Note: I use the symbol * for Mind-speech, for Mind-speech between those who are part of the Link, I will start it and end it with **.
Two small naked Elven
boys were playing in the shallow water of a small stream. One of them
had picked up a stone and was examining it and behind him, the other
was crouched ready to pounce on him.
Symin watching gave
a silent giggle, and then decided to intervene. Using a mini Mind-Blast
he swatted the crouching boy on the bottom. He yelped and straightened
abruptly, more from astonishment than pain.
His brother turned
around in surprise and looked at him, and was startled to find him with
his hands on his bare bottom and looking around, his gray eyes wide
with apprehension. He asked with a question in his voice, “What happened,
Dale?”
Dale said, “Somethin’
swatted me on the bum.” he said with nervousness, looking around.
Symin used a couple more mini Mind-Blasts and swatted both boys. Dale
said, his voice trembling, a little after he jumped at the second swat,
“Like that.”
Symin made a mental
note, of which boy was which as he watched the two boys, now standing
with their hands on their bottoms and looking around. However before
their anxiety could become fear, since he just wanted tease them a little,
he let another giggle escape him. This time it was a Mind-Giggle and
both boys’ heard it and recognized it.
They said together,
*Symin!!* And Sear asked with curiosity, *Where are you?*
Symin told them, “Right
here.” as he stepped out of the trees and into the creek and splashed
towards them. He watched them as they took in the fact that he was actually
here in person, not simply a voice in their mind who they knew but had
never met.
Watching them standing
in the shade of the trees he wasn’t surprised that the first time
that Sinya had seen him she had thought he was one of these boys. They
were only a little smaller than he was and almost three months after
the rainy season had started, their hair was darker than it would be
normally; not quite a cotton white but close.
Symin's hair during
the sunny seasons would have been almost as light as theirs was, but
right now, it was a light gold in color. At a casual glance, the three
boys looked very much alike. Symin amended that, thinking with amusement;
even with a more thorough look, they still would look very much alike.
Certainly, they looked enough for someone to guess they were related,
and that they might possibly be brothers or even triplets.
Elven children as young
as the twins didn’t have the noticeable slenderness that teenaged
and adult Elves had. It was there but you had to look more closely to
see it.
The two boys looked
at each other and with the unspoken communication twins sometimes had
that transcended Mind-Speech they nodded at each other and then with
mock growls they attacked Symin, ending up rolling about in the water
with him. He wasn’t surprised. Knowing that they were little mischief-makers
even when they weren’t trying, and they got into more trouble and
were whipped more often then he had ever been.
When Symin decided
to introduce himself to them first, since in a way it was through them
that he had found his new relatives, he had known it could get messy.
That was why he was wearing a pair of navy blue short trousers and sandals
instead of his formal wear.
However, once they
were down, Symin exerted some of his strength, to show them that while
he was only a little bigger than they were he was much stronger and
they needed to respect him. He got them down in the water on their backs
and began to tickle them and they were soon shrieking with laughter
and trying to escape.
Finally satisfied they
had been punished enough he sat back on their legs and allowed them
to relax. After they had calmed down, Symin said, mock sternly, “You
got me all wet!!”
They looked at each
other and Dale choked out, “Yes. We know.” Before they burst into
gales of laughter.
After they had calmed
down for a second time, he said, “You two are even worse than I expected.”
Sear said logically,
“Well you did attack us first.”
Symin asked shrewdly,
“Would it have mattered?”
The twins grinned and
Dale said, “No.” he said. “We claim this part of the creek as
ours. All other kids trespass at their peril,” he said with mock pomposity.
Sear said, “Unless
they’ve come to get us for a meal of course.” And the twins were
off again.
*****
Symin wondered why
he felt so close to these two little boys. He had talked to them many
times but he was just meeting them for the first time. While he liked
his Ascalon cousins, none of them had ever been very close. They had
been playmates when he had been younger and he had played the occasional
game with them when he was older. However when he had started roaming
the estate when he was six, he had left them behind without regret.
Perhaps that was because they all had parents, who loved them, perhaps
he had been jealous and simply hadn’t realized it.
Symin smiled at that,
undisturbed by the idea. Many people thought he was a paragon of virtue,
but he had just as many faults as most boys his age. Maxim had a list
a mile long of things wrong with Symin's personality and was always
willing to give the list to any of his friends.
Many people also thought
he was more mature for his age than most kids were, but that wasn’t
true either. Symin looked at things differently than other children
did. If he found some of the things that adults did incomprehensible,
and he did, just like other children his age did, he was unworried by
it.
It didn’t really matter that much, that time of roaming alone had made him what he was, though Symin had been glad to welcome Maxim into his world. He had quickly become a friend and then he had become the brother Symin had never had.
Symin walked into the
clearing, the younger boys holding him by the hand. He stopped with
wonder as he did so, and they stopped with him, not surprised at his
reaction. Even the Dark Forest Elves, who lived in northern Madron,
didn’t build houses in trees.
However, it was not
that the three houses in this clearing were very far above the ground.
The three trees were enormous but they weren’t particularly old. Condee,
Sinya's father had planted them himself almost seventy-five years before,
and in slightly less than twenty-five years, they were large enough
to build the houses.
That was the Brown
Forest Elves main magical talent, working with plant life though it
was a talent that many others shared. With Brown Forest Elves, it went
much deeper and was much more potent. The olun tree normally grew very
slowly and at the beginning had a small crown, which only began to really
grow when the tree was about 150 years old. Then it developed massive
branches, which were very high off of the ground. They had an enormous
spread and could easily support the amount of additional weight a tree
house would comprise.
'Which would be nice,'
thought Symin except for the fact that the first branches were about
a hundred to a hundred and fifty feet off the ground. 'Watch that first
step,' he thought ironically.
However the Brown Forest
Elves like Healers could give energy; in this case to plants and was
much more effective than normal farming magic. They forced the olun
tree to grow far faster than normal. The first fifteen years were devoted
to developing the enormous trunk and the massive root structure to support
the enormous weight of the branches. When the crown started to grow
the trunk would be twenty-five to thirty-five feet thick and the branches
would start at ten to fifteen feet off of the ground.
They planted the trees
with a plan for the houses in mind, and the branches trained to grow
where the Elves wanted.
Symin had seen them
through the eyes of his relatives, yet the very sight took his breath
away. The houses in and of themselves were of a size and grandeur that
they would look at home in any city on Lythea, and many cities on Earth.
To realize they were tree houses was astounding.
There were two boys
and a girl, playing beneath one of the trees and Symin recognized the
two boys as Ravall, and Sain at the equivalent of six and ten respectively
and Sera the equivalent of nine. All three of the children, like the
twins were nude. Children of the Brown Forest Elves like many children
of isolated people as Maxim had mentioned to Jenny and Daniel didn’t
start wearing clothing until they were the equivalent of twelve or thirteen.
Recognizing Symin instantly the three children headed for the staircase yelling at the top of their lungs. “Symin’s here!! Symin’s here!!” and soon he was surrounded by his relatives greeting him with a warmth that he had never been given while growing up.
Symin was looking around
Drew’s workshop his attention drawn to a small block of wood that
was sitting on the shelf. He had never seen oak with such an unusual
color. It had a sheen of copper as if the was part copper and part wood.
With the feeling of
a carver seeing the perfect material, his small hand reached out and
picked it up. Symin asked with interest, “I’ve never seen oak colored
like this before.”
“And you’ll probably
will never see it’s like again.” Drew said ruefully. “Brown Forest
Elves produce Magic Users but we don’t seem to bring forth either
Lesser or Great Mages very often. About two thousand years ago two Great
Mage boys by the name of Sashar and Kaskin Felarson were born. Like
Dale and Sear, they were twins but unlike them, they couldn’t get
along. They almost seemed to come out of the womb fighting with each
other.”
“Kaskin was a wanderer
and he disappears from our history, but Sashar stayed here in our forests.
He made improvements to the trees making them more resistant to disease.”
Waving his arm, Drew
said, “He’s the one who learned how to force grow olun trees, so
that we could use them for tree houses.”
He grinned, “People
wonder why we bother living in trees, when we’re so close to the ground
anyway. All Brown Forest Elves can actually sense the essence of a living
tree and we feel better surrounded by their living branches.”
Drew told the boy,
“While Sashar wasn’t a wood worker, two of his children were and
among other things he decided to see if he could develop a wood that
would have some of the color content of metal. Copper was the metal
most readily available in this area.”
“He was successful
as that piece of wood shows, the tree ingested more of the minerals
than it would normally and the color was what he wanted.”
Drew shook his head
with regret, “Unfortunately when he died the tree was only a sapling
and when it was grown enough to produce its seeds, the acorns were not
fertile. The secret of how to produce the trees died with Sashar and
the tree did not survive its maturity for very long. It seemed very
prone to lightning strikes and in one particularly bad storm it was
struck multiple times and was destroyed and we salvaged what wood was
remaining.”
Drew took the piece
from Symin, telling him, “Over the years what little remained has
been used; seldom for furniture however. We reserve it for outstanding
carvers. This is the last piece and after seeing some of the pieces
of yours that Sinya sent us we asked the Council for this piece of wood,
the last piece that is still unused.”
