“I do love you. Your position as my First Choice is secure,” he said and put his arm on her shoulder. Kyana shrugged it off and stepped away, turning her back on him. Wosot frowned as she wiped tears from her eyes.
Nox’Tor sighed, “Also, I want all use of the A’Pozz plant eliminated,” he added.
Pagara gasped. “I need that in my medicinal stores. I realize you blame Ushca’s death on the A’Pozz, but it was the act of Ridg’Sor that took her, not her use of the plant itself.”
“I do not care; it is too dangerous. Now that others know of its abilities, I want none of it around. Who knows who might be poisoned next. That is my decision, Healer. I expect it to be followed,” he looked at her sternly.
She looked away, refusing to meet his gaze. Then, looking back, she said, “I realize you are Leader now, but this is a mistake. You will cause needless suffering with this decision.” She stared fiercely at him now.
“I have made it clear. Take care of it,” Nox’Tor barked.
Wosot spoke up again, “Why all these directives so soon? Do you not think you should wait a while before making such drastic changes? And hurtful ones?” he added, glancing at Kyana, who had retreated into silence.
“Our people have been in turmoil since we came to Kayerm. My father only recently forced the Mothoc rebels to leave, and now he is gone, and no one knows what became of him. On the contrary, what is a little more upheaval? We will settle into quieter times, but this is exactly the time for more change. If the females are too short-sighted to recognize it has to be done, well, that is why a male Leader has to make such decisions.”
None of them said anything as together they began to walk away from Nox’Tor.
“Wosot, a moment.”
The Leader waited until the females were out of sight before drawing back and punching Wosot directly in the face, catching him off guard and causing him to stumble and fall to the ground.
Nox’Tor stood over Wosot and said, “Do not ever again question my decisions in front of anyone. Is that clear?”
Wosot glared up at him, nursing his sore chin with one hand.
“The next correction will not be so gentle,” Nox’Tor said and walked off.
Despite the fact that Wosot could easily have bested Nox’Tor in a fight, he simply stood up and dusted himself off. What had happened? When had Nox’Tor become such a soltark? Straf’Tor had been a strong Leader, but he had also been wise and considered the counsel of others.
At present, Wosot could see very little of the father in the son. Day two in his reign, and he had already resorted to violence? By attacking Wosot, Nox’Tor had broken one of the Sacred Laws agreed upon before the division. Wosot feared that they were in for hard times under his leadership.
That afternoon, Nox’Tor stood before the assembled people of Kayerm, standing up on the same hillside, just as his father always had. “People of Kayerm. I am not here to try to explain what we all experienced the night before last, only to say that a time of great change has come upon us. Furthermore, as you know, my father’s mate, Ushca, was murdered at the hands of the rebel Ridg’Sor, who subsequently paid for the crime with his life. What you may not know is that my father, Straf’Tor, is no longer with us either. He left willingly but not before telling me that I will now lead Kayerm. The time for looking back has passed. A Rah-hora is sacred, and we are honor-bound to abide by it. From this moment forward, contact with the Akassa, as well as with the Others, is forbidden; there is no room for doubt or negotiation. I will do my best to lead you as my father would have done. In return, I expect the same allegiance from you that you gave him.”
Nox’Tor stood for a moment and looked out at the sea of hair-covered bodies and the dark eyes staring back at him, the larger Mothoc and the smaller Sassen. At a loss for anything else to say, Nox’Tor ended the assembly awkwardly by walking off. Many stayed, shocked at both the announcement and that Straf’Tor had abandoned them with no explanation.
Almost overnight, the lives of the Akassa and the Sassen had permanently been altered. The Akassa were bound by the Rah-hora to let the past go and to look after the Others, now to be called the Brothers. The Sassen had been forbidden to contact the Akassa and now had no memory of the locations of either Kthama or Kthama Minor. Sassen and Akassa each held part of the key to the future of Etera, but how those pieces fit together, they would have to wait generations to understand.
The sun beat down on the rebel group that Straf’Tor had exiled from Kayerm. They had traveled far enough that Straf’Tor’s escort had decided they would not be turning back and had let them go on alone. The group was tired and dirty from the trek. Though they had witnessed the Rah-hora as the other Mothoc had, from their experience so far with Laborn, who had taken over leadership of the group, the others knew better than to speak of it before he did.
Laborn spotted an outcropping of overhanging rock in the distance and waved to the others before pointing ahead to their destination for the night. The group continued on until they were gathered under the protruding ledge.
Several of the males went in ahead to see if the cave was clear of inhabitants. Within a few moments, they came out and said it was safe to enter. Exhausted and glad to be settled for the evening, the females began gathering materials for resting places. The younger offling scattered to find kindling while the others looked for larger logs. Some of the sentries returned with gourds filled with water from a nearby stream and passed them around the weary travelers. Dried fruits and nuts were produced from carrying baskets. Though not needed for warmth, before long, a comforting fire was blazing. Once things had quieted down, Laborn spoke to the group.
“I know you are tired, and I will not keep you from your sleep for long. I propose that since our escorts have left us, we should send a few sentries out while the rest of us remain here. A few males will be able to cover more ground more quickly than we can as a group.”
