Dreams and Shadows (The Aylosian Chronicles Book 1) (48 page)

Michael was still unsure what was being suggested and just stared.
What is she talking about? I don’t have a Weaving.

Continuing, she said, “Together with the witnesses, that is sufficient evidence, but this Nixu has also told us of you.”

Michael looked down at Jixi, his confusion building. He wanted to be annoyed with his small friend, but found the wide smile that was aimed at him somehow disarming, “Well, all he told me was that I was
necessary
, whatever that means, so I’d love to know what he’s said.”

“He has only confirmed what we already had come to know,” Arevu replied, “Michael, you are a Time Weaver.”

***

They discussed it at length after that. He couldn’t have done anything with time. He would have known, he insisted. But they countered that when young, children almost always stumble upon their Weaving and need it to be pointed out to them. Their first attempts are inevitably accidents.

But nothing had happened between the incident with the Chet’tu and yesterday, he insisted. If his Weaving was developing, there would have been more occurrences. Was he sure there had been no other occasions, they asked? Had there been no other instances where he had inexplicably avoided detection, or got past an enemy? If he hadn’t realised that time had slowed when the Chet’tu attacked, there could be other instances he hadn’t noticed.

And so it went: he would argue why he couldn’t be a Time Weaver, and one or more of the Lora would explain why his argument was flawed. By the end, he gave up arguing with them. He still didn’t believe it, but he was getting nowhere.

All in all, though, he was pleased that he was being accepted; that he hadn’t been judged a traitor for the circumstances surrounding his departure moons before. Whether that was purely due to the events of the previous night or his alleged Time Weaving or other reasons he didn’t know. But he would enquire about that later.

“Well, whatever the case,” he said, “Really I’m just glad I got here and most of the Waylet are okay.”

Arevu nodded her agreement, “Your arrival was fortuitous. We have never been assaulted so directly before, and never even seen such a large force from the city. To gather five hundred men together, and so far from Aperocalsa, is unheard of.”

Everyone agreed sagely with the Hafashal’s statement, when her words suddenly struck alarm in Michael.

“Wait a minute,” he said. “Did you say five hundred?”

“Yes,” she replied, “it was a large force.”

“No,” he said, the panic again starting to rise in him, “But the Guardian didn’t send five hundred.”

He stared intently into Arevu’s eyes, “He sent five thousand.”

The silence that now enveloped the room was quickly palpable, as the understanding of what Michael said slowly sunk in. Yesterday’s attack had been just small portion of the Guardian’s army: a small advance force sent to only test the Elahish defences.

The main army was still on its way.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE:
 

Folly

It is only when a man finally confronts the reality of his own impending death that the things of greatest import are revealed to his soul. Thus each dawn of his life, he should treat as his last. For in doing so, he will hold as his treasures those things that have true worth.

From the Wisdom of Ashael

***

The next dawn was spent with the Waylet breaking camp. There were many injured who would have benefitted from a longer rest, but that choice was no longer available.

They also held a burial ceremony for those who had been killed: almost forty in total. Michael stayed away from the service, still knowing that if he had arrived even ten minutes sooner, their lives may have been spared. His guilt kept him in his own thoughts for the two marks or so that the others memorialised their lost friends and family.

At the same time, scouts were sent to establish the distance of Jashmarael’s main army. When he had revealed who the Guardian really was, there had been some doubt amongst the Lora. But Jixi confirmed his belief and the Lora eventually accepted it, though many struggled with their new understanding.

The scouts returned by the time the daylight was departing, relating that the huge army had been split into three groups. They were heading towards them from three angles, thus preventing their escape to the north, east or west, and were no more than two dawns from arriving.

“If they’re not behind us, we can just go that way, can’t we? Head south?” Michael asked.

He was helping Aneh’s father, Hurala, gather their things together for their impending journey. He still hadn’t seen Aneh. His frustration with the situation had grown, and he found throwing himself into work helping Hurala provided just enough distraction.
 

