Authors: Lisanne Norman
* * *
About an hour later, a low chime announced a presence outside the door of Noni's and Teusi's suite.
Noni cracked an eyelid at her apprentice. He was a typical young Highlander, tan-pelted, with rounded low-set ears. Shoulder length hair of the same color framed his oval face. He looked younger than his twenty years. "That'll be Father Lijou, lad. Let him in, if you will."
He got to his feet, then hesitated. "There's no village to visit, Noni. What do you want me to do while you talk to the Father?"
She gave a low chuckle. "You stay with me, lad. About time you were present when I talk to some of the most powerful leaders on Shola. It'll be part of your job, one day."
"Don't talk like that, Noni," he said, his voice suddenly intense, green eyes troubled. "You know I hate it."
The chime sounded again as Noni waved her hand at him. "Don't you fret, Teusi, I got no plans to leave you alone for some time yet. Now answer the door before the good Father breaks it down in impatience!"
Lijou swept in past Teusi, stopping only when he stood in front of Noni. "I just found out who's responsible for Kha'Qwa's accident," he said, voice deep with barely suppressed anger. "Raiban. She called while I was in the temple, demanding to speak to me. When Kha'Qwa said I couldn't be disturbed, she threatened to send her people to arrest me!"
"For what?" Noni demanded, sitting up.
Lijou opened his mouth to tell her, then closed it with a snap, suddenly looking at her uncertainly.
"So she's found out just how large a presence the Brotherhood has. You must have wakened some of the Sleepers," she said thoughtfully, reaching for the mug that sat on the low table beside her.
The Head priest emitted a small, strangled sound, eyes widening. "I don't know what you're talking about, Noni," he managed to say, glancing anxiously toward Teusi.
Noni laughed gently. "You think I didn't know about them, Lijou? They're in Kuushoi's Realm, touched by Winter Herself in their cold sleep. A few dream, like Carrie, but none remember it when they wake." She watched, amused, as Lijou stumbled the few feet to the nearest chair, and groping behind him for reassurance it was there, sat down.
"What do you think I do on the Guardians' Council, Lijou?"
"Same as the rest of us," he said, caught with no ready answer. "Look out for our planet's and species' best interests, irrespective of guild, clan, or politics."
She sighed. "Well, you're still fairly new, I suppose. Guardians are only appointed when one dies or retires, or another is felt to be needed by a majority of us. With one exception." She gave him a long look. "The one chosen by the Entities Themselves. They chose me, just as through me, They chose Teusi as my successor."
He stared at her. "You. Not from either the clans or the guilds..."
She flicked both ears in assent. "The bridge between us and Them. When I need to, I go to Their realms, bargain with Them for help. And when They need me, They call me, like over the matter of Keeza Lassah. As for how I know about the Sleepers, as I said, cryo puts them in Kuushoi's realm, doesn't it?"
"The Sleepers," he whispered, ears becoming invisible against his head in shock as he glanced again at Teusi.
"Aye, the Sleepers. I know about them, have done for a long time, as have those before me. The Entities have limits, you know. Only Kuushoi can travel beyond the bounds of our world, and then only through those Sleepers with enough mind-Talent for her to contact. Carrie, now, she's aware in cryo. Her mind still functioned on some level Kuushoi could reach."
"You knew this and kept it from me?" The shock of her duplicity added to the others he'd experienced this day.
"I knew only that Kuushoi had reached her, warned her about the threat to her cub here on Shola, no more, for that was all She knew. Once Carrie was awakened, the contact was gone. You have to realize, the Entities aren't much concerned with us, Vartra being the exception. By the time I knew, I had bigger things to worry about."
"What could be bigger than them and the U'Churians going missing?" he demanded.
"The Pledge's been broken."
"Pledge? What Pledge?" She'd lost him now.
"The agreement between Them and us. The threat to Shola's just begun, Lijou. The Entities are retreating from us so They can be sure of surviving. They want no more contact with us. If Shola falls, then so do They."
"No more contact?"
"Stop echoing me!" she snapped testily. "You heard me well enough! The gates to the realms are closing!"
"Vartra save us!" he whispered, ears flattening to his skull once more. "I thought this treaty with the Primes..."
"Aye, pray to Him, Lijou. Even His door has been closed lately." Her voice was grim.
"But He came to me in the temple!" exclaimed the priest. "Warned me to leave because of Kha'Qwa!"
"He did, did He?" she murmured thoughtfully, looking past him to where Teusi sat silently. "That's to the good. I was afraid He'd leave us too. What d'you think happened to Them the last time the Valtegans came here? You won't find it in
your
past, but it's in ours, the legends of the Highlanders."
"I thought you'd given all that information to us when we were collecting what clan and guild records existed for our new historians."
She shrugged, a Human gesture she knew he'd understand. "This isn't for the likes of them. They'd discount it out of hand. When the Valtegans came, they tried to sever us from everything we believed in. Apart from the obvious, which you already know, they tried to change our language, religions, the way we measured the seasons and time— everything that gave us an identity of our own."
