The Threshold Child (17 page)

“How well do you know Master Chatham?”

Aleron was surprised at this choice of subject. “Not very well.
Why do you ask?”

She shrugged. “I have only met him once, but he seems to dislike
me. I do not understand why that would be so.”

“Well,” Aleron frowned, searching his memory, “I remember hearing
that he left the High City when he was young and no one knew where he went.
When he came back, years later, he was very bitter. I do not think anyone knows
why.”

The young woman shook her head. “What does that have to do with
me?”

He shrugged. “Perhaps it has nothing to do with you personally.
You sort of represent the outside world, and maybe his anger is directed
towards the world rather than an individual.”

She was surprised by the wisdom in his simple words. He was unlike
anyone she had met in the High City, and she decided that she wouldn’t mind
getting to know him better.

Their talk turned to lighter subjects. Aleron was eager to learn
her opinion of the city, their school, her peers, and so forth. Adesina was
cautious in her answers, but found herself being more honest than expected.
There was something about Aleron’s open and understanding expression that made
Adesina feel like she could say anything she wanted. She was careful to answer
as Adrie, but each reply was colored with her own opinions.

Aleron was not only open to what she said, but he agreed with her
on the majority of the points discussed. He was aware of the pretension of the
city and felt the same dissatisfaction. He looked around to make sure no one
was listening and then leaned towards Adesina confidentially. “Right now I am
training to be a healer with my mother, but as soon as I come of age, I am
leaving the High City.”

He looked as if he had done something very daring by expressing
such intentions.

Adesina suppressed a smile of amusement. “And where will you go?”

He shrugged. “I do not know yet. Tunith is a large continent, and
they say that there are lands beyond the seas! I have always wanted to travel
around and help people who could not get it otherwise.”

Adesina couldn’t help but smile at this statement. “That is very
idealistic of you.”

His expression became worried. “Is it an unlikely goal?”

She felt a twinge of regret from causing him to question his
aspirations, yet she didn’t want to give him false hopes. She considered her words
before answering. “Well…it will be difficult, but not impossible.”

Aleron looked relieved. “Oh, I am not afraid of hard work.”

The smile returned to Adesina’s lips. “Of course not.”

At this point they had arrived at Master Hass’s house. She wasn’t
sure how to bid him farewell, but he saved her the trouble of working it out by
simply giving her another cheery smile and a wave as he walked away.

Jelana met Adesina at the door with curiosity in her eyes. “Was
that Mistress Breena’s son?”

She nodded. “Yes. His name is Aleron.”

 
“He walked you home?”

Adesina hesitated. “Was it improper of me to allow it?”

Jelana hastily shook her head. “No, no. It just surprised me.”

The Shimat had the uncomfortable feeling that a number of
interesting ideas were brewing in Jelana’s imagination. To avoid further
questioning, Adesina hurried upstairs.

Jelana had made it clear that she thought it wise for women to marry
young, even if that meant sacrificing the completion of their education.
Adesina suspected that she wouldn’t be too picky about whom Adrie chose to
marry, as long as he was a citizen of the High City.

Ravi, who seemed to be having the same thought, chuckled softly as
they walked to Adesina’s room. “What will you do when they find a suitable
match for you?”

Adesina snorted. “Politely decline, and bid them to mind their own
business.”

She sat down on the bed and watched Ravi stretch out on the floor.
“There are worst things in this world than having people care about your
happiness and well-being.”

Adesina reached for the small dagger she kept hidden under her
mattress. She twirled it in her hands absently, leaning back to stare at the
ceiling.

Adesina had now been in the High City for six months. The late
autumn and winter had passed and spring had arrived. Adrie had found her niche
in the High City society. Although she was still viewed as an Outsider, she
felt that she had discovered how to fit in.

Five days a week she went to school, where she led her class
academically; much to the mortification of some of her classmates. Four days a
week she went to Hass’s shop right after school and worked until evening.
Aleron always walked her home, chatting about anything that came to mind, but
not in the mindless manner that was typical of Gainor. Sometimes Hass joined
them, and sometimes they walked alone.

She appreciated the friendship she had developed with this young
man, but she was often reminded that it was founded on false pretenses. Most of
the time she was merely playing a part, and that left her feeling very alone.

Adesina missed being herself, and she missed the life of a Shimat.
Most of all, she missed spending every day with Kendan—the way he challenged
her to go beyond her best; the familiar banter that passed between them; the
way he looked deep into her eyes, as if trying to read the etchings on her
soul; and, more recently, how he had reached for her hand and warmed her with
his touch. She missed all of these things; sometimes so much it was painful.

Now she was surrounded by the pretension of the High City, living
among those she knew were not her equal. She did her best to keep Kendan from
her mind, but that was difficult.

Adesina was often paraded around the city as if she were some kind
of prize. This was usually done by one of the Governors, but it was also done
by those who called themselves her friends. She had thought that she would be
caught up in the political maneuvering of the city, but it seemed that she was
wanted for nothing more than to be seen with certain high-ranking citizens.

A good deal of her time was spent in the company of Gainor, Deasa
and Rina. With the aid of these girls, Adesina was given a whole new set of
lessons that had never before been presented to her. She watched the girls with
a growing fascination as they practiced their charms, flirted shamelessly to
get what they wanted, and displayed a wide variety of etiquette that was
adaptable to almost any situation. These strange lessons ended with the fading
light and Adesina returned to her host family for a quiet supper and an evening
of storytelling, music, or individual amusements.

