AESSA'S CHILDREN: BOOK ONE -- THE LAST BORDER
By V. A. Watts (c) 1993
NOTE: This work is under a registered copyright and unauthorized distribution is prohibited and will be prosecuted. All characters are fictional and of my own invention. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
Note on pronunciation: Proper Names and nouns within the language most commonly used on Aessa, Lliyassean, allow that each letter have its own sound. The first vowel in each word is long, the following vowels hold the short sound. Therefore, the name Thana is pronounced: T-HAYN-AH. Maygra is MAY-IH-G-RAH, Kieri is KI-ERR-IH, and Jael is JAY-EL. Diminutives such as Jai and Mag are pronounced as written, so Jai would be Ji (long "I") and Mag would be Mag with a short "a". The use of glottal stops is pervasive. Words ending in "I" are masculine gendered, "a" indicates feminine gender, "n" indicates plurals. Partial Glossary is at the end of each chapter.
A'denna Gul had been well named, for the shattered rocks loomed overhead, creating great canyons of stone which blocked out sun and rain. Winds howled through the channels like invisible rivers, battering everything in their path. Little grew among the stones, for the winds tore at tiny growths and cast them away. CHAPTER SIX
The rocky barrens were avoided because of superstition as well as their inhospitable nature. When winds blew in from above, the howling in the canyons could be heard for miles, fostering tales of lost souls cast upon the rocks. Other stories said a mountain was downed by the Goddess, sealing the gateway to Aessa's resting place; the eerie keening sounds the souls of dragons, their shrieking meant to drive defilers mad, the winds caused by the beating of great wings meant to dash the unwary against the unyielding stone walls.
After three days of fighting the winds Maygra was willing to believe anything of the desolate, lonely place. The Rhemans clung to each other in support, physical and emotional for the crying winds were unceasing. Ready to curse her own folly in leading her people into A'denna, she found her strength ebbing quickly. The canyon walls were in deep shadow by the time she called a stop on the third day. They had only been able to find minimal shelter beneath an overhang, half shielded by a jutting slab of stone which looked as though it would tumble down on top of them. Twice they had tried to build a fire, depending on the winds to carry the signaling smoke away, but even with Laric, Mikayl and Sura crowded around the tiny pile of tinder, the wind whipped the sparks away before they could catch.
Having no stomach for food, especially cold food, Maygra declined her ration and ignored Sura's inquiries into her health, curling up with a blanket against the cool stone after reminding Mikayl to wake her for the dawn watch. By the time night fell, she was grateful for the damp cold of the rock, for she was fevered and fitful and relieved Mikayl long before she saw the dawn break over the canyon. Her companions slept, huddled together, the children in the center. She let them sleep as long as they might. A'denna provided fortress enough for protection and she knew from her own condition sleep was the best cure for both fatigue and despair.
She was half ready to admit defeat, having never anticipated A'denna Gul would offer them such hardship. Mikayl had been forced to carry Kiva most of the way, the child terrified by the howling winds. All of them were susceptible to the fear of the great overhangs of rock, so precariously balanced against each other, would come crashing down upon them in the night. There was no water to be found among the rocks and the winds kept the air frighteningly cold despite the season. What daylight filtered down was weak and halting, even when it was directly overhead.
Watching her sleeping companions, Maygra decided to turn back for she had no idea how much further it would be to go to escape the hostile maze of rock. Nor could she be sure their strength or water would last more than a week. Unsatisfactory as the solution seemed, at least in open country they could find food and water.
She was never sure later if it was providence or ill luck which brought Laric awake first. He said nothing as he rose to relieve himself and scout their path. He returned, a scowl marring his usually handsome face, glaring at her before tossing his head toward the direction he had just come, indicating she should check the path for herself. If he thought his silence would arouse anger or recrimination, he was disappointed, for Maygra had not the strength to waste. Instead she forced her muscles to propel her along the path Laric had taken.
Whatever strength she regained from sleep was quickly spent; the winds seemed stronger than the day before and the footing more treacherous. Laric had not gone far, however, and she felt her own face tighten in a frown as she came to the great rockfall barring their path.
It was a recent fall, loose shale still sliding along the larger boulders as the wind tore through small openings where the great stones had left a gap. A narrow opening remained at the top, but Maygra was not willing to trust the stability of the fall. Prowling around the base of it, she was perversely determined not to return until she found a way around or over the mess.
It was a childish reaction to Laric's foul humor, and she knew it. He was waiting for her to fail and the Goddess had presented him an opportune accident. All thoughts of turning back fled her mind as she railed at the Goddess at the top of her lungs, the wind peevishly whipping the sounds from her mouth until she was hoarse, frustrated tears stinging her face. A small avalanche of stone was the only response and she lurched to the side, avoiding a rock the size of her head. She leaned against the stone, the cool, damp rock easing the heat in her skin and the anger boiling in her mind. A darker shadow caught her eye and she looked up, shielding her eyes to discern if the outward thrust of rock were real or a trick of the dim light.
She recognized her own foolishness as she climbed a short way up one side of the fall, making for the ledge of rock which had caught her eye. Gravel slid out from beneath her booted feet and already tired muscles were protesting strongly, a sharp pain in her stomach and back. A low voiced cry distracted her attention, sending her slipping again, scraping her injured arm painfully on the stone before she was able to stop herself. Half-lying against the rough gravel, she glared accusingly at her younger brother.
Mikayl's face was distorted in anger, his exact words torn from his mouth until he had managed to climb up beside her. Oblivious to the jeopardy his added weight put on the loose stuff, he ignored Maygra's proffered good hand, preferring to cling by fingertip and anger to the canyon wall. To further add insult, he had the foresight to brings ropes and gloves.
"Only you could be so arrogantly stupid!" he yelled into her ear. "What if you had fallen? That would have suited Laric just fine and no doubt yourself as well," he scolded angrily, gripping her arm. "If you planned to kill yourself you might have at least invited one of us along to watch, it being of such importance to you!"
She wrenched her arm away violently, nearly sending both of them down the steep slope. "I was trying to find a way over it, you idiot," she snapped as they found their footing again. "I was fine until you howled like some bloody mountain cat."
"You could have brought the whole damn thing down on you!"
"I nearly did, thanks to you!"
"Mag, don't be an idiot," he retorted, "if any of us had tried anything so stupid, you would have beaten us within an inch of our lives! If we weren't killed in the attempt," he said and pulled a coil of rope from his shoulders. "I'll go."
In answer Maygra snagged the end of the line and tied it around her waist before continuing her climb. Anger revived her somewhat and she reached her ledge with a satisfied groan. Reaching the ledge and peering over, she found Mikayl still scowling at her. She sat back, ashamed as she realized it was worry making him so disagreeable. Angry at herself, she pulled on the rope then braced her legs as Mikayl began his ascent. The rope made it easier and in a moment he levered himself up next to her. They sat together in silence for a moment, both panting, Maygra pulling rope splinters from her hand until Mikayl took one hand and squeezed it lightly. The wind was less strong here, but he bent his head close to hers to be sure she heard.
