* * *
Camden
* * *
I lay Katherine into the crib, tuck in the blankets around her, and then smooth over her hair just a little bit. I feel very clumsy. Elric always was the one who was good with the children.
"She's so... tiny." Jenny's voice is barely a whisper. She leans in, looking over the tiny figure of her mother. I wrap an arm over her shoulders. She's been more perplexed about all of this than very emotional. It's got to be hard to deal with.
It's certainly hard on me.
"She'll be bigger tomorrow, and the next day. In a few weeks she'll be older than you again - and then what will we do?"
Jenny's jaw clenches, revealing more of her Father in her face than her Mother. "I have no idea what the world will have done by then. I can't say." She looks over to me, eyes pleading. I nod. We can step out of the Nursery for a moment - Jhe Katherine certainly isn't going anywhere. As I recall, she's a heavy napper in this stage.
We lean up against the wall outside the doorway. Jenny is silent as she stares ahead. She at least looks more comfortable out here. She takes in one deep breath and lets it out, her chest rising and falling with the motion, stretching her bodice.
I take her hand and just hold it in the silence.
"Camden?" Her voice cracks as she speaks.
"Aye?"
"Did you ever do..." - she tilts her head back toward the Nursery - "that?"
"Ach. No." I chuckle, the sound almost one of remorse. "I've dodged that fair bullet for a number of days now."
She frowns. "Isn't that abnormal for a senior Armed? Gerald's died, what... nine times now?" At that, she sounds oddly more cheerful. But then, her older brother does have a charming way of bowing out of life with a certain regularity by which you could set calendars.
"Ha! That he might've, though you could be exaggerating." Though perhaps she isn't. "I do have a bit more skill in keeping my own skin than he does. You could say our talents are in different areas." I sigh, leaning more heavily against the wall. "But it is true that someone who's served as long as I will have, by now, died and come back round again at least once. Most aren't trying as hard as I to avoid such a measure, though." My face becomes grim. "Especially now, with Elricht held captive, and subjected to menaces we can't imagine. If I die, and the Seal falls to him to guard, who knows what horrors might emerge?"
She swallows. "A war is coming, and you tell me that?"
I have the presence of mind to look contrite. "I..."
"Just hold still, you old chickenhawk." Then she presses against me, lips and bosom and belly, and I wonder just what sort of assaults man is made to hold up against.
* * *
'Sy
* * *
Jhe Harpseal welcomes me into his humble abode. "Jhe h'Akribastes! A pleasure to see you, sir! This is Djardrik. Drajdrik, this is the Judge."
I set into Kevrin's dorm room, closing the door behind me. 'Djardrik' is an Avian with the usual black feathers and yellow eyes of that particular type of Breed. He also looks nervous. In the back of my head, Diyn lets slip a merry giggle.
Look at him! He's so scared! 'Sy, I think the Avians are my favorite creature we've ever battled.
You are strange.
What can I say? They're cute when they're mortally terrified.
I let out a heavy sigh and extend my hand in greeting. We are not meeting on a battlefield, and Kevrin has decided to set the protocol as such. "Good morning, Jhe Djardrik." Drardrik gives me a ginger feathery shake in greeting, then jerks his hand back as soon as it's over. I think he's about to lose his wits. "Jhe Harpseal, to what do I owe this unique pleasure?"
Kevrin grins in that singular, somehow infectious way of his, and offers me a seat. There's really only the bed and the chair in here. I politely decline. "Djardrik's the friend I was telling you about when I called you to help out over on the outskirts of town. He's been very helpful. Pulled me out of some rubble in the Aurocan Palace - nobody else was around to do it, I think the others ended up dead. Then he showed me around and helped me get some food in me, and I met the others in his gang. But it looked like they were all going to high-tail it to Lyiannethe, where Djardrik didn't really prefer to go. He was startin' to get pretty scared, so I told him we could hide out here, and he'd be safe." He says that all with a straight, genuine face, not betraying any guile.
"Ah," I say. "His 'gang'?"
"Yeah, they work for Nul." He might as well have said that they worked at the fruit strand down the street. "I thought he might be helpful. He's been kinda gun-shy about staying here, but so far he's handled it all pretty well. He held Buidhe and she didn't have a problem with it."
I raise an eyebrow. Buidhe has Geillg'a-like aspirations when it comes to temper, cleverness, and damage levels. That is quite a serious indicator of how trustworthy Djardrik might be. I smile, and for some reason, that seems to scare Djardrik even more.
"Jhe Djardrik, it is a pleasure to make your accquaintance. Please, let's all go to my office and have a nice chat. I can't imagine having a civilized discussion without any tea to accompany it."
Kevrin conducts us through the halls with the friendly chatter and casual nonchalance that always leaves me guessing as to whether he's doing it all on purpose. Of course, as his superior I could always take him aside and ask - but that would ruin the mystery. Some dogs you simply let free to track what game might be out there, regardless of how it is that they manage to find it.
And this is, indeed, very exciting game.
