Seer's Hope

By Maree Anderson

Chapter Twenty-Five

Once the fuss following their return had died down, and the stream of constant visitors slowed to a trickle, Hope finally gave Maya the go-ahead to plan a Joining ceremony for her and Blayne.

"Thank the gods, finally! Ever since you two got back everyone's been nagging me about it. They need a celebration to take their minds off everything that's happened." Maya sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "So, when is it to be?"

"Next week."

"Next week?" Hope winced at Maya's shriek. "Are you punishing me for something?" Maya asked.

"Don't be silly. There isn't much to arrange. Just some food and drink. Maybe a bit of music."

"You're joking of course."

"We don't want a big fancy affair."

"You have no idea, do you?"

"No idea about what?"

Maya's sigh this time was fondly exasperated. At least, Hope hoped it was fond. "No idea how important you are to Dayamari and Usehani alike," Maya said. "You saved thousands of people from a fate worse than death. You're the only Sehan in the whole of Dayamaria. You're Joining with our Panakeya. You're the adopted daughter of a goddess. And that little bulge in your midsection could very likely be the next Sehan."

Gods, she hoped not. She wouldn't wish that on the child.

"Regardless," Maya was saying, "your child will have high status because of its lineage. And as for your Joining? Everyone expects a big celebration. And don't you want to give your Usehani friends a chance to attend? It'll take at least a month by the time we get them a message, they pack up, and travel here."

Hope sighed. She should have known she'd never get away with a small Joining. "You've got three weeks from tomorrow. I'll contact Daryon tonight. If he and the others leave immediately, they'll be here in plenty of time."

"Wonderful!"

That shooshing sound had to be Maya rubbing her hands in anticipatory glee. "Now off to Shay with you," she said.

"Why? I've plenty of clothes already."

"You need a Joining dress."

"What about the one I was Promised in? It's only been worn once. I know I'm starting to show, but can't we simply let out a bit?"

Maya moaned. "Gods' grief! No more arguments. I'm not having you standing at your Joining ceremony in a dress everyone's already seen."

"Whatever. I really don't care. So long as we're Joined, that's all that matters."

Maya grabbed Hope's wrist and towed her out the door. "You're impossible sometimes, Hope. Don't you care what you look like?"

"Well, yes. But it's hard to get really enthusiastic about it when you can't see yourself. Besides, Blayne loves me whether I'm wearing an old dress or a new one."

"Then how about you dress up for Blayne?" Maya's tone turned wheedling. She'd always been an excellent wheedler. "Don't you want him to be drooling over you?"

Hope laughed and gave in. "All right, you've got me there. Let's ask Shay to help me make that man of mine drool."

~*~

When she was finally allowed to go home Hope could barely muster the energy to greet Blayne. She headed straight to their sleeping room and flopped face-first on the mattress.

He followed her in. "Rough time with Maya, huh?"

"You have no idea."

"I did warn you she wouldn't let you off lightly. And I bet we're not being Joined next week, either. Am I right?"

She roused herself to roll onto her back and make a rude face at him before flinging an arm over her eyes. "The date's been set for three weeks time. First, it was the dress, then the footwear, then the menu, music, decorations, blah blah blah. I thought I'd be there all day."

"It's all under control, then?"

She groaned. "Sort of. I was just about to scream 'enough!' when Willem spirited me away on a fake pretext. He must have heard my mental anguish and come running. The man's a god. By the way, I hope you don't mind me making plans without you, but I told Maya we wanted an outdoor feast—so she could go wild and invite as many people as she could squeeze into the gathering area. And then I asked her if she would mind dreadfully if I left all the details up to her. Willem told me she seemed delighted. He reckoned he could hear her brain squeaking with plans."

Blayne picked up Hope's left foot and began to massage it, digging his thumbs into her instep. "Excellent idea on both counts. Smart girl."

Hope wiggled her hips to get more comfortable. "All I wanted was a small, intimate ceremony—just you, me and some close friends. But now I'm stuck with this huge affair."

"I know, dearling." He turned his attention to her right foot. "But we would have been very lucky indeed to get away with something small. We're too important."

"I guess. Once I contact Daryon that's it for me. No more Joining arrangements, thank the gods. I know I should feel guilty about dumping this all on Maya but I feel like I've been rung out like a dishrag. I'd be a sniveling heap on the floor if I had to organize everything to her satisfaction."

