Ten Crescent Moons (Moonquest)

by Marilyn Haddrill

  "So you do not wish to find evidence that the myth is true?"

  "Of course there is truth to it. But in the telling, especially through the centuries, a story can be twisted in many different ways. Take my mother, for example. By the time she is through writing about your Medosa, he will be the stuff of legends."

  "But she will write the truth, won't she?"

  "The truth as she sees it. And others will see it differently. Trust me on this. He will become a god. Or a demon. Or both. It depends on which faction on the Prime Continent takes up his name as a symbol for whatever cause they happen to be promoting."

  "He had greatness in him." Adalginza surprised even herself at the quaver in her voice. "And he was very kind."

  "You are the one who knew him." Kalos reached out, cupping one hand over hers momentarily. "Only you alone know the truth about Medosa."

  "Or my version of it, as you would be the first to point out."

  "But a truth that you experienced firsthand, not merely in the theories that we in my clan are so fond of expounding."

  He paused, and she tried to pretend she was unaware that he was searching her face.

  "I am sorry for all that you have lost," he said. "This journey must be very hard for you."

  "More so than I ever imagined it could be."

  Here was the familiar hill, the one that was scattered with the broomstick plants topped with sweet red bristleberries. When processed such that their thorns were removed, these fruits often were stuffed into the homemade pastries that Lady Donzala had been so fond of baking.

  Adalginza recalled the sweet aromas from the brick oven of her mother's mud brick home, now in full view as the road rounded a hill.

  The abode with its surrounding rock walls filled Adalginza with such pain that she now felt as though her heart was being pierced by the swords of an entire army of Crescent knights.

  Kalos saw something in her face, and pulled back on the reins of the sturmons, halting them even as the vanguard of mounted knights and sturmons continued onward.

  "Are you ill? Do you need to step down?"

  "No." Her voice was barely audible. "Just give me a moment."

  One of the knights in the leading vanguard turned back, and now galloped up to the wagon.

  She saw that it was Luzicos astride a lean black sturmon. It snorted twice in a fit of temper seeming to match the expression of his rider, before Luzicos yanked the steed to a halt.

  "You must stay within range of our protection." Then he paused. "What is wrong with the lady?"

  Adalginza felt great shame that her distress was being witnessed not only by Kalos, but by the loyal assistant who she had learned by now suffered no fools.

  Luzicos' frank opinion regarding the wisdom of bringing such a small force of Crescent knights into the very heart of danger had been expressed more than once along the trail.

  Adalginza also suspected that his surliness could be traced to the fact he had not been informed of the purpose of their mission here, other than some vague reference to scouting the terrain.

  "I had a moment of faintness," Adalginza replied vaguely.

  Luzicos look of contempt deepened.

  He turned to Kalos. "We have only the word of this lady that most of the savages who dwell here are at the Festival of Blood. Even if they are in the next province, others among them might still be in the vicinity."

  "My word is good." Adalginza found strength from her irritation at being questioned so harshly. "The Festival of Blood is several days' journey from here. Everyone goes. Even the elderly and those in fragile health are taken by wagon."

  "And what assurance do we have of that?"

  Luzicos chose to address Kalos directly, and ignore her.

  He was, after all, a member of the House of the Fifth Crescent Moon — where women should be seen, but their opinions kept to themselves.

  "Mine," Adalginza insisted. "We are in my homeland now, sir. I know the habits of the savages who live here as well as I know my own."

  Finally, the Crescent knight regarded her insolently.

  "And that knowledge was of great use, I see, when it came to protecting the life of your own mother."

  "Luzicos! Enough!" Kalos waved his hand dismissively. "Go back to the troops. Take them to the servant barracks behind the main house. Post a few guards, but use this as an opportunity for rest."

  "I cannot leave you here alone, sir."

  "Yes. You can. We have sanctuary here. Lady Adalginza informs me that savages will not occupy or ravage a dwelling where a murder has taken place."

