Sara Douglass – The Axis Trilogy 3 – StarMan

But the child had no such reservations. Evading the hand of the leading woman, she ran across the clearing.

“Faraday!” she cried, and Faraday, recognising her, stepped forward and swung the girl into her arms.

“Shra!”

The child had grown in the two years since Faraday had last seen her. She had more than doubled in height, and had lost most of her baby pudginess. But she retained her friendly grin, and her eyes were still full of the beautiful liquid darkness that Faraday remembered. Shra wrapped her arms about Faraday’s neck and gurgled with laughter as the woman spun her about delightedly. The bond that had formed between the girl and the woman when Raum had presented both of them to the Mother had not tarnished during their separation.

“Shra,” Faraday said again, but softly this time, and gave the child a final hug before she set her down. The six women had stepped forward until they were only three or four paces from her, and now Faraday caught some of their nervousness.

The leading woman was a Bane, small and delicate, but she exuded the same power that Faraday remembered had surrounded Raum. Despite the apprehension apparent in her eyes, her face was calm and her mouth determined.

“Tree Friend,” she said, then bowed, the palms of her hands on her forehead. “I honour you. May you always find shade to rest in, and may the paths to the Sacred Grove remain always open to your feet.”

She straightened. “My name is Barsarbe, and I am a Bane of the Avar.”

Faraday bowed and greeted Barsarbe in the same manner, then stepped forward and kissed the woman on both cheeks. “Greetings, Barsarbe. My name is Faraday. I am glad to meet you and yours finally.”

Barsarbe looked startled at Faraday’s kiss, but she indicated the five women behind her. “My companions, Tree Friend. Banes Merse and Alnar, and Elien and Criah, both from the FlatRock Clan, and Relm, from the Pine Walk Clan.”

Faraday greeted each of them with formal words followed by a kiss, then she turned and waved the Goodwife forward.

“My friend and companion, Goodwife Renkin. She has come to me from northern Arcness.”

Barsarbe frowned and spoke before the Goodwife had a chance to greet the Avar. “Tree Friend, I would not have thought that one of the Plains Dwellers would prove a suitable companion.”

Faraday’s face hardened. “/ am a Plains Dweller, Barsarbe, and yet the Mother accepted my service. And I have accepted the Goodwife’s service. On many days she speaks with the voice of the Mother, and every day she sings to the seedlings and gives them the heart to grow. If I have survived to stand here before you today, then it is in large measure due to Goodwife Renkin.”

Barsarbe flushed at the rebuke in Faraday’s voice. “Forgive me,” she said, lowering her eyes. “We are ashamed that…well. . .”

“Faraday, Tree Friend,” Alnar, an older Bane, stepped forward. “What Barsarbe means to say is that the Avar are shamed that both Tree Friend and the StarMan bear no Avar blood, yet one of ours birthed Gorgrael. We find it hard. Sometimes our shame makes us say words that we later regret.”

Faraday’s face relaxed. “Barsarbe, Alnar . . . my friends. The Prophecy bends all of us in strange ways. There was a time when I did not want to be Tree Friend, when I shuddered at the sight of a tree and called on Artor to save me. But I accepted my path, and will continue to accept, and I have found peace. Barsarbe, the people of Plough, Wing and Horn must fight this battle together, and when Tencendor is finally won, then all will walk its paths together. The Mother chooses whom She pleases to serve Her.”

Chastened, Barsarbe took a deep breath and lifted her eyes. “Tree Friend,” she said quietly, “we have made a bad start.” She greeted the Goodwife, offering her the same obeisance and words she had Faraday, and kissing her on both cheeks as Faraday had her. The Goodwife blushed and shuffled, but she managed to return the welcome, and beamed happily at the other Avar.

Shra smiled, and took the woman’s hand.

“Let us sit under the shade of the trees,” Alnar said, breaking the remaining awkwardness, “and share a meal. There are still some hours before the night is dark enough for us to observe Yuletide and there are many things for us to discuss.”

