Next to Master Mara was another elven woman, who Ruethwyn suspected was Cora. The woman had odd blue hair that reminded Ruethwyn of a lake, and she was pretty, almost as beautiful as Anara. The woman was shorter than Master Mara and wore white robes with blue trim, along with the circular blue holy symbol of the Princess with a tiny sapphire set into the middle of it hanging from a necklace.
“I woke up in the middle of the conversation, and chose not to interrupt, as it’s all too likely that you might’ve tried to soften the explanation if you’d known I was awake,” Ruethwyn replied quietly, looking at the teacher directly as she shook her head slowly. “I knew that my condition was bad, but not that bad. I suppose that focusing on enchanted items is truly my best option.”
“I’m sorry that it was broken to you in that manner, but I wouldn’t have lied to you about it, Ruethwyn,” the woman said, smiling gently as she added, “I’m Cora, head of the Tower of Water and priestess of the Princess. I also run the infirmary, which is why I’m here. How do you feel?”
“Like half my mana veins started splintering,” Ruethwyn replied dryly, slowly pushing herself into an upright position. “At least I know why it’s always so painful to use magic now.”
“Ruethwyn, I hate to suggest it, but I’m beginning to think that maybe you should drop out of the academy, at least for now,” Master Mara said, and Ruethwyn almost felt her heart stop.
“Emrick!” Cora said, her voice filled with outrage, but the man raised a hand before either she or Ruethwyn could say anything more.
“Hear me out, please,” Master Mara said, looking between them. “I’m not saying this out of ill will.”
“Why are you suggesting it, then?” Ruethwyn asked, trying to suppress the faint sense of betrayal at his suggestion. He’d said she’d been a model student.
“I know a few magi who’ve been to the heartlands, and in particular, to the Great Library of Karakar. I’m willing to call in a few favors with them to get you there. I know you have a good deal of wealth that Sinera left you, and it should allow you to get access to some of their number who can heal you,” Master Mara explained, frowning as he continued. “The route is dangerous, though, so you’d have to take a roundabout path, which probably would take a few months, and even there… you heard Cora. It’d likely take years to put you back together properly, but they could do it, Ruethwyn. A few years is nothing, and you likely could continue your training there, then return and rejoin the class. You might even be able to pass your trials of mastery before them.”
“Oh!” Cora’s eyes went wide, and she murmured, just loud enough to be heard. “True, the Karakar would know how to fix something like this if anyone could, wouldn’t they? Why didn’t I think of it?”
“Because you tend to think of priests when trying to heal someone, not the Lorekeepers,” Master Mara said, shaking his head. “I don’t blame you. Still, what do you think, Ruethwyn?”
Ruethwyn felt her emotions swirling oddly at his offer. The idea of going to the Great Library… she shivered at the very thought, as the handful of descriptions of the elven city had left her disbelieving. That a minor clan of archivists had created a city with one of the greatest repositories of knowledge and magic in the world over the centuries was almost unbelievable, and she longed to see it one day. It was so very tempting… but when she remembered Anara and the other villagers, and Essryl’s promise… Ruethwyn shook her head.
“Thank you, Master Mara, but as tempting as your offer is, I must decline,” Ruethwyn told him, looking down at her hand. “If circumstances were different, I very well might take you up on it, but I don’t have the time to do so.”
“Why?” Master Mara asked, looking slightly taken aback. “I mean… it is your decision, but why don’t you have time?”
“I… I don’t remember if I told Sir Whisperblade about this, or anyone else, for that matter, but if I did, I doubt they would’ve believed me,” Ruethwyn said, shifting in place and hesitating. “Could I get some water? My throat is parched.”
“Easily,” Cora said, quickly pouring water into the mug from the pitcher and offering it to Ruethwyn, the woman’s blue eyes filled with curiosity. “What didn’t you tell him? I’ve heard of Sir Whisperblade; he’s highly regarded by Her Majesty.”
“I don’t know if I told him, but it didn’t seem enormously important. When I was injured… an Illisyr was there. She used magic to keep me from dying somehow,” Ruethwyn said, taking a sip of the water and hesitating again before she admitted, “Essryl, that was her name, was amused that I’d tried to fight back. Because she thought I was interesting, she promised me something.”
