by Lexy Wolfe
Chelik walked up to her. She respectfully covered her eyes with her veil before meeting his gaze. He hesitated, then lifted it to uncover them. “I refuse to be a coward if a northborn can meet your gaze without fear.” He leaned closer. “Always watch your back. Do not trust them too easily.”
She smiled at the man, eyes glittering with tears. “I won’t, Alanis Vi’linu. Thank you.”
Storm stalked back to the other na’Zhekali, muttering as she walked between Ash and Skyfire, “I still want to kill him.”
Skyfire watched her pause to pick up Izkynder to let him ride on her hip, sad but bemused nevertheless. Ash put a hand on his shoulder. “She would not restrain herself if she did not love you.”
“I know, Ash. No doubts exist in my heart that my th’yala loves me. But Roshisan is my father, and now he has lost my sister. Perhaps in a more painful way than how he lost our Mother because Kiya chose to leave him. She was was the last of his children both still alive and close to him. I fear how he might turn on the rest of the Su’alin in his anger.”
Lyra walked into Remembrance Hall, followed by Star, Nolyn, Skyfire and Seeker. The latter traded confused looks when Elder Hinina and the Alanis Vi’linu came in from a different entrance. Hinina smiled, taking the blond woman’s hands in hers. “Dusvet Lyra, forgive me for not arriving sooner to your summons.”
The young woman giggled. “No, no, you are fine. We only just arrived ourselves. Storm has been feeling unwell and required rest. Ash is staying with her. We were delayed while I spoke with them and they have given me their blessing for this meeting.”
Seeker crossed his arms. “What is this meeting about, Dusvet Lyra?”
“And why are we here?” Chelik demanded with a scowl.
“It started when I was walking with others of my tribe and we met several members of the Vi’linu tribe.” Lyra closed her eyes as she removed her weapon, holding it out on both palms. “And Leryen recognized the wood my bow is made of.”
Chelik’s scowl vanished in shock. Only sheer stubbornness kept him on his feet as he held out a shaking hand to touch it. He looked up at her, eyes wide. “The tree this came from lives?”
Lyra nodded. “People in my family are not strong in magic, but we have always been close to the land and the trees. It is how we succeed as tree tenders much like the Lirai family.” She explained to the siblings, “In Forenta, tree tender mages are usually considered…lesser. Weaker.”
Nolyn crossed his arms with a quiet snort. “Only arrogant highborn or ignorant lowborn think that way. Most tree tenders prefer the company of the forests, so they do not have any drive or desire to lead.”
“In other words, they do not wish to deal with humans and their petty social hierarchy unless their goddess makes them?” Star asked with a small smile for her lifemate, patting the sleeping Laurel’s back as she held her. Nolyn coughed, coloring enough even the Desanti could not help but be amused.
“My family are also some of the finest bowyers. Anyone who learns to shoot a bow learns to craft them, as my grandfather would say. For us, it had been a family secret, but…” Lyra looked at the siblings. “…a bow or the arrows are stronger if the tree they were a part of is still alive. The same for anything made of wood, really.” She gestured with the bow. “My bow is made of silkwood. Something highly coveted for its rarity, as my family are the only ones who know where it grows.”
Chelik’s voice was barely more than a whisper. “It was called quyess when it grew here.”
“There are Desanti trees in Forenta?” Skyfire asked, echoed by Seeker and Star. Nolyn just stared at the slender archer, processing what she told them.
“Well…no. Not exactly,” she admitted.
“Hidden Valley.” Nolyn asked simply, “It isn’t within Forenta’s borders, is it?”
“No, it isn’t, Master Nolyn,” Lyra confirmed. “The trees are very stubborn and do not, ah, propagate easily. The seeds are alive, but they refuse to grow in Forenta. It has been a source of agitation for those who wish to exploit them for profit. The secret has been the only reason a tree tender family with no mages endures.”
Skyfire frowned, crossing his arms to rub a finger under his chin thoughtfully. “Until Storm and I went to Forenta, nothing born of Desantiva could have crossed the border. They may be able to now, since Ash had ended the spell that kept our people out.”
