Techromancy Scrolls: Soras (26 page)

I looked back after the crowd quieted and I held a hand out, palm up toward the Solomon contingent. “He has sent a peace envoy to help to make reparations to the Lupei family and the People, and to discuss relations between the People and his realm.”

The men and women of Solomon bowed.

Then I wasn't sure what to do. I turned to Ranelle and shrugged. She gave me a pleased smile and nodded once then she motioned her hand to my chair and I sat gratefully, exhaling in a long sigh of relief.

She stood and her voice raised as she said, “Thank you, Mother Laney.” She looked around and said to the crowd, “What our modest Femeie de Sabie here failed to mention, was that it was by her hand and blade alone, through great injury to herself, the Prime Techromancer of Solomon was brought to justice.”

There were gasps and exclamations of surprise from the crowd as I glared at the smug wench who was just grinning at me.

Then she added, “Nor that Sora Celeste led a hundred man charge from Solomon Keep to the rescue of our Greva. They fell quickly to the Lightbringer. I witness this myself.”

More murmurings of approval seemed to flow back and forth like waves lapping the shore.

I could almost hear the neener neener neener in her voice as she grinned at me. I would get her for this if it caused a the war between the Altii and the People we worked so hard to avoid. I just sat there, my skin burning with a blush.

She turned her gaze to the women around the table and it cooled into an almost icy glare as she said, “Now that the investigation and rescue have concluded, it is time to vote...” She paused and smirked. “Unless anyone would care to challenge Mother Laney for the right to vote for the Lupei.” There was utter and complete silence at that, it was like nobody wanted to chance to even breathe. The whispering voices of the mountains seemed to hold their breath as well.

When nobody voiced a challenge, then she gave the toothy grin of a predator and said, “Good.” She turned to the woman I'm convinced is her real mother, and asked, “How votes the Andrei? War or patience for the Altii?”

The woman looked long and hard at her daughter then around to the crowd. She exhaled and she said, “It may not have been any of the realms who committed this act of war, but it was still the Altii. We have seen them get bolder and more arrogant over time. This act alone shows that they view us as less than equals. Something needs to be done to discourage such a thing in the future, the People cannot just sit idly while our people are killed.”

She firmed up her jaw and looked at Ranelle, “Andrei votes War.”

That sort of surprised me and apparently the crowd as I heard a collective gasp. But the frightening thing was, the woman actually made some sense. But I thought that the diplomacy that Wexbury and Solomon were offering was a better start to affecting change.

The vote went around some voicing similar opinion, others voicing peace. By the time it got around to me, the field was split, five votes for war and six for patience.

When Ranelle asked me, “How votes the Lupei? War or patience for the Altii?”

I surprised myself by pausing with my answer to think.

I looked up and wheezed out, “I have listened to my sister Mothers on both sides of the vote and have found wisdom in both. I agree that the people who implemented this act of war need to be brought to justice and this type of vicious attack discouraged.”

I hear exclamations of disbelief bubbling up all around me and I held my maimed hand up for silence and to my surprise they complied. “But... those who did, have already been brought to task, or will in the near future, the Duchess cannot run from everyone in the inhabitable lands forever. And I believe that diplomacy and the sharing of cultures, of education, is the answer to a better harmony between the Altii and the People.”

I sighed and said, “I am a woman of two worlds, of two people, and I desperately wish them to come together for the common good.” I thought about what I was about to do but was consoled by the fact that the war vote needed to be unanimous and it had already failed. So I held my chin up and said, “I cannot in good conscience vote on this issue, as I am conflicted by my own dueling morals and cannot reconcile them.”

I looked around and rasped out, “Lupei abstains.”

The crowd exploded in shouts and exclamations, everyone started talking at once. The conclave was again whispering to each other and I felt ashamed until I looked back to see Celeste with that loving look of pride that makes heat swell up inside me.

I glanced at Ranelle and she had an odd look on her face like she was thinking intently then she inclined her head with a smile on her face that made me exhale the breath that I hadn't known I was holding. She struck the table loudly twice with the stone and the chaos settled.

