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Monday, March 19, 2012
Friday, March 9, 2012
Mirror Song: Chapter Three
Queyanna was already inspecting the horses when Rhiona
approached the group.
Rhiona sensed the horse’s apprehension. She reached out to
him and gently stroked his face. Her inner-song also reached out and touched
his. The notes blended in a song of tranquility, where the meadows were green
and the grasses sweet. It soothed the beast. Within moments, the gelding
relaxed under her touch.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw that Queyanna was
doing the same thing to a cream drafts hitched to the wagon. Her daughter also
had the gift to speak with horses, a long standing tradition in their family.
She felt pride at knowing her daughter was so proficient at it, maybe even more
so than her.
Rhiona noticed Ean watching them, though mostly watching
her. She showed him her back as she joined Queyanna in soothing the other
horses. The rest of the Fostering Group continued to pack the wagon and tie
their bags to their respective saddles.
Once everyone was ready, Rhiona offered a few words. “We
are about to embark on a new mission, one more dangerous than previously
thought.” A brief glance at Ean was enough to explain why. “The people of this
world do not realize the threat they pose on themselves and their world as they
stretch the limits of their Order and Chaos magics. It will be up to us to
teach them to curve their appetite for one or the other to achieve a balance.
In that, I hope they will understand the benefits and let go of their
traditions to embrace new ones. We must be their example in everything we do.
Our inner-song must be strong that they may blend with theirs to show them a
better way to live. In so doing, we will release their dependence on such
corrosive magic-practices that they may become something more. Hopefully, this
will entice them to accept their greatest potential as a people and a world and
embrace Transcendence. Doing this will cause us to expand our own measure and
grow stronger in Harmony.”
She looked at the younger faces surrounding her—those who
had only a few missions under their belt versus those only beginning their
calling as a soldier of Harmony. There was so much potential in each of them,
just as there was potential for this world to achieve Transcendence. “I won’t
lie to you and tell you this will be easy. In fact, it will try you more than
anything else ever has. But the rewards when your charges accept harmony into
their lives will outweigh everything else. You will experience a fullness of
heart and know your struggles and trials were well worth the effort. So prepare
yourselves for the challenges ahead, but never lose hope. Keep your eyes
focused to the skies and remember you are part of a great universal
consciousness. You are one with Harmony.”
The little speech seemed to bolster the Fostering Group’s
mood, as she had hoped. Such speeches were common when embarking on a new
mission, but not always effective. Thankfully, this one was.
Ean stood nearby with arms crossed. Despite putting him on
the spot during the speech, he was gracious enough to help her up onto the
wagon bench. However, he gave her backside a good smack before it hit the seat,
which caught the attention of several people in the Fostering Group.
She scowled up at him.
He jumped down and walked away with a smirk.
The edge to her anger faded when she watched him help the
other men load the last items onto the wagon. Under the blazing sun, he began
to sweat immediately which made his tunic cling to his muscular form. She found
herself envying that tunic.
Queyanna wiped her forehead with her handkerchief and
mounted an elegant brown.
He climbed over to the wagon bench and grabbed the reins.
“It’s not as comfortable as a coach, but I have plenty of water and the cooler
prairie lands are not far.”
Rhiona edged over in the bench to give him room, feeling
like a young maiden once more. The glance he gave her told her he was looking
forward to this as well.
Their brief reverie was interrupted when Queyanna
injected, “I’ll drive.”
Before either Rhiona or Ean could object, her daughter was
off the brown and stepping onto the wagon. Rhiona had hoped that after all
these years her daughter would accept their relationship. Clearly, she had not
and it wasn’t just because it was against the rules. Queyanna didn’t approve of
Ean.
Queyanna handed him the reins to the brown. “You can ride
this one, Scout.”
Irritation punctuated each inflection of his words when he
replied, “Yes, Admiral.” He jumped down and mounted the brown.
