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Topiara - Chapter 38
From the way that both couples were riding side-by-side very close, it was obvious that both had come to much the same decision in the night. Farranby had given Jilan and Lyara a look as he'd brought Sharin down the stairs to breakfast early that morning that told of his expectation of censure – only to discover that both his younger companions were openly approving.
"She wouldn't listen to any of my arguments about how I was so much older than she," he explained over toasted bread and more tasty cheese, then tried not to choke when Jilan gave his back a friendly slap. "And when I finally shut up long enough to listen to her, I realized that I didn't want to have my age be an obstacle either."
Sharin, for her part, simply glowed happiness and contentment. All signs of worry or fear about the upcoming journey seemed to have melted away from her. Lyara could see that her young friend had discovered in Farranby's embrace exactly what she had found in Jilan's – that feeling of actually belonging, of having come home. Sharin smiled softly at Lyara, recognizing in the slightly older woman what she herself was feeling.
The first cold breeze from the oncoming storm finally brought Lyara out of her semi-trance, and she shouted to her comrades to match her pace and then kneed Surefoot into a gentle canter. The pace she set for them would eat up the miles of the road to the south and east, taking them out of the path of the thunders and lightning and downpours.
The first day's ride took them as far east as Darrin Keep, on the banks of the Kovart River, where they decided to splurge and enjoy at least one more night's rest in an inn. The innkeeper charged the entire party three pieces to board their ponies in the attached stable as well as rent two rooms for the night. All four were tired from the long hours in the saddle, so the dinner conversation over the roasted tubers and small, sliced roast was fairly thin. The light was just dying in the windows of the common room when they trudged slowly and almost painfully up the stairs to bed.
Lyara lay awake in Jilan's arms after their passion was once more spent, listening as he began to softly snore into her hair. She hadn't anticipated the sense of distraction that she'd had to battle for the better part of the day, the temptation to think of nothing but what it had been like in his arms the night before, wondering when she'd ever be there again. Not that she hadn't missed the long, wistful looks that he'd given her off and on over the course of the day – or the fact that Farranby and Sharin seemed to be sharing the same sweet problem.
She wasn't sorry she'd taken the step she had – the months she'd spent with Jilan, learning his moods and his expressions, learning that he was as gentle and caring as those who had touched or tried to touch her before had been hurtful and cruel. Now there was no doubt – she had fallen in love with her fallen-away aristocratic companion. She snuggled into his chest just a little closer. After all these years of only having to think about herself, she would have to get used to thinking about the two of them as a unit. Not that she minded much.
"You're still awake," Jilan whispered in her ear.
Lyara blinked – when had he roused from his light slumber? "I didn't mean to awaken you," she apologized.
"You didn't," he soothed, his hand stroking up and down a deliciously bare arm slowly and appreciatively.
"You were snoring," she pointed out.
"I dozed for a moment, but never really fell completely asleep." He turned his head to drop a kiss into her hair. "What's your excuse?"
"Just thinking," she said noncommittally.
"About us?"
She nodded against his chest and shoulder. "I haven't felt like I truly belonged anywhere or to anyone else since I came to Talandria as a child – I never thought I'd feel this way again."
Jilan's second arm came over and held her close. "I can't even imagine how you survived what you did," he exclaimed in a whisper. "How much of it do you remember?"
"My capture, or before?"
"Either one – both."
She snuggled closer again, her arm stretching across his belly possessively. "My memory of life as a Kauwlut is spotty at best – although as time goes on, I'm remembering more and more. Although I have to admit that I had help remembering the language."
"Topiara fed it back to you." It wasn't a question; it was a statement that came from what sounded like similar experience.
She nodded against him again. "As for my capture, the less I remember of that, the better. It was horrible." She shuddered. "I saw my father die, my mother humiliated until she finally couldn't stand being alive anymore. And I… they…"
His arms tightened around her. "That's enough," he kissed her hair again. "Those times are finished. Nobody will ever hurt you that way again – they'll have to go through me first."
Lyara lay quiet against him, basking in the warmth and safety and caring that felt so foreign to her. "I love you," she said simply, finding the tiny statement one of the most sincere and yet difficult things she'd ever said to another person in her memory.
