It was late afternoon by the time the men reached the meadow. She had no fear of them stumbling upon her. They would only have eyes for the pleasant looking house with fragrant smoke coming from the chimney. They would be hungry and tired after their long, long journey. Her sisters would take care of them.
By dusk, they reached the house. From her vantage point hidden in the long grasses, she saw the door open. The men looked thin, with strange clothing and bulky packs on their backs. The breeze brought her tantalizing scents of bread and cooking meat. The men would be ravenous now, unbelieving of their luck. A warm house, hot food and beautiful women to serve them.
The Gray Witch saw Javanae silhouetted in the doorway. She motioned the men inside. The door closed. The Gray Witch smiled. She reached to the bundle of cloth beside her. It wasn’t time to clothe herself. Not yet. Instead she pulled out the slim, red leather covered book her father had left her. She opened it and read the passages concerning the men again. Then she closed the book and composed herself to wait.
Forty-Four
The Gray Witch
A few hours later Javanae came to her. The sky was clear and the full moon had lifted itself above the mountains. Javanae pulled her fur coat tight against the chill night air. She stood before her sister for a few moments.
“Sometimes I wonder if I will come out here and find you frozen to death,” Javanae said, “I don’t know how you can’t wear clothes and not suffer the weather.”
“I am warmed from within,” The Gray Witch said, “And you don’t wonder. You hope.”
Javanae turned her head a little, not looking at her sister’s face. “The men are here. As you said they would be. Their bellies are full and they are snoring away in the beds this very moment. They smell terrible, but their manners are good. They speak strangely though. In a way that almost reminds me of father.”
“The smell can be taken care of. Show them the hot spring tomorrow so they can bathe.”
“I was already planning to,” Javanae said, “When are you going to speak to them, sister? The men have spoken as if they want to continue their journey soon.”
“They will stay as long as you wish them to,” The Gray Witch said, “But I will come to the house at nightfall tomorrow.”
Javanae gave her an up and down look. “You will wear clothing, won’t you?” she asked.
“I’ll think about it.”
Javanae huffed a breath out, then turned and hurried away. The Gray Witch watched her until her sister went back into the house. Then she lay back in the grass and watched the night sky wheel above her.
Forty-Five
Joshua
Joshua found a half collapsed house along the road. He didn’t trust Fortune or Dovd enough to untie them. He managed to start a fire in the broken fireplace–something Kojanza and the old man had taught him to do. He sat with his back to the fire, letting it warm him. He ate some of the rolls and meat he had found in Fortune’s bag. Fortune and Dovd eyed the food.
“It would be good of you to share some of that,” Fortune said.
Joshua chewed slowly. “It would have been good of you to not chain me up in a horse stall,” he said, “I would have been good of you to not attack me back at Tojedda’s cabin. It would have been good of Dovd, here, to not have killed Tojedda and wounded Kojanza. I didn’t really appreciate the beating I received, either.”
Fortune gave him a small smile. “Yes, well, we all must do distasteful things in times of war,” he said, “But really, the three of us are on the same side here.”
Joshua stretched, feeling the heat loosen his bruised muscles. It was still a wonder to him that he had muscles now. If he had had those back in sixth grade, he could have beaten the living crap out of Brodie Hoppwood. Instead of getting his face pounded into the mud. There was a part of him now that wanted to take his fists to Fortune and Dovd. Just because he could.
But beating up an old man and a tied up guy didn’t seem very noble.
“You may be at war,” Joshua said, “But I’m not. I didn’t ask to be here, and I don’t have any side except my own.”
“You’re the whole reason for this war,” Dovd said. His face was twisted in a sneer. Joshua ached to pound it off of him.
He looked to Fortune. “Do you concur, Lord Fortune? Am I the cause of your war?”
Fortune shifted, looking uncomfortable. The small smile stayed on his lips, but his eyes wouldn’t meet his.
“Well, perhaps cause is a strong word,” he said, “Let us say that conditions have been primed for this conflict for a long time. Your presence just provided the spark, if you will.”
Joshua popped another roll in his mouth. He let Fortune’s words soak in as he chewed it. The old man, Tojedda, had told him a lot about his Grams reign. How she basically steamrolled all the warring factions and forced them to accept a peace treaty. Though he had never explained why they had been warring in the first place. Or how Grams had come to be in the picture. It seemed to him like she had just appeared out of the blue and started cleaning things up. Which sounded like Grams. She liked things to be tidy.
“So what are all of you wanting?” Joshua asked.
Fortune’s eyebrows quirked up. “I don’t understand,” he said.
“It’s very simple,” Joshua said, “All of you seem to want me because you think I have Grams–Amaya’s–powers, or that I will be able to access them somehow. But what then? Say I’m able to give you these powers. What are you going to do with them?”
“I’d fucking kill all my enemies,” Dovd said, “Then my people could live in peace.”
Joshua nodded. “A good, honest answer. What about you Fortune?”
Fortune’s mouth opened. Then he closed it and looked down, his brow furrowed in thought.
“I’m not sure I understand your question,” he said at last.
