Part I: Trouble

Kith was feeling a storm coming and he smiled. He loved storms. As if unconcerned by the danger, he changed his way to go straight toward the core of the storm, humming the rain song he had recently learnt from the shaman of the tribe he had left behind only two weeks ago. As long as he didn't actually sing the words, nothing would happen. He chuckled; even singing the words wouldn't make anything happen. He began to whistle as the sky slowly turned dark, covering with heavy clouds.
Kith was a lanky young man, probably around thirty years old, though his carefree way of living and the mischievous light in his eyes made him look younger. His sandy hair hadn't known scissors for rather too long, disappearing under his grey tunic. He had a backpack on the shoulder and, from the look of it, it wasn't very heavy. His long legs were thirsted into old boots that sorely needed repair, his left toe wiggling out of it in its carefully mended sock.
He looked up at the dark sky, wondering what was wrong. The storm had constituted rather quickly but now it was just hanging there, as if waiting for something. Then he heard a voice - an angry voice:
"Leave me alone!"
"Be reasonable, girl," said another voice sounding only too patient. "You can't stay here."
"Which word in 'Leave me alone' didn't you understand?" growled the girl.
"I don't understand why you are refusing the honour I-"
"I know the kind of honour the likes of you do to the likes of me and I say no!"
Kith was now in sight of the two persons arguing: one of them was a girl setting on the side of the road, trying to get her right foot out of her boot, and in front of her was a well-dressed man with a carriage waiting for him. The girl finally managed to get her boot off and turned it upside down so that the pebble in it could fall on the ground. That done, she stood up, her boot still in her hand. She wasn't very tall, something around five feet, but the unusual colour of her hair aroused Kith's interest: her hair, cut at shoulder length, was white.
She pointed her free hand at the man standing in front of her.
"I can spell it for you: do away!" she said, slashing the air with her arm as to show the man where to go.
Lightning struck in that exact same direction. Kith blinked and enjoyed the electric air around him. This would be a good storm, with thunder and lightning, not his favourite, but full of energy.
Was there something funny with her eyes? He twisted his neck to see better and shook the head; grey eyes, for all he could see in such condition.
"Go back to your carriage," said the girl spitefully. "You could get wet under the storm. Or hit by lightning," she added as a bolt struck only two feet left from the carriage, scaring one of the horses. "Do I need to drive you away with lightning? I can, you know!"
The man stared at her wordlessly, turned away, mounted in his carriage and left without any further comment. The girl muttered something rude under her breath and shook her fist after him. Several lightning bolts hit the ground behind the carriage. She smiled, sat down and began the delicate operation of putting on her boot while keeping what was supposed to take place as sock on her foot.
"That was neat," commented Kith. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to release the storm now?"
She cursed, dropped her boot and growled.
"On your head, maybe."
There was definitely something funny with her eyes: they had turned white.
"What happened to your hair?"
"Got hit by lightning," she snapped, rearranging her sock so the holes wouldn't be in the strategic places.
"Getting hit by lightning doesn't turn hair white.
"If you're so clever, you would know to run away before I decide to you a lesson!" she retorted, lightning striking near him.
"Please do unleash your power," Kith said with the most irritating tone he could muster.
She gasped in fury, her eyes blazing - throwing lightning bolts? - and pointed at him, unable to articulate a word. It suddenly seemed to Kith that the storm was focused on him alone. At first, he danced with joy under it, relishing each time he could catch a bolt. He could feel the girl's anger growing as the storm became fiercer - as if her anger was fuelling it. He marvelled at her power, at the fact that she could unleash such a rage, just by the strength of her will.
Then he became slightly uncomfortable. He hadn't been that low in energy and lightning was filling quickly. The bolts were now burning disagreeably.
"Are you trying to kill me, girl?" he gasped, now dancing to escape the lightning.
"I wish!" she said forcefully and a huge bolt aimed at him.
He growled, furious in turn: he didn't do anything to her, except teasing her! Did he deserve to die for such a trifle? There was no way to escape: the storm was following him. He was doomed.

Then the storm stopped suddenly and he heard a sob. He looked around: in a circle around him, the ground was burnt by lightning. Still sitting on the side of the road, the girl was trying to put on her boot - and failing.
"Here, let me help you," said Kith, kneeling by her once he had seen her eyes were back to grey.
Above their head, the sky began to clear. Kith examined the used sock critically.
"It's too worn up. Please take care of them, these are my only spare socks," he added sternly, fishing in his backpack.
She scowled but let him proceed. He took off her ruined sock, frowned when seeing her dirty feet and frowned even more at the sight of the blister she was developing.
"Good grief, girl, you don't miss anything!"
"I know, I'm nothing but trouble," she said sullenly.
"Did that man tell you that? He doesn't know any better."
"You're the same kind as he is."
"No, I'm not," replied Kith standing up. "See?" he added, wriggling his toe out of his boot. "Now put on the sock and your boot. Have you no thread to mend up your old sock?"
"No. I've got nothing," she said defensively.
Kith was still angry - after all, she had tried to kill him - but he couldn't help being moved: she was young, fifteen at the most, with a fierce temper, and she was alone on the roads with a devastating power. She shouldn't have been ignored.
The girl wrinkled her nose at the new sock.
"It smells!" she complained.
"Sorry, I'm not rich enough to buy fine lye. Who are you?"
"The Stormweaver, isn't it obvious?" she snapped, obviously not thankful for the sock.
"Nice name, high-flown and pompous. How did your parents call you?" he persisted, keeping his calm: she was just a chit of a fifteen-year-old and he was an adult!
She glared at him and he understood she probably had a bad notion of the exact meaning of 'parents'.
'Trouble?" she said, half-defiantly, half-tentatively. "Hello, kitty," she added softly to the funny-coloured kitten crawling to her side.
"What's her name?" he asked, hoping she would soften if the subject was her cat rather than her.
"Leave me alone or I'll bit your head off," she growled.
He blinked. My, she did have an endless resource of bad temper.
"Long name for such a little cat."
She finally gave up with an exasperated sigh.
"Moonshade. And you are?"
"Kith Stormrider. Call me Kith."
She giggled.
"Storm dancer."
"This is not dignified," muttered Kith.
She grinned at him, the picture of childish mischief. He sat next to her and didn't protest when Moonshade came to sniff his fingers.
"Where are we going?"
"When did 'I' become 'we'?" she flared up.
"How is it you allowed it to become an 'I' in the first place?" he countered.
"Nobody wants me around!" she spat hatefully. "I'm nothing but trouble, in case you didn't understand where my name came from."
"Girls are always trouble," he replied, shrugging carelessly. "Don't lose your temper yet, I have not need of energy."
"I should have roasted you with lightning," she growled.
"Well, you did try," said Kith, his eyes flashing. "Where are we going?"
"I am going to the tribe of the Red Sun. You may follow me to the next village or town so I can give you back your smelly sock! After that, our paths will go different ways."
"Did nobody teach you to thank somebody?" commented Kith tartly.
"I know at least a hundred ways to say 'thank you' but I've learnt to say them as if it was an insult. I grew tired of having to be thankful to people who hardly treated me better than a slave."
"How many of them did you fry?" inquired Kith.
"None, though some broke a leg or an arm. Don't look at me like this, it was a windy day! It's not my fault if they can't walk in the wind."
Kith burst out laughing, unable to help himself. Trouble stood up and the sky began to darken again.
"This is it," she said grimly, "this time, I won't be nice."
He was not listening to her, still laughing. She hesitated; he was a mage after all. She had seen plenty of mages, tricking people into believing them weak so they could defeat them and she had no notions of what this one would do to her. Slowly she lowered he hand ready to strike.
