Page 6 of Phoenix's Fire

"How can you be sure?" she whimpered.

Zasen huffed something almost like a laugh. "Because I'm the reason she's here." This time, his words were in English. "What are you doing with her, Ayla?"

"I'm taking her home," I told him.

He nodded. "Do you know her?"

"This," I said, pulling her to my side even though she was trembling, "is Merienne. She's my friend, and I will not let anyone hurt her." The words were more for Meri than Zasen, but a corner of his lip lifted as if he knew that.

"Then she's my friend too," Zasen said, lifting his voice so everyone in the area could hear, even if it wasn't their native language. "Welcome to Lorsa, Merienne. I've heard a lot about you."

Meri's response was a soft whimper of fear.

Two

Rymar

Ayla led the girl away, walking slowly so the battered woman could keep up. Side by side, I couldn't help but notice how different Ayla had become in such a short time. Her skin was now golden. Pale and creamy, but definitely not orin anymore.

The new Mole was. Her skin was that sheltered color of pale that had never seen sunlight before. Her hair was silver rather than Ayla's golden shade. The new one's eyes were even more blue than I'd expected, and I had a feeling she wasn't an ugly woman - once she was cleaned up. The swelling at her belly, however, told its own story.

Ducking my head, I let out a heavy sigh.

"Do I want to know what's going on?" Jerlis asked as he moved to stand beside me.

"Apparently," I said, looking up at his very large form, "Ayla is taking her to my place."

From the other side one of the Reapers asked, "And you're okay with that?"

My eyes were still on Ayla and the girl. Our little Phoenix had handled this perfectly, even if she'd left one hell of a mess behind, but that was okay. I'd clean it up. It was the least I could do after everything she'd been through in the last month or so.

"That's the girl the Wyvern saved," the second Reaper explained even as he leaned in to offer me his hand. "Rymar. Nice to see you again."

"Irrik," I greeted him. "Same. Do Jeera and Brielle know you're here?"

"Maybe?" He grinned through his beard, then flicked a finger after the girls. "Jeera's talking to Zasen. I have a feeling I'm going to get my ass chewed for not sending a letter about this."

"We picked her up on our way here," the other Reaper explained. "Shadow found her."

"The dog?" I asked.

The man nodded. "Yep. Never travel without at least one. Shadow knows Moles. Holly doesn’t hate them yet, but she'll attack anything I point her at. Makes the trip a bit safer, since the coyotes don't like them and they'll alert to Moles before we see them."

So Irrik slapped his shoulder. "This is Lansin, one of our dog trainers. He's come for some buying, some selling - and the bounty."

"Picking up a bounty since we were coming this way anyway?" Lansin said. "Worth the trouble that one gave us."

"Because she's scared," I explained, looking back to Jerlis. "I didn't know they were coming either, but it sounds like that girl is one of Ayla's friends, and Ayla's taking her to our place."

"So she's safe?" he asked.

All I could do was shrug. "Not sure. I know as little as you do, but I trust Ayla. I have a feeling that if she's not, Ayla will cut her throat or put an arrow through her."

The mayor nodded. "Yeah, I can see that. So what do we do with her now?"

"Make her a refugee," I said. "I'll get her name and information, but tell the people she's a refugee. Jerlis, the women have no clue what happens above ground. All they know is we're supposed to abuse or kill them."

"Fucking irony," Irrik said. "So the damned Moles are as cruel to their own women as they are to the rest of us?"

---