by Logan Petty
Lady Tirinele grinned at Mirehawk’s surprise. She placed her hands on her hips and surveyed the team with skepticism.
“Good morning, recruits. Yes, Nerelis is out on a mission for me today, so I will be training you until he returns. You need some balance in your training. Nerelis is an expert in stealth and swordplay, but he knows nothing about magic, which puts you all at a disadvantage.”
Mari was the first to find her tongue. She stepped up a few feet away from Sawain and quipped at the Director.
“We aren’t at a disadvantage. My songs can make even a dragon do my bidding! I’m sorry, Lady Tirinele, but we are covered in the arcane section.”
Lady Tirinele’s eyebrow twitched. Sawain noticed her right hand clench hard into a fist, her fingernails dug into her palm.
“Is that so?”
Lady Tirinele raised her fist-clenched hand chest level and opened it, palm down. Drops of blood fell from the puncture wounds to the ground and evaporated halfway down, as if they hit an invisible fire. She turned her palm upward. Sawain noticed that it looked like it was radiating heatwaves like the ones he used to watch rise from the stove in Dawnstar Manor.
Sawain’s heart skipped a beat. His arms and legs felt like they were filled with lead. To his horror, they began to move on their own. His left hand raised above his head and his legs squatted involuntarily.
No. Stop it. What’s happening?
He tried to take his movements back. He tried to lower his arms and stand up straight, but he could not get them to respond. He glanced out of the corners of his vision to check on his team mates. They were all wearing the same terrified expression he was, even Mari. They all moved awkwardly and took strange poses, as if they were puppets on strings.
Lady Tirinele laughed as she made Mari do a clumsy dance, “Come on, little songbird! Let me hear your song magic now! How do you expect to save your team with a countersong if your will is so weak?”
Sawain continued to struggle in his mind to stop himself from pirouetting in front of Naralei, but he simply could not do it. Nothing he tried could break the deadlock Tirinele’s magic had on his body. He grit his teeth and growled angrily at the embarrassment he suffered as his body continued to dance wildly in front of Naralei, who looked as uncomfortable as he did.
Tirinele’s laughter filled Sawain’s ears. He could feel his temper rise as she continued to control him and his friends. Rage filled his lungs and blood veiled his eyes in a crimson curtain. He roared with all his might, trying to regain control. The harder he struggled, the more his fury grew. The more it grew, the less control he had. Tirinele’s chiding voice pierced through his rage.
“Fool! Do you really think that calling on the Berserker within you can help you against magic? When you are in that state, your body grows stronger and you can take significantly more physical punishment, but at the cost of your mental prowess. When you are enraged, you are even easier for me to control!”
Sawain’s arms wrapped around Naralei’s waist. Sawain’s blood drained from his eyes and face as Naralei’s arms draped across his shoulders. She looked as mortified as he felt. He tried to pull away, but was held fast by the spell. Their embrace tightened and Sawain forgot how to breath as Naralei pressed her cheek against his. Heat flooded his face as he heard her whisper in his ear.
“Sawain— I’m sorry. I— I can’t get her out of my head.”
Sawain still could not control his tongue, but that was possibly not the spell’s effect. They continued their embrace and Sawain stopped fighting as much. He heard Tirinele’s voice from behind him.
“Glad to see everyone on this team loves one another! Come now, pull yourselves together! You’ll never break my hold if you don’t focus!”
Sawain heard Mari’s voice, “How can I focus when Tobi’s getting personal with me!”
Tobi’s shaky voice piped up, “I’m not doing it on purpose! I promise!”
Mari groaned, “You smell like cheese and feet.”
Tobi was silent. Naralei’s voice rang out loud in Sawain’s ear. He winced as she shouted at Mari.
“Now’s not the time for griping! Mari, you have to concentrate! We need your countersong or we’ll all waste our day dancing and kissing!
Sawain heard a high pitched squeak of horror, but was again unsure if it belonged to Mari or Tobi.
Banthan’s voice cracked, “Sis, what are you doing?”
