by Chris Africa
As the glow encompassed them, Chassy felt peace steal across his heart. Her scent was earthy, herbal, like Pookana's hut. The goddess put a hand under each of their chins and lifted their faces. Chassy looked into her face—the Mother of a Thousand Waet Trees, Protector of Waet Tree Village, the one who had blessed their journey—and a pang of homesickness nearly knocked him off his feet.
"What is your need?" she asked. Her breath was a sweet breeze.
"I'm—I'm sorry I told Andrev about the pendant," he blurted, his guilt at breaking a promise completely overshadowing all his other troubles.
"He noticed it. What more could you have done?" Dulisa asked kindly. "You are forgiven. To lie to a friend is a greater crime. Now, please tell me your need."
Words spilled from Chassy's mouth so fast he wondered if she could understand him. He related the story of their journey so far—meeting up with William, their flight from the Northmen, their separation from Nita and later William.
"And the elf must be so far ahead of us by now, we'll never be able to catch up to him," he finished. The only thing he didn't mention was the visions. They seemed to have no relevance to any real experience, even though they hadn't really steered him wrong. But he still couldn't discount the possibility that they were purely hallucinations and he didn't want to talk about them in front of Andrev.
Dulisa smiled and moved her hands to the tops of their heads, ruffling their hair with her fingers. To Chassy, it felt like a warm summer breeze in his hair. He glanced to the side and noticed Andrev was smiling blissfully.
"Your needs are many indeed," she said. "Your friend Nita is safe with the Dalatois, but I do not know the location of William."
Safe with the Dalatois? Northmen and half-giants had destroyed half a city trying to capture them. "Safe" was not a word Chassy would associate with them.
"Is William… dead? Is that why you can’t see him?" Chassy said.
"I do not know William's fate. Another of the gods has hidden him from view, possibly Martu. I suspect Martu is working in the service of war and chaos again," Dulisa said. "That contingent is ever plotting and secretive. It takes extraordinary measures to break through the concealing fog."
Chassy tried to untangle it all in his head. William was involving himself in a war that challenged the very belief in the old gods. Now Martu, a lesser god who nearly always served war, chaos and death, had hidden him. What could it all mean?
"Did William leave us of his own free will, or was he forced?" Andrev said. "I just want to know, if we run into him or his men again, should we trust them?"
Chassy wondered the same. Was William kidnapped by Martu? Or working with Martu?
"Whether William's recent disappearance was intentional is also hidden from me, but I know William's heart. You can trust him and anyone he calls friend," Dulisa said.
Chassy glanced sideways at Andrev, wondering whether he should ask about the visions. But he didn't want Andrev to start harassing about what he knew, especially since he didn't really know anything, and he didn't want to be accused of lying again. So instead, he asked, "Are we sorcerers?"
Dulisa laughed so hard her shoulders shook, dislodging the birds and butterflies that had settled there. "Of course you are not sorcerers. You would know if you were. Sorcerers practice for many years to become good at what they do. You are not even apprentice sorcerers—"
"Then William was lying?" Andrev interrupted.
"—but each of you has a power within you," Dulisa continued. "You must search yourselves to find the seed, and nurture it to make it grow. Then you will become apprentices, and in time, each of you may become a great sorcerer or a wizard. The weavers have always been among the greatest sorcerers. It is their heritage."
Chassy stared. The weavers? But his parents had never done any sort of magic. "If this is true, why didn't our parents tell us? We've never seen them doing any magic."
Dulisa sighed. "So many questions you have! But I am not here to answer all the questions of two curious young men. What is your true need, your request?"
"We need to get a message to Nita." Chassy said. "Lyear must be decans ahead of us by now."
"Perhaps your friends can help you," Dulisa said.
"Our friends?"
"Keilar and Dragan have been searching for you," she said.
Two horses trotted out of the wood, led by dryads. Dragan tossed his head and snorted. Chassy's original pack was still attached to the saddle.
"They aren't so far as you think," she added. "No need to go through the mountains."
