By Moonrise

by Jackie Dana

  “It is magic.” She surprised herself at her willingness to accept the reality of what she experienced.

  “I suppose it’s all a matter of perspective,” Davor conceded as he dropped the tip back into the river, and their boat again began to move. “To me, there’s magic in musicians’ songs and in the birth of babies. I just don’t think of what I do in the same way.”

  ***

  “Is that another boat?” she asked, seeing something in the water a distance ahead of them. It was difficult to make it out in the twilight.

  They had been on the river all day, and after the previous day’s adventures, she discovered the few hours’ sleep she had received the night before had not been nearly enough. At Davor’s urging, and possibly thanks to the wine he had encouraged her to drink, she had curled up on the wide bench and fallen asleep for the better part of the day.

  Now it was nearly sunset, and another boat was approaching them rapidly.

  “Aye, it is indeed,” Davor said. “And it’s odd—there is a waypoint ahead.” He leaned forward, as if it would help give him a better view of the distant craft. “Riversmiths do not travel at night, and at this time of day there should be no others traveling downstream in this stretch of the river.” He raised one hand over his eyes and strained to see upstream. “It makes no sense.” Rather than propel them forward, he held them steady, allowing the pole to remain in the water so they did not veer off course or crash into the banks, which were steep rock walls. If there were to be an ambush, there would be no better place for it.

  She recalled the urgency with which Rynar had sent her from the city. “Do you really think we’re safe here?”

  “Aye. There’s no one in Sarducia that would threaten a riversmith. But it’s odd all the same,” he added, never taking his eyes away from the approaching craft. He continued to stare at the oncoming boat. As it drew closer, he began to laugh heartily. “Ah, Bhara, there is no need to fear. It’s the Pasadhi!”

  Not knowing what that meant, she looked ahead to see a man dressed in a green tunic steering a craft identical to the one Davor commanded. He quickly brought it alongside theirs.

  “Well met, Pasadhi Sebachin,” Davor called out. “A bit late to be on this stretch of the Amberia, is it not?”

  “Aye, that it is. It’s a good thing that I do not require daylight to ride the river,” the other man said, and then turned his attention to her. “Welcome, Kate.”

  When he addressed her by name, she became immediately suspicious. “How do you know who I am?”

  “Your arrival was hardly a surprise,” he said, and recognizing her confusion, added, “the Sarnoc sent me to bring you the rest of the way to Altopon.”

  As she tried to make sense of that statement, something even more unlikely happened: the river suddenly stopped flowing. It was as if it had frozen solid, with the boats locked in place. Dumbfounded, she looked over the side of the boat.

  “You might close your mouth, Kate, before something flies in,” Pasadhi Sebachin joked.

  “Wait. What just happened?” She couldn’t stop staring at the water. It was troubling enough to have this man appear out of nowhere, but what was going on with the river?

  “Ah, don’t worry, it’s just a small trick.” Sebachin held out his hand to her. “Truly, it’s nothing to worry about, but come now, the Sarnoc will skin me alive if you’re not there by sunrise. Hurry, so Davor can get some sleep.”

  What was she supposed to do now? Should she go with his man? Would she be in danger? Could she be punished in some way for disobeying the Aldrish? Or was this the plan all along? She was angry that Rynar had shared so little information that she was incapable of even weighing the pros and cons sufficiently.

  Follow your gut, she told herself. For twenty-seven years she had survived following her instincts. And right now her gut—and Davor’s reaction—suggested that this friendly man in green presented no threat.

  Grasping Sebachin’s hand, she allowed him to help her climb from one craft to the other. Once she had taken her seat on a pile of pillows in the middle of the new boat—this one had no bench—the water returned to normal, and Sebachin tossed a sack towards the riversmith.

  “Your services are greatly appreciated, Davor. If you check, there’s some fresh food for your return, and a bit of extra coin for your trouble.”

  Davor caught the bag easily and peered inside. “Ha! The cakes are still warm! Do the Sarnoc know how you spoil us?”

