"You have fortitude, Rai. I can see it in your eyes, in the way you comport yourself. It makes an impression, especially for one so young. You'd be a good fit for Sept Durmah, if you're willing?"
Rai worked to not be too obvious as she let out the breath she'd been holding. "I'd be honored to join your Sept."
The Chieftess nodded and rose. "Although you enter our family as a full member, your barrenness dictates that you cannot marry or own property. Within my Sept only your vision and your work ethic limit your opportunities. We welcome you to this journey into our now joint futures, and we look forward to meeting new challenges one Durmah stronger." Despite the formality of the speech, her eyes shone with warmth.
"Thank you, Chieftess. I won't disappoint you." Rai couldn't help smiling along with the Chieftess.
"I know you won't fail us. Let's go to the Sept House. I believe they have a feast awaiting us."
They exited the Temple where the Chieftess walked up to two men, who took after the Chieftess in their features.
"Rai, these are my eldest sons, Stoi and Meik Durmah. Boys, this is Rai, our new adoptee."
"Good to meet you, Rai," Stoi shook her hand. "It's about time the Temple came through for us," he said to the Chieftess.
She gave a curt nod. "Let's head home. We can discuss further there."
They walked through the streets of Raven's Call as dusk settled over the city. A long scar ran vertically along Stoi's face, passing close to his left eye. The scar notwithstanding, the family resemblance between the two brothers was obvious. They shared a stocky, muscular build, both of them taller than average, and both had curly, brown hair. The laugh lines on their roundish faces spoke of sunny demeanors, though there was an element of strain in their eyes when they hovered over Kait and helped her across intersections.
Rai didn't recognize the city streets, and yet it fit familiar patterns within her mind. She expected the market section when they passed it, and yet couldn't remember ever being there. The stalls had all closed for the day; tarps tied down beside the frames, baskets empty and stacked in an orderly fashion for tomorrow.
They sauntered down sidewalks made from sheets of gray stone, while Rai observed a farmer's wagon led by a single horse and laden with a variety of ball fruit from local orchards stop in front of a stall. The wagon wheels fell into grooved tracks in the hard stone of the street, a testament to the frequency of use and age of the city itself.
"Any Ence's pears ripe yet, Aden?" Stoi asked, and they stopped to talk to the vendor.
The young man paused in his work, a cautious grin playing at the corner of his lips. "You know they aren't in season yet."
"I know the time is about right and it's been a hot growing season, so I'm betting they might be early. Am I right? Your Sept also has the most protected grove in the valley..." Stoi replied.
Aden threw up his arms in good-natured defeat. "You're right, Stoi, they're ripening early."
"Fantastic." Stoi rubbed his hands together. "I bet you have a few with you today, don't you?"
The farmer shifted on his feet, kicking at a seam in the stone beneath their feet. "Not yet, but in two days I'll have a bushel for you. I can set it aside for Durmah."
Stoi sighed, his shoulders slumping. "Yeah, you do that. Thanks kid."
He was so upset; Rai couldn't help reaching out to Stoi. "Hey, it's just a day. I'm sure whatever you need them for can wait."
He gave her a brief hug around the shoulders. "But tonight is your induction feast. You only get one of these, and Ence's pears are such a delicacy... I'd thought it would be such a treat."
"No worries, Stoi. Durmah puts out a wonderful feast," the Chieftess said.
"You guys are brutal, and you know it." Aden broke in, holding out one single roundish-grey pear. "I saved this single ripe one for a girl I'm courting, but she'll never know otherwise. Since it's your feast night and all, congratulations."
Rai reached for the pear, but he held it back a moment longer, his gaze pinning Stoi. "We've upped our par five percent this year, on all produce. Agreed?"
Stoi ran a thumb across his chin. "You're authorized to negotiate for your mother now?"
"I know her intent, and this looks like an opportune time."
"So it does, and you have a deal, now hand over the pear and send over the paperwork in the morning." Stoi held out his hand.
They continued down the city streets, Rai with a spring in her step and an Ence's pear clutched between her fingers.
