by D. L. Kramer
of this world, but also of the world of your past.
I love you, and I will be with you whenever you
walk the halls of Jensina's temple.
Nahtan folded the parchment slowly, tears in his eyes. There was little comfort in learning Rena knew she was going to die. He felt no anger towards her for not telling him, knowing she was right that he would have stayed behind to be with her. She was partially right about his scars; but not only were they deep, they were painful. He tightened his left fist, the familiar pain shooting up his arm and down his fingers.
As they moved through Herridon's streets, the Mo'ani and Dwellers they passed fell in behind the wagon as word spread to them of Kile's death. Many were battle weary and wounded, but walked anyway to see their captain laid to rest as word reached them of the procession.
They continued past the stronghold and up to the grove where Rena was buried. Mo'ani broke away to go to the stronghold, promising to meet them at the grove. When he returned, he was followed by those who lived in the stronghold, including Pater Isak. Leisl carried Valry and stood with the cooks and maids as the grove quickly filled. Those who wouldn't fit climbed the trees or waited outside the circle.
Meda stood off to one side as they began digging the grave. Nahtan tried to help, but was quickly ushered away by both Bear and Janec, cautioning him about his wrist. He stepped back to stand beside Meda and was surprised to see tears in her eyes.
"I didn't think you liked him that much," he said, smiling sadly.
Meda shook her head slowly. "It was his accent," she admitted. "But he was the epitome of honor."
"Yes." Nahtan watched them dig for several minutes. "He was the closest thing to a father I ever had," he noted.
"He was meant to be." Meda met Nahtan's eyes. "Just like he was to die without ever having a child of his own."
"Why?"
"To redeem his family line," Meda explained. "Zakris' terms of the deal with Thaniel of Basiyr was that the Olorun line couldn't be fully redeemed until the last direct descendant of Valerik's died without an heir and in the service of another."
"You said you didn't know the whole story," Nahtan reminded.
Meda shrugged. "I lied," she confessed. "It's amazingly easy to do that as a mortal."
Nahtan smiled in spite of the pain inside him. "I suppose you and Isak will need to be going now too," he said hesitantly.
Meda shook her head. "That's up to you," she said. "There could still be a place for each of us here if you choose it."
"Why couldn't I choose for Rena to stay?" It seemed unfair that the one he loved was the one who had to die.
"Because it turned out Rena's destiny was to start your family line," Meda explained. "When that was finished, she was taken back to Jensina. When we can no longer serve our destinies here, we'll be taken back too."
"So what are your destinies?" He was positive he could have found a place for Rena, regardless of what Meda said.
"Mine is to teach you there's more to life than a sword and a battlefield. Isak was sent to teach you--and others--what the church is supposed to be."
Nahtan nodded, understanding. He knew immediately that Isak's actual destiny was just beginning. Nahtan would need him to restructure the church and begin the process of teaching the seminary students the truth. As for Meda--
"The library at the castle must be a horrible mess of tainted material," he noted. "I don't suppose I could convince you to stay to straighten it out and maintain it?"
Meda smiled. "I'd be honored to," she accepted the offer with a nod of her head.
Nahtan nodded also, then spotted Adie standing by herself. "Excuse me," he said to Meda, then walked to Adie's side. "Why don't you come stay in the city with us," he offered. "We could both use some time to sort everything out."
Adie was silent for a moment, then nodded her head. "Maybe that would be best," she agreed. She took the cloth out from behind her sash again, fingering the edge. Nahtan could see faded stitching on it. "He gave this to me last night," she said, her voice pained. "His mother made it for him when his father died. It traces his ancestry back to Valerik of Olorun."
"Maybe he knew what would happen today," Nahtan offered after a moment. "And wanted to make sure his family lineage was safe."
Adie bowed her head as fresh tears fell. Nahtan had a feeling he could guess better than most the real depths of her grief. He had a feeling Kile and Adie had perfected hiding the truth about their relationship over the years, and for her now, losing him had truly been as devastating as losing Rena had been for Nahtan.
