“I wish I knew more about life outside of my books.”
“Hailey.” Nazarie’s tone became more serious. “I wanted you to hear this from me, not Altis. To continue your studies of The Edge, you will be going back to River's End.”
“What? Why?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. River's End was my old village. The one from which my aunt helped me to escape. I wanted nothing to do with it. “Do you think he will be there?” I asked. I couldn't handle running into my father. I hadn't ever even pictured the day that I would.
“You are a trained Weaver now.”
“Do you think my father is evil? Is that why he killed my mother?”
“The world is far too complex to condense to just good and evil. Take The Edge, for example. I truly believe it is a forest fire. Maybe it is not evil. I think you will help us come to terms with what it means.”
“The Apparition said The Edge was evil.”
“Did it say that The Edge itself was evil?”
“Well, I guess not.” I paused, reflecting on the exact words. “Evil melting without knowing. It didn’t say who or what was evil. Maybe it was not The Edge.” I shrugged. “Maybe instead of writing that report we should have spent more time analyzing the exact words of the Apparition.”
“I don’t think so,” Nazarie said. “I think you are plenty prepared. Do you remember anything from before I came to get you?” We’d never spoken of the past, from before I’d come to the Keep. I think she always respected that I didn’t want to talk about it. Besides, it had no bearing on my life here.
“Bits and pieces. Over the past couple years, more has been coming back, but it’s like a painting ripped in pieces. I can see a partial scene, but there are hard edges where there ought to be something else beyond. I've always thought of it as somewhat of a blessing that I can’t remember some of those things happening to me.”
“I want you to promise me one thing.”
“Anything.”
“When you see familiar sights, you will remember. But some of it will be your mind trying to fill in holes in your memory. I want you to promise that—no matter what comes out, or what you think you remember—you will not forget that everything I did was for you. To protect you.” She leaned forward, seeming uncommonly anxious.
I hugged her. “You've been more than just an aunt to me. You're the only family I have.”
“When I took you from your village, I thought that I had saved you from ever having to go back out into the world.”
“You, Meena's family, and everyone else here have spent the past ten years trying to protect me from my past, but you can't.”
“Maybe. But that didn't keep me from trying.” She cleared her throat. “One last thing. I want to make it official before you go, but I had the paper work drafted up a couple years ago. I wanted to wait until the right time to ask you.” She took both of my hands in hers. “Will you let me adopt you and make you my official heir?”
I didn’t know what to say. I felt like such a jerk. Her surprise was ruined because I had poked around her room. I cried and we held onto each other.
# # #
After I left Nazarie, I went in search of Adine. I found him in the great garden of the castle-proper, lounging on a cushioned bench, nose deep in a book. Maybe there was hope for him yet. “Hailey!” He jumped up when he saw me.
“I’m sure you’ve heard that I’ve taken the Warrior Rite.”
“I have.” He set the book down on the bench and motioned for me to follow him. I don’t think there is a time quite as pretty as when late summer turns to early fall. The gardens spill forth with the last burst of colors before the trees turn to flames and the nights grow longer. We followed a gravel path through the center of the garden, toward a cluster of trees. “But, I hope you still want to start the university once you return.”
Stars and planets! There truly was nothing that I wanted more. But I pushed my eagerness aside. “That depends on you,” I said slowly, hoping I’d not overestimated his desire to see the university implemented.
“Go on.”
“My friend, Meena Ardile, is in need of assistance. May I speak openly?”
“I can’t help if I don’t know the problem.”
“Shezdon did not die of old age.”
Adine frowned. “Shezdon was an old man.”
“Don’t.” I cautioned. “You at least suspect something. If you help Meena in my absence, I will come start your university. That is my price.”
“Help her what?”
“Prove that Shezdon was murdered and bring those people to justice.”
“She’s an Ardile. Why would she need my help?”
“This requires a disconnected and discreet hand.”
