Parnal awoke, alone. He lay there in the large master bed of his family house and listened for a moment to the thunder of the great storm raging atop the mountains to the North.
Then he got up, made the bed and dressed. Before he ate he gave thanks at his family shrine, offering a prayer to the statues of his clan. 20 generations since the Dark, 20 generations on this land and now it was just him. His hand reached out and touched the newest statue. The green jade figure of his fair E'lora and the small boy that was forever part of it. Then he stood and went to make himself porridge.
The supply of honey was getting low he thought, when he had finished in the field he would check the hives. And soon he would need to do laundry, there was always something to do. Such was the way of the world.
As he made his way to the fields to begin the weeding he had been working on before his need for sleep had taken him he stopped to look at the Kas board, he was to move white next, but... Another sleep before he made that move, yes?
As he worked in the field, pulling out the weeds and adding them to his barrow he mused on the idea of change. Many said the world didn't change and he understood what they meant but he awoke alone where before he had not. This farm was almost empty when once it had been full of life. The world might not change but the people did, he thought.
His eye was drawn to a flash of light, a bright spark in the dim twilight across the Everflow. He squinted across its mighty breadth to try and see what was occuring in the tundra that lay on the great rivers south bank. Had the Alkari lit some great fire? He shrugged, he could see nothing now and such thoughts would not weed the field.
Still, he remembered meeting Alkari, when he was a younger man he and his father had travelled with the flow to the great city of Kellan's Cross. It had been a long walk, they had slept three times, twice camping down at the side of the river and once in a barn they had begged the use of. It was his first trip to Kellan's Cross, there had been many since but this one burnt in his memory.
It was the first time he'd seen the city, the first time he'd seen the great market and its traders. It was there he had seen Alkari, dressed in their heavy furs despite the warmer weather on the north of the Everflow. People said the Alkari undressed only to make love and even then not fully.
This he did not know but he did remember the laugh of the Alkari woman who had taken a shine to him. She offered his father 5 bone buttons and a copper knife to lay with young Parnal. His father had laughed and said his son's boyish smile was worth twice that. She had agreed but it was all she'd had to offer.
He sometimes wondered if he should have played along. He had been shy and a bit scared of the brash Alkari woman, he could not remember her name. But she and his father had laughed and made merry about it and Parnal had smiled and looked away.
But she was not the woman Parnal remembered, not really. For it had been on that trip he had met E'lora, his fair E'lora with the red hair and cunning smile. It was the first time he met her and from then until he put her in the ground she had been in his thoughts.
Of course, he knew, that was not true, she was in his thoughts still. This is why he awoke alone.
The field was cleared of weeds and Parnal emptied them onto the composting heap. Then he donned his keepers garb and tapped the hives, checking them to ensure the bees were in good health.
After that he checked on the pigs, he was sure two of the sows would give birth soon which made him happy. His sausage supply was getting low.
Thought of sausage made him think of food and so he ate some of his sausage and some of the last of the cheese he had traded with his sister. This made him think he should see them soon. This was not the first time he’d had such thoughts though and he knew that there were probably for naught. Who would look after the land while he was travelling? He put the thoughts aside as he had done many times before.
After food he gathered his dirty clothes and some soap and made his way to the banks of the Everflow. When he got there he stopped in shock, there was a woman washed up on the shore. She was young with pale skin and short light coloured hair.
She was dressed strangely in neither the furs of the Alkari nor the lighter cotton of Parnal's people, the Peren. Instead she was wearing a heavy green cotton top and matching green trousers. Parnel had seen Alkari wear such leggings, he himself had always dressed in cotton robes, but the woman’s trousers were not fur. Indeed rather than being two tubes, one on each leg, they seemed to be a single piece of material.
He took all this in as he was making his way to her, he could see she was breathing and the leg of her strange trousers was torn and bloodied.
He left his dirty linens on a rock near the shore and carried her back to the house. He put her in one of the spare rooms, it had been his once but not for a long time. She had a fever and he got cold wet towels for her head. Then he examined her leg as best he could. The bone was broken and the skin cut. He set the bone in place, she moaned but did not wake, and he made a splint for it. Then he cleaned the wound with alcohol and applied what medicine he had. He looked at the strange woman for a moment and then knew what he must do.
It was a short walk to the fence between his farm and his neighbours’. He got there and waved to the people in the field. Soon a figure made his way over, it was Klimt the patriarch of the family and an old friend of his father's. The older man approached the fence and raised his hand in greeting, pausing for a moment to catch his breath and stroking his great beard.