Then she turned to the final member of the conclave like nothing had occurred and she gave the girl such a sweet, encouraging smile and scrunched her nose, saying, “Hi Tianna.”

The girl waved and blushed as she said, “Hello, Great Mother.”

I absently wondered if Ranelle had children of her own. In all the time we spent together and all the stories we shared, I realized that we had never talked about our families. The way she treated Tianna made me think she would make a great mother. No pun intended.

Then Ranelle cocked her head almost cutely and asked, “How votes the Aratreya? War or patience?”

The girl looked pensive as she weighed the question far more seriously than someone of her age should have to. Then she glanced at me and said, “My sister Mother Laney has given me much to ponder. But as the facts she, herself has shown us, no realm was responsible for the attack on the People. Do we hold the realms responsible for marauders or Rogue attacks when those groups are not affiliated with any realm?”

She shrugged. “Do not the people bring those foolhardy enough to threaten our own to justice? Is that not what Mother Laney and her Greva demonstrated in Solomon by doing just that?”

She sighed and looked much older than she was as she said, “The Altii are yet young, and just like any people, we Gypsies included, have good and bad individuals. We have seen the valor in Mother Laney and the Lightbringer as did Mother Udele, or she would never have blood bonded with her Soras.”

She smiled over to where Udele sat outside of the arc. “Mother Udele is among the oldest and wisest of us, so who am I to argue her wisdom?”

Then she looked straight at Ranelle. “I wish to see a world for my children and my children's children, in which the Altii and the People live in harmony, possibly sharing our cultures so that we both may grow. If we hold all Altii responsible for what a few have done, does that not make us less than what we were? All our centuries of finding peace within ourselves would be forfeit.”

She turned in her chair to face the crowd, her eyes looked watery as she said loudly, “Aratreya votes patience.” The crowd cheered the young woman and she turned back and looked at her hands, blushing.

I noted that Ranelle's mother was looking at Tianna with a very thoughtful look on her face. The young one had struck a nerve with the woman and it looked as if she might be reevaluating her stance on the subject.

Ranelle was sitting far back in her chair, beaming at the young Mother. She sat forward and slammed the stone on the table and announced, “The bid for war has failed to meet a unanimous vote, with five votes for, seven against, and one abstention. The People shall continue our tradition of patience with the young Altii.”

She then boomed out, “So say the People!”

The council and the crowd roared back, “So say the People!”

Then Ranelle slammed the stone on the table again. People started to move into the arc but she held up a hand, stopping them, and everyone obediently stopped to listen as she regarded Tianna for a long moment before looking up. “Mother Tianna brings up a fascinating point with her comment about the blending of our two cultures. Knowledge is power, the People would not have survived this long without gathering and protecting it. I propose that we begin a cultural exchange with the eleven realms of the inhabitable lands. An emissary exchange so that we can learn from each other and educate each other in our respective ways.”

There was a murmur rippling through the crowds. People were nodding and most looked excited or curious though I did notice a few who looked as though they had just licked a lemon. Ranelle looked at the council, none seemed opposed to the idea so she said, “Decreed! I now call this conclave concluded.”

Then she looked at me and her face softened as she said, “Now would someone please get Mother Laney to her healer before she falls over? And let the celebration feasting begin!”

The crowd cheered and flooded the smooth stone arch. I reached a hand out toward Tianna, offering her a smile. She smiled back and took my mangled hand, I gave hers a reassuring squeeze and let go. She did good, I knew her parents would have been very proud of her.

We stood and I was not surprised to find my Lady standing there with a radiant smile and offering her arm. I accepted with a head tilt as I laid my fingers in the crook of her arm. Ranelle and our group joined us, and she started to lead us back to the Lupei camps, flanked by stewards parting the way for us. Alexandru mostly carrying Mother Udele without making it look obvious.

Ranelle yelled to me over the noise of tens of thousands of people trying to talk over each other. “I just about fell out of my chair when you abstained Laney.” She gave me a crooked smile that was half smirk, “Until I realized the genius of it.”

She traded mischievous looks with Celeste when I retorted in a loud raspy wheeze, trying to hide my smile, “I'm sure I have no idea what you are talking about, Great Mother.”

