Endric could not be a part of any argument where the Antrilii fought as they did right now. They had a greater purpose.
“I accept.”
They ignored him, forcing Endric to take another step forward.
The women continued to argue, and Endric took a third step forward, trying to draw attention to himself.
“I will accept the punishment.”
Gradually, they turned to him. Melinda stared at him, a mixture of emotions in her eyes that he didn't fully understand and couldn't completely place. There was disappointment there, but it was mixed with sadness as well. There was a hint of acceptance there also.
Nessa stood. “You accept the punishment of the oathbreaker?”
Endric looked around the table. It was difficult to know what they intended of him and what his acceptance would mean, but how could he not? If there was a way to settle this disagreement, how could Endric not take it?
He nodded.
Nessa took a step toward him. “Endric, son of Dendril, oathbreaker of the Antrilii. You will accept the just and proper punishments of the Yahinv?”
Endric avoided Melinda's gaze. He thought that if he were to meet her gaze, he might hesitate, that he might second-guess what he needed to do. He needed to do this. For him to have the answers that he wanted, answers that he thought that he needed, this was something he would have to agree to.
It was possible that if he didn't agree to this, they would send him from the north, force him back to the south, and possibly without weapons to protect himself. It was possible that he wouldn’t get the answers that he wanted, regardless of Melinda helping him. He needed to complete whatever punishment they asked of him so that he could understand what it meant for him to be Antrilii.
“I accept the just and proper punishment of my father, Dendril, general of the Denraen, descendant of the Antrilii, son of Melinda.”
Melinda tilted her head as she considered him.
Isabel smiled widely, though Endric wasn't certain why that would be. There seemed almost a hint of satisfaction in the way she looked at him, as if whatever he had said had not only met her needs but would somehow injure Melinda.
“Then it has begun.”
9
“Where are we going?” Endric asked, led by Nessa away from the makeshift tower. It was late, and darkness had spread across the sky, leaving only a hint of the fading sunlight. There were wispy clouds in the sky, and the gentle breeze of a cool wind gusted down out of the mountains. It carried with it some of the chill that he had experienced when riding with Brohmin, though this chill felt unexpected. Since coming to the Antrilii lands, Endric had been comfortable as lightly dressed as he often was.
Nessa paused at a massive tree along the path. She stared at the trunk, studying it, before turning her gaze toward the top of the tree. Full leaves unfurled from the branches, some of which had begun to change colors with the season. “It would have been easier for you to have accepted your return to the south.”
“I came here with a purpose,” Endric said.
“You might have come with purpose, but you came ignorant as well. If Dendril allowed you to come with ignorance, then he was even more of a fool than I would've expected.”
“I don't think he expected me to encounter such hostility from the Antrilii,” Endric answered honestly. For Endric's part, he hadn't expected to encounter such hostility. He had thought that he would be welcomed among them. He had thought that from his brief experience with Dentoun, and then Nahrsin, they would allow him an understanding of the Antrilii lands so that he could understand the people he had descended from. He had not expected such outright hatred.
“Many things have changed in the time since Dendril spent among the Antrilii.”
“What does that mean?”
Nessa shook her head. Endric couldn't determine whether she was trying to be helpful and failed or whether she honestly did not care for him, hating him for the sins of his father. He wasn't sure what to make of her. While in the Yahinv, with the others there, he believed that she shared all but Melinda's opinion of him and his father. Apart from them, Endric could almost believe that she would be interested in working with him and trying to help him understand the Antrilii.
“The seven tribes are no longer unified as they once were. When Dendril departed, there were some rumblings of this, but it has grown worse in the years following. Many thought Dentoun would be the one to unify us once more, but he was not.”
“And if he had survived in the south?” Endric asked.
Nessa turned her attention away from the massive tree and looked at him with haunted eyes. “Perhaps he would have been able to unify the tribes. If it was as you say, if he was on a great hunt, then he might have been able to convince the remaining tribes and their leaders that we needed to come back together.”
“Why fight? Why not work together to fend off the groeliin threat? I see how those of the Yahinv work together. The rest of the Antrilii could do the same.”
Nessa grunted. “You saw seven women bickering. Even we cannot get past old disagreements. We who are supposed to be the wise ones of the Antrilii. We who are supposed to know how to lead our people, to bring us forward, to continue protecting the north and defending our vows. Even we are unable to get past such petty differences.”
She started down the narrow path, and Endric followed. How much of this disagreement had Dendril known about? How much could he have known about? He wondered if Nahrsin might have been able to help, if his cousin would've been able to provide him insight as to the disagreements among the Antrilii. Would that have changed anything for Endric? Would he have chosen not to come?
“What is this punishment the Yahinv was speaking of?”
Nessa shook her head. “You should have not have accepted. You are not Antrilii.”
“But I’m descended from the Antrilii.”
She turned to him, her eyes still with that haunted expression. Endric thought he recognized it now but didn't understand why she would wear regret so deeply etched on her face.
