Chapter 6
The Lady of the Woods
El-Sidar, Gebal Forest
Returning from her patrol, Jiria was not in the best temper. The intrusion of the human alone was not the reason for this but rather it was the response of her scouts that served to annoy. The entire way back they would not stop talking about the 'Daughter of Mother Earth'. She would upbraid them for their lack of discipline while on patrol, but the silence that followed would never last. It was a wonder the uzshu did not seize the opportunity to launch an ambush. It would have been easy enough.
"It is a sign, I tell you," Linshirias said for the dozenth time. "A daughter of Mother Earth and a son of Father Sky will appear to foretell the return of El-Naia. We are truly blessed to have witnessed the prophecy fulfilled before our eyes."
"Where is the son of Father Sky?" Asha asked. "You cannot mean the iron man. The prophecy is not fulfilled."
"Perhaps it is not a literal son of Father Sky," Linshirias suggested. "The god of these humans, I have heard Mamengoel say it is Father Sky by another name. In a sense, he is a son of Father Sky. He could be the one."
"You would do well not to heed the ravings of that mad vagrant," Tirinas said.
"He is one of the few of our people who have studied the humans," Linshirias said. "We would do well to consider his wisdom. We must know our enemy."
"I know they die with an arrow or two," Tirinas said. "That is enough."
"There are not arrows enough, Brother," Asha said. "We must find another way if we are to protect these woods."
Hanaria added her voice, saying, "We have already lost so much and the humans continue to flourish while we diminish."
"That is why the sign should give us hope," Linshirias said. He then said to Jiria, "Surely you must believe, Sister. Why else would you have given the iron man your moonstone?"
"It was a mere trinket," Jiria said irritably. "It got rid of the human without drawing more of them."
"A Teardrop of El-Naia, a trinket?" Linshirias balked. "Sister, it is a poor thing to blaspheme so."
Jiria was not nearly so devout as Linshirias. In fact, at times she wondered if El-Naia existed at all. She certainly did not seem to do much for her children as they were imperiled by the human menace. The forests across the world were crying out and El-Naia remained silent in her sanctuary on the moon. If their people were to be saved, they would have to look somewhere else.
Returning to his prior inquiries, Linshirias went over to Inara and asked her, "What did you see, Sister? Your sight beyond sight is the keenest. You did look, did you not?"
"It was... clear," Inara replied. "It was like standing on the beach looking out to the sea. There was not much to see on the surface, but you know there is much more in the depths."
This seemed to encourage Linshirias and he sought out more voices of support, asking the others at large, "You all heard the whispers of the trees? They know. They could feel it, even with her power suppressed as it was."
"For the last time, enough of your prattle," Jiria growled. "We are still on patrol. You can sing the praises of the Daughter of Mother Earth to your heart's content after we return to El-Sidar."
Her admonition was as effective as the past several times. It was not long before Linshirias started speaking again.
"It is a good omen, I tell you. A good omen."
Having had her fill, Jiria turned back and struck him across the cheek.
"I told you to be quiet," she said. "Speak up again and I shall cut out that wagging tongue of yours and nail it to your Life-Tree."
A hush fell over the others, silent as Death itself. There would be consequences later, but at least Jiria would have a moment's peace.
* * *
Jiria stood stiffly in the Queen's audience chamber with her jaw clenched. The Forest Tribe was not known to be as gifted with sight beyond sight as the Light Tribe, but the Queen was an exception. There was little you could conceal from her piercing gaze. Besides her natural gifts, her hair—a rare reddish brown like the bark of El-Sidar—was seen as a good omen and led to her being chosen as Queen. Those with such particular inward and outward signs that set them apart from the people at large were said to be touched by El-Naia.
In the early years of her reign, the Queen's blood ran hot and she aggressively pursued their enemies both within the forest and without, but after a string of costly battles during the reign of the previous king of the humans, that hot blood of hers chilled and now their people were reduced to feeble delaying actions while the uzshu continued to spawn in the eastern reaches of the woods and the humans pressed them from all sides. Though Jiria was the Guardian of the Forest, she was bound by the orders of the Queen and the Council of Elders. Until their leaders, starting with the Queen, mustered the resolve to strike back, her hands were tied.
"You struck a brother in anger," the Queen said. "You then threatened further violence against this brother and his Life-Tree. And you blasphemed against our mother El-Naia. These are not light offenses, Sister. I fear the burden of your rank weighs too heavily on your shoulders."