  “It’s our secret,” Sebachin said with a chuckle. “Good eve to you Davor, and send my greetings to your sisters.” Then they spun around and returned to the course she had been traveling with the riversmith.

  Kate turned and waved to Davor as she and this odd man in green floated in the opposite direction.

  Chapter 10

  “Where was he supposed to take you?”

  She was still a bit taken aback by this stranger’s sudden appearance, and found it hard to answer. Finally, she said, “some place called Terralin, I think.”

  “Really?” He seemed surprised. “That’s a pretty small village. Why there?”

  “Aldrish Rynar thought I’d be safe there, I guess. He mentioned his aunt lived there.”

  “Interesting. Well, he must have had his reasons.”

  “I suppose, but he didn’t tell me much of anything. I guess you’re not taking me there, then?”

  He laughed. “Hardly. I have a different destination for you.”

  “Really? Where are we going now?”

  “We’re going to Altopon, the Sarnoc city.”

  “Are you sure? I don’t know if Rynar—”

  “Never mind him. You’re in good hands now.” He smiled and pointed to a basket beside the bench. “We’ll be on the river through the night. There’s food, if you’re hungry. And plenty to drink.”

  She eyed the basket but shook her head. “No, I’d rather you tell me who you are.”

  He responded easily. “That’s simple enough. I’m Pasadhi Sebachin. You need never use my title, though. Outside of formal occasions I prefer people to call me Sebachin—or even, just Seb.”

  “So you’re one of these Sarnoc I keep hearing about, then?”

  “Nay, I am Pasadhi.” He shifted his weight between his feet, and tipped the pole slightly away from him. “Why don’t you pour us a drink, and I will explain what that is.”

  Resigned to her situation, she reached into the basket and fished out a stout ceramic jug. From it, she filled two wooden cups. After handing one to him, she took a sip and smiled. “Mmm, it’s water, plain water.” She drained her cup and quickly refilled it. “I was beginning to think my choices were wine, ale, or wine. I figured if I stayed there long enough, I’d die of dehydration.”

  He grinned. “Outside of the city, our water is pure, and plentiful, and people take great care to store it in clean casks. It was once that way in Loraden as well, but Sard habits are ingrained, and they are not always so...” he looked at her and winked. “As they would say in your world, ‘sanitary’.”

  She looked at him oddly, and laughed. “That sounds about right.”

  “Good, so you do have a sense of humor. I am happy to see it. It would be much harder for you if you didn’t, you know.” His green eyes sparkled as he talked. “I have reason to believe that you’re also strong-willed, which will aid you a great deal.”

  “Really? Why’s that?”

  “Our world is very different from yours, as you have already discovered. It takes a lot of courage to stand up for yourself and find your way, but it seems like you’ll be able to handle it.” He looked at her closely, squinting for a moment, and then smiled. “Even so, I sense that the transition has been difficult for you. It often is, between worlds so unalike as yours and ours.”

  Her eyes opened wide, and she sat back, as if to better see him. “So you know about my world? Do you know how I ended up here, in Sarducia?”

  “Kate, I am Pasadhi.” He stared at her without blinking. “
I know quite a bit about it.”

  “Oh, really?” She released sigh, relieved that finally she might get some answers. “I figured someone had to know something. So—what’s going on? Is this all for real?”

  “Ah, well...” He sipped from his cup as he held the pole one-handed. He paused. “It’s real enough, but I can’t say much more than that.”

  “What? Why not?”

  “Ah, well…” he seemed a bit uncomfortable, and shrugged one shoulder, as if a bug was crawling down his back. “You see, I agreed not to say anything on this topic before we reached Altopon.” Seeing her about to protest, he quickly added, “It’s not that I’m trying to keep any information from you, I promise you that. It’s simply that the Sarnoc asked me not to discuss it until we can assure our privacy and your safety.”

  “Wait. I thought you said I’d be safe with you. Are you suggesting we’re in some sort of danger here?”

