Star of Sakova

by Richard S. Tuttle

  Chapter 16

  Garden of Hope

  Syman, Antello, and Lyra sat on the floor of Lyra’s room by the fireplace. The tall mountain peaks already hid the sun, but dinner was still a ways in the future. The boys were exhausted and in need of bathing, but Lyra was enjoying their company.

  “I have never seen such skill in fighting,” Antello blurted. “They make Master Caulder look like a novice. They can pick up any weapon and use it expertly.”

  “They did not need weapons to brutalize us,” sighed Syman. “Even little MistyTrail could take us both on without a weapon. How humiliating.”

  “You should not consider it humiliating,” chuckled Lyra. “They are trained fighters and not so they can get a job with a caravan or some merchant. They are trained to survive in war. The Sakovans start learning weapon use as little children and the training never stops. I have watched some of the children practice and they take it seriously. It is not a game for them. Besides, you said they never actually hurt you with their weapons. I am sure you are willing to put up with a few slaps from the blunt side of a sword to develop good fighting skills.”

  “Sure,” Syman replied. “I do not fault the training and we are learning a lot, but I wish I didn’t have to have StormSong as a teacher. I think she hates us. I have welts all over my body from her little taps. I may have to sleep standing up.”

  “I think it is great,” chimed Antello. “We were worried about whether we would ever leave here alive when we came. Now, I have no desire to leave. I went to Master Caulder because I wanted to learn to fight. I am learning that and much more here and everyone is so friendly. There are no schedules we have to follow. Nobody cares if we show up for a lesson or not. It is left up to us and I haven’t missed one yet. Do you think if we get good enough, they will let us go out on patrols?”

  “You can ask,” answered Lyra. “I think as long as they know they can trust you, they will let you do whatever you want. These people are in a desperate situation though, Antello. Omunga wants to wipe them out entirely and any word said to the wrong person can allow that to happen. Do not play games with the lives of these people. If you swear allegiance to them, do it with all your heart or do not do it at all.”

  “Do you believe their version of events?” Syman asked. “I mean Omunga may have another version which is quite different.”

  “I believe them, Syman,” she replied. “I have seen no dishonesty here at all. Look at the serious way they devote their lives to staying alive. There is no non-warrior class of people here. They are all warriors because they will all die if they cannot defend themselves. They send people into the cities to keep tabs on what is going on, but they do not send raiding parties. Why? Because they are not planning on attacking Omunga. They are planning on defending StarCity.”

  “I guess you are right,” Syman agreed. “I do like the people here. They treat me like family and I have never had a family. It is a strange feeling. I doubt they will ever trust us enough to let us go on patrols, but I will continue learning so that I may help them defend StarCity when the time comes. Like Antello, I no longer have a desire to leave here. I still have a vow to get you to Alamar though and I am bound by honor to do so.”

  “I release both of you from the vows,” smiled Lyra. “Rhodella’s instructions were to go to Alamar so that Uncle Temiker could get me in touch with RavenWing. I have already spoken with him. I can learn my magic here just as well as in Alamar, so I have no need to continue the journey. You are both free to do as you will.”

  A knock on the door interrupted the conversation and Lyra called for the knocker to enter. StarWind opened the door and saw the trio on floor. “Sorry,” she smiled. “I can come back later.”

  “No,” chuckled Lyra. “These two need bathing before dinner anyway. Come in, StarWind.”

  Laughing, the two boys scampered out of the room and Lyra could hear their friendly bickering proceeding down the hall. “I think you have gained some converts to the Sakovan cause,” Lyra smiled. “Welts and all.”

  “Has StormSong been teaching them again?” laughed StarWind. “Tell them not to take it personally. She tries to do the same to me. How are you adjusting, Lyra?”

  “Well I guess,” Lyra replied. “It is still a shock to know my mother was Sakovan. Did my father know?”

