- Chapter 10: Within Reach -

The elf stepped up to an attendant and cleared his throat. This was apparently a signal that the present company was of a distinguished sort, because the attendant straightened up and lowered his gaze from the force. "Roue, these are visitors from Cypress. Their leader is General Mayfair. They've come to speak with the king. Can you please show them to the guest rooms while I approach His Majesty?"

"Yes, sir." As soon as the elf stepped away, Roue gave a short bow to Mayfair and said to the group, "If you'll all come with me..."

As he led them down a passage, Natasha couldn't help but notice how modest the castle's interior was compared to Castle Cypress. The stone walls showed crude workmanship, and the only decoration was the small torches which provided light. As they moved on, the air gradually became stale, almost like the underground levels of Castle Cypress.

"Chester was kind of rude, wasn't he?" she whispered to Mayfair. "Not even a 'by your leave' before he rushed off."

"Emild doesn't adhere much to formality. It's not that they're disrespectful; they simply don't have a set of rules to go by."

"Sounds like you know Emild pretty well," she remarked, looking on Mayfair with interest.

She shook her head. "Actually, I've never visited before. But Prince Nicholas was very thorough when he briefed me for my new position."

"Here you are," Roue announced, guiding them into a narrow hallway with three doors on each side. "These rooms are all unoccupied, so make yourselves at home. If you need anything, just yell, and I should hear you."

With a few nods of silent assent among themselves, the Cypress troops retired. Natasha and Dawn took one room, Jaha and Luke another. Mayfair, Slade, and Deanna each took a room alone.

Just as she was closing the door behind her, Natasha overheard some words of conflict. Graham was trying to follow Eric into his room.

"Hang out somewhere else. I don't mix with traitors." To drive the point home, Eric stomped the floor with one of his front hooves.

Graham meekly backed away, darting his head about for a place to go.

"I wouldn't mind another body in the room," she heard Slade say from the other side of the hall. "Least of all a fellow of Thames. You can share with me if you want."

After a moment's hesitation, Graham shrugged and followed the priest into his room.

"He seems nervous around clergymen," Dawn commented.

Natasha jumped; she hadn't realized Dawn was standing behind her, looking over her head. "Ah... Yeah, I think you're right. Any idea why?"

Dawn shrugged. "A guy like him is probably intimidated by anyone with that kind of authority. Remember, he did betray his country." She turned and stepped back into the middle of the room. "Boy, I can really use a nap."

Clearing her throat, Natasha said, "About this competition you and Jaha have been having..."

"Worried that I'm getting too chummy with him? Relax; I'd never get involved in shirking duty, and Jaha knows it."

Taking a deep breath, Natasha walked around in front of her friend to get her attention. "No, I don't like the competition itself. How can you make a contest out of killing people?"

"Natasha, come on; you're just as eager to slaughter Iomites as I am!"

"Because I want to save Prince Nick and Cypress! I still respect those lives; I'm not on some vicious bloodthirsty kick!"

Dawn folded her arms. "We're in rough times here, Natasha. Our country is being invaded, our ruler has left on a dangerous mission, and up until a few minutes ago it looked like we'd lost the Sword of Hajya. I'm sorry, but I need something to cheer me up." She loosened her arms to stretch. "Anyway, there's nothing you can do about it. You could order us to cut it out, I suppose, but that might not sit well with Mayfair."

That was true. Mayfair wanted them all to be happy, and she probably wouldn't shed any tears for Iomites after what they'd done to her. Dawn wasn't saying it to be smug, either; she just wanted to stop the arguing.

Natasha walked past her, back to the door.

"Hey... Where are you going?"

"Deanna's room. Mayfair ordered me to try and keep him company."

"Don't be a sourpuss. Can't we just agree to disagree?"

Still not looking back, she answered testily, "I'm not making this up. She told me that Deanna needs a friend."

"Well, you can't spend the night in a room with a boy, you know."