  Adalginza added her own explanation. "They fear the spirits of the dead may linger in search of an opportunity for revenge."

  "Nonsense," Luzicos growled.

  He yanked the head of his sturmon in the direction of the abode and kicked the animal into galloping obedience.

  The answering rage from the rebellious black washed over Adalginza, as real as though the animal had found human words to shout out its frustration at being in bondage.

  This man and beast had an uneasy alliance, maybe even a shared love. But Luzicos could be a hard master.

  "Now we are alone." Kalos spoke again only after the delegation of knights had disappeared behind the distant abode. His eyebrows were knitted in a scowl as he scanned every scruffy desert tree, inspected every rock. "I hope, as you say, that we are not being observed by Benfaaro or any of his people. Otherwise, our remaining time on this world is now very short."

  "I told you," Adalginza repeated wearily. "The Festival of Blood requires the presence of the dominant chief of all the thirteen tribes, or it cannot take place at all. Benfaaro's bloodline has retained this honor for at least a century, without dispute. His word is law. And it is final. This is the only reason that peace has prevailed among the tribes for so long."

  Adalginza knew this was the reason why Talan had so relentlessly wooed her, even before she came of age. He was far more interested in power than in sex.

  Because Benfaaro was the dominant chief, any close relative also was considered to be Of The Blood.

  There were only two. Benfaaro's sister, Adalginza. And his daughter, Calasta.

  Calasta was the direct heir. When she came of age, she would be the undisputed ruler after Benfaaro.

  But if Talan married Adalginza, he could challenge Benfaaro's rule if he had enough cause. Also, under tribal law, Benfaaro himself could designate the husband of his sister as leader Of The Blood for as long as she lived.

  She herself also could be designated leader Of The Blood, but only if Benfaaro decreed it.

  Adalginza knew this would never happen, especially with Bruna always in the background and whispering doubts in his ear.

  She sighed heavily, as she glanced around.

  The sweeter memories of this place were marred by the image of Talan's scar-pocked face and almost brutal insistence on her submission. Had Benfaaro not protected her, she would have been taken against her will on more than one occasion.

  Adalginza looked down at hands that now shook as though she had been afflicted with a palsy for which there was no cure.

  There were ghosts here, all right. But not the kind that the savages feared.

  "Are you going to be able to go on?" Kalos asked gently.

  "I am not sure."

  Adalginza felt so drained of energy that even a brave front was beyond her capacity at the moment.

  "When was the last time you were here?"

  "Three seasons ago, more or less."

  "Is that when your mother was murdered?"

  "My — mother, yes. And Medosa only moments before her. I stayed only long enough for the two cousins of my clan to arrive from Sola Re and take charge of her possessions. It was unsafe here for me to live alone. So we packed in much haste, then left."

  "Whereupon they then died on the trail."

  "Yes. I told them not to drink the water at the place where we took rest. They did not heed the words of a lady of the Fifth Hous
e, and paid the price in their deaths."

  "Fools."

  "I then made my way to Sola Re alone. Except for Bruna, of course."

  "Bruna. Now there is a prize that would have been best left behind."

  "My mother was growing ill, and purchased her from the savages to serve us."

  "I did not know the savages would allow such a thing."

  "Only as a form of punishment for the person sold. It is a rare occurrence." Adalginza hastily made up the story. "Anyway, once in Sola Re, I took charge of the abode that had been occupied by my cousins. You know the rest."

  Kalos wrapped the guiding reins around the post of the footboard and leaned back, seeming in no hurry to continue onward.

  The sun was lower now, and the heat was fast dissipating. They were serenaded by insects rubbing their wings together in a harmony of song. Birds flitted through the bushes in search of the source of the noise and a good meal.

  Adalginza could sense their hunger, and the primal drive for sustenance.

  "It is quite pleasant here," Kalos observed.

  Adalginza swallowed hard. "Yes. I loved it here. As a child anyway."

