by D. L. Kramer
He leaned over and placed the bit of mane before Halona's statue.
"Please help the stallion again," he asked, tears coming to his eyes. "I'm afraid he ran himself out. He's all I have left, and I know he's old, but don't let him die yet." He looked up at Halona's beautiful, strong face. "Please." He was still troubled by Jayehl's death, but couldn't let himself think about that, too.
Standing up again, he stepped down from the dais. He was almost to the cathedral door when the bittersweet smell of burnt hair drifted to him. Whirling around, the base of Halona's statue swirled with smoke. Running back to the dais, his heart skipped a beat when he saw the lock of mane had been consumed. The fire had burned itself out almost immediately, leaving no mark on the floor. Nothing remained but the smoke. Looking back at Halona's statue, his tears flowed freely down his cheeks.
"Thank you," he whispered. His faith in Zakris and his daughters was now absolute. Something inside him seemed to click into place. Most importantly, he knew Halona would watch over the stallion. "Thank you," he repeated, then turned and left the cathedral.
He was surprised to see it was almost dark when he opened the cathedral doors. The yard was almost empty, which meant everyone had already been called in to dinner. Suddenly realizing he was starving, he broke into a run for the other end of the yard. He did pause by the stables to check on the stallion, but seeing he was sleeping, Paki made his way to the keep.
The last few people were just making their way through the line when Paki picked up his plate. Pausing by the stone barrel at the end of the line, he dropped his loaf of bread into it. Bear called his name and Paki joined him and their other friends at the table.
The group sat and talked until the dining hall was nearly empty. Paki found out the wagons were gone because Mo'ani had ordered the villagers moved up into the mountains. Besides that, the other boys and girls seemed to want every detail of their last two years with the Dwellers, and Bear seemed willing to oblige. Paki stayed for the company. Although he knew the stallion would recover, he was afraid the drums signaling Jayehl's death would haunt his sleep again.
It was very near curfew when the head cook finally ushered them from the dining hall. Everyone quickly made their way to the barracks. Just before going in, Paki caught a glimpse of Bear hiding Tiimu in his cloak. His friend gave him a brief wave, then disappeared through the door nearest him. Paki sighed and went into his room.
Just as he feared, he was unable to sleep. Even closing his eyes brought up the beating of the drums. Finally giving up again, he climbed from his bed, dressed, and slipped silently from the room.
He stopped by the stable and lay with the stallion for some time. Unable to sleep even there, he decided he might as well go up to the library.
The keep was dark and echoed slightly as he closed the heavy door behind himself. Most of the lamps along the walls had been extinguished and he had to rely on moonlight through the windows to find his way. Finally reaching the stairs leading to the library, he climbed them easily, the familiarity coming back to him. The stone on the sixth step was still loose, the twelfth was still cracked and partially broken off on the one side, the fifteenth still had the slight bump in the middle. The doors at the top were equally familiar and Paki didn't need any light to find the latch to open them.
The door swung open silently and closed the same behind him. Paki was surprised to see a light coming from one end of the library. Thinking someone must have left a lamp burning when they left, he made his way to it. He was even more surprised to see Mo'ani sitting at the table, a book open before him.
"I--I'm sorry," he apologized. "I thought someone had left a lamp burning."
Mo'ani looked up at Paki, his eyes red.
"You should be asleep," he noted.
"I couldn't sleep," Paki said. "I'll go, though." He turned to leave, thinking he could go lay with the stallion again.
"Stay." Mo'ani's quiet request stopped Paki. He turned back around as Mo'ani offered him the seat across from him. "I think you must be bothered by the same thing I am."
Paki sat in the offered chair. "I keep thinking about Jayehl," he said. "Every time I close my eyes I hear the drums they played just before he was killed."
Mo'ani nodded his head. "I doubt Kile is sleeping tonight either," he said. "Jayehl's death will be a heavy weight for him to bear."
"I just don't see why he had to die."