"You like lightning, don't you?" Kith said casually.
"Yes. You don't?"
"I prefer windstorms. It takes longer to get all the energy I need, but it lasts longer. Lightning energy burns too fast. Why the Red Sun tribe?"
"They told me a storm is coming by."
"Won't it be over by the time you get to them?" asked Kith, surprised.
"Their shaman is good with weather and he told the winds to tell me."
"So you weave storms and talks to winds. Do you walk on water too?"
"No, but I can make you try. I don't guarantee to help you if you drown tough."
"How about a truce?"
"What for? So that you can hit me as soon as I lower my guard? I've seen mages like you pretend to be helpless kittens and, at the very moment someone like me tries to help them, turn into fierce lions."
Kith made a face.
"First, I'm not a mage. Second, I'm not stupid enough to try to hurt someone able to command the power of storm. I like my life, thank you."
"You're a mage: you dance in storms."
"Alright, then maybe I'm a mage. A wandering mage, not one of those pompous fellows who think they hold the earth and sky in their palm, alright?"
"Then why do you want to talk to me?"
"Because I'm intrigued, puzzled, fascinated by you! Your power is extraordinary and I'd like to know what you can do. Listen, we're on the road to Shokyu; how about going there and discussing in front of a meal?"
"I don't have money," she said stubbornly.
"I have enough for two, I think," sighed Kith. "How were you going to feed the kitten?"
"I don't know!" she cried. "I picked her up yesterday because she was defenceless and, and..."
"Come, then. I'm hungry."
"I still don't trust you," she said sullenly, standing up.
"Well, I think I should be the one not trusting you. After all, you tried to kill me."
"If you intend to remind it to me every two steps, I'm not going further," she said sharply.
"Don't get tender like this, it melts my heart," sighed Kith.
She looked at him with surprise then flared up:
"Don't you get all adult on me and tell me what to do because I'm just a child! I-"
"Wouldn't dream about it," Kith interrupted calmly. "I'm not good with children, so I wouldn't burden myself with one."
Trouble seemed to think over it and they could go ahead on the road without another argument.

Shokyu wasn't far from where Kith had met Trouble, but during this time, his patience was severely strained. An argument rose every time he asked questions about her. Wearily he ended up telling her that controlling her temper would help her have a better grip on her power and then he began telling her about his experiences as a Stormrider - the dance part wasn't mentioned, since she had had a sample of it already. Trouble listened with unwavering attention, her light grey eyes opened wide.
"She's just a child," Kith thought as he was telling her how he rode a storm on the ocean - and very nearly drowned. "Nobody ever cared for her, told her stories and when someone holds out a hand to her, she expects a blow, not a piece of bread. Now, if she asks me why I care for her, what will I say? That she's an endless source of power to me? How horrid does it sound. Look at her, her childlike avidity. I could tell her that I dance on sunbeams and moonbeams and she would believe me readily enough. She has no idea that powers are limited. I wonder if she knows the limits of hers or if she thinks she can do whatever she sets her mind to."
Still telling her his adventures - how he had collided in a tree while riding a wind spout - and her listening attentively, they came to the gates of Shokyu. The guard grunted a little at their shabby aspect but then Kith met his eyes and the guard changed his mind. They entered the first inn they saw, named - quite pompously - Like Home.
Kith motioned Trouble to choose a seat and went to the man he thought was the innkeeper.
"Hello, traveller!" said the man. "I am Ryzu, the innkeeper. What can I do for you?"
"Hello, Ryzu," said Kith amiably. "I'd like an omelette for two, with tomatoes, mushrooms, ham and cheese, three eggs for each person. My young friend over there is starving, you see. Ah, and a pitcher of milk."
The innkeeper raised the eyebrows.
"Naturally, your Excellency. Is there anything else I can do for your Excellency?" he said mockingly.
"Thinking of it, yes: I'd like stuffed green peppers after the omelette. And, naturally, dessert."
"Stuffed peppers. Why didn't I think of it?"
"Is there a problem? You do know to make stuffing for peppers, don't you?"
"Of course! The problem, sir, is that your young friend, as you say, is a shabby little beggar and that you aren't better yourself. I don't take commands. You eat the menu or you don't."
"Not to brag, but my young friend here is a storm mage," replied Kith still smiling. "I know, she doesn't look like it, but if she gets angry, storms happen and, strangely, her favourite seems to be lightning. Now, it would be fine if she were a sweet little girl; the thing is she has a filthy temper. I agree with you that whatever you have in your kitchen is probably great, but you see, she's partial to omelettes."
"How do I know you're not lying?" asked Ryzu suspiciously.
"You don't, that's the fun of it. I can ask her to make a demonstration, if you want. Trouble, baby, would you mind giving our good friend the innkeeper a clue of what you can do?"
Trouble blinked, surprised by the request. Kith winked at her; she sighed, passed her hand in her hair, collected a handful of lightning sparks and made a ball in her palm. Ryzu's eyes bulged; Kith smiled.
"Do you want me to throw it at him or not?" she asked politely.
"No, no, baby, don't you bother with that."
Ryzu swallowed visibly as Kith turned again to him, an engaging smile on his lips. Trouble shrugged and made the ball vanish in her hair.
"This is but a trick of illusionists," snarled a man next to her. "Leave him be, precious, and come with me. I can teach you more useful things!"
He put his arm around her shoulders and tried to pull her to him.
Kith started and quickly swirled on his heels when hearing a close thundering.
"Trouble, no!" he exclaimed sharply.
He came to Trouble's table and leaned on the man.
"I'd advise you to release my young friend here," he said, his breath burning. "I do not appreciate seeing her molested, especially by someone like you."
"What do you have better than me, huh?"
"Nothing. I am just Kith Stormrider, registered storm mage, and she is with me. Do you really want to meddle with a mage - I mean, with two mages?"
That settled the conversation and Kith slid on his chair in front of Trouble. Her grey eyes were hard.
"You are a registered mage. You told me you weren't."
"Wandering mages have a particular status. Would you have come here with me if I had told you I was a registered mage?"
"You tricked me on purpose," she said flatly, fighting to keep her temper under control.
"I'm a little mage, alright? Besides, you're also a mage."
"He recognised your name! I saw it on his face!" protested Trouble.
"Well, there was a little commotion around my name something like one year ago... a total misunderstanding," admitted Kith sheepishly. "I hope you like omelettes," he added after thought.
"What is it?" she asked, puzzled.
"How on earth did you eat before?" he said, rolling the eyes.
"I stole food," she said, sullen. "And I wasn't very good at it, so spare me the moralist speech: you shall not steal and so on."
Kith was spared an answer by the servant girl with the two plates of omelette.
"Thank you. For goodness' sake, Trouble, don't look at it as if it was going to bite you! I didn't do anything to it; I'm a storm mage, not a wizard."
Trouble didn't answer and tasted gingerly her food. She obviously found it to her taste, since she proceeded to wolf it down, only slowing so she could slip pieces of ham to Moonshade, who was purring loudly on her knees, hidden under the table.

Once her plate was clean, Trouble looked up. Kith hadn't finished yet and he was toying with his food, aligning again and again a piece of tomato, a mushroom and a dice of ham.
"Why didn't you use your name to get what you wanted of the innkeeper?" she asked, pouring him a glass of milk before pouring one for herself.
"He could not have known it," replied Kith, absent-mindedly accepting the glass.
"But the commotion..."
"Some never heard about it. You didn't, for one."
"I'm just nobody. A street urchin at the best."
"Nonsense. Where is your tribe?"
"It's not my tribe."
