Storms (Sharani Series Book 2) by Kevin L. Nielsen

rounding on them all. “None of this is helping anyone. If you want to do something useful you can start organizing search parties. Otherwise don’t you all have jobs to do?”
    The onlookers muttered to themselves, several shooting Gavin dark looks, but dispersed. Khari nodded approvingly. Gavin ignored her and turned back to Orna.
    “Tell us what happened, please,” Gavin said.
    Orna adjusted the cloth on his forehead so he could look up at the two of them. Blood plastered his dirty-brown hair to his head.
    “Me and Meseck were standing here chatting about nothing in particular when we heard a noise down the hall here.” Orna turned his head and glanced at Meseck’s body. Orna’s mouth twisted upward into a grimace.
    “Master Gavin here had just left, like he does every day.” Khari cleared her throat and Orna blinked a couple times and grimaced again. “Right. Two guys showed up in the corridor. One of them threw a knife and took Meseck in the neck. He fell, and the other bloke hit me over the head with a cudgel. When I woke up, Master Gavin was here and Kaiden was, well, you can see that for yourself.”
    Gavin sighed, a deep, hissing sound that contained an entire wagon-load of frustration behind it. Khari couldn’t blame him, though she wasn’t about to show such emotions in a situation like this. A leader had to be a solid base for the people in a crisis.
    “What can you tell us about the attackers?” Gavin asked. “Were they tall, short, thin? Hair color? Anything that stood out about them?”
    She was impressed that Gavin had thought to ask specific questions. Maybe there was some hope for him after all. She remembered when Makin had struggled to gain the respect of those he led. True, he hadn’t been trying to unite the clans, but then again, they both had to start somewhere.
    “They both wore thick robes with the hoods pulled up.” Orna grimaced again and Khari bent down and put a hand on the cloth. She pulled it away to get a look at the gash on his forehead. It wasn’t deep, but head wounds bled a lot and it was already swelling up like an egg. Gathering her powers, using the water within her own body as fuel, Khari put a light hand on the wound and pushed at the skin, forcing it back together.
    The flesh knit beneath her fingers and the swelling subsided. Khari felt herself growing lightheaded and released the magic, grateful that she was already kneeling. She’d need water soon.
    Orna put a hand to his head and blinked in surprised. “Thank you,” he said.
    Khari grunted. She was too tired to say anything else.
    “Are you sure you can’t remember anything else at all?” Gavin pressed, as if nothing had happened.
    The kid didn’t miss much. Maybe he did have potential, if he was guided correctly. He reminded her of Makin, when he was younger. She had had to help mold him along then as well. She almost smiled as she remembered her initial reluctance to do that, as well. But she’d recognized his potential back then, however reluctantly.
    “Well,” Orna said, his voice stronger now, “the one that clubbed me, he got close enough for me to see his face.” He closed his eyes as if concentrating. “He had a topknot.”
    “Londik?” Khari asked. Even to herself, her voice sounded sticky and slurred, as if she’d drunk a glass of goat milk.
    Orna shrugged. “That’s what it looked like. Or Mornal, maybe.”
    “Stay here, please,” Gavin said. Then he turned to Khari, extending a hand to help her to her feet. Khari accepted it, surprised at the strength and callouses in that grip. She looked at him questioningly.
    “I thought we could take a look in his cell. There may be something worth seeing.”
    Khari nodded. Yes, that was right. Why hadn’t she thought of that? Right, she’d just healed Orna. Khari hated how she felt after using her powers. She was so weak, so fragile .
    Gavin held a waterskin out to her. Khari accepted it gratefully. How had he known?
    Gavin stepped