The Sheening Of The Blades (Book 1) (93 page)

“Good-bye, my friend.”

He watched her walk away, slender and lovely and as much a part of him as his arms or legs, and his chest seemed to break in two.  There was something in his eyes, because he could barely see.  He didn’t move for a long, long time, standing in the growing morning with the long, damp grass around him brushing his hands and sliding through fingers somehow incapable of grasping it. 

Karmine, for her part, strode determinedly across camp.  She had found out last night where his tent was, and headed toward it without deviating.  It was in a quiet corner, which she was sure he preferred.  The smell of smoke, the stunned bustle of the hospital tents, and the random wanderings of the dead-eyed survivors were all screened off by the row of tents in front of his.

She scratched at the tent canvas flap for courtesy
’s sake, but didn’t wait for an answer.  It would have surprised her if he’d ever give one; he wouldn’t be wanting to see anyone.  Pushing the flap aside, she walked in.

The Dra was sitting up, covered to his waist by
a blanket, staring with smoky eyes at the entrance.  Unlike the Rach’s tent, his was fresh, flaps open to let in the chilly air, bare chest inured to the weather.  Electricity sparked between them in the enclosed space and for a moment she just stood there, the same feeling of disbelief washing over her that she’d felt when their eyes had first met on the raft so many months ago.  That this should come to her…after all these centuries.

Early this morning, she
’d gotten irrefutable proof that her millennia of being suspended in time were over, and judging by the butterflies in her stomach at sight of Kai, Il had the life of a normal woman in mind for her.

He said nothing, just watched her with those deep, expressive eyes, but the tent seemed to crackle with energy.  She took a step inside, which pretty much brought her to his bedside, and pulled a stool over.

“The mission was successful,” she said, business-like, deliberately using a detached voice—if for no other reason than to let them both get control of themselves.  “The gods are vanquished, the Realms free…”  That sounded a bit dramatic, but it was more than a little distracting being so close to him.  She’d taken such pains to avoid it all those months on the trail.

“Ari?” he said huskily.  Like the Rach, the Drae kept up closely with Tarq doings.  He had known what
Gaermon
meant.

“Fine,” she assured him.  “Handled it like a Dra.”  Their eyes met.  Her lips twitched.  “He
’s headed to Cyrrh, with Traive,” she said slowly, dropping her eyes so that she didn’t see him nod.  It had been obvious to both of them that he would do so.

She raised her chin, clear eyes gazing into his barely a yard away.  She could smell his musky scent, clean as all Drae were. 

“And I,” she continued purposefully, “go North, to claim the Throne of the Empire.”  She paused, his impassive face giving nothing away, no encouragement, no surprise, no disappointment.  But she’d spent more than a couple days in her long past communicating with Drae; she was not disheartened.  She plunged on:

“I will need a consort.  A strong man of great courage and wisdom to help bring this world back onto its feet…to lead where everyone will be faltering and in despair…to return the Royal Line to its full strength even as he infuses the Empire with new life…to rule by my side.”  Her heart thudded.  “There is no other more suited to this than you, Dra Kai.”

He swallowed, the only sign of the deep emotion she saw churning in his eyes.  His voice, that smooth, rich voice that made her shiver from toe to ear tip, filled the tent with its imperturbable calm, “Do not think me ungrateful for the honor, but you are mistaken.  I am no longer a man, can no longer stand, nor run a Realm, nor father children.”  She knew what such an admission meant to men so proud, though there was no self-pity in his voice; a very feminine part of her longed to reach for the big hand that swept out, gesturing at the useless legs stretched out before him.  His feet were bulgy with bandage under the thin cover.

She collected herself.  “You will walk again,” she said calmly.  “And your line will continue from your body.”  There was no embarrassment with such things—producing children were part and parcel of ruling a people and they both knew it.  “Kai, your gifts are extraordinary.  Your experience, your intuition, your mental and physical strength—these have made you into a rare man, a leader of such honor and vision and
wisdom that your place is clear.  Il has a great purpose for you…will you refuse it?”

