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"Warrior Souls"
Rating: PG Reviews and comments needed! Thanks ;) Five Leen'da went on her rounds around the General's stronghold. She smiled as her women went about their daily tasks: the dyeing of wool in the fabric vats, the caring of the children, the storage of food in the larders. Previous sieges had taught her that one could never put away too many supplies for her people. In spite of the uncertainty, Leen'da made sure that music and festivities echoed down the halls. Someone was always celebrating a naming day or a special occasion. The festivals came almost one right after the other: Maiden's Festival, the General's birthday, Ancestor's Prayer Day...Leen'da found the never-ending preparations a welcome distraction. “My lady? The household is gathered for your instructions,” said the young steward. The tow-headed boy smiled up at her. “Are we still going to have the Festival of the Goddess like we always do, my lady? It would be a pity if we don't have the music and the games and--” She laughed at his childish rambling. “Come here, By'var. Of course, the Festival will go on as scheduled. The Shadows haven't destroyed our sense of fun, have they?” The boy laughed. “No, my lady. We'll beat them like we always do, then we'll have all the festivals we wish, eh?” Leen'da chuckled and tousled his short hair. “Bring them up here, then, and we shall begin,” she replied. The steward disappeared and returned with the women of the clan. Leen'da assigned them their tasks, swiftly dividing the workload according to their strengths and talents. After she made sure they understood their duties, she dismissed them with a gentle word. Then she headed towards the Players' Hall for her next goal: arranging the order of the music for the gathering. The faint sound of a harp caught her attention. She frowned as she listened to the notes; they were atonal, harsh, nothing like the smooth rhythms of normal Aronian music. Leen'da closed her eyes and let the music lead her deeper into the stronghold, away from the light. The notes gave way to syllables, and then to words. Who are you? What is your name? Where is your true heart? “What kind of questions are those?” she whispered back. “I know who I am.” The words touched off a sense of unease. She was Leen'da, and Dom'ni was her true heart. Hu'fase was her adoptive father, and Jo'leen like a sister. Master Builder Kan'nar was like a protective older brother, always concerned about her welfare, especially after he'd heard about her early pregnancy... Who are you? What is your name? Where is your true heart? “I've told you,” she shot back. “Who are you? Show yourself!” She withdrew her trusty dagger from her sash as she followed the notes up a flight of stone steps. “Riddles belong to the Shadows. I know the truth.” Do you? Perhaps you are only living a dream. The voice was not unkind, but there was an edge to it. I can show you how to save yourself and your child, if you will open your mind. “Just myself?” Her smile turned sardonic. “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one, according to the Rules of War.” The Rules of War? The silent voice mocked her. You have heard that elsewhere. You refuse to remember. Very well, I will leave you now, but I will return, Hoshi Sato. Forget now, for you are not ready for your true name...or your true life. She blinked and shook her head. The music had stopped and she found herself in a more familiar part of the stronghold. What was she doing here? Her mind was filled with cobwebs; what had she been doing? Then she recalled the preparations for the Festival...she was going to consult the musicians. She blew out a relieved sigh. Obviously, the tension was starting to get to her as well; it wouldn't be good for the child. The thought of her child made her smile. She put a protective hand on her stomach and made her way towards her destination. A chorus of voices stopped her, this time the cadence was familiar. Leen'da reversed direction, heading towards the shouts. She turned the corner and entered a large gymnasium, climbing the steps to the balcony that overlooked the main arena. Joh'leen led the noblewomen in their daily calisthenics. They stretched their muscles, then went into drills and techniques. Their hands and feet were blurs as they sparred and feinted against each other. Another pair grappled each other while standing on a narrow beam that was a few fingers wide. Still another group threw blades at targets set up across the arena. Leen'da sighed. What kind of world would her child see? Your father will make it safe for you, little one. We will protect you with our lives, if need be. He will train you in defense, as he trained me and the others. Another memory came to