The Wizards' War

by Angela Holder

  “I wonder what Hanion’s going to do when he comes in and sees her there,” Josiah whispered to Kevessa.

  “That’s his seat?” she whispered back over the growing buzz from the rest of the assembly.

  “Unless he asked someone else to lead the service. Master Dabiel used to give all the masters a turn, but I bet he won’t. At least not today.” He looked past her to where Vigorre sat, slumped in his chair. “What do you think?” When he didn’t respond, Josiah said, “Hey, Vigorre. Is something the matter?”

  Vigorre scowled and shook his head. “I hoped she’d bring Tesi with her.”

  “She probably didn’t want to come,” Kevessa said. “I don’t think she’d be very comfortable, since she doesn’t worship the Mother.”

  “I know.” The thought didn’t seem to cheer him much.

  “I’m sure she’s fine,” Kevessa told him. “She’s certainly got it easier than we do, with only the Matriarch’s pregnancy to worry about.”

  “How have things been going with Master Janya?” Josiah had seen little of the Ramunnan wizards since their arrival. He’d made it a point to sit with Kevessa at every meal, but even then she’d often been distracted. “Kevessa says Master Orine has been keeping her busy.”

  She shuddered. “I think she decided she needs to make up for all the years of apprenticeship I missed in a month. Whenever we’re not healing or opening windows, she’s quizzing me over the Law and the Histories. And she goes over the most basic things, as if Nina and I just bonded yesterday. She ignores me whenever I try to tell her we’ve been working together just fine for months.” She shrugged. “I suppose it’s for the best, though. Every now and then she says something neither Nina nor Master Elkan taught me. I think even Nina’s learned a few things.”

  Vigorre perked up a little. “It’s the same with Master Janya. I’m glad. Nirre and I need it a lot more than you do.”

  Beyond him, Borlen leaned over to join the conversation. “Shadow pretends he’s above such elementary instruction. But then he turns around and uses the new techniques as if he knew them all along.”

  The cobra turned his head away with an offended air. Josiah laughed, Kevessa grinned, even Vigorre smiled wanly. The squirrel in Nina’s lap chittered. Kevessa’s eyes lit up in the way that made Josiah’s heart stutter. “Nina says—”

  Here he comes.

  Sar’s interruption annoyed Josiah, but he couldn’t resist turning to see. Sure enough, Hanion was striding across the Hall. Josiah saw the moment he spotted the Matriarch. His step faltered and his eyes widened. He looked down at Mavke, then around the circle. His gaze lingered on Elkan, who was sitting in the outside row, Tobi sprawled at his feet, Meira beside him with Ravid in her lap. Elkan met his eyes with a bland expression.

  Hanion squared his shoulders and continued into the center of the circle. He paused and spoke quietly to a journeyman wizard in a seat near the aisle. She rose and made her way to an empty chair several rows back.

  Hanion sat down. He bent to pet Mavke, who flopped onto the cool marble floor and panted. Josiah wished he could do the same thing. The usually airy hall was stifling in the midsummer heat. He bent to whisper to Kevessa. “See? He let her get away with it. Elkan thinks he’ll never be able to stand up to her.”

  Kevessa studied the Guildmaster thoughtfully. “Good. Maybe she’ll persuade him to let us go back to Ramunna.”

  Josiah swallowed. He wanted to return the Mother’s power to Ramunna, too. But he didn’t want to be parted from Kevessa. And Elkan was adamant that isolation must be restored. He hated being at odds with his master, but he was sure Elkan was wrong. The Mother couldn’t want to confine her power to Tevenar again, not after they’d made such a good start spreading it to the rest of the world.

  He wasn’t sure what he’d do if Kevessa decided to sail with the Matriarch. He’d disobeyed Elkan plenty of times, but only in small things. Well, relatively small things. Going to Ramunna against his orders would be huge.

  The last few stragglers found seats. Hanion stood up and everyone fell silent. He spoke the traditional words. “We are gathered together in the Mother’s name…”

  Josiah quit listening. He’d learned to tolerate the long, boring, service, but it was far from his favorite part of being a wizard.

