A
maelstrom stirs within me as the doors click softly shut. Suddenly far more
anxious, I ache for something to do. My eyes wander to the tray of ointments,
but I know my parents will tend to each other’s wounds when I leave.
The sun
of renewal hides, seeking shelter behind clouds and letting us fend for our own
warmth. It sends only faint light in through the windows, so I light a few
candles and gather furs from a chest. I drape them around my parents’
shoulders, careful not to nudge their maimed, bloody ears as I pull the plaits
of their hair from beneath the thick pelts.
They
settle into carved wooden chairs near the window and motion for me to join
them. Nervous glances pass between them, and the storm inside me intensifies. A
million terrifying scenarios play out in my mind.
Are
King Kelgon and Queen Halde really dead? Did Paikon really murder his own
sister, his brother-in-seal, his nephew… All for the throne?
I can’t
imagine a land with so little of the Allmother’s influence as to allow Aia, the
god of greed and power, to poison someone so deeply.
Do
they not know her? How will the new King lead without her hand to guide him?
My mouth
goes dry, and I swallow hard.
Does
the new King want some of the Allmother’s land?
My
questions go unanswered as my parents struggle for words. I glance out the
window at Kin territory, eyes lingering over every branch of the magnificent
Sailon Forest. Homes dot the trees at varying heights, connected by rope
bridges. Moss hangs from them, and vines wrap around rope railings.
The
High Seal has governed this forest, guiding the Kin according to the
Allmother’s will for so many generations.
If
Paikon or his son, Tumai, want part of this land…
I
shudder at the thought and turn my attention back to my parents. “Are the
rumors true?” I ask, unwilling to wait any longer.
My
mother nods, crisp blue eyes finally meeting mine. “Paikon has… taken the
throne. The Furen family rules with no intention of peace.”
The
churning in my stomach intensifies and my palms begin to sweat. I rub them
gently on my robes but it does little to help.
“He
demands a third of the Sailon Forest,” my mother says.
I gasp
and my jaw falls slack. “He can’t! They control so much land, already!”
“Aye,”
my father says. “But they have abused their land. Trees are scarce, and they
tear great swaths of minerals from the earth for the sake of ‘progress.’ The
Allmother’s presence faded quickly as we moved into Jun.”
“I wept
for the loss of her, for the loss of so many feats of nature,” he continues.
“Crops and animals are butchered in great numbers. The surplus is gluttonous,
yet so many go without.”
He
touches my cheek and the silver undertones of his skin glitter in the faint
sunlight. “Darling Daughter,” my father whispers apologetically.
My
mother’s hand finds mine upon the table, and she squeezes it tight.
“Paikon
demands more than land.”
A choked
sob escapes my mother’s lips, and I tense, preparing myself.
How
bad is it?
“He
wants a third of the forest, now. But he knows it is unusual for a Priestess
Rising to go unsealed for so long…” my mother says, trailing off.
My
stomach drops, filling me with dread. She struggles for words, mouth opening
and closing silently.
Please…
No…
A burst
of loneliness spreads through me at the mention of my seal status, colored by
images of Materva, the Light Watcher I could have been sealed to years ago.
Shadows flood my mind, tinged by his betrayal.
The
smiles he seemed to save for that other girl, another Light Watcher. Laughter
shared only with her. The sound of his voice telling me that he wanted her,
wanted a life in the sun at the top of the trees with the freedom of the skies…
without the burden of Rising.
Finally,
Mother continues, “His son has recently… come unsealed. He wishes the two of
you to be sealed so that, on his own death, Tumai will rule all of Jun and Kin
territory. Kin will be no more.”
“What?”
Outrage burns hot within me, coursing through my veins, but it is not strictly
my own. The Allmother’s fury surges alongside mine, boiling my blood. “What
makes him think we’d agree to that?”
“If we
don’t,” my mother says, voice so small I barely hear her, “he promises to burn
the entire forest to the ground.”
