"Can't I live with you?" His voice was troubled and very small.
"I'm afraid not," I answered quietly. "I'm a student, you see. What you need is someone to look after you properly, and I can't do that."
"We'll discuss the matter further later," Val Haben said firmly from ahead of us.
I felt like he was quietly chastising me for even bringing the subject up, and fell silent. I had a suspicion that he was making plans on what to do with Trev’nor, and I wished that he would clue me into them before we faced the Trasdee Evondit Orra. He didn’t though, just led us quickly through the city streets.
We did not go directly to the school as I suspected, but toward the Palace. I exchanged a glance with Chatta, wondering what this change in location meant. She looked slightly perplexed as well, and a little worried, which didn’t ease my concerns any. Chatta, because of her family and social background, had a much better grasp on politics than I did. If she was worried, it did not bode well for me.
That small kernel of unease grew rapidly the closer we got to the King’s personal study. This was indeed very serious if we were meeting there. Aw cripes!
Trev’nor must have picked up on my tension because he became very quiet. Night nudged my shoulder gently to catch my attention.
“Is it bad we’re here?”
I’ve never tried speaking back to Night telepathically unless I was doing a scrying, but I didn’t want to answer him out loud either. Carefully, I tried to think back, “I’m not sure. I don’t like the location of this meeting; it smacks of political maneuvering.”
He must have heard me because he answered, “You think the Trasdee Evondit Orra and King Guin will fight over Trev’nor?”
That was unfortunately exactly what I thought, and I nodded grimly.
By this point, we’d reached the study. I set Trev’nor back on his feet before we entered the room, and I kept his hand in mine. He didn’t know what was going on, but he could clearly see that it might not be good. He stayed close to my side, looking around with anxious eyes.
King Guin hadn’t changed since I saw him last, with clothes still slightly wrinkled, and hair mussed from his running an absent hand through it. He stood when we entered and came around the desk to greet us. “L-Chattamoinita Delheart, it is a pleasure to see you. Your father was in here earlier complaining that you’d left on some mission for the Trasdee Evondit Orra with nothing more than a note.”
“I was in a bit of a hurry,” Chatta agreed with a pretty smile. She curtsied gracefully, all poise and confidence. “It is a pleasure to see you, Your Majesty.”
“I look forward to the story of your latest adventure with my young Mage,” he answered with a suspicious twinkle in his eye. Turning to me, he grinned in outright impish delight. “Garth, it’s good to see you. I see you’ve managed to find trouble again.”
“It’s a gift,” I agreed dryly. I gave him a polite bow before gesturing to my side. “This is Trev’nor; he is the Earth Mage that was given into my care.”
Guin had obviously spent too much time in diplomatic circles because he didn’t even blink when faced with a four-year-old Mage. He just sank down to the boy’s level to greet him. “Hello, Trev’nor. I am Guin Braehorn, King of Hain.”
Trev’nor’s eyes had gone a little wide, but he was admirably calm and responded, “A pleasure to exchange names.” Without hesitation he put both hands over his heart and inclined his head formally. I assumed it to be the correct greeting for his culture.
Guin’s head cocked slightly, and then he said something in a foreign language that I only barely recognized as Tonkawacon. Trev’nor’s eyes lit up and he chattered back in reply. For several moments they spoke in that language, clearly happy to talk to each other. I gave Chatta a look to see how she was taking this, only to find her almost snickering in amusement.
“That is so cute,” she whispered. “King Guin adores children; we’re all hoping that his wife will conceive soon.”
He was certainly good with them. Trev’nor was more relaxed than any other person in the room. After a moment, Guin stood up, and led Trev’nor to an informal sitting area off to the side. There was a long couch, and three comfortable chairs arrayed in a circle. It was there that that Guin and Trev'nor sat. “Please, everyone sit down. I expect En’Nelle of Tain to be here shortly.”
I mentally groaned. I didn’t want to deal with that woman; couldn’t I talk to Doss or O’danne, instead, about this situation? They were far more agreeable.
