thefiremargins (6 page)

* * *

Carrie turned her head, looking toward where Kaid stood a little distance from the end of her bed.
"I'd have thought they'd send Chena," she said.
"Chena's having a much deserved sleep," said Kaid, placing the robe on the bed before coming round to her side. "There's no Sholan reason for them to send a female to help you." He raised an eye ridge at her. "Is there a Human reason? All I intend to do is help you put the robe on over what you're wearing now."
"I don't want to go, Kaid," she said. "I can't face anyone."
He sat beside her. "Everyone downstairs has been up to see you since yesterday," he said. "Where's the difference in you going down to see them? You're returning their concern for you, thanking them for caring. They aren't going to add to your grief by talking about your lost cub."
"You have," she said, her voice unsteady again as her hands clutched at the blankets.
"Only because you're afraid to face her death yourself," he said, reaching out to take one of her hands in his, holding it still despite her attempts to twist it away from him. "Feeling grief for her is normal. By facing it, you'll take the edge off it till it no longer hurts so much. Be thankful you have feelings. Without them, the world would be a colder place. Now come on, sit up so we can get you dressed to go downstairs." He gave her hand a slight squeeze before releasing it and getting up.
"You never say comfortable things, do you, Kaid? You live in a world of harsh realities, and you expect me to do the same," she said, looking at him as she tried to push herself one-handedly up into a sitting position. Even through the strong analgesics, the effort hurt her.
"If you can do that, then you're unlikely to be taken unawares. The loss of your cub means more to you than it does to anyone else, even Kusac, but only just," he said, turning to pick up her robe. "The cub was part of you, a part you weren't sure you wanted at first. Because of that you feel guilty now you've lost her. You're afraid her loss is your fault. It isn't," he added, turning back to her as she pushed the covers aside awkwardly, favoring her injured arm in its sling. "Kusac's afraid it's his fault because he had a vision of the fight going wrong and his fear made him call out your name as Rala cried the Death Challenge on you."
"It wasn't his fault."
"I know, but you can't both keep taking the whole blame on yourselves and denying that the other was involved. Neither of you is to blame. I knew from the first your cub wouldn't survive; it was ordained."
"You
knew?
How?" she demanded.
"The Brotherhood has always been close to Vartra," he said ambiguously, helping her put her good arm through the sleeve of her robe. "Even an expelled member like me."
"Visions? You have visions?" she asked incredulously as he helped her take her injured arm out of the sling, then guided it carefully through the other arm of her robe.
"Now and then," he said, placing her arm back in the sling and adjusting it round her neck.
"The God told you about me?"
"Not in so many words," he admitted, swinging her legs around till they hung over the edge of the bed. "It only began to make sense when I heard that one of our telepaths had a Leska Link with a Human."
"What else do you know?" she demanded, watching him for any telltale movements that would give away his thoughts.
"Nothing," he said, reaching down to pull the two halves of her robe together so he could close the seal.
"You wouldn't tell me even if you knew," she said in disgust, looking up at him.
He blinked, then looked away from her for a moment. "No, I wouldn't," he said, bending down to scoop her up into his arms.
Aware that he was suddenly ill at ease with her, she reached up with her good arm to pull at his ear. "Look at me, Kaid," she said. "I won't bite you."
He looked down at her again. "I never thought you would," he said quietly.
"You're a strange person," she said, letting her hand slide down to touch his cheek. "So many dark stillnesses surround your mind, yet I
know
you've sent to me. Are you ..."
"You can pick up anyone's strong thoughts, Liegena," he said, interrupting her as he began to walk toward the open door. "Yes, I've
thought
in your direction when you've needed me. Don't read more into it than there is."
Carrie tried to relax against him as he carried her downstairs, letting the rhythm of his movements and his breathing lull her. There was more to him than he wanted her to know, of that she was sure. When she'd heard Kaid mind speak to her, Kusac had been unaware of him. That in itself was unique. Then there were his visions regarding her, before he'd even been aware she existed.
A wave of utter exhaustion swept over her. She closed her eyes, unable to keep them open any longer. Later. She'd think about it later. It was too much of an effort right now.

