At sunset, Arien called the Siobani warriors together. Stillness surrounded the group, a physical presence in the fading light. The Siobani took the bodies of their fallen brethren and laid them in a freshly dug grave. Arien stood at the assembly’s head, his face solemn and sad. The forest itself seemed to listen as he began in a voice that was more like song than speech.
“These, our fallen brothers, leave us too soon,” Arien began. “But not before their appointed time. Teann ever guides our steps, even the one that stills our heart. We mourn their passing, as they were greatly loved. Their hearts were valiant, their deeds noble, their friendship...a prize we will ever treasure.
“We offer them to the hands of the One, who both created them and gave them breath. We’ll leave them here, in the earth, for it’s said from the earth we were formed, given life by the breath of the One.” Arien paused. “Now their bodies will enrich the soil as their lives once enriched ours. May their memories soon cease to cause us grief and in turn bring us the greatest joy.”
Tears pricked her eyes as one by one, Siobani warriors dropped a handful of dirt on the bodies. Arien’s gaze found hers. Ilythra hesitated then moved forward, scooping up the rich black loam and letting it fall on the disappearing forms beneath. Glancing up, she saw Arien’s eyes still on her. Something like pride shone from their depths.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Arien pulled back the tent flap. “I’ve a place I’d like to show you.”
Ilythra looked to her patient. She’d been feeding him broth from a hollowed-out gourd.
The wounded warrior smiled. “I think I can manage the rest on my own.” He took the almost-empty gourd from her hand and brought it to his lips.
“He might have mentioned it before,” Ilythra muttered, following Arien into the dusky night.
“He’s wounded and Elder Born, but he’s still male.” Arien didn’t turn but amusement tinted his voice.
Ilythra glanced to the star-strewn heavens, trailing Arien to the corral. Melior whickered a greeting. “Where are we going?” She swung onto the horse’s back.
Arien turned his stallion west and cantered into the night. “You’ll see.”
Shrugging, Ilythra followed.
They rode in silence. On occasion, Arien would point out where a Siobani village had been or an important deed had been performed.
Soon they came to a clearing. Arien dismounted, and Ilythra slid from Melior’s back, landing on the soft leaf-strewn ground. The moon shone silver against the black of the night sky. A small brook gurgled through the glen, its music subdued.
Arien led the horses a distance away and then returned, settling on one of the many moss-covered rocks that littered the glen.
“Now what?” she asked.
“Come sit. Now we wait.”
Ilythra settled in. The Siobani was acting strange, but she was tired and content to sit for a while. The nights had grown steadily colder with their journey north. She wrapped her cloak around her and closed her eyes, letting the night’s peace wash her troubled thoughts.
A sound like bells tinkled nearby. Ilythra opened her eyes. An iridescent movement caught her attention. She turned toward the sound to find only darkened forest. A trick of moonlight? Glancing at Arien, she saw movement again on the other side of the glen. Arien became alert, but she sensed no alarm. Staring straight ahead, the iridescent light increased, always on the fringes of her vision. Realization dawned: Airydh. She swallowed. The hidden people. Excitement and fear warred for dominance.
Airydh didn’t have form as did other corporeal beings. Like moving rainbows, their shimmering wings only appeared in one’s peripheral vision. If a person looked for them, they would vanish. They wore a cloak of moonlight as they danced around the glen. Music like bell chimes filled the air. Laughter bubbled up in her chest.
Ilythra reached over and touched Arien’s hand. She couldn’t tell how many of the hidden people were in the glen, but the forest floor began to glow beneath the dust falling like a shower of light from their wings. Arien squeezed her hand gently in his.
Words, spoken by different voices, all resembling the laughing brook, sounded near her ear. Like butterfly wings they touched her mind.
“You wear a cloak of grief, daughter.”
Another voice spoke. “It blinds you to what is true.”
“Let truth burn away your darkness,” a third voice chimed.
The first voice returned. “Your days of wandering draw to a close.”
“You will find the meaning of home.”
“This is the summer of your time here.”
“Grow strong, learn wisdom.”
“Soak in the light, so when darkness falls, you will remember its warmth and will not falter.”
“Your path has been laid down since the beginning of time.”
“You will not stray from it if you seek light to guide your way.”