"Then why do you have the red glass sun around your neck? Trouble, your clothes are so thin it's easy to see it. You must be freezing all the time. Anyway, where is the tribe of the Red Sun?"
"South-east from here. You intend to come with me?"
"If you don't mind."
She didn't answer and looked down at the plate she had thoroughly cleaned. He was nice to her; nobody had ever paid a meal for her before.
"Don't think you owe me for this," Kith said crossly, feeling what she was thinking. "Gratitude doesn't last long."
Before she could answer, Ryzu himself brought the stuffed peppers.
"I hope you didn't wait too long," he said worriedly. "Dessert is waiting for when you are ready."
"More food!" exclaimed Trouble in stupor.
"What is there for dessert?" asked Kith calmly.
"Chocolate cake, if the lady mage is agreeable."
Lady mage. She had never been called a lady mage before! What was chocolate?
"She's perfectly agreeable," replied Kith lazily. "Thank you, Ryzu. Eat, Trouble."
She didn't have to be asked twice and attacked her stuffed pepper.
"It's good!" she said, the mouth full.
"Don't talk the mouth full. Didn't this tribe of ours teach you anything?"
"I never stay long enough to learn anything," she replied, shrugging.
"Why? Apparently, they rather accept you."
"Koju, the thane, doesn't like me. What is chocolate?"
Kith sighed.
"Something you'll like, I hope. You don't have to eat so fast; nobody will steal it."
She glared at him and didn't slow down. She swallowed and said:
"You're big and you're a registered mage. They let you be. But I'm small and skinny, easy to steal from."
"Let's reformulate it then: I won't let anybody steal from you."
"I didn't go that far by trusting someone to watch my back," she said disdainfully, swallowing the last bite of pepper.
He reached for her across the table, cupping her chin in his hand.
"Now you have someone to watch your back," he said quietly. "That is, if you want. Do you mind if I come with you?"
Sparks ran down her hair, but there was fear in eyes, not anger. She wouldn't try to hurt him with lightning. He let go of her chin and she looked down.
"You can come," she whispered.
Kith relaxed. He had feared she would refuse.
He relished in her childish joy when she tasted the chocolate cake and wondered what was happening to him.
"Mind if we sleep outdoors?" he asked brutally.
She blinked.
"Why do you ask?"
"I don't think your admirer will stop here. A storm mage is valuable and you are a girl... I guess you could be qualified of pretty, once clean. Exotic, anyway. Some people like exotic slaves."
She grinded her teeth.
"Nobody takes me as a slave or I'll fry them!"
"You would, huh? Maybe you ought to go anyway, to free all those who got captured. Don't look at me like this, I won't sell you as a slave. Ready to go? Wait for me outside, I'll pay Ryzu."
Kith was fair. Even though he had threatened the innkeeper into giving him what he wanted, he would pay him for his pain.

Trouble was waiting outside, Moonshade asleep in her arms. It almost surprised Kith: he had expected her to take to her heels. The sun was still high in the sky as they reached the south fate of Shokyu. He chose a spot und a tree to stop by the road and unrolled his map. It was an old map, probably not up to date, but though Kith wasn't penniless, he wasn't rich enough either to buy maps regularly - especially when he didn't really care where he was going. He pointed to a reddish-brown spot on the map.
"This is Shokyu," he said.
Trouble looked at him in surprised, then looked at the walls of the town behind them.
"It doesn't look like Shokyu," she remarked.
"Great," sighed Kith. "You've never seen a map before, have you?"
"Yes, I have, but I don't understand how you can see towns, mountains and seas on this! It's just a piece of parchment with funny drawings on it!"
"It's a flat representation of the land," explained Kith patiently.
For the next hour, he showed her all the symbols used on a map and how to read them properly. She didn't ask him why he bothered to teach her but she remembered everything quite easily.
"So, Shokyu is here. Where is the Red Sun tribe?"
"In the steppes, just by the city next to it. The desert is a bit south."
"Show me on the map."
She squinted at the map and pointed at a spot on it.
"Here. I think. If it was in relief, I'd know for sure, but all theses symbols don't talk to me."
"It's because you're not a cartographer, that's all."
"Are you?"
"I studied it a bit. It may be useful when you're dealing with storms. Knowing exactly how the land is allows you to know what ravages a storm can do - and, sometimes, how to avoid them. Alright, how do you go to the Red Sun?"
"I follow the road south-east until the big city-"
"Rovhyu?"
"Yes. Then I go south in the steppes and they find me."
"They find you?"
"The shaman sends a path in the wind and sand, a path he taught me to read."
"Oh. Trail signs. So, down this road to Rovhyu, huh?"
"Yes. It's an easy path, but Rovhyu is at least one week away on foot."
"Could you raise a storm here? Whirl-type?"
"It's dangerous, near a town. If it gets out of control-"
"A small on. As soon as you've created it, I'll take control of it."
"Let me see," she said, dubious.
She concentrated, muttering to herself:
"Not enough wind, lighting's not good, rain no..."
She bit her lower lip and looked around. She went back to the road and checked that nobody but Kith was looking at her. Slowly she raised her hands and the dust of the road rose with them. When she couldn't raise her hands higher, she put them on the dust column she had just created and gave it a turning motion. Soon enough, the column was whirling at her satisfaction.
"Impressive," commented Kith, coming by her side.
"I could have done it faster with pure wind, but I wasn't sure on how dust would react."
"Never mind. Come before the guards wonder about us."
Taking her hand, he stepped in the dust whirl. She choked back a cry of surprise. They rose in mid-air then the dust went forward, following the road, gathering more dust as it went.
"There! Isn't it a nice way to travel?" said Kith quite smugly. "Relax, Trouble, you're riding a storm."
The dust was now twirling madly around them and going faster on the road.
"How long can you last?" asked Trouble, her voice quivering.
"How long can the dust whirl last?" he riposted. "I hope that by the time we reach Rovhyu, it will be small enough to be harmless. Usually, I ride them till the end so I can lead them, but this time, we have a goal."
"I can take care of it by then. I think."
"Is there something you didn't tell me?" asked Kith quizzically.
"Well, it's all very well to give birth to storms, but it would be madness to do so without knowing how to kill them."
"So you're not only a Stormweaver."
"I weave them more often than not. It scares people; killing a storm makes them feel smug and powerful. Besides, it's better to let a storm follow its course. Usually it's needed."
"Are the storms you weave needed?"
"I don't create them from nothing - most of the time, that is. I just hasten the process, that's all."
"So you mean that Shokyu will be under a storm quite soon?"
"Oh, yes! A nice one," she said smiling.
"I'm not that sure that they would like your definition of 'nice' for a storm," replied Kith, grinning.
He ended up the conversation right here: the dust whirl was now as wild as an unbroken horse and he needed all his concentration to keep it on its track.

Night had fallen but Kith didn't care. He hadn't been sure that he could take a passenger with him until he tried it, but he could feel Trouble's little hand closed on his belt, in his back, and he was proud to have managed that. He didn't know how long they rode the dust devil: he always lost track of time when riding a storm. He wondered how it was that the whirl never lost strength; was Trouble fuelling it to suit his needs?
Trouble was the first to see the lights through the thick wall of dust surrounding them. She recognised them easily - she had seen them enough: they were the lights of the north gate of Rovhyu. The dust devil was going straight on them, not showing any will to slow down or stop. She tugged on Kith's sleeve.
"Kith, we need to stop! I need space to get rid of the whirl of dust - or to send it away if I can't dispose of it."
