Levee raised a surprised brow. Like all gypsies, she knew and respected the horse folk’s deity and wondered how such a revered place could remain so broken. “Why did the re’shahna never rebuild it?”
The question brought a sparkle to Rain’s eyes. “Why would we?” she replied. “Nature has provided a far grander home than we humble re’shahna could ever build.” She waved for the pair to follow her.
Jaycent rolled his eyes when he glanced back at the broken down haven. A rahee who cared little for the meddling hands of the gods found refuge in Tennakawa’s house? Perhaps the gods were laughing after all.
Steady drumbeats carried toward them from the center of Bresan T’ahnya where they found the re’shahna tribe gathered in a circle around an empty fire pit. Jaycent raised his eyebrows at the crowd, guessing it to be eighty strong, at least. Everyone was on their feet, moving in sync to the rhythm of the song. The prince’s ears dipped below his long locks, hesitant to enter the fray of dancers.
“Come on,” Levee encouraged. Before he could protest, Levee seized his hand and they followed Rain to the center of the gathering. The fire pit sat full of wood and kindle, ready to be lit, and rows of logs carved as benches circled its girth.
On the first row sat the drum master, his hands beating a rhythm that set Levee’s hands to clapping. Rain left the pair to join Tobi, who seemed to be leading the steps with a pleasant tenor song and a bouncing gait that was all his own. Levee giggled and fell in step with the tribe’s circulating dance as if she’d done it all her life.
“What is this?” Jaycent had to shout to be heard.
“Dancing!” she shouted back.
“You have done this before?” he guessed as she dragged him into the line, forcing him to stumble through the movements.
“All gypsies have,” Jaycent watched as Levee stepped forward and back with her lead foot, and then swayed her hips in a way that caught the prince off guard. She spun around and skipped forward, repeating the alluring dance in perfect rhythm with the others.
Suddenly, the drumbeat quickened. The crowd began moving faster and Jaycent found himself pulled by the wake of colorful re’shahna. His bewildered eyes took in the surrounding smiles and the infectious laughter, and it slowly began to dawn on him how much of life he had been missing.
Everything he did in Nevaharday held a purpose. Fun was never a primary focus.
Levee took his hands. “Like this.” She danced in front of him, her back step leading his forward one, and her front chasing his back. She spun him around, and swayed her hips, then turned again so they could repeat it.
Jaycent laughed at his first awkward steps until his feet eventually found their rhythm. The joy that permeated the music was contagious, and he let himself go to the simple pleasure of the dance.
His ears picked up a few words of the song that seemed to have something to do with lovers, though what he wasn’t sure. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered but the moment and how it made him feel.
They danced until sunset, the daylight replaced by the flames ignited between the fire pit’s large stones. The tribe gathered together, finding places among the log seats or on the ground. Levee and Jaycent settled between two logs closest to the fire, their legs tucked under their arms as they waited to see what would happen next.
The drumbeats stopped and things grew quiet until Tobi was the only one standing. He slowly circled the fire’s perimeter, its flames easily reaching as high as the re’shahna’s chest. His pale green eyes looked out at the attentive crowd. He flashed a smile only to see it reflected back by the people he called his own.
“My brothers,” he welcomed, his voice loud and proud. A cheer rose up as the males reciprocated the greeting. Tobi nodded and added, “My sisters.” The females responded in kind. “What a beautiful eve we share here tonight.”
The re’shahna paused and took a deep breath, savoring the fresh night air. “Fall is here. It nips at our skin and makes us feel alive. It makes us want to dance,” another grin swept his features when a round of huzzahs interrupted his speech. “Makes us want to sing!” he added, rousing the people even more. “Yes, we have many joys to celebrate, including a pair of guests who I am quite honored to share with you tonight.”
Jaycent winced at the attention, and Levee gave his shoulder a reassuring nudge as Tobi motioned in their direction. “Two rahee, our cousins who have not walked this land since the Great Tragedy, join us in Bresan T’ahnya.