"It was a foolish thing to do, kira," he said not allowing her to pull her hand away. Exhausted she leaned her head against the stone, eyes closing for a moment as she tried to ignore the dizzying pain in her head, and the nausea in her stomach.
"Yes, it was," she admitted, sighing wearily before turning to him. "Listen to me, Mal. If something should happen to me --."
"It won't!" he retorted, angry again. "If you keep your wits about you."
"Fine, I'll attempt no more ridiculous heroics, but I can't see the future. Dammit, Mikayl, I'm in lousy shape, and you have to be prepared to take on Laric if necessary! Jael won't challenge him and Damyn doesn't have the skills or the stamina to lead right now. You have to think like the hunted, Mal, and Laric will never understand that."
"Don't give up on yourself, Mag," Mikayl warned softly.
"I'm not -- Oh, Goddess, you have to understand --." she began and felt the heaviness in her chest build again.
"I do," he said and pulled her close. "All right. I'll play the long-ear and avoid my enemy. Now, stay here and let me see if there is a way over this rock slide." Finding a hand and foot hold, he pulled himself up over the top of the stone.
Maygra wiped angrily at her face, wincing as tears stung the still tender gashes on her cheek. The rope around her waist went slack as Mikayl tossed the end of the rope down.
"I can't see a way out, but there is a cave on the other side. From what I could see it is big enough to hold us all. I don't like to think what might be living there."
"We haven't seen anything alive in these Maiden-damned rocks. Can we get back to the others along the top or do we have to climb back down and fetch them?"
"I think I can get close enough, the problem is to get them to hear me," he added.
"Don't you dare! If you can't get their attention, we collect them the hard way. I mean it, Mal."
He frowned, disagreeing with her, but made the climb. Waiting, she tried to split her attention between the canyon floor and the route Mikayl had taken. Her attention waned, however, and it was Jael's shaking her that finally brought her to her senses.
"You're ice cold," he said in her ear, pulling a tunic over her head. Still half-asleep she watched as her brother climbed past her, Kiva holding onto his neck. Renn and Sura followed, Laric behind them to ensure they did not fall. He spared her not a glance, speaking instead to Jael.
"I need you to help Damyn and Maia. I'll go back for Osra," he said curtly.
Jael nodded and began his descent. When the line went slack Maygra grasped it, forcing Laric to step aside.
"I can get up by myself, thanks," she said calmly and started to climb. Her only reward was a flush on her guardsman's face.
Despite her assured words, Mikayl and Renn had to help her onto the flat top of the canyon. Once there she could only sit and watch the others bring up the rest of their party and the supplies.
The wind was less violent here and by a whim of the Lady, the sun was actually able to penetrate the sheer rock through a jagged crack in the stone on the other side of the canyon. It was a small haven and they all took full advantage of the warmth and light on their faces. Unfortunately, the little pocket of calm was just that, a pocket. The stone surrounding the area was twice as high as what they had just climbed. There was a ledge adjacent to the one Maygra had found leading back down -- the path Mikayl had used to get a message to the others. The only exit out was back the way they came, or possibly, through the cave Mikayl had found.
Damyn made the climb without mishap, Jael settling him beside Maygra while he went for Maia and his son.
"I could die right now with this blessed light on my face," the Healer murmured and Maygra touched his arm lightly, in comfort. They stayed there until all their party was together again.
"If we rest here, even for a few days, I suggest we all spend as much time in the sunlight as possible," Sura commented as they walked toward the cave.
"New cure?"
"Morale lifter," Sura said with the faintest hint of a smile. Maygra responded in kind, laying her arm through the older woman's.
"I won't argue. I was beginning to think we would never see anything but rock and shadow," Maygra admitted. "Or be able to speak with anything more than a scream. Unfortunately, we still have to find a way out of this maze."
Sura patted her arm. "You will, Maygra ka'kiira Ila. I have no doubt. I, for one, have no intention of having eluded a massacre only to find my grave in these forgotten stones."
Maygra chuckled, giving Sura a brief hug. "Me either, kira'mai. If you could choose, how long a rest should we take?"
"A month," Sura said and shook her head. "If I could choose. We haven't enough water for so long I don't think. But a week, perhaps? We need rest, Maygra. Rest for mind, body and soul."
Maygra nodded, not agreeing, merely acknowledging the priority. She gazed upward seeing the clear summer sky framed by the unknowing stone. If they had any way of replenishing their supplies, she would give Sura her month but unless the Goddess saw fit to drop a flock of dead uraln at their feet, they would be lucky to get half that time.
Mikayl's cave was not a disappointment. Large and deep, it cut back in on itself just past the entrance, effectively keeping the worst of the wind out and muffling the howling. Here a fire was possible and even Maygra's mouth watered when she smelled hot soup being prepared.
Renewed somewhat by the sunlight and the anticipated respite -- Maygra wasted no time announcing they would stay for a few days -- their meager camp was set quickly. Damyn felt strong enough to assist Sura in sorting through their cache of herbs, adding some to the soup to make sure everyone would sleep.
Maygra let her brother and Laric do most of the work, sitting quietly next to Maia. Her sister did not acknowledge her presence. Jael had placed Kion against her breast to nurse but the baby had fallen asleep. Maia stared vacantly, her green eyes expressionless, her hair a tangled mess. Knowing she could do nothing else for her sister, Maygra used her fingers to work the tangles away, resting her aching arm before managing to bind Maia's hair into a loose braid, secured by a scrap of fabric. She reached out to touch the older woman's face only to find Maia's eyes fixed on hers.
"Kira'sai?" Maygra asked tentatively, touching her sister's cheek. Maia pulled away a little, eyes narrowing in confusion as if Maygra were a stranger.
"Sura," Maygra hissed and the Healer came immediately. The new face diverted Maia's attention, for the first time noticing the infant in her arms.
"My-my baby," Maia's voice was a harsh whisper as she stared at Kion, still asleep. "Where's my baby?" she asked plaintively of Maygra.
"He's here, kira," Sura said soothingly, stroking one of Kion's chubby arms. "He's asleep."
A sob built in Maia's throat, turning to a wail. "Kuris!" she cried. Sura deftly took Kion away from her as her arms flailed. Maygra caught Maia's, pulling her close as Maia wailed and sobbed, her heart breaking as memory returned to her in a flood. Alerted by her first cry, Mikayl joined his sisters, Maygra blindly grabbing his arm to pull him into the three-way embrace.
Sura withdrew, soothing the baby as the siblings comforted one another. She caught Laric's eye, not missing the softening of his gaze. Before he could turn away, Sura folded the baby into his arms. "Here," she said gruffly. "It's time you got to know your nephew," she said and left the cave.
Outside she found Jael talking to Damyn, both men enjoying the warmth of the sun before it was hidden once more by the rocks. Osra sat nearby, Kiva asleep in her lap.
"Maia's awake," Sura said quietly, sitting beside her son. Jael bolted for the cavern and Damyn moved as if to go as well. Sura restrained him with a touch. "We aren't needed right now. Osra, how are you feeling?"
"Warm. Blind. I keep hoping I'll wake up soon."
Sura nodded, "I know," she said and watched as the sun finally slipped behind the rocks, leaving them in the shadows again.