"Calendars?" he asked, remembering what Vartra had said. "They changed the calendars?"
She shot him an irritated look. "You're still interrupting me! Yes, calendars! During that time, we were made to worship their Emperor. Temples were taken over, statues smashed. Like the one up at the ruins on Kusac's land."
"Varza," he said absently, his mind still on calendars. Vartra had said he must know
when
to visit him. "I thought the Cataclysm was what broke it."
"It was the Valtegans. That's how many of the lesser Gods and Goddesses were lost to us. By the time the floods and storms stopped, there were few people who remembered any but the Entities. But one new God rose from those times."
"Vartra." She had his attention again.
"The Valtegan idea of their Emperor being a living god was transferred to Him. The Entities can survive without us, but we need Them. They'll only be forgotten if Shola falls again. But if any Valtegan visits Their realms, They could be destroyed."
"What of Brynne Stevens? He's been to Ghyakulla's realm."
"Through Vartra. She's not dealt with him in Her realm. With the gateways shut, our only contact with the Entities is through Vartra— if He decides to remain with us."
"Is there anything we can do? The Brotherhood has been recognized as a guild of Priests as well as Warriors— I'm Master of the Telepath priests too now. Our devotions to Vartra have never been mere lip service as in some religions. If the power of prayer keeps the Gods and Entities strong, then Vartra is surely in no danger!"
"Two things occur to me," she said. "One is that we have living relatives of Vartra in our time."
"Who?" he demanded.
"The Aldatan family. Didn't Kaid say Vartra bonded to the sister of his father's Leska? And took her name when she inherited the Clan?"
"Zylisha Aldatan. You're right. Kusac is His direct descendant. Is that why Vartra's interest in Kaid?"
"Could be. When you swear, what d'you say, Lijou?"
Startled, he sat back in his seat. "What do you mean?"
"Something wrong with your hearing?" she asked tartly. "What do you say when you swear at something?"
"It depends," he said evasively. "What relevance has that to anything?"
"Dammit, Lijou! What's one of the worst curses we use?"
"Vartra's bones!" he snapped, annoyed by her attitude. "What of it? It means nothing!"
"Oh, yes?" she asked archly. "Considering we burn our dead, why d'you think we say that, eh?"
"How should I know!"
"Take a minute to think, Lijou," she said quietly. "You have Vartra, a living God. Your people look up to Him, follow Him, do what He says. And when the inevitable happens and He dies, what do you do then? Have a public funeral and burn Him, so proving He isn't divine?"
"Vartra's bones!" he swore, appalled. "You mean they
buried
Him secretly?"
Noni nodded. "Not my idea, Teusi's. He was chattering away as he does," she said, nodding toward the young male who sat patiently a few feet away. "And came out with this idea. Maybe, just maybe, what ties Vartra to Shola is His bones— the fact He wasn't burned."
"We need to find His burial place," said Lijou, getting to his feet and starting to pace. "If we can, perhaps we can persuade Him not to close His gateway." He stopped in front of her. "What exactly do you see as the nature of this continuing threat to Shola?" he demanded.
"Sit down," she ordered him. "Think I'm going to crick my neck looking up at you? The threat is the same— the Valtegans. And our answer is Vartra's bones and the Aldatan Triad— Vartra's descendants."
"But how? What can they do— and against what? We have a treaty with the Primes..."
"There're more Valtegans than Primes," she reminded him. "I can't tell yet whether letting them come to Shola will help or hinder our survival, but heed me well, Lijou. The darkness out there—" she waved her hand toward the window "— is thickening!"
"Have you anything in your legends that might suggest where they buried Him?"
"Nothing I know of," she said. "But considering He spent most of his life around these parts, chances are pretty good it's in the mountains."
"Vartra's Retreat! It could be there! Maybe even in the tomb of the sword-brothers! What better place to hide His body than in full view?"
She snorted in disgust. "What you going to do? Open the tomb to find out what's inside and outrage everyone by telling them what you're looking for? Don't be a fool, Lijou! You got to check out your records here. Teusi and I are doing what we can with our stuff, at least we know what kind of reference we're looking for, but another couple of folk to help us would be useful."
"You've got them," he said. "The answer's got to be here or at the Retreat." Lijou's wrist comm buzzed discreetly. He excused himself and answered it.
"General Raiban again, Father Lijou," said the elderly Brother regretfully.
"I'll take it in my office, Chaddo," he replied.
"Any news on Mistress Kha'Qwa, Father? Many of the Brothers and Sisters have been standing vigil in the temple through the night for her and the cub."
"She's fine," said Lijou, his features relaxing. The thought of so many concerned for their safety humbled him. "So is our son. And yes, you may release the news to Stronghold."
"Vartra be praised!" said Chaddo, his ears standing more erect in relief as he cut the connection.
"You're better loved than you know, Lijou. I'll come with you," said Noni, beginning to lever herself out of her seat. Teusi was at her side instantly to help.
"No," he said firmly, waving them back as he got up. "I'll go alone."
