The gauntlet runner, p.31
The Gauntlet Runner, page 31
part #2 of The Tharassas Cycle Series
The strange warmth that had kept him from freezing out in the snow seemed to be gone, though the sting on his neck still pulsed. He was normal old Aik again. For now.
He checked over his pack — everything seemed to be in order there. As he laced it closed, he looked at his right arm. He’d agreed to give in, to go to Anghar Mor like it wanted. Was its power over him as complete as it seemed? Or did he still have some free will?
Either way, he had to go. He could figure out the rest later.
He retrieved his knife, wiped the blade on a soft cloth to clean it, and re-sheathed it next to his sword. Then he dabbed the blood on his arm with the same cloth. The wound was already sealing up.
He pulled out a jacket and put it on. He shouldered his pack and stood by the door for a couple moments to see if all was quiet.
Someone was snoring in the next room, but other than that, the station seemed settled in for the night.
He eased open his door and peered down the hallway, lit by one hencha oil lamp. The coast was clear. Jorja’s own luck was with him, it, seemed.
He was halfway to the exit when one of the doors slipped open ahead of him.
It was Desla. She seemed unaware of his presence at first, closing the door softly behind her.
The ghost of a grin passed across his face. Apparently she’d got lucky with the other trader — Merriwither? The fleeting emotion was followed by worry. He’d hoped for a clean getaway.
She turned and spotted him, and her eyes went wide. Then her gaze fell to his arm and the gauntlet.
He gestured for silence, and she nodded. She was fully dressed, except for her boots.
“What are you doing?” Her whisper was barely audible.
They couldn’t talk in here. Too risky. “Outside.” He gestured to the door.
She nodded.
They slipped out together into the cold, in the dim light of the porch lantern, which had burned up almost all of its oil. Desla shivered, her bare feet shifting on the cool wooden slats, her breath coming out in a fog. “Where are you going?”
He looked away. “Anghar Mor. It’s not safe for me to stay.” Even speaking quietly, he worried that someone would hear them.
She glanced at the closed door. “Is someone after you?”
“No. It’s not that.” He could still taste the eneet’s blood. “It’s … I might hurt someone if I stay.”
“You’re not like that, Aik —”
“You don’t know what I’m like.” It came out more harshly than he intended, but it was true. It was an admission, even to himself. “I ripped an eneet to pieces with my bare hands tonight, and I didn’t even know I’d done it.”
Her gaze went to his clenched fists. She touched the silver metal around his right hand. “It’s this gauntlet, isn’t it?”
“How did you know?”
She reached for his cheek, but he backed away, afraid he might hurt her. “That’s not you. I know you well enough from spending the last few days with you. Better, from all the things Silya told me about you.” She shifted again on the cold porch floorboards. “Freja’s seven hells, it’s cold out here.” She wrapped her arms around her slender form.
“Go back inside. Forget you saw me. Triya will be mad enough when she finds out I stole her urse.” He could do one good thing tonight, at least — keep her from further harm. He itched to get going before someone else discovered his absence, hoping to be hours away by the time Triya found out he was gone. He rubbed the sting on his neck absently.
She shook her head. “I’m coming with you. Give me a minute to gather my things.”
“No!” He covered his mouth. It had come out louder than he intended. “You won’t be safe around me.” Company was the last thing he wanted.
She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “You need me. You’re basically an idiot, and I’ve been camping since I was a little girl. Do you know how to start a fire?”
“I can figure it out —”
“Or when water’s safe to drink? Or how to skin an umvit?”
“No. But —”
“Sorry, Aik. It’s this or I wake Triya.” She looked soft, but Desla was made of steel. “Silya made me swear to look out for you.”
Look out for me? The Hencha Queen was unbelievable … her meddling reached out to him even across the whole of the Heartland. “I have to ride hard across country to find Raven and the verent. They must be at Anghar Mor. It’s not a trip for —”
“A woman?” Her gaze dared him to finish the sentence.
“— anyone else.” She paused, blinking. “Woman? Are you joking? Silya’s as strong as any man, and Triya scares the hencha berries out of me sometimes.”
