Progeny (The Children of the White Lions)

by Kaelin, R. T.

  Nikalys’ eyebrows arched. ‘My Lady’ was a title reserved for noblewomen. He exchanged a quick, surprised look with Jak and Kenders.

  “As everyone is watching, I felt I needed to make a rare exception,” said the woman.

  Broedi’s gaze turned to where some of the Shadow Manes were walking about the hill, staring over at the campsite. “I see.”

  The woman turned to face Kenders and Nikalys and—for the briefest of moments—the hard lines on her face softened and the faintest of smiles touched her lips. As quick as it arrived, it fled, though, as if afraid of getting caught somewhere it should not. “It has been fifteen very long years since I have laid eyes on either of you.”

  Nikalys gawked at the woman, unsure of what to say or do. He was still trying to figure out why or how a noble was a member of the Shadow Manes. Regardless, she was nobility and he decided he should at least be standing in her presence. He scrambled to his feet, as did Kenders and Jak. Nundle rose, as well, albeit much slower, a curious expression on his face.

  Once on their feet, Nikalys and his siblings stood motionless and silent, unsure what to do next. Thankfully, Broedi intervened.

  “Introductions are in order, I think.” Rising from the ground, Broedi moved to stand between the Shadow Mane pair and the Isaac children. “Nikalys, Kenders, Jak, this is Baroness Vivienne of the coastal Argolles Barony, and this is Jules Aiden, a former Knight-Lieutenant in the Southern Arms who is now the commander of our forces at the enclave.”

  After a momentary pause, the three siblings began to speak at once.

  “Good days ahead…”

  “My Lady and…sir, I guess…?”

  “It is an honor to meet…”

  None of them completed their greetings, rather they all trailed off, embarrassed at their fumbling. Nikalys caught an amused chuckle from Sabine.

  Continuing with the introductions, Broedi said, “Lady Vivienne, Commander, I would like to re-introduce you to Nikalys and Kenders, as well as present to you their brother in all but blood, Jak Isaac of Yellow Mud.”

  The Shadow Manes both bowed in their direction, Lady Vivienne’s remaining fixed on Nikalys or Kenders throughout. Since first laying eyes on them, she had not looked away, even when Broedi had introduced Jak. Commander Aiden, on the other hand, after politely acknowledging Nikalys and Kenders, settled to staring almost exclusively at Jak, the deep furrows in his brow suggesting a very confused man.

  Broedi went about presenting the others in their circle. Nundle and Zecus first, both of whom handled themselves with infinitely more poise than the Isaac children. Next, came Helene and Sabine, who profusely apologized for not rising as Helene was sound asleep. Wearing a kind smile, the commander insisted she stay seated while Lady Vivienne barely acknowledged her, giving only a quick nod in her direction.

  After each introduction, Commander Aiden would return to staring at Jak. He seemed intent on boring a hole into Jak’s head with his gaze alone.

  Eventually, Jak leaned close to his siblings and whispered, “Do I have something on my face?”

  Nikalys was about to respond in the negative when the old soldier stepped forward and, with round eyes and a wide smile, exclaimed, “I’ve got it! Thaddeus! Thaddeus Karryl!”

  Nikalys, Jak, and Kenders all gaped at the commander as he continued, relief washing over his face.

  “Blast, that was bothering me! Sorry for staring, young man, but Nine Hells if you don’t look just like a blacksmith I knew years ago in Claw. The best blasted smith we the Manes ever had. He and his wife…ah…oh, what was her name…?” He trailed off, his brow furrowing in thought.

  As one, Nikalys, Kenders, and Jak murmured, “Marie.”

  “That’s it! Marie! Hells, I haven’t seen them in—” He stopped suddenly and stared at the trio through narrowed eyes. “Hold a moment.” Lady Vivienne finally gave Jak more than a passing glance.

  Nikalys ran through everything he knew about his parents—all four of them—in his head. His blood parents needed someone to watch over him and Kenders while they attempted to thwart a prophecy. It only made sense Aryn and Eliza would choose people who both knew the importance of the task given them and the risks they were taking. Thaddeus and Marie had been members of the Shadow Manes.

  The campsite was quiet.

