From Out Of The Shadows

by Linda Mooney

  “If there’s a silver lining to this horrible thing they did to you,â�� Deelaht murmured as she worked, â��it’s that the wax acted as a bandage over your burns. A few more minutes, and the stuff should be soft enough to remove. Croat, would you pour her some of that tonic I left on the table, please?”

  He filled the mug halfway, as he already knew how much of the stuff she would be required to drink. The tonic would help numb the pain and eventually put Tora to sleep.

  Walking back to the bed, he sat down on the edge and lifted the cup to her lips. Tora gulped the tonic without stopping. When she was done, he wiped away a stray drop from the corner of her mouth with his thumb, lingering a moment on the softness he felt. For an instant, he remembered the kiss they’d shared back in the village. Their first kiss, so perfect despite the circumstances.

  Tora stared up at him. The look on her face told him she was also reliving that moment. Wrapped in their memories, he barely heard his grandmother clear her throat.

  “I believe the wax is warm enough. Corralta, hold her wrist steady while I peel it away.”

  They watched as Deelaht gently lifted the edge of the softened wax, rolling it much like a piece of dough between her fingers. As the wax was removed, Croat could see the redness it left behind on Tora’s skin. He heard her quick intake of breath, but knew it wasn’t due to any pain she was feeling.

  The old woman took her time, making certain to prevent any skin from sloughing away with the wax. Before too long, one hand was uncovered. Deelaht inspected it closely.

  “You may have some scarring. Otherwise it looks like it should heal almost good as new.â�� She cast her eyes at Tora. â��Can you move your fingers?”

  Tora winced as she managed to curve them slightly. Croat sat beside her and slipped his good arm around her waist, and she leaned against him protectively. Beneath his palm he could feel her ribs, and the need to bury his nose in her hair, or against the curve of her neck, was overwhelming. Steeling himself, he spread his fingers over her waist as he watched Deelaht remove the wax from Tora’s other hand.

  The tonic did its job well. Gradually he felt Tora descend into sleepiness. She continued to press herself to his side, needing that contact with him as much as he did. Soon, her head was resting on his chest, underneath his chin. From that angle, his thumb came to rest beneath her breast. Her rich womanly scent was back, filling his head with her unique perfume. For a second, he closed his eyes and savored their connection.

  “Where’s the cold bowl?”

  Deelaht’s softly-spoken question roused him. He watched Corralta fetch a bowl from the table. Inside it, several clean cloths were soaking in cold water. Gently, the two women wrapped Tora’s hands in them. When they were done, Corralta brought over the wad of fresh bandages that had been sitting in the basket near the bed. Croat mused that his grandmother’s basket had seen a lot of suffering in its time. She almost never went anywhere without it. Even when she wasn’t using it to help her tend to someone in need, she kept it with her in case she came across a plant or herb she thought she might require later.

  Once Tora’s hands had been slathered with a healing lotion and rewrapped, Deelaht helped her to lie down to rest.

  “I’m staying with her,â�� Croat said before the old woman got the chance to ask. Nodding, Deelaht picked up the remaining roll of bandages and placed them in her basket. Over by the fireplace, Corralta was melting down the wax in a small pot. Somewhere, sometime in the future, Croat knew the wax would be put to a better use.

  “Croat?”

  He glanced down to where Tora lay. She was fighting the potion.

  “Rest, Tora. You’ll feel much better when you awaken.”

  “Stay with me until I do?”

  “I will.”

  The two women gave him a nod before leaving the cabin. It wasn’t long before Tora spoke again.

  “Why is it so small?”

  Her question caught him off-guard. â��Beg pardon?”

  “Your home. Why isn’t it bigger? I thought…kings had big palaces…mansions…â�� She was drifting toward the edge of sleep, yet she fought to sound coherent. It made him smile.

  “The title is only a title. I have no right to demand bigger or better than the next man because of it.”

  “Lupan ways?”

  “You could say that.”

  She took a breath, as if to say something more. Instead, Tora fell asleep. Croat lowered his face to nuzzle her hair at the edge of her forehead. Planting a kiss on her skin, he got to his feet and left the cottage.

  Jefron and Worton were waiting for him outside. Goldon was walking over to join them. Croat thanked them for their patience. â��We need to meet. Call everyone together and have them gather in the Sanctuary in an hour.”

  They nodded and hurried to spread the news.

  Croat sighed loudly. He turned slightly to glance back at his cabin a short distance away. A feeling of loss was clouding his emotions at the moment, but it wasn’t tinged with sadness. It was the feeling of wanting to go back and hold Tora. To watch her rest, knowing she was alive and back among them where he could keep her safe.

  He also wanted to keep her happy. Unfortunately, that much he wouldn’t be able to accomplish until they found out what had happened to Basil. The man was the last of her family, and Croat had given her his word they would discover the truth about his disappearance, one way or the other.

  Truthfully, Croat hoped to find the man alive. If Basil still lived, he would have the man brought back here to be with his sister, because there was no way Croat would ever let her leave him again. Never again would he allow her to go away from him, away from his sight, or away from his protection.

