Sunweaver

by Ryan W. Mueller

  Kadin's stomach churned, for he had been considering running away. "How does this work with my situation?" he asked. "Will I go to prison if I don't perform?"

  "Once you've been sold, it's all the same. You have to serve out a sentence long enough to make up for the price your owner paid for you. Probably at least five years."

  "And can we ever be freed?" Faina asked.

  "Yes," Marell said, "but Andric isn't the kind of man who frees his slaves, at least not until you're so old you're no longer productive. And you usually have to be at least into your thirties unless there are exceptional circumstances."

  Kadin tried to absorb all this information. In some ways, this life didn't sound so bad. After all, how was it any different from what he'd done before? He knew how to work on a farm. He'd spent most of his life working under his cruel father. How could Andric be any worse?

  Faina was right. Kadin couldn't keep dwelling on everything that might go wrong. Maybe life as a slave held opportunities he couldn't have guessed.

  Still, he'd miss Tyrine. He wished already that he could see her again.

  Silence fell as the wagon continued eastward along the bumpy road. Kadin tried to figure out what he thought of Marell. The man struck him as at least a little sympathetic toward slaves, but would that change once he was doing his job?

  A dreary landscape drifted beside them. Only a few trees dotted the rocky terrain. In some places, grass clumped together, as though protecting itself from the cold. The sky was misty and gray, as always, a reflection of Kadin's mood. He felt like he was the dying sun.

  Again, he wanted to ask Marell about that. Surely a Suncaster would be better informed than Tyrine, and Kadin couldn't believe Tyrine's assertion that he had Suncasting talent himself. That would solve too many issues. A Suncaster could not be a slave. A Suncaster had opportunities.

  He couldn't rely on dreams.

  The silence bothered him. He'd never been all that social, working alone on the farm, but he felt that people needed to talk instead of staring at each other in awkward silence.

  "How'd you end up as a slave?" he asked Helvin.

  Helvin glared at him. "I don't feel like sharing my life story."

  "I'm only curious," Kadin said. In his life, he'd seen few opportunities for curiosity. Only Tyrine had ever encouraged it.

  "Well, curiosity can get a person killed," Helvin said, his features tight with impatience. "You're going to have to learn that now. Maybe Marell here will be nice to you, but all overseers want is work done. They'll whip you if you stand around asking questions instead of working."

  Kadin fought down frustration. "Well, there's no work to be done right now."

  "I can see you won't give up," Helvin said. "If you really want to know, I killed a man."

  A murderer. Kadin hadn't expected that. "Why didn't they execute you?"

  "If you're going to ask for my story, at least have the decency not to interrupt. Didn't your father ever teach you manners?"

  Kadin held back a bitter laugh. "My father taught me how to get drunk and beat people. I don't think those count as manners."

  Helvin laughed, and a smile flickered across his face. "Sounds like we have the same father."

  Finally. Kadin had wondered if that man could be perpetually bitter.

  "You see," Helvin continued, "I did kill a man, but it was in self-defense. Unfortunately, he was a Suncaster. They couldn't charge me with murder, but the Lightless aren't allowed to kill Suncasters or Sunweavers at all, so they sold me into slavery."

  "What happened that you had to defend yourself?" Kadin asked.

  "You really are curious, aren't you?" Helvin scratched at his dark beard. "Well, if you must know, this man, this Suncaster, took interest in my wife. Tried to rape her. I stopped him, but he started using his magic against me, so I stabbed him with a knife. End of story."

  "I'm sorry," Kadin said. "That sounds horrible."

  Helvin shrugged. "Well, that's the world we live in. You'll learn soon enough that it's the same way everywhere." He narrowed his eyes. "Did your father do that to your neck? Looks like you came pretty close to dying."

  "Yes, he did," Kadin said, wincing as he touched the tender bruises. "My brother saved me by telling me father he could sell me into slavery instead. I'm not sure if it's a better life or not."

  "Why'd he do that to you?" Helvin asked, sounding genuinely concerned now.

