Joel Shepherd - Sasha

He shook his head, gazing into the dark. "And now my father is dying. He sent me to the Falcon Guards when he found out. He said I might learn something. I have the Great Lordship of Tyree waiting for me and… and I can't find it within myself to care."

Sasha stared at him in astonishment. She hadn't suspected that at all. "You and your father aren't on good terms?" she guessed.

"Never," Jaryd said darkly. "I try to feel sad for him, truly I do. But it's difficult." From somewhere distant, there came the mournful howl of a wolf. Another answered. Some people disliked the sound. Sasha had always loved it. Such a cold and desolate beauty.

"I know the feeling," Sasha said quietly.

Jaryd glanced at her. "The king seems… distant. Though it is said he became far more so, after Prince Krystoff died. He loved Prince Krystoff dearly, as did you."

"He loved his heir," Sasha muttered. "All kings must love their heir, the same way a priest must love his robe, or a princess must love her father. It's an obligation, nothing more."

"He retreated into temple after Prince Krystoff's funeral and rarely comes out to this day," Jaryd objected. "The first place my father would visit if I died would be the stable, to reclaim my horse."

"My father desires the faith of the gods above all else," said Sasha. "It is said he loved my mother, but I don't know how anyone could prove it. He's a humourless, uncaring statue of a man, and for the life of me I couldn't describe to you his smile, for I've never seen it, before Krystoff died or after. He prays for Krystoff because he thought the gods had slapped him in the face by taking Krystoff from him. That upset him; Krystoff himself he barely knew."

"Do you see him often?" Jaryd asked. He sounded a little surprised

… but only that she was telling him this at all, she reckoned.

"A perfunctory meeting when I travel to Baen-Tar. Nothing more."

"Fathers," Jaryd said distastefully.

"Fathers," Sasha agreed.

They sat together in the cold for a while and listened to the vast silence. The wolves were quiet once more. Jaryd then seemed to smile in the dark. Then repressed a laugh. Sasha stared at him, wondering what could possibly be so funny.

"It's just… you mentioned the serrin," Jaryd said eventually, with restrained mirth, "and I always think of this when anyone mentions…"

"What?" Sasha said impatiently.

"My little brother Tarryn," said Jaryd. "Such a cheerful little fellow. He liked to stride about everywhere with this big, wooden sword that tripped him when he marched or turned. One time when he was around four my sisters thought it would be grand for him to lead a ceremonial presentation for a visiting serrin scholar. So we're all sitting down in the grand hall, with banners on the wall and tables loaded with food… and in comes little Tarryn, all dressed in these

… this little tailored collar and vest and golden buttons… all bold and beaming at everyone, just a wonderful, cheerful little boy

… and he comes down these grand steps before the crowd, with everyone admiring, and he's loving the attention so much that he catches the heel of his shiny new boots on the last step and falls smack right on his face on the floor."

Jaryd nearly doubled over with laughter, trying desperately to keep from waking anyone. Sasha's first thought was that it was a very mean thing to find so amusing. Then she remembered a time when her favourite dog had gotten loose, jumped on Alythia and knocked her face first into a waiting row of pastries. And suddenly, she was doubled over in near hysterics.

After a while of laughing through his nose, Jaryd straightened and tried again. "And… Tarryn started to cry, while me and my other brother Wyndal are falling out of our chairs laughing, and our… our sisters are glaring at us. And Father just… just sighs and puts his head in his hand." He took a deep breath and tried to recover himself. "But the serrin scholar was nice, he got up and went to Tarryn, picked him up, sat him on the edge of the table and suddenly it didn't matter any more. Serrin don't get ruffled very often, do they? I still remember that man, he was… he was nice."

Sasha rearranged her blanket and cloak, and wiped tears from her eyes. It was like this, sometimes, after a fight. The smallest thing set off the wildest emotional responses. But she greatly preferred this train of thought to those previous.

"Where is Tarryn now?" she asked.

"He's at Baen-Tar," said Jaryd. "He's eleven now, Father sent him for a bit of sophisticated education. He has some cousins there… it's been nice, the past few months, being posted to Baen-Tar with the Falcon Guard. I could see him nearly every day."

"I put a lizard in Alythia's bed, once," said Sasha, aware as she said it that it might not be proper to share such things with Jaryd

… but her mouth was away now, and when that happened, her mind had a struggle to catch up.

Jaryd blinked at her, his disbelief clear despite the blackness. "You… in Princess Alythia's bed?" Sasha nodded, biting her lip. "Why?"

"She's my sister, I don't need a reason why," Sasha retorted. "She was being a pain. Besides, it was Krystoff's idea."

"What happened?"

"We hid around a corner near her chambers… we had to shoo a guard away, he just shook his head and smiled, we were always pulling pranks. Then we heard a loud scream and Alythia came running out in her night gown. She knew who did it, she's a pain but she's not stupid.

"But she killed the lizard. She threw it at us, all dead and limp. I was upset, I yelled at Krystoff and went off to cry in my room. Krystoff came up and made silly jokes until I forgave him."

"Over a lizard?" asked Jaryd.

"I've always loved animals. Horses, dogs, lizards, birds, bats. Some of my best friends have been animals. They're always honest and they never betray you."

"True," Jaryd agreed. "The first thing my horse master told me-it's never the horse's fault. If he makes a mistake, it's the rider's fault for not communicating properly."

"I agree. I've often thought that if more rulers went about their rule as they're taught to go about their riding, most lands would be far better places."

There was another silence, longer than the last. "Well, M'Lady," Jaryd said eventually, "I must admit, you're nothing like the person that I'd thought you were. It seems that I've been told lies about you."

Sasha gave a silent laugh. "And you're not so bad yourself, for a selfimportant, preening Verenthane noble," she replied.

"I'll admit to preening," Jaryd suggested, "if you'll admit to a sharp tongue."

"Admit? How could I deny it?"

Jaryd smiled. "It must be near time for your watch to end. Say… it's a cold night. Two bodies are warmer than one, and there's plenty of room in my bedroll…"

"Oh no," Sasha laughed, "you'll not find me quite that easy a mark, Master Jaryd. I've admitted that I no longer wish to break your skull with a blunt stick, but the distance from there to where you're suggesting is a long one indeed."

"A pity," Jaryd sighed, utterly unperturbed. "The short hair is an acquired taste, but I think I was beginning to acquire it..

"Truly." She was amused, in spite of her better judgment.

"It does rather draw attention to your lovely eyes, I feel."

"It's dark. I can barely see you, how can you possibly notice my lovely eyes?"

"How could I not? And truly, you must be built like a rock to produce the swordwork you showed in Perys with such speed and balance

…"

Ah, so that was it. "I'm sorry, Jaryd," Sasha told him, smiling, "if you wish to indulge that particular curiosity, I'm sure you could ask a visiting serrin lady very nicely and she'd be happy to indulge, as serrin often will. I'm sure she'll show you all of her muscles in all the most interesting places."