by Dana Davis
“Then, I am dead. A specter.” That last statement was no longer a question, even in her mind.
“I’m afraid so.”
Adelsik was on her feet now and she took Maesa’s hand. “We can still see each other. I’ll come every night to visit you.”
“What about Birek? I wish to see him.”
“I’m afraid that’s not possible,” Lyssinya told her. “He can’t slumber, remember?”
“But we’re going to marry.” She wouldn’t tell them that she had lain with Birek just after they had set up camp outside the hamlet. Taniras, Haranda and others were away on some errand or other, so they snuck into the trees unnoticed. Maesa had taken Birek there. In her root village, a proper lady didn’t sleep with a man before marriage, and she certainly didn’t act so forward as to start intimate relations, but Maesa no longer cared about her root home’s decorum. After the kin’s brush with death at the hands of Croferituus, she no longer cared about many things that had bothered her before. Gypsies didn’t seem bothered about whether a couple married or not. What a couple did or didn’t do behind doors was their private business. Maesa loved Birek, he loved her, and they were both adults, despite her youngling status. They had broken Gypsy rules and she was glad of that now. “Take me to his dreams. I want to see him.”
“He grieves now. His kin comfort him. You can’t stay here, little one.” Lyssinya stroked Maesa’s hair.
Adelsik stepped between them. “What are you saying, Lyssinya? Of course she can stay.” She turned to Maesa. “We’re the best of friends. Sisters under the Goddess. I can help you create a world here, whatever you wish. I’ll visit every night. Bring messages to Birek if you like. Help you enter his dreams.”
Maesa studied the two women and shook her head. That would be no life for Birek. She loved him but she was dead. Acceptance of the situation filled her. Grief came and went for her life, for Birek, for Adelsik, for the rest of her kin, grief that seemed to last merely a heartbeat. A great weight suddenly lifted and she was overcome with a sense of peace. Birek would be all right, no matter what happened, and someday, the two would meet up again. She gazed over the ocean and remembered Myad. His clothes had gone out of fashion decades earlier or more.
“He doesn’t have peace.”
“He will, Maesa.” Adelsik took her hand. “Birek will have peace. He just needs to grieve. I can help.”
“No, not Birek.” Something tugged at her and many things that she didn’t understand in the mundane world became clear. Life didn’t end. She wouldn’t end. Death was a beginning, a new start of a cycle that never ceased. She had to accept this or else be trapped like Myad and his friends, searching for what she couldn’t go back to. Another life awaited her. Another chance to make a difference in the world. She caressed Adelsik’s moist cheek. “Tell Birek I love him.”
“I will.” Adelsik’s eyes brightened.
Maesa smiled at her and then at Lyssinya. “I have to go now.”
“What?” Adelsik sputtered. “Go where?” Those innocent eyes narrowed and she shook her head. “No. You can’t go away. You can’t leave me again.”
Maesa stroked the soft cheek. “My dear sister. We’ll meet again someday. Just not in the body you knew of me.” Strange how that was so clear to her. “I’ll be born again. The Goddess has a new task for me.”
Tears fled down Adelsik’s cheeks. “How do you know that?”
“I just do.” She also knew she needed to leave this place.
“But how will I know you, Maesa? When you’re reborn. How will I find you?”
“The Goddess will take care of that. We’re destined to be together, all of us. Always.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You will someday. Grieve for me, my Gypsy sister. But don’t stop living. You mustn’t give up.” A sense of darkness pushed at her from somewhere and another thing became clear. “Croferituus can be found where the light is dimmest.”
“What does that mean, Maesa?” The red-haired Sage studied her closely.
“I’m not certain. You’ll have to figure that out for yourselves.” Amazing how she no longer hated the yellow-eyed woman, had no need for revenge. She gazed out over the ocean. Yes, that’s where she needed to be. Something pulled at her from the distance, something safe and warm. And urgent.
She hugged Lyssinya and then Adelsik. “Tell the others I’m well. I’m at peace. Tell them I love them and that we’ll be together again when the Goddess wills it.” She gently wiped Adelsik’s tears and smoothed her hair. “Be well my sisters.”
