Sara Douglass – The Axis Trilogy 3 – StarMan

“Yes, SpikeFeather told me. Accept my thanks, Azhure, on behalf of all Icarii, for what you did in Gorken Pass.” He laughed again. “I wish I could have seen it.”

Azhure grinned. “No doubt Axis will recall the memory of it for you, when you both have nothing better to do but sit about a fire and cultivate maudlin thoughts.”

“Axis? Azhure?”

They turned and saw FreeFall enter from the doorway in the lower tiers. EvenSong was directly behind him. Their greetings encompassed laughter and a few more tears, and Azhure hugged both tightly when she heard that FreeFall and EvenSong had, finally, formalised their union.

“The First heard our vows, Azhure,” EvenSong told her, “and she cried even more than you do now.”

That made Azhure laugh, and she wiped away her tears. Then she kissed FreeFall again. “Enjoy the SunSoar luck in marriage, FreeFall.” She paused, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “And father a beautiful daughter for Caelum to love.”

Both FreeFall and EvenSong reddened, but whatever retort they might have made was cut off when Axis looked to the upper Chamber. “SpikeFeather,” he said softly.

SpikeFeather TrueSong stood at the head of the steps, resplendent in his true dark red colouring. But it was not SpikeFeather’s red feathers that caught people’s eyes.

In his hands he held the jewelled tore of the office of Talon.

FreeFall’s eyes grew troubled at the sight of it, and as SpikeFeather stepped down slowly, he shuffled nervously. Axis spared him a puzzled glance – surely FreeFall had anticipated this? As SpikeFeather reached them, Axis looked at Azhure, and without a word they both stepped back, StarDrifter and EvenSong following their lead.

Now FreeFall stood alone and increasingly nervous in the centre of the golden circle. SpikeFeather stared into his eyes, then dropped gracefully to one knee, holding the tore extended in his hands.

“You are RavenCrest’s son,” SpikeFeather said, “and you are his heir, ratified by the StarMan himself. This tore is yours.”

“I cannot wear it,” FreeFall said, stumbling over the words.

Axis frowned, but it was StarDrifter who spoke. “You will be officially recognised in the Assembly on Temple Mount, FreeFall. When Axis…when Axis returns he will conduct the ceremonies there. But the tore is yours, and you can wear it as Talon-Elect from this moment.” He paused. “Take it.”

But FreeFall still hesitated and SpikeFeather extended his hands further.

“I cannot,” FreeFall said again, but then he seized the tore and held it out to Azhure. “Azhure, this is yours by right.”

“What?” she exclaimed. “How can you -”

“WolfStar was murdered by his brother who then took the throne as his heir. But you are WolfStars rightful heir, Azhure, and the office of Talon should be yours.”

Abruptly Azhure set Caelum down on the floor and, stepping forward, took the tore. “Damn you, FreeFall!” she snapped. “Must you keep evading your duties? I was not born to the throne of Talon, I have other responsibilities that would never enable me to rule over the Icarii as Talon, and I was conceived after WolfStar was murdered!” She paused and took a deep breath. “Damn it, what are you going to do next? Offer it to Axis or StarDrifter or EvenSong? They are all tied by blood and by right to the throne, far more so than I. Now, take itl”

FreeFall almost snatched it from her hands, then grinned shamefacedly. “I had to offer it to you, Azhure. Your father was done a great wrong, even though he had done wrong himself. You had to have the throne offered to you.”

“In a sense, he’s right,” StarDrifter said. “Ancient Icarii law clearly states that -”

“Curse ancient Icarii law!” Axis growled light-heartedly, then he took Azhure’s arm and smiled at FreeFall. “Cousin, when I shared out the honours that shining day beside Grail Lake I gave you little else than your right to the Talon throne back. Now, Azhure and I would give you more. FreeFall, Talon-Elect of all Icarii, I bequeath to you and to your heirs the overlordship of the Icescarp Alps and the Fortress Ranges, as all the eastern regions of Tencendor, from the southern and eastern banks of the Nordra to the southern reaches of Minstrelsea and Widewall Bay, saving those areas that Ysgryff of Nor and Greville of Tarantaise still hold. Your may have those lands, and the rights to a tithe of all rights, customs and duties, save those I have already promised to Greville and Ysgryff and those of the free city of Arcen. This gift carries an awesome, responsibility, FreeFall, for you will have Icarii and Acharite and Avar – if they ever return — under your sway, and you will answer (o none bar me or Azhure or our heirs. Well? What do you say? ”

FreeFall glanced at Azhure. “But you are Governor of the East.”

