Ridahne heard Darin tell someone that she wanted to speak with the Sols, and that they’d essentially need to wait on her whims without any real sense of timing. Some part of her, culturally conditioned to respect the Sols at all costs, was a little horrified. But a larger part of her, the part that had let go of some ceremony and the rigidity of her society in some ways, chuckled into her drink. She approved of that. It was such a small thing—not a direct insult, not anything grandiose or attention-seeking. But it was a power play, and considering Ridahne’s history with feeling unable to have any power or much autonomy around the Sols in the past, she thought the whole thing delicious. She didn’t mention it, though she did sneak a sly grin at Darin from behind her cup.

Ja’heil was a reserved lad, but he liked Darin and offered a soft smile at all her questions. He was still a little in awe that he was sitting across from a person who could command the forces of Astra with a whim, and some part of him warned himself to be extra polite. Still, he felt like he had something of a friendship with her and let his guard down a little. He didn’t relax completely. Ridahne could see that much by the way he held himself and the way he kept his voice only just loud enough to be heard by his present company and not the whole table. He was technically off for the night, but apprentices were rarely ever fully free of their duties. Even if he wasn’t actively working, there were manners to be upheld, and as a Hama—an apprentice, he did not have the liberty to dispense with formalities as much as his more veteran colleagues.

“Well…” his yellowish gold eyes flicked momentarily to Salei, his master, who was seated further down the table and loosely watching her charge. They made eye contact. When she looked away, hiding a soft upward twitch of her lips, he spoke a little more freely. “It’s…a lot.” He allowed himself a little laugh. Ridahne laughed too, a little sardonically, knowingly. That was an understatement. “I spent most of my time with Elaitih-Rajenni. You know her by her first name, Salei. I learn from her. Everything. How to speak with people from other classes, or areas, or lands, how to speak with Sols or behave around them, how to deal with the regular people that come in here for their business, and of course, how to fight.”
“Have you chosen a specialty yet?” Ridahne asked.
“I think so. I really like the spear, and how it can be used as a tool as well as a weapon. But I’m also training with a smaller knife, too, as a a backup because spears aren’t good in close quarters. I’m…” he smirked, looking over at his master again. “I’m sort of owned by her. When an eija decides to become an elaitih and they pick their hama, once you accept you kind of resign yourself to belong to them until your training is done, or until they decide you are best off with someone else. But the word…’belong’….in your culture it is mostly used to speak of items, of ownership. This is not that sort. A hama has a responsibility to learn and obey anything their elaitih says, but the elaitih has a responsibility to keep their charge well, and train them properly. I don’t have much freedom right now, but I am well cared for, and learn constantly.”
“It’s part of what makes eija so highly trained and sought after by other peoples. The training process is long, strict, and consumes your life for a few years,” Ridahne supplied. “As a result, we’re the best.”

Ja’heil nodded. “It’s very hard work, and I miss my family. I have not seen them in months. But I know my family is very proud of me, and I get treated very well here. An abundance of good food, nice clothes, the best gear. But I get to travel so much too! Last month I just returned from a trip to the Siren capital city. Very interesting place! I don’t travel as much as you, though.”

He thought for a moment. “Something people get wrong…? Hm. Well, I am not a slave. I do not know if such things exist since the Tree’s first blossoming, but there is often whispers from foreigners when we travel. They think I am not there willingly because I am quiet and obedient. There is a rumor that eija raid villages and find their successors that way, but that is not true. We are selected, and sometimes picked out of a crowd for some talent or trait, but we have every right to refuse. Many do, and respect is given to them for their honesty. It’s a great honor, not a thing to be forced. And,” he added, as an afterthought, “I’m not shy. People think because I am quiet, I am shy, but I am not.” He lifted his chin as if in pride. “And I’m still allowed to dance, or sing, or play games. Just not when I’m on duty, not unless Elaitih-Rajenni asks me to or permits me. I actually really like to dance. And sing. I’m not good at it, but I like to anyway. Do you dance and sing in your land?”

The Seed-Bearer listened carefully as Ja’heil spoke of his training. It honestly sounded very similar to an apprenticeship. There were similar concepts in Eluri and in Orosi. She was willing to wager that every culture had a concept of taking in a young adult that wanted to learn a trade. Yes, it was true, that the Azurei version was harsher than others, but Azurei was a harsh land and being an Eija was a difficult job. A strict training now, meant a person would be less likely to perish in the future. It did explain some of Ridahne, and for that, Darin was grateful.

Darin considered what she had been told, “I guess an Elaitih, or any master teaching a student, is a bit like a parent. Protecting and taking care of a student in exchange for their obedience and willingness to learn.” She smiled at the boy across the table, “And you do seem willing to learn.”

In a way being The Seed-Bearer was like being an apprentice Gardener, not that there was a Gardener to act as her teacher. It was more like a self-taught apprenticeship. Suddenly, Darin was struck with a realization with blinding clarity. Ravi had said that it had always been her, that The Gardener had always been searching for her to give her The Seed. She always assumed that it was because she was a farmer. But what if was because she had been a self-taught farmer? She had learned how to take care of her tiny plot by eavesdropping and watching and listening wherever and whenever she could. She was basically doing the same thing now. She was learning how to take care of a land, a people, a home, by eavesdropping and watching and listening wherever and whenever she could. Planting The Seed was just sowing on a larger scale. Everything that came after was just farming on a larger scale. Suddenly Darin was reminded of the memories of The Gardener’s life before he received his Seed. He had been a gardener. She wouldn’t be The Gardener. She would be The Farmer, and somehow that was both easier to accept and harder to comprehend.

She whispered the two words in the language of her home under her breath and just to herself, “The Farmer.” Then she gave her head a shake as she forced herself to smile up at Ja’heil, “Humans dance.” She shook her head with a laugh and a toss of her hair, “I don’t.” She nudged Ridahne with her shoulder, “Taja Ridahne can attest to that! I mainly stumble around clumsily in a poor imitation of dance.” She shrugged, “Human dancing isn’t like Azurei dancing.” She paused as her finger came to tap against her lips, “I can’t really explain the difference. Both are beautiful and I’m bad at both, but it’s hard to compare the two.”

This was not the time to be worried about personal revelation. Darin hoped that no one had noticed her wide eyes and the brief moments that she spaced out from the conversation, but she didn’t have much hope. At the very least she knew that Ridahne had noticed. The two girls knew each other far too well, and the others in the room were either training to be or were Eija and Taja. Darin didn’t particularly care to answer anyone’s questions, save Ridahne’s and knew her sister would wait to ask. Maybe she could distract everyone else.

She smiled at Ja’heil, “I do like seeing Azurei dancing.” She flashed a smiled down the row towards one person in specific person, “Do you think your master would give you leave to demonstrate for me?” She playfully joked, “I can play The Seed-Bearer card if necessary.”

Ja'heil nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes, it's much like a parent, though you can get away with talking back to a parent..." he chuckled. "My Ma would never hit me, or my Da. But Elaitih-Rajenni...? I don't think she'd ever openly strike me, but I know the times I've behaved poorly, she was extra harsh in our training session the next day." He shrugged. "I deserved it anyway."
"Lucky you," Ridahne said. "My Elaitih was harsh. She was relentless in training, and if I ever embarrassed her, she always found a way to return the favor." Ridahne cringed, but then mused, "I wonder how she's doing...she retired many years ago. Maybe we'll run into her in our travels, eh Darin?" For all that her former mentor was hard on her, the two of them, like most eija and their apprentices, shared a bond. It was an odd relationship, not quite the same as family, but Ridahne still cared about her deeply.

Of course, Ridahne did not miss Darin's expression. Evidently, some thought came across her mind, though she wasn't yet ready to talk about it. She knew Darin would tell her later, though she distantly wondered what she was thinking about. She'd whispered something, but over the general din of the dining hall, Ridahne missed it.

"Oh, it's pitiful," Ridahne supplied. "I tried teaching her what I know of basics--you know, balance and such--and she did learn some, but not enough to make her much of a dancer." Ridahne laughed. "Human dancing is..." she paused for a long time, trying to figure out what exactly to call the difference between her native dance and the human style. Finally, she decided on, "Spinny." She twirled one finger around in the air. "They do a lot of circles. Very intimate partner dances are slow and they kind of...just sort of spin around but slowly while holding each other. And more casual dances are bouncy, but also still in a lot of circles. Like imagine you link arms with someone, and skip around and around, and then detach and find another partner and skip the other direction? I don't know, I know I've seen something like that more than once."

Ja'heil clearly did not know what to make of that, and sat there puzzling out what that would look like. When Darin asked if he'd be allowed to demonstrate the Azurei style, he snapped to attention, though he looked a little uncertain. "Right now? In front of everybody? There isn't any music..."
"That could be arranged..." Ridahne said, a mock-threatening smirk on her face.
"I'd need a partner..."
"Good thing I'm an excellent dancer, then. Come, if Salei is displeased with you, you can tell her Taja-Torzinei and Astra-Sol made you."

