Legacy of the Blood (The Threshold Trilogy) (40 page)

“We
know,” said the boy from the High City. “We never blamed you, and it is time
that you stop blaming yourself.”

L’era
nodded emphatically.

“Human
life will always be filled with mistakes and regret. We will always stumble and
fall. If you keep a ledger of everything in your life that you have done wrong,
you will never realize anything that you have done right.” Aleron suddenly
seemed wise beyond his years. “Learning to forgive yourself and to move forward
is one of the greatest lessons that one can learn. Nothing is wasted if we use
each experience to become better.”

Adesina
gave a trembling laugh. “When did you become so enlightened?”

Aleron
and L’era laughed with her.

“Our
journey does not end with death. We all have much to learn.”

“There
is one more thing we want to tell you,” said L’era.

“And
then you must go?” Adesina asked sadly.

The
young princess nodded. “We love you, Adesina, and we have faith in the goodness
of your heart. The Shimat tried to rob you of that goodness, but you held on to
it throughout everything. Do not let them win now.”

Adesina
thought about the fear and anger she had been carrying in her heart for the
past several years—ever since she had learned the truth of the Shimat order.
Those dark emotions had become so much a part of her that she almost didn’t
notice that they were there. Yet she was clearly changing. Her
vyala
was
proof of that.

Most
of the time the darkness remained in the back of her mind, but L’iam’s capture
had made it her focus once more. She hated the Shimat. She wanted them
destroyed.

Aleron
and L’era looked saddened, even though she hadn’t vocalized her thoughts.

“We
do not deny that the Shimat is an evil organization, Adesina, but it is not
completely filled with evil people. Think of Lanil and Kendan,” reminded L’era.

“The
Shimat do everything in their power to take away the humanity of those under
their influence, but there are those who fight back—even without knowing the
truth.” Aleron’s brown eyes were intent upon the L’avan queen. “You
do
know the truth, my friend. It is up to you to continue fighting by filling your
heart with love and compassion—not hate and anger.”

Adesina
knew that they were right, but the thought of removing years of bitter
resentment from her soul seemed daunting.

You
cannot wipe it away with a single stroke. Leach the poison away bit by bit
until it is gone.

Her
attention turned back to the fiery silhouette that represented her
vyala
.
She imagined herself pulling at the numerous threads of dark emotion—drawing
them away from the creature and bundling the threads at her own feet.

The
silhouette gradually became more calm, and the blazing exterior became an
orderly glow.

Aleron
and L’era beamed at her.

“What
do I do with these?” asked Adesina, gesturing to the bundles of negative
emotion at her feet.

“It
is difficult to get rid of them,” admitted Aleron, “but I know that you will
find a way in time.”

“Just
keep them from taking over again,” warned L’era.

“I
love you—both of you,” said Adesina in farewell.

“We
love you, too,” replied Aleron.

“Take
care of that foolish brother of mine,” smiled the young princess.

The
two figures disappeared, leaving Adesina and Ravi alone with the tamed
embodiment of the queen’s
vyala
.

Instead
of trying to force it into submission, as she had tried before, Adesina
extended her hand to the glowing figure of power.

“Come,”
she invited.

The
silhouette walked forward and took Adesina’s hand.

The
L’avan travelers had been with the Henka for eleven days when a ghostly hush
fell over the settlement.

Adesina
was sitting with the village elders, studying one of the few scrolls that
remained intact in the hard desert climate. The Henka relied primarily on oral
tradition, but they had a few legends that had been written down many
generations ago.

The
L’avan queen looked up with disbelief in her eyes.

“It
is quiet,” she stated unnecessarily. “The wind has stopped.”

Relief
and satisfaction passed over the faces of the aged Henka women.

“Yes,”
said Gauri. “The storms are coming to an end.”

Adesina
recalled what Savir had told her about the period of silence before the final
storm. “This period of quiet will last an hour, correct?”

“More
or less,” acknowledged Gauri.

“Then
the final storm can last for up to three days?”

“It
can,” said the Chief Elder. “A mere fourteen days of storms is a blessing. The
children will be glad to run and play outside once more.”

Adesina
had a harder time considering the lost time a blessing, but she was grateful
that it was not twenty or thirty days.

She
carefully rolled up the scroll and handed it back to Pallavi. “Please excuse
me, honored elders. I must go make plans with my companions. We must be prepared
to leave as soon as the storm ends.”

The
old women chuckled at her eagerness, but they waved her away in good humor.

Adesina
hurried to the common area, where she had last seen her fellow travelers.
Mar’sal had been playing some sort of game with a group of children that
involved kicking a ball made from leather. Now, the children were nowhere to be
seen and Mar’sal sat with Faryl and Than’os, who were discussing new ideas for
herbal hybrids.

