The Threshold Child (28 page)

The young man gave a stubborn shake of the head. “You do not
understand. When I look into her eyes, I can see the goodness of her soul. She
wants
to be a person of honor and integrity but has been lost on the wrong path.”

After a momentary pause, L’iam nodded in agreement. “I can see
that when I look at her as well.”

Sa’jan also nodded, but Ri’sel folded his arms and leaned back
with a darkened expression on his face.

L’iam looked around the table and clasped his hands together. “All
I need to know for tonight are your thoughts on the matter of our guest.”

He looked first to Sa’jan, who gave a small shrug. “She has given
her word to behave for now. If she gets unruly, Ri’sel can throw her into
another tree.”

Ri’sel shook his head and said, “I think it is foolish to allow a
Shimat to dwell among us. Even if she keeps her word to ‘behave,’ she is still
acting as a spy. I say we render her unconscious, take her back to the High
City and leave her there.”

Finally it was E’nes’s turn to speak. For a moment he could only look
pleadingly at their leader. When his words came, they were spoken quietly.
“Please, L’iam. I know it is a risk, but I believe that if we show her trust
she will learn to trust us in return.”

A thoughtful silence followed for several minutes while their
leader considered what he had heard. When L’iam came to a decision, he
announced it to his comrades firmly. “We will follow E’nes’s suggestion for the
time being. If there is a change in circumstances, we will adjust accordingly.”

No one argued, even though it was clear that Ri’sel thought they
were making a mistake. E’nes was excused from the meeting and went to his room
to go to sleep. He laid awake for hours, thinking about his sister and praying
that he wasn’t wrong about her.

Adesina was awaken the next morning by a soft knock on her door.
She was instantly on her feet in a defensive stance, a bit disoriented. As she
remembered where she was, she straightened.

The knock repeated. “Adesina?”

It was E’nes’s voice.

She stepped to the door and opened it. Her brother’s face lit up
when he saw her, almost as if he had been afraid that she had escaped during
the night. He gave her a warm smile. “Would you care for some breakfast? K’eb
has been making use of the fresh supplies that Sa’jan brought back from the
village.”

She followed him down the hall to the main room, where the smell
of fried eggs and toasted bread filled Adesina’s nose. There were also some
thin slices of venison sizzling in the large pan, and a big kettle filled with
some fragrant herbal tea.

K’eb first filled a plate for Adesina, and then one for E’nes. He
was polite and pleasant, but said very little to either of them. The three of
them seemed to be the only ones interested in the morning meal.

“Where are the others?” Adesina asked.

E’nes, who had already begun to eat enthusiastically, swallowed
before answering. “A’asil ate earlier. L’iam, Ri’sel and Sa’jan are still in
the conference room.”

Her tone became incredulous. “Were they there all night?”

E’nes nodded slowly. “Yes, I believe they were.”

“But why? What could possibly keep them there so long?”

Her brother shrugged casually. “I am not privy to their counsel.”

This brought a question to her mind that she had been wondering
the previous day. “E’nes, I heard K’eb call you ‘captain’ yesterday.”

He inclined his head. “Yes.”

“Are all of you members of your military?”

“Yes.”

Adesina frowned in confusion. “Then why is L’iam the leader of
this group? Surely both Sa’jan and Ri’sel outrank him.”

E’nes gave a wry smile. “It helps that his father is in charge of
the L’avan armies.”

He chuckled softly, as if enjoying a private joke. Adesina, on the
other hand, didn’t see anything amusing.

“You mean that he is your commander merely because of his father’s
authority?”

He laughed again, this time he was joined by K’eb. “Yes, I suppose
that is the case.”

The levity of the moment didn’t last very long. E’nes could see
that Adesina was disturbed by this information, and endeavored to reassure her.
“We all have great faith in L’iam’s ability to lead. We would not follow him if
we thought him unworthy.”

Even with his words, it felt very wrong to Adesina. In the Shimat
order no one ever received promotions that were not thoroughly earned. Even she,
with all her skill, had worked hard for years and years to get where she was at
present. She kept her expression neutral, even though she felt a wave of
disdain for the L’avan system, which was clearly flawed.

Adesina finished her breakfast and handed her plate back to K’eb.
He gave her another pleasant smile, but said nothing.

E’nes looked as if he wanted to say something, but refrained. He
watched impassively as she walked back down the hall and into her room.

Once there, she pulled back her hair in a simple braid and began
doing her morning exercise routine. She had even less room than when she was in
the High City, but she did her best to adjust.

After a short time, Adesina was joined by Ravi. “Where have you
been?” she asked him.

He climbed up onto the bed, where he could watch her but keep out
of her way. “I spent the night outside. It has been too long since I last slept
under the stars.”

She was amused by the tone of his voice. “I did not know that it
was so important to you.”

Ravi smiled as well. “Yes. I have lived most of my life out of
doors. I missed my dear friends.”

“Your friends? Do you mean the stars?”

He wasn’t bothered by her teasing inflections. “Yes, Ma’eve, I
mean the stars. Someday you will understand what I mean.”

The conversation ended after this comment because Adesina needed
all of her breath and concentration. A fit of restless energy drove her to push
herself harder and longer than usual. She lost all track of time as she
practiced every one of her Shimat skills. Outside of the room she could hear
the vague voices of people moving about the fort, but she ignored it all and
focused solely on her training.

