The Threshold Child

by Callie Kanno

  She had never taken the time to meet their business neighbors. Her brief encounter with the lumberers was the only time she had seen anyone other than Hass and his customers. Adesina saw that the door to the clinic stood wide open. She was met with a curious assortment of sights and smells. There were many shelves filled with containers of all shapes, sizes, and colors. All of these were labeled in a neat feminine handwriting. There were quite a few chairs lining the wall and a couple of tables where patients could lie down, and one of the back corners was curtained off for privacy. There were also a large number of drawings and notices attached to the wall. Some encouraged cleanliness, some showed diagrams of human hands or feet, and so forth.

  The source of the music was in the middle of the room. Adesina recognized the curly haired head of the boy who had bumped into her at school. Aleron, she had been told was his name. He sat facing away from the door, mixing together herbs for his mother’s trade. He sang in a voice that rivaled Ravi’s. He was alone in the clinic and did not notice Adesina standing in the entrance.

  The hidden darkness behind closed eyes

  The silent fear that pursues the mind

  A lost generation that longs for rebirth

  The lost turn of time wasted by its own

  We sing of the legacy left by our fathers

  We sing of a purpose that has not been fulfilled

  To bring the sun from its faded glory

  Back to the light of its first birth

  Look to the stars and See them in truth

  For in the Heavens all Knowledge is written

  Through the eyes of the Gods all darkness flees

  And the world can be seen in the purity of light

  The last notes died away, leaving behind traces of the powerful emotion that had filled the song. Adesina quietly backed away, not wishing to make her presence known. She went back to her work frowning slightly and oblivious to her surroundings. She did not even notice that Ravi was studying her with a thoughtful expression on his face.

  The words of the song ran through Adesina’s mind in a maddening circle. She wished she had heard the beginning of the song. Perhaps then she would have been able to make the connection that stood just outside her reach. Her focus destroyed, Adesina put her work away for the day and began closing up.

  As she was locking the door to the shop, Aleron was leaving the clinic. He spotted her and gave a friendly wave. “I did not know that you were an apprentice to Master Hass! Just think of all the boring afternoons I suffered through, when I could have walked next door and talked to you!” He offered his hand to Adesina. “I do not believe we have been formally introduced. I am Aleron.”

  Adesina took his hand, a little wary of his enthusiasm for a stranger. It wasn’t the open curiosity and slight suspicion she was accustomed to meeting. It was almost as if he considered them to already be friends.

  “My name is Adrie.”

  He did not question her about her origins or give her unusual features an inquisitive glance, for which Adesina was grateful. Instead he nodded with the happy manner that seemed natural to him. “I walk past Master Hass’s house on my way home. May I walk with you?”

  Unlike some of the young men she had met, Aleron was actually asking permission. Adesina had a feeling that, regardless of her answer, he would walk through the Square with a content look on his face. Aleron seemed to be the kind of person that let nothing dampen his spirits. In that way he reminded her of Lanil, her childhood Shi friend.

  Adesina nodded. “Yes, you may.”

  A sunny grin broke across his face. “Thank you.”

  As they turned to walk away from the shop, Adesina caught a glimpse of Master Chatham glaring at them from his window next door. She reached out and rested her hand on Ravi’s back, which had become a habit.

  “How well do you know Master Chatham?”

  Aleron was surprised at this choice of subject. “Not very well. Why do you ask?”

  She shrugged. “I have only met him once, but he seems to dislike me. I do not understand why that would be so.”

  “Well,” Aleron frowned, searching his memory, “I remember hearing that he left the High City when he was young and no one knew where he went. When he came back, years later, he was very bitter. I do not think anyone knows why.”

  The young woman shook her head. “What does that have to do with me?”

  He shrugged. “Perhaps it has nothing to do with you personally. You sort of represent the outside world, and maybe his anger is directed towards the world rather than an individual.”

  She was surprised by the wisdom in his simple words. He was unlike anyone she had met in the High City, and she decided that she wouldn’t mind getting to know him better.

  Their talk turned to lighter subjects. Aleron was eager to learn her opinion of the city, their school, her peers, and so forth. Adesina was cautious in her answers, but found herself being more honest than expected. There was something about Aleron’s open and understanding expression that made Adesina feel like she could say anything she wanted. She was careful to answer as Adrie, but each reply was colored with her own opinions.

  Aleron was not only open to what she said, but he agreed with her on the majority of the points discussed. He was aware of the pretension of the city and felt the same dissatisfaction. He looked around to make sure no one was listening and then leaned towards Adesina confidentially. “Right now I am training to be a healer with my mother, but as soon as I come of age, I am leaving the High City.”

  He looked as if he had done something very daring by expressing such intentions.

  Adesina suppressed a smile of amusement. “And where will you go?”

  He shrugged. “I do not know yet. Tunith is a large continent, and they say that there are lands beyond the seas! I have always wanted to travel around and help people who could not get it otherwise.”

