"It was not your mistake, Ravi. You did all that you could," Adesina said quietly.

He shook his head. "No, Ma'eve, the blame falls on me. I was meant to protect you, even from yourself, and I failed." There was no self-pity in his voice, only deep remorse. "I am sorry, Ma'eve."

She shook her head readily. "No, Ravi. I am sorry that I did not honor the promise that I made to you."

They smiled at each other, both glad to heal the breach that had formed between them over the past few weeks.

"Goodnight, dear one."

"Goodnight, Ravi."

He disappeared from sight, something that Adesina still wasn't used to happening. She heaved a tired sigh and moved towards the table. She began letting down her tightly pinned hair, glad that she couldn't see what a mess it had become. Adesina brushed her hair smooth and then sat down on the bed. She had no nightclothes to change into, so she merely removed her boots and set them neatly on the ground. She laid back and closed her eyes, grateful to get some rest.

She could hear the gentle breeze outside of her window, stirring the leaves of the trees. The chirping of crickets sounded in the distance, accompanied by other sounds of the night. It all came together in a soothing sort of symphony that lulled Adesina to sleep.

L'iam was waiting for E'nes when he left his sister's room. His leader beckoned him into the conference room and shut the door behind him.

Ri'sel and Sa'jan were already in the room, sitting in chairs around a small table. L'iam moved to join them and E'nes did the same.

"Well," said Sa'jan, "what do you think of your new sister?"

Ri'sel snorted. "She may be the daughter of Me'shan and E'rian, but that hardly merits welcoming her into the family with open arms."

"You think she is dangerous?" asked L'iam.

His expression became more respectful, but his voice was no less decided. "Of course she is dangerous. She is a Shimat."

E'nes leaned forward and spoke up adamantly. "I disagree."

Everyone was surprised by his reaction. They looked at him expectantly, waiting for an explanation.

He chose his words carefully. "That is not to say that she cannot be dangerous. Of course anyone with Shimat training has the potential to be a threat. That being said, I do not believe that she is a naturally dangerous person. She has a good heart."

His uncle was incredulous. "You can tell that by a few minutes worth of conversation?"

"Yes," he replied simply. "She is a lot like Father."

Sa'jan cleared his throat delicately. "I know that you want her to be a good person, E'nes, but your conclusions may be too hasty."

The young man gave a stubborn shake of the head. "You do not understand. When I look into her eyes, I can see the goodness of her soul. She wants to be a person of honor and integrity but has been lost on the wrong path."

After a momentary pause, L'iam nodded in agreement. "I can see that when I look at her as well."

Sa'jan also nodded, but Ri'sel folded his arms and leaned back with a darkened expression on his face.

L'iam looked around the table and clasped his hands together. "All I need to know for tonight are your thoughts on the matter of our guest."

He looked first to Sa'jan, who gave a small shrug. "She has given her word to behave for now. If she gets unruly, Ri'sel can throw her into another tree."

Ri'sel shook his head and said, "I think it is foolish to allow a Shimat to dwell among us. Even if she keeps her word to *behave,' she is still acting as a spy. I say we render her unconscious, take her back to the High City and leave her there."

Finally it was E'nes's turn to speak. For a moment he could only look pleadingly at their leader. When his words came, they were spoken quietly. "Please, L'iam. I know it is a risk, but I believe that if we show her trust she will learn to trust us in return."

A thoughtful silence followed for several minutes while their leader considered what he had heard. When L'iam came to a decision, he announced it to his comrades firmly. "We will follow E'nes's suggestion for the time being. If there is a change in circ.u.mstances, we will adjust accordingly."

No one argued, even though it was clear that Ri'sel thought they were making a mistake. E'nes was excused from the meeting and went to his room to go to sleep. He laid awake for hours, thinking about his sister and praying that he wasn't wrong about her.

Chapter Twenty-one: The Challenge.

Adesina was awaken the next morning by a soft knock on her door. She was instantly on her feet in a defensive stance, a bit disoriented. As she remembered where she was, she straightened.

The knock repeated. "Adesina?"

It was E'nes's voice.

She stepped to the door and opened it. Her brother's face lit up when he saw her, almost as if he had been afraid that she had escaped during the night. He gave her a warm smile. "Would you care for some breakfast? K'eb has been making use of the fresh supplies that Sa'jan brought back from the village."

She followed him down the hall to the main room, where the smell of fried eggs and toasted bread filled Adesina's nose. There were also some thin slices of venison sizzling in the large pan, and a big kettle filled with some fragrant herbal tea.

K'eb first filled a plate for Adesina, and then one for E'nes. He was polite and pleasant, but said very little to either of them. The three of them seemed to be the only ones interested in the morning meal.

"Where are the others?" Adesina asked.

E'nes, who had already begun to eat enthusiastically, swallowed before answering. "A'asil ate earlier. L'iam, Ri'sel and Sa'jan are still in the conference room."

Her tone became incredulous. "Were they there all night?"

E'nes nodded slowly. "Yes, I believe they were."

"But why? What could possibly keep them there so long?"

Her brother shrugged casually. "I am not privy to their counsel."

This brought a question to her mind that she had been wondering the previous day. "E'nes, I heard K'eb call you *captain' yesterday."

He inclined his head. "Yes."

"Are all of you members of your military?"

"Yes."

Adesina frowned in confusion. "Then why is L'iam the leader of this group? Surely both Sa'jan and Ri'sel outrank him."