"Don't feel guilty. Maya thrives on this sort of thing. She'll be in her element." He patted her foot and released it. "As a reward for all that hard work, I'll cook you some dinner. Then rub your feet some more—properly this time, without you bouncing up and down all over the place."

"Have I told you lately I adore you?"

"No. I'm all ears."

"Dinner first, then I'll tell you. After my foot-rub."

"You drive a hard bargain, you know that?"

She smiled at him. "What's for dinner?"

~*~

From then on everything proceeded exactly to plan—Hope's plan.

Cayl exuded smug delight when he visited. "Great idea to have a feast rather than a formal banquet for your Joining. I thought Maya would be her usual impossible self while she was organizing this thing, and I'd end up cooking or we wouldn't eat. But everything's under control and going so smoothly she's even got time to cook for me."

"So, no risk of food-poisoning, huh? That's got to be a plus."

He flicked her arm. "My cooking may be bad but it's not that bad. Anyway, she's quite relaxed about it all. I could hug you."

"Go ahead. I'm always up for one of your hugs."

"Aww." He swept her into a bear-hug. "Mmm. You're getting heavier. Good to see you putting on some baby-weight."

Blayne fake-coughed. "My best friend and my pregnant Promised, carrying on right under my nose? Now there's a subject for the gossipmongers."

"I wish." Cayl's tone was rather wistful as he set her on her feet. "Sorry. That came out wrong. What I meant to say was, when your baby's born I'm hoping Maya might be so taken by the idea of motherhood, she'll want us to try for a baby of our own."

Hope frowned. "Maya strikes me as someone who'd want a horde of babies."

"She lost her mother when she was only a girl, then her sister and her father, too. She has no family now apart from me—and you, of course. I suspect she's scared that if we have a child, something might happen to us and our child would be left orphaned."

Hope's heart fisted in her chest. She knew how Maya felt. "Would you like me to talk to her?"

"I think it's something she'll have to work through herself. Though I wish that herbal concoction of yours wasn't quite so efficient, Blayne. A happy accident wouldn't be such a bad thing."

Herbal concoction? What herbal concoction? Hope didn't get a chance to ask because the talk turned to more prosaic matters, such as whether to schedule a hunt before the Joining ceremony.

After Blayne had waved Cayl off Hope pounced. "What's this about a herbal concoction to prevent pregnancy?"

"It's a mixture I have the healers make up for all women who want it. How else do you think Varaya's managed to stay childless all these years?"

"Oh, right." She hadn't thought about it before. "And you didn't offer it to me because...?"

"The first time we made love caught me by surprise. I wasn't anticipating a female companion so I hadn't packed supplies. And after that, well, I don't know." He paused for a long moment, and she could almost hear the thoughts clattering about in his brain.

"I can't believe I didn't think to ask you," he finally said. "Are you furious with me? You have every right to be."

Hope laughed off his dismay. "Don't worry, love. Seems I was destined to have your baby. We didn't stand a chance—herbs or no herbs."

"You think so?"

"I know so." She smiled at him. "And I couldn't be happier."

He stood behind her cupping her belly in his hands. "Kunnandi's teeth! Did you feel that?"

She smiled at the awe she heard in his voice. "I thought you'd seen it all."

"This is different. This is our baby."

"Yes. I wish I could help Maya."

"Maybe you will, Hope. You're Sehani, after all. And Sehani do See the future."

"Mmm. I guess we'll have to wait and see."

~*~

It was the eve of her Joining and Hope was bored. Extremely bored. Everyone was so busy with arrangements she had no one to talk to. She took a stroll through the settlement, hoping to bump into someone, until eventually her aimless wandering brought her to the women's dormayre.

She stuck her head inside the entrance. "Varaya? You there?"

No answer.

Hope was about to leave when she heard the muffled sobs. "Can I help at all?" she called as she followed the sad sounds.

"It's me, Hope," Varaya said, sounding very watery. "Hold on, I'll come to you."

Hope held out her arms and Varaya ran into them. "What's wrong? What's happened?"

Varaya sniffed. "Willem and I had a huge fight. We've broken up."

"Oh, Varaya. It can't be that bad, surely? You and Willem have been inseparable. I keep half-expecting you to announce you're to be Promised."

"Me, too. I thought we had a chance to be happy. Now it's over." She dissolved into huge gulping sobs.

"You'll work it out. I know he loves you. And you love him, don't you?"

"I love him so much it hurts."

