Between Luck and Magic (Chanmyr Chronicles Book 3)

by TJ Muir

  Afterward, they lay in a tangled heap. As soon as Trellyn had caught her breath, she reached into the pile of clothes and pulled out her shirt, then tossed Jedda’s over to him. All so casual. Her behavior baffled him. They may have just had a picnic, or been playing a round of qwatcha for all of her casual ease.

  Jedda heard a snort from down below. He had forgotten about the horses. It had felt like they had been up there for a long time, but he realized it hadn’t been as long as he had imagined.

  Trellyn was casual and no-nonsense as she scooted over the edge of the table and back down onto the chair. Jedda followed a few steps behind, watching to see how she got back down. She climbed onto one of the support rungs on the chair and whistled to her horse. Once it was underneath her, she swung down neatly, landing on its back.

  Jedda didn’t feel that brave, and chose instead to down the chair leg to the ground. Ashai stepped up, having only moved a few feet from where Jedda had left him.

  As they rode back, Trellyn looked pleased and satisfied. Jedda smiled, even though he didn’t want to keep finding himself in this situation.

  “The gods will surely bless us with good fortune,” Trellyn said, as she put her legs to her horse, pushing him into a run.

  Jedda had no idea what she meant by ‘good fortune.’ He hoped she wasn’t talking about having a baby. There was no way he would be able to explain that to Diya and have her forgive him.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Jedda realized he liked playing polarity with Zria better than Kai. He knew now he had underestimated Zria as a player. Zria was a better teacher because he was better at the game. The boy had been matching abilities to Jedda's level, letting Jedda learn. Jedda could see how Zria had been guiding him, setting something up for him to figure out.

  It had taken a while, but Jedda was getting a grasp on the game, using his power and drawing on magic. Now he was beginning to play and not just learn.

  Zria seemed to enjoy this as well. He had been a good and patient teacher, but he was still a child and easily bored. Now, playing with Jedda presented an even match. And since the magical-field was never the same twice, each game was fresh and unique.

  Zria pushed the 'ball' back towards his pole. Jedda raised his left hand slightly, trying to create a buffer of resistance. Zria smiled. It was little things like that which gave Jedda away sometimes. Zria rarely needed to draw on physical aspects to create the magical effect, and Jedda knew he would assume he was going to try to push the ball into a 'thick patch,' and break his hold on the ball.

  Zria compensated for the move, only too late realizing the hand had been a ploy. Instead of pushing to create resistance, Jedda wove something instinctively. The ball winked out of sight, re-appearing on the other side of the dense area.

  Zria gasped and blinked. He smiled, but it seemed rather strained. “The hand. A trick.” His expression turned thoughtful.

  Jedda had been pleased with his clever deception. He knew Zria would underestimate him, and that would give him the advantage. Distraction served very well where skill was still lacking.

  He looked up, noticing Kirrin had walked up and had been watching. He looked to Kirrin for some sign or opinion. Kirrin nodded his approval. Jedda glanced back between the two of them, each holding different opinions of the minor deception.

  Just then, a small crew of Faenyr headed past going towards the archery range. Zria looked up at them as they went by.

  Jedda smiled. “Go on. This was a good learning game and reflecting on it will be helpful.”

  Zria looked back, pausing for a moment. Then he nodded and became a child again, scrambling after the others.

  “The boy isn't sure if he approves of using deception,” Kirrin noted.

  “It is a matter of honor, it seems,” Jedda said, agreeing with Kirrin's assessment.

  “Honor is a good way to get killed.”

  Jedda nodded, sighing. He wished he knew where he stood in the argument between honor and survival. “How are you doing?” he asked as he collapsed the polarity field.

  “You mean about my mother?”

  “Yeah. Just wondering if you'd thought about going after her.”

  Kirrin shook his head. “No. Maybe later. She was pretty upset, and she'll take a while before she starts to be reasonable about the whole thing.”

  Jedda wanted to say he thought Tattia was pretty justified, and Kirrin might be the one who needed to see reason. But he just nodded. “Won't you lose track of her once she leaves Faenyr land?”

