The Awakening (44 page)

Neira shrugged. “He didn’t seem hostile, it’s just, those
eyes
.”

Jahrra walked over and placed a hand on Neira’s shoulder. “I understand,” she said, nodding.

Hadn’t she herself experienced a strange feeling when she’d spotted this person on the edge of the woods scant minutes ago? Then again, at the time she thought him to be a thief or a murderer. Or one of Shiroxx’s minions.

“So,” Jahrra breathed, shaking off her feeling of dread, “I’m guessing Jaax wishes me to present myself in a decent manner downstairs?”

Neira nodded, smiling a little. Jahrra took another breath, holding her hand to her stomach.

“Very well. If Jaax trusts him, so will I, at least for now.”

Jahrra had wanted something to draw her thoughts away from leaving Lidien and the nasty rumors that had been spread about her and her guardian. This, however, was not what she’d had in mind.
If anything
, she thought ruefully,
this is just one more rotten blueberry to spoil the pie.

By the time Neira finished helping Jahrra dress, the first light of the morning sun was spilling over the hills. The housekeeper insisted on Jahrra wearing one of her dresses.

“It’s not your finest, I know, but this is a casual meeting, not an official visit among the nobles and notables. And we don’t know who this person is. Best to look dignified for now.”

Jahrra grinned and bore it but at least this dress was comfortable, what with it being a single long, cream-colored garment with a simple plum and gold bodice to go over the top. Jahrra was especially grateful that the sleeves were short, falling to her elbows where a set of ties kept them in place. The split overskirt was the same color as the bodice.

Neira helped brush out and braid her hair, and after stepping into a pair of matching slippers, they were finally on their way down the stairs. Jahrra felt a bit ridiculous in her outfit, considering the time of day, but she didn’t let it show on her face.

Sighing heavily as she stepped into the hallway, Jahrra felt her stomach lurch with apprehension.
Forget what you saw and heard upstairs
, she told herself.
No one can know that you were spying.

Just before reaching the gaping arch that would take them into the great room, Neira marched ahead of her, throwing an encouraging smile over her shoulder. Jahrra breathed deeply through her nose, pressing a hand to her fluttering stomach. Would there ever come a day where she wouldn’t be burdened with worrisome surprises?

“Master Raejaax, Jahrra awaits your invitation to join you and your guest.”

Jahrra bit back a snort. It sounded as if Neira were announcing a royal princess.
You are many things, Jahrra
, she thought to herself with a grin,
but a princess you most definitely are not.

Smoothing her skirts and taking a deep breath, Jahrra stepped through the arch and into the great room. She caught Neira’s eye first. The housekeeper was standing off to the side, her gaze intent and her jaw tight as she watched Jahrra approach. Several lamps and candles were lit, casting few shadows across the room. Jaax was perched in his corner atop the wide dais, his watchful eyes locked on Jahrra’s face.
Waiting for some tell-tale reaction?
she mused.
But why?
Her guardian’s face was well composed but the harshness of his eyes and the tightness of his jaw line only confirmed Jahrra’s earlier theory that whoever this visitor was, he had been the last being in Ethoes the Tanaan dragon had expected to see.

Breathing deeply through her nose once again, Jahrra tore her eyes from the brooding dragon and turned them onto their guest instead. She stopped short when she finally took him in. Neira had described him accurately; he was tall, at least a head taller than her if not more. He had removed his cloak but his clothing was dark and simple. His near-black hair was unkempt and trimmed shorter than what was fashionable in Lidien.

Jahrra studied his face carefully, as if waiting for a list of words explaining his intentions to arise upon his skin like sentences in a book for her to read. To her disappointment, no such thing happened to help ease her curiosity. His age was hard to place for the lines around his eyes and mouth weren’t too deep, and there was no gray in his hair, but his eyes, the most striking feature on his face, said differently.

Slightly slanted and the palest shade of green Jahrra had ever seen, yet there was something oddly familiar about them. Jahrra narrowed her own eyes in scrutiny. A memory, she thought, flashed across her mind but it was too fleeting to grasp. Before she could think on it any further, the stranger stepped forward, his quick grace making her start a little.

