Chapter Thirteen

---

“Lateness is not appropriate for a Master,” Sha-an said calmly, his hateful blue eyes clear and cold. Ignoring him, Cy strode up to her seat, tossing the collar on the giant table as she did so. Her careless actions and dismissive demeanor managed to shut Sha-an up in a way her anger never would.

All eyes turned to the collar, glinting in the center of the table. Even Cy, now sprawled in her Council chair, watched it as if expecting it to move.

“Care to explain your reasoning for being so dramatic, Master Aliasania?”

As Jeso did not rise from his seat when he spoke, signaling a more informal meeting than the one the previous night, neither did Cy rise when she responded. “My apologies, Master Jeso, but I had no intention of being dramatic. I could not have set the collar in the center of the table without throwing it there.”

It was a lie, and everyone present knew it. Yet, knowing that her battle had ended only a short while ago, that she had pushed herself beyond certain limits to reach the Council meeting as soon as possible, and that she wasn’t being impudent – merely battle-worn – none present bothered calling her out on it. Well, perhaps it wasn’t a total lie – given the girth of the table, even a Master as tall as Cy would have had to climb on the table to set the collar so perfectly in the center.

Jeso nodded. “Why did you not heal before joining the meeting?”

Cy’s eyes cut towards Sha-an, yet her voice was mild when she spoke. “I wished to be here as quickly as possible, to better make amends for my tardiness.”

A few other pairs of eyes glanced at Sha-an, as if expecting him to speak. He, however, said nothing.

“So, report.”

Nodding, Cy pulled herself into a more proper sitting position, resting her forearms on the table. “I took Willow Siruhla, Lynn Xorishda, and Oriyn Ohce with me to battle before dawn this morning. The EndalaKrỵel guarding the farmers this morning were alerted to our intent for battle; their Aerionidel gathered with ours in Memory’s Keep to provide guidance and a messaging system. If those guarding caught sight of the Cantowin, they were to take the farmers inside the city immediately and tell us so we could join in the battle. Likewise, if we needed their assistance, we were to call for them through those stationed in Memory’s Keep.

“The plan I and my bonded decided upon required that my three companions station themselves in the trees at the border of the clearing just to the east of the farmlands, close to the river. I was to station myself in the center of that same clearing, cutting a small circle for myself to hide in while we waited.”

“Interesting attire for one intending to hide,” Nakine commented, and Cy nodded in response.

“In all honesty, hiding was never my intention; I set myself up as bait, and dressed so as to be easily identified amongst the grasses. Besides, I have a hard time hiding my hair color anyway.”

This elicited a few chuckles and smiles.

“As an added lure, I cut the back of my hand, intending to use the scent of human blood to call the Cantowin to be. Lynn, Willow and Oriyn would shoot down Cantowin from their perches in the trees for as long as they deemed necessary, and would then drop to the ground to do battle there. I, as bait, would engage the enemy on the ground only.

“While I am unaware of the exact events my companions experienced, I do know that I was quickly set upon and drawn into battle. After said battle, which I will not detail for risk of boring you, I removed the collar from the last Cantowin I killed, collected my weapons from the assorted bodies, and came here to report.”

Jeso nodded. “Injuries?”

“Nothing terribly serious, no broken bones or injured vitals. I know Willow received a particularly deep slash across her upper arm, Oriyn a rather complicated pattern of scratches across her face, and Lynn a rather severe bite on her right thigh.”

“Yourself?”

Cy shifted slightly in her chair. “Nothing worthy of note.”

Jeso lifted a brow; a few of the other Masters shook their heads with bemused faces. “Nothing at all?”

“Nothing, Master Jeso.”

That, too, was a lie. Her hip burned ferociously, and her face even more so. While those weren’t the only injuries she’d received, they were by far the most prominent. Even Sha-an had taken note of her mangled hip when she entered.

Still, none assembled questioned her response.

“Very well. What do you know of the collar?”

Cy shifted again, ignoring the slight twinge from her hip. “Upon reading the inscription on the inside, behind the stone, I learned that the last Cantowin I killed was a Cantowin alpha by the name of Krasa.”

