Seer's Hope

By Maree Anderson

Chapter Ten

Hope jerked back her outstretched hand. Maya's father, the man they were preparing to bury? "Wh-what do you want from me?

"Thank you for your song. It will ease my passing from this world to the next. Too, I thank you for what you will sacrifice for my people."

The voice sounded so sincere a little of Hope's fear receded. "I am sorry to have Seen your death. I would take it back if I could."

"My death was inevitable." The spirit's sigh swirled around Hope, goosing her skin. "The gods are calling me home."

There was a rushing in the air above her, as might be caused by great wings.

"It is time." Janus's voice was fading and Hope strained to hear his final words. "Tell Maya... be brave... love her."

"I will," she called, and felt it in every fiber of her being when his spirit departed and vanished as though it had never been.

"Hope?" Dayamar's concerned voice rang out just as Blayne swept Hope up in a crushing embrace. She could feel him shaking.

"Blayne, I am fine. You are squashing me."

"What did Janus say to you?" Dayamar asked.

"He thanked me for my song, and for easing his passing." Hope suspected she hadn't grasped the full import of the spirit's words, but that nagging feeling was eclipsed by the wonder she felt at the encounter. "Before the gods came for him, he had a message for Maya."

"We will take you to her," Dayamar said. "Quickly now. I must not delay the final part of the ceremony. It's imperative Janus's spirit has no reason to return to the corporeal world."

"Wait." She resisted as Blayne ushered her forward. "Varaya. Is she all right?"

"Willem is taking good care of her," Blayne said.

"Whatever do you mean?"

He leaned in to whisper in her ear. "She was thrown backward by the wind, and landed sprawled on top of him. He grabbed her to protect her from harm. Now neither of them seem to know how to react." He huffed a low laugh. "I can't think of a better punishment for Willem than ending up with Varaya as his life-partner."

Hope bit her lips to hide her smile. "Varaya, I will meet you later at the feast," she called as Blayne led her away.

Dayamar chanted the necessary words to bring the ceremony to a close, and Blayne urged Hope forward to stand next to Maya while the mourners filed past.

"Your father gave me a message for you, Maya." She was loathe to cause Maya further distress but felt compelled to reveal his last words.

Maya squeaked. "My father?"

"He said, 'Tell Maya to be brave and I love her.'"

Maya made a sound that was halfway between a sob and a laugh. "Thank you. That means more to me than you could know. I'm so glad you've come to us, Hope."

"I am happy I could do this for you."

"Now do you believe?" Dayamar murmured for Hope's ears alone.

But Hope was too busy processing the encounter to respond. She had spoken to a dead man's spirit. She might be a harbinger of death, but she could also comfort a grieving friend. Perhaps being Sehani wasn't so bad after all.

~*~

Laughter and chatter drifted to Hope's ears as her small party made its way to the gathering place. She'd once attended a wake for a friend of her father's, and everyone had celebrated the man's life. It appeared the Dayamari followed a similar tradition.

The muscles of Blayne's arm, which he'd draped around her waist, tensed.

"Is something—?" Hope faltered, belatedly realizing she was speaking into a hush.

"I wish I could have organized a less formal occasion to introduce you in public," he murmured in her ear. "They expect you to say a few words. Are you okay with this, dearling?"

"I think so." She straightened her spine and confronted the silence. At least she wouldn't have to resort to imagining everyone in their underwear—she could pretend she was merely rehearsing a speech.

She cleared her throat. "I am Hope. I have come here from, uh, a distant land. Dayamar tells me I am Sehani even though I am blind. Strange things happen and I am scared. But you are all kind and you help me." She tightened her grip on Blayne's hand and he gave an answering squeeze. "I will try hard to learn your ways. And I think... I think this is my home now."

She held her breath, awaiting a response. She heard mutterings, and then a woman's voice bellowed, "Has the kit got your tongues? Make the poor child welcome for gods' sakes!"