Jilan nuzzled her hair, his heart thrilling to hear the words he'd been hoping that someday she'd be able to say to him. "Oh, Lya, I love you too – more than you'll ever know!"
With that, she tipped her head up so that their lips could meet, and there was no further need for conversation.
The next morning saw the foursome rising early once more so as to catch the first ferry across the river. The ponies weren't happy on the unsteady wooden raft, but with a rider at the head of his or her mount, the half-hour journey passed without incident. The terrain on the eastern edge of the Kovart was rolling grain-covered hills in summer, mostly open fields this early in the year. From the looks of things as the party drew closer to the banks of the river, the rain that had been closing in on Talandri would have been quite welcome here.
"So," Farranby began as the ponies settled down to walk down the road four abreast, "have you read that book that Master Lyndon sent over to you – the one written by the former slave trader?"
"Most of it," she replied with a nod. "It names names and talks about certain villages and the men there who would help with the sale of his "merchandise." That's what he called the children he had with him," she explained defensively when Sharin, riding beyond Farranby on the outside of the group, sniffed derisively.
"How many side trips are we going to have to take on our way to the Vryies lands then?" Sharin asked.
"There are three places where one of the local headmen were active in the slave trade," Lyara remembered from her reading. "They enjoy some protection from the regional authorities, courtesy of kick-back arrangements that keep the King's Men looking in other places entirely. And there are a few of them, too…"
"How long ago was this book written, Lyara?" Jilan wanted to know.
"According to Master Lyndon, within the last ten years," she replied easily.
"Which means, if I'm not mistaken, that many of the King's Men have been either arrested or lost their positions of authority as the result," he pointed out after thinking for a while. "As for the village headmen, chances are about equal for our finding them still in the same places that the book mentions."
"Not necessarily," Lyara responded. "Slave trading is legal in Talandria – I know this firsthand. What IS illegal is kidnapping Talandri children – no matter what class they come from – and selling them as slaves. Slaves are supposed to be either Kauwlut or Vryie. Talandri servants are either hirelings or else indentured due to unpaid debts."
"Mostly Kauwlut," Jilan stated with some certainty. "The Clans never would come and make treaties with the King's Representatives. And we both know how hard it is to find nomads on that huge plains of theirs – and how difficult it would have been to even extend the invitation in the first place…"
"I can remember my father speaking once about the demands of the yellow-hairs to come and talk and put marks on papers," Lyara mused as Topiara warmed on her breast and shot her a quick vision. "He said that these "treaties" were nothing but words – and that actions speak louder than promises. The yellow-hairs weren't to be trusted."
"How did he know about the invitations to negotiate if none of the King's Representatives ever spoke to him?" Sharin wanted to know.
"He had attended a full Clan meeting – and one of his uncle's sons had captured a yellow-hair who spoke about the invitations, once he had learned enough Kauwlut to make himself understood."
"Most importantly, though," Farranby finally got a word in edgewise, "is whether or not you have an idea of where we should head first?"
Lyara nodded. "We need to travel east to Wherrick Tor, and then head south to Alinber. One of the men who this slaver claims was most useful in distributing his "catch" all across Talandri is on the council there – a man named Corwin."
Farranby sighed and then nodded. "Alinber is quite an interesting city," he told his companions. "Many of the townspeople there rather fancy themselves even more civilized than those who live in Tandri." Now it was Jilan's turn to sniff derisively, but Farranby waved his hand at his young companion. "Don't scoff, Jilan. In some ways, they're right. There is much more music and pursuit of the arts taking place in Alinber than you could hope to find in Tandri itself. The whole reason for Tandri is to give the King and his government a home. Everything else is secondary – you know that…"
"Yes, but…" Jilan complained.