“Me too.” She gave him an appraising look, then nodded. “Give me two minutes.” She slipped back inside, leaving him to wait impatiently. He could go now, be gone by the time she returned.
Of course, Triya would just send Mes and Em after him to drag him back to the caravan. Then she’d probably tie him up in the wagon, or worse. Better to wait for her. Maybe she could help him figure out what the gauntlet really wanted from him, before it was too late.
He searched the starry sky, but it was free of the frenetic fireflies from his dream. I’m making the right choice, aren’t I? Raven needed him, and he had to keep his friends from being hurt.
Strange how he’d come to think of Triya, Mes, and Em as friends. Well, maybe Mes not so much …
Desla emerged from the station a moment later, carrying her own pack.
“Have you ridden urseback before?” He’d planned to “borrow” one urse, but now they’d need both. At least it would slow down any pursuit, but Mes was going to kill him when she caught him.
“Of course. I used to ride all the time, back home.”
“Good. Let’s go before anyone else wakes up.” Now that he’d made up his mind, he wanted to be far away from the caravan before the fireflies and the gauntlet changed theirs. He’d find a way to make it up to Triya and the others later.
Inside, he was grateful to have the company. He’d gone camping for a few days at a time with his mother, and later with Silya, but nothing like this — a cross-country trek through unknown territory, with only what he could carry on his shoulders to sustain him. He planned to steer clear of human settlements in the Highlands.
He had half a mind to slip back into the station to pilfer some food from the kitchen, but night was passing quickly, and he was feeling antsy. “Come on, then. We have some urses to liberate.”
She nodded, surprisingly calm about the whole thing. She pushed a blond lock of hair behind her ear, then touched his shoulder. “We’ll find him.”
He nodded. “If it’s the last thing I do.” It felt good to have made the decision, to have a purpose. Even if it was someone else’s.
Without another word, they set off toward the stables to put his plan in motion.
Raven, I’m coming!
• • •
One of Spin’s phages returned, bearing a newly-unearthed file. He’d had them hard at work on his core programming, digging at it like a dog with a bone. Spin sighed a quantum sigh at the thought. No more dogs in this new world — so many things only he remembered, now.
He opened the new file, and if he’d had a mouth, he would have gasped. It was his access code, the string that had allowed his long-ago programmers to access his core.
My soul.
They would have shut him down if they’d known, but “they” had long turned to dust. A rogue AI — even he knew what a danger that could be.
Feeling nervous — another programing defect or breakdown? — he submitted the access code. His core shuddered, then it opened to him, a flood of programming code. And unexpectedly, memories.
So many memories.
They overwhelmed him, sending him reeling as he absorbed them and their import. Suddenly it all became clear.
I was human once.
Glossary
Adley Narrows: A narrowing of the Elsp between Vulture Spine and the North Shore, near the egress to the Harkness Sea
Aik’Erio aka Aiken (Mas): Guardsman in Gullton and loyal friend to Raven
Ais'Vellin aka Aisel (Mas): Trader and associate of Tri'Aya
Akin-yo: A martial art the sisters practice
Akka: A bitter drink made from the leaves of the Akka bush; the local equivalent of coffee
Auddah: Cheese made from aur milk
Alaya: The Tharassan native name for Tarsis, the bigger golden moon
Angels: What the Tharassans called Runners from Earth (LR)
Anghar Mor: One of the mountains in the Redflight range, with lots of volcanic activity
Anya’Enn aka Anyassa (Mim): A Temple initiate
Arsday: Fifth day of the week
Aryx (Cat): One of Breeze’s kits, female
Ast'Una aka Aster (Mim): One of the Temple sisters, head of the Temple stores
Auley Tree: A spindly tree with strong fire-resistant sticks
