Homecoming

by Tull Harrison

  Chapter 19

  "Please, you must tell me all you know of the battle!" Rebenna cried again as Tareen's face filled with pity.

  "All I have heard is that there was a Vego Rasto, a duel. The king won that combat, but during the peace treaty, Noenna committed unthinkable treachery." Her voice was regretful. "I'm sorry, that is all I know."

  Rebenna's face fell and she tried to keep tears from her eyes. It seemed absurd to be so concerned, but she could not help herself. Kellas touched her shoulder. "There is a way for us to obtain news of the king, I think. But we cannot do it here. We must reach the capital."

  At his words she felt her heart leap and then lurch downwards again. Leaving the two Savanns without a word, she went to her room. Her belongings were not yet unpacked, so she slung them across her shoulder and walked back to the small conference room.

  Seeing her ready to go, Kellas nodded. Rebenna noticed his pack lying in the corner of the room.

  "I had heard bad news about the war in Malzepher before now,” he explained. “I assumed Tareen would tell you, so stowed my gear while you were out with Elian. Now we can leave immediately."

  Rebenna felt anger stir in her. "You knew about the situation, yet you did not tell me? How did you get this information, when we have seen no one since we left Ironton?"

  Kellas was unperturbed. "I do not wish to upset you."

  Not placated, Rebenna furrowed her brow. "That's vague."

  He shrugged gracefully, but it was Tareen who spoke. "I, too, am sorry I upset you. I wish you the best of luck. Our queen will deal justly with you."

  Too anxious to maintain her anger, Rebenna sighed. "Say farewell to Elian and everyone else for me. I fear that I may already be too late to complete my mission, so we must leave now."

  Tareen handed her a small package neatly bundled in waterproof fabric. "You will not have time to hunt or gather food." She added quietly, "Not that anyone is allowed to hunt in these woods."

  Rebenna thanked Tareen and soon they were mounted and on their way. The sound of the horse's hooves soothed Rebenna's nerves. Glancing up, she could see in the soft moonlight that the leaves had begun to change colors. She did not know when autumn had come, but summer had somehow slipped away without her noticing.

  Night underneath the trees was different than in the desert or even on the occasionally stormy coast. The trees did not choke out the light as she had imagined they would, but let the dappled moonlight reach the ground. It was a pleasing effect, but Rebenna missed the open sky.

  Concern for Malzepher drove her like an arrow honed on a target. It seemed that the longer they traveled, the faster they went. They must have stopped to eat and drink at some point but looking back later, Rebenna couldn't remember when it was. She occasionally remembered glancing at Kellas' face and not reading anything there. This worried her more than if he had been showing anxiety.

  It took them less than two full days to reach Lenna Queeka, but it seemed to take much longer. Once Rebenna was on a mission, she couldn't stop until she reached her goal — just like an arrow. Kellas’ voice drew her out of her self-imposed trance.

  "Rebenna, I must warn you that breeches are not well tolerated in Savann, especially within the capital."

  Rebenna nodded slowly; she would have to gather her wits about her if she wanted to obtain her goals. "Thank you, Kellas. Is there anything else I should know about Savann customs?"

  The quiet man nodded. "Address Queen Lena as Megar. This is also in the ancient language, and I do not know how it translates. Make sure to bow, not curtsey. Otherwise, there is little else you should know. The queen rules through her own powers and not through bloodline, so she does not insist on high formalities."

  "I thought you said that there are complicated etiquette rules earlier." Rebenna asked somewhat relieved.

  "Since you are a foreigner you will not be expected to know all of the rules. In fact, the more exotic you seem, the wider your appeal will be. When we get to the palace, please change into your uniform." He paused briefly. "There is a faction of dissenters against Queen Lena's rule and they will mean harm to you. Be careful what you eat. If you were to be killed by an untraceable poison, no one would even inquire into your death.”

  Oh my, more assassination. Why does everyone in this world seems to wish to kill each other?

  "Thank you Kellas," she replied a little shakily. "I do appreciate the warning."

