"The God Child - Ch. 4 & 5" by Gwenivere Stephan

Chapter 4

"But why do I hafta go, Mama?" the child whined, clinging to the queen’s skirts and staring at her with tear filled eyes. The queen sighed and knelt to look the God Child in the eyes.

"Iola, dear, you’re growing up. You want to be a big girl, don’t you? Katty goes to school, and she’s a big girl," she explained slowly.

"I’m too small to be big," Iola said, folding her arms and pouting.

"Pauly and Sena are going. Don’t you want to be with them?"

"I want to be with you."

"Don’t you want to make new friends?"

"I want to be with you!"

"Don’t you want to learn new things? Be smart like King Papa?"

"I want to be with you!" the girl shouted, sitting down on the floor and drumming her heels. Katty sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Mama, we’re going to be late for the first day of school," she complained. She was a big girl now, eight years old and growing so quickly. She had been going to school for two years and felt very important.

"Stop screaming you little brat!" Paul shouted in Iola’s ear, making her shriek even louder. The queen frowned and tapped his sharply on the forehead.

"Don’t call Iola a brat, Pauly," she said.

"She is a brat!"

"Stop saying that! I won’t go, no matter what you say!" Iola screamed, her voice shattered by high sobs.

"You’re six years old, you have to grow up now, sweetums," the queen said, stroking the soft blonde hair and feeling like crying herself. She could feel a headache building.

"I don’t want to leave you!"

"Ah, Mama, just let her stay here," Paul scoffed, folding his arms. He was much more grown up that his companions, he thought.

"You’ll have to leave me some time, baby doll."

"I… don’t… want to!"

Sena suddenly appeared next to her cousin, sitting on the floor next to her. She reached out her chubby hand and took Iola’s. The queen ignored her.

"Iola, please, we need to leave. You’ll like it, I promise you," she said.

"Ow!" Iola shrieked, sitting up straight and opening her eyes wide. Sena had pinched the skin between her forefinger and her thumb. She yanked her hand away. "You dumb head!"

"Iola, stop crying this instant," Sena said, frowning. She was not shouting, but speaking calmly and slowly. The queen frowned deeply and reached out a hand to tap Sena like she had her son.

But Iola did stop crying and looked at her cousin, her lower lip trembling.

"I don’t wanna leave Mama either, but we have to be smart so that we can make her and King Papa proud," Sena said slowly. The queen withdrew her hand, surprised. Iola was listening carefully to her cousin.

"But I’ll miss her."

"It’s only for part of the day. And when we come home we’ll be together again, and it will be even better than staying with her all day, because if the loneliness," Sena said, taking her cousin’s hand again, this time stroking it softly.

"But what if I don’t like it? What if I miss her too much? And Yamma and King Papa and the palace?"

"Just think about the other children who live too far away to go home to their mamas. The ones who have to stay at school all night and all day," Sena said quietly, her small face suddenly very sad. The queen began to smile. She was a lovely little child, certainly.

Iola considered this for a moment, then got to her feet and yanked Sena up beside her. "All right, I’ll go. But I won’t like it, and I won’t go tomorrow."

"Good," the queen stood, too, grateful just to be done with the crying. "We’ll talk about it tomorrow. Now, give me a kiss and be off!" Four tiny mouths pecked her cheek and she stroked four soft cheeks and watched them leave with Yamma, off to the school that was in the town square. She moved to the window to watch them leave and sighed heavily. No more children to occupy her during the day.

"I can finally catch up on my needlework," she said sadly, a tear running down her cheek. Six year, six years. Only eight more before she’d have to tear Iola and Sena away.

Eight years to loosen the bond between them as gently as possible. She wiped away her tears and squared her shoulders. She would not worry about it. She would just love them while she could.

That night the rain froze into ice, and in the early hours of the morning a light snow fell. Dangerous weather. I woke up shivering, confused. It took me a moment to remember where I was. I fought my way out of the blankets, carefully finding my way to the ladder. It was much harder going down a ladder than going up. But I had some practice, so I didn’t struggle too much.

Sam was awake, sitting at Pippa’s kitchen table. Pippa was snoring up above us. I turned toward him, smiling.

"Morning."

"Morning. Ready?"

"Yes," I replied with a soft sigh. I found my staff near the door, and Sam led me out of the stable, into the air. I shivered and my teeth chattered together. But I’d be warm enough soon.

"We have an hour before dawn," Sam told me. "Let’s get started."

"I can’t believe how tired I am."

"Hush." I sighed and put my staff on the frozen ground, the snow biting my fingers. I began to stretch. My feet felt like lead in my boots. My skin was covered in goose bumps. But I stretched out anyway.

"Ready?" Sam asked. I cracked my knuckles and turned toward his voice. Snow does funny things to sound. It creaks loudly beneath your feet, but muffles voices. It’s so loud, and yet so quiet.

