Ghost in the Machine (Corwint Central Agent Files) Read online

  “Yes.” Orynn was so grateful for Tara’s kindness. It helped her to focus her mind on something besides Ethan’s presence. She had spent the past two days trying to rebuild the fortified bindings around her heart, but just being near to him again threatened to send those walls crashing back to the ground.

  The anger she had felt towards his abandonment of her had been fleeting. He had seen the destructive chaos she brought into the lives of the Eros family, and he had witnessed the monster within her nearly killing Merik. Somehow he had found out that she had tricked him into declaring Velstrae with her. She had slept with him while at the same time everything about her had been a betrayal.

  Her mind had made its decision; his schematics would remain his own to give and she would go into exile without resistance. Keeping her away from the rest of the universe seemed a justified and proper punishment after all that she had done.

  It is all my fault.

  They walked down the loading ramp and onto the day-lit dry rocky steppe. She explained to them, as they exited the ship without their cargo, that they would leave what they had brought inside the ship and unguarded for now. It would show both their trust of the Tir people and that the Tir were not a people who expected gifts. They would return later with the people of the tribe they were visiting to collect the items.

  The explanation kept Orynn’s mind busy and focused on what she needed to do. She became so consumed with thinking about anything other than Ethan, that she almost made a misstep in her approach to the encampment. Sensing the auras gathering around the group, she stopped in the middle of a small gully. “Stop here for a moment and do not move. We are surrounded.”

  “Surrounded?” Hank didn’t like the sound of that one bit. His eyes darted around the edges of the cliffs that encircled the top of the shallow gully.

  A figure wearing a yellow hooded silk wrapping and carrying a long wooden staff stood up from the cliff edge in front of the group. After surveying the group below for a moment, the figure turned and headed down the opposite slope before reappearing in the passage that led out of the gully and to the tribe’s encampment. As the shrouded figure came closer, its shadow became shorter and shorter.

  The young boy held his staff to the side and stomped his sandaled foot. “Shala alahem! Who approaches the Tribe of Three Stars?”

  Orynn bent her shrouded head low and opened both arms to her side. “Oh brave Yhosen, strong son of Tir, my companions and I seek to visit the Tribe of Three Stars with open arms and open hearts.”

  The corners of the boy’s mouth lifted with a small smile, but he kept the stern tone to his voice as he continued speaking with heavily accented Common words. “I am not sure I should let you pass. I...”

  “Ashae!” The happy yelling of a young girl wearing a green shroud interrupted the boy’s speech and echoed through the gully. “Shadala Ashae!” The girl ran past the boy, much to his frustrated glare, and circled her arms around Orynn’s left leg.

  Orynn looked down and smiled. “Alahem nera analae! This cannot be Brenna at my leg, can it? Not such a young woman already!”

  The girl bent her head back and grinned up at Orynn. “I am now five!”

  Orynn gave an over exaggerated gasp, then leaned down and took the girl in her arms. “I have been away too long.”

  The group behind Orynn broke into relieved chuckles as the faces of more children popped up over the edge of the cliff, only to disappear momentarily before running into the gully. Ethan was the only one who remained stoic as the sight before him tore his system apart. He watched as Orynn let go of Brenna, then turned and picked up a small girl and set her on one hip, only to have a younger boy tug on her other pant leg with a wide grin. Orynn gave each child, and there were dozens, her rapt attention in turn as they called out to her. Her eyes were filled with genuine happiness and he knew he would never forget the sound of her joy filled laughter.

  This is what she so desperately wants. This is what I could never give to her.

  “Ashae!” A dark haired and tanned skinned boy of about nine pushed his way forward and stuck out his chest boldly. “I see you still wear the purple! You will wait eleven more years for me, yes?”

  Orynn giggled and turned to the boy, bowing her head. “Oh strong son Rohem, I will be an old maid in eleven years!” She reached out and tickled him. The boy turned and darted away, but Orynn wrapped her arms around his middle and pulled him back against her. “But if you would take an old and wrinkled maid for your wife, then I would wear the white for you!”

