that so odd?”
Antious felt his lip. The blood had crusted and dried. “The message, Aiden…it was cryptic. Ominous, almost. I’m telling you it wasn’t like him. He knew something, I can feel it.”
“What did he know?”
“Haven’t you been listening? He was killed before I was to meet with him. I was hoping you knew something.”
Aiden obviously didn’t by the look on his face. “He didn’t confide much in me, general. Have you spoken to Lady Kerr?”
Roan nodded. “Just after the funeral. She knew nothing. I practically begged her to come and live with Kalisa and I…but she will not leave Hold Kerr.”
“Do you think she’s still alive?” Aiden asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe.” Roan said, but his words were without hope. “You were close?”
“Aye, of course. I saw her everyday. Reign was so bright, so curious. Innocent.”
“They never found her body. Why aren’t you still looking for her?”
Aiden swallowed hard and looked away. “I do look for her, Antious. Almost everyday, for a few hours as my duties allow me.”
They sat in silence for a time.
“Lord Therrium has ordered the army to deploy back to our normal duty stations,” Roan said. “He doesn’t seem worried. I won’t likely see you again for some time.”
“Thank the Ancients.” The two men both smiled wryly.
“You did save my life,” Antious admitted. “Those many years ago. You brought the means, even if I still don’t understand it.”
“Lord Kerr always told me it had something to do with the Living Light, but never said much more.”
“There is no Living Light, Aiden.”
“Lord Kerr said you didn’t believe in the Ancients,” Aiden said. “But deep down I think he thought you did. Maybe.”
Antious was silent for a while. “Maybe.”
Antious lied to himself. There was something, he knew, but couldn’t make it fit into something he could readily understand or apply. Worse, he could tell Aiden saw the conflict within him.
“Are you saying you believe the Ancients will come back some day, as the Changrual say, and save us all from this dying world?” General Roan asked, incredulity on his face.
Aiden shrugged. “I don’t know, Antious. But, I for sure do not believe anything those worthless, dense, sackcloth-wearing ignoramuses have to say.”
“Bastards!”
“Aye, bastards!”
They laughed again together.
TEN
Moira
Day 4 of 4th Rising 407 A.U.
MOIRA KERR ROSE EARLY, just before dawn when the night was always darkest. The amber light of second moon receded completely about half an hour before dawn every morning, leaving Senthara completely engulfed in dark’s full embrace for those final moments of night. Rising at precisely this time was always typical for her, but even more so as the Lady Matron of Hold Kerr. She would be about the affairs of the hold and its lands, managing the labors of the day. In normal times, a herald servant would have seen to the management of the daily work, but these were not normal times.
Once a Lord passed away or retired, a pension from the Realm’s treasury was typically granted in support of the family, even when lordship passed from father to son. No pension would be granted to a family whose husband and father had been a traitor. This left the family to fend for itself. With little money to hire new servants or even retain those currently employed, the hold was understaffed, leaving the income and resources that could have been garnished for their welfare largely untapped. Only the mostloyal and dedicated servants remained, but even they were overwhelmed and the hold lay increasingly in a state of disrepair.
The cycles had not only been unkind to House Kerr’s ancestral hold but also to Moira’s heart. Her bones ached almost every day with sorrow, regret, guilt. Each emotion had its own place in her heart that filled the emptiness left by the death of both her husband and daughter, but though the emptiness was filled it may as well have been a
Antious felt his lip. The blood had crusted and dried. “The message, Aiden…it was cryptic. Ominous, almost. I’m telling you it wasn’t like him. He knew something, I can feel it.”
“What did he know?”
“Haven’t you been listening? He was killed before I was to meet with him. I was hoping you knew something.”
Aiden obviously didn’t by the look on his face. “He didn’t confide much in me, general. Have you spoken to Lady Kerr?”
Roan nodded. “Just after the funeral. She knew nothing. I practically begged her to come and live with Kalisa and I…but she will not leave Hold Kerr.”
“Do you think she’s still alive?” Aiden asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe.” Roan said, but his words were without hope. “You were close?”
“Aye, of course. I saw her everyday. Reign was so bright, so curious. Innocent.”
“They never found her body. Why aren’t you still looking for her?”
Aiden swallowed hard and looked away. “I do look for her, Antious. Almost everyday, for a few hours as my duties allow me.”
They sat in silence for a time.
“Lord Therrium has ordered the army to deploy back to our normal duty stations,” Roan said. “He doesn’t seem worried. I won’t likely see you again for some time.”
“Thank the Ancients.” The two men both smiled wryly.
“You did save my life,” Antious admitted. “Those many years ago. You brought the means, even if I still don’t understand it.”
“Lord Kerr always told me it had something to do with the Living Light, but never said much more.”
“There is no Living Light, Aiden.”
“Lord Kerr said you didn’t believe in the Ancients,” Aiden said. “But deep down I think he thought you did. Maybe.”
Antious was silent for a while. “Maybe.”
Antious lied to himself. There was something, he knew, but couldn’t make it fit into something he could readily understand or apply. Worse, he could tell Aiden saw the conflict within him.
“Are you saying you believe the Ancients will come back some day, as the Changrual say, and save us all from this dying world?” General Roan asked, incredulity on his face.
Aiden shrugged. “I don’t know, Antious. But, I for sure do not believe anything those worthless, dense, sackcloth-wearing ignoramuses have to say.”
“Bastards!”
“Aye, bastards!”
They laughed again together.
TEN
Moira
Day 4 of 4th Rising 407 A.U.
MOIRA KERR ROSE EARLY, just before dawn when the night was always darkest. The amber light of second moon receded completely about half an hour before dawn every morning, leaving Senthara completely engulfed in dark’s full embrace for those final moments of night. Rising at precisely this time was always typical for her, but even more so as the Lady Matron of Hold Kerr. She would be about the affairs of the hold and its lands, managing the labors of the day. In normal times, a herald servant would have seen to the management of the daily work, but these were not normal times.
Once a Lord passed away or retired, a pension from the Realm’s treasury was typically granted in support of the family, even when lordship passed from father to son. No pension would be granted to a family whose husband and father had been a traitor. This left the family to fend for itself. With little money to hire new servants or even retain those currently employed, the hold was understaffed, leaving the income and resources that could have been garnished for their welfare largely untapped. Only the mostloyal and dedicated servants remained, but even they were overwhelmed and the hold lay increasingly in a state of disrepair.
The cycles had not only been unkind to House Kerr’s ancestral hold but also to Moira’s heart. Her bones ached almost every day with sorrow, regret, guilt. Each emotion had its own place in her heart that filled the emptiness left by the death of both her husband and daughter, but though the emptiness was filled it may as well have been a
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