son, Morathi thought. The daemon smiled as if it understood what was going through her mind.
CHAPTER NINE
‘So what now?’ Teclis asked.
Tyrion stared off into the distance. The sea stretched as far as the horizon, black, oily, reflecting the moon and the night sky. Already Tyrion felt better for being out of the jungle. He was wearing clean clothes for the first time in months. He was not being eaten alive by mosquitoes as he slept. He had eaten shipboard rations and even though it was very basic by most standards, it was food that he liked. He could hear elvish being spoken all around him, and he was reassured to be once more surrounded by his own people.
For the first time in a very long time he felt like he could go to sleep securely, and not have to fear waking in some terrible peril. And of course, because this was the case, for the first time in months he was having difficulty sleeping.
It did not surprise him to find his brother upon the deck. Teclis was a night person. He liked to be awake and studying while others slept. It was a habit he had acquired in their youth when he had difficulty falling asleep because of his numerous illnesses. It had never left him, even now after he had used alchemy to acquire almost normal health.
He was glad that Teclis was awake. He felt the need to talk to someone about what troubled him and his brother was one of the few people that he could do that with, even though they were no longer as close as they had once been when they were children.
‘I could not sleep,’ said Tyrion.
‘That is strange,’ said Teclis. ‘Normally by now you would be lying there snoring, keeping the rest of us awake. Do you miss the jungle? Is the alarming absence of danger getting on your nerves?’
‘Something like that,’ said Tyrion. ‘I have been thinking about the future.’
‘I know how thinking always disturbs you. I am not surprised that you cannot sleep. My advice to you is give up on that. Thinking is not something that suits you. Doing is more your style.’ Normally Tyrion would not have minded his brother’s teasing but right now he was not in the mood for it.
‘I am serious,’ he said. ‘I am not sure that I like being summoned home in order to be put forward as a candidate in some political contest.’
He spoke softly so that no one might hear them. He did not want word of his doubts getting back to the ruler of House Emeraldsea, at least not until he was certain that he wanted them to.
‘Would it be so bad being the champion of the Everqueen?’ Teclis asked. ‘It is a great honour. One of the greatest that any elf could ever aspire to.’
Tyrion considered his words carefully. He had rarely even hinted at his secret ambitions to anyone, even his brother, over the past century. He was not sure that he wanted to do so even now. His grandfather had been the only elf he ever really talked to about them, and Lord Emeraldsea had shared them. ‘I know. It’s just that I am not sure it is an honour I want. I have been thinking about other things.’
Teclis raised an eyebrow. ‘Such as?’
‘You remember when we were young, you dreamed of being a great wizard. I dreamed of being a great warrior. I wanted to be a hero.’
‘You are a hero,’ said Teclis. For once he sounded serious. There was no mockery in his voice. Tyrion was surprised and rather touched.
‘That was the dream of a boy,’ said Tyrion ‘I have other dreams now. I want to lead armies. I want to do something to help our people in this world.’
‘You want to write your name in the history books,’ said Teclis.
‘Not just that.’
‘You have… political ambitions? You have set your sights on the Phoenix Throne?’
‘What if I have?’ Tyrion asked.
‘I am not judging you, brother,’ said Teclis. ‘I thought you were happy to be a simple warrior. I had not dreamed that you aimed so high.’
‘Neither did I, not really. And I’m not even sure about them myself. I would just like to keep my options open.’
‘And you think that becoming the champion of the Everqueen would limit you in some way.’
‘You know it would! The champion must be at the Everqueen’s side. The only time he can ever leave it is when she dispatches him