Girl of Fire

by Gabrielle Mathieu

  “You ran to Kea rather than waiting for us to bring you back to Yassin, taking the Book of First Naming with you. You called up an Elemental and couldn’t control the consequences. Kendall and Biruac should have been training our Reds and lost valuable time looking for you. Shall I go on?” He gave me a sidelong glance. “Don’t sulk. I’m on your side.”

  “Why would that be?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe I like your eyes.” He laughed self-consciously. “I just don’t want the meeting to go badly for you.” We were in the righthand corner of the courtyard now, walking toward the tall tower with closed windows. It loomed over us; even in dim light of the cloudy afternoon, it threw a visible shadow.

  “What’s the worst thing the Council would do?”

  “You don’t want to think of it like that. Set it right, Berona. Make some friends. Fire affinity has the gift of nourishing connections.” We came to a wooden door set flush in the building’s wall, which Oberin unlocked to reveal steep stairs. The close air smelled like pigeon droppings. The darkness was a stifling blanket.

  He noticed my hesitation. “Ah yes, I will light the torch. Come directly behind me. There are warding spells here, but none that will harm you.”

  I was glad Oberin was with me, but where were Kea and Moab? I asked.

  “They helped Shandon up the stairs earlier. It’s farther than it looks.”

  We passed cobwebbed landings, with locked doors and blocked windows, and kept climbing—up, up, up. The tower was only four stories from the outside. After I counted the seventh landing, I stopped to catch my breath.

  “How can the this be so tall?”

  “It’s a riddle. Like time and space. We seek to bring order to things with our rational thoughts, but a different part of you is engaged now. Perhaps you are in the tower; perhaps not.”

  This Oberin definitely had the makings of a Council member, with his mystical explanations.

  I had lost count by the time we reached the top. Light streamed in from a window. Shandon stood there, his back to me. I joined him at the window, exhilarated at the sight. The sun shone up here, above the cloud cover. I felt dizzy.

  “Mannites follow a rational philosophy, but that does not mean we exclude magic. I told you once we look to the heavens and to the sun,” Shandon said softly. “We hold our meetings in the Sky Chamber, so that we may think clearly and see with the light of understanding.”

  He guided me to a door made of a huge block of rock crystal, set in an iron frame. Though the rock crystal was translucent, my head spun when I looked at it. Oberin said a word, and the door creaked open. We entered a long, sunlit room, with rows of windows on each side, open to let in the bracing air. I heard no bird song; robins and sparrows did not fly so high. The Council of Purple Robes made no sign of acknowledgment. They sat along the sides of a table—a huge piece of slate mounted on iron pillars—which ran down the entire length of the room. The head of the table was dominated by a huge statue.

  Moab and Kea stood before the table like penitents. Kendall and Hirschi had their own seats at the side of the table, complete with attached pennants, which could be raised or lowered with a lever.

  My gaze was drawn back to the statue. I recognized the face from woodblock prints I’d seen in the books. It had to be a likeness of Krossos Mannine. The features were amazingly lifelike. The statue was glossy and golden, as if it had been dipped in thick layers of honey or wood sap. The intimidating eyes, free from the skein of amber, seemed to watch us. An ornate chair had been placed in front of the statue.

  Why were there only five members seated at the table? Was the sixth place of honor reserved for their founder, who had formed the sect twelve hundred years ago?

  Shandon motioned me forward. “I present to you the Acolyte Red Berona.” The Council looked me over, as if seeing me for the first time.

  Oberin’s uncle rose. “I am Soa, the mouthpiece of Krossos. Let the meeting begin, for we have much to cover before the sun sets.”

  Another man, also dressed in the Purple Robe, got up when Soa sat. He had a scraggly white beard and high forehead. “This is Umritz,” Shandon whispered.

  Umritz addressed the Council. “We are here today to determine the fate of the acolytes Kea, Moab, and Berona. To do so, we need to gather evidence about their actions. So far, we have questioned Moab and Kea about their departure from their master’s farmstead to help you.”

  His expression and voice were stern, and my shoulders tensed.