They set no watch. Jael set his Shield lightly so he would be awakened if anything intruded but Maygra and Sura both ordered the group to sleep. Despite the order and Sura and Damyn's "soup-fixing", he could not stop his mind from working.
He had gone to Maia automatically at Sura's word, feeling awkward at intruding on the trio. Ten days ago he would have felt part of their family, but as his eyes met Maia's he saw no welcome. Maygra had said something softly to her sister, extending her hand to Jael to pull him into the moment. Maia did not avoid him, receiving his fumbled words and his touch without flinching but there was nothing there . . . not for him anyway. He needed no Gift to know that whatever love they had shared, whatever had brought them together, was gone. Their only bond now was the child they had created.
It bothered him most that he was not disappointed. Maia's lack of response brought not grief, but relief. He did not intend to be any less solicitous -- she was still Kion's mother and near his heart if not heart-close, but he had feared her emergence from shock would bring with it accusations. He had heard her scream for help when Kuris was taken, saw her trying to defend both her children as Hanna and then Maygra were cut down. Kuris' death had been no less deep a wound for not being of Jael's blood.
Then he had seen Maia try to kill her own sister. He shuddered under his blankets at the too-recent memory. The Maia he had known and loved had died then, murdered by the insanity which took over Maia's body.
He was not sure Maia remembered all of the massacre. He wished his own memories could be selective. Whatever madness had infected Maia infected him as well. He barely recalled delivering she and Kion to the cellar. Once those dearest to him were as safe as they could be or dead, his goal had been to exact revenge -- and he had done so with bloodthirsty glee. His own wounds meant nothing as he fought and killed every Hai'Karin he could find, shoving his own people out of the way violently should they dare come between him and his prey.
He had never been a fighter. Thana had always teased him about Laric inheriting her love of the hunt and he, his father's desire to know why the hunt was so important to others. Not until Rhema was dying, bleeding under his feet did he understand the why. That question answered, he would have kept on fighting and killing until nothing remained alive, friend or foe.
The first person he turned on was Anard. The burly mountain climber was caught off guard by Jael's attack. Mikayl had intervened and then Damyn suddenly appeared. At a touch of the Healer's bloody hands the madness faded. Jael woke to the darkness of the cellar, his hunt for survivors only a dim blur.
Their desperate flight left him with no time to analyze his behavior. Having shared his madness, he could only assume Maia knew the rest as well. Neither Mikayl nor Damyn had said anything. He hoped they had devised some explanation for his behavior -- one to set his fears at rest. What could happen once, could happen again. His loss of control shook him to his soul. He could not run away from the fear, nor could he bring himself to speak of it.
Taking a still glowing ember from the fire, he kindled it into a torch, hoping the night air and solitude would calm him. He started to leave the cave only to curse himself. If anything was looking for them here, an open flame would give them away in an instant. He turned toward the back of the cave.
There would be no rest for him. The security of their hiding place, however false, had driven the immediate needs of survival back for a time. His own concerns now surfaced with vengeful intensity. Certain his Shield was secure he ventured into the darkness.
The passage narrowed beyond their camp. Water had flowed here once, the signs were on the floor and on the walls and in the smoothness of the stone under his touch. The twisting path arced high and the walls pushed in closer -- not uncomfortably so, but enough to make him think he should head back. If he got stuck, no one would find him for hours, if at all.
Which might not be a bad thing, he thought darkly. Death here would cure any potential harm he might bring to his companions.
Then the floor disappeared and he was falling into darkness.
Mikayl woke as the cave entrance lightened. He moved carefully toward the entrance, the need to relieve himself almost painful. Stepping past Maia and the baby he noticed Jael's blankets were empty. Expecting to find his teacher on a similar personal mission, he grew anxious when he found himself outside, alone. He checked their ascent path, walking along the canyon rim, afraid he would see Jael's crumpled body below. His search took him longer than he expected and his return found the others as concerned about him as he was about Jael.
"I've checked the canyon," he explained when Maygra questioned. "I can't find him. He can't have gone up . . . ."
"His Shield's in place," Maia said impassively and they all stared at her. "He's the father of my second son. I know his touch. Wherever he is, he's still Shielding us."
"He's not dead then, or badly hurt," Maygra said, releasing the breath she had been holding.
Laric found the dusty footprints leading toward the back of the cave and was quick to kindle a torch.
"No, Laric," Maygra stopped him. "I'll go with Sura, if she's up to it, and Renn. If we need assistance we'll send Renn back. If he's hurt, he'll need Sura, and if we need to carry him, the supplies we need are here, not there."
"You can barely walk," Laric snorted, shouldering past her. Maygra grabbed him with her good arm, surprising herself as much as Laric when the man ended up on the ground, her left knee on his chest.
"I'm not going to have this argument again," she said huskily, hoping he would think it anger and not shortness of breath. "You and Mikayl are the only two in any shape to fight, should something Find our little nest. I am sure I can walk far enough to find Jael, if he can be found. Renn will be our messenger. If I need you, I will send for you. In the meantime, I suggest you put your one-track, one-hunt mind to good use, and make sure we aren't found," she said rising to her feet slowly, not quite able to keep pain from showing in her face. Mikayl started to speak, falling silent at her withering glance.
"This is not false heroics, kiri'nai," she said, softening her gaze. "Right now I am the most expendable and the least likely to be of assistance if there's trouble. Remember what I said on the ledge, Mikayl. Remember who is the hunter and who is the hunted."
Laric glared at her for a moment before throwing up his hands and heading outside.
"You won't be able to do that every time," Damyn said in a low voice from his pallet.
"Do what?" she snapped, shrugging a light pack of a blanket and water over her shoulder.
"Think of a plausible reason things should be done your way when there's really no reason at all."
The corner of her mouth twitched in a smile. "I'll worry about it when it happens," she said heading for the dark side of the cave, Renn and Sura close behind with torches lit.
"He's right, you know," Sura said softly when they were out of earshot. "Everyone but Laric knew you were bluffing."
"As long as Laric doesn't know, I don't care what the rest of you think," Maygra said waspishly then stopped. "I'm sorry, Sura. I do care what you think. If everyone wants to have a vote in these decisions I won't argue with you. Until then I can only do what I think is right."
"Kisan," Renn said, watching the exchange, "Mama, don't you think Maygra is a good leader?"
"Aye, Renn, I do. I just need to be sure she thinks so as well."
"You're as bad as Damyn or Callan. I can't second guess every choice I make! Now, can we find Jael?" Maygra snapped starting forward again.
"We will, but whether you like it or not, Maygra kira, you are now Maena of Rhema -- or what's left of it."
Maygra stopped dead in her tracks, staring back at the aging Healer. "I am not. I am, at the most, still First Sword, Makyera Gen. You and Damyn are Elders, Sura."
"Being an Elder has to do with experience, Maygra, and Damyn and I have precious little experience, out here in this wilderness, pursued and hunted."
"Neither do I. This is not exactly the position I trained for -- and I don't like being hunted any more than Laric does."
