Daughter of Lightning

by Anna Logan

  A heaviness had taken up residence in her chest. What did they think of her now? Were they scared of her? Did they think of her as freakish? They wouldn’t think it was some sort of witchcraft, surely. Neither of them were superstitious. Surely.

  Talea startled at the hand on her arm. As they’d left the village boundaries behind, the group had separated some, walking with a few yards between them. Brenly, however, had caught up to walk at Talea’s side. “You okay?” she asked quietly, unlikely to be heard by their companions.

  “Uh, yeah.” She gave a fleeting smile. In the past days and weeks, she’d been all the more grateful to have a best friend who did know about the lightning and always had. It was how they’d met, even. Brenly, eleven years old, newly moved to the village to live with her uncle Calam, had spotted the first lightning pillar that came on Talea’s eighth birthday. Their friendship had flourished, growing from the foundation of need: Brenly needed a friend as she mourned the loss of her parents and found herself in a strange place where she knew no one, Talea needed a confidante as a little girl frightened by this inexplicable phenomenon that she felt couldn’t be shared with anyone else.

  Until now. Now, her mother and brother knew, and two murderers with unknown intent knew, and Sir Secrecy knew. Her gaze moved to where the latter walked, more separated from the rest, leading his celith by the reins. The celith, Ash, was just another secret to add to the list—Wylan refused to divulge how he’d come to possess a celith, an animal that only upper class and nobility had. All he’d said was that he’d acquired Ash when he was eleven.

  Talea couldn’t help her curiosity, watching the creature as he pranced along. His long legs lifted far more than was necessary for each step, he held his tail high, and arched his neck. The body was sleek, and the muscles rippled with movement, beneath a glossy hide of gray and white.

  Brenly frequently looked that way too. It was no wonder—she loved animals. Talea had often been co-nurse for any injured or sick animal found in the woods, whether it was a jas, or a bird, or a kiquek. Even the forest cat Talea had accidentally burned out of self-defense when it attacked had been a cause for sympathy to Brenly, though fortunately she hadn’t tried to help that one.

  “Will we be able to get fresh supplies in any towns along the way?” Naylen broke the silence that was otherwise only interrupted by their footsteps.

  Wylan didn’t look up in order to deliver his reply. “There’s a couple small towns on our way.”

  That was apparently sufficient for Naylen, while Talea thought it hardly informative. Wasn’t the real question whether or not they could enter the towns? Their traveling about as laborers was illegal. Though, Wylan had supposedly been doing it for years somehow. He’d said it wasn’t completely illegal for him. Was he not lower class? He certainly looked it, wearing plain trousers and a short sleeve shirt, both of which had seen better days.

  The time passed slowly as they gradually drew away from Vissler, away from everything Talea had ever known. By the time the sun had risen it probably would have been safe to talk freely. No one did. They just walked, and walked, and walked. Trusting Wylan to get them to Castown, where he’d decided the other lightning pillar had been. At least all their gear and provisions were borne by Rosy and Ash rather than the five of them.

  It was a solemn party. Four of them had only recently been separated from loved ones and were now uprooted from their home by the threat of two unknown vigilantes and the inexplicable phenomenon of two teenagers among them with bizarre, dangerous abilities. And, the potential persecution of their race. The fifth member, Wylan, was clearly disposed to be solemn aside from those reasons. Now that she knew he had been alone for years, his family dead, it made more sense.

  Still, some amount of ease settled in once they were several hours out of the village. Every mile between them and Vissler increased their chances of a clean escape. Talea was about to be relieved when Seles spoke. “The assassins…what did you say their names were?”

  “Yhkon and Grrake,” Wylan mumbled.

  Seles had a thoughtful furrow in her brow. “Both Sanonyan names.”

  Wylan nodded, while the rest of them just looked at her blankly. Talea had never met anyone that wasn’t Zentyren or Irlaish. Other than what she’d learned in history or geography, the other regions, Sanonyn, Canadi, and the Shadow Region, were a mystery to her. “Okay…does that mean anything?”

  “And if you’re not on friendly terms, how do you know their names?” Naylen asked.

