Last night, Kyredeon had not counted the cost to his brotherhood. This had convinced her, while individual men might be ready, the brotherhoods as a whole were not ready for the responsibility of rearing rare T’En children.
They had to earn that right.
For a heartbeat, she toyed with the idea of amending the vow, but the other all-mothers would be horrified. They were products of the Celestial City, and weren’t ready for change.
Once they sailed into exile, her people would be forced to adapt to survive, and those brotherhood and sisterhood leaders who couldn’t adapt would be replaced.
As the rest of the all-fathers entered the clearing, more autumn leaves drifted down. It pleased Imoshen to see Ardonyx take his place on the all-council. He had been known as ‘Captain Ardonyx the explorer,’ but no one else still lived who knew that he was also ‘Rutz the playwright.’ Back in the Celestial City, the T’En had flocked to see his plays, which exposed the absurdities and flaws of their society. This was how Imoshen had first realised that someone else questioned the very basis of the T’Enatuath. Not that everyone had understood Rutz’s message.
The T’En whispered that Rutz’s gift was not just that of a word-smith, that he had the rare ability to imbue words with power to sway the listener.
When Imoshen had asked Ardonyx about this, he’d denied it, saying he wouldn’t want that poisoned gift, since his friends and lovers would never be able to trust him.
She trusted him. She’d had to, or the deep-bond wouldn’t have allowed their gifts to mesh.
Now that he had a place on the all-council, she hoped his voice would be the voice of reason for the brotherhoods.
As she watched Tobazim’s triumvirate take their place, she realised the new all-father had appointed as his hand-of-force a gift-warrior from Tamaron’s brotherhood. How diplomatic of him, to blend the three brotherhoods in his triumvirate. But this meant his adoption of Tamaron’s survivors was there for all to see.
‘Well, causare?’ Dretsun prodded. ‘Now that we are all here, what were you and the healer doing on the
Victorious
last night when the new all-father made his challenge?’
The brotherhood leaders cast dark looks from her to Tobazim, and muttered about his lack of martial gifts.
‘Reoden and I did go to the
Victorious
last night, but it was after the challenge,’ Imoshen said. ‘I am beholden to Sorne, and his sister needed healing.’
Time to start proceedings. She moved into the centre of the clearing, fallen leaves stirring under her feet.
‘Wait,’ Dretsun said, and Imoshen felt the rise of his gift. ‘Is that Norsasno from Tamaron’s brotherhood, acting as your hand-of-force, Tobazim? Since when do you acquire the survivors of another brotherhood without bringing it to an all-father-council?’
The question had been addressed to Tobazim, but he signalled Ardonyx to answer.
‘We paid the brigands who delivered Tamaron’s people to the wharf and, that night, we saved their lives when the same cutthroats returned. We gave Tamaron’s survivors shelter on my ship and fed them. When Imokara needed a gift-benediction to keep her child, the product of Mieren rape, we performed the ritual. And, last night, when I went to the high-ranking survivors of Tamaron’s brotherhood and offered them the sanctuary of our brotherhood, they accepted.’
There was a moment’s silence.
‘You gave them a choice?’ Hueryx asked.
‘Our brotherhood vow is for life. I didn’t choose to serve Kyredeon, yet I was trapped serving him,’ Tobazim said. ‘Does anyone object?’
Imoshen hid a smile. His calm manner, when combined with the fresh wounds on his face, was much more threatening than bluster.
No one spoke up.
She lifted her hands. ‘Then let me welcome you to the last all-council in our homeland. Step forward, All-father Tobazim, give your covenant vow and be acknowledged by the sisterhoods.’
The brotherhood leaders tensed, muttering resentfully as their gifts rose. The power felt oppressive, and she had to fight the instinct to protect herself.
Almost thirteen years ago, she had seen the previous all-mother of her sisterhood force the covenant vow on a new all-father. It had struck her as wrong then.
When she had become the all-mother, the all-fathers already bound to her sisterhood had renewed their vows in a private ceremony. Because the vow had already been made, she had only needed to imprint her power on their covenant scars. Like a crack in a wall, the scar on their gift defences created a point of weakness, through which the all-mother could break their shields and cripple them.
Now she would have to sear her power into Tobazim’s gift, scarring his defences.
