While Resh scrunched up his face in protest, Ahjul’s cheeks flushed slightly and he ducked his head. “Not really.”
They kept going from there, but Talea tuned it out. As discreetly as possible, she observed Yhkon and Gustor, the only two Wardens not participating in the jovial conversation. They sat together, as she’d noticed that they often did. Gustor was sharpening one of his knives, the blade scraping against the stone in a drawn-out whine. Somewhere along the way, she’d picked up on the fact that he had actually been an assassin before he was a Warden. When or for whom, she didn’t know. Either way, it wasn’t hard to believe. At the beginning of their journey back into Zentyre a month ago, she’d been undeniably intimidated, even frightened, of the man.
Not anymore. He was a daunting, intense individual—but he wasn’t someone to fear. If any of the Wardens were to be feared…it was Yhkon.
He, unlike Gustor, wasn’t doing anything in place of joining the discussion. He just sat there, staring at his hands, a distant look in his eyes.
Talea looked away, down to her own hands. Whatever had happened to him, whatever made him bitter toward Narone…it was something she should try to help him with, not resent him for. He was willing to be friends, to build trust and appreciation, she was sure of it.
As seven o’clock drew near, Ahjul left to change his clothes. When he came back, Ki got up and approached him with a suspicious look, inhaling loudly through his nose. “Nope.” He shook his head, recoiling with a grimace. “Ya still smell like it. Or d’ya alwees smell like that?”
Grrake got up, rolling his eyes and giving Ki’s arm a whack to shoo him away. “Come on.” He nodded Ahjul toward the Warden’s tent. “Let’s find some soap, and you can wash up in the creek. That should get the smell out.”
“Make it quick, though.” Yhkon finally broke the silence he’d held for almost two hours. His tone was remote, abrasive, even if she guessed his gloom wasn’t directed at Ahjul. “We leave in fifteen minutes.”
Grrake frowned, before he and Ahjul disappeared into the shelter. When they came back out, Ahjul left jogging toward the nearby creek, while Grrake returned to the group where they sat around the fire.
“You could take it easy on him, you know.” Tarol was glowering at the lead Warden. “Unlike the rest of us, he’s too naive to realize you’re just an irritable bully and that he shouldn’t be bothered by you—”
Yhkon was instantly on his feet and towering over Tarol, who was still sitting on the ground. “That’s enough out of you.” He said it so vehemently that Talea was surprised Tarol didn’t cower.
Even if he didn’t cower, he did close his mouth and keep it that way.
Yhkon stormed off. Grrake followed him warily. The rest of them sat in stunned silence.
Tarol crossed his arms and glared at the fire, shoulders hunched moodily. Talea had gotten the feeling that something had happened between him and Yhkon early on in the trip, or even back in Jalkiva. They hadn’t spoken much, and Yhkon had been harsher with him than with the other Wardens. It seemed as though her suspicion had been correct.
Yhkon came back moments later, looking angrier than before. Ignoring all of their stares, he started saddling Eclipse and Ahjul’s celith with jerking movements. The poor celiths shied away from him with the whites of their eyes showing. Grrake reappeared too, with a countenance similar to that of the celiths.
Talea caught Kae’s eye, seeing her concern mirrored there. Larak got up and walked away with what sounded like an exasperated sigh. Well. She rubbed the back of her hand with her thumb. Our trip to the Vegns ought to be interesting.
Ahjul came back trying to wring out his hair that was just too short to grab. He’d been remarkably quick, but Yhkon was still waiting beside the celiths with arms crossed and jaw set. Ahjul hastily returned the soap and towel to the tent and jogged the rest of the way to the celiths. Talea joined them, probably just in time to avoid having Yhkon snap at her to hurry up.
He pointed her to Eclipse’s saddle. Yay. Can’t wait. Nothing I’d like more than to be in close quarters with you when you’re practicing your murder-glares…
“Yhkon? Could she ride with me, actually?” Ahjul spoke up tentatively. “If not I understand, I just was going to tell her more about Terindi, and it would be easier if—”
“Fine.” Yhkon brushed past her to mount Eclipse, not even waiting for them to mount Ahjul’s celith before trotting away, in the direction of Terindi’s home.
Ahjul let her climb into the saddle, before getting in behind her. At his gesture, she took the reins and cued the celith into a trot after Eclipse, keeping far enough back that Yhkon would be unlikely to hear them talking. “I can’t believe that worked. Thanks.”
A backwards glance showed that Ahjul was smiling, but sadly. “You’re welcome…though I did it for him, too. Sometimes when he’s in one of these moods, he just needs a little time to himself.”
“So hopefully by the time we get to the Vegns’, he’ll be better?”
“Hopefully.” A pause. “You know he doesn’t mean to hurt you, whenever he snaps or seems annoyed?”
She craned her neck to look at him. “How did you know he had…?”
“I didn’t.” Ahjul shrugged. “I just guessed.”
Facing forward again, Talea watched Yhkon’s back as he posted, up and down, in rhythm with Eclipse’ gait. “So in the future, when he’s in a mood like this, I should just leave him be for awhile?”
“No.” Ahjul shook his head. “Usually he actually does better with company, I think, so long as it’s just one or two people he feels comfortable with, which you qualify as.”
He was beginning to remind her of Grrake. It seemed that they had a respect and even affection for Yhkon that the other Wardens did not. Though, in different ways. Ahjul admired him, Grrake…well, he seemed to feel protective of him. “How long have you known him?”
“Three years, since they started training me to replace the original Silquije Hyrru. But I’ve known of him for more like six years.” He was smiling. “The Wardens are pretty much famous in Calcaria, especially Yhkon and Grrake.”
I’m sure Yhkon loves being famous. Can’t you just see him, smirking and waving to the cheering crowd and adoring young ladies? Shaking her head at herself, she gave the celith another light kick when it started to slow down. “What happened to the first Silquije Hyrru?”
“I don’t know the details…I think he was caught doing something illegal, or at least immoral. Not sure why they decided to have me replace him, but they did.”
Talea gave him a smile over her shoulder. “Well, I’m glad they did.”
Yhkon had stopped and dismounted ahead of them, so the only response Ahjul made was to reflect her smile. They caught up and got down, Ahjul tying his celith next to Eclipse.
Talea eyed Yhkon as he finished tying Eclipse. In the dark, it was hard to tell much about his demeanor. Still, his shoulders didn’t look as rigid, his head was up instead of down. It was confirmed when he turned to them upon finishing. “Ready?”
Nicely done, Ahjul. “Yep.” She gave Yhkon the same smile she’d given Ahjul. “Ought to be fun, right?”