Warrior Blind (9 page)

“I wish you could go with me.” Was she still a child, then? Even at her age? Wanting her mother to go with her into the scary world?

That was not who Bronwen was, and she knew it. Some small kernel inside her.

“That’s not my path, kiddo. Mine rests in Relaklonos, with Ren.”

“I don’t know how to deal with destiny and a world filled with warriors and kings, and wars.”

“No. I suppose that you don’t. I barely do, even at my age.” Auri hugged her tight. Bronwen resisted the urge to cling again. “One day at a time, baby. One moment, even, if that is all you can give. You won’t be alone. Not really. You will have Phaenna, and Eaudne. Your brother Thadd goes as well. And though you might not like the idea of it, I don’t think you can ever shake that warrior king.”

“He’s a warrior, and a bull-headed one at that.”

“Honey, they all are. Warrior. Dardaptoan. Lupoiux. Even little babes like my Thas can be a bit headstrong when they want something.”

THE
distance separating him from the Healer girl seemed like twice what it should. Was that just because of the newly forming bond between them? Or because every instinct he possessed was telling him that she needed him close at all times?

He’d never been so torn between duty and what he wanted to do.

He wanted to be right next to her, ensuring she was safe...

And happy.

Her happiness was starting to be just as important to him as her safety.

Was that a natural part of being
gamata
?

He stormed into the Lothicano castle he’d called home for twelve hundred years.

He needed his twin. “Sinrik!”

His brother appeared at the top of the grand staircase. In his arms he held a bundled spawn. Zephra? Had he convinced the Relaklonosian princess of her place? “The princess abides within?”

“The prognosticator Theodoric of Sebastos claims that our spawn would be safer here in her father’s home. Her mother agrees tentatively. It is not as I wished it, but it is a start. I ought to rend your limbs from your body for what you’ve done.”

“I did as I had to.”

“Taking the girl? Again? How did that serve you, or our people well?” Sinrik passed his spawn to the woman standing just behind him. Koios recognized the Relaklonosian princess Danae. “Do you know how much difficulty you caused for me?”

“She is my
gamata
. Can you claim the same for the princess there?”

“Of course he cannot,” that princess said, with a definite fury in her words. “And Bronie is not your
gamata
. She wouldn’t be. Would not want to be.”

“Yet she is.”

“Then where is she?”

“She waits in your home city. She is to lead the Healers to a new world. We are building a healing city in a world yet unnamed.” He looked at his brother. They were so much alike physically, but so different when it came to souls. Sinrik had their mother’s artist spirit.

Koios was practical warrior down to the last inch. “Sinrik, the time has come. We are to part. For now.”

His brother tensed. “I suggest that you tell me all that you know.”

“Tell us both. I want to know where she’s at. I need to know she is well.”

“She is well. Better than she was before.” And he knew she was. “But she is Laquazzeana, and she has a great task before her.”

“I suspected she was,” the princess said quietly. “After I watched what happened with Ren’s
gamata
. I remember...I remember what it felt like with Bronie all those months ago.”

Koios stared at the female until she began to look uneasy. His twin shot him a chiding look. “Tell me, dear sister, did she die that day? In Ramorakin’s keeping?”

His brother’s female paled. She clutched her spawn tight to her chest and rocked.

Sinrik wrapped an arm around the princess. “She does not speak of it.”

“It is something I need to know. Ramorakin will be dealt with.”

“He’s already confined to his quarters. It frightened Danae to have him free.”

“He needs to be imprisoned for what he did. On what charges he will face trial depends on your female’s answer to my question. Did my
gamata
, Queen of Lothicano now, die in Ramorakin’s keeping?” Koios looked at this female who was so important to his brother, though he sensed they had not joined as
gamata
, yet. “I know that he put his hands upon her. That he struck her and fed her tainted food. I know you ate some of that poison. I know what he tried and what he threatened with her. Allow me to act in her stead and bring upon him that which he deserves. Help me to do this, please.”

Sinrik wrapped a hand around the girl’s arm and turned her toward him. “Did he put hands upon you in this way? Tell me now, and I will see him castrated and de-handed before he faces his trial.”

She shook her head at him. “No. Not me. Just Bronie, something about Bronie made him crazy. He tormented her from the very first day she was brought here. By you!” Her accusing eyes met Koios’.

“I know my part in her suffering. And I will never forget what my carelessness caused.”

“Your carelessness did cause her to die.” The girl stared at him out of eyes that were similar to her brothers’. “I was so ill that day. I knew I was going to die, and my spawn with me. And then Bronie was there, and there was a light around her. It looked so much like the one with Auri that day. And then I was better and she was not. My cousin arrived that afternoon and found me. He had a Dardaptoan healer with him that day. Bronwen thinks that woman saved her life, but I still have questions. Bronwen was different after that day. And I don’t just think she was blind. There was something else. There was a voice that day, but it sounded like a thousand others. I don’t know who it was, but we were not alone that day. At all. Someone was there, and they were laughing. But in a good way. And they were holding us. Especially her.”

“Did you change that day, too?” He did not think she was Laquazzeana, but maybe she did not know? Bronwen’s change had not been revealed to anyone until recently, either.

“Not me. But my spawn. She is not Laquazzeana, if that is what you are asking. But she is different. Stronger than a typical spawn, I think. Is Bronwen well? I worry.”

“She is better than she was. Less defeated. Still very frightened.” He studied this girl. She loved his
gamata
, and she was important to his brother. How could she not be important to him, as well? “But she is safe now. And I will see to it that she stays that way. And I ensure she is happy—and has all she needs.”

