Lunamae (22 page)

Theron was at the door waiting for me. He had
everything of his packed up already. He didn’t take much up from
Fanarion when he came here to be the herbalist so there wasn’t much
to load into the caravan. He wanted to see his brother again,
wondering if he had changed at all.

“You expect me to take down your baggage?” he
teased from the doorway. I just smiled sweetly at him and nodded.
“Oh very well.” I couldn’t possibly carry anything with Eclipse in
my arms. He was getting quite large now with his diet of milk, when
available, and meats. Sometimes he would gather an added treat of
fresh mouse if he felt in the mood to hunt. If he was just a
catling I would have been able to carry him with one arm and then
have another free.

“Might I get a hug before you go running
off?” Lunamae asked me as I was about to walk out the door. Theron
started to take my chest and clothes trunk to our own separate
coach. I put Eclipse down so I could embrace her properly and then
picked him back up again. “I know we haven’t seen each other much
this year, but I’ll miss you. If anything interesting happens over
here I’ll send a messenger over to inform you. You might want to
send a messenger to me in case you change your course.”

“It sounds like a brilliant idea Lunamae,” I
told her with all sincerity. “I’ll miss you as well. I don’t intend
to be gone quite so long. Our stay in Midonia will be brief. Then
perhaps we’ll be in Aelisonia a few months or maybe a bit longer.
It just depends on how things go. We don’t want them thinking we
don’t appreciate their hospitality when it is extended to us.” She
patted Eclipse’s head and told him goodbye and then told me
goodbye. As I went down the stairs I noticed the foyer was filled
with villagers. The chief dame, Lunamae, and the king and queen of
Fanarion were there at the front. I saw my mother and father behind
them. Theron came back into the keep, a little startled from the
crowd that had formed.

The chief dame approached us. “We wanted to
see you both off safely. Barri would like to perform a blessing
over you all as well for journeying mercies. If you don’t mind,
Your Graces.” We both nodded and stood together facing everyone.
The friar came up to us and placed his hand above our heads.
Eclipse squirmed a little in my arms so Lunamae came forward to
take him until the blessing was over.

“To the Creator I ask for this newly joined
couple and the king and queen of Fanarion, that you will bestow
your protection on them and shield them from all harm if it be in
your will. I ask in that in all things they shine for you and that
your blessings will shine on them.” Barri completed the blessing
and the audience clapped. I could tell the king and queen were a
little uncomfortable—unused to the worship of our Creator. I doubt
they were shocked to see Theron so open to it. He liked to have
servitude completely to one being than divided to many. I hoped he
really believed in the Creator and the Teacher and the words in the
Text of Illumination. Unfortunately I didn’t have a copy to take on
the journey. The situation changed when the chief dame motioned for
a monk to come forward. He was holding a newly scribed Text.

“I thought you should have your own, for your
family as well when you get around to making one,” Angharad said
warmly. She took the Text from the monk and handed it to me. “I
know you appreciate the written word and Theron can benefit from it
as well. It would be something useful to pass the time on your
journey.” I thanked her and Lunamae handed Eclipse to Theron. We
both walked out of the keep and got situated in our coach in the
caravan. I put the Text down next to me and waved for Theron to
give me my Eclipse. After I had him in my lap, shut the doors so
Eclipse couldn’t leave, and closed the drape near me, Theron made
the sign to the driver through his draped window to proceed. We
were off on our journey to Midonia and to Aelisonia.

I yawned as the coach ventured on. Thank
goodness it was still rather early afternoon, but the day left me
so exhausted. We were in the carriage behind Theron’s parents and
the scenery was rather boring. We took an alternate route to
Midonia as the king and queen informed us going through Terrinia
would take too long. We were going to take the King’s Pass to the
first split and head down to Pinor. There was a small path from
Pinor to Alta and then an almost unknown one from Alta to Lesaria
in Fanarion.

The King’s Pass was beautiful this time of
year, the arching trees not only bended to welcome us, but their
plumage was extravagant. Hues of orange, purple, red, and yellow
flamed our path forward into the direction of Aelisonia. The land
in actuality was quite small. It was the smallest country in all
Orinda. That didn’t matter really since they had a good trade in
stone, iron, furs, and paper. I wondered why they hadn’t been taken
over by any other countries because of their size so I asked
Theron.

“Because they are able to produce iron, they
also can forge weapons. They aren’t a violent people but they could
defend themselves very well,” he explained to me.

“It makes sense, but they do trade their
iron, don’t they?” I wondered.

“Yes they do. They also don’t trade all of
it. They keep a good supply in storage,” he said.

“Is it safe the way we are going?” I
pondered. Pinor traded with us, and Alta (just past that) was very
amicable.

“We will see,” Theron answered back. “Perhaps
you should get some sleep and worry about it later.”

“Right,” I said, nodding off.

Our journey past Alta led us into the next
day. I woke up before Theron who was resting his head on my
shoulder. Eclipse was meowing. I rubbed my eyes and tried to shush
him but it did no good. I knew what was wrong. He needed out to go
do his business. I nudged Theron to wake him up.

“What is it? Are we in Lesaria already?” he
asked.

“No, it’s Eclipse. He needs to relieve
himself. He’s been stuck in here for hours and it’s no wonder,” I
told him. He nodded in understanding. You couldn’t help but feel
sorry for the catling. Eclipse’s eyes were sorrowful.

