“If only we could go into the Realm and actually see one,” I say.
“It’s too risky. We still haven’t figured out what’s going on with the Vondur—”
“I know, I know. All right. Practice on the beach will be fine.”
“Same time and place as usual?”
“Works for me.”
I give Lilja a final pat. “See you both tonight, then. I’d better go or I’ll be late for dinner. And if that happens, given the way this morning went, I’ll likely be murdered.”
Ari’s eyebrows lift. “By who?”
“My mother.”
He nods as if that’s unsurprising, though I’m not sure whether it’s because he’s met my mother or because he has a similar relationship with his. “Well, good luck. Try not to die. We’ll need your gyrpuff expertise.”
“I’ll do my best.” As I walk past him toward the cave’s entrance, I call over my shoulder, “Take care of my dragon for me!”
“Your dragon?” Ari protests, but I’m already halfway out the cave, laughing.
Giddiness has now replaced my exhaustion, and it suddenly feels wonderful to run along the path toward home. Getting to practice with Ari and Lilja almost makes everything worth it.
FOURTEEN
Ari is true to his word. By the time I manage to sneak out of the hut and to the beach, he’s set up an elaborate system of fake gyrpuff tracks—marks in the sand, raven feathers to represent gyrpuff feathers, and little rock clusters that we pretend are nests. It feels almost like a scavenger hunt, scouring the beach for the tiniest hint that will lead us to the fake nests, and therefore victory. By the end of the night, we’re both covered in sand and laughing so hard that our sides ache.
“Guess I’d better go home,” I say reluctantly as the first hints of sunlight peek over the horizon.
“Better get Lilja back,” Ari agrees. We both glance at the dragon, who lost interest in our game ages ago and is now rolling around in the surf, ignoring us. Ari and I try attracting Lilja’s attention with our gifts, but Lilja acts like she can’t feel it and continues chasing waves.
“You are the world’s most worthless dragon,” Ari says to her. She plops her tail down, spraying water in his direction.
Eventually we get Lilja into the air and back to her cave. Every muscle in my body is now aching from running around all night, but I still have to walk all the way home from the beach.
“Too bad we can’t fly her to our front doors,” I mumble as we walk.
Ari laughs. “That would definitely cause some gossip in the village.”
“Just imagine how jealous the other competitors would be if we did it!”
“Imagine flying her to the first trial. ‘Oh, hey, how’s it going, everyone? Just brought our own personal dragon along to the competition.’ ”
I laugh. “I think that should win us the first trial automatically.”
“And the second,” Ari says. “And the third!”
I stop smiling. “Except we can’t both win the third.”
I’m being serious, but Ari ignores that and continues the joke. “Lilja can cast the tie-breaking vote.”
“Oh yeah? Who do you think she’d pick?”
“Me, obviously.”
“Um, wrong. Obviously it would be me.”
“No way! I was her first human contact. I was there when she hatched!”
“First doesn’t mean best,” I say with a smirk. “I’m her favorite human now.”
“Yeah right!”
We mock-fight all the way back to my hut, both pretending to be annoyed.
And both of us ignoring the fact that joking about it doesn’t make it any less true: at the end of the third trial, only one of us can win.
* * *
The next few days pass in a blur of chores in the morning, time with Lilja in the afternoon, and training with Ari at night. As the week draws to a close, I try to put all of that out of my mind and focus on the impending competition. The very first round is coming up faster than I ever would’ve thought possible, and I’m both eager to get into the arena and dreading it. I try to learn everything I can from Ari about what it will be like, but he isn’t very forthcoming.
“So we’ll all be in the arena at once?” I ask him. “All the competitors?”
It’s the night before the first trial, and we’re tucking Lilja into her cave before heading back to the village after a long session of practicing magic on the plants and flowers surrounding the beach, mimicking what we’d do in the Realm.
“That’s what Agnar said,” Ari replies with a shrug. “He said the first round is going to focus on everything we’ve covered so far, which is just the basics—tracking prints and identifying plants.”