Loraleth squeaked at him, “I swear, I didn’t mean to— Whoa! Banth, watch where you’re—”
Banth growled, “This is so wrong.”
Naralei’s chin snuggled forcibly into Sawain’s shoulder. She let out a low growl.
“This is so embarrassing… Anytime today, Mari!”
Mari’s voice came back strained, “I’m trying! Timbrel, can’t you do something?”
Timbrel’s voice shot back sharply, “Nay, I can’t stop chasing me tail! I’m getting sick!”
Sawain found his voice again, “Mari, pull this off and we’ll be singing your praises instead of mine at dinner tonight! Be our hero, Mari!”
There was a moment of silence, then he thought he heard a fierce growl come from Mari’s direction. Sawain tried again to move his body. He strained with all his effort. He felt a finger twitch. It was a surprise, but a happy one. He whispered to Naralei.
“Try to break loose now, she’s weakening.”
Naralei grew red, “What do you mean try now? I have been trying!”
Sawain frowned, “Fine, well, try harder.”
He put all of his willpower into moving his arms. He focused just on his arms and how to move them. He felt another slight response. Mari’s voice rang out in a triumphant cheer/
“Yesss! I got it! No more cheddar breath! I can play now!”
Naralei shouted in Sawain’s ear again, “Then do it!”
A few seconds later, a dissonant trill split the air with an ear piercing pitch. The magical note filled Sawain’s hearing. He was finally able to drop his arms from around Naralei. She quickly pushed back from Sawain. Both of them fell backwards, sprawling out on their backs. Sawain could move again, but his limbs were still numb. He sat up once he had enough feeling in his extremities. The others were sitting on the hill, massaging arms or legs. Mari had the proudest look on her face. The others simply looked ashamed.
Lady Tirinele laughed as she returned her hands to her hips, “Not bad, recruits! Not bad at all! I thought I’d have you dancing out here at least til lunch. You have great potential, but it still needs to be drawn out! So, let’s go again.”
A cacophony of complaints arose from Mirehawk Team as Tirinele raised her bloodied hand again. The entire day was spent trying to break free of Tirinele’s magic. Sawain was not able to break it himself until the fourth round, when he was forced to dance with Banthan. His aversion was so strong that he easily broke the chains she had wrapped around his mind. He smiled, pleased with himself. Lady Tirinele noticed his pride.
“Don’t get cocky, Sawain. You only broke an apprentice level control spell. You’re far from being a master of your own fate.”
This comment stung at Sawain’s soul, but he was too afraid of Lady Tirinele to lash back. Mari was forced to sit out of training after the sixth round. Tirinele’s constant assault left her with so little energy that she fell unconscious for an hour.
Sawain was not far from that point. He knelt on the ground, panting furiously and drenched in sweat. Lady Tirinele raised her hand again. Sawain tried to swallow the lump in his throat, but had no saliva left to swallow with. She sighed as she looked around at the remaining members of Mirehawk team. Everyone was scattered around the hill, kneeling or sitting in the grass. They all looked as exhausted as Sawain. Tobi finished throwing up for the second time today. Tirinele lowered her hand.
“Alright, that’s enough for today. Dinner’s only an hour out. Get cleaned up and see to your team mate. Good job today, Mirehawk. We’ll do this again, so be on your guard.”
She pulled
her hood over her head and strolled down the hill casually. Sawain was dumbfounded at how she looked perfectly healthy after she used so much blood to sustain that magic all day. He remembered how Kyra looked that time she spent all evening in the library poring over magical texts. Tirinele was at a level of skill far surpassing anyone he had ever trained under. Naralei’s voice shook him from his musings.
“Alright, Mirehawk, good job. We survived the toughest trainer in the city and we did it with finesse.”
Banthan’s snide voice cut through Nara’s compliment, “Finesse? We spent all day being toyed with for Tirinele’s pleasure and are now flopping around on this hillside like a bunch of sun baked trouts.”
Loraleth forced herself to her feet. She dusted herself off and glared at Banthan.
“Stop trying to spoil our spirits, Banthan. Nara’s right. We did great today compared to some of the stories I’ve heard.”
