Rhanu nodded to him. "Maybe you'd like to paint a picture, Han."
Han held his hands as though capturing Meshella in a frame. "I would gladly abandon my sword and take up the brush if I even dreamed I could render such a divine sight to canvas." He gave an exaggerated sigh. "But alas, such perfection is beyond my skill."
Meshella rolled her eye and swatted at Han with a towel. He nimbly dodged out of the way.
"I will tell our guests you are coming." He bowed and turned to where Nyori spoke urgently with a pair of hooded figures. She was smiling; the first time Rhanu had seen her do so since Marcellus mysteriously vanished.
Meshella's amusement sobered as she looked at the newcomers. "They were alone out in this storm, Rhanu. I'd say that makes them either very brave or very foolish."
He looked at the pair. Something seemed familiar, though he could not see their faces. Their scents tickled his nostrils.
He knew one of them, at least.
He tossed the rag back to Meshella. "Get some clothes on before these boys have a fit." She laughed again as he walked toward the newcomers. Han said something and they stood quickly. When they pulled their hoods back from their faces, Rhanu blinked in surprise. One of them was a woman. The other was Nando, one of Nyori's protectors when Rhanu first met her. Nando had similar features to the woman, marking them as siblings, perhaps even twins.
Nyori turned, her face still beaming. "You remember Nando, I am sure. This is his twin sister and my mentor, Shama Ayna."
Ayna was older than Nyori by only a few years. Her partially braided ebony hair was windswept and dampened, but that seemed to enhance the beauty of her face: full lips, tanned skin, and magnetic eyes the color of liquid gold. A diadem of tiny gems sparkled on her forehead, and loops of beads and polished bone hung from her neck. Her burgundy dress was intricately interwoven with mosaic designs, and pouches of varying sizes hung from the wide leather belt that encircled her slender waist.
Rhanu bowed respectfully. "Sholom, Shama Ayna. It honors me to meet the one who trained such a talented woman." He turned his attention to Nando. "I had heard you were slain. It pleases me to find that to be an error. But where is your companion?"
"He was the one who died, unfortunately." Nando had changed since their last meeting. His eyes were downcast and his face harder. His voice still had the same prideful ring as before, however. "The akhkharu I battled only saw me as a nuisance." His tone suggested irritation at that. "They cast me from the mountain and left me for dead as they followed Nyori's trail. I was sorely wounded but managed to survive long enough to be found by a Rhoma caravan. They were able to keep me alive until my sister found me."
Ayna's golden eyes looked evenly at Rhanu as though she knew him. As though she could see into his soul. He shivered inwardly and wondered if she could read his mind with her sorcery.
She spoke in a calm, deliberate manner. "Nyori has spoken highly of you and your band, Rhanu'bis. We thank you for your hospitality. It was difficult to travel in this storm, but I knew that in it we would find you."
His eyes had ventured longingly to the fire where his men distributed wineskins and made themselves comfortable. Her words refocused his attention. "You came through this storm looking for us? Why?"
Her mouth held a hint of a smile. "Did Nyori not tell you she was to meet with me?"
"Yes, but I didn't know you knew where to find us. How—"
"The certainty of knowing. The Sha are guided by our intuition. In normal times we would have met in a civilized place, but times are not normal, and it is pertinent that I meet with her now."
Rhanu felt a stir of amusement. I wonder if learning to provide mysterious answers is a part of training to be a Shama. "You're more than welcome to stay until we can guide you to a hospitable town, mistress. Other than that, I do not know what you would want with us."
Her amber gaze stayed focused on his. "One, because you are a hunter of akhkharu. They are on the move, and we need those who are capable of destroying them."
He was slightly impressed. Not too many knew anything about the odji, surely not enough to know them by their name. Still, she was a Shama, so it was no surprise that she knew more than the average person.
"And two, because you have seen the dark rider."
Rhanu's mouth dropped. "How could you know that?"
Her only response was her mysterious smile as she pulled her hood back over her head. Her eyes glowed from the shadows.
"Because I know, Godslayer. If you have had enough of wandering through snowstorms, you will let me guide you tomorrow."
"You? Guide us? Why would I even consider that?"
"Because when you do, I will lead you to this dark rider. He is essential to my cause. And to yours."
She turned and walked toward the fire before Rhanu could respond. The Huntsmen respectfully made room for her. Even Shiru nodded in respect. Rhanu shook his head wonderingly.
Nando glared, and Nyori looked as though Rhanu had said something offensive. She stepped closer, her whisper fierce. "Ayna knows more than you can imagine. Listen to her!" Then she too walked away with her head held high. Nando gave Rhanu a warning look before joining the others.
Rhanu scratched his head as he looked at Han.
"Nice job backing me up there."
Han grinned. "A man needs no help putting his foot in his mouth. She is one of their Sovereign Ones. To argue with such is useless." He looked at the departing Shama. "She is beautiful, is she not? Her complexion is flawless: such lovely golden skin. And her eyes — have you ever seen such? I was stricken by Nyori and afraid I would never reclaim my heart, but this Ayna…"
Rhanu clapped Han on the back with a laugh. They joined their comrades at the fire, where Fregeror had already raised his voice in another tale of legend and daring.
It wasn't until much later that Rhanu realized that Ayna had correctly deciphered the meaning of his name.
THE STORM BROKE THAT night. They awoke to clear skies and a sun that did its best to radiate what little warmth it could. Compared to the previous day, it was marvelous. The wide expanse outside was covered in a white blanket while the trees wore heavy winter coats.
Ayna had instructed the band that they would head out eastward toward the Eagle River. With the Huntsmen practically fawning over her and acting as though she was their natural leader, Rhanu could not put in anything that would not make himself sound foolish. She smiled at him in a pleased manner as if she read his thoughts. He wondered again about the range of her powers. Was it possible she was mentally manipulating the entire band? He shook his head. He knew too little of the Sha, but it certainly didn't feel as though his mind was invaded.
Who can know such things? He made a point to stay as far from her as possible, just for good measure. Booting his horse forward, he joined Dradyn toward the front of the line. The big man rode atop a shaggy colt and stared ahead with a focused gaze. He nodded in salutation when Rhanu joined him, but didn't speak. He hadn't said much since Marcellus' disappearance, but as a former ranger he knew the lay of the land well. That was good because their last guide lay buried in the hills of Leodia.
It was strange, finding so many odji in a well-populated region like that. After the attack in the palace, escorting Nyori was the best way to put some distance between them and Kaerleon. The soldiers would be looking for anyone involved, and Rhanu had no intention of explaining their reason for being there, especially when Marcellus Admorran had vanished into thin air.
Their passage was quiet, as the land slept in the embrace of winter. The air was still freezing, but without the wind to give it bite. Fregeror claimed it was a fine morning, but he was native to Norland, a land that hosted winters that made the current one seem like spring. He rode with his head uncovered, his bright red hair aglow in the morning sunlight. Han was ahead, scouting the terrain as he usually did. Shiru would be with him. Nando was around somewhere as well. It appeared hard for Ayna's brother to remain in one place long. The man roamed like a restless wolf.