‘Enough. I see what you’re made of. Although how the hell you lifted and threw me I don’t know. That wasn’t a spell was it?’
‘She used no magic,’ Vako confirmed.
‘You next,’ Bruno said to Jim. The gentle looking man was clearly upset and rattled having witnessed Amelie’s bruising fight. Vako had suggested this timing purposely.
Jim could do nothing but touch Amelie gently as they passed one another. In stark contrast to Amelie, Jim didn’t try and evade Bruno’s attack. He’d watched the soldiers wrestling and the savagery of the big battle following was fresh in his mind from the replay this morning. He landed in the dirt heavily several times but kept getting up and attacking. He was aware Bruno was able to evade many of his blows simply because of his inexperience and ineptitude. That did his temper no favours.
‘Enough,’ Bruno called. Regardless of Jim’s inexperience, he was fit and strong. The blows he had managed to land were painful. ‘He’s got more spirit and aggression than I would have expected. I’ll remember not to challenge him again straight after bloodying his girl!’ Bruno said ruefully to Vako.
‘She’s his weakness and his strength,’ Vako said musingly. ‘But is he hers?’ They eyed the pair sitting so close to one another again. ‘Let’s get the practice swords out and set everyone sparring,’ Vako suggested. He waved Jim and Amelie down to join them and turned to watch the other students begin sparring.
‘So what did you learn from us out there?’ Jim asked, slightly sharply.
‘Your reaction in anger to a challenge and that you have unexpected potential,’ Vako said to Jim. ‘You’ve been learning from someone.’
‘Watching, but not actually doing it,’ Jim corrected but slightly mollified by Vako’s tacit approval and now understanding why he’d deliberately been baited.
‘And me?’ Amelie asked. ‘Why did he laugh?’
Vako glanced at Bruno. ‘You impressed him. Once you stopped running away anyway,’ Vako added and noted her eyes narrow again. It was clear she disliked being considered cowardly. Jim stepped forward a pace but she put a hand on his arm and stopped him.
‘So, who has the skill with this sword you brought with you?’ Bruno asked picking it up and eyeing them and it.
‘It’s good for show,’ Amelie said calmly. ‘Jim had the crossbow. That is mine,’ she added.
‘So you know how to use it?’ Bruno persisted.
‘We told you before, we’ve not had any combat training,’ Amelie said in annoyance. ‘Please, go ahead and show everyone how to beat up a girl again. I’m sure they’ll be impressed,’ she added acidly. ‘Or are we actually here to learn anything?’
Bruno put the high quality and very sharp sword down with studied calm. She was baiting him purposely. He collected a pair of the wooden practice swords and opened the barrier. She followed him in and Vako clicked the barrier shut after them. Bruno threw a sword so it landed point down at her feet. He watched her pick it up and heft it experimentally. Her eyes barely left his though, not leaving much chance of taking her unawares.
‘Ok, copy this motion,’ he instructed curious as to what she was truly capable of with a little tuition. She waved her sword in the same precise motions he had and he nodded. ‘Now parry my sword,’ he said approaching properly. They crossed swords batting at each other slowly at first but then increasingly fast. She already held the sword properly and there was obvious strength in her arms. ‘Ok, this is another move. Try and block me,’ he added.
Amelie watched his eyes rather than his sword. She could tell how he was going to move before it happened. Suddenly she felt a hard slap and stared back at Bruno in surprise. Jim was now close by.
‘Concentrate on me, not your boyfriend,’ Bruno snapped. He’d noticed her attention had kept flicking to Jim, now paired with one of the older students. But after that one hit and despite only part of her attention being on her own fight he was unable to get past her guard again. He stopped and they took a breather.
Vako was watching Jim’s fight. The student chosen to fight Jim was of similar height and build. Jim was fitter and stronger but his opponent far more skilled. Jim was barely holding his own however. Not very surprising Amelie thought since she hadn’t heard one pointer or piece of advice. He was simply trying to avoid being whacked too many times. The blows that connected seemed to badly jar him.
