“What now?”
“Relax and enjoy it.” She sensed tension in his voice. “What’s wrong, Malley?”
Shuffling his feet, he opened and closed his mouth twice before he spoke. “When Lask almost gutted you, I realized how empty this citadel would be without you.”
“Well, Malley…” She wanted him to hold her and comfort her. That brought heat to her cheeks. She reached out and he took her hand between his. Something shifted between them, from longtime friends to something closer, and it warmed her heart. “I felt the same when Cresh pounded you into the dirt.”
He snorted. “That monster never had me worried.”
“Malley, do you feel…”
He studied his lap. “I’ve always considered you family, Jennelle. You and Gasten. You matter the world to me.”
“So I’m like a sister to you?”
“Maybe.”
“A cousin?”
He looked at her, a hint of puzzlement in his eyes. “Not sure.”
“A distant relative?”
“My best friend.” He leaned back. “It’s complicated. You’re the commander now.”
“So you can’t love your commander? What if your commander loves you, Malley?”
The corner of his mouth twitched. “We should go slow.”
“We could go slow.” She tugged him closer and leaned toward him until their lips met. He didn’t resist for several moments, and when he pulled back his eyes were shining.
She smiled. “Did that feel like a sister’s kiss?”
“A pretty friendly sister. Is that called going slow?”
“You didn’t seem to mind.”
He grinned and she let go of his hand. “I can live with slow, Malley.”
“All right,” he said softly. They didn’t speak for several moments until Malley asked, “What’s next for the peace process?”
“It’s going to take both of us to help Northerners and wyshea maintain what we’ve won. Melders are coming to sign the peace treaty. Do you realize no human has seen a melder in a hundred years?”
Malley studied his clasped hands. “For a while it seemed like we were running into a burning forest.”
“There was nothing I could have done differently.”
“I’m glad you didn’t. Hard to believe the wyshea butcher’s our guest. Hard to believe everything that’s happened in the last few days.”
“Famere,” she murmured. “Have you ever met anyone so willing to risk everything for peace? What gives her the strength?”
“She’s as sick of war as any of us, if not more so, and she’s suffered as much as anyone.” He rose and limped across the room. “I’ll check on them before I turn in.” He opened the door. “Seeing the wyshea close up, the way they move and talk, well…it’s beautiful.”
“It’s like a distant memory that we ever considered them vicious enemies, isn’t it? Even the shadows seem different now.” Her gaze drifted to the small window in her wall. In the distance, norre trees, ghostly spears of light, splintered the darkness. The wyshea lived among the norre and honored them, and she already knew what the land would be like without those trees. She wanted more than just peace with the wyshea. “Famere’s right, we have to protect the land, Malley.”
His brows arched, and then he left.
She stared at the door. Her dream of peace between the races was here, now, and she would champion it to success. “I’m going to do it, Father.”
But what kept a smile on her face was that Camette was right. Malley did love her.
***
Famere watched Yameen sleeping next to her on the bed. Across the room, Goflin rested on the other bed. The two shadows lay between them.
Excitement didn’t allow her to rest. Hours ago, Malley had brought news that Basture wanted the peace treaty signed in three days, and staves and melders were sending delegates to Hope Citadel to meet with the finance minister’s representative. Famere had decided to wait a little longer at Hope Citadel to sign the treaty.
Basture’s title sounded strange to her, especially since the wyshea had called him the Blind Fangor for so long. But it wasn’t any stranger than slayers or humans as Jennelle had reminded her, calling her Famere or She of Two Shadows, instead of the wyshea butcher.
She slid off the bed, moving carefully so she didn’t hurt her wounds or wake her friends.
A tiny window gave her a glimpse of norre to the north, and if she strained her ears she detected a faint melody. They would have to get out of the citadel often to listen to Beloved’s song. Spending too much time inside walls of dead norre would be unbearable. Also, they would have to occasionally gather fresh fruit and other foods from the nearby forest. The Northerner’s diet offered some of that, but it was mainly filled with heavier tubers and roots, and meat—another difference that would be hard for her people to adjust to.