Symin heart was in
his throat, as he took the wood in his hand and looked at in wonder
his body filled with pleasant warmth. There was no hesitation in his
mind. He knew exactly what the piece of would become, Alcalaar, God
of the Forest. While not an Elf, his ears were more pointed than would
normally be the case for humans, and was considered by many Elves as
their patron God.
Symin's hand tightened
on the wood for a moment and then reluctantly put it back on the shelf.
He would want to be fresh and wide-awake when he started this carving.
He sighed a little, smiling a little ironically. He was the center of
welcoming relatives but he was a little uncomfortable at the attention
given to him. Attention, he had never gotten from the Ascalons.
Drew looked down at
him and putting his hand on Symin’s hair, he ruffled the silky softness
saying, “Father could see you were feeling a little uncertain and
he had me bring you here so that you would have time to recover.”
Symin sighed again,
looking up at his tall cousin, blinking tears back. “I thank you for
that. It’s not that the attention is unwelcome, far from it, it’s
just that it’s so unusual.” he considered. “I’ve seen such greetings
for other members of my family, but it never happened for me. Most of
the time they ignored me. I was allowed to wander anywhere on the Ascalon
estate that I wanted, only Minna cared where I was and that hurt a lot.”
Symin shook his head with regret, “I know now that my uncle Tyril was responsible for the separation from my family, and despite the fact that they now welcome me when I go to the castle, I always feel unsettled there. While I don’t consider the memories to be bad ones, not compared to the ones my friend Terrion has; at the same time they aren’t good memories either. Nowadays I’m more comfortable being away from the castle; on the Plateau, in Bremen and in Rendar’s town house in Divandia.” and especially in the Vincent-Molloy house he thought with an ache of longing.
Dearna said dryly,
“Here I was expecting your return to be a joyful thing, yet you don’t
seem particularly happy?”
Symin sighed and then
grinned at Darren and her. “It’s not that I’m sad about we did.
Once the power in the Diamond Obsidian stones is gone, Varagon will
eventually be free but that will take thousands of years. However, to
a God even to an ex-God that can be an eon or a second in time. The
Ancient Ones gave their lives to provide that power, but it released
them from what they considered a living hell, and we felt their joy
as they were freed at long last.”
Symin shook his head
with regret, “They were trapped in bodies that they wished to leave,
yet few dragons will simply commit suicide. It’s against their ethos.
To go the way they did is the way that a dragon wishes to go. Fighting
for something that they passionately care about.”
“No I’m not unhappy
about what we did, though we were very uncomfortable about it at the
time.” Symin's large gray eyes were somber. “Terry has returned
home to his father and grandmother. Maxim is having a long visit with
his family, and Tess stayed on her world, as a hero. She doesn’t think
she’ll be there long. It was more for her mother and father than for
her. To be the parents of one of those who freed them from Varagon increases
their status enormously.”
Symin gave a grin,
“Even Pictou is visiting his parents. They’re all in my mind, and
I just have to think of them to be in theirs. Despite our closeness,
I’m lonely. They all have close relatives, outside of the Link that
they can go to. I have an ache in my heart, a longing for something
I’ve never had. For parents and brothers and sisters.”
Tears began to flow
down Symin’s small cheeks as he continued, “I was startled when
I said goodbye to Jenny and Daniel and the kids, I knew I had found
them. The ache I felt at leaving them was far greater than I ever expected.
I wanted desperately to stay. Yet I knew it would be impossible.”
“I couldn’t live
on their world.” Symin smiled and wiped away the tears with his hand.
“Can you see me on your world, Darren? The first time I was only on
your world for a few days and I killed once and arranged punishment
for the crimes the jeweler committed. I don’t regret what I did, neither
the death of Foss or interfering in the life of the jeweler.”
Symin said forcefully,
“There are too many injustices on your world and they’re too easy
to find out about, through radio, and television and newspapers. I wouldn’t
be able to contain my rage, and I would interfere, even though I would
have no right to interfere. That would make me as bad as Varagon.”
Darren said wryly,
“My world isn’t the only one that has injustices, Symin. Yours is
no bed of roses.” He paused then to think about what he had said,
and then shook his head and smiled, “Actually that’s a dumb quotation,
it’s exactly what it is, and what my world is. A bed of roses with
hidden and sometimes not so hidden thorns.”
Symin and Dearna smiled
in amusement. Symin said, “Agreed, but here news in most cases travels
slowly. Many times especially since we’re so far from the capital,
a lot of news never even reaches me, and even when it does by the time
I hear about it, it may have happened weeks and months before.”
Symin said reflectively,
“It’s just as well, because I would have no objection to interfering
in my world. However, that’s the problem that Varagon had. He interfered
in the world on which he was a God and caused a war that cost millions
of lives. Like the Gods the Link has become too powerful.”
Symin told them, “We
won’t ignore something that comes to our attention, but we don’t
intend to go looking for things to fix. We can’t casually meddle in
the lives of our people. The short term gain might cause a long term
disaster.”
Symin tensed as he felt power rising and then gave an involuntary cry of surprise echoed by their gasps of astonishment as he and the two adults could suddenly see a scene from Earth. A naked Travis was riding a horse and Jenny and Daniel were looking on.
Jenny and Daniel watched
Travis expertly guide Bright Star though her paces. He wasn’t the
best rider, both Jason and Danni were better riders than he was, however
he had taken after Daniel and was the best horse handler of their three
children. Travis could get the horses he rode to do things that the
other two could only dream about.
Daniel grinned and
asked, “Do you think we’ll ever get him back into clothes again.”
Jenny grinned back,
“He does seem to enjoy it doesn’t he, and Danni doesn’t even blush
anymore when she sees either him or Jason naked. With the Indian Summer
we're having its still warm enough. Once it ends, it will get a little
nippy. He'll be glad to get into clothes, at that point. From the sounds
of it he’s going to wear clothes outside and strip when he comes inside.”
Jenny was pensive as
she thought back over the last couple of months. She finally said, “You
know we’re much more isolated than when Dad was here, despite the
fact that we haven’t gone anywhere and we have plenty of other relatives
around.”
Daniel looked at her
with a wry look on his face. He told her, “Yes. I’ve noticed that
it seems that way. However, I think you’re wrong. We’re not more
isolated now, we’re just more aware of how isolated we’ve always
been.”
Jenny nodded thoughtfully
as she realized that he was right. She said, ““We have a television
but we almost never watch it except for the news.” She grinned, “We
watched it more often while the boys and Tess and Pictou and Dearna
were here than we have in the last several years. Unlike most kids,
ours are more likely to settle down with a book than to turn the television
on. None of them are interested in video games, when they play games
they’re more interested in the old fashioned board games.”
Daniel nodded, “We
have a computer but we use it to keep the books and for the kid’s
homework, but they almost never use it other than that. They aren’t
interested in the Internet and they don’t even listen to music on
the radio very often. They prefer to make their own music and they can
spend hours doing so, Travis on his flute and Jason on his guitar and
Danni on her violin. They know that they’re good for kids yet at the
same time they know that that’s all they’ll ever be is good, and
it doesn’t worry them.”
Jenny giggled, “Well
part of the reason they’ll never be more than good is because they’re
not very interested in learning the techniques that they’d need. They’re
not particularly dedicated to improving their musical ability. They
think the way they play now is fine, and they’re not interested in
plumbing the ‘depths of emotion’, getting through it with only a
few mistakes satisfies all of them.”
She asked, “Are you
jealous of Darren, Dan?”
Daniel looked pensive
for a moment before he shook his head, “No not jealous, I don’t
want to be Darren. Envious yes. I’m a horseman in a world that no
longer really needs horsemen. We still use horses in many ways, but
though they still exist, working horses are no longer necessary. This
world could do without them very easily if it needed to. Even fifty
or sixty years ago that wasn’t the case.”
“Today most horses
are used for play rather than work. I make a good living, and the farm
is worth quite a bit of money. So much that Foss tried to force us out
to get a hold of it. However, I regret the fact that my profession is
no longer a vital one. Our Lythean visitors and Darren’s leaving brought
it home to me that’s all.”
Jenny leaned against
him and he put his arms around her. She said seriously, “So what you’re
saying is you think you’re on the wrong world?”
Daniel sighed with
regret, “Yes I think I am at least. However unlike Darren I’m not
alone, and can’t just leave, no matter how much I'd like to at times.”
Jenny said teasingly,
“What makes you think you’re all alone, Danny. I’m essentially
a homemaker and people have become aware in the past twenty-five years
that we work much harder than they ever realized. Yet what I do today,
is only a fraction of what pioneer women had to do and in a way, I envy
them. They were stretched to their limit, and they were proud of what
they did.”
Jenny gave a sigh of
regret, “Today if you’re only a housewife instead of a quote ‘working
mother’ many women think you’re somehow letting the side down. It’s
an occupation that many women are no longer proud to claim their own.
When we have Pioneer Days at the beginning of the summer, those of us
committed to the project actually do things the way our ancestors did,
I find that it’s one of the most satisfying times of the year. I always
look forward to it and back upon it with pride.”