‘Maybe he should actually have a lesson first,’ Amelie said to Bruno, aware he was closely watching too. She also noted Bruno seemed surprised and concerned. ‘What’s that student’s name?’
‘Marko,’ Bruno said quietly.
‘He’s one of your most experienced students in swordplay isn’t he?’ Amelie asked seeing him perform several complicated manoeuvres that again felled Jim painfully.
Bruno nodded unhappily. This was not a fair contest and was being allowed to go on longer than it should. Jim was taking unacceptable punishment.
‘Are you going to intervene or am I being set up too?’ Amelie asked sharply.
Bruno shrugged; Vako hadn’t said what he planned. He glanced at Amelie; she was obviously furious.
Jim landed in the dirt again; he had a hand on his ribs and the other arm hung limply. Amelie had had enough. She strode forward and stood between Jim and Marko. ‘Enough. This is not an even match; setting your strongest student on a complete novice.’ She could tell Marko was very relieved it was over and kept glancing up at Vako.
‘Why did you intervene?’ Vako asked, appearing angry. But she was not remotely cowed by his display.
‘Because you wanted me to,’ Amelie said eyeing him. ‘You sought to harm him just to test me when I’m angry. That’s a very foolish thing to do,’ she informed him coldly.
‘What are you doing?’ Vako asked feeling magic gathering.
‘Checking how many bones are broken and fixing them,’ she said, without glancing away from Jim.
‘I can do that,’ Vako said, his tone markedly more conciliatory. Perhaps he realised he’d allowed things to go too far.
‘You’ve done enough,’ she snapped. She rose to her feet glaring at him then closed her eyes for a moment. Her whole body seemed to shimmer for a split second. She looked up; her swollen black eye and split lip were healed as were all the other small injuries she’d sustained today. Now without those nagging her and distorting her vision she could concentrate on Jim.
‘Is he ok?’ Marko asked her tentatively. His opponent lay still and silent in the frozen sand, clearly in a lot of pain.
‘I’ll make sure he will be,’ Amelie said and eyed the young man. ‘I’ve just set three broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder and broken finger.’
‘I did all that?’ Marko asked wincing. ‘I’m so sorry. I had no idea my blows were causing so much damage. I didn’t think I was hitting him hard. I mean I could see he was a novice and didn’t know how to defend himself properly.’
‘Let me see that sword,’ Amelie said suddenly. ‘This has been tampered with,’ she told him, her lips thinning. ‘Strike my sword with it,’ she instructed raising hers up in a parry position. The force of his blow was twice what he put in to it. Her sword was nearly knocked out of her hand. She grabbed Marko’s sword, strode over to the heavy wooden barrier and swung the sword into it. A normal wooden sword would either have snapped or bounced off. This did neither. This sword sank into the wood like an axe. Not only Marko was staring at this evidence of the sword’s altered state, the other students and Bruno were too. She left it there without comment, aware Bruno was shocked and now staring at Vako, and returned to Jim’s side. Marko helped her gently lift Jim to his feet and between them they supported him to the horse shed. Once up on a horse he seemed slightly more comfortable, but despite the bones having been set the flesh all over his upper half was bruised and battered and he had some torn muscles. He was in a lot of pain. Amelie got up behind him on his horse. She wrapped her arms about him holding him in place and urged the horse back towards the house. En-route she managed to fi
gure out how to block his pain, giving him some relief.
She put him straight to bed, worried sick about him. She lay beside him keeping contact and taking his pain into her. When he was finally able to get comfortable enough to sleep she reduced the pain relief slightly. It was very tiring to maintain the concentration required to sustain a spell, particularly when her body instinctively tried to avoid pain, but she didn’t care about that. In this way she knew she could truly help and she fell asleep beside him still linked.
Jim woke to the sound of the dinner bell. Amelie stirred but didn’t fully wake. They were mind linked he abruptly realised. He followed her presence and found she’d erected strong pain barriers in his mind. Maintaining them was drastically sapping her strength.
