in the back of his mind that spoke of danger. He felt it start the moment Carryn said she was sending the guards to Cobalt. An irrational chill swept through him, but he couldn’t place who that fear was for. Carryn’s explanation seemed to dispel his uneasiness, but now it followed him again, seeping into every fiber of being, chilling to the soul.

Dain started, jerking around at a noise behind him. His sword was halfway out of its sheath when he saw it was Trent, wondering how long the man had been there without making his presence known.

“I’m sorry,” the guard stammered, backing up a step. “Carryn sent me out to ask if you’ll be joining them for dinner.”

“No,” Dain said and growled under his breath when Trent started to tell him that he really was expected inside, then turned abruptly, disappearing into the swirling grey.

The next day they were scheduled to leave soon after Ralion and Sheed, but not before Boral, true to his word, put them through one of the more rigorous training exercises Dain ever remembered. There were other soldiers, lined up and waiting, some jogging in place in the cold, all of them watching, talking among themselves, and Dain’s sense of isolation increased, wondering what they thought. When he learned it was Trent’s time he had to beat, his attitude changed and he pushed himself harder than he ever had to make it through the grueling course as quickly as possible.

At the end of it, when he felt very much like collapsing, he stayed on his feet, trying to catch his breath. Boral looked at him and chuckled. “You managed to keep your perfect record,” he said. “Barely. They’re getting better and better, you know, our new recruits. You’ll have to work a lot harder than you have been if you expect to keep up.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Dain gasped, then decided he really had to sit down.

“No, we’ll have none of that. Start walking. Where’s your brother?”

Dain waved his hand absently behind him, pushing to his feet. Boral handed him a water flask. Dain drank a couple gulps, pouring the rest over his head.

“I want to talk to you about Trent, Dain. He knows his business and he’ll serve you well enough, but he’s already come to me about you.”

“Has he now?”

“I know it’s difficult getting used to a new guard. They’re both in awe of you, if you want to know the truth, and Trent in particular is having a hard time learning what the boundaries are with you. Ever since he came here, about a year ago now, he’s worked the hardest and all along, kept your record in mind. I think the day he beat your time on the mountain course was the proudest day of his life. It’s sort of the standard around here. Anyone who can beat you at anything is someone to respect.”

“I’m sorry, Boral. I have a hard time dealing with people who put so much regard in my being a Prince. These days I’m about as far from Royalty as you can get.”

“Certainly from all the trappings that normally go with it, but Dain, whether you feel that way or not, these men hold you and Dynan with tremendous respect. All you need do to keep it is put up with these early mistakes, give them a chance to find their way. Trent is the kind of person, and he isn’t alone, who’d give his life to save yours. He and Jode are intensely loyal and frankly, any man who’s willing to take that risk deserves your consideration and respect. Give them the opportunity, and they’ll prove themselves when they need to.”

Dain took the admonishment, nodding slowly, and wondered what it was about Trent that so grated on his nerves. Maybe it was just the general uneasiness about leaving, or that the guards weren’t Ralion and Sheed who he knew. He didn’t have an answer, but resolved to keep Boral’s words in mind.

Boral turned at the sound of someone approaching, trying to see through the haze. “You’ve stood out here in the cold long enough. Go change. If it’s Dynan, I’ll send him along.”

“I’ll wait.”

It was Dynan and when he’d recovered enough to speak, he shook his head. “Damn, Boral. What are you trying to do, kill us?”

“If you’d been following my instructions, you wouldn’t feel this way. And you both need to eat better.” He smiled, then held out his hand to Dynan, took it and pulled him in for the customary embrace. Dain got the same treatment. “Ralion and Sheed are scheduled to leave soon. I won’t be there for it, or when you go, so I’ll say my goodbyes now. Take care, both of you.”

“We will and we’ll see you again soon, hopefully,” Dynan said.

“And maybe next time I’ll have someone else you can beat, Dain.”

“The highlight of my life here,” he said.

Boral laughed and they left him, heading back to the house. Ralion and Sheed were waiting by the time they’d changed, even when they rushed the job, practically tumbling out the front door. They halted abruptly when everyone turned to them. Dain gave Dynan a push to get him moving again and got an elbow jabbed into his side for his trouble. Carryn stopped their antics with a dark frown, but the desired effect was achieved. Ralion smiled and Sheed laughed, which is exactly what Dain intended.