  The air was fragrant with the scent of sweet, yellow suckleblossoms that seemed able to derive sustenance from what little moisture was provided by sparse desert rains.

  Through mindspeak, Adalginza reached out to the many hidden beasts that watched them from cautious, crouching stances in nearby thickets.

  These creatures, too, were intent on the last of the day's business that involved finding roosts or dens.

  She sensed no danger here. Why, then, was she so afraid?

  "Why is this area called Place of the Circles?" Kalos asked.

  Adalginza knew that Kalos was resorting to casual talk, to relax her and put her mind at ease. She was grateful to him for the diversion.

  "It is an ancient name, originating from the Tribe of the Circles to which Benfaaro belongs. The name refers to infinity."

  "Why infinity?"

  "Great power is thought to be embodied within the symbol of a circle. And when multiple circles are linked, they amplify this power."

  Kalos considered her words for a moment. "This is high-level thinking, when you consider we are dealing with savages."

  "It is."

  Adalginza chose not to elaborate or defend her people, who were more than capable of highly abstract thinking despite their primitive image with those of the Crescent Houses.

  "I am most grateful, lady, that you honored my wishes and left your churlish slave in Sola Re."

  "Leaving me to tend to my own needs." Adalginza tried to sound petulant, adopting the tone of a spoiled lady of the Fifth House.

  "You seem well able to manage, quite on your own, to paint all those blackened lines around your eyes, and the red smears across cheeks and lips. I always thought before this was the hideous work of Bruna, who secretly and maliciously wished to vandalize the face of her mistress."

  Adalginza actually took strange delight in the aggravation her elaborate face masking caused her companion. Perhaps it was because he bothered to care at all what she did with her appearance.

  "I simply follow the custom of the Fifth House, a custom that I see is fast spreading to some of the other Crescent Houses."

  "I know, I know. I see the same masquerade repeated in the other ladies of knights. It is in high fashion, even on the Prime Continent. Sometimes I yearn for the clean, honest face of a woman from my own house."

  "Like the woman your mother spoke of? The one of intellect and breeding? Unlike me?"

  "Fear not, Lady Adalginza. You have won my mother. You will never again hear from Lady Redolo the name of Lady Sagawea."

  "Yet, I hear her name from your lips. For the first time, in fact, I hear the name of the woman who is in your heart."

  "How do you know she is in my heart?"

  "Because you did not instantly deny it."

  There was a long pause as Kalos squinted toward the bushes. Movement from behind the distant abode suddenly caught his attention, and he tensed. His hand hovered above the hilt of the crescent sword he always wore.

  When he saw that it was only Luzicos patrolling the grounds in search of possible hidden enemies, Kalos dropped his hand to his side.

  "Sagawea was a lifetime ago, when I was a very young man from a very privileged clan. We were at the School of Minds together, in Stalau on the Prime Continent. It is a very elite school. Of course, you have never heard of the place."

  "Certainly not. Being a woman who lacks breeding and intellect."

  "You do not easily forget a slight, do you?" Kalos gave her a quick, sideways smile. "Anyway, Sagawea would hate the frontier. There is no doubt of it. For one thing, she would never abide the lack of Trinalodia wine."

  "Do you?"

  "Do I what? Yearn for Trinalodia wine? I most certainly do."

  "You know what I mean."

  "Do I hate the frontier?" Kalos reached down purposefully, and began slowly to unwind the guiding reins from their post in preparation for moving on. "I hate some of the things that have happened to me here. Don't you? Isn't that why you don't want me to go any farther down this road toward that empty abode of your mother's?"

  Adalginza reached out, and gently took his arm.

  "Please," she said. "Let us not stay here with the others. Let us instead make a camp by the cave. We could go now, to look for the artifacts of the House of the Seventh Crescent Moon."

  "You and me? Spending the night alone together? Whatever would my men say?"

  "They would applaud your instincts."

  "You no longer fool me. While it is pleasing to feast my eyes upon you, I know by now that you only tease with what you will never deliver."

