TCO: Chapter Thirty-Nine

Gyan spent the rest of the week catching his family up to date on as much as he could about his lessons, as well as his assignment to rescue Tarak. He purposely left out any dangerous encounters for the sake of his mother's nerves. She seemed to have enough on her plate with Miliani and the wedding plans.

"You just don't understand, Gyan," said Miliani after he teased her for her frantic behavior over the wedding. She was on the verge of tears, sitting on the floor in the den next to her mother amid a group of scattered papers. She ran her hands repeatedly through her curly auburn hair, causing it to become even more frizzy than normal. "I can't choose between all these people." She sighed in frustration.

"So, invite them all," Gyan said nonchalantly before taking a large bite of an apala. He stretched his feet lazily over the arm of a large sofa chair and grinned at her.

"That's not practical, Gyan," she replied as she attempted to push her unruly hair behind her ears. "You can't have more people than you have food."

"Cut the food up into tiny portions," he said with a shrug.

Mili rolled her eyes.

"Gyan, dear, I need you and your father to go into the market and give the changes for the flower arrangement to Madam Sarnik, and then go to Berk's tavern to make sure he got the message about the wine order."

"Are you trying to get rid of me, nán?" Gyan asked in mock surprise. "I haven't even been back a week!"

"Yes, and like usual, you are driving your sister crazy."

"Okay, but I don't see why you two are so stressed about a little cake." Gyan stood, one hand over his heart. "I fight to defend the galaxy, risking my life day after day, and I've never been as stressed as you two are now."

"Alright, alright," he said in response to the look of loathing Miliani gave him. "I'm goin'…sheesh."

He strode out of the house to retrieve his father from the shed. The two set off to carry out their orders and didn't return until dark, singing together as they stumbled up the drive.

"Now, where have you two been?" Sahdika asked as she stood in the doorway with her arms folded across her chest and one eyebrow raised.

Eamonn grinned but didn't reply. Gyan snickered and stumbled sideways into his father.

"Are you drunk?" Sahdika asked.

Gyan burst out laughing. "Naw my fault, nán. You sa' go to the taver'…I'z juss followin' orders," he slurred.

Eamonn laughed and put his hand on Gyan's shoulder. "Come on, son…up the stairs."

Sahdika sighed and followed the two into the house.

Gyan stumbled up the stairs to his bedroom and fell across his old bed. Sahdika rolled her eyes as she began removing Gyan's boots.

"Nán…di' I te' you I luff her?" Gyan murmured into his pillow.

"What, dear?"

Sahdika turned to look at Eamonn, who stood in the bedroom doorway. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Jay-na…I luf Jay-na."

"I don't know who that is," she said with a grunt as she rolled Gyan the rest of the way onto his bed.

"Yez you do…everyone noz Jay-na," he replied, his eyes closed. "Bu' I luf her."

Sahdika watched Gyan with a look of affection, foregoing any conversation to decipher what he said. She stood at the edge of his bed until his breath steadily deepened, and then turned to Eamonn.

"I thought warriors didn't drink."

"It isn't forbidden," Eamonn replied, "but it isn't encouraged without a meal either due to the dulling effect too much can have on the senses. However, a light warrior's biological coding seems to allow them to recover from it much faster than others."

"Well, that's good at least," Sahdika said. "Can you imagine him trying to fight in the state he's in now?"

"I don't know…it'd be hard to hit something that's always falling over."

Sahdika and Eamonn looked at each other and burst out laughing. They quieted immediately as Gyan stirred. Both were still chuckling as Sahdika turned down the room lights and gently closed the bedroom door.