"Obviously I'm coming back here later to sleep with you." She turned to cast a nonchalant look at Dawn. "Or maybe Mayfair will let me bunk with her. Either way."

Dawn smiled with tentative amusement. "Then why are you bringing your things with you?" she asked, gesturing to the bag Natasha carried.

"None of your business," she said, and shut the door behind her.

----------------------

Deanna failed to answer her first knock, so she called softly against the wood of the door, "Deanna? It's me." The door was opened two seconds later.

As he stood there, she noted that he wasn't slouching quite so much. Maybe his successes on the battlefield were helping him regain confidence.

"Well, can I come in?"

Giving one of his blushes, he shuffled aside and held the door for her. She offered him a sympathetic look; it never failed to pain her when she saw how awkward he was. Then she hefted her bag and pulled out four books, tossing them one-by-one on top of his dresser.

"Lucky that I happened to have my book on flame magic with me during that guard duty. I think I've figured out Blaze level 2 now. Want to see it?"

Deanna scratched his head. "Blaze level 2? But... I thought you just started on that one... before we left."

"Hard to believe it was only two days ago, isn't it?" She bashfully lowered her head, then immediately pushed away the strands of hair that fell over her face. "Using spells in real combat helps me learn them faster; otherwise it would have taken me... Deanna, why are you studying me like that?"

He turned to look at the wall opposite the door. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry; it's just -"

"Where'd you get the other books from?"

She hesitated a moment, thrown off by the change in subject. "I stopped by the library here. It's much smaller than the one at Castle Cypress, but I found what I needed, more or less." Deanna was still looking at the wall, making her feel like she was talking to no one. With a sigh, she moved to put the book of flame magic back in her bag. "But I guess you're not interested in -"

"I'm interested." She looked back over her shoulder, and her eyes met his - the one that wasn't hidden by his haircut, that is. "Show me. Please."

The guest rooms were large, and they quickly cleared a space better than ten square feet. Natasha seated herself at the edge of this area, while Deanna sat on the bed, out of the way.

She closed her eyes to clear her mind, to concentrate the basic power needed. She hadn't had total success with the spell yet, so it was important to take her time. When she was ready, she opened her eyes to target the magic.

"Blaze."

A sphere of flame erupted, filling the open area of the room. She could almost feel the flames kissing her cheeks. A few seconds later, it was out.

She turned to Deanna. "What do you think?"

He had no words to offer her, but she could tell by the look on his face that he was impressed.

"Of course," she said, unexpectedly claimed by melancholy, "...most of the time that I'll be casting it, people will be in there."

She heard Deanna hop down from his bed, could sense him standing beside her. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry," she said, taking a deep breath. "I told myself that I came here to be a friend to you, but I guess it's me who needs a friend right now."

"Dawn?"

She nodded. "I'm sure you've heard her and Jaha talking about their body counts. I can't stand it." She hunched over slightly, clenching her fists. "I loved my family, with all my heart. Then Woldol came, and his damn followers killed them. I've never understood that. They weren't soldiers; there was no need for it. How could anyone take lives as if they meant nothing? And now Dawn talks like them, as though these lives are a joke."

She wanted Deanna to put a comforting hand on her shoulder, maybe even say a reassuring word or two. But he made no move. Taking another deep breath, she went on, "Maybe she's right; we do have to kill these Iom soldiers anyway. Cypress needs us to. But knowing that she thinks that way... I don't know if I can be her friend anymore."

A silence passed, but at the end of it Deanna spoke up at last. "Don't you have... other friends?"

"Yes. But they're not here... and I'm just..." She shook her head violently, unable to express what she felt. "...I'm just so worried about everything."

"It'll be over soon. We just need to pick up the sword, and you can go home and see your friends."

"One friend isn't the same as another." She got to her feet, eager now to change the subject. "Never mind. You know, I was thinking... about how quickly you taught me Egress." She looked up at him hopefully. "I thought... it would be nice if you could teach me another spell."