He heard her through a mist but some part of his mind was still awake and noticed wryly that there was light ahead. Kith cut short the forward motion of the dust devil. They stepped out of it as easily as if it had been a carriage and Trouble concentrated to make the whirl of dust disappear. It grew smaller and smaller and then all trace of it was gone. In the depth of the night, it was difficult to say, but Kith had the impression that Trouble's face was crisped like in disgust.
Kith drew Trouble off the road and put his back to a rock.
"Come on," he motioned Trouble.
She curled up in a tight ball on the ground near him, her head on his knees, and he covered both of them with his cloak.
"Why are you kind to me?" she asked drowsily.
"Why do you trust me?" he retorted.
She didn't reply: she was already asleep. Moonshade slipped from under the cloak and began to look around.
"Don't go too far," called Kith.
He closed his eyes, weary. It had been only one day and one night, yet here she was, cuddled against him as if they were long time friends. He wanted to think over it, but sleep claimed I before.
He woke up at the sound of a feminine voice:
"Kith! You sleep too soundly!"
He opened his eyes ands aw a face with white hair above his.
"What did I drink yesterday?" he mumbled.
He felt parched and stiff and groaned when trying to straighten up.
"Are you on drugs or something?" she inquired.
"No," he growled. "Why did you wake me up? I need to rest."
"Because a caravan is coming and they would have wondered about you sleeping on the side of the road."
Slowly, realisation sank in Kith's mind.
"We could have encountered them on the road," he said, horrified.
"No," yawned Trouble. "They don't go directly From Shokyu to Rovhyu. They go to a little town - almost a village - more east before coming here."
"How do you know?"
"I sell things to them sometimes."
Kith wondered how she could sell anything since she hadn't any possession, but thought better than ask. Time would tell - or not.
"Now what?"
"We go round the city and head for the steppes."
"We could grab breakfast in Rovhyu," remarked Kith. "I'm hungry."
"The Red Sun will feed us," she said, shifting uncomfortably.
"Trouble. Why not go through the city?"
She sighed.
"The guards know me. If they see you with me, they'll take you for a thief."
"They caught you stealing. They let you go with just a scolding?"
"No. They branded me on the shoulder, alright?"
"Show me."
"Are you crazy? You're a man!" she said, stepping back.
"Trouble, please," he groaned.
"It's for seeing if you can sell me to a slaver?"
"Trouble!"
Shocked, he seized her by the shoulders.
"Baby, I will never ever sell you to a slave trader and if ever someone did that to you, I would chase him or her across the world to punish him or her, I swear. I've been a slave. I won't let you suffer the same thing."
She looked at him with a rainy sky in her eyes and lowered her tunic enough for him to see the brand on her shoulder.
"It's not the usual one," he noticed, gently putting her tunic back in place.
"I changed the pattern," she said, shrugging.
"How?"
"Lightning. A mal bolt and I made another design."
"Very useful. I'll have to let you try that on me, to ease my slave brand. So, around the city and south in the steppes?"
She nodded and led the way.

Soon enough she pointed on the ground to him.
"Look! They already know I'm here!"
Kith looked down at the symbols and didn't tell her that the special shape taken by the sand had not been shaped just for her coming: it was deeply engraved in the ground, fashioned by the wind and human hand. Eagerly, Trouble followed the path they seemed to be indicating; Kith followed more gingerly.
There wasn't long before they saw tents and, in the middle of them, to Kith's surprise, there was a stone building.
"Isn't your tribe nomad?"
"They are," she replied absent-mindedly, pulling on the thong around her neck. "It's for Pahan, thought."
"Oh. That makes so much sense," muttered Kith.
A tall man came to meet them, a red glass flame handing around his neck.
"Welcome back, daughter," he said, crossing his arms and putting his hands on his shoulders before bowing.
Trouble replied by bowing the same way and Kith, for not shaming her, did the same. The man looked at him with curiosity but refrained from asking any question.
"Hazir, this is Kith Stormrider. Kith, Hazir is the shaman of the Red Sun tribe," Trouble said.
"Kith Stormrider! I've heard about you. You are quite a legend."
"Highly exaggerated, ani Hazir. I've heard about you also. Ani Shenar is never short of words for singing your praises."
There was a slight doubt in his voice and Hazir suddenly smiled.
"Daughter, Pahan is waiting for you. I will take care of the guest you brought to us. Oh, and don't forget to go see Eena before Koju sees you."
She left almost running, straight to the stone building. Kith frowned slightly under the sun.
"Who is Pahan, if I may ask?"
"Our thane's son and a glassmaker, hence the stone building. We do not like to be sedentary, but Pahan's craft is a good way for us to live. She likes to work with him; they usually create beautiful pieces that we can sell for a very high price."
"Thus, I guess, Koju's misgivings about Trouble," commented Kith. "He thinks that his son shouldn't be with an orphan like her?"
"Something like it, yes. Naturally, he's entirely wrong. Pahan's love interest lays elsewhere."
A dark-haired girl came out of the stone building, laughing.
"I see," said Kith.
He especially saw the strings of glass bubbles on her. Each and every one of them had something shining and moving inside it.
"Impressive, isn't it?" remarked Hazir, knowing where Kith's attention was on. "It's the result of their work. Her favourite is lightning, which is very popular, but se made others too: wind, snow and even a type we do not sell. You will see them tonight. Yalcin, the young dancer you just saw, will wear them. Bubbles of fire."
"Red suns..."
"Exactly. She burnt herself for doing them and we honour her every evening in our dances. You might want to look at her palms."
Kith nodded silently, thankful for the information. Then Hazir said solemnly:
"Kith Stormrider, I thank you for having cared for my raindaughter. I couldn't have found someone better than you to watch over her."
"What is a raindaughter?" asked Kith carefully.
"At least!" exploded a voice behind him. "I thought you knew everything!"
"Eena, daughter," said Hazir firmly.
"Yes, Hazir!" exclaimed Trouble, immediately taking off.
"A raindaughter is a daughter not by blood, but by magical bond. In our case, weather."
Again, the doubt appeared briefly on Kith's face and Hazir smiled again.
"Did Shenar teach you his rain song?"
"Yes, he did," replied Kith, even more doubtful.
"And no rain came... Ah well, Shenar loves to play tricks. He loves to sing too, so he altered his ritual songs to be able to sing them to his grandchildren. His rain song is very popular."
"Grandchildren?"
For a moment, Kith looked stunned, then laughed softly.
"He tricked me properly! I saw nothing! I admit the tune is catchy. I like to sing it myself."
"Did Shenar's tribe adopt you?"
"No, ani Hazir. I already belong to a tribe, though I am the only one left..."
"Yes, the slavers took everything from you," agreed Hazir. "And drop the ani title, would you please? Don't look surprised, Kith Stormrider, I did tell you that you are a legend, didn't I?"
Kith was spared an answer by Trouble emerging from a tent. She wore a sleeveless shirt with a low neckline, the bottom hem of the shirt barely reaching her ribs; a piece of cloth was draped around her hips, following closely her body to stop around mid-thigh and above it was a gauzy skirt. All her clothes were blue and Kith, his head half-spinning, noticed there was some blue in Trouble's grey eyes.
"A skirt!" he said. "You! Of all-"
She was bare-footed and she came to him in a few noiseless steps.
"Don't," she warned. "I put on the skirt only so you wouldn't be offended by my legs, but usually I don't."
"Offended? I'm not offended at all," Kith managed to say.
"Yalcin has a costume even more... huh... than mine," she completed hastily and he was left to guess what was the missing word.

"So the prodigal daughter has come back," said a harsh voice.
Even if he had never seen the man before, Kith guessed he was Koju, the thane. Outraged by the veiled insult at Trouble, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and drew her to him.