For a long time, her activity only gave her more energy. She
continued on and on, until she finally decided it was time to wind down. She
wasn’t very tired, even after all she had accomplished, but something told her
that much time had passed.

Adesina walked over to the table and poured water from the pitcher
into the basin. She picked up the cloth lying next to it, immersed it in the
cool water and washed away her sweat. It felt refreshing against her skin and
she let out a small sigh. Ravi began humming softly as she sat down on the
chair that faced the window.

They heard a soft knock at the door, which stood open. E’nes stood
leaning on the doorframe. “Would you like to go for a walk, Adesina? You have
not yet been outside the fort.”

The young woman nodded and got back on her feet as E’nes gestured
to Ravi. “Would you like to come as well, old friend?”

He also got to his feet. “Thank you, but no. I think I will go
hunt.”

With that, he disappeared.

E’nes smiled at the surprised expression on Adesina’s face and
wordlessly invited her to follow him.

“How long have you known Ravi?” she asked as they walked down the
hall.

A fond expression passed over E’nes’s face. “Since he was born. I
was three years old at the time, and I remember the excitement. Our parents
were good friends with his parents and I was very close to his older brother,
Ruvim.”

“He has a brother?”

E’nes nodded. “As well as a younger sister. Ruvim is out in the
world, following his Purpose, but Rissa and their parents are still back in the
Rashad homeland. They have not seen Ravi in two years.”

Adesina’s step slowed to a stop. “Why?”

E’nes also stopped, turning to face his sister. “He left to search
for you.”

“He searched for me for over a year?”

E’nes studied his sister’s face. “I assumed you knew.”

Adesina was going to ask another question, but E’nes held up a
hand. “Perhaps this is something you should discuss with Ravi.”

Another thought occurred to Adesina. “If you were three years old
when Ravi was born, that would mean he is only two years older than me.”

E’nes was perplexed. “So?”

She struggled to explain why this was hard for her to accept. “I
assumed he was older.”

Her brother smiled and continued walking. “Rashad reach maturity
when they are two years old. So, in a way, he is much older than either of us.”

A’asil, the man Adesina had struck with her dart, was standing at
the entrance of the fort as if on guard. He watched them as they walked away
from the building. The stiff look in his eyes told Adesina that he was still
nursing his wounded pride.

She paid him no mind and turned her attention to the forest. It
felt young, even though it was probably several hundred years old. There were
birds flitting through the branches and butterflies hovered over flowers.
Sunlight streamed down through the boughs of the tilia trees, bringing to life
a myriad of colors. The air was warm and vibrant, filled with a dozen different
scents. Ravi may have said that it was similar to the forest of Dreams, but it
felt completely opposite.

E’nes seemed just as affected as Adesina. He took in a deep breath
and let it out with a smile. “It is almost like home.”

He instantly had his sister’s full attention. “Do you mean
your
home?” she inquired.

The young man nodded. “Yes. The home of the L’avan.”

It was obvious that the L’avan were from somewhere in the north,
but no one knew the exact location.

Adesina studied the ground casually. “What is it like?”

A knowing smile crossed his face. “If you wish to retain the
option of parting ways with us when we leave, I cannot answer that.”

She was a bit disappointed. “You have already said that it is
located in a forest.”

“In a forest, by a forest, near a forest. None of this would help
you in the north. There are forests everywhere.”

This may have been an exaggeration, but it wasn’t far from the
truth. There were hundreds of massive forests that dotted the northern part of
the continent.

Adesina shrugged. “It does not matter.”

E’nes gave her a sidelong glance. “Does it not?” When she didn’t
answer he went on. “Do you not care about the home of your ancestors? Of your
family?”

Or my enemies
, she thought to
herself.

Her feelings on the matter were so convoluted that she couldn’t
even put them into words when explaining it to herself. There was a part of her
that desperately wanted to know more about her past and her family. Another
part was afraid to know, given their deep involvement with a group of people
that she had been warned were dangerous. Yet another part was tugging at the
back of her mind, reminding her of her duty as a Shimat to gather as much information
as possible and then report it to her superiors.

Even with all her misgivings about these people, though, it seemed
wrong to spy on them when they had given her their trust.

Adesina decided to take the conversation in a different direction.
She picked the first subject of interest that came to mind that had nothing to
do with herself. “What are L’avan soldiers doing in the central lands?”

E’nes took a minute to consider the information being requested.
After some thought, he deemed it safe to discuss. “A number of things. Reconnaissance,
trade, protection…”

She rolled her eyes. “Very descriptive.”

Her brother laughed. “For the most part the L’avan are a
self-sustaining civilization, but there are a few things that require us to
trade with the outside world. Also, trade helps develop trust between nations.
That being said, we also value our privacy and are aware that there are many
who wish the L’avan harm. Occasionally we send out people to lay false trails
for those who seek to find us.”

A brief silence followed. “And the reconnaissance?” she
encouraged.

E’nes hesitated slightly. “There have been some disturbing rumors
over the past several months. The king asked us to investigate, and we are on
our way home to report.”

She recalled that he had mentioned a king the previous night. Very
few modern nations were ruled by monarchies. She frowned thoughtfully. “You
have a king?”

He nodded once, but was clearly against further discussion. She
decided to try a different tactic to get information out of him.

“It takes seven L’avan soldiers to do the things you named?”

“I am sure that the Shimat would go about it differently,” he
laughed, “but we have our own way of doing things.”