  "I cannot deliver what you refuse to explore."

  "I have many responsibilities, Lady Adalginza." He sounded genuinely weary. "While you have spent your idle time delighting my mother and my nephew, I have reorganized what once was a very casual military structure in Sola Re. The people there have not been touched by death as I have. And as you have. They do not take the threat of the savages as seriously as they should."

  "And yet even you, their savior, must find the time to crawl into bed at night to close his eyes and clutch only his pillow. Alone, while many of the real men among his knights have found pleasure and renewal in the warmth of another's flesh."

  "As I told you before, you would not look my way except that I am the captain. It is why you have gone out of your way to so completely charm my family."

  "As a way of gaining access to you?"

  "I am sure of it."

  "And if Benfaaro slays you, as he probably will, then I suppose you think that I would then make myself known to the next captain. Because of his rank."

  "If the man is not yet wed, yes. If he is unavailable, then you would cast your net over his cousin."

  "I see now. You are jealous of the man who came before you."

  "Jealous? You flatter yourself."

  "Anyway, I thought you said I would never deliver what I promise."

  "Ah, but you do enjoy the game."

  Adalginza glanced ahead at the mud walls of her old home, and felt the growing dread. Whatever it took, she needed to convince Captain Kalos to go elsewhere.

  She smiled at him with false sweetness.

  "Regardless of how you view my motives, why refuse my company? Is it because you fear you cannot guard your heart nearly as well as you guard Sola Re?"

  Kalos met her look squarely, eye-to-eye. "I do not trust you, Lady Adalginza. It is as simple as that."

  "And what is it that you think I want from you that you cannot trust me?" Adalginza forced herself to laugh in scorn. "You may be a fearless warrior in battle, Captain Kalos. But in matters of the heart..."

  She let her words trail away, for anything she said now to finish that sentence would be too cruel to voice aloud.

  "I will not forget that you just called me a coward."

  Kalos did
not sound particularly disturbed, though his eyes grew distant. It was as though he had other matters on his mind.

  "Enough with this duel of words, my lady," he said crisply. "You want very much for me to take you away from here. That much is true. But you are trying to divert, not seduce me."

  He clicked the reins, urging the team forward. "We will stay here as planned, and you will face your past."

  Adalginza's grip tightened on his arm, almost threateningly. "Please. No."

  "Yes. It is for your own good."

  ***

  Adalginza soon stood in front of the wooden portal leading into what was once her home. She was in a dazed state now, strangely unaware of Kalos even though his arm was firmly around her shoulders.

  Without his physical support, she would have simply collapsed in a heap.

  She was dimly aware of his voice beside her, shouting out orders to the knights. Assigning duties for the evening watch. Making arrangements for the care of the sturmons.

  "The lady and I will stay in the abode," Kalos told Luzicos, ending the barrage of orders. "The two of us will eat inside as well. You and the men can take your meals in the barracks."

  Luzicos stepped forward, allowing his sullen dark eyes to rest on Lady Adalginza for more moments than could be deemed polite.

  He was very clearly assessing, making connections between her and his captain.

  His eyes then insolently oozed down to stare below her neck. His expression announced his displeasure. Was it because the prize he himself wanted was about to be taken?

  Or was his natural instinct to protect the captain?

  "Go," Kalos said coldly, ending the appraisal.

  Luzicos turned wordlessly, and left.

  At that moment, Adalginza felt a nudging against her leg. And she looked down to see the gray palosti fox she had as a child. His name was Herol.

  He had slipped in and through the door, probably from his usual hiding place in the thorn bushes at the side of the house.

  She felt his eager inquiry sifting through her mind. She could never call what she felt from his mind thoughts, exactly, because animals did not form fully developed concepts.

  But the animal managed to make its joy at her presence known.

  Holding onto the captain's upper arm, Adalginza at last leaned down and with a trembling hand stroked Herol's fur.