by Dana Davis
That got a round of laughs from the others. Servants met them as they topped the hill and all welcomed Thad to his new status among the kin. Then they scurried off to prepare for tonight’s feast.
“We’ll have to see about your new living arrangements tonight,” Xiath said. “Forty-seven is open. It’s small. But then, you are only new-oathed.”
“That fine, Fath—Xiath. I don’t mind sharing with my clan brothers.”
“You’re new-oathed, Thad. There will be no sharing cottages with younglings in the Land of the Goddess.”
When they arrived at the village circle, younglings milled about and Thad tried very hard not to stare at their footprints.
Tsianina caught sight of him and took quick steps. Taniras was with her and the two stopped nearby.
“Thad, are you all right?” The island lass had fresh flowers tucked over her ears now.
Xiath cleared his throat.
Thad glanced down at the scroll in his own waist belt, the Gypsy handbook, and Taniras’s jaw muscles bulged.
Tsianina gazed at his new-oathed clothing and the scroll, smiled and congratulated him.
Haranda studied the two lasses. “Inform the others that tonight we welcome another new-oathed Gypsy with a feast.” She clapped her hands when the two stood gawking. “Move, younglings.”
“Yes, Mother Haranda,” the two said in unison, and they dashed toward the nearest crowd of students.
Chapter 42
The cave felt much smaller than Thad remembered. It seemed that he had been here so long ago, though it had been eight moons since he and Nym waited for Haranda and the others to arrive for the trip through the Means. He never thought boots could be constraining but his feet had been free for so long in the Land of the Goddess that shoes seemed a bit foreign, and he wriggled his feet as he waited for the others to enter the cave behind him.
Xiath was first council in this eleven member kin quest and the man had lost some of his patience during the trip through the Means. He grumbled even as they entered the cave. If not for the Vedi and the few texts they had on the Teadai Prophecies, each group would have gone through blindly, not knowing where they would emerge. Already used passages were the fastest and surest way to know where they were headed. Since Gypsies had been called from all over, there were Energy marks they could now sense on those entrances.
Thad still had trouble believing he was now new-oathed and had to force his eyes away from the footprints he constantly saw over the younglings’ heads. Some glowed steadier than others, depending on the strength of the Energy harnessed. A footprint quivered slightly during a lie too. He had wondered how the mothers and fathers always knew when a youngling told a falsehood. Of course, he couldn’t reveal any of what he had learned to younglings, despite the pact he had made with his clan to do just that.
He also had to make a conscious effort not to scratch at the invisible mark on his right palm. Fifteen sunrises since he took his oaths and the Goddess Kiss still itched! Regardless of his new-oathed status, some Gypsies still tried to coddle him. Quest leader, Elder Siri Nebarin was one such Gypsy. Thad had received tutelage from the Elder during his youngling training but the tall, muscular woman, who mostly instructed senior classes, acted very much a mother. A formidable woman, she was firm and would upbraid anyone who misbehaved in the presence of younglings.
The Vedi had taken the white from some of the Gypsies’ hair in order to match their youthful features. They left Snowy’s alone and also Wren’s white locks, claiming that some young folk took white early and no one would be suspicious of one or two. Siri’s long, multiple braids still held streaks of gray, as she looked to be somewhere in her fifties. She still wore gold bangles tied to the ends of several braids and they tinkled whenever she moved her head.
Thad continued out onto the sandy beach and squinted at the brightness all around him. He turned and glanced at the ancient ruins that sat on the cliffs above and wondered if there had been Gypsies that long ago.
Cass sighed behind him and he studied the woman. He liked the name Cassbet better, though he had been warned as a youngling not to call her that. Since they were both new-oathed now, he would abide her wishes. His eyes briefly ran the length of her body. All had exchanged their Gypsy clothing for that of middling variety before they left the Land of the Goddess. Since middlings couldn’t harness the Energy, they could only see the dizzy patterns of color, which would draw as much attention as wearing no clothes at all.
