“I… I see,” Ruethwyn said, fanning herself as she considered, then shook her head. “I swear, the two of you are trying to make me spontaneously combust out of pure embarrassment. I don’t know what I think of this, but… I’ll try, alright? Can we please change the subject, so I don’t perish suddenly?”
“Sure,” Sella said, letting out a breath, then asking. “Does anyone know what Yalline’s doing? I don’t think she’s Madeline’s maid anymore, right? It might make paying for her tuition harder.”
“Um, I’m not sure. I saw her last night, and she didn’t look too upset… if anything she looked excited,” Korima said, tapping her chin as she regained the bounce to her steps.
“Master Mara took her as an apprentice,” Ruethwyn said, seizing the opportunity to distract the two.
“He what?” Sella asked, her eyes going huge. “I didn’t think he could do that!”
“He is a teacher, but he seemed really annoyed about what happened over midwinter,” Korima agreed, her eyes bright.
“I believe that’s what made his decision in the end. You have to admit, summoning an elemental of that power was impressive, even if she made several massive mistakes,” Ruethwyn pointed out. “Yalline told me that he decided that for her talent to be fully developed, she obviously needed more focused attention than most teachers would be willing to give her, so he decided to take the job himself.”
“Hm, I suppose that makes sense. Plus, it keeps her from repeating the mistake,” Sella said, nodding as they approached the gates. It was quite crowded, Ruethwyn realized, with a dozen carriages just outside the gates, along with dozens of students.
“Yeah, but I wonder…” Korima said, and the slight smile on her lips warned Ruethwyn of what the kitsune was thinking, so she interrupted.
“No, there’s nothing romantic there, Korima,” Ruethwyn said firmly. “If anything, I think that Master Mara is in a relationship with Cora.”
“Really? I would’ve thought that it was Vrenne, considering how much they work together,” Sella said, her voice curious.
“You haven’t heard them arguing when they thought I was unconscious,” Ruethwyn replied, shaking her head. “Anyway, how are we going to get through this? Or find our carriage, for that matter?”
“I’m not sure,” Sella said, frowning. “This is a lot more crowded than I expected.”
“Yeah, and loud, too,” Korima said, her ears flattening slightly.
Ruethwyn was about to reply when she blinked, seeing a familiar figure slipping out of the crowd. Tadrick was wearing comfortable-looking leathers and had his sword at his side, and he was grinning broadly. The others noticed him a moment later as he spoke up.
“Korima, Sella, Rue! Over here!” Tadrick called out.
“Tad? What’re you doing here?” Sella asked, leading the way over to him.
“Oh, not much… I just had a discussion with your parents and offered to arrange for your transport back to Waterstone. I’m also carrying some dispatches for your father and a few other things, but figured this would be a lot more convenient,” Tadrick said, his smile not fading as he shrugged.
“You what? Why didn’t you tell me?” Sella demanded, her tone incredulous.
Ruethwyn exchanged looks with Korima as Tadrick replied. “I wanted it to be a surprise! Look, it’s too crowded to discuss this, and the carriage is right over there. Let’s go, and we can discuss this during the trip.”
Tadrick turned and began to lead the way, but Ruethwyn spoke, just loudly enough for the others to hear. “Pushy, isn’t he? He could’ve asked to come along.”
“Exactly,” Sella agreed, her voice grim. “Still, he’s right. Let’s go.”
“I think someone’s in trou-ble…” Korima said in a sing-song voice.
Ruethwyn laughed softly as she followed them to the waiting carriage.
Chapter 25
“So Anara, when you asked me for my help improving yourself, did you think about what you wanted, or what it might entail?” Essryl asked, lighting the dozen candles around the small room with a wave of her hand.
The room was little more than a large closet, in all honesty, though one Essryl had requisitioned for her own use. Shelves around the room bore the dozens of candles, and she’d taken off her shoes before stepping onto the velvet cushions covering the floor. Anara hesitated before following suit and stepping inside. The young woman jumped slightly as the door closed behind her.
“Not really. I just knew that you’re strong. Strong enough that Lord Res…” Anara paused, looking like she was struggling with the dragon’s name, and Essryl smiled.
“It’s Resvarygrath,” Essryl interjected gently. “Continue.”
“Lord Resvarygrath,” Anara said carefully, seeming to mull over the name for a moment, then taking a deep breath. “Anyway, you’re strong enough that even he respects you. I just don’t want to be helpless anymore. You protected Leticia, and I know my chances of getting strong enough to do anything to protect myself from you or Lord Resvarygrath aren’t high, but I want to be able to do something.”
“Mm, not a bad attitude to start with, but I’d already seen that in our knife practice. It wasn’t what I was asking, though,” Essryl said, sinking to the floor and crossing her legs. She gestured for Anara to do the same.
“You weren’t? What were you asking, then?” Anara asked, sitting down as well, then looking around at the room.
“Anara, I am Illisyr, and not a minor member of my clan. There are precisely five higher-ranking members of my clan, and those include the heads of the three castes and the matriarch herself,” Essryl said, her smile fading as she looked at Anara steadily, her gaze sharpening as she did so. “I returned to my clan after watching Ruethwyn in part because I wished to ask their advice and see what I was allowed to do. The answer is… a great deal, but not everything can be shared. My question is what you want to be, Anara. You’re a talented dancer and singer, but that doesn’t focus your lessons. Do you wish to be a warrior? A mage? Do you want to learn to walk the shadows and evade hazards, or do you wish to face danger head-on? What is it that you want, Anara?”
“I… I had no idea you were that high of a rank,” Anara replied, her face paling slightly. Essryl didn’t reply, still watching the young woman patiently, and the elf seemed to debate, wrestling with herself. Finally, she slumped slightly and replied. “I don’t know. I’ve never thought of learning to fight before asking you to teach me, and my only other experience was in hunting.”
“It’s a question you need to answer, though,” Essryl replied, drawing a dagger and examining the finely-honed blade, conscious of how Anara’s eyes followed it. “Every person has their calling, and they have to find it for themselves, which often takes more time than they might desire. Life rarely waits for you to be ready, Anara, so sometimes you have to force the issue.”
“Ah.” Anara hesitated, then asked, “What’s your calling, then? I mean, if you’re willing to tell me.”
Essryl’s eyebrows rose, and for a long moment, she didn’t reply, considering Anara thoughtfully. It had been a long time since someone had asked her that question, and after a moment, Essryl asked curiously. “What do you think I am, Anara?”
“Well… when we were first captured, you were incredibly fast and deadly, so I thought you were a warrior, maybe one of the ones who specialized in stealth, like an assassin or such. Then we heard about you flickering in and out of existence when the castle was attacked, so I thought you might be a mystic warrior, or even a mage-warrior,” Anara said slowly, frowning to herself. “Then things got weird. You healed us, you went to Selwyn and back in days, and teach Lissa magic… it’s like you’re all the different types of warrior and a mage at the same time. I don’t know what you are, Mistress Essryl.”
“True enough. You don’t know,” Essryl said, then reached up to touch the holy symbol around her neck, causing the four gems to shimmer from within. Changing her approach, she sheathed the dagger as she asked
, “Do you know what this is, Anara? Do you remember?”
“I… well, I thought it was an amulet at first, but every time you’re not in armor, I’ve seen you wearing it. You said it was a holy symbol, but is it enchanted?” Anara ventured, looking at the symbol closely.
“In a manner of speaking, perhaps. I suspect this style of symbol is old enough to have fallen out of use among your people,” Essryl said, her voice soft. Her finger touched the sapphire at the top, causing it to flare with light. “The Princess brings life.”
“The Dowager takes it away.” Essryl’s finger drifted to the ruby, which shone in turn, then she repeated the process with the diamond and topaz. “The Shifter brings change, the Guardian preserves order.”