  Broedi stared staring at the three siblings with the most open and honest expression Nikalys had ever seen hillman wear. He was shocked. Shifting his gaze to rest solely on Jak, he shook his head, saying, “I am sorry, Jak, but if you look as much like your father as the Commander says, I do not remember him.”

  “Hells,” muttered Commander Aiden. “Why would you? What use does a giant cat have for a blacksmith?” He looked back to the siblings. “Aryn, on the other hand, spent countless afternoons in Thaddeus’ workshop. He and I both.” A smile spread over his face. “Him mostly because he enjoyed Thaddeus’ company and stories, me because of all of the dents Aryn put in my armor from sparring.” Looking back to Broedi, he asked, “You remember when we found Gamin and Sevan wandering about the forest?”

  “I do,” rumbled the hillman.

  “The pair with them? That was Thaddeus and Marie.”

  “I’m sorry?” interjected Nikalys, baffled. “Who are Gamin and Sevan?”

  Kenders said, “Gamin’s the head mage with the Manes.”

  Nikalys and Jak both turned to their sister. Jak beat Nikalys to the obvious question.

  “How’d you know that?”

  Nodding to Broedi, Kenders said, “He told me. On our way through Fernsford.”

  Broedi rumbled, “Gamin and his brother both left the city after the great fire destroyed much of the market district. He, his brother—” his gaze shifted to Jak as he shook his head with obvious wonder “—and a husband and wife were accepted into the Manes that winter.”

  Looking between her brothers, Kenders said, “Well, I guess what they told us about the Fernsford fire was true.”

  “Only they went south afterwards,” muttered Nikalys. “Not north.” As he set to reorganizing his past yet again, he looked over at Jak, worried how he was taking this.

  Jak’s eyes darted back and forth, dancing around without truly seeing anything. After a few moments, a sly smile crept across his face and he looked over to Nikalys and Kenders. “I suppose this means I was a member of the Shadow Mane before you were even born.”

  Nikalys let out a quiet sigh of relief. Kenders did the same then said, “I don’t understand. Why didn’t they ever say anything to us?”

  “Perhaps they didn’t know where to begin?” suggested Jak. “Hells. Even if they had, would any of us have honestly believed them?”

  Jak was right. They would never have swallowed such a tale. Although, they might have had Thaddeus and Marie presented them with the teardrop necklace and Aryn’s sword. There was no way to know, now.

  Commander Aiden crossed his arms over his chest. “You know, now that I think on things, Thaddeus and Marie left Storm Island shortly before Eliza and Aryn disappeared. Perhaps only a turn or so.” He stared at Jak, a fond smile on his face. “It was shortly after the attack on the enclave and Thad said they wanted to settle somewhere safer to raise their son. I didn’t blame them. We lost a number of good people for the same reason at the time. I never gave a second thought about the timing of their departure until now.”

  Lady Vivienne, who had remained quiet and stone-faced throughout the exchange, now stepped forward and with a dismissive wave of her hand, said, “Wondrous. A grand enigma has been solved. The boy’s parents served their purpose and are of no consequence to current events. We must focus on what is important now.”

  The baroness’ exceptionally callous comment stunned them all. Nikalys bit down, gritting his teeth to keep from saying something rude in retort. Kenders glared at Lady Vivienne while Jak looked as though he wanted to punch the noblewoman. Broedi’s face tightened in bitter disapproval, but he remained silent. Commander Aiden winced and looked away while Nu
ndle and Zecus simply stared in quiet disbelief.

  The lone person who did not shrink from the baroness was Sabine. She leaped to her feet—jostling Helene as she did so—and stalked over to stand in front of Lady Vivienne, an angry scowl on her face. In a voice tempered only by the fact Helene was asleep, she hissed, “How dare you! That man’s parents protected your precious Progeny for fifteen years, and all you can say is they ‘served their purpose?’ I don’t care if you are the lady of some barony I’ve never heard of, you should be ashamed of yourself, you ice-hearted witch!”

  Despite Sabine’s efforts to remain as quiet as possible, Helene stirred, lifting her head up to stare at Sabine. Nikalys was trapped, wondering if he should do something to stop Sabine from berating Lady Vivienne or perhaps go collect Helene so Sabine could let her true anger show.

