by Naomi Lane
She nodded. She pondered the uses of the teleportation devices, but the Towers probably had many wonders she didn’t know about. This reminded her of Sebastian, but she wanted to stay true to her promise and not ask Harcourt about him. She wanted to leave no doubt that their relationship had ended. She did have one last question though. “Was there any further resolution to the conversation I overheard, and the events of my vision?”
“Just what I’ve told you before. We did increase some security generally. The King was glad of it since it had to be done anyway. With spring’s arrival, the threat from the northern border is renewed.”
Jenna sighed. “Is war with the republic still threatening then?”
“I assure you there are no invasion plans, but we are keeping a watchful eye.”
“Is that what my vision could have meant? That an attack from the republic is coming?” She grew more worried. She hadn’t considered that before.
“Some have suggested it. I really don’t know, Miss Mallory, but rest assured, if war comes, Sevalia is ready.”
This did little to lessen Jenna’s anxiety, but at least the Crown was taking her findings seriously now. She turned to leave, but the high mage stopped her.
“Prince Sebastian asked me to let you know he is still seriously considering entering a Tower. He has spent quite a bit of time here learning about what it has to offer. I believe he will make a final decision soon, but he wants to take his time.”
Jenna smiled slightly. “I’m glad it seems to be working out.”
“As am I.” Jenna could tell from Lord Harcourt’s mind that he was pleased. She could only hope that Sebastian’s family would see it the same way.
“You may let Prince Sebastian know that no matter what he decides that I wish him well,” she said.
“I will.”
Jenna curtsied. “Until our next lesson then.”
Jenna had two more lessons with Lord Harcourt that week, but no further stunning revelations regarding the Dark Mage or her strange vision. In fact, she didn’t think much about them, using all of her spare time to practice her combat skills instead. Therefore, when she mounted Kedar the following Sevday morning, she felt decently prepared for her lesson, until she reached the normal meeting place and her confidence vanished. Standing next to Prince Eamon was not only her brother, who still looked unhappy, but also the Crown Prince.
“Um… hello,” said Jenna, uncertain of what was going on.
“Good morning, Lady Jenna,” Eamon replied. “As you can see my brother, Dominic, has kindly agreed to assist us today since he is by far the better riding instructor.”
“I’ve been meaning to check on the progress of your riding instruction anyway,” said Prince Dominic. Jenna nodded, but couldn’t help blushing. “And don’t worry. I am well aware of the impropriety of what my brother has been doing here, but I would never betray his confidence.”
Those words helped calm her slightly. “How do we start?”
“There are two basic skills to master when performing archery on horseback. The first is to learn how to use your bow from the sitting position. The other is to ride without using the reins. We’ll review each in turn and then put them together. I see you have your bow with you.”
Jenna had it slung against her back, but pulled it out.
“Try it first without an arrow. The basic technique is the same. Just try to aim the bow around to get a sense of your full range of motion.”
Jenna followed his instructions, carefully turning her body.
Dominic actually smiled slightly. “I can see Durand has trained you well.”
“Oh?” Jenna released the string and faced her new teacher.
“You do well at keeping your arm and shoulders locked together when turning.” He approached to hand her a quiver of arrows. “You’ll need to let a few fly to get the full feel for it. Kedar also will need to get used to arrows whizzing past his head.” The Prince gave her horse a pat.
Jenna gave Kedar a bit of warning by sending him an image of arrows flying past him. Once she felt he was ready, she asked, “What do I use as a target?”
“I think the tree stump toward the center of the meadow should work best.”
Jenna positioned Kedar where she could comfortably aim from his back. In one smooth motion she drew back the arrow and then let it fly. It landed near the base of the stump.
“Good,” said Prince Dominic. Jenna also saw that Eamon was smiling, though her brother was not. “Try it again.” Jenna nodded. She spent a fair amount of time just shooting arrows from different positions, always at the same target. Her back muscles strained slightly as she had to contort her body into certain poses, but she was always able to hit the target eventually, no matter how awkward she felt.
