Tower of Sorcery

by Fel

  "The man is learned," the Selani said in her calm voice as they walked back to the Hall.

  "Yes, he is," Tarrin agreed. "I'd expect him to try to pull you aside pretty soon," he said.

  "Why?"

  "I don't think he'll pass up a chance to learn about your desert," Tarrin told her. "Nobody but your people go there, so he'll jump at the chance to ask you about it."

  "It is our home," she said. "That is all there is to tell him."

  "True, but he'll still want to know," he said. "Men like that are driven by the hunger to learn."

  "It is a good quality," she observed. "There is honor in knowledge."

  She still hadn't told him her name. Tarrin didn't want to push her too hard, though. He had the feeling that she could be very touchy, and he thought that if he put the wrong foot forward now, it would ruin any chance to strike up a friendship with her. Making friends with her was as much for him as it was for her, for in her Tarrin felt there was a kindred spirit, someone else here that did not quite fit in. From her he could expect honesty, and she had already put him at ease by not showing any fear of him. After they'd been seated in the Hall and the blessing was made, Tarrin discreetly watched her as she ate. He was curious about what she would and would not eat. She did not disappoint him by showing certain peculiarities. She would not eat pork, he noticed. Nor would she eat any chicken or goose. He didn't know if those were personal preferences or racial or cultural preferences, though. She ate a great deal of cabbage and stringed beans, he saw, and she especially seemed to enjoy the boiled potatos.

  Initiates began to arrive, pick out a certain Novice or Novices, and then leave with them, taking them to their assigned work duties. Tarrin waited until he was sure the Selani was done with her meal, and then turned to her. "Do you feel like looking around?" he asked politely.

  "It would please me to do so," she answered in a similarly polite voice.

  Tarrin had a good memory, and Dar had been a good guide, so he mirrored his friend's course of the tour, showing her the important areas of the Tower. She seemed more or less unimpressed with most of it, showing interest only in the library. Tarrin gritted his teeth a bit when he showed her the baths. He had no idea how she was going to accept it.

  "Ah, yes, this place," she said when they came down the stairs.

  "They explained how it works?"

  "Yes," she said. "I find nothing wrong with it. A similar custom exists among my people, but we use a sweat tent. Such an amount of water would never be used for bathing among me people. It is too precious." She looked at the water longingly a moment. "If only we had such riches at home."

  "If water was this abundant there, it really wouldn't be a desert anymore," Tarrin noted.

  She gave him a sidelong look, and then she laughed. It sounded like a cascade of silver bells. "I guess it would not," she agreed, smiling in spite of herself. "I would like to go outside," she said. "I came here in the night, so I did not get the chance to see much of the outside. But I saw much grass and other plants."

  "Yes, most of the compoud is grass. I wonder how they keep it so short," Tarrin mused aloud. "There's a really big garden behind the tower proper," he told her. "It's very lovely."

  She was awed more at the sight of the grass than she was with the massive size of the central Tower and the six smaller towers surrounding it. The sweeping, elegant bridges that connected the upper levels of the towers to the tower proper were nothing to her, for she was staring out at the expanse of the lawn. She even reached down and touched it. "It is so green," she said in a wondrous voice. "I have seen grass and forests ever since I left my home, but I was so spiteful at being sent here that I did not look at it. It is a beautiful sight."

  "It's all I've ever known," Tarrin told her. "Maybe someday I'll see your desert, and then I'll be able to compare them."

  "The Motherland is not without its own beauty," she told him. "The Painted Lands have such color that it would take your breath, and the mesas and ravines of the Broken Lands cast shadows across the land that merge with the color of the rock and the sheen of the heat that make the colors dance like rock snakes. We have green, but it is so small compared to the rest of the land that it is easy to miss. Here, everything but what the humans build is green, or brown."

  "Let's go look at the garden," he offered. "And there's something else there that I think you may want to see," he added.

