Moons' Dreaming (Children of the Rock) (6 page)

“
I think she gave up on us. I think she saw the end coming and couldn
’
t bear to be here when it happens.
”

Morb didn
’
t argue with him. Together they walked along the path and into the cave, where Aage filled his bowl from the pool. Not until they were outside once more did Morb speak.

“
You
’
re losing your sense of perspective again,
”
he said.
“
You knew Gavea well enough to know she never gave up. She stayed with us as long as she could. She simply wore out. None of us can bend the power indefinitely. Besides, it
’
s not as bad as you think. The world will survive.
”

“
How can it, without us? We
’
ve dwindled to a mere handful. The Shapers
’
numbers are diminishing as well, and the way they
’
re behaving they
’
re going to drag the Keepers down with them.
”

“
The Keepers are too numerous for that.
”

Aage set his bowl on the boulder for a moment.
“
Numerous enough to be feeling more secure than they should. No one understands the danger. They could all be killed! That
’
s what worries me.
”

Morb stroked a thumb down his bulbous nose.
“
It
’
s their ignoring your prophecy that bothers you, lad.
”
His dark eyes twinkled.
“
Lack of attention always makes prophets a bit touchy.
”

Aage
’
s fair skin warmed with more than the day
’
s rising heat. He would have protested, but he sensed the regathering of forces that had been driven back by Morb
’
s last onslaught. Aage seated himself carefully on the boulder and placed his bowl of water in his lap. He took his stone in his other hand and centered it gently in the bowl. The fundamental figure of rock and pool instantly focused his attention and energies. Rock and Pool, the source of life, the source of his people, mother to the Firstmother. With his decades of experience, Aage could sink through the layers of meditation almost instantaneously, mind clearing, body relaxing. He abandoned hearing, sight, touch, smell, taste, as he became attuned to his other senses. Inner senses? Outer senses? There were no words for what he did now. Words were part of the world of Shapers and Keepers, animals and plants, mountains and lakes. Aage turned inside himself in order to face the Outside, the other worlds, the monsters searching for a way to invade his home.

The lacy web encircling the world was such a tenuous, fragile barrier. Aage sensed the approaching Other, an essence of hunger and burning need. Formlessly it pulsed forward and touched his defenses, seeking an opening, straining to reach past him. Sometimes one of the Others slipped through. In the prosaic world of Keepers and Shapers it might become a dragon or phantom cat or shrieking storm, hunger coalesced as ripping, slashing, violent death. The animal shapes were unstoppable except by magic-forged steel. The less tangible manifestations Aage could eliminate himself, but only at a great expense of energy. Far better if he stopped them here, now, where his magic was strongest, the effort less costly.

Where innocent lives were not at risk.

Aage bent the power and began to fight.

* * *

The King of Sitrine rubbed a hand over his balding head and sighed. His daughter wasn
’
t looking at him, but she tsked at him nonetheless. Sene
’
s frown lessened slightly as he continued to study the map spread out on the table in front of them. The parchment showed the three kingdoms of the Children of the Rock, and the plains of the horse people to the southeast.

It was a new map; none of the dead kingdoms
’
names appeared on the parchment. He traced a forefinger across the diagonal marks that indicated cultivation, wondering if he should have the map redrawn.

Only a few ninedays ago, Dea and Hion had been squabbling over a forest village. This morning, shortly after Aage had departed for Dherrica, more troubling news had arrived, this time from Rhenlan
’
s side of the border. A fishing village, Gleneven, had been attacked by a large band of Abstainers. By now, help must have arrived from Hion or Dea, but it could be days before Sene heard how the affair had ended. He did not want to wait days. He wanted to know now.

“
Do we have any messengers left?
”

It was Jeyn
’
s turn to sigh.
“
No,
”
she said, with just an edge of impatience in her amused voice.
“
Should you want me to saddle Silvy, I will, and ride off to wherever you like. But you can
’
t know everything every moment. Not even Aage knows everything.
”

“
We can forget Aage for now.
”
He tapped his finger on the upper left hand portion of the parchment.
“
He completely loses track of time when he
’
s off with old Morb.
”

“
He always says he
’
s fishing,
”
Jeyn muttered.

Sene glanced sideways at his daughter and smiled.
“
He saves his tales for you.
”

“
I nag.
”

“
What he
’
s doing is important,
”
Sene said more to himself than to Jeyn.
“
But I need him. I need his ability to find out what
’
s happening in the west.
”

Jeyn ran her finger across and southwest from the mark indicating their location in Raisal, on the north coast of the continent, to the centrally located capital of Rhenlan.
“
You
’
ll have a report by
midday
tomorrow.
”

“
It will contain old news.
”
Before Jeyn could nag him in his wizard
’
s absence, he quickly added,
“
Which is the best I can hope for. I
’
m an impatient old man.
”
He was forty, and in perfect health.

Jeyn did not respond to his teasing. She scowled at the map and asked,
“
What is Hion thinking?
”

“
The situation has gone too far,
”
Sene agreed.
“
Rhenlan
’
s gone too far.
”

“
Hion
’
s gone too far,
”
Jeyn corrected him.
“
And I
’
m not marrying his son.
”

“
Of course you
’
re not.
”

“
He did send an offer.
”

“
And I sent it back, didn
’
t I?
”

That won him a predatory smile from his heir. Maybe the way to deal with Rhenlan was to let Jeyn take a hand in its future. No. The Dreamer problem was more important in the long run than any of Hion
’
s warped ambitions. Jeyn and her twin Chasa would marry the sensible Keepers he had picked out for them. That reminded him that Chasa
’
s betrothed was still with the Brownmothers in Rhenlan. Rhenlan. Not his land to rule. He didn
’
t want to rule any land except Sitrine. Unfortunately, by its location and the policies of its rulers, Rhenlan was becoming the center of everything important to the survival of the Children of the Rock.

“
There used to be more than three kingdoms,
”
he said aloud.

“
I know that, Father.
”

“
And why are you being so formal?
”
he demanded, turning his back on the map to look down at the girl. She smiled once again, brown eyes warm with teasing. She and her brother looked remarkably like their pale-haired mother, slender of build rather than big and square like him
—
but they had inherited his eyes.

“
You
’
re being very regal yourself today. Thought you might like formality for a change. Respect from your humble subject.
”

“
Maybe I ought to marry you to Damon.
”

Jeyn made a face. Sene turned reluctantly back to the map. Beyond the table, the low windows of the terrace opened onto a view of the estate
’
s north pasture, which sloped down to the sea a half-mile away. The bright spring sun was not too strong. A gallop down to the beach would be nice, followed by a leisurely swim. Worrying about the squabble between the kingdoms of Dherrica and Rhenlan was occupying far too much of his time.

“
I want to know if Dea took action to aid Gleneven. And I want to know if Hion
’
s deliberating tempting her, or if he was honestly unaware of Gleneven
’
s need.
”

He looked up to find Jeyn nodding her agreement. As much as she liked to tease him, she was as concerned as he was. She and Chasa understood what it meant to be Shapers.

“
Is there anything we can do while we wait?
”

“
Let
’
s saddle the horses.
”

“
We
’
re going to Edian?
”
she asked, surprised.

“
No,
”
he teased her,
“
we
’
re going for a swim.
”

* * *

Greenmother Jenil paused in the doorway of the inn. Another illness defeated by her skill. Another child who would live and, if the gods willed, someday have children of her own.

And what of my children?

Jenil stepped down into the darkness of the inn
’
s stable yard, trying to decide whether to walk the miles home to Garden Vale, or transport herself magically to her destination. The walk would give her time to think, to prepare what she had to say. Another child awaited her attention, a girl critically important to the future of the Children of the Rock.

One day soon, Fi
lano
ra would have to sacrifice everything she
’
d grown to know and love in order to build that future, but Jenil could not let that fact influence either of them. Coming to the dirt road that wound through the center of the small village, Jenil stood in the humped middle of the track and weighed the value of procrastination against the reality of aching feet.

Her feet won. She closed her eyes and bent herself sideways and forward through the power surrounding the world, leaving behind a puff of smoke and arriving elsewhere with a fluttering in her stomach.

Jenil gazed around her chamber at Garden Vale. It was a pleasant room, full of books and jars of healing herbs, lit by the soft gold light of many candles. Slipping out of her cloak, she said,
“
Hello, Filanora,
”
to the girl leaning over the embroidery stand.
“
I
’
m glad you
’
re still working on that hanging.
”

Filanora came forward. For once, the girl who much preferred to be called Feather did not make a sour face at the sound of her real name. Instead, her delicate features twisted in an expression of dismay.

“
Oh, Greenmother, we
’
ve had the saddest news! Gavea the Great has died!
”

Jenil took the chair Feather had occupied, and gently brushed back a few of the wisps of black hair that framed the girl
’
s heart-shaped face.
“
I know, child. I felt her go.
”

“
Aren
’
t you sad?
”

“
It was her time.
”
She was not sad. The word did no justice to her emotions. Stricken. Devastated. Terrified. The web of power had vibrated all day with the reactions of the remaining Dreamers.
So few of us, and now further diminished
.