Gail Deemer - Eilia

Toma Middagh's journals spoke of the Leori's warnings. He wrote about warning the General Council of the Gatherers, the government and the King's Council. Consequences of their inaction would affect all citizens of Burkering. Toma's warnings went unheeded, his journals weren't.

Leorian prophecy spoke of a star child who would rid their world of the siikers. Each generation speaks of and waits for the prophesized child. Eilia, birthed as her mother crossed into the life hereafter, abused by the midwife who attended her, is that child or is she?

Daleb's Warning

Must focus, must focus! Daleb trained his thoughts on the task at hand, his destination. He could feel the siikers probing for his mind, focusing on the energy he’d gathered for his last Gathering. He’d been warned siikers were in the area but his work couldn’t be stopped abruptly. He’d spent too many hours preparing for it, gathering and focusing the energy of the earth and air for what he needed to do.

Focus, must get there before they sight me. Daleb ‘heard’ a squeaky wheel, the slap of a shoe much too large for the foot it covered, a signal for him to leave but he ignored it. Siikers had to see their victims to capture them. It was a fact learned too late by their ancestors. It had taken hours, in musty rooms filled with shelves of dusty books to rediscover long forgotten facts about them. Now Daleb benefited from that research. He moved into the nearby brush, looked around and waded further back.

As long as they don’t see or hear me…think blue skies, white clouds, gentle breezes. Don’t think specifics. Blue skies, clouds, gentle breezes… He didn’t have long to wait for the siiker’s appearance. Though there was plenty of room for the travelers on the ancient roadway, an old man walked alone in a cleared path between them. Daleb was certain the people on the road didn't know why they left such a wide berth between themselves and that they probably didn't see the old man walking amongst them. The ancient lore, he’d been told, said not all would see the creatures.

Daleb had a decision to make. The creature walked in the direction he needed to go. Warn Keirn or save himself. He had no guarantee the siikers wouldn’t focus on him again. Those of the Gathering played a dangerous game with the animals. They understood the dangers yet undertook the task assigned to them so long ago. Keirn must know he was in danger, worse yet, his family also.

He’d hoped to get to Keirn before now but waited too long. Daleb thought of Keirn’s family. He’d had the chance to meet them once. Keirn’s lady, Analise, so beautiful, Brinn their daughter had been an infant then. She must be five now.

Daleb’s thoughts didn’t last much longer. His decision, he felt, was already made for him. His own family was safe, Keirn’s in danger. He sighed; rose from his hiding place and waded through the brush to the road.

Keirn. Siikers. Get out quickly. It won’t take long for them to find me. Daleb ‘felt’ Keirn’s acknowledgment of his warning. His use of forbidden talent placed him in the siikers awareness again. He ‘felt’ the siikers mind, a filthy thing, touch his. He waited for the creature to return to him. Daleb sighted the creature as it did him.

Don’t fight. He couched himself. Don’t show aggression. It won’t destroy you but take you if you don’t fight it. Daleb watched the glowing ball lobbed at him by the siiker. His surprise, even as it enveloped him was how pleasant it felt. Like drifting off to sleep. He wondered if this was how it felt to enter the life hereafter.

He wasn't around to note the reactions of the people on the road to his disappearance. Men and women, some carrying heavy bundles for sale and trade, some pushing a cart, some doing both, none noted the man who disappeared from sight, or bothered to care if they did. Strange things had happened here before...

Keirn’s Escape

Lady Analise stood in the throne room waiting for Court to begin. Would this be a day King Brugher sat Court? The cacophony of voices assaulted her ears as she stood there. “Lise.” Keirn’s voice and his hand on her shoulder gave her an escape from the chatter of the circle of ladies surrounding her.

“Thank you, Keirn.” she whispered to her husband. “Another minute of that nonsense…” Lady Analise looked up into the face of her love and saw what she’d dreaded for weeks. “It’s time, isn’t it?” Her heart sank and eyes began to tear as he slowly nodded his head.

Keirn took her aside to a relatively deserted corner of the throne room and whispered to her. “Remember, what we discussed. This isn’t just to save my life. Your life and Brinn’s are in danger also. Daleb's warning came just before the first touch of the siiker's probe. I felt him leaving Burkering.”

“We wouldn’t be in danger if you’d stopped Gathering, as I've begged you to time and again.” she whispered back.

“No use in pointing fingers now. The creature draws near. I must leave.”

Lady Analise dabbed at the tears in her eyes with a perfumed kerchief. “What do you want me to say? We can’t leave without permission of the King. He finds out you’re gone; he’ll send the Patrol after you and they'll question us. You know how they draw answers they need, the age of those they question does not matter to them.”

“You’ll say what we’ve rehearsed; I left and never came back. You haven’t heard from me since. It will be the truth,” Keirn reminded her.

“But…”

“No buts, no arguments, no farewells. The Patrol will know if you speak an untruth. This is the only way.”

“Keirn.”

“What, my love?”

Dimples appeared with her tiny smile. “May I say I love you?” she asked.

Keirn smiled. “Yes, you may,” he answered.

They kissed a slow, soft farewell and Keirn left his love behind as he went into the hallway outside of the throne room.

When Keirn cracked open the door few minutes later, the guard had his back to him talking with Lady Analise. He had not expected her to distract the guard for him but realized it was the best thing to do. He’d planned to use the Gathering to distract the guard but the siiker would’ve honed in on that use, capturing both him and his family before he’d had a chance to lure it away from them.

Even now, he could feel the siiker’s probe trying to enter his mind. It was no longer safe for him to be near the palace. Keirn glanced once more at the woman he couldn’t take with him, slid quietly out of the room and walked toward their quarters.

Keirn hurried down the corridor next to the door of the living quarters he shared with Lady Analise and their five year old daughter, Brinn. Rushing through the sitting room, he was glad to see his daughter and her servant weren’t there. He sped past the closed door of her sleeproom to the room he shared with Analise.

Keirn ran around the bed and stopped in front of a tapestry hanging on the wall. The scene depicted changed from King Brugher to that of the true royal family when he held up his left hand before it. Keirn moved aside the tapestry enough to reveal a small cubbyhole and the carisak he’d hidden there. He placed the carisak on the bed behind him, dropped the tapestry back in its place and changed the picture back to King Brugher. Anyone, without the Gathering, would find a blank wall behind the tapestry.

The siiker’s probe grew stronger but he wanted one last peek at his daughter. Keirn lifted the damask curtain which covered the open doorway of her room. He smiled as he saw Brinn playing “Court” with her favorite dolls and her servant, Jossa.

“Have you come to seek a boon?” Her high, childish voice carried across the room to him. Brinn was seated on her bed, her back to the door, dolls facing her. Jossa, on her knees, was opening her mouth to speak when she spied Keirn peeking in. Keirn put a finger to his lips and shook his head to indicate he didn’t want Brinn to know he was there.

Keirn’s feet flew along the busy lower corridors of the palace. He’d changed into servant’s garb before leaving his sleeproom. He affected a harried, servile posture so no one would notice his passage.

Keirn counted on the late afternoon sun shining in the guard’s eyes as he passed through the East gate; he was sure the guard would see only the crude garb and allow his passage. He smiled as the guard waved him through. Hitching the carisak up higher on his shoulder, he stopped at the crossroad to listen for the particular squeak and the extra sound of the siiker’s cart wheel. The sound finally came to him as he extended the reach of his hearing. Keirn took the path to his right. He smiled as the probe’s strength lessened with each step he took away from the palace and the siikers.