Faraday and the Goodwife unpacked and unharnessed the donkeys, then sat down with the Avar women. Of the Avar foods Faraday had only tasted malfari bread once before, and now she and the Goodwife picked delightedly at the dishes before them, sampling the unusual flavours. On their part, the Avar were astounded by the saddlebag that the Goodwife handed them, drawing out foods they had never even imagined.

“Magic,” Criah said, and Faraday smiled at her.

“The donkeys and their bags were a gift from Ogden and Veremund,” she explained. “Two of the Sentinels.”

Barsarbe nodded, sampling some hot raisin dumplings she had just unwrapped. “Yes, we met them – along with the StarMan – two Beltides previously.” She grinned. “They were a friendly pair.”

Faraday’s own smile dimmed as Barsarbe mentioned Axis; she did not want to talk about him yet. “How did you travel south? Did you encounter any danger?”

The Avar women deferred to Barsarbe, and Faraday thought the Bane must be of significant power to have reached seniority at such a relatively young age.

“We travelled on foot, Faraday Tree Friend,” Barsarbe explained, “through the Seagrass Plains, as have all our Banes when they brought our children to the Mother. But we travelled openly, where before we would have travelled secretly, and we walked proudly and confidently.”

Even if the power of the Seneschal had been broken, Faraday thought, it would have taken considerable courage for these women to brave the unknown. “Did you encounter any difficulties along the way?”

Barsarbe glanced at her companions, then looked back at Faraday. “Little, Tree Friend. Most of the villagers we

encountered were curious and offered us shelter at night.” She grimaced, remembering. “But it took us a week or more before we had the courage to accept one of these invitations. Although most of the journey went well, there was one moment…”

Alnar patted Barsarbe on the arm and continued. “We met some trouble in Smyrton, Tree Friend.”

Faraday looked up, her eyes sharp. The people of Smyrton had condoned Azhure’s abuse with indifference and averted eyes. “What trouble?”

The older Bane continued. “They threw rocks at us, Tree Friend, and shouted abuse. Although none of the rocks came close, the hatred evident in their words disturbed us…it still does.”

“Smyrton is a strange village,” Faraday said quietly.

“Yet you will have to plant straight through there, Faraday,” Goodwife Renkin said. “Smyrton will have to be abandoned to the trees. It is the only way.”

Faraday looked up, startled, as did the Avar. Again the Goodwife’s voice had lost its country burr; again it was filled with the authority of the Mother.

“Beware of the shadows,” the Goodwife continued, “for there lurks Artor.” She put her arm about Shra, as if Artor were about to leap from the shadows at this very moment and seize her.

Faraday shivered, more at the power in the Goodwife’s voice than at her words, and she was not the only one.

Barsarbe stared at the Goodwife, then swallowed and looked back at Faraday. “We have come to help you, Faraday,” she said. “We could not sit in the Avarinheim, waiting and not knowing. We have come to help.”

Faraday reached across and took the Bane’s hand. “Thank you,” she said. “Thank you.”

“Faraday,” Merse asked, “do you know what has become of Raum? When he left the Avarinheim . . . well…”

“He was transforming,” Faraday said. “Yes, I know.” She smiled suddenly, brilliantly. “He has transformed. I witnessed for him. He is at peace, Merse, and his feet have found the paths to the Sacred Grove. Be happy for him.”

They held no ceremony to mark Yuletide, for the rites of the sun would be marked at the Earth Tree Grove and, for the first time in a thousand years, at the Temple of the Stars. But the Avar women would light their own circle of fire, and now five of them, together with Shra and the Goodwife, wandered about the perimeter of the Lake laying out piles of dead bracken. Barsarbe and Faraday sat at the edge of the trees, watching them.

“The Icarii always marked Yuletide at the Temple of the Stars before the Wars of the Axe,” Barsarbe explained as the stars came out, “but when they were trapped in the Alps, they flew down to celebrate with us.” She paused. “Although there will be a number of Enchanters at the Earth Tree Grove, we will miss StarDrifter’s presence this year.”