"Yes," I said. I heard his clothing move, heard the air whistling around his fist as it flew toward my face. I ducked and came up underneath it, catching his arm. With a grunt, I threw him over my hip. He hit the ground with a soft thud and a puff of breath.

"Wake up, Sammy," I said, grinning. I missed the sound of his legs moving. They collided with mine, sending me crashing to the ground, too. I winced, the first pain of the day rising up through me. I pushed it away, scrambling to my feet. The snow was wearing away under my boots, revealing ice. I almost slipped but caught myself.

His arm stretching out, over my shoulder, wrapping around my head. I stepped forward and wrapped a leg around his, but he moved away before I could bring him to the ground. Sweeping kick, high punch, an elbow jammed into my ribs. I slid along the ground, forcing my breathing to be silent, listening for telltale whispers. I ducked and dove under his attacks, using them against him as best as I could. Using everything I knew.

Of course, each move was practiced. Each attack had a defense, and a counter-attack jumped to my mind quickly. I tried not to always do what I had been trained, but there was a reason we were taught to react certain ways.

Sam had less training than I did, but he had the advantage of sight. My teacher, Steel Blade (horrible name, but good man), had told me plainly that I would never be a master fighter. Good, perhaps, but never great or amazing. It didn’t bother me. I just needed to be able to take care of myself.

Sam stopped the hand-to-hand and I picked up my staff. Heard him draw his weapons – a pair of knives. This was where things got a bit complicated. We could really hurt each other now – had a few times, actually. But Sam was careful, and I never fully extended my glaive.

I was warm now, a few beads of sweat on my forehead even. Pippa’s backyard was almost bare of snow, leaving only hard, slippery ice. We were both slipping and sliding past each other, striking tentatively. But we had to get used to the ice – winter would be upon us for another month, still, and possibly more than that.

I took the offensive this time, striking out at him with my staff. He struck it away and I spun the staff up, striking smoothly with the other end. He slipped under the staff, though, and was now behind me. I tucked it under my arm and struck backwards, feeling it meet flesh, but he was already moving away. I felt a knife whistled past my ear and I ducked and swiveled, my staff flying out to meet his shin. I slipped on the ice and onto my backside. Instantly he was upon me, swearing under his breath. I felt the pinch of cold metal against my throat. I laughed.

"Stupid ice."

"No kidding," he replied. He helped me to my feet and we started again.

Finally, it was time to stop. We stretched out, then gratefully returned to the warmth of the stable and Pippa’s house. I heard her moving within before we reached the door and we both smelled cooking. My stomach rumbled.

Breakfast was delicious. The floor of Pippa’s home was cold, but I took my boots off anyway. The air was warm enough, from the fire and from the exercise I had just had. I gobbled down bread, fruit, and a slab of hot ground beef with sticky maple syrup on top. I downed a cup of tea, sweetened with a touch of that same syrup. I’m sure Pippa was appalled by my manners.

"You two will be leaving today?" she asked after we had finished eating. Sam offered to wash up for her, but she refused.

"Yes, I think that would be best. If the animal is ready, that is?" I said.

"He is," Pippa replied.

"Do we know where we are going yet?" Sam asked, a hint of annoyance in his voice. I bit my lip. Oh, yeah.

"I’ll go listen to it, now," I said, standing up and pulling on my boots.

"Where are you going?" Pippa asked.

"I have to listen to the riddle the High Priest gave me. I have to be alone…" I said. "Where should I go?"

"Stay here. Sam and I will go to the stable and start things up in there," Pippa replied. Her chair scuffed the floor as she got to her feet. "C’mon, Sam." Sam got up too, with a sigh. I waited until they had left, then climbed the ladder. Sam had piled my things next to the mattress I had slept on. I rummaged through them until I found the metal ball I had been given.

I didn’t remember having taken the ley line necklace off, but I found it in my things, also. I slipped it on and examined the ball. No, no glow of magic. Perhaps the metal kept it hidden. I removed the necklace and tucked it into its pouch. Then I began to chew on my lip.

Because of my habit of biting my lip, it didn’t take much to cause the poor thing to bleed. When I could taste the blood, I kissed the ball. It took a moment, but then the cold metal thing began to heat up. I almost dropped it in surprise.

I felt it unfolding in my hand, opening up until it lay flat. Then, a voice reached my ears. The voice of the Priest of Unara, but another voice behind that one. Soft and feminine, and terrifying. It made my ears ache and my teeth clenched together involuntarily.

"To the north you must go

Where Takish’s grasp is strong

An innocent life you cannot save

May lead you to save many more

From the burning revenge

Of Beyazzah.

To the west next you will travel

Where the breath of Tabish

Warms the house of Chachtava

And into a forest cursed by all

You will find a useful ally

Blessed by Tuvara.