"If you need help with your storm," he replied with a voice even harsher than Koju's, "show respect to she who will protect you from it!"
Strangely, Trouble wasn't struggling; she laid her head against his chest and smiled smugly to Koju. Kith noticed her smile and wondered if it had anything to do with the fact he was a 'legend'. Or With Pahan. Or with both. Koju looked at his son, back to Kith and Trouble and then acted as every than should.
"It is true indeed but we do not let a stranger, thought true spoken, woo any woman of our tribe without any introduction."
"I am Kith Stormrider and I wish no ill to any of the Red Sun tribe's daughter," replied Kith easily, though not releasing his grip on Trouble's shoulders.
"Welcome back, daughter. I did not know you were on your way home to us," said Koju to Trouble.
She shrugged carelessly.
"I come and go," she replied.
"Now, what is this business about a storm, daju Kith?"
Before Kith could answer, Trouble replied, irked by Koju's use of the somehow insulting term for 'stranger' - outsider to the Red Sun tribe.
"Ani Kith is no daju," she said, insisting on the ani title. "He's a registered storm mage."
"Titles given by dajus are meaningless to us."
"Enough Koju!" intervened Hazir. "My raindaughter came here at my request and ani Kith was kind enough to come along. His presence here is an honour to us."
Koju scowled. Kith slightly bowed form he waist.
"The honour is all mine, by Lady Storm's permission for me to accompany her."
Lady Storm. She liked that name. It sounded so much better than Trouble. But why was Kith bothering to defend her?
"So, the storm, Hazir," she said. "Which storm is it?"
"Sandstorm."
She grimaced. She didn't like sandstorms.
"Wave or spiral?"
"Come see, it will be easier."
She nodded and both Hazir and Pahan started toward the stone building.
"Kith. You can let me go, now," she said, as he showed no intention of releasing her.
"Hmm? Oh, sorry."
He followed her to Pahan's workshop. Another young man was here, looking quite alike to Pahan, but a bit burlier and more tanned.
"It's Kahan," murmured Trouble to Kith. "Pahan's cousin."
"Princess!" exclaimed Kahan, obviously pleased. "How are you?"
He came to her and hugged her. Kith eyed him suspiciously.
"I'm glad to see you too, Kahan," she replied, hugging him back. "So, Hazir, this sandstorm?"
The shaman unveiled a glass globe and, fascinated, Kith forgot Kahan: in the globe was a sand wave.
"Where is it? Is it really the storm?"
"Kahan? Yes, Kith, it is the storm. Pahan can more or less predict storms thanks to his glassmaking. After that, we have to find its location and direction."
Kahan was talking to Trouble, obviously not interested by Hazir's explanations.
"Kahan!" repeated Hazir.
He looked up, visibly startled.
"What is it?"
"I've already called you twice," Hazir said dryly. "Where is the storm now? Kahan is our best scout," he explained to Kith. "He knows the steppes better than anybody else."
Kahan looked at the glass globe for a little moment before answering.
"It's east, coming toward us. It should be here in two days, I think. You tell me the speed."
"Is there anybody on its way to here?" inquired Trouble.
"Not that I know of," shrugged Kahan. "Maybe one or two wandering nomads."
Trouble scowled.
"You have to be sure! They don't have our knowledge and could get caught in it!"
In the corner of her eye, she saw Kith slightly nodding his approval and she felt better. Kahan shrugged off the argument.
"If it is what you really want, sunshine."
Trouble glowered at him and he replied with an impertinent smile.
The afternoon passed in a blur. Trouble was flanked by Pahan and Kahan during the whole time, Koju's dark glance on them. Kith spent his time with Hazir, though keeping an eye on Trouble. Kahan had sent a couple of scouts to make sure nobody was on the sandstorm's way. Hazir explained to Kith that usually Kahan himself went, along with Trouble and, sometimes, Pahan.
"But this time, it's different: you're here," he concluded.
Kith raised the eyebrows but made no comment.

In the evening, they lit the fires. Yalcin, the young dancer, made her apparition; her long dark hair was tied back by a neck of glowing bubbles. Two strings of those same bubbles circled her wrists. She stepped in the circle and began to dance on the low rumble of the drum played by Pahan. The bubbles of fire threw rays of red light all around the dancer and Kith soon had the impression his vision was blurred.
When Yalcin stopped to dance, to his surprise, she sat besides him, on his left. He could see Trouble scowl. As if knowing what was on his mind, Yalcin held out her arm, showing him the thong of fire bubbles around her wrist. Kith bent down on it, noticing how the bubble was warm and the way the fire in it still flickered gently. Mage fire. It had to be; no other fire could live in a bubble without oxygen. Mage fire feeding on warmth. It was a clever trick. He blinked when feeling silky hair against his cheek. He looked up and his eyes widened; Yalcin was almost leaning on his shoulder. Everybody's eyes was on them, Trouble's hurt and bitter, Pahan's bemused, Kahan's amused and Koju's angry.
"My name is Yalcin," she said with a lilting voice.
"Kith," he replied briefly, deftly removing the string of fire bubbles from her wrist, intend on observing it longer.
He heard the short intake of breath coming from Trouble and he gave her a lopsided smile.
"And you're a mage," Yalcin continued.
"Impressive," said Kith to no one in particular, his fingers playing with the fire bubbles.
Yalcin shrugged graciously and left the circle. Pahan's eyes followed her but he didn't move. Kahan grinned and murmured something to his cousin, who blushed.
Kith didn't remember much of the evening, focused as he was on the bubbles of fire. When the talking around the fires faded, he blinked, quite unable to say the difference between the blur due to the glass bubbles and the one coming from the fires. Eena and Hazir led Trouble and Kith to adjacent tents and he collapsed on the heap of pillows and blankets with a sigh of relief.
He closed his eyes and growled when hearing whispers coming from Trouble's tent. Without even trying to eavesdrop, he recognised easily the voices: Pahan, Kahan and Hazir. Eena and Yalcin were probably present also, though quieter than the three men. He had the impression the acoustic was such that every word was carried to him. He heard Kahan call Trouble 'sunshine' quite a number of times and also heard the groan she answered him with. Hazir asked for the tale of Kith and Trouble's encounter and she gave it quite willingly. In turn, she required the reason of Hazir's sort of awe. In his tent, Kith rolled the eyes and tried to bury his head under the pillows. In vain. He heard it all, even Kahan's quite acerbic remarks.
When, at last, they left Trouble's tent, Kith would have sworn that half the night had already gone by. He heard Trouble shift around once or twice then silence surrounded him, only disturbed by the animals outside and the soft footsteps of the guards patrolling around. He sighed and fell asleep.

Trouble was still sleeping when Kith slipped into her tent. He sat on his heels, looking at her. Even if the tribe was friendly to her, he preferred to keep an eye on her himself. He frowned when noticing several balls of dust around her. He picked one and brushed it summarily, revealing a big opaque crystal. He did the same with all the others, gathering four crystals and a stone that suspiciously looked like a moonstone. He lined them up beside him, frowning at them, quite puzzled. He wondered where they were coming from.
She was still sleeping and the sun was now quite high in the sky. Kith knew she had stayed awake long after the dances - after all, he had not been able to sleep as long as she was awake. Toying with the crystals, lining them up endlessly, he waited patiently for her to awake.
Eena entered quietly the tent, as for not startling Trouble. When she saw Kith on his heels by her side, she couldn't refrain her cry of indignation.
"A man in her tent while she's sleeping! It is... indecent! Perfectly, master Stormrider, it is indecent!"