“Trees are smarter than people give them credit for.” Nolyn smiled. “And knowing how willful everything Desanti is, I doubt they will thrive if anyone attempts to force them to grow.”
“I agree,” Chelik stated, finally overcoming his shock, though still deeply reverent as he kept his hand on the bow. “My tribe is one of the last who passes down the stories of the old traditions about how to care for the great living things when the land was green. Most, like the Vi’disa, have gone extinct.”
Returning her weapon to the harness on her back, Lyra reached into her tunic, pulling out a thick pendant on a silk cord. She took it off, looking at it for several moments. “It is tradition among my family that those who leave take something of home with them.” She offered it to Chelik, placing it in his hands, then showing him how to open it. Inside were several compartments, seemingly filled with bits of dirt. “This holds the seeds of the trees my family has protected.”
Hinina gasped, covering her mouth with both hands. Chelik, to his credit, did not drop the treasured object, though he fell to his knees in shock at her gesture. “You…you honor us, Dusvet Lyra. Thank you.”
“I do not know if the land is ready for them to return, or if they are strong enough to withstand the harsh environment,” Lyra cautioned. “But I wanted you to know…I wanted you to know there is hope that some of what Desantiva knew can someday return. My family does everything they are able to keep them protected.”
Seeker swallowed against the lump in his throat, putting an arm around his sister who leaned against him, both comforting each other. “It is an honor to witness your gift, Dusvet Lyra, but why—?”
“Because Skyfire made a promise and Master Nolyn can help fulfill that promise.” Lyra smiled at the tall, dark man. “It will be okay. I know the Vi’linu can protect one of Issonia’s children until the land has recovered more.”
Nolyn frowned, tilting his head. “Who is Issonia?”
Skyfire took a pouch from his belt, carefully taking out a small sphere. “She is a Su’nalia who has been alive since before the Great War.”
All of the Desanti reacted to his words. “A spiritkeeper?”
“Yes. She has protected the souls of many Desanti Guardians of Time. They have not returned to the ancestors. If they go, Fortress would become unstable because no Desanti dwell there. Jaison’s presence helped, but still, the stability there is fragile at best. Souls are not meant to go so long without being reborn.”
Lyra accepted the seed from Skyfire and went to Nolyn, taking his hand in hers, turning his palm up to place it in the center. “Issonia is the strongest tree I have ever met. She said that her kind used to live in many regions of Desantiva. They are very sacred to the Desanti.” She picked up a plain bowl filled with damp sand and held it. “She wished her children to be born here, to return to the land they called home.”
Nolyn nodded in understanding, chuckling a little. “Forgive me if this takes a little while. I have not done this in years.” He sat on the edge of the fountain, resting the bowl in his lap. He pressed the seed partway into the sand, then closed his eyes, focusing on the spell he began to cast.
At first, there was nothing but his murmur. Then they saw it quiver, a slender root snaking out before burrowing into the sand. Then the seed appeared to stand up, going up on a stalk until the shell began to split. When two new leaves had fully unfurled, Nolyn let out his breath loudly, exhausted but pleased.
He offered the bowl to Hinina, the woman catching it before it slipped from his hands. “Forgive me. It requires a great deal of myself to coax a tree to grow. And a little negotia
tion. There is no question she is as Desanti as you are, Elder Hinina.”
Star stared. “I heard…a voice. A name?” She looked at Skyfire for confirmation. “The tree can speak?”
“Iwiyu,” Skyfire confirmed. “Her name is Iwiyu. Su’nalia are spiritwalkers, too. Her mother Issonia had been guiding me some since my vision was healed.” He looked at Nolyn with deep gratitude. “Thank you. I know the others will need to fight to survive normally, but—”
The mage shook his head. “If the Desanti do not object, I could find other tree tender mages to come to Desantiva to aid in the recovery of the land.” He smiled tiredly. “Or your people could visit us to learn how to raise and tend to trees to keep them strong without coddling them. That would only make them weak and unable to withstand the elements when the weather turns bad. Along with trees from Lyra’s Hidden Valley.”
“I am not sure…we are ready for them to return,” Chelik said after a time. “There is much we must learn to accept since the na’Zhekali returned to Desantiva. And there had been a great deal of change to the land that the trees may not be able to endure. There will need to be much done to prepare. But thank you, Treewalker…er, Master Mage Nolyn Lirai.”