31: The Travel Stone
The Dalatois celebration was nothing like the Waet parties Nita had grown up with, lighthearted occasions full of dancing, games and too much food. The Dalatois took their parties seriously. By the time Nita emerged from the tent, they were paired up painting each other's bodies in brilliant shades of red and turquoise. Smiling, Adar approached her with a little clay pot divided into two compartments.
"Thanks, Adar. I think I have enough adornment already." Nita kept an eye on Lyear, who was talking to Lorthana.
"Silver is not right. Who can celebrate without the passion of fire and the temperance of water?" Adar asked. "Besides, it is our custom. You are a NorthFriend, now."
"Alright, maybe just a little," Nita said. "Adar, your people come from Across, don't they?"
"Across?"
"The other side of the Nareeth," Nita explained.
"Yes, we do."
"But there are so many of you. Did you come all this way in a ship?" Nita asked.
Adar brightened. "No, thank the gods! Lorthana has a magical travel stone. It opens a door to take you long distances. It is how she came to us in the Northlands."
Nita's mind raced. "Could I... Do you think I could use this travel stone?"
"You would have to ask Lorthana," Adar said, "but I am sure she will let you."
Adar dipped one finger gently into the clay jar, and it emerged a brilliant red. Cautiously, she reached out to touch Nita and ran her finger over Nita's brow. Again, she dipped and touched Nita's face, using a different finger for turquoise. As she continued, Adar gained confidence, until she was painting quickly and fluidly.
As Adar worked, Nita moved only her eyes to look around the camp. The Dalatois were cleaning up signs of battle and preparing for a feast. For a few seconds, Nita was sure she saw the two elves laughing together from the corner of her eye, and she was again frustrated at Lorthana's blind faith in Lyear. Lyear had sworn he would remain in the camp until after the celebration, and Nita had quietly spread the word among the guards that he should be detained if he tried to leave without her. Still, she didn't trust him, and she wasn't sure whose side Lorthana would take if pressed.
"Done!" Adar said finally. "I will prepare Lorthana and our elven visitor now."
Lyear walked away when Adar approached Lorthana, but several of the Dalatois guards watched him warily. Nita relaxed. She had explained that the guards need only call to her if Lyear tried to leave. There was no reason for her to be vigilant now. She approached Lorthana.
"What did Lyear have to say?" she asked.
Lorthana frowned, and Adar paused in the middle of a stroke across her cheek. "I'm no spy. If you want to know, ask him."
"I didn't mean it that way." Nita felt herself blushing. She had meant it that way, but when it was re-stated in those exact words, Nita felt ashamed to have asked. "It's just that the two of you seem to get along quite well for two people who have just met."
"Our families are known to each other," Lorthana said. "They have common history."
"You're related, then?" What was it that allowed these two elves, formerly unknown to each other, to connect so immediately? Nita tried to sound conversational, not prying.
"I told you. If you want to know what we were talking about, ask Lyear. I am not your informant."
The celebration started with a proclamation in the Dalatois language. It was a soothing, melodic language, with no har
d sounds in it at all. Standing in the middle of his people, the Tsen motioned for her to approach.
"Sorceress, you have saved us from slavery by one who would has caused us much pain and dishonor and would have caused much more. We are in your debt. Please accept this small token of our gratitude."
The Tsen presented her with a silver bell on a soft leather loop, lifting it over her head so that it hung around her neck. It tinkled quietly.
Nita opened her mouth to express her own thanks for the bracelet that actually saved them all. Before she could get a word out, a woman nearby began a soft chant, which was quickly joined by more and more voices until it seemed the entire Dalatois camp was chanting. It became a fierce pounding that brought the blood to Nita’s face. Despite the language difference, she felt overwhelmed with joy and excitement. Looking around, she noticed most of the adults were swaying with their eyes closed. Small children clung together in groups, for once silent and smiling. The song gradually died off, a few singers at a time, until the woman who had initiated the chant brought it softly to conclusion.
