“But surely you have told Daniel. He is the father, I presume.”
“Aesri! Of course he is the father. But no, I haven’t told him. He is just a touch protective, and he has other things to worry about without me adding to them. I will be no more or less pregnant for burdening everyone with the news. As long as I wear my cloak, I can keep it to myself for some time yet.”
“Daniel is likely to notice before too long. I assume you are joined. He lies with you, does he not?”
Carly blushed, and shifted uncomfortably. “No, actually. I mean, yes we are joined, but we have not slept together. We were joined in an unconventional way. We spoke our words to each other when we were in Darak. We have not had a formal joining yet. It wouldn’t have been appropriate with Hugh’s funeral, and then I was so sick. I just kept putting him off, and we didn’t want to answer a lot of questions by sharing a room before the ceremony.”
“How long are you planning to keep up the deception? Starting out with a lie, even a lie of omission, is not a wise choice.”
“I don’t know. It never seems to be the right time.”
“Yes, you have mentioned that several times already. You must make it the right time. Daniel will not be pleased when he finds out you have been keeping this from him.”
“I know, I know. I just need a little more…time.”
“Make sure it is not too long, Carly. Sometimes, secrets take on a life of their own, and in the end, you find they are keeping you instead of you keeping them.”
Carly nodded in agreement, but she frowned. It was already starting to feel that way to her.
“What about my abilities? Why did the fire sputter? How do you know it is a girl I carry?”
“Your abilities will be just fine. You are simply out of balance. The fire sputtered because the element of your child is water, which would indicate a girl. I suppose that it is possible that your child carries another element, or is a combination of elements, as you are yourself, but it is very unlikely. When you brought the water and it was so much stronger than you had intended, that indicated an excess in that ability. Had you been a water yourself, I might have asked you to bring snow. Had you carried a boy with fire abilities, the snow would have melted; a girl with water, the snow would have been a blizzard; a girl with wind, and the snow would have blown about. Earth is harder to detect, but there are ways. It is all just a matter of judging the way the elements interact with each other.
“Come now, sister. Your wayward messenger has come home at last. Let us return to the keep together and see what news he brings.”
“How do you know that, Aesri?”
Aesri appeared startled by the question. “The trees told me. Do you not hear them?”
“I don’t think so. How do you hear trees?”
“The same way you hear anything—you listen.”
Carly closed her eyes and tried to really hear the trees around her, but all she could discern was the occasional creaking of branches in the late autumn wind. Mostly, what she felt was cold. She was still soaked from the rain she had brought, and this was no time of year to be outdoors and wet.
“Sorry, Aesri, I don’t hear anything.”
“Hmm, well, do not worry about that right now. You are cold and tired. Let us go back.”
Carly took Aesri’s hand, and the women walked back to the castle. Kahn followed closely behind, nudging Carly every few steps as if reassuring himself that she was still there.
Chapter 9
The people of Maj were once again assembled in the Great Hall. They were nervous and upset. Hugh’s death, a new lord of the island, Bryan had returned with news from the king, and three shiploads of fairies had just arrived—fairies, of all things! Their peaceful existence had been completely turned on its head. The constant ebb and flow of their lives had been shaken to its core.
To Bryan’s credit, he managed not to trip over his own feet when he entered the Great Hall and saw six tiny women seated at the lord’s table. Fairies! Here, on Maj! Who would have believed they even existed?
“Lady Dearra, I have word from the king,” Bryan said. He stood as tall as he could and puffed out his chest.
It’s about time, Dearra thought to herself.
Patience, Fuzzy. Keep that temper under control. You’re not a little girl anymore. You are Lord of Maj; the people will expect you to act like it.
Daniel stood behind her on one side and Darius on the other. They, along with Brin, had become her de facto advisors. Daniel was a little more vocal than Darius, but Dearra could often get as much from Darius with just a look or the way he stood. If he was concerned or worried about what was being said, for instance, he tended to step slightly closer to Dearra, as if ready to protect or shield her.
When Trevor had voiced his opinion at the last meeting, Darius actually stood slightly in front of her. She had to give Trevor this much—he had courage. Darius could be very imposing when he chose to be. She wasn’t sure she would have been as vocal had she been in Trevor’s shoes. It wasn’t until Daniel stepped in that Trevor had backed down.
“What does the king say, Bryan?” Dearra asked, doing her best to stay patient.
Bryan hesitated and fidgeted a little, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “He says that he appreciates your diligence in keeping him informed. He also says that he has no doubt Maj will do her duty, as she always has, and that Mirin Tor will be well protected, should the Breken choose to come raiding.”
“Come raiding? Come raiding!” Dearra shot to her feet, knocking her father’s chair backward as she did so. She felt Daniel’s hand on her shoulder, and Darius was tight to her side.
“Did he read my letter? This is no raid; this is war!”
“I—he—the king I mean—he read it, Dearra. I mean, Lady Dearra. He said that, forgive me, but he laughed.”
Dearra’s eyes blazed gold. “He laughed? Didn’t you explain what Darius told us? Forty thousand Breken warriors. Forty thousand at least. How could the king scoff at that? I know he is stubborn, but if there is even a chance, how can he be so casual about it?”
