Kasa Quintain spurred her horse forward. Anxiously she peered ahead for the Quintain estate. It was the first day of the month of the Swift Horse, when all whose Sign was the Horse celebrated their birthdate. Sanfon had organized an especially grand party for Kasa's brother Naddr this year, as he was turning thirteen.
I'll be thirteen in a month, Kasa thought, but just because Naddr was born a couple hours earlier means he gets everything. Kasa paused. And because he's a boy, she thought bitterly.
Riding towards the dark smear that was the Quintain estate, Kasa saw that there were a multitude of horses outside. The guests were here; she'd have to hurry. Dismounting from a full gallop, a trick she reserved for emergencies, she slapped her horse Jansi on the rump. The stallion knew the routine, and raced towards the stables. Kasa sprinted in the kitchen doors and up the back stairs, ignoring cries of protest from the cooks and servants. Racing into her little room, she pulled off her tunic and breeches and slapped water over herself. Hurriedly, she grabbed the first dress she could reach (which happened to be a rather unbecoming brown one), shoved it on, and undid her tight, practical bun, letting a multitude of dark brown waves fall to her hips. Squirting perfume to hide the smell of sweat, she hoped no one would notice that she looked like she had been running for 5 hours straight.
Rushing downstairs, she snuck out of the kitchen, hiding behind some particularly obese waiters. Then she slinked over to the wall and tried to look as if she had been there for hours.
Unfortunately, her father had seen her. "There's my daughter, Kasandrei!" he called out in a falsely cheerful voice. Striding over from the head of the table, he hissed at her. "Where have you been?"
Kasa stared directly into his eyes, something she knew he couldn't stand. "I was in the village playing." She was an accomplished liar. She had to be, for the life she had chosen.
Sanfon looked away. "Don't do that," he said grumpily. Then he shook her by the shoulders. "I know you're lying. You may fool others, but you can't fool me."
Kasa made a mental note. Lying to her father was essential.
"Do you know how much trouble you caused me?" he whispered. "All the guests, wondering where Naddr's twin is! Why she wasn't here to share the festivities with her brother! Twins are supposed to be intimate, girl! If you can't be close at least act it!"
The girl sighed. She had heard all this before. People wondered why she and Naddr weren't really close. Supposedly they should know what the other was doing. All the twin pairs Kasa knew acted like this: her best friend in the village was a boy twin, and always knew when his brother was doing mischief. (Then he would go and join the fun.) Two years ago, a villager named Chak dropped dead for no apparent reason. It was later discovered that his twin, a sailor, had drowned in a storm at the same time. But whenever Kasa tried to "listen" to her brother, all she felt was an icy coldness. Five years ago, Naddr had caught severe measles and almost died. His twin didn't feel a thing; in fact she considered that time one of the healthiest in her life.
"Dra," she said, giving the Greaktet word for father, "you know we aren't close. I can't act close. It-chills me." Kasa actually felt closer to this burly man she called Dra than to her twin. Naddr was totally alien.
"Chilling or not, you will have to act it. We'll have a little chat about your whereabouts later. By the way," he said, staring at her outfit, "what in the gods are you wearing?"
Kasa looked down for the first time at the shapeless dress. "I like it," she announced defiantly.
"Well, it's too late to change now." Sanfon sighed. Putting on a big, fake smile, he then guided her to a seat next to Naddr.
Her twin sneered as Kasa sat down. At this point in adolescence, Naddr was (in Kasa's opinion) a sniveling, skinny, pimply little thing with a high-pitched voice, sickly pale blue eyes, and limp blond hair. He was in a constant state of teasing Kasa. The only reason she put up with him was that she knew he had a store of magic that no one else knew about. He could easily do away with her, and Kasa knew that choice was not below him. She had once seen him open his untrained power on a squirrel; the sight of the carcass had made her sick for weeks.
"I know where yoo-u've been," Naddr whispered in a sing-songish voice. Kasa clenched her fists. "You've been off with Mas-ter Raa-hin. You know you're not allowed to be a Cha-ai. I'm gonna te-ell!"
"Care to repeat that on the practice courts, Naddy?" Kasa asked, using his hated nickname.
"Naddy" gulped. The practice courts were warded against spells being preformed. Kasa could easily beat him there. Her twin stopped teasing.
By the time the main course came out, Kasa was bored to tears. If only she could be in the Chai village court with Master Rahin! Well, she thought, brightening suddenly, I can always meditate! Kasa made her face a bright, cheerful smile, as Rahin had taught her, and then retreated into her soul. She pictured Master Rahin shaking her earlobe-length blonde hair, and instructing Kasa to sit up, straight, strong. "Open your mind," she would instruct in her brusque voice.
Kasa unlocked the mental door of her mind and felt herself flow out of her body. It was always strange for her to see her own face smiling sweetly, nodding at what everyone said. She reminded herself that she had to find another expression to use during meditation, and settled down, waiting for the sense of peace that came with the exercise.