Shay. Hope silently thanked the woman.

"I have already made our new Sehan welcome," the clothing-maker said. "As you can plainly see, she is wearing one of my fine gifts. Doesn't she look splendid? On behalf of this settlement, I welcome you, Hope."

"It is not your place to officially welcome newcomers," a nasal voice protested.

Shay sniffed, somehow managing to convey disdain and dislike in that one small gesture. "If we waited for you elders to get around to welcoming her, the food would burn and everyone would go hungry tonight. And from what I hear, First Elder Varon, you weren't very inclined to welcome our new Sehan when you first met her."

"Varon, may I have a word with you?" Dayamar said. "I have a pressing matter that would benefit from your advice." The First Elder blustered as Dayamar drew him away, skillfully defusing the situation Shay had provoked.

Shay laughed heartily. "Let's get this gathering underway!" Her shout was followed by a babble of excited conversation and the booming rhythms of drumbeats.

Blayne pressed a quick kiss to Hope's temple. "That was well done. You said exactly the right thing." He led her to one of the numerous cooking fires bordering a large area reserved for dancing. This particular spot had been set aside for Maya and Cayl, and he shooed off one of the volunteers overseeing the food. "I'll see to this," he told the young woman. "Go find your friends and enjoy yourself." She scurried off, calling grateful thanks over her shoulder.

"Join us, Willem," Blayne said. "Unless you have other plans?"

"If you're sure?"

"I won't bite. I had a chat with Johan earlier today. He tells me his favorite boots will never be the same. Are you still unable to tolerate any liquor?"

Willem cleared his throat. "None. I don't miss it, or feel any need to experiment, but Johan keeps plying me with vile concoctions. I don't think he entirely believes in what Sehan Hope did to me. My ribs ache from all the vomiting. But aside from that, I feel better than I have in years."

Cayl chose exactly that moment to offer Willem a drink.

"Is it sekar?" Willem asked.

"Yes. A superior batch, too."

"Then no thanks. I have no desire to ruin your boots, too."

"Is anyone going to explain all this talk of boots? Or is it a private joke?" Varaya sounded tetchy.

"Johan forced a drink down my throat immediately after my second encounter with Hope. I threw up over his best boots. I can't drink any liquor without becoming violently ill. I'm positive it's a permanent side effect, but Johan insists on experimenting. You know what he's like."

"Sure do," Cayl muttered. "I remember when he tried—without asking permission, I might add—a new mix of herbs in some vile concoction he gave me. I swear I farted for a whole—"

"I'd rather forget that unfortunate incident," Maya said firmly. "We must thank those who helped with the food preparation." She dragged him away before he could launch into another of his tales.

Hope lounged on a mat beside Varaya, while the two men oversaw the cooking. Blayne seemed surprised to discover Willem shared his love of good food. The two were soon deep in conversation about various seasonings and techniques.

Hope leaned back on her elbows and stretched out her legs, letting the music and merriment wash over her. It was wonderful to relax and just be for a change. Since being summoned here, her life had been dictated by forces beyond her control. She'd bounced from one incident to another like a pebble careening down a steep hill. Until this moment, she hadn't realized how stressful it all was.

Beside her, Varaya fidgeted restlessly. "Do you want to check out the dancing?"

Hope suspected her friend was peeved about Willem ignoring her. Varaya wasn't used to being ignored by men. "I would like that," she told her friend. "Blayne? I am going with Varaya. We will return soon."

"Don't be too long. The food's nearly ready."

Varaya steered Hope toward the dancers. The closer she got, the more the complex rhythms of the drums reverberated through her body.

Varaya clapped her hands. "Roban's going to play!"

A trill from an instrument that sounded like a flute joined the drums. Hope listened, entranced, as the skilled musician wove an intricate little melody through the drumbeats. She barely noticed when Varaya was whisked away by one of the dancers.

"Would you like to dance?"

Before she could think of an excuse, Hope was drawn forward by large hands clasping her waist.

