by R. M Garino
And so you trust me?
Yes. I trust you. I trust both of you.
Why both of us?
It's a long story.
“Is this one of the ‘stories’ you promised me?” Arielle said aloud.
“I might keep this one for a later time,” Shane said. He took a deep draught of his drink to keep from saying more.
“You promised,” Arielle reminded him.
“Stories?” Vance said. “Begin! The historians are taking their sweet time tonight. I’m getting bored.”
“That’s not good,” Ethan said. “Things are gonna start breaking soon.”
“These wouldn’t interest you,” Shane said with a wave.
“Sitting here listening to you all whine doesn’t interest me much, either,” Vance said, slamming his mug down on the table. “Begin!”
“But it's a story about Magi,” Shane said. “Frightfully dull.”
“Frightfully dull is listening to this lot brag,” Misha said, giving Shane a coy smile. “Especially when I’ve heard all of their lies before. I like stories about Magi. I’m rotating to replace your section year after next, so it will give me some idea as to what to expect.”
“See,” Arielle said, “you’d be doing your Pride a disservice by not telling.”
Shane appraised the table, gauging his prospects of leaving the story untold. He must not have liked his chances, because he took another drink.
“It was two winters ago, just as I was beginning my tour at Reven Marthal,” he said. The Pride moved closer to hear him better above the din of the mess hall. Arielle slid closer to her brother on her bench. “The rules are different there, nowhere near as strict as at the Areth’kon. Everyone comes and goes as they like, and they were not at all pleased when I suggested placing manned checkpoints at some of the more sensitive areas. Officially, I’m posted there to assist with any breaches that occur. We’re a quick response group,” he said for Arielle’s benefit. “We can be on site of a breach within five minutes.”
“Within the Patresilen?” Arielle said. As she took in the more seasoned visages, she regretted her question.
“They happen,” Vance said. “More often than anyone would like to admit. There’s no rhyme nor reason to them. Some seasons we have many, and others we’ve none. But they do happen.”
“It’s kept from younglings and cadets,” Misha said. “Knowing that a portal to the Sur could open at any time, in any place can be bad for a scrub’s morale. They start jumping at shadows. Half a tour and you’ll get the full briefing, as we pull from the Gates to assist.”
“Should we be telling her all this?” Ethan said. “She’s still a greenie, and never rode a caster.”
Shane waved away the question. “She’s almost mid-tour,” he said. “Besides, she should know about it.”
“I agree,” Misha said, first to Shane, and then including Ethan. “It won’t hurt to have advance warning.”
“Overruled it is,” Ethan said and settled back.
“Anyway,” Shane said, speaking to Arielle, but flicking his eyes to Misha from time to time, “that’s our main function: to seal a breach. Normally, the Matriarch leads the operation, and we assist. Other times, there’s more than one, so one of us will lead. We have never failed to seal one, which is why we don’t have the nasties running unchecked about the Patresilen like the humans do outside the Gates. Typically, they tend to happen by the outlying borders. The problem is that no one believed a serious incursion could occur in or around Reven Marthal. That type of thinking is dangerous. It leads to complacency.”
“Fools!” Misha snorted to show what she thought of that. “Just because a thing has never happened, they believe it never will.”
“Exactly,” Shane said. “Try arguing that point with the council, or the Matriarch and you’re shown the door right quick.”
“Well,” Vance said, his voice full of righteous hindsight, “that was one lesson they seem to have learned.”
“They have,” Shane said. “They instituted the checkpoints, and fashioned a true command center in the perch above the parade court, with a failsafe hub in the inner sanctum. All of my original suggestions. But, far be it from them to tell me I was right.”
Arielle was confused, and her brother sensed it. He whispered to her.
“This is all confidential,” he said. “I’ll get in a lot of trouble if you even hint that you know this story.”
Arielle nodded her understanding.
“Reven Marthal was breached,” he said. “Several places at once. And it was bad. As bad as I’ve seen.”
“I remember the mobilization,” Arielle said. “We all thought it was a drill.”
“You were supposed to think that,” Shane said. “Our capital being violated sent everyone into a panic, but we controlled it as best we could. If it was the return of the Apostate, we would have called everyone to arms, even the younglings and cadets. Thankfully that wasn’t the case. We sealed it, but it took us two full days of fighting throughout the city to do so.
“At one point, I was commanding a force that was cleaning out the archives. They’re right next to the corridor reserved for the Matriarch’s family. The royals need ready access to information, so the areas are contiguous. We were actually fighting among the stacks, and the nasties were dropping on us from all over. We had to pull back to regroup, there were just so many of them. The problem was, they were square between us and the royals’ corridor, and there was evidence of a moving fight going straight through to the apartments. We were actually considering setting fire to the stacks to stop them getting through. The Magi were having apoplectic fits over the mere suggestion, and we had to find another way in. So we used small teams to quarter the room, one Mala’kar, one Magi, and three Elc’atar, and we leapfrogged our way through the stacks.”
Shane paused to take a drink from his mug, and wiped his mouth.