Ridahne got up and called for music, and as players entered with their instruments (mostly drums and other percussive instruments, though there was one large but thin stringed instrument that was played with a bow), the general assembly turned to watch with passing interest. The music began, a slow but powerful rhythm, and Ridahne began to lead Ja'heil, who relaxed a little more with each passing second. The dance itself felt heavy, grounded, and the drums were accented by the rhythmic slapping of the dancers' bare feet on the cool stone. The only moments they touched each other was when they brought their arms up in front of them and crossed their wrists delicately. Otherwise, the two stayed equidistant from one another as they moved, giving a sense of choreography where there was none.

After a while, Ajoran stood and, between songs, quietly asked Ja'heil if he could cut in. The lad bowed to him and went to sit back down, offering Darin a smile. As Ajoran took his place in front of Ridahne, the air of the dance floor changed. Before, it had been easy and lighthearted, almost relaxed. But as Ajoran looked into Ridahne's eyes, and she into his, there grew an air of focus and intensity, of passion and precision. The musicians seemed to sense this mood shift and played a much faster, thunderous beat. The dancers moved equally as fast. Once again, they generally kept their same distance apart regardless of how they moved, but Ajoran had far more control than Ja'heil, and the two of them knew each other far better. Their dance was aggressive, passionate, and warlike, but it was poetic, too, like the honed edge of a blade. Beautiful to behold, but intense also. Watching this display, it wasn't difficult to understand why the Azurei terms for sparring and dance were similar, and colloquially were used interchangeably. Both were about precision and control. Both required reacting to the other's movements with equal measures of speed and accuracy. Their skill drew the attention of most of the people in the room as they looked on with a sense of admiration. With Ridahne's red clothes, and Ajoran's blue ones, they looked like spirits of fire and water battling for supremacy.

Finally, the music stopped, and the two shared a quick but passionate kiss before returning to their seats, out of breath and glistening with sweat. "I have been waiting to show him off since we got here," Ridahne said with a grin, hooking a thumb over her shoulder at Ajoran. "Next time, we'll show you actual sparring. It's just as beautiful."
Ja'heil's mouth was open. "Wow..."
"You should dance more with Salei," Ajoran suggested. "If you can dance together in harmony, you can fight together in harmony."

Darin clapped with the beat as she watched Ridahne dance with Ja'heil. It was clear that they were both passionate dancers, but Ridahne had a touch more skill. Ja'heil looked relived as he traded places with Ajoran. Darin clapped a long for a little bit at the start of the new song, but then promptly forgot to as she watched the perfectly matched dancers basically fly across from each other. They were in such perfect harmony, in such perfect synch, that if the Red Hand came in right now, Darin fully believed that the two of them would deal with the threat without even missing a beat in the dance. Darin was thrilled to watch and almost upset when the hypnotic spell was broken as they came to sit back down.

She clapped vigorously, “Bravo!” She left off clapping as she leaned over the table, “Now that was a sight to see! I both eagerly await watching the two of you spar and dread it. That dance plus the inclusion of knifes and swords. I can only assume, correctly of course, that such a dance can be deadly.” She stood and tripped over the bench as she moved away from the table, “Ah ha!” She pointed at Ja'heil, “I told you! I’m clumsy!” She turned her attention to Ridahne, “I have on more errand to run tonight and then I am off to bed. I told you where I will be tonight. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She bowed towards Ja'heil, “Thank you for your company this evening Hama Ja'heil. It has been an honor to get to know you.” She then pivoted about to head out of the dining hall, “Good night to all!”

Then she was into the hallways of the building just as fast as she could go. Darin had to ask for directions a few times, but soon she was heading in the right direction. She heard Taja screech and held out a arm to catch him as he dove from his flight. Darin had a suspicion that Taja had been given leave to fly wherever he wanted in Tasen. She had yet to see another bird inside the building, but it was possible that she just hadn’t noticed them. She paused for a moment as Taja walked up to her shoulder and pressed himself against her cheek. It took a moment, but soon the bird was comfortably dozing, and Darin felt safe to begin her trek to the Sols’ audience chamber.

Determined to be polite Darin stop at a respectful distance and bow slightly, “Good evening Sols.” She rose from the bow to look the Sota-Sol dead in the eyes, “I bring news from Astra regrading a peculiar weather pattern that will come to Tasen not tomorrow, but the next day. On that day it will rain steadily, but not enough to flood. The ground will be covered in water but will do no irreparable damage. The sky will remain grey.” She spread her arms out as Taja let out a mild sound of protest before settling down again, “Do you have any questions about this that I can answer for you and the people of Tasen?”

Ridahne almost blushed, but she hid it well. At least, well enough for the general public; she would not fool Darin, or Ajoran. "You flatter us," she said. "It certainly is deadly...Ja'heil, when you complete your apprenticeship, and the time comes for you to select a partner to work by your side, you ought to dance with them, first..."
Ja'heil blushed even harder, looking a bit embarrassed. "You don't mean...that I have to like...be in love with them, do you?"
Ridahne and Ajoran both laughed and shook their heads. "No lad!" he said. "Though I've got to say, it does help...though truthfully we were never partners. Trained together a lot, sure, but not in an official capacity."
"Really?" Somehow Ja'eheil had thought they were. How else could they be so attuned to one another? "Who was your partner then, Ridahne? If you don't mind me asking?"

Ridahne went quiet, and debated answering at all. Ajoran took her hand underneath the table and gave it a squeeze. "Do you...do you not know?"
Ja'heil immediately sensed his question had not landed the way he'd hoped and picked up on some kind of tension. He wished he'd never asked. "No...I'm...sorry if--"
"No, it's alright. It's no secret. I assumed you already knew...but perhaps you came here after, and Salei shielded you from much of the drama...probably for the best." Ridahne sighed, her expression turning sad. "Takhun Haralti was his hame. We were partnered for several years. He was not my first--she was much older than I and retired--but he was my last." She took a deep breath, steeled herself, and looking straight into Ja'eheil's eyes she said, "I killed him, Ja'heil. It was part of my betrayal, and was perhaps the greatest sin I have yet committed. Your Elaitih knows the full story. Ask her sometime." And with that, she signaled she was done with this conversation. She had decided that she would not shy away from it and would face it boldly when it came up, but she did not want to dwell on it, either.

Ridahne nodded and smiled softly to Darin, and though she tried hard, that dark subject left a cloud over her still. "Good night, and good luck. Go easy on them, we can't afford to have all new government overnight!" she teased. Ridahne did not worry about Darin--she'd be surrounded by Taja, visible and hidden, who would protect their Sols and her if the need arose.

----

The Sols sat in waiting, stately as statues, for Darin to arrive. Hanasa-Sol, Khaltira's replacement, tapped her finger impatiently against the arm of her chair. How long had they been waiting? She was not accustomed to waiting for anything, here. Nor should she. "This is ridiculous...are we to wait upon the whims of others? Of foreigners?"
Amaiera-Sol's head swiveled smoothly and slowly, and yet with an edge that made her appear stern. She glowered at Hanasa-Sol. "Silence, Hanasa. You do not know of what you speak."
Hanasa-Sol frowned, considering. "Hm. Enlighten me, Sota-Sol."
"We do not wait upon the whims of just any foreigner, nor common person. She is a Sol, as we are. But she is Astra's Sol, not just Azurei's. You will show her the respect that title deserves."
Realizing her mistake, Hanasa-Sol nodded solemntly and was quiet after that. She had much to learn about her new station, and was grateful that the Sols collectively sought to teach her. Most Sols generally just had their one predecessor, but she had four mentors.

At last Darin arrived, wearing a stately bird on her shoulder. Yes, that seemed to be her way. It was a bit uncouth to bring animals before the Sols in an official meeting like this, but...she was Astra-Sol. It was only to be expected that the creatures of Astra, large and small, would find kinship with this human. And if she deemed to bring them into an audience chamber, then so be it. Amaiera-Sol welcomed her with a polite dip of her head, and listened to the human's announcement. "We are strangers to rain in this land," she said, her voice even and cool. "But we welcome it when it does arrive. I will have word spread so that my people are not caught unawares. But I must ask...is there a reason you perform such an act, Seed-Bearer? Is there some purpose you hope to achieve? If I may be of assistance to you, please do not hesitate to ask."

The Sota-Sol was certainly a force, and she was intimidating and not one to be taken lightly, but despite the checkered history she had with Ridahne, the leader seemed to have a reasonable head on her shoulders and was not unkind. Evidently, she had great respect for Darin and her title, or she would not have offered her services to her.

Darin gave her head a shake, “You misunderstand I have not decided to bring the rain to Tasen. Astra, The Sky, The Sea, The Stone, specifically of Tasen and the near by areas, have decided to bring this rain here.” There was a slight spiral of wind that lifted Darin a few inches into the air, but did nothing else as Darin laughed lightly in response, “ This is the first time in all my travels that I’ve introduced myself properly. I believe that Astra is celebrating.” The wind died and she dropped back to the ground, “I’m disinclined to disagree.” She turned her gaze back to the Sota-Sol, “I can’t go home. So, Astra is bringing home to me for just a little bit. The rain will only help Tasen. So, I cannot find fault with this plan, even if only for selfish reasons.” She sighed, the look in her eye forlorn, “Speaking of home, I plan on writing messages to send home via The Farm as I have messages for them as well. When they are written I would appreciate your help in making sure they are delivered.” She shrugged, “For now that is all I can think of.” She nodded again, “Thank you for your patience. I’ll take my leave now.”

