Circle of Reign

by Jacob Cooper

  “Now, this time,” Thannuel coaxed, gently taking his daughter’s hand, “place your hand flush against the trunk. Try to make your whole palm touch the bark. The palm is the most sensitive part. When the vibrations come don’t pull back. They can’t hurt you. Focus and single something out.”

  “Like what?” Reign asked. Thannuel could see she was still a little shaken from the onslaught of vibrations she had just taken in. A wood-dweller first learning to speak with a tree could feel as if ten thousand voices were yelling out at once for attention.

  “Something small and simple,” her father answered.

  “What’s that?” she asked again.

  Thannuel smiled at his daughter. “You’ll see. If Hedron can do it, you can too.”

  She looked up at Hedron, who stood a few paces off, for moral support. His arms were folded with a condescending look upon his face. “Not likely,” he mused. “She’s just a girl.”

  Hurt, Reign looked back at her father. He glanced disapprovingly at Hedron and then whispered to Reign, “Hedron screamed and turned white as a she-goat when he first tried.” Reign giggled and looked back up at her brother. Seeing her amusement at his expense, Hedron dropped his arms to his side and protested, “Father!”

  Thannuel just laughed with Reign. After a moment, he comforted Hedron. “You did fine, son.”

  Turning back to Reign, he asked, “Ready?”

  “But why a Triarch, father? Why not an elm, or oak?”

  “All trees of the West can speak, Reign. We say speak, but the trees are more of a conduit to hearing and feeling what’s around us. A Triarch is the most sensitive tree we know. It’s more…” Thannuel paused as he considered the right word. “Fluent,” he finally said.

  “What’s a conduit?” Reign persisted.

  “Something that allows you to sense other things through it, like feeling movement in the forest through this Triarch.”

  “What’s fluent?” Reign asked. Thannuel’s face formed a half-smile as he caught on to his daughter’s delay tactic.

  “No more questions. Now, are you ready?”

  She shuddered and nodded nervously, letting her father move her hand back to the mighty Triarch, probably a thousand years old. Reign took a breath and held it. She extended her hand, palm out, and laid it against the trunk once more with her father’s hand over hers. The rush was again overwhelming, causing her to grimace from the discomfort. Her father whispered encouragement to her, gently but firmly keeping her hand against the tree.

  “Focus,” he whispered. “Open your mind and let the vibrations flow through you. Become a channel, a pathway.”

  “A conduit,” she mumbled, her eyes closed tightly. As Reign struggled with the effort, she felt movement in the streets of Calyn. Purchasers at market with the traders; an argument over the price of the day’s catch from the Roniah River; a mother scolding her youngling for wandering too far; hunters several leagues north tracking deer; fowl of some create building a nest above the canopy; soldiers back at the hold in training, Aiden’s voice bellowing out commands as they worked through different kata; a family of squirrels gathering acorns for the winter in an oak tree nearby.

  “Squirrels!” Reign squeaked in excitement. As she focused more on the squirrels, the other sounds became quieter, moving to the background.

  Amazing! she thought. Her face relaxed as the overwhelming plethora of information faded to a streamlined channel to the squirrels. There are four. Two would run up the tree, harvesting the acorns by freeing them and letting them drop to the ground below. The other two would then gather them into groups at the base of the tree. When they had enough, the ground squirrels chattered some rhythmic vocabulary to those above, and they retreated back down the oak, regrouping. This was followed by an organized transport of the acorns to some retreat they had previously prepared. Reign’s smile was full of joy.

  She pulled her hand away reluctantly, breaking the connection. Wonder emanated from her eyes. “It works, father, it works! I found a family of squirrels, and they were getting acorns and dropping them down and the other two would put them with the others and—”

  “I know, I know,” Thannuel said with a gentle laugh. “I felt them, too.”

  Reign looked up at her brother with a smug expression. “At least I didn’t scream!” she jeered.

  “All right you two, I think I hear your mother calling.”

  “I don’t hear anything,” Hedron said.

  “Son, there are some things that don’t require speaking with trees to sense.”

  Reign stood and looked up at her father with joy at her accomplishment of speaking with a Triarch.

