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Topiara - Chapter 21
The concoction Marisa had recommended Jilan use on Lyara's wound worked wonders. Less than day after being so weak she could hardly do anything for herself, Lyara was once again up and around, albeit gingerly and only for brief periods of time. The second morning at the inn had dawned crystal clear and chilled outside, and Lyara announced in no uncertain terms her intention to finish the trek to Tandri one way or the other.
Jilan had no intentions of standing in her way. Once she had awakened the previous afternoon with the fever gone, Lyara had been much her old self. The wound itself had finally stopped bleeding and was actually healing faster than he had thought possible. The pallor of Lyara's cheeks faded as the afternoon aged, and she was able to eat much more heartily that evening.
Although still stiff and very sore, Lyara was independent enough to send Jilan downstairs to order breakfast for the two of them so she could try to dress in privacy. The innkeeper's wife had laundered the one leather tunic that had not been damaged in the attack, and Lyara pulled it over her head carefully.
"Look who's here, Lyara," Jilan called as she cautious ly descended the final steps into the common room, catching her attention and drawing her gaze to where Master Lyndon stood smiling next to him.
"Master!" she smiled broadly and walked as quickly as she could over to clasp his arm. "I didn't expect to see you until I got to the hall."
"I would have come yesterday, Lyara, after getting Jilan's message. But I had a rather unusual visitor that took up my time." Lyndon's gaze switched briefly to Jilan. "Your father took it upon himself to pay me a call.
"What?" Lyara was surprised and confused.
"I sent him a message," Jilan explained to her quickly, giving Lyndon a glance begging him a chance to explain. Lyndon nodded in understanding. "He came here while you were asleep."
"Here?!
"I told him the truth, Lyara, that we had found Sidon and left him in the Kauwlut camp." Jilan paused. "And I told him that I had no intention of coming home to stay."
"And the reason he came to me," Lyndon continued for Jilan as if in the same breath, "was to attempt to discover that you had gone without any permission from me, or that you were a person of ill character, or anything that he could discover that would make him feel less guilty for disowning his son in a fit of anger."
"Oh. He told you that?" Jilan sighed.
"What!" Lyara was more that slightly surprised. She first turned to Lyndon. "What did you tell him?"
"You can't tell Rodayn Torbishahn anything, or at least he doesn't hear anything more than what he wants to hear. I told him I had known about the journey and given my approval to your guiding Jilan." Lyndon looked from one to the other. "I told him the truth."
"Oh, that makes it even worse," Jilan groaned. "I'll bet that he didn't even bother throwing my belongings into the road. I bet he hired some people to just haul them off to give the beggars and thieves. No doubt I'll never be able to show my face at the university again after he's through."
Lyara grabbed for the back of a nearby chair and sat down heavily as her strength seemed to fail her. "Wait a minute. You're telling me that you've been disowned?" she demanded from Jilan.
"That's right," he replied calmly, sitting down next to her and motioning Lyndon to do the same. "No great loss. I already told you I didn't want to go back anyway, remember?"
"And he wanted to put the blame on me?" she turned to Lyndon. "He wanted to blame me for Jilan's new outlook?"
Lyndon nodded. "He got no satisfaction from me. I told him to take a good look at himself before blaming anyone else for his son's leaving." The Guides Master chuckled. "No wonder the King needs so many advisors in addition to a Chancellor."
Jilan finally caught the eye of the innkeeper, and soon there was a platter of fresh, hot bread, cheese and a steaming pitcher of herbal brew on the table ahead of them. Lyara tore large chunks of the bread for each of them while Lyndon gave each a thick slice of the cheese. "Anyway. That's beside the point. I came this morning to make sure that you were really getting better," he said in a brighter mood. "How are you feeling?"
Lyara moved her left arm stiffly in a circle, wincing. "It will be a while before I feel completely well again, Master Lyndon," she commented with calm assurance. "But I'm healing, at least. I would like to ask a boon."
"Name it," Lyndon answered from around a mouthful of food.
"Would it be possible for me to stay at the Guides hall until I have healed completely? I can pay for my lodgings."
"I was hoping you would stay with us anyway, Lyara," Lyndon responded after swallowing his mouthful. Branigan's out on assignment for a change, and I could use a good instructor..."
"What about me?" Jilan asked, suddenly feeling terribly left out. "Master Lyndon," he begged urgently, "you know that I have nowhere to go now. My father will not let me stay in my old home -- not to mention that I wouldn't want to go anywhere near the place anymore. I can pay my way too..."
"That depends on what you are going to do with yourself from now on, Jilan." Master Lyndon's voice became business like. "What are your plans?"
Jilan looked a question at Lyara. "I was hoping to go on with Lyara when she leaves. That is, if she will still let me." Lyara looked at Jilan, eyes wider than before. So this was the answer that he had been holding back. A smile crept about the edges of her lips.