She didn’t wait for a dismissal as she exited the room. Darin didn’t think that Ridahne would be able to find fault with how she handled the interaction, but for some reason she couldn’t help but wonder what Ravi would think. What would her mother think? She paused in a hallway with her fingertips lightly brushing the wall. Sometimes she didn’t think she acted like a daughter Talia would be proud to call her daughter. Darin wasn’t even sure that mattered. Talia basically took a year off from being her family, much less her mother. Then Darin never cared what Talia had to say about anything, running the farm herself, her short hair, wearing pants, not getting married. So, why did she care about the fact that Talia would call her rude for making the Sols wait and then just leaving when she was done? What type of woman was Darin turning into? Petty and mean? That was the last thing she wanted.

Darin clenched her fists tightly and she began striding back down the hall to the room she had been provided. This was not the time for attacks of self-doubt. This was not the time for crises of faith. This was not the time to slip into depression or whatever. The only person she had to help her with things like this was Ridahne, and this was her home. The warrior was having a mostly okay time. Darin didn’t want to get in the way of that. She knew she was supposed to talk to Ridahne about stuff like this. She had promised. Darin told herself that she would talk to Ridahne … later, much later. When she could get Ridahne away for Ajoran, which might not be for a long while.

Darin suddenly turned to punch the wall, “Stupid.” She quietly cursed in common as she continued to punch the wall, “Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.”

She was just tired, and she knew this. That’s why all these self-doubts were plaguing her. That’s why she currently hated herself. That’s why petty thoughts about Talia and the Sols and Ajoran were sneaking into her brain. Darin didn’t really mean it; she didn’t think. She really needed to just go to bed. She knew that. Yet she couldn’t bring herself to stop punching the wall. She could only use one of her hands since Taja was on the other shoulder. Her knuckles were swiftly becoming bloody and if she didn’t stop, she might break something. Why couldn’t she stop? She wanted to stop. Didn’t she?

A clatter and a voice filled the air, “Astra-Sol!” Darin looked up to see a servant of some sort with their hands other their mouth and a dropped tray by their feet, “Is everything alright?”

The sudden noise shocked Darin out of her actions and she quickly took a step away from the wall. “I’m fine.” She inclined her head on the wall, “I apologize for the mess.”

The servant shook their head quickly, “That doesn’t matter.” They took a few hurried steps forward, “We need to get you to a healer right away.”

Darin quickly darted away form them, “I’m fine.” She forced out a hollow sounding laugh, “I just need rest.”

She ignored the cries of the servant as she quickly hurried on her wall. With her luck news of her little fit would be all over Tasen in no time at all. That was exactly what she didn’t need, but Darin at least understood living with the consequences of her choices. Right now, what she needed to do was get her knuckles washed and bandaged. She thought she might have some bandaging in her pack in her room. She would take care of that and head towards the stables. She couldn’t be alone right now but didn’t want to deal with people. Talbot could probably keep her from doing something completely stupid. Hopefully.

Somehow Darin managed to keep to the plan. She carefully washed her knuckles in the water basin filled with clean water and wrapped the clean cotton tight around her hand. Ridahne probably would have done a better job, but Darin didn’t want to see her. Well, she did want to see her sister, but just her sister, and she would feel guilty of she dragged Ridahne from Ajoran after so long apart. Soon, it would just be the too of them again, so Darin decided to try and be patient. She made it to the stables with out anyone seeing her and finally tossed Taja off her shoulder. The bird didn’t protest as he flew to the rafters to go back to bed. Talbot whinnied sleepily as his human pulled of her boots and sank into the hay near him. Now, Darin just needed turn her brain off and sleep. That might be more difficult that she wanted to admit. Her fingers hurt, reminding her of her many, many flaws.

The Sols murmured softly amongst themselves when Darin lifted herself from the floor with a twist of wind. She had shown them how she could call water to her will when they'd first met, but this was still largely new to them. Their taja tightened grips on spears, staves, or swords, and a few moved just a few inches closer to their respective Sol, but the matriarchs waved them away with small movements of their hands. Nobody specifically mistrusted Darin, but the taja were simply trained to react to anything unusual.

Hanasa-Sol smiled. She, being new to the position, had less of an affectation or aloof bearing and still showed some of her lack of matriarchal training in her free expression of moods and thoughts. "We will not complain about rain here. Our soil thirsts for it, and if it is caught in rain barrels, it will save many a goat herder a long, arduous trek across hot sands."
"We thank you," Another Sol with short black hair and light brown eyes added. "For water is precious to us here. And we welcome you as openly as you come, Astra-Sol. We are glad to have you among us."
The Sota-Sol added, "We will assist you in every way that we can. And we will make sure your letters arrive in a timely manner. We will send a pair of eija to personally deliver them, and with honor. You must tell us about your home before you leave Tasen, if it pleases you. We are very curious to know your origins, Astra-Sol."

Whatever could be said about the Sol's remote loftiness, or how they'd handled the situation with Ridahne, they were at least unfailingly polite to Darin, and held her title in high regard. Higher, perhaps, than even themselves. Whatever complicated feelings that lay between them and Ridahne, of which there were many, there were none between them and Darin. Though they were increasingly beginning to regard them as a bonded pair rather than separate entities. The Sols made gestures of reverence to her as Darin excused herself, and the women let her go without argument. Very few people were permitted to excuse themselves from the presence of the Sols without permission, but Darin was one of those people.

---

Ridahne and Ajoran socialized for a while longer in the main hall before they made their way to the small palace archives, and the master archivist's quarters there. He stood patiently by while Ridahne talked through the new ojih marks extensively with the master archivist, a small woman with wrinkled skin and hair that had long since turned white. By elvish standards, she was ancient, and spent most of her time seated. The woman studied Ridahne's face extensively, taking notes on how the marks should lie on the face, and then had Ridahne use a brush and ink to paint the marks on thick paper multiple times. The master archivist, at last, had Ridahne record the marks in an ancient, well-maintained tome filled with pages of animal parchment, not paper. Ridahne tried so hard to keep her hands from shaking, but she took a few deep breaths and recorded new ojih marks in the official record book of Azurei.

Ridahne felt so free after that. While she had resolved to make the marks true and official, and while they were accurate and honest in their telling of her own story, it had been gnawing at her that she alone had marks that were not officially recorded. To have that dealt with at last lifted a huge weight off her shoulders. She wished she could tell Darin. She would, eventually.

Ridahne and Ajoran sent a letter home to Ajoran's family, informing them of their upcoming wedding and asking them to come, and then retired for the evening. Ridahne did not need to guess to know where Darin was, and for once did not feel the need to fuss over her protection. This palace, even the stables, were heavily patrolled and guarded, and no one moved in and out without someone's knowledge. And anyway, if Ridahne was needed, she knew how to get to the stables quickly.

Darin did not sleep as well as she would have liked. It was hot and she was still unsure about what was going on in her brain and how to make it shut up. She was also worried about what would happen if that one woman told Ridahne about what she had seen. Then again, Ridahne didn’t come storming in, so Darin could only assume that the warrior had not found out about the farmer’s knuckles. The human’s sleep was restless until she finally gave up right as the dawning started. This was the second night in a row that her own self-doubts and the heat had kept her up. Though it wasn’t completely the heat’s fault. The night they had been with Hadian had been just as hot. The only real difference was that she hadn’t been sleeping near Ridahne.

Darin slowly walked back to her assigned room with hay in her hair and bags under her eyes as she thought about that. For the past year and a half, it had been her and Ridahne against anything that came against them. Now that they had made it to Tasen Ajoran was here and Ridahne wasn’t spending her time with Darin. Was Darin jealous? She thought she might be, and she was mad at herself for that. It wasn’t far to Ajoran. More importantly, it wasn’t fair to Ridahne. The human had known this day was coming, the day that the two lovers were reunited. She hadn’t wanted Ajoran to reject Ridahne. She wanted to be happy for them. She was happy for them. It was just that she felt like an outsider … like an awkward guest … like … like … like. Like being back home.

Darin stopped as she let out a sound of half realization half shock and all dismay. That was exactly it. Back home her only real support had been Thomas and Milla. They had both been her friends. There was no other word for it. They still weren’t close friends and while Darin could and would rely on them, they had other friends besides her. They had duties that Darin understood couldn’t be ignored. They had each other, just like Ridahne and Ajoran had each other and others and jobs to do. There were other similarities. There were the elders and the Sols, both groups wanting Darin to be someone or to do something that she wasn’t sure she wanted to be or even could do. Both groups looked at her with expectations in their eyes and questions in their voices that she wasn’t sure she could meet, that she might not want to answer. And here, like there, she felt alone as she went about her work and day, part of the group, but removed by factors not entirely in her control.

