Night Calls the Raven (Book 2 of The Master of the Tane) (18 page)

“What are you doing?” Jne asked a steel hardness in her voice.

Renja looked around. He actually felt surprised that he had not been lifted away by the wind and thrown far out into the plains. Looking back at the tents he was even more surprised to find them standing as if nothing had happened at all. “Didn’t you feel that incredible wind?”

Jne and Kardosh looked at each other, a darkness shadowing their faces. “Playing this game will not keep you here any longer than tomorrow, Renja,” Jne retorted, a seething anger lacing her voice.

He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “But…how could you not have felt that? It was incredible! You must have felt that. Kardosh, tell her.”
              Kardosh looked briefly at Jne and then turned his own hardened gaze back to him. “We are not here to play childish games, Renja. You will come with us now into your tent or you will be forced out tonight.”

He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The wind was there. It should have leveled the Tjal tent village and carried them all away. Shaking his head, he knew that trying to talk or reason with these two was about as useful as talking to…the wind. Pushing himself onto his feet he followed their backs as they disappeared into his tent, the scent of his evening meal wafting against his nose as he approached. Pausing at the flap, he looked back across the plains. The wind was almost completely gone now. The grass barely moved. Shaking his head, he quickly ducked inside.

His dinner was set next to his bed on the floor with his half eaten breakfast and barely touched midday meal. It smelled delicious but Renja found that his appetite had waned in the past day. Kardosh sat casually in one of the chairs in the corner his manner appearing quite relaxed though Renja knew he could be up with both swords drawn in a wink. Jne stood at the far side of the tent trying to look relaxed but he could tell that she was a coiled trap ready to spring.

“Come and sit,” Kardosh invited pointing to the other chair across from him.

He looked at Jne who avoided his stared and then turned back to Kardosh. “I am fine right here. What is this all about?

Kardosh smiled but it had no warmth to it. “We have been talking of your request to stay.”

His heart leaped but he kept the emotion from his face as best he could. They had already flatly denied him many times and now they come and tell him they are considering it? What game were they playing? He looked at Jne who locked her eyes onto his in a threatening glare. The air was suddenly filled with the slightest scent of death and killing. Jne wanted his blood; he could feel it, but why?

“I have already been denied on more than one occasion.”

Kardosh’s expression remained pleasant but without any feeling to comfort his apprehensions. “That is true, yet, nothing is until it is. It is not for Jne or me to decide these things on our own. All must have their say.”

He suddenly felt hopeful. He had not the slightest knowledge of the Tjal culture or how they governed themselves but it never had occurred to him before that there might be others who would be willing to allow him to stay.

“Is this still your desire? To stay with the Tjal?” Kardosh glanced quickly at Jne whose face was now a mask of barely harnessed hatred and rage.

Renja regarded her briefly and then quickly looked back at Kardosh. “Yes,” he replied in a half whisper.

Kardosh stood suddenly. “Then you will be given the opportunity,” he said and then started for the exit. “Jne will tell you what you must know to be allowed to stay and be one of us. We shall all see you in seven days time.” With that he disappeared through the tent flap and was gone.

He stared after him dumbfounded. What was this all about? Was he serious? Turning back to Jne he opened his mouth to speak but was instantly cut off.

“Don’t say a word,” she hissed. “Don’t ask one of your childish fool questions. Just listen and I will tell you all you need to know.”

He shut his mouth with a snap and nodded. It was like standing in the face of a fierce storm.

“You must become one of us to stay. You must become Tjal. You will be given three tests to determine your worthiness. Pass them all and you may remain. Fail just one and you are eliminated. You have seven days to prepare. Since I brought you here it is my responsibility to prepare you. Are you clear?”

Renja swallowed hard and then took a deep breath. “What do you mean when you say, ‘eliminated’?”

