It seemed silly to hold a staring contest with a portrait, but Kayleigh had little else to do at that moment. She passed the next minutes wondering what Danella would think of her and if she would approve. The few things she actually knew about Danella came from either the impressions Majherri imparted to her over their connection or something mentioned in passing by the other instructors.
I should find out more about her, when I have a chance.
As she made this vow, the floorboards creaked and Kayleigh saw Danella’s sister returning. The woman slid behind her desk and placed more parchment in an organized pile. Only then did Captain Lynch finally look up at Kayleigh.
“I’m amazed, trainee. You are capable of being silent. After your public airing of matters that should remain inside your barracks, I had my doubts.”
“Permission to speak, ma’am?”
“Go ahead, trainee.”
“I exercised poor judgment and the moment I realized what was occurring, I stopped and instructed Trainee Morganstern to do the same.”
Captain Lynch waited for a moment, eyes boring through Kayleigh’s exterior and trying to see what was on the inside. “Yes, while your actions were disrespectful and foolish, you eventually reached that same conclusion. That means you obviously learned a valuable lesson today and there is no need to replace you, since there is little chance this will ever happen again.”
Kayleigh released the breath she didn’t realize she was holding and replied, “Yes ma’am.”
“Now, you have recommended that both Morganstern and Bucklin be replaced as squad leaders. What is your rationale?”
The questions caught Kayleigh off guard and she stammered her reply, “Well … well those two squads are producing the most demerits. A change in squad leaders might improve performance.”
“Both squads are in second section. Shouldn’t you also recommend replacing Hawthorne?” Captain Lynch asked drumming her fingers on the top of the desk.
Kayleigh pondered her answer. Andrea Hawthorne wasn’t part of either caravan that had brought the rest of the recruits to The Academy. She was the eldest daughter of General Althea Hawthorne, commander of the southern battalion of battle maidens.
“No, ma’am.” Kayleigh answered.
“Explain.”
“Uh … I believe that the problem is at the ground level of the squads and not a reflection of the overall running of the section.”
“Very well,” Captain Lynch said. “Who do you recommend for replacements?”
“Recruits Shaw and Ashland.”
“Your suggestions are noted, lead rider,” the woman said filling the names in on the company’s Table of Organization. Finished, she handed the parchment to Kayleigh. “After careful consideration, I’m demoting Hawthorne and having her take over Morganstern’s squad. If she truly deserves to be a section leader, she can start by straightening out third squad. Shaw takes over for Bucklin. I’m promoting Morganstern to section leader.”
“Ma’am?” Kayleigh sputtered.
“Trainee Morganstern will operate under the same constraints as you when it comes to demerits, except she will only receive one hour of extra duty for every five demerits earned by her section. You will continue to accumulate extra duty for every five demerits earned by both sections.”
Kayleigh did a poor job hiding her disbelief. She’d be forced to interact in some way with Rebekah every waking hour!
“I see you require further explanation, recruit. You no doubt assume that Morganstern has mismanaged her squad to create more demerits. If she is actually doing this, she will suffer the consequences of her actions alongside of you.”
“Oh.”
“The two of you will settle your differences and work together or else. Your petty bickering has gone back as far as Heldin. Might I ask, what is the source of this feud?”
“It goes back to our parents, ma’am. My mother is an artist.”
“It is late, lead rider. Please make this as short as possible.”
Kayleigh struggled with her words and shifted uncomfortably. The scandal was very embarrassing. “She has been accused of engaging in indiscretions with her clients. Reb … Trainee Morganstern’s father was a client of my mothers for both a painting and a sculpture. When confronted by his wife, Mr. Morganstern’s defense was to smear and defame my mother’s name throughout the town.”
“I see. Since neither of these people is actually here, I suggest the both of you figure out how to get beyond this. I am facilitating this by placing the two of you together. You will learn how to work with each other despite your feelings. If not, you will both be replaced. You are dismissed. Send Morganstern and Hawthorne to my office, immediately.”
Chapter 15 – The Prodigal Son
Fortunes fall and fortunes rise, Majherri concluded. Was it this childish before? Or is it simply that I have become too jaded.
The unicorn didn’t feel the need to follow the standings of the humans, but the others were obsessed with every little change in position and every hour of extra duty assigned. His rider remained on top despite the injustices done to her. Everything else seemed both trivial and tiresome. Kyrinda, an exceptionally temperamental female, was nearly inconsolable when her rider was demoted and Lycenae’s elevated to her rider’s previous spot. Her hysterics would likely be remembered by suitors in the future.
Perhaps this is why unicorns shouldn’t survive the death of their humans. So they never have to go through this again! Once was more than enough. Besides, this means nothing in actual combat. The humans worry about following orders and working together. A unicorn has but one task … keep your rider alive.
He stood near the docks watching the food being brought in by burly males. Even when he was first here, the humans planted no food on the Sacred Isle. This land was meant for Majherri’s kind. The grass grows year round. Successful matings could only happen on this enchanted ground. In the next few weeks, members from all the battalions would return home and the island would teem with life.
