by Thomas Rath
Kat was on the verge of tears. “Dor,” she pleaded, “we are what we say but like you are too frightened to say it out loud because of what the HuMans might do should they find us out. Please, you must trust us. You have given us great hope that not all of our people were lost.” Bren placed a hand on her arm stopping her while still keeping his eyes locked on Dor.
“Bring me a candle,” Bren directed to Kat his smile gone replaced by a look of determination. She did as he asked retrieving one of the candles that was secured in a sconce by the door. Handing it to Bren she appeared confused but looked at Dor and tried to force a smile. Bren stared at Dor for a long moment before finally speaking. “This could get me killed. I still believe you are what we think, but I will not force you to admit it to me. I have done more and said more than I should have to try and convince you, knowing that if I am wrong I will certainly be destroyed. So be it. That you might know that I speak true,” Bren placed his forefinger on the candlewick. Understanding flooded Kat’s face and she brought her hand to her mouth and groaned. Bren spoke one word. “Shonosh.” The candle suddenly lit as if on its own.
Dor tried not to show the shock on his face. Everything that Bren had been saying up to this point confirmed who he and Kat were but he was unwilling to risk his life on words only. Anyone could learn the correct things to say to convince someone that what they claimed was true. But no one he knew, save a QenChe, could pull fire out of something like Bren had just done. He was the bird and he was about to put his head right into the serpent’s mouth.
Closing his eyes he laid his head back onto his pillow and sighed. “DorMar Eelo Sho Tonkonochir.”
He suddenly felt arms around him and tensed for a brief moment thinking he had been wrong but Kat’s voice quickly relieved his anxiety. “Oh, DorMar, I knew it.” Letting him go she stood up, tears welling in her eyes while a large smile beamed across her face.
He looked at Bren whose smile was just as big. He couldn’t believe it, Chufa on this side of the Shadow Mountains? It didn’t seem possible. Smiling back he reverted to his native tongue. “I have a lot of questions.”
Bren and Kat laughed and said together, “So do we.”
He started right in not letting a moment pass. There was so much to discuss that he didn’t think they could ever possibly cover it all. “How many of you are there?”
Kat answered quickly, rushing in as well, the excitement evident in her voice. “We are few compared to the HuMans but our number grows steadily. It is much better now than right after the Great War. For long years it was a question as to whether we would survive as a people at all.”
He was amazed. “You have been here since the Great War?” All Chufa learned of the Great War. It was part of the training they received when they became adults in their Tane. The HuMans had destroyed the Chufa’s sacred forest killing almost all of the Chufa with it. It happened so long ago though that many wondered if it had really happened at all. The HuMans had become more a Chufa myth than fact. They were stories to tell children to scare them into obedience. Of course, he knew now that those myths were all too real.
Bren rested a hand on Kat’s arm silencing her. “Why don’t you get the chair,” he told her while taking a seat on the edge of Dor’s bed, “and let us start at the very beginning. Then Dor can tell us all about his people and where they have been all of these years. I assume there are more of you?”
He just nodded, still trying to digest it all.
Kat fairly skipped to the chair by Tam’s bed before rushing back with it, the excitement she felt pouring out of her.
Bren took a deep breath and then started. “During the Great War, a Chufa man and wife and their five children were able to hide in the cellar of a HuMan family they had befriended before the war began.”
“Befriended? I thought all HuMans hated Chufa.”
Bren smiled. “What about you and your friend, Jack? He has barely left your side since he brought you here.”
Dor just shrugged. He had a point.
“They kept them hidden away for many years but having to stay underground for long periods of time is too much for any Chufa.”
“I can vouch for that,” he interjected, the bitterness evident in his voice. Both Kat and Bren raised an eyebrow in question but he waved them off. “I’ll tell you everything when it’s my turn.”
