by Emanuel, Ako
“It is the child. The still-born between him and Jenikia. In some way the child still lives, and it feeds on the Av’ru.”
“Dear Goddess of Mercy!” Ashmisa cried, amidst a chorus of other oaths.
“Like a lor’ugawu,” Otaga said in distaste, disgust.
“But,” Jeliya said in the same, soft tone, and there was instant silence, “there is more. Once he saw the Rite on me, he made plans to take me from his home. And right about then the warru found us.
“Or nearly. The outer protective rites on his home alerted him of our imminent discovery. He had constructed a harness in which to secure me to his back and we left his home, running for our lives. Hundreds of warru filled the unclaimed lons in the next three or four turns, all dressed in one Tribe’s colors or another, all seeking our lives. At first we managed to avoid them and circumvent them, but they kept filling their numbers until they out-peopled the trees. Eventually we were sighted and they began to chase us. For turns, I’m not sure how many, we ran, almost non-stop - or he ran, and I was carried on his lower back. In addition to carrying me and our supplies, and fighting and fleeing, he was also protecting me from the elements of the rain-forests. He was soon at the end of his strength. So at one time I took what av’rita I had and created a very short, very unstable av’tun, and took us to a place, a cave, where we could rest. The abarine we had healed found us and brought us food. We slept most of a turn, then ate as much as we could, then moved on again. But the ones seeking us soon found us again. And he ran and ran, through light and dark, until a warru put a sparrowette through his shoulder. I took as much of his pain and injury as I could upon myself, and he half healed the wound and we continued. But while he was healing himself, and the warru were closing in - the - the ground began to shake, and we got away. I don’t know what caused it, but it helped us escape. After that we just ran blindly, until, miraculously it seemed the pursuit just fell away. We had blundered into the Cribeau’Lons, but I didn’t know that. All I knew was that I had stopped hearing and sensing pursuit. I tried to get him to stop but he was almost totally withdrawn, only running. So I – I shouted into his mind, he went into shock and dropped cold. And I was trapped on his back.”
She stopped to take a breath, glanced around at their faces. Each was etched in its own mask of disbelief and horror. Pentuk was crying softly and huddled to Staventu. The Five Voices and the Av’lati were more subtle in their distress – Ashmisa was most obvious, busy chronicling Jeliya’s story, the frown on her face not from concentration; Jarisa, Sinyi, Thiam and Dariaku gazed at her with unreadable expressions, each like a statue. Luyon had his eyes speculatively on the floor, his chin pinch tightly between thumb and forefinger. Her brothers wore identical expressions of anger and outrage. Her mother was rock rigid, her face a closed mask, but looking at her with eyes that were not completely bulwarked and not completely dry, as though she were consciously allowing tears to show but not to fall. R’Kyl was motionless, watching her with eyes like dark moons, large with curiosity and sympathy and admiration. Otaga’s face was grim, her eyes like flint. All were letting their emotions show in some way, as much as custom allowed. All waited, without a word.
“So then,” she resumed, sitting up straighter, “I got a little hysterical for a gran or two. Then the thought that I might have killed him brought my senses back to me. My right hand and leg were trapped - so I unbuckled the harness one-handed and managed to drag the other free once it was slack. Then I had to take control of his body and make it shift til I could free my leg. Then I took some of the trauma and attempted to heal him, but it was eve and I’d given most of my strength to him for running. So I did as much repair as I could and then tied my av’rita to him to keep him alive even as his blood ran out to nourish the forest, and prayed that there was enough life in me to keep him from dying without killing me. Then I prayed for a miracle.
“It was answered in the form of the Cribeau. Entering their lons had saved us from the warru, and they themselves healed him, sacrificing one of their own to do so. I chose to invoke the Right of Ssk’en’ato to the Cribeau. We stayed and rested through the next turn’s light and in the eve set out for the estern-most edge of the Cribeau’lons. Then Rilantu,” she looked at him, “found me. He heard you coming and ran away. When you were taking me to the av’tun I heard him scream - I thought one of the others had seriously wounded him. And I - I lost control.” The admission was hard, shameful. She stared at her hands for a moment, collecting herself, making sure of her defenses.
