A/N Sorry about the wait. Do people actually read my Author's notes? If you read this I want you to include the word "Albatross" in your review. Well I hope that everyone had a Happy New Year it is 2003! I have finished the website, but still need to upload it. It will be cool though.
MistressSilverWings: Majestic Elf how often do you change S/Ns? Thanks for the review though and again I have finally updated. You are a very persistent reviewer, and that is a good thing, one thing though pleeeaaaaassssseeeee don't make any word too long, or repeat an ! too many times because it messes up the shape of the review windows. I do appreciate the reviews though thanks.
Drangonwing5: Thank you for wishing me a merry Christmas (I'm Christian so do celebrate it), and thanks for the review.
Eve of Mirkwood: I'm glad that this is different, that is the best compliment you could pay me. Thanks for the review.
Galenbrethil: Yay! You think I have realistic characters?! Thanks.
cytosine: Zira's in this chappie, the thing was that I had painted myself into a corner and had to wait for the paint to dry. In other words I had written an entrance for Neal (which is continued in this chappie) too early.
IvyDragon: Kouré is greek for maiden, so kouré would just mean any maiden, the Kouré of Antitheos is the Maiden of Antitheos, so the princess. In this chappie Falkin will be referred to as the kouros of The Kouré, this means that he is the princess' young man. So it is a term that depends on the person that it is referring to. Zira could also be the kouré of King Lari, because she is his daughter. Thanks for the review.
Lady Lake: Thanks for the review.
Ex-roomie: Great chatting with you tonight! Now get that new chappie of the Noble up!
Daugain Hecale: Antitheos (like so many things in this story) is taken from a Greek word. It means God-like. But it also is a bit of an Antithesis too, so you actually picked up on something that is correct but wasn't intended. Thanks for the review.
Flame of ice and Devilish Angel: Thanks so much for the reviews.
Chapter XXVI: Release
It was like a dream. Falkin felt his bonds being cut, and gentle hands carrying him out of the hot sun. He was laid on a cot while careful hands healed his wounds and bathed his face and hair.
When he awoke he found himself lying in a large tent. His muscles ached. He stood gingerly, and a young boy entered the room with a basin of water. Falkin was about to wash his face in it, then his eyes traveled down to the face of the boy. There was a drought in this country. Water was more precious to these people than gold. He smiled at the boy, and pushed the basin away, saying awkwardly,
"I not accept this." The boy frowned.
"It is a gift from Mustafa," he said slowly in Antithean. Falkin knelt before the boy.
"I not worthy of gift. Too much," he told the boy faltering on the strange words. He dipped the corner of his tunic into the water and gently washed the boy's face. "Bring Mustafa, please." The boy carefully put the basin down, and ran out of the room. A moment later Mustafa entered.
"Aibe tells me that you refuse the gift," Mustafa said, his voice was clear, and deep. He spoke in Common.
"I do not deserve it," Falkin replied. "Why are you trying to give it to me? I thought you viewed me as an enemy." Mustafa sat on one of the many cushions in the tent.
"You are the love of Zirabehti Kouré." Falkin looked at Mustafa.
"Zirabehti Kouré?" he asked puzzled. "Zira," he breathed, "the letters. They were from Zira." Mustafa nodded.
"Please, kouros of Kouré, do not tell The Kouré of what we did to you." Falkin thought back to the beating. He grimaced, but then he thought of the pain it would cause Zira if she knew.
"You have healed me, so it is like it didn't happen," he said gently. "But do not do it to anyone else just because of their homeland. If it weren't for Kiké," he stopped. "Where is she?" he asked suddenly.
"The girl you traveled with?" Mustafa asked. Then with some contempt, "the girl with the short hair?"
"Yes," Falkin said.
"She found some of her kin in this camp. She is with them," Mustafa replied shortly, and Falkin got the distinct impression that he didn't want to talk about her. There was an awkward pause, then Mustafa said, "Kouros of Kouré, I want to show you something. If you are well enough to walk."
"Yes, and please it is Falkin."
"Falkin," Mustafa repeated. They left the tent together, and as the walked out onto the narrow streets Falkin felt dark eyes following his movements. The streets were empty this morning. They walked in silence to the edge of the dead city. There they stopped.
"This was once the university," Mustafa said quietly. Falkin stared down at the collapsed domes, and crumbling walls. "I was the," he paused searching for the word, "Didaskos, leading master of it. One of your regiments were let loose on it, they burned it to the ground." The old man's eyes flashed angrily, "The Torallian say they value learning, bah. You must send for Zirabehti Kouré. She would inspire the people. We could rebuild our city if she came." Falkin didn't reply. He looked out across the valley, thinking.