"Hale and well met Parnal."
"Hale and well met Klimt."
"What brings you here my friend? I am sad to tell you my daughter has left to marry a man againstwise." Klimt pointed over Parnal's shoulder in the direction against the flow of the great river.
"Thank you Klimt but I am... I am not looking for a wife yet."
"It pains me to see you so hurt young man but your E'lora was a wonder and I understand why you are. So tell me what news?"
"I must ask a favour, I found a woman on the river bank, washed ashore."
Klimt looked shocked and leant closer.
"She was wounded, a broken leg, I have done my best to set it but… Your wife is known far and wide..."
Klimt held up his hand. "Say no more, I shall return and ask her to come to your aid." He paused. "I am sure she will bring my daughter in law and her eldest to help. I must apologise for any disrespect she gives to your householding. She means well."
Parnal nodded and smiled at the older man. He knew he was due a scolding for all the little jobs he had let slide, but his impromptu guest needed aid so he would put up with Alana's tongue.
The two men parted ways and Parnal returned to the house to try and do what little dusting and cleaning he could before Alana arrived.
He was brushing the floor in the back rooms, they had lain empty for many harvests and he had not looked at them let alone cleaned them, when Alana came in. She made a tutting sound and reached for the broom.
"Give me that, you're just making it worse." She said, then she started to attack the dust with vigour and spoke on. "The woman sleeps, her fever has broken. You did a good job setting and cleaning her leg." Her tone was that of someone who had witnessed some minor miracle. "We'll finish cleaning up and get out of your way." She sniffed and raised an eyebrow.
"Thank you Alana, my house and family thank you for your gift this day." He said in his most formal tone. Her face softened and she patted his face.
"You do your mother proud." She said and looked round the room leaving other comments unsaid. "I miss her and your Father. As I know you miss your E'lora. But you must let her go one day Parnal."
Parnal nodded and she looked at him for a moment before chasing him off with the broom. "Go! See to your chores and your guest! Let me work in peace."
He thought his best plan would be to leave the house for a bit until Alana had got it more to her liking. He remembered the washing by the river, he did not want to take the time to wash it now in case the woman awoke while he was away but he should retrieve it.
When he got back to the house Alana and the others were getting ready to go. They said their goodbyes and he watched them leave. He sat for a moment on his porch next to the pile of dirty washing and wondered what to do next.
"L O?" A voice behind him said.
He stood, turned and saw the woman. She was dressed in a robe, Alana had said they had left her clean clothes (with a comment on his limited supply of them) and was using a broom as a crutch. She looked confused.
"Hale and well met."
She cocked her head to one side and shrugged.
He thought for a moment and said "Hungry?" And he mimed eating.
She grinned from ear to ear and nodded eagerly. "Yaas yaas" she said and smiled.
He prepared sausage and beans and served it in the main room. He rarely ate there these days, using it mostly for his long games of Kas against himself.
While she ate she kept looking at him and at the Kas board. When she was done he wondered how to communicate with her, find out her name if nothing else. As he was thinking she limped over to the Kas board, sat herself down and pointed at a white piece.
"Chess?" She said,
"Kas." He replied and walked over.
"Whyt muv?" She pointed at some of the white pieces and mimed moving them.
He nodded. "Yes. It's white's move."
She grinned and looked at the board and then moved one of the riders, it was a move he'd been debating making himself. "Knight here. Check free."
"Knight?" He touched the piece, she nodded. "Rider."
She shrugged and nodded.
He started to touch the other pieces and name them and so did she.
Some of them had different names, noticeably the Rider but mostly she just said them differently. As they talked he found it easier to understand her words and how she said them. Then he looked up.
"Wait. Check in three?"
She nodded and grinned.
He pulled up a chair on the black side of the table and studied the board for a moment then made a move with his rook.
Her reply was lightning fast with her queen taking the rook and he saw how the game was lost already.
He looked at her and she smiled and shrugged.
He touched his chest and said "Parnal".
She nodded and pointed at him, "Parnal” she repeated. Then she touched her own chest "Debs".
He repeated the strange name "Debs" and she nodded.
He looked at the board and put the pieces back in place. Then he tapped the king of his pieces and said "Parnal" she looked at him confused. Then he waved at all the pieces and said "Peren. Parnal of the Peren"
Her eyes widened and she pointed at the queen "Debs and the Humans" she said.