Cass’s peasant bodice revealed more of her cleavage than her Gypsy dress had but that didn’t seem to bother her. She kept a knife sheathed at her waistband, one in each of her boots, and one, Thad enjoyed noticing, tucked in the cleavage of her bosom, which was probably why she didn’t mind the lower cut bodice. A man might lose his hands if he tried to take advantage of her.
She had taken her oaths to the Goddess just two sunrises before they stepped through the doorway to the Means. Despite her new-oathed status, Thad felt protective of her, as well as being more attracted to her now shapely body. She wasn’t as skinny as she had been when she first came to the Land of the Goddess and her figure was round in all the right places, which he found pleasant. Very pleasant, indeed.
The youngling, Kal, was also a member of this quest, and Siri seemed very protective of her, not to mention ready to berate the girl whenever she cursed, which was fairly often. Thad had learned that the no cursing rule was just another way to remind younglings of their lowly station among the kin. Gypsies also believed it kept those from more adverse backgrounds in check and helped them learn proper manners.
Kal wore her throwing knife sheathed on her belt, along with a pouch that contained her sharpening rock. She had been seventeen when she stepped into the Land of the Goddess and aged instantly like all children who were called there. She looked a bit older than eighteen years, though. Hardened. The chain tattoo on her wrist seemed part of her now, not longer an oddity in Thad’s eyes. Her sun-streaked braid was wrapped around her head as usual, with a few strays floating in the sea breezes. She was rarely angry and Elder Siri Nebarin seemed to amuse her for some reason.
Of course, Kal had to obey Thad because she was still a youngling, and Cass had authority over the girl too, but Kal didn’t seem to mind and she treated them both with the respect their new titles demanded.
The other youngling, Bel’keive, acted a lot like Kal on occasion. Thad found himself focusing on the small, gold ring in her nose and wondered how it felt to have something shoved through such a sensitive area. She had a habit of twisting the ring, which she did right now, and Thad fought a wince. Bel’keive seemed aloof at times, which seemed to frustrate Elder Siri.
Thad studied the two younglings a heartbeat, glad that neither would experience the stomach pains many said had forced them into the Means. The Vedi had done something to them, something with the crystal orbs in the dome that allowed them to leave before they had a chance to take their oaths. They certainly couldn’t have younglings double over in pain every time they stepped too far from a life circle. And though no younglings had been called to the Land of the Goddess since Bhrighana, members of the quests had been ordered to search for and retrieve them, as well as any errants they might happen across and any middlings they could wrangle into service.
Thad squinted out at the water. The salt air felt refreshing, just as he remembered, and he smiled at the rope remnants he and Nym had used when fishing. The lad had been left behind with others who were still too weak or untrained in the Energy. Most whose bodies had grown ahead of their minds.
Nym was upset about not coming and had argued with Xiath for the first time ever. The father kept his patience until days before they left, and Nym said his good-byes with puckered hands from laundry duty. Thad missed the lad but was happy not to worry about him out here in the mundane world. He would be safe with the slew of Gypsy kin that remained to protect the Land of the Goddess and those who resided there. Ved’nuri’s Energy became sporadic as her b
irthing day closed in and she needed protection whenever she ventured outside the dome now. During the farewell ceremonies, Ved’nuri ha seemed flustered and distracted, so much so that Ved’mana performed all of the blessings.
There was still the threat of Lombreeth and the ones who had attacked Thad and Haranda in the Netherworld. Though Lombreeth could be felt in the Means if he dared enter, and stopped before he caused harm in the Land of the Goddess, any sleeping Gypsy could be attacked in the Netherworld, no matter where he made his bed.
A gull called out and pulled Thad from his thoughts. He gazed out over the water and noticed darkness in the distant sky. Hopefully, a storm wouldn’t hamper their travels. Taking the beach route to get to Tandiar Province seemed the fastest and safest, since the nearest life circle was here, and Thad was chosen for his knowledge of this area.