Jenny had a sparkle
in her eye as she told him, “As for the kids. Well though you’re
haven’t been let in on the news, Danni fully intends to marry Maxim
when she gets older. She knows without a doubt that it’ll happen,
despite the obstacles. The biggest of them of course was that he might
not survive. Despite the fact that Danni knew he could die, and though
like many American children she’s not used to death she knew it could
happen. She thought about it very seriously. I could see her relief
when Pictou came to tell us that they had completed their mission successfully.”
Daniel nodded, “Well
most fathers would say she’s a little young to make up her mind. But
then again most fathers wouldn’t have his in-laws, his parents, and
his own life to compare it to. You told me when you were ten and I was
twelve that you were going to marry me.”
Jenny nodded saying,
“Yes, I did and despite the fact that when your father inherited the
farm and you moved out here, and I didn’t see you for several years
until we both entered community college I never doubted that it would
happen. I didn’t even date in high school because I knew that you
were going to be my husband and I didn’t intend to take second best.
Both your parents and mine from the tales we got before your parent’s
death, and the death of my mother, we know that they were childhood
sweethearts as well. I fully expect Danni to marry Maxim though he may
not be aware of it yet, he will be, he will be,” she said, grinning.
“And the boys?”
Daniel asked knowing how perceptive Jenny was.
Jenny told him with
a serious look on her face, “The children were much too young to remember
the first time Travis was sick with cancer. The shock of Travis almost
coming out of remission brought all three children much closer. That’s
especially true of the two boys. They sleep in the same room, they do
their homework together, and this year they seem to have subconsciously
excluded others from close friendship. In fact, it’s almost as if
they know that they’re not going to be around the other little boys
of their age here for very long. I don’t think they would have any
problem adjusting.”
Suddenly it seemed
to grow much warmer, and they appeared to be in a large glade in a forest.
The three children were standing in front of them; off to the right
they could see Symin, Darren and Dearna. They could see a large full-bodied
woman sitting on a bench about fifty yards away.
As they began to walk
towards her, the eight closed together and Symin simply and naturally
became one of their children, a place where he seemed to belong. From
Symin’s description, they knew it was the home of the Gods of Lythea
and the woman they were approaching the Mother-Goddess.
Tamra smiled gently
at all of them when they reached her. She looked at Symin, saying to
him, “All of the Gods are glad that the five of you survived, Symin
Durrill Ascalon. We’re very aware that as you have been thinking that
it could have been a test by the Elders of our race, to make sure we
were mature enough to take care of our people properly.”
Tamra shook her head,
saying with regret, “Whether it was or not, doesn’t really matter.
You could have died just as easily in a test as you could have done
otherwise. Gods must occasionally allow some to die for the good of
all, and our Elders wouldn’t have hesitated to take your lives if
they had deemed it necessary.”
Symin nodded his head,
“Yes. I know that. I also know that potentially a test could have
been much more damaging to Lythea in the long run than Varagon was,
whether we lived or died. However, looking back on it, it just seemed
too easy and contrived in some ways. Everything fell into place when
we needed it; everything we needed was there when we needed it.”
Symin said with indignation
in his voice, “We were aware from Tess that only forty percent of
dragons were following Varagon, and sixty percent were ignoring him.
Yet, no ordinary dragon had any possibility of disobeying him if he
turned his full attention onto him, perhaps not even the Most Ancient
One. Yet he didn’t bother to use his power to send a scout on ahead
to check on the world where we set the trap.”
Tamra chuckled, “You’re
not really worried about whether it a test of not, you’re just disgusted
that anyone would make such an elementary mistake.”
Symin gave a rueful
smile and nodded. She smiled back at him with approval saying, “You
have to remember Symin that whether or not it was a test, Varagon wasn’t
a Dark God accustomed to moving around in the shadows of deceit and
lies, with someone always willing to stick a knife in your back. He
was a God of Light who had apparently fallen, and like anyone, an ex-God
or not he needed to learn some lessons. I assure you that if you had
to do it all over again you wouldn’t trap him that way a second time.”
Symin nodded, “We
knew that if he had escaped our trap we would probably never have been
able to render him harmless. However, we did succeed whether it was
entirely through our actions or we were allowed to succeed doesn’t
really matter. It’s over for the moment and Varagon will be there
for a very long time by human standards.”
Symin waved his small
hand in dismissal of the problem, “Since Darren and Dearna and I were
talking about family, and my wish to be part of one, and you allowed
us to hear Jenny and Daniel’s conversation I assume that we're here
because of that?”
Tamra nodded, “Perceptive
as usual, Symin. Your friends are here as well, though only through
your Link. When all five of you are on Lythea, we will summon you again
and talk to all of you directly. We know you didn’t battle Varagon
for a reward. You did so unselfishly because the five of you have a
nobility of spirit.”
Tamra said seriously,
“The others all have parents. Even Terrion has Rendar and Rendar's
mother Arla. He considers Rendar as his father and though Arla is his
grandmother by adoption, she is almost as close as a mother to him.
That’s something you’ve never known, and as the heart of the Link,
we feel and your friends also feel that you’re the most important
part of it. We told them what we planned to do and there is only gladness
in their hearts that you’re finally going to know what being part
of a family is like.”
Tamra gave a gentle
smile, “We prompted the conversation between Daniel and Jenny, but
while it occurred today because of that, it would eventually have happened
anyway, so we don’t feel we were interfering by doing so. We were
simply allowing them both to put into words what they felt, but had
never mentioned to the other. While they and the children, like Darren
at times will miss Earth, it will become less and less important as
time goes by.”
Tamra smiled with amusement,
looking at Symin, “Condee told you that part-Elves sometimes have
the traits of their ancestors. While that is true, he didn’t bother
to get into the complicated aspects of being a part-Elf, since at the
time, time itself was precious.”
“Eighty percent of
the time, part-Elves age like humans do and their lifespan is that of
a human being. Almost twenty percent of the time, part-Elves age like
Elves do, for every two years and a couple of months a part-Elf ages
one year, though generally their life span is only about two hundred
years. Obviously, you aren’t growing in that manner Symin. Your body
has been about seven years old for the last four years.” Her smile
became wider as he shook his head ruefully.
With amusement on her
face, Tamra told Symin, “One time out of a hundred a part-Elf ages
like you do. You grow to a certain age and you seem to be that age for
so long that it’s almost as if you stopped growing. The apparent age
varies, usually it’s between seven and eleven but older is not unusual
though being younger would be. The younger the age you are when you
apparently stop growing the longer it will take to become an adult.”
“When a child seems
to stop at about eleven it will take about thirty years before he’s
fully grown. For each year less than eleven add about ten additional
years.”
Symin groaned audibly
as he realized that it would be seventy years before he’d be fully-grown.
Tamra grinned again
having little sympathy for his plight. His childhood as long as it would
seem to him would be a very short period to the children of the Gods.
Tamra explained to
him, "It won’t be that bad Symin especially if there are those
around you who are growing at the same rate. Your full lifespan will
be around the same as your Elven cousins, though you will spend more
of it in childhood. Perhaps we are interfering more than we should by
doing so but Daniel and Jenny and the children will begin to age like
you do”
Tamra's face took on
a solemn look, “We are also including Terrion, Rendar and Arla, Maxim
and his mother and father, brothers and sisters and their children,
as well as Darren and Dearna and her father. We are in effect beginning
a new race; though your numbers will always be small, you will breed
true. This will allow you all a long time in which to produce heirs
who will eventually be as powerful as you are.”
Tamra's face became
deadly serious, “We aren’t doing it simply to reward you and your
friends Symin. The longer the Link is around the stronger the Ward will
be since you're directing about a quarter of your power on a continuing
basis to it. The more powerful the Ward is the longer it will last.
If it wasn’t a test, the longer Varagon stays imprisoned the better.
If it was a test it doesn’t matter because though he seems to be behind
the Ward as a God he is too powerful to be held if he doesn’t want
to be held.”
Symin nodded a serious
look on his small face as well. Tamra looked at Jenny and Daniel and
their children and she smiled as she saw that the man and woman had
their hands on Symin’s shoulder claiming him for their own. The three
children had moved much closer to him, in their way claiming him as
much as their parent’s were. Tamra knew without having to ask that
they accepted the gift the Gods were offering to them. The gift of Symin
was more important to them than the gift of years, though it would give
them much longer to enjoy it.
Tamra looked at Dearna
and Darren. “While humans on Lythea came from your world it was necessary
to alter their genetic code in order to give all of the races of humanity
the ability to interbreed and at the same time so their bodies could
accept the heat much more readily. When Symin and his friends brought
you to this world, they could not give you the ability to have children.
You now have that ability and knowing your love of children I imagine
Jenny is soon going to have some very young brothers and sisters.”
Their faces lit up
with joy at that knowledge and the grip of their hands that had been
holding each other tightened spontaneously.
Tamra smiled with approval
at their joy. “It’s ironic Dearna, when your father commented that
if he was younger your mother would have expected him to remarry. Now
he’s suddenly going to be younger. His hair when he was a young man
was naturally a white blond, and his face has had many years of weathering,
so he’s not going to look younger to those that know him. However
you and other Healers will be able to detect the changes in his body.”