  Curious what his brother and sister thought, Nikalys glanced over and found Jak gazing at Sabine with open admiration. Looking closer, he realized there was more behind Jak’s stare. Much more. Nikalys was not sure how he felt about that.

  Kenders looked over, glanced between her brothers, and then caught Nikalys’ eye. The tiny, sympathetic smile gracing her lips told him she knew they both were developing feelings for Sabine. In fact, he would have bet good coin she knew before either of them had.

  Nikalys sighed and looked back to Jak. A very awkward conversation faced him in the future, a talk that was for a later time. A much later time. Setting his jaw, he faced the baroness and Sabine.

  Only a few moments had passed, moments filled with nothing more than steely, chilly glares thrice as cool as the Blackbark Forest’s nighttime air. The creases radiating from the corners of Lady Vivienne’s eyes lengthened as she finally responded.

  “My dear, I know you are aware how serious our situation is. We have been waiting a decade and a half for them—” she glanced at Nikalys and Kenders “—to return, knowing all along that it was likely the god of Chaos was moving ahead with whatever his—or her—plans were.” She nodded to Zecus. “Now I discover that the rumors about the Borderlands are not only true, but are worse than I had heard, and that the Cabal seems to have sunk their claws into at least two of our nation’s sovereigns. Gods know if there are more.”

  Lady Vivienne paused, her eyes aglow with fierce determination. When she resumed speaking, her words were crisp and her tone pointed.

  “So you will excuse my directness, young lady. But as of this moment, we have no idea what the end goal of the Cabal is. None whatsoever! We are blindly stumbling about a dark room, without candle or torch, and the best chance we have ever had at discovering some clue as to what Chaos is planning—or who he or she even is—is fueling that pyre.” She jammed a finger in the air, pointing to the bonfire to the north.

  Nikalys’ eyes narrowed as he realized the noblewoman was speaking about Jhaell. Glaring at the woman, he grumbled, “I had no choice. He was about to kill Kenders.”

  The baroness’ hot gaze snapped to him. “And you could not have simply knocked him over the head? Did you have to skewer him like some hunk of lamb roast on a blasted spit?”

  Nikalys remained silent, not wanting to admit the thought had never occurred to him.

  Scowling at him, the baroness hissed, “We know nothing, young man. Nothing! Other than we are severely outnumbered and cruelly pressed for time we do not have.”

  The picture she painted was beyond bleak. The tiny sliver of pride Nikalys had felt at their victory today slipped away.

  After a moment’s silence, Lady Vivienne’s harsh gaze softened a bit. “Now, while all of that surely prompted my boorish behavior, it does not excuse it.” Facing Jak, she inclined her head. “I apologize for my thoughtlessness, young man. Truly, I do. The young woman is correct. I acted every bit the ‘ice-hearted witch.’”

  Jak nodded slowly and muttered through tight lips, “I understand.” Nikalys noticed he did not accept the apology.

  Lady Vivienne turned her gaze to Sabine. “My dear, I admire your spirit, sense of loyalty, and commitment to your friends. You will fit in well with the Manes. I thank you for pointing out my discourtesy.”

  Clearly taken by the apology, Sabine offered a sedate, confused, “You’re welcome.” Helene was half-awake now, her head resting on Sabine’s shoulder as she stared at Lady Vivienne.

  The baroness’ stare turned cold again. In a lowered her voice, she said, “However, there are ways to point out one’s failings that do not involve loudly chastising them before the people they lead. I will forgive you for now, as I know you have never been more than a short walk away from your farm. Yet should you ever speak to me that way again within earshot of the Manes, I will take you and your sister to the Constables myself. Is that understood?”

  Sabine’s expression shifted in an instant, rivaling the icy hostility of Lady Vivienne’s glare. Nikalys was relieved that Sabine was holding Helene at the moment and not a weapon of some sort.

  “And if you try to do that, my Lady, the last thing you will see before striding through Maeana’s hall will be an arrow shaft quivering in your chest.”

  The baroness studied Sabine for a long, silent moment, her gaze digging into the young woman, picking her apart. Eventually a slight smile touched one corner of her mouth. “Hold onto that determination, dear. You’ll need it for what’s to come.” She motioned to where Sabine had been resting on the ground. “Now, sit. We have other things to discuss. You may berate me more later, if you like. In private.”

