"I have to take care of him," Amercy murmured. "I owe him my life."
"You need to rest," Kreis admonished him. "We've done all we can do right now, and you won't do Re any good by overexerting yourself." He sighed. "I wonder if they're fighting right now. Killing for one tyrant over another. What difference does it make?"
"It's so there doesn't have to be any more killing-" Gregan began.
"Killing in order to end killing? It doesn't make any sense."
"It makes more sense than standing by and doing nothing!" Gregan cried angrily, but Triana stepped between them before the argument could escalate any further.
"Come on, this isn't the time for this," she said.
"Well, what else is there to do?" Kreis replied irritably. "The only one who knows where the hell we are is unconscious, we don't have any idea what's going on back at the camp-"
"Not much, at the moment," a voice interrupted his tirade. Kreis turned around to see Kieme Aemonstane.
"What happened?" Kreis wondered, somewhat relieved to see that Kieme was all right. He had been worried-what would have become of their mission to Thaliron if their guide had been killed?
"It's something of a long story," Kieme sighed. "What happened to you?"
"Dralions came after our friend Amercy," Gregan said, "and Re's hurt pretty bad."
"We tried to do what we could for him, but he needs a professional healer," added Triana.
"I see. We've got a lot to do tonight, so let's hurry back to camp," Kieme announced.
"But-Re is-" Amercy began weakly. Kieme knelt down to examine the wounded man. Triana couldn't think of another time she'd seen Kieme look so concerned.
"How are you?" she asked him, her voice soft but still powerful.
"I've been worse," Re replied weakly.
"You don't have to tell me that," Kieme replied roughly. "I'll do the best I can about the pain for now-if I help you, can you walk?"
"I'll try," Re whispered, and Kieme gently helped him to his feet. Kreis and Gregan both rushed to support Re's other shoulder.
"You'd better save your strength, Kreis," said Kieme. Kreis only blinked at her. "Let's go." Re hobbled along between Kieme and Gregan.
"You know what, Miss Kieme? I killed one of the dralions myself," Arik pointed out, launching into a description of the battle that lasted most of the way back to Aradel's camp.
*
The healers had done what they could to soothe the pain and speed the healing process, but it would still be days before Re was back on his feet again. Fortunately, no bones had been broken, and the anesthetic took care of the pain of the bruises he could feel forming all over his body.
"Are you feeling better now?" Kieme sat by his bedside in the dim light of the infirmary tent, her expression unreadable.
"Yeah."
"I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault."
"I still feel horrible," Kieme replied. She began to place her hand on his, but Re pulled his hand away.
"You're lonely, aren't you?"
Kreis began to enter the room, but pulled away when he saw what was going on. I know I shouldn't eavesdrop, he thought. But she did ask me to meet her here...
"Yes. Yes, I am."
"You, lonely." Re half-laughed, half-coughed. "A lot has changed since..."
"Yeah," Kieme interrupted him. "So, I suppose you don't want to..."
"To start things up again? No, I don't. Do you?"
"No, not really."
"Well, then." Re looked up at the ceiling, avoiding her face. "I consider myself honored that I'm one of the few privileged to see you at your most pathetic. Where's the Tre-where's Amercy?"
"I need to talk to him; after that, I'll send him to you."
"Thanks."
*
Triana was too angry to stand still, so she paced a line on the ground. "I wish I knew what she had in mind for him," she said. "Poor Kreis! He's got to put up with so much from her," she went on, annoyed. "Who does she think she is? She's so smug, like she always feels like she's running circles around us."
"Calm down, Triana," Gregan urged. "Please. I was hoping you'd tell me about this 'Order of the Crane' of yours."
Triana stopped her pacing. "Really? What do you want to know about it, then?"
"All I know is that it exists," Gregan shrugged. "I never heard of it before I met you."
"Really? Oh, well. According to legend, there was once a goddess who protected the Elorhan people. They say there were once many orders of priests and priestesses dedicated to her, and they were all named for birds. Eventually the goddess vanished, and most of the orders faded away, but the Crane remained, taking in orphaned girls and educating any girls who came to their doors."
"Girls? But Kreis-"
"Well, Kreis is an exception," Triana said. "His mother was raised by Faradine-the Abbess-and she came back to the new Abbey right after the Exile. Then, she gave birth to Kreis and left him there, and never came back. We were both born there, Kreis and me. On the same day."
"I see." Gregan just looked at her for a bit. "You're really fond of Kreis, aren't you?" he said.