She bumped our hips, forcing mine into Celeste's, and said, “I was wondering what you hoped to accomplish with that then I realized it was like you said, you are a woman of two worlds. No matter how you voted, it would appear as though you were favoring one of your people over the other. That would cause friction no matter your vote. But by abstaining, you showed us that both people, both cultures, were equally important to you. And the war vote had already failed at that point.”

I looked down at my feet and blushed, fighting a grin as we walked. I glanced up to see Celeste beaming with pride.

Ranelle tipped her head back and laughed heartily, then said, “I knew it! You are a sneaky and intelligent woman Laney. You would make a fine diplomat.”

I shook my head fervently. “Oh Mother Luna, no.” That would be the worst possible fate for me. I couldn't handle even one day of the politics that Duke Fredrick or Prince George have to put up with each day. Everyone chuckled.

When we approached the familiar wagons of the Lupei, Sylvia came rushing up and said, “Shoo, off with you all now.” She looped arms with Mother Udele and me. She squinted an eye at the Great Mother and said, “You ought to be ashamed of yourself, putting these two through the strain of the conclave without proper healing first.”

Ranelle opened her mouth to argue but Syl just pointed a finger at her and narrowed her eyes. The ruler of the Mountain Gypsies knew when she was outmatched and held her hands up to her sides, palms out in surrender as she chuckled and inclined her head to our healer.

Sylvia just raised her chain and marched us to her wagon mumbling, “You two are worse than a couple children. You should know better. Especially you Mother. Now into the wagon.”

We both said in unison like scolded children as we glanced at each other to exchange smug grins, “Yes Sylvia.” We were rewarded with slaps on the backs of our heads as we entered the wagon and we chuckled.

Sylvia spun and braced an arm across the door, barring Celeste from entering. She pointed out and Celeste hung her head with a grin of her own and marched back down the fold down stairs as the woman I was starting to see as a sister told her, “There's not enough room for everyone, you'll see your girl soon enough.” Then she almost slammed the door.

She paused with her back to us then turned with a wicked gleam in her eyes as she cracked her knuckles. She looked between us and examined the most obvious of our mostly healed injuries and asked herself, “Which one to start with.”

It was two days before Sylvia let me out of the wagon. After she had done what she could that first night, she moved Mother Udele to her own wagon and confined her to bed. It was another three days before she finally told us that she could do mo more for me.

As I feared, since most of my injuries were inflicted by magic, she couldn't fully heal them, but she could do a little. The burns on my neck now look like angry red hand prints with minimal scarring. She was able to heal my larynx partially. My voice is still raspy and wheezy, but much better than it had been.

My back will forever hold the brands of the magical lashing beside the scars of the physical one, Celeste says it doesn't look so bad, but I can see the anger and need for vengeance in her eyes so the scarring must look terrible. Vengeance she can never have as I had already eliminated the perpetrator.

The ache from my amputated finger had been removed entirely and the skin healed without a scar. It looks as if I had never had it at all. That saddened me in a way, there was nothing to show for the loss.

Mother Udele fared much better and was her old energetic, cryptic, and obstinate self. Even her fingernails had regrown under Sylvia's care.

By the time we were ready to travel back to Wexbury Keep, only the Lupei and Ranelle remained at the Meeting Spot on Father Stone. After a good maple porridge to break our fast, Sylvia came into her wagon with two large stacks of clothing in her hands.

We sighed, knowing it was futile to argue so we submitted to the ceremony, allowing her to clean and dress us in the most amazing Gypsy dresses I have ever laid my eyes on, they glowed with hundreds of runes and charms. I paused looking at the green piping down the sides of the dresses, wasn't that the Great Mother's color?

Syl smirked when she caught me looking at them.

I asked, “What's this about?”

She lightly slapped my fingers away from them and wordlessly slid on a new three fingered white silk glove that took away the aches and pains that I have lived with since the battle of the Monolith. It was just as heavily charmed as my last one.

After she armed us and checked to make sure our swords hung correctly at our hips, she presented me with a new riding cloak to replace my destroyed one. This one was a dark forest green and it had lighter green piping on it as well. I could feel and taste the powerful castings on it that felt as if they were woven into every fiber of the cloak.

