by Jeremy Dwyer
“What is that direction?” Prince Trahaearn asked.
“We’re still trying to determine that,” Nathan said.
“Time is not on our side,” General Joshua said.
“Perhaps we can bring it to our side,” Nathan said, wondering if the advances could be slowed, rather than stopped.
CHAPTER 42: Regrets of the Chronicler of Mother and Daughter
In their rented room in the port town in the Wandering of Shadows – a room Zoe and Brant had paid for out of their allotment for giving protection – Zoe stood at the ready. She drank anew of the waters of the Lujladia Ocean both to hydrate herself and to be energized with the water’s powers.
Judith watched Zoe do this from the corner of her eye, but her main focus was on Taesa and Caroline.
“Push! Push!” Caroline said, holding Taesa, who was drenched and sweating on the bed after six (6) hours of labor.
Taesa cried out in pain as the baby boy came forth and Emerond took his son into his arms.
“A boy!” Brant said, because he was at the ideal angle to see the child’s arrival.
Caroline took a thin, sharp sliver of diamond that Emerond had prepared before and dipped it into a bowl of Dead Waters. She felt the waters with her finger and decided that they weren’t hot enough.
“I need it close to boiling hot,” Caroline said over the baby’s cries.
Zoe shone her light upon the waters and heated them to where they simmered.
Caroline then placed the sliver of diamond back into the bowl of waters to keep it sterile. Then, she used the sharp edge to cut the umbilical cord.
Emerond held the baby boy up to Taesa, placing him in her arms and supporting Taesa from the side, as she was tired.
Taesa smiled and said: “Trent. His name should be Trent, like my dad.”
Judith wrote this name down in her book, along with the details of the delivery. She was always amazed at the process, and she had seen thousands of births. Each new one, however, reminded her of the absence of a child in her own life.
“Congratulations!” Brant said.
“Yeah, good luck. Kids are tough,” Zoe said.
“This lasts for the rest of your life, Taesa. Believe me – it never ends. I’m still your mom, even now that you’re a mother, too,” Taesa said.
“He’s the rest of both of our lives,” Emerond said, looking at the baby boy.
“Yes. That’s the way I want it. We’re together for the rest of our lives, to take care of him, and each other,” Taesa said, holding the baby and rocking him gently in her arms to calm him.
The baby boy started crying again.
“What is it?” Taesa asked the baby boy, not knowing what to do.
“He’s probably hungry. Nurse him,” Caroline said.
Taesa positioned the child and he latched on immediately and began nursing, which ended the cries.
“It hurts,” Taesa said.
“It will be fine. It won’t be easy. But it will be fine. Switch sides after a while, for balance, and you’ll feel better, and feed him better,” Caroline said.
“What can I do for you?” Emerond asked.
“Just be here,” Taesa said.
“You should get her some food and drinks. Fruit juices, and the song waters, too. The baby will like the music,” Caroline said.
“Here, you’ll need these,” Zoe said, handing him a bunch of coins from the chest that she and Brant had received in payment for serving as their protectors.
Emerond counted what she gave him – twenty-two (22) silver coins and four (4) gold coins and one (1) platinum coin – and said: “I will repay you, for this, as well.”
“Yeah. And then some,” Zoe said.
Judith also looked over and counted what money Zoe had handed to him and recorded it into her book, along with the other details of their conversation.
~~~
Emerond left the room, went down the stairs and approached a produce vendor in the main foyer of the inn on its first floor.
The vendor was an older man of perhaps fifty (50) years standing next to a wide table covered with seasonal fruits and vegetables.
There, Emerond spotted some oranges and grapes that looked ripe enough. “How much for ten (10) of these oranges, and two (2) bunches of grapes?” Emerond asked.
“Two (2) silvers,” the vendor said.
Emerond handed the man two (2) silver coins for the fruits.
“Next time, it will cost you more. I’ve got to get them from somewhere else,” the vendor said.
