The Dawning of Power

Chapter 8

Without forgetfulness, forgiveness is incomplete. -Amelia Kudara, maidservant

"Do you see that?" Brother Vaughn asked as they walked back from the river.

"I see it," Catrin said as a strange shape flew overhead; it was unlike any bird she'd ever seen.

"The winged foxes are found only here. My uncle brought me here when I was a boy, knowing how much I loved anything that flew, and these were his gift to me. A marvel unlike any other, unique to my homeland."

"They're beautiful," Chase said as another fox leaped an impossible distance between two trees, using its winglike membranes to sail through the air. It was then that Catrin recalled what Brother Vaughn had said about needing a ship where foxes roost, and now she understood his meaning.

Nearby, a violet hummingbird floated around some bushes, looking for one last drink before his migration. Catrin watched him with all her vision, mesmerized by his beauty. He seemed to sense her scrutiny and boldly flew in front of her, weaving back and forth before her face. For a moment she was connected to him, and she lent him energy for the long journey. Extending her hand, she offered a perch, and to everyone's surprise, he landed on her finger, chirped, and momentarily stuck out his translucent, strawlike tongue.

After a brief rest, the bird chirped and seemed to wish them farewell before leaping into the air. He turned and flew straight as an arrow, and Catrin could still sense him long after he was lost from sight, the sensation growing fainter as the distance between them grew.

"That was one of the most remarkable things I've ever seen," Brother Vaughn said. "I've coaxed them with sugar water, but never have I seen one land on a person."

"He sensed me watching him, I think," Catrin said. "When he came to look at me, I offered him a place to rest, and then I lent him energy for his journey."

"Truly astounding," Brother Vaughn said.

When they returned to the cavern, Catrin no longer had to wonder who the intended recipient of Brother Vaughn's message was, for Nora, Kenward, and Fasha Trell waited within, already talking with Benjin. Though Catrin had never met Fasha before, there was no question who she was; the family resemblance was remarkable.

"Good. You've returned," Nora said with a nod. "We've no time to waste. There're still soldiers in these parts, and I want no part of fighting on land."

The greetings were made in haste as everyone scrambled to gather the gear. Catrin felt as if a strong wind were sweeping her away as they marched toward the coast. At the bottom of a rocky ridge, two ships waited in a small cove: the Slippery Eel and the Stealthy Shark.

"When I got Brother Vaughn's message, I knew it was time we did something more," Nora said. "Duty calls us to help in the name of the Vestrana. For many lifetimes the Vestrana has been a useful tool-a convenience-but now it must serve its true purpose. We must help the Herald achieve victory over the madness. I don't need a seer to tell me it's so."

"Thank you, Captain Trell. All of you have my thanks," Catrin said.

"Are you joking?" Kenward said. "Do you think I'd miss the greatest adventure of all? Not me."

Nora smacked him on the back of the head. "You'll behave yourself and follow orders, fool boy."

"Yes, Mother," he said, but then he glanced at Fasha and they grinned at each other.

Nora rolled her eyes. "They'll be the death of me yet," she said. "The real question is how to get to the Firstland. We could spend a lifetime wandering the seas and not find it. What do we know?"

"I've never found anything to prove it," Brother Vaughn said, "but I've always believed the Firstland lies to the south. If we could find the Keys of Terhilian, we would have a much better idea. The old texts say in the great carving of the Terhilian Lovers, the man points to the Firstland and the woman to the Greatland."

"I've always thought the Firstland was to the east," Kenward said. "Past the mountain island and the great shallows."

Fasha scoffed and rolled her eyes.

Nora just shook her head. "I was thinking north, beyond the ice seas. Anyone want to offer up west?" she asked, throwing her hands up in frustration, but an idea began to form in Catrin's mind.

"When hummingbirds migrate, do they make stops along the way?" she asked Brother Vaughn, and Kenward cast her a curious glance.

"If I'm correct, they make the journey in a single flight, as hard as that is to believe. Why do you ask?"