‘Amelie, it’s time to wake,’ he said into her mind. Her eyes fluttered open. ‘Hello my love,’ he said warmly. ‘It’s time to release me. You’re using too much of your strength.’
‘But your pain was so bad,’ she said. ‘I had to take it for you.’
Her love and concern washed over him like a balm. ‘The dinner bell has just rung. We need to eat to restore ourselves. And I don’t want them to think me seriously injured and therefore vulnerable.’
She helped him up and released the last of the pain blockers unsustainable except by direct contact. He gasped at the sudden onslaught of pain, but stopped her coming back. ‘It’s not as bad as earlier. Thank you.’ She’d removed his dirty jacket and boots earlier; but the shirt and jumper he’d worn underneath were clean enough. She straightened his rather wild hair swiftly and they hurried to the dining room. At the door Jim stood apart from Amelie and walked slowly but unaided to his place at the head table. They were aware of many stares but ignored them.
‘Where’s Vako?’ Jim asked Max as they sat down.
‘He’s not terribly popular tonight so is eating in his room. He does that from time to time,’ Max told them with a frown of concern over his colleague’s behaviour. ‘I must apologise for him. I don’t know what he was thinking treating you both so roughly. Bruno tore him off a strip I can tell you. He said you have broken bones?’
‘Three broken ribs and a finger. I also had a dislocated shoulder,’ Jim said. ‘Bones are easy to see and repair, but muscle isn’t.’ He turned back the collar of his shirt. His shoulder was turning many livid shades as the bruises developed. ‘These will be sore for quite a while.’
‘Marko is devastated,’ Bruno told them from further down the table.
‘His sword had a will of its own, taking each blow and doubling the force. It also felt like an iron bar,’ Amelie commented evenly. ‘I was watching. He wasn’t trying to be destructive. He was trying to do the right thing.’
‘Kathy’s just got back,’ Max said. ‘She seems very quiet and withdrawn.’
Amelie followed his gaze and found Kathy sitting quietly amongst her boisterous dining companions. She met Amelie’s eyes and tilted her head questioningly. Amelie nodded and returned her attention to her dinner.
‘What was that all about?’ Max asked having observed both women had communicated without words.
‘I’ll see her after dinner,’ Amelie explained. ‘Although I’m not feeling at full strength so I hope she’s fairly sorted.’ Amelie ate everything on her plate and also anything else in reach. Max noticed; this was an aspect of being an animus he was familiar with. He silently passed over any serving bowl in range so she could finish up all the leftovers. Jim ate plenty too. Doubtless those injuries he’d sustained earlier had taken a lot out of him.
Once dinner had finished and students were leaving the hall, Kathy arrived at Amelie’s side.
‘Is there a private room nearby we can use?’ Amelie asked Max.
‘Certainly. This way.’
Jim rose intending to come too and Amelie quickly helped support him. They went into the staff sitting room and all sat down.
‘Tell us what you saw today,’ Amelie asked Kathy.
‘I found a nice sheltered spot. Nothing happened for a while then suddenly I saw lots of creatures. They seemed to look at me for a moment, then go on about their business. It was a bizarre but good feeling. What was happening?’
‘You were finally embracing nature and the creatures could sense it. They let you see them because they no longer felt you were a threat to them. What creature stirred you most?’ Amelie asked.
‘I’m not sure,’ Kathy said and twisted her hands in her lap.
‘You’re fighting the recognition again,’ Amelie told her with a small frown. ‘Let me see,’ she added and moved over to Kathy’s chair. She waited for Kathy’s permission before dropping her hand onto her shoulder. She saw in her mind a cold but pretty glade populated by a succession of animals. Linked as she was she could feel Kathy’s emotions regarding each; her awe at a majestic stag, her wariness of a lynx, her unhappiness at seeing a rabbit. All these feelings paled before the arrival of a wolf. The wolf seemed to smile at her, his head tilted and sharply pricked ears attentive. He sat down near her, curling a thick fluffy tail around his paws and Kathy felt they were communicating, commiserating at the cold damp weather. He heard a rustle and was suddenly off stalking. There was a swift pounce, sharp squeal and he ran off with the rabbit in his jaws.
