“What bargain?”
“I will accept your challenge at the next Gather. Kerrion will allow it, this I swear.”
Dehaan sneered. He was really good at it. His face seemed to lend itself easily to that kind of expression. “Fine by me little shaman, but remember this—if you try to escape like the cowardly shaman you are, I will challenge to the death.”
Shelim blinked in surprise. To the death was almost un-heard of! Dehaan’s friends backed away trying to distance themselves from their friend’s folly. He could hear them muttering about Dehaan’s lack of honour. A challenge to the death was like warfare. There were no rules. Dehaan didn’t realise it, but he had no more chance of surviving a challenge to the death against a shaman, than he did of sprouting wings and flying. Shelim couldn’t resist a taunt.
“If that is what you desire Dehaan, I accept, but I must warn you that there are reasons why challenging a shaman is considered without honour. I suggest you think hard before taking that course.”
Dehaan looked at his backing friends worriedly, but he shook off his sudden doubt and sneered. “I stand by what I said. I challenge you Shelim, and we shall fight on the first day of the next Gather. If you fail to appear, it’s to the death.”
“I accept,” Shelim said simply and shouldered Dehaan out of his way.
Shelim and Darnath trotted toward the council tent. They were the last two to arrive at the meeting, but Kerrion hadn’t started yet. They separated to join their mentors. Shelim sat next to Kerrion, and tried to ignore the glare he received.
“Sorry Eldest. Something happened—something very important. I would appreciate your help with it.”
Kerrion’s glare disappeared. “What happened?”
“I don’t want to say in front of so many, but will you trust me and request that Duren and Darnath stay with us after the Gathering?”
Kerrion frowned at Shelim in silence and then nodded slowly. “I will do as you ask, my boy. You have a good head on your shoulders, and I do trust you as you know.”
“I do know, honoured Kerrion, and thank you.”
* * *
3 ~ A Long Journey
It was good to be home, Julia thought. They had ridden into the fortress minus the wagons just yesterday. It was a tiring trip, but at least she wasn’t seeing double anymore. Dergan had been ecstatic when he saw the bricks, but even more so when she told him of her deal with Stefn. He was almost dancing for joy when Kev told him he could keep the wagons for as long as he needed them. The money Stefn owed her would supply Dergan half as many bricks again as she had made. Dergan had gone from a man desperate for supplies to having abundance in one stroke! It was all she could do to stop him going to his knees in gratitude. Talk about embarrassing!
“What do you think?” Jessica said.
Julia studied herself in the mirror. She certainly looked different. Jessica had promised to style her hair as soon as it grew enough to work with. What had taken her attention now though wasn’t her new style. It was the streak of white over her left eye. It had appeared when her hair grew back after the war. She quite liked it, but she wasn’t sure if Keverin did. Correction, she knew he didn’t, but it was the cause and not the white lock itself he didn’t like. It happened when she entered Camorin to fight the Hasians. Keverin didn’t like to be reminded of that time.
Julia turned this way and that studying the problem from all angles. “I don’t know. Do you think Kev will like it?”
Jessica tapped a finger against her lips in thought. “I think any style you wear pleases him, but perhaps we could bring some over to your left shoulder like this.”
Jessica re-arranged Julia’s hair to drape over her shoulder. She had spent a long time loosely curling and arranging it already, and it seemed a shame to undo all the work, but as soon as Jessica showed her what she had in mind, Julia agreed that it was better. By moving her hair off centre, it obscured most of the white until only a hint remained.
Julia watched the transformation and smiled. “I think he’ll like that better don’t you?”
Jessica nodded her agreement. She had been overjoyed when Keverin finally declared his love. She had wanted to set a wedding date straight away. Gideon had been delighted at the prospect, but Julia had been still recovering from the fire and the craving for Tancred. The wedding was put off. Julia’s smile wilted as she remembered screaming for what seemed like a tenday. She would have died without Keverin sitting by her side and holding her as the pain shook her to the core. She was still amazed that she had come through it sane. Well, as sane as she had ever been.
She shook off the bitter memory for a much more pleasant one. Keverin had declared his love almost three seasons ago, but Jessica was still in shock. After all the years of trying to get him interested in marriage, he had found love on his own. Julia wondered if Jessica saw the parallel between Keverin and his father. Probably not, she decided.
Kevlarin’s mother had gone through similar pains as Jessica. She had schemed to wed her son to the daughter of a Chulym master crafter, but Kevlarin was set against it. Hoping to make Kevlarin meet the girl and fall in love with her, his mother had arranged a banquet. It backfired badly when Jessica boldly ignored Kevlarin’s dark mood and asked him to dance with her. Kevlarin fell passionately in love, and his mother could say nothing to change it.
It was no bad thing that Athione had remained aloof from Chulym, especially since that once prosperous city had fallen on hard times. While living in Malcor Town, Julia had learned a lot about Chulym and how the common folk lived in Deva. In her opinion, the lords had failed in their duty to protect the people and that unfortunately included Keverin. Of course Keverin didn’t see it that way. His lands were prosperous and his people happy. Keverin had no authority outside of his own lands except in time of war. In theory, his position as Lord Protector of the West gave him leadership of the entire Western Marches including the western lords, but in practise he ruled only those towns and villages within his own borders. If Keverin tried to pressure the other lords he would have to fight them all. Keverin wouldn’t be the cause of civil war, and although the King was failing the country, he wouldn’t try to depose him. If it were up to Julia, she would take the old man off the throne and put Gylaren in his place. Keverin would be better, but she knew he would never accept it.