her, one that both warmed and puzzled her at the same time: They were in a large room. She had finished her own exercises; now she faced him across an open space. He watched her with neutral blue-gray eyes, but she could feel the amusement rolling off him in waves. She had a black belt in aikido; perhaps she could teach him a move or two. And perhaps she could wipe that obnoxious smirk, the one that lurked near his lips. “Are you ready, Ensign?” She nodded. “I'm ready. I hope you've brace yourself for the worst, Lieutenant.” That smirk finally blossomed on his face, but he said nothing as they circled each other on the mat. She answered with a smirk of her own...he had no idea what “the worst” involved. She blinked. What was that? The first time she had trained with Dom'ni, she was unsure of her skills. His confidence and his intensity had unnerved her, but eventually, she realized that was how he was. Ensign? Lieutenant? Her mind stumbled on the unfamiliar words. They sounded like titles, like Weaponmaster or Master Builder... You refuse to remember. Remember what? Leen'da scowled and put a hand to her temple. Was she overtired? That must be it...the stress of pregnancy, the uncertainty of the war against the Shadows, the worry about her husband... “Leen'da, are you well? You look rather preoccupied.” She sighed and glanced at Joh'leen, who stood next to her. Her mind must have been truly distracted, if her hearing hadn't picked up Joh'leen's movement. Such lapses could be fatal. “I was just thinking. How is Kan'nar? Is he all right?” Joh'leen had a small smile on her face. “Yes, he is. I was concerned about the dreams he was having while he was feverish...such strange visions, indeed, but then the fever broke. He still needed assistance to sleep, but he seemed more like himself this morning.” Her words brought Leen'da up short. She turned to face her friend directly. “Visions? What kind of visions?” Joh'leen brought her attention back to the women on the practice floor. Her eyebrows were knitted in a strange expression. Leen'da only waited until she chose to speak. “Visions of another time, of other places, of other people. I couldn't understand most of his ramblings, but he seemed to believe he wasn't...where he was supposed to be.” “Delusional? That doesn't sound like Kan'nar. At least,” she amended, “Kan'nar, when he isn't on medicinal herbs or under the Healers' magic touch..” Her flippant remark made Joh'leen chuckle. “Whatever ailed him was gone by the morning. General Hu'fase summoned him for a strategic meeting. And so, that is where he is.” Joh'leen gave her a sideways look. “Something else is bothering you. What is it?” Leen'da sighed and looked down at the floor for a moment. Then she pushed forward with her question. “Tell me, my friend, have you ever had...premonitions? Dreams that you know, but don't?” Joh'leen raised an eyebrow, causing Leen'da to smile. I must ask her how she manages to do that. That truly takes skill. That smile vanished as she realized Joh'leen was taking her words seriously. “It is true that the Temple says such things exist, but I find it difficult to put my belief in...smoke and mirrors. I must see it with my own eyes, touch it with my own hands, to verify it is real.” “I knew you would say something like that. You've always been quite rational, Joh'leen.” “Have you had any of these...visions?” Leen'da said nothing for a long moment. She drew her attention back to the women as they went through their paces. “I'm...not sure,” she replied. She told her friend about her bouts of deja vu, about the strange waking dream she had experienced on the way to the gymnasium, with her as an “ensign” and the unfamiliar “lieutenant”. The eyebrow arched higher, if that was even possible. “Did you know the man in your dream?” “I have the feeling that I was..am..very close to him. Intimately so.” She shifted uncomfortably on her feet as she said the words, “but I didn't recognize him at all.” They both fell into silence, as they listened to the ring of steel, the cheers as the women encouraged each other. Leen'da shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. Joh'leen noticed and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. She managed a smile; Joh'leen was even more reserved than Dom'ni at his worst, so this was an unusual surprise. “A mental attack,” Joh'leen finally said in a low voice. “The Shadows are adept in trickery, clouding the mind, causing confusion. That has to be it. They want us to doubt ourselves and our place. Think, Leen'da...has there been anyone else, besides you and Kan'nar, who have had these...lapses? Any obvious changes in behavior in the household?” She winced. Of course, Joh'leen was thinking about this logically and tactically. It was something