E'nes gave a wry smile. "It helps that his father is in charge of the L'avan armies."

He chuckled softly, as if enjoying a private joke. Adesina, on the other hand, didn't see anything amusing.

"You mean that he is your commander merely because of his father's authority?"

He laughed again, this time he was joined by K'eb. "Yes, I suppose that is the case."

The levity of the moment didn't last very long. E'nes could see that Adesina was disturbed by this information, and endeavored to rea.s.sure her. "We all have great faith in L'iam's ability to lead. We would not follow him if we thought him unworthy."

Even with his words, it felt very wrong to Adesina. In the Shimat order no one ever received promotions that were not thoroughly earned. Even she, with all her skill, had worked hard for years and years to get where she was at present. She kept her expression neutral, even though she felt a wave of disdain for the L'avan system, which was clearly flawed.

Adesina finished her breakfast and handed her plate back to K'eb. He gave her another pleasant smile, but said nothing.

E'nes looked as if he wanted to say something, but refrained. He watched impa.s.sively as she walked back down the hall and into her room.

Once there, she pulled back her hair in a simple braid and began doing her morning exercise routine. She had even less room than when she was in the High City, but she did her best to adjust.

After a short time, Adesina was joined by Ravi. "Where have you been?" she asked him.

He climbed up onto the bed, where he could watch her but keep out of her way. "I spent the night outside. It has been too long since I last slept under the stars."

She was amused by the tone of his voice. "I did not know that it was so important to you."

Ravi smiled as well. "Yes. I have lived most of my life out of doors. I missed my dear friends."

"Your friends? Do you mean the stars?"

He wasn't bothered by her teasing inflections. "Yes, Ma'eve, I mean the stars. Someday you will understand what I mean."

The conversation ended after this comment because Adesina needed all of her breath and concentration. A fit of restless energy drove her to push herself harder and longer than usual. She lost all track of time as she practiced every one of her Shimat skills. Outside of the room she could hear the vague voices of people moving about the fort, but she ignored it all and focused solely on her training.

For a long time, her activity only gave her more energy. She continued on and on, until she finally decided it was time to wind down. She wasn't very tired, even after all she had accomplished, but something told her that much time had pa.s.sed.

Adesina walked over to the table and poured water from the pitcher into the basin. She picked up the cloth lying next to it, immersed it in the cool water and washed away her sweat. It felt refreshing against her skin and she let out a small sigh. Ravi began humming softly as she sat down on the chair that faced the window.

They heard a soft knock at the door, which stood open. E'nes stood leaning on the doorframe. "Would you like to go for a walk, Adesina? You have not yet been outside the fort."

The young woman nodded and got back on her feet as E'nes gestured to Ravi. "Would you like to come as well, old friend?"

He also got to his feet. "Thank you, but no. I think I will go hunt."

With that, he disappeared.

E'nes smiled at the surprised expression on Adesina's face and wordlessly invited her to follow him.

"How long have you known Ravi?" she asked as they walked down the hall.

A fond expression pa.s.sed over E'nes's face. "Since he was born. I was three years old at the time, and I remember the excitement. Our parents were good friends with his parents and I was very close to his older brother, Ruvim."

"He has a brother?"

E'nes nodded. "As well as a younger sister. Ruvim is out in the world, following his Purpose, but Rissa and their parents are still back in the Rashad homeland. They have not seen Ravi in two years."

Adesina's step slowed to a stop. "Why?"

E'nes also stopped, turning to face his sister. "He left to search for you."

"He searched for me for over a year?"

E'nes studied his sister's face. "I a.s.sumed you knew."

Adesina was going to ask another question, but E'nes held up a hand. "Perhaps this is something you should discuss with Ravi."

Another thought occurred to Adesina. "If you were three years old when Ravi was born, that would mean he is only two years older than me."

E'nes was perplexed. "So?"

She struggled to explain why this was hard for her to accept. "I a.s.sumed he was older."

Her brother smiled and continued walking. "Rashad reach maturity when they are two years old. So, in a way, he is much older than either of us."

A'asil, the man Adesina had struck with her dart, was standing at the entrance of the fort as if on guard. He watched them as they walked away from the building. The stiff look in his eyes told Adesina that he was still nursing his wounded pride.

She paid him no mind and turned her attention to the forest. It felt young, even though it was probably several hundred years old. There were birds flitting through the branches and b.u.t.terflies hovered over flowers. Sunlight streamed down through the boughs of the tilia trees, bringing to life a myriad of colors. The air was warm and vibrant, filled with a dozen different scents. Ravi may have said that it was similar to the forest of Dreams, but it felt completely opposite.

E'nes seemed just as affected as Adesina. He took in a deep breath and let it out with a smile. "It is almost like home."

He instantly had his sister's full attention. "Do you mean your home?" she inquired.

The young man nodded. "Yes. The home of the L'avan."

It was obvious that the L'avan were from somewhere in the north, but no one knew the exact location.

Adesina studied the ground casually. "What is it like?"

A knowing smile crossed his face. "If you wish to retain the option of parting ways with us when we leave, I cannot answer that."

She was a bit disappointed. "You have already said that it is located in a forest."

"In a forest, by a forest, near a forest. None of this would help you in the north. There are forests everywhere."

This may have been an exaggeration, but it wasn't far from the truth. There were hundreds of ma.s.sive forests that dotted the northern part of the continent.

Adesina shrugged. "It does not matter."