* * *

He felt all the tenseness suddenly leaving her body as she rested her head against him. He almost sighed with relief but stopped himself just in time. She'd caught him unawares on this occasion, probing a little too deeply for his comfort. He'd have to watch her: what she knew, Kusac knew at exactly the same moment, and between them, they were too damned sharp.
His mouth twisted at the irony of his situation. Vartra gave him visions of a future that must be, then placed him at the heart of the matter, where he would be at his most vulnerable. Oh, yes, here he could help shape matters, but he could also be discovered— by her. Rhyasha's kitchen door was ahead of him and it was with relief he tapped on it.

* * *

Choa, Ryasha's cook, opened the door to him. "You've managed to bring her down!" she said, mouth opening wide with pleasure. "Come in, in, come in! We've a chair all made ready for her." She stood back, giving him room to enter, then followed after him, hovering in case she was needed.
"Over there." She pointed to the soft chair that had been placed at the far end of the table. "Put her down gentle, now. Is she sleeping? Poor little thing, with all she's been through. We'll get her better, never fear." She bustled past Kaid as he gently lowered Carrie into the chair.
Choa picked up the lightweight rug from the chair back and placed it over Carrie, tucking it in around her legs, then looked up at him. "You can leave her with us now. She'll be safe. With your folk tramping all over the house and round the estate, a jegget couldn't get in!"
"I'll stay nonetheless," said Kaid, moving backward out of her way.
Choa sighed loudly. "Then you'd best get down to the other end of the table out of my way. You can help yourself to c'shar, I'm not running around after you." She turned back to Carrie, dismissing him.
Rhyasha came in from the main preparation and cooking room next door. She looked toward Kaid, mouth opening in a friendly smile, ears flicking forward in pleasure.
"I knew you'd be able to bring her downstairs," she said. "It's a brave person that would even think of arguing with you!"
"You're both tyrants," said Carrie, opening her eyes and looking tiredly from one to the other. "You abuse me terribly."
"Only for your own good, cub," said Rhyasha, gently patting Carrie's hand as she sat down beside her. "Choa, please fetch Carrie's meal."
Carrie stirred. "I'm really not hungry," she protested. "I'm just tired. I'd rather sleep."
"I'm sure you would, cub, but we can't let you," said Rhyasha. "Your body, as well as your mind, has been badly traumatized. You have to eat, cub, or you won't have the energy to heal yourself. That's why you feel so tired. You'll make the effort for me, won't you? After all, you don't want me to have to ask Kaid to feed you."
Kaid's strangled growl of protest made Carrie look back over at him. His ears were laid back and his eye ridges met in a frown.
She chuckled despite herself. "It might just be worth it," she said.
"Good," said Rhyasha. "You've got your sense of humor back at least. Now, from today on, you're going to come downstairs and be with us. You can have a sleep after you've eaten, either in the lounge or in the garden, but there'll be no more staying up in your rooms brooding."
Carrie could see and feel Rhyasha's determination. Like everything else, it exhausted her. She bowed to the inevitable. "Yes, Rhyasha," she said as Choa returned with her food.

* * *

Kusac joined Vanna by the vehicle park entrance just as Meral turned off the aircar's engine.
"Any idea what all this is about?" he asked her.
"None. I thought you'd know."
"No. All Father said was he'd tell me when he returned. I think the general idea's to keep the kitlings in the main house until Kaid's security expert has his surveillance equipment set up, then they'll be moved in with one of the estate families."
"Whatever it is, it spells major trouble if your father thinks we need all this extra security. Has it anything to do with last night?"
Kusac shook his head as he watched Garras help the two kitlings out of the aircar. "I didn't have time to tell him."
The two young Sholans were dressed in oversized purple tunics that made them seem even younger than they were. They moved stiffly, obviously still in some discomfort from their injuries. Garras stopped to pick up the smaller one, the female, and as they slowly crossed over to where Kusac and Vanna waited, the boy reached out to hold onto Garras' free hand.
Kusac stepped forward to meet them. "Hello, Rrai, Jinoe," he said. "I'm Kusac Aldatan and this is Physician Vanna Kyjishi. I hear you're coming to stay with us."