The hands of Sianye you will need

To heal a small Okachio.

Then to the south you will find

A family in Rybar’s home.

Calligenora’s curse will find you

But Yatua’s clear sight can save

In Grimfah’s cradle to the east

You will face your greatest task.

Unara bless your soul

When you find the frozen cave

Anwaron bless you

Devinu hold you

Ceolt strengthen you

And Tirael guide you.

The treasure you seek

Waits in the juncture

Of Devinu and Ceolt,

Rocked by Aponivi,

And kissed by Takish.

Gods bless, my child."

The voices faded away and I felt the ball curl back up. My breath was coming out in shallow bursts and I took a moment to calm myself and think over what I had heard. The first part of the message had been loud, ringing with that second voice, and the rest got softer as the message went along. I chewed on my bottom lip, thinking, tasting the coppery blood. To the north you must go. Well, at least it was pretty straightforward.

I tapped the ball with my index finger but it did not open again. I sighed. I wanted to hear it again, but apparently now was not the time. Frustration boiled in my stomach, making my head feel stuffy and my face feel hot. Not only did I have to wait to hear it again, I had to interpret the message from memory (for now) and get Sam to go along with the message without telling him anything about it.

I hoped the Gods were with me, because I would need their help!

I gathered my things and slung them onto my shoulders, climbing awkwardly down the ladder into the main room of Pippa’s house. I set my things down on her floor and wandered into the stable to talk to her.

"How’s the weather?"

"Not good, but not bad. It is rather icy, though," she replied. I could hear the brush in her hand running over the back of the horse that stood between us. His body felt warm and soothing. I pressed my hands against his sides gently, taking comfort in his solidity.

"Sam won’t want to take another day off of travel," I mused softly. He was a few stalls away, humming lightly under his breath.

"Well, I suggest you don’t go, but I have the feeling you will. I can guard the animals against the weather, some. But don’t ride them unless you have to, lead them. It will help," Pippa replied with a soft sigh, pausing in her brushing as she spoke.

"Thank you. I wish we could wait, but…" I shrugged.

"I understand."

"Well… we are going to be heading north," I said slowly. Pippa hummed shortly, a noise of acknowledgement. "So perhaps we should remove their shoes?"

"I can help with that a little, too. You’ll just have to be careful, and pray to the Gods to help you," Pippa replied. I could sense some annoyance in her voice and perhaps a little mocking there at the end. I smiled at her.

"I know you want what’s best for the animals. I promise you, I will do everything I can to keep them safe, as long as I can also do my job," I whispered. With that, I turned away and felt my way to Sam. He stopped humming, looking up at me I suppose.

"We’re going to travel north."

"All right."

We left after midday. Pippa worked hard on Sergeant and my donkey. The day was warmer than I had expected. The sun was shining and there was no wind. Most of the ice had melted or was melting, making the ground soggy and disgusting. It seemed to find the smallest holes in my boots to seep in and tickle my toes. I sighed as I followed Sergeant and Sam, leading my donkey.

The necklace was around my neck and I was looking around with interest. The donkey glowed brightly with magic, and Sergeant was covered in a paper-thin layer of it. I tried to look into Sam and see the tiny bits of magic that were gathering in him each time we passed through a ley line, but I could not.

When we left the village, wrapped up tightly against the chill and wet, I began to feel nervous again. There were still plenty of people around, at least for a while outside of the village. But things were different out here. Everything felt so empty and open. I had the sense that I had taken one too few steps down a staircase and my foot had fallen through the air where I had thought wood would be. I did not like that feeling.

It wasn’t until we left the village that the urge to touch a ley line came upon me, however. They sat there, brightening and dimming rhythmically, like the pulse of the earth. It was so strange to think that I could see light and brightness, but it was even stranger to remember that I wasn’t really seeing anything at all. I wondered what a line would feel like. Silk? Water? Like the tiny leaps of lightning that jumped from your fingers to something metal during the winter?

I trudged along through the mud and the slush behind Sam and Sergeant for a long time before I worked up the nerve. I stretched out a hand, reaching toward a line as it came closer to me. It grew wider and wider, and I knew that I was going to feel it…

There was a shove from behind me, catching me by surprise. I stumbled, then fell to my knees in the mud, crying out in surprise. I flailed my arms, trying to catch the person who had pushed me.

All I felt was my donkey.

"What the heck are you doing, Sena?" Sam cried. "Now you’re all wet!"

"The donkey pushed me over!" I gasped, struggling to my feet. I put my hands on my hips, lowering my eyebrows and glaring in the direction of the beast, hoping I didn’t look too foolish.

"Well, what did you do to it?" Sam snorted. "C’mon, let’s keep walking. You’ll dry off eventually. I want to reach those trees before we stop for the night."

