weeks! Sadye was so much closer to Aydrian's age! And De'Unnero understood that which most drew the attention and elicited the excitement from the bard. She loved power and she loved danger. She had welcomed De'Unnero into her arms because of the thrill of dealing with so dangerous a creature as the weretiger. With that serving as the basis for her lust, how could one such as Sadye not be drawn to Aydrian Boudabras? He was young and handsome and as great a warrior as any in the world, De'Unnero included. He was king, and his domain would soon enough encompass all the known world! And he was dangerous. Oh yes, De'Unnero saw that clearly. Aydrian was a dangerous young man, one who was growing more confident and more powerful by the day.
The monk turned slowly to regard his ally, who had been once, but certainly no more, his student.
"You wish Sadye to leave my side to accompany you?"
"Of course." It was said so simply, so matter-of-factly.
De'Unnero didn't want to have this fight at this time. "I cannot be without the both of you," he said. "There is the little matter of the weretiger."
"I can give you complete control of the beast," Aydrian promised.
De'Unnero's eyes narrowed.
"I can," Aydrian said to that doubting expression. "I can put the beast back inside of you because I know where to find your humanity. I can show you that, and teach you to use the gemstone to reach the desired level of calm."
De'Unnero didn't reply.
"I offer you freedom," Aydrian said after a long pause, with no response forthcoming from the stunned monk. "I offer you independence from me."
De'Unnero didn't reply.
"It must come to that, must it not?" Aydrian asked. "I cannot remain in St.-Mere-Abelle with you, after all, once that place is taken. I presume that you will rule the Abellican Church of Honce-the-Bear from that great mother abbey, while Abbot Olin rules the Abellican Church of Behren from either Entel or Jacintha. If that victory is to come to pass, you must learn to hold control over the beast by yourself."
"And in exchange, I am to give over to you the woman I love?" came the skeptical reply.
Aydrian shrugged, and De'Unnero saw that he, too, was not ready to have this fight at this time. He was probing.
"Her road will be hers to choose, in the end," Aydrian admitted.
"Her road was already chosen." With that, the monk turned again to leave.
"And what life will you offer to her in St.-Mere-Abelle?" Aydrian questioned, a parting shot that surely stung De'Unnero. For indeed, what life would Sadye find in the dark corridors of that male-dominated abbey? The monk had no answers. He walked out of the room, but Aydrian's voice followed him.
"I offer her the world," the brash young king said. "The whole world!"
Chapter 11 Posturing
A cold wind blew strong in Belli'mar Juraviel's face as the trail wound about to the northern slope of the mountain. The ground fell away before him, descending to a blanket of thick gray mist, covering a wide vale.
How well Juraviel knew these trails about his homeland. How well he knew the valley before him, Andur'Blough Inninness, with its tree city of Caer'alfar, the home of the Touel'alfar. He had been gone for nearly five years, and had been on the road often before that over the last two decades.
Now it was good to be home, though the specter of Aydrian, King Ay-drian, held his smile in check.
He looked back along the trail, to see his companions, Doc'alfar all, moving along.
"What have you done?" came a sharp voice among the trees to Juraviel's left, long before the elf's companions had caught up to him.
Despite the uncharacteristically harsh tone, Juraviel recognized the voice of To'el Dallia. He turned and scoured the trees, and sorted his kinswoman out from amid the tangle of branches.
"Long-lost cousins, too far removed," Juraviel replied solemnly.
To'el Dallia moved to the end of one branch, near to Juraviel, and studied him closely. She wanted to say that it was good to see him - he could see the warm familiarity clear upon her sparkling features. But there, too, resided a dark cloud, a deeper expression of true concern.
"It is no time to bring strangers to Andur'Blough Inninness," To'el Dallia scolded. "Go to them and turn them away, and be fast about it!"
Juraviel nearly laughed at the absurd remark, and would have had he not caught the hints of deep and sincere distress resonating within his friend. For there