The Disquieted Land, page 4
part #5 of The Memory Stone Series
He placed the stone back on his forehead, then closed his eyes and focused on returning to the instructions he had interrupted.
The woman’s memory resumed its narration, discussing the mandolin, as she called the instrument. Theus let his mind open up and begin to absorb the detailed instruction from the woman who was clearly in love with all aspects of music and instruments. Theus listened to the voice and watched the visual memories as Celena touched and tweaked and plucked and stroked various components of the mandolin, then finally lifted it up and showed how she held it, before beginning to play individual notes.
All the while Theus felt the memory seeping into his brain, accustoming him to accept the knowledge as if it were his own.
“Are you sleeping?” a voice spoke from somewhere nearby.
“Theus?” the woman’s voice called. It was someone not in the memory stone, he hazily told himself, as he lifted the stone from his head and opened his eyes, attempting to readjust his sense of time and place.
Eiren was standing next to the bed, looking down at him with a vaguely amused expression. He rose from the bed and hugged her tightly.
“It’s good to see you!” he told her while they embraced.
“And it’s good to see you too. This is an unexpected surprise,” she told him as they broke the clinch and sat down on the edge of the mattress.
“We’re on our way to Limber, and we hoped to stop and visit and rest here,” Theus explained.
“And Coriae is with you, I understand? Where is she?” Eiren casually laid back on the bed and gave a sigh.
“She is out shopping. One of the palace servants is assisting her,” Theus explained. He laid back beside her.
“And things are good between the two of you?” Eiren asked. “I mean, you’ve got your memories back? And have you gone to Southsand yet to look into your battle plans there?”
“I’ve been to Southsand,” Theus answered in a relaxed voice. “I fought Donal and won, and then I defeated Ind’Petro.”
Eiren silently sat up and stared at Theus.
“You just went down there and did it? You fought Donal, the black magician, and you beat him?” she asked in a voice that was full of emotion. “And the evil god? You killed a god? Theus, is that real? Truly?” she sat with an ashen complexion, overcome by the enormity of Theus’s claim.
“It’s starting to feel more like a story, and less like my life,” Theus commented. He looked at her, then looked away. “But it happened,” he began softly, and he told her of his return to Southsand and his battles in the palace, as well as his time afterwards trying to balance the kingdom on a steady foundation.
“And then when it was all done, I went back to Great Falls and found Coriae, and we are still in love, or in love again, perhaps, although I didn’t recover the lost memories,” he told her. “I’m not supposed to tell you all this I suppose – we were going to announce it tonight – but we do plan to be wed. We’ve told Coriae’s family, and we’re on the way to Limber now to tell my family.”
Eiren’s face broke into a grin and she flopped down on top of Theus, hugging him and kissing him as she congratulated him. “She will be a lively match for you. And you’ll be good for her Theus, I already see that,” Eiren assured him as she rolled off him and back onto the mattress beside him.
She gave a sigh.
“What was that?” Theus asked.
“I just wish,” Eiren began, then stopped.
Theus rolled on his side to face her. “What? What do you wish?”
Eiren rolled to face him as well.
“I don’t think Alsman is ever going to be ready to make our relationship real. He is so convinced that he’s too old for me,” Eiren unburdened her heart. “There was one night when we were working late together, and we began to kiss with passion, but he stopped himself and said it wasn’t right, and there’s been nothing since. He keeps a lid on his love, even though I’m sure it’s there,” her voice held a slight quaver, and Theus felt his own heart ache for Eiren’s misery.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” he asked.
“You can change the topic, I think. There’s nobody who can deal with my problem but Alsman and me, but thanks for offering. Even someone who can kill a god has limitations, you know,” she managed to find humor to alleviate the woeful conversation.
“So what is happening between you and Coriae? You’re really going to be married? And you hardly know the girl – you lost most of your memories of her?” Eiren asked.
“Yes, and yes,” Theus answered as a smile crept upon his face. “I’ve only known her a few weeks in my own memory, but she is so,” he paused as he tried to find a word.
“Beautiful?” Eiren offered. “Social? Warlike?” she laughed at her last suggestion.
“Energizing,” Theus decided. “She makes me feel alive.
“And bruised sometimes in the armory,” he added with a laugh.
There was a momentary knock at the door and then it opened, revealing Coriae herself, standing and observing the scene.
“Eiren, it’s wonderful to see you, and I’m not a bit jealous to find you in my fiancé’s bedroom!” Coriae laughed as she entered the room and sat down next to Theus. “What are you two doing?”
“Talking about you,” Theus replied, as he reached over and took her hand in his, receiving a gentle, affectionate squeeze from Coriae.
“And I’m sure it was all complimentary,” she suggested. “Did you discuss my skill with the staves?”
“We could have,” Theus pleasantly agreed, teasing her by not revealing the topic immediately.
“Well, what did you talk about?” Coriae stood up. “Eiren, I know that you’ll tell me woman to woman.”
“Theus was telling me that you make him feel alive,” Eiren brought dimples to Coriae’s face. “He didn’t clarify whether your staff work makes him feel bruised.”
