The Chamber of the Ancients: Wrak-Wavara: The Age of Darkness Book Two

by Roberts, Leigh

  “Lorgil’s belly says otherwise.”

  Lorgil stepped out from behind Wosot, away from his protection. “It is your offling, Nox’Tor, who grows inside me. Wosot speaks the truth.”

  “For all of our sakes,” said Wosot, “I urge you to move on. Build a new life for yourself.”

  “Bacht!” Nox’Tor stepped back toward them and spit on the ground in front of Wosot. “And how is that possible? None of the females will have me; you have made sure of that by your slander.”

  Kyana also stepped out in front of Wosot. “I cannot remain silent; all that has happened has been your own doing. Please, let us be. We are none of your concern any longer.”

  Nox’Tor glared at Kyana, then let his gaze run over her, up and down. “Come back to me.” He locked his eyes on her. “Come back to me and let it be as it once was between us.”

  “It can never be as it once was,” Kyana said softly. “The person who loved you no longer exists. She died at your own hand, by your treatment of her.”

  “So now you love Wosot? Is that it? You are content to take second place in his bed? Watching Lorgil raise his offling while you have no more of your own?” he taunted her.

  “I will not listen to your lies any longer.” Kyana turned to Wosot, her eyes filled with fear.

  “What do you look to him for? I am your mate; he is not, and if I cannot have you, then no one will.” Nox’Tor lunged at Lorgil, who was closest to him, and shoved her to the ground.

  As Wosot turned to help Lorgil, Nox’Tor grabbed Kyana, threw her over his shoulder, and ran toward the cliff.

  “No!” Wosot seized the fishing spear and ran after Nox’Tor, with Lorgil following as quickly as she could.

  Kyana began clawing at Nox’Tor’s head and face. “Put me down, stop it, stop it!” she screamed as she scraped and bit at whatever part of him was within reach.

  Nox’Tor called out in pain and raised his hands to protect his face. Off-balance, they both tumbled to the ground, and on all fours, Kyana scrambled away as quickly as she could.

  Having closed the distance between them, Wosot tossed his spear aside and threw himself at Nox’Tor. The two males rolled on the ground, snarling and growling as each sought advantage over the other.

  As they struggled and rolled, Nox’Tor spied the discarded fishing spear just beyond reach and instead fought his way out of Wosot’s hold long enough to grab it and jump to his feet. Before Wosot could react, Nox’Tor had him pinned to the ground with the deadly tip pressed against his throat. Wosot stared up at his enemy, weighing his next move.

  “Stop it! Stop it!” Kyana cried out. “Stop it, and I will go with you. Willingly. Hear me, Nox’Tor!”

  “You will return to my bed, never to leave again?” Nox’Tor shouted, pressing the tip harder, never taking his eyes off Wosot. “You will yield to me as my mate? Say it. Say it!” A small trickle of Wosot’s blood leaked onto the ground.

  “Yes! Yes!” she pleaded. “I will yield to you as your mate!”

  Nox’Tor fleetingly glanced at Kyana. “You lie. You say this only to spare his life. It is he you love.”

  And he prepared to drive the spear through Wosot’s neck.

  “Nox’Tor!” Lorgil called out.

  He paused. She was standing at the cliff’s edge.

  “Release him. Release him, or I take your offling over the ledge with me.”

  “You are mad. Go ahead and die, then. It is not my offling. I am not a fool to be tricked by another lying female!”

  “It is your offling. Look at my belly. Think. It is obvious by how far along I am that it is your son whom I carry!”

  Nox’Tor stared down at Wosot, who was watching intently, looking for an opportunity to make a move.

  “You said it yourself!” Lorgil continued shouting. “No other female will have you. You have lost the respect of your offling by Kyana. If I die, your only chance at having a son who does not hate you dies with me.”

  “Come here,” Nox’Tor ordered. “Walk over to me, now!”

  “Remove the spear from Wosot’s throat first.”

  Nox’Tor did not comply but instead glanced over at Kyana. “You. Come here.”