  Lots of people rose to offer prayers of thanks for their victory. Josiah amused himself seeing how many of them shot the Matriarch hostile or arrogant or mocking looks while they spoke. Most of them at least smirked. Later a couple rose to be married, which was accomplished quickly. He daydreamed about grabbing Kevessa’s hand and standing up, but it wouldn’t do any good. They’d be denied because they were too young. Assuming Kevessa didn’t yank him back down with a glower. This courting business was harder than he’d anticipated. It seemed to mostly involve her pretending she wasn’t interested while he begged for her attention.

  Late in the service, long after Josiah’s thoughts had wandered to anticipation of the picnic he and Kevessa were taking to the same waterfall pool they’d visited together on her first trip to Tevenar, a sudden collective gasp broke the silence. He jerked his head up. The Matriarch had risen. She was quiet for a long moment, a small smile showing her enjoyment at being the center of everyone’s attention. At exactly the right moment, she spread her hands and looked up, just over the heads of the crowd. It was nearly noon, so the rays of sun from the eastern windows had retreated from their earlier slanting glory, but other than that she was the perfect picture of someone communing with the Mother.

  “Mother, the people of Ramunna have fallen under the control of a brutal tyrant. He twists your truths to his own ends, using your name to oppress and enslave instead of serve and protect. He rules with neither mercy nor justice. He worships only greed and power.

  “Mother, I seek to free my people from this vile bondage. Grant me your blessing, I pray. Strengthen the hearts of those who fight for my cause. Let your favor shine on us, granting us courage and resolve.”

  She paused dramatically. “Soften the hearts of your servants. Help them understand your will. Send your power with me to Ramunna so that it may liberate those in bondage and heal those who suffer. Give us victory over the oppressor so that we may restore to Ramunna the peace you desire for all your children.”

  She bowed her head. “In your name and for your sake I ask these things.” Her voluminous skirts rustled as she sat down.

  Josiah glanced at Elkan. His face wore its most closed expression, but one hand was buried in the fur at the nape of Tobi’s neck, and the other was clenched into a fist on his thigh. Wizards weren’t allowed to speak during the service, or Josiah was sure Elkan would have risen and explained exactly how the Matriarch was attempting to manipulate them.

  Surely the wizards, at least, would see through her pretty words and realize that she was asking them to go to war for her. They’d all gotten more than their fill of that.

  No one else rose to speak. Finally Hanion stood up and closed the service. “…continuing your unfinished work of creation.”

  As he pronounced the last syllable, the Matriarch’s guards surged between the seats to surround her. She rose and swept from the Hall, straight out the double doors the guards flung open for her.

  As the doors crashed closed, voices erupted throughout the Hall. Josiah blinked and shook his head.

  Kevessa leaned close. “She’s good, isn’t she?”

  “I’ll say.”

  Vigorre crossed his arms and scowled. “She would never have been allowed to disrupt a service at home like that. Why didn’t someone stop her?”

  “Anyone who wants to can speak,” Josiah said defensively.

  “A policy that’s easily abused.” He rubbed his hands against his upper arms as if he were cold, though it was hotter than ever. “And it’s just not worship with no liturgy. Even the Purifiers have that.”

  “Go attend one of their services then, if it’s so much better.” Josiah jumped to his feet and held out his hand to
Kevessa. “Let’s pick up our lunch and get going. Sar’s ready for some fresh grass. Unless you want to change clothes first.”

  She graciously allowed him to help her up. Her bell-shaped skirts swayed and rustled. She looked beautiful in them, but she’d also looked beautiful in the Tevenaran breeches and tunic she’d worn yesterday while working in the Hall. “I think I will. Formal dress is inappropriate for a walk in the country. It will only take a few minutes”

  Inspiration struck him. “Bring something you can swim in.”

  She froze. After a long moment she said, “What’s considered appropriate attire for swimming in Tevenar?”

  He shrugged. “Short breeches, usually. Girls sometimes wear a vest or a shirt. I mean, if you don’t want to, that’s fine. I just thought, because it’s so hot today…”

  “I would greatly enjoy some relief from the heat. The pool is shallow, isn’t it? I’ve never learned to swim in deep water.”