her husband would do...the unease in the pit of her stomach threatened to become full-blown panic. “General Hu'fase had said last night that Dom'ni couldn't remember who he was or what he had done to the bridge yesterday. The General believed that perhaps he'd hit his head in the explosion, or when he was in the river...” Her voice trailed off. Joh'leen raised an eyebrow. “Similar to Kan'nar's condition, when Hu'fase had retrieved him...” “And he was withdrawn last night, as if he was keeping his distance from me, hiding something. That isn't like Dom'ni at all.” Joh'leen's mouth tightened as she digested the information. “Do you think that both of them have been affected by the same attack? Something the Shadows may have done to them?” “He didn't tell me the Shadows had done anything to him.” “He might not remember if they had,” Joh'leen pointed out, “and neither would Kan'nar. We should alert the general about this.” Leen'da stared at the woman warriors as they finished their training routines. “Is that wise? It would destroy the men's morale if there are doubts about their Weaponsmaster's and their Master Builder's sanity. Hu'fase needs all the allies and the support he can get now.” Joh'leen was silent as they watched the women leave the gymnasium for their daily tasks. In a moment, the two of them were alone on the balcony overlooking the practice arena. “You have a valid point,” she admitted. “Then we should keep a close eye on the two, and if the situation warrants it, we will tell the general.” She nodded unhappily. “Yes, but only if the situation warrants it.” “I have friends at the Temple who might be able to help us. Can you get away for a time?” Leen'da nodded. “Yes, I can do that during the afternoon meal.” “Good. Meet me in the front courtyard at the meal bell.” Joh'leen took a deep breath and let it out. “The situation is more complicated than it appears. I only pray we can stop the Shadows in time.” The day passed slowly, too slowly for Leen'da's liking. There was no word from the General's Council, save for a request for food to be sent to them. Her kitchen staff took care of it without any interference on her part. So she was free to meet Joh'leen at the courtyard. “Draw the hood of your cloak over your head,” Joh'leen instructed. “It would do us no good to be recognized.” Leen'da did as ordered, and they both left the stronghold and headed for the Temple. The town lay at the foot of the fortress, the pointed red and blue roofs jutting out like waves. Beyond were the crop fields, and the row of sentry stations, and finally, the tall stone wall that surrounded General Hu'fase's stronghold. The people went along their tasks; even in wartime, life still continued like it always did. If the General's forces were victorious, this would continue for the rest of time. The Temple was bustling with petitioners, all asking the Gods and Goddesses for victory against the Shadows. A quartet of musicians filled the space with meditative music. Leen'da noticed a team of artisans painting new scenes on the western wall. She narrowed her eyes at the scene of a battle, the men on foot, the women above, all defending the fortress. The words underneath: “'Uako donn thot, sevo shiann thot... Varon d'agu uako bhalin dho...We shed blood to defend blood. May the gods grant us victory',” she whispered. It was the last line of the Rules of War. General Hu'fase's favorite quote. He had often said that he'd wanted it inscribed on the walls of his own tomb. His tomb...she pushed the morbid thought away from her consciousness. Of course, her mentor would die of a ripe old age, be buried with all of his weapons, outlive all of his household, join his dearest friends in the Afterlife... “Lady Leen'da, Lady Joh'leen,” said the Priestess. The woman materialized in front of her, startling her out of her thoughts. Aronian priestesses all looked the same to her; the same gentle, wrinkled faces, the same sweet smiles. This one was no exception. The Priestess bowed to her and added, “I see that the Goddess has blessed you, Lady Leen'da. May happiness come to you and your house.” “Thank you, madam,” she answered. There was little you could hide from a Priestess, and just as she thought the words, she saw the smile transform into a sober expression. “You have troubles, my Lady, to walk all the way here in your condition. Please, both of you step inside my chamber, and tell me.” Joh'leen nodded and withdrew the hood from her face. “It concerns the Shadows--” The Priestess raised a hand. “Not here. Follow me.” They withdrew deeper into the Temple. Leen'da shivered as a sense of dread came over her, and it wasn't reassuring when she saw it mirrored on Joh'leen's elegant features. |
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