by B J Hanlon
Then the man started, it was nearly identical to his set of sword and staff… though with the slight variations he’d been practicing. He noticed the of movement in the bearded face or twitch of the arms.
Suddenly, the man stopped and came at him, his feet seemingly dancing above the ground and his blade glowing red.
Edin looked down and saw his own weapons shimmer into existence. Mirage and a quarterstaff one with runes in it. The latter felt lighter and yet somehow stronger.
Was he in some sort of dream? Did the Inquisitor use that stone to summon him while he was awake?
He lifted the sword and the blades clattered. His mind began to work again, the world moved faster around him. They sparred. Edin blocked high and low switching between the sword and staff. He dodged strikes, thrusts, and slashes. The man’s blade left a glowing blaze in its wake as if it had been on fire. Edin blocked with the staff and thought maybe it’d catch on fire. It didn’t.
The old man was fast and after maybe a dozen tense exchanges, he stepped back and bowed. The points of his ears pushing through his hair. An elf.
“I see you are learning. Almost there,” the elf said touching his fist to his chest. “The dematian king has waken to all of our detriment.”
“What is this?” Edin said. “Who are you, how are you talking with me?”
A wide grin appeared on the old man’s face.
“In a time past, man and elf spoke through the Wave. We are at a higher plane, much like the structure in the tower or the seeing stone. Elves do not need such objects.”
“Where are you? Are you with…” Edin didn’t know her name and looked around. No other person was in the clearing.
“Time will come when you need us. No longer shall elf hide from man. We must join together.”
“How do I find you?”
“We sit on the banks of Eltu for now… but that is not your destiny young master.” He cleared his throat. “You must return to Bestoria, you must find the rest of the Ballast Stones… go to the northland, there you must search out ancient wisdom… ancient stone.”
“North? What are you talking about?” Edin asked, but suddenly there was a swirl of lights and a single image.
A broken tower on a cliff far above the sea. A dead, barren rocky land. A cape above the sea. White waves crashing into dark blue water. The image tickled something in the back of his mind… then it was gone.
It was only a moment. Then his eyes opened and he was in the cellar again. He was cold, sweat was wafting off his body and he had Mirage in his hand. Edin’s muscles ached and his breath beat rapidly from his chest as if he’d just actually sparred.
Pushing himself up Edin moved back toward the center of the room. It felt almost like another presence was in here. He spun, looked to all sides but saw no one. The oil lamps flickered and for a moment, he was sure he saw an ethereal spirit.
Then voices floated down the stairs. Someone was excited, talking rapidly. Edin took a breath and advanced toward the stairs.
Up top, there was a flurry of movement. People rushing in and out of rooms some cursing, others muttering to themselves. Edin saw a serving man he’d met before, he grabbed his arm.
“What’s happening?”
“Ships… war ships.” He pulled his arm away and continued his ambling run back into the house. The place was huge and he didn’t know how many people actually lived and worked here. There were some he’d never seen before. Women with large aprons, a man with mud and muck covered boots and pants.
Edin slipped back into the sitting room. Le Fie and Arianne were both gone. A moment later, he spotted her golden hair fluttering in a wicked breeze outside talking with Le Fie and Tor.
He went outside into a cloudy and mournful day.
“Get back in, it’s not safe for you,” Le Fie demanded.
“No,” Edin said.
Arianne grabbed his hand and looked at him. Her fingers clenching like vices. Edin looked back. “War ships? From Bestoria?”
“Yes… they are setting sail. Ashica brought news. A few hundred, maybe a thousand and that’s just from Carrow. Supposedly Alestow and Calerrat have sent equal that number if not more,” Le Fie said.
“Gods… how many men?”
“Hundred thousand at least. Ashica thinks it could be a hundred and fifty.”
“The forum has been put on hold,” Tor said, his voice calm and steady. “Casitas is calling for all able-bodied men to report.”
Edin squeezed the staff in his hand and nodded.
“You’re liable to be killed by our own men before the ships even crest the horizon,” Tor said. “You will not be part of the main defense force…”
“I can’t just sit in your home and hide while we come under siege.”
“Casitas and other military leaders believe we’re invulnerable from all sides but the docks and the beach. They are placing only small forces on Brackland and Newland. I need you to go back to the Reaches and be my eyes there.”
“How’s he supposed to get there?” Le Fie asked. “Once out of our protection, he’ll be killed.”
“Move him tonight,” Tor said.
“I’m going too,” Arianne said.
Edin opened his mouth to object. Despite the uneasy feeling he wanted her here, wanted her safe.
She him down. “I’m going too.”
Edin nodded. Maybe alone, they could work out their problems. Though it didn’t seem like the right time for that. Edin thought.
“I’ll send Dorset as well, we’ll need someone always awake and watching.”
Edin’s smile faltered.
“Belo will be happy,” Le Fie said wryly.
“Yes… well, back inside, we don’t want any more attempts on your life yet.” Tor began waving his hands as if sweeping Edin back toward the door. “Tonight, you go. I’ll make preparations.”
Edin had Mirage and the quarterstaff strapped to his back. He tried to figure out how long had it been since he was last at the Reaches. Edin wondered what the place looked like and how was Gary doing?