  Kyana stepped over to his side, and in a single movement, Nox’Tor pulled her in front of him, dragged her backward a few steps, and repositioned the spear across her body, so she was trapped against him. He then quickly tossed the spear aside, whipped out a hunting knife from a sash around his waist, and pressed it against Kyana’s throat.

  Wosot had risen to his feet, never looking away from Nox’Tor.

  “Move back. Do not test me unless you wish to see this female‘s blood spilled in front of your eyes,” Nox’Tor snarled.

  Then he addressed Lorgil. “It is now or never. Either jump to your death or come here to me.”

  Lorgil stepped away from the ledge and walked toward Nox’Tor.

  “Stand next to me, but be warned, if you try anything, my knife will open Kyana’s throat,” Nox’Tor shouted.

  When Lorgil finally stood beside him, he laughed, “I now have both your females, Wosot! It is I who have won.”

  Wosot and Kyana exchanged quick glances.

  Nox’Tor’s face twisted even more. “But I am not the fool you think I am; neither of these will ever be true to me. I can see my victory is an illusion, so you leave me no choice. I will not rest until I have disposed of both these females, forever. Say goodbye to Kyana, Wosot.”

  Kyana had slowly positioned her right hand while Nox’Tor was distracted, and just as he made to draw the knife across her throat, she grabbed him between his legs and twisted as hard as she could.

  Nox’Tor screamed and dropped the knife, clutching his seed pack and howling in pain. Kyana ran from his side toward Wosot, who was at the same time running to them. Though doubled over, Nox’Tor managed to grab Lorgil’s foot before she could flee.

  He twisted her ankle until she fell to the ground next to him. Though still in pain, he crawled close enough to begin punching her, hard, in the stomach.

  “No!” Kyana screamed.

  Wosot leaped for the spear and dragged Nox’Tor away from Lorgil, but he tore himself away, screaming that he would kill her. Knowing he had no choice, Wosot raised the spear and drove it through Nox’Tor’s heart, leaving him writhing in violent death throes.

  Kyana ran to Lorgil, who was now curled into a tight ball, clutching her belly.

  “No, no, no!” cried Kyana. “Oh, please, Great Spirit, no!” She took off in the direction of Kayerm. “We need Pagara!” she shouted back to Wosot.

  Wanting to go to Lorgil’s side but needing to ensure that Nox’Tor was dead, Wosot stood over the male who had once been his Leader. A giant red pool of blood seeped out from under Nox’Tor’s body, which was deathly still. Wosot nudged the body with his foot, and seeing no response, knelt down to check for any signs of remaining life.

  He startled when Nox’Tor opened his eyes.

  “I am sorry it has come to this,” Wosot said. “There was a time when our people believed you to be our next hope. That you would walk in the steps of your father and lead us into a future of our own making. Instead, you have turned away everyone who loved you. Because you could not see your own part in our future, your end was just a matter of time. The only saving grace was that it did not fall to Norland to put a stop to your reign of terror. No son should ever have to kill his own father. Good Journey, son of Straf’Tor. I pray you find peace in the next life.”

  And with that, Wosot watched as the light faded from Nox’Tor’s eyes. Nox’Tor, son of Straf’Tor, was gone.

  Assured that Nox’Tor presented no further threat, Wosot turned to Lorgil, who had stopped squirming in pain but still lay curled in a ball. He smoothed her forehead. “Stay with me. Help is coming,” he softly said to her.

  Before long, he heard the sound of running footsteps, and relief filled his heart as he saw Pagara, Toniss, and Trak running toward him, gamely followed by Kyana.

/>   Pagara was immediately at Lorgil’s side. The males turned away, giving Pagara privacy to examine Lorgil.

  Pagara tried to get Lorgil to uncurl herself and roll over on her back but to no avail. The Healer gently examined her as best she could. “We need to get her home. We have no choice but to move her. Please.”

  She looked at the males.

  Wosot, being the largest and strongest, knelt down and gently cradled Lorgil in his arms. They all walked back together, Wosot doing his best not to jostle her while getting back to Kayerm as quickly as possible.

  Wosot shouted orders and directions as he carried Lorgil into Kayerm. Several males left with Trak to retrieve Nox’Tor’s body, and despite his treasonous acts, would prepare it for the ritual of the Good Journey.

