Darkness Risen (The Ava'Lonan Herstories Book 4)

Darkness Risen

Book Four of
The Ava’Lonan Herstories

A. Y. Emanuel

Seaside Grape Publishers LLC

A. Y. Emanuel

Published by Seaside
Grape Publishers LLC

Copyright ©2013 by A. Y. Emanuel

Illustrations by A. Y. Emanuel

Cover art by A. Y. Emanuel

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Other Books in the Ava’Lonan Herstories:

Book One: The Age of Light

Book Two: Light Fallen

Book Three: The Rites of
Darkness

Other Series:

The Ways of Magic

Book One: Magic World

Magic Hold

CHAPTER I

the darkness, shot through with pricks
of light, showed its wounded back, and danced to a wounded beat, turning...

The
lain sat empty, dark. The emptiness could, perhaps, have been an occupant in
itself, doing the sitting, as if waiting for some event that must surely come.
The emptiness had patience - it kept the lain, filled it, filled it with the
song of eve. Indeed, the emptiness was itself full and substantial, a weighing
presence. The emptiness had form. It turned.

Then - a thing interjected itself into the lain,
pushing aside the emptiness but not banishing it. The thing was a glow that
blossomed out and took rapid form into a terminus. It was soon joined by five
others that blinked into existence within moments of each other. Six figures
stepped through into the lain, sending the emptiness to scurry to the corners
until it was needed again.

The Six who entered the lain inclined their heads
slightly to each other in greeting before beginning the rites of their Egwa’tu,
their Sisterhood. But instead of offering blessings, these were rites that wove
protections and concealment and bafflements to confuse anyone attempting to spy
by means of av’rita. Physical spying, of course, was impossible. This was one
of their strongholds - no one foreign could penetrate it, and no one within would
even toy with the notion of dreaming of spying.

Rites complete, they stepped forward as if with one
mind, faces cowled and masked, and robed in neutral colors. Even though they
were known to each other, they kept their identities hidden and pretended anonymity
from each other - no chances were taken. If ever, in the unlikely possibility
their lorns or their purpose were found out and they were interrogated, their
protective rites would ensure that they did not betray the others in word or
deed; and the masks and the cowls ensured that, should their minds be stripped
of images, again the others’ identities would remain hidden. The Six did not
meet often, or for very long, and usually at very strictly and carefully
scheduled times and places, but circumstances of opportune rarity had arisen, a
twist of events too fortuitous not to at least consider exploiting. So by
mutual agreement they met, in one of the few places of assured safety and
privacy, there being little time to choose and prepare a truly random place
with an acceptable number of decoys.

They took their places around the low oval table of
deeply polished red malagon wood. The table was set with a simple, elegant
service - six golden handle-less cups and two matching pitchers, one with a
handle of agate, the other with a handle of blue jadine. A servant, blindfolded
and bound under heavy rites of silence and secrecy, entered, bowing low as she
made for the service. She filled each cup unerringly from the pitcher with the
handle of agate, holding it carefully with a heavy silk cloth so that none of
its contents spilled, either on the table or on her hands. She bowed herself
out and the pattering of her footsteps hurrying away stirred a wave of
amusement in the lain and in the Six - they knew that she ran to wash her hands
thoroughly.

The Six raised their cups and drank to symbolize
their Sisterhood, as all such gatherings did - but unlike other gatherings they
drank not the juice of the gulu, blessed fruit of the land, but of the mallito,
for theirs was not like other Sisterhoods. They were bound together not just by
profit and common cause, but also by ancient agreement and nefarious purpose.
They drank and the sickly sweet and slightly bitter juice settled vile and
grayish-purple in their bellies.

