The Cry of the Marwing Read online

  ‘Finished?’ asked Tierken.

  Kira nodded and he rinsed out the bowl, then moistened a cloth so she could wash her face.

  ‘You need to sleep,’ he said, taking her hand, then exclaimed and peered at her palm. ‘What in Irid’s name have you been doing?’

  ‘Clearing the overgrowth from Queen Kiraon’s garden – where the alwaysgreen stump is. There are herbs I need growing there.’

  ‘The Lady of the Domain doesn’t grub about in the Wastes. Sit down,’ he ordered, and eased off her boots.

  ‘Then can you trade for men to clear the growth?’ said Kira, determined not to argue with him.

  ‘Yes, but not for a while. There’s too much else to be done. I’ll ensure Farid arranges a supply of herbs for you from Kessom in the meantime. Now lie down, Kira.’

  Kira did as she was bid, feeling a wave of tenderness for Tierken at his concession. ‘I thank you,’ she said.

  ‘Now, time for sleep,’ he said, planting a kiss on her forehead.

  ‘I want you to stay.’

  ‘You’re as white as the Silvercades. We’ll breakfast together on the morrow – unless you’re called to the Healen again.’

  Kira still slept when Tierken returned the next morning and he stood in the doorway and watched her. He’d missed her so much on the patrol that he’d all but decided to abandon his strategy of denying her intimacy. Rather than inclining her towards marrying him – as a means of them being together openly – it seemed to be making her even less trustful of him. And the night he’d spent with her before leaving had reminded him powerfully of the pleasures of her body.

  But now that he was back, all the old unresolved problems crowded in on him again. Once Laryia had gone to Allogrenia, Kira would be the Lady of the Domain, in every sense of the word and, with no Marriage Walk to cement her status, it was imperative that she act the part. Her unbraided hair was as wild as a young patrolman’s, and she still insisted on dressing like a Kessomi. At least those two things could be easily remedied.

  Then, as she turned in her sleep, and the cover slipped lower to reveal her slim shape, his need of her pushed all other thoughts aside. He went to the bed, leaned over and brought his mouth to hers. Kira’s eyes jerked open, then suffused to a soft gold.

  ‘Your time in Kessom clearly agreed with you,’ he said, quickly unbuttoning her shirt and pulling it off.

  She wriggled under his touch as his lips moved over her belly to her hot moistness. He slowed his passion to match hers, intent on feeding her need of his love-making – and her need of him. Kira clung to him gasping as Tierken finally fell back, then propped herself up on her elbow, and looked him in the face.

  ‘I love you,’ she said.

  It was a declaration painful in its intensity, her lack of artifice reminding him of the night Marin had brought her to his camp. In their time together her face had revealed fear, longing, anger, frustration, sadness and love, but he’d yet to see much happiness or contentment. But with the Tallien gone and the Tremen leadership soon to be Tresen’s . . . He smiled as he considered the diminishing number of impediments to Kira being completely his.

  The sun had risen and there was much to do in preparation for Laryia and Tresen’s journey. He sat up, but her grip on him tightened.

  ‘Stay, Tierken. We never have time to be together.’

  ‘Well, I can partly remedy that,’ he said with a grin, disappearing into the bathing-room and running the bath. ‘If you want more time together, join me,’ he called.

  Kira followed, hesitating in the doorway, and he smiled. ‘Haven’t you ever shared a bath with a naked man?’ he asked.

  ‘I have with Tresen, when I was about four seasons,’ said Kira.

  ‘No offence to your clanmate and my sister’s husband, but I don’t think that counts.’

  Kira had never seen this playful side of Tierken before and she smiled tentatively as she took his proffered hand. But when she was only partly in, he jerked her forward and, with a shriek, Kira fell on top of him, causing a wave of water to slop onto the floor.

  ‘That wasn’t fair,’ she spluttered.

  ‘Ah, you don’t know the rules of bathing with naked men.’

  ‘What are they?’

  ‘You’re about to find out.’

