by Jenn Nixon
“The youngest ever to pass level two, a feat to be proud of, for I know the test is not easy.” He paused for a moment, then: “If I may be so bold, I should like to spar with you if you have time during your stay.”
“It would be an honor.”
“No, the honor would be all mine.” He saluted her and vanished into another hall.
Many had seen only the aftermath at the Festival, but the story carried around the palace and Degort for a while, much longer than she would have liked. She didn’t understand the reactions of people sometimes. She only did her duty, and yet everyone praised her just as Defor had. As she rose to meet Dal, she wondered what other news had passed through the provinces. Perhaps she would ask.
Dal was sitting in the hover when Tiva approached. She motioned toward the passenger side, and Tiva slipped in. Dal did not lie; the hover had seen too many cycles. The console was cracked and half lit. The buttons, knobs, and other controls were all faded and rusted. Dal chuckled.
“I told you it needed a bit of time.”
“Why has the king not supplied you with better means of transport?”
“Oh, this is just for show. We have a newer hover for travel, this is for the mission.”
“I see.” Tiva sat back and strapped herself in. Her thoughts turned elsewhere. She glanced around searching for her father. Where was he? It was unlike him not to see her depart. Had the palace called for his return? She sank back against the seat, as Dal took off into the alleyway. The metal under her feet rumbled and her body shook as the craft noisily bumped and buckled its way over the road.
Ignoring the vibrations as best she could, Tiva cleared her mind. The mission was beginning and she needed to focus. Before dwelling on any one thought, the hover slowed and she noticed the town square of Buali. The buildings of beautiful stone and glass were not quite as large as Degort, but the colors were more varied and breathtaking. All the colors of the sky filled the promenade and quadrangle. A smile crossed her lips—she could enjoy this place.
Dal turned the hover into a docking deck, and steadied the shaking beast. Tiva turned and her smile faded. She was on a mission, not a trip or holiday. Dal motioned to a small playing field opposite the Embassy house. She read about it as a spot of importance for recruiting in the journal. Tiva thanked her and slipped out of the vehicle.
“I will be back when the first sun has set,” Dal said before she closed the door. Then the hover backed up and sped away.
This was the moment. She was alone to do her mission. She reached for her side, expecting her sword to be there. A sigh escaped her lips as she lifted her head and began to take in the sights while walking into the center of the square.
The people looked much like those of her own province and the capital. Many acknowledged her or nodded as she passed, she returned each gesture while observing everything she could.
Taking in the sights like a true visitor, Tiva spent hours learning the layout of the square. She memorized the healing house’s location, several eateries, sweet shops, and trade shops as well. She held short conversations with a few shopkeepers, and continued her scour of the area.
Midday, she returned to the center of the town square, the last unexplored spot save the playing field. A large statue guarded the hub. The first Province Keeper of Hentor, Khara Hentor a retired legionnaire, established the land after the first Abennelpian war. She read the inscription in the carved stone:
Here stands Hentor, keeper of the flame.
Through tears of pain,
And victories of joy,
Hentor the Honorable
Keeps the flame of Abennelp
Upon his shield.
“It is a worthy saying,” a deep voice proclaimed.
“Indeed,” Tiva agreed, titling her head up to take in the whole monument. “It is a fine tribute in both appearance and words.”
“Some people pass by without a fleeting thought. They forget how much has been sacrificed for the land.”
This caught her attention; she turned and met the eyes of a dark-haired boy who seemed no older than she. Her father’s thoughts filled her head, and she bit back the first words about his age, as they formed.
“Sacrifice is not something to be taken lightly,” she said. “Though I take notice perhaps because I am visiting, and the people of this land are accustomed to its presence.”
“Yet the tribute remains regardless of who takes notice…” He smiled. “I am Solun Turi.”
“Tiva Vren.”
“Named after the Spirit Shial’s mother?”
“Yes.”
He gently took her hand in his and kissed the underside of her wrist. “It is a joyous meeting, Tiva.” A smiled twisted his lips as he looked to her markings.
She felt them changing.
“I did not mean to embarrass you. I have not seen you in the square before; I would remember such wondrous eyes.”
“You flatter me.”
“And rightly deserved.”
Tiva slipped her hand from his grasp and twisted a braid. She could play coy and flirtatious, regardless of the fact that she felt slightly elated at the attention.
Slowly she moved past him, holding his gaze, but saying nothing. She thought of Tespor and wondered what he would say if he knew she held the attention of another. She was not interested in Solun, nor Tespor…but maybe the other. Knowing she had goals she wished to achieve, Tiva would allow nothing to interfere, even him, at least not yet. Besides, she was still too young to gain his favor.
Meandering around the statue, Tiva approached a selling cart and pretended to be interested in the wares. Solun followed, but kept a sizable distance from her. His feelings toward her changed moment to moment. Though she shielded herself from him, his emotions were varied and unguarded.
When she approached a second selling cart, a beautiful purple moon attached to a silver chain swung hypnotically in the air. She fingered the trinket, but left it where it hung.
“Its beauty is nothing compared to you,” Solun said in her ear and gently urged her away from the cart. His flattery was not purely romantic in nature, something else lingered. “The shops hold rarer, more marvelous items you would fancy.”