"No, but you do know when you are, which he does not. Your self-awareness is why we continue to follow your lead, Maygra. Think on that, kira. Renn, take the lead and tell us if the passage gets too narrow,"
Sura added, moving past Maygra before the younger woman could respond.
Nor did Maygra find a proper response. Sura had caught her as off guard as she had taken Laric. Being disadvantaged did not sit any better with her than it had with the guardsman. The whole discussion seemed ill-timed to say the least. One of their party was missing and here Sura was, instructing her on her responsibilities.
The why of it struck her like a rock as Renn led them around a narrow corner. Mikayl had said the same thing, more or less, the day before. They needed her, not for her strength or her abilities as a warrior but for her mind. They needed her far more for what she could think them out of than for what she could fight.
Damyn's comment, too, had been to remind her if any of them were to survive, she must, first. Sura and Renn could have made this journey without her as Sura had so pointedly made clear. She had sent her son, her child, ahead to scout for danger. Renn went without question, without voicing any of the fear children had of dark, unknown places. He reacted as one of her guard, as if he too realized his abilities were called for, not his wants.
Her own childishness at wanting to be in the middle of every task caught up with her. She was not physically able to be the explorer and could very well become a burden if she did not husband her strength. Keeping Laric out of her decisions did nothing but foster more resentment and did nothing to help the group.
Sura made no comment when she rejoined them, satisfied Maygra respected her enough to give some thought to her words.
"Water," Maygra said absently, stroking her hand against the stone.
"Aye. A long time ago, though," Sura replied. "It's not damp here at all and the floor is hard-packed."
Renn stumbled suddenly and both women reached to steady him as he held his torch forward. "It goes down -- it's steps!"
At Renn's feet the ground suddenly dropped about a foot, then again. There was no doubt water had not cut stone this precisely. The boy moved downward cautiously. The steep stairway was narrow, cutting back in on itself sharply. Some twenty steps down, Renn stopped to pick up something. A moment later he had two lit torches.
Sura knelt beside him, bringing her hand up to show Maygra. Wet and red, her fingers glistened in the light. She started to press onward. Maygra stopped her.
"Renn, go back and get Laric. Tell Mikayl to stay with the others and tell Laric to come armed."
Renn obeyed without question.
Sura, however, was not so certain. "Jael may have fallen -- there's not a lot of blood here but if he hit his head . . . ."
"Then it wasn't hard, or his Shield would have faltered. The question is, did he fall, or was he pushed?"
"If there was another way in to this tunnel, we would have seen it."
"Maybe. We've been following Jael's footsteps, not looking for other passages."
"If someone pushed him, there would be tracks."
"Not if they came from above or below," Maygra said lifting her torch high. There were any number of shadows which could have been openings and their torches showed no end to the upward gap.
Subdued, the Healer leaned against the rock, contenting herself to listening for any sound behind or below them. When Renn and Laric joined them, the guardsman bent down to examine the marks on the steps.
"He fell," Laric said after a moment. "There's nothing here or above to indicate anyone but us has passed within the last few hours -- or years," he added running his fingers along the stone. They came away with a thick coating of loose dirt. Taking one of Renn's torches he moved downward.
The bottom of the steps came fairly quickly, opening into a huge chamber so vast their torchlight did not show its perimeters. At the bottom of the steps lay Jael, blinking like a night bird. His face was pale under the dirt and he held his left leg awkwardly. Sura went to him immediately.
He grimaced when she probed the leg but kept his eyes on Maygra's. "It's broken. Two places," he rasped and Laric went to him, offering water.
"He's right," Sura said and probed the gash on his forehead. Her probe elicited a groan and he went limp in his brother's arms. "It's bad. Not enough to kill him but he's not going anywhere for awhile unless I can Heal him."
Maygra chewed her lip not sure if they should carry him back or bring the others here. Then she heard it -- the faint sound of water -- light and musical. She moved into the chamber, ignoring Sura's request for a decision. Beside her, Renn also listened. He moved left and she followed. Their combined torchlight illuminated an entire section of the cavern.
"Lady Below," Maygra muttered. "Laric, bring the other torches."
There was a pool of water in the corner, contained by carefully laid stones cut and mosaiced together in an intricate pattern of gold and blue, red and silver. In the middle of the pool a statue, twice Maygra's height, watched them with pale silvered eyes.
It was a lifelike rendering despite its size. The subject was a youth, not much older than Renn, his right arm leaning on a sword pointed toward his feet. His left arm was crooked around the neck of what could only be a dragon. The dragon's body curled around the youth, disappearing into the natural stone, its wings folded neatly along its back. The youth's wings, however, were open and spread.
Maygra squinted, moving closer. There was no doubt, the youth had wings, each feather delicately carved. The face was vaguely familiar and the sword she recognized immediately.
It was Kieron's sword. The tales and histories Maygra had been raised on came back to memory in a flood. Kieron's sword, the edge softly carved on one side and dangerously serrated on the other. The quillions delicately curved and hollowed and the grip of overlapping feathers.
Kieron. The Walker of His Realms. Kieron, who was not of Aessa's making but had been a great part of how the Kieri came to be trading their service for survival. She stared at the handsomely carved face, noting the sharp hawkish features and the delicate slant to the youth's eyes and ears. Kieron had always been described to her as an old man so who was this youth?
"The water is as pure as the Ayr Riyv," Laric said, jolting her back to reality. He had cupped his hand in the pool, taking a very small sip.
"Mag," Renn whispered and pointed upward.
A thin shaft of sunlight appeared, widening as she watched until it shown down, illuminating the statues and the wall behind. Wall pockets had once held torches on either side of the wall behind the two giants. Their torches revealed a map picked out in great detail by tiny tiles.
"Laric, get the others. Bring them here and make sure there is no sign of us ever having been in the upper cave," Maygra said staring at the map. "You may get your month, Sura."
By the time they were all accounted for, sunlight streamed in at an angle illuminating the entire area around the pool. Mikayl scaled the stone dragon to follow the light -- a surprisingly easy climb he discovered -- more stairs were cut into the stone behind the dragon's back ridge. Maygra set Renn to making more torches to illuminate the chamber when the light failed. Sura hovered near Jael, and Osra sat near the pool holding Kion while Maia helped prepare food. Maia seemed willing enough to care for the baby, or rather to feed him, but she let the others take him when her task was done, as if she could not bear to hold him any longer than necessary.
Still blind, Osra seemed relieved she could offer any assistance and Maygra was surprised the woman had not given in to hysterical tears over her condition. She had always thought Osra a little scatterbrained although Jael swore his pupil was promising and very stable. It looked as if he were being proven right. Maygra could only hope her friend would recover so she could tell him.
"We can get out," Mikayl announced returning from his scouting. "In fact it looks as if this was deliberately made for entrances and exits. It gets rougher above, opening onto the top of the canyon -- on the other side of the rock-slide. We still have some distance to go and there's not much cover, but I can see trees, a hyuld has sprung up where the rocks end. It will take about a day, maybe longer to get there."
"Hunting?" Laric asked at the mention of woodland.
Mikayl shook his head. "There might be some small game, but it's wide open."