“You should have stopped with the first part!” Coriae laughed. She leaned down to kiss Theus, then sat on the bed again.
“How are you doing?” she asked Eiren.
“We’ve got the city running pretty well,” Eiren answered. “There is trade resuming between us and Stoke, though it’s uneasy.
“If it weren’t for the trading issues and related matters, I’d say the city could almost run itself,” she added.
“But our trade negotiations with Stoke aren’t complete.”
“You said trading had resumed,” Theus pointed out.
“With your prompting, we did negotiate with Holco, but all we could agree upon is that we’ll allow trading for the next three months while we try to negotiate more about a variety of matters,” Eiren’s voice developed an edge.
“We didn’t mean to pry,” Coriae took note of the change in her friend’s voice.
“No, it’s not a secret. We have some folks here who want us to declare complete independence from Stoke. And Stoke has some people who demand punishing fines against us and double tribute payments. And between those two crazy points, everyone else has some idea, but nobody has an idea of what is the best solution,” Eiren sighed.
“Would you like to go practice swords?” Theus asked suddenly. Eiren didn’t seem to be enjoying the serious conversation, and he was growing bored with it as well.
“I haven’t had a good bout with swords in I-don’t-know-how-long!” Eiren exclaimed as she sat up. “Vanline would thrash me if he knew how little I’ve done!
“Let’s go have a bout,” she agreed.
“But I just got back,” Coriae pointed out. “And you’re going to get all dirty and sweaty right before dinner.”
“We’ll have time to clean up,” Eiren promised. She rose to her feet and stepped towards the door.
“I’ll be back soon,” Theus told Coriae as he followed Eiren. “It will be nice to not be covered with bruises after a practice match for a change!”
The pair enjoyed their time together in the palace armory, where both were recognized and challenged to additional matches. They promised to wage the battles the following day, then returned to their respective rooms to prepare for the evening dinner together.
“You have learned to clean up,” Coriae startled Theus by complimenting him while he was bathing himself.
“I’ve learned a lot of things in the Warrell household,” he grinned as he quickly pulled on clothes.
“Learned and taught,” Coriae agreed. Soon after, they walked to the parlor where Alsman and Eiren were waiting.
“Theus killed a god,” Coriae spoke the sentence as soon as they were seated. The servant in the room with them dropped a dish, then apologized as he hastily bent to clean up the mess.
“You killed their evil god, Ind’Petro?” Alsman asked. “How is it possible for a mortal to kill a god?”
Theus explained about the horn that Limber had given him, then explained how he had come to face the disguised god in Donal’s temple, and further explained his battle with Donal and the subsequent adventures in the tower – freeing captives and treating them, before killing Ind’Petro. The meal proceeded as he spoke to the others, and the servants seemed to linger to listen to the incredible tale.
“Restoring life to the captives is what made me think of using these cuffs to heal my hangover,” he blurted out.
“You had a hangover?” Eiren asked. “Did you celebrate killing the god too much?”
“I celebrated returning to Coriae,” Theus smiled shily.
“Yes, his cuffs healed my hangover too,” Coriae added to the laughter.
“I can’t believe you killed a god,” Alsman continued to marvel. “No mortal should be able to do that.”
“But he still can’t beat me with staves, even when he cheats,” Coriae asserted with a grin at Theus.
“Theus wouldn’t cheat!” Alsman exclaimed.
“All’s fair in love and war,” Theus offered mildly.
“If that’s true, then Eiren should be offering to fight Alsman with staves,” Coriae abruptly shifted topics. “Maybe getting his blood flowing would make him declare his love for her.”
The table was silent for a long pause.
“She wouldn’t want an old man chasing her,” Alsman lamely asserted.
“That’s not true,” Eiren immediately challenged. “At least not about a certain man, who isn’t really all that old.
“Although of course I could beat the shoes off him, especially if we used swords instead of staves. Theus, would you make some of that healing lotion you produce, so that we could tend each other’s injuries? I hear that’s quite an effective touch,” she added, smiling at Theus and Coriae before letting her gaze boldly challenge Alsman.
“We should perhaps have the rest of this conversation privately,” Alsman spoke with embarrassment.
“Will you really have it, or will you avoid it?” Eiren asked. “You must know that you would make me extremely happy if you looked in your heart. You’d see there what I see in mine, and you’d know that age is not an impediment to enjoying love.
“Don’t let the fear of the future hold you back,” she pleaded. “Look at Theus and Coriae; he was leaving to go fight a magician and a god. He had no reason to expect to come back alive, but he still professed his love for her.”
“I admit that’s true,” Alsman replied. He looked at Theus thoughtfully.
“I do want to talk to you further. We should do it in private though; it will be the words of our own hearts, speaking only to one another, if you’ll have time after dinner,” the priest spoke directly to Eiren.
“I’ll have all the time you ask for,” she replied instantly.
“And you don’t have to use staves or swords every time; I was just kidding,” Coriae broke the emotional atmosphere in the room, making them all laugh.