“We’re moving well, when we get word from the Matriarch herself that the Heir Apparent, her granddaughter, is still barricaded inside. We quickly came upon the contingent placed at the entrance to the suites. They were pulled to pieces. By the time we enter the royal corridor, the Matriarch appears right there in the center of the chaos. She starts about her in fury, hurling her magics everywhere. The Great Tree, Occanum, itself is aiding her, as branches and vines came ripping up through the floors to cut down the enemy. Shrulks were dropping left and right. I tell you, you would never know the old woman was blind the way she moved. Problem was, we kept finding guards strewn about the floors. We left three teams to mop up any stragglers, and we proceeded into the suites themselves. By this point, the Matriarch is beside herself, because the rooms are a wreck. There was blood everywhere, and we couldn’t even begin to guess how many bodies there were.
“Finally, we get to the long hallway that leads to the Inner Sanctum. At the end of the corridor, in front of the door, we find a lone defender, a Magi apprentice in his blue robes. He’s covered in blood, trying to hold against the horde. He’s flailing about him with a belt knife, his fists, and his magics, and there’s a pile of dead shrulks lining the entire length of the hall. He’s a bloody wreck himself, and can barely stand. But here’s the thing, though: he wouldn’t surrender. The son of a bitch is determined to go down swinging.”
The Elc’atar at the table, rapped their tankards on the table, signaling their approval.
“Well, with the Matriarch on scene, she rips through the press, and then bats the poor bastard aside for his troubles. The Heir Apparent is huddled in a corner, trying to staunch the bleeding from a wound in her arm. Suddenly, the Matriarch is transformed. I have never seen someone so tender and loving as she was at that moment.”
Shane paused to take another drink, and settled back in his seat.
“That’s it?” Vance said. “What happened next?”
“We continued mopping up,” Shane said. “The Heir Apparent was safe, and we moved on to the next target.”
The discussio
n that followed chased the various tactics used, how things could have been done differently, and what protocols should be introduced against a future occurrence. Arielle sat back, disturbed by the recital. Shane touched her shoulder.
It was Angus, wasn’t it? He was the apprentice?
Yes, he was Shane sent. She could hear the sympathy that underscored his mental voice. Do you see why I trust him?
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
Long Version
or Short
Arielle excused herself from her brother’s table when she saw her father re-enter the mess hall alone. She’d lost the thread of conversation after Shane’s tale, so she was not disappointed to take her leave. She paused long enough to embrace her brother and bid farewell to his friends, especially Misha, who insisted on giving her a hug. The historians were concluding their arrangements on the small stage erected for them against the hearth wall, but even the prospect of more stories could not keep her. She hurried into the hallway, eager to hear the outcome of the impromptu meeting.
Shane’s story had put a great many things in perspective. Her new insight troubled her, but offered a sense of comfort in the form of a deeper understanding. In all their conversations these past two weeks, Angus had avoided explaining his reasoning for returning to the Areth’kon. And he’d dodged her attempts to discuss his family. But not his sister. He was more than happy to talk about Melinah, and Arielle had a good sense of her already. But when his parents or grandparents were mentioned, he changed the subject with subtle ease. He offered no opinion on his grandmother whatsoever. After hearing about the woman’s gross disregard for him, she understood. A sadness lurked behind his mischievous grin, and she now had an inkling of its cause. Armed with Shane’s story, she might be able to pry the rest from him.
She found him at the gallery of windows that decorated the main hallway, staring out at the flurries. The soft reflected light from the snow transformed the surrounding rock to silver. She approached, and enfolded her arms around him.
He twisted to face her.
“Your father is very direct,” he said, “and at the same time so cryptic as to make me want to scream.”
Arielle laughed and moved away enough to see his face. “Well put. Welcome to my world. What did he have to say?”
“A lot of what I expected. Threats and chest beating to start. I’m being held personally responsible for your success and failure, by the way, so no more slacking off.”
“Me? Slack off?” she said. “That’s your job, not mine.”
“That’s what I tried to tell him.”
“So why are you upset?”
Angus’ sin’del showed he was subdued and cautious. She gave him time to collect his words.
“He said he would have preferred Logan, but he made a promise not to interfere.”
“Made a promise to whom?” Arielle said. “He never made that promise to me. And it doesn’t matter whom he prefers. It’s my choice that matters.”
“That’s what I wanted to tell him, but I kept my mouth shut and played nice.”
“That was a wise move. He can be difficult at times.”
“He also wanted to know why I returned.”
“What did you tell him?”
“The truth. I think he understands. At least he said he did.”
“How much of that reason has to do with your grandmother?” she said.
Angus pulled away from her, surprised by the question. “What makes you ask that?”
“Shane told me about the breach at Reven Marthal.” She could feel him drawing inward, pulling further away from her without moving. She placed a light touch on his chest.
“I’m not trying to pry,” she said. “I’m trying to understand, and I’m trying to help. Your family will be here in the morning, and I’d like to know what I have to face.”
He seemed to accept her explanation, and seated himself back onto the windowsill. He patted the spot next to him. Arielle curled up and waited for him to begin.
“Long story, or short?” he said.