  The boundaries of the capital strongly resembled Torna. Many of the buildings were family dwellings, but as they progressed through the city, the structures increased in size. They seemed to be made of stone instead of trees, but not fragmented stone fitted together to make a whole. The rock was seamless and oddly complete.

  The spiraling towers were less intriguing to Rebenna than the rambling stone buildings with multicolored pillars guarding their entrances. Though to some people the living stone city may have been an ugly blight in the wilderness, to Rebenna it was enchanting and strangely familiar.

  Streets in Lenna Queeka were nonexistent. The only noticeable difference between the open forest and the city was the cleared spaces. Leaves still cushioned the horses' hooves, but no ancient trees grew within the stone sector of the city.

  She saw a group of small girls playing down by a small stream. Their laughter warmed her, and she smiled and waved to them. Seeing her wave, the girls became solemn and made sweeping bows, which were slightly ridiculous, as the current pulled at their loose shifts.

  Kellas had relaxed since they entered the city. The few people on the street turned and bowed to him — or to her, she couldn't tell which. Unlike in Torna, there were no men outside. Apart from an occasional lone woman, the children by the brook had been the only people they had seen thus far.

  "They are at the palace waiting for your arrival," Kellas said in answer to her unspoken thought.

  "O-oh," she stammered in surprise, "Everyone?"

  Kellas smiled. "Anyone who could afford to leave their job. Today the apprentices shall run the businesses."

  "I'm honored," Rebenna managed to say.

  Her guide halted Earthshaker. "We have reached the entrance to the palace."

  Rebenna looked around in near awe. She had failed to notice the garden before her. It bore some resemblance to Malzepher's gardens, only magnified in glory several times. She could not imagine what it would have been like in spring, when in early autumn every shade of red and orange greeted the eye. A small, sparkling blue pond offered rest amidst the splendor of fiery color. Everything looked as if it had remained untouched for hundreds of years, and the wildness of the foliage was part of its beauty.

  Kellas seemed to read her thoughts again. "Our greatest work of magic. These gardens and the palace have existed for nearly a millennium."

  "The palace..." she began — but stopped as she saw the massive tree standing on the far side of the gardens.

  The palace bore as much resemblance to an ordinary castle as the gardens did to a courtyard. No word Rebenna knew could describe the true size of the tree towering over the forest. The ancient Savanns must have been true mages to form a place as hallowed as that.

  Stunned, she nudged Trouble forward. Careful to avoid the plants, they made their way through the garden carefully. When they reached the woodland palace, she halted her mare again and looked at Kellas.

  "Where do I put her?" she asked.

  He made a wide gesture. “Leave her. She will not stray."

  Rebenna eyed him dubiously, but dismounted. A solemn-eyed young boy materialized and took Trouble's bridle. His tattoos were reminiscent of her own guide's. A Kellas-in-training, perhaps.

  "He will untack your mare," Kellas explained.

  Rebenna smiled at the boy, "Thank you. Please be gentle with her, she is a good friend."

  The boy’s eyes flickered, and his mouth stretched into a semblance of a smile. Unlike the boys in Torna, this one was not shy. He was still reserved, which again reminded her of Kellas.


  Kellas did not pause for Rebenna to reflect; instead, he walked toward the imposing double-doored entrance. Before she had time to stop and admire the doors, they swung outward. She did her best not to gasp at the demonstration of magic. It didn't help that she couldn't tell if Kellas or some other unseen being had performed the act.

  Noticing her guide’s gesture for her to precede him, she took a hesitant step forward. The recollection of the situation in Malzepher made her continue more urgently. Inside the building, soft grass still cushioned her booted feet. She felt a mental tug, and her feet followed it.

  More doors opened, showing Rebenna her path. She saw no people as she padded along the thick turf. Finally, she entered a door almost as ornate as the first doors she had passed. Kellas followed a few steps behind her, though he must have known the way. On the other side was the crush of people that had been absent from the capital.