Jhe Briarseal? There's something in my office that you'll like to see. The moment of silence instead of reply catches me off guard - my Peacekeeper is prompt about his business. Is there something wrong? I sent Jhe Averseen to care for her and relieve you of your duties. Has she arrived?
...Ah, it seems she has. My apologies, Jhe h'Akribastes. I did not see her enter the Nursery.
I'm about to ask a question in regards to just how that could be when we arrive at my office. I take my usual seat behind my desk, Kevrin conducts Djardrik to sit in one of the chairs in front, and then goes to see to the tea. "Four cups, please," I say, and then he's gone.
Djardrik's yellow eyes take a good measure of just who he's facing, and he makes a little grunting noise. Kevrin will be a moment with the tea, so this makes for a wonderful opportunity for me to have a word with his 'friend'. I splay my fingers together, resting my hands on the desk in front of me.
"I do hope you realize just how much trouble you could be in."
There's a little squeak from his beak, which might be from him tensing up his jaw. Also, I think he's beginning to molt on the chair.
"Do keep in mind, then, just how much value there will be in lending your aid today."
A terse little nod. "Yes, sir." Then Jhe Briarseal enters the office, followed immediately by Jhe Harpseal bearing a tea service.
Jhe Briarseal raises an eyebrow at the sight of our guest, but his eyes shoot up at the sight of Jhe Harpseal. He looks to me for direction. I nod a little to my right, and he steps forward to stand beside my desk there. Jhe Harpseal dispenses the tea, serving me first, then our guest, then Jhe Briarseal, and then myself. We all take a moment to savor the blend. Then, all eyes are on Jhe Djardrik.
"I should conduct a bit of an introduction myself. Jhe Djardrik, this is Jhe Camden Briarseal, the Peacekeeper. Jhe Briarseal, this is Jhe Djardrik, a good friend of Jhe Harpseal's." Camden nods. Djardrik nods back awkwardly, trying not to dip his beak into his cup. I daresay he recognizes the Peacekeeper, who has had to conduct quite a few sweeps to quell the occasional Avian skirmishes. "According to Jhe Harpseal, his friend here has some very important information to share with us."
Camden nods, still looking at Kevrin. "Jhe Harpseal... before this starts. Report?"
Kevrin stands to attention. "Widespread chaos and fatalities amongst all forces, sir, though our brigade took the most hits. The Palace is in rubble in many areas. I've seen some dead with my own eyes, all of which already had pieces claimed by our side. I expect we'll be seeing them all again quite soon, once those are delivered. All in all, sir... better than expected."
"Thank you, Jhe Harpseal. You may sit at ease." Jhe Briarseal looks relieved - I certainly am. Jhe Djardrik looks as if he is assembling a puzzle with his mind.
"You took the hands off the soldiers? We'd been wondering! That's--" He catches the look on Camden's face, then shuts his beak with a sharp clack.
"Never mind all that," I say, "it's being taken care of by someone else. What's of interest is your knowledge, Jhe Djardrik. According to Jhe Harpseal, you work for Nul's forces. We'd like information on that. How many of you work for the Jherent Nul, how the troops disperse, who you take orders from... anything pertinent, really." My tone is light, as if we're discussing what plays we've seen lately. Djardrik looks as if he's facing down his doom.
"Oh yes, I was wondering about it but thought it imprudent to ask! Jhe Djardrik said that he took orders from Cade Fayegeaux most often, but that in Audiva Rocale the Kommissar was in command of them." He looks at Djardrik. "Is that common? It sounded as if it wasn't."
Something about Kevrin's tone must be very engaging, because it makes Djardrik stop seizing up and start speaking. "No, it's not common at all. Those elites from Lyiannethe rarely fraternize with Avian or Canie kind, though the Arachne-kin are welcomed there. Can't say as I know too much about those types, though. Try to stay away from them. The Kommissar asked for our efforts today in support of his own troops," Jhe Djardrik's face grows stormy, the tiny feathers prickling around his cheeks and beak, "but we were really more meat shields than anything. I was happy to pull Kevreck--Kevrin out of the rubble because there were plenty who didn't have life enough in them to warrant excavating. It was a useless mission. We may not get the best treatment or pay under Cade, but he at least sent us to do something besides die in spades."
I nod. "And what were those things, then?"
"Ah. Well, kidnappings, for one. They fancied Radians, especially from the capital city. Can't say as I ever did any of the snatches myself, didn't want to get near Radia. Not even sure if any of us did those kidnappings directly. We trafficked a lot of people, though. Some important people, royals I guess. Sent em all on to Lyiannethe, which is where most things go. We also sacked a lot of caravans to and from the east coast. Anything that looked like it had an official seal from it."
I school my expression. I don't want to scowl at him. "Any communications from overseas?"
"Ah, yeah. I think. Don't really keep up much with it but we did grab a few ponces who probably weren't from here. I don't know too much about the lands over the sea, try to keep my beak pointed at home, so to speak. Cade handled the communications himself. Mostly we grabbed anyone trying to go thataway, and they mostly came from here, I s'pose. I think there was a Cruxradian man, barely saw him."
