Chapter 2
Theo gave his hand and wrist wraps one last tug before walking into the fighting ring where Kaiser was waiting for him. They were alone in the courtyard. Soren had allowed them to use the arena for a private session. The pair began to circle each other. Theo was taller than Kai and leaner too. Kaiser had a strong muscular build, made for maximum impact rather than endurance like Theo.
"I heard my sister gave you a good beating the other day." Theo's blue eyes danced with amusement; Kai's green eyes shared none of it.
"Yeah well I won't go as easy on you." Kaiser replied tartly. Theo came in with a cross blow which Kaiser ducked under, skipping backward to avoid the follow-up uppercut. "You've been practising. I'm impressed." Theo bowed his head graciously.
"I'll be able to wipe the floor with those Lightsbridge mages?"
"No doubt mate." Kai came in with two quick jabs. Theo blocked one but was two slow for the second which managed to just clip him on the chin. Theo stepped back and rotated his jaw to get the feeling back into it. Then they were off again, playing their game of cat and mouse.
Later as they rested on one of the wooden benches that lined the wall something was troubling Theo. Kai could tell by the way he kept running his thumb over the deep scar that spiralled around his left forearm, a souvenir from a wayward spell. Everything he stroked that scar Kai knew he was worrying about something.
"Okay, spill it out Theo." Kaiser shoved his friend lightly. Theo seemed startled but the sudden interruption to his train of thought. He looked at his best friend. How long had they known each other? 10 years? Next to Ellie, Kai was the only other person Theo really trusted. He ran a restless hand through his short, black hair.
"It's Lightsbridge."
"You're not thinking of pulling out are you? You've always wanted to go there!"
"No I'm not thinking of dropping it. But…"
"But what? Is there some girl you're hankering after?" Kai joked but the look on Theo's face stopped his laughed.
"I need you to do me a favour. I need you to take care of Ellie when I'm gone." Kai blinked at Theo.
"You know I'd take care of Ellie without you even having to ask. That one was a given. But it's not why you're worried. Come on Theo, I've known you for a long time. There something else that's bothering you." Again Theo's impatient fingers traced that ugly scar. Shivers ran up Kai's spine as he remembered the day Theo got it. He had been 9 and the twins had been 8. It was the first time Kai understood just how different Ellie and Theo really were. Theo saw Kai's eyes following his hand.
"You know Ellie isn't normal. For all she tries to hid it and for all I help her, Ellie is still different. This is a memento of that." He indicated his left arm. Theo sighed deeply. "What do you remember about the pirate invasion 16 years ago?"
"Not much, I was only one at the time. Remember the giant sun that hovered over Winding Circle, though. The one your Mum created. I saw it as Dad took the family to shelter in the Citadel. And, of course, what you guys have told me about being affected by the Beowulf medallion and stuff."
"Well, that's not really the full extent of the problem. See, when Dad smashed the amulet of Beowulf it broken into three pieces. One was given to the Children of Light to protect. One was sent to be held deep in the fortified city of Lightsbridge. But the last one? That last cursed fleck was absorbed by Ellie. That's the reason she's so powerful. It's also the reason she's so dangerous. Most Children of Light are capable of communicating with their own magic, like it was some how separate from them. I can do it. But Ellie… well like I said, she's different. Two magical sources run through her veins and both seem to hate each other. That kind of relationship isn't stable."
"I would have preferred that she told me herself." Kai said quietly. Theo laughed.
"Now you're asking for a minor miracle. Ellie is just like Mum, as beautiful as a painting and as stubborn as an ass."
"So what do you want me to do Theo? I'm not a mage. You at least have a hope in hell of breaking through the enigma that is Ellie Moss."
"Because I know how you feel about her, Kaiser. And I trust you." Theo thumped Kai on the back. "If anyone can keep Ellie's feet on the ground it's you. Well, that it unless she opens a basket of whoop-ass on you." Theo avoided the kick Kai directed at him and picked up his training pack. "Come on, Great Kaiser. It's midday and I'm famished!"
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Jasper bounced impatiently on the seat next to Ellie. The eight year old might have had his mother's coppery hair but he did not share her long attention span.
"How much further?" he cheeped for the umpteenth time. Ellie just sighed and continued to steer their cart up the hill. She was glad the mule pulling them towards Winding Circle didn't seem to mind her cousin's antics.
"I told you it's only a little more. Once we're inside the temple though you have to be on your best behaviour." Ellie replied in her best parental voice. Jasper just rolled his eyes.
"You sound like Mum."
"If I was your mother I wouldn't need to bring you along." Ellie retorted. Jasper might be a little hard to handle but he was also a weather mage and Ellie need his special relationship with the wind if she was going to give Dedicate Gorse the best harvest he had ever had.
