by Jasmine Walt
“I could never fool Father.”
“He might have been a powerful senser, but he had a blind spot when it came to you.” Gone a year, Tan heard how much she missed him. “Had he not, he would have pushed you to the university two years ago.”
“I was only fifteen then.”
“Old enough. Older than I was when I went.”
Tan wanted to ask more, but his mother never spoke of her time at university other than to say that the one good thing she took away from there was his father. “And in spite of your experience, you want me to go.”
She fixed him with a hard look. “I want you to go because of my experience.” She sighed and turned to look back up the road. “It may be hard for you to believe, but there is more to this world than just Nor. You can experience only so much wandering the woods.”
“What if I don’t want to experience anything more? I like tracking and hunting. I like Galen. It’s my home.”
She looked at him again and didn’t say anything. She didn’t have to. Since his father died, Galen hadn’t felt the same for either of them. That, more than anything, was why she wanted him to go.
“If I went to Ethea, what would you do?” he asked.
She blinked slowly, her face fixed in a mask. “I would stay and serve.”
“Because of the king?”
She turned her attention on him again. “There is a price to everything, Tan. This is the price I agreed to pay.”
He shook his head. She still didn’t understand. “But it’s not one I’m willing to pay. I won’t blindly go off like Father.”
She smiled at him sadly. “If you think he went off blindly, then…” She trailed off.
“Then what?”
She swallowed and debated her answer. “I wish he were still here to explain.”
“Me too.”
They stood in silence. After what seemed an eternity, the soft tinkling of bells touched the air. Brightly colored wagons drifted out of the shadows and rolled down the lower foothills and rumbled toward town. As they neared, his mother glanced at him, her eyes warning silence, before turning to face the slowing wagons.
She waved a hand in greeting and the nearest wagon driver waved a response. The rolled sleeves of his bright green jacket revealed tattoos on his massive scarred forearms. “Greetings,” his mother called. The man nodded but did not answer. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mother’s mouth. “I hope the winds of Galen have treated you well and welcomed you to Nor.” The man nodded again and remained silent. “We look forward to trading with the fair Aeta, but before we do, I request to speak to the Mother.”
The wagon driver’s eyes widened a moment at the request. There was a creak and the light tinkling of bells as a door opened on a cart further down the line. A tall woman with streaks of silver in her dark hair strode confidently toward them. She wore a bright red dress and large hoops of gold hung from each ear. A wide silver band circled her throat. As she approached them, the lead wagon driver climbed down to stand next to her. He towered over the woman, standing protectively near her. Muscles strained the seams of the jacket he wore.
“Greetings, Mother,” Tan’s mother spoke as the Aeta woman neared. “You are welcome in Nor.”
The Aeta woman smiled and, with it, her face became radiant. “Am I? Yet you meet us along the edge of town.”
Tan’s mother nodded. “I serve the manor lord and the king. While here, I can attend to any needs you may have.”
The Aeta woman tilted her head in a slight bow. “I am the Mother.”
“I am Ephra.”
The Aeta stared at her for a moment before a curious look came to her face. “That is an interesting name,” she said, pausing and considering his mother. “I knew of a woman once, a powerful shaper, similarly named.”
“Oh?” Her arms tensed slightly.
“Similar, though different. She traveled among us for a time. She was not Ephra, though.”
She tilted her head. “And I’m no shaper. Only Ephra.”
The Mother smiled, narrowing her eyes as she nodded. “Still, you serve the king. That makes you a senser of some value.” His mother waited and the Mother smiled. “I thank you for your welcome, Ephra.” Amusement touched her words, mixing with a musical quality.
Another approaching Aeta interrupted her. Tan’s eyes widened in recognition. The girl from atop the wagon. Pale yellow hair fell gently around her face and she brushed back a stray strand. A thin band of silver, like the Mother’s, circled her delicate neck. Wide eyes took everything in. A light smile turned her full lips. She was not as tall as the Mother, though she had similar features. Seeing her in the forest, he had thought her attractive; up close, she was beautiful.