As he continued staring at the humans, a young male, saddled and in riding gear, approached and snorted his greeting. “Hello father, I trust you are well today.”
“Nyrisso, this is a pleasant surprise. What brings you back to the island little one?” Majherri had fathered three children in the last decade. Nyrisso was the youngest. He had been here with his human last year and was the one that badgered him into eating and drinking after it became apparent that he wasn’t going to succumb to the wasting.
My rider has been made a battalion courier. I arrived last night and will be leaving as soon as my rider has rested. Imagine my surprise when I learned that my sire not only had a new rider, but was in training! Do you need any suggestions? You have a long road ahead.
He appraised his reaction. “Clearly, you are enjoying this far too much.”
“Yes. Yes, I am. You’re healthy, alive, and in better spirits then I had hoped to ever see again.”
“So, you are a courier. Able to keep up with those ridiculous birds others use?”
“I should be offended that you would even ask, Sire!” Nyrisso exclaimed, pounding his hooves on the ground. His rider was aligned with air magic and that made him an ideal selection to be a courier. The humans used messenger birds for their normal scribbling, but for things they deemed sensitive and important, such as army movements, something more reliable was required.
“Mating season is almost here. Have you located a suitable match?”
“One of my year who also came south. She has deemed me acceptable.”
“Acceptable? Your bloodline runs stronger than ever! Perhaps, you need higher standards, I am always willing to offer my advice.”
Nyrisso laughed, “I will always listen to you. Even when others are much more reluctant.”
“I detect the silver tongue of your mother in you, Nyrisso. Fortunately, I see more of myself in you than her. My guess is you had your choice of many in the recent weeks.”
“Y
ou are correct, but Payorta was the first and my agreement simplifies my chaotic schedule. What of you, Father? Will you take on another mate this season?”
“I have one troublesome female in mind. Time will tell where it leads.”
“Troublesome? I am certain there is a story behind that.”
“She wants me to pursue her. When I do, she demands I try again. She seeks to break that which will never be broken.”
“Perhaps I should be the one offering advice, Sire.”
His youngest son has always had an infectious attitude. The female he sired Nyrisso with hadn’t been one of his better choices for a potential mate, but nevertheless, he was quite pleased with the result in front of him.
“I must offer thanks youngling. You and a few others forced me to continue living and caring for myself, even when I did not wish to do so. I thank you now for your help, because I was incapable before. Your final seasons on this island were less enjoyable than they should have been because of my crisis. I owe you a debt.”
His son went rigid in surprise. “Father! I do not know what to say.”
“Nor do I, but I think it needed to be stated. My honor demands nothing less. Now, instead of us standing here and looking foolish, perhaps a son will tell his father about the first few months out in the world? Majherri trotted around his son and gave him a close inspection. You’ve gotten leaner and stronger. Life off the island has certainly treated you well.”
As Nyrisso related the events he experienced in the months since they had last seen each other, Majherri found it an amusing turn of events. When his son was younger, the colt would track him down every time he and Danella returned to this island for a full accounting of his adventures. Now, Majherri would be the one waiting for any interesting news.
“I wish I had more to relate, but other than an occasional group of seaborne raiders or an odd ogre sighting, the south is quiet. Honestly, I had expected more. I did learn from another courier recently that the western battalion is still looking into reports of heavy raiders attacking the nomad human tribes.”
That piqued Majherri’s interest. His last ride as a scout was in that area and the more he thought about his missing memories, the more he was certain that something sinister was lurking out in the western sands.
“Let me know what else you hear during your travels, Nyrisso and always stay aware of your surroundings. Pay no attention to the fools trotting around in heavy armor. The two most dangerous positions in any battalion are the scout and the courier. Ambushes rarely go after an armored column of riders, but lone unicorns and their riders tempting targets. Do not be fooled by the quiet you refer to. The south still harbors a great deal of resentment towards the High-King and our riders are easily recognizable symbols of his authority.”
His son snorted in agreement. “I will take your words to heart, Father. Thank you for your wisdom. Unfortunately, I must go. My rider is likely ready and we are due back in the south.”
“I wish I was out there with you.”
Nyrisso laughed and replied, “Was it not you who would visit me here and tell me that my time would eventually come? The seasons will pass, Sire. Your time will come again and perhaps one day we shall fight side by side.”
“I look forward to that day.”
“As do I, Father. May the wind be forever at your back.”
Majherri wished Nyrisso a safe journey and watched his son gallop off in search of his rider. Humans assigned to courier duty were often the recent graduates with little actual combat experience. The scouts were a different story altogether. The duo of rider and unicorn must be skilled veterans, proven in battle, because they go in search of trouble and were given considerable latitude in how they dealt with matters.
