Heddas Sword.jpg

by Hedda's Sword (lit)

"With your Light."

  Cianan smacked his head back against the pillar. "There is no Light in this cursed land! I am but one small candle against the dark."

  The air stilled, all sound muffled as time itself seemed to stop. Mother Tam's shadow lengthened in the snow and she herself seemed to grow larger afore his eyes. "You don't stand alone," she reproved, glowing with an almost-familiar Light. Tinged with green rather than gold, it tasted of the first breath of spring. "Many of us have fought for years for the Light long afore you showed up, young man."

  Cianan rolled his eyes. "Drop the pretense. I am older than you, little mother."

  "Oh, pfft!" Mother Tam waved her hands, lantern and all. "Have you learned nothing in all your ever-so-long existence?"

  "Your people shall not fight for themselves, and mine shall not fight in your stead! What does that leave?"

  "Creative thinking." She poked him in the chest with her finger. "Or you can quit and go home and leave us to our fate."

  Cianan raked a hand through snow-wet hair. His fingers caught in the freezing strands. "You do not understand. I cannot leave her." He pushed away from the pillar, took two steps toward Mother Tam and glared down at her. "I shall find a way to restore her to herself."

  Mother Tam planted her fists on her hips. "Again you assume." She shook her head. "What's Hedda's Own to you?"

  "The other half of my heart." His heart ached at the admission. "After three hundred years, I dream of her. Imagine seeing her death, over and over, feeling her final terror, her despair, knowing I could save her if I could just get to her." Cianan scowled. "I get here, and nothing is what it seems. I would help her take back her brother, her home; yet she avoids my gaze, my touch as though I would burn her. I have no secrets from her now, not since the sword, but she is closed to me."

  Mother Tam blinked. "You can't find another?"

  "That is not how it works. Elingrena. That is what we call it. My heart. My own. She shares my heart. I cannot cut her out without cleaving mine in two."

  "You must enjoy a challenge, lad. Hers is a long, sad tale."

  "What happened to her and her family? She told me she thought her brother dead, and found out he lives – as Sunniva's prisoner."

  Mother Tam shook her head. "She alone must choose to share the rest with you. It isn't my tale to tell." Her face darkened. "You must help her rid us of Sunniva. Only then can Maleta hope of living free of demons. You may yet be her salvation."

  And so they circled back into cryptic Goddess-speak. Cianan heard himself growling and stopped.

  Mother Tam smiled. "Come back inside. Just so you know, Nerthus loves happy endings."

  "Do you think there is one at the end of this tale?"

  Her face glowed anew. "Do you need to ask, my son? I've seen love work miracles. Have faith in the Light."

  "I do have faith in the Light, Mother." But Lord Elio's sword at his back would not hurt. "Go back to your rest, partner. I am sorry I disturbed you."

  "Peace and Light, champion." Kikeona nuzzled his hair, turned and strode off into the night. Her warmth lingered in his soul.

  Mother Tam reached out to pat his arm. "In the morning, Jana will lead you and Maleta back to Tzigana. You must bring her here. I'd speak to Tzigana, Maleta and you, the three of you together. There may yet be a way to save us all."

  He did not see how.

  Chapter Ten

  All conversation died in the common room as Maleta strode in. Seeing the emptiness in her eyes, Cianan tried to choke down the egg pie around the lump in his throat. She glistened in the morning sun with a cold, otherworldly beauty. The sunlight streamed through the stained glass, pouring over her in a riotous mosaic of color. Without it, she would have been colorless within her woolen cloak of Hedda-grey. White-blonde hair, pale eyes that retained but a hint of their original aquamarine. Her skin seemed to shimmer with frost, skin the bloodless shade of a battle-corpse. He got a chill looking at her.

  "Come sit by me," Jana piped up, patting the bench next to her. She poured a cup of watered wine and held it out in welcome.

  Jana alone acted unfazed by Maleta's transformation. Could the young seeress spy something in Maleta no one else could? Like she had seen the glowing white elf-mare under the seeming?

  Maleta sat next to Jana, across from Cianan. He noted her wooden trencher, filled with egg pie, toasted cheese on bread and dried-berry tart. Apparently Hedda did not mean for her servant to starve. "Good morning, vertenya," he said.