“An Illisyr? There was a dark elf there?” Cora’s smile vanished and she paled abruptly. “Oh. Oh, goddess above… you met her? The dragon’s pet monster?”
“Illisyr aren’t monsters, Cora,” Master Mara interjected, frowning at her. “Powerful and deadly, yes, but not monsters. What I’ve heard of the one that serves him has been intimidating, though.”
“They may as well be monsters. They’ve shifted and twisted their bodies over millennia until they’re hardly elves at all anymore, if they ever were,” Cora spat, her anger startling Ruethwyn, at least until she remembered that the Princess and the Dowager were oppositional, and that the Illisyr were the chosen of the latter. Even so, Cora’s rage was shockingly potent.
“Regardless, she promised me that she’d ensure that the captives were relatively untouched for two years, that she could drag out their training that long,” Ruethwyn interrupted, changing the subject. “It was implied that it was conditional on whether or not I kept trying to get strong enough to come free them myself, though.”
“That’s…” Master Mara’s voice trailed off for a moment, then he spoke, leaning forward and with his hands on the edge of the bed. “Ruethwyn, you can’t be serious! I have my doubts that you’ll be able to pass the survival training near the end of the winter, let alone get strong enough to face a dragon of his power inside of a year and a half! How do you even know that she’s going to keep her word? As much as I may disagree with Cora where the Illisyr are concerned, what reason does a dark elf have to keep her word to you?”
“What reason does she have to lie?” Ruethwyn asked, sipping at the water as she settled back in the bed. “I would’ve died, Master Mara. I have no doubts about that… no one showed up for a day, and my injuries should’ve killed me. I don’t know how Essryl healed me, but she did. As for her promise, it’s been the only thing that’s kept me going since I was injured.”
“That’s suicide, though! Resvarygrath… I’ve heard that he’s an archmage, Ruethwyn! He’s bad enough as a dragon, but his mastery of magic is beyond that of anyone in the kingdom!” Master Mara argued. “How could you possibly face him as you are?”
“Face him? I doubt I could face Essryl and survive,” Ruethwyn replied, a giggle managing to escape her as she shook her head. “No, that isn’t my plan at all.”
“What’s your plan, then?” Cora asked, her annoyance at the dark elf’s existence fading.
“I have no chance of taking anyone head-on. My only chance is to be subtler than others have been,” Ruethwyn said, taking a deep breath and letting it out, closing her eye as she did so. “I’m hoping to create the items I need to sneak in, rescue them, and get out without being noticed. A frontal assault would never work.”
“That… is at least better than what I was afraid you were thinking of,” Master Mara said, his tone grudging. “I still don’t think it’s a good idea or goal, not for someone as young as you are.”
“It’s all that I have, Master Mara,” Ruethwyn said softly, opening her eye to look at him again, grief welling up so intensely that tears began to trickle down her cheek. “I lost everything. My parents, my teacher, and even the person I hadn’t confessed to. If I don’t try to rescue them… I can’t bear to think of that. I have to keep trying, or I’ll break, just like my mana core.”
The two teachers were sile
nt for a long minute, before finally Master Mara sighed, shaking his head.
“So be it. The choice is yours in the end… but speaking of your mana core, why did you cast that spell, Ruethwyn? You didn’t stop to think or anything else,” Master Mara asked. “You startled everyone when you did that.”
“It was a dragon, made of fire,” Ruethwyn replied, her tone going flat and shivering at the memory. “I have an aversion to fire after what’s happened, and that didn’t help. Now I know that it must’ve been something that someone summoned, but the only thought in my head was to stop it for long enough that people could run away.”
“I see. I suppose you certainly managed that,” Master Mara said, his tone desert-dry. “The ice wall you put up was more than a foot thick, and highly resilient to fire for some reason. We’re fortunate that it didn’t disrupt the circle, but it took some time to deal with.”
“My apologies, Master Mara. May I ask who summoned the elemental, so that I can apologize in person?” Ruethwyn asked.
