Kastali Dun

Claire made her way to King Talon's tower at dusk. His guards let her through for the second time that day. This time she looked more presentable. Desaree had insisted she swap her day gown for something more evening appropriate. She settled on a blue silk brocade with gold embroidery that buckled like a robe, covering most of her chest and shoulders. The embellishments along the trim at her neck, sleeves, and hem set it apart.

"Good evening, Lady Claire." Talon bowed respectfully when she entered. He stood waiting in the large entryway. She returned the greeting before glancing around. Unlike earlier, his packing was complete, and his main chamber tidy. "I finished packing just before you arrived," he said, as if reading her mind.

"Who will I send letters to once you are gone?" The words were out before she could censor them. She clenched her jaw to keep from saying anything else stupid.

Talon chuckled. For a brief instant, his face turned radiant. "You may still send me letters once I am gone. I believe the Sprites are familiar with parchment and ink."

"That isn't what I meant, and you know it."

His eyes danced, but he said nothing more.

They sat down to a quiet meal at his large dining table. She was well acquainted with his dining room by now, though this time she planned to be on her best behavior. Just like the last time, the king's servants waited on them before fading away to become statuesque. It wasn't until they began eating that Talon broke the silence. "I was proud of you today," he said. "That is the second time you have held your ground in my throne room."

Her chest swelled but instead of showing her elation, she shrugged. "Desaree is my handmaiden. She's my responsibility."

He bowed his head in agreement. "Most ladies of the court would not have supported a handmaiden's decision to go against a court lady, let alone stand beside her. You had said it was a matter of honor, now I truly understand."

His praise left her heart fluttering. In the past she wouldn't have cared if he disagreed with her behavior, but now she wanted his approval. "Thank you," she said at last. It was all she could think of.

He took a bite of food, savoring it before saying, "Do you still wish to know more about the pirate raids?"

Renewed excitement took her. "I was hoping to, yes."

"Good. I had hoped so." He brought her up to speed, explaining that over the past five years, Dragonwall had seen an increase in the number of pirate raids along the coasts. Pirate ships were usually solitary operators. They looted for their own benefit, and often spent their loot when they docked.

As she listened, Claire took small, polite bites.

"Unlike what has happened in the past," Talon said, "these raids are coordinated, indicating that the pirates are working together."

The raids often took place along the southern shores. Some were mild, with stolen goods and destroyed dwellings. Others caused death and devastation. "In the first few years, I attributed these raids to increasing costs of merchandise transport. If only I would have known then..." He shook his head as if at a loss. "It has been difficult to predict their movements. I find it obvious that they are working together, but impossible to know where they will strike next. Their latest target was an island village, relatively isolated, in the Scattered Islands. They stole a majority of women and children for the slave trade."

"Slave trade?" Claire's eyes widened.

"Oh yes, both Pavv and Oshea support slavery. Pirates are not usually so bold, but they grow bolder."

His news was difficult to stomach. In light of it, she voiced her own opinions: "The pirates know war is coming. They will grow bolder—I'm sure of it."

"Yes, I agree. Given such circumstances, I must do everything I can to protect my people, especially now. I fear I am failing already—rather badly."

She frowned. It all seemed so coincidental. "Do you think the pirates are working for Kane?"

"It is possible."

They both fell quiet. When she next looked up, she noticed he was playing with his food. As she watched him, he continued to push his mashed potatoes around with his fork.

"It certainly wouldn't be surprising, if Kane is behind everything," she added. Her mind darted back to the events of the morning. She remembered the frightened farmers, and the dead child.

"Your Grace—"

"Call me Talon, please."

She gave him a hard stare.

"Really, I prefer it. Besides, you already forget my title most of the time anyway."

He hadn't always preferred it. She was tempted to tell him so, but instead, she leashed her tongue. "Talon, then, what happened to those farmers in the hall today? Surely the Vodar are behind it."

"Yes. I think so too. After court, I examined the child's body. The blackened skin was identical to Cyrus's. You are no stranger to it."