  Kira smiled often as she recalled what had followed, but it wasn’t helping her compose the message she must give to Tresen to carry to Allogrenia. It was difficult to write in any case, as it wasn’t just about her intention to resign the leadership. As the Tremen’s primary Healer, it also meant that she was withdrawing her care. It went against everything she’d been trained to do, wanted to do, lived to do. And even knowing that Tresen would be there, and that he was a skilled Healer, brought her no comfort at all. Whatever excuses she made, her actions reeked of treachery and desertion.

  Sending a message, rather than going herself, made it worse too. It was as if her own selfish needs – such as staying with her Terak bondmate – took precedence over the needs of her people.

  As the day wore on, the struggle within made the nausea stir again and she mixed a calming draught of silvermint, sipping it as she thought. Any renunciation of the leadership must be done in person, she concluded. It would be more final then, both in actual fact, and in her mind. Dipping her pen in the ink, Kira began to write, the message short and to the point. She announced her bonding to the Terak Feailner and her intention to live out her days in his lands. And she undertook to return to Allogrenia before the next Turning to resign her position as Leader.

  In the interim, she invited the Clancouncil to take whatever actions they saw fit to ensure the security of the Bough as the centre of healing. It was a broad enough missive for them to elect another Healer Leader immediately, or an interim Leader, or go on as they were at present. The defeat of the Shargh should lessen the urgency for another Leader in any case.

  Another season would give Tierken enough time to become sufficiently sure of her to allow her to travel to Allogrenia – or, even better, to come with her. She longed to show him the stands of chrysens and the rise of brightwings at dusk, and for him to share with her the deep silence under the sheltering boughs. Kira sighed as she slipped the message into the cylinder and sealed it. She’d need to tell Tresen its contents, given that he was likely to act as Leader, or, if the Clancouncil didn’t want to wait, become the actual Leader on his return. But she needn’t tell anyone else.

  30

  Kira pored over the map she’d copied from the Writing Store, tracing Tresen and Laryia’s intended route. They would first journey south-east across the Sarsalin to Watchan Spur – the most easterly point of the Azurcades – then south-west, crossing the Mahnwah River before entering Allogrenia through Barclan Octad. The land between the Mahnwah and Allogrenia was marked as Cashgar Shargh to the north, and Soushargh to the south, and Kira shivered.

  The route also looked far longer than the more direct way over the Azurcades, and Kira calculated the distances swiftly. The journey would take at least a moon, she realised in dismay. The eastern lands also seemed emptier of groves and springs, unless she’d simply neglected to transcribe them. All she’d been interested in when she’d copied the map was finding a way back to Maraschin.

  Kira was still pondering the map when Tierken returned.

  ‘Where did you get this?’ he asked.

  ‘I copied it from one in the Writing Store. I wanted to learn more about the Terak lands.’ Which was true. ‘It seems a long way from here even to the edge of Allogrenia,’ she added.

  ‘A moon each way,’ confirmed Tierken. ‘But barring mishaps and foul weather, I’ll be back in time for the start of autumn.’

  ‘You’re going?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘But . . . then I can come too,’ she said excitedly.

  It would be a pleasant journey with Tierken, Laryia and Tresen. And once they reached Allogrenia, she could renounce the leadership, visit the alwaysgreens where her family were burie
d, and make her farewells. She could also show Tierken –

  ‘No,’ said Tierken.

  ‘But . . . there’s no reason why I can’t come. Then I can meet with the Clancouncil and –’

  ‘There are many reasons why you can’t come. This isn’t some jaunt, Kira. We must pass between the Cashgar and Soushargh lands, and we both know that your presence would draw attacks. I’ll not increase the risk to Laryia because you find it hard to keep your pledge to stay here.’

  ‘It’s not about my pledge to stay here,’ said Kira, struggling to remain calm. ‘I’ve told you before that I need to visit Allogrenia to properly make my farewells.’

  ‘And we agreed you’d wait.’

  ‘But surely it would make sense, given that you’re taking patrols to guard Laryia and Tresen, and that you’re to meet with the Clancouncil –’

  ‘I never said I was to meet the Clancouncil.’