As though their energy had been contained too long, the Dalatois suddenly burst into activity. Servers brought mounds of roasted birds, berries and boiled roots on trays and in baskets. She hadn't seen this much food at a harvest festival. Where had they hidden it all, and how had they managed to ready it so quickly, Nita wondered. A girl wandered the crowd carrying a stack of bowls on her head.
Nita followed Adar's example, taking the bowl offered. An old man serving at the soup pot gave her a scoop of roots. She took a bird from the tray. Then she squatted beside Adar and happily sipped soup, while eating the bird with her fingers. The Dalatois ate every part of the bird but the head. When Nita balked at crunching the bones and feet, Adar eagerly took her portion and finished it off. Someone kept a lively drumbeat going throughout the meal.
"How long did your Tsen follow the Nydwon?" Nita asked.
"Seventeen moon cycles," Adar said.
"How did it happen?"
"The Nydwon came to my Tsen in our homeland. They went into the Nydwon's tent together, and when they emerged, Tsen told us to pack our things. Lorthana was ordered to bring her travel stone, and then—we were here in this cold, flat place." Adar's eyes were distant. "Now we will never see our home again, I am sure of it."
"Can't you just go back with the travel stone, the way that you got here?" Nita asked.
Adar shook her head. "After all this time, our lands are forfeit. Another tribe will have claimed them, if the Nydwon didn't already give them away herself."
Nita put her arm around Adar. "I'm sorry. What will your people do?"
"We will make our new home here, Sorceress." The Tsen stood over them, his face streaked with red and blue. Nita thought he looked more fierce than festive, with his straight back and solemn expression. She rose and brushed off the dirt, feeling a little self-conscious—but only a little. She had woken up in the morning a humble prisoner, only to become powerful sorceress in one day.
She nodded her head to him. "This is quite a party." He smelled musky and his face wore a serious look.
The Tsen nodded back. "It is a celebration of freedom, something that one cannot appreciate who has not lost it. It is also a celebration of alliances. Come, let us walk together. We must talk."
"Of course." Nita swallowed nervously, but followed him. A path cleared for them as they moved through the crowds. The Dalatois bowed respectfully before them, holding out their hands palm down. As the Tsen passed them, he touched the back of each offered hand.
"Your traitorous companion escaped in the confusion. I can send some fighters to bring him back, if you wish to punish him," the Tsen offered as they left the crowds behind.
Anger flared in Nita but died down almost immediately. Samuel had been a prisoner of his own making and had undoubtedly fared much worse than her. She could forgive him without entirely understanding his motivations.
"That won't be necessary," she said. "Reformation is a journey down a path we must forge for ourselves. There is no punishment we can give Samuel that will be worse than the road he is traveling now." Tears came to her eyes as she realized she was quoting her mother again. She missed home terribly.
Perhaps he noticed the tears, because the Tsen merely nodded and walked beside her in silence for a few more moments.
"My people have been away from our homes for seventeen moon cycles," he said finally. "There are two dozens of children among us who have never known any other home. There are young ones who have forgotten our home. The adults among us have become accustomed to the cities and once-strange ways here in Ayzwind."
They came to the end of the camp, at the edge of the darkness. Nita noticed now that several guards were following, and a small group of Alav continually ran ahead, planting new torches in front, to keep the Tsen always in the light.
"We cannot go back. Our lands will belong to others now. This," he swept his arm across the black-shrouded plains, "will be our new home."
"But this land must be owned by someone," Nita said firmly. "You can't just take it."
"I hope to make an alliance with someone powerful enough to help me take it." The Tsen gave her a sideways look, obviously gauging her reaction.
Nita laughed. Just a little laugh, not meant to be disrespectful, but there it was. "Who would ever do such a thing, and why?"
"I thought you might," he said. "I have information that you would find helpful on your current mission."
"What mission?" Now was not the time to start blabbing secrets, Nita decided. "I went in search of a friend, Master Lyear, and now here we are."