  The Healer insisted on checking Kyana as well to make sure she had not been hurt. While both were in the Healer’s Quarters under Pagara’s care, Wosot went to find Norland.

  Having been told by Wosot what had happened, Norland immediately whisked his siblings to a secluded area. He wanted to tell them their father was dead before they heard about it elsewhere.

  “Sit by me,” he told Dotrat, Lai, and Somnil. Somnil, the littlest one, crawled into his lap, and he cuddled her to him.

  “We are about to go through a very difficult time,” he started. “There is no gentle way to tell you, but our father is dead.” He looked at them for their reaction before continuing.

  “There was a fight between him and Wosot. Father threatened both Mother and Lorgil, and though Wosot tried to avoid it, in order to protect them, he had to kill Father. I am very sorry to have to tell you this,” he said, then looked down at Somnil, snuggled in his lap looking up at him.

  Alarmed, Lai asked, “Where is Mother? Why is she not here with us?”

  “Mother is alright. She is back at Kayerm. The Healer is just making sure she was not harmed.”

  “And Wosot?”

  “Wosot is fine. But in the fight, our father did harm to Lorgil. The Healer is with her; we must pray she does not lose her offling.”

  Dotrat frowned angrily. “I am glad he is dead. He was mean to Mother; he did not love her or us!” He picked up a stone at his feet and threw it as hard as he could, and the sound of it hitting one of the nearby boulders pierced the silence.

  “I know you are hurt and angry,” said Norland, reaching out and placing a hand on his brother’s shoulder.

  “No, I mean it. I am glad he is dead. I hope I never hear anyone speak of him again,” Dotrat repeated, shrugging off his brother’s hand.

  “Have your anger, Dotrat. You are entitled to it, but let it pass when it is time. Do not nurse it and let it take root in your soul. Emotions are like the weather; if allowed to, they will change because they are also energy. Right now, you are hurt and angry, and rightfully so. But in time, your feelings will shift. Allow this transformation. Do not hold on to them and thus embitter yourself, lest you fall to our father’s fate. It was Father’s anger at his own father that took him down the path to his demise.”

  Norland looked at Dotrat and prayed that these words would find fertile soil in his soul.

  Back at Kayerm, in quarters that Lorgil now shared with Kyana, Pagara did her best to make Lorgil comfortable, giving her what she could to ease the pain without harming the offling. The Healer, Kyana, and Toniss stayed by Lorgil’s side while she slept.

  Finally, Lorgil slowly opened her eyes. She reached out, and Kyana moved closer.

  “My offling. Please tell me it is okay,” she begged. Kyana looked back at Pagara.

  “I am not able to tell you that; I am so sorry. Only time will tell if there was damage inflicted. It could go either way at this point,” Pagara said quietly, resting her hand on Lorgil’s forehead.

  “Even if the offling survives,” she started, “I do not wish to add to your heartache, but perhaps you should consider letting it go to return to the Great Spirit.”

  Lorgil frowned. “Let it go? What do you mean?”

  “There are herbs. Medicines that can let your offling be released from your inner cradle. Its soul will then return to rest in the arms of the Great Mother. If you do not lose it, you must consider this option, Lorgil. You may otherwise be dooming it to life as a cripple, or worse.”

  Tears started streaming down the sides of Lorgil’s face, and she whimpered. Kyana took her hand and held it tightly.

  “I will not kill my offling. If the Great Spirit spares its life, I will love it, raise it and protect it, no matter what,” she said.

  Kyana looked at Pagara as, for the first time in her life, she began to understand the burden of the Healer’s mantle.

  Her heart heavy, Toniss left the group to update those waiting outside for news. Her son was gone. Deep inside, she wondered where she had failed him and if she could have done more to help him. Perhaps the day would come when she would find peace about how his life turned out, but today was not that day. The possibility of losing his latest unborn offling only added to her heartache. Knowing there answers she sought were beyond her reach, she turned to that which had consoled her through all the prior challenges she had already endured—her faith. “Whatever happens is in the hands of the Great Spirit,” she said.