  ‘But if you’re going to Allogrenia –’

  ‘I’m going to the edge of the forests, not into them,’ said Tierken. ‘The patrols I sent with the Lord Caledon will meet us there, and take over Laryia’s protection. Then I’ll return.’

  ‘Why go all that way and not visit the other part of your peoples?’ asked Kira, wondering at the actual depth of Tierken’s acceptance of the Tremen.

  ‘I have the settlements in the southern Rehan Valley to rebuild and Kasheron’s Quarter to make habitable,’ said Tierken. ‘And that’s on top of the normal administrative and patrol duties of being Feailner. The trip will already cost me more time than I can afford.’

  ‘Then don’t go.’

  ‘If my sister must journey, then I intend that she does so in safety,’ said Tierken.

  ‘Marin or Jonred would ensure that. Or don’t you have confidence in their skills?’

  Tierken’s face hardened. ‘You’ll remain here.’

  There was a long pause and then he softened his voice. ‘My being away will give you time to grow accustomed to the duties the Lady of the Domain performs. But if you’d rather, I’ll arrange an escort to take you to Kessom. Farid and Room Master Mouras can carry out Laryia’s duties in your absence, and we can discuss them again on my return.’

  ‘I’ll stay in Sarnia,’ said Kira.

  ‘Whatever you wish,’ said Tierken.

  None of it was what she wished, thought Kira bitterly.

  ‘We’ll leave before dawn. I know Laryia and Tresen will be disappointed if you’re not at the stables on the morrow to farewell them. As I will be, if you fail to farewell me,’ he added with a smile.

  ‘I’ll be there.’

  The door clicked shut and Kira’s gaze jerked to the top of the map, to where Talliel was marked. But she gritted her teeth and turned away. Was she a child to consider running off every time things didn’t turn her way? The two moons would pass and Tierken would be back. Then she would have his love again, as sweet as it had been in the last nights. All she had to do was survive until then.

  Caledon was less than a day’s journey into the forest when he was intercepted by Protector Commander Kest’s patrol. And while the Tremen Protectors greeted their returning comrades with great joy, the presence of the Terak fighters caused consternation. A mêlée erupted and Kest bawled orders for the Protectors to adopt guarding formation while Caledon ordered all his men, both Terak and Tremen, to lay down their weapons.

  The raucous exchange continued, though, as the returning Tremen tried to explain what had taken place beyond the trees and to introduce their Terak friends, the cacophony so great that it took Kest some time to restore order.

  ‘With your permission, Protector Commander, I’ll explain our presence,’ said Caledon.

  Kest nodded, feeling that Caledon’s return must surely augur well, but refusing to give way to hope. A swift head count revealed only around fifty of the returning men were Tremen, and if that meant that the other ninety or so had been killed, there’d be neither hope nor joy among the longhouses.

  Caledon stepped forward and the attention of Kest’s men swung to him.

  ‘For those who didn’t meet me on my first visit to Allogrenia, I am Caledon e Saridon e Talliel. I come now from the northern lands of your kin – the Terak Kirillian – to tell you that the fighting is ended and the Shargh defeated.’

  A collective sigh went up from the Protectors, and Kest shut his eyes in relief.

  ‘This is neither the place nor time to tell all that has happened. That is a tale of many nights, and one best told to you by your Clanleaders. But this I can say: Your Leader, Feailner Kiraon of Kashclan, is safe and well in the north. The northern Leader, the Feailner of the Terak Kirillian – who resides in the northern city of Sarnia – extends welcome to you as his kin, and invites you to visit his city and reside there if you wish. Some of your comrades who volunteered to fight outside the trees have chosen to remain there, at least for another season. In turn, some of their Terak comrades, who you see here now, have come to your lands.

  ‘They do so at their Feailner’s command, for the Feailner’s sister, the Lady Laryia, has bonded with Healer Tresen. The northern Feailner sends men to help the Protectors here ensure the safety of his sister, who will arrive in Allogrenia towards the end of summer.’

  There was astonished silence followed by a storm of speech.

