Crucible

by Mercedes Lackey

  But they still had to persuade the Clans to trust them.

  • • •

  Keth’ and Jeris waited patiently as the shaman Theran shena Liha’irden led several older Shin’a’in toward the Embassy. This meeting would, hopefully, allow the Embassy to start functioning in its official role soon. Keth’ invited the party into the sparsely furnished public room.

  “Keth’re’son shena Tale’sedrin, Herald Jeris,” Theran introduced them to his companions. “Please be known to Lasara shena Liha’irden, Eliden shena For’a’hier’sedrin, Jelenel shena For’a’hier’sedrin, and D’minth shena Pretera’sedrin. They wish to know more of your idea of an embassy for Valdemar.”

  Jeris tilted his head. “May I ask what role they might have in bringing it about?”

  D’minth, who also wore a shaman’s headdress, spoke in accented but clear Valdemaran. “I have long counseled our brethren to be open with k’Valdemar. While we have offered assistance previously, I believe a more official friendship would benefit both. Our companions have previously professed to being like-minded.”

  Eliden, sharp-faced and tall, settled down on one of the seats, and the others followed suit. Jeris remained standing. “If you are indeed like-minded,” the Herald began, “then please let it be known that I speak on behalf of the Queen of Valdemar as her envoy. I have limited ability to make permanent agreements, but I can certainly discuss the issues. Keth’ has graciously offered to act as translator as necessary.” Keth’ was reminded that, unlike himself, Jeris had completed the full Herald training.

  D’minth asked, “What purpose does the Queen have in the plains of Dhorisha?”

  “She seeks to increase trading opportunities, secure trade routes to decrease the sort of ambush attacks Keth’re’son experienced during his travels to Haven, and assist our Shin’a’in cousins, as you assisted us before,” Jeris replied. “She has spoken at length with people of the plains who have journeyed and stayed in Valdemar.”

  Eliden snorted. “Pretty words and ideas. But Theran spoke of this youngling teaching magic to the children of the plains. The rest of this is subterfuge.” The man rose as if to leave.

  Keth’ shook his head. “No, Elder. While it’s my desire to help other Shin’a’in learn control of their magic, Jeris’ mission here is distinct from mine. With his Queen’s leave, he and his Companion may assist me in my endeavor, and I in his, but that is all.”

  “There is no need or reason to teach magic to a Shin’a’in. The shaman and Hawkbrothers will do as they have always done, and either seal our cursed or take them away.” He sneered at Keth’. “For the particularly troublesome, perhaps we can count on these ‘Companions’ to take them away. As long as they stay in k’Valdemar.”

  Theran gave Eliden a dark look. “Those with magic are not cursed, as I have said before, Eliden. Furthermore, you know as well as I do that the Star-Eyed has not been sealing the magic away as She once did. There are too many children born with the touch since the Storms ended for us to simply send them away.”

  Rather than reply, the Elder stalked out of the Embassy.

  Into the awkward silence that followed, Jelenel harrumphed. “He would rather the Clans be stripped and barren than admit the world has changed.”

  “I thought he agreed with the idea of an embassy?” Jeris asked.

  “Several of his families could profit with more open trade routes between Valdemar and the Plains,” Theran replied. “But he may not be willing to let go of his objection to magic.”

  Keth’ had known it would be a tough task. But he hadn’t realized his people were that resistant to change, that fearful of what were really mostly harmless thoughts and ideas.

  • • •

  The next day, Keth’ stayed under the awning and watched Nerea negotiate a tough deal with a trader. This one had the colorful cloth of the People, in long, woven bolts.

  “I can’t set an exact price,” she said. “But I can say that our patterns, and that color in particular, are very popular in Valdemar. As there won’t be much, the early shipments should command a high price.”

  She spoke to the man at length about the styles in Valdemar, running inside to bring out two of the dresses she’d worn. At length, he was persuaded. Next was a silversmith.