The young male nodded. "Garras said we were. He also said that my mother would be coming, too." He looked around, ears and tail flicking anxiously. "Is she here yet?"
"Not yet," said Kusac. "She shouldn't be long now. Shall we go up to your rooms and get you settled in while we're waiting for her?"
Jinoe nodded.
"Please," said Rrai. "Why are we coming to stay here?"
Seeing Kusac hesitate, Vanna stepped forward to take Rrai by the hand and lead him into the house. "You don't want to stay at the hospital any longer, do you? Since you can't go back to your Tribe, we thought you'd like to come and live here. The grounds are huge and there's lots of space for you to play in— and other younglings to play with."
"Will we have to be in separate rooms?" Jinoe asked.
"No, you'll be in the same room," said Kusac, walking beside Garras so he could continue talking to her. "You'll have a suite of rooms. That's a bedroom for you two, one for your mother, and a large room for playing in. You know all about your Link days, don't you?"
"Yes," said Rrai, eyeing him cautiously. "That's when they come and do lots of tests."
"Well, there'll be no more tests on your Link days," said Vanna, her tone outraged. "You'll be left in peace from now on."
Picking up Jinoe's concern, Kusac added, "You can call us if you need us, or if you just want company, but you won't be disturbed on your Link days unless that's what you want."
Are they still virgins?
he sent to Vanna.
Have they been allowed to pair yet?
Vanna threw him a wry look.
Not yet. They're on medication to suppress their libidos until they're a little older. It appears to be working, probably because of their age.
They'd walked deeper into the house and were now going up a smaller staircase that led to the rear courtyard area.
"You're the telepath who has the Human Leska, aren't you?" Rrai asked, looking up at Kusac. "Can we meet her?"
"Of course, but not yet," he said. "She got hurt in a Challenge and is too ill to see anyone at the moment."
"Tell her I hope she gets better soon."
"I will," said Kusac, stopping beside Vanna.
"Can you give Jinoe to Kusac, please, Garras?" she said, turning to her mate. "I think it best if we take them from here. I'll see you downstairs shortly."
Garras handed Jinoe to Kusac who took charge of her rather gingerly. "I'll see you later," he said, his hand touching his mate's cheek gently before he left.
Vanna opened the door and led the way in, Kusac following her. As soon as he was inside, he realized where he was.
"It's the old nursery," he said, recognizing it with a shock. He froze, his mind going numb as he remembered why this wing had been reopened.
Kusac!
Vanna sent sharply.
Don't let the kitlings pick up your distress! It's not just Carrie that has to come to terms with the loss of your cub, you need to as well.
He took a deep breath to steady himself, then set Jinoe down on her feet.
"Kusac will show you round," said Vanna. "A food and drink dispenser has been installed in your room so you don't need to worry about meals on your Link days. Do you know when your next one is?"
"In two days," said Rrai, letting go of her hand to wander over to the window that looked out on the gardens.
"Do we have to stay in?" he asked, half turning back to her.
"No, you can go out when you want, so long as you take a den-mother or your mother with you," she said, following him over to the window.
"This isn't like the hospital," said Kusac, making an effort to concentrate on the two kitlings. "This will be your home."
"Will it be better than home?" asked Jinoe in a small voice. "Home wasn't very nice."
Kusac looked down at her. Large brown eyes looked up at him from a small face that was so thin it looked pinched. The purple tunic drowned her, adding to her air of frailty. Her light tan pelt was thin and patchy around her face and scalp, testifying to her lack of proper diet and her recent ordeal.
Gods, Vanna! She's no older than my sister Kitra!
he sent, reaching down to touch the kitling's face reassuringly.
How could that priest justify beating these children like that?
I know. They're safe now, though. You show them where everything is while I get my medikit. I want to give them a quick checkup.
"It'll be better than home, Jinoe, that I promise you," said Kusac. "Would you like to meet my sister, Kitra?"

* * *

Twelfth hour came and, as agreed, they met in Kusac's rooms. There was c'shar and coffee on the lounge table, and while they waited for T'Chebbi and Dzaka, the others helped themselves. Kusac prowled restlessly between the room and the balcony overlooking the front garden. Despite what Vanna said, he was more worried about Carrie than he wanted the others to know. Their Link had become fainter since the morning and he was suffering none of her symptoms. It almost felt as if she was separating mentally from him. The worst part was there was no one to whom he felt he could go for advice. They were the first; what they experienced was becoming the rule for all mixed Leska pairs.
