by Sharon Green
"You'd better explain that particular fact of life to Eldra," Jovvi said with an easy laugh, certain Allestine had overheard her conversation with the girl. "She expects me to stay in Gan Garee, set up on my own, and then send for her. She seems to have no idea how much gold it takes to even begin a project like that, so rather than explain I simply agreed with her. Allestine … you don't think I'll be gone so long that my patrons forget me? I mean, if I had to start all over, I'd simply cry…"
"No, dear, don't you worry about that," Allestine replied with a satisfied, assuring smile, leaving her chair to come and pat Jovvi's shoulder. "The testing shouldn't take long at all, so your patrons will probably meet your coach when you get back. You're not quite the most famous courtesan around here yet, but with my help that position will be yours in only another few years."
Jovvi stood so they might touch cheeks in farewell and then Allestine left. Once she was gone Jovvi turned to the mirror again, but only to check her expression - which was still as innocent and sweet and guileless as she'd wanted it to be. Allestine had been her sponsor for three years, and fully intended to benefit from that position until Jovvi was too old to go off on her own. Not quite the most famous courtesan indeed! Her name was known for leagues beyond Rincammon, farther even than Allestine's name had been known. She'd be a fool to come back here from Gan Garee, and whatever else she might be, Jovvi was no fool.
She turned away from the mirror, having already made certain that the gold distributed in small pockets all over her traveling outfit showed not at all. In the past three years she'd put together a good-sized nest egg, lavishly spending only a tiny portion of what loving and grateful patrons had given her as gifts in addition to her fees. In the beginning Allestine had tried to make her share those gifts, but she'd complained that she had to have something to spend, and then had supposedly thrown away every copper on frivolities. That had satisfied Allestine, since the older woman made quite enough arranging Jovvi's appointments.
"And what she really wanted was for me to be penniless aside from the funds that are supposed to be put away for me," Jovvi murmured as she checked her trunk one last time. "That way I'd have to stay with her, rather than finding a place to set up on my own."
Leaving to do that would have been difficult, but now the fates had accomplished what she'd only dreamed about. She had a reason to leave that Allestine couldn't argue against, and returning to Rincammon was out of the question. In Gan Garee she would be unknown, but not for long. Her gold would rent her a house in the best district, and shortly thereafter her patrons would supply her with enough to buy a house. And all the while Allestine would be picturing her worrying about her position and patrons in Rincammon…
Jovvi chuckled as she finished the last of her preparations, then called for the serving men to carry her trunk downstairs. She hated having to abandon the rest of her wardrobe and possessions, but her favorite things were going with her and the rest could be replaced. Would be replaced, and with the newest styles as soon as they became popular. That would be another benefit in living in the capitol.
Downstairs, everyone in the residence waited to say goodbye, even those girls who hated and envied Jovvi. Allestine's handiwork, Jovvi thought as she exchanged careful hugs with those who really were sorry to see her go. The residence was the closest thing to a real home that Jovvi had ever known, and Allestine wanted her to remember that and miss everyone. Well, she would miss some of the girls, but certainly not enough to come back to that place.
"Remember your promise!" Eldra whispered intensely when they hugged, and Jovvi gave her a reassuring pat before gently freeing herself. She certainly would remember her promise, even though there would be no way to keep it. Eldra was only fourteen and was used to run and fetch for the working courtesans, but she was already a beauty and Allestine had had offers for her from some of the wealthier patrons. As soon as Eldra turned fifteen she would begin the life of a courtesan whether she wished to or not, and Allestine would make a fortune. Believing that their sponsor would let her go just showed how innocent Eldra still was.
"All right, ladies, back to what you were doing," Allestine called with a clap of her hands. "Jovvi must leave now, or she'll miss the coach."
Everyone drew back at the order, freeing Jovvi to leave, which she did with as realistic an air of regret as she could manage. She made sure to keep glancing at Allestine, and once she had been assisted into the carriage carrying her trunk, she looked at the older woman who had come out onto the porch of the residence.
