Tarashana Rachel Neumeier (top 10 motivational books TXT) 📖

ran around the curve of the protecting stone. I was utterly astonished, but there was no time to think. He was running fast, and blindly, as a man will when he is very much afraid of something behind him. I moved several steps so that I could see farther along the direction from which he had come. I knew he must have come out of the Saa’arii tide, but I could not see any place where it crossed the mountain where we rested. Iro stepped to the side, a position that did not allow him to see as well, but from which he might take an unwary enemy from behind if such an enemy pursued Suyet.

But no enemy appeared, at least not yet. Instead, Suyet ran straight to Aras, dropped to his knees—Lau almost never made any such gesture—and wrapped his arms tightly around Aras’ legs, nearly knocking Aras off his feet. Lau never behave in such a way.

Yet Aras did not seem surprised. He bent, setting one hand on Suyet’s shoulder and the other on the back of his head. Then he glanced around at the rest of us—we were all staring, even Iro and me. Aras said, his tone faintly apologetic, “He will be better in a moment. A very hard pull will sometimes do this. I have been pulling as hard as I could for some time now. I hoped some of our people might be able to respond to that pull once we came near enough to that ... to the Saa’arii tide.” He looked at Inhejeriel, who was on her feet, her eyes wide, her hands pressed to her mouth.

He said, his tone gentle, “As my understanding was that our people were lost within that darkness, not dead in any ordinary way, I hoped this might prove useful.”

This is very, very good, Inherjeriel whispered silently. If only you were a sorcerer, a true sorcerer, sije-Aras! But this is very good. He was lost and desolate, but you caused the world to remember him in a way I could not.

“Perhaps.” Aras looked around at the rest of us. “I apologize for taking everyone by surprise, but I did not realize he was coming until he was almost here. I think he must have come out of the, ah, shadow tide very suddenly—and I think this means the shadow tide must be very close to this place, closer than it seems.”

I had already realized this, and once more watched the direction from which Suyet had come, waiting for anything else that might follow him. Nothing did, yet.

Aras was now looking down at Suyet, rubbing his back gently, as one will comfort a child. He said, frowning, “I think this extreme reaction isn’t only the pull. Let me see.” For perhaps twenty heartbeats, he was silent. Finally he asked, “Is that better yet? Try to breathe. Try to feel each breath.”

Suyet was trembling, as will happen with shock. Even now, he did not seem able to speak. He still clung tightly, and his face was pressed against Aras’ thigh, but I saw that he tried to do as Aras said, breathing deeply.

“Better,” murmured Aras. “You’re all right now. I’ve got you. Yes. That’s better.”

Everyone waited. Inhejeriel sat down again, slowly. I remained watchful, but nothing else happened.

Suyet was trembling less. He pushed away from Aras, looked up at him—then recoiled, letting him go and jumping to his feet. He staggered, and Etta caught his arm to steady him, but he did not appear to notice her at all. “My lord—” he began, plainly mortified.

“It doesn’t matter in the least. It’s perfectly all right,” Aras told him. “It certainly wasn’t your fault. There's absolutely no need to be embarrassed. Breathe. Do you need to sit down? Let Etta give you something hot to drink; that will settle you a bit.”

Staring at him, utterly undone in a way I had never imagined possible, Suyet backed up a step. Then another. He sat down all at once, almost collapsing, by the little fire. Even then he did not look away from Aras. He said again, “My lord ...” but, as before, did not go on.

“I know,” Aras said gently. “It's fine. Please don't worry about it. I would appreciate your report, Trooper, but not until you’re a little more coherent. Shh. Breathe. That wasn’t a criticism. Should we expect an enemy to pursue you? I can’t quite tell—ah! Ryo—”

In answer to his urgent gesture, I turned firmly, lifting my sword. But the one who came, running like a young doe, was not an enemy, but Lalani.

I should have expected this might be so. Other than Suyet, of course Aras might have the strongest tie to Lalani, who had been one of his people for a long time. She did not see me—she saw nothing—she was running to Aras, as Suyet had done. I stepped out of her way. But I asked, “Do you have a tie to everyone? To Garoyo? To Raga?” Strange as it was to hope that a sorcerer had bound my brothers in such a way, I did hope that.

Lalani did not fall to her knees as Suyet had done. She flung herself against Aras and embraced him tightly, but she stayed on her feet. She bowed her head against his chest, shaking, and he folded his arms gently around her, waiting for her to recover. He said to me, over her shoulder, “I have a fairly deep tie to Hokino, but only a shallow tie to Tano. My tie to Garoyo is still more shallow. I don’t know whether those ties will be strong enough to draw them now. I’m sorry, but I have no tie at all to Raga or Arayo. I’ve met them, which will help me look for them, but, Ryo, that may not be enough.”

I nodded. I should have realized all this. He had freed