  “I cannot be sure if Master Malafar knew or not,” offered StarWind. “I do know that your Uncle Temiker knew. You must understand that most of what I know about WinterWind comes from the archives. She left the stronghold as a young woman, long before I started gathering information. I knew of her as WinterWind only. The name Rhodella meant nothing to me. Still WinterWind was a bit of a legend. She was an extremely powerful mage.”

  “I never knew she was a mage,” Lyra smiled sadly. “She hid herself well. Why did she leave? Surely she didn’t abandon the Sakovans?”

  “Of course not,” StarWind stated. “WinterWind continued to send information to us whenever she found something worthwhile, but her purpose in leaving was not to spy. When the Omungans attacked Sakova, most of our mages were primarily versed in agricultural magic because we were farmers and fishermen. We did not know much of magic in the offensive sense. After the stronghold was established and we became a warrior society, our mages had to learn offensive magic from books we managed to get from the Omungans and others. We sent people to other lands to obtain magic and learn spells.”

  StarWind sat down beside Lyra and propped herself up with a pillow. “After many generations, we had developed some excellent magic skills, but another problem surfaced. So many Sakovan families were completely destroyed during the initial massacre that the number of mage producing families was quite low. There was a fear of inbreeding as well. A decision was made to send one highly talented mage out into the world every generation to marry into the Omungan population. The mage’s offspring were to return to the Sakova. In this manner, our magic producing families would grow and not inbreed. WinterWind was the most talented mage of her generation and she accepted the challenge.”

  “So she was a baby factory and I am the product,” Lyra frowned. “Did she at least love my father?”

  “I honestly don’t know, Lyra,” StarWind smiled. “She went out to find the most talented mage in Omunga and marry him, but it was not your father that she attempted to wed. It was your Uncle Temiker. I do think she loved him, but he was not interested in marriage. He was young and full of zest for magic. He had no time for a family and eventually Malafar fell in love with your mother and they were married. Whether she loved him was not disclosed in any of the letters she wrote. Perhaps your Uncle Temiker will know.”

  “But I will never get to ask him, will I?” Lyra sighed.

  “Actually you will,” StarWind grinned. “I was instructed to send a message to Temiker telling him you were safe. When my agent got to Alamar, they discovered that he had fled the city with assassins in pursuit. It appears that whoever is after you, is also after him. I convinced RavenWing to have him brought here.”

  “But he is not Sakovan and you said no Omungans are ever brought here,” questioned Lyra. “How can it be allowed? Will he be required to spend his life here as well?”

  “These are troubling times,” StarWind stated. “Temiker has known about the Sakovans for years and has never revealed anything to anyone. While he has never been to StarCity, he has been allowed to pass through the Sakova before. I find him trustworthy as WinterWind did. She confided in him. That is why your mother asked you to have him contact RavenWing. Temiker knew how to do that. He will not betray us and that is what matters to us.”

  Lyra was excited about seeing her uncle again, but her face soon clouded over with confusion. “StarWind, if WinterWind’s children were supposed to return to the Sakova, why didn’t she ever tell us? I never knew anything about the Sakovans and Alfred even went off to join the Monitors. It doesn’t make sense.”

  StarWind stared into the fireplace for some moments before turning to face
Lyra. “You were not old enough to return to the Sakova yet. That is why she never told you. She would have soon, but she never got the chance. Alfred did return to us.”

  StarWind reached out and laid her hand on Lyra’s arm to stop her from trying to form a question unnecessarily. “Alfred was known as LoneBadger to us. He underwent training here in StarCity and volunteered to penetrate the Katana’s bodyguard. He was very enthusiastic and very talented. No Sakovan has ever gotten that close to the Katana before and it is a credit to his ability that he was able to do it. The loss of LoneBadger was the gravest loss the Sakovans have had in many years. I knew your brother personally and he was a close friend to me.”

  The shock rippled through Lyra’s body and she started crying. StarWind reached out to comfort Lyra, but Lyra pushed her away. StarWind sat patiently waiting for Lyra to cry herself out, but Lyra rose and threw herself on the bed.

  “Leave me,” Lyra shouted through her tears. “You used my mother and used my brother, but you are not going to use me. The Sakovans just use people. Go away.”

