Dara Joy - Ritual of Proof

RITUAL OF PROOF

By

Dara Joy

CONTENTS

For Cabbycat,

MY ANGEL

MY THREAD

MY LITTLE HEARTBEAT

AGAINST THE DARKNESS

MY LITTLE SMILE

IN THE STORM

AS THE RAIN BEATS US DOWN

AND YOU HUDDLE WITH ME

BECAUSE YOU BELONG

AND WOULD BE LOST ELSEWHERE

WARM IN A COLD DOORWAY

TOGETHER WARM

TEARS WARM

LAUGHTER WARM

TOUCH LIKE TEARS

HOLD ME

I WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER

I WILL.

We don't see things as they are. We see them as we are.

Anais Nin

The shadow movedwith precision.

Controlled savagery guided the ruthless sequence of forms, creating a heroic abstraction across paving stone.

Hushed movements in low predawn light mimicked the rustle of wind.

With a deadly snap, a weapon echoed through the trees. Expertly slung, its fatal trajectory gathered speed and momentum. If not controlled precisely, such a weapon was as dangerous to its wielder as it was to its potential target.

Corded ropes arced and spun out, passing within a hairbreadth of the shadow. Like lovers, they moved together as the first rays of day crested the horizon.

The perimeter rustled, sighing to the same pulse-beat. Flora quivered with expectation as dawn approached.

The shadow, the master, the environment

The weapon.

Over and over the rite went, building into a dance of lethal beauty.

Until all seamed into one.

Whereupon, shadow outlined the heart of day and day ignited the heart of shadow with fire...

Complexity had taken a seat at her table.

She did not want to go to the soiree this evening.

The trip from her properties on the southernmost tip of the continent had been long and fraught with one disaster after another. She wondered how many of those incidents had been accidents.

Luck had been with her.

Luck and the skill of her protectorsfierce women, highly trained in the art of defense.

Green Tamryn sighed; her auburn hair shifted about her shoulders, framing her face. Claudine D'anbere had ever been a thorn in her side. From the time they were children, the woman cultivated an unnatural jealousy of Green. Throughout the years, she had constantly sought to undermine, steal, disrupt, and annoy.

Green supposed it went back to their tutoring days. They had been schooled together as learning partners. Whereas Green was a quick and curious student, earning the affection of their teacher, Avatar, Claudine had been slower to learn, constantly picking fights with their poor, beleaguered instructor, a woman from the southern tribes who eked a living for herself through her teaching skills.

Claudine had ruined that for the woman.

Constantly causing trouble, she had aligned a group of the problem girls against both Green and Avatar. Even though Green possessed an extremely sweet nature, she had within her an enormous core of inner strength. Claudine had never been able to get the better of her.

Which drove the other girl mad.

As they grew older, it only got worse. Claudine constantly opposed her in the House of She-Lords; she tried to woo her friends away; and, she actively pursued any man in whom Green had shown the slightest interest.

She had even approached Green's pleasurer, River. He had the good sense to turn her down flat, recognizing that she was simply out to use him and discard him.

Of course, River was under Green's exclusive protection.

There had been too many mysterious mishaps on the journey home!

Not to mention the appalling condition of her southern estates. The new caretaker had let the place run to seed. The fields were overrun by jakakoosnasty little beastsand the house was almost in ruin, with many of its treasures plundered. The crops were almost destroyed and could barely be harvested. They ended up having to burn several fields and replant, which set her back at least five seasons in profits.

Altogether, it had taken her almost two seasons to straighten out that tangled mess. With only the briefest of interim trips back to Capitol Town to take care of her main businesses, her social life had been pared down to sporadic visits with friends and River.

Every time she left, the pleasurer had begged her to take him with her but she had refused. The wild SouthLand was no place for a man who was used to sleeping on the luxury of spun Ramagi silk sheets.

She rubbed the back of her neck.

Now her southern lands were back in good condition, the estate cared for by an able midwoman. So she had returned once more to her life here.

Green had no doubt that Claudine D'anbere was behind every disaster. The She-Count was making a bid for her southern property. It had been a very close battle to stay afloat; Green had been almost forced to sell. It had not helped when an anonymous offer had been placed with her main crop creditor just when the figures were at their worst. Fortunately, the creditor had faith in her and her family name.

Idly, Green picked up the scented invitation, which was hand scrolled on the finest jinto leaf parchment. It would be her first soiree in almost two seasons. She wondered what the new "come-outs" would look like this year. Eager, fresh-faced young men, nervous and excited, carefully aiming to snag the best title while leading all on a merry chase.

She shook her head, smiling slightly.

Thank sense and sensibility that she had removed herself from that tedious nonsense! Still, it would be important to make an appearance as she reentered society. Besides, Claudine was sure to be there and Green wouldn't let herself miss the look of horrified shock on the She-Count's face when she realized that Green was back and still holding on to her southern properties.

She arched her back, trying to work out a kink.

"You've worked too hard! You need a resta real rest." An elderly woman bustled into the room with a tray of jinto tea. Placing the tray on the sideboard, she came up behind Green. Brusquely slapping her hands away, she massaged the younger woman's lower back.

"Thank you. Avatar."

"Hmmmph!" the gruff woman replied. "You should have a name-bearer to do this for you."

Green's lips turned up in a soft smile at the familiar gibe. "And why would I want all that grief when you do it so well?"

Avatar harrumphed and chuckled at the same time. The elderly woman treated her more like a daughter than a She-Lord. Back when Claudine had succeeded in having Avatar removed from her post, Green had rescued the woman from sure poverty by bringing her into her own household. Another thing Claudine hated her for...

"I was speaking to Duchene Reynard's kitchenkeeper today, down at the town center"

"You see quite a lot of him, don't you?" Green teased.

Avatar blustered. "He was on his way to the marketplace, and I to the library. It is only natural that we should meet on occasion."

"Yes, especially at the crack of dawn when he does the household shopping for the day."

Avatar put her hands on her sturdy hips. "Do you want to hear what he said or not?"

"Do I have a choice?" Two dimples curved her cheeks.

"No, so listen up. Seems he overheard the Duchene having quite a row with that wild grandson of hers. She wanted him to attend the soiree this evening and he was having none of it."

Jorlan Reynard. Green smiled in fond remembrance of the Duchene's handsome, strong-willed grandson. On several occasions, as a mischievous youth, he had caused havoc at the poor Duchene's social gatherings. One time, he had come into the solar, strutted over to She-Count D'anbere and kicked her soundly in the shin. Everyone was appalled except Green. Having just reached her majority, she found the antics of childhood not that far from her memory. Besides, she would have liked to have done the very same thing. She had laughed long and hard.