‘I see your creature and why you resist it,’ Amelie told her. ‘Kathy you are a wolf. Yes they often eat rabbits, but that doesn’t mean you have to. A wolf is a good creature to be and one you can be proud of. They are respected by others, and loyal to their friends and family. Like a person, all creatures have good and bad sides. That’s nature’s balance. The animus man Lord Dirk sent to track us was a wolf. Once we got to know Daniel we found him a good friend. He’s also an excellent kisser,’ she couldn’t help adding with a grin.
‘Hey!’ Jim complained. ‘I thought you said you didn’t like kissing him?’
‘Just because I didn’t fancy him didn’t mean he was an inept kisser,’ Amelie told him.
Jim knew he was being teased just to lighten Kathy’s mood; she’d certainly smiled, albeit briefly.
‘How do I become a wolf then?’ Kathy asked uneasily.
‘Close your eyes and picture that wolf again. Let the image fill you up. Remember how he moves, the proportions of his body. See the shape of his head, his feet, his body and tail. Feel how warm and thick his coat is and how soft it will be to touch.’
Jim glanced at Max; he was staring at Kathy intently, watching her form shimmer. Paws replaced hands and thick gray fur sprouted all over her altering body. Slowly, each part changed, until a wolf stood beside the chair, still wearing Kathy’s clothes.
‘Let me get these off for you,’ Amelie said, removing the clothes from Kathy’s transformed body. ‘Come and have a look in the mirror.’
The wolf yelped at her reflection, but then stared and turned this way and that.
‘Your feet should be a little bigger and your whole frame could be a little larger,’ Amelie told her and happily watched Kathy grow. Her tail became longer and fluffy and her coat lightened in colour to a pale gray. ‘You not only look right, but make a beautiful wolf,’ Amelie told her. ‘How do you feel?’
‘Weird,’ Kathy admitted.
‘Your aura now fits your skin,’ Jim told her.
‘Go outside and run,’ Amelie suggested. ‘You’ll learn about your body and relax into it quickly doing that.’ She opened the door for her and found a big hound in the corridor.
He sniffed uncertainly but then came forward. ‘Kathy?’
‘Run with her,’ Amelie suggested and watched the pair touch noses then Kathy was off running swiftly down the corridor, her hound by her side.
‘I wasn’t expecting a wolf,’ Max commented once they’d gone. ‘Rather different in temperament to a rabbit. No wonder she was struggling. Do you think it will be a good change for her? It is late in life to find your true shape.’
‘Only time will tell,’ Amelie said simply. ‘But the signs look promising so far. Her boyfriend will pr
obably be able to help reassure her. They are similar enough to make a strong team.’
‘They’re outside,’ Jim advised, sensing their presences pass the window. Max turned off the light and went to the window. He and Amelie with their animus vision could see well in the dark but Jim could not. He rose and joined Amelie. He took her hand and suddenly he was seeing through her eyes. The wolf and the big dog raced around outside, chasing each other and obviously in high spirits. The wolf bowled over the dog who looked so surprised that Amelie laughed. Next moment he’d leapt up and bowled her over. They rolled around on the floor wrestling and mock snapping their teeth at one another. Amelie decided the wolf’s wrestling was turning amorous so she briskly ushered the men from the window.
‘Let’s leave them some privacy,’ she suggested pointedly.
‘Tomorrow’s a rest day,’ Max said settling back into his armchair and having put the light back on. ‘The breakfast bell will be an hour later so everyone can have a bit of a lay-in. Lunch will be served cold buffet style and be available most of the day. Dinner will be at the usual time. Feel free to suit yourselves. There’s a small town just down the road, well village really, with some stores. Many of the students will probably be down there at the cake shop stocking up on sweets!’
‘I used to do that,’ Jim laughed remembering his Academy days. ‘It feels a very long time ago now. But I could certainly do with a day in bed.’
Amelie: Wizards of White Haven Page 24