L. E. Modesitt - Legacies

Legacies

L.E. ModesittJr.

The CoreanChronicles Book 1

Inthe quiet of the early twilight of a latesummer day, a woman sat in a rocking chair under the eaves of the porch, facingeast, rocking gently. Except for the infant she nursed, she was alone, enjoyingthe clean evening air, air sawawwept of sand grit and dust by the unseasonalafternoon rain. So clear was the silver-green sky that the still-sunlit AerialPlateau stood out above the nearer treeless rise that was Westridge, stood outso forcefully that it appeared yards away rather than tens of vingts to thenorth and east.

She rocked slowly, looking down ather nursing son, a child already with dark hair, more like deep gray thanblack. Through the open windows set in the heavy stone walls, she could hearthe occasional clatter of platters being replaced in the cupboards, and thesqueak of the hand pump.

The glittering and scattered lightreflected from the quartz outcrop-pings on the top edge of the distant andtowering plateau died away as the sun dropped farther. Before long, pinlightsthat were stars appeared, as did the small greenish crescent that was the moonAsterta. The larger moon, Selena, had already set in the west.

She brought the infant to hershoulder and burped him. There there, thats a good boy, Alucius. Then sheresettled herself and offered the other breast.

As she began to rock once more, apoint of light appeared off the north end of the porch, expanding into a wingedfeminine figure with iridescent green-tinged silver wings. The nursing motherblinked, then turned her head slowly. For several moments, she looked at thesoarer, a graceful feminine figure somewhere in size between an eight-year-oldgirl and a small young womanexcept for the spread wings of coruscating andshimmering light, which fanned yards out from the soarers body until it bathedboth mother and infant.

The woman chanted softly,

Soarer fair,soarer bright, only soarer in the night wish I may, wish I might have this wishI wish tonight

For a long moment after she hadcompleted her wish, the woman watched. The soarers wings sparkled, theirmovement seemingly effortless, as she hung in midair, in turn watching motherand child, less than twenty yards from the pair on the porch. As suddenly asshe had appeared, the soarer was gone, as was the green radiance that hademanated from her.

Slowly, the woman murmured the oldchilds rhyme to herself.

Londis child is fair of face.Duadis child knows his place. Tridis child is wise in years, but Quattrismust conquer fears. Quintis daughter will prove strong, while Sexdis knowsright from wrong. Septis child is free and giving, but Octdis will work hardin living. Novdis child must watch for woe, while Decdis child has far to go.

But the soarers child praise themost, for he will rout the sanders host, and raise the lost banners high underthe green and silver sky.

She looked beyond the north end ofthe porch once more, but there was no sign that the soarer had ever been there.

Within moments, the door to thehouse opened, and a lean man stepped outside, moving near-silently toward thewoman in the rocking chair. I thought I saw a light-torch out here. Didsomeone ride up?

No She shifted the infant andadded, There was a soarer here, Ellus.

A soarer?

She was out there, just beyondwhere you put the snow fence last winter. She hovered there and looked at us,and then she left.

Are you sure, Lucenda? Ellussvoice was gentle, but not quite believing.

Im quite sure. I dont imaginewhats not there.

Ellus laughed, warmly. Ivelearned that. After a moment, he added, Theyre supposed to be good luck foran infant.

I know. I made a wish.

What did you wish for?

I cant say. It wont come true,and I want it to come true for Alucius.

Thats just a superstition.

Lucenda smiled. Probably it is,but let me have it.

He bent over and kissed herforehead. For him, as well as for you.

Then he pulled over the bench andsat down beside her as the evening darkened into night.

Inthe warm sun of a clear harvest morning, five people stood beside thestable door, two men, two women, and a small boy. The child had short-croppedhair that was a dark gray, rather than true black, and he clutched the hand ofthe younger woman and looked up at the man who wore the black-and-green uniformof the Iron Valley Militia. Tied to the post outside the stable were a roan,saddled, and a gray mare. The gray tied beside the roan had no saddle, but aharness and two leather bags of provisions across its back.

Father? offered the boy.

The uniformed man bent down andscooped up the child, holding him against his shoulder so that their faces werebut handspans apart. Youll be a good boy for Mother, wont you, Alucius?

Yes, Father. His words werecarefully articulated.

Hes always good, offered theolder woman who stood back from the couple.

Youd say that anyway, Veryl,countered the older man. I might, Veryl responded with a smile, but Aluciusis good. Lu-cenda knows that.

Youll be careful, Ellus, saidLucenda. You will, wont you? Hell be fine, boomed the older man. Bestofficer in all Iron Valley. Just going after brigands, thats all. Not like theborder wars with the Lanachronans when I was his age. They had Talent-wielders.Not very good, but they did call out sanders

That was then, Royalt, Verylpointed out. You and Ellus can compare stories when he comes back. Reillies,sanders, Talent-wielders whatever you want.

The three other adults smiled atthe dryness of her tone. Ellus handed Alucius back to Lucenda, then bentforward and hugged her, kissing her on the cheek. You two be good. I shouldntbe gone that long.

Alucius squirmed, and Lucenda sethim down beside her, and threw her arms around her husband, holding himtightly.

Alucius looked up at the pair,embracing, then to the corral not two yards from where he stood. His eyes metthe black-rimmed red orbs of the lead nightram, and he gently let go of hismothers trousers, taking one step, then another toward the black-wooled ramwith the red eyes and sharp horns.

Alucius! Lucenda cried, lungingtoward her son. Let him go, came Royalts voice. Best we see now. Hesprotected by the fence. Rams dont hurt children, unless the children hit them,and Alucius wont do that.

Lucenda glanced from Alucius to thefence, and to the nightram on the far side of the four rails. Then she lookedto Ellus. His lips were tight, his eyes fixed on their son.

In the silence that had settledacross the stead, Alucius took three more steps, until his chest was againstthe second railing. The nightram stepped forward and lowered his head, untilhis eyes focused on the child. The curled and knife-pointed black hornsglittered, reflecting the sun from their lethal smoothness, standing out fromthe light-absorbing all-black face, and from the black fleece that was so deepin color that the ram was darker than any night. Even the sharp-edged hoofs werenight-black.

The boy smiled at the nightram,then reached out with his left hand and touched the beasts jaw, fingertipsfrom the sharp teeth. Good! Good ram.

For a long moment, the nightramseyes took in Alucius. Then the ram slowly lowered himself to the ground, sothat his eyes were level with those of the boy.

Alucius smiled. Hes a good ram.

Yes, he is. Lucendas voice wasstrained.

He likes me.

Im sure he does.

Deliberately, slowly, Aluciuslifted his hand away from the nightram. You be good, ram. He stepped awayfrom the railing. The ram slowly rose, lifting his head and sharp horns, butonly watched as the boy stepped toward his mother.

He was a good ram.

Lucenda swept Alucius up into herarms, hanging on tightly. Yes, he was. But you must be careful with thenightsheep.

I was careful.

The ram tilted his head, beforeturning and walking toward the far side of the corral.