Chapter 22 #2
“Among some of them. I spoke to the elected elders who oversee the elven military in the north—my superiors, essentially—about leaving certain of these warriors back at the enclave, but they said my concerns were in my imagination. And maybe they are. But I’ve been unsettled since learning about your friend’s relation to the queen and that I wasn’t told the real reason we were supposed to seek her out.
As a captain and distant relative to the queen, I’m not usually kept out of the loop, but I’ve also never immersed myself in political matters.
In fact, after glimpsing the machinations that got us into the Ore War and saw so many of our people killed, I’ve formed a particular aversion to politics. ”
“No soldier loves them. People who’ve never engaged in fisticuffs, much less outright battle, sit in their comfortable meeting rooms and decide the fates for the rest of us without much concern over whether we live or die.”
“As true for your people as mine, I’m certain,” Tassani said. “We soldiers are but chaffs of wheat blown about by tumultuous winds.”
“Did you know dragons and ogres are the only intelligent species whose rulers also commonly lead their troops into war?” Rylana thought that was a good system. People were less likely to sacrifice soldiers when they themselves were in the process of leading from the front of the formation.
“I did know that. They’re the most bellicose and aggressive of species.”
“My dragon ally is currently mincing mushrooms and might be offended if you lumped all of his kind in as aggressive.”
“During the war, I witnessed your dragon ally breathing fire to blow up munitions wagons while carrying his elven archer ally into battles in which they left hordes of fallen enemies in verdant valleys where the streams ran crimson with blood in the aftermath.”
Rylana waved a hand in agreement to the idea that the dragon reputation for being deadly wasn’t overstated. “That’s probably where he refined his ability to mince.”
“Mince, chop, sear, roast, barbecue, flambé…”
“He excels at those, yes. What do you want me to do, Tassani? Hire security guards to come to the diner tonight? It’s not like they would be able to carry weapons that weren’t tied by tranquility ribbons.
Besides, if we had a bunch of heavies here, wouldn’t your lieutenant consider them a threat to the queen and question their presence? ”
“Yes.” Tassani shook his head glumly. “I guess I don’t want you to do anything except…
be alert. If the one the queen believes is Sylinesla doesn’t come, it shouldn’t matter, regardless.
” He turned his pensive expression toward one of the windows.
Had he put a particular emphasis on the word shouldn’t or was that her imagination? “Can you warn her to stay away?”
“Yes.”
“Will she heed your warning?”
Rylana hesitated, wishing she’d argued more vociferously for Sylin not to come tonight.
Instead, she’d brought that flier of enticement.
Not that Sylin wouldn’t have spotted one of the fliers on her own.
The last Rylana had seen, Vilma was pasting them all up and down Acorn Street as well as by the docks where ships were coming in.
“Your pause makes me believe she’s an independent person who does as she wishes and won’t be deterred.” Tassani smiled faintly.
“Nothing deters her. Not even questionably fermented coffee. I…” Rylana spotted the lieutenant approaching and trailed off.
“You’ve found a potential threat?” Tassani asked his officer.
“Not necessarily, sir, but there is an…” The elf glanced at Rylana. “An unexpected bed in the storeroom. An entire set of bedroom furnishings, actually.”
“Chef Jildarin has his lair back there, does he not?” Tassani asked, though he’d been there for the arrival of the bedroom set and knew all about it.
“Yes, but it doesn’t look like— Well, there’s a lavender comforter on the bed.” The elf looked at Rylana again.
She folded her arms over her chest. She’d purchased the blanket at the market, finding the color soothing and perfect for a relaxation space, but all she said was, “You think a dragon would be aware that some colors suggest masculinity or femininity in human culture? And apparently in elven culture? And that he would be above sprawling out on a lavender throw?”
“It’s lacy,” the lieutenant said.
“Heinous.”
“Further, it smells of your scent,” he continued. “That puzzled me since dragons don’t traditionally allow any but their mates—their dragon mates—to share their lairs.”
“We have a special relationship. I’m his business partner.”
“I’m unaware of dragons allowing business partners into their lairs.”
“To be fair,” Tassani said, “few dragons engage in entrepreneurship, so we don’t really know what their cultural norms are in that area.”
“True,” the lieutenant said. “When I realized the furnishings belonged to the female human, I wondered if it was possible the elf assassin had spent time there as well, since she’s a known companion of this one.
” He pointed at Rylana. “There’s a bow, quiver, and a sword leaning against a crate back there. ”
“Those are my weapons, not hers,” Rylana said, “and I didn’t know that your troops would be smelling my bedroom set as part of their search for threats, Captain.”
Tassani’s cheeks grew a touch pink, but he sturdily said, “I ordered them to be thorough.”
“Do you want me to open the wardrobe drawers so your troops can smell my underwear too?”
“That’s not necessary.”
“We’ve already searched the wardrobe,” the lieutenant offered.
“With your noses?” Rylana asked.
“Not… specifically.” The lieutenant shifted.
Were his cheeks also growing pink? Good.
He deserved to be discomfited. “There weren’t any additional weapons in the bedroom area, sir, and the ones I’ve mentioned were tied.
Do you want us to open any of the crates or kegs?
They’re labeled as items that would make sense in a restaurant, but it’s possible that’s a ruse, and that there are weapons or explosives housed within. ”
“I do all the inventory ordering,” Rylana said.
“And I can assure you that Jildarin doesn’t put armaments, bombs, booby traps, or other dangerous items on his grocery list. Unless you count nutmeg, which I’ve learned can cause psychedelic effects, palpitations, and severe nausea in high doses.
Oh, and ginger is a blood thinner. The queen doesn’t suffer from hemophilia, does she? ”
“Certainly not,” the lieutenant said, but then looked with less certainty at his captain.
“I don’t think so, but she’s not coming for the ginger, regardless.” Tassani waved for the lieutenant to continue his search, hopefully without molesting anything else in the bedroom area. “Where were we in our discussion?” he asked, lowering his voice. “That distracted me.”
“As talk of lacy lavender comforters is wont to do.”
“It was more the discussion of undergarments that prompted my mind to wander.” His smile returned.
“I don’t think this is the appropriate time for flirting, Captain.”
“I suppose not. But it will be acceptable during our coffee date?”
“I would think it would be expected at that point.”
“Excellent.”
“As to what we were talking about before… I can try to catch up with Sylin before the dinner and more firmly suggest she stay away. The last time I spoke to her—” Rylana didn’t admit that had been less than an hour earlier, “—she had mixed feelings about meeting the queen. Her logical side was determinedly telling her to leave town and have nothing to do with the elves and what might be, to her mind, a trap.”
“I’m certain the queen does not intend it as a trap.”
In light of what Tassani had been telling her, that wasn’t that reassuring.
“Though she would probably deny it,” Rylana said, “Sylin has an emotional side, and that might override her logic tonight.”
“If you see her, suggest she shouldn’t let it. You can tell her I have a hunch.”
“All right. Thank you for sharing it with me.”
Tassani nodded, then walked off to speak with his nosy lieutenant.