My mom never gave this story a name so I'd appreciate it if you helped me out with some suggestions.
***THIS STORY IS COPYRIGHTED!***
SUMMARY
This is about a planet where women rule, and men are slaves. I have to read it again before I can finish this summary.
Although, I know many of you are going to enjoy it.Rating R-17 Mature, violence,
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The grain-loaded parma grasses were swaying heavily in the heat laden breeze. It was a pleasant breeze to the dark figures on the ridge. The Tal-Sark valley lay at their feet in the stillness of sorne, the resting time. The ridge was the coolest spot to spend it in spite of the sun. They were home again. Even though the citadel was still a ten sec walk to the other end of the valley.
Looking carfully across the shimmering red fields, the girl could just make out the Tal-Sark pinacles gleaming through the haze. A fleet smile crossed her lips as she glanced down at her favorite companion.
"Tis almost time to start again, Ra. We'll be home well before the sanction bells."
Li-an stood up and stretched, her arms, wrists, and belt gleaming brightly in the sunlight. The fighting knives, worn by very few now, were still snug in her boot sheeths as she checked them. Her black travel cloak and tunic were worn from use and were as dusty as her black knee-high boots.
"Ready, Ra?" The rumbled assent was all that she needed to start on her way. Slinging her small pack over her right shoulder, she started down the worn trail in her usual swinging stride. Ra glided behind herlike a living part of her own flickering shadow. Ra's small ears flickered alertly as she kept pace. Not that any wise animal or human would dare attack the huge sark cat. In their neutral state they were known to be extremely vicious, phenominally strong and fast for their large size. Normally, close proximity with such an iracible feline would end in a very quick death.
As anxious as Li-an was to be home, her mind was not on the home-coming. The high council of Tal-Sark had been called. This was done once every 20 years unless it was a matter of extreme importance. 'Why a major council call?' Tal-Sark was one of the three largest and oldest cities on the planet. There had been total peace on the planet for over 3000 years. Most weapons were used only against the wild beasts or as decoration on social occasions, if then. Not many traveled outside the city. There was never any need for such travel anymore.
Li-an had volunteered, as usual, to do the hated inspection tour of the Blue valley. For her, it had always been a very pleasant break in her monotonous routine at the tower. Yet this time she regretted her habitual decision to leisurely walk the return trip from the other valley. She could have petitioned Lai-la for use of the Tower's power as all of the other sisters did. But she and Ra had to admit that they enjoyed the beauty and peace of the valley journey at this time of year.
With a thump, a rock hit the path in front of her. As one, the girl and the cat froze instantly. Her knives found their way into her capable hands, even as her black eyes raked the landscape around. Nothing was in sight. The parma grasses were swaying softly in the breeze. The few Lurpoi trees in this section of the valley revealed nothing.
Ra was not acting upset by the incident. Sheething a knife, Li-an reached a hand out to the cat's muscled neck.
"Now who could be out there, Ra?" she murmered, a smile begining to play on her face. She raked the land around her once more until her eyes rested on a dark patch underneath a Lurpoi tree just off the path. The cat was still ignoring everything around her. Sheething the other knife she picked up the rock and heaved it accurately at the dark patch. Ra streaked after it. Leaping up from the grass, seconds before the rock or the cat hit the spot, was her twin brother Ralt.
"Hola, Li-an! Do you always blunder along the paths in a daze?" he laughed. "And you, Ra, are you going blind as well as deaf in your old age?" Li-an laughed with her brother at their old game.
"Only when there are fools hiding in the grass, Ralt. And please don't start on Ra. You work her into such a state, she acts like an overgrown kitten for hours." She always so glad to see her brother.
"As if you aren't guilty of the same crime." he chuckled.
The twins were identical in all but height. Ralt being the slightly taller of the two, was as darkly handsome as his slim sister was beautiful. Because of their likeness in features, Ralt had been given, in part, the same training as Li-an instead of being turned over to the common labor pool at birth. This was a precedence found intollerable to too many of the sisters and the common laborers. As of yet, none had found a way to cope with the situation. It wouldn't do to have a high council women's obvious relative doing the work of the common laborer. Both twins had used this fact to advantage often, but cautiously. They did not want the resentment to become too great. That could mean Ralt's death.
"It's good to see you both, Li-an. Did your journey go well with you?"
"Yes, well enough. The sisters in the valley are well, but anxious for their duties to end. The hunting in Blue Valley in excellent. The hurons are grazing well and will be ready for wintering. Even the ruaks are heavy. But they need to be moved south early this year. Their feed is getting scarce. But enough of this, if we are going to be in the citadel by the sanction bell we should start on."