He stared deep into her with those probing, seeing eyes, weighing her words and probably her prophecy.  Then, voice so husky she could barely make it out, he asked of her plainly what she could not of him.

“My heart will be your fortress, yours will be my refuge.  My life is yours to cherish, your love the blood in my veins…”

And as the Dra Words of Everlasting flowed smooth and rich and passionate into the still air of the tent, Karmine felt the rightness of it sweep over her, the Power of Il in the slow turnings of His vast plan drowning out in a wave of joy the lesser joy of the man next to her.  Exultation brimmed, flowed over.  Now,
now
, life would begin anew. 

Pronunciation Guide

Achan
                            (AH-kun); Sentinalier, commander of all Cyrrhidean Sentinels

Adama
                            (uh-DOM-uh, rhymes with drama); Whiteblade, often ’Dama or ’Dam                           

Addah
              (AH-duh, rhymes with clod duh); vaguely designated lands north of the Empire, a.k.a. the Wolflands, the High White Wilds or Wastes

Aerach
              (AIR-rock); adjective form of the Rach nationality, akin to ‘French’ or ‘Gabonese’

Alaunus
              (uh-LAWN-us); the visually unsettling Lance Knight, commander of all Merranic Knights

Alene
                            (uh-LEEN); northern most Merranic city, at mouth of Kendrick River on East Coast

Androssan
              (ann-DROSE-un); Commanding General of the Imperial Armies

Archemounte
              (ARCH-
e
-mount, ARK-
e-
mount—the accent is harder in the north); Imperial Capital

Ari
              (ARE-ee, rhymes with sari); orphan boy brought up by minor Imperial estate holder, Lord Harthunter.  Has some interesting adventures.  Read the book. 

Ariella
                            (are-ee-ELL-uh); Whiteblade, of the Hand of Mercy, occasionally ’Ri or ’Riella

Ashaura
              (ASH-uh-ra); Whiteblade, of the Hand of Mercy, usually just Ash, despite its profane connotations

Atarq
                            (eh-TARK); adjective form of the Tarq nationality.  Rhymes with attack, coincidentally.

Atlanta
                            (as in Georgia); Whiteblade, often ’Lanta

Banion
              (BAN-yun); the Knight of the Steelmists, a Jarl of the Stone of Merrani.  The large Merranic contingent of the friends of Ari

Brook
              (as in stream); Whiteblade, never shortened (how would you?)

Cerise
              (suh-REECE, rhymes with police), high-born woman of Imperial Court, friend of Queen Sable and personal trial to the friends of Ari

Channing
              (rhymes with canning, CH- like in charm); the Prime Councilman of the Imperial Council

Clarent
              (KLARE-en
t
); politically encumbered High Priest of Marek, of Archemounte’s Temple

Cyrrh
              (sounds like ‘sear’); jungled Border Realm to the west of the Empire, long shortened from Cyrrhidea.  Adjective form, Cyrrhidean, pronounced: sear-ID-ee-un

Czagaroth
              (
t
ZA-guh-roth); once spelled Tsagaroth, an ancient city of the Tarq in the eastern Sheel

Daphene
              (dah-FEEN, rhymes with caffeine); fruitful plains in the SE Empire, famous for wine

Daroe
              (DARE-o, rhymes with pharaoh); large river spanning the width of the southern Empire

Dasht
              (mostly indistinguishable from ‘dashed’); mood-altering foliage of Cyrrh

Don Eshaid
              (DUN eh-SHADE); oasis in the western Eshaid between the Daroe and the Ramparts

Dorian
              (DORE-ee-un); Whiteblade, of the Hand of Mercy, often Dor.  Escort for Ari.

Dra
              (like ‘draw’); reclusive people largely outcast in the Empire.  Known for their intimidating work with blades.  Plural, Drae, rhymes with ‘day.’

