“Mizel of the Tialttyrin,” he introduced himself. “And others will come for you if you harm me.” It was not a lie, though Zelli did not have the forces they might think he did. He narrowed his focus to Let. “If you can.”
Let had no visible reaction to that, but her tone was faintly amused. “If we can?” she repeated. “I see just one guard for you.”
Zelli nodded, which made her blink. “Even if you weren’t all exhausted and underfed, two of you are noticeably injured, and one of you has already been disarmed. Tahlen is more than enough.”
He turned so he could see Tahlen, more than a little startled to see that Tahlen had moved and Zelli hadn’t heard a whisper. Tahlen was now just behind and to the side of Zelli, one hand still at his belt near his knife, the other holding the short staff. Zelli hadn’t heard him draw that either.
When Zelli turned back, Let continued to watch Zelli but the others all had their eyes on Tahlen.
“He’s force enough?” Let prodded curiously.
Zelli angled his head toward Tahlen but didn’t look at him. “Tahlen of the Vallithi,” he said clearly, noting the reactions in the other guards, “wait for my word.”
It really was a name to make guards pause. Good. Zelli had no intention of seeing any fighting today. “In case you haven’t noticed yet,” he went on, “I am part fae, as is my family, and the fae often listen to me. So if any of you did somehow manage to get past Tahlen, you can guess what I will do to you if you harm him.”
He was going to have to offer the fae something very special to make up for the boast. He would worry about what later.
Let took her hand from her sword hilt at last. “You would call down the fae on us?”
“Yes.” Zelli wasn’t lying now. “But I’m certain there is a way we can resolve things without that. It’s very wasteful for you to get all the way out here, looking for somewhere safe to sleep, just to die at Tahlen’s hands. Those remaining—if any—should know that if we are dead, you’ll have to keep wandering. The holdings of the Tialttyrin would only offer new threats, such as Tahlen’s sister. So why do any of that when you can talk with me instead? You didn’t spend most of your lives training and working to protect the family you were sworn to only to end up bleeding out here because you found me annoying. I’m sure I’m annoying to a lot of people, but they don’t try to kill me or hurt Tahlen for it.”
Fy looked from Tahlen to Zelli then back to Tahlen. He made a pained face, then a puzzled one, before studying Zelli once again. “Just to avenge your guard? All of that?”
“Tahlen is the family’s sworn guard,” Zelli corrected him. “And the kindest person, really, despite how silent he often chooses to be.”
“Zelli.” Tahlen protested.
Fy’s attention went to Tahlen again. “Is his sister as pretty as he is?”
Hearing that, of all questions, made Zelli twist to look at Tahlen as well.
Tahlen flipped the short staff so that the end was in the dirt and then shot Fy a warning glance. “She is also Vallithi.”
Fy closed his mouth.
“So, there won’t be any fighting?” Zelli guessed aloud. Sworn guards did a lot of talking in silence or with strange words. “Good. It really is pointless—not that you all aren’t impressive when you train. When I was younger….” He cleared his throat. “Anyway. I admire, truly, the vows of a guard. I can’t imagine doing any of that unless I truly loved the family I served. The Lyralinah should have rewarded you for that. You must be hurting.”
“Leave themsomething, Zelli,” Tahlen remarked.
“Right,” Zelli agreed. Guards did not speak of feelings. He nodded, first to Tahlen, then more pointedly to Let. “If you want to go to see The Tialttyrin, we can direct you to her. But why not keep on to the capital and become palace guards or even outguards?”
“I’d stay well clear of the palace,” said the one with their arm in a sling. “It’s soaked in blood, I hear. And Tye has her sights on it anyway.”
Zelli accepted that but had another question. “Was it your plan to come here?”
Let shook her head. “No plan, just running. We’ve not heard of much fighting around this valley.”
“And you make wine here!” shouted one of the uninjured ones.
“We do!” Zelli shouted back with enthusiasm before growing serious again. “I would like to talk with you more, if that is all right. Things will have to be decided.” He started to walk forward, heard Tahlen’s little exhale, and stopped. “Tahlen, I recognize your worry, but killing me would only make their situation more dire, and killing you would leave them at the mercy of one more noble family. You will grumble that I will still be dead in that case but say nothing aboutyourlife.” Zelli sighed heavily to Let. “Always concerned withme.”
“I’d imagine he would be,” Fy commented, “seeing as there’s no one else left for him to protect but you and a fierce sister. Unless I am wrong and he is of a different Vallithi family.”
Zelli dropped his head to study the tops of his boots. “Thank you for chiding me, Fy,” he said formally before looking up. “I was being thoughtless. Tahlen, I am…”
“Don’t.” Tahlen said only that.
“Whoareyou?” Fy asked Zelli again. “What kind of beat-of-four are you?”