“What’s so hard about it? Do you want to rule the planet? Do you want to kill your enemies, like Dovd here? What do you want?”
Fortune shook his head. “You are too much like Amaya,” he said, “She once asked us very much the same question.”
“Us who?” Joshua asked.
“The council of Lords, the King, the leaders of the forest and southern lands. She brought us all together once. Before the treaty ceremony.”
“I remember that,” Dovd said, “It was in the forest. Anta Vin hosted it because we were neutral ground. Or as neutral as anyone could agree on.”
Joshua shifted slightly to let the fire warm more of his body. “So she didn’t just go to war on all of you? She tried to negotiate some kind of peace first?”
Fortune looked uncomfortable. “I’m not sure I would put it exactly like that, but as I think about, perhaps she was giving us a choice that day. She asked all of us what we hoped to gain from the conflict. What would happen if we won. Most of those attending were quite arrogant. None of us knew the full extent of Amaya’s power. Not then. I don’t even know how she compelled all of us to be there. As far as we knew she was just a strange warrior. Just another warrior with ambitions of ruling the land. There were a lot of those about back then.”
“So what happened?” Joshua asked.
Fortune shook his head. His eyes had a faraway look to them. “Most of us just laughed at her. Said much the same as Dovd. Kill our enemies. Rule the land. We sat at a huge table. All of us eyeing one another, on the lookout for treachery.
“I realize now that she could have killed us all, right there. Cut all the heads from our little kingdoms with one swipe of her sword. I wonder why she didn’t.”
"Probably because she wanted to give you the option of fixing things yourselves," Joshua said, "Grams was always big on self-reliance. At least up to a point."
Joshua looked at Dovd. He too had his head down, like he was thinking. Or maybe he was just asleep.
“So I assume all of you rejected her attempt to make peace,” Joshua said.
Fortune sighed. “Yes.”
“So what happ
ened after that?”
"She gave us a warning," Fortune said, "She told us that she wouldn't tolerate a never-ending war in her land.”
Dovd snorted a laugh. “I remember that, too,” he said, “What arrogance. Her land. Like she already owned all of us.”
“So where did she come from?” Joshua asked. Fortune and Dovd looked at him. “I mean, I know where she’s from. What I meant was, how did she get here?”
“The portals, we assume,” Fortune said, “Things have come through them before, but nothing like her.”
“So what are these portals? How did they get here?” Joshua asked.
“The how of they got to Seivar is lost,” Fortune said, “The legend is they were brought by the First Ones. After they were gone, the portals and the other magical devices were left behind.”
"First Ones? Okay, who the heck were they?" Joshua asked. He had asked many of the same questions of Tojedda, but the old man didn't like to talk about them. Which was strange, given how much he liked to talk about everything else. Kojanza had confided in him that the old man was superstitious about the First Ones.
“No one really knows,” Fortune said, “We just have legends that they came to the world in huge ships that sailed through the night. They settled here and built a city in the Southern Lands.”
"Aytahan," Dovd said, "I never really thought of it before. Amaya destroyed the First Ones' city."
Tojedda had told Joshua about the destruction of the city in the Southern Lands. But Tojedda had said it was because the residents refused to accept the treaty. Could there have been another reason?
And huge ships that sailed through the night? That sounded like...
“Spaceships!” Joshua said. Fortune and Dovd gave him startled looks. “The First Ones, they must have been aliens or something! Or wait, maybe they were human colonists and you guys are their descendants.”
Dovd turned his head to Fortune. “What is he talking about?”
Fortune shrugged his shoulders.
“Don’t you see, you guys might be from Earth. That’s why you speak English instead of some jibber jabber that I can’t understand,” Joshua said, “And maybe these portal things transport people across space and time. So maybe I’m in the future, too.”
Dovd edged away from him until his back was flat to the wall. “I think he’s gone mad,” he said.
Fortune looked like he was thinking the same thing. “My dear boy,” he said, “I’m not sure what you’re talking about, but please, try to be calm.”
Was he getting agitated? Joshua realized he was standing. When had he done that? It didn’t matter. He started pacing back and forth in front of the fire. “What if Grams got a hold of some really advanced technology? That would have given her the edge in a medieval society like yours. But why would she bother?”
Fortune and Dovd didn’t look like they had any answers. Fortune now had his back pressed up against the wall, too.
“Come to think of it, how would Grams have gotten here in the first place?” He stopped pacing and looked up to the ceiling, or the sky, or something. “Dang it, Grams, you have some explaining to do.”
He waited for a reply, but didn’t really expect one. He remembered right before the earthquake hit at Gram’s house–what seemed like a million years ago now. Grams was going to tell him the real story behind the painting. Then all hell broke loose.
Maybe it wasn’t a coincidence.
He looked back at Fortune and Dovd. They were looking alarmed. Like maybe they were tied up in a small room with a crazy person. He frowned at them.
“Well maybe now you know how I felt!” he said.
He sat back down with his back to the fire. Questions and speculation whirled in his head.
“How far away is this super secret cache of weapons?” he asked.