She stopped, eyeing him. "Take it easy with Raiban, Lijou. There's trouble enough brewing from her quarter."
"Neither I nor Stronghold will be threatened by the likes of Raiban, Noni, nor will Kha'Qwa. Dammit, she knew Kha'Qwa was pregnant!" he said, heading for the door as the temple bells began to ring out.
"That's a new tune," she said, raising an eye ridge.
"It's what they used to ring when a birth took place here," said Teusi, breaking his silence. "Last time I was here, Yaszho asked me if we knew of one. I'd come across it some time ago when we started looking through our histories."
"I didn't know they planned to do that," murmured Lijou, embarrassed, as he opened the door.
Noni looked at Teusi in respect. "Well remembered, lad." Her eyes seemed to unfocus slightly and she heard herself saying, "Likely we'll be hearing them more often in the years to come."
* * *
"We're not accountable to you, Raiban. I'll remind you that the Governor himself gave us a mandate, with the agreement of the High Command, to deal with the threat of the Primes in our own way. We have. Our resources are not common Forces property. We get no funds from central government. For generations all we've been able to afford is your outmoded ships, and it's cost us dearly to recondition them. Until now, you, like everyone else, have been content to ignore us. You had no right to demand my presence on the comm and threaten my mate when she told you I was unavailable!"
"When a member of the High Command leaves Shola without warning in a time of global crisis..." she began.
"What crisis?" interrupted Lijou, cutting across her. "We have a treaty with the Primes now, due entirely to the Brotherhood. We escorted Captain Tirak back to Jalnian space as a gesture of goodwill on behalf of Shola, and as thanks for aiding our people when they needed it. Your threats of reprisals against me were directly responsible for my mate's fall. You nearly killed both her and our son, Raiban!"
"You can't blame that on me," she countered, equally angrily.
"I can, and I do," he snarled. "I'll pass your message to Commander Rhyaz when I get the opportunity." He cut the connection, gratified by her final exclamation of anger. Then he called for Yaszho, telling him to contact the
Striker
as soon as possible.
"I took responsibility for sending Master Rhyaz a message as soon as Noni arrived, Father," Yaszho said, checking his comm unit for the time. "I also took the liberty of apprising him of the full situation. He should have received it by now."
Lijou looked at him a trifle uncertainly. "Was it necessary to worry him over Kha'Qwa?"
"He wouldn't have thanked me if I hadn't, Father," Yaszho assured him. "He will see to General Raiban."
Lijou nodded, privately glad that matters had been taken out of his hands while he'd been sleeping off the effects of Noni's potion. "I'm in your debt, Yaszho. I don't know how I'd manage without you. I'm going to the infirmary," he said. "If I'm not there, I'll be with Noni."
* * *
Lijou found a stranger in Kha'Qwa's room. She was a female of about the same age as his mate, dressed like one of the villagers. As he entered, she put down the comp pad she'd been reading and got to her feet.
"You must be Father Lijou," she said quietly, her Highland burr very noticeable. "I'm N'Gaya, here to look after your mate and the berran."
Noni has been quick,
he thought, surveying her. There was nothing remarkable in her appearance, she looked like any of the villagers who lived in the Dzahai range. He realized he didn't know what he should say to her.
Her jaw dropped in a slight smile. "No need to say anything, Father. Been a day of shocks for you all, so it has. Best let them sleep for now. She needs to heal, and the berran will wake soon enough when he's hungry."
He found himself nodding agreement and backing toward the door before realizing what was being done to him.
"Are you Highlanders all so Talented?" he asked, keeping his voice as low as hers as he pushed her thoughts aside and advanced slowly toward the bed to see his mate. "I don't appreciate being manipulated, N'Gaya. My place is by the side of my life-mate and son. Neither you nor anyone else will keep me from them," he said warningly. Kha'Qwa lay on her side, Chay'Dah held close against her, both of them fast asleep.
"They said yours was a love-match," she said approvingly. "Like as not, we shall get on well, Father. I have no wish to work again for a home where the mate is just an acquisition."
He looked at her again, this time seeing the angle of her ears and the firm set of her jaw. "The Arrazo Clan?" he hazarded. "You raised Taynar, the youngest son?"
She frowned. "I did not. That was all his father's doing. The cubs I raise are not spoiled brats. I hear he has a Leska now. I pity her."
"Don't," he said, looking back at Kha'Qwa and reaching out to gently touch her cheek. "His Leska is Human. A resourceful young female, from what I've been told. They're due back in about a week." Satisfied that all was well, he moved away from the bed. "Have you been given quarters? Is there anything you need?"
"All is being taken care of by your aide," she said. "For now, I'll be staying in this room with Mistress Kha'Qwa. A bed will be set up for me so I can spend the nights here until she's well enough to return to your quarters."
"I'll see a junior is assigned to you in case you should need anything. Did Yaszho give you a wrist comm, show you how to use it?" When she nodded, he continued, "I'll be with Noni. Please send for me when my mate wakes."
She inclined her head in agreement, resuming her seat as he left.