The Threshold Child

by Callie Kanno

  He reached over and took her hand, speaking with the same sorrow as before. “I am so sorry, Adesina. No one should feel such pain, especially after everything you have been through.”

  She tried to shrug it off. “It does not matter.”

  “It does,” he insisted gently. “It matters a great deal.”

  Adesina looked over at him and smiled. “Thank you.”

  Aleron urged his horse forward until it was next to hers. “Adesina, how far south are we going?”

  She frowned thoughtfully, recalling the maps she had studied throughout the years. “The fortress is set on the southernmost peninsula of the continent. That is part of the reason why it is so easy to protect, and so easy to keep secret.”

  His expression was filled with excitement and awe. “Do you mean that we are going to see the ocean?”

  She laughed softly. “Yes, the fortress is right by the ocean.”

  “I have never seen the ocean before,” he confessed.

  Adesina was certain that there were many things that he had never seen, having grown up in the High City. She began describing the area around the fortress, and he listened eagerly. She spoke of the clear blue of the ocean and the vivid scent it gave. She told him about the distant call of the sea birds that nested in the cliffs below the fortress.

  She also described the great ships that came once a month to resupply the fortress. This caught the attention of the others.

  “The Shimat deal with merchants?” asked Sa’jan.

  “The merchants are Shimat,” she explained, “just as I am a carpenter. All Shimat are given professions in order to allow them to blend into society. In this way, the order is completely self-sufficient. The Shimat depend on no one but themselves, regardless of what might be needed.”

  E’nes furrowed his brow. “So they have their own farms, their own cattle…?”

  She inclined her head. “Yes. They have farmers, weavers, smiths, shepherds, healers, ranchers, artists, performers, wainwrights, coopers, cobblers, soldiers, politicians. Everything.”

  Ravi glanced at the sky, even though it wasn’t visible through the heavy canopy. “We should probably stop here for the night.”

  As they dismounted, Aleron made his way over to Adesina and asked, “Is it true that the ocean’s water is filled with salt?”

  She smiled at his enthusiasm and once again began telling him about all the different things she had seen during her travels.

  ***

  A Shimat walked into the cell of the two prisoners and pointed to Faryl. “Take her out, and then leave us.”

  Me’shan looked up in surprise. No Shimat had ever ordered to be left alone with him, for fear that he might use his “magic” against them.

  The orders were followed, and Faryl was dragged out of the room.

  The Shimat was a young man with raven hair and sad eyes. For several minutes he did nothing but look at Me’shan’s face, searching for something hidden. When he spoke, it was almost in a whisper.

  “I cannot see beyond the beatings you have received, but I cannot help but feel that the rumors are true.”

  Me’shan considered whether or not he should answer, and decided to go against his usual deathlike silence. “What rumors?”

  The young man stared at him in surprise. “They said that you never spoke.”

  He didn’t care what the guards said about him. “What rumors?” he repeated.

  “That you are Adesina’s father—the L’avan girl raised here in the fortress.”

  There was a flicker in Me’shan’s eyes as he heard his daughter’s name for the first time.

  The Shimat saw it and nodded slowly. “My name is Kendan. I am an instructor at this school, and I taught Adesina for a year. After she finished her training, I was her contact to the Shimat order while she was on her first mission.”

  For a moment it seemed like he was going to say more, but he changed his mind. Me’shan heard as much in the silence as he had in the spoken words.

  “She means something to you.”

  Kendan found himself nodding as he stared at the ground. “She means something to all who know her.”

  “But more so to you,” the prisoner pried.

  The hopelessness in the young man’s eyes was overwhelming. “It does not matter. I am a traitor in her eyes.”

  “How did you betray her?”

  He began pacing back and forth in an agitated manner. “Most Shimat do not know the true character of the order until years after they complete their training. They are eased into the truth so slowly that they do not notice what is happening until any moral feeling they may have had is completely gone. That is, if they were not already morally desensitized by their training.”

  Me’shan waited for the young Shimat to resume.

  “That was not the case with me,” he continued. “The Sharifal is my aunt, and I learned the truth about the order at a young age. I was not always at ease with the methods used or the objectives set forth, but I knew how honored I was to have been given such knowledge so early, so I held my peace and followed my orders.”

  The L’avan wasn’t sure why he was being told all of this, but was more than willing to listen. He nodded to show that he understood, and waited for Kendan to go on.

  “I did not really feel I was doing wrong until I started working with Adesina. She had such high ideals and pure motives, and I began to see the contrast between us. When she discovered the truth, she assumed that I was ignorant and would feel the same outrage that she did. Instead, she found the coward that I really am.”

  Me’shan sat up. “She knows the truth about the Shimat now?”

  Kendan felt a surge of guilt, knowing that he was giving unauthorized information. “Yes. She disappeared from her post for many weeks, and was recently found in the company of other L’avan. I do not doubt that they were the source of her discovery.”

  A feeling of warmth welled up inside the deadened body of the prisoner. He smiled softly to himself. “Is she still with them?”