“Slayer,” Nakine translated softly.

Cy nodded. “Yes.”

“So,” Sha-an sneered, and while everyone turned to him, more than a few glared. “Mighty Master Cypress Aliasania has killed a legend. How surprising.”

“She’s more worthy of fighting a legend than you,” Gelis snapped from across the table.

Sha-an ignored him. “Did you manage this all by your lonesome, or did one of your little companions have to assist you?”

“I killed Krasa myself,” Cy replied, her eyes cool, her face expressionless.

“Again, how surprising. But then, there is no person, EndalaKrỵ or not, capable of matching the fearless Master Aliasania, is there? Naturally such an accomplished warrior would need no assistance in fighting one so few have even glimpsed.”

“That is enough, Master Sha-an,” Jeso said mildly. “Unless you have evidence that Master Aliasania is lying, we have no reason to doubt her claim.”

Sha-an scowled and settled back in his chair. Gelis, and a fair number of others, continued to glare at him. Because she sat so close to him, Cy could hear Gelis’ muttered “Bastard.”

“I expect, then, that no threat remains beyond our walls at this time?”

Cy’s eyes returned to Jeso. “Yes, Master Jeso. No threat remains of the Cantowin pack.”

“Very good. Now, as to Cihn…Cy, send Yiis to fetch the boy. When he arrives, we will address that matter.”

She nodded, standing and crossing to the doors. Yiis stood just outside, same as he had when she arrived. He smiled at her. “Yes?”

“The Council requests the presence of Nadrenen Scintallo, currently residing in a room at Memory’s Keep.”

“I’ll fetch him,” Yiis replied. With an even gentler smile, he laid a hand on her shoulder. “Thank you, Cy, for all you’ve done this day.”

“No need to thank me,” she replied, and his smile only widened before he bounded off to retrieve the boy from Memory’s Keep.

When Cy closed the door and returned to the table, Jeso spoke to her again. “If you would, Master Aliasania, please remove the collar from the table until the boy has gone. While I am well aware that your appearance is gruesome enough – and I mean that not unkindly – the sight of a bloodied, ash-covered metal ring belonging to one of the Shadow’s pets may turn his stomach.”

She nodded again, standing on her tiptoes and leaning over the table, reaching as best she could. Her fingertips grazed the collar’s rim and she tugged it forward until she could grab it properly, then removed it from the table. It found a new home on the small table in the corner, designated for such objects after they had been viewed and properly discussed.

As she returned to her seat, Yiis’ knock sounded on the door. Instead of sitting, she moved back to the doors and pulled one open to admit the two standing outside.

“Nadrenen Scintallo, Masters,” Yiis intoned before clapping a fist to his left shoulder and exiting, closing the door behind him. Cy led Nadre to the clear place at the table, where Ghustav had warned them of the Canto not too long ago, and then took her seat.

“Nadrenen Scintallo, of Cihn,” Jeso began, rising and placing his hands on the table, “Master Aliasania says you come to us with a request.”

Nadre bobbed his head nervously, his blue eyes darting to Cy’s every once and a while. “Yes, sir. I mean Greatmaster.”

“Jeso,” Cy whispered to him, and that set Nadre’s head to bobbing again. “Greatmaster Jeso, I mean, it’s an honor to be here in front of you, of all of you, I mean, I didn’t think I’d actually get to talk to you, I just thought you were going to send me home without even listening, so it’s really great that you’re willing to listen to me, I mean, I know the Council back home said that you were nice, I mean, nice when it comes to dealing with-”

“Nadre,” Cy cut in, and Nadre swallowed hard.

“Right.”

Jeso massaged the back of his neck with one hand, obviously both amused and annoyed over the boy’s inability to stop talking. His eyes conveyed his thanks to Cy for shutting him up.

“Now, Scintallo-”

“Oh, call me Nadre, everyone calls me that, they call my father Scintallo. Or Alvaren if they know him really well, but I call him dad, because he’s my dad, you know, so of course I’m…” His voice trailed off meekly when he realized he’d cut off the Greatmaster. “I’m sorry.”

