Marked Heir

Chapter Six

Chief Otto's fort was made of huge blocks of grey stone, but the massive double door entrance was wooden, with Friil's coat of arms carved into the door on the right. Citali glanced at the coat of arms. There was a horizontal line in the middle of the crest, and the top half was also divided evenly, forming two squares. The square on the right was blank. On the left square was an angry-looking lion on its hind legs facing left with its back to the blank square. Below the top squares, on the bottom, there were hands. Hands holding food and hands holding other hands. Under the crest was a picture of a ribbon with Friil's name carved into it, and above the crest was a ribbon with a message written in some old language that Citali couldn't read, but she knew it had something to do with harmony.

The soldier told a passing servant to put the horse in the barn, then firmly grasped Citali's wrist and led her into the fort.

Upon entering they found themselves in one large room. Citali was surprised at how cozy it was, with many chairs and carpets and tables. There was a clear path, carpetless, and obstacle-free from the entrance to the door at the other end. The soldier closed the door firmly behind them, told Citali to have a seat, and disappeared through the other door somewhere into the fort.

Confused, Citali walked over to the other side of the room and sat down on a plain chair, wondering what was going on. Why did he just leave her here? Why was he so sure she wouldn't run away? Because she had come willingly? Or was there no reason for her to run at all?

Ten minutes later, the soldier returned, but this time he wasn't alone. With him was a short, grey haired man who was probably only slightly older than Uncle Delzcen, and a contrastingly tall, skinny girl with long blonde hair that she wore down, high cheekbones, pink cheeks, and long eyelashes in a peach-colored dress. Behind her was a relieved looking Naida, and Wyntair.

Citali stood.

The short man turned to the soldier.

"Take the Naida girl back to the people you found Citali with. She's too frail to serve."

"Yes sir."

The soldier grabbed Naida the same way he had Citali and led her firmly out.

The short man turned to the rest of them.

"Why don't we all take seats," he said, looking at Citali, who sat back down.

The man spread himself out on a long couch two chairs to Citali's right, then looked over at the peach-dress girl and Wyntair, who was standing rather uncomfortably in the center of the room.

"Why don't you two take that couch?" he gestured to a small sofa against the next wall. Citali stared. It was so small, that no two people could possibly sit on it without being a little too close.

Still, as he didn't seem to have a choice, Wyntair went and sat down, as close to the end of it as he could. The peach-dress girl sat down a little closer to the middle of it, smiled sweetly at Wyntair, then turned her attention to the short man, who looked quite pleased with himself. What was going on?

"I think we had better all introduce ourselves again," said the man, "I am Chief Otto, but you two may call me Otto."

Citali hid her surprise.

She had imagined Chief Otto to be tall and broad and strong and commanding. Not this tiny greying man who, by the looks of it, spent more time sitting and eating than walking and training and going places.

"And this is my daughter, Persimmon."

Ah. Persimmon, not peach. Same difference. Citali pursed her lips to keep herself from laughing.