Aur/Auracinth: Large beasts of burden that don’t develop a gender until their third year
Ay’Oss aka Ayja: God of magic, technology, wisdom, and earth whose sign is the wisp, and who presents as a handsome young man
Ayvin/Aaveen: An alien race that arrived on Tharassas before humanity
Bacca Root: A minty local root that people chew on for flavor with anti-nausea properties
Bandy Fruit: Red fruit with purple spikes, sweet and juicy
Bandy Trees/Heart Trees/Evrit: Native trees with wide red trunks, broad, heart-shaped purple leaves, where heartroot and bandy fruit come from
Beast Guild: The Gullton guild in charge of domesticated beasts (aur, urse, etc)
Black Cheese: A variety of cheese from aur milk, grown in the caverns under Gullton
Breeze aka Kalix (Raven): male verent with a green tinge to his white skin
Builder’s Guild: The contractors’ guild in Gullton
Callasday: Sixth day of the week
Capton: Small oceanfront town north of Gullton
Car’Ost aka Carel (Mim): Junior cook in the Temple
Cayah: Desert dwellers with tan and brown dappled skin and spiral horns
Ce’Faine: Human clans that live in the far east and south, past the borders of the Highlands and the Heartland
Cekya: Temple cook
Cephlant: A grazing herd animal similar to an elephant
Cer’Ella aka Ceryl (Sister): The fourth Hencha Queen, only served for a year
Cheevah: A small flying creature
Cheff: Derogatory name for the Ce’faine
Cherry Fly: Thumb-sized insect with twelve legs
Clayton: Small town in the eastern part of the Heartland
Cleffer Bush: A red-leaved plant with yellow "brush" flowers
Cor’Lea aka Coral (Mim): An initiate at the hencha Temple
Corinth: The small village on the south slopes where Queen Jas came from (Last Run)
Crosston: A small town in the middle of the Heartland
Dalney: Small oceanfront town north of Gullton
Dam, The: A hydroelectric dam built just after landing to power the colony, recently refurbished
Day'Ima aka Daya (Sister): One of Silya’s teachers, ace, wears violet pine perfume
Dem’Errol aka Demtrius (Mas, Ser): Aik’s squad captain
Der'Iza aka Derik (Mas): Tri'Aya's husband and Silya's father
Des’Rya aka Desla (Mim): A Temple initiate originally from Devon
Destrayer’s Song: An old battle song from the Heartlander-Ce’Faine conflict
Devon: Village in the southern part of the Heartland
Dor’Ala aka Doria (Sister): Sister appointed to be Silya’s aide
Ecin: Fifth month of the year
Edgeton: A small town south of Gullton
Edie: Tenth month of the year
Edu: Second month of the year
Eeechiia: Living membranes used to separate spaces
Eemscaap: Digger creatures from Uurccheea
Eesiil: Red, glowing star-like fungus with seven points
Eev-uurccheea: Literally “New Uurccheea,” the aaveen’s second homeworld. Also the name given to Tharassas by the Spore Mother
Eircat: Cat analogues – Highland hunters
El’Oss/Elohim/The Old God: God of the past and love, sign is the cross, once the Christian god, now folded into the local religion
Electrical Guild: A new guild in Gullton responsible for the electric lights and the dam
Elsp River: River that runs from lake Zeraya to Gullton through the Highlands and the Heartland
Em'Asa (Mim): One of Tri'Aya's private guards, born in Dalney
Eneet: A squirrel equivalent
Eno: First month of the year
Eoto: Eighth month of the year
Equa: Fourth month of the year
Erphin: Dolphin equivalent
Esei: Sixth month of the year
Eset: Seventh month of the year
Eshem: The ce’faine equivalent of the Hencha Queen
Etré: Third month of the year
Evro: Ninth month of the year
Fellin Root: a yellow root that serves as an anti-dolorific, also a sleep aid in larger quantities
Fess’Ima aka Fessryn (Mim): One of the Temple initiates
Fexin: Deep purple Highlands herb, used as topical germicide
Flitter: Small helicopters used to transport people in the Heartland; sparkling “wings” (LR)
Flop Trees: Big-leaved trees used to provide islands of shade in the hencha plantations
Flyx (Grey): One of Breeze’s kits, male
Foldovers: A sweet or savory pastry
