From Blood and Magic

by Dave Skinner

  She was right. Nails and he had to work hard to keep up with her. The job that he had estimated would take days was finished in an afternoon. It was dirty work, and he treated himself to a wash after. He was sitting in the barn when Flitter flew in.

  “Brayson, we have to talk,” she said.

  “About what?”

  “About us. You and I.” Flitter was standing on an overturned wooden milk pail. Since Missica had eaten the farmer’s cow, there was little use for it.

  Brayson sat down on the ground beside her. “I am listening.”

  “I love you Brayson. You are a wonderful man, and I have been happy with you, but I was mistaken. You are not my lovlan. You probably don’t know this, but sylphs have the ability to grow to the size of other fey. To do it, we have to sacrifice our wings. Their magic is used to make the change. When we first met, I thought I would do that for you, but I have never been able to commit to the task. I like flying too much.” She stopped speaking and hung her head. “Only a person who has flown could understand what it would mean to lose the ability to soar and glide through the air.”

  Brayson thought he knew where this conversation was going. “Shanic understands, doesn’t he?”

  Flitter’s head snapped up. “Yes, he does.” There were tears on her little face, and Brayson felt her pain, or maybe it was his own. “He is a good man who can offer me a full life, with a family, and he says we will fly on his bird whenever I want.

  “I understand, Flitter.” Brayson felt his own tears now. “I too would like a family someday. I have wondered how it would come to pass. I wish you and Shanic all the best.”

  “Thank you, Brayson. I will go and tell Shanic.” At that, she took off and flew out of the barn door.

  Brayson sat where he was for a moment. He was hurt that Flitter had chosen to leave him, but truthfully, he was also relieved. He had never felt the lovlan connection for her that she professed for him. A picture of the girl from his dreams came to his mind. I wonder if I can sneak into Crosstown, he thought.

  The next day, Shanic and Flitter flew off together, and the following day, Ichaca flew Tamican back to his home in the mountains. When Ichaca returned, he and Missica said their goodbyes. Ichaca picked up Missica and cradled her in his front arms, and then he sprang into the air and climbed towards the sun. A black slice opened in the sky, and dragon and daughter disappeared.

  Andoo’s group left the day after that. The trip back to Little Point was uneventful, and when they got there, Reese bid them farewell. She hugged Nails without any awkwardness and promised to see him soon, then Andoo, Feenatay and the boys boarded a ship that left for Marshtown. From Marshtown, a marshman took them to Delta. When they arrived, Shawn was standing on the shore, and before the boat grounded, he was calling to them.

  “I found it!” he said. “I found it. I found it!”

  Chapter 38

  The chamber of the Seeing Pool was full of people. As well as a full Wizard’s Council meeting, there were dignitaries from many cities. Andoo had sent messages to all the Wizards of the Council. They, in turn, had relayed the reason for the meeting to city officials and others who held positions of importance in the lake communities. Nails had been introduced to so many people that the names were now a mash of meaningless sounds in his head. The only people he could still recognize were those he knew. Ran and Manda were there with Reese. He was happy to see Reese. Brayson’s father, King Bray, was present, as were both his children and their mother. Her name was Lee. He remembered that because Brayson had reminded him repeatedly not to mention Amadella to Lee.

  “Do you think she doesn’t know about you?”

  “She probably does,” Brayson admitted, “but I would prefer it if she did not have a face to go along with the name.”

  “What could she do to you?”

  “Do you remember how good Remi is with a sword?”

  “Of course I remember.”

  “Well, her mother trained her.”

  It was nice to see Shawn again. He had travelled home to Nadia to brief the North Lake cities and his parents when Andoo called the meeting. The King of Arcadia was too old to make the trip, and the Queen of Bernadice had just given birth to her fourth child, but they agreed to accept whatever Bray and Lee decided was appropriate. There were a few Travellers present. The King and Queen of New KaAn had come, as well as the Crown Prince. Mearistay and Adamtay both greeted Nails and Brayson warmly. The rest of the people were from cities and towns on the South Lake. Nails couldn’t remember any of their names except for a man named Bentback who was the Mayor of Waysley on Pointer Island. Nails remembered his name because he had a bent back. He also appeared to be close friends with Bray, Ran, Manda and Andoo.