  She had donned her formal ambassador uniform that morning, having removed the Noennaan crest, but the crowd to either side of the entrance was as finely dressed as if they were at a ball. A quick glance showed her they wore pleasant expressions, with the exception of a group of women towards the front.

  On the opposite side of the throne room the queen sat composed, her fingers steepled. As Rebenna walked in her direction, she stood and smiled. Queen Lena was a tall, powerful woman of late middle age, though she had no hint of grey in her dark hair. A rapier hung from a belt at her waist, and Rebenna could just make out the calluses on her hands.

  The dress she wore was light green with a high collar and no sleeves. It was split on both sides almost to the point of immodesty. The point of a tiara came to rest in between her brows and was set with a large emerald. When she turned her eyes upon Rebenna, the ambassador had to suppress a gasp, for her eyes were the exact same color as Kellas’.

  "Welcome, Flemakh Rebenna. It has been long since we have hosted one not of our land."

  The queen's voice had a calming effect on Rebenna.

  "Megar, I am honored to be extended this opportunity,” Rebenna responded, bowing low.

  "Under normal circumstances I would prepare a feast for your arrival, but these are not normal circumstances."

  Rebenna kept her tone clipped. "If you will be so kind, Megar, Kellas told me of a measure that could be used to discover the situation in Malzepher."

  "Indeed,” the queen agreed, “I have tried to scry for specific details of the war but have received no answers for two days. Still, we shall try once again."

  At her gesture, a man stepped forward bearing a large, raised basin. He set it in front of the queen, and she beckoned for Rebenna and Kellas to join her on the dais.

  Stepping up, Rebenna was aware of the crowd. "Megar, we will do this here?"

  "I have no secrets from my people, Flemakh," the queen replied with a smile.

  Rebenna nodded, but remained silent as the queen began to work a spell. It was the first magic Rebenna had seen that required any type of preparation. When the queen's eyes opened again, the jewel in her tiara glowed.

  Looking down into the clear water of the basin, Rebenna gripped the stone rim in anticipation. Two drops of crimson fell into basin, and tendrils of red spread throughout the water. She looked up to see Queen Lena with tears in her eyes. Covering her open mouth with one hand, she realized that the queen was weeping blood. Her face was expressionless as red tears rolled off her chin.

  Rebenna watched in horror as more blood diffused into the water. Tears were still falling when a ring of black formed around the walls of the bowl. Gradually, the two colors mixed, swirling around each other.

  Her mind went numb. Delmer is dead. This can mean nothing other than that.

  Lena blinked suddenly and the emerald abruptly ceased glowing. She staggered forward slightly, catching herself on the basin. Then she turned to Rebenna. "I first scryed the past and looked for events that could give us a clue to the present situation. The last event I was able to see clearly was a meeting between the two feuding countries. After that, all I could make out was a fog of crimson and black. I'm sorry, it is an imprecise art and often what you most wish to see is what will be hazy."

  Rebenna looked pleadingly at the queen. "Megar, you wept tears of blood. That cannot be usual or construed as a good omen for Malzepher."

  "No, this is not usual, nor is it a good omen. However, scrying does not reflect my personal feelings. This could mean blood and death for either Noenna or Malzepher. Sadly, though, I must admit I fear Noenna has committed treachery." Queen Lena met Rebenna’s terrified gaze.

  The crowd, which had been conspicuously quiet, erupted at this declaration. A young woman stepped forward, asserting herself through the uproar. Her clear voice commanded silence as she took a few steps towards the dais.

  "I know why you have come here, Flemakh," she began. "Savanns have long expected it, and now there is a war because of us. I feel that we are obligated to assist your mission."

  Another woman stepped forward, this time from the group near the dais which had frowned at Rebenna. "Treason — that is what you speak, Ileana. Savanns have no use for outsiders, and it is not our fault if two barbarian countries fight over issues they don’t understand."

  The women could not be more different. Ileana was tall, with proud features and confident stance. Her hair ran in plaits down her back and she tossed it as she spoke. Her green eyes looked challengingly out at her audience. She wore breeches and a simple dark green shirt cut of an exquisite fabric.