The Forentan laughed. “Please, I have been called far worse things. And given the road ahead, ‘treewalker’ won’t be the epithet it is now, but an honorific to those who will keep the trees strong and protected.”
“Yes. You are correct.” Chelik smiled faintly. “Treewalker.”
Where is everyone?” Bella wondered on the edge of a yawn as she came out from her and Jaison’s sleeping area. “The quiet woke me up.” She rubbed her cheek as she dropped onto the mat by Jaison. She smiled in gratitude when he handed her a cup of broth.
“Most are out,” Ash said as he returned inside. “Lyra and Nolyn are meeting with the Vi’linu. Star and her Swordanzen guardsmen are speaking with the elders. Terrence is off corrupting Marcus.” A small, satisfied smile curled the man’s lips when Bella choked mid-sip. He accepted one from a chuckling Taylin.
Bella wheezed. “No fair. I just woke up.”
“Not bad, Ash.” Mureln winked as he sat back on one hand with a casual air. “You are improving your ability to shock Vodani.”
Tyrsan grunted as he sat down, taking a towel to wipe down his torso. “When you can do the same to a bard, you’ll have mastered the art of flustering Vodani.” He arched an eyebrow when Bella poked his chest.
“Why in the world have you been training incessantly when the sun is up?” the woman asked. “Are you trying to get sunburn?” She poked his deep red and brown shoulder. “If so, you are succeeding admirably.”
“It is a technique from Sevmana I haven’t had to use in more than two centuries. Once the burn passes, the skin remains brown and does not burn so easily.” He stretched, popping his neck before taking the broth from Taylin. “And the lotion we received from one of the tribes does wonders soothing the sting.”
“Ironic that you na’Zhekali can’t get burned by fire but the sun can roast you like a rabbit on a spit.” Bella shook her head. “Speaking of incessant training, where is our other illustrious leader, anyway?”
Ash looked toward the sleeping area with a faint frown. “She has been complaining of not feeling well since the meeting of the tribes. I told her to sleep in a little longer, but I thought she would be up by now.”
“I am awake,” Storm stated, pushing the curtain divider aside. She sat by Ash, crossed her arms and closed her eyes.
Taylin’s expression filled with concern. “You do not look healthy at all.” The healer reached out to touch the other’s forehead, drawing back when the surly woman growled and swatted at her hand in irritation.
“Aelia na’Zhekali!” Ash snapped. “That is enough of this nonsense. You have not been feeling well long enough that it worries all of us. You know very well Taylin is not going to attempt healing you without permission. She only wants to make sure whatever ails you is not something she could aid in. She could, at the very least, ease some of your discomfort.”
“No,” the unhappy Storm stated, crossing her arms in stubborn petulance. “I do not need a healer.” She grimaced, shifting her crossed arms over her abdomen.
Ash sighed. “Beloved, you are miserable. You have not been eating enough for even one of your people.” He reached to put his hand on her shoulder, but she slapped him away. “Aelia!”
Squatting near his father, Izkynder watched his mother and Ash try to cajole or convince his lifemate to accept aid, his young face filled with worry. His eyes sparkled with the gold of spiritwalker sight. “Aunt Storm is scared.”
Mureln managed a wan smile. “Aye, she is.” He smiled sadly, ruffling the boy’s hair. “I am not sure if she is worse when she is frightened or angry.”
He looked up at his father, tilting his head. “Was Mama scared, too?”
The four adults looked at the boy when the implication of his words sank in. “’Too?’” Bella squinted at Storm, then looked at Jaison with a ‘You didn’t notice?’ expression. The man shrugged, shaking his head in bewilderment.
“Storm, are you pregnant?” Tyrsan asked. Only a flinch and aversion of eyes met the blunt question.
Taylin and Ash reacted in surprise. “Pregnant?” Taylin looked at her son, then at the adults. “I thought Vodani and Desanti could see when that kind of thing happens.”
Jaison smirked. “This is Storm you are talking about. A woman who can willfully hide from divine sight. We are but mere mortals.” His smile faded to an expression of worry when he looked to the miserable woman.
