The Ways of Mages: Starfire

by Catherine Beery

  I don't see it. Terana thought at him as she glanced at the newcomers again.

  The wolf met her gaze. "That may be, but I don't need to see it to know that it is there. I smell it." Russy repeated.

  Terana turned back to her food and glanced often at the table where the other travelers were sitting. She still didn't see the cat that Russy was so sure was there. It probably was, she just couldn't smell it. It wasn't the first time that the human sense of smell had failed to measure up to a wolf’s. She wondered what she would do if the cat did make an appearance. Would Russy surrender to a life long dream and chase it? Or would he just be content to watch? Terana also wondered if she could somehow dissuade the wolf from doing anything.

  Before she could tell Russy to stay where he was, she saw the red haired woman reach for her hood and saw a fluffy white something make its way to the woman's lap. Russy saw it too and was giving it his undivided attention. The cat turned and saw the attentive wolf. Its fluffy fur stood on end and it ran before the red haired woman could stop it.

  Claws scrapped on stone as Russy launched into motion. Conversation turned to screams as the wolf darted after the white cat. The cat made a hissing/screeching sound as it flashed out the dinning hall's door. The red haired woman stood, calling after the cat. "Sam! SAM!"

  After a frozen second, Terana also stood and raced around the table toward the door. "RUSSY!!!" The two red haired women raced after their animal friends. They were followed by their companions.

  Far ahead, Russy followed the fluffy white cat. It felt good to run like this. The cat's fully fluffed tail bobbed in front of him. This was fun. Russy thought as he made the swift, sliding turn after the cat. Russy raced after the little cat with his tongue hanging out of his mouth and trailing after in the wind of his passage. His sharp ears could hear his pack sister and the cat's woman following behind. But they were human and thus slow.

  The little cat found a way to escape. A tall window adorned the hall. On either side of it were long draperies that fell from its highest point all the way to the floor. The white cat jumped and caught at the fabric with his claws. In a rush, he climbed all the way to the top of the two story window. Russy stopped just below and barked. The cat turned to look down at him with a glare.

  "GO AWAY!' The cat hissed.

  "FUN!" Russy barked. He wagged his tail as he continued "Good chase! Can we do it again?" His tail wagged hopefully.

  "NO!" The cat spat. "That was NOT what I call fun. You could have hurt me!" The cat pointed out from his perch.

  "No! I never wanted to hurt you. I just wanted to chase you." Russy whined. "Still do." The wolf admitted honestly.

  The cat hissed. By this time Terana had caught up. "Russy!" She called.

  Russy bounded to her and licked her face. Meeting her gaze he said "That was good chase. Very FUN. FUN, FUN!" Russy glanced at the cat still up in the curtains. "Cat didn't think it was fun though... I don't understand why."

  Terana tried very hard not to laugh at this. "Maybe because you are big and the cat is little?" She suggested.

  Russy cocked his head at her. He glanced at the cat before answering her. "Perhaps." Not terribly concerned about the differences in size, Russy wagged his tail. "Chase was fun though."

  The other woman came up. She gave Terana and Russy a stern look before calling up at the cat. "Come here, Sam! I won't let the big dog get you!" Sam did not move.

  Terana let Russy back down. She looked at the woman and bowed. The woman blinked at the gesture. "I'm sorry," Terana began. "I hadn't thought that he would go after your cat like that. I'm so sorry."

  The woman looked at her with green eyes that reminded Terana of emeralds. Her hair, Terana noticed, no longer seemed to have silver flecks in it. Now it was just a dark red. Terana gazed at the color. This woman was the first whom she had met who also had red hair. The women looked away from Teran up to her cat. "Sam, come down". To Terana's amazement, that cat climbed down, albeit much slower than when he climbed up. That could have been because he was going backward, looking over his shoulder to check on his progress. The entire time, Russy paced back and forth, watching the cat's progress attentively. He waged his tail hopefully. Terana had to call him to her to keep him from taking a step too close to the other woman. Eventually the cat was safely in the other woman's hands. She turned to look at Terana. "I accept your apology. However, I do not think Sam is ready for such a step."

