Consciousness returned in blurry, disconnected wisps, as insubstantial as the light filtering through Betharad’s eyelids. Her mind hinted that momentous events had taken place, but it was incapable of telling her more. Perhaps she was waking from a disturbing dream.
She was on a cold, unyielding rock surface, nothing like her bed, which added to the dreamlike haze infusing her. Soon she became aware that her whole body ached, as if she’d been pummelled and bruised. But her mind still wandered in the mist, unable to produce any explanation for these sensations. It must be well past time to get up.
“Ah, she’s waking up! Bring water.” Kavilas’s voice was the key that unlocked the mystery, and the danger and terror and hopeful exhilaration rushed back in on her. She hauled herself to a sitting position, grateful for his assistance as dizziness threatened to take her down again.
“How are you?” he asked. The small, tentative frown on his face looked out of place.
Her own welfare mattered little. “How are they?” she croaked, amazed the words sounded intelligible through the dust and grit that coated the inside of her mouth.
“Still sleeping. They look fine, but Amacet says we’ll only know for sure when they wake. And you could do with more rest, too—you’ve been through a lot.”
She gave herself permission to relax a little, but more sleep was out of the question. She concentrated on sorting herself out, using most of the water to soothe her throat, the rest to clean her face before smoothing down her hair and tying it back again. She was sure she looked frightful, but she cared little; all she wanted was to see. That done, she sat and surveyed the scene around her, Kavilas a silent source of strength and calm next to her. Without thinking the action through, she reached out and took his hand.
As far as she could recall, it had been early morning when Sarnd and Jessa threw the Serpentstone through the Fissure. The sky was a vivid blue and daylight now filled the chamber, turning the stonework a warm golden colour, but the sun’s disc was hidden behind one of the crumbling walls. She judged it was about two hours after noon, so she’d been unconscious for half the day. She hoped that was all; she felt disconnected from time, and for all she knew she could have been in the fortress for weeks.
Much later, when she was able to reflect, she could recall the sensation that swept through her when the Serpentstone entered the Fissure. The closest comparison was a rock being dropped into a pond, but instead of her body as the rock, she was the water; every single particle of her had risen up and rearranged itself around the echo of the flight. She’d caught a glimpse of the Stone crashing into Karrti, until light and noise obliterated everything.
As for what had happened after that, all she knew was that she had survived.
Before long, sitting became intolerable. “I want to see them.”
Kavilas nodded and helped her to stand. As they made their way across the floor, Amacet approached, an expression of uncertainty in his face for the first time. He looked older than before, exhausted and worn down; it made no sense, surely he had achieved what he wanted?
The custodian looked at Betharad without speaking, and she braced herself for bad news. After a moment, he nodded. “The Fissure appears to be closed, with the Orufasu and Karrti both on the other side.”
She was surprised to have missed the significance of the absence of storm clouds above them.
“And do you know... can you tell how the twins are?” she asked, hope warring with caution and common sense.
“I cannot sense their connection with the Orufasu now. However, I must wait until they wake to make my final decision.” It could have been her imagination, brought on by being over-tired, but a hint of doubt had crept into in his voice.
While the thought of Amacet’s ‘final decision’ leached away some of her positivity, Betharad focussed on his other words. If he was already able to detect that Sarnd and Jessa no longer had a connection to the Serpentstone, why did he need to wait until they woke? Not for the first time, she longed to know more about how the Lifespring worked.
Kavilas ushered Amacet away to allow her some privacy. The marshal looked ready to follow, but she stopped him with a hand on his arm.
The twins lay a few paces away from the empty plinth. Someone had wedged cloaks between their bodies and the floor, which provided what little comfort that could be given in this place. Apart from a few bruises and scratches, they looked like they could be sleeping. Their chests rose and fell with an even rhythm, which was a good sign, but their hands were wrapped in crude bandages.