  One of the twins smiled at me. “I’m Olane. I speak for myself and my sister. Welcome. We remember you tried to speak to us during the feast. We regret being distracted. You must have been upset. Even so, as a community, all our actions must be in harmony and dedicated to the same goal. This is not a place for undisciplined renegades.”

  I looked at Shandon, but he stared stoically ahead.

  “Berona, we are already acquainted with the details of your case. Shandon, Kendall, and Biruac have shared their findings.” Umritz allowed himself a small smile. “Even Oberin had some unsolicited observations he shared with Soa.”

  So the meeting had been going on for a while without me. “Am I not the one best suited to discuss my case?” I tried to make my voice as even as possible, though I was starting to worry about more immediate matters than the Water Demon.

  Umritz stared at me flatly. “No. We have not accepted Kendall’s offer to train you yet. Strictly speaking, you are not even an acolyte yet. We will examine you now.”

  The eyes of thePurple Robes bored into my skull. There was a sifting sensation, and my head tilted back.

  They were trying to read my mind. I gritted my teeth. As recently as this morning, I’d considered running away.

  If I can just find something to concentrate on, I can block them out.

  I locked onto the strange statue. That’ll do. I stared into the mysterious eyes, seeing the spark of life stir in them. The intrusive tickles of the Council were weaker now. The eyes—dark obsidian orbs—filled all space. Krossos Mannine’s eyes were everything. He was here. A sense of awe welled up inside, followed by tears of gratitude. Then the floor tilted.

  I came to when I heard Umritz say, “This one is stubborn—not good. Help her to a chair.” Oberin was already next to me, hoisting me up. I held on to his hand a moment longer, taking comfort in his grip.

  A long silence filled the room. The Council members were lost in thought. I felt the statue’s eyes on me.

  Finally, Soa spoke. “We have agreed to train new acolytes, in preparation for the danger the Heartland faces. However, Berona is a questionable choice. It’s too late to do anything about Delphine, but do we really need another troublemaker?”

  Kendall raised her red pennant, adorned with the image of a sword, into the air, which seemed to give her permission to talk. “How come it’s always the women who are branded troublemakers?”

  Soa said, “Are you defending Delphine now?”

  “No. Berona’s nothing like Delphine.”

  “There’s the incident with the Fire Elemental,” Tovalen said. “I find that very disturbing, especially since the Intercessor who threatened her was found dead, burned by fire. What if she’s the traitor the prophecy warned about?”

  What? “Believe me, I’m not the traitor. You can’t cast me out,” I cried.

  Olane spoke. “We think you would make a good acolyte, but we can’t leave your willful actions unpunished. It would set a poor precedent.”

  Shandon shifted. “Then mete out your punishment, so that we can be done with the matter. We need Berona, and Kendall will train her.”

  Soa quirked a brow at Kendall. “You accepted her?”

  “I did, but she must bring a sword to pledge to my service,” Kendall said. “She can’t offer the one she stole from me.”

  “You have a suggestion?” Soa said.

  “She must prove herself. As her punishment, I suggest a month’s labor in the forge at the Armory. They’ll let her choose
any sword as payment for her labor.”

  My heart sank. “Where are those smiths?”

  “A day’s ride from here. You must make amends for your actions; that can’t be circumvented. At least this way you have something to gain. You’ll come back with your honor redeemed. I can’t have a thief as an apprentice.” Kendall’s warmth had vanished, and I saw she was determined.

  I glanced at Shandon, who looked appalled. “Kendall! She can’t be sent away. It’s too dangerous. The acolytes must stay together and be trained. At once.”

  She shrugged. “I like Berona, but I don’t take charity cases. I made my way through the ranks and earned everything I have, twice over.”

  Shandon set his lips tight, and his hand went to the magnificent sword at his side, lingering there. Then he unbelted the scabbard and walked stiffly over to Kendall.

  “This sword is my birthright, blessed with magic.” He looked over at me and beckoned. “Come here, Girl of Fire.” The Council members sat quietly, but the tension in the room was high as I approached. He took my hand and placed it around the hilt. “This is yours now. Offer your new sword in service to Kendall and the Mannites.” I heard a gasp in the room as Shandon took a step back, leaving me with the sword, facing Kendall.

  I knelt before her and offered her the hilt. She leaned forward, and her hand hovered. “Are you sure, Shandon?”

  “May this serve as my endorsement. Berona is our hope, our only hope, against the Water Demon. So it is foretold.”

  A stunned silence fell on the room. I noticed Shandon studying each face in turn. “If any harm this girl, all here will know that person secretly serves the Demon. There is one among us who does.”

  Tovalen’s face became mottled with anger. “You speak in riddles, as always, Master of the Scrolls. Do you consider us beneath you, that you seek once again to withhold knowledge from us?”

  I’d forgotten about Hirschi until he gracefully rose and came to Shandon’s side. “We sought to keep Berona safe from harm, so we did not disclose her role till now. The attack on her yesterday showed there is nothing to be gained from keeping it a secret. The prophecy foretells her coming. You heard only a part of it before.”

  “You knew about this?” Tovalen snapped.

  “Shandon sought my counsel. Rather than criticize our Master of the Scrolls, we should place all our resources at his disposal, so he can ready Berona’s spirit and mind, while Kendall shows her swordcraft.”

  Kendall put her arm around Shandon. “You could have explained. I suspected something.”

  “I’m sorry,” Shandon said softly. “I should have trusted you.”

  Kendall turned to the Council. “I know of no man more self-sacrificing and noble than Shandon, who has been my friend for more than twenty years. We must train our acolytes at once. Now that my girl has a proper sword.” She gave me a wink.

  “I’ll lead the camp where we train,” Hirschi said. “It will be a secret location, known only to me, Oberin, Kendall, and Shandon, along with the acolytes.”

  Umritz snorted. “This sounds like a mutiny. Though you have senior positions, we are the Council. We will decide.”

  Hirschi drew himself up to his full height, eyes blazing. “Yassin has been compromised. It wouldn’t surprise me to know there are Elementals on their way to storm our stronghold. We can’t keep our acolytes here, to be starved out in a siege.” He looked different now, his face animated. “Tomorrow Shandon and I begin searching for a concealed site. There are many possibilities in the hills. Let Yassin remain the focus of our enemies while we train our champion.”

  Everyone started talking at once—making suggestions, demanding explanation, and countering one another. I looked at the statue while everyone argued. I was almost sure his peaceful expression had changed to one of warning. No one else seemed to notice.

  * * *

  I sat on a chair, letting the light play along the blade of my beautiful new sword. It was not as heavy as I’d expected, despite its size. I could feel the magic thrum in my hands. The Council had been arguing for a long time now. Shandon had recited the complete prophecy but had not produced the parchment as proof, earning a skeptical look from Tovalen. The twins supported Shandon, but Soa kept complaining about neglected duties, and Umritz sat wordless, biting his nails. I sensed Krossos watching, but he did not speak through Soa.

  Once in a while Hirschi’s clear voice cut through the bickering, and everyone stopped to listen for a moment. Then a new round of questions would provoke further dissension. If things had been like this in Georsi’s day, no wonder he held the Council in little regard.

  I looked around the room. Shandon squinted his eyes at Tovalen, looking haggard and angry. Kendall flitted from person to person, trying to lighten the mood with jokes. Okane and Olane whispered in a language I didn’t recognize. Kea and Moab stood huddled by Hirschi, Kea’s future master.

  Oberin stood by the window. He turned back, a look of alarm on his face. “Who was our Timekeeper today?”

  No one heard him. “We must leave now,” Oberin said loudly, and this time Soa took notice.

  “Who was the Timekeeper today?” he asked in turn.

  “It doesn’t matter. Gather everyone. Pay attention.” Oberin vaulted onto a chair. “It’s dusk. We must leave.”

  Kendall was at my elbow. “Come on. Let’s get you downstairs.”

  “The others?”

  “Some have to do the closing ceremony. Let’s go.”

  “What happens at dusk?” I asked, as we ran down the steps.