“What will they be looking for?” asked his mate, Shikrin.
“Preferably, they will find a branch of the vortex system and lead us to a suitable permanent home. It was a mistake settling at Kayerm; we need the rejuvenating power that a strong vortex provides. It may be a way off, but the more distance between Kayerm and us, the better.”
“I saw a large patch of blackberry bushes as we were approaching,” stated one of the males, Salus. “With the little stream nearby, I think we can remain here fairly comfortably for a while. Where there is water, there are also others who need to drink, so there should be some easy game.”
A collective sigh went through the females, who were tired of the trip and wished to find a new home as soon as possible. Before long, everyone was bedded down for the evening, several of the males taking turns on watch—only because nerves were unraveling, and it gave the group a feeling of security to have them in place.
Over the next few days, the group made do and enjoyed the time of rest. Before long, one of the sentries returned, saying he had picked up a magnetic trail leading northwest and that the current had become stronger as he traveled it.
“Northwest is as good a direction as any. Let us wait for the others to return with their findings, and then we will decide,” said Laborn. Laborn’s mate brought him a longfish and a few golden-bellies, just caught by the females spearfishing in the stream nearby. He ripped one open quickly and eagerly ate until nothing was left.
“You did not give thanks for its sacrifice, mate,” Shikrin mentioned.
“I will give thanks when we are settled. Until then, I do not see a reason to be grateful, considering our current situation,” he answered her.
“Do not let our troubles make you bitter.”
Laborn picked a stray bone from his teeth and flicked it to the side, then licked the rest of the fish from his fingers, ignoring her remark.
The other sentries returned with no more promising reports, so the next day, the group packed up and headed northwest.
Teirac found Nox’Tor sitting down by the Gr
eat River and cleared his throat as he approached. The Leader turned to see who it was.
“Adik’Tar.” Teirac had been warned by Wosot of Nox’Tor’s touchiness about his title. “The sentries have returned, and they report that the rebels are far along in their exodus from Kayerm. There is no reason to believe they will return.”
“Just as well, but place sentries as far out as possible to ensure they do not. Leave them there with enough supplies to last through the next two moon cycles and the means to provide for themselves thereafter if need be. Ask for volunteers; surely there are some unpaired males who will not mind the assignment.”
“Yes. I will make sure they have what they need.”
Nox’Tor nodded but did not answer.
Headed back to Kayerm to tell Wosot what he had been instructed to do, Teirac passed Kyana coming in the opposite direction.
Kyana sat down on the soft loam next to her mate. “I wondered if I would find you here.”
“I was just collecting my thoughts,” he said, staring off into the distance.
“I know it has been hard on you, losing both your parents and then being saddled with the leadership of Kayerm.” She looked over at him.
“I can handle it. Do not trouble yourself about me,” he quipped sarcastically, not bothering to turn his head in her direction. Instead, with a thick stick, he dug holes in the soil in front of him.
Kyana closed her eyes at his stinging retort. “What has happened to you?” she braved. “Why are you so angry all of a sudden?”
He now snapped his head to face her. “Maybe I am angry, but I have every reason to be. My father is gone or dead. He barely warned me he was leaving and gave me no explanation of what he was going to do. And all over her.”
“Her? You mean his mate, Ushca?” she asked, frowning.
“Yes, her. If it were not for her, my father would still be here. All I have left now is my mother,” he said.
So this is why he is so angry? He blames Ushca for dying? It was not even rational.
“My mother, not Ushca, should have been at his side. Moc’Tor’s decree that females would mate with only one male changed everything. E’ranale chose Moc’Tor, and then Ushca took my mother’s place with Straf’Tor.”
“I do not know what to say to help you. I am sorry,” she said softly. “But how can you blame Ushca for being murdered? How is this her fault?”
“Why is everyone arguing with me? If you want to help me, find me another female. I need more sons. And I will do better by them than my father did by me, I assure you of that.”
“You do not spend time with your existing sons as it is. And how are we going to explain to our offling about you taking a second mate?” she asked.
“You will find a way, I am sure. Now be off,” he answered curtly.
Rebuked, Kyana rose silently and left, letting the tears roll down her cheeks unchecked.
Back at Kayerm, she sought out Pagara. “I must find a second female for my mate,” she told the Healer.
“I see. So he has not changed his mind?”
“No; if anything, he seems even more insistent. He says he needs to produce more sons.”
“I am sorry,” said Pagara, and she placed a hand on Kyana’s shoulder.
“And I somehow have to explain this to our offling. Do you have anyone in mind who would be suitable? Someone mild-mannered, hopefully, to offset the harshness I see in him now. I think I have learned the reason; he is bitter over his mother not being Straf’Tor’s First Choice. He believes if Ushca had not pursued his father, Straf’Tor would have stayed with Toniss, and none of this would have happened.”
Pagara sighed. “That is not how it works. But he is not ready to hear that no amount of regret and bitterness will change the past.
“I can think of several females to consider if you want suggestions.”
“Yes, please. Right now, I trust your judgment more than my own.”