Tamra smiled in amusement,
“Your family friend and fellow Healer, Tesa Fandar has long regretted
the fact that he was human and coming to the end of a long life for
humans. Now that he has the lifespan of an Elf and has many years before
him I foresee the possibility that you also may have some extremely
young brothers and sisters.”
Dearna nodded thoughtfully
but her eyes were shining with glee at the shock her father was going
to get.
Tamra turned her attention
back to Symin, telling him, “Others will also become like you. Kalli
Senson and Terrion’s younger brothers will also have their life extended.
As will Cartan for he and Sinya have decided to wed despite the fact
that they know he would only live another fifty to seventy years or
so while she has as much as two hundred and fifty years left in her
lifespan.”
Tamra nodded with approval,
“I know that Sinya has become very close to you Symin since you found
out she was a relative. She is old enough to be your mother but you
have always seen her as more of an older sister and Cartan was much
like an older brother.”
Symin’s eyes were
brimming with unshed tears as he found that those he had come to love
the most would be with him for many years longer than he had expected.
She continued her face
becoming solemn again, “Those whose life has been extended will be
aware of that fact.” Tamra paused for a moment and smiled gently,
“Those people that aren’t directly concerned will know that those
individuals will have a much longer life span than they originally expected.
Most of them will accept it with good grace, but others will be jealous
of your sudden fortune so you must be aware that there will be a potential
problem.”
*****
Tamra said to them,
“I will give you a chance to talk things over and to make some decisions.
When you wish to come to Lythea the Gods will provide transportation,
and like the people on this world, we will also provide reassurance
to your families and friends and to your society in general. They will
know without knowing how they know that you are safe and happy.”
Tamra continued speaking,
“Many of the plants and animals that now exist on Lythea came from
the worlds where the races of humanity came from. Probably only Esshor
knows exactly what came from where anymore. However, the horse is a
fairly recent introduction. That event was barely ten thousand years
in the past though if ever Lytheans begin to dig up the past a complete
fossil record for all of the animals and plant life and the races of
humanity are there to be discovered.”
Tamra smiled, “You
may simply wish to discover the horses that are already here, but you
may want to develop your own breed. You have been reluctant to spend
the money that Symin left with you. Perhaps now would be a good time
to spend it by purchasing some horses and bringing them with you when
you come. They’re only found on Earth, and it wasn’t necessary to
alter their genetic code so the horses on both worlds are still one
species.”
Daniel looked thoughtful
thinking of the stallion and mares that his neighbor, Remington Hughes
had offered to sell to him just the week before.
*****
As the Mother Goddess
had seen, they had already made the decision. They simply needed to
say it out loud.
The decision made there
were hugs of temporary goodbyes and joy that they would soon be together
permanently. Before they approached, the Mother-Goddess Symin commented
without bitterness. “Of course we are being used. While the reward
is real, at the same time the Gods of Lythea are telling the Elders
of their race that while it might have been a test, they can’t be
always be looking over their shoulders to see what they’re doing is
acceptable. They must decide on their own what is right for Lythea.”
Then, Symin told them with a huge smile on his face, a singing heart and joy bubbling in his voice, "Not that I care. I have my heart's desire, and that's enough for me."
The Vincent-Molloy's
returned from the place of the Gods and the three children were quietly
discussing what was to come. Quietly but with evident excitement in
their voices.
Daniel and Jenny watched
them for a few minutes before also beginning to discuss what was to
happen, though their discussion was on were more practical matters.
Daniel said to her,
“We’ve got to do something about the farm. We can’t simply let
fate determine it’s future.”
Jenny said decisively,
“Jason should get it, he and Caitrin and their children. Neither of
them likes their jobs, yet they have no way to get out, not with six
children. We give them the farm and they can start a new lifestyle.
They’ll sink or swim, and even if they sink they can always sell the
farm.”
Daniel grinned saying,
“You’re a hard woman, Jenny. But I agree, of our relatives, I can’t
think of anyone else who would be willing to leave their present careers
in order to run it.”
*****
Jason absently picked
up the phone when it rang. “Jason Vincent speaking.”
He heard Daniel’s
voice on the line, suppressed excitement in it. He was somewhat surprised;
this was the first time that either Daniel or Jenny had ever called
him at work. Daniel asked, “Jason, Jenny and I need to see you as
soon as possible! Can you and Caitrin take a day off work and come out
tomorrow?”
Jason looked ruefully
at the top of his desk buried with paperwork. He said, “Not really.
But if it’s important, we can make time. Family always comes first.”
Daniel said his voice
earnest, “I can assure you it’s important! Very important!”
*****
Jason and Caitrin opened
their doors and stepped out of the mini-van, their children beating
them to it, joining their cousins. They all loved the farm and the open
spaces it provided.
In the house, the four
adults sat down in the living room and Daniel said, “I know the family
was surprised by the fact that Jenny and I and especially the children
didn’t react much more emotionally when Darren disappeared. But that’s
because we know he’s still alive and exactly where he is.”
Unlike the majority
of the family, Jason and Caitrin hadn’t been worried about their reaction.
The fact that Darren had cancelled his insurance policies had indicated
that he had disappeared willingly. They didn’t know why but they trusted
him and knew that he had a good reason.
Jenny and Daniel set
out the story as it had occurred up to the time of Darren’s disappearance.
Jenny said with a solemn look on her face, “I hadn’t really seen
Dad happy since Mother died. On the surface, he appeared content enough,
but Daniel and I and the children could read what was under the surface.
All of us could see that he and Dearna were meant for each other. To
retain the happiness that he had found he had to go back to Lythea with
her.”
Perhaps the Mother-Goddess
had already eased their family’s minds, but perhaps Jason and Caitrin’s
minds were flexible enough to accept their story calmly and know they
were speaking the truth.
Jason said, shrewdly,
“We can accept that, but at the same time I don’t think it’s the
main reason that you asked us out here?”
Jenny and Daniel both
grinned, before Daniel said, “No it’s not the main reason. That’s
not the entire story and in a sense, it’s not the most important part
of it. At least not to Jenny and I, and the kids. We were telling you
what happened and we didn’t focus on Symin, he was the reason they
were here the second time because of his injury. And Symin is the reason
that we asked you out here.”
Daniel took a deep
breath a look of joy on his and Jenny's face, “We weren't aware the
first time he and Pictou were here that we connected much closer than
you would expect. By the time he had been here for a few days the second
time, we didn’t realize that all of us were subconsciously longing
to make him a part of our family.”
“We didn’t think
it could ever happen, so none of us ever said it out loud. The Lythean
Gods prompted a conversation between Jenny and I and at that time we
realized that we were willing to give up Earth so that Symin can be
a member of our family.”
Daniel stopped for
a moment, Jenny continuing after a few minutes of contemplation, “The
Mother-Goddess summoned us to the Place of the Gods to join Symin and
Dearna and Darren. She offered us a chance to leave this world and become
Symin’s family on Lythea and Daniel and I and the children gladly
accepted.”
Daniel told them seriously,
“We will be leaving Earth and despite the fact there will be home
sickness and there are things that we’ll miss, it’s something that
all of us want and we’ll never return. The rest of our family will
know that we are safe and happy. However, we couldn’t simply go and
leave the farm. It’s been an important part of our life and we wish
to see it in good hands.”
He looked at them calmly,
“Your hands if you accept it.”
Being an intelligent
couple they had seen where Daniel was going and looking at each other
they silently made a decision that would affect the rest of their lives
and like Daniel, Jenny, Danni, Jason and Travis who would never seriously
regret going to Lythea, they would never seriously regret accepting
the farm.
*****
A week later, they were there, and they watched Daniel, Jenny and the children mounted on horses purchased from a neighbor, Remington Hughes, carrying a few precious possessions that they could use on Lythea like their musical instruments. They rode forward and simply disappeared from Earth forever, even computers would be unaware of their disappearance.
Armand Ascalon looked
at Symin and it wasn’t hard to tell that the boy was uncomfortable.
His body language as he sat with his bottom on the edge of the chair
and his feet on the floor told him that.
Yet, at the same time
the boy’s face simply glowed with happiness showing that Symin was
happier than he had ever been before. Being a very perceptive man Armand
said, “You have something that you want to tell me. It’s something
that makes you very happy and at the same time uneasy because you don’t
know how I might react.”
Symin nodded, impressed
and looking at it honestly he realized that he was thinking of his grandfather
as he had been before Tyril had needed to run. He hadn’t really seen
much of his family since then and he suddenly knew that he didn’t
know this man at all. All of the tension he had been feeling left him,
and there was no longer any unhappiness in his mind.
Symin said with easy
heart, “Yes, grandfather. I’m doing something that I thought would
make you unhappy, and somehow I no longer think it will do so. The family
that we stayed with when we were on Earth. In the short time I spent
with them they became my family somehow, much more so than the Ascalons.”
Armand nodded in understanding
and sighed with regret, “Things could have been much different Symin
if we weren’t being controlled by Tyril. I think he was worried about
you, and I don’t know why but perhaps he had a premonition that you
could be a danger to him. The things he’s done concerning you were
aimed to separate you from the rest of the family. When you began to
show signs of being a Magic User he became even more uneasy about you.”
