The Voice of Prophecy (Dual Magics Book 2) (23 page)

“Arcas, please stay a moment,” Thekila said when Mother, Pa,
and Kiara had mounted and left. “You might be interested in this, too.”

“What?” Vatar asked.

Thekila didn’t answer him directly. “Trev, some of us—Quetza
and I, and Vatar’s father in Caere—have wondered about something. Vatar
disagrees, but you’re the expert.”

Trev cocked his head to the side. “Wondered about what?”

Thekila bit the inside of her lip and glanced up at Vatar
before answering. “Well, some of the . . . oddities about Vatar’s magic seem to
us to be an interaction between his Fasallon magic and the Dardani magic.”

Arcas drew back a step.

“I’ve told you, the Spirit of the Lion isn’t magic,” Vatar
said.

Thekila shrugged. “Well, what I’ve seen of it looks like
magic to me. And things like the shadow of a lion appearing in your Far Speech
sure seems like some kind of interaction.”

Trev smiled in amusement. “Vatar, what do the Dardani
believe about magic?”

“That it comes from Evil Spirits,” Vatar answered promptly.
“Clearly, the Spirit of the Lion—” 

Trev held up his hand to stop Vatar. “Yes. And your ability
to sense Lions comes from the
Spirit
of the Lion. So . . . both come
from spirits, according to the Dardani, but one is called magic and the other
isn’t.”

“Are you saying that the Spirit of the Lion
is
magic?” Arcas asked.

Trev shrugged. “I’m not sure that the word ‘magic’ is of
much use. In fact, it may only serve to confuse you. A lion will still be a
lion, even if you call him a cat. And you may call a raven a black bird without
changing his nature. The Spirit of the Lion gives you abilities that outsiders
don’t understand. I understand only as much of the abilities that come from
your father as you have explained to me.” He turned to Vatar. “Yet,
you
are more than the parts of you that are Fasallon or Dardani—a combination that
is sometimes better than either. I see no reason that these abilities should
not combine in the same way.”

Arcas shifted slightly. “Then Vatar’s magic doesn’t trouble
you at all?”

Trev shook his head. “No. Why should it?”

“But—”

Trev smiled slightly. “Arcas, you would call the abilities
of the shaman magic, wouldn’t you?”

Arcas blinked. “Yes.”

“Yet this magic doesn’t bother you?” Trev asked.

“Of course not,” Arcas said. “That’s—”

“It did when Maktaz was the shaman,” Vatar said at the same
moment.

Trev’s smile broadened to a grin. “Exactly. It’s not the
ability—whatever it may be or wherever it may come from—but what is done with
it that is either good or bad. As well blame the eagle for its ability to fly.”

Arcas stared off toward the village. “I . . . I think I
see.”

~

The next morning, Vatar set out for his workshop. He didn’t
have much work left—and none of it the engrossing work of making something
new—but the repairs he had left might at least occupy his mind for a while.
Crossing the square, he passed Avaza and Ariad and paused to exchange a
greeting.

Avaza smiled insincerely. “I saw you and Trev and your
family out at the eastern waterhole last night, Vatar. I thought I heard the
word exorcism mentioned. Is anything wrong?”

Vatar drew in his breath. Avaza had already proven to be
unreliable even with seemingly harmless information. He remembered what Thekila
had said about dealing with Avaza, but Thekila wasn’t here. His eyes narrowed.
“I’m sure you had a very good reason for being so far from the village. Alone.
At night.”

Avaza’s face colored. The one-room huts and close-knit
villages of the Dardani afforded very little privacy; there were many things
the tribesmen couldn’t help knowing about each other. But it was considered
rude, verging on dishonorable, to actually spy on your neighbors—even more so
when they were conferring with the tribe’s spiritual leader.

Vatar’s smile was more like a lion showing its teeth. “But
there’s no problem that need concern you. Just some left over business from
last summer.” Vatar didn’t lie often because he was so bad at it, but this was
near enough to the truth that he could say it without guilt.

Ariad took a firm grip on Avaza’s arm. “Fair skies, Vatar.”
He almost pulled her away.

“Fair skies, Ariad,” Vatar answered, turning back toward his
forge. In this case, considering his history with Avaza, he didn’t feel guilty about
stretching just enough Far Sight to catch what they said to each other as they
passed out of normal earshot.

“Why are you so interested in Vatar, Avaza? Are you still in
love with him?” Ariad asked with some heat.

Avaza’s voice had the wheedling tone Vatar knew too well.
“You know that’s not true. But we have children. What affects him, affects
them. As a mother, I—”

“You shamed me, spying on my friend—the man who saved my
life—that way,” Ariad said.

Avaza tossed her golden hair. “I heard Trev say the word
exorcism. If Vatar is possessed, the people need to know.”

