"I am going for a hot bath," Chatta announced. "And I'll turn anyone who tries to stop me into a toad!"
I grinned at the mental image. "Good plan. I'll meet you later?"
"At dinner, probably." With a wave, she wandered off down the hallway.
I turned toward my room, which lay in the opposite direction. A hot bath sounded good, but it would have to be a quick one for me. And maybe I could detour past the kitchens at some point and charm some food out of the Palace Cook.
If I looked pitiful enough, she might even give me a cookie.
Cheered by the thought, I hummed to myself as I went in search of privacy and a huge tub of hot water.
~*~
I spent at least three hours visiting with Trev'nor, telling him all about Jward and Small Rider, and how I could ride Night now. He soaked up everything I said like a dry sponge. That I didn't mind, but he hung on like a limpet when I tried to leave. Shaking him off proved to be impossible—he clung even tighter when I made noises about "other things to do."
In the end, I just took him with me to visit Hevencoran.
Trev'nor was delighted at the chance to meet another Mage. I think we were both relieved to know that more Mages were being born—and not just Earth Mages. He chattered all sorts of questions at me (most of which I didn't have the answers to) as we walked around the Academy trying to find the new Mage.
Out of sheer dumb luck, we finally stumbled across her in the stables. She had one hand on the neck of a Nreesce mare, talking to her so softly that I couldn't hear the words. I wasn't really surprised to see this—she was, after all, a Life Mage. She'd naturally be drawn to magical creatures, just like I was naturally drawn to elements of the earth.
I took the opportunity to look at her as I approached. Hevencoran was slight, a wisp of a girl, with platinum blonde hair down to her waist and fair skin. Leaning against the building next to her was a raw-boned teenage boy who was probably about my age. He had the same fair hair and skin, and was obviously kin to the girl. Ah. This must be the older brother who came with her.
The boy looked up at my approach, took in my appearance, and straightened abruptly. Hevencoran turned, noticed me, and tensed a little in surprise. I stopped a polite two feet away and bowed to them both. In my native tongue I said, "I am Rhebengarthen, Earth Mage and child of the Jaunten." Gesturing to Trev'nor, who was at my side, I added, "This is Trev'nor, my adopted-brother, who is also an Earth Mage."
Both siblings gaped at me, shock dominating their faces. "Thank you for the gift of your names," the brother finally managed. "I am Hevenreien. This is my sister, Hevencoran."
Trev'nor bowed to them both, adorably polite and formal. In accented Chahirese he said, "A pleasure to exchange names."
Hearing a Tonkawacon greeting in Chahirese was really strange and kind of funny at the same time. I carefully swallowed a smile before Trev'nor noticed. "Forgive me if I'm interrupting something," I continued in a calm voice. "King Guin told me that you were here, Hevencoran, and that you had many questions. I thought that while I am in Del'Hain, I could help you answer some of those questions, and perhaps, better adjust to Hain."
"I would appreciate that very much," she agreed fervently. "You…are the Advent Mage?"
I winced when she used the nickname. Great good magic, even she had heard of it! "People call me that, yes."
The siblings exchanged slightly confused looks at my response. Sighing, I tried to explain. "They call me that because I was the first Mage discovered in over two hundred years. However, the nickname seems to come hand in hand with…a grossly exaggerated reputation. I don't like to be called that."
"Ah," Hevenreien murmured in understanding. "Well, that is reasonable."
Glad he understood that; I let the matter drop. "Let me treat you both to a late lunch. I can answer your questions while we eat."
They both perked up at the friendly overture, and nodded in agreement, so I led them into the city. Of course, I was peppered with questions as we walked to a favorite café of mine. The questions ranged from dealing with food, to culture, to clothes, to language, and to magic. Hevencoran seemed to be curious about everything. To my amusement, Trev'nor answered some of her questions. Having a five year old explain something to a fifteen year old was inherently amusing; especially when his Chahirese wasn't quite fluent. His parents had been teaching him the language, but he'd only been learning for a little less than a year. He still had a tendency to say certain things backwards. I had the interesting job of trying to smooth out any inconsistencies without making it obvious to Trev'nor what I was doing.
