“You’re taller,” she said, though they had only been separated about a month. It was true, however, that since his arrival on Noble Island he had grown a great deal. Where he once looked her directly in the eyes, now he gazed down at her.
“She’s right,” Tar Kostek said and grabbed Gwaynn’s arm by way of greeting. “You are taller.” Gwaynn shook his former teacher’s hand, and then turned to Krys, who made a slight bow, one that Gwaynn returned.
“How are you?” he asked, directing the question at Vio.
She smiled and shrugged. “Healing. Pugg believes I will be able to take this off in another couple weeks,” she added, indicating the sling.
“Great,” Gwaynn said, then turned to Tar Kostek. “May I borrow her for a while?” he asked. “Just until you’ve finished sparring.”
“But of course,” the elder man answered with a knowing smile. He glanced at Vio whose face was now tinted pink, but when he looked back at Gwaynn, he noticed no such flush. The boy was growing up quickly.
Gwaynn placed his hand on Vio’s good arm, just above her elbow and led her away from the two sparring warriors and out toward the beach where a life time ago, they had started their runs. Vio felt tiny electric shocks where his fingers met her skin. Her mind was racing, but not in any coherent fashion. She walked with him in silence, wondering just what was on his mind. She looked up at him, but his profile gave away nothing.
They landed on the path, which led up a rise and then down through the dunes of the beach and ultimately to the Inland Sea.
“I won’t be staying,” he said just as the sea came into view.
Vio felt her heart sink seemingly all the way to her toes. They moved down the sandy hill toward the beach below. “Where will you go?” She asked, dreading the answer she knew he would give.
He half smiled. “Massi. It’s time I went home. Being on the Islands hasn’t kept anyone from trying to kill me.”
“The Deutzani will hunt you there,” she said, and it was clear from the statement that she no longer considered herself a Deutzani.
Gwaynn nodded. “And I will hunt them.”
Vio sighed as they moved out onto the beach and down close to the water. They moved in and out on the very edge of the waves walking west, both watching the sea birds gliding and dipping around them. Without warning and as easily as sliding into an old pair of boots, Gwaynn’s hand slipped into hers. She was surprised and warmed, but for the first time with him she did not read more into the gesture than was there. He would go to Massi, and she would stay on Noble.
“Why did you come back?” she finally asked. He stopped walking and took her other hand in his.
“Jon, Nev’s brother will land in Hymnia in two days. I will meet him there, but before I went I wanted to say good-bye to my favorite Tarina.”
It took her a brief second to understand that he was talking about her, and as the realization dawned on her, he leaned forward and kissed her, softly at first but with a growing passion, fueled by need and denial.
The kiss lasted only a few seconds, far too short for either of them, but Gwaynn broke away, and with great discipline turned about and began to lead her back in the direction that they had come. Neither said anything, for both understood the necessities of their positions. Life had separated them and life would keep them apart. When they reached the bottom of the path, which led up through the dunes, they saw Krys waiting at the very top of the hill. Still holding hands, they did not hurry and Krys made no move to come down and meet them.
“Master Amon told us about the Temple Knights,” Krys said once the two had approached close enough for normal conversation. Gwaynn could not help noticing the sound of awe in his voice. Vio noticed also and looked at Gwaynn for an explanation.
He just shrugged.
“Gwaynn was attacked by five Knights on Lato,” Krys said with a questioning look on his face. He would stop if he received any signal for Gwaynn to do so. Gwaynn’s face, however, just carried a bemused smile.
“He killed them all.”
“They’re overrated,” Gwaynn answered. “They may be a dominant force on horseback and as an army, but on foot, they don’t stack up to either of you. Perhaps they could defeat a weak weapons master, but it would take more than one.”
Krys frowned. “Master Kostek thinks very highly of them. He claims that the Deutzani could not have surprised and defeated the Massi without the help of the Temple Knights.”
Vio blushed at the turn of the conversation, but she said nothing and just stared at Gwaynn in wonder.
“Perhaps…and perhaps I was just lucky, but I’m telling you both now. I have faced graver dangers.”
The three of them moved back up the path and toward the main hall of the Mele Quarter. “Will you head for Mount Erato to continue training with Tar Nev?” Krys finally asked. Up ahead, Gwaynn could see the entire Leek family out of their house and waiting to greet him. Little Mari was already running his way.
“No, I’m going to Massi,” Gwaynn said simply. “And I would like you to come with me.”
Vio gasped, and Krys just looked stunned, but Gwaynn smiled and scooped up the running Mari and twirled her around. “You are so lovely,” he said, “by far the prettiest girl on the island.” Mari giggled. “Well, maybe it’s a tie,” Gwaynn added as an afterthought, “with Vio, Karin, Deidre and Shari.” Mari giggled more at that. Her mom, though beautiful in her own eyes, was not to be considered a pretty girl.
“What about my training?” Krys asked, secretly delighted to be going home with his King, and to begin taking upon himself the title of Massi Weapons Master.
“I will finish your training,” Gwaynn answered in such a serious tone that neither Krys nor Vio questioned it.
XIII
Tar Navarra rode into Solarii just after midnight on a dirty brown sway back he was forced to appropriate in Millvale. The horse, if you could call the beast that, was the best readily available animal in the town, and he could not waste time searching about for something better. He reached Solarii in a very bad mood, and to make it worse he was challenged, albeit briefly at the gate. Though the guards there said nothing, Navarra could feel their eyes going from him, to the horse and back. They undoubtedly were laughing at this very moment. Navarra tried to put it from his mind as he headed directly to the stables. No one was up at the moment, but it took only moments for him to find a stable boy sleeping in one of the empty stalls. Navarra kicked him on the upper thigh.
“Who…” the boy yelled, immediately alert. He sat rubbing the wounded spot on his leg, an angry retort on his lips, but he wisely closed his mouth when he recognized the Executioner.
“Saddle my horse,” Navarra ordered with a glare.
The boy stood up quickly. “Which…”
“Chaos. Have him ready in ten minutes,” Navarra barked, though Chaos was a mare. “I’m going to find something to eat and collect my dogs.”
The boy blanched at the thought of the large canines, which followed the Executioner about at times. The dogs were well trained, but whenever he was close to them he could swear they were salivating for a taste of his flesh, wanting nothing more than to attack and eat him. He got to work right away.