"At least we can get free of these cursed rocks," Maygra said. "Ease up, Laric. I might not let you hunt, but I think you and Mikayl should definitely find out what is beyond the hyuld. Do you think you and Mikayl can give us some sort of Shield? I know it's not either of your primary Gifts, but I would feel more secure . . . ."
"Jael's Shield is still in place, 'sai," Maia said quietly.
"That's not possible," Sura said, studying her unconscious patient. She and Laric had set Jael's broken leg and Damyn had drugged the man into sleep. "Surely he didn't set a lock Shield, in his condition!"
Maygra blanched. "Mikayl, don't Look, but See if you can sense anything," she ordered quietly.
Mikayl nodded, looking as nervous as his sister felt. After a moment his face relaxed but he frowned.
"The whole chamber is Shielded," he said. "I can't be sure, but I think it's worked into the stone."
"In the stone . . . how . . . ."
"Welders," Sura supplied to the bewildered First Sword. She touched the stone walls. "Stone-Welders. Kieri masons did this, Goddess knows how long ago. It's not a Gift we've seen much in the last ten generations. Your father had it, Mag, in part. He could see how stones were meant to be cut, how best to fit them together, but he used mortar as the Haian do. I've never seen it done, but my grandfather used to tell stories. It's how Rhema was built."
"This is a shrine!" Maygra said. "What Kieri would build a shrine?"
"If it's this old and still working it must be some kind of lock-Shield," Sura went on, her face shining. "Which means we can use our Gifts! Jael . . . ."
"Not yet!" Maygra snapped stopping the Healer before she could shift into her healing mode. "I'll accept it may be true but I want to test it first. Please, Sura, a few more minutes won't matter to Jael or to any of us. Mal get up top and very carefully see if you can See anything."
Mikayl scrambled up the dragons back again and returned only moments later looking very confused. "I can't See anything. I can't even get my Gift to work. It's as if the whole area doesn't exist."
"Try now," Maygra said, "carefully."
Mikayl glanced around the chamber, his eyes widening. "Lady Below! Mag, I can see stresses in the rock! I could never do so before, not this clearly."
"One more time up, Mal. Sura will give a light healing to Jai. I'll send Renn for you." When he was gone she turned to Sura. "Now, Healer, but as Quietly as you can."
Sura pressed her hand against Jael's forehead lightly. A moment later she rocked back on her heels as the man moved restlessly, his left leg bending every so slightly before Sura snatched her hand away. The gash on Jael's forehead was but a thin red line and his face had color.
"I said, Lightly!" Maygra hissed.
"I barely Touched him, Maygra, I swear by the Lady's Father!" Sura said, not without some fear in her voice. "It's as if my Gift doubled in strength. I'm not even tired!"
Maygra swallowed nervously. "Renn, get Mikayl," she said, forcing calmness into her voice.
"Something else?" Mikayl asked, then stared at Jael before looking at his sister. "I thought you said . . . ."
"Did you See or Feel anything?" she demanded.
"N-no. I thought you needed me. There was nothing, Maygra. Not a flicker. You mean she's done?"
"Not quite," Sura replied. "Void outside, amplified inside. There's a Web here, somewhere."
"An Iimarin Web? But those are supposed to be huge," Osra said. "Surely we'd know."
"Why? Who among us has ever been near one?" Damyn asked. "What now, Maygra? Can mother finish with Jael?"
"Yes, but I want us to be cautious still."
"Don't keep us deaf and blind, just because you are!" Laric snapped.
Before she could react, Mikayl tackled the man, his arm against Laric's throat, threatening to choke him into unconsciousness. "You saw those winged bloodhounds, you idiot. You saw what they did to Rhema's walls, what they did in the forest! What would happen if they found us here!" he demanded as Laric struggled feebly.
"By the Dark Maiden's Wings, stop it! Both of you!" Maia screamed and jerked her brother backward. Laric sat up, gasping and eyeing Mikayl coldly. "Isn't it enough we've lost all we have ever known! All that we . . . we loved," she sobbed. "Must we destroy what little we have left? Do what you want Laric, but stay out of my Mind!" She snarled, advancing on him with a murderous intent in her eye.
Maygra intercepted her, remembering with a sick feeling when that look had been turned on her.
"It's enough, Maia," she said forcing the woman to look at her. "He will not go where he is not Invited."
Maia jerked away, stalking to the darkness of the stairs.
"If you must Speak, Laric, all I ask is you keep it to a whisper," Maygra said wearily. "Do what you can for Jael, Sura. Mal, stay up as long as you think it safe. Rely on your eyes only, kiri'nai," she cautioned. Suddenly exhausted, she sat down hard on the edge of the pool.
"You're feverish, kira," Damyn said quietly, sitting beside her. Laric grabbed a torch and stalked off up the stairs, pushing rudely past Maia. Maygra moved as if to stop him but Damyn restrained her. "He won't do anything foolish, Maygra. He needs solitude."
"I wish I was so sure."
"He has been beaten. He's dwelling on that."
"Again. Goddess, if he could only learn from his mistakes," Maygra murmured.
"He does, eventually," Jael said sitting up with Sura and Renn's assistance. He looked as tired as she felt, but there was no hint of pain on his face. Cautiously he stretched his left leg, smiling as it moved with very little discomfort. Then he noticed the chamber.
Sura explained what they had discovered quickly. With her assistance, Jael went to examine the statue and the mosaiced map more carefully. Maygra moved again, but Damyn pushed her down, motioning for Kiva to bring a blanket. The child obeyed, settling herself next to the Healer as he forced Maygra to lay down so he could ease her into sleep.
"We'll wake you," he promised.
Sura watched her son, aware the simple act of putting Maygra to sleep had exhausted him again. Her own more intensive contact with Jael barely made a dent in her resources. She bit her lip thoughtfully before turning her attention back to her patient. Jael seemed steady enough but she knew healing could fatigue the patient as well as the Healer. Jael was intently studying the map, asking Renn to bring a lit torch so he could see better.
"Look," he said, pointing to what looked to a gray line bordering the far right side of the map. "I would bet my mother's best blanket these mountains are the Graen Triemon. See? Esterys is here in black and gray, which would make this green area Elerak. Itheron is this line and Arris Graen to the west."
"Where's Rhema?" Renn asked studying the long dark line in the middle of the mountain ranges.
"It's not marked, but here is Bredas Hulden and the Ayr Riyv, except," he hesitated, tracing a finger along the blue line marking marked the river. "The Ayr doesn't cut back on itself like this and this smaller blue line . . . I would say it's the Kor Riyv but they flow parallel -- they don't join in the headlands."
"They might have once," Renn observed, "I remember Pera telling us the headlands might have been a river once, but now they're just rocks because the river shifted."
Jael nodded, still studying the map. "You may be right, kiri. I don't know if this map is to scale, but Bredas is smaller here than it is now -- see, it doesn't even cross the Ayr."
"It's an old chamber, Jael. The Goddess has shifted her form over the centuries," Sura said. "That looks to be a settlement of some sort," she added pointing to a small red mark in the middle of what they had identified as Elerak.