Vatar drew in a sharp breath. That was definitely not
something he wanted Avaza to think—or to start spreading rumors about.

Ariad made the Eagle Clan’s warding sign, fingers curled
like the talons of an eagle. “Spirits of the Eagle and Lion grant that it is
not so. But if he is, then the people need to know what
Trev
thinks they
should know. He’s the shaman, not you, Avaza. And it appears he has things in
hand.”

“But—” Now Avaza’s voice sounded sulky.

“That’s an end of it, Avaza. Don’t shame me before Vatar
again.”

Avaza’s voice was stubborn. “But, if he is possessed, then
the twins—”

Ariad cut her off. “The twins are Lion Clan. If anything
happens to Vatar—
anything
—they will be raised by his clan, Avaza. You
know that.”

Avaza turned sulky again. “I’m their mother.”

“He is their father and the child belongs to the father’s
Clan. That’s our law.”

Vatar let his Far Sight go. He knew Avaza well enough to
know she would be trouble, probably in small, nasty ways. In spite of what
she’d said last autumn, she never had forgiven him for taking the twins, even
to keep them safe. He’d better warn Thekila at the first opportunity. Just as
well they’d be taking the twins with them this year. Right now, he wouldn’t be
inclined to let Avaza anywhere near them. Especially with Zavar sensing Vatar’s
Far Sight.

Thekila set aside her plate. Just the smell of the meat made
her queasy, now. Thankfully, Lucina had brought her some fruit earlier in the
afternoon, in deference to her condition. And the plain, bland flatbread tasted
better to her than it ever had. She chewed on a piece as she considered what
she was about to ask. She’d been wondering about this long before Vatar told
her about Avaza’s spying.  “Vatar, Arcas was adopted into the Lion Clan,
right?”

Vatar looked up from his food. “Yes. He stayed with my
family while I was apprenticed to Lanark. He was adopted then.”

“Is it possible for an adult to be adopted, too? Say, the
wife . . . life mate of a Dardani?” Thekila asked.

“More than possible,” Lucina answered. “I was adopted by the
Horse Clan.” Her face clouded slightly. “All things considered, that might be
an excellent idea.”

“Do you want to be adopted into a clan, Thekila?” Vatar
smiled at her. “You’d have people you could turn to, if anything . . . happened
to me. Family.”

She laid a hand on his cheek. He
would
think of that
first. “Nothing’s going to happen to you. But I’d like to have a big family.
And be really a part of this side of your life, too. Would I be a member of the
Lion Clan, like you?”

Vatar chuckled. “No. Lion is one of the two clans you can’t
belong to.”

Thekila blinked. “Why?”

“Because all of the Lion Clan are considered my brothers and
sisters,” Vatar said. “I can’t choose a sister as my life mate, now can I?
Mother is Horse Clan, so all of the Horse Clan are my cousins. Those are the
only two Clans I can’t choose a mate from.”

“Oh. I see. Then which Clan would I belong to?” Thekila asked.

Vatar touched the spot on her throat where her amulet lay
hidden under her tunic. “You could only be Eagle Clan.”

She smiled. “That would be appropriate, wouldn’t it?” She
continued mind to mind.
“But isn’t Avaza Eagle Clan? Would that be . . .
wise?”

“No. Avaza lives with the Eagle Clan as Ariad’s year
mate. But she’s a Raven
.” He cocked his head to the side.
“Actually, the
Eagle Clan would be duty-bound to protect and believe in you over her.”

“Hmm. That could be . . . useful.”
Thekila switched
back to speaking aloud. “What’s involved in this adoption? What would I have to
do?”

“Not much,” Danar answered. “I’d ask Larad, or possibly
Vatar’s friend Ariad, to take you to the next Eagle Clan council. When it comes
time to accept the new clan members, Larad or Ariad would stand for you and
call you out to the center of the hut. The clan and the Spirit of the Eagle
will accept you and you will be tattooed with the Clan Mark.”

“The footprint of an eagle?” Thekila asked.

Vatar chuckled. “No. The Eagle Clan claim that their totem
animal never touches the ground. So, of course, it can’t have a footprint.
Their mark is an eagle feather.”

“
Then you could trace my tattoo like I trace yours,”
she said in his mind.

“Mmm, yes,”
he replied.
“What else is on your
mind? This isn’t just about Avaza, is it? You don’t need to do this just to
prove some interaction between the two . . .”
He paused to swallow.
“Between
the two kinds of magic.”

“That’s not the only reason. I really do want to be part
of this side of your life. And I’ve always wanted a big family. But, afterward,
if there’s the shadow of an eagle when I bespeak you, well, that’ll answer at
least some of your questions, won’t it?”