He smiled, he'd heard that name for a tribe, Human, but it was long ago.
Then he pointed at the board on his side and then out of the window "Twilight" he said giving the name for the land.
She nodded and pointed to her side of the board "Noourth" she said and he smiled.
He had not heard of Noourth but it must be a long way along the Everflow.
He took all the pieces and gently brought them together in the centre of the board. "Peren and Human... All one tribe" he said.
She nodded. "Yes" he understood her accent better now as she spoke "all one tribe. Friends."
He smiled and nodded happily.
"Friends."
Parnal yawned, he had been awake for a long time and many things had happened. Debs looked at him and yawned as well but he recognised the shared yawn that passes between people. He was not sure if she was truly tired, still he should do his duty as host.
He took her to the room she'd been sleeping in and showed her where the light sleeping linens were kept.
"These are for sleeping." he said showing her the lighter material and she nodded. "I will sleep now. The house is yours." Then he walked over to the window and pointed at the fencing. "Stay inside the fence, until I awake?"
"Your land?" she asked and he nodded, then she looked at the sky "It is early for sleep no?"
"I am tired. I sleep." he wasn't sure what she was asking, surely in Noourth they slept when they were tired, ate when they were hungry?
She yawned again and nodded. "I think. Me too. Good knight Parnal."
He looked bemused, did she want to talk about Kas again? "Good sleep Debs, may you awaken fresh." he said and walked from her room backwards bowing gently in the manner of a host to an honoured guest.
The master bed was large and comfortable and empty, Parnal changed into his sleeping linens and fell soundly asleep as soon as he was under the cover.
Parnal woke alone and confused. There was a voice, quiet but insistent, a woman's voice speaking his name.
"Parnal?" Debs said again in a low whisper.
He lay there bemused, was there an emergency, a fire?
He sat bolt upright, his body flushed with energy but there was no sign of fire.
She was standing by his bed in her light linen robe looking like a lost child. "I'm sorry Parnal, I can't sleep."
Truly a lost child for only a child would be so rude as to wake another from their slumber. But he was host and she was guest, maybe they did things differently in Noourth. Well he was awake now, he sat back against the headboard and motioned her to sit on the end of the bed, her leg must be hurting her he thought.
"Please. I can help? Why can you not sleep?" he'd found during their earlier conversation simple words were best but he also knew she was no fool, not a child to be coddled. Still, he was the host and a host had duties.
"I tried, for hours"
He cocked his head at this word, it seemed important but he didn't know what it meant.
"But it's just so light. When does it get dark?"
"Get Dark?" he said, feeling a horror mounting in him. "You... want... Dark?"
She smiled and nodded and he jumped out of the bed and began backing away, raising his hands in defence.
"Parnal? What? What did I say?"
"You want Dark!" he said louder.
She just looked confused.
He took a breath and tried to calm himself, maybe it was just a misunderstanding. "You want Dark?"
She nodded.
"You worship Dark? Call Dark here?"
She looked confused.
"I do not know what you mean. Does it not get dark? Outside?" she pointed at the window.
He shook his head confused.
"The sun does it not set?"
His eyes widened, "Noourth has Sun?" He said sitting back down again looking at her, he knew she was from far away but not that far.
"Of course. Wait." She got off the bed and limped as fast as she could to the window.
She looked out, looked in the sky as the clouds raced from the darkness in the south to the ever storm in the bright north and then looked back at him.
"You. Don't have a sun?" she said as she made her way back to the bed.
The two of them sat at either end of it staring at each in confusion.
"My family has 20 lives." he said. "Father, fathers father and on for 20 lives."
She nodded. "20 generations... a thousand years"
He wondered what that meant but carried on.
"Before we came here, before we were in twilight we had the Sun. The Sun fought the Dark and beat it back, over and over. Then the Dark came in too great numbers and the Sun fled and we fled too."
She nodded and he carried on speaking.
"We fled, across many lands and the Dark followed, eventually the Sun held the Dark off while we could flee one last time, to here."
"And here" she said "there is no Sun. No dark, just light all the time."
He nodded, of course there was, the world never changed, only people.
"On Noourth. On most worlds." She began. "There is a cycle, day when there is light and night where it is dark."
Parnal shivered from his spot on the bed, the Dark? Over and over again?
"It's not the Dark as you think of it." She said. "I know that horror, it is something else. Just the way the world is."
"Just, darkness?" said Parnal, he'd been in darkness before, when as a child his brother had dared him to go into a cave, the thought of it happening over and over terrified him.