T'Chebbi arrived, and quietly brought Kaid up to date on her trip with the Clan Lord to the Telepath Guild.
Dzaka was the last to arrive, the cut on the side of his nose and the swelling around one eye causing raised eye ridges from some of the others.
"We're all here, Kusac," said Vanna at last, sitting back in her chair and cradling her mug of coffee in both hands.
Kusac returned to his seat and perched on the edge of it. He looked round the small group. There was Vanna and Garras, Kaid, Rulla, T'Chebbi, Meral, and Dzaka.
"Brynne should be here," he said abruptly. "He's as involved as the rest of us."
Vanna stirred slightly. "He'll pick it up through me," she said.
He nodded. "Very well. I'll have to speak for Carrie as she's not well enough to be with us. There are several issues to discuss. The first directly involves Carrie and myself. We intend to leave not only the Telepath Guild, but the guild system completely."
As he'd anticipated, a stunned silence greeted his remark. To be guildless was to live on the margins of society, to belong nowhere.
"I won't have us treated like laboratory specimens any longer. The God willing, we'll have more cubs," he continued quietly, looking down at his hands, "but they'll never be subjected to the scrutiny of any guild. We've had enough. Neither Esken nor the Brotherhood will use us. So we've decided we're going to walk the Fire Margins."
He let the silence lengthen till he could stand it no more. Looking up at the people in the room, he shrugged. "That's it. You're free to do what you want, you're none of you bound to us any longer unless you want to be. Vanna," he looked over at her and Garras. "You'll have to do what you think best."
"I'm not staying either," she said, putting down her mug. "But to walk the Fire Margins! I don't know much about it, but even I've heard enough to know how dangerous it is."
"It's tantamount to committing suicide," said Dzaka quietly. "No one in the last ten generations has walked that path and returned. Even the Brothers won't try it."
Kusac looked over at him. "I know. But I've been researching all the En'Shalla rituals, and it's our only option."
"There's no point in asking you if you're prepared to risk your lives on something as insubstantial as this, because I know you are," said Vanna grimly, her ears flicking back in anger. "You never do things by halves, do you, Kusac? It's all or nothing! Why? Why risk everything when you both have so much to live for?" she demanded.
"If they succeed, they'll have won their liberty," said Kaid. "They'll be beyond all guild and civil laws, subject only to Vartra Himself. But above all, they'll not be outcasts. At the end of the day, it's their only logical choice."
"You're in favor of this?" Vanna rounded on him. "You're advising him to do it?"
"Yes. They'll do it no matter what we say or do. I've seen it."
"Ah," said Rulla, his voice a low purr of contentment as he settled back in his seat. "I
was
right! You
were
working toward a goal Vartra had shown you!"
"It will happen," said Kaid calmly.
"And has Vartra shown you whether or not they survive?" demanded Vanna, her voice reaching a hysterical note as her hands tightened on the arms of her chair. "Has He done that? No! I thought not! Damn the Gods! Damn the guilds! Damn all of you who're encouraging them to kill themselves!"
Garras reached out to put a restraining hand on her arm, but she pulled away, leaping to her feet and beginning to pace the room.
"Why? Why do you have to do this?" she demanded, stopping in front of Kusac, her tail lashing angrily from side to side, ears turned sideways and flicking repeatedly. "For once take an easier option, Kusac! Carrie damned near died a few days ago, and your unborn daughter
did!
"
She squatted down in front of him, putting her hands on his knees and looking him squarely in the face. "Let's leave the Telepath Guild, yes, but the rest? Dammit, Lijou's offer holds more hope than this!"
Kusac had flinched at her comment about their lost cub; now he reached out to cup her cheek in his hand, his eyes looking into hers. "You've got your own life, Vanna. You have Garras, and your own Leska, Brynne, as well as a child on the way. It's time for you to choose your own way and leave us to ours. You heard Kaid. It will happen."
