Rohm’Mok turned his back and closed his eyes. This cannot be true. But this is too horrible even for my father to lie about. It must be true.
He turned back, “How come I do not know of this? Why has Mother not told me?”
“Because she is your mother, that is why. She wished to spare you a long goodbye. She only gave me permission to tell you as we were about to leave. That is why I stayed back and only arrived now. Do not think poorly of her for this. She loves you and Bahr’Mok and only wants you to find your paths in life and be happy.”
“Is this why you wanted to step down?”
“In part. Partly because of what I told you, that a new Leader should take over while there is still time for his father to help him grow into his position. But also partly because I knew her time was limited; I just did not realize I would lose her this soon.”
“So you do love her.”
“Of course I love her. I have always loved her. Not in the way that perhaps you love the Guardian. But the love I have for her has been enough. For both of us.”
Rohm’Mok looked around the room, only now realizing that Pan had left.
“I do not know what to believe now, Father. The things you said back home about one female being the same as the next. Now, this. I do not know where the truth is any longer.”
Hatos’Mok opened his mouth to speak.
“No,” said Rohm’Mok. “I need time to clear my mind. I do not wish to talk to you again today,” he said, and he briskly left the room.
Hatos’Mok watched his son walk away, and remorse began to fill his heart. He wished now that he had never agreed to Deparia’s demand for secrecy. He would have said anything to try to convince his son to stay and lead the Deep Valley—for all their sakes. But now, he feared, he had gone too far.
Oh, Deparia.
What had he done now? Why had she sworn him to secrecy all this time? Hatos’Mok knew he would have said anything to convince Rohm’Mok to stay at the Deep Valley. For Deparia’s sake—for all of them. But now— Now he feared he had gone too far. My mate, you spoke of a breach between us, and I fear it has come. For it seemed their son could no longer trust the words from his father’s mouth.
When he was finally alone, Hatos’Mok found a place to sit and stayed in the room until dark shadows stretched across the rocky floor.
Rohm’Mok left his father and headed for the outside. Not caring in which direction he went, he took a path and followed it. Before long, he found himself at the cove which had been the mouth of Kthama Minor. He looked down to see a set of footprints in the snow and followed them.
Sitting alone on a rock, the snow lightly falling around her, was his beloved. He softly said her name, and Pan turned to look across at him.
He walked toward her, and brushing off a place on the rock, he sat down.
“How are matters between you and your father?” she asked.
“Better. Worse. I do not know. What are you doing here?”
“I come here to sit. Think. Reflect. Pray.”
“The mystery still lingers here, does it not.”
“How did it end between you and your father?”
“I still wish to be paired. Tomorrow morning. But then—"
Pan quietly waited for him to continue, holding the space for whatever he had to tell her next.
“After we are paired, I need to return to the Deep Valley for a while.”
“How long?”
“I do not know. It is my mother. She is dying.” He could feel the waves of grief coming off of him.
“Oh, my love! I am so sorry. Is there nothing to be done?”
“I do not know the details. I did not realize she was sick. My father has only just told me. Until a few days ago, she made him promise not to say anything.”
Pan shook her head. “Yes, you should spend as much time with her as you can. Our pairing can wait.”
“No. We must be paired before we part. I must know that I am yours, and you are mine. I can face anything if I am assured we will be together.”
“You are assured of my love whether we are paired or not. But if that is your wish, then let us conduct the ceremony.”
She stood up, pulled him to her, and held him for some time.
The next day, word was sent through Kthama that the Guardian and Rohm’Mok of the Deep Valley were to be paired.
Before the pairing ritual began, Pratnl’Rar of the Little River asked to meet with Pan and Tyria to introduce them to Jhotin, who explained his experience with healing practices.
Tyria questioned him on his knowledge of herbs, roots, and other medicinals. When she was satisfied with the extent of his knowledge, she asked, “Why would you consider coming here to Kthama? Do you not have family at the Little River?”
“Yes, I do; however, there is already a Helper there, and I know that this is my calling. I am willing to move to Kthama to follow it if you find me acceptable.”
“Let us spend more time together before we decide on such a serious decision for both of us. If you can stay?”
“Of course. That is why I came with my Adik’Tar. Thank you.”
Time permitting, as Tyria had to take care of Fahr, the two would spend as much time together as possible.
After the morning meal, the High Council and all of Kthama assembled in the Great Chamber. Rohm’Mok and Pan stood in front of the assembly. The males were standing behind him and the females behind her. The rhythmic pairing chat began.
When it stopped, Pan faced Rohm’Mok, placed her hand on his heart, and said, “I, Pan, daughter of the House of ‘Tor, choose you over all others.”
Then Rohm’Mok placed his hand on her heart and said, “I, Rohm’Mok, son of the House of ‘Mok, choose you over all others.”
Everyone broke into smiles and came up to congratulate the couple. Hatos’Mok had settled at Rohm’Mok’s promise to return to the Deep Valley for the short remainder of his mother’s lifetime, and though he had watched from the back, he now also came up to congratulate them.
