Alanna, Raoul, Jon, Numair and Hakan were still in the Royal Study, frantically contemplating what to do. The air to Alanna's right shimmered, and the Goddess appeared.
"My Mother," said Alanna respectfully, kissing the offered hand, getting the same weird jolt she did years ago when she was a Squire and first met her patron goddess. The Mother smiled.
"I see you've been having a bit of trouble with Gethra and the Free Corsairs, she said offhandedly, easing casually into Alanna's vacated chair. Alanna made a face.
"'A bit of trouble', as you so eloquently put it, my Mother, does not even begin to describe our situation. Gethra has many allies, not to mention stolen Carthaki war barges, many men and hundreds of slaves, many of whom he uses for their Gifts. He himself is Giftless, thank the gods." The Mother chuckled.
"I realize how much trouble you're in. So, I brought in a little help. Girls?" The air beside the Goddess shimmered; three girls of around sixteen and seventeen stood there. One was thumbing through a small book, another nonchalantly flipping through a strange case filled with thin, circular disks. The one with long brown hair looked up from her reading, startled, and pointed to King Jonathan.
"That's him," she whispered to her group. "Oh my god, I can't believe this. This is amazing; do you know how much I've daydreamed, and even dreamed, I suppose, during Math class of this?"
Jon raised an eyebrow in her direction; she blushed and averted her eyes. Finally, gathering up her courage, she went to his feet and knelt.
"Your Majesty," she said solemnly to the carpet, as her face was turned down. "I am at your service. I know not what I can do, but the Mother has brought me, and I will fight, to the death if needed, against these pirates, the Free Corsairs." Jonathan blinked, and opened his mouth to speak. Alanna elbowed him in the ribs.
"Idiot," she whispered. "This is the Goddess who brought them, the Goddess who tells them! Don't question it!" Jon gulped, and nodded.
He sighed, and nodded his head, too tired and stressed to do much more. "My Mother, I am honored by your presence and those of your, ah, companions," he said, looking at the girls. He turned to the Goddess. "My Mother, I admit to some, er, well, a lot of confusion. How can they help us? They are but children." Gemini's face flushed with shame and anger; the others did the same.
Charri stepped forward, confidence and anger rolling off her in waves. "Well, excuse me! You have no right to speak to us this way! I'm a twenty-first century woman, if you think you can just insult us like that and expect not to pay for it, then you're dead wrong, and" Gemini elbowed her painfully in the ribs as Jonathan looked on, absolutely flabbergasted. No one had ever spoken to him like that; he was the King!
"We're talking to King Jonathan," Gemini hissed into Charri's ear. "And remember, while we're still twenty-first century women, he has the right to talk to us like that, or any way he likes. So shut up!" Charri blinked, then peered over at Jonathan.
"Oh!" she whispered back. "No wonder he's so cute!" Jonathan blinked repeatedly, then decided to ignore that comment.
"I beg your pardon, Sire," said Elspeth, stepping forward. "We may be children, but there are things that we may think of that you may not in the first place. Alanna, you would know what we're talking about. Remember, during the Sweating Sickness, when you saved who was then Prince Jonathan? When no adult could do a thing about it? Think; that is the position we are in." She bowed her head and stepped back to the group, as Charri blushed all the redder for her own boldness.
King Jonathan raised an eyebrow. "You have a point there," he said, surprised. "I never thought of that." He trailed off, once again in deep thought. The Goddess stepped forwards.
"Jonathan, these children are of Tortall," the Goddess began quietly. "But, they were brought up in Terra. They will be alone, lost and confused. But," she added an emphasis on the 'but', "They will be invaluable to you. This one," she pointed to Charisma. "Can you not see her Healing powers? She can do little else magically, but she can Heal like Duke Baird; better, with training.
"Gemini has a powerful Wild Magic, much like Daine's. And Elspeth." She shook her head as Elspeth saluted with her foil and bowed to the company. "She has little magic, only Fetching and Firestarting. But, in those she will be very good. Also, her hand-to-hand, swordsplay and archery show great promise. She already does a little of each, and is also especially proficient in horseback riding." Elspeth grinned, blushing. The Goddess walked behind the pair. Gemini hesitated, and then left Jonathan's feet to join the group. "These three are your difference between life and death. Victory and defeat. Do not be alarmed by their knowledge, or aptness for learning. These three are special. Do not disappoint me!" With that, the Goddess threw her hand up, and without a shimmer or even a whirlwind, she was gone. Elspeth gulped. It took very powerful magic to disappear like that.
