“As you can see, he lacks discipline. He’s a difficult boy.”
“Is he fully matured, physically?”
“Yes, and certified as hale and whole by both his village’s Healer and mine.”
“But, Battai, you haven’t yet told me why I should consider taking this boy.”
“This boy holds great promise, for himself and his people, the Birani, but only if he is brought to full manhood. However, he won’t reach true maturity without help, help that he has refused from his parents and all others. In my opinion, only an Allesha will be able to reach him, and among the Alleshi, only a handful, such as his own father’s Allesha, who has summoned us here.” The Battai nodded respectfully to the older woman, but she ignored him, as was proper. This was the younger one’s interview to conduct and control.
The Battai continued, “I am told that you are trained to be such an Allesha. If that is so, here is a fitting First Boy for you.”
“I assume he has had a full share of adolescent flirtations.”
The boy huffed a bit, crossing his arms tightly across his chest, but held his tongue.
“Yes,” the Battai said. “I understand that he was a rutting annoyance for a while, though he never forced himself, being popular among the girls of his region. But he has been settled now for well over a year, having chosen one girl, who apparently also wants him. Their betrothal feast is set for next summer, if, and only if, he becomes an Alleman.”
The Allesha stared openly at the boy. Turning back to the Battai, she asked, “What have you told him about what it is to be a First Boy?”
The Battai was unprepared for the question. Did this new one mean to challenge how he handled his duties? Reflexively, he touched his gold badge of office pinned over his left breast. “I’ve explained the triple blessing you could offer. I’ve told him that to be Blessed by an Allesha is the finest thing that can happen to a young man. Even the son of the poorest, least respected family in the land, should he be an Alleman, can aspire to be a leader, honored by all, with his pick of the best women, most fertile land, fleetest ship, or whatever it is that’s prestigious among his people.
“To be a First Boy,” the Battai continued, “is to have an even deeper bond with his Allesha, one that will enrich his life and hers. First Boys are rare and valued above all other men.
“And to be a Winter Boy is to share the one Season in which the Allesha can devote all her time to him, with none of the daily distractions that descend on us during our spring and autumn Seasons, when The Valley is open to the world. Thus, a Winter Boy is the most rewarded and enriched by his Allesha.”
“Does he understand the responsibilities of an Alleshine agreement? Does he have the maturity to honor it for the rest of my life?” the young Allesha asked the Battai.
“Yes, everything has been arranged. Please, Allesha, be assured, I have seen to every detail.”
The young Allesha studied the boy while the Battai spoke. A boy of the Birani, a son of one of Dara’s own? Could it be that Dara had actually brought Mistral’s son to her? Why hadn’t she said as much?
Attractive and fully grown, the boy could be mistaken for a man. And, yes, there was something of Mistral’s dark wildness in him. His deep-set eyes met hers without flinching. Other than the crooked nose that looked as though it had been broken more than once, his swarthy face was made of straight lines, from his high cheekbones to his fine-chiseled jaw. No more than average height, he had the type of lean body that would look tall if he didn’t slouch in that chair. His lower legs shook nervously, apparently unconsciously, readying themselves to dart. Underneath his bluster, she saw that he was eager to be accepted, willing to be responsible, praying to whatever or whomever he held sacred that she would Bless him.
Yes, she decided, and it was her free will that had brought her to it. But why would Dara bring Mistral’s son to her with no warning? The young Allesha rose from her seat to signal the end of the interview.
“Battai, thank you. You have discharged your duties admirably. I will give you my answer tomorrow.”
The Battai bowed first to the new Allesha and then, with deeper solemnity, to the older one. The boy mimicked the man’s gesture, but with less grace, his movement made awkward by a muddle of fear, anger, resentment and hope.
Chapter 7
“Well?” Karinne asked.
“It is done,” Evanya said. “Rishana will Bless the boy.”
“Good. And Rishana?”
“I’ve done my best, but there is still so much she hasn’t been taught.”
