TBC: Chapter Seventeen

The next several weeks passed in a blur for Gyan. He and the other masters were in the forest every day, training from the time the day stars rose until they set again along the horizon. There was little time for anything else.

Jabari had traveled away on assignment, so the warriors trained continually with Malik to perfect the Lumanthrú. After several weeks, the warriors' energy had acclimated to the use of the new practice. Although fatigue still set in after their creations were complete, Gyan was able to recover more quickly than he had in earlier sessions.

A light rain dropped from the sky on the last morning of Lumanthrú training. Despite the cool drops on his skin, Gyan wiped the sweat from his brow, secretly proud of his legs for keeping steady after the group completed their final assignment to create a weapon or armor out of alneil.

He ran his hand over the small gleaming shield he had mentally forged and looked at his teammates. Valora and Danika had both designed cuffs for their forearms. Valora went one step further and created a browband with curvaceous designs engraved in the metal.

"You look like a Goddess with that thing on…" Gyan told her, "…Like you could shoot light lasers out of your silver eyes at someone with one blink."

Brogan looked up from strapping on a new leg sheath for his dagger and smirked. "Don't tell her that, Gyan. It'll make her head swell."

"You're just jealous that you don't have one, Brogan," Valora replied with a sly smile. "There probably isn't enough alneil on the planet for you to create one big enough for your head anyway."

Gyan laughed. He looked over at Aderes, who was on the opposite side of the clearing throwing his newly created dagger repeatedly into the ground. Next to Aderes, Hoshi was putting a new tri-bladed boomerang inside a sheath attached to her thigh. Tarak stood next to Danika, scrutinizing the new alneil bow and arrows he had created.

"Now you can finally put those warrior arkaí skills to the test," Gyan overheard Danika say.

He watched the two closely. Danika's eyes seemed brighter than normal as she spoke to Tarak. His eyes widened as he saw Tarak's repeated smile appear more than Gyan had ever seen in a given moment. It was strange because Tarak generally was the most serious out of all the warriors.

A look of understanding dawned on Gyan's face as the connection between Danika's unusual chatty behavior and her interactions with Tarak suddenly clicked. Gyan blinked several times as he watched them until Valora's voice interrupted his thoughts.

Stop staring, Gyan. It's creepy.

She likes him!... he replied. …but, more than normal! Danika's in love with Tarak!

Valora laughed loudly, causing all the warriors to turn her way. She shook her head. Caught on finally, have you?

"What's the matter with you?" Brogan asked his sister.

"Just thinking," she said aloud, a smile on her face.

"Yeah, well. Try to keep those crazy thoughts under control, will ya?" Brogan replied. "Laughing out loud like that for no reason makes you seem weirder than you already are."

Valora responded by pushing Brogan in the head.

Gyan continued his conversation with Valora telepathically. You knew?

Of course, she said. She has the same look that you get when you look at Jalena.

My face is not that obvious,Gyan stated, his ears reddening as he observed Danika again.

Denial doesn't make it untrue. Valora laughed again.

Brogan looked at Valora again in surprise and then looked at Gyan's face. I get it now. You two keep your secrets, then.

It's not a secret, Valora replied. I'll explain later.

Gyan heard a clang and turned to the back of the clearing where Jarek was launching his new spear, and Lorcan was whipping a new three-sectional staff around his body.

Malik watched the warriors for several moments with a pleased expression. "You have all done very well in mastering Lumanthrú. You are to keep practicing whenever you get the chance. This art has saved my life many times so it will serve you well to keep practicing. We will end here with our sessions for the week. You have two days rest and then you are to meet back at the chinálei for your continued training in Relasu and Chiséi."

Even though the rain had increased since yesterday, Gyan enjoyed a slow walk across the flowering fields to his family's home the next morning.

Sahdika smiled from inside the kitchen as she saw her son from the window, a bag slung over his shoulder. She met him on the porch. "Every time I see you, you look a little different!" she stressed. "You are in Yevani now, and I still don't see enough of you."

"I know, nán. I have been on the training field all day, every day," Gyan said as he embraced her. "According to Master Jabari, we won't be staying that long in Yevani, though. He reported that the construction for the new headquarters is well underway."

"Your father said the same." She pulled back from Gyan and scrutinized his appearance. "Are they feeding you enough?"

"Of course, nán. Since living with Tarak and Brogan, I have to sometimes eat scraps from the trash bin, but I get by."

Gyan laughed at the look of horror that appeared on his mother's face. "I'm joking, nán."

"That's not funny to a mother."

He chuckled louder and put his arm around his mother's shoulders as they walked into the house.

"Is dán still working too hard?"

She sighed. "Yes. Between the two of you being gone so much and Mili busy with her own life, I've been staying in town more with my sisters. It gets lonely in this big farmhouse without some noise."

"How is Mili?"

"She and Haji are actually coming over to dine tonight. She said she had some news to share."

"It's probably that Haji's suffering from a mental breakdown due to Mili's issues and has to be sent away to recover."

Sahdika hit Gyan lightly in the shoulder. "Come on. You can come with me into town to get what we need for tonight's meal."

