storm

by Unknown

  “Tonight, we all eat together,” Cobweb said to Bryony. “All the staff, everyhar. Do we have enough?”

  “Just about,” Bryony said. “Yarrow had somehar go out to the fields and fetch a lamb. It's quite big.”

  “Good.”

  Families were returning to the town, coming down from the cloud forests, and along the old roads that led to the sea. When he went out into the garden, Cobweb saw the light of fires below the hill. He heard voices singing. And there were Moon and Tyson riding back from town up the long driveway; magnificent hara, the flowers of Galhea. Ferany would not visit Forever for some time, Cobweb thought. But what must be must be. Not everyhar could have a happy ending. This moved his thoughts to Azriel and Aleeme, who were still under Gelaming care, too sick to be moved via the otherlanes or overland. For now, Cobweb had sent Aleeme's harling to Lisia, for if anyhar could help the wretched child, Lisia was the one. They would have to wait and find out what Aleeme felt about the whole experience, but Cobweb himself was uncomfortable with the idea of a child of pelki being reared in his home.

  Cobweb waved to Moon and Tyson and went back into the house. Snake was waiting for him. “I watched you there outside,” he said. “You needed time alone.”

  “We are never alone,” Cobweb said. “This is something I've learned, and there are no benevolent angels or kindly gods to watch over us. There is something else, and it's watching us through the tall grasses.”

  “We have dehara,” Snake said. “We are not defenceless...”

  “That's true. And we have Lileem. One day...”

  “A parage I hope very much to meet in person,” Snake said. “Tonight, I must dance. I haven't danced in many years.”

  “We'll dance,” Cobweb said. “We'll dance with dehara.”

  Arm in arm, they rejoined their family. Outside, the fields spread out beneath the moon and the sky went on for ever. The world looked just the same.

  ~ end ~