Thia rose, and the dozen or so healers followed suit. “I think that’s about it,” she said. “The sigils are similar enough that you should be able to adapt them to something Silas will grant.”
“Thank you, Daughter,” the eldest said. “We have learned much today and will endeavor to perfect the designs before they are needed.”
“I’m glad I could help, though I hope you never find yourselves using them.” Some of those sigils were ones I used to keep Jinaari alive after he drowned, or when Alesso was poisoned. For any of these people to use them, the situation would be dire indeed. A movement caught her attention and she saw Jinaari enter the room through a door on the opposite side of where she was. “If you’ll excuse me, my companions have need of me.”
The monks bowed in unison, then parted so that she could walk through them. As she got closer, she saw the deep red mark that started at the corner of his eye and disappeared into his beard. “What happened?”
“Later,” he said.
“Do you need me to heal that?”
He looked at her, and she saw the certainty in his eyes. “No. At least, not until we know we won’t be back here.”
“You can at least tell me why,” she muttered as she walked through the doorway. Night had fallen, and hundreds of lanterns hung from the covered walkways.
“It’s a matter of honor,” Jinaari’s voice was low. “It took me fifteen minutes to convince them that I wouldn’t be offended if they didn’t pull their blows, that we couldn’t learn from each other if we weren’t trying our best. The last opponent I faced was smaller than the rest, but damn fast. She got a blow past me. I saw the reactions of the others. They’d seen her as a lesser warrior for some reason, but now they respect her. She’s the only one among them to actually leave a mark on me. As such, I won’t diminish her accomplishment by hiding, or healing, the bruise.”
“The minute we know we won’t be back for a while, I’m healing it. You know that, right?”
He chuckled. “I’ve dealt with bruises my entire life. I’m fine.”
Thia snapped her head up and glared at him. In the yellow glow from the lanterns, she saw the faintest hint of a smile cross his face. “You’re horrible,” she laughed.
“If I’m not, the wrong people die.”
He stopped, and she looked up. They were in front of the garden. Two paths, yellow for Keroys and silver for Garret, waited silently. Each one was flanked with lanterns hanging from tall, hooked poles, giving off enough light to illuminate the way. There were shadows between the paths; dark, deep ones that made the hair on her arms stand up. “I can do this,” Thia whispered. “I have to do this.”
“Thia?”
She snapped her head toward Jinaari. “What?”
“How are things with you?”
Closing her eyes, she let out a long breath, letting the anxiety go as she exhaled. “I’m good,” she said as she opened her eyes and looked at him. “I’ve faced worse, right?”
“You have. I’ll stay even with you. If you need me, I’ll be there.”
Standing up straight, she drew in another deep breath. “I know you will,” she said. Moving before she lost her nerve, she stepped onto the yellow stones before her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him do the same.
The first change she noticed was it was warmer. The winter chill was gone, and the air was fragrant. A memory rose in her mind. Papa built a swing on the tree by the barn one spring day. The first time he pushed me on it…the grass had been cut short and I could smell the promise of new life rise from the earth. The higher he pushed me, the more I laughed. I felt his love at my joy.
“Not all memories should be forgotten, Daughter.”
Thia turned her head at the sound of Keroys’s voice. He walked beside her, a small smile on his face. “I am honored,” she stammered. “I didn’t expect you would come see me.”
He laughed. “I placed my Mark on you. When you have need of me, I will be there.” She drew breath but held her thoughts as he raised his hand. “You did not need me when you faced the Forsaken, Daughter. Nor when you faced Lolc Aon or her Son. The strength to do what needed to be done was within you, and you found it.”
“So, why are you here now?”
“Because you doubt yourself, Thia. Your faith in your friends is considerable, and well placed.” She glanced to her left, making out Jinaari as he walked Garret’s path. “He cannot see me. Garret had need to speak with him and is probably doing that now.”
Turning her attention back to her God, she asked, “Is everything okay with him?”
“Oh, I imagine it is. Jinaari isn’t Marked as you are, but Garret has always seen a purpose to his life.” The path curved as they walked. “I didn’t come to discuss my brother’s will with you, Daughter.”
She nodded. “Jinaari and the others are sure something’s wrong with me. That I’m sick in some way. But I don’t feel ill, and I can’t get through to them that I’m fine.” Thia looked up at Keroys, surprised at the concern on his face.
“I see nothing that is worrisome. Perhaps a cold is developing. It is winter, after all.” He paused, “I don’t believe it’s anything you, or your friends, should lose sleep over. A small cough won’t interfere with what you do best.”
“What is that, exactly?” She sighed. “I’m sure you’re tired of my whining and questions, but I’m not at all sure about what I’m good at.”
