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.
The gates of Ravon stood wide open, ready hands waiting to aid the battered and fatigued survivors from the battle on Arris. Laurien announced the Border Watch had been partially successful -- driving Lorisa back to her dark realm, temporarily. The spark of hope his words kindled was only slightly diminished by the news that Raida's patrol had not been found. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Rhys's message had been so curt and weak that Laurien worried the losses had been higher than his protégé wanted to admit. He had made mention of only Kevyn's injury and of the seven deaths in his report and Laurien had dared not press him further. Nor had there been any report from the patrol sent to meet them save the two groups had met and were returning.
The Guardians could offer little assistance. The Web was restored, but its protectors were worn and weak after their selfless efforts to repair the damage. A dozen or more now resided within the Healing rooms, watched and bullied and pampered by Merida and her Healers. The Web was restored but still fragile, and Fayr had requested that Ravon's occupants not tax its energies overly much. Only two issues demanded Laurien override Fayr's protests: one that the First Council be contacted and the second to monitor the patrol now tracking Lorisa.
For three days Laurien had kept to his rooms. The weather had turned cold early, awakening old aches with debilitating ferocity. He did not keep his doors closed and much of the Keeps activities now were managed from those rooms, rarely allowing the Masyr-Maen time alone. When not occupied by the business of the Keep, however, Laurien kept his eyes fixed on the gates.
Sarai came to him at midday, bearing food and the daily reports from the other Masyr. She had managed to convince them that she could relay their summaries with accuracy -- the Maen was weary and in pain and needed a day's rest.
"If you won't come away from the window, at least have the sense to wear something warmer," she scolded, setting the tray down.
"I think the cold is breaking," he said but drew away, slipping into the robe she held out for him.
"And this," she added firmly, pressing a hot mug into his hands. "Merida's orders."
"Speaking to you again, is she?" he asked with a chuckle that did not erase the anxiety in his eyes.
"Barely, and you may have to override her and assign Kellas to the Border Watch permanently. His defiance won't be forgiven easily."
"No, but it may well be forgotten as other changes come," Laurien said. "There's little chance there will be another fight and a greater chance Kevyn . . . and the others will be whole again if a Healer gets to them quickly."
Sarai tilted her head, watching him. They had not spoken of Kevyn directly, both waiting for the other to speak first. Merida had adopted her parent's stoic attitude, not questioning or commenting on Kevyn's injury, turning her attention, as she always did, to the patients who required her immediate care. Gruff affection turned to gruff acceptance, but Sarai noticed that while her daughter had lost her anger, she had also lost her usual vocal opinion. Their recent conversations had been short and to the point, as if the energy it required for her to defend her beliefs and opinions had been driven out of her when she learned of her twin's fall.
"Has there been any word from the First Council?" Laurien asked when the silence became too heavy.
"No. You would know if there had been, Lauri," she chided, sitting down. "What do you expect to hear from them? They turned their defense over to you -- you cannot expect that they will take it back without protest."
"They were wrong to do so and I was wrong to accept," he said bluntly. "This is not a battle for a few of us, Sarai."
She sighed, nibbling on a piece of cake. "Have you spoken to Fayr?"
"And said what? We think you may be a spy for Lorisa but we can't be sure? Tell us, please, if it is true or not?" he set his cup down abruptly, the contents spilling onto the table. "That it may be true concerns me. That we think it could be true, concerns me more. Maygra demanded trust of us and we denied her. Now, at least, I know the reason."
"You did not create this conflict, Laurien," Sarai said, moving to slip her arms around his waist. "That Lorisa has had no more success than she has is your doing. You cannot see all sides. You can only act on what you see."
He pressed her to him, letting her head rest against his shoulder briefly before kissing her forehead and pulling away. "You are a great strength to me, ki'ta," he murmured.
She looked startled at the rare endearment only to find his eyes fixed once more on the long approach to the Keep. Sadly, she pulled away, reaching for the thin sheaf of notes from her peers. "I have reports. Desan says this sudden cold threatens the orchards. He will be forced to gather early if it does not break."
"We have had early frosts before," Laurien said, his gaze still fixed on the distance. "Has Ialana room enough for an early harvest?"
"She can make it, if we can make an early trade with Riyvsend."
"I'll order patrols as escort. I can make the way open. The Haian merchants will be making their passes by Ravon soon anyway. The warning flags have already been posted."
"You think that necessary if Lorisa returns to Morvan?"