She laughed. “Largely an empty title, FreeFall, when I gallivant about the Icebear Coast with my husband. Besides,” she continued, “I will have responsibilities elsewhere. To …” she glanced at Axis, “to the House of the Stars.”

FreeFall took a deep breath, then nodded, his eyes proud. Then he, too, dropped to one knee. Placing the tore on the floor before him he held out his hands to Axis, and Axis took them between his.

“StarMan,” he said, “before these witnesses here present, I accept with honour these lands and peoples and the tithe of all the rights, customs and duties that come with them. I give you my pledge and my oath of honour and fealty, that I and my heirs shall serve you well and faithfully all the days of our lives.”

Then, surprising StarDrifter and SpikeFeather, FreeFall held out his hands to Azhure and repeated the same oath to her.

As Azhure smiled and kissed him, Axis bent down and lifted the tore and clipped it about FreeFalPs neck before he could escape.

“And so you are jewelled and so you are bound, Talon-Elect,” he said, and helped FreeFall to his feet.

“Well,” Axis said, “will no-one offer Azhure, Caelum and me something to eat and drink? We have ridden far and fast to reach you and I, for one, am tired.”

StarDrifter took his arm. “Then come, Axis. Now that you are here we can reconsecrate Talon Spike.”

“When?”

“Tomorrow night.”

They gathered at the very peak of the mountain in the depths of the night. Azhure shivered, half at the cold wind that blew this high, half at the awesome view from the towering pinnacle.

Even in starlight the alps could be seen spreading on three sides, while to the north she could see, and feel, the grey sea pounding along the Icebear Coast. She had never been to the pinnacle during her time in Talon Spike; it had been out of bounds to all but the Talon and senior Enchanters. It was, StarDrifter explained to her in quiet tones on the way up, one of the most sacred places of Talon Spike.

“From the peak all of Talon Spike can be touched,” he had said, and now Azhure knew why.

The peak was quite large, large enough to hold the several dozen Icarii who had gathered here. In its very centre opened the central shaft of the mountain complex, and when Azhure stepped to its guardrail she could see to the depths of the mountain itself. All shafts and corridors opened off the central shaft; here many of the Gryphon had entered, and it was their befouling touch and murders that the ceremonies tonight were intended to eliminate.

StarDrifter led the proceedings. He motioned Azhure back from the shaft impatiently and, chastened, she hastened back to the circle of watchers. Tonight Azhure and the others in attendance wore loose white linen robes that hung in soft, thick folds to their feet. Azhure let her eyes linger on Axis standing part-way around the circle. She had only ever seen him in fighting clothes or courtly fashions before, and she thought he had never seemed so powerful, so starkly princely, as he did in his robe.

At everyone’s feet lay unlit brands.

“Talon Spike has been corrupted,” StarDrifter said, his voice very soft, yet rich and musical. “Fouled by evil bodies and deeds. Tonight we meet to reconsecrate and rededicate this mountain, beloved of the Icarii people. And, in the wishes of Talon RavenCrest SunSoar, who died here, we will reconsecrate it in the memory of the Enchanter MorningStar SunSoar, our mother and widow of Talon RushCloud, who loved our people and this mountain more than most.”

StarDrifter’s eyes swept the assembled Icarii. “Think of her,” he commanded.

He was silent for a few minutes, letting people recall their own memories of MorningStar.

“She was murdered,” he said, “far from here. She had been excited at the discoveries to the south, and she was excited most of all by the ancient books we found in Spiredore. Many of these texts the Icarii thought lost, and MorningStar believed that she would have the time and the luxury of being able to study them. Yet that was not to be.”