Bren continued. “Two of the children died of sickness leaving only one of each of the Tane. They realized then that they would all be dead soon if something wasn’t done quickly. They tried coming out only at night but the risk was still high and they yearned to see the sunlight again. On occasion one or two would put on cloaks, similar to the robes we wear now, and spend time outside but it was too hard to try and explain off wearing a cloak in the heat of the summer. So, finally, they did the only other thing they could think of that would not give them away. They cut off the tips of their ears. That allowed them freer movement outside but they still needed to be careful and watchful. Paranoia still infested the land and talk of strange things poured into any ear that would listen.
“It wasn’t long after this that the family had to make another choice that was even more difficult than the first. They knew that our race and way of life would be wiped out completely after they all died. Their children were reaching the age of FasiUm and had no one to take for a mate. The HuMans also had children of like age and so it was decided by both families that marriages would be sealed between the two.”
“So that’s why Kat’s ears are not pointed.”
“Right. At first the mix created some with our looks and powers and some without. But as the mixing continued, many lost any semblance of the Chufa at all. It wasn’t the physical features that were a concern, but the Tane. It was being lost. By this time the original parents had died and their children were very old. There were no Kinpa to complete the Shahmeear ceremony and the art of placing the mark of the Tane was lost.”
Dor’s eyes widened. “You mean neither of you have a TanIs?” Both Bren and Kat showed Dor their ankles. Nothing. “But how is that possible?”
Bren smiled. “At first it was thought that because of this the Tane would be lost forever. In desperation, they gathered the children and taught all of them all the properties of all five Tane. They hoped that by teaching a child of all five Tane, that ability in one of the Tane would manifest itself and then the child could maintain and pass that power on.”
Dor was flabbergasted. “You mean you learn all five Tane! But how is that possible? You are the Tane you have been given and that’s that. You can’t be more than one….” He stopped. Thane had all five Tane. Why couldn’t someone else have more than one?
“Tane?” Bren finished for him a playful grin brightening his face. “That is exactly what they thought too. They thought that one Tane would manifest itself in each child if it manifested at all. What they found out instead was that most that had the Tane power were able to learn and gain the abilities of more than one.”
“More than one?”
“Yes,” Kat interjected. “Many of us have the ability of more than one Tane, although, one will always be more dominant than the others. Were you not listening when we gave you our names?”
“Well, um…yes,” he stammered. “But I thought you were just trying to trick me.”
“No,” Bren said. “I am BrenCheSagnVen. I have the power in the QenChe, VerSagn, and ArVen Tane though the QenChe is my most powerful. And KatSagnQen has powers in both the VerSagn and QenChe Tane, the VerSagn being the most powerful in her.”
“But how is that possible? You don’t just learn your Tane. You are what you are.”
Bren rubbed his chin. “They did find that only those born with the VerSagn Tane could heal or use that Tane because it has to do with your blood. Since that time we have tried to stay together as a group not intermarrying anymore in the hopes that we might be able to increase our Tane powers once more. We also found that if we don’t use our Tane powers that they tend to
weaken and can even go completely dormant. That is the main reason we wonder about the country healing and helping others where we can.”
“It’s really the best way to use and develop our Tane without bringing too much attention to ourselves. Although, it still comes,” Kat interjected.
Dor was still not digesting all of this very well. How could someone of the MarGua Tane learn to be a TehChao as well? It was unnatural. “So, you’re saying that I could learn the ArVen Tane and smell the weather on the wind? Or pull fire from dead things like the QenChe?”
Bren and Kat both shrugged and nodded looking at him as if they couldn’t understand his problem with what they were saying. “Yes,” Bren said. “As long as you possess some ability in the other Tane. It is not something that, say, a HuMan could learn. Not all learn all of the Tane. In fact, no one has ever mastered all five.
He suddenly felt a bit of melancholy drift into his mood. I know someone, he thought. He bit his lip wondering about Thane. Was he still alive? Would they ever see each other again? He knew he wouldn’t give up searching. Once he got Tam safely back home he would strike out again on his own and search until he found him—no matter whether he was still alive or not.