“You overestimate me,” Adine said. “I don’t want that kind of trouble.”
For the length of a heartbeat, I thought about begging him to forget what I said. That I was sorry, that I desperately wanted the job. But I remembered Meena in the duel. I remembered her blocking only when she needed to, not overreaching. “I’m sorry we were unable to reach an agreement.” I turned to leave. The gravel crunched beneath my boots.
“Wait!” Adine called out, an undertone of recklessness in his voice. “You swear that you will start the university?”
“By all the planets,” I vowed. “So long as you keep Meena safe and do truly try to help. And don’t seek to test me. I won’t work with an oath breaker.”
“Nor will I,” Adine threatened, but then laughed. “Although, if you were an oath breaker, we by definition would not be working together.”
I did not return his smirk. “Do you swear to assist Meena and keep her safe?”
“I will do all in my power to assist her in finding Shezdon’s killer. But, from what I hear about Meena Ardile, keeping her safe might be out of my control.”
“Granted, but that’s the deal. Do you swear it?”
“By all the planets.”
Chapter 8
Meena came to my room an hour before sunrise. She opened a pack and removed Shezdon's book. “Everything is locked down,” Meena said as she placed the book in my bag. “It was more difficult than normal to smuggle this in. Also, Adine’s reached out.”
“That was quick,” I said.
“He’s already got a few theories.”
“But I thought Adine believed that Shezdon died from natural causes,” I said in mock shock.
“But he might not be able to hang around to help. Dybreakea is thinking about pulling out of the alliance. Between the attack in the library and the whole scandal with Shezdon, they don’t trust our defenses, although they do think awful highly of Altis.”
I snorted. “He’d like to know that, I’m sure.”
A knock came from the door, and Nazarie entered. Meena inhaled a sharp breath, and I forced a smile. A few seconds sooner and Nazarie would have seen the book or heard us chatting about Adine.
“It’s about that time,” she said.
“Well, I guess I'm ready,” I responded.
Nazarie grabbed the bag with my book before I could stop her. At my protests she just shook her head and smiled. “I’ve got it.”
Between us, Meena and I collected the other bags. I looked back one last time at the little room that had been mine for a decade. Nazarie had commissioned the walls painted pale blue for my fourteenth birthday. With the posters and notes taken down and the window without its cover, the walls reminded me of a clear spring sky, ready for new growth and new life. When I came back, I would have rooms in the Warrior Corridor, and some new Apprentice would be living here.
I tried to soak in the images of every nook I walked past. When I came back next year, everything would be different. Life here would continue on. People would change, perhaps not as much as I would, but everything would be different. I approached the heavy door that led to the courtyard. I stopped for a second and placed my hand on its smooth stucco surface. I wiped the tears from my eyes. Everything might be d
ifferent, but it could be a good different, if I let it. I pushed open the door, and we emerged into the darkness of pre-dawn morning.
Out in the courtyard, children were already running underfoot in every direction, shrieking to their friends. Vendors pushed their box carts shouting prices for roasted nuts and fried dough. All eyes snapped in my direction. Whispers followed in my wake and people ahead pointed. Even the children paused to consider me. I kept my eyes glued to my feet to avoid seeing the commotion and the stares.
“There are always a lot of people who come out to see these things, but this is ridiculous,” Meena remarked.
The hubbub rivaled the summer fair. I had felt uncomfortable in that crowd, too, but this was different. For one, I felt like a sideshow event, like a juggling monkey that everyone wanted to gawk at. Altis. He was the main tent, and loving every minute of it, I was sure.
Meena poked me. “Come on. At least pretend you are happy to be setting off.”
“I don't want all this attention,” I mumbled.
“Don't look like you are marching to your funeral!” Altis shouted as we drew nearer. Despite myself, I had to acknowledge that he was stunning in the early morning rays, mounted atop his black stallion.
“My funeral might be preferable to spending a year with him,” I muttered to Meena and Nazarie. “And I'm not a child.”