Armand gave a gentle
grin as he continued, “When he needed to run we were no longer being
controlled and our joy knew no bounds for a time. You saw the beginnings
of our joy but then your duty took you away from us, as we were becoming
a family again after years of separation. That meant that you remained
an outsider and I wasn’t surprised that you decided to return to The
Plateau when you returned from Camara.”
Armand shook his head
with regret, but a smile on his face, “You were in the unique position
of being a child who had the power to decide his own destiny and it
wouldn’t have been right to try to take that away from you.”
“Cecily and I watched
with regret as you pulled away from us but we felt that you couldn’t
be forced to become a part of the family again. We could see you were
happy with Maxim on The Plateau so we didn’t insist that you return
to the castle.”
Armand reached out and caressed Symin’s cheek with a touch of his hand, the boy raised his hand, touching his grandfather’s thanking him for his understanding.
Symin said thoughtfully,
“After we returned to Lythea, I decided to find Tyril. As a high Magic
User, he might have posed a danger to the Ascalons and even if he was
captured that would have caused you a great deal of grief. I found him
in Vela and as a high Magic User; he can read auras which would have
told him I was a potential Mage and a danger to him.”
Symin sighed and his
face became thoughtful. “I did something that I would normally consider
unethical. Yet I feel no regrets for what I did, and Kraftin and Karliv
who are the only other ones to know what I did outside the Link; feel
I did the right thing.”
Symin large gray eyes
looked at Armand his eyes cold. He told his grandfather, “Tyril was
using a false name of course and he was the only one who knew that he
was an Ascalon. Even his mistress is unaware of what he was since he
had his tattoo removed. He is no longer crested and he was saying that
he had lost his memory. I thought that was appropriate, and an omen.”
Symin spoke in a much
harder tone of voice as he said, “I felt he had forfeited the right
to be an Ascalon. He no longer remembers what he once was so he is now
telling the truth. The only thing he remembers of this life is the fact
that it would be extremely dangerous for him to ever come to Camron
or Madron.”
“Maxim said that
he was unable to have children so you don’t have to be worried about
never being able to see them. You will never see him again but at the
same time you know that he’s safe and unable to harm the Ascalon’s
again.”
Armand nodded thoughtfully, saying, “Thank you, Symin. Despite what he was he was still my son, and I didn’t want him to die."
Symin said to Prince
Tamen his voice brimming with curiosity, “You wished to see me, Sir?
Tamen smiled at the
boy, pleased to notice that he seemed much more relaxed than the last
time he had seen him, after he and the others had returned from the
other world.
Prince Tamen told the
boy, “Yes, Symin. Now that the ceremony to create your grandfather
the new Duke in the Northwest and your uncle the Governor is over we
wish to do something for you. Normally when a nobleman is enlarged his
title goes with him changing to reflect his new status.”
Prince Tamen said solemnly,
“In this case I felt that the Ascalon Barony which is as old as Camron,
should be kept and not changed when your grandfather became Duke, and
my father and brother agreed with me. With your grandfather’s permission,
the title of Duke Ascalon was created as a new title, and the Barony
of Ascalon was simply vacated.”
“For your outstanding
service to the Kingdom we wish to make you the new Baron Ascalon, and
move the Barony to the border area between us and Fenla. That not only
will reward you as we feel you deserve but will also increase the visibility
of the Kingdom on the border.”
Tamen grinned as Symin
went red with embarrassment and for one of the few times since he had
known him the boy actually looked disconcerted.
After a couple of minutes
of struggling, Symin squeaked out in a very high pitched voice, “I…”
and then he stopped and began to giggle at the way his voice had sounded
Prince Tamen joining him and he relaxed somewhat.
When Symin spoke again
after he had composed himself, his voice was more natural, “I thank
you, Your Highness, but I’m going to have to think about it.”
Tamen with a touch
of humor still on his face told him, “Don’t think it simply as a
reward, though that was basically our motive. At the same time you should
realize that by giving you the Barony and putting it on the border,
we are also being very practical. You’re a Great Mage and the Kingdom’s
presence on the border gathers immense strength from that fact. Yet
at the same time by not putting a lot of soldiers on the border, which
is the only other way to establish high visibility, we make it less
likely that an armed conflict will develop between Fenla and Camron.”
Symin nodded thoughtfully.
“Yes Sir, I can see that using me in that way is a very sensible alternative.
There’s always been a strained relationship between Camron and Fenla.
If it wasn’t for the fact that most of the border between our two
countries is so mountainous with only a few passes, we’d probably
have had several major wars with them.”
Symin said reflectively,
“As it is when they moved some of their people across the established
border on the coast two hundred years ago, it triggered a war, with
several minor skirmishes. They lost but it could have gone either way,
and we didn’t get anything out of them in way of reparations.”
Symin pursed his lips
thinking for second before continuing, “Since their capital is right
on the coast, and they are much younger than we are, it’s only been
in the last fifty years or so that they have begun to move into the
area immediately north of the mountains, and suddenly they threaten
The Valley.”
“While part of The
Valley is very rich farmland, most of it is forested, and both because
of its isolation and the fact that it’s the home of the Brown Forest
Elves, we’ve never tried to settle it.”
Tamen shook his head,
saying, “There’s a third reason. We would have established at least
a presence there before now if people weren’t so reluctant to move
into The Valley. The Brown Forest Elves occupy part of it and we didn’t
want to force people to take lands there, it could have caused conflict.”
Symin nodded, then
after thinking about it for a couple of minutes, he said resignedly,
“That makes it a duty rather than simply a reward. I don’t see how
I can turn it down under those conditions. Still I’ve never seen the
land, and I want to at least do that before I make my final decision.
If you don’t mind I’ll have a look at it tonight and talk to you
in the morning.”
Tamen
nodded, “That’s fine Symin. We’ll be here another few days before
we head back to the capital, so we’re not in any rush.”
Symin stood up and then grinned, “By the way Your Highness, you were simply looking for people in the wrong places. If you think a little unconventionally you’ll realize that the places you want to look is in Debtor’s Prison and in the slum areas. There are many good people in both places. They’ve fallen on hard times and run into misfortune not because they’re dishonorable or because they’re bad people, but because the fates have treated them unfairly.”
Hamar asked with curiosity,
“Why did you want to see all of us Symin? We turned it over to Tamen
because we thought you’d be more comfortable being asked by him.”
Symin told them, “There’s
a problem Sir, a very big problem. The land you want to give me is already
occupied.”
The three men straightened
in their chairs and stiffened. Hamar said in an raspy angry voice, “By
who?!! We’ve given no one permission to occupy that land!!”
“Actually I don’t
think King Nellen intended to ask you for permission, Sir.” Symin
said with an ironic smile on his face.
Hamar stiffened even
more and then his body relaxed as he began thinking. After a few minutes,
he looked at Symin who was standing with his hands clasped behind his
back. The smile on the boy's face was one of humor however.
Hamar commented, “You
don’t seem particularly unhappy about someone else taking the land
we intended to give you.” He signed, “We’ll have to get it back
of course. We’ve claimed all land south of the Pentil and Sangree
Rivers for several hundred years.
Symin commented, still
with a smile on his face, “I’ve been to Tantar, Sire. In fact, that’s
Nellen’s intention. You move your army there and it will require a
good portion of the army. Once you do that, he intends to attack three
of the coastal cities. Personally I don’t think even with the army
in The Valley that he can take them, but he does.”
Symin shook his head
will disgust, “In fact he thinks he’s a genius, sir, a military
genius at least the equal of Mandel Bloodyhand. He’s insane of course
and I doubt that he’ll last very long as King, but he could have caused
a lot of trouble if I hadn’t found out about it now.”
Symin went over to
the sand table used by the Ascalon children in addition to paper and
slates in their lessons. He stood looking at it and the three men got
up to join him watching as one section of the sand began to move. Within
a few minutes an exact model of the upper Valley was visible.
Symin pointed to the
area, divided into six parts and there were very evident fortifications
all over the place. In addition, there was a small fortified town right
on the south bank of the river that delineated the border. Symin said
in his treble voice, “There are about six thousand men and women and
children here on the Baronys, Your Majesty and they will fight to the
last. With our preoccupation with Madron and Yersine and the aftermath,
Nellen began to move them into The Valley. Don’t be too upset about
it Prince Tamen, your spies haven’t told you about this because they
didn’t know about it.”
Symin told them solemnly,
“Nellen has eight Great Mages in this area and four of them are related
and have the same type of specialty. A brother and sister and two cousins.
It’s the ability to hide things. It’s a type of Concealment, but
somewhat different than anything I’ve seen before. If any Great Mage
had looked at this area, even they wouldn’t have been able to see
anything out of the ordinary.”
“Once I got back
home, I took a look and even knowing what is now there, it took me time
to work through the Concealment to see it. A normal Great Mage wouldn’t
have been able to do it.”
Symin was silent for
a minute considering and his small face was serious, before saying,
“My friends and I are very different now. The amount of power we had
to channel through our bodies changed us drastically and permanently.
We are far stronger than any other Great Mages. Perhaps you should think
of us as Greater Mages. Comparing us to Great Mages, they are now to
us what Lesser Mages are to Great Mages.”