“After that is a kind of a blur. I ask that the others fill in the details at the time of my incoherence. The rest is perhaps Otaga’s or Ril’s and Stav’s to tell.” She spread her hands to show she was finished, and looked around for questions.
Luyon glanced at Audola. She nodded. “You say you connected with this creature,” he spoke up. Jeliya held in the impulse to flinch and object to the term, nodding calmly.
“Are you sure he did not - violate you in some way, to make your link with him so strong? There seem to be several confused points in your memory. Could he have put some type of wanga on you?”
“Av’lati, I am sure of nothing. But nothing in my chi cries out to violation or forced entry. At first I was repulsed by the connection because I thought he had violated me. But - I cannot say. I do not personally believe that he did any such thing, but I truly cannot say.”
“This being - he is four hundred cycles? How is that possible?” Jarisa asked next. “Only the Av’rujo is known to live for so long. Are you sure he is not the root of the Zehj’Ba, and what you saw in his mind was not something to throw suspicion off himself?”
“I am reasonably sure,” Jeliya replied. “I was deep in his mind when he was injured. He did not have any reserves whatsoever to heal himself. Or before. The reason for his long lifespan is unknown to me. He might have the ability to hide such a connection, but when I merged with the Av’ru at one point in our journey to locate the search egwae to give us a direction to travel, I saw no connection leading to him. It is true that we cannot see the link to the Zehj’Ba either, but I suspect it is because of its location and the nature of the Zehj’Ba.”
“Where is he from?” Pentuk asked, her voice not recovered from the tears she had shed.
Jeliya smiled. “I think he is from beyond the Av’ru. His memories still start at being found at the Av’ru.”
“About your going into lor’den,” Dariaku cut in, “why didn’t he feed the light of Av to you like any other healer would?”
Jeliya sighed. “I don’t think he knows about that. He never once mentioned performing the Rite of Solu. I don’t think he needs to.”
“No, not when stealing the life from the Av’rujo is so much easier,” Sinyi spat.
Jeliya turned a calm face to the Voice. “Is it? I’ve tasted his ‘rita, Sinyi, when he healed my eyes completely, and it did not taste of the Av’ru. It didn’t even seem to be av’rita at all. I believe it was one of the masculine ‘ritas, but stronger than the likes of which I have encountered before.”
“No offense, High Heir, but this is a strange, dangerous creature that has been around longer than any of us, probably from the Lora’Lons, by your own admission. He may possess abilities that none of us has ever heard about, including, if he is so strong in the male ‘ritas, mutating plants into deadlier strains that the unsuspecting might get trapped in, or transmuting av’rita into some unrecognizable form! And it would be a sweet revenge on those who had made him suffer!”
Jeliya bit her tongue to keep from refuting the impeccable logic of the Voice. She could not tell them, except under truth rite or truth oath, that she had touched just about every level of his mind and being and she had found no such thing.
Have you, though? A miniscule part of her asked. ‘Just about.’ Even you don’t know that for sure. You love him, yes, but if he is so old and so powerful, might he not have the abilities that Sinyi accuses him of having, things that he can hide? The thoughts were
uncomfortable.
“What you say may be truth,” she replied carefully. “I have no evidence to support or deny it.” Then a thought occurred to her and her head came up. “But any of ill-intent cannot set foot in the Cribeau’lons. They not only healed him, they revered him for saving one of their ancestors. Would they not have killed him if he were guilty of these things?”
“You seem to be his advocate,” Thiam casually mentioned. “Can it be that you are a bit taken with this - being?”
