“Earlier,” Zelli blurted, his thoughts jumbled as they spilled out, “with Grandmother.”
Tahlen turned his head, studying the wall before turning back to Zelli. He gave the impression of stepping away without moving a single one of his many muscles. “Earlier,” he echoed, as nearly emotionless as ever. “You’re here because of what was said today. You’re in your nightclothes,” he observed after that, as though the two things were related.
Zelli glanced down over his long, heavy robe and the boots he wore for his duties inside the hold’s stone walls. The blue wool of the robe was of a fine weave, but thick enough to more than conceal that Zelli wore only a knee-length shirt underneath.
“I couldn’t sleep,” he explained himself, twitching the robe to try to see how Tahlen had guessed what was beneath it.
“Because of earlier, with your grandmother,” Tahlen prompted, meeting Zelli’s eyes again when Zelli raised his head.
Zelli let the folds of the robe fall back down. “Did you think I was foolish? Was I wrong?”
He could not claim Tahlen had no emotions because Tahlen’s eyebrows flicked up for a second’s surprise. “You’re asking me?”
“Who else would I ask?” Genuinely perplexed, Zelli continued to stare at Tahlen despite the crick in his neck. There was no one else remotely suitable, aside from Grandmother herself, which Tahlen was too clever not to realize. “You have no doubt seen things many others have not, in your mysterious travels before you came here. You speak, when you do speak, with knowledge and experience. Grandmother respects your opinion and insight even when she does not share it with me. And I have never seen you act with anything less than sense.”
It might have been nice to see that, Zelli sometimes thought. At least once.
For not even the space of a heartbeat, he almost caught an expression crossing Tahlen’s face. Then it was gone.
“You… were not wrong,” Tahlen admitted slowly, Zelli tried not to thinkreluctantly. “There are people to be seen to and reassured, as well as places to visit before plans can be made for next year. You were also right in that you might lose more guards if this continues. They are not convinced any sacrifice will be worth it for a family that cannot even take care of its basic obligations, even though most of those remaining like it here and like your family.Thispart of your family,” he added, and thatwaswith reluctance.
Zelli waved off that piece of forced honesty. The Tialttyrins outside the valley who would not return to do their duty were not worth any politeness, his parent included.
He spoke over the fast beat of his heart, pleased despite the situation to know Tahlen agreed with him. “But no one will step up!” he exclaimed. “If all of that is true, and Grandmother cannot go, then someone must. If there is no one else, then don’t you think…”
“Zelli.”
“…That I should?” Zelli carried on, moving closer to Tahlen in his agitation. “Not the whole distance! Not even half the distance. Merely enough to get the word out that we are still here! That we will still listen! We have to trust Cousin Adifer is doing what he says he is across the valley, although he always has and he has yet to ask for help or send out any alarms. But a small show of our presence, even just a few days’ travel into the valley, to remind people that we stand with them and to hopefully convince them we have more strength than we do. At least… at least until an alliance can be secured to ensure that.” There, Zelli darted his gaze away, focusing again on the comfortable, happy cat. “And we must let them know that problems can still be brought to us. Of course, they can’t leave the fields for long, which is part of the problem. They won’t even want to. I could… I could go as far as a few waystations along the main roads. Make sure they haven’t started to fall down. And there is one village there where I know they have been waiting for messengers and probably judgments as well.”
“Zelli.”
“It should have been done last year. It can’t be put off any longer. And… and Grandmother isn’t well. What if...?" Zelli pulled in a deep breath. “What if the new Tialttyrin acts too slowly, or foolishly? Then all will be lost, Tahlen!”
“Mizel,” Tahlen said in a low voice, drawing Zelli’s gaze back to him. “It’s good that you think of possibilities. But you need to calm yourself, for your own good.”
“We don’t even know which cousin would take her place,” Zelli complained but did his best to be calm. “I should have suggested you go in her stead.” Zelli was less bitter about it than he would have expected himself to be, maybe because it made Tahlen go very still again. How strange that Tahlen should react to surprise as though it might hold a threat. “That would have pleased her, and we both know you would do the job well. I know I would not do it so well. I’m fully aware that I’m only qualified to go because I’m the youngest Tialttyrin here. You don’t need to say it.”
“Your grandmother does not think you unfit for the task,” Tahlen objected.
Zelli waved that off too. “Someone has to see to things. We have not even had outguards pass by here in ever so long. I’m not even sure whoever has the palace now has maintained the Outguard.”
“I doubt any of those trying to claim the throne lived long enough to turn their thoughts to practical matters of governance.”
It was such a Tahlen thing to say. The other guards did not speak like him.
Not calmer, but trying to be, Zelli ducked his head, peering up once or twice to Tahlen’s eyes, to the hair on his chest, to his eyes again. “And, after all, I will have to travel eventually if an alliance is arranged, and there really won’t be anyone here to manage it then, unless Grandmother’s health improves. What difference is there between traveling then and now, except that on my way to meet my intended I will have an escort to better demonstrate the dignity of the Tialttyrin?”
Tahlen’s profile was unyielding. Nevertheless, Zelli kept trying. “Summer is already fading, Tahlen. Soon it will be time for the harvest. Things have to be seen to. It would be only a matter of days. I would not even offer judgments. I would relate the cases to Grandmother and ensure responses were delivered.”
Tahlen finally turned back to him, eyes deep brown and unreadable. “Are you asking me for permission?”
Zelli pursed his lips to hold in his denial. “I’m asking if you approve.”
“You don’t need my approval.” Tahlen said it as though Zelli should have known that, as though Zelli did not know that. “And you don’t have the approval of The Tialttyrin.” Something shifted behind Tahlen’s eyes. Zelli only caught it because they were so close. “But you plan to go anyway.”
He did not ask.
Zelli did not look away though he wanted to. “Will you watch over her while I am gone? And Nya too?”