Something about her pulled at him and his heart began to flutter. His mouth went dry and the back of his throat threatened to close. A soft whistling echoed in his ears. He took a deep breath to steady himself, looking toward his mother to avoid staring.
“Mother,” the Aeta said, unconcerned about interrupting.
The Mother turned to her and frowned. “Amia. You were not summoned.”
“I wasn’t?” Amia smiled. “But I must observe.”
The Mother shook her head once and laid a gentle hand upon Amia’s arm, turning her back toward the wagons. “Not this time. Wait until you’re summoned.”
Amia resisted, turning to Tan and smiling. He felt the pounding in his chest anew. Looking back to the Mother, she asked, “How will I learn to be Mother if I can’t observe?”
The Mother ignored the question and pushed her softly back toward the wagons. “We will talk later, Amia.” Her tone brooked no argument. Amia considered a moment before nodding and returning to the wagons. The Mother watched her until satisfied that she was safely back within the lead wagon before she turned her attention back to Tan’s mother.
“She is young,” Tan’s mother commented.
“She is headstrong,” the Mother countered.
His mother laughed. “Probably. The young often are.” His mother stared at the wagon for a moment before facing the Aeta. “It is not often that one so young is named successor.”
The Aeta paused and considered his mother again before smiling tightly. “It is not often one of the kingdoms understands the ways of the Aeta.”
“Perhaps.” The two women stood facing each other for a long moment before his mother spoke again, glancing again to the wagon where Amia had disappeared. “Regardless,” she started, turning her attention back to the Mother, “you are welcome in Nor. If your wagons are burdened, know that you will find us eager traders and helpful hosts. Anything you may need is simply a question away.”
The Mother tilted her head carefully, watching his mother with suspicious eyes, waiting, as if knowing there would be more.
“As you prepare to trade, Lord Lind requests your wagons be set up on the edge of town.”
The Mother sniffed softly and a dark smile crossed her lips, as if expecting the offer his mother had made. Hands moved to her hips and her fingers gripped the cloth belt wrapped around her waist. “It appears we are not welcome in Nor,” she said carefully. “Rather, we are welcome near Nor.”
The large wagon driver frowned as well, looking over at the low wall circling the town.
“I’m very sorry. Lord Lind has received missives from our king warning of attacks along the borders to the south and east. He prefers caution and asks you respect his request.”
The wagon driver laughed, incredulity clear in the low rumble, and shook his head. “He fears the People?” he asked. The Mother looked sharply at him and his laughter died as the man raised his hands in surrender. “It’s an insult, Mother, and you know it. And after everything we’ve been through—”
The Mother shook her head, cutting the man off. “Nonetheless. We’ll respect the request and remain available for trade. Maybe it’s for the best. Our stop will be regrettably brief. We are able to stay only a short time. Tell your lordship we will soon dep
art from his lands.” Her manor shifted, her demeanor brightening. “But our wagons are burdened and heavy. We’d welcome trade, especially for your Nor steel.”
“You will find the people of Nor eager to trade with the Aeta.”
The Mother nodded once before turning and striding back to her wagon. The large wagon driver paused a moment, staring at Tan and his mother as if about to say something, before he turned and returned to his perch atop the wagon. With a whistle, the caravan started forward, moving off the road to form a wide circle on the edge of Nor.
Tan’s mother watched wordlessly, staring intently at the wagon the Mother had disappeared into, before turning back to Tan and sighing. She shook her head as she did. “He doesn’t know what he’s done,” she said quietly, frowning.
“Who?”
She looked at him as if realizing that he had been there the entire time, shaking her head again. Hair that had been pulled tight did not move with the motion. She lightly touched the locket at her neck before answering, taking a deep breath as she did. “It’s customary to allow the Aeta to trade within the walls of town.”
The only other times the Aeta had visited, their wagons had circled the town square and a weeklong festival had accompanied the trading. The Mother had said the visit would be brief and he wondered now how long the Aeta would stop in Nor.