"Alinber is filled with theatres and music schools. Most of the best Talandri musicians come to Alinber to be trained. Most of the best actors spend a healthy apprenticeship in one or more of the bigger theatres and playhouses there." Farranby glanced at the women and found them listening with wide, round eyes. "If this councilman is part of the group involved in the capture and sale of Talandri child slaves, then it stands to reason that some of those children may have ended up in either a music or acting school – or associated in some way with either endeavor." He sighed. "We'll be spending weeks there just making sure…"
"If we can get him to talk to us," Sharin soothed at her lover, "perhaps he can tell us if he remembers a young girl named Herrista being sold – how long ago?" Farranby looked over at Sharin, and the look of desperation in his eyes at the sudden realization of the enormity of what he was facing nearly brought her to tears. "Don't lose hope," she told him in a tone meant only for his ears. "Not yet. We've only just started."
"I know Alinber is a city at least two thirds the size of Tandri," Farranby shook his head. "She could be anywhere there – or not even there at all. We could end up wasting weeks and leave for the east and the south never knowing that we were only a theatre or music hall away from her all along."
"Farranby, you knew that the probability of your being able to locate your daughter after all this time is pretty slim. Are you saying now that you're not sure you want to try?" Lyara didn't like to have to offer the demon's own argument to her friend, but considering the dangers involved in proceeding, wanted to make sure that everyone in the party was equally determined to succeed if it were at all possible.
"Of course I want to try!" Farranby pulled his mount to an abrupt halt, and the rest had to double back a pace or two to rejoin him. "How dare you…"
"I just wanted to make sure that you weren't convinced that this was a doomed effort from the start," Lyara explained, not allowing her friend's outrage to upset her. "You were sounding and looking fairly certain that we were going to miss her in Alinber – when we haven't even gotten there yet."
"I was just looking at the facts of the matter," Farranby grumbled, then looked up gratefully as Sharin kneed her mount so that she could put a comforting arm about his shoulders. "I wasn't saying I didn't want to make the effort."
"I didn't mean to upset you," Lyara apologized, "but as unofficial Guide for the four of us, it is my obligation to keep track of the emotional state of the party under my care." She kneed Surefoot to sidle close to Farranby on the other side from Sharin and patted his shoulder companionably. "I'm sorry, my friend."
Farranby looked into the face of a woman who had already saved his life once and knew that she understood what he was going through as much as any of the rest of them. He gave her a brief nod. "Let's ride," he stated brusquely. "That storm could still soak us if we tarry very long without good reason – and I don't look forward to setting up camp in the wet tonight."
With that, the ponies spread out so that they were four abreast again and began moving once more steadily to the east.
As the quartet approached the city gates, Lyara could appreciate why Farranby had had his brief flirtation with desperation – Alinber was indeed a large city. "You know what we could do," Jilan offered as they walked their ponies slowly through the gates two by two, "is speak to this man that the book named and see what he remembers, if anything. If we don't find out anything within the first day or so, we can continue on and, if we don't have any better luck even in the Vryies lands, we can come back here again. Then we can spend more time doing a better job of searching every theater, music hall, inn and school for any signs of Herrista." He looked over at his friend. "What do you say?"
Farranby thought about the idea for a while and then finally nodded. "That seems to make the best sense."
"Assuming this man is easy to locate," Lyara added, "how long do we want to spend here looking before we move on?"
"Granted that we don't try to hire a room in the most expensive inn in town," Sharin offered, we should be able to afford a week, shouldn't we?"
"Let's see how much room and board and stabling is going to cost us," Jilan suggested. "We're not poor, by any stretch, but we aren't shamelessly wealthy either – at least, not here. We left the greater share of our specie in Tandri – so we'll have to be frugal to make sure that what we have lasts as long as possible."
"Either that or we'll have to get jobs and stay for a while in one place to replenish our specie," Sharin agreed.
"The inns on the outskirts of town will probably be the more inexpensive – and the least secure," Farranby stated. "I'm all for moving a little further in, but not much – finding a slightly more reputable establishment where I can be fairly certain that I don't end up riding a nag when our own ponies get stolen out practically from under us."
"And we keep our valuables on our persons when we're not in our rooms," Lyara instructed firmly. She glanced at Farranby. "And if the luck of the gods is with us, perhaps we'll find Herrista right away."
"We can only hope," Farranby said, mindful that it was he who had reached the point of despair only a few hours earlier.
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