  Russy whined and sat down. With soulful, amber eyes he gazed at the cat. Terana heard his apology to Sam "I'm sorry I scared you. I just wanted to play."

  Sam looked down on the wolf. "I don't know you well enough to play."

  "Oh!" Russy said standing and stepping closer to the woman and Sam. His tail was flying a mile a minute. "I sorry! My name is Russy. We friends now? Can we play?Chase? Pleeease."

  Sam cuddled closer to the woman. His hiss was enough of an answer for Terana.

  The woman shook her head sadly and looked at Russy. "I'm sorry, Russy, I think it takes more than a name to become friends." Russy's tail fell.

  Terana blinked and stared at the woman. "You can understand him?" Terana asked breathlessly. "And the cat?"

  The woman smiled and nuzzled her cat. "I can." She looked thoughtfully at Terana. "I am assuming that you can also understand them?"

  Terana nodded. "Yes. My name is Terana and this, as you know, is Russy." She said patting the wolf's head.

  The woman smiled. "My name is Jewel Al'Dap-Holden." She hefted the cat in her hands. "Sam-the-Unwise." Terana grinned and the Sam looked decidedly embarrassed that Russy now knew his full name. Jewel was looking closely at Russy who sat wagging his tail. "He is not a dog," she observed, "he's a wolf." She looked up at Terana questioningly.

  Terana smiled. "He is a wolf. My best friend."

  "Hai! What about me?" Zeeve said from the shoulder of Liam. The others had arrived.

  Terana flushed slightly. "He has been my friend for longer than I've known you, Zeeve." Zeeve stared at her in outrage and Russy looked decidedly smug as he sat by Terana's side. "Jewel, these are my friends. The little guy is Zeeve." Zeeve huffed caustically at being called 'little'. "The shoulder he is sitting on belongs to Liam Seedman. And this is Kadrean Néaina." She said gesturing to the healer mage who had joined them. Each man inclined his head as Terana introduced them. "This is Jewel Al'Dap-Holden."

  Kadrean blinked and looked at Jewel wonderingly. Jewel met his gaze "Néaina? I've heard of you from one of your tutors." She said with a smile.

  "Oh?" Kadrean raised an eyebrow.

  "Hmm." Jewel nodded, smiling. "Breqwin spoke of you quite fondly."

  "So you are Chana, zan neshelain n'Al'Dap. the women he mentioned in his letters. He says that your healing techniques are a novel to watch." His gaze took in the cat. "And that you have a strong affinity with cats."

  Jewel blushed slightly. "He says that you have a strong, innate talent yourself." She looked down at the cat in her arms. "And he isn't wrong about the cats."

  "Indeed, not." The large, well muscled man behind Jewel said with a smile. His eyes danced as looked at Jewel. "It was the same when she was young at home. I constantly had people come from the town to complain that their cat was missing yet again. And then, to add to the grievance, the cats were convinced that I would take care of them. I'm not a cat guy and I think," he paused to look at the cat who was watching him intently, "that they know this and thus always seek me out."

  "Aw, you poor man." The dark haired woman cooed teasingly, leaning into him. She patted him on the shoulder. "I think the fluffy things know that deep down, you are a 'cat guy'. It is just a matter of conditioning."

  The man groaned. The woman grinned at Terana. "Hi, my name is Jay Dee, and this baby is named Thomas GrimHolden."

  "He is my uncle." Jewel added. "The other two men are Captain Willaim and Jingles." Both men nodded.

  After the introductions, Jingles turned to Jewel. "Jewel, that is the fastest I have ever seen that cat
move. Shoom!" He laughed moving his hand quickly before his face. The group chuckled at the look of consternation on Sam's face.

  Terana looked at Kadrean and asked "What does Chana mean? And the other stuff that you said? She said her name was Jewel."

  Jewel answered before Kadrean could. "Chana means Jewel. He called me 'Jewel, the beloved of Al'Dap."

  "Oh." Terana said. "I'm sorry." She said looking down.

  Jewel touched her shoulder, causing Terana to meet the older woman's gaze. "Don't be. It is the Old Tongue, after all. Believe me when I tell you that it took me a long time to understand it." Jewels eyes were dark with knowledge. "Terana, it is also never a bad thing to ask questions. That is how one learns." Seeing the younger woman's eyes brighten, Jewel stepped back and petted Sam as she waited for more questions.

