“There is a third choice,” said Garvey, earning scowls from the other members of the Grey Council.
“We’ve already discussed this,” said Balfruss.
“Don’t do this, Garvey,” protested Eloise but he ignored them both.
“You all deserve better,” shouted Garvey, his voice carrying across the camp. “What has happened is not your doing. You should not be punished for it, nor be forced to run and hide in fear.”
“Stop,” said Eloise.
“Let him speak,” said one of the older students, and a few others shouted their agreement.
Garvey was facing Eloise and Balfruss, but they all heard every word. “We promised to be honest with them. They still have to choose for themselves. I’m just presenting them with a third option.” It was clear the other members of the Grey Council were not happy, but they didn’t try to stop him from speaking again.
“I am not leaving with the others. Nor will I hide my magic. They blame us for what happened, but we all know the truth. So, I am going to fight.” Wren had never heard Garvey speak with such passion before, but there was more to it as well, strengthening his voice. As ever he was seething with rage but now he was able to give it a target. “Some countries have banned Seekers, but it is only the beginning. In time they will try to ban all magic. For years they have tried to suppress magic from the world. But children like you are being born every day and I will not abandon them. I will live free and proud of what I am.”
She thought Garvey had chosen his words with great care. They felt rehearsed, as if he had been thinking about this moment for a long time. He had not said outright who he would be fighting, but she could guess. Garvey intended to go where he wanted, live as he wanted and if he met those opposed to magic, they would find someone unwilling to be cowed by a mob. They had chosen to leave the Red Tower to avoid making things worse. But here was someone just as angry who would fight back using every magical ability and weapon in his arsenal.
It would be a bloodbath.
“Will you be a wolf or a lamb?” Danoph said, and she raised an eyebrow. “It was something Tahira said to me,” he explained.
“You have an hour to make your decision,” said Eloise before stepping down.
Everyone was talking at once and all around she overheard a dozen discussions about the choices available to them.
Wren saw the youngest students being manipulated as she overheard teachers telling them about the wonders of the eastern kingdoms. However, she felt that it was the right decision for them. They were not old enough to be by themselves and if they went east at least they would have the opportunity to live without being persecuted. Most were young enough that, in time, they could forget their old lives and perhaps their old families. It was what would happen to everyone else that concerned her.
A group of older students had already made their decision. They were arrayed behind Garvey and a tall girl from Yerskania was already speaking to him.
“Who is that?” asked Wren.
“That’s Tahira,” said Danoph when he saw where she was pointing.
“I recognise some of the others,” said Tianne, who seemed to know the name of every student.
Garvey’s speech had been powerful and convincing, but something was still niggling Wren about what was happening. Ignoring tradition and what formality dictated, she approached Garvey, determined to get some real answers.
The Sorcerer looked up as she approached, but he seemed neither pleased nor disappointed. The students behind him misinterpreted her presence, thinking she had decided to join them.
“I haven’t made my decision yet,” she explained. “I have a question.”
Garvey stared at her intently for a long time before speaking. “Ask.”
“Did you know this would happen?” she asked.
For a brief moment Wren thought he looked surprised, but it was gone so quickly she couldn’t be sure. Instead of answering he seized her by the elbow and dragged her a short distance away from everyone else.
“Let go of me,” she said, shaking off his hand.
“Why did you ask that?”
As usual he was answering a question with another question. He always demanded much and gave little in return. Two could play that game. Wren folded her arms and waited. Garvey let out a long, slow breath through his nose and then, much to her surprise, he smiled.
“Yes. We knew this was coming. We’ve known for almost a year that the Red Tower would fall.”
It was the last thing she’d expected him to say. It sounded implausible and yet he was watching her expectantly. As if she already knew the answer to her next question. He folded his arms and waited for her to work it out.
“Danoph. It was Danoph,” she whispered and his smile returned. “His dreams of fire.”
“Other towns and villages in Shael were burned during the war, but not his. The Morrin in charge was more inventive. It was possible they were dreams of his people’s suffering elsewhere, but when we questioned him it became clear it was something else. It took us months to piece together, because he could remember so little after each dream. When he mentioned the tower burning we finally knew.”
“He’s an Oracle.”
Garvey shrugged. “Of a sort. He sees different possibilities and, as recent events unfolded, we knew that his dream would come true. We tried so hard to avoid this happening,” he said, gesturing at all of the students camped in the woods. There seemed to be genuine compassion and warmth in his eyes. It was so alien it unsettled her. She’d never seen him like this before. “When the time is right, you should tell him about his Talent.”
Wren was still struggling to come to terms with the revelation. “You’ve known all this time.”
“We have and we desperately tried to stop it happening, but our efforts were in vain.”
“Then why not stay and fight?” asked Wren.
“You know why.”