“Where
are your friends?” asked Adesina with a grin.

Mar’sal
laughed and shrugged. “They became excited when the winds died down, and they
all ran off. I suppose they went to their homes to spread the news.”

“This
silence is a good thing, right?” Faryl’s face was filled with hope. She had
made it clear that she hated being confined like a prisoner to the weather.

Adesina
nodded. “Yes, it means that there will only be one more storm before the end.”

The
former apothecary sighed in relief. “I am anxious to be moving again.”

The
L’avan queen couldn’t have agreed more. “We should begin our preparations to
leave. Mar’sal, would you check on the horses and make sure that they are ready
to travel? Than’os, would you go over our supplies and see what we need? We
will barter with the Henka for any supplies that we lack.”

The
two L’avan soldiers got to their feet and bowed in acknowledgement. Faryl also
stood and smiled shyly.

“I
will go with Than’os and make sure we have all the medicinal supplies that we
need.”

Adesina
kept her face casual. “That is a good idea.”

Kendan
and Maizah approached as the other three were leaving.

“Did
you find any helpful information about Daemon Mount from the Henka scrolls?”
inquired Kendan.

Adesina
shrugged. “Not really. There were a few tales of those who have tried to enter
the mountain, but it seems that Nayati the Scholar was the only one to ever
return from such a venture.”

Maizah
gestured to her ear and then towards the entrance to the caves.

Adesina
smiled warmly. She was glad to see the young woman finally starting to interact
with others of her own accord. “Yes, the winds have stopped. I have sent the
others to begin our preparations to leave as soon as the last storm ends.”

Kendan
grunted in approval. “That is wise. Basha will do the same.” He paused for a
moment before continuing. “I hope you do not think this presumptuous, but I
have made inquiries concerning the distance between this settlement and Daemon
Mount.”

Adesina
wasn’t surprised that he had taken the initiative. “What did you find?”

“It
is an eight day journey from here, assuming that there are no unnecessary
delays.”

She
gave a discouraged sigh. How long had it been since she had last seen her
husband? “Well, at least that gives us time to try and catch up with Basha.
Perhaps we can intercept her before she reaches the mountain at all.”

Kendan
didn’t look confident at the prospect. “Perhaps. Also, I thought it would be a
good idea for us to have a guide for the remainder of our journey. I would not
like to be delayed again, like we were with those parasites.”

Adesina
agreed immediately. “Yes, that would be wise.”

“Good,”
he said with a slight smile, “because Savir has volunteered to take us to
Daemon Mount.”

She
barked a short laugh. “I see. Well, that is ideal.”

“I
thought so, too.”

“Is
there anything else that you can think of that needs to be done?”

Kendan
looked surprised but pleased to be asked his opinion. “It seems to me that all
we can do now is wait for the storms to end.”

***

The
final storm did not last three days—it only lasted a day and a half. Adesina
awoke from her midday nap to the sound of peaceful silence.

Faryl’s
excited voice whispered in the dim light of their sleeping quarters. “Listen!”

Adesina
could not help but feel excited as well. “Yes, I know. The storms have ended.”

The
older woman gave a noisy sigh of relief. “I cannot wait to see the sky again.”

As
the Henka tribe members also awoke, the realization spread through the
settlement, and it became noisy with the bustle of preparing to return to the
surface. The young men were sent to clear away the sand from the entrances, and
the children were sent to begin cleaning all of the caves that had been used.

Adesina
made her way to where the elders stood waiting. It was tradition for them to be
the first to emerge on the surface after the annual storms.

“Gauri
le Jaya,” she addressed the Chief Elder, “please forgive my ignorance, but I do
not know the ceremony for leave-taking. My companions and I would like to
resume our journey as soon as possible.”

Gauri
nodded sagely. “Adesina le E’rian, it is good of you to be so considerate of
our honor.”

The
other elders murmured their agreement.

“Our
farewells are simple, because we always hope that the separation is brief. It
has been a great honor to shelter the children of Layfan. You and your fellows
may leave as soon as you are ready.”

Adesina
pressed the old woman’s hand between her own. “Thank you, Gauri le Jaya. You
have saved our lives, and we owe you a great debt for your kindness.”

Gauri
waved her free hand in denial. “It is nothing, child. Truly, it is nothing.”

Adesina
walked back to the common area and found her companions waiting there with
their horses. Savir was also with them, and Adesina was surprised to see that
he had a horse as well.

“You
are not going to transform into a hawk?” she asked curiously.

He
gave a small smile. “No, not on this journey. It would be safest for you if I
am close by to show you the way.”