  “I feel so alive now! Like a real wood-dweller!”

  “Oh, I don’t know about that,” her father teased.

  Reign punched his leg and Thannuel chuckled. “That tickled!”

  “But how is it that we can do this and other races can’t?” she asked.

  “Now that is a good question—one that many outside our race, and even many within, have struggled to answer. Arlethians can feel the currents of life. The Living Light is what they are actually called and it permeates through all things.”

  “Even rocks? Dirt?”

  Well, yes, actually.” Thannuel pursed his lips. “But those currents are much more difficult to discern.”

  “And no one else can do this? I mean, speaking with trees?”

  Thannuel appeared to ponder for a minute, as if deciding what to say next. “Truthfully, anyone can learn to do it. Arlethians have an easier time because of our heritage, but the ability to feel the currents is not a birthright exclusive to wood-dwellers. It has more to do with the principles one lives by than genealogy. Anyone who approaches the Ancients can learn.”

  “I don’t get it,” Reign said. “The Ancients are gone.”

  “Yes, I suppose they are.” He reached forward and tousled Reign’s hair. “Now, let’s get moving before your mother knocks the Light from each of us for being late for dinner.”

  She reached out and hugged him. She loved his sharp features, high cheekbones, hair the color of leaves in the Dimming Season, stout chin and soft smile. After holding the embrace for a few moments she released her father and looked upon him once more. His face suddenly morphed in something else, something wrong. He now wore the face of the scary man with deep carved designs in his skin and clothed in a thick hooded robe. Heavy rain was suddenly present and streamed down the glyphs of his face like small rivers flooding a desert. A sword hung in one hand, coated in blood. A couple paces away, her father lay on his back, his life’s blood mixing with the rain as it streamed from a gaping wound in his chest.

  “Reign,” he said weakly, and then turned to stone. His loving eyes became cold, hard, and gray like granite.

  Reign stepped back in terror, not able to breathe. She was confused and did not understand. She tried to scream, but no sound came. As she turned to run for the safety of the Triarch tree she had just spoken with, her legs failed her and the ground raced up to meet her.

  Waking with a start, Reign saw Hedron and Aiden asleep on the earth next to her. The fire lay in smoldering ashes and dying embers. A light snow had frosted them during the night and she tasted snowflakes on her lips. They were only a day’s journey from Jayden’s land, currently somewhere in the southern reaches of the Gonfrey Forest, where the trees were not known and did not speak. They had entered the Northern Province yesterday after traveling for almost a full cycle where the climate turned noticeably more hostile due to the change in season as much as the change in their location. Even with a wood-dweller’s speed, many days were required to travel from Calyn to Jayden’s land far in the Gonfrey Forest to the north unless one was exercising caution, in which case the journey would be longer due to a more erratic route. The small company had exercised extreme caution on their journey.

  Rumors of wars and battles between Therrium and Wellyn had begun to emerge in the few span since their reunion. Aiden had received
leave from Lord Therrium and traveled with the young Kerr twins. He did not really seem to care where they were going, so long as he accompanied them. It was strange having company, sharing openly with someone else besides Hedron, but Reign felt an air of protection around Aiden that comforted her.

  Night was still present, but Reign didn’t think she could return to sleep. The dreams were changing now, more threatening, although the essence was the same.

  She felt it, sensed it. Near her. She tensed, preparing to fight back. However, this time it didn’t push against her. It felt more like something brushing against her, like being gently wrapped in a cloak. There was almost a familiarity about the feeling, but Reign did not let her mind enter that realm where memories would take her over the edge of grief and fear. This time, Reign pushed on it, forcing it from her.

  Their travels later that day were done in relative silence. Reign was determined to reach Jayden as quickly as possible and seemed to move through the forest with singular focus. More than once Hedron’s request to rest went unanswered. Reign felt safer nowhere else than amongst Jayden’s packs.

  It’s home for me, she admitted. The only home I have left.

  As they came closer to their destination, a smile found Reign’s face. She felt the light pouncing of her old friend tracking her, trying to sneak up on her. The quick footfall become faster and louder suddenly. Aiden stopped, spinning around warily. A huge white wolf leaped over him and tackled Reign, snarling and baring his teeth.