They finished digging the grave shortly after and Kile was lowered into it, then his cloak and sword put beside him. Isak said a brief prayer and Mo'ani spoke of Kile's achievements and honor. Nahtan insisted on helping bury him and his tears threatened to blind his sight through much of it.
The walk back to the stronghold was silent except for the crackling of leaves and twigs underfoot. Nahtan walked beside Leisl, Valry in his arms. The little girl consented to let him carry her and Nahtan could feel the beginning of a bond with her as she played with the clasp of his cloak. Adie walked beside them with Mo'ani, her eyes pained and distant.
Seventeen - "Kile warned me"
Nahtan walked through the courtyard separating the castle and Grand Cathedral. Valry had run ahead of him and stopped to play in a pile of leaves. Nahtan was barely aware of her laugh as she crinkled the leaves in her hands.
All around the city, bonfires burned, destroying the bodies no one had claimed. The citizens had reclaimed friends or relatives from the dead, burying them north of the city; building a tremendous graveyard where none was before. The fallen Mo'ani were taken back to their homes or the holds from which they'd come. Mallin had stayed in Herridon, seeing to it the church guards taken prisoner were not mistreated. While others still questioned the church lieutenant's motives, Nahtan found he trusted him. When not even Yenene could warn him of danger, it silenced the skeptics.
The sound of another pair of boots behind him drew Nahtan's attention from his thoughts and he turned to see Mo'ani approaching.
"Adiella said you were spending time out here," Mo'ani said.
Nahtan nodded. "How is she doing?"
"She's getting by," Mo'ani replied. "This last week has been especially hard--but it has been for everyone. Eventually it'll get easier."
"When?" Nahtan asked him, searching Mo'ani's eyes. "Every time I look at Valry, I see Rena." He glanced over his shoulder to make sure his daughter hadn't disappeared. "Every time I go past the stronghold, I see Kile."
"Trust me," Mo'ani assured him. "Eventually you won't see them as much."
Nahtan sighed and turned back to walking. Mo'ani fell in step beside him.
"How's your head?" Mo'ani asked after a moment.
"It only hurts when I'm awake," Nahtan answered. "If Jerai hadn't been there and realized what happened to me, I don't think we'd be alive now."
"I think," Mo'ani paused. "That's why Othon stepped down and had him made lord. Othon knew when the time came, he wouldn't be able to stand with you."
"Kile warned me," Nahtan said, his voice quiet. "I don't think he knew that's what he was doing at the time, but he told me what it felt like when Chaya was killed."
They stopped walking when they reached Valry.
"Chaya was beautiful," Mo'ani said, watching Valry play in the leaves. "When the sun hit her just right, her coat was as red as Adie's hair."
Nahtan considered it for a moment, then turned to look at Mo'ani. "But was her temper as bad?"
"Not nearly," Mo'ani smiled. "And I'm not sure who loved Kile more."
"I think everyone's going to miss Kile," Nahtan decided. "Even the apprentices he was always angry with."
"Only because he expected people to achieve the best of what he knew was in them." Mo'ani turned to look at Nahtan. "That said, have you made any decisions of your own?"
Nahtan sighed. He'd been afraid Mo'ani would ask him that
. He knew what he was supposed to do--what Halona wanted him to do--but the responsibility gave him pause.
"I don't know," he finally said. "I know it's mine if I want it, but I don't know the first thing about being a king or running things."
"You don't know the first thing about raising a child, and you and Valry seem to be off to a good start," Mo'ani pointed out.
"I've only known her a week," Nahtan returned.
"And you've only had the throne in your grasp for a week," Mo'ani continued. "I've seen you directing the burials and rebuilding. I served three kings, and none of them would have handled the last week any differently."
"Burying and burning dead isn't as important as providing for thousands of people in a city and even more in an entire kingdom," Nahtan argued. "There's still the BishopLord and garrison in the southern villages to deal with, and the slave trade there."
"And who better to deal with them than someone who was born there?"
Nahtan sighed. He knew he was just searching for a reason to avoid taking the throne. Except he couldn't come up with a reason Mo'ani wouldn't have an argument against.
