Page 82 of Shadows of Winter

“Help my brother, and I’ll help you,” she told the plant, though she had no idea what it needed.

Was it her imagination that the red glow brightened with skepticism?

“We’re not your enemies. We’re innocent visitors here, doing what we have to do to make it in this strange land. You can understand, can’t you?”

The plant didn’t react. No further visions came from it.

Kaylina groped for a better argument to sway it, but a distant call came from below.

“Kaylina? Are you here?”

“Frayvar!”

She snatched up her knife and rushed to the hole but paused before jumping down. She didn’t know if the plant had released him from its hold, or he’d woken up naturally, but she blurted, “Thank you.”

The red glow pulsed once.

Kaylina jumped down, afraid she’d promised a favor she couldn’t deliver.

20

The greatest freedom, and one elusive to many, is the ability to say no.

~ Abayar, Founder Sandsteader Press

Outside, rain pounded down from low dark clouds, making it hard to tell when night gave way to day. Kaylina didn’t care. Other than checking to make sure her brother wasn’t seized by unconsciousness again, she didn’t intend to do anything. She wasn’t getting ready for the opening of the meadery—how could she invite people to visit this vile castle?—and she had no intention of showing up at ranger headquarters for training. She planned to remain wrapped in blankets, dozing and lamenting her foolish decision to leave home.

During the night, more nightmares had plagued her, all featuring that plant, and clanking had come from the catacombs. She’d barely slept. Her brother would tell her she was in a funk, but, in this case, it had to be understandable.

Frayvar sat up and stoked the fire in the hearth.

“I need to start prepping. I wish I had an assistant chef.” He looked toward Kaylina, as if he might press her into the duty, but must have remembered she was supposed to be elsewhere. “You weren’t ordered to report for training at dawn?”

“Screw the training.”

“They know where to find you if they want you.”

“Let them come. If they care. Vlerion is probably still busy with that woman. After she showed up yesterday, he blew off my training.” The hurt in her tone surprised her. She hadn’t truly cared about that, had she?

Once she’d had to train with others, she’d realized that Vlerion was a decent instructor. He’d been patient and hadn’t laughed at her ineptitude or leered at her chest. It turned out that was rare among the rangers. They did need more women working with them, but only so they would smack the men and indoctrinate better behavior in them.

Other than the occasional lawless pirate, someone who pestered everyone, men hadn’t bothered Kaylina that often back home. They’d known her family would protect her. Her grandparents weren’t physically intimidating, but everyone on the islands knew who they were and respected them, and her brother-in-law and male cousins snapped at anyone who was rude to their female relatives. Maybe Kaylina had taken them all for granted.

What had she told Frayvar the day they arrived? It’s hard to get people to take you seriously when there’s nobody behind you.

“Is he a good trainer?” Frayvar asked.

“Vlerion? Yeah, I guess he is.”

“I thought he might be hard on you. Because you hit him on the head and called him an ass and a pirate.”

“He wasn’t exactly un-hard, but he was… decent.”

And he’d been sympathetic about her wanting to protect her brother. She wished she’d asked him more about his brother. She’d hardly asked him anything about himself. Maybe it wasn’t any of her business, but her mother had often told her to stop living in her own head and show interest in others. That had been before the tarmav weed, when she’d cared about her children growing up to be good people.

“Well, if you’re not going to train, you can help me peel vegetables.”

“I will. I—”

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