Night Calls the Raven (Book 2 of The Master of the Tane) (23 page)

“No more,” Thane finally yelled.

A commotion to his right brought his eyes around as Kardosh broke through the crowd, forcing himself into the circle. “You have not completed the test,” his voice boomed. “You must kill her.”

Thane couldn’t understand the hunger for blood. “I have beaten her. That should stand on its own. The ability to kill is not as great as the ability to let live.”

Kardosh considered for a moment, absorbing what he had said. “Your words are wise, but the test calls for you or her to die. The weak cannot risk the lives of the rest.”

Thane shook his head. “No, but those equal in strength will still force a loser in time. To destroy one does not make the other greater. But it can weaken the whole. Jne and I are equals. Though she lost the contest, I still bleed more than she. Who is to say that I am not the true loser? And forcing her death makes you all the losers.”

Kardosh’s eyes narrowed. Just because Thane’s words made sense did not mean he had to like them. “This is unprecedented,” he finally said.

“What,” Thane retorted, “that someone has made it this far in the tests and won or that the winner refuses to kill the loser?”

Kardosh took a deep breath. Both were true. Of the few outsiders who had ever tried to pass the tests of Tjal, none had ever made it past water. “It does not matter,” he finally said. “The law is firm. She must die.”

Thane shook his head. “Then I withdraw my petition to be Tjal.”

The crowd gasped but Kardosh quieted them with a lift of his hand. “You cannot. You have already gained the right and have earned your place with us. You are Tjal.”

Thane took a step towards Kardosh, the anger seeping into his voice. “If I have already gained my place as a Tjal, then what is the purpose in removing Jne from hers? What purpose would her death serve?”

Kardosh stood silent for a long moment turning what Thane had said around and around in his head. There really was no precedent for this. No one had ever faced steel before. It was just assumed that those who challenged would never be able to best a Tjal at the sword. But, if an outsider could best one of them, as had happened, what did that mean to the Tjal? Would it endanger the rest if the loser were allowed to live? What harm might come to the race and its culture? There were no answers. He had won; Kardosh had already told him that. As such he had the rights of all Tjal and any would give his life to protect him now. Kardosh could not take that back. None of them could.
But, what of Jne?

Kardosh suddenly smiled. Stepping past Thane, he walked over to Jne and pulled her up by the arm. She did not resist and would not even meet his gaze, keeping her eyes cast down. Pulling her back over to Thane, Kardosh pushed her into his arms and then turned and spoke to the crowd. “She is
Jinghar
.”

Thane watched as the Tjal people grunted and nodded their heads in acceptance. “What is
Jinghar
?” he whispered.

“I have blood debt,” Jne’s soft voice answered into his chest. “I am yours to command as you will until my debt is paid.”

“Oh, no,” Thane retorted trying to push her aside and make his way to Kardosh.

“Please,” Jne begged, holding onto his arms. “Do not shame me more by rejecting me.”

It was the word please that held him in his spot. He wasn’t sure it sounded right coming from her lips. She was a woman who commanded, not one who obeyed the whims of another. But he held his tongue knowing that this probably was not the right place, or the right time, to discuss it. At least, maybe now she would answer his questions when he asked them.

“Renja,” Kardosh continued speaking to the crowd, “although his name may claim it, is no longer
Renja
among us. He is now
Rena’ja
. He is Tjal.” The crowd suddenly erupted into cheers and the faces, that only moments before had regarded him as little more than a piece of dung, greeted him with smiles and nods of acceptance. Thane nodded back in gratitude and smiled but his joy was short-lived. After finally winning his long fight to be one of them and accepted into their society, he had to leave.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

It had taken three days for Tchee to find Helgar and his small band of dwarfs. The great bird had stopped only briefly to get water and pick up the occasional fish that caught her piercing eyes. Teek kept to himself the whole journey not thinking much about where they were going or what he would do when they got there. The emptiness of where he once lived haunted his waking hours and the horror of finding his people destroyed filled his dreams at night. By the time they reached the dwarfs he was on the edge of complete exhaustion and mental breakdown. Tchee had done her best to comfort him but she was little help. Their communication was primitive at best. Although she seemed to understand everything he said or needed, she was still not able to comfort him with words. Teek needed someone to tell him that all would be well; that there was still hope.

It was early evening when they dropped out of the sky almost on top of the dwarfs. The sky had turned dark with clouds and was just beginning to release the first drops of rain of what would eventually turn into a downpour. The dwarfs were camped just off the main road and had a fire blazing with a small animal roasting over the flames when Tchee plopped down beside them and blasted out a horrendous scream. It was obvious that she had not forgotten her last meeting with dwarfs and their treatment of her cargo. The dwarfs jumped away quickly, pulling their axes as they did so, and rushed to their prince. Helgar barely had gotten to his feet, let alone pulled his axe, before he was surrounded by the guard who were eyeing the great bird with bridled fury. A blood bath of one sort or another would have certainly ensued had Teek’s tiny body not dropped to the ground beside the bird and stumbled forward.

