Rise (War Witch Book 1)

by Cain S. Latrani

  "Okay," she said slowly. "Who are you and what have you done with my brother?"

  He laughed at that, nodding slightly. "I know. I'm not always the most supportive person."

  "When I wanted to learn how to fish, you took me down to the stream, and pushed me in," she countered dryly.

  Daniel rubbed the back of his head, blushing slightly. "Yeah..."

  "You told me to catch them in my mouth," she added.

  "I remember," he mumbled, looking anywhere but at her.

  "Like a dog," she finished.

  "Okay, so I'm usually crap at being a good brother," he admitted. "At least to your face."

  Chara arched an eyebrow. "And you've been so wonderful behind my back?"

  "Pretty much, I think, yeah," he told her with a smile.

  "Uh huh," she intoned, moving to sit, crossing her legs in front of her and resting the pillow on them. "So, that time you told Wally that I ate frogs, what was that?"

  "Give me a break," he exclaimed. "I was ten and you were eight!"

  "And Wally was cute!" she shot back.

  "So, you do think guys are cute," he quipped with a sly grin.

  Chara felt her face flush. "Sometimes. Depends on the boy. Girls are better, though."

  "I cannot argue that," he chuckled. "Have you slept with any?"

  "Like I'd tell you," she said hotly.

  He shrugged. "Just thought we could compare notes. No need to get all wound up."

  Giving a short laugh of outrage, she hit him with the pillow. "You’re a cad!"

  He laughed as he wrestled the pillow away and tossed it at her head. Catching it, she found herself smiling and returned it to her lap, settling into it. "Just Lucy."

  He nodded slowly. "I figured as much. She was always as much a tomboy as you. You two look good together, though, so that's great."

  "You think so?" she asked, looking up at him with uncertainty.

  "I do, yeah," he said, ruffling her hair. "I figure old John Kal will hit the roof, but you should go after what makes you happy. I've got your back with Mom and Dad, so don't worry over that, okay?"

  Feeling tears start to form, she sat up and hugged him tight. "Thank you, Daniel."

  "For what?" he asked, hugging her back.

  "Being the best brother in this world, and every other," she said, sniffling against him.

  "I really am, aren't I?” he joked.

  "Don't ruin it," she warned, wiping her eyes.

  He shook his head. "I'm not. Remember a couple months ago, when you came back from Adel and my eye was all busted up."

  Chara thought about it for a moment. "Yeah. You said you fell off a horse. Why?"

  "Tommy said he was going to follow you when you headed for Adel and get you to have sex with him," Daniel shrugged. "He said you were easy. So, I busted his jaw."

  Chara smiled slightly. "No you didn't."

  "Sure did," he grinned. "And I'd do it again."

  Feeling ashamed of herself, she shrunk down, asking, "What if it was true? What if it turned out I was easy?"

  "Then I'd bust him twice as hard," Daniel said, resting a hand on her head. "Just for thinking you were easy enough for his ugly, stupid ass."

  Smiling and crying, she leaned into him and let him hold her. Somehow, he’d found a way to make things seem less gloomy, less bleak and hopeless. She was grateful, and for the first time in a long time, felt like she maybe did deserve better.

  "So, let me ask," Diem said as he eased down on the steps of the porch, offering the warrior a stiff drink. "What do you think of all this?"

  She shrugged slightly, staring up at the stars. After a moment, she patted her chest, over her heart and then grew annoyed when she couldn't figure out how to communicate the rest of her thought.

  "Love is love," he grunted. "I happen to agree with that. The customs of Fival, though, they’re rooted so far back in antiquity, they were probably around before Cynthanis was born."

  The warrior waved that off morosely.

  "No arguing that," Diem agreed, taking a long drink of whiskey. "What about you? Have you ever... you know... with another woman?"

  She nodded absently, drawing a surprised look from him.

  "So, you prefer them to men, then?"

  She shook her head, only half listening.

  "Oh," he nodded slowly. "One's as good as the other. I see."