"I do not know this dance," she demurred, but her fears were overruled by her unknown partner's hearty assurance it didn't matter a bit. He drew her closer, and she placed her hands on his shoulders as he led her through the first steps of the simple dance.

When, inevitably, she stepped on his toes and hastened to apologize, he only laughed. Reassured her partner didn't expect too much, Hope relaxed and began to enjoy herself. It didn't take long before she could anticipate the steps. He responded by leading her into more complicated moves. The musician began another song, and Hope thanked her partner, but before she could retire her hands were grasped by the other man, who swept her into another set of steps. He danced with enthusiasm but little care. She suspected he didn't even realize she was blind. When he abruptly swung her out, Hope's hand slipped from his grasp. She promptly tripped over someone's foot... and fell headlong into familiar arms that tightened protectively around her.

"Kevyn." Blayne's tone carried more than a hint of censure. "Next time you dance with Sehan Hope, please take a little more care of her."

"Sorry," her dance partner said. "But no harm done, eh?"

"Thank you for the dance," she called after him as he hastened off in search of a less fragile partner.

"I thought you were with Varaya," Blayne said.

"Someone asked her to dance." Hope paused, wondering how he would react. Well, she'd never know if she didn't ask. "Dance with me?"

The frantic music segued into a haunting melody accompanied by a slow drum beat. Blayne pulled her close until her cheek rested against his chest. "I didn't know you liked to dance," he said. "There are many things we must discover about each other, hmm?"

She murmured a quiet agreement, content to be in his arms. She could have stayed there forever but inevitably the music wound down and he led her back to their cooking fire.

"About time. I'm starving." Cayl tried his best to sound like he was dying of hunger.

"You've got two hands, haven't you?" Blayne shot back.

"And risk ruining good food? No way."

"All right, all right. I'll serve. Grab some plates." Blayne ladled out the stew and Maya passed out the plates, dispensing brisk instructions for everyone to help themselves to the side dishes.

The stew on Hope's plate smelled delicious but she had no idea what it was, or where to find eating utensils. She hesitated to bother Blayne or Maya while they were busy serving the others. This was why she didn't enjoy these sorts of gatherings. People tended to either leave her to her own devices, unwilling to intrude, or hovered and treated her like a small child incapable of doing anything for herself. Right now she felt like the latter.

She dipped a forefinger into the food. Yeow. She sucked the hot gravy from her finger. Mmm. Tasted gamey. Venison, perhaps? Just as well she was a total carnivore and liked red meat. Best leave this to cool awhile.

Blayne glanced over at Hope. Why was she not eating?

Ah. He headed over to grab some cutlery but Maya beat him to it.

"I have some eating utensils for you, Hope." Maya handed them over. "Is that all you're going to have? What about the other dishes? At the very least you should try my specialty—baked root vegetables. And there's steamed greens, too, if you'd like."

"I would very much like to try them, Maya. But—" Hope's exhalation sounded shaky. "Because I cannot see the food, I am afraid to spill it or burn myself."

Maya smacked her forehead with her palm. "I'm so sorry. I didn't even think of how awkward it must be for you. But there's no shame in asking for help, you know. I'm your friend after all."

If anyone could coax Hope out of her reluctance to ask for assistance it'd be Maya. Blayne waited for Hope's response.

"I know, Maya. But it is hard for me to ask. Back home I learned how do everything myself. Here it is... different."

Frustration throbbed in her voice. It wrenched his heart.

"I cannot even serve myself food without help. Always Blayne does things for me. He must be sick of it. He must be sick of me."

The complete opposite, but apparently he'd have to work harder to convince her.

Maya placed the plate safely aside before kneeling to take Hope's hands. "I know that's not the case. Blayne loves you. I've never seen him so taken with a woman. He'd do anything for you."

"He was given no choice. My blindness gives him no choice. He is kind, generous, because that is who he is. It does not mean he loves me."

