"I thought you would try to leave."

She straightened stiffly. "Am I wrong in doing so?"

His expression was serious as he studied her. "Yes."

Adesina was incredulous. "You cannot possibly believe that. You saw what happened out there. Ri'sel was right, the Shimat are a plagueaand I am one of them."

L'iam sighed and moved to sit in a small patch of moonlight. He beckoned for Adesina to join him, which she did reluctantly.

"Do you know what makes the Shimat such a deadly force in this world?"

She had her own opinion on the matter, but she didn't know what L'iam thought. The young woman shrugged her shoulders, indicating her willingness to hear what he had to say.

"They are highly trained children who do not know how they are being manipulated. By the time they see the order for what it truly is, they no longer care. They are without conscience and without opposing forces to keep them in check."

"The L'avan oppose us," she said softly.

L'iam shook his head sadly. "We are too few to pose a serious threat to the Shimat. However, that is not the material point."

Her eyes were glued to the ground in front of her. "What, then?"

"The Shimat are what they are because they choose to be. Yes, they are fed many lies, but even when they are given the truth, they choose to remain the same." He reached out and lifted her chin to look her squarely in the eyes. "You have been given the truth, Adesina. You can choose to be like them, or you can choose to be something else."

She was embarra.s.sed to find her eyes swimming with angry tears. "It is too late! I have become the monster they wanted me to be."

His voice was firm. "That is not true, Adesina."

"It is!" she insisted. "I murdered those thieves and I enjoyed it."

"Do you still enjoy it?" he asked quietly.

"No," Adesina said miserably. "I feel sick just thinking about it."

L'iam leaned forward. "That is why you are not like the Shimat. That remorse is what sets you apart from them. It is never too late to change, Adesina. You still have the power to be who you want to be."

The night was still around them as they each turned to their own thoughts. Adesina couldn't force the memory of the evening from her mind.

"Those mena" she whispered.

L'iam nodded in understanding. "We have all done things of which we are ashamed, but the beauty of this life is that we are given the chance to make up for our mistakesa"if we choose to do so."

Although Adesina couldn't see it at the time, deep in her soul a spark of hope began to burn.

L'iam watched Adesina walk back to the camp. As soon as she was out of sight, he got to his feet and wandered through the trees. He found a strange comfort in walking through a forest at night.

He felt sorry for this confused and angry girl who had been thrown into their path. She tried so hard to be an adult, but she was still a child in many ways.

He remembered being her age and feeling the same way, asking the same questions: who was he? Was he nothing more than the years of training and expectation? He also remembered feeling trapped in a role in life that he did not choose.

Luckily, he'd had his family and close friends to help him through that challenging time of lifea"something that Adesina didn't really have. E'nes was doing his best to develop a relationship with his sister, but he often felt discouraged on that point.

Yes, L'iam felt very sorry for her.

More than that, he was pained when he thought about what was coming. Perhaps it would have been kinder to let Adesina part ways with the L'avan. He briefly wondered if she would have returned to the Shimat or gone off on her own.

L'iam shook away such fruitless lines of thought and brought his mind back to the present. His men were relying on him to lead them home, and they were not safe yet. He could not afford to be distracted by his pity of the Shimat girl.

Still, the days ahead were bound to be dark and there was no escaping them now.

Chapter Twenty-eight: The Return.

The next day's travels took them out of the thieves' forest and into the open. It seemed that they did not need the cover of the trees with the mountains shielding them from the rest of the world. They began angling east; gradually at first, but soon they were traveling more east than north.

As the days wore on, Adesina was surprised to see that she was not shunned by those around her. Instead, they did all that they could to show her their desire to help her through this difficult time.

E'nes rode close to her, sharing with her memories of his childhood. He spoke of their parents, describing them in great detail. He and Ravi would remind each other of happier times and laugh at old jokes. Adesina was grateful for the pictures he painted for her. It made her feel like she knew her family. It made her feel like she almost belonged to them.

Sa'jan was also spending a good deal of his time with Adesina. He was an excellent storyteller, whether he was recounting his experiences as a soldier, as a father, or simply as a man. They never pressed her to share any information of her own, but after a while she found herself doing it of her own accord.

