Echoes (12 page)

They were bone weary. To say it had been a long winter would be like saying there was a lot of water in the ocean. And though it was true enough, it wouldn’t truly convey the magnitude of the thing. Between the interminable days in the castle when it seemed they would never be allowed to leave, and the weeks on the road, they had worn themselves down to the point of utter exhaustion.

The weather was cooperating for once, and they had made an early camp, hoping they could rest and refresh a little before they had to once more be on their way.

A brace of rabbits roasted over the fire, fat dripping onto the hot rocks below, creating a hissing sizzle.

Aesri closed her eyes and leaned her head against Niada’s shoulder. Niada wrapped an arm around Aesri’s waist and tipped her head so that her brown curls mingled with Aesri’s red-gold ones.

Dearra?

Yes, Brin?

I’m bored.

Dearra snorted, and Darius laughed aloud causing Daniel to look their way.

“It’s Brin,” Dearra said, trying to explain. “He said he’s bored.”

“You know,” Daniel said, “it’s pretty annoying being the only one who can’t hear the blasted thing.”

“Count your blessings,” Darius mumbled, and Dearra elbowed him sharply in the ribs.

Niada and Aesri both sat up straight. Aesri whispered in Niada’s ear. Niada shook her head from side to side.

“Please, Niada?” Aesri said in a pleading voice. “We really owe him so much, and it would make me happy if you did.”

Niada sighed and threw her hands up in defeat. “Would Brin’du Drak’Tir like to hear a story?” she asked, sounding only slightly less annoyed than she looked.

Yes, Brin’du Drak’Tir would,
Brin shot back imperiously.

“Does he have any special requests or shall I be allowed to choose something?” Niada sounded a little put out. 

I do have a request, as a matter of fact. I request that the uppity fairy tries to speak a little more respectfully when addressing me.

Niada narrowed her eyes, and the air chilled slightly around them.

“Now, Niada, do not get upset. You
can
be a bit harsh sometimes. How about something about yourself? I am sure they would all like to know more about you.” Aesri patted Niada’s hand and the air warmed back to merely cool instead of the previously icy wind, brought on by her temper.

Brin! Behave yourself,
Dearra thought, knowing the fairies couldn’t hear her.

Brin spoke, this time with a less haughty tone.
Yes, I would enjoy that…
please
.

Dearra thought the “please” sounded a bit forced, but she supposed it was the best he could manage.

Niada tipped her head as if searching her memory for something she was willing to share.

“Mother and I were on a sojourn,” she began. “I had reached the age when girls become women, and as is our custom, we were going to explore the wilds, just the two of us.

“I was so excited when we set out. The canopy was alive with the sound of birds, and the trees were especially talkative. They were telling about a Red Deer who had lately fawned twins, and how the brook had widened and was now carving a new path through the forest. I drank it all in. I never tired of listening to the forest. Every day was a new story, and I loved to hear them all.

“Mother’s step was sure as she guided me deeper and deeper into the forest. I saw places no one had seen in hundreds of years. I saw trees that almost rivaled the Great Tree in height, though they were not nearly as big around. I saw caves that were entirely made of crystals in some parts. The caves were the best of all. They were all so different, you see, and mother had a way of showing and explaining that made them all feel magical and special. From the largest to the smallest, they each captivated me.

“There was one especially lovely cave. It was not that it was beautiful visually, it was really quite drab, but Mother led me in through several outer hollows until we came to a large, domed chamber with other tunnels running off in different directions. It was a round space, and if you did not know which entrance you had come in through, you could easily be taken down a path you did not intend and find yourself quickly lost. Mother faced one of the passages and began to sing. Her voice came back and seemed to join with her. While she sang, she turned and faced the next passage. The delay was longer on this one, but then it too melded its voice with hers. She turned in place, spinning in a slow circle, in the center of that room and sang until it was as though a half dozen voices were melding with hers in a song so breathtaking, it drew tears to my eyes.