“I don’t envy you one bit,” Nazarie said. “I’m almost surprised that horse can carry both Altis and his ego.”
“Don't be melodramatic, you two. He is an arse, but at least he's attractive. There's a plus for you, Hailey. You’ve got some eye candy for the trip.” Meena nudged me, and despite myself, I laughed. Nazarie snorted.
“Lead Initiate, I bid you good travel,” Nazarie called out to Altis as we drew near enough for him to hear.
“Indeed, you do,” Altis said. “I hear that you are to assume my post while I am gone.” While Altis normally held an air of cool contempt in his voice, today his tone was extra crisp.
“Only until you return. As in all things I borrow, I will try to return it to its owner in a better state than how I receive it, Your Highness,” Nazarie said as she bowed slightly. I’d never heard anyone speak to Altis so boldly and Weavers never called Altis by his political name, but he took the remarks in stride.
“I’m sure you will try your very best.”
“As will you in keeping my heir safe,” Nazarie responded.
“She’s a big girl. Swordmaster Leham is confident she can help look after herself in a real battle situation. Her control of the Mist is very strong,” Altis said. He must have caught my smile because he quickly followed with, “But I agree. She will require watching. I’ll do my best.”
I handed my belongings to the attendant strapping supplies to the packhorse. I must admit that we made a grand procession, coming out of the citadel into the first rays of the sun. I hadn't been outside the city walls since I entered the Mist Weaver Apprenticeship. I enjoyed watching the wildlife and the forest. Altis seemed more than happy to ride silently, apparently immersed in his own thoughts. I had forgotten all the sounds that the birds made and the smells of the forest. I had forgotten how peaceful everything seemed in the middle of the forest. So far removed from Shezdon’s death, even if I toted with me the very book he died for.
Altis and I took a short break for lunch and hardly spoke.
Around four hours after lunch, Altis motioned at me to stop the horses. “Okay, let's make camp early tonight. I imagine that you haven't had to do this in a long time.”
“Not since I was twelve,” I responded.
“I don't want you to get in the way. Tend to the animals and then gather firewood while I get the campsite ready. We need to discuss what we have to do.”
I dismounted my horse, a pinto named Brischo, removed the saddles from the two horses, and disconnected the cart from the pack-mule. After rubbing down the horses and the mule, I set about trying to find dry sticks for the fire. I dallied, trying to put off the time that I would have to sit and speak with Altis. I brought the wood back to the campsite and watched as Altis arranged some stones into a circle for the fire. Without speaking, he took the sticks and arranged them inside the stone circle. He stepped back, and the sticks erupted into flames with a spark he wove from the Mist. Altis reclined upon a large log that he’d positioned near the fire.
“Before the meal, I want to speak with you about why we have set off,” Altis said. “The world is disappearing. Your old village is near the edge of the world, and reports indicate that is where The Edge grows the fastest. An outlying house was engulfed earlier this month.” He paused and looked at me. “What's wrong? I thought that you'd be excited to go see your people.”
“Well, I'm not,” I said tersely.
“Doesn't matter. That's where we are going. After we see your village, we are going to explore the world's edge to get an idea of how fast it's moving and what we can do to either slow or stop the process. Obviously, this is important and time is of the essence, else I’d have been forced to bring a battalion to guard me.”
After some time, he continued. “At least you can be happy that your Journeyman Year will be important. Jaysen told me that you had the opportunity to set up a university in Dybreakea, but chose to follow this path first. I am glad that you are here willingly.” The tenderness in his voice surprised me. Usually his voice sounded distant and arrogant. “Your Journeyman Year should be an exciting time full of memories and experiences. I was young for mine. I was only fourteen. Hard to image that it's been sixteen years now.”
Only thirty? I’d always assumed he was at least forty. I tried to hide my surprise, but by his shrug, I could tell my emotions were clearly plastered across my face.