Adesina talked about her dearest friend, Lanil, and her greatest enemy, Basha. She described to them what it was like growing up in a strict and constantly military environment. She spoke of what the students did to amuse themselves when the Shar were not around, what was expected when they were being supervised, and what it took to be the best among one's peers.

Bit by bit, the other L'avan joined in these conversations. They would listen to Adesina's stories and share tales of their own. Their journey seemed more relaxed now that they were beyond the mountain range.

Adesina kept a close eye out for any other group of travelers, but they were completely alone. When she commented on this to E'nes, he smiled.

"These lands are roamed by ferocious beasts. Travelers keep as far away as possible."

There were a few chuckles at this remark, and Ravi rolled his eyes. She looked at the others in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Ravi spoke up. "These are Rashad lands. We protect them from intruders."

At first Adesina didn't see any signs of the Rashad. The lands were filled with wildlife of all different kinds, but there was no hint of any sleek black forms other than Ravi. As the fourth week of their journey from the High City came to a close, Adesina was beginning to think that they would never see anything other than the local wildlife.

They were riding their horses through the tall green gra.s.s, basking in the morning sun. Adesina was marveling at the colors of these northern lands. Everything seemed so much richera"so much more alivea"than the south. She was about to comment to Ravi, when she saw him stiffen and a low growl sounded in his throat.

She looked around in alarm, for she had never seen him act in such a way. "What is it, Ravi?"

He didn't answer, but crouched low in the gra.s.s. The other L'avan continued to ride as if nothing was wrong, but Adesina slowed her horse, still searching for the danger.

Without warning, a golden figure launched itself at Ravi from an impressive distance. Adesina had never seen Ravi fight before, and she was struck by his deadly beauty. He moved with a speed and precision that would be breathtaking to any warrior. His movements were so smooth and effortless that Adesina was amazed.

Ravi evaded the attack with ease, pinning the golden figure to the ground. The attacker didn't even try to fight back. Instead, a throaty giggle escaped from it.

Ravi's voice was still a growl. "I had expected a more mature welcome, Rissa."

The name rang a bell in Adesina's memory. This was the younger sister that E'nes had told her about.

The two siblings were soon surrounded by several other Rashad. All of them had varying shades of golden yellow fur and large blue eyes. Adesina had expected them to have Ravi's black fur, but it seemed that he was an aberration in his own way.

"Adesina," E'nes called gently.

She took the hint and left Ravi with his family. After all, they hadn't seen him in a very long time.

They were now approaching another large forest that seemed to go on for several leagues. In the distance there was a lone mountain, which seemed to be their destination. E'nes confirmed what Adesina surmised.

He pointed to the peak. "Our capital city is at the base of that mountain. Once we enter the forest we will be in L'avan lands. All the area east and north of here belongs to the L'avan. We call them Pevothem. It means dwelling of the heart."

This forest was even older than the thieves' forest. However, rather than being tainted with decay, this forest was still thriving. Light danced along the forest floor, casting merry shadows as it went. The sounds and smells of a thousand forms of life seemed to join the light in its caper. Something deep inside of Adesina awoke as she entered this forest, although she could not identify what it was.

Adesina couldn't believe how different the north was from the south. She had never imagined that there could be so much light and color condensed into one place. The climate was cooler, but Adesina found that she preferred it. There was a much bigger variety of plant and animal life, some of which even evaded her thorough education.

It didn't take long for Ravi to catch up, accompanied by those who had greeted him. They appeared on a ridge just ahead of the path on which the L'avan were traveling.

L'iam brought his companions to a halt, greeting each of the Rashad by name, but Ravi was the one to introduce them to Adesina. He indicated to his father, mother and younger sister, speaking in affectionate tones. Then he introduced Remah, his betrothed, and her family.

Adesina was surprised at how easy it was for her to tell them apart. She had worried that they would all look too much alike for her to be able to learn their names, but each face was unique to her eyes. She took a particular interest in the one Ravi had introduced as his "betrothed."

Remah had golden tan fur and dark blue eyes. Her build was more pet.i.te than Ravi's, and her face exuded sweetness. She was standing close to Ravi, almost as if she was afraid he would leave without warning. Ravi didn't seem to mind her nearness. In fact, there was a sense of being complete in his expression.

Rissa walked beside Adesina as the growing group went onward. Her laughing eyes of sky blue danced with joy in everything around her. Adesina found her to be an interesting contrast from her older brother. While Ravi was sage and reserved, Rissa was playful and outgoing.