“Anything you can’t control, Evanya?”
“Of course. You know Rishana. Has anyone ever really controlled her?”
“No, but she is a reasonable woman. Logical and capable. Strong and good hearted. No amount of training could give us all that she is. We’ll have to trust in her native abilities as we continue her training. We agreed from the beginning that she’d be a good match for the boy.”
“Yes, but…”
“But what, Evanya?”
“Karinne, you won’t believe what she suggested: a hunt on their first day. Just when we need to be close to her, guiding her through the delicate initial engagements.”
“A hunt? She is full of surprises, isn’t she?”
“You sound proud of her.”
“Yes,” said Karinne. “Yes, I am. What a wonderfully inventive idea. A hunt, indeed. Have you ever heard of an Allesha doing such a thing? And on her first day with her First Boy.”
“But it’s dangerous.”
“Rishana’s a skilled hunter. She knows our mountains and its herds as well as any.”
“Not the hunt itself, Karinne. Them going away… on her first day. What if something happens? How could we control any problems that might arise? Perhaps a more experienced Allesha might experiment…”
“Don’t you see, Evanya, how brilliant a plan it is? Keep a boy like this at home, and he’ll always think of his Allesha as nothing but a woman like other women. Take him into the woods, which he considers his domain…. Think about it. You say he’s a master tracker; well, Rishana is certainly anyone’s equal in archery or riflery. For a boy from a village in which women aren’t even considered fit for the hunt, it will shake him as no conventional first lesson could. Yes, Evanya, we chose wisely when we decided on Rishana.”
“I still wish we’d had more time.”
Chapter 8
Rishana busied herself throughout the day and into the evening, cleaning her house thoroughly, sweeping out anything from her rooms — and her mind — that wouldn’t suit the boy.
Tonight, her First Season would begin.
It was still early when she finished, with hours left to fill. She felt too restless to read, write in her journal, or meditate. Besides, what she really wanted more than anything was to talk once more with Savah, Jared’s Allesha.
The years had shrunk her world, taking away, one by one, those whom she could depend upon to love and protect her, whatever happened. First, all four of her grandparents in quick succession, though Grandmamma lasted longest, followed some years later by her father and soon after, her mother. But those had been natural deaths, after good long lives. Then Jared, ripped from her too soon, with such sudden, senseless violence.
The one mainstay left from her previous life was Savah — and her children, Eli and Svana. But Eli and Svana were grown and off on their own. They were still an integral part of her being, as much as the breath in her lungs which sustained her but could not be contained. However, she had long ago recognized that it was right and proper, if bittersweet, that her children were forging lives that she could share only peripherally.
Savah was the one person remaining of those she had always depended upon for help, support, sustaining love.
Now, somehow, Rishana had become the elder, a guide and guardian to the young. Not simply as a mother, or even as a village leader, but as an Allesha to a strange, troubled boy.
Time had passed so qu
ickly; she didn’t remember getting older —certainly not wiser, like Savah or Grandmamma. Who was she to guide anyone?
Was it really so long ago when she had joined with Jared as his young bride, then known as Jinet? Her heart still brimmed with memories of their first flush of love. The joy of standing by Jared’s side, when their union was affirmed at the village council fire, had been marred only by her trembling fear. For she knew that the marriage would not be sanctified until she made the requisite nuptial visit to honor the Allesha who had molded her Alleman husband. But when she had met Jared’s Allesha, she had discovered a sweet grandmotherly woman whose presence exuded confidence and comfort. What’s more, she had even been given the privilege of learning Jared’s private name for his Allesha — Savah.
The bond between the two women had been forged with friendship, trust and love. Since Jared’s murder, it had grown even deeper. through shared sorrow, need, and closer proximity. When the young widow had chosen to join the Alleshi, Savah had encouraged and sponsored her, becoming her closest advisor and supporter. At her initiation, it was Savah who had given Jinet her Alleshine name — Rishanna.