  Kirrin shrugged. “No. I have a pretty good idea where she is going. She said so. Going to find her grandson.”

  “So you know where he is?”

  “Of course I know where he is!”

  “Oh. Okay. Sorry. I didn't know if they would have stayed wherever they were.”

  “It isn't like I don't keep in touch, and keep tabs on them, you know.”

  Jedda blinked. He hadn't considered that. In the several years he had known Kirrin, he never considered Kirrin's life and the world outside of his own. He had been surprised, learning about Tattia, and now this. And all of Kirrin's past he had never guessed at.

  “Well, what if you wrote a letter? Maybe that would help to smooth out the bumps, beforehand?” Jedda didn't like the idea of family being mad at each other. He liked it less when both parties were his friends.

  “I’ll think about it, but this is a little beyond written apologies. I'm not sure I've ever seen her this upset. I'll need to find her in person. But I'll wait a little bit, at least. Once she has spent time with Marken, she will settle down. And maybe seeing her family again will also help her forget everything she had to leave behind. She used to talk about Bay Port and the Western Sea. I think she might miss it a little.”

  “So that's where she's from?”

  “From near there,” Kirrin said. “With cousins near West Birch.”

  They were just names on the map to Jedda, but he vaguely remembered the places from his geography lessons. Kirrin's knowledge of the western coast made more sense now. It must have come from Kirrin's interest in his own family and son.

  “So were you... married?”

  Kirrin laughed. Jedda's question must have caught him off guard. “What? Why would you think that?”

  Jedda shrugged. “It's just... well, I've never heard you talk about anyone else. Any girls, I mean. So I just thought maybe this other girl, whoever she was, maybe you had made some kind of promise...or just weren’t interested in anyone else…”

  “First of all, just because I haven't spoken about any girls, doesn't mean they don't exist.”

  Jedda blinked at that. He couldn't imagine Kirrin having an interest in girls.

  “Second,” he continued, interrupting Jedda's stretched imagination. “The life I've lived isn't exactly ideal for the happy cottage and children playing in the yard.”

  That fit better with his mental image of who Kirrin was. “But that's not to say there hasn't been anyone.”

  Back to the awkward image that made Jedda blush.

  “I'm not that old,” Kirrin snapped. “And I like sex!”

  “Sorry,” Jedda mumbled, wishing a hole would open up that he could crawl into.

  Chapter Twenty

  Jedda turned the chunk of wood in his hands and shifted his carving knife as he peeled slivers of wood away, one by one. The wood was almost black, and slowly turning into a statue of Jespen. Jedda liked sitting on his deck, watching the world go by.

  Kai came barreling up the hill on Kwidja. “Come!” he called, hopping down.

  “What’s wrong?" Jedda asked, then realized by the expression on Kai’s face that he was excited, not upset. “What’s going on?”

  “Heshet and Destryn are leaving for Treyu.”

  “What? When?” Jedda asked.

  “Now.”

  “Just like that, with no warning?”

  Kai shrugged as though Jedda had said something stupid. “Both adults. What, need to ask permissio
n?”

  “It just seems sudden.”

  “It will be fun to see Treyu," Kai said. "Destryn promised.”

  “You’re going with them?”

  “Of course. Did you still want to come with us, or has your mind been changed?”

  “What? No. Yes. Yes, to Treyu. No, mind has not changed,” Jedda said, shaking his head. “One minute.” He ducked into his cabin and shoved a handful of things, including the knife in his hands, into his pack.

  “Okay. Ready,” he said, coming back outside.

  Kai was already on Kwidja and reached a hand down to Jedda. “Come. Get Ashai and meet Destryn.”

  Jedda grabbed Kai’s hand and settled behind him on Kwidja.

  “Trellyn will be sad,” Kai said over his shoulder as they rode toward the north pastures.

  Jedda wasn’t sure what to say. He liked Trellyn, but wasn’t sure how Kai would feel about him having sex with his cousin. Would he be offended and protective? “Yes. Trellyn is very nice.” He tried to remain noncommittal.