Queyanna did love her uncle, but there was the past she
wouldn’t let go of. Rhiona didn’t understand why her daughter held onto the
past with such determination. Queyanna’s father had done terrible things to
both of them, but that didn’t mean her daughter was defined by it. There was so
much potential there, but Queyanna didn’t see it. Like her father, she was a
perfectionist. Failure wasn’t an option.
Rhiona regularly reminded Queyanna to be patient and kind
to herself. These were traits important to have if she were to ever become an
ambassador like her. But it didn’t seem to matter. Her daughter had her own way
of doing things, things that got her into trouble. Rhiona tried not to think of
that, as well as the intergalactic professorship she had forfeited in order to
save Queyanna from a terrible situation that changed both of their lives. She
didn’t mind helping her daughter, but her life seemed like one long string of
sacrifices where she got the short end of the stick.
Ean’s expression was stoic, but under that reserve she
could see the regret. He adored Queyanna, had spoiled her when she was a child,
and gave her all his attention whenever he was at home between missions. And
she seemed to adore her uncle as well. There were even times when all was quiet
and the three of them sat together under the stars that their inner-songs
blended so well one would think they were a family and that Ean was the
patriarch. But sadly, he wasn’t. That time of bliss ended abruptly too, when Markham appeared and saw
how close his brother had gotten to his family. His jealousy tore the family
apart and further scarred Ean who then withdrew from society and gave himself
entirely to his work to the point of being a recluse.
Queyanna’s chiding voice cut through her thoughts,
speaking in her mind. “Mama, this is the last place you and Uncle Ean should
be reminiscing.” Her expression remained impassive, but the tone of
her thoughts to her mother cut deep. “Someone is bound to have noticed the
portal-jump variance, and I don’t want our hosts suspecting any romantic
ties between you and Uncle Ean. They will claim subterfuge, like Gelone.”
Rhiona felt her face flush. “Gelone was the direct
result of a corrupt politician wanting to use Harmony Magic to gain an
advantage over his rival. It had nothing to do with my relationship with Ean.”
Queyanna argued, “We can’t afford another mistake,
Mama. This Fostering Group is already getting too much flack for our low effective
rate. If we don’t return with a Recommendation for Transcendence for this
planet, my days as a Fosterer will be over and your reputation will be in a
sink hole.”
Rhiona shot Queyanna a glare. “You think I don’t know
that? I wasn’t just hatched yesterday.” Her daughter was about to say
something, but stopped her by declaring, “We better move on before we
experience more discord from the warring factions.”
Ean nodded, nudged his horse and took the lead.
The entire entourage rode across red rocky terrain where
the dirt was dry and hard for hours. Canyon after canyon, it all looked the
same. Rhiona had never liked the desert, unlike Ean who found it fascinating.
It amazed her how they could be such opposites and yet love each other so
passionately.
The sun bore down on her, enough that her robes became a
second skin. The red rocks and sand eventually gave way to sage and prairie
grasses. When they reached a stream, they stopped.
Ean dismounted and then helped Rhiona down. He handed her
a clean handkerchief, which she made good use of around her neck and on her
face.
The rest of the Fostering Group took the opportunity to
let their horses drink from the stream and to spread out some food for lunch.
Rhiona handed the handkerchief back to Ean. “Thank you.”
He winked and untied his canteen that he then handed to
her. “Drink this.”
She also hadn’t noticed how dry her mouth had gotten.
Gladly, she accepted the canteen and took several long pulls of the clean harmonized
water. Even as it touched her lips, she felt her body renewed. “How is it that
you know what I need exactly when I need it?”
With a lopsided smile, he leaned close and whispered,
“Because I take care of my baby.”
His bravado made her chuckle. She handed him the canteen,
which he accepted and drank from as well. Watching him retie the canteen to his
saddle, she realized he was right. He had always taken care of her. Even when
he wasn’t around he made sure she was cared for. She might feel lonely for him
or resented the fact he loved his work at times more than her, but he almost
never failed to be there when she needed him. Almost. The one time she needed
him most, he was gone. But it was her fault, after all. She was the one who had
abandoned him first. A question burned in her mind, one she had to voice. “Why
did I ever let you go?”