She pushed off from the sand and flew over the ocean. She felt no sorrow. As she flew toward her future, Adelsik’s pleas grew so distant that she could no longer hear them and then they were forgotten. All she wanted was to find her way here, to see what her next life would bring. She felt a sense of lightness, joy, love and warmth that she had never experienced. A beautiful light enveloped her and nothing mattered anymore.
Chapter 6
Adelsik screamed for Maesa until she was hoarse but the woman didn’t turn back. A blinding light, much too bright to look at, enveloped her sister’s specter. When she had her sight again, Maesa was gone. Lyssinya wept beside her and the two held each other for a long while. When they got back to their bodies, Predula and Haranda sat near Henny, dozing.
Maesa had been Adelsik’s closest friend, her clan sister. Losing the woman twice made her angry as well as heartbroken and she wept again. She didn’t even realize that Haranda had taken Lyssinya’s place until the woman spoke.
“Hush, now.” The Gypsy rocked Adelsik like a child. “What happened, Lyssinya?”
“She found Maesa.”
Someone cursed but Adelsik simply allowed her former clan mother to hold her as they sat on the straw bedding.
“Did she move on?” Haranda’s voice caught.
“Yes. She seemed quite peaceful about it. Adelsik can tell you more once she’s able. The messages were given to her. I will tell you that Maesa said Croferituus could be found ‘where the light is dimmest.’”
“What in blazes does that mean?” Wren’s voice. The white-haired Gypsy had become increasingly bitter since Maesa’s death, even more moody than Elder Siri.
“I wish I knew.” Lyssinya kept her voice calm. “Ved’nuri might be able to help. I think she referred to someplace in the Netherworld. At least, that’s the impression I got.”
“The void, maybe?” Haranda this time.
“Perhaps. But we don’t know where that is, exactly.”
Adelsik wrapped arms tighter around her former clan mother. The woman’s voice grew soft. “Shh. I have you. We’ll get through this. I’m not going anywhere.”
That caused Adelsik’s tears to run even more. She longed for comfort, for a respite from everything that had happened the last few sunrises. She wanted Maesa back, Henny to wake, her kin safe.
“I’ll gather the Elders,” Wren said. “Lyssinya. You get the slumberers together.”
“Yes, Wren.”
Feet shuffled on the hay and a draft blew in when someone opened the door. It had grown colder, but Adelsik didn’t care. She simply wept until she fell asleep.
* * * *
When she awoke, it was evening. She hadn’t slumbered again. Hadn’t searched out Maesa in the Netherworld. She wouldn’t find her sister there anymore. Her eyes felt gritty and she rubbed at them. The hearth fire and several wall lanterns gave off heat and light. Siri sat near Henny, bent over the youngling.
“Elder Siri?”
“Oh, child.” Siri flipped her head around. Gold hair bangles tinkled. “You’re awake. Good. I’m afraid I was a bit preoccupied. You fell asleep and Haranda didn’t know whether you remembered to protect yourself. I did that for you.”
Adelsik smiled weakly. The woman had gone to the Netherworld to put that in place and probably stayed to watch over her and Henny. Siri was one of few who could hide another’s footprint in the Netherworld. “Thank you, Elder. I had forgotten.
My apologies.” She could have been attacked Netherworld for that stupidity. She rubbed at gritty eyes and scratched at her itchy head. When was the last time she had washed her hair? Not since it got cold.
“Don’t apologize to me, new-oathed.” The Elder’s voice was tender as she turned completely around to face Adelsik. “We tend to forget simple things when we grieve. That’s what kin are for.” She reached over and caressed Adelsik’s cheek with her large hand. “How do you feel?”
“Tired.” Exhausted. Spent. Angry. Sad. “How’s Henny?” She tugged the blankets around herself as she watched the youngling’s shallow breaths.
“No change.”
“Is she going to die?” That thought made her want to weep all over again but there were no tears left just now.
“I can’t say. We must be prepared for that possibility.”
Adelsik nodded and swallowed back bile just as Haranda entered with Predula and Lyssinya on her heels.
Her former clan mother made a beeline for her. “How are you?”
“Haranda, please let me have a look at her,” Predula said. “Unless you’ve suddenly acquired healing Energy.”