“Sisters,” said the First, always first to speak,
“let us convene with the old melae. Things move apace in Trade. The major
Trading in the Circles is complete for the Season, and our reports are in. Most
of our ventures for the Season’s Trading have come to fruition, though we had
to step up our time-table considerably because of Audola’s announcement
concerning the Av’ru. And we must step them up again, and some of our movements
may no longer be as covert as we would want; but we must reach all of our foremothers’
end-goals within the ten cycles remaining. To do this we have had to bring to
bear more drastic and high risk measures. This time we fared well - our
opportunities for advancement have quadrupled in the last two Seasons. And,”
and here her voice became slightly smug with triumph, “let me report - we
have
the Dio’gin Trade deal.”

There were murmurs of surprise and satisfaction at
the news, for though the diversion of a minuscule part of the pearl Trade was
known, what was not known to any but the Six was that the diversion of the
Trade route was only the cover for bringing some of the harvesters and dealers
of the pearls into the Six’s fold of ‘converts’. It was the task of the First
to see to its completion and success, and she had succeeded. But she did not
need to speak openly of this as she continued. “The Maeru have captured a part
of the Dio’gin pearl Trade for us; its movement through Maeru’lon for the one
agreed Season will increase our total revenue by twenty-three percent. This
agreement alone puts our plans ahead by more than three cycles, which is well
since we are now limited to less than ten cycles to bring things to realization
instead of the projected fifty - which, incidentally, was already cut down from
our mothers’ projected one hundred and fifty. It will also drive the prices of
regular pearls down for the Man’zi and the Curr’uku, giving us an opportunity
to buy into their revenues.” She continued, summarizing their other
accomplishments in the Circles, bringing all up to date. The cornering of a
third of the Estern silk market. The interdiction of Waho herb salt in certain
communities. The list was long, and some of the gains insignificant, but most
were really to buffer the Dio’gin deal.

 “There have been twenty new Yakan’tsu petitioned to
the High Queen,” the Second said. “Our opposition may resolve itself to be
either in the Manna, the Banu, the Jhore, the Doan, the Malong or the Iamu.
These are the Queens that have proposed the newest Yakan’tsu up for
consideration that have refused all of our public cun’nu, such as the Moyi,
admittance. Each has had between seventy and ninety percent response to all
they have invited, and those invited were either our cun’nus’ direct opponents
in the Circles, or others that the cun’nu might have had some sway over, but
would oppose the cun’nu if given the choice.” She plucked scrolls from the
empty air before her, and passed them around. “The Manna propose increased
diplomatic relations with the Av’touched. The Banu, the standardization and
revaluing of currencies in the Norae. The Jhore, the expansion of fisheries to
the Gul’tur River and its western tributaries. The Doan, direct Cres’Terrou
Trade rights from the Barru’Weste to the Ritious City. The Malong, land-forming
the Cri’Lor marshes. The Iamu, expansion of Cres’lon Trading fairs in the Sor’Este.”

“All very innocuous,” the Third said blandly.

“They will be designed to be misleading,” the Second
temporized. “We will simply have to wait until one of them plays her hand. It
will be impossible to tell until then.” There were nods of assent all around.
It did not matter that they did not know who the opposition was at this point -
merely knowing that there
was
opposition was enough to institute
countermeasures. And having so few candidates made it even easier.

“Sisters,” the Third said after the proper sils,
“the experimental stage is over. The incubation sites have all been fully
seeded; it will be many tens of cycles before any realize that our seeds are
there. By then it will be too late, the altered plants will have integrated
themselves into the ecological systems too thoroughly to be removed. The
altered animals are being introduced more slowly, and carefully interbred with
those in the wild - their true characteristics will lie dormant for some time,
then emerge within three to four generations. Particularly successful has been
the debasement of the -
personal
- favorite of our corrival, the abarine
graa.” All laughed soft, malicious laughs. “The test-sites will be destroyed
within two ten’turns.”

