Servants of the Sands, page 87
“Easy there,” the man said. “Take a few breaths. You’re safe. No more moving. All done.” A pillow tucked behind Cafad’s head. He leaned back into it, almost pathetically grateful for the bit of extra comfort.
“Where,” he said. “Am.”
“Safe,” the man—was it a man? or a deep-voiced woman with large hands? Cafad couldn’t tell. The scent seemed male—it had a broadness, a thickness, that resonated as masculine—but Cafad didn’t particularly trust his senses at the moment. “Nothing to think of past that, s’e. Rest.”
Cafad opened his mouth to form protest, to insist on answers, and found the white haze over his eyes darkening. He couldn’t remember what he’d been going to say. It didn’t seem important any longer. He was... safe... he could rest...
You are safe, you are loved—
He jerked, crying out with horror for no clear reason. Hands patted his shoulders, another straw in his mouth, more liquid—then thought dimmed back to dullness, darkness chasing away the fear for a time.
When the white returned, he was able to raise his hands, touch his face, and feel a heavy beard growth with a sense of wonder. He’d always kept himself clean-shaven... and with that thought came memory. He sat still, blinking under the bandages wrapped over his eyes, staring into the past with a growing sense of horror.
I killed Lichni. Just because she got in my way. Oh, gods....
He’d been as ruthless, as heartless, as a F’Heing noble, as an angry ha’ra’ha. As cold-blooded and dangerous as the old Lord Scratha. That last thought put a harsh pain in his chest; he breathed thickly, seeing the past in an entirely different light.
It wasn’t truly me. It wasn’t even the old lord. Scratha ha’rethe was using us all....
I won’t ever go back there. I can’t. He searched, awkwardly, within himself for the deluge of power he’d controlled in recent months; found only thin glimmers and whispers in place of a roaring waterfall. I’m crippled. I’m not even a desert lord any longer. I’ve lost everything I’ve fought for my entire life.
Surprisingly, the thought brought with it a sharp swell of relief.
“S’e,” an attendant said, pulling him from his trance. “Here’s a drink—”
“Nissa,” he said, dropping his hands to his lap.
“I’ll send for her, s’e,” the attendant said without any trace of surprise. “Have some water. It’s just water,” he added, as though expecting Cafad to be suspicious.
Cafad wrapped his hands around the cup, held it in place himself, and sipped through the reed straw with steady patience. Ran his fingers across the rough clay, feeling the lines of smoother glazing, the curves of simple, solid craftsmanship. As the cup emptied, a swirl of air and scent and motion brought awareness of Nissa.
Her presence felt like polished stone, and cool water at midday, and the scent of flowers after a desert rain. He’d never noticed that before.
“Cafad,” she said, profound relief in her voice. “You called for me!”
He nodded, let someone take the cup from him, and dropped his hands to his lap once more. “Nissa. Where am I?” The words came more easily, although he still had to shape each one with care.
“Bright Bay,” she said after a pause, as though checking with the attendant for permission.
He leaned his head back, resting it against the wall, patiently working through the implications of those two words. He heard her settle into a chair nearby, her own breathing even as she waited for him to speak again.
Bright Bay. Not Scratha Fortress. So his Family was, effectively, destroyed. Or at the very least, he’d been expelled from all heritage rights. He found himself relieved. Let someone else handle that gods-cursed heap of broken block, he thought. I never should have gone back.
He spread his hands out across his thighs, curling his fingers gently, relishing the pressure. Everything felt new, washed clean, turned around to a new and entirely pleasant angle. “All right,” he said, then two more words: “Marry me.”
She sucked in a startled breath. “Cafad,” she said, wondering and anxious all at once. “You’re not healed yet—you don’t even know what’s been—”
“Doesn’t matter,” he said. “I love you. Marry me.”
The silence hung for a breath, two, three: then, explosively, “Yes.”
He nodded, tension along his spine releasing. “Now tell me what’s happened.”
Chapter 117
Letter from Lord Antouin Sessin to Lord Cafad Scratha.
Instructions: To Be Delivered To And Opened Only By Lord Cafad Scratha; To Be Delivered Only Upon The Death Of Lord Antouin Sessin And The Overall Failure Of Sessin Family.
Lord Scratha:
I offer you this letter with hope: hope that my daughter is still alive and in your care, hope that you yourself are alive and well, hope that some remnant of our respective Families remain. I have little hope of forgiveness, and do not particularly believe myself worthy of that, in any case.
I tried, when I took over from Lord Arit Sessin, to redirect some of the biases and policies he put into place. My success was sharply limited, in part because of my second wife, Tashaye; Sessin men of power traditionally rely on their women behind the scenes as advisors and for guidance. Women, after all, cast a wider and wiser net when gathering information than the proper dignity of men allows for.
I do not place all blame on Tashaye. She was young when we married, but she raised our children well and provided me with a great deal of very good advice. It is my own fault for taking so long to question her emphasis on treating with the Aerthraim. It is my own fault for taking so long to check her lineage closely. She was born Sessin; her line traced back to Lord Arit himself. The loremasters approved the union, telling me that she was distant enough a relation to be acceptable.
