Lines of Fire (The Guild House - Defenders Hall) Read online

  “I won’t toss you out of your bed. There’s room for both of us.”

  “And another one or two.” His expression changed. Hope flashed in his green eyes.

  Her heart raced. Would he agree?

  “Only if you trust me.”

  “If your plan is to work I must.” Did he hear the tiny notes of doubt she tried to hide?

  “We must decide how we will act when we’re away from the Hall.”

  Kalia pushed her new fears aside. She didn’t understand her scrambled thoughts of wanting and fearing. Memories of the warmth of his touches brought a desire for more. Awkwardness hovered between them. The bonding bracelet she wore on a chain beneath her shirt felt hot. Usually the metal seemed cool. What did the change mean?

  “Why do you fear me?” Alric asked.

  “Because of what happens to our lines every time we touch. Because of what happens to my mother when she visits my father.”

  Slowly the words formed. She spoke of all she’d observed. “Scarlet when she leaves. Pale pink when she returns. Each recovery takes longer. There will be a time when she won’t recover.”

  Alric sat on the floor. “Do you remember much about your grandparents? We need to know how long the darkness has filled your father’s lines.”

  “My father was an only child. My grandmother died giving birth. The Healers cut him from her body. I don’t remember much about my grandfather. He died not long after Petan came to live with us.”

  “What about his lines?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t remember. Maybe I was too young to see them. I first noticed the darkness when I began training. Have you learned anything?”

  He shook his head. “We need to investigate.”

  She rose. “Then we should search the records. Maybe the answers are to be found in the Archives.”

  “We can’t go now. If you think the teasing was rough earlier, just wait. If we spend our first evening of bonding reading old records you would want to hide and never emerge.” He pulled off his boots and stretched out on the far side of the bed.

  Kalia stared out the window. What were they going to do? Until she knew what the changes meant she couldn’t be with him.

  Had she really seen dark spots on Robec’s lines? Was he destined to follow his father’s path? Every year the Swordmaster became more of a cruel dictator. If Robec had the same changes ahead the Defenders were doomed.

  As the sun set and shadows gathered, Alric rose. He lit several lanterns. A knock on the door roused Kalia. “Yes,” she called.

  “Your evening meal.”

  She waited a few minutes before opening the door and lifting a heavy tray from the wheeled cart. Alric appeared and took the load from her. She bent and retrieved two covered pitchers. The aroma of kafa made her realize how hungry she was. She’s been too tense to break her fast and too nervous to eat much of the nooning.

  Alric laughed. “Guess they thought we’d be starved.”

  Kalia’s eyes widened. The tray held a tureen of soup, a platter of meats and cheeses, an assortment of breads and salads. A half dozen fruit turnovers had been squeezed in.

  “We’d better do our best.” She slipped into the small necessary off the sleeping chamber. When she returned Alric took his turn.

  He set several selections of meat and cheese aside. “For later. In case we wake and are hungry.”

  Kalia added some other selections to his choices. They ate in silence. She waited for her appetite to fade but it didn’t. She ate more than she imagined she would.

  Alric gathered the dirty dishes. “I’ll leave these outside.”

  She reached for the kafa. “This stays.”

  “It’ll be cold.”

  “Cold works as well as hot to help me move into the morning. Wonder what tomorrow will bring?”

  “Sando mentioned I’d been requested for an assignment for the Artisans and the Justicars.”

  She leaned forward. Did that mean she’d be here while he went off? “Any idea how long you’ll be gone.”

  “Not a clue and we’ll both be going. Bondmates travel together.”

  She couldn’t stop the smile. She would be away from the Swordmaster and his plots. Exhaustion swept over her causing her to yawn. “I’m for bed now.”

  “I won’t be long behind you.” He removed his vest and opened his shirt. “Hope you don’t mind. Sleeping in a shirt makes me feel like I’m being strangled.”