She looked him straight in the eye. “I admit that I am. What Jur’Av’chi’n is not? I tried to break the bond between him and me, and failed. And soon after it was too late. He saved me. He took care of me and asked nothing in return. And even when he found out that I meant to trap him and question him, he did not turn me out. He could have abandoned me to the warru that sought our lives, but he ran to the end of his strength to deliver me into my brother’s arms. And I know, Sinyi, that they sought our lives because Mother sent Stav and Ril to fetch me - she did not make a general announcement asking for aid. It is my belief that the ones behind the plantings - the Moyi - and whomever they are in collusion with knew of my injury and sent warru out to take me captive. And I’d wager that these same ones are the ones responsible for the deaths of the scouts and these same ones planned the challenge in my absence.”
“Or,” Sinyi said, “he could be responsible for the plantings, and led you to an area rife with them, hoping you would make a mistake like you did, and he could have made the creatures that killed the scouts, and when friendly forces tried to rescue you from this being, he ran from them for fear of his own life, taking you with him, and knowing that your brothers were coming, ‘delivered’ you to them and in essence ‘saving’ you from warru after him. And the Cribeau - well, he may be allied to that particular Tribe, and so was able to enter their lons. Not all are as zealous about their obedience to the mandate of the Goddesses as is said. And this ‘connection’ could simply be his way of controlling you by some nefarious means!”
There was silence again. Jeliya sat dumbstruck by this new perspective. She could think of nothing to say to refute the Voice’s devastating argument. But she simply could not believe it.
“Or,” Dariaku said, “there could be more than one hostile faction, in addition to all we know, responsible for the nih’macha or the plants. We should not make accusations against the Lor’av’ona until we have more information. He is under suspicion, but may not be responsible for everything.”
Jeliya glanced gratefully at the fifth Voice. She had not expected to be interrogated in this way, and acting as her Jur’Av’chi’n’s advocate was a very touchy position in which to be. She just hoped no one asked about her consenting to have the link severed.
A silence reigned for a few heartbeats, and then Audola drew a breath. “We will get to the heart of this matter,” she said, “after the beginning of the De’en’nu’a. Now we must concentrate on the answering of the challenge made upon you,” she looked at Jeliya. “Have you been fully apprised of the situation?”
“For the most part, Mother,” she replied, hiding her relief from being under the spear point.
“Then hear the rest.” And Audola told all in the returned egwae about the suspected plot to use Turo’dan to destroy the present order of the Realm, and the possible connections between the Queens involved. “The Av’rujo has contemplated on the intentions of these Queens that are under suspicion, but there are clouds of uncertainty that obscure their designs.”
“Though we do have several allies from their ranks,” Ashmisa put in, trying to insert some good into all the bad news that had been exchanged. She passed a list to Jeliya to review and gave duplicates to the other recently absentees. Jeliya scanned the list then stopped halfway down, closed her eyes and lowered the scroll, her face pinched in concentration and agitation. Then her eyes popped open and she was the center of attention again.
“Otaga, please pass me that list of Tribe names I gave to you,” she said, and some of her urgency slipped into her voice. Otaga complied without question, though they sat heavy in her expression. Jeliya compared the two lists, glancing from one to the other rapidly. She lowered both, stared at the wall, bringing forth those vivid/blurred memories of running endlessly, catching snatches of colors, combinations of colors, distinct Tribe colors...
“Jeliya, what is it?” Audola finally asked, when her eyes had strayed to the lists again. Wordlessly Jeliya held her hand out for the stylus that Ashmisa always kept about her and began making marks on both pieces of papi’ras. When she was done, she passed both to Audola. The High Queen looked them over, looked at Jeliya, then passed them to Luyon. They progressed around the circle that way, without a spoken word, until they reached Otaga. The Warru First compared them, the list of Queens who had come to the High Queen with concerns about the happenings at the Bolorn and possible avenues of action, and the list of warru in Tribe colors that had pursued Jeliya and her savior through the unclaimed lons. Roughly a third of the names of Tribe colors and Queens on both lists matched.
“If this is correct,” she said slowly, her voice low and just a bit harsh, “what does it mean?”
Everyone glanced around. Then Jeliya put her hand forward. “When I first saw that the warru who pursued us were wearing Tribe colors, I also wondered why. Why would they send warru after him and me in Tribe colors instead of nondescript clothing? I can think of a few reasons -”
“Tell us,” Luyon urged.
