The Ambassador's Mission: Book One of th - By Trudi Canavan Page 0,126
What were you thinking?”
Tyvara shrugged. “I don’t know.” She rubbed her face, her weariness suddenly plain to see. “We’d done so well … I thought maybe people were assuming we wouldn’t head for Sanctuary.”
Chari shook her head. “It’s just as well I was keeping an eye on Rasha. She’s head watcher at the estate next to mine and she’s been sweating on catching you. When I heard she’d gathered together a group and was heading out to get you I slipped away and followed.”
“A group?” Tyvara frowned. “Where are the others?”
“Fortunately for you, she told them to wait so she could go on ahead and knock off your new friend here.” Chari glanced at Lorkin and smiled. “I got to them first and told them to go home.”
“I outrank you,” Lorkin recalled her saying to Rasha. She’s obviously a fairly powerful Traitor. And if they have ranks then they aren’t as equal as Tyvara says.
“Well … thank you for that.” Tyvara paused. “So what are you going to do with us?”
Chari did not answer. She looked down, pursed her lips and walked a few steps closer. She stopped a few steps away, then looked at Tyvara searchingly. “Is it true?”
“Yes.”
Chari nodded and sighed. “Riva was a troublemaker. If anyone was going to give you reason, she would.”
Tyvara shook her head. “If there had been any other way …”
“Well, good for you for not denying it. What are your plans?”
“To go home and sort this out.”
Chari’s gaze shifted to Lorkin and moved from his head to his feet and back again. “What about him?”
Lorkin decided to ignore that he was being discussed as if he wasn’t there. He inclined his head politely. “Honoured to meet you, Chari of the Traitors.”
The woman grinned and walked over to face him. “I like him. Honoured to meet you, too, Lorkin of the Guild.”
“He has offered to return with me, to speak in my defence at the trial.” Tyvara’s words were quiet.
Chari’s eyebrows rose. “And are you wanting to go with her?” she asked of him.
“Yes.”
Her expression became both approving and appraising. “You’re a brave man. Are you going to give us what your father didn’t?”
“We’ll discuss that when we get there,” Tyvara replied before he could respond.
The young woman chuckled. “I’m sure you will. Of course, that’s not what’s supposed to happen,” she told him. “You’re supposed to be returned to Arvice. We’re certainly not meant to bring you back to our secret home. I’ll have to get permission for that.”
“How long will that take?” he asked.
Chari considered. “Six or seven days. We can shorten that by meeting Speaker Savara at the tanners’ huts.” She glanced at Tyvara. “Savara was Tyvara’s mentor – and mine – and is one of our leaders. If you still want to come to Sanctuary, you’ll have to talk her into taking you.”
“How would I best do that?”
Chari shrugged.
“With your usual charm and enthusiasm,” Tyvara told him. “Don’t make any promises, though. My people will regard them with suspicion, if they believe them at all. You only need to mention you are willing to consider making amends for your father’s betrayal, not specify how.”
He nodded. “I can do that.”
Tyvara smiled. “I’m looking forward to watching you try.”
“As am I,” Chari said. She looked down at his shoes. “How are your feet?”
“Well used.”
“Fancy a cart ride? We have a load of feed headed for one of the outer estates tomorrow. I’m sure there’s room for two more slaves.”
Lorkin looked at Tyvara. “We can trust her?”
She nodded. “Chari is an old friend of mine. We trained together.”
He smiled at Chari and inclined his head. “Then I accept. In fact, it sounds like an offer too good to refuse.”
“Then don’t.” Chari smiled brightly. “I can offer you more comfortable beds at my estate than a bit of dirt in an old ruin. And,” she leaned toward Lorkin and sniffed, “a bath.”
Lorkin looked toward Tyvara. She was frowning.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Nothing.” Sighing, she looked at Chari. “Are you sure Lorkin is safe at your estate?”
The young woman grinned. “The master’s a sweet old drunk. I make all the decisions there, including which slaves he buys. There’s not one slave there I didn’t approve of, and the few times Speaker Sneaky has tried to get one of her girls in I’ve found them somewhere else to be.”
Tyvara shook her head slowly. “You’re going to be a very scary woman if you ever decide to take a place at the Table.”