Sons of Destiny Prequel Series 003 - The Shifter

by Jean Johnson

  "I'm torn." The words escaped him. Once they were out, he couldn't take them back. Shrugging, Kenyen admitted the truth. "I honestly care about you. I think you're funny, and smart, and charming... and I'd consider courting you if we weren't stuck in this situation. And that has me torn. When a man of the Plains courts a mate, he treats her properly. Respectfully. He makes sure they are compatible mentally and emotionally. Physical needs are for the earth-priestesses to handle, until a man is wed."

  "But what about all the times you're not near one of these... earth-priestesses?" Solyn asked. "Like when you're away from the Plains, doing warband things? For that matter, you did mention something about earth-priestesses, but I'm still not completely sure how they came to be, or what they do. Um, in full."

  The conversation had deflated some of his interest. Turning back to her, Kenyen gave her the truth. "It's simple. Earth-priestesses are widows who... well, no, actually it isn't, because you don't know the underlying parts. Let me back up," he corrected himself, looking around for a seat. The stools they had used before were in the next alcove, so he brought them over, speaking as he moved. "It's a long explanation, and we might as well be comfortable for it."

  Setting the stools down, he gestured for her to take one and settled on the other. Solyn, absorbing that, sank slowly onto the wooden surface. "Alright. Tell me about them."

  "The background part first. When a young girl physically matures, we celebrate her status as a maiden," Kenyen began. "She then moves from her parents' geome to the maiden's geome, where she spends the next several years learning how to manage all the womanly things she needs to know. How to keep her tent-home clean, how to cook and manage finances, how to honor Father Sky and Mother Earth; they finish their education with the hearth-priests and -priestesses in things like writing and numbers... and the earth-priestesses teach her how to find pleasure in her own body and what to do when they finally join with a man."

  "So... earth-priestesses are priestesses. How do they become one?" she asked.

  "When a maiden is married, she becomes a wife and moves into her husband's geome," he told her. "If she becomes a widow, or should she divorce him—which is rare but does happen—she goes back into the maiden's geome for a full year, so that she can grieve, recover, and get her heart and mind set straight. At the end of that time, if she so chooses, she can enter the priesthood as an earth-priestess, where her duties are twofold.

  "First, she is to train the young men as well as the new maidens in all the ways of women and men. And second, she is to make herself available to the unmarried men of her Family so that—no, no, no!" Kenyen quickly corrected, the moment her eyes widened. He had already encountered this same look of disbelieving confusion on the faces of other outlanders in years past. "Remember, on the Plains, a Family is a group of many extended kin-families, not all of whom are related to each other... much like the Nespah Valley is a group of many holdings filled with several extended kin-families as well as laborers from other regions, but not everyone is related to each other. Your valley is similar to our Family, except our Families travel, and your valley is defined by a single location, not by its inhabitants."

  Solyn nodded hesitantly, somewhat relieved though still puzzled. "Alright. Go on..."

  "Family Tiger, the one I come from, has over eight hundred people, and of actual parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and first cousins... I probably am only related to about sixty or seventy people at most, almost all of them in the South Paw. There are eight segments in our Family, with names like South Paw, Tailtip, and so forth," he reassured her. "If I were a widow and chose to become an earth-priestess after my full year in the maiden's geome, I would not serve any of the men in the South Paw segment of Family Tiger, because of the lineages involved.

  "I probably would serve in Tailtip, which has no close or immediate relationship to my bloodline. Or I could ask to serve in another Family within Clan Cat, such as Family Lion... or even cross-serve in another Clan entirely. Now do you get it?" he asked.

  She nodded more firmly this time. "It would be like me going to... to Tallat Valley, which is a couple days' ride from here. I'm not related to anyone there."

  "Exactly. Or to Mespak instead of Nespah," he agreed, pleased she had grasped the analogy. "Since we all meet in the wintertime at Shifting City, there are plenty of opportunities for earth-priestesses to be swapped around between Clans and Families. Or for maidens to meet and court with men. If they're from a different Clan or Family, the woman usually goes to the man's Family. The only exception being princesses, women who are born with the ability to shift their shape. They're rare, so usually a Family prefers to keep their female shifters," Kenyen finished.

