The Threshold Child (32 page)

E’nes obeyed immediately, climbing onto his horse and then lending
a hand to help Adesina mount behind him. It was uncomfortable and she didn’t
like leaving control of the horse to someone else, but she didn’t complain.
Instead she made a mental list of all the things she was going to ask her
brother during their travels. She assumed it would be a long journey, and she
planned to use the time wisely.

They set off at a fairly easy pace and Adesina couldn’t see why
L’iam had made an issue of someone walking. As they reached the edge of the
trees, he commanded them to slow to a stop and he turned to face the rest of
the group.

“A’asil.”

A’asil nodded and closed his eyes in concentration. When he opened
them again they were shimmering with
vyala
.
L’iam saw this and urged his horse forward at a brisk pace. The group moved out
from under the trees and into the open, heading north.

Adesina leaned forward to speak in her brother’s ear. “What is
A’asil doing?”

E’nes turned his head slightly to respond. “He is creating an
illusion that hides us from the sight of others. If we did not have him in our
group, we would have to travel at night.”

She frowned in confusion. “Why?”

“Because he is the only one of us who knows how to create
illusions, and it is imperative that we are not seen.”

The young woman stewed over this for a while, staring at the
landscape. They were currently in grasslands, which stretched out as far as the
eye could see. The grass was long and green, flourishing in the early summer
weather. A slight wind stirred the grass, making it whisper and sway, which
helped to hide any sign of their horses passing through.

Adesina decided to start a different train of conversation.
“E’nes?”

“Yes?”

She hesitated, wondering what kind of a response she would
receive. “Would you teach me the language of the L’avan?”

There was a startled silence and she held her breath as she waited
for his answer. The Shimat adamantly refused to teach their language to anybody
who was not of their order. It was among their most closely guarded secrets.
Adesina wondered if it was the same with the L’avan.

When he spoke, the surprise he felt was evident in his voice. “Of
course! I will teach you if you wish to learn.”

The young Shimat smiled. “Thank you, E’nes. When can we begin?”

She felt him chuckle quietly. “Right now.”

He then began to explain the origins of the language and how it
had evolved over time. He spoke of grammar rules and began teaching her simple,
useful words. Adesina had always been a quick learner, and she drank in
everything that her brother had to offer.

The two of them were riding beside Mar’sal, who was listening with
interest. After a time, he began contributing to Adesina’s lessons. He would
offer bits of information that E’nes had left out or give more detailed
explanations. By early evening, Adesina was forming simple sentences.

It was around this time that they came across a small wooded area.
Once they were under cover, they brought their horses to a halt and dismounted.
Adesina was sore from riding so long, but she looked at A’asil and immediately
felt that she had no right to complain. He was completely exhausted from the
hours of sustaining his
vyala
. No one
said a word when he left the others, who were setting up a camp, and went to
sit beside a tree. Instead, they willingly took over his portion of the work.

Adesina was perplexed to see L’iam go to join him, also looking worn
out.

“What is wrong with L’iam?” she quietly asked her brother.

He glanced in their direction before continuing to rub down his
horse. “He has been channeling energy into A’asil and the horses for a good
portion of the day. A’asil might have died without his assistance.”

She was surprised that she hadn’t noticed sooner. They had kept
their hurried pace all day, not stopping for any breaks. This wooded area was
the first cover they had come across, and therefore their first chance to stop.
Even though there was still a fair amount of daylight left, they were getting
ready to settle in for the night. Here, at least, they would be protected from
prying eyes without the aid of magical illusion.

Adesina walked over to L’iam’s horse and began to care for it. It
was a proud-looking stallion that was probably seventeen hands tall. He was a
beautiful golden chestnut with a long mane and tail only slightly darker in
color. He looked at Adesina curiously, but by no means opposed her gentle
touch. The L’avan horses were not tethered, but left to roam free. After she
was done caring for L’iam’s horse, she let him do the same.

“His name is Avab. It means ‘devotion.’”

She turned and saw L’iam leaning against a tree behind her. He
gave a weary smile and went on. “He began following me around when he was a
colt, so my father gave him to me. I trained him myself.”

Adesina glanced at the horse with admiration. “I have never seen
anything like him.”

L’iam nodded in agreement. “Yes, he comes from an exceptional
bloodline. I enjoyed training him, and perhaps if things were different…”

Her brow furrowed in inquisition. “What?” she urged.

He shrugged in an offhanded manner. “Perhaps I would have chosen
the training of horses for my profession.”

“Can you not?” she asked.

With a brief smile, he shook his head. “No, I cannot. My path has
been chosen for me, in that regard.”

Adesina’s thoughts turned to the conversation she had had with her
brother previously.

“Because of your father?”

The young leader was startled by her question. It was clear that
he didn’t expect her to know about that aspect of his personal life.

“Yes,” he replied slowly, “because of my father.”

She knew how he felt, to a degree, and unexpectedly decided to
share that with him. “I also had my path chosen for me. Sometimes I wonder what
kind of life I would have chosen if I had not been raised by the Shimat.”

“Have you come to any conclusions?” he asked.

Adesina looked down at the ground, pushing some grass around with
the toe of her boot. “I never decided. It seemed to be a pointless line of
thought.”

L’iam studied her face for several moments before turning and
walking towards the camp. After a second of hesitation, she followed him.

“I understand that your brother has been teaching you our
language.”

She nodded. “Yes…is that a problem?”