Kith raised his eyebrows at her. Trouble groaned in her sleep, kicked her blanket - and Eena's foot - and slowly opened her eyes.
"What is it, Eena?" she growled drowsily.
"A man is in your tent while you're asleep, that's what it is!" she replied with all the indignation she could muster, while trying to keep her voice down for not alerting the whole tribe.
Trouble moved the head to look at Kith, had a sleepy smile and murmured:
"But it's Kith..."
He slid closer to her and brushed his fingertips against her brow. She tugged on his wrist, rested her cheek in his palm and closed her eyes again. Kith raised his eyebrows again but made no comment. Eena made a reproving face and left the tent, the stiffness of her back telling Kith she certainly didn't appreciate what she had just witnessed. He looked back at Trouble and wondered just how long she intended to sleep.
The sun continued his way in the sky and Trouble finally yawned and opened her eyes again. She didn't seem surprised to see Kith by her side.
"Good morning, Kith," she said, stifling another yawn, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand.
"It's almost good afternoon, baby," he replied, his hazel eyes dancing merrily.
"I was tired!" she protested, straightening on one elbow.
He withdrew his hand and moved the fingers to circulate the blood.
"I'm afraid we deeply shocked Eena," he said casually.
"Oh? Why?"
"Because I was - am - in your tent and you are a young woman. It's not proper."
Trouble sneered.
"As if anybody ever cared about what was proper or not about me!"
"Well, Eena does obviously. Anyway, it doesn't matter. What are those?" he asked, showing the crystals.
Trouble looked slightly embarrassed.
"Well, I... hum, brought them up?"
"You brought up crystals? Of course, why didn't I think of this?"
"It's the remnants of the dust storm," she said helpfully. "Combined with the lightning I still had in me, it gave that... and somehow, I had to get it out."
"It makes so much sense," muttered Kith. "Baby, we need to have a serious discussion."
"Yes, but not now. I have a question before," she said, sitting down cross-legged. "Hazir and Kahan told me your story yesterday evening. They told me about the 'commotion' about your name last year."
Kith made a face.
"That's what I was afraid I had heard," he muttered.
"Why didn't you tell me you saved Karlyu - the capital! - from a tsunami?"
"I told you. I did tell you that I rode a storm in sea and almost drowned. That was it."
"You said it was a misunderstanding!"
"That's the truth, baby," sighed Kith, passing a weary hand on his face. "Here's the real story: I happened to be in Karlyu when a tsunami threatened the city. It was just pure luck. Everybody was terrified, naturally. I was also, but I'm better than they are at hiding it. I wanted to do something, you understand, so when the thane asked who could help, I stepped forward. Still now, I don't know what went in my head. When they ask me rather spitefully who I was to speak so, I replied with as much arrogance I could muster that I was Kith Stormrider. Grand flourish, I can be good at that, believe me. I made the name up on the spot, because, as you already know, 'Stormdancer' lacks dignity. I left the city riding the tsunami away from the city. It stole all my strength and drove me far away from any living people. Naturally, it went out of fuel in the middle of nowhere, after a very long ride. As I told you, I nearly drowned. That's all."
"How did you come back?"
"Riding the waves. That part was quite amusing, but tiring also. It took me a very long time and I was famished and dehydrated. No dolphin came to help me, the scoundrels! When I arrived back at Karlyu, nobody recognised me, I had lost too much weight. They were all talking about me as if I was a god or something like that. But nobody recognised their great mage in the lanky man sitting quietly at the inn."
"Why do you say it's a misunderstanding then? You did what you wanted to do, what you told them you would do."
"It's a total misunderstanding, baby, believe me. They thought I had hidden my identity because of my modesty and that I revealed it only because the city was in danger. I indeed wanted to be a hero, it's quite a sweet feeling, but I didn't know if I could do what I said I would. I rather thought I would die trying it, but I didn't see any other choice. I could do something, try it at least, and I was the only one. If I hadn't, my cowardly act would have caused a fine city to disappear. That's why I say it was a misunderstanding. I acted on an impulsion, out of pride maybe, and well, it worked. Sheer luck."
She shook the head.
"You're too modest. You did try, putting your life in danger. You could have ridden the tsunami while it was ravaging the city and get away from it safe. Instead, you rode it away."
"I'm no hero," growled Kith. "Though I wish I were, sometimes," he added with a smirk.
Trouble laughed but there was a serious glow in her eyes.
"Now, young lady, back to those crystals. If I can call them crystals: three rainbow quartzes, a smoked quartz and a moonstone. "
"I'm not a young lady. I'm nothing but a child," she groaned, trying to change the subject.
"You can't go saying something to Kahan and telling me the contrary the next morning," said Kith severely.
"You really heard it all, didn't you?"
"Hard not to. In case you didn't notice, those are tents. As much as tribes like them, it's not good for secrets. So, about your power?"
She shrugged.
"I sort of swallow things. As I usually swallow more than I can keep, I have to get rid of it. I can create a storm with it if I want, but it burns more energy than I want. So, I reject it. But generally, it is mixed up with things I keep - like lightning - and it rarely comes out the same way it came in. Hence, crystals with a coat of dust instead of dust itself. Or else I refine it."
"Refine?"
"I swallow a rainstorm and I give back pure water," she explained, shifting uncomfortably.
"Impressive," commented Kith. "I would have liked to see you at Karlyu in front of the tsunami. You would have swallowed it very neatly."
"No, I would have walked away," replied Trouble, standing up and taking the gauzy cloth she used as a skirt before leaving the tent.
The flap of the tent fell back and Kith murmured:
"You would have, huh?"
He stood up and walked out of the tent. Trouble was just outside and he almost bumped into her.
"Why don't you talk about it?" she asked without looking at him.
"Because I failed, baby."
"I don't understand."
"I failed," repeated Kith. "I am not really a powerful mage, but it's true that my magic can seem powerful. Humans are afraid of powers they can't grasp and generally they extend this fear to the person who possesses the power. I don't want to be feared by my kin; if I am, then I failed to hide what power is mine. Frightened people are dangerous and I don't want to walk in fear, Trouble."
She frowned.
"So you want to deny who you are to reassure people?"
"I don't deny who I am. I just try to keep a part of me secret. That I have impressive magic should not have any influence in my relation with others. I am a wandering mage, I am no academic mage in his ivory tower, far away from the real world. I try to live in this world day by day and I'm only a man in it, granted a singular power, but still a man."
"I tried to frighten people with my magic," said Trouble slowly.
"I know," replied Kith. "But this is your life; you are free to lead it your way, you don't have to lead it my way. It's harder to live an ordinary life when you can have everything you want. In my opinion, it's also more gratifying. But think of this, will you? What kind of life are you going to lead with your power?"
"Kith... Why don't you want them to know your power? Besides the fear thing?"
"Because they would rely on me. If another tsunami threatens Karlyu, they would send for me. If I can't be there, they will make me feel guilty. I don't want guilt. I know I'm just a selfish old man, but that's my life and I value my freedom."
"Kith... The tribe rely on me," she said as if only realising it.
"Yes, they do. Now you have to decide what to do about it."
"And you're not an old man," she added before leaving briskly.

She spent her day mostly with Pahan, working in his workshop with him, creating new bubbles, all of them with lightning, except a dozen with a sand whirl in them. Kith toyed with the five crystals while speaking with one of the healers, whose speciality was the healing with stones.
In the evening, Yalcin danced again, this time accompanied with other dancers - though none could rival with her - and if she sat by Kith's side, she didn't play the same game as the previous evening. Pahan, obviously guessing she would act so, had taken place on Kith's left, while Kahan was next to Trouble. Once again, the young scout went with her to her tent; seeing this, Kith growled. He lay on his blankets, hoping Kahan wouldn't stay too late. His voice was hushed as he spoke to Trouble but Kith had no trouble hearing the words. He suddenly went very still as the young scout asked:
"Princess, would you consider... becoming my wife?"