"Just because she goes does not mean she has no surprises waiting. She has never attacked the caravans this far west. That does not mean she will not," he said, turning back to her, but his eyes went to the chamber door, widening in surprise as his visitors entered.
Merida kept her face neutral, but there was the faintest hint of a smile in her eyes as she glanced at her companions. Renn and Kiva had no such restraint, grinning broadly, Kiva almost dancing with excitement.
"I thought it time I paid my formal respects, Masyr-Maen," Damyn said, even managing a small bow with Merida holding him securely.
Laurien returned the bow, a welcome smile on his lips as he limped forward, holding his hands out.
The Rheman Healer grasped them warmly, returning strength in the grip.
"I knew you had been taking exercise, but this . . . ," Laurien said.
"I'm afraid the stairs were more than I bargained for, but I promised Maygra I would meet her and Kiva and Renn say they are close by."
Laurien glanced quickly out of his window, noting the scene remained unchanged. Aware that Damyn was still pale, Sarai rose gracefully, offering him her seat. He took it gratefully, his fingers lingering in Merida's as she helped him sit.
"I did not wholly approve," Merida said briskly. "But he can be very stubborn and felt we would all benefit from being together when our . . . kin return."
"Kiva Heard Maric," Renn said, clasping hands with his sister. "He and Maygra are coming ahead."
Footsteps in the corridor echoed Renn's words as a runner from the Keep Watch arrived.
"The patrol's been spotted on the long approach to the gates, Masyr-Maen," the young woman said.
"So we've been informed. There will be two riders at their fore. Have them report to me here," Laurien directed the messenger. "Since this is to be a reunion as well as a formal briefing, perhaps Jurrana should join us as well," Laurien said dryly.
"We can get her," Renn said, pulling Kiva with him. The girl resisted and Renn shrugged and pelted down the hallway after the runner. Kiva went to Damyn's chair, standing beside him, her small hands wrapped around his. Damyn looked at her questioningly but the girl was staring fixedly at Sarai.
"What is it, kira?" Damyn said softly. "Do you have something to tell the Masyra?"
Sarai met the girl's gaze directly, a frown marring her forehead. After a moment she shook her head. "I can't understand her. I've tried to follow the path Jael described, but it's as if there were many voices, all speaking quietly and distantly. I can't make out the content. I'm sorry, child."
Kiva frowned, stamping her foot angrily, looking at Damyn then back at Sarai again.
"You want Sarai to Speak to me?" Damyn asked, startled when the girl nodded vigorously. "But I can't Hear . . . ," he began then winced as Kiva's strident Voice broke through. Sarai gasped as well, leaning forward to clutch Damyn's hands. Kiva's "Voice" demanded a path be opened, but Damyn had not the strength to accomplish the task. Why the girl had chosen her, Sarai had no time to ponder as she found herself supporting a three-way link between Damyn, Kiva and Maygra. The latter seemed oblivious to the link, her thoughts still and quiet, missing the forcefulness that Sarai had come to associate with Maygra's personality.
She could detect no danger or threat to the Rheman, Kiva's urgency at orchestrating the contact lost to her, but she did feel a sense of shock from Damyn and she questioned him subtly, extending her own Voice cautiously.
What is it, Damyn? What's wrong?
She's so open . . . , Damyn's reply surprised Sarai, for it was stark with fear. Confused, Sarai focused her attention on Maygra, trying to detect the differences that so frightened the Healer.
She could detect no change at first, but Sarai's gifts were not inconsiderable and she stiffened when she realized that "open" did not begin to describe the state of Maygra's mind, or why Damyn was so frightened.
She rose suddenly, breaking the connection so abruptly that she and Damyn cried out, Kiva faltering, her direct gaze fixed on Sarai accusingly.
Sarai ignored her, grabbing her daughter's hands and communicating all she had discovered before leaving the chamber without explanation, almost knocking Jurrana and Renn down. Merida turned to follow her, but Laurien caught her arm.
Wide frightened eyes shifted from Laurien's face to Damyn's. "The Web cannot help her. It is not control she lacks, it is skill," she said to the latter and then faced her father. "Maygra and Maric ride ahead because Maygra is beyond Kellas' ability to heal. It seems Lorisa loosed again the same demon she set on Damyn. This time it's target is Maygra and she cannot help herself as she did Damyn," she said, hurrying after her mother.
Maric did not pause at the main gate. He had argued with Rhys to be the one that escorted Maygra to Ravon, knowing his commander's stamina could not sustain the hard ride. He watched his charge carefully, aware that she still stared ahead, oblivious to her surroundings. White hands clutched at her saddle and her eyes blinked infrequently, unfelt tears covering her cheeks.