  Seeing that curiosity was welcomed Terana asked "So, what brings you to Razyan's Keep? Do you live here?"

  Thomas shook his head. "No. Never been here before." Jay Dee, Willaim, and Jingles said something similar.

  "Sometimes" Jewel replied. "Though, lately I live on the eastern shores of Marlhema." She looked about the hall with eyes filled with secrets and, to Terana's mind, old memories. It fascinated Terana. She wondered what Jewel thought of when her eyes were like that. Jewel continued. "We came to meet someone. Luckily we arrived early. I had been afraid we would be late. I'm guessing that you just arrived as you are not in robes and thought we lived here."

  Terana nodded. "Yes, I came to learn what kind of mage I am."

  Kadrean nodded. "Speaking of which, her Test of the Stone is tomorrow morning."

  "Ah, we will let you find your rest. It has been a pleasure meeting you." Jewel replied. "Good night, and good luck tomorrow, Terana." Terana smiled and waved as Kadrean led her down the hall.

  Chapter Thirty-Three - Of Keep Stones and Chess

  Terana was sitting on the bed in one of the guest suits of Razyan’s Keep. A single candle cast light about the comfortable, if large room. The richness made Terana feel…strange. Not necessarily uncomfortable because everything was designed for comfort, but un-belonging. Her room back in Plarn was a third the size and held not an ounce of the opulence of this room. The candle made it seem just slightly smaller.

  The bed was huge and made her feel like an ant. Russy did not seem remotely concerned. He lay on his side fully stretched out. He took a good portion of the bed all for himself. He snored too. And was already dreaming whatever it was that wolves dreamed.

  Terana wore a silky white robe that almost made her purr like a cat. Her skin was pleasantly warm from the bath she had taken earlier. It had made her feel human again. She wanted to lay down and sleep, but she was wary of what tomorrow would bring. The Keep Stone worried her. A good portion of her believed the stone would melt like its smaller cousins. She didn’t want it to melt but knew of no way to avoid it.

  Terana sighed. It wasn’t just fear of melting wizard treasures that kept her from her rest. It was also her thoughts. While she had been folding her clothes the silver star that she had found on the road before leaving Plarn fell out. She had forgotten it, didn’t know how she had managed that feat, but she had. Now it sat on her leg. Its silver warmed in the fire light. Light flickered off the colored shards within the gleaming black stone. Terana stroked the stone. She could feel a pulse from within. It puzzled her, but didn’t scare her. It was familiar somehow. It lulled her into laying down, the star resting on her stomach.

  Suddenly there was a flash, not of light, but of something. A touch of coolness caressed her before the candle flickered out…or her eyes finally closed. She was sure which it was...

  He was a young boy. Well looking in his youth. Sharp familiar lines of his face were softened by childhood. She knew him…from somewhere. He had pale skin, slightly golden by the sun. His hair was saved from being prematurely white by a light cream blond. His eyes were an intense, brilliant blue. His body was lean and healthily fed. It was obvious he was athletic. His breathing was heavy and sweat sheened his skin and darkened his hair. She thought he may have been running, but the black bladed sword with a bronze hilt in his hand told the truth.

  Standing before him was a man with long dark hair and dressed similar to the boy, wearing only calf length pants. His skin was a darker bronze and littered with white scars. He was also sweat sheened, although his breath was lighter. There was a bronze hilted black sword in his hand as well. There were light crimson scratches over both of them. The fact appalled her. The boy had to be seven or eight years old. He should be playing or helping with chores not being taught sword craft. But it was obvious he wasn’t appalled at all. His eyes were shining with the thrill of the fight.

  The man was nodding in satisfaction.“Well done, prince. You do have a gift with swords and not just the esteem of a man protecting a royal ass.”

  “I made him teach me.”The boy replied. Where Terana would have been upset at the implied insult, he was calm.

