“Shall I help you with your cloak, Hara Tiari?” Caral asked politely.
Tiari nodded and reached up to release the single button at her throat. Caral lowered the hood and lifted the threadbare cloak from her shoulders, folded it over her arm and put it in the corner on top of a basket.
“Tea will be ready in a few minutes, Highness,” Caral said as Kapia sat opposite Tiari. “Dinner will be ready in about an hour.”
“Caral, Hara Tiari is unable to see without the light of the sun,” Kapia said, watching her attendant as she knelt before the pot stove and tested the temperature of the water in the teapot. “Whenever we can, let’s leave the tent flap tied back while there’s sunlight.”
“Yes, Highness,” Caral said. “Perhaps we can cut a window flap that will allow light to shine right there, where you like to sit, as well. I will speak with the tent setters about it.”
“Good idea, Caral, thank you,” Kapia said. “How was the shopping in the village?”
“Better than we expected, Highness,” Caral replied as she prepared the tea tray. “We were able to purchase a new cloak and riding boots for Hara Tiari, as well as a hair brush, toothbrush and cleaning powder, and other personal necessities. We also purchased several lengths of fabric for warmer clothing, and some nice cloth for nightshifts.”
“Were you able to get cloth to make warmer clothing for yourself and Lashi?”
“Yes, Highness, we did,” Caral replied with a smile.
“I’m impressed,” Kapia said. “You did very well. How long do you think it will take to make up some dresses for Hara Tiari?”
“Not very long, Highness,” Caral replied, carrying the tea tray to where the ladies sat and kneeling on the floor before setting it down. “Lashi and I are looking forward to having something to do during the day. We can sew while we ride so long as we cut everything beforehand. We have it all worked out. By the way, Highness, now that I see Hara Tiari’s figure, I believe it will take only a few small adjustments for one of your day outfits to fit her. I can do it this evening, so she can wear it tomorrow.”
Tiari was speechless with surprise. These women had only just met her and they had already made plans to alter the tent to make it easier for her to see, and were discussing alterations to Kapia’s clothing for her. She’d never encountered such kindness before and hardly knew how to react to it.
“Thank you, Caral,” Kapia said with genuine warmth. “You’re a treasure.”
Caral blushed happily, then rose gracefully to her feet and went into Kapia’s chamber to get an outfit for Tiari. Just as she walked out, Karma entered the tent with Lashi. A couple of minutes later Karma was sitting with Kapia and Tiari with her own cup of tea, and Lashi and Caral were busy altering one of Kapia’s outfits for Tiari. Nikura wandered in a few minutes later and curled up in front of the pot stove, taking up a good deal of floor space, though no one seemed to mind. They just stepped over and around him.
Tiari was able to see the chamber around her fairly well though the sunlight was fading. She’d never been in an environment like this before, and it was a lot to take in, but she loved it. Especially the warm feeling of welcome and acceptance from everyone she’d encountered.
“Are you going to stay and eat with us?” Kapia asked Karma.
“I’m not sure,” Karma replied. “The three of us have some talking to do, and we need to figure out where we’re going next. We’ll have to see how long it takes us.”
“We decide where we’re going?” Tiari asked in surprise.
“It’s not so much that we decide, as it is we discover,” Karma said. “Before we do that, we still have much to tell you, if you’re up to it this evening. I know it’s been an unusual day for you.”
“I would like to hear whatever you wish to tell me,” Tiari said. “I may not understand all that you say, but I will try.”
“If there’s anything you don’t understand, just let us know,” Kapia said.
“First, I will tell you a little about us, and what we’re doing,” Karma said. Tiari nodded quickly, very interested to learn more about the people she had chosen to leave the only home she’d ever known to be with.
“My name is Karma, as you know,” Karma began. “I am also called Lady Techu, a title for she who is speaker for the dead.” Karma paused a moment to let that sink in.
“Does that mean you speak to the dead?” Tiari asked curiously.
