He shook his head, not willing to risk that answer, not even with her.
“So,” she said, “now you know. Care to try killing me over it?”
He snorted, dry and unamused. “Hardly.”
“You haven’t killed her, either. Why not?” She tilted her head to look up at him, her gaze sharp.
He swallowed back a sigh and said, “I married her. Before I knew.”
“Ah. Interesting choice.”
He swallowed again, in a drier throat this time; but she needed to know this part. “In a hanaa-aerst-yin ceremony.”
“What?” She jerked round to face him, her eyes wide and golden in unabashed distress.
He set his teeth and tried not to look at her as he gave her the rest: “Under the auspices of Lord Evkit.”
Her breath rasped in her throat for a moment. “You bound yourself to a human? To her? And then found out—ah, gods.”
He squinted out at the sunset, lips tight together. Her breath caught and gagged and caught again; he waited, dourly expectant, and at last it clarified into the laughter he’d been expecting.
“Thanks for the sympathy,” he said when she began to wind down, which only set her off into more peals of mirth.
“Thank you,” she said at last, wiping at her eyes. “I don’t believe I’ve laughed so hard in five hundred years or more. Ah, child—De’sta’haiq—it’s a good thing I took that collar off, isn’t it? You’d have wiped out half the world by now otherwise. The weight of the small things we do never ceases to amaze me.” She chuckled again, shaking her head. “Do you want me to take the chains out?”
He said nothing, his vision suddenly hazed; blinked hard, and turned his head to find her watching him with a surprising sympathy.
“No,” she said softly, “I see how it is. Interesting. I always said it should be possible, in theory—well. Done is done, and it’s workable, with some thought. How long are the chains? You seem to be moving around fairly well.”
“So far,” he said, grateful that his voice remained steady. “I’m being cautious and traveling by foot whenever possible; that seems to cause no problems.”
“Well, so, that’ll slow us down,” she said, sober now. “And it’s a long way south to Scratha Fortress, so we’d best get moving.”
“I can’t travel through the Horn,” Deiq said, the words bitter in the back of his mouth.
“Neither can I,” she said. Something feral and mad flared in her gaze for a moment; he backed up a reflexive step. Her nostrils flared, and the savagery faded from her expression. “Never mind. The water will do.”
“Not a ship,” he said without thinking first, then shook his head as the memory of a thick, gritty taste spread across the back of his tongue. “Has to be a ship,” he corrected himself. “Damnit.”
She squinted at him. “Why?”
He looked out at the ocean, thinking over his answer; finally pulled a small bag from his pocket and held it up by the strings without looking at her. “Tey-b’tibik,” he said. “Binding powder. Full strength, original formula.”
The following silence hung thick with unsaid things. He could feel her gaze burning into him.
He tucked the bag of powder back into hiding and rubbed a hand over his face, waiting. It didn’t take much longer before she said, “You have gone insane, carrying that about on your person.”
“Probably.” He sighed. “Apparently the teyanain have been feeding it to me for some years. Looking back, I’d guess a hundred—two hundred at the outside.”
“I would guess longer than that,” she commented, voice desert-dry. “That explains rather a lot.”
“Yes.”
He slanted a sideways glance at her. She stood scowling out at the ocean they’d just been admiring. A moment later, he felt the faintest riffle as she pried through his most topical thoughts and memories; made no attempt to block her search.
She hissed and withdrew quickly. “You’re actually taking—Holy gods.” She shut her eyes and shook her head, obviously unable to say the rest aloud. “Why?”
He drew a breath, let it out very slowly. “Because I married her.”
She said nothing for a while, her breathing even. He waited, not fooled by the apparent serenity of her expression. If she decided he’d gone over the line, her next move would be to kill him.
He didn’t even bother adding try to into that sentence. He wouldn’t have won against her at full strength; at the moment, he probably wouldn’t even see the fatal blow coming.
I’m told you’ll probably kill me. Go ahead and get it over with, then. I hate waiting. He grinned at the memory of Alyea’s defiance, truly understanding it for the first time.