"Allestine, aren't you coming to the coach depot?" she asked in a frightened voice. "I was certain you would come with me…"
"Now, Jovvi, you're a big girl and I have things to attend to here," Allestine answered comfortably with a sleek smile when Jovvi's words trailed off. "I can't come with you now, but I'll certainly be there when you get back. All you have to do is write first, and you'll find me waiting. You'll like that, won't you?"
"Yes, of course, I certainly will," Jovvi murmured, pretending to hide the defeat and fear she had produced for Allestine's benefit. "I'll see you then … and I'm sure you won't forget me … will you?"
Allestine simply smiled, then stood waving a moment as the carriage began to move away from the residence. After the moment Allestine turned and went inside, but Jovvi sat turned and watching the residence until it was out of sight. Only then did she face forward, but still kept her expression under tight control. She would not be truly free until Rincammon was far behind her. Rincammon and Allestine's servants.
Two of those servants sat on the driver's seat, two men called Ark and Bar, who had worked for Allestine even longer than Jovvi had been at the residence. Now and then girls had been silly enough to say the wrong thing in front of one of them, and then had found out it wasn't possible to bribe them into silence. It had been suggested that the two were in love with Allestine and that was why it wasn't possible to reach them, but Jovvi couldn't believe it. That sort of love was a myth, not something that actually happened to people. In fact all love was a myth, and the wise courtesan simply used that myth to her advantage.
The residence, being in the middle of town, wasn't far from the depot, and Jovvi spent the ride pretending to be upset and miserable. The relaxed way in which Ark and Bar ignored her said her act was probably working, but there was no sense in taking chances.
When the carriage stopped at the depot, she simply sat there until her trunk was on the walk and Bar came to offer a hand. Then she hesitated for the briefest moment before accepting his help, as though reluctant to leave her last tie with the residence. Bar showed no expression at all, but Ark's faint smile told of his amusement and satisfaction. This one will be back, she could almost see him thinking, no need to worry about her.
But that didn't mean she was rid of them yet. Ark moved the carriage to a place around the corner from the depot and out of the way, then came back to join Bar in waiting with her. That Guild man was supposed to meet her there with her coach tickets to Gan Garee and fifty silver dins in coin, and then they would all see her safely onto the coach. Allestine didn't want her bothered by casual admirers before she left, so her two servants would stay to make sure of it.
It was a cool and comfortable morning, really pretty, but Jovvi was in no state of mind to appreciate it. In a matter of minutes impatience arose to demand where that Guild man could be, and a hint of fear followed over the possibility of the coach arriving before he did. If that happened she'd have to go back to the residence to wait until the next coach came in tomorrow and that would be intolerable. It would give Allestine the chance to learn of her plans and ruin them, and the thought of that was more than intolerable. She simply couldn't-
At that point Jovvi noticed the shouts and screams suddenly coming from the people around them, which made her abandon her frantic thoughts to look up. At first there didn't seem to be a reason for the hysteria, but then Jovvi noticed the giant fireball rolling toward her. It was just beginning to
pick up speed, and the people jumping and diving out of its way were the ones who were screaming. Bar's hand came briefly to her arm, as though he meant to pull her out of harm's way, then he changed his mind. The way that thing was picking up speed, she'd never be able to move fast enough.
Real true fear wrapped itself around Jovvi, the sort she'd grown all too familiar with while growing up. The world had been her enemy and tormentor, and it hadn't been possible to avoid that world for long. So she'd learned to … handle it instead, in a way she still didn't fully understand. But she could do it without understanding it, even while frozen still with terror.
Bar and Ark had run to save themselves, but Jovvi paid no attention to their scrambling escape. All her attention was on the ball of fire, so very much more than the few sparks Allestine had produced. The thing stood as tall as Allestine did, which meant taller and wider than Jovvi. Small spurts of dust came from between the cobblestones of the street, and tiny streams of water rose from the nearest horse trough. Some of the onlookers were trying to fight the fireball with Earth and Water magic, then, but weren't able to affect it in any way that mattered.
