The Age of Light (The Ava'Lonan Herstories Book 1) (20 page)

She turned and slowly descended the stairs bordered
on both sides by sculpted crystal water, stepped across the tiny bridge that
covered the moat, and made her way to the alcove by which she had entered and
through which she would leave. The ornate mouth of the recess served as the
entrance to her
av’tun
that brought her here. Her bath
awaited her, she knew, as did her advisors and first fastbreak of the turn.

She spoke the words of the rite, and light coalesced
to the focus of the construct she was calling into being, bridging the distance
between her suite and the av’an with a tiny wrinkle in space. The glowing
entrance formed before her - it was a circular tunnel of light that terminated
in her audience lain.

Audola took a step forward, then, almost unwillingly
she looked back, studying her
av’an
one last
time. The place seemed to beckon to her, encouraging her to stay...

She shook off the feeling and, with brisk
determination, stepped through the
av’tun
.

She emerged in her audience lain, comfortably laid
out with thick carpeting and huge, soft, deep cushions. There her
Warru
First awaited her along with her younger son. They both rose to their feet and
spread their arms in greeting, bowing their heads. Audola spread her arms,
inclined her head.

Staventu
stepped back, seceding position in favor of Otaga. The warrior woman moved
forward, snapped to attention, her spear of office perfectly perpendicular to
the ground.

“Prince
Rilantu has asked that you be given this, Queen Mother,” she said, presenting
the journal. “And that you be informed of our intended course of action.” Otaga
cited a succinct report

The High
Queen’s face grew still and then stony as Otaga outlined what had been
uncovered. Her expression lightened a little, however, at Pentuk’s suggestion.

“That is a most excellent idea that the Librarian
had,” she said. “I believe using the
Av’ru
would indeed
speed up the process of locating the Heir. I will have to consult with the
Av’rujo
first, however.” She considered the book in her hands, wanting to cast it away,
have it burned to oblivion - but something deep down in her would not permit that.

“I will - hold this, for further consideration,” she
said, the old silk still smooth beneath her palms. “Make your preparations. I
will attend to the matter of seeking at once.”

Otaga spread her arms and took her leave, but
Staventu stayed. Audola smiled adoringly at her younger son. Only in the
presence of family did she allow the rigid, regal mask of the High Queen to
relax. Only they saw her smile, laugh and cry openly; only they saw her mourn.
In some ways it was a hideous weakness - but in other, more important ways, it
was a strength that sustained her through most of the more trying times of her
reign. If only their father were still alive...

Staventu came forward and took his mother in his
arms. She returned the embrace, and she was amazed at how tall he and his
brother had grown and how much they looked like their father. And like his
father, Staventu’s embrace was strong, comforting, and reassuring. He kissed
her forehead affectionately.

“Do not worry, mums’mi,” he said, using his
childhood name for her. “We’ll find her and bring her back, safe.”

“I know you will,” she smiled, tightening her arms
briefly. Then, reluctantly, she let him go and he stepped back. He bent to kiss
her cheek, spread his arms and left. She knew that the second kiss was from his
brother. She felt warm inside, despite her worry. But as always there was the
sense of loss of their father. Even though it had been over ten cycles since
his death, a part of her still mourned him.

:They are fine sons.:

:Yes, Mother, they are,:
she said, allowing the
sad smile to linger on her lips.

:You did the right thing,:
the vast, calm voice of
the
Av’rujo
said. Audola knew she was referring to the damning journal.

:Are you sure?:
Audola looked at the tome,
grimaced.
:If it were to fall into ambitious hands...:
The sentence did not
need finishing.

*:That
is
cause for concern,:* the voice
admitted,
:but have you ever considered the possibility that what happened,
happened for a reason?:

Audola’s head snapped up.
:Mother,:
she said, her
voice not quite trembling, *:what are you saying? Are you saying that the
Av’ru
was
meant
to die?:*

:Sit, Daughter; this is a thing we may speak of.:
The huge voice waited as Audola arranged herself comfortably on a window seat
before the enormous pane of glass that let light pour in from the golden Este.

*:I speak to
Ya’kano
,:* the
Av’rujo stated, *:and I speak to
Loro
, the earth. I
listen to
Av’ins
,
the stars, as they whisper to me, and I listen when
Av
sings to me.:*

:And what do they tell you, Mother?:
Audola asked,
rising to the ritual opening.

*:The message that they send has taken generations
of
Av’rujo
to decipher. They have told us that there is dissonance, Daughter, dissonance
in the universe, dissonance in
Loro
, dissonance in us. They have told us
that the
Tru’Av’ru
was not the cause but a symptom of that dissonance.:* She paused to let that
sink in. When the High Queen made no comment, she continued.
:From what I
understand, our world was never meant to be divided.:

*:Then by maintaining the
Av’ru
,:*
Audola said slowly, horrified,
:we are perpetuating this dissonance?:
Slow
anguish made her thoughts boil in turbulent greens and dark browns.

:Why have we not been told before? Why did the
Goddesses allow this to continue if it is an abomination?:
To have unknowingly
continued the wrongful separation from the rest of
Alona
would mean that everything they had built in
Ava’Lona
was a lie, a falsehood that extended for thousands of cycles. It would negate
the meaningfulness of their existence up to this point.