“Their hands are badly burnt where they held that blasted Stone,” Elian said as she came over, her voice soft and sad. She looked as wrung out as Betharad felt. “The burns should heal, especially when I get some better bandages on them. But we need to be prepared for the possibility they are injured in other ways... who knows if their minds have been harmed by what they’ve been through?”
If they wake, Betharad thought, and then scolded herself. They would wake, and they would be her Sarnd and Jessa again, if all this was to have been worthwhile.
“This is a terrible place for them to stay,” she told the marshal and her grandmother. Too much had happened here. “We need to take them back to Naerun.”
“I’ve sent Oreno down to the barge,” said Kavilas. “The crew should have something we can use to carry the twins back, if we need to.”
Elian frowned. “I agree that home would be better for all of us, but moving them now might be harmful. My medical knowledge is limited when it comes to this sort of thing. I’ll ask Relchen’s opinion—he’s a trained physician.”
Betharad turned to her grandmother, and it felt like she was looking at her—really seeing her—for the first time. They would make peace with each other at some point, but Betharad’s energy was needed elsewhere.
Amacet was deep in conversation with Relchen on the other side of the chamber. The older man leaned on his stick, a great weight pushing him down, while the younger’s left arm was cradled in a makeshift sling. Relchen waved at her and the two picked their way through the debris towards her.
“It’s good to see you’re awake and unharmed,” said Relchen, a smile appearing on his face as he approached.
“What happened to you?” she said, pointing at his arm.
He looked embarrassed. “You did. You fell on me and broke it.” He put no accusation in his words. She smiled her apology.
“You should know,” Amacet told her, “that Niedde did not survive.”
Betharad was shocked she’d failed to notice the older woman’s absence. She ought to say gracious words about the woman, which is what people did in such moments. But in the short time she had known Niedde, she’d found little to admire or like. Offering false platitudes would make her feel like a hypocrite.
With a jolt, she remembered the awful scene before the Serpentstone had struck Karrti. “Did Urzed...?”
“No,” Kavilas replied. “And he’s dead too. We checked, and we’re sure of that, this time. He and Niedde took the direct force of the explosion when it escaped back out of the Fissure. It was fortunate the four of you were thrown further away.”
“And very lucky for all of us that the backlash was a lot less damaging than it might have been,” said Relchen.
“I know I did not enjoy her company,” said Amacet, “but Niedde did not deserve to meet such an end. She was a respected senior member of the Academy and contributed much to our collective understanding about the Orufasu.”
“And her theory proved to be right,” added Relchen. “It was all over quite quickly, but it did seem the explosion occurred when the Orufasu and Karrti touched each other. I hope she had a chance to realise that, at least.”
“Do you know if they were destroyed?” Betharad asked. “The Stone and Karrti, I mean.” It seemed too easy to expect they could be defeated entirely.
Amacet shook his head. “Based on what we observed, I think we can say that most of the force was unleashed on the other side of the Fissure. But it closed up before we had the chance to see what happened to either of them.”
“Your paper was correct too, I think,” Betharad said, looking up at the clear sky. No trace remained of the ugly scar that had been pulsing above them.
“It does appear that way,” Amacet allowed, his face softening. “There has always been some sign of the Fissure in the skies above Creonze, as far back as records go. Only time will show if it is true, but there is a chance this Fissure has been sealed up for good.”
“Even if the Serpentstone and Karrti were not destroyed, they are stuck on the other side. Hopefully never to return,” added Kavilas with a satisfied smile.
Betharad was looking forward to Sarnd waking, so she could tell him his idea had succeeded.
“I would caution against becoming too confident about the Fissure,” Amacet said, bringing her back to reality. “Despite the years I have spent undertaking research, we do not understand enough about them. There is a strong case for continual monitoring of this area.”
“I think we can organise that,” said Kavilas, with an enquiring look at Betharad. “Steward?”
She agreed. Naerun was the logical place for such an important task, and the Council would be better informed and prepared if it were involved; ignorance had almost cost them everything. “But the Academy needs to provide us with the information we need about what to look for, and how to respond.”