  By the next day, the Good Journey ritual had been held for Nox’Tor. It was a solemn occasion as many remembered the great promise shown by him, the son of Straf’Tor and Toniss. And they grieved not only the tragedy that his life had become but also the loss of the Leader he could have been.

  Norland had stood looking at the body of the father he had once looked to for guidance in his own journey to becoming a male of honor. He prayed for himself, that the Great Spirit would correct him in his ways. Above all, teach me to hear your voice. Help me to guide these people into the future of their making so that your divine plan may be fulfilled for the good of all those who follow you.

  Despite the damage Nox’Tor had inflicted during his limited reign as Leader, many of the community grieved his death, whereas others felt only relief that the climate of trouble and strife would hopefully now end, forever.

  Back in Kyana’s quarters, Lorgil had begun resting more comfortably, propped with additional hides and bedding into as comfortable a position as possible.

  Pagara gave her something to drink. “You are not past risk, nor is your offling, though I am relieved you are able to rest without herbs to ease your pain. However, you have a long way to go. If Nox’Tor had not forbidden the use of the A’Pozz plant and made sure all my stores were destroyed, you would have suffered much less. My best advice is that you remain here with as little movement as possible until you deliver your offling.”

  “It is a son,” Kyana offered. “She told Nox’Tor during the battle.”

  Lorgil shook her head. “I told him that because it is what I believe to be true. But I do not know it.”

  Kyana nodded, understanding that to give the offling a gender was a way to make it more real to Nox’Tor.

  She turned her head to hide the stinging tears. Oh, Nox’Tor. I did love you at one time. I am so sorry; I am so sorry. I pray you have found peace now in the House of the Great Spirit.”

  The community had been assembled. Nearly everyone was in attendance except Pagara and Lorgil. The communal hearing regarding Wosot’s killing of Nox’Tor was about to begin.

  Norland, as Leader, Teirac, and three community members chosen at random would sit in judgment of Wosot’s actions. The rest of the community was allowed to attend and even allowed to speak up at the proper time, either in support of or against Wosot’s actions. Wosot had broken one of their laws, and that could not go without consideration, no matter what the consensus was regarding his actions.

  Norland opened the meeting, “We are here because one of our own has committed an act which may be in violation of Sacred Law. Our law states that no hand may be raised against another except for protection or defense. In a moment, Wosot will tell you from his viewpoint what happened. Then others wil
l speak. The question, in this case, is whether Wosot had the right to kill Nox’Tor in defense not of himself but of the two females, Kyana and Lorgil, and Lorgil’s unborn offling.

  Norland then called Wosot to tell the story of what had taken place. When he was finished, Kyana was called up. Lorgil had sent her statement with Beala, who had been Ushca’s best friend and was revered as one of the Elders.

  The story of what had happened had already spread through the community. Norland had no question in his heart or mind that Wosot’s actions were justified. Nor did he believe anyone thought or felt differently. But because Nox’Tor was Norland’s father and Wosot was now Norland’s right-hand male, it was even more important to follow a formal process to officially excuse Wosot’s actions. Norland was a just and fair Leader, and he wanted no appearance of prejudice to cause his people to lose faith in his leadership.

  After the details had been shared, the hearing was opened up for questions and statements. One of the younger males came forward to ask Wosot a question.

  “At the time that you took Nox’Tor’s life, did you want to kill him?”

  Wosot looked over at Kyana, his beloved. “Yes. Yes, I wanted to kill him.”

  The crowd gasped at Wosot’s admission as one person turned to another. Kyana caught her reaction in time and said nothing.

  “So you admit you wanted to kill him. Everyone knows you favor Kyana—and have for a long time. Were you just waiting for the opportunity to get him out of the way so you could have her?”

  “Nox’Tor had already rejected Kyana. Many of you heard it. He set aside his pairing to her, just as he did with Lorgil. I did not need to kill Nox’Tor to be with Kyana,” Wosot answered.

  “But it made it easier, did it not? To have him permanently out of the way?”

  “Yager, how many have you killed?” Wosot asked.

  “None. You know that.”

  “Then until you have, do not speak of how easy it is to take another’s life. Despite our differences, killing Nox’Tor was the last thing I would have chosen to do.”