  “Hmm.”The man nodded again. Terana watched him sure there was something else he was pleased about and not just the boy’s skill. It was like the boy had past another test…one Terana was unaware of.“Let us see what you are like with tactics. A Winged Dagger knows much about tactics and has the patience to employ them. Come…we shall play a game.”

  The boy was curious. It was obvious. And so he followed the man into a small cabin. He copied the man in cleaning and putting away the swords and washing his face and the small wounds he had just received. The man led him to a table. On it was a board of light and dark wooden squares. There were carved figures. Many were short and stood before taller figures who were carved differently. Like the board, half the pieces were of light wood. Mirrored across from them were darker pieces.

  “Chess.”The man said.“Sit.”The boy sat.“Do you know this game?”The boy shook his head. The man nodded.“I imagine you were spending your days hunting and learning basic sword craft.”The man went about describing the pieces to the boy, how each moved. He told the boy the object of the game. Then they started to play. The man won in three turns.“Again, prince. This time put your mind into the game.”And they played again. It took longer for the man to win, but he did.“Do you know why I am winning?”The man asked.

  The boy had a furrowed brow as he set the pieces back up. He glanced at the man. Eventually he shook his head.

  The man sighed.“Because you are letting me. Again.”

  And again they played. The boy always lost. He was getting frustrated. But he didn’t complain. Eventually after eleven games the man stood and retrieved his sword. The boy followed, shoulders slouched in defeat and misery. Terana ached for him. She hadn’t even been playing and her head hurt.

  The man and boy fenced. Terana winced at first, because it didn’t seem that the man was being careful with that sharp blade he had. But the boy was quick and moved almost like he was dancing. He managed to nick the man several times. The man nicked him back, but that didn’t dim the boy’s joy at having succeeded.

  At some unspoken signal, the man stopped the bout.“Again, well done. Now, let us go back to the game.”The boy wilted a little, but followed. They went through the same ceremony of cleaning and washing. Soon they were back at the little table with the game.“Before we begin.”The man said.“Tell me, how is chess similar to sword craft?”Terana gaped at him, but he didn’t see. The boy thought about it for a second.

  “The obvious answer would be they are related to war craft, but I think you mean something else.”

  “I do.”

  The boy studied the board for a long time. The man didn’t seem to get impatient. He just simply waited. He seemed very good at waiting. Terana studied the board too, admired the carving done on the pieces. It was almost as good as her adoptive father’s work. Thinking about that hurt, but not as badly as it used to. Probably because she was asleep. She knew she was asleep, which was kind of weird. Terana grew bored and glanced about the cabin. It was small, but neat. It was a single roo
m with a small stove, a fire place with a kettle. Before the fireplace was a green faded chair that looked very comfortable. Near it was a table with a smoking pipe. There were various sharp weapons lining the wall near the door. There was a bed near the stove. Rolled up near the fire place was what looked like a sleeping pallet. The chess table and stools were near the armory. A stool sat next to the fire place. There were dried herbs hanging from the rafters.

  “It is similar to fencing,”The boy finally answered“because you take advantage of what your opponent does that leaves them open. You cripple them before they can react or move to defend. And if they are more wary you make them think what you want them to think. They see one thing as you prepare to cripple them another way. A way they don’t expect.”His answer sent a chill down Terana’s spine.

  The man slowly smiled.“Very good. Now we play.”

  They played…for a long time. And the boy won after setting up many feint attacks to make the man play toward them. By the time the man realized what was going on it was a little too late. He laughed.“Well done. Let’s eat, you’ve earned it...”

  The world awoke with the rising of the sun. And so did all her trepidation that this day could not possibly end well. Kadrean led her back down the main hall to that archway where she had previous seen the stone. Where before it had been dark and limed with star silver it was now amber. In the sunlight it glowed warmly like a mountain cat’s eye.

  And she was being led toward it.

  There was a line and at its front was a young girl no more than nine. She was one of those girls who looked cute with long glossy tresses of mink hair. She approached the stone on its pedestal and placed her hand upon one of the crystals many facets. A subtle hum droned along Terana’s senses, a faint pressure at the base of her neck. A woman stood beside the crystal scribbling on a clipboard. Once in a while she would glance at the crystal then would continue scribbling. Terana cocked her head in puzzlement.