Neither Kellas nor Rhys had been able to determine if Maygra's condition was due to Lorisa's intervention or something else. They did agree that if anything could be done it was in Ravon and that had been all the direction Maric needed.
It did not surprise him to see Sarai and Merida waiting for them at the steps of the great hall, Merida flanked by two journeymen with a stretcher.
"She can walk," Maric said dismounting and turning to guide Maygra down. She did his bidding blindly, her legs trembling as Merida came forward to touch her. There was no acknowledgment from Maygra and Merida placed one slim hand against the woman's forehead, probing for injury or shock.
"She's been like this since the night after the battle," Maric said quietly. "It came on sudden like and we've gotten nothing since. Kellas says there's nothing physical wrong with her and the Maen couldn't sense anything either."
"We'll tend her, Maric," Sarai said, touching her daughter's shoulder. "Laurien is waiting in his chambers; Jurrana, too. We'll call if we need more from you."
Maric bobbed his head, moving away hesitantly until he Heard Laurien's call.
"I Heard him," Merida said dropping her hand and sliding an arm around Maygra's waist, turning her toward the Healing rooms. "Den, Panat, you're to report to the Masyr-Maen as well. Leave the stretcher, but assist Masyr Damyn to the infirmary. Maena," she murmured, "I need you."
Sarai supported Maygra's other side, glancing quizzically at the First Healer.
"She is in shock, almost catatonic," Merida said as they led Maygra to an empty bed and sat her down. Though the Healer sat directly in front of her, Maygra's green eyes were fixed on something Merida could neither sense nor see. "Damyn may have been like this when Lorisa first set her spell. Surely the sudden onset of her Gift could not have caused this."
"Not her Gift, Merida, all Gifts," Sarai said watching Maygra intently. "That is what frightened Damyn. This is no backlash, kira. This is the potential her own Elders saw, and what we have caught glimpses of over the past weeks. I should have pressed harder, but I could not believe it was possible."
"Manai, you're not making any more sense than her condition. She's wide open -- she knows we're here, what we say, but she cannot Shield herself. Damyn's cure came from Maygra -- using her own defenses to model his, but the pattern is lost. I don't know if I can isolate the fragments of her personality enough to rebuild them."
"This is not what afflicted Damyn," Sarai said. "This is something else entirely. She has a full range of Gifts, Merida. Something I've never heard of or thought possible. Voice, Sight, Healing, Kinetics -- they're all there, in full strength, but she doesn't know how to use them. Listen . . . ," she said clasping Merida's hand and opening a passive link.
The younger woman clutched Sarai's hand convulsively as a hundred Voices pressed in on her and dozens of Visions vied for her attention. She became acutely aware of the cracks and minute flaws in the walls of the Healing rooms and of the movement of air and heat through the chamber. With a shudder she pulled away.
"Lady Below!" she swore, holding her hands to her forehead.
"That is the world as Maygra sees it now," Sarai said. "She cannot tell what is here and what is distant. She has the training but this has come over her so suddenly, she can't make sense of it. She is like the Iimarin, able to sense and collect, but she needs another's will to focus what she can receives."
"Can the Web help her as it did Damyn?"
"I'm not sure. I don't know what Maygra did. I was only barely aware that it was Maygra at all," Sarai sighed, glancing up as Damyn entered, leaning on Panat's arm, Renn and Kiva behind him. Merida rose to meet him, dismissing her assistant and leading Damyn to Maygra's side.
Unable to do anything else, Damyn pulled the woman against him, holding her and speaking softly. Maygra did not resist or react. Sarai took Kiva's hands, pulling the child gently toward her. "You sensed this, little one. Do you know something more that could help us help Maygra?"
Kiva nodded, pressing her forehead to Sarai's. The older woman winced but held the contact, trying to sort through the Voices in Kiva's head to find the girl's. It proved fruitless and she withdrew. Kiva's face was angry when Sarai shook her head.
"Lady, I wish Mikayl were here," she said as Merida eased her headache. "He, at least, has been able to make some sense of what she means. Renn, see if she will talk to you."
The boy concentrated, frowning and near tears when he could make no more sense of Kiva's message than Sarai.
"Her Voice is missing," he said. "She doesn't want me to Hear."
"Kiva's or Maygra's?" Damyn asked suddenly, grasping his brother's arm gently.
Renn frowned, meeting Kiva's gaze, puzzled by the smile on the little girl's face. "Both . . . but, there's another Voice gone too," he said.