As Gyan and his mother walked into the marketplace in downtown Yevani, Gyan watched two children playing tag in the street. He suppressed a nostalgic pang as he remembered doing the same thing with Aderes.

He felt misplaced as he watched the families around him complete their errands and hurry to their homes. His version of the same world differed drastically from the citizens around him. Although it created a momentary longing for the past, he knew it would never satisfy him to live the same type of life.

Still, Gyan thought as he observed a mother holding her baby, I would love to have a little of the same experiences as others who are not warriors. Jalena's face entered his mind and his chest clinched.

"What's the matter, Gyan?" his mother asked softly "A nán has keen emotional awareness when it comes to her babies even without any warrior training."

Gyan cleared his throat. "Nothing, nán—was just thinking."

"Well, whatever you are thinking feels heavy."

"Sorry." He took a deep breath. "It's nothing," he repeated.

"Go ahead and lie to you nán for now, but I will figure it out…Now, do you want zana or ondula with tonight's meal?"

"Zana."

Sahdika gave the order to the market seller and turned to Gyan. "Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?"

"About what?"

"What you were thinking." She paid the market seller and turned to rest her palm gently against Gyan's face. "Like I said, you may be trained in many arts, but you will never master the art of hiding your emotions from your nán. I know you too well."

"I was just watching the families and thought of how different my life is from everyone else's."

"Just because you were born a warrior doesn't mean that you are not also Elsarian. It is natural to want joy and to share your life with someone—maybe even have a family. Many warriors do."

Gyan nodded. "You're right. I just don't know if who I wish to be with will want the same."

Sahdika smiled knowingly. "Master Jalena. Yes, your father helped me decipher your drunken profession of love for her the night you and your dán came stumbling up the walk."

Gyan blushed. "So, you knew even before Mili said anything?"

She nodded as the two turned back home. "Always have. Even if she had not said anything, your relationship is talked about more than any other in Yevani."

"What?" Gyan shook his head disbelievingly. "I doubt that."

Sahdika smiled. "Look to your left."

Gyan turned and saw three adolescent girls staring at him from the downstairs window of a small home. As soon as Gyan caught their gaze, they moved quickly away from the window.

"Since you have set your sights on one girl, your value has seemed to increase."

Gyan turned a deeper shade of red and quickened his pace. "No way. I'm out of here."

His mother laughed deeply. She stopped walking and grabbed her belly. She laughed harder as she watched Gyan scramble up the street as he noted even more people staring and talking about him. "Wait…" she gasped in laughter, "for me!" She hurried to keep up.

Gyan's haunting memories of starting a family only intensified when Haji and Miliani rushed through the door later that evening and announced that they were expecting a baby.

As Eamonn scooped up Miliani in a bear hug and Sahdika kissed Haji's face all over, Gyan couldn't help but wish he had a companion to share the moment with. He hugged his sister with mixed emotions surging through him.

"What? All out of wisecracks for this one, huh?" she grinned.

He took a deep breath and let his disappointment fade. "Of course not. I'm just grateful that Haji will have someone else around to help him deal with you. It's better if he is a boy that looks just like me. That way your world will be brighter."

"There it is." Miliani laughed. "I was beginning to think something was wrong."

Gyan saw his mother watching him out of the corner of his eye. He forced a laugh. "Not a chance with such good news."

Later in the evening, Sahdika joined Gyan on the porch. "Out here thinking too much as usual, I see. I already know of the thoughts you carry."

"Really? Nah…I'm just looking at the sky. I will never tire of this view from our porch. The lights of the city are far enough away so that we get a full view of the night stars."

"And each star has a unique path, yes?"

Gyan smiled, knowing what was coming. "Yes."

"And that sometimes two different stars collide and then form a new path?"

He sighed. "Yes."

"Gyan, master warrior," Sahdika said gently as she placed her arms on his shoulders and turned him to face her. "You are to form your path with the desires that you uniquely hold. You can have both the life of a warrior and the life of a family and create how it best works for you. You do not have to give up one desire of your heart in exchange for another. You will forever be my sweet, brown-eyed laughing baby, whether you have a red halo around those eyes of yours or not. You also have always sought a deeper way and followed the guidance of your heart without hesitation. You must do so in all matters of both love and duty."

Gyan pulled his mother into an embrace. "Thanks, nán."

"Have you told her the depth of your feelings?"

He shook his head. "Not yet. It is too soon."

"There is always a way to have all that you wish. The way will reveal itself in time."

Gyan thought about what his mother said as he lay in his old bed that night. Tired of tossing and turning, after several hours he threw back the bed covers and decided to take an early walk through the grove.

His mother handed him a cup of tea after he bounded up the steps to the side door leading into the kitchen a couple of hours later.

"You didn't sleep."

Gyan shook his head. "Thinking I may not be able to get comfortable anywhere for long, except on the training field."

"Still, a break to come visit your nán is nice."

"Yes it is." He put his arms around his mother from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder. "Did dán already leave?"

"Yes, but must you leave so soon?"

He released his mother and nodded. "We are to meet at the chinálei tomorrow morning."

"Then I am thankful to see you this long."

Gyan pulled her in for a hug. "I love you, nán. It makes me happy that I am your son."

His mother responded by squeezing him tighter.