"When we first met, you said you thought the violet hummingbirds migrated to the Godfist, but I'm certain they do not. If they do not migrate to the Godfist, then perhaps they travel to the Firstland."

"How can you be certain? You've not been to every part of the Godfist. Maybe they all go to the eastern or southern coasts," Chase said.

"I'm nearly certain. I can still sense the hummingbird that landed on my finger," Catrin said, and now Nora and Fasha gave her astonished looks. "He grows faint as he gets farther away, but he's that way," she said, pointing, her eyes closed.

"East!" Kenward said, and he did a happy dance that clearly disgusted Fasha.

"I'd say southeast," she said, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Maybe a little south," Kenward conceded, but his grin did not fade.

"I've nothing better to go by. South and east it is," Nora said as they reached the shoreline.

In a wagon loaded with jars of powdered pyre-orchid, Mirta rode through town, trying to avoid the roadways that were still clogged with snow. On the main thoroughfare, the snow was mostly cleared, and she had to guide her mare around only occasional patches of ice. Along the way, she stopped to see Becka, who was now fully recovered. The spread of illness had been staunched, here at least, but Mirta knew many others throughout the Greatland were at risk. Orman wouldn't tell her who had sent the precious flowers, but Mirta had her suspicions. Wilmer and Jidan weren't talking, and Mirta had to admire their ability to keep a secret. She supposed it was a family trait.

What really mattered was that the gift not be wasted. It had taken time to dry and prepare the powder, then months making sure that the sick were truly cured. Now she knew she could wait no more. In the harshness of winter, there would be many in need. For them, Mirta was leaving her home, her loved ones, what seemed her entire life. Suisa could tend to those she left behind; she was a skilled woman with a kindly manner. Still, Mirta's heart ached as she released herself from responsibility to home and opened herself to responsibility to everyone.

With a wave to the crowd that had gathered to see her off, despite the cold, Mirta chirruped and slapped the leather lines across her mare's rump.

As the seasons passed, a new sort of normality set in, Rolph Tillerman did as he and his ancestors always had: he worked the land. His efforts provided food for his family and for others around him, but lately his labors seemed almost a waste of time, a poor attempt at keeping starvation at bay. Jessub was a growing boy, but he was not ready to take his place as the man of the farm, and Rolph began to question how much longer he would be able to hold up under the physical strains of his labors. His father had always said that farming was the work of a young man; teaching that young man to farm was the job of his father. Martik. If only he were here to raise Jessub, to teach him all the lessons he would need to survive, then things would be better.

"I'm just too old," Rolph said to himself as the pain in his back escalated from a dull ache to a sharp, stabbing pain. Forced to admit he could no more, Rolph held a hand to his back and walked slowly to the cottage where Collette waited, her hands on her hips.

"Didn' I tell ya no' to work yerself t'death?" she asked. "Better to git a little done each day, I says, an' then a little more the next. That's what I says, an' look at ya. Come on now. Git in here and let me git a look at ya. Foolish old man."

As Rolph settled himself in the most comfortable position he could, he stayed quiet while his wife lovingly massaged his aching muscles and lectured him about being more careful and listening to her. Rolph closed his eyes and let himself relax. At least some things in his world remained the same. That realization gave him hope. Somehow he would find a way to make things right.

A moment later, though, Jessub charged into the cottage, the door slamming behind him, which was something he'd been scolded about far too many times. Covered in mud, cuts, and scrapes, he looked the part of a scamp, especially with the broad grin on his face. "Gramma, Grampa," he said, "look what I caught!" He held up a small, lizardlike animal that still squirmed in his hand.

"I don't care what it is," Collette said, immediately shuffling the boy back outside. "I want it out o' my house, and yer not t'come back in 'til yer stripped and washed. Understood?"

"Yes, Gramma," he said, and though his eyes were cast downward for a moment, in the next he was running back to the mud hole, presumably in search of more salamanders. "That boy'll be the death o' me yet."

Rolph just shook his head and sighed.