  The boy struggled with a fit of laughter as Orynn kissed his cheek several times. She finally released her blushing prey and he disappeared into the group. She lost herself in the bright joyful auras of the children, forgetting her companions behind her. She knew each by name, and each by heart. They were the small secret joy she allowed into her life. They were her selfish indulgence, and she needed them now more than any time before.

  A tall figure joined the group behind Yhosen and watched the children and Orynn with a growing smile. His green eyes focused on her as she picked up another young girl and turned her gracefully in the air. Stepping forward and lowering the hood of his thin purple silk cloak away from his dark hair and tanned face, he set the tip of his own staff against the ground. Bells tied to the top of the staff gave a clear ring and the children grew hushed.

  The young man’s voice was strong, but it carried the hint of affection. “If Ashae must wait eleven years to wear the white, then the Stars are blind to her beauty.”

  Orynn set the girl in her arms down and turned to the source of the voice. It was the son of Grohin, who was the patriarch of their tribe. She bowed her head low and opened her arms wide as the children circled behind her. “But it is not the Stars who choose to change one’s color, strong son Torhin; it is the hearts of men.”

  “Indeed.” Torhin bowed his head to her. “My pardons, Ashae. I had forgotten you are as wise as you are beautiful.”

  “Torhin wears the purple now!” Yhosen blurted out and several of the girls giggled with hand covered blushes.

  Ethan caught the meaning of that immediately, and he was not liking the way Torhin’s eyes were staring at Orynn. Stop it. You gave up the right to be jealous.

  Turning his eyes away from the young man, he looked down and saw a pair of bright green eyes staring up at him. The little girl’s black curls spilled from beneath a lopsided red nalahem and her mouth was open in an ‘oh’ of wonderment. Ethan felt himself smile as he knelt down to her. “Hello.”

  The girl giggled and ran behind Hank’s leg, but stuck her head out and continued to stare at the Mecha. Hank laughed and looked down at her, then moved his leg aside to expose her. The girl took a few timid steps back toward Ethan, then opened her arms wide. Before he could stop himself, memories of taking care of Hank rushed in, and he picked up the girl by the waist and lifted her high into the air.

  The high pitched laughter of the girl brought all eyes to the Mecha as he lifted her a good seven feet up. She spread her arms out and had the look of pure glee on her face. The children suddenly became aware of the new faces, especially the very tall Mecha, and ran over to them. The group allowed the children to inspect them openly amidst animated faces, excited questions and taps on their legs.

  “Anahem… you Or..el..Orlellilian.” A small boy pointed up at Brom as he and several other boys gathered around the large muscled and bald headed Brommrigor.

  Brom chuckled and mused the boy’s dark brown hair. “Close enough. How bout you just call me Brom.”

  Orynn’s heart was filled with so much happiness that it threatened to bring tears to her eyes. The sight of her friends so accepted and accepting of the children gave her faith that they would be fine without her. Seeing Ethan play so naturally with them would be a memory she would cherish all the days of her exile. Even if she would not be able to return to these people, she had hope that her new friends would return. She had hope that Ethan would be able to find happine
ss, even if that happiness was not with her.

  “You have never come to us with company before, Ashae.”

  Orynn looked at Torhin as he stepped up to her side. “These are friends of my heart, strong son of Grohin. I bring them to share in the great friendship and kindness that your people have always shared with me.”

  Torhin looked at her smiling face as she turned it back to the children playing with her companions. “We have missed you these many long cycles. It will bring great joy to the heart of my father to see you again.” He turned around and held his free forearm out to his side next to her. He hit his staff against the ground and the bells sounded again. “Come, children of Tir, let us guide our friends home.”

  Orynn accepted the arm and placed her hand lightly upon it with a soft nod of her head. Brenna ran back up as Yhosen offered his hand to Orynn’s other side. Brenna scowled at Yhosen and took his arm with one of her hands and grabbed Orynn’s hand with her other, walking between them.