  Sitting her drink down, the warrior rested her elbows on her knees and rubbed her temples. This wasn't what she’d returned to the Middle World for, and while it wasn't really her concern, she felt an obligation to return the kindness Diem and most of his family had shown her. She knew she couldn't leave until this was settled. She just couldn't think of where to start.

  "Don't worry yourself over it, friend," Diem told her. "Chara, she's always been like this. If you tell her to go right, she'll go left or die, even if it means taking a tumble down a hill. She's willful, headstrong, and while in a lot of ways I'm glad she knows her own mind and isn't afraid to follow her own heart, sometimes it causes her more pain than simply doing what others ask of her."

  The warrior looked up, weary, and patted him on the shoulder. She could recall Father saying similar about her not so long ago. Perhaps that was what she liked so much about the young woman. She reminded her of herself, four years younger.

  "We'll muddle through this, so don't let it hold you here, okay?" he offered after a bit. "And don't fret none about Kate. You can stay here as long as you need. She'll buck me on it, but she'll accept it."

  With a nod, the warrior picked up her glass and downed the entire contents in a single go before standing and thumping the old man on the shoulder. He smiled up at her, looking even older than he had that morning.

  Her Avatar, feeling her bleak emotions in sympathy, sang her a song of love, and while it made her feel better, she knew she had to do something to make all of this right.

  Passing through the common room, she found it largely empty, the entire town having heard of the blow-up between Chara and Kate, opting to take their dinner at home rather than risk being caught up in the maelstrom of those two again. The warrior rather understood. Her own dinner had been some bread and hard cheese she'd snuck from the pantry, doing her best to avoid the still livid Kate.

  No sense keeping open wounds bleeding free, as her Father always said.

  It’d never occurred to her until she mounted the steps, but he said a lot of things that were probably not terribly appropriate for small children to hear. Her Avatar whistled its agreement and then chirped on about how sex was better than fighting anyway.

  Mentally giving it an annoyed look, she pointed out that sex didn’t solve everything. The spirit perked its ears, humming out confusion as to why not. Weary, she decided not to argue with anything connected to Altimar about sex. She would never win. Her Avatar gave a melodic shrug.

  Reaching the landing, she headed for her room, pausing as Daniel emerged from one at the end of the hall. They stared at each other for a moment, and then he waved her forward, meeting her halfway.

  "That's Chara's room back there," he said quietly. "She's having a pretty rough time right now. I know you're a Priestess, and if it isn't asking too much, maybe you could help her?"

  The sincerity in his voice and sadness in his eyes moved her the way nothing else could. Trained as a warrior, there was no denying her Cleric side, and the way her heart went out to others. It was her nature to comfort, heal, and nurture those around her, something she had long struggled with, but was suddenly grateful for.

  Resting a hand on his shoulder, she nodded and headed past him. She could hear him, though, whispering his thanks to the Gods for sending her to their tiny town, and for the first time, understood her Father's wisdom.

  Knocking softly, she opened the door and smiled. Chara sat on her bed, wiping tears, flushing red as the Blessed saw her. Rubbing her face quickly, she stood and welcomed her in.

  Being the gentle sort, the warrior pretended not to notice
how red her eyes were.

  "I'm so sorry about what happened earlier," Chara told her, motioning for her to sit on the bed with her. "My Mom, she knows just how to piss me off."

  The warrior smiled warmly, resting a hand on her shoulder, and waving for her to continue. Only yesterday, she’d wished desperately the young woman would stop talking, where now she sought for her to speak more. Life was strange.

  But beautiful, her Avatar sung. She couldn't deny that, and the two listened as the young woman they’d both grown to care for so quickly began to open up to them.

  "I'm sure I don't have to explain it fully at this point," Chara said, sniffing back the tears that threatened again. "She's going to make me marry a man I don't love, while Lucy watches. I just can't do that, not to Lucy, or to Hale. He deserves a woman who will love him fully."

  Thinking for a moment, the warrior tapped Chara's chest, over her heart, and pointed out the window, making a sullen face. After a moment of confused staring, Chara's eyes lit up with understanding.