King Jon sighed. "I suppose we'd better heed her advice. Alanna, could you find them rooms?" Alanna nodded. "Very well. Your training starts tomorrow," decided Jonathan quickly, trying futilely to understand the whirl of events that had just happened. Still, he put his best Royal Mask on and tried to act normal. "You will keep training hours. You must get up at dawn each day." He nodded a dismissal, apparently still nervous at having them there.
Hakan harrumphed. "Your Majesty, you cannot seriously be contemplating having these children affect you! They are small, weak, and not even Tortallan!"
Jon's eyes narrowed; he had had enough of this topic, and of Hakan's belligerence. "You think to contradict me?" he asked softly, his voice promising danger and anger. Hakan glared at him for a moment, then looked away.
"Of course not, Nobility. This unworthy one will now leave your bright presence!" he spat, and stormed out. Charri stuck out her chin stubbornly. She did not like this man! It was all she could do to not yell after him, 'Bite my ass!'
The Three looked worried; Charisma stared off after Hakan, Gemini stared at the floor and chewed her lip. Jonathan sighed again.
"Go on, don't mind him. Hakan's a little touchy. Go to bed. I have a feeling tomorrow will be a very long day." With that, he bowed, and left.
Alanna nodded. "Come on, girls, let's get you washed up and to bed."
* * *
The Three sank into a huge bathing pool as it steamed faintly. Gemini sighed, and submerged. She reappeared moments later, shaking her hair around her face.
"Okay, Gemini, give," demanded Charisma. "You promised you'd tell why we're here and all this about us being Sisters." Gemini sighed as Elspeth nodded vigorously.
"All right, all right," she said resignedly. "We're all from Tortall. No, seriously! The Goddess said something about how we were kidnapped by an unknown force and brought to Terra. We were there for about sixteen years, give or take." Gemini went on to describe how they were sent there to help Tortall survive its third war in as many decades. "I don't know what people find so appealing about Tortall," she added rcossly. "They've had a Civil war, an Immortals war and now, well, I don't know what they'll call this one." She sighed, scrubbing her arms with soap. The others did so as well, and finally, exhausted, they went to bed. They each had their own guest room, but they were linked by unlocked doors. Each was fair-sized, had a canopy bed and a bureau for their clothes. On each bureau was a pouch with ten gold coins, fifteen silver and an assortment of copper ones, each coin with an official-looking press of the royal seal. Adjoining each room was a modest medieval bathroom with a small copper tub and a chamber pot. On each bed was a simple, undyed cotton nightshift. The three in their separate rooms tiredly pulled on their nightclothes and crawled into bed.
Not so bad, thought Gemini. Not so bad at all. With this last thought, she drifted off to sleep and to Gainel's realms.
* * *
Gemini looked around; she was in her room, but the other two were there as well. They all blinked, a bit out of sorts from this sudden turn of events.
"How'd we get in here?" asked a confused Charri. "I don't remember coming in."
Out of the shadows stepped a tall, ghostly man. He was lean and his jet-black hair was long, reaching his shoulders, and untussled. His eyes fixed on each girl in turn; they seemed as deep as the Emerald Ocean and seemed to reflect stars. Finally, he turned to Gemini.
'I suppose by now you realize how great the danger to Tortall is,' came the voice in her mind. She jumped, then relaxed.
"Yes. I heard something about how we are both very powerful sorcerers, except for Elspeth, who's going to be one terrific knight, or something."
Gainel, the Master of Dreams, nodded. 'Almost great mages, not quite,' he said, amused. 'You have yet to be trained. I bring gifts to the ones the Great Gods favor.' Out of nowhere, he pulled several things and laid them on the bed. First was a thin sword with a crystal hilt. It hummed with energy and magic. Elspeth's eyes widened. 'This was once a sword of the Old Ones,' said Gainel quietly, even for Mind-Speech. 'It is like the sword Alanna once called 'Lightning', but it is a different one. Lightning, as you may know, was destroyed many years ago after Alanna warped it to blend it with Duke Roger's sword. This goes to Elspeth.' Elspeth took it, stunned. She backed up and made a few amateur passes with it. A smile lit up her face; the hilt fit her perfectly! She tested the edge; it was double-edged, like a broadsword, but was thinner like her practice foil. After lightly running her thumb on the blade, she had a cut that bled heavily. She looked around, and found a handkerchief. She wrapped it around her thumb, still too elated to notice or care.