“What if you start hearing a voice, too?”

“Well, then, that will be a kind of answer, too.”

Theklan bounced in his seat. “Could I be adopted, too? The
other boys are talking about getting their Clan Marks soon. So’s Kiara. I want
to belong to a big family, too.”

Vatar shrugged. “I don’t see why not. The problem is the
timing. I’m not sure any of the clans will be holding a council much before the
end of summer. We won’t be here that long. I’m sure Arcas will want to get back
to Elaria and Caslar sooner than that. And I don’t want to delay our crossing
too long, either.”

Thekila knew what Vatar wasn’t saying. He wanted to get her
back to Caere, where Boreala could take care of her if anything went wrong with
her pregnancy. But this was important, too. “I’ll barely even be showing by
then, Vatar. We can wait. Even if Arcas goes on ahead of us.”

“You might not have to. The Eagle Clan might agree to hold a
special council for this,” Danar said. “It’s been done before. I can talk to
the chiefs for you.”

Kiara looked up eagerly. “I could get my Clan Mark early,
too.”

Danar shook his head, suppressing a chuckle. “
You
can
wait with all the others of your age, Kiara. You’ll still be here at the usual
time for the Clan council.”

Vatar chased a bite of meat around his plate and then looked
across at his mother. “Would there be any problem with the initiation because
Thekila is pregnant?”

Lucina’s eyes narrowed in thought. “There shouldn’t be. I’ll
have a word with the Eagle Clan healers, just so they know. They might water
Thekila’s cup, but that’s all the accommodation that should be needed.”

~

A few evenings later, Ariad came to take both Thekila and
Theklan to the Eagle Clan’s main hut. Thekila couldn’t help some speculation
about what that meant. Clearly, Ariad, at least, wasn’t persuaded by Avaza’s
tales. Besides, thinking about Avaza helped her ignore the fact that, despite
the cool evening air, Ariad wasn’t wearing his tunic.

Vatar laughed at her slight recoil. “I should have warned
you. The men always attend Clan councils bare-chested to display their
tattoos.”

Theklan stepped forward, fascinated by the tattoos. Once
reassured that this was normal, Thekila couldn’t contain a certain curiosity
either. The small one on Ariad’s left breast, just over his heart was clearly a
feather, just as Vatar had said. By the time she returned, she’d have a similar
mark. The other, on his right shoulder suggested an eagle stooping to catch its
prey.

“Will I get one like that someday?” Theklan asked.

Ariad chuckled.

“Not exactly,” Vatar said, suppressing a chuckle of his own.
“That’s a hero’s tattoo. The usual tattoo for an Eagle Clan man is a soaring
eagle. You’ll see plenty of examples at the council.”

Theklan’s eyes widened and he looked up at Ariad with new
respect. “Hero’s tattoo?”

“Ariad was part of the tiger hunt, too, when a bunch of boys
killed two forest tigers. In fact, he’s being modest tonight. He was awarded
one of the fangs and one of the skins for delivering the death blow to one of
the beasts.”

Ariad smiled. “Same as you. None of us would have survived
without the blades you made for us and the plan you and Daron dreamed up.”

Vatar shrugged. “Cestus had a part in that plan, too.” He
clasped Ariad’s arm. “Thanks for this.”

The other man shook his head. “It’s the least I could do.”

Thekila and Theklan followed Ariad through the huts of the
Lion and Horse Clans and into the center of the Eagle Clan enclave on the other
side. They stopped in front of the Eagle Clan’s main hut. Ariad led them into
the single large round room, many times the size of a family hut. Benches lined
the wall around approximately three quarters of the circumference. They found
seats in the front row.

The fourth part of the circumference held seats for the five
chiefs of the Eagle Clan. An impressive life-size carving of an eagle in flight
hung on the wall behind the chiefs. Thekila would have liked to get a better
look at that. The artwork in the rendering of the feathers deserved a closer
appreciation.

Since this was a special council, being held specifically
for their initiation, there wasn’t much other business for the clan to consider
before the ritual began. Ariad sat by them and explained what was going on for
their benefit.

Despite his attempt to keep her occupied, Thekila picked up
snatches of conversation from the benches around her. The words possession and
exorcism figured strongly. Clearly, Avaza had been spreading rumors, whether
Ariad approved or not. Well, she knew how to deal with that. Just as soon as
this initiation was over.

Her thoughts of Avaza were interrupted when Ariad stood up
and led Theklan out with him. Larad, one of the chiefs and Ariad’s father,
stood up and beckoned Thekila forward.