The guards at the temple gates waved them through and told them where they could stable the mule. It took a fair but of huffing and puffing to carry Ellie packs to the Hub tower in the centre of the temple.
"Right," Ellie gasped as she dropped the last of the bags onto the ground beside Jasper, "Now just let me catch my breath and we can get underway." Jasper nodded wearily and reached into a basket. He pulled out a jacket of water and gulped half of it down and handed the rest over to Ellie. Gorse arrived shortly after they had finished setting up. With him was Dedicate Rosethorn, Ellie's former teacher.
"What's with all the bowls Ellie?" Gorse asked with amusement.
"Their singing bowls; to help with the plants." Ellie replied, tapping one of the metal bowls with a wooden mallet. It produced a warm bell tone. Ellie felt the plant around her soak up the rich sound with glee.
"I've heard of these but I've never seen them being used. Where did you get them?" Rosethorn ran a wooden mallet around the side of the bowl and it sang under her touch.
"Daja made them for me. Well, most of them anyway. This one," she picked up the smallest of the dozen or so bowls set out and held it up in her palm, "was a gift from Aunt Esme and Uncle Eric. It was sort of a belated birthday present." She lightly knocked the bowl which gave out a delightfully beautiful sound. "And my wonderful helper here has been practising very hard." Jasper smiled up at Ellie and then closed his eyes. Several strong breezes swirled around Jasper, tugging at his clothes and hair. Then they settled down and began to dance around the bowls. The stronger the winds got the more the bowls began to sing with joy. Ellie twirled on one foot, the skirt of her knee-high dress spinning up with the motion of her body. The soft cornflower blue fabric lent its own sigh of music to the singing that filled the air. Dedicate Gorse clapped his hands together and even Rosethorn smiled with pleasure. Ellie laughed; the same melodious sound as her mother. Then she was off, leaping through the air and down the winding paths for which the temple was so famous.
Thanks to the breezes that Jasper attached to the hem of his cousin's dress, the music followed Ellie as she danced. She had been taught by both Yazmín Hebet and the famous dancing mage Pasco Acalon. Though she herself was a plant mage, pure and simple, Ellie found that the movement of her body, the grace and precision with which she executed each manoeuvre made the magic last longer. Plus it was much more enjoyable that just standing still and chanting over some vegetable. The inhabitants of Winding Circle stopped to watch as Ellie danced her way around first the Hub, then she extended her spell out towards the Northern Gate. The plant shone with pride as she bestowed her magic on them. The flower beds became a riot of colour as she wound her way through them. The fruit on the tree became plump and sweet as she blew kisses their way. Several of the Dedicates were startled as the hedge roses bloomed wildly and tendrils of ivy stretched out towards Ellie, some wrapping themselves around Novices. Ellie laughed and gently scolded some of the more zealous creepers. As she came to the North Gate Ellie finished with a triple pirouette; a little flourishes to end the spell. The music from Jasper stopped and the breezes still clinging to Ellie went on their merry way.
Clapping from behind her caught Ellie off guard; the Dedicates at Winding Circle knew not to make a fuss over her activities, unless she damaged something. Because of her looks, Ellie was a painfully shy child. The only places she felt comfortable was in the temple, at home or in the fighting ring, a sanctuary where it was just her and her opponent. Ellie, winded from her spell casting, turned to see a group of nobles striding towards her from the Northern Gate. They had obviously just arrived for she could see well-trained servants leading expensive looking horses away to the stables. The applauder was a youth, no older than her, with light blonde hair and grey-blue eyes. All of the half a dozen lords and ladies were well dressed, and some of them looked very well fed. The glitter of rare metals and precious stones caught Ellie's trained eye. As too did the fat purses the men carried. Briar, her father, would be bent in half laughing at these poor fools; who in their right mind travelled with their wealth so open to itchy hands and hungry bellies? Ellie ran a shaking hand down the front of her dress, silently sending a distress call to a nearby apple tree. Hopefully it would carry the message to Rosethorn before she was forced to explain herself to these Money-Bags.
"That was marvellous!" the young noble cried as he reached Ellie. She hurriedly brushed her hair over her face. "Do they pay you to dance around the place and entertain people or is it some Living Circle ritual?"
"They never perform than ritual at our Living Circle Temple." One of the women who borne a resemblance to the boy said. His mother perhaps? Or an aunt? Either way, Ellie didn't like the dirty look noblewoman was giving her.
"Doesn't talk much does she?" a young, snobbish-looking lady said. Though by the way she clung to the young noble's arm, Ellie thought the girl looked like anything but a lady. "Maybe she expects some money for the performance…" the girl smirked. This made Ellie laugh. The nobles seemed taken back by this reaction.
