“Well.” He cleared his throat and motioned toward her heavily bandaged torso. “The dressing needs changed…do you mind?”
“Kinda,” she winced, “but go ahead.”
He worked as quickly as possible, seeing her discomfort. To distract her he tried to keep up some conversation, and in so doing realized he needed to tell her about Jaylee.
She took it much as he had. Surprise, followed by reluctant acceptance. Terindi needed a Warden, it was as simple as that. “So…are you going to take Jaylee? Or try to get someone else?”
He sighed. “Unfortunately she scored the highest, and she's Enisham’s stepdaughter…I would need to conjure up a pretty good argument against it. I guess I'll…” If only Grrake, or one of the other Wardens were around. It wasn't a decision he liked to make by himself.
The thought made him frown. One of the other Wardens was around. And probably deserved an apology, that Yhkon was certainly not excited to give.
Talea was observing him inquisitively. “What is it?”
“Tarol and I argued about something…but I would like his opinion on the new Warden.”
She nodded. “You should go talk to him. I'm alright. And…I guess I'd like to see my family, after all.”
Now he had no excuse out of it. Promising to send them in, he gave her hand a squeeze and left. The moment he told her parents, Naylen, Alili, and Brenly that she was awake and wanted to see them, they rushed away with smiles and hasty thank you’s. Watching them go, he found himself smiling ever so slightly as well. Talea wasn’t going to die. Somehow it was the first moment he felt, with surprising certainty, that she would be okay. Logically he knew that while the infection had mostly been repressed, it could easily return and take her life. Yet he didn’t feel the crushing conviction that she was going to die. Quite the opposite.
Any cheer he felt faded as he reached the Wardens’ floor, Tarol’s door a couple down from his. He could either go into his quarters, where he knew he would pace, sit with nothing to do, mentally lecture himself, or even end up breaking something. Or he could go talk to Tarol. Apologize. Apologies were bad enough…an apology to Tarol was another matter entirely.
Still, he ended up knocking on his door.
Tarol, not one to require identification before allowing entrance, could be heard limping with his crutches across the room, before opening the door.
Anger, surprise, disdain, none of what Yhkon expected was there. Tarol just looked tired. “What do you want?”
“I…” Yhkon put his hands in his pockets, leaning against the doorway. “I guess to apologize.”
Tarol nodded and frowned, almost disinterestedly. “Alright. Get in here.” He hobbled inside his largely empty, but messy, apartment, sitting heavily on the bed. “I take it you have something to ask for, my opinion, a favor, something like that. Don’t see any other reason you would have been willing to apologize.”
Yhkon entered, crossing his arms. “I realized I was wrong and had been harsh. Can’t that be why?”
“Sure you realized it,” Tarol aimlessly spun one of the crutches a few times, “but you don’t mind being in the wrong until it negatively affects you somehow. So you never would have apologized, until you wanted something from me.”
Yhkon let his arms fall to his sides without even meaning to, unable to speak, or conjure up any idea of what he might say.
Tarol only shrugged. “Whatever. What does it matter. What do you need?”
“Well I just…” He cleared his throat, uncomfortably backing up a couple steps, angling himself away from Tarol. “I wanted your thoughts on a, a difficult matter…but I was also wondering, um, well how Ahjul’s family is.” As if he weren’t humiliated enough, his tongue felt like a rock, refusing to communicate with his brain.
Perhaps that wasn’t the best question to ask. Tarol stared at him dully. “How do you think? Just get to the point.”
He should have gone to his quarters. Paced, broken a chair—anything but this. Tarol was miserable enough as it was, now he was about to discuss replacing Ahjul, his friend and would-have-been brother-in-law. “I’m…I’m sorry, Tarol. I really am. Is Pear okay?”
Pear. Nicknamed so by Ahjul, which she didn’t mind since she didn’t like her real name, Perelei. She and Ahjul were the youngest of eight, not quite like any of their older siblings, so similar to each other. Both with the same kind, bright blue eyes. Yhkon couldn’t claim an abundance of interaction with them together, but he knew they were as close as a brother and sister could be. Pear and Tarol had been engaged for months.
“She’s…” He let out his breath wearily. “She’ll be alright, I guess.”
Yhkon slowly made his way to the door. “I think, maybe I should…ask my question later.”
“No.” Tarol stood up. “I already know it has to do with a new Warden. I just don’t know who it is they’ve suggested.”
“Someone tell you?”
“No, I figured it out. I’m not stupid.”
Biting his lip, Yhkon nodded and turned back. “Jaylee Rhondel is the council’s favorite candidate. She had the highest score, last Elikwai evaluation.”
Tarol smirked a little. “Jaylee Rhondel. Shoulda known.”
“How well do you know her?”
“Well enough to know that she’s plenty capable, she likes cats, and she’ll drive you insane.”
“Already does,” he muttered, arms crossed again. “So do you think she’s a good choice? I’m not sure how her being…well…a woman, might...go.”
Tarol laughed dryly. “It’s gonna make everything different. But who’s a better choice? Ol’ Peck Wilwin? He has the next highest score, if I remember right, but he’s only been in a real fight once, and I was there—he panicked, big time, barely kept himself alive for one minute without help. Egthenur does alright in a fight, but he’s a clod otherwise. Dranin would be good…but the simple fact is that Jaylee could take him in a duel.”
Barbsit tails. “Here I was hoping you would have some great reason for me not to accept her.”
“Nope.” Tarol shrugged. “Resh will be delighted.”
Yhkon grunted his agreement. “Exactly. That’s almost reason enough right there.”
After a pause, Tarol put his hands on his knees, leaning forward. “Well, I imagine you have other errands to run…? Telling Jaylee the news, anyway.”
A polite way of saying he was overstaying his welcome. Fair. “I suppose. Should I…can I have anything sent up to you, or, anything?”
“I'm good.” Tarol just shook his head. Not exactly friendly or cheerful, but not bitter. At least they were in neutral territory, not at odds.
Neutral territory would have to be good enough. And mulling what Tarol had said would have to wait for later. For the time being, he had to confirm his agreement of Jaylee being Silquije Hyrru to the council. Can't wait.
They seemed anxious to see him, relieved to see that he was in better condition than the previous day. Pleased that he agreed. Or in Enisham's case, intolerably smug. Yhkon kept the meeting as brief as possible, announcing only his agreement and that Talea seemed to be improving, before leaving.