  “I wish Andoo would start the meeting,” Nails told Brayson. “If he waits much longer, we will have a late dinner, and I am hungry already.”

  “We just finished lunch. You ate three heaping plates full of food.”

  “Magic makes me hungry, and I practiced all morning.”

  “You did not. We both welcomed and guided the guests as they arrived.”

  “Oh right. It was yesterday I practiced. I must still be hungry from then.”

  “I think you are bored.”

  “That is possible. Still I—here comes Andoo.”

  Nails watched his uncle come in through the doors to his private office and take position in front of his seat beside the pool. He would not use the platform today because the Seeing Pool was not needed for this meeting. Instead, Shawn would tell his story from there so that all parties could see him as he spoke.

  “Welcome everyone,” Andoo began. He waited for the hum of conversation to die. “You all know why we are gathered, so I will turn this meeting over to the young man who made the discovery, Crown Prince Shawn of Nadia.

  Shawn stood and moved onto the platform. “Honoured guests,” he began. “Many of you know me because I have spent time at your libraries searching for information about our origins. We are here so I can share what I have learned.

  “Many generations ago, we came to the lake country from the far South. Because it heads almost directly south, it was believed that we arrived using the Grasslands River. This is true. Southgate was the first city built on South Lake. We spread out from there and built all the cities of South Lake and North Lake, except for Marshtown. The Marshmen and the faeries were already here when we arrived. Scrolls I found at Delta say that we came from an Empire, and there are references to Southgate being named Empire North when it was first built. Eventually, we lost contact with the Empire. I have not been able to identify why this happened. I can say with certainty that the last group to arrive here from the South were my ancestors and the families of Bernadice and Arcadia. According to our records, Nadia was built fifteen generations ago. Bernadice and Arcadia were built around the same time. Why we lost contact with the civilization to the south is not recorded, and I am not going to speculate. It happened, and now I think it is time for us to make contact again. I am proposing we send an expedition down the Grasslands River to make contact with our people.”

  ***

  Nails sat leaning against a willow tree beside one of the watercourses that meandered through the grounds of Delta. This was one of his favourite spots for quiet contemplation. He was reviewing the questions and answers that had been directed at Shawn after his announcement. There had been so many questions that Nails had lost count of them. He thought Shawn had handled them well, much better than he would have. Most questions dealt with the nature of the Empire, but Shawn explained that he had found nothing in the scrolls that would allow him to answer that question. Nails had been amazed by how many ways people could ask the same thing. He remembered at least five times that question was asked and answered. Nails’ patience had thinned significantly, but Shawn appeared not to mind, in fact, he appeared to appreciate the questions. Each time he answered them he made a point of saying, “We do not have that information.
That is why we need an expedition.” Nails heard it so many times that he started mouthing the words under his breath as Shawn spoke them. He wondered why people kept asking the same thing, not that he cared. He had no plans to go south. It sounded like a noble undertaking, but he had his studies to work on. Watching Shawn answer the same question for the fifth time had shown Nails that he had a long way to go before he could keep his composure like others could. He had been ready to blast the person from Barterville when he asked it. Granted, he changed a few words, but it was still the same question whether asked forwards or backwards.

  He heard footsteps on the path beside the tree. He didn’t think anyone would disturb him, the branches of the willow hid him from the pathway. It was one of the reasons he liked the spot. The footsteps stopped, and then the willow branches parted and Reese stepped through. She brushed a mantis from her shoulder as she smiled at him.

  “Nice spot,” she said. “Do you mind if I join you?”

  “Not at all.” He was proud that his tongue worked well enough to say that. It usually didn’t around Reese. She came over and sat down beside him. Her shoulder pressed against him as she sat, and Brayson’s advice played through Nails’ head. “No mention of pirates and not a word about sleeping with Susin.” Of course, all he could think of after that was Susin and pirates, so he kept his mouth closed and waited.