  Wylan finally made eye contact, if only briefly, with him and Talea. “Every time I’ve run into them, they claim they want to talk, or explain things. At some point or another they gave their names.”

  “Talk or explain,” Naylen echoed. “No idea what they’d want to explain?”

  Wylan’s expression grew dark and fixed on the ground. He and Naylen weren’t hitting it off well—and she was inclined to blame it on her brother. Being rescued by Yhkon and Grrake had apparently earned his appreciation, despite what Wylan said. Wylan, understandably, didn’t seem to like that his family’s murder wasn’t enough to discredit that respect.

  “Anyway—” maybe best to continue the conversation, “—them being Sanonyan…mean anything?”

  “Sanonyn ended the Eradication twenty years ago, when Shanteya Ken’d’Valsem became queen. If they’re from Sanonyn, they probably at least aren’t hunting San Quawr,” Wylan explained.

  The discussion went on from there, mostly with Naylen mulling things over out loud, with occasional remarks from the rest of them, and characteristically short, summary answers from Wylan to their questions. By the time conversation died down again, they’d come no closer to guessing the intentions of their stalkers than before.

  The day that had started at four in the morning finally began winding down at six in the evening, when Naylen decided they ought to stop for the night. Talea’s body felt like it was made of lead, every movement laborious. They were all moving sluggishly. It took a considerable amount of time to get their campsite set, with two makeshift shelters of tarps to house them. Ash and Rosy were tied with enough extra line that they could graze. Supper for the human travelers consisted of dried meat and some biscuits. Wylan had shown them yesterday how to smoke and salt meat in order to preserve it for some weeks.

  After eating only a single biscuit, Seles got up from the spot of ground that they’d gathered on and went to the tent that was for her, Talea, and Brenly. Talea finished her meal quickly and followed, ducking under the tarp to crouch in front of her mother, who was just sitting silently. “Mom,” she gingerly touched Seles’ arm. “I’m sorry.”

  Seles shook her head hastily. She sat up straighter, meeting Talea’s gaze. Her emerald eyes weren’t pooled with tears, they weren’t accusing. They were resolved. She brushed a stray lock of black hair from Talea’s face. “It’s not your fault. I’m not upset with you.” Pulling her into an embrace, Seles held her tightly. “It’s not your fault. We’re going to get through this.”

  Talea had a hard time believing that it wasn’t her fault, as she lay awake in the shelter that night, or as they continued their journey the next day. Any excitement for the expedition was quickly waning, leaving trepidation and guilt in its stead. If she’d told her parents about the lightning earlier…if she’d stopped the draft despite Yhkon’s restraint…if she’d done something instead of simply hiding her ability for seven years. So many if’s and nothing she could do about them. By the fourth day, one if had become most prevalent: if only they were home, safe, all of them—Loestin included.

  The days wore on. There was little interruption to the monotony of get up, walk, walk, walk, go to sleep, and repeat. At least the danger of being hunted down by Lord Vissler was presumably past. They took a day of rest a few miles outside of a small town Wylan knew of, the Anduls and Brenly staying with the animals in the woods while Wylan went and bought fresh supplies. Naylen initially objected to him going alone, but Wylan pointed out that he’d been l
iving like this for years and knew how to go about it. Sure enough, he came back shortly and had no mishaps to report. And so, they continued. A heavy rain a couple days later forced them to take another interlude and build their shelters, with nothing to do except sit inside and watch the drops pelting the ground.

  At least the group became more relaxed, bit by bit. Naylen hardly seemed displeased by the situation at all. His excitement for the adventure remained. Brenly was mellow and quiet, prone to melancholy—and who could blame her—but as far as Talea could tell, she was content enough to be with the closest thing she had to family left, even if they were wandering about the region. Seles remained sorrowful over the loss of her husband, but at least she’d adapted to the concept of their trip. They’d all adapted to the routine, so that it wasn’t only Wylan who knew what to do and how to do it.