"Whose?"
"I don't know. It's not the Voice that tells Kiva the stories, or any of the other Voices. It's a Voice Kiva can't Hear."
"Can you make her sleep?" Damyn asked Merida. "Can you shut down her senses completely?"
"Not for long -- you're a Healer, Damyn. To keep her senses subdued for long could kill her. She'll have to be constantly monitored. She may forget to breathe! Her heart..."
"I know. But if needed, you could do it?"
"I suppose, but why -- what would we gain?"
"Time. Time for Mikayl and Jael to return. Mikayl to talk to Kiva and Jael to intervene."
"Now?"
"No, not yet," Damyn said rising quickly, almost falling as a wave of dizziness caught him. Merida caught him, a worried frown on her lips.
"That's enough for today. You are not whole yet, Damyn," she warned.
He set her aside gently. "Nor will I be, if Maygra is not. Sarai, can you and Laurien entreat Fayr to contact the back patrol? I need to know when they will return."
"We can, but what are you trying to accomplish? Do you know what is wrong?"
"There is only one Voice that Maygra has always been able to hear," he said unsteadily. "I don't think this is Lorisa's work. I think it is Aessa's."
Rhys rode in with the rest of the patrol, though he denied Kevyn the same privilege. Kellas had done his work well although the young Border Commander would always bear the ragged scar at his throat. No Healer could revive already dead flesh and it had been three days before the Healer was able to tend the wound.
Most of the patrol they left at the gate station, only the wounded returning to the main buildings. Rhys himself felt tired and sore, but he needed to report to Laurien and did not trust his strength to carry his Voice even an hour's distance. It was already dusk when they stopped, turning over mounts to the stock keepers and the injured to the Healers. Maric met them, his face furrowed with concern.
"The Masyren are in the Council chamber and want you to join them, if you're able. You as well, MakyeriGen," he added. "They will defer to your judgment, Healer Kellas."
"I'll go with them, then," Kellas said, glancing at Kevyn. The commander was on his feet but pale, his own anxiety plain.
"How is Maygra?" Rhys asked.
"No worse and no better. It's her they're discussing. Healer Damyn has them all in an uproar again, but I'm not so sure he's not right."
"Right about what?"
"That this is the Lady's hand, not the sorceress's. You see," the older man said, looking down. "Before she was stricken, the Masyra and I, we were talking about the Lady. I don't remember all that we said, but she was upset and then later . . . ."
"This was not your fault, Maric," Rhys said quickly, grasping the man's shoulder. "If this is some battle between Maygra and Aessa, it began a long time before you ever met Maygra. Are you sure you're up to this, Kev? Kellas?"
Kevyn drew a deep breath before nodding. Since Kellas had healed his wound, Rhys had been maintaining a cautious watch on his friend's mental processes, recognizing, as Jael had, that the wound was not the only threat to Kevyn. They had made Kellas aware of the problem as well, trusting the Healer to send the young Makyer into a deep sleep if Rhys' controls faltered.
"I'll keep a close eye on him," Kellas promised. Rhys gripped Maric's shoulder once more in reassurance before leading the way to the council chamber.
"It's outrageous!" Fayr said sharply as the trio entered. "We have barely restored the Web, it's energies are still fragile and you want us to repeat the same foolish action that brought it to its present condition?"
"It won't be the same," Sarai said. "We won't be going in blindly as we did before."
"And Lorisa may still be close by," Field Master Desan said, adding his argument to Fayr's. "We dare not jeopardize our only defense to save one life."
"That one life may be the only thing that can save you," Rhys said harshly. He stepped aside, allowing Kevyn and Kellas to enter. Merida was already on her feet, Sarai close behind, both reaching out to catch Kevyn's hands. Merida hugged her twin closely, her fingers brushing the scar on his neck in concern. Laurien met their entrance with a smile, and Rhys went to him, clasping the older man's forearm before standing behind him. Laurien rapped his knuckles on the table, disrupting the reunion and waiting until Kevyn was seated to his left before gripping his son's arm.
Rhys did not sit, nor did Kellas. The Healer took up a position close to Kevyn, meeting Rhys' eyes briefly before making himself as inconspicuous as possible.