Foolish woman. He loved her so much it scared him.

Maya glanced up then, straight into his eyes. She cast him a measuring gaze, doubtless wondering how much he'd overheard. Hope for once seemed unaware of his presence.

"You must try some of the other dishes," Maya offered brightly. "I'll take your plate and give you a small serving of each." She moved from earshot to give them some privacy. This was obviously his cue.

"Yes. Thank you." Hope blotted tears with her sleeve.

"Hope."

She jolted at the sound of his voice. And threw him a sunny smile he didn't believe for an instant."Blayne!"

He sat beside her. "Are you unhappy?"

She blinked at the blunt question. "I am fine."

"Perhaps you will answer this next question truthfully. How do you feel about me?" He tensed, waiting for her reply, knowing it would alter his life forever. What if his feelings weren't reciprocated? What if she was only staying with him from some misplaced sense of obligation?

What if she left him to return to her own world?

"I am grateful you let me live with you and that you look after me," she said, carefully skirting the subject.

"You know that's not what I mean. Do you love me, Hope?"

She lowered her gaze, hiding her expression from his view, but he was having none of it. He tilted her chin so he could gauge the truth in her eyes. "Answer me."

For one agonizing moment she remained silent. Then her lips parted ever so slightly, and the words he'd been aching to hear spilled out. "Yes. Yes, I love you."

Relief and joy cascaded through him in a heady rush. "I love you, too." He'd never said those words to any other woman. He kissed her tenderly, the merest brush of his lips against hers, holding back even though he wanted more—so much more. Because if he kissed her like he so desperately wanted to right now, he'd lose himself in her and make a spectacle of them both.

"That's so beautiful."

Blayne glanced over his shoulder to see Maya standing behind him cradling a brimming plate. She sniffed and blinked rapidly.

"Give me that before you spill it all over yourself." He stood to take the plate from her unresisting hands. "And please don't mention this to anyone. We don't need gossip complicating matters."

"I won't say a word."

Cayl tapped Maya on the shoulder. He brandished a full skin of sekar and a couple of goblets. "A word about what?" he asked.

"Cayl, how thoughtful." Maya snatched the goblets and held them out for him to fill. She handed one to Blayne and the other to Hope. "I'd like some sekar, too. Can you get me another goblet, sweetling?"

"But what—?" Cayl snapped his mouth shut as he caught Maya's eye. She frowned at him, rolling her eyes toward first Blayne and then Hope. "I'll just get another goblet, shall I?" he said, waggling his eyebrows in a meaningful fashion.

Blayne groaned. Cayl would grill Maya like a fish until she revealed what she was hiding. "For gods' sakes, you can tell Cayl. But no one else. And not now," he hastened to add when Cayl showed signs of insisting Maya confess all on the spot.

Varaya's arrival with one of the musicians provided a welcome diversion. "Any food left?"

"Heaps," Maya said. "Help yourself. And Roban?" She tapped the musician's shoulder to get his full attention. "Thank you for playing. Janus loved your music. It would have meant a lot to him."

The musician inclined his head. "My pleasure, Maya."

Varaya drew the newcomer forward to introduce him. Strange to think of Varaya and Hope as friends. Please gods, Hope wouldn't get roped into any of Varaya's dramas.

"Hope, this is Roban." Varaya clutched the man's arm as if she feared he'd bolt. "He's a very talented musician."

"Hello, Roban," Hope said. "You play beautifully."

Blayne blinked, wondering how Hope had been able to identify Roban's music considering she had no idea what instrument he played. He'd have to remember to ask her later.

"Ah, the pretty lady who sang for Janus." Roban planted a kiss on her hand. "You have a lovely voice."

Hope blushed. "I do not sing well."

"I don't agree," he said. "Would you sing that song again for me sometime? I'd like to write it down. How about tomorrow?"

Enough. Blayne none-too-gently shouldered Roban aside, using the excuse of settling a plate in Hope's lap and describing the side-dishes Maya had chosen for her.