"Yes. But, we make light, in the night. We have fires and other ways and also." She patted the bed and yawned. "We sleep during the night and work during the day."
He nodded, that made some sense, of course you would work when it was light, and yes he supposed a fire could be used for light.
"But you say that is not the Dark?" he slid under the covers of the bed without thinking and yawned.
She reclined a bit at the end of the bed and spoke.
"Once, many years... no wait you don't have years do you?"
"What is year?"
"300 days and nights... almost. A person lives for maybe 80 years if they are lucky."
"Oh. I think I understand."
"Many years ago our people. Yours and mine both. Lived somewhere else, a different world, called Urth."
He nodded.
"We discovered a Gate, a portal that lets us travel from one world to another." she carried on.
"The Gates!" he said excitedly "In stories. We used the Gates to flee the Dark"
She nodded. "Yes. Back then we used the Gates to explore, to find new places to live. Like my home Noourth"
He realised though it was not one word but two New Urth, of course.
"We made new Gates between worlds we had explored and then... then we learnt how to make Gates to new worlds that had no Gates."
She moved to make herself comfortable at the end of the bed and he moved his feet to give her more space.
"You can... lie here" he said, patting the side of the bed next to him.
She smiled. "That would be... not wrong?" she seemed to be trying to find the words.
"There is nothing wrong with friends sharing a bed to talk, or sleep. Why would there be?" he thought he knew what she meant but he had no desire for anything more than to hear her tale and maybe eventually sleep.
She curled round and lay beside him on the bed, head propped up on her hand on top of the covers.
"A Gate is actually two gates you see?"
She moved her hand and put her hands together and then slowly moved them apart
"You step through one and come out the other without passing between them."
He nodded, he thought he understood.
"Building Gates between worlds that already have them is easy. Building a Gate to a new world? That is hard. But our people, they learnt how to push through how to hold the connection open long enough."
"To build the other side of the Gate in the new world?"
"Yes. Exactly." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "And they opened a Gate to something terrible."
"The Dark?"
"They called it the Devouring. A swarm of things, like beetles but in all sizes that ate everything in their path. On the world they came from they had predators to keep them in check but they came through the Gates and spread. And ate and bred and ate..."
"The Dark." he said understanding.
"The people of Urth, they held for as long as they could. They sent as many people as they could through the Gates to safety. On New Urth we only had one Gate that connected us to Urth and we were able to protect it. Protect ourselves." she sobbed.
"Then when they knew they could hold no longer. When other worlds were falling to the Swarm. They turned off the Gates."
He looked at her trying to understand. "The Sun? Holding back the Dark while we fled, that was the Urth?"
"Yes. They held until they could hold no more and then they turned off the Gates. All of them, each Gate sent a message to all the other Gates on a planet to shut down after sending that message on.”
“That was 1000 years ago, 20 lives..."
He nodded.
"I think." she continued "They thought that would be long enough, long enough to starve the Swarm."
She sobbed and buried her head into the pillow. "When our Gate opened. I was one of the ones chosen to go through. We knew we might never return but we needed to know. I saw Urth, I read the etched metal tablets they had left for us to find, the only remnants of the first world of Man.”
“Everything else had been eaten by the swarm. They," she sniffed. "they begged our forgiveness for what they had done. They asked us to find their children."
She broke down crying and he found himself putting his arms around her and holding her.
He wasn't sure he'd understood everything she'd said but he understood enough to know that she was no worshipper of the Dark. Just another lost child.
She stopped crying after a bit and wiped her face.
"Sorry," she said, "I'm being silly." she moved in the bed moving her leg to a more comfortable position.
"Does it hurt? Your leg?"
She nodded. "Some. Did you set it?"
He nodded and she smiled. "Thank you Parnal. I think you saved my life."
"What happened?"
She smiled and lay back, looking up at the ceiling.
"My team, we came through the gate into a cold wilderness"
He nodded, they had arrived south of the Everflow.
"We were prepared for that, we weren't prepared for the thing that attacked us. It slashed me and knocked me down. The others Carl, Jerm and my sister Rache tried to draw it off. Then there were others there, men in heavy furs."
"The Alkari. They live in the south, they hunt the beasts that live there."
"I ran, it hurt so much but I ran and then fell into the river. I remember swimming. And fear and then. I woke up here." She smiled again. "Thank you."
"If the Alkari found your friends they will be safe. When you are better I can take you to Kellan's Cross. There will be Alkari there, we can find out what happened to your friends."