  Aiden drew his sword and yelled, “Reign!” He began to run toward her in defense but stopped suddenly hearing her laughter and the wolf’s snarls turning to the sound of tongue licking. Hedron tackled the wolf, sounding out a playful battle cry. It wasn’t long before the wolf regained the advantage and pinned Hedron down on his back. Then Hedron also began to laugh.

  “What’s this, then?” Aiden asked in utter bewilderment. The wolf looked up appraisingly at Aiden and bared his teeth with a light growl, but ceased when he saw the sword Aiden bore. Leaving Hedron, the large white wolf casually walked over to Aiden and inspected the sword in his hand. It whined a low cry of sorrow and longing.

  Aiden was still a bit wary although he could see the Kerr twins obviously knew the animal.

  “Aiden, this is Crimson Snow, one of Jayden’s pack,” Reign said. “He protected us many years ago when we were fleeing Calyn.”

  “He knew father’s cloak, which I wore,” Hedron added.

  “Ahhh,” Aiden said, drawing out his response. “I do know this one. Your father called him Elohk, but it was so long ago. He must be thirteen now, at least. That’s an ancient age for a wolf.” Aiden reached out his free hand to slowly pet the wolf behind his ears, but Crimson Snow barked out a warning.

  “Crimson!” Reign rebuked. “Aiden is known to us. He is a protector to Hedron and me. He’ll not harm you and is no threat to us.” Crimson Snow did not look comforted by Reign’s reassurance. She approached and took Aiden’s hand and slowly moved it to Crimson Snow’s head just behind the ears.

  “Easy,” she coaxed. “There, not so bad, see?” After a few strokes, Crimson Snow lowered his ears in allowance of the act. A few more strokes and the wolf sat down on its rear haunches, whimpering for more attention.

  “Uh, I think he sat down on my foot,” Aiden said. “Do I dare remove it?”

  “It looks like you might have made a friend. I think Crimson is attempting to pin you down so he gets continued pampering from you,” Hedron teased.

  “Aye, I do remember,” Aiden said. “Elohk, or, that is, Crimson Snow, was the most apt training companion for Thannuel. Your father was so fast and intense when training. This was the one that could hold his pace. Aye, I remember.” He continued to rub gently behind the ears as a distant look overcame him. He seemed to be revisiting memories that had long been stowed away.

  Reign studied Crimson Snow for a short time and then spoke: “Come, Crimson, let us be off to Jayden. Our journey has been long and I am eager to see her again.” Crimson bounded toward the small cottage in the distance with smoke coming from the chimney, Reign not far behind.

  Hedron and Aiden watched while Reign and the wolf darted toward Jayden’s cottage.

  “What is it, Hedron? What torments your sister to such a degree?” Aiden asked.

  “I…” Hedron hesitated. “I’m not completely sure, Aiden. Somewhere inside her I know that she loves our father, but she exudes such hatred when he is mentioned.”

  “Hatred?” Aiden replied. “Or, is it regret?”

  “Regret over what? There was nothing she could have done. Nothing at all. How could she have regret?”

  “Not for what she could have done, Hedron, but for the loss of her father, him being stolen from her. It’s almost as if she blames him for dying.” I have enough regret in that area for all of us many times over.

  Hedron did not answer, but considered Aiden’s words. They were not far from his own ponderings about his sister. “Perhaps, but I just don’t know. Every time I’ve tried to—to pry it out of her, she enters into a rage or just completely shuts down. And then there are the dreams, or dream, rather. I think she only has one, over and over.”

  “What do you mean? What dream?”

  “They are of the night father fell…” Hedron started to answer, then shook his head as he looked away. “I don’t know the details. I’m sorry. I wish I knew more. I won’t deny that finding you has rekindled new hope about somehow getting through to her. She struggles against something—something she thinks is real, something physical.”

  “Again, Hedron, I’m lost. Forgive me, but what is it you mean?”

  “I…don’t know. She says it pushes her, or against her. She won’t talk about it much and that’s all I really know. Pathetic that after six years it’s all I’ve gathered, I know.”