“Perhaps I will see what they have later. I am just looking and enjoying the fresh air.”
“You have no plans for the day?”
The playing field erupted with cheering, laughter, and congratulatory shouting. Tiva changed directions, but kept her pace slow as she moved closer, attempting to remain random. “I am here to see the sights today and decide where I will spend my time whilst I am here.”
“But you have no guide.”
“I enjoy exploring the unknown, be it a forest, field, or town square,” she said and continued admiring the buildings. Then she paused and glanced at the field. “However, the company of someone familiar with the setting is always helpful.”
Solun grinned. “I will allow you to explore as you see fit, lovely Tiva, only if you promise to meet me tomorrow.”
“I would like that very much.”
“As would I.” He reached for her hand and kissed it again. “Until the morrow.” Solun headed directly for the playing field, and a group of friends immediately greeted him. Unwilling to succumb to the pulling thoughts in her head, she forced herself to turn away. Patience. She had always struggled with it as a child, but she learned the hard lesson. She would not fail. She’d complete the mission.
Tiva moved away from the field and weaved her way among the people of Buali. Never staying in one place long, she went from location to location speaking with people causally. After a short stop to rest and eat, she once more explored the square, learning, observing, and investigating. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. This seemed a normal town, in a normal province, thus far.
The first sun curved down to the eastern horizon. The day was ending and she began her trek back through the square. She passed the field, but kept her gaze averted as she walked and listened. She hear
d only two distinct words, ‘game’ and ‘test’, it piqued her interest, yet she kept her path away from the field.
Arriving at the docking deck, Tiva found Dal waiting just as planned. The older lady waved and grinned. Tiva entered the vehicle.
“Greetings, Dal.”
“And to you. How did you fare in town?”
“I have learned all that I could, and perhaps made a contact,” Tiva said cautiously. While she trusted all of the protectors under the king, this was a mission assigned to the Royal Guardians. She would report in full only to her father or another guardian.
“Just remember one thing, Guardian Boon, they are normal people here. Though their cause may be futile, they do believe in what they fight for.”
Tiva studied her, but remained silent.
Dal chuckled. “I’m not quite sure what to make of you, you speak your mind when the spirit wills you, and remain silent when it is expected you would speak.”
“When speaking of fact, I rely on fact. If it is an opinion you seek, I have not formed one, so I have naught to say, would you rather I told a falsehood?”
“No, no,” she snorted, “I merely mean you are a bit of an enigma, there’s something about you…” She paused and started the hover. “No time to dwell, your father wishes to see you.”
“He returned?”
“Well, no, he never left.”
The words rolled through her mind. He never left. Where had he been when she was leaving? She settled into the seat and heedlessly allowed her thoughts to float haphazardly in the wind. Flashes of the day came first, Solun, the carts, the faces of people who passed. Unexpectedly, a wave of confusion washed over her. It belonged to neither her nor Dal, yet it was near.
The hover passed the town gate. Tiva glanced out the window to see a shadowy figure perched on a pillar watching as they drove away.
“Something wrong?” Dal said.
“No, I don’t believe so.”
“Relax then, I’ll have us back quicker than the chepto bird can fly.”
*
Tiva’s father was not waiting when they arrived, nor was he in the house or forest nearby. Utterly confused, Tiva traipsed through the patched forest collecting her thoughts and observations from her mission. She hoped he wasn’t allowing her extra time to ready her report. Without words, she demanded fair treatment, and knew her father understood. Her honor, merit, and strength in every area were essential for her to achieve her goal. He knew she craved it; perhaps he did not fully understand, but he knew enough to empathize. So, if it was not that, where had he been?
She went to the back of the house. Dal said he was waiting, she would hold part of the answer. Tiva entered and looked for the legionnaires. She searched each room, but found no one. She stood on the stairs, and finally remembered. Quickly, she sprinted toward the control center and pulled back the hidden door. She plunged deep into the hill and as fast as her legs could make her fly, ran down the corridor and slid into the oval room.
It was empty.
A ripple of dread rode the length of her spine. She pulled the dagger from her tunic and ran back through the corridor to the house. Up in her room, she grabbed her sword, and went room to room, both weapons in hand, praying that nothing had happened to the others.
She explored each room once more, then the grounds around the home—not a trace of anyone. Another look inside the control center proved futile, still no sign. Taking to the patched forest, Tiva searched ever more frantically. Dal could not have traveled far: the hover remained docked, as did the one that carried Tiva and her father to this place. Sweeping the forest thoroughly took longer than she would have liked. Though small by normal standards, the patched forest was denser than it appeared.
The golden-crowned trees did not call to her like Te. They were short stout trees deeply embedded in the ground. The forest was aged, maybe even as old as the planet itself. In the vibrations coming from these ancient trees, she felt a longing she never sensed before and often had to backtrack because the nature surrounding her overloaded her senses.
When she returned to the house, her mind began to clear, and as she swooped down on the plush grass, she tried desperately to relax and think. Where could they all be?
