Dark Days, page 33
part #1 of The Albatar Chronicles Series
It was twice now that he’d been injured in the last year – and this time it was because of her. She recalled the Abbot’s face on the morning she’d awoken knowing she’d become a Hunter. There had been sadness then, and now that she’d been in the sept for a while, Kazari realised she was beginning to understand why. The sheltered life she’d left when she’d made her choice, now seemed precious beyond belief. The idea that someone might choose to destroy that way of life for others for personal gain – or what they thought would be personal gain – seemed madness. Her heart was so heavy with sorrow that she felt as if something within her might break.
She dropped her face onto the bed, hugging Sendar’s warm hand to her cheek for comfort, and finally fell asleep in that position, face still damp from the tears that had leaked in exhausted trails from her closed lids.
When she awoke, it was to daylight, and she was cramped and uncomfortable. Sendar’s hand was still in hers, but as she stirred, she felt his warm fingers move. His hand moved to stroke her cheek, and she jerked upright, to see his tired eyes watching her.
“Sendar! Are you all right?”
He smiled. “I’m fine – now. The Healers have done a great job.” But Kazari could still see the shadows in his eyes that spoke of wounds beyond the physical ones. But then the shadows receded to be replaced by concern. “Kaz…Dari…I’m so sorry.” He broke off.
Kazari’s chest cramped as if it was caught between the jaws of a vice. Dari. Her friend. Her best friend. Her – she almost couldn’t think the words – her enemy. Or at least on a path at such a radical angle to Kazari’s own that it was almost beyond believing. In fact, if she hadn’t heard the words from Dari’s own mouth, she wouldn’t have believed them. She shook her head, eyes flooding with tears, and mind burning with pain and anger so intertwined that she couldn’t figure out where one ended and the other one began.
Her throat was so tight she couldn’t speak, or sob, or even groan, her body a ball of emotional agony so powerful that she felt as if every muscle was about to snap. Sendar’s hands gripped her own, and the strength of that grip made her lift her eyes to his again. In them, she saw sadness, pain, the shadows of the last year, and a compassion so deep that she imagined she could feel it pouring from his hands into her own.
She squeezed back, her hands thawing, until a single sound, half sob, half groan, escaped her spasmed throat. It was as if something within her had burst, and she clung to Sendar’s warm hands as if they were the only thing secure in a world that had suddenly turned into the heart of a storm. Her body heaved with dry sobs, and the tears that she hoped might fall to ease her pain, dried. Eventually, the dry sobs ceased, and her body uncurled, and she realised that Sendar had bent forward to tuck himself around her as if to take her pain upon himself.
Her muscles relaxed, and she was empty except for the comfort of his tall frame curled around hers. They sat like that until one of the Healers came in with a tray of breakfast for them both.
“Andiss wishes you to breakfast and then join him and Javon once you’ve bathed and changed your clothing, Hunters,” she said. “They’ll be in the grove. No-one will disturb you there.”
After bathing, and donning clean clothing, Kazari felt physically better, even if her mind was still reeling from Dari’s betrayal and the encounter with the corruptor. As she waited for Sendar, Kazari couldn’t help but feel that her childhood was now only a distant memory. Her innocence was lost, and her memories of Dari would now always be stained with the patina of malice that had marred her friend’s voice. The violence she’d done to Sendar – and apparently relished – was so at odds with the generosity and warmth of the years Kazari had spent with her, that it seemed as if it must have been done by someone else.
Had her years of friendship with Dari been only a facade? Had there always been something else beneath the surface?
She closed her eyes and drew a wobbling breath, willing her shoulder muscles to relax, and her body to release its tension, and then turned with a wobbly smile to Sendar as he moved slightly stiffly to her side. In silence they walked to the cathedral’s grove, and stepped within its calm boundaries.
Kazari breathed in deeply, smelling the scent of growing things around her, and followed Sendar over to where Andiss and Javon, with Jern and Mikel, waited, weariness evident in all of them. Andiss motioned to the ground, and they joined the others cross-legged on the spongy grass. As in many of the Lady’s special places, calm surrounded them, and for a moment there was silence.
“The tunnel network was extensive. We found and killed many suckers, and of course, the corruptor is now gone. But we did not find Dari and Sereth, Kaz. And there were signs of many more gorgones, and of long-term habitation. It seems that the gorgone presence in Seraph is more established than even our worst fears.” He sighed tiredly. “Mikel and Jern were forced to turn back. They’d set some of the tunnels to collapse behind them, so we have no way of knowing exactly how far they extend, or where they originate. At least we now know how they’ve been infiltrating Albatar.”
“But for how long?” asked Javon. It sounded as if she’d asked the question before, so that this time it was almost rhetorical. There was no answer.
“What does this mean, for us, and for Albatar?” asked Sendar.
“It means that this incursion is bigger than we feared, and more established, but it also means that some of the things that have puzzled us have partial answers,” replied Mikel. “The gorgone at the Abbey, for example. The Abbot will be scouring the countryside by now, searching for tunnels. And the general apathy – the drift away from the Lady – may well be founded not simply in the tendency of people to become complacent, but because of the subtle influences of ones such as the corruptor.”