“They are the wanderers,” his mother continued, “and their history is one marked with much sadness.” She shook her head, staring at the Aeta now departing their wagons. “It’s customary to provide shelter and give them a sense of home, if only briefly.” She sighed, as if thinking of a terrible memory, before turning back to face town. “There is something off here.”
“How do you know?”
She sniffed. “Tannen,” she scolded, “I know you sense it. In spite of their past, the Aeta are a happy people. Something has happened that’s made them somber and careful. I worry what that might be.”
Tan looked back at the Aeta and saw the beautiful Amia staring unabashedly at him from behind one of the wagons. As he turned, his heart started hammering wildly again. He turned away and hurried to catch up to his mother.
She looked over, as if knowing his thoughts. “Finish your chores before you chase that girl.”
“I’m not chasing—” he protested.
“I saw your eyes. And I know how young men think.” A distant note came to her voice as she hurried back to the manor house.
5
A Pig and a Rat
Tan cleaned the stables faster than he had ever managed before. Thoughts of missed opportunities to watch the Aeta hurried his work. But more than just the Aeta, he wanted to see Amia again. Even the thought of her made his palms sweaty.
The moon shone brightly in the cloudless night sky. The sound of laughter and hundreds of voices all talking at the same time echoed from the edge of town. Had he finished the chore he’d promised his mother before tracking the prints into the forest, he would have been free to watch the trading. Now he missed some of the early excitement.
He followed the sounds, passing the small shops at the center of town and the rough stone homes on the edge of town, until he reached the low town wall and passed through. As he did, he realized his mother was right. It felt wrong for the Aeta to camp on the other side of the wall. Why should the wall separate them from Nor, if even for a night?
The scene was much different than it had been earlier in the day. Lanterns blazed bright, illuminating wagons and traders. The wagons formed a circle, and each had a table folded down and stacked with items for sale or trade. The Aeta stood beside each table and called out to passersby, though truly most were already engaged in conversation. A large throng of people moved through the middle of the wagons, most talking and laughing. Some locals pushed carts through the crowd, selling food or crafts. Several fire pits had been erected and their wide flames lit the night.
In spite of the trading, something seemed off. Tan couldn’t quite place what he felt. Most of the Aeta were quick to make a sale or traded easily for the steel local craftsmen were known for. There was not the joy upon the faces of the Aeta he remembered, nor the frantic energy from them as they pressed each transaction.
Tan tripped and bumped into someone as he moved through the circle of wagons. “I’m sorry…” He trailed off as he turned and saw Amia. The thin band of silver at her neck gleamed softly in the lantern light.
She tilted her head, considering him for a moment. “You.”
“I’m sorry,” he said again. His mouth suddenly felt dry. He licked his lips, trying to force moisture back onto his lips.
The corner of her mouth tilted slightly in a hint of a smile. “I’ve seen you before.” Her voice was musical and soft, though a hidden vein of steel ran through it. Someone who was accustomed to having her way.
“I’m Ephra’s son and was with her when she met with the Mother earlier today.”
Amia closed her eyes and nodded. “You were, but that wasn’t the first.” The comment was not a question. There was an air of curiosity to what she said.
“In the forest as well,” he acknowledged. He had forgotten the sounds of the trading around him, unable to focus on anything other than Amia.
“You spied upon us as we traveled?”
“I wasn’t—” Tan sputtered. “I was tracking an animal that had killed some of our sheep.”
“What kind of animal?”
Tan shook his head, remembering the unusual tracks upon the ground and the strange beasts that had trapped him in the tree. “I don’t know.”
Disappointment swept through him when Amia frowned. She glanced from him to look back toward the mountains looming behind them, a darkness shadowed against the night. “Were you successful? Did you find your creature?”
“More like they found me.” When she frowned, he went on. “I followed their tracks up the mountain, following their howls.” She winced briefly as he said this and Tan wondered why. “They surrounded me, chasing me into a tree.”