When they reached the end of Bennon Lane, their destination, the size of the Durmah Septhouse surprised Rai. Three stories hall and a full block deep, she couldn't tell how long the building ran in the fading dusk. They passed a large stable yard at the end, fenced in by sturdy timbers a good ten feet high and made their way to the main entrance. Grey rock sheeting encased the entire structure except for the windows, doors, and roof. The windows and roof pale-beige hardened plasticine components allowed ambient light in and out, and some windows even appeared to slide open.
Meik knocked on the front door, a thick wooden structure ribbed with steel reinforcements, Rai heard bolts thrown, and then it swung open wide. A butler, wearing a simple brown tunic and black pants, bowed low and ushered them inside the foyer.
The Chieftess, head held high, led the way. Meik, with a steady palm to the small of Rai's back, urged her forward.
"You next," he whispered in her ear.
She wouldn't have been able to keep the glimmer of anticipation out of her eyes if she'd tried.
Rai followed the Chieftess down a wide hallway, her brothers right behind her. The far end of the hall opened into a large kitchen, but they turned to the left and entered a large dining hall. The ceiling arched to the roof with exposed timbers and four large fireplaces lined the outer walls. The far wall contained large double doors, which appeared to lead to the stables, based on what she'd seen from the outside the building.
Around the dozen or so tables inside the hall sat Sept members of varying ages and platters of all types of food covered the tables. The staff ran back and forth, bearing pitchers of wine, water, and juice for the crowd of three dozen huddled around eight tables lined up in a grid across the room. Kait's presence registered through the group, and she came to a stop amidst the tables, pulling Rai to her side.
"Sept Durmah, let me introduce to you our newest member: Rai. Please welcome her with open arms."
A round of hellos and clapping followed the Chieftess' short speech, and then they sat at a central table. The rest of the night passed in a frenzied blur. The flurry of names and faces was overwhelming, far beyond her capacity to absorb. The Chieftess further introduced herself as Kait, short for Kaitlynn. Instead of standing on ceremony, Kait took it upon herself to name those present and explain the family dynamics to Rai herself. Although Kait was only 32, she had aged well beyond her years. Wrinkles covered her hands and spread out from the corners of her eyes, and streaks of white marked her dull blond hair. Kait's premature aging went hand-in-hand with motherhood, although Rai didn't know why she was so certain of that fact. Many of the Sept women, those who were mothers, were aged well beyond their years, while the men didn't suffer the same ill effects.
Motherhood on Az'Unda was a mixed blessing.
Between the savory meats, sweet fruit juices, and herbed breads, the feast surpassed anything Rai could have imagined. The Durmah was a happy, loving family; the interactions of the various Sept members gave no indication of a strict rule or caste system. They doted upon the children during the feast with extra desserts and sweet juices. Many stayed up late into the night, their parents in no rush to hurry them off to bed. The servants lavished attention on the children--which was unusual for a society that kept hired help at an emotional distance from the families they served.
Rai also discovered the Durmah' trade earned them more than a modest income. They also owned and operated a series of Waystations, one in each city, where Durmah merchants and other travelers cou
ld eat and spend a night or two. The hazards of travel on Az'Unda, various Durmah reiterated to Rai, were considerable. Rai didn't want to ruin the festive mood by inquiring tonight, so she made a mental note to ask about it later. The expense of overnight shelter had become prohibitive; hence, the Durmah built the Waystations. In effect, this extended the reach of the Durmah Sept house to all the cities.
As the evening wound down, Rai stood chatting with a pair of Kait's sister's by marriage, Cerna, Sacha, and Prish next to the fire while they enjoyed glasses of spiced wine. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kait draw her two eldest brothers Stoi and Meik into private discussions at a table in the corner, where no one else had gathered.
Rai continued her discussion, sipping her spiced wine, but kept an eye on the trio in the corner. When Stoi's eye flickered up and caught hers on them, she gave him a quick wave, unable to contain her flush of embarrassment. His reassuring nod let her know she'd done nothing untoward.