Hope rubbed gentle circles on Varaya's back. "Shhh. It'll be all right, I promise." And her words proved prophetic, for she sensed a presence and heard soft footfalls. Willem.

"I'm pleased to hear you finally admit that, Varaya," he said. "Even if it was to someone else and not me."

Varaya pulled from Hope's arms. "What are you doing here? Go away!"

"No. I'm staying right here. And so are you, until you admit how you feel about me to my face. Ah-ah! Not so fast!"

Hope guessed from Varaya's gasp Willem had grabbed her before she could retreat to her room. "Don't you love me?" he asked—demanded, really. "Were you lying when you said as much to Hope?"

"I wasn't lying!"

"I love you, even if your nose is red and your eyes are puffy."

Varaya choked on a giggle. "I love you, too, Willem," she said.

From the sounds they were making things would very soon go beyond the kissing stage, and it would be prudent to leave them to it. Hope beat a hasty retreat.

Unfortunately that little moment of excitement didn't stave off the boredom for long. And finally, Hope was desperate enough to seek out Maya. She figured she had nothing to lose by pleading for something to do. "Yoohoo, Maya? It's me, Hope. Are you sure you can't find something for me to do?"

"Nope. All done. It's called delegating." Maya's tone was insufferably smug. "Why don't you go home and try on your dress and boots?"

"I've done that already. Twice. And they seem to fit fine—not that I can see what they look like of course." She pouted. "I'm sooo bored! There must be something I can do."

"You can get me another cup of tea."

"Fine." Hope screwed up her face and concentrated hard for a moment. "Hold your mug still."

Maya gave a squeak of surprise as the mug refilled. "What would Dayamar have said if he'd caught you using your powers for mundane things like that?"

"Oh, phooey. And this is the first time I've refilled a mug with tea. So there."

Maya giggled and patted her hand. "I won't tell—"

The vision rocked Hope backward and she fell off her cushion. From a very great distance she could hear Maya's concerned voice but she was unable to respond until her Seeing played out.

She came back to herself to find Maya gripping her arms. "I'm back with you now," she said, and scooted onto the cushion. "Just give me a moment."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

She could sense Maya peering closely at her. "Why are you grinning like an idiot?" Maya asked. "What did you See?"

"Nothing."

"Liar. It was about me, wasn't it?"

"Maybe."

"Tell me!"

"I can't. I'm not supposed to influence events by talking about them."

"Just a little clue?"

"Maybe just this once." Hope fumbled for Maya's hand and squeezed it hard. "But don't you dare tell anyone I said anything. Promise?"

"I promise. Now tell me before I die of curiosity."

"You and Cayl are going to be very busy in the future."

"Huh?"

"Think about it." Hope beat a hasty retreat.

She didn't want to head home in case Maya came looking for her, demanding answers, so she headed for Treya's.

"Oh good, you're here!" Treya said. "I was going to send Roban to fetch you."

Uh oh. That sounded ominous. Hope waited for the axe to fall.

"I can't decide between these two shades for your eyelids. Roban, what do you think?"

"The darker one," Roban said. "It'll go perfectly with her dress."

Hope nibbled her lower lip. It was either that or pout again. "How is it you've seen my dress, Roban? I thought Shay had kept it under wraps."

"I happened upon her when she was in the middle of some beadwork and she asked my advice." He sounded smugly pleased with his cleverness. "She's done a wonderful job of it, don't you think?"

"I'm sure she has but I can't really tell unless I invade someone's mind and borrow their eyes. Which I shouldn't do unless the situation is really dire."

"And not being able to see your own Joining dress isn't a dire situation?" He sounded quite serious. "Don't worry sweetling, we'd tell you if it looked appalling, wouldn't we, Treya?"

Hope snorted. "Thanks! I think."

"Roban, sometimes I wonder if you were sleeping in when the gods handed out tact." Treya's mock-exasperated tone was loaded with fondness. "Why don't you make us a cup of tea?"

"Hah. I can see when I'm not wanted."

"Roban!"

"Just kidding, dear. I'll make a pot of tea and then check on Hopian." He bustled off.

"I'd give my right arm for a cup of strong coffee right now," Hope muttered.

"What's koh-fee?" Treya asked.

"A beverage made from beans. You roast them, then grind them into a powder and infuse it with hot water through a special filter. Gods I miss the stuff."

"Mmm. I wonder if we grow something similar here?"