But this time, it was different.
Kasa felt very odd. Not pleasantly odd, but not nastily odd either. Just-strange. Then the light came.
It wasn't a physical light, but a mental one. She was soaked up into it, and found herself in a different state of mind than when she usually meditated. She didn't have the feeling of being cut off from everything, in fact, quite the opposite.
Then she knew-she was everything.
She was, just simply. In those minutes she forgot who Kasa was, who her parents, Naddr, Master Rahin, Jansi were-she just existed, and yet she was everything-
Fire and water, metal and rainclouds, stone, plants, pain, suffering, joy, light, love, fear, power, stars-she was all those things and more-
She continued to be, laughing, crying, giving light, hurting, loving, having no sense of who she was-
Until she felt a pull from her own body.
Instantly Kasa's life came back to her, and she was terrified. What in the gods had happened? She frantically retreated to the safety of her physical self to find her father shaking her.
"Kasa! Kasandrei Quintain! Wake up, girl!"
Kasa got up, shaking. She saw a hint of concern in her father's eyes. "What in the gods happened, you look like you've seen a ghost! Where are you going?"
For Kasa had just sprinted out in the direction of the stables. Nearly crying with fear, she mounted Jansi and galloped towards the Chai court, to the only person who would understand her.
I'll be thirteen in a month, Kasa thought, but just because Naddr was born a couple hours earlier means he gets everything. Kasa paused. And because he's a boy, she thought bitterly.
Riding towards the dark smear that was the Quintain estate, Kasa saw that there were a multitude of horses outside. The guests were here; she'd have to hurry. Dismounting from a full gallop, a trick she reserved for emergencies, she slapped her horse Jansi on the rump. The stallion knew the routine, and raced towards the stables. Kasa sprinted in the kitchen doors and up the back stairs, ignoring cries of protest from the cooks and servants. Racing into her little room, she pulled off her tunic and breeches and slapped water over herself. Hurriedly, she grabbed the first dress she could reach (which happened to be a rather unbecoming brown one), shoved it on, and undid her tight, practical bun, letting a multitude of dark brown waves fall to her hips. Squirting perfume to hide the smell of sweat, she hoped no one would notice that she looked like she had been running for 5 hours straight.
Rushing downstairs, she snuck out of the kitchen, hiding behind some particularly obese waiters. Then she slinked over to the wall and tried to look as if she had been there for hours.
Unfortunately, her father had seen her. "There's my daughter, Kasandrei!" he called out in a falsely cheerful voice. Striding over from the head of the table, he hissed at her. "Where have you been?"
Kasa stared directly into his eyes, something she knew he couldn't stand. "I was in the village playing." She was an accomplished liar. She had to be, for the life she had chosen.
Sanfon looked away. "Don't do that," he said grumpily. Then he shook her by the shoulders. "I know you're lying. You may fool others, but you can't fool me."
Kasa made a mental note. Lying to her father was essential.
"Do you know how much trouble you caused me?" he whispered. "All the guests, wondering where Naddr's twin is! Why she wasn't here to share the festivities with her brother! Twins are supposed to be intimate, girl! If you can't be close at least act it!"
The girl sighed. She had heard all this before. People wondered why she and Naddr weren't really close. Supposedly they should know what the other was doing. All the twin pairs Kasa knew acted like this: her best friend in the village was a boy twin, and always knew when his brother was doing mischief. (Then he would go and join the fun.) Two years ago, a villager named Chak dropped dead for no apparent reason. It was later discovered that his twin, a sailor, had drowned in a storm at the same time. But whenever Kasa tried to "listen" to her brother, all she felt was an icy coldness. Five years ago, Naddr had caught severe measles and almost died. His twin didn't feel a thing; in fact she considered that time one of the healthiest in her life.
"Dra," she said, giving the Greaktet word for father, "you know we aren't close. I can't act close. It-chills me." Kasa actually felt closer to this burly man she called Dra than to her twin. Naddr was totally alien.
"Chilling or not, you will have to act it. We'll have a little chat about your whereabouts later. By the way," he said, staring at her outfit, "what in the gods are you wearing?"
Kasa looked down for the first time at the shapeless dress. "I like it," she announced defiantly.
"Well, it's too late to change now." Sanfon sighed. Putting on a big, fake smile, he then guided her to a seat next to Naddr.
Her twin sneered as Kasa sat down. At this point in adolescence, Naddr was (in Kasa's opinion) a sniveling, skinny, pimply little thing with a high-pitched voice, sickly pale blue eyes, and limp blond hair. He was in a constant state of teasing Kasa. The only reason she put up with him was that she knew he had a store of magic that no one else knew about. He could easily do away with her, and Kasa knew that choice was not below him. She had once seen him open his untrained power on a squirrel; the sight of the carcass had made her sick for weeks.
"I know where yoo-u've been," Naddr whispered in a sing-songish voice. Kasa clