"This is going to be more difficult then I can imagine." Kivi said softly. He held his hand to Gita's cheek. "I'll not be able to lie down and get warm between either of you, or hold my children as they grow up." Tears rolled down his cheeks, and his face firmed up. "But I shall never leave you." Gita pulled a chair up to his side.
"I want to go with you." She said softly.
"Not until our children, both ours and Thea's, leaves the house of their own free will." He looked at Thea, and another soft look crept into his eyes. "I will always remember where I first opened my eyes and saw the both of you. That is where your thrones will be. Waiting." Gita closed her eyes.
"And when we sit down?"
"It will take you to my side. Then you will dream for centuries with me and Cally. You can watch over our children, encourage them to make good decisions, and even build for them. The dream is life without the limits of a body. You'll see, if you chose to." Gita kissed him softly on his cheek, and left the room. She could no longer bare to watch the pain in his eyes, and she could not swallow the lump in her throat. She would not sob at his feet, even though she wanted to throw herself there and cry herself to sleep. Thea's eyes were a different thing.
"You'll be safe?" She asked.
"Yes, little one, I'll be safe. I'll never leave this city either. I'll always be here, to show my family the care I feel for them." She smiled.
"And I can sleep with you when they grow up?" He smiled.
"Yes, little one. You can dream with us." She smiled.
"Then it is only a short delay, right? Compared to centuries as your wife, fifteen to twenty is only a short time away." Then she wagged her finger. "And when we wake up, don't think you're getting away from me! I want my Stone Man back so we can dream again and again!" He smiled, and this time, the smile reached his eyes.
He didn't expect to see Mena, but he was mildly surprised when she timidly entered the room.
"Kivi?" She said, but would not raise her eyes. "Do you hate me?" She asked. She couldn't have hit him harder if she had tried.
"No, Mena, I do not. I've left you a gift with Gita. Mother will look in on you every day, to see how you are doing." But his face hardened. "I expect you to protect my family, Mena." She raised her eyes.
"Kivi?"
"My children will need your bow, and so will my wives. Do not fail me." She backed away.
"I wouldn't....."
"When its time, and you make your choice, remember the first place of special importance to you. There is where you will find your seat." She bolted from the room, and ran outside. Her heart hammered in her chest as she thought about his hard eyes, and his rough deep voice. His power frightened her now, but his words kept ringing in her ears.
The first place of special importance. There is where you'll find your seat.
"What do you mean, Kivi?"
"What do you mean we can't sit down here with you?" Hella asked, and she looked furious. "I told you that I would not leave you!" He smiled, but his energy waned quickly.
"The first place we met, that is where your thrones will be, mother. I can't change it. Its the place they are meant to be, and have been there since not long after we met." She frowned.
"Is it because its a special place?" He smiled.
"It is to you. The trip gives you time to consider your decision, for when you sit down, you will become like me, living stone. It will be drawn into the earth, and moved to the palace here with Cally and I." He turned his head ever so slightly. "Yours is there too, father." Banus cleared his throat of the lump that grew there.
"And what of Mena?" Pain entered his son's eyes.
"Her throne is much closer. I have asked her to protect my family here, so she can't travel with you. Do not worry over her, mother. I will watch over her." She bit her bottom lip.
"And what of Jaana?"
"She doesn't have to make the journey to consider her decision. She made it long ago." He smiled in spite of the knowledge of what would happen to those he loved beyond his own life. They would no longer be living in the strictest sense of the word. Stone statues, powerless to protect themselves, but powerful within the dream. Free of age and disease, and the freedom to chose to live out their lives, or to dream for a thousand years, then try life again.
That was all he could ever offer.
"We can fight, son!" He held up his hand.
"No. Look." He pointed, but could barely lift his heavy hand. A legion of spear wielding Huhkia came from an opening in the ground. At first, it was just an opening in the dirt, but as he molded the stone around, it became a fortified and elevated entrance, with ornate stone pillars, and large iron bars that would close it off from invaders.
Kalor appeared at his side.
"We are ready, Stone King." He smiled slightly.
"Take me to the center. Mother, father. Make your journey. This battle is not yours to fight." Physically carried to the center of the clearing, where he had not yet made a foundation, the Huhkia placed him upon the largest stone available. It became insubstantial, and reformed into a white granite throne. Cally smiled.
"Goodbye, mother and father." She started to walk to the center. "We shall await you within the dream!" She took hold of Jaana's hand. "Come, he won't close his eyes until we are there at his side." Jaana took hold of her courage, saw her beloved Kivi sitting on the throne, and started to smile.
"For hundreds of years? As his wife within the dream?" Cally smiled.
"Yes. Within the dream with us. We have had each other for thousands of years, but now we have you too. Thank you for loving him so much." Cally knelt down beside his throne, and laid her head in his lap. "I've missed the dream." She yawned delicately. "Its safe there. Its so much fun to build with you, poppa." Jaana stood at his shoulder, directly beside him, and put her hand on his shoulder.
"Let us dream, Kivi. Let us dream." She closed her eyes, yawned only once, and instantly, the three figures became solid white stone statues.
"Kivi." Hella said quietly. Kador chittered quickly, while Kalor nodded.
"Come, mother of the Stone King. We must guide you to the edge of the city. When it starts, you must be far from here! He didn't want you to see what he had to do to his enemies in order to protect his family." She nodded. "They will be safe. The Huhkia will watch over them until the Stone King has finished the city. Then, there will be no need."