  Keth’ wondered if word had filtered through about the desire to teach magic to the merchants. Some faces were new, but others who had been regulars had not shown yet. He wondered, and he worried. He would speak to Nerea later. Perhaps he was overreacting, but Yssanda had been strangely silent on the topic when he mentioned it to her.

  • • •

  Keth’ and Jeris were walking back from one of the merchants Nerea had requested they check with. It gave them an opportunity to look for potential students, as well as keep a sense of the town’s mood toward them. As people, at least, they seemed to be accepted or at least tolerated, for as long as the topic of magic was not breached.

  Then they entered an alley, and were suddenly blocked by a group of men. Keth’ felt a frisson of the same fear he’d had in the wilds when the brigands attacked. This time, he had no warning, as he’d been deliberately not listening, as the Heralds had taught him. He was unprepared.

  Jeris stepped forward to speak, probably something placating and soothing, and they were both grabbed from behind. How did they get us so off-guard, off-balance? Jeris and Keth’ both reacted, and Jeris managed to partially free himself from the men holding him.

  Until one of the attackers brought something down on the back of his head, and the Herald slumped to the ground.

  :JERIS!: Keth’ reached for his friend with mind and voice both, struggling against those holding him, all of his training forgotten. The Herald was out cold, with only the faintest sensation of thought still there. :Halath? Can you hear him?:

  :He’s alive,: The Companion said, even as he thundered to his Chosen’s side. The Shin’a’in attacking them dove out of the way of the charging Companion. Halath looked dangerous, nostrils flared and teeth bared. Yssanda arrived, with Nerea on her back. Nerea slid down, reaching for Jeris.

  “I’ve got him,” she said. She glanced at the Shin’a’in, who were gathering back up their courage to face the Companions. “Deal with them.”

  Keth’s eyes narrowed with the reminder. With the Companions to guard his back and Jeris and Nerea, he strode toward the gathering. “This is how you treat friendly travelers and visitors? An envoy of Valdemar, our ally?”

  “You want to bring magic here. To teach the young things they shouldn’t know. To risk the Shin’a’in,” one of the older men snarled. Keth’ vaguely recognized him and narrowed his attention to hear his surface thoughts. A flickering image of Semar, protesting he wanted to stay with his family, he didn’t want to go to the shaman, he didn’t want to lose his magic. “See, father? I can bring water to the horses. I can keep the ill warm. That’s all.” An older image, from the vantage point of a child, looking up at a man obviously related to both. “I want to stay with you, father. Please don’t send me to the shaman. Seal the magic away! Just don’t send me away!” Ah.

  “Your son has a great Gift,” Keth’ said, struggling to keep his words calm and even. “He needs training, as I needed training. But the shaman are not always the best place for Gifts like his. Sending him away, when he needs you as much as he needs his magic, is a cruel thing to suggest.”

  The man stiffened and stepped forward, body tensed to attack. :No.: Keth’ told him. :It is you who risks the Shin’a’in, not us. You and those like you, who would chase all of our Gifted away. The world has changed, and if we are to survive, we must change with it.:

  That may have not been the wisest move on his part, for the man lunged at him. Keth’ halted his progress with a touch of true magic. :Sleep,: he commanded, word laced with suggestion, and the man staggered to the ground, snoring before he sprawled.

 
The others stirred angrily. Keth’ looked at them. “He is unharmed. I simply commanded him to sleep.” He paused. “The first time I was ambushed in the wilds, by brigands—” there, that got their attention, “—it was by a group similar to you. I knocked them all out, and injured two of them. They will never be able to tend to their families again, and must be cared for as infants the rest of their lives.” There was a collective flinch. “I was left unconscious and bleeding. The girl I was hired to escort had to tend to me.”

  “For the safety of the clans, those with Gifts must be trained.” He nudged Semar’s father with his foot. “Take him home, and think. You know where you can find us, if there are questions.”

  The crowd looked at each other uneasily. After a short moment, two stepped forward and lifted Semar’s father up to carry him away, and the others dispersed.

  Keth’ returned to Nerea and Jeris. “How is he?”

