The Lion Soul by Amy Sumida
Chapter Forty-Four
We slowed to a march after a while and stopped briefly to pick the locks on my shackles and free me of that oppressive iron. Kaelen shifted into his Sidhe form, and I gave him my Farungal robe since his war robe had been lost on the battlefield. Sized for a Farungal, it fit him better than it had me. He had to bunch bits of it at the waist and tie them together to hold it closed, but at least he wasn't walking around naked. Other than that, we kept marching.
The leaders had a meeting while we walked, and I gave them a report on what had happened during my capture. The spell, my blood, Ry'zaran's betrayal, and the messengers sent to all the other strongholds; I told them all of it. That's when it was decided that we wouldn't stop. The wounded were seen to as they were carried and the dead were taken by the Avians, who could get to the beach much faster than the rest of us. They also served as lookouts, watching for any approaching Farungals.
Once the meeting with the leaders was concluded, Kaelen went with me to speak with my family.
“They showed up as we were preparing to sail,” Kae said as we made our way back to the Nazakians. “They came to bring you home because they thought you were stranded on Stalana.” He cleared his throat. “I told them you were taken by the Farungal, and they decided to join us.”
“I've never been rescued before,” I said softly.
“No, you're usually the one doing the rescuing, aren't you?” he asked wryly. Then his expression softened. “I told you that I'd be there when you needed me.”
“But how did you know?”
“How did I know you were taken?”
I nodded.
We saw the Farungal ship leaving, and you were missing. It wasn't hard to figure out.”
“Oh.” I blinked. “I didn't think you'd know to look for me.”
“Where else would you have gone?” Kae stroked a hand over my hair. “You aren't the type of man to leave without a word. You're too honorable for that.”
“I thought you had left,” I whispered.
Kaelen's jaw clenched. “I hurt you, Rie; the one thing I thought I'd never do. It made me realize how unfair I'd been to you. After my father . . . I just, I—”
“I understand,” I cut him off.
“Thank you.” He smiled softly at me, but there wasn't time to say anything more. We'd reached my clan.
Men and women bowed to me, and I inclined my head back to them as I navigated my way through my extended family and toward my immediate. At last, an older man stepped into my path. There were thick streaks of gray in his long, ebony hair, but it was swept back neatly in a club and his eyes, though lined at the edges, were sharp with intelligence. He was dressed as a Nazakian warrior, though not in full armor, and wore two swords on one hip. When I saw them, I realized that mine were lost to me, left in the Farungal fortress.
He noted my glance, then my bare hip before he set a hand on my shoulder. “Rie, I am relieved to see you safe,” he said in Nazakian.
“Father.” I swallowed roughly as I set my hand over his. “Why have you come? I thought I was made an outcast?”
My father turned with me so we could continue walking, his expression grave. “You are too honorable to disobey an order without cause. When you were accused, I protested and demanded an investigation. After several weeks of interrogating Captain Kichini Numaha's crew and the other Takahansi warriors in her employ, Numaha had to admit that she ordered you away from an honorable fight. The other Takahansi guards reported that you went to defend a group of faeries who were outnumbered by Farungals—that your honor wouldn't allow you to leave them to die. The Council overturned their initial decision to make you outcast.”
I gaped at my father. It was the most words I'd ever heard him speak at one time, and every one of them warmed my heart. “Thank you, Father. You humble me with your faith.”
“You have brought honor to our clan many times over; you've earned my faith. And now, you have honored us again. I've spoken with your warlord.” He nodded to Kaelen. “I've heard of your valor status and how the Gods have chosen you. I am so proud of you, my son.”
Every man wishes to hear those words from his father, but in Nazaka, they are particularly sought after because they are so very hard to win. We are rarely verbally praised but even that is more often heard than the words, “I am proud of you.” The phrase in Nazakian is slightly different from that in Varalish. Something is lost in translation, so I will attempt to convey the magnitude of its meaning. It is a phrase spoken only by parents and teachers to their children or students. It means that you have reached a pinnacle of greatness that surmounts what they had expected and, more importantly, hoped for you. It is like saying that you have excelled them and by doing so have brought them the greatest glory. And my father had just said those words to me after coming to rescue me—something shameful in the eyes of my people. A man shouldn't have to be rescued. He should free himself or, if his capture is detrimental to his clan, he should take his own life. But my father had come for me, fought for me, and then declared himself to be proud of me.
I finally collected myself to make the required reply, “I am humbled and grateful to have brought glory to my parents and our clan.”
And then my father smiled and a single tear trickled out of one eye. “I love you, Rieyu.”
“Father,” I said brokenly and stopped walking to pull him into a hug. “I love you, Father. Thank you for coming for me. Thank you for fighting for me.”
“Always, Son.” He squeezed me tightly, then released me and swiped at his eyes. “Your mother wanted to come, but she decided to stay and watch the children.”
“Please, convey my deepest love to her,” I said as we started walking again. “Whose children is she watching?”
