Leslie Moore - Griffin's Shadow

“My father is a man with exquisite taste,” she commented.

Having no time for a proper bath, they had to make do with a ewer and washbasin. Afterward, Jelena put on her new outfit, marveling at the luxurious feel of the fabric. It brought back the bittersweet memory of the gown she had worn on that fateful Sansa night at Amsara Castle, nearly a year ago.

Ashinji, as usual, donned his plain, soldier’s leathers. When he had finished dressing, he sat down at the end of the bed. Jelena braided his hair in a single queue, a task she had taken to doing for him each morning, just as he had made it his job to comb the snarls from her mane each evening. These small, loving gestures served to strengthen the bond between them.

When she had secured the braid with a leather tie, she stepped back and he stood and turned to face her. He raised his hands as if to touch her, then lowered them to his sides. “You…you look beautiful,” he whispered. “Your Highness.”

“No, Ashi, never ‘Highness’ to you,” she insisted, shaking her head. “Only ‘Jelena’ or ‘my love’.”

He nodded and offered her his arm. “Allow a simple soldier to escort his lady, then,” he replied.

She smiled and slipped her arm through his.

From atop its lofty perch on the blue tiled roof of the keep’s north tower, the raven watched and waited. Or rather, the intelligence that had enslaved the bird and now used its eyes waited, knowing that soon, the woman would come to walk in the garden below.

The bird held a shiny black stone within its beak. It knew nothing of the purpose of the stone; in fact, it knew nothing at all. The mind that now controlled the bird’s body had obliterated the tiny part of its brain that had contained its rudimentary self awareness. It served as a tool, nothing more.

The sun passed zenith, and still, the raven waited.

At last, the woman came, as she always did, alone except for a small, silky-haired dog capering by her side.

The raven spread its wings and sprang from the roof. It glided unsteadily downward and came to a rough landing on the gravel path at the woman’s feet. The stone tumbled from its beak.

The woman let out a startled cry and the little dog jumped back in a frenzy of barking. The raven stretched out its neck and squawked.

The woman swiftly recovered her composure. She turned and scooped the dog into her arms. “Hush, Jewel!” she scolded, and clutching the struggling animal to her breast, she approached the bird where it crouched upon the path, unmoving. She stopped a few paces away and stood regarding the raven with cool sea-green eyes, her sensuous mouth twisted a little in puzzlement.

The aura of her Talent outlined her body in a fiery halo.

He knew she was the right choice.

From across the vast distance that separated them, through sheer force of will, the Nameless One summoned a wave of energy and sent it spinning through the aether. It tore through the frail body of the raven and blasted the woman between her eyes. She fell backward onto the ground, her brilliant red hair fanning out on the gravel beneath her head. The dog tumbled out of her arms and fled, yapping in terror.

He spoke to the woman, mind to mind.

When he finished, he withdrew, leaving behind a link with which he could join with her when needed.

The ultimate tool was prepared and ready to use. It would bring the Key to him so he could complete the Working.

Deep within the icy darkness of his prison, the Nameless One writhed in pleasured anticipation of his freedom.

Back in the garden, the woman awoke from her swoon. She moaned softly and massaged the back of her head, but despite the pain, her eyes sparkled with understanding. She rose to her knees and searched the path until she found the black stone. Clutching it tightly in her hand, she climbed to her feet.

As she turned to run back toward the keep, the hem of her gown scattered a pile of scorched, black feathers.

“Jelena, these two of my colleagues, plus myself, are the only fully active members of the Kirian Society,” Amara stated. She inclined her head toward the two women who sat, side by side, on a silk-upholstered couch. “Princess Taya Onjara, wife of the king’s Heir and Mistress of the Society,” she indicated the older of the two with a nod, then acknowledged the younger, “…and Lady Sonoe Kazama, official Companion of the king.”

Jelena bowed low, in the elven style.

“Her manners are good, at least,” Princess Taya commented. “Come here, child, and sit. We have much to discuss.” Jelena quickly obeyed, settling cross-legged on a floor cushion at the feet of the two women. Amara pulled up a chair and sat to the right of the couch.

No one spoke for a long while, or at least, not out loud. Jelena kept her eyes on her folded hands, but she did not need to see the faces of the three women to know that they conversed in mindspeech. A surge of irritation threatened her composure, but she quickly suppressed it. The Kirians would address her when they had need to.

At last, Princess Taya spoke. “Jelena, I can only imagine the immense emotional strain you’ve had to endure in so short a time. How do you feel about all of this?” Jelena looked up sharply, surprised by the question.

“How do I feel?” She studied each of their faces, worried that this was some sort of test, and if she gave the wrong answer, they would deem her unworthy. She ran her tongue over lips gone dry and cleared her throat before answering. “I feel…uncertain. I mean, I am overjoyed to have finally found my father, and relieved that he accepts me, but…but my presence may cause him a lot of trouble, and I don’t want that. As for the other, I have to admit that I am still struggling to understand just what part I am to play in this upcoming battle with…with…”

“The Nameless One,” Lady Sonoe said, finishing Jelena’s sentence. Her green eyes shimmered hypnotically. Jelena bit her lip.

There’s something about her…

Jelena felt as if she had met her father’s Companion before, though she knew she had never laid eyes upon the striking red-haired sorceress until now.

Suddenly, she remembered.

My dream!

“Do you know why we do not speak the true name of our adversary?” Lady Sonoe asked.

Jelena nodded. “A thousand years ago, when the Kirians defeated the sorcerer king Onjara, they stripped him of his power and erased all references to his true name from the records,” she answered.

Lady Sonoe could be the woman I saw in the dream, but…but then that must mean the vision showed me an ally…not an enemy. Why, then, did I feel so afraid?

Aloud, she continued, “The Kirians did this to prevent the power of his name from falling into the wrong hands…of those who might use it to awaken him and usurp his magic for their own purposes.”

“Very good.” Princess Taya inclined her head in approval. “Amara says you are clever and a quick study. There is much to do to prepare you, but I have no doubt that you’ll be ready. Now, there is just one final ordeal you’ll undergo today. Sonoe and I must scan you. We both need to see for ourselves just what it is that you harbor.”

Jelena took a deep breath; she had been expecting this. “May I lie down?”

“Of course,” Princess Taya replied. Jelena made herself comfortable, closed her eyes, and waited.

This scan didn’t hurt nearly as much as the first one Amara had performed on her back at Kerala. Jelena found the discomfort far more bearable because of the special breathing technique her mother-in-law had taught her. Even so, she felt wrung out and a little sick afterward. She remained prone until Amara lifted her into a sitting position and pressed a cup to her lips.