Willem was sitting close enough that he couldn't help overhearing Hope and Blayne's little drama. Insight smacked him and he paused, a forkful of stew halfway to his mouth. Perhaps he did have a chance with Varaya—if he had the courage to try. Could he take the risk?

He glanced up in time to see the object of his obsession batting her lashes at her companion.

"My feet are killing me," Varaya all but purred to Roban.

Roban took the hint and gallantly offered to fetch her some food. She waited until was out of earshot before leaning over to nudge Hope. "Typical man. He was flirting with you right in under my nose."

Willem hid a smile. Varaya was wasting her time with the musician. He rose, plate in hand, and sauntered over to her. "You don't have to worry about Roban flirting with Hope," he said. "He's not interested in women that way. He only pays them attention to make his partner jealous."

Varaya narrowed her gaze to slits. "Rubbish. He begged to accompany me."

"Of course he did, Varaya. He's only interested in attractive women, and you are very attractive. I'd wager he's had another spat with Zavier. You just happened along at the right moment."

"I don't believe you." Her slitted glaze morphed into a full-on glower... which slid into a radiant smile for Roban's benefit when the musician approached with a filled plate and cup of sekar.

"How are your feet?" Roban enquired, so solicitously Willem rolled his eyes. "I'm told I give the best foot massages around."

Willem turned his snort into a cough as Varaya's gaze swiveled in his direction.

"Willem!"

A woman's voice hailed him. He waved, and put his plate aside to wandered over to chat. "Hey, Shayna. Long time no see."

She hugged him and then pulled back to get a better look at his face. "You're looking extremely well, Willem." She abruptly realized she was in lofty company and clutched his arm, eyeing the others uncertainly.

He patted her hand. "Shayna, I'd like you to meet Cayl and Maya, Roban and Varaya."

She slanted him a sideways glance at that last implied pairing. She'd obviously heard all about Roban's unofficial male partner, too.

Varaya was doomed to disappointment. But if she chose to ignore his warning, she only had herself to blame. "Everyone, this is my cousin, Shayna."

"Pleased to meet you," Varaya ground out from between clenched teeth, and then made a point of ignoring the other woman.

Shayna's eyes sparkled with mirth. But the grin wiped from her face when Willem gestured to Hope. "Willem, isn't she the one—?"

He tugged her forward. "Yes. It's because of her I've turned my life around. Come, I want you to meet them both. Shayna, this is Panakeya Blayne."

"Nice to meet you, Shayna."

She inclined her head. "Panakeya."

"Just Blayne will do."

"And this is Hope, the one responsible for me looking 'extremely well'. We didn't get off to the best start when we first met but we're friends now." Willem gulped, suddenly unsure, his old insecurities returning tenfold. Please gods he hadn't overstepped his boundaries.

"Of course you are my friend, Willem. And perhaps if you simply ask for a kiss next time, I might even say yes."

Even Blayne's lips quirked at her breezy tone. Willem sagged with relief. It seemed he'd truly been forgiven... and wouldn't be smacked between the eyes with his past every time he turned around. At least, not by these people.

Shayna stood on tiptoe to whisper in his ear. "Please don't tell me you've got your eye on her." She indicated Varaya with a disdainful flick of her fingers.

"Of course not." But his gaze latched onto Varaya, who was tossing her head and giggling at some witticism Roban had made. "She's quite something, though."

"You poor, poor man. Good luck with that. From what I've heard, you'll certainly be needing it."

Roban felt Shayna recoil and then she tried to hide behind him. "What's wr—?" Oh. Hope had turned her gaze on them both. He sympathized with his cousin. Being subjected to that compelling golden gaze could be discomfiting.

"Are you hungry, Shayna?" Hope asked. "Would you like to eat?"

