Elyon's Ghost, page 33
Ailith, whose limp had become more pronounced after she’d run from the Arch Priestess, was excused from helping to carry the heavy tables back into the courtyard. A gentle breeze wafted through the breezeway as she returned from carrying a box of plates to the Dining Hall.
Her thoughts wandered as she remembered the evening she’d had. She’d never guessed the Blades could throw such an entertaining party. In Dreyutha, such nights were commonplace once the ale began to flow, and the soldiers pulled out their instruments and began singing and dancing the night away.
Here, though, she’d come to believe the Blades were all work and no play, and a night such as this—they’d called it a Bladefire night—had been a relief to her wild, fun-loving Dreyuthan soul. She was so deep in her thoughts that she walked right into Commander Shirin, who was carrying a chair slung over her shoulder.
The Commander saw her coming and braced herself, and when Ailith ran into her chest and bounced off, Shirin lifted her brows and cocked her head. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’d been drinking, what with you running into me and the way you ran your mouth this evening.”
Ailith still couldn’t believe she’d said those things to the Arch Priestess, and she scrunched up her nose and looked Shirin in the eyes. “Aye, I know. Ya fasched with me? I wouldn’t blame ya.”
Shirin surprised her by tousling her hair and shaking her head. “Anytime Gweyir Wynlafur is in town, life in the Temple gets turned upside down. But,” she held up a finger, “things are back to normal now. Yes?”
Ailith got a worried look in her eye. “Well….”
“Well?”
“Well, it’s just that, I’m that worried about promisin’ I can keep me fanghole shut around th’ captain. I’ve been around folks like her before, and they’re kinda like ale fer me when I get around ’em. Ya ken? I don’t get mean, mind ya, but me mouth….”
Shirin raised her brows, but Ailith saw a spark of humor in her eyes. “Okay, then let’s just say you try to control that mouth of yours when you’re around her, and we’ll take it on a case-by-case basis. Does that work for you?” She had to suppress a smile at the relief she saw in Ailith’s eyes.
“Oh, aye. Thank ya, Commander.”
“Anyway, I noticed that after you ran from the Arch Priestess, good move, by the way, your limp became more pronounced. I’m excusing you from the rest of the cleanup detail, and I want you to go to the bathing room and soak in a hot tub. I need you back on deadnight as soon as possible, and we can’t do that as long as that leg is bothering you.”
“Yer orderin’ me to stop workin’ and take a bath?” Ailith scratched her head. “Well, I have to say that never happened in th’ Dreyuthan army. If we were supposed to march ten miles that day, no one asked if we had any pulled muscles or whether we’d rather go sit in a hot tub instead of settin’ up camp after th’ march.”
“Go.”
Shaking her head at the strange differences between the Temple and the army, Ailith went up to her room, where she changed into a robe and, as the Commander had ordered, went to take a bath. She heard people talking as she entered the main bathing room and glanced around to see who else had been allowed to skip cleanup detail. She was puzzled to see Primes Geller and Osstendler lounging in one of the smaller inground bathing pools.
The clock tower had struck ten bells a while ago, and Ailith would have expected her Prime to be at the outstation. By now, the briefing would be close to starting, and Geller would normally be preparing to give out assignments or announcements. Ailith ducked her head and opened the door to one of the private rooms.
“Over here, Shiv.”
Ailith blinked at the Prime and then obediently walked over to see what she wanted. When Geller just stared up at her, Ailith pointed to the private room. “Uh, Commander Shirin told me to come soak, and I usually soak in one of th’ rooms.”
Geller continued to glare at her. “She left out th’ part about me workin’ with yer leg, eh?”
“Um.” Ailith wasn’t sure she’d heard the Prime correctly.
“Look, ya skut-brained shiv. Climb into th’ water, and I’ll help ya stretch that leg.”
Okay, so she had heard her correctly. Ailith shrugged out of her robe and stepped down the three steps into the water, which was deep enough to cover her breasts if she stood on the bottom. Geller glided over and pointed to a submerged bench. “Sit.”
Ailith did as she was told, wondering what the Prime intended.
“Do I have permission to touch yer leg?”