I did not find out until far too late that Chidor Sessin was not in fact Tashaye’s father. His wife had been indiscreet with a visiting Aerthraim and Tashaye was the result. I leave it to you to imagine my humiliation and rage at the deception.
By that point I had already made certain arrangements with the Aerthraim, guided by Tashaye’s advice, that put my Family in a dangerously precarious situation. I could not afford to breach our alliance. I attempted to summon Lord Eredion of Sessin, Tashaye’s brother—half-brother, as I now know—to return from Bright Bay and put his considerable talents to work repairing my blunders. He has always been able to charm Tashaye into going against her desires far better than I ever managed, and he has developed a reputation as a miracle worker on political snarls.
As of this writing, I am reliably informed that he has left Bright Bay and traveled north, not south. I can only assume he has defected and is no longer a reliable resource for Sessin Family. I suspect I should have written his recall summons in a calmer state of mind, but done is done.
I saw only disaster ahead for my Family, and did my best to send away the brightest and best for their own protection. The only way to do this without creating the impression of fear and flight, in most cases, was to manufacture some indignity with which to eject each person from Sessin Family lands. Nissa I sent to you, despite your bitterness towards Sessin, because I believe you truly care for her and she for you; at the least, you would keep her alive.
That letter I wrote with deliberate brutality, in hopes that it would provoke you to be kinder to Nissa in sympathy—you have always leaned against the wind, Cafad, and while that is frustrating, it is also admirable.
Please, if she is still alive and by your side, tell her I am so very sorry for the deception. It utterly broke my heart to send her away in such despair and misery, and I was sleepless for many a night until Micru returned with word that you accepted her as daimaina. Thank you, Cafad. My soul may rot in all the hells for my mistakes, but you have saved my only remaining child, and I bless you through all eternity for that.
I cannot tell you more details, even at this extreme. Sessin Family may be crumbling around me, but I will not leave its name in disgrace. I beg that you assist those survivors you might come across. I am well aware of the irony in this request, and can only hope you are a better man than Lord Arit when it comes to letting go of old bitterness.
As a closing note, you need not fear Aerthraim involvement regarding Nissa. Aerthraim is strictly matrilineal, and the visiting Aerthraim who fathered Tashaye was nobody of consequence, in any case.
I offer sincere apologies for the many years of misunderstanding and bitterness between our Families, and I pray that the world going forward is a better one than the one in which we both grew up.
With deepest regards,
Lord Antouin Sessin
Epilogue
A gust of night wind skittered small pieces of rock and drifted sand across the rare flat sections of broken ground that had once been the Qisani. An owl circled, a silent, wavering shadow against the backdrop of moon and stars. It paused, tilted, dove, letting out a high screech intended to paralyze its prey: a ragged groundhog picking through the destruction in hopes of finding something to eat.
As its talons stretched to snatch up the small creature, a dark tendril shot from a crevice in the ground, twining around the owl’s legs before it could swerve free. Whip-fast, the tendril slammed the owl against the ground, snapping most of the bones in its body with one sharp movement.
The tendril slipped around the bird’s corpse, coiling like a jungle snake, compressing flesh and bone into a bundle small enough to pull into the crevice. Another gust of wind scattered broken feathers like sand, clearing the area to innocence once again.
The groundhog, motionless during the entire incident, shivered a bit as though waking from a trance, then began browsing for food once more. It moved in a slow circle, apparently unaware that it was retracing its steps.
After a time, a night hawk circled overhead, its dark body briefly blocking out the stars and moon. It paused, catching sight of the groundhog, and prepared to dive....
Appendix - Excerpted Notes from Loremaster Council Records
Transcribed two months after the destruction of Sessin Family:
Cafad of Scratha Family has renounced all claim to title and real properties from the area formerly known as Scratha Fortress. He has additionally renounced all claim on his rights as a desert lord, an unprecedented step we are still investigating the ramifications of.
Cafad has married Lord Nissa Sessin, who currently holds title as head of Sessin Family despite those lands being almost completely destroyed. They live at the southwestern edge of Bright Bay. Lord Nissa Sessin is a frequent visitor to court and represents the interests of the remnants of her Family, most of whom have relocated to the southeastern section of Bright Bay. Cafad is seen infrequently, and is still no pleasant company when he does appear at court functions....
Sessin Family continues to attempt to rebuild its glass-crafting empire, but is quickly being overtaken in that endeavor by the work being produced by its former sub-family, Tereph. Tereph claimed independence from Sessin Family in the wake of the catastrophe, a surprising move that is having far-ranging impact throughout the southlands. Hard feelings between Tereph and Sessin are a constant source of tension within Bright Bay in particular. We have advised Lord Oruen that Tereph appears to be attempting to influence the nobility to turn against all things Sessin, which would unbalance an already precarious situation....
The former Scratha lands are now officially known as Peysimun, accepted by a Conclave held in Water's End within the last tenday. Lord Alyea of Peysimun is, perhaps ironically given the overall history, already showing a great talent for repairing deeply strained diplomatic relationships. We suspect she is being guided by Deiq of Stass, but have not been able to confirm his current location with absolute certainty. Lord Peysimun has not responded to our queries on the matter and her household staff are uniquely unwilling to speak to outsiders....