  "Do I love Lucy?" she asked, getting a nod from the warrior. "I do, very much. I don't know if I'm in love with her, but I think, maybe, it's as close as I've ever been. If I have to choose between someone I don't love at all, and someone I love, even if it isn't real love, then it's better to be with her. Isn't it?"

  The warrior nodded eagerly, tapping over Chara's heart again and pointing to the Heavens. The Gods wanted that, more than anything, for people to be with those who filled their hearts with joy.

  Chara smiled, wan and tired. "My Mom doesn't see it that way. She doesn't see it any way but her way. She'll tell Lucy's dad, and he'll send her away. Once he does, she’ll force me to marry Hale. There's nothing I can do about it. Maybe it's best to just give in, and let her have her way."

  Frowning, her eyes telling the tale of how she felt for the young woman, the warrior placed her hand over her breast, patting it gently, then waved to Chara's chest and shook her head. All living things carried a spirit, which was neither male nor female, and all of them sought to be loved. It was the spirit that mattered, nothing else.

  Chara shook her head, looking tired and battered. "Even so, it doesn't matter. I've nowhere else to go. It doesn't matter what I feel, or think, or even want. This is the only life I'm allowed."

  Watching as Chara’s spirit neared breaking, the warrior squeezed her shoulder, refusing to accept that. Suddenly angry, she put her finger to the mark on her forehead and then slashed the air quickly. As a Blessed, she would not allow it. With a hand on her heart, she nodded, face grim and determined.

  Chara smiled a little brighter. "Let's hope you can work miracles, then."

  The warrior wobbled her hand in the air a little, but remained resolute in her vow. She wouldn’t see this young spirit broken. It was strong, fierce and determined. To turn her back would be wrong.

  Leaning against her, Chara sighed heavily. "Thank you, all the same, but I've come to realize that maybe, this is what I deserve. I've not always been the best person, not as good as I wish I'd been, so this might just be my punishment for that."

  Shaking her head fiercely, the warrior tried to find a way to assure her that wasn't the case. Despite her protests, Chara's smile faded, and she was sorry to see it go.

  "Even with you, Dad, and Daniel on my side, I don't see how we're going to change her mind," Chara admitted. "My only other option really is to run away, and take my chances."

  Fear gripped the warrior’s heart. Glancing to the open windows of Chara’s bedroom, she made a choice and began tugging her boots off. Chara sat up, watching her curiously as she kicked them aside and stretched out on the bed, motioning for her.

  "Really?" she asked.

  The warrior nodded and Chara curled against her, finding her strong grip comforting. Something about the sound of her heart made the young woman feel less afraid. Clutching her, Chara soon slept, her weary body, mind and soul finding solace in the woman she had come to see as her hero.

  For the warrior, her Avatar sung her to sleep with a song of love and pride in her.

  Chapter Six

  COME THE MORNING, Chara woke to find her friend still cradling her close, and despite her heartache, smiled. Nestling against her, she took comfort in having the warrior priestess on her side, even if it did no good. The simple fact that she was willing to stand up for her was enough to fill the young woman’s heart with joy.

  As the warrior roused, smiling at her and hugging her tighter, though, Chara accepted the fact that she had no choice but to face reality. Blessed of Ramor or no, there was little chance the warrior would be able to deter Kate from her chosen course. After all, neither her father nor her brother had managed to, so what hope did she have?

  With a heavy heart, she pulled away and sat up, staring out the window at the dawning sky. A new day, once full of promise, seemed gray and dismal to her. Even the comforting hand of the warrior on her back did little to lift her spirits. Chara was watching her future crumble away, snatched from her hands, and knew there was nothing she could do about it.

  Freshening up, they headed downstairs to take breakfast, the young woman walking ahead of the Blessed, her demeanor that of a prisoner on her way to the gallows. Her shoulders slumped as she descended the stairs, thoughts of a life rearing Hale's children filling her mind. A kind boy he might be, but she didn’t want him, and he deserved better than her.