Ailith’s brows rose, and she glanced over at Osstendler, who looked fairly amused at the two of them. Ailith wasn’t sure she wanted the prickly woman doing anything with her leg, so she side-stepped the issue. “Ya know, I’ve had hurt muscles before, and they healed just fine without help.”
The smaller woman growled as she turned away and started back to Osstendler’s side of the tub.
The second Prime chuckled and smiled at Ailith. “It’s Ailith, right? Well, Commander Shirin arranged for Prime Geller to help rehabilitate your leg because they need to get you back into training as soon as possible. Healing torn muscles is one of your Prime’s specialties, and it would be prudent if you’d allow her to help you.”
Ailith squinted at Osstendler. “Okay, I don’t know what some of those words meant, but, well, if ya think ya can hurry th’ healin’, I guess we ought to do it, eh?”
Geller stopped, shoved her hands onto her hips, and cocked her head. Even though her back was to her, Ailith recognized the stance that told her the Prime was reigning in her quick temper. Usually, Senior Guardian Terrowyn stepped in to straighten up any shivs who’d irritated the Prime, and Ailith found herself wishing the Guardian was there right now.
Osstendler raised her brows as if asking Geller what she was waiting for.
With another growl, Geller moved back to the bench and glared at her shiv. “If I have to come back a third time, yer not gonna like it.”
“Yes, Prime.”
“Now. Can I touch yer leg?”
“Yes, Prime.”
Geller glared at her some more. “That’s not an order, Ailith, and if ya really don’t want me to touch yer leg, I won’t.”
“Well, me leg is hurtin’, that’s fer sure, and if ya can help, I’d be thankful fer it. I’ve just never had a sergeant, which is what yer called in th’ army, rub me leg, and it is kinda close to me girl parts.”
Osstendler barked a laugh before completely submerging her head beneath the water.
Ailith thought she might have seen the tiniest hints of a smile from Geller as the woman glanced over her shoulder at the Prime. She turned back to Ailith and picked up her leg by the ankle. “Okay, I need to see yer range of motion, so try to relax and just let me move th’ leg, aye?”
She was barely able to move the straightened leg to the side before Ailith rose slightly and said, “Okay, that’s about as far as it’ll go.”
Geller sighed and stared into Ailith’s eyes. “That’s as far as I can move it, and yer runnin’ around th’ Bladefire and doin’ Goddess only knows what with that fowkin’ noblewoman?” She slapped Ailith hard on the shoulder, something Ailith didn’t think was normally part of the healing process.
Osstendler had reemerged, and she chided her friend. “Ursuna. Your healer’s halo is slipping.”
Geller released that foot and picked up the other. This one, she was able to stretch far out to the side. She bent that leg and pressed down so that the knee rested on the bench. “At least ye’ve been doin’ yer stretchin’ like I tell ya to every fowkin’ time I have ya in weapons practice.” She picked up the injured leg again and gently bent it until the heel was almost even with her other knee. “Does that hurt?”
“No.”
When the Prime pressed down on the knee, Ailith gasped out loud.
Geller murmured, “Don’t even need to ask.” She stretched the leg various ways for another half candlemark and then pointed to the floor next to the water. “So, I need to rub some healin’ oils into yer leg, and yes, I need to rub the whole thigh. Ya okay with that?”
“Oh, aye. And I won’t even tell my noblewoman about it, neither.”
Geller punched Ailith in the arm with one of her knuckles extended, hard enough to get her attention.
“Ow.” Ailith covered her bicep and happened to glance at Osstendler, who raised her brows and cocked her head in warning.
Sticking a finger in Ailith’s face, Geller growled, “Th’ Commander wants this done twice a day, and since th’ healer won’t let me cuff ya on th’ head after th’ fowkin’ horse kicked ya, I’m bringin’ me whip with me from here on out. Ya ken me, Shiv?”
Ailith looked down at the water. “Yes, Prime.” She’d known Geller didn’t have a sense of humor with her shivs. In fact, she rarely showed any humor with anyone who wasn’t a senior Blade, and Ailith made a mental note to try to hold her tongue around the woman.