  She nodded and began eating with indifferent efficiency. Taking a sip of wine, she turned to Jana. "You're to take me to Tzigana. Mother Tam would speak with us."

  "You are not leaving without me," Cianan stated. "I told Tzigana I would keep Jana safe. Where she goes, I go."

  "I thought it the other way around," Jana teased.

  "I shall see about getting supplies." He rose, not wanting to be any closer to this new Hedda/Maleta in public than he had to, lest he say something he regret. He met Sister Maire in the frozen courtyard, on his way to the stables.

  "Morning." Her cheeks flushed with the kiss of an icy wind, she lifted the hem of her robes above the snow-coated stone. "Bright fresh day, full of possibilities."

  Bright for this place, mayhaps... Cianan stopped himself. In this place, in these times, these people had to take what brightness they could, from the weather and their lives. "We head back out to Tzigana's Camp. Jana says they move northward for the gathering."

  "Wagons're slow. Ye'll have no difficulty catching up," Sister Maire reassured him. "I'll get supplies together while ye saddle yer horse."

  "My thanks, Sister." Inside the warmth of the stable, he hurried to Kikeona's stall. The sisters had already fed the horses, and he found his partner quite content, finishing the last of her hay. It looked browner than he preferred, but all this place had. He pulled his gear off its peg and carried it back to her stall.

  Grabbing a brush, he opened the door. "Ready to head back to the camp?" he asked her.

  "Are you?" Kikeona eyed him with sardonic amusement. "Betwixt the one you want and the one who wants you, it could be an interesting visit."

  His jaw tightened as he ran the brush over her coat. "I have no time for that. We must come up with a defense afore the gathering or Tzigana's people are doomed. The Shamaru shall be gone, Sunniva shall take her army south, and the rievers shall overrun what she leaves behind. My own interests must wait."

  Not that Maleta was at all interested in him. He had no idea what to do about that.

  Kikeona lifted a hoof for him to clean. "One thing about hard roads, I need no trim."

  And war mares never put a foot wrong, so traveling in snow should not slow them down. But a mortal horse... Cianan finished cleaning her hooves, laid the saddle cloth across her back, followed by the saddle. "Can you carry three?" He tightened the girth.

  "Not at speed for much distance. It takes a draw on power, which would be detected. And I would need time to recover – time we do not have. In an emergency, aye, but I would rather not unless it were necessary."

  He found her objection valid. "Let us hope the abbey mule can keep up." He led her out into the courtyard.

  Maleta waited there with a saddled and equipped bay mule. Cianan sized up its muscling and length of leg. Sturdy, bred for trail work, but any speed it summoned would be short-distance.

  "Jana rides with me," he decreed.

  Maleta eyed Kikeona's fine elven lines with a look of disbelief. "She's too delicate. We selected this mule for its strength and stamina. The weight will be negligible."

  Kikeona's eyes sparkled. Cianan heard her silent laughter. "You carry the supplies. Jana rides with me. Believe me when I tell you it shall not be a problem." He strode over to Maleta, who stood in the swirling snow.

  He grasped her arm and stepped close enough no one else would overhear. "I swear to you by all I hold holy, I shall help you find your brother. I have not forgotten him, and wherever you are, I know you have not either."
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  A spark of acknowledgement flashed in her eyes as she stepped back, away from him. It would have to do. Cianan fought down the anger all over again. She remained in there, somewhere. A prisoner in her own body. He choked on a mad impulse to curse the gods.

  A sudden pain in his shoulder made him flinch. He turned to Kikeona in disbelief. "You bit me?"

  Her eyes glowed an eerie shade of red. "Are you mad? Imprudent of a Lady's champion, cursing the gods."

  He glared back and rubbed his shoulder. "Not all. Just one."

  "In Her own lands? Do not be a fool! We know naught of this Hedda. Even the Lady could not save you in another's lands, provided She even wanted to."

  Jana bounded up with the last of their supplies – refilled waterskins. "Let's go!" She tossed the bags at Cianan.

  Distracted from Kikeona, he barely caught them in time. "What?"

  "Have to hurry if we want to catch Tzigana." She leapt into Kikeona's saddle with the acrobatic grace of a born horsewoman.

  Cianan tied the bags down and swung up behind Jana. Maleta mounted and headed out.

