Part 37 (1/2)
Her brother nodded slowly. ”That may be true in some cases, but I did not meet Wren'na until one week before our wedding. Her family raises horses on a farm north of Yavar.”
”Yet you still wanted to marry her?” she asked in amazement.
His expression softened as he thought of his beloved wife. ”Yes. I was actually infatuated with someone else at the time. It was a hard decision to make, but I trusted in the Reader's ability enough to follow through. I have been so grateful ever since. No one could make me as happy as Wren'na.”
Adesina frowned. ”What if someone's dava dies or chooses someone else to marry? It does not seem fair to be told you have a soul mate out there somewhere if you can never be with them.”
”Not every L'avan has a dava,” her brother clarified. ”One of my good friends was told that he would be happy with any woman he chose because of his joyful nature and his determination to build a loving relations.h.i.+p. I would estimate that only one out of every ten children has a dava.”
There was a brief pause as E'nes chose his words. ”As for the first part of your question, it is extremely rare for one's dava to die young. That is to say, before adulthood. Personally, I have only heard of it happening once.”
A troubling thought occurred to Adesina. ”Did I have a dava?”
E'nes s.h.i.+fted in his saddle uncomfortably. ”That does not matter, Adesina. You have been away long enough that no one expects you to follow our traditions.”
”I did, did I not?” she pressed on.
”Well, yes,” he admitted reluctantly, ”but like I said before, you are not held to the arrangement. Everyone a.s.sumed you were dead, so your dava has been in mourning long enough to honorably choose another to wed.”
”Who is it?”
There was no room in her tone for argument, and had they not been interrupted, Adesina probably would have gotten the information she demanded. Fortunately for E'nes, L'iam's voice broke over them, calling her attention away.
”Adesina, we are leaving Rashad lands. Would you be willing to provide us with some cover as a precaution?”
They were now within sight of the thieves' forest. With an irritated glance at her brother, she reached inward to connect with her vyala. In response to her desire, Adesina's vyala touched the light around them, becoming one with it, and her vision was tinted red with the change that occurred. She bent the light around them, creating the illusion that there was nothing but gra.s.s where they were riding.
This took all of Adesina's concentration, since she was still a beginner at using vyala. She had been a.s.sured that practice would make it easier in time. Still, as of right now she was left with her focus solely on her vyala, and was unable to prevent E'nes from moving his horse to ride alongside L'iam.
She couldn't even pay attention to the quiet conversations going on around her. Ravi and Sa'jan were chatting with each other in low voices, and E'nes and L'iam were conversing. Adesina had not yet learned how to cover their sound as well as their visible presence, therefore they could not speak in normal voices without running the risk of being heard. It irritated her that she didn't have focus to spare to listen to what was being said around her.
Adesina provided cover for them until they were once again under the safety of the trees. She held the s.h.i.+eld until they were all able to draw the long hooded cloaks around themselves, then she let the illusion drop.
The group continued riding through the trees in silence. Gruesome memories of what took place there haunted Adesina as they traveled through the shadowed domain. She was so distracted by these thoughts that it wasn't until the second day that she noticed the almost inaudible whisper of leaves.
”We are being followed,” she said quietly to L'iam, who was riding next to her.
He frowned. ”Are you sure?”
Adesina raised an eyebrow at him. ”Of course.”
L'iam brought the group to a stop and turned to face the direction Adesina indicated.
”Whoever you are, come out willingly or you will be driven out.”
There was a slight pause before the rustle of underbrush grew louder. A slender figure stepped out from behind a tree, her expression chagrined.
L'iam's face flushed with anger. ”L'era!”
Adesina stared at her in exasperation. ”What are you doing here?”
The princess tried her most winning smile, to no effect. ”Following you.”
This only seemed to goad her brother. ”Father will be furious! You must go home!”
She came forward, leading her snowy white horse. ”Well, if Father will be furious, why would I go to meet his anger? It would be better for me to wait until he will be merely relieved to see me alive.”
L'iam took a calming breath. ”L'era, this is serious. We are talking about a very dangerous mission, not some countryside picnic.”
She rolled her eyes at him. ”I know that, L'iam.”
”You are not trained as a warrior!”
L'era shook her head obstinately. ”I am not suggesting that I be placed in the middle of the fighting, but I can still help!”
Adesina was growing impatient. ”L'iam, we do not have time for this.”
He nodded in agreement. ”L'era, there is nothing you can say to convince me to let you come along. Go home right now.”
Her eyes narrowed. ”I will just follow you if you do not let me travel with you.”
”Not if I send someone to escort you home,” he retorted heatedly.
She gave an unamused laugh. ”Whom would you send? You cannot wait for them to catch back up, and you cannot do without any party member.”
L'iam turned to the only one who would be able to take L'era back to Yavar and then catch up without any problems. ”Ravi?”
Ravi shook his head apologetically. ”I feel very strongly that I should not leave Ma'eve.”
L'iam looked around at the faces of the others in the group. He did not see anyone who he felt they could do without.
His sister suppressed a triumphant grin. ”Does that mean I can come?”
L'iam turned to Adesina and spoke to her in a low voice. ”Do you have any suggestions? No matter what I say, she will not listen to me.”
She frowned. ”Do you think she would listen if I told her to go back to Pevothem?”
Ravi quietly cut in here. ”She cannot travel by herself. She will be captured if left alone.”
He spoke with a certainty that sent chills of dread through both listeners.
”We cannot let her come,” L'iam said hopelessly.
Adesina sighed heavily. ”We have very few options. We cannot wait any longer for this mission, and we cannot spare anyone to take her back.”
His expression was void of its usual light. ”I know.”