Teilo snorted, as though following that thought, and muttered, “Juvenile melodramatics. Apparently I should have let her die after all. Allowing room for human emotion is one thing, but this—She’s ruined you. Well, done is done, and tomorrow’s sun is due to rise no matter what happens today. Take a human ship, then. You’ll probably arrive too late to do any good, but that won’t surprise anyone, now, will it?”
Deiq set his teeth tight together, breathed hard through his nose, then said, “Godspeaker, you’ve made your own mistakes along the way.”
“Everyone does,” she said acerbically. “I’ve just stopped whipping myself over mine. I suggest you try it; you might actually accomplish something useful once in a while.”
The crimson ball of sunlight began to melt into the ocean. She moved forward another pace and bowed to the horizon; then, without further words, without a backwards glance, walked into the water.
He watched her go, his vision blurring. “Gods hold you gently,” he murmured as the last of her pale hair disappeared under the waves.
And may they smooth your sailing, she said, with a black amusement to match his usual attitude. Remember to hang over the leeward rail.
He laughed and turned towards Sandlaen Port. After a few steps, he broke into a loose gallop, splashing through the surf and grinning like a loon.
Glossary and Pronunciation Guide
A number of the words in the southern language include the glottal-stop, which is rendered here as ^. A glottal stop involves closing, to some degree, the back of the throat, resulting in a near-coughing sound when released. Sometimes this sounds as though a hard “H” has been inserted.
Aenstone (ayn-stone): An Aerthraim Family-created stone composite; they hold the process secret. In sufficient quantity, aenstone blocks psychic communications, inhibits the use of psychic abilities, and weakens ha’ra’hain.
Aerth (ay-erth): Rough translation: feathers, freedom, flight. Exact meaning dependent on dialect and context.
Aerthraim lanterns: Any lamp filled with the peculiar green oil produced only by Aerthraim Family; gives off an unusually white light and little to no smoke when burned.
Aesa (ay-sah): A common plant whose leaves, when dried and used in a pipe, produce a mild euphoria. Illegal in the north; legal south of Bright Bay.
Ahnn (awwn): There is no direct northern equivalent to this word; an expression of gratitude for one’s host’s honor, patience, generosity, and grace, with overtones of Thank you for not killing us while we sheltered under your roof.
Alli (ahl-lee): 1. The number two (southern). 2. A simple two-pipe instrument, usually wooden, occasionally metal, common to the southlands.
Ana-ha, va’bit (ahhnah-hah, vah-beet): Rough translation: Service/apology accepted. A very old and out-of-use phrase: ha’ra’hain accepting apologies or submission from a human.
Aqeyva (ack-ee-vah, alt. ahh-keh-vah): A combination of martial-arts training and meditation disciplines. The combat training is often referred to as a `dance’ as it involves smooth, flowing motions that have no apparent resemblance to any fighting mode.
Asp-jacau (asp-jack-how): A slender canine with long, thin snout and legs. Its short-haired coat tends toward fawn or brindle coloring. Its excellent sense of smell is primarily used to detect dangerous snakes and
(in some cases) drugs. In Bright Bay, only royalty or King’s Guard patrols may own an asp-jacau, but below the Horn the asp-jacau is a common companion animal.
Athain (ath-ain): Lit. translation: spirit-walker. Teyanain specially trained to manipulate energy and psychic forces; extremely dangerous people, and very rare. Athain are considered holy by the teyanain. While they have elaborate outfits for ceremonial purposes, in “ordinary” clothes athain are distinguished by a unique manner of braiding their hair: beginning as one braid, then dividing further into three smaller braids, usually laced with tiny beads.
Ayn (ain): Chabi piece representing water. Cylindrical in shape, the ayn moves like a crooked stream: two spaces in one direction, three in another. It is one of the most versatile pieces on the board.
Bene (beh-ne): 1. The number three (southern). 2. A relatively simple three-pipe instrument common to the southlands. Like the alli, it is most commonly made of wood.
Cactus-flute: A long, thin flute made from minor branches of the same hard-skinned cactus used for making shabacas. Produces a thin, piping sound; sometimes tied together in sets of three to produce a wider range of tones.
Calcen (khal-czen): The title teyanain use for their leader; not permitted to outsiders. It is considered a gross offense for any non-teyanain to use that term.
Callen (call-en): One sworn to the service of a southern god.