“Yes, it does,” Karma replied. “It also means that I am able to speak with Nikura, and that I am able to use the power of the Ti-Ank, the staff of life.” Karma picked up the staff she always carried with her and held it out toward Tiari so that she could see it.
“What does the Ti-Ank do?” Tiari asked after squinting at it in the fading light for a few moments.
“The Ti-Ank was created a thousand years ago, when the orbs were created,” Karma explained. “It allows me to harness the powers of Rathira itself to aid us in our quest to find the orbs.”
“I would like to know more about that,” Tiari said. “The quest, I mean.”
“As we told you earlier, the three orbs must be claimed,” Karma said. “They were scattered and hidden to keep the demons from finding them. We learned that Kapia was the Maiden of the Moon, and we have completed that portion of our journey. After Kapia claimed the Moon Orb, she learned through it that we were to go to Cutter’s Hamlet to find you, Tiari, Maiden of the Sun. We were told through the Ti-Ank that only after you joined us would the location of the Sun Orb be revealed.”
“I see,” Tiari said. “So, after we claim the Sun Orb, we will then need to find the Maiden of the Heart, is that correct?”
“Yes, exactly,” Kapia said as she reached for a bag that was tied to her waist. She opened the bag and removed the Moon Orb which glittered brightly in the dim light. There was only a small amount of late afternoon light left, but it was enough for Tiari to see the brightness of the orb.
“That is very beautiful,” Tiari said. “I have only seen one other object with an aura. What is it?”
“This is the Moon Orb,” Kapia said, not understanding what an aura was.
“And you are the Maiden of the Moon,” Tiari said. “That must be why your auras are the same color.”
“What’s an orra?” Kapia asked.
“Aura,” Karma corrected. “It’s a field of light that surrounds living beings, though not all people can see them. Many people don’t even believe in them. Is that what you see, Tiari? Glowing lights around people?”
“Yes,” she replied. “I’d nearly forgotten that people have different colored auras because it’s been so long since I’ve seen anyone other than Una. Her aura is dark and small. I was so surprised when I saw yours and Kapia’s.”
“Why?” Kapia asked. “What do our auras look like?”
“So bright and beautiful it almost hurts to look at them,” Tiari said with a radiant smile. “Yours, Kapia, is white and gold, like the Moon Orb. Karma’s is white and blue. Prince Zakiel’s is a lighter shade of blue, with flashes of orange and red moving through it. Usually people have only one main color, tinged with other colors that indicate how they feel, but you three are different.”
“When it’s dark out, after the sun goes down, can you still see people’s auras?” Karma asked.
“I cannot see anything at all without the sun, but I don’t see auras with my eyes alone,” Tiari explained. “It’s more like I can feel them, or sense them. No, that’s not quite right. I’m sorry, I don’t know how to explain it.”
“Some things are unexplainable,” Karma said knowingly. “What I am most curious about is whether or not you can identify us by our auras when you cannot see us.”
“I’m sorry, but again, I haven’t been around any people for so long that I just don’t know.”
“Well, you are certainly around a lot of people now,” Kapia said. “I’m sure you’ll discover the answer to that question soon. For now, let’s do this thing with the Moon Orb.”
/> “All right,” Tiari replied. “What exactly are we supposed to do?”
“You and I must hold it together,” Kapia said.
Tiari reached out slowly, hesitant to touch the glowing ball. Feeling no heat emanating from it, she touched it lightly with one finger, relaxing when it felt cool to the touch. “What do we do then?” she asked as she reached out with her other hand so that she and Kapia had both hands on it.
“I think we just close our eyes, and concentrate on the orb itself,” Kapia said. “That’s what I did before, to find you.”
“All right,” Tiari said, closing her eyes and imagining the orb in her mind. It grew silent in the tent, the only sound the faint crackle of the fire in the fire pot nearby, and the distant sound of the men outside.
Karma watched Tiari carefully, knowing exactly when the orb began to respond to her by the expression on her face. After a minute her eyes flew open and she pulled her hands away from the orb. She blinked a few times, then sighed before reaching carefully for the cup on the mat in front of her. Karma realized that the sun had set while they’d held the orb, and that Tiari could no longer see.