Amacet smiled, a fleeting expression that she wanted to see more of. “I believe I can do better than that. In light of his involvement in remedying the situation, I will be recommending to the Academy’s Disciplinary Board that Relchen’s exile be rescinded, and he be assigned as the resident custodian for Naerun.”
Relchen grinned, and Betharad was unable to suppress the smile that rose to her own lips. She believed she could work with him, and had come to enjoy his company. His presence would also give her more opportunities to hear about her parents from someone who had been their friend. Their shortcomings as well as their good qualities; more than ever before, she wanted to find out about the people Veric and Maenna had been. She’d had enough of legendary heroes and villains to last a lifetime.
“And Mirul?” asked Elian. Her grandmother spoke without any emotion, but she had a glint in her eye.
“Your marshal has been most eloquent in convincing me Mirul is inadequate for the post,” Amacet replied, his lips thinning. “I have enough influence to ensure my recommendation will be accepted, and he will be assigned elsewhere.”
Yet another thought crossed Betharad’s mind. “What should we do about the rest of the Enjeb?” She tried not to turn and look at the doorway out of sheer instinct.
“I doubt they’ll be back,” said Relchen. “Urzed was the main conduit between the Serpentstone and the rest of the group, and after he disappeared last time, the rest of them gave up. Now we know he’s really dead, and the Fissure sealed up, they have no reason to trouble Naerun again.”
“All the same,” added Kavilas, “I would sleep better knowing the town walls were fully repaired and maintained. Perhaps we can convince the Council to replace them with stone.”
Elian laid a hand on Betharad’s shoulder. “Now, Betha, there is something else you need to see. But I warn you, it will be a shock—it was to us all.”
Betharad was unable to imagine another revelation that could shock her after all she’d been through.
On the far side of the ruined chamber, a body was laid out on a pile of cloaks. At first she thought it must be Niedde. But as she drew nearer, she noticed the years of encrusted of dirt and filthy clothing that was hardly better than rags. It was a woman, that much was evident, her face a mass of sunken hollows. Ugly red marks circled one wrist, recent injuries that were explained when Betharad took in a wide metal cuff at the end of a chain, discarded to one side.
Her heart ached for this poor wretch, and she vowed to herself the woman would find a home and healing in Naerun, while they helped to trace her family.
“Betha,” said Elian, her tone gentle, “this is Maenna.”
In a way, Betharad was not surprised. Her whole life had been turned on its head more than once in recent days. Nevertheless, Betharad had to sit down while she listened to the history the others had pieced together. It seemed Maenna had been captured by the Enjeb, though it was not clear when or how. For the last twenty three years, Urzed had kept her as a slave, and Amacet believed she had been the unknown custodian Urzed had used to bolster his own powers.
Betharad tried her best to look beyond the pitiful appearance, searching the gaunt face for any detail that might trigger a memory. But she recognised nothing.
“Trust us,” Elian said. “This is your mother.”
Relchen nodded, though Betharad noticed he was avoiding looking at the prone figure.
She was torn between wanting Maenna to wake so they could talk, and a fear they might disappoint or dislike each other.
In the end, Maenna woke before the twins. Elian was beside her in an instant, helping her to sit up and offering her water. Betharad knew she should assist, but her legs refused to propel her closer. After a while, the woman—her mother!—turned to look at her, and those dark eyes pulled Betharad forwards.
The woman regarded her with an intensity that made her uncomfortable, though Betharad lacked the strength to look away. Then Betharad became conscious that she was staring, and felt a flush of heat in her face. Elian’s hand rubbed her shoulder, but she hardly felt it.
Betharad wanted to know so much, but she was unable to organise her thoughts into coherent questions. How should she greet a mother who, in her mind, had been dead for over twenty years? She was not all that surprised when instinct took control and she said, “The rock that hit Urzed, and saved me from him... that was you?”