“This is Conclave,” she said. “It’s the time for stories. I’ll go with the long version.”
He gave a shrug of acquiescence, studying the mosaics half hidden by shadow.
“Thenaria is as great as the stories say she is,” he said. “She’s just not very nice, at least not to me.”
“How do you mean?”
Angus frowned and gave the floor a tremendous amount of attention, as if he could find the words he sought inscribed there.
“I mean she’s cold, she’s unforgiving.” He shrugged, as if dismissing his attempt to put his thoughts into words.
“Was it something you did?”
Angus returned his gaze to the mosaics.
“No. She just never liked me,” he said. “That’s not quite right. Dislike is too simple a term. She’s always had… an aversion to me.”
“I don’t understand.”
A rueful smile formed, and he spared a sideways glance in her direction. “In every memory I have she looks past me, as if I am not there. Did your brother ever pretend that you were invisible?”
The memory brought an embarrassed chuckle.
“Shane didn’t,” she said. “But I did that to Helena. It drove her crazy.”
“That was Thenaria, all the time, and it wasn’t a game. She does not talk to me, or even at me. She speaks to those around me, as if I am not there. That’s just the way it is, the way she’s always been.”
“Maybe she just doesn’t like children,” Arielle said.
“I thought so too. Maybe it was just how she was.” Angus pushed himself off the window sill. “Turns out she likes children just fine. It’s me she doesn't like. She adores my little sister.”
“Melinah?”
The mention of his sister’s name drove the pain from his smile. “Melinah’s her guide now. The shrew is blind, so she walks around attached to Melinah’s shoulder as if she’s using her eyes instead. They are constantly together, and she tries to teach her everything she knows.”
“It’s surprising you get along with your sister so well, then.”
“Melinah’s a dear,” Angus said. “She attends to her gladly. I am the only thorn in their relationship. Little sister doesn’t like it much when Grandmother treats me unkindly. That doesn’t stop her though.”
“But you tried to protect Melinah.”
“Of course I did,” he said. “She’s my sister. Wait until you meet her tomorrow. You’ll understand what I mean about her being a sweetheart. She’ll have you wrapped around her finger in all of five minutes. That was what made me decide to leave and come here, though.”
“The way your grandmother reacted when she got to the doors?”
“That? No,” he said with a grimace. “I was used to that. She was trying to get to Melinah, and I was in her way.”
“You make it sound so normal.”
“It is.” The comment rent her heart. “What bothered me was that I all but failed. I would’ve died had they not shown up when they did. Melinah would’ve followed me soon after. She’s not a fighter.”
“But she’s been trained by the Matriarch.”
“Yeah, but for all her knowledge, she wouldn’t have lifted a finger to defend herself. That’s not who she is.”
“You wanted to learn how to fight.”
“I’d reached my end when they arrived. I was done. I held the shrulks off for a while, but I didn’t have much left. So, afterward, I decided that if I was going to protect her, I’d have to learn how to do it right.”
“How could Thenaria have been so callous?” Arielle said. “You’re her grandson, and she just pushed you out of the way.”
“As I said, she dotes on Melinah. She cares nothing for me.”
“That’s awful.”
“It’s not that bad,” Angus said, taking her hand as he shifted to face her. “It’s not as if everyone treats me like that. My grandfather more than makes up for her disregard. He
’s fantastic! I can’t wait for you to meet him.”
Arielle was silent as Angus stared off into the distance.
“He’s the only one who’ll stand up to Grandmother,” Angus said at length. “The fights they’ve had over her treatment of me are legendary. Well, they would be if the personal life of the Matriarch wasn’t considered sacrosanct. He’s a Magi, and the funniest person I’ve ever known. His humor is mostly wasted on her, but I hear he can make her smile from time to time.”
“I’m surprised your parents allow her to continue acting like that.”
“No one allows or disallows Thenaria Tu’renthien anything. She does as she damned well pleases. My parents have had it out with her on a number of occasions, even threatening to remove Melinah and me back to the Areth’kon if she didn’t stop.”
“Did it work?”
“Never. From what I hear, my father was actually banished from Reven Marthal for a number of years for yelling at her. That was why we lived at the Vaults for a time. Something made her change her mind and call us back, but no one will tell me what it was.”
“It had to be difficult growing up like that,” Arielle said, encouraging him to continue.
“No more difficult than growing up in the Areth’kon as the descendant of the great Sui Rhen’val, I’d wager.”
“That’s not the same thing,” Arielle said. “Sui Rhen’val has been dead for millennia. He’s a legend, but not a physical presence.”
“But that’s quite the legend to live up to,” Angus said. “I’ve had it easy in that regard. Grandmother has never expected me to amount to anything. By breathing I’m ahead of the game. You, however, have to make sure you don’t do anything to disgrace the legend.”
“True,” she said. “I guess it's a good thing I never disappoint.”
“Never?”
Arielle blushed, and gave him a small shove with her shoulder. “Well, I haven’t disappointed anyone for a very long time,” she said. “I know what’s expected of me, and I make sure it gets done. It’s not that hard, really. You should try it sometime.”