“You take care of others, Thia. Sometimes it’s your companions, other times it’s old women who wish to see their loved ones before they die. You give of yourself, sometimes to your detriment, but always with the hope that a small gesture will change one mind. And that, my Daughter, is something that cannot be taught. I saw it in your soul when you rested in Herasta’s womb. It is why I Marked you. And it is why we are here tonight.”
“What does Nannan want from me?” The words came out as a whisper, and it was all she could do to hold back the tears.
“Nannan? She’s not who summoned you.”
“Then why am I here?”
Keroys smiled. “My brothers and sister wanted to meet you; let you know that they are not angry for what happened with Lolc Aon.”
Thia blinked. I never thought how the other Gods would respond! I didn’t think about anything beyond wanting to be free of her! “I’m not the one that killed her, though. Jinaari did.”
“He’s walking with Garret, isn’t he? He killed her physical form in Byd Cudd, but you forced what was left of her spirit out of her Son and gave Nannan the chance to cleanse Avoch of Lolc Aon’s evil forever. For us, who mourned the sister we once had, you both need to know that we hold your acts as just.”
“All of them will be here?” Awe crept into Thia’s voice.
“Yep! We’re all here,” a young man’s voice came from the back side of the fountain that now stood in front of her.
Blinking, Thia watched as four figures—three men and a woman—came around the centerpiece. Jinaari stood at her side as Garret and Keroys joined the others. Her heart raced at the sight of the six Gods. Silas’s face appeared sad, while Ash wore an infectious smile. One that reminded her so much of her cousin that she was filled with happiness. Hauk, the oldest of them, stood in the rear. One hand rested on Lexi’s shoulder, highlighting the unstrung bow that rested across her back.
“Between the two of you, our sister is gone from this world. She left many scars, in both the people and the land, that will take lifetimes to heal. Let it be known, here and now, that none of us hold malice or hatred to either of you for Lolc Aon’s death.” Hauk’s deep voice, tinged with sorrow, washed over Thia. As he spoke, she felt stress she didn’t know she carried begin to wash away.
Lexi raised her chin. “What she did to you, Thia, was abhorrent. Men have done enough harm to women. We should not do worse to each other.”
“Lexi,” Ash interrupted, “we’re not all drunken fools. Most of us are honorable sots!”
“We cannot stay longer. Taking the cobalus home is a noble task, and one that will test the bonds you have with your friends. Remember what we have said, your training, and hold onto the trust you have in each other. In the end, trust and friendship are the strongest bonds we have.” Keroys smiled at her.
“Keep your oath, paladin.” Garret said, and Thia heard an edge of irritation in it. Glancing at Jinaari, she saw his head barely move.
She looked back at the fountain, and the Gods were gone. A wave of dizziness hit her and she sat down on a bench.
“Thia?”
She looked up at Jinaari. “I’m good. Just . . . that was overwhelming. To be in the presence of one deity is one thing . . . but all six at once?” She shook her head. “And all to make sure we knew they weren’t upset that we killed Lolc Aon?”
“I didn’t think we were in the wrong, but to hear them agree . . . You’re right. That’s not something that we can ever really describe.” He sat down next to her. “We’ll stay here until you’re ready to head back to the rooms. There’s no rush. I’m sure Gnat’s still asleep, and I doubt Adam and Caelynn will be waiting up for us.”
“Is it that late?” Thia raised her head, trying to determine the time. The lanterns were bright enough to make seeing the stars difficult.
Jinaari coughed. “I doubt they’re sleeping, Thia. The only time Adam’s asked for a night where we all got to sleep when we were on the road was if he and Caelynn were planning on sharing a bed.”
She felt her cheeks flush, and she buried her head in her hands. “I don’t need to know the details.”
“Neither do I.”
They sat for a few moments, and Thia was happy with the silence. It felt right, after what they’d just seen. “How long have you known Adam?”
Jinaari sighed. “Over a decade. I was barely fourteen when I was sent with others to escort him from Helmshouse.”
She giggled, imagining him being that young, his hair and whatever shadow of a beard he had, tinged white from the avalanche.
“What’s funny?”
“Caelynn told me the reason he calls you ‘old man’ is because you got caught in an avalanche and your hair and beard were so white with frost it made you look old. I was imagining it.”
“Is that what you were told?”
“Is that not the truth?”
Laughing, he leaned back against the bench. “Not even close. There was an avalanche, yes. Several of us were sick with frostbite and spent time in the infirmary at Helmshouse. Lukas was one of them. This was his first command mission, and he felt horrible about what had happened. I think it was part of the reason he went to the chapterhouse in Almair.” He sighed, then kept talking. “Once we were recovered enough to travel, we headed back to Dragonspire. Adam was supposed to be evaluating the initiates, including myself, for their magical aptitude. This may come as a shock to you, but I was arrogant before I joined the Order.”
“You? Arrogant? I’m shocked,” Thia giggled.
“In the palace, I was raised to believe I would excel at any task I put my mind to. My skill was praised, no matter how good or bad I really was. The goal was to groom me for the throne, of course. Nobody wants their ruler to hesitate or have large gaps in their education. Initially, I was to be an officer within the palace contingent. We’d gone out to the chapterhouse on a visit when I was seven, and I saw some of the training they went through. It appealed to me on a level I had never felt before. It took four years to convince my parents that formal training within Garret’s Paladins would make the army respect me as a leader more than some ceremonial position.
“The day after we got back, I was summoned to Drakkus’s office. Adam was there. He got right to the point; I was going to be removed from magic training immediately. My stores, he said, would never be at a level where advanced magic would answer my sigil. I can do basic healing, enough to keep someone alive or walking, light a fire to stay warm, but not much beyond that.” He turned his hands over and Thia’s gaze went to them. They were calloused, with small scars crisscrossing across both the palms and backs. “These hands are meant for swords, not sigils. I protested, of course. I intended to be the best the Order ever trained. How could I do that with such meager stores? Surely Garret would change that at some time.
“Adam stared at me, and said, ‘You’ve got what you’ve got, nothing more. There’s no capacity within you to hold more. It doesn’t matter if you trained until you were an old man, Your Highness. You will need to rely on others if magic is needed’.”
“Did you listen to him?”
Jinaari shook his head. “Not at first. I’d sneak into the upper-level classes, try a sigil when I was alone. Every time I tried, it backfired. And Adam would be there, shaking his head and calling me ‘old man’.” Thia saw his face relax as the memories played in his mind. “I grew to hate the sight of him, to be honest. After six months, though, I realized he was right. I limited my sigils to the ones that wouldn’t use much, so I could manage my stores better.”
“It took you six months to realize that? And you call me stubborn!”
He glanced at her, and she caught the mirth in his eyes. “That’s because you are. Anyway, I kept training, took my vows, and became a full brother within the Order shortly after my sixteenth birthday. Two weeks later, Drakkus called me to his office again. Adam was needed in Almair, and I was to escort him so he’d arrive safely. I saw this as the perfect chance to show him I wasn’t the ‘old man’ he constantly said I was. We got to Cirrain, rested up in the house and were feasted that night. I had too much to drink, but I was so certain he didn’t think I was worthy of being a paladin because I didn’t have much in the way of stores. He is a warlock, after all. Their entire society revolves around using magic.
“I went out on the battlements, trying to appear in complete control, and caught a whiff of something foul. Before I knew it, I was on my knees purging my meal.”
“Wait,” Thia interrupted. She tried to hide her amusement, but the giggle escaped. “You’re telling me that you got sick and threw up on the battlements? I’ve seen you drink before, Jinaari, but I’ve never seen you drunk. Let alone that drunk!”
“The ale was stronger than I realized. And it taught me that moderation was a good thing, especially if I might be needed to draw my sword.” He laughed, and she joined in. “It was something I definitely needed to learn. The next thing I knew, Adam was there. He helped me up and said it was good to know that I was human after all. The next day, once we were on the road, he took care of my hangover. The nickname, however, comes out any time he feels he has to remind me there’s things I’m never going to be the best at.”
Thia couldn’t hold back the laughter anymore. She threw her head back and howled.
“It’s not that funny,” he chided her.
“Oh, no,” she replied, tears streaming down her cheeks as she tried to breathe through the laughter. “The idea of you being that drunk is perfect. You’re human, after all.”
Glancing at him, she saw his shoulders start to shake as he got caught up in her amusement. “I suppose it is. What he told Caelynn sounds far more heroic, though.”
“I don’t think this counts as a secret we need to share with her,” Thia said as she wiped at the tears on her face. “It’s not something that can be used against you.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s something we talked about, when you were Samil’s prisoner. When we’re back in The Green Frog, the four of us will have a long conversation. There’s always going to be people who try to use things from our pasts to get us to do what they want, make us distrust each other. If we’re honest with each other and share them, that takes away any advantage they’d have over us.”
“Good idea. Who thought of it?”
She smiled. “I did.”
He looked at her and said, “I should be surprised, but I’m not. Come on,” he rose and held out his hand, “it’s getting cold out here. I want to be on the road at dawn. We still have an hour’s ride before we’re at Tanisal, and I want everyone to have full stores.”
Taking his hand, she rose. “I’m fine, even if you don’t think so.”
“Maybe I’m worried about mine.”
She laughed again as he led her from the garden.