  Kest felt as amazed as his men, but was shrewd enough to note what Caledon had omitted. If the northern Feailner had opened his city to the Tremen, he’d surely expect the Tremen lands to be opened to him. And Caledon hadn’t mentioned when Kira would return. If she were Caledon’s bondmate, Caledon would have announced it. But he’d said that she was in the north.

  Kest summoned Protector Leader Bendrash and gave him quick instructions, then Bendrash ordered the Protectors back into patrol formation and marched them off.

  ‘I’ll journey with you,’ said Kest to Caledon. ‘There’s still much I would know, beginning with who commands the Protectors in Sarnia, and who is to command the Terak now here.’

  ‘Kira gave the ring of rulership to the Terak Feailner when Commander Pekrash was killed. The Feailner has commanded the volunteer Tremen since.’

  Kest’s breath whistled between his teeth. ‘And Kira remains in the north, you say?’

  ‘Kira has bonded with the northern Feailner,’ confirmed Caledon.

  ‘But I thought –’

  ‘That Kira would bond with me?’ said Caledon. ‘So did I, when I was last here. But much happened in my absence, and in the times since. And perhaps is still to happen.’

  Caledon glanced back to the waiting Tremen and Terak. ‘In answer to the second part of your question, Commander, the Terak Feailner instructed me to hand control of his men to you. The Terak patrolmen are aware of their Leader’s orders. Perhaps we should continue our journey and I can tell you more as we walk.’

  ‘Perhaps we should,’ said Kest.

  By the time they neared the Kashclan longhouse four days later, Kest knew most of what had happened beyond the trees. And it seemed paradoxical to him that while the momentous events in the north had passed them by completely, they had changed Allogrenia forever. Forty-eight Tremen had lost their lives, and a host of others had been terribly injured, including Healer Tresen.

  Another forty-one had delayed their return to Allogrenia, perhaps permanently. And so might their Leader – Kiraon of Kashclan – the greatest Healer Allogrenia had ever birthed. On the other hand, Healer Tresen returned with a Terak bondmate, the northern Feailner’s sister no less. And forty-two Terak patrolmen had now joined the Protectors – temporarily at least.

  There was much the Clancouncil must deal with, the most important being the question of leadership. But they might actually put it aside – for at long last, the Bough could be rebuilt.

  Kira delayed only two days after Laryia, Tresen and Tierken had departed before she returned to clearing Queen Kiraon’s garden. Although she’d intended to accede to Tierken’s wish that she not ‘grub about’ there, being
among the green and growing was the only thing that made the wait for him bearable. Kira also began to understand Laryia’s keenness to have her friendship, when Kira had first come to the Domain. The servers were pleasant, but the ‘dignity’ of the Domain prevented them from befriending her, while Arlen looked after most of the healing needs of the Haelen, or was occupied with Resa. That left Farid as her only source of company, but he was busy with the building in the Rehan and in Kasheron’s Quarter.

  To have time with him, she now had to seek him out either early in the morning, before his duties began, or late at night, when they had ended, so they often breakfasted and ate their evening meals together. Farid passed on the messengers’ reports as to the progress of Tierken’s party, and gave her updates on the building in Kasheron’s Quarter. And Kira told him, in more and more detail, her plans to make the stone city flower.

  The moon waxed to full then waned again, and Kira knew from the messengers that Tierken, Tresen and Laryia had reached the forests without incident. She could scarcely bear to think of them in her homeland – without her. And when she could endure the frustration of the wait no longer, she galloped Brightwings hard and fast through the Rehan Valley, using reckless speed to scour her frustration away.

  The last time she’d ridden so, she’d lost the Guard completely, and while they hadn’t dared complain to her, they’d certainly expressed their displeasure to Farid.

  ‘The fault’s not mine that the Guard’s horses are slower than Brightwings,’ Kira had said in response to Farid’s reprimand. ‘It’s actually Tierken’s fault,’ she’d added sardonically.

  Farid hadn’t been amused. He had enough to do, he told her, without having to deal with concerns over her safety. The Domain Guard were charged with her protection, and would be punished if they failed in their duty. And if Kira brought about their failure, their punishment would be her fault.