To the casual observer, it would have seemed like the happy, simple
life of the majority of the citizens of the High City. But the casual observer
would not have seen that Adesina was awake long after the others had gone to
bed and up again long before dawn. Every day she reviewed her mission
information, more out of habit than need. She practiced her skills in weaponry,
and made sure that she remembered every lesson that she had been given during
her years of training. There was only so much she could do in her limited
space, but she did the best she could.

Once a month, in the dead of night, Adesina slipped out of the
High City through a drain grate she had discovered early on. She would then
steal across the open field to the refuge of the forest. There was a small
hidden cave where she met her Shimat contact and reported on her status.

Kendan always greeted her with a tender smile and a squeeze of the
hand. At first, Adesina found these attentions to be confusing, but now she
looked forward to them. She began dreaming of him taking her in his arms and
holding her close, but he never did. Instead he would touch her hand, and his
eyes would twinkle when he noticed the blush on her cheeks.

Their time together was limited, and therefore precious. In these
stolen hours or half-hours, Adesina finally felt that she was with an equal,
and the fluttering of her heart whispered that maybe it was something more than
that as well. She tried not to look too deep into those feelings, afraid of
what she might discover there. Instead she attempted to act as if it didn’t
matter, even if she knew she was lying to herself.

Adesina rarely had anything of importance to report, and was
frequently admonished to be patient while waiting for her first assignment.

But she was impatient.

Her task had been to establish herself in the High City so she
would always have a solid alibi. With the exception of Chatham, who continued
in his irrational dislike, anyone that Adesina had come in contact with would
swear for Adrie’s character.

It was a fine spring morning when Adesina sat looking out her
window, lost in thought. Ravi, who had missed his usual predawn ritual of
watching and assisting Adesina in her training, opened his eyes from a deep
sleep.

“Happy birthday, Ma’eve.”

Adesina blinked in surprise. It was her seventeenth birthday, and
she had completely forgotten. “Thank you, Ravi. Have you been Dreaming?”

He was only a heavy sleeper when he was Dreaming. Ravi stretched
and sat up. “Yes.”

She still had not been able to Dream without the aid of the
strange forest through which they had traveled. She covered the envy she felt
by smiling at him teasingly. “Is that how you knew it was my birthday?”

“In a way. I have great reason to remember this day. It was very
important to me.”

Adesina turned from the window to face him. “Why is that?”

He smiled as if the answer were obvious. “Because you were born.”

She was surprised to receive such a reply. “I had no idea that you
had been so long aware of my existence.”

Ravi raised his brow slightly. “Of course. Your existence
completes mine.”

The young Shimat frowned. “What do you mean?”

“The Rashad are sometimes born with a task assigned to them—a role
or a purpose they are meant to fulfill. Mine was to be your guardian.”

Adesina stared at him, dumbfounded. “You are my guardian?”

A soft laugh burst from Ravi’s throat. “Why else do you think I
would be following you day in and day out for all of this time?”

She shrugged defensively. “I stopped trying to explain your
presence a long time ago.”

Amusement danced in Ravi’s eyes. “I see.”

Adesina pushed aside her aggravation to give priority to her
curiosity. “So, you were born to be my guardian?”

Ravi inclined his head.

“You had no choice in the matter?”

His expression now became more serious. “There is always a choice.
Even in matters that are called ‘destiny’ by some.”

She furrowed her brow. “Does that not contradict the very idea of
destiny?”

Ravi considered his words for several moments before answering.
“Destiny is like a labyrinth. One is given the choice of paths, but once on
that path one is required to follow it until a new choice is presented. When I
received the Dream that told me of your birth, I had two choices: I could heed
the call to fulfill my purpose or I could ignore it. I chose to heed the call
and prepare to seek you out, and that choice has set my life on the path I now
am obliged to follow.”

Adesina thought about this carefully. “Is every life guided by
destiny?”

“I do not know. I only know of its hand in my own life.”

She leaned forward, fixing her eyes intently on Ravi. “What of
my
life?”

A smile tugged at the corners of Ravi’s mouth. “Why do you think I
would have the answer to that question?”

“Because you said that our lives were connected.”

“Intertwined,” he amended gently.

Adesina nodded impatiently. “If that is the case, then would it
not stand to reason that you would have more insight into my life than with
others?”

This time his smile would not be repressed. “An interesting
observation.”

Adesina straightened in her seat triumphantly. “Well?”

Ravi, on the other hand, laid back down. “I suppose it would make
sense for your life to be guided as well as mine.”

Her expression became troubled. “You said there are always
choices, but I do not feel as if I have ever had any. My life feels more like
my old ideas of destiny. I trained as a Shimat because I was born in the
fortress, and I came to the High City because I was assigned to a purpose here.
What kind of choices could I have had?”

Ravi shook his head. “That I cannot tell you. All I can say is
that sometimes our choices do not appear to be clear until after they have
passed. It may be that you look back on your life years from now and see
momentous choices of which you were not aware.”

An odd expression came over Ravi’s face and he went very still.
Although she wasn’t sure why, Adesina went still as well.

“What is it, Ravi?”

He didn’t answer for several moments. “Ma’eve…I…forgive me, but I
must leave you for a time. Will you be all right if I go?”