A quick glance around the table showed more amusement than annoyance. Even Jeso was struggling to hide a smile. “Not to worry, Nadre, I imagine that you’re rather nervous, being entrusted with this important task.”

“Well, really, it’s more that I have to talk to a Council…I’ve never had to before…” Nadre shuffled his feet, looking rather ashamed. “The Council back home always talks at me, and never lets me speak.”

“Is Master Kroon still Greatmaster there?”

Nadre shook his head. “He…he died, a turn or so back. Master Firelis is Greatmaster now.”

Jeso nodded slowly, as if processing the information. “Very well. Now, Nadre, Master Aliasania has informed us that you were sent here by your home Council to request her services?”

“Yes sir. My dad sent me here because he and our Council decided they needed some outside help with our Canto – I mean, Cantowin – problem back home, and Master Aliasania’s name came up as the best choice, and so they sent me here to get her, but they never said I’d have to talk to the Council here, and-”

“I see.”

Nadre stared down at the table, his fingers tracing over the edge.

“Thank you, Nadre. If you would rejoin Yiis outside the doors, please, while we deliberate the matter. I will send for you when we have made our decision.”

Nadre nodded, his head bobbing furiously, and he shuffled over to the door. Cy accompanied him there and opened the door for him; when he stepped outside, he looked up at her nervously. “Did…did I do alright?”

She nodded. “You did just fine.”

He smiled, obviously less nervous now, and she shut the door before returning to her seat. Jeso already rested in his, obviously more inclined for informal discussion.

“I think there’s little question as to whether we send Master Aliasania or not,” he addressed the others, and most everyone nodded. “Two matters exist, then, to discuss here. One – are you willing to answer this summons, Master Aliasania?”

Cy glanced up at Jeso, surprised. “Of course.”

“Good, then that’s settled. Now we converse on the matter of when you leave.”

“I can be ready to leave by midday,” she offered, and Jeso shook his head.

“No. No, you will not travel in such a state. I, for one, recommend that you heal fully before traveling to Cihn; however, I can see by your expression you object.”

A few of those gathered smiled, well acquainted with Cy’s unwillingness to wait or to acknowledge her injuries.

“Thus, the matter falls to the Council at large. Any recommendations?”

Gelis spoke up. “I agree with Master Jeso’s recommendation of waiting until Master Aliasania has returned to full health.”

Cy barely restrained the scowl she wished to send at her former teacher, but didn’t miss the smile he sent her way. Always worried about her health, that man.

Pleka, a man of forty turns or so, shook his head. His grey eyes shone with amusement. “We all know Master Aliasania will never agree to that. I say two days, starting tomorrow.”

“Starting today,” Faelshai returned. He, much like Cy, didn’t like waiting. The two were much more alike than many others at the table, and for that reason, Faelshai’s recommendation was taken immediately.

“Two days starting today,” Jeso offered to those who hadn’t spoken, and most agreed with nods and content words. Only a few, Gelis and Pleka included, shook their heads no.

“Settled, then. Master Aliasania leaves for Cihn in two days, today counted in those days. Master Aliasania, please allow Nadre back into the room so we can inform him of our decision.”

She moved back to the doors, opening one and motioning for Nadre to enter. Silently, she led him back to the table; Jeso had risen while she was away, and she remained standing behind her chair.

“We have decided that Master Aliasania and her bonded, Sarchin Montea, will accompany you back to Cihn in two days’ time, today counted among those days. Is this acceptable?”

“Oh yes, yes sir,” Nadre replied, bobbing his head just as furiously as before. “Thank you, thank you so much.”

Jeso nodded, signaling for Cy to escort Nadre outside. Once again she left him with Yiis, indicating to Yiis that he should take Nadre back to Memory’s Keep, before returning to the table.

Because Jeso remained standing, she didn’t take her seat. Jeso smiled at those assembled, and with a calm “Council dismissed,” closed the meeting.