In Which Ashe Has Nowhere to Go

August 14, 1178

"...and then on the twenty-fourth, my sister came back with two tag-alongs and a baby in her, and there you have it--not only was our family complete again, but it grew a full three people. Anyway, that was my best Christmas ever. What about you?"

Lonriad brushed the willow leaves out of his face and glanced around, probably just to convince himself he was doing his job. Ashe fought back the urge to snarl. "It's August."

"Yes, I'm aware of that. Excuse me if I'm running low on conversation topics when you object to everything I can think of." The branch flopped right back into Lonriad's face, prompting an annoyed sigh that sounded like it had been stewing for a while. "Is there anything you want to talk about?"

Not with him, there wasn't. "No. In case you've forgotten, we have business to take care of--if you haven't already driven it off by your constant chatter."

So much for the resolve to keep this professional, but it was a point that had to be made. Lonriad dropped his hand to the side and turned around. He didn't look quite angry, just a little annoyed--sort of like the time he'd gotten Aspen fired. "All right, I'm tired of being friendly. What's your problem with me?"

That same branch caught him across the face again. He swatted at it in what could only be irritated spite before side-stepping into the clearing. Three times. Anyone else would have had the brains to get out of the way after the first. "You really don't know?"

"Would I have asked if I did?"

For the sheer sake of being a shithead, maybe he would have. "Rona."

"Rona? What do you mean? I never did anything to your--" He stopped. Apparently he wasn't quite so stupid as to avoid calling bullshit on himself. "Oh dear God. You don't like me because I married Asalaye instead of Rona? Come on, that was years ago! Rona's friends with my sister. I see her all the time; she's over it. Besides, my not marrying her worked out damn well for you, didn't it?"

Who did he think he was, framing it all like an elaborate favor? He hadn't been thinking anything like that. He hadn't been thinking anything at all, and that was if Ashe assumed the best of him. "That has nothing to do with me. I was just her--I mean, I wasn't even around back then, was I? Whatever happened to me has nothing to do with how much you hurt her. You led her on and then you humiliated her in front of the entire kingdom, and no one did a damn thing about it. She was completely alone!"

"That's not true! She had your cousin."

Ashe blinked. He didn't mean...? Had it been that obvious? No one had said anything... "My cousin?"

"Aspen." Lonriad sighed, some strained spark of something lurking behind his indignance. If Ashe hadn't known better, he would have guessed it to be guilt. "Didn't Rona tell you how Aspen lost her job? It's because she chewed me out, like you did just now. She was so loyal to Rona that she got fired over it. You can't be alone when you've got somebody like that."

Queasy, Ashe looked down to the toe of his boot, burrowing nervously into the soft terrain, barely missing a couple stray flowers. If that was true, it wouldn't have been half as painful, listening to Rona talk about Aspen--the sorrow in her voice, the forlorn look in her eyes. You can't be alone. Well, you could if they left you. Could've stayed nearby, visited as promised, found someone who could write and sent a goddamn letter. Someone truly loyal wouldn't have wandered around aimlessly before hiding away at the Altharaines' inn like a coward, terrified of everything from Lorn's wrath to her own feelings. If there was one person Ashe blamed more than Lonriad, it was himself. "Aspen abandoned her too."

Lonriad shook his head. "Aspen did what any sensible person would do after that sort of scandal. She wouldn't have run off if she hadn't been chased."

Did it really count if she'd chased herself? He doubted it. "She got fired--not banished. Why are you standing up for her, anyway? Not like you were friends."

"No, but she was a good friend to someone who needed one, and you're not giving her credit for that." Lonriad's fists clenched, but he never raised them. Ashe wished he would. The only thing he needed more than an excuse to punch Lonriad was a good jab in the face himself. "And she was the best nemesis I ever had, and I wish I'd respected her then as much as I do now. And I should've stood up to Lorn when he sent her away because of me."

Ashe blinked. It was practically an apology and he wasn't sure what to do with it. He supposed it didn't matter. Aspen hadn't existed for over a year now. "I thought we were supposed to be hunting for armor."

"'Hunting'?" Lonriad snorted. "That's a cheesy way of putting it. Did you bring any bait? Or does it have a mating call?" He cupped one hand around the side of his mouth and smirked; it did nothing to quell the desire to hit him. "Oh, Suit of Armor! Come here, big boy!"

"Oh, he doesn't care much for this part of the woods. Can't say I know why, though. Personally, I find it a lovely little stretch for a nice morning stroll. Lots of trees, blue skies, pretty little songbirds...

"Delicious, nutritious knights..."

A long-forgotten childhood twitch returned to Ashe's ankle. At least Iata had been friendly. "Who are you?"

"I know who he is." Common sense apparently irrelevant, Lonriad grabbed Ashe by the arm and marched the two of them right up to the creature. Maybe he wasn't stupid, or at least not quite. Everything could be just as easily explained if one assumed him insane. "You're Deian, aren't you? My father told me about you. Didn't you go off to be a god or something?"

"I did--but I got bored with it." Deian laughed--a cold laugh, more of an anti-scream than anything else. A sophisticated, humanoid roar. "It just wasn't any fun, playing with people who had no idea they were my pawns. It's so much more satisfying when they think they have power. Speaking of which, I trust your father is well? I don't much care for you humans, but Severin does amuse me. Whenever I get around to slaughtering the rest of you, I believe I'll keep him as a pet."

What a strange, strange thing this one was. At least Iata had been well-adjusted, or so he'd figured after her magic pond nonsense had turned out to be true. Ashe glanced over at Lonriad; he looked to be ignoring that last bit. "My father is well enough, thank you."

"Good. It saddens me when he has grievances for which I am not directly responsible. And you--"

The creature turned to Ashe. He would have backed away had his boots not turned to lead. "You look much more like your father than you did last I saw you. I didn't burn that village--that one was my mate's work--but..."

"Village? You lived in one of the villages they burned down?" Lonriad's glare might as well have been a falling shard of sun. "I thought you were from Dovia."

"No, he was born here. More than once, arguably. But he has become quite the little liar--haven't you?" As if Lonriad's eyes hadn't been enough on their own. Ashe's knees shook and his breath quickened. He wanted to run but there was nowhere to go. His feet wouldn't even work. "Anyway. I did watch that village burn. Brave man, your father. He would have survived himself if he hadn't gone back for all those people. Funny, those last words of his, weren't they? Made no sense at the time, but it seems he was thinking about you after all." Deian smiled. It was even more chilling than his laughter. "It was almost as if he knew."

"Knew what?"

Of all the people who could have been here now. "Shut up, Lonriad."

"Haven't told any of our friends, have we? Not exactly healthy, wouldn't you say?" How much more of this taunting could he take? Ashe had a sword. Why couldn't he just reach for it? His nerves must have been swapped with useless lengths of twine. "Ah, but I can't claim to have much regard for your psychological well-being, at least not if I want to announce my return with a proper entrance. You--" He jabbed one long, silver finger toward Lonriad. "If you so much as hint that you saw me today, I'll bake you into one of your silly human pies and serve you to your father. And you--"

Ashe swallowed. Deian sucked back the silent panic with sly grin and promised, "One word of this, and I'll change you back. And you can have fun explaining that to your wife."

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