Speak of the devil…the words were no sooner out of Guin’s mouth when the door to the study opened and En’Nelle of Tain swept in like an enraged bat. How did she get her robes to billow out like that? She eyed our group—all of us sitting comfortably on different couches—and scowled. “Rhebengarthen, where is the Earth Mage you discovered?”
Kartal apparently hadn’t said much in that message he sent if she didn’t even know that she was looking right at said Mage. I gestured calmly to Trev’nor, who was seated comfortably on the King’s lap (and seemed quite happy to be there). “Lady En’Nelle, this is Trev’nor.”
She stiffened ever so slightly in surprise. “This is the Earth Mage?”
I just nodded yes.
“…I see.” She cleared her throat, took a seat without being invited, and took the only vacant chair. “How did you discover him?”
Again, I really didn’t trust the woman, so I wasn’t very generous with details. I gave her a brief outline of events, with barely enough information for her to go on. I think everyone in the room knew what I was doing, but no one called me on it. When I was finished, she was eyeing Trev’nor thoughtfully.
“He can already see magic?”
At this, Trev’nor finally spoke up. “I can see it. You’re white.”
At this En’Nelle’s eyes narrowed. “Yes, I am. What color is Chatta?”
“She’s white too,” Trev’nor stated promptly. “Garth is green and brown. Val Haben is a little red. No one else glows.”
“Yes, child,” En’Nelle said slowly, “you can indeed see magic.” For some reason, the way she said that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Abruptly she turned to Guin, her mouth set in a firm line. “You surely see that the boy’s education must be overseen with great caution.”
“I see only that I hold a little boy,” Guin negated with a pleasant smile that quite belied his firm tone. “A little boy that deserves a stable home life, whether he is an Earth Mage or not.”
“His magic is active at far too young an age,” she argued immediately. “He must be supervised.”
“That does not require that he be given over to your control completely,” Guin countered.
Watching them, I felt like I was watching some elaborate form of Catch—only it was a conversational ball being tossed back and forth.
En’Nelle’s face became markedly pinched. “A normal couple will not be able to deal with any magical backlashes.”
“A ‘normal couple’, as you put it, bares quite a few magical children, and deals with them just fine.” Guin arched a pointed eyebrow. “If we put up the proper shielding and wards on the house to prevent accidents, he should get along swimmingly.”
She really couldn’t argue with that. I managed to grow up in a house without any protective spells or wards whatsoever, so she couldn’t argue that a Mage’s power made the situation more dangerous. Abruptly she switched tactics and tried a different angle. “And what couple would you trust to raise the boy? They must be above reproach so as to not take advantage of the situation.”
“I am sure that we will be able to find someone.”
“And I believe that the best option is to allow the council to oversee the boy’s training.”
I knew what she really wanted—an Earth Mage completely under her thumb. But I wasn’t about to let it happen. I sat up, catching her eyes and holding them with mine. “He will not be given over to your control.”
The glare she shot me was venomous. “
You have no say in this, young Rhebengarthen.”
“On the contrary, my lady, I do. When Trev’nor was given to me, I swore that I would look after him as if he were my own.” A Chahiran’s word was quite literally his bond—and according to my Jaunten knowledge, that promise was legally binding here in Hain. I have every right to determine who will raise Trev’nor, and dictate the terms of his education if I feel like it.
Her venomous look from before paled compared to the look she gave me now. She had been neatly outmaneuvered, and she didn’t care for it in the slightest. I wanted to tell her that if she hadn’t been so high-handed with the whole issue, she might have stood a better chance of getting her way. But that was probably adding fuel to the fire, so I kept my mouth shut.
I turned to Trev’nor, who had been watching us adults argue with wide eyes. Maybe he was only four, but he was a very mature four, and I thought I should at least give him some say in this. “Trev’nor, we’re all a little worried about who you can live with. Your magic isn’t supposed to be awake yet, and we think you might use it by accident.”