Maenna nodded, and in voice that sounded broken from disuse, croaked, “I heard you call out your name. My daughter...”
Those few words overwhelmed Betharad and her ability to respond deserted her. She was relieved when Maenna lapsed into unconsciousness again.
Betharad was tempted to find refuge in sleep, too, but a voice sounded in the doorway. Oreno and one of the barge crew entered, carrying a large sheet of well-weathered wood.
“This is all we could find, Marshal,” the protector said. “But we should be able to bear them down one at a time, if we take care. And I’ve located another pathway to the shore, longer but much smoother.” He looked pleased with himself, and Betharad gave him an encouraging smile.
Amacet approached, brows lowered in clear disapproval. “What are you doing?”
“We will take them back home,” said Kavilas, meeting the custodian’s gaze with an implacable look of his own. “We should leave this place as soon as possible.”
Elian added, “If they need care, then that is better done in Naerun, in more pleasant surroundings.”
“I do not believe that is wise,” Amacet replied.
“You think so?” asked Relchen. “They appear to be physically unharmed, apart from their hands. Moving them should be safe, as long as we do it gently.”
Amacet’s voice was strained with exasperation as he said, “They should be isolated from other people, in case they wake and are not free of the Orufasu’s influence.”
“Do you really think that will be the case?” asked Betharad. She tried not to sound like she was pleading with him.
“I will admit, I do not know. I have not been able to detect any power left in them, that is true. But we believed their true natures had been suppressed before, and we all know what happened.”
“None of us have placed any sort of bindings on them this time,” Relchen pointed out.
“Yes, I am aware of that. However—"
Betharad’s suspicions flared into certainty, and her whole being was flooded with the heat of anger. She always tried to ensure her thoughts and actions were guided by logic rather than strong emotions, but this was far from a blind fury that clouded her judgement. She was possessed by a righteous fire that burned away the mist and debris cluttering up her head, helping her to see with more clarity than she had in many days.
She stepped forward until she was less than an arm’s length away from Amacet, feeling the muscles in her face go hard, unyielding.
“You think they should never be taken back, don’t you? You decided long ago, before you got here and met them, that you were going to kill them, no matter what the outcome of our journey here!” Her voice shook and she stopped.
In the corner of her eye, she saw Elian took a step back, while Kavilas stared at her with an expression of alarm. So they were disconcerted by her words, her demeanour too. Well, perhaps it was something they needed to get used to.
“I saw how this was some sort of academic exercise for Niedde,” Betharad continued. The anger was fading, and she was able to make her voice a little softer, though she could still hear the passion running through it in a way that awed her. “I think it’s the same for you too, though I see you want to deny it. But you’ve forgotten those who are affected by your decisions—us!—are real people, with real lives. While you walk away like you did before.”
She stopped, breathing heavily, and waited. After a few moments, Amacet dropped his eyes.
“It wasn’t that simple—" Relchen began, but Amacet cut him short.
“It should have been very simple. But it seems I am the only one who sees it that way.”
“You probably are,” Betharad replied. “Sometimes it’s necessary to admit when you’re wrong.”
Kavilas came and placed a hand on her arm as he told Amacet, “It’s not difficult to change your mind, when you know you should.”
“We should all know the dangers by now,” he replied, unwilling to back down. “You have seen what they are. We failed to end it last time, and we must put aside our feelings and do the right thing before it is too late.”
Betharad tried to find that anger again, but it was Relchen who said, “What is the right thing? They are people, Amacet! You should have no doubt about that now—and you’ve said yourself, they seem to be free from the Orufasu’s influence.”
Amacet argued, turning on his colleague as his face flushed a deep purple. “How could they be free? They were created from it! Those bindings you made were no more than a shell, a false layer of humanity around their true natures. If they wake and are still linked with the Orufasu, this whole situation could repeat itself. I have no doubt that if the Stone has survived its encounter with Karrti, it will seek any opportunity to return to our world and claim them as its own.”