Mo'ani studied Paki for several seconds. "He died because he believes in Nahtan," he finally said. "And because he believed Kile is more important to this army than he was."
"But Jayehl was important too," Paki said.
"Yes, he was," Mo'ani agreed. He studied Paki for several seconds. "But we all have our destiny to follow. It could be that Jayehl's was to die in Kile's place." He sighed. "Sometimes, no matter how hard we try to avoid our destiny, it just keeps coming back to us."
"I don't understand," Paki shook his head.
"If Zakris or one of his daughters wants someone to do something, they aren't going to let him out of it just because the person doesn't think he's able to," Mo'ani explained. He studied Paki again. "What do you think your destiny is?"
Paki shrugged. "I don't know," he answered. "I know it wasn't with my master or the stallion wouldn't have killed him. Maybe I'm not supposed to know what it is until it finds me."
Mo'ani considered this for a moment, then nodded slowly. "I think you'll know before it's time to fulfill it," he guessed. "You're...comfortable here, aren't you?"
"This is the closest thing to a home I've had," Paki answered. Mo'ani seemed to be avoiding something, and Paki wasn't sure what it was.
"I would be honored, Paki, if you would stay here as a student." Mo'ani's voice was quiet, but Paki could hear the sincerity in it. "You're younger than most I take, but I think you've got the right temperament."
Paki was silenced by his surprise. If he accepted Mo'ani's offer, Bear would be a year behind him.
"I don't want to be ahead of the others," he said slowly. "I appreciate your trust in me, but I value my friendships more than my own ego."
Mo'ani sighed and nodded his head. "Especially Sewati?" he asked.
"He's my best friend," Paki explained. "I don't want to risk that."
"You have to take risks," Mo'ani said. "Bear comes from a good family and I don't doubt he'll make his father proud. The decision is yours, but don't base your future on sparing the feelings of your friends. The years have a way of evening out a great many things, believe me, I know."
Paki looked down at the table. Time seemed to stop while he thought about a decision. He knew Mo'ani was right. Bear would be a student within a year, and his mind was quick enough, maybe he could catch up with Paki's training. Paki couldn't help but smile as he corrected himself, Bear was quick enough, he'd probably move past him with little effort.
"All right," he said, looking back up at Mo'ani. As soon as he said it, he knew it was something he was supposed to do. His destiny depended on learning what Mo'ani could teach him.
Mo'ani nodded his head a single time. "When Kile returns," he said. "I'll let him know I'll be teaching you myself. Until then, we have other things to attend to. The last of the villagers will be moved to the mountains by tomorrow morning. They're back up the road to the west about half a league. You and Bear take Chase and a wagon of fresh supplies up to them."
"Why were they moved up here?" Paki asked. Now that he had agreed to be one of Mo'ani's students, everything seemed to fall together in his mind. He was now a part of the workings of the Stronghold and would have an opportunity to contribute to them. He was no longer here simply hoping for an opportunity, he had found a path to follow to a future.
"Because the Archbishop's going to burn the village," Mo'ani stated. "And I won't let him hurt the people under my protection."
"Isn't there anyway to stop him?" Paki asked, shocked at the ease Mo'ani was taking it.
"He's burned that village more times than I can count," Mo'
ani said. "And I haven't lost a villager yet. Gharald and Adie will be taking men to keep them from returning to Herridon. It won't be pretty, but it's usually enough to keep the Archbishop from burning the village again for a decade or so."
"Will one wagon of supplies be enough?" Paki asked.
"For now," Mo'ani nodded his head. "There are dry stores and a well there, they'll mostly need fruits and vegetables." He sighed. It was obviously something that had been played out many times over the decades and he had the routine planned memorized down to the last detail. "Now go get some sleep, tomorrow will be a long day."
Paki nodded his head and stood up, suddenly feeling very tired. "Thank you," he said before leaving the table.
Mo'ani nodded his head. "You may not thank me when your training starts," he noted.
