by Dana Davis
Lyssinya sat two rows in front of Taniras and Snowy watched as the Sage woman’s back stiffened. Why hadn’t she recognized this man? There weren’t that many Sages in the world, at least not from what he’d been told. The man looked to be in his twenties but must have been a youngling around the same days as Lyssinya. But then, he could be fifty years younger, or perhaps older. The only thing Snowy knew about Gypsies and Sages was that those who appeared in their twenties could be younglings or new-oathed or full Gypsies a century old, not a good way to judge age. Those who appeared in their thirties were usually old enough to hold positions as advisors, like Wren, except for errants and younglings like Thad, who’d used the Energy without proper training for several years. Thad looked quite a bit older than he should. With servants, whoever had been in service longer had seniority, no matter their age. Snowy suspected there was more to Gypsy rankings and planned to confront Taniras about that subject. She would no doubt bristle at that discussion.
Silky laughter filled his head for an instant.
Elder Finlor motioned to Siri, and she took up the small purple crystal from the table and brought it to him. Siri had delegated many of her chores to Finlor ever since she’d taken the Azure Amulet. He held the crystal out toward Sage Balen Foel, palm up. “Place your right palm on the crystal.”
The Sage did just that and the crystal blazed in the Elder’s hand. “This man tells the truth. He has the Goddess Kiss on his palm. He’s been oathed.” Tiny eyes focused on Balen, who still kept his hand on the crystal. “You have broken your oaths by joining this abomination Croferituus. Yet the Goddess has spared you. How do you answer?”
He looked into Finlor’s face. “I’m culpable, Elder.” The crystal blazed again and he sniffed.
“Did you follow Croferituus by choice or by force?”
“By force, Elder. She threatened to murder my bedfriend.” Another blaze from the crystal.
“Why didn’t you say something once we freed you from her?”
“She’ll be back, Elder. She hasn’t been defeated. That woman is strong. And in case you haven’t noticed, she’s raving mad!”
“Guard your tone, Sage Balen Foel.”
The man dropped his head again, all the while keeping his hand on the purple crystal. “Yes, Elder. My apologies.” He raised his head and eyes darted around. “But she could be listening now, from any place. I was afraid she’d go through with her threats. I still am.”
“Very well. Apology accepted.” Finlor turned to the Elders and they each nodded. He focused on the trembling man again. “Sage Balen Foel, Earth Designation of the Goddess Ways, we invite you back into the heart of the Goddess. Upon return, you will tell all you know about our enemies. You will treat Gypsies with the same respect you give your Sage kin and abide by the oaths you took to the Goddess. Do you agree with these terms?”
He seemed very relieved. “Oh, yes, Elder. I most certainly do agree.” The crystal blazed, just as it had with each of his answers, and he took his hand from it. “But my bedfriend—she’s still on the island, Elder.”
“Many from your island have come safely onto the mainland. We’ll discuss that later. Go to your kin.”
Balen thanked him again then stumbled to Lyssinya’s bench and sat. The woman simply gave him an inquisitive stare, while others nodded to him.
“Are there any others who need to confess their previous oaths?” Finlor could be heard quite clearly over the small conversations that had started up.
No one responded and the oathing continued until each of the errant prisoners had been accepted by the Goddess. Each one had claimed they were afraid of Croferituus and what she would do to them or their families. Siri fingered the Azure Amulet around her neck and focused on Lombreeth who sat, hands bound, between two guards, before tucking it into her ample bosom.
Then came the tribunal. The Elders took seats behind the long table as LeChamb and one of the twin guards, Muroth or Murel—Snowy couldn’t tell them apart from this distance since he couldn’t see Murel’s nose freckle—dragged Cass’s root father in front of the table. Before they got five paces, the middling broke free, hands still tied behind his back, and bolted toward the new-oathed benches. Snowy and the others moved toward the front of the large room. But the middling man stumbled and fell face down as several new-oathed women cried out and scrambled away from him. Cass simply watched him without emotion.
LeChamb got to the prisoner first, hauled him up by the scruff of his neck and dragged him back to his place in front of the Elders’ table. There, he forced the protesting man onto his knees.