  Kalia caught a glimpse of a bracelet dangling from a chain. She wanted a closer look. Did it match the one she wore? If so, what did it mean?

  When she returned from the necessary wearing her long nightgown, Alric lay on his stomach. His slow even breathing showed her he slept.

  For a time she stared at the long scar across his back and arm. How livid the mark appeared. She nearly ran her fingers along the ridge but recalled what happened with their lines and pulled back. What was she thinking? In sleep, his had stilled. She held her hand above his back and watched the gathering of scarlet. She studied her hands and found her lines gravitated toward his. Were the patterns the same?

  More ideas to consider and more worries to fear. How she wished she could creep from this suite and visit the Archives. She’d spent many nights there reading. Could she and Alric spend time there before they had to leave?

  She walked to the bed and lay as close to the edge as she could without tumbling to the floor.

  * * *

  Kalia woke with a start and found herself wrapped in Alric’s arms. Tension rolled through her body. His chest pressed against her back. One of his legs rested over hers. Heat spread from his hand resting on her belly. She dare not move or even take a deep breath.

  His hand slid away and he rolled to his back. Kalia slid away and hoped she wouldn’t wake him. How could she explain the burning of her face or the way her breasts thrust against her nightgown?

  The sun had risen. She’d slept all night, a feat unusual for her since the day the Swordmaster had revealed his plan for her to become Petan’s bondmate. She gathered her clothes and scurried to the sitting room and filled a mug with cold kafa. A jolt from the now bitter brew spurred her to move. With the mug and her clothes she entered the necessary to wash and change.

  When she returned to the sleeping chamber, Alric sat on the edge of the bed. “Ready to face the day?”

  She yawned. “Think so.” She lifted one of the fruit turnovers from the plate and took a bite before refilling her mug.

  Alric grabbed several pieces of cheese, meat and bread and ate. He poured citren and drank the contents of the glass. “The kafa is cold and the citren is warm.” After finishing the sandwich and two of the tarts he gathered his clothes and went into the necessary. When he emerged he carried the remains of the food and set them on the cart. He gestured to Kalia. “Time to go.”

  As she followed him she thought of how her life had changed.

  Chapter 8

  As he and Kalia entered the refectory, Alric braced for the teasing remarks of his patrol. He chuckled when Kalia headed to the line and filled two mugs with kafa. If he drank that much of the aromatic beverage he knew he would be as tight as a strung bow.

  “More kafa? Wasn’t two cups enough?”

  “Barely,” she said. “I’m not awake until I’ve had four or five mugs. That’s usually how I break my fast.”

  “That will change now you’re part of a patrol.” Alric carried his loaded tray and sat beside her on the bench where the rest of the patrol had gathered.

  Ganor grinned. “Had a bit of a sleep-in?”

  Other remarks flowed around the table. Alric laughed. Kalia’s face flushed as scarlet as her lines of fire. Good thing the others had no idea of what hadn’t happened behind the closed doors of the suite.

  Sando leaned forward. “Meeting as soon as you eat.”

  “How many?”

  “Two Artisans and a Justicar.”

  Alric turned to Kalia. “You may need more kafa.”

&nbs
p; “Why are we meeting them?”

  “They haven’t said.” Sando scowled. “The Artisans don’t want what happened to spread through the Guild House, so the two of you will need to keep quiet until the problem is solved.”

  Alric mopped his plate and rose. He and Kalia walked with the patrol leader to one of the small meeting rooms. Lanterns on the wall cast shadows throughout the room. Three men sat at the table in the center of the room. Sando closed the door.

  The Justicar studied them. “Do you believe sending them out so soon after the bonding is right?”

  “It’s best,” Sando said.

  “Truth.”

  Alric drew a deep breath. He’d forgotten the Justicars’ talent of being able to tell if what a person said was with true or not. “Is this a sealed complaint?” he asked.

  “Yes,” one of the Artisans said.