His jaw clenched as he stepped forward and knelt.
Lifting her left hand, Imoshen touched his forehead with her little finger. Her gift surged and she read the rest of the brotherhood leaders. They could barely contain their anger. They’d always hated the vow, but now they had to watch Imoshen the All-father-killer inflict it on one of their own. But if she didn’t, the sisterhood leaders would think she’d betrayed them. Thirteen years ago, they’d made her prove her loyalty was not to the brotherhoods, by forcing her to execute her own father.
‘Four hundred years ago, the all-father of your brotherhood gave his vow to the all-mother of our sisterhood. Now you renew this vow.’ Imoshen did not command him to drop his defences. That was just insulting.
She remembered meeting her father’s gaze that day. She’d had no choice. The sisterhood leaders had made sanctuary for herself, her devotee and little Iraayel conditional on his execution.
Rohaayel had been an all-father of vision. He had risked and lost everything in his attempt to change the T’Enatuath; even his brotherhood had not survived.
The power in the clearing intensified, making it hard to breathe, making her aware of every tiny detail. Something moved above her and she looked up to see dozens of leaves hovering in the air. Sunlight glowed through their delicate viens, enriching the vivid colours.
Twice she’d gift-infused Tobazim, which meant imprinting the covenant vow should be relatively easy. But...
She could not bring herself to do it.
Luckily, with the amount of power in the clearing, no one would be able to tell; so she dropped her hand without taking the final step.
Tobazim looked up, surprised.
The gift tension between them dropped and brilliant leaves swirled down around them as she offered Tobazim her hand, drawing him to his feet.
‘The covenant vow is over four hundred years old and what served us in the past does not necessarily serve us in the future. I believe it is time to amend the vow.’
There was muttering at this.
Before anyone could protest, Imoshen plunged on. ‘Back in the Celestial City, T’En fathers counted themselves lucky if they saw their sons once a year before the lads joined the brotherhood, and some never saw their children at all. This is wrong and cruel.’
There was more muttering from both the brotherhoods and sisterhoods.
‘The T’Enatuath sail into exile, into a world where the Mieren fear and despise us. We cannot afford division. There needs to be a strong bond between brotherhoods and sisterhoods. When we have a new home, my sisterhood will invite the fathers of your brotherhood’s T’En children’ – she recalled Paragian bringing his devotee to the meeting about his son – ‘and their devotee mothers to our feast day celebrations. There are eight feast days a year; they can spend those days with their children.’
There was stunned silence.
It was such a small step, but it would be too much for some. She could already hear Egrayne’s voice in her head, warning her that the brotherhood leaders would see this as a weakness. Maybe some of them would, but for others it would bring hope.
Imoshen squeezed Tobazim’s hands and sealed the amended covenant vow with a slight gift-infusion.
As Tobazim returned to the brotherhoods, Ardonyx caught her eye and jerked his head towards All-father Hueryx. If she gave this concession to Tobazim’s brotherhood, she had to give it to the other brotherhood that was bound by the same gift-enforced vow to her sisterhood.
She turned towards Hueryx to find he was already stepping forward to meet her in the centre of the sunlit clearing. Meanwhile, the sisterhood leaders whispered. Imoshen had not discussed this with them. They would not be happy. She could have handled this better, but Dretsun had forced the all-council meeting before she’d had time to prepare the sisterhood leaders. Sometimes she wished she had the gift to imbue words with power. Perhaps it was just as well she didn’t. The temptation to use that power would be overwhelming.
Hueryx held her gaze, anger gleaming in his wine-dark eyes.
He accepted her outstretched hand, but before she could speak, he whispered, ‘Why is it that Imoshen the All-father-killer, executioner of covenant breakers, offers this amendment to the covenant?’
‘I had no choice the day Rohaayel was executed,’ she said softly. ‘You’re smart. You figure it out.’
His eyes widened and she amended the vow, sealing it with a slight gift-infusion.
Before Hueryx could step back, Reoden spoke up.
‘Wait.’ The healer came to Imoshen’s side and took the all-father’s hand. ‘Your brotherhood is also vow-bound to my sisterhood. You should be very proud of your son, Ronnyn. He discovered the ruins, which have so delighted our historians.’ And she also amended the vow.