A glint of satisfaction appeared in her eyes as her mouth turned up into a slight sneer. “Why, death, of course. To be worthy of the Tjal you must be able to survive in our world. All others must be able to trust you with their lives. One who cannot pass such simple tests would be a detriment to the whole. Are you still so anxious to stay?”

Her question was a challenge. He knew she didn’t think much of him. She wanted him to fail or quit. Either way, he could tell it didn’t matter to her. Why she suddenly exhibited such hatred for him though was a mystery.

He hesitated for a moment and then asked, “What are the three tests?”

“Water, horses and steel,” was her flat answer.

He wanted to ask her what she meant but knew she would just scoff at him and call him childish. He really didn’t have much choice. At least here he had a chance of survival. Being forced to leave into the unknown might be something totally different. “You want me to fail, don’t you?”

Jne regarded him, her eyes narrowing to slits. “I see no redeeming qualities in you. You don’t have the courage to go and find out who you are and you talk like a child. So, yes, I do want you to fail.”

She didn’t deny it one bit. A chill went up Renja’s back. She wanted him gone or dead. For what reason he supposed he would never find out unless he survived and passed all three tests.

“Wait a minute. If you are to prepare me for my tests, yet you want me to fail, how then can I trust what you tell me?” Renja suddenly felt two sword blades press hard against his neck. Her movements where a blur of motion not giving him the faintest chance to react.

She brought her face right up to his the anger seething now from her without the slightest restraint. “You will not question my honor ever again or you will find your head at your feet. I do want you to fail and I will be satisfied when you do, but until then I will rest my honor on preparing you to succeed. For, should you fail you would shame me all the same.”

The blades were gone just as fast as they had come out and Jne was now stalking towards the flap. He reached for his throat feeling the slightest line of blood beginning to slide down his neck.

Jne reached the flap and turned, spitting out her last instructions before she left. “You better eat all of your food and then sleep. You will need all of the strength you can muster in the morning. We start before the sun rises.” Then she was gone. He was left standing with his hand about his neck wondering what he had gotten himself into.

Renja was up early the next morning and ready when Jne came to his tent, which seemed to irritate the Tjal woman. She carried two swords other than those strapped to her back, which she unceremoniously tossed to him before abruptly turning about and exiting the tent. He rushed after her and fell in behind as she walked quickly but casually out onto the plains away from the tents. To his surprise, even though the sun had yet to make any sign of rising, he could see quite well. So well, in fact, he checked the eastern horizon twice expecting the suns rays to be pressing into the sky, but finding them still hidden well away. He wanted to ask Jne about it but quickly cast the thought aside. He had learned that unless it was absolutely necessary it was better, when around her, to leave questions unasked.

After walking for close to an hour she suddenly turned on him, her swords jumping from her back and into her hands in a flash of movement. Without hesitation she bore down on him with the full weight of her blades and the strength of her arms aiming to cleave his skull with both swords at once. He scurried to the side barely escaping certain death while bringing his swords up just in time to catch hers as she switched directions and sliced to the side in an attempt to take his head from his shoulders.

The impact of steel reverberated through his arms almost knocking the weapons from his hands. Jumping back and pressing down the sword on his right he scarcely caught Jne’s slicing for his midsection while her other shot for his throat. Jerking to his side, he dodged away from the jab to his neck but lost his footing and went down hard. His breath caught with the impact but he managed to roll away just as two swords buried themselves into the ground where his stomach had just been. Rolling back further, he popped up into a crouch, both swords in front of him, Jne’s element of surprise lost.

His side hurt where he had landed but the sudden rush to defend his life kept the pain to a dull throb somewhere in the back of his mind. He had a quick moment to think as Jne stood back and took him in without the slightest bit of emotion on her face. He knew that had it not been for his ability to see in the dark, he would be dead.

Abruptly, Jne’s swords disappeared back into their resting place against her back and she folded her arms in front of her, a slight sneer playing across her face. He didn’t move, knowing all too well that as quickly as she had put her swords away, they could be back out again pressing to cut him apart. A tiny ray of light began to creep up behind her and he realized that should she attack him again, he would have to fight her with the sun in his eyes. He took a tentative step to his right trying to regain at least a semi-equal fighting position. But Jne shook her head slightly.

