King of Sword and Sky
Page 71
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The tairen cocked her head. «The pride sang greetings before, in the nesting lair.»
His lips twitched. "Aiyah, but Ellysetta-Feyreisa was raised among the mortals…the two-legs who mate only in private. She needs time to become accustomed to the ways of the pride."
Steli looked at Ellysetta, who still held a death grip on the covers. The tairen's ears and tail twitched; then she snorted again. «What is "private"?»
Rain laughed. "Private means that Steli-chakai should not enter this sleeping lair unless Ellysetta-Feyreisa or Rainier-Eras says you may."
Steli's ears went back. «Steli does not like private.» She growled. «Or knocking.» Fur ruffled, clearly offended, she twisted her sinuous body and headed back out to the ledge where she must have come from. «The Fey-kin are here. They wait on Su Reisu.» She sniffed as she left.
"Steli, wait!" Ellysetta ran after the white tairen and caught up with her on the ledge outside. There was enough irritation still whirling in Steli's eyes that Ellysetta stopped short of coming within claw reach of the white tairen. "Sieks'ta. I'm sorry. I did not mean to hurt your feelings. I am not used to pride ways—and you surprised me. Please, teska, forgive me."
The supplication seemed to soothe the white tairen's injured pride. She swished her tail, then wrinkled her nose and sniffed again for good measure before saying, «Steli forgives.»
Ellysetta flung her arms around the cat's neck. "Beylah vo, Steli-chakai."
«Ellysetta-kitling did not hatch in Fey'Bahren. She was not raised in the ways of the pride.» Steli began to purr and gave the side of Ellysetta's face a warm, maternal lick. «Steli will teach.» The white tairen sounded alarmingly pleased by the prospect.
Pride appeased, Steli flew down with Rain and Ellysetta to Su Reisu, the low, flat-topped plateau at the base of Fey'Bahren where Marissya and Dax were waiting. After an initial threatening growl at the truemates, the white tairen settled into a protective crouch behind Ellysetta, and other than an occasional warning rumble if the newcomers moved too close, she left the Fey to exchange greetings.
Ellysetta explained her findings to Marissya. "There are five eggs left. I tried to look for the source of their illness, as you taught me. Maybe it's my own inexperience, but other than the kitlings being tired and frightened and very weak, I couldn't find anything wrong."
"She sang love and strength on them," Rain added.
Ellysetta grimaced. "Without realizing it, of course."
Marissya started to pat her hand, then glanced at the blue-eyed tairen and changed her mind. "You just need practice, Ellysetta. It's not lack of ability, but lack of confidence that holds you back."
Ellysetta glanced over at Rain, who arched a speaking brow. "Rain said much the same thing last night. He wants me to train with the Academy's chatok as well as with the shei'dalins when we reach Dharsa."
Marissya's eyes widened. "Does he?"
"She is a Tairen Soul," Rain said. "There are skills she must learn that the shei'dalins cannot teach."
"The Massan will not approve."
"The Massan have no say in the training of young feyreisen."
Steli growled and crept closer, poking her head around Ellysetta to fix whirling blue eyes on Marissya. The edge of her mouth lifted up, baring fangs, and her nostrils flared, sniffing the air as if scenting for potential threats—or prey.
"Perhaps not, but tread lightly with them, Rain." Marissya frowned at the white tairen and edged back, reaching for Dax's hand. "They deserve your respect."
"And they have it. But that does not mean this king must seek their approval for his decisions."
"Change takes time."
"Time is a luxury I do not have." Rain's eyes flashed lavender sparks. "War is coming, and my bond with Ellysetta is not complete. I must do what I feel is necessary. I allowed Ellysetta to heal the rasa because I need blades to fight. Ellysetta must be trained as both a shei'dalin and a Tairen Soul, because both are the gifts the gods gave her. If she cannot accept the entirety of herself, what hope is there for the completion of our bond?"
Before Marissya could answer, Steli pushed her nose against Marissya's brown leathers and sniffed again. «This one has strong pride scent for a Fey-kin.»
"Marissya?" Rain eyed the tairen in confusion. "She is of the vel Serranis line. Many feyreisen were born to her family in the past. Perhaps that is what you sense?"
«Perhaps.» Steli growled noncommittally. She sniffed some more, nudging Marissya with her nose, then sat back on her haunches. «This one can help Ellysetta-kitling heal our young?»
"We believe so."
The chakai thumped her tail. «Sybharukai says this one may enter the lair.»
Leaving Rain staring at her in astonishment, the fierce white tairen leapt into the sky and flew towards the wide mouth of the cave that led to the interior of Fey'Bahren.
"What is it?" Marissya asked when the tairen were gone. "What did she say?"
Rain gave her a look of sheer disbelief. "She said you may enter the nesting lair."
The shei'dalin's jaw dropped open. "I don't understand. I've been here before, and the tairen never let me set foot beyond Su Reisu."
"Marissya, I'm as confused as you. Steli said you bear pride-scent. Maybe while you've been teaching Ellysetta, some trace of her scent was transferred to you. Does it really matter?"