The Tsen's smile was thin. "You were traveling with William of True; therefore, it is reasonable to assume you also work for the resistance. You could use strong fighters like us at your back, and you can reward our loyalty with new lands."
"What are you talking about?" Nita's mind raced. So this must be William's big secret. It was no surprise that he had kept them in the dark about this dangerous occupation.
"Do you mean to mock me?" The Tsen's eyes narrowed. "The Nydwon would have used you as a tool to thwart the resistance and solidify the wizard Gnarkvetch's leadership of Ayzwind."
Nita put her hands on her hips and tightened her lips. Now this Tsen thought he would use her as a tool? "I don't know anything about this movement," she said, as politely as she could, relaxing her demeanor. "Although I most certainly welcome the friendship of the Dalatois, I'm not prepared to form any alliances at the moment."
A young Dalatois boy trotted up. "Sorceress, your companions have arrived."
Nita's heart raced, and she forgot all about the Tsen for the moment. "Take me to them immediately."
32: Reunited
Chassy wasn’t happy about the welcoming party. A dozen Dalatois surrounded him and Andrev with spears at the ready. Nita and Lyear were nowhere in sight.
"Whatever are you doing? Put down those spears."
The Dalatois dropped their weapons and backed away. It sounded like Nita's voice, but the person who confronted him had short curly hair. The right side of her face and her right arm were disfigured by some sort of silver… thing.
"Chassy, it is you! Andrev!" She ran toward them.
Chassy recoiled from her outstretched arms and looked over to Andrev, who was frowning in confusion. The person with Nita's voice drew up short, her arms dropping uncertainly to her sides.
"Nita, is that you?"
"Of course it’s me!" she said. "What’s wrong with you?"
It was either Nita, or someone cleverly disguised to look… sort of… like her. He said, "What happened to your face?'
"My face?" Nita brought her right hand to her cheek, as if suddenly remembering something. Her nostrils flared. "What happened to my face? I was kidnapped by savages and you've been off who-knows-where doing who-knows-what, and you want to know what happened to my face?"
Chassy saw Nita pull back her arm, but he barely had time for a gasp befor
e her fist connected with his jaw. His head flew back and he landed on the ground.
"There's nothing wrong with my face. Is something wrong with yours?" she challenged.
"It's her." Andrev grinned and stretched out a hand to help Chassy to his feet. Then he turned to Nita and put his arm around her. "We're glad you're alright. But you look completely different. Is that silver paint?"
"You’re a sore sight for eyes yourself," she said, tugging on his ragged beard. She hugged him and then turned to Chassy, who was still rubbing his jaw, happy for even the minimal cushion of the beard.
"Let me see that," she said, turning his face into the torchlight. "Huh, no burn." She seemed surprised.
"Why would I have a—"
"I'll explain that if you tell me where you got that big sword." Nita looked around. "Where’s William?"
Chassy's mood darkened. After all this time, the first thing she asked about was William? He jerked his head toward the Dalatois surrounding them. "Maybe we should go somewhere private."
"Please see to it that Lyear is sufficiently guarded. We’re going to take a little walk." Nita motioned the Dalatois guards away. How was she doing that?
"Lyear was captured just before me. The Dalatois have been keeping him under wraps," she explained when they were alone. Chassy felt his mouth opening wider and wider as she related the story of her capture, and the death of the Nydwon.
He had about a thousand questions for her, but the one that popped out was, "The silver stuff on your face is magic?" He glanced down the silver ring that he still wore on his finger, wondering again whether it had any special properties.
Nita nodded. "I can control things with my mind and my hand." She reached out her hand and a log a few feet away rose off the ground. Andrev gasped, and then grabbed her hand and started examining it in the dim light.
"That's amazing. Can you teach me how to do it?" Chassy felt incredibly envious. He had tried such a thing many times after his first experiments in the woods, and it was quite obviously beyond his own ability. But Dulisa had hinted that he and Andrev had powers, too, so he guessed he would just have to keep on trying.
