Broken World Book Four - The Staff of Law (35 page)

When the last
had vanished into the Land of the Dead, she turned back to the
three Mujar who stood together, gazing at the sea of black statues.
Chanter raised his hands and brought them together, then jerked
them apart as if tearing some invisible substance. A thunderclap
rolled across the valley, and the rainbows vanished as swiftly as
they had appeared. As they did, the Hashon Jahar crumbled so
swiftly Talsy was not sure if she had actually witnessed it, or
whether she had blinked at that instant.

One moment the
Riders and their steeds stood before her, the next they simply
collapsed into a mass of rubble. A pall of black dust rose over
them, hanging in the fresh morning air like a shadow. The faint
rumble of their destruction faded, leaving behind another hush.
Almost as quickly as the Black Riders had fallen, they melted away.
The rubble soaked into the soil like sand into an hourglass’s
waist. All around them, the mighty ocean of ebon rock dwindled,
revealing the green grass of the plateau beneath. Within moments,
no trace of the dead army remained, swallowed up by the earth that
had birthed them, sucked down into the hot dark depths from which
they had emerged.

A stunned
silence followed, then the wind keened again, and the people seemed
to awaken from a trance, glancing around. They sank down on the
grass, too overwhelmed by what they had witnessed to voice their
amazement. Their reeling minds clearly struggled to absorb the
miracle that had taken place with such swift decisiveness. Talsy
gazed around, taking in the historic scene. This dawn birthed a new
day and a new era on this magical world. The banners of Prince,
Staff and Mujar wound their long silken blue skeins, seeming to
float in the cloudless sky. The perfection of the white-tipped
peaks and velvet green slopes offset the gathered Truemen who had
survived the rigours of testing.

The enormity
of the occasion took her breath away, and she too sank down on the
cool grass. She, Chanter and Kieran had changed the fate of Truemen
and this world forever. An age seemed to pass before anyone moved,
and then they found new miracles to astound their bewildered minds.
Springs of fresh clear water bubbled from the grassy earth, and a
flight of winged, multi-coloured creatures of this world glided
down from the sky. They spread fragile wings to catch the sun and
filled the air with musical cries.

After staring
at them in stunned delight, Talsy jumped up and went to one of the
beasts. She ran her hands over its silken skin, marvelling at its
calm acceptance of her. It turned and dipped a wing to offer the
fleshy fronds that grew on its back like feathers. She plucked one
and ate it, its delicious scent stirring her appetite. Others,
their thirst slaked, followed her example and plucked fronds from
the beasts, which seemed to delight in their hunger. More and more
creatures of this world arrived, some on wings, others on
stilt-like legs, eager to share their nourishment. Their hoots and
honks mingled with the people’s delighted laughter, and the
atmosphere became reminiscent of a picnic.

“
You like it?” A voice beside her made her jump, and she turned
to find Chanter at her side. “This is the future,” he said, “the
gods’ gift to their adopted children. Never will there be hunger
again, no reason to hunt and kill, to shed innocent blood to fill
the bellies of the more powerful. The creatures of this world will
henceforth live amongst you, and their bounty will be yours. There
are other kinds, who shed silken skins that you can use for
clothing, and you can still take wool from your sheep and milk from
your cows, but killing is forbidden on this world.”

She nodded.
“It will be a paradise.”

“
It’s always been a paradise. You just couldn’t see
it.”

“
What was your chant about? What did it mean?”

His smiled.
“Always questions, my little clan. Is your curiosity never
satisfied?”

“
The wonders never cease.”

Chanter
chuckled, then sobered. “The chant was the enumeration of their
sins, their punishment, the foretelling of their future and the
releasing of their souls. They’re at peace now, and will be reborn
as chosen.”

“
What will happen now?”

He shrugged.
“Nothing. The chosen are free to return to their cities or build
new ones, live their lives as they choose. But now they must obey
the laws of this world. You may plough the land and reap what you
sow, but not enslave horses to do it. You may eat the fruit of
trees and shrubs, but not cut a living tree without the permission
of the Kuran who guards it. You know the laws, they all do
now.”