“Right, but what will we actually have to do?”
“I don’t know, Bryn.” Ari has been testy all day, and I suspect his nerves are getting to him. “That’s all he said. Really.”
“But what kind of magic will we have to perform to prove we know different kinds of plants? Is it like a quiz? Why would we even need to be in the arena for that?”
“I don’t know, Bryn. All I know is that he said some of the competitors will be eliminated if we fail this round and that we’d need to know everything he’s taught us so far.”
That seems impossible when I can’t say for sure what Seeker Agnar has taught them. While Ari seems to be doing his best to relay each of the lessons, getting them secondhand isn’t the same as hearing them myself. “Ugh. I can’t wait for this to be over.”
Ari snorts. “What are you worried about? You’re going to be fine.”
“How do you know?”
Ari rolls his eyes. “Really, Bryn, how many other competitors do you think have fed a unicorn before? Or flown a dragon?”
“Well…”
“And you’re like an encyclopedia when it comes to plants, too. I still don’t know half as much about them as you do.”
“Well…”
Lilja snorts, and Ari pats her nose appreciatively. “See, she agrees with me. You’re fine.”
“Well, so are you. I didn’t do any of those things in the Realm by myself.”
Ari shrugs again, but the tips of his ears turn pink.
I try to tell myself that he’s right, but I’m not so sure. A few days ago, winning this competition felt like the easiest thing in the world, like I could will myself into winning just by wanting it badly enough. But now…
Now the pressure is on.
Whether I’m ready or not, it’s time to compete.
The day of the first round of competition dawns bright and sunny, with only a slight sea breeze to offer relief from the heat. Summer is truly beginning to make an appearance. So many things in the Realm will be changing right now, as creatures migrate to different habitats due to the changing temperatures, and some plants will flourish under the sunlight while others will wither away for the year—
Focus, Bryn.
There’s so much knowledge of the Realm inside my head, and I have no idea if any of it will be useful. I’m going through everything Ari has told me about what Seeker Agnar said in training for the hundredth time, but I still feel like there’s something I’m forgetting. Surely there must be something that will trip me up, something I won’t be prepared for.…
I can’t stop picturing Seeker Agnar that first day of training, when he kicked me out of the arena. This will be the first time I’ve seen him since then. The first time I’ll see some of the other competitors, too, as well as the rest of the Seekers. It’s humiliating just to think about. Unlike my family and most of the village, the Seekers and the competitors know what happened. They know that I was deemed unfit, weak, not good enough. They know that I was dismissed before I was even given a chance.
It’s embarrassing, but it’s also infuriating, and I try to let the rage be the thing that fuels me. I’ll show Seeker Agnar he was wrong about me. I’ll show the other competitors that they don’t have a chance. And I’ll show the
whole Council of Seekers that I’m the one to watch. The one to pick. The one who will win.
I rush through breakfast so fast that it churns in my stomach. Mama sighs but doesn’t scold me, and Papa just winks. “Excited to win the first trial, are we?” he says.
“Definitely,” I say with more confidence than I feel.
“We’d better get going.” Papa gulps down his own breakfast. “We’ll want to get seats in the front row!”
“You really don’t have to come.” My stomach churns again. “It’s only the first round.”
“We wouldn’t miss it,” Papa says, and Elisa claps her hands. Mama even nods in agreement.
Papa tries to insist on escorting me to the arena, but I protest. I don’t want them to know I’ve been kicked out of training, and one of the boys might say something about it when they see me. I make excuses about wanting to study Papa’s sketchbook a few more times, and they reluctantly agree to head to the arena without me to get the best seats. The hut is eerily quiet after they leave, more still than it’s ever been. I page through the sketchbook, but the beautiful illustrations of dragons and unicorns and icefoxes just make me think of everything I have to lose, and my stomach gets tied in knots.