She was supposed to talk to Ridahne about this. Darin knew she was supposed to talk to Ridahne about things like this instead of bottling it away and running to hide, but what was she supposed to say? How could she take Ridahne away from her fiancé to tell the warrior that Darin felt jealous of the man? How could she tell Ridahne that she felt like she was drowning in her desert home when her friend was so excited to be back? How could Darin do that? How could she be selfish like that? She had had Ridahne to herself for a year and a half. Ajoran hadn’t even seen her for just about two years and hadn’t even known that she was coming back to him?

Darin forced herself to resume her walk before she started hitting the wall again. She just needed sleep, and maybe a bath, and maybe some food. And, she thought as yet another person ducked their head towards her and called her Astra-Sol, she needed people to stop calling her Astra-Sol. Logically she knew it was a sign of respect. Logically she knew they meant know harm. It just she wasn’t a Sol, an Azurei matriarch. She was The Seed-Bearer of Astra, a caretaker to be for all of Astra. Except she didn’t think she wanted people to call her Seed-Bearer either. She got to her assigned room and fell face down on the bed. She’d try for more sleep before true dawn came and then go look for Ridahne. She wasn’t sure what she was going to say, but she had promised not to run, and she would do her best to keep that promise.

Dawn broke over Azurei, though its inhabitants were not greeted with the piercing orange glare of the naked rising sun like they were so accustomed to. Instead, the light came through a filter of clouds that gathered more densely by the hour. Nightguards and goat herders alike looked to the sky with furrowed brows. There was a rainy season--great monsoons that kept the arid land alive--but this was not such a time. What was more, the sea was unsettled, brimming with an energy that was unusual for early morning. Sailors, remembering the spectacle they'd seen the day before with the Seed Bearer, decided it would be best to keep ashore for the time being.

By morning, a time when most of Azurei was active before the heat of the day got too intense, little droplets of rain began to sporadically fall. It was not yet a true rain, a deluge of water from the sky, but it was as if the sky was ready, bursting, and yet barely restraining itself for the Seed Bearer's command. The stone gave off a comfortable, earthy scent of petrichor as the little droplets fell into the dust, the wind swept in more clouds to dim the sky, and the sea hammered the shore with foamy waves. Astra knew it would be called, and it was ready.

Ridahne with Ajoran in tow came to the room where Darin was staying. She'd actually checked the stables first and was surprised not to find her there, and that seemed the next best option. Ridahne knocked once. "Darin!" she shouted, joy in her tone. She opened the door, trying not to burst it open. "Darin, it's starting to rain!" she laughed. "Astra is chomping at the bit to dance with you, my friend. Shall we go and greet it?"

Darin blinked blearily as Ridahne knocked on the door. That was funny. It almost sounded like it was raining a day early. She stumbled to the window to see that the sky was grey. She distractedly fixed her hair as she reached out to know why Astra was doing this a day earlier. What she got back was a vague sense of worry for her. Darin looked down at her knuckles and the scabs that were starting to form there. She was distracted as Ridahne came bounding to the room. Darin smiled before it fell as she looked towards the window again. Astra was worried for her. She couldn’t … she had to … do something. But what? Maybe she could fingure it out at some point today. For now, she would just play, or, as Ridahne had suggested, dance.

She moved to exit though the window to the roof, grinning again, “Then we best not leave Astra waiting.”

Darin didn’t wait for further comments or more introspection. She continued to grin as she walked across the roof, still barefoot, towards where she could see the Sea. It wasn’t raining yet, at least not by her standards. This was a drizzle at best. Astra wanted a light shower, something to play in. Such an event was just waiting to start. Ridahne was right. Astra was barely restraining Itself, waiting for Its Seed-Bearer’s word. Darin paused at the edge of the roof, almost as if she was about to leap off or fly. If she did what she was planning to do next there would be no going back. She should be smart, but she hadn’t been smart since she got to Azurei. Why be smart now?

The Seed-Bearer let out a command and The Sky carried it to the ears of everyone in Tasen, “Let the rains fall!” She took a deep breath to prepare, “At let Tasen rejoice!”

With that Darin leapt from the roof. The Sky stopped her from falling and instead dropped her down into a circle of animals. Darin saw Talbot and what had to be practically every horse in the palace. There were hunting cats, including Mitaja, galore. There was Taja and Tsura with a plethora of other birds waiting to take flight. There were goats, and dogs, and more animals than Darin thought could be in a desert. She looked around at the faces, eager to go play or rest or find other ways to enjoy the day. She moved to be in Talbot’s line of sight and was surprised when the massive horse bent his forelegs in a semblance of a bow. Darin laughed as she bowed in return before moving the stroke his nose.

She turned with a smile towards the gathering still looking at her, “Well, what are you waiting on me for.” She made a shooing motion with her hands, “Go play.” She watched as the animals scurried off before calling out to Ridahne “Come along Taja Torzenei. There are puddles to splash in and I want to make sure the market is okay.”

Ajoran was not the kind of man to try and stop someone from doing something he thought unsafe with the usual, 'wait, don't!' that most people immediately gave. He used to be the sort, but Ridahne had practically trained it out of him after their many long years together. He had simply learned that she was a force and it was not his place to reign her in any more than it was to dictate the ebb and flow of the tides. Sometimes he sighed, sometimes he grumbled, but he knew there was no stopping her. He felt similarly about Darin already, partly because she was associated with Ridahne and partly because she was...well, Astra-Sol. Even so, it really caught him off guard when Darin just...stepped off the roof. He gasped involuntarily, but Ridahne's cool hand on his chest reassured him. He looked at his fiancee and found only ease, not surprise or alarm.

Ridahne smiled, shaking her head. "Show off," she laughed, as if this happened all the time. In a way, it did. Ridahne was used to Darin doing odd and incredible things by now.

"Ah!" Ajoran laughed, looking up as a deluge suddenly poured down from the turbulent sky, drenching him faster than he'd expected. He laughed again, holding his arms out with his face tilted upward. The sky felt...alive. He'd always felt that way during a storm, but this felt different. Bigger.

Darin beckoned for them to follow, and the two of them inched their way to the edge of the now slippery roof. "We do not have wings!" Ridahne called, her hair sticking to her face. But then, she had a feeling. She couldn't describe it right away, but it was the similar sort of itch she felt when Darin had brought the rains in the small Elosi village while Ridahne was recovering from battle wounds, or when she'd roused the sea. Ridahne had a thought, and it did not entirely make sense, but she simply said to Ajoran, "I have been commanded to come, and so I must come." A smile played on her lips as she stepped off the edge of the roof, taking Ajoran with her. Darin had told her to come, and Astra was eager to please today, so the winds swept up and softened their descent so they landed without injury, much like it had done for Darin. Ajoran was awed, but Ridahne felt so...whole. As if the deep magic that bonded her to Darin was pleased with her trust.

Already, children were sprinting through the narrow alleys and muddy streets, splashing with each step and giggling with wild joy. Young couples danced in the downpour, and the elders set out barrels and clay pots to catch the valuable water. Rain, especially out of season, was a welcomed change of pace for the residents of Azurei, and all of Tasen was abuzz. Thankfully, there had been a gentle drizzle earlier in the day to warn people of inclement weather, so most vendors at the market had already prepared tarps or awnings to cover any goods that could not get wet, like the mounds of spices or racks of fine clothing.

Darin turned back to look at Ridahne gripped Ajoran tight and then leapt off the roof. That wasn’t entirely what Darin was expecting, but it was incredibly perfect. The Seed-Bearer could feel Astra pleasure at this display of the Guardian’s loyalty and The Sky rewarded that trust. The two Taja joined the human as the last of the animals hurried off to find dry places to rest or their own puddles to splash in. Darin took Ridahne’s wrist in her hand and tugged the other woman with her as they hurried to the market. They were there in moments, or maybe it just seemed like moments because of how excited Darin was.

At the edge of the market Darin pause just to observe for a moment. The market looked almost completely different. Wares were covered by the waterproof canvas that Darin was intimately familiar with. There were pots everywhere. Adults hurried, apparently eager to complete their chores and errands quickly in order to get out of the rain. Less people lingered at the edge of open-air stalls. Some things were still the same. Children and teenagers still raced about, eager to jump in puddles and other games. Some people were still playing some sort of music even if they did it from under cover. Tasen was still alive and moving. It was just a different type of alive.

Darin tugged at Ridahne again before letting go, “Come on!”

She hurried into the market to cries of “Astra-Sol!” from children and adults. Several children came over to throw arms around her knees or waist depending on how high they could reach. Darin returned each as she raced through the market splashing in puddles and constantly pushing her wet hair out of her face. It had to be a sight, The Seed-Bearer playing in the rain with the children like she was a child, but no one protested. In fact, Darin saw many smiles returned as she smiled at everyone. Many of the adults laughed at the shenanigans and more than a few took a moment to splash with her as she grabbed hands and wrists to spin them about once or twice before letting them return to their days. There were few protests, but they were good natured protests. Astra was having fun and the people of Tasen was having fun with It.