It was that very independence that had attracted Majherri and Danella to the scouts. Ultimately, it was also that thirst for freedom that doomed Danella. Five years from now, he and Kayleigh would go to a battalion. What roll would they be assigned? Would he still be capable of taking those same risks that he had before? Was Kayleigh a good candidate to join the scouts, or was she better suited for another assignment in the battalions?
Too many had already warned him to not try and remake Kayleigh into Danella.
Eyeing the barge separating itself from the dock, the unicorn thought, That, of course, is easier stated than actually done. Still, the news out of the west is unsettling. I’ll have to look for couriers coming in with news from there and ask them what they know. There should also be some old friends to speak with, when they come back to the island to mate.
Galloping away, in need of a morning run, Majherri knew this was something he’d been missing … a sense of purpose. His new world started and ended with Kayleigh and there was precious little outside of that.
That needs to change. Others will tell me that I’m intruding where I am not wanted or looking for things that do not exist, but ill winds blow from the west. After all, I owe it to my first rider to learn what happened.
Chapter 16 – The Fifth Stall
“That’s it. Hold the flame steady and don’t make it bigger if you can help it. Focus. Make it burn brighter. Picture it burning hotter. Slowly change the color. That’s it! That’s it! Oh, you lost it. Okay, take a deep breath and clear your mind. We’ll try it again.”
Kayleigh wanted to scream and ask how she was supposed to focus over Annabeth’s running commentary, but that would be ungrateful.
The older woman patted her on her shoulder and said, “You’ve got some of the oddest control problems I’ve ever seen! Maybe I’m asking too much of you at one time. Let’s just stick to a brightly burning yellow flame, but you’ll want to put an effort into mastering color change.”
Kayleigh was perplexed. “Why?”
“Making fire isn’t all about combat. During large scale battles, regular armies use either flags or drums to issue orders to the troops. We generally use fire in different colors to do the same thing. Now, let’s get back to work. Conjure the flame and we’ll go back to the motion exercises we worked on last week. Let’s see how well you do this week.”
With her bare hand firmly on Majherri’s back, she held out her other, gloved hand and focused on the air surrounding it. There was a sensation of warmth as a streamer of fire emerged, like an animal coming out of its hole. It swirled once over the surface of her palm and then rose into a vertical column, extending a few feet into the air.
“Now reduce the thickness. Imagine it rolled like dough and spread into a flat sheet.”
The food imagery was what worked for Rider Welsh. Kayleigh instead drew from art and pictured her mother’s pottery wheel. She imagined the flame like a mass of wet clay that needed to be smoothed and flattened. The column shrunk and expanded into a disk shape hovering in the air.
“Better, but keep it vertical and spread it this way,” Annabeth said, doing the same, but keeping the disk in front of her like a shield.
In Kayleigh’s mind, she lifted her disk of flame up like placing linens on a clothesline. “How does that look?”
“That’s it. Now keep it floating right there and reach down with you conjuring hand and pick up the shield.”
“Won’t the flame go away?”
“Not as long as you fix it there in your mind. The hand is just there to help it come into existence. Watch me take my hand away. See. There’s nothing to it. The only thing that will make the magic go away is if you take your hand off your unicorn.”
Kayleigh’s fire disk flickered, but remained as she slid her right arms through the straps of the round shield and lifted it.
“Alright, here’s the fun part. Take the sheet of flame and flatten it against the outside of the metal and spread it out nice and evenly. Then you’ll want to stick the flame right there so that it moves wherever the shield moves. Just like this.”
Annabeth raised her arm over her head, as if to protect from an arrow attack. The flames moved in concert with the shield. There was a slight disconnect when Kay
leigh attempted to duplicate what she just saw. There was a delay before the flame would catch up to what she was doing.
“Don’t worry about that too much. You’ll get better with practice, but this same basic concept applies to applying fire to your weapons as well. Eventually, you’ll be able to skip the initial steps and just conjure the flat sheet of fire directly around your sword or shield. You’re looking a bit tired. Let’s take a break.”
Letting her flame extinguish, Kayleigh removed her hand from Majherri, who snorted in encouragement and resumed whatever conversation he was having with Rheysurrah. Though Kayleigh had no idea what they were saying, it wasn’t laced with the usual antagonism. It was refreshing to see him not making another unicorn angry.
“After mating season is over, I might not have as much time for our lessons, Kayleigh.”
“You’re not getting into trouble for all this?”
“Nothing like that, but we’re going to be short two squads. They’re being temporarily assigned to the western battalion and the rest of us are left to pick up the slack.”
Majherri’s head whipped around so fast that it bumped into Kayleigh. “Hey, watch it!” She exclaimed. Placing her hand on Majherri’s mane, she tried to listen to her unicorn.
“He’s angry … no … he’s worried … about the west.”
“Well, I wouldn’t worry too much. We’re the first place everyone borrows troops from. It’s how I ended up on the recruiting trip to begin with. We just got back four riders who were sent up north for the rainy season – they were a team of water and earth maidens trying to help contain the flooding. It happens every year.”
Rider (Spirals of Destiny) Page 13