“She went on like that for several minutes. I let the music wash over me and through me, afraid to breathe too loudly lest I break the spell. When she stopped, the last fragile strains of her tune cascaded over me, and then there was silence. I will never forget that moment. It has been etched in my memory with golden ink.

“We spent weeks together. She told me everything I would need to know as a young, Etrafarian woman. How to love and be loved in return, how to unlock the potential in my magic, how to sing, and how to dance. Most of all, she spoke to me about Rah. My mother was devoted to Rah. She praised him when she woke in the morning and before she slept at night. I, however, was of a different mind. Rah was all right for the elders, but I knew better. He was just a story that had been made up to force us to walk the path of obedience.

“I was very stubborn. I believed that I had all of the answers. I loved my mother beyond measure, as there were only the two of us. Father had died when I was an infant, I do not know how, and Mother would not say. Still, much as I loved her, I could not hold with her antiquated belief system of an all-powerful deity who would simply abandon his children to make their own way in the world. And the story of the two guardians? Preposterous! But she never pushed. No matter what I said, she only smiled and told me to be patient. ‘Open your heart, Niada,’ she would say. ‘Not all the paths we walk on can be seen with our eyes.’

“When it was time for us to return home, I was almost as anxious as I had been to set out. I had so much to tell my friends, and I missed Aesri.

“I frolicked through the canopy, leaping from one branch to the next. Where the gaps were too wide for me to jump, I floated until I would touch down with a thud on the next branch. I was still new to levitation, and while I had built up quite a bit of stamina, I was not terribly graceful. My mother laughed at my antics, as she cautioned me not to go too high. I laughed with her, knowing she was proud of me. She strolled beneath me, gathered wood violets, and twisted them into a wreath for my hair while I gamboled above. I was at the very top of one of the trees, and when I broke through the canopy, I could see for miles in every direction. It was stunning! Exhilarating! The sun peeked through the clouds, and I was blinded by its radiance. Our eyes, as you know, are not so good in direct sunlight. I threw my hand up to shield my eyes, but the sun was too strong. I leapt from my perch and floated down into the relative shadow of the forest. I landed hard and felt the branch crack beneath my weight, but I was up and floating again before it gave way. I came to a gentle rest on a stronger tree and blinked my eyes to clear my vision. It was then that I heard it…the trees were weeping. There is only one thing that makes the trees cry out so.

“‘Mother!’ I screamed, but there was no response. I know you cannot hear the trees as we do, but their voices raised in wailing song is…not beautiful…it is…haunting. Yes, that is the word, haunting. I found her beneath the branch that had broken when I landed upon it. She was smiling.

“The forest claimed her before my tears had even dried. Oh, yes, you would not know. When we die, we are absorbed back into the earth so that we are not lost, but become part of everything around us. Legend says that, if an Etrafarian passes as a result of some especially noble or selfless act, a mound of purple blooms will appear on the spot. I do not know if that is true. There were never any flowers where my mother fell, but then, she died because of my carelessness, so I guess there would not be.

“I made my way home alone. Everyone knew what had happened by the time I got there. The trees had seen to that. Aesri was the only one who I would listen to. My heart had turned bitter. I looked to her for comfort, and she provided it. She spoke softly to me of Rah’s love. As odd as it may seem, I listened. You might think that I would be angry at Rah, but I could not have it both ways, could I? If Rah was a myth, then no one was to blame for my mother’s death but myself. If Rah were real, then everything my mother had taught me about Him must be real as well, and she said Rah did not cause evil or misfortune. Instead, He led his children through their perils, and if it was not meant for them to come through unscathed, then He would welcome them to the next world.

“I found it much easier to accept Him after that. I am not as warm as Aesri, I know, but I am trying to learn. Each day I strive to be a small measure truer to His teachings than I was the day before. I am not very good at it. I always have that voice inside telling me to be skeptical, to doubt, and I am not always able to hear my heart over that voice, but I will keep trying. I must.”