“You’re wrong about them,” Relchen insisted. “We’ve heard them talk, we’ve seen them do extraordinary things to rid us of these evils, actions that neither you nor I thought of doing. Or could have done. They deserve our mercy, and our gratitude. They lived and developed like normal people for many years, without a hint of their true origins coming to the surface.” He paused before adding, “And after the bindings gave way, we saw with our own eyes they were able to break free of the Orufasu.”
Amacet looked over at the twins before sighing. “We shall see. I will agree we can take them to Naerun.” He turned back to train a stern gaze on Relchen. “But you will be ready to create new bindings the instant they wake, and if there is any hint the Orufasu can still influence them, you will do so. Without hesitation. And after that, we will seek the judgement of the Academy Council as to their fates.”
“Thank you,” Betharad said with a solemn nod. Tenacious when it came to protecting her siblings, she was pragmatic enough to accept this solution.
Moving their party back to the barge required several trips, but at last all were on board and they were ready to cast off.
Hoisting the sails to harness the wind was a different experience from being carried downstream by the flow of the river. Ropes creaked and the barge leaned to one side as it took the strain of the breeze. The craft initially laboured against the river current, then drew away. Soon the shore of the island was far behind them.
The crew of the barge stared with open curiosity at the twins and Maenna as they went about their tasks. The ship’s master reported they’d seen and heard a clamorous but rain-free storm, and then watched with amazement as the clouds above Creonze exploded and scattered in all directions.
Betharad felt like she had exploded and been scattered over a wide area, too. She was unsure if anything meaningful was left of her previous life, and it was still too early to know if any of the pieces could be picked up again and reassembled into something workable. But she had made a small start in rediscovering herself, standing up to Amacet.
And yet, despite what she’d said to him and the concessions she’d gained, she knew his concerns were justified.
In the meantime, she contemplated the best way to inform the Council about what had taken place. It was important for her account to be full and frank—she was well aware of the cost of keeping secrets. Not only that, the Deliverance Ceremony speech would have to be rewritten to reflect the truth, so she doubted she could keep her siblings’ origins quiet for long. There would be trials for them all, but with the help of Kavilas, Elian and Oreno, she believed she could ensure the whole town was aware of the twins’ role in stopping Urzed and Karrti, and ridding the world of the Serpentstone.
Before she could do that, she needed to make sure the picture was complete in her mind. And one person was close at hand who could provide some of the answers she still lacked.
“Eli...” Betharad began, groping for the right way to start the conversation.
Her grandmother was by her side in an instant, an eager expression on her face. She wanted to talk, or embrace, or both. But like Betharad, she was unsure where to start. “Yes, my child?” she asked in a hesitant voice.
Betharad looked her in the eye and smiled. “I forgive you,” she said, and she meant it. “I understand it must have been hard for you over the years, especially now I know what really happened.”
Her grandmother sighed. “Thank you. Raising children is full of unexpected challenges, and you have less control over them than you think. I hope you remember that if you have any.
“Veric was a delightful boy, our only child as it turned out, and we tried our best to teach him the right values and give him strength of character. But he had an unquenchable curiosity, and a lack of judgement about where to stop, which we feared could turn into something darker, more dangerous, over time. Which it did, in the end, and nothing Tormas and I tried could pull him back from the brink. He was a grown man who needed to make his own decisions, and a trained custodian as well—I had hoped his time at the Academy would help him rise above his flaws.”
If only he could have, Betharad thought. She might have had the chance to know him. But then, Sarnd and Jessa would not exist.
“I’m afraid your mother didn’t help in that regard, either,” Elian continued, with a grimace towards where Maenna lay. “She had—maybe still has—a great capacity for logical thinking, and a quickness of mind to grasp the consequences of her decisions, both of which your father lacked. But those qualities enabled her to rationalise putting important information aside if she decided it was inconvenient. So rather than helping Veric overcome his flaws, she helped him to justify his actions, and encouraged him.” Elian swallowed and tears glistened in her eyes; it cost her much to say these words.
