The Stones of Resurrection

by Tameri Etherton

  When Taryn glanced back, the grierbas were gone. She kicked her horse to catch up with Rhoane, scanning the trees around them. A flicker of ShantiMari tickled the edge of her vision, but every time she turned to see where it came from, it would disappear. Her anxiety grew the farther they moved into the vier. When she looked to her left, nausea overwhelmed her.

  “Rhoane, there’s something over here, but I can’t tell what it is.” She pulled Ashanni off the path and wandered through the low brush until it became too thick for her mare to traverse. “Stay here,” she told Ashanni after sliding from the saddle.

  Rhoane dismounted Fayngaar to search in the opposite direction. She pulled her sword from its scabbard, holding it by her side, her grip loose but wary. The pull of power became stronger, the unease more pronounced. She ducked under branches and through brambles until she came to a wall of ShantiMari so strong it nearly knocked her backward.

  She reached out to touch the threads when a voice said, “Now is not the time.”

  Taryn spun around, her sword glowing with her ShantiMari. A woman stood before her, dressed in a white gown that pooled in a wide circle. Her dark, waist length hair was held back by a silver crown similar to the one King Stephan gave Taryn the previous night. The woman smiled at Taryn, but there was sadness in her eyes.

  “Who are you?”

  “I think you know the answer to that, Taryn of House Galendrin, Child of Light and Dark, Eirielle, and Darennsai to the Eleri.”

  “I didn’t ask who I am—I asked who are you?” She held her sword level with the woman’s chest. “If you are who I think you are, then you must be a ghost because Queen Aislinn is dead.”

  The woman gently moved Taryn’s sword aside. “You do not need this, my daughter.” She took a step toward Taryn, holding out her hands. “I am unarmed and wish you no ill will.”

  She sensed no power coming from the woman, but her presence unnerved her. Aislinn had died in a horrific fire, but the woman standing before her looked very much alive. And unmarked. The wall of ShantiMari tugged at Taryn with a viciousness that burned to her marrow.

  “I am neither ghost nor dead, and at one time I was the Eleri queen.” Aislinn made a motion toward the wall, and the discomfort stopped. “Put the sword away, Taryn.”

  She sheathed the sword and looked warily at the wall. “What is this?”

  “That is not for you to know yet.” Aislinn approached, and Taryn flinched from her touch. “Much has happened to you in a short time. I do not blame you for fearing a phantom. I have longed to meet you and now that you are here, I am well pleased.”

  “Are you a figment of my imagination?”

  The queen laughed, and it sounded like the singing of birds in the evening sky. Soft but resigned. “I most certainly am not. It is too much to explain now, but know this—there will come a time when I will need your help. It is then all will be revealed. For now, you must tell no one of this meeting.” She brushed aside a strand of Taryn’s hair. “Not even Rhoane.”

  “I don’t like secrets.”

  “Neither do I, mi carae, but to be a great ruler, you must learn when it is prudent to keep information to yourself and when to share only what is needed.” Her eyes held such great sorrow Taryn had to look away. “If the Eleri knew of my existence, it would change the course of what is to come.”

  “And what is to come?”

  “No one fully knows. We have glimpses, but nothing more.”

  Frustration boiled inside her. “Forgive me, Your Majesty, but I’m getting tired of only having part of the story. If I’m to accomplish whatever is expected of me, don’t you think I should know what that is?”

  “If I were to tell you about this,” Aislinn waved her hand at the wall, “I might upset the balance of events. There is a progression to your knowledge. This is further along your journey. You will have to trust me.”

  “That’s easier said than done. I’ve not had much luck trusting people lately. It doesn’t help when everyone is telling me something different. They can’t all be right.”

  “I see your quandary. You are very young and inexperienced. In time, you will learn to trust yourself. Only then will you know to whom to give your trust in return.” She held Taryn’s face between her hands. “I believe in you, my daughter, my love, mi carae.” She placed her lips on Taryn’s and kissed her. Cool air passed between them.

  When Aislinn pulled back, Taryn was strangely calm. “What did you do to me?” A chill lingered in her lungs, as if she’d taken a deep breath of frigid air.