He almost jumped when Kat touched his arm. “Are you well?” she asked moving her hand to his forehead.
He shook her off. “No, I’m fine. It’s just a lot to take in all at once.”
Kat smiled. “We understand. It has been a great shock for us in finding you, too.”
Bren also smiled. “Yes, it was like the dead coming back to life.”
He laughed. “Well, in my case, I guess you could say it actually was.”
Kat and Bren laughed with him. “Tell us now about where you have been all this time and how you got here,” Bren asked leaning slightly forward as if afraid he would miss a word.
Dor thought back to his own training and tried as best he could to remember the history of his people after the Great War. He fumbled through as best he could only touching on the major points that stood out in his mind. He thought Kat and Bren might wet themselves when he told them of his home in the Ardath.
“Will you take us there?” they asked in unison.
He shrugged. He couldn’t see why not. It would be nice to have a little company when he took Tam back. “Sure, why not? When Tam is well enough to travel, we’ll go.”
“Tam?” Kat asked.
He pointed to the other bed.
Both of their faces fell visibly.
“What?” He sat up so quickly that he almost passed out. Laying back down he took deep breaths and waited for the blood to return to his head. “What’s wrong?” he finally asked, feeling almost normal again. “She will recover won’t she?”
Bren sighed. “Yes, she should recover, but it will take some time. The drug had a strong hold on her. She should overcome it eventually but the road will be long and rough. We were just hoping to go with you soon.”
He let out a sigh of relief. “What drug?”
“Dranlok,” Kat answered. “It is a powerful drug often used by trolls to gain control of their captives. It is very addictive and extremely difficult to resist once it is in your system. A lot of Tam’s recovery will depend on how long she has been taking it and how strong of a dose they were giving her. It will not be easy for your friend, I am afraid.”
“Dranlok,” Dor breathed. “That must have been the liquid they were trying to give me. And that explains her reactions to me when I tried to help her escape.”
“You took dranlok too?” Bren asked, a slight hint of worry on his face.
Dor waved his hand and shook his head. “No, no. I knew it was bad and wouldn’t be forced to drink it. Tam wasn’t so lucky.”
“She is your wife?” Kat asked a small frown darkening her lips.
He gave her a surprised look. “What? No, no, no. We’re barely even friends. She just followed me out here when I came searching for another.”
Kat smiled brightly. “That is good.”
He looked at her quizzically. What did that have to do with anything?
“So, what did bring you here from the other side of the Shadow Mountains?” Bren asked.
“Oh that,” he nodded. “Yes, I suppose I should tell you the rest of the story.” He gave himself over to explaining how he and Tam and Thane ended up on the west side of the mountains. Both Bren and Kat were amazed at all that had happened to them especially when he got to the part about the dragon. Neither had ever seen the mythical creatures before and were a little skeptical when he first told them about it. Bren tried to make him believe that it was possibly a Roc or some other large bird but his description quickly quieted Bren’s skepticism. The Healer just stared at him now, his mouth hanging open in shock.
When he finished, Kat placed a hand on his arm. “You are very brave and a very good friend to have done what you did for Tam. She may not have lived much longer had she not been rescued. If the trolls did not kill her then the dranlok surely would have in time.”
He shrugged, unaccustomed to such attention. He never thought of himself as a hero or doing anything more then anyone else would have done for a close friend. He looked at Kat who suddenly had a strange smile on her face and a certain look in her eye that he couldn’t quite read. The image of the serpent and the bird returned and this time he definitely understood that he was the bird.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The only warning they had was a soft moan before Tam started convulsing and screaming. Dor watched in horror as Bren dove at her knocking her back onto her bed while laying his whole body across her tiny frame in an attempt to hold her down. Tam’s eyes popped open and she started wildly flailing her arms and legs about, kicking and punching anything she could connect with. More than once Bren took the brunt of her blows but he held on tenaciously. Kat raced to a small table next to Tam’s bed and retrieved a tiny vial of liquid that she quickly poured into a cup of water. Tam screamed strange guttural noises and grabbed Bren’s hair in an attempt to pull him off.
