by C. Ellsworth
Then Liah was at her side, patting her back firmly and muttering in a calm voice. “Breathe, girl. Breathe.”
Traizen and Sorsia laughed until breathless. Then, between chuckles, Sorsia said, “Fool, girl. Should have taken it slow. You really haven’t had spirits before, have you?”
Sucking in air, Addy coughed and shook her head. Just breathing seemed to make the burning more painful, though, and her vision was blurred through the tears. She opened her mouth to speak, and her voice came out a rasp. “This . . . this is my first time.”
Traizen laughed once more and raised his cup to her. “Well then, to first times!”
Addy forced a smile onto her face. Her insides felt charred to a crisp. Was building friendships with these people really worth this?
Liah took her by the chin and turned her face so that she could look into her eyes. “Look at me. Look into my eyes. Are you all right?”
Addy’s head was suddenly swimming, and the fire still burned in her belly, but she was actually feeling much better now, very relaxed. “I’m good!”
For some reason Traizen thought that was funny, snickering the way he was. The light from the candles looked especially beautiful all of a sudden.
Traizen took her empty cup. “You want another, Princess?” He filled another and pushed it into her hand, this one filled all the way to the top.
Liah reached to take the mug from her, but Addy held firm to her drink. She was finally fitting in! She took a swallow, this one much, much smaller than the first. No need to punish herself a second time! “This . . . kind of tastes like . . . everberries.” It still burned going down, though, and made her nose run, but there was a soothing warmth spreading from her stomach to the tips of her fingers and toes now. It was like curling up in a warm, soft blanket. The candlelight was getting a little fuzzy, too. She must really be getting tired!
Some time and some number of drinks later, Addy was being helped to her bed. Why was the floor tilting so much? It was really hard to walk when it did that! She had had so much fun, though. Traizen actually had a good sense of humor! Everything he had said had made her laugh until her face almost fell off. And Sorsia was being so nice! She hadn’t said a single mean or nasty word when Addy had given her all those hugs. It had been kind of like hugging one of those training dummies, though, the way Sorsia went all stiff and all. The woman could learn a thing or two about hugs, and Addy was going teach her. Oh, yes she would!
Chapter 15
Addy awoke the next morning, certain someone was trying to pry open her skull with a dull instrument. Had it been three cups that she had drunk, or was it five? It didn’t matter. She wasn’t about to do that again. Not anytime soon.
After rising gingerly from bed, Addy and the others learned that Aeric had granted them a day of rest. That had been a welcome surprise, at least to Addy. Perhaps that was what the small celebration was about the night before. Regardless, it was a welcome reprieve; another crack to the head in the gauntlet with her head already pounding like a drum, and her skull would have split like a melon.
She would have stayed in bed, except Traizen and Liah had spent the morning playing at bones, and Traizen kept giving Addy amused looks every time a loud noise made her wince. She would have given him a piece of her mind had she thought it wouldn’t have meant backtracking on her friendship-building efforts; that, and just speaking above a whisper sent throbbing echoes bouncing around in her skull. Why didn’t any of them seem affected? No more spirits for her. Ever!
The sky was a bit overcast this morning, and a small but welcome breeze somehow made it into the training yard to blow lightly across her face. She was dressed in her usual soft leather vest over a pale shirt; the weighted, smelly vest wasn’t needed today.
There was no official training this morning, and only she was present on the sand. The others were either in their quarters taking their turn at a game of cards, or they were lounging about somewhere in the barracks.
Addy held a stout wooden bow, the polished surface smooth in her hand. They had been instructed on its use days ago, but “practice put the perfect in the pig pen” as Papa would say. Papa had built and repaired a lot of pig pens.
Her throat tightened a little. It seemed so long since she had seen him and Gevin.
Raising the bow, Addy drew back the string. Three fingers on the string, arrow between the first two fingers, string touching the nose . . . She held her breath for a count of two and then let the arrow fly with a satisfying shwoosh! The arrow blurred through the air before striking the hay-bale target across the yard with a dull thud.