Betharad put her arm around her grandmother’s shoulders. “I’m so glad we had you and Tormas to take care of us, and teach us what’s right.”
Elian wiped her eyes and gave her a wan smile. “Please don’t misjudge them, my dear girl. Your parents loved you and your brother Garel very much, and would have done whatever they needed to keep you safe. That’s why they asked for our help, hoping we might be able to take you away somewhere safe while they tried to defeat Urzed. But soon after we arrived, the Enjeb stepped up their attacks and we were all trapped in Naerun.”
This was not the full history, but Betharad had a duty to hear it from Maenna herself. And that would have to wait until her mother was awake again, and much recovered from her terrible ordeal as the slave of a man like Urzed.
Betharad was watching Kavilas repair a hole in her boot, wondering why his deftness surprised her, when Elian called out that Sarnd and Jessa were beginning to stir. Boot forgotten, she jumped up and went to stare at their faces. She thought she would recognise whether they were the sister and brother she knew.
I saw it before, didn’t I?
Sarnd’s eyes twitched and opened, and a groan from Jessa followed soon after. Then the others were there, helping the twins to sit up and drink small amounts of water.
“How do you feel?” Elian asked them.
“Very sore,” replied Jessa in a gravelly voice.
“Like I’ve been thrown through the air and landed on a hard rock floor,” Sarnd added with a tired smile.
Jessa nodded. “But it’s more than that. I feel like a part of me is missing, one I didn’t know I had in the first place.” She shook her head, then winced. “Did it work?” she asked, squinting up at Amacet.
Relchen and Amacet took turns describing what they’d witnessed, and their theories about what it meant. As they spoke, Betharad tried to think of the most tactful way of phrasing the question that was uppermost in her mind.
But how do you ask such a thing? Are you people, or monsters?
It was Sarnd who said, “I know what you’re all wondering. But I can detect nothing of the Stone at all.”
“Me neither,” said Jessa. “I think we’ve been able to hear it in the background for a long time, without realising what it was. But it’s gone now.”
“Are you sure it has ‘gone’?” probed Amacet. “Can you not feel any trace of it, no matter how weak?”
They both shook their heads. “I feel empty,” said Sarnd. “And it’s a relief to be alone in here,” he added with rueful smile, tapping the side of his head.
“It is,” agreed Jessa. “I’m not sure it was capable of ‘love’, but the Stone did try to protect us.” She looked Amacet in the eye, before adding, “I don’t think it was evil, or intended to be—it didn’t seem to care one way or the other. It only wanted to be free to explore its full potential. I wonder if we’ll ever find out whether it was destroyed.”
“I hope it was. I prefer this hollow feeling to sharing the space in my mind,” Sarnd said, his tone flat but firm.
“Well,” said Betharad, finding her voice at last. “Given time, I’m sure it will feel less strange. I think we’ll all need a while to get over this.”
Leaving Elian to look after the twins, the marshal ushered the two custodians and Betharad to the opposite end of the barge. As she followed the others, Betharad dared not look back; they all knew what this discussion was to be about, and the only promise she could make was that she would fight for them with all her strength.
She waited for Amacet to speak, dreading to hear what his decision would be, while at the same time needing to have it out in the open at last. She thought he looked a little less sure of himself than before, but he said, “The simplest and safest answer is to resolve this permanently. They should be destroyed.”
“I know it’s unusual coming from me,” Relchen said, “but don’t forget your own vows as a custodian. We’re sworn to make decisions about complex matters based on evidence and find solutions that are just and balanced, and uphold life where possible. I may have failed in the past, but you were trained in the same techniques as me, and you’ve carved a successful career out of it. This is not the time to cast all that aside and let your mind be ruled by emotions, disappointments that should have been laid to rest years ago. This is your opportunity to be better than I have been.”