“You may be descended from the Antrilii, but you are not of the Antrilii.”
Endric tipped his head. “What is it that you're not telling me? What is this punishment?”
Nessa smiled sadly. “Were you of the Antrilii, you would not be asking such a question. All know what is asked of an oathbreaker.”
“Then tell me.”
“You have claimed victory over the groeliin,” she started. The tone of her voice indicated to Endric that she still didn't believe. He wasn't certain what she believed, and whether she thought that he had the help of some hidden Antrilii. Did she think a tribe of hunters had come through, slaughtering the groeliin before Endric had come upon them, or did she think that the Antrilii had killed the groeliin and then been taken?
“Now that you have accepted punishment, it will be carried out in the morning. You will rest here,” she said, motioning to the massive tree. “Here, surrounded by all the gods have made,” she waved to the distant mountains, just barely visible with the snow-capped peaks reflected in the moonlight, and then to the land all around her, and then, lastly to the trees, “and in our place that calls upon the ancient gods, you will reflect. Rest well, Endric, son of Dendril, oathbreaker.”
She started away, leaving Endric standing, staring after her. This was his punishment? He was to remain in the open and simply reflect? That didn't seem harsh enough, not for an oathbreaker. Endric thought of what the Denraen would do to someone who had violated their vows and didn’t think it would be something as simple as reflection. They would be tasked with a harsher punishment—possibly exile, much as he had when he disappointed his father. They would require that the Denraen attempt to regain their trust, though it rarely would be possible. It would take an act of great sacrifice to do so.
In Endric's case, that act of sacrifice had been his willingness to risk himself and his life to do what he knew was necessary and right so that he could protect V
asha.
What would such a requirement be for the Antrilii? Did they have something similar?
“Nessa?”
The woman paused and glanced back, barely meeting his gaze.
“This is the penance? This is what you would've asked of my father?”
She shook her head. “This is your preparation. You will take tonight, you will do as I said, and you will reflect. You will think about what the gods would ask of you, Endric, son of Dendril, oathbreaker. And in the morning, your penance begins.”
Endric shook his head. He felt more confused than ever. They were going to leave him here in the open and then expect him to know what to do in the morning?
“How will I know when the penance has been served?” he asked.
This time when Nessa smiled, there was no doubting the sadness on her face. “There will be no question. The penance and punishment will be served if you survive.”
With that, she turned away, leaving him once more, leaving him alone, wondering what exactly the Antrilii would ask of him, and wondering if he had made a mistake, accepting the punishment of his father.
10
The night stretched on slowly. Endric leaned against the trunk of the tree, finding the bark rough and carrying with it an almost rank aroma. Occasionally, he heard what he thought was a howl that made him think he might not be alone. If the merahl were out there, he hoped they would protect him and keep him safe rather than attack as the one had done to Brohmin.
He drifted into a slumber, leaving him with flashes of dreams. Some were memories of his life, and most came from the last few years. It had been a tumultuous time; he had been tasked with more responsibility, which he had wanted.
He would wake at times, and as he did, he heard the distant howl of a wolf and stirring of small insects. Endric was not afraid of the night, and he was not afraid of the dark. Years spent with the Denraen had quashed any fears he might have possessed. Even if they hadn’t, the last few months made it so that he could sleep on the road like this.
Yet, he found that his sleep was difficult. At least difficult to maintain.
He would fall asleep and jerk awake, convinced that he heard or saw something before realizing that most of those sensations came from his dreams. He had been told to reflect, but he wasn't certain that he was reflecting the way Nessa intended.
The night continued to pass, minutes stretching to hours. Endric lost track of time and lost track of how much he actually slept. The moon and stars shifted overhead, their lights a bright glow in the night. As he watched, he imagined the greater powers watching over him, almost enough to help him believe in the gods, to feel their presence.
Was that what Nessa had wanted of him? Was that the kind of reflection she had asked of him?
Endric watched the horizon as the sun began to appear. It came first as colors that drifted over the eastern mountains, reflecting off the snow, sending glittering patterns into the sky. The appearance was quite striking, and Endric found himself simply staring. There was nothing else for him to do.
As the morning progressed, he shook the sleep from his eyes, finding even that a struggle. He must have rested some, though did not feel well rested. He had a slight nausea in the pit of his stomach, the kind that came from too many sleepless nights, though it had only been this one. Maybe it was apprehension or the fact that Endric didn't know what to expect as the morning came on, not knowing what the punishment would require of him. He found it hard to believe that he might not survive it.
By the time the sun crested the mountain tops, Endric had stood, trying to clear the sleep from his mind. He continued to stare at the sky. He’d never really watched a sunrise and was amazed by the steady change, the gradual way light spread across the sky and felt a hint of what he had to believe was faith. Perhaps this was the reflection that Nessa had wanted from him.
Shapes moved in the distance. It didn't take long for him to see that they were women of the Antrilii, and it didn't take long for him to recognize Nessa, Melinda, and Isabel. They wore cloaks slung over their shoulders, and strips of fabric were woven within their braided hair.
