Putting her wine cup down on the floor, Aetria got up and walked over to the sleeping Coleni, looking down at her for a moment. “What has changed? She has been captured by the enemy, wounded, discovers she has a twin sister, and that her sister killed her lover."
Aetria sank slowly to her knees beside her sister. Coleni must be her sister, for there was no other reasonable explanation for their likeness. She thought back on the scene when Coleni broke down and realized what might be the cause. The horror of it made her moan and start to cry. Loreana swiftly moved to Aetria side, and dropping to her knees, hugged her. “Aetria? What is wrong?"
"I think I know what caused her breakdown. I had asked her what the Novice had yelled at me in Hermanian. It was, ‘Coleni, behind you.’ Don't you see, Loreana? Lornes’ last moments alive were seeing his lover throw a knife at him. The knife that killed him."
Nodding gently, Loreana did indeed understand where Coleni's mental pain was coming from. Aetria had stopped weeping, her tears only a reaction to the horror, like hearing a sad story and crying for the sadness. Coleni's horror would not go away, for she was living it. Loreana helped Aetria to her feet and back to their chairs. She refilled both wineglasses.
"How do we change the horror of that scene in her mind?” Aetria asked before sipping a drink of her wine.
Loreana shrugged helplessly. “To change Coleni I have to be able to reach the rational Coleni. We know the cause, but to change her to want to live, we have to change her current belief that she caused Lornes’ death. Through the trance technique, I can reach Coleni in her memory world, but that is not where the rational Coleni lives. To reach that Coleni, I have to be able to talk to her, and she is not communicating with anyone."
"I doubt if any of her own people will be available to help us reach her,” Aetria mused. “I guess we have no choice but to try to talk with her. Do you think I really have a bond with her?"
"The strength of the bond is directly related to how close the twins were as children. From what you said, you were separated as babies, maybe within the first two years of your life. Is there anything you remember from your childhood that supports you having a bond with your sister?"
"I don't remember much about my earliest years. My Tierian foster father was an outcast to his people, and to the rest of the village people, he was an outcast because he was Tierian. I had very few playmates. I played more in my imagination than I played in the real world. Guess that is why I tested so high for Illusionist."
Loreana's eyes flew open wide and she excitedly turned toward Aetria, her right hand reaching out to touch Aetria's shoulder. “Didn't you say that Coleni conjured your dragon?"
"It sounded a lot like him, but how could she do that?"
"You were both scared and lonely children, needing a strong protector. Isn't that what he was to you?"
"Yes, Rajii was my protector. When I had grown up enough to take care of myself, I guess I didn't need him anymore and found other things to dream about.” The sadness in Aetria's eyes told Loreana that Aetria was not happy about having to leave that world.
"We all have to grow up, Aetria.” The excitement was back in her voice. “But we can use Rajii to talk with Coleni. I can bring her to almost total consciousness. From your meditating trance, you can conjure Rajii for us. Take yourself back to when you were a little girl and project that into your illusion. I think Coleni will see that vision and make contact with Rajii, and maybe you. If she at least talks with Rajii, then we have a chance."
"How is talking with a dragon going to help?” Aetria asked, a puzzled frown on her face.
"I will talk for Rajii,” Loreana said, smiling broadly.
Aetria did not cast the illusion of Rajii as one complete spell. Loreana suggested she build it up, a little at a time, like telling a story. While Aetria was doing that, Loreana would slowly bring Coleni to consciousness. This, they hoped, would fix Coleni's mind on the illusion, instead of her rejecting it out of hand. Aetria began by letting her mind think back to her earliest memories of sitting in the woods behind her parents’ home, talking with her friend Rajii. She imagined...
There he was, curled up on the soft, moss-covered ground of the glade, resting in a beam of bright sunlight. The air was still and warm, smelling of leaves, with a hint of musky leather—Rajii's smell. Only an occasional bird song cut through the peace and quiet. As she watched, the fierce red dragon raised his head and looked at her. A very toothy grin filled his face.
