Red Rope of Fate (9 page)

The wizard nodded eagerly before speaking again. Tari was able to pick out some of his words. “Yes! I knew…. Arion….Tarinthali.”

“Wizard Edvin knew before the ceremony that you and I were to be bonded,” Arion said.

“You are acquainted with Wizard Edvin?” Tari asked before performing the gesture for “friends” and pointing back and forth between Arion and the wizard.

The older wizard nodded, but it was Arion who explained. “Wizard Edvin served in the city my unit was stationed in. He worked with us occasio
nally to track some of the more disconcerting creatures we needed to eradicate before he received his post here last year.”

The wizard smiled as he made the gesture for “good boy” to Arion.

Arion blinked at the gesture but continued, “If you’ll excuse us, Tari and I were on our way to inspect the patrol route of my afternoon squad.”

The wizard said something in
Calnoric and smiled broadly.

Arion frowned. “The wizard wishes to speak to you for a moment, Tari, while I continue on alone. I am not entirely certain how he means to communicate with you without me, though.”

The wizard made a shooing motion and Tari removed her arm from Arion’s.

“We’ll manage, somehow,” Tari said, moving to stand beside Wizard Edvin.

“If you’ll excuse me, then. I’ll see you at the southern hall, Tari,” Arion said before sauntering off.

Tari and the wizard watched him go before the wizard turned and smiled at Tari. When
Arion was out of sight the wizard pointed to Tari and then made the gesture for “good boy” “move” and “the Continent.”

Tari curtsied with the rustle of skirts.

Wizard Edvin smiled, but Tari could see another emotion clouded his eyes. “Caution” he gestured, adding the motions for “not,” “all,” and “want.”

“Be careful,” Wizard Edvin said in
Calnoric, his grandfatherly face downcast.

Tari stewed over Wizard Edvin’s warning for a moment. She had a feeling that not everyone was so pleased with her bonding as the monarchs and general public. The attempted kidnapping was all the proof she needed for that. However, Tari had hoped it was a small enough percentile that vigilance would not be necessary. Those who were against the match were probably few, but if a wizard was taking the time to warn her, they were
most likely powerful.

Tari gestured “understood,” and curtsied again. When she straightened up the wizard was smiling like a cheerful grandpa.

He smacked his belly before laughing. “Arion… very lucky,” he said in human before gesturing, “well met.”

Tari returned the sign, and the wizard hummed under his breath as he started down the corridor.

Tari watched him go, jumping when she turned back to find Evlawyn had appeared at her elbow.

“I
received a letter for you, Lady Tari,” Evlawyn said, handing the sealed envelope over. “I noticed the seal and thought it might be prudent to give it to you as soon as possible.”

Tari winced at the insignia stamped in the wax, it was Seer Ringali’s. “
Well thought Evlawyn,” Tari said, smiling at her handmaiden before opening the letter.

Tarinthali Ringali

I am coming to Haven
. You cannot grow soft and sloppy, even if the courts hold you up as a messiah. You will meet me at the Aquavi entrance to the palace on the second day of the feast of Stag Hallow at sunrise. Bring the human whelp they’ve you chained to.

PS: I do not appreciate being your laundry service.

The letter wasn’t signed, but it didn’t need to be. Seer Ringali’s humor and personality were rather… unique for most elves.

Tari exhaled. “Seer Ringali is arriving in two days. I am to meet him with Arion at sunrise.”

“Shall we ready for battle, Lady Tari?” Evlawyn asked. They had been preparing for this for days.

“Let’s. I am glad to have you with me, Evlawyn. You are quite the
ally.”

“I am
with you until the end, Lady Tari.”

“Thank you, this very well may be it.”

Two days later Tari stood with Arion in the chill of dawn. Tari was in her best dress—a violet creation that brought out the soft blonde shades of her hair, which was carefully bushed and tumbled freely down her back.

Arion was impressive as usual in his formal armor. Tari was secretly glad he was so massive
. It would bring her comfort when facing Seer Ringali.

“Seer Ringali is your teacher?” Arion asked
, butchering the elvish name as he watched sunlight crawl over the white, limestone road that connected the city and palace.

“Yes, and I am his protégé,” Tari said, curling her hands into fists to keep from wringing them.
She glanced at Evlawyn, who was standing demurely on the grand staircase that wove up to the palace. The handmaiden nodded in encouragement.

Arion nodded and squinted, still staring at the road. “You are nervous.”

Tari exhaled. “Blast your mind reading.”

“Emotion sensing. And it does not take our bond to notice that you are squirrelly.”

Tari thoughtfully fussed with the gold linked belt that was chained at the waist of her dress. “Seer Ringali’s opinion is very important to me. I look up to him the way you would look to a general, although I know him on a very personal basis. I do not want to disappoint him, and I want him to like you as well.”

“An action you are not entirely sure is possible.”

“Perhaps. It is not that Seer Ringali dislikes humans—it’s quite the reverse, he has dedicated his life to them. It is more that he disapproves of setting my profession aside, even if it is only for a time, and he is very likely to see you as the catalyst for my decision,” Tari said.

“Ah,” Arion said before nodding at the road. “A carriage approaches, is that his?”

There was a clearly posted emblem on the carriage door: a large star circled by smaller constellations. “It is,” Tari confirmed, adopting her best posture.

The horses,
two pairs of dapple grays, pulled up to the paved circle designed for passengers to descend from their modes of transportation at. A footman and two grooms—previously arranged for by Evlawyn and Tari—rushed forward to take the horses and open the door.