“Lissa. It turns out that she has an affinity for summoning, and the dragon in question is bonded to her. That’s why she was able to summon a fifth rank elemental without training,” Master Mara replied, frowning as he added, “Right now I’m not certain that keeping the two of you in the same class is wise, but we’ll see what happens.”
“I… I see. I’d felt that something was off about her, but I had no idea she had such a talent,” Ruethwyn said, frowning and setting the mug aside. “Still, I should apologize and go get some sleep. I’m exhausted.”
“You can apologize tomorrow, and rest here. I’m not letting you out of the infirmary until I’m sure you aren’t going to collapse,” Cora said firmly.
“But—” Ruethwyn began, but Master Mara shook his head.
“No, she’s right. You’re not going anywhere for the rest of the day, Ruethwyn,” the teacher said firmly. “Lay back down.”
“Very well,” Ruethwyn replied reluctantly, and laid down as the two teachers left her bedside.
Chapter 24
“Are you alright to do this, Rue? You were confined to the infirmary overnight,” Sella said, sounding slightly concerned as she glanced at Korima in hesitation, then slipped out of her robe slowly.
“They kept me there because the priestess wanted to be certain I wasn’t going to relapse, collapse, or suddenly have a heart attack and die,” Ruethwyn replied dryly, pausing in the middle of opening the wardrobe as she added, “Oh, or have my mana core outright explode in my chest. That would’ve been messy.”
“You what?” Korima yelped, her eyes going wide in horror as she stared at Ruethwyn’s chest. Sella had frozen in place as well, but Korima quickly demanded. “You only used a potent spell; it shouldn’t be that bad! Should it?”
“I used a powerful spell with a significantly heavier mana expenditure than normal through mana veins that were more significantly damaged than I’d believed they were,” Ruethwyn explained, shrugging as she hesitated, then added, “The worries were not without merit.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Rue!” Sella said, looking stunned and contrite as she added, “And here I am asking you to use more magic. I’m sorry, if we need to we can just forget about the dress.”
“No, no… small spells aren’t a problem, Sella, and this is small,” Ruethwyn told her, shaking her head and pulling out the hanger holding the dress. The red dress was simple and elegant, vaguely patterned off the ones that Yalline wore, save with a few more frills and ornate embroidery. The seams were inside out at the moment and held together by pins, so Ruethwyn nodded, looking at Korima as she added, “Korima? Would you mind helping Sella put this on? I’d help, but I’m afraid that one hand won’t be much use.”
“Sure! You’re alright with that, Sella?” Korima asked, grinning broadly as she glanced at the other woman.
“Of course. I’m just… it’s very pretty, Rue. Even if it isn’t quite finished yet,” Sella said, staring at the dress and smiling at Ruethwyn.
“I’m glad you like it, but the key is to make sure it fits now. Come on, you two,” Ruethwyn said.
Korima eagerly took the dress, and between Sella and the kitsune, they quickly figured out how to put it on, and without stabbing Sella with any of the pins. Once it was on, Korima stepped back and spoke brightly. “There we go! I’m surprised at how well it fits, Rue.”
“It’s not done yet, Korima, and there are a few places I need to take in the seams slightly,” Ruethwyn replied, frowning thoughtfully before she asked, “Sella? Mind walking around the room and telling me if you need me to loosen things anywhere?”
“Sure, I can do that,” Sella agreed, and quickly walked around the small room, stretching her arms and rotating them, checking to see if she had enough mobility. It took a minute, but eventually Sella stopped and said, “I think it’s pretty good from my perspective. Maybe adjust the arms a little so they can go backward more easily? It’s a little tight.”
“That’s easy enough. I left enough fabric to let things out if we needed to,” Ruethwyn agreed, stepping forward and adjusting the arm seams. At one point, she asked, “Korima, could you hold the seam for me while I pin it?”
Once done there, she brought in the seams around the waist slightly and studied it, saying. “Alright… I think that’ll do it. Does it feel good to you?”
“Yes, I think so,” Sella said, smiling slowly. “I think this is the least stressful fitting I’ve ever had for clothing, honestly. It’s amazing how simple you made it!”