:No,:
her mother answered, surprising her.
:I do
not get the sense that what we did was wrong, merely that it is time for it to
end. You must understand, Daughter, that the universe and the Supreme One are
one and the same. Any schism that manifests in the universe is an indication of
a schism in the Supreme One. This has been revealed over time to me and those
that have come before me. I believe that our self-induced division is actually
part of the cure.:

Audola blinked, dazed, her brain trying to accept
all that she had been told. Schism? In the universe? To her, the universe was
empty reaches of space that housed infinitesimal stars and even less
significant planets with inconsequential life-forms scurrying here and there
over their surfaces. Would such a disaster as a split in the whole of the
Supreme One manifest itself on such a mundane level?

Apparently so, for there was
the
Tru’Av’ru
.
Most
thought
that the
Tru’Av’ru
,
and therefore the
Av’ru
, had been a
mark of favor from the Goddesses and from the Supreme One, distinguishing the
people of
Ava’Lona
as the chosen and blessed. And truthfully, that attitude persisted in them all,
that to be the recipients of the blessings of light and its mysteries and its
age meant that theirs was the favored part of
Alona
.
But to find out that the coming of the
Tru’Av’ru
was not a
mark of favor but a result of discord in the Supreme One... The implications
were as frightening as they were unfathomable.

:Mother,:
she said, her voice sounding like a
plea, *:what is this division? What caused it? And how is the
Turo’dan
part of the cure?:*

:I do not know, child,:
the huge, echoing voice
sighed. *:That has not been revealed to me. But I do believe that our union
with our other half is part of the remedy.
Turo’dan
is not a sign of things ending, but of a continuation of the healing process.:*

Audola
sighed heavily also. Her life was forfeit, then, and the time that remained had
to be spent in preparation for welcome, not war. The Heir had her work cut out
for her.

“
Shalgo
help us,”
she murmured, feeling sick with depression and despair. “
Shalgo
help us all.” She felt mute agreement from the other. A shared silence flowed
between them for a long, instantless moment of time.

:Are they very different, Mother?:
she asked
quietly into the silence. *:Those of
Lora’Lona
, I mean.
Are they so very different from us?:*

:In some ways,:
came the reply.
:You will see
once you sit where I do.:

Audola slowed her distressed breathing, straightened
her back. Melancholy was not accomplishing anything, and there were still many
more mundane matters to attend to.

:Mother,:
she said, turning her mind to the more immediate
of these concerns,
:I must consult with you about two matters of great
importance.:

:Ask, Daughter.:

Audola drew a breath.
:Can Soku sul Doan be
trusted?:

The cool, vast voice breathed blue-green.
:I will
look into the matter,:
she replied.

The High Queen nodded. *:The other thing, Mother, is
this. Would using the
Av’ru
make the
locating of the Heir go more expediciously?:*

The
Av’rujo
was silent,
consulting the
Av’ru
. Audola waited patiently for her
reply.

:Yes,:
she said finally.
:I believe it would.:

Audola looked out upon the city. The light was
turning to midmorn. She stayed thus until a servant came for her, telling her
that her Voices were at her disposal, meaning that they had completed their
morn Rites and were waiting for her.

They met this time in a comfortable conference
lain
with a huge circular hardwood table in the center. The floor was carpeted and
the walls made of lapis lazuli and polished granite. On the table was a light
meal. Soft light diffused through the clouded crystal dome overhead.

Audola made greetings, then reported on the words of
the
Av’rujo
.

“Mother says that use of the
Av’ru
will cut the search time by two-thirds,” she said, smiling at the exclamations
of delight and relief all around. “Otaga and Staventu have gone to begin
organizing the search egwae.”

“The young woman who thought of that should receive
some type of reward,” Jarisa said. Audola nodded and Jarisa made a note of it.

“Must there be a search
egwae
?”
Sinyi said, looking around perplexed. “Can you not use the Rite to find her
then pull her here with an
av’tun, Av
’One? I
mean, since we can use the
Av’ru
to track her
so much faster.”

Luyon laughed. “Have you ever tried to pull
something or someone to you, Sinyi?” he asked. “It is twice as difficult as
‘
tunning
there yourself and getting the thing and
av’tunning
back. For you or me, even short distances are taxing to span. The Mother Queen
is second only to the
Av’rujo
in
av’rito’ka
,
yes, but she would have to pull the Heir a distance that probably spans half
the Realm. Not impossible, but not advisable.”

“Besides which, it is impossible to hide an
expenditure of
av’rita
that large,” Ashmisa pointed
out. “If Tokia wanted to do some real harm, she could just disrupt the process,
for it would take
san’chrons
to
complete. The Heir could be lost for good, and
Av’One
might never recover. That would leave the land in serious straits for-true.”

“And also, there is the fact that
Av’One
will have just expended a large portion of her power in the Rite of Seeking
alone,” Dariaku said, in one of his rare moments of offering information
unasked. “There is little doubt she would be able to pull the Heir here,
without seriously overtaxing herself.”

Audola was quiet, not adding any objections. She had
considered the possibility herself, and had not yet rejected it. Rilantu, also
present, looked at his mother, knowing what she was thinking.