“I wish you hundreds of years of happiness together,” Hatos’Mok told them.
“You can go home ahead of me; I will come tomorrow,” Rohm’Mok reassured his father.
“Do not take too long,” was all Hatos’Mok said.
Finally, they were alone in her quarters. Pan lifted her lips to his for their first paired kiss, and they took their time together, knowing they had a lifetime to share their lovemating. When they had finished, they lay together, this time without shame.
“Are you relieved we are paired,” he asked. “Because of the offling?”
“I admit I am. But that was not a factor in the timing of our pairing, I promise you,” she answered.
He drew Pan close and nestled her in against him with her head resting on his shoulder.
“I know that. Do you wish for a male or female offling?”
“I do not care. I only hope he or she is not a Guardian,” she said sleepily.
“Because the coming of a new Guardian usually signals the death of the current one.”
“No. Though I do not wish for a long life. You are what ties me to Etera. If it were not for you, I would be glad to join my father and mother in the Great Spirit.”
Rohm’Mok squeezed her a little tighter and rested his head on hers.
“No,” she continued. “I do not wish this burden on any soul. I wonder at the wisdom of the Great Spirit in choosing me for this; I am not my father, and I do not have his confidence, nor his conviction. I question everything. The truth of it is that I do not have his unwavering faith that things are unfolding as they should.”
The moment she said that, a pang of guilt fell over her. The Order of Functions. She had not entered either the Aezaiterian flow or the Order of Functions since her parents’ death.
“You only knew your father after he had gained centuries of life experience. You are young yet. It is not fair to compare yourself to him, both from that aspect and also because your path and w
hat is expected of you are different from what was expected of him. You are too hard on yourself,” he said softly.
“Perhaps things will look better in the morning,” he continued. “It has been a difficult time. When I return from the Deep Valley, we will work to establish a routine, and I believe that will help settle things down for us both.”
Pan did not say it aloud, but she wondered how long Rohm’Mok would be gone. She certainly did not wish for his mother to die, but she also longed to have him permanently at her side.
Chapter 7
Kyana spent her days going through the motions of raising her offling and trying to keep her mind off what was in her heart. She avoided Nox’Tor, who in turn seemed to have vowed to let her have her space. On several occasions, though, she caught him apparently studying Wosot.
Wosot also avoided Nox’Tor as much as he could, though his station did not give him much leeway in this. The tension between the two males was growing, and the community at large was feeling it.
Many nights at the evening fires, Nox’Tor would return and take a seat beside Kyana. They would sit together in silence until Nox’Tor finally left for the private quarters he had taken up at Kayerm. He was no longer welcome in either Lorgil’s or Kyana’s space, and his plans for a Third Choice had never come to fruition.
Occasionally, Kyana would turn in only to find a stone, shell, or a particularly colorful feather waiting for her on her sleeping mat. They were always very beautiful, and it softened her heart to think of him looking for these and leaving them to surprise her. She knew Nox’Tor was trying to make up to her, yet she struggled to open her heart to him again.
One afternoon, she approached Pagara and asked to speak with her.
After telling the Healer what she was going through, Kyana asked, “What would you do if you were in my position? Would you take him back into your heart?”
“I cannot answer that for you. Only you know the answer to that.”
“It would be best for the community if I could find it in me to take him back to my bed. We have already been through so much. Perhaps I will try; the next time he sits next to me at the fire, I will speak to him.”
Days passed with still no words between Kyana and Nox’Tor until the morning when he approached her as she was cleaning fish down at the Great River. The sun on her back was a welcome touch against the cold breeze coming across the waters.
“Good Morning,” he said, startling her.
She looked up from her task.
“I will not bother you for long. I have come to tell you that I intend to invite Norland to the meetings I hold with Wosot and Teirac. It is time he was inducted into the leadership circle.”
Kyana nodded. She washed her hands in the river and stood up, flicking off the excess water before turning to face her mate. “I am pleased to hear that. Perhaps, together, you can mend the rift between you.”
She stooped over the carrying basket and arranged the fish she had caught.
As she straightened up, Kyana looked him briefly up and down. His hair was rumpled and his coat seemed unkempt. A pang of guilt ran through her, but she quickly pushed it down.
“Nox’Tor—”
“Lorgil keeps me from her bed,” he interrupted her. “You have become friends; I want you to try and soften her heart toward me,” he said.
Kyana’s eyebrows shot up. “You want me to speak to the female you replaced me with,” she asked, “and convince her to let you back into her bed?”
She could not help herself and threw the basket back to the ground.
“I did not replace you with her. You are still First Choice,” he answered, his eyebrows pressed together.
“I need to go now.” She leaned over and picked up the fish basket again. “If you want her back, you must find a way to win her yourself.” What had happened to all his sincerity at the fire that night when he pledged he would win her back somehow? Now he was asking her to smooth things over between him and Lorgil?