Siri nodded for the other Elders to sit after the commotion died down then motioned Haranda to the table. The two leaned close as the Elder said something. Haranda nodded then turned to the prisoner and held out her hand. Within heartbeats, the middling man jerked this way and that and cried out with pain, as though invisible flames attacked his entire body. When Haranda lowered her arm, his head lolled forward and he sobbed.
Siri gazed at the man with daggers in her eyes. “Try an attack on any one of us again and you’ll feel more of our power.” The man sniffled and the Elder waved the guards back.
Snowy reluctantly crossed back to his spot with the other Gypsy hunters. Cass’s father didn’t make a move again.
Siri remained standing and took in a visible breath. “Ethren Legrange.” Snowy realized that was the first time he’d heard the middling’s name. Cass and the rest of his kin had never mentioned it. “The Elder’s tribunal has discussed your transgressions against our sister-kin New-oathed Cassbet Legrange, her personal servant Ebbi and others who have been oathed. We’ve offered you every opportunity to make amends through the Goddess, and you have refused, in turn threatening us. Our belief is that you will be a danger to all Gypsy kin if allowed to roam free.” Siri took in another breath and her face twitched. “We have decided to send you to the Goddess, may She have mercy on you.”
The twins hauled the middling to his feet while several kin mumbled and shook their heads. Ethren glared at Cass as Muroth and Murel dragged him to the door and handed him off to two other guards, who took him from the building. He didn’t seem to realize the sentence put upon him or else he was already mad and didn’t care. Taniras scooted closer to Cass but the truth-seeker showed no emotion that Snowy could see.
LeChamb took long strides to Lombreeth, who now stood between two guards, and hauled him to the same spot where Ethren had been sentenced. He forced the disfigured man to his knees. Snowy still had difficulty believing this man could fool anyone with a elderly or handsome face for that wasn’t what he saw. Lombreeth’s skin was pocketed from his betrayal to the Goddess. The hideous man smelled too, a sour smell of illness and flesh in need of a good scrubbing. Snowy caught a glimpse of Tsianina, who leaned against Taniras for support. The poor woman had been forced to bed this man, as had many girls and women in this hamlet. At least they hadn’t see Lombreeth’s true face when he forced his attentions on them, however small a comfort that was.
Siri gazed down with disgust then smoothed her features. “Lombreeth.”
“Go to the Eternal Fires! You can’t kill me. You Gypsy whore!”
The Elder’s patience was strictly in check with great effort from what Snowy could tell. He wanted to punch Lombreeth in the jaw and knock that mouth right off his face.
The Elder didn’t even flinch. “You have forsaken your oaths. You’ve committed unforgivable transgressions against your kin.” Lombreeth spat at her feet. “This tribunal has decided on your punishment.” Siri’s ample bosom rose and fell with a deep breath. “We have agreed to bind your will.”
Lombreeth’s head snapped up. Haranda, who stood off to one side with Wren, gave the Elder a look of pure shock. The prisoner began to fight in earnest, but LeChamb and the twins had him face down on the stone before too many heartbeats passed.
“Wren,” Siri said. “Hold him.”
The white-haired Gypsy nodded and her gaze moved to Lombreet
h, who twisted his terrified face her direction and began to struggle against LeChamb again. That didn’t last long and soon he was in Wren’s urging grasp.
Siri motioned the guards back. She pulled a pale orange crystal from her bag, as the other Elders crowded around. She held the crystal out and Finlor placed his right hand on it. The rest stacked their palms on top. They focused on Lombreeth with the strain of intense concentration on their faces, and the crystal began to give off an orange glow beneath the mound of hands that covered it.
Lombreeth cried out. Only once. But it was a terrifying sound. Then he lay silent. His body went limp and each breath seemed labored.
Elder Siri said something that sounded like, “Forgive us, Goddess.” Though Snowy couldn’t understand why the Elder would beg forgiveness. Lombreeth had done disdainful things. Horrific things.
Finlor placed a hand on Siri’s shoulder, which looked a bit comical, since he had to reach up so far. Siri was as tall as any Bankari woman and Finlor as short as Adelsik. “We had no other choice, Siri.”