Ash felt gratitude that he was already kneeling when the question and Storm’s answer, implicit in her reaction, struck him. “Pregnant? With our child?”
“Whose else?” she snapped, guilt and bitterness thick in her voice. “The only other I have been with is Skyfire and he is th’yala to me. Of course it is yours. You need not worry. Izkynder is as close to a shared child as he and I will ever have.”
“Aelia, I have told you both before. If you asked, I would not be upset if you and he shared a child. I might have envied if his was first, but…” He reached out hesitantly, then rested his hand on her shoulder when she did not lash out. “Why didn’t you tell me?” She looked away more, jaw clenched. “Beloved, please. Talk to me.”
“Do you think I could live with myself knowing what I was would crush your heart?”
“Ash,” Jaison interrupted before he could scold Storm. “It isn’t about being Zhekali in a former life. It’s about being Desanti. Among our people, most pregnancies do not survive.” He put a hand on Izkynder’s head, ruffling his hair and smiling sadly at the boy. “Most pregnancies end in miscarriage or are stillborn, and many children never survive to see their adulthood trials, much less return from them.”
“But your people know from the moment of conception that…” Taylin’s eyes dilated as the reality of Desantiva’s world sank in. “Oh, Zeridus, no wonder you and Skyfire are so protective of Izkynder.”
Self-loathing soaked Storm’s low-pitched voice. “Children are our future. Any Desanti who would not protect a child is considered flawed and usually removed so their flaw does not spread.”
Ash stared at his lifemate’s profile. “How long—?”
“Since the day Lyra had gone to gather her crysalin,” Storm stated without any inflection. “I would have told you after we created the portal to reach Nolyn, but…” She snapped harshly, “Something is wrong and it is my fault because I tried to destroy my soul and take their chance at life from them!”
Taylin traded a concerned look with Ash, then looked back to the distressed Storm. “What is wrong?”
“By now, I should know if it is a boy or girl. But I cannot tell! My child is broken and it is my fault! I cannot live knowing my lifemate hated me for hurting our child. We had to make the portal to get here to save Nolyn, even if we didn’t know who was in trouble then. I have warned him duty will always come first because I
am Githalin Swordanzen.” She covered her face. “But how can I expect him to feel nothing for his own children, no matter what duty demands?”
“Don’t be sad, Aunt Storm,” Izkynder said anxiously. “Neither of them want you to be unhappy.”
Storm’s anguish lifted in confusion that matched Ash’s. “What do you mean, ‘neither of them?’”
“My new tlisan. They don’t have names yet because they have to be born first so you can give them child names. I think it’s a rule or something.” He crouched beside her, putting a small hand on her abdomen. “They let me call them Sister and Brother because I want lots of brothers and sisters but Mama and Papa are being too careful now.” Taylin turned brilliant red, Mureln coughing as Tyrsan, Bella and Jaison chuckled.
“…Two?” she whispered. “At once? But Desanti don’t…”
Ash put his arm around her in reassurance. “Twins do run in my family, beloved. And Avarian has always been a part of the na’Zhekali through their youngest son Tristan. I guess nature increased the odds.” He frowned down at her in worry. “But it is not easy on the mother among Forenten, and Nolyn said that pregnancy is…hard on your people.”
Storm only stared sightlessly in shock. “…Two?”
“Well, then, Alanis, you best start listening to your tlisan who intend to ensure you and your children are safe,” Taylin stated in tones that brooked no argument. She put her hand under the other’s chin, turning her face up to meet her eyes. “We will work together to discover the new patterns for a Swordanzen to bring life to the land, not just protect it.”
“Bring…life?” Storm closed her eyes as Ash kissed the top of her head. “I have always wished…but Swordanzen take life to protect life.”
“It will be good, Aunt Storm!” Izkynder said, hugging her arm. “Brother and Sister say you don’t need to worry. They are strong, like you and Uncle Ash!”
Jaison tilted his head. “I thought those with Citali’s gifts could only see and talk with souls of those who died. I’d never heard of any doing the same with those being reborn.” Storm looked down at Izkynder, running her finger along the opalescent mark on his cheek.
