Souls of Aredyrah 3 - The Taking of the Dawn (26 page)

“Where’s the picture of the boy with the red
hair?” he heard Alicine ask Eyan across the way.

Dayn cringed.

“There,” Eyan said, “and there, and there,
and…”

Dayn turned to see where Eyan was pointing
and realized: The Reiv look-alike wasn’t just on the map—he was all
over the room.

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Chapter 21: The
Gathering

D
ayn paced the
kitchen, deep in thought. It had been fourteen days since Haskel
had left to notify the clans of the Gathering, and he had said he’d
be back in ten.

“Stop your frettin’,” Vania said from the
table. “There’s nothin’ to worry about.”

Dayn flicked her a look of annoyance. She had
uttered those same words to him at least a dozen times, but Dayn
was not convinced that she meant them.

He stepped toward the kitchen window and
peered through the panes.

“It’s been fourteen days,” he said.

“Aye, it has,” Vania said. She smiled at
Morna who was sitting next to her, chopping vegetables. “Was it you
that taught him to count, dear?”

Dayn marched to the table. “Shouldn’t we at
least go to Uncle Nort’s to see if he made it that far?” he
asked.

Vania grabbed a turnip and cleaved it with a
thrust of her knife. The blade tapped against the cutting board as
she chopped it into pieces. “Of course he made it that far,” she
said. “Nort’s homestead is the closest one, isn’t it?” She rose and
scraped the pieces of vegetable into a pot, then slanted her eyes
at Dayn. “What are ye implyin’, Dayn?”

“Well, if Nort’s place is the closest, why
isn’t Haskel back already? I thought each family was to send the
message down the line.”

“The entreaties we plan to present to the
Plenum of Four must be addressed quickly. That’s why Haskel felt he
should notify several homesteads himself. Accordin’ to the
calendar, if we make the entreaties tonight, on the day we planned,
the stars will be in the constellation of Konyl. Hopefully the
Chieftains will see it as an omen that favors us.”

Dayn could not disguise his irritation. “I
doubt even Konyl will be of much help tonight,” he groused.

Vania stepped to the sink where she gave the
pump handle a hearty thrust. “Have you and Eyan got all the tables
trestled?” she asked as she filled the pot of vegetables with
water.

Dayn sighed. “Yes, auntie,” he said. “The
tables are finished, and the stage and the benches.”

“And the barn’s cleaned?” Morna asked.

“Yes, Mother. Clean as it’s going to
get.”

“And the circle of stones?” Vania added.

“Yes…assembled.” Dayn moved to the window and
gazed out toward the plenum location. It was highlighted by a wide
circle of stones that seemed to lord over the hillside. The circle
was where the plenum itself would take place, and the space within
it was considered sacred for the duration of the Gathering. The
stones were not large, not like those that made up the more ancient
circles of Kirador, but they had been difficult to erect
nonetheless. Within the circle, Dayn and Eyan had built a stage,
and at the center of the circle they had piled wood for the great
bonfire that would be lit after the plenum. The pile only awaited
the touch of the torch that would signal the conclusion of business
and the commencement of festivities. But Dayn wasn’t sure there
would be much to celebrate.

“And the wood for the—” Morna began.

“Yes,” Dayn said with annoyance. “The
tables—the seats—the barn—the circle—the stage—the benches—the wood
for the bonfire—logs and kindling for the campfires. Anything
else
?”

“You don’t have to snap,” Morna said. “It’s
not like the rest of us haven’t been working day and night to get
things done.”

“Well what’s Alicine been doing?” Dayn said.
“Besides fretting about what she’s going to wear, I mean.”

“She’s been gatherin’ mushrooms and berries,”
Vania offered, “and helpin’ your mother and me with the cookin’.
Now don’t ye go suggestin’ your sister’s not been doin’ her
part.”

“She made some lovely decorations for the
barn, too,” Morna said.

Dayn rolled his eyes.

Vania gazed toward the open front door.
Though winter would soon be approaching, the weather today was
almost spring-like, and she had thrown open every portal in the
house to welcome it in. She drew a deep breath. “I hope Eyan comes
home with a buck this time,” she said. “You boys’ve brought us back
plenty o’ rabbits, bless your hearts, but a buck would make a fine
impression on the clans. There haven’t been many around these parts
lately.”