“Is
the path so perilous?” inquired Ravi.

The
young man looked uneasy. “The deep desert is unforgiving.”

At
last the sand was cleared away, and the Henka elders climbed the stairs that
led to the surface. With a great cheer, the members of the tribe followed their
leaders.

Adesina
could feel a gentle breeze touch her face as she ascended, and she was startled
to find that the air was cool. The sky was bright azure, and there were no
clouds to be seen. The air smelled fresh and clean, unlike the dusty and heavy
scent that was usually found in the desert. The day was only just beginning to
wane, but the outside temperature felt more like evening.

Faryl
closed her eyes and breathed deeply. “At last,” she whispered to herself.

Kendan
frowned. “I am surprised at how cool it feels. It does not seem like the desert
at all.”

Savir
merely nodded. “The storms cleanse the skies and bring the winds from afar. We
will have a day or two of pleasant weather before the heat returns.”

The
Henka elders came to bid them farewell, along with Savir’s mother and sister.
As it had been said, the ceremony was simple and brief. The women kissed each
of the travelers on the forehead and wished them safety and success.

Adesina
felt the warmth of gratitude in her heart. These people had given them shelter
without any thought of reward. The Henka had fed the L’avan and protected them,
even if it meant making sacrifices in their own comfort. Adesina was happy to
know that there were such people in the world.

“Goodbye,
Adesina le E’rian,” said Gauri, as she kissed the young leader on the forehead.
“Our shelter always welcomes you.”

“Goodbye,
Gauri le Jaya,” responded the L’avan queen. “If there is ever anything that my
people can do on your behalf, do not hesitate to ask.”

Savir
led them eastward, and Maizah confirmed that Basha was on the move as well. The
Shimat kidnapper had taken cover from the storms in a location slightly south
of the Henka settlement, and it seemed that the two groups were both aimed
toward the same point in the desert.

The
Henka warrior chatted amiably while keeping a watchful eye on the terrain. He
gave useful advice about desert travel and pointed out signs of possible
danger.

“Do
you see that circular indentation in the sand?”

It
was faint, but Adesina could make it out. “Yes.”

“That
is a nesting mark. We need to give them a wide berth, or we will run the risk
of sinking into the sand and being attacked by the creature living there.”

They
turned their horses to the side and rode around the mark in the sand.

Than’os
studied it with interest. “I fell into one before we had the fortune of having
a proper desert guide. It was inhabited by a hideous monster, like a giant
insect.”

Savir
nodded. “Yes, that is one of many predators that live beneath the sands. It is
a miracle that you did not lose your life.”

The
L’avan soldier gave a broad smile to Maizah. “No, it was an act of bravery.”

Maizah
fixed her eyes on the ground, but Adesina could sense how pleased she was with
the acknowledgement.

Savir
pointed again. “Do you see those slightly darker streaks in the ground over
there?”

It
was a rocky patch among the sand, and some of the stone appeared to be stained.

“Yes.”

“In
the normal desert heat those spots look like pools of water, but in truth they
are sections where the rock is weak. Even the weight of a small animal would
cause it to crumble, giving way to jagged rocks below. Many unwary travelers
have been fooled and rushed forward to their deaths.”

“It
amazes me that anything can live in this cursed place,” muttered Kendan.

The
Henka quirked an eyebrow in amusement. “The desert is certainly not for the
weak. It is a testing ground for those who wish to know the deep truths of
life.”

“What
sort of truths?” Kendan asked testily.

Savir
shrugged. “I do not know yet. I am young, and it has not been my privilege to
seek for answers.”

“How
does one seek for answers?” inquired Faryl.

The
young man smiled. “That depends on the question. My father is seeking right
now. He took his journey into the deep desert to cleanse his mind, so that he
may know the proper way to search.”

“How
long has he been gone?” asked Ravi.

“Just
over a year.”

Mar’sal
frowned. “How do you know he is still alive?”

Savir’s
exterior was calm, but there was an anxious tension underneath. “I do not know.
If he returns, we will celebrate his journey. If he does not return…”

There
was a heavy pause.

“What,
then?” urged Faryl gently.

“Then,
we will keep waiting,” concluded Savir.

They
rode up an unsteady slope, and the Henka guide signaled for them to stop when
they reached the peak.

“There,”
he pointed. “There in the distance is Daemon Mount.”

It
did not look like a mountain yet. It appeared to be a dark, smoky haze on the
horizon that was contained in a single point. Adesina considered using her
vyala
to enhance her vision, but she decided against it. She would see it clearly
soon enough.

The
young queen and her guardian exchanged glances.

Only
eight more days…