TCO: Chapter Twenty-Nine

Most members of the Council were present by the time Gyan entered the Thesarei with Tarak by his side. Aderes looked away as the two entered the room.

After everyone was situated, Syam introduced Tarak to all the warriors. Tarak looked uncomfortable with the newfound attention and shifted nervously in his seat as the older warriors scrutinized him.

Jalena sat directly across the room from Gyan, her royal blue robes enhancing the violet of her eyes. Gyan's attention waned as his mind trailed off in thoughts of her.

Gyan, Jalena's voice entered his mind, interrupting his daydream.

Gyan jerked upward in his seat. Several of the warriors across from him glanced at him. He flushed as Jalena laughed quietly.

Daydreaming during Council, she teased. What could be so distracting to have your mind wander so easily?

Amasu, he said without thinking.

Jalena cleared her throat and dropped her gaze.

Eh, I didn't mean… began Gyan, suddenly embarrassed.

Touch his arm, interrupted Jalena.

Huh?

She smiled. Touch Tarak's arm to calm him. Otherwise, he may collapse from nerves during the elder master's interrogation.

Gyan scowled. Don't you think he'll freak out if I do? What if he thinks I want to hold hands or something?

Jalena suppressed a chuckle. He will understand once he feels the effect.

Gyan did as Jalena commanded. Tarak's look of surprise only lasted a second before the effect took over and his face relaxed. He gave Gyan a nod of gratitude. Gyan smiled in return and forced his mind to focus on Syam's words.

"I know that you may not be ready to reveal anything of your past or even about the attack on the Divakae village, Tarak, but it may provide the Order with vital information in understanding your story. Any of your thoughts or what you can recall about Mordán we will also welcome, with your respect."

Tarak nodded.

"What do you know of your parents?" Sir Malik asked.

Tarak hesitated a moment before speaking. "It was my mother who was the warrior. The elders of my village told me her name was Anstice Sokara."

Some of the masters gasped. The room immediately broke out into a buzz of conversation. Gyan turned to look at Jarek, whose face had just drained of color at the mention of his mother's name.

"Is this a joke?" Jarek asked, blood rushing back into his face.

Tarak, apparently confused by the commotion, looked at Jarek and shrugged.

Syam held up his hand for silence. "Please continue, Tarak. What did the village elders tell you about her?"

"It happened when several of the Vaznaun began their attacks on the citizens of Kraundor. It is said that my mother and another warrior were bringing provisions to families in the remote areas of the kingdom. The two separated and my mother encountered several Vaznaun attacking a family farm. At the time, the Vaznaun did not dare go near the palace while it was still under Mistress Eshe's rule, so they only raided the villages on the outskirts of Androsa."

Faelán, who had just arrived earlier that evening from a trip with Nyhra, leaned forward in his chair.

"My mother stopped the attack on the family but had difficulty fighting all of them alone. She had lost consciousness from a blow to the head, and apparently that was when…" Tarak's voice trailed off, a look of shame flashing across his face. "She woke immediately after it happened. The elder thought that she likely killed my fath—the Vaznaun—before escaping."

"I was the one on the trip with Anstice," said Faelán. "I could not find her for a full day. She had closed her mind to my attempts to reach her. I was about to call in others to help continue my search when she contacted me. She said nothing was unusual about her whereabouts that day and dismissed my questions."

"Anstice was more subdued than usual after that journey, I remember," said Asia, nodding, "but acted as if nothing was wrong when I inquired about it."

"The village elders told me that she hid the pregnancy, volunteering to go on simple assignments that didn't involve combat, especially near the end of her pregnancy. She left for Feyla Forest about the time of my delivery and begged my mother, Nami, who was a close friend, to care for me and to tell no one of my existence." Tarak swallowed hard. "The elders told me that she often came to see me but died during battle a short time later."

"She died at the battle at Conqueror's Cove," Syam informed him, "just as the Nardan armies of the south attempted an attack on Solara."

"When the warriors would visit the village, I was taken deeper into the forest until they departed. Eventually, I started leaving the village on my own when the warriors arrived…until…" Tarak looked at Jalena.

"—until Sufina let it slip that she wished her eyes had a red circle like mine and her brother's," finished Jalena. "That's when I asked Sufina to show me what she meant. So, she led me to you."

Tarak nodded and dropped his gaze.

"Tarak, the village elders must have known you were a warrior," Asia said. "Did Nami never tell you who you really were after your transformation took place?"

"She did. But, at the time, I thought I would have to leave my family, so I begged my mother not to say a word about me when the warriors came to the village. The village elders left the decision to tell the Order about me up to my mother, so she chose to honor my wish."

A solemn silence followed.

"We still have further to go in teaching the acceptance of diversity if one of our own warriors did not feel comfortable birthing a baby that shared a different race," said Faelán in frustration. "Anstice should not have felt the need to hide this."

"I do not believe that was the reason Master Anstice kept her pregnancy a secret," answered Syam. "I feel it had more to do with her not wanting to subject her husband and her…" Syam turned to Jarek, "…son to feelings of discomfort or anger, or share any shame she felt as a result of what had happened."

Jarek remained silent, his gaze low.

"What is to be done now with Tarak's training?" asked Master Cahira.

"Tarak has a choice as to whether or not he wishes to learn more of his skill, just as the rest of us did."

"I want to learn," Tarak answered quickly.

"It is settled then. We will send word to your village that you are safe and that you will visit soon. Master Jalena will begin to work with you privately as will Master Shamira, when she returns from the village. Master Jabari will also work with you when he is able."

Jabari gave a quick nod as Jalena smiled at Tarak encouragingly.

"Now, for other matters," continued Syam. "Mordán… Did any of you happen to hear if he ordered the attack on the Divakae people?"

Jalena, Gyan, and Valora shook their heads.

"He spoke to a Vaznaun named Kar when I was taken into the castle—their leader," Tarak said. "He threatened to kill Kar's family if he ever attacked another village or defied his orders again. He said his armies were not ready to defend acts of retaliation from the light warriors."

"What armies could he be forming?" asked Cahira. "I do not think there are enough Androsan soldiers or even Vaznaun that would join his forces to form a larger army than what he already has."

"I'm not sure," said Syam. "There are other sectors of Vaznaun, but they generally remain neutral in Mordán's affairs."

"If he is forming an army, we should monitor his efforts as close as possible," Faelán said.

"We will send more spies into Kraundor and see what information they can uncover. If they are unsuccessful in gathering the information we need, we will return to Androsa ourselves and investigate further."

After recounting the rest of the main events of Tarak's rescue, it was almost dark by the time the council ended. The warriors walked in silence to the residential wings of the temple to rest, each lost in their own thoughts.