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Root was angry. He was tired of being the butt of every joke and the constant target of the more stupid warriors. Of Pearl’s warriors, generally, since Jade didn’t tolerate bad behaviour even among the younger males, while Pearl was largely indifferent to warriors behaving like idiots. Jade’s faction didn’t hesitate to tell Root what they thought of him but were rarely physically aggressive, whereas Drift had just snagged his tail and ripped him off the wall, slamming him face first into the trunk of the mountain tree, forcing him to scramble clumsily onto the nearest gallery.
He hissed, but Drift just carried on up to the queens’ level, and the warriors climbing after him ignored what had happened.
Root shifted, wincing as he felt the effects of Drift’s aggression more strongly in his groundling form. He turned to go back to his bower and maybe hide out for a while before going to look for Balm and the others.
“Root? Aren’t you going for the daymeal?” Chime’s bower was next to his, and Root sometimes thought Chime was still part Arbora, always wanting to know everything. He grimaced, knowing Chime wasn’t the only one who was sometimes irritating. Root still had a tendency to blurt out whatever came into his head without considering the possible consequences. But he was trying to improve now, and he wished people would appreciate it. Then he thought how it must have been for Chime, finding himself abruptly transformed into a warrior, losing all his arcane power and having to learn flying techniques that the others had mastered as babies. He sighed and came out of his bower.
“What happened to you?” said Chime, surprised.
“I flew into a wall,” said Root, realising his scrapes must be visible. “Again.”
Chime frowned. “Who? River?”
“Drift. River’s actually been better recently.”
“Tell Jade.”
Root shook his head.
“Then tell Moon.”
“He’s a consort. I don’t think they’re supposed to defend warriors.”
Root wasn’t actually too sure. Stone was the only consort he’d known since he was old enough to take notice, and Stone was a line-grandfather who didn’t hesitate to defend his court. Moon was more of a fighter than any of the warriors.
“Or perhaps Ember is the unusual one?” he added. “I know the teachers say consorts have to be protected, but Moon hardly needs it. He and Stone are stronger than warriors and better fighters. I don’t know any other consorts. Well, there’s Shade, I suppose, but he’s unusual too.”
Chime snorted. “It’s the bloodline that has to be protected, not the person. Didn’t you learn anything? Consorts are more like Ember, generally speaking.”
“Are they though? Have you known many?”
“More than you, idiot. When I was a mentor I often met with visiting courts. Come on now. I’m eating with Moon, I’m sure he’ll be able to help.”
He headed out to shift and climb up the trunk of the mountain tree, then changed his mind.
“Are your wings damaged? Let me check.”
Root pulled away. “I’m just sore.”
Chime gave him a look, and turned to head for the staircase. He led the way up past the queens’ bowers to the consorts’ level, where Root had rarely been. He knew Chime came here with Moon often enough, though Moon usually spent his nights with Jade.
Moon and Ember were both in Moon’s bower and clearly planning to eat together. Moon, making tea, added another cup, and Ember pushed across a platter of flatbread and vegetables. He frowned at the scrapes on Root’s face.
“Root, what happened? Are you hurt?”
Root looked away. He had admired Ember when he first saw him, and agreed with the other warriors’ comments on his perfect conformation and appearance, but he didn’t know him well. Pearl was possessive of her sole consort and kept Ember at her side at communal meals, and although Ember often visited the nurseries as well as the platforms and the Arbora’s workrooms these weren’t places where Root spent much time, so their paths rarely crossed.
“Drift happened,” said Chime bluntly.
Moon looked up. “Idiot. He’s been needing a beating for a while now.” Root thought Moon looked pleased to have an excuse to deliver it, but he didn’t want that.
“Moon, no, please don’t.”
“Then you should speak to Jade. This shouldn’t happen.”
“I don’t want to bother her.” Root was already embarrassed at having to ask Moon for help. He didn’t want to run to his queen like a pathetic fledgling.
“I thought maybe you could you suggest some way we could do something,” said Chime. It’s not like Root is the only one.” Root looked at Chime in surprise. Who else was Drift targeting? He really should pay more attention, he thought, worrying now about the other young warriors.
“I should have realised,” said Moon. “Chime, is anyone bothering you?”
“Not me, not now I’m your warrior,” said Chime with a pleased smile. “I thought, if two or three of us fought Drift, maybe …”
“No.” Ember spoke firmly. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Emerald Twilight is plagued with different queens’ factions fighting each other, and I’d hate to see that start here. Drift is one of Pearl’s warriors, so I should fix this.”
Chime and Root were dumb with surprise, but Moon laughed.