“One reason may have been that they were there to rescue me - but not once did they try to communicate or negotiate with us. All they did was chase us. Another reason may have been that they did not expect us to get out of the unclaimed lons alive, and therefore saw no need to hide their identities. But I think the third reason that comes to mind is the most likely. I think that they wore colors to implicate certain Tribes as traitors, to make us doubt who our allies and enemies are.” She looked significantly at the lists. “I think that they have succeeded.”
Audola closed the scrolls. “We will deal with this later. The most immediate thing that we must focus on now is the De’en’nu’a. We have three turns in which to prepare the High Heir for her part in the ceremonies. We will stop here, for now, and let Jeliya get some rest. After her instructors have been to see her, we will come again, tomorrow’s eve.” They all drank a parting sip of gulu at that and poured one more libation to the ancestors, all bowed to Audola, and the lorn came to a close. Otaga helped Jeliya stand and as the others formed small groups to talk, Audola came to her and took her into another tight embrace.
“There are things that we must discuss, just you and I,” Audola said quietly, and Jeliya felt a shiver of apprehension. The others politely left the room in unspoken understanding - they knew that mother and daughter would want to talk privately for a while.
When just the two of them remained, Audola wove a shield of privacy so tight that not even the walls of the room were visible anymore. She helped Jeliya to sit, frowning inside at the weakness and frailty in her daughter from her ordeals.
She has been through so much! she thought. Can she hold up under what is to follow?
But she smiled on the surface as they sat facing.
“Mother, I am truly sorry,” Jeliya said again, holding tight to her hands.
“I know,” Audola gave her a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry, it’s part of a mother’s job to go through these things. I think you are much the wiser for what happened, and you are alive to tell about it. I think that those two facts speak for themselves.”
“But the challenge! And this conspiracy! And the Sign of Turo’dan - mother, it all seems to be falling apart! Why would the Goddesses let that happen?” Jeliya shook her head.
Audola looked at her speculatively, considering the best way to introduce what she had to say. She decided to be direct. “There are some things that you must know about Turo’dan and the nature and origin of the Av’ru, and the Tru’Av’ru, Jeliya.�
� She had her daughter’s full attention. “This won’t be easy for you to hear or accept. But it is at the root of all that is happening around us. The information that I am about to give you will determine the course of our world after the Turo’dan.” She took a breath and seemed to grow very calm. Jeliya sat up straighter, composing herself.
“The Tru’Av’ru was not the blessing of Av as we had first thought,” Audola plunged. “It was the result of something horribly wrong with the Supreme One, a schism that we have no explanation for. Our world was never meant to be divided. That division threw everything into imbalance. For not only was the world divided, but the ‘ritas of the world were also divided, it seems. That is why women are stronger in av’rito’ka here in Ava’Lona - this is the side where our ‘ritas are strongest. I think that we may presume that men rule on the other side.
“The Turo’dan is the final correction of whatever it was that went wrong in the One. This division manifested itself in all levels of existence - even to the mundane. Turo’dan is the rejoining of what was torn asunder - just as the Kwabanian foretold. We must not let another war occur like the one that precipitated the raising of the first Av’ru. It is time for the division to end.” She gazed deep into Jeliya’s dumbstruck eyes. “Now, whether that time of turning comes peacefully or in utter chaos is dependent upon what we do in the next seven-tens of cycles. We must prepare for the great changes that are coming - not for war. We must find a way to make the transition smoothly.”
“But -” Jeliya blinked, her composure slipping, “but then, if you ascend-”
“We don’t know what will happen when I ascend,” the High Queen said calmly. “What I believe we must do is - is find a way to bring the Av’ru down before the Zehj’Ba forces the issue. I’m not sure how, yet, but I do know that I will have to ascend, to give us time to formulate and execute a plan of action. Our people are expecting war, and a great upheaval. We must still treat this as a hostile situation, right up until the death of the Av’ru. We believe that there are those who will try to use this turbulent time to put their own plans into action. We believe that this was the motivating factor behind the challenge.”