Staring at the endless waves, Catrin wondered if she would ever see land again. Having long since lost contact with the hummingbird, she was no longer so certain of their course, and they had seen nothing for months-no fish, no birds, nothing but deep water.

Kenward stood nearby watching the Stealthy Shark as she slowed and turned. "What is that woman up to this time?" he said, but then came the mirror flashes, and he cursed. "Prepare to board the Shark. She's wounded and we must capture the crew."

Catrin sighed. Nora never stopped. Rather than simply sail, the entire trip was transformed into a training exercise. Each drill brought new challenges, and Catrin was certain this one would as well. The races and some of the maneuvers had been exciting and even fun, but boardings were brutal. Only practice weapons were used, but they left everyone bruised and welted, not to mention exhausted.

"They've beaten us back twice already," Kenward said. "And they've taken us twice. No mistakes. No mercy. If my mother or sister leave an opening, take it, or they will humiliate you. Trust me on this. Leave them welted and bruised at the end of this day, and there'll be more racing than boarding for the next week."

The crew readied themselves, rallied by his words. Catrin felt her heart pounding, and she gathered her will, wanting to avenge Kenward's losses and her own. His eye was still blackened from a punch his own mother had landed. Strom had already "killed" Catrin by sneaking up on her and hitting her across the back with the flat of his sword. Benjin had forced her to submit twice without ever hitting her. Holding her corner of the boarding net, she waited for Kenward's command, ready to fight.

At ramming speed, he sailed without wavering.

"What's that boilin' maniac doing?" Fasha shouted. "Raise the-"

"Hold!" Nora said. "Not yet. Stand ready to be boarded. Take no prisoners," she added with a pointed glance at Benjin.

"He's gonna sink both of us," Fasha said but remained at her post. The Slippery Eel charged through the waves as Kenward used every trick he knew to get speed. The crew moved without hesitation, despite what were obviously ludicrous orders. "How does he get his crew to go along with his crazy ideas?"

"They believe in him," Nora said. "Fools and dreamers they may be, but somehow they make it work."

"Kenward will come for mother and me," Fasha said. "He'll be seeking revenge. I'm certain of it."

"Chase and Catrin will come for me… together I think," Benjin said.

"Do you think our plan is gonna work?" Strom asked.

"They'll never see it coming," Fasha said. Nora remained silent, anxiously watching the Slippery Eel's daring approach. "Stand ready to repel!" she said as the Eel executed a turn that left it coming toward the Shark sideways, driving a wall of water before it. "Brace yourselves!"

Atop the Eel's wake, the Shark heaved and rolled, her decks thrown far from the Eel's.

"Hold!" Kenward's shout carried above the roaring water. As the Shark rolled on the receding wave, it came back closer to the Eel. Sliding down in the water, her decks dropped below the Eel's. "Now!" came Kenward's command.

Howling like animals, his crew attacked. Catrin and Chase moved toward Benjin, who looked up to see if Osbourne and Strom were in place. Taking a deep breath, he bent his knees. Fasha bounced lightly on the balls of her feet, swaying back and forth like a panther waiting to strike. She gave him a nod. The bait was ready, the trap set.

Catrin gained the Shark's deck before anyone else and ran, growling, at Benjin. His eyes met hers, daring her to take him. Chase caught up to her and charged alongside. Kenward roared like a madman as he charged Fasha and Nora. "Now!" he yelled only an instant before Benjin did the same.

Using all the quickness and agility she possessed, Catrin turned sharply and rolled. Rising up, she used her momentum to hurl her sword at Strom. Chase executed a similar maneuver, though all Catrin saw was a blur of limbs beside her. With a loud crack, Catrin's sword landed across the backs of Strom's hands, making him lose his grip on the net he held. Chase's sword struck Osbourne so violently, he fell from the rigging, cursing. Their net fell harmlessly to the deck, their trap sprung.