Deanna looked to the floor, and she could read self-recrimination on his face. "I only know Egress."

"I know that, but maybe, while I'm working on Freeze level 2, you could learn another spell, then teach it to me when you're done." She fidgeted with the sleeve of her robes. "It's asking a lot, but I thought maybe you'd want to learn a new spell anyway... if you're not interested, that's fine."

"...Did you have a spell in mind?"

She went back to his dresser and pulled off one of the books she'd brought. She handed it to him. "How about Spark?"

Deanna frowned as he took the proffered book and opened it to a random page. "Isn't that kind of a tough one?"

"Well... I thought, since you seem to understand magic pretty well..."

But of course, she hadn't thought of his capabilities at all. She'd only been thinking of herself, of the spells that she wanted to learn. So she'd chosen the combat spell that she thought she'd have the most trouble with on her own. Poor Deanna, meanwhile, was too embarrassed to refuse her.

I am such a jerk. "You're right, I probably wouldn't be able to understand it," she said quickly, grabbing back the book.

But he held onto it tightly. "You're going to give up just like that?" he taunted. "Quitter."

"Let go of the book, Deanna."

"Naw. This looks interesting. I bet I can learn it before you learn Freeze level 2."

"Oh, grow up!" she snapped at him, releasing the book. Deanna had been giving a good impression of simply holding onto it where he stood, but when she let go he stumbled back a few steps. "I like you better when you're quiet and keep looking away! At least then you're sincere."

Then she caught herself. "I mean -"

"Don't."

She froze at the firmness in his voice, though it was meek in absolute terms. Clutching the book in his arms, he looked up at Natasha and, to her surprise, managed a crooked and feeble smile. "That's one of the nicest things anyone's ever said to me. Don't change it."

She was speechless for a moment. "You're very forgiving."

He shook his head. "Natasha, I... I'd like to teach you Spark."

"You don't have to."

"I want to. Maybe I can't do it," he said, idly flipping through the book, "...but I'd like to at least try."

"…Allright. You can do a lot when you try." He looked up at her inquisitively, so she went on, "You've been doing really well in battle... since we had that talk, I mean. Have you thought about that? You had the strength and the skill all along. You just needed to try."

But Deanna shook his head. "I've always tried. That's not enough."

"What else could it be? You've been fighting better than any of us lately." When he offered no answer, she reached out and took his right hand in both of hers, subconsciously hoping to offer support and confidence through that contact.

"Hey," she said, "...we're good friends now, right? But I still don't know much about you. Where are you fr-"

She stopped, suddenly remembering his aversion to touch. "Oh no; I'm doing it to you again," she said with a nervous laugh, releasing his hand.

After a moment's hesitation, Deanna said, "No, it's... it's alright. I've gotten used to... your touch." He proffered his hand to her. It was trembling as much as his voice.

It must be pretty tough on him. To learn to reach out to people, after all his father did to him.

The door popped open, making her jump. Deanna's hand fell back to his side.

Luke poked his head in. "Hey Deanna, Jaha and Eric and I were -" He noticed Natasha. "Uh, nevermind," he finished. He ducked back out, slamming the door behind him.

"Sounds like they're up to another one of their pranks," she said to Deanna. "Luke must have come here to invite you in on it."

"Why would he do that? I mean... after what I did to him..."

"Luke didn't exactly have a good look at what went on in that fight, if you know what I mean. When we told him that he got hurt because you didn't back him up, he basically just shrugged. He didn't see it happen, so all that mattered to him was that he was still alive."

"Not that. He was... getting into mischief... and I pulled his arm behind his back until he promised not to."

That was new. "You see? I told you he's not as tough as you." She patted his shoulder. "You probably earned his respect, too. And even though you're a sergeant, you haven't been the one giving orders, so he doesn't fear you like he does me." She turned and went to the door. "Anyway, excuse me, but I'd better go make sure that they're not up to anything worse than stealing the contents of a servant's closet. See you later."