Larad introduced Thekila to the clan first. An enthusiastic
cheer of welcome followed.  There was a burst of laughter when Ariad
brought Theklan forward. It made Theklan blush, which only increased the
merriment. Ariad seemed to have expected it. He laughed along with the rest and
clapped a reassuring hand on Theklan’s shoulder. Soon the laughter died off,
replaced by a shout of welcome.

Most of the lamps were extinguished, leaving the interior of
the hut in semi-darkness. Only the lamps at the far end, where the chiefs had
been sitting, were left. Complete silence fell for a moment, then a soft
drumbeat, almost like a heartbeat, started from somewhere in the darkness.

Ariad and Larad left them standing alone, briefly. Thekila
reached for Theklan’s hand, uneasy at the sudden change. His grasp on her hand
told her he was nervous, too.

When he returned, Larad brought a large cup. “Don’t drink it
too fast.”

Ariad had a similar cup for Theklan.

Theklan took a swallow and almost choked. Thekila sipped
more cautiously. The drink had the same smell as the hard cider Vatar had been
made to drink before getting his latest tattoo, the one that commemorated the
completion of his Ordeal. It had a pungent taste and burned slightly going
down, but it didn’t seem strong enough to choke on. Then again, Lucina had said
something about watering her cup, hadn’t she? Maybe Theklan’s drink was
stronger. Even watered, the drink left her feeling light-headed and a little
blurry when she had finished the cup.

Once they’d both finished, their sponsors led them to the
far end of the hut, where the eagle carving had been taken down from the wall
and placed on one of the chief’s seats. Thekila was clear enough to take a long
appreciative look at the carving. It had been lovingly and realistically carved
from some type of golden wood. Every feather had been carefully depicted. The
beak was made of horn. But the eyes surprised her. The eyes seemed to be
looking at her. A closer look revealed that the eyes were highly polished
stones, but they looked so real.

“Put your hand on the eagle’s head,” Larad said.

The wood felt warm and surprisingly smooth, considering the
detail of the feathers. She felt a tingling sensation, creep up her arm from
the wood.

Thekila followed Larad back out into the center of the hut,
while Theklan was presented to the Spirit of the Eagle. Larad motioned for her
to sit on the floor of the hut. He knelt behind her, holding her shoulders. The
lamps were relit as two healers came forward to give each of them their Clan
Mark, the tiny feather tattoo on the left breast.

“This will be quick,” the healer said, opening Thekila’s
tunic. Good thing the Valson tunics laced farther down than the more
conservative Dardani version. Beside her, the other healer had pulled Theklan’s
tunic up to his chin in order to work.

The healer dipped a cloth into a small bowl and swabbed the
inside of Thekila’s left breast. Then she took up a long, yarn-wrapped thorn,
dipping the thorn and yarn into a bowl of pigment. Working swiftly and with a
professional detachment, the healer deftly created the elegant lines of the
Eagle Clan Mark. Whatever the healer had used to swab her skin, it must be similar
to the ointment Lucina made, because Thekila felt the pressure of each
puncture, but no pain.

~

“Vatar?”
Thekila said into Vatar’s mind, while he
applied salve to her new tattoo the next morning. She didn’t seem to remember
coming back to their hut at all. Whatever was in that drink was stronger than
the wine she’d learned to drink in Caere, watered or not.

“Yes?”
he answered, looking into her eyes.

“Did you sense the eagle? Like your lion?”

Vatar nodded and smiled.
“Yes. It suits you.”

“That must be it, then. The two forms of magic are
interacting in some way. At least that much of the mystery is solved. When we
start back for Caere, maybe I can test whether I can see through the eyes of
the eagles. And if there’s any change in my avatar.”

Vatar frowned slightly. “You didn’t have to do that, just
for me.”

Thekila smiled. “It wasn’t
just
for you, although
that would be reason enough.”

Vatar leaned forward to kiss her.

When he leaned back and continued applying salve to her new tattoo,
Thekila asked, “Vatar, they laughed when Ariad presented Theklan. Why?”

Vatar chuckled. “It was probably Ariad they were laughing
at, not Theklan.”

“Why?”

“It’s a ritual thing, really. Everyone knows it’s not really
true in an adoption, but when a man stands for someone to be accepted by the
Clan, he’s standing as that person’s father. Ariad is a few months younger than
me. Which would make him younger than Theklan is now when Theklan was born.”

Thekila chuckled. “Oh! Now I understand. One of us should
explain it to Theklan. I think he thought they were laughing at him.”

Vatar looked over to the side of the hut where Theklan
slept. “He isn’t awake yet. But I’ll tell him when I show him how to apply the
salve to his tattoo.”

~

When Vatar left for his forge, Thekila took the twins over
and left them with Lucina for the day, pretending a headache. Actually, she
felt fine. But there was something she wasn’t going to put off any longer. She
needed to confront Avaza as soon as possible.