The Traitor's Heir

Chapter Six

"Quara! Lina! Wait!" Both girls stopped when they heard the voice and turned to see Iggy jogging towards them, the bright red hair that set him apart from every other person within the Caverns, tussled and wild.

"Are you trying to grow a beard?" Quara squinted at his chin a half smile that she adopted when she was trying not to laugh pulling up the corners of her mouth. "Lina he is. He is obviously trying to grow a beard!"

Iggy rubbed his chin and tried to frown at her, but his naturally sunny disposition shown through.

At sixteen Iggy was the third born of the Kalena children and if their Mother's claim was to be believed, the easiest of her children to raise from the very moment that he was born. If the stories were true he had let out a great cry and then regarded the world around him with wide curious eyes. His happily easy going nature had quickly become evident. In the previous year he had grown into a giant of a man, with strong broad shoulders and a narrow waist that made him appear somewhat older than his years.

If the gossip they'd heard was true he was very proficient, both with a bow and a sword, although neither he nor Xav was prone to boast and so it was hard to pry a single word of their own accomplishments from either of their lips. He was dressed in the garb of the Guard, although he was still a Squire, with a light weight white tunic belted at his waist, and grey breaches showing above black boots that nearly came up to his knees.

Iggy peered at her with bright sapphire eyes as he answered that he was not, in fact, trying to grow a beard, but he had hardly been home in a week to shave, if she hadn't noticed, and when he had been home his sisters had been hogging the only mirror in the house as if they expected suitors to arrive any minute. The last part of his story was not actually true but he knew that the words would cause both girls to blush, at least slightly, before he returned to his reason for stopping them.

"Xav and I have something really important to tell Mother about at dinner tonight. We've already spoken with Father, so he knows, but please try not to irritate her too much before we get home." His eyes moved to Lina's face as he said the words and she shrugged ever so slightly.

"Will you tell us what you're going to be announcing?" Lina was the one to speak up, her eyebrows raised and her eyes firmly focused on her brother's gaze.

"I will tell you tonight when we tell mother. I don't want you ruining the..." his voice trailed off as he searched for the right word and for a moment the smile fell from his lips and Quara felt a pang of worry about the news that he was bringing "surprise that I have for her." The last words came out in an oddly flat tone and Quara felt the old knot of worry that she had carried with her for nearly her entire life growing heavy again.

"It's not bad news, is it Ig?" It was Quara's turn to speak now and her eyes were soft and pleading as he turned towards her. She was suddenly struck with the idea that their entire family stood on the edge of some great, and yet perilous moment and that perhaps, in a few days' time, they would all be changed forever and nothing would ever be the same again. Not if I can help it, she responded to the thought, pushing it away as she waited for his answer.

"It's not bad at all. It just might not be something that she's thrilled about. Being as protective as she can sometimes be, and all. But I have to get back out there and beat on Xav a little more before we're done for the day. Just please. Stay out of trouble."

"We will." Lina promised as he jogged back to where Xav was waiting for him on the opposite side of the field, his sword in hand.

Quara gave her a hard look. "Maybe today isn't the best day-"

"It is." Lina cut her off. "It's the only day that we know that we have. Who knows what might happen tomorrow, since it seems as likely as not that the enemy's armies are moments away from storming the Cavern Dome and banging down our doors. In which case, I might add, you would likely wish you'd listened to me and headed down into that city far within the earth, because I'm absolutely certain we wouldn't be found there."