He wore the same black suit from the raid on the dry docks, black and elastic. Arianne, Le Fie and he stayed awake in the middle of the house where no windows were visible until around ten at night.
When the last servant blew out the last light in the front sitting room, they made their way through the front of the house, down the darkened stairs, and to the front gate.
Tor assumed anyone watching would look for a sneaky exit out the back and down the dark path. A gamble, but Edin couldn’t argue the logic.
At the gate, Edin and Arianne took opposite sides behind the large white wall. His heart began to race as they peered out past the black metal gate and into the dead street. Everything was still. People preparing for war needed their rest. And now a war was coming.
“Hey,” Arianne whispered from across the closed gate. It drew his attention. “It’ll be okay. We’re not going to let our people die.”
Edin turned back toward the street. Our people, magi. What about the mundane folks? People like Henny or Grent or Dephina… Were they not his people as well?
Lights were on in the townhouse across the way, a man walked past the window, back lit by a dancing flame. A child sat in front of a downstairs window with the same instrument Dephina had played so deftly.
The girl had a joyousness in her face that was the exact opposite of Dephina’s sullen demeanor when she plucked the strings. What if this was how the bard started? Playing with delight and then her life and her career slowly ebbed the other way. Edin remembered her as they met, she had been quiet, curious, and deadly. But she also seemed confident. He wondered if that was a façade she put on.
Grent had been solemn and even quieter but they both seemed to slowly rise from their covered shells like a pair of saplings from the same seed.
Edin glanced over at Arianne as the sound of clapping hooves and tumbling wheels broke the still night. It wasn’t going to stop. Edin nodded at Arianne and
felt the slight bubble of air growing beneath him. He rose slowly until he could grip the top of the wall and then the iron spear points that surrounded it. Ramming a boot into a crack in the wall, he steadied himself and took the weight from his fingers. He glanced at Arianne, the cart was getting closer.
Edin wrapped an arm around a statue of a falcon and reached out toward Arianne. He felt the ebbs of the wind flowing around him. This was the difficult part, she was studied in her ability to use her talent. Edin was barely a novice when it came to the gusoria ability.
Back in the cellar, he had slammed a chair to pieces, and broken multiple boxes and glass bottles. Letting the wind flow around him, through him, Edin imagined a pocket of air rising beneath her, pushing her up. His was louder than hers. When she’d first woke, she was out of practice and all of her attempts to use the wind made it sound like a tornado. Now, they were quiet. Whisper like.
Edin’s wasn’t, but he still had to ignore the rising crescendo of the clacking and rumbling. It was ten, maybe fifteen yards away. She’d have to get up and in position to jump when it was directly under her.
A yelp came and Edin noticed Arianne dip a half yard, his boot lost its grip, and he slipped. Arianne dropped. Edin looked down and saw her standing on the ground, a fearful and angry look on her face.
“I didn’t think I had to tell you not to drop me,” Her voice was a harsh whisper.
He jammed both feet into the cracks and tried again. The clopping was just on the other side of the gate now and they had to move quickly.
Edin pushed hard, feeling a quick burst of energy bursting through his body as he whipped a hand out and sent the gust down beneath Arianne.
She yelped as she flew nearly straight up, higher, over the spiked metal fencing. Controlling a descent was much easy for a gusoria, it was getting yourself into the air that was impossible according to Tor. Like healing yourself.
She began to drop like a stone from thirty or more feet in the air. Then she slowed as the hay-filled cart appeared below her. Her feet touched and she collapsed into a cavity the driver had made for her. The driver wore a hood and made no indication of any disturbance.
Edin took a breath, the strength in his arm was fading. He wrapped his free hand around the bird’s beak and let loose his other arm to stretch it.
But the driver was past him now, he was even with the horse’s tail. Edin hauled himself up, the wing clipped some nerve in his inner knee causing it to buckle and nearly crush his groin on the top of the falcon’s skull.
He exhaled and steadied himself. Glancing down, he saw Arianne’s glare telling him not to leap onto her. She’d probably catch him, though letting him down easy may not be her plan.
Jumping, he landed on the edge of the hay. Edin lost his balance and tumbled forward across the cavity. A soft wind sent hay flying into his face with seeds digging into his eyes and mouth. There was a moment when he was completely suspended.
Then he dropped. She twisted him so he was lying directly on top of her and then she wrenched a wool blanket over their bodies.
Edin was momentarily blinded and tried rubbing the hayseed out of his watering eyes.
“Blotard,” she whispered. Her breath tickling his ear.
“Sorry,” Edin said as his vision cleared. This was the first time they’d been this close since they slept together. The warmth of her body, the feel of her chest just below his, the warm breath filtering across his neck and ear.
“Edin, do not think we will be doing that again.”
He raised his head and glanced at her. Then, she pushed him off to the side and turned to face the other way.
A semi familiar voice came from the front of the wagon. “Don’t you dare do that in my wagon… I’ll flay you myself.”
Edin recognized the voice, Oler, the leather merchant. He almost laughed and Arianne turned around. She looked at him, though it was difficult with the little light that poked in through the blanket.
