by D. L. Kramer
"Just to visit," she shrugged, walking out to help Gharald.
The apprentices started arriving shortly after. Paki rolled his left wrist absently, feeling the bones grind together as they cracked. He hoped Janec wasn't right about his sword ruining the wrist.
Kile and Janec appeared just as practice was about to start. Paki could help but smile to himself when he saw Janec's own wrist was tightly bound. Two days earlier, he'd managed to disarm the former church captain with a hard twist to his sword and Janec's wrist was still healing.
"Don't tell me you're back out here today," Janec said to Paki as they came into the yard.
"I'm not here for practice, if that's what you mean," Paki smiled. "But I guess I could stay."
"Then what are ye here for?" Kile asked, checking the bows on the table.
"Nothing really," Paki shrugged. "Mo'ani finished early so I thought I'd come watch."
"Just don't cause trouble," Kile warned him, turning as Gharald called the apprentices to order. More than once, an apprentice had won his match only to turn and challenge Paki. Paki had taken the challenges and quickly beat each opponent. There was more than one fight broken up in the ring when the loser accused Paki of cheating somehow.
The apprentices were divided into teams, then the rounds started. Paki watched each match closely, noting openings that weren't exploited and swings that were pulled. He had quickly picked up Mo'ani's feeling that if you weren't fast enough to avoid it, you deserved the pain of getting hit. As the fourth match started, Mo'ani appeared suddenly beside Paki.
"No fights yet?" Mo'ani asked him.
Paki shook his head. "Kile told me not to cause problems today," he answered. "So I'm not making eye contact."
Mo'ani nodded his head and motioned for Kile to come over. "Would the two of you mind coming to my office?" he asked.
"Sure," Paki said, puzzled. Mo'ani's tone told him immediately that something was going on. Kile nodded to Janec that he was leaving and walked to the gate.
In his office, Mo'ani sat on the edge of his desk and looked at Paki.
"You disarmed Janec," he stated.
"He wasn't concentrating," Paki shrugged. "And he thought I didn't notice." He looked at Kile, then back to Mo'ani. "What's going on?" he asked. He could tell there was something they weren't telling him.
"Ye've disarmed a captain of the guard," Kile pointed out.
Paki met his eyes, realizing what he had done. "I'd say I didn't mean to," he started. "But I did."
Mo'ani nodded his head slowly. "You've learned all you can from me," he said after a moment. "The rest will have to come from experience." He looked at Kile.
"Ye've earned ye're cloak, lad," Kile said after a moment.
Paki stared at them, his eyes wide. Part of him felt a surge of excitement, while another part of him questioned the accomplishment.
"But--" he started. "I--I'm not..."
"Aye, ye are," Kile disagreed. "I was the youngest one cloaked before ye. Ye're a damned good swordsman, and ye've learned Mo'ani's Way as well as any other warrior here."
Paki looked at Mo'ani, who nodded in agreement. "Pater Isak will be here sometime today," Mo'ani said. "He asked me a while ago if he could be the one to oversee the ceremony."
Paki nodded his head, everything inside of him spinning. His first thought was to tell Rena and Bear, a thought that brought him up short. Before, he would have had reservations about telling Bear, but not now. Bear was well on his way to a cloak of his own, and Paki knew their friendship would withstand the time difference.
"Why does Pater Isak want to oversee it?" Paki asked.
"He seems to think there's something significant about this," Mo'ani answered, then paused for a long moment, his gaze meeting Paki's, though his expression was unreadable. "Because you're the last apprentice I'm going to train myself," he finished.
Paki blinked. "But," he started. "You said there were a lot more gifted apprentices now. There will be others besides me who you could--" Hearing Mo'ani say he would be his last apprentice put a feeling of finality over the whole thing.
Mo'ani cut him off with a shake of his head. "Trust me when I tell you things are going to seem to happen very quickly in the next few years," he said. "And no doubt we'll all question some of the things we learn along the way. I know it within the deepest part of my soul you're the last one I'm to train. It's up to you to pass on what you know to the others."