“Is that bad?” he whispered fearfully.
Adamantly I shook my head, smiling at him in reassurance. “No, just a little unusual. We all go through a time when our magic wakes up, when we can’t really control it. You’re just going through it sooner than we did. We’re going to put special spells on your room, so you won’t accidentally hurt anyone, all right?”
That reassurance made him relax and he nodded. “Okay.”
I nodded back, pleased that he was listening so well. “But I need you to decide something for me. We’re going to try and find you some guardians, people who can raise you. Do you want those parents to be magical or not?”
He chewed on the end of his thumb, completely absorbed in the question as only a child can. En’Nelle was giving me a look of disgust, apparently appalled that I was letting him choose. But Guin and Chatta were both smiling slightly, so I knew that they approved of the way I was handling it. I trusted their opinions much more.
Trev’nor abruptly sat up, brightening in excitement. “Can my new parents be Jaunten?”
I blinked at this question, coming out of the blue no less. “Er….”
When I didn’t give him an immediate answer, he twisted to look up into Guin’s face. “Is that okay?”
Guin looked at him thoughtfully and then glanced at Val Haben, who had been remarkably quiet this entire time. “I believe that we have a few couples who wish to adopt a child. Val?”
“One couple immediately springs to mind,” Val Haben answered thoughtfully. “They are both doctors and are normally here close to the Palace. I choose to keep them nearby in case something happens to you, sire, or to the royal family. They are unable to have children.”
“So I can?” Trev’nor asked again with growing impatience.
“I think so,” Guin answered with a look in my direction.
Trev’nor caught the look because he turned to me as well, silently demanding a ''yes'' from me. I smiled at him ruefully. “Yes, I think that will be fine. But remember what I said, Trev’nor—I don’t want you to make that decision until you are older.”
He nodded dutifully, but I had no doubts that he would argue the matter again with me later. Children were like that—persistent. To Guin I added, “I do wish to interview them first.”
Guin nodded as if he had been expecting that. “I’ll arrange a meeting for this afternoon. For now, consider the subject closed. I’m sure you all want to eat a decent meal and rest from your long journey. Garth, if you could meet me here for dinner, I would appreciate a report on how everything went.”
“Of course, Majesty,” I answered promptly. Again, I am not in the habit of arguing with royalty. Besides, they serve really good food here.
~*~
Allan and Liah Gaines were definitely born Jaunten, since both of them had dark hair, and not white. They were of the typical Hainian build—slim and tall—and dressed like doctors. Their clothing was plain, but of very good cut and quality. They were also bubbling over with good humor and intelligence. From the moment that I met them, I liked them.
We had arranged to meet in an outside café near the school (outside because Night wanted to meet them too, and most restaurants pitched a fit when he tried to go inside). I was of half a mind to leave Trev’nor with someone while I had this meeting, but decided to bring him along. His opinion of them mattered too.
With Trev’nor riding on my shoulders and Night following like an overgrown puppy, it was easy for them to find me in the crowd. Allan stood and immediately offered a hand in greeting. “You’re Rhebengarthen?”
“I am,” I admitted easily and accepted the hand. This whole handshaking business was still strange to me. In Chahir, contact was only made with friends and family—and we greeted strangers with a bow. “The boy on my shoulders is Trev’nor, and this is my Nreesce, Night.”
“I’m Dr. Allan Gaines,” he responded with a pleasantly deep voice. Turning slightly, he gestured to his wife who had stood up from the table to greet us. “And this is my wife, Liah.”
I bowed to her slightly, but only slightly so Trev’nor wouldn’t slide off my shoulders. “Thank you for the gift of your names.”
“Come sit down,” she invited with a warm smile.
I put Trev’nor on his own feet, but he stayed close to my side and gave both adults a cautious study. Wanting to see what would happen, I took a chair and made no effort to direct Trev’nor on where to sit.