“It is too late for that.” She sighed. “I guess it is not really a concern since you will be dead before the first test is over. You will never make it to steel.”

He was mad. “What are you talking about? And what was all that other stuff about. You could have killed me!”

Jne regarded him for a moment picking him apart with a mere glance. “At least you can defend yourself. I guess that is something.”

Renja’s anger kindled hotter. “Defend myself…!”

Her hand shot up, silencing him. “If you use anger to fight it will be your certain death. One who fights with anger forgets his head giving it to his heart. And a heart with a head always ends up dead.” She shrugged. “But it does not matter if you don’t make it to steel. You will die before
then. Nevertheless, you have called for the challenge and it is my duty to prepare you for it. Put your swords away, you will not need them until the test. You can practice on your own time.”

Renja looked at her warily. Her stance and manner appeared innocent enough but he knew that at any moment he could be fighting for his life again. Slowly he dropped his swords to his sides and stood up straight, the pain from his fall suddenly forcing itself to the front of his mind. Nothing seemed to be broken but he would have a nice bruise for his troubles. He tried to appear relaxed while keeping his swords ready.

Jne’s eyes narrowed. “Do you mean to tempt dishonoring me a second time?”

Renja let out a heavy sigh. What had he gotten himself in to? He relaxed his grip on his weapons letting them slack against his legs.

“Good. Now, remove all of your clothing.”

His eyes popped. “What?”

Jne sighed, her patience wearing down. “Must you question everything you are told? To become Tjal-Dihn you must experience rebirth. You shed your old self and start anew as a member of the
Tja
. To accomplish this you must meet the sun every morning for seven days in your purest and most natural state. You must be as a new babe. Now, remove your clothes or you will be too late to complete the ceremony and I will have to strike you down right here.”

He stared at her, searching her face for the slightest glint of frivolity but her expression did not change, remaining a mask of contempt.

“Quickly,” she barked, “before the first ray touches you.”

Renja shook his head, dropping his swords to the ground before untucking his shirt. “Why couldn’t they have sent a man instead of you? Could you at least turn around?”

Jne suddenly became suspicious. “Why do you ask to be dishonored by having me show you my back?”

Renja didn’t answer immediately. The sun was just about to break the horizon and he still needed to get his pants off. He dropped to the ground struggling with a boot that suddenly didn’t want to leave his foot. “I would rather you not see me naked,” he panted finally yanking the boot free.

Jne’s eyes narrowed further. “Why? Do you hide something,
Renja
?”

He didn’t have time to argue. The sun was moments from its first touches over the horizon and he only had time enough to kick off his other boot and yank down his pants. He looked at Jne tentatively, an obvious flush of color filling his face. But her expression did not change.

“Remove your necklace,” she said, her tone as casual as if he were still fully clothed, “and prepare to begin your rebirth.”

Renja quickly yanked the necklace over his head and dropped it into the pile of clothing at his feet just as the first rays of the sun burst over the horizon bathing him in its light. The sun felt good against his chilled skin. He suddenly felt somewhat grateful for the previous exercise with the swords and the warming effect it had had on him, otherwise he would have been much colder.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath trying to block out the fact that Jne was only a couple of paces away. It actually may have been a pleasant moment had he been alone. A stiff morning breeze suddenly enveloped him stealing away much of his warmth but surprisingly he didn’t seem to mind. He wanted to open his eyes and look out on the waving sea of grass that had been one of his few joys the last couple of days but he didn’t want to break the image of being alone.

Suddenly, Jne’s voice broke through like a slap to his bare skin. “What are you waiting for? Do you mean to stand naked all day? Put your clothes back on. You shame yourself.”

He opened his eyes and glared at her. “You said I had to be naked!”

