Chapter
16 - Life and Love
It was pitch black when Zara finally yawned and stretched her
now-rested muscles. She found her
companions resting on either side of her.
Within minutes she had gathered her thoughts and entered a trance-like
state to wait for the other two to awaken.
Her impatience proved too great though, and her concentration broke
after only a short time. She found
herself looking at Allendrie, noticing how strikingly handsome he seemed. It was almost as if she were looking at him
for the first time.
Day finally broke, and when all three of them were finally awake
they discussed the events that had happened during her absence, with Toriban
and Allendrie again omitting all mention of Toriban's abilities and also of
their conversation the day before.
"So," Zara said after they had finished speaking,
"What will we do now? How do we continue the fight?"
Allendrie let out a great sigh and shook his head. "I think the real question is if we can continue the fight. It looks pretty hopeless."
"No. We have to finish
this."
Besides," Toriban said, "if we don't stop Selphrin, then
who will? The rebels failed, so we're
all that's left."
"Not necessarily", Zara said with a smile. "During the battle Selphrin called me a
'dog of Coryn.' Does that mean anything
to either of you?"
"You mean House Coryn?"
Allendrie went on to explain a short history of House Coryn and its
downfall. "If some part of House
Coryn exists, then it would mean that a portion of the rebels are intact. We could have an army."
Zara was skeptical of Allendrie's idea. "Even if we could find an army, how
would we fund it? It's not as though we
can ask them to fight with sticks and rocks."
"I can provide all the funding we would need, but you two
have to promise me that you'll stay with this to the end," Toriban
said. The others immediately
agreed. "That includes dying. I won't let you get out of this that
easily."
"We'll do everything we can to avoid that", Allendrie
said, dryly.
Toriban sighed. "Then,
lets go home."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It took them almost a week of travel time to reach the Fangora
ruins. It had been years since Allendrie
had been in the area, and with all the recent trials it felt just as long to
Toriban. He led Allendrie and Zara to a
scorched wooden door in the floor of the ruins.
"I don't know why Selphrin never sent men to retrieve the
House's coffers," he said as he lifted the door, "But it seems rather
fortunate now, doesn't it?"
He led them down a rickety, half-molded set of stairs to a room
filled to the brim with coins, jewels, artwork, tools, and weapons. "Now all we have to do is find a way to
cart it all around." He grabbed a
handful of coins and held them out towards Allendrie. "Mileston is a little under four miles
due south of here. Could you go get us a
horse and wagon?"
Allendrie nodded and took the money. Zara and Toriban started to examine the
contents of the room as they heard him walk back up the creaky stairs. "These weapons are in fine condition,
considering," Toriban said, holding up a light blade.
Zara, meanwhile, was examining a row of quarterstaves, all
excellently shod. "Would it be
alright if I took one of these, as my weapon was left behind in the Capital?" When Toriban nodded she picked one up to test
it's weight. Finding it acceptable, she
set it aside.
They spent the next hour inspecting and sorting the contents of
the room in relative silence. When they
had sorted out the highest grade gems, Zara said, "There is... something I
would like to ask you. If you
were...," she shifted uncomfortably, "...interested in someone, what
would you say to them?"
"My expertise is in politics, not love interests." He turned his head on its side a little and
smiled, barely. "It wouldn't happen
to be anyone I know, would it?"
She stammered and stuttered at this, and her face became red with
embarrassment.
"My opinion, which may or may not be a good one in matters
like this, Zara, is to tell the target of your affection how you feel. If they respond negatively, then it wasn't
meant to be, I suppose." He said
this with a tiny shrug.
Zara sighed and composed herself.
"Thank you, for your advice."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They continued working for another few hours until Allendrie
returned with two horses and a wagon large enough to carry everything they
would need. Night had begun to fall, and
they decided to stop their work and camp.
Toriban sat with Crimson propped against his shoulder while Allendrie
and Zara roasted two coneys for dinner.
After they had eaten, Zara asked Toriban if there was a river or
stream nearby so that she could bathe.
Toriban pointed west, and she headed in that direction. Toriban leaned against a tree and closed his
eyes. When his breath had grown heavier,
Allendrie picked himself up off the ground and slowly, quietly walked towards
the west.
As he reached the outskirts of their camp, he heard a voice say,
"Going somewhere?" Allendriie
turned and saw Toriban, wide awake, still in the same position. "You're not very stealthy, are
you?"
Allendrie began to stutter and wring his hands nervously. "I, um..."
Toriban sighed and shook his head.
"You know, its obvious that there's a great amount of attraction
between you two, but here you are, trying to ruin it all. If you betray her trust by spying on her, and
you're caught doing it, your chances with her will fly right out the window,
forever."
Allendrie lowered his head, a little embarrassed. "You're right," he said, then
returned to the fireside. Toriban closed
his eyes once again and muttered something Allendrie barely caught. "When
did I become the father figure for these two?"
They sat in silence a moment, then Toriban said, "You haven't
told me yet."
"What? Told you
what?"
Toriban opened his eyes.
"What the hooded man said to you back at the palace."
"Oh, that. What he
said was..."
"Wait!" Toriban looked in the direction that Zara had
gone. "We'll speak of this
later."
Thirty seconds later, Zara emerged from the almost-darkness of the
evening looking relaxed and refreshed, Her long black hair wrapped in a length of cloth she had found in the
Fangora treasury. They wished each other
good night, then lay on the ground and went to sleep.