“Mine, of course,” a woman said as a strong hand gripped my shoulder.
“Sachira!” I drew my sister up beside me and gave her a side hug.
“Hidenki is here too,” she said and kissed my cheek. “So we needed someone to stay with the girls.”
“Thank you, Sister.”
“I was bored anyway.” She shrugged and grinned when my father made a disapproving grunt. “You should have seen Father arguing on your behalf. I thought he was going to pass out from talking so much.”
“Sachi!” my father snapped.
“He was impressive,” she went on blithely. “Ferocious. Unrelenting. Just as he is in battle.”
I sent my father another grateful look.
“But from what we hear, you are even more ferocious. When do we get to see your Shirie form, Rie?”
“When we are somewhere safe.”
“So, it's true? You really are a Shirie?” a man asked from behind me. It was Hidenki, Sachira's husband.
“Hidenki.” I bowed my head to him.
“Lion Valorian,” he said back in Varalish with a little grin.
I chuckled, then answered him, “Yes, it's true. I have become a Shirie, but it is because I was touched by both the Farungal God and the Fae Goddess. I am both lion and dragon now. The Goddess calls me Shi-Rie.”
My father made an approving sound. It was equivalent to a slap on the back.
“Shi-Rie,” my sister said in a tone of awe. “It seems as if you were always destined for this, Brother.”
“The Goddess spoke to you?” Kaelen asked in amazement.
“In a dream.” I nodded. “She guided me into leaping over that castle wall.”
“Praise the Mother,” Kae whispered reverently. “But don't you see, Rie? She called you a Shirie, her Shi-Rie. It is as we thought; the Goddess allowed Ry'zaran to touch you. You aren't a mistake, you are exactly as she intended you to be.”
“Yes, I am,” I declared, finally feeling completely at ease with who I was and my destiny.
“That is truly wondrous, Brother,” Hidenki said. “And what a glorious battle we've just had. Thank you for getting captured.” He winked at me. Yes, he and my sister were well-matched.
“It's not over yet.” I glanced behind us. “We still have to make it to the ships.”
“I am eager for another round with those creatures,” Hidenki declared. “I've never had such worthy and disgusting opponents.”
“Do not tempt the Gods,” my father chided.
Hidenki bowed his head respectfully.
“I am shocked that the Council allowed you to come to Alantri,” I said. “I thought they didn't want us drawing Farungal attention to Nazaka.”
“They don't know we're here.” Sachira smirked. “We sailed to Stalana to retrieve you, believing that you'd been abandoned there, and we arrived just in time to join the armies on their voyage to Alantri. I'll tell you what, Brother, you found the only way to be honorably captured. To have so many soldiers willing fight to free you is, well, it's—”
“Extraordinary,” my father said.
I could have died at that moment and counted my life well-lived. But then I looked at Kae and reconsidered. Eternity wouldn't be long enough with him by my side. I reached out and took his hand, bringing him into the center of our group. My sister eased aside with wide eyes.
“I assume you've met Kaelen,” I said, glancing at my father.
My father nodded in a way that told me I had his blessing. But that wasn't enough. Kae needed to be introduced properly to my father for two reasons. First, so that my father was made aware of my intentions with the warlord, as was proper when courting someone seriously. And second, so that Kaelen knew how important he was to me.
“Father.” I stopped walking and turned toward him, bringing Kae with me.
Around us, my clan stopped as well, forcing the other soldiers to move on. No one protested, but they didn't stop for us either. We were lagging to the end of the procession, but this needed to be done, and I wanted it done immediately. I had made so many mistakes with Kaelen; I refused to mess this up too.
My father nodded to me; doubtless knowing what was coming.
“Esteemed father, I present to you Kaelen Brimara. I ask you to look upon him and see the honor, courage, and goodness that I see. I humbly request that you recognize him and bestow your judgment upon us both.”
Kaelen went still, his gaze shifting from me to my father and back again. Neither my father nor I moved. We held each other's stares until he shifted his to Kaelen.
“I see you, Kaelen Brimara,” my father declared in a strong, clear voice that carried over the marching armies. “I see all that my son sees, and I deem you worthy of him. Welcome to my hearth.”
The words were the traditional phrase given to a male suitor who was deemed acceptable. Obviously, there was no hearth for my father to welcome Kaelen to, but Kae understood and—thank all that's holy—knew enough about my culture to bow deeply to my father.
“Thank you, Sa-Takahansi. I am honored to share the warmth of your fire,” Kaelen shocked me further by not only giving my father the honorific that was appropriate for the head of a household, but also giving the traditional reply.
My father's eyes widened in surprise and approval before he laid a hand on Kaelen's head—the ultimate blessing. The Takahansi clan cheered in welcome even though the presentation was more of an intimate matter, my sister's jubilant shout carrying over the others. When Kaelen straightened, he exchanged a smile with my father and then reclaimed my hand. With my heart full of joy and my family around me, I started marching again.