  Kadin hesitated. Should he reveal his issue with Sunlamps? It felt like some terrible secret that might put him in danger. At the same time, though, he was dying to find out what it meant.

  "It's a . . . strange story," Kadin said, speaking slowly. "For the last few years, I've had this problem that Sunlamps die around me. My father thought I was causing it, so he'd beat me."

  "That's strange," Helvin said, more amiable now. "Never heard of anything like that."

  Marell leaned close to Kadin, keeping his voice low. "Do you have any Suncaster heritage in your family? Mixing is rare, but it does happen."

  "Not that I know of," Kadin said. "My father does claim I'm not his son, though."

  Marell stroked his bearded chin. "I think I might have to keep an eye on you. I can't say that this issue with Sunlamps means anything, but at the very least, perhaps I should keep you away from Sunlamps as a precaution."

  The wagon came to a stop. Kadin looked ahead to see them sitting before a large stone gate. A giant stone fence surrounded the gate, stretching as far as Kadin could see. The place looked more like a prison than a farm.

  "Let's go," Marell said, becoming stern. "Out of the wagon. Move!"

  Chapter 11: The Snow Knife Mountains

  The journey south to the Snow Knife Mountains was long and cold. Rella forced herself forward, trying not to think of what she'd left behind. The trees became thicker and the snow fell harder as she and the bandits neared the mountains.

  Rella wrapped herself tighter in her fur cloak and wove a Yellow/Blue shield, but she still shivered. Kae told her she'd get used to the cold after a while, but Rella doubted that would ever happen. The bandits, however, marched onward without complaint, carrying what they'd stolen.

  Soren and Tharik were good hunters, so they didn't lack for food. To Rella's surprise, she had talent as well. A little Yellow/Green Fireweaving could manipulate the ground and trap small game like snow rabbits, which they could kill with their knives.

  "It's not as hard a life as you might think," Tharik said as they ate a small lunch. "The Lightless would struggle to survive in the Frozen Lands, but we're Fireweavers. We're resilient. Even the Firecasters among us manage. They have their uses."

  Kae looked over at Rella. "You have a lot of talent, I think."

  "I suppose I am talented," she said, looking around anxiously. She wasn't sure if she should reveal the extent of her talent. "I've been able to do every type of weave. My father told me my mother was quite a powerful Fireweaver."

  "What do you know about your mother?" Kae asked, throwing aside a rabbit bone. "Other than what you've told us already, I mean. Who was she?"

  "Well, her name was Dalina," Rella said, suppressing the image of her mother's vibrant red hair, of the radiant smiles she always had for Rella. "I don't know what her surname was before she got married. My father said she didn't like to talk about her past."

  Soren wrinkled his brow. "If I remember correctly, Firelord Atarin had a sister named Dalina. Not sure if it means anything. It's a common name."

  I hope it doesn't mean anything, Rella thought, but her mind was already spinning. What if she was related to Firelord Atarin? After all, her father had never told her whether her mother was born in Tarileth or the Frozen Lands.

  "I'm sure it's that," Andra said, but she didn't sound convinced.

  "I do wonder, though," Tharik said, "now that Soren mentioned that. The ability to weave every color is quite rare, whether a person is a Fireweaver or Sunweaver. It might be something to look into when we get to Rindel. The Brotherhood ke
eps good records on members there."

  "Maybe I'll find her there," Rella said, praying their suspicions weren't true. But was it truly that bad if she was related to Atarin? She was still Rella, a person who tried her best to do the right thing, though that wasn't always easy.

  "It shouldn't be too long till we get there," Kae said. "Rindel is just on the other side of the mountains." She rose and gazed southward. "We're near the pass now."

  They finished their meal, tossing the bones into what remained of their fire. Then they traveled southward across rocky, uneven terrain that rose gradually. Thick clusters of trees shielded them from any pursuers Rendir might have sent after them. After all, he could have alerted the rest of the Sun Guard through Blue/Purple Sunweaving, communicating over a long distance.

  Then the Sun Guard could have used horses to reach the pass first.