"I don't think they'll listen to me," Paki stated.
"Ye've already got a few who will," Kile pointed out.
Paki nodded slowly. There was Aralt and Liyol, and there was no question about Bear backing him up.
"Start with a few," he said slowly. "And go from there."
"That's what I had to do," Kile nodded. "I was barely twenty two when I was made Captain of the Guard."
"You had a little different advantage, though," Mo'ani said to Kile. "None of them were going to mess with Adiella, and they all knew they had to go through her to get to you."
"The lad's got Rena," Kile pointed out, smiling at Paki's suspicious eyes. Paki wondered just how much Kile knew then. Tyran had obviously told Bear about their time in the loft, and now he was willing to bet he'd told Kile as well. It was apparent he was going to have to set some boundaries with his horse.
"I'm going down to the village," Paki announced, his mind spinning. He realized immediately he needed the ride and talk with Adie to straighten everything in his head out. He looked at Mo'ani. "Thank you," he said simply. "I'll do my best not to disappoint you." He wondered how everything could seem so muddled and so clear at the same time in his head.
"I don't think you could, Paki," Mo'ani said.
Paki turned and left, his first thought to go box Tyran's ears. He might not be able to sort out his thoughts on earning his cloak, but he could impress on his horse when something was to stay between them. On his way to the stable, he motioned to Adie. She nodded, said something to Janec, and walked over.
"I'm going down," Paki said. "Did you still want to come with?" He hoped she would. Adie could make even the most outrageous events seem acceptable.
"Yes," Adie nodded, walking into the stable with him.
Paki brought Tyran from his stall after saddling him and led him out where Adie was saddling her own horse. Tyran walked with his eyes down, not happy with the lecture Paki gave him.
Adie's mare was spirited and had a bad habit of biting. He waited patiently as she finished, then swung up into the saddle as she did the same. He made sure Tyran knew he was still unhappy with him, and made no effort to make him feel better.
"What happened to the gelding you had last summer?" Paki asked as they rode out of the Stronghold. The longest he'd seen her with the same horse was about two years. "The gelding..." Adie's voice trailed off as she tried to remember. "Oh, he got left in a stable in a village outside Garyn Hold."
"Do you often forget your horses?" Paki asked, deciding to stick to simple topics for the moment.
Adie shrugged. "Sometimes it's too inconvenient to go back for them," she explained. "There are an awful lot of church guards who recognize me, and I have to leave a lot of towns in the middle of the night."
"I'd been wondering what happened to them," Paki said.
Adie smiled. "Why do you think I don't use a Dwellers' horse?"
Paki looked at the bad tempered mare. "I'm not going to ask where this one came from."
"Devayne Hold," Adie supplied, telling him anyway. "Tamnor seems to have this influence on horses, which I really can't understand, because he doesn't mistreat them. They actually live a very good life in his stables and his stablemaster is a very skilled man."
They continued visiting as they rode down the mountain. Adie told him of the problems with the villages outside the Archbishop's garrisons, and of the numbers of men and boys who were being conscripted into the church army. Some of whom were forced to burn their own villages. She also told him that anyone who wouldn't follow the
Archbishop's rule was disappearing, presumably into the dungeons at either the Grand Cathedral or garrisons. Something nagged at Paki's mind, telling him the prisoners were facing a different fate. He stopped himself from pursuing those thoughts before they could send chills up his spine.
He told Adie about Mo'ani wanting to give him a cloak, and she assured him he had earned it. Something about hearing it from her made it more believable. He knew she compared his skill to apprentices at the other holds, instead of just those at the Stronghold.
He took the small pouch from Bear into the mercantile and waited while the shopkeeper figured how much the assorted beads in it were worth. When Paki had Bear's letter of credit, he and Adie left the village.
Their ride back to the Stronghold passed quickly as they exchanged stories from their pasts. Adie knew more than enough stories about Kile from his youth and Paki was surprised to learn how much trouble the captain had gotten into. He was equally surprised when talking about his master no longer bothered him, at least with Adie. He told Adie his few memories of his parents' home, and what he remembered of the sister who had been sold the same time he was.
