How the Gods Wove at Kyrannon. Ardath Mayhar

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      Then Cara turned to her mother and said, “Truly you told me. There is no light in the ‘world’, only darkness of self-seeking.” She turned aside her face into the shadow, for tears were in her eyes.

      “These are the laws of life which we teach you, Heraad,” said Tisha sternly. “You must learn either to value lives other than your own or to fear—greatly to fear—this place where you now draw breath. Not otherwise may you go from here as a living man. We do not take your life lightly, and for this reason only do you stand this side of the door of death. As we compel you to sit, so can we do other things. We can stop your heart from its long duty. We can erase the tiny streams that bear your thought from brain to limb. We can, without stirring, send you forth to face the gods in their own place, leaving this shell of you for the fowl of the air and the small beasts to worry, at leisure, as you would have worried them, given the opportunity. Fear us, Heraad, for we are not as you. We are more alien than the Wilding in the dell or the People of the Heights. We see through other eyes than yours into places that are not to be seen by your kind. And we are stronger than you. Not only in our spirits, but in our bodies might we overcome you. Forget your women of the towns when you look upon us. We survive in the wilds, without heeding danger or discomfort. We set hand to tree and to stone and to labors you have never done. Fear us, Heraad!”

      Then she sat still, looking into his eyes with all the strength of her spirit moving between them. Heraad seemed to shrink against the stone, and his knuckles whitened upon his taut hands. Cara moved beside her mother and took her hand, closed her eyes, and sent her strength through the clasp. For long they sat thus, as the fire went to scattered embers and the night curved toward dawn.

      Into the dark hollow that was the mind of the man they poured all that they knew of true feeling... love in a golden river, compassion enough to burst the heart, joy that lit the mind with starbursts of glory. And they also poured fear, terror, sorrow, grief, all the passions that grind the lives of men between their stones. They filled Heraad as though he were an empty cup, cracking the dry walls of his ignorant conceit and crumbling the foundations of his youthful arrogance.

      The light of the new day found them all asleep, dropped where they sat in utter weariness. The clouds had departed in the night and frost hung upon the junipers in the newly minted sunlight. The first rays awakened Heraad, who stirred uneasily, then sat erect in alarm. Those whom he feared lay sleeping, before him. His hand went to his spear, and he rose and bent over the two who had so wrenched his life from its pattern. In the clear light, their faces were marked with beauty and peace and purity and weariness. No sign was there of the terrible strengths they possessed; they were defenseless now. He lifted his spear and straightened, bringing his arm back as if to strike. But, in the midst of the motion, he looked into the sky and about the little hollow of rock, as though he were bewildered.

      Upon a juniper, just above his head, sat a Grack, its head cocked to one side, staring at him with curious black eyes. He looked into those knowing eyes and, for a heartbeat, he felt the swift throb of the blood through its body, the chill of the juniper twig in its claws, the light gnawing of morning hunger in its belly.

      Slowly he lowered the spear. Moving quietly, he put his scattered belongings into his pack and fastened it onto his shoulders. He lifted the spear again and studied it as though it were some strange artifact found by accident. Then he thrust it deep into the earth beside the sleeping women and turned toward the mountains, moving away into the eye of the sun.

      Before the Grack had flown away, Tisha woke. The shadow of the spear lay across her face, and she turned and touched Cara. Together they sat in the abandoned hollow, feeling the dwindling presence that was Heraad move away, into his own place, leaving their world to its lawful tenants.

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