Werfas sat down squarely in
Kyrus’s way in the surdeniliarch’s house. “You are not going to
slink away in the night! That’s just stupid. You came all this way to learn how
to be a warrior, so your dumb old Emperor has to get you killed a more
honourable way than as an Ass! Being a real warrior, riding a moa, and all that
crap.”
Kyrus crossed his arms over his
chest, glaring at his best friend. “I’m not slinking! I’m leaving a
note. And if I don’t leave now I won’t ever be able to go home, not even
as the lowest sewer filter worker or burner! They find out I’ve learned
‘mandery they’ll not bother putting me in a cage with no bottom, they’ll just
take me up and fling me right off the Sun Crystal to make sure there’s nothing
left of me when I hit bottom!”
“The surdeniliarch doesn’t
think so. He wouldn’t do that to you. He wouldn’t take you away from your mom,
from your people. You know that.”
Kyrus made to go around the table
the other direction from where Werfas was blocking him. “Look, Milar, back
off.”
Werfas leaped up and dodged to
block the door the other way. “No, Lainz! You’re being an idiot. You aren’t
going to learn how to be a Dee in one or two or even ten lessons. You need to
stay. If I didn’t know better I’d say it was because Haraklez keeps smiling at
you and teasing you and you’re running away from a girl because she’s a better
warrior than you.”
Kyrus bunched a fist, relaxed it,
bunched it again, smacked it down on the table. “Darkness TAKE YOU!” He set his
pack down right in front of the fire and sat on it, glaring up at Werfas.
“That’s just stupid. I’m not scared of any girl.”
“Look you idiot Lainz, you could
be as good a warrior as your dad and you have one of the prettiest girls in the
war school making gooey eyes at you when you’re not looking and you’re running away?”
“I… I guess if you put it that
way… it sounds kind of stupid, doesn’t it?” Kyrus, from his position on the
backpack, slid down to use it as a backrest right in front of the fire. “I’m
sorry, Wer. I’m just… just so…um… gooey eyes?”
“I know. Never mind the gooey
eyes comment. You were off in class today and didn’t say two words strung
together at dinner. That’s why I came, because I was worried.”
“You were worried for me?” That
was a new idea for Kyrus.
“Yeah, bee-brain.” Werfas grinned
as he held out a hand to help Kyrus up off the floor. “You need to burn that
dumb note.”
“Stuff a boot liner in it, mutton
face.” Kyrus took his friend’s hand to climb up to his feet. “Yeah, I’ll burn
it. Um… she’s half Lainz.” His voice was muffled as he turned his back, grabbed
his pack and slung it back into the guest cupboard where he’d gotten it. “Thank
you.” Then almost in a whisper. “My brother.”
“No problem, Wing-brother.”
Werfas said this almost as quietly. “If you want.”
Kyrus wheeled around, eyes wide.
“You… how did you find out about that?”
“Not hard, idiot, from Zon
Elemfias, she’s fought enough Lainz and been friends with enough since the war
that she knows about that. You’ve got your beak hanging open.”
Kyrus stood, breathing hard,
struggled to keep his emotions in check and succeeded, except his reddening
eyes. He raised his sword fist slowly, kissed it and just as slowly,
tentatively, offered it to Werfas. “So long as we are never ordered against
each other, by our commanders, my Wing Brother keeps me from making too many
stupid mistakes.”
Werfas grinned, kissed his fist,
and touched it knuckle to knuckle. “As long as our countries are not at war.
Wing brother. I’ll do my best to point out if you’re being a bone-head.”
No comments:
Post a Comment