There was one brief moment, so short if she wasn’t The Seed-Bearer Darin would say had never happened, that wasn’t fun. She had paused for e moment to get a cup of some warm soup or curry or stew to drink. The stall owner leant her the think clay cup and waved her off with a laugh. Darin ducked into a small overhang with her hands wrapped around the warm vessel gratefully. She as laughing at something someone, maybe Ridahne, possibly a stranger, could have been Ajoran, had said when she felt a pair of heavy eyes on her. She looked up suddenly to see a human staring daggers at her. In that moment Darin knew the man with the dark eyes was Red Hand and wanted her dead. She also knew the Red Hand would try nothing in Tasen, possibly all of Azurei, but now one of them knew what she looked like and as people continued to call her Astra-Sol and Seed-Bearer, there would be no hiding that knowledge. It wouldn’t be long before the entire Red Hand knew her description. Well, it was inevitable and there was no taking it back now. SO, Darin refused to worry about.

Darin finished her meal as it started to cool before smiling at Ridahne, “Come on! I want to see the harbor.”

The Seed-Bearer returned the cup before returning to play. She darted though the market to check on the harbor. The waves weren’t small, but they weren’t large enough to threaten the boats. She waved to Captain Rheisun as a wave came up just high enough to drench her in cool salt water. There were a few alarmed shouts that quickly faded as Darin began to laugh at The Sea’s playfulness. Now she was covered in both rainwater and saltwater. Others joined in the laughter as she began to flit among the harbor as she had done in the market. Occasionally she slipped off the docks only for The Sea to step up and push her back where her feet belonged. Sometimes her steps would be just a little higher and take a little longer to come down as The Sky caught her midstride. She moved from the docks to the beach and her feet would sink a little lower as The Stone cause the sand to grab her. This was Astra. This was The Seed-Bearer. This was the two dancing in unspoken harmony.

Tasen was abuzz with the change in weather. Morning was always a chaotic time in Azurei as people scurried about to get tasks done before the heat of the midday sun drove them indoors. Evening was much the same. But there was something about this late morning that was different than usual. There were more children out, excused from some of their regular chores for a moment. And the elderly that usually sat outside barking orders at said children were now couched under awnings, or just inside their homes with the curtains that served as doors flung aside. People in the market were sometimes less jovial about it, as it meant that they had to protect their wares with cloth and couldn't hock them as well--especially spice traders. They were often found standing together, brewing up a pot of Orosian coffee and grumbling, but not too hard. And when Darin came by them, they all genuinely smiled and waved at her.

The sailors loved her. Whether it was because they had a deep connection to the sea and to the sea spirit Istaerih and could sense her love and joy for Darin, or if it was simply because the turbulent wind and seas made for bad fishing and therefore gave them the day off, it was hard to say. But they seemed to love her as much as the children did, of which there were many in her proximity. The sailors begged her to play a gambling game with them, though they used wooden chips instead of money and happily offered some so she could play. One even offered to give her a tattoo right then and there. Not an Ojih mark, for he was not qualified to give someone their first and it was not a step to be taken lightly, but a more ordinary tattoo. Ridahne explained that was a true act of friendship and love to offer up the work of one's hand to mark permanently the body of another. They all marveled as the sea spit her back out onto the dock like it was a kind of game. Ridahne, who laughed and stood beside her, was drenched and her red uri clung to her knees, but she did not care. The rain was warm and refreshing.

But Ajoran was not there. Somewhere between the market and the docks, he had disappeared. Ridahne knew, and knew also what he was up to, though she did not let on that he was even missing. For one thing, it was not necessary. The work Ajoran was doing was best done in secret, and no other ears needed to know of it. More importantly though, she and Darin were having fun, and she did not want to sour the moment for Darin by telling her that she'd sent him away to apprehend the man who'd stared Darin down in the marketplace. Ridahne had seen him at once, and when Darin was busy chatting with a shopkeeper, she had strayed beside the man and leaned in close, whispering into his ear.

"I am a ghost of the sands. I am the shadow behind every door. I am the chill of a moonless night. I am the blade, and I am death. Be awake, Red Hand. For I will haunt your nightmares."

To all appearances, she was an amicable stranger, or perhaps a known friend come to speak a private word. There was even a soft smile on her face. But nothing about Ridahne was soft, and to those that knew her, the softness alone betrayed her intentions. She left him and rejoined Darin before she'd finished her conversation with the shopkeep, and the man was left with a cold thrill in his chest. He watched as the she-ghost spoke, seemingly lovingly and flirtatiously with the man she was with, and he caught her amber eyes one more time as she looked back to him as if indicating him in particular without pointing. He saw the man nod slowly, and knew he had to run. But he could not afford to make a scene, so he tried to slip quietly away and slink far enough from them that he could move more openly and with more speed. With every step, his heart pounded harder and harder, and he looked all about him like a hunted rabbit scenting a trailing fox.

And indeed, the fox came. The man got further than he'd hoped, but with that time his fox had gathered two more foxes, and all three penned him in. Two wore Taja sashes, and the other, the first, he guessed was also a Taja just by his bearing. The man swallowed hard. He thought bitterly that he was about to die for the cause, for the true freedom of Astra, but instead of slaying him openly, the three led him away quietly to a building not quite attached to the palace, though it was considered part of it. And he was placed in a dark room lit only by some low burning coals in one corner. A thick rope was slipped over his hands and another over his head, closed around his neck, tightened. But it did not wrench. There was just enough tension in the rope that if he stood flat on his feet, it would press at his throat and make it difficult to breathe. But if he stood on his toes, he could breathe clearly enough. Eagerly, lusting for air, he took the chance and stood on the balls of his bare feet and felt at first like he'd cheated the foxes. But then, as the coals were stoked, and all three Taja exited the room and shut the door with a clang, the man realized that this hope, and the building heat, was made especially for his torment. And if he wanted to survive, he had to keep it up.

--

The sailors were pointing out different kinds of small shellfish that clung to stones or dock pylons, and telling Darin all the information or legends they all knew about them, when Ajoran came back. He kissed Ridahne on the cheek and said in a formal tone, "Taja Torzinei, you're awaited."
Ridahne kissed his cheek in return and looked at Darin, and for the first time she gave away some hint that there was anything but joy happening today. There was a determined, hardened glint to her eyes. "Darin, sister, there is a task I must see to urgently. It cannot wait. I'll tell you everything over a meal tonight, but it's dark business, and best told in brief and beside the cheerful crackle of a fire in the hearth. In the meantime, Ajoran will stay with you."

Darin was just as joyful on the docks as she had been in the marketplace. She lost more games than she won so, it was insanely lucky that they were not playing with real coins. She politely said no thank you to the sailor offering her tattoos. Afterall, she explained, she still hadn’t gathered her courage enough to face the needle and when she did Taja Ridahne Torzinei, her sister would of course have the honor of placing the first picture of ink. Besides, the human wasn’t even sure what picture she would get. She listened to lessons of waves and sailing with rapt attention and didn’t notice that Ajoran was not with them.

She noticed when he got back though as he made to call Ridahne away. Darin stood up from looking at the tide pool she and a sailor had moved to as her smile, which was almost permanently etched to her face fell for the first time that day. She didn’t want Ridahne to leave. Why would Ridahne leave, but Ajoran stay? She looked at her sister’s stern face and suddenly knew. Her fingers move to touch the cuff on her ear without even thinking about it. The man from the Red Hand, had she been wrong? She had thought he wouldn’t have tried anything while still in Tasen. Had he? Darin wasn’t sure, and neither of the Taja’s face gave any hints.

Darin looked towards the water and the horizon as she spoke slowly, “I know that sometimes people say that mercy is foolish. Others say that justice can be cruel. And I’m not sure where the balance is.” She looked back towards Ridahne, “And I’m not asking you to sacrifice justice for mercy even though I know Azurei justice can be harsh. I just need to make sure that we are punishing crimes that have happened, not crimes that might could happen. Otherwise, where does it stop?” She forced herself to smile as she gently pressed her lips to Ridahne’s cheek, “Hurry back to me sister. Today is supposed to be more play than work.”

Then she pulled away and watched Ridahne head off to wherever it was that she was going. She was left with Ajoran. She looked at the man. Her emotions regrading her sister’s fiancé were complicated, but that was hardly his fault. It wouldn’t do to spurn him, just because she was jealous of the attention, he was getting Ridahne. She knew that wasn’t fair of her, even if that was what she wanted to do. After all, Ridahne had know Ajoran far longer. If anyone was the interloper, it was her. Still, her good mood was practically gone. Swiftly she told Astra that she would be alright, that the Sea, Sky, and Stone should keep playing. She just needed time to think. That was what she did as she walked along the beach and way from people. Finally, it was just her and Ajoran.

Darin found herself asking as she stared at the horizon pass the waves, “Tell me about marriage. Ridahne had been excited about the chance to marry you practically the entire time we’ve been traveling together, but I’ll confess that I don’t understand it. It’s not something we really have where I’m from. So, what does it mean to you? And what will it mean when the two of you are tied that way?”