"Don't wrong-spoor me, Kusac!" she said, batting his hand away. "You believe in the Gods as much as I do! If you've had enough of life and want to commit ritual suicide, why not say so and be done with it! Why this charade?"
"It's not a charade, Vanna," he said patiently. "I believe we'll succeed. I don't intend for us to die."
"You infuriate me, you ... you ... Ah!" She sprang to her feet and spun away from him to the other side of the room, pelt bushed out round her head and tail. "Someone talk some sense into him, he won't listen to me!"
"Your decision affects all of us, Kusac," said Kaid, leaning forward. "I have no intention of leaving you. Apart from Garras, the others belong to the Brotherhood and they are subject to Ghezu's orders. If they remain with us against Stronghold's orders, they face death. Ghezu will have them hunted down and killed."
"Let him try," said Rulla, his voice a deep rumble of menace. "I've told you that I intend to leave and follow you."
Kaid cast an exasperated glance in his direction. "Enough, Rulla," he said.
"What's to talk about?" said T'Chebbi, looking hard at Dzaka. "I follow you. When Stronghold stoops to placing undercover operatives among us, we're all at risk. Even on the streets of Ranz they trusted me." She turned her head away from Dzaka to look at Kaid. "You knew. You chose me for your Liege and Liegena. I stay."
Kusac glanced from T'Chebbi to Kaid, suddenly curious about her past. Ranz, one of the towns nearest to Stronghold in the Dzahai Mountains, was still infamous for its street gangs. As he looked, Kaid's right ear gave the barest of flicks in acknowledgment to her.
Rulla gave a bark of laughter which Kaid ignored.
"There's the matter of accepting Lijou's offer first," said Kaid. "If we're to curb the power of the Telepath Guild, it has to be done through the Brotherhood. Agreed you need to break from your guild soon, but until you're ready to walk the Margins, you'll need the protection that belonging to the Brotherhood will give you."
"When Lijou claims that the only guild that can realistically accommodate us is the Brotherhood, he's not being altruistic, he wants to use us as much as the Telepath Guild does," said Kusac.
"Brynne asks what's the difference between being used by Ghezu and Lijou and being used by Esken?" said Vanna to Kaid. "They're each as bad as the other." She glanced at Dzaka. "They both resorted to kidnapping and drugging us. How would it benefit us to change guilds?"
"The type of change Kaid is suggesting is unheard of," said Kusac. "Telepaths with medical talents also become members of the Guild of Medics, but their main guild remains the Telepaths. What he's suggesting is breaking completely from one guild to join another. There's no law that says we can't do that, but it's rarely done. There'll be opposition to us, and possibly legal action taken against us by Esken."
"Of course Lijou and Ghezu are using you," said Kaid. "The Brotherhood wants full guild status but they can't petition for that unless they can prove they possess a specialized skill belonging to no other guild. You, as fighting telepaths, represent that skill. If the move is made publicly, during the next All Guilds Council meeting, then there is little Esken can do but accept gracefully as you apply to be released from the Telepath Guild to join Stronghold. Then the Brotherhood can be awarded its full guild status. As I said, membership in the Brotherhood will protect you from Esken and the Telepath Guild."
"Lijou is offering us an alternative to being guildless," said Garras. "We must avoid that if at all possible."
"If you leave your guild and remain guildless, first you lose your profession," said Kaid. "Never again could you be legally employed as telepaths. Your guild companions will turn their backs on you; you would cease to exist as far as they were concerned. At one stroke you'd have severed contact with everyone you'd grown up and worked with. Second, your clans could choose to support you on their estates, but pressure would be put on them to turn their backs on you as well. You'd be total outcasts. I know. I've been there."
He stopped, looking round them. "Should you join the Brotherhood, even if only temporarily, you'd have their protection for as long as you remained members, and Esken could do nothing about it. If you survive the Margins, all that changes. You can stay in your guild yet be answerable
only
to the Order of Vartra, through the Head Priest, Father Lijou— not Ghezu. In the Brotherhood, the two disciplines are separate. The last option is to stay with the Brotherhood."
