Free Shadows of Moth by Daniel Arenson Page B

at Tam too. She was about to announce him as the
Prince of Arden, but she hesitated. Would Father only scoff? After
their long journey through war and wilderness—six months had passed
since leaving Teel—Tam looked nothing like a prince. His tunic and
cloak were in tatters. Mud and moss covered him from head to toes,
and stubble grew on his cheeks, thick with grime. Leaves still clung
to him. Indeed, he looked like one of the mythical heekeni ,
monsters said to rise from the swamp and snatch misbehaving children.
    "Father, this is . . ."
    Tam stepped forth, leaving muddy
footprints. He knelt before the Lord of Eetek. "My lord, I am
Tamlin Solira, second son of Queen Linee and King Camlin of Arden.
Our noble kingdom, an ally to Daenor, has fallen to the buffaloes of
Mageria. I've come to you for sanctuary and for aid."
    Neekeya looked at him, for a
moment dazzled; for the first time perhaps, she saw the true prince
in him. When she turned back toward her father, she felt a twinge in
her heart. There it was—the old pain in Lord Kee'an's eyes, the old
ghosts that lined his face.
    "Tales
have reached us in Denetek of the war in the east," Kee'an said. "Rise, Prince Tamlin.
You will find sanctuary here, for Arden and Daenor have long been
allies. Memories of my visit to Kingswall nearly twenty years ago
still fill me with warmth; your parents welcomed me kindly, walked
with me through their gardens, and we shared many laughs. I grieved
to hear of Arden's fall, and I pray to Cetela that your parents find
their own sanctuary in the wastelands of war." When the prince
opened his mouth to say more, Lord Kee'an raised his hand to hush
him. "You have many more stories to tell! That I know. But you
are weary from the journey. First you and Neekeya will bathe, and
we'll serve a feast for your return. Over a hot meal, you'll tell me
all your tales."
    Servants arrived to escort them
out of the hall, down the pyramid's western flank, and to the public
baths of Eetek. Columns surrounded the complex, each bearing a statue
of another holy animal: not only reptiles but many birds, insects,
and fish forged of bronze. Within the colonnades, wet tiles
surrounded a pool of steaming water fed by a hot spring. Mangroves,
ferns, and hemlocks grew between the columns, forming a green wall.
Egrets flew overhead.
    Tam blushed to see both men and
women sharing the public bath, for the Ardish separated their baths
by gender. But Neekeya only grabbed his hand and helped him undress.
He entered the pool quickly, hiding his nakedness behind ferns and
steam until he was submerged. Neekeya entered the water beside him;
it was piping hot and luxurious, and the steam plumed around her. The
water rose to their shoulders.
    Neekeya waded closer to Tam and
wrapped her arms around him. She pressed her nose to his. "We'll
find aid here, Tam. I promise." She kissed his lips. "You'll
see your family again, and we'll see Jitomi and Madori too. This war
cannot last forever. I don't believe that the light of Radian will
forever sear the world."
    After
they bathed, servants brought them new outfits to wear: soft seeken tunics, a grayish-green fabric woven from lichen and leaves; leather
shoes inlaid with beads; and new suits of armor, polished and freshly
forged. Undressed, Tam stood out in Daenor with his pale skin and
shy, foreign ways. But soon he stood before Neekeya looking like a
true warrior of Daenor; like her armor, his breastplate and helmet
were forged to mimic a crocodile's skin and head, and a
crocodile-claw sword hung from his belt. A green cloak hung across
his shoulders. He could have easily been a prince of Daenor, and
Neekeya felt her cheeks blush to think that, if her father approved
their marriage, he would become a prince of the marshlands.
    They met her father again in a
courtyard west of the baths. The cobbled expanse lay within the
jungle like a bald patch on a man's head. The marshes surrounded
them—rustlings reeds, twisting mangroves, and