Hella remembered her own dream from years before, and knew the reason. Her son would make the stone protect Mena. No matter what.
"He said to give this to you when he left. I didn't know what he meant until he told us what would happen to himself and Cally." Gita took an ornately carved steel bow and laid it across her palms.
"Its beautiful!" She whispered in awe. "There, see the bear paw? I think that represents father! And the eagle's wing must represent our mom!" She looked it up and down, and marveled at the intricate detail she was able to see. "And that's a cat's paw! Must be Jaana!" Gita smiled. The bow had a lot of symbolism attached, and the name was no different.
"He said it was called HeartRend." Mena looked up at her, then down at the bow, and for the first time in her life, she began to cry. "Why are you crying?" Mena pointed to a couple of details that Gita had missed.
One heart at one end held in a hand with talons, and another heart at the other end, split in two jagged pieces, each piece on opposite sides of the bow. It was his heart that she had cruelly ripped out, and broken.
In spite of the buzz of activity around the new palace, and how quickly it was built, Mena went back to her house, curled up on the furs, and cried her heart out. HeartRend was a beautiful gift, and a punishing reminder of her own behavior, and the results.
The first place of special importance. There is where you'll find your seat.
"What do you mean, Kivi?"
"What do you mean we can't sit down here with you?" Hella asked, and she looked furious. "I told you that I would not leave you!" He smiled, but his energy waned quickly.
"The first place we met, that is where your thrones will be, mother. I can't change it. Its the place they are meant to be, and have been there since not long after we met." She frowned.
"Is it because its a special place?" He smiled.
"It is to you. The trip gives you time to consider your decision, for when you sit down, you will become like me, living stone. It will be drawn into the earth, and moved to the palace here with Cally and I." He turned his head ever so slightly. "Yours is there too, father." Banus cleared his throat of the lump that grew there.
"And what of Mena?" Pain entered his son's eyes.
"Her throne is much closer. I have asked her to protect my family here, so she can't travel with you. Do not worry over her, mother. I will watch over her." She bit her bottom lip.
"And what of Jaana?"
"She doesn't have to make the journey to consider her decision. She made it long ago." He smiled in spite of the knowledge of what would happen to those he loved beyond his own life. They would no longer be living in the strictest sense of the word. Stone statues, powerless to protect themselves, but powerful within the dream. Free of age and disease, and the freedom to chose to live out their lives, or to dream for a thousand years, then try life again.
That was all he could ever offer.
"We can fight, son!" He held up his hand.
"No. Look." He pointed, but could barely lift his heavy hand. A legion of spear wielding Huhkia came from an opening in the ground. At first, it was just an opening in the dirt, but as he molded the stone around, it became a fortified and elevated entrance, with ornate stone pillars, and large iron bars that would close it off from invaders.
Kalor appeared at his side.
"We are ready, Stone King." He smiled slightly.
"Take me to the center. Mother, father. Make your journey. This battle is not yours to fight." Physically carried to the center of the clearing, where he had not yet made a foundation, the Huhkia placed him upon the largest stone available. It became insubstantial, and reformed into a white granite throne. Cally smiled.
"Goodbye, mother and father." She started to walk to the center. "We shall await you within the dream!" She took hold of Jaana's hand. "Come, he won't close his eyes until we are there at his side." Jaana took hold of her courage, saw her beloved Kivi sitting on the throne, and started to smile.
"For hundreds of years? As his wife within the dream?" Cally smiled.
"Yes. Within the dream with us. We have had each other for thousands of years, but now we have you too. Thank you for loving him so much." Cally knelt down beside his throne, and laid her head in his lap. "I've missed the dream." She yawned delicately. "Its safe there. Its so much fun to build with you, poppa." Jaana stood at his shoulder, directly beside him, and put her hand on his shoulder.
"Let us dream, Kivi. Let us dream." She closed her eyes, yawned only once, and instantly, the three figures became solid white stone statues.
"Kivi." Hella said quietly. Kador chittered quickly, while Kalor nodded.
"Come, mother of the Stone King. We must guide you to the edge of the city. When it starts, you must be far from here! He didn't want you to see what he had to do to his enemies in order to protect his family." She nodded. "They will be safe. The Huhkia will watch over them until the Stone King has finished the city. Then, there will be no need."
Hella remembered her own dream from years before, and knew the reason. Her son would make the stone protect Mena. No matter what.
"He said to give this to you when he left. I didn't know what he meant until he told us what would happen to himself and Cally." Gita took an ornately carved steel bow and laid it across her palms.
"Its beautiful!" She whispered in awe. "There, see the bear paw? I think that represents father! And the eagle's wing must represent our mom!" She looked it up and down, and marveled at the intricate detail she was able to see. "And that's a cat's paw! Must be Jaana!" Gita smiled. The bow had a lot of symbolism attached, and the name was no different.
"He said it was called HeartRend." Mena looked up at her, then down at the bow, and for the first time in her life, she began to cry. "Why are you crying?" Mena pointed to a couple of details that Gita had missed.
One heart at one end held in a hand with talons, and another heart at the other end, split in two jagged pieces, each piece on opposite sides of the bow. It was his heart that she had cruelly ripped out, and broken.
In spite of the buzz of activity around the new palace, and how quickly it was built, Mena went back to her house, curled up on the furs, and cried her heart out. HeartRend was a beautiful gift, and a punishing reminder of her own behavior, and the results.
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