“Simple is merely a matter of perspective. I’ll admit that this one has turned out well, though,” Ruethwyn replied, smiling and adding, “If you’d take it off again? I don’t want to finish it while you’re wearing the dress. With all the pins involved, that seems a little too likely to end with blood.”
“Sure! You’re finishing it right now, then?” Sella asked, quickly moving to undo the laces. “I thought you’d wait until later.”
“Yes, that’s the plan. Getting the dimensions right was the hard part, now is the easiest portion, as far as I’m concerned,” Ruethwyn replied, pulling out her pincushion and a spindle of thread.
“We get to watch, then?” Korima asked, her voice eager as she helped Sella lift the dress over her head carefully. “I’ve been wondering what it looks like, when you use this type of magic.”
“Yes, you can watch, Korima. It isn’t going to be that impressive, though. Watching seams turn inside out, then thread sew them into place… it isn’t like it’s as interesting as watching someone summon something,” Ruethwyn replied.
“I don’t know about that. I mean, summoning the poison eater was interesting, but it was here, then gone. You’re making something permanent with your spell,” Sella said, slipping her robe back on and letting out a sigh of relief. “I envy you, there.”
“It’s why I’m looking forward to the artificing classes with Vrenne!” Korima said, bouncing in place with her ears perked up. “Those will be neat!”
“Don’t get too excited. Artificing is somewhat boring and requires a fair amount of precision… which is somewhat difficult for me, actually,” Ruethwyn said, then smiled. “Now, let’s get started, shall we?”
Both women stepped back, watching as Ruethwyn approached the dress, looking it over carefully and fixing what she was doing in her mind, as well as the order she’d sew the seams in. She didn’t want to mess up, not with an audience of sorts. It took a bit, but eventually she thought she had things in order, and she drew on her mana core, suppressing a hiss at the sharper pain that came with it this time. Her mana veins would heal as long as she didn’t overdo it, but in the meantime, it made the discomfort far worse.
She began her incantation, weaving the threads of mana carefully as she watched the dress, which shivered in front of her. Moments later, it slowly rose into the air and the pins along one sleeve retracted one after another, darting over to the pincushion for storage. A moment later, the spool began to whirl, disgorging a length o
f thread as the fabric of the seam inverted to hide where the sewing would occur. The thread darted inside the sleeve to sew the fabric in place and cut itself a few moments later as the magic moved onward.
The dress quickly continued the pattern as the pins were removed, the fabric adjusting itself so that it could be sewn in place, and after about five minutes of concentration, Ruethwyn relaxed, allowing the spell to come to an end with relief as she murmured, “There we go.”
“That was neat! Oops!” Korima said, darting forward to keep the dress from falling to the floor. “Rue, that was close!”
“Sorry, sorry… I wasn’t thinking about that part,” Ruethwyn said, feeling slightly chagrined. “Sella, I hope you like it.”
“I love it already, Rue. Thank you so much,” Sella said, the young woman hesitating for a moment, then darting forward to kiss Ruethwyn on the cheek, flushing slightly. “I hate the idea of taking money from people, like Tadrick offered… so thank you so much.”
“You’re… you’re welcome, Sella,” Ruethwyn replied, blinking in surprise, a little stunned by Sella’s reaction. She’d expected nothing more than thanks, which made it a little strange to her.
“Alright, my turn, Rue!” Korima said, almost tossing the dress to Sella and stripping off her robe. Ruethwyn flushed slightly as she realized that the kitsune was far curvier than she’d expected. A moment later, a tail appeared behind Korima, the foxlike tail tipped in white and otherwise matching Korima’s hair as it nearly reached the floor, and Korima sighed happily. “Ah, that’s better! I don’t like always keeping my tail cooped up.”
“I… suppose it wouldn’t be the most pleasant thing. I assume you want me to make your dress with a tail-hole, then?” Ruethwyn asked, looking at the tail with a bit of surprise. She’d known that kitsune had them, but seeing it appear like that was a bit of a shock.
“Definitely! My mother would likely have a fit if I hid it when visiting her,” Korima confirmed.
The Avatar's Flames (Through the Fire Book 1) Page 18