  “Nay, I didn’t say that. This just isn’t the time or place for that conversation.”

  Exasperated, she threw up her arms and made a frustrated sound in her throat. “Are you kidding me? You know how I ended up here, but you’re not going to tell me anything?”

  He nodded. “Aye, for now. I’m truly sorry.” He had a pained expression, as if he wanted to say more. “To be honest, I don’t wish to keep this information from you. I’m simply asking you to wait a little longer. I know it must be frustrating for you, because it is for me as well, but I did give my word.”

  She dropped her arms to the pillows. “Fine.” She glanced out onto the water, and then turned back to him. “Do you promise we’ll get to talk about this later?” Seeing his nod, she continued, “can I ask you other stuff?”

  “Sure. Like what?”

  “Well, who are you, exactly? Do you work for the Sarnoc?”

  He threw back his head and laughed. “That’s funny.” He continued to giggle for a moment, and finally said, “we Pasadhi work for no one.”

  She tried to process what he said, but it made no sense to her. “So who are you then? What’s a Pasadhi?”

  He calmed himself after his fit of laughter, and finally continued. “Well, as best as I can describe it, I serve the Goddess Kerthal.”

  The gods again. “Don’t the Sarnoc serve her as well?”

  “Aye, but they serve all the gods in a general way, much the same as everyone does, but with a focus that defines their particular roles. I’m different, more of a personal servant, a direct link between the Goddess and the people of Sarducia.”

  She scrambled to put it into terms she could understand. “So you’re like a priest, then?”

  He thought about it for a moment. “As far as I know what you mean by that, then I suppose it’s a reasonable analogy to a point, but it’s not quite the same either.”

  “So there are others like you?”

  He shook his head. “No, I am Pasadhi. There is only one.”

  “You said, ‘we’ a minute ago.”

  “I did. All Pasadhi of the past are linked with me through the energy within the land, and all the knowledge is shared through that connection.” He steered the craft around a tree limb that had fallen into the water. “I just draw on my own inner awareness to tap into the knowledge.”

  That was a lot to take in, but she kept pressing for more. “So there’s one of you, but there are four gods, right? So if you serve Kerthal, then there are there others like you, to serve the other gods?”

  He shook his head. “Although it seems odd to me, there are not. Perhaps it’s because in many ways I serve all the gods, but Kerthal in particular. Or perhaps there are those like me elsewhere, in the lands that are protected by the other gods. This I do not know.”

  “I still don’t understand how you’re different from the Sarnoc—not that I really know anything about them, really.”

  “Ah, well, I’d wager that you already know considerably more than most people.” He reached for his cup. “Even though the skills have eroded over the centuries, they are quite powerful, more than most people even imagine. If some people in Loraden knew the extent of it...” he whistled, shaking his head.

  “Some people? Do you mean Vosira Bedoric?”

  “Hmm. Well, he knows a great deal about the Sarnoc, and I think it’s for that reason that he distrusts them so greatly. That, and he blames them for his father’s death, which is likely why he promotes the nonsense about the Prophet.” He rolled his eyes and again shook his head. “Foolish, foolish man. He should know better.” He looked at her carefully. “You will not tell him what you learn at Altopon, I expect.”

  It was neither a question nor a request, but a statement of fact. Kate’s mouth opened to respond, but she wasn’t sure what to say.

  “You are honorable,” he explained. “I can see it in your eyes.” He drained his cup. “Are you sure you’re not hungry?”

  She hadn’t been thinking about food, distracted by everything that had happened since leaving Loraden, but at his question, she realized she had not eaten in many hours. “Maybe a little?”

  He waved to her to open the basket. The moonlight was just enough for her to inspect its contents. There was a loaf of dark, grainy bread, a small ceramic crock of butter, a sizable block of pale cheese, and purple berries nestled in a smaller, tightly woven basket. “Eat as much as you wish,” he invited, reaching down for a couple of berries. “I’m not terribly hungry.” She gave him an ‘are you sure’ look, but he waved at the food. “Please, help yourself. While you eat, let me know if there’s anything else you wish me to explain.”

