A Valkyrie's Apprentice: Book Two

Teach Me

– T A Y A H –

The men were eating at the table within the room. Kára stood with me looking over the sunlit sandstone around us on the balcony. The colours seemed so rich here despite the constant beating sunlight into the desert. 

"I need you to ask Yanu where his family are." I murmured carefully in the light wind. "I must know that we are not robbing him of time with his family."

She gave me a serious nod and flicked a dagger between her fingers. "This continent is not amicable to outsiders. Towns like this are an exception." She told me, looking down upon crowds weaving between the orange dusty paths. The sunlight hit her skin in a golden glow. Her dark sleeves were now cut away at the shoulder exposing the toned lines of her arms–I tried to remain focused.

"Nothing we cannot handle."

"It is not you or I, I am concerned about." She said in a low tone, flicking those bright starlike eyes over to me. "Though it would ease me if you wore my armour."

"In this heat? Not happening." I scoffed, leaning my bare arms against the stone and loving the free feel of the light silk tunic over my body. She sighed beside me and pushed a few braids behind her.

"You will leave those dusty swords behind and take my spear then."

I smirked, watching the lines of people move below us. "You have never let me wield that before–"

"I will teach you the best uses." She finished, brushing off some orange dust and raising into a stand.

"What makes you think I do not know."

"Not like I do." She told me with a slow smile. "But you learn fast, immortal. We should not need to spend many slithers."

I pushed off from the balcony and strode past her without a comment. We shall see just how inexperienced I am with such a weapon made of damandium. I may prefer the balance of a sword but I still had my share of fights with spears and pikes...

"Boys!" I called. Their heads snapped up from their gorging of dried meat and fruit. I smiled warmly at them before pulling a chair out and sitting on it backwards so I could throw my elbows over the back.

"I need your attention on this. It may involve us moving by sun down."

"Already?" Kaden said around a cheek full of meat.

"The boy cannot stay if he has family in the continent."

"Nonsense! We grew without our families and see how we turned out." John finished, gulping from a jug of water. I levelled him with a flat look.

"My point. Exactly." I turned my head over my shoulder and watched Kára pace silently closer. "Would you be so kind as to ask the question?"

She nodded before dropping a hand on the table and catching Yanu's wide eyed attention. They spoke calmly for a few moments in the foreign tongue with a more eager nod from Yanu after some hesitation. She rose to full height and crossed her arms.

"His family are located inland."

"How far?" Kaden pressed.

"Horses cannot travel the distance we must go effectively. Not unless we had ample water supplies that we would need more for ourselves."

John sighed heavily. "That will increase our travel by spans!"

"Closer to a fortnight, mortal."