So that left Jovvi to take care of herself, just the way she'd always had to. She gathered her inner strength in mental fingers then threw it out, making sure it spread as it went, aiming it at the fireball the way she usually aimed it at men. The fireball was almost close enough for her to feel its crackling heat, but when the leading edge of it met the strength she'd spread, it stopped dead in its advance. Its flames ravened against her invisible wall, trying to consume, but it wasn't that kind of wall.
It was, however, a wall that did more than just stand there. Every lick of flame that touched it was … gentled and quieted, a state that fire couldn't bear. Even the smallest and most pleasant fire needs to rage and consume, otherwise it becomes something else. As soon as the edges of the fireball began to become something else, Jovvi's wall moved forward and spread around the rest of the fire like a blanket. Peace and quiet turned fire to ash just as it changed a patron's rougher intentions to concern, and the fireball was no more able to resist her than men were. She smoothed the furious ravening until it flickered in hesitation, then completely died out.
People were still screaming and shouting, but Jovvi knew it was all over, so she let herself begin to tremble with reaction. It had been so horribly frightening that she didn't know why she hadn't fainted, but she certainly knew she couldn't afford to faint now. It would probably mean being taken back to the residence, and that was out. An arm suddenly came around her shoulders and helped to keep her on her feet, then it began to urge her toward the bench in front of the depot. Going back to the residence was out, but sitting down might be a very good idea…
The arm helping her was attached to a man, Jovvi knew, but it wasn't until she'd settled on the bench that she discovered the man wasn't Bar or Ark. It was that Guild man she'd entertained, finally there and looking terribly concerned.
"What happened here?" he demanded, but gently in an obvious effort to keep from upsetting her even more. "When I turned the corner a minute ago, I thought the entire world had gone mad. And you look as pale as a ghost. What's going on?"
"A ball of fire appeared out of nowhere," Jovvi answered while fighting to pull herself together. "It came right for me, but at the last instant something stopped it. Someone must have used stronger magic, but that doesn't explain why it was here to begin with."
"Someone's twisted idea of a joke?" the Guild man suggested, sounding as though he couldn't even make himself believe that one. "And you say someone stopped it with magic? What kind of magic, and who was it?"
"You're asking me?" Jovvi countered unsteadily, one gloved hand trying not to shake as it checked the position of her hat. "You're supposed to be the expert in this field, sir. Maybe you can tell me."
The Guild man, whose name Jovvi couldn't quite remember, didn't respond, but an odd look in his eye aroused her suspicions. That fire thing could have been a test aimed at her, something to confirm his decision to send her to the capitol. It made sense, but he'd never be able to admit it, not after all the trouble that fireball had caused. Some of the women on the street had fainted, and one or two of the men looked as though they'd come close to doing the same. Using magic so recklessly was against the law, and if anyone found out that the Guild man was behind it, he'd be in it up to his ears.
"Well, all that counts right now is that you're safe," he said after a brief hesitation, showing her a deliberate smile. "And I believe I hear the coach coming, so let me give you your tickets and pouch of silver. Watch them both very carefully and your trip to the capitol will be a pleasant one. I've arranged to have the coach guards watch over you, so if anyone tries to bother you along the way, tell one of the guards and they'll take care of it."
"Thank you, sir," Jovvi said, putting the pouch of silver into her purse first. The coach was coming, and that made her heart beat even faster than the fireball had. In a matter of minutes she would be on her way, and without the company of one of Allestine's people to watch her. She'd been afraid that either Ark or Bar would be sent with her, but no one traveled without at least one change of clothing and the carriage had held nothing but her trunk. She would soon be free…
… and she was willing to do anything she had to to keep it like that.
Well, that wasn't quite as good as Lorand's introduction, but it should do for firsts. We all got to know each other a lot better later on, but at this point we hadn't even met. I sometimes wonder how things would have gone if it hadn't been for… No, that should come later. The hardest part of this task will be to decide on what to tell you when, but so far it's still relatively easy. The next of us you need to meet is Rion Mardimil, who still tends to put on airs.
CHAPTER THREE
CLARION MARDIMIL - AIR MAGIC
"But it can't be raining," Clarion said very reasonably to the fool servant, striving valiantly to hold his temper. "I can't possibly put the trip off any longer, and I was assured that today would be a nice day. Even here in the East, very few people consider rain to be part of a nice day."
"Nevertheless, Lord Clarion, it does happen to be raining," the nasty servant replied, his bland expression certainly hiding the pleasure he undoubtedly felt over contradicting his betters. "And the time grows short for when you must leave."
"I intend to speak to my mother about this," Clarion announced, then took his hat from the table. "We'll soon see, my man, we'll just see."
The servant bowed without saying anything else, predictably ruining Clarion's chance to laugh by refusing to ask what they'd see about. All the servants in the house were the same, vile creatures who refused to stay quietly in their proper places. Mother never hesitated to dismiss the worst ones, but that left so many of the peasants still there to bedevil him…
Clarion brushed gently at his suit as he made his way to his mother's apartments, a suit he was very pleased with. Pale yellow silk trimmed with tiny amounts of black and orange, it was the height of current fashion in the capitol. The tailor had told him how nicely it went with his blond hair, how tall and broad-shouldered he looked in it, and that he would have to fight the ladies off.
Clarion hadn't said so, but for some foolish reason, the ladies never had seemed interested - at least not here. At Court it was a different story, and if Mother hadn't been there a time or two… Clarion sighed and realized he hadn't been to Court in almost a year, but he still kept in touch with the important things like clothing styles. And he would have been delighted to see Gan Garee again - if not for the circumstances.
One of his mother's maids answered his knock, and he was shown directly to her bedchamber. She'd taken to her bed when word came through that she was absolutely forbidden to accompany Clarion, a decision that came directly from the Court. She'd laughed at the Guild man when he'd first told her that candidates for High were required to appear alone. She'd countered that the laws were for the masses to worry about, not people in thei
r position, and she would travel with her son just as she had for his entire life. The Guild man hadn't argued, at least not with her…
"Oh, Clarion, the tragedy of it all!" she wailed as soon as she saw him, raising one hand for him to take. "It's unlikely that I will survive this, but you mustn't concern yourself with thoughts of me. Go and take their foolish little tests while life ebbs slowly from my body, and I will simply pray that you find it possible to return before the very last spark is extinguished. I'll try to hold on, really I will, just for your sake…"
She let her words trail off with a sigh, as though her meager strength had failed her. Clarion, as alarmed as ever he had been, held her hand more tightly.
"No, Mother, don't speak like that," he coaxed, brushing back a stray wisp of hair from her smooth, alabaster brow. "You'll be just fine, and I'll be back before you know it. Public transportation may be terribly rough and uncomfortable, but it does have the benefit of being much faster than a private coach. They change horses and drivers at regular intervals, I'm told, so if you sleep during the journey and stop only to eat during the changeovers, it's possible to get to Gan Garee in much less than the usual two or three weeks."
"Oh, my poor baby!" she exclaimed, her lovely face filled with pity. "Needing to use public coaches because they insist! But you must insist on being tested immediately, so you can start home again as soon as it's done. I'll never forgive myself for causing this horror, never!"
"Now, Mother, there was no way you could have known," Clarion soothed, patting the hand he held. "Lord Astrath was brought to your party by someone else, and he is a legitimate member of the lesser nobility. No one had any idea that he's also a Guild man without any proper sense of class distinction, but now we know. Once this is all over, we'll certainly have to speak to one or two members of the Blending. After all, they are the rulers of this Empire, so they should have some say in how it's run."