“It would only make it worse,” she said.
If they stayed at the Red Tower and fought back, it would only add fuel to the fire. People hated magic and were afraid of those who wielded it. One mage could hold off a mob, perhaps even an army. A whole school full of mages must be a terrifying idea for most people.
“You were the last student admitted to the school,” he said. “Anyone found since then was sent east to the desert kingdoms, together with any Seekers who wanted to leave.”
“There’s more you’re not telling me,” she said.
“Of course.”
“How can you expect me to trust you?” asked Wren. She needed him to give her something more. A reason to believe anything he’d told her was the truth.
“I do not require your trust, only your obedience. Isn’t that what’s expected of you, Drassi girl?” asked Garvey.
Wren felt as if she’d been slapped across the face. She staggered back a little in shock. The others weren’t close enough to have overheard, but they all saw her distress. He knew exactly what to say to hurt her the most. The others wouldn’t understand. In their countries gender did not follow the same tightly prescribed role. Their societies were not as rigidly controlled. Respect for one’s elders had been part of her daily life and had been instilled in her since birth. It was her duty to seek out their counsel and learn from them.
But every time she had gone to Garvey for help it had left her feeling more confused and the situation was made worse. He knew enough about her and Drassi society to wound her with his words and yet all his advice had been vague or unhelpful. He must have known how it would affect her. For all his faults she could see that he was an intelligent man. So why did he work so hard to hurt her?
A horrible and unsettling thought surfaced. It didn’t seem possible. It was cold and cruel and manipulative. And yet she had heard all those words applied to him many times in the past. To even consider such an idea was unworthy but it rang true when she thought about him.
“You did this to me on purpose,” she said, uncertain of
how to proceed.
“Did what to you?” he asked, raising one eyebrow.
“For months you’ve been planning the evacuation of the school. So you must have thought about what came next.” Wren said it as a statement, but she still wasn’t sure it was true. When he said nothing she continued, feeling her way forward as if finding her way in the dark. “You knew how I would react every time I came to you for help. You’ve been manipulating me since the day I arrived. You want me to defy you.”
But it wasn’t just her. He had been manipulating them all. To keep himself apart. To make sure that he was seen as an angry and defiant presence at odds with everyone, even the other members of the Grey Council. He’d done it to be respected but also feared by the students. On her first day Tianne had said he was a bastard. Even the other teachers found it difficult to speak with him and yet he was a member of the Grey Council.
When she’d been convalescing in the hospital Balfruss had said there was nothing more important to the Grey Council than the students. Garvey had agreed and said everything they did was for them. She began to wonder how much of him was real and how much a façade.
Wren came back to the present when she felt someone’s hand on her shoulder. She looked up at Garvey whose kind eyes were watching her internal struggle with sympathy. Gone was the cruel and angry man that she knew. In front of her stood someone she’d never met before. It was him and yet she felt as if he were a complete stranger.
Everything she knew about him, from the moment they’d first met, had been a lie.
“You’ve been manipulating everyone. Do the others even know?” she whispered, glancing at the teachers in the camp. “Why did you do this to me?”
“Oh, child, we all have our roles to play, and you must play yours.” He squeezed her shoulder once and then stepped back. The warmth faded from his eyes and the cold Sorcerer returned, full of rage and hatred. The mask was so perfect he had become the other man again. He stalked away through the camp and people were quick to move aside, giving him a wide berth.
“What did he say?” asked Tianne, as she and Danoph approached. “Are you all right?”
Wren couldn’t answer them. She didn’t know how to explain what had just happened or if they would even believe her. As far as they knew Garvey was nothing more than a cold and cruel man. She was still trying to process it when she remembered something he’d said. He’d mentioned her role. Did that mean he was still manipulating her? What was she supposed to do?
A short time later they were all called together to announce their decision. The three members of the Grey Council stood in separate areas of the camp. Those who wanted to continue with their studies in the desert kingdoms were told to stand beside Eloise. Those who wanted new lives without magic to stand with Balfruss and those who chose to fight to stand with Garvey.
As Wren had expected the majority stood with Eloise. About thirty of the older students moved to stand with Balfruss. He would remain behind to help them find communities where they could resettle and live in peace without their magic. More surprising were the twenty or so students who were grouped around Garvey. But not everyone had yet to decide. Thirty students, including Wren and her two friends, stood apart from all the others.
“You must decide now,” said Eloise.
“I will not run,” said Wren. “Nor will I fight against those without magic,” she said glancing at Garvey.
“Then you must give up your magic,” said Balfruss.
“I will not.” Wren didn’t care if this was what Garvey wanted her to do or not. She could only do what was in her heart.
“Then where will you go? What will you do?” asked Eloise.
Wren shook her head. “I don’t know, but running and hiding will not fix this.”
