"Irnai!"
"Wake up, it's all right."
"I'm sure it's just a dream!"
"Someone fetch Sir Neal right now! I think she's sick."
"Should we go get Lady Kel?"
"Calm down, Irnai!"
"She has a high fever and she's having difficulty breathing. Loesia, can you call Kel? I think she will be able to calm her down. Take deep breaths, Irnai, you'll make yourself sick."
"Irnai? What's the problem?"
"Why doesn't she answer, Sir Neal?"
"Is she going to die?"
"Shush now, all of you. It's morning now and you all have chores to do. We'll see to Irnai. Go on, Tobe."
Noise, just loud noise. Voices talked to her, but no sense came to her from these sharp and rough voices. It hurt her ears to hear them after the voice of her goddess, and she cried harder as they became more insistent. She couldn't see; it was much too dark after Shakith's preferred dream world of light. She was still blinded by beauty that Shakith herself could not see or imagine.
She heard a screeching soprano scream out the name of her goddess repeatedly, begging the goddess to free the poor soul from its overwhelming pain.
"Get Daine and Numair, I think they might be able to help."
More voices entered into the cacophonous symphony: a rough tenor and a coarse alto. The same jarring notes were repeated over and over again in different octaves and keys, but all sounded discord. "Irnai," they said. The word became more familiar to her as it was repeated, and the sweetness of Shakith's voice slowly dissipated from her memory. She began to understand that the word was still her name even when not spoken by her goddess.
"I must leave." Her soft voice shook slightly and the noise dropped to a small whispering buzz. Her tears washed away the brightness from her eyes and she slowly looked around the small darkened room. Five adults stood or sat around her cot and stared at her with concern or fear.
She knew them all, but not from her own encounters with three of the five. She knew Sir Neal well, he was the head healer of New Hope and he talked to her as if she was a child. The simple words and low expectations from him were a relief after so many looked to her for answers. His wife, the Yamani bride, sat next to Irnai's face, placing a damp cloth on her forehead. She remembered Sir Neal saying that Lady Yukimi and guests were coming to New Hope that morning. Like most seers, time was a hard concept for her, and though she knew that the guests were coming, the day and time was beyond her sight.
Lady Kel, the Protector of the Small, behaved like a mother towards Irnai the past year and a half. She cared for Irnai as if she was her own child, for Irnai had no parents at New Hope. She was gentle soul, and it warmed Irnai's heart to know that the woman would soon get married and have a wonderful family, even though Lady Kel did not know it yet.
"Lady Kel," she whispered, and coughed slightly. Her mouth was parched and the Lady Yukimi gave her some water. She smiled weakly at the female knight. Sir Neal came to sit on her other side and became examining her with his magic, a tickling sensation like feathers under her skin. Kel moved forward and touched the girl's hand, her concern for the child apparent in her face.
The Mage stood back and watched, and Irnai felt a little afraid of his extensive power. The fear was nothing compared to what she felt when she looked upon Weiryn's Daughter. She was powerful with her divine blood, even more powerful than the wildmage realized. Irnai sent a silent prayer to Shakith that she would never have to reveal the next step in the wildmage's magic. The protection of an animal god on the woman was enough to make the seer child clench her fists tight. Gods were so interfering, and children of gods were not exempt from their troubling and meddlesome ways.
She tried to get out of bed, but Sir Neal was there before she could remove the blankets. "Not so fast," he said. "You can't go anywhere for at least a day, demoiselle Irnai, you've been very ill." The man that she had always known as the Healer adjusted the large pile of blankets around her body and patted her foot.
"I have a message for the Man with Many Names," she protested as the Protector of the Small took Lady Yukimi's chair. "Please, I must go. It's very important."
"What message?" The tall and lanky man came forward to stand next to the bed. He studied her curiously and she watched him as her memory adjusted to a new avalanche of information. In the waking world, the prophecies came in painful increments, rushing to fill her mind with truth and futures. Her nose bled slightly.
"I cannot tell you, Mage, I must tell the Man with Many Names!" she said. She looked around the room swiftly for an ally. Only Lady Kel, but she seemed be in agreement with Sir Neal. "It's important," her voice begged the lady knight. "The Man with Many Names must know. It's a matter of life and death."
The adults did not quite know what to do after that statement. "Where is the Man with Many Names?" the pretty young daughter of a god walked forward. She looked like she wanted to help her. Her eagerness frightened Irnai.
"I – I don't know." Her face fell with the realization that she did not know. For once in her life, information had been kept from her. Patience, she heard a voice. It will come in time.
"Irnai, are you sure it wasn't just a dream? Tell us what happened." Kel brushed Irnai's hair back from her face.
"I can't tell you. Weiryn's Daughter will be frightened," she whispered to Kel. The young woman looked startled and glanced at the Mage. "And the Mage will try to study me with his magic again. Shakith will kill him if he tries a second time."
"How did you…" The Mage broke off and looked stunned. The whole room shuddered visibly at her words, and all but Kel and Neal, who were sitting, took a step back. Kel touched Irnai's cheek and the girl flinched.
"You have a nasty bruise," she commented. "Where did you get it?" The others in the room took this change of subject to get used to Irnai's immense sight.
"Shakith," she whispered, with fear clear in her eyes.
"Do you have a problem with a god, Irnai?" the Daughter asked gently. "I might be able to help you."
Irnai shook her head roughly. "Shakith is a higher god. What can a mere mortal god-child do against her? No, I am hers. I have always been hers." She turned to Kel. "I've got to hurry. It will happen soon, I know it. Then the Man with Many Names will die and Tortall will fall. Please, I've got to go now!"
"Numair," Kel turned and said to the Mage. "Would you happen to know a Man with Many Names whose death would cause the fall of Tortall?"
"King Jonathan? King of Tortall, Voice of the Tribes? Those aren't many names, but perhaps he has acquired more than we know about."
Tortallan King. It sounded so familiar that Irnai knew that had to be the answer. "That's him, the Man with Many Names." She frowned. More knowledge flowed into her mind and tears came to her eyes. "We must go to… Port Legann."
"Corus, you mean?" Sir Neal corrected.
She stared at him. "No, he's at Port Legann," she said as if everyone knew that.
"She's right," Numair said softly. "No one's supposed to know that."
Irnai hated to frighten adults. She watched them as they shuffled uneasily like uncomfortable children in a meeting. She never understood the difference between herself and an adult, except for her size. Other children said adults knew everything, but why did it always seem like she knew more than they?
"You're going to rest for another day," Sir Neal finally decided. "One more day will not make a difference, especially when you were so near death a few hours ago. Rest, Irnai," he said, and patted her head.
"Will you stay with me, please, Lady Kel?" she was worried that Shakith would come back. Of the two females, she preferred Lady Kel as a mother figure.
"I've got work to do, Irnai," Kel said regretfully.
"I'll stay," Weiryn's Daughter said. Irnai felt her limbs stiffen like drying mud. She was never going to get any rest with a god-child in the same room. "I'm Daine," she introduced herself to the young girl. "We'll have Neal give you a dreamless sleep potion."
Irnai nodded and drank the sweet and heady liquid that Sir Neal gave her. Lady Daine was kind, but her presence gave Irnai no true rest.