The Cleansing (Book One: The Folara Chronicles)

050: Kara and Rion

Kara's thoughts filled with her need to liberate her people, her goals, her purpose...

She cleared her throat. "Where is this Foeman, do you know?" She changed the subject quietly, not facing him. Rion hadn't been completely aware that she knew of another's proximity.

He dropped her shoulders, his lips pursed in a tight line. Whatever he'd been about to say about the two of them would have to wait. He shrugged, breathing in sharply through his nose and rising on the balls of his feet.

"Close." He made a grimacing face toward the castle which could be seen lighting the sky far to the west.

"And if we spend the night in this village with your family, this Foeman will come there, looking for you? Can he sense you as well as you can sense him?" She knew Rion's abilities had heightened with his proximity to her. She had no idea how well the other Foemen were trained or to what extent their abilities went. "And your family? They will accept me?"

There was hope in her thoughts, and he turned to scrutinize her face, trying to read past her expression without taking the feelings from her.

He had to frown; he had considered these questions but had not answered them for himself. He wanted to take her to an anonymous place, maybe a tavern, meet with Crevan, perhaps strike out on their own for Valdemar. There was a chance with Kahlest's help they could....

Her eyes widened. "You don't know. You have no plan!" Her next word were blistering. "Selfish and stupid. Of course, I would fall for it." Kara grabbed her hair and pulled hard. "For a split second there you had me. I was actually thinking inside your insanity!"

Rion twisted her arms and she tried to jerk away but he held her fast.  "I can't help that you know my inner thoughts, Kara. I can't help that I know how loyal you are to your people, and to finding the Talisman. I know this about you, as you know about my insanity, as you call it! Yes, I know. I also believe you are right, my initial idea to continue on as Quildor's Minion..." He sneered the word derisively. "I was deceived and deluded. But I want to be free. I don't care about everyone else; I just want to be free!"

"Well, I care about everyone else! My people are trapped down there with no hope unless I...."

"You? Only you, Kara? What special power do you have that you will be the one to find the Talisman? Your Kai? Your Kai is a moon fish, hardly a weapon or a tool. It lets you breathe and stay inside the mountain. You mean that you are Harpyiae? Perhaps. I don't know the powers of the Harpyiae. Just that it lets you adapt and breathe outside the mountain. But it didn't do you any good inside the mountain. You can't fly in dark cramped tunnels."

"Me! Yes, Me! I was told by someone very close to my mother that...." She was breathing hard and the words ground out of her. "I will find the Talisman."

Rion reared back and dropped her arms. He stared hard at her through eyes narrowed and hostile. The damned Talisman!

"It could be wishful thinking, a lie they tell everyone to get them to search harder."

"No, it's not." Her puzzled expression surprised Rion as she hesitated to speak the rest of what she might have said.

He focused inside and found her mulling over the meaning of a word she'd never heard. Now he was puzzled. How could she be one and not know it? Rion retrieved the memory of carrying her and her wings up the side of the cavern, unconscious, and then sent her a flash of Kahlest. He saw her start visibly, a look of astonishment crossed her face and then she once again jerked away from him and ran a few steps.