"Well, we grew up together. Neither of us had a real family, but we had each other-and Faradine, of course. Yeah, he means a lot to me." Triana didn't know why she didn't tell him she was in love with Kreis-she wanted to, but something stopped her. Gregan might tell Kreis-yes, that had to be her reasoning.
"What's it like to be in love?"
Triana squawked. "What are you asking me for? How should I know?" Gregan shrugged.
"I guess not."
"Why are you asking me that?"
"How old are you?"
"Well, I'm almost eighteen."
"One doesn't usually get to that age without falling in love at least once."
"Oh? How about you? How old are you?"
"Seventeen."
"Oh, big difference there, huh?" Triana said sarcastically, her face bright scarlet. "Besides, I know there are much more important things in the world than love. I have a mission."
"Really? To do what?"
"To find out the truth about the Queen of Shadows, and to protect the world from her."
"The truth, huh? I remember when the Queen of Shadows marched into Ecalle. The mayor-that was what he called himself, but he was more of a dictator-he ran away when he saw her coming. We were terrified-we thought she was gonna crush us all.
"But she didn't. She didn't even attack, but she gave us our freedom in exchange for our allegiance. I mean, it's not perfect, but it's a lot better than it was before."
"I...see..." Triana said thoughtfully. Gregan shrugged.
"I don't know. That's just my lookout-in my experiences, the changes have been for the better."
*
What am I doing here? What am I trying to accomplish? Am I really as stupid as Re thinks I am?
"Are you crying?" Kreis wondered-rudely, though he didn't precisely intend to be rude.
"Yes," Kieme replied simply.
"Should...should I come back later?" Kreis wondered awkwardly.
"No, it's important," Kieme sighed, collecting herself. A moment later, it would be hard to tell that her shell had ever crack for an instant. "I need to ask something of you."
"You know that you need but command me," Kreis replied sarcastically. Kieme looked at him intently.
"I need you to understand that you do have a choice in this," she said. "And if you don't do it, I will never cast it up to you. If you will help me, though, I will consider your debt paid in full."
"What is it, then?"
"Are you familiar with dueling?"
"I've heard about it."
"Lady Nele has challenged us to a duel, our champion against hers. And-"
"And you want me to fight," Kreis finished dully.
"Please, hear me out," Kieme continued. "If we refuse the duel, it means all-out warfare. Hundreds of people will lose their lives."
"But why would you ask me, though? I'm sure you've got more than enough soldiers who are more qualified and experienced."
"But they wouldn't have a chance against a mage with human blood."
Kreis stared at her. "What do you mean?"
"I mean Lady Nele has a mage who's part human. I doubt if she's exactly half-and-half, like you, but it's obvious just by looking at her."
"I see."
"I'm sorry," Kieme said. "But I wouldn't ask this of you if I didn't think you could win."
"How do you know so much about me?" Kreis demanded. He was angry, his face hot and his hands clenched into fists. "And yet you're so silent on everything else. Aradel answers to you. Everyone looks to you to know what they should do. Who the hell are you really, Kieme Aemonstane?"
Kieme met his glare evenly and calmly. She wasn't that much shorter than he was, and what she lacked in height she made up for in smooth dignity.
"I can't tell you," she murmured. Her expression remained the same, but her voice conveyed the pain her face could not express. Kreis didn't know how she managed to put so much emotion into only four words. "When I can, I will. I know my word doesn't mean that much to you, but I have to tell you. There are so many things you have to know."
"What are you talking about?" Kreis asked skeptically.
Kieme opened her mouth, and then shut it again. "I can't do it." She paced for a bit, then pulled a ring off her finger and held it out to Kreis.
"What?" he said.
"Take it," she said, "and keep it. Because I will explain everything, and I want you to keep this until I do. And if you lose it, I'll make you regret it, because that ring is very important to me."
She pressed it into his hand, and Kreis just started down at it. It was a simple ring, four tiny diamonds set into a slender gold band. He closed his hand around it and looked at Kieme.
"Whether you fight the duel or not," she added. Kreis walked away from her, staring at the ground.
"You really thing I can do this?" he said. "I'm trained to fight, but...I've never..." Kieme was looking at him patiently. Why had she given him this ring? What was it she knew that he didn't? Why did she keep contradicting herself?
"I can't do it," he murmured. "I wouldn't have a chance. I'm sorry." He didn't want to wait for a reply, so he turned his back and walked away.