Effenrike
              (EFF-in-rike); over-hearty Merranic bargeman and friend to Banion

Elger
              (ELL-jer); outnumbered and surrounded Illian Shepherd in Archemounte

Eneara
              (eh-NEER-uh); the Lord Regent’s parade gryphon

Ethammer
              (ET-hammer); plateau taking up entire eastern portion of the continent of the Realms and home to Merrani

Ethlond
              (ETH-lund); legendary first settlement after the Upheaval

Faracens
              (FAIR-uh-sens); eastern most Wing of the Rach, the Wing of the Sea

Finnansterne
              (FIN-un-stern); Merranic Knight, Chevric of the Silver Hills in the Merranic Bitterns

Flyrcanet
              (FLEER-keh-neh); Chief, Topaz Talon of the Cyrrhidean Skyforces

Gaermon
              (gayr-MONE, only more guttural); enigmatic Atarq word

Galeb
              (GAY-leb); a Shepherd of Il living deep in Addah

Ghrak
              (similar to gagging on oatmeal); derogatory Atarq word for escaped slave

Gkri
              (indistinguishable from a sharp cough to the non Atarq speaker); means ‘souls’ with an unpleasant connotation

Heisar
              (rhymes with ‘hi, car’); Merranic Knight of the Bitterns and Jarl of the Stone

Herron
              (HAIR-un, like the bird); Lord of Harthunters estate, Loren’s father

Il
              (EEL); God of the Addahites, love, peace, strength, justice, mercy and redemption 

Illian
              (IHL-ee-uhn, rhymes with trillion); a follower of Il, seen as cult members by Realmsmen

Idon
              (EYE-dun); main southern branch of the Daroe, resurfaces briefly at Don Eshaid

Irise
              (ih-REESE); Whiteblade, sometimes ’Rise

Jaegor
              (YAY-gor); Seawolf on the MFS Mermaidon, son of a Merranic Jarl of the Stone

Kaedmar
              (KADE-mar); Bay of Merrane, named after visually impaired Merranic Lesser Hero

Kai
              (rhymes with die, no pun intended); very social Dra, scout and security detail for Ari and friends

Kamitan
              (rhymes with ‘gone eat dawn’); major north-south road through eastern Empire

Kanarron
              (kuh-NAR-un); Knight of the Stone and nephew to King Kane

Kane
              (rhymes with reign); King of Merrani and mentor of Queen Sable

Karmine
              (KAR-min, KAR-mine); last of the Royal Line of the North

Kaskari
              (kaz-KAR-ee); ancient Rach legendary for being a cripple, an engineering genius, and the first of his people befriended by the Empress

Kenai
              (like ‘keen eye’); eldest son of Kore, the Hilt Shagreen

Khrieg
              (KREEG); widowed Skylord of Cyrrh and lugubrious sire to Skyprincess Kindhriada

Khristophe
              (kris-TOAF); one of the Four Brothers, discovered Cyrrh and became the first Skylord

Kindhriada
              (kin-dree-AH-duh); the limp Skyprincess of Cyrrh, heiress to the Throne of Trees.  Usually Kindri

Kore
                            (like Cory); Shagreen of the Wing of the Hilt, cousin and best friend of Rach Kyr

Kourain
              (koor-REIN); Sky Captain, head of the Cyrrhidean Talons

Kraemoor
              (KRAY-more); large and splendid Commodore of the Merranic Fleet

Kyr
                            (KEER, rhymes with ‘deer’); the Rach

Laschald
              (luh-SHAWLED); god of Cyrrh, art, craftsmanship, nature, and pleasure

Lirralhisa
              (leer-ah-LEE-suh); Cyrrh’s Capital, the City of the Seven Falls

Magi
              (MADGE-eye); Merranic scholars and astronomers, often accused of necromancy and  fortune-telling.  Singular is mage, the head of their order being the First Mage

Marek
                            (MARE-ik); god of the Empire, order, organization, trade and commercial acumen

Melkin
                            (MELK-en); Master of Natural Sciences and ill-tempered leader of the friends of Ari