  Mother Tam stood at the gateway, a tiny figure swathed in black. "Hurry back. We've plans to make. Nerthus' blessings on you all."

  Even at a brisk trot it proved a long, cold ride. The winding snow-covered path hid slick, wet rocks, and there were more than a few stumbles as they threaded their way through the conifer forest. Icicles hung from spicy green boughs and jangled in the wind. The mule rolled its eyes but kept up. They ate lunch in the saddle. Soon after, they found the remains of a disassembled camp. Jana examined the cold fires, the tracks. "If we can keep going at this pace and ride through the night, we can catch them afore morning."

  Cianan turned to Maleta. "Can your animal keep up?"

  Those pale, cold eyes stared at him. "It will get me there in the appointed time."

  Cianan had a sinking feeling she would ride the mule until the animal dropped dead at Tzigana's feet and she would not even blink. He examined her mount with a critical eye. Not winded, still alert. Its ears were still pricked and its eyes bright. If they dismounted and walked over the hills and stopped for a short supper, the animal should be all right with proper care at the end. Jana's people were expert horsemen. They would take care of the mule when they arrived.

  "Good enough," he stated. "We ride on."

  "We'll have to slow down in the dark. Need to make our best time now." Kicking her mule, Maleta pushed it into a rough canter. It brayed and bucked once, then forged ahead.

  Kikeona flattened her ears and moved to catch up. She matched the other animal stride for stride, so Cianan could monitor its condition. But Maleta did not need his interference. She took her own breaks, leading it over rough ground, stopping for water, checking its hooves.

  It proved a silent ride. Even Jana gave up after the first few attempts. Cianan wanted to get to the end. The first campfire glow appeared through the trees well after midnight. He heard the sound of drums and fiddles, quickly silenced, and his mouth watered at the smell of roasting meat. They stopped on Jana's signal and dismounted.

  "Tia Jana!" she called. "Velkeshknya kommaru! Mou Tzigana atta pavarikil!" She turned to Cianan. "We walk in from here. Lead the animals and follow me."

  Dagonet met them with a sword in one hand and a long knife in the other, flanked by a half-dozen other men. Tzigana ran up behind them, a blanket wrapped around her. "Jana, what're you doing here?" She glared at Cianan. "I told her to get you out of here. It isn't safe."

  "Mother Tam needs to speak with you," Maleta stated. "She sent us to fetch you."

  Tzigana stared at her appearance.

  Jana grinned and turned to Dagonet. "I'm starving! What do you have to eat?"

  Tzigana nodded to him, and he led Jana away. Seth came up to take the mule. Kikeona followed.

  "Do not look at me – I am their bodyguard, remember? Where they go, I go. Mother Tam sent us for you. You need to come back with us."

  She cocked her head. "You must be tired and freezing. We can discuss it over heated wine and the shepherd's pot, then you both need to rest."

  "A few hours," Maleta said. "We must be ready to leave as soon as possible."

  "You're exhausted. Dawn's soon enough," Tzigana argued. She led them to the central fire, where she poured them each a goblet of wine and served goat stew. Another man came up behind Tzigana as she handed Maleta her bowl, and Cianan swore he saw Maleta flinch at the sight of the newcomer. Cianan did not see anything remarkable about him. A warrior with a scarred face, a thatch of white hair and murky green eyes. But Maleta looked stunned, and the man looked no better.

  "What the hell happened to you?" the warrior demanded.

  Maleta blinked. "What are you doing here?"

  Tzigana grasped the man's arm. "Wolf, I told you to stay in the wagon."

  He turned from Maleta to Tzigana and grinned. Sardonic humor lit his eyes. "Like I'm going to hide in the wagon, woman. At least not without you."

  The hot look that passed betwixt them told Cianan he no longer interested the Shamaru queen. Thank you, Lady .

  Dagonet joined them. "Jana's in with Polkara," he reported. "So what's this all about?"

  "This gathering, is it going to be in the traditional place?" Maleta demanded.

  "Oh, good, no small talk. Let's get right down to business." Tzigana's sarcasm was lost on Maleta, but the men laughed. "Aye, where the first ancestors made camp."

  "Sunniva knows it is there," Cianan reported. "That is where she shall meet you. Having you all together out in the open is a mistake. She outnumbers you, and you cannot defend a sprawled-out location."