She let out a sigh. The arrow had hit too far to the right, just inside the outer circle. She could do better! Still, it wasn’t a terrible shot. She was getting better with each try, and even Aeric had remarked about how she seemed to have a natural-born talent, one of the very few times the Guard Captain had offered words of encouragement.
Ryan’s voice sounded suddenly from behind, giving Addy a start. “Don’t hold your breath before you shoot. Exhale slowly and then wait two heartbeats before releasing.”
She turned her head just far enough to see him out of the corner of her eye. He was garbed as she was, minus the vest, his pale shirt unbuttoned at the collar, baring his coppery, well-defined chest.
Nodding, she tried again, this time exhaling instead of holding her breath. Her heart beat twice and the arrow flew, this time striking much closer to the red circle in the center. A small smile crept onto her face, and Ryan chuckled. “Much better. You haven’t been at this for long, and already you’re as good as I am.”
“Don’t be foolish. You’ve been doing this for, what, months?”
“And still I am no better than you.” His mouth curled into that crooked smile. “I just don’t have the skill, I suppose, or the interest. I prefer getting up close.” He made a stabbing motion, as if gutting an opponent. “It’s more personal, the fight, and more exciting.”
She lowered her bow to her side and turned to him, her heart suddenly aflutter. What was it about him that intrigued her? She cleared her throat and turned back to the target, feeling her face grow hotter.
Ryan stood silent for a moment, but out of the corner of her eye she could see him watching her. She raised her bow and fired another shot, the arrow barely hitting the target at all this time. A grumble climbed into her throat. Focus!
Ryan’s dark eyes turned from the target back to her. “Why are you out here training when everyone else is relaxing?” His voice sounded genuinely curious, not at all condescending.
She heaved a sigh, then set the bow down before her, the end digging lightly into the sand. “I don’t know. I have so much on my mind today. Training, the Tower, my family.” At first she had been overjoyed at the news of a day off from training, but then she had been reminded that they weren’t to leave the barracks, except for special occasions. And the Harvestime celebration wasn’t for several months yet!
Ryan became thoughtful, his gaze moving from her eyes to her lips and back again. “You miss them, your family?”
“Of course . . . I miss them every day.” She studied his face, the sudden tightness around his eyes and in his jaw. “What about you? You must have . . . someone back home waiting for you. Your papa?”
Brushing his fingers through his dark hair, Ryan looked at her hesitantly. “No. I don’t have anyone, not anymore.”
“The Faege?”
“Yeah. I guess you could say that.” He shifted and folded his arms across his chest.
Her free hand twitched, wanting to touch his shoulder, to comfort him, but he probably wouldn’t appreciate the sympathy. “I lost my mama when I was very young. What was yours like?”
“I . . . didn’t know her well.” His eyes lost focus, dropping to his feet briefly before looking back up. “Have you ever been to the cliff?”
He changed the subject. Addy paused. “No, but I’ve heard about it. I didn’t think you could get up there, though.”
&nbs
p; A sly grin appeared on his face. “I know a way. Come with me.”
The halls were quiet and mostly empty as Ryan led her through the barracks. The guardsmen, save those unlucky few stuck manning the wall or patrolling the streets, would either be in the bath house, in the dining hall playing dice, or in their quarters. And the two that they did pass gave no pause to wonder what they might be up to.
She cast quick glances at Ryan as they went, trying to study the features of his face without being too obvious, how the muscles in his clean-shaven jaw flexed, how his eyes sparkled a deep gold in a certain light, the quirky bend of his smile. His nose was a little on the narrow side, and that smirk was a little odd, but on the whole he was a rather handsome man.
A set of stairs led them down to a level with no windows, where oil lamps hanging on wall hooks lit the way. They passed rooms filled to the ceiling with crates and bags of supplies: fruits and vegetables, grain, bolts of cloth, and the like.
