Chapter 6
Chapter
Six
TAMAS
Snow blanketed my fur cloak, along the horse's withers, and in its tracks, obscuring the trail I left behind. I pulled the fur around my neck and slumped further into my saddle.
It was a long, slow journey I made alone. The Huungardred bloodline flowed through Garrat and Osmud as much as it did through me, but I sent them on a mission to gain loyalty from the northern realm instead of joining me. I'd decided to go see Thaindrus myself, to check on him. Mostly I sought his wisdom.
While I hoped to bring down the House of Tannard from within, many within Emberfell would rise against me, even without their king. A swift war against the senate and nobility would put an end to any potential insurgency, though it would not address my greatest concern: the Creed of Salmun.
The horse threw up its head, then gave an anxious snort.
"Scare my horse, and I'll scare you," I said without bothering to raise my voice, for the Huungardred had the ears of a wolf.
Snow fell from the branches of spindly pines as something moved toward me, snapping branches in its path. A great shadowy beast lumped out of the thicket and into the thin veil of falling snow. I soothed my prancing horse with a warm hand at its withers. "That's close enough. Or you'll have me on the ground."
The beast gave a soft growl, rumbling deep in its throat—which I took as an apology—and lowered to its haunches.
For years, I'd traveled this far north and had learned to distinguish most of my distant kin while they were in their preferred form. The blood-red streaks through her pelt, the mixed color of her eyes—the left honey, the right rich brown—and the scar running a hairless line down her left foreleg told me she was Thaindrus's daughter.
"Bryra." I nodded in acknowledgment. "This is a pleasant surprise."
On all fours, she turned in my direction and settled into an easy lope beside my now-settled horse. Calm as he was, my horse would refuse to carry her, so there was no point in her shifting now. Besides, in form, she could outdo my horse's speed in a full gallop.
We continued in silence as the snowfall gained momentum. Bryra's thick pelt kept her warm, but the cold found ways under my clothes, making me dream of a blazing fire and spiced mead to burn the throat. The dampness flattened my hair to my head, and melting snow dripped from my chin down the front of my cloak.
By the time we neared Droshrar, the great hall of Thaindrus, I could barely see yards in front of me. I relied on Bryra to guide me through the dense undergrowth, until she moved ahead, swallowed by the snow-coated branches as she disappeared amongst the thick-trunked trees.
I was familiar with these parts this close to Droshrar and spurred my horse into a brisk pace, heading for the centuries-old pine rising high above its neighbors. The pine stood as a sentinel to the trail leading to the great hall doors.
The Huungardred had little need for added warmth while in beast form, their thick coats providing plenty, so I was glad to see smoke spiraling up from the large stone chimney—a sign that Thaindrus awaited my arrival.
Through the curtain of heavy snow, I barely made out the half-form that appeared from the side of the hall. Instincts told me it was Bryra again. Few Huungardred cared about changing into their half-form in front of outsiders, except Bryra, and I suspected her shyness had something to do with me.
She was half a century older than me, but in Huungardred years, she was still a youngling, though old enough to marry. A fact that grew more awkward with every year I returned to Droshrar. I was a man with many loves but inept at loving. A cherished friendship was not enough to pull me into marriage, so my visits to Droshrar grew less frequent in recent years.
I slid from my horse as another half-form appeared through the snow to take charge of my mount. His head reached my chest, and he walked with a cumbersome gait, which was common among Huungardred who spent most of their lives in their natural form. Because of the uneven growth between their beast form and their human bodies, the boy stooped, his back hunching to the left, the human side. With time, it would even out, his beast side stretching his human side to gigantic proportions. The young boy took my horse's reins without comment and led him toward the stable.
Bryra smiled as I strode toward her. The beast side of her face peeled back into what looked like a snarl. Both sides of her half-form were beautiful. Her beast side kept its rich pelt of lush reds, her eyes their mixed colors, her body strong and muscular. The skin on her human side was deep brown and as smooth as that of any highborn. The scar ran down her left arm, the human side, as a dark brown mark, from shoulder to elbow. Her hair flowed down her back as a thick mane of mahogany splashed with streaks of red.
Bryra was a fierce fighter, a kind and loyal friend, a woman any man would desire to marry. Many times, I wished that man was me, for there were few women around with such strength of character, capability, and will. But I could not convince my heart to feel differently toward her.
"You are welcome, my good friend. It has been too long."
