Sara Douglass – The Axis Trilogy 2 – Enchanter

Axis nodded imperceptibly. Yes, StarDrifter. And where else is she in this Prophecy? Where else?

“It saddens me,” Azhure whispered, when the ghostly images had finally flickered and died, “that, of all I remember, I do not yet remember my mother’s name. The loss of her name has tormented me all through these years since her death.”

“Your mother’s name was Niah, Azhure.”

Everyone in the room turned to look atYsgryff; even several of the hounds raised their heads.

Azhure leaned forward, stunned. NiahlYsgryff walked over to her, bending down by her side and taking her hand.

“Azhure, I was not totally sure until I saw your mother’s face, but I had my suspicions.”

“Ysgryff.” Azhure’s voice was distraught, her eyes wide and distressed. “Tell me!”

“Niah was my eldest sister, some eight years older than me. Like many women of the House of Nor, she elected to become a priestess in the Temple of the Stars rather than marry. She joined when she was fourteen, and became one of the senior priestesses when only twenty-one. Azhure, you do not remember your mother’s name because she would never have told it to you. All the priestesses relinquish their names when they take their holy vows. She would not even have thought of herself as Niah. Even after she left the complex on Temple Mount.”

“Niah,” Azhure whispered. “Thank you, Ysgryff…uncle.”

“I prefer Ysgryff, Azhure.” He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it softly. “But I welcome you into the House of Nor. Later, when we have more leisure, I will tell you of your mother.”

“Ysgryff.” Axis leaned forward. “Do you know anything of the mystery of Azhure’s conception? Of her father?”

Ysgryff shook his head. “Very little. Our family was contacted one year and told simply that Niah had left the Temple. It happens sometimes that a priestess will leave the Order of the Stars, but rarely, and we were all stunned that Niah had vanished. She had seemed so happy in the Temple. I went to Temple Mount to talk to the Sisterhood, but they could not, perhaps would not, tell me much. They said that Niah had simply left one day.”

“And travelled to Smyrton to marry Hagen?” Azhure said. “Why? Why?’ And why did he leave me alive when he hated me so deeply, she thought. Why?

Axis looked across at the Sentinels. “What do you know? Come, tell me.” His voice was hard. “I will have no more secrets between us.”

But Jack, who knew so much, knew that the Prophecy had always meant Axis for Azhure, not Faraday, was silent.

Veremund spread his hands helplessly. “Axis, believe me when I say that we know nothing of Niah, of why she would have travelled to Smyrton to marry Hagen of all people.”

“You are not beyond forcing people into marriages that they do not want,” Axis snapped.

Veremund hung his head. “Axis.” He raised his head again. “I can tell you nothing; Azhure has always been a mystery to us.”

StarDrifter stood up. “We cannot know why Niah fled to Smyrton when we still know so little about her, about her reasons for leaving the Temple and the Order of the Stars. Azhure, Niah told you to go to Temple Mount. Surely there you will find answers. Perhaps the priestesses will be more willing to talk to her daughter than to her brother.” He took a deep breath and looked at Axis. “But I do not believe what she said about you being a child of the gods,” he said, returning his eyes to Azhure. “Perhaps that is what she thought. Perhaps that is what she was told. Perhaps it was better that she believed that.

“Azhure, I think I know who your father is. It would explain so much about you, and it would explain – but not excuse – why Axis and I were so ready to jump to the conclusion that you were WolfStar this morning.” Again Star-Drifter took a deep breath. “Azhure, I think that WolfStar is your father.”

Jack, sitting shadowed in a corner, raised his eyebrows in surprise. He had not thought StarDrifter so perceptive.

“You think what?” Azhure asked, but at her side Axis slowly nodded as he looked at his father.

“Azhure-heart,” he said softly, “it would explain so much. The Wolven. The Alaunt.” He smiled and looked back at Azhure. “Your SunSoar blood.”

Axis took her hand. “Azhure, you know that both Star-Drifter and myself cannot resist you. Remember Beltide night in the groves. Remember how our blood sang each to the other — yours, mine, and StarDrifter’s.”

