“Hmm.” Enowene did not appear to completely buy into her statement. “Marella is predominantly a mindwielder. She did keep you safe here in the tower.”
“She did? How?”
“It might be a good idea to keep her near you. She might be able to protect you in ways no other could.”
“What are you talking about? Please tell me,” Sheyna pleaded.
“Mindwielders can create illusions in the minds of others. They can make people see what they want them to see. They can create a scene of something that isn’t really there. Marella created such a scene and convinced the person hunting for you that you were no longer a threat.”
“Why would she do such a thing?”
“I believe she acted out of instinct. You were in danger, and she reacted.”
“I don’t remember any of this.”
“You were sleeping when it all occurred. Regardless, she bought you some time.” Enowene changed the subject nonchalantly. “I think we should dye your hair blonde and give you a different color dress to wear now. I think if we change your appearance, you will remain safe for quite some time.”
Sheyna decided to let her change the subject. “All right. I will go along with that. I have often wondered how to change hair color. Only, could I ask for several colored dresses? Why must I wear one color?”
“Traditionally the color of the dress signifies the level of your achievement. The blue dress you chose to steal off the line was for new apprentices. Marella wears grey for one who has studied for over a year but is still not apprenticed to a wielder. It is a bit more difficult to apprentice a mindwielder; they require so much more specialized training. When she wears a different color it will mean she is apprenticed.”
“I don’t mean to interrupt, and this is all very interesting, but unnecessary. Just tell me what color you wish me to wear.”
It was clear that Enowene was frustrated at the interruption, but she recovered from it quickly. The fact was that Sheyna didn’t care what the colors meant. She just wanted clean dresses. She hoped for multicolored ones, but she realized if she wore a yellow dress or some other color not normally worn by the apprentices, she would call attention to herself.
“Since you have not been apprenticed formally, I am going to put you in grey. I do not personally take apprentices, but I will train you until the First Trine arrives to start the selection process.”
“Thank you, mistress.”
“Be here tomorrow morning bright and early. Follow Marella when she goes to her classes and come here at the same hour.” Not knowing what else to do, Sheyna bowed awkwardly. “That’s all,” Enowene said, waving her along with the back of her hand.
When Sheyna returned to the common room between her bedchamber and Marella’s, she peeked carefully around Marella’s half-closed door. Marella was not home. Sheyna had hoped to have a conversation with her about what she learned from Enowene, but it would have to wait. She thought that if she tried to include Marella in her life and goings on, the girl might soften up to her some. Maybe it was a foolish notion.
She went into her bedchamber and used essence to light the oil lamp like Marella had shown her. The second night Sheyna stayed in the chamber, Marella scorned and scolded her for not knowing such a simple task as lighting a lamp, and had reluctantly showed her.
Sheyna felt in her pocket for the jade statuette, finding it there, and absently looked out her window. Curiously, there was a shadow appearing on the left side of the windowsill as if someone stood just outside and to the right, out of sight. The sun was shining from the opposite direction. Any shadows should be falling to the right, not the left of the windowsill. If someone stood to the right of the window, she would not be able to see the shadow at all. She leaped to the window and pressed her face hard against the glass to see what or who was standing beside the window. The shadow flowed away; she saw no one.
“You don’t know what you have, do you.”
Sheyna whirled around and let out a screech. Kyrie stood with his hands on his hips at the doorway. Sheyna reacted instinctively and rushed a column of essence through her fingers at the small Kylerie elf. He deflected it without a care.
“Weak, very weak. You still have much to learn here.”
“What do you want? Were you just outside my window?”
“The little statue, and no, I wasn’t.”
”Why do you want my trinket, and aye, I just saw your shadow outside the window, you little liar!”
“It’s enchanted.” He went to the window and peered out. “You must be so careful, so careful. There are things in the night watching you.”
“So, what does that mean?”
“It means I want the trinket, and it means you are in danger.” He shook his head. “I don’t want your statuette because you enchanted it, I want it because it was already enchanted before.”
“Oh yeah, by whom? My mother gave me this statue. You can take it from me, but I will always be able to recover it.”
“It was enchanted by dragons, silly girl. It’s a soul well.”
Marella entered the common chamber, whistling. She shrieked as soon as she saw Kyrie and cast a ball of essence at him. He deflected it, and it crashed into the wall, leaving a round depression.
“You girls sure are quick on the attack. It is possible that I could be friendly, you know.”
“I remember you are fond of turning into things.” Marella stepped deliberately toward him.
“Wait, what are you doing? You can’t force me to . . .” He shifted into a small wooden table.
“I can’t stay in his mind long; go get Mistress Enowene,” Marella stated.
Sheyna had an idea. She used her ability to enchant and concentrated on the table. I have to hit this just right, she thought. She released the enchantment, and Marella staggered back. Kyrie was stuck as an enchanted table.
“What was that?” Marella asked with surprise.
“Hurry, my enchantments don’t always last. Help me get this table down to Enowene.”