The image of Ison came to her. She hoped someday they would truly be baethe again. Maybe when the peace treaty was signed, he would be able to accept her as guide and rejoin his people.
There were other unresolved issues. Who had hidden the slayer attack on the day Darkas died? What was killing the trees? And who had brought the death mists? Ison said their people were in danger, and Famere agreed with Jennelle that they had another hidden enemy. But these problems could be worked on with allies, and in time solved. Maybe the answer would be found in one of Jennelle’s books. It amazed her to think that wyshea history and information could be recorded on dried seed with little marks—writing—Jennelle had called it. Someday she wanted to be able to read books too.
More importantly, they had succeeded in gaining peace and ending the war. She didn’t want to fight or kill anyone ever again, and securing peace finally repaid the debt she owed to all those she had killed for vengeance.
She imagined her people celebrating over the peace treaty. Bosho had already left for mrilwood and was bringing the news to the wyshea. Yameen had refused to leave Famere, and Goflin refused to go too.
Bosho hadn’t been happy leaving Yameen behind, but his riders were restless to return home and hear the melody of sahr. Yameen had given Bosho her suu to take with him. The creature was better off in mrilwood than in the citadel.
Famere’s fingers traced the outline of stone tester. The old visions and miserable pain she had endured for so long had not returned after she had left mrilwood. She took it as another sign of her success. It meant she wasn’t going mad, and possibly she had suffered enough for her hate and killing. Now she would have peace of mind and body.
She would never forget the staven sun she had killed, and embraced that memory as a symbol of what she had left behind, and the debt she owed the peace process. Perhaps peace would open the sky. She yearned for the light again, and was excited Jennelle had expressed the same deep interest. Maybe the two of them sensed it coming, making her think humans had a hidden ability as keen as wyshea seers.
Warm skin pressed against her shoulder. Goflin. A light sheen of sweat covered his chest, and his eyes were bright, his expression calm.
“You need to sleep, Fam,” he whispered. “Everything’s settled.”
She leaned her head on his shoulder and he put his arms around her waist. Their lips met, her pulse pounding as he drew her in closer. It was several moments before she pulled away. “I’m glad you’re here, Gof. With me.”
“I am too, my love.” He slid his face to the side of hers. “Not bad for our first adventure, Fam. I’m already looking forward to the next one.”
“Are you?” She held back a laugh.
“Of course. But it doesn’t have to be dangerous.” He chuckled. “How about a ride?”
Soft fur pressed against Famere’s side, and she saw Shir’s silver eyes staring down at her. For the first time in nearly a year, she smiled freely. “Why not?”
“You’re not leaving me here alone, are you?” Yameen rubbed sleepy eyes as she grinned at them from the bed.
They were quiet all the way to the
front gate, and the guards on duty there opened it for them. Jennelle had ordered that they were free to come and go as they pleased.
When they stood outside the citadel’s walls, the air had a fresh scent, alive, the odors of distant trees, grass, and other life drifting by on the breeze.
Famere bent over to pick up three grains of soil. “For the memory of the peace we’ve earned.” She dropped one in Goflin’s life-pouch, Yameen’s, and lastly her own.
Goflin and Yameen mounted Lor, and Famere mounted Shir. The two shadows didn’t move.
They all listened.
A lone fox hunted prey to the east. An owl floated silently to the north. And a few mice played in the nearby field. It wasn’t much, but at least it teased their senses. The sahr hummed loudest to the west.
Before Famere could signal, Lor and Shir leapt forward, racing toward the far trees. She sensed the shadows’ happiness, and saw Goflin and Yameen smiling. Hanging onto Shir, she grinned. All the pain, suffering, and misery had been worth it to reach this moment.
She was already home.