“Driver?” he shouted out of his window. “Can
you call to the caravan leader to stop for a while?” I heard the
driver call out and the coach slowed down.

“This will give me time to stretch my legs,”
I said, picking up Eclipse and waiting for the driver to open the
door to the coach. I handed the cat off to the driver so he could
put him down. Eclipse scattered off into the woods and quickly
pattered back. The driver handed him to me and closed the door.

“You are such a good boy,” I told the cat. He
just purred in my lap as I petted his head and the caravan started
up again.

“Don’t you think he’s hungry?” Theron asked
me.

I looked at Eclipse who appeared to be
sleeping. “He doesn’t
look
hungry. Usually he starts meowing
and walking around in circles when he’s hungry. Too bad he can’t
get fresh food while on the journey. It would take too long if we
allowed him to hunt. Perhaps he could do that in Midonia. Speaking
of which, why didn’t Alexo come?”

“He probably was too lazy. He doesn’t like to
travel much and when he does he makes such a fuss. It seems as
though nothing is up to his standards even though my parents are
just fine. They would rather he stay where he won’t cause trouble,”
he explained to me. I looked into his big brown eyes and they
softened as they returned the gaze. “I’m sorry our wedding night
was in a coach.”

“I’ve been waiting for twenty-six years. I
can wait a while longer,” I told him lovingly. “Do you think we
will have much time to ourselves in Midonia?”

“I am not sure. We haven’t had any royal
weddings in my lifetime. I am not exactly sure what happens. I do
know we are going to be quite busy when we arrive. Hopefully we can
make it to Lesaria by the end of the day. I’m looking forward to
seeing one of my childhood friends that joined the army.”

“Joined the army?” I asked curiously. I had
never heard of that term before.

“Oh I am sorry, I forgot,” he apologized to
me. Continuing further to explain, “We have a voluntary military
structure for the most part. The men have a chance to better their
status and gain wealth. We obviously haven’t had any hostilities
lately from the clans or the Chalosians. There is a part of the
Oycos forest that the gorlags like to breach. Usually the gorlags
don’t have much of value on them but sometimes you can get
lucky.”

“I haven’t heard of the gorlags much. What do
they look like?” I wondered, petting Eclipse as the coach jiggled
back and forth over the rough path. “I have always wanted to
know.”

“I haven’t seen one myself. I have heard they
are quite large and strong. They are fierce creatures. We should
have never tried to keep them as servants in the old days. I think
they will forever spite us for it,” Theron said quietly. “They were
paid well - in nothing more than dirt baths and food. They gave us
so much and we gave them little. It’s no wonder they have taken
over part of the land from Clan Vorkulsen.”

“My late uncle’s clan, may he rest in the
Creator’s arms forever.” I commented.

“The clan is small, they don’t have many
means of defending themselves. They can only work in fortifying
what they have. The gorlags have been quiet lately. I suspect one
day, when the clan is weak, they will attack and take it over
altogether.” Theron said to me. He put his arm around me to comfort
me, noticing the look in my face. Eclipse felt squished I think, so
he jumped over to the empty bench across from us. “I’m sure other
clans will help if that ever came to pass. The gorlags are fine as
they are for now I think.”

“I hope they stay right where they are,” I
said, calming down a bit.

“What a great land it would be if the clans
could unite,” Theron said wistfully. “The gorlags might never be a
threat.”

“If the Kyrians would send over a suitable
match for Lunamae they would. We would be stronger then. I wonder
who the rhymester was that gave the prophecy of the unification.
Maybe it was someone sent from the Creator. Maybe the gorlags
planted it so we would be more enticing to conquer.” Perhaps the
Kyrians decided to wait until after I was married to tell Angharad
of their match. It only made the chief dame ever more impatient
though.

“Try not to worry so much. Just relax and
enjoy your company,” he told me with a smile. “Remember, we are
married. It’s worth rejoicing.”

Truthfully, I was a bit scared. I didn’t know
what to expect when it came to marriage. Mothers don’t teach their
children these things. You learn as you do. While I was of course
physically attracted to Theron, there was so much I didn’t really
know about him. Much of our relationship was based around what I
felt was a lie. I still hung on to the little pang of anger
whenever I thought about what he did. I know the Teacher wouldn’t
want me to feel this way. I am supposed to forgive. It was very
difficult to.

This marriage felt a bit arranged. Well … it
was. Theron had the note from his parents asking the chief dame and
she agreed. I would have never had any say in the matter. I didn’t
have much time to ever see Theron. My whole concept of love was
based on fool-hardy fantasy. Maybe I would learn to really love him
as he really was. Not some servant in a secret relationship with a
clan-ruler’s niece, but the son of a ruler who happened to look
like a servant when he fell in love. At least with Lunamae, she saw
Marcus and talked to him every day. I didn’t get to do that.

I really shouldn’t be complaining. Theron’s
heart was in the right place I suppose and at least I’m not
marrying a stranger. Not like Lunamae.

What about intimacy? What would that be
like?
I was glad I had a while before I needed to cross that
bridge. I didn’t even want to consider children and childbirth.
While I was not in earshot of Brynna when she had hers, I could not
forget the wails from the birth of Lunamae … and the blood on my
mother’s dress.