  “When the time comes, this will allow you to step through the wall. For now, be content, knowing I am with you, always.” She touched Taryn’s cheek with icy fingertips. “You are quite exceptional, yet you do not believe this to be true. Trust in yourself, my love. We will meet again. Until then, tell no one.” She waved in farewell before disappearing through the threads of ShantiMari.

  Taryn stood unmoving, her fingertips on her lips. By the time Rhoane cried out for her, the exchange with Aislinn was no more than a hazy dream, easily forgotten. Rhoane called her name once more, urgency in his voice, and she shook herself. Each time she glanced toward the wall, her stomach pinched and nausea roiled in her esophagus. Not quite knowing what she was doing there, she shrugged off her unease and set out to find Ashanni, answering Rhoane as she did.

  The brush was thick in this part of the forest, wild and untamed. As she was ducking under a low-hanging branch, she caught sight of a small bundle of fur lying near the opening of a burrow. On her hands and knees, she crept to the animal, alert to what might be lurking in the shadows. The pup was no bigger than the span of her hand and cool with impending death. She breathed into its face while rubbing its fur until the little thing whimpered, kicking its legs against her. A wave of relief washed over her.

  “Rhoane! Come quickly. I’ve found a pup. It’s still alive.” She heard thrashing of bushes and suddenly Rhoane was beside her, breathing heavily.

  “We should try to find the others,” she suggested. “It’s only a few days old, I’d guess.”

  “They are long gone and will not take this one. I would wager it is the runt, not meant to live anyway. Leave it here.”

  “To die? I don’t think so.” She put the pup in her tunic, nestled between her breasts. “I’ll take it with me.”

  “Taryn, that is a wild animal, not to be domesticated.”

  “I’ll only keep it until it’s big enough to go off and live on its own. If I leave it here, it will surely die.”

  He started to argue with her, but she marched off to find their horses. When she approached Ashanni, the mare snorted and backed away. “It’s okay, girl. It’s just a little puppy, nothing to harm you. Just a tiny little thing.” The horse sidestepped when Taryn lifted herself into the saddle, nearly making her fall. She held the reins tight. “Stop that. It’s just a puppy.”

  “What will she think when that beast is full-grown? I tell you, Taryn, leave the thing here and let the vier decide its fate.”

  The pup nuzzled against her skin, looking for milk. A fierce protectiveness overcame her, and she glared at Rhoane. “I’m taking the grierbas. If you don’t like it, that’s your problem.” She kicked her horse, setting off for the Weirren. Rhoane caught up to her, and they rode in silence. When they arrived at the clearing, they circled it several times searching for tracks but found nothing.

  “It’s as if they were never here,” Taryn mused.

  Rhoane looked at her, a curious expression on his face. “If I am not mistaken, I believe you were meant to find that animal.” He shook his head, laughing. “Verdaine, what folly is this?” Glancing up to the sky, he laughed harder. “Oh, you cruel mistress.” Taryn stared at him, afraid he’d lost his mind. “There is nothing for it. You will have to raise the whelp.”

  “The sky told you that?” The puppy scratched her chest and she winced. “I think we need to get some milk, and soon.”

  They galloped back to the Weirren, going
straight to the kennels. As luck would have it, they had a choice of three bitches. The first two snarled at the pup, but the third gave Taryn a tired look while lying on her side. The pup ate hungrily for several minutes before rolling over and falling fast asleep. The dog licked the grierbas clean before nosing it to the pile of other sleeping pups.

  “We can leave her with Sheela for tonight, but do not get your hopes up. Grierbas are not like other dogs.”

  Taryn knelt next to Sheela, stroking her fur. “Thank you, sweet girl.”

  After a brief, yet heated, discussion with the kennel master, Taryn and Rhoane made their way to the Weirren. The man wasn’t happy about the grierbas but would allow her to stay as long as Sheela and the other pups accepted her.

  Taryn kept the grierbas a secret from everyone, including her friends. It wasn’t easy, but she managed to visit the kennels every day, bringing treats for Sheela. By the time their departure date arrived a week later, she’d decided to keep the pup, not wanting to risk her fate if she left her to the vier. She asked the kennel master’s advice on everything from what kind of milk to feed her to when she should teach her to hunt on her own.