“Jaycent and Levee are brave friends of mine, and of Patchi who holds them in the highest esteem. I hope you will welcome them among us as kindred spirits.” Shouts of agreement responded and Tobi touched his forehead in gratitude. “As you well know, this time in our meeting is often used to pass down our oral traditions.
“Tonight we shall remember a tale that still whispers from every tree, every stone, and every surface of our beloved home.” Tobi’s face took on a solemn countenance, and a silence swept over the crowd as they acknowledged the gravity behind their leader’s words. “The mournful story of Shadow and his dark deeds should never fade. Listen, and heed it well so we may learn from his mistakes.”
Tobi took a step back and let Rain take his place. Her eyes took on a metallic sheen that Jaycent had seen in Diego when the great steed tapped into an innate source of magic.
When Rain spoke, her voice somehow resonated loud enough for all who were gathered to hear it perfectly. “In the history of the re’shahna there has always been at least one illusionist whose purpose was to keep Bresan T’ahnya a mystery to outsiders. Set apart from the surrounding cities, we guarded the horned herds, protecting them from any who sought to tame their spirits.”
Rain cupped her hands before her and blew softly into her palms. Glittering flecks of gray dust swirled into the air, twirling and twisting until they formed the life-sized image of a shimmering herd that galloped into the crowd.
Jaycent ducked to avoid the enchanted hooves and sneezed when they blew right over him, tickling his skin and nose. The children giggled, and one tiny hand even reached out to brush the shimmering flecks from Jaycent’s cheek. Levee smiled.
“But such an honor wasn’t enough for one re’shahna,” Rain’s soft tone recaptured her audience’s attention, drawing them deeper into the story. “Shadow Silverhorn envied the unicorns’ power and devoted himself to gaining their favor. His zeal made him a master of deception, and he did well in diverting even the cleverest of hunters. His duty became his passion. Never had our clans known such peace as they did in the days when Shadow guarded our borders.
“Then one day the illusionist was summoned by Skalabur who wanted to express his gratitude toward his work. Shadow eagerly answered the call, thinking he would receive what many re’shahna coveted: a piece of unicorn magic.”
Rain shook her head with disappointment as ghostly silhouettes were shown of a cloaked re’shahna bowing before Skalabur and a unicorn mare. “But Skalabur’s mate, Mirage, saw into the heart of the illusionist and warned him of Shadow’s zealous nature. One so bent upon a single goal that he would do anything to achieve it compromised the moral fortitude necessary to carry a unicorn’s limitless magic.”
One of the prince’s ears dipped, uncertain whether he agreed with her reasoning. Behind Rain, the cloaked figure that represented Shadow bowed his head and trudged away from the unicorn apparitions before all three faded into nothingness.
Rain tossed another handful of glittering dust into the fire and it flared into a myriad of colors. “Alight with fury, Shadow retreated into a cave within the mountains. There, he brewed a plan to gain what he believed to be his due reward.
“Days faded into weeks, and our people grew concerned over their missing illusionist. They sent out several scouts but none could find him, for Shadow had cast illusions to hide himself. It wasn’t until a unicorn yearling tread past the re’shahna’s hole that the first sign of him was found. Caught in his obsessive desire to wield a unicorn’s power, the illusionist m
ade a grave mistake.”
Inside the fire, flames distorted to form a young blue unicorn walking by the mouth of a cave. Out came a cloaked figure, sword in hand. With savage ferocity, he attacked the unsuspecting yearling and with a terrible cry the poor creature fell to the ground. Shadow then sawed off its horn and clutched it obsessively over his breast.
“Consumed by his desires, Shadow stole the equine’s magic for himself,” Rain explained. “He carved the horn into a weapon so that he could bend its magic to his will. But such a crime does not come without a heavy curse.
“Upon returning to Bresan T’ahnya, the people noticed his face had turned gaunt, his eyes had grown sunken and dark, and his skin and hair had taken on a ghastly black. When the poor unicorn’s sire finally found the missing yearling, our people stormed Shadow’s home, seized him, and brought him to Skalabur for justice.
“But the unicorn magic heightened Shadow’s skills, allowing him to become his own illusion. Changing into the shape of a serpent, he slithered back into the mountains, choosing self-exile over Skalabur’s judgment.”