Tobi sat up from his sprawled out position and glanced at Loraleth nervously, “What do you mean?”
Loraleth continued as she checked to make sure Lady Tirinele was out of earshot, “I heard that most of the new teams she puts through that training end up in the infirmary. We could have all ended up like Mari.”
“So, I guess that makes me the weak link in our chain.”
Sawain turned with everyone else to the direction of Mari’s voice. She sat cross legged with her eyes downcast and with a heart broken demeanor on her face. She picked at the blades of grass around her. Sawain’s heart sank when he saw just how upset she looked. He knew that feeling of worthlessness.
Timbrel stroked her arm lovingly and looked up at her tear filled eyes, “No, lassie, that’s not it at all… You simply wore out first because you had the most work to do. We rely on you to save us weaker folk from the mind-magic.”
Naralei stood up and walked over to Mari. She extended a hand to help her fallen comrade up.
“Timbrel’s right. You were our strongest link today. It’s training. It’s meant to push us past our limits. Come on, let’s get you cleaned up and ready for dinner.”
Mari smiled, sniffled, then took Naralei’s hand. Nara gave her a hug and helped her down the hill to the female bath houses. Everyone else looked at each other and nodded with mutual understanding. Mirehawk was finally acting and thinking like a team.
Dinner that night was not as lively as breakfast. Sawain and the rest of Mirehawk sat at their respective places around their table. No one jumped around. No one performed any theatrics. The conversation, however, was as excited as usual.
Everyone crowded around Mari, praising her for her talent that saved them from a night in the infirmary. Naralei was the most vocal admirer. Sawain watched in amusement as Mari’s confidence was restored and bolstered further by her friends.
That night, after dinner, everyone sat around on the lawn, congregating with the other recruit teams. Mirehawk was among the first to trickle off to bed. Sawain and Naralei were the last from their team to say farewell to the others. He walked with Naralei to their rooms, since they were neighbors. The first minute of the journey was awkward and silent. Sawain wanted to say something to her, but he could not decide if he should crack a joke or apologize.
I don’t even know how to tell a joke. That might be a bad idea.
Naralei finally broke the silence as they approached the stairs, “Sawain, you were impressive today, yet again.”
Sawain was confused. He scratched his head and kept his eyes on the stairs before his feet.
“Me? Nah, Mari was the star today, not me.”
Sawain noticed Naralei smile out of the corner of his eye. She fumbled with her braided hair as they slowly walked up the wooden staircase.
“She shone today because you knew what it would take to get her to. It was really kind of you to direct all of the attention to a team mate instead of yourself. That’s unusual, you know.”
Sawain arched an eyebrow and glanced at her, “What, sharing the glory?”
Naralei shrugged. “Well, that, and kindness, in general. That’s not a trait that’s common here, or anywhere for that matter.”
Sawain blushed, “That’s not true. You’ve defended me before. You were showing kindness to Mari tonight, too.”
Naralei smiled again and looked down for a moment. Sawain noticed that they stood at her door now. She turned to face him. He met her gaze. Her eyes were very pretty.
“Thanks for bringing this team together, Sawain. You really are the leader we need.”
She wrapped her arms around him and drew him into a genuine embrace. He was shocked and inhaled sharply by instinct. She let him go quickly. Her face turned red. She turned away from Sawain and quickly unlocked her door. She pushed it open as she muttered to him.
“Good night, Sawain.”
Sawain wanted to call out to her. He wanted to tell her to wait. He wanted to return her hug, to kiss her. He wanted to, but he did nothing.
“Good night, Naralei, see you in the morning.”
She slipped into her room and closed the door behind her. Sawain stood in front of the door and stared mournfully at it. His stomach twisted into several knots. His heart beat hard and fast. He took several deep breaths, then turned to finish the climb to his room.
When he stepped into his room, he was surprised to find a blue glowstool affixed to the far wall, just above his bed. He could actually see the inside of his room. There was a roll of parchment on his bed. It was a note from the director, Lady Tirinele.
