"No," he growled.
And when a man the size of the Mayor growled, it made an impression. Jerlis was twice as broad as Zasen. Not as muscled, but his frame was gigantic. From the red-and-black pattern of his skin, he'd inherited genes from the ancient gila monsters - and the anger issues to match.
"She needs to know how to defend herself," I pressed. "Adoet saw her on the street and was going to kill her. The girl refused to even protect herself. She needs to learn how to use a bow. That's how she saved the life of the tailed boy. And if she's already learning that much, then discussing battle strategies with her and what the Moles have done to a place she's starting to think of as her home?"
"I don't like it," the mayor grumbled.
I continued as if he hadn't said a thing. "That woman has no clue what she knows. To her, it was everyday life. It's no different than me asking you what spices are in your kitchen. Sure, you might name a few, but if I'm looking to see if you have salt? You might overlook it because it's just so common. And that's why we need to get her into training."
For a long moment, Jerlis stared at me. "So she really saved a tailed boy?"
I nodded slowly. "According to Zasen, she risked her life to do it. She also knew their names."
"The boy's?"
"The hunters," I clarified. "She killed men she knew, Jerlis, and she did it for a child she'd only recently met. She did it because she was so horrified at what the Moles were doing that they needed to die. That terrified little girl killed at least four men, and she doesn't regret it at all because she says they were wrong."
Jerlis pushed out a heavy breath. "So what do you want from me?"
"Officially list her as a refugee," I told him. "If she's attacked, then it's assault. If she's wrong, then so be it. But make it clear she's a refugee who came here for a better life. She wants to become a citizen. Give her that chance, and I think what she'll give us will be priceless."
"So you think this girl's information is that valuable?"
I chuckled. "Zasen does. He says what she knows is worth its weight in gold."
"The Wyvern's gold, maybe," he grumped.
"Or Lorsa's," I replied. "Because if you offer that young lady a little bit of hope, I think she might become a lot more valuable than any of us could've imagined."
The Mayor simply ran his black tongue over the tips of his teeth, thinking hard. "You want her to have access to the town too, hm?"
"With a companion," I assured him. "Don't worry, we plan to keep watch over her, but there's no reason she needs to know that. To Ayla, we're just her new friends."
And a smile finally split the red-and-black man's face. "Do it. And if she can convince the people of Lorsa she's not a threat, then fine. She's a refugee. Becoming a Dragon is going to be much, much harder."
"No shit," I agreed under my breath as I pushed my chair back.
But I'd gotten what I'd come for. Now it was time to leave before he could change his mind. I just hoped Zasen was right about her. Yes, I liked the girl, but I wasn't as convinced she knew anything we could use.
Although she was definitely gold. Very gold. Her hair was much darker than any of the men's who'd been killed last night. I wasn't sure if all the women were that way, or just her. I also didn't think she belonged to the Wyvern. The Dragonfly might have something to say about that, because he'd been spending quite a bit of time smiling at her.
But in my opinion, she didn't belong to either of them. She was her own, and I wanted her to learn that a man should never, ever own her again.
Forty-EightAyla
Ifinished cleaning the floors. When I was done, there wasn't a hint of either man in our house! Not even a trace of blood in the grooves between the boards. They were gone, washed away with vinegar and soap. If only getting rid of the rest of the Moles could be so easy.
Then Kanik made me rest for a while and eat. First, I had a bath and put on a dress that didn't stink of vinegar. I put the other with the washing, which I was assured would be handled for me. I had no idea how, but I was trying hard to learn the Dragon way of doing things.
Then, for the first time I got to try something called pancakes. Kanik served them with eggs covered in goat cheese, and the bread-like circles were smothered in the sap from a maple tree. It was so good that I ate much more than I should've. Before I knew it, my eyes had gotten heavy.
I woke to find myself stretched out on the couch with a pillow under my head and a light blanket over my body. In the kitchen, I could hear Kanik humming to himself, but the light outside was bright and slanted towards the windows. That meant it was well after noon.
I thought about jumping up, but the cushions were so very comfortable. I also didn't want to stop Kanik's song. The man's voice was deep and rich. The notes he made in his throat were beautiful! I'd heard hymns sung before, but this was very different, so for a moment I lay there and allowed myself to enjoy it.
A bellow of feminine laughter sounded on the porch, making Kanik stop humming. A moment later, the front door opened. Rymar stepped in first, but the doctor was right behind him - and Zasen was behind her. All three of them were smiling, and Naomi - the doctor - was doing her best not to laugh again.
"Wyvern's gold!" Naomi giggled. "As if you and Kanik haven't been helping at all. No, Zasen is going to get - and take - all the credit."
"I'll make sure Jerlis knows they helped," Zasen muttered.
Naomi just reached back to rub his shoulder, but I'd pushed myself up at their entrance, ashamed to be caught sleeping on the couch. Hoping they wouldn't be offended, I began folding up the blanket as quickly and unobtrusively as possible.
"Exactly the person I was wanting to see," Naomi announced as she headed towards me.
"Yes, ma'am," I breathed, glancing back towards the kitchen in the hopes of Kanik telling me what was going on.
He was now standing in the opening between the kitchen and the living room. Rymar headed right to him, but Naomi plucked the blanket from my hands and pushed it back at Zasen. Then she knelt down by my feet.
"How have you been feeling, Ayla?" she asked.
Her Vestrian was crisp and clear. The words were carefully enunciated, making them easy to understand. Most people blurred the sounds a little in their excitement, but not this amazing dark-skinned woman. In all my life, I'd never imagined anyone like her could exist. Not only was she beautiful, but also a doctor, and she was so very kind!
"I'm well," I promised.
That made Naomi give me a strange look. "Does the laceration on your side hurt?"
"No, ma'am," I breathed, unconsciously reaching my hand up to test it.