“Tiari, the cup is about a hands-breadth to your right,” she said.
“Thank you,” Tiari replied with a nervous smile. “I was afraid I was going to knock it over and make a mess. I should have paid more attention to its location before it got dark.”
“You’re not alone now, Tiari,” Karma said gently. “Please don’t hesitate to ask for help at any time.”
“Thank you, Karma,” Tiari said as she raised her cup and drank the last of her tea.
“Did you get anything?” Kapia asked.
“Yes, I did, though I’m afraid I don’t know what it means,” Tiari replied. “I heard the words Yamun Sennet whispered in a voice that I think may have been my mother’s.”
“Yes, I heard that too,” Kapia said, frowning.
“What’s wrong?” Karma asked. “What does Yamun Sennet mean?”
“It’s the name of a mountain,” Kapia replied. “It means Hidden Sister. It’s a literal name, too.”
“How can a mountain be hidden?” Karma asked.
“Good question,” Kapia replied. “According to legend, there were once three mountains, side by side, far to the north. They were called Kirure Senneti, the Three Sisters, in the old language of the north. Individually they were numbered one through three, Nu Sennet, Di Sennet, and Kiru Sennet, going from west to east. Then, suddenly, the second mountain, Di Sennet, vanished. No one knows how or why. So the one that no longer exists is now called the Hidden Sister, Yamun Sennet.”
“We’re supposed to go to a mountain that no longer exists?” Karma asked, perplexed. “That makes no sense.”
“No, it doesn’t,” Kapia said. “Though we shouldn’t be surprised. Nothing about this Orb Quest has been easy.”
“That’s all you heard?” Karma asked Tiari.
“Yes,” Tiari replied. “Just those two words.”
“Kapia, did you hear anything else?”
“I did,” Kapia said slowly.
“What?” Karma asked, wondering why Kapia seemed so hesitant. Kapia was usually very open with her. Maybe it was because she didn’t know Tiari, she thought.
“She said that I must never reveal the Moon Orb to anyone save those who’ve already seen it,” Kapia said. “She also said that I should collapse it so that it could be more easily hidden.”
“Collapse it?” Karma asked. “What does that mean?”
“No idea,” Kapia replied, turning the smooth orb in her hands. “This thing is a solid diamond, I’m sure of it. I’m also certain that it was created with all of these facets inside of it. It was not found and cut this way. It was made this way.”
“Maybe that’s the answer,” Karma said. “Maybe all of those facets inside move somehow.”
“But how?” Kapia asked.
“I don’t know,” Karma said. “Try putting one hand on each side, and turning it in the middle. See if that does anything.”
Kapia shrugged, and did as Karma suggested. She twisted one way, then the other, but nothing happened. As she stared down at it, she suddenly realized that if she shifted it just a bit, there seemed to be a line between the facets that cut through the center of the stone. She turned the orb so that the line was in the center and twisted it. She gasped in shock as the orb flared brightly, then collapsed in on itself, each facet folding down against the next. When the blinding light faded, she found that she was holding an object that looked exactly the same as before, except it was now small enough to put inside of a pocket, or wear as a pendant if there’d been a way to attach it to a cord or chain.
“That’s convenient,” Kapia said after staring at it in surprise for a moment.
“It certainly is,” Karma agreed. “Much easier to carry, and to hide.”
“I wonder if I should find a stone the size this thing was, and continue to wear it at my waist,” Kapia said.
“That’s a hefty weight to wear all the time in an effort to fool people,” Karma said. “Aside from the Sirelina, only those of us on the Orb Quest even know you have it.”
“Yes, I think you’re right,” Kapia said. “I’ve kept it hidden beneath my skirt anyway, so no one knows what size it is, or was, anyway.”
“Well, ladies, I think that I will leave you to your dinner now,” Karma said as she rose to her feet. “I need to tell Zakiel our new destination.”