  She couldn't help but wonder when the world had turned this way, when love was not enough, and the idea of safety mattered more than happiness. When tradition was more important than joy, did it leave a world worth living in?

  Stepping into the common room, Chara decided then and there that she would flee Rheumer before she married Hale. She would pack what few things she could carry, and vanish into the night, taking one of the horses from the stable behind the inn, and head for Lansing to the southeast. Her parents would think she had gone north, to Adel, and by the time they learned otherwise, she would be long gone.

  A few townsfolk had gathered at the inn, but the room was silent as a grave that morning, all eyes turning to Chara as she sat at a table, the warrior of Ramor joining her. She met them all, and read the judgment they held. Even if she stayed, she would never truly be one of them again. She had bucked the traditions they held dear.

  Running away and losing herself in the vast world was the only road left to her.

  Kate dropped a plate of eggs and bacon in front of the warrior, making it bounce and spilling half of it, before turning her back and stalking away. Silent, the warrior grimaced, her Avatar singing a few choice curses after the woman. Chara gave her an apologetic look and started to rise, planning on fetching both of them a less messy meal.

  "Sit down, dear," Diem said, a strong hand on her shoulder forcing her back into her seat.

  "Yes, sir," she mumbled as he joined them.

  The warrior looked askance at him, but he only shook his head. He'd gotten nowhere with his wife, and as far as she was concerned, the wedding was on, the sooner, the better. He wasn't sure just how long they had, but he would wager it wasn't much time.

  "Chara, why don't you help me out in the stables today?" he said softly, reaching out to squeeze her hand. "As for you, Blessed, you have some shopping to do."

  He offered her the list he’d shown her yesterday, now complete with the prices Chara had gathered. Taking it, she slid it away and nodded her thanks, then looked to Chara, worried.

  "I spoke with Mike as well, and he's agreed to sell you two of his horses," Diem continued. "You can find him near the trading house. He knows to look for you, and that you can't speak, but he's promised me he'll give you a good deal."

  The warrior nodded, thanking him with a smile, one that faded quickly as she looked across the table again to his daughter.

  He easily read the look on her face, and felt the same. "I'll figure something out, don't worry," he assured her. "For now, the best I can do is keep her close to me, and out of her mother’s sight. K
ate needs some time to cool down, but once she does, I think I can talk reason to her."

  "She'll insist I help with the housework," Chara said softly.

  Diem waved it off. "Daniel can do that today. You're with me. Okay?"

  "Okay." She nodded.

  "Good," he sighed, trying to give her a smile. "I'll send Daniel over with a proper meal for you both. When you finish, set about your tasks. Leave the rest to me."

  Chara nodded slightly, as did the warrior, though she had a doubtful look in her eye. Diem was a good man, and would do everything in his power, she knew, but there was no question that it was Kate who ran the family. In the end, she was more worried than ever that Chara might try something foolish, and dangerous.

  The day had worn into afternoon by the time the warrior returned leading two horses, one packed with the supplies she’d acquired from various merchants about town. As Diem had predicted, her wild assortment of coins had proven difficult, as each of her purchases had come with a great deal more math than she’d expected. Each of the merchants had had to figure the proper exchange rate of the coins she offered, taking up a lot of her day.

  To her surprise, Daniel and Chara were waiting for her, sitting on the front steps of the inn, rising as she approached and joining her in the street. Quietly, the young man reached for the reigns.

  "I'll tend your horses and gear, Miss," he said. "It's best you brace yourself."

  The warrior sighed and waved him on. She could tell from looking at Chara that whatever had happened while she'd been shopping hadn't been good.

  Glancing over at his sister, Daniel told her, "Mom found out Chara had packed some of her things. She figured out she was going to run away. After that, it got kind of loud."

  With a weary sigh, the warrior nodded and thanked him with a pat on the shoulder. Daniel grimaced and led the horses around back, still stinging from his mother’s rebuke after he'd stood up for his sister. The skillet he'd almost taken to the head had ended his involvement as he'd retreated to a safe distance.