"Little One, it has been a long time since you last came,” he said.
Aetria skipped across the glade and threw herself into the open arms of her dragon, his razor sharp claws closing gently on her back. She wiggled free and dashed about, begging for him to get up and go explore with her.
"We must wait for another."
"Don't want to, you are mine, and mine alone."
Rajii looked at her, his fierce eyes gentle. “Not true. I also have another Person."
"No, only me."
"My friendship is big enough for you, and for others."
"No, not enough."
Rajii grew huge as he stood up on his hind legs. Magically, he grew even bigger, his head rising above tops of the trees, his voice almost thunderous. “Big enough now!"
Aetria ran to him, hugging an ankle and whining. “Oh! Please, not so big. You are scaring me, Rajii.” She looked up to find him back to his normal hugeness.
"Big enough to share, Little One?"
"Yes.” She pouted.
"Promise."
She shook her head, and he poked her in the ribs. She stamped her foot, and he tickled her. Giggling, she said, “I promise."
"Thank you. Now we wait for the Person."
"How much longer?"
"The Person is coming now,” Rajii said.
Aetria looked around but didn't see anyone. “Where?” She asked.
"Down the path,” he answered. Aetria craned her next to look around behind the dragon's wide body. She didn't see a path.
"Look behind you."
She turned and did as asked. There behind her was the same path she had followed in. Little bright stars of light were running up and down the path, making it glow and pulse with a life of its own. “That path?” she asked.
"No, that is your path. Only you can walk it."
She looked up at him in frustration. “I don't see a path, Rajii!"
"You must look very hard, my child."
Aetria somberly paced around the huge dragon, staring at the green grass of the forest floor, looking for any change, any little stars, anything. When she had reached the point where her path touched the glade, she saw, ever so faintly next to it, a shadow of hers. “This path?” she asked.
"Yes.” Rajii said.
She tried to follow the path with her eyes, looking for the coming Person, but the path was too faint to see beyond a few feet. “Where is the Person?” she asked.
"Share,” Rajii answered.
Aetria put her hands on the ghostly path and imagined it dancing like hers. Tiny pulses of light leapt down the path, and it began to glow. She looked around at Rajii, and the dragon slowly bobbed his head up and down in agreement. She saw a shimmering around his chest and ran to look closely. Aetria reached up to touch the breast scales of Rajii, wondering why the familiar blue was blurring and shifting in color. It seemed to be turning green. “No, no. Stay blue."
The scales blurred and became blue again for a moment, then started shifting again. Making an angry frown, she started to change them again when Rajii covered her small hand with his large clawed one and whispered, “Share. You said you would share."
Confused, she looked up into his huge emerald eyes. “I will share, I promised."
"Then share."
The scales on his breast slowly turned bluish green, not blue, but not green. It was a nice color also. She smiled. She looked up into his eyes and saw he was happy, too. The scales of his face slowly turned from a fierce red to a softer red. She lo
oked sad, as she always thought of him as being fierce. Like a blush, a darker red spread across his face and down his body.
It's all right, she thought. A shimmer appeared around his throat, becoming a blue ribbon, with gold streamers laced through it. She clapped with delight. “How pretty!"
Racing back to the path, slowly growing on its own, she put her hands out and willed the lights to jump and grow.
"Slowly,” Rajii said. “Patience."
She did not want to go slowly, but to disobey her friend was unthinkable. So she puffed a tiny breath of impatience and willed slower. The path spread outward like a wave returning back to the sea.
"The Person is near."
A shadow moved on the outward end of the path, and Aetria ran back to the protection of her dragon. He closed one arm around her in a hug.
The shadow figure inched down the path. The Person also was afraid. Aetria was glad for Rajii, but she wondered why the Person didn't run the way she had. Rajii said there was more than enough of him to share. The Person began to pass from shadow to form.
"Oh,” she said.
"Rajii?” the Person said.
"Coleni,” he said.