“Where else?” Emerond asked.
“These are from Revod, but I’m done with them. Next time I’ll get them from the sun people in Nataloridivu,” the vendor said.
“Why the change?” Emerond asked.
“The markets have changed, and the sky’s getting darker out there – nobody can hear the stars anymore to navigate. But it’s much worse than that: now, half the world’s been taken over by a king named Xander. He took Ihalik, then Meridianus and then Waderav. Even Revod fell under his command – so there’s no more Jenaldej Empire. This king is in charge, and he has everybody working for him,” the vendor said.
“How has Revod been taken?” Emerond asked, betraying his own surprise and even fear.
“Same way the king took everything else – songs and stories about how great he is and monuments. Some people say it’s all illusions – that he’s a fake. But people believe in him. They think he gives them everything, and he demands everything in return,” the vendor said.
Emerond couldn’t think of what to do, so he responded in the way he was trained – store up resources and prepare for difficult times ahead.
“Let’s double my order, Emerond said,” handing over two (2) more silver coins.
The old man smiled and handed Emerond another ten (10) oranges and two (2) more bunches of grapes so that he had to fold his arms to hold them all.
“That’s right. Get them while you can,” the vendor said.
~~~
Emerond then took the fruits and returned to the upper floor and entered the room again, closing the door behind him with his foot. He was focused on Taesa and their son, but his mind was partly occupied with the news from the old produce vendor.
“You were gone a while. Glad to see you got enough for everyone,” Zoe said, plucking a grape from one (1) of the bunches that Emerond held and eating it right in front of him.
Judith noted how much fruit Emerond had brought back – including the grape that Zoe ate – and recorded that in her book as well.
Caroline took an orange from Emerond and started peeling it and handed the pieces to Taesa, who ate them while nursing the baby. “You didn’t get the song waters, did you?” Caroline asked.
“I’ll go out again,” Emerond said.
“Just wait. We may be alright for now,” Caroline said.
Brant helped Emerond unload the fruit into a large bowl on a nearby table and Zoe continued to help herself to the grapes as they did this and even afterwards – she paid for them, after all – and she had a fondness for them. A good wine, however, was even better, she thought.
“Slow down. And don’t forget me,” Brant said, taking a few grapes for himself.
Soon, the baby fell asleep in Taesa’s arms.
Judith saw this and detached a page from her book and placed a small amount of ink on it. She then walked over to be near Taesa and the baby and held out the paper. Taesa had been around Chroniclers on many occasions during her time in Emeth, but she never noticed this activity.
Caroline knew what Judith intended and said: “Hand and fingerprints.” She then gently placed the child’s hand on the page to form a handprint and fingerprints and Judith placed the page back into her book.
“You’ve never seen that before, have you?” Caroline asked.
“No. I never noticed the Chroniclers do that,” Taesa said.
Emerond moved in and sat on a chair next to the bed, where he supported Taesa again. She
leaned into him for rest, and he looked over their son, gently rubbing the child’s head.
“Another Chronicler took yours, as well, a couple days after you were born,” Caroline said.
“I guess that would still be in Emeth,” Taesa said, looking to Judith.
Judith merely nodded but said nothing. She performed her duties and said nothing unnecessarily for the moment.
Caroline looked over to Judith and said: “You actually look upset – like something’s wrong. This is a time to be happy.”
“As an Oath-taking Chronicler, I do not judge or interfere. I can only record the facts that I see,” Judith said.
“As a woman, I can read a facial expression, and yours is certainly judging someone…or something,” Caroline said.
“I just reflect on the things around me,” Judith said.
“Reflecting means you’re looking within yourself, as well,” Caroline said.
“I’m happy for them, of course. I’ve just wondered what it would be like to have children. It’s all so new, and startling and tiring. Even frightening,” Judith said.
“I didn’t think that Chroniclers were afraid of anything,” Zoe said, eager to express her opinion and see how tough that a Chronicler could be.