Silence fell across the glen, as rich and beautiful as Airdyh’s voices. The glimmering lights faded. Ilythra stirred. She turned to Arien and saw tears falling from his eyes. Joy, shining from the depth of him, caused Ilythra to smile through her own tears.
He returned her smile, his eyes brightened.
“Thank you,” Ilythra said.
Arien gazed at her, then faced the brook. “They don’t appear to everyone. You can’t summon them. Teann led my steps. Ilythra, you’re human, but you are also Gwagier gan char mehn. You bear my people’s stone, my mother’s sword. You’ve proven yourself in battle and healing. I find no fault in you.”
Emotion clogged her throat. She swallowed tears. “You honor me, Arien of Siann.”
“The honor is mine.” Arien’s smile lit his face. “Come, it’s almost dawn.”
Ilythra glanced to the sky. Silver lined the horizon in the east. Arien retrieved the horses and they moved toward the Siobani camp. Neither rushed, both filled with the night’s wonder.
As they neared camp, Ilythra stopped Melior. “Arien, I’ll never be able to repay you for the gift you gave me tonight.”
He raised a single eyebrow. “You are human yet. Gifts do not require payment.”
* * *
A distant melody drifted on the wind as they approached the first Siobani village. Cheering Elder Born threw petals before them as they moved through the streets. Gradually, the army disbanded as groups left to return to their homes. Soon, only those from the House of Siann remained.
Their pace quickened as they approached the city. Ilythra began to recognize familiar landmarks. Songs of welcome met them as the entered the great gates, and banners of green, blue and white waved in the wind around the courtyard. Guilt weighed her step. She’d promised to bring back Crioch. Would Ewen greet her with joy or sorrow in his green eyes?
Happy reunions ensued around her. A barrage of glad faces and grateful speech. She held back, unsure. The crowd parted as Ewen moved toward Arien. Father and son gazed at each other then embraced.
“You’re well?” Ewen’s green eyes lit his face.
“Yes.” Arien’s shoulders relaxed.
Ewen’s gaze found Ilythra.
Shame and anger burned in her heart. “Ewen, we failed—” she began.
He raised his hand. “Perhaps you didn’t accomplish everything you desired. But you did not fail. Your warning saved lives, your actions many more.” Ewen’s gaze held no recrimination. Acceptance radiated from him.
A burden fell from Ilythra’s shoulders.
Ewen took her arm and together they walked into the palace. “Welcome home, Ilythra.”
* * * * *
Sara must master an ancient magic, but at what cost?
The Triune Stones series begins with the first two releases, available now!
Journey of Awakening
&n
bsp; After her grandfather’s death, Sara inherits an ancient pendant and a near-impossible quest—master the mysterious pendant’s source of magic. Driven to do so, she must find the other two stones of power, long considered lost, while preventing an unknown enemy from finding her first. Along the way she meets Tobar, leader of the nomadic Heleini tribe. As Sara wrestles with feelings for this intriguing man, she is also invigorated with her grandfather’s passion to find the ancient Siobani race.
After a rival tribe kidnaps Tobar’s son and heir, Sara must harness the stone’s healing magic to unite the tribes and save the boy. But as the dark power stalking her gains ground, will she continue on her quest to reach the Siobani or risk everything to save the warring tribes from eliminating each other?
Journey of Dominion
Sara, now known as Ilythra, the Wanderer of legend, continues north on her quest to find the Siobani, who hold the secrets of the magic stone around her neck.
The stone’s magic leads her to help a trader in search of his brother. The hunt takes her into a land in the grip of an alchemical conspiracy. Lord Bredych of Greton has already schemed to control Ilythra’s stone once and weaves a web of scent, magic and manipulation to bring her to him. With Bredych’s fragrances intoxicating her and the song of his stone in her ears, Ilythra begins to forget her quest...
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About the Author
Winner of a 2011 RT Readers’ Choice Award for her debut book, Altered Destiny, Shawna Thomas can’t remember a time she wasn’t making up stories. Once she put pen to paper, or finger to keyboard, there was no looking back.
Shawna lives in California where, when she’s not writing or editing, she tends to her seven children, gardens, bakes and drinks a lot of coffee.
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ISBN-13: 9781426897696
JOURNEY OF WISDOM
Copyright © 2013 by Shawna Thomas
Edited by Rhonda Helms
All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
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