~*~
Neal enter Zira's room, in his hand he clutched a letter. He was grinning.
"Zira, Zira, Falkin has requested that we go out to Antitheos. He says he needs us." Zira looked up sharply.
"Falkin wants us to go to Antitheos?" she asked. Then her eyes fell. "The King would never let me go," she said bitterly, "don't you remember, Neal, I'm 'a threat to the empire'."
"Don't be ridiculous," Neal said with a smile, "Tortall isn't an empire, you are only a threat to the realm. Zira I am your knight master, you have to go where I go."
"Yes," Zira said not convinced, "and you are a knight of the realm and so have to go where the King sends you."
"You forget, I have connections," Neal said wryly, "and I believe you do too. Zira," he said lifting her chin, "you need to go back to Antitheos. You need to remember what you're fighting for." Zira started.
"What do you know about what I'm fighting for," she asked bitingly. Neal sighed.
"More than you think I do," he said. Zira glared at him. "Zira, I'm not going to give you away. Don't you know me? Don't you know that I love you? I would never, never harm a friend." Zira smiled.
"Do you love me enough to commit treason?" she asked half-joking.
"It depends on whether or not I approve of the cause. In this case I do."
"Thank you," Zira said, and hugged her knight master tightly. Neal disentangled himself from her arms, grinning.
"Now I must have a chat with his Majesty Jonathan of Conté the IV," he said as he exited Zira's room. Zira sat on her bed thinking back to when she lived in Antitheos. She loved that country so much, and suddenly she noticed the homesickness that she had been suppressing ever since her arrival. She had to go back to Antitheos, if only for a short time. She began to change; she concentrated, until the slender princess of Antitheos had transformed into the svelte jellicle cat, who was so familiar to the people who lived in the castle, and slipped out into the hallway.
~*~
Jasson didn't wait, he turned and ran. He ran away from the dizzying pattern, and the burnt sword. When he reached the first floor, he ran into the courtyard. He took a deep breath of air. He had Duke Roger's gift?! He sat down on a low wall and gulped the fresh air. He didn't know much about his great uncle. Or was he a cousin? What did know wasn't reassuring. Of all the gifts in the world he didn't want Roger's. Jasson looked down at his powerful fingers. No wonder he hadn't been trained, he could be a danger.
"Don't be ridiculous," he said to the empty courtyard. "It isn't what you have that is evil or good, it is what you do with it." He didn't feel reassured. He lay down on the wall, his lanky body sprawled haphazardly on the cool stones. The sky was clear and blue. He closed his eyes and just breathed. He felt whiskers tickling his forehead. He raised one eyelid, and looked up into the large amber eyes of a jellicle cat. The cat looked worried.
"Hello," he said to it with a smile. "Haven't seen you around much recently." He sat up and stroked it. The cat radiated calm. Jasson felt himself relax. The cat purred loudly in the quiet courtyard. They sat there together, basking in the sunlight. Jasson looked down at the small cat.
"Things are always clearer with you around," he said with a smile. The cat rubbed its head up against his hand. He laughed. "What's your name?" he asked it. " I feel funny not knowing it." The cat merely sat there smugly, and purred. Jasson smiled and stroked the cat again, his thoughts miles away.
~*~
Tobit was worried. He ran his callused fingers through his curly hair, and looked down at the map again. The Antitheans were acting strangely. They had moved half of their camp back, and half forward so now it was split in two. They were preparing to attack. The last of the Tortallian aqueducts ended at the fort where he was stationed, providing the parched land with a little water. The fort had a small wheat field, which was irrigated by the water. Tobit had ordered his men to leave any sheaves they dropped, and the sheaves in the corners of the field for gleaners, as was the custom. His men grumbled at this, but had stopped when he reminded them that if the people starved they would certainly attack. After the grain was bought into the fort they heard the tentative footsteps of the Antithean women who would cross the border to glean. As the women grew bolder they would often hear sing-songy arguments in the Antithean tongue over who had taken more than her fair share.
But now it seemed leaving the corners of the field was not enough. The Antitheans would attack. Tobit's loyalties pulled him in different directions. As a knight he had sworn to his King and to his men to protect the land, but as he thought of Shae he couldn't help but wonder if it were her family across the border squabbling over a few stalks of wheat. He was finding it hard to write to her. He didn't want her to think that he was unfaithful to her people. In his letters he could only write how he wished to be back with her. That at least was true.