“Now get up there.” She pointed to the ground, and Ailith obediently climbed out and sat on the hard tile floor.
Osstendler shook her head. “Ursuna. There are padded tables for that.”
Ailith got a good look at Geller’s body as she stepped out of the water. There wasn’t even a hint of fat on the lean, hard body. The Prime was all muscle, and she had more scars than anyone should acquire in a lifetime.
The Prime hadn’t noticed Ailith’s scrutiny, and she answered Osstendler as she shrugged into a robe. “I don’t mollycoddle me shivs, Traya. And I know ya don’t neither. They need to be tough to survive, and I don’t intend to have any more of me shivs nor me Blades sent to th’ Goddess on a funeral pyre.”
“At least give her a towel to lie on. That cold tile can’t be good for the muscles.”
“Well, tomorrow mornin’ she finishes in th’ cold bath. Cold works wonders fer a torn muscle once yer done stretchin’. But….” She grabbed a towel and threw it at Ailith. “Here. Lay on yer back. Close yer eyes and try to relax.” A pot of herbal-infused oil had been heating over a brazier used specifically for that purpose, and Geller brought it over and set it next to Ailith’s leg.
Ailith did as instructed and closed her eyes, not sure what to expect. She felt the warm oil on her leg, and then the Prime’s callused hands began gently massaging her thigh muscle.
“So, if I’m right, th’ pain starts here.” Geller’s fingers stopped just shy of where the pain began.
“Well, here.”
The fingers moved to that spot. “And it ends here?” She placed her other hand further up the thigh.
Ailith opened her eyes but refrained from making any more quips about her lady parts. “Well, no. Not exactly.” She sighed and continued, “Well, th’ hurt ends there. Aye. But when ya do this….” Ailith bent her leg and tried to move her knee to the ground, the pain stopped her. “It hurts here.” She ran her hand from her pubis to the top of her thigh.
“Ya strained th’ ligament, too, then. Our stretchin’ should help that. In th’ mornin’, I’ll show ya some positions ye’ll need to work on to stretch it on yer own, and I’ll work on it, too. Ya think ya can do that? Stretchin’ extra, I mean.”
Ailith breathed a sigh of relief and closed her eyes. “Thank th’ Goddess. I were worried ya’d need to massage that, and that wouldn’t a been good. Well, it would’ve been good fer me, but—” When the hands froze, she pinched her lips shut and waited for the blow to fall. When it didn’t, she opened her eyes and saw that Osstendler had gone under the water again, and Geller’s eyes were shut tight. Her jaw muscle was definitely working overtime, too.
“Ailith?”
“Aye, Prime?”
“If we’re both goin’ to survive this assignment th’ Commander gave us, yer mouth needs to stay shut unless I ask ya a question.”
“Yes, Prime, but ya did ask me a question.” When Geller opened her eyes and glared at her, Ailith cleared her throat. “Mouth shut. Got it, Prime.”
Geller rose and said over her shoulder, “Ten bells tomorrow. Be here.”
She left the room, and Ailith sat up and rested her forehead on her raised knees. There was no doubt Geller would survive, but she wasn’t putting any coin on her own chances to make it through these stretching sessions unscathed.
“You really need to curb that mouth of yours, especially around your Prime.” Osstendler stepped out of the bath and toweled off before pulling on her robe.
“I know, it’s just when I get nervous…oh, fowk, ya wouldn’t understand.”
“That can be dangerous out on the streets.”
“Well, it don’t happen with assholes. Well, it does happen with assholes, but that’s mostly when they get me angry, and I say what I’m thinkin’. Like, in th’ army, there were this fowkin’ prince what thought he could beat up people, and I’d say things to get his mind off th’ poor sod he was beatin’ up so he’d focus on me and not them, ya ken?”
Osstendler raised her brows but didn’t nod, so Ailith continued, “This is different, it’s mostly with folks what I need to get along with. Ones where it’s important they like me, ya ken? Well, not like me, exactly, but maybe ones who….” She wasn’t sure what she was trying to say.