Ceiling tube: A skylight in the form of a wide tube lined with mirrors; developed by Aerthraim Family. The secret of their manufacture is tightly controlled; they must be installed and repaired by Aerthraim craftsmen.
Chaal (chawl): A southern servant’s term for people of high southern status; generally refers to desert lords.
Chabi (chah-bee): A desert game whose underlying principles, moves and strategies reflect the principles of survival in a dry, hostile environment. In chabi, different types of pieces represent wind, water, goods, and money; different areas of the board represent compass directions, fortresses, fire, air, and water.
Chekk (check): A community of ha’ra’hain openly living above ground. Extremely rare, as the genetic deterioration generally turns any such group into a human community within three generations—and the combative nature of many ha’ra’hain makes creating a balanced community a tricky process.
Chich (chihch): A substance developed by the Aerthraim to assist with various drug addictions, notably dasta. Generally mixed into a tough, extremely spicy fruit or meat jerky carrier.
Chichi (chee-chee): A small, hand-held clapper style of drum; generally a lightly hinged or tied striker and a metallic or wooden “head”.
Clee: Three athain working together; extremely rare and extremely dangerous.
Coming or going: Street-slang inquiry about a relationship; “is she coming or going” means, more or less, “is she your girlfriend or a temporary amusement?”
Comos (Cohm-ohs): One of three gods honored in the southlands. Represents the neutrality/balance/questioning energies; also linked to the season of winter, the colors white and brown, and curiosity. Callen of Comos, if male, must be castrated; women must be past menopause to be allowed out in the world at large.
Dahass (dah-hahs; alt., dah-hass): Nomadic tribes that roam the uncharted and unclaimed southlands and follow no ruler but their own leader. They are likely the source of many of the wilder tales of southern barbarism that circulate in the northlands, as they find spreading such rumors amusing.
Daimaina (day-may-nah): Southern version of “housekeeper”; generally but not always shares the Head of Family’s bed. Holds considerable power in her own right, but in a sharply limited sphere. Male version is daiman.
Dasta (dah-stah): A drug originally developed by the ketarches, whose use has altered significantly over the years.
Dashaic (dash-ache): So-called dasta tea is dasta powder turned into a thick, potent syrup. Dashaic travels better than the powder, as it runs less risk of being ruined by damp conditions, but is more difficult to produce and thus far more expensive.
Datda (Dat-dah): One of three gods honored in the southlands, Datda represents the negative/death/change energies; also linked to the season of high summer, the colors red and black, and the emotion of anger. Commonly called “the Sun Lord”; saying the name aloud is held to be bad luck. Only Datda’s Callen may safely pronounce the holy name, but they tend to be reluctant to advertise their affiliation; everyone knows that most Callen of Datda have trained extensively as assassins and spies.
Dathedain (dath-heh-dane): Followers of the god Datda.
Desert sage: A tree-sized plant resembling ordinary garden sage, which has adapted for desert life; the leaves curl up during the day’s heat into thick, needle-shaped rolls, and spread out in damp weather or at night. After a long drought, even a slight breeze will stir the dead leaves into a shivery, rattling sound. The dry wood gives off a pleasant aroma when burned, but the leaves are not edible. Often holds large nests of blood-spiders and micru.
Desert truce: An agreement to work together for mutual survival in a hostile environment; ends immediately upon reaching safety.
Devil-tree: A tree largely found in southern wastelands, with deeply fissured bark, wildly twisted branches, and semi-soft needle-style leaves; cones are bright red and poisonous to humans, but attract a variety of wildlife. The wood does not burn easily and gives off a nasty smoke.
Druu (dreww): Master drummer. Must understand and be able to use each of the numerous percussion instruments known in the south.
Eki (eh-key): One of the Four Gods of the Northern Church pantheon; represents Wind. She is considered to be the most evil of the Northern gods, and her good nature is rarely appealed to, for her favors carry a heavy price. Her strength is that of the air and clouds. She is deceitful and often malicious. Thieves often call on her for protection.
Esthit (ess-thitt): A drug originally developed by the ketarches, whose use has altered significantly over the years.