“Helgar,” he rasped, the tears falling unchecked down his soiled face. “They’re gone! They’re all gone!” Teek lurched forward pushing his way past the guards without the slightest hesitation or concern for his life. Tchee made a low growl in her throat as if daring the black clad dwarfs to block or harm him. The guard, recognizing the Waseeni boy, made no attempt to halt his progress but maintained their tight formation while keeping keen eyes locked, in return, on the bird.

Helgar replaced his weapon and grabbed Teek’s shoulders just as Bardolf burst through the circle of guards and stopped at Helgar’s side panting heavily while trying to regain his breath from what must have been a long sprint. Teek collapsed against Helgar’s chest as his tiny body was wracked with sobs that now poured out unchecked. “What be ye saying, lad?” Helgar asked trying to comfort him as best he could.

“They’re gone! They’re gone!” was all he could say for long moments before he gained enough control to speak coherently.

Helgar looked at Bardolf who just shrugged unknowing. “Who
be gone?” Helgar asked patting Teek’s shoulder awkwardly.

“My family,” he bawled, “my home, everybody, they’re all gone.”

“Just settle down now there lad,” Bardolf interjected, “and tell us everything that happened so we can be figurin’ what to do next.”

Teek sniffed, trying to control the tears that continued to run down his cheeks but with little success. Helgar and Bardolf, though clumsy in the face of a crying boy, waited patiently, giving him all the time he needed to gather himself.

Finally, rubbing his hands into his eyes, he was able to keep his composure long enough to blurt out everything that had happened to him from the time they had parted.

“And you didn’t see nothin’ of whatever it were that done this?” Helgar
asked, his face hard with concern.

Teek shrugged. “No. The only thing I saw were the blasts of light from a distance the night before we got there. There was nothing left when we arrived, just a great emptiness where the forest and my home used to be.”

“Is there anything, any clue, that ye might have that would be tellin’ us what it was that destroyed yer home? Anythin’ at all?” Bardolf pressed.

Teek shook his head stepping back from Helgar who looked greatly relieved not to have a sobbing boy pressed against his chest anymore. Teek’s face was drawn but his mood suddenly changed. The tears were gone, his shoulders no longer slumped. He stood straight now and looked into Helgar’s face his eyes steeled though empty of life. “I’m sorry I can’t answer either of your questions any better than that. I didn’t stay longer than a few hours before turning around to come seek you out.” His voice was flat, almost like the sound of death. “I would ask a favor if you are willing.”

Helgar nodded quickly. “Anythin’ we can do to help, lad. Just ask.”

“May I work in your mines?”

Helgar and Bardolf gave each other quizzical looks. “Why would ye be wantin’ to ask fer somethin’ like that?” Bardolf asked, his voice betraying his obvious surprise.

“I need to appease them all,” was Teek’s quick answer. “Please, it will take too long to walk about searching. In the mines, I can find their appeasing gifts more quickly.” His voice suddenly took on an urgent edge. “I will do whatever it takes. I will keep only every tenth gem I find.
Every twentieth gem. Please, you’re the only ones I can turn to.” His voice and demeanor dropped again. “I know no one else.”

Helgar held up his hand. “Now wait a moment there, lad, before ye git yerself all riled up. We will help you. We will do whatever we can be doin’. Ye forget,” Helgar’s voice seemed to catch for a moment before he continued, “we be owin’ yer mother our own lives and will do whatever it takes to be helpin’ her son. But let’s not start jumpin’ at shadows afore we be
knowin’ all that there is about what happened.”

“Helgar’s right,” Bardolf added. “Ye said ye were only there fer a short time. There may be those that still
be alive and hidin’.”

“Bardolf’s right,” Helgar
agreed, his voice a little cheerier. “Ye may still be findin’ yer family yet.”

Teek shrugged and kicked at a stick on the wet grass as the storm began to grow in strength. “I suppose you could be right,” he said, his voice a tiny bit lighter. “I wasn’t there for very long. But I don’t know if I can go back there again right now to search and find out.” His voice started breaking. “It was so horrible.”

Helgar reached out a stiff hand and lamely patted his shoulder. “There, there now, lad. Let’s not be getting’ all flustered again.”

Teek sniffed and nodded his head, visibly forcing himself to regain control.

“Good,” Helgar smiled. “Now, what to do? We have to be movin’ on to Calandra. We be havin’ business with the king there that can’t be waitin’. And this new threat seems important to be reportin’ too. It would seem that whatever it be that attacked yer home most likely be gone fer good now thinkin’ that it killed everyone. Otherwise, ye probably would have been seein’ it yerself.” Teek sniffed, and Helgar rushed on. “Ye be welcome to travel with us to Calandra and then when we be finished with business there, we will take ye on to yer home. By then, all those that be alive will probably be back and rebuildin’.”