  “I do not know,” admitted the young man. “I was sent away from the northern missions when my loyalty to the order was brought into question. I was instructed to oversee the running of the fortress while the Sharifal is away.”

  A feeling of apprehension filled the cell. “What missions? Why is the Sharifal away?”

  Kendan realized that he had said too much and hurriedly turned to leave. “I have some important matters to attend,” he mumbled as he walked out the door.

  “Wait!” called Me’shan, but to no avail. He was left alone in the darkness to ponder all the things he had heard.

  ***

  King L’unn stood in the small balcony just outside his study. The sun was setting, and the sky was ablaze with color. It reminded him of the times he had stood with his father in this very spot, talking about what had happened each day and their plans for the following day.

  He had treasured those moments with his father, as a king’s time is precious. His thoughts turned to his own sons, and he wondered if he had shown them the same love that his father had shown him. He often worried that he hadn’t been a good enough father to his children.

  A familiar step sounded behind him, and he turned to see his eldest child approaching. L’unn smiled and gestured for L’on to join him.

  “Good evening, L’on.”

  “Good evening, Father. You seem troubled.”

  He sighed softly and turned to look out at the sky again. “No more than the worries of every king,” he replied. “A burden that will be placed on your shoulders all too soon.”

  L’on gave a small smile. “Not for many years yet.”

  The king shook his head distractedly. “You would be surprised how quickly time passes. It seems only yesterday that you and your brother were children chasing each other up and down the palace halls.”

  His son regarded him with a solemn expression, guessing a major source of his worry. “L’iam will be fine, Father. He has always
been good at taking on tasks such as this, and he is surrounded by loyal and capable friends—not to mention that Shimat girl. No harm will come to him.”

  L’unn’s worry did not ease, but he smiled at his son anyway. “Of course.”

  They stood in silence for several moments before it was shattered by the frantic entry of a messenger.

  “Your Majesty!”

  King L’unn turned quickly. “What is it?”

  The messenger was gasping for breath. “The Rashad report…large army…marching towards Pevothem…!”

  L’on stared at his father in disbelief. “Do you think that Adesina…?”

  “Of course not!” insisted the king.

  He turned to the messenger boy and poured him a glass of water. “Sit down, young man, and rest.”

  He then hurried over to the cord hanging against the wall by his desk and pulled it urgently. A bell sounded in the next room, and they were soon joined by two guards and another messenger.

  “Yes, your Majesty?”

  “Call an emergency council. Pevothem is under attack. Send out a message to all L’avan to begin defensive measures.”

  ***

  Adesina found herself standing in a forest meadow bathed in moonlight. She expected the rustling behind her to reveal her mother, but instead L’iam stepped out of the shelter of the trees. She stared at him in shock.

  “L’iam!”

  He looked around in wonder. “Where are we?”

  “You are in my Dream.”

  His expression was confused. “What? How is that possible?”

  Adesina didn’t know any more than he did. “Have you ever Dreamed before?”

  L’iam shook his head. “Never.”

  The Dream was starting to shift. She could feel that it was becoming more powerful, pulling both of them forward.

  “What is happening?” he asked.

  Her eyes turned to the sky, which was slowly being stained red. “The Dream is changing.”

  The forest surrounding them faded and swirled into a thick fog. L’iam advanced to stand next to Adesina, looking very nervous. Adesina herself was anxious. She had never experienced a Dream such as this.

  Everything around them lost its color except for the crimson sky. They found themselves standing in a gray field of dead grass, covered in dead bodies.

  L’iam gasped at the sight. “Where are we?”

  She knelt down to examine the closest corpse. “This is the result of a battle. See the armor and the wounds sustained?”

  She looked around, searching for some sort of indication of where they were.

  It was L’iam, however, who said, “I think we are in the north.”

  The young woman stood slowly. “What makes you say that?”

  He pointed to a mountain range to the south. “Those are the peaks we passed to enter Pevothem.”

  L’iam’s eyes filled with tears as he surveyed the carnage around him. “I do not understand. What has happened here?”

  His companion was still staring thoughtfully at the mountains. “I think we should be asking when we are, rather than where.”

  “What?”

  “Location rarely matters in Dreams,” explained Adesina. “Most of the time it is symbolic rather than literal. We should be finding out when this Dream is supposed to be portraying, rather than where.”

  He raised his hands in a helpless gesture. “How are we to do that?”

  She hadn’t the faintest idea. She wished desperately that her mother was with her. E’rian would know how to guide Adesina through a Dream such as this.

  “Ma’eve?”

  Her guardian came trotting up over a small knoll. The sight of him made her so happy that she could have laughed and cried at the same time.

  “Ravi!”

  He looked around the dismal scene with a solemn expression on his face. “What is happening?”

  She shook her head in dismay. “I do not know. How did you get here?”

  “I am here because you called me,” his eyes flickered to L’iam, “and it appears I am not the only one you have pulled into your Dream.”