  In comparison, the second woman was short and slightly slumped. Her features were sharp, and she wore a menacing look. In contrast to Ileana's dark hair, hers was platinum blonde. Her gray eyes were akin to storm clouds.

  "Caitlin, what do you have to say of this matter?" the queen asked curtly.

  The second woman took another step forward, and this time a giant mountain cat stepped next to her. It must be one of the Tregilletii Lamiina, Rebenna thought with surprise. It paced back and forth, lashing its tail. As it growled low in its throat, she felt a shudder run through her muscles. The left ear of the mountain cat had been cut clear off, and Rebenna realized where she had met the animal before.

  Rebenna turned briefly to Kellas, but he hushed her. She remained quiet with difficulty, but her suspicions of Caitlin begin to rise. The woman seemed to have ulterior motives behind what she said.

  Caitlin drew herself to the full extent of her diminutive height. "As Klem de Karr, it is our duty to remind Savann of the dangers of the past. We have isolated ourselves on purpose. Perhaps no one else remembers the war we had with the group of Savanns who broke off to become Noenna, but is my duty to do so. We want no part of the outside world.”

  Ileana briefly clenched her fists, but then smoothed her shirt with her hands. “If isolated for too long a time, a society begins to stagnate. Savann has reached this point, and though I agree that the past is important, we must protect those who are innocent of crimes. Malzepher requires assistance."

  The crowd murmured in agreement and Caitlin nearly snarled. "Ileana, you seek to use your position as the queen's daughter to gain approval for your cause. It is imperative that we avoid all entangling alliances."

  Queen Lena had heard enough. "Caitlin, I agree that such alliances have caused problems for us in the past. However, helping another country in danger is simply the right thing to do. From what I have seen of Flemakh Rebenna, she is a bright young woman, who thinks of her companions and friends before herself. It seems to me, Caitlin, that you are making generalizations when looking at outsiders."

  "Excuse me," a familiar voice called when Ileana was finished speaking. "Megar, I feel compelled to remind you that Caitlin and her feline companion were absent for a month recently. Is it not hypocritical for her to consort with outsiders when she wishes to isolate the main country from them?"

  Smith sauntered forward from behind the elegant twisted stump of Queen Lena's throne. Rebenna smiled. This must be the sphinx advisor that little boy
in Torna had mentioned.

  The sphinx continued until she was within reach of the ambassador. Rebenna bent down to hug her and Smith let out a sound very similar to a purr. At the site of the foreigner hugging their queen's advisor, the audience of Savanns gasped in awe. Once she ended her embrace, Rebenna stood and squared her shoulders.

  Taking the cue Smith had given her, Rebenna, said, "I understand that long ago Noennaans hurt Savanns by breaking off from this land. I know what it is like to lose part of yourself and I realize that you still bear no generosity towards my country. Yet I do not ask for help for my people, but for King Delmer's, who are innocent.

  "Please believe me when I say that Caitlin is hiding something from you. During her trip into the outside world she and her mystic animal attacked me and the king when we sought to scale Mount Slate in Malzepher. I still bear the scars."

  Ignoring the collective intake of breath from the crowd, Rebenna slowly rolled up the right sleeve of her uniform. It revealed the mostly healed wound extending from upper forearm to the back of her middle finger. Even after a month it was still scabbed, though since entering the forest the healing process had been speeded exponentially.

  Ileana frowned at her opponent and put one hand on Caitlin, turning her as she did so. "You attacked a Flemakh; a woman who is as sacred in her own right as you are. You have broken one of our most ancient laws. The very laws you are sworn to protect."

  Caitlin's features had been cold and impassive, but they slowly twisted into a scowl of contempt. "Perhaps I did act to disable this filth, but it was only to protect Savann. Now you cannot prosecute me since I was not within our lands."

  Rebenna recoiled at her vehemence and turned to the queen, who shook her head wearily. "Unfortunately, she is correct. Though this is one our most grave crimes, she was out of our jurisdiction at the time."