“Why didn’t you go hunting with Eyan today?”
Morna asked Dayn.

“I don’t know,” he mumbled. “Didn’t feel like
it I guess.”

“Well, maybe next time,” she said.

Dayn turned toward the doorway. “I think I’ll
go find Alicine.”

“You’ll find her in the barn, dear. She’s
adding the final touches to the dance floor.”

Dayn’s insides rankled. The dances were
always the part he hated most. It wasn’t that he didn’t like
dancing, though he’d never actually done much of it. It wasn’t even
the issue of girls; his heart had always belonged to Falyn, so the
others didn’t matter. But still, that hadn’t kept him from feeling
even more like an outcast when he was the only boy in the room not
doing it.

He exited the house and headed for the barn.
When he arrived, he spotted Alicine perched atop a ladder,
hammering colorful strips of cloth along a beam. In addition to the
numerous streamers she had already hung, the room was dotted with
crocks containing bouquets of wildflowers and dried flora. Most of
the flowers from the meadows had already faded with the changing
season, but the purples and golds of the grasses she’d gathered
gave the arrangements a nice earthy touch.

“Looks good,” Dayn said, but his tone held
little enthusiasm.

Alicine jerked with a start, then twisted
around to face him. “You scared me half to death,” she said. She
scrambled down the ladder and set the hammer aside. Smiling, she
ran her eyes over the interior of the barn. “You like it?”

“I said I did, didn’t I,” Dayn said.

Alicine looked at him with skepticism. “You
are coming to the dance, aren’t you?”

Dayn shrugged. “Maybe.”

“This’ll be Eyan’s first dance, Dayn. It
would be nice if you came to at least give him some advice.”

Dayn forced a laugh. “Like I know
anything.”

Alicine scowled. “Fine. You can both sit off
to the side together and feel sorry for yourselves.” She turned and
grabbed up another handful of streamers, then surveyed the
beams.

“I think you have plenty up already,” Dayn
said. “Add much more color and no one will get any sleep.”

“Like anyone will get any sleep anyway,”
Alicine said with a grin.

“No, I suppose not.”

Dayn gazed around the room. The barn, though
primarily decorated for the main dance, would also accommodate the
less-official party expected to follow. Most families had packed
their own tents and bedding, and eventually crept back to them and
the wagons that had brought them. But one group was known to linger
at the dances well into dawn: the pre-adults. Of all the clan
members, they seemed to require the least amount of sleep and the
most amount of socializing, and generally conducted celebrations of
their own after everyone else had retired for the night. Although
they would be well outside the earshot of their parents, the barn
doors would be kept strictly open, and there would be plenty of
Elders on hand to keep young virtues intact.

But Dayn had no interest in any party; he was
mainly interested in the bed he would be falling into early. He had
never felt comfortable around people his own age, at least not in
Kirador; the events of past Gatherings had pretty much sealed that
sentiment. Regardless, he had no desire to make new friends. It
would be good for Eyan, he supposed, but as for himself, the only
friends he wanted were back in Tearia.

Alicine saw things differently, of course.
She’d already made it clear that her heart belonged in Kirador, and
though a part of it still remained with Reiv, she could not have
Reiv and Kirador both. As for Dayn, the approaching party gave him
a glimmer of hope, at least. If Alicine met a candidate for future
husband, then Dayn could feel assured that there would be someone
to take care of her, and maybe even Mother. And if Alicine were to
meet that person tonight, Dayn could return to Tearia sooner than
expected, and without the guilt of having left his mother and
sister behind.

“So have you decided what you’re going to
wear?” he asked. Perhaps if he turned the conversation toward his
sister’s social interests, and away from his lack of them, he could
aim her in the desired direction.

Alicine’s face lit up. “Yes, I took one of my
old dresses, the faded brown one, you know, the one I wore to the
Harvest Festival a couple of years back, and removed the lace from
the collar and sleeves. I dyed the lace yellow, it was already
ivory anyway, and added it to the bodice of the blue dress, you
know, the one with the red braiding at the hem. Then I—”

Dayn’s mind drifted.

“—and if I add the same color of red to my
hair,” Alicine babbled on, “—I think Mother has some ribbon that
will match—at least I hope she does because if she doesn’t it just
won’t have the same effect…anyway, then it will look really nice I
think.”

