The First Lesson

by Lana Axe

  At least her ability to sleep soundly had returned. Leko finished the draught, and it worked perfectly. For several nights, her dreams had been uninterrupted. She remembered nothing of her dreams, but she woke feeling refreshed, not terrified. Nothing was chasing her, nothing reaching from the void.

  “You’re not mediating,” Taren said, crossing his arms. “If you’re going to learn, you have to start at the beginning.”

  With a groan of displeasure, Pia tried to settle herself into the correct position.

  “Your back isn’t straight,” he pointed out.

  “Is this the only way to learn magic?” she asked.

  “This is the method I’m teaching you,” he replied.

  “So there are other ways,” she said. When he didn’t reply, she said, “Can we try another way? I don’t want to meditate anymore.” She was bored and didn’t feel like she was learning enough. “You said there was limited time for me to learn.”

  “That’s why you need to stop talking and meditate,” he said.

  “Teach me to conjure the light,” she said.

  “That lesson will come later,” he replied. “Meditate.” Turning his back, he disappeared into the forest.

  He wants to limit what I learn, she thought. Maybe he was frightened by her powers, like the people in Lyraeus had been. Maybe he didn’t know how to teach someone with her particular skills. Whatever the reason, she felt he was holding her back. Peering through the trees, she saw no sign of movement. Content that he wasn’t watching, she held her hand out flat, her palm facing up. Concentrating on her palm, she pictured a light filling it.

  Nothing happened.

  She frowned. I used to do this without even thinking about it. Attempting to do as she’d always done, she focused her mind to her hand. Closing her eyes, she pictured a ball of white light hovering in her palm. She held the image as long as she could and then opened one eye.

  Nothing.

  Disappointed, she let her hand drop back to her knee. Sitting up straight, she attempted to meditate, but she couldn’t empty her mind. She didn’t want to. She wanted to daydream about her future as a sorceress. No longer would people see her as evil. She’d be a trained master of the arcane, respected and loved. She’d help people. She’d choose a town and settle there, lending her magic to poor folk. She’d entertain the children and be the best friend they ever had.

  Friendship. Pia missed having a friend close to her own age. Embyr and Leko were wonderful, but they were older than her. She missed Sekai, even if the girl could be bossy at times. She’d overheard Taren and Embyr talking. There was a town not too far from their current campsite. Maybe she could find a new friend there.

  But Taren would never allow it. Besides, a child couldn’t simply leave her family to go trekking through the forest with a bunch of strangers. Unless, of course, she was an outcast with a story similar to Pia’s. Could there be such a kindred soul anywhere in this world?

  It would be a long time before Pia could have friends again. Taren hadn’t answered when she’d asked how long the journey would take. All he’d said was, “It depends.” He probably meant it depended on her and how readily she learned. She’d proved herself intelligent and eager to please. He was the one holding her back.

  Failing to silence her mind, she opened her eyes and leaned her head against her hand. An idea occurred to her, a mischievous smile forming on her lips. Glancing around, she made sure no one was watching. As she had done with her doll, she pictured a companion, a striped housecat with a long black tail. She imagined it jumping and playing and coming when she called. Forming a clear image in her mind, she reached out for the invisible companion. Attempting to draw its image near her as she had with the heat in the stones, she centered all her thoughts to the cat.

  To her amazement, it began to take shape before her. Delighted, she called it to her, and it obeyed. Reaching out to stroke its fur, she found it quite solid. The cat was soft to the touch, and it purred as she ran her fingers along its back. Grabbing a small stick, she dragged it along the ground, encouraging the cat to chase it. It batted its paws at the stick, and finally caught it. Rolling onto its back, it kicked at the makeshift toy. Pia laughed loud enough for her companions to hear.

  Out of nowhere, Taren appeared, his stride heavy, his eyes dark. “No!” he shouted. With a wave of his hand, the cat disappeared. Grabbing Pia by the shoulders, he shook her. “Conjured beasts come from the void. You want to see more wraiths? This little stunt will attract them in droves.”

  The violence of the shaking frightened her, and tears streamed down her face. “I didn’t mean to,” she said. “I only wanted to play.”

  “Your playing will be the death of us all!” he shouted.

  Pia pulled herself away and ran. She dropped to the ground near Leko and buried her head in her hands. The elf reached out to hold her, his words soft and soothing.

  “Taren, she’s just a child!” Embyr shouted.

  “She’s old enough to know better,” he shot back.

  “She can’t meditate all day and night,” she said. “Teach her something that will entertain her.”

  “That isn’t the magic she needs to learn,” he said.

  “It is,” Embyr replied. “She has to be allowed to dream. You’ve put too much on her, and she can’t focus on all this talk of evil.”

  “She’s conjuring beasts from the void.” Taren said. “If she doesn’t learn to clear her mind, she’ll rip the void wide open. Then nothing will be able to stop the darkness.”

  “There you go again!” Embyr shouted. “Can’t you hear yourself? This is a thirteen-year-old girl. You want to force this artifact on her so she can succeed where you failed.”

  His eyes flashed with anger. “She is the one who is meant to succeed,” he said. “If she rejects the symbol…”

  “You’ll force it on her,” Embyr said.

