The Cleansing (Book One: The Folara Chronicles)

015: Korlon

Korlon left Kara's chambers for the training fields, his restraint wearing thin. Kara was no longer the little girl he'd once shown how to braid her hair, or how to heft a sword.

This would be the last time he'd enter her chambers unannounced. The little cut of her breast coverings, while tauntingly humorous a few years ago, was no longer appropriate. He couldn't tease her the same way he had as a child. She wasn't one.

Moments before, he had watched as Kara swung herself to a standing position, gracefully, without pretense. Her body had changed even in the last six months since he'd seen her. More lithe, less baby softness. Her movements were predatory and comfortable.

Kara demonstrated no patience for the customary learning of her time. Rather than ice skating and poetry, she preferred archery and swordsmanship. It wasn't unheard of for a girl to be taught these skills, but it was extremely unusual for a Princess to be afforded them.

He'd fought the Council on her behalf many times, but as long as she continued her studies of the more feminine virtues, the Council overlooked her inclination toward war training and engineering.

Until the day she'd received permission from her father to attend University in the province of Galantyne. At that point he'd become one of her bitterest opponents, privately urging her to come to the surface and enjoy the blessings of her amazingly revealed second meld. She had not.

Korlon strode purposefully onto the practice field. Before he could set up the targets for Kara, or continue his reverie and analyze the advent of her second meld, he heard the thunderous swooshing sound overhead indicating her imminent arrival.

In her mind, he inserted the thought, "You know better." And when she alighted, he still had to calm himself.

In the air, Kara was the most imposing creature he'd ever seen. He'd only seen her in this transformation twice, counting this evening. With an eleven foot wingspan, a brightly glowing cream head, perfectly shaped, with wicked reddish talons, she could rip him to shreds if she wanted to. Her wings were stretched wide, and the softly glowing colors of the sand, the wheat, and the sunflowers lit her to complete glory.

Korlon watched her touchdown, knowing from her infrequent correspondence that she was as ungraceful as an Onanaphant. She lit, tumbled, transformed and landed, skidding across the dirt, getting a chin full of seeds and pebbles.

He stood there shaking his head. "You'll have to change for dinner."

Undeterred, Kara scrambled up, her cheek scratched and bleeding, straw in her hair, both hands scraped and filthy. She grinned. "The Kai is an Albatross! She is the most majestic of birds, and can fly for decades at a time without landing."

"Oh, it lands, my dear." Korlon informed her, dusting off her tunic and leggings. "To breed."

Kara screwed up her face in distaste. "I've not landed successfully yet." She admitted, not realizing the double meaning in her words. Korlon pretended not to notice, but the inner smile he wore was his own.

He had a fleeting thought of the Aerie back in Valdemar, his homeland. There a few women had adapted without the use of kai. The similarity to Kara's golden bird was startling. He wondered if her second kai were indeed a kai, or an adaptation as was theirs. He shook himself. There were those in the Aerie who might know-- but he was not at liberty to ask them at the moment.

Out of her hand the two sea arrows he'd given her appeared. His thoughts returned to the moment at hand.

She eyed the bow and quiver on his back in delight. "I didn't bring my bow, I'm hoping to use yours."