"Far too long." About to speak lies as excuses, I pressed my lips firmly. It was not how friends treated each other.
"News has reached us all the way up here that you traveled with the Nazeen to see the augur."
"Igthredia is fond of a tale."
"He wasn't filling our table with fanciful stories to keep us all guessing?"
Even standing at the top of the steps, I remained half a foot shorter than Bryra, and I was not a short man. "Romelda has always had faith in the augur."
She quirked an eyebrow on the human side of her face. Strangely, the two sides of a Huungardred's half-formed face could move independently. A smile on one side could end up in opposition on the other.
"What do you believe?" The question was half innocent, half daring, tinged with a wisp of flirtation.
"Many things. But it's never too late to stop listening to your elders."
Her cheeky smile faded as she dipped her eyes to the ground. Something in what I'd said changed the easy flow of our conversation.
"Do you believe this is your fate?"
Bryra didn't need to ask what the augur had said. I had shared my concerns and doubts with her over these many years when it never crossed my mind she would feel any differently toward me than I for her.
I hesitated before answering because I felt this answer needed careful consideration. Whatever I uttered aloud, I could not take back. "Yes. Yes, I believe."
"What happened to the Tamas I once knew?" A sad stain lightened her voice. "There was a time when you scoffed at the Nazeen's words. What has changed your mind?"
"There was once a time I had the leisure to doubt. But I'm not a boy anymore. I can't deny my responsibilities. There is... It's hard to explain. It feels like there's something inside of me urging me forward." How could I explain? "I believe it's the Etherweave. Though I could be wrong." Because it sounded ludicrous. I sighed, slapping a hand to my thigh, finding I had lost the impetus in my answer. "I can no longer turn away from my Fate."
"Did the augur say anything of worth?"
"The augur said a great deal. I've yet to decide if it was of any worth."
Four of us heard Sirillious's pronouncements, but two of us, Romelda and I, seemed to understand their implications. I had yet to speak of our visit to the augur with my two friends, finding the last words the augur spoke a dark prediction. Twain is the bloodborn . I wanted to think on these words and their implications before I shared them.
"But if what he said was true, I can't ignore it."
Bryra nodded. "In your heart, you already know."
"You know me."
"Maybe too well." She stood aside and welcomed me into the great hall. "Father will be happy to see you."
Thaindrus sat at the far end of the great hall, his enormous chair placed so he stared into the dancing flames. The hall was twice the size of Ironhelm, with a ceiling high enough to touch the stars.
The Huungardred had lived in the wilds of the north before the great war with the Levenian a millennium ago. They'd crafted their own legends of their ancestry, and these tales are deeply intertwined with nature. They believed they emerged from the wilds, embodying the link between nature and humans. They gradually gained wisdom in understanding the complex and delicate balance of nature. And, as nature intended, they were able to communicate their knowledge with humans, enabling them to comprehend and respect the wilds just as profoundly.
Perhaps that was so, but it seemed many had forgotten or no longer cared for their legends and their purported purpose, for they chose to spend a good deal of their time roaming the wilds in their natural form, returning to Droshrar hall at certain times of the year to take part in their yearly celebrations or when called by Thaindrus, but rarely in-between. For some, it made them less willing to accept their half-form and less tolerant of humans, which was a growing concern for Thaindrus.
The echo of my boots reverberated across the hall as I closed the distance to my good friend. He kept his eyes on the fire, looking comfortable but tired. And old. The sight of him wedged a spike through my heart. My guilt seeped out. I should never have left it this long before returning to his hall.
After I had won my place as the head of Ironhelm, I often fled to Droshrar hall, seeking Thaindrus's counsel. It turned out living a long life slowed a man's lust for power, dented the vice of revenge, and gave him much wisdom.
Thaindrus looked from the fire to greet me as I slipped into the large chair placed opposite him. It was so large, when I sat, my feet dangled off the ground, and I had to shuffle backward into it if I wanted to relax against the high-back.
His mouth peeled back into a warm smile, revealing mostly gums on the human side, and dark yellowed fangs on the beast side of his face. Once glistening and lush, his coat of silvery-gray was now dulled to the color of a murky morning mist and lank, as if he'd just come in out of the rain. His eyes were the color of the flames, with the beginning patches of milky-white in the center.
"You look younger by the day," I jested.
He nodded. "You were never a good liar."
He stroked his long nails across the armrest, a habit of his that left deep grooves in the wood.
"Young Razohan, you have been busy."