  “I can’t,” he replied. “It’s not possible. She has to accept it willingly.”

  “Then you’d better make her learn to love magic again,” she said. “Because right now, all you’re doing is frightening her.”

  Taren looked back to where the cat had once stood. Examining the ground, he found no sign the creature had been there. A conjured beast would have left behind a trace of black, the remnants of its exit from the void. There was no such mark.

  “What is it?” Embyr asked.

  “She didn’t conjure the cat from the void,” he said. “It was only an illusion.” Without being taught, the girl had managed to cast a spell. It had come from her heart, not from darkness and evil. She was far more talented than he’d imagined. The spell was harmless. “I overreacted,” he said, hanging his head.

  “Then you’d better apologize,” Embyr said.

  Taren’s eyes went to Pia’s last location. She wasn’t there. Leko stood by the campfire, emptying herbs into a cup.

  “Where’s Pia?” Taren asked.

  Leko stood. “Right there,” he said, glancing over his shoulder. Wrinkling his brow, he looked left and right. “She was there a minute ago. I only left her to make her some tea.”

  “Pia!” Embyr shouted. The trio searched all over the camp, but there was no sign of the girl.

  “She’s run away,” Embyr said. “It’s the only explanation.”

  “Then we’d better find her,” Taren said. “Spread out.”

  * * * * *

  Pia tore through the forest, determined to get as far from Taren as possible. She couldn’t take it anymore. He was no different from the people back home. He thought she wanted to bring evil upon them. How could he think that?

  Nearly blinded by her tears, she pressed on. Don’t follow, she projected with her mind. Focusing her thoughts, she hoped to throw them off her trail. I’m a bird, she thought. No trace of my passage will show. They’ll never find me.

  Over and over she repeated similar scenarios, changing from one species to another. She couldn’t stop to check if the spell was working. See
ing footprints behind her would only further injure her fragile heart. Hoping the magic would work, she ran on, putting distance between herself and the camp.

  Rather than running back the way they’d come, she chose to run west, her mind ever focused on stealth. I am invisible. They’ll never find me.

  How long she ran, she couldn’t be sure. Finally out of breath, her leg muscles burning, she spied a clearing ahead. It can’t be, she thought. It is! A road stretched out before her. Somehow, she’d found her way out of the woods.

  The land before her seemed darker than it was among the trees, even without the forest canopy filtering the light. The sun above was hazy, a thin cloud of gray obscuring it.

  The road was wide but not well-kept, the prints of a hundred horses pitting its surface. Ruts from wagon wheels cut into the dirt, and she stuck to the edge to avoid twisting her ankle. She hadn’t gone far when a horse whinnied behind her. Pausing, she looked back at a merchant’s cart.

  “Woah,” a man said, bringing the wagon to a halt. “You need a ride, miss?” He was an older man, his hair gray, his face plump.

  “Where are you heading?” she asked.

  “Town,” the man replied. “I’ve got a load of cloth and leather to sell.” He gestured toward the wagon with his thumb. “If you’re not headed that far, I can drop you at the intersection before we reach it.”

  “Actually, I plan to go farther,” she said. “But the town will do for now.” She climbed onto the seat next to the old man. He seemed harmless enough.

  “Name’s Harv,” he said.

  She hesitated. “I’m Sekai,” she lied. If Taren and the others managed to track her, she didn’t want anyone knowing her real name.

  “There’s taffy in that cloth sack there,” he said, grinning. “Help yourself.”

  His smile revealed dark and broken teeth. Her mother was right to warn her against too much sugar. Shaking her head, she said, “No, thank you.”

  The old man shrugged and urged the horse forward. “Suit yourself.”

  A silence passed between them. Pia was grateful for it. She needed time to decide what she was going to do once she reached the town. Her legs thanked her for the rest. Every inch of her body ached from her flight. Scratches she hadn’t felt at the time stung on her arms. She settled into her seat, hoping it would be a long ride.

  The silence didn’t last as long as she would have liked. As soon as she closed her eyes to rest, the old man began to speak. He prattled incessantly about his trade. A dealer in all manner of cloth, he traveled a hundred miles a month peddling his wares. No, he didn’t weave the cloth himself, but his wife was handy with wool and cotton. Two of his sons prepared the skins, turning them into the softest leather around. The third son hadn’t wanted any part of the business, and took off on a ship. The man anticipated he’d be back one day. He’d eventually realize what he was missing out on.

  Pia feigned interest, nodding and commenting at the appropriate times. What she yearned for was silence. It was a strange feeling. Taren had insisted she be silent, and now that she was allowed speak, she had no desire to do so.

  After an eternity, the old man finally ran out of things to say about his business. He talked little at that point, occasionally commenting on the landscape or people he knew who lived in this or that direction. Pia found this far more tolerable. She was even able to doze a little as they continued on their way.

  Finally they arrived at a bustling city. “Here we are,” the old man said. “Sentella. Where the finest clothiers buy the finest cloth.”

  Pia had never heard of the city of Sentella, but it was even larger than the port city of Althez.

  “You been here before?” the old man asked.

