that the
dormon had landed on.
Lyralliantha paused, giving him an odd look.
“What?”
“We need to talk,” she answered.
“So talk,” he suggested.
“In private,” she added.
Privacy was not something the She’Har valued, or even
considered most of the time. Tyrion’s interest was piqued. “Your platform is
closest.”
“No, more private,” she replied. “Your house?”
Now he was definitely curious. She was referring, in
a roundabout way, to the fact that he was building his enchanted stone house
partly for the purpose of preventing eavesdropping, magical or otherwise. She
really wants to make sure we aren’t overheard. “One of the rooms is
finished,” he stated simply.
Half an hour later they stood within the front arch of
his enchanted stone house. The outer walls were up, and the roof was in place,
but there were no doors, and the interior was still unfinished. The building
stood three stories in height, an oddity amid the massive trees at the edge of
the Illeniel Grove.
“If you wanted it to be so tall, why not grow it?” she
asked. “Stone is a crude medium for such a building.”
“Stone endures,” was his only reply before stepping
through the empty doorway and leading her up the first flight of stairs. He
had built the master bedroom on the third floor, and so far it was the only one
that had an actual working door. And the ability to shield us from any who
might be curious about our conversation, he added mentally.
Once they were inside the room and the door was closed
he turned to face her squarely, “No one can hear us now.”
Lyralliantha took a moment to test the enchantments
herself, letting her magesight roam throughout the room, seeking any opening
that might let a spy intrude upon them. Once again she marveled at her pet’s
cleverness. While his new magic was not so fine grained as the spellweavings
of the She’Har, it was no less effective, and she was continually surprised at
its versatility.
“Your people are in danger,” she said without
preamble.
Tyrion frowned, “What do you mean?”
“News of the new baratti found by the Mordan has
spread rapidly…” she explained.
My daughter, he
thought irritably, but he held his tongue. After fifteen years Lyralliantha
had gotten better, she never referred to him as an ‘animal’, but she still used
the term when she spoke of other humans.
“… and they will send wardens to search for more of
your offspring,” she finished.
His heart jumped. Haley had been hard enough. What
would I do if they had all of them? How could I watch them being forced to
fight one another? A hard lump formed in his stomach. He should have
thought of this already. Haley’s discovery would lead to a rush of wardens searching
Colne, and probably Lincoln too, hoping to find another human with his wild
talent. Every grove would want at least one—or more.
How many children do I have? He
had no idea.
“I have to get there first,” he stated firmly.
“Thillmarius has already sent a team to get there
before the others. That is why he was too busy to come with me today,” she
informed him.
Tyrion clenched his fists, “How long ago, and how long
before the others leave?”
“I am not sure,” she admitted. “They probably left at
dawn. The others will surely leave by dawn tomorrow.”
“It will take them a lot longer, though,” he noted.
“None are as close as the Prathion Grove, besides us.” The Illeniel Grove had
the closest border to the stony foothills in which Colne was located, but the
Prathion border met the edge of the Illeniel Grove not far from there.
Lyralliantha shook her head, “They will use the dormon
and fly them to the foothills and proceed on foot from there. The distance
will not delay them much.”
“Shit,” he said, growling in frustration. “Still,
they can’t carry horses with them, can they?” None of the dormon he had seen
thus far were large enough to carry livestock.
“Some dormon are
dormon had landed on.
Lyralliantha paused, giving him an odd look.
“What?”
“We need to talk,” she answered.
“So talk,” he suggested.
“In private,” she added.
Privacy was not something the She’Har valued, or even
considered most of the time. Tyrion’s interest was piqued. “Your platform is
closest.”
“No, more private,” she replied. “Your house?”
Now he was definitely curious. She was referring, in
a roundabout way, to the fact that he was building his enchanted stone house
partly for the purpose of preventing eavesdropping, magical or otherwise. She
really wants to make sure we aren’t overheard. “One of the rooms is
finished,” he stated simply.
Half an hour later they stood within the front arch of
his enchanted stone house. The outer walls were up, and the roof was in place,
but there were no doors, and the interior was still unfinished. The building
stood three stories in height, an oddity amid the massive trees at the edge of
the Illeniel Grove.
“If you wanted it to be so tall, why not grow it?” she
asked. “Stone is a crude medium for such a building.”
“Stone endures,” was his only reply before stepping
through the empty doorway and leading her up the first flight of stairs. He
had built the master bedroom on the third floor, and so far it was the only one
that had an actual working door. And the ability to shield us from any who
might be curious about our conversation, he added mentally.
Once they were inside the room and the door was closed
he turned to face her squarely, “No one can hear us now.”
Lyralliantha took a moment to test the enchantments
herself, letting her magesight roam throughout the room, seeking any opening
that might let a spy intrude upon them. Once again she marveled at her pet’s
cleverness. While his new magic was not so fine grained as the spellweavings
of the She’Har, it was no less effective, and she was continually surprised at
its versatility.
“Your people are in danger,” she said without
preamble.
Tyrion frowned, “What do you mean?”
“News of the new baratti found by the Mordan has
spread rapidly…” she explained.
My daughter, he
thought irritably, but he held his tongue. After fifteen years Lyralliantha
had gotten better, she never referred to him as an ‘animal’, but she still used
the term when she spoke of other humans.
“… and they will send wardens to search for more of
your offspring,” she finished.
His heart jumped. Haley had been hard enough. What
would I do if they had all of them? How could I watch them being forced to
fight one another? A hard lump formed in his stomach. He should have
thought of this already. Haley’s discovery would lead to a rush of wardens searching
Colne, and probably Lincoln too, hoping to find another human with his wild
talent. Every grove would want at least one—or more.
How many children do I have? He
had no idea.
“I have to get there first,” he stated firmly.
“Thillmarius has already sent a team to get there
before the others. That is why he was too busy to come with me today,” she
informed him.
Tyrion clenched his fists, “How long ago, and how long
before the others leave?”
“I am not sure,” she admitted. “They probably left at
dawn. The others will surely leave by dawn tomorrow.”
“It will take them a lot longer, though,” he noted.
“None are as close as the Prathion Grove, besides us.” The Illeniel Grove had
the closest border to the stony foothills in which Colne was located, but the
Prathion border met the edge of the Illeniel Grove not far from there.
Lyralliantha shook her head, “They will use the dormon
and fly them to the foothills and proceed on foot from there. The distance
will not delay them much.”
“Shit,” he said, growling in frustration. “Still,
they can’t carry horses with them, can they?” None of the dormon he had seen
thus far were large enough to carry livestock.
“Some dormon are
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