“And Ramorakin? What will become of him? If she is Queen, she will return here someday, no?” Sinrik asked.

“I do not know when that will be, brother. In fact, I come here today to ask that you rule Lothicano in my stead completely. I do not know when I will return to this throne. My calling and my place is now elsewhere, at my
gamata
’s side. I do not know when that will change. And this war that comes will claim many lives. Possibly mine own. I come to gather the warriors I will need to protect this new healer city. And I come to tell you...to tell you that our paths diverge today. And to tell you that...you have been the closest to me all these years. And that I...care for you. And I always will.”

Sinrik cursed. “You cannot mean to abdicate? Our people have had twin kings for a thousand years.”

“Not abdicate. But I am needed elsewhere. It is my duty, and my destiny. This is my path, brother. And I ask that you respect my decision.”

“Of course. But our warriors? Many will not wish to leave their home world. War within our realm is one thing. But many do not ever wish to leave this place.”

“And that is another reason I have come here. To put them the question. Please, have the numbers gathered as quickly as possible.”

“I will do that.” Sinrik clasped his hands around Koios’ forearms. “I care for you, as well, brother. May my strength go with you into this new path.”

“Oh, you two are hopeless. Just admit it—you love each other! Now, what do we have to do to help Bronie?”

Did he love his brother? He supposed he did—though he would never say it so. He was
Beskre warrior
, it just was not done in that manner. “Gather the warriors. It will be protection the healers need. I will lead the warriors. She will lead the healers. Hopefully together we can make a difference in this war that comes.”

“And what war is that?”

“The dark sorcerer who destroyed Evelanedea, one of the inner worlds, thousands of years ago. He is rising soon, and some of the Laquazzeana believe he is behind the attacks on Relaklonos, on Thrun, and even on Sharalda. I do not know that I fully believe it. But my
gamata
does, and she is set on this path. So I must accompany her.”

“And you want to take some of our men with you.”

“I will take all that will join me.”

“Then so be it. I will call the guards and have them send out the summons. I just hope you know what you are about, brother.”

“I do.”

***

It took several hours to have all of the armies of Lothicano assembled. And that was a good speed. They had worked long and hard to ensure that the Lothicano army could form quickly. And now that work was paying off. When he got the signal from his top men, and his brother’s, he stepped onto the stone steps. He stood with his brother at his side, the princess clutching her spawn on the other side of his twin. The castle that had been his home his entire life was strong and majestic behind him. He held up a hand and had the warriors gathered quieting.

“I know you have questions, and I cannot answer them all. But this duty is that which has been set down before me. Before my
gamata
.”

The roar of the crowd was expected at the news. His people had lived without a queen for hundreds of years. Now they had one. He just wished that she was by his side, visible for those who followed him. He held up a hand and the crowd quieted.

“The time to celebrate your new queen is later. For she has been set upon her own task this day. A grim one. The healers gather near the city of Thrun. Each healer will be counted, each one will be needed. And they still might not be enough.”

The mood of the masses immediately darkened. “As will we. We have been called to protect those who would heal and save us. To protect our queen, the Laquazzeana Healer Bronwen, once of Gaia, now Queen of our beautiful Lothicano.”

They began chanting his
gamata
’s name. He held up his other hand.

“I come to you this day, as your king. Not to command you to this new task. But to ask you to do this. War has been brought to our doors, to our homes, to our land. The city of Thrun has been targeted twice. Many demon lives were lost. But this will not be the last against the Relaklonosian world. There are more. More are coming. Today or tomorrow, perhaps. But it will come. We will be outnumbered, many will be lost. But it is not just Lothicano we protect now. Nor is it only Relaklonos that is threatened.

For there are more worlds than just ours. Long have we known this. And the threats are not just to our world any longer. The fate of everything rests upon this day. But there are among us those with mates,
gamatas
, and sons. So for you are my next words. Stay. Keep in service to my twin. For you will be needed.”

IT
took Bronwen a while to get over the nausea portkeys brought her. Combine the nausea with the heat of the world around her and she wanted nothing more than to curl up in a ball until the world stopped moving. But she could not do that.

The mass of healers that were coming through the portkey behind her group—Eaudne, Thadd, Phaenna, plus others that she knew, had insisted on accompanying her—the Chief Healer of the new healer city. Phaenna kept insisting that it be called Dekimos City after the lost son of Eaudne who had been the first Dardaptoan healer. Bronwen thought that was a fitting tribute, now that that once unnamed healer was identified. He would be honored forever.

“Come, Bronwen of Sebastos, you cannot stop there. We have a five mile hike this day.” Phaenna was at her side, tugging at her vestis. “Come, come, come.”

“She walks as fast as she can.” Her brother Thadd was there, his voice rebuking. Bronwen wrapped her fingers around his sleeve.

“I’m all right, Thadd. Just disoriented. This city we go to, Phaenna, what is the history?” She needed something to take her mind off what waited at the end of that five mile hike. “Tell me about it, please?”

“It’s a beautiful place, Dekimos City. I have always thought so.”

“Who built it?” Thadd asked, after taking one of Bronwen’s bags from her hands. She thought about protesting, but Thadd was a true Dardaptoan male, for all that he was a healer. It was a matter of his honor that he take care of her.

Perhaps that was part of her problem? She had let the older—and somewhat archaic—members of her family, namely her brothers, take care of her for too long? Had she somehow lost her own ability to care for herself since Koios had taken her so many months ago?