  She was impressed with the gardens, spending a great deal of time going from flower to flower and plant to plant, looking at them, touching them, and smelling them. Tarrin didn't have to get that close to smell them, he could do it from where he stood. But it did make him appreciate the beauty of the gardens just a little bit more, watching her take in the sights of the living beauty of the gardens. After they'd worked their way through most of it, he got her attention with a paw. "Come on, there's something else I want to show you," he said. "It's kind of a secret, though, so don't tell anyone about it."

  She raised an elegant white eyebrow. "Then lead on," she said.

  It took him a while to find it again. The scent trail he'd made before was about two days old. Since he and Dar had crisscrossed the whole hedge maze more than once, that put their scents all over the place, and after that much time it was hard to tell the trail that led true to the ones that went to dead ends. He relied on his memory for most of it, and had led them almost right to the center. It was finding that elusive choked-off passage that was challenging. The Selani was starting to get a bit restless as they reached another dead end. "What are we looking for?" she asked.

  "It's a very small passage that's so overgrown it's almost invisible," he told her, frowning. "It's very hard to find."

  "I saw such a thing not long ago," she told him.

  "You must have sharp eyes," he said.

  "Yes," she told him. She led them back to the place unerringly, and it was indeed the opening to the maze's heart. "This is it," he told her. "Thanks."

  "You are welcome," she said as she followed him into the living tunnel.

  The serenity and beauty of the maze's heart had just as much effect on her as it had had on Tarrin. He still felt the same wonder and peace he'd felt the day before as he looked on the lovely statue in the center of the fountain. They stood at the entryway for several moments, as the Selani stared at the statue in mute awe. "My roommate and I found this place a couple of days ago," he said in a hushed voice. "We don't think anyone else comes here anymore."

  "It is a wondrous place," she told him. "The statue looks almost alive."

  "I know," he said, motioning her to follow him. They sat down on the stone bench in front of the fountain. "Well, I hope you found the time we spent together tolerable," he told her.

  "I think you can stop with the subtle games, Tarrin," she said with a little smile. "If you are trying to connive yourself into my good graces, you may stop."

  He flushed slightly. "I didn't mean it like that," he said. "I just didn't want to offend you."

  "You have put quite an effort into trying to talk to me, and befriend me. Why?"

  He looked at those intense blue eyes, and decided that blunt honesty was the only recourse. "When I saw you, you looked very lonely," he told her. "I didn't want you to be here and be unhappy. And aside from Dar, my roommate, and the two Novices that travelled here with me, none of the other Novices will so much as talk to me. I thought that since you're not human either, we could talk to each other on the same ground. If you understand me, that is."

  She gave him a long, penetrating look, and then put a hand up against his cheek. "You are very perceptive, Tarrin," she told him honestly. "I do not want to be here, and I do feel a bit lonely and homesick. I am touched that you would put yourself out so much for my benefit when you do not know me. You have much honor, Tarrin. I would be honored to call you friend."

  "I would accept it gladly," he replied.

  She smiled. "My name is Allia. Allia Do'Shi'Faeden, of the clan Faedellin."

  "Th
at's a pretty name," he said.

  "Thank you."

  "How did you come to be here?" he asked.

  She sighed. "It was not by choice," she said. "My father, the clan-chief, decided that a better understanding of the humans would be a wise thing. The lands of our clan rest by the mountains that separate the desert from the place you call Arkis, and over the recent years more and more of them have appeared in our lands. Some seek trade, but most come seeking to take from the land that which is for the Holy Mother Goddess. Our lands are rich in the metal gold, and many come to steal it from our lands. Gold is sacred to our Holy Mother Goddess, and we do not take it from the ground, but the Arkisians take without regard to the wishes of us or our Goddess. My father decided to send one clansman here, to this place, to undergo the learning that is offered so that we may better understand the humans, and to find ways to stop this thieving without having to wipe Arkis from the world. My father chose someone else for this task, not I. Not long before he was to make the journey, a katzh-dashi appeared at our camp. He took my father aside for some time and spoke with him. After they were finished the katzh-dashi left, and my father told me that I would go in the stead of he who was chosen. I was not happy about the choice," she said sourly. "I do not like humans. I think that the thieving swine Arkisians should be driven from our lands and made to come no more. After I made my feelings known, my father demanded twice over that I be made to do it. He told me that a wise chief always considers all options before making such decisions. He even made me swear a Blood Oath on it," she said with a sour grunt. "That was not nice. I am honor bound to treat those I hold in contempt with a respect I do not believe they have earned."