"Homesick?" he teased, but glancing at her face, "I know, I'm too far from the gates. So, let's get started then. Here, I'll take your pack. You lead off. I thought you would be in the valley today, so I came out to meet you." he explained, as he hiked her pack into place on his shoulder.
She nodded and they glided silently down the path and into the valley's haze.
After taking a few sidelong glances at his twin, Ralt asked, "Have you heard what the council was called for?"
"No, Ralt, I recieved a general message requesting all of the sisters to return to the tower at once. That is all. So, I cut across the rose range and came down this side of the Suak valley instead of heading further south of the Soin. I came as quickly as I could. Has there been any word in the propers about the meeting?"
"Well, not that I know of." he said very slowly.
Ra snarled as she turnedto face them, stopping them short. Facing her brother now, Li-an moved to fondle her cat's head and smiled thoughtfully.
"Are you sure, Ralt? Or is it a half truth? Ra thinks it's a half truth and right now you look like Chemeth caught you stealing ponsas from her kitchen again."
"We are making poor time home, brother," she prompted. "What have you gotten yourself into now?"
"I haven't gotten myself into anything, yet..."
"Yet? That is a surprise." she interrupted dryly.
"I wanted to talk to you about what's going on in the city before we got there. That's why I came out. Shall I explain as we go or would you prefer to hear it all here?"
Li-an turned to follow the dusty path, "Just your part in all this. No one's ever been able to get your side of a story accurately yet, I would enjoy being the first a great deal. I'll be able to get the rest of the facts in the city. Ra will watch the path for us."
As they walked, the cat took her place in front. The air was hot and dusty in the valley. The sun turned all below into molten shades of red, gold browns and black. A lone ruak glided in the sultry haze over the three moving figures below. Always the three wound their way towards the gleaming city before them.
"Well, Ralt?" she asked lightly.
"There are people in the city asking to mine the dryth rock."
"People asking to mine the dryth is nothing new, Ralt."
"Yes, but they wish to mine all of the rock in the north sector of Suak, South Rooaron, and Southwestern Soin. Also there are two different groups petitioning at once. Neither are exactly on speakig terms with the other. If they weren't bent on making a good impression with the council, there may have been a few knife fights in the tower."
"That's not an accusation to make lightly, Ralt." she frowned in disapproval.
"I was stating a fact, sister. They are extremely hostile, short-tempered people."
"And where do you fit in, brother?"
"I was in the lower hall when one of the groups came down from the chambers. I wanted some reasonably straight information, so I sort of became acquainted with one of them. I tried to with the other group too, but they will have nothing to do with anyone but the council members."
"Did you aquire the information you were looking for?"
"Well, I found out that they come from a far country in peace to mine the dryth for the benefit of both our peoples. Rumor has it that it is pretty much the same with the other group, too."
"Specifics?"
He shook his head ruefully, "None from either. They are also shut mouthed and vague when pressed fro details."
"Well, that will stop at the high council. Anything else?"
"A good deal more. There is an influx of metal being spread about, along with word in favor of the Torhite faction, the second group. Too many people favoring them, rather greedily I'm ashamed to say. The dissent about the mining rights has never been this great before. It could split the city."
"The council decides, Ralt, whatever the city believes." Li-an said, not impressed with his warning. "As for those mining rights, they cover three major territories. All three must be in agreement before any group could mine the dryth. Have the emmisaries to Soin and Rooanon been sent for yet?"
"Yes, they have. If you'll stop quoting the book to me, my lady, I will finish."
"My appologies, brother."
"Li-an, you will see how split up the council is on this matter when you arrive at the citadel. You've been gone for almost a year now. There are rumors that Rooanon is mining already."
"That would be in direct violation of our treaty. Hardly possible."
"But not improbable."
Li-an glanced at her brother and shrugged. "Agreed. Now what?"
"I don't think either group is telling the truth, Li, but the Torhites are unreadable, to me. If possible, could you speak to the one I am familiar with? His name is Brice Sawyer. He seems to be the second of the other group. The United Trade Planets, they are called."
"Why him?"
"He's uncomfortable when telling his lies and half truths."
She stopped and faced him. "Males in charge? I must say I do not think much of these peoples' judgement." She held up her hand to forestall the heated argument that this teasing would bring. "I've yet to see anything wrong with your judgement, Ralt, and as I'm considered far too liberal where you are concerned anyway, I guess I will see him."
Ralt dropped to his knees and said mockingly, "My thanks to you great lady for accepting this humble male's lowly suggestion and his abject appologies for..." He caught a glimpse of his sister's stony face and stopped.