Niada’s voice trailed off. No one knew what to say. It was quiet an almost uncomfortably long time, and then Brin spoke.

He is real, Niada. Tolah has told me Himself. If Rah watches over anyone, I am now certain he must watch over you.

The monotonous thud of hoof beats was only interrupted by the occasional splash when they encountered a puddle in the roadway. It had seemed as if they would never complete their task, and then, only four days ago, Aesri had found a few sprigs of spring green poking up through the snow. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to know it was time they returned to Maj.

Dearra had finally found her seat, and she was able to ride her own horse. On the one hand, it was nice to not feel like a child having to be toted behind Darius everywhere they went, but on the other hand, she missed the close contact of riding double with him. Besides, she hated horses. They were nasty, smelly, arrogant things. When she rode with Darius, she could at least pretend she was somewhere else. It was a luxury she didn’t have when riding by herself.

The change in landscape over their four-day ride was profound. Shoots of grass were everywhere, and even a few hearty flowers had emerged from their winter sleep. Water ran in streams down rocks and pooled in the road. The warm breezes only served to chill their hearts, however, as they meant the Breken would not be far behind.

They hadn’t meant to cut it so close, but it seemed as if one day it was cold and frozen, and then all of a sudden it was not. Dearra chastised herself for her inattention to the days. Maj had been caught off guard by the Breken once, and that had been only a small raid. How could she be so stupid as to risk it a second time when the stakes were so much higher? Her only excuse was that they’d wanted to keep searching for recruits as long as possible. Shanks had even sent men to look for the hill tribes. They were Mirin Tor, but in the same way the Maj were Mirin Tor—they recognized the king’s rule but did not interact much with anyone other than their own kind. They did not farm, but lived off the land and enjoyed a nomadic existence. So far, they had not been able to find any of the elusive tribes, but Dearra suspected it was because they did not wish to be found.

A winded snort from up ahead drew Dearra’s attention from her silent reverie. Daniel was leading the group. He rode like a man possessed. Dearra surmised it was his desire to get to Carly that drove him onward, and though she understood, she wished he would slow down just a little bit; it would serve nothing if he wound up breaking his neck.

The horses were tired already, and it was unfair to ask so much of them. At least they would be able to rest soon. The group was nearing the coast, and the king had sent men to take charge of the horses, as well as row the boats that would return them to Maj. Dearra hadn’t wanted to return to the capital at all, but they couldn’t just leave the horses to wander about once they were no longer needed. They hid Darius away, just in case King Jaymes was still miffed about them smuggling the Breken from the castle, but he never said a word about it. Dearra guessed she had the queen to thank for that little miracle.

When they crested the last hill and saw the beach up ahead, Dearra sighed in relief. Morning fog lay across the sea, and Maj was shielded from view by a misty veil of gray, but just knowing it was there was enough to make Dearra’s heart sing.

The horses were pulled to an abrupt halt, and Daniel slid to the ground. He began to shout orders to the men from the capital almost immediately. “You there! Get the reins, we’re not wasting time chasing after horses. Not you, idiot. Get the boats ready!”

Dearra thought about telling him to calm down, but she recognized the futility of the gesture. Instead, she unlashed her pack from her horse and was trying to wrench it free when Darius walked up beside her and unhooked the leather strap that had tangled itself into a knot. He lifted it free and handed it to her.

“Excited to be going home?” he asked, tucking her wild hair behind her ears.

“Ecstatic! It feels like I’ve been away forever. I just hope I haven’t waited too long. Who knows what could have happened while we were away.”

“If anything was wrong, Rordan would have sent word to the king, and you would have heard when you were in the capital.”

“I suppose so, but I still worry.”

Me too,
Brin added.
Can’t they hurry up with those boats?

“Brin, you haven’t grown fond of us have you?” Dearra teased.

Yes.