“You’re safe now.” She eyed him up and down, as if appraising a horse.
He nodded. “I am. Something scared them off.”
She frowned again, a sad tip of her full lips, still managing to remain beautiful. “What did you do to scare them off?”
“I didn’t do anything. I shot arrows at them but it didn’t do any good. A gust of wind, I think, scared them.”
“I’m surprised you were able to track them.”
“It wasn’t easy.”
She shook her head and opened her mouth as if to speak, but was interrupted by the sudden appearance of three large figures slowly emerging from the shadows to hover behind Tan.
“Minden,” one sneered, “out of your element, here, don’t you think?”
“Lins,” Tan acknowledged.
Lins Alles was Lord Lind’s son and carried himself as if he were related to King Althem himself, bullying and taking whatever he wanted. It was unfortunate his father never disciplined him. Truth be told, few—if any—of the often cruel and just mean-spirited things he did made it to his father’s ears for discipline. Most were too scared to say anything. Tan had once made the unfortunate decision to complain about Lins to his mother, who promptly spoke to Lord Lind.
Lins never forgave Tan for the insult, ignoring the beating that had been the impetus for Tan’s grumbling. Now Lins and his ever-present friends Rapen and Niles used every opportunity to pick on or humiliate Tan. Usually Tan had the presence of mind to steer clear of the lord’s son, but occasionally he could not be avoided. He closed his eyes, wondering what humiliation Lins would think to bestow upon him tonight, and worse, in the presence of Amia.
“Lord Lins,” Lins said proudly, turning toward the Aeta. Rapen and Niles remained silent, only grunting to note their presence.
“Not yet,” Tan muttered, shaking his head. Maybe by that time he’d finally leave Nor. Or maybe something would happen to Lins, though that seemed too much to hope for.
Lins
glared at him and turned to Amia. He offered her a toothy smile. She tilted her head carefully and studied him. Tan felt a sudden pressure behind his ears that passed quickly before she smiled a half-smile.
“And you are?” Lins asked.
Amia shook her head slowly. “No one near as important.”
Lins laughed, a harsh and grating sound. “Nonsense.” His tone gave lie to his words. He turned his attention back to Tan, though remained facing Amia as he did. “Finish cleaning my stable, Minden?”
“It’s your father’s.”
“It’s the same.” He smiled quickly at Amia. “At least my father has something of value to pass on to me.” Rapen and Niles laughed with Lins.
Amia watched him carefully, ignoring the smile Lins offered and the brutish forms of Rapen and Niles. Pressure built behind his ears again that passed quickly. She crossed her arms over her chest and turned suddenly to Lins, returning his smile with an almost feral one.
“And what have you done of value today, my lord?” Her voice retained its musical quality but carried an edge with it.
Lins’s smile faltered. “I aid my father in the running of Nor.”
“Oh?”
Tan suppressed a laugh. If chasing the young women of Nor and bullying the boys helped his father, then Lins indeed aided him. Lins glanced over to him and glared again.
“The horses find value in what Tan has done today,” Amia said.
“The horses?” Lins asked, laughing.
Amia nodded.
“I’m sure the horses care that their manure has been shoveled.”
The Aeta shrugged. “Perhaps, but they enjoyed the hay.” Her smile hardened. “There’s value in such work. I don’t know if there’s value in a pig-faced boy who thinks insulting others makes him appealing. I will ask the Mother.”
Lins wore a look of shock that Amia would dare insult him. Tan felt certain he would not take it well. Rapen and Niles laughed in spite of themselves, stifling it suddenly when Lins glared at them. They both raised their hands in submission before backing away.
Lins looked from Amia, who now smiled innocently, to Tan, who had found the sense to close his mouth, his face reddening with anger. His jaw worked to speak before he finally found his words. “Minden,” he sputtered, focusing his rage upon Tan, as Tan knew he would. “I will leave you with this Aeta rat and will find you later.”