"Um, I haven't eaten yet but—"

As though magically summoned, Maya appeared bearing eating utensils and a brimming plateful of food. Cayl followed her with another skin of sekar and a spare goblet. Before Shayna could gather her wits about her, she was seated, a plate on her lap and a drink within easy reach. She applied herself diligently to her food, wolfing it down as if her life depended upon it.

"Slow down," Willem murmured. "Relax. They're all normal people—even Blayne once you get to know him. He can seem rather forbidding at first but—"

"It's not him I'm nervous about," Shayna hissed back at him. "It's her."

She'd not taken into account a blind person's acute hearing. "Are you nervous of me, Shayna?" Hope asked.

Shayna blushed as red as her hair.

"Why, Shayna?"

"You scare me," his cousin finally admitted. "Because of what you are."

Hope stilled. The atmosphere around her seemed to crackle. Willem rubbed his forearms, glanced down and found the hairs standing on end.

When he looked up again he noted Hope's golden eyes had darkened with hurt. And then words boiled from her mouth. "You are scared of me? How can that be when it is I who am scared? Always scared. Strange things happen. I cannot see. I do not know this place. I do not know you, or your ways. I do not know how I am to save—" She bit her lip. "I do not know how to do anything. I am supposed to have this... this... powerful magic, but everything I do is an accident."

Shayna bowed her head, obviously unwilling to speak in case she provoked another outburst.

Hope reached out to clumsily pat Shayna's shoulder. The shame that oozed from her made Willem's stomach knot in sympathy. He knew that feeling intimately.

"I am sorry, Shayna," she said. "I am not angry at you. I am angry at myself. Please forgive me?"

Shayna's chin jerked up, eyes huge with shock at the unexpected apology. "Of course," she said, her voice barely more than a squeak.

Willem nudged her. She's only human, he mouthed, relieved when Shayna nodded, accepting the truth of his words. He covertly examined Hope's face, trying to see what Shayna saw. He didn't see a Sehan, the most powerful woman in the settlement. He saw a young woman who'd forgiven him his sins and offered him a second chance, and who seemed to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders. He wished he could comfort her as easily as he comforted Shayna.

"Maya?" Hope's voice cracked. "I am not feeling good. My head aches."

"For gods' sakes take the poor girl home, Blayne," Maya said. "And Hope? Thank you for my father's last words. I will treasure them." She hugged Hope tightly.

Roban somehow dragged himself away from worshipping at the altar of Varaya. "Going so soon? What about that song? I want you all to myself for a few hours to get it down in writing. Tomorrow?"

"Oh leave her be, Roban," Varaya said. "Hope's hardly likely to vanish on you. You'll have plenty of time to extract your precious song from her." She hugged Hope briefly. "I'll come see you tomorrow when you're feeling better. We'll have lots to talk about, I'm sure."

Shayna giggled, her disquiet momentarily forgotten as she slanted Willem wicked eyes. "She's in for a disappointing evening."

This time Willem didn't even try to hide his grin.

~*~

Back at the gathering Hope had been on the brink of blurting that Dayamar had made a huge mistake by choosing her, that she would never be able to save them all as he hoped. Only the recollection of Dayamar's fear had silenced her tongue. If he was afraid, how would the average Dayamari cope? If it got out, there would likely be a mass panic, and Dayamar would never forgive her.

"Hope?" Blayne tugged her around to face him.

She'd scream if she had to endure one more query about her state of mind or health. She needed a distraction. Entwining her hands in Blayne's hair, she urged his head down to seek his lips. And then she kissed him very seriously indeed.

She must have taken him by surprise for he took a moment to respond. Hope pressed her advantage, molding her body to his. She would have given her life to see his face at the moment, because the only evidence that her desires were returned was his purely physical, typically male reaction to her closeness. It would have to be enough.

She reached between them, wrapped her hand around him, squeezed gently. He groaned, and shuddered beneath her touch.

She smiled. This time she would take control, be in control. And she would insure Blayne enjoyed every moment.

~*~

Copyright 2013 Maree Anderson

www.mareeanderson.com