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Through the Darkness

Chapter 31

Asres liked Teliso. And it was a paternal feeling. On their way to Thalsin, they laughed, teased, sang, and shared stories about their lives, and Asres found himself warming to the young male more and more. Sometimes he looked at Teliso, and if he blinked, he Saw the lost little cub he'd been twenty years before. The Sight was working for Asres again, and its effects became stronger the longer he was around Teliso. As they traveled the forest, Asres saw it not the way it was at the present but the way it used to be, long before the earthquakes. Free of negative energy, free of the anger and pain of those neglected by Kutre, the _Lyko'Ninara_was bright and beautiful, abundant with deer, singing birds, and little flowers. Asres saw its memory bleed through, saw the buttery sunlight of the past pressing through the gray rain of the present. He saw the foxes of Kutre: cubs running through the trees, mothers scolding and singing and breastfeeding. He saw the hunters, hard-eyed and determined as they chased deer with bow and arrow. He saw the lovers, gasping and panting as they embraced in the shade of the trees. He even saw Teliso as a little child, wrestling with a female cub who always managed to outmaneuver him. And he saw what could only be Teliso's mother, beautiful and sweet, laughing in the sunlight as her mane danced in the wind. Teliso's mother, lonely and sad after her husband's death. Teliso's mother, crying as she prayed to Kutre to please give her son a better life. It hurt Asres to think the female's prayers had been whispered in vain.

But the goddess of compassion could be as indifferent as she could be kind, and those who worshipped such "positive" gods always seemed to forget the dual nature of the spirits. Ti'uu's plans always failed, despite his foresight. Maret could give life as surely as she could take it away. And there were few who knew it, but Zihma and Eden were actually two halves of the same goddess. One could become the other and vice versa depending on her mood. The goddess lost her memory each time she changed: when Zihma became Eden, she did not remember her life as Zihma.

Likewise, Zuu'ma's modern followers - the Guides -- were often surprised by her capacity for hatred. She was the goddess of love, after all. But those who worshipped her in ancient times knew well the darker side of her gentle benevolence. Murals still stood in the ruins of her temples, depicting the yellow fire of her anger, the bright wrath in her eyes. In those days, she was as terrible as Ayni herself, and it was hardly surprising. There were many tales of how Zuu'ma came to be, that she was born of Ti'uu's lust, surrounded as he was by goddesses. Others said Zuu'ma was born when Ti'uu first loved Mohaua. Zuu'ma, taking life's first breath, loved Ti'uu the moment she saw him - but that moment happened to be while he was in the throes of passion between Mohaua's pretty legs. When Mohaua died, Zuu'ma was there to comfort Ti'uu, and while he accepted her comfort, he also banished her to the mortal realm - some said for her own safety, others said because he despised her. A third story said Zuu'ma was born of Ayni's heart when the goddess of rage and fire first learned to love. And there were many more old stories besides, to the point that no one really knew the truth but the gods themselves. Asres doubted even the gods knew the truth at this point.

"What will you do," Asres asked Teliso, "when you have left us at the gates?"

It was almost nightfall again, but it was raining so hard now, one could barely tell. They walked close together in the darkness, guided by Teliso, who led the way to Thalsin. The young male had announced a minute before that it wouldn't be long now. They were almost near the gates.

Teliso smiled to hear the worry in Asres' voice. "What I have always done," he replied. "I will live in peace and seclusion here in the forest."

Gallus snorted. "Seclusion," he said, "but not peace."

"Perhaps," Teliso admitted. "I hope you aren't suggesting --"

"I am," Asres said at once. "I don't want to leave you alone here. This place echoes of pain. It's having a terrible affect on you. It has to be."

"I see them here, the echo of their memory," Teliso said softly. He shook his head. "I'd give anything to see them. Even if it means staying here."

Asres halted when he realized what Teliso meant. The others halted as well, and Teliso looked at Asres calmly in the pouring rain. "You have the Sight," Asres said to him.

"Yes," Teliso admitted quietly.

"So you were a prince of Kutre!" Asres realized. Yfel did not bestow the gift of the Sight on anyone. Seers were usually chosen from the royal bloodline. The old Seer of Asres' tribe had been his great aunt.

"Yes," Teliso answered calmly. "It changes nothing." He turned away and cleared his throat. "Let us be on our way."

But Asres thought it changed everything. A male gifted with the Sight was so rare, he instantly felt a deeper connection to Teliso. Teliso had lost his tribe to the earthquakes, but unlike Asres, no god had come to save him, and he was left bitter and alone, with only the memories the Sight offered to comfort him.

All Teliso needed was compassion, a kind paw to guide him through the darkness. He didn't have to be alone. Asres wanted to show him that. And he thought it was a shame that he hadn't found Teliso much sooner. The thought of Teliso falling in love with Yeneneshe made him very happy, and glancing at Gallus, he knew his lover felt the same.

The distant silhouettes of Thalsin's houses and buildings took shape, becoming more than shadow in the gray slants of drizzling rain and fog. Thalsin's wall also became apparent, standing tall in the rain as dark rivulets of water cascaded down it: they had arrived at last.

On the way, Gallus had explained that a secret passage out of Wychowl led to a trapdoor near the gates of Thalsin. It was through this hidden passage that he had escaped with Yeneneshe twenty years before, and by using it, they could enter the castle, provided it hadn't been sealed off by Etienne.

Asres could see WychowlCastle in the distance. Its towers and walls were more than imposing as black birds swarmed overhead. The castle loomed majestic over the town, blotting out the sky, and Asres couldn't help but let his mouth drop open in amazement. So this is what a castle looked like. And Etienne lived in it.