Suddenly a man stepped out of one of those rooms and took a startled step back at seeing them. “Bloody Faege!” His eyes, partially obscured by thick brows, nearly popped out of his head. His short, snowy hair framed a wrinkled face, and he slouched with shoulders bent forward. It was Charl Gober, a man normally seen sweeping the halls. “What are you thinkin’ sneakin’ up on an old man like that? Could o’ sent me to an early pyre!”
An early pyre? Not many lived to be his age as it was.
Ryan gave her a look that seemed to say “I’ll handle this” before he turned back to the man. “Sorry, Charl. Didn’t mean to startle you.”
Charl pressed a gnarled hand to his chest and heaved a sigh. Then he gave them both a suspicious stare. “Say, what are you kids doin’ anyway? You’re not allowed down here. You know that, Ryan.”
Ryan shifted and ran his fingers through his hair. “Yeah, Charl. I know. We were just, uh, you know…”
Addy eyed Ryan from the corner of her eye. Really? That was the excuse he was going to use, a tryst in the barracks basement?
The old man’s gaze shifted between her and Ryan for a moment before his eyes suddenly widened. “Ah!” A grin stretched his white-whiskered cheeks. He chuckled and shook his head slowly. Why was he amused? Surely they were breaking some rule being down here. He should be dragging them both by the ear to the Guard Captain. “I was your age once too, but that was a lifetime ago.”
Ugh! It was up to her now to make sure the whole barracks didn’t hear about this. “Master Gober . . .” Her voice was meek, but her hand was clenched into a ball. “You won’t . . . say anything to anyone, will you?” She put on her kindest smile.
Charl blushed and cleared his throat, looking a little embarrassed. “Well, uh . . .” he stammered. “I s’pose there’s no harm in keepin’ this amongst ourselves. Like I said, I was your age once, and I played my share of lip wrestlin’, if you catch my meaning.” He chuckled, and then broke into a fit of coughing. When he had recovered, he bobbed his head. “Take care, you two. Don’t go touchin’ anythin’, except—uh—you know. Never mind.” And then he walked past them back the way they had come.
Addy shot Ryan a scowl. The fool! She slugged him in the shoulder, drawing a pained gasp from his lips.
Ryan frowned. “What was that for?”
“What do you mean ‘what was that for’? I should do more than hit you, you dumb lummox. I should string you up by your toes and flog you with stinging nettles until you weep!”
Ryan’s face softened. “I’m sorry, Addy.” He sounded sincere even. “I couldn’t think of anything to say, so I just . . . let him draw his own conclusions. Better to let him think that than spending the afternoon climbing the rope as punishment, wouldn’t you say?”
He had a point. But it had been his idea to come down here in the first place. And Charl was likely to spread rumors, despite saying that he wouldn’t. At his age, he probably wouldn’t remember having made such a promise. Was it so terrible, though, if others thought she and Ryan might . . . be together?
Ryan wore a mischievous smirk all of a sudden. “Is . . . the thought so repulsive? You and me?”
Was she that transparent? She would have to work harder on keeping her thoughts from sprouting onto her face. She narrowed her eyes at him. “Not . . . repulsive, no. But don’t get the wrong idea. After all, we have months of training before the journey, and the last thing we need are distractions. Besides, we’ll all likely end up dead in the end anyway.”
Ryan blinked, his brows rising. “That’s a pleasant thought. You forgot the part about the slow, agonizing torture, though.”
She gave him a level stare. Was he joking? A sudden, amused grin on his face was her answer. She sniffed and eyed him askance. “We joke about things that probably aren’t far from the truth. If you open the door for Misfortune, she’ll invite herself in.” That was something Papa would say.
“Fair enough.” That smirk still curled one side of his lips. “Shall we move on?”
She gave a nod, and the two of them started off again. Would they run into anyone else down here, another old man who they would have to convince they were simply looking to practice moves that didn’t involve swords? Why was she down here in the first place?
They walked for a time—passing small storage areas filled mostly with dust—until they came to a room with two doors. One of those doors lead to the dungeon, according to Ryan—who had spent time there himself, if the rumors were true—and another to a dark hallway.