  “What did you think of Shawn’s idea for an expedition?”

  “It sounds like a lot of people want to know about the Empire to the south.”

  “If he goes, will you go with him?”

  “I have my studies here. It is more important for me to learn to control my magic if I ever want to live a regular life.” If you and I are ever going to be more than just friends, he thought. Then another thought jumped into his head. “Why? Would you go?” he asked.

  “I am thinking about it,” she said. “It sounds interesting, but...only if you are going.”

  Nails turned his face towards her. He didn’t know what to say. He realized his mouth was open and closed it.

  “I like you, Nails,” Reese said. Her eyes were looking at the ground. She seemed to be waiting for him to say something.

  “I like you too.”

  They both smiled. She shifted around and straddled his legs with her own, then she put her hands up to the side of his head, leaned forward and kissed him. It was a long kiss. He sat up straighter and put his arms around her waist. He felt sparks on his fingertips and she twitched.

  “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” He tried to pull away, but the tree was at his back and she didn’t move. In fact, she leaned in again.

  “Sometimes a girl likes a little spark in her life,” she whispered. Her lips found his again, and he wrapped his arms around her. I hope I’m doing this right, he thought. Eventually, she leaned back and smiled at him. He smiled back.

  “I want to spend some time with you,” Reese said. “One way of doing that is for both of us to go with Shawn.”

  “I would like that also, but I am Andoo’s apprentice.”

  “That will not be a problem because Andoo will go with Shawn. Of that, I am sure.”

  Chapter 39

  Brayson was speaking with Ran and Manda when he saw Nails and Reese walking towards them. They were holding hands, which made him smile. Ran must have wondered about the smile because he followed Brayson’s gaze.

  “Well, will you look at that,” Ran said.

  Manda turned to look, then turned back and smacked Ran on the shoulder. “Do not stare,” she said quietly.

  Andoo Toran came up just as Reese and Nails arrived.

  “Has anything been decided?” Reese asked.

  “We will mount an expedition,” Andoo informed everyone. “I believe I should go, which means you two will come also.” He indicated Nails and Brayson. “Shawn wants to go, of course, and Feenatay has expressed an interest.”

  “I would like to go also,” Reese said. “You will need someone with a good sword arm and knowledge of boats.”

  “We will take one of the flat-bottom barges used on the Trade River,” Andoo said.

  “Even more reason to have a good sailor along,” Reese said. “They can be awkward to handle. The double tillers take some getting used to.”

  “What about you, Ran?” Andoo asked. “Care for a little adventure?”

  Ran thought about it for a few heartbeats. “No, I think not, I have had enough for one lifetime. Reese can represent our interests. Though I am willing to sail to Riverrun South and bring a barge over to Southpoint.”

  “That will be helpful,” Andoo told him. “Nails, Brayson, are you two willing to come along?”

  “I will go,” Nails said.

  Brayson felt the connection between Reese and Nails as they smiled at each other. For a moment, he was taken back. He and Nails had been together for many adventures. He had always thought they would continue together, but now he saw a different possibility. If Nails and Reese were a couple, where did he fit in? The face of the girl he saw in his dreams came to him. Maybe I have to go farther afield than Crosstown, he thought.

  “I will accompany you,” he said.

  “I have an old bottle of Nadian red I have been saving for a special occasion,” Andoo said. “I think it is time to celebrate.”

  Brayson followed the others to Andoo’s office. He sat quietly while they discussed details of the trip but added nothing to the conversation. He was still thinking about his future and what Nails and Reese holding hands meant to him. The meeting broke up, and Andoo accompanied Manda and Ran to the marsh boat that would carry them to Marshtown where their ship was anchored. Brayson went looking for Feenatay and found her sitting alone at a table in a workroom. It was the place where she preferred to practice her spells. Her back was towards him, but she was not making any hand movements, so he figured it was safe to interrupt her. As he drew closer, he realized she had a sword lying on the table before her. It was the sword she had used to cut the sod when they were at the farm. Brayson had been schooled about types of swords when he was at Crosstown, so he knew it was called either a falchion or a scimitar.

