Blood and Bone : Chapter II

“You want to do what, pardon?”1

Mera Syntaya had the decency to look surprised. She had suspected Garret to come to her at some point, but Yvette? She’d been brought up better.2

“ I don’t want to do anything. Garret here wants to wander off into a war-torn country without her ladyship knowing.”3

Mera raised an eyebrow. Garret shifted but remained silent.4

“I should have expected as much, really, especially from one with Syntaya blood. What puzzles me though, Garret, is that I thought you wanted to learn here?”5

He sighed.6

“I do want to learn, not only to protect myself but to show Ma that I actually have the assassin blood of our family. But she keeps on expecting me to turn out like her. Become the pride and joy of Syntaya’s everywhere.”7

“Yes, all two of us.” Mera commented. “So what is the problem, child?”8

“I don’t want to be an assassin? I want to show Ma that I have the capabilities to be one, but I don’t want to actually BE one. And I don’t want to be a mage either. I want to heal, but that’s it.”9

Mera stayed silent, fulling knowing that her grandson wanted to continue. Yvette looked on curiously.10

“Which would be all well and good if my Pa weren’t Zander Arabia! So no I have a family legacy to worry about because I had to be born a male. My sister, on the other hand, probably gets to choose her life career.”11

He flushed, fully aware that he was blabbering.12

“Your sister has already shown an interest in assassination. Most of the female Syntaya’s do.”13

“Shown an interest or forced into?” Garret casually inquired.14

Mera gave an inward sigh and put on her best motherly voice.15

“I know all too well how oppressing the Syntaya bloodline is, trust me. All too well. I had Divana mumbling every day about not being like me when she was older. And goddess knows how much I wanted to hurt Madame Selina every time she hinted that I was a bad mother.”16

She heard Yvette gasp.17

“I can imagine how annoying it must be to be the son of such people. Over-shadowing, I expect?”18

Garret nodded. It was surprise at how much his Grandmother knew about this. He had expected her to be fully against his desire to leave.19

“Have you thought about telling your mother this? I expect she would understand.”20

Garret frowned.21

“Ma’s too caught up in her work to notice.”22

“And your father?”23

“Too caught up in Ma.”24

Mera raised a delicate white eyebrow. That was most unlike Zander, to be ignoring his only son. She gave Yvette a questioning look.25

“And you, my child?”26

“I’m only here so Gary doesn’t get himself killed.” Yvette shrugged.27

Mera gave a small laugh. 28

“You certainly are your father’s daughter. And they expected you to be a councillor. Well…” She sighed, standing gracefully. “I can hardly stop you. It seems that you at least have your heart set on this, Garret. I know you can take care of yourself.”29

Garret looked up into the pale face of his grandmother. She gave him a small – almost sad – smile.30

“But you promise not to tell Ma?”31

“Not unless I must.”32

She waved her hands and a warm feeling pasted over both him and Yvette. Garrent recognised it as a spell.33

“So I can find you if need be. Take care children, please?”34

The two left Mera’s quarters silently. It seemed that Yvette was going, if only to stop her cousin being killed.35

“Just think about this, Gary, before you go off doing something stupid. My lord and lady will not be impressed if you manage to get decapitated. I’m asking you to at least think about it”36

Garret mumbled something of an insult and sighed.37

“I’ll think about it, but I make no promises to change my mind.”38

They parted and Yvette sent a silent prayer to her goddess.39

--------40

It seemed Garret had stayed true to his word to think about his decision. Yvette didn’t hear another word until three weeks later, when she found a note pinned to her bedroom door. Garret’s neat handwriting scrawled across the parchment.41

‘You coming or not? If you are, pack and meet me by the docks in an hour’s time. Don’t worry about guards, I’ve taken care of that.42

-- Garret Arabia.’43