“Our escape south is prevented by Tarellin’s Folly,” he answered. “It is a gorge that is deeper than the eye can see.”

“Well, that figures,” muttered Michael, “I guess Jashmarael thought this through. And I guess there aren’t any bridges we can cross, or that we can go around it?”

Hurala shook his head, “It would take us perhaps four dawns to go around it, and the Guardian’s forces will be upon us by then. A bridge once traversed it,” he explained, “wide enough for a score of people to cross abreast. On the far side, there was a city, but it was destroyed with the others a thousand summers past along with the bridge.”

Michael knew that meant their options were limited: meaning they didn’t have
any
that held promise.
 
Though Jashmarael’s force was split in three, each was still over one and a half thousand strong, so attempting to take on any one of them in order to gain freedom in that direction would be suicide.
 
Michael had asked Jixi about hidden tunnels they could use, but the nearest was the one the two of them had come through, and heading in that direction would lead them straight to the Guardian’s force to the east.

That only left the south, and it now transpired that an impassable gorge lay in that direction. But if nothing else, travelling to the gorge would buy them time. While they wouldn’t be able to go around it, they could search for rock slides down its sides that opened new paths. If that failed, then praying for a miracle would be their last hope.

He therefore wasn’t surprised when it was announced that the Lora had decided they would head towards the gorge. The people accepted the judgement without complaint, though Michael suspected they knew that there they would be trapped.

And thus it was that the Elahish of the Southern Waylet spent one final night sleeping under the stars before fleeing from their Spring Stay. Michael had initially wondered why they didn’t leave immediately, travelling through the night. But there were the elderly and infirm; and of course many still recovering from injuries inflicted by swords. They could not be rushed, and would likely slow them down even more if they added weariness on top of their afflictions.

In truth, Michael too was glad for the extra night’s rest. More importantly, however, he finally managed to see Aneh when he joined their family for their evening meal under the starry skies, their stone table not yet packed away.
 

As he drew near, his eyes were drawn immediately to hers as she sat at the stone table, and he froze in place. He had seen her briefly as she fought Jashmarael’s soldiers, but as he looked on her face now, he found his heartbeat racing; his lungs crying for more oxygen.
She’s even more beautiful than I remembered.

Neither said a word as Aneh stood and walked to him. Their embrace was strong, and Michael closed his eyes, hoping that the feeling of her clasp would last forever.

“Oh, you two!” cried Kasha. “Will you just kiss?”

“Kasha, stop it,” said Lohka, though Hurala laughed, apparently agreeing with his younger daughter.

But Kasha’s words had broken the spell, and they released each other, taking their seats around the stone table for their meal.

Despite the doom that hung over their heads Kasha’s spirits remained high and she attempted to keep them entertained while they ate, but Michael could do little but look at Aneh throughout; his mind still coming to terms with the fact that she lived, and that he had played a part in that. After the meal, he and Aneh wandered off.

They didn’t wander far from the edge of the camp. The Waylet had selected men and women to patrol the adjacent woods for Jashmarael’s spies, but still they couldn’t be certain that one wouldn’t get through. So they stayed nearby, just far enough from the nearest set of sleeping rugs so that they could talk in private.

“So,” Michael said tentatively, “you’ve not Entwined.”
 

He looked away, too nervous to see her reaction. When she said nothing, he looked back. Her head was cocked to one side, carrying a gentle smile as she studied his face.

He tried to smile in return, but it was awkward. “I thought Devu probably would have won you over by now.”

She laughed. “Devu has given up.” Then as she saw the question in Michael’s face, she added, “I told you that I would not Entwine with him. I am not so easily swayed.”

A sense of relief flooded over him, as he realised that Aneh was still Promised to no-one.

“Actually, I thought you were dead,” Michael finally said. “Jashmarael said… well, he said some awful things and I believed him. I was sure that you were dead, and it was all my fault.”

“How was it your fault if the Chet’tu had taken my life?” Aneh asked, “You are not responsible for their actions.”