  “The tower vanishes. Our creed is light and air, and our power comes from the sunlit sky.” I was relieved to hear more steps behind me. The evacuation was in progress.

  “Why did Oberin and Soa ask about the Timekeeper?”

  “The Timekeeper is supposed to track the time. It doesn’t pass normally up there. Sometimes it goes fast, and sometimes it slows down.”

  “Do you know who the Timekeeper was today?” I asked, seized by a premonition.

  Kendall looked at me, pity in her eyes. “It was Shandon’s turn. Don’t say anything to him. He’s still fragile.”

  CHAPTER 28

  Berona

  I’d gotten up early to watch Hirschi and Shandon ride off in search of a training camp. Shandon looked pale but resolute. Hirschi had his usual impenetrable expression.

  Shandon had explained their plan to all the acolytes yesterday. The local farmers led their cows up to the lush mountain pastures when the weather turned warm and brought them back down to the homesteads with the advent of winter. The high hills around Yassin were dotted with simple wooden shelters where the herders stayed in the summer, along with stalls for milking the cows and the odd cheese-making shed. He and Hirschi would look for buildings in good condition, which could be repurposed as huts for us. Once they’d agreed on a place, Hirschi would approach the owners and make them an offer for winter usage, while Shandon would start working on spells for protection.

  Kendall, Shandon, and Hirschi agreed they would not disclose the location to anyone at Yassin. They did not trust the Council anymore. They would lead the acolytes there as soon as things were readied. One of them would come back to Yassin periodically for supplies, which Oberin would gather together.

  “We’ll keep you safe from her until you are ready,” Shandon said. “Then we’ll go to that damned Forest of Bones and destroy it. We’ll find a way.” His grief had hardened into a new determination.

  Kendall fetched me for a practice session after breakfast. She insisted I get used to wearing a heavy chainmail vest. I fell hard trying to avoid her thrust. After she had a good laugh at my expense, she gave me the afternoon off.

  Following a lunch of stewed cabbage, onions, and lamb, I strolled the grounds with Oberin, admiring the fallow garden, fenced against the hens and rabbits, and the sturdy pens of wooly sheep.

  We scuffed through the copper and scarlet leaves of the forest to a lookout from which we could see the deep va
lley and the twinkle of a river. In the north gray clouds amassed. Soon the winter snows would come for good. By then we’d be on lower ground, training from the break of dawn until the candles burned down at night.

  Still, no one could tell me how much training I’d need to face the Demon. Shandon merely said I would know when it was time.

  “You’re shivering,” Oberin said. “Should we go back to Yassin?”

  I was well wrapped in woolens and furs from the store rooms. It was not winter that made me cold. “It’s so frightening. To think I’ll be fighting that evil creature someday.”

  Oberin turned to me, his face serious. “We call her a demon, but in ancient times she was known as the First Mother. When men and Kijari structured the world to suit their needs for shelter and food, the Elementals lost their wild places. They are her children. She wants to protect them.”

  “The Elementals are terrible too!” I thought of the bloated Red killed that summer day at the farm. I had felt suffocated by the sickly-sweet smell of flowers.

  “They have no love for man. Given cause and opportunity, they will kill us. But is a wolf evil to kill sheep?”

  “Perhaps not evil. But all the same, the sheep must be kept safe.”

  Oberin pointed in the distance. “Two riders approach. Looks like Biruac’s come back with Rheyna.” Biruac had been sent to fetch her, so she could be trained along with the rest of us.

  It had only been a few months since I’d seen her, and we’d never been close, but she was from my village. “Let’s go welcome them,” I said, starting to run.

  * * *

  Biruac stomped off after grunting a greeting. I’d only met Delphine in passing, but she was gorgeous, and I thought Biruac might be on his way to plead his case with her. I welcomed Rheyna and led her to the women’s quarters, where I showed her a free bed near mine before leading her to the washroom.

  “I’m glad to see a familiar face,” Rheyna admitted.

  She’d put on some weight. It looked good on her. Impulsively I took her hand. “Wash up, and then you can come to supper with me and meet everyone.”