  His knowledge of the animal was vast, and he made extensive notes that he gave to Taryn on the morning she was to leave. Along with the papers, he handed her a sling of sorts. “To carry the wee one,” he explained. “Keep her close to ye, so she gets the scent of ye on her. She’ll be wonderin’ what’s friend or foe, but if ye treat her with respect, she’ll know what’s right and what’s not.”

  “Thank you. For everything.” Taryn gave him a warm hug, even going so far as to brush his cheek with her lips. His scraggly beard scratched her skin much the same way Brandt’s had.

  After he helped her fit the grierbas into the sling, Taryn carefully strapped the pup under her leather tunic.

  “I would wish ye luck, but you’ll be needin’ more than that when she gets older. Have ye got a name for the lass?”

  “Kaida. It means little dragon.”

  His laughter trailed her all the way to the stables where Eoghan waited for her, half hidden behind a stall. At her approach, he waved her to him and put a finger to his lips.

  “What’s wrong, Eoghan?” Taryn glanced around, making certain she couldn’t be heard.

  Eoghan’s glance took in the bulge of her tunic and he smiled. “I was told you would one day nurture the forest.” At Taryn’s look of alarm, he said, “Your secret is safe with me.” He pulled a small package from a pocket and held it out to her, “As long as my secret is safe with you.”

  “Your secret?” She took the parcel and turned it over in her hand. It looked innocent enough.

  “Please, when you are far from the Narthvier, will you give this to Princess Eliahnna?”

  Taryn groaned. “Are you kidding me? No. No way. Your father would kill me.” She pushed the gift into his hands.

  “I beg of you. The princess and I shared many conversations and this is nothing more than my way of saying thank you.” He placed the packet in her leather bag with a smirk. “Some day, I will return the favor.” Before she could object, he kissed her cheek and raced from the stables.

  Taryn spat several curses at his retreating back. If the king ever found out, she’d be more than dead. Patting her satchel, she went to find Ashanni, a secret smile on her lips.

  King Stephan and his sons rode at the front of the caravan, acting as escorts to the empress. When they reached the last of the veils, they paused long enough to gather Lliandra’s guards and others who had stayed behind. Their parting with the Eleri was brief, as they’d already exchanged lengthy farewells at the Weirren.

  A lone grierbas watched them pass through the final veil, and Taryn inclined her head to the mother of Kaida. The animal sat perfectly still, but Taryn could have sworn she saw the creature give the slightest of nods. Taryn blinked, and the grierbas was gone.

  The caravan moved from the cool of the forest into the scorching heat of midday. Within a few minutes, her chemise clung to her skin. The added heat of Kaida’s small body under her leather tunic only made her day more uncomfortable.

  When the sky began to darken, several scouts rode in from opposite directions indicating an end to the day’s ride. The captain of Lliandra’s guard set posts around the campsite while nets of ShantiMari crisscrossed overhead like invisible sentries.

  Taryn was removing the sling with a sleeping Kaida inside when Sabina entered their tent, hands on her hips, a pout on her mouth. “I know you’re keeping something from me. I demand to know what it is.” Her gaze drifted to the sling. “What in Julieta’s name is that?”

  “Really, Sabina, taking your goddess’s name in vain?” Taryn teased. Kaida’s low whimper filled the space between them. “You have to promise to keep this a secret.” Even though Sabina swore to keep silent, hiding the puppy from Tessa and Eliahnna would be impossible. When they entered the tent a few minutes later and saw Kaida, their expected squeals of delight amused Taryn. After several minutes of them fussing over the pup, Taryn reiterated the need for secrecy. Tessa immediately agreed, on the condition Taryn let Kaida ride with them in the carriage.

  Eliahnna, in typical fashion, kept calm about the ordeal, looking at it from a pragmatic viewpoint. “It makes sense that you would have this animal as your own. You are much like a grierbas, when you think about it.”

  Taryn cocked her head. “I don’t follow.”

  “You are both rare and misunderstood. Aelinaens fear them, as they fear you, and even the Eleri are cautious of the animal.”