  She shook her head.

  “Sentella’s divided into four quarters,” he said. “Merchants are mostly on this end. Opposite of here are the smiths, fullers, and some other trades, plus housing for the working class. North end is mostly houses for the wealthy. Stay out of the south quarter. That’s where the thieves and troublemakers call home.”

  Pia made note of the information. “Are there no farms?” She’d had a passing thought she might find work on one. She was strong and could earn the wages to continue traveling. Staying too long wasn’t an option. Taren would be searching for her.

  “Not in the city,” Harv said. “There’s at least thirty miles of forest between you and any farms. That where you’re heading?”

  She shrugged. He was a kind man, but she didn’t want to reveal too much information to anyone. “Thanks for the ride,” she said. Climbing down from the carriage, she took in her surroundings. The city stretched on forever, and she had no idea where to start.

  She wandered along the streets, hoping some opportunity would present itself. Without realizing it, she had turned southward. Soon the buildings looked less tidy, many of them falling into disrepair. She stopped, wondering if this area was abandoned. The sound of voices suggested it wasn’t. Listening a moment, she smiled. The voices were young, and it sounded like they were playing a game. Three boys and four girls, who she guessed were between twelve and sixteen, stood next to a rundown building. As she came around to meet them, they halted their conversation.

  Chapter 13

  “Not a single footprint,” Leko said. “Not even where I left her. It’s like she was never here at all.”

  Embyr cried out in frustration. “We have to find her!”

  “I know, but without some sign of where she’s headed, it’s impossible,” the elf replied.

  Taren said nothing and knelt next to where Pia was last seen. Spreading his hands upon the ground, he searched for the imprint she’d left behind. An image of the girl, frightened and weeping, appeared before him. Shame entered his heart. He had caused this. His own inability to control his temper had damaged Pia’s spirit.

  There was no time to think about it now. She had to be found. Focusing on the magic, he brought the image to mind. He observed Pia and Leko talking a moment, then the elf walked away. The girl checked to be sure he wasn’t looking before sprinting into the woods.

  “This way,” Taren said. Scanning the ground for her tracks, he found none. “She’s used magic to hide her tracks.”

  “Why would you teach her that?” Leko asked.

  “I didn’t,” Taren replied. Pia’s abilities were greater than he’d realized. He’d made a terrible mistake in her training. He thought he could teach her from the beginning as he would any other student. But he couldn’t. Her attachment to the void gave her talents that other apprentices longed for. Yes, she needed to learn to clear her mind. It was the only way to center the magic, to be sure she was casting the correct spell. Without that ability, her spells would have gone awry. And with her ability to tap into the void, she would have wrought havoc wherever she went, though she would not have intended to do so.

  Void magic was dangerous. Had he not done the right thing? I have failed her, he thought. In all these years, he’d never taken on an apprentice. He hadn’t the time or tolerance for a student. His own master employed subtleties to get his message across. Taren had used anger and impatience. No wonder the poor girl had run off.

  If only I’d done some meditation of my own, he thought. He might have been able to see what was truly in front of him. Pia didn’t need a firm hand, she simply needed knowledge. Once her mind was emptied, he could have filled it with all manner of learning. Instead he’d taken the slow approach, and she had tried to figure things out for herself. He’d wanted to protect her. Now all he could do was hope he’d get the chance to apologize. If she drew the void to her without him nearby, she was doomed.

  Reaching out to her with magic, he searched for her path. She had come this way, but where was she heading? She didn’t know these woods, and she hadn’t gone back the way they’d came. Anything could have happened to her.

  “This is all your fault,” Embyr said.

  “Calm down, Embyr,” Leko said. “I’m sure he’s already blaming him
self. Having you come down on him isn’t going to make things better. Let’s focus on finding Pia. You can be angry later.”

  “I can sense her this direction,” Taren said, doing his best to ignore Embyr’s accusation. He knew he was the cause of her flight. He’d sworn to protect her, and he was failing in that too. She was too far away to protect. Reaching out through magic, he sought any sign of her destination. It was hidden. Somehow, without any training, she’d managed to conceal her path from a master sorcerer.

  But magic leaves traces for those able to see it. Tapping into the power of his symbol, Taren intensified the finding spell. Faint outlines of yellow appeared on the ground. The girl was heading west.

  “This way,” he told the others.

  When they emerged from the woods, Leko asked, “Are you sure she came this way? She didn’t stay inside the woods and change course?”

  “I’m sure,” Taren said. Placing both hands on the road, he searched again. An image of Pia climbing onto a wagon appeared before him. “She rode with someone.”

  “Great,” Embyr said. “We’ll never catch up to her on foot.”

  “Taren will,” Leko said, smiling.

  The elf was correct. Taren could shift form and fly to wherever Pia had gone. He might even overtake her. But as a dragon, his choice of spells was limited. He would not be able to touch the earth where Pia had stepped. Without it, he might lose her trail. “I need to stay in contact with the ground,” he said.

  “Then we’d better hurry,” Embyr said.

  * * * * *

  “What have we got here?” the oldest boy of the group asked. He came toward Pia, the others following close behind him.