Axis’ eyes caught his father’s, then he went on. “If Wolf-Star is your father it would explain how you came to use the Dark Music. He must have learned to use it beyond the Star Gate and somehow he has bequeathed the ability to you through his blood.”

Azhure leaned back in her chair and thought for a long time. It made sense, what they said. And it also made sense of her strange encounter in Spiredore.

“I met my father last night,” she said softly.

“What!” Axis cried, and his query was echoed about the room by several other people.

“I did not know who he was then, but he could only have been WolfStar.” She told them of her strange meeting, of his kiss, of his mention that it was Unclean. “As are relations between parent and child and as between brother and sister in the SunSoar family.”

Her eyes softened. “He was a beautiful birdman. The power shone out of him. If he came to my mother, to Niah, like that then I can well understand why she lay with him and why she thought he was one of the gods.”

StarDrifter looked at her, troubled by Azhure’s obvious admiration for WolfStar. “He also murdered MorningStar, Azhure. And trained Gorgrael.”

Azhure’s eyes met his. “And yet he was kind to me and Caelum, StarDrifter. I do not seek to excuse his murders, but I think that he is a man of many disguises.”

“Enough, uncle,” FreeFall said, stepping forward from his corner. “We have many days in which to puzzle this mystery between us, but now we have a most important duty. Azhure,” he brushed past StarDrifter and briefly stepped over the Alaunt at her feet to kiss Azhure on the cheek. “Welcome, Azhure, into the House of SunSoar. I am FreeFall SunSoar, your cousin. Sing well and fly high, Azhure, and may the years of the rest of your life bring only joy and happiness to counter the darkness that has filled your early years.”

Azhure’s eyes filled with tears.

EvenSong was right behind FreeFall. She kissed Azhure on her other cheek. “Welcome, Azhure, into the House of Sun-Soar. I am EvenSong SunSoar, and I am also your cousin. May the wind always blow at your back and your arrows fly straight and true.”

StarDrifter bent down after his daughter, and Azhure blushed a little at the look in his eyes.

“Welcome, Azhure, into the House of SunSoar. I am StarDrifter SunSoar, and,” he grinned, “I will be whatever you need me to be, but I am not your parent and I am not your brother.” And I am not Unclean, Azhure could hear him echo in her mind. “May you pass on both your beauty and your allurements to the daughter you grow inside you.”

Welcome, Azhure, into the House of SunSoar. My name is Caelum Azhurson SunSoar StarSon, and I am yqur son. Know that I love you and that if am a child of the sun, then it was you who made me that way.

I thank you, Caelum, with all my heart, for your love.

Rivkah now stepped forward and kissed Azhure gently on her forehead. “Welcome, Azhure, into the sometimes fractious House of the SunSoars. May your compassion and courage in the face of adversity remind them all of their own shortcomings.”

“Thank you,” Azhure said as Rivkah sat back down with Magariz. She turned to look at Axis, expecting him also to

welcome her into the House of SunSoar, but he merely smiled gently at her and glared at Ysgryff who hastily let Azhure’s other hand go and hurried back to his seat.

“Azhure, my friends,” Axis said at length. “There is a very special reason for my wanting so many people here, crowded into diis room. I need witnesses for what I now do.”

He dropped down on one knee and clasped Azhure’s hand firmly between his own, interlacing their fingers.

“I, Axis, StarMan of Tencendor, son of StarDrifter, Enchanter of the House of SunSoar and Rivkah, Princess of the Royal House of Achar, do plight thee, Azhure, daughter of Niah of Nor and WolfStar SunSoar, my hand in marriage. Before these people here assembled and with my free will and consent I do take thee as my wife and promise to give thee an honoured place by my side and in my roost. In front of these witnesses I do promise to honour you, to remain loyal to you, and to pledge to you my respect, my possessions, and my body for as long as we both shall live. I promise never to lead you anywhere but into calm air, bright sunshine and rising thermals. My wings are your wings, my heart and soul are yours. You have my pledge of marriage, Azhure-heart, and to this may all the gods and Stars in Creation bear holy witness. May we dance through the years to the music of the Star Dance to find eternal peace among the Stars themselves.”