Sprawled out on the ground, Tiva watched as every beat of her heart brought another sparkle of light, illuminating the dark, black sky. At times, it was more breathtaking than the hues of the suns rising or setting or even the glistening rain falling like golden tears from the leaves of Te’s branches. She inhaled the crisp air; finally, the season was ending. The warmth of the days turned to a cool breath. The suns would take longer to rise; the colors of nature would change. It was her favorite season.
Upon hearing a noise in the brush near the patched forest, Tiva leaped to her feet. Twisting her blade over and gripping it tight. Another rustle, she ran toward the trees.
“Show yourself!”
“Guardian Boon?”
“Speak your name.” She stopped in her tracks and peered into the brush.
“Defor,” he said, moving into the moonlight. “Why do you look like you are ready to attack?”
“No one is here. I thought something had happened.” Tiva stepped back and sheathed her sword, but kept a hand on the hilt.
“Did you read the mission board?”
“No.” She growled internally. How could she have forgotten? Allowing her body to relax, she shoved the dagger into her belt and sighed.
“Everyone went to the local pub for evening meal.”
“Oh, I see. Well, the area is at least secure…” She shrugged.
Defor laughed and clasped his hands together. “You are interesting my new friend. Come, I was heading to the control center to find you when you came upon me.”
Tiva gathered her cloak from her room and followed him down the alley into the town center. They spoke of the changing season as they walked. She was enjoying his company and learning about his mission with the legionnaires. They veered off into another alleyway opposite the town square, and it opened to a larger road lined with buildings and homes. Their conversation turned to loyalty, training, and eventually family as they passed the varied collection of merchant shops. A home converted into a gathering establishment loomed atop a small hill at the end of the road. Tiva inquired and learned that it was the pub. They began uphill and Defor asked a question that gave her pause.
“How went your mission?”
“Well, I pray. Honestly, I have nothing to compare it with, so it is difficult for me to say.”
“I am sure you did fine, Tiva,” he said with a serious tone.
She bowed her head slightly.
“I know I look forward to hearing the report on the morrow. You are prepared?”
“Yes, I am.”
Defor grinned as they ascended the final distance and entered the pub. Tiva scrutinized the room and glimpsed her father in the rear. Without waiting, she weaved through the crowd of people keeping tight the cloak around her body, concealing her sword. She reached the table where Kevler, Dal, and the other legionnaires sat, and met her father’s eyes.
“May I join you?”
Kevler smiled, laughed aloud, and threw his arm around Razzil who sat next to him. “See, what did I say? Beautiful, just like her mother.” He bolted up from the chair and wrapped her in his arms.
“Father?” Tiva whispered, raised a brow, and hugged him with one hand, keeping the other at her side.
He pushed her back and studied her face. “Why do I sense trepidation, Tiva?”
“You are acting out of sorts.”
“I am pleased and enjoying ale with my friends!” he rejoiced.
The others laughed, cheered, and clashed glasses of ale together.
He pulled her close and whispered in her ear, “We are not all work, Tiva. I may be a bit lax, but I can still take any man who crosses my path. You will learn how to balance all things in this life, dearest one, it just takes time.”
“Join us fo
r ale, Tiva,” Defor said sliding into a chair next to his mother.
She broke from her father’s tender grasp and shook her head. “I am not at the age of responsibility yet.” She sat at the end of the table. Her father crashed against his friend and they embraced roughly and growled something at each other.
“Oh, blarg, as I say, you’ve earned it, and you’re not but a cycle off, what say you, Kevler, let the girl taste of the fine brew?” Dal said mischievously.
Kevler glanced to the men to his side. He raised a brow and turned to Tiva. She opened her mouth to say she did not care for ale, but he held a finger up. Everyone at the table chuckled. She frowned, but he paid her no mind as he turned back to the others.
“Razzil, Terno, shall we allow young Tiva here to partake in the forbidden brew of the spirits?”
“Yes!” Razzil slurred gleefully.
“Say yes, I do say,” Terno agreed and raised his glass.
“Then it is settled, relax, drink, and laugh with us.”
She leaned closer to her father and chided, “If it is forbidden by the spirits, and I am not yet the age, would it not be breaking the rules?”
He laughed and gently took her face in his hand. “It is not forbidden, it is just a tactic to scare young ones into waiting until they are older and have more control. You, my dearest one, have control beyond many aged people I know. Stay on guard as you always do, but do not forget to unburden yourself in pleasures, even for a spell, and as far as the rule of age, I am your father and I will bear that responsibility tonight. One glass of ale is all you shall have, and you will respect the effects it has on you and learn your limits. It is for a relaxed pleasure, moving beyond it would only cause you difficulty.”
One glass was all she needed. Foreign sensations flooded her body and mind. Her senses seemed sharper, yet in the background. She felt relaxed and joyful. Tiva laughed with the others and for a while thought nothing of the problems and concerns that normally clouded her spirit. A floating freedom rushed through her body. The moment came alive all around her. Sounds, smells, and the chatter from others filled the atmosphere. Music softly played behind her. Every group in the room was enjoying the company around them. Nothing else existed for a time. Whatever lie beyond the doors of the pub was furthest from her thoughts.