“You going to be all right without us?” Ralion asked.

“Sure, we’ll be fine,” Dain said. “Besides, these new guards are so good, you might have a little competition when you get back.” He flashed Trent his most disarming smile, totally unnerving the guard.

Sheed laughed, shaking his head. “Just remember what I told you about him,” he said to Trent, who only managed to nod.

“Both of you be careful,” Dynan said.

Dain sobered, waiting for his friends’ attention. “Don’t take any unnecessary risks. That’s an order.” He was so serious, both men nodded somberly, and then he smiled easily. “Be sure to say hello to Kamien for us, if you get the chance.”

Ralion’s eyes darkened. “If we get the chance, it won’t be the kind of greeting he’ll enjoy.”

“All right, that’s enough of that,” Carryn said, flashing Dain a frown. “It’s time you were going.”

“Good luck,” Dynan said, patting Gaden Ahreld on the back. The young man still looked a little sullen at being left behind.

“Come back,” Dain said, serious this time. Sheed and Ralion nodded easily and boarded the midrange ship that would take them to Cobalt.

Dynan and Dain said their goodbyes not long later and by then Dain’s good humor had left him. He waited only long enough for the XR-30 to clear the moon’s atmosphere before moving back to his room.

They arrived in the Thylin System four days later, returning again to Murunde, stayed two days, then hopped over to Purdyn, remaining on that planet another two days. They stayed with the ship, sleeping on board. The two guards rotated in over-lapping shifts to keep a continual watch. Dain thought living in a cave bad enough. Remaining on board with nothing to do but wait and worry nearly proved more than he could stand.

They moved again, staying on the same planet, changing locations, sometimes the same day as arriving, hoping to confuse any possible pursuit by the erratic schedule. It seemed to work. Signs of pursuit didn’t exist, but Dain still battled an erratic nervousness.

“You know, when you’ve felt like this before, Maralt has shown up on top of us,” Dynan said one day just before they were due to leave the Thylin System for the Rynald System.

“It’s not the same. I know what that feels like. I’ve had this since before we left the base.”

“Well, what is it?”

Dain looked at him sourly. Dynan smiled and held up his hand when Dain frowned at him, gearing up for a lecture on stupidity when he saw Trent watching him.

“Is there some danger I need to be aware of?” Trent asked. He sat at the console bank while Dynan and Dain sat at the curved couch. Jode slept undisturbed by their conversation in a pull-down bunk by the ramp. Dain had noticed both guards taking turns sleeping in the hold instead of the bunkroom. He guessed that was to be more readily available in an emergency.

“No, Trent,” Dynan said quickly. “Really, we’ll let you know.”

“It’s just that Ralion told me about your particular abilities, Your Highness, and how I should pay attention to them.”

“I just said it wasn’t Maralt,” Dain snapped at him.

“I’m just wondering,” Trent went on quickly, “if maybe Maralt might have figured out from experience that you can tell he’s nearby and that’s why you feel differently, because he’s making it feel different?”

Dain felt the animation and color drain from his face, realizing that Trent’s suggestion made perfect sense and then he knew it, felt Maralt’s presence so close as to be nearly on top of them. He swore, lurching to his feet. Dynan and Trent raced after him, all of them rushing to the ship’s controls. Even before they could sit down and lock themselves in, Dain had the ship churning to life.

“If you cold wash the engines, we’ll stall,” Trent said even as they lifted off. The XR-30’s engines groaned under the strain.

“We’ll see.”

Laser fire erupted below them, following the ship as it struggled to rise. Dain worked the controls, furiously trying to keep the engines running long enough to warm.

“Coolant level is spiking,” Trent reported tersely.

“I see it. You think I’ve never done this before? All the time. There, see?” He smiled as the engines smoothed and the coolant level settled. He stood. “Get set for sublight speed. I’m entering the coordinates.”

“Inside the System?”

“What? Didn’t Ralion tell you about that too? As soon as we clear the atmosphere.”

“You are dangerous,” Trent muttered under his breath. “And crazy.”

Dynan gasped and when Dain turned to see, he felt their hopes of getting away vanish. Looming before them, the mammoth Star Destroyer filled the forward view screen.