She gazed
around at the happy scene, trying to remember when last she had
seen so many people so joyful. “Your gods are wise.”

“
All gods are wise, but some do things differently to
others.”

Chapter Thirteen

At Talsy’s
insistence, Chanter took her to the site of the crashed silver
bird, but there were only a few scraps of shiny metal and some
strange slippery ropes filled with copper wire. He told her that
most of it was buried now with time, and should remain so. Long
ago, Truemen had looted the ancient ship and taken all the gold and
valuable items.

After a few
days on the plateau, the chosen set out en mass, but soon split up
to go their separate ways. King Ronos took his daughter and people
back to their city, the little brown people vanished into a forest,
and the Aggapae returned to the valley with Talsy, Kieran and the
few remaining chosen from their village. They settled back into the
castle under the blue banners to live the peaceful existence the
gods had promised. The Aggapae retained the friendship of the
horses, and farmers still kept sheep and cows, but the rest of the
Truemen animals were released to return to the wild or perish, as
was their wont. Dancer and Drummer came and went. Chanter spent
more time in the valley than his sons, and when he left, Talsy
required the company of her Mujar son.

Months passed
in tranquillity, and when her time came, Danya gave birth to
Travain’s daughter. The child delighted Talsy with her ink black
hair and bright blue eyes. Talsy clasped her rotund belly and hoped
that her child would look the same. A month later, she birthed a
healthy baby boy with Chanter’s eyes and hair, and her joy was
complete. She named him Ordal, and Chanter even made an effort to
show an interest in the child, which pleased her greatly.

Drummer could
not accept his fatherhood any more than Chanter had been able to
with Travain, and, a few months after Traya’s birth, an Aggapae boy
paid court to Danya and wed her. With hunting forbidden and food
readily available, the young men invented entertaining games and
jousts to occupy their time, which crowds of appreciative
spectators watched. At the tender age of twenty-three, Shan became
headman of the Aggapae when Thorn ousted Nort in a tremendous
battle, and the ageing stallion retired to the bachelor herd.
Sheera and Shern set up house in the village, Kamish wed a stout
Aggapae warrior, and Shan tied the knot with a doe-eyed girl.

With the slow
advance of the seasons, autumn reddened the leaves of the little
forest by the lake when Talsy woke one morning to find Chanter
perched on the edge of her bed. He had been away for a week, and
her joy at his appearance was unreserved. He returned her hug with
his usual forbearance, and when he held her away she noticed his
excitement. His eyes glowed with a deep happiness tinged with
sadness, an odd mixture that made her frown at him in
puzzlement.

“
What is it? What’s happened?” she demanded.

“
My poor little clan.” He sighed. “How I long to share my joy
with you, yet for you it’s sorrow.”

“
What do you mean?”

Chanter rose
and went to the window to gaze out across the valley. Talsy donned
her robe and joined him.

He said, “The
gods have given Drummer, Dancer and me a great gift.”

“
That’s wonderful! What is it?”

“
It’s the ultimate gift. The one all Mujar have always longed
for. The one we were promised at the completion of our task, ages
ago.”

“
So tell me!”

He turned and
gripped her shoulders, his eyes intense. “You remember the promise
I made you, that I would always return to you?”

“
Yes.” A quiver of trepidation went through her at his serious
tone and intent gaze. “What of it?”

“
I won’t break it.”

“
Good.” Her frown deepened. “I never thought you
would.”

“
Nor shall I. Remember that.”

“
Stop being so damned mysterious. What’s this gift, and when
did you get it?”

He released
her and turned to gaze out of the window again. “I was away in the
wilderness, enjoying the hospitality of a forest Kuran, when
Antanar came to me. It’s a great honour I never thought to receive,
to see him in the flesh. He looked Mujar, just as you thought he
would. He came to me in a forest glade, and the birds sang his
welcome, the beasts bowed to him, and the trees dropped green
leaves and flowers in his path. Every living thing rejoiced at his
presence, and sunlight clothed his nakedness.