Full Gypsies and Sages bowed their heads in silence for several heartbeats as new-oathed and younglings looked around a bit baffled. Snowy glanced at Greges and Camlys but they both shrugged.
After Lombreeth was cleared from the room, Mindona was moved into his place. The woman looked as though she would retch.
Serves her right. That anyone would follow Croferituus voluntarily made Snowy’s stomach churn.
“Please, don’t bind my will!” the pitiful woman cried. She appeared around Saldia’s age, perhaps in her middle twenties, but Snowy suspected she’d been around many more seasons, possibly even a century. She dropped to her knees. “Please forgive me, Goddess. Please, Elders, I don’t want a will binding.”
Siri gazed down on the kneeling woman. “That depends on you, Mindona. Do you agree to take the oaths and accept whatever punishment we see fit for your transgressions against Gypsy and Sage kin?”
“Yes, yes. Anything! Just don’t bind my will or let Croferituus have me again. Please, Elder. She will kill me.” She had uttered that last part many times since her capture. Perhaps she’d been persuaded to behave after all.
“Very well.” Siri held her hand out for the oathing crystal, which Finlor now had. “If you lie on the oath crystal and plan to turn against the Goddess, She will punish you here and now.”
Mindona swallowed hard and pushed dirty blonde hair behind her ears. “Yes, Elder.” Snowy barely heard her.
“You have been warned. Place your right hand on the crystal.”
After the woman agreed to follow the oaths set upon her as a new-oathed Gypsy, Snowy waited for the Goddess’s wrath. Though he wasn’t able to harness the Energy, he felt the tension in the room. It was as thick as the morning fog over Faint Mountains. Mindona’s face paled just after she spoke her last words but nothing more happened, and Snowy was a bit disappointed. Then he chided himself for wanting to see the woman suffer. If the Goddess accepted Mindona, then she must have been forced by Croferituus, just as she claimed. Perhaps she was truly sorry for what she’d done. Either way, the Goddess had accepted her.
Snowy joined his kin in applause as they welcomed yet another into the fold, then Siri took the new-oathed woman aside and whispered into her ear. Mindona paled again and nodded, eyes cast to the floor. After Finlor announced the tribunal had ended and they were dismissed, Elder D’Esher, Yuri’s first council, joined Siri. The two women escorted Mindona to a room in the back part of the building.
Snowy made his way to Taniras. He was grateful no kin had been injured today but something made him uneasy, something he couldn’t explain. Adelsik pushed her way past him without so much as an apology and he frowned at her. Taniras started for the girl but he restrained her with a hand on her arm.
Without stopping, the slumberer made her way to Finlor. “What just happened, Elder? Why was everyone so upset at binding Lombreeth’s will? He’s a despicable man.”
Many snapped their heads to her but it was Haranda who went for the girl. Snowy braced for the Gypsy’s wrath, since Adelsik had broken protocol with the Elder, but Finlor shook his head. “Tell her, Haranda. Tell them.” One arm made a sweeping motion to the rest of the kin.
Haranda tore her gaze from Adelsik then turned and spoke as though she taught a youngling class. “Binding someone’s will hasn’t been done in centuries. Lombreeth is now impotent and will no longer be a threat to anyone for the rest of his days. He will do only as he is told, no more, no less. This form of punishment is not to be taken lightly, as it is permanent.”
Snowy felt the tension in the room rise again and Taniras leaned into him.
“Is that what you plan to do to Croferituus?” Adelsik seemed unperturbed by the whole affair.
“If we capture her alive,” Finlor uttered. The stout Elder didn’t seem pleased with the question and turned on his heels and started for the door.
Adelsik opened her mouth but Haranda put a hand up to silence her. “We can speak about this with the other new-oathed.” Those dark eyes focused in Snowy’s direction. “Taniras, see that new-oathed remain behind, as well as any servants who need explanation. I have something to tend to but I’ll be back soon.” The Gypsy left with Wren, Predula and Lyssinya on her heels.
Taniras pointed Adelsik to a bench and the child-faced woman actually sat without protest. Then Snowy’s wife called out to all new-oathed and any servants just as Haranda had ordered.