  Sando turned to the Artisan. “Alric and Kalia will lead the group. He is the dueler. Explain the problem.”

  The older of the Artisans leaned forward. “There is a peddler who has been warned twice about selling shoddy goods and claiming they come from our stores. He has also sold experimental inventions.”

  The younger Artisan raked his hands through his brown hair. “Some of the inventions have proved dangerous.”

  “There have been reports about this trader cheating on weights,” the Justicar said.

  Kalia gasped. “I traveled for a few days with such a peddler but I left because I didn’t like his practice of that of his drivers. I believe I witnessed a theft.”

  “Truth. Name.”

  “Hosar.”

  The brown-haired Artisan pushed his chair back. “Why would the Defenders send an escort for such a man? I see no reason to look to them for help.”

  “The Defenders didn’t send me. I well, let’s say I needed to be away from the Hall for a time.” Kalia pressed her hands on the table. “If we face him, I can swear to some of the things he did.”

  “Truth,” the Justicar said.

  Alric leaned toward the Artisans. “Just what do you want from us besides bringing him back for punishment?”

  The older Artisan stared at the table. “We must learn who from our Hall is dealing with him and providing the peddler with goods to sell.”

  “How do you wish this handled?” Sando asked.

  “By a duel.” The older Artisan slapped the table. “Hosar refused to heed repeated warnings.”

  “I accept and will do my best,” Alric said.

  Kalia looked at the table. “I should be the one to face the challenge.”

  Alric brushed her hand with his fingertips. She stiffened and he drew back. How long would she fear this bonding? “Since you’re new to a patrol and have never dueled for justice this isn’t a good time to learn.” He looked at the three men. “We can be ready to leave by midday. How many will join the party so I can arrange supplies?”

  The Justicar walked to the door. “A Senior and Junior Judge and two trainees from the Hall of Justice will comprise our party.” He paused. “I’m passing a warning for caution to you. Rumors have reached us of a banished Defender who travels as one of the peddler’s drivers. You may want to send more than one pair.”

  Kalia frowned. “I thought those who were released were sent to one of the distant villages.”

  Sando chuckled. “Not all those stay where they are sent. Some join the various rebel groups. Others become outlaws and prey on travelers and isolated farms.”

  Alric turned to the Artisans. “How many in your group?”

  “Since we don’t know who can be trusted, both of us will go.” The older pointed to his companion. “He will check the goods and I will investigate the inventions. We must discover our traitor.”

  “Do you think he’ll tell us?” Alric asked.

  The Artisan smiled. “This is the way of justice and we have confidence in your reputation as a dueler.”

  Alric nodded. He’d seen the outcome of many duels and watched the questionings by the Judges. “With the size of the party I’ll arrange for five pack beasts. Do those who travel with us have steeds or should the Defenders provide them.”

  The Justicar turned. “We have our own.”

  “So do we and ours are easier to control,” the older Artisan said. “Since the carts left from our gate we’ll meet you there in three hours. Carry your nooning to eat on the way.”

  Alric watched the men from the other Guilds leave. He turned to Kalia. “You’ll have to pack enough clothes to last a week. With luck we’ll find a village where our clothes can be washed during our travel. Sorry we won’t have time to transfer your things to my suite.”

  Kalia stepped back. “Are you sure I shouldn’t stay in the Women’s Quarters while you’re on this assignment?”

  Sando coughed. “I’ll start organizing your supplies. You can explain the ways of our patrol to her.”

  Alric rested his hands on the table. “The women and men who are members of Sando’s patrol and aren’t bonded stay in their own suites in our section of the first wing. When they choose a mate they decide which suite to use. Since you have none, we will live in mine. Except for special assignments the unbonded remain in the Hall. All bonded pairs travel together.”

  “Even if there are children?” she asked.

  “We try to keep the patrol staffed with enough pairs so those with small children remain in the Hall and are on leave until the children are old enough to enter training. If the parents must take an assignment, there is always someone staying behind. The children stay with these members. During our last tour we had three pairs on leave.”