Kenward caught Benjin off his guard and smacked him across the chest with the flat of his blade. Fasha went down in a heap under Bryn, who dropped from the rigging. "Dead!" he yelled. Nora watched it all with an air of detachment, but that changed when Catrin slid across the deck into the backs of her knees. Grabbing Chase's sword as she passed it, Catrin rolled herself in position to stab Nora. "Dead!" she shouted.

"Dead!"

"Dead!" came the call across the deck, and nearly two-thirds of the Shark's crew was down.

"Advantage Kenward," Nora said as Catrin helped her rise. Kenward smiled as he helped his sister from the deck.

"Good fight, Sis."

"Good fight."

"You're a madman, Kenward," Nora said, "but somehow you inspire those around you to equal madness. I'd never have expected Catrin to take me down, nor Bryn Fasha, but you gave them heart and courage. I'm proud of you and your crew. Now get your ship away from the Shark before you sink us all."

Fasha made a disgusted sound in her throat and rolled her eyes.

"Aw, now don't be sore because you lost, Sis."

"Next time," she said. "No mercy. No prisoners."

"Next time," he said, grinning. "Thanks, Mom. See you soon!"

"Fool boy."

Victory greatly improved the mood aboard the Slippery Eel, and Kenward gathered everyone at the prow. "The words my mother said today were neither trivial nor easily earned. Today you made my mother proud of me, and I thank you for that," he said, a catch in his voice and a tear in his eye. "You made me proud, and you gave Fasha and my mother reason to respect and fear you. You're actually starting to frighten me a little."

Laughter helped ease the tension, and Catrin began to see the wisdom of Nora's drills. Rather than letting the crews consider the unlikelihood of finding the Firstland or worry over the shortage of food, she kept them busy, honing their skills, while developing teamwork and camaraderie.

Everyone turned when, across the water, sounds of celebration came from the Stealthy Shark. "Seafloor ahead!" the lookout called an instant later. "Land ho!"

Still distant on the horizon, a dark smudge rose above the waterline. Like a bastion of hope, it drew them on. Ahead, dark water suddenly changed to azure, and sandy, white bottom came into view. Mirror flashes flew between the ships, and Kenward paced impatiently. "Drop anchor."

"What?" Chase asked. "Why are we stopping?"

"Mother fears the shallows. She says we'll run aground if we enter now. These are tidal waters, and she wants to wait for the full moon."

"That'll be weeks from now," Chase said, dismayed.

"True, but there should be an abundance of sea life along the shelf. We'll fish and eat whatever we can catch. We can't load our holds; that would only put us lower in the water and increase the risk of running aground. We'll have to do that when we reach the other side."

"How far across is it?" Catrin asked.

"I wish I knew; that would make convincing Mother to move on much easier, but not knowing, I can't argue her logic. Waiting for the full moon will give us the greatest chance of survival. If we were to get caught by receding tides, we could get stuck, at the very least, but more likely, we'd be sunk. For now, we wait."

"I bet we can catch more fish than they can," Chase said, grinning. Kenward grinned back and used his mirror to issue the challenge.

"We'll eat good tonight," Chase whispered to Catrin with a wink.

In the darkness, Prios climbed. With no light to guide him, he could rely only on the senses his power provided. Climbing without sight, that most primal sense, was disorienting and more terrifying than anything he had ever imagined. The only consolation was that he could not perceive the heights from which he perilously hung.

On his back was an empty pack, meant only to secure his goal. He had no food or water to sustain him, and Prios knew that he could waste no time. Each moment his death became more likely, and he bit his lip as he continued to climb.

When at last he reached an opening in the face of the mountain, Prios was overcome by a sense of foreboding. The hairs on his arms and neck stood straight, and sweat began to seep into his eyes. Within the mountain, he sensed massive life, both vibrant and deadly. His life now hung on an assumption. If these beasts were not truly dormant at night, then he would most likely be dead within moments.

Before he lost his courage, he took a step into the massive stone chamber. Though he could not see its vastness, he could feel it. Pockets of life could be felt all around, but one in particular drew Prios closer. No attack came, but he wondered if he was simply being toyed with, being made to believe he could succeed in such an audacious theft only to be torn to shreds before he could make good his escape.

