Enemies

Chapter five - Alyss

After I had placed Desmond in his pond, I set out to look for whoever convinced him to resign. I decided to talk do Cayd first, as he was the one most vocal about his disapproval. I found him sparring with his mate Ruth in front of their bivvy. I waited for them to finish, watching them form a distance, and they didn't notice me until they were done.

"Alyss! What brings you here?" Cayd bowed his head in greeting.

"I'm looking for the person who made Desmond give up on being my Beta," I replied, giving him a leery look.

"No-one made him. He decided himself."

"He decided himself to accept the position. How come he changed his mind?" I took a step closer to Cayd, making him take a step back.

"He only accepted it because it was so sudden. He also thinks he's not fit for it. But why didn't you ask him?" Ruth stepped forward to stand between me and Cayd.

I ignored the question. Telling them he shifted midst our conversation would only make things worse for him.

"And how do you know that? You did talk to him, didn't you?" I attacked back. I was angry at Ruth but I tried not to show it too much.

"A lot of people talked to him, because you won't listen," she snapped.

"Stop attacking him. What's wrong with you people? He's your Beta now."

"He doesn't want the job, Alyss," Cayd said.

"How can he want it, when you are all treating him like that?" I began to regret that I started this conversation at all. Some people just didn't listen.

"We're all just saying that you should have chosen someone better," Ruth said, seemingly peaceably, insinuatingly looking Cayd's way. I followed her eyes noticeably before I replied.

"There's no-one better."

I walked away, not giving them a chance to reply anymore.

-----

I waited a few more days until Desmond shifted back to his human form. I noticed that his opponents got even more agitated during his indisposition. I didn't talk to any of them anymore. If what Ruth and Cayd told me was true and he really wanted to resign, I needed to convince him first before talking to others.

He mindlinked me as soon as he shifted, asking if there had been any problems. I suggested we should talk face to face and we met in front of Rod and Gwynn's stele.

"Did you choose a new Beta?" was the first thing he asked.

"No, and I will not be doing it, Desmond. Why do you want to resign that bad? Are people giving you a hard time?" I looked into his eyes trying to read the answer from them. Instead of replying, he just bit his lip and stared at me, so I continued. "If that's the case, I'm really sorry. I know I have dumped a lot in your lap. I'm sorry. What should I do?"

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then he changed his mind and just frowned.

"Should I banish them? Cayd, Ruth... Who else was it? Tinna?"

"No! Alyss, no! That's not..." He seemed shocked. I gave him time to gather his thoughts.

"Why are you so persistent about it?" he asked finally.

"Because I need your help," I replied.

"I can help you without being your Beta. I promise."

"I know. But there isn't anyone else I could make my Beta but you." I grabbed his hands. He froze, surprised look on his face.

"Pick the best fighter," he mumbled after a while.

"I am the best fighter," I said, giving him a sceptical look.

"Yeah, but like... second best," he mumbled again.

"Like Cayd? You know him. He's impulsive and violent. You said yourself that good leaders need not only to be strong, but most importantly - wise."

These words made him look up and watch my face for a while, before he whispered "It was a quote."

During the previous month, when he was giving me some mindlinking lessons, he often recited poems, quoted books and told me stories through mindlink. That's how I knew how knowledgeable he actually was.

"But don't you think it's true?" I asked.

He stuttered for a while before he finally said "But you don't even like me."

"True. I used to hate you as a child." The directness of my words made him take a step back. "But you must have noticed it was just because I envied you, right?" I continued, trying to hide my embarassment. "I was such a stupid kid."

I looked back at him and his expression told me he hadn't realised that until now.

"What I could possibly have for you to envy?" he uttered in shock.

I moved my hands, trying to somehow point to all of him, until I gave up and just said "Everything."

He seemed to still not get it, so I kept talking.

"You know, you can read and you know all these stories and all of these things... You've been to so many places... And breaking into archives to steal chronicles! It's just... Well, that's the most amazing thing ever."

"I had no idea," Desmond whispered. "If I had known, I would have taught you. Reading, I mean."

I got excited at the thought of that.

"You think you could?"

"I can. I still can. If you want..." Desmond opened out at my excitement.

An idea suddenly popped up in my mind.

"How about others?"

"What?"

"Could you teach them too? We would have lectures and you would be our professor, like in the universities you told me about..."

I could see that even though he was reluctant, he really wanted to try that.

"Let's do it like that. You will give me a month. You will be my Beta for a month and if after this time you still want to resign, I won't say anything anymore. And as for classes, you will conduct a lecture every day. It will be voluntary for anyone to attend. Other than reading you can also teach other things, anything you know. I will announce it tomorrow. Deal?"

I watched him as he hesitated, at the beginning visibly intimidated but more and more willing, until finally he lightly nodded his head and murmured: "Deal."

I squealed with excitement and hugged him strongly. He stiffened so I drew back.

"You don't like physical contact, do you?"

He nodded at that.

"Sorry. Didn't know," I said, reaching to pat him on the shoulder before I realised my mistake and I withdrew my hand. I gave him thumbs up instead.

"But can I have my first lesson today? I can't wait."