  Sabine glowered at the noblewoman a moment longer before turning to retreat to her spot by the fire. Once sitting, she set to humming a soft, melodious tune while gently rocking Helene, trying to get the little girl back to sleep. Her scowling gaze never left Lady Vivienne.

  Ignoring Sabine’s stare, the baroness turned to Broedi. “There is something I neglected to ask you earlier. Whatever made you think to contact me at Mason’s Bay? Why not Freehaven or the enclave?”

  Before Broedi could respond, Jak asked, “You contacted her? When? Where?”

  “That’s what you were doing in Fernsford!” exclaimed Kenders. “When you left us in the tavern?”

  Broedi eyed her and gave a short nod. “It was.”

  “Why didn’t you just tell us that was what you were doing?”

  “After the incident with the Soulwraith the previous night, I was afraid to do so.” He shook his head. “I should have never shared anything about the enclave with any of you. My mistake had put the Manes in terrible danger. Admittedly, I was trying to put the rain back into the clouds, but I chose to err on the side of secrecy again.”

  “Could you not have told us something, great lion?” asked Zecus.

  “What would you have had me tell you?”

  “I don’t know,” mused Jak. “How about, ‘Hey, we might have help when the ijul, the demon, and the oligurts attack us?’”

  “I did not tell you that we might have help, because I did not ask for any. The missives I sent were simple and short should they fall into the wrong hands.” He glanced at Nundle. “We have all seen firsthand what might happen should one stumble across something they are not meant to see.”

  Nundle nodded. “Excellent point.”

  “What did you say, then?” asked Nikalys.

  Broedi looked to the baroness. “My Lady?”

  “The message I received was but six words,” said Lady Vivienne. “‘I have found them. We return.’ There was no signature.” She stared at Broedi. “Nevertheless, I knew it could only be from one person.”

  “I assumed you would. What surprises me—rather, what should surprise me—is that the one I sent to Mason’s Bay found you there. To your earlier question, I sent missives to the enclave and Freehaven as well. The one to Mason’s Bay on a chance you might have returned home for some reason.” Glancing at the commander, he added, “Although I did not think you would be there, Commander. At least not with two hundred Manes.”

  Commander Aiden lifted his eyebrows. “A little unusual
, is it not?”

  Lady Vivienne said, “A turn ago, Jules asked to take our fighting men north for drills. It was not easy to arrange, but I did so. We dressed them as Southern Arms and had them skirmish with true Southlands soldiers.”

  The hillman shifted his gaze back to the soldier. “What made you think to do something like that?”

  “I don’t know, truly. I had the idea one day during morning drills in the courtyard. I figured we could all use the practice.”

  “And you agreed to such a maneuver, my Lady?”

  “Granted, it was a risk, but it is good I took it. Else, we would not be here today.” A tiny frown graced her lips. It seemed comfortable there. “A rather amazing coincidence, no?”

  Nikalys shook his head. Yet another coincidence. Broedi’s theory about the gods’ intervention in events was beginning to sound unnervingly plausible.

  After giving her leather vest a sharp tug, Lady Vivienne said, “So, after I received your message, we left to return to the enclave at once. Imagine my surprise when some of the mages and I felt the use of the Strands as we marched. Then we saw your hawk and—”

  “Hold a moment,” interrupted Kenders. “You’re a mage?” A moment later, she added, “My Lady?”

  Lady Vivienne stared at her and answered as though Kenders had just asked her if the sun was bright. “Of course.” She looked to Broedi, frowning. “You and your secrets.”

  Nundle stepped forward, his red hair flashing in the fire light. Nikalys had almost forgotten the tomble was there. He had been unusually quiet.

  “So you and the Shadow Manes just happened to be in the right place at the right moment to come save us?” He looked to Broedi. “And I suppose you want us to believe this is the gods’ doing?”

  “What more evidence do you require? There have been too many lucky coincidences for Ketus not to have a hand, too many flashes of inspiration for Ashana not to be the source, and too much coordination of seemingly chance events for Nelnora watching it all. Greya might have even granted her blessing over their meddling. If not, she will be rather unhappy when she learns they are playing with fate.”