  Adesina couldn’t help but smile at this statement. “That is very idealistic of you.”

  His expression became worried. “Is it an unlikely goal?”

  She felt a twinge of regret from causing him to question his aspirations, yet she didn’t want to give him false hopes. She considered her words before answering. “Well…it will be difficult, but not impossible.”

  Aleron looked relieved. “Oh, I am not afraid of hard work.”

  The smile returned to Adesina’s lips. “Of course not.”

  At this point they had arrived at Master Hass’s house. She wasn’t sure how to bid him farewell, but he saved her the trouble of working it out by simply giving her another cheery smile and a wave as he walked away.

  Jelana met Adesina at the door with curiosity in her eyes. “Was that Mistress Breena’s son?”

  She nodded. “Yes. His name is Aleron.”

  “He walked you home?”

  Adesina hesitated. “Was it improper of me to allow it?”

  Jelana hastily shook her head. “No, no. It just surprised me.”

  The Shimat had the uncomfortable feeling that a number of interesting ideas were brewing in Jelana’s imagination. To avoid further questioning, Adesina hurried upstairs.

  Jelana had made it clear that she thought it wise for women to marry young, even if that meant sacrificing the completion of their education. Adesina suspected that she wouldn’t be too picky about whom Adrie chose to marry, as long as he was a citizen of the High City.

  Ravi, who seemed to be having the same thought, chuckled softly as they walked to Adesina’s room. “What will you do when they find a suitable match for you?”

  Adesina snorted. “Politely decline, and bid them to mind their own business.”

  She sat down on the bed and watched Ravi stretch out on the floor. “There are worst things in this world than having people care about your happiness and well-being.”

  Adesina reached for the small dagger she kept hidden under her mattress. She twirled it in her hands absently, leaning back to stare at the ceiling.

  Chapter Twelv
e: Alone

  Adesina had now been in the High City for six months. The late autumn and winter had passed and spring had arrived. Adrie had found her niche in the High City society. Although she was still viewed as an Outsider, she felt that she had discovered how to fit in.

  Five days a week she went to school, where she led her class academically; much to the mortification of some of her classmates. Four days a week she went to Hass’s shop right after school and worked until evening. Aleron always walked her home, chatting about anything that came to mind, but not in the mindless manner that was typical of Gainor. Sometimes Hass joined them, and sometimes they walked alone.

  She appreciated the friendship she had developed with this young man, but she was often reminded that it was founded on false pretenses. Most of the time she was merely playing a part, and that left her feeling very alone.

  Adesina missed being herself, and she missed the life of a Shimat. Most of all, she missed spending every day with Kendan—the way he challenged her to go beyond her best; the familiar banter that passed between them; the way he looked deep into her eyes, as if trying to read the etchings on her soul; and, more recently, how he had reached for her hand and warmed her with his touch. She missed all of these things; sometimes so much it was painful.

  Now she was surrounded by the pretension of the High City, living among those she knew were not her equal. She did her best to keep Kendan from her mind, but that was difficult.

  Adesina was often paraded around the city as if she were some kind of prize. This was usually done by one of the Governors, but it was also done by those who called themselves her friends. She had thought that she would be caught up in the political maneuvering of the city, but it seemed that she was wanted for nothing more than to be seen with certain high-ranking citizens.

  A good deal of her time was spent in the company of Gainor, Deasa and Rina. With the aid of these girls, Adesina was given a whole new set of lessons that had never before been presented to her. She watched the girls with a growing fascination as they practiced their charms, flirted shamelessly to get what they wanted, and displayed a wide variety of etiquette that was adaptable to almost any situation. These strange lessons ended with the fading light and Adesina returned to her host family for a quiet supper and an evening of storytelling, music, or individual amusements.

  To the casual observer, it would have seemed like the happy, simple life of the majority of the citizens of the High City. But the casual observer would not have seen that Adesina was awake long after the others had gone to bed and up again long before dawn. Every day she reviewed her mission information, more out of habit than need. She practiced her skills in weaponry, and made sure that she remembered every lesson that she had been given during her years of training. There was only so much she could do in her limited space, but she did the best she could.

  Once a month, in the dead of night, Adesina slipped out of the High City through a drain grate she had discovered early on. She would then steal across the open field to the refuge of the forest. There was a small hidden cave where she met her Shimat contact and reported on her status.

  Kendan always greeted her with a tender smile and a squeeze of the hand. At first, Adesina found these attentions to be confusing, but now she looked forward to them. She began dreaming of him taking her in his arms and holding her close, but he never did. Instead he would touch her hand, and his eyes would twinkle when he noticed the blush on her cheeks.

  Their time together was limited, and therefore precious. In these stolen hours or half-hours, Adesina finally felt that she was with an equal, and the fluttering of her heart whispered that maybe it was something more than that as well. She tried not to look too deep into those feelings, afraid of what she might discover there. Instead she attempted to act as if it didn’t matter, even if she knew she was lying to herself.