"Why the cheek! I'll teach you your place peasant." One of the younger men raised a hand to strike Ellie.
"Don't you dare, or I'll tell Aunty and you'll be in trouble." Jasper shouted as he ran in between the noble and his cousin.
"What could your aunt possibly do to me? Yell gutter-cant at me?" several of the other nobles sniggered at the joke.
"I think Duchess Sandry would do more than just swear if she found out her favourite niece was struck by a fellow noble." Rosethorn barked. Some of the woman gasped and the lord suddenly look very sorry for himself.
"It's alright Jasper. How about we go see if Dedicate Gorse has anything yummy to eat? I'm famished after that." Ellie pushed back her long, back hair, earning still more gasps of surprise. Her golden eyes shone brightly in the morning light and her perfectly formed face glistened with sweat. She took Jasper's hand and led the way back to the Hub.
"Wait!" The blonde noble raced after them. Ellie stopped and turned to face him.
"What?" She snapped. The youth seemed somewhat startled by the command. He was obviously not use to women of his own age talking to him thus.
"I'm sorry about my friend. He can be brash and heavy handed some times." He spoke in accented Emelanese. Ellie frowned; the boy sounded as if he was from Lairan. But the envoy from Lairan wasn't due in until tomorrow.
"You should learn to leash your dog, before someone decides to neuter him." Ellie replied in Common, loud enough so that everyone nearby could hear. Several of the Dedicates, including Rosethorn, clamped hands over mouths to hide their amusement. A wicked smile crossed Ellie's lips as she strolled back to the Hub.
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Eugenia sat at the large work table in the kitchen of the family home. Baby Uneny was nestled on her lap with fists full of Eugenia's brown curls in his pudgy little hands. The mage was trying carefully to extract her hair as it was being yanked at the same time. An evil smile spread across her mouth as she saw the two boys entering. Before Theo could even protest his cousin was thrust into his hands.
"Where's Daja? Where's Ziba?" Theo complained. Eugenia was gathering up her sketches from the table.
"Daja was called away on an errand and Ziba is shopping for dinner so I got stuck with baby duty. Normally I wouldn't burden you boys with this darling but I have to finish these preliminary drawing today." She kissed both Theo and Kaiser on the forehead and bustled out the back door. "I promise I'll make it up to you!" she yelled behind her. Theo stared at the baby he held at arms length. Ellie was much better at this kind of thing than he was. When Uneny began to cry Kai stepped in.
"Honestly, the amount of cousins you have, one would think you'd be better at this." Kaiser cradled the wailing child in his arms, rocking him gently. The trick worked and soon the little tike was fast asleep.
"I take after Mum more than Dad. The nurturing instincts are stronger with the plant mages than with artists. We're use to dealing with in-animate objects, not living things."
Theo had just begun preparing their midday meal when Ellie thundered through the front door with Jasper in tow. Her bright smile warmed the room as she saw Kai sitting with Uneny in his arms.
"Now there's a perfect picture. Theo quick, get sketching." Theo walked over to where Ellie was standing, a plate of food in his hands.
"It's definitely a picture. Bloody nightmare, that's what it is!" Theo roared with laughed. Ellie feigned shock and slapped her brother playfully on the arm.
"I think it suites him." Jasper interjected. Theo rolled his eyes.
"You would agree with her." He snapped. Jasper gave Theo a savage look and waved the string basket he held under his cousin's nose.
"I guess me and Ellie will just have to eat these walnut and honey pastries ourselves then." Jasper remarked. Ellie laughed, making Uneny stir from his nap. He reached his plump, chocolate-coloured hands up to her, clenching and unclenching his fists.
"Of course Ellie will give you a hug little man." She cooed, sweeping Uneny up into her arms. He squealed with joy when he zoomed through the air and gurgled happily as she settled him onto one of her hips.
"When are Mum and Uncle Briar due back?" Jasper asked, slumping onto one of the benches around the kitchen table.
"Only a few days," Ellie reassured her cousin, "Mum thinks that their purposely taking a longer time coming back so they can avoid the banquet."
"Mum never did like politics." Jasper agreed. "Dad's the one who deals with all of that."
"Only a few days before you leave home and embark on the amazing adventure that awaits you in Lightsbridge then." Ellie said to Theo.
"That's if he survives the trip north." Jasper grumbled. Theo shot him a dirty look.
"You're the one that's least likely to survive." Theo snapped. Ellie rolled her eyes.
"I'd like both of you to survive."
"I don't mind either way as long as you guys stop fighting." Kai yawned. He snatched up one of the sandwiches from the plate that Theo placed on the table. Jasper served drinks and Theo warmed the desert up in the oven while Ellie fussed over little Uneny.