My Father's House

My Dear Alysyn,

It is extremely important that you return to Havensword. Bring your units into the city. After thirty years, I have reason to believe that the vampire has returned. While I fully understand your reluctance, it is time to put aside your personal concerns. The heir's life is in danger and so is your husband's. Come at once.
Eshraf,
Patriarch of the Nethergod,
Hadjys the Dark Judge
High Temple, Havensword, Creeya.

My Dear Eshraf,

I can't. I simply can't. The proofs you have sent me, do suggest a vampire. But not necessarily the same vampire. I will, however, bring my riders nearer the city.
Captain Alysyn Larkwind,
Riders of Hadjysymi

BROKEN RULES

Arruth huddled under the bushes on the Stalking Grounds, which lay within the wide spread walls of Ishladrim Castle on part of the palace compound made up by the Hadjysheen Temple University, the palace, the ancient libraries, and the High Temple itself, forming a quad on the spire of the mountain like a crown jewel with the city of Havensword wrapped around and beneath it. Hiding was not as easy as it had once been, since the twelve years old's sudden spurt of growth had turned her into a gawky six-footer. The bushes clutched at her like a thousand sharp fingers, catching at her sleeves and pants legs as they wrapped her in their shadows. The scent of pine dominated the air around her, overpowering the lighter fragrances of the wod. Dirt and bits of brush clung to her wavy black hair. She dug her fingers into the moist, black soil, softly breaking the rotted crust of leaves beneath its shallow blanket and disturbing the insects dwelling there, which then skittered away from her.

The shadows had lengthened with the approach of sunset and the air was turning cold. She did not wear a cloak because the warmth of midday had been pleasant when she fled. A sudden breeze chilled the sweat along her arms and neck. Arruth shivered. Her ears strained for the smallest sound of booted feet. She knew the Wrathscar soldiers were out there. If she moved, they would find her. Her heart drummed loud in her ears, matching the sound of her breathing. She fought to control her panicked breath, her panting;fought hard to breathe as quietly as she could. Yet it all seemed loud in her ears. Arruth had recently reached that awkward stage in adolescent growth, when the rapid changes tended to interfere with coordination so that sometimes it seemed like she was all arms and legs. Arruth had lost much of that street child quickness, which had served her so well all her life, and she was painfully aware of it — it seemed as if her body had to struggle to find a new center of gravity.

She prayed again that the Wrathscar myn chasing her would not catch her. She desperately wanted to go home, wanted to be back in Shaurone. The grand adventure had turned into a nightmare and she had no one to talk to.

"And it is my own fault." Arruth covered her mouth with her hands, realizing she had spoken aloud. She froze like a deer, listening, ready to run. She resisted the tears pressing for release at the edges of her eyes.

Talons had given Arruth and her sister, Jysy, two rules when she brought them to Creeya as her protégés: no stealing and no kissing. They kept the no stealing rule. That one went without saying. The kissing rule did not immediately make sense to Arruth. In Shaurone, less than one in four children was born male and the attitude toward sex was "have a good time." Innocent prepubescent sexual exploration was regarded with affectionate indulgence and the females were the sexual predators.

Coming to Creeya, Arruth had never seen so many males in one place before in her life, so she had romped through like a sprite in a candy shop at first, which drove Talons to distraction, finally making her very angry. "Creeya is not Shaurone! It is dangerous to just go around kissing strange men. Promise me you will not break the rules anymore." Arruth had promised, but she had not kept the rules. By the time she understood what Talons meant, it was far too late to mend it and she was too ashamed to tell anyone: in Creeya the sexual predators were male. Which was why she was hiding in the bushes.

The densely forested Stalking Grounds, much of it left half wild to increase the difficulty of traversing it, was for those Assassins' Guildsmyn who were taking the roles of hunter and prey in the training exercises. Arruth had hoped that she could lose Lord Wrathscar and his myn here, but even now she heard them coming closer. Lord Wrathscar was Bryndel's father, soon to be Talons' father-in-law. Weeks ago, in a playful mood, Arruth had kissed him and learned why Talons made the "no kissing rule" — Lord Wrathscar raped her.

That afternoon, Wrathscar sent two myn to bring her to him, and instead she ran into the depths of the Stalking Grounds, going farther and farther until she was completely lost. Queiggy, the little chief clerk at the Guild Wing of the palace, had once told her there was a secret gate that would let out onto the mountain itself. So, thinking that if she could find it, maybe she could get away, Arruth had plunged deeper and deeper into the undergrowth, heedlessly traveling places she had never been before. Arruth listened. It sounded like there were four of them. That meant more were coming. Why wouldn't he leave her alone? Why? She turned, pivoting slightly on the balls of her feet, ready to spring up and run.

"Hello, Arruth," said a deep masculine voice.

"No," her voice cracked, a hoarse breaking sound, and they had her. Wrathscar had anticipated her and been waiting in the Stalking Grounds all along.

GODWAR CENTRAL

My Father's House

BROKEN RULES