94, Almost

Ayya woke up and opened her eyes. She remained in her cot as she could see the sun hadn’t risen yet. There were two sets of breaths in the cots next to her. After Jason’s second nightmare, Tenac had moved his cot into the same space as Ayya and Jason’s. Ayya looked over to where Jason was sleeping. It was hard to see more than an outline in the darkness, but she was happy just knowing he was sound asleep next to her. He had adapted better to his new environment than Ayya could have hoped for. During the almost week they had been on the road, he had only had one nightmare. Usually, he thought the whole thing was quite an adventure. He had taken to Sinhera and used to sit and listen to her and Tenac plan the following day’s journey in the evenings. He had started to learn Salamis, and he kept up with his practicing the language. Once they had crossed the Sadowe river and officially were back on Salmisarian soil, Tenac had started letting Jason ride with him for an hour or so every day. It was the highlight of the boy’s day and he would tell the three aari about what had happened during his ride, in minute detail, when he got back into the carriage. This would be their final day of travelling today. It was probably why Ayya was awake this early. She couldn’t wait to get back home. There was so much she wanted to tell her parents, and Tariana, and the council. And she was nervous about what they all would say. She had left their home a month ago, single and on a mission. She returned engaged and with a son. Not a small feat for only being gone a month. Jason stirred in his cot and Ayya saw his eyes opening and looking into hers. 

“Did you have a nightmare?” Ayya asked him. Even though he hadn’t called out or cried, she saw fear in his eyes. He nodded. Ayya lifted the corner of her blanket. Jason’s cot was so close to hers, Jason only had to take a step before he could snuggle in with her. “Do you want to talk about it?” Ayya asked, thinking they could take advantage of the fact he wasn’t crying. 

“They are never the same,” he whispered, not to wake Tenac.

“What was different with this one?” Ayya asked, brushing back his hair from his eyes. 

“I was in the yard outside the house where I used to live. My parents and Lina were with me. Then I saw a big, black cloud come rolling in. I tried to shout for them to move, but they didn’t hear me. I ran towards them, but the smoke took them. No matter how hard I looked for them, they weren’t there. Then I saw you and Tenac and I shouted at you as well. To warn you about the smoke. But you didn’t hear me, so the black smoke took you as well. Then I woke up,” he told her. Ayya pulled him closer and hugged him to her. Her eyes med Tenac’s. He had been listening from his own cot on the other side of Jason’s.

“I’m sorry, Jason. That sounds scary. But neither Tenac nor I am going anywhere,” Ayya said. Jason nodded, and it didn’t take him long to fall back to sleep. Ayya knew his nightmares came from him not feeling completely safe. Her own nightmares hadn’t stopped until she had come to Salmis. She hoped Tenac and her could make Jason feel comfortable a lot sooner than that. 

After breakfast a couple of hours later, Jason got ready to go with Sinhera and a couple of riders. They would be taking the detour to look at the winter pastures the riders kept for their horses. Ayya and Tenac wanted time to talk to their families before Jason was introduced. Jason was excited as he would get to spend most of the morning in the saddle and get to see horses. He had become almost obsessed with horses and Tenac and Sinhera had fuelled his new found interest as much as they could. 

“Any good advice you can give me for facing your father?” Tenac said. Ayya smiled as she saw he was doing his best to hide his nerves. She gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“Just don’t ask him if you can marry me. That didn’t go well,” she told him. Tenac looked at her.

“It sounds like someone has tried and failed,” he said. Ayya remembered she had never told him about Neherim’s proposal. 

“Something like that,” she said. 

“Ayya, what are you trying to hide from me? Is there something I should be worried about?” Tenac asked. 

“Of course not,” she said, looking at him. “Okay, Neherim proposed last summer,” she confessed. 

“What?” Tenac asked. 

“Technically, he proposed twice. Once to me at the ball, I turned him down, and then he asked my father if he could marry me, and my father turned him down in a not so polite way,” Ayya said. 

“He wanted you to marry him?” There was something dark in Tenac’s voice. 

“Yes. But that was never going to happen. I didn’t have feelings for him as I was in love with someone else,” Ayya told him.

“Who?” he demanded to know. Ayya rolled her eyes.

“You, your idiot,” she said and gave him a quick kiss.

“Oh, right,” he said, sounding more surprised than upset. “Did he do something to you?” he then asked.

“Nothing like you are thinking of. He wouldn’t be walking around if he had. He was quite a gentleman. But he did steal a kiss,” Ayya confessed. 

“Your first?”

“No, my first was with Erik when he asked me to marry him before I left for Salmi the first time. Before you, kisses only happened when men proposed,” she told him. “So, don’t ask my father’s permission. Just tell him you have asked me and I have said yes,” Ayya told him. He nodded as Jason came walking, dressed in comfortable clothes and a warm cloak. 

“Ready for a day on horseback?” Tenac asked him.

“Yes,” Jason answered with a big smile. 

“Good. Remember that you have to do what Sinhera tells you and you have to stay close to her,” Ayya told him. 

“I know, Ayya. I will.”

“Good boy, and don’t forget to have fun. I have packed you some apples and some cookies. You can have both or you can save the apples for the horses. It’s up to you,” she said, handing him a small satchel. 

“Thank you,” he said. Tenac and Ayya walked him over to where Sinhera and a group of riders were standing. Tenac helped lift him up in front of Sinhera after she had mounted her horse. 

“Don’t worry, we will have lots of fun. I would guess we will be in the city by lunchtime,” Sinhera said. 

“Thank you. You can drop him off at my parents’ house. We will hopefully all be there,” Ayya told her.

“I’m sorry I will miss seeing you explain everything to sir Teeran. But I guess I have to settle for seeing the end result,” Sinhera told Tenac as she put the horse in motion. Ayya had to laugh. Tenac followed her to the carriage and helped her get in. It would take them about two hours to reach Salmi. Ayya didn’t know what to expect, but she was happy to be home. They stopped on the hill before the grasslands began and looked out over the city. 

“I don’t know why I’m getting so emotional,” Hinat said and wiped away a tear. 

“I don’t know either, but I feel the same,” Firlea said. 

“It feels good to be home,” Ayya said and leaned in to Tenac, who had put his arm around her. 

“It does,” he agreed. 

“Let’s get moving. I’m looking forward to getting into the city,” Ayya said. Ayya wondered what Tariana had planned. The reason they had stopped for the night the previous day instead of continuing two more hours and get home was because Tariana had asked for some warning before they arrived. So they had stopped and sent a rider. Now Ayya was worried about what needed to be planned.