He immediately shook his head. “No, of course not. I was simply
unaware of your interest.” He quirked and eyebrow teasingly. “We will simply
have to be more careful of what we say around you.”

Adesina could see that all of his movements were labored and she
looked at him in concern. “Are your gifts so tiring?”

L’iam’s expression became rueful. “They are when used as foolishly
as I have used them today.”

“What do you mean?” she prompted.

“I tend to overestimate my own strength,” he explained. “I pushed
myself too hard for too long.”

She cocked her head to one side. “Is that not how we become
stronger?”

He assented, “To an extent, but there are limits to how far one
can test oneself before it merely becomes foolhardy.”

Adesina wasn’t sure if she should be offended or if she was
inferring more than what he actually meant.

They were now approaching the camp, and she could see that A’asil
was still resting by a tree with Ravi at his side, conferring in low voices.
K’eb was leaning over the fire pit cooking something, Mar’sal gathered firewood
and E’nes was drawing water from a nearby stream. Ri’sel seemed to be standing
guard and Sa’jan was nowhere to be seen.

She took in the sight of the groups—watchful order mixed with friendly
ease—and for a moment she forgot that she didn’t belong with them. It all felt
so natural, so soothing. She felt more at home in the military environment, but
these people were also longtime friends. Everyone knew how things were done and
they were accustomed to each other’s ways.

L’iam didn’t notice anything extraordinary about the scene before
them. This was how things always were for him. He gave her a parting smile and
went to join A’asil and Ravi. She wanted to lend a hand, but she was afraid of
just being in the way of the seamless flow of duties. Eventually she wandered
over to E’nes, who greeted her warmly.

“May I help?”

He paused to glance around. “I believe we have taken care of
everything.”

She pursed her lips together and slowly walked away. Ravi, who
seemed to sense her restlessness, moved to join her.

“What is it, Ma’eve?”

She sat down at the edge of the camp, like a stranger looking in.
“It has been a long time since I have had nothing to do. Even the High City
kept me busy in its own way.”

He nodded in understanding, but said nothing in return. Together
they watched the others go about their business happily. Later that evening
Sa’jan returned with a respectable-looking gray horse. He led it over to Adesina,
where it looked at her with large benign eyes.

He handed her the reins and said, “L’iam thought you would enjoy
the journey more if you had a horse of your own.”

She looked over at the L’avan leader, but he was deep in
conversation with Ri’sel and not paying attention. She took the reigns of the
horse and gave Sa’jan an uncertain smile. “Thank you.”

He nodded in an oddly apologetic way. “She is not much more than a
farm horse, but she will do for now.”

Adesina expressed her gratitude again, acknowledging that she
would be more comfortable on her
own horse. She
watched as the aging warrior walked away and then glanced back to L’iam. She
had the feeling that he had been looking at her the moment before, but his full
attention was now on the man sitting next to him.

She cared for the mare and let her go to graze with the other
horses. Then she walked over to her blankets and rolled up, trying to get some
rest. Ravi joined her shortly and sang her into a peaceful sleep.

When she woke up, one arm was laying over him, his warmth a
protection against the morning chill.

The first week of their journey passed in this manner. They woke
up long before dawn and left as soon as the camp was broken, often eating cold
rations as they traveled. They continued heading north, rarely deviating in
course.

The young Shimat found ways of making herself useful in the camp.
She would gather wood or draw water, wash dishes or find ways to pad their beds
on the ground. The L’avan never expected any labor from her, but were always
grateful for her assistance.

Every day A’asil would shield them from outside eyes, and L’iam
would channel energy. They never stopped travelling until they came to an area
that offered some sort of protection. It was apparent that they had traveled
this route before and knew when to stop for the night and when to keep going.

E’nes and Adesina continued with their language lessons, with the
help of Mar’sal. Both L’avan were impressed by how quickly she was learning,
and she was secretly pleased as well. The words felt strangely natural, like
she was remembering rather than learning.

Adesina was anxious for her lessons with L’iam to continue, but he
was too tired in the evenings to teach her anything. He promised her early on
in the journey that their lessons would continue as soon as possible.

Halfway through their second week, Adesina noticed greater changes
in the landscape. There were more forests, hills and rivers. Everything seemed
greener and more full of life. They spotted deer watching them from a distance
and the air was adorned with the song of birds.

The L’avan traveled at an easier pace, keeping to the sheltered
areas as they went. A’asil was no longer required to hide them, and the hours
they traveled were more traditional. They got up at dawn, ate breakfast and
took down the camp, rode at a steady pace with occasional stops along the way,
and then set up camp again in the early evening.

At the end of this second week, L’iam approached Adesina as soon
as the camp had been put in order.

“Are you ready for another lesson?”

She immediately got to her feet. “Of course.”

They moved a short distance away from the camp and stood facing
each other. Ravi followed and seated himself nearby, watching them intently.

L’iam held out his hand. “This time I will show you how I connect
with the world of spirit.”

The Shimat frowned briefly at the name he gave the universe of
energy he had shown her, not quite sure she understood his word choice. She
took his hand anyway, impatient to begin.

He smiled at her eagerness. “Watch my eyes.”

Adesina’s gaze locked on his. Between what she saw there and what
she felt through his grasp, she somehow knew the process in which he connected
to his
vyala
. Without moving a
muscle, he reached deep down into the core of his being where he held powers
such as love and intelligence. His
vyala
was found there as well. He beckoned to it, encouraging it to flow to the rest
of his body. The
vyala
swelled forth
from its resting place, uniting with L’iam like an old friend.