"Lorisa has not turned back. She is still making her way to Morvan and I have every intention of letting her escape. Nor could we find any trace of Raida's patrol though Mikayl stretched his sight halfway to Morvan and back again," Rhys said. "Since Maygra's current condition is apparently the prompting for this meeting, you should all know that it is unlikely Kevyn or I or the rest of the patrol would be here at all were it not for Maygra." He laid a hand on Laurien's shoulder both in support and in apology for the report he would rather have given in private. "You know Kevyn was injured during our battle with Lorisa and her raiding party. What you have not heard is that I am the one who nearly killed him. Many of you do not approve of my . . . less natural . . . skills, but you hoped they would be the proper defense. Laurien had warned me that such might not be the case and he was right to fear. I understand some of what Lorisa does and how she accomplishes it. I cannot defeat her without becoming more like her and drawing on a power source that is similar to hers -- either in blood or from wherever else she draws her strength. Maygra, I believe, does have the ability to defeat Lorisa, but she lacks the skill."
"That's a broad claim, Rhys," Crafts Master Doren said. "And a hopeful one. But if you are wrong and the Web is again weakened, what is to prevent Lorisa from returning?"
"Nothing," Kevyn said, his voice hoarse. "Nor is there a guarantee she won't return anyway. Rhys' hands may have loosed the arrow that gave me this," he said, fingering the scar. "But it was Lorisa's will that drove it and her target was not me, but Maygra. What Lorisa sees as a threat, we must see as an advantage."
"It was Maygra who broke Lorisa's hold on me and Maygra who was able to wound her," Rhys said.
"And Maygra who may suffer now from Lorisa's retaliation," Yarena said. "Shall we open the way to the Web again for Lorisa?"
"This is not Lorisa's work," Merida said calmly. "I know what the sorceress did to Damyn. This is not the same."
"But you can't be sure, can you, Merida?" Yarena pressed. "We have heard you and Sarai and the Rheman Healer claim that this is Aessa's doing and not Lorisa's, but you cannot explain why the Lady might turn on the very one who brought her Voice to us. It seems fantastic that Aessa would be so concerned about a single life, but I am in no position to judge the decisions of the Goddess. But if She has done this to Maygra, who are we to intervene? If the Voice Maygra no longer Hears is that of the Lady Below, does that not exclude Maygra from the ranks of the Kieri?"
"Until Maygra and her people came, I had not Heard the Lady at all," Sarai said. "Had you, Yarena, Desan?"
"But we have all Heard Her now," Brevad said. "We know She has a Voice, should we not wait until She reveals Her will?"
"That's not the truth," Rhys said. "Not all Heard Her the day She Spoke. I did not. Did you, Masyr Fayr?"
Fayr looked startled, his eyes locking with Rhys'. "I Heard Her . . . ," the man began, but found Rhys' will overriding his own. "Do not dare call me a traitor, Rhys, lest you find yourself under the same name."
"No one has accused you of anything, Fayr," Laurien said soothingly, his eyes narrowing as he glanced around the chamber. "The Gifts of the Goddess are enough to mark an individual as Kieri, not their ability to Hear Her, nor Her willingness to speak. As for Aessa revealing Her will, Brevad, She has been reluctant to do so for centuries and I see no reason why we should expect Her to do so now. Her will is implicit in our Oaths and our Oaths bind us to Her protection. Right now, Lorisa is the threat and Maygra the most likely solution. Healer Damyn, you know Maygra best. Do you believe that we can correct her Gift through the use of the Web?"
"I don't know, Maen," Damyn said, rising to his feet. "I would rather rely on Jael for I am not sufficiently knowledgeable about the properties of your Web to know best how to use it. Nor do I think there is time to train me -- even were I not . . . crippled in my Gifts," he added softly, glancing at Merida. "I will have to depend on your own Healers to understand what I propose, if Jael cannot be present."
"Can we wait the three days it would take for him to return?" Sarai asked.
"I'm not sure," Merida replied. "In the few hours since her return she has deteriorated further. As her Gifts strengthen, she retreats further within herself. If she is not helped, she may die or simply become lost to the perceptions she is receiving for the rest of her life."
"So, there is no guarantee that what you propose will work at all?" Desan asked.
"No, Masyr," Damyn acknowledged. "Maygra cannot communicate with us. We are guessing at both the cause and the cure."
"I can sympathize with your concern for your friend, Masyr Damyn," Ialana said. "But in this, I'm afraid I must agree with Fayr. I do not think we can risk the Web again. Should the worse happen and it fail, our own people, our Guardians, have already taxed their strengths past the point where they could quickly restore it to its own strength. Do you disagree, Merida?"
Merida bit her lip, her eyes apologizing to Damyn as she spoke. "No, I do not. I can only guess at Maygra's value to us. I am certain of the Web's."