Without missing a beat, Liah turned to the little boy and bent down to his level. “Trev’nor, would you sit beside me? I want to get to know you better.”
Not many children could stay withdrawn under that warm smile, and Trev’nor hesitantly nodded. Liah lifted him into the chair next to hers. Unfortunately, he was much too short to properly see over the table.
“Oh dear,” Liah laughed. “I hadn’t thought about that. Wait a moment; I’ll see if I can’t find something for you to sit on.”
I held up a hand to stall her. Puzzled, she halted in mid-step, head cocked at me in silent question. I turned my attention to the stones under Trev’nor’s chair, asking them to enlarge so that the chair would rise.
Trev’nor yelped in surprise, then twisted to look down when the stone under him abruptly grew, raising him a good foot in the air. “The stones are glowing brown!” he exclaimed.
Suppressing a smile, I asked him, “Is that high enough for you?”
He nodded happily. “Can I do that next time?”
“In about ten years,” I countered mildly. “Remember, you haven’t grown into your magic yet.” He frowned back at me, not at all pleased with that answer. Shaking my head ruefully, I turned back to the Jaunten doctors…who were staring at me in shock. Liah was actually gaping at me. “Dr. Gaines?”
It was Allan who responded in a hoarse voice. “We…we were told that you were Jaunten. Is that in error?”
My eyebrows shot up. Had they not been told about me? “It is not. I am Jaunten.”
Liah finally found her voice, but it was rather strangled. “You clearly can use magic.”
No, they definitely hadn’t been told about me. Now why was that? “I am an Earth Mage.”
At that, the blood just seemed to drain out of their faces. “Sweet heaven,” Allan breathed, “you are the Advent Mage!”
“I’m the what?” I’ve been called many things in the past, but this was a new one.
“There was a rumor going around several months ago,” Liah responded hesitantly, “of a young man from Chahir that was an Earth Mage. The story went that he was turned Jaunten before he reached Del’Hain, although no one knew why. I thought it…well, implausible.”
“A Jaunten named Elis made me,” I explained. “It was a matter of survival at the time. I needed the knowledge of the Jaunten in order to make it to Del’Hain in one piece. But why do you call me the Advent Mage?”
“Because you are the first Mage b
orn since the Magic War,” Allan stated simply.
Put that way, I suppose the title made a certain sense. The word advent did mean that something was coming into place, or being. With my appearance, the age where Mages lived began again. “The first, but not the only Mage." I wanted to ask who had come up with such a ludicrous title, but I doubted that they knew. I was definitely asking Val Haben, however. As the King's Ears, he should have at least an idea. Shaking the idea away, I went back to more immediate concerns. "You were at least told that Trev’nor is an Earth Mage?”
“That, Val Haben told us,” Liah admitted with a wry smile. “He neglected to mention much about you, other than that you were a Jaunten recently made.”
Sometimes I think the man refrains from giving people information simply for the entertainment value. "Trev'nor was raised by a Tonkawacon tribe until a few days ago. His power has been prematurely awakened somehow. This causes us some concern, as he shouldn't even see magic for another six years."
"I can see magic," Trev'nor pointed out with a child's certainty.
"Yes, I know," I answered patiently. "I'm just saying you shouldn't be able to."
"So I'm special?"
More than he realized. I smiled at him wryly. "Yes, you're special."
That satisfied him, and he sat back in his chair with a broad smile.
"If he is an Earth Mage," Liah said slowly, "then why isn't he staying with you? You said his power was awakened—”
"Not fully," I disagreed with a small shake of the head. "It will take years yet for him to be able to work magic. There will be the occasional magical accident, of course, but he won't be able to actively use it for at least a few more years. I am not fully trained yet, and so cannot train him at this time even if he were ready for it. Also, the Powers-That-Be will continue dispatching me out, all over the continent, to fix things. I don't see this pattern changing in the near future, which puts me on the road a great deal. Trev'nor needs a consistent, stable home life."
Jaunten (Advent Mage Cycle) Page 18