"Thank you for everything, Parnal."
She moved to get off the bed but he motioned her to stay.
"No you are tired, you should sleep." she said.
"I will sleep when I am ready, Debs and... I miss talking to people." He hadn't realised until he said it just how much he did. He had talked more since he awoke than he had... well since E'Lora had left.
"Parnal. Can I ask? This house is so large but you are alone here? Do you have any family? Brothers or sisters?" he laughed.
"I had a brother, he made the band of change?"
He looked at her and saw she didn't understand.
"Sometimes a person finds the person they are inside does not match the person others see?"
She nodded.
"Maybe a man finds he has no attraction to women? Or a woman to men? Or... as with my brother inside she was my sister. When this happens we make a bracelet, of woven leather, the colours tell others of how we wish to be seen.”
“After my sister put hers on she left home, she lives againstwise,"
She looked confused again.
He pointed in the direction he meant "against the flow of the Everflow." He explained.
"She lives with her childhood friend and his wife. They are very happy."
She looked at him with wide eyes.
"Do you not have this custom in New Urth?" he asked, feeling sad for the people of her world if they did not.
"We do... sort of... it's not so formal. And, your sister, we could make her, in many ways, how she feels to be."
He looked stunned at this.
"She would not be able to bear children but in other ways, she would be a woman."
"Debs, if you would be able to do that for her, for my family I would be forever grateful."
"So... that is your sister but where is everyone else?" she saw the look on his face and carried on "I'm sorry... you do not have to talk about it."
"No. I should. My Mother died 9, maybe 10 harvests ago. She had the wasting disease and her passing was a blessing I think. She dwells in the Sun." the words fell from his lips without thinking.
"My Father, his beard was long and grey at this point but he still worked the farm hard. Too hard. He fell in the fields, his heart burst, I think he wanted to follow her."
"Oh Parnal."
"All those who are born die, is that not the way of things in New Urth?"
He hoped it was, the thought that their medicine could stop death scared him.
To change a man to a woman that was a wonder, but to stave off the final trip to the Sun? That was a wrongness.
"No... we die. But it must have hurt."
"Yes. It did. But I had" his voice caught and he had to blink back tears
"I had my fair E'lora."
He felt the tears run down his face as the words started to fall from his lips without his control.
"Her skin was like milk and her hair as red as fire. We had been wed for many harvests but never had she... never had she carried my child. Until then."
"Oh Parnal... Did she?"
"Soon after my Father… She died.”
“Here,” he pointed to the bed “in my arms, and my son…" he let out a long wail, tears flooding his cheeks "He took but one breath before he joined her."
He broke down crying, felt the arms of the woman beside him hold him.
Heard her words, the meaning lost but the tone caring and gentle, he cried and cried and then sleep took him.
Parnal awoke, he was not alone, there was a head resting against his shoulder. The woman Debs was sleeping peacefully, her head resting against him.
He gently got out of bed leaving her to sleep and went to another room to dress. He gave his thanks to the family shrine, he touched the jade statue of E'lora.
He knew she would understand why there was another woman in their bed. He laughed, and marvelled at that, the joy he felt knowing she would be proud of his actions.
He was eating porridge and honey when Debs came in. He couldn't help but notice the way the thin linens clung to her as she limped in on her broom crutch. He stood and went to the porridge pot making her a bowl.
"Here eat." He said giving her the bowl and a spoon "There is honey in the pot. I will find you something to wear."
She nodded her head and smiled. "I don't suppose there's coffee?"
He shook his head. "I don't know what that is, I am sorry. There is fresh water in the spring over there."
She laughed. "Of course there's no coffee," she mumbled "why would there be? Thank you Parnal."
He left and went looking for clothes for her. He opened the cupboards that he had not looked in for some time.
He had felt no need to wear anything more than plain white for many sleeps and he did not need to now but...
He pulled out a set of brightly coloured robes with a light belt and long trailing tassels and looked at it with a happy smile.
He brought it through to where Debs was eating and held it up for her to look at.
"Oh Parnal, it's beautiful. Was it E'lora's?"
He nodded.
"I can't wear that, it's..."
He held up his hand. "It was not her favourite garb, and if she was here she would offer it to you herself as any host would to their honoured guest.”
“Please it would make me happy to know it brought you pleasure. And I have this," he held up a gnarled stick "it was my Father's. It will help you walk."
"Oh Parnal. I don't know what to say."
"Your face says enough."