Jessica made eye contact with her in the mirror. “You’re quiet. What are you thinking about?”
“Is there a procedure for choosing a new King when the old line ends?”
“Pergann is an only child with no family left alive. One of the lords will have to take—” Jessica stopped what she was doing. “Oh no you don’t. Keverin will not take the throne and you know it—or you should.”
Julia shrugged. “I do know it, but someone has to take control and start trade going again. The people are suffering all across the country. I was thinking more of Gylaren than Kev.”
“Gylaren is a good choice. He has three boys, but don’t forget there are three score lords and any number of those may not agree with you.” Jessica inserted the last pearl encrusted comb into Julia’s hair and stepped back. “There! I think that’s better don’t you?”
Julia turned her head to look at both sides. “It looks great. Thanks.”
They left Jessica’s bedchamber to sit in the other room chatting about their friends and how the new recruits were shaping up. They discussed the wedding plans again and finalised the invitation list.
“Have you and Kev decided on a day yet?” Jessica asked eagerly. “I just need the day and I can have the couriers deliver the invitations.”
Julia grinned. “We have talked about it as it happens.”
“And?”
“And we thought mid-summer’s eve might be nice.”
Jessica jumped up and hugged her. “Oh this is wonderful! It’s the most romantic time of the year.”
Julia hugged her friend—her future mother—and grinned. “You don’t think I’m rushing into this do you?
”
Jessica snorted. “Tomorrow wouldn’t be too soon for me, though I doubt Purcell and Gylaren would appreciate missing it.”
Jessica was bubbling with excitement. She wanted to see Elise about the wedding arrangements right away. Julia shook her head and followed Jessica out into the corridor.
“Summer is a season away yet.”
“I know, I know!” Jessica said. “But time goes so fast. It will be here before you know it. Gideon will be so pleased…”
Julia watched Jessica hurry away and chuckled in amusement.
There was a while to go yet before dinner. Julia decided to make her way down to the library to find Mathius. He had changed a great deal since she had first met him. Gone was the inexperienced young initiate, to be replaced by a serious yellow robed journeyman mage. Mathius had gained confidence since his promotion to the yellow robe. Consequently he was more serious about his studies now. Mathius was her friend and he was still fun to be around, but if she wanted to find him these days, she would need to drag him out of the library rather than prowl the walls hoping to find him the way she used to do.
Thinking about Mathius brought Julia’s own studies to mind. She had learned so much, but there was a seemingly infinite amount to learn. She doubted she would ever be finished. There was the realm of power that allowed her to talk to a mage mind to mind. Another was the realm of healing which allowed her to see auras of people but not inanimate objects—walls and other things appeared as random energy. Was it the soul that made the difference? Of course, animate and inanimate objects were very different in the real world, but everything was made of energy when you looked deep enough, so why did she need a different realm to see a recognisable pattern? Another question she had no answer for, but it didn’t prevent her from using it.
By using her mage sight to reach the healing realm, she could then change focus to see inanimate things better. It wasn’t like that really, but it was how she thought of it. Mathius used a different and more complex way of explaining it of course, but Julia preferred her own interpretation. Mathius had no interested in her patterns. He was much too busy trying to learn proven spells to have time to make his own. Her wish to discover a new way was driven by frustration. Most of the books in the library didn’t seem to work for her, though she was sure it was her own lack of understanding at fault.
When she examined someone’s aura in the healing realm, she saw random swirling energy everywhere she looked, but once she changed focus, the auras disappeared and the random patterns made sense. She had spent a lot of time over the winter learning the patterns of various objects hoping to learn something new. Whether it was new or not, she didn’t know, but she had learned that everything had a distinct and individual pattern. Stone was easiest to see, there was plenty at Athione to study. To her mind, Stefn’s bricks demonstrated the worth of her studies.
Julia entered the library and gently closed the doors shutting out the world.
Use me, and know your duty.
Julia paused as the silence of the library settled over her. It had never said that to her before. What was her duty? Perhaps her subconscious was telling her to do her duty regarding the common folk.
Julia found Mathius sitting in a corner frowning over a pair of leather bound books. She stood in the archway and watched for a moment. He was linked to his magic, but he didn’t seem to be using it. She could tell without needing to see the telltale glow surrounding him. What was he doing? He seemed to be comparing two different entries in the books and frowning over the result.
Grasping her magic, Julia spoke mind to mind. *Have you found anything interesting?*
Mathius looked up and grinned. “I think so. Did you know the fortress was built by sorcerers?”
“Brian told me when I first arrived.”
