King of Sword and Sky
Page 82
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Rain moved forward, open palms lifted in a gesture of peace. "Marissya is right. There will be no Truthspeaking here tonight. Ellysetta Feyreisa has come to Dharsa. Marissya Shei'dalin bears Tairen Soul young." The faint glitter in the lavender gaze that swept across the faces of the Massan turned his next calm, smiling words to warning. "If there must be Challenge, let it come tomorrow. Tonight is a night for joy."
After a brief silence, Tenn bowed his head. "Of course, Feyreisen." He held out a wrist to his shei'tani and gestured for Rain and Ellysetta to lead the way.
The celebration that ensued throughout Dharsa lasted long into the night. The entire city lit up after sunset as Fire spells turned Dharsa's fountains and waterfalls into cascading rainbows of light, and garden paths shimmered with dancing fairy flies. Intoxicating fragrance filled the air, turning each breath into a perfumed delight. And everywhere, Fey voices rose in joy as the Shining Folk danced and sang.
In the palace, the Massan and their mates joined Marissya, Dax, Rain, and Ellysetta at the head table for a grand feast extravagant even by Fey measure. When the meal was over, Ellysetta's lu'tans took the floor, daggers in hand, to perform the fierce warriors' blade dance called the Cha Baruk, the Dance of Knives. Thousands of razor-sharp Fey'cha flew from shining hands, flashing like arcs of silver lightning across the circles of dancing, weaving warriors until, with a final fierce shout, the Fey'cha flashed back to their sheaths, and the warriors' struck a final, triumphant pose. The crowd erupted into cheers and applause. As the lu'tans made their way back to their seats, a gentler music began to play. Rain held out his wrist to Ellysetta and they made their way to the dance floor to lead hundreds of mates in the beautiful, courtly steps of the Felah Baruk, the Dance of Life, better known to the mortal world as the Fey Dance of joy.
And all through the night, until the celebrations finally came to an end at the break of dawn, a never-ending stream of Fey approached Ellysetta, not just to ask for her blessing but also to offer their thanks for the return of the sons, brothers, and beloved warriors so nearly lost to shadow.
Chapter fourteen
The Fading Lands ~ Dharsa
Ellysetta and Rain were awakened at midmorning by a large white paw poking through the open arches of their bedroom suite. The paw batted at the edges of their bed, nearly dumping them both to the floor. «Steli is knocking, Ellysetta-kitling. Come. Come. Time to sing pride greetings to Shei'Kess.»
Rain swore and threw a pillow at the great cat, but Ellysetta only laughed. "Thank you for knocking, Steli-chakai."
The paw withdrew, and mischievous, chuffing tairen laughter wafted in. Air whooshed, and a dull thud rattled the chandelier as the tairen jumped up onto the palace roof. Moments later, a trio of loud roars broke the sleeping city's silence.
Rain swore again and put a hand to his head. "She thinks she's being funny."
Ellysetta snickered. "She is being funny. If you hadn't drunk so much pinalle last night, you'd think so too." Much to Ellie's mortification, Marissya and Dax had let slip the truth of the dreadful keflee-and-pinalle-induced Spirit weave she'd spun on Celieria's royal court, and some wicked Fey (Ellie's coin was on Gaelen) had promptly produced numerous cases of the blue Celierian wine. Though Ellysetta had adamantly refused to imbibe, Rain had drunk countless toasts to the health and fertility of his mated friends and was now paying the price. He deserved his pounding head for trying to get her drunk and lusty, but when he groaned again she took pity on him and spun a small healing weave.
By the time they finished dressing and made their way to the tairen courtyard, a small crowd had gathered, including Marissya, Dax, and Ellysetta's new quintet. Rain was less pleased to see the Massan among them as well.
Steli wasn't pleased either. The white tairen leapt down from the golden roof into the grassy courtyard, forcing the Massan and other Fey to step back. She bared her fangs and growled in tairen song: «Pride-song is for pride only, Rainier-Eras. These Fey-kin are not welcome.»
"The tairen say you must wait here," Rain told the other Fey.
As Rain, Ellysetta, and Steli passed through the archway that led to the enormous, carved doors of the Hall of Tairen, Marissya turned to her truemate. Her eyes were filled with wonder. "I heard them, Dax. I heard their tairen song. Or rather, our child did, and I through him." She clutched Dax's arm, her fingers digging deep. "Dax, beloved, it's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard. As if the stars themselves were singing."
Fahreeta, who had started to follow Steli, now stopped and turned back to pad towards Marissya and Dax. «The kitling's song is strong. He is powerful tairen. Grows well to hear our song so soon.» The golden cat lowered her head to nudge Marissya's belly gently with her nose. «Pride-greetings, kitling. Sing Fahreeta your pride-name.»
The response was a gathering of power, a strange, electric feeling deep in Marissya's womb that tingled and pushed against her from the inside out. Tiny, frenetic little flutters danced across her belly like fairy-flies playing in the evening grass. And then…small as a sigh, but very distinct, the bright notes of the baby's song formed a single shining word: «Keralas.»
Marissya clutched Dax's hand to her belly. "His name is Keralas, shei'tan. Our child's tairen name is Keralas."