  Aiden did not respond to this last bit of information, but mentally stored it to revisit later. Instead, he turned completely to the boy. “What will you do, Hedron? How will you lead your house?”

  Hedron looked bewildered and snapped, “What house? There is no house, no hold. There’s nothing for me to lead. I am not yet a man nor am I meant for such things. That life ended long ago. Our only hope now is to survive and continue unnoticed.”

  Again, Aiden said nothing. In the distance, he could hear Jayden laugh as she embraced Reign. Sensing this was not the time to press the subject, he opted to let it rest for now.

  “Come,” Aiden said. “Let’s get out of the cold.”

  THIRTY

  Ehliss

  Day 27 of 1st Dimming 412 A.U.

  AFTER HALF A SPAN PLUS ONE DAY on the Glaciers of Gonfrey, Ehliss’ provisions had begun to dwindle. She wasn’t worried, however. Her training as a member of the Ministry of Terran Studies had prepared her against all manner of elements and challenges, allowing her to survive on meager rations and in harsh climate.

  She’d completed her last assignment on the open plains of the East in record time and hastily submitted her findings. They were in line with what Minister Findlay had feared: few worms, fewer birds.

  She was technically north of the Realm’s borders, as the Gonfrey Forest was considered the most northern boundary. There was nothing beyond the forest, which lay in a near constant state of the Low Season, save for the glaciers that extended for hundreds of leagues. No one had dared venture to cross such an expanse in the overwhelming harsh conditions, but Ehliss often daydreamed of being the first to lead an expedition in just such an attempt.

  Nothing made her father prouder as when she was admitted to the Terran Studies Academy other than her acceptance to the Ministry itself. As the previous Minister of Terran Studies, Karuyl had long awaited a son whom he hoped would follow in his footsteps. The Ancient Heavens did not agree with his desires for a boy, but when his third daughter showed extreme interest in the land and its origin, Karuyl fostered her intrigue greatly, growing her embryonic interest into a lifelong passion that probably exceeded his own.
The questions Ehliss would ask her father, from the movement of the sun in the sky to the purpose of worms in the soil, astounded him and showed intelligence beyond her youth that Karuyl recognized as truly unique. Further yet, there were few things that she could not understand in their complexity and often was frustrated with her father’s simplified answers. He soon learned not to hold anything back in explanation or detail from his demanding daughter.

  As Ehliss grew into a young woman, she decided to give little time to suitors who came calling. She was hardly the most beautiful woman in the Realm and was in fact rather plain. The few prearranged courtings her father had arranged that she consented to were abnormally brief, being ended shortly after their commencement by the young men involved. The complaint was always the same: Ehliss didn’t speak much at all unless she was asked about something pertaining to terran studies, and then her ramblings became incessant and excited. After one evening, a young man returned her home to Karuyl and said, “I’m sorry, Minister, but I cannot understand half the words she speaks.”

  Ehliss decided that men were a waste of her time after that and she threw herself completely into her studies. They filled her completely, she claimed, and were the source of her happiness. A man who would win her over would need to be able to speak intelligently about more than his latest hunt or the number of children she would bear him.

  Here upon the glaciers, Ehliss felt free and energized. She had taken dozens of samples, coring down in the ice scores of feet and carefully retracting slender cylinder-shaped ice shards. The deeper the sample she extracted, the darker the color of the ice. She had theorized that somehow the study of this older ice could give her clues as to the age, speed of movement of the glaciers and perhaps even ideas of the conditions that prevailed on the land thousands of years ago.

  Ehliss had also been monitoring a dark cloud that she noticed just a day after arriving at the glaciers. It was far to the northern horizon but appeared to be growing, she noticed, or getting closer. It was a curious event, one that excited her. A storm of sorts that forms on ice? Or perhaps maintains enough of its power from starting on land to move across a glacier? And if it did start on land, then there must be land beyond the glaciers after all. She hoped she would be able to study the phenomenon if it came close enough and if provisions remained long enough to sustain her. A half span ago it was smaller, more than thirty leagues off, by her guess.