  Ethan sat the small green eyed girl on one of his shoulders as he followed behind the group. With each bouncing footstep, she would let forth a bubbling of light laughter as her tiny fingers gripped tightly to the hand he offered her. He had forgotten what it felt like to have a child sitting on your shoulder, showing you complete trust and being joyful at the smallest of things. Watching Orynn’s back as she moved along the rocky path ahead of him, he couldn’t keep the longing from his eyes. For a brief moment, he allowed himself the foolish dream that it was their impossible child who now sat on his shoulder, laughing her same beautiful laugh.

  A young boy latched onto Tara’s hand and refused to let go, causing Hank to chuckle at her. She gave Hank a scowling smile from between the silk edges of her nalahem as he laughed at her, and he couldn’t help but stare back at her with a sheepishly lopsided grin. He took the boy’s other hand and they began swinging the child between them as they walked, much to the boy’s enjoyment.

  Hank stole glances of Tara’s green eyes, still not fully recovered from the look she had given him earlier. “You’re a natural at this.”

  She turned and stuck her tongue out at him. “Well, I did grow up with a perpetual child, after all.”

  He chuckled again. “Yeah. I figured putting up with me would have pretty much put you off of kids completely.”

  Tara felt herself blush under his continued stare, so she turned her head so that the edges of the nalahem blocked his view. She had started to understand why a woman may want to wear one. “Not completely. Close, but not completely.”

  “Good.” He didn’t give her time to read into that as he pointed and laughed at Brom in front of them. The big Orellian had two kids hanging off each arm and one riding on his back. “You can’t keep them, Brom.”

  “Awe, but Cap, they’re so darn cute!”

  “Perhaps we should do a head count before you leave, my friends!” A woman’s voice called from a side passage as she joined their procession. She had a large smile beaming from beneath the sides of her white nalahem and a basket of freshly washed clothes at her hip. “Although, I believe we could spare one or two, if you promise to return them.”

  “Yes, please!” An older woman, also wearing the white with a basket at her hip, joined the first. “Take Fareej for a cycle or two and give his mother peace!”

  Orynn glanced over her shoulder to the two voices and smiled with a bow of the head. “But I know his mother’s heart would ache within a night at his absence.”

  “You speak a great truth, Ashae.” The first woman’s smile widened, and she stepped up beside Orynn as Torhin let go of her hand and moved aside. The woman draped her free hand around Orynn’s shoulders and squeezed them lightly. “It has been six long cycles since you last came to us. My husband has been filling our tent with his belly aching at your absence. ‘Where is Ashae?’ he would say. ‘I long for more of her stories!’, he would say.”

  “It is a great truth you speak, Yariell, cherished wife of Grohin.” The older woman laughed. “His belly aching has filled the whole camp!”

  “My mother does speak a great truth.” Torhin smiled across his mother at Orynn.

  “His was not the only voice of lament that I heard.” The older woman chuckled as Torhin turned his head forward with a small blush of his dark skin. “And you have brought new friends to us? Unexpected, but welcome, this is.”

  “Yes, wise elder Isha.” Orynn bowed her head in respect. “I bring friends of my heart to share in my cherished friendship with the people of Tir.”

  Isha turned and opened her free hand towards the newcomers “Then let them be welcome!”

  Hank, Tara, Brom and Ethan mirrored the gesture and bowed their heads to Isha as best they could with the kids hanging from them. That made the old woman’s smile widen as she turned back to the front. The procession continued up a last embankment before the small encampment came into view. Many of the children dashed off down the hill towards the camp, racing to be the first to bring the news to their tribe. The children dispersed into the encampment and it wasn’t long before the door flap on every one of the brightly colored canvas and silk tents had been opened.

  The high roofed circular tents were modest in their shape and size, but they were extravagant in their colors, embellishments and painted designs. Many had ribbons of silk that danced in the breeze, while others had glass colored beads that sparkled in the sun. They were spread out in the flat valley, but they formed a tight communal ring around a large central fire pit. Moving amongst the tents were hundreds of women, children, men, field hounds and limiks.