  StarWind rose and walked to the door. She stopped with her hand on the door and turned towards Lyra. “Yes we use people,” StarWind admitted, “but we do not use them without their permission. WinterWind and LoneBadger died for the Sakovans because they believed in the Sakovans with all their heart. The safety and continued existence of the Sakovan people meant more to them than their own lives did. Do not sully your memory of them Lyra, by thinking that anyone used them for a purpose which they did not fully embrace on their own. They both went forth knowing the risks and accepting them because they believed in what they were doing. I have no doubt that they would have gone even knowing the outcome beforehand. They were true Sakovans and we will all lay down our lives for our people. Praise them for their actions and treasure their memories with love. I know I do.”

  Lyra heard the door click shut as StarWind’s words echoed through her mind. Easy for her to say, Lyra thought. It was not her mother and her brother who were dead. She wanted desperately to run away and put StarCity behind her, but she knew they would not let her leave. Even Antello and Syman were content to stay now and she would have to leave on her own if she got the chance. She would get the chance she decided. She was not going to be callously used as the rest of her family had been. Nobody was going to decide what she did with her life. Nobody.

  Lyra stormed out of her room and out of the palace. She ran for some time along the city streets until she could no longer run. She continued walking aimlessly through the city, her mind seething with the injustice of life. The Sakovans had torn apart her life and her family and they did not care. There was no sorrow for Rhodella. Nobody cared that Alfred was dead. They talked a lot about love for their fellow Sakovans, but she never saw them show love to anyone. Lyra stopped and gazed at the Sakovans around her. She watched their faces as they passed and realized that they were all devoid of passion. She saw no love, no hatred, no confusion, nothing. What type of creatures were these people she wondered? How can you go through life without feelings? Did nothing matter to them? Didn’t they care about anyone?

  The streets were starting to empty as the sky darkened and Lyra looked about and realized that she did not know where in the city she was. She saw the outer wall of the city and decided to follow it until she came to one of the main spokes, which would lead back to the palace. She needed desperately to talk to someone, but there was nobody she could trust to tell her the truth. StarWind just told her whatever was needed to get Lyra to devote her life to the Sakovan cause. Antello and Syman didn’t understand the Sakovans enough to explain to her how they could be so callous.

  As she approached one of the spokes, she saw the entrance to one of the large gardens and decided to enter and think for a while longer. She had no appetite for eating right now and there was nothing else for her to do besides sit in her room and sulk. She wound down the pathways in the midst of the beautiful flowers and bushes, but she didn’t notice them. She stopped at the intersection of two paths and sat on a stone bench, soaking in the solitude and willing it to bring peace to her mind. Her solitude shattered as familiar voice addressed her.

  “Lyra!” MistyTrail exclaimed. “Are you in need of hope too?”

  Lyra looked at the little warrior quizzically. “Hope?”

  “This is the Garden of Hope,” MistyTrail explained. “I came here to meditate and seek hope for our journey into the wilderness. We are off tomorrow to find the other assassins. HawkShadow does not feel good about this mission. He thinks that we will not all return from this one. I hope he is wrong.”

  “I hope so too,” Lyra found herself saying. At least MistyTrail had always been honest with her, she thought. Maybe the little fighter would tell her the truth. “MistyTrail, do Sakovans ever have emotions? Do they care about anything?”

  MistyTrail cocked her head and stared at Lyra and then smiled. She sat down next to Lyra. “Certainly. Everyone has emotions. There is not a Sakovan in this city that does not feel emotions, but we do not show them easily. Each Sakovan is required to spend time in Omunga at one time or another. We are trained to guard our emotions so that we never give anything away. A wrong showing of emotion at an improper time can mean death, but that does not mean we are without feelings.”

  “But I never see any emotions from Sakovans, even in StarCity. Why?”

  “You cannot turn your emotions on and off at will,” MistyTrail explained. “You cannot show emotions in StarCity and then not show them in Alamar. Such a mistake can be deadly, so we learn to show none at all. I imagine it can take quite a getting used to for someone new in the city.”