Estiqi (est-eek-ee): A liqueur made from esthit; lowers boundaries and dulls the senses. Used, in theory, to help “stuck” desert lords (i.e., desert lords resisting the transition to their altered natures) open fully to their new abilities. Tends to have an aphrodisiac side effect. The actual effects of estiqi vary by individual and can be unpredictable.
Fii (fee): The teyanain (and thus vastly more complicated) version of thio.
Four Gods: The pantheon of the Northern Church; Eki (Wind), Payti (Fire), Syrta (Earth), and Wae (Water). Each has a dual nature (good/evil), and the Church teaches that mankind must ever be careful not to provoke the “evil” side.
Fours: street slang term for devout followers of the Northern Church.
Furun (fuhr-roon): Chabi game piece representing money. Shaped like a coin, the furun may move one square in any direction once unlocked; it may only be unlocked by a grey shassen jumping over it.
Gods’-glory Flower: A common vine in the humid areas of the southlands; sports large, funnel-shaped flowers in an infinite variety of colors and blooming patterns (morning, evening, middle of the night).
H’na (heh-^hna): A teyanain-peculiar word (generally only pronouncable by the teyanain, as well), of obscure derivation and meaning, even to loremasters. Ties into an old story about a woman who worried herself into one crisis after another until at last she married a man who could calm her nerves.
Ha’bit vanaa (hah-beet vah-nahh): Rough translation: Forgive your servant’s offenses. A very old and largely abandoned phrase, once used to indicate total submission/apology for wrongs done to a ha’ra’ha.
Ha’inn (properly: hah-^inn; more commonly: high-inn): Lit. translation: Honored One. Reserved for ha’ra’hain. The glottal stop between a and i, always difficult for humans to manage, has fallen out of favor over the centuries.
Ha’inn-va (high-inn-vah): Very old and abandoned phrase indicating total submission to the will of a ha’ra’ha.
Ha’ra’ha (hah-^rah-^hah); plural ha’ra’hain (hah-^rah-^hayn): Person of mixed bl
ood (human and ha’rethe).
Ha’ra’hain (hah-^rah-^hayn): Plural of ha’ra’ha.
Ha’rai’nain (hah-^ray-^nayn): Plural of ha’rai’nin.
Ha’rai’nin (hah-^ray-^nin); plural ha’rai’nain (hah-^ray-^nayn): One who has dedicated his or her life to serving the ha’reye.
Ha’rethe (hah-^reth-ay); plural ha’reye (hah-^ray): Lit. translation: golden eyes. An ancient race, predating humanity.
Ha’reye (hah-^ray): Plural of ha’rethe.
Ha’reye-kin (hah-^ray-kin); alt. true-ha’rai’nin (hah-^hray-nin): 1. A human who has spent so much time around the ha’reye that he or she has changed physically; no longer human, a ha’rai’nin more closely resembles a lesser ha’ra’ha. 2. A lesser ha’ra’ha who has spent so much time among the ha’reye that it is growing into greater powers. Both are extremely exceptional; at this time, only one human qualifies as the first and only one ha’ra’ha qualifies as the second.
Hai-katihe (high-kat-tea): Rough translation: those who serve (intimately) a ha’ra’ha. No longer in common use.
Hanna-aerst-yin (hah-nahh ayrst yin): Rough translation: binding a bird in a cage of chains. A rare and powerful teyanain marriage ceremony, only performed for people of extreme importance among the teyanain. Both aerst and yin are words peculiar to the teyanain dialect, and their exact meanings vary by context.
Hask: Lit. translation: cast out. Implications of dishonor, of betrayal, of irrevocable shame.
Hecht (hehkt): trator; oath-breaker.
Hopam (hoh-pahm): Literal translation: dream house. Generally used to refer to establishments that provide various illicit but relatively minor narcotics and hallucinogens, such as aesa and esthit.
Iii-naa tarren, iii-nas lalien, iii-be salalae (eee-nah tar-ren, eee-nahs lah-lee-en, eee-beh sah-lah-lay): Rough translation: We serve the gods, the gods smile on us, we survive under the glory of the gods. Implications of submission, sacrifice, loss of selfhood in service of the divine.
Fires of the Desert (Children of the Desert Book 4) Page 55