Despite his obvious fatigue, he gave a light smile. The act changed his unkempt appearance, peeling away the layers of grime to reveal features that were much more attractive than the haunting figure she had first observed. If Jahrra didn’t know any better she would have guessed he was quite charming as well. With his closely trimmed beard and mustache, and with a little care given to his hair and clothing, Jahrra could picture him as a fine dignitary among all the socialites of Lidien.

Realizing that Jahrra would spend all day studying him if she could, their visitor cleared his throat and stepped forward. “Forgive my early arrival. I hope I have not disturbed your rest. The famous Jahrra, if I’m not mistaken?”

He sketched a fluid bow and Jahrra caught a glimpse of his ears. An elf. Of course. Only an elf could sneak up on them in the middle of the night and still manage to look handsome despite his bedraggled appearance.

Jahrra took a breath. “Oh no, you didn’t disturb me at all.”

In fact, you gave me something to do when I found myself unable to sleep and fretting over my future on my rooftop patio.

Jahrra cringed at that thought. She had a feeling that admitting to spying on him wouldn’t make him feel any less intrusive. With nothing else to say, Jahrra pressed her lips tightly together. The last thing she wanted to do was initiate an awkward exchange of small talk. She glanced over at Jaax, her brows arched in question.

“Jahrra, this is Ellyesce.”

Her guardian’s voice was guarded, as if he was working extra hard to keep it free of any and all emotion. “He’s a very old friend of mine.”

Jahrra blinked at the elf, now standing straight once again, his smile not quite joyful. She studied him some more, now even more curious about his age. Jaax had named him as a very old friend, but just how old?

Jahrra smiled and said, “Well, it’s very nice to meet you Ellyesce. What brings you to Lidien?”

Out of the corner of her eye, Jaax grimaced and Ellyesce stiffened. He shrugged and shot the Tanaan dragon a look that had more meaning behind it than what she could scrape from the surface.

“I decided it was time I come out of hiding.”

Jaax stood abruptly and said to Neira, “Could you prepare some tea please?”

Neira, who had remained frozen and silent the entire time, sketched a curtsy and disappeared through the small kitchen door. Her haste made Jahrra think she’d been wanting to leave for quite some time.

The entire exchange had been awkward, but their visitor cleared his throat again and said, “I have spent much of my time with personal endeavors of mine but I felt it was time I return to Lidien and take my place among the members of the Coalition of Ethoes.”

Jahrra arched a brow in surprise and cast a glance at Jaax. He still stood in his customary corner of the room, his tension palpable, but he nodded brusquely.

“Well,” Jahrra said as she sought the stuffed chair closest to her, “it’s always good to have more help
.
”
I just hope you aren’t the type to be manipulated by vindictive dragonesses.

The conversation had turned, Jahrra could tell, in a direction not quite comfortable for either the elf or the dragon standing in front of her. A scant thirty feet or so separated them but they might as well have been standing on opposite sides of the Great Rhiimian Gorge. There was some history between these two, a history more significant than the lost time between two old friends. Jahrra, despite her nagging curiosity, was quite through with mysteries meant to tie her brain in knots. She was about to rise and bid them a good morning before going about getting ready for the rest of the day, but Ellyesce beat her to it.

He glanced over at Jaax, addressing him once again in that strange language.

Jahrra blinked in surprise. The elf’s voice was urgent and insistent, and from his body language he seemed to have forgotten all about her. That is, until he looked in her direction. Jaax hissed and cut him off, stopping whatever his old friend was about to say.

At that moment Jahrra learned that it was anger that her guardian was trying so desperately to keep at bay. Anger, fear and perhaps regret. The usual emotions Jaax worked so hard to hide. It hardly surprised Jahrra; he was always bottling things up and then letting them go in a rather explosive manner. What she was itching to know, however, was what it was they were saying.

“What language is that?” she asked, crossing her arms and forgetting about ignoring her curiosity as she sat upon the chair.