Symin said ruefully,
“We are too powerful for our world, yet for three of us it is our
home, and has become the base for all of us. We will no longer interfere
casually in our world’s affairs because like the Gods it’s better
if we don’t. I hesitated to accept the Barony because of that reason
though I felt honored. Yet, we can’t isolate ourselves either, not
if we wish to keep our humanity. So I will help in this matter.”
“Four of the Great
Mages are battle mages yet all eight of them together don’t have enough
power to challenge me. That perhaps tells you how much power we wield
even more than a new title, and why we’re reluctant to use it.”
The three men looked
at the little boy soberly. They knew him well enough to know that he
wouldn’t exaggerate, and their respect for him went even higher if
that was possible.
Symin grinned up at
them, “However now that you know that, you should also know that I
have no reluctance to help in this matter. Some wars are necessary but
most are simply the result of stupidity and should never occur. This
one is totally unneeded, it is simply the whim of a madman, and I have
no objection in preventing it.”
“King Nellen used
this occasion to silence six of his greatest critics and ones who would
surely have been in the forefront of those prepared to depose him. He
used his army to surround six Baronys and he gave the Barons and their
people a choice. Move or die. While the Barons and their people had
to have ached at what they were forced to do, they did it.”
Symin sighed and shook
his head at the callousness of King Nellen towards his people before
continuing, “They moved every man woman and child, and all of their
livestock, six to nine hundred miles depending on where their Baronys
were located, into the head of The Valley. Nellen gave the people occupying
the town the same choice, move or die. Not that they were really enemies
they were simply neutral when he became King. That was enough for Nellen
so he moved them to teach the rest of the towns and cities in the country
what could happen to them.”
Symin gestured with
his hand towards the model telling them, “All told there are perhaps
eight or nine thousand people. To take back The Valley by arms you would
need an army and every man woman and child would fight and die to stop
you. They’ve had most of a year to fortify it and they have no choice,
they no longer have anywhere to go, and their backs are to the wall.
They will fight and die to keep it. Not only would you have to face
crossbows in the hands of men and women, they’ve also armed every
child old enough with crossbows as well.”
Tamen asked with interest,
“What do you have in mind, Symin? Obviously you don’t want us to
send in the army, and if Nellen is prepared to attack the coastal cities
we can’t anyway.”
Symin smiled, and said,
“Well I’ve already dealt with the Great Mages. I put them all a
magical sleep. It’ll last a month before the spell will dissipate.
That’s just in case something unforeseen happens to me, and I’m
not around to wake them up. The other part? Well this gives us a way
out without using force.”
Symin handed Prince
Tamen a sheet of parchment, telling them, “I also went to Camara last
night after I had been to Tantar, and I woke up the Royal Archivist.
As you can see from Efil’s name on it, it’s a Certified Magical
Copy. It’s a copy of the peace treaty signed after the war two hundred
years ago. If you’ll read the last paragraph you will see Fenla’s
King at that time established a precedent that nicely deals with this
situation.”
Tamen read it and then
he began to laugh. Hamar and Vaughn waited patiently for him to calm
down. When he had done so, Tamen took a pose like that of a Herald and
said, “I proclaim…”
He gave another quick
laugh and then said, “This is what it says, ‘Obviously since my
people claimed land that is in your country they are your subjects and
your responsibility.’”
Both Hamar and Vaughn
began laughing as well. Symin giggled again, then said, “Stupid of
course. He didn’t want the cost of the people he sent over our border
so he gave the responsibility to us.”
Symin's large gray
eyes went cold then and his face no longer simply looked like that of
a little boy. He told them, with disgust obvious in his voice, “Nellen
has betrayed his people in The Valley. They are loyal subjects of Fenla
but you can only push people so far, and he pushed these people beyond
their limit. To get loyalty a ruler must also show loyalty and what
Nellen did was almost on a whim; why should you have any loyalty to
a man like that. How do you think the Barons and their people and the
townspeople will react when we show them this copy?”
Hamar nodded in agreement,
as he said, “Okay we take them from Nellen. It’s not even going
to be a minor theft. There are enough Barons that we need to create
a Count as well. We don’t really have a lot of people we can choose
from Symin. We have to choose someone that the Brown Forest Elves can
trust as well. Despite your age I think that means you.”
Symin said intelligently,
“Ulp!!” his eyes almost popping out of his head in disbelief and
the three men broke down and howled with laughter.
Symin recovered quickly
and said pithily, “Obviously the Camron Royal Family doesn’t need
jesters to entertain them, you laugh at the silliest things.”
That simply brought
additional chuckles from the King and his two sons. Hamar said, intently,
an expression of respect on his face, “You’re an honorable person
Symin, and you can be trusted absolutely. Everyone who knows you knows
that, and I don’t think it’ll take your new Barons long to find
out that fact. Also you have an engrained sense of duty so I don’t
think you intend to turn me down do you?”
Symin shook his head reluctantly. “No Your Majesty I won’t turn you down."
Hamar looked around
at what appeared to be a small army and shook his head in wonder, “I’ve
seen illusions before, but this is astonishing.”
Symin told him, a serious
look on his small face, “If you think this is realistic, Sir, you
should see it from the outside. It’s looks even more real and even
more threatening. Baron Laslan, the senior Baron is a Lesser Mage, and
two of the other Barons are high Magic Users.
Simon waved towards
the land the barons occupied, “They’re aware that it would normally
take a dozen Great Mages to create an illusion this real. Maxim and
I set up the illusion and using gemstones as Artefacts of Power have
kept it up for ten days, and at the moment they think that we are simply
an advance force, and are waiting for reinforcements.”
Symin continued, “When
I banish the illusion that will give them some indication of our power
and also tells them that we’re patient and in no hurry to start a
war. The fact that the Great Mages they were counting on to combat magic,
are in a magical sleep and in fact are Warded so they can’t even be
touched, will make them aware that we could destroy them if we wish.”
“The fact that the
King of the country which they have in effect invaded is willing to
talk to them so that we don’t have to destroy them will I hope impress
them.
*****
Kailie scowled at the
encampment, then said to her father, “It’s unnerving Da, they’re
just been sitting there for the last seven days, yet they’ve made
no effort to try and contact us.”
Baron Laslan nodded
his head, saying ruefully, “They have no need to contact us. We’re
on land they’ve claimed for hundreds of years. Nellen knows it, they
know it and we knew it when we came here. It was die a year ago or to
live a little longer. We hoped that when the moment of truth came something
would happen to keep our people alive. Do you regret what the other
Baron’s and I decided to do?” he asked.
Kailie's face softened
as she turned to face him, “No father. As long as you’re alive there’s
always hope. We’re still alive so even though the enemies are at the
gate there’s still hope.”
As part of it disappeared,
their attention was suddenly attracted to the enemy’s camp. Over the
next five minutes, they watched in disbelief as the camp vanished one
piece at a time.
When only a dozen tents
and perhaps forty or fifty men remained, Kailie said jubilantly, “It
was all an illusion!”
Her father, Baron Laslan
was a Lesser Mage. He knew what type of power needed to create and maintain
an illusion of that dimension for ten days. From the time, their scouts
had first detected them until they had apparently set up camp seven
days ago in front of Laslan’s fortifications, to now.
He considered the power
needed. A chill went up his back at the very thought. Unlike Kailie,
he knew that they might be in much more danger now than they had been.
A young boy walked
up and stood beside them and commented, “I think it was a very nice
illusion don’t you? I didn't really intend to frighten you, though
I’m aware that it did so. However that was just a side-effect of my
real purpose.”
Symin turned and looked
at them and they found themselves staring in shock at the young boy.
It was obvious from his accent that he was Camron, and from the formal
clothing he was wearing and the crest tattooed on his shoulder that
he was of the nobility.
Symin bowed the slow
formal nobles bow to them, and they automatically returned it. He smiled
as he told them, “My name is Symin Ascalon and I’m afraid you really
shouldn’t be happy Kailie. In point of fact if we chose, you would
be in much more danger now than you were before which is something that
your father knows. We used the illusion simply to show you the type
of power that we wield. The long wait, to show you that we have no particular
wish to harm you, and at the same time that we’re patient.”
Symin told them with
a serious look on his face, “One thing that you need to know. I’m
the one that put your Great Mages to sleep and Warded them. I put a
time limit of one month on it; from the time, I put the spell on them,
which was eleven days ago. I did so not because I consider them a danger,
but because I might have needed to harm them if they were awake and
alert. ”
Symin lifted up a folded
sheet of parchment, “This is a Certified Magical Copy of the peace
treaty that was signed between your country and Camron at the end of
the war two hundred years ago. In some ways, it’s very similar to
what has occurred here. The King of Fenla at that time moved several
hundred settlers across the mainly untenanted border, between our two
countries.”
“Of course he never
admitted it, but it caused a short war between us, which is what he
wanted, since he wanted to test our army. Your people at that time were
simply pawns.”
Symin shook his head
with obvious disgust, “He wanted to become a conqueror like Mandel.
After a couple of months, he knew that he simply didn’t have an army
that could stand up to us in a manner in which he wanted. He was sane
enough to realize that and he sued for peace before it became more than
a minor border dispute, with several small land battles.”