The frank admission wasn’t what she’d expected, and she wasn’t sure how to respond. She opted to say nothing, and took herself off to see what she could do to hasten their departure.

***

Daniel held himself rigidly in the bow of the little boat and strained to see through the fog.

The first thing to become visible were the tops of the golden-leaved gnarn trees. The fog shifted and thinned when they neared shore.

“Home,” Daniel whispered, and a smile stretched across his face.

Daniel sprang from the boat before it had even scraped bottom, and began to run, full tilt, in the direction of Maj Keep.

“Daniel! Wait!” Dearra called.

Let him go, Dearra. You may want to move it along a bit yourself, you know.

“Brin?”

Carly’s baby must be as eager to see her father as he is to see her.

“That’s wonderful!” Dearra chimed out in delight.

I may not be the best at figures, Dearra, but I think it’s a little early.

Dearra frowned. Brin sounded worried and that worried Dearra. Babies that came early didn’t usually do very well. Sometimes they couldn’t breathe, and when that happened, there was nothing that could be done to help them. “How early? Is Carly all right?”

Aesri stepped from the boat. She kept her expression calm so she wouldn’t upset Dearra further. Getting carried away before they had even seen Carly wouldn’t help. “Dearra, it may be fine. Etrafarians do not carry as long as other races. It could be completely normal.”

“Or not, right? There’s no way to tell for sure, is there?”

“No, but let us not worry until there is cause to. Carly will need our reassurance, not our anxiety.

“Niada,” Aesri said turning in her direction. “Will you see if you can find some holly?”

Darius grabbed the last of their belongings and helped push the boat back out to sea. He offered a wave of farewell to the Mirin Tor men who had ferried them across before slinging the packs over his shoulder. He watched Niada make her way into the gnarn forest without a backward glance at any of them.

“What do you need the holly for, Aesri?” Darius asked. “I don’t know as much as I should about the medicinal qualities of plants, but I have some knowledge, and I have never heard of using holly for a birth. The berries can be useful as a poison, but it’s the wrong time of year for holly berries. I would be surprised if they have even flowered yet.”

“Actually, Darius, it is the leaves that have the healing qualities. There is a variety that can be used to treat fever. Sometimes we use it for the management of aching joints in our elders, and—”

“Aesri, please! We can go over the benefits of holly leaves later. Right now we need to get to Carly.” Dearra was already walking away, anxious to get back to the keep.

Aesri nodded, but she continued to speak to Darius as they set out toward the castle. “We do not gather the holly for its medicinal properties. When an Etrafarian is born, we present the child with a wreath of holly leaves as a token of good fortune and blessing.”

“When a Breken child is born, we present the newborn with a knife.” Darius furrowed his brow in thought. “I think I like your way better.”

Aesri laughed her musical laugh. “I think I like my way better as well. The holly leaves may be a bit prickly, but I have yet to see an infant die from them.”

The keep came into view, and their pace quickened. When they pushed open the doors, it was immediately evident that something was wrong. Throngs of people milled here and there, and the Great Hall was filled with Maj, each of them either sitting or pacing in complete silence.

The stillness shattered when Carly let out a long, blood-curdling scream that echoed through the stone halls.

They have her in your room, Dearra. Hurry!

She dashed down the halls and ran up the stairs as fast as she could without falling on her face. When she threw her door wide, she was greeted by a room full of people, all of them fluttering wildly about, except for Ann, who was calm and in control, as always. Daniel sat beside the bed and stroked Carly’s hair. The look of pain on his face was, if anything, even more pronounced than the one Carly wore.

The temperature in the room swung wildly from freezing cold back to hot again.

“Carly!” Aesri said sharply, drawing everyone’s attention to the fairy who had just entered the room. “That is enough! You are going to wear yourself out.”

“Aesri,” Carly breathed. “I’m so glad you’re here. And Dearra, I was hoping you would get here in—” Carly tensed and the room chilled again.