“And us – now – what do we do?” asked Sendar, uncertainly. A soft breeze stirred the leaves in the branches above them, and the smell of open flowers drifted down, and Kazari felt comfort roll down with the scent. She looked up, surprised, as the wind stirred the branches even more, and a shaft of sunlight floated down, and came to rest upon Sendar’s head. His dark skin gleamed in its light, the long line of the wound clearly evident on his skin, and the amethyst on his chest lit to a vivid violet. His eyes widened, and took on some of the amethyst tone. Then he spoke. “Yes, Lady, I hear you.”
Kazari bit off a startled exclamation.
Sendar took her hand in his left one, and she reached out blindly for Andiss. His calloused hand enclosed hers, and then they were all seeing what Sendar saw. Fire. Smoke. Gorgones. And arrayed against them, Hunters, flanked by Navigators, and standing resolutely behind them, the other Septs of the Order, arrayed in their rainbow of colours. For a moment, Kazari thought the vision was symbolic in nature, but then the scent and smells of battle rolled over them and she knew that it was a foreshadowing of what might come.
Remember that you do not stand alone in this fight, came the Lady’s voice, warm and familiar. You are mine, and my Gifts will sustain you. And even now, you are much more than helpless against the gorgone-horde. Seek those who are still lost. You will find them everywhere, even in the halls of power. Search for those who look for me, and give them direction. This day’s work will provide a brief time of respite. Use it wisely.
The last words finished on almost a whisper, and the pool of sunlight faded from Sendar’s form. Slowly, his eyes lost their violet tone, but Kazari could feel her amethyst warm upon her chest. She looked down, to see it glowing on its leather thong and for a moment was lost in the sensation of the Lady’s love. When she returned to herself, her pain, although still present, had less of a sharp edge. It was still right to feel it, because what she’d treasured about Dari had been real, even if her friend had lived a lie, at least for a time.
“Is it right to still feel hope?” she asked, hesitantly, “For Dari, I mean.”
“It is never wrong to feel hope,” replied Andiss. “The Lady forgives when you or I would walk away.”
Then Kazari was embarrassed. The Lady had provided a vision, and all she could do was think about her lost friendship. She turned to Sendar. His tall form was sitting so still he might have been an ebon statue. The last of the violet tone drained from his eyes, and he lifted a trembling hand to his amethyst and bowed his head.
“Thank you, Lady,” he breathed. Then he looked up. “You saw?”
Andiss nodded gravely. “It has been long since we’ve had such clear direction from the Lady. You and Kazari will go to the Abbey and consult with Ailani. She may have insights we lack, and the overall direction of the Order is at her discretion. She must hear first hand of this revelation.” He paused as a rustle sounded outside the grove.
“Your pardon, Andiss, but word has come for you.” One of the Growers moved forward, a note in hand.
“Thank you,” replied Andiss, and took it and read. He paused. “From Ailani. We are to go to the capital. She will join us there. We must consult with the rulers of Albatar. The Queen calls on us to inform her parliament of the things we have found here, and also in Suborden. She wishes to hear them firsthand from all of us.” He looked up at the Grower. “Please ask if we might have provisions prepared so that we may leave tomorrow.” The Grower nodded and withdrew, green robes rustling like leaves. Kazari noticed absently that the creepers twined around the grove’s pillars drifted slightly towards her as she passed between them.
Uneasily, she contemplated the future. Tunnels beneath Albatar – and who knew how many, or even where they might be? Or lead? How many of her friends and family were in danger that very moment? Her reunion with her family now seemed such a fragile thing. And she was going to the capital – to meet with the Queen? She looked up at Javon and Andiss.
“More politics?” she asked. Javon sighed heavily, and Andiss nodded grimly.
“Yes, more politics. And probably worse. And we have the Lady’s command as well. ‘Seek those who are still lost. You will find them everywhere, even in the halls of power. Search for those who look for me, and give them direction. This day’s work will provide a brief time of respite. Use it wisely.’”
“It seems we have a small space to regather, and to find those who truly seek the Lady,” said Javon. “And then to do…what?”
“How many underground nests might there be in Albatar?” wondered Jern. She looked at Andiss. “Mikel and I will wait here until the Hunter contingent arrives. Then we’ll make haste to join you in Eyrie. Mikel, do you think Arilin will be happy to see you?”
“Now that’s the question, isn’t it? It can be a bit…awkward at times,” said Mikel. Kazari knew that Mikel had come from one of Albatar’s ruling families, but he knew the Queen? And things were awkward? “She’s my cousin,” he said shrugging. “We know each other pretty well, but I’m the black sheep. The family had other plans, which I messed up by becoming a Hunter.” Mikel was the cousin of the Queen? The day was getting stranger by the minute.
Chapter Forty: Never Wrong
They’d stayed in the grove for some time, discussing the events of the night before, and sharing their knowledge of exactly what had led to each decision and each moment. It was painful, but at the same time, cathartic. Kazari knew there were things she might never reconcile, but the process helped her to categorise some of her feelings and thoughts.