"There's a name," Jael said and took the torch from Renn quickly. The sudden movement sent him off balance and he faltered. Deftly, Renn recovered the flame as Sura steadied Jael.
"Enough now, Jai," She said and helped him back to his pallet. "It's not going anywhere and neither are we, for a few days at least."
"Dark," Kiva said suddenly and softly, startling everyone. The child rarely spoke, her presence frequently forgotten. She laid a hand on Damyn's knee as she looked up and around. Damyn picked her up and settled her into his lap.
"Sun's dropping," Mikayl said, confirming her words. "Not below the horizon but below the Gul. If we want light we're going to have to make it."
Renn produced torches for him and Mikayl to set in every sconce they could find. Once the sun passed the chamber became depressingly dark, even with the torches. It was Renn who found the basin near the statue, underneath the dragon's head. Mikayl joined him, then warning Renn back a little, set his torch in the depression. Bright flames sprang up, nearly singing him.
"Pitch," he responded to Sura's raised eyebrow. "It was worth a chance. Strategically placed, I might add."
It was true. Fire in the depression gave the illusion the dragon had started it and bathed the statues and the pond in glorious light, glinting off the faceted wings of both the dragon and the youth.
Mikayl studied the effect for a moment, his eyes tracing the dragon's back to where his tail lay curled around the far end of the pool. Without a word he followed the shadow line, Renn next to him. They had explored the whole chamber cursorily, checking for any other exits or entrances and finding none but the two staircases. Still, they had not examined the immediate area around the shrine closely.
The shadow he spied proved to be more. At first he thought it to be more of the same kind of ornamentation around the statue. The lines in the rock went much deeper than mere carving, however. Giving Renn both torches, Mikayl felt along the nearest line until his fingers felt something protruding from the rock. It had the smooth, cold feel of black-stone. Boosting Renn onto his shoulders, he handed the boy both torches.
"It looks like a hinge," Renn said, "but there's no plate to hold it."
"How high up does the outline go?"
"I can't see the top."
"All right. Hold on, little brother, while we take a little walk," Mikayl said, moving along the rock face. Some hundred steps to the right Renn identified another hinge-like protuberance. Retracing his steps, Mikayl found the mid-point, a vertical line starting at the floor and disappearing into the darkness beyond Renn's ability to see.
"That's a very big door," Renn said solemnly when Mikayl set him down. "I don't think we should try to open it."
Mikayl nodded. "I agree. If those are hinges and there are no plates on this side, which means the door, if it is a door, is meant to keep us out and whatever is within wants it that way."
"Maybe it belongs to the dragon?" Renn proposed and Mikayl did not disagree. The whole chamber suddenly seemed more ominous than it had before. Some old legends were based in fact and the legend of A'denna Gul being the lair of dragons suddenly seemed a very real possibility.
They rejoined the group, both of them checking over their shoulder as the door faded into shadows again.
Maygra woke the next day at Sura's insistence she eat something, only to find Laric was just returning from relieving himself.
"No one goes up unless it's to keep watch," she said, and the others shifted uneasily, not wanting to defile the place. "Kieri built or not, this is not the Goddess and even if it were she has never had patience for such nonsense." No one argued with her, but as she turned her back to the statue she could have sworn she heard laughter. She whirled around, staring at the statue, which remained as it had been. She had not however, noticed the half-grin on the young man's face before.
"You can't possibly be Kieron," she muttered, feeling silly. "He was not supposed to have a sense of humor."
The statue offered no response.
After eating, Jael convinced Sura he was strong enough to have another go at the map. Maygra went with him but sat on the wall around the pool, not feeling nearly as steady. With the sun up once more there was more light in the chamber, but Jael still needed a torch to pick out the fine writing on the wall.
"Some of it I can make out," he said. "It looks like Lliyassaen but it's not exactly the same. The green area is called Heth, not Elerak, and below is Urias or Urgias."
"Urgias. Urgen?" Maygra said.
"It could be, but Urgen is north of Rhema, not south, and this is not marked as a settlement but bordered like a kingdom. This mark," he said pointing to the red mark he had spotted the night before. "This says Aare'sakir and it is about in the same place as those ruins above Urgen Cald."
"Sakir k'gytava, 'Wall of Ghosts'," Maygra said. "That's what the Haian call it, and it's in our language, not theirs. "'Gray Wall'? I suppose it could be. I remember my father saying once those ruins had been faced in gray-stone, like the hall at Rhema. He wasn't sure how it had been done. There were no spike marks in the stone. Could Sakir k'gytava have been built by the same people who built this?"
Jael shrugged. "Who knows? If this map is correct and the Ayr followed this path, this chamber could be a hundred or a thousand generations old. This mountain range here would be about where we are now -- Ilyan Grae, which I've never heard of and north of us is another plain. To the west are more mountains and another large hulden. Bigger than Bredas, anyway."
"Keep going west. Can you judge how far?"
"Several month's journey, I'd guess. There's a river running through the middle of it, north to south, and what looks like more settlements."
"They are probably ruins too, by now. The hulden sounds promising. It may even be the same woodland our forefathers mentioned. Anything further north or south?"
"Not much south although I would guess this large blue area is the coast. It seems closer than what the Haian traders claim. Northward, there's not much -- some red marks but, as you said, any settlements or villages on this map have long since turned to dust. Now, neither Arris Graen nor the Graen Triemon are named at all save for Ysiar. If it's an older form of ysr, it means 'gate' or 'door', but gate to where?"
"Or who," Mikayl commented, sitting next to Maygra. "There's something I think you should see while there's light enough."
Maygra and Jael were as impressed with Mikayl's "door" as he and Renn had been and equally unwilling to disturb whatever might be behind it. His mind already keyed to decipher the archaic script, Jael was quick to spot the writing carved along the mid-joint.
"This is worse than the map," he said after a long spell of trying to translate. He rubbed his eyes wearily but ignored Maygra's suggestion he should rest. "I can't make it all out but the 'Guardian's' are no doubt our winged friend and his pet. One of them is Rys but I can't tell which."
"I'll settle for the swordsman. Somehow 'Rys' isn't impressive enough to be a dragon's name."
"I agree. There's no mention of Kieron in any of this, so I would also guess that sword or no sword, our winged friend is not The Walker. And it's not a shrine. As close as I can get, it's more like a Watch base. A place to warn people about danger," he said then traced his finger over a long section of script. Maygra grabbed his arm when he swayed.
"What is it, Jai? What does it say?"
"Lady Below," he murmured, then recovered. "That's what it says, Mag. At least as near as I can tell. 'The Lady Sleeps Below, Her Sleep Protected Until She Heals. Dark Above, Light Below, Her Children Between. Awake She Breaks the Seals. Until then Her Children's Keys, Unseen.' That's a pretty good guess as to what it says. There are other names here, including the Makyeran Gyeld -- Kerys, Yra, Damys and Merista, Yranna, Aval and Morvan. The last two I remember from somewhere but I couldn't tell you what they mean."
"The Lady Below," Maygra whispered resting her hand against the door. As if in response the old echo awoke and she snatched her hand away as if burned. "N'yris!" she swore, "and we're still breathing. Leave it alone, Jael," she said, sudden anger making her voice harsh. "That she was this close and didn't hear us dying is more than I can bear. Don't tell the others what you found -- even if you have to lie about it," she warned and walked away.