Jne just chuckled. “Yes, for the
first
rays of the morning sun, not for the first and the last.”

Renja was beside himself. First, she tries to kill him. Then she insists he take off all of his clothes. Now she tells him that he is being shameful and needs to put his clothes back on. It was enough to make him want to use the swords she had given him and take off his own head. He suddenly got the impression that he knew someone just like this but when he tried to remember it just slipped away.

While reaching for his pants, Jne brushed past him on her way back towards the camp. “Hey, wait a minute,” he called out to her but tripped as he tried pulling them on too quickly. “Where are you going?”

She
turned, a disbelieving look on her face. “We are done. And I have no desire to spend any more time with you than is required.”

He was incredulous. “What do you mean, done? I thought you were going to prepare me for my tests?”

Jne’s temper flared. “And what do you think we have been doing? You have begun your preparation for this day. Tomorrow, we will meet here again and continue for each of the seven days until you have been completely cleansed and ready for the testing.”

He pulled his shirt over his head. “You mean that’s it? What about the three tests? Aren’t you going to help me prepare for those?”

Jne shook her head. “That is for you to prepare. I have completed what is required for today.”

He was feeling a bit of desperation beginning to build. As much as he wanted to stay with the Tjal, he did not want to throw away his life either. “This is nothing like what I thought it might be. Maybe I should just leave and forget the whole thing.”

Jne regarded him with a sudden look of confusion. “Why would you want to do that?”

Renja shrugged. “I do want to stay here until I figure out who I am but this adoption thing is not at all what I thought. Maybe I should just withdraw now and leave.”
              “You can’t just leave, Renja.”

The hair on the back of his neck suddenly stood up. “What do you mean?”

For the first time since he first awoke in this strange land Jne’s features softened. “Once you have started down the path you cannot turn back. To do so would mean death. If you leave, you will be hunted and killed. You cannot turn your back and dishonor us once you have started on the path toward us.”

He suddenly felt like a trapped animal. “What am I going to do?”

Jne paused as she was turning back towards camp. “That is your choice. It has been your choice from the start. I tried to get you to leave but you insisted on staying and doing this. If I were you I would practice with those swords. If you get lucky and make it to the test of steel, you are going to need all the skill you can gain.”

Renja looked at his swords where they lay on the ground. “Jne, answer me one more question.”

She turned back, her body and face shouting impatience.

“Has anyone ever passed the tests and been adopted into the Tjal?”

Jne stared at him for a moment, her face becoming void of emotion. “No,” she said and then turned back around and walked off.

*     *     *

Most of that day and for the following five Renja did just as Jne had suggested. He practiced with his swords until his arms felt like they would fall off. Then he would rest for a while until he gained enough strength to practice some more. He couldn’t tell if he was getting better or not but he did feel more comfortable with his new weapons. He could tell that he knew how to use a sword, but two was another matter. At first he kept banging them into each other and knocking them away. The second day he gained greater control and was able to work them together a little more successfully and by day three he was starting to make them work more as one than two. Once he tried to watch as one of the Tjal men practiced with his swords but was quickly chased off.

Every morning Jne met him on the plains and he stripped for the first rays of the morning sun. The following days he only kept his clothes off long enough for the sun to touch him and then quickly dressed again. Jne did not attack him with her swords again and said little if anything when they were together. He wanted to talk about the tests and gain as much information as he could from her but she refused to say anything more about them.

He tried not to think of what life was going to be like living with these people. He found that he regretted his decision to stay with every passing hour. He realized now that he had let his desperation about his lack of knowledge of who he was take over his situation and make his choices for him. He should have just left as Jne had insisted. Yet, how was he to know that the choice to stay could, and very possibly might, lead directly to his death? Although, not knowing his identity, was, in fact, a kind of death of its own. He tried not to think about it too much. Luckily, he really didn’t have the time. Every waking hour was spent with his swords. The tests would come and he would either pass or fail. He started wondering if he really cared how it turned out.