I give up on studying and grab my boots from in front of the fireplace, preparing to leave. I lace them with tight, careful knots to make sure they won’t come undone. I already had Mama tie my hair back into a thick braid last night so that it will stay out of my face.
I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.
I leave the quiet hut behind me and head for the arena.
Villagers mill around outside the structure, most making their way inside to take seats as spectators. I don’t see any of the Seekers anywhere, though they’re probably already inside. I crane my neck to look past the crowd, wanting to catch a glimpse of what might be waiting for us in the arena—
“Bryn!” a familiar voice calls. I spin and spot Ari coming down the path just behind me. He’s followed by a tall woman who, after a second, I recognize as his mother. She has wild corkscrew curls just like his, which frame her face and brush her shoulders. Her linen tunic and spangled skirt are both patterned with bright colors that bring out the warmth in her brown skin and the flecks of green in her eyes.
“Hey,” I say, walking to meet them.
“I forgot to tell you,” Ari says, brushing a stray curl behind his ear, “Seeker Agnar said competitors are supposed to meet around the back of the arena before it starts.”
“See, I knew you forgot to tell me something.”
“You must be Bryn,” Ari’s mother says, smiling at me. I like her smile—it’s warm and bright.
“Yes, Elder Eydis,” I say.
Her smile widens. “Ari’s told me all about you.”
Heat creeps into my cheeks. What exactly has Ari been saying to his mother about me?
“Mama,” Ari says pointedly. His ears are as red as my cheeks feel.
“All right, all right,” she says, laughing at Ari. “I’ll go find a seat. Give me a hug for good luck.”
“Mama,” Ari protests again, louder, but she ignores it and wraps him in a massive hug. Ari’s whole face flushes to match his ears, and I smirk at him over her shoulder.
“All right,” his mother says again, releasing him. “Don’t be nervous, Ari. You’ll do great!” She turns back to me. “Good luck to you too, Bryn. Show the boys how it’s done, eh?” She winks at me and, before I can respond, strides away toward the entrance.
As soon as she’s out of earshot, Ari groans, and I laugh. “I like your mama,” I say.
“Why, because she couldn’t be more embarrassing?”
“No, because she seems nice,” I say sincerely. “You should meet my mama. Actually, don’t. I don’t recommend it unless you have a death wish. She can kill people with just her glare.”
“I’m pretty sure all parents have that talent,” he says. “You should see mine when I don’t do my chores. She isn’t so nice then.”
“What’s her gift?” I ask, suddenly curious.
“She’s a healer.” His voice gets a little quieter. “She says I get the empathy gift from my papa.”
“Oh.” Now I feel awkward. Ari doesn’t talk about his dad, and it doesn’t feel like it’s any of my business. “I get my gift from my papa too,” I say, just to change the subject. But Ari knows that already, so I add, “My mama is a defender. So is my sister.”
“Huh.” Suddenly he grins. “With that kind of lineage, I would’ve thought you’d be better at boundary spells,” he teases.
“Shut up.” I give his arm a playful shove. “I would’ve thought you’d be better at healing. And smiling. Your mama is much better at smiling than you.”
“Whatever. Let’s just go before we’re late.”
We walk together around the side of the arena, not quite daring to stay side by side but sort of matching each other’s pace. The narrow dirt path around the arena leads to a clearing in the back, where the other competitors have clustered in a loose knot. As with that first day of training, all of them are boys.
“Decided to show up after all, empath?” one of them taunts when he sees Ari. It’s Emil, the fourteen-year-old defender. Then his gaze lands on me, and his eyes widen. “You again? I thought Seeker Agnar kicked you out already.”
“Yeah, Bryn,” sneers an all-too-familiar voice. Johann. “We already told you that girls aren’t allowed.”
Some of the boys snicker at that, and I ball my hands into fists. “Maybe you should be less concerned with me and more concerned with how you’re going to survive in this competition after I beat all of you today.”