  Kai laughed. “Trellyn many things. Nice, too.” He shifted in the saddle, looking over his shoulder at Jedda. “Trellyn make Jedda food for the gods…?”

  Jedda blushed, completely embarrassed. Then he worried that this was a problem. But Kai was laughing. “Umm. So it’s okay? You aren’t angry that… Well… you know… That we were together. Had sex…?”

  Kai threw back his head and laughed. “Whyever would that make angry?”

  “Well, if you thought someone was taking advantage of your cousin,” Jedda stopped, realizing Kai may not understand that. “If someone was mistreating her.”

  Kai looked confused.

  “So is it okay we had sex?”

  “Why would this not be okay? Trellyn chose.”

  Jedda was confused. “So. It’s okay so long as the girl agrees?”

  “Girl agrees? The girl chooses to have sex. Always.”

  Jedda wasn’t sure he was following. Was Kai talking about consent? Then he remembered that both times, Trellyn was the initiator, making the first, very forward, move.

  “Kai,” Jedda asked. “Do you mean girls decide about having sex?”

  “Of course,” he said. “How else would it be?”

  “Among the Chanem, men decide, or make the first move.”

  The two of them exchanged baffled looks.

  Jedda continued to be surprised by the Faenyr, at how many little things were completely opposite. He thought about this for several hours as they rode.

  That evening, when they stopped to camp, he asked Destryn about it. “Among the Faenyr, the girls decide about having sex?”

  Destryn smiled and nodded. “Yes. That is the way it is.”

  “Why is that, do you think?”

  Destryn sat back, took a drink from his flask and passed it to Jedda. “Among Chanem, a man can force a woman. Among Faenyr this is a most vile thing. No man would ever disrespect a woman that way. Men do not choose if it is okay to have sex. This teaches men respect, women to choose.”

  That made sense to Jedda. He often saw men teasing, cajoling and pressing women. Lines like, “gimme a kiss, baby” which only sounded like an invitation. And men grabbing at women, groping them in bars and back alleys. He had never seen that among the Faenyr, not even during drunken festivals. Now all the dancing and rivalry made sense. They were trying to get a girl’s attention. But she would be the one to decide, yes or no. He liked the concept even though he still wasn’t sure how he felt about a girl reaching into his pants like that.

  Two days later, they rode down into Chanem lands, over a low rise of foothills. Jedda could see wisps of smoke rising, chimneys and mills-- a city.

  Treyu felt more like a city to Jedda. Familiar smells filled the air even before they entered the main part of the city. But Treyu was much more like Jynwyn than Tatak Rhe. The voices of people and the clattering background noise was soothing to Jedda, even after many months of quiet.

  Even the buildings were a kind of hybrid, sitting on winding lanes that cut their way along a rolling landscape, until it opened up near the southern edge towards the river. The tail end of the mountains on the western side and the river created a kind of frame that contained Treyu.

  As soon as they reached the outskirts of Treyu, Destryn turned off onto a little side lane, stopping by a small barn with a paddock on the side. “We can leave horses here. Water trough over there, first.” He led his horse over to get a drink. The others followed. Then they removed saddles and gave the horses a rub down.

  “You come with?” Destryn asked Jedda. He was eager to go track down his girl, and Kai would go with him; that was the agreement he made before he was allowed to come along.

  Jedda shook his head. “No. I want to look around Treyu.”

  Destryn smiled and nodded. “It’s good place. To find us? See fountain, there?” He turned Jedda, nodding to the left. Jedda looked where Destryn indicated. Between the trees he saw the fountain. Even partially blocked, it caught his attention. It was a half dozen or so circular levels, like terraces, but staggered, slightly unevenly and yet somehow symmetrical. Water spouted above the top ‘terrace’, or tier, and splashed down each descending level. Around the base, a group of children splashed and played in a wading pool that caught the flowing water. Then he realized none of the children were moving. They were statues of children playing as though frozen in motion.