"Ralt you could be whipped for such nonsense. What is worse, you know it and continue with it. You know a man's lot is far easier now than it was a thousand years ago. You can even bear weapons now. So don't jest like that even to me."
They stood staring heatedly at each other for a moment till Ra's roar of protest split the air between them.
Grinning at his twin, his eyes mocked the seriousness of hers, "Don't you think you are wasting time, sister? It's not like we haven't been through this before. We were to be in before the sanction bells, remember?"
She grinned back at him. She could never stay angry at him for long. "Your impossible. Yes, I remember. So, let's go home!"
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The solem sanction bells were sounding through the dusk as they reached the outer gates. Li-an stopped to look up at the intricately carved stone gates. Tal-Sark, the first and greatest of the tower cities on the planet. Here before her was the first great gates of the city. There were three other such gates in the vast defense wall, though others were only half the size of this one.
The gates before her led directly to the market square in the heart of he city. The other gates led to the merchants' and nobles' estates. These were used infrequently even by the privileged few. No on bothered to move outside of the city anymore unless ordered to. Ra's small complaint brought her back from her private thoughts in time to see the laughter in her brother's eyes.
"Come on, dreamer. Ra has no time for your dreams tonight."
The balck visaged guards snapped to a salute as they passed into the great tunnel that led through the wall to the city. Guards were never needed in the city anymore. Thieves were dealt with at once and severely. But the tradition of the guards, at least at the gates, remained.
In the public gardens ringing he market square, some trees shielded the stone pavings from the day's heat, while the fountain sprays cooled the air. The people of Tal-Sark were at the end of their day's work. Most were already moving to their homes or towards a night's entertainment.The men always walking a half step behind their mistresses carrying the burdens.
Together, the twins walked across the expanse of pavement towards the other side of the market square. Although the square was still crowded, the huge sark cat before them gave them room to walk with ease. Here, all came o shop. Row upon row of merchant booths filled the square, carrying anything one could desire to have. Ocassionally, even a free male's tiny booth would be seen. Food was not sold in any other part of the city. One bought what one needed from the various stalls. If hungry, one could stop at a stall selling its own specialty food. The variety of scents beat down heavily in the dying afternoon heat to stun the senses. The calidiscope robes of the rich were a brilliant contrast to the drab robes of the poor and somber robes of the merchants and craftswomen. There were, of course no craftsmen. A freed man might scratch a meager living selling cheaper goods but they were not allowed to make them.
The twins headed through the public lodgings for the richer part of the city. The crowded shops and lodgings gave way to the broader streets and estates. The richer houses were set back from the streets beneath large ornamental trees with lush walled gardens all around. The dark towere spread skyward over all.
"Li-an, are you staying at home or the tower apartments?" Ralt interupted gently.
"I thik that I'd better stay at the tower, Ralt. I have much to catch up on. Especially with the council meeting coming up."
"Then I'll leave you here. I have some things of my own to catch up on. Here's your pack. You'll be sure to see Brice Sawyer?" he seemed ipatient to be off.
She tilted her head up at him. "Hm? Oh, yes, I'll see him as soon as I can. I'll have to see the others too. I want to check these people out. Will I see you later on?"
"I'll let you know, Li. I think I will be occupied with other things for awhile."
She smiled at her brother fondly, "Anything I should be warned about?"
He grinned back. "Nevermind. I'll be around and you always seem to be able to find me. Ahsorna." He turned and walked off towards their ornate private door.
She watched him leave and said softly, "Ahsorna, brother."
She continued on her way towards the tower gates. Ra glided along at her side. She was passed by few at this hour. All was quiet in the dusk as the street globes began to shine dimly. The doors in the garden walls were outlined and glowing softly with the awakening door lights.
The tower stretched into the darkening sky above her as she approached the tower doorway. Again the guards saluted as she reached the door. The metal of their arms gleamed dimly in the dusk. The white-fringed, scimitar shaped spears snapped upwards as she passed through the cavernous doorway.
Li-an and Ra walked into the great public hall just beginning to be lit against the gloom of the night. The lights in the main hall would never reach the tops of the tall columns. These columns helped support the partial ceiling and circular stair that wound its way around the outer wall. Only at noon end would this immense room truly dazzle the eye with reflected light shimmering to the very tops of the vaulted columns. This vast hall was used mainly for the sister training sessions. Public meetings were held here, too. Scattered about the stone florr were young girls practicing their lessons on mats. Dark robed sisters were moving about their duties, supervising the lessons or dressed for the streets to the city door.
