Valdemar 05 - [Vows & Honor 02] - Oathbreakers (37 page)

“I've been thinking,” he said awkwardly. “I—”

She crossed her arms, and waited for him to continue. He straightened his back and lifted his chin. “Tarma shena Tale‘sedrin,” he said, with all the earnest solemnity of a high priest, “Have I your permission to pay my court to your oathsister?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Can you give me a good reason why I should?”

Her question wilted him. He sat down abruptly, obviously struggling for words. “I—Tarma, I
love
her, I really do. I love her too much to just play with her, I want something formal binding us, something—in keeping with her honor. She's lovely, you know that as well as I do, but it isn't just her exterior I care for, it's her
mind.
She challenges me, like nobody I've ever known before. We're equals—I want to be her partner, not—not a—I don't know, I want to have something like Mertis and Stefan have, and I
know
we'll give each other that! I want to help you with your schools, too. I think it's a wonderful dream and I want to make it real, and work alongside of both of you to make it more than a dream.”

“We're something more than partners, she and I,” Tarma reminded him. “There's certain things between us that will affect any children Kethry may have.”

“I took the liberty of asking Warrl about that,” he said, blushing. “I don't have any problem with—children. With them being raised Tale‘sedrin. Everything I know about the Shin'a‘in, everything I've learned in working with you—I would be very, very proud if you considered my blood good enough to flow into the Clans. Tarma, this is probably going to sound stupid, but I've come to—love—you. You've done so much
for
me, more than you guess. What I
really
want is that what we've built with the three of us in the last few months should endure—the friendship, the love, the partnership. I never had that before—and I'd do anything right now to prevent losing either of you.”

Tarma looked into his pleading eyes—and much to his evident shock
and
delight, she took both his hands, pulled him up out of his chair into her arms, hugged him just short of breaking his ribs, and planted a kiss squarely in the middle of his forehead before letting him go again.

“Well, outClan
brother,”
she laughed, “while I can't speak for the lady, I would suggest you trot next door and ask her for her hand yourself—because I do know that if you don‘t, you're going to find yourself trussed hand and foot and lying over Hellsbane's rump like so much baggage. You see,
we
happen to be barbarians, and we
will
do anything to prevent losing
you.
He
shala?”

His mouth worked for a moment, as he stared at her, his eyes brightening with what Tarma suspected were tears of joy. Then he took her face in both his hands, kissed
her,
and ran out her door as if joy had put wings on his back.

“Better get Stefan to pick your successor,” she called after him. “Because we're going to keep you
much
too busy to putter about in his Archives.”

And so they did.

‘ : glottal stop, a pause, but not quite as long a pause as between two words

ai: as in air

ay: long “a” as in way

ah: soft “a” as in ah

ee: long “e” as in feet

ear: as in fear

e: as in fend

i: long “i” as in violent

oh: long “o” as in moat

oo: as in boot

 

corthu
: (cohr-thoo)—one being

dester‘edre:
(destair ay-dhray)—wind(born) sibling

dhon
: (dthohn)—very much

du‘dera:
(doo dearah)—(I) give (you) comfort

for‘shava:
(fohr shahvah)—very, very good

get‘ke:
(get kay)—(could you) explain

gestena
: (gestaynah)—thank you

hai
: (hi)—yes

hai shala:
(hi shahlah)—do you understand?

hai‘she'li:
(hi she lee)—surprised “yes,” literally “yes, I swear!”

hai‘vetha:
(hi vethah)—yes, (be) running

her‘y:
(hear ee)—(is this not) the truth

isda:
(eesdah)—have you (ever) seen (such)

jel‘enedra:
(jel enaydrah)—little sister

jel' sutho' edrin
: (jel soothoh aydthrin)—“forever younger siblings,” usually refers to horses

jostumal:
(johstoomahl)—enemy, literally, “one desiring (your) blood”

kadessa:
(kahdessah)—rodent of the Dhorisha Plains

Kal‘enedral: (kahlenaydhrahl)—Her sword-brothers or Her swordchildren

Kal‘enel: (kahl enel)—the Warrior aspect of the four-faced Goddess, literally, “Sword of the Stars.” Also called Enelve'astre (Star-Eyed) and Da‘gretha (Warrior).

kathal
: (kahthahl)—go gently

kele:
(kaylay)—(go) onward

kestra
: (kestrah)—a casual friend

krethes:
(kraythes)—speculation

kulath:
(koolahth)—go find

leshya‘e:
(layshee-ah ee)—spirit;
not
a vengeful, earthbound ghost, but a helpful spirit

Liha‘irden: (leehah eardhren)—deer-footed

li‘ha'eer
: (lee hah eeahr)—exclamation, literally, “by the gods”

li‘sa'eer:
(lee sah eeahr)—exclamation of extreme surprise, literally “by the highest gods!”

nes:
(nes)—bad

nos:
(nohs)—it is

pretera
: (praytearah)—grasscat

sadullos:
(sahdoolohs)—safer

se:
(sy)—is/are

she‘chorne
: (shay chornah)—homosexual; does not have negative connotations among the Shin'a‘in.

she‘enedra
: (shay enaydrah)—sister by blood-oathing

sheka
: (shaykah)—horse droppings

shena
: (shaynah)—of the Clan, literally ‘of the brotherhood'

shesti:
(shestee)—nonsense

Shin‘a'in:
(shin ay in)—the people of the plains

so‘trekoth:
(soh traykoth)—fool who will believe anything, literally, “gape-mouthed hatchling”

staven
: (stahven)—water

Tale‘edras
: (tahle aydhrahs)—Hawkbrothers, a race who may or may not be related to the Shin'a‘in, living in the Pelagiris Forest

