The Two Sides of a Sword

Chapter Thirteen

After a light meal and a long nap, Aley emerged from the cabin. Jirn was leaning against the outside wall casually, but his eyes were sharp, keeping a lookout for any danger. He pushed away from the wall and tilted his head a little when she came out.

"Savioress. How are you feeling?" he asked politely.

Aley hid a yawn behind her hand. "Good. I think that's the hardest I've ever napped in my life." She peered at the sky, which was beginning to dull as the sun lowered. "What am I supposed to do for the rest of the day? Did Xinn say anything?"

"The general only instructed me to guard you and then left for a meeting. Is there anything in particular I can do for you?"

She shrugged. "I don't really want to go back to sleep. Is there something we can do for a little while?"

Jirn bobbled his head back and forth as he thought. "Well... there is usually a campfire getting started around this time. I'm not sure how the general feels about you socializing with other sariun yet though. He was adamant that we keep you away from everyone else because he didn't want to cause trouble."

She snickered. "I guess I get into enough trouble on my own. And I suppose I'm not exactly inconspicuous around here." She lifted her wings a little.

Jirn cast his eyes downward, looking uncomfortable. "Not exactly."

Aley popped her neck in the silence that followed. Actually, a campfire sounds amazing. Just like the ones we had at home. Maybe it'll make me feel not so far away. "Is there any way for you to contact Xinn and ask if we can go to the fire?"

His eyebrows scrunched. "I could take you to him—if he isn't still in a meeting that is. But I would have to walk you through the village and, like I said, the general doesn't wish for you to be paraded about."

She frowned a little. "Please? I'm so sick of being cooped up—I think I'm gonna go crazy if I have to just sit around for another night."

"Well..." He glanced away.

"You're not going to refuse the request of a savioress, are you?" Aley raised an eyebrow. "After all, I am pretty important, aren't I? More important than say... a replaceable general?"

His eyes widened slightly. "Of course you are important, savioress. I just want to act in your best interest."

"I think it would be in my best interest for you to take me to Xinn." She tilted her chin up. She felt a little bad playing the power card, but she really was going to explode if she had to stay home again.

Jirn exposed his neck to her. "Of course, savioress." He glanced around the forest, then led the way down a path that seemed to head into the village.

They only walked for a few minutes before they intercepted Xinn, on his way towards the hut. "What are you two doing?" He sounded a little confused.

"The savioress requested to be brought to you," said Jirn, uncomfortably rolling his shoulders.

Xinn frowned. "I told you I didn't want her walking through the village too much. Every time someone sees her, they panic because they think she's a valicaran. Someone might get too excited and try to hurt her."

"Don't blame him," said Aley, taking a step forward. "I made him take me. I'm bored, Xinn. I'm not going to spend all evening locked away in the house because that would make it no better than the cell. I want to explore, I want to meet people; it would be good for me to understand your culture, wouldn't it? Maybe it will give me some ideas how I can finish the war you're in."

His eyes were uncertain. "But the people might..."

"They have to know sometime, don't they?" She widened her stance a little. If there was one thing theater had taught her, it was that body language was extremely important. "What better way than to put me in a relaxed atmosphere? Show I'm not a threat and also that I'm just a person like them. I'm good with people, okay?" She smiled a little. Rocki always said that her people skills were both her greatest strength and weakness—she was able to talk to anyone, but that meant she had too many friends and not enough time to herself.