The question caught him off guard. He paused at the
saddle, thought for a bit and then asked in a low voice, “Does it matter now?”
He rested his hand on the saddle and turned to her. “I could blame my brother
for going to the High Council to petition them to switch our link from me to
him, but I won’t. I could blame the Council for trying to manipulate me into
giving up my work with technology without magic, but I won’t. I could even
blame you for not believing in me, but I won’t. The truth is it doesn’t matter
anymore. Our souls merged once, and I still carry that with me, but that is in
the past.”
Her eyes burned. Didn’t he realize she did believe in him
now? “So all this flirting is just a passing fancy?” Bitterly, she added, “You
know what? Don’t answer that.”
She turned to walk away, but he grabbed her hand and
pulled her close, completely disregarding protocols. Typical Ean.
“It’s more than that and you know it,” he said for only
her to hear. “I love you, that hasn’t changed. What I meant was that I can’t
change the past. I can only look to the future.”
“And what future is that?” She looked up at him, afraid of
the answer but needing it anyway.
His features softened as he touched her face. “A future
where no one will ever question my claim to you and you will be mine and only
mine.”
The blatant declaration was shocking and insolent, as well
as exciting. “Truly? This is what you wish for?” she whispered.
His fingers ran along her jaw to her lips. He leaned
closer, his eyes half closed, as though preparing for a kiss. He stopped short
of her mouth and breathed, “Yes.”
She could almost taste him through that warm rush of air,
even feel his tongue probing and exploring her mouth. She wanted it, needed
it.
“Ambassador Rhiona!” Queyanna called from the wagon.
“Whenever you’re ready, we can depart.”
The intrusion broke the trance. It angered Rhiona enough
that she was ready to quit the mission, drag Ean back home to have her way with
him and scream ‘to hell’ with her daughter’s objections.
Just then another rippling set of discordant flats
undulated through the ground, this time stronger. Then they heard the
screeching sharps filling the air with such intensity that the world seemed to
lurch back and forth. The crashing of magic from Order probes and Chaos scries
threatened to pummel the Fostering Group with discord. These magics were being
sent by the warring factions to investigate the magic rifts caused by the Fostering
Group’s portal-jump into this world. With each passing, excruciating moment,
Rhiona felt her body weaken. Her legs gave out under her and she grabbed for
Ean’s tunic.
A single Chaos scry was easy enough to contend with, as it
wasn’t as invasive as an Order probe, but together they were destructive to the
point that a Harmonic could go mad.
Ean held her against him firmly, his feet rooted to the
ground. Somehow he had managed to learn how to survive such onslaughts
virtually unscathed.
There was the slightest of adjustments in her inner-song,
something she hadn’t done herself.
She looked up at his face where the strain of his efforts
was plainly evident. Even so, he remained in control and through him she was
able to withstand the rest with no further negative effect.
The music she heard within was familiar, patient and
gentle, yet unyielding. It was a portion of Ean’s inner-song, masculine and
true. And it strengthened hers to where she could stand on her own again.
Looking around to the others in the group, she realized they too had been
touched by his inner-song and were staring at him with dismay.
She turned back to him and blinked. “How…”
Friday, March 2, 2012
Mirror Song: Chapter Two
Rhiona’s eyes scanned the desert landscape. She didn’t
know quite what to make of it. Most of the vegetation was dying. There was an
element of beauty hidden beneath the sands, as though a verdant paradise had
been locked away.
She heard the sharp notes of the landscape’s music, along
with the flat notes rumbling deep in the earth. The chords swelling in the sky
competed with the thunderous drums below. The sound grated against her nerves,
yet through the discord there was promise. Each set of chords was good, strong
and vibrant. With a little help, the earth and heavens could align and generate
a magnificent symphony.
It was as Ean had mentioned in his report—Printia had
potential for Harmony. The question remained whether the people were ready.
There was no discernible path to civilization from where
she stood. For all practical purposes, they were in the middle of nowhere.
There was no reception, no entourage, and no opposition. This was discouraging.