“She’s been testy ever since you fell asleep.” Haranda winked at Adelsik as she moved from Predula’s path. No doubt trying to lift the mood.
The healer gave Haranda a sour look as she squatted and held a lantern up to Adelsik’s eyes. She set the lantern down and placed one hand on her patient’s forehead, while the fingers of her other hand felt the vein in her arm. Adelsik sat quietly as lilac scented healing Energy probed through her body. There was no pain, of course, but the sensation left her a bit twitchy.
After several heartbeats, Predula sat back on her heels and offered a weary smile. “She’s well.”
“I could have told you that.” Adelsik rubbed at herself to soothe the crawling skin sensation.
“Don’t get testy with me, girl,” the finicky Gypsy said. Her wild hair moved about, despite the knot it had been twisted into, and her dress looked an ill fit, as usual. Despite her words, those lips curled into a slight smile, which brightened her tired eyes.
“Yes, Predula,” Adelsik said with a syrupy slur. She felt better with her kin beside her.
“I said you were well but you do have a minor problem.”
Her heart raced. “What?”
“Predula?” Haranda said when the woman paused. “Out with it, woman.”
“Lice.”
“What? Lice? I don’t. I have never had lice in my life.” Her head itched and she forced herself not to scratch.
Predula narrowed eyes on her. “You have lice. Probably caught them from Taniras. I treated her this morning. Apparently she got the buggers from her four-legged companions.”
Haranda chuckled but it sounded forced. “A price for being the wolf singer.”
“So far, she’s infected Snowy, several servants and Brev villagers, two Bankari, three Hunters, and one other that I’ve been sworn to secrecy about.” Predula offered a weary smile again. “I’ll mix up a hair ointment for you and have the laundry women cook up a dip for your clothes and bedding. They’re getting extremely quick at that, even in this weather. Meanwhile, keep your head covered and try not to spread them any further.” The healer surprised Adelsik by grabbing her face with warm hands. “And keep yourself safe. I won’t lose another kin.”
Adelsik tried to nod but Predula’s hands kept her face still. “Henny?”
The healer released her and gazed over at the youngling. “She’s weak. We’re feeding her each day with a reed straw to get nutrition into her body. We can do no more for her. She’s in the Goddess’s hands now.
“Will she live? Truth, Predula.” She was surprised at the strength in her voice. “I want the complete truth, not some watered down version you feed to younglings.”
The healer’s mouth tightened. “Very well.” Her eyes flicked to Henny a heartbeat. “I don’t believe she’ll survive more than a few sunrises.”
That hit Adelsik harder than expected, slammed into her gut like a cold anvil. Her eyes began to tear and she sucked on her lips to keep from crying. After several heartbeats, she had her emotions under control, barely. “Thank you.” She scooted to Henny and placed a hand on the girl’s covered arm. “I love you, sister. Maesa loves you.” She got to her feet and swiped fingers across her wet cheeks. “I have messages to deliver.”
“Are you certain?”
“Please, Haranda. I need to do this.” The Gypsy narrowed eyes on her then nodded. “Maesa wants everyone to know she’s at peace. She will be reborn and told me that we would all be together again someday.” Adelsik felt better saying that aloud. “She said we would always be together.”
“Goddess wills it,” Siri uttered.
“Goddess wills it,” the rest repeated.
Adelsik started for the door when Lyssinya stepped in front of her. “Do you wish company?” The red-haired Sage had been in the Netherworld when Maesa said her goodbyes, and Adelsik felt a special connection to this woman, even more profound than before.
“Yes, thank you, Lyssinya.” The Sage scooped up Adelsik’s cloak and handed it to her. Someone had lined it with fur. “It’s that cold, now?”
“I’m afraid so. Have your boots been slicked?”
Adelsik glanced at her feet and the fur lining that stuck out of the tops. “Yes. One of the servants oiled them again yesterday.” She slipped on goatskin gloves.
Haranda tied a fur-lined scarf about her head. “That should keep your little friends from jumping.” Her mouth crooked up on one side.
“Very funny. I can’t believe Taniras gave me lice!”