  The winds were picking up, blowing her silver and black hair across her face. She pushed it back impatiently. “We need to find a way to get out of here.”

  Black clouds billowed in the distance, drawing closer with every burst of wind. Adesina stared at the crimson sky in apprehension. “I have never intentionally broken from a Dream like this before. I do not know if I can.”

  “I do not know if we should,” inserted Ravi. “All Dreams have a purpose, and we do not yet know what this one serves.”

  The inky clouds had settled over them and began raining scarlet drops. Adesina held out a hand to catch the blood-like rain, staring at it in horror.

  She slowly turned in a circle, taking in the sight of destruction and despair. A chilling sense of foreboding swept through her body, making her shiver with fear.

  “Something terrible is about to happen.”

  Chapter Forty-three: Unseen Spirits

  Adesina, Ravi and L’iam all jerked from the Dream at the same time. It had shown them nothing beyond the field of the dead, but that had been more than enough to leave them feeling cold.

  It was still several hours before dawn, but none of them could sleep. They sat huddled around the embers of the fire discussing what they had seen.

  “Is Pevothem in danger?” wondered L’iam in concern.

  “Not necessarily,” said Ravi slowly. “The location could be symbolic of the feeling of home or familiarity.”

  “It may have been a manifestation of your greatest fear,” added Adesina.

  L’iam gave her a searching look. “You mean your greatest fear. It was your Dream, after all.”

  She stared at the glowing coals of the former fire. “Perhaps you are right.”

  Ravi’s brow furrowed, not entirely convinced. “It also may have been a glimpse of the future, or a warning.”

  L’iam shook his head in disbelief. “But you said that Pevothem was in no danger!”

  “I said that the Dream did not necessarily indicate that Pevothem was in danger. It is still a possibility.”

  He sighed wearily.

  The young prince shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “How can one know the difference between symbol and literal reality?”

  Ravi gave a smile that was weighed down with his many years of experience. “That is the trouble with Dreams. It is difficult to know for sure until viewed in retrospect.”

  “So, what do we do?” asked Adesina.

  He shrugged slightly, his expression uneasy. “Go forward as we have, keeping the Dream in mind, until we have more information. What else can we do?”

  Adesina knew he was right, but still wasn’t satisfied. She got to her feet and brushed herself off. “I am going for a walk.”

  Her guardian fixed her with a stern glance. “I would much rather you stay near the camp.”

  She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Why? There are no robbers or miscreants. No one comes near this forest.”

  “That does not mean that it is without peril,” he insisted. “The old vyala is strange, and it has grown wild over the centuries.”

  L’iam also got to his feet. “I will go with her,” he offered.

  Ravi still wasn’t mollified, but the two walked off before he could object any further.

  She threw a sideways glance at L’iam as they retreated from the glares of her guardian. “You know, he hates it when you do that.”

  “Do what?”

  “Take my side. Enable me to do what he does not want me to do.”

  L’iam chuckled softly. “Well, he can hardly expect less of me.”

  “Why?”

  After a moment of hesitation, he simply replied, “Because he grew up with me, and he knows what I am like.”

  They fell silent as they moved away from the camp. The trees were like black pillars in the cathedral of the forest, and the moonlight filtered t
hrough the thick foliage in feeble streaks. The whispers grew louder, drifting like a restless wind.

  “…taking no heed…”

  “Far from the heart…”

  “…unseen…”

  “…letting uncertainty guide…”

  “Darkness battles Light…”

  “…in the confines of the soul…”

  “Wandering child…”

  Adesina shook her head. “These voices are unnerving.”

  He nodded his agreement. “Yes, they can be.”

  “I do not understand why they are so audible out here, but I could hardly hear them in the camp.”

  L’iam pursed his lips thoughtfully. “I think it is because the spirits respect an area in which we choose to reside. When we come out here, we are in their land and must meet them on their terms.”

  Adesina looked around the forest, wondering what the spirits would look like if they were visible. A thought came to her as she was considering the possibilities.

  “What would happen if I were to connect with my vyala while in this forest?”

  He glanced at her and raised his eyebrows. “I do not know. Only the Rashad know anything about the old vyala. Only they would know how it would react with the new vyala.”

  She gave him a mischievous smile. “Should I try?”

  It was clear that he was much more apprehensive than she was. “I do not know if that is a good idea, Adesina.”

  She waved aside his concerns and turned to face the heart of the forest. She reached down inside of herself and gently beckoned her vyala to awaken. It heeded her call, filling her with warmth and power, and lighting her vision with a glow.

  It seemed to her that the entire forest jolted in surprise at the appearance of her vyala. As Ravi had said, it had indeed become wild over the centuries, and it viewed her tamed vyala with curiosity.

  Adesina was bewildered by the myriad of life that was only visible through her new eyes. It was not merely that the trees, rocks, bushes and streams had a life force of their own. They were all sentient beings, with a deeper intelligence than humankind could imagine.