River called down grinning, “Would you like to rephrase that request?”
Ajaska looked at the three females and couldn’t help but grin. They had fire!
Biting back a laugh, Ajaska called out, “Will you come down…please? I would like to meet the females who have caused my sons so much grief.”
Torak heard a soft, feminine laugh followed by the deeper laugh of his father. He had been pacing the floor inside the front entrance for the past hour. When the door finally opened, it was to find his mate with her arm around his father’s waist. His father was carrying River’s black bag.
“Are you trying to kill me?” Torak asked frantically looking River over to make sure she was unhurt. He was going to beat her ass for scaring him so badly before he kissed her senseless.
River raised her eyebrow, “If I had wanted to do that you would have been dead a long time ago.” She said coolly. She was still mad at him for being such a jerk earlier.
Turning to Ajaska, River leaned up and gave him a kiss on his cheek, “Thank you for listening. If you don’t mind, I’d like to retire for the evening. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Ajaska ran the back of his hand gently down River’s cheek before giving her a kiss on her forehead. “Good sleep, fierce warrior.”
River just laughed shaking her head at his label of her. If they only knew, she thought, if they only knew.
Ajaska watched as River left the room staring thoughtfully after her before turning to look at his oldest son.
“I could use a drink. I feel like the report I received was not nearly as detailed as it should have been.” Ajaska said walking towards the living quarters he used while in the city.
Torak was torn as he followed his father reluctantly. He wanted to follow River to their living quarters but knew she was still too angry with him to listen to anything he might have to say. With a resigned sigh, he turned following his father.
Ajaska handed Torak a glass filled with the dark amber liquid he had been drinking early and watched as his oldest son sat down on the edge of the chair.
“Tell me about her.” Ajaska demanded softly.
For the next two hours, Torak talked about everything that had happened. He told his father how he had been stunned the first time he had seen River come out of the darkened corridor on the Tearnat’s warship, how she had killed Progit and two other Tearnats before releasing him, Jazin and his other men before sabotaging the warship, how she had killed Trolis when he had attacked Gril and himself in the shuttle bay, and her fight on his claiming of her. He left nothing out. His hands trembled as he recounted how she almost died while saving his life the day they had returned to the planet.
“She is the most beautiful creature I have ever seen.” Torak whispered softly. “It is impossible to think of her as a warrior when I hold her in my arms. She is so soft, so delicate…so fragile. It takes every ounce of strength I have not to wrap her up and hide her away.”
Ajaska sat quietly for a while before replying, “Torak, you have to let her be who she is. She is not like our women. If you had wanted one of our women you could have had your choice of them. Her spirit is as wild and beautiful as she is. If you try to take that away she will soon come to resent you and the spirit you love so much will die. Is that what you want?”
Ajaska rose from his seat and walked over to a satchel he had hanging from a chair. Pulling a data screen from it, he handed it to Torak.
“Read this. It is from an old text found in the East regions. I scanned it before I left after hearing about your warrior women.”
Torak looked up at his father than down at the data screen. Touching it, he began reading slowly since it was in an old language of Kassis not known to many but their scientists who studied their ancient history. As a royal member of Kassis, he had learned the language as part of his training when he was younger.
“After the great wars there will be those who oppose its end. Fear them, for they wear a false mask of loyalty. Beyond the edges of our galaxy will come three great warriors who will rise out of the shadows of hatred to free the sons of Kassis. These warriors carry the weapons given to them by the Gods: the blade of peace, the crossbow of honor, and the staff of justice. Only when the warriors and the sons unite as one can peace come to the House of Kassis.”
Torak looked up at his father trying to comprehend what he was reading.
“What you have read is a thousand year old Prophesy discovered almost three months ago carved into the stone of one of the temples in the ruins of Karazdin, the ancient city of knowledge.” Ajaska said quietly taking the data screen from Torak and replacing it in the satchel.