  "What happens if the Sun Guard is waiting for us?" Rella asked, shivering.

  "We'll have to take a different pass," Kae said, worry lining her face. There was something she wasn't telling Rella.

  As they approached the mountains, Rella thought again of Azira and Tarell. Had Rendir allowed them to go free, or had he punished them for supporting her? She had always thought he was a fair man, but now she wasn't so sure. Did his twisted sense of duty blind him so much that he couldn't understand why they'd helped her?

  Andra put a hand on Rella's shoulder. "You look worried."

  Rella appreciated Andra's concern. "I'm just thinking about my friends I left behind. I hope they didn't get in trouble."

  "They're in the past now," Soren said. "Don't worry about them."

  Rella glared at him. "They're still my friends, and I care about them."

  "You're a Fireweaver now," Soren said. "One of us. That's all that matters."

  "I'm sorry," Rella said, "but I can't leave behind the past that easily. I'm glad you've allowed me to travel with you—well, everyone else at least—but I feel horribly out of place."

  Kae dropped back to walk beside Rella. "Don't mind Soren. I understand how difficult this must be, or at least I can imagine it. Attachments to people, whether they're Fireweavers or Sunweavers, are what make us human. We all have that in common. We can't lose that."

  "Thank you," Rella said. "I just wish everyone could realize that. Deep down, we're all the same. What does it matter who gave us our powers?" She felt a stab of anger, thinking of Rendir and his utter inflexibility.

  How could she hate the core beliefs of society in Tarileth, yet love so many things about that life? There were many good people, even people like Rendir. She wished she'd had more time to convince him. There was a good man beneath that misplaced sense of duty.

  The group neared the mountain pass, traveling through thick clusters of trees. Once they stood within sight, Kae called the group to a stop. She squinted through the trees. "I see people guarding the pass."

  Rella stepped closer, peering through the trees herself. Even in the dim sunlight, she could make out those uniforms. Sun Guards.

  "Rendir told them to wait for us," she said, heart sinking.

  Kae furrowed her brow. "Then we'll have to take the next pass."

  "You sure about that?" Soren asked. "That's snow giant territory."

  "Aren't snow giants only myths?" Rella said.

  Soren chuckled. "Oh, I wish they were, but those of us who have to cross these mountains know where they are. We have to. They're a danger, even to Fireweavers."

  "Well, we have no choice," Kae said, turning her gaze to the east. "We'll be at the edge of snow giant territory. It's dangerous, but we should be all right."

  Soren narrowed his eyes to dangerous slits. "No. I have a better idea. How about Rella here turns herself in? They're looking for her, not us."

  Rella's stomach twisted, and she prayed the others wouldn't agree.

  "They're looking for all of us," Kae said. "Or at least we have to assume that. This Rendir wants to kill all Fireweavers, not just Rella."

  Soren nodded reluctantly.

  "Let's not stay around here," Kae said, taking charge as always. "Let's retreat a little, then head east."

  They walked deeper into the trees and turned toward the next pass. Rella tried to look at this with hope, but she worried that Sun Guards would be waiting there as well. Then what would her party do? And what about those snow giants? From what she'd read, they stood ten feet tall with thick, nearly impenetrable hides.

  Would Fireweaving prevail against such fearsome creatures?

  "Why don't they always guard the passes like that?" Rella asked, wrapped tighter than ever in her fur cloak.

  "Too much of a commitment," Tharik said, trudging through the snow. "As long as we don't make too many raids, they usually ignore Fireweaver bandits. They don't want the people of Tarileth to think we're much of a threat." He frowned. "I think they're doing it now because they get more worked up about Fireweavers who've lived in their midst undetected."

  Soren turned to Rella with a sharp look. "That's why you should've given yourself up."

  "Why do you hate me so much?" Rella demanded, feeling the powerful urge to strike Soren. "I know I haven't been one of you, but I have no choice now. How about showing a little sympathy for another human being?"

  Kae glared at both of them. "Keep your voices down. Soren, she's right. There's no reason you shouldn't accept her. She is one of us now, as much a Fireweaver as you are."