When he reached an area where the life force around him was divided into many smaller entities, he tried to ignore the fact that he sensed one massive entity behind all the smaller ones. Prios froze and remained as still as a stone, his hair, once again, standing on end. Overwhelmed by the sensation that something was watching him, waiting for him to make his fatal mistake, he waited and prayed.

Unable to bear the suspense any longer, he reached out and laid his hands on a warm and smooth shell. Perhaps it was his imagination that caused the shadows to shift and swirl, but it caused him to pause for a moment, and as he did, his senses perceived something. Amid all the small life forces around him, one stood out. Though it emitted no light, Prios could feel the power. A smile formed on his lips, as he realized that this was his opportunity to give Archmaster Belegra exactly what he had asked for and, at the same time, give him something that may be beyond his ability to control.

As soon as his hands touched the shell, he felt the shadows move again, and he could no longer deny his fear. With the speed of desperation, he put the egg in his pack and secured it on his back before running back to the cavern entrance. Without his sight, he was unprepared for such speed, and a protruding piece of rock sent him sprawling, nearly sending him tumbling into the open air. With only a hand's width of stone ledge behind him, Prios checked to be certain the egg was still whole. It could have been a freak wind, but he thought he felt hot breath on his neck, and he needed no urging to begin his descent. With his eyes squeezed shut, he lowered himself over the ledge and waited for powerful jaws to close around him.

Pressed against his back, the egg in his pack shifted, and Prios sensed awareness. As he moved to the next toehold, a name floated into his mind like something from a dream: Kyrien.

Having eaten more types of seafood than she had ever imagined existed, from armored skate to monstrous crabs-they seemed to catch some of everything-Catrin longed for a steak or a piece of bacon. Grubb identified some fish that were unsafe to eat and a few more he wasn't certain about; those were thrown back. It seemed a harmless practice at first, but staying in one place surrounded by bleeding fish turned out to be a mistake.

Dorsal fins the size of mainsails jutted from the water and circled the ship. Catrin and Chase stood at the gunwales, watching the terrifying display. Deep booms reverberated through the ships as the massive predators inspected them by bumping into them. Jarred by the impacts, Catrin watched in horror as dark shadows glided through the water with amazing speed and grace. She prayed they would go away.

Seabirds, also drawn by the chance for an easy meal, gathered around what remained of the discarded fish. In a moment that would forever be burned into Catrin's memory, one of the giant sharks leaped from the water, jaws agape, and took a mouthful of seabirds with it before crashing back into the water with a mighty impact. Seeing the agility of such large and dangerous creatures made Catrin feel small and vulnerable, yet she could not look away, held in thrall by their terrifying beauty.

With such danger in the waters, fishing efforts were curtailed. After moving to deeper water, both crews spent time simply resting and hoping the sharks did not return.

Along with the full moon came more than a dozen comets, their combined light creating a dreamlike landscape. Uncertainty gnawed at both crews as they entered the shallows, not knowing if they would ever escape.

Even when she was not on duty, Catrin kept watch; underwater hills and barely submerged islands threatened them at every moment. When the way ahead became too difficult to gauge, men were sent out in boats to check the depth and find safe passage. Using a weight tied to a long length of rope, they quickly made measurements. Markings on the rope indicated the safe level, and too many times that marker was near the surface.

Despite the danger, they had to concentrate on their task, for wondrous sights abounded, threatening to draw the attention of those on watch. During Catrin's off-duty watches, she occasionally let herself become absorbed in the beauty of the strange place. Colorful fish darted around equally colorful reefs. Flights of manta rays, each wider than the ships were long, glided through the water, looking as if they were flying.

As they moved farther into the shallows, small islands dotted the horizon, providing additional navigational challenges. The mountain was still distant, but it became ever more intimidating as it grew closer.