Jael and Mikayl backed away as well, not in anger but in fear and awe. They knew, as all Kieri knew, Aessa was a living, breathing entity. Being Kieri did not prepare them to be so close to the Goddess's physical presence.
Maygra stood in front of the statue, staring at it until long after the light faded away again. Kiva came to stand beside her, sitting down finally, but not taking her eyes from the winged man and his companion, even when Sura brought them both something to eat. Maygra took her food and went to her blankets, but Kiva set her food aside and resisted Sura's encouragement to lie down and sleep. At last, Sura gave up and brought the child's blankets to her.
Sleep eluded both of them, woman grown and child barely out of babyhood. For Maygra it was the sudden resurgence of Aessa's whisper in her soul. It took her appetite away and set her to brooding once more. There was a whisper in Kiva's soul as well, one which fascinated her as nothing else in her young life had ever done. Gone was the pain and the fear, even the aching void where her parents, dead and lost in Rhema, had been. The emptiness filled with a Voice. A young male voice, full of love and warmth, whispering, "Listen". And she did. Listening to the voice even when others vied for her attention. The Voice told her stories, mostly. Some funny, some sad, some she did not understand, but the gentle Voice always reminded her to listen. And she did, exclusively. Not another word passed her lips, though it would be a long time before anyone noticed. Days before anyone realized that while Kiva ate and slept and helped out as much as she was asked to, as much as she could for one so small and young, she did not speak again.
Maygra's Voice was more worrisome. Two days later she still had no appetite. Her brooding turned to stoic silence. Jael and Mikayl left her alone, their own thoughts filled with the same topic they supposed hers to be. The others quickly learned questions would be answered, but Maygra was in no mood for conversation. They all settled into a routine, resting, regaining their strength to move on, for when Maygra was not in deep thought, she was prowling the chamber and the stairs, looking for some sign which would tell her it was time to go.
It took her longer to make the decision than they expected, ten days less than Sura had hoped for. Twice Mikayl and Laric ventured into the small hulden returning with little game and no sign of their enemy. They were about to make a third trip when Maygra announced they would all be leaving.
Sura was worried, and rightly so. For nearly a week, Maygra had eaten almost nothing. Her sleep came in bits and the one opportunity Sura had found to touch her, her skin was burning hot. Maygra had jerked away so angrily Sura had not pressed the matter. Damyn watched Maygra anxiously as well but since neither of them could pinpoint any sure signs of distress they did not pursue the reluctant patient.
They broke their camp quickly, aware they were leaving a measure of safety. No one protested, for as large as the chamber had been, it was still a cavern and the air smelled fresher when they emerged at the top of the Dragon's Stairs. Kiva lingered a little at the top, but the Voice reassured her he was going with her and she followed Damyn willingly, Maygra behind them.
Emerging from the cavern Maygra was hit by a wave of nausea and vertigo which almost sent her to her knees. She gripped the rock wall, shrugging off Damyn's concerned touch and setting her teeth against a pain so fierce, all other perceptions, save one, were cut off. The lingering presence in the back of her mind reasserted itself forcefully, summoning her, demanding her obedience. The Voice had been far kinder below, but no less insistent. Escaping it had driven her thus far and she would not surrender now because of physical discomfort.
Nevertheless, she let Mikayl take the lead. He guided them along the canyon rim to where a steep rise led over the top. They had forgotten the wind -- the chamber had masked the sound -- but while it was as fierce as ever, it was quieter here with no narrow canyons to funnel the sound.
"We can go over this way," Mikayl shouted. "It's steep but easy enough to climb."
They followed him trustingly. Sura had taken a position behind Maygra, for even the easy climb up the stairs had left the woman pale and shaking.
They had entered A'Denna Gul at the worst of the tumbled stones, and a few still rose above them, but beyond the wall the stones had fallen more evenly. Behind them great up thrusts of stone cried warning should they think to turn back, forbidding sentinels of a hostile region, and they could still see the gray haze of smoke over Bredas Hulden, bare spires of blackened trees stabbing toward the sky.
Beyond the climb lay a less barren land as low scrub and vegetation found a foothold among the looser rock. They still had a good day's journey before they would be clear, but the scrub gradually gave way to occasional stands of thin twisted trees. Above them the sky was clear and blue and the warmth was a relief even to Maygra. She struggled along, climbing carefully and allowing Sura and Jael to help her over the worst places. Once clear of the ridge, the footing was easier, sloping down toward the small grouping of coniferous trees and low shrub. Sura offered her water when they took a moment to rest and Maygra received it eagerly, only to discover even plain water made her nauseated. Sura pressed a hand to her hot skin, cooled not at all by the winds, and said something urgently to Mikayl and Jael. Damyn came to sit beside her for a moment and she rested against him. She barely noticed when Mikayl and Jael took her arms across their shoulders and made no protest when Laric began picking out the easiest trail, until she realized they were taking her back to the cavern below. It took all her strength to wrench away from them only to stumble and fall.
"Maygra," Damyn said soothingly, stroking her cheek as the others gathered around her anxiously. "You're ill, kira. We need the Shield in the cavern to Heal you."
"No, dammit," she gasped, pushing him away feebly, only to grab at his robe with feverish strength. "I won't go back to Her. Tell him, Mal. Tell him what waits Below," she said her eyes fixed on her brother's face. "I know what I said! I told you to lie if necessary . . . I have not lost my senses, but I will if you take me back. Now tell them!"
Real fear stood out on Mikayl's face, soon echoed by the others as he and Jael related what they had found on the door.
"Dami," Maygra gasped, clutching at him desperately. "I have always been Alone. You know that, alone except for Her. She wants me to take the Ien Ki'Ka. She's so close there, I can't shut Her out!"
"Maygra, kira," Sura said soothingly, her mouth next to Maygra's ear so she wouldn't have to shout. "You can take the Oath, when you're better. You are Maena, remember."
"I'm not," she whispered. "I'm not, Sura. There's no Gift in me. She cursed me among my own people and now She wants more. I can't be Maena and be alone with only Her in my mind."
"You're not alone, kira," Damyn said. "Or you won't be. Please, let us Heal you first and then we will find away to break those barriers to your Gift."
"Break them now, then," Maygra snapped, gripping the Healer so hard he winced. "Break them now, before you take me back down there."
"You're too ill, love," Maia said, taking Maygra's white clenched hand from Damyn's arm and stroking it. "Heal her here, Damyn," she said urgently.
"No, it's too open!" Maygra protested. "Swear to me, Damyn. Swear on the Bloody Tyrant waiting for me, you'll find a way. A'Ki'Ka, Healer."
Damyn blanched. "Maygra, the Ki'Ka is for Aessa alone."
"She can bloody well have it! I mean it, Damyn. If you can't make the Oath then kill me here, for I'll not return to Her or answer Her as I am."
Even Mikayl and Maia flinched at her words. Laric was more vocal.
"Kin-Slayer and Forsworn. She's not even Kieri anymore -- if she ever was," he said and it was Jael who went after him with his own curse.