"So, you are the reason my brother has been gone for so long!"

Adesina didn't know how to reply to such a statement.

Rissa laughed at her expression. "Oh, do not worry about it. He was a great bore even before he left. We did not miss him much."

Everyone laughed, but it was clear that Ravi had been missed very much. The Rashad all gravitated around him, as if he had some sort of invisible power that gave them energy. Ravi appeared to be used to the proximity of the others of his race, as he didn't seem to notice it himself.

They traveled all of the next day, stopping near a warm spring the following evening. Each of the L'avan took turns taking baths, shaving and cleaning their clothes. E'nes gave Adesina a teasing smile.

"My wife would throw me out if I tried going home smelling like this."

Most of their conversations had been focused on his childhood or teenage years, so he had never mentioned that he was married. Adesina suddenly felt uneasy.

"You are married?"

Her brother looked surprised. "I was certain that I had told you."

She merely shook her head. She would have remembered something like that.

He turned back to his razor and small mirror. "Wren'na and I have been married for one year. Most L'avan couples marry when the younger of the two reaches their twentieth birthday."

Adesina pulled a leaf off of an overhead branch and began turning it over in her hands. "Why twenty years old?"

"Because that is when a L'avan is considered an adult."

He continued with his shaving while Adesina watched. Even though her eyes were on the motions of her brother's hand, her mind was far away. She had never considered the possibility of meeting a sister-in-law, and the idea of it worried her. What if this Wren'na didn't like her?

E'nes saw the expression on his sister's face and smiled. "Wren'na will love you, Adesina. I know she will."

She nodded doubtfully and walked away to begin her own preparations. E'nes had been thoughtful enough to set up a blanket and build a small fire by the spring. Adesina washed her clothes first and hung them up to dry by the fire. Then she stepped into the pool that had formed around the spring, sinking up to her neck. She let out a quiet sigh as the warm water relaxed her muscles.

She let the water wash away the troubles that plagued her mind. The young woman filled her thoughts with the sounds of the forest around her, the feeling of the water, the colors of the sunset filtering through the trees.

Adesina was the last to bathe, and had been encouraged to take as much time as she wanted. Still, it was only a matter of time until she felt she needed to finish. She washed herself thoroughly, and then began working on her long hair. Adesina had brought with her a root which could be worked into a lather, and left her quite clean.

She stepped out of the pool and went to sit by the fire to dry. By the time her skin was free of the water that clung to it, her clothing was dry as well. Adesina dressed carefully and rejoined the group.

No one slept well that night, due to the heightened antic.i.p.ation in the air. Eventually, morning came and they all prepared to begin the last leg of their journey.

The group was unusually quiet as they rode through the trees. Some felt antic.i.p.ation, others apprehension. Adesina felt an uncomfortable mixture of both.

As they topped a ridge, the trees ended and a gra.s.sy valley spread out before them. Nestled directly against the lone mountain on the far end of the valley was a large city. It was even larger than the High City.

It glistened in the late afternoon sun, set gracefully against both mountain and forest. It was clearly an ent.i.ty of its own, but it still seemed to fit in with all of its surroundingsa"like it had sprung up with the trees around it. It was easily the most beautiful thing Adesina had ever seen.

E'nes saw the stunned look on her face and smiled. "Welcome to the city of Yavar."

They nudged their horses forward, moving out into the open. The group was soon spotted by the city guards, and word of their arrival was sounded throughout the city. By the time they reached the city gates, a crowd had a.s.sembled. The sound of hundreds of voices washed over them as they entered Yavar, some cheering for their returned soldiers and others studying Adesina in curiosity.

"L'iam! L'iam!"

"Welcome home, Protectors!"

"What news have you?"

"Are the rumors true?"

Adesina was pleased to find that she could understand everything being shouted, even though it was all in the language of the L'avan.

"E'nes!"

This cry caught Adesina's attention. She turned and saw a pretty young woman with auburn and honey colored hair pushing her way through the crowd, her pixie features flooded with joy. E'nes saw her as well, and a wide grin split his face.

"Wren'na!"

She ran up to his horse, and he lifted her onto the saddle with him. Wren'na threw her arms around his neck and gave him a loving kiss.