Mermaidon
              (MUHR-meh-dawn); flagship of the Merranic Commodore

Merrane
              (meh-RAIN); capital of Merrani and home to the King’s Fortress of the Sea

Merrani
                            (muh-RAN-ee); eastern Border Realm fronting and controlling the Eastern Sea

Mohrg
              (sounds like ‘morgue’); dangerous, armored, boar-like creatures that live only in the Hills of the Silver Lions

Montmorency
              (mawn
t
-MORE-ehn-see); famous last battle of the Ages of War in which Raemon was imprisoned in the statue of the Empress

Nerissa
                            (neh-RISS-uh); last to join the Whiteblades, sometimes ’Rissa

Noska
                            (NAWS-kuh); scarred and talented Aerach storyteller

Perraneus
              (peh-RAIN-ee-us); ill-fated First Mage of the Merranic Academy of Magi

Pior
              (rhymes with ‘see more’); Indigo Taloner and Ari’s cheerful escort, full name Piorenen (pee-or-EN-en)

Qarasca
              (kuh-RASK-uh); Shagreen of the Sharhi-Tir

Rach
              (usually indistinguishable from ‘rock’); people and leader of the southern Border Realm

Raemon
              (RAY-mun, ray-MONE); ambitious, arrogant god of the Tarq, fire, conquest and brutality

Rheine
              (softer version of ‘rain’); Chieftess of the Whiteblades, not the type to have a cute nickname

Rodge
                            (rhymes with ‘dodge’); irrepressibly sarcastic friend to Loren and Ari

Romontier
              (roe-MON-tee-air); Chief, Indigo Talon of the Cyrrhidean Taloners, shortened to Rom (rhymes with ‘wrong’)

Rorig
              (ROAR-ig); Queensknight, the personal bodyguard of the Queen of the North

Roxarta
                            (rocks-AR-tuh); Whiteblade, often Rox

Rhuq
                            (RUKE, rhymes with ‘Luke’); Cyrrhidean stagrider, full name Rhuquisel (RUKE-ih-sell)

Sable
                            (rhymes with ‘table’); Queen of the Empire

Saffir
                            (SAH-feer); bay on the Great Eastern Sea by Alene

Selah
                            (SEE-luh); orphan stowaway that does menial labor for friends of Ari

Sentinalier
              (sen-ten-AL-yare); commander of all Cyrrhidean ground forces, excepting the Silver Fox

Sharhi-Tir
              (SHAR-ee TEER); westernmost Wing of the Rach

Sheel
                            (rhymes with ‘steel’); the endless desert to the south of the Ramparts, home of the Enemy

Silmeander
              (sill-me-AND-er); Chief, Jade Talon of the Cyrrhidean Skyforces

Skoline
              (sko-LEEN); Swamp Town, the only habitation of the Swamps to the south of Cyrrh, home of several mercenary groups and, in general, not recommended for general sight-seeing

Spere
                            (like ‘spear’); Imperial Point Sergeant, highest ranking non-com of the Corps

Sylvar
                            (‘silver’); Whiteblade

Tamaren
              (TAM-uh-ren); Whiteblade of the Hand of Mercy, usually shortened to Tam

Tarq
              (TARK, rhymes with ‘dark’); people of the Sheel, the Enemy, Sheelmen.  The feminine form is tarqina, said ‘tark-EE-nuh’

Tekkara
              (tuh-KAR-uh); Cerise’s high-spirited and cerebrally compromised mare

Toriah
                            (rhymes with ‘sore eye, uh’); Captain in the Ranks of the Ram, comes with Warwolf

Traive
                            (TRAYV); full name Traivallion (tray-VALE-yun), Cyrrhidean military commander

Triele
              (tri-EEL, rhymes with ‘my heel’); the four great stones of power belonging to the gods; when not capitalized, refers to the many lesser stones given by the gods as gifts to their respective peoples

Vangoth
              (van-GAWTH); god of Merrani, the sea, war, and steel

Verrena
                            (veh-REN-uh); Whiteblade, respectfully shortened to V’ren