  “Is your patrol the only one that does this?”

  “Don’t know. I’ve been part of Sando’s patrol since I left the training school.”

  “Other than clothes is there anything else we’ll need?”

  “Maps of the roads the peddler used but Sando will have the supply master provide them. You should bring anything you need for amusement. The Artisans we’ll travel with this time are tinkers rather than performers. Traveling with that segment of the Artisans can be lively.”

  “Will there be a Healer with us?”

  “They only leave their Hall when they have reports their service is needed. We have an aid kit and there are herb men and women in the villages who have some skill and were trained at the Healer’s Hall.” He winked. “You and I will be there to stop excessive bleeding.”

  “Should we? Our ability is looked on as evil.”

  Alric stepped back. “Who told you that?”

  “The Swordmaster forbade Robec, Lasara and me to talk about using our lines for any reason. He said I would be banished if the other Defenders knew what I could do.”

  “My patrol knows about me and is pleased. I’ve saved several of them.” Was this one of the reasons the Swordmaster wanted to banish him? Alric wondered why the leader of the Defenders would scorn something that could help the patrols. Could the Swordmaster read the lines?

  Kalia walked to the door. “I’ll go for my pack and arrange to have my things packed and join you. Where?”

  “The stable.” He watched her walk away. During their days of travel he intended to find ways to gain her trust. She had slept most of the night in his arms and feeling her body curled into his had felt right. Their lines of fire had flowed in harmony. He was heart bound to her and he suspected that the reverse was true. Until she was willing to speak of the bonding aloud, he would wait.

  He exited the meeting room and strode to the supply depot. Sando stood in the doorway. He turned to Alric. “You’re set. Basic supplies ordered.”

  Alric nodded. “Did you include hunting and fishing supplies? If I remember the farms in that area are poor.”

  “Snares and fish traps included. Also dart throwers.”

  “Good. Make sure there’s plenty of ground kafa. Kalia drinks several mugs to wake.” Alric paused. “And maps.” He entered the supply depot and pointed to the one on the wall indicating the area he
wanted. The map showed marks for farms and villages.

  The agent pulled a tube from the shelf. “Here you are. If you find new places, mark them.”

  Sando walked beside Alric. “Pack beasts are on the way. They’ll be loaded by the time you pack. Where’s your mate?”

  “Gone to the Women’s Quarters for her pack and to arrange for her belongings to be delivered to my suite. Can you check them in?”

  “No trouble.”

  Alric strode to his suite and examined his pack. He dashed to the patrol bathing room for shirts, two vests and pair of trousers. Having time to wait he went to the refectory kitchen for two noonings. He selected a flask of kafa for Kalia and one of citren for himself. As he strode to the stable he thought of ways to gain her trust.

  * * *

  Kalia left the meeting room and dashed along the twisting corridors to reach the Women’s Quarters. A sense of freedom filled her. For several weeks she would be away from the Swordmaster and his threats. Could she learn more about the lines of fire and the reaction she’d noticed between hers and Alric’s while they traveled together?

  Waking in his arms had made her feel safe. The moment had lasted a brief time and brought a yearning to join with him. Could she act on these new and exciting moments before she understood what was occurring with their lines?

  She opened the door into the lounge and stopped short. Lasara ran to meet her. “Why are you here?”

  “To fetch clothes for an assignment and to arrange for my things to be packed and moved to Alric’s suite.”

  “You mean you’re not staying here.”

  “Not the way of his patrol.”

  “Do they have their own Women’s Quarter?”

  “Bonded pairs live together and those who are waiting to find their mates have their own chambers.”

  “Wow. How nice. I’ll pack your other things and call for someone to take them to his place.”

  “Thanks. Why aren’t you in class?”

  Lasara scowled. “Father decided to test the young men. I’m as skilled as any of them. He said there was no need to test me since my bonding will take place soon.”