  As for Wylan, he kept mostly to himself. If he did seek—or at least tolerate—companionship, it was with Talea. Otherwise, he stuck with Ash, who was proving to be moodier and more antisocial than his owner. The stallion was easily agitated and not so easily calmed, didn’t like anyone except Wylan, and eventually Brenly, to touch him, and was likely to balk if a mud puddle was in his path.

  The farther from home they went, the stranger Talea felt. Her entire life had been spent in that village, believing she would never leave, and now here she was marching away into the unknown. Probably never to return. Never to get groceries from Mr. Skreni at the mercantile, never to attend the weekly assembly—though of course those had been banned anyway—never to walk with Brenly through the woods. Never to share a shy, sweet conversation with Rando again, wondering if he returned her interest. Also never to be married off to an Akod Praserloy, or anyone else. She wondered if everyone thought of them, back in Vissler. If they were missed.

  And what about the new knowledge that they were San Quawr? Seles and Wylan explained little by little. Growing up, Talea had only known that a few of the other villagers were San Quawr, which didn’t seem to mean much. Eventually she’d heard the rumors in school that there was persecution of San Quawr in other regions. But not in Zentyre. Now, she knew that there had been—the Eradication had been in Zentyre for a couple years before she was born. Seles and Loestin had never told anyone, including her and Naylen, to avoid being found out should the Eradication come back. And Wylan believed it would soon. He said he’d heard it from some old friends of his parents’.

  If it did come back…Seles said they might never be safe as citizens of any village again. What if they were now bound to a life of wandering, like Wylan? Would that be better or worse than being a laborer?

  It also explained what her mother had meant the day of the draft, when she said that Loestin wouldn’t be coming back once they took him. If the Eradication came while Loestin was in Aydimor, and the Kaydorians found out, they’d kill him. Even if it didn’t, they could never return to Vissler Village. He would have no idea where they were.

  The travel was winding down to a close after two weeks, with no further interruptions, and not a single sign of Yhkon and Grrake. One day, Wylan commented that they were getting close. The next, he abruptly announced that they were only three miles from Castown and might as well stop here.

  Talea turned her head first to the left, then the right, taking in the scene. Somehow, she’d expected some sort of sign. Any indication that they’d arrived at their destination. Instead, all she could see were trees. Mostly zeks, the same type that made up the woods around Vissler, but also other trees she didn’t recognize. The landscape between her home and this place wasn’t greatly varied from what she’d grown up with. Mostly forest, with small sections of prairie.

  “Okay,” Naylen was the first one to speak. “We’re here. How do we find this other?”

  Talea was wondering the same thing. If she or Wylan touched hands with the other person, that would tell them. But short of trying to shake the hands of every person in Castown, how on Kameon would that happen?

  Wylan caught her eye. His expression was unreadable, and at first she had no idea why he was looking at her. Until it dawned on her, just before he said it aloud. “Perhaps we can get them to find us. What if we made a lightning pillar?”

  Naylen responded before she could. “What?”

  “Like what happens on each of our birthdays.” She nodded to Wylan. “Theoretically, the other would recognize it and hopefully investigate.”

  Her brother crossed his arms. “Or someone else sees and investigates. If the wrong people were looking at the right moment…You realize how small a chance it is this other will even see it?”

  “How did you plan on finding Talea, Wylan?” Seles asked.

  “I didn’t.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets, as was his custom. “I had some ideas, and making a lightning pillar was one of them, but I didn’t have a plan. When I realized the pillar was coming from a small village and there was a dance going on, I thought I’d try to mingle and see if I had any luck that way.” He glanced at Naylen. “This isn’t a small village. Castown has thousands of people.”

  Talea stepped closer to Wylan. “I think he’s right. We don’t have any other way of finding them, Naylen.”

  He shook his head, though he seemed to realize they were right. “It’s too risky.”

  “We can make it less risky.” Wylan gestured to the four of them. “After we make the pillar, you four move out. If it’s just me, I can hide and watch for the other, without being seen. But if someone else comes, they won’t find us.” As he finished, he caught Talea’s eye again.