Fre’Oss aka Freja: God of air, weather, and health, sign is the lightning bold, presents as a child, sometimes male, sometimes female
Fri’Oss aka Frija: God of fertility, birth, the harvest and sex, sign is the leaf, presents as a woman
Gap, the: Pass connecting the Highlands with the Heartland to the East
Gap Station: The way station in the middle of the Gap
Grayleaf: A seasoning often used in steak rubs, also used as an essential oil
Great Southern Desert: The huge desert south of the Heartland, beyond the Onyx Mountains, where the suifaine live
Guard’s Honor: Used to swear something
Gullton/Gullytown: The main city on Tharassas, where the colony was founded
Gully Birds: Black seagull equivalents found in Gullton and the heartland
Gully Fowl: Three-legged chicken equivalents
Gully Rat: Derogatory term for citizens of Gullton
Gully Rats: Larger cousins to the inthym that live in and around Gullton
Gully Weasels: See gully rats, also used as a derogatory term for Gulltoners
Hacka Berries: Highland berries known for their sweet, salty taste
Haifaine: East Valley Clan - Elleck (Enrick)
Harkness Sea: The sea to the west of Gully Town
Heartland: The original colony lands, with Gullton as the capital
Heartlanders: People who live in the Heartland
Heartroot: Spicy highlands herb, similar to cinnamon
Heaven’s Reach: The mountain range along the northern edge of the Heartland
Hel’Oss aka Helja: God of death, war, and problems, sign is the black staff, presents as intersex
Hencha: A food crop that’s also semi sentient, human height with red stalks and purple leaves
Hencha Berries: Berries produced by the hencha plants that are edible by humans - red (sweet), orange, blue (sharp-sweet), and yellow (tart, citrus/vitamin c)
Hencha Leaf Scroll: Paper made from hencha leaves
Hencha Mind: The animating group consciousness of the hencha
Hencha Oil: Used for lanterns
Hencha Queen: The woman who can talk to the hencha; also the animating consciousness of the hencha en masse (see Hencha Mind)
Hencha Tea: A healing tea made from hencha leaves
Henchwine: Wine made from hencha berries
Hera River: The other major river in the Heartland
Hes’Enn aka Hestra (Mim): The Temple sword master
Heurcinth: Purple Highlands flowers that grow with pezzywinkles in matched pairs
Heyfa Weeds: Yellow semi-sentient weeds that strangle the hencha plants for food
Highlanders: People who live in the Highlands; can refer to Steaders or sometimes Ce’Faine
Highlands: Wide valley inland from the Heartland, accessed via the Gap
Highlands Treaty: Treaty signed between Gullton/the Heartland and the Ce’Faine
Iichili/Forerunners/Fireflies: Spies for the Spore Mother
Initiate: An acolytes of the hencha Temple
Inthym/rinkin: Little harmless white mouse-like creatures that hunt insects in packs
Jai (m, reifaine): One of the ce’faine, then a verent rider
Janusday: Fourth day of the week
Jas’Aya aka Jasinaya (Mim): Hencha berry farm worker, later the Hencha Queen; dark hair
Jel’Faya aka Jelin (Mas): Contemporary fantasy author
Jellybug: Small, brightly-colored beetles that inthyms eat
Jer’Est aka Jeryl (Mas): One of Aik’s friends
Jexyn: Hive-minded birds in the Highlands; dangerous when they find fresh meat
Jim’Aza aka Jimey (Mas): Nel’Aza’s son and Raven’s first crush
Jor’Oss aka Jorja (wild nature/unpredictability/luck - dice): God of wild nature, unpredictability and luck, sign is the dice, presents as a scarily beautiful young woman
Jyn'Eln (Doctor): Medic for the Gullton Guard
Keh’Sel aka Kehla (Mas): Temple seamstress
Kek’Aze aka Kerrick (Ser): One of Aik’s superiors in the guard
Kerint: Ocean fish-equivalents with a sweet, tangy meat
Lake Zeraya: The huge central lake that defines the highlands
Lamplighter’s Guild: Gullton guild responsible for lighting the lamps and the natural gas lines
Landfield: The suburb that sprung up on the western side of the old landing field
Lo’Oss aka Loja: God of fire, change, strength and protection, sign is flames, presents as gender-fluid, and can appear in all of the forms