Tale‘sedrin
: (tahle saydhrin)—children of the hawk

te‘sorthene:
(tay sohrthayne)—heart-friend, spirit-friend

Vai datha
: (vi dahthah)—expression of resignation or agreement, literally “there are many ways.”

var‘athanda
: (vahr ahthahndah)—to be forgetful of

ves‘tacha
: (ves tahchah)—beloved one

vysaka
: (visahkah)—the spiritual bond between the Kal‘enedral and the Warrior; its presence can actually be detected by an Adept, another Kalen- edral, and the Kal'enedral him/herself. It is this bond which creates the “shielding” that makes Kal‘enedral celibate/neuter and somewhat immune to magic.

vyusher
: (vi-ooshear)—wolf

yai
: (yi)—two

yuthi‘so'coro
: (yoothee soh cohr-oh)—road courtesy; the rules Shin‘a'in follow when traveling on a public road.

(Tarma:
Oathbreakers
)

These are the hands that wield a sword
With trained and practiced skill;
These are the hands, and this the mind,
Both honed and backed by will.
Death is my partner, blood my trade,
And war my passion wild—
But these are the hands that also ache
To hold a tiny child.

 

CH: Suffer, they suffer, the children,
When I see them, gods, how my heart breaks!
It is ever and always the children
Who will pay for their parents' mistakes.

 

Somehow they know that I'm a friend—
I see it in their eyes,
Somehow they sense a kindly heart—
So young, so very wise.
Mine are the hands that maim and kill—
But children never care.
They only know my hands are strong
And comfort is found there.

 

Little enough that I can do
To shield the young from pain—
Not while their parents fight and die
For land, or goods, or gain.
All I can do is give them love—
All I can do is strive
To teach them enough of my poor skill
To help them stay alive.

CH: Cursed Oathbreakers, your honor's in pawn
And worthless the vows you have made—
Justice shall see you where others have gone,
Delivered to those you betrayed!

 

These are the signs of a mage that's forsworn—
The True Gifts gone dead in his hand,
Magic corrupted and discipline torn,
Shifting heart like shifting sand;
Swift to allow any passion to run,
Given to hatred and rage.
Give him wide berth and his company shun—
For darkness devours the Dark Mage.

 

These are the signs of a traitor in war—
Wealth from no visible source,
Shunning old comrades he welcomed before,
Holding to no steady course.
If you uncover the one who'd betray,
Heed not his words nor his pen.
Give him no second chance—drive him away—
False once will prove false again.

 

These are the signs of the treacherous priest—
Pleasure in anyone's pain,
Abuse or degrading of man or of beast,
Duty as second to gain,
Preaching belief but with none of his own,
Twisting all that he controls.
Fear him and never face him all alone,
He corrupts innocent souls.

 

These are the signs of the king honor-broke—
Pride coming first over all,
Treading the backs and the necks of his folk
That he alone might stand tall,
Giving himself to desires that are base,
Tyrannous, cunning, and cruel.
Bring him down—set someone else in his place.
Such men are not fit to rule.

(Kethry)

The firebird knows your anger
And the firebird feels your fear,
For your passions will attract her
And your feelings draw her near.
But the negative emotions
Only make her flame and fly.
You must rule your heart, magician,
Or by her bright wings you die.

 

Now the cold-drake lives in silence
And he feeds on dark despair
Where the shadows fall the bleakest
You will find the cold-drake there.
For he seeks to chill your spirit
And to lure you down to death.
Learn to rule your soul, magician,
Ere you dare the cold-drake's breath.

 

And the griffon is a proud beast
He's the master of the sky.
And no one forgets the sight
Who has seen the griffon fly.
But his will is formed in magic
And not mortal flesh and bone
And if you would rule the griffon
You must first control your own.

 

The
kyree
is a creature
With a soul both old and wise
You must never think to fool him
For he sees through all disguise.
If you seek to call a kyree
All your secrets he shall plumb—
So be certain you are worthy
Or the
kyree—
will not come.

 

For your own heart you must conquer
If the firebird you would call
You must know the dark within you
Ere you seek the cold-drake's hall
Here is better rede, magician
Than those books upon your shelf—
If you seek to master others
You must master first yourself.

(T
he Oathbound
, Tarma & Kethry)

 

CH: Bonds of blood and bonds of steel
Bonds of god-fire and of need,
Bonds that only we two feel
Bonds of word and bonds of deed,
Bonds we took—and knew the cost
Bonds we swore without mistake
Bonds that give more than we lost,
Bonds that grant more than they take.

 

Tarma:

 

Kal‘enedral, Sword-Sworn, I,
To my Star-Eyed Goddess bound,
With my pledge would vengeance buy
But far more than vengeance found.
Now with steel and iron will
Serve my Lady and my Clan
All my pleasure in my skill—
Nevermore with any man.

 

Kethry:

 

Bound am I by my own will
Never to misuse my power—
Never to pervert my skill
To the pleasures of an hour.
With this blade that I now wear
Came another bond indeed—
While her arcane gifts I share
I am bound to woman's Need.

 

Tarma:

 

And by blood-oath we are bound
Held by more than mortal bands
For the vow we swore was crowned
By god-fires upon our hands.

 

Kethry:

 

You are more than shield-sib now
We are bound, and yet are free
So I make one final vow—
That your Clan shall live through me.

(Tarma)

 

So you want to go earning your keep with your
sword
And you think it cannot be too hard—
And you dream of becoming a hero or lord
With your praises sung out by some bard.
Well now, let me then venture to give you advice
And when all of my lecture is done
We will see if my words have not made you
think twice
About whether adventuring's “fun!”