They’d then spent time doing the most familiar of Hunter things – working their way through the katas. By the time they’d finished, Kazari felt more relaxed, despite her sadness. The movements themselves spoke of the Lady’s love, and were like soothing balm to her battered soul.
“The rest of the day is yours,” said Andiss. “Javon and I have politics to do at the manor house.” He smiled briefly. “This time we’ll leave you out of it. You’ll have enough politics in Eyrie.” Javon nodded, sighed, and then told them to eat well, use the hot baths at the cathedral, and pack for departure in the morning. The four older Hunters departed the grove, but as Kazari stood up to leave, Sendar placed a hand on her arm.
“A moment, Kaz,” he said. “Just for us.”
“It’ll probably be the last one for a while,” she replied, nodding her agreement, and turning to face him. She looked sadly at the scar on his face. It would always be there, a reminder of the pain her friendship with Dari had brought him. A pang of guilt struck her, but she took a deep breath, and reminded herself of what Javon had said the day before. Dari’s actions belonged to no-one but Dari.
“Kaz,” said Sendar. “We…we haven’t really spoken…but…” He paused, and Kazari thought he was blushing.
“Spoken?” she asked. The air around them was suddenly warmer than it had been, she thought. He moved a step closer, and she could smell the clean smell of his soap. He took her hand, and his hand was warmer than she could have imagined, all lean strength and gentleness at the same time.
“I mean – talked about – about us.” He stammered, his words at odds with his grip. He was blushing she realised, and so was she. He was talking about this … thing. The thing she knew had been growing but that neither of them had named for what it was.
“Um…yes. I mean, no,” she replied. “No, we haven’t.” He pulled her closer, and her breath caught in her throat.
“It doesn’t seem right, and the timing is off, but…I care for you, Kaz,” he said, awkwardly, stumbling over the sentence. “I – I just want to know if you…care for me too. I mean, in the same way.” Kazari looked up at him, suddenly shy to meet his eyes, but when she did, it was as if a part of her that had been frozen suddenly thawed.
Wordlessly, she nodded, using the strength in his hands to draw herself even closer. And then Sendar bent his head and kissed her, and for a moment, the world stopped, and the struggles of the last weeks and months faded to nothing. It was a moment of peace, and rightness, that eclipsed all the pain she’d been feeling so that Kazari wanted to live only in that moment forever. And it was such a contrast to Dari’s actions in the depths below Seraph that she could feel how inherently good it was.
Of their own volition, her arms went around him, holding him even closer, and his mirrored hers, so that when their lips parted, Sendar was able to tuck Kazari into his chest. She rested her head there, his heart beating strongly under her ear, and the firm muscle of his frame a familiar, comfortable support. There was nothing demanding about their embrace, but it was a moment of care – of love – that made Kazari realise that together they might find moments of happiness, whatever might come in the future, and however uncertain that future seemed to be.
Eventually, Sendar sighed, his arms loosening reluctantly. He looked down at Kazari, and she saw her thoughts mirrored in his eyes.
“Is it right?” she asked. “To feel like this when everything else is falling apart?”
“It can’t be wrong,” he replied. “Love could never be wrong.”
Kazari smiled at him, the first smile in what seemed like days, and the movement of her lips seemed to send warmth and life flooding through her entire body.
“It might be complicated, Kaz, maybe even unwise, but I couldn’t go on without knowing if you felt the same way. Not now, not if…” He broke off.
“Not if something happened? To one of us, I mean,” she said. Sendar nodded, and his arms tightened around her again.
“Nothing’s the same, is it?”
He shook his head slowly. “No, nothing’s the same, and maybe never will be. It wasn’t the same after Suborden really, but now I think we’re at a crossroads. Albatar is in more danger now, than at any time since the Founding, and I think it has been for a long time. Those tunnels didn’t happen in a day, or a week, or even a month. This must have been many long years in the planning.”
“Then we should be on our way again,” replied Kazari. “Even if all I want to do is stand here like this, forever.” Together they turned their faces towards the future.
Thank you for reading DARK DAYS. We hope you enjoyed it.
If you would like to be kept informed of further releases by Leonie Rogers, or other new books from Hague Publishing, why not subscribe to our newsletter at:
www.HaguePublishing.com/subscribe.php
And if you loved the book and have a moment to spare we would really appreciate a short review. Your help in spreading the word is gratefully received.
About the Author
Originally from Western Australia, Leonie now lives in NSW in the Upper Hunter. She is the author of the Frontier Trilogy, published by Hague Publishing, and works part time as a physiotherapist. Amethyst Pledge, Book 1 of the Albatar Chronicles, was released in 2020. In a past life, Leonie was a volunteer firefighter and SES member and once trekked almost six hundred kilometres with eight camels and several other human beings. She is married with two adult children, two dogs and three cats, one of whom frequently handicaps her ability to use a laptop computer.
Hague Publishing
www.HaguePublishing.com
PO Box 451 Bassendean
Western Australia 6934
Leonie Rogers, Dark Days