"Whatever else you decide, Vanna, I'd advise you to leave the Telepath Guild," said Kusac, looking over to where she still stood at the far end of the room. "You know what Esken did to you and Brynne on your first Link day. I don't yet know what he did to the kitlings my father had brought here, but obviously it was enough to convince him they were safer with us than with the Guild. Our family is headed for trouble with Esken irrespective of what I do. If you're still a member of his Guild, he may try to be revenged on us through you."
"Lijou said they have the facilities to help us train in both disciplines at Stronghold," said Vanna, moving back to the group. "What exactly did he mean?"
Kusac looked across at Kaid, catching his eye. "Tell us about the forgotten talents, Kaid."
Kaid nodded slowly, ignoring Dzaka's startled movement. "What you're talking about touches the heart of the Brotherhood," he said. "For as far back as our records go, we've recruited from three main sources. One is the Warrior Guild, the second is from wherever the Brothers find a Talent. The mountains breed a lot of the type of people we're looking for. We want people who first and foremost can fight, then we look for their Talents, their psychic talents. The third I'll tell you about later."
Kusac heard Vanna's sharp gasp of surprise. "Go on," she said.
"We have as wide a range of talents as the Humans do, only until now the Telepath Guild had forgotten they existed. They were so intent on their breeding programs to produce more and stronger telepaths they ignored any other gift. Every Brother can fight and is Talented in some way. The others have said I can speak for them," said Kaid, glancing round his people. "T'Chebbi has an extremely well-developed sense of impending danger. She can even pinpoint its direction. Rulla senses moods and whether people are speaking the truth." He indicated Meral. "We're in the process of assessing Meral's gifts but a sensitivity to people and his surroundings is what drew our attention to him." He stopped, looking pointedly at Dzaka.
"I'm an empath," Dzaka said with obvious reluctance.
Kaid raised an eye ridge.
Dzaka gave a low rumble of annoyance. "I'm also one of the special operatives hired by the Telepath Guild to assess rogue talents," he snapped. "As were Kaid and Garras."
Shocked, Kusac looked toward Garras.
"Truth time, Kusac," the once-Captain of the
Sirroki
said quietly. "Yes, Kaid and I worked together assessing telepaths with Talents that were uncontrollable, or who were themselves mentally unstable. Often they had to be terminated on the orders of the Telepath Guild. When we could, we recruited them for the Brotherhood where they were taught how to control their gifts. Termination was the last resort. We saved as many as we could, though Esken knew nothing about it."
Kusac could feel the blood draining from his face. His ears insisted on lying flat against his head as he looked from Garras to Kaid.
Vanna was as stunned as he was. He could see the look of disbelief on her face, feel the denial in her mind as she sank slowly into the nearest empty seat.
" 'Observe, assess, recruit, or destroy,' " quoted Kaid softly. "People like us are needed. There's no one else who can work outside the law to protect Shola, and believe me, in some cases, termination was the only solution. This is the third source of members for the Brotherhood. A young male telepath, one of your father's generation, a Contender for heirship to the Sixteen Clans, was involved in an accident in which he received severe head injuries. It was thought that he had made a full recovery, but several months later, he relapsed. He began to broadcast telepathically. It was totally involuntary, the ravings of one who was obviously mad, but like the insane, he had the strength of ten. No one could get near him. Two medics were lost before it was realized he was capable of killing with his mind. Warriors couldn't get near him. He had to die, there was no other option. That left only us. The Brotherhood took him, but not without mental and physical scars to the operatives."
"In our time, we managed to save almost as many as we had to kill," said Garras. "When we recruited, that person was dead as far as the rest of Shola was concerned. Granted they could never leave Stronghold, but they were alive and sane, and they were a working part of our Brotherhood, helping in some cases to train others."
Kaid sighed. "Truth time, as Garras said. When he called me, asking me to come out to the
Khalossa
to protect you, he knew it was a double-edged mission that I undertook. He knew we might have to face the reality that your Link to Carrie would make you both unstable. It was very unlikely, but it was a possibility. Then the Brotherhood contacted me, forcing me to accept the same mission by calling in a debt of honor. Your mother wanted an operative to protect you both and see you delivered safely to Shola, and at the same time Ghezu ordered me to assess you and take appropriate action."