She asked if it bothered him to not know his birthname, and Paki confessed that it had for a while, but he didn't really think about it anymore. He had come to accept Paki as his name.
They rode back through the Stronghold's gates a short time later. Adie offered to take Tyran to the stable for him and Paki let her. He looked around the yard, but the archers weren't back yet, so he would have to wait to tell Bear. Likewise, if he bothered Rena while she was working, Meda would get after him.
Not really wanting to watch the end of the apprentices' training, he walked to the cathedral and let himself in. So many things still whirled around in his head. It seems for every concern Adie put to rest, he discovered something else to worry about.
The disappearances of anyone who opposed the Archbishop bothered him the most. He refused to dwell on his fear that the Archbishop had turned to human sacrifice, even though the thought lurked in the shadows of his mind.
He didn't know why he assumed that's what the Archbishop was doing, it was almost like he knew all along it would happen and Adie's words had brought the knowledge to the surface.
Pulling his sword belt over his head and arm, Paki sat in the front pew. He pulled the church pendant from the pouch on his belt and held it up by the chain, letting it spin. The dyed bright blue stone reflected the light from the windows in its' polished surface. He felt a sudden loathing for it, and put it back into his pouch before he could throw it across the room. Paki felt his revulsion begin to turn to anger, and he trembled with the effort of holding it in. Propping his elbows on his knees, he leaned forward and put his face in his hands, trying to find some semblance of control.
"So many troubles in one so young."
Paki looked up to see Pater Isak standing at the front of the cathedral. His dark robes were dusted from traveling, and he carried a wrapped bundle. Setting the bundle on the altar, he came to sit beside Paki.
In the years since Paki had first met Isak, he had never found anyone who could match the priest's patience or gentle demeanor. He never heard him raise his voice, even with the smallest children who came to services and were sometimes unruly. Isak seemed to take even the most troubling events in stride, always claiming it wasn't his place to judge.
"Have you ever been afraid of something, but you didn't know if it even existed to fear it?" Paki asked, looking at Isak.
"I'm afraid I don't understand," Isak shook his head. "Can you explain it any better?"
"Adie told me people were disappearing," Paki began after taking a deep breath. "She said they thought they were being held in various dungeons, but..." He swallowed. "I have a bad feeling they're being sacrificed."
Isak's eyes were deeply concerned. "What would make you think that?" he asked. His tone was equally concerned.
Paki shook his head. "I don't know," he paused, then sighed. "Maybe there's just too much going on and my mind's jumping to conclusions."
"Lord Mo'ani told me you earned your cloak," Isak said. "You've been training very hard lately, besides your studying."
Paki nodded. "At least Jensina's humming isn't the cause this time."
"She still hasn't come back then?" Isak asked.
"Not since I read that book about the Wardsman's Woods," Paki answered.
Isak nodded, then put a strong hand on Paki's shoulder. "There are many things to fear," he said. "But there's no need to create demons in the shadows where none exist. Don't let them drive you away from your destiny."
Paki shook his head. That thought never occurred to him.
"There's a new moon in ten days," Isak continued. "I think you should accept your cloak then. I'll stay here for it." Isak usually only stayed for a couple of days at a time.
"Why on the new moon?" Paki asked. Apprentices were cloaked when their skills reached a certain level, so there were several earning their cloaks every week or two. There was no elaborate ceremony involved, just the captain of the guard presenting them with their cloaks and their peers recognizing their achievement.
"I think it will mark a beginning," Isak said after a moment.
Paki thought about it, then shrugged. "I guess," he said. He tightened his hands into fists, trying to stop their trembling. The thoughts in his head still bothered him and he thought it would drive him insane if they didn't settle soon.
Isak smiled and stood up. "Good," he nodded. "And I'll expect to see you and your friends at services tonight."