Symin paused for a
second, before saying, “It was pretty much of a stalemate at the time
that he chose, but he knew that we were preparing to move a large portion
of the army into the North West. Since that was the case and at the
same time because the Camron Royal Family didn’t really want to fight
a major war, neither side demanded or got very much from the other side.”
“The part of the
treaty that affects what is happening here is in the last paragraph.”
Symin handed the parchment to the Baron who scanned down the page until
he found it. He read the paragraph that Symin had pointed out to Hamar
and his sons and he gave a bark of laughter though there certainly wasn’t
any humor in it.
Symin told them, “We
want you to convey this to the Barons and the Town Council, and we ask
all of you to meet us tomorrow afternoon. That paragraph tells you what
we want you to do. You have time to talk it over; however, there are
a few more things that you need to know. First please invoke your Mage-Sight.”
The Baron did so and
he went numb as he saw the boy’s aura. It was at least double; perhaps
triple the thickness of any Great Mage he had ever seen. It was so crowded
with threads of light that it was impossible to tell what color the
aura had originally been.
Finally, after a couple
of minutes of awe Salan Laslan shook himself back to life and turned
his Mage-Sight off. Symin gave an impish grin, “Just a little surprising
Baron, don’t you think.”
The Baron, in a husky
voice, his voice trembling slightly said, “You can say that again.”
Symin’s grin widened
into a broad smile, “Just a little surprising Baron, don’t you think.”
He giggled, at the surprised look on the man’s face. Symin pointed
out, “Well you did tell me to say it again.” Giggling again, and
Kailie couldn’t help herself as she joined him.
Symin once he had regained
his composure handed the Baron a second message, only this one was a
poster and was of paper. It announced the appointment of Bron as the
new Provost Marshall of Tantar.
“This is funny as
well, Baron, but funny odd, not funny humorous.” Symin told him.
The Baron hadn’t
detected anything out of the ordinary and looking at the poster again,
he still didn’t. Kailie who was standing beside her father had read
it as well. She looked at Symin, asking, “Why, is it odd, Symin?”
not even realizing that she had used his name.
Symin said calmly,
“While you don’t know who Bron is you know two of his grandparents
very well. In fact, they’re the pride of your kennels. Bron is a Ven
hound and you gave his mother to the former King some years ago.”
The Baron crushed the
poster in his hand as his face went dark with anger. Symin just shrugged
his small shoulders, feeling the Baron’s disbelief. He told the man,
“I have no reason, and no need to lie to you Baron Laslan. Your look
at my aura tells you how much power I can wield. You also know what
we want from you. To lie to you at this point, about something that
eventually you’ll find out about in another manner, would be very
unwise. A short term gain and a long term loss, and its the long term
that’s important here.”
Symin looked up at
Baron Laslan and saw him reluctantly nodding his head as he said, “You’re
right. Unfortunately I hate the thought of my country being in the hand
of a madman.”
Symin said, nodding
at the poster, “It won’t be for much longer. When he put that out
he signed his death warrant and I doubt if he’ll live out the week.
However even when Nellen dies you and your people will gain nothing;
because as far as I can tell the only likely candidate to replace him
is Prince Telren.”
There was dismay on both Baron Laslan and his daughter’s faces. The Prince was a hidebound conservative, who considered that the nobility had more power than they should have. Baron Laslan and his fellow Barons now in Camron were just the type of noblemen who were at the top of the Prince’s list of those he would want to come down hard on. He would be quite happy to wash his hands of them.
“One last point Baron.”
Symin’s voice had gone chilly and looking at him the two nobles could
see that his large gray eyes were looking at them coldly and it made
both of them uncomfortable. “I don’t like it much either, but you
now know what we need. Not want, need. Any of your people who can’t
accept that will leave, either voluntarily or under Compulsion.”
Symin continued in
an implacable voice, “The reason is very simple. We have a very aggressive
southern neighbor. We’ve had dozens of border disputes with Tatrin
over the past fifty years. The last one came very close to becoming
a major war. Kurcon is the main problem; many of their leading citizens
want war. We made a start in defusing the tension when we returned the
treasure of the Sedgewick to Polemn.”
Symin told them, “The
original loss of the Sedgewick resulted in the loss of wealth and then
prestige for Polemn, and catapulted Kurcon into the position of the
major city of Tatrin. At the moment the situation is very evenly balanced,
and could go either way. If we show any hesitation in expelling those
who can’t accept our authority, then it’s very likely that Kurcon
will be able to maintain its position. If that happens, there will undoubtedly
be a major war between Camron and Tatrin within a few years. That means
our hands are tied.”
Symin's lips flickered
into a smile and the coldness was gone from his small face. He told
them, “While no longer capable of rational thought as that poster
shows, a year ago Nellen was still at least partly sane. He chose you
and the other Barons that are here, because you care about your people,
and wanted the best for them. I think you will accept that the best
for them is to remain in Camron, because when Telrin becomes King, Fenla
will take a giant step backwards in time, as it becomes an absolute
monarchy once more.”
“Hamar said that
he met you in your youth Baron, and he will be at the table, as will
representatives of the Brown Forest Elves. This meeting is intended
to decide the future of The Valley, and we are confident that your people
will be part of that future.”
An impish grin appeared
on his small face as Symin said, “While they aren’t part of the
treaty process, your people might want to see a couple of my friends.
Not many people have ever seen a unicorn or a dragon before.” At that
he simply disappeared with a pop, as the place he had been was abruptly
filled in with air.
Kailie asked with curiosity,
“I know that Camron wants us to become their subjects, but why is
Symin so confident we will do so?”
Laslan shook his head
a little wearily but at the same time hopeful, “King Keston abandoned
the people he sent over the border in the last war. In the treaty it
says that since the settlers were on Camron’s land they were Camron’s
subjects and their responsibility.”
“Nellen will be replaced,
this poster guarantees it. In the past those of Fenla have accepted
brutal kings and even on one occasion an insane one, but they won’t
accept one with Nellen’s type of irrationality.”
Baron Laslan sighed
with regret for what could no longer be. He told her, “Telren knows
his history, and when he becomes King, like Keston he will gladly take
this as a precedent that allows him to abandon us. While individuals
can return, he wouldn’t accept our return as a group. He would outlaw
us and we would spend the rest of our lives fighting simply to stay
alive.”
Kailie nodded with
a thoughtful look on her face, and then she looked to the north, toward
a country she knew was no longer hers, yet she felt no regret. Nellen’s
betrayal had severed her ties to Fenla. She had simply been waiting
to establish ties to someone new, and now she knew it would be to the
King of Camron.
Laslan looking at his
daughter saw what she was thinking, a little smile was on his face,
though it was a sad smile, it was also an accepting smile. He asked,
“No regrets?”
Kailie looked at him with her clear brown eyes, and replied, “No regrets father, for the first time in a year I feel free again. I can move forward now, and since we’ve been here I’ve been standing still.”
Symin didn’t bother
to look up as Hamar said with a little alarm, “Are you sure that you
read them correctly, Symin? There seem to be an awful lot of them heading
our way.”
“Yes, Sire. They
are already committed to you. What you see is a people coming to a celebration
rather than to peace talks. They are wearing arms, but no armor, and
they are bringing their women and children with them.”
*****
The man, who met the
Barons and their families as they approached the camp in advance of
their people, was a very impressive personage. He was six-feet-six inches
tall but very slender, only weighing about one hundred and eighty pounds.
He was wearing the gold vest and jeweled staff of a Royal Herald.
He bowed to them, and
they returned his full noble’s bow. He spoke in an unusually deep
voice that went with his size but not his slenderness. “Barons, I
am Baron Trent, King Hamar’s Herald and his Far-Speaker. King Hamar
wishes to talk to you informally before you sit down with his representative.”
“While the King will
be at the table with you, his representative and your new Count will
be his spokesman. However he is a very unusual Count and you must know
something about him, before you begin your discussions.”
Kailie guessed, “You’ve
chosen Symin Ascalon haven’t you?” thinking of the impressive child,
she had met yesterday.
Trent smiled, “Yes,
Kailie Laslan, and you must know something about Symin so you don’t
think King Hamar is being as irrational as King Nellen. Condee Flaranson,
who is one of the representatives of the Brown Forest Elves, is Symin’s
great-uncle and the Historian for his family and one of the Historians
of his Elven Clan. The fact that Symin is part-Elf is one of the reasons
that he was chosen for the position.”
Trent's face became
serious then, “You will be interested in knowing that King Nellen
is dead. Telren killed him last night. He walked into the Palace virtually
unopposed; the only ones who fought for Nellen were his personal guards,
who were oathed directly to him and not to Fenla as a whole. While he
hasn’t been crowned yet, the coronation is scheduled for the day after
tomorrow.”
Baron Laslan said with
determination yet also with a tinge of sadness, “We are no longer
concerned about Fenla except as spectators. We made a decision and Camron
is now our country. We need no talks since we know that Hamar and Camron
have always treated their nobles honorably. Our Bards were able to tell
us much about Camron and since Symin Ascalon was such an important part
of what has transpired in the last year we are already aware of many
of the things that he has already done, though we were not aware that
he was part Elf.”
