StarMan (27 page)

What is it?

Ho'Demi, where are you?

In a bloody ice-cave.

Silence.

Ho'Demi rubbed the top of his head, the smear of blood on the tips of his fingers not improving his temper.
Far west.

Thank the Stars.Axis could not disguise the relief in his mind.
Are you close to the Murkle
Mountains?

Yes. A day's march, two at the most.

Ho'Demi. Listen to me. I have had an idea.

"A cursed time to have an idea," Ho'Demi muttered to himself, but he listened anyway.

Acting only on a hunch, and knowing he and his thirty thousand could be dead if he was wrong, the next morning Axis gave orders to move west rather than south. Towards the Murkle Mountains.

Cauldron LakeNone of her companions could doubt that Yr was ill. Her eyes and cheeks were feverish, her skin splotchy, her hair dull, and she was given to bouts of shivering that almost knocked her off her feet when she was walking.

But she would smile sweetly at their gentle inquiries, and say, "I am well enough."

None pressed too hard, and none touched her. All knew that the power would corrupt, and every day the power radiated out of Yr with increased virility. Zeherah watched her keenly; she would be the last to visit the final Repository of the, Gods in the Lake of Life, and consequently she would have to bear the greatest burden of care and comfort.

The five Sentinels had walked slowly across the northern Plains of Tare to the Silent Woman Woods.

They had taken almost six weeks, for no-one wanted to tire Yr too much. They travelled silently and usually at night, avoiding all inhabited areas, their eyes introspective, their mood sombre but not sad.

Now they stood at the edge of Cauldron Lake in the Woods. The previous night the Keep had held and comforted the Sentinels as it had previously comforted Faraday. For the first night in weeks Yr had managed a sound and almost pain-free sleep.

Now it was the turn of Ogden and Veremund, and the other three deeply regretted that the corrupting power would undoubtedly consume the brothers' irrepressible humour as it had Yr's tart wit. They all knew and accepted their fate. But they all had regrets.

"I regret the passing of so much life," Ogden said, his hands folded before him, his eyes unblinking on the soft golden lake before him. "I have enjoyed it all so much."

"I never expected to make so many friends," Veremund said beside him. "I did not expect to discover that I would love the StarMan as a friend as well as revere him as the One named by the Prophecy."

The brothers sighed, then spoke as one. "We shall miss riding the open plains, and we regret that we will spend no more evenings about the campfire listening to Axis sing, and watching him smile."

"You will see him again," a gentle voice said behind the small group, and they all turned. It was the Prophet, again in his silvery magnificence, and the Sentinels smiled and bowed slightly.

He stepped forward, kissed Yr softly, then turned to Ogden and Veremund. The Prophet stepped towards Ogden first, took his face in his hands and kissed him as gently as he had Yr.

"You will be beloved for always for the sacrifice you now make," he said. "And you will always rest in my heart. I could not have asked for better than you." Then he repeated the action and benediction with Veremund.

Silent tears slipped down the brothers' faces. As with Yr, they were deeply honoured and grateful that the Prophet chose to be with them at this moment.

As the Prophet stepped back, Jack moved forward to farewell the two brothers, then Zeherah kissed them and murmured words of farewell.

Yr stayed where she was.

"Are you ready, brother?" Veremund asked, and Ogden nodded and took his hand.

Then the two Sentinels stepped into the golden lake.

They did not have quite the same journey as Yr had in Grail Lake, for the waters of Cauldron Lake had long since evaporated amid its enchantments. But once they reached the Repository, this one clear of silt and thus revealed in its full glory, they went through the same procedure as she had, pressing the jewels in ordered sequence to gain admittance. And, after walking the Repository's corridors, they too found the Well of Power, and first Ogden, and then Veremund, leaned down to receive the Power.

When they emerged from the Lake, their eyes shining feverishly, their lips trembling, Yr stepped forward and hugged them. "Welcome," she said. "Welcome to the final journey."

The Temple of the Stars« A SiXJLCome zhure?"

Azhure opened her eyes. "I'm awake, StarDrifter. in."

