Priestess

Chapter 36

Chapter 36

A mist rose from the earth, cloaking Ara and her companions in obscurity. Not daring to light a fire, they ate hard biscuits and jerky. Ara tore off a piece with disgust. “After this war ends, I swear I’ll never eat another piece of jerky.”

Tenan grunted. “Yes you will.”

She shifted the jerky to her cheek to let it soften. “Tenan, tell me what happened at Bondell.”

Tenan picked up a stick and began breaking it into little pieces. Snap, snap, snap. “After the Assassins followed you, the Kanovians became disoriented. We actually managed to hold them.”

His voice dropped. “Didn’t last though.” He ripped off another piece of jerky and began chewing furiously. “A group of Kanovians followed us. When they tried to cross the river in Upper Canyon, we slaughtered them.”

“After, Sohn’s guard met up with us. We went back and harried the Kanovians when we could—kept them from finding the women.”

Tenan cleared his throat and swallowed a few times before speaking, “They burnt our home to the ground, Ara.”

She had expected as much. But still, she felt the ever-present hot coal of guilt and pain flare to life in her chest.

He threw away what remained of his stick in disgust. “You know about Mother?”

Ara couldn’t bear to look up. She nodded.

            Tenan rubbed his eyes. “We stayed to help rebuild. The army wasn’t happy, but First Yarsef respected Cohen. So we got away with it.”

She studied the jerky in her hand. Somehow her gnawing hunger had transformed to nausea. But the village had survived better than she’d thought possible. For that, she was grateful.

Long minutes ticked by. “Why did Yarsef choose Coen as First?” Ara asked.

Tenan rested his head against the tree. “Coen has a knack for war, and the First knew it. He must have realized it was only a matter of time before an Assassin managed to kill him.”

Tenan studied her askance. “And what have you been doing for the last three years, little sister?”

Ara scooped up a handful of dirt and let it sift through her fingers. “Training.”

Tenan pulled his cap over his eyes. “So they taught you swords, eh?”

Her gaze narrowed. “You refused to teach me.”

He smiled beneath his cap. “Sorry ‘bout that.”

Ara swatted his arm. “You didn’t believe me worth the time, as I remember.”

He peeked at her from under his cap. “Care to have a go?”

She shook her head. “Can’t. Too much noise.”

“Scared, huh?” he said straight-faced.

She shut her eyes and did a thorough search with her Gift. Nothing. Getting to her feet, she used the tip of her sword to lift his cap brim. A grin splitting his face, he jumped up and drew his sword.

Back and forth they battled. At first, it was more play than serious, but as she passed Tenan’s testing, his intensity increased. To his obvious astonishment, she matched his every stroke.

They fought until they had both worked off the chill of a summer night in the high mountains. Calling for a break, he rested his sword tip on the ground. “You really are meant for this, aren’t you?”