“Most of them, yes.” It had been a surprise when Alchan had gotten the first letter. They had kept a secret network all across Anden. When Seanev and Leria made themselves known, the priesthoods had decided to stay secret for another year, just to see what would happen. They didn’t know if they could trust the new rebellion and found protecting Andinna heritage almost more important than protecting the people.
“Leave them to me,” Varon signed. “I’ll deal with them. I trust you’ll respect my decisions on this.”
“I understand why you don’t like them, but treat them fairly.”
“I outrank all of them. Leave this to the priesthood, Alchan. They’ll accept what I decide,” Varon signed, then reached out and grabbed the entire stack.
“Let him go,” Nevyn said softly as Varon stomped out of the room.
Alchan looked at the newly empty spot on his table, somewhat confused by what had just happened.
“Why does Varon think he outranks them?” he asked, going to the most confusing part of the exchange. “He’s just a priest who left his temple because he fell in love. Common for the priests and priestesses of Amonora.”
“Don’t be daft. He was touched by a goddess in a tangible way. They’ll defer to him, his age, and his experience. They’ll defer to him because while they were here hiding, even from their King, he was serving. Not in making sacrifices to our gods, but in the way that matters. He was keeping faith. He and only a handful of others have that claim, and only he could lead you to prayer. He outranks them through honor and wisdom. They’ll listen to him.” Nevyn reached for the second stack. “Are these the nobles?”
“Yes.” Alchan groaned, pushing the letters closer to Nevyn. “I know what to do about them, I’ve just been putting it off.”
“Ah. I wanted to ask you about something since we’re back about this…sort of thing,” Nevyn said softly, reading the letter on top. “You needing Varon was a good way for me to get in the door.”
“Go ahead. You know my door is always open to you and everyone else in the Company.”
“You should give Mave nobility. The Lorren house was never truly noble. It was a house of warriors who steadily climbed the ranks over generations until no one could ignore them. The males joined with strong females in other households, but the females were always great.”
“But they were never noble. Why Mave? She doesn’t want more titles than she has.”
“The title of Champion doesn’t carry weight after the war,” Nevyn said softly. “And I think she’ll need the weight behind her name. Make the last Lorren a noble.”
“I’ll consider it,” he conceded. He wasn’t sure why Nevyn thought it was important, but if his general was mentioning it, he knew it was necessary to think on. “How was she? You said last night, she’s now the best warrior we have. She’s boasted the same today.”
“She is,” Nevyn whispered. “Alchan, it’s otherworldly.” There was an undercurrent of fear in Nevyn’s words. When Nevyn and Alchan looked each other in the eye, Alchan didn’t miss the haunted shadows there.
“What do you mean?” Alchan asked quietly. “Should I be worried?”
“I don’t know. Last summer, she woke up with new tatua. No one gave them to her. She has…dreams or nightmares that wake her up gasping for air and reaching for a weapon, but she won’t tell anyone what they are. And her sword work…Alchan, she would end practice one day and come back the next even better. She’s leagues better and faster than me now. She’s the best warrior I think the Andinna have ever seen. There’s not a person in Anden I think can beat her.”
“And it scares you,” Alchan said, leaning forward. “Nevyn, Mave would never turn on us.”
“I know,” Nevyn said softly. “It’s just…” He shook his head, trailing off.
“Let me see her spar one day. If I feel it’s time for her to give up her secrets, I’ll sit her down,” he said, hoping it would give his closest general some peace of mind.
“Thank you,” Nevyn said, seeming relieved. “It’s just strange with her right now. It makes my skin itch, and I don’t like it.”
“I understand. You and Kian have always been close, and now she’s his daughter. Have you tried talking to him?” Alchan didn’t like that Nevyn had anxiety about his Champion. The Company needed to fit together perfectly. Alchan didn’t have time to invest in the secrets around her, but obviously, Nevyn needed him to say something.
“He always wanted a daughter, and they’ve fallen into the roles well. I’m really happy for them, but like any adult child, Mave isn’t telling him her secrets, and like any good father, he would never tell them to me. It doesn’t help at all, really. If anything, it scares me more. If something were to happen to her, it would break him. Kian wouldn’t survive losing another child.”
“It wouldn’t just break him,” Alchan reminded Nevyn softly. “There’s a good many Andinna who would struggle to go on without her.” Me included. “Do you think she’s in danger?”
“No,” Nevyn said, sighing. “I just…” He shook his head. “It’s hard to put into words, Alchan.” Nevyn hit the table and stood.
“Let me see if she’s really gotten as good as you say she has,” Alchan said, drumming his fingers on the dining table. “Thank you for talking to me, Nevyn.”
“Not a problem. Now, I’m going to go help my husband with the work you’ve dumped on him.”
Alchan chuckled. “I didn’t dump anything on him. He took it without even asking.”
“Sure,” Nevyn snorted.
“He just did it! We watched him together.”
“Okay.” Nevyn waved over his shoulder as he walked out.
Alchan could only laugh softly at Nevyn’s small antics. He went back to making notes about the nobles and their letters, trying to make sure he was covering all his bases once they arrived. Many of them, he could make decisions about before they arrived, whether it be a yes or a no. He didn’t trust some of the younger ones to take their family’s positions without proving themselves. Others he could confirm without questioning it. It was the grey zone between them he got bogged down in, the ones he knew he needed to talk to before he gave them power once again.
As the afternoon came, his stomach growled. He went into the kitchen to make lunch, using leftovers from dinner the night before. He was heating up meat over the kitchen fire when his brother walked in.
“That smells good,” Luykas said, looking into the kitchen. “Brother, have you left your house at all today?”
“No,” Alchan grumbled. “Dealing with the nobles. I handed the priests off to Varon. He seemed very keen on taking care of them himself.”
“Ah. Do you want my help? I—”
“No,” Alchan said quickly. “I don’t want them to think you influenced my decisions at all. The amount of trouble you could get into, especially since everyone knows who your mother is…” He growled softly, shaking his head. “I wish you and she didn’t just put it out there like that.”