There was no way to know how Trouble was reacting, except for the sharp intake of breath. Kith's heart sank. He should go away.
"Kahan," said Trouble softly, "I like you and Pahan like the brothers I never had but... I couldn't ever see you like a husband. I'm sorry, but I have to say no."
Kith closed the eyes, releasing slowly the breath he had not known he was holding. Kahan sighed and asked, his voice too sharp:
"Is it because of this storm mage? Eena said he was in your tent this morning while you were sleeping - and that you didn't seem surprised to find him here!"
"Eena had no right to gossip this way! This is my life!"
"So it's true... you and this-"
"Not another word," she warned him tightly. "The reason I've given you has nothing to do with Kith, so there's no need for you to insult him."
"He will never care for you! He didn't even care for Yalcin, why would he look at you?"
"Kahan," she growled.
Kith only heard the flap of the tent being pushed aside and furious steps going away. Trouble lay down and he could hear her toss for a long time before her breathing became regular. He couldn't fall asleep; he kept turning and shifting, always finding a pillow in his way. Only when dawn came near did he fall in a deep slumber.

A playful ray of light hit him in the eyes and he groaned, instinctively ducking the head. His chin collided with something, but he didn't care. Warmth was surrounding him and his eyelids were still heavy with sleep. He pressed his cheek to whatever he had hit earlier and drifted back to sleep.
It was only when he opened an eye much later that he began to realise that something was wrong. The softness under his cheek was nothing like the pillows or blankets... it rather felt like silky hair. The warm smell around him was rather familiar, though not his own, a smell he knew only for a short time, but his mind was blank, refusing to recognise it more precisely. And the way his arms were... Realisation struck him. He was holding something. No, someone.
He opened wide his eyes and looked down, at his arms wrapped around a small waist, holding her protectively - and quite possessively - her, curled in his embrace, her back leaning against him, her hands covering his, her head abandoned against him and the halo of white hair spread on her shoulders and his chest. Trouble.
His first reaction was to jump away while he was frantically trying to remember what could have happened. Then he noticed the uncommon warmth in the hollow of his knees and turned the head to see Moonshade sleeping peacefully. He sighed and lay down his head again on the pillow, breathing deeply the smell he now recognised: the smell of storm. Gently, he ran his hand up and down Trouble's arm before pushing back a loose tendril tickling her lips. She smiled drowsily without opening the eyes, tucked her head under his chin and made as if she was going to resume her sleep.
He propped himself on an arm and bent down.
"Baby, wake up," he breathed in her ear.
Her lips made a pout but she obeyed.
"Good morning, Kith," she said, rubbing her eyes.
"First thing: what happened?" he asked, cursing at his rather frantic tone.
She twisted her neck to look at him and frowned. Turning around in his arms, she faced him.
"I couldn't sleep so I came in your tent," she said ingenuously.
While rolling his eyes, Kith unconsciously reached out for her and smoothed back her tousled hair.
"You shouldn't have done that," he murmured. "Especially after your conversation with Kahan last eve."
She looked at him without blinking.
"Actually, I had another reason for coming early, but I was tired and your embrace seems so safe, so..."
Realising she was babbling, she fell silent.
"What was the other reason?"
"Your slave brand. You wanted me to change it."
He nodded.
"Take off your shirt," she said matter-of-factly.
Kith blushed hotly.
"Out of question," he stammered. "Is it a way to revenge from the time I asked to see your thief brand?" he added suspiciously.
She giggled, before tugging firmly at his shirt.
"Maybe," she grinned.
"I never asked you to take off your shirt," Kith muttered darkly.
This time, it was Trouble's turn to blush.
"Off with this," she commanded, her hand still on the hem of his shirt, trying to avert her eyes.
He could see she had set her mind and sighed, but complied. He lay down flat on his stomach, his chin resting on his crossed wrist. She bent down on him, brushing her fingertips against his left shoulder blade marked with a twisted brand.
"Can't see a thing in this tent," she muttered.
She waved at the flap of the tent and suddenly a strong breeze pinned it against the tent side. Sunbeams invaded the tent and Trouble smiled with satisfaction. A small lightning bolt appeared in her hand and she concentrated on Kith's shoulder blade. He winced with pain as the lightning struck him but bit his lip for not saying anything, willing himself still. He had no idea of the design that she was creating but he could feel the pain spreading to his other shoulder blade and to his ribs. As soon as he felt the disappearance of the bolt, he asked hoarsely:
"What did you do?"
"A tsunami and a whirlwind."
Her voice was strained and he rolled on his side to look at her, wincing again.
"Are you alright?"
"Fine. I just used too much power yesterday with the glass bubbles. Stay still," she added firmly. "I can do something for the pain."
Sighing, he obeyed and she knelt at his head, reaching out for his back. He had to swallow his cry of surprise when cold seized his shoulders, slowly spreading in his back. The pain of the burns faded away, replaced by numbness. He looked up at her, propping himself on his elbows to be at eye level.
An exclamation of shock startled them. Eena was looking at them, her hands on her mouth, Kahan behind her, his eyes hard. Kith realised suddenly the awkward situation and turned red. Trouble muttered a curse and the breeze holding the flap out of the way disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared and they were set back in the comfortable half-darkness of the tent.
"It's ridiculous!" she snarled. "It's not as if we were doing something bad!"
"Well, look at it this way: you were in my tent, me shirtless, and you almost had your arms around my neck and, and our faces were actually rather close," stated Kith, wondering how he could manage to say such words without dying of shame. "It could look like a compromising situation."
"Compromising! It's not like I had a reputation to lose! Besides what if it was what I wanted?"
Kith was suddenly acutely aware of her hands still on his shoulder blades, their warmth breaking through the numbness of the cold. He blinked and desperately tried to find a way out. She grinned at him and, turning around, tossed his shirt to him.
"Get ready, we have a sandstorm to take care of today!"
He just couldn't believe she was smirking when she left his tent.

A gust of dry wind slashed at him when he went out of his tent. He squinted and turned the head toward the sandstorm coming on them. He wondered briefly if the scouts had had the time to come back. Trouble was walking toward it and the tribe, strangely, instead of finding cover, was standing firm in the storm. Kith didn't think and followed Trouble.
She was looking at it, calmly, as if it was just the dust devil she had created herself. He put his hand on her shoulder and could feel her smile.
"Want to dance in it?" she asked.
"No. There's another storm behind this one. I'd rather dance in the next one. You can take care of it or do you want me to ride it away?"
"I should be fine. I'll drain its power and keep it for me."
"And what are you going to bring up afterwards?"
"You'll see!" she grinned.
Her killing of storms was not really spectacular. She was just standing in front of it, concentrated, and the storm seemed to be drawn to her. The huge wave stopped in front of her and to Kith's eyes, reached for her. Before long, she was in a circle of sandstorm, the waves of sand coming to her.
Kith couldn't see the end of it and his storm sense was telling him that another storm was feeding this one. He couldn't take his eyes off Trouble, small silhouette surrounding by twirling sand. He wouldn't have been able to say how long he remained frozen on the spot, his muscles tense. Time seemed to have stopped, only disturbed by the raging of the storm and the gusts of wind.