Imoshen watched as Reoden offered the same concession to Paragian, whose brotherhood was also vow-bound to hers. Then the healer beckoned Tobazim. Imoshen realised he had formed a bond with Reoden’s sisterhood by taking in Tamaron’s survivors. Reoden’s sisters were already rearing some of All-father Tamaron’s T’En children. Once there had been more brotherhoods, but they’d been absorbed, and now a single brotherhood might be gift-bound to three sisterhoods.
As Reoden took Tobazim’s hand, Imoshen realised the healer was about to discover Tobazim’s covenant vow had been a sham, but Reoden did not seek to imprint her power on top of Imoshen’s gift-enforced vow. She merely repeated the promise.
All-mothers Melisarone and Ceriane made the same amendment with their vow-bound all-fathers. Athazi was last to step forward. She was furious, but had to present a united front before the brotherhoods.
As the sisterhood leaders made these promises to their vow-bound brotherhoods, Imoshen read the two groups. This had eased the brotherhoods’ anger. She had done the right thing, despite Athazi’s misgivings.
Across the clearing, she met Ardonyx’s eyes. He sent her a single nod, and it warmed her heart. He had once accused her of being a coward because she saw the flaws in their society and did not seek to change things. She had countered that she was only one person. How could she effect change?
Today, she had taken the first step towards a more enlightened T’Enatuath, such as she and Ardonyx had discussed back when they were both taking lessons in the Sagorese language. Then it had seemed an impossible dream, but now that she was causare and now that Ardonyx advised All-father Tobazim, they had a chance to change things for the better.
The brotherhoods and sisterhoods parted, returning to their sides of the all-council.
‘There should be trysting to celebrate,’ Saskeyne declared, his eager gift barely under control. The rest of the brotherhood leaders were quick to agree.
Imoshen laughed.
‘The causare has taken a vow of celibacy until the T’Enatuath are safely at sea,’ Egrayne said. ‘You would do well to honour her vow with one of your own.’
They didn’t like that idea at all.
Imoshen hid her smile. ‘I fear we will all be too busy for celebrating. We sail into exile the day after tomorrow.’
‘But now we must hand over the causare’s choice-son to his brotherhood,’ Egrayne announced.
As Imoshen turned to see Iraayel, her heart swelled with a mixture of pride and sorrow. He stood barefoot and naked under his knee-length robe. He would leave the sisterhood as he came into this world.
Normally, the brotherhoods did not see this part of the ceremony. It was performed inside the sisterhood quarter, and the lad was handed over at his brotherhood gate.
Imoshen led Iraayel into the centre of the clearing. Egrayne had already plaited his hair in one long braid and tied a leather strip around it at the base of his neck.
Tears blurred Imoshen’s vision, as she took his plait in her hand. She had been braiding his hair since it was first long enough. Now it was thick and strong in her hand, filled with the residue of his gift.
She drew her ceremonial dagger and began to cut through the plait. This was symbolic of cutting the link that all T’En mothers shared with their children.
After what they’d been through, Imoshen’s link with Iraayel was far deeper than normal. She should have been severing this gift link as she cut his hair. But she didn’t. Let Iraayel sever it if he wanted to. His plait came away neatly in her hand.
His hair settled around his shoulders as he turned to face her.
Lifting the severed braid to show the sisterhood, Imoshen said the words to complete the ritual. ‘My choice-son, Iraayel, is dead. This is all I have to remember him by.’
But she would never close her heart against him. She felt this so strongly, her gift tried to break free of her control.
The sisterhood leaders moaned in sympathy as they responded to the surging of her gift.
She hung Iraayel’s plait over her arm and lifted her hands to his neck to slide the robe off his shoulders.
Then she stepped away.
There he stood, naked – perfect. Definitely an adult male, for all that he would not attain his full growth until he was about twenty-five.
Tobazim stepped forward. ‘Iraayel, formerly choice-son of Imoshen, you proved your worth when we rescued the Mieren queen. You will be an asset to our brotherhood. Come, give your brotherhood vow.’
Iraayel knelt, graceful as always.
Imoshen felt a hand on her arm, and Egrayne drew her back to stand with her sisterhood. As Iraayel gave the brotherhood oath, she could hear nothing for the roaring in her ears.