***
Camette watched the wyshea ride west, their faces shining. Young. Naïve. But she was happy for them. They should enjoy life while they could. It wouldn’t last. She was pleased she hadn’t killed Famere. Beloved had surprised her in choosing the wyshea as a champion that had won a small victory against F’ahbay. But it was probably all planned by him to end as it had anyway.
She chided herself for being cynical, but she knew F’ahbay was just warming up. Death, war, and misery were drawing near for everyone.
Her senses tingled, and she turned. Several hundred yards across the compound, Raif and Whippet were walking along the eastern walkway. Claws didn’t erupt out of her hands; she believed a prophetess had guided the mageen to Famere, which meant Beloved was involved again. Thus, not all mageen were allied with F’ahbay. It suggested the Order of Mageen wasn’t either. F’ahbay had more obstacles in the Wild Lands than in the Dead Lands.
Earlier, when Ison had attacked Famere, and Harken had arrived, Camette had wanted to jump over the wall and kill the two mageen. She would have if Famere’s friends hadn’t defeated Ison. Even though at the time she hadn’t been sure of the wyshea, she would save anyone threatened by a mageen. It had been satisfying to see Ison hurt.
During the battle afterward, she had managed to hold her anger in check, keeping her claws and fangs hidden. Barely. It felt good. She was gaining control again, after losing it in the Dead Lands while hunting F’ahbay.
She walked west to avoid the mageen, wondering where F’ahbay was and who was hiding him. Was her love Sontay in pain? Suffering? Missing her as much as she missed him?
Sighing, she imagined stars with Sontay among them, while humming a song he had taught her long ago. He would tell her in his beautiful sing-song voice, ‘Be at peace, Camette, enjoy the day, and enjoy your new family.’
“Blessings, Sontay,” she murmured. “I’ll try.”
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Acknowledgments
This book and series had many supporters over the years. My loving parents were my first readers, and though not fantasy enthusiasts, their excitement over the story made me excited. Not long after, my generous Uncle Mark (Dr. Marcus T. McEllistrem)—an avid and astute fantasy reader, honest critic, as well as a nationally-known physicist—also read the book and inspired me to believe I had a great story. Fellow worker and fantasy buff, Denys Mason, gave me great suggestions, ideas, and encouragement with his critique. All four made it possible for me to believe that I could write a fantasy novel that many readers would enjoy. Numerous renditions, reading groups, readers, editors, and years passed before this book and the first sequels were finished. As a writer, I am amazed at how much strength and conviction an excited reader can bring to my work, and make me a believer of it. As one of my very first novels, Wyshea Shadows is one of my favorite stories, filled with nature and characters immersed in it, as well as heart-pounding action, suspense, and pacing. I get thrilled every time I read it, and hope readers feel the same way. For the later rewrites, my love Lauren Lein provided insights into strengthening the romances in the book, and Steve McEllistrem, friend, cousin, and fellow writer helped with astute suggestions and edits. Without all these wonderful people to help me and cheer me on, I would be a lonely writer.
Photo Credit: Mike Ekern/U of ST;
http://www.stthomas.edu/news/writer-by-nature/
Geoffrey Saign teaches novel writing and self-awareness classes, and loves nature and wildlife. He has assisted in field research with hummingbirds and humpback whales, and sailed as far away as Australia. He can often be found looking for interesting critters, and magic, while swimming, snorkeling, sailing, or hiking in the woods. His first novel, WhipEye, won the International Book Award; Readers’ Favorite Children’s Fantasy Award; Outstanding Children’s Fiction in IAN Book of the Year Award; Top Choice, LitPick.com; a Bronze in the eLit awards; and Notable Indie—Best Indie Book, Shelf Unbound. His second novel in the WhipEye Chronicles, Gorgon, was selected as a Finalist, Midwest Book Award; Outstanding Children’s Fiction in IAN Book of the Year Award—third place in Book of the Year, and Top Choice, LitPick.com. He lives in St. Paul, Minnesota. To learn more about Geoff, visit him at www.geoffreysaign.net.
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