Ridahne nodded, a little distracted but it was clear she'd mull over those words as she walked. She knew she could not speak openly and at length just yet, it wasn't the time for it. But she did reply, "It's not punishment I seek. Punishment is for crimes. It's information I want." And the grim set to her eyes implied she'd get it. One way or another. Ridahne was gone in a breath, melting into the crowd as she sped away. Ajoran watched her go, his expression thoughtful, and he turned back to Darin. He could see why she liked the human; she had a strong spirit. She might not have Ridahne's bite, but Darin had an indomitable will behind her gentle demeanor.

Ajoran smiled softly. He could see he was not her preferred company, but he understood that too. He was a stranger to her, after all, and Ridahne was not. He'd do his best anyway to make her feel welcomed in this land in his fiancé's stead. "Marriage is...well..." he thought in silence for a moment and then continued, "it's a bond. It's committing to share your life--and all that's in it--with another person. You are no longer just you. You're one part of a larger whole, like...like...like two dancers. One can dance alone, but when you dance with someone, together, in unison, it's a different dance. And when I say all that is in it, I do mean all. Ridahne tried so hard to isolate me from the...events that brought her to you, even after she'd been spared execution. I tried to tell her I did not care what shame she carried, I still wanted to share that bond with her. To help her carry that shame, if need be. But I think she herself had not yet come to terms with it, and could not fathom foisting what she had yet to process onto me. But I would have taken it anyway. I think she knew that, too. It is that unconditional commitment to stand by someone that I speak of."

He paused, wiping away a strand of black hair that had stuck to his rain-soaked face. "I'll admit, there's a lot I don't understand about the bond you and Ridahne share as Seed-Bearer and Guardian. But she spoke briefly to me of this notion of being Seed-Chained. Bound to the fate of another. From what little I understand, it's not dissimilar. It is a bond for life, or is intended to be. Do you not have a similar tradition by some other name where you are from? Most of my interactions with humans have been on business, and I know little of your customs."

---

Ridahne spoke briefly with the two Taja that Ajoran had recruited before entering the chamber. The wall of dry, stifling heat hit her forcefully as she stepped inside, but she did not let any of that show on her face. Ridahne closed the door quickly to keep the oven-like heat in and surveyed the chamber. This was a common technique, and it rarely failed. Stubborn people would always fold in time when the needs of their flesh outweighed their will. The only variable was time.

The man, on his toes and with shaking legs, also surveyed Ridahne as she entered. The brightness of the exterior light through the open door blinded him momentarily, and he only saw a tall shadow standing in its center. He knew her at once. Ridahne, after all, was exceptionally tall, even among Azurei men. As the door clanged shut and his eyes adjusted to the dim red glow of the coals in the brazier behind him, he saw that she was drenched in water. It made her clothes cling to her skin and her hair droop in lank black strands that dripped water on the floor with soft rhythmic patterings. He swallowed. His throat was dry, and the realization hit him just then that he was very thirsty. When was the last time he had a drink of water?

The specter of a woman just watched him, unmoving, unwavering. She held something in her hands he could not yet identify and concluded it must surely be some weapon. A surge of anger boiled over inside of him. "You can't hold me here. I've done nothing."
"Actually," she said smoothly, "I can."
"You're no Taja," he snorted.
Ridahne laughed, and there was joy in it, but none that he could share in. "Think again."
"But you're--"
"The first female Taja in Azurei history. Surprise," she said drily.
"Still..." he swallowed and his mouth was still dry. "I've done nothing. Will you have it said of you that you're a butcher?"
"Done nothing? Perhaps. Certainly nothing to me..." Ridahne set something down on a small table by the door with a thunk. She let the silence hang uncomfortably long. "But I'm certain you know something." She leaned in very close, so close he could feel her breath on his ear. "It's information I want. And I'll have it. Tell me your name."
The man tried to spit on her, but he couldn't muster the saliva. He felt a few droplets of cool water from her hair drip onto his feet. His thirst intensified, and the cool splash of it reminded him just how unbearably hot it was inside this room. Still, he remained silent.

Ridahne straightened and moved back to the small table. She picked up a dark object and moved a second one that rested on the table; the sound of flowing water filling a cup became suddenly the only thing the man could hear. She poured slowly and with the pitcher raised high so each little drop and splash roared in his ears. She heard him swallow thickly. Ridahne lifted the cup and drank from it savoringly, and when she'd finished, she breathed out a relieved sigh. "It's terribly hot in here. But you know what helps? A glass of crystal clear...cool...water..." Another indulgent sip. "You know, if you cooperated with me, I'd make sure you had all you could drink. But I know your type. Too stubborn and strong-willed to fold for such a trivial thing as a sip of water. You won't give." She drained the cup. "So I guess that means more for me. Will it bother you if I pour another?"

She slowly poured another from the large clay pitcher she'd brought and leaned casually on the little table. Gently, the sound of rain on the roof could be heard as a soft pattering rumble. Ridahne was silent and let that sound fill the room. For a long time, the two had a silent test of wills, each wondering when the other would fold or change tactic. The minutes ticked by. Once, the man gently lowered himself off the balls of his feet to hang by the rope for just a moment to give his burning muscles some relief. Ridahne heard him gasp an intake of breath as he painfully lifted himself back up. She could see the signs of heat exhaustion setting in already, but she stayed as impassive as ever.

Ridahne drank and poured another glass of water before finally he muttered, "Harai. My name is Harai." He thought that if he could surrender some trivial information that she might give him water, and he could last longer and stave off questions of more importance.
"There we go. Was that so hard?" Ridahne picked up the cup and stepped forward, and she could see the greedy anticipation in his reddened face. But she kept the cup just out of range. She guessed his tactic. "Now, Harai, we have two options on how to proceed, here, and I'll let you choose. You can answer me--after you swear by the Tree itself to tell nothing but the truth and take the mark of the liar if you fail to do so--and I'll not only give you all you can drink, I'll let you out of here. You'll swear an oath by the Tree to never associate with the Red Hand ever again and not only will I show you the true meaning of fear if you should fail, but by Astra, you shall be stuck by lightning for your treachery." Ridahne was fairly certain she didn't have the kind of authority to command such a thing, but she was guessing that Darin would at least come up with some fitting punishment for any double crossing.

"Option two. You resist me, lie, or otherwise withhold information from me. I will leave, I will feast and bathe and sleep in a soft bed with cool linen sheets, and I'll leave you to bake in here until you're ready to either tell me everything you know, or your legs give out and you choke."
"You don't have it in you to do that, Guardian," he snarled mockingly.
At this, Ridahne allowed an edge to creep into her tone. "Would I not? Do you not know who I am? Sol-slayer, Oathbreaker, Betrayer, Eija-Alihn. What about that list of names leads you to believe I would shy away from doing a little violence in the service of Astra? Of Azurei?"
"You'd live with that blood on your hands? The blood of an innocent man?"
Ridahne laughed darkly. "You would not be the first."

There was a heavy silence as Harai began to really grasp the kind of person he was dealing with. He had not realized until now that the Seed-Guardian was the infamous Torzinei, Sol-Slayer. It was a mistake going to the market. It was a mistake getting so close to the Seed-Bearer. It was a mistake looking at her so directly as he'd done, giving himself away. He underestimated the Guardian watching over her. As he was lamenting his own foolishness, Ridahne evidently had decided she'd waited long enough for an answer and shrugged, rising and making for the door.

"I'd like for you to consider that while it's unbearably hot in here now, it's raining outside. Tomorrow, when the skies clear and the strong Azurei sun shines out again, you may find the situation to be a bit less manageable." Ridahne turned the handle.
"Wait!" Harai broke, crumbled. His legs were visibly quivering. "I'll talk. I swear by the Great Tree of Astra and the stars in the night sky that I'll only speak the truth, and may Astra strike me with lightning if I don't. Just...let me sit, and let me have some water...please...I'm only 32, I don't want to die."
Ridahne released the handle of the door and moved to where his noose was hitched up on the wall. She gave him more rope and allowed him to collapse to his knees before hitching it back onto the cleat, though she kept some small amount of tension on the rope as a reminder that he was still tethered. Harai audibly sighed, groaning with the sweet pleasure of release. Ridahne brought him the cup and helped him drink the whole thing, as his hands were still bound behind his back.

"Good choice, Harai. Now. Tell me the goals of the Red Hand. Why do you seek to hinder the Seed-Bearer?"

Harai took a few deep breathes after drinking the water before answering the question, “Security. No one knows where she plans to plant The Seed. If she even plans to plant it at all. Do you even know if she plans to plant it? The two of you have been wondering Elven lands for close to a year. This seems more like a sightseeing trip than a trip to save Astra. Who knows how long we have until The Tree finally withers and dies? She’s wasting time. Even when she does plant it, how will one-person alone care for it. The Red Hand has a spot prepared for The Seed and people from all races prepared to care for it. We told The Gardener this. He told us we were fools. Before leaving. We know nothing about this Seed-Bearer. Why does she walk in secret? Is she hiding secrets of her own? Giving all this power to a … a child seems foolish. Surely a group is better than a person.” He seemed desperate, “Ask her. Ask her what she plans for The Seed. Then ask yourself if her hands truly are the best ones to carry It.”