  Soren fell silent, but Rella resolved to keep an eye on him. His strong, inflexible views led her to believe that he might support Firelord Atarin. Perhaps the others couldn't see it because they saw many people with such views, but there was something darker about Soren, something unnerving.

  He would surely betray her at the first opportunity.

  They walked in tense silence, reaching the pass late that afternoon. To everyone's relief, no Sun Guards defended it, but Rella shuddered at the thought of snow giants.

  "We'll have to be quiet as we travel," Kae said. "Snow giants have good ears."

  Rella's chest tightened. "Are they as large as the legends say?"

  "Every bit," Tharik said. "I've seen a few."

  They started on the mountain pass, a narrow, tree-lined path between vertical walls of rock. Eventually, the path widened. Rella kept glancing in every direction, expecting to see a giant, white-haired beast. As afternoon turned to evening, though, the mountain seemed deserted.

  If only that could have eased her worries.

  She never had been able to relax. How could she when one small mistake could throw her life into complete turmoil? She should have relaxed now that the secret was out, but years of heightened anxiety couldn't be overcome in a couple of days, if ever.

  When night fell, they stopped to rest and eat. Rella kept glancing up the rocky, snow-covered slopes, expecting to see one of the giant beasts bearing down on them.

  The mountains were eerily silent.

  They assigned watch shifts for the night, two people at a time. Rella had the final shift, sharing it with Andra, so she managed some sleep before she was nudged awake.

  The sky remained dark and cloudless, distant stars twinkling above. Astronomers had said stars were suns like theirs, but were those suns undamaged? Did people live near them without the need of Sunweaving, in a world that was properly warm?

  Warm. She hadn't felt warm in ages. No matter how tightly she wrapped herself in her heavy fur cloak, she shivered. How could it get any better in the Frozen Lands?

  "Any sign of snow giants?" Rella asked Andra, who was peering up the slope.

  "It's been quiet so far. But snow giants are surprisingly quiet for their size."

  For a while, they patrolled the edges of their campsite, remaining silent and scanning their surroundings for danger. Nothing threatened. Perhaps they'd exaggerated the snow giant threat.

  "Andra, why does Soren hate me so much?" Rella asked, breaking a long silence.

  Andra didn't turn her gaze. "I'm not sure he hates you.
He doesn't trust you, and perhaps he's a little jealous. To those of us who've lived in the Frozen Lands, your life looks like paradise." She looked at Rella. "I know it isn't. I know you've faced your own difficulties."

  "Then why can't Soren realize that?" Rella scuffed at the snowy ground with her boot. "Why does it seem like he's sympathetic toward Atarin when the rest of you aren't?"

  Andra looked away from Rella. "It's not that simple. Kae and Tharik are rare among Fireweavers in that they completely oppose Firelord Atarin. Even most people in the Brotherhood, at least in the Frozen Lands, don't oppose him. They merely question some of his ideas. I'm not certain what I believe myself."

  "But he wants to kill all Sunweavers," Rella said. "How could you support that?"

  "I'm not sure I do, but it's tempting at times. Perhaps you've seen a different side of Sunweavers than I have, but I've seen nothing but cruel treatment at their hands. We didn't ask to be born this way. Why should we die for something we didn't choose?"

  Rella wanted to disagree, but that argument seemed too logical. "I've often felt the same way," she said. "But I've known good Sunweavers."

  "Soren and I haven't."

  Rella had no argument for that. She could imagine how she would feel in Andra's position. In fact, she already shared some of Andra's anger. Yes, Halarik cursed everyone by weakening the sun, but Sunweavers had done wrong in the name of Aralea.

  A whole lot of wrong.

  She had to fight her own hate for the society that would kill her in a second. Did she owe them anything? Was this Atarin so bad in wanting to kill Sunweavers?

  Yes, he was, she tried to convince herself. Fighting a war against oppressors was one thing, but Atarin's designs went beyond their oppressors, or at least it seemed that way.

  "What about all the innocent people Atarin wants to kill?" Rella asked.