  "Not all humans are the same," he told her. "I used to be human, before this happened to me."

  "No, not all humans are," she agreed. "I understand that, but I still do not like them. I feel that any other breed of human would do the same as the Arkisians, should our desert be by their lands."

  "I really can't say," he said. "Probably. Humans are driven creatures, and greed is a powerful motivator. Besides, they probably don't even realize they're taking something your people hold sacred."

  "They do so once," she said with a note of finality. "It has long been the custom of our people to kill all who seek to invade our lands, save only merchants, who are given safe passage. For a long time, that was enough to keep all but the honest away. But lately we have had to kill more and more gold hunters who ignore the laws and the dangers."

  "Well, things will work out," he told her. "Much as I like it here, we'd best not tarry. Odds are they either have people watching us, and they'll notice we're missing. And I don't want them coming in here looking for us."

  "Truly," she said. "I have noticed such watchers throughout the day."

  "We'll have to come back when we can slip away," he said. "I like it here, but the idea of others tramping around in here offends me."

  "An interesting notion. Why?"

  "Because this place almost seems holy," he told her. "I get the feeling we're welcome here, but I'd rather not insult whoever watches this place by leading others in here too."

  Allia looked around. "Maybe you are right," she said slowly. "I have been honored to feel the touch of the Holy Mother Goddess upon my soul, and the feeling of this place is something like that. I think that some God or spirit does keep watch over this courtyard."

  Tarrin was pleased to know that he'd not been far from the mark. Not long after they'd left the hedge maze, the Keeper herself approached them. She was alone, which said much about how safe she felt in the confines of the Tower grounds. Her face was pleasant, even serene, and when she spoke, it was with a calm, light manner. "Ah, Tarrin, Allia," she said. "I've been looking for you."

  "Yes, Keeper?" Tarrin asked after he bowed to her. Allia also bowed, but it was a very stiff one.

  "I've been thinking about you two, and I thought to approach you with an offer."

  "Speak on then," Allia said in her calm voice.

  "Neither of you are suited for the chores of a Novice," she said. "Both of you are warriors. If it does not offend you, Lady Allia, would you two like to spend your afternoons with the Knights? Both of you can continue to study the warrior ways, and perhaps our Knights can learn from you. And maybe you can learn from each other. Tarrin, you are an adept in the Ways, and Allia, you are an adept in your people's style of combat."

  Allia looked at Tarrin. "I did not know this," she said. "You know the Northmen's hand-fighting?"

  "I am one of them, Allia," he told her. "Well, I was, and only on my mother's side, but yes, I learned it."

  "Long have I wanted to see if the Northmen were worth their mettle."

  "So the idea pleases you, Allia?" the Keeper asked.

  Allia gave Tarrin a speculative look. "The idea does please me," she said.

  "Good. Oh, just one word of warning. As you can see, Tarrin isn't human. He's a Were-cat, and if you're not familiar with his kind, they have magical capabilities. One of them is that their blood and spittle can change other humans into Were-kin too. We honestly have no idea what effect it would have on you, Allia, since you are Selani. So you should exercise a bit of caution. Don't put yourself into a position where his blood gets into your mouth, and Tarrin, please don't bite her."

  "I'd never dream of it, Keeper," Tarrin said in shock.

  "Nothing is without risk," Allia said philosophically.