  “Fountain is easy to find. This is the north road, there. Just above, three roads branch off. The eastern road, across from the apple grove.”

  Jedda repeated the directions, making them clear in his head. “Fountain. North road, eastern road. Across from the apple grove.”

  Destryn nodded, smiling.

  Jedda headed off, convinced he had a better chance of remaining undiscovered if he was alone. It was a city, more or less, and he was good at finding his way around places. He knew he would hear about it later, but didn’t really care at this point. He felt close to gaining his objective and had tunnel vision.

  Jedda looked around Treyu, mesmerized. Tatak Rhe was a vast sprawling hill city made of stone, with stepped terraces, vast aqueducts, and dotted with green leafy parks. Treyu was nested into the foothills, compact, where wood and stone construction blended into the hills around it. He watched from a distance, careful not to draw attention to himself. Especially after all of his warnings, he felt paranoid now. But he had been right about blending in. Treyu had a high population of mixed-race people. From red-gold to pale silver-gold, but with the trademark skin tones of the Faenyr, specifically the Tajynal.

  He felt drawn to the place. He nodded to himself, satisfied, as he surveyed the city. Yes, he could see himself living here. It was quaint, charming, and inviting. It drew that from the Faenyr race, using space and working with it, rather than forcing architecture and buildings to go haphazardly as needed or desired. He wondered if Diya would like it here.

  Jedda enjoyed the solitary walk, following the lane that wandered down into the city, curving along the side of the hill before twisting back and heading into the central area of Treyu. Outside the city, he saw a Beddo encampment. Brightly colored wagons opened up, children scampering about.

  Down the road from the camp, was a little stucco building all in neutral colors, but elegant. Jedda paused, curious. It was very simple, but felt peaceful. A lot of planning had gone into the lines and landscape. He saw a few Beddo go inside. This must belong to them. Strange, he never thought of the Beddo as having any permanent structures. He didn’t know anything about Beddo beliefs. He walked closer, smelled incense. He realized it must be some kind of temple for them. He had never seen a Beddo temple in Tatak Rhe. It never occurred to him to wonder what anyone believed in-- what gods they prayed to, or why. Maybe he would have some time to visit it later, if it was allowed.

  He continued his walk down into the central area of the city. Below the curve, outside of a low walled area, Jedda spotted a building with a familiar style and symbols. He d
idn’t need to go inside to know this was an archive. It was smaller than the vast sprawling network of buildings in Tatak Rhe, but he imagined there might be different things to explore here. He could hear Diya’s squeal of enthusiasm if she were there. She would make him go immediately. But he was on a mission and, like the temple, the archives could wait.

  He made his way around, getting a feel for the place. But he watched from the shadows and did not engage with anyone. He scouted around to get a feel for the town. The wharf and harbor were bustling, timber and grain coming downriver. Just outside of the city-proper, were brick foundries and lumber mills. The land to the east opened up, farmland and crops growing there. But after a preliminary tour, Jedda turned his attention upward. He found a place where he had a clear view of the sky and the valley and watched.

  He spotted bright blue and yellow wings floating in the air. Not long after, green stripes and purple wings joined the blue. He watched them, entranced anew by the sight. Mostly, he was watching to find out where they were taking off from. Then he spotted white wings, towards the northwest. It looked like that was where they were launching. Jedda looked around, trying to fix landmarks in his mind. He still wasn’t used to using things like hills as his reference points. They all looked alike to him.

  He made his way northwest, outside of the city where low hills looked out over the plains. Several times he considered just asking someone. But each time he took a breath and reminded himself to be patient.

  After a while, his patience paid off. He spotted a rugged looking pony pulling a cart, heading north. The sight of the unmistakable metal and silk bundled up in the back set his heart to racing. He strolled along, following, acting as though he had been headed in the same direction and was just accidentally catching up to the fellow.

  “Nice day for flying?” he asked, glancing back at the gear.

  The man looked up at the sky. “Should be. Some cross winds lately, but nothing dangerous.”

  Jedda nodded, knowing nothing about cross winds.