'For Charisma,' Gainel continued. He handed her a pouch of soft leather. Charisma carefully examined the symbols on the leather, and then poured thirteen stones into her hand from it. Each had a different rune. Curious, Charisma peered closer. Was that a silver shimmer she had seen? She shrugged and returned the stones to their pouch, and then circled her neck with the leather thong.
'Those are runes of Power and Healing. You will find them useful, Healer-mage!' Gainel chuckled.
Belatedly remembering her manners, she choked out, "Thank you," her eyes round in wonder and curiosity. Elspeth murmured similar thanks.
Gainel smiled good-naturedly. 'For Gemini,' came Gainel's soft Mind-Voice. Surprised, Gemini turned to face him. She knew the others were given gifts; somehow it had never occurred to her that she would receive one too. Gainel handed her a thick book, heavily bound with metal clasps and the pictures of a horse's skeleton running, jumping, standing still.
'A book of anatomy, rather like what Daine had,' said Gainel thoughtfully. 'It will greatly help you in the endeavors of your future.' With that, Gainel bowed regally, and melted back into the shadows. The three stared at the place where Gainel had been only a moment before, stunned looks on their faces.
"Okay, guys," said Elspeth impatiently, breaking out of her astonished trance. "You know, tomorrow we get up at dawn, so it might be easier if we have dreamless sleep?" She cocked an eyebrow, and, reverently holding her sword, trotted to her room. Charri followed to her own room, too excited to chatter.
Gemini slipped beneath the blankets. She finally stopped dreaming, her hand gently resting on the book; her lips curled into a small smile.
* * *
Gemini got up and stretched. 'Wow, what a great dream. I just wish things like that would come true, like going to Tortall and getting a - Hold on a sec. This isn't my room. Where's all the blue? The posters? My cat?'
'Wake up, sleepy head!' yelled a high-pitched, impatient voice in her mind. 'It's dawn; the others are already up and getting dressed!' Gemini blinked, looking around her room. A small sparrow was perched on her windowsill, looking hard at her. Gemini looked hard at it, as if waiting for it to talk. It chirped and flew off. Gemini shook her head, thinking the voice in her head must have been a result of her overactive imagination.
'Oh, Goddess! I'm really here; I'm really in Tortall!' She realized with a start. 'I still can't believe it!' She yawned, and remembered how she had stayed up late last night. 'Great. I'm in Tortall, but I hate getting up early in the morning as much as ever.' She got out of bed and searched for her clothes. They weren't on her dresser, or on her bed. Confused, she looked in the chest at the foot of her bed. In it was a white shirt, a bright red tunic and breeches. Next to them was a pair of soft leather boots and a slim belt and a plain, sharp dagger. Gemini cocked her head, confused. She had never been even close to a real weapon of her own before.
Shaking her head, she donned her borrowed clothes, determined to find someone to whom she could give back the dagger. She had no intent in really using it, of course! She dragged a brush through her hair and tied it back with a leather thong, both of which she found on her bureau. She cracked her knuckles out of bad habit, and knocked on Charisma's door.
"Charri? You up?" A tired mumble in the affirmative met her ears. "Can I come in?"
"Yeah, sure..." Charri yawned. Gemini slipped in, and closed the door behind her.
"So, what do we do now?" she asked. "We got up at dawn, like they asked, but now what?" As if to answer her question, a knock came at the door. Charri ran over and opened it to see Numair there. His eyebrows rose at her hastily opening of the door, but he quickly looked inside the room.
Seeing Gemini, he said, "So, Magelet, are you ready for your lessons in Wild Magic?" using the nickname he often used for his student and wife, Daine. Gemini blushed.
"Sure, just don't call me that. Daine's Magelet, not me. If you want to call me a little mage, could you please think of another nickname? Seeing how, umm, close you and Daine are, I'd just prefer it that way." Numair raised his eyebrows ever higher, but nodded.
"As you wish. In any case, please follow me." Gemini nodded, mollified, and followed him out. Just as she passed the doorway, she stopped dead in her tracks, nearly pitching forward in her hasty stop.
"What about everyone else? Don't they start lessons today, too? And what about breakfast?" Numair grinned.
"Worry not, little mage. Your friends will each meet their teachers in good time. Ah, here comes Alanna for Elspeth now." Gemini nodded, satisfied, and followed him down the hall.
* * *
Meanwhile, Elspeth had been up for nearly half an hour. She usually hated getting up early, but today didn't count. 'Sort of like Christmas for some people,' she thought, stretching. 'Only the interesting thing is, I celebrate Hanukkah!' She heard the others stirring, then voices. Impatient to start the day, she picked up her sword and swung it a few times, whistling.
'What should I call her?' Elspeth wondered. 'I need a name for my sword. Lately I've been sort of obsessed with names with 'fire' or 'flame' in them. How about Starfire? No, that doesn't sound right. Wait, that's it! Starflame! Perfect!' Elated at finding the perfect name for her sword, she swung her sword a few more times.
Someone knocked on her door, and then entered, startling Elspeth. She whirled around and slashed her sword out. The Lioness, stunned, stared at her and at the small nick on the tip of her finger. She raised an eyebrow. Elspeth blushed furiously, and nearly burst into tears.
"Oh, Goddess, I'm so sorry!" she cried. She nearly dropped the sword, and would have, but she didn't think Alanna would think much of that. She sheathed Starflame, and rushed to Alanna. Alanna was examining the cut, and then sighed. She touched her finger with the opposite index finger, and a small purple ball of fire leapt into her other finger. The nick healed instantly. Alanna shook her hand. Elspeth bit her lip, fighting back tears. 'Oh, Goddess, how could I do that? I've been here less then twenty-four hours, and I'm already ticking off the Champion! Oh, Goddess. I'm doomed to failure already.' Seeing the uncharacteristically miserable look on Elspeth's face, Alanna burst out laughing. Elspeth looked up at her, confused.
"Youngling, don't worry about it. I've gotten worse things from weapons I've wielded myself! No, seriously, forget it. I'm actually more interested and amazed then angry. You know how fast you turned around when you heard the door open when you weren't expecting it?" Elspeth nodded wretchedly. "Well, it took me years to get such responding skills! I'm going to have fun teaching you." Elspeth perked up a bit. "Now come on. We need to work on your Gift now. Later on, you'll work on fighting skills. Again, I'll work with you on sword fighting, but now you are working on your Gift." Elspeth grinned, and followed the Lioness as she turned out the door.
* * *
Charisma lay back on the bed, rereading 'Only His', which she had been reading and hadn't had a chance to put down when she was transported to Tortall. She sighed as the hero met the heroine. 'I would love to meet someone like that someday. Someone sweet, caring, but something of a rogue.' She sighed again, lost in a daydream. She was nodding off when a soft tap came at her door. "Come in," she said, propping herself up on her elbow. She wondered who it was. She was surprised to see a tall, lean man enter. He left the door open. Charri nodded; it was customary that a man should not be left alone with a young girl he was not married to with a closed door. He walked to the middle of the room, and then swept a regal bow.
"Good day, Lady Charisma. I am Duke Baird," he said royally. Charri grinned, beginning to get really excited.
"Duke Baird!" she nearly shrieked. She jumped out of bed and swept the best curtsy she could in breeches and a tunic. Baird grinned.
"Please, just call me Baird. If I'm going to be your teacher, we should be on more casual terms. So, Charisma, do you fancy to be a Healer-Mage?" Charri bit her lip.
"Well, first of all, call me Charri; just Charri. As to being a Healer, I want to, but I also want to be a really good fighter. I know I probably have to pick one, but," she hesitated. "Is there a way I could do both? I mean, the Lioness is a terrific Healer, but she's also the Champion! Could I be like her?" She was about to add, 'She's my idol,' but the look on Baird's face stopped her.
"Well, I suppose," he said reluctantly. "When I heard you were to be the greatest Healer in centuries, better even than I, I had hoped that would be your only ambition." He sighed. "You remind me of my son, Neal. He wants - " Charri cut him off.
"I know; he wants to be a Knight! He has a good Healing ability. Right now, he's umm, 18 and a squire along with one of his good friends, the girl squire Keladry of Mindelan." Baird nodded, unsurprised.
"I had wanted a student who would be a great healer, but-" he broke off again. "I suppose you'll want to train with Alanna and Raoul. I can arrange that." He looked so sullen Charri almost laughed.
"No, I want to be a Healer, too! I want to be both; who says I can't do that?" She grinned up into Baird's brightening face. "I really want to learn to heal. When I think of all those people in wartimes and even in times of peace who are in pain, who are dying-" she broke off, her voice cracking. "I want to learn to heal," she finished firmly. Baird looked ecstatic before dropping into the mask of impassiveness that he usually wore.
"Then if you would follow me?" he asked hopefully, like a small boy begging for a sweet. Charri grinned.
"Let's go!" She said happily, and raced out. Grinning like a young boy, Baird closed the door and walked after her sedately. But, on close inspection, one could see a spring was in his step that had not been there before. |
