Day Seventeen
ADRIANNA
I immediately locked down my thoughts, shutting Yavara out from even the most banal of my musings. She pouted her lips.
"I was only trying to see what you were dreaming about." Though I was groggy with alcohol, I could smell the wine fresh on her breath. She'd already been drinking, and it wasn't even eight in the morning.
"How did you get in here?!" I snapped, my breath tight in my chest.
"Last I checked, this is
my
castle." Yavara tittered. "And if you must know, I used the portal to get in. I figured you'd be in the royal bedroom, and here you are. I love what you've done with the place, by the way," she gestured to the fur and weapon décor, "it's very... ranger-ish. But I think it's missing something; where is Furia? Did you two not work out after all? I hope that whole thing with Trenok didn't strain your relationship. He told me all about it, you know. And I understand you're expecting! How exciting! We should throw a baby shower!"
I just stared at her. She grinned toothily back.
"Hmm. You're not much of a morning person, are you?" She sniggered as she looked at my state, "No, you're clearly a night owl. I wondered how long you'd keep up that stoic ranger act; guess it wasn't too long, huh? I took a peek beneath the covers, and you look like a crime scene. Do you think we should wash these bedsheets, or just burn them?"
"These are fine silk." I mumbled stupidly, as if the bedsheets were of foremost concern. I felt like a sheep that been dropped into the lion's cage.
"Hey, when did you get that tattoo? It's so pretty. Who is it? A girl you met? Maybe I should get a tattoo, what do you think? A tramp-stamp? Or maybe something on the thigh? I once ate out an Ardeni girl and she had one
around her butthole!
I think that would be apropos for me." She giggled, "You'll have to tell me all the sexy things you've done! I want to hear every grimy little detail of your descent into depravity, and don't skimp on the adjectives!"
"I've had sex a few times, I guess." I muttered, finally gaining my bearings, but not dropping my guard even a little.
Yavara's tooth-cracking grin turned into a relaxed smile. "I came on a little strong, didn't I? It's just... we have so much to catch up on! I haven't seen you or any of the others for... gosh, what has it been? Over two weeks? It's like a lifetime happened since then."
"I understand the feeling."
"Well," she brought her hands together, "you get washed up and get some coffee in you, and then we'll catch up, OK?"
"Why are you here?"
"Do I need a reason?"
"Yes." I said flatly.
She giggled at that. "Still so authoritative. Well,
Head-ranger,
if you must know, I am here to celebrate our victory on the battlefield."
I felt the color drain from my face. "A total victory?" I asked.
She tilted her head, studying my expression. "A decisive victory. A rogue elven regiment saved the army, and the rest retreated across the marshes and pulled their bog bridges behind them. It'll be at least ten days before the horde crosses the marshlands, and by then I'm sure the entire rift will be entrenched. We'll dig in, set up supply lines, and wait for Leveria to come negotiate."
I couldn't help but show my relief. Yavara laughed.
"You thought I'd march a horde of raping, murdering beasts into my homeland? You think so little of me, Adrianna. Now," she peeled the sheets off my body, and grinned at the evidence crusted over my flesh, "go get yourself cleaned up, Governess."
I was in the bath for a long time. I could hear Yavara shuffling through my things in the next room, musing aloud at what she found as though to broach my conversation through the door. I didn't know why, but I'd begun to think of her as more of a force than a person, like a waterfall in the river of my life that I would have to tumble over no matter what, and all I could do was hope to survive it. The luxuriant bathroom felt like a prison cell, and the hangman's noose was waiting just outside. Her strange friendly demeanor didn't put me at ease; if anything, it put me more on edge. What game was she playing with me? When would the trapdoor close? I scrubbed my flesh nearly to rawness with worry, then washed out my hair, and toweled off. Before I dawned my white robe, I reached behind the sink, and grabbed the dagger there. I strapped it to my thigh, made sure the robe was loose enough to conceal it, then walked back into the bedroom.
"That's a cute outfit." Yavara said, lounging in a chair. She'd pulled out the toys Furia and I used on each other, and had clearly tested some of them while I was in the bathroom.
"This is a robe of state. All hybrids wear them to official functions."
"I like it. It's elegant, but just slutty enough." She smiled, indicating the slit in the robe that ran to my pelvis, "What's the occasion? Wait, don't tell me. I've been like a princess on her birthday waiting to open her present, and I can't wait any longer!" She got up and walked toward me, and I wondered for a moment if she thought I was the present to be unwrapped. I prepared myself, feeling my nethers awaken with excitement even if my heart thrummed with fear, but she walked past me, and headed instead toward the western window.
"Trenok told me a few details, but you know orcs; they could see the face of god, and their only description would be, 'she was hot.'" Yavara chuckled, then stopped a few paces from the window, and turned around, "Haven't you ever given a girl a surprise before, Adrianna? Cover my eyes."
I stepped behind Yavara, reached around her, and laid my hands over her eyes. As I guided her to the western window, I contemplated the dagger beneath my robes. I could do it now. Who even knew she was here? Those in the Tundra did, but they wouldn't be coming through the portal any time soon. A knife to the base of the skull would kill her instantly, and I could book passage on a ship for Hektinar that afternoon. Instead, I walked her forward three steps, then pulled my hands from her eyes.
She just stood there for a moment. I could only see the back of her head, and her posture didn't emote anything. She was still for nearly a minute before she spoke.
"How?" She whispered, turning around. Her eyes were puffy, and her cheeks were wet, "How did you do this?"
"I had help."
"It's greater than anything I'd ever dreamed of!" She cried, spinning on her heel to gaze out at the sprawling metropolis. "There's a downtown, and a shopping district, and a market, and a stadium! There's statues, and streets, and bridges, and... oh my god, is that a fountain?!" She wheeled on me, and pulled me into a crushing embrace. "Thank you!" She blubbered in my ear, "Thank you so much, Adrianna! It's the best gift anyone's ever given me."
I patted her back, trying not to tremble in her arms.
FALTIA
I had woken up before the crack of dawn to help Brianna direct foot-traffic, and it had been a shitshow. Getting orcs to move in any kind of order was like herding cats. Once we finally got them all moving in the right direction, suddenly they started to turn around! Soon, the stadium that I had worked so hard to get filled was emptying, everyone moving toward the urban strip. Brianna and I looked disbelievingly at each other.
"What the fuck is going on?!" I yelled to one of my captains. He just shrugged back. It was then that two messenger doves descended upon Brianna and me. We extracted the letters, looked at each other, then sprinted to the castle.
Ten minutes later, I was peeling off my sweaty leather skirt and top, and hurriedly donning my ceremonial robe. When we reached the moat, we quickly adjusted each other's hair, and burst into the castle atrium.
We were the only ones there.
"What... the... fuck..." Brianna wheezed, catching her breath, "Was this all some bullshit drill Adrianna set up? Can that woman ever stop being a ranger?!"