"Hey, that's an idea." Hope brightened at the thought. "Mind you, I wouldn't know a coffee plant if it jumped up and bit me. And even if I found one, I wouldn't know what to do with it." She frowned, recalling something she'd once read. "I know people sometimes used a plant we called chicory as a substitute. Its leaves are used for salad greens, but you can use the root as a substitute for coffee. Somehow."

"Blayne's your man, then. He would know. And speaking of Blayne, what have you gotten him for a Joining gift? If you don't mind my prying, that is."

Hope got one of those sinking feelings in the pit of her stomach. "Joining gift? No one's ever mentioned that to me before."

"I'm sure Blayne isn't the sort to worry about such things," Treya soothed.

"I bet that's why he's been acting all mysterious these past couple of days." She climbed to her feet. "I'm sorry Treya, I can't stay for tea. I've got to organize a gift right away. Please apologize to Roban, and give Hopian a hug from me when he wakes up. Bye!"

"What's so urgent she couldn't even stay for tea?" Roban asked when he entered the room laden with teapot and cups.

"Poor thing was frantic. No one told her she was supposed to get Blayne a Joining gift."

"Oh my. Well, that's a pretty good excuse. Hopian and I might let her off this time."

"Roban."

"Just kidding, dear."

~*~

Hope got her wish and ended up thoroughly busy. For at least an hour she racked her brains to think of a suitable gift, until she was forced to conclude even if she could think of something, she wouldn't have time to find a tradesperson who could make it for her. Undeterred, she turned her thoughts toward creating something instead.

She recalled how fascinated Blayne had been when she'd described her appendectomy. He'd commented it would be amazing to be a healer in her world and know so much about the human body. She couldn't take him to her world but... maybe she'd bring a little of her world to him.

As a preteen, Hope had been given a book about human anatomy with big bold pictures and simple explanations about how the body functioned. Maybe, just maybe, she could reproduce the book. Yes. That would be an amazing gift for Blayne. Now if she could just lay her hands on some paper.

Willem? She cast out the mental plea. Aside from Blayne, he was the most adept at conversing with her in this way.

Hope? Is there something wrong?

Not exactly. She briefed him on the problem.

Oh, I see.

I wish I could. It would make things a whole lot easier! Can you help me?

No problem. I'll send someone over with a stack of blank pages for you right away. What do you need them for?

Blayne's Joining gift.

???

You'll see tomorrow. How're you and Varaya getting along?

She sensed him doing his best not to think about what he and Varaya had gotten up to after they'd reconciled.

I knew you'd both make up, she thought at him. Thanks for your help. She blew him a mental kiss.

A mystified messenger boy duly arrived with a large stack of what he assured her was paper. "Excuse me, Sehan. But what are you going to use this for? I mean, you're—"

"Blind? Yes, I am. Would you like to stay and watch? I'm not certain how I'm going to do it yet, but it shouldn't be too dangerous. And—" Hope realized she was talking to air. Her young messenger had bolted the instant she'd mentioned the word "dangerous".

She retired to her room and sat on the sleeping platform. Might as well be comfortable. First, she concentrated on recalling all the details of the book. It'd been her favorite one for a while, back when she'd imagined being a doctor when she grew up. And in a very short time she found she could flip through virtual pages in her mind exactly as though the real book were right in front of her.

Now for the transference process. Hope decided to start with the cover. But when she attempted to burn the image from her mind onto the page, all she accomplished was a heap of charred paper... and what she suspected was a large scorch mark on the coverlet. Hmmm. The cooking hearth might be a safer place for her experiments.

Next she tried to magically engrave the image onto a large cooking stone, thinking to somehow use the stone as a stamp and transfer it onto the paper afterward. The stone disintegrated into rubble, unable to withstand her psychic energy. And now she came to think about it, she would quickly have run out of large stones given the number of pages.

This wasn't going so well. And after a few more abortive attempts Hope was fervently wishing for a scanner and a printer.

She rubbed her eyes. "Shit!"

Even if you're swearing in a foreign language it's hardly ladylike.

Chryss? Is that you?

Of course. I'm always here when you need me for something important.

I'm, uh, embarrassed to admit this is hardly a save-the-world kind of need.

It's obviously important enough for you to reach out all the way to me, isn't it?

I guess so.

Then quit worrying and tell me what you're trying to do.

She opened her mind to him.