The Vedi had mere hints at where the ancient texts were kept, since they had been shrouded long ago, but the description of Tandiar Province was unmistakable to Thad. Numerous small villages along Tandiar River made up the province but he had no doubt they could locate the remnants of the ancient wall mentioned in the Prophecies. Someone along the river would know where it was. Someone had to. He only wished they had horses. The Vedi had given them enough riches to buy mounts once they reached Solinar, but until then, they must to rely on foot travel. Horses, dogs and cats couldn’t be taken through the Means because they became wild and uncontrollable, so there were none in the Land of the Goddess. Just another tidbit of learning from his Gypsy handbook.
“Which way Thad?” Siri asked him.
He still had his eyes in the direction of the water. “That way.” He nodded to his left. “A full day’s walk before we reach the river mouth. Then we head north.”
“Very well.” Siri nodded to her first council, Xiath.
The large man shifted his pack and took the lead, keeping Thad at his side. Xiath’s bedfriend, Advisor Wren Dinsen, had been assigned to another quest, and Thad wondered if he missed the woman. Nothing in his demeanor showed that loss, unless his irritable mood was a result. Xiath motioned one of the guards ahead, Roone, and the archer stepped quickly with bow in hand, quiver bouncing against her back.
Thad eyed the other guard a heartbeat, LeChamb Nebarin. The dark man was a former sailor and Elder Siri’s mate. The two had smiled at each other and touched hands briefly but that was the only physical contact Thad had witnessed between them. LeChamb, a mountainous man even larger than Xiath and very muscular, had a broadsword sheathed on his back and a large pack looped over one shoulder. He didn’t say much but sharp awareness danced in his dark eyes, and his single, graying braid whipped back and forth when he turned his head. The lines around his eyes deepened whenever he laughed and he had a gold tooth that shone from the bottom of his mouth that was all but hidden behind a gray-streaked beard. He looked more like an Elder than a servant.
Thad studied LeChamb’s large sword again. “There shouldn’t be any danger here. This beach is deserted. Monster tales keep many away.”
“What kind of tales, Thad?” Kal said. “Nothing like a good fright to make travel interesting.”
Siri snorted. “I can think of something else to give you a fright, girl,” she said, already dropping their familiar Gypsy titles. They had agreed to pose as family members on these quests. There would be fewer questions from middlings. And with women in each group, no one would question them about guards and servants.
Kal laughed. “Yes, Cousin Siri.” Younglings used the cousin title in place of mother or father and everyone substituted that title for Elders. “I don’t doubt that for a heartbeat. But I was thinking of a fright for my head not my hide.” All eleven in the quest chuckled at that and Kal raised a sun-lightened brow at the Elder.
Siri smiled and wrapped a large, muscular arm around the lass’s shoulders. “Well, just you remember that this cousin is watching you even out here.”
The two seemed like mother and daughter, though Thad could tell Kal missed Haranda. Wren and the other mind-healers had done something to the younglings and their clan parents to ease the separation for these quests, but they would still miss each other. Thad and the other Gypsies had been informed to watch for signs of distress among younglings and to report anything they noticed immediately to the quest leader or first council.
“I still wish Adelsik had been assigned to our quest.” Cass had made that statement so many times Thad had lost count. She appeared to sulk, something Thad had never witnessed her doing, and he wanted to fold her in his arms.
Siri eyed the truth-seeker and flipped her numerous braids over her shoulder, her hair bangles tinkling. “I know you miss her, Cass. But you’re new-oathed now. And Gypsies don’t pout.”
“Yes, Cousin Siri.” When the Elder turned her attention back to Kal, Cass raised a brow at Thad.
He’d seen Gypsies pout, but Xiath and Siri were the eldest here, leaving him near the bottom of the Gypsy line along with Cass. Neither said a word but both smiled faintly. Cass’s lips looked so inviting. Thad had duties just now and forced his gaze straight ahead, but he slowed a bit to walk near the woman, pleased that she talked to him more now. She could be brazen in a crowd of men but wasn’t much for personal conversation with any. Something had happened to her, something that she had no desire to speak of, and he hoped his patience would win her over. A naked image of her popped into his head and he quickly suppressed that thought. Someday, hopefully, they would become bedfriends. But that would be up to her.