How unsettling that Jinet/Rishana hadn’t planned her day more efficiently so she could have spent time with Savah. Just a few minutes of comfort, reassurance and Savah’s intriguing questions would have helped. Instead, the young Allesha felt so terribly alone, on the threshold of an unknowable future, without Savah’s sure hand at the small of her back.
Earlier that morning, Savah had stopped on her way to the library, to organize the small collection of books that she had selected and sent over for the boy’s room. But Rishana had been in the middle of a planning discussion with Dara, and Savah had come and gone before Rishana could shake herself free.
Now it was too late. Savah was certainly already on her way to the Battai’s to prepare for the Signing.
Rishana sat in the front window seat and looked outside. The half-moon was beginning to rise over the mountains, casting long shadows into the dark night, beckoning to her. She decided that a brisk walk in the cool evening air was just what she needed.
The walk quickly became an all-out run, as Rishana threw her pent-up energy and nervousness into pushing her legs and arms faster, harder. What a relief it was to abandon herself to pure physical release. It made her feel younger and stronger, reminding her what it was like to be in control of her own body and life.
She swerved a few times to avoid various Alleshi, Allemen and others walking on the paths. However, they were so busy with their own Season transition concerns, they barely gave her a backward glance. That is, except one woman.
Rishana didn’t notice Kiv cutting through some shrubs from another path until the older Allesha was standing only a few paces ahead, directly in her way. Rishana had to stop abruptly in her tracks to avoid colliding with Kiv.
Tall and angular, with sharp features softened by her ready smile, Kiv greeted the young Allesha in a friendly, lighthearted tone. “Hello, Rishana, where are you headed?”
Rishana quickly composed herself, not wanting to show how unsettled she was by Kiv’s sudden appearance. “I’m just getting some exercise.”
“May I walk with you?”
Rishana’s answer, “Of course,” had as much to do with curiosity as courtesy. She had never spent much time with Kiv, certainly not alone. But she’d noticed how well liked Kiv was among their sisters, many of whom sought her out for her companionship and lively mind. In Council, Rishana had been impressed with Kiv’s intelligence, but also noted the brittleness of her objections and counter arguments, especially with anything Dara had to say. Dara secretly called her The Knife, but did that have more to do with Dara than with Kiv?
Rishana initially reined in her usual quick pace in deference, but found that Kiv walked with greater energy than she had expected. Looking more closely, the young woman realized that Kiv wasn’t as old as she had thought. Perhaps only ten or twelve years her senior. Then why was she already retired from the giving of Seasons?
As they walked, Kiv’s small dark eyes slowly swept the landscape, noting all nearby activity, human or otherwise. Rishana had the impression that Kiv didn’t want them to be overheard.
“Are you ready for tonight?” Kiv asked.
“As ready as I can be.”
“Your First Boy is the son of Dara’s Mistral, isn’t he?” Kiv asked.
“Yes.”
“They are a wild people. If he ever gets to be too much for you—”
Cutting Kiv short, Rishana reminded her, “Mistral is an Alleman.”
“Yes, and your husband’s Triat. I know. But Dara never really gained full control of him. His son will be even more difficult, especially for a new Allesha.”
Was Kiv testing her, or did she not realize how easily her words could be taken as an insult? “Kiv, I don’t wish to be disrespectful, but I would rather not discuss my Winter Boy.”
“Please, Rishana, don’t misunderstand me. I have full faith in your ability to shape this boy into a strong, capable Alleman. I just hope you’ll remember that I’m here if you ever want to talk. It wasn’t so long ago for me that I can’t remember how confusing a First Season can be.”
If she scrubbed her perceptions clean of Dara’s disapproval of the woman, what would Rishana really see when she looked at Kiv? A brilliant mind, certainly, but also someone who cared deeply about the Peace and might be offering her hand in friendship.
“These are difficult times to become an Allesha,” Kiv said.
“I would say they are difficult times for everyone.”
