Chapter NineThe utter astonishment that met his words was exemplified by Mardan's immediate reaction. Jumping up from his reclining position, any weariness that might have lingered within him vanished as he stepped instinctively nearer to Ayla. His impulse to protect her was still as strong as it had ever been and the sharp incredulity of his tone returned to what it had been the first time he and Gairynzvl had ever spoken.
“Have you lost your mind? Why, by all the Ancients, would you want to return somewhere from which you have spent nearly your entire life trying to escape?”
Shaking his head, Gairynzvl got to his feet as well, attempting to explain himself. “I do not wish to remain there.”
Mardan stepped over the few cushions that lay scattered between them and spread his wings more a