  "I see." She mulled that over for a few moments, then shook her head. "Back to the original topic. When you're not on the Plains, and you have... needs... what do you do?" She blushed on the word needs.

  Kenyen blushed as well. He rubbed at the back of his neck. "We find the local equivalent of an earth-priestess, if there is one... and we treat her with the same respect. Except earth-priestesses on the Plains are supported as a member of the priesthood, which means they receive a stipend from the Family as a whole each turning of Brother Moon, whereas outlander variants, um, expect their payment to be a bit more direct. If it's not that sort, but the woman is willing, mature, and understands it is merely a dalliance... well, we treat her the same way. With the respect we would approach an earth-priestess."

  "I see." Again, she paused to consider that. "So... basically... what's tearing you apart is the urge to treat me like a maiden of the Plains, instead of a willing, mature, understanding outlander equivalent of an earth-priestess?"

  His blush deepened. He gave her a sheepish smile. "Yeah. That's pretty much it. I like you, and part of me wants to court you properly. It's being held back by the circumstances we're caught up in, but there it is."

  How sweet, Solyn thought, warmed by his interest in her. She was also cooled by the reminder that their situation was awkward. However... I think there might be a way around that...

  "I have a question," she said. "What happens if an earth-priestess doesn't want to be an earth-priestess anymore? Say, they've served as one for three or four years, and want a break, or maybe even wants a chance to be courted like a regular woman. Is that allowed? Or must they be an earth-priestess forevermore?"

  "Well, of course it's allowed!" Kenyen scoffed. "It's her time, her effort, her body. Only she can make that choice, and she has the right to change her mind at any time. Or change it back again. A number of women who do sign up to be an earth-priestess often drop out within the first year, for a variety of reasons. That's why there's a year of training involved, of supervision under the assistance of a more experienced priestess, and of course lessons from the rest of the priesthood to absorb, since it's often easier for a man to confess his troubles and seek counsel when he's been physically relaxed.

  "But if she wants to go back to being a maiden and have the chance to be courted, then yes, she can do so at any time. It is a requirement that she waits for one full turning of Sister Moon before she can wed anyone, though," he added. "That's just in case her contraceptive charms might have failed. We don't have a lot of mages who can craft new ones, and Healer-mages are rare, so most women want to know if they've conceived from their time as an earth-priestess before they wed—children created during an earth-priestess' service are considered as legitimate as any other, because in a sense the earth-priestess is wedded to her duties."

  "Ah. Well, that makes sense," Solyn murmured, pleased. She felt a bit daring, but the storm guaranteeing their privacy for a while gave her the chance to be bold. To seize what she wanted. "Well, I was thinking just now, what if you treated me first like an earth-priestess... and then, once we've untangled ourselves from this mess, when we've rescued Traver and gotten rid of the Mongrels plaguing the valley... what if you then treated me like a maiden afterward?"

  He stared at her, abso
rbing the implication behind her words, until a chuckle escaped him. A rueful one. "Traver implied you were quite clever. Now I see just how clever."

  Rising from her stool, she moved over to his and slipped onto his lap. Her blanket rode high enough that she could feel some of the fur on his thighs brushing against the backs of her own. It wasn't blue and purple anymore, just plain dark brown, but it was still as soft as cat fur. Kenyen blushed when she settled on his lap, but didn't push her away. Looping her arms around his neck, Solyn smiled at him.

  "Do you like the fact that I'm clever?" she asked.

  He cleared his throat. The position of her arms threatened to make the side gap of her makeshift blanket dress show more than it rightfully should. "Yes... yes, I do."

  "Then how would you approach me as an earth-priestess?" she asked, smiling.

  Opening his mouth to reply, Kenyen stopped, thought, and finally asked, "Do you have any experience in coupling with a man?"

