They went the rest of the distance on foot, until they were standing at the door of the Vegns’ haliop. It was larger than most haliops. No wonder, since Ahjul had mentioned that Terindi had several younger siblings.
It was a stern-looking man with none of Terindi’s Canadise features that opened the door when Yhkon knocked. Where Terindi’s face was soft and smooth, his was hard, with hooded eyes and a firm mouth.
“Jasib Vegn.” Yhkon extended his hand. “I’m Yhkon Tavker, lead Warden.”
Jasib shook his hand, though not particularly happily. “And you’re Terindi’s Warden?” he asked Ahjul, with a skeptical frown, as if he didn’t like the notion of his daughter having a “warden”. Which he probably doesn’t, and I can’t really blame him.
“Yes.” Despite the unfriendly address, Ahjul smiled kindly. “I’m Ahjul Rye’Shan.”
Finally, those critical eyes landed on her. “And you’re one of the others with the ability.”
“Yes sir.” Talea dipped her head to him. “I’m Talea Andul.” Leader of the Eight, apparently. She waited to make sure he wouldn’t try to shake her hand. He didn’t. Most adults didn’t, when introduced to a lower class teenage girl. Yet she could have sworn that irritation flashed across Yhkon’s features. What did he expect? A red carpet rolled out before my feet?
Jasib let them into the haliop. They entered into a cramped living room.
It reminded her of home…painfully so. A year ago, would she have entered the haliop and thought it felt cramped? No, she would have noticed how it was more spacious than her own. This had been her life for fifteen years. A laborer’s life.
Terindi was standing beside a thin woman with nervously flitting eyes, and the Canadise features, except even more distinct.
The introductions were repeated with Terindi’s mother, whose name was Adashi. Talea saw a couple of young faces peek out from a doorway down the hall, but they must have been instructed not to interrupt, because they disappeared back into the bedroom.
From there, Adashi and Jasib, mostly Jasib, peppered the Wardens with questions. They wanted Talea to demonstrate her lightning for confirmation, and asked her a little bit about her connection with the Wardens. Jasib seemed leery, even resentful. Adashi, mostly scared. Terindi, meanwhile, appeared to be gaining enthusiasm…in her calm, withdrawn sort of way.
“How are we supposed to trust you?” Jasib’s frown hadn’t softened at all. It had hardened, if anything.
“You already asked that.” Yhkon was hardly soft either. Whatever patience he’d entered the haliop with had been sucked dry by Jasib’s distrust and skepticism. “So all I can tell you is the same thing I did last time—what reason do you have not to? We are the only ones with an explanation for Terindi’s ability. We know more about it than anyone. We’re San Quawr, that in and of itself counts for something.”
“I’ve heard better reasons to trust someone,” Jasib retorted. “And what reasons don’t I have? How about that you’re complete strangers. That you supposedly came from the Shadow Region. That you’re—”
Ahjul stepped forward. Unlike Yhkon he didn’t look impatient, just anxious. “You have to understand how important this is. Terindi, Talea, and the other wards were given this ability, by Narone Himself, for a very important task: stopping the Eradication.” He looked at Jasib, then Adashi, searchingly. “Don’t you want that?”
“You’re asking to drag her off and into a war!” Jasib’s fists were clenched. “You think I’m going to agree to this? This is all ridiculous. You can’t just—”
“Enough!” Yhkon said the word forcefully enough that Jasib fell silent. “This is getting us nowhere. The fact is, unless you manage to change Narone’s mind, she’s going to end up doing what He made her to do. It doesn’t matter whether or not you like it.” He took a deep breath. If it had been meant to calm him, it didn’t work. “So I’m done arguing with you about it. We’ll be back tomorrow. Hopefully by then you’ll see some sense.” With that, he was marching out the door.
2
Kill or Enslave
T alea was beginning to understand.
Watching Tarol glare daggers into Yhkon’s back as soon as he turned away, or Larak’s occasional exasperated sigh that was otherwise inexplicable, Haeric’s shadowed frown that often followed one of the lead Warden’s irritable outbursts or silences…it all made sense now. She understood how they felt, and why they felt that way.
Excluding perhaps Ahjul and Tarol based on lack of experience, and Resh based on questionable character, any of the other Wardens could have taken Yhkon’s place and filled the role with more wisdom and patience. She doubted any of them—well, except maybe Gustor—would have so quickly lost patience with Jasib the night before. And the fact that Yhkon had lost patience and spoken so harshly would probably make their job of convincing the Vegns to let them take Terindi all the harder.
It was no surprise that there was a sense of resentment between the Wardens. No doubt they looked at Yhkon, at his shortcomings, and wondered why he had been made leader over them.
She wondered the same thing. And she wondered what sort of a leader she would make.
“Yhkon?” Talea looked up from the dress she was mending, to where he sat a few feet away, polishing his sword. “How old were you when you were made lead Warden?”
He held the sword up, squinting at a smudge. “Almost nineteen.” His eyes flitted briefly to hers, before returning to the smudge as he began working at it with a damp cloth. “I know you probably don’t feel ready to be a leader. I didn’t either.” Under his breath, he added, “I still don’t.”
Technically, those words weren’t exactly comforting. Yet somehow they were. “And you’re sure it’s me? Why not…” She observed the twins, laughing as they practiced their lightning with Terindi. Though their visit to the Vegns that morning hadn’t accomplished much, they had convinced them to let Terindi come to camp with them and meet everyone. Wylan was watching them practice too, from where he stood by himself. “Why not Wylan? He seems a better candidate.”
“Why?” Yhkon gave her a meaningful look.
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “For several reasons. Mainly, the reason that I’m not a good candidate.”
Ignoring that comment, he shrugged. “Actually, Wylan is the marshal. Your right-hand-man, basically. The way Grrake is for me.”
Oh. This is news. Good news…bad news? “You didn’t mention that.”
One of his eyebrows rose. “Is it a problem? You just said he’d be a good leader. Why not a good second-in-command?”
Okay, good point. While she’d rather have Wylan be leader and she be marshal, if that wasn’t to be, perhaps this was the best alternative. “It’s not. I just…this is all rather…it’s kind of weird.” Everything about all of this is weird.
He didn’t contest the point. In fact, he seemed to agree with her. It wasn’t much of a surprise when he put the sword away, stood up, and walked off without a word.