Was it truth? Harai wasn’t lying, but that didn’t mean it was true. It could just be something the Red Hand used to recruit people. And it was strange how often power got mistaken for security by those used to having both or those who always wanted more. Right now, that did not matter. What mattered was that the man had told Ridahne what he believed in a desperate attempt to gain some relief. Then again, it was surprising what a person could delude themselves into believing when they were desperate. Harai didn’t actually know much about the upper echelons of the Red Hand. He was a scout and nothing more.

He told the taja that, “That’s all I know I swear. I don’t need to know more. The less individual know the easier it will be to keep things neat.”

Meanwhile, down on the coast, Darin considered what Ajoran had told her. That was basically what Ridhane had told her when she asked. That was what those of her village did even if there was nothing legal binding them. Would a legal binding have kept Martin with Talia? Darin looked at the burn scar in the center of her palm as she thought of home. She wasn’t sure. She could say what could have been. No one knew what could have been, not even The Gardener, not even The Tree. Her gaze turned from the horizon of the sea towards the direction of home. How long would it take to get home if she just rode Talbot nonstop. She couldn’t run now, or honestly, ever again.

She found herself speaking, “For reasons we have yet to decipher my father left and for a while I thought Ridahne was just like him. Talia would have followed Martin anywhere and as far as I can tell Ajoran would do the same for Ridahne. But unlike Talia you didn’t quit.”

She found herself reaching up to grab Ajoran’s chin in her hand to look him dead in the eye. He was taller than her, so she had to crane her neck to lock their gazes. This was the man that Ridahne had chosen, but even her love for him wouldn’t stop her from doing what she thought was right. She was doing her best to like him, or at least she thought she was going her best. She knew it was important to her sister that they got along, but now that she thought about it, she didn’t know all that much about him. She knew more about Hadian and that need to change. Maybe that would help.

The Seed-Bearer let his chin go, but didn’t remove her gaze, “Tell me about you Ajoran Teleisun. Tell me your hopes and dreams and aspirations. Don’t tell me about the man that my sister fell for. Tell me about you.”

sRidahne squatted down so she was at eye level with Harai. It was not a friendly gesture made to help him feel less intimidated. Ridahne merely wanted to study him up close as he spoke, and it had much the opposite effect. Ridahne's gaze was intense, searching, and there was a wrath in those golden eyes that could not be ignored. A wrath that was, for now, restrained. So, the Red hand supposedly wanted the Seed in better hands, did they? The elf had no doubt that this man told her all that he knew, but she wasn't exactly satisfied. There was more to that story, whether Harai knew it or not.

Still, Ridahne couldn't help the flash of memory that surged back to her with force as she watched Harai look up at her from where he was collapsed on the ground, looking defeated and desperate. "Ask her," he said, and for just a moment it was not Harai the Red Hand that was kneeling before her, it was Nailih, the man she'd slain on Khaltira's orders who had planted the seeds of thought that eventually led her to her current path. She suppressed a shiver. This was not the same and she knew it, but the memory had come unbidden anyway. Unlike then, Ridahne had no doubts about her current master. She would always be a blade, yet the hand that now held her was steady, firm, and gentle. Merciful. All things Khaltira was not. No, she did not have the same doubts about Darin as she did about her former master and her motives.

Ridahne straightened. "I believe you," she said without betraying any of her more private thoughts. "I believe you, but I don't buy it, and I'm sorry that you do. Ask yourself, Harai, who stands to benefit from the creation of such a group? You and I both know the nature of people is that, in time, one will always rise as a leader, and others will follow. What power that person would have! No, Harai, I doubt very much that your precious leaders want solely what's best for Astra. I'd tell you to start asking questions to find out for yourself, but with the Moon as my witness, I'm not letting you go back to them."

Ridahne poured another cup of water from the large pitcher and poured it directly on him. This was not a cruelty, but a boon. "For the record, I do think it's currently in the best hands. Who better to nurture a seed than a farmer? And perhaps if you'd seen what those hands were capable of, you would not believe what you do now." Absently, Ridahne realized she'd never actually seen the Seed itself. Ridahne knew where it was kept, but in the year or so since they'd traveled together, the elf had never once made any attempt to see it for herself. She chuckled softly to herself at the realization, but knew, too, that she did not need to.

"Still feeling cooperative? I have given you water and allowed you to sit, but never forget that the moment you stop complying, I will string you up once more, stoke the coals, and leave you here until you feel more cooperative. Given that knowledge, perhaps you'll tell me more. Who commands you? Who do you report to?"

--

Ajoran returned her gaze solidly, his dark burnt-orange eyes meeting hers without wavering. Ajoran was a little softer around the edges than Ridahne, but not quite so smoothed as Hadian. If Ridahne was fire, and Hadian water, Ajoran was steel. Cool and steady, but sharp also. "Ridahne spoke briefly of your father, and with no small amount of ire, mind you. Astra help him if she ever crosses his path." He chuckled. "But I think Ridahne's departure was different because she did not disappear like a breath of wind in the night. I knew where she was going and why. And I did not follow because it was what she wanted, not because it was what I wanted. I did it for her, just as she made me turn her in for my own sake. Did she ever tell you that?" he laughed, like recalling a funny story. "She made me turn her in. It killed me to do it, but she was right. If I hadn't, I would have been under severe scrutiny, if not outright disgrace."

"But enough about that," he said, waving a hand. "I would hope the man she fell for and the real me are the same man," he chuckled, "but I can only hope. Well...let me think...I grew up in the north, in one of the mountain towns--Khiras. My mother, I'alahne, is a tattoer, and my father, Jaheil is a smith. He used to do everything from nails to horseshoes to pickaxes, but he learned blades as a lad and eventually became a legend for it. Naturally, he taught me the trade and that's what I did since I was small. He taught me his secrets and I became almost as good as him after a decade or two. That's how Ridahne and I met. She was beginning her journey as an eija and it was time for her to pick her specialty weapon. Jaisih brought her to our home and Jaheil showed her around the smithy. I have a suspicion my parents and her father had spoken about us, because we were encouraged to speak to each other. I guess they had a hunch we might get along." He grinned, a little foolishly. "When I actually was making her blades, the two khukri she keeps at her back, I used to intentionally balance the handle and pommel a little wrong in the mockup just so that she'd send for me to come and change it. But once I think she finally figured out what I'd been up to, because she sent for me, and when I came to Tasen and held it, the balance was perfect. That was about when I got scouted out to be a Taja, and I decided to give up smithing to focus on my training. And it meant we both would live in Tasen and stay in the palace..."

Ajoran wiped some rain from his face, a little vainly. "I belong to and serve Ailinde-Sol. She rules the northwestern province where I'm from, and has been good to me and my fellow Taja. It's been an honor to serve her. But I think someday I will retire and take up smithing again when I've had enough of being a Taja, and maybe after I take and train an apprentice." Ajoran shrugged and added, "I also am partial to corn, when I can get it as it does not grow here, I am a mediocre swimmer, and I once climbed nearly to the peak of a mountain because I was told there are flowers up there." He smiled. "There are. I am also very intrigued by this thing Ridahne described to me, apple pie? I must know what it's like someday. Is there anything else you wish to know?"

Darin listened to Ajoran with a smile on her face as he slipped into talking about Ridahne. She had heard that story before. She was more interested in things like favorite color, scent, thing to do. She did snort at the mention of apple pie. What was it with Torzineis or soon to be Torzineia and apple pie? Had Ridahne said something to him so that he would ask about it? Darin wasn’t sure and she didn’t want to pry in that direction. Maybe it was just something that all Azurei had heard of and wanted to try. She supposed that made sense. Darin had heard of chocolate before this trip after all, but she hadn’t every thought she get to try it, so she hadn’t wasted time thinking about it.

She laced her arm with Ajoran’s “I’ll have to make some for you at some point.” She looked towards the market, “It’s too hot to make the pastry, but I bet I can find all the stuff to make the filling at the market.” She smiled brightly, “I make the best apple pie back home. The pastry is the hard part. The filling is easy. It’s just apples, sugar, and various spices. If I have it on hand, I use apple cider instead of water, but water works just fine.” Her brow furrowed as she continued, “The pastry is the hard part. It requires a great deal of butter and a great deal of time and it has to be at least chill for the layers to form correctly. Here it the heat of Azurei it would be next to impossible.”

Darin supposed that she could chill the air like she had when she first met the Sols, but that felt like a horrible use of her power, horribly selfish and possibly damaging to the Azurei weather patterns. The rain today wasn’t that bad, since rain like this could and would happen naturally, maybe not for as long or as steady, but it could and did happen. Messing with The Sky and with weather was difficult. Darin could change it, but it was easier and wiser to just change the timing of it, to have rain wait an hour or sweep though faster, to have cool winds linger for just a little longer, things like that. Darin was willing to bet that Tasen was do to have rain in the next week or so anyways and that The Sky just hurried it along and then caused it to pause for just a little bit.