Ellyesce, looking rather exasperated shot her an aggravated glance. Jaax just grit his teeth, letting out a faint growl. The elf sighed deeply and ran his fingers through his messy hair. Surprisingly, the act managed to straighten it a little. His face softened and the dark circles under his eyes seemed to deepen. He gave Jaax a cautionary look, as if silently asking him something.

“It’s a dialect that hasn’t been used in years,” Ellyesce said, sounding immensely weary. “Forgive me for using it in front of you.”

His mouth quirked in a grin, making Jahrra’s heart soften a little. “It’s an old habit of mine. I’ll try to remember myself from now on.”

Jahrra, feeling like she could forgive him of anything, answered, “It’s quite alright. I was just curious.”

Ellyesce returned his gaze to Jaax but the dragon looked just as hardened as ever. Sighing, the elf addressed them both, “I’m afraid I’ve overstayed my visit. It’s good to see you Raejaaxorix and very lovely to meet you Jahrra, but I think I ought to go secure my living quarters if I’m to stay and aid the Coalition.”

Jahrra stood. She was about to blurt out an invitation for the elf to stay here. Jaax had a spare couch in his office, after all, but she caught herself just in time. It wasn’t her invitation to give and from the look on Jaax’s face she knew the elf, however long he’d been her guardian’s friend, was not entirely welcome here.

Jaax nodded abruptly and stood to accompany their visitor to the door. They exchanged a few more quiet words in that strange tongue and then Ellyesce stepped through the small door and into the gray morning light.

Jahrra sat back down on the chair in a huff. She waited for Jaax to turn around and explain everything to her but he continued to stand by the door, staring at it as if he could suddenly see through wood. Finally, he turned around and looked at her.

“Well?” she asked, standing up and moving closer to him, “Who on Ethoes was that? What was he doing here so early in the morning and if he is such an old friend, why didn’t you offer to let him stay with us?”

“No!” Jaax snapped. Jahrra actually started, her eyes wide in surprise. “Jahrra, you are free to ask me as many questions as you like but I am also free to pick and choose which ones I wish to answer! And these I will not.”

Jahrra was certain he would whip around and stomp back to his office. If it had had a door, she would have also waited for him to slam it. Somehow, however, Jaax got a hold of his sudden and unexpected burst of anger.

He sighed and closed his eyes, as if realizing his reaction might have been a bit harsh.

“I will share all that I can with you but some secrets, some bits of information, are mine to keep. I need time to think, time to sort everything out. For now, just know that Ellyesce is a friend from the past. From a lifetime ago, it seems, different from this one.”

He laughed; a weary, bitter laugh. Jahrra could only stand still in silence, still shocked at his violent outburst.

Looking down at her, the Tanaan dragon’s face softened. “Forgive me, Jahrra,” he whispered, “but some memories are just too hard and terrible to share. I’ll be in my study, but I’d prefer it if you gave me this day to gather my thoughts.”

Blinking in utter surprise, Jahrra watched her guardian disappear through the second arch leading into the great hallway. She didn’t know how long she stood there, staring after him before Neira arrived with a tray and a piping teapot.

“Jahrra?”

She jumped and turned around. She must have appeared dazed because Neira gave her an odd look.

“Is anything amiss?” the housekeeper queried.

Jahrra swallowed, her mouth oddly dry. “N-no,” she said absently, “I don’t think I slept very well last night.”

Without giving the maid a second glance, Jahrra brushed past her, her focus and her thoughts a thousand miles away from the great room in Jaax’s manor. She climbed the stairs by habit, pushing her door open without even seeing it and shutting it securely behind her.

When she reached the bed she collapsed onto it, her head tilted on the pillow to face the great tapestry portraying the scene of Oescienne from the Castle Guard Ruin. She sighed deeply, wishing she were tired. Instead, her head was swimming. Who was this Ellyesce? Why had he snuck up on them in the middle of the night? Why had he slipped into another language when she was sure he was speaking about her? Why was Jaax so tense around him if he was an old friend? And why,
why
had Jaax reacted so strangely when Jahrra asked her questions once Ellyesce was gone?