Fortune shifted, the small smile coming back. “It is within the forest of An–Dovd’s people, though hidden in the forbidden area near the gorge,” he said.
“And how long will it take to walk there?” Joshua asked.
Fortune shrugged. “Three days, perhaps four. I was much younger the last time I went there,” he said, “I do not have the strength to march with an army these days.”
Joshua regarded him with narrowed eyes. “Ok, here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to untie you, and you’re going to draw a map here on this dirt floor,” he said, “And you’re going to draw it very accurately. Do you know why?”
Fortune smiled. “Because you’ll kill me? Really, I–”
“No, I won’t kill you,” Joshua said, “I’ll take you to Baddon Plain, or where ever Hurdroth is, and I’ll drop you off at his camp. Still tied up. But before I leave I’ll give you a big hug and a kiss where Hurdroth’s guys can see it. Then I’ll leave it to you to explain it. How does that sound?”
Fortune’s throat worked. “I would be happy to draw a map for you, good sir.”
Forty-Six
The Gray Witch
Nightfall, the following day, The Gray Witch donned her black robe and rose from her spot in the meadow. She pulled the hood over her head. She had let her hair grow out since coming to the meadow at the base of the Grim Mountains. It was down to her shoulders now. It amused her that her sister had to avert her eyes every time she saw it.
She walked toward the house. The scent of fresh grasses under her feet was a pleasant counterpoint to what awaited her in the house. She did not look forward to being in the space with her sisters–and the three men. She had thought of telling Javanae to bring them out to her. But she wanted the men to be relaxed and comfortable. As much as they needed her, she also needed them.
The robe made her skin crawl and she had to force her mind to focus on the tasks ahead. There was so much work to do.
Father, I do this for you.
What a strange journey it had been for him.
Forty-Seven
The Gray Witch
She entered the house without knocking. The men were seated at the big table and looked up as the door opened. One of them grabbed for a weapon hanging at his side. Javanae appeared, a basket of fresh rolls in her hands. She set the rolls on the table.
“It is all right, this is our sister, Saven,” she said, “She is joining us for our meal tonight, aren’t you dear sister?”
The Gray Witch suppressed the flash of anger she felt. Saven was a child’s name, and The Gray Witch passed from childhood long ago. It was Javanae’s little way of getting back at her. Her small attempt at exerting control.
The Gray Witch moved closer to the men. It was the first time she had seen them up close.
“I will not be eating,” she said, “But we have much to discuss.”
The one with the weapon stood and put the weapon back into the holster on his belt. He was tall and broad-shouldered. His face was thin, almost gaunt, as were the other two men. They looked like they hadn't eaten well in a long time.
“Hello, ma’am, I’m Captain Bill Kelsey of the Starship Seattle,” he said, giving her a small bow, “There are my compatriots, Professor Ronald Hennessy, and Doctor Angelo Ramirez.”
The other two men didn’t stand, but they gave her nods. Hennesy was completely bald on top, but sported a thick, brown beard. Ramirez had darker skin and black hair. He didn’t have a beard and appeared to be clean shaven.
“We have been waiting for you,” The Gray Witch said.
Levay came out of the kitchen with a tray loaded with meat. As she set it on the table, the two seated men tore into it like ravenous beasts. The Captain looked at the meat, then back to The Gray Witch.
“Pardon my manners, ma’am, but we haven’t had good meals like this in a long, long time,” he said.
He sat down and started piling meat on his plate, too. The Gray Witch smiled. Once their bellies were full, then she could talk to them.
Forty-Eight
The Gray Witch
An hour later the men were seated by the fire, their feet up and their bellies bulging.
Levay was fussing with Ramirez, asking if he needed anything, fluttering her eyes at him. Javanae sat off to one side, working on something from her sewing basket. She gave the men nervous glances from time to time. The Gray Witch wondered how much it was hurting her to have so little control. Probably not enough.
Captain Kelsey let out a discrete belch. “I tell you what. You ladies must have been sent from heaven,” he said, “The boys and I were thinking we never going to see civilization again. And here you are, in the middle of nowhere.”
“Yes, pardon my asking, but how did you get to this place?” Professor Hennessy asked, “It seems very remote. We didn’t observe any roads from up on the mountain.”
“Do any of you have wings?” Dr. Ramirez asked, “Because you all look like angels to me.”
Levay tittered and blushed. Javanae rolled her eyes. The Gray Witch watched them with mild amusement. Her sisters had been isolated for so long–even before they came to the house on the meadow. Levay was starved for attention from an admiring male, and Javanae looked like she was ready to bolt from the room.
The men had a point that her sisters hadn’t thought of. They were isolated in the meadow next to the mountains. Yet they never questioned where the flour for the bread came from, or the meat they put in the stews. It was just there.
It was why father had put his faith in her. Not them.
The Gray Witch came out of the shadowed corner where she had been watching. The Captain noticed her first. Of course. He missed nothing. His eyes moved constantly. She could feel his awareness of everything in the room. He turned toward her as she approached.
“Well ma’am, Ms. Saven, you said you had something to discuss with us,” he said.
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