That was why Keverin assembled the books on magic. He wanted to resurrect the dual role of the fortresses—magical defences backed by the martial might of his guardsmen. With that goal in mind he assembled the books over a five year period when he realised that the Hasians wouldn’t be satisfied until they ruled all of Waipara. He bought them one by one from people all over Waipara. People who couldn’t even read brought books to Athione and sold them to him for gold. He was generous in his payments hoping to attract other book owners. Athione’s library was the result.
Julia moved to join Mathius at the table and like a gentleman he rose and helped her to a seat before seating himself opposite. Mathius rested a hand on the page he was reading to hold his place.
“In the time of the true sorcerers,” Mathius began. “Buildings and other things were routinely made with magic. Back then much of what they did was common knowledge and wasn’t written down. I’ve found errors in some of these books because people struggling to save the knowledge wrote them after the time of the true sorcerers. It seems many of the authors had an imperfect understanding of their subject.”
That didn’t sound good. How was she to learn anything if the books were wrong? Julia shrugged the thought aside. Much of what she had learned so far was by trial and error. The only thing she could point to that came from the books was her first try at lighting a candle. Even then, Mathius had to help her.
“How bad is it?”
“Oh, nothing to worry about. I have marked the errors and in some cases referred to another book that is correct. The problem is, I cannot know all the errors until I’m strong enough to try the spells.”
“What are you checking today?”
“This is something I’ve been trying to understand for a while. When Lucius was here, he mentioned communicating with Mortain via the mirror, and it puzzled me at the time. How could something like that be possible?”
Julia remembered thinking the same thing. “Well, I thought both of them must have scried each other at the same time. That would work wouldn’t it?”
Mathius was shaking his head. “That’s exactly what I thought. It would work, but only if you used an agreed upon time. I thought it would be better if we could somehow open both mirrors for scrying at the same time.”
“That’s an outstanding idea Mathius! Have you found something that will do that?”
“Not exactly… but I have found something that might be as good. This book explains the theory of contagion.” Before Julia opened her mouth, he hurried on. “And I don’t mean disease!” Mathius laughed.
Julia smiled. Mathius knew her too well. Anything to do with healing was intensely interesting to her. She was always willing to learn new ways to heal people.
“According to this,” Mathius went on. “When a sorcerer wanted to make an exact copy of something he used pieces of a whole to get his result. He constructed a matrix over the original he wished to copy and another identical one over the item he was making…”
Julia listened and the time flew by. This sounded important and she wanted to try it straight away. Kev would give her a big mirror if she asked him, and Master-crafter Deneen could probably recommend someone to cut it into sections once they had worked their magic upon it.
“…and that’s it. If we had a big enough mirror we could have dozens of people talking to each other,” Mathius said beaming.
Julia nodded thoughtfully. If it worked, instant communication would be born without recourse to the book in the vault. The changes such a thing would bring about were staggering to contemplate.
“I’m thinking of three Mathius. You, me, and Lucius.”
“That would be a good start, but a start only. I think we should have a different one for each of the four fortresses so that makes seven. Lord Keverin would like that very much. He could talk to Purcell and the others anytime he wanted!”
Whoa! Mathius was up and running with this one! “Calm down Mathius. We don’t know if it works yet.”
“Don’t know if what works?” Keverin said as he strolled in to the library.
Mathius hastily stood and inclined his head in greeting. Julia walked over to Kev and gave him a kiss. Mathius was
a little red faced, and she rebuked herself for embarrassing him. In Deva, public displays of affection were frowned upon, but she couldn’t let Kev walk around kissless.
“Mathius is a genius, Kev!” Julia said taking his arm and walking with him back to the table.
Mathius blushed scarlet. “We don’t know if it will work.”
“Don’t be modest. It doesn’t matter if it works or not. It’s still a brilliant idea!”
“But it does matter—”
“Could someone tell me what we are supposed to be talking about?” Keverin interrupted. “I came to find Julia for dinner. Jessica is waiting. Do you like lamb, Mathius?”
“Do I… oh yes my lord, I do.”
“Good! You are hereby invited to dine with us. You can tell me what all the excitement is about at table.”
Julia walked on the arm of both men as they made their way to the small dining hall. She knew her way around the fortress as if born here now, but it was nice to have two handsome men escort her. Keverin towered over her as always, but she could have sworn Mathius had grown taller this year. He had filled out and his new confidence made him seem bigger than when they first met. He had looked like a pimply-faced boy, but now the girls in town and fortress alike sought him out. He had resisted any permanent relationships so far, but Julia thought one of the girls in the kitchens had caught his eye especially.
Thinking about Mathius and his string of admirers brought Julia’s thoughts to Lucius. “Have you heard anything from Purcell recently?”
Kev nodded. “I have as a matter of fact. There has been no sign of the Dark Brothers. Purcell has been looking and Lucius is very keen on stamping them out. They’re still after him apparently. Purcell is recruiting more guardsmen to replace his losses. Isolde is feeling better and Lysara is still chasing Lucius around the fortress.”
Julia laughed. Lucius was a confirmed bachelor, in his own eyes at least, but Lysara was picking away at his resolve. Julia had met Lysara at Malcor while recuperating from the war and had come to know her quite well. Lysara could be determined just like her father. Lucius’ bachelor days were numbered in her opinion.
Devan Chronicles Series: Books 1-3 Page 50