"All right," he relented. "But I want to know what Lord and Lady Bavol, Lord and Lady Corydon, Jerai, Rial, Lord Devayne, Governor Garyn and Brijade have to say about it. If there are any dissenting opinions, I want to know."
Mo'ani smiled and handed him a folded parchment from his vest.
"Already taken care of, Your Majesty." He handed Nahtan the parchment.
Nahtan narrowed his eyes as he took the paper. "How did you know I'd want that done first?" he asked.
Mo'ani's smile grew. "I just had a feeling you'd try that argument. So I took the liberty of having them all sign that while we were at Herridon Hold making our plans."
Nahtan sighed and opened the parchment. He should have guessed Mo'ani would think that far ahead. He'd had decades to prepare for this, Nahtan's chances of coming up with something he might not have thought of already were going to be slim.
Each of the nobles had signed their names, stating they were doing so of their own will and that they would support him as their king. Nahtan refolded the parchment and handed it back to Mo'ani, reluctantly nodding his head.
"Pater Isak has chosen the new moon two months from now," Mo'ani told him. "So you have some time to prepare."
"I think I'll need it," Nahtan said, picking up Valry when she ran over to him.
Since most everyone was already there, riders went out to Valin, Devayne and Garyn, requesting the lord or governor of each to come to Herridon for the coronation.
Lord Devayne and Lieutenant Rouvin arrived in just over a month. Rylen arrived a few days after that, and Rial last of all. With everyone there, the last couple of weeks before the new moon passed quickly. There was more than one trip up to Kile's grave as each noble or officer went to pay his or her respects and seek some peace. After that, they settled in to share stories of their individual battles, create new friendships and bonds with their fellow allies and start alliances within Herridon City itself.
A festive air settled over the city as the citizens slowly shifted to the changes that were coming with Nahtan's victory. The oppression of the Archbishop lifted almost immediately, and the presence of the Mo'ani warriors and the nobles allied with Nahtan brought a renewed sense of hope and peace to the people there.
Nahtan used the weeks to begin mourning for Rena, Tyran and Kile. He, Bear and Jerai would sit up late nights, trading memories and easing some of their pain. They spent an entire night retelling the stories Othon entertained them with on the long winter nights in the valley. Finally, Nahtan found it didn't hurt as much, even when he was only listening to the others. He was healing, though he guessed it would be a long time before the pain was gone, if ever.
He and Valry spent the mornings together and before long, he couldn't imagine not having her by his side. By the time Lord Valin arrived, she started calling him "papa" and wanted to go with him wherever he went. Nahtan was happy to oblige, finding some comfort in having her nearby.
The day of the coronation arrived and Nahtan was surprised he wasn't as nervous as he thought he'd be. Although his title wasn't official yet, everyone was deferring to him. He, in turn, was looking to Mo'ani and Lord Bavol for advice on how to approach things. Mo'ani assured him everyone was willing to accept him on the throne and that the rest was simply a formality.
His armor was polished but he debated not wearing it. Tradition said he should and he kept wondering how that tradition would apply to Valry. He understood now the importance Mo'ani placed on not beginning training too soon and wanting the children to have time to not worry about war. Wearing his armor would present him as a warlord and he didn't want that to be the only image of him. In the end, he discovered the perfect argument for not wearing it: he had no coat of arms to put over it.
He changed into a clean tunic and breeches and new boots. He tied his hair back before putting on his newly cleaned cloak, then swung his sword onto his back. Just because he didn't want to be seen as a warlord didn't mean he wanted people to think he was someone to take lightly. Finally, he buckled on the archer's brace. Most of the pain had eased, but the wrist still needed almost constant support if he was lifting anything weighing more than his daughter. He glanced at the wrist sheath and dagger, but decided not to wear it. His sword would be enough.
When someone knocked on the door, he reached over to open it as he buckled the brace.
"You're not wearing your armor?" Bear asked, coming into the room.
Nahtan looked at him, noticing his friend was also wearing clean clothes and no sign of armor. "Apparently it's coming into style," he returned.
Bear closed the door and sat in a nearby chair. "Personally, I don't care if I ever see it again," he commented.