The carriage steps were kicked out, and Tari and Arion sunk into elaborate bows as a tall elf climbed out of the carriage.

“Seer Ringali, it is my greatest pleasure to receive you at the Palace of Haven,” Tari said, straightening up from her bow.

Seer Ringali stood at the
top of the stairs for a moment, studying Tari and Arion from the superior angle. His hair was the rich color of chocolate truffles, partially tied back and ornamented by a gold clasp. He wore black robes, which dully gleamed in the morning light, and he held a black silk fan—which he twitched open and closed.

“Hn,” he said before descending the stairs with the liquidity of water. He circled Tari and Arion,
still snapping his fan.

“Allow me to introduce you to my bond partner, Captain Arion Herycian,” Tari said, sweeping her hand in Arion’s direction.

When Seer Ringali set his piercing eyes on Arion, the captain repeated his bow. “Welcome, Seer Ringali,” he said in elvish, pronouncing Seer Ringali’s name with perfect inflection.

Tari almost dropped her hand in surprise as she stared at Arion. Since receiving her letter she had been coaching the ca
ptain in the correct pronunciation of Seer Ringali’s name. The stony man had persisted in slaughtering it. He had said it not two minutes ago utterly incorrectly!
He’s holding out on me! Is he learning to speak elvish as I am learning to speak human?

“Hn,” Seer Ringali sniffed, hiding the l
ower half of his face behind the open fan before turning to Tari. “I can see you have housebroken him,” he said. “But clearly he is too big to be of much use. Is he part wolf?”

“Captain Arion is the captain of a
n Honor Guard squad here in Haven,” Tari said.

“H
is title made that observation unfailingly obvious,” Seer Ringali said, studying Tari from head to foot. “Your wit has thickened, however you surprisingly do not seem to have grown flabby in my absence, but,” he shut his fan and struck out, brandishing it like a dagger as he aimed to hit Tari in the neck.

Tari raised her arm and blocked the blow, but
the blow would not have landed anyway as Arion—just as quickly as Seer Ringali—caught the elder elf by the wrist.

Seer Ringali stepped back—pulling his hand from Arion’s grasp and Tari’s block. He blinked at Arion, as if viewing him in a different light, and tucked his arms in his sleeves for a moment. When he pulled them apart he held out a Berry Drop—hardened, brightly colored berry juice rolled in sugar—and dropped it in Arion’s hand when the captain slowly opened it.

“Good boy,” Seer Ringali said, patting the top of Arion’s head with the fan.

Arion looked to Tari, who nodded.

Arion placed the treat in his mouth, frowning and looking down in thought as he sucked on the hard candy.

Seer Ringali nodded in satisfaction and turned back to Tari. “You have still been practicing, good. I find it assuring your man toy is protective. That is
also good. He will keep you alive when you cannot fight back. However, I can see your form has been slipping,” he said, reaching out with his free hand to correct Tari’s posture. “As long as I stay we will practice. For many hours.”

Seer Ringali turned back to study Arion once more. The captain was chewing on the hard candy, wrinkles spreading on his forehead. (He was probably trying to sort the com
plex emotions Tari was oozing.) “Yes, he’ll do,” Seer Ringali said before heading to the stairs. “I was afraid you would be tied to some insipid fool, as Our Crown Princess Yvrea was. You have gotten a much better deal,” the teacher said over his shoulder, pausing at the bottom step. “I am glad to see you again,” he finally said.

Tari beamed and ran the short distance before throwing herself at Seer Ringali in an exuberant hug.

Seer Ringali tucked the fan up his sleeve before patting Tari on the back and returning the embrace.

“I am glad you came, Seer Ringali,” Tari said, stepping back after a few moments.

“Yes. I imagine so,” Seer Ringali said, straightening his robes before turning to climb the stairs. “I would like to inspect my rooms. In the meantime you can prepare yourself for practice. A long one. Oh, and Tarinthali—if you use me as a saddle pack for your clothes ever again I shall string them from the roof like flags for the entire journey,” the teacher said when he reached the top stair where Evlawyn was waiting.

The handmaiden
escorted the intimidating elf away, gesturing for the footman (who carried several bags) to follow.

Tari slumped her shoulders and turned back to Arion—who was still chewing the Berry Drop.

“That was odd,” Arion crunched.

“He likes you, stars behold me, he likes you,” Tari sighed in relief.

“He likes those who keep him from attacking young elves?” Arion asked.

“I’m trained to respond, he was doing it to test me. But it did please him that you reacted on my behalf, yes,” Tari tilted her head and fixed her gaze on Arion. “When
and how did you learn to pronounce Seer Ringali’s name?”

Arion finished the drop. “Yesterday. I asked one of the elf translators that constantly plagues us with requests for interviews for help.”

“He was willing to teach you?”

“I can’t say I gave him the option.”

Tari laughed and stretched her arms above her head. “That went well. The worst of it is over now—for you anyway. He’s going to be a regular nightmare in practice, but I have been slacking,” Tari acknowledged.

“This short meeting was what had you worked up?”
Arion asked.

Tari wrinkled her nose at the man. “You have no idea how lucky we are that you impressed him so deeply. One of my fellow dancers married an elf Seer Ringali didn’t like. Seer Ringali only refers to the dancer’s husband as “the beast,” gave her a leather collar and leash for her birth celebration, banned her husband from all Evening Star practice and performance grounds, and had him thrown out of his housing
accommodations when he proposed.”