When she and Lyssinya stepped outside, the snow had been shoveled to create paths from the buildings to the privies behind. More paths led to fires, tables and wagons. There didn’t look to be any more snow on the ground than yesterday but the air bit at Adelsik’s cheeks. She glanced around. Some were in furs, some in cloaks or shortcoats. Many wore layers of odd clothing just to stay warm. A pang of guilt began to gnaw at her. While the Gypsy women slept inside the buildings, everyone else had to make do in tents. All the men had beards now, or at least the beginnings, with the exception of a few islanders and the Guana youngling, who had no body hair. A few Hunters didn’t seem as bothered by the weather and had heads and hands uncovered.
Evening light created long shadows on the ground. Adelsik looked toward the hamlet and saw that not many villagers ventured outside. Those who had were fetching water from the icy river or frozen clothes from the lines. A couple of men wandered back from the forest with two rabbits. Not even full-grown ones.
Lyssinya walked beside her as she made her way to find Birek. “How much food is left?” she asked the tall woman. “Do we have enough to get through this?”
“We have enough for now. But the cooks are rationing. Most of the animals have found shelter or fled the area. We have enough flour and oats, dried meats and fruits for several sunrises. But after that, we’ll have to take other measures. Several from the hamlet have already been sneaking around. The guards chased them off. For now. The horses are getting thin and a few might end up in stew if this weather continues much longer. At least we don’t have hounds to feed.” The Bankari that had headed back to their sea city had taken them.
Adelsik shook her head. Desperate people ate horses. Were they that desperate? “We can’t stay here. Even if we ate all the mounts, we can’t survive this cold. There’s not enough room in the two buildings for everyone.” At least with the sun up, they had a little warmth. But at night things became quite frigid. “Has anyone gone into the hamlet to see about rooms?”
“Yes. No one wants to house us.”
Adelsik bit back a curse. She didn’t like the idea of sharing with middlings, but the thought of these villagers turning Gypsies away made her blood boil. They’ll regret not putting us up if I have anything to do about it. “Perhaps we should tell them who we are.”
“Not likely.” Lyssinya
’s gloved hand scooped a stick from one of the benches, and she tapped the snow as they headed toward one of the fires. “At least, not yet. They’re extremely skittish of us since we didn’t buy any of the spirits or pleasure women. We can’t afford a fight. Not now.”
“We can’t afford more deaths, either. There has to be something we can do about this insane weather.”
The red-haired Sage nodded but kept silent. Adelsik spotted Birek at one of the woodpiles. His dark face was drawn and he moved as though he’d lost much of his will, swaggering even more than usual. Black stubble had grown along his chin and smudges stood out beneath his dull eyes.
“Excuse me, Lyssinya. I need to speak to Birek alone.” The Sage nodded and crossed to some of her kin. Adelsik stepped to the Maricari man. “Birek? I need to speak with you.”
Taniras, Snowy and Saldia eyed her as she led the new-oathed man to the bench closest to one of the fire pits and sat. She decided the direct approach was best. She would want that. “I’ve been to the Netherworld, slumbering. You know that specters can sometimes contact the living there?”
He nodded and his narrow eyes studied her with little interest.
“Well, I saw Maesa’s specter.”
That got his full attention and black eyes gazed wildly about then back to her. “Maesa?”
“Yes. She wants you to know that she loves you.” It took much of her will not to weep again. He didn’t need her grief added to his own. “She’s at peace with this life and prepares for her rebirth.” He stared blankly and she placed a hand on his shoulder. “There was no hatred or pain for her, Birek. She said we would always be together, all of us. That the Goddess wants it that way. And that we would see each other again. Before she left, she had a very peaceful smile on her face.”
The dark man turned abruptly and kissed Adelsik’s cheek. “Thank you. He stood and drew something from his purse.
She recognized it as a piece of charred wood from Maesa’s funeral pyre. She had seen him pick it out of the ashes. He then swaggered to one of the trees and took up a shovel. She watched as he dug through the snow and into the hard dirt with a fervor she hadn’t seen in him since before Maesa’s death. Once he seemed satisfied with the size of the hole, he kissed the charred wood, knelt and placed it in the hole, closing his eyes for several heartbeats. He then filled the hole and leaned the shovel against the tree again. With a smile and a nod to Adelsik, he swaggered toward one of the wagons.