  “Only up to my chest. You’ll be fine.”

  She took a deep breath. “All right. I’ll meet you at the fountain when I’m ready.”

  “I’ll grab my swim things and some towels and be right down.” He waved to Vigorre and Borlen and headed toward the stairs that led up to his room. Kevessa moved toward the ones that passed close to the room she’d been given.

  Sar, no need for you to make the climb. The stairs were wide and shallow for the ease of four-legged creatures, but the fourth floor was a long way up. You can wait for us outside.

  The donkey flipped an agreeable ear at him and turned to go. Josiah had his foot on the first step when Elkan hurried up. “Master? Do you need something?”

  “Would you mind going down to the basement with me and bringing a cot up to my room? Ravid needs something more comfortable than the floor.”

  “Sure.” Everyone in the Hall knew Meira had moved in with Elkan. Josiah was glad for his master, although Elkan didn’t seem as happy as Josiah would have expected him to be after finally getting together with the woman he’d loved for years. “Right now?”

  “Please.” Elkan headed down the stairs, Tobi padding at his heels.

  Josiah followed, suppressing the urge to grumble. It would take a while for Kevessa to change. If he hurried, he might still make it outside before she did.

  When they reached the basement, Elkan put his hand on Tobi. She stirred the air, creating a soft golden glow which illuminated the low, dusty space. “I think the extra cots are in that room.”

  Josiah opened the door he indicated and peered inside. “No, this one is all chairs and tables.”

  “Hmm. I’m sure that’s where they were last time I looked. Maybe someone reorganized down here while we were in Ramunna. Check the next room.”

  Josiah looked in a dozen more storage rooms before he finally spotted a stack of folded cots. “Here, master.”

  Elkan helped him wrestle the topmost cot from the pile. Together they carried it into the corridor and to the base of the stairs.

  Before they ascended, Elkan stopped and eased the cot to the floor. He spoke in a hushed tone. “While we’re alone down here, there’s something I need to warn you about.”

  Josiah dropped his end of the cot, narrowly missing his foot. “What?”

  “Before long you might start to hear rumors going around the Hall. If anyone asks you what’s going on, tell them you don’t know. Say I haven’t told you what my plans are and you haven’t overheard anything.”

  “What kind of rumors? What are you planning?”

  His lips twisted ruefully. “If I told you, you wouldn’t be able to deny knowledge of them truthfully, would you?” His voice dropped so low Josiah had to strain to hear. “But people might start to speculate that I want a new Guildmaster election.”

  Josiah gaped for a moment, then broke into a grin. “Really? That’s great! You’re sure to win this time. Do you want me to talk to any of the masters? I bet—”

  “No!” Elkan made a sharp hushing gesture. “Please, stay out of it. I only told you so you wouldn’t announce it to everyone as soon as you figured it out. Hanion can’t hear about this before we’re ready. And it’s possible it will go nowhere, in which case it would be far better if he never finds out at all.”

  “That makes sense. All right. I know nothing, I swear.” He tried to look baffled and innocent, which from the twitch at the corner of Elkan’s mouth didn’t work very well.

  But his master nodded. “Good. And one more thing. Don’t tell Kevessa.”

  “Why not?” Josiah had been eagerly anticipating sharing the exciting news as soon as he joined her.

  “Or Vigorre, or Borlen. They want to go back to Ramunna, and they know I won’t let them. They might figure their chances are better with Hanion. They’d probably be right.”

  Josiah opened his mouth to hotly defend his friends. But then he thought about the Ramunnans’ reaction to Elkan’s announcement. All three of them were passionately certain the Mother had called them to serve her in Ramunna. They might even be willing to betray their first master in order to make that happen. Reluctantly, he shut it again.

  “I know. I wish I could trust them to support me. But it’s better not to ask them to decide between that and what they believe the Mother wants.” Elkan bent to retrieve the cot.

  “Are you sure it’s not?” Josiah swallowed. He blurted out the words before he could lose his nerve. “I don’t think you should reinstate the Law of Isolation. I don’t think that’s the Mother’s will. How can you believe it is? You were always more determined than anyone to share her power with the rest of the world.”