StarDrifter stepped quietly into Azhure's chamber. She was struggling to get out of bed and the Enchanter hurried to lend her his support. His eyes were shadowed with concern, but he said nothing.

Azhure did not like any fuss made over her.

She had grown weaker by the day in the month since they had arrived on Temple Mount, as the babies within her sapped her strength and vitality. StarDrifter wondered why, when Azhure had carried Caelum with so little fuss and so much energy, these two should drain her so. Perhaps it was just that there were two, he thought. And perhaps not.

She caught his worried look and smiled reassuringly. "I have rested well, StarDrifter. Truly. Is everything ready?"

"Yes. I have wakened you in plenty of time. Come, you'll need something to eat beforehand. It will be a long night."

She let him lead her to a small table. Once she had sat down StarDrifter peeled some fruits for her, placing them before her in small portions, one by one.

"Eat," he said.
"Eat."

Azhure placed a piece of fruit in her mouth to please him and chewed it unenthusiastically. She did not want to disappoint StarDrifter, or concern him any more than she had to, for tonight would be as hard on him - perhaps harder - than it

would be on her. If nothing else, the trip to the Island of Mist and Memory would be worth it for the friendship which had finally deepened and matured between her and StarDrifter. Before his desire for her had always come between them, making her uncomfortable, although, she smiled to herself, doubtless even StarDrifter's persistent desire had faded before her present bulk.

But it was more than that. Since the night when Azhure, distraught over her mother's letter, had come to StarDrifter for comfort, the Enchanter had been almost continually by her side, offering unconditional love and support. The relighting of the Temple of the Stars had been delayed for over ten days because StarDrifter spent so much time with her.

She swallowed and took another piece of fruit. StarDrifter had done nothing but what she asked that night, just holding her and telling her how much he loved her. She had gone to sleep eventually, wrapped in his arms and wings, still weeping slightly, and when she had woken in the morning he had gently kissed her brow and her cheek and let her go.

StarDrifter had comforted her, but he had also done something far more important - he had gained her utter trust, and with it, her friendship.

"Have you thought about what I asked earlier?" StarDrifter said, breaking into her thoughts.

She nodded slightly, and put down a third piece of fruit untasted. "I
have
thought about it, StarDrifter, but...oh, I don't know. It would be different if Axis were here ..."

Tears threatened and Azhure took a deep breath before she continued. "I...we ..." She shrugged and pushed the fruit about her plate. "We are not so close to these children as we were to Caelum," she finished on a whisper, her eyes downcast, her cheeks staining red. It was a shameful thing to admit that you did not love your children.

Despite her fears, StarDrifter could understand how she felt. Every day he spent time teaching the unborn twins some of their Enchanter skills, and though they responded well to him, he knew they spared their mother nothing but indifference and hostility.

If he had to carry such antagonism about day and night, StarDrifter knew he would find it hard to love the babies as well. He did not know why the boy and the girl regarded their parents with such coldness and yet liked him, especially when he had been as guilty as Axis in treating Azhure so badly. And why hate their mother only for loving and forgiving their father?

"Azhure, the babies
need
names. It is hard for me to teach them at this late stage and yet not address them by name."

Azhure finally looked up. "Then you name them."

"Me? Azhure, it is the parents' privilege to -"

"You name them," Azhure insisted. "They would accept no name from me."

"And
you
will accept what I name them?"

She nodded.

"Well, then ..." StarDrifter knew the babies well, and he knew what would suit them. "Azhure, both will be powerful Enchanters and their names should reflect such power, but their names must also reflect their personalities." He took a deep breath, and told Azhure his choice.

Azhure sat back, shocked by the name he'd picked for the boy. "But that is such a powerful name,"

she whispered, her hand involuntarily on her belly, "even for a male Enchanter. Are you sure?"

He nodded and, after a moment, Azhure bowed her head in acceptance. No wonder she felt uncomfortable with these babies.