“Very well, let’s move on,” said Prince Dominic.
“If you mean move on to riding without the reins, that’s easy. I used to practice that all the time in Salara and even some with Durand,” Jenna explained.
“Oh really?” The Crown Prince raised an eyebrow. “Then by all means, show us what you can do.”
Jenna smiled. Keeping the bow in hand, she started out at a walk, then worked into faster gaits, reaching a canter. She made one full circle around the stump and then drew her bowstring back. She did not use an arrow, but just practiced aiming. It was tricky to move the bow in time with the horse’s gait so that it would not waver from its target.
She slowed when she approached the others. “Any specific requests? Or should I start using arrows?”
Eamon whispered something to his brother, still smiling, but Dominic kept his cool. He instructed her to do some more advanced footwork. Jenna believed he was interested in Kedar’s progress more than anything, so she followed his instructions, never missing a beat. While riding Kedar at a trot, Dominic shouted to her again. “All right, use an arrow this time, same target.”
Jenna did as he requested, and still struggled to keep the arrow in time to Kedar’s rhythm. She took a few seconds to aim then let it fly. It missed the target, going over the stump. “Close,” Dominic shouted. “Keep trying. You have to move slightly counter to the horse’s movement to get it precisely.” Jenna grabbed another arrow and kept at it. Her third arrow hit the top of the wide stump. “Better.”
After she walked Kedar over to where the others stood, she could see Eamon beamed. “That was most impressive, Miss Mallory,” said Prince Dominic.
“Told you so, Brother,” Eamon replied. Jenna was happy both Princes seemed so pleased, but wished she could say the same for her brother. Peter still scowled. “Should she practice with a moving target?” Eamon asked.
“I was going to wait on that,” replied Dominic. “But why not? Mr. Mallory if you would oblige.”
Peter sighed, but he agreed to go fetch Rune. While he was gone, Jenna exchanged her quiver of arrows for another. “These are spelled so they will not hit a living target,” explained Dominic.
“Then how do I know if I’m doing it right?”
“If the spell’s magic is engaged, the arrow will drop from the air, instead of finishing its flight.” Jenna nodded, wondering what kind of mage could cast such a spell. She didn’t get a chance to ask, however, because her brother appeared across the clearing. “Mr. Mallory, on my mark take it at a trot around the stump. Miss Mallory, you will have one chance to aim and shoot before he makes a full circle. Ready? Now!”
Peter gave Rune the signal and began to ride in a smooth circle around the stump. Jenna quickly drew her arrow and aimed. She attempted to aim a bit ahead of Peter to account for his movement, but the arrow still flew past his back. He stopped his ride.
Prince Dominic looked toward her. “Remember, you have to keep a number of variables in mind: the target’s motion, the wind, the arrow’s flight distance, and your own motion. It is a complicated calculation.” Jenna nodded. “We’ll give it one more try. Mr. Mallory, again please.”
Peter scowled at her, but did as the Prince directed. S
he once again aimed her bow toward him, keeping in mind the Prince’s words. When she saw the scowl still on Peter’s face her anger toward him flared. Her focus tightened, and she felt more connected to her body and her weapon. She sensed its magic flow into her arm for the first time, giving her confidence.
She released the arrow, and it hit Peter in the shoulder, knocking him from his horse.
“Good gods!” cried Dominic. The Princes had enough presence of mind to go directly to Peter’s aid. Jenna stared a few moments, too stunned to move, but then dismounted from Kedar. She gave him a pat to reassure him that she hadn’t really meant to hurt anyone. She jogged over and found Prince Eamon yelling at his brother.
“Did you make sure you had the correct arrows?” he asked.
“Yes! I swear it. I don’t know what happened, Mr. Mallory. I’ve never seen the magic fail this way.” Dominic appeared quite frantic, but Jenna was slightly relieved to see her brother was still conscious and alert. She knelt beside him with the others, and took his hand apologetically.