Bren groaned through gritted teeth. “I can’t hold her much longer.”
“It’s almost ready,” Kat replied swishing the liquid around in the cup.
Dor watched on helplessly, knowing that he would only get in their way should he try to help. By the way Tam was knocking Bren around he knew that in his weakened state he would have been a husk doll in the hands of a child should he attempt to give assistance. He was amazed by her sudden strength. Tam had always been skinny but her time with the trolls had shrunk her tiny frame to skin draped bone.
Tam let go of Bren’s hair and swung a fist, connecting with his jaw. His head snapped back almost throwing him completely off but to his credit he threw himself right back into the fray managing to get hold of both arms while gaining more control of her legs with his own. “I’ve got her down, hurry.”
Kat looked into the cup. “It’s ready.”
“You’ll have to do it,” Bren strained. “She’s much stronger this time.”
Kat reached down and grabbed a handful of Tam’s hair and then yanked on it, snapping back her head. Tam screamed a curse and then spit into Kat’s face. Kat paid her no mind though; quickly tucking Tam’s hair under a knee she placed on the bed. “Here’s your medicine,” she teased and then pinched hard on Tam’s nose until her mouth dropped open. Not giving her a chance to breathe, she poured the liquid into her throat and then forced her jaw shut. Tam sputtered and choked but amazingly most of the liquid went down before she started into another thrashing frenzy. Kat kept a strong hold onto her head but it was obvious she wasn’t going to be able to hold on for much longer. Suddenly, Tam’s head shot up, leaving a clump of hair under Kat’s knee, and Tam’s forehead connected with Bren’s knocking him completely off of her and into a heap on the floor. Tam shot to her feet screaming in triumph and turned her fury towards Kat who merely sat and calmly watched as if Tam were no more than an annoying fly buzzing about the room.
“No, wait!” Dor c
ried out as Tam lunged for the Healer, murder burning in her eyes. Kat didn’t move as if oblivious to what was about to happen. Then suddenly, as if someone had cracked her over the head, Tam just dropped to the floor lifeless.
Kat turned to Dor and smiled. “Not to worry, Master Dor. Widow’s Wort works very quickly.
Dor stared back in shock. “I can see that.”
Bren slowly stood up, gently touching the large bump that was forming just above his left eye, a grim look on his face. “I think it’s time we tie her down. She’s getting too strong to control and she needs to be fed.”
Kat nodded her agreement as she pushed Bren’s hand away so she could get a better look. “It’ll smart for a little while but I think you’ll live. She was much stronger this time,” Kat continued, dipping a rag into the water bucket and then offering it to Bren. “That is a good sign.”
“Yes,” Bren agreed grabbing the rag and touching it to his bump. “That is a good sign but we don’t know how much further this will go before it starts to subside. In the meantime, I don’t think I am willing to risk another fight with her.”
Dor listened to the exchange in confusion. “Gaining back her strength is one thing,” he added, somewhat flabbergasted, “but that was unreal how she threw you around!”
Bren smiled weakly. “That was unreal, Dor.”
“What Bren means,” Kat added moving to his bedside and sitting down next to him, “is that the dranlok is reaching its peak of desire in her. Her addiction gnaws at her constantly making her crave more of the drug. The longer time passes without her feeding that addiction, the stronger it gets and, in a sense, the stronger she gets to try and feed the yearnings.”
“You mean the drug was doing that to her?”
Kat smiled. “Yes. She’s been under its control for such a long time that she really has no choice but to do everything in her power to feed the cravings.”
Dor looked at his friend as Bren picked her up and laid her back on her bed. She looked almost peaceful as she slept. A complete reversal from the fierce animal she had been only moments before. His voice dropped to an almost whisper, the concern obvious in his tone. “Will she ever fully recover?”