Marella grabbed a side of the table. It wasn’t heavy. The two girls traveled down the stairs. The table started wiggling, and Marella dropped it. Sheyna tried to recover, but the Kylerie elf shifted back and scurried down a hallway at the bottom of the stairway, much too fast for the girls to follow even though they tried. They had chased him only a few doors down from Enowene’s chamber when he disappeared.
Marella chuckled. “That was amazing. I have never seen anyone enchant something before.”
“A lot of good it did. It wore off entirely too soon.”
“I am sure he used some of his own magic to break free as well. It was still a brilliant move for you to enchant him.”
Sheyna grinned.
Marella pointed to Enowene’s chamber door. “Enowene should know about this.”
Sheyna nodded. “All right, let’s go talk to her.”
Chapter 6: Daggers
Enowene locked down the tower in a search of the strange little thief, but even after several hours of searching, nothing had turned up but a pair of muddied, tiny footprints leading from the flower bed one story below Sheyna’s window. Mistress Enowene would not allow Marella or Sheyna to return to their chambers until she had the two girls’ rooms searched for the mischievous Kylerie elf.
Sheyna took the opportunity to sneak out of the tower and find her former hiding place where the broken wall met the old, disused guard tower. Enowene had Sheyna’s personal items cleared from the site, the day she moved into the tower, and taken up to her room, but the headmistress had not yet made the repairs to seal off the wall. Buried at the base of the slab of stone Sheyna had used as a makeshift table, wrapped in oilcloth, were two shiny daggers. Her mother had once carried them, and Sheyna was under the impression they had belonged to her father, whom she had never met. Sheyna opened the cloth and inspected the daggers. Satisfied that they were rust-free and intact, she folded the cloth back around them and tucked them under her arm. She avoided t
he other girls and took an unorthodox route back to her room, which Enowene had deemed devoid of hidden creatures. Thankfully, Marella had not yet returned from her studies. Sheyna had time to hide the daggers.
When Marella did return to the common room, she appeared content, as if nothing had happened before. The pretty blonde girl opened a book and sat it down at the table, pouring over the book’s pages. Sheyna curiously approached her.
“What, you’re reading?” Sheyna asked. “You don’t seem concerned at all.”
Marella glanced up from her book. “That weird little elf isn’t after anything of mine. The rooms were searched. Really, Sheyna, what do you expect of me? You’ve already changed how I live here in the tower. I will not cower in the corner, not with you here to wield alongside.”
After a moment of silent, contemplative staring, Sheyna spoke. “You feel safer with me around?” She felt honored and terrified all at once.
Marella nodded. “Aye, I do. You have made my stay in this tower more interesting, of that I’m certain. You are quite, how do I put this, creative!”
Sheyna sat down at the table, opposite Marella. “You must consider me a good friend, then.”
Marella flinched. “Let’s take it one step at a time, shall we? I still don’t understand why you’re here exactly. Mistress Enowene says you are important, but she would not say any more about you to convince me. I’m no fool; I suspect you are considered special for that enchantment ability you displayed. In fact, the more I am around you, the more of you I see. Perhaps your actions will tell me all I need to know about you.”
“Perhaps.” Marella garnered Sheyna’s interest. “What else did she tell you about me?”
“Didn’t you hear me? She wouldn’t say any more about you.”
“Are you sure?” Sheyna asked. “This is important, and you didn’t take as long as I thought you would to warm up to me.”
“Aye, I’m certain.” Marella cupped her chin in thought. “Wait . . . except that she did go on to say she wouldn’t be able to apprentice you personally. One of the First Trine must teach you.”
“She told me that as well. Does that mean something to you?”
“It means that when you’re to be chosen to be an apprentice, someone from the First Trine will choose you. That’s unheard of. It is the equivalent of a king choosing a peasant to become their heir.”
Sheyna shook her head. “I still don’t understand what you are talking about.”
Marella pushed back her chair from the table. “I will explain it to you, although I don’t understand how you are so important if you can’t even think this through on your own.”
Sheyna ignored the sarcasm.
“You understand what a wielder is, right? And you know about the First Trine?
“Aye, I learned about wielders from Enowene’s private lessons. A wielder is one who may draw upon the magic essence of all things and wield magic, and the First Trine are the wielders who ruled the kingdoms before the highlord came to power. They wander around now visiting villages and talking to elders about crops and weather.”
“Aye, good, you do know something after all. The only part I would add is that the First Trine are the original wielders. No one could wield essence before them, but many have been able to do so after their time. This academy trains young wielders, you know. The only member of the original three Trine members that doesn’t apprentice is Morgoran. Ianthill and Toborne both chose new apprentices when the candidates reach the age of fifteen seasons. We are both wearing grey, which means we’re yet to be apprenticed.”
“I’ve worn different color dresses and it didn’t seem to matter to anyone I wasn’t apprenticed yet.”
“I already know that. Hear me out. The other apprentices are too busy with their own work to notice. The colors are mainly for the wielders to keep track. Mistress Enowene says you and I are both of sufficient age and must be apprenticed within the next few days to move on in our training. You will get a master and maybe more.”
Sheyna looked horrified. “What do you mean more?”
“You know, you can enchant. You may need a more skilled master. You may be more than just a wielder. ”
“Stop saying that.”