Rain sighed. “Years passed, and we thought Shadow’s story had come to an end. But he blamed his brethren for his exile, and the need for revenge consumed the bitter re’shahna. Shadow developed a new illusion that could permeate the visions of our dreamers. He inflicted wounds in their sleep that carried into reality.”
Out of the flames stepped a wolf that Jaycent knew all too well. His heart stampeded against his breast as he met the wolf’s translucent gaze. It was only an image; an illusion. However, telling himself that didn’t keep his mind from racing back to the mauling, haunting dreams that followed those terrible red eyes.
The prince leapt up and back, distancing himself from the snarling rows of angry teeth. Tobi shouted for Rain to dismiss the spell. His mate began muttering the words to dissipate the illusion, but she wasn’t quick enough.
Before Rain could finish, the wolf apparition leapt at the prince, triggering deep set memories of the true beast’s brutal attacks. Jaycent growled in defiance and pain, shielding himself from the wolf’s replica.
Tobi reacted quickly, his arms wrapping around Jaycent’s clawing limbs in a hugging grip from behind. Gasps and whispers rose up among the tribe as they gave their leader and their haunted guest some space.
Jaycent writhed as he fought against invisible demons, but even his tall frame held little leverage against Tobi’s strong arms. The re’shahna pulled the prince’s back against his chest as his calm voice fill the troubled rahee’s flexed ears.
“Relax, brother,” the re’shahna coaxed. “T’is only a trick of the mind. You are safe in Bresan T’ahnya, beyond Shadow’s reach.”
Pulled back into reality by Tobi’s voice, Jaycent blinked away his visions and looked around. The tribe’s eyes fell on him from every direction, causing heat to rise through his body and into his cheeks. Jaycent cast his gaze onto the ground, embarrassed and deeply shaken.
“Shadow has not stopped,” Rain continued mournfully, and warningly, to the concerned tribe. “Even today, he uses his magic to punish the equine people.”
Tobi left the tribe in Rain’s capable hands as she explained the link between the prince’s outburst and her story. With Jaycent’s right arm draped over his shoulders, he guided the stricken prince back to his home.
Levee followed on Jaycent’s left, offering her shoulders for additional support when she noticed panic’s crushing grip left him gasping for air.
“Breathe slow and deep, Jaycent,” she pulled away long enough to open the curtain door so Tobi could haul the prince inside.
“I’m… fine,” Jaycent assured them between breaths. Levee and Tobi shared a dubious glance, and the re’shahna lowered him down onto the pile of furs that served as his and Rain’s bed.
“There is something I want you to try.” The re’shahna went to the small cupboard where he pulled a homemade tea bag from a covered jar. Pulling the kettle out from over the low-burning fireplace, he poured a cup full of warm water and dipped the bag inside.
“Drink this,” he bid, carrying the cup to Jaycent’s side. The prince took the steaming mug into his shaking hands and sniffed its contents.
“What is it?”
“Tea made from unicorn’s tail.”
“A sleeping drug?” Jaycent’s scoff caused a fit of constricted coughs. He was familiar with unicorn’s tail and the tree’s potent affects. When in bloom, the buds release a fragrance powerful enough to lull a grown horse to sleep.
“A tea,” Tobi assured him. “T’will do you good.”
The prince was hesitant. His lips barely touched the clay cup as he tested the warm liquid. It was sweet and smooth. He took a longer draw, feeling the drink run down his throat and coat his stomach in a layer of soothing warmth.
“You should lie down,” Tobi instructed, taking the cup from Jaycent’s hands. “The remedy works quickly. Our bed is yours tonight.”
“It is not my place—” Jaycent began to argue, but Tobi waved him off.
“We prefer to sleep by the fire anyway,” his host said with a smile. He passed the cup to Levee, then left to return to his tribe’s meeting where he would further explain His Highness’s scene. Jaycent rubbed his heavy eyes and frowned.
“I know your dreams have been hard to deal with,” Levee quietly stated. “Wielding a gift is never easy, especially when it causes you to arouse attention where you want it least of all.” The gypsy knelt in front of the prince’s hunched frame. Lifting his chin, she met his bloodshot gaze. “If anyone will understand your plight though, it is the re’shahna.