The questioning was not one-sided. I asked quite a few questions myself. Through them I learned about the political situation at home. King Vonlorisen was irate with King Guin for trying to dictate Chahir's internal policies. I didn't foresee negotiations going smoothly when we finally went to Chahir. And the policy on magic had been changed since I left—it was even stricter now. That didn't bode well.
"We barely made it across the border," Hevenreien admitted morosely. "And I don't think it's because they knew about Cora. They're just viewing anyone who is trying to cross the border, anyone without a merchant's pass that is, as someone with magical ability. The border patrol is ruthless in hunting people down."
Scary thought! Over a year ago, when I had crossed over to Hain, I hadn't seen anyone. Would I have made it to safety if I had been faced with the same opposition these two had? I'd like to think so.
But I wasn't positive I would have.
We sat at the café's outside tables, and I helped guide them on what was the best to eat. Neither of them spoke Hainish very well, and few people really spoke Chahirese. I hoped they both had an affinity for languages; otherwise they were in for a rough ride.
Hevencoran leaned forward in her chair, snaring her eyes with mine. "Rhebengarthen, you said that you are a child of the Jaunten?"
I nodded affirmatively.
"How did that come about?"
I gave her a brief outline of the story of my own crossing into Hain. She listened with rapt attention, eyes widening slightly in her face as the story progressed. When I finished she became, if possible, even more intent. "Then you can make others into Jaunten, by simply sharing your blood?"
Once again, I nodded. But this time I did so cautiously. I had a feeling she was going somewhere with this.
Her eyes went to her brother's, and some sort of silent communication passed between them. Hevenreien nodded slowly before facing me. "Will you make me Jaunten?"
Not…entirely what I was expecting. I had thought that his sister would ask, not him. "Why?"
"It would help me in many ways," he answered with serious eyes. "I would know the culture, the language, and the land. I would become part of the King's Jaunten. I could help my sister learn Hainish, and know how to protect her better."
I sat back and pondered this for a moment. I could see where he was going with this, and why he was headed in that direction. By making him Jaunten, he would have instant knowledge and an immediate profession. Really, this was probably a very wise choice on his part. I was too cautious to just agree on the spot, however. "I am inclined to agree," I answered carefully. "However, I want you to meet other Jaunten here, and talk with them. I am not a true Jaunten; I do not serve the King as the other Jaunten do. There might be quirks to this profession that I am not aware of. After you talk to them, if you still wish to be made Jaunten, then I will make you one."
They both relaxed, smiles breaking over their faces.
Deciding it was only charitable to warn him, I added, "Your hair will turn white like mine, by the way."
He blinked, puzzled. "Eh?"
"All Jaunten that are made have white hair like mine," I explained patiently. "Jaunten that are born Jaunten keep their natural hair coloring. I think it’s the effect of magic changing an adult's body into Jaunten that changes the hair color—but that's just a guess on my part."
He ran a hand ruefully throug
h his hair and shrugged. "There wouldn't be much difference. My hair is very light anyway."
True.
We finished our lunch (actually it was more like an afternoon snack for me, since I'd already had lunch), and I took them to the Palace. I took them to Trev'nor's adopted parents, since the Gaines were nice people, and I needed to return their son anyway.
When we arrived, I made the basic introductions, stepped back and let the conversation between the four take its natural course. They actually got along rather well, and the Gaines were quite taken with the idea of turning Hevenreien into Jaunten as well.
A few minutes of this and Night wandered into the room. He looked perfectly groomed, well fed, well rested, and ready for mischief. I glared at him enviously. How come he got a nap and I didn't?
Hevencoran stopped in mid-sentence at Night's entrance, her whole body turning to face him. I've never seen a person's eyes grow that big. For a long moment, they just stared at each other.
Night tossed his head slightly, ears pricked in curiosity. "She is the Life Mage?"