“Some have fear, and becoming a mother isn’t easy. It requires setting time aside from traveling the world. You have to lay down the Oath for a while, which means that you don’t have the same protections, so you can’t really go anywhere. After that, you have to see what your child needs, and that determines where life takes you. I’m not sure if I’m ready for that,” Judith said.
“You sound as if you’d rather travel the world than have a family,” Caroline said.
“For a time, I did. I’ve been a Chronicler for twelve hundred nine (1209) years now, and travel is a way of life. It has its good times and its tough times, lots of surprises and disappointments, and some frightening situations. Nothing ever happened to me, even when it should have. I was protected,” Judith said.
“Protected?” Zoe asked.
“Protected by God, so long as I tell the truth as I observe it. No judgment or inference can be made: even if what I see logically implies something else, I can only record what I actually see, and it’s been a lot. At times, too much,” Judith said.
“You can believe in God or whatever, if you want. I think those Hidden Paladins look out for you, and that’s why nothing happens,” Zoe said.
“I wish your God had looked after my husband – her father – so that we still had him. When Trent died, I had to take care of Taesa myself, and be her protector. She learned to sing, and that brought in some money, so we could pay the bank and keep our home,” Caroline said.
“I can’t explain why tragedy happens, but I record it along with the good, and take it to Emeth. I remember a lot of it, and it stays with me. It’s hard to hold onto, but it’s also hard to let go of. Just when I’ve seen too much and think that I want it all to end so I can settle down, I remember why I became a Chronicler in the first place. Travel is something I need to do,” Judith said.
“You sound too much like Taesa,” Caroline said.
“Sounds like you need adventure,” Zoe said.
“I need change,” Judith said.
“Have children. That will change everything,” Caroline said.
“I need to find the sort of man who understands me,” Judith said.
“With all the places you’ve been, didn’t you ever have a close romantic relationship?” Caroline asked.
“There was one (1) good man, it’s been too long now, but he was everything I could have hoped for – very loving, hardworking and even handsome. But he wanted to settle down while I wanted to travel. He couldn’t follow me to the places the Oath allowed me to go, anyway,” Judith said.
“You’ve lived twelve (12) lifetimes this way, running around and seeing the world. Isn’t that enough? Maybe it’s time for that to change,” Caroline said.
“Being a mother is difficult,” Judith said.
“Of course, but it’s worth it,” Caroline said.
“Being a mother of a dying child is impossible,” Judith said.
“If fear of losing a child is holding you back, don’t let it,” Caroline said.
“It does happen. I’ve seen quite enough of that,” Judith said.
“You do all that you can. But don’t throw away the possibility of life because of the fear of death. That’s giving in to fear,” Caroline said.
“You didn’t lose a child already, did you?” Zoe asked.
“No,” Judith said.
“You’re still an attractive young woman physically, and you will be for quite some time. The waters keep you young,” Caroline said.
“The Ursegan waters slow the passage of time. My body ages very slowly, and my experiences are long and drawn out. That’s how I can see many things happen, even when they’re moving quickly,” Judith said.
“Does that mean you can enjoy life a little more by focusing on the moment? Maybe you should try to focus on the nice parts, and not end up like us,” Zoe said.
“Yeah. We haven’t enjoyed our lives in years. Nothing but fighting and going places and fighting there, too,” Brant said.
“He’s right. Life is rotten. Hurray. And we only get one (1) to live,” Zoe said.
“What’s holding you back from enjoying it? Do you have to fight?” Caroline asked.
“We’re from Waderav – it’s nothing but robber barons stealing from peasants. You fight so they don’t kill you or steal more than half of what’s yours,” Zoe said.
“Never had much time for fun. We’d like to have kids, when things calm down,” Brant said.
“They never will. That’s life. So don’t wait for a better time,” Caroline said.