Even though she knew it would accomplish little, Jiria tried to defend herself, saying, "The brother was growing careless. Words alone had no effect on him. If his carelessness did not endanger our patrol, it would have endangered another. Had I done nothing, it would have led to the death of El-Naia's children. Would that not be a greater blasphemy?"
"He was moved to joy in the hope of seeing a prophecy fulfilled," the Queen replied. "His light shone and you sought to conceal it."
"A shining light draws enemies."
"Or drives them away. Do not our foes fear the Light?"
As usual, speaking with the Queen got Jiria nowhere. She had filled the void left by her fleeing courage with sophistry. Instead of a bow and spear, words were her weapons now, but words would not avail her when their enemies would come.
Realizing she would not accomplish anything worthwhile, Jiria bowed her head and said, "I will apologize to the brother I offended and make amends. Then I will seek penance from the High Priestess for my blasphemy."
"You are proud, Jiria, daughter of Jirinel," the Queen said, "but it would seem that you have not entirely forgotten humility. Do these things, then return to me. I would hear more of this one they are calling the Daughter of Mother Earth."
Bowing low, Jiria replied, "As you command."
As Jiria turned to leave, the Queen spoke again.
"Jiria."
"Yes?"
"May the grace and peace of El-Naia be with you."
Jiria gritted her teeth.
"And also with you."
* * *
For Linshirias, having the Guardian of the Forest lower her head to him was all the recompense he desired. It was as if he knew the blow to her pride was as effective a punishment as any. Mere words were not enough to satisfy the High Priestess, though. Jiria's penance was to serve the priests and priestesses for seven days to purge the sin of her blasphemy and ensure the lesson in humility stayed with her.
Before she could serve in the temple, however, she had to purify her body first. She would spent the entire night sitting in one of the springs as the cold water passed over her, contemplating how to purge the uncleanness in her heart as her body was cleansed. This was nothing new to her. The shedding of blood was an offense in El-Naia's eyes, so hunters and warriors would regularly go through the process to restore their ritual purity.
In truth, her thoughts were far removed from the cleansing of her heart. Instead she was stewing on her bitterness toward the Queen. She was inviting their ruin with her passivity. Now was the time for bold action, not to sit idly by while the ground eroded under their feet.
"Your thoughts are impure, Sister," a voice said. "The moon shall wax and wane and you will still be sitting there."
It was Okidoel, a priest in her confidence. Still, she should have been guarding her thoughts more. The powers of sight beyond sight among the priests was even greater than the Queen's and it was all Jiria could do to lead the Queen's inward gaze away from her true thoughts.
"She will be shriveled as the Eldest of Elders if she stays in that long," Tirinas said.
Tirinas was one of the few men of her patrol trusted with their secret. Not many others could deflect sight beyond sight so well. That was of course an important condition to be accepted into their circle. Their plot would come to naught even if she had half of the brethren on her side if the first person to peer into one of their minds exposed the whole thing.
"I was careless," she said.
"We cannot afford carelessness, Sister," Okidoel replied. "This is too important."
"I know that. I know it better than any."
"So it is true then?" Okidoel asked. "The Cornerstone has slipped out of the humans' grasp?"
Jiria shook her head, still disbelieving the turn of events.
"A single iron man throws all our plans into disarray."
"But you sent him westward?"
"I feared he might take to the sea otherwise and we might never retrieve the Cornerstone."
"She would be back," Okidoel said confidently. "She cannot stay away. The Foundation calls to her and she cannot rest until she goes there, but you did well to keep her in this land. Julgalel tells me that the humans have launched a search for this iron man and the Cornerstone. Nearly all their warriors will be seeking him out."
"Do you not fear they will use this and an excuse to attack?" Tirinas asked.
"I think not," Okidoel replied. "The time of the Gathering is too near at hand. The Queen of the humans will not want to jeopardize that."
Though her resolve needed to be hard as stone, as iron, Jiria found herself hesitating.
"Hagamoel fears the Foundation may crack from what we are doing..." she said.
"Hagamoel fears many things," Okidoel said. "As I have told him, we face extinction and to save much, you must risk much. Even if the Foundation is damaged, we can use the power to restore it."
"There are fifteen others who would use the power for themselves," Jiria noted.
"That is why you must strike faster," Okidoel said. "It is a great burden we have placed on your shoulders, Sister, but you have been chosen for this great work because you are the most fit for the task. The lives and hopes of our people are in your hands. Never forget that."
"I will not fail," Jiria said. "I cannot fail."