Thirteen - "I'm going to hang around here"
Paki waited outside the cathedral's door for Bear and Rena. It was dusk and the crickets were just starting their nightly ballad. When Rena appeared in the crowd outside the cathedral, he stepped through to take her arm and pull her to the side with him.
"Why aren't you inside?" she asked.
"Because I was waiting for you and Bear," he answered. He decided to tell them tonight over waiting until Mo'ani announced his cloaking at practice the next day. "I got called into Mo'ani's office earlier today."
"That's what I heard," Rena nodded. "Something isn't wrong, is it?"
"No," Paki paused. He was excited about his cloak, but his talk with Adie still sobered him. "Kile pointed something out to me."
"What?" Rena's eyes searched his, trying to find some hint. Paki kept his emotions calm, not wanting to alert even her empathy. "Paki, tell me."
"I disarmed Janec a couple of days ago," he told her, pausing a second time before smiling faintly. "It won me my cloak."
Rena's eyes widened. "Really?" she asked, disbelief evident in her tone. "You're only eighteen!"
"I know," Paki nodded. "I'm a year younger than Kile was." His smile grew. "I don't think it's quite sunk all the way in yet."
Rena laughed and threw her arms around his neck, kissing him soundly.
"Isn't there a stable where you could take that?" Bear's voice came from behind them.
Rena slowly let go of Paki and slipped her hand into his. She couldn't quit smiling and Paki felt her fingers squeeze his hand.
"Am I missing something?" Bear asked, looking from Rena to Paki.
"Remember that match a couple of days ago that about killed me?" Paki asked him.
"Yeah," Bear nodded. "You could barely move your sword arm for a couple of hours after. Lord Garyn still can't turn his wrist. So?"
Paki waited for Bear to put the pieces together. After a few seconds, Bear shook his head slowly.
"You disarmed him?" he asked.
Paki smiled again and nodded his head.
"You bastard," Bear said, smiling. "You couldn't even wait for me, could you?"
"I saw an opening and took it," Paki shrugged. "Kile and Mo'ani had to point out what I'd done."
Bear chuckled and embraced his friend in congratulations. "So how's the captain taking it?" he asked.
"It doesn't seem to have surprised him," Paki shrugged. "Probab
ly because I didn't have to disarm him to do it."
Bear nodded. "You realize I'm going to have to be insanely jealous for a few days," he pointed out. "I may even have to strongly dislike you for that time."
Paki smiled and squeezed Rena's fingers. He was glad Bear was taking the news in his usual easy manner. He didn't know what he'd do if Bear had a serious problem with it.
"Let's get inside," Rena said. "Or we won't have any place to sit."
"I can't believe you disarmed Janec," Bear said as they turned to the cathedral doors. "I can't believe you didn't tell me."
"I told you I didn't think it was anything special," Paki defended.
They found seats near the back and quieted as Pater Isak began the services. Paki remembered very little of the next two hours. He knew he went up with Bear to put an offering in the braziers before each statue, and said his own silent thanks to the three gods. He'd picked three wildflowers before going to the cathedral and he placed one in each brazier while Bear placed one of his mother's beads. With any luck, Bear would have his own cloak within a couple of months.
The next few days crawled by. Paki spent as much time as he could in the training yard, trying not to think of what was about to happen. If he dwelled on it too much, the days would go by even slower.
Word spread quickly through the apprentices' ranks that he was to be cloaked by Pater Isak on the new moon, and Paki was surprised at how many congratulated him. Even those he least expected.
No longer expected to take part in any training, Paki spent his time either watching the apprentices, or helping Tavish at the corrals. He was working with Tyran early one afternoon, putting him through various paces when the watch signaled approaching riders. Mo'ani and Kile had left a short time before, but nothing had seemed out of the ordinary, so Paki hadn't given it a second thought. He turned his head as the Stronghold gates opened. When Lord and Lady Bavol, along with Mo'ani and Kile and their escort from Bavol rode through, he handed Tyran's lead to one of the stable hands and made his way towards them. Neither Mo'ani nor Kile had said anything about them visiting, and he wondered what would have brought them.