“Haven’t you realised this is what proper consorts do? They talk to people. It was Ember who settled River.”
“I only had a chat with him,” said Ember. “Of course we both knew Pearl would tear his head off if he threatened me,” he added with a shrug, “but we talked, and I think he’s happier now. He’s brighter than Drift, though. Still, I don’t believe Drift will want Pearl to know about this. I might even ask River to talk to Drift as well. Yes, I think that should work.
“If not, then I think it’s Moon who should fight Drift, not a warrior,” he added, looking at Moon.
“Agreed,” said Moon. “Root, tea.”
Root took the cup, but his attention was on Ember. “Thank you, consort,” he said a little shyly.
“Don’t thank me before I’ve done anything,” said Ember, smiling. He had a nice smile, thought Root. His hair and eyes were a bit lighter than most of the Indigo Cloud Raksura, and he was leaner than Moon, being younger. He was probably just about the same age as Root, in fact.
******
Curled up with his queen in her hanging bed, Ember ran his hand through Pearl’s mane, admiring the beauty of her golden Arbora form with its deep blue pattern. He gently teased the frills at the tips of her folded wings and nipped her neck and shoulder, moving his hand down slowly, pleased to scent her interest. He was enjoying this peaceful evening alone with her: there were none of Pearl’s warriors in the bower, and no-one had bothered either of them with problems at the evening meal.
Ember was happy at Indigo Cloud. It was a smaller colony than Emerald Twilight, with only two queens, and much more peaceful. Pearl and Jade argued, of course: Jade was young and could be aggressive, and Pearl was acerbic and difficult. Queens were naturally quarrelsome; it was a normal state of affairs for a Raksuran court, and ultimately it could be a catalyst for large courts to divide and grow. But there was none of the constant toxic fighting of Ember’s birthcourt here.
He knew he and Moon were partly responsible for the relative calm of Indigo Cloud because the Arbora happily told him so. They had been kind and welcoming when Emerald Twilight left Ember with Indigo Cloud, when he was alone and scared. They liked Ember because he had helped bring Pearl out of the despair that had overwhelmed her, and now they were treating him as the reigning queen’s consort, in spite of his youth; bringing him suggestions and hints, asking him to find out what Pearl might think before approaching her directly with their problems. Ember liked spending time with them and occasionally had sex with one or two of the young teachers in the comfort of their bowers or in quiet shady places on the mountain tree platforms. And he enjoyed being with Pearl: they were surprisingly compatible in spite of the difference in their ages.
“Ember,” murmured Pearl, taking his hand before he got too distracted, “what were you going to ask?” Ember had wanted to mention something in private, though she didn’t have the impression it was anything serious. Pearl enjoyed having a young, enthusiastic lover; as a young consort Ember expected to be told how to please her and obviously enjoyed doing so. But while she certainly didn’t miss the constant grumbling of her previous partner River, Ember did tend to forget himself in the moment.
“Oh,” he said, pausing. “It was just – I was thinking of maybe having sex with one of the warriors.”
Pearl was surprised. “When I took you I said you were welcome to have sex with anyone,” she said. “You don’t mean you haven’t slept with anyone else?” She was fairly certain that wasn’t true.
Ember smiled. “You know I have,” he said. “I’m sure you could scent it. I like the Arbora. And when I first arrived Coil was friendly, although we never actually had sex.”
“And then he was killed,” said Pearl, understanding. She stroked Ember’s cheek, remembering the colony’s losses.
Ember nodded. “This is a bit different, because it’s one of Jade’s warriors.”
Pearl ran through a mental list of Jade’s faction. “I don’t care,” she said.
“It’s Root,” said Ember.
“Root? Really? He’s an idiot.”
“He’s growing out of it. He’s having a difficult time.”
“You’re sorry for him?”
“Maybe a little? But I like him anyway. He’s trying hard, and some of the others aren’t making it easy.”
Pearl thought about that. She hadn’t noticed any signs of increased maturity in Root, who had been more annoying even than most young male warriors for a while now. But Ember was only a turn or two younger, though he seemed so much more mature. Perhaps Ember wanted a younger partner, maybe a warrior friend of his own like Moon’s Chime and whatever that half-Fell consort’s warrior was called? That would be appropriate and a good indication of how well Ember was fitting into the court. On the other hand, choosing one of Jade’s warriors was not ideal, and she could only hope Ember was right about Root, if she was likely to have to put up with his presence more often. But in any case Jade should not have allowed him to be bullied, if that was what was happening.
“Go ahead,” she said finally, “but he’s Jade’s responsibility, remember.”
“Mm,” said Ember.
******