“The very same. Now I’m sure you understand my shock at her appearance. I hadn’t seen her since the trial. At any rate after her confession and Micah’s investigation the charges of rape were dropped. There was still the matter of her being under age but Sebastian cleared that by pointing out that she was very near the correct age and no one could sincerely prove her actual date of birth so she might have very well been sixteen on that day. So I was spared death and dismemberment, but my reputation was shattered, as was my career. My father intervened on that account and rather than allow me to be stripped of all rank and honors he insisted I be placed on probation. It was decided between him and Lord Elijah that my probation would be spent in Sanctuary at the Academy so that I would be out of sight of everyone in Arovan. The condition was that my actions in Sanctuary would speak for me in Arovan. If I comported myself with honor and integrity while in the city, I would retain my rank in Arovan. Technically I had already passed the required study at the Academy before all of this started, but given the situation it was deemed that higher learning was in order.” He sighed and glanced at her. “And well, you saw how I comported myself in Sanctuary. So if I return home I lose everything including the name Hai’dia. I won’t shame my family by holding the name after I have been stripped of everything else,” Valor finished with another heavy sigh and kept his gaze on the distant fields refusing to look back at her.
“I barely remember the man in Sanctuary. My memories are clouded by the knight who braved hell to help me retrieve my husband, by images of a man that doesn’t flinch from anything, no matter how terrifying, by the multiple times you have risked your life to save mine, and by the fact that you gave me everything you had when I most needed it so that I could save my child and live,” Jala said softly and tugged on his cloak until he turned to face her. “I don’t care about your past, Valor, and I won’t judge you by it. The only thing that matters to me is what you have shown me, and that is compassion, loyalty, and trust. To hell with Arovan if they don’t want you, Merro does, and you will always have a place of honor at my table.”
Valor smiled faintly and looked up at the lightening sky. “Neph will give me an honored grave if I don’t get you back home and out of this cold,” he said quietly.
“I’m sorry you can’t go home,” Jala offered with a frown and looked over the fields one last time.
“Ahh. I’m about to, Jala, if you have enough strength left to take us. Arovan was my home. Merro is my home now,” Valor replied with a faint smile.
“May that never change. I think I would be lost without you, Valor. I love all of my friends but after what we have faced together there is no one I rely on more than you,” Jala said as she drew on her magic once more and began the casting that would return them to Merro.
Chapter 14
Sanctuary
The Spell Hawk tilted hard to the left and Shade pushed himself straight in his seat once more. “Bring the nose back level,” he ordered.
“The steering is incredibly touchy isn’t it?” Symphony replied as she leveled the controls and sent them tilting sharply to the right. Letting out a peal of laughter she tried to correct once more, shaking the ship violently in the process.
“Yeah, pretty touchy,” Shade agreed, his voice pitched several tones higher than normal. Swallowing heavily he pried his hands from the armrests and sat straight once more. “That’s the water Symphony,” he said as calmly as he could. Glancing over at her then back at the view screen as he spoke. “Water, Symphony,” he repeated, leaning forward a bit in his seat to stare at the rapidly approaching waves. He glanced once more at Symphony. She sat very still in her seat a distant look on her face. “Water!” Shade bellowed and she jumped in her seat. His heart thumped painfully against his chest and he finally realized what it must be like for Charm when he was flying.
With unsteady hands she pulled upwards on the controls and looked over at him with a sheepish expression. “Mental link I’m so sorry. I didn’t think it would distract me that much,” Symphony apologized with a small shrug.
Prying his fingers once again from the seat he returned the smile with a quick nod. “No problem,” he said his voice nearly a squeak in tone.
“You don’t do well as a passenger, do you?” Symphony asked with a smile.
“No, I suppose I really don’t,” Shade admitted and let out a shaky laugh. “Everything OK? That mental link must have been important for you to zone out like that.”
“It was an update from Lutheron. The Firym have sent a hundred troops to help hold the city. The Faydwer have sent a handful of mages and their Ambassador. Jala Merrodin has returned from the Darklands and has apparently barely survived her quest, and last but not least, Delvay attacked the Rivasan border in force early this morning. Reports are still coming in but it appears as though the Rivasan suffered horribly,” Symphony said and then sighed heavily. “I don’t want anyone to suffer, and they all seem determined to kill each other off,” she complained with another sigh.
“One would think they would be more concerned with the Blight infestation,” Shade said in a disgusted voice.
“The Blights don’t seem to attack our opposition at all,” Symphony told him, her gaze moving from the view screen to look at his face. “It’s as if they have some way of controlling the creatures.”
“It’s House Morcaillo controlling them,” Shade confided, shaking his head. “I tried to tell the Fionaveir that when I first arrived but I don’t think they truly believed me.” He paused and glanced at Symphony with a smile. “Did you know you steer in the direction you are looking and we are nearly going back the same way we just came from?” he asked in a conversational tone.
Symphony laughed and shook her head. “I did that on purpose, Shade. I might not be a good pilot yet, but I’m not that bad. Today’s lesson will have to be cut short; I have to get back to Sanctuary.”
“We have barely been out of the city twenty minutes and they already need you back?” Shade asked with a shake of his head. “You never get time to yourself. From breakfast on you are reading reports or training.”
“And my time will only get more precious if we succeed in our goal,” Symphony agreed with a smile. “If it stops the constant wars and brings some peace to this world, it’s worth it though. Don’t you agree?”
“I do. I don’t see how you are going to manage it, though. They tell you only what they want you to hear. How can you lead with only half the information?” Shade asked. It was a common enough topic between the two of them. Over the past few days he had been doing his best to fill her in on the scant information that he knew, and on occasion had even eavesdropped for her to learn more. There wasn’t much of importance that was actually said aloud, though. If it was truly delicate information, mental links were generally used and with that he was useless.