I nodded. "Hevencoran, this is Night, my Nreesce. Night, this is Hevencoran and her brother, Hevenreien."
They'd obviously heard that I had a Nreesce, because that didn't surprise them. Hevencoran was staring wide eyed at Night, however. "He…"
I frowned slightly at her. "Yes?"
"He's…like you," she finally managed hoarsely.
For a few moments her words made absolutely no sense. Then it occurred to me just what it was that she was seeing—the Jaunten blood that was in me, and in Night. Of course, to a largely untrained Mage, she could see the similarity but not the reason behind it. I nodded in confirmation. "Night has the blood of the Jaunten as well."
"Is that possible?" her brother demanded incredulously.
"We didn't think so—until I accidentally turned Night," I admitted.
"He is a sentient creature," Liah pointed out with a thoughtful expression on her face. "I suppose the magic could adapt enough to fit a Nreesce's body."
Night walked over to Hevencoran and lowered his head enough to where their eyes were almost on the same level. She raised both hands to frame his face, staring at him intently.
"Mm," Night murmured in content. "She feels nice."
I was not surprised. A Life Mage was supposed to be very attractive to all living creatures.
"You're gorgeous," Hevencoran sighed to my happy Nreesce. Night whickered in pleasure, rubbing his cheek against hers.
I took one look at the situation and groaned. Yet another person, that adored Night, had shown up. I had no doubt that she would spoil him rotten as well!
We couldn't leave for Chahir too soon, in my opinion.
~*~
I was heading toward the west wing of the Palace, and the "informal" dining room for dinner, when there was a hail behind me.
"Garth!"
Recognizing the voice as Chatta's, I turned to greet her—and tensed slightly. There was a man walking beside her, and I knew, just knew, that it was her father. He stood a good head and shoulders above me (not atypical in this country), had thick black hair and the dark eyes and skin tone of Hain. The formal robes he wore were of dark green and held the royal crest on the right shoulder, proclaiming him a Speaker. He looked powerful, in control…and pleasantly blank.
I squirmed mentally when I realized what I would look like in comparison to this man. I was short, pale, and wearing the only clean clothing I had at the moment—the informal brown Mage robes. I wasn't about to let my outward appearance shake my confidence, however. I pulled myself together mentally and gave Chatta a warm smile. "I didn't see any toads."
She laughed merrily. "No, I managed to get away from everyone long enough to have a nice, long soak in a bath." Capturing her father's arm she smiled up at him. "Da, this is Magus Rhebengarthen. Garth, this is my father, Sven Delheart, Royal Speaker and Lon of Chasmiss."
I bowed politely. "Thank you for the gift of your name."
He blinked, and then bowed slightly back. "It's a pleasure to meet you, as well. I have heard a great deal about you from my daughter."
Yes, I bet he had.
"Garth, why don't you join our table tonight?" Chatta invited with a winsome smile. "You can tell me about the new Life Mage. Guin said you went to meet her today."
"That's only the surface of the ocean," I assured her.
She gave me a blank look. "Surface of the ocean?" she parroted with a lack of comprehension.
I had to think for a moment before I came up with a phrase similar in Hainish. "Only the tip of the iceberg, I believe is what you'd say."
"Ah. Well, come with us, then." She held out a hand to me in anticipation.
Normally I wouldn't have hesitated to accept that invitation, but I didn't want to intrude where I might not be wanted. Lon Delheart didn't get to see his daughter often, and he might want to spend time with her without my presence. I looked to him. "I would not wish to impose, Lon."
He was watching me carefully, weighing me with his eyes. "No, Magus, you are welcome to join us."
I couldn't figure out if he really meant that or not, so decided to go with the flow. I drew Chatta's hand into the crook of my elbow, where it rested comfortably. Delheart had his daughter's other arm, so she was flanked on both sides, and seemed quite happy about it.
"So how is Trev'nor?" Chatta asked as we continued our way toward the dining room.
"Excited, curious, energetic," I replied dryly. "The usual. I took him with me to meet Hevencoran—that's the Life Mage—and he loved every minute of it."