He decided to divert those thoughts and concentrate on the quest. LeChamb began to whistle as they trekked across the sand. The texts were hidden somewhere near an ancient wall. At least, that was the hope. The Vedi could be wrong. He didn’t like the uncertainty of that, but there it was. And neither could leave the Land of the Goddess now. They were bound to that place along with their servants. Dome servants had been in the Land of the Goddess since the early days of Gypsies. Thad wondered whether some were that old too. Either way, leaving would be certain death for them.
He studied Siri, who was older than Xiath, yet he had no desire to ask a woman’s age. That was a mistake he’d made only once as a child. When his root mother had finished heating his bottom for his rudeness, he decided never to make that error again. He wondered what his root mother would be like had she found a Gypsy to guide her with the Energy. She died so long ago and now was a distant memory of another life. Thad had no siblings. His root mother couldn’t have more children and she had died young, not yet thirty. His root father never remarried and spent his remaining days caring for his son and grieving for his dead wife.
Thad let out a quiet sigh and concentrated on his path up the beach. It was late in the morning and they would make camp near the Tandiar River tonight. He looked forward to seeing his uncle again, the only relative he had left. Perhaps the man had found a wife by now, since he was still relatively young.
If only Cass would let me get close, she’d make me a fine wife someday. That a fact.
This was going to be one very long quest if he didn’t distract himself. He could bed a woman now that he was new-oathed and could pay for a whore once they reached the villages, but he preferred to wait for Cass. Yes, a long quest, indeed.
* * * *
They arrived in the village of Solinar, Thad’s birth place, just after midday meal the next day. They had planned to purchase mounts here, but when they approached the first farm, smoldering heaps greeted them, the remains of three buildings. The haystacks were untouched but there were no signs of animals anywhere. Then Thad saw something that nearly stopped his heart. Two stakes had been thrust into the ground with a severed head resting atop each.
He was grateful for his body-healing Energy. Years of seeing people’s innards was probably what kept him from retching. Bel’keive emptied her stomach while Siri attempted to comfort the youngling. Kal stared and swallowed several times before averting her eyes, her throwing knife already unsheathed. Near her, Cass stood rigid
with a knife in each hand and she cursed. Xiath instructed the guards and hunters to take a look around while he picked through some of the smoldering debris.
“Kal.” Xiath focused on the listener. “Do you hear anything?”
She studied him a heartbeat, as though gathering her thoughts, then gazed around and concentrated. “No. Absolutely nothing.”
Thad had no idea just how far the girl could hear thoughts but from the surprise on her face, she must be fairly strong.
“Siri? Jin? Sense anyone?”
Both shook their heads.
“Very well,” he said. “Keep searching.”
As he stepped closer to the stakes, Thad recognized the heads. Old man Joul and his younger brother, Gon. They were in the first stages of decay with flies buzzing around them. “I knew them.” Siri eyed him. He clenched his teeth against rising anger and turned away from the stakes and the Elder’s gaze.
Siri motioned to the guards and they made haste getting to her. “Get them down and bury them.”
Thad watched until the servants began digging then turned away. His eye caught something on the ground and he stooped down to pick it up, but the thing was still hot and he dropped it almost immediately. He pulled a nose rag from his breeches pocket for protection and retrieved the item again. The edges were blackened but there was no mistake that this was some sort of medallion, a crescent shape, large enough to cover half his palm, with picture writing on one side, and a hole to hang it upon a chain or lace.
“What is it?” Siri had a supportive arm around Bel’keive. The youngling had stopped vomiting but she looked ill and all color had drained from her face.
He held the medallion up for the Elder to inspect and she called Xiath to her side. The man came immediately and cursed when he saw it. Siri didn’t seem interested in calling anyone down for language and Thad eyed her. The guards and hunters stepped close, weapons drawn.