"I think that ends this discussion," Fayr said. "We do not easily cast off your friend, Damyn, but we cannot risk the Web or Ravon."
"You fools," Rhys said coldly. "If you are wrong and Maygra is our only weapon against Lorisa, you have sealed all our fates. We did not defeat her on Arris, for all that she retreated. You can be sure she will return with far more troops than she brought on her little foray. And Raida's patrol is still missing, with no sign that they were ever where the Guardians said they should be. She may already influence the Web more than we realize."
"Or perhaps it was Mikayl's Sight that was faulty," Fayr said coolly. "You have placed a great deal of faith in an untested youth."
"You were not there," Kevyn said hotly. "At this moment I would trust Mikayl's Sight far more than the Guardians, who you admit are over-strained."
"We are not here to discuss the Guardians," Fayr said.
"Perhaps not now," Rhys said. "But that time will come far sooner than you think, Fayr."
Fayr rose to his feet. "I will not stand for your sly accusations, Maen. Your own loyalties are in question, but I will not pursue that, as it is clear you are smitten with the woman and speak from emotion, not reason. Even if you do believe that I am somehow to blame for the alleged false location of Raida's patrol, you can most assured her brother made every effort to be sure she would be found. Or do you think Derrys untrustworthy as well?" Fayr said coldly. "You know my thoughts on the matter, Laurien. I will return to my duties. Masyr, Masyra," he said, bowing formally and leaving.
That was not wisely done, Rhys. It is one thing to think Fayr somehow influenced by Lorisa. It is another to accuse him of betraying his daughter, Laurien murmured, then said aloud. "I will call for the vote, then. Those who would agree to Sarai and Damyn's proposal, say asa."
There were five assents, including Crafts Master Doren and Merida.
"I vote from the heart," Merida said quietly at her father's raised eyebrow.
"As do I," Doren said.
"With Fayr's vote already cast, I must break the tie," Laurien said. "And I do so reluctantly. I'm sorry, Damyn. We need to find another way to help Maygra. However, if Rhys thinks it prudent, I will ask that Jael be called to return as quickly as he can."
Damyn nodded, fighting back tears, and bowing left the chamber. Merida rose to follow him, torn between the Healer and her brother.
"Go on, Meri," Kevyn said. "Kellas and I won't be far behind."
She nodded and hurried after Damyn, the rest of the Elders taking their leave quietly until Laurien, Sarai, Kevyn and Rhys remained.
"If you're going to scold, I hope you all do it at once," Laurien said wryly.
Sarai shook her head sadly. "No, I know you acted as you always do, cautiously. Can Jael be summoned, Rhys?"
"I see no reason why not. Vaena's last report said Lorisa was still moving north, steadily and quickly. I'll send someone to meet them with fresh mounts. But I am curious. You cannot have been swayed by Fayr's poor arguments."
"Nor yours," Laurien said. "And they were poor, Rhys. I understand Maygra's value, but I am not sure Yarena's assessment is incorrect. If, as Damyn suggests, this is some battle of wills between the Lady and Maygra, I am far less worried about the outcome. Stubborn as Maygra is, I do not think even she can hold out against Aessa for very long."
"And if she is left mindless?"
"Then it may be that she has not sufficient strength to prevail against Lorisa, either," Laurien said. "Send your message, Rhys, and let me know immediately if Fayr shows any resistance -- you are not, however, to lay unfounded accusations again. Is that clear?"
"As you will, Makyeri-Maen," Rhys said coldly and left.
Laurien sighed, rising to his feet stiffly. "I will trust you to see that all that can be done for Maygra will be done, Sarai," he said. "Kevyn, I believe you and Kellas are expected elsewhere."
Dismissed, Kevyn and Kellas followed Rhys but Sarai lingered, offering her arm to Laurien.
"Why do I get the impression that you know more than you are telling?" She asked him as they moved into the corridor toward his chambers.
"I have no idea, for I don't," Laurien said patting her arm. "What I do know is that Ravon needs to settle this incessant internal friction if we are to accomplish anything. I have come to a conclusion, however, and can only hope that the First Council agrees -- we have been on the defensive with Lorisa for too long. I think a more aggressive approach is called for."
"That is a change. And if they don't agree?"
"Then we may find ourselves far more alone in this struggle than we thought," Laurien said solemnly.