“The king seems to think that your youth and inexperience have you jumping at shadows. He thinks that maybe…another should take charge of the island. Just until you’re ready, of course! Anyway, that’s what he thinks.” Bryan had gone from proud messenger to utter mortification. When he had rehearsed it in his head, it had sounded so much better. Reasonable even. But now…?
Dearra straightened her chair and lowered herself back to her seat. She had no idea what to say.
“Bryan,” Daniel used his calmest voice, not wanting to terrify the young man—it wasn’t his fault, after all. “Is it possible that you misunderstood? The king couldn’t possibly have meant to remove Dearra as lord of the island.”
“And why not?” Trevor spoke before Bryan had the chance to reply. “She is young. She is inexperienced.
“Daniel, I’m not trying to get on your bad side, but what if the Breken, forgive me, Darius—what if Darius is lying, or just plain wrong? Would it be so bad to put someone else in charge while she grows into her role?”
“And who would that be, Trevor? Are you volunteering for the job?” Daniel glared at the man before him.
“Me? No! I’m a farmer, and I like it that way. It isn’t like that, Daniel. I just think that it would be a mistake to abandon our home. There is no reason to think the Breken will come in any greater numbers than they have before. Even in history, the greatest attack on the mainland never exceeded a thousand enemy warriors.”
“Trevor may have a point,” Rordan said. Rordan was one of Maj’s ship captains, and had been tasked to rule Maj in Hugh’s absence. He was greatly respected, and when he stood in defense of Trevor, people listened.
“Rordan?” Daniel said, completely at a loss.
“Look, Daniel. No one’s trying to usurp Dearra’s authority, but this is a big risk she’s asking us to take.
“I like Darius. I even trust him
, but he could have been fooled. We know how the Breken are. If they manage to convince Darius and Dearra of a huge attack and then we leave the island, we could very well be handing everything over to them without a fight. It would be terribly difficult to reclaim the island, even if the king gathered an army to help us do it. There aren’t enough ships on Mirin Tor to bring them, and if we built ships, they would only be able to get through the reef one or two at a time. The Breken would be able to hold us off with a much smaller force.
“We’ve managed to rebuild one more ship of our own. That, with the ship we used to get Phillip back, gives us two. We have lookouts around the perimeter of the island, as always. The signal fires will give a warning if an attack comes from the far side of the island. It makes much more sense to wait until spring and then position our ships, so they can act as an early warning of any Breken approach.”
“Yes, because that worked so well last time we tried it,” Dearra snapped.
“We won’t wait this time, Dearra. After winter has passed, we will go to the ships and stay there. We can rotate the crews by boat as needed, just as we do with the fire guard. Two weeks on and then they will be spelled by another.”
There were nods of agreement from around the room. Dearra was frustrated. Why didn’t they understand? They had to leave. The king needed to be made to see reason.
They don’t understand, because they don’t want to, Brin said. Rordan is making sense, Dearra. He’s wrong, but he’s saying what they want to hear. He is calm, in control, and offering them a future that isn’t terrifying. It is cause for concern that the Breken will be coming, and certainly they are afraid, but if they listen to you, if they believe you, it’s too much. That way takes everything from them. They aren’t ready to face that yet.
“Excuse me.” Aesri rose from her place at the table, but the fact that she stood barely registered, as she was not much taller than she had been when she was seated. “I realize that you do not know me, and I have only just arrived, so we have not been introduced formally, but I feel that I must speak.”
Dearra nodded that Aesri should continue. Every set of eyes was on the petite woman before them.
“My name is Aesri. I met your lady and her companions when they were in Parsaia recently. I have come with some of my brothers and sisters to aid in the upcoming war. I can tell you that this will most certainly not be a small raid on Maj. The Breken mean to come in force. Why do you suppose we would journey so far from home, if the threat were not real?”
“Lady Dearra?” Wayland said. Maj’s blacksmith was a powerfully built man, but his voice was quiet, and he had to say her name more than once to be heard over the sound of the crowd as they reacted to Aesri’s pronouncement.
Dearra raised a hand to quiet the assembly before she spoke. “Yes, Wayland? You have something to ask?”
Wayland shook his head. “Not ask, really. I wanted to say that I am with you. I’ve known you since you were an infant in Lord Hugh’s arms. You can be stubborn, headstrong, reckless, and often impatient, but you are no fool. I can’t imagine forty thousand Breken coming here, but up until today, I couldn’t imagine ever seeing a fairy either, and yet, here they sit. You told us they were real, and we said we believed, but you know we still doubted.
“Now, you may, indeed, be wrong about the Breken, but I don’t think I want to take that chance, not for myself, and not for my children. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that I stand with you.”
“Thank you, Wayland.” Dearra was touched by the older man’s allegiance, and she offered him a warm smile of appreciation.
“Yes, yes, that’s all well and good, Wayland,” Trevor said. “But the king has said that another is to take her place for now. Our king’s word is law, and he has decided what is to be done. Why are we even bothering to discuss this? We sent to King Jaymes for his instruction, and he has given it.”
