anxious to see his friend gone so soon.
* * *
Thane hailed the two healers as they approached the campfire. With confirmation that Zadok’s army was still a good distance away and since they were right at the doors of Calandra, it was decided that cook fires would be allowed. Knowing what had happened to Dor when he’d tried to learn the QenChe Tane Thane jokingly asked his friend if he’d like to light the fire. His reply was a launched rock that passed extremely close to Thane’s ear. Thane chuckled at Dor’s response. “I guess that means no.”
Dor just harrumphed at Thane’s apparent amusement at his expense but Tam placed a calming hand on his arm that brought a smile to his face and a poorly hid frown to Thane’s. It was still difficult for him to see them together but he knew he’d have to do better at masking his pain if they were to maintain the friendship that was more important to him then practically anything else.
He jumped when he felt Jne’s hand rest tenderly on his arm but she recoiled immediately in response to his reaction. He turned to look at her and thought he saw some of the same pain he felt but masked over by the burning look she gave him as she pointed out the two approaching healers. He held her gaze for a long moment, her eyes boring into his as if daring him to say something. Looking down at her slender hand, now balled into a tight fist, he felt his own hand lift and then tentatively reach for hers.
“Thane,” Bren called, pulling him, and his hand, back.
Jne quickly rose and walked out into the camp disappearing into the darkness. He sighed as he watched her go and then reluctantly turned his attention to the healer. He wished Bren had not been so punctual in their meeting but he couldn’t blame him too harshly. He too was anxious to see what exactly he could teach the healer regarding his Tane. If they were successful, it could mean a light of hope against their enemies.
“Welcome, Bren,” he finally said, directing him and Kat to sit where Jne had just been.
“I am sorry, Master Thane,” Bren said before sitting, “if I have offended Mistress Jne in anyway.”
Thane laughed. “Oh no my friend, you would know if you’d offended her. That is you would come to know it as you left this life for the one beyond.”
Bren swallowed hard and nodded, absently bringing his hand up to his neck. “I understand,” he whispered.
“Do not fear, Bren. It is something between Jne and me that I am finding that I need to deal with more quickly than I had supposed. Now, let us get on with why you are here.”
Bren smiled and nodded his assent. Kat seemed to be ignoring the whole exchange, her eyes boring into Tam’s turned head as she whispered something to Dor. Dor suddenly nodded and then started to rise. “I think we will take our leave then and leave you two to your…” he paused as if searching for the right word, “…work.”
Thane quickly stood. “Wait,” he pleaded with his friend. “I know how you feel about this but I really wish you would stay. This may be extremely important to us all and I might need your help.”
Dor’s face paled noticeably. He had met death multiple times and had stared it straight in the face and almost dared it to take him but such situations held no discomfort for him like the time he’d tried to use the powers of another Tane. This was something that did not sit right with him. He would gladly face ten wolgs without so much as a knife than try to use any Tane other than his own.
“I won’t do it,” he finally said. “I won’t try to learn another Tane and there is nothing you can say that will get me to change my mind.”
Thane smiled. “I don’t ask that of you, and I never would. It seems most likely that you, or Tam for that matter, are unable to use any Tane other than your own. I can’t explain it, but I believe it has something to do with the purity of your blood in that direction. You are MarGua and nothing
* * *
Thane hailed the two healers as they approached the campfire. With confirmation that Zadok’s army was still a good distance away and since they were right at the doors of Calandra, it was decided that cook fires would be allowed. Knowing what had happened to Dor when he’d tried to learn the QenChe Tane Thane jokingly asked his friend if he’d like to light the fire. His reply was a launched rock that passed extremely close to Thane’s ear. Thane chuckled at Dor’s response. “I guess that means no.”
Dor just harrumphed at Thane’s apparent amusement at his expense but Tam placed a calming hand on his arm that brought a smile to his face and a poorly hid frown to Thane’s. It was still difficult for him to see them together but he knew he’d have to do better at masking his pain if they were to maintain the friendship that was more important to him then practically anything else.
He jumped when he felt Jne’s hand rest tenderly on his arm but she recoiled immediately in response to his reaction. He turned to look at her and thought he saw some of the same pain he felt but masked over by the burning look she gave him as she pointed out the two approaching healers. He held her gaze for a long moment, her eyes boring into his as if daring him to say something. Looking down at her slender hand, now balled into a tight fist, he felt his own hand lift and then tentatively reach for hers.
“Thane,” Bren called, pulling him, and his hand, back.
Jne quickly rose and walked out into the camp disappearing into the darkness. He sighed as he watched her go and then reluctantly turned his attention to the healer. He wished Bren had not been so punctual in their meeting but he couldn’t blame him too harshly. He too was anxious to see what exactly he could teach the healer regarding his Tane. If they were successful, it could mean a light of hope against their enemies.
“Welcome, Bren,” he finally said, directing him and Kat to sit where Jne had just been.
“I am sorry, Master Thane,” Bren said before sitting, “if I have offended Mistress Jne in anyway.”
Thane laughed. “Oh no my friend, you would know if you’d offended her. That is you would come to know it as you left this life for the one beyond.”
Bren swallowed hard and nodded, absently bringing his hand up to his neck. “I understand,” he whispered.
“Do not fear, Bren. It is something between Jne and me that I am finding that I need to deal with more quickly than I had supposed. Now, let us get on with why you are here.”
Bren smiled and nodded his assent. Kat seemed to be ignoring the whole exchange, her eyes boring into Tam’s turned head as she whispered something to Dor. Dor suddenly nodded and then started to rise. “I think we will take our leave then and leave you two to your…” he paused as if searching for the right word, “…work.”
Thane quickly stood. “Wait,” he pleaded with his friend. “I know how you feel about this but I really wish you would stay. This may be extremely important to us all and I might need your help.”
Dor’s face paled noticeably. He had met death multiple times and had stared it straight in the face and almost dared it to take him but such situations held no discomfort for him like the time he’d tried to use the powers of another Tane. This was something that did not sit right with him. He would gladly face ten wolgs without so much as a knife than try to use any Tane other than his own.
“I won’t do it,” he finally said. “I won’t try to learn another Tane and there is nothing you can say that will get me to change my mind.”
Thane smiled. “I don’t ask that of you, and I never would. It seems most likely that you, or Tam for that matter, are unable to use any Tane other than your own. I can’t explain it, but I believe it has something to do with the purity of your blood in that direction. You are MarGua and nothing
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