  As their group entered to the central circle, the whole encampment came to greet them. All were smiling with open arms, and not a single face showed caution or distrust. It was not something Hank was used to, but it was a welcomed change to his typical encounters where people were trying to kill him. As they stopped near the large fire pit, the crowd in front of them parted to make way for a round bellied man wearing long layered robes of green and black silk. In his hand was a larger version of Torhin’s belled staff. His dark curly hair was cropped short against his head, but his beard and mustache had been grown long and showed the grey streaks of age.

  Grohin stopped as he reached the circled opening of his gathered tribe and struck his staff against the ground. The bells gave a sound and the crowd quieted. His son approached and mimicked his gesture. “My strong son! The children have flooded our tents with rumors that new friends have come to the Tribe of Three Stars?”

  “It is true, my father. Four new friends,” Torhin bowed and stepped aside to give his father a clear view of Orynn. “and one cherished friend returning.”

  “Oh blessed be the Stars of the Heavens!” Grohin held his hands up to the sky. The people of his tribe made the gesture of praise, passing their palm against their heart, up along their throat and away from their chin as they lifted their eyes to the sky. He lowered his eyes and opened his arms to Orynn. “They have brought you safely back to us, Ashae.”

  Orynn stepped forward and opened her arms with a bow of the head. “I am blessed to be back amongst my friends again, Grohin, Great Speaker for the Tribe of Three Stars.”

  “Bah!” Grohin waved off the formality with a growing grin and handed his staff to his wife. His arms opened wide as he stepped forward. “Have you come all this way to be so formal with me?”

  Orynn let out a genuine laugh and headed to him with her arms still wide open. Grohin embraced her, lifting her off the ground with a red faced chuckle. Once she was back on the ground, she smiled up at him and gave a small bow of the head. “I have missed you, Umpah.”

  “And you have been missed.” He placed his hand on the top of her purple nalahem. “So, who are these new faces you have brought to our encampment?”

  Orynn nodded and surveyed all the faces in the crowd. “Great friends of the Tribe of Three Stars, I come to you with open arms and an open heart. I wish you to welcome friends of my heart into your encampment. I ask that you welcome
Hankarron Eros of Corwint, Captain of the Zera; the ship that brought me safely here.”

  Hank opened his arms and bowed his head. “I come to the Tribe of Three Stars with open arms and an open heart.”

  Orynn smiled. He really does learn fast. Her smile widened as the people around her let out a unison response of welcome. She turned her eyes to Tara. “I ask that you welcome Tara Flint of Corwint.”

  Tara mirrored Hank’s gesture, opening her arms and bowing her head. “I come to the Tribe of Three Stars with open arms and an open heart.” She was greeted with the same welcoming reply.

  “I also present to you Brommrigor Torregathos of Orell.” Orynn and several in the crowd fell into laughter as Brom stepped forward, still with two children on each arm and one at his back. “But I see that he has already been welcomed.”

  Brom grinned as he opened his arms as best he could and bowed his head. “I come to the Tribe of Three Stars with open arms and an open heart.”

  When her eyes fell to Ethan, she struggled to keep the laughter in her throat. He still had the little girl sitting on his shoulder, and she found it to be a painfully beautiful sight. “Lastly, I ask that you welcome Ethan Greyson, of Corwint.”

  Ethan took the girl reluctantly from his shoulder and set her on the ground. She sped away with a fit of giggles into the open arms of her mother. Standing back up, he opened his arms and bowed his head as the others had done. “I come to the Tribe of Three Stars with open arms and an open... heart.”

  Orynn caught his hesitation, but the people of the tribe welcomed the Mecha with the same unified and heartfelt reply as they had the others. To the people of Tir, the children had found Ethan and these new faces as being worthy of trust and friendship. The Tir believed that children were the best judges of character, as they were unbiased and could see the true natures of people’s spirit. It was something that the Tir tried to hold onto into adulthood, but they often lamented that they would eventually lose their ‘children’s eyes’, waking up one day and suddenly seeing the world differently.