“What do we do?” asked Eamon.
“Mr. Mallory, I recommend we go to the infirmary, but it may bring up some… questions.” The Crown Prince looked at Jenna.
She glanced from the Prince and back toward Peter. “I can heal it,” she replied. “It was my fault anyway.”
Peter nodded. “I’d rather not go back to the palace.”
“All right. Eamon, help me get the arrow out,” said Dominic. They rolled Peter on his side, and Eamon braced him while the Crown Prince drew the arrow through. In the meantime, Jenna made a mind-link to her brother so she could properly send her healing magic into his shoulder. She could see the tissue start to heal and realized Peter was lucky that it was a clean wound. It was only a matter of seconds before it was finished, and Jenna withdrew her magic.
“It’s done,” she said.
Dominic inspected the wound to verify she had healed it properly. “Miss Mallory, your magic continues to impress. Do you still feel pain, Mr. Mallory?”
He shook his head, but continued to stare at Jenna. She sensed her brother told the truth, but yet he still wore a pained expression on his face. Do you believe me now, Sister? he asked through their mind-link. Jenna was confused, but knew what he meant. The magic in the bow still sizzled through her arm.
Jenna’s brother’s words nagged at her the rest of the day. Back in her dormitory that night, she couldn’t sleep. She also thought about the sword buried in the dresser in the other room. Would she ever be able to use it? Should she stop training until her uncle arrived?
She picked up the book that was written in Rahtani. It was surprising she had kept it this long without the librarian discovering it missing. She thought it was time to give it back, given how little progress she had made, but first attempted to read a little more of the story. She skipped ahead until she saw the term gharzir. She still didn’t fully understand its meaning and was frustrated that the text told her so little. As her eyelids grew heavy, she skipped ahead in the book once more until she found the term referenced several times in rapid succession. She finally made some progress. It described the magic of each gharzir as unique and that each one gives his weapon to his heir. Weapon, she wondered. Why did she have two?
While pondering that section of text, she eventually fell asleep and dreamed of her trip to the desert when she was a young child, only five years old when she first saw the weapons. She stood alongside Peter in the salle. They watched as Alex was practicing swordplay with Uncle Rafid. She remembered that she and Peter were both jealous that he got to learn to fight when their father said they were too young. It didn’t seem fair to Jenna when Rahtani children her age were learning.
Eventually she got tired of watching and began to wander about the room, though staying clear of everyone’s way. Then she saw them. The weapons hung side-by-side high up on the wall, well out of her young reach. They looked so beautiful though, and she wished she could hold one. Then, in a blink of an eye, Jenna looked at her hand, and it was holding the sword. And even though it seemed just as tall as she was, she turned her head and saw the bow slung across her back. What was better was that they didn’t seem to weigh her down at all, especially the sword, which she could move with ease. She watched as her brother Alex practiced handling his own sword, and she did her best to mimic him. She swung it around until Peter saw her. He clasped his hand over his mouth in shock. She smiled and pretended to attack him, but without getting in too close. Then the oddest thing happened. As she swung the sword toward Peter, she heard a marvelous ringing sound.
She gazed at the weapon in wonder, but when she looked away, she found the men in the salle were not amused. All the trainers and even her uncle glared at her angrily. Jenna felt fear then. She didn’t mean any harm; it had just happened. Only Alex seemed to understand. He smiled at her in awe.
Then she heard laughter. She turned around and behind her stood a gray-haired man she hadn’t met directly, but she recalled he was important somehow. He came up right beside her, kneeling to her level. To everyone’s amazement he said, “The sword sings for you, Jenna.” He smiled widely. “The weapons belong to you.”
Chapter 28
When Jenna awoke the next morning, she remembered her dream vividly. It still didn’t explain what her magic meant, but she understood now it was the weapons that had identified her as a mage among the Rahtani. She believed her brother’s assertion that they could be dangerous. She had already wounded him accidentally, but it didn’t mean she should never be trained. As she dressed, preparing to go to her magic lesson, she wondered if it was time to tell the high mage about the weapons. She trusted him by that point, but she worried about Peter’s reaction, and even her father’s, especially if Peter had written that letter.