The sandstorm was now maybe at half its initial strength and Kith could see that Trouble was beginning to have difficulties. He looked at the tribe; no one was moving, nobody couldn't feel it the same way he did. When Trouble faltered, Kith's decision was taken and he ran in the core of the storm, he ran to her. Being used to ride storms, the sand didn't disturb him much and his arms caught Trouble when she fell backward.
"Don't let it get loose!" he yelled in her ear.
She leaned heavily against him, her sand-coloured eyes unfocused. His arms snaked around her waist and he could feel the huge amount of power running through her. Reaching for it, he began to draw it to him, throwing caution to the wind.
"I should be able to deal with it. Why can't I?" she asked, frowning.
"Use my strength," he replied, enfolding her a bit more in his embrace.
He felt her tug at it and use it to tame the wild storm surrounding them; it didn't take long for Trouble to force it to stay in place again, thus protecting the tribe, who still stood so near, as if unconscious of the danger. The wind was hissing with anger, but Trouble's grip on it was firm, strengthened by Kith's power. Slowly but surely, the sandstorm receded, until only a strong but harmless wind was left.
The two mages stumbled in exhaustion, but Kith straightened almost immediately, refusing to let the Red Sun tribe see any weakness of his. He lifted Trouble in his arms and walked toward Hazir, his eyes blazing with anger.
"This was a killer storm," he hissed with barely restrained fury. "You could have killed her and you were standing here, so full of vanity!"
Cradling Trouble against him, he went back in his tent, where the blankets and pillows were covered with a thin layer of sand. Easing her on the ground, he rapidly shook blankets and pillows and set them properly before laying Trouble down on it. Her eyelids fluttered on her sandy eyes.
"I'm so tired," she whispered.
He took her hands in his.
"Take my strength," he said simply.
"You will need it," she replied, in a vain try of refusing.
"Another storm is coming. I'll dance in it and get all the energy I need."
She nodded weakly and fed on Kith's energy. When she fell asleep, he was drained and, without thinking, he lay down next to her and closed his eyes.
When he woke up, he was alone, though the blankets and pillows still had Trouble's silhouette on them. Cursing under his breath, he jumped on his feet and ran outside.
"Where is she?" he asked roughly, seizing Hazir by the arm.
The shaman had a small smile.
"In Pahan's workshop. You have the time to get ready before going to see her. She's busy currently."
Kith growled and retreated in his tent. He washed his face and passed his wet fingers in his hair to make it hold back. He slipped on his tunic over his rather wrinkled shirt, buckled his belt on it and put on his boots. Strangely, he didn't remember having taken them off before falling asleep. As soon as he was ready, he strolled calmly to Pahan's workshop.
On the way, he passed by Kahan, who glared at him. He ignored him and entered the workshop. Trouble was here, a pipe in her hands, hot glass in fusion at the end of the pipe. She was blowing glass. Kith squinted and held his breath: the piece of glass she was creating had another piece of glass inside. Pahan was in a corner of the workshop, observing her, his voice soft as he directed her sometimes. When she put aside her creation for it to cool, it had the shape of a beautiful phial containing an arch with shimmering colours. On the front of the arch was a tiny red sun.
"It's lovely, baby," said Kith.
She started, obviously not having heard him.
"Is it how you get it out of your system?" he continued, gesturing to the glass piece.
She nodded numbly.
"How is your shoulder?" she said, cleaning the workshop.
"Good. It still tingles, but I'm fine."
"Want me to anaesthetise it again?"
He grinned and shook the head.
"Ani Stormrider," intervened Pahan, "I'd like to thank you for saving Trouble's life during the sandstorm. After all, she's my uncle's raindaughter."
Kith took the news quite well and managed to keep his countenance.
"Let me guess," he said dryly, "Eena is Hazir's wife and Koju's sister. Which is why she's so concerned with Trouble's reputation."
She growled at his words.
"Life is fascinating," he merely said.
They heard a shout outside and he half-turned the head toward the door.
"Ah, it seems they found out about the windstorm."
He looked again at Trouble.
"Fit to control it or should I ride it away?"
"You don't have any energy left for riding it," she muttered.
"You would be surprised."
She shrugged and left running, Kith following her closely.
"We have to keep it outside of the camp!"
"I'll ride it to a safe place."
He ran ahead of her, straight into the tornado-like whirl, which suddenly changed direction, avoiding the tribe. Trouble smiled and relaxed slightly as she saw Kith begin to dance.

She was enjoying Kith's dance in the windstorm. She was keeping it on him without too much effort and she could feel the energy he was drawing from it. She liked the pattern of his dance and she tried to make the wind spout follow it, though it was quite hard for her.
She noticed a young man in the corner of her eye but didn't care for the fact more than just noticing it: she was sure it wouldn't be the first time that people were fascinated by both Kith's dance or ride and her skills. But instead of staring and gaping, the young man walked toward the wind spout. She glimpsed a flash of yellow around his neck and realised that he was an apprentice shaman: only they were allowed to wear the yellow glass flame in pendant. What was he doing?
As he was getting nearer of the windstorm - that she was carefully keeping in a restricted area for not damaging anything while Kith was getting energy - she frowned and made her wind spout go a bit further. Kith was used to the wind moving, so he just followed it seamlessly. The apprentice kept walking toward it.
"Come back!" yelled Trouble. "You can't master it!"
Several people, including Hazir, came to see what it was all about. Hazir understood immediately the problem and called back the apprentice as well. He briefly turned back the head and shouted something Trouble didn't understand. What she did understand though was that he had no intention of coming back. She pushed the storm further again, Kith still dancing. She would have called him to make him realise what was happening but it would interrupt his pattern and it was dangerous. All in all, Trouble preferred to lose the foolish young apprentice rather than Kith.
The apprentice understood they were trying to keep the whirlwind away from him and he ran toward it. Trouble moved it faster. Inside it, Kith almost lost its step but managed to follow it. She growled as the apprentice continued his way toward the wind spout. Was he unconscious? Or did he really think he could do like Kith without practice?
Kith felt there was something strange. Though he was drawing energy on the tornado, its power was increasing. Then, usually, the storm stayed on him, drawn to his personal power, the time for him to take what he needed; now, this one seemed to be willing to go elsewhere. What was happening? Was Trouble trying to make it disappear or was her grip on it failing? Then he almost missed a step and lost his rhythm: something had flown in the whirlwind. Or was it someone? Kith, worried, hastened his rhythm, his feet light and precise.
When he came out of the tornado, slipping easily out of it - Trouble had obviously kept a close watch on him and he was quite surprised to notice that he hadn't had any doubt about it - Trouble absorbed the whirlwind with apparently no problem and fell on her knees, hiding her head in her arms. Kith frowned, puzzled, and looked around. There was a body horribly torn apart next to him. He went to Trouble, while Hazir was trying to calm her.
"I failed," she moaned. "I failed and he died!"
Kith knelt by her side and took her in his arms without her fighting back.
"But you saved me," he murmured for her ears alone.
"I warn him, I did, but he wouldn't listen!"
"He died because of his own foolishness and pride," said Hazir dryly. "This is no responsibility of yours. I heard you calling him back but he thought he was as good as Kith Stormrider."
Trouble kept shaking her head futilely.
"You should go," murmured Hazir to Kith. "His family will probably blame either her or you and she wouldn't bear it."
"I can't. I need to go to Karlyu right now and it would be too dangerous for her to come with me. She needs someone to be here for her though."
"I'll go east," she said, not looking up to them.
"Why east?"
"Because two storms in one day is abnormal. And they were both coming from the east. I want to know what's happening."
Hazir bit his lower lip but didn't say a word. Kith nodded, understanding Trouble's choice, but he also knew that Hazir would have liked for him to go with Trouble. Things being as they were, they were going opposite directions.