“No, but they were after me. I still don’t know why, but they were. So if it hadn’t been for me, you would have been safe.”

They were silent again as they studied the sky, pondering each other’s words.

Aneh sighed. “Still you cannot see why Jashmarael seeks your capture or death?” she asked.

Though it was night, the stars were on display, and the moon just over half-full. Its glimmering rays were shining through the trees’ branches overhead, just giving the couple enough light by which to see each other, and Aneh could see Michael shake his head in response to her question.

“You are a
Time Weaver
,” she said, emphasising the gift the people now believed he had. “Our people have often spoken of how such a Weaving might manifest itself, but never in our history have we witnessed it. That Jashmarael would seek to use such a Weaving for his own ends, or see it destroyed, is no surprise to me.”

But Michael still didn’t believe he had any such abilities, “Look,” he said, “I know people think that I stopped time, but…”

“Do not say that it is not so,” she interrupted. She sounded genuinely offended at Michael’s protestations, and he was taken aback as she continued, “You cannot know…”

Aneh stopped walking and turned to face him. “When that
beast
stood over me, threatening me with… my dishonour, I wished then for death. I could not bear to live as they taunted I would.”

“I thought you were amazing,” Michael said, filling the pause. “You’d obviously already got a couple of them, and then you refused to give up. Even when they trapped you, you still gave him that great big kick.
 
I don’t know if he got away, but I bet it still hurts if he did.”

He worried that he was now sounding flippant about her ordeal and changed tack, “But I can’t imagine how awful it was for you. I just think… well, I think you’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met.”

Aneh smiled at his compliment, but her eyes again grew distant, “I kicked him so that he would kill me. I hoped that angering him would change his plans for me. And thus I welcomed the sword as it hung over me and sought its piercing blow. That is when you appeared. How you moved as you did… I cannot even describe it. You were everywhere at once, and yet nowhere. You were nothing more than a vague awareness, yet I could detect every detail of your face.”

At her words, she reached her hand to his face, gently caressing his cheek as if to confirm its reality but continued, “Though it was no more than two heartbeats before you struck my assailant, within less than one I knew you would save me. My dismay fled the instant you arrived, and even now that Jashmarael’s army presses us and no escape can be found, no fear can touch my heart, because you are here.”

As he looked in her eyes, he could see the reflection of stars as they gave their light through the boughs of the trees. The glow that was now reflected in her gaze had been born millions or billions of summers ago, distant suns somehow knowing in aeons past that their luminous beams would need to arrive in their perfection right at this moment.

He could fall into those eyes, and swim there for eternity. How he wanted to lean forward and kiss her.
 
How he wanted to tell her of his love; that it was the promise of death being the beginning of a love with her that had driven him to bravery. But he couldn’t. They shared a bond, it was true, but still they had spent only a handful of dawns together and Aneh was far too sensible to fall in love in such a short time.

And if that were not enough, he still remembered Pava’s temptation. In the end he had fled, but he had
wanted
to accept her offer. The guilt that accompanied the memory reminded him that whatever his feelings, he was not worthy of Aneh.

And so he resisted all of the things he desired to do or say at that moment, instead focussing on the words she had spoken, “You overestimate my abilities, by quite some distance.”

“Perhaps,” she smiled, “But I do not think so. Remember our dream, Michael. You are the sword. And you are a Time Weaver.”

“If I remember correctly,” Michael said, “your face was also on the sword. So whatever I may or may not be, you are at least as much. And I still say you’re much more remarkable than me.”

***

They spent another two marks walking and talking. Aneh wanted to know about his experiences in Aperocalsa, but he still wasn’t ready to speak of them. The loss of his mother was still too raw. And so they had spoken instead of the Waylet, and of her family.

He learned that on the night of his abduction all of their accompanying warriors bar the Weavers – Devu and Erena – had been killed. Berah too had died. When Michael had disappeared from their escaping party, Berah had run back in a rage, and they had found his body later that night. His behaviour towards Michael was still a mystery.