“Even though you will be alone?” said Balfruss.
“If they find out you’re a mage, it could mean your head,” said Garvey.
“I will go my own way,” said Wren.
She could tell they wanted to argue further, to try and convince her, but they had made a promise in front of everyone and now had to honour it.
“So be it,” said Balfruss.
Wren turned towards her friends and the others stood beside her. “What will you do?”
“I’d like to come with you,” said Tianne.
“My path lies with you,” said Danoph and Wren wondered if he had already seen this moment played out in a dream. The others in the group also chose to follow her, even though she made it clear she didn’t know where she was going.
All too soon it was time to say goodbye. Wren stood apart watching as students and teachers shook hands, hugged and cried against one another. It was likely some of them would never see each other again. No one came to see her off and yet a group of students stood with her. She didn’t think they would remain with her for long. They were simply torn between three difficult decisions and would soon drift away from her company. At least her two friends remained. Wren didn’t want to think about how she would have felt if either of them had decided to leave.
Wren glanced at the sky and chose a direction at random. They would head north for now.
Balfruss gave the others a final wave goodbye and then led his group away to the west. Garvey set off south with his fighters and Eloise went east towards the river and the waiting ship.
Together with her friends at her side, Wren turned north and started walking with no plan and no destination in mind. But the decision had been hers, not because she was required to make it. She was choosing her own path because she felt that it was the right decision for her.
Whatever happened, good or bad, it was hers, and although she was scared about what lay ahead, for the first time in her life she was free.
The story continues in …
The Age of Dread: Book Two
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
With thanks to Juliet and Nathalie from CaskieMushens for their incredibly hard work.
I would also like to thank the team at Orbit for giving me another chance to tell stories in the same world.
extras
meet the author
Photo Credit: Hannah Webster
STEPHEN ARYAN was born in 1977 and was raised and educated in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear. After graduating from Loughborough University he started working in marketing, and for some reason he hasn’t stopped. A keen podcaster, lapsed gamer and budding archer, when not extolling the virtues of Babylon 5, he can be found drinking real ale and reading comics.
He lives in the West Midlands with his partner and two cats. You can find him on Twitter at @SteveAryan or visit his website at www.stephen-aryan.com.
Find out more about Stephen Aryan and other Orbit authors by registering for the free monthly newsletter at www.orbitbooks.net.
if you enjoyed
MAGEBORN
look out for
THE TWO OF SWORDS: VOLUME ONE
by
K. J. Parker
The epic opening volume in The Two of Swords trilogy by World Fantasy Award–winning author K. J. Parker.
“Why are we fighting this war? Because evil must be resisted, and sooner or later there comes a time when men of principle have to make a stand. Because war is good for business and it’s better to die on our feet than live on our knees. Because they started it. But at this stage in the proceedings,” he added, with a slightly lop-sided grin, “mostly from force of habit.”
A soldier with a gift for archery. A woman who kills without care. Two brothers, both unbeatable generals, now fighting for opposing armies. No-one in the vast and once glorious United Empire remains untouched by the rift between East and West, and the war has been fought for as long as anyone can remember. Some still survive who know how it was started, but no-one knows how it will end.
The Two of Swords is the story of a war on a grand scale, told through the eyes of its soldiers, politicians, victims and heroes.
The Rules of the Game
Deal nine cards, face upward
s.
The Stakes
Director Procopius of the Imperial Academy of Music and Performing Arts came by the scar when he was eighteen months old, on the day when his father, in a drunken rage, stabbed his mother sixteen times before turning the knife on his baby son and then himself. The scar, an inch wide, ran from his left eye to the right corner of his mouth, and he knew that for as long as he lived, regardless of what he achieved (and he had already achieved so much), it would always be the first thing people noticed about him and their most abiding impression. He knew that they would burn with curiosity to know how he’d got it, and would be far too polite or embarrassed to ask.
Just before the battle, General Moisa gave orders to strike camp, form columns and retreat. Immediately one of his junior officers stormed into his tent, forcing his way past the sentries. He was a good-looking young man with curly blond hair, rather a round face; stocky build, medium height. “Permission to speak freely,” he said. His name was Senza Belot.
Moisa was putting his maps back in their case. He was a tidy man, who took care of his possessions. “Well?”
“With all due respect,” Senza said, “are you out of your mind? Sir?” he added quickly. “We’ve got them pinned down, we’re between them and the road, it’s flat as a chessboard and they’ll have the sun in their eyes. And you want to run away.”
Moisa looked at him. He liked Senza. “We’re outnumbered three to one,” he said.
“Exactly,” Senza replied. “There’s a lot of them. Far too many. Unless they get control of the road, they’ll have run out of food by this time tomorrow. They’re desperate. We can slaughter them.”
Mageborn Page 35