I admit I was mesmerized as Celeste was washed down and dressed. It never ceases to amaze and warm my body and soul when I see her in all her natural beauty. It is always hard to reconcile in my head, how someone who looks so femininely graceful can be possibly the deadliest person I have ever met. That just made her more... sexy, and desirable to me. She caught me looking and blushed from her head down to her toes and it was endearing. Oh, how I love that woman.

When Sylvia looked us over when she was done, she nodded in satisfaction then scolded me. “I don't know what I'm going to do with you, Laney. You insist on taking as much damage as you can each time we meet.”

She looked at Celeste. “You need to take better care of her.”

Celeste rolled her eyes and said like she had said it a million times, “Yes, Sylvia.”

Our healer companion beamed and said, “Good! Now out with you, I'm sure Rain has some words for you.”

I echoed my Lady's words in the same resigned tone, “Yes Sylvia.”

She chuckled out as she opened the door, “I like the sound of that, I could get used to it.” Then she glurked as Celeste shoved her shoulder, causing her to stumble out the door. We were treated to her gleeping laughter.

Then we stepped outside, my entire form ghosting like a wispy wraith under the weight of all the spells, it was disconcerting because it followed with every motion now. I thought the effect was bad enough before, but every Touched of the Lupei had apparently been involved in weaving the runes and charms on my clothing this time.

It was odd, the valley that had been an ocean of Wagons looked untouched as if it had only been a dream. The only wagons in evidence belonged to the Lupei. While an impressive number on its own, it now seemed somehow small compared to what we had witnessed when all of the clans had united.

The people gathered in anticipation of us starting our journey gave a little cheer that just made me smile. They always made me feel as if I were actually somebody.

Ranelle was standing there with her stewards by her lone wagon with two support wagons. I felt sort of sad about that. I learned that all she does is travel between all of the bands of all of the clans to address any concerns any may have. My thought that she was alone and apart from her people, was closer to reality than I imagined.

She had shared that since Celeste and I were of the People now, and our cultural exchange emissary for Wexbury, Sarafine of the Lupei, would be in Wexbury Keep, it was her duty to visit us from time to time as well. I smiled at that, It would be good to see her. She was traveling to Wexbury with us to set up the cultural exchange program, she would visit all of the other realms to do the same after she leaves Wexbury.

She smiled at us then got a mischievous look on her face and asked, “Soras? Why are you not in proper dress?”

I furrowed my eyes and looked down at myself as Celeste did the same. She chuckled and stepped up to us and put a hand out. A steward stepped forward with a green silk sash for the dress. I looked at it and the two crests it embroidered on it. One was the crest of the Lupei family, but the other one I didn't recognize though it seemed familiar for some reason.

Ranelle followed my gaze, then she smiled and explained, “That is the crest of the People, symbolizing the unification of the thirteen families. It is the symbol of my position.”

My eyes snapped down to her scabbard. That's why it seemed familiar, the crest was embossed in the leather on it. She reached around me and tied the sash around my waist, with the ends visible showing the crests. “And this signifies the highest honor among us, it marks you as a hero of the people, a campion al poporului... how do you say? Champion of the People? It ties you to the Great Mother much the same way your blood bond with Mother Udele ties you to her. Any of the People who see it will treat you as they treat me and follow your command.”

I blinked at that, not knowing what to say as she tied a matching one around Celeste's waist. Rain grinned at Udele who was standing beside Sylvia and her children, then at me and said, “Now that selfish hag Udele has to share you with the rest of us, my... Soras.”

I doubt I could have blushed more than when my ever growing foster family cheered again. I whispered to the woman, “What did I ever do to you?”

She tilted her head back and laughed then said, “Just enjoy it, woman, you both earned it.”

Celeste was standing tall and strong. Taking it as a high honor instead of the curse I knew it to be. Now more people would know our names and I was happier living in the shadows with the woman I loved.

We mounted up. I was happy that even with my maimed hand I was able to mount Goliath smoothly. I was feeling one hundred percent again.

I did a double take when our Wexbury Knights mounted their own chargers. Ranelle had walked past them and absently grasped Bowyn's hand and let her fingers brush lightly with his as she passed by, giving him a little wink.

I shook my head at the grinning man when he mounted and came up beside us. I crooked a finger and he sidled up and I slapped the back of his head, which just made the man's grin all the fiercer. I just rolled my eyes as Celeste laughed at our antics.

I told the man, “Don't let it get to your head, she's only using you for your body.”

He snorted. “This is me, Laney.”

I nodded and said emphatically, “Exactly.”

He chuckled and retook his flanking position.

When the Great Mother was in her exquisite barrel shaped wagon, they started down the mountain heading west to the Keep. We followed. I was acutely aware of the stragglers we had behind us who decided to follow.

I glanced around the forest, knowing that somewhere Alexandru had his eyes on us, ever watchful.

As we traveled, I wondered at the fact that I had seen so many incredible things and have now traveled half of the Lower Ten in my lifetime and saw such awe-inspiring things as Heaven's Gate and the Great Sea. I had never thought I would have such great adventures when I sat tending my chickens with mother and Jace a couple years hence.

I glanced at my hand and exhaled. Everything has a price, but I believe the price for seeing what I have seen, and meeting so many phenomenal people has been worth it. I know now that I have truly lived and made a difference. I felt there was only one thing missing in my life at that time.

Celeste instinctively rode closer, she always knew when I needed to know she was there. I blurted out without looking at her. “Do you ever intend to ask me to be your bride?”

She didn't look at me either but I still caught her smile in the peripheral of my vision. “I did not think you wished that or I would have asked the day you were knighted.”

I grinned, still not looking at her, and quipped, “For someone so well educated, you certainly are dense.” Then I urged Goliath faster. I smiled hugely at the laughing woman who hurried to keep pace.

Then she finally turned her head and started to ask, “Laney? Would you...”

I turned to her with a little smirk. “Not this instant you silly woman.”

She shook her head and replied playfully, “You are so confusing at times. I swear.”

I nodded and agreed, “Yes you do... frequently.” I was rewarded with another heartfelt laugh from my Lady. We rode in silence with my heart swelling, at least, two sizes. A grand adventure indeed.

***

When we crested the rise through Wexbury Minor and the walls of the keep loomed off on the horizon. I hesitated, Goliath sidestepped when he felt my trepidation. Celeste gave me a warm smile as I fought off my blurry vision as my eyes watered up. It never ceases to affect me like this, as spectacular as our adventures are, there truly is no sight as emotional as home.

I wiped my eyes on my sleeve and then got back in step as we watched the outer patrol head toward the Keep at breakneck speed. The people of Wexbury Minor had all stopped what they were doing to gape in awe as our procession went past. I had never seen Bex, Verna, Kristof, and Bowyn sit higher in their saddles.

We heard the Keep's warhorns reverberating across the land as we arrived near the gates and the wagons spread out, Ranell's wagons fell back with the others and she joined us on her steed. Then we sat as over a hundred knights streamed out of the gates and formed a line in front of us.

I blinked in surprise Duke Fredrick was at their center in the armor of Wexbury, and to his right was Prince George himself, in elegant armor. He was still in Wexbury after all of these weeks? Celeste faded back when I had not noticed when Duke Fredrick and Prince George rode up to us to challenge. It was silly but technically we were visiting dignitaries until we donned our armor of the realm again.

I looked over at the empty space where Celeste had been. Why that sneaky...

The Duke said, “Greetings Lupei.”

I swallowed and said, “Greetings Wexbury.” I looked around, what was I supposed to do now? I shrugged internally and almost asked, “The Lupei have come to Carnival at the Keep.”

He inclined his head and said, “Welcome.” Then he grinned.

Oh, thank the stars in the heavens that was over.

I smiled at the man then I got bold and greeted the men, “Fred, George.”

They inclined their heads and I grinned backward and shrugged. Wheezing out meekly, “I have brought my family for dinner.”

They looked at the stragglers that had followed me home, and the two men laughed until they were crying. What? Sure the four hundred and ninety-two gypsy wagons with two thousand four hundred and sixty Lupei, our entire clan, may have been a bit much, but I swelled with pride and finished my thought. They were mine.