Anara’s mouth was slightly open, but Essryl ignored her as she ran her finger around the outside of the golden symbol, smiling as it shone with light. “Yet the Queen encompasses all of them, keeping each in balance.”
“That… but… are you a priestess of… of the Queen?” Anara asked weakly, her eyes incredibly wide now.
“Hardly. The Queen is merely part of Nature’s Court, Anara. An important part, but just a part,” Essryl said, smiling warmly back at Anara. “I am a devotee of Nature’s Court as a whole, Anara, and I bear all their blessings. Skill at arms, magic, stealth, and resilience… if I did not attempt to make myself the best I could be at all of them, I would not be worthy to serve them.”
“Oh.” Anara’s comment was soft, and ever so slightly underwhelming, but Essryl could understand that. She breathed in deeply, then out again as she shrugged.
“I don’t expect you to do the same, Anara. Few people have the desire, talent, or temperament to serve them in the way that I do,” Essryl said calmly, focused on Anara. “My path is not one that you’d likely enjoy following.”
“I… I can agree with that,” Anara replied, nodding as she continued to stare at Essryl. “I never thought you were a priestess.”
Essryl didn’t bother responding to the rhetorical comment. She really wasn’t a priestess, not in the way that even other Illisyr thought of them. Essryl just thought of herself as a devoted believer in her goddesses.
“May I ask what you think I’d be best at, Mistress Essryl?” Anara asked nervously, the young woman’s gaze on the floor. “I don’t think I have much magical talent, at least, not beyond my ability to shape wood.”
“I’ve yet to meet a person with magical talent so poor that they were incapable of learning in time. However, you don’t seem to be exceptional, so any gains you made would be slow at best. Far too slow for what you’ve asked me to help you with,” Essryl replied thoughtfully, pleased that Anara had thought to ask her opinion. If she’d chosen a role without thought, it would’ve been disappointing, and Essryl might not have offered as much help. As it was, she was going to be rather generous. “You also aren’t likely to be fighting monsters, but elves, humans, and the like. Not that I want you to have to fight, but taking even monsters into account…”
“Mistress Essryl?” Anara asked, looking confused, but hopeful as well.
“Martial arts, I think,” Essryl said at last, smiling widely.
“Martial arts? Like, punching people?” Anara asked doubtfully. “Is that really useful if someone’s in armor?”
“You’re thinking of common brawlers, Anara. You’re flexible and graceful, which would help you learn to avoid blows easily, and I can quite simply incorporate your dagger lessons into it. Think of it as similar to a dance, but one that’s intended to keep you alive,” Essryl told the young woman, trying to resist the urge to laugh at her. “Beyond that, I can teach you a few magical techniques. I’ve seen martial artists from the Fire Dragon clan punch through dragon scales and even take flight briefly with their techniques. The ones I know aren’t the same, but they’re quite useful. I haven’t used them in decades, since magic serves my purposes better, but they’re ideal for someone like you.”
“That does sound more promising,” Anara said, her eyes brightening in interest. “I’d like to go with your recommendation, if you don’t mind. I just don’t know what to do, otherwise.”
“Excellent. Now, since you’ve decided… strip and lay down, Anara,” Essryl ordered.
“What?” Anara sounded shocked as she stared at Essryl.
“I told you to strip and lay down, Anara,” Essryl told her, tapping a finger on her leg patiently.
“Um, may I ask why?” Anara asked, still balking at the order.
“If I’m going to train you properly, I need to be certain that your body can handle it. I haven’t given you a full examination, and I’m not going to teach you anything until I’ve had the chance to look you over and fix any issues,” Essryl said, her tone firm. “Now, either leave the room and forget about me helping you, or strip. We’ve spent quite a bit of time in here as it is.”
“I… well, yes, Mistress Essryl,” Anara finally agreed, her shoulders drooping as she stood up, turning away to begin disrobing.
Essryl smiled at Anara’s back. She hadn’t expressly said she was going to improve Anara’s potential as well, but she was. What she was going to do was rather extensive and secret, which was the main reason she’d warded the room they were in more heavily than anywhere else in the palace.