Merida relieved the senior Healer on watch just past midnight, acknowledging the woman's report silently, her eyes drifting to where a now familiar figure sat, speaking quietly. Damyn had kept his vigil beside Maygra's bed for two days, catching only a few hours of rest on the empty cot next to her, or stealing away to take his meals with Renn and Kiva. Despite Rhys' assurance that Jael would return quickly, the Rheman Healer refused to leave Maygra for any length of time, a devotion Merida found both endearing and irritating.
She had forced sleep upon the woman twice, more for her own peace of mind than for any apparent benefit to Maygra. Such attempts taxed her, for monitoring Maygra during these periods was constant. After the second session, Kellas and Sarai had physically moved her out of the Healing rooms, barring her return for half a day. She had been angry at their presumption, but a few hours of interrupted rest had brought her to the realization that she was of little use to any of her patients if she exhausted herself. Instead she had spent the rest of the evening with Kevyn, staying with him until he fell asleep, at which point Kellas had appeared and ordered her to her bed.
She tried to sleep but found it useless, her feet leading her unconsciously to the place she found most comforting, and to the presence that had become so important to her over the last weeks.
Damyn did not notice her entrance, his concentration fully on Maygra. Merida made her rounds, but inevitably found herself drawn to the Rheman Healer.
"Renn has been practicing with Maric every afternoon," he was saying softly as she approached. "He wants to challenge you to a contest -- he is quite certain he can defeat you at target throwing when you are well," his voice broke as he stroked her hand, and he cleared his throat before going on. "They have no Harvest Games at Ravon, did you know? There is a spring festival, but nothing to mark the end of the year. At the turn of the moons, though, there is a gathering of sorts, singing and dancing such as we have at midsummer . . . ."
Unable to listen further without making her presence known, Merida touched Damyn's shoulder lightly, her fingers moving to ease the tension in the stiff shoulders. He started a little, glancing up at her, then turned back, using a cloth to wipe Maygra's cheeks, which were damp with tears falling from unseeing eyes.
"Damyn says your dances are quite different from ours, Maygra," Merida said, still massaging Damyn's shoulders. "He has promised me he will teach me the vienatan, the Haian harvest dance. I am not so graceful on my feet, but I do love to dance."
"You should have Jael teach you, then," Damyn said, with a rough laugh that was almost a sob. "He and Maia were the favorites at festival, perfectly matched those two..."
"You need to rest, Damyn. You are not so healed that you can go on like this," she said, noting the dark circles under his eyes.
He pulled away from her, catching Maygra's hand in his again. "She needs something to hold onto, some point of contact. I can do no less for her than she did for me."
"She was not aware of it, when you were ill, Damyn. No more than she is now."
"But I was," he said fiercely. "There is nothing else I can do."
"If you do not rest, I will do to you what Sarai and Kellas did to me," Merida said calmly, moving to kneel beside him. "And for the same reason."
"It need only be until Jael returns," he argued and she covered his hand.
"Which will be soon, but we will need more from you than that. If Jael can do for Maygra what he has done for Kevyn, I will still need your guidance to secure her sanity."
He sighed, his thumb stroking her small hand idly. "Merida, I know you do this out of concern and kindness, but I cannot leave her in this darkness. I made her a promise that I would not leave her alone. Even her link with Rhys is gone and without my Voice, I can only keep her company this way."
"It would almost seem you are mated," she said wistfully.
He chuckled, patting her hand. "So our kin hoped, and it might have been easier in some ways. But we were already so much a part of each other that a mating would have done nothing to draw us closer and might have even come between us."
"So I and Laurien found, but not too soon," Sarai said, interrupting them with her soft voice. "Or Kevyn and Merida would not be here. I went to check on you, kira, and found your bed empty," she said scoldingly.
Merida shrugged. "I slept most of the day, manai. It seemed better to find something useful to do, rather than toss and turn."
Sarai frowned and stroked her daughter's hair fondly. "Then if you will, take Damyn and get him something to eat. The tray Ialana sent went untouched."
"I am not . . . ," Damyn began.
"For a little while only, Damyn. I will stay and talk to her since you think it may do some measure of good. A half hour only?" she pleaded, noting, as Merida had, that the Healer's eyes were dark rimmed and tired.
Merida rose, holding out her hand and at Sarai's gentle insistence, he surrendered his chair, allowing the Healer to lead him away. Sarai took his place, speaking briskly.
"So, Maygra, since I am not so very good a story teller, I will have to bore you with my duties as Keep Mistress," she began and spoke quietly and conversationally, as if Maygra were a guest to be entertained.
Damyn had not returned when her telling was interrupted. Rhys followed his message quickly.
"The Gate Watch alerted me when he arrived," he said, entering the chamber. He had been wakened from a sound sleep, his usually careful appearance forgotten in both excitement and anxiety.
