“When you remember,” Alsanis added, in a slightly more aggrieved tone.
Terrano’s shrug was a little less casual. “I haven’t been speaking to others much, recently. Not with words.” He then turned his focus on Bellusdeo. “Kaylin thinks out loud as well, so that only leaves you.”
Bellusdeo exhaled, and as was often the case when she was frustrated, there was smoke in it. Alsanis, however, sharing some of that frustration, didn’t mind. She turned to Kaylin. “I was thinking that you trust the Hallionne.”
“They’re kind of like Helen.”
“To my eye, they are nothing like Helen.”
“Well, she creates rooms on the fly, and she creates small pocket spaces in which she can kind of keep deadly things away from the rest of us. Oh, and she cooks.”
Bellusdeo exhaled more smoke.
“And she cares about the comfort and safety of her occupants.” Kaylin turned to face the Avatar of Alsanis. “You’re going to get a good workout today.”
Alsanis, however, did not reply. His eyes were once again obsidian, and as Terrano turned toward the Hallionne, his shifted into something opalescent. Bellusdeo rose. Kaylin did the same, but more clumsily.
Squawk. Squawk. Squawk.
Bellusdeo’s armor—which really should have prevented her from sitting or bending in any way—shifted slightly. “Do you have any issues with draconic form? This hall is somewhat too confined for it, but the great hall is not.”
“I do not believe Kaylin thinks that is wise.”
The Dragon seemed nonplused. “I mean no disrespect,” she said, which was usually followed by something disrespectful, “but wisdom and Kaylin are not generally put together in the same sentence. It would be similar to expecting wisdom from Terrano or Mandoran.”
“Hey!”
Alsanis considered this, and to the chagrin of the not-quite-Barrani and the mortal, he nodded. “It has been a very long time since I have had a Dragon as a guest.”
“I’m surprised you’re allowed to speak of it at all.”
“I am allowed,” he replied gravely, “to speak of anything that does not make the guests feel threatened or endangered. And even then, there is nothing in the words that define my existence that would prevent it. Were there, the Hallionne would be used for political purposes. We were created in part to make safe the spaces in which rivals or enemies might gather. You do not fear the war band.”
“Not really, no. Kaylin said that even on her first visit, half the Barrani chose to remain outside of the Hallionne’s boundaries. I don’t believe the war band will do anything but make noise at your doorstep; they must know they wouldn’t survive an attempt made against me while I am here.”
Alsanis bowed, but his eyes remained black, and his expression was troubled. He turned, then, to Terrano, although strictly speaking this wasn’t necessary. “The doorstep, as you call it, might not be the main thrust of the attack.”
Terrano said, “I’ll go.”
This time, no one stopped him.
*
“You don’t happen to know where he’s going?” Kaylin asked, after a minute had passed.
“Yes.”
Bellusdeo snorted; she was amused. “I believe she intends for you to share that information.”
“Ah. You will not be able to follow him; he has chosen to travel in haste.” He then transferred his gaze to Spike. “He could.”
Squawk.
“You are certain?”
Squawk squawk.
“Your familiar believes that I am incorrect; he believes he can facilitate your travel. I am uncertain, however, that this is wise.”
“Did you see what happened to Terrano’s friends?”
“No, Lord Kaylin.”
“But they didn’t try to return here.”
“No.”
Many things made no sense to Kaylin, but she focused on only one of them. The portal that had opened between one part of Orbaranne and her dining hall was part of Orbaranne, and it was there that Kaylin had heard Sedarias.
The Hallionne’s eyes lost their lids, literally; they disappeared. His face, his facial structure, seemed to shudder; a ripple made it look far more liquid than flesh of any kind should.
“Alsanis?” Kaylin was the only person in the room who rushed to the Avatar’s side. Without thought she reached out and placed both of her hands on his chest. The familiar did not seem to find this impressive.
“I am here,” the Hallionne replied; the words did not come from the Avatar’s mouth.
“What’s happening?”
He replied, but there were too many unfamiliar words in the answer to make any sense of it.
“If Terrano is doing something bad, I’m going to strangle him.”
“It would be difficult to strangle him,” the Hallionne said, unperturbed. “I believe the purpose of strangulation is to restrict the flow of air. Regardless, he is not doing something bad. He is, however, doing something that guests do not usually do.”
Hope bit Kaylin’s ear. “We’re going to join Terrano, if that’s okay with you.”
“Strangling your familiar would quite probably be even less successful than strangling Terrano.”
*
Kaylin moved. Bellusdeo followed.
Around them, the halls of the Hallionne flowed, changing shape between the heavy steps of a running Hawk and an armored Dragon. Alsanis had widened the halls, granting silent permission for Bellusdeo to go full Dragon; for the moment, she chose to refrain.
What’s happening outside? Kaylin asked Lirienne as she ran.
Three men in full armor have approached the Hallionne. There are another forty beyond the Hallionne’s perimeter. The leader of the war band, he added, is Lord Barian’s mother.
Kaylin let loose with a volley of Leontine.
The Warden, however, does not seem to have been aware of her plans.
You’re certain?
Yes. He didn’t elaborate. This is not a good time for my sister to travel.
Please don’t think I have any control over what your sister does, or does not, do. She’s far more likely to listen to you, if she can hear you.
You misunderstand.
Your sister has already left Elantra. I assume she intends to come to the West March.
He didn’t ask her how she knew, and she didn’t volunteer; she was fairly certain he could guess, and if he couldn’t, Ynpharion would possibly be just a little less disgusted than he normally was.
She turned sharply left and almost fell off the floor. The floor, however, righted itself, and stairs formed a yard away from where she skidded—with the help of a wall—to a stop.
She cannot interfere here—
I think she probably can. Unless you want to tell her to stop, because I don’t. She’s only barely forgiven me for the last big argument we had—and I’m not having another one unless it’s about the literal end of the world. Which pretty much summed up the previous argument.
She will not be coming overland. She will take the portal paths.
But—but that’s how we lost the cohort!