Sethlzaar was halfway inside his tent when Saelin pushed passed him. Surprised, he studied her, choosing to remain halfway into the tent as she turned to face him. She watched him with wary eyes, worrying her lower lip between her teeth in nervousness.
Sethlzaar's brows furrowed in curiosity. "Are you drunk?"
Sethlzaar stroked Saelin's hair where it fell from her head rested on his chest, wondering what she was still doing in bed with him four hours past the crack of dawn. On previous days she would have made her exit three hours earlier only after ensuring his breakfast was ready and he wanted for nothing."Where do you go every morning?" he asked her, giving life to the thoughts that had always danced in his mind.Saelin shrugged.
It was high noon when they began their return to the tribe. Despite the hunt being ended, the men never broke formation. Always alert with each step, unlike their arrival, they walked with a caution, weapons drawn and arrows notched. It was an almost trained disposition, and Sethlzaar might have been impressed if more troubling things did not plague his mind.It bore it too, he thought, eyes fixed on the carcass of the animal they'd hunted. He had taken aim, and in those moments he had caught sight of the darkness of wisps clinging to its features; del
Sethlzaar crossed the expanse of the tribe, by-passing the tents as he moved. Wraith's attention twitched at his movement while a boy watched from a tent far removed from the wolf with a focused intensity. The child was no more than his tenth summer, and though he thought himself hidden, Wraith was just as aware of his presence as it was of Sethlzaar's. He passed Cenam where he sat tending to his veils without a word of acknowledgement even when his brother looked up at him. Eventually they would have the talk that was long overdue, and unlike the one he'd had with Narvi, he knew it would be void of platitudes.
Sethlzaar crossed the expanse of the tribe, by-passing the tents as he moved. Wraith's attention twitched at his movement while a boy watched from a tent far removed from the wolf with a focused intensity. The child was no more than his tenth summer, and though he thought himself hidden, Wraith was just as aware of his presence as it was of Sethlzaar's. He passed Cenam where he sat tending to his veils without a word of acknowledgement even when his brother looked up at him. Eventually they would have the talk that was long overdue, and unlike the one he'd had with Narvi, he knew it would be void of platitudes.
"The nerve of you, Priest!" Iyvena snarled. "You will have us break an oath given by ancestors who walked Ayla as early as time began. This is madness, even for you. And thinking we will help you simply for who you are is greater proof that you don't know what you are asking. If you think it's so important, then why don't you reveal it yourself, hm?"Valerik was losing a hold on his patience as she spoke. Women her age were never intended to talk so much. He'd always thought age came with wisdom, and a certain amount of sluggi
relationship with Saelin, Sethlzaar found he had to work harder if he intended on revealing nothing. The report was short lived and his brother ended it with a suggestion that at this rate he was bound to break his oath of celibacy. Sethlzaar wondered if the annoyance he'd heard in his brother's voice as he spoke of Saelin had been his imagination or if it had truly been present as Monsignor Shrowl mulled over the report."Father Vi Sorlan," Shrowl addressed him. "We have also received report from the church on this issue, and were advised to withdraw you from the fort. Or at least, bring your pastoral service to t
The cathedral wasn't far; a short journey by any means. But it was frustrated by Takaris' mumbled complaints at having to take a carriage for such a distance. Suffice it to say, they didn't care.Cenam joined Sethlzaar in taking Wraith to the stables at the heels of a priest there to receive them, leaving their brothers to take the lead. The stables were large enough to house ten Lire wolves but surprise was far from Sethlzaar when he saw the massive chains spilling from the side of the building beside it. He really hoped it accommodated no one.
Sethlzaar lost his touched to his brother. An acceptable sacrifice, he thought, taking Soartin's bishop. He had sequestered it to a point at one end of the board, hoping Soartin would be forced to claim it so he could in turn take the bishop that had caused him so much trouble in the past five minutes. Although, that piece had troubled his brother as much as his brother's had troubled him. Perhaps Soartin had seen the loss of his bishop as an acceptable one as well. What if he had walked into the priest's plan thinking it was his own? This was why he hated playing the man. The second-guessing never did him any good.