Put that way, Dearra saw there was little choice, unless she wanted to openly rebel against the king, which would completely divide the people of Maj and accomplished nothing.
Daniel and Darius were silent, waiting for her decision. Wherever she led, she knew they would follow.
“Rordan,” Dearra said, loud enough for all to hear. Her voice was steady, and the flames in her eyes had cooled.
Rordan strode forward awaiting her command.
“You will take charge of the island—”
“You are making a wise decision, Lady Dearra. Together, you and I will work through this and come up with a plan.”
“You did not let me finish, Rordan.” Dearra narrowed her eyes the smallest fraction, and Rordan bowed his head and mumbled an apology.
“What I was going to say is this: you will take charge of the island in my absence.”
“Absence?”
Voices rose from the crowd, mixing together in tangled chorus.
“She’s leaving.”
“No! No! Lady Dearra needs to stay!”
“Rordan will know what to do.”
Dearra held up her hand to silence them.
“Peace! I am Lord of Maj, as was my Father before me, and his father before him, and on and on back to the time of Majin. I will not give up my position, but neither can I go against my king. Therefore, I will go to the king myself, as I should have done in the first place.” Dearra did not miss the smile on Aesri’s face, or the way she nodded her head in agreement.
“While I am gone, Rordan will take charge of the island. I want weapons and ships made ready. I want as many children as possible taken to the mainland. Most of you have families there still, and it wouldn’t hurt to send the children to relatives for a brief holiday. There is no great rush, but I will be away for some time if my plan is successful. I want the children gone before spring. “Rordan, your strategy for the ships is still a good one. Have them stationed at opposite ends of the island. I want the watch doubled around the coast. Bring the distance between the signal fires in by half.”
“But, Dearra!” Rordan pleaded.
“It’s Lady Dearra, Rordan. Do you understand the instructions I have given you? You hold the lives of Maj in your hands while I am gone. Are you up to the task? Tell me now if you are not, and I will find another to fill the role.”
Rordan stood straight and proud and locked his eyes on hers. “I understand, Lady Dearra. I will do as you say. I will honor you and the memory of Lord Hugh.”
“Good! I knew I could count on you, as I know I can count on all of the Maj. I will go in the morning.”
Dearra took her leave of the Great Hall, not bothering to glance back as she went. Outwardly, she was strong, forceful, and in command. Inside, she was terrified and not entirely sure she was doing the right thing. She had no idea how the king would react, or even what she would say to try and convince him.
***
Try to get some sleep, Dearra. Tomorrow will be here before you know it, and you will want to be ready for your trip to the mainland.
“There’s too much going on inside my head, Brin.”
You’ve done everything that can be done. Phillip will stay with William and Catherine. He will join them in one of the last groups leaving the island with the children. Rordan will follow your instructions. Not everyone is as confident as Trevor. You heard what Wayland had to say. He is not alone. Many believe as he does, and they will be vigilant. You need to focus on the king right now.
Do you want me to sing to you? You always like that. Unless—Oh, for Tolah’s sake! That’s not going to help!
“Huh? What’s not going to help?”
You tell him to go away, Dearra! I have enough trouble getting you to calm down without him coming up here and getting you even more worked up.
“Who, Brin? What’s going on?”
A firm knock sounded on Dearra’s door, and she sat up in her bed and reached for her robe.
“Dearra, open the door,” Darius said.
No, no, no! Send him on his way. He doesn’t belong here in the middle of the nig
ht. Haven’t we already established that?
“Oh, Brin. You’re overreacting. That was ages ago.”
“Dearra! Open this door or I will break it down! Brin, stay out of this!”
Darius began to pound on the door again, and it sounded as though he was going to make good on his threat.
“Darius! You’re so impatient. You’ll have half of Maj up with all that noise. Just give me a moment to put on my robe, for Cyrus’s sake.”
The pounding stopped, and Dearra shrugged on her robe and tied the sash at her waist.
Humph. I still say you should send him away. Your father would have a fit if he— I’m sorry, Dearra. I didn’t mean…I’m sorry.
“It’s all right, Brin. I forget he’s gone sometimes too.”
Dearra unlocked her door and opened it wide to admit Darius. He swept into the room, closed the door behind him, and locked it once more.
“What is it, Darius? It’s late.”
Yes, what do you want, boy?
“I was worried about you. You don’t have to do this, Dearra. Let someone else go. Daniel would do it. Let Rordan take charge of the island, and stay here to help him while Daniel goes to the king.”
“This is my task to do. I can’t ask someone else to go in my place. I am responsible for the people of Maj, and I have given my word to protect Mirin Tor. I can’t do that standing behind Rordan.
“I will take Daniel with me. Aesri and Niada have agreed to go as well. I didn’t know it, but Aesri says that Niada was very fond of my father. Carly will stay here. She tells Daniel she is better, but I have my doubts that she is completely recovered. Aesri agrees she should remain behind.”
“She won’t like that,” Darius said, shaking his head.
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