"As is expected of me."
"Forgive my absence at your feast. I fear my body refuses to move as it once did."
"It's I who should ask forgiveness. It's been too long since I returned to Droshrar."
He waved his hand to dismiss my remark. Only then did I notice the cracks and chips in his long nails.
Wild, fierce, and loyal. These were the three biggest traits of the Huungardred. They valued courage, bravery, and grit in their principal, so overlooked the hereditary line when deciding their next ruler. In his youth, Thaindrus was all these things. I never knew him then, but in old age, he reminded me a lot of my father.
"There is much the young Razohan thinks upon. I see the restlessness in your eyes, the weight bearing on your shoulders."
I nodded as I smiled, knowing a solemn face would disguise nothing from my dear friend.
"Your venturing has sparked rumors across the north."
"I can hold no secrets."
"Everyone in the North has a great deal of interest in what the young Razohan leader does and says. You are very important to all of us. But especially to me."
I leaned forward and took his hand. "As a good friend, your health is especially important to me."
"Do I look that bad?"
"Not for a man of your age."
He chuckled. "Ah," he said, looking across to Bryra, who'd entered the hall, carrying a tray with two large tankards. At the site of them, my mouth watered.
"These days Father speaks long and slow." She smiled. "Perhaps you'll need more than one of these." She handed me a tankard full of warm mead.
Thaindrus accepted his tankard, then waited as Bryra straightened, waited more as she looked down at the two of us. She frowned at her father, then rolled the one eye on the human side of her face.
"Secrets, Father?"
"Men's talk."
"Since when do you shield your gossip?"
"When it's not gossip I speak." He kissed the back of her hand. Releasing it was his signal for her to leave. She huffed but strode across the grand hall, casting me a look over her shoulder as she left. There was once a time when a look like that meant fun and mischief. Not so now, and all I could do was flash a weak smile. She disappeared out into the frigid evening air, sending drifts of new snow inside.
"The Huungardred never waste time on small talk."
I nodded and took a swig of the mead in preparation.
"My time draws near. That I can no longer disguise."
"The Huungardred will deeply mourn your passing. As will I." Already I felt the loss in my heart.
"I must secure my predecessor before then."
"And who do your people choose? Why have this conversation with me?"
Thaindrus glanced over his mead at me.
"You won't name Bryra?"
"I love my daughter very much. And while she is deeply respected amongst my people for her courage and bravery, she does not understand the human realm."
I slowly nodded, staring into my mead, knowing Bryra would be disappointed with this conversation. She'd spent her life preparing to take his place, proving her worth through bravery and ferocity alongside her brethren, hoping they would accept her as their next principal.
"You must know the respect I hold for you?" Thaindrus continued.
"And I you." I shuffled in my seat.
"That is why I wish to name you as principal before the council of elders."
I almost choked on my next swig of mead. "That's too much of an honor you place on me."
His shrewd, flaming eyes leveled on me. "You're struggling to find your excuses."
"I don't believe the Huungardred would accept me over one of their own."
"Are you in such a hurry to distance yourself from your own blood?"
"What? No. Thaindrus. You know how much I honor my connection to the Huungardred. But what of your second? I struggle to understand why you would choose me over your second."
"Malinth is a loyal second. But he is brash, easily offended, and as quick to temper. He does not understand the ways of humans. He would not welcome sitting with the council of the clans. I fear he would provoke unease with the men of the north.
"Long gone are the days when the Huungardred roamed all the north. The coming of man has blunted our rule and shrunk our territory. They are many as we grow less with each decade passing. We need a strong leader, someone cunning, who understands the world of humans and the importance of negotiation if we hope to survive."
The sacrifice of living long lives was their difficulty in birthing children. Only a mere two offspring were ever successfully born to a woman in her extended life, which meant the clans of the north outbred the Huungardred. Slowly human settlements pushed them further north into the deep wilds inhospitable to humans.
I clasped my tankard, feeling his eyes on me as I stared into my mead. My love and respect for him meant I wanted to think hard before I answered. "I am deeply honored. But my fate lies to the south."
"I feared the Nazeen had gotten through to you."
"It has always been my fate. It's only now I accept it."
"Remember, young Razohan, your fate is also our fate. Our destiny is your destiny. Your allegiance is with us. It is our blood in your veins. It is through us you have the power and strength to defeat your enemy in the south."