“How true.” Kiv nodded in agreement. “With the Mwertik hammering at everything we value, and our Council buckling under.”
Rishana felt her stomach twist at the mention of the Mwertik, not really wanting to talk about them, wishing she could stop thinking about them.
“Tell me, Rishana, it’s been only a few years since the Mwertik murdered Jared. Does the memory of it still keep you awake at night with questions of why it happened, and how it is that our beautiful Peace has failed so completely?”
“Failed isn’t the word I’d use.”
“No? We’ve become tame lambs grazing comfortably on the bounty we’ve accumulated around us, twitching nervously when the wolves strike, but doing nothing about it. Is it any wonder that the Mwertik’s attacks reach deeper inside our borders with every passing year? Perhaps it’s time to reshape our methods, to recognize that we must do something more than talk and trade when faced with enemies who understand nothing but violence.”
Rishana shook her head, not so much in disagreement, but because she wasn’t sure how to respond.
Kiv patted her arm. “All I ask is that you think about it.”
As they parted, Rishana accepted Kiv’s embrace, but the older Allesha’s touch chilled rather than warmed her. Was it because “The Knife” was naturally cold, as Dara claimed, or because her cuts were so incisive?
Chapter 9
After leaving Kiv, Rishana continued her run, but it did little to dispel the disquiet she now felt. It wasn’t just Kiv’s comments, nor the mention of the Mwertik and Jared, that upset her. But she couldn’t put her finger on exactly what the problem was.
As she approached her house, Rishana discerned a large, rotund figure of a man stopping at her gate. He looked at her closed front door, started to turn away, but then pulled something out of his pocket, wrote on it, and placed it under her gatepost message lantern.
She hurried to reach him before he could leave. “Tedrac?” she called out. “Is that you?”
“Hello, Jin—” he stopped in mid word. “Hello, Allesha. I was passing by and thought I might… But you must be busy. Don’t let me disturb you. It was good to see you again.” He turned to go.
“Wait, Tedrac. Please, won’t you come in and visit with me for a while? It’s been so long since I’ve seen you.” She hesitated only slightly before adding, “Tedrac, please, I need to speak with you.”
&n
bsp; Bowing his head, he held his hands open in ritual greeting. “I am honored you will see me without prior arrangements, Allesha.”
Tedrac, of all people, bowing his head to her!
Rishana acknowledged the gesture, and filled his hands with hers. “Tedrac, I welcome you to my home, which will always be open to you.”
“No, not always, Allesha,” he answered as he followed her inside.
She didn’t argue the point, understanding that he wasn’t so much disagreeing with her, as helping her move from the habits of their long-time relationship to the new forms. After all, she was no longer the wife of his Triat, but an Allesha on the threshold of her First Season, when her door would be closed to all outsiders.
In the kitchen, she gestured toward the table. “Please sit, Tedrac. I have blackberry cider and cheese. Or would you prefer tea and cookies?”
He eased his girth into the small bentwood chair. “Your cookies? Definitely. But please don’t go to any bother.”
“No bother,” she said as she turned up the gas fire under her kettle. Once, many years ago, Tedrac had been walking-stick thin, but he enjoyed cookies and other sweets too much. No, that wasn’t the whole of it.
She remembered meeting Tedrac just before her wedding. He and Mistral had come to stand behind Jared as he declared himself to her at the village council fire. Only when she felt the watchful eyes of his Triats as she responded with her vow did she fully understand that in marrying Jared, she was also accepting the other two men into her life — so close are the ties within an Allemen Triad.
How different those three were from one another. Tedrac had always been the quiet one, preferring to bury himself in books rather than expend any physical energy, slowing down and retreating even more after Lorel died giving birth to their only child, a stillborn son. Mistral was the exact opposite, filled with a restlessness that would not be contained, though his step was nearly silent, and his words few. Jared had been the balance between them, the one who was comfortable within himself, wherever he was and with anyone he met.
The Winter Boy Page 4