If this world was as eager for Harmony as Ean had reported, there should have
been more interest than this. Instead, there was only sand and rock.
The group was sitting at the bottom of a wide canyon. Only
a dried riverbed offered some direction to follow.
Rhiona coughed. Her throat was getting dry in this
wasteland and the discord in the world wasn’t helping matters either. It was
irritating her Inner-Song, the music unique within all beings, forcing her to
consciously harmonize within to keep from becoming as discordant as this world.
Rhiona turned to Ean who was standing next to Queyanna.
When he saw her, a lopsided smile formed on his lips. There was a contemptuous
reply in her expression, one that held no smile. The longing was still
there—the need to feel his arms around her and kissing her softly as he had
years ago. But she could not indulge in such frivolity. She was on a mission,
both sacred and practical. Still, that mouth of his… The things he used to do
with it still made her hunger.
His smile widened. The man knew what she was thinking.
Damn him! She could hide nothing from him, especially her desire.
Her eyes moved away from him with casual indifference. She
knew what that look would do to him and she relished how it tortured him. He
wanted her as badly as she wanted him and she was going to make him suffer,
just as he was torturing her with that knowing gleam in his eyes.
Ean was the only man she had ever truly loved. Had her
office been that of a simple sergeant, she would have foregone propriety and
kissed him on the spot. Perhaps she should shock him by doing it anyway, and
shock the entire group while she was at it. But she was an Ambassador. Such
gestures of impropriety were forbidden. Then again, she wasn’t much for playing
it by the rules. Of course, that’s what got her in trouble in the first place.
And her daughter, Queyanna, had inherited her rebellious nature. Given all that
had happened to her in recent years, it was best that Rhiona display nothing
but the best example for her. Giving into temptation never served either of
them.
Rhiona approached Ean.
He bowed with an effortless sweep, reached for her hand
and pressed his lips to it.
She managed to maintain an implacable expression, though
her mind went wild imaging where that mouth could be.
“Welcome to Printia, Ambassador Rhiona,” he offered in a
deep baritone voice. His thumb stroked the back of her hand.
She inclined her head in a proper greeting. “Thank you,
Scout.” Her inner-chords betrayed her for only a second, releasing a light
series of notes that blended with his Inner-Song, revealing their mutual
affection. She cleared her throat while taking control of her faculties once
more and pulled away. “Where is everyone? Why isn’t there a receiving party?”
He rested his hands behind him. “As I mentioned to your
daughter, the Admiral, the mounts and wagon are beyond those rocks
here.” He indicated a nearby ridge. “It was thought best to keep this as quiet
as possible, given Bryhton’s recent actions against Lenkinar in their
subversion efforts. This spot was chosen as the best portal site, where no one
would think to travel.”
Rhiona saw that Queyanna was leading the group down the
dried riverbed. When she turned back to Ean, his face was but a few inches from
hers. She did not move as he leaned close to her ear and whispered, “Shall we
join them or would you prefer to remain here for a time?”
The feel of his breath against her skin and the warmth of
his body so close to her brought her back to the moment he first kissed her.
Back then, they had been surrounded by pine trees and stood at the crest of
rocks near a waterfall. He had made her beg for the kiss. And she recalled how
desperately she had begged him.
Her eyes were watching his lips, feeling the inexhaustible
need rising within. They were so close, she thought. So close that all she had
to do was lean over and their lips would meet. How she had relished that kiss
when he had given it to her. It was long and sensual, teasing and provocative,
hungry yet controlled. Heavens, how she wanted him to kiss her now as he had
then!
“Yes,” she breathed.
A mischievous grin formed on his lips. His voice was low
and sensual. “Yes what, Baby?”
Hearing the familiar endearment after so many years
brought the ache back in her chest. At one time she had hated him calling her
that, but now she couldn’t imagine living without hearing it. The man was
insufferable, knew how to tempt her, but he wasn’t a fool either. He knew as
well as she did that they couldn’t afford breaking the rules. Not now,
especially given all that had happened to Queyanna. And neither of them dared
talk about that openly either.