Her throat constricted. Talon was right. She had seen enough of the poison's effects, both on Cyrus and on her leg. "What was the Child's name?"

"Calen."

"Calen..." she whispered. It felt right to say his name. "It's barbaric—what Kane is doing." Her gaze settled on her wine glass. "All those women and children dying at the hands of the Vodar. And if he's behind the pirate attacks too—allowing those monsters to steal women and children for slave trade..." She shook her head. It was disgusting. She thought about the poor villagers in Celenore, how frightened they must be each night. They probably laid awake in fear, night after night, waiting...

A horrible idea occurred to her. "What if this is my fault? Kane must have told his demons to do this because of me."

"What—why would you think that?" Talon's brow furrowed. He looked at her like she was crazy.

"When I killed some of Kane's wraiths with my green fire, I upset him. They were so close to getting the Stones—"

"Claire you cannot—"

"—Then you defeated Eagle and I slipped through his fingers again. He's getting back at us, Talon. We've—I've—made him angry."

"This is bigger than you, Claire. You cannot take responsibility for the deaths simply because you have thwarted him."

As much as she wanted to relinquish all responsibility, she knew that she had upset Kane. "Have you gotten any information out of Eagle?" she asked.

Talon's face darkened. "Everything I needed."

"And Tark?"

This time his jaw clenched. When he next spoke, his voice was controlled. "Tark had nothing to offer me. I did what I promised. I tortured him, then I took him outside and...well, never mind the rest."

She felt the blood drain from her face. "What did you do to him?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

"Please do not ask me for the details."

She exhaled, very badly wanting to know, but something about the way Talon looked silenced her on that matter. "What about Eagle? Is he dead too?" She wasn't sure why she asked. Eagle was the one behind it all, yet somehow, with Eagle it all seemed like business. Unlike Tark and the others, Eagle had never shown any inclination to mistreat her.

"Eagle is in the dungeons."

"Is he still...sane?"

"He is whole. But sane? Who can say...? I will schedule a public execution when I am ready." Talon finally took several bites of his food, then looked up at her. "Do my actions displease you? I can always tell when something is bothering you."

She shrugged. Something didn't sit right with her. "Shouldn't you...that is to say...why not just leave Eagle in the darkest dungeon and let him grow old, all alone? That seems like a harsher punishment than putting him out of his misery." For some reason, the idea of executing him publicly didn't sit well with her, which was odd.

Talon sighed but said nothing.

She tried to think of something else to add to her cause. "He's a good fighter, too."

"There are thousands of men capable of fighting like he did—better in fact. That is no reason to spare him."

"Have any of those thousands of men worked for Kane? Have any of them met Kane? Do they know what he's like?"

His lips pressed into a thin line before he said, "Point taken. Very well. If you believe you know the best course of action, I will surrender his fate to you."

She opened and closed her mouth several times, surprised by Talon's release of control. An ironic thought came to mind. "You know, not so long ago, it was my fate he controlled."

"Then his life belongs to you anyway."

She nodded. "Thank you."

"I will refrain from an execution and keep him in the dungeon henceforth. In return, you will decide what is to be done with him. He cannot remain there forever as a tax on our resources. Are these fair terms?"

She considered his offer. "Yes. I accept." It wasn't necessarily the correct thing to do, but it felt right. Either way, she didn't exactly want to beat the topic to death, so she changed it. "Tell me about your upcoming trip to the Gable Forest."

"Can't say there is much to tell." He appeared relieved at the change in their conversation. "What would you like to know?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I don't know. The details I suppose."

"It will take a little over three days of flying to reach the forest, assuming we make haste. I plan to. I plan to travel with some of the Drengr-Rider pairs from Fort Kastali, so we will have ample protection. I am taking a gamble, assuming that Kane's Vodar will remain tied up in Celenore."

"We don't know how many he has."