There was no formality in the procession to the Temple, everyone just walked quietly along the Avenue until a crowd of some eight or nine thousand stood on the grassy slopes surrounding the dull marble circle. Many from Pirates' Town

had come, as had five boatloads of people, both nobles and commoners, from Nor and several hundred Icarii who had flown down over the past weeks.

Azhure stood with Caelum in her arms in the centre of the circle of the Temple. She was dressed only in a light lavender gown, for the air was balmy even this high up and this late in the year.

She had no idea what was going to happen. She and Caelum were alone; StarDrifter was conversing with another Enchanter in low tones to one side of the circle, and FreeFall and EvenSong waited in the front ranks of those who watched from outside the circle. As non-Enchanters they would play no role in the re-lighting.

And so why am I here? Azhure thought. I am hardly an Enchanter, for I can use none of my powers voluntarily. She had used her power the night she talked to the First, but Azhure had no idea how she had done it beyond the fact that her anger and distress had somehow called it forth.

Azhure tilted her head and looked at the firmament above, her arms tightening about Caelum. She would have to wait for the birth of the twins before she would learn more. She knew that. WolfStar had said so but, more importantly, Azhure could feel the block they somehow created by their very presence.

She needed to be alone. Totally alone. "Mama?"

She dropped her gaze and smiled. Caelum was wide-eyed with curiosity and twisted his head from side to side as he watched the crowd grow. "What will happen tonight?'

"I do not know, Caelum. StarDrifter would tell me nothing. But," she kissed the crown of his head, "I am sure that it will be something wondrous."

"I wish Papa were here." "So do I, Caelum," she said. "So do I." At some deep, emotional level Azhure could feel Axis, feel his life-force, feel the faint tug of his breathing, but she could do nothing more than that. Reports from the north remained maddeningly vague, and five days ago a scout had brought her a month-old letter from her husband, but it had said little apart from the fact that he loved her and missed her and thought of her every day. It told her little of where he was, nothing about where the Skraeling army was, and nothing about whether he had found the power within himself to repel them.

"Live," Azhure whispered as she did every time she thought of Axis. "Live."

StarDrifter,Caelum said in her mind, and Azhure turned her head.

StarDrifter strode across the circle towards them, enthusiasm springing his steps and his eyes shining with excitement. He was dressed only in golden breeches; like Azhure, his feet were bare. Behind him his wings were extended, catching the soft light of the stars.

"StarDrifter," Azhure said as he reached them, "I am not sure what Caelum and I do here. What can we do?"

What canI
do?

StarDrifter seized her shoulders and kissed her quickly, bending his head to kiss Caelum as well.

"You can experience, Azhure. And that ring gives you the right to stand in the centre of the circle. Caelum has every right to share with you as his parents' heir. Now," his tone turned business-like, although his excitement was still patent, "is everyone in place?"

He slowly scanned the extremities of the circle. Among the arriving Icarii had been several dozen Enchanters, and now they stood at the very edge of the circle, spaced evenly, facing inwards.

"The Nine?" Azhure asked, looking about for the Priestesses of the Order of the Stars.

StarDrifter indicated to one side and Azhure saw that the Nine stood in a close group behind the circle of the Enchanters, their heads bowed in prayer or meditation.

"They will witness," StarDrifter said, "for only Enchanters can participate in the lighting of the Temple of the Stars.

"Azhure." He looked her in the eye. "Whatever happens, do not be afraid. You will be safe.
Whatever
happens."

She nodded, feeling a thrill of both fear and excitement, and Caelum squirmed anxiously in her arms.

StarDrifter smiled and stroked the boy's hair. "You have been born to witness great wonders, Caelum. I hope this will be but the first for you."

Then, abruptly, he left them, striding about the circle, meeting each of the Enchanters' gaze, communicating with them at some level that Azhure could not yet discern.

There was complete silence about the circle and from the thousands of watchers, and Azhure could faintly hear the crashing waves far below.

Azhure? Azhure? Is that you?Above them the stars reeled.

StarDrifter continued to walk about the circle, but his stride was now slower, and his head was bowed - but still his wings arched behind him. As his steps slowed he walked closer and closer to the centre of the circle.