"Sam, I have no idea where those trees are," I snapped. The wet clothing clinging to my skin was making me very touchy. The goose bumps on my arms were so big they almost hurt. I shivered, my teeth clacking together. "And I want to know why the donkey shoved me!"

"Sena, it’s an animal. They do weird things. Let’s go," he said. I could hear annoyance in his voice. He started walking again, the mud making a faint sucking noise as his boots lifted into the air.

"Don’t you dare do that again, you, or I’ll cook you and eat you!" I whispered to the donkey, feeling its head until I found the halter and could lead it again. I had to walk quickly to catch up with Sam and Sergeant.

I thought, for a faint moment, that I heard a chuckle from behind me. But it was my imagination.

I waited until the animals were tied up and Sam had left to relieve himself before touching a ley line again. I stood near the fire of the little camp we had made in a grove of trees, feeling the warmth on my shins and the cool on my calves. I pressed one hand against my collarbone, palm covering the necklace, keeping it close to my skin. With the other hand, I slowly reached out and groped the air before me.

"This is stupid," I whispered to myself. "You can’t see your hand. How are you going to know when you’re close to a ley line?"

I swallowed hard and forced the thought out of my mind. I would just have to feel around until I got one.

"But can a line even be touched with a hand?" I whispered, again, unable to keep my doubts quiet. I bit my lip. We passed through them every day and didn’t feel them. I put my hand down by my side. No. Ley lines could not be touched with the hand, just like they couldn’t be seen with the eyes or heard with the ears.

They could only be felt with the mind.

I sighed and rolled my shoulders. Raising my hand again, I imagined my arm extending like a rope, reaching out like a vine, crawling through the air through the ley lines. I bit back a giggle.

Focus! I thought, my eyebrows drawing together in a tense scowl. I stretched out my fingers farther, picturing them growing out. My hand began to tingle. I pictured them reaching, reaching, wrapping tightly around a ley line. Before my eyes, I say the ley line I had been imagining twitch a little. A burning sensation ran up my arm, tingling and at the same time feeling cool and smooth. It was unlike anything I had felt before.

The feeling raced up my arm, quickly filling me from head to toe. I laughed, imagining that I was glowing now like a ley line. I felt my toes lifting off from the ground but I didn’t mind. I was full to the brim with a good feeling. The feeling of power.

I tightened my hand around the ley line, letting my fingers sink into the not-quite-there coolness of it. Then I heard a crackle behind me, a twig snapping. I turned my ear in that direction.

"Sena?" Sam said, his voice full of wonder. I twisted to face him and my concentration broke. Suddenly that something that made the ley lines visible shattered, filling my "sight" with it. I yelped as pain raced up my arm. Suddenly the line bucked in my hand and flung me backward.

I hit the ground with a thud, my head bouncing on the ground. A loud ringing sound filled my ears and I groaned, raising my hands to cover my face.

"Sena, are you all right?" Sam’s voice said, sounding very far away. I extended one hand and felt his take it. My skin was aching, sore to the touch, and my head was throbbing. With my free hand I snatched the necklace off of my neck, pulling it roughly over my head. Some of the pain subsided.

"Gods," I whispered, slowly sitting up. Sam supported me with his arm.

"What the heck happened?" he cried. His voice seemed almost too loud now, making a needle of pain shoot from my forehead to my shoulders. I winced.

"I was… trying to… ugh," I swallowed and drew my knees up, resting my forehead on them. The air felt too cold, biting my skin and making my teeth ache. "I was trying to touch a ley line."

"You were… what?" Sam said, dumbfounded. I choked down the bile rising in my throat. "Sena, are you stupid?"

"I guess so."

"How could you think that you could handle that!" he cried, standing up. I almost fell over without him holding me.

"I dunno. I just wanted to."

There was a long pause, where I suppose he was struggling to find the right words. Finally he took a deep breath and spoke, slowly and softly. "Sena, you can’t just do things because you want to."

I scowled, tilting my head up to face him. "I know that, idiot. I’m not a child. But I wanted to see what use having this stupid necklace would be!"

"It isn’t a stupid necklace and I’m not an idiot," he hissed. I remember that it was his mother’s necklace once.

"Fine. You have it!" I snapped, tossing the necklace in his direction and turning my face back to my knees again. My breath was coming out in short gasps and little shocks of pain kept going up and down my arm.

Sam sighed and I heard the rustling of clothing. There was a long moment of silence, then he sighed again. He sat down beside me, leaning gently against my shoulder.

"Sena. My father gave this necklace to you. As much as I might want it… it’s yours. But don’t go messing with magic. It’s dangerous stuff," he said quietly. "Now, do you want first or second watch?"

"Um…" I lifted my head and put my chin on my knees. The pain was slowly draining out of me, but it left me exhausted. "I think I’ll do second tonight. That hurt."

"All right. Good night then."