Chapter 327 - The Bruised, Battered, Black & Blue (II) (1/2)

It was silent for a moment as Rima's confession hung between them, then Tigin sighed, turning away from her to look out over the camp, ”That's not entirely true”.

”What isn't?” asked Rima.

”Him not trying to get you back…” Tigin admitted, ”He tried to get you back from Yashi when you were taken…I don't know exactly what happened, he's never talked about it. But when Sevis and I found him…he didn't talk for hours. I'd never seen him look so terrified before. I guess…I guess that because I was so worried about you his actions appeared selfish and cowardly. But now, after watching him today, I don't think he was either of those things. It never really occurred to me that he, who had before appeared untouchable, could be afraid of something”.

”Aegin, afraid?” Rima remarked. She frowned when she tried to recall a moment where she had seen him act that way, but came up blank, ”I've never seen him fear something”.

”He does though,” said Tigin, ”When he thought he was going to lose us today”. Rima turned to look at Tigin, realised he was right, ”I think that was what changed for him last night. What made him more powerful. He realised that even with all his power, he could only go so far alone”.

”So, this is where you two were,” Sevis said as he climbed the dune and came to sit beside Rima, ”Trying to escape your new responsibilities, Chieftain?”

Rima huffed, ”I'm not a chieftain”.

”Could have fooled me,” Sevis grinned. Rima blushed in the fading light of the day, hiding her face behind her folded arms as she stared out over the camp.

”I'm just answering questions,” Rima said, ”Giving my opinion. Like Mira said I should”.

”Sounds like a Chieftain taking advice from an Elder if you ask me,” Sevis replied.

Rima sighed, ”I can't be a Chieftain, I'm only half a Tribesman to begin with, no matter what bloodline that half might come from”.

”I don't know, I think you and Tigin have done a fair job over the past year of proving that a Tribesman does not have to be born in the Hava Rastellan to two Tribesman parents in order to be a Tribesman themselves,” said Sevis, ”You two found your way back here somehow, and I don't think you've done too badly here since. The Hava Rastellan is certainly not a place for the faint of heart”.

”You sure it's not because of some traditional initiation?” Tigin huffed, ”Survive your first psychotic Djinn and you can stay as long as you like?”

”Hopefully, Yashi will be the only psychotic Djinn any of us ever encounter,” Sevis admitted, ”Djinn aren't all that common to begin with, and usually their masters are more…well, they're not Gryffyn Blacksand”.

”So, it was just bad timing?” asked Rima with a raised eyebrow, ”I'll be sure to consult the gods next time I want to take a trip somewhere then. Better safe than sorry”.

”I'm not sure the gods will answer,” said Sevis, ”They haven't in a long time”.

”Then how do we know there are gods at all?” asked Tigin.

”The stories tell us so, so we must believe them,” Sevis replied, ”Because none of us have the power to truly know for sure”.

Rima had to agree with that. Even Yashi, despite his power, never seemed interested in gods. Or maybe that was why he wasn't interested. She found herself wanting to ask, but such a thing was futile now.

The dust kicked up beside them and a wind past over them, ”Oh good, you're all in one spot”.

Rima, Tigin and Sevis all looked up to see Aegin as he arrived to join them. He was wearing different clothes, appearing like he hadn't been in a life or death battle that morning. Rima was jealous. She wanted new clothes and bath after spending the day hiking in the desert.

”Where have you been?” she grumbled.