“When will you grow up and stop thinking only for yourself,” she whispered. “I saved your life, I gave you my heart and you stomp on it. I’m not here for you, I’m here to defend our people so do not touch me again.”
“Quiet,” Oler hissed.
It was a half hour or so later, when they began to ride across the bridge. The sound of the wood wheels on the planks was nearly deafening. Edin reached out and brushed a few fingers across her cheek. A moment later, he saw her eyes opening. She must’ve slept.
“When Pharont announced…” Edin cleared his throat a little. He wasn’t sure if it was some of the hayseed or the words that choked his throat. “Your engagement… it broke my heart.” Edin felt his eyes welling up like a bowl overflowing with liquid about ready to spill over. “I nearly broke…”
Arianne sighed. She leaned in and kissed him. “Me too,” she whispered. “When I was given the proposal… there was an implication that you’d…” she trailed off.
An hour later they were able to get out from under the blanket and they laid together staring at the stars. It reminded him of days on the Castilander but they didn’t talk, they only held hands.
Finally, the cart stopped and they pried themselves from the bed of hay and headed toward the tower.
“Wait,” Oler said and grabbed a pair of packages from under his bench. “Gifts for the Ecta Mastrino and the princess. Don’t forget Oler.”
“We won’t forget Oler,” Edin said hesitantly with a side long look at Arianne.
They walked through a new fence that surrounded the tower. There was also a new, long stable to the north. Gary greeted him and nuzzled his stomach.
“Belo had it put in for you,” Arianne said.
Edin ran a hand over his donkey and went toward the door. Entering, he smelled food burning on the stove and saw a black cloud rising and billowing out of the open kitchen window.
He dropped his weapons and ran toward it. Edin pulled the black mush from the stove and ran it to the small washbasin.
“Someone’s here?” Arianne said from behind him. “I hear giggling upstairs… a woman.”
The food hissed and he heard it too. There it was, a soft barely audible laugh and a voice he recognized.
“Dorset!” Edin shouted up the stairs and looked at Arianne, she mouthed ‘Canno.’
A short time later, his roommate appeared at the base of the stairs. He was wearing a thin green robe, and Edin was positive there was nothing underneath. Dorset’s face was red as he looked from Edin to Arianne, a hint of a smile was underneath that embarrassed look.
“Cannopina,” Edin asked. As he said it, he heard footsteps behind Dorset and saw the barefoot woman descending the stairs in a blue robe and wrapping an arm around her man’s waist.
“We’re getting married tomorrow,” Dorset said, there was a hesitancy to his voice almost as if he wasn’t sure if that was actually happening. “With what’s coming… we just want to…”
It took Edin a moment to understand. He nodded. If something happened to either of them, what would the other think, the other do...
He didn’t look at Arianne. Would he go on if she died? Could he? They fought a lot but he did love her and all lovers fight, right?
“Congratulations,” Arianne said and strode over to Cannopina. She wrapped her arms around the young woman. “I’m very happy for you.”
The girl blushed. “It’s good someone is…” she groaned.
Dorset nodded Edin over toward the wash basin as the women began talking about things that were more interesting to their gender.
“Belo isn’t happy.”
“I could’ve guessed that. Congratulations by the way.”
There was a pained smile as Dorset nodded his head.
“Too bad there’s no time for a stag party. I’ve never been to one though I hear they can get a bit wild.” Edin said.
“There’s no time for many of the formalities that precede a wedding… even the courtship.”
“She seems to love you.”
“What are you talking about? You’re a teacher not a warrior.”
“I’ve mastered many spells, the most of any in my generation. I’ll be preparing for the attack for the next couple of days. That’s the council’s decision.”
“The council was dissolved.”
“It was Tor’s decision… I have to help. We have to repel the mundane aggressors. A hundred thousand, maybe more… it’s like the battles of old except we have no place to retreat… then there are the dematians. Promise me to look after her.” His voice quaked slightly.
Edin eyed his friend and nodded before slapping him on the shoulder. “Well, let’s have a drink.”
“You always want a drink…” Dorset said and Edin grinned.
Edin woke with a pounding headache on a rug on the third floor. He popped his head up and saw the bright sun bursting through the gallery windows. On one of the chairs, Arianne slept, her head tucked into her shoulder and a blanket pulled all the way up to her chest.
After drinking some water from a stone basin, he ambled down the stairs. Cannopina was still asleep in Dorset’s cot, but Dorset was gone. He heard the clanging metal on the ground floor and headed that way.
“I report in an hour, I should be back hopefully before dark…”
“Your wedding?”
“Will go on as planned… I hope. Guard the fort?”
“I will,” Edin said grabbing a mug of coffee from the pot and taking a seat at the small table. “Just like old times ehh?”
“Except we have beautiful women upstairs… you and Arianne are you two… okay?”
Edin shrugged.
“You should work it out… just in case.”
“We’re not dying,” Edin snapped, “neither are you.”
Dorset looked down at his mug and shrugged. “I don’t want to…”
“Then stop thinking about it. Do your best damn spells then get back here to the woman that loves you. Do not go fighting at the front. Don’t try to be a hero.”