Ean was more than a scout in harmonic society. He was a
respected medic, renowned for his cures even for the most discordant patients.
He used to travel often throughout the universe lecturing on herbs and other
medicinal therapies. As a professional, he earned a long list of commendations
for his work in particularly discordant planets. His reputation led him to
receive the highest honor a Harmonic could hope for—the Song of Valor. Yet,
despite such notoriety, he had chosen this job over more lucrative and
illustrious positions in The High Seat, which was the central government of all
harmonic civilization.
She wanted to believe he did it to be near her, but he had
kept his distance from her for a very long time…until now. It was curious that
he suddenly had an interest in her again, given his adamant wish that they not
work together again. But he had requested her specifically for this assignment.
What was he planning? Revenge? If so,
could she blame him given what she had done to him years ago?
Rhiona shook her head. “No…I mean…yes…we should follow
them.” And quickly she started towards the Fostering Group.
Ean followed easily, his legs moving as though she weren’t
racing towards the group.
She cleared her throat and congratulated herself for
managing a professional tone as she said, “I am most intrigued by the mention
of the balance mages in your report. Why aren’t we working with them?”
Ean offered his arm to her. “The terrain is rough through
here. It would be best if you allowed me to assist you.”
She hesitated a moment, pondering the wisdom of touching
him again, but then accepted it.
The gleam returned to his eyes as he walked with her like
a dignitary escorting his consort. “To answer your question, I would have
invited the balance mages if I knew where to look. Unfortunately, they have
remained aloof with the rest of the world. And perhaps, it is better for them.
There are rumors that they reside in an island south of Tervelvan, but the
waters to travel there are traitorous. Those who have ventured there are not
heard from again.
She stopped, aghast. “Do you suspect foul play?”
His brows wrinkled in thought. “I don’t think so. There is
magic involved, of that I am sure. However, given the geological history of
that area I would suspect something natural over something deliberate or
nefarious. It could be a triangular anomaly, as we’ve seen in other worlds.”
“That could be why they settled there, using it as a
natural defense in order to remain hidden,” she thought aloud.
He nodded. “That is what I surmised.”
Her eyes idly traced the shape of his lips, realizing too
late the effect it was having on her. She watched as the corner of his mouth
curled into that incorrigible lopsided grin again. When the tip of his tongue
ran along his upper lip, she practically melted into his arms.
He chuckled, clearly relishing her torment.
Her eyes narrowed at him. She wanted to punch him in the
face as much as she wanted to kiss him. Instead, she spun around and marched
around the bend of rocks.
Behind her, Ean laughed openly.
Below in a canyon was a small team of horses hitched to a
long wagon. Approximately, half a score of horses were nearby, tied to various
blackened gnarled trees. There was a young man offering water to one of the
mounts. The fair young man looked to be in his late teens, his face dotted with
freckles. Despite the youthful appearance, there was intelligence in his
expression.
The fostering group was approaching the young man when
suddenly a tremor erupted from the east, bearing the heavy flat notes of chaos.
It brought Rhiona to her knees, making every bone in her
body vibrate with pain.
In that instant, a gust of wind slashed across the sky
above with a sound of screeching sharps.
She covered her ears, but nothing could spare her the
onslaught of violent discord that followed.
Both the earth and the skies shook from the clashing of
magic between order and chaos, felt by the Harmonics as waves of earthquakes
that shook them down to their bones. They all fell as Rhiona had, struggling
against the pain that undulated through them from the two warring magics.
Surprisingly, Ean stood not far from her with his legs
spread apart, riding the tremors as though his feet were rooted deep into the
earth.
When the shaking ebbed, he scooped her up into his arms
and helped her to her feet. He kept his arms around her to steady her and
gently brushed the dirt off her cheeks with his fingers. “I’ve got you, Baby.”
She met his gaze, horrified. “What was that?”
“The war between Lenkinar and Bryhton has escalated,” he
said as he brushed the dirt off her robe. “The order and chaos mages send
powerful spells against one another in an effort to weaken one another’s
forces.”