  The other villagers would eventually come to accept Tora. Of that he had no doubt, especially once he took her to wife.

  Wife.

  There. He had come to terms with himself and the truth. These feelings between them were not just surges of lust or need. He was in love with Tora, captured by her gentle nature as surely as if she had thrown a net around him.

  A small chuckle rumbled in his chest. They were two mismatched souls who had found each other, despite the stories, despite their fears. But their future together remained clouded in doubt until two issues could be resolved.

  They needed to find out what had happened to Basil Purin.

  And Baron Agrino had to be stopped. Forever.

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  Chapter 25

  Out

  Everyone had assembled and was waiting for him when he walked into the sanctuary. Croat wasted no time getting to the point.

  “I’m in love with Tora, and I plan to take her to wife.”

  He stopped to see what kind of response he would get. He wasn’t quite prepared for what he received.

  Osanis rose from his seat. â��Are you certain, beyond all doubt, that your feelings for her were not something she conjured up to trap you?”

  “Are we in any danger having her among us?â�� another voice asked. It was Amrin, still in Lupan form.

  “She did not bring this upon me,â�� Croat assured them. â��In fact, it has taken her by surprise, as well. And we are in no way in any danger. In fact, having her here has been to our benefit.”

  “What makes you say that?â�� challenged Breeat.

  “Because the woman is a Beginner.”

  Every man turned to the door where Deelaht stood at the threshold. Normally the woman kept out of their affairs when they talked strategy. For her to butt in was not only unusual, but against protocol. Deelaht never interfered with Rolfgah. All of the men immediately became concerned at this new turn of events.

  It was Mengar who spoke first. â��What do you mean? What’s she beginning?”

  The old woman flashed them a look that dared anyone to challenge her. â��Not beginning. A Beginner. One of the First. She’s not simply a Sensitive. Her kind only occurs once in every one hundred gene
rations.â�� Deelaht turned to Croat. â��She is going to be very important in your war against the baron. When you’re finished here, I need you to come over to my cabin and let me tend to you.â�� Before anyone else could respond, she turned and left, closing the door behind her.

  Croat put the incident in the back of his mind and addressed those gathered. â��It has become very obvious to me that until Baron Agrino is stopped, we will be hunted down until everyone has either been captured or exterminated. Our future is in crisis. We’re at a crossroads, and we can’t wait around any longer and merely be content with just watching our borders.”

  “We agree the baron has grown too dangerous,â�� Worton said. â��But he outnumbers us at least two to one. Maybe three to one.”

  “As Lupan, those odds are almost even,â�� Croat pointed out.

  “And with the guns they carry, it’s back to three-to-one.â�� Jefron sneered.

  “Which is why I propose something that has never been done before in all the history of our people.â�� Croat took a deep breath to steady his nerves. â��We need to convince the villagers to back us. To join with us against the baron. With their help, we will have a fighting chance to get rid of Agrino, and take these lands back so we can live peacefully once more.”

  As he expected, the shocked looks on their faces were immediate. As they bombarded him with questions and scathing comments, Croat held up his hands for silence.

  “Hear me out,â�� he demanded. â��Hear me out first before you jump to conclusions.”

  The men quieted, but their expressions continued to betray their thoughts.

  He knew, without asking, that they believed Tora had something to do with his decision. They weren’t too far wrong.

  “You know as well as I do that if we sit here and do nothing other than guard our borders, the baron and his men will eventually find us and the village. I don’t need to draw any kind of picture of what our future will look like if he discovers us.”

  He stared directly at Burgari, knowing what was going through the man’s mind. He and his wife Illia had been trying for years to have children. After four miscarriages, they had finally been blessed with a little boy. The entire village had celebrated for a week. Burgari lived for his son, and Croat knew what the threat of losing the child would mean to the man.

  “After hundreds of years of running, and hiding, and trying to stay out of sight, I believe we’re going to need allies. The villagers are in as much danger as we are. That’s why I propose we emerge from the shadows and let ourselves be known to them. Form an alliance with them, so together we can fight the baron and his men. Otherwise, if we try to go at it separately, we may both suffer and perish.”

  In the room full of faces, Croat saw identical masks of disbelief. Slowly, each one dissolved into either growing anger or puzzlement. He raised a hand for silence before they could voice their disapproval.

  “There are people in the villages who are tolerant of Sensitives. If we speak to the people, and tell them what we propose, I believe they will join with us. They have as much to lose as we do.”

  “All right. Let’s pretend these villagers come in with us to oppose the baron? What is your plan of action afterwards?â�� Voldivar asked. From his tone, the man was not objecting to the merger. Rather, he was curious as to how their combined forces would manage to fight together. Like Burgari, he was worried for his family.

  Amrin snorted. â��The baron and his men have guns. The villagers have what? Pitchforks and sticks.”

  “Yes, and we have abilities no mortal men have,â�� Croat snapped back. â��The baron has no reason to believe any of us will fight back. He has less reason to think we would join forces. The baron will not be prepared if we provide a united front.”

  “By adding the element of surprise and fear, I think we stand an excellent chance at defeating the baron,â�� a voice from the back added.