She shook her head ruefully. "I'm sure he did."
"And how's Didi?" I asked innocently.
"Excited, curious, energetic—the usual," she deadpanned. She mock-scowled at me when I laughed. "It's not funny! He literally pounced on me when I went to pick him up. I had to distract him with an elaborate maze of locks and string just to make it down to dinner."
"Perhaps you should re-consider leaving him behind next time?"
Chatta arched a pointed eyebrow at me. "The next trip we're making is into Chahir. Do you really want me to take Didi along on a diplomatic trip?"
I briefly thought about that and shuddered in horror. "No."
"I thought it was a bad idea as well. The Gaines told me that Didi was quite well behaved while we were gone, and that they're willing to keep him again when I leave."
"Perhaps you should train him so you don't have to worry about him in public situations," her father suggested mildly.
"I've tried," she sighed mournfully. "Nothing I did worked. You're welcome to train him. I've run out of ideas."
"I shall attempt to do so in my abundance of free time," her father drawled.
Chatta strove to ignore that. "Speaking of which—Garth, when do you want to start tutoring us?"
I pondered that question for a moment. "After I get a full night's sleep. Preferably after breakfast."
"I take that to mean that your schedule is fairly clear?" she asked in amusement.
"The only work I'm ever given takes weeks to do," I pointed out to her. "Right now my only task is teaching people, so yes, my schedule is clear at the moment."
"I don't have anything immediately pressing either," she admitted before tilting her head back to look up at her father. "Da?"
"I have a meeting tomorrow morning, but the rest of the day is clear. Perhaps we should meet after lunch?"
"For lunch," I corrected. "Table manners in Hain are slightly different than in Chahir. We might as well start on those now."
His eyes sharpened, and it was almost possible to see his mind whirling at high speeds. "I see. For lunch, then."
We arrived at the dining room at that moment. I had no idea where Chatta's family usually sat—the room was a maze of tables. The formal table where the royal family sat was at the front of the room, of course, but tables branched out from that table in every conceivable direction. I normally sat at the table far to the left of t
he Royal Table (when I was actually in town, which wasn't often), since I was semi-important.
I let Delheart take the lead, and he took us to a table that directly connected to the Royal Table. Since I was so close to royalty, I put on my best manners. I seated Chatta (which surprised her, as I'd never done something like that before), then waited politely for her father to sit before taking my own seat across from Chatta. To my left was another Speaker's wife—I assumed she was his wife, anyway—and the table ended to my right. That meant I could only comfortably talk to three people.
Good!
Servers came by and started filling our plates with food. I smiled in sheer anticipation—the Palace always had the best food. My mouth was watering from the aroma alone.
"Garth," Chatta asked in concern, "you did eat today, didn't you?"
"Twice," I assured her. I guess my ravenous stare at the food was a dead give-away.
Her expression became suspicious. "You've been lying to me, haven't you?"
I gave her an offended look. "I've never lied to you!"
"Misleading me, then," she amended, and the suspicious set to her eyes didn't change one whit. "You said when we boarded that boat in Geol that you were recovered, but that isn't true, is it? You're still recovering from what you did in Jward."
I was acutely aware of the two silent people sitting on either side of the table, listening intently to this conversation. I lowered my voice slightly. "I said I was mostly recovered."
"Garth," she growled in vexation.
I held up a finger to halt any tirade she might decide to launch at me. "You," I informed her firmly, "are a worry-wart. I'm fine."
The set to her jaw became obstinate. "Garth, you worked an obscene amount of magic in Jward—”
"I didn't say otherwise," I interrupted impatiently.
With a glare at me, she kept going, "—and you never properly rested from that."
"We're home now," I said patiently. "I can rest."
Delheart stirred at this point, catching our attention and probably heading off an argument. "Just what did you do in Jward, Magus?"
I made my answer as simple as possible. "I made Jward an island and built a land bridge from the island to the mainland."
Jaunten (Advent Mage Cycle) Page 26