When a short, impish woman approached a few minutes later with an air of authority, and Rai welcomed the distraction. She couldn't help it: Kait's sisters were a tad dull.
"Evening, Mistress Rai. I'm Nimma, one of the house butlers. Would you like me to show you to your room for the evening?" Her short, bright-white hair glowed in the candlelight.
"That'd be wonderful, Nimma," Rai replied, rising and walking along with Nimma. "But when you say 'for the evening,' what do you mean?"
"The Chieftess asked that I set you up in one of the guest quarters. I'm sure you'll be given a permanent room in the next day or so," Nimma explained as she escorted Rai across the dining hall.
As they walked to the sleeping quarters, she overheard her name mentioned by Stoi and wondered if they were discussing her future within the Sept. Yet she was too exhausted from the events of the day to be concerned. Rai wanted to stay and learn more about the Durmah, as if she somehow needed to hold on lest they slip away in the night. She dismissed this as her own anxiety, and resolved to worry about the Durmah history on another day.
Nimma stopped at the far end of a long, low-lit corridor, unlocked a door, and motioned Rai inside the room. In sharp contrast to her sparsely furnished Temple room, Rai observed beautiful tapestries on the walls, intricately designed rugs on the floor, and large plush-looking pillows on the bed. Nimma had laid out a night shift for Rai, along with neatly folded clothes for the following day.
"The bathroom is down the hall to your left. Sleep well, and you'll be awakened before breakfast." Nimma closed the door, not waiting for a reply.
Rai changed into her nightclothes and was about to climb into bed when a thought occurred to her. She walked to the door and turned the knob. To her great relief, she found the door unlocked, and the hallway empty. Jesse allowed her to move freely about the property, unlike her stay on the Temple grounds. Rai sighed, relieved that The Durmah trusted her, and for the first time Rai felt comfortable in reciprocating that trust with their joint future.
The warmth, kindness, and generosity she'd sensed from every Durmah she'd met were no illusion. She was full of questions, but the emptiness of her past wasn't something she'd have to face alone. She was one of them now. Rai closed the door and slipped into the soft, warm bed, feeling a huge sense of relief and security.
CHAPTER FOUR
Matriarch Bauleel wound her way up through the caverns toward the refuge of her private chambers and once again doubted her own judgment. Would she later regard this day with regret? The girl Rai showed no signs of her memory returning. Perhaps things would work as planned after all.
Desperation was a powerful force, and the path she'd chosen held the power to save or destroy them both. At that moment, Bauleel wished that her mind could be as quiet as the hollowed out stone cavern walls in which she now walked. She decided to join the evening meditation, in hopes of regaining the focus and clarity she'd lost over the last few hours. She also needed to catch up on her paperwork, and late evenings were perfect as they usually drew few unscheduled visits.
Bauleel came to a door in the corridor, and passed her hand over a small metal plate in the wall. She heard the accepting click of the door lock click open and she entered the room. The lights were on, and as Bauleel looked up and tried to remember if she'd left them on; her eyes came to rest on an unexpected visitor.
Much to her chagrin, Guardian Graeber looked quite at ease as he lounged on a couch in her personal audience chamber, helping himself to a crisp red fruit. For a moment it sounded more like he crunched bones rather than fruit, but that was just her gloomy frame of mind. Graeber's blue eyes glittered at Bauleel's consternation through locks of raven-black hair, which hung altogether too long across his tanned cheeks. His sprawled-out position on the couch revealed his tall, lean, muscular frame.
She considered revoking security privileges to the entire Guardian Sept, and realized the pointlessness. A simple door lock couldn't prevent a Guardian's entry when they had access overrides to most of the locks on the planet. Perhaps having a door lock on her private chambers was pointless anyway. The Matriarch's room was one of the few in the Temple complex to have one, besides the Medicinal Vaults.
Graeber had managed to maintain a constant state of arrogant self-confidence since his youth, which had never ceased to amaze Bauleel throughout their long-standing friendship. He excelled well beyond the skills of other Guardians, which made it difficult for Bauleel to fault his enjoyment in the often gruesome tasks of the profession. Enjoying your profession took on a completely different meaning within the Guardian Sept.
No other Guardian would have the raw nerve to enter uninvited into the quarters of a Matriarch. However, their unique relationship existed as stated peers and not the usual Matriarch to subordinate roles.
Before speaking to Graeber, Bauleel closed and locked the door. On the rare occasion she spoke to someone in her chambers, it was here, and thus she'd take great care to project confidence and minimalism. The two austere black couches framed a low-set matching black rock table, which held a basket of fruit from the Temple orchards. Ball lamps resembling Az'Unda's moons hung in the corner and provided a glowing, ambient light versus the typical harsh overhead lights elsewhere in the facility. She'd even had a special woven thatch mat installed to distract from the usual rough-hewn stone floors. Bauleel had intended the combination to calm the mind.
Although he sat across from her, Graeber's presence consumed the room, setting her teeth on edge.
"I didn't expect you back so soon."
The situation with the girl was just as much his problem as it was her own. However, it gave Bauleel little consolation to think she wasn't walking this ill-fated path alone.
She knew his journey on horseback from the Far Reaches to the Temple here in Raven's Call had been a long one, and yet he showed no signs of weariness. Although he wore his guild's variegated standard leathers, she noticed the number of pockets he'd outfitted were those of a traveling Guardian. No doubt, they contained extra weapons, various scanners, and supplies the city-stationed Guardians wouldn't require.
Knowing Graeber, he never removed the excess gear.
There was no dust or dirt on his cape or his travel bag, which lay next to him on the couch. Bauleel wondered if he'd taken the time to shower and shave before returning from his task to report in. His face appeared clean and smooth, as if freshly shaven. Perhaps he'd been in town a few days, and had just now decided to check in with her. She herself hadn't been traveling and yet she still felt a distinct need for a shower. However, a simple shower would wash the day's actions from her conscience.
"I took my time and did some stargazing along the way. Do you remember how clear the sky is up there?" Graeber picked at a piece of red fruit skin stuck between his teeth, affording her no measure of courtesy, nor waiting for an answer to his rhetorical question. "Besides, the trip to the Far Reaches and back is like vacationing on Walhan Prime."
Bauleel knew otherwise. The journey was in fact a difficult and treacher
ous one, but she also was in no way surprised to hear Graeber speak of it with such ease. She held her tongue while he continued, lest she give in to his deliberate taunts.
"I even took the time to handle some unpleasantness at the Zebio Sept before coming to visit you. You might say I took my time returning to report you. After all, I know how much you like new toys for your Technicians to research. How could I resist?"
She ground her teeth together, clinging to her composure. "Did you deliver this newest toy in pieces too?"
By the tone of her voice and the slight tensing of Graber's frame, she hadn't managed to keep her irritation hidden. He loved pushing her buttons, and now he had every reason to strike out at her.
Yet the possibility he'd delivered the subject unusable always existed -- she never liked hearing those stories -- but she had to know.
"No. I handled him delicately as a flower in mid-bloom." A flicker of emotion graced Graber's lips, and Bauleel snorted in laughter. He sat forward on the couch, elbows to knees, frowning. "I swear the boy's unharmed. He's at the Technician's Guild now."
Bauleel made a mental note to visit the Technicians soon for details. "Apologies. It's just the image of you, with a flower. Moons preserve us!"
"You find humor in the oddest of places."
"I've learned to do so. I see you've made yourself at home. You could have let Camille know you were waiting for me."
"I thought it best to keep this off all formal records. I know you trust her, but she does annotate your every movement."
"Good thinking. Uh, why did you leave my quarters unlocked and sprawl out upon my couch?"
Graeber shot her a mischievous smirk. "I thought it best to make my presence more obvious after I frightened off a poor Novitiate who was cleaning your chambers. She jumped out of her skin when she noticed me meditating, and then she ran off like a scared breacat, chittering to herself all the way down the steps."
The Dream Sifter (The Depths of Memory Book 1) Page 4