  “Did your sword lose its edge when you used it to cut sod?” he asked as he came up to her.

  “No. It is as sharp as ever. I am trying to discover something about the magic it contains,” Feenatay replied without looking up.

  “Did your uncle apply the magic?”

  “No, he found the story about the sword in some old scrolls. A master swordsman got it from somewhere, but my uncle could never find out where it came from. It has never needed to be sharpened. My father says that he found it in a cave, covered by ages of dust. It was being guarded by Ichaca.”

  “The same dragon that came and took Missica home?”

  “Yes. Ichaca was imprisoned by a wizard and forced to guard the sword. My father told him he would free him using the sword if he was allowed to take it. Father said it cut the chains holding the dragon as if they were cream. I was trying to understand the magic, but I think it will be a lifelong project.” She paused. “What are you doing here?”

  “There is a question I want to ask you.”

  “About?”

  “How difficult is it to look into someone’s future?”

  “That depends on the detail you want to see.” She turned in her chair to face him. “Major turning points in our lives stand out and are easy to find, but the path that leads us to them, our path of destiny, is harder to see. Why are you asking?”

  “I want to know if I will ever connect with someone I love.”

  “Do you mean you are in love with someone right now and want to know if you will ever be together?”

  “No, that is not it. It is more a general question. Will I ever find someone?”

  “Are you missing Flitter, Brayson?”

  “Maybe a little, but that is not the reason. There are few mixed-bloods outside of Crosstown. I do not feel safe there, so I wanted to
know if I would ever meet someone special who wanted to be with me.”

  “I am sure you will, Brayson. You are a good man and pleasant to look on.”

  “Sure. I have some siren blood from my mother, which makes me attractive, but as soon as people see the points on my ears, they become distant. I want to know if I will always be alone, but if it is too hard to tell then I will just forget about it. Thank you for the information.” He turned to leave, and she grabbed his hand.

  “Not so fast. It is not impossible to get a quick view of that information. People ask this question all the time. As soon as I started training with my uncle, girls started asking me that question. I can do a cursory look at your future right now if you want.”

  “Will you?”

  “Of course. Sit down and give me your hand.”

  Brayson pulled a chair over and sat. Feenatay took his hand in hers and turned it palm up.

  She caressed it a few times and then slowly traced a finger along the lines she saw there. Brayson felt a tingling. When he looked at Feenatay, her eyes were closed. He saw her brow furrow for a moment and then she smiled. After a while, she opened her eyes.

  “You will find someone, Brayson,” she said with a smile. “I saw a woman, and I saw you with a child.”

  Brayson smiled. “Thank you, Feenatay.” He stood. “I will let you get back to your studies.”

  As he turned to leave, she asked, “Have you ever been whipped, Brayson?”

  “Yes, when I was a slave on a ship. Why?”

  “I saw you being whipped,” she said.

  “That was in the past.”

  “This spell does not usually see the past.”

  “But have you ever used it on someone with faerie blood?”

  “No,” Feenatay admitted, but she did not look convinced.

  Chapter 40

  It was a full two moons before the expedition was ready to leave. Andoo spent the time getting the Council prepared for his absence. Ran brought a flat-bottom barge to Southgate and then had some of his builders add features. They built two huts and erected a short mast with a single, square sail. The barge had two sweep rudders at the stern, one to port and the other to starboard. They added a third in the centre. If the sailing was easy, they could get by using just the new rudder. Nails, Brayson, Reese and Shawn visited Nadia and then worked on a barge coming down the Trade River for the practice. On the slower sections of the Trade, barges were moved by pole men who walked along the sides from bow to stern, pushing the vessel along with long, wooden poles. They would use the same principle on their barge, augmented by the sail and the rudders, which could be swept from side to side to aid momentum.