  Adesina rarely had anything of importance to report, and was frequently admonished to be patient while waiting for her first assignment.

  But she was impatient.

  Her task had been to establish herself in the High City so she would always have a solid alibi. With the exception of Chatham, who continued in his irrational dislike, anyone that Adesina had come in contact with would swear for Adrie’s character.

  It was a fine spring morning when Adesina sat looking out her window, lost in thought. Ravi, who had missed his usual predawn ritual of watching and assisting Adesina in her training, opened his eyes from a deep sleep.

  “Happy birthday, Ma’eve.”

  Adesina blinked in surprise. It was her seventeenth birthday, and she had completely forgotten. “Thank you, Ravi. Have you been Dreaming?”

  He was only a heavy sleeper when he was Dreaming. Ravi stretched and sat up. “Yes.”

  She still had not been able to Dream without the aid of the strange forest through which they had traveled. She covered the envy she felt by smiling at him teasingly. “Is that how you knew it was my birthday?”

  “In a way. I have great reason to remember this day. It was very important to me.”

  Adesina turned from the window to face him. “Why is that?”

  He smiled as if the answer were obvious. “Because you were born.”

  She was surprised to receive such a reply. “I had no idea that you had been so long aware of my existence.”

  Ravi raised his brow slightly. “Of course. Your existence completes mine.”

  The young Shimat frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “The Rashad are sometimes born with a task assigned to them—a role or a purpose they are meant to fulfill. Mine was to be your guardian.”

  Adesina stared at him, dumbfounded. “You are my guardian?”

  A soft laugh burst from Ravi’s throat. “Why else do you think I would be following you day in and day out for all of this time?”

  She shrugged defensively. “I stopped trying to explain your presence a long time ago.”

  Amusement danced in Ravi’s eyes. “I see.”

  Adesina pushed aside her aggravation to give priority to her curiosity. “So, you were born to be my guardian?”

  Ravi inclined his head.

  “You had no choice in the matter?”

  His expression now became more serious. “There is always a choice. Even in matters that are called ‘destiny’ by some.”

  She furrowed her brow. “Does that not contradict the very idea of destiny?”

  Ravi considered his words for several moments before answering. “Destiny is like a labyrinth. One is given the choice of paths, but once on that path one is required to follow it until a new choice is presented. When I received the Dream that told me of your birth, I had two choices: I could heed the call to fulfill my purpose or I could ignore it. I chose to heed the call and prepare to seek you out, and that choice has set my life on the path I now am obliged to follow.”

  Adesina thought about this carefully. “Is every life guided by destiny?”

  “I do not know. I only know of its hand in my own life.”

  She leaned forward, fixing her eyes intently on Ravi. “What of my life?”

  A smile tugged at the corners of Ravi’s mouth. “Why do you think I would have the answer to that question?”

  “Because you said that our lives were connected.”

  “Intertwined,” he amended gently.

  Adesina nodded impatiently. “If that is the case, then would it not stand to reason that you would have more insight into my life than with others?”

  This time his smile would not be repressed. “An interesting observation.”

  Adesina straightened in her seat triumphantly. “Well?”

  Ravi, on the other hand, laid back down. “I suppose it would make sense for your life to be guided as well as mine.”

  Her expression became troubled. “You said there are always choices, but I do not feel as if I have ever had any. My life feels more like my old ideas of destiny. I trained as a Shimat because I was born in the fortress, and I
came to the High City because I was assigned to a purpose here. What kind of choices could I have had?”

  Ravi shook his head. “That I cannot tell you. All I can say is that sometimes our choices do not appear to be clear until after they have passed. It may be that you look back on your life years from now and see momentous choices of which you were not aware.”

  An odd expression came over Ravi’s face and he went very still. Although she wasn’t sure why, Adesina went still as well.

  “What is it, Ravi?”

  He didn’t answer for several moments. “Ma’eve…I…forgive me, but I must leave you for a time. Will you be all right if I go?”

  The Shimat rolled her eyes. “I know how to take care of myself, Ravi. But what is wrong? What has happened?”

  He shook his head doubtfully. “I am not talking about your physical well being. Something is happening, and I will not leave your side unless I know you will be safe.”

  Adesina’s gaze became intent. “What is happening?”

  Ravi hesitated before answering. “I do not know. That is why I must leave you. I have seen something I do not understand, and I must speak with one of my own kind.”

  “Where would you go to do that?”

  Ravi’s thoughts seemed to have turned inward. “Ruvim is probably the closest. Even so, it is quite a distance…”

  After a few minutes of silence, his golden eyes snapped up to fix themselves on Adesina’s face. “Would you promise me to stay here today? Tell Jelana you are ill, and stay in this room.”

  She was shaking her head before he finished talking. “I am not going to stay inside all day.”

  His expression became stern. “Now is not a time to be willful. This is very important, Ma’eve. Please promise me.”

  “What could possibly happen to me in this city? Especially when I am only going to school today?”