“It is not fitting that there be dissent in our house, Kyana. I am the Adik’Tar. You need to respect that.”
“You created the dissent. Not me. I do not know what you are thinking any longer. Or who you have become.”
“It is Wosot,” he said.
“What?” She stopped again.
“He is keeping you from me. I see how he looks at you. Is he pursuing you? You are paired to me and he has no right to look at you like that.”
“Wosot has nothing to do with the problems between us. Leave him out of it.” This time, Kyana brushed past Nox’Tor and walked off.
He followed her. “You are mine, Kyana; I suggest you remember that. If Lorgil will not have me in her bed, I will return to yours.”
Kyana whirled around, “You are not welcome in my bed. Ever. Whatever was between us is over. I actually believed you that first night at the fire. When you said how sorry you were and that you would do whatever it took to win me back. And then the little gifts you have been leaving me, the pretty stones, the shells. I admit it touched my heart that you would go to so much trouble to gather them for me. But I can see that whatever caused you to say and do those things has since passed. Do not come to my quarters again. Ever. I am warning you.”
“Warning me?” Nox’Tor laughed. “Warning me? What are you going to do, fight me off?”
“I cannot believe you said that. Are you saying you would force yourself on me? What about First Law, Never Without Consent? Not even the Adik’Tar has the right to set aside the Sacred Laws. Now you have gone too far!”
“What are you going to do—run to my mother again? Do not think I do not know that you have been talking together behind my back. That you have become friends!”
“Why should we not be friends? You do not control who my friends are. I am leaving now. Stay away from me; that is all I am going to say.” And this time, she continued on despite his angry shouts for her to come back.
When Nox’Tor returned to his separate sleeping quarters, he found—lying on top of his sleeping mat—the red jasper stone he had given Kyana that night at the evening fire, along with a collection of shells, feathers, and other stones.
The next morning, Nox’Tor called an assembly. The people of Kayerm gathered around, wondering what was about to happen.
“I have decided that all unpaired males are to take a mate. You have until the next full moon to pick a female.”
Toniss raised her voice, “It is the female’s right to choose.”
“Those times have passed. We are returning to the old ways because we need to increase our numbers. I have said this before.”
Trak stepped forward. “And if they do not choose a female, what then?”
Nox’Tor glared at him. “Then they will never be allowed to mate.”
“You cannot be serious?” someone asked, and the others started murmuring.
Nox’Tor looked at Teirac and Wosot. Out of duty, they stepped forward to stand by his side. Wosot kept his eyes off Kyana.
Toniss looked at Kyana and shook her head. Then she addressed her son. “You do not have the right to decide this.”
“I do not? Who decided that I do not? I am the Adik’Tar. My father, Straf’Tor, and his brother, Moc’Tor, changed the rules however they saw fit. Now I am making those decisions. I will not argue with you any longer.
“I suggest you males work it out among yourselves who gets who. And if there are not enough females to go around, you will have to share one.”
Then he turned and walked down the hillside and onto a path that led away from Kayerm.
Pagara, Lorgil, and Kyana stood clustered together with Toniss and Trak.
“I never thought it would come to this,” said Toniss. “Despite my best efforts, he is unable to let go of his anger at his father for leaving as he did.”
“Do you think that is what is driving this? Is he trying to undo his father’s ways as some type of revenge?” asked Kyana.
“That, but I think there must be
other factors,” Toniss said.
Kyana closed her eyes and let out a deep breath.
“If we let this continue, he will destroy our future,” pointed out Trak. “We have an obligation to Etera to protect the remaining Mothoc blood. We cannot just arbitrarily start mating again. These decisions are not drawn from wisdom; they spring from a well of anger.”
“We have no authority to challenge him. There is no provision for this,” said Pagara.
“There is no provision for this; it is true. But if he can simply decide to change the rules, so can we,” said Toniss. “First, he took a second mate, then threatened to take a third. Now he is forcing the females to accept a male not of their choosing. None of it seems to make sense.”
“We cannot go through another upheaval,” said Lorgil. “It has been nothing but that since we left the High Rocks. The rebel division took more of our numbers than we could spare, and we lost Tyria to Kthama. No doubt, the males are anxious to mate and will take this opportunity to follow his orders. They are under his direction.”
“They are for now. But even their loyalty can falter if he continues in this vein,” suggested Trak.
Kyana caught movement out of the corner of her eye and saw Wosot approaching the group.
“Come and join us,” said Toniss. “What do you have to say?”
“My allegiance is to the Adik’Tar—according to the ways by which we have lived. However, I now question his thinking. I believe he is making these decisions for personal reasons rather than for the good of the community.”
“Will the males comply?” asked Pagara.
“Some of them will,” he answered. “Those who have waited long to be chosen by a female and have not been selected. But I do not anticipate happy relations under those circumstances. All this will do is create strife among us.”
The Chamber of the Ancients: Wrak-Wavara: The Age of Darkness Book Two Page 10