When they approached, Melinda stepped forward. “Endric, son of Dendril, general of the Denraen, descended of the Antrilii,” she began, and Endric noted how she used his phrasing rather than adding the term oathbreaker as the rest of the women of the Yahinv were so insistent upon doing. “You have accepted the penance on behalf of your father. You will face the penance of one who has abandoned their vows. I ask you again, do you accept?”
Endric looked at the three women. Melinda shot him a warning glance that seemed insistent upon telling him not to accept this punishment. Even Nessa stared at him with an expression of regret. Only Isabel watched him with any sort of gratification on her face. As she had the night before, she had small bells woven into her hair.
“I accept the required penance on behalf of my father,” Endric said.
Melinda pulled a horse forward and motioned for Endric to climb into the saddle. He did and, without saying anything else, they started west, riding quickly, leaving Endric to follow them. Now that he was mounted, he suspected that he could ride off. He might be able to return to the south if he could discover a way through the pass, but now that he was here, he was more curious about what was expected of him. What would this penance entail?
He had reflected as they had required, though he still wasn't certain what that reflection was intended to accomplish. He had spent the night having flashes of dreams, but not much else. He had stared at the rising sun and had thought somewhat of the gods, but not with the same devotion he knew the Antrilii to possess.
None of the women spoke as they led him.
The horses were swift. They were Antrilii mounts, and Endric had some experience with them from his travels with Dentoun and Nahrsin, noting even then how impressive their horses were. They chewed up ground as they rode, passing across rolling hillsides and heading toward the distant mountains. Every time he attempted to ride closer, the women created more separation.
They did not intend to provide additional answers. He might have agreed to whatever punishment they intended to inflict upon him, but that did not mean that they would share with him all that entailed.
By midday, they had reached the mountains, and the women barely paused as they guided him into them. They quickly ascended, the horses having no difficulty climbing here, not as the Denraen horses would have struggled. They still had not explained what they expected of him, though Endric started to wonder if they intended for him to leave the Antrilii lands altogether. Perhaps that was the punishment of an oathbreaker.
They reached a shelf partway up the mountains, where they paused. The women arranged their horses, blocking him from going any further.
“From here, you will go alone.”
“What do you expect from me?” Endric asked.
Melinda met his gaze, Endric thought for a moment that she would be the one to answer, but it was Isabel.
“We ask only that you answer the penance and fulfill your obligation.” She reached for the reins of his horse. “Now, you will dismount.”
Endric climbed from his saddle, moving hesitantly. When he was down, Isabel guided his horse away.
“If you were born of the Antrilii, you would not need an explanation as to what was asked of you. As you are not,” she said, her voice dripping with accusation, “we will tell you what is expected.” Isabel looked at Nessa, then Melinda.
Melinda took a deep breath and let out a deep sigh. “From here, you must travel alone,” Melinda started. “You will go unclothed, the way the gods brought you into the world, and you will go with no weapon. You will be given only what the gods provided you.”
Endric looked from each of the women, beginning to feel uncertain. “Where am I to go?” He was in the mountains and worried what they intended of him. What had they planned?
“You must fulfill the vows given to the Antrilii by the gods themselves,” Melin
da said. “You will go to the through the mountain pass, and you will confront the groeliin.”
Endric’s heart began to quicken. They couldn't really expect him to face the groeliin naked and unarmed. “How long must I do this?”
“The penance for Dendril the oathbreaker was to kill an entire brood.”
“A brood? I don't know what that is. I don't know how many that is.”
Isabel glared at him. “Were you Antrilii, as you would claim, you would have no need to ask questions. Were you Antrilii as you so claim, you would know that a brood is a clan of groeliin. You would know what you are expected to do. You would know exactly how difficult this penance is.”
“How many?” he asked once more.
“A brood varies in size,” Melinda said. “Most average fifty, though some are more.”
Endric shook his head. “How am I supposed to kill that many groeliin without a weapon?”
Isabel was the one who stared at him the longest, a hot glare in her eyes. “You accepted the penance. Do you now refuse to comply?”
Endric looked to Melinda for answers. She met his gaze but said nothing. “How many have survived such a penance?” he asked.
The others all stared at him, a blank expression on their face.
“How many?” he asked again.
“Few have returned from their penance. Most sacrifice themselves returning to their vows,” Melinda said.
Endric felt a shiver of fear work through him. “And if I don't do this? If I refuse to take myself into the mountains, expose myself to the groeliin, and attempt such a sacrifice? What then?”
Isabel stared at him, something of a triumph in her eyes. “Then you would also be an oathbreaker to the Antrilii. You would have double the debt. The penance for that is different.”
Endric didn't like the sound of that.
Melinda shot Isabella a hard-eyed stare. “If you refuse this penance, you will have then violated a second vow,” Melinda said. “The Antrilii do not offer a third opportunity.”
Soldier Sworn (The Teralin Sword Book 3) Page 7