Paki shrugged and left the library. He hadn't been talking with Mo'ani for very long, and the night chill was just starting to settle in as he slipped back into his bunk. Undressing, he slid into bed and fell immediately into a deep sleep. Thankfully, the drums were now silenced.
Fourteen - "A rider from Valin"
The next morning, Paki and Bear took a full wagon up to the villagers' camp. Paki told Bear about his talk with Mo'ani the night before. Bear seemed as surprised as Paki had that Mo'ani wasn't upset about losing the village if the Archbishop burned it.
The villagers' camp wasn't far above the Stronghold, but the entrance was well-hidden by rocky outcroppings along the narrow road. A large area, well over a hundred acres Paki guessed, was cleared out. Corrals held the villagers' cattle and sheep while permanent buildings surrounded them. The walls of the buildings were joined, forming a hold of their own.
Chase picked up his hooves as they passed through the wooden gate. The boys were immediately welcomed by the villagers. Paki realized these people put all their faith in Mo'ani not only to keep them safe, but to preserve their way of life. It was a responsibility Mo'ani accepted with no questions and no arguments.
When the wagon was emptied, he and Bear turned back toward the Stronghold, leaving the villagers to ration out the fresh food. They had almost reached the turnoff for the Stronghold when Tiimu jumped from Bear's lap into the back of the wagon. The little fox barked excitedly and ran from one edge of the wagon to the other.
Paki looked around them, but didn't see any signs of trouble.
"What do you think's wrong?" Bear asked, grabbing Tiimu by the scruff of the neck when he ran past.
Paki's heart skipped a beat when he saw the first black cloud of smoke billow above the trees.
"The village," he said quietly, pointing at the smoke.
"So he did know what the Archbishop would do," Bear sighed.
Chase picked up his pace and they were soon inside the Stronghold's gates. Paki wasn't surprised to find the yard almost empty. Tavish came out of the stable to greet them, taking Chase's reins as they climbed down from the wagon.
"Lord Mo'ani says you can go down as far as the birches," Tavish told them. "But if he catches you any further down the mountain than that, there'll be trouble."
Paki looked at Bear, who just shrugged. Paki thanked Tavish, then they turned and ran back through the gates.
The birches grew quite a ways down the mountain and they weren't far from the edge of the forest when they reached the end of them. Below, they could see the stables, corrals, shops and homes of the villagers' as they burned. Both Paki and Bear jumped when someone appeared beside them.
"At least you can follow instructions," Mo'ani said. He looked down on the village. "Stay back here, they'll try to burn the trees at the foot of the mountain next."
Paki nodded his head.
"You're just going to let him destroy the village?" Bear asked, obviously outraged by the action.
Mo'ani turned to Bear. "The village can be replaced, Sewati," he stated calmly. "Any lives lost can't. I know this sort of thing bothers you, but you have to learn which battles to lose." He turned back to the billowing black clouds. "The Archbishop won't just get away with it," he assured Bear with a hand on his shoulder. "Just stay back and watch." He looked at Paki. "And learn." Without another word, Mo'ani disappeared into the trees behind them.
As Mo'ani had predicted, the church guards soon turned their attention to the trees at the foot of the mountain. Before they could get close enough to light anything on fire, arrows and crossbow bolts rained down on them from the forest. The first church guards to fall were the archers, followed quickly by the officers on horseback.
"Yes," Bear hissed as the remaining church guards broke rank and ran for their horses.
When they reached the corral holding their horses, over a hundred Mo'ani rose from their hiding places among the horses and attacked. With the chaos around them, most of the horses broke from the corral and ran from the village. It didn't take long for the Mo'ani to kill or capture the church guards.
When the last church guard was tied, Mo'ani appeared on the road from the mountain. He rode slowly, looking from one building to another and from one body to the next. Paki realized not a single red-cloaked body lay on the ground. Mo'ani rode up to the captives and dismounted. He stood before them for some time, obviously talking to some and ignoring others. Finally, he got back on his horse and rode back toward the mountain. The captives were drug to their feet and led back to the now-empty corral.