Before telling the high mage, she reached out to Peter through the mind-link. Peter? she asked.
Jenna. He actually sounded relieved.
I understand your concern about the weapons better now. I didn’t mean to hurt you.
I know, but they are dangerous.
Can’t you tell me more about them? I am pondering asking Lord Harcourt if he can help.
No! Peter’s fear spiked once again. No one else can know. You have no idea how bad the scandal would be.
You’re right. I have no idea because no one has explained it to me.
I know; I’m sorry, okay. I swore to Father never to tell you, and he made me swear on pain of disinheritance.
That admission shocked Jenna. Their father was generally stern with her, but to threaten Peter that way, his only son? Can you explain to me why Father would do that?
Peter paused. Yes. I wish I could explain now, but my training is starting. Can we talk next Sevday?
Fine. I promise not to use the weapons until we talk.
Thank you, Jenna. I promise it will be clearer soon.
She was going to let the link go silent, but she remembered one last thing. Did you write to father a few weeks ago, when you stormed off that day?
Oh. Yes, but I never sent the letter. Don’t worry. I couldn’t do that to you. I do think you have the right to know. I just fear Father’s reaction.
Good. Jenna felt relief at that news. I’m glad we talked. I’ll see you next Sevday then.
Jenna felt more relaxed than she had in weeks as she went to her magic lesson.
“Today, Ladies, we will finish our still life drawings.” It had been two days since Jenna had spoken to her brother over the mind-link. She slightly wished she could speed up time so she could speak to him again and get it over with. Her impatience to get his information was exacerbated during some of her lessons. Drawing was her least favorite subject. It seemed when there was a sword or bow in her hand, she moved with ease, but when it was a pencil instead she was all thumbs.
That day they were attempting to draw a still life of a fruit bowl. Jenna couldn’t have imagined anything more dull. She finished drawing most of the apple, when her mind wandered. No
rmally her active imagination was what helped her get through these lessons. It didn’t improve her reputation with her instructors when she always had trouble completing her work, but she didn’t really care. The only lessons she really thought important were riding, music, magic, and combat, assuming that counted. Her riding lesson earlier that morning had gone particularly well. Durand wanted to take her out to the plains to practice cross-country riding. Prince Dominic had been there to observe, and even he approved. She blushed slightly, thinking about the Crown Prince. Although they had gotten off on the wrong foot, he had come around to see her as being useful for more than playing the Lady.
She then thought of Prince Sebastian. Her heart pounded a bit, thinking about their previous meeting. She had finally seen him again after their break-up. He surprised her in the library the previous day. She thought it might be awkward, but really there was no awkwardness. She always found him easy to talk to. He really just wanted to tell her that he had told his father about wanting to join the Tower. It hadn’t gone too well, but she had been correct that the Queen supported him. She prayed for him that the King would come around and realize this was for the best. It was Sebastian’s life in the end, and he had the right to choose what to make of it. She wondered about whether his choice to enter a Tower would impact their ability to have a relationship in the future once her magic was trained. Well, she figured it would be a lot easier to be with him if she also joined a Tower, but considered that unlikely. What was that word Harcourt had told her about? If she never married or entered the Tower she could be his magistrice. Or would he be her magitor? It was confusing. Maybe she could ask Sebastian about it one day. But they had time. She didn’t even know if Tower mages married. She didn’t think the high mage was married. But, in any case, Lord Harcourt would be thrilled about Sebastian’s decision. Then, she thought briefly of her magic training. Her shields were holding strong, and there wasn’t a peep from the Dark Mage. It was almost too quiet. Lord Harcourt was convinced he remained in the mountains, given the passes were still closed off, but Jenna sometimes wondered about him. She felt as if the expedition to capture him couldn’t come quickly enough.