"He must have ridden as if Lorisa were at his heels," Sarai said. "You've told Laurien?"
Rhys nodded. "As soon as the Watch informed me Jael was at the gates -- he was still awake."
"I'm not surprised. I think very few of us have had a good night's sleep. You know, do you not, that it was Fayr himself that contacted Vaena's patrol?"
Rhys shrugged. "He was on duty . . . I place no significance to it."
"Don't condemn the man out of hand, Rhys," Sarai warned.
"I don't think this is the time or place to discuss my opinion of the Senior Guardian," Rhys said, interrupting her. "Where is Merida?"
"In the kitchens with Damyn, making him eat, I hope," she said, unperturbed by his rudeness. "Where they will stay," she said before Rhys could contact the Healers. "Jael will be in no condition to do anything tonight, if he has ridden from the High Pass."
"Jael is here?" Damyn asked, almost dropping the tray he carried. Merida caught it deftly, almost losing it as he rushed past her.
"He is just past the gates, Damyn, and no matter what urgency you place on Maygra's condition, there will be no rushing in until you and he and Merida are well rested," Sarai said firmly, holding up her hands when he would protest. "I am Maena of this Keep. Do not force me to prove what authority that rank holds. Now, I will bespeak another meal to be brought for Jael, which you may share here or in the kitchens, but then you are all three going to bed!" she said in such a tone that Rhys could not help but laugh.
"And you as well, my lad," Sarai said, whirling on him. "Do not think I don't know you are planning to add your skills to this cure -- and Kevyn as well, no doubt."
"I won't argue with you, Maena," Rhys said, still smiling. "Nor should you, Damyn. Sarai does not often pull rank, but when she does it is not a pleasant thing to experience."
Sarai raised both eyebrows and regarded Damyn, taking the tray from Merida and holding it out to him. A little numbly he took it, sitting down on the cot next to Maygra with the tray in his lap. Sarai nodded and sat down again, picking up her conversation with Maygra as if it had never been interrupted. Merida and Rhys exchanged glances then withdrew to another corner to talk quietly.
The Healing rooms remained quiet for nearly an hour before Jael appeared, sweating and dirtied from his ride, but there was concern in the eyes that sought Maygra's face. Damyn went to him and Sarai did not intervene, allowing the two men some privacy before vacating her seat when they returned.
Jael did not sit, but crouched at the end of the bed, his arms folded across the frame as he regarded his commander. Damyn stood behind him, hands on his shoulders until Sarai realized that Jael was crying silently.
"That's enough then," she said and helped Damyn pull the dark-haired man to his feet. "I've had food sent to your chambers, Jael, and clean clothes. There is also a very small person who you might like to spend a few minutes with before you sleep. Maygra will be well watched over tonight, I promise both of you."
"I'm not sure I can sleep, Maena," Jael said wiping at his eyes. "Though I would like to see if Kion even remembers me and a bath would do wonders but . . . we parted angry, Dami," he said softly, looking at his friend. "Angry because she thought of all our folk and I only of Kevyn."
"Who is also fine," Merida said quietly, meeting Jael's surprised glance, evenly. "And nearly as worried for Maygra as you are. But Maygra kept her promise, though I did not ask it. He is alive," she said, her tone softening. "For which I have you to thank it seems -- he told me you guarded his back during the battle."
"No more than he, mine," Jael said.
"Kellas and I have been able to restrain his memories when he cannot," Rhys assured him. "Using the techniques you taught. I would like the opportunity to examine those techniques further, but it will wait."
"Till morning at least," Sarai agreed. "Out all of you. I will stay with Maygra awhile yet and then ask Jurrana to stay the rest of the night. She has stories enough about those other two young scamps to fill the dark hours."
If not aware of his own fatigue, Damyn was acutely aware of Jael's and took his friend by the arm without further protest. Merida and Rhys followed, although from the distracted look on his face, Sarai had little hope that the latter would sleep much. She shook her head and sat down next to Maygra again. "Now, where were we dear? Ah, yes . . . I should very much like to know if your folk had any way to keep insects from the winter stores. Every fall I have to throw out dozens of good blankets because of any number of Aessa's less appealing creatures . . . ."
CHAPTER 24
GLOSSARY
A'del'eva:..............Literally: "By your oaths to Aessa" A war cry and a summons. (think au seccors)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.
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]
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)
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.
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 elongated snouts and long flattened tails used as messengers for the gods. (pl. vegenen)