“
He held the Staff of Life, symbol of his power, and his eyes
shone with infinite love. When I knelt before him he bade me rise
and stand as his equal. He smiled at me, and told me how pleased he
was that I had found the First Chosen. He ordered me to follow him
and led me to a pool, where he bade me to look well at my
reflection and asked if it was mine. I answered truthfully that it
was not. He seemed well pleased with this, and said...” Chanter
trailed off, his brows drawing together.

Talsy gripped
his arm and tried to make him look at her. “What?” she demanded.
“What did he say?”

“
He has promised to return our true forms to us.”

“
What do you mean?”

He turned to
her, his eyes worried. “You remember I told you that the gods
changed us, made us look like Truemen and sent us amongst you. This
is not our true form. Mujar don’t look like this.”

She swallowed
hard, forcing her voice to remain steady. “What do you look
like?”

“
Very different from you. Like the beasts of this world, of
which we are kin. We have, as they do, the colours of the rainbow
in our skins, and the Ishmak plants that bear us do also. In our
true form we cannot speak your language, although we would still
understand you.”

“
Then I’d lose you!” she cried, clinging to his arm, afraid he
would slip from her grasp and fly away forever.

“
No, not altogether. I would still return and spend time with
you, and you could still talk to me.”

“
But you wouldn’t be able to talk to me, and we could no
longer... be together.” Talsy fought back tears as she remembered
the blissful nights of tenderness she had shared with him, lying in
his embrace, close to his warmth and strength. The time he spent
away was a trial of loneliness and pining, although Ordal comforted
her, and the knowledge that Chanter would return gave her the
fortitude to survive the ordeal with some semblance of
cheerfulness.

“
No,” he agreed, “we could not do that, but I will only look
different. I’ll still be me.”

“
It wouldn’t be the same, you know that!”

“
No, it won’t be the same.”

“
I can’t let you go. Please don’t ask me to!” Her eyes
overflowed, and a tight knot grew like a hard pain in her chest.
“Don’t leave me. You promised!”

He gazed at
her sadly. “Do you remember when you offered me regret for making
that wish against my will?”

She nodded,
unable to force words past the lump in her throat.

“
I’ll accept your regret now, my little clan.”

His tender
nickname brought fresh tears to burn her eyes, and she buried her
face in his chest, struggling to croak the ritual word through a
tight throat. “Regret.”

“
Wish.”

“
Wish,” she whispered.

“
Let me go. If you love me, let me go.”

Talsy’s legs
buckled, and she sank to the floor, held in his arms as he knelt
beside her. He cradled her while she wept with wild abandon, until
her arms ached from holding him and her throat grew raw from
crying. Chanter bowed his head, and she sensed his anguish at her
pain as if he shared it. When she glanced up at him, glowing blue
tears ran down his cheeks. She raised a hand to rub them away,
startled and amazed. The liquid dewed her fingertips like tiny
jewels.

“
You weep for me?” Her breath caught.

He nodded.
“Mujar did not have the ability to feel personal loss, only to
share in that of others.”

“
And you choose to share mine.”

“
Yes.” Fresh tears coursed down his face.

Her weeping
redoubled as she wiped them away.

He whispered,
“Forgive me for this pain I cause you. I never meant to hurt
you.”

She raised
tearful eyes, pulling him closer to kiss him. “I forgive you.” She
gave a shuddering sigh. “Will you grant me one more wish?”

“
Wish.”

“
Stay with me for one more night. Just one more.”

He nodded. “I
will. Antanar will change us tomorrow at dawn.”

“
So soon,” she whispered.

“
It’s better this way.”

Chanter picked
up a tiny glass vase from the table, emptied out the single flower
and water, and gathered the tears that ran down his cheeks. He
plugged it with a piece of rag and pressed it into her hands.