Snowy decided to stay. That’s wise, singer’s mate, a soft voice whispered in his head. He fought the urge to chuckle. That he, Devin Nee’cher, could talk to wolves, well, that was beyond his wildest imaginings.
Taniras gave him a sideways look but he simply smiled. New-oathed and servants alike gathered and waited for Haranda’s return. He thought of Maesa again and pushed feelings of loss away. He had loved the girl like a sister, as he suspected all his kin did, with the exception of Birek. The quiet man Snowy had known since childhood swaggered over with Camlys on his heels. He looked tired but not as distraught, since he’d found out Maesa’s essence would live on in another life, another body. His eyes always looked half closed but he had an uncanny sense of his surroundings. Camlys sat with Taniras and the two began to chat.
Snowy remained standing and focused on Birek. “How are you, old friend?”
“Doing well. Adelsik gave me this.” Birek fished into his tunic and pulled out a leather lace with a small, lavender ribbon tied to it. “It was Maesa’s. She kept it in her purse as a reminder of her root life.” He gave a tiny smile. “She actually stole it back from the seamstress’s cabin in the Land of the Goddess.”
Birek didn’t say anything else. He didn’t have to. Snowy understood completely. The man kept an age-old Maricari tradition of wearing a personal object from the dead to insure a safe journey beyond. And Maesa’s boldness impressed him. Root clothes were confiscated on arrival in the Land of the Goddess. Everyone there wore colorful Gypsy outfits. That youngling had more gall than he’d ever suspected. Taniras and Camlys, who had overheard, looked impressed too.
Lyssinya came back with Haranda. A lot had happened over the last couple of days, and with each new conflict they faced, these two seemed to get more control of their feelings for one another. At least, where any could see or hear them. What they did in the Netherworld, Snowy couldn’t say. Taniras even acted a mother hen to them on occasion. And the day Saldia had called them down for fighting in front of younglings, well, Snowy thought his wife would burst trying to keep her temper under control.
Haranda called everyone to order and Snowy sat between his old Maricari friends, Birek and Greges. The latter still looked as though he had a secret he was bursting to tell, a look he often had after chasing and catching some woman or other.
“There have been many happenings of late,” Haranda said. “And I know you have questions and will continue to have them.” She motioned to Lyssinya and herself. “We have been instructed to answer what we can and take an
ything we’re not certain of to the Elders. But first, you must know about will binding, since you were witnesses. This form of punishment is extremely rare, as I told you before, but it’s not unheard of. Will binding can’t be reversed. Ever. The binding severs the person from their will, mundane will and will of the Energy, leaving no more than a puppet.” She paused when several new-oathed began to whisper but they quieted at Lyssinya’s firm gaze. “Usually, the Goddess punishes those who forsake the oaths and they eventually die, but there are a rare few who survive, like Lombreeth did. You will never order or perform such a punishment unless you are oathed as an Elder. Only an Elder has that power or that knowledge.”
That was the first Snowy had heard of Elder oaths. He just assumed the Gypsy oaths covered them too. From the look Taniras shot over her shoulder at him, he realized she knew nothing of this, either.
She is also surprised, the silky voice said. It’s dangerous to know everything. The she-wolf sounded much like an Elder or the old seer back in Maricar who, though blind, gave uncanny advice to those who would seek her out. Perhaps she was an errant. That thought rolled around Snowy’s head until Haranda’s voice brought him back. He would have to bring that up with Taniras later.
“You won’t approach any who have been will bound. They are the property of the Elders, bound to them as idiot servants.” She fingered the broach that held her cloak together at her neck and ran dark eyes over those assembled. “Do you understand?”
“Yes, Haranda,” came the unison reply with a few delayed voices.
Lyssinya sniffed and her green eyes moved over the group. “Are there any questions?” Adelsik’s hand shot up immediately. “Yes, New-oathed Adelsik Nunsey.”
The girl stood. “Is this what the Elders plan for Croferituus? This will binding?”
The tall Sage crossed her arms. “That is their decision and won’t be discussed among the lesser of us.” Adelsik sat dejected. “Any more questions?” No one raised a hand. “We’ve been ordered to answer questions as they come up, so don’t feel you need to think of everything right here and now.”