Read Sanctuary's Assassin (The Complete Part 1) Page 21
CHAPTER 18
Magnificence greeted Ren’ai as she entered the study. Upon the floors lay hundreds of expertly woven rugs. Each stitch upon them told a story of the world from the arrival of the gods to the E’epan journeys, to the rise of Ruric. Books rose up to the ceiling certainly telling the same stories but Ren’ai preferred the rugs.
Her eye shifted across to Jabari, sitting in the back at a desk too big for any one man. Next to him, his wife looked over his shoulder pointing at something on the desk then Master Jabari nodded his agreement.
“Nai, Dear.” Gwendoline looked up from whatever business now captured them.
“Oh, Nai.” The Healer stood, closing the book they were viewing as the girl approached. “So good of you to honor us with your presence, at last.”
His tone scolded even as kindness swept his features.
“I promised Niv I’d re-do her braid today. You know she simply can’t stand to look a mess.”
“Gwen, My Darling, do you mind too terribly stepping outside for a moment.”
“Not at all.” She pulled up the book to her chest with delicate hands hiding the cover before stepping past the waiting girl of no nearly sixteen Haerfests, standing before Jabari, awaiting her judgment.
“Lieten says you can run the FallinFlo from Breakfast til Dinner with no rest.”
“On a good day.”
“And he’s never seen better use of an axe to dispatch a foe.”
“I was raised with an axe in my hand. It’s second nature to me.”
“And I’ll be damned if I’m going to lose Nakali to the SlipSwamp just to find your wayward ass.”
“It’s the only place I can go to think.”
“So you’re going with us when we go to Aryg’ril next month.”
It took a moment for Ren’ai to realize what he had said.
“Will give her a bit of break from the chore. At least until we’re back, I’m sure.”
Ren’ai's face swelled up as if it might burst with smile seemingly escaping the confines of her face then the joy seeped away. “But who am I replacing? You seldom add someone new to the rotation ‘less we lost one.”
Jabari swooped up beside her now seeing eye to eye. “No.” He put a reassuring arm around her shoulders. “Nothing like that. We all made it back alive.” His black eyes met her grey as relief washed over them. “It’s just that Grenal’s getting older.”
“Don’t tell him that.”
“And well he is a wealth of knowledge and experience. I just can’t risk losing him in some petty battle. He’s too important to us. So I’m replacing him as First Guard.”
She could imagine Grenal’s furiousness with the demotion. “I’m sure he’s not happy about it.”
“No, he’s not. Always imagined himself dying to save my life.” Jabari’s features were a swirl of mixed feelings. He wished somehow that Grenal had been granted his only wish in life but having such a wish granted would have meant losing his closest friend. He stepped back across the rugs toward his desk, pulling a bit of dried meat from a plate there. He took a hard sinewy bite before speaking. “But he understands. We need him here to train and to teach and to insure that for generations to come our force remains strong for the cause.”
“I’m sure Kerr will make a fine First Guard. He has proven his loyalty and his strength over these many Haerfests. But you know Ivar will say it should have been him. They never could be happy about one another’s accomplishments. Me, I’m just happy to go along. I will not let you down. Being a guard is all I’ve ever wanted.” In that moment it seemed that she had longed for nothing more. Every time The Healer returned with his Guard. Every time, they would have stories of battle and people and far off places. They echoed through the halls for weeks after. She loved the stories, but for once, she wanted to be the teller. Once would be enough, though she hoped he would not find fault in her and send her back to the caves.
“I’m glad to hear that. Because you’ll be “going along” quite a bit from now on.”
“I wouldn’t expect to go any more frequently than the next guard.”
“Of course not, but as First Guard, you’ll go everywhere I go.”
Ren’ai’s eyes went wide. She did not know how to feel. Had she heard him right? She thought she best hold the feeling back lest the joy overtake her and send her plummeting to insanity. “Me, First Guard?” She spoke matter-of-factly; just to be sure that is what he had said.
“Why not, you’re the best here.”Another bite met his teeth. He chewed and chewed but could not seem to tackle it.
“I hardly think that could be.” Ren’ai appreciated such a compliment, mostly because she knew he spoke only truth, but she also knew he had tried unsuccessfully to teach her humility. "You choose us well, I guess.”