"I couldn't be prouder than I am carrying the blood of your forefathers. But my blood is also from the Tannard line. Something I can't ignore. The time is coming as the augur foresaw. The Etherweave will rise. With it, King Henricus will seek to destroy me and everyone who calls the north their home."
He banged his fist on his armrest. "Then take your place with the Huungardred as their rightful leader. Lay claim to your heritage, and you shall have a loyal and savage army to face the king when he comes."
"I fear it won't be enough." I sunk into my seat. "You know I've never desired Henricus's throne. My place is here. But I can't deny what I need to do. For the sake of the north. For the sake of the seven realms. You know the Levenians seek the power of the Etherweave. We must ensure it's in our hands if and when they return."
"You're sure these sea people will be a terrible force with the Etherweave in their grasp?"
I stared at him, shocked by what he said. "A millennium is a long time, but you can't have forgotten what they did to the people of Tarragona."
"I do not, young Razohan. But power has a seductive force no matter who wields it."
"You think I'll be no better."
"The line of King Ricaud runs in your veins. He was a good king. You'll be the same. But stay true to those loyal to you. Without friends and allies you are nothing."
I sighed, seeing no way clear of this argument that wouldn't offend my old friend or compromise the certainty I felt for the path I had to take.
"Have you thought about what Malinth would say to this? The council of elders respect his opinion. Do they not?"
"There will be no issue once you take Bryra as your wife."
This time, I choked on my mead.
Thaindrus ignored my spluttering and continued. "An alliance of marriage between a Huungardred and a Razohan will give you the authority you need to take my place. The elders could not refute it. Even Malinth would accept your pledge."
"Thaindrus—"
"Do not be an idiot and tell me you're ignorant of my daughter's feelings toward you."
I nodded. "Aye. I have suspected for a while."
"While we accepted the descendants of King Ricaud's granddaughter as our blood, we have long sought to keep our bloodline pure. But I believe such wisdom will be the death of my people. Your marriage to Bryra will be the survival of my kind, and my people will accept such a marriage. We must strengthen our bloodline through the line of humans."
"I can't speak."
"I have spoken of my plans with Bryra. And she agrees."
I sat forward, my head hung low for all the thoughts it held. "My friend, there will be a way." Still, I didn't look at him. "I know there will be a way to save your people. Please give me time to think."
With the tasks in front of me, now was not the time to take a wife. Had Bryra agreed for the good of her people or because she really loved me? As the Razohan's leader it was expected of me to marry and have children, but I was not prepared to do so without love. A lifetime of respect and companionship, I could bare, but why take only that when there was the possibility of so much more with the right woman.
"I fear I have little time to wait for your answer."
My loyalty to Thaindrus and his people ran as deep as my loyalty to the Razohan. I didn't want to see his people fade from the north, neither did I want to hurt Bryra, but I couldn't say yes.
"You age slowly, old friend. I think you have time for me to find an answer."
"I ask you to save my people, Tamas."
Finally, I lifted my head to meet his eyes. Just as I was about to give him an answer, not one he would like, but one I had to say, Bryra appeared in the doorway.
"Tamas, you have a messenger."
I launched to my feet.
"He's ridden hard."
I placed my tankard on my seat. "Forgive me, Thaindrus." But before I moved for the door, Septus rushed inside.
"My lord," he spluttered, shaking the snow from his head. "The Nazeen has sent news."
I glanced down at Thaindrus, but he kept his eyes on the fire.
"What is it?"
"King Henricus's ship set sail from Merania two days prior."
Prince Juel's bride was on her way. "That's all?"
"Yes, my lord. The Nazeen told me the news was urgent."
"Thank you. You've ridden hard, I see."
"Accept Thaindrus's hospitality for the night," Bryra said.
Already the day had darkened outside, which meant I would go nowhere either. "Go," I said to Septus. "Enjoy Thaindrus's generous hospitality." Then I turned back to Thaindrus.
He flicked his eyes up to meet mine before returning them to the fire. "Nazeen schemes? They never bode well."
"I can't ignore what she says. Neither can I ignore the threat King Henricus poses to all in the north." I moved my tankard and sat on the edge of my seat. "I've made my promise to the Nazeen. I must deal with this new issue. And now I make my promise to you. The Huungardred will never disappear from the north."
Thaindrus rested his tankard in his lap. "A grand promise. How will you keep it?"
That I couldn't say without accepting his request. "I will keep it. But if I fail to keep the House of Tannard from taking the Bone Throne, then any failed promise to you won't matter."