Mo'ani stopped when he reached Paki and Bear. "There's work to be done," he said. "You'll need the wagon and Chase and the stallion if he's able."
"What for?" Paki asked, jumping from the low branch he was sitting on.
"The Archbishop's men have graciously offered to rebuild the village for us," Mo'ani said. "They'll need supplies. Gharald will be up shortly, I only want you going down with him or Adiella."
Paki's heart beat hard as he and Bear followed Mo'ani back to the Stronghold. The fires and the short fight had started his adrenaline rushing and he had to remind himself to stay calm. Bear went to get Chase while Paki checked on the stallion. The huge horse was asleep when they'd taken the wagon up to the villagers so Paki hadn't disturbed him. He was glad to see the stallion awake as he approached the stall. Reaching out with his mind, the stallion greeted Paki with a mental version of the familiar nudge against his shoulder. Paki smiled and stroked the horse's nose.
"Gods must like that horse," Tavish said from the stall across the way. "He should've been dead running himself out like he did."
"I think you're right," Paki smiled again, remembering the mare's lock Halona had accepted. He turned to Tavish. "Do you think he could make it down to the village?"
Tavish shrugged. "Most likely, but I didn't think there'd be much village left," he commented, looking up from his sweeping.
"There's not," Paki said. "But Mo'ani convinced the church guards who survived to rebuild it."
"Doin' that one again, huh?" Tavish asked, going back to his sweeping. "He convinced the last ones to do that too."
"Some of them didn't look too happy about it," Paki commented. "I guess the alternative was even worse."
"Well," Tavish came to stand beside Paki. "Would you rather rebuild a village, or go back to Herridon and tell the Archbishop you failed?"
Paki stopped to consider the consequences. "I think I'd rather have died in the fight," he said after a few minutes.
Tavish chuckled and clapped him on the shoulder before heading for another stall to sweep.
"Are you coming?" Bear asked, appearing in the stable door.
"Yes," Paki opened the stallion's stall door and led him out, pausing to pick up his bit and bridle on the way.
Gharald and Adie soon returned to the Stronghold and Gharald went with them to carry supplies of lumber and straw down to the burned out village. They made several trips throughout the day, finally getting back to the Stronghold well after nightfall. Tiimu had gone with them and slept curled up on Bear's lap as they pulled in the horses by the stable.
Paki stayed with the stallion for a while after rub
bing him down. He wanted to make sure he hadn't worked too hard, even though the stallion assured him he was fine.
It was well after midnight when Paki woke up, realizing he was still in the stable. Tiimu had gotten out of Bear's room somehow and was curled up beside him. Paki stroked the fox's nose, trying to remember what had awakened him. Even closing his eyes, he couldn't quite grasp it. Lying back in the straw, he started to drift off to sleep when he heard it again. Grabbing hold of it with his conscious mind, he sat up, realizing it was a woman's voice. She was humming a simple tune and he could still hear it inside his mind. Within seconds, the tune faded until all he could hear were the usual night noises of the Stronghold.
Laying back down, he sighed and soon drifted off to sleep again.
He woke with a start again in the early morning. Voices spoke hurriedly outside the stable and he could hear the nervous stepping of a horse by the corral. Brushing his hair out of his eyes, he left the stallion's stall and headed for the stable door.
The cool autumn air chilled his face and neck, but he didn't notice. The horse he had heard was tied to one of the corral's posts. She was obviously a Dweller's horse, though Paki didn't recognize her. One of the young boys who had just come to live at the Stronghold ran past him on his way from the keep and Paki grabbed his arm. The boy couldn't have been much older than eight or nine.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"A rider from Valin," the boy answered. "I was helping in the kitchen when she came in. Lord Mo'ani sent me to get Lieutenant Gharald."
Paki nodded his head and let go of the boy's arm. The boy broke into a run again for the training yard. Paki walked up to the horse, stroking her neck. She had a white blaze down her nose and eyes as gentle as the mare's had been.