  "Good," she said. "You may go back to your exploration now. Have a good day." And then she turned and walked away.

  "You did not tell me you followed the path of honor," she said, a bit accusingly.

  "I don't make much of an issue of it, Allia," he told her. "People are afraid enough of me as it is. I don't need for them to find more reasons to not like me. Oh, and the fact that I can change people is kind of a secret, Allia. Please don't repeat it."

  "It will not pass my lips except when we are alone," she promised. Then she wiped at an arm. "I am in need of a sweat tent," she sighed. "I have not cleaned myself in some time."

  "You don't smell it," he said. She gave him a cool look. "Allia, I'm not human either. My senses are very acute. Trust me, you do not smell."

  "Well, if I must use that bathing pool, then that is what must be."

  Tarrin sensed that she was very uncomfortable with that notion. "If it doesn't sound too forward, do you want some company?" he asked.

  "Yes, that would please me," she said in a gratified voice.

  He found out why once they reached the baths. Allia had never in her life been immersed in water that went past her knees. She was sincerely afraid of the idea of going into the waist-deep water, though she would die before she admitted it. He also found that, like him, she had absolutely no fear of appearing in front of others nude. Tarrin found that quality to be refreshing. She undressed herself boldly before him as he did so himself, then he lowered himself into the pool and waited for her. She stood at the lip of the pool hesitantly, looking out over all that water with a bit of a wild look in her eyes. He stood by the lip right under her and reached up a paw. "Come on," he said gently. "If you want, I'll teach you how to swim. The water's not quite deep enough for it, but I can give you an idea."

  She took his paw, and lowered herself into the water.

  She still had that wild-eyed look, and she would not let go of his paw. He winced a bit under her grip. This woman was strong. He thought that the relaxing heat of the water may loosen her fear somewhat, so he led her towards the far end, into the hotter water. He was very careful to stay as close to the lip as possible, to give her something solid to reassure her. "Let me know if it gets too hot," he told her as they advanced into the hotter water.

  The hot water had its desired effect. The grip on his paw relaxed, but she still would not let go. He decided not to make an issue of it. She was doing something that she'd never done before, something that was new and a bit frightening. "I know it's a strange sensation," he told her. "Come on, let's go
out into the middle. Once you see that you're not going to go in over your head, I think you'll be alright."

  She looked at him intently. Her eyes blazed for just a moment when she realized he knew she was afraid, but then, curiously, they softened, then took on an appreciative look. "You are very subtle," she said, then she laughed. "Very subtle indeed. Am I so obvious to you?"

  "No, but I could tell that you didn't like the idea," he told her. "And the grip you had on my paw told me alot once you got into the water."

  She smiled then, a glorious smile that would make any man's knees weak. "You are quite a man, Tarrin," she said in her accented voice. "You will bring me much honor in our friendship."

  "Well, thank you," he said.

  "Now, you may wash my hair," she said in an imperious voice.

  "Yes ma'am," he chuckled, reaching for a cake of soap, right after she let go of his paw.

  Allia, Tarrin found, was a very serious, sober woman, dignified and very much bound to her precepts of honor and propriety. That wasn't a bad thing, not at all. But, on the other hand, he discovered that, once you got past that towering barrier of iciness that she put to the human world, she was a warm, vibrant person with a very rich sense of humor and a very perceptive view of the world. Tarrin saw alot of Jesmind in her, for they had the same practical, no-nonsense view of the world, and both had the same tendancy to speak whatever was on their minds. That told Tarrin that Allia trusted him, and that pleased him greatly. They talked of unimportant things during the course of the bath, as he washed her hair, then she unbound his braid and returned the favor. All in all, he liked Allia very much, even after only a short time to get to know each other. Much like he and Dar had done, Tarrin and Allia simply clicked, quickly finding a common ground and using it to build a friendship.

  By the time he helped her from the water, they were both laughing and carrying on as if they'd known each other all their lives.