  As she tore off a piece of bread, she reminded him, “you haven’t really told me what the Pasadhi actually is.”

  “Did I not?” He snorted a laugh. “Sarnoc Vaj tells me I tend to get off topic.” He put his fingers over his mouth, and tapped it, thinking. “It’s difficult to explain, especially to someone who hasn’t met Sarnoc yet. Hmm. Well, I don’t have what I’d call ‘skills’ that I learn and practice as Sarnoc do, but I have this innate control over the elements. So I can do things like this.” He leaned over towards the water, and it started swirling at the base of the pole, like a whirlpool, and the raft began to spin with it. As they made a complete 360-degree circle, he brought the craft back to its original route. “I can’t drown, although I had more than one chance as a child before I actually learned how to swim. Fire can’t burn me, and the weather is little more than is a bit of air and water to command.”

  “How’s that possible? How can you not drown?”

  He shrugged. “I suppose if I wanted to, I could. It’s just that I’d force the water away from me before that could happen. Anyway, it’s just who I am. I call on the life-force of the land, and the energy within the elements, and I make things happen.”

  “That’s amazing.” And Davor said there was no magic.

  “Not particularly. Really, it’s simply different. And I should also point out that although I live among the Sarnoc, I am not one of them. I suspect Sarnoc Vaj desperately wants me to adopt Sarnoc discipline and be more like the others, but it’s not in my nature. I can do things better if I don’t think too hard about what I’m doing. When I really concentrate and focus, like they recommend, I don’t always get the right results. And yet, being Pasadhi is still quite daunting, since the Sarnoc come to me with questions. Even though I can’t do many of the things that they can, I’m the one who understands how those things are done. I can also sense underlying truths about items, and about people. The contradiction is quite perplexing.”

  “Have you always been Pasadhi?”

  “Nay, it’s only been three summers now.” He ran one hand through his curly hair, pushing it behind his ears. “Though from the time I was small, I always knew there was something different about me. I was always sensitive to everything, such as being able to feel things in rocks, plants, even the river. I knew when someone came to our village to cheat us, and I could tell which husbands were cruel to their wives. It all seemed so normal f
or me, but no one else shared those senses, so I tended to keep to myself. My mother didn’t know what to do with me, because I would just wander off into the woods for days on end, rather than do my chores. No one expected that I’d have a vision of Kerthal, and then be named Pasadhi. They all just thought I was lazy. You see, there had been no Pasadhi in Sarducia for many seasons, and no one knew what the signs of the new one would look like.” He smiled again. “It’s nice to be able to talk about this with someone other than Sarnoc. You seem to be genuinely interested.”

  “Well, it’s fascinating, even if I’m not sure I understand half of what you told me. And to be honest, it all sounds a little weird. I mean, you can control the elements? That’s really hard to take in.” She tipped her head back and gazed up at the moon and the stars that shone so brightly here without the fog of electric lights. “It’s like so much other stuff here, I just don’t even know where to begin to figure it all out.”

  “You’ll understand it soon enough,” he predicted. “Give it some time.”

  “Maybe. Can I ask you something else?”

  He shrugged. “Sure.”

  “Well, I was wondering if you knew the Aldrish.”

  The question seemed to surprise him. “Aldrish Rynar? Nay, I have never met the man. I hear the Vosira relies heavily on his guidance, though.”

  She thought back to the breakfast meeting. “Yeah, that seemed to be the case.”

  “Why do you ask?”

  “Well, when I arrived, he acted like he knew who I was, and made such a big deal out of me being there.”

  “He treated you well, I assume?”

  She nodded, and tried one of the berries, which although round, tasted like a very sweet blackberry. “He was very kind, and took good care of me, so I can’t complain about any of it, but he was also a bit odd, if that makes sense, as if he wanted something from me, but I couldn’t figure out what. And even after everything that happened, and the quantrill, I don’t know if he even slept last night.”