Trent inclined his
head, telling them, “I must admit that your decision is not really
a surprise. King Hamar will tell you what has been decided about the
future of The Valley, and you will swear allegiance to him, and the
talks will simply revolve around the creation of the County. However,
what Condee has to say will still be of interest to you. He has a very
different perspective from your Bards, since what he knows came directly
from Symin’s mind. Also while the Bards could tell you something about
Symin they could not tell you all, because some of what occurred was
a secret which was never revealed, and part of it did not even occur
on our world.”
*****
King Hamar waited for
a few minutes after Condee Flaranson finished the story so they could
simply absorb what they were told. As he suspected they were impressed.
After about ten minutes
he said, “This is not intended to make you uncomfortable with Symin,
but to make you aware that he lives up to the term noble, both in spirit
and in action. He has on several occasions as his story tells you, been
willing to give up his life for his country, and he did give up his
sight with no expectation that he would ever regain it.”
“There will be no
regent appointed for Symin because he needs none. He already understands
instinctively what is required of a ruler and what his people need will
always be more important than what he needs. However as a Great Mage
he has instant communication with advisors anywhere in Camron and places
beyond.”
“His County will
be County Valley, an acknowledgment of the fact that this is an unusual
arrangement, not only because of Symin’s appointment but because of
the presence of the Brown Forest Elves.”
“Up to this time
The Valley was part of the Royal Estates. The Selatar Forest has been
ceded to the Brown Forest Elves in its entirety. They have always been
self-governing and that will remain the case. Symin’s overlord will
be his grandfather, the new Duke Ascalon, and his Uncle Random Ascalon
who at the suggestion of Symin and the willing cooperation of Armand
Ascalon has been appointed Governor of the two northeastern provinces.”
“The head of The Valley part of what you now occupy is mainly grasslands and especially around the rivers and their tributaries it is very rich farmland and will be part of the new County.
Maxim looked at Symin
with exasperation. Ever since Tamra had told him the Vincent-Molloys
were ready to leave Earth Symin, for the first time since Maxim had
known him was acting like a brat.
Maxim said sternly,
"Symin come here!!" and Symin knew immediately what Maxim
intended to do. Symin couldn't help it, he giggled, and suddenly the
anxiety that have been causing his brattiness was gone.
Symin walked over to
where Maxim was sitting on a masonry stone. On the way, he unfastened
his belt, and the buttons of his fly and when he reached the older boy,
he let them slip down his legs and stepped out of them.
Symin knew that the
spanking he was about to get was well deserved. It wouldn't be the first
and he knew it wouldn't be the last. He could see the masons and the
other builders looking at the two boys with astonishment.
Symin felt no embarrassment
that they would see his punishment. He was a Count, and normally he
was very mature for his age, almost adult in his outlook. But the key
word was almost, he was also a little boy, and at times, he needed and
yes, wanted to be corrected.
The half a dozen spanks
that Symin received on his bare bottom were not particularly hard. Maxim
frequently swatted him on the bottom in affection and the swats in that
case were often much harder.
When Maxim pushed Symin
back to a standing position Symin was actually grinning. Maxim reached
out and stroked Symin's chin gently. He asked, "Feel better now?"
Symin nodded and looking
around at the still astonished builders and masons, he said, "I
guess they've never seen a Count spanked before." And he giggled.
Maxim grinned as well
as Symin stooped to pick up his short trousers and got dressed.
*****
Today was the day and
the anxiety was on Symin again, but only calm was showing on his small
face. But then a burst of joy swelled through him as he saw Travis ride
out of thin air. Jason and Danni were next riding side by side, and
then Jenny end Daniel.
Symin went towards
them as they dismounted feeling like he was walking on air. Maxim, Pictou
Tess, and Terrion remained where they were allowing Symin to greet them
alone.
There was a bit of
awkwardness at first as the the Vincent-Malloys dismounted which was
broken by Travis as he slipped out of the shorts he was wearing and
threw them high into the air, yelling, "No more teachers no more
books," and with a grin, "and no more clothes either."
And everbody burst out laughing.
Then Travis realized
that there was something odd about what he had said, oh not the words
but the language. The English that he had spoken all his life was still
in his mind, but he wasn't using it. "What language am I speaking?"
he asked in amazement.
Symin grinned at him,
"It's the Common Tongue. Originally it was Mandel Bloodyhand's
court language, and it developed into the language of scholarship and
literature. Camron and most of the continent have adopted it as the
main language."
Symin grinned again, as he giggled and said, "And that's all that I'll tell you about that or I'll start boring you."
Sain was almost bursting
with self-importance. Symin had chosen him as his representative in
this importance ceremony. For the first time in his life, he was actually
wearing clothing and Symin because of the ceremony was not.
Symin was not much
bigger than his cousins, Dale and Sear. Sain took the smaller boy's
hand in his and it was trembling, showing how important the ceremony
was to Symin.
Sain gave a little
squeeze of reassurance and Symin smiled a little tremulous upturn of
his lips. Sain faced towards the Vincent-Molloy family. He began to
lead Symin towards them. They were standing as was traditional in Brown
Forest Elven, ceremonies.
Jason as the oldest
boy was on Daniel's right. Jenny was standing on his left with Danni
beside her on her left.
Jason, Travis and Danni
all big smiles on their faces. Daniel and Jenny were more solemn. All
of them, except for Travis were dressed in Lythean formal wear while
Travis was naked.
Condee Flaranson and
his wife Saryi, Sinya's parents were standing with Symin's Great-Grandmother,
Avoe, Kraftin and Karliv. Most of Symin's Elven family members were
standing on the left side of the processional aisle while the barons
of Symin's County and their families were standing on the right side.
The newly married Cartan and Sinya were standing with her father as
well. On the left side representing Symin's mother Deian, were Dearna,
Darren Molloy and Dearna's father Seldon.
Also on the left Maxim,
Armand Ascalon and three of his children and a dozen of his grandchildren
were standing representing Symin's father Duran. Cartan and Sinya as
high-ranking King's Messengers were also representing the Royal family.
All of them had spent
days riding to get here except for Symin's Great-Grandmother Avoe and
Dearna, Seldon and Darren. As Chief Priestess of the Mother Goddess,
Avoe was too busy to get away for any length of time therefore Symin
had Transported her here.
Symin had transported
Dearna, Seldon and Darren as well. Dearna was too important to the area
around Bremen to spare for any long period of time. Symin wanted them
there because he loved Dearna and the fondness for Darren was deepening.
More importantly, once the Adoption Ceremony was complete, through Darren
Molloy they would become his grandparents.
Symin would've liked
to seen Minna there as well but she was too large to travel, comfortably
by horseback. As much as she loved Symin, her fear of being Transported
was of such intensity that she simply couldn't attend.
Symin and the Royal
family had contracted Dwarven engineers to build a road. They expected
to take a year to a year and a half to complete it. Until then, there
was no possibility of getting a carriage here.
Sain stopped in front
of Jenny and Daniel. He said in a solemn voice, "I bring to you
Symin Durrill Ascalon as the Gods brought him into this world, naked
and unshod. Symin is not without family, because he is of the Brown
Forest Elves." Sain waved his hand at his grandfather Condee and
the other members of the clan.
Sain continued, repeating,
"Symin is not without family because he is of the Great Ascalon
Clan." Waving at Armand and the other Ascalons.
Sain gave a theatrical
sigh of regret, and several of the adults had to cover their lips, to
hide their smiles as he said, "But Symin is without parents and
every child should have parents. I offer him to you as your son. If
you accept Symin, then he is obligated to honor you."
Sain had a serious
look on his small face as he said, "You must be aware that Symin
is not obligated to obey you because of the position he holds. It is
also because my clan the Brown Forest Elves do not expect blind obedience
from children. While parents may be right most of the time, we know
they won't be right every time."
He also told them,
"Symin will not be obligated to love you either." Sain released
Symin's hand and touched him on the forehead. He repeated, "He
is not obligated to love you. But he does, feel Symin's love for you."
Sain reached into Symin's
mind. With the ability he had that he shared with his grandfather Condee,
and his father Drew he spread out for all to see Symin's love for Jenny,
and Daniel and the three children.
Symin mind was full
of love deep and eternal. His soaring joy was so intense that no one
could take that raw emotion for more than a couple of seconds. Sain
hastily released Symin's emotions, allowing them to sink beneath the
surface again.
Sain reached out for
Jenny, Daniel, Danni, Jason and Travis. He spread their emotions out
for all to see. There love of Symin was of no lesser intensity. Again,
a couple of seconds was all anyone could possibly take.
Sain allowed everyone
to recover before asking solemnly, "Do you Daniel Vincent, Jenny,
Danni, Jason and Travis Vincent-Molloy accept Symin Durrill Ascalon
as your son and brother?"
Their emotions were
too intense for shouting or yelling but the five members all answered
yes with a deep quiet intensity.
Sain told everyone,
"Symin would normally take your name, as his last name. Because
of his position, he cannot do that. I give him to you as Symin Durrill
Vincent-Molloy Ascalon."
Nothing more was said, as Symin threw himself at his new family and they rushed to greet him. Sain briefly let everyone feel the intensity of their emotions, and then the ceremony was over.