“Well, best of what I have to choose from. Lieten and Nakali would make fine First Guards, but like Grenal they simply cannot be in two places at once. I need them here to train our future guards as much as I need them with me. Kerr and Ivar, well I will not go into why they were not chosen. Grenal had seen but seventeen Haerfests when he became First to my father. ‘Inexperience breeds a certain strength when coupled with raw skill’ he always said. I tend to agree. You’re no more than an infant in Pin Hi, but as First Guard you’ll learn quickly.” He twisted a bit of fluff from his cloak. “Or you’ll be dead.”
Ren’ai fell hard from her pedestal. The Healer knew how to build her up and knew how to bring her down to proper size.
He continued. “But I simply can’t have my First Guard looking like a street urchin.” He lifted her tattered sleeve. “Here you train. Out there, you represent me.”
Ren’ai looked down at her clothing. What fault did he find? It was functional.
“Nakali will help you acquire some more appropriate attire.”
“I don’t want to look like Nakali.”
“You don’t have to, but I simply can’t take you out of the cave until you look presentable.”
Ren’ai released a protesting huff but hoped he did not notice. She would have worn a Haerfest Dress if it meant accompanying Master Jabari on his Journeys. She released a simple smile as she departed to find Nakali’s golden ribbons flying about somewhere.
“So what will it be?” Nakali’s eyes widened as a child at first Haerfest as she leapt up beside Ren’ai leaving the study. Ren’ai knew it would be a dream come true as Nakali would finally be able to do something about what she considered Ren’ai’s terrible clothes. Her teacher fingered the fabric. It was thick like a potato bag and just as itchy. She moved down the hallway past the training rooms with a shimmering skirt teasing her ankles. She turned a corner and they were in the room that they shared with three others. She stopped next to one the five simple beds and pulled a box from beneath the hanging quilt and began thumbing through it.
“I’m not a designer, Kali. That was Ren’iv.”
She pulled out a measuring cord. “We can go ask her opinion if you want.”
“No, No.”Ren’ai decided she had better play along if she wanted something that she could live with.
“Must be functional. I must be able to move freely.”
“Of Course.”Nakali reached around her waist and pulled the cord tight. Her eyes looked up to the rock ceiling as she blinked a couple times as if making note of the measure.
“And none of this hanging out.” Ren’ai reached up, grabbing one of Nakali’s rather ample breasts which were only minimally concealed in her sleek fabric. “I‘m not traveling to pick a mate.”
“Nai, you have nothing to hang out.” Nakali returned the favor, squeezing the girl gently, before pulling back in shock. With the touch she realized the tight wrappings Ren’ai had secured to her chest. “Well, we can manage that.”
Ren’ai answered her unasked question. “They get in the way.”
Nakali picked up her bow from the wall where it rested. “You know in the place we came from, there were women who cut off one breast so that their bows w
ould fit properly to their chest.”
“Not a bad idea. They really do that on the islands.”
“Not the islands. Where we all came from.” Nakali added emphasis to the word “all.” She twisted the bow string between a finger and thumb. “The humans at least. The Land before.” She met Ren’ai’s blank stare. “The gods departed. The place the gods found us to bring us here.” Nakali rolled her eyes.
Ren’ai scratched her head. “Of course, the gods departed. Guess I never thought much about where we came from, only that we are here.”
“There was a whole time before the time before. A whole history that is our own. Before we came to this place. Gwen has not made you read about it yet?”
“I’m certain she will.” Ren’ai’s eyes glassed over and her leg began twitching. She did not really care about any time before the present. It had no relevance to the now. She moved past Nakali to pick up her ax, pulling it to her chest, contemplating a quick swipe the blade against her flesh, before turning back to Nakali.
“Anyway. Look. I can wear my bow just fine.” She slid it across her shoulder and over her head. “Whatever you have, you just learn to make best use of it. I hope you will learn to work with and maybe even value what you have as you value your strength and your speed.”
Ignoring the archer’s imploring, Ren’ai returned her thoughts to clothing design. “And make it blue like Niv’s eyes.”