He passed her the stick, and put the clothes on the table.
"I must check on the pigs, take your time to eat and I'll see you soon?"
He smiled and she nodded in agreement.
Parnal checked the pigs, he was sure the older of the two would birth soon, he smiled, it would be good to have some young life in the farm again. And more sausage of course. He was working on the compost, turning it to make sure the newly added grass was well worked in when he heard a voice behind him.
"What do you think?"
He turned around to see Debs, leaning on his Fathers stick in the clothes he had given her. She was a small amount taller than E'lora but the clothes fit well and he smiled.
"It makes me want to dance." she laughed as she moved her arm and the tassels waved in the breeze.
He nodded. "It's made for that, yes. E'lora liked to dance."
He smiled. "There has not been much dancing here for a while."
She looked at him with a look he could not place and then laughed.
"You don't dance Parnal? Too busy working the farm?"
He joined in her laughter and rested on the fork he'd been working the compost with.
"I would offer you my hand in a reel now, if it was not covered in shit." he said. "But I think your leg would slow us down."
He looked down and back up at her. "Thank you. I've not laughed like that for a while."
"You do have dances?" she said "And visitors and... sorry I don't want to hurt you"
His face must have shown the pang of pain he'd felt
"It's just, it's my job. Understanding the different people we meet and how they live together.”
“When I get home I'm going to recommend we make strong ties with you, you are good people." she continued.
"We do have dances," he said after a moment. "and feasts when there is a time for it, or sometimes just because we have enough food to have one.”
“And we visit, although I confess I have not as much as I should. The farm is a lot to manage on my own."
"Can I help with anything?"
"You can help by resting your leg. If we're to travel to Krellan's Crossing it's a long walk.”
“I have no riders, having no need for them and we can't ride the pigs. So rest your leg and... maybe talk to me when you can. It's good to have someone to talk to. I think I hadn’t realised how much I’d missed it until you arrived." He smiled shyly.
"Of course I will, and you can tell me about your people. It'll be almost like I'm doing my work."
"Doing your work is important" he intoned in his best impression of his Father
"But so is taking time to rest." He trailed off as he said those words, remembering his Father saying them to him.
“You know... I'm not sure I have. Taken the time to rest."
"I know Parnal. I know."
He shook his head and smiled then looked over to the fence at the edge of the farm.
Klimt's youngest stood there waving in greeting; he waved back and walked over. The boy moved to climb the fence and run to him and Parnal waved him down.
He knew the boy was just showing him the courtesy of youth but he was damned if he was going to be treated like some elder already.
"Hale and well met Edvard" he said when he got to the fence.
"Hale and well met Parnal."
"What news? Has your mother sent you to bend my ear about my housekeeping?"
They both laughed and the young man shook his head.
"No, though I think Father heard more than enough yesterday."
He pointed flowwards, and Parnal saw a dust cloud on the horizon, a caravan? There had been traders not 5 sleeps gone. He would not expect any now. "There are riders coming from the Crossing, they have Alkari with them and others, strangers."
Parnal's face froze.
"I understand, I think I know what they are looking for.”
He paused, finding the words he had to say hard.
“Please I must ask you a favour of your house, I am not ready to receive guests." he felt his face redden and his eyes water.
"I have the food but cannot prepare a feast before they arrive. I do not wish to be a burden but in the name of hospitality can you help?"
The young man's face burst into a grin. "Mother is already preparing.”
“I think she knew you would ask. It is our honour to help you give hospitality to these guests. I will go and bring the family."
Parnal nodded and sniffed to stop the tears.
"Thank you Edvard, my house and family thank you for your gift this day."
The young man ran off with all the energy of his youth and Parnal turned and walked back to the farm.
Suddenly he felt old, tired, as if a weight he had not noticed gone had been forced back upon him.
He walked back to the farm slowly, each step feeling as if he was walking in the Everflow againstwise.
Then he saw a white flower growing at the edge of the pigs enclosure and knew what he had to do. He bent and picked the flower and then continued the walk back to the farm, the weight lifted from him with his new purpose.
"Parnal?" said Debs looking at him askance. "What was that about?"
He looked at her and knew he must tell her but before he did he had to do this. He knelt down on one knee in front of her and held out the white flower to her.
She looked at him in confusion "Parnal?"
"Debs. I know we have known each other but a handful of breaths but I must ask you. Will you stay with me? Fill my home with laughter and joy? Share my happiness and help me bear my sadness? Will you…"
The next words of the formal proposal were hard for him to say but he did "bear me sons and daughters to fill our lives with joy?"