  Dagonet bristled. "We can fight... "

  Cianan shook his head. "Not while she holds your women and children. Do not forget the cloudwort. If she forces your men to drink, most shall go over to her side. Those she cannot turn, she shall kill."

  "You need to move the gathering," Wolf stated.

  "We can't!" Tzigana cried. "Tradition demands – "

  "Hang tradition!" he thundered. "What's more important, woman – your past or your future?"

  Even Maleta looked impressed.

  For a moment Tzigana's control slipped, and Cianan saw fear in her eyes. The Shamaru queen paled, and Wolf laid his hands on her shoulders and pulled her close. "It's the gathering that's most important, not the place," he assured her.

  "People are already on their way." Tzigana's voice trembled. "Can we find them in time? How?"

  "Riders," Maleta answered. "You're proponents of tradition. You all stay in your own traditional campsites, travel the same routes to the same grazing lands and the same gathering point every year. Send riders along those routes in the direction of the other families. They'll find them."

  "And send them where?" Dagonet asked.

  "Nerthus' Abbey," Maleta replied. "We leave at dawn. Have everyone join us there."

  "You're not going without me," Wolf stated.

  Tzigana glared up at him. "I can take care of myself."

  "True, but I'm going with you, woman."

  "I'm coming too," Dagonet added.

  Tzigana shook her head. "You're the family's protector. You're sworn to one camp, not one person. You stay here. Keep Jana with you. I'll meet you at the abbey."

  Dagonet glowered, nodded and strode off to resume his watch.

  Tzigana poured a goblet of wine for herself and Wolf to share. Maleta and Cianan gobbled their meal and rose. "Hedda's Own, follow me," the Shamaru queen ordered. "Wolf, take Cianan to Seth's wagon. Try to get some rest. Dawn comes early."

  Cianan found himself in a simple wagon. He fell into a rope hammock lined with furs and blankets. One of the first things ranger trainees learned was to fall asleep at a moment's notice.

  He swore he had just closed his eyes when Seth shook him awake. Outside, dawn sliced the horizon. Inhaling the cold morning air burned his nose but helped clear the sleepiness from his head. Kikeona and a piebald mare were being saddled. Tzigana's crims
on robes flapped in the icy wind as she and Wolf led their mounts up, a flashy sorrel mare and a black-bay stallion. The latter arched his neck and eyed Kikeona with interest.

  Breath steamed from Kikeona's nostrils as she flattened her ears and struck out at the stallion with a foreleg. "Do not even think it," she snapped at Cianan.

  "What? Big muscles, shiny coat," he teased.

  "Dumb as rocks," she retorted. "A mare has to have standards."

  He grinned and watched Maleta approach. "Good morning," he called to her.

  Pale eyes studied him. She nodded. She looked a natural part of the frozen morning.

  His grin died on his face. Another fun day of riding in Hedda's presence. He could hardly wait.

  Tzigana strode up. "The riders left an hour ago," she reported to Maleta. "The pied's for you. The mule's still tired. It needs more rest afore returning to the abbey. Dagonet will bring it with our string." Her tone of reprimand was unmistakable.

  Maleta eyed her new mount. "She'll do."

  "You're welcome," Tzigana muttered. She stalked away to help Wolf saddle the sorrel.

  Maleta's gaze followed her to rest on Wolf.

  "Who is that man who troubles you so?" Cianan asked.

  "The man I let live. The one who told me Jovan's alive."

  Cianan froze. The reason for Maleta's punishment. This day got more and more interesting.

  "Riders up!" Tzigana called. "We eat on the trail."

  Kikeona strode up to him. "Ready, partner?"

  Cianan turned to face the rising sun in his daily morning ritual. He bowed. "Lady, we greet Thee. Bless this day and our mission. May we bring strength to the Light and honor to Thee."

  "Strength in the Light," Kikeona added. "Hurry up – they are leaving without us."

  Cianan swung onto her back, and they raced out of camp to overtake the others.

  Chapter Eleven

  Deep within herself, Maleta felt time slipping away from her. She pushed everyone without mercy. They rode all day and into the night, eating and drinking in the saddle, alternately cantering and trotting. They dismounted and walked their horses over the steepest hills and rockiest trails. No one spoke a word. Urgency gripped her, but she called a halt when they approached the final wooded hill.