Pagara named the females she felt would be suitable. Kyana nodded at each name, thanked the Healer, and left to mull over how best to proceed.
Kyana worked long into the night doing needless chores—anything to delay going to their sleeping area. Finally, when the moon was high overhead, she crept in, moving carefully so as not to wake Nox’Tor. Slipping in next to him on the shared mat, she edged as far away as she could. She turned her back and faced the rock wall. Her thoughts drifted back to years ago when they were giddy with excitement at being paired. Then their joy at the birth of their son, Norland, and later, his brother and two sisters. The times they sneaked off to find new places for lovemating—in the soft glades, under the starry night canopy with the sound of peeper frogs in the spring background. The family time together. How did we get here? What happened? She had thought he loved her. Had it all just been a lie? Or had his love been so shallow that it was as easily cast off as picked up? Whatever bond they once had together, it seemed it had been broken.
By the next morning, Kyana had planned how to meet with each of the three females Pagara had suggested. She would not let on the purpose; it would take some time to determine who she would choose. She did not intend for those not chosen to realize what was going on, so she tried to spend time with them as casually as possible.
Kyana found the first one gathering bedding for the sleeping areas. Faeya was one of the smaller Mothoc females with a body covering that was almost black.
“Good morning,” Kyana said as she approached. “Would you like some help?”
Faeya looked up to see the Leader’s mate and smiled. “Why, yes, of course. And the company even more than that.”
Kyana knelt down near her and started pulling up the soft brush and raking it into a pile with her hands.
“What brings you out here?” Faeya asked.
“Fresh air and a break from Kayerm’s bland interior. I usually do not care for the heat, but the breeze and working in the shade makes it very comfortable.”
The two females chatted for some time until Faeya said she had enough materials, and they rose together, scooped up the piles, and carted them back to Kayerm.
Over the next few days, Kyana sought out both Lorgil and Nasha and then spent a great deal of time considering her options. All in all, she preferred Nasha but was afraid the name was too similar to Ushca. Faeya was the sweetest, but could Kyana do this to her, knowing she would accept because she would see it as a great honor? Could Kyana subject Faeya to Nox’Tor’s new, foul personality? That left Lorgil. What a terrible position Kyana was in, knowing that whoever she picked could most likely have a better life with someone else. Finally, of the three, Lorgil seemed the best match, more confident in herself, less likely to be shaken by NoxTor’s oppressive personality.
That evening, when Nox’Tor came to their bed, he asked Kyana about her progress. “Have you found me a Second Choice?” he asked as he lay next to her.
“I believe I have. Lorgil.”
“Did she say yes? Though I do not know how she could refuse; it is an honor to be paired to the Adik’Tar.”
Kyana turned her face to hide her reaction. What had happened to him? This was not who she had fallen in love with. “I have not asked her. I will tomorrow,” she said and turned over with her back to him.
“We will have to explain this to our offling,” she added.
“You will find a way, I am confident.”
It was true; he expected her to tell them and would take no responsibility for it.
Kyana suppressed a shudder when she felt his hand running down her side and then snaking around to cup her between her legs, his signal for mating. For a moment, she wondered if she could just ignore it.
“What is the matter?” he asked crossly when he felt her stiffen at his touch.
“I am just tired, that is all,” she lied.
“Then it is a good thing I will have a Second Choice if you are going to be too tired for mating,” he said in a huff, and turning over brusquely, he ignored her for the rest of the nigh
t.
When Kyana awoke in the morning, Nox’Tor had already left.
Dreading every moment of what she was about to do, she sought out Lorgil. “May I speak with you?”
Kyana motioned for them to walk away from the morning fire. “I do not know how to approach this, so I will just say it. Nox’Tor has requested to take a Second Choice. And I have selected you.”
“I do not understand,” Lorgil frowned. “Those are the old ways. When it became the female’s choice of accepting only one male to mount her, the practice of taking a Second and Third Choice was abandoned.”
“Nox’Tor is Adik’Tar now. He sees fit to make changes.”
“It would not be my preference, but I do not see that I can refuse. Would I move in with you in your quarters?”
“We will arrange for another living space next to ours. No doubt he will split his time between you and me as he chooses.”
Lorgil reached out and touched Kyana’s arm. “I am sorry. This must be hard for you.”
Lorgil’s compassion moved Kyana, who smiled weakly. “I will be speaking with our offling, and then no doubt Nox’Tor will make an announcement. If you wish to tell your parents beforehand, that would be best.”
Since Nox’Tor expected her to handle this herself, Kyana rounded up her offling. Her firstborn, Norland, who was fully grown, carried his youngest sister, and Kyana took them on a walk to her favorite berry-picking spot to find the late summer raspberries, now bursting with freshness.
Once they had eaten their fill, she gathered them around her. “I have something to tell you. As you know, your father is now Adik’Tar of Kayerm, and as Adik’Tar, he has responsibilities that do not necessarily fall to other males. Though you have not grown up with this custom, your father is taking a second mate.”
Being older and understanding more, Norland and his brother, Dotrat, who was only a few years younger, frowned at their mother.
The Chamber of the Ancients: Wrak-Wavara: The Age of Darkness Book Two Page 3