Master Lyndon's brows crept toward his hairline. "Indeed," was his only comment. He gave Lyara a sharp and appraising look.
Lyara met Lyndon's appraisal evenly. "Jilan did tell me of his intentions once before, Master Lyndon," she admit ted quickly. "And I did tell him that he wasn't such bad company." She smiled quickly in Jilan's direction. "I suppose that if you let him stay in the hall, he might just be allowed to attend a few classes in cartography and self-defense so that he can take care of himself."
Lyndon nodded, considering Lyara's words. "It would be precedent-setting," he commented more to himself than to the two young people, "but I can see no reason to deny the request. Especially," he turned his appraising look on Jilan, "if you would be willing to give specie in return for your education."
As an answer, Jilan reached inside his tunic and drew forth his specie-pouch, which he tossed onto the table in front of the Guides Master. "Take what you think would be fair recompense," he directed matter-of-factly. "I am more than willing to pay for my education."
Lyndon took up the specie-pouch and removed ten of the round, yellow coins from inside, placing them in a short stack on the table in front of him. "If this is reasonable to you?" he asked as he closed the specie-pouch and put it back on the table between them.
"Done." Jilan retrieved his pouch and tucked it away.
"I hope you know what you're getting yourself into," Lyndon remarked as he once more took up his bread and cheese, and neither Lyara nor Jilan knew to which one of them he was speaking.
"Be in my office in an hour," was the order that Lyara carried with her up the stairs toward her old room that she had shared with Iliria a lifetime ago. Jilan, Lyndon had decided, would be housed with the first-years until the time he left with Lyara. Both Surefoot and Fleetwind had found the Guides hall stables warm and well stocked with grain and straw. Jilan agreed to curry Surefoot for Lyara so as to let her rest as much as possible.
Lyndon's office had changed not one bit. The shelves still contained statues and images of every god and goddess known and honored in Talandria. The maps that were inter spersed amongst the shelves now made a little more sense to Lyara, her having been in most of the lands indicated.
Lyndon sat behind his desk in deceptive relaxation, watching his prize Guide walk from the doorway to the chair he had left in front of his desk for her. Lyara had a new spring to her step and caution in her posture that had not been there before she had gone to her old homeland.
"So." He motioned her to be seated. "The little cousin still lives in Kauwlut lands. In some ways, I didn't expect you to return to Talandria."
"I know," Lyara admitted frankly. "For a while, I considered the possibilities. But I don't belong there anymore than I belong in Talandri."
"Yet here you are."
Lyara nodded. "I met up with Iliria and Dorin in Korlan," she said quietly. "Iliria said that there had been a message left for me with you from the estate of the Oracle?"
"That's right." Lyndon opened a drawer to his right and drew out a roll of parchment, tied with a red ribbon and sealed in black wax. He placed it on his desk between them, and then reached back into the same drawer and drew out yet another. On this one the seal was broken and the ribbon had been obviously retied. "I received one as well, with instructions for me in regards to the message I give to you."
"Are they really from the Oracle -- from Nilyaron?" Lyara asked hesitantly, reluctant to take up the parchment indicated as hers yet.
"If yours is like mine," Lyndon answered with a nod, "it is in Nilyaron's own hand." He pushed the undisturbed parchment toward her. "Perhaps you had better read it."
Lyara took the roll. In fine and graceful lettering on the cover sheet was her name in full -- Lyara-Chivan, Guide. The seal broke easily, and Lyara needed only pull gently to untie the ribbon and remove it from the document. Inside, the writing was as fine and beautiful as the lettering on the outside.
"Dear Lyara, I'm sorry that I will not be able to meet you
in person and that this paper will be necessary. I know you are
confused and must be wondering what this is all about.
You have been chosen to help in a very important task. Once
every thousand years or so Topiara and her companion Rompalin
appear to help choose my successor. Apart, each treasure con-
tains great power for good or for evil. This you know already.
Together, however, they are an infallible method of
determining the next Oracle. Both you and the bearer of
Rompalin have been chosen. All I can tell you in way of help
is that you will meet each other and travel together. It is
important that you stay together and care for each other.
As Talia will have told you by now, Rompalin is a flute,
ask Topiara to show you him if she has not done so already.
My successor awaits. Be aware and be careful, my child.
Power can be a dangerous and seductive burden. I will watch
over you as I can from the otherworld.
With all my best wishes I salute you.
Nilyaron
When Lyara looked up from her parchment, she found Lyndon gazing back at her over the top of his own. "The Oracle left instructions for me, Lyara, on the training that the companion you would bring back with you would need. I was asked to give you every consideration possible." He smiled. "Jilan was the one you brought back with you. The only other word of advice I was to give you in regards to whatever it is you must do is that at no time are you to reveal your quest to the one who accompanies you. If there is a choice to be made, it must be made by this one freely and not as an urging from you." Lyndon blinked. "This makes sense to you, I hope."