Betharad understood Relchen’s argument, but she knew she could not so easily put her own feelings aside. She would never agree to an outcome that involved her siblings being harmed, no matter how logical.
She held her breath.
Amacet frowned, a troubled look in his eyes. “I... saw something in them,” he ground out as if saying this pained him. “When they were destroying the fortress.”
“What was that?” asked Kavilas, with a glance at Betharad.
“I was able to Discern how powerful they were, without making any effort to train my sight on them. And I saw, right in the centre of their auras, a small, reddish core, with a flickering feathering at the top.” He looked up at Betharad. “It is a phenomenon that is observable in humans who can tap into the energy of the Lifespring. Objects that can store the Lifespring, such as the communication disc I gave to Elian, and the Orufasu itself, do not display it.”
“So, that would mean they are human after all, doesn’t it?” said Kavilas as he gave Betharad’s hand a squeeze.
“I do not know. I wish Niedde were here, she might be able to tell me...”
Relchen laid a gentle hand on the older man’s arm. “Amacet,” he said softly, “I know you believe we failed to deal with this situation adequately last time. And I appreciate you want to make amends for that now. I’ve been feeling the same, I’ll admit.
“But we need to accept it’s turned out much differently than either of us could have foreseen. The Stone is gone from our world, a feat that’s never been achieved before. And it and Karrti are behind the Fissure, which is closed up to the point it can no longer be seen with the naked eye. That’s a far better resolution than anyone could have planned for. The Assembly of Custodians will hold you in high regard for this outcome.”
Betharad stared at Amacet, as if by will alone she could make him accept Relchen’s argument. But she was also moved by the expression on the older man’s face. No longer the stern leader who sought control, he now appeared lost and vulnerable, perhaps afraid. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and grimaced.
Twice he opened his mouth to speak, only to close it again without uttering a word. The expectation weighed down on them all, but Betharad judged he needed to work through his thoughts without interruption from her.
Finally, Amacet nodded once, uttering an almost inaudible sigh. “I can detect no sign of the Orufasu’s power in them now,” he admitted. “Or any power, in fact, not even the feathering. It is as if they never had the potential in the first place.
“But,” he said, his voice growing in strength, “there is still so much we do not know about them or the Orufasu, so I cannot be certain whether their connection has been broken. I will ensure Relchen is assigned to Naerun, to keep an eye on them, and he will report to me on a regular basis.” He did not mention what action he might take in response to such reports, but she was heartened he decided Sarnd and Jessa were fit to remain as they were.
Betharad wondered what that would mean for all their lives going forward, with a cloud of uncertainty hanging over them. Amacet was right to retain some caution; after all, they had believed Urzed to be dead and the Enjeb defeated for more than two decades.
She swayed as the barge began to turn, and realised they were at the junction of the Naeruni and Elleboran rivers. They’d soon be home.
She turned back to her family, letting the grin on her face tell them the outcome. Elian nodded and wiped a tear from her eye before returning her attention to the twins. Sarnd and Jessa were propped up against a large barrel, both looking pale and fragile, but at least they were talking and smiling as they fended off their grandmother’s fussing.
Betharad joined them, leaning forward to pass a container of water to Sarnd—and almost fell on top of him when the boat lurched. It was fortunate Kavilas was on hand to stop her in time.
“It’s good to see you making yourself useful for a change, Marshal,” said Sarnd, his lips twitching up at the corners.
Jessa laughed, the first sound of genuine amusement Betharad had heard in a long time. “I have a request for both of you.”
“And what is that?” asked Kavilas, sounding equally light-hearted.
“When we get home, you and our sister need to go somewhere and have a quiet chat, just the two of you. And you must promise not to talk about Council business. The only people who don’t realise there’s more than friendship between you, are the two of you. It’s getting rather unbearable for the rest of us.”
Betharad’s face flamed hot, but she decided it was best to ignore it.