He looked up at her face already knowing what the answer would be but he also knew he had to ask.
"You want me to marry you?" she said, her face stunned.
He nodded, still holding the white flower out.
"I have mourned my fair E'lora long enough." he said "No more."
"Oh Parnal." she looked at the flower in his hand but made no move to take it.
"You are a sweet and wonderful man. You saved my life and you have been most generous but I can't say yes. I..." she looked at him again and reached out.
She didn't take the flower but instead traced her finger across the line of his hand.
"I barely know you, and I don't know your people or ways. I can't say yes, I'm sorry."
He nodded his head in understanding and stood.
She took a step closer to him and reached out a hand. "Parnal, would it be wrong for me to hold you?"
He took her in his arms and held her close.
"Maybe." she said softly in his ear. "Maybe one day..." she paused and thought "Ask me again when I've known you longer. You never know, I might change my mind.”
”Especially if I can't get home. I know I could find no better man than you."
He held her close for a moment and then let go and stood back.
"Thank you Debs, I thought you would say that."
"Then why ask? Silly man."
He pointed to the dust cloud on the horizon.
"I'm a foolish," he felt a twinge in his back "old man."
She shook her head at that.
"But I wanted to make the offer before you knew."
"Knew what?" Now she was intrigued and maybe a little angry.
"There are riders coming and I believe they include your friends."
He pointed to the small crowd of people making their way from Klimt's farm.
"My friends are coming to help me host them in proper fashion."
He looked at the stunned expression on her face "I think you might get to see me dance after all." he said.
Soon the house was a bustle with people.
Alana organised her troop of family members with precision and Parnal kept finding himself in the way.
The older woman turned and looked at him sternly. "What are you doing, Parnal?"
He started to motion showing he was trying to help but she cut him off.
"You are the host, head of this family, you've done the work to provide this food and now your job is to host."
She looked him up and down in the plain white robe he was wearing.
"And you're not hosting a feast that I am preparing dressed like that and smelling of dung!”
“Go, clean yourself up and get dressed into something presentable."
He fled from his kitchen like a young boy scolded by his mother.
Debs was sitting on the porch watching as the dance floor was cleaned and trestle tables put out. "Where are you going, Parnal?" she asked.
"To the flow," he replied "I have been told I need to clean myself"
She wrinkled her nose and nodded then she winked and tapped her leg gently. "I might join you if my leg wasn't so sore."
She grinned and he felt his face flush.
He turned and almost ran to the river with the sound of her merry laugh ringing in his ears.
He carefully eased himself into the river, letting the cool waters flow past him and clean himself and his robe. He would put it in with the laundry when he got back to the farm.
It was then that he realised he'd not brought a change of clothes, he'd not needed to before when he'd come to wash. Well not for a long while.
He started to think how he could get back into the house with the least people seeing him in such a state.
As he did his eyes fell on the ground and he remembered how he had found Debs so recently. He closed his eyes and smiled and let the water wash over him.
He managed to get back into his room without meeting anyone, left the dirty wet robe with the others he had to clean and dried himself off.
He could hear the hustle and bustle from around the house, rooms that have laid empty where being freshened up and fresh linens left out for those who would feel the need to sleep.
He knew that soon Alana would come looking for him to host as visitors from farms further afield would soon start to arrive. And he knew that he would not be found in the nude for that.
He turned quickly and looked through his wardrobe, his hands moving across the clothes he had not worn in a long time.
He pulled out a robe, plain in design made in a rich dark red fabric and covered in an intricate pattern of bright red stitching. He felt it and remembered when E'lora had given it to him to wear for their wedding.
That had been the first time he had worn it but it had always been his favourite piece of clothing. He knew he would be wearing it when he was buried and today he would wear it to honour guests from another world.
"Looking good." the voice came from the doorway as he was just finishing adjusting the cuffs. The cut of the cloth was now a bit tight on him but it still fit and he was happy.
He looked up to see Debs in the doorway. "Alana sent me to get you? Apparently your guests are arriving? I think they've brought food."
"How long have you been standing there?"
She smiled and winked. "Not long. But long enough."
She turned and started limping back to the sounds of people.
He hurried up beside her and offered her his arm instead of the cane to lean on.
"Thank you Parnal. For everything." she said as he led her to the feast.
Parnal awoke, alone but not lonely. He could hear sounds of merriment from outside, the feast was still in full swing. He got out of bed and changed back into his good robes.