Dearra rushed to her side and took hold of the hand that Daniel had not yet claimed.

“How does she do that?” Darius said. “The cold, I mean. What has that to do with wind, or water, or fire, or earth?”

Dearra shot him a glare. “You think now is a good time?”

“No, no, it’s okay,” Carly said. The pain had passed, and she relaxed back onto her pillows. “I’ve always wondered the same thing. Besides, anything to distract me from this right now is appreciated.”

Aesri was conferring with Ann, but she stepped closer to the bed to answer the question. “It is water. Etrafarians who control water have the ability to affect the temperature so they may make it cold enough to bring snow. When the room warms rapidly, it is the fire aspect. I am water, so I can make it colder. I cannot make it warmer, as Carly can, but I can allow the temperature to return to what it was before I changed it.

“Now that we have answered that question, I believe it is time to make some adjustments to the room. Ann, as we discussed, please.”

Ann clapped her hands, drawing the attention of the attendants. “Aesri says Carly is under too much strain, and I quite agree. I will stay, everyone else…out! Darius, you too.”

Darius snapped his fingers, and Reo jumped up from his spot on the floor and followed him from the room. He had known Ann long enough that the thought of arguing with her never crossed his mind. Besides, being in the birthing room wasn’t high on his list of things to do. The whole process of childbirth was a mystery, and he was happy to keep it that way.

Now, only five remained in the room. Aesri and Ann were gently maneuvering Carly to straighten the blankets that had twisted beneath her. Dearra continued to hold one hand, and Daniel the other.

“Better?” Ann asked her.

“Yes, much. I felt like I was trapped in all of that.”

Another pain gripped her. She arched and then rose several inches above the bed, but she did not scream this time, seemingly better able to breathe through the contraction.

Carly settled back onto the bed and panted lightly.

“Let’s take a look, shall we?” Ann moved to the base of the bed and shifted the linens aside to check the baby’s progress. “Oh, my,” Ann said.

“Oh, my? Oh, my! What does that mean?” Daniel jumped up and moved to the bottom of the bed beside Ann. “It’s…a head. My baby has a head.”

Catch him, Dearra!
Brin shouted, but it was too late. Daniel turned white and collapsed to the stone floor
. For Tolah’s sake! Weapons master, indeed
, Brin said in disgust.

“Dearra, drag Daniel out of the way. Aesri, help me. The baby is coming,” Ann said calmly.

Carly tried to sit up when the next pain took her, and Aesri moved behind her to support her so she would be better able to bear down.

Dearra had pulled Daniel to the side of the room and was gently tapping his face and wiping his forehead and cheeks with a cool cloth.

“Leave him,” Ann commanded. “Get a blanket ready.”

Niada had slipped into the room unnoticed by anyone, and she stepped to Dearra’s side. “I will help him,” she said. She knelt beside Daniel and took the cloth from Dearra’s hand.

Dearra sprang away to get the blanket and then waited behind Ann, trying not to get in the way.

“Okay, Carly. Nice, big push now,” Ann encouraged.

Carly gripped the blankets in her fists and issued a growl as she strained to bring forth her daughter into the world.

The baby slipped free, and Ann handed the tiny newborn to Dearra. She expertly tied off and cut the cord before turning her attention back to Carly. The afterbirth came next, and Ann began to firmly massage Carly’s stomach.

Daniel was roused by the cool mist that sprinkled his face, and he looked up into Niada’s strange, cat-like eyes. It took him only a moment to realize where he was before he leapt to his feet and moved back to Carly’s side, taking care not to look at anything other than her face.

A tiny cry pierced the room, demanding everyone’s attention.

“Let me wash her off, Carly, and I’ll bring her to you,” Dearra said.

“No, give her to me, Dearra,” Carly said, reaching out for her baby.

Dearra nestled the child gently in her mother’s arms. The baby was still covered with a thin layer of birth blood, and her hair was slick and wet. Carly stared wide-eyed at her child.