Patrol 4: Storm & Calm

Chapter 6

Vania stood in the entrance of the stable at Lower Quarter Station, arms crossed, staring out at the wet yard with a frown. Eluri stood on her broad shoulders, pacing. The puddles grew as more rain rippled into them. Vania's frown melted when a tall bay mare trotted into the yard.

Eddin lowered himself from Tarva's back and approached Vania. "Good morning."

Vania stepped into the barn to allow Eddin and his horse entrance as she sighed with relief at the lack of bandages on his head and replied, "Good morning. You can hear again?" Eluri leapt from Vania's shoulder and flew up to Eddin's.

"Good morning to you, too, Eluri. And, yes, I can hear again. Just like Ab'bashura promised." He guided Tarva to a stall and began rubbing her down with a soft towel.

"Good." Vania nodded. "We need to talk."

"Yes," Eddin agreed. "But let's go check in with Captain first."

"I already did. Told her we're working on a case from Commander Aleira."

"All right." He stopped rubbing down his wet horse. "What did Aleira say yesterday?"

"That the storm is full of strange power, lots of bad things are happening, like ships sinking and temples being struck by lightning... and the followers of the storm goddess are out to get me."

"That doesn't sound like an assignment, Vania, just an assessment of the situation."

"She told me to go to the remaining temples and seek their assistance. None of the ones in the city wanted to help; Derry thinks I should go to neighboring cities to enlist more temples."

"He's got a point. Ab'bashura did say temples are our best bet for getting rid of this woman, and if none of the ones here want to help us, we should seeking more help elsewhere." He paused, thinking. "Shechem is only a day's ride away; we could go there today, wander the temples tomorrow, and return the next. Priori and Eldrath are each only two or three days out... Other cities are farther, but we can go wherever you think might help. Karn, the capital, is a week's riding. But, they have some of the most active temples. Maybe my mother would help you get there faster; she travels between there and here frequently."

"Is your mother even in the city right now?"

"No. But, with all the suitors sis keeps rejecting, she's bound to show up soon."

"How many of the five has she seen so far?"

"Four."

"And she's said no to all of them?" Vania asked, eyebrows raised. "Doesn't that make the fifth the default winner of the selection process?"

"Yes, it would, so no, she hasn't. She's said an outright no to two so far. She's holding off on rejecting the other two until she's met the fifth. She's worried she'll have to choose the least horrible of the three."

"That's..." Vania trailed off, grimacing.

"Well, you never know," Eddin said quietly. "The fifth suitor might actually be someone she could enjoy living with, even if it's not the man she wants..."

"Keep telling yourself that," Vania whispered. "Maybe it helps you sleep at night." In a normal tone, she asked, "And it's certain he's not on the list?"

"Vania, I already told you—he would need a mother or sister or some female relative to approach her mother on his behalf. A'marlon broker deals, especially in marriage, through women negotiating. And, besides, his contracted betrothal to Jezora was only very recently dissolved—even if he had any relatives, they would've been too late to approach. Mother's had the list for years."

"Maybe we should go to Karn," Vania muttered. "I could talk to your mother."

Eddin sighed. "Vania. I know you want to help because they're your friends. But, one, do you really want to get involved in an a'marlon political wedding? And, two, you're not even remotely related to him—Mother would never listen to you."

"Isn't brother and sister in arms close enough?"

Eddin frowned. "On the battlefield, sure. Not really at the negotiating table."

"It's why I call Derry my uncle, though he's not related to me by blood. He was Dad's brother-in-arms."

"That does sound like something the general would say," Eddin said quietly. He sighed again. "Besides, even if Mother agreed to let you speak for him—and that's a very big if—she'd never agree to the match. He's the last of his line, so to keep his family going, he needs someone to take his name and enter his family. A'marlon trace lineage by the women's side. Plus, T'kanna is Mother's only heir since S'reld'dia died, so she needs someone to take her name and enter her family."

Vania grinned. "I might actually have a compromise for that."

"As much as I'd love to know what that is, and, even more, see them both happy together, do you really want to get involved in match-making? That was more of Jezora's business."

"Yeah, well, she wasn't very good about it. More obnoxious than anything."

Eddin snorted, then bit his lip to hold back his chuckle. "So... you didn't appreciate her trying to encourage you to find a partner, so you'd have 'someone at home'?"

Vania scowled. "No. I rather people stayed out of my business, thank you."

"And yet you're trying to put your nose in other peoples'?"

"Fine," Vania snapped. "Forget I said anything. Just let your sister, the only sibling you have a good relationship with, marry some power-hungry noble who's in it just for the name and will make her miserable." She stomped out of the barn and into the rain, leaving Eddin to catch up.