  Croat stared at his uncle, who gave a solemn nod.

  “I believe we’ve come as far as we can with little or no detection,â�� Astonnin continued. â��The baron knows we exist now. He doesn’t know how many of us there are, and that gives us a slight edge. A very slight edge. But he won’t give up hunting us if he wants to use us as part of his first line of offense. It’s a sure bet he’s going to double his firepower just to be on the safe side. Croat is right. It’s time we came out of the shadows and stood against him. If we can get the villagers to join with us, it will be an extra boost to our numbers.”

  Goldon stepped forward. â��Let’s say the villagers join us, and we defeat the baron. Then what? Go back to the way things were? Not very likely.”

  “No,â�� Croat told them. â��Things will never go back to the way they were. Things will be better.”

  “How so?â�� Breeat asked.

  “Well, for one thing, we won’t have to hide anymore, isn’t that right?â�� Jefron broke in, looking to Croat for approval. â��No more trying to stay out of sight. If we can work something out with the villagers, then we can watch each other’s backs. Be there for each other if the need arises again.”

  “Especially in the winter,â�� Osanis offered. â��When food gets scarce, we can help supply them with meat.”

  “In exchange for what?â�� Worton asked. â��Their silence?”

  “That, and their friendship. We can barter. There is much we can accomplish by working together,â�� Croat pointed out. â��Providing a united front will only be the beginning.”

  “I cannot see any other way to defeat the baron,â�� Croat’s uncle said. â��Rolfgah and I had discussed this very same thing in great length. And I believe, before he was killed, he was on the verge of proposing a truce between us and the villagers of Neabush.â�� The elderly man gave his nephew a warm smile. â��Your father would approve.”

  There was a moment of silence that settled over the room as each man mulled over the suggestion. It was Kreegah, a man known for saying little, who gave the first nod of approval.

  “I am for anything that ensures our survival. And I don’t think Croat would propose this kind of unity unless it was absolutely necessary. I’m with you.”

  “I agree,â�� Amrin admitted.

  One by one, each man added in their affirmation. When it was clear they were behind him, Croat swallowed his smile and raised his chin.

  “Thank you. Come morning, I’ll call all of you back together to discuss my three-step plan. In the meantime, I need you to talk to your families. We’re going to have to bring our wives, our children, and our families in on this. Everyone must be made aware of our circumstances, and they must be told they will be instrumental in helping us persuade the villagers to accept us.”

  Getting to his feet, Croat glanced over at the men who had followed his father, and now swore to follow him. The air of resentment previously suffusing the room had been replaced by a growing sense of hope.

  All he had wanted from them was a chance. Thankfully, they were going to give it to him.

  Croat hoped he had the ability to pay them back for that trust.

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  Chapter 26

  Beginner

  He had no idea he was hungry until he walked into his grandmother’s cottage, and the smell of roasted meat assailed him. In answer, his stomach growled.

  “Sit down and I’ll serve you. How did the meeting go?”

  Croat closed the front door as the old woman emerged from the back bedroom.

  “Better than I had expected. At least the men didn’t out and out shoot down my proposal.â�� He took a seat at the small table and watched as Deelaht spooned portions into a bowl from the pot hanging over the fire in the fireplace. She walked over and placed the bowl on the table before she fetched him a mug of cold water from the covered bucket near the door.

  “That’s because they’re tired of hiding. They’re tired of fighting. They’re tired o
f worrying all the time. Worried for their families, their children.”

  It was squirrel, roasted in its own juices, and served with wild onions and mushrooms. Croat paused for a moment, wondering if Tora had eaten, when Deelaht saved him the trouble.

  “Don’t worry about Tora. Eat before you go over there.”

  He grunted. One of these days…maybe…he would find out how she did that.

  “Yes, but what if we fail? If any part of the plan goes awry…”

  Deelaht clicked her tongue at him. She’d brought her basket over and sat down next to him on the bench. Obligingly, Croat shed his shirt so she could check his wounds and remedicate them.

  “If I had an acorn for every time your father voiced his doubts, I’d be living in my own private forest. Lift your arm. Does that hurt?”

  He shook his head and continued to eat as she rebandaged his ribs. Once she was finished, she and her basket disappeared into the bedroom. Croat was about finished when she emerged with a package wrapped in brown paper, and tied with twine. He watched silently as she laid the package on the table in front of him.

  “Are you ready for the truth?”

  “I’m ready.”

  She gave him a hard stare before parking herself at the end of the bench again.

  “Tora’s gifts are greater than even she is aware of,â�� the old woman told him. Croat nodded but remained quiet. He had learned long ago that it never paid to try to hurry her along. Neither could he coerce his grandmother to spill what she knew until she was ready to tell them. Or until she felt they were ready to hear what she had to say.

  “She is a Beginner. One of the First. Through the generations, as Sensitives procreate and bear children, their abilities become diluted. Are you already aware that only women have the ability?”

  “Yes.”

  “But male children carry that ability in their seed, as well. So if you and Tora were to have a daughter, she would have her mother’s abilities. If you had a son, and he had a daughter, that girl would be a Sensitive. Do you understand?”