A week later, a week and a day after the first marriage, a week of getting up several times each night to eat, and the most painful dreams he had ever had, there were only four students left with Ishvi, and the five of them sat listening to ‘story time’; having listened to a Horseman story as told by Tristan, and now listening to Seth.
//So, as soon as you are ready, you will be sent out on the plains where you will transform, or change, into Horsemen. It takes a while. I still remember when I changed…// //We are going to change into Horsemen??!// Ishvi interrupted, finally understanding what Seth was saying.
Seth looked at him, //Yes. That is the next part of the plan. Indeed, you have already started.//
What? //But why?// Ishvi asked, not willing to follow up on the ‘already started’.
//There are several reasons, I will be able to explain all of them afterwards. Some of them would not make sense now, and others might hinder your transformation.//
//But what do we have to do?// put in another lad. Ishvi could see heads nodding all around the circle.
//Well, the first thing you need to do is what you’ve already done. You need to have learned Kelii well enough to carry on a decent conversation.//
Ishvi’s heart started pounding. Kelii verb tenses were difficult, but it seemed to him that Seth had said ‘already done’ − that he was saying that they had passed their first test. The test that led to… //And then what?// asked a third lad, interrupting his thoughts, his very pleasant but very nervous thoughts.
//I will now marry you, each to only one Wife// Seth replied with a grin, nodding at Tristan, who left the room, //and I shall send each of you on a trip.
You will each go with a Horseman and your own Aviovamimo. In a few days you will begin to feel dizzy, go to sleep, and change.//
Ishvi’s heart pounded out of his chest. He looked around at the other lads, and they all looked excited. Then he heard a noise from the door, and the lads all leapt to their feet together.
He looked, they all looked, as the lasses came in. Suddenly he realized that the other four lads with him were all from the north, that they would all be marrying lasses from his own area, which meant that he would be marrying… He looked at her, and she looked at him. He did his best, and it was hard, to look at her eyes. She saw his struggle, and grinned, causing him to 40 Vonsbooks.com blush furiously. He started as Seth took his hand, and walked him over toward her. Then, for the first time, he held his Wife’s hand, his new Wife, his beautiful Wife. She looked at him frankly, squeezed his hand, and turned toward Seth.
Ishvi turned as well, and heard the words he had been dreaming of for days, and words he now fully understood, //Ishvi Gregson, standing in the place of your Father…// 41 VIII. Returning to Change Ishvi looked beside him, at his beautiful Wife. Beautiful in Aviovamimo form, as she had been beautiful in Farmer form. He was nervous, she was nervous, as they rode up to the castle. He wanted, they both wanted, to go back to the open plain, to get away from these confining buildings. But he had taken an oath, and they would return.
“My love, I am so glad to ride with you, even here,” Mehetabel said.
“Perhaps we will get to ride again soon.” She reached over and pulled herself up behind him. Seconds later he felt her connection with his horse. He had automatically taken the reins of her horse. She reached up and put her arms around his waist, relaxing, almost sleeping, as they rode ever closer.
Ishvi saw a groom come out from the stables, and a lad come with him.
The lad ran quietly up and took Mehetabel’s reins, and the groom came over to Ishvi. He stood well back as Ishvi helped Met down, and then got down himself. Ishvi watched him carefully, standing between his Wife and this strange man, this other male. The Poika was no threat, but if this Ihmset moved toward her… But the Horseman − the man − didn’t, obviously having been well trained. He backed off with the horse and said, in Farmer, “They will be expecting you at the front door.” Ishvi watched him go, reluctant to leave the horse, and then turned off toward the front door with Met on his arm.
They had only gone several steps when the front door opened and Seth, Hadassah, and Wynforr came out. Seth and Hadassah were again Farmers, and dressed in regal Farmer attire. Ishvi stepped in front of Met, and Seth stood holding Hadassah by her hand. Seth began to speak, in Farmer, “Ishvi Gregson, do you pledge yourself and your family to the service of the King and in service to him do you swear to faithfully and diligently, under my orders, execute whatever part of the plan to which you will be assigned?”
Ishvi straightened up, looked Seth directly in the eye and said, “I do”.
Hadassah looked at Mehetabel and indicating Ishvi asked, “Who is this?”
Mehetabel replied “This is my Husband − Him I will serve, him I will obey, as long I live.”
“Congratulations,” Seth said. “The servants will show you your room.
You may go, bathe and change.”
The servant that showed them to their room was but a lad, and no one else was in the hallway. Ishvi and Met stopped at the doorway to the room, staring at the room and the bed. There, on the bed, were two sets of clothes; Farmer clothes. On a dresser, food.
“Excuse me, Sir, Ma’am,” the servant said, “but I have instructions to take those clothes away from you now, the ones you are wearing, I mean.
There is a hot bath in the next room.”
Ishvi and Met stripped off (causing the boy to blush. Silly Farmlad… he was just a lad, after all, not a man, not near changing) and handed him the clothing. He said, “You are to put those other clothes on now, and eat, and talk Human, and change,” the lad said, hurriedly closing the door.
“So,” Ishvi said, struggling to pronounce the Farmer words. “When he said ‘change’, he meant…”
“The sooner we change,” Met said, “The sooner we can become Farmer… and Wife.” She looked at him, grinned, and stepped into the bath. He stared at her and, more slowly, followed her example.
“But how?” he said, laying back in the bath and relaxing.
“Same way, I guess,” she said, grabbing for a sponge “Talk, eat… sleep,” she grinned.
The change, when it came two hours later, was painful. The rest of the afternoon was not. They were standing, together, at the window, talking, when a knock came at the door, and that same lad’s voice said, “Sir, Ma’am? If you have changed they told me to tell you that dinner will be in half an hour.”
Ishvi pulled the door open. “Thank you, Lad,” he said, handing the lad a coin, “Tell them we will attend.”
“Yes, Sir!” the lad said, bobbing his head and darting off, holding the coin tightly in his fist.
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Von
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Island People
Island People is a young adult fantasy book centring on a young prince. The book starts with his kidnapping and follows his adventures as he not only escapes from his kidnapper but gains critical allies and friends.
The entire book is scheduled on Substack, and there are several sequels. This is a book I wrote years ago, so it is in a bit of a rough form. Critiques and comments are more than welcome, they are requested.