Ninth Friday Freebit from Change

Tyna arrives in the capital city of Cygna just as rebellion breaks out.

~ * ~

Tyna covered her head with a pillow to dispel both the physical and the mental noise. The densely packed down filling diminished neither the sound nor her sense of the city’s turmoil.

The streets of Sidih seethed with nocturnal activity. She cursed her luck at arriving during some sort of rebellion. Sussi and Tam slept at the wagon maker’s within the city and Jebe prowled the local taverns, worrying Tyna more than being left alone with the wagons. His defection added to her sleeplessness.

She had avoided her night soirees since entering Sidih, but tonight the compulsion jerked her from her bed. Her skin itched, and her nightclothes pulled and dragged at her every movement. Her blankets twisted and tied about her, making it impossible to relax. She couldn’t expose herself, not here. She couldn’t. She must. She wouldn’t. But she had to, even though it was dangerous.

Thoughts ran through her mind like a litany. “Discipline makes you strong in moments of weakness,” Naomi had always said, telling her to resist initial urges. A second memory came of Naomi using the same phrase just after she had slapped Kissre’s face when she was caught stealing a shirt. Naomi would not listen to any excuse. The memory chilled Tyna, but the advice remained.

The shock and pain of an unexpected attack brought her to upright. Rising, she hurriedly pulled on her clothes and prepared to protect her wagons if need be. Unbidden, her Talent freed, seeking the recognition it sensed nearby. Armed men ran through the tavern district, home to Cygna’s poor, home to many who preyed on the weak and the impaired. Squad platoons, soldiers guided by Talents roamed the area.

Energy threaded the atmosphere as her gift flew over the city. Before she clearly discerned him, she sensed Kedriq. He worked in bond with his squad, giving off a discolored aura that made her both cringe and crave closer contact.

::Stop! What are you doing! Who are you?::.

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