"I know the feeling," Nahtan agreed. "I take it Mo'ani sent you to make sure I don't get lost?" He fumbled with one of the buckles on the brace, trying to tighten it. His fingers didn't seem to want to hold still long enough for him to get a good grip. It took several seconds before he could pull it tight.
"I haven't even seen him today," Bear shook his head. He paused for a moment. "Actually, I was wondering if you thought you might ever get married again."
Nahtan considered the idea, then slowly shook his head. "I couldn't love anyone like Rena," he finally said. "Besides, I doubt I could father anymore children, so there really wouldn't be a reason to." Marrying for companionship for himself sounded pointless. He knew deep down that Valry would eventually need a mother, but perhaps Leisl and Evaine would be willing to help fill that void in the little girl's life.
Bear nodded, his eyes telling Nahtan he understood. "I was just curious," he said.
"Why?" Nahtan asked, suddenly suspicious. It wasn't like Bear to back down so easily, unless he had what he wanted.
Bear leaned back in the chair. "No reason," he insisted. "Brijade said she thought you might but I didn't think you would."
Nahtan recognized the look in Bear's eyes. "How much did you just win?" he asked.
Bear smiled. "Four gold nobles," he answered.
Nahtan almost choked. "How were you going to pay her if you lost?" he demanded. He didn't know why he wasn't upset about his friend's gamble. Perhaps Bear knew him even better than Nahtan thought he did.
"I wasn't betting to lose," Bear pointed out. "Besides, she probably would have negotiated with me--if you wouldn't lend me the money from the royal treasury."
"Brijade negotiate?" he asked, then paused. "Royal treasury?" His nervousness at the coming coronation was forgotten.
"It doesn't matter, I won," Bear shrugged, then chuckled at the look on Nahtan's face. "Didn't they tell you? You're rich now. The Archbishop has left you quite an inheritance."
"That's the people's money," Nahtan returned, figuring out what he was referring to. They had found several armories in the cathedral's lower rooms filled with gold, silver, gemstones and various valuable trinkets. The thought of cla
iming the riches as his own had never occurred to him.
"Part of it," Bear agreed. "But you're still rich."
Nahtan shook his head and gave himself one last check. "I'll sort through that mess later," he decided. It would be impossible to know just how much money the Archbishop had stolen over the last two centuries. "Ready to get this over with?"
"I'm probably more ready than you are," Bear stood up and opened the door.
Nahtan and Bear stepped outside into the chill air. All along the walls surrounding the castle and cathedral, the citizens of Herridon were lined across the tops or outside. Many cheered when he came out of the castle and Nahtan could only sigh. Being the center of so much attention made him uncomfortable, and he picked up his pace to the cathedral. Arlend and Gharald waited just outside the cathedral's door to escort him in. He was glad when neither said anything about his missing armor.
The throne from the castle had been brought over earlier that day and positioned in the center of the dais. Mo'ani had instructed Nahtan on the ceremony and he ran over the procedure in his head.
Arlend and Gharald opened the doors at the back of the central room. The torches along the walls were all lit and the air was stifling, making it hard to breathe. Even the smoke holes cut into the stone ceiling allowed little airflow in.
The pews were filled to overflowing and people stood along the walls on either side. Many fanned themselves with stiffened pieces of cloth, trying to keep the air circulating around them.
Mo'ani stood with Pater Isak by the throne while the other nobles and their lieutenants sat in the front rows. An assortment of merchants, traders, soldiers, servants and common folk filled the rest of the Grand Cathedral. The mix was at Nahtan's request and lots had been drawn in the city's center to see who would be allowed to witness the coronation firsthand.
Nahtan and Bear paused just inside the doorway. Two young priests held the heavy crown robes, waiting to put them over Nahtan's shoulders. He shook his head at them, telling them to pause. Taking his sword off, he handed it to Bear, then let the priests lay the robes on his shoulders over his own cloak. Nahtan absently noted their heads had never been shaved and he wondered where they had hidden from the Archbishop. With the robes settled, he and Bear walked to the front of the chamber.