"Shut up, Laric, or I'll join her in her crime, the first at least, if I haven't already," Mikayl and Damyn both looked up at his threat, on their faces the guilt Jael hoped he would never see. Jael released his brother abruptly. "I killed him, didn't I? I killed Anard."
"No!" Mikayl said sharply. "No, he was killed by a Hai'Karin. He was watching our backs when we . . . when Damyn . . . was healing you. You didn't kill him, Jai."
"But I would have if you hadn't stopped me. And I caused his death, however inadvertently. I know what Maygra meant when she said the Lady heard us Dying. Give her the Oath, Damyn. If Aessa protests, no doubt we'll all find out very quickly."
"Or kill me now," Maygra added fervently, her eyes fever bright. "I'll take the blame, Damyn, if She questions."
"You can't, kira, you know that. My choice, my Oath." The feverish light in her eyes convinced him she would fight to her death before being returned to the chamber, though he did not understand her fear. "All right, Mag," he acquiesced. "We won't take you down and promise I'll find a way to break your Silence. N'kyris yda Aes," he began the familiar Oath, substituting Maygra's name for the Goddesses. "N'kyris a Damyn ydaki'ka Maygra. Let none come between this Oath Damyn makes to Maygra, as I breath, it holds. As I live it holds. As I die it holds. Until the world breaks, it holds. K'aaeva, 'besta, 'vesta, rakir. N'jaaen a'k'Aessa, Rakir'aen." He finished, aware he was sweating both from fear and worry. "I swear to you, ki'ta. May I be cast into the void if I fail you. But you cannot leave us. I want your promise, your Word."
Maygra held his gaze for a long time before nodding, then murmured the Ien Ki'Ka. It was not precisely the Third Oath the Goddess demanded but it seemed to quiet the Voice inside her. When she finished the murmured Oath, Mikayl and Jael picked her up, carrying her carefully between them, her hands still clutching Damyn's.
Their slow progress faded into a blur for Maygra, her mind giving into the exhaustion obscuring her senses. Damyn's Oath had eased her heart but her body burned with fever and the deep pain cutting through her stomach and back. She could no longer acknowledge the pain save for a muffled whimper of protest when Sura's cool hands touched her burning skin. The pain did not diminish at the skilled touch, nor did her perceptions clear until she quite suddenly felt nothing at all.
She found herself high among the branches of a tree, watching her companions as they huddled around a fallen form resting on grassy ground. For a moment she thought Sura or Osra or her sister had fallen, but Sura knelt between Damyn and Mikayl and Maia was sitting a little distance away, watching them, Osra at her side. Mikayl's head obscured the face of the woman and Maygra wondered idly if perhaps one of their folk had escaped after all. She tried to get closer, dropping from the sky as lightly as a feather.
She glanced around her, noting they had cleared A'denna Gul, reaching the spare forest she had seen from the top of the rocks. The air was clear and cool and dusk was approaching quickly. Oddly, she felt warm with the bright sun at her back. She turned to feel it on her face, marveling at how white the light was without hurting her eyes. She reached a hand out to it, the silvery stuff wrapping around her fingers like a smooth caress and felt someone take her hand as if to lead her into the brightness. She could almost make out the slender form in the whiteness, a welcoming smile on the hazy face as she rose to her feet to follow, wondering if her companions would know where she had gone.
She hesitated, glancing back at the now very tiny figures of her brother and sister and friends and saw Sura draw away from the still figure, urging Damyn away as well. Maia moved toward the figure, pulling away from Osra's restraining hands, reaching out to grasp the stranger's hands and Maygra felt rather than heard her protest and plea. She felt a pull and looked back into the light, still feeling a welcome there. She faltered, turning once more to the little group. They had grown closer, Damyn shoving Mikayl and Maia aside and Maygra suddenly became very aware of the Healer's presence. He called her name and she answered, unsure what he thought she could do to help the strange woman on the ground -- but he was so very insistent.
A stab of pain went through her and she felt Damyn falter under the force of it, nearly losing his grip on Maygra's hand. He warded off the pain even as she felt him convulse with the agony he shared with his patient. Did he think she could block this pain then and let him heal the injured woman? The brightness was fading away and she felt torn in two, afraid to return and unsure if she should go on.
Another jarring rush of pain from Damyn forced her decision as she felt the Healer slipping away into a dark shadow even the brightness behind her could not pierce. She barely had time to communicate her regrets before dropping like a stone from the tree tops right into the middle of the group. The impact hurt more than anything she ever experienced. Then she was struggling with a thick fluid caught in her lungs. She screamed with pain and fear but the sound was blocked by the fluid choking her till she vomited. Familiar hands pulled her free of the heavy, salty stuff and she opened her eyes to find Damyn's haggard face bending over her. He smiled faintly then vanished, Sura's hands easing the nausea and pain away again.
"I came back as fast as I could," Maygra murmured before Sura's hands sent her into a painless, dreamless sleep.
to chapter 7
GLOSSARY
A'del'eva:..............Literally: "By your oaths to Aessa" A war cry and a summons. (think au secors)A'Ki'Ka................A binding Oath of will, heart , soul and mind...reserved for the Goddess.
asa:........................Literally: Truth. an affirmative as in, "yes" or "is it not so?"
Graen:....................pl. Mountains, (also Grae; Mountain)
hait:........................ "To Me" or "Here", imperative, a summons.
Ien Ki'Ka............... Soul Oath. An oath of binding.
ka'kiira...................f. Daughter of...
kira'sai:...................f. sister, little sister, beloved sister, [familial]
kira:........................f. little one, child (diminutive)
kiri:........................m.little one, child (diminutive)
kiri'nai:...................m.brother, little brother, beloved brother [familial]
ki'ta.........................f.heart sister. Not quite a lover.
Makyera:................f. First, as in a title.
Makyera Gen:........as in First Sword a title, overall commander of the Watch (also: gen... sword, shield, defense)
Makyeran Gyeld......First Born. A title of respect applied to no other peoples but the original five Oathtakers who birthed the Kieri race.
Masyra-Maena:......f. title of rank for females, equivalent of Lord-Master, title for a member of the Elder Council (or Lady-Master)
n'gari:.......................large lizards, desert scavengers, about the size of a rhinoceros, but looking more like komodo dragons.
N'yris.......................Oath Breaker...a broken oath. A fatal transgression
Shadrai:...................Literally, Shadow Speaker.
shan'nai:.................m.Wise man or brother, an affectionate term of respect. Used between equals.
shan'sai:..................f.Wise woman or sister, an affectionate term of respect. Used between equals.
theris:.......................fruit bearing tree native to Elerak and the Eastern Plains, rather like a pulpy pomegranate
uralen:.....................pl. Ural; a large cliff dwelling bird, average wingspan is about 20 feet, scavengers mostly.
varin:........................a breed of extremely stocky, sure-footed horses, powerful bodies but small heads. (pl. varinen)
vegen:........................historically they were small leather-winged creatures, not unlike bats, but with elogated snouts and long flattened tails used as messengers for the gods. (pl. vegenen)