“They tried to kill us. The only thing that
saved us was stumbling into the Cribeau’lons. My benefactor said that these
warru had been trying to find me since my accident, and that the plant I fell
in was - made , made to be that deadly poisonous. Had I not been treated
almost instantly, I would not have made it.
“We ran for turns with little food or rest. I was
weak from the poison and from not being able to perform the Rite of Solu during
my illness - I was just recovering from the lor’den, as a matter of fact,
before we had to flee. So I could only risk an av’tun once and it was very
short and unstable, but it took all my av’rita and strength. They found us
again within half a turn. We were both wounded, though my savior more than I. I
couldn’t perform any healing - the Cribeau did the healing. Then we waited at
the edge of the Cribeau’lons for your egwae.”
There was silence as the brief summary she had fed
them filled their mental jaws past chewing. Hunted by warru even before the
egwae had been sent? A dangerous plant that was deliberately engineered to
be deadly? The Doan, a new ally turning out to possibly be an enemy? It was
just shy of being too fantastic to believe, and yet none would doubt her words.
“Obviously,” Otaga said slowly into the question-laden
silence, “obviously you do not want to say just yet who your savior is.” It was
a question, and Jeliya nodded in answer. “Then we will not ask about that one.
You said that you came very close to what you were looking for. You were
looking for the cause of the Zehj’Ba. Did you find it?” At Jeliya’s silence that
bespoke her reticence, the Warru First held up a placating hand. “This is
politically crucial, Highness. If you cannot give good enough cause for being
absent during the Bolorn, your and the High Queen’s political standing will be
damaged. How seriously is yet to be seen, but you must be prepared to defend
your position.”
“But she was hurt,” Rilantu pointed out. “Seriously
hurt. Any ol’bey’woman would be able to confirm that.”
Otaga shook her head. “She also sent the majority of
her escort away before she was hurt,” she countered, “which, I am sorry
to say, will not stand well. If they had been with her, the chances of her
being so seriously wounded would drop to nearly nothing. One thing that Tokia
implied in her challenge was that the Heir had been negligent. Your being hurt
because you sent your escort away - well, it would only seem to substantiate
her claim.” She looked apologetic at the unintended but inescapable slight
toward the Heir. “If the fact that you were injured is to be brought up, it
will have to be secondary to what you have found.”
Jeliya wanted to look away, but held Otaga’s eyes.
Then she nodded very slowly. “I found it. I know what the cause of the Zehj’Ba
is.”
The group around her sighed away a collectively held
breath.
“Do you know where it is?” Staventu asked.
Jeliya shook her head. “Not precisely. But I know
that it is within the boundaries of the Av’ru. And very close to the borders. I
would hazard a guess that it is somewhere in the unclaimed lons.”
“Close to where you were?”
“I don’t know.” She considered. “I would think not.
There are two main areas of unclaimed lons that actually go all the way
to the Border. One in the Este and one in the Weste. It is buried in the
ground, and I don’t think it has been moved. Yet.”
“And you will, I hope, explain all of these cryptic
remarks in Mother’s presence?” Staventu said, raising an eyebrow and crossing
his arms.
“Cryptic? I? I am the soul of clarity, and
erudition. Me ain’t know what’chu talkin’ ‘bout,” she rejoined, putting on her
best creole dialect.
Staventu grinned. “It’s good to have you back,” he
said.
They talked a little more about their speculations
then left at an informal dismissal from Jeliya as she pleaded quick tiring and
that sleep
saved us was stumbling into the Cribeau’lons. My benefactor said that these
warru had been trying to find me since my accident, and that the plant I fell
in was - made , made to be that deadly poisonous. Had I not been treated
almost instantly, I would not have made it.
“We ran for turns with little food or rest. I was
weak from the poison and from not being able to perform the Rite of Solu during
my illness - I was just recovering from the lor’den, as a matter of fact,
before we had to flee. So I could only risk an av’tun once and it was very
short and unstable, but it took all my av’rita and strength. They found us
again within half a turn. We were both wounded, though my savior more than I. I
couldn’t perform any healing - the Cribeau did the healing. Then we waited at
the edge of the Cribeau’lons for your egwae.”
There was silence as the brief summary she had fed
them filled their mental jaws past chewing. Hunted by warru even before the
egwae had been sent? A dangerous plant that was deliberately engineered to
be deadly? The Doan, a new ally turning out to possibly be an enemy? It was
just shy of being too fantastic to believe, and yet none would doubt her words.
“Obviously,” Otaga said slowly into the question-laden
silence, “obviously you do not want to say just yet who your savior is.” It was
a question, and Jeliya nodded in answer. “Then we will not ask about that one.
You said that you came very close to what you were looking for. You were
looking for the cause of the Zehj’Ba. Did you find it?” At Jeliya’s silence that
bespoke her reticence, the Warru First held up a placating hand. “This is
politically crucial, Highness. If you cannot give good enough cause for being
absent during the Bolorn, your and the High Queen’s political standing will be
damaged. How seriously is yet to be seen, but you must be prepared to defend
your position.”
“But she was hurt,” Rilantu pointed out. “Seriously
hurt. Any ol’bey’woman would be able to confirm that.”
Otaga shook her head. “She also sent the majority of
her escort away before she was hurt,” she countered, “which, I am sorry
to say, will not stand well. If they had been with her, the chances of her
being so seriously wounded would drop to nearly nothing. One thing that Tokia
implied in her challenge was that the Heir had been negligent. Your being hurt
because you sent your escort away - well, it would only seem to substantiate
her claim.” She looked apologetic at the unintended but inescapable slight
toward the Heir. “If the fact that you were injured is to be brought up, it
will have to be secondary to what you have found.”
Jeliya wanted to look away, but held Otaga’s eyes.
Then she nodded very slowly. “I found it. I know what the cause of the Zehj’Ba
is.”
The group around her sighed away a collectively held
breath.
“Do you know where it is?” Staventu asked.
Jeliya shook her head. “Not precisely. But I know
that it is within the boundaries of the Av’ru. And very close to the borders. I
would hazard a guess that it is somewhere in the unclaimed lons.”
“Close to where you were?”
“I don’t know.” She considered. “I would think not.
There are two main areas of unclaimed lons that actually go all the way
to the Border. One in the Este and one in the Weste. It is buried in the
ground, and I don’t think it has been moved. Yet.”
“And you will, I hope, explain all of these cryptic
remarks in Mother’s presence?” Staventu said, raising an eyebrow and crossing
his arms.
“Cryptic? I? I am the soul of clarity, and
erudition. Me ain’t know what’chu talkin’ ‘bout,” she rejoined, putting on her
best creole dialect.
Staventu grinned. “It’s good to have you back,” he
said.
They talked a little more about their speculations
then left at an informal dismissal from Jeliya as she pleaded quick tiring and
that sleep
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