“So what do you expect to find in Limber?” Eiren deftly turned the conversation as she questioned Theus, and the talk and the meal wound down through desert.
“We need to excuse ourselves now,” Coriae said after Theus laid his utensils down.
“We do? Already?” he asked in surprise, as Coriae rose from her seat.
“Yes we do,” she answered firmly, making him rise as well. They excused themselves with promises to see each other in the morning, then the guests left the parlor.
“We need to let them get to that conversation Alsman promised,” Coriae explained.
“I do love you,” the words popped out of her mouth when they reached her bedroom door. “Listening to those two just reminded me that I am in love with you and so glad to be.”
“I’m in love with you too, and very lucky to have you,” he agreed sincerely. They stood together for several minutes before entering their rooms for the evening.
Chapter 4
The next morning, Eiren was radiant when Theus and Coriae met her for breakfast.
“We had the best talk ever, and more! Thank you for making him speak to me,” the Greenfalls girl thanked Coriae.
After a long discussion, Theus pointed out that the pair needed to travel on, taking Coriae’s heavy trunk with them, and the conversation broke up reluctantly.
As Eiren walked them through the halls of the palace, they passed a large delegation of men and women who were filing through a set of double doors into a large hall.
“Look! It’s the Marshal of Limber, Theus!” a member of the delegation recognized the guest.
“Theus! Our great friend!” the members of the group swarmed around Theus and the ladies in a friendly fashion, offering their gratitude for his help in their battles against corruption and Stoke’s army.
“We’re so glad to see you back! Are you going to fight for us again?” someone anonymously asked.
“You don’t need to fight any more, now that Alsman and Eiren are doing so much good work to govern the city,” Theus felt compelled to reply, to offer praise of his friends.
“They are, and they’ll do even better when we’re an independent nation again!” a response came from the crowd.
“Help us defeat Stoke’s army again!” came a shout.
“We’re going to be free!” added another.
“All of you move along; I’m escorting our guests. They’re just on their way to visit Limber. And no more talk of independence,” Eiren stepped in front of Theus and spoke loudly, breaking up the budding political rally.
“Are there problems?” Coriae asked Eiren in a low voice as the chance encounter disbanded, and the two groups resumed their courses.
“Not yet, not out of control,” Eiren replied quietly. “But there is a faction of the city that continues to raise a loud commotion that keeps things stirred up.”
“What do you and Alsman want?” Coriae asked.
“I was held captive by the last Stoke army we faced, so I’m not a friend to the king’s city, but I do not want us to have a problem. Alsman seems to be willing to still answer to Stoke, if we have reasonable levies and considerable local control of our own lives,” Eiren answered. “I hope we can achieve that without trouble.”
“I hope you do too,” Coriae agreed.
The travelers went to Coriae’s room, where her traveling trunk was situated, and Theus indicated they would depart from there. After saying goodbye to Eiren, they took their traveling positions once again, and then Theus willed them to depart from the palace and the city with their first step to cover a day’s worth of travel.
They landed on a mountainside, so close to the edge of a ravine that Theus involuntarily stepped backwards as soon as he saw their location.
“Ouch! That was my toe!” Coriae exclaimed.
Theus released his hold on the trunk and sat down. “I didn’t mean to come this far north, into the mountains,” he admitted after resting several minutes. He looked up at the sky, looking for any clue of their location. “We’ll go due east and try to get back on course,” he muttered, then stood up, and they took their next step.
They landed on the shoulder of the road to Limber, a road that had been built and improved by the granitines of Limber. Theus breathed a sigh of relief.
“This is much better,” he said. “The rest of the trip will be much easier.”
“Well, I’m glad for that,” Coriae answered.
“Let me catch my breath,” Theus leaned against the trunk for a minute more, then turned and grabbed Coriae unexpectedly in a tight hug and kissed her as he took the next step to the north.
They landed within sight of the city gates.
“Crystal!” Theus called loudly. “Crystal, it’s your favorite Marshal!” The sun was shining, and without the extra mass of the trunk to carry, Theus found it relatively easy to travel with Coriae and to recover from the effort.
“What about my trunk?” Coriae asked. “Did you leave it back there?”
“I’m going to ask the granitines to get it,” Theus explained.
“That’s brilliant! Can they?” Coriae asked.
“They surely can. Just watch and see,” Theus took her hand as he spoke, and they began to walk towards the city.
Seconds later, a granitine came racing out of the city.
“Crystal!” Theus shouted excitedly, while he observed the guards at the gate watching the speedy granitine’s flight curiously.
“Theus?” Crystal’s voice projected as she came zooming along the road and halted directly in front of the new arrivals.
“My Lady Coriae,” Crystal added formally by way of acknowledging both visitors. “We are so pleased to see you here. My Lord Limber is most happy these days, and say that great things have been done by your hand. We’re eager to hear your stories.”
“I’m eager to tell them, my friend,” Theus answered. “But first, I have a favor to ask. We left a large trunk full of Lady Coriae’s clothes back on the road a day or so behind us. Can the granitines go and fetch it to Coriae’s quarters in the palace please?”