If someone tried to scry on her, they deserved to have their brain explode.
Chapter 26
Tadrick’s carriage was nice, Ruethwyn thought. It wasn’t as nice as the one they’d taken to the restaurant before, but this one was intended for long trips, with well-cushioned seats and broad windows to allow them to see the passing countryside, along with curtains that could be pulled out to give them some privacy to sleep along the way. The carriage even had room for six people, or eight if they were to squeeze, and plenty of legroom to stretch, so it wasn’t that bad for travel.
The problem was that Tadrick didn’t seem to realize that inviting himself along had been a poor idea. Well, he hadn’t understood it, but eventually he’d understood just how upset Sella was, and he’d begun to apologize.
“Sella…” Tadrick began again, sounding resigned.
“Be quiet,” Sella snapped, glowering at him for a moment.
Ruethwyn kept her gaze fixed on the landscape rolling by, looking to the west. The area of Selwyn they were passing through wasn’t as heavily forested as most parts of the country, and she could see fields being tilled. Ruethwyn wasn’t certain what they cultivated in the area, but she imagined it was probably some type of grain. They’d also passed a couple of orchards, but it was still early in the year, so there wasn’t any fruit yet. As they moved, Ruethwyn found her hand slipping into her belt pouch to stroke the thin ring of Anara’s hairs, wondering how the other woman was doing.
“What’re you looking at, Rue?” Korima asked curiously.
“Nothing, really. Wondering a little about the fields, since we didn’t do anything like that in Mellesyn. There were a few personal gardens, but nothing this enormous,” Ruethwyn said, nodding toward a man with an ox and plow. “Mother… she always said that herbs were best when gathered from the wild, since the magic they could gather was more potent. Father preferred cultivated plants for fabric, though. They didn’t quite see eye to eye on that.”
“Ah, well, not many people would. Our clan does a little farming, but not much,” Korima said, her voice musing.
“We don’t do much at all, at least compared to human kingdoms,” Tadrick said, apparently choosing to give up on his attempts to cajole Sella into talking to him. “I’ve talked with some merchants who’ve traveled there, and everything out there isn’t more than a fraction of the farming they do. Some of their countries barely have forests left when they’re done.”
“I’ve heard that. It’s hard to imagine, but something I’ve heard of,” Ruethwyn agreed. Most of the others were quiet, so after a moment, she continued. “If I succeed at this… if I manage to rescue Anara and the others… I want to travel. When I was young I loved the stories
of far-off regions, and I’ve always wanted to see them. The floating fortresses of Dukarth and their cities, carved of the mountains themselves. The spires of Corval, and the cities around the Lake of the Sky… the Great Library of the Karakar, and farther than that. I would love to see the World Tree brushing the sky, and the ruins within the depths of Algaria. There’s so much to the world, things undiscovered or which I’ve never read about. We’re so limited in what we’ve grown up with.”
“I… well, you mentioned that your teacher described Valisair to you, but you’re trying to see it yourself, aren’t you?” Sella asked, looking across the cabin, an odd look on her face.
“Yes, of course,” Ruethwyn agreed, looking at Sella and smiling as she shrugged sheepishly. “It’s just… that’s not enough. I want to see everything, Sella. More than magic, that’s what I’ve dreamed of since I was young. I want to explore and learn. The world’s so huge, and we’re such a small part of it.”
“I think I see that,” Sella said, looking even more thoughtful. “I mean… I never traveled more than a dozen miles from home until I came to the academy. I’ve never really considered the idea of traveling across the continent before.”
“I have! Mostly because the troupe took me all over the kingdom, and into Ovara a couple of times,” Korima said, her eyes bright. “Those would be incredible sights, wouldn’t they? I didn’t really think that you wanted something like that.”
“Well, I do,” Ruethwyn agreed, sitting back in her seat for a moment, studying Tadrick. Finally, she asked, “So what’s your dream, Tadrick?”
Queen of Ice (Through the Fire Book 2) Page 21