Aetria looked up past Rajii's grinning mouth full of razor sharp teeth, into his eyes. “It is me?” she said.
"No, it is your sister."
"But I don't have a sister,” Aetria said.
Rajii held out his empty arm for Coleni, pulling her into his embrace. “You do now,” he said. The two little girls looked at each other. It was like looking in a mirror. One smiled, the other responded likewise. They each giggled. One reached to touch the other, their hands meeting.
"My sister,” Aetria said.
Rajii looked down at his two children and sighed. They looked up at him, questioningly. “You have so much to learn, but no time, my little ones."
"But we are to go explore, as you promised, Rajii?” Aetria asked. The little girls were still holding hands, bonded together in their desire to play and have fun together with their friend.
"Yes, but first we must get ready."
The two girls clapped their hands excitedly and raced around, unable to contain their joy. They simultaneously ran back to stand before him, their uplifted faces asking the same question, although only Coleni spoke. “What must we do to get ready?"
Sadly, Rajii said, “Grow up."
Aetria looked over at Coleni, wondering what Rajii meant by that and saw, in wonder, the child she had been holding hands with slowly expanding and filling out. She knew without looking that she also was changing. Her wonder turned to studied appraisal, viewing the emerging woman with the critical view of an adult, instead of with the innocence of a child.
Coleni's simple dress became a sorcerer's robe, covering her torso and legs, but leaving her arms free. Coleni was slightly heavier then Aetria, her upper arm muscles more developed, stronger. The ribbons that had been in her hair disappeared. The most marked change was that the joy and adventure in her eyes had faded into sadness, dark shadows adding to the gauntness of her face. Aetria wondered what Coleni saw her changing into. Coleni would have stepped back and away if Aetria had not kept possession of her hand, refusing to release it as Coleni started to tug it away. Aetria turned back to the dragon, noting that as they had grown, so had he. He was watching Coleni intensely.
"Why is Coleni so sad?” Aetria asked Rajii.
"She believes she is responsible for Lornes’ death,” Rajii said.
"I killed him,” Coleni moaned, tugging more strongly to free her hand.
Rajii reached out with his clawed hands and gently pulled Coleni into his embrace. He offered Aetria an opening in that embrace by holding out his other arm. She moved in, putting an arm around her sister. Rajii shook his teeth-filled head, his emerald eyes fixed sternly on Coleni, who was watching him with apprehension and fear.
Fear that he would agree with her?
"No, you did not. An enemy killed Lornes in self-defense."
"But I led him to his death."
"No, you ordered him away. You told him to go for help, then to warn the Sorceress. You did not tell him to follow you to the hill. You were the senior Novice, you were the Sub-Commander, were you not?” Rajii asked insistently.
Coleni hesitated. “Yes, but—"
"And what is the result of disobeying orders?” Rajii asked.
"You are punished.” Coleni moaned.
"What orders of yours did you disobey when you went to the hill, found the enemy instead of friends, and retreated to get help?"
Puzzled, Coleni said, “I didn't disobey any of my orders."
"Then why are you punishing yourself?” Rajii asked, hugging Coleni gently.
"He died because of me,” Coleni said, laying her head on Rajii's broad shoulders.
"No, my Coleni, he died because he disobeyed your orders. He followed you to the hill, saw you being threatened by the man in black, and attacked."
"But he died knowing I had killed him,” Coleni wailed.
Rajii's voice grew rougher, deeper, with more of a gargle in his words. “No, he died knowing he had saved you."
"How can you say that?” Coleni asked angrily.
"Because I was there. I have always been there protecting you and your sister. Lornes saw your sister being attacked by the man in black. He called a warning and spelled the lightning stroke. He did not see the knife that hit him; he only saw the stroke hit the man in black. He saved Aetria, as I had willed him to. If you must blame someone, blame me."
Aetria stared at Rajii, the truth of his words ringing in her head. It was Nemos drawing his sword that had alerted her to his presence. He had been trying to kill her, and continued to try even after being hit.