Ryan took one of the lamps from the wall and started down the unlit passage. It was too narrow to walk side by side, so Addy fell in behind him. A layer of dust coated the floor, and cobwebs crossed the corners in more than a few places. When was the last time someone had come this way?
As they continued down the passage, the light behind them grew dimmer and dimmer until it was finally gone altogether. The air was stale, smelling of earth and mold. Beyond the surrounding dome of light was complete darkness, and the walls and ceiling seemed to close in on her. “Are we almost there?” She clutched her arms tightly around her. Maybe he would think she was just cold. It was a little chilly.
“It’s just up ahead.” Ryan didn’t sound concerned at all. How was he so calm?
Eventually they came to the end, where stood another thick, metal door. Sunlight showed through a small, barred opening much like the one in the dungeon door, this one partially obscured by a curtain of cobwebs. The sound of water emanated from somewhere beyond, possibly from a stream.
Ryan tried the handle, but it didn’t budge. He turned and handed the lantern to her so that he could try with both hands. The metal handle screeched in protest, and rust fell from it to land at his feet. “Faege and rot!” Ryan growled as he pulled.
There was a sudden, loud snap, and the handle gave way. Ryan nearly stumbled to the ground before catching his balance, the door swinging open loudly as if wailing in defeat. Addy frowned. Hopefully no guards were close enough outside to have heard that. Over Ryan’s shoulder, a late morning sun showed brightly on an overgrown path, a gurgling brook running alongside it.
Ryan dusted himself off with a chuckle. “I guess it’s been a while since anyone was here.” He took the lamp from her and walked through the door, setting the lamp beside it to prop it open.
A windswept mist caressed Addy’s cheek as she stepped out into the sun, the damp breeze carried from a large waterfall five or so paces to her right. “A rainbow.” The colors danced in the sunlight. Rainbows were supposed to foretell good fortune, but they often appeared just before a Blackstorm. She shivered, skin pebbling.
Ryan turned his eyes up to look as well. “The cliff is up there.” He pointed to a ledge that sat perhaps two hundred feet up, the water from the fall starting its decent beside it. He gave her a crooked smile, and then started up the steep path.
She followed after him, eyes glued to the falls. She had never seen a waterfall before, not one of this size. The water fell such a great height, the bottom seeming so far bel
ow her now. Her head swam a little. The path they traversed was cut into the side of the hill, with the cliff on one side rising sharply, and on the other, dropping fifty feet to the rocky stream below. What if she lost her footing? Would she crack at the bottom like an egg dropped on the floor?
Ryan touched her shoulder. “It’s a little scary, I know.” His smile was reassuring as he offered a hand. “I won’t let you fall.”
She gave him a level look, despite her stomach clenching. “I’m not afraid.” Then she marched past him, eyes pointedly on the narrow path. Just don’t look down. And keep moving.
After a few minutes—and another hundred feet up, probably—she finally reached the top. Her heart beat furiously in her chest, her breath heavy. But had she tried that climb before coming to the barracks, she would have been dry-heaving by now.
Addy Swift, soon-to-be vanquisher of the Faege, able to climb small hills!
The air was thick with moisture where she stood upon the ledge, the mist flowing about her in a light fog. The air was crisp and fresh, smelling of damp earth and grass. Beside her, the water flowed from a small cavern in the rock face, running to the edge of the cliff before cascading down to the stream below. Her breath caught. The whole of the land lay spread out before her: the entire town, the field to the east, the Twisted Lands to the west, and the Waste beyond. Even the great watchtower stood beneath her gaze.
Ryan came to stand at her side, breathing a little heavily as well. He looked out across the expanse, his eyes settling after a moment on the Tower in the distance. “It’s hard to imagine we’ll be going there before long.”
A spark of sunlight and the Light itself was all that marked the Tower at this distance, but despite its beauty, Addy’s stomach clenched. Would she survive long enough to make it to the Tower and complete the Affirmation, like thousands had done before? “Are you nervous?”