«A good name. Very strong. The tairen Keralas who lived before was mighty hunter. Fierce defender of his pride.» Fahreeta's whirling eyes bathed Marissya in a warm green glow. «You give the kitling a Fey-kin name, little mother, and by that name he will be known. Only to the pride will he be Keralas.»
After a brief silence, Tenn bowed his head. "Of course, Feyreisen." He held out a wrist to his shei'tani and gestured for Rain and Ellysetta to lead the way.
The celebration that ensued throughout Dharsa lasted long into the night. The entire city lit up after sunset as Fire spells turned Dharsa's fountains and waterfalls into cascading rainbows of light, and garden paths shimmered with dancing fairy flies. Intoxicating fragrance filled the air, turning each breath into a perfumed delight. And everywhere, Fey voices rose in joy as the Shining Folk danced and sang.
In the palace, the Massan and their mates joined Marissya, Dax, Rain, and Ellysetta at the head table for a grand feast extravagant even by Fey measure. When the meal was over, Ellysetta's lu'tans took the floor, daggers in hand, to perform the fierce warriors' blade dance called the Cha Baruk, the Dance of Knives. Thousands of razor-sharp Fey'cha flew from shining hands, flashing like arcs of silver lightning across the circles of dancing, weaving warriors until, with a final fierce shout, the Fey'cha flashed back to their sheaths, and the warriors' struck a final, triumphant pose. The crowd erupted into cheers and applause. As the lu'tans made their way back to their seats, a gentler music began to play. Rain held out his wrist to Ellysetta and they made their way to the dance floor to lead hundreds of mates in the beautiful, courtly steps of the Felah Baruk, the Dance of Life, better known to the mortal world as the Fey Dance of joy.
And all through the night, until the celebrations finally came to an end at the break of dawn, a never-ending stream of Fey approached Ellysetta, not just to ask for her blessing but also to offer their thanks for the return of the sons, brothers, and beloved warriors so nearly lost to shadow.
Chapter fourteen
The Fading Lands ~ Dharsa
Ellysetta and Rain were awakened at midmorning by a large white paw poking through the open arches of their bedroom suite. The paw batted at the edges of their bed, nearly dumping them both to the floor. «Steli is knocking, Ellysetta-kitling. Come. Come. Time to sing pride greetings to Shei'Kess.»
Rain swore and threw a pillow at the great cat, but Ellysetta only laughed. "Thank you for knocking, Steli-chakai."
The paw withdrew, and mischievous, chuffing tairen laughter wafted in. Air whooshed, and a dull thud rattled the chandelier as the tairen jumped up onto the palace roof. Moments later, a trio of loud roars broke the sleeping city's silence.
Rain swore again and put a hand to his head. "She thinks she's being funny."
Ellysetta snickered. "She is being funny. If you hadn't drunk so much pinalle last night, you'd think so too." Much to Ellie's mortification, Marissya and Dax had let slip the truth of the dreadful keflee-and-pinalle-induced Spirit weave she'd spun on Celieria's royal court, and some wicked Fey (Ellie's coin was on Gaelen) had promptly produced numerous cases of the blue Celierian wine. Though Ellysetta had adamantly refused to imbibe, Rain had drunk countless toasts to the health and fertility of his mated friends and was now paying the price. He deserved his pounding head for trying to get her drunk and lusty, but when he groaned again she took pity on him and spun a small healing weave.
By the time they finished dressing and made their way to the tairen courtyard, a small crowd had gathered, including Marissya, Dax, and Ellysetta's new quintet. Rain was less pleased to see the Massan among them as well.
Steli wasn't pleased either. The white tairen leapt down from the golden roof into the grassy courtyard, forcing the Massan and other Fey to step back. She bared her fangs and growled in tairen song: «Pride-song is for pride only, Rainier-Eras. These Fey-kin are not welcome.»
"The tairen say you must wait here," Rain told the other Fey.
As Rain, Ellysetta, and Steli passed through the archway that led to the enormous, carved doors of the Hall of Tairen, Marissya turned to her truemate. Her eyes were filled with wonder. "I heard them, Dax. I heard their tairen song. Or rather, our child did, and I through him." She clutched Dax's arm, her fingers digging deep. "Dax, beloved, it's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard. As if the stars themselves were singing."
Fahreeta, who had started to follow Steli, now stopped and turned back to pad towards Marissya and Dax. «The kitling's song is strong. He is powerful tairen. Grows well to hear our song so soon.» The golden cat lowered her head to nudge Marissya's belly gently with her nose. «Pride-greetings, kitling. Sing Fahreeta your pride-name.»
The response was a gathering of power, a strange, electric feeling deep in Marissya's womb that tingled and pushed against her from the inside out. Tiny, frenetic little flutters danced across her belly like fairy-flies playing in the evening grass. And then…small as a sigh, but very distinct, the bright notes of the baby's song formed a single shining word: «Keralas.»
Marissya clutched Dax's hand to her belly. "His name is Keralas, shei'tan. Our child's tairen name is Keralas."
«A good name. Very strong. The tairen Keralas who lived before was mighty hunter. Fierce defender of his pride.» Fahreeta's whirling eyes bathed Marissya in a warm green glow. «You give the kitling a Fey-kin name, little mother, and by that name he will be known. Only to the pride will he be Keralas.»
