Page 101 of Dark Destiny: The Turning Of The Loom

"People forget." Esag rubbed the back of his head. "Stories are better remembered. Perhaps that's why myths about gods survived while accounts of their actual lives were lost. That is why I carve their images. So I won't forget."

"I would like to see your carvings," Khiann said. "Now that I am more mobile, I can visit your shed."

He truly wanted to see the carvings, but he wanted to speak to Esag alone even more.

"If you have time, you can come now. I live nearby."

Khiann nodded. "I should say hello to Tula and thank her in person for the stew."

"Tula went shopping for baby things with Wonder, and she will be upset to have missed you. But now that you know the way, you can visit her another day."

"Indeed." Khiann rolled his chair toward the gate. "I will come again tomorrow," he told his men. "We will train harder together."

The men responded with grunts and murmurs of approval.

Esag's house was only minutes away. Like the guards' house, it had a porch with steps leading up to it, but unlike the guards' house, it had no ramp.

"I can lift you and the chair, but there is no need. We can go directly to the backyard, where my shed is."

"Lead the way," Khiann said.

Esag opened the side gate, and Khiann drove through. There it was, the famous shed. It stood against the fence, its door open, with the scent of cut wood drifting out.

"Can I carry the rings again?" Esag asked. "Gulan and I carried the rings at your first wedding. I think it is fitting for us to carry them again."

"Of course, but there is a problem. Annani lost hers. We will need new ones."

"I know a man," Esag said. "He does good work. The rings will not be made from a special alloy like the one you have because no one knows how they were made. But this man does beautiful work in silver and gold. I can make the design. You and Annani will approve it, and he will craft them. Give me a day to think about a design, and I will bring you drawings."

"I have no way to pay him," Khiann admitted. "I was hoping you could craft something."

Esag shook his head. "I work in wood and stone. I am not a metalworker. Besides, you have money. You can pay him."

"I have Annani's money, which she says is mine, but I will not spend it on a ring for her hand. It is just wrong."

Esag looked at him for a moment, then shook his head. "No one has told you because everyone assumed someone else had." He leaned against the shed. "Every member of this clan receives a stipend from the day they become a member. It is paid monthly into an account in your name, and you have probably been considered a member since the day they carried you into the clinic. It's not Annani's money, and it's not a gift. It is yours, and there is already a month of it sitting there, probably two. Talk to Shai. He will show you and walk you through it. Things are done differently now. No one uses money. It is all done with credit."

"Will one month of stipend be enough for rings?"

"They will have to be modest." Esag chuckled. "I see that you still have a good grasp of money, even though you don't remember it."

Khiann shrugged. "It just makes sense, especially since we are talking about a ring for a princess."

Esag leaned closer to him. "Do you think Annani cares what the ring is made of? It could be made of foil for all she cares."

"I care," Khiann said. "I will call Shai and ask for an appointment."

"Good." Esag pushed away from the shed wall. "So, are you ready to see my life's work?"

"Yes." Khiann eyed the narrow door. "I do not think my chair will fit through there."

"It might, but there is no room inside for it. I can lift you and carry you inside."

"I can walk a few steps." Khiann got out of the chair.

"Wait a moment." Esag gripped his arm. "If you fall and break something, Annani will have my head. Hold on to me and walk slowly."

Khiann put his hand on Esag's shoulder, and the two of them walked through the door together. The bench was three steps away, the only free floor space in the small structure. The chair would not have fit inside.