"Exactly. It's a gamble. Anyway..." He paused. "Emissaries will meet us at the forest's edge once we arrive; they will guide us to Esterpine." He stopped to chuckle. "You know, now that I think of it, if we had you with us, I suppose we would do things differently. Hmm? I'm sure you could find the forest city as quickly as the queen's own."

"And why can't I come?"

"Your lessons, remember? Besides, you will be safe here." After a moment, he fell quiet. When she looked at him, he appeared deep in thought.

She wasn't so sure he was correct about her safety. She probably wasn't safe anywhere, let alone here, but she didn't argue with him. Instead, she asked, "Why do I get the feeling that you really aren't looking forward to this journey?"

"Because that is exactly the case. I would avoid it if I could." He suddenly looked a lot more tired than usual.

"You know, if you just apologize to Queen Jade and admit you were wrong, she will probably forgive you right away."

He snorted. "You, of all people, know I am terrible at that sort of thing."

"That's precisely why I suggested it! Besides, you've had some practice recently." She flashed him a wicked grin. Yes, he had been quite genuine in his apologies to her. She had quickly forgiven him too. Perhaps it was too quickly, but she couldn't seem to help it.

In Talon's company, dinner flew by. He refilled their wine glasses a few times, making time go even faster. All too soon, dessert was brought forth. They were presented with a large platter of cheeses, fruits, and sweet caramel dip. She regarded the display with wide eyes and groaned. How could she possibly eat any more?

Talon said nothing and dove right in. After trying a few things, he leaned back comfortably to sip his wine. From there he regarded her as she picked at the platter, selecting a few of the yummiest looking fruits. She plopped them in her mouth and sighed. "Mmm. They're so sweet."

"The best of the early fall harvests..."

"The perks of being a king..." she joked. "I like good food, but I'm not sure it's enough. After seeing what it's like at court..." She shook her head. "I don't know how you do it every day."

He sipped his wine and shrugged. "You get used to it I suppose. Every day is busy, from sunup to sundown, with hardly a moment to think...It takes great focus and an immense amount of devotion to run a kingdom."

"And unlike those before you, you pull it off alone." She admired him more knowing he carried his mantle in spite of his challenges, all without giving up.

"Well isn't that something?!" Talon said, sounding surprised. There was hint of mock sarcasm in his voice. "Are you impressed with me, Lady Claire?"

"I am," she teased, smiling at him before returning her attention to the platter. She picked out several more cubes of cheese and paired them with blackberries.

They spent the remainder of the evening picking away at the fruit and cheese platter. Most of their conversation was mild after that, and they often fell into comfortable silence. That was surely a good sign.

Eventually, the time came to bid him goodnight. "I should go," she said at last. "Desaree has imposed a strict curfew on me."

Talon's eyes gleamed. "She really does run a tight ship, does she not?" They both smiled. "Ah, well. I suppose it is for the best. My Shields will be arriving soon. Your company has been a treat, Lady Claire. Thank you."

"Likewise." She did not disguise the happiness in her voice. When they both stood, he escorted her to the entryway of his tower. She leaned on his arm in a friendly manner and glanced up at him. "I suppose we will not see each other again until your return?"

"That is so. You will behave, I hope?" He released her hand from the crook of his arm and turned to face her.

An evil grin spread across her face. "Behave? Me? Hmm..." Somehow, she knew that no matter what she promised, trouble would find her. "All right. I promise to behave myself," she said at last, if only to put him at ease. "I will do my best to follow every one of your rules without complaint."

"Good." His shoulders relaxed and he flashed her a brilliant set of white teeth. "Perhaps I shall bring you back a gift, then. Goodnight, Claire." His eyes held hers for several long moments, during which she stopped breathing, before he backed away and bowed. Then he opened the door for her.

Next thing she knew, she found herself in the Hall of Kings, two guards in her wake, returning to her chambers. She had just had a modern day's version of a first date, and a successful first date at that. A large smile crept across her face. Yes, Talon was definitely growing on her. 

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