Altis gazed into the night sky, and despite myself, I felt a degree of tenderness toward him. It must have been a difficult transition into being a Lead Initiate. He was young for the post, and many, myself included, wished that it had gone to Nazarie, instead. It made my excitement at being the youngest Scholar pale in comparison. I'm sure that he's one of the youngest Lead Initiates ever. He looked into my eyes, and his entire demeanor changed. “Well, enough yapping. Let’s grab some dinner and get some sleep. Tomorrow's going to be a longer day than today, and I don't want you slowing us down.”
True to his word, the next day we broke camp early and rode hard throughout the day.
I quickly discovered that traveling isn't glamorous. It's boring and cold and exhausting and uncomfortable, all mashed up into a draining monotony. Although Brischo was a good horse and I’d always considered myself competent in the saddle, riding all day stole every ounce of energy from me in ways that no amount of cramming sessions or all-nighters ever could. The first day I was sore, the second I was raw, and by the third day, I was beginning to feel numb. Everywhere.
The days melted together. Wake up. Break camp. Ride. Break for lunch. Ride. Set up camp. After dinner, I’d pore over the book in my tent. I lived for those moments before exhaustion plunged me into dreamless sleep. The symbols were so different, and I had very little energy to devote. Every minuscule realization was hard earned, but I did begin to notice patterns, and symbols that were used more often that other symbols.
The further from the city we got and the more we spoke ushered forth changes in Altis that I wasn’t expecting.
“You love traveling, don’t you?” I asked him at lunch on the fifth day.
“How can you tell?”
I shrugged. “You seem lighter.”
He smiled and looked around and the forest. “Honestly, I’d rather go out into the world all time. Leave the Keep and all it holds behind and let your aunt be the Lead Initiate. But the queen hasn’t taken another husband, or even a lover. Jaysen’s the heir, and I’m the spare.” He shrugged. “In the world of court politics, it dictates that I have to stay nearby, so no traveling for me. My aunt wanted to give me what she thought would be a boon. Also, she wanted a change in the Weavers. The Scholars have been to
o strong for too long. No offense.”
Since I couldn’t think of any response to that, we sat for nearly an extra half hour while the autumn breeze floated through the trees and birds chirped to one another. And then I suddenly became very aware of how close my foot was to his. Mostly, I was startled by how much I liked it. My sudden jerking back must have snapped Altis from his reverie because he began to gather the supplies. I followed his lead.
We didn’t talk that night, but the next day as we trotted down the road, we swapped stories of our childhood. It was so weird to hear Altis talk about the queen, his father’s sister who raised Altis from nearly infancy. Altis’s mother died in childbirth, and his father died before Altis’s first birthday. While the quantity of my memories was limited, I shared what I could remember.
“Do you remember The Edge?” Altis asked.
“A little. There’s one memory. So, there’s a wall… maybe the height of fifty men. Actually, it looks similar to the wall behind the Keep. Normal bricks held together by Mist. Above the wall, you can see the canopy spilling out. Like it’s trying to escape from inside the wall. Between the trees, you can see the actual Edge. It’s just nothingness. But it’s where the sun comes from. You can’t see it until it’s beyond the nothingness, which is when it’s straight above, but the light comes through. It’s so beautiful. That’s the thing. When you talk about The Edge, you know it from the parts that are eaten away, but to me, it’s a place of the new day. Of birth. It’s so weird to think of it as chewing away at our country. Nazarie thinks that it’s a forest fire. She thinks it’s some sort of cleansing force.”
We sat in silence for a few moments, and then Altis stood up and drew his sword. I withdrew my daggers from my boots. “What’s wrong?”
He wove a protective shield around us and our three animals.
“What did you hear?”
“Not sure. Wasn't a forest noise,” he whispered. I held my breath trying to listen for the sound. I heard nothing.
Prophecy's Promise (Prophecy of the Edges Book 1) Page 7