Interesting. I'd like to see the finished product some day. You're going about it all wrong—thinking like a tradesman, not a seer. Portray the image in your mind, and think of the same image on the paper. Don't worry about the how of it. Be certain it'll happen and it'll happen. And most of the time it'll end up exactly how you wanted, too.

What do you mean, 'most of the time'?

The human mind's a complex thing, girl. And yours is more complex than most. Sometimes things don't quite turn out how we expect. A good thing for you to remember.

All right. I'll give it a go. Hope concentrated on the book's cover, felt the power burst forth from inside her, and....

There! Something happened. How does it look?

Beats me. If you could see, I'd be able to look through your eyes and tell you. Sorry girl. You'll need someone else for that.

It feels like it happened right. Thanks, Chryss! By the way, I tried to send you a message a couple of weeks ago—about our Joining Ceremony tomorrow? Are you coming?

Don't hold much with that sort of nonsense, girl.

Please?

Don't bother batting those long eyelashes at me, either. I stopped being susceptible to such feminine wiles an age ago. Tell you what. I'll watch from a distance and you'll know I'm there.

All right. Thanks again, Chryss.

No problem, girl.

Hope tapped her forefinger on her lips. Now who could she get to check out the book cover for her? Aha. A healer. Perfect. Johan?

Arrgh! He dropped whatever he'd been carrying.

Sorry, Johan.

Please don't ever do that to me again. I nearly had heart failure.

Would you please come over right away? It's really important. Pretty please?

Yes, yes! Though why you couldn't just come and ask me personally like any normal person....

He continued his mental grumbling as he hurried to her house. "Here I am in the flesh," he announced. "What's so important?"

She brandished the piece of paper. "What does this look like to you?"

"It looks like a picture of a human." She sensed him peering more closely. "But it's got no skin."

"Excellent, it worked!"

"And there are some strange words I can't read."

"Blast!" She'd forgotten that it would be in English.

"What have you been doing? You're covered in soot. And what's all this stuff on the floor?"

"Never mind about the mess. I'm trying to replicate a book from my world as a Joining gift for Blayne." She huffed a sigh. "But I didn't think about the fact he wouldn't be able to read the language."

"Don't worry about that. This is fascinating! Are there any more pages?"

"There will be. And loads of drawings, too. This is just the cover. But if he won't be able to read it I guess I'd better think of something else." Double blast.

"Nonsense," Johan said. "It'll be of immense use to a healer if only for the drawings. If Blayne wants to know more, he'll have to learn to read your language. After all, you learned to speak his."

Johan's impeccable logic made her smile.

"Can I stay to watch?" he asked.

"Please do. I really need someone to help with, uh, quality control."

"Great! Whatever that means. Carry on with the, uh, whatever you're doing. I'll collate the pages."

It took another hour but she finally accomplished forty-odd pages of brilliantly colored drawings and accompanying text.

"This is incredible." From the sounds she was hearing, Johann was caressing the pages. "Shall I have them bound inside a protective cover for you? There's a tradesman who owes me a favor. He'll be discreet, I promise."

"That would be wonderful. Thank you, Johan. Will it be ready in time?"

"I'll make sure of it. And I'll just wrap these pages in this old tunic of Blayne's so no one spots them. I'll bring the finished product to the ceremony for you. That way, you won't have to hide it from Blayne."

"Hide what from Blayne?" asked the man himself, who, luckily, was distracted by the state of the cooking hearth. "What have you been up to, Hope?"

"Um, see you both tomorrow." Johan escaped out the door.

Hope released the breath she'd been holding. "I... uh.... Nothing much. Just experimenting."

"Why is there a stone missing from the cooking hearth?"

"Um—"

"Is that the stone?"

"If you're pointing to the rubble on the floor, then yes. I had a bit of an accident."

"I look forward to hearing all about it after you get clean." Blayne backed her into the sleeping room while he undid the fastenings of her clothes. She heard his sharply indrawn breath. "How did that scorch mark get on the cover?" he asked.

"That was me, too. Sorry. Is it bad?"

"Bad enough. How'd it happen?"

She batted her eyelashes at him, hoping he was more susceptible to womanly wiles than Chryss. "I can't tell you. It's part of your surprise."

"Really. Any more surprises happen while I was gone?"

"Just that one. And the disintegrating cooking stone."

"Wisa's wings. Into the washroom with you. Now."

"Okay, okay, I'm going." Phew. She'd gotten away with it. Kind of....

~*~

Copyright 2013 Maree Anderson

www.mareeanderson.com