Lyara nodded slowly. She read again Nilyaron's advice, "It is important that you stay together and care for each other."
We will be going south when I am well again," she told her former Master quietly. "He would do well to be with me while I review the herbology of the rain-forests."
Lyndon nodded, breathing out a breath of surprised between pursed lips. "I will review the text and work with the two of you myself. Now is not the time to be making half efforts, if what you are doing is as important as I think it is."
Iliria had come and gone again before Lyara and Jilan had arrived, and so it was a week before she returned to the Hall from yet another assignment. It was yet another evening before the two young women had a chance to talk privately. Iliria had blanched when Lyara related some of the details of the attack that had left her wounded. "Are you recovered then?" she asked with wide eyes.
"More or less," Lyara answered, moving her left arm slowly in a circle and grimacing. "I'm doing low-level sword practice to try and get my range of movement back, but it's going slowly."
"Jilan is here too, I understand." Iliria stated, watching her friend's face for reaction.
Lyara, remembering the looks that had passed between Jilan and Iliria at the inn, caught herself before she could snap at Iliria and changed the tone of voice to neutral. "Yes. He's paid for some training for when we leave."
"We?" Iliria's eyebrows rose. "And you said there was nothing between you." Lyara glared at her, but Iliria merely smiled. "Don't take offense, Lyara. But surely you are aware of how attractive Jilan is. You've traveled with him for -- how long? If you and he have something between you, in the name of all the gods tell me. Don't just glower at me. I won't step between you unless you tell me that it is all right for me to."
Lyara's anger faded, as it had the last time. "I don't know what we have, Iliria. Sometimes..." She couldn't continue.
Iliria sighed. "Forget I asked. I've seen it before. I saw the look he gave you back in the inn, even though you two were angry at each other." She sighed again, and then smiled. "And I know just how you feel too. I just wish..." She smiled again at Lyara. "He's just SO good-looking!"
Lyara smiled. "I suppose so," she agreed with less enthusiasm than Iliria expected. At least someone under stood how she felt, or thought they did. Because she herself understood nothing, and Topiara's warm questions and urgings were doing nothing to help settle the question.
oOoOo
"No, no! Keep your sword up! And don't..." The instructor urged Jilan into more intense battle with the wooden weapons than he had ever managed before. The practice hour was nearly up, and Jilan could feel every muscle in his arm aching and ready for rest. His attention lagged, and suddenly the instructor's blade slid through his defense and bumped painfully into his side.
"Enough!" he called, leaning on his own sword to catch his breath. "I can't take anymore today."
Warrim frowned and glanced at the sky. "Fair enough. But you can't expect an opponent to give way at a call of 'enough', Jilan."
"Be fair, Warrim. Those wooden things are heavier than real swords," called a voice from the edge of the practice arena.
"Yes, and you called 'enough' this morning too, Lyara," the grizzled instructor grumbled back. "You're both too soft."
Jilan handed his practice weapon to the instructor with a bow and jogged over to where Lyara waited for him. "I haven't seen you for a while."
"Lyndon wanted another healer to make sure that I was healing properly," Lyara explained quietly, watching Jilan vault the railing surrounding the arena. "I asked him to make the appointments necessary."
"And?"
"With time," Lyara sighed, her voice betraying some disappointment, "she said that I will have my arm back to normal. But that it might take months."
Jilan shook his head in sympathy. "Well?"
Lyara looked at him seriously. "I can't wait that long."
"I thought as much. When are you planning to leave?" Jilan matched her step as they walked from the arena building.
Lyara came to a halt. "Lyndon thinks it will take another week to finish reviewing the herbology with us. Do you think we can be ready by then?"
Jilan's answer was cut short by Dorin who, at seeing his two friends, grabbed Iliria's arm at his side and dragged her over to where Jilan and Lyara waited. "Pony races this afternoon. Are you two coming?"
Jilan looked at Lyara, and Iliria snatched at her friend's sleeve. "Come on," she urged. "You haven't been outside Guide Hall walls since you came back." She shook the sleeve again. "Come on. You need to relax sometimes."
Lyara looked at Jilan, a slow smile beginning. "I haven't been to the races since Karlo took us." The thought of Karlo brought a chill to her, but she brightened her smile again. "It would be fun, wouldn't it?"
"Great!" Dorin exclaimed brightly. "Let's meet at the gate just after the noon bell." He and Iliria continued on their way into the arena the other two had just left.
Lyara looked back at Jilan more seriously again. "Well, do you think two weeks is enough for us?"
Jilan looked back at her. "Do you?"
Lyara sighed. There would be no way of knowing until the two weeks were spent, and both of them knew it.
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