Page 9 of Dark Elves of Ardani

“Ah, my husband is going to love you. Can you use carpentry tools? We have this wobbly cabinet…”

“I can learn.”

Basira laughed. “I’m glad the night elves haven’t driven all the sweetness out of you. Do you like ox meat?”

“Yes,” she said, though she didn’t know what ox was.

“Good. I’m cooking dinner now. But you stay here and get settled. I’ll bring you some bedding and a broom to sweep out the cobwebs, too.”

She left Zara standing in the doorway of the little shed, alone. Zara stepped inside, setting down the tiny bag that held everything she’d brought with her from Kuda Varai.

The entire situation felt surreal—watching Jura and the others being killed, then being “rescued” by the Paladins and brought to this strange, friendly place full of free humans who would have hated the people Zara loved.

Everything since Kashava had been murdered had felt like a dream.

Now that she was alone in silence, the misery of reality came crashing down on her again. She slid down the wall to sit on the floor, unable to stand under the weight of it.

She had expected the sadness, but she had never thought that grief would bring such anger.

Avan had always told Zara that malicious demons sought out people who were filled with anger and hatred, and would possess them to do terrible things.Rage is a useful and powerful thing,she’d said,but if you let it, it will consume you.

There was nothing she could do to bring Kashava back, but it felt impossible not to drown in that helpless anger.

* * *

For the next two days,Zara was a point of intense interest for the entire village. She’d met everyone at least once, though she’d forgotten half their names. Basira chased them all off whenever their questions and stares became too intrusive.

She’d spent most of her time in the inn with Basira and her family, who she was growing quite fond of. Tahir was as tall and taciturn as Farhana was small and noisy. Zara had liked both of them from the minute she met them.

She decided that she would try to stay here, at least for a while. She knew Avan had wanted her to leave Kuda Varai someday. This wasn’t the way she’d pictured it, but perhaps it was good that she’d been given this push. Perhaps the Goddess was giving her a sign. Perhaps some good could come of all this.

She asked Basira for chores that needed doing, and when she finished those, she asked for more. She needed to be working. When her body was idle, her mind wandered to Kashava. When Basira ran out of tasks to give her and insisted that she sit down, Zara instead went to the open space behind the house, removed her coat, and began exercising, resolving to do so until she didn’t have the energy to mourn.

Half an hour into her routine, a voice came from behind her.

“What are you doing?”

Zara jumped, not having heard the back door open. Farhana was perched on the fence, watching her. Her curling hair was tied in two spheres on either side of her head.

Sweating and out of breath, Zara paused, resting her hands on her hips.“Zef-khanja.”

“What’s that?”

Zara tilted her head as she considered the best way to translate it. “Varai martial arts.”

Farhana looked at her blankly.

“A… way to fight,” Zara tried again.

This time, understanding crossed the girl’s face. “How do you do it?”

“Would you like me to show you?”

Farhana brightened. She jumped down from the fence and strode over.

Zara glanced up at Tahir, who had been working in his alchemical shop nearby but had come outside when he’d heard them talking. Zara had heard that in Ardani, women didn’t fight. But Tahir didn’t protest, so Zara guided Farhana through some basic motions.

“They taught you to fight?” Tahir asked after a while. He didn’t say, “They teach slaves to fight?” but it was clear that was his real question.

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