  “It’s a nasty lump,” Nerea shook her head. “But he should be fine with some rest.” Halath agreed.

  Looking glazed and queasy, Jeris tried to rise, but turned and vomited instead. He stayed on hands and knees, breathing slowly to recover his strength and balance.

  “Let’s get him home,” Keth’ said, lifting the Herald up. Nerea assisted on the other side, while Halath danced anxiously nearby.

  • • •

  Keth’ didn’t need any magic to sense Yssanda’s disapproval. He waited until he was sure Jeris’ condition was stable before heading back down to talk to her directly. If she was to scold him as a child, he should be there in person.

  Nerea stayed with Jeris for the moment. Between her hands-on monitoring and Halath’s mental, he should be safe for the moment. Sleep might be all he needed.

  Yssanda snorted as he came into the open area the Companions used as their own within the stables. :You know that was a poor choice of actions,: she reproved him. :You possibly have made things worse. Beyond the ethics of using your magic in that fashion.:

  Keth’ shrugged. “I was concerned for Jeris and trying to keep things from escalating. Had you and Halath not arrived when you did, I have no idea what would have happened. We were ambushed, and I didn’t . . . don’t . . . want to hurt anyone.” Now that the heat had leeched out of his system, he desperately wanted the comfort of leaning against her. He stayed on his own feet.

  :And you know that’s the only reason I waited until now to say something,: Yssanda said. :Your heart is in the right place. However, you must recognize that you cannot simply order the universe into your way of thinking. That is why the Heralds and Valdemar don’t believe in “One True Way.” You do. And you have never let go of that determination that your way is the true way. Silly Shin’a’in.:

  She sighed, a massive sound in the quiet of the stable, and stepped closer, resting her nose on his chest. His hands automatically moved to rub the velvety skin. :I believe in you, or I never would have Chosen you. But you cannot be solely Shin’a’in anymore. This incident, if nothing else, should have driven that home to you. Until your people embrace the existence of magic outside their knowledge, you are not, to them, truly Shin’a’in. You cannot let your guard down simply because you are ‘home.’ Halath will remind Jeris that he’s not among friends, as well. Well, once he’s awake again.:

  “Does Halath believe Jeris will recover without incident?” Keth’ asked.

  :He believes so,: Yssanda said. :He says Jeris seems to be sleeping naturally at this point. He wishes you to refrain from Mindspeaking to him, though, as that might wake or disorient him further.:

  “You will . . . remind me, to be more patient, less determined to be right?” Keth’ asked.

  :Of course,: Yssanda said. :That’s part of my task here.: For once, he felt reassured at the reminder that there were other, wiser heads than his own, who would call him to account. Being attacked by his own people had shaken him more than he realized.

  • • •

  The next morning, Semar arrived, accompanied by his father, as did two others.

  “You can teach him to control his outbursts?” the father asked, hinting that there’d already been some events. What had changed, that these powers were manifesting again now? Or had they always been there and just ignored and waved away?

  “We likely can,” Keth’ said. “First we have to find out what exactly he can do.” :Jeris? Semar is back. Listen?: The Herald kept to his bed today, still dizzy if he moved too much or too fast. His mind was sound, though.

  :I’m here,: Jeris responded, and Keth’ felt the slight touch of a listening link.

  The second boy looked nervous, but proud. He was about thirteen, edging into adulthood for Shin’a’in. The third was a girl, verging on womanhood. :These two are older than I expected.: Keth’ told Yssanda. Truth be told, the older boy was not much younger than himself.

  :You were not the only possibility for the task itself,: Yssanda said on a deeper channel than Jeris would hear. :Just the one I Chose.:

  Semar’s father nodded brusquely. “I will leave him and his cousins in your hands for now. They know the way back to our encampment.” The man stalked off, his glower scattering some of those on the street.

  Keth’ looked down at Semar. “I had expected you back sooner than this,” he said softly.

  The boy swallowed nervously and glanced at his cousins. “We were prevented. An Elder talked to Father, and Father forbade me to return here to learn what he called ‘tricks.’”