He'd done his best as host, greeting guests from far and wide, the feast already bloomed with music, song, dancing and food aplenty when the guests of honour arrived in their caravan.
Parnal had been happy to see Debs reunited with her friends and had been pleased to meet each of them. Carl was a strong man with short cropped greying hair and a mien Parnal had only seen in an Alkari hunter before, always alert and on the lookout for trouble.
Parnal smiled as he remembered seeing the man dancing with two Alkari women once he'd had some mead. Perhaps Parnal would be able to ask him if the Alkari did take their furs off at all.
Jerm was a tall man with the darkest brown skin Parnal had ever seen, he seemed to be something of a philosopher and seeker after knowledge.
Parnal's best memory of him had been him trying to explain Suns and something called tidal locking to a group of confused guests.
No matter, the world didn't change even if the way we looked at it did.
And Rache, she was a tall woman with long brown hair and Parnal saw at once the resemblance to Debs.
She had hugged him and kissed him very vigorously before thanking him for saving her big sister.
"Maybe you asked the wrong sister" Debs had whispered in his ear when he managed to pull free of this most surprising embrace.
He had given her a look which she returned with a grin before returning to his duties as host.
There were a few other things that stayed in his memory, one had been his sister coming up to him and embracing him with tears in her eyes.
Earlier he had introduced her to Debs and the two women had talked for some time. Parnal had held his sister close as she cried onto his shoulder, he didn't know what she would be like in the future but he hoped she would be happy.
The tables were almost empty and there were only a few people dancing. Debs was sitting by the dance floor. She looked somewhat rested, she had still been awake when he'd gone to lie down but she'd taken what she’d called cat naps on and off during the party. She waved him over.
"Have a nice sleep?" she said and yawned.
"Yes, you should too."
She shook her head. "I can't, I'm too wired.”
“Carl and Jerm have gone for a sleep and Rache..." She pointed to where Rache was busy learning to play one of the house's instruments. "Rache is having fun.”
“How long do these parties last?" She continued.
"Until all the food is gone, there is no more to drink, no more songs to sing and no more dances to dance." he said and smiled.
"Then... care for a dance?" she said.
"Your leg!"
"I'll lean on you." she said and pulled him onto the dance floor.
She was as good as her word, holding him tightly as he slowly walked her in a dance across the floor.
"Parnal." she said to him as they moved carefully around her leg "I wish I'd had more time to get to know you."
"Me too," he said.
"I might have said yes." she said.
He sighed. "It would have been my great pleasure.”
“But even without that gift you have given me so many.”
“You've given me the gift of laughter I thought gone.”
“The promise of my sister able to truly be herself.”
He pushed for a moment and sighed.
“And you've given me the gift of my heart.”
“For too long I mourned my fair E'lora. But now I have given you my heart I may be able give it to another."
They danced slowly for a few more turns and she spoke quietly.
"I'm going to come back, you know. And you'd better come to visit New Urth."
"I will. I promise.”
“But this land has been in my family for 20 lives and you..." he waved his arm at the sky "you have many more worlds to explore. Many more of the children of Urth to find."
They danced on for a short while longer and then he led her back to the chairs at the side of the dance floor.
There they sat and talked of everything and nothing until the food was eaten and the last dance was danced.
Parnal waved to the departing caravan, waved to the woman who had fallen into his life and changed it forever. She waved back still wearing the gown of tassels.
She had tried to give it back but he insisted she keep it, like he insisted Rache take the instrument she'd been learning to play.
The only gift he asked to be returned was his Fathers stick, he gave her another to use as a crutch but he was used to this one and he knew he would be walking more and soon.
He stood waving until the Caravan was past the edge of his farm then he turned to Klimt who was standing beside him.
Both men were avoiding going inside where Alana was organising the clean up and already said she expected them to be of no use.
"Klimt, your boy Edvard." Parnal took a breath. "He's a good lad and unmarried, yes?"
Klimt nodded.
"If you would be amenable to it I would adopt him into my family as my first born."
Klimt slapped Parnal on the back and the younger man staggered slightly.
"Time for another feast my friend!" Klimt cried out and Parnal nodded.
And after the feast, when Edvard was settled in he'd take some time to walk to Kellan's Crossing.
There was talk of moving the Gate from the southlands to there and he felt the urge to visit a new world and maybe see the Sun.
And maybe, just maybe, he'd meet someone he could give a white flower to.