Chased by Fire: The Cloud Warrior Saga by Holmberg D.K

Author:Holmberg, D.K.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: ASH Publishing
Published: 2014-09-29T00:00:00+00:00

21

The Journey Explained

Amia finally met his gaze. Her dark eyes gave away nothing. Tan felt his heart race when she looked at him. Could she have used him? Had she shaped him from the very beginning, from their first meeting? Was that why he had reacted to her the way that he had?

Did she still use him?

Would it have mattered anyway? He’d gone willingly into Velminth. What did it matter if she shaped a command for him to get her to safety?

They shared a look and she nodded, an acknowledgement to him only. At least Tan now understood more of what had happened in Velminth and why Lins Alles had left so quickly. Amia must have worked a shaping on him.

Had she tried it on the lisincend? Is that why it became so angry?

“I must know,” Roine began quietly, breaking the heavy silence that had grown among them. “Can you shape spirit?”

Amia was silent for a long time, long enough that Tan didn’t think she’d answer at all, but finally she turned to them and looked from Tan, meeting his eyes and holding the gaze, to Roine. “The Aeta have many feelers,” she started. “What you would call a senser. This fact has never been hidden. All of the Mothers have been and still remain skilled feelers.”

Roine blinked, taken aback by Amia’s honesty. “Are there feelers among the men of the Aeta as well?”

“Some,” she said with a nod, “though they aren’t as common as women.”

“That’s why your women lead.”

Amia laughed softly. “That’s only a part of it. But true enough.” She paused again, considering her words carefully as if deciding how much to tell. “There are others, born rarely, once or twice to a generation. They are powerful feelers, able to not only sense the emotions of others, but influence them as well, direct them. We say they’re blessed by the Great Mother, infused with her spirit, able to use it to help her people. Once found, these women—they are always women—are raised to lead the Aeta.”

“These are the shapers?” Roine asked.

Amia nodded.

He leaned forward. “And were you blessed by the Great Mother?”

A cloud seemed to pass over her face before she nodded. “I am.”

“They exist,” he said to himself. “All this time we thought we’d lost spirit shaping.” He looked at Amia. “How have the Aeta kept this secret?”

Amia frowned. “It’s not a secret to the Aeta.”

“No? How have you maintained secrecy outside the Aeta?”

“Some things can only be taught to one of the Aeta,” she answered. “There is one truth I have seen on our travels. Every culture has secrets.”

“Some are larger than others,” Roine said.

Amia met Roine’s eyes. “Already I’ve shared more than is right. I would not if not for the son of Zephra. The Mother had great respect for her.” She turned to Tan. “Your mother was well known to the Aeta, though we knew her as Zephra. She stayed with my people for a time. All who knew her had great respect for her.

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