“Our stockpiles grow steadily,” the Fourth spoke up,
her voice quiet and strong even though her hands shook as she reached for the
pitcher with the handle of jadine. She was usually the first to do so. “And we
have filled our quota completely. What we gather now is surplus. We have
perfected the refrigeration units. By the time Turo’dan overtakes us, we and
our present group of supporters will be able to withstand a siege for two
hundred cycles on the preserved stocks alone and never once venture from our
walls.” The Fourth almost always spoke these same words, adding only
improvements and updates. The numbers always increased to a satisfying degree.
None had ever protested her reports. Now that they had met their goal, a
distinct air of satisfaction could be felt, for they might fulfill their
Foremothers’ designs within their own lifetimes. “I will re-evaluate the
projected numbers and reset the upper goal, so that we may make plans to expand
our group by five Tribes.”

“Our proselytes train well,” the Fifth said, leaning
back, ignoring the dull, green fire that had started in her belly. “Those who
are not suited or who are found wanting are - culled. But most advance in san’av’rita
steadily. We have nearly filled our ranks. Only five hundred more are needed to
give us our optimum number.” She passed around reports. These crumbled to dust
as soon as each was read and set aside. The dust would be scattered upon the
earth and that earth turned so that none would ever reconstruct these
particular documents. “Our current number is five hundred thousand, with almost
two thousand in reserve and new prospects are being considered every turn. Our
star pupil, of course, leads the others in all things.” Again the quietly
contemptuous laugh, at the reference to the ex-prince, who wielded the san’av’rita
with a viciousness and willingness that surprised even these Six.

The Fifth suppressed the urge to wipe her mouth
after this succinct report, wishing she could spit to rid herself of the taste
of the mallito. She did not, nor did she reach for the second pitcher. Let the Fourth
show weakness if she wished. The Fifth would not.

All cowls turned to the Sixth. Of all of them, she
was the most deviant, the most unfathomable. For all their secrecy, she was the
most secret. And while all had agendas of their own in addition to their shared
plotting, hers were the most opaque. No word nor gesture nor action of hers
gave any clue to her deeper intentions. If ever there were a rival for Audola,
known as the Obsidian Queen, in being unreadable, it was this one, the Sixth.
She rarely spoke, using the Fifth as her mouthpiece. She did not speak now, but
her attention sharpened, prompting the Fifth to speak again.

“The Public Face has successfully filled her purpose
at the Bolorn, as you all know,” the Fifth said sedately, “and the denouncement
of the Heir has diverted our opponent’s attention from what truly lies beyond.
This has made our Public Face the target of some, and the center rallying point
for others. She has some public support, and some private, outside our known
allies, and while many doors closed, others opened. She is, however, now in a
precarious position, perhaps even in imminent danger of being Outcast.

“It is because of the potential use of this
unexpected support shown the Face, as well as her predicament, that we meet,
which brings us to the new melae; how may we exploit this show of succor to its
fullest? And in doing so, how may we save Face?”

“Almost immediately, I think we can use the support
as a buffer against the Face’s disgrace and to weaken the position of the
Heir,” the Second said, reaching for the pitcher with the jadine handle. “If
each were to lodge a formal petition of lenience in favor of the Face, it would
have some nullifying effect upon her punition. And if each Queen who supports
her were to lodge a complaint, avowing personal affront due to the Heir’s
absence, by the laws governing satisfaction of personal honor, the Heir might
be pressured into forbearance.”

“That won’t mean much if the Heir’s position is
strong enough to win the challenge, which it is almost certain to be,” the
First commented. “And that would only mark those who do for her disfavor. I
think we should cultivate them and use them to strengthen our power base as
non-designates when Ava’Lona begins to crumble. Encourage them to begin
disassociating themselves in subtle ways from the established Trading routes
and start setting up their own, under the table, as it were. Such illegal
activity won’t matter once the High Family is gone. And since they already
support the Face, perhaps she should just rescind and take what ignominy goes
with it until the turning of a new age,” she continued, the slightest trembling
of her hands the only indication of her discomfort from the mallito. “They may
even be persuaded to support her through Outcasting. Certainly their fidelity
could help cushion her castigation - it takes a full Alorn to Outcast a Queen
unless decreed by the Goddesses; we may be able to avert full penalties, and
she would then only have to pay heavy restitution to the High Family.”