Gallus noticed Asres gawking and squeezed his paw in amusement.

"You used to live there?" Asres said in wonder.

"Yes," Gallus said quietly. He was staring at the castle as well, but without the same amazement.

". . . was it bad?" Asres asked apprehensively. He felt like a cub for asking, but Gallus looked so grim, it made him nervous.

Gallus smiled without looking at Asres. "No, mi sihle. It was a good life. I served in Wychowl while Azrian was queen. It was the best house I'd ever served in . . . to a certain point." He didn't have to explain further. Asres already knew the story: Hellene's coup, Azrian's imprisonment, Gallus and Yeneneshe's flight from the castle.

Gallus had assured Asres that not many would know of the hidden trapdoor near the gate. The secret passage had been built for the Emeralds, in the event that the town was taken and the royal family needed an escape. Only the personal servants of the sovereign would have known about it. Gallus knew of it because Azrian showed it to him when she told him to run.

"Are we anywhere near the passage?" Asres asked.

"Very near," Gallus answered and turned his face, looking around. "It should be just over there somewhere, along the wall. It's a tunnel that runs under the town and into the castle. I remember the trees that stood near it. One was shaped like an upturned spider. Yen caught her mane on it."

"Let's look. And let's hurry. I want out of this rain."

Teliso watched as the other two approached the wall. Gallus knelt and started pushing logs and leaves aside. Asres helped him.

"Ah! Here it is!" Gallus cried. He brushed aside a last cluster of leaves to reveal a trapdoor framed by dark brick, as if to camouflage itself with the rich black soil. Gallus pulled the door open to reveal a dark stair descending deep into the earth.

"So then . . . I guess this is goodbye?" Teliso said behind them.

Asres smiled to himself. It sounded like Teliso didn't want to leave them, despite all his protests. Asres thought of the songs and stories they had shared on their way to Thalsin, and he knew Teliso liked being with others again. He couldn't even imagine how lonely the last twenty years had been for the young male.

"If that is your wish," Gallus said carelessly, but he was smiling with his back to the male.

"Oh . . ." Teliso said, and he sounded a little sad. "Alright . . ."

Asres laughed. "He's just teasing you, Teliso! Of course you can --" Asres turned and felt a chill sweep through his fur. A shadow was lurking in the trees behind Teliso. A Great Dane with a gun. The dog was lifting the rifle and aiming directly at Teliso. Asres went still with horror. "Teliso - get down!"

But Teliso didn't get down. He turned to see what Asres was looking at and took a bullet to his chest. His scream of pain echoed through the trees, only as loud as the blast of the gun. Asres and Gallus shouted as blood splashed and Teliso collapsed to the leaves.

"No!" Pulsing with rage, Asres leapt to his feet and pointed his staff. Lightning snaked out of it, and as real lightning flashed, Asres' magic blasted the stranger in his face and off his feet. The Great Dane screamed and tumbled away through the leaves, limp as a ragdoll, but to Asres' amazement, he got to his feet almost instantly and fumbled to cock his rifle. Asres stared with his mouth open: such a spell would have fried anyone else.

"Asres, get Teliso!" Gallus shouted and ran forward with his spear. He hurled it, and Asres was glad to see the blade graze the stranger's thigh, slicing it open in a gush of blood. The stranger swore and dropped his rifle with trembling paws, staggering back as blood oozed down his shaking leg. Gallus took the opening. He leapt forward and punched the stranger over on his back, shouting again for Asres to see to Teliso.

Asres snapped back to reality and ran to Teliso's body. The young male was lying in the grass and staring blankly at the sky, but Asres was glad to see he was still alive. Blood was pouring from Teliso's chest, and he had fallen on a large stick. The stick was going right through his thigh, was sharp as a spear, and was covered in his blood. Teliso had two serious wounds, one of which could suffer serious infection.

With shaking paws, Asres tried to heal the wound in Teliso's chest, and as it started to close, he could see Teliso blinking and gasping. But it was hard to focus. Asres could hear Gallus and the stranger struggling nearby, and each time Gallus grunted with pain, he wanted to look, wanted to see if his lover lived still - but looking away for one second would risk Teliso's life.

Healing Teliso was only temporary, of course. To really heal Teliso, Asres would need to remove the bullet from his chest, and removing the stick from his leg would only cause him to bleed out quicker. If Asres could slow the blood flow, he would have time to save Teliso later. He focused, conjuring a frost spell that sent fog over Teliso and made him shiver. Teliso was now shaking and cold, but the blood was slowing.

"Asres!" Gallus shouted. "Get to the door! I'm coming!"

Asres glanced up and saw Gallus struggling paw-to-paw with the stranger. The Great Dane towered over him, fighting him wildly and savagely. He kept looking at Asres with an angry thirst in his eyes, kept trying to shove Gallus aside to he could get to him, and in that moment, Asres knew the stranger had been waiting for him but had shot Teliso instead, believing he was Asres.

Gallus refused to back down and held his own gallantly, blocking every blow, sometimes knocking the great dog to one knee. But the stranger just kept getting up. Asres found it flabbergasting.

"Go!" Gallus shouted again. He was panting and clutching his side. Asres' heart stopped: Gallus was bleeding!

"Go! I'm behind you!" Gallus snarled, and he swung at the Great Dane, knocking it flat as it was getting to its feet.

Fumbling and breathless, Asres pulled Teliso up and helped him limp toward the trapdoor. They had made it down the stairs when the door slammed above their heads, and as logs and rocks scraped over the entrance, Asres realized that Gallus had shut them in to keep them safe. Tears started to his eyes. But he didn't stop going. He conjured a wisp, and by its light, he led Teliso on.

Through the darkness.