Darin gave her head a shake and returned to the conversation with Ajoran, “I could make you some of the filling for a wedding present if you like, but you’ll have to pay for the supplies because I spent the last of my coin on new boots, which are important when you travel by horseback and by foot.” She smiled at him, “Though speaking of weddings, Ridahne wants me to do the rites for this, which makes sense since I am both her sister and The Seed-Bearer, but I have no idea what these rites are or even what happens at a wedding. Do you think you could give me a crash course?”

^_^

For one brief moment Harai considered silence. He couldn’t, wouldn’t, shouldn’t betray the Red Hand. Up to this point her hadn’t; her had merely explained the purpose behind it, the same way he would explain it to a potential recruit. If he started giving names of those he reported to he would be a traitor. Then again, he was the only one in Tasen. No one had come to support him. In the end looking at the braziers from the corner of his eyes and this woman’s unrelenting eyes convinced him. He spoke. He gave every name he could think of, which wasn’t many. He told her of the plans that wouldn’t take effect until The Seed-Bearer left Azurei, how the Sols actions made trying anything in Azurei foolish and insane, but one she was in human territory the Red Hand would proceed to act quickly.

Then Harai mentioned two names, one that wouldn’t interest the Taja and one that just might. Harai had been recruited by a Siren woman named Hopesong Currents. She had been recruited by a human man named Martin Aliceson. Harai had met Aliceson just once, but he seemed to be high enough with in the organization to know what was going on. It was possible that he would be able to answer more of these questions but finding him would be next to impossible. When there had been a rumor that The Seed-Bearer was a boy named Martin Lively, Aliceson had gone into hiding. Maybe now that that rumor had been proven false, he would reemerge.

"Ridahne described it as cooked apples inside of a baked shell of some kind, not quite bread but bread-like. Neither of us are sure if we even have an equivalent down here, but if it requires chilling, it would make sense that it has not made its way down here. Near Khiras, my home, you might have the conditions you seek if you climbed high enough. But we do make something that might be similar. It's a bread that's very light and airy inside, and it's wrapped around various fillings--sometimes a jam made from the fruits that come off cactuses, sometimes curry, sometimes ground meat and onions and potatoes and a lot of spices. But then it's fried in a pot of very hot oil, and it comes out very hot and crispy on the outside but soft on the--oh, what am I saying? Why bother describing it to you when I can show you? Come, I will buy you one, and the ingredients for this apple pie, and anything else you might want, my treat. Maybe I can show you how to make the fry bread, and you can put your apple filling in it."

Ajoran led her back towards the marketplace, stopping at various booths to negotiate heatedly with their owners. Most, however, stopped haggling when they realized who Darin was, and instead bowed and insisted she try whatever specialties they had on hand. The apples were the most expensive part of the whole lot, as they had to be imported, but Ajoran's purse did not seem too small for the task, not in the least.

Ajoran took a deep breath. "How do I explain wedding ceremonies...?" he mused. "Well, for one thing we dress nice." he laughed. "Ridahne and I will have headdresses. Usually they are passed along from parent to child, but Ridahne's parents are no longer alive and I'm not sure they ever had them. My parents were reasonably wealthy, considering their trades, but Ridahne's family came from nothing. I mean, really nothing. I don't know if she told you, but she admitted to me once that there were nights they went hungry, or Hadian would give her his portion and lie and say he'd already eaten. But I'alahne will no doubt pass hers on to Ridahne, as she has not daughters of her own to give it to, and Jaheil will give me his. People gather around--on the beach, if the wedding is going to be in Atakhara--and the officiate, you, will stand before them. You will ask the two clans, meaning Hadian and my parents, who among their clan is to be joined, and they will present us. Ridahne and I will walk hand in hand through the crowd to stand before you, and we will not unclasp hands until the ceremony is finished. We'll each announce ourselves and give our various titles, and you will ask if the other accepts all of the titles and names and all that comes with them. You will then ask which of us will surrender their clan name and take on the other's, I will answer that it's me, and I will surrender my ku'o to you. Ridahne will then offer me the ku'o of house Torzinei and put it in my ear, and I will put a new one in hers that shows her clan, but shows also that she has ties to the northeastern province where I am from. I gave it to her a long time ago. You've seen it before--that carnelian pendant around her neck. It will replace the bone one she wears in her ear now. When all that's done, you'll say that the community witnesses this union and sees that it is good. They will agree, and you will name your titles, and what authority you have, which for you is obviously being the Seed-Bearer and the adoptive sister of Ridahne, and by that authority you will give your blessing to the union. Then a tattooer will come and mark our ojih, and then..." he grinned impishly. "Then the real fun begins. There will be food and drink and a bonfire as big as you've ever seen, and music and dancing and storytelling. And the Atakharans throw wild parties." he laughed. "Don't worry, you can have notes if you don't think you can remember it all."

---

Ridahne listened, noting all the names for later use. But the last two were of interest. This Hopesong woman was of interest because she'd directly recruited him, but at first she did not give any significance to the name Martin Aliceson. Martin, after all, was not an uncommon human name. But as he spoke further, some memory clicked into place, and a suspicion began to grow. She kept her face impassive and sat silently with that information for a long time, to such a degree that Harai began to wonder if he'd somehow said something wrong. At length, Ridahne poured a cup of water and brought it to him, helping him drink it. She even cracked open the heavy door so that a cool breeze wafted in. She did not leave it open long, but just enough to drop the temperature of the room noticeably.

"See? It's in your best interest to cooperate, and I will not harm you if you're honest and forthcoming. Do as I ask, and you'll be rewarded. Refuse..." she glanced toward the brazier. "You know where that leads." Ridahne actually sat down on the floor, crossing her legs in front of her. "Tell me more about this...Martin fellow." her tone was nonchalant almost, and did not betray the sharp interest she held in the information about this man. "You only met him once. What was he like? Do you remember what he looked like? Color of his eyes, hair, any scars? Where did you meet him? Do you know where he was from? Any guesses on where he was before he went into hiding? If you can tell me why he might have disappeared on account of hearing about Martin Lively, I'll make it worth your effort." Her tone was a little softer now, a little more coaxing and less forceful. He'd already been broken, and now he needed to know his cooperation would be rewarded, and it would bring him closer to his release. But to mistake that easing-up with being soft would be dangerous indeed, for she herself was still dangerous even in her mercy.

Privately, Ridahne filtered everything he'd said about Martin through what she knew about Darin's father. And if she had not sworn to guard and protect Darin, she might have dashed off that very afternoon to hunt him down. It was, after all, what she'd been trained to do, and few were able to elude any Azurei eija for long if they were being actively tracked. For so many reasons, both personal and in the name of duty, Ridahne wanted to find this Martin. She wanted to find him and break him. To show him the meaning of fear. A boiling fury began to rise up in her, and it was all she could do to keep it controlled for now. When she was finished with Harai, Ridahne would need to take a moment to herself to deal with that still-building rage, but for now, she had work to do.

Darin considered that as Ajoran talked about wearing fancy clothes to a wedding. That seemed … Well it was going to be difficult. She looked down at herself. This was the fanciest thing she had ever worn in here life and to be honest it wasn’t that impressive. Her shirt was cotton. Her pants were linen. Her belt and boots were leather. It was all brown. It wasn’t quite the same style as what she wore when farming, but she wouldn’t mind farming in it. She didn’t think it would suit for a wedding. She might even have to wear something special since she was supposed to do the marrying. She would have to ask Ridahne.

As she thought she watched Ajoran buy things. She wasn’t sure she liked people giving her special treatment just because she was The Seed-Bearer. Then again, she yanked the Sols about just because she was The Seed-Bearer. So, maybe she shouldn’t be talking. And it wasn’t like she was getting things for free or asking for things. Besides if she wasn’t The Seed-Bearer she wouldn’t have children running to give her little trinkets and the little trinkets were pretty damn cool. Maybe it would be alright if she accepted what people were willing to give her and didn’t abuse it. Okay, no more abusing her position. Or rather, she would try not to abuse it.

She considered the treat that she had half eaten, “I could put apples in this for sure. It would be more like apple dumplings than apple pie, but I could do it.” She looked up at the Taja, “You know, Ridahne asked me to marry her.” Her eyes got wide as she realized what she said, “No! I mean! That’s not.” She forced herself to take a deep breath, “What I mean is Ridahne asked me to perform the ceremony. What do you think about that?”

^_^

Harai felt his eyes go wide as his terror returned, “I don’t know! Aliceson keeps to himself. I’ve only meet him once and not very long.” He wracked his memories trying to recall what he knew, “He was one of the founders, or recruited by one of the founders. I can’t remember what he looks like. Brown, I think. Brown eyes, brown hair, brown skin.” He sounded desperate to be believed, “I don’t remember. I promise.”

Harai knew that he was doing well. He had been honest with the warrior and she let drink and cool down. He could only hope that by continuing to be honest he would eventually be let loose and then could go confess to his cell of the Red Hand what had happened. He would probably be cast out, but at least then would know what he had done and what The Seed-Bearer looked like. They would know that she was female, not male like they had believed. Whatever Harai could do for the cause he would do it. Of course, this plan depended on this crazy Azurei woman believing him. He just didn’t know what she wanted to know.