“People who are important in your life. Whom you hope someday will accept you, let you in.” She handed Ailith her robe. “Let me think about it for a while. Maybe I can come up with something to help.”
Ailith thanked her for the robe and watched as she left the room. She liked the lady and wondered what kind of help she was talking about. Osstendler and Geller were such completely different people that there was no way the understanding, dawning shift Prime could ever help her with Geller’s prickly personality. She walked back to her room and climbed into bed, hoping the morning session would go better than the one she’d just suffered through.
Osstendler climbed the stairs to their rooms and let herself in.
Geller was already relaxing on the sofa and had poured them each a glass of cool, white wine.
Traya retrieved hers before snuggling up next to her lover. They sat quietly for a while until Ursuna voiced what was uppermost on her mind. “What kind of shiv talks to her Prime like that?”
“A terrified one.”
Ursuna scoffed. “Ailith’s not terrified enough. Besides, she’s th’ best shiv we’ve got as far as battlin’ goes. She can handle herself in a fight.”
“I’m not talking about in a battle. I’m talking about in life.” She sipped her wine and then held the glass in her lap. “I think, a lot of the time, life terrifies her, Ursuna. Think about it. She’s had to survive in different environments. And I mean, literally, survive. Like you had to on the streets as a child. And, for the most part, other people have held her survival in their hands. If they don’t accept her into their circle, she’s out in the cold by herself again.”
The flickering of the lantern on the low table was soothing, and they stared into it, thinking their own thoughts. Traya, whose strength lay in her ability to read and understand people and their emotions, tried again to explain what her instincts were telling her. “She’s not afraid of you because she’s worried about being punished. She’s afraid that if you, or the Commander or anyone else for that matter, gets angry enough, she’ll always be on the outside of the Blades looking in. And when she’s nervous, in that way, I mean, not nervous on the street, but when she’s nervous about being rejected, she blurts out the first things that come into her mind.”
Ursuna listened to her lover. She always did. Maybe at times, they didn’t agree on smaller things, but for the most part, Traya made sense to her. She sipped her wine and took a stab at understanding what she was telling her. “So, I get angry, she worries she’ll be out in th’ cold, and th’ worry loosens her tongue, and I get angrier, and it’s a big circle.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Gods’ balls. I don’t deal with shivs except to teach ‘em weapons and to teach ‘em how to survive on th’ streets. Why th’ fowk is th’ Commander doin’ this to me?”
“Maybe the two of you, you and Ailith, I mean, have lessons that need to be learned. Sábria and the Commander are responsible for helping us grow, remember? They don’t ever allow us to coast or become stale. Look at this as a learning situation for both of you.”
When Ursuna pulled in a long breath, Traya wound her arm around hers and asked, “Do you have to go to work tonight?”
“Why?”
“Because maybe your lover would enjoy having you all to herself. With our schedules, we so rarely get a chance to be alone together.”
Ursuna put her head down on Traya’s soft hair. “I’m way ahead of ya. I already told Terrowyn the shift was hers, so I’m all yers and you,” she made a point to pronounce the word correctly, “are all mine.”
With a big sigh, Traya snuggled in closer, and the two enjoyed the rest of the night relaxing in each other’s arms.
CHAPTER 34
“You did what?” Sábria stared at Shirin as they ate their morning meal. She was feeling more relaxed than she’d been in a long time. Both she and Gweyir had assumed that when they’d left the gathering the evening before, they’d have a long night of fun and passion. Instead, Sábria had been so relieved her friend had returned that she’d asked Gwe to just hold her close. Having those beautiful black arms wrapped around her gave her such a feeling of safety and comfort that she’d had the most restful night she’d had in turns.
Shirin put down her fork and shrugged, “Well, one of Ursuna’s specialties, on top of her weapons training, is musculature and stretching. Don’t forget. We sent her for half a turn to the Healer’s Collegium to learn just that. I thought it was logical for her to work with her.”
“Shirin, Ursuna is the best weapons master and Prime we have, and for keeping her warriors safe and alive, there’s no better. But she has all the people skills of a piranha. And you’ve thrown Ailith in like a piece of meat. She’ll eat her up if they’re alone together on a one-on-one basis.”