She pushed his hand away. “They’ll destroy this planet if
they keep that up!”
He helped her get her footing back and stepped away. “I
know.”
“You should have mentioned this in your report, Ean,” she
chided.
His jaw tightened. “I have reason to believe it can be
stopped.”
Rhiona closed her eyes, trying to regain some harmony
despite being so jarred by the experience and by Ean’s antics. It took a
minute, but she removed the discord from within her and brought some semblance
of harmony back to her Inner-Song. Afterwards, she turned to him and ordered,
“You will not keep secrets from me, scout. If the council had known this they
would not have approved these intervention measures.”
He hooked his hands on his hips and shook his head. “Rules
and regulations. That’s all you ever think about, not the people involved or
the potential lost. You haven’t changed a bit.”
Those words pierced like a knife. He wasn’t talking about
her devotion to protocol. This was about what she had done to him years ago,
how she had ruined him with a simple declaration. But she wouldn’t have done it
if he had followed the rules. That was his problem. The man lived to go against
the grain, to find new ways to bend the rules and get away with it. In her
youth, she thought it was exciting until she had to try to find a place in his
wild life.
Normal was not in his sphere of existence. Their passion
had been great, but the nights alone wondering where he was and waiting for
years with no word left her depressed and dejected. In the end, she chose what
she thought was the right thing for both of them. She had no idea that instead
it would almost destroy him.
She gestured to her team who were still struggling from
the after effects of the earthquakes. “What of them? Do they not count as
‘people’ too or are they to be fodder for your whims?”
He lifted his hand. “Enough. I will not argue with you.”
“You will follow my orders, scout,” she stated tersely.
“This is my mission and only I am the representative of Harmonic society to
these people. You will report all facts you have gathered about this
planet to me. Do I make myself clear?”
He looked at her squarely as anger smoldered in his eyes.
“Yes, Ambassador. Shall I make arrangement for your return to Adrane?”
Adrane was the capital planet of the Harmonic Galactic
Society and the first place she would want to go to report his behavior and
have him removed from his job. He was testing her to see how far she would take
this little battle. It wouldn’t be the first time she met with The High Seat to
report against him.
As much as she wanted to remind him who was in charge, she
also loved him still. Very much. She shook her head. “I will lead the efforts
to introduce Harmony into Lenkinar’s society, but they must prove themselves
worthy of it. It is clear this world has not been prepared adequately for the
conversion. Which means I will not only have to do part of your job teaching
them about harmony, I will have to find ways to guide them away from using
order magic with such reckless abandon.”
He stepped closer to her, the discord of his anger
reaching into her trying to take control of her Inner-Song. “I will introduce
you to Lenkinar’s society and you will follow my lead before you make any
judgment against them. I have lived among them. I know their ways. You do not.
I have good reason to believe that Printia can be saved and already explained
all that needs to be known to The High Seat. They agreed with my assessment
that Printia has the potential of becoming part of Harmonic civilization. You
don’t have to believe me, but you do have your orders by The High Seat to work
closely with me. If you meddle in Lenkinar’s affairs and attempt to sabotage or
disrupt their development in harmony, I can and will have you removed from this
assignment. Do I make myself clear?”
Ean rarely got this angry or excited about anything.
Whatever caused him to be so vehement in his defense meant it was important.
That she couldn’t deny him. However, if he wasn’t so damn close to her
grandmother, the High Priestess in The High Seat, she would have cut him down
to size. Her grandmother adored Ean and truly believed he was the one who would
sire the prophesied Promised One who would bring harmony to the universe. But
Rhiona ended that opportunity when she rejected Ean and took his brother as her
mate.
Rather than fight, she replied, “Quite.”
A weary chuckle escaped his lips. “You are still such a
prima donna.”
She felt the rush of discordant chords of anger flush her
face. “And you’re still a lecherous brute.”
He leaned close to her and winked. “Only with you, Baby.”
“I will not dignify that with a response,” she growled.
He grinned. “You already have.” Again, he winked.
That bastard!
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