The majority of the eastern coast of the southlands are broken apart and flooded. The Wall Stair is entirely demolished. Much of it cascaded into the sea, prompting enormous surges along lower-lying areas and the formation of several tenuous new "islands" from the rubble. Coastal survivors are still being located and rehabilitated, in large part thanks to the efforts of Lord Nissa Sessin and her husband....
The Horn is largely in ruins. The once steep climb and drop has been reduced to a cratered plateau of significantly lower elevation. The teyanain have relocated to a currently undisclosed location. We have confirmation that the former head of the teyanain, Lord Evkit, has ceded his claim to his daughter, Cuna. Lord Evkit's location is likewise unknown at this time. Given the volatility of the teyanain and the historically hostile relationship between Evkit and his daughter, we are deeply concerned by the potential for further disruption. Our agents are searching diligently throughout the southlands for any sign as to where the various factions have settled....
Our sources report that there is a growing sense, in the south, that resources are dwindling without chance of restoration. Each Family is handling that concern differently.
Darden Family and F'Heing Family are engaged in an increasingly vicious battle for control over the northern market via Bright Bay and Kismo, farther to the north. We believe they intend to relocate their bases north once a sphere of influence is solidly established, which would entirely disrupt the northern kingdom and cause internal war in short order. Our responsibility on this front is still under consideration.
Toscin Family appears to be turning southward, investigating the still-burning Forbidden Jungles and Haunted Lands. Some as yet unsubstantiated reports have Toscin collaborating with Aerthraim Family....
Peysimun Family lands are reportedly lush with new growth, no doubt from the heavy bands of rain that have passed over the area in recent weeks. We foresee this area becoming a new center for southern resources. Again, we would dearly like to ascertain whether Deiq of Stass is involved in this situation, and to what extent; his presence or absence is a critical factor in our decisions regarding Peysimun Family....
Lord Oruen remains stable but unattached. He still shows no interest in an official match, and the Council is currently considering whether to press the issue. Given the current upheaval, arguments are being made in both directions....
Azaniari Aerthraim-Darden and her twin brother Allonin have effectively disappeared, a significantly worrisome development given rumors of newly forged ties to the current teyanain leadership. Aerthraim Family loremasters are refusing to answer inquiries of any sort from the Council. We are considering the dire step of sanctions to procure cooperation....
Weather patterns continue to shift dramatically from the disruption. We expect to see a number of erratic storms hit the Horn and coastal areas over the coming months. It is becoming advisable to establish observers north of the Hackerwood, but our numbers are decidedly not up to the task of studying such a large area. This Council is considering a proposal to accept recruits with lower qualifications, as students of the north would not necessarily need to know the abundance of southern history currently required of incoming loremasters....
Glossary and Pronunciation Guide
A number of the words in the southern language include the glottal-stop, which is rendered here as ^. A glottal stop involves closing, to some degree, the back of the throat, resulting in a near-coughing sound when released. Sometimes this sounds as though a hard “H” has been inserted.
Note: The glottal stop between a and i, always difficult for humans to manage, has fallen out of favor over the centuries.
Aenstone (ayn-stone): An Aerthraim Family-created stone composite; they hold the process secret. In sufficient quantity, aenstone blocks psychic communications, inhibits the use of psychic abilities, and weakens ha'ra'hain.
Aerth (ay-erth): Rough translation: feathers, freedom, flight. Exact meaning dependent on dialect and context.
Aerthraim lanterns: Any lamp filled with the peculiar green oil produced only by Aerthraim Family; gives off an unusually white light and little to no smoke when burned.
Aesa (ay-sah): A common plant whose leaves, when dried and used in a pipe, produce a mild euphoria. Illegal in the north; legal south of Bright Bay.
Alli (ahl-lee): 1. The number two (southern). 2. A simple two-pipe instrument, usually wooden, occasionally metal, common to the southlands.
Ana-ha, va'bit (ahhnah-hah, vah-^beet): Rough translation: Service/apology accepted. A very old and out-of-use phrase: ha'ra'hain accepting apologies or submission from a human.
Aqeyva (ack-ee-vah, alt. ahh-keh-vah): A combination of martial-arts training and meditation disciplines. The combat training is often referred to as a 'dance' as it involves smooth, flowing motions that have no apparent resemblance to any fighting mode.
Asp-jacau (asp-jack-how): A slender canine with long, thin snout and legs. Its short-haired coat tends toward fawn or brindle coloring. Its excellent sense of smell is primarily used to detect dangerous snakes and (in some cases) drugs. In Bright Bay, only royalty or King's Guard patrols may own an asp-jacau, but below the Horn the asp-jacau is a common companion animal.
Athain (ath-ain): Lit. translation: spirit-walker. Teyanain specially trained to manipulate energy and psychic forces; extremely dangerous people, and very rare. Athain are considered holy by the teyanain. While they have elaborate outfits for ceremonial purposes, in “ordinary” clothes athain are distinguished by a unique manner of braiding their hair: beginning as one braid, then dividing further into three smaller braids, usually laced with tiny beads.