  Taryn couldn’t help but laugh. “I guess you’re right. She is perfect for me.”

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Exhausted and road weary, the caravan entered Paderau near dusk less than two weeks after leaving the Narthvier. Ashanni trailed the other horses to the stables, and Taryn slid off, barely able to walk. Her long nights of caring for Kaida, followed by even longer days of trying to keep her a secret, cost a heavy toll. She hid the puppy in her leather bag before she and the princesses dragged themselves to their rooms.

  Mayla and Lorilee waited for her, a steaming bath at the ready. When they saw the grierbas pup, they smothered Kaida with kisses while she mouthed their hands. Taryn cautioned them that Kaida would have teeth soon enough and their fingers would make a tasty snack. She shook her head in disbelief when they let the puppy bite the tips of their hair instead. It seemed a puppy, no matter how ferocious she would grow to be, was still adorable.

  Once bathed and dressed, Taryn left Kaida with her maids to get milk for the growing pup. Carga already knew about the grierbas and had a fresh jar of milk waiting. She gave it to her with a warning that Kaida would need raw meat in less than a week’s time, explaining that grierbas grew much faster than regular dogs.

  Before Taryn left, she took Carga’s hand in hers. “I know you’re Rhoane’s sister.” She’d heard the name whispered during their time in the Narthvier.

  Instead of the anger Taryn expected, a look of resignation crossed Carga’s face. “I did not think I could keep it from you once you went to the Weirren.” Carga squeezed her hand. “I am happy you know, but please, keep it to yourself. It is difficult to be a cook when everyone knows you are a princess.”

  “As long as you tell me what mi carae means.”

  Carga gave her an odd look. “Where did you hear that?”

  The memory was foggy, uneasy to recall. “I think I heard King Stephan say it when mentioning Queen Aislinn.”

  Carga’s eyes grew soft and misty. “It is an ancient saying of the Eleri. It means my heart or my love. It is not said lightly, as the words themselves are an oath. My father loved my mother very much. Their love was sacred.”

  “That’s beautiful.” She took her supplies and left the kitchens, wiping at her wet cheeks, slightly appalled at how easy it was for her to tear up. Before Aelinae, she’d rarely cried. Since stepping into the cavern, she was a bloody waterworks.

  When she arrived at her roo
ms, the other princesses were on the floor with her maids, laughing and playing tug-of-war with Kaida and a piece of rope. The little furball was snarling and snapping at them with all the ferocity she could muster.

  “Has she been out lately? I don’t want any accidents in here.”

  “We were waiting for you. Have you told Mother yet? She’s meeting with the duke in his rooms, which would make the perfect time to break the news,” Eliahnna offered.

  Tessa sat up. “You might want to take Kaida with you. How can she get angry with such a sweet face?”

  “I’m sure she’d find a way.” Taryn scooped up Kaida, saying farewell in her best melodramatic voice. “If you never see me again, you’ll know it didn’t go well.”

  She stood at the duke’s door for a long time, her hand wavering over the handle, unsure if she was making a mistake. She was about to turn away when the door opened, and Myrddin loomed before her.

  “Ah, Taryn, we were just going to send for you. Come in, child.” He peered down at the ball of fur nestled in her arm. “What have you there?”

  Taryn put a hand over Kaida. “I need to speak with my mother. I was told she’s here.”

  Lliandra didn’t glance up or stop her conversation with Rhoane when Taryn entered, so she took a seat opposite them and waited, making small talk with Myrddin. A few minutes later, the duke and Hayden entered and took their seats. Lliandra glanced at Taryn, seeing her for the first time.

  “What in Ohlin’s name is that?”

  Taryn cleared her throat. “It’s a grierbas pup. She was abandoned in the vier. I’m taking care of her.”

  Lliandra’s eyes popped briefly. “Get that abomination out of here this minute. I’ll not have a wild animal running loose around the palace.”

  Duke Anje spoke with a quiet authority that was not to be challenged. “Pardon me, Your Majesty, but this is my home. If Taryn would like to keep a pet, I have no objections.”

  Lliandra glared at the duke as if to argue but calmed herself. “You might allow that beast here, but I’ll not have it in Talaith. Is that understood?”