“My apologies, Daere,” Zeph told the other woman. “I should have known you of all people wouldn’t serve a woman who abused children.”
Shea looked between the other two, feeling like she’d missed something. This wasn’t the first time someone had referred to Daere and a child. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask a question. She swallowed it back when she noticed the grief on Daere’s face. Shea had a feeling this story had a very sad ending. She didn’t want to subject Daere to having to explain such a thing in front of all these people. She’d tell her if she wanted to, eventually.
“Yes, you should have known better,” Daere said, not giving Ember’s clan leader an inch of understanding.
Zeph inclined his head as much as the blade Trenton held at his throat would permit. “You’re right. This was an unfortunate assumption.”
Daere’s face was implacable. “I’m not the one you need to apologize to.”
Zeph nodded, his gaze shifted to Shea. “Please forgive our jumping to conclusions.”
“You’re all idiots,” Shea declared before she could think better of it.
A choked sound came from the woman at Zeph’s left. Shea ignored her and the slightly surprised look on Zeph’s face. Did he really think she’d let this go so easily?
“You frightened Mist and damn near created an incident that could have left several dead. Even if you’d been right about me abusing her, there are a dozen different ways you could have handled it that didn’t lead to bloodshed.”
“We’re Trateri, darling. Bloodshed is what we do,” the man lying on the ground drawled.
Shea lifted an eyebrow, utterly unimpressed with his charm. “And scaring little girls until they cry, is that also what you do?”
Bax frowned, his blue eyes flicking to the little girl and then back to Shea. “That wasn’t my intention.” To Mist, he said, “Little one, I meant you nor your protector any harm. Please forgive me.”
The smile he flashed her would have decimated anyone over the age of sixteen. It was charm personified. Shea was willing to bet Bax had ladies lined up just begging for his apologies.
Mist peeked at him before burying her head back in Shea. “No.”
Bax’s smile faded and he looked slightly irked. Shea had to fight against a smile. It would be many years before a smile like that would work on the little girl.
The woman at Zeph’s side broke into peals of laughter, the sound cutting through the gathering tension faster than a knife. “Finally, someone capable of ignoring that oh-so-slick charm that you’re known for.”
“Shut it, Holly. No one asked you.” Bax shot the woman a glare.
“No one needed to. As the only other woman in this camp who ever saw through that phony fa?ade of yours, I must show her my appreciation.” Holly came forward, taking a knee in front of Mist. Shea didn’t move, watching with interest this other woman dressed in the same simple garb as the men. While the Trateri allowed their women to serve in the army and carry out tasks traditionally seen as duties only suited to men in Highland and Lowland society, it was still rare to see one who actually fit in that world.
“Hello, little one. On behalf of the numbskulls behind me, I sincerely apologize for the fright you took.”
Mist hands squeezed Shea’s pants a she regarded the other woman with a frown.
“They didn’t mean any harm in it. They really thought they were trying to help.” Holly’s face was open and kind, her expression soft and her eyes warm.
Mist looked up at Shea as if asking permission. Shea smiled back at her. The little girl looked back at Holly and gave a nod, her eyes focused on the ground the entire time.
If nothing else, this incident had at least gotten Mist speaking again. Shea was grateful for that, even if she would have wished the circumstances were different. She kept her happiness at Mist speaking to herself, not wanting the little girl to become self-conscious and retreat back into her shell.
Holly slapped her thigh and stood. “That settles it then. The idiots back there will refrain from any more heroic actions that don’t suit them, and you and I will become friends.” Holly looked at Shea. “So, you’re the Telroi I’ve heard so much about.”
“My name is Shea.” She wasn’t quite sure what to make of this woman who looked friendly and had charmed Mist where her friend couldn’t. “Not Telroi.”
Shea didn’t enjoy being referred to by the role she played in Fallon’s life. She was a person, damn it, with dreams and struggles of her own. If they’d called her scout or pathfinder, that would have been one thing. The term Telroi made her feel like an appendage of Fallon’s.
The skin at Holly’s eyes crinkled as her smile lit up her face. “Very good. I will remember that for future.”
Holly turned to Daere, offering her right hand in a warrior’s greeting. Daere took her arm, clasping it right below the elbow. “It’s been a long time.”
“A few years at least,” Daere said with a smile.
Their body language said they were friends and had been for a long time.
“Can you tell your watchdog to ease up?” Zeph asked, his expression set to rueful.
Shea eyed Trenton where he still stood with his blade pressed against Zeph’s neck. He met her eyes with unhappy ones of his own. She jerked her head. He frowned but obeyed, withdrawing the blade and stepping away. Zeph pressed a hand to his neck, his fingers coming away with blood.
“You were a little overzealous, don’t you think?” he asked.
Trenton gave him an implacable look Shea swore was part of the training the Anateri had to go through. She’d seen the exact same look on more than one Anateri’s face.
“What are you doing here?” Shea asked before anything else could be said that might jeopardize Fallon’s relationship with the Ember clan. Shea was already trying to figure out how to explain to him why Trenton had held a knife on their clan leader and why she’d kicked one of them while they were down.
“Darius’s suggestion. My vanguard and I will be accompanying you and Fallon on your trip into the Highlands. Darius thought you could set us up with a few lessons so we’ll be better prepared,” Zeph explained with a slight quirk to his lips.
Shea arched an eyebrow. “I don’t know why. Clark and Charles usually host the classes on beasts. I help out sometimes but that’s really more their thing than mine.”
“But you’re the expert on all things beast and Highlands related,” Zeph said smoothly. “My men and women deserve the best training they can get. You’re the best so you’ll train them.”
Shea gave him an incredulous look. Did he really think he could order her to train his men? Especially after the whole affair with Mist?
“Am I now?” she asked.