“Why? I can do more than just wield. There is no shame in—”
“You don’t understand. I have been alone. Maybe my family would have wanted me if only I were normal.”
Marella’s expression leveled, and the girl showed no sign of sympathy. “Oh joy, you’re a whiner, too! Well, I’m sure whining about it and wishing will get you a bucket full of exactly nothing! You have to move on with the realization that you are the way you are and you will not change it, so you might as well embrace it.”
“What if I am not who they think I am?”
“We will find out in the next couple of days. I am sure you know exactly who and what you are, just be yourself.”
“All right, I will try my best.”
Marella wrinkled her nose. “Time to see what you can do. Let’s have a little fun. Defend yourself!” Marella cupped her hands together and let out a burst of energy. It struck Sheyna in the chest, knocking her to the ground. Marella burst out in laughter. “I owed you that for what you did to my eye.”
Sheyna stood up with anger welling up inside of her. Before she could draw essence, Marella clasped her hands together and hit her with another burst.
“I wasn’t ready!” Sheyna shrieked. “I’ll blacken your other eye!”
“Go ahead, if you can get near me,” Marella said as she sent another bolt at Sheyna. “Gather the essence around you and shield yourself from me if you want me to stop.”
“I don’t know how.”
“Just think in your mind that you need the essence around you and will it to block me.”
“I can’t.”
“Good!” Marella laughed. “Then I have the advantage over you,” she said as she clasped her hands together. This time, Sheyna tried what Marella had told her, and she willed the air around her to block the bolt. To Sheyna’s surprise, Marella’s bolt struck the air in front of her and faded.
“Ah, see, you are a wielder.”
Sheyna got on her feet. “I never knew I could do that.”
“Mistress Enowene knew,” Marella said.
Sheyna grinned. “Essence feels good, doesn’t it.”
“Aye, but be careful not to let it take over. I thought Mistress Enowene was going to catch you up with us in your studies. She has not showed you how to project yet?”
“No, not yet.”
“She will teach you. It’s one of the first things we learn.”
“I hope she does.” Sheyna sat back down in her chair.
Marella found her chair as well.
Sheyna breathed in deeply. “What happens after we are apprenticed?”
“You are trained by your master, maybe here in the tower or you could be taken to your master’s tower if he or she wishes.”
“Whose tower is this?”
“This tower belongs to Mistress Enowene, of course. Morgoran has a tower surrounded by a village in a lush green vale; Ianthill has a tower in Trigothia. Toborne has two towers, one in Abaddonia and one not far from here. I think all three have a tower together on the island of Rugania.”
“I’m glad I don’t have to leave Symbor. This is the only home I know.”
Marella grinned. “Symbor has its good points and bad points. The city is a bit unsightly. Its streets could use a good sweeping and cleaning.”
Sheyna got up from her chair and wandered around the room nervously.
“What is it now?” Marella asked.
“I don’t know,” Sheyna answered.
Both girls jumped at a loud knock at the door. “Who is it?” Marella asked.
The door handle jiggled and then Mavis poked her head into the room. “Girls, Mistress Enowene requires you to come with me to her chamber. She has some guests for you to meet.”
Marella’s face went ashen. “
Is it time?” she asked Mavis.
Mavis smiled back and nodded. “The First Trine has arrived, and they are very anxious to meet the both of you.”
Nausea washed over Sheyna. “Oh, I think I am going to be sick.”
Mavis frowned at her. “Nonsense, you will be fine.”
“Are they choosing us as apprentices so soon?” Sheyna asked.
“Oh, heavens no, child, they are meeting the candidates who are old enough for apprenticeship. They will not choose for several more days. Now come with me; we should not keep the Trine waiting.”
Sheyna swallowed hard. She felt better that this was not the time of choosing. Sheyna grabbed her jade statuette and shoved it in her dress pocket before following Marella and Mavis out into the hall.
“I saw you. Why are you bringing your figurine?” Marella whispered.
“For comfort,” Sheyna replied.
“Both of you refrain from talking,” Mavis scolded. “And remember, do not talk until you are spoken to when you are in Mistress Enowene’s chamber.”
Chapter 7: Old Wizards
Sheyna’s pulse quickened with each step as she followed Marella and Mavis to Mistress Enowene’s chamber. By the time they arrived, Sheyna had the irresistible urge to turn and run. Mavis knocked twice and then opened the chamber door. Enowene was seated behind her desk. On either side of her were four padded red velvet chairs facing the doorway, and two padded velvet chairs faced the desk. On Enowene’s left sat a tall, slender, white-haired man with no beard, wearing an embroidered robe of crimson red. To his left sat another man with a darker complexion, wearing a long white beard and embroidered white robes. To Enowene’s right sat a man with kind blue eyes and a long white beard. He wore blue robes, which were slightly crinkled. To his right was a man with a dark complexion, brooding, inset blue eyes, and raven black hair that had begun to slightly grey at the temples. He wore dark green robes. Sheyna could not stop staring at him. He was very handsome and somehow deeply mysterious. She guessed right away he must be Toborne.
Wielder: Apprentice: Book 1 of Lady Shey's Story (The Wielder Cycle) Page 5