“This is depressing. Isn’t there any hope in any of you? Doesn’t this world have any good left? I want my son to have some hope,” Taesa said, beginning to cry.
Caroline came over to her bedside and held her. “Of course there’s good, and there’s bad. I don’t know why, but there is. That’s not a reason to give up hope,” Caroline said.
Emerond also held Taesa with one arm and the baby with his other arm. Soon, she fell asleep as well.
“Fruit’s not heavy, so why were you gone so long? Don’t think we didn’t notice,” Zoe asked.
“I got more than fruit for the money. The vendor had a few things to say,” Emerond said.
“Like what?” Zoe asked.
Emerond looked at Taesa, who was sleeping soundly out of exhaustion.
“According to what he said, things are worse than ever. Half the world’s been taken over: Ihalik, Meridianus, Waderav and even Revod’s been invaded. Someone called King Xander is now in charge of all of it,” Emerond said.
“I thought it was rough for us just hiding out. Now, there’s been a war while we’ve been here in the cold and the darkness,” Brant said.
“I don’t know if it was a war. The old vendor said that the king used songs to control people and take power, and that the king might be using illusions to make people believe in him. He also said the sky was darker now – nobody could hear the stars to navigate. Then, he said that markets have changed. He’d have to get his food from somewhere else,” Emerond said.
“Song or sword – taking over a continent means there was some kind of war,” Zoe said.
“Something tells me that we’ve got to fight this one, too. Enough already,” Brant said.
“I don’t think we can fight a war,” Emerond said.
“We need to protect Taesa and the baby. Wherever this king isn’t going, that’s where we have to be,” Caroline said.
Judith recorded all of this in her book; she was excited by the news, even though she was disturbed by the danger it represented.
“You wanted an adventure? You’re about to get another one to write in your book,” Zoe said, looking straight at Judith.
Judith smiled, with a mixture of fear and
excitement, preparing to see everything and write it all into her book. She then looked at the baby, sleeping in Taesa’s arms, wondering if that would ever be her situation, and if she would be able to settle down for the length of a single lifetime to be a mother, not to mention a wife. Judith had time on her side, so that was not a decision she had to make in haste.
“You seem excited by all this. We used to feel the thrill of the fight, but then it got old. One day, you’ll get tired of seeing all the trouble. That day might be a thousand (1000) years from now, but you will,” Zoe said.
“I just hope Taesa is done with her adventures today. It’s her time to settle down now,” Caroline said.
“Mine, too. I hope,” Emerond said.
“You’ve got one (1) more good fight left in you. That’s what I hope. Just in case,” Zoe said.
“Whatever needs to be done, I’ll do. For them,” Emerond said.
“What’s got to be done first is figuring what we’re going to do. Even if it’s just to stay here or go somewhere,” Brant said.
“Go somewhere? That really narrows it down, Brant. Really,” Zoe said.
CHAPTER 43: Perplexed by Waters Dead and Different
In the water worshipper’s temple on Av’Tovenka Island in the Ikkith Tar Ocean, Tanith Orenda sat upon her chair made of bones in the middle of the Matriarch’s Room and looked toward Felicite, who was waiting at the entrance.
“Felicite, go at once to the Ocean Room and watch over the water experiments. Make your own records of the results. Be sure to remain standing back at a distance, in case of any disruptive results,” Tanith Orenda said.
“Yes, My Lady,” Felicite said and left the Matriarch’s Room, closing the door behind her to give the old woman the privacy she demanded. She then made her way through the water worshipper’s temple to the Ocean Room.
Before entering the room, Felicite drank anew of the waters of the Ikkith Tar Ocean and was energized with the powers of darkness, so that she would not distract the women working there. She did, however, keep with her a new notebook and pencil. She then entered the Ocean Room, and closed the door behind her, so as to contain any mess that might occur from the experiments. Felicite saw that her previous notebook was now in use by the other women in the room. She simply waited and watched.