Alicine grew silent.

“Sounds…uh…good,” Dayn said, then hastily
added, “I’m sure you’ll be the prettiest girl here.”

Alicine eyed him suspiciously. Dayn laughed.
“I guess it doesn’t matter what I say, right? But the other boys
will tell you soon enough I think.”

Alicine blushed, but Dayn knew from her smile
that his comment had pleased her.

“So what are you wearing?” she asked.

“Me? What I’ve got on, I suppose.”

Alicine gasped.

Dayn looked down at himself. “What’s wrong
with it? It’s clean isn’t it?”

Eyan strolled into the barn, a passel of
rabbits slung over his shoulder. He halted and gawked at the room.
“What’d ye
do
?”

“Decorated it, what else?” Alicine said. “The
dance will be in here and I wanted it to look nice.”

Eyan looked at Dayn.

“Girls like to do this sort of thing, Eyan,”
Dayn said.

“Oh,” Eyan replied.

“Dayn and I were just discussing what we’re
going to wear to the dance,” Alicine said. “What are you planning
to wear, Eyan?”

“Uh…I…”

“Don’t be so nosey, Alicine,” Dayn said. “He
wants what he wears to be a surprise, don’t you Eyan?” He stared
into Eyan’s eyes, attempting to convey the message that it would be
wise to just follow along.

“Oh…aye…I…uh…guess so,” Eyan said, staring
back at him.

Alicine glanced between the two of them.
“You’re neither of you fooling me with your act.” She turned to
Eyan. “You should talk to your mother. She’ll help you pick out an
outfit.” With that she turned and left the barn, clearly irritated
at the amusement plastering the boys’ faces.

Dayn burst into laughter. Eyan joined in.

“Do we really have to wear somethin’
special?” Eyan finally asked. “I don’t think I have anythin’. I
mean, it’s not like I’ve been anywhere.”

Before Dayn could respond, the thud of wagon
wheels and the clank of harnesses redirected his attention. He
sprinted to the barn door and looked toward the road leading to the
house. In the distance, the first clan family could be seen
rumbling over the hill. “Get to the house, Eyan,” he said.

“I—I have to clean the rabbits, first,” Eyan
replied. But his eyes were fully focused on the road.

“I’ll take care of the rabbits,” Dayn said.
“You go on to the house and tell your mother the first guests have
arrived.”

Eyan nodded and handed him the rabbits. He
headed out the door and hustled to the house.

Dayn set the rabbits aside and walked out to
greet the wagon now pulling into the yard. He was relieved to see
that it was his Uncle Nort, but he did not recognize the attractive
young woman sitting next to him, nor the little black-haired boy
nestled between them. Nort, Haskel’s older brother, had never
married. He was a hard-working man, and a handsome one too, but
he’d never shown much interest in women, and even less in the
ritual of marriage.

Dayn raised his hand hesitantly, not sure how
his uncle, or the woman or the boy, would react. Nort jumped from
the wagon and rushed toward him. Dayn tensed, recalling the
reception he had initially received from Haskel. But to his relief,
Nort grabbed him in a bear-hug of affection.

“God, boy,” Nort said, his voice cracking,
“we were so worried.” He leaned back and placed his hands on Dayn’s
shoulders, looking him up and down. His eyes brimmed as he grabbed
Dayn in another embrace.

“Are ye well?” Nort asked at last. “And your
sister? How does she fare?”

“We’re well, uncle,” Dayn said. “And
you?”

Nort smiled, then turned toward the woman and
boy who now stood beside the wagon. He gestured for them to
approach. “Come, Seela. You, too, Ben.”

They approached reluctantly.

“Ah, now,” Nort said to them gently. “I told
ye of my young nephew Dayn, did I not?” He laughed. “Ye didn’t
forget already did ye?”

The woman smiled shyly, while the boy, no
more than five years of age, clung to her skirts. Seela pried the
child from her side, then leaned down and whispered into his ear.
The boy glanced up at Dayn, then down at his own feet. Then he and
his mother walked toward him.

The two of them stopped, and Ben moved his
gaze up Dayn’s towering frame. “My mother says I’m not to be
scared,” he said.

Dayn squatted before him. “But you’re afraid
of me anyway?”