  :Eliden,: Yssanda said, overlaid by Jeris saying the same.

  :Agreed,: Keth’ replied. :What are we to do?:

  :Teach them,: said Yssanda. :Just as you wanted to. We’ll help.:

  Keth’ waved them into the embassy, taking them to one of the smaller side rooms. Nerea watched them carefully while chattering in Shin’a’in with a potential merchant.

  “No, there was just a misunderstanding yesterday. It was resolved peacefully,” he heard her say.

  “Your bonded used magic to end it,” the trader said with a touch of accusation.

  “Less than a shaman could have used,” she shrugged, “and with far less damage than the unprovoked attack on a Herald of Valdemar, an envoy of the Queen, could cause.”

  The trader flinched, with a sidelong glance toward where Keth’ was closing the door. It seemed the trader found other topics to discuss, as Yssanda did not relay any concerns from Nerea while Keth’ spoke with the children.

  “Thank you for trusting me,” he said in opening. “Neither true magic nor Mind-magic are something to be afraid of, but like fire or a knife, you have to learn how to use them safely.”

  The older boy, Stileth, asked, “So we can use it once we learn how?”

  “You already can use it, but you cannot control it,” Keth’ said. “Until you learn to control it, it can be dangerous.”

  Tialek, the girl, asked, “What happens if you do use it without control?”

  “You become a risk to yourself and all others around you. You may permanently mind-lame someone when distressed, as I did.”

  All three children stiffened, glancing at each other. He continued. “Once you learn control, you then must learn when to use it. That is why I returned, against tradition for a Chosen. So others would not need to leave to learn these skills.”

  The older two glanced at Semar. Obviously he’d relayed that part of the previous conversation. “Now.” Keth’ straightened slightly, drawing their attention back, “In order to gain control of your magic, you must learn focus. Clearing your mind and focusing on the task at hand will allow you to stay calm in uncertain situations, and maintain control of your Gifts.” Even as he relayed the concepts drilled into him by his own instructors, he felt a twinge of guilt. Hadn’t he lost that focus just the day before?

  :We all stumble, from time to time, even with four feet under us,: Yssanda said.

  Keth’ relaxed a b
it at that, and proceeded to work with the children until they were comfortable with the necessary starting exercises. Yssanda assisted, particularly with Tialek, whenever Keth’ faltered. Once both of them felt assured the children were performing the exercises properly, Keth’ sent them home, to return in a few days.

  • • •

  Late that afternoon, Theran arrived, with Jelenel and D’minth in tow. “There was a street brawl?”

  “Jeris and I were surrounded by a group of men, only a short distance from here. They attempted to restrain us. Jeris broke mostly free, and was hit in the head. He went down. Had our Companions not come to our aid, I am not sure what the result would have been,” Keth’ said, calmly as he could.

  “Eliden reported that you were the antagonist, and that you used magic to end it,” Jelenel’s voice was colder than it had been.

  “I did use magic to keep the attackers at bay, and Mind-magic on one I believed to be Semar’s father. I put him into a deep sleep with magic. I did not wish to cause any injuries. That is all.”

  :Indeed,: Keth’ heard Yssanda say, :he was not the antagonist, nor did he defend himself and Jeris unreasonably.:

  Theran started. “Who was that?” Jelenel and D’minth looked at him askance.

  :Yssanda, Keth’s Companion.:

  “May we meet her directly?” Theran asked. “Returning with the story of your Companion will go a long way toward soothing the concerns that have been expressed.”

  “Of course,” Keth’ answered.

  Yssanda also replied, :I would be honored.:

  :As would I,: Halath added.

  The shamans followed Keth’ to the paddock where the Companions currently held court. There was a perceptible relaxation in their stances to see the two pairs of blue eyes in stark white faces watching them approach. Halath whickered, stretching his nose out to Jelenel, who rubbed it absently.

  “All I have given the children was mental clearing exercises, earlier today,” Keth’ said. “They need to learn control.”