  She knew why. While she was glad Seles and Naylen finally knew, and that they were all together, hopefully safe from the Kaydorians drafting Naylen or hunting them as San Quawr…it changed things. She should have stayed with Wylan to watch for the other, after they made the pillar. And she knew he would have let her. But her family never would—they couldn’t understand. They would see only that it was dangerous and that they didn’t want her involved.

  She wanted to stay with him. But she couldn’t. So she only agreed and left her brother and Wylan to figure it out.

  “Alright.” Naylen relented with a sigh. “If you’re sure.”

  Wylan nodded. “Let’s wait until dark and do it then.”

  ~♦~

  Yhkon rapped his knuckles against the door. Made of nesoak wood, it was soft and pliable to the touch, yet plenty sturdy. He stepped back to wait beside Grrake for the door to open. It did, revealing a woman in her thirties, brown eyes warm and keen. She smiled when she saw them, extending her hand toward him to put it on his shoulder, already drawing them into the house as she spoke. “Yhkon, Grrake! Come in, come in. You’re back sooner than we expected. Please, sit. Ki and Kae are out back, I’ll go fetch them.”

  “Wait, Ayida,” Grrake caught her wrist before she could go. “Before you do, perhaps we’d best talk to you and Alket first.”

  Her smiled died almost instantly, and she looked to Yhkon as if for confirmation. His expression must have given it. With a single nod, she disappeared into one of the bedrooms, returning momentarily with her husband in tow. Since it was an Eunday, and they were middle class, he had the day off work and the children had the day off school.

  Alket’s usual cheer was subdued as he shook Grrake’s hand and gave Yhkon a pat on the back, greeting him by the nickname ‘Speck’ before sitting down across from them with Ayida. “So?” he said. “It being time, then?”

  Yhkon answered, feeling obligated to be the spokesman. “Yes. Talea and Wylan are a few miles outside of the town as we speak. They plan to create a lightning pillar tonight, in hopes of luring Ki and Kae to them. We’d rather avoid the chance of others noticing and have them go there before the fact.”

  “And efter thet?” Alket asked, the accent common to Castown citizens seasoning his speech.

  “Well,” he looked down at his hands clasped in his lap. “If Ki and Kae tell them there’s another northwest of here, and they begin traveling in that direction toget
her, we’ll have less of a distance to cover when the time comes for us to join them.”

  “Then it really is time,” Ayida murmured.

  Alket took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Thall be alright.”

  Grrake spoke up. “We’ll take care of Ki and Kae, you know we will. This is the first step in what they were born to do.”

  “I know,” was all she said.

  Yhkon heard footsteps outside on the porch just before the door was flung open, yielding four miniature Alkets into the house. Every single one of them had inherited his blond hair, big smile, and round blue eyes.

  “Wull hullo!” Ki declared buoyantly upon seeing them. His twin sister was already smiling and coming forward to hug both Yhkon and Grrake. Instantly upon her taking a step back, she was replaced by her younger siblings. Emali hopped right onto Grrake’s lap much to his delight, while Quonas made a more tentative, while still eager, advance toward Yhkon, crawling into the slight gap between him and Grrake where he could admire the pommel of Yhkon’s sword.

  Yhkon gave the seven-year-old boy’s hair an affectionate tussle before looking to Ki and Kae. The latter was eyeing her mother, comprehension beginning to widen her eyes. “We’re going, aren’t we?” she was the only of the four kids who had learned from Ayida’s refined dialect, instead of Alket’s accented drawl.

  “Yes,” he told her. “Talea and Wylan are here. We need you two to go ‘happen upon them’ tonight.”

  Ki was grinning enthusiastically. “And then ta Calcaria?”

  Grrake raised a hand in a calming gesture, shaking his head with amusement. “Patience, Kiloe Krim. It’ll be at least a couple months yet before we get there, and that’s only if everything goes smoothly.”

  Kae’s expression was more puzzled than animated. “Are you two not coming with us, tonight?”

  “No. We probably won’t join you for a couple weeks yet, though we’ll be nearby if anything happens. If they come to trust you two, and then discover that you trust us, perhaps they will take kindlier to our song and dance.”