“Centuries may have passed since the story Rain told took place, but they haven’t forgotten it. Don’t worry about what they will think of you tomorrow. Just focus on getting some rest,” she echoed Tobi’s words to which the prince gave a defiant snort. His breaths were drawing deeper now as the tea took hold.
Levee held his chin in place, refusing to let him turn away. “Give it a try, at least.” She offered the cup to him again and he drank until it was empty.
The prince said nothing when Levee unlaced his boots and pulled them from his feet. Nor did he protest when she gently lifted his tunic and armor over his head and shoulders. He felt consciousness pull away as his muscles relaxed. Levee coaxed him under the first layer of blankets, and he rolled beneath them with hardly a thought.
Jaycent wanted to say thank you and to tell her he was sorry for dragging her into his seemingly endless troubles. But his eyes shut the moment his head touched the soft fur.
Levee ran her hand across the prince’s back, then went to the window and blew out the candle, her eyes lingering over the valley below them. Tobi said this was one place Shadow’s magic couldn’t find; a solitary haven that no nightmares, or night mares, could breach. She looked up at the stars and hoped it was true.
“No more dreams tonight,” she whispered. “For once, just let him know peace.”
Above, a star twinkled, and Levee leaned against the window’s ledge, imagining it to be Tennakawa winking in assurance.
It was a child-like faith, for stars had been twinkling for countless ages.
But sometimes she needed a little faith.
LESSONS
Jaycent’s ascent into consciousness felt like passing through a fog into crystalline reality. Oblivion loosened its hold on his senses, releasing him to a world rich with light and color. The thrumming ache inside his head was gone along with the weariness that used to linger in his limbs. To all affects, it seemed the curse of his visions had been lifted.
Jaycent almost burst into laughter. It had been far too long since he had opened his eyes without the heavy weight of fatigue hanging from their lids. He stretched out his legs, embracing the feeling of a good night’s sleep, when a welcoming aroma filled his nose. The prince’s ears perked up and he sniffed the air, his mouth watering at the tantalizing scent of deer meat and spices. A low grumble stirred inside his belly.
&
nbsp; He glanced around the room to find Levee sitting cross-legged on the floor while Tobi crouched in front of her, his attention fixed on a cauldron simmering over the fire.
“You’re certain he’ll wake up soon?” Levee asked in a hushed voice. “It’s been three days.”
Three days? Jaycent’s nostrils flared.
Tobi chuckled. “Three days is a short reprieve considering the amount of rest stolen from him,” he replied in the ancient tongue. “He will stir when he is ready. Today, I should guess, if not but to drink and satisfy his hunger.”
The prince silently conceded to Tobi’s reasoning. A few days were a small price to pay for the rejuvenation he felt. He took comfort in the belief that soon enough Tobi would teach him what he needed to know to deliver Shadow a punishment well past due.
“It’s just that he’s been so still…” Jaycent could hear her nervous foot patting against the dirt floor. “Why doesn’t he dream here?”
A pause extended between the talking pair, and the prince peeked with one eye to observe the two. The re’shahna tapped his long wooden spoon against the cauldron and set it over the lips of the pot. In a single motion, he plopped to the ground; one arm perched behind him as he hung the other over one knee.
“He will dream. Visions are inevitable now that his gift has been awakened. Jaycent simply cannot see or hear them when he is under the tea’s influence. We will teach him to discipline his gift once he is well-rested. Right now, it is essential he remains outside of Shadow’s reach, both physically and mentally.”
“Shadow is probably still looking for him now,” Levee reasoned.
Tobi shook his head. “Yes and no. Shadow will never give up his hunt, but he will not pursue the prince here. After his bout with Connor Clovenhoof, he has steered clear of our tribe. The gifts Tennakawa and the unicorns have provided us make us far too powerful to defeat. I suspect that is why he has set his sights upon Nevaharday instead.”
“How can you be so sure?” Levee wondered. “What if he’s grown stronger?”
The Rogue Trilogy Page 28