His lips twitched. "Aiyah, but Ellysetta-Feyreisa was raised among the mortals…the two-legs who mate only in private. She needs time to become accustomed to the ways of the pride."
Steli looked at Ellysetta, who still held a death grip on the covers. The tairen's ears and tail twitched; then she snorted again. «What is "private"?»
Rain laughed. "Private means that Steli-chakai should not enter this sleeping lair unless Ellysetta-Feyreisa or Rainier-Eras says you may."
Steli's ears went back. «Steli does not like private.» She growled. «Or knocking.» Fur ruffled, clearly offended, she twisted her sinuous body and headed back out to the ledge where she must have come from. «The Fey-kin are here. They wait on Su Reisu.» She sniffed as she left.
"Steli, wait!" Ellysetta ran after the white tairen and caught up with her on the ledge outside. There was enough irritation still whirling in Steli's eyes that Ellysetta stopped short of coming within claw reach of the white tairen. "Sieks'ta. I'm sorry. I did not mean to hurt your feelings. I am not used to pride ways—and you surprised me. Please, teska, forgive me."
The supplication seemed to soothe the white tairen's injured pride. She swished her tail, then wrinkled her nose and sniffed again for good measure before saying, «Steli forgives.»
Ellysetta flung her arms around the cat's neck. "Beylah vo, Steli-chakai."
«Ellysetta-kitling did not hatch in Fey'Bahren. She was not raised in the ways of the pride.» Steli began to purr and gave the side of Ellysetta's face a warm, maternal lick. «Steli will teach.» The white tairen sounded alarmingly pleased by the prospect.
Pride appeased, Steli flew down with Rain and Ellysetta to Su Reisu, the low, flat-topped plateau at the base of Fey'Bahren where Marissya and Dax were waiting. After an initial threatening growl at the truemates, the white tairen settled into a protective crouch behind Ellysetta, and other than an occasional warning rumble if the newcomers moved too close, she left the Fey to exchange greetings.
Ellysetta explained her findings to Marissya. "There are five eggs left. I tried to look for the source of their illness, as you taught me. Maybe it's my own inexperience, but other than the kitlings being tired and frightened and very weak, I couldn't find anything wrong."
"She sang love and strength on them," Rain added.
Ellysetta grimaced. "Without realizing it, of course."
Marissya started to pat her hand, then glanced at the blue-eyed tairen and changed her mind. "You just need practice, Ellysetta. It's not lack of ability, but lack of confidence that holds you back."
Ellysetta glanced over at Rain, who arched a speaking brow. "Rain said much the same thing last night. He wants me to train with the Academy's chatok as well as with the shei'dalins when we reach Dharsa."
Marissya's eyes widened. "Does he?"
"She is a Tairen Soul," Rain said. "There are skills she must learn that the shei'dalins cannot teach."
"The Massan will not approve."
"The Massan have no say in the training of young feyreisen."
Steli growled and crept closer, poking her head around Ellysetta to fix whirling blue eyes on Marissya. The edge of her mouth lifted up, baring fangs, and her nostrils flared, sniffing the air as if scenting for potential threats—or prey.
"Perhaps not, but tread lightly with them, Rain." Marissya frowned at the white tairen and edged back, reaching for Dax's hand. "They deserve your respect."
"And they have it. But that does not mean this king must seek their approval for his decisions."
"Change takes time."
"Time is a luxury I do not have." Rain's eyes flashed lavender sparks. "War is coming, and my bond with Ellysetta is not complete. I must do what I feel is necessary. I allowed Ellysetta to heal the rasa because I need blades to fight. Ellysetta must be trained as both a shei'dalin and a Tairen Soul, because both are the gifts the gods gave her. If she cannot accept the entirety of herself, what hope is there for the completion of our bond?"
Before Marissya could answer, Steli pushed her nose against Marissya's brown leathers and sniffed again. «This one has strong pride scent for a Fey-kin.»
"Marissya?" Rain eyed the tairen in confusion. "She is of the vel Serranis line. Many feyreisen were born to her family in the past. Perhaps that is what you sense?"
«Perhaps.» Steli growled noncommittally. She sniffed some more, nudging Marissya with her nose, then sat back on her haunches. «This one can help Ellysetta-kitling heal our young?»
"We believe so."
The chakai thumped her tail. «Sybharukai says this one may enter the lair.»
Leaving Rain staring at her in astonishment, the fierce white tairen leapt into the sky and flew towards the wide mouth of the cave that led to the interior of Fey'Bahren.
"What is it?" Marissya asked when the tairen were gone. "What did she say?"
Rain gave her a look of sheer disbelief. "She said you may enter the nesting lair."
The shei'dalin's jaw dropped open. "I don't understand. I've been here before, and the tairen never let me set foot beyond Su Reisu."
"Marissya, I'm as confused as you. Steli said you bear pride-scent. Maybe while you've been teaching Ellysetta, some trace of her scent was transferred to you. Does it really matter?"