  Lyra churned MistyTrail’s words over in her mind and felt the little Sakovan’s hand lay gently on her arm. “I will tell you a secret,” she said. “Judge a person’s feelings by their actions, not their expressions. Expressions can be contrived, but false actions are easier to spot. Try going to someone who you know does not like you and put your arm around him. You will feel his body move away from you slightly. He can’t help it. It’s involuntary.”

  Lyra thought about the advice and realized that MistyTrail’s hand lay gently on her arm. Slowly she nodded her head in understanding. “Did you know LoneBadger?”

  “Not well,” MistyTrail admitted. “I met him a few times, but I did not really know him. I spend most of my time in the wilderness. I know now that he was your brother. I am sorry for you.”

  “What can you remember about him?” queried Lyra.

  “You should talk to StarWind about him,” offered MistyTrail.

  “I do not want to talk to StarWind about him,” Lyra replied, perhaps a bit too harshly. “I want to know the truth about him, not some Sakovan prepared speech intended to make me want to follow in his footsteps.”

  MistyTrail went quiet and Lyra felt the little warrior’s hand tighten on her arm slightly. “You are wrong about StarWind,” MistyTrail said softly. “There are many Sakovans who feel strongly about dedicating their life to the cause and certainty she is one of them, but StarWind is the last person who would try to force that feeling on someone else. Come with me.”

  “Where are we going?” Lyra asked as she rose with MistyTrail.

  “To your room,” MistyTrail said simply. “There I will explain what I can to you.”

  Lyra followed MistyTrail in silence. It took a while to make the trip back to the palace, but Lyra did not press MistyTrail with any more questions. Instead she pondered what MistyTrail had already told her and it began to make some sense, although she still found it hard to believe that a whole population could conceal their feelings all of the time.

  Most of the people who resided in the palace were at dinner and they did not pass anyone on the way to Lyra’s room. Lyra opened the door and let MistyTrail in and then sat on the floor.

  MistyTrail walked over to Lyra’s belongings and grabbed Lyra’s sword. Lyra flinched as MistyTrail drew the sword clear of its sheath and Lyra thought maybe she had misjudg
ed the little warrior as a tinge of fear shot through her. MistyTrail walked over to Lyra and handed the sword to her.

  “A fine sword,” commented MistyTrail. “A very unusual design. I took notice of it in the wilderness when I first saw you.”

  “It was my brother’s,” Lyra explained questioningly. “He never went anywhere without it and Rhodella treasured it when he died. She told me to take it with me just before she died.”

  “I know it meant the world to him,” MistyTrail stated. “I remember when it was given to him.”

  “Given to him?” Lyra asked. “Who gave it to him? Is it the type of sword you get when you join the Sakovans?”

  “Have you not bothered to look at the sword yet?” MistyTrail inquired.

  Lyra was becoming frustrated with this game of answering questions with questions and she quickly skimmed her eyes over the sword just to make MistyTrail happy. Her eyes stopped at a small engraving near the hilt that she had never seen before and she shook her head in wonder.

  “So you have finally seen it,” MistyTrail smiled. “It is Sakovan custom to engrave gifts in this fashion.”

  “But that could be anyone,” Lyra protested. “Those initials could probably fit a dozen people.”

  “Could, but they don’t and I am sure you now realize it,” MistyTrail declared.

  “I don’t understand,” frowned Lyra. “Why would she give him this sword?”

  “There is much that you do not understand,” agreed MistyTrail. “They were to be wed. StarWind was a mage in training at the time and LoneBadger was a fiery spirit who thought he was the best spy the Sakovans ever had. He probably was. He impressed everyone with the need to increase our spy network so that we would not be caught unawares by the Omungans. After his death, StarWind asked for a job as a spy. RavenWing was reticent to let her try it because he knew of their relationship and he thought StarWind was trying to throw her life away. She pushed until she got what she wanted and she quickly moved up in the ranks to become the spymaster. Since that time, she has created the most extensive spy network the Sakovans have ever had.”