It was shocking to see life take hold in such a bizarre place, but there were islands covered with trees and bushes, and the waters around them teemed with creatures. The trees' branches harbored birds, snakes, frogs, and even crabs. Snakes moved from island to island, skimming the surface with their serpentine movements.

Beyond a cluster of islands, they reached a place where no land broke the surface and the waters became a bit deeper. Here grew trees like nothing any of them had ever seen before. Stiltlike root systems extended to the seafloor and kept the trunks above water. Encased in delicate crystals, the bark and leaves danced in the light. Given the robust green color of the leaves and their strong energy fields, Catrin guessed this was a normal condition rather than some bizarre ailment.

"Are those what I think they are?" Brother Vaughn asked Kenward.

"I'm not sure what kind of trees they are, but they certainly are remarkable."

Fasha brought the Stealthy Shark in close, and Benjin shouted across the distance, "Could those really be saltbark trees I see?"

"I think you're right," Brother Vaughn shouted back. "Saltbark is a precious remedy told of only in legend," he said to Kenward. "Can we send a boat in to investigate?"

"We can't afford to waste any time," Kenward said. "If you go, you must not fall behind. Any delay could cost us our lives. Are you certain a few leaves are worth the risk?"

"It was said to cure ailments with no other known remedy. It can cure blindness in some cases; it can be used to treat poisonous snakebites, jellyfish and ray stings, and I'm certain there are other things I've forgotten."

"It's your skin you'll be risking. I'll not stand in your way."

After a brief discussion with Benjin, Brother Vaughn asked that they lower a boat. "We can pick up Benjin since he is most interested in the trees, and we'll harvest what we can as quickly as we can. You'll not have to wait on us," he promised. Kenward assigned crewmembers to man the oars, and Catrin stepped in front of him.

"I'm going," she said.

"Too dangerous."

"I'm going." He tried to speak a couple of times, but then seemed to reconsider, and he stepped aside, allowing her to climb down. Brother Vaughn came next, loaded with empty sacks. Bryn and Farsy manned the oars. Catrin released her oars from the locks and tried to match their strokes. Soon they skimmed across the relatively still waters. Benjin boarded with excitement in his eyes, and they worked together to get out in front of both ships.

"We can harvest until the Eel reaches us, and then we'll need to get back. No sense taking unnecessary chances," Benjin said.

Feeling as if she were in another world, Catrin watched the surreal landscape slide by. Saltbark trees, most widely spaced, seemed to prefer isolation, but not far in the distance stood a cluster of trees separated by only narrow channels.

Benjin guided them toward it. "Be careful. We've no idea what might be hiding within the branches. All we need are the leaves. Try not to pick any area bare."

When they reached the first tree, Catrin could hardly believe her eyes. Each deep green leaf was encased in a delicate frosting of nearly identical crystals. Reaching out, she pinched a stem, and the leaf came off easily in her hand. Holding it up to the light, it cast rainbows across her palm. Knowing they had only a limited time to harvest, she got busy picking leaves.

Despite Benjin's warnings, she became careless in her haste and yanked her hand back with a sudden intake of breath when a coiled snake hissed from behind the foliage. Their wariness renewed, they moved from tree to tree, crabs scattering as they approached. A small lizard fell into the boat, and Catrin climbed as far atop the gunwales as she could. Benjin used a gloved hand to return it to the trees, and only then did Catrin return to her seat.

Casting a sidelong glance at the ships, Benjin declared it time they return.

"Wait," Catrin said, seeing a flash of movement within the trees. "Did you see that?"

"I didn't see anything," Benjin said, and everyone else shook their heads. Still Catrin watched the trees and jumped when a green-haired dryad peeked around her tree. Coated in the same sparkling crystals, her hair gleamed. Her eyes shone with life and curiosity. Longingly, the dryad stretched her hands out toward Catrin, who wished she could ask them to turn back.

"Is something wrong, li'l miss?"

"No," she said, unsure why she was reluctant to share what she had seen. It just seemed too private, and she would respect the dryad she longed to embrace.