  She blushed at the blunt question and shrugged. "I know all the facts regarding the theory of it. I am a Healer's apprentice, and it all falls under the heading of midwifery skills."

  "But you have no practical knowledge?" Kenyen asked, feeling awkward once more.

  "I've kissed and touched," she confessed. It was her turn to clear her throat. "And, erm... fondled... a bit. It was with a young caravan merchant last summer. Nothing really came of it, because it's difficult to find time alone because I'm an apprentice to my mother. Everyone comes to me when they have a minor scratch in need of an ointment, or a cough in need of a posset."

  Kenyen wrapped his arms around her, cuddling her close in sympathy. "I've heard similar complaints from our own Healer priests. Were you to come back to the Family with me, you'd have... well, actually, I'm not entirely sure you'd have Priest Yemii to spell you, because you would be asked to serve more as a mage than as a Healer, herbal or spell. Though you'd be highly welcome if you chose to do both. But whether or not you'd even be posted to Family Tiger would be up to the Council of Mages, at the capital. Every Family should have at least one, and we already have Priestess Soulet."

  "Well, first I'd have to go to our capital city, to be trained as a mage," Solyn countered. "Something like that would take me a couple of years, if not longer. So before we even got to the Plains, if we went back to them, we'd have to decide if there was going to be a 'we,'" she pointed out. "Would you be willing to wait for me to complete my training?"

  Kenyen considered that. "Is there a... a law in this land against Corredai mage apprentices being married?"

  "Well, no. Not that I'm aware of," she admitted. "So long as the person is seventeen or older, and judged mature enough to handle the responsibilities of marriage—and for the record, I am twenty-two—then anyone can marry who they please. Divorce is difficult, since it requires counseling with the priesthood to see if the marriage can be salvaged, and then swearing upon a Truth Stone or a Truth Wand that the love cannot be revived, and listing the reasons in front of both families and any friends, and... Well, we try not to do it lightly, as it's a big hassle."

  "It's more or less the same on the Plains," Kenyen agreed. "My brother did marry my sister-in-law quickly, but they knew their minds and their hearts were quite compatible. They're both bookish, thoughtful, responsible... They bring out the best in each other. As much as I dislike being in his shadow, if I can make half as good a choice in my mate, I'll be well-off... and yes, I consider you to be a potential candidate from the better side of that halfway point."

  As far as compliments went, it was a little awkward, but she knew it was heartfelt. Warmed by it, she kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you. The more I get to know you, the more I like you a lot, too. Enough to consider courting you as well. But as you said, we do have this tangled mess wrapped around us," she muttered, sighing. "On the bright side, you are supposed to be seducing me, and it is acceptable for us to twine fully... so long as we don't do it in public and provided my father never finds out." She wrinkled her nose, smiling ruefully. "He wants to keep me his little girl forever."

  "Most fathers are that way, in all the lands I've visited," Kenyen agreed. Now that she was on his lap, and her logic had been considered, he could see her point. There was still a twinge of conscience in him, one that made him ask, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

  Solyn nodded. "Quite sure. Whatever we're both comfortable with, however far we both want."

  Her reassurance on that last part relieved him of some of his tension, some of his lingering resistance. However, getting from the discussion of what they were about to do, to actually doing it, felt awkward.

  "So... should we just start kissing?" Solyn asked him. "Or should we just jump straight to waxing the cheese?"

  That broke him up with laughter. Hugging her, Kenyen shook his head. "No, kissing is fine. But we really should do what we came here to do, first, which is to rewrap all the damp rounds."

  "Ugh," she muttered, rising from his lap. "Everything is going to be damp, in this storm. Let me get the cloths I brought."

  "By the way, you owe Traver's mother a stack of clean cheese cloths. She sent some down here with me yesterday, so I wouldn't interrupt your healing efforts. Speaking of which," he added. "How is the patient?"

  "Recovering. Once the pain-posset put him to sleep, Mother scored the inner edges of his thigh wound so it'll heal as scarlessly as possible, inside. A limp really curtails your ability to walk far, here in the mountains." Extracting the pouch with the fresh strips of fabric, she handed him half the stack.