Johann takes a step toward me, looking like he’s about to fight, but Emil grabs his sleeve and tugs him back. “No fighting among competitors, remember?” Emil hisses. “Seeker Agnar said it’d get us thrown out if we tried to fight outside the contest.”
Johann glares at him. “She’s not a real competitor! She’s a girl!”
I open my mouth to retort, but before I can speak, everyone’s attention turns to the path behind me, where the broad figure of Seeker Agnar has appeared. Ari and I quickly blend into the rest of the group as Seeker Agnar moves closer and stands before us.
Seeker Agnar takes a long look at each of the boys, but his gaze comes to rest on me, and I gulp. He can’t throw me out. Not today. He can’t, he can’t, he can’t—
“Are all of you certain you wish to compete?” Seeker Agnar says loudly, his voice ringing across the clearing. “If you have any doubts at all about your fitness or willingness to become a Seeker, do not waste the council’s time by participating today.”
No one moves. Seeker Agnar’s gaze doesn’t leave my face. I bite my tongue and straighten my spine, standing as tall as I can. Ari’s eyes dart toward me for a second, but he doesn’t turn his head.
“All right,” Seeker Agnar says after a moment, “then let us begin.” His eyes finally leave mine, flickering across the group. “There are eleven of you assembled here today. Only five will pass this round. From there, only three will proceed to the third and final trial. Each of these trials will give you a task to complete. Those who fail to complete it will be eliminated automatically. If more than five of you succeed today, it will be up to the Council of Seekers to judge your performances and make further eliminations.”
I gulp. I knew that judging came into play at some point in the contest, but I was hoping it wouldn’t be so soon. The judges might vote to eliminate me right away even if I accomplish the task they give us. I’m sure Seeker Agnar will be happy to get rid of me as soon as he gets the chance.
Which means I don’t just have to complete the task successfully. I have to do it better than everybody else, so that they can’t possibly vote me out. I can’t give Agnar or any of the other Seekers a reason not to pass me.
Of course, there’s also the possibility that fewer than five of us will even manage to complete the task, and then it won’t matter. But I haven’t seen th
e other boys in training, so I have no real way of knowing how good the competition is. Another disadvantage that the others don’t have.
It does give me one advantage, though. Aside from Ari, none of the other boys know what I’m capable of. They might underestimate me, and I can make that work in my favor.
“As most of you know,” Seeker Agnar continues, with his emphasis on “most” making it clear that he means everyone except me, “we have been working primarily on identifications during the past few training sessions. Therefore, my fellow Seekers and I have designed a task for you today that will reveal just how well you’ve been paying attention.”
This much, at least, is in line with what Ari told me. I exhale in relief. Identifying plants and animal tracks is something I can do.
But Seeker Agnar isn’t finished. He surveys us gravely. “It takes tremendous talent to become a true Seeker. It’s not just a matter of being able to recognize a single animal print or identify the right plants. The wilds of the Realm are vast, complex, and always changing. A true Seeker doesn’t only recognize pictures of plants the way we’ve been practicing in training. They must be able to find the real thing, in many different environments that will not make it easy for them. Therefore, the Council of Seekers has devised a task for you today that will truly test your abilities. Today’s trial, unlike the future trials, won’t focus as much on your magic as on your knowledge. But creative use of your magic may aid you, and the judges will certainly take that into consideration.”
Seeker Agnar pauses here, and I get the sense that it’s just for dramatic effect. He sure likes his speeches.
“But, sir,” one of the boys pipes up, “what is the task?”
“Patience,” Seeker Agnar says sternly, and the boy gulps.
Seeker Agnar steeples his hands, gazing at each of us again. “Two different magical items have been hidden in this arena. To successfully complete today’s task, you must find both. They are in small quantities, so you will want to make sure that you’re one of the first to find them before they are gone. You will find that the arena looks different today from what you are used to seeing, and tracking these items down is no easy task. You will need all of your knowledge to find them.
Seekers of the Wild Realm Page 13