“I don’t envy you that,” Kapia said with a grimace.
“You don’t think he’ll be upset about it, do you?” Karma asked.
“Upset, no,” Kapia replied. “Frustrated, probably. I think he’ll grumble over how we are to journey to a place that does not exist. Then he will focus on planning the journey itself.”
“Well, the sooner I tell him, the sooner he can begin planning,” Karma said. “Goodnight Kapia, goodnight Tiari.”
“Goodnight Karma,” they replied.
Kapia watched as Karma left, Nikura at her heels, then she turned to Tiari. “After we eat, Caral will prepare a bath for you in your chamber,” she said. “She will assist you, and show you where everything is so you’ll be able to find your way around. From now on, we’ll be sure that everything is put in the same place when the tent is set up.”
“That is very kind of you, Kapia,” Tiari said. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Tiari,” Kapia said. “I’m very glad to have a new tent mate. I think we’re going to get on very well together.”
“I have never had a companion before,” Tiari said. “Nor a friend. I am very much looking forward to it.”
“I’ve had very few companions myself, so I know a little about what you mean, though I did not suffer as you did,” Tiari said. “Karma is my first real friend. I am happy that you will be my second.”
After dinner Kapia showed Tiari into her chamber and turned her over to Caral, then went to her chamber for her own bath. As she sat in the steaming water she wondered if it had been wrong of her not to tell Karma all that she’d heard when she and Tiari had held the orb together. She didn’t like keeping secrets from Karma, and she felt guilty about it. Which, she conceded, probably meant it had been wrong. She just wanted time to mull it over in her own mind. She would tell Karma all about it later, she decided. But not yet.
Chapter Six
“Yamun Sennet?” Zakiel asked in surprise. “Please, valia, tell me you are twisting my leg.”
“That’s twisting your arm, not your leg,” Karma corrected.
“I’m quite certain that we recently had a conversation in which you threatened to perform an unpleasant manipulation of my leg,” Zakiel said, frowning.
“Yes, that was pulling your leg.”
“I do not understand,” he said. “Twisting an arm. Pulling a leg. Either way, you are exerting force on a limb in the wrong direction. Why would one be different from the other?”
“Zakiel, they are idioms. Expecting idioms to obe
y rules of logic is like expecting two year olds to have table manners. They just don’t.” He continued to look at her blankly. “Okay, here’s the difference. If you are pulling someone’s leg, that means you’re joking, or teasing them. Twisting one’s arm means you’re forcing them to do something they don’t want to do. Like have this conversation.”
“Ah, so the difference is entirely arbitrary and irrational,” Zakiel said. “I love you, valia, with all of my heart, but I must point out that this is becoming something of a recurring theme with you.”
“Be that as it may,” Karma said, hiding her smile, “we must go to the mountain that doesn’t exist.”
“And how are we to do this?” Zakiel asked.
“I don’t know,” Karma said with a shrug. “I thought we had a clear division of labor here. I told you where we need to go next. My job is done. Getting us there is your job. Now, I think I’ll go see if Lashi has my bath ready.”
“She does,” Zakiel said with a very put upon sigh.
“Do you want to join me?” Karma asked.
Zakiel smiled, his blue eyes heating as they met her gaze. “I would love to join you, but since we must set out in the morning for a place that does not exist, I think I better check the charts, then meet with my men.”
“Well, have fun,” Karma said with a grin as she raised up on her toes to kiss him on the neck, just below his ear. “Don’t be too late.”
Zakiel stopped her before she could turn away and bent to kiss her. The kiss went from warm to hot in the space of a few seconds. Zakiel groaned as Karma’s body pressed against his, and he very nearly changed his mind about joining her in her bath. He broke the kiss and gazed deeply into her starry eyes, wondering how he’d gotten so lucky. He was constantly amazed that this brilliant, beautiful, courageous and talented woman loved him. But, as much as he desired to demonstrate the strength of his feelings to his new wife, he had duties to attend to first.
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