  "So your mother has one of the blades?" Kenyen asked. "Given the risks of Family Mongrel's ongoing search for it, isn't that dangerous?"

  "It is, but she's a Healer, and greensteel is still a very valuable healing tool," Solyn reminded him, moving off to find the first of the fresh rounds. "It was the inside she scored, very lightly. It's utterly contrary to the usual healing practices, and disturbing to watch, but the wound will heal more neatly for it. She did not, however, cut the flesh up at the skin. He'll heal with a slight but visible scar, which is what those—what did you call them, curs?"

  "Curs," he agreed, finding his own set of rounds on the shelf opposite hers. "A scar is what they'd expect to see, yes."

  "Yes. Mother's healing spells will heal most of his wounds well, but the blow was deep, and... well, best left unmentioned," Solyn dismissed. She changed the subject. "What exactly is a cur, anyway?"

  "A baseless brute with no civility, no compassion, no mercy. No honor," Kenyen explained, his tone grim. "Basically what my offensive ancestors were before our women tamed us a few decades after the year the Empire shattered. They acted with even more brutality than these Mongrel curs, though without nearly as much cunning. Then again, they had the liberty to act openly in their criminal ways, for there was no law on the land but the strongest shift of muscle and claw. They forced themselves on any female they could find, and subjugated the few non-shifter men as well."

  "Ah. So that's why your men decided to sequester your women, to keep them safe," Solyn murmured.

  "What? No," Kenyen chuckled. "No, that was the women's decision. We honor women because we wish to remember that women may not be as physically strong as men, and most of them may not be shapeshifters, but they are smart and wise, compassionate and strong-willed. We honor the fact that these are traits all civilized people should value.

  "Conflict is something men excel at, because our size and build can handle it, and sometimes it is needed. When a feral bull gets loose, when bandits try to raid, these are things we can prevent. Cooperation is something women excel at, whether it's getting children to mind their manners or relatives to share their resources. We try to strike balance in our lives, and—"

  Light flashed, blue white and bright, visible all the way from the mouth of the tunnel; not even half a startled heartbeat later, thunder kra-koommmed, rattling the very air. Near-simultaneously, Solyn yelped and Kenyen swore, jumping and spinning to face the distant open
ing. The pattern hiss of rain turned into a rush from the droplets shaken out of the sky.

  Steadying her nerves, with several deep, shaky breaths, Solyn raised her voice slightly, wanting to be heard. "I am very glad we got in here before that struck!"

  More lightning flashed and more thunder boomed. He managed a smile and a nod, still shaken by the sudden, near strike. "As am I."

  * * *

  Nine

  Morbid curiosity sent both of them to the cave mouth once they were done with their task. They peered out at the storm through the wind-lashed trees, watching the dark gray clouds swirl and flicker with light. Kenyen was able to expand his fur to the rest of his limbs, protecting him against the chilly gusts, but Solyn only had her blanket.

  After a few minutes of fascinated storm watching, the shivering got to her. A good storm was more enjoyable when she not only had shelter but had more layers to wear. "... I'm going back inside. I'm a little too cold out here."

  "I'll come with you," he murmured.

  She chuckled as they reached the back section of the old mining tunnel. At his inquiring look, Solyn explained what was on her mind. "Oh, I was just thinking of Jelinna. Heh... she always said she liked a hairy man, but I wonder if she'd like one this hairy."

  Her hazel eyes flicked to his fur-covered figure. Kenyen chuckled and blushed. Retracting most of it, he spread his arms. "How's this?"

  "Still a little strange," she admitted, smiling. "But I think I envy you for it."

  "You wouldn't be the first, but you have an advantage that my people would envy, and that is the ability to do real magic." Taking her hand, Kenyen tugged her close. Kissing her brow, he smiled and said, "Even though you make me sneeze by it, I wouldn't trade your spells for any princess' ability to shapeshift."