Li-an acknowledged those she knew as she and Ra passed through the hall to the stairs and there were many. The pair were well known in the tower. As the stair circled upward, they passed the doors of minor apartments set into the outer wall. Everyone used the stairs in the tower except for the very old or crippled. These had automatic use of the tower's power to help them about. The stair wound its way up and around to the main council chamber at the very top of the tower. As one approached a floor, the stairs became a wide landing circling to the inside of the tower. In the middle, one could sit on benches and watch the hall below.
Hallways to the different quarters and public rooms were set at four points in the outer wall. The stairs upward at the opposite side of the tower from the stairs going downward. One had to cross the landing to coninue up the stairs. There were many such floors in the spiraling tower.
When Li-an and Ra reached their floor, they turned into one of the hallways to reach their apartment. The palmlock globe hummed quietly under her palm. The outer door slid open and shut behind them automatically. The apartment before her was dark, but thelights to her front room began to brighten at once as her presence was noted and recorded. From the door she could see through the half-curtained archways to the bedroom. The bathing area lay beyond. It was a comfortable apartment, as much her home as the estate in the outer district was.
She stepped down the few shallow steps into the room and left her pack and cloak in front of her bedroom door. Asking Ra if she wished to eat now or later, she called down an order for immediate service and went up to the wall shelves crammed with parchments. Seeing that the shelf for immediate viewing was packed, as usual, she took a few and placed them on a small table near a recliner. Hearing the chime, she took the trays from the dispenser and brought them to the small table. She placed the large one on the floor for Ra, and set the other on the table beside the parchments. Relaxing on the recliner, she broke the seals on a parchment and began to read. The meal beside her was soon forgotten as she became lost in the problems at hand.
"Lady Li-an? My lady?"
The scrolls were scattered over the table and floor. Looking down at her anxiously was Min-ha, the older sister in charge of her apartments on this floor. Li-an forced herself awake. She hadn't realized how tired she had been. Min-ha scowled at the mess Li-an had made of her quarters. Although one of her favorites, Li-an had been reminded often of Min-ha's distaste for chaos.
"The morn bells ring, lady. When you came in last night, I assumed you wished to be awakened at your usual hour."
"My thanks, Min. I did." She stretched and headed sleepily through the bedroom to the bathing area. "Are there any new arrivals?"
Min-ha began replacing the scrolls and clearing the untouched meal away. Frowning at the tray, she replied indifferently, "Yes, lady, there are guests in the stair chambers. Some more to talk about the dryth stone. The dignitaries from Soin are arriving this afternoon. Rooaron is very late but should be arriving anytime."
Stripping, Li-an stepped into the bluegreen pool's warmed water and swam lithely to the other side and back. Surfacing, she shook back her streaming hair and slicked the water from her face. Crossing her arms on the pool's edge, she watched Min-ha as she brought in a clean dressing robe.
"What do the citypeople say, Min?"
Min-ha looked at her startled, but wary, "Why lady, how should I know? I'm not one to gossip with those. Besides, their opinion is next to worthless."
Li-an then asked half seriously, yet noting that Min-ha was nervously twisting the silken robe in her hands, obviously upset. "Oh, you mean you haven't seen Tolt, lately?"
Min-ha stared past her stonily, "Whatever was Tolt, is no ended. It is said that he attacked a sister with a knife and was slain outright for it."
"I'm sorry, Min, I didn't know." she asked quietly, "Which sister was it?"
"Sha-nim. There's no need for appologies. It was done according to the law."
"According to the report scrolls, she has been most popular that way lately."
"Too popular. But that is Sha-nim's way."
Li-an glanced up at her. "Yes, I suppose it is."
"Lady," Min-ha smiled quickly and changed the subject. "Are you going to bathe or pretend you're a water flower for the rest of the day?" With that, she threw the net of cleansing salts to her. "You brought enough dirt back with you that I'll have to have the pool shoveled out."
"Alright, Min." she sighed, "But this water does feel good."
"You mean it's hot for a change. How you live outside the city is beyond my comprehension. You will have to hurry. I sent that black monster of yours out early. You know she'll be in the water as soon as I open the door for her."
"I wondered why she hadn't beaten me to it this morning," Li-an rejoined. After swimming across the pool a few times to remove the foam of the crystals, she dried her self with the towel sickle instrument used for that purpose, luxuriating in the feeling of cleanliness. Slipping into the robe, she walked into her sleeping chamber and flopped lazily down on the bed for a few minutes with her eyes closed.
"Don't you think that you should get dresed and eat, my lady?" Min-ha asked. Ra bounced onto the bed between them, bounding off again and ran off into the bath. The splash that resulted was considerable and sent both women into a spasm of laughter.
"I'd better, before the cat comes back." Li-an just managed to get out.
chapter 2 coming soon...
Elyn Yuy