  Elkan slowly straightened, leaving the cot on the ground. His voice was more tired than angry. “That was before I saw how the rest of the world treated us when we tried.”

  “Plenty of them welcomed us. Do you really want the people of the Beggar’s Quarter to keep suffering? And all the people like them in Marvanna and Giroda?”

  “Of course not!” Elkan dragged his fingers through his hair. “Do you think I haven’t tried to figure out a way? But I must consider Tevenar first. If that clever brain of yours can come up with some strategy that will both ensure our safety and allow the Wizards’ Guild to spread across Ravanetha, I’d love to hear it. But unless your plan can guarantee that neither the Matriarch nor the Autarch nor whoever rules Giroda will ever try to destroy us again, it’s not good enough.”

  Josiah scowled. “Nothing can guarantee that.”

  “Exactly.” Elkan rubbed the back of his neck. “I mean, it, though. Plenty of times you’ve seen what I couldn’t. If anyone can come up with a way out of this mess, it’s you.”

  The praise pleased Josiah, but it didn’t dispel his annoyance. “Here’s an idea. Persuade the other masters to make you Guildmaster like Master Dabiel wanted. Then next spring when you talk with the Mother she’ll tell you to quit being scared and send Ravanetha the wizards they need.”

  Elkan shook his head and chuckled. “We’ll see. The first part of that might happen, if you can remember to keep your mouth shut.”

  “I won’t say a word,” Josiah promised. He picked up the cot. “Let’s get this upstairs. I don’t want to keep Kevessa waiting.”

  His master lifted the other end. Between them they manhandled the awkward cot up three flights and down the corridor to Elkan’s room. As soon as they got it unfolded, Elkan waved dismissal. “Have fun.”

  Josiah took the stairs up to his room two at a time, thoughts racing ahead to the moment he’d be splashing in the pool with Kevessa. The anticipation was enough to sweep away every other thought. But somewhere deep in the back of his head his mind continued to puzzle over the challenge Elkan had given him.

  * * *

  Kevessa brushed her hands over the skimpy garments. When Master Orine had taken her to the market for Tevenaran-style clothes, she’d insisted on buying them for Kevessa, assuring her that many apprentices wore such things on the hottest days. But she’d privately resolved never to wear them in publ
ic. They did seem more practical than the bulky bathing dress she’d worn at home on the few occasions she’d been allowed to swim, though.

  The soft laced vest Tevenaran women wore to contain their breasts was much easier to move in than a Ramunnan corset, but it left her midriff bare. The short breeches barely reached mid-thigh. She might as well be naked.

  With a grimace she pulled her new tunic and breeches over them. Maybe she’d take them off again to go in the water, and maybe she wouldn’t. It would depend on how daring she felt in the moment.

  She thought of Josiah dressed in nothing but similar short breeches and shivered with both anticipation and apprehension. She knew from the way he looked at her, spoke to her, touched her, that he wanted whatever she was willing to give. And every minute she spent with him she wanted to give him more. It was all she could do to hold him at arm’s length the way a well-bred young lady should. She’d only been able to manage it because she’d been so busy in the Hall, so absorbed in what she was learning, and so tired at the end of the day.

  But this was Tevenar, not Ramunna. Even if she went back, she’d never be part of aristocratic society again. She no longer need worry about keeping herself pure to please a theoretical future husband, the way Mama had always insisted she must. Not that many girls actually did, from the scandalized gossip she’d exchanged with her friends. Kisses and much more were exchanged during the brief times young men and women were allowed to spend alone together. You had to be careful not to get pregnant, but there was plenty you could do without taking that risk.

  Kevessa shot a glance at Nina. The squirrel had been happy to adjust Kevessa’s cycles to eliminate the bother of monthly bleeding. She’d shown Kevessa exactly how the reproductive functions of her body worked and how the Mother’s power could control them. No female wizard need ever worry about pregnancy unless she desired a child.

  The Law forbade wizards from entering into sexual relationships with current patients and from using their power or position in any manner that might be construed as coercion. Other than that it was silent on the subject.