I nod. "Describe him."
"Dark hair? Short. Blue eyes, blue as anything. Seemed to be a bit of a writer, definitely royal family. 'Bout ten years ago, I'd say, so the memory's a bit cloudy. We took a few others going to and from countries, though. Especially Rhivend. Not sure why, but there was a fascination about it. A lot of troops concentrated around there... just in case." His face is honest confusion. "Don't understand in case o' what, though. Not as if there's anything over there..."
"Tell us about Nul," says Camden, cutting off that avenue of conversation.
Djardrik shivers. "Been there once or twice. Not a nice place. You've got to go up north along the east coast. Mostly... drab lands, dead trees, very dark. Don't even understand much of how you get there. We did deliveries and such into and out of the place."
"How?" I must compliment Kevrin. I'm the one asking questions, but he's managing, by his very presence, to make Djardrik much more talkative than expected.
"Ah... kind of an arch... sort of portal thing that Cade would make for us to get there. Someone said that the lands we were crossing into were actually in a different place altogether, but we were taking the east route to throw anyone off from followin' us." Djardrik sighs. "Can't say much regardin' that. Nul's not a place anyone likes to remember well."
I nod. Interesting - a diversion to hide Nul's actual location. It's still more than we've heard before, other than that Lyiannethe is also a likely candidate. "What did you take in, besides people? And what did you take out?"
Djardrik pales a little at the skin around his eyes and beak that isn't covered by feathers. "Bodies. Well, we took bodies in. But some go to Lyiannethe, too. As for what we take out... some.. prisoners, I suppose? I saw some chains, heard movement. They were in covered wagons. We took em down to the desert south of here, the one what is man-made. There's a settlement down there - Robinstead. Never got as far in as the settlement, though. But there's lots of caves about." He shudders. "Can't say as to what it was for, because it seems the things would... die real fast." He grows silent.
"Things?" Camden raises an eyebrow.
"Ah... they... looked like people. Human people... sometimes. Sometimes they didn't look like anything I knew. They looked kind of... dead." He shudders again. "I'd have sworn they were dead, but they'd move. Glad to drop em off and be rid of em. Didn't like the smell at all."
I nod. Hm. What to do with all of this. "Why do you do the work you do?"
Djardrik just looks sad. "I ain't rightly got no other place to go, same as the rest of us. Can't live off the land, we ain't got no land. So we all have to get by somehow! Cade would hire us, nobody else would. Same as always. We didn't ask to be here, but there's nowhere else for us to go now that we are here."
"Well, you can stay here. The Armed Hall is welcome to you. You should make yourself at home. We have some business to attend to." I rise. Djardrik looks surprised.
No Trial? The Peacekeeper's voice contains no surprise in it, just idle curiosity.
I can't try him for existing. Besides, he belongs here.
Camden raises his eyebrows, then looks Djardrik over. So... so he might. Should I start trying to make something out of him?
I gesture for Kevrin and Djardrik to rise. Not quite yet. I want to see what he makes of himself, and what other surprises Kevrin might create for me in that. "Kevrin, get yourself moved to a double-room. I hope this isn't too inconvenient, but Jhe Djardrik is not quite settled in enough to have his own. Jhe Djardrik, this is my official welcome to you into the Armed Hall. Don't make yourself regret that." Something about my grin at the end of that statement makes the boy scamper to leave. Good. That signifies potential.
"Thank you for your time, Jhe h'Akribastes." Jhe Harpseal executes a smart bow, which Jhe Djardrik then fumbles to echo himself. Then, they leave.
Camden looks particularly mirthful. "When did you realize it?"
I shrug. "When do I realize it with any of you? You present yourselves, more than anything." I pause. "You haven't brought trainees from Sul in quite some time, even though you had a recent sweep in searching for them."
"Aye. I thought the well might have run dry for awhile, as it does from time to time. Does this have anything to do with what Jhe Djardrik just told us?"
"Perhaps. It worries me, with so many Armed going missing - what if they're finding the potential trainees before we do?" That possibility hurts more than anything, the ache of lost potential that was never allowed to blossom. "The concentration of forces around Rhivend doesn't surprise me - they've always contested for that land, to bring down the Seal there. It makes even more sense in light of Patrick himself being attached to a Seal there as well. But... Robinstead?" I'm almost taken aback by how perplexed my own voice sounds. "Why Robinstead? We've noticed activity down there, but even having that confirmed by Jhe Djardrik, there's no explanation for it."
"Aye. But again, we have Patrick who may answer." A cloud crosses Camden's face. "But how much time do we have to ask him in before we need to move ahead?"
Before I can answer, there's a pulse we both feel in the air. Energy coalescing, converging, finally becoming something we recognize. It's in the arm of the Hall that the Shadows tend to occupy.
I've returned from Sul with the survivors. Jhe Julia Wysthaven's voice is smug and crisp.