Sawain,
Good work today. I took the liberty of having the house druid plant a glowstool for you. You can thank your friend, Tobi. Who would’ve thought that fluffy ball of nerves would have the gall to stand up to me when I told him no the first time? They see something in you, Sawain. They trust you. Don’t let them down.
~ Tirinele, Director of Recruitment, Rowan Circle Fortress
Sawain reread the note two more times. A mix of pride, joy, and fear grew in his chest on each read through. Mirehawk Team really did respect him. It was not just kind words from Naralei. Each time he read the last sentence of her note, The fear writhed within him.
What if I do let them down? I don’t know how to be a leader. What if I mess up? What if I get someone hurt or killed? So many have died under my leadership already. What if I fail again, like I did at Underfell Town?
These questions haunted him as he crawled into bed, still clothed. Worry enveloped him as he closed his eyes. He heard a voice in his ear as he drifted between the realms of waking and dreaming. It was a familiar one. A man’s voice. The words repeated in his mind. They comforted his spirit a little more each time.
Fear Has No Place Here.
Chapter 8
The next four months passed rapidly for Sawain. He was consumed by his training after his first brush with leadership. He worked hard to sharpen his body and mind. In the day time, he drilled constantly with his team, who grew closer to him every day. If he was not visiting with Jatharr and Marta at night, he was fervently studying elvish. Marta had reached a full recovery in a short time, thanks to the healers of Alfhaven.
He really enjoyed his visits with Marta and Jatharr. Jatharr had become quite attached to Marta. The two of them lived beside each other in special refugee quarters inside the fort. Marta treated Sawain like a son and he viewed her as a surrogate mother.
He received an invitation to breakfast one morning. Jatharr and Marta greeted him when he arrived at Marta’s home. She did a very impressive job of turning the nearly bare chamber into a cozy halfling house. Sawain wondered where she came by it. She sat at her dining table, across from Jatharr. A breakfast of eggs and toast awaited him. She smiled warmly and beckoned him to his place at the table.
“Come in, child! Come in! Now that everyone is here, we can eat!”
Sawain obeyed and took his seat at the table. He started on his breakfast immediately. Jatharr chuckled.
“Ye act like that elvish food is not nearly enough!”
&n
bsp; Sawain shrugged, “It’s not that. Nerelis’ training is just so demanding that I need all the food I can get. I eat plenty every day, but still wake up starving.”
Marta nodded, “A growing boy needs lots to eat. Don’t you worry, Sawain, Auntie Marta will take care of ye!”
Sawain smiled, “I have full faith in you, Auntie. Jatharr, how is your ‘secret special training’ going?”
Jatharr flexed his arm dramatically. He wore a blue tunic that fit his form well. Sawain could see the definition in his muscles. Jatharr was in extremely good shape, for an old halfling. Sawain was impressed and a little jealous, even though his own muscles had developed to twice the hardness and bulk they were when he entered the forest.
Jatharr chuckled, “I’d say by the look on yer face that it’s going well. Lady Tirinele set me up with some expert trainers. I never thought I would be able to climb a tree, much less move through them like an elf. Even with my stubby legs, I can move like a proper forest ranger now! I am in better shape now than I’ve ever been! I feel like I’m twenty again! These elves may be rude and harsh, but there is definitely something to their training methods, if you’re tough enough for them.”
Sawain nodded as he finished his plate of food, “Glad to hear it. You’ll need those skills when we hit the wilds again.”
Jatharr’s eyes sparkled, “So, yer still planning on letting this old dog tag along?”
Sawain raised an eyebrow, “Well, sure. We started this together, I thought we;d finish it together.”
Jatharr grinned, but his grin soon faded, “What about Marta?”
Marta waved at the question, “You boys don’t need to worry about me. I’ll be fine on my own for a while. I’ve actually made friends with some of the younger elves. They really appreciate the cookies I bring around to them during training. Just be sure to come back and visit me after yer famous heroes, alright?”
Sawain smiled, “Of course we will! Once this war’s over, I’m going to bring you to Anvilheim to stay with us at Dawnstar Manor! You’ll see.”