"Why was he trying to kill me?” Aetria asked quietly.
Rajii held them both for a moment, then said, “Your sister and you must find that out."
"Lornes saved Aetria.” Coleni sighed.
"Yes.” Rajii said, his voice pitched higher, no longer rough with a gargle.
"His death had value."
"If any death is to have value, then his did. Little Ones, you both must go now. Let me rest until I am needed again. Be at peace."
Rajii began to fade into the glade. In moments Aetria found herself kneeling beside Loreana, her arms around both the Healer and Coleni. Coleni began to cry gently, the tears flowing slowly down her cheeks. Loreana rocked Coleni, making soothing sounds. The Healer smiled at Aetria over her sister's head.
"Coleni is healed,” she mouthed.
The relief that flooded over Aetria was overpowering, and she sat back down onto the sleeping pallet with a heartfelt sigh.
The two women stood watching the sleeping Coleni. Loreana wrapped her outer cloak over her dark purple Adept robe and sighed wearily. “I hope I can sleep tonight as deeply as she is. She is truly at peace with herself."
"Your idea to use Rajii was a stroke of genius, Loreana."
The Healer touched Aetria's arm. “But your creation of his illusion was what made this all possible. I can see a very positive use of illusion spells in healing the mind. Mage Kelristo will be very interested."
"If he is still talking to me when we arrive back at Inhestia. What is the sorcerer regiment saying about my upcoming hearing?"
"Only what they know—which is nothing.” Loreana stepped in closer to Aetria. Being shorter, she craned her head up to whisper in Aetria's ear. “What happened here tonight must be kept unspoken, not only because of the secrecy around Coleni, but because I saw spell use which has never been done. When you put your hands on Coleni's path, and helped make it grow, you were actually transferring Power from your grid to hers. I don't know how. My requesting Rajii to appear was to allow Coleni to change his image more to her own accepted mental image of him. To do so meant she also needed Power and you gave it to her. This is very exciting."
"I.. I don't know how I did it either."
Giving Aetria a fierce parting hug, Loreana whispered, “A
nd having Rajii say he was there was brilliant. I couldn't think of an argument and stalled. Your voice was different from mine, but I don't think she noticed. This was excellent healing tonight, and I am proud to be involved in it. Goodnight."
Loreana was out the door before Aetria could say anything. She looked at Coleni. “But it wasn't my voice,” she whispered.
CHAPTER 10
Coleni slept through the night and most of the morning. When she awoke, she rushed off to use Aetria's private privy and returned looking less disheveled. Aetria suggested a hot bath was in order and arranged for a portable tub to be brought to her quarters, along with a hot meal. While Coleni was luxuriating in the hot, steamy water, Aetria laid out her spare field cavalry uniform. At least the uniform would fit, since she and Coleni were the same size. She sent off for a lieutenant sash, wondering what Sonja would think of her promoting an ex-enemy sorceress to officer rank in the general's personal guard. Aetria had sent word to the general that Coleni had been healed, and she suspected Sonja would be sending for them soon.
When Coleni emerged from her bath, Aetria gave her a towel to dry off with and one to help dry her hair. A naked Coleni looked very much the same as a naked Aetria, but there were subtle differences. Coleni did not seem at all embarrassed by Aetria's appraisal of her body. She was not as supple as Aetria. Her muscles were slightly bigger, and she carried slightly more weight.
"You look a lot stronger than me. What form of self defense do you practice?” Aetria asked.
Coleni looked down at her body, then at Aetria's, noticing the differences from what she could see of Aetria underneath the Captain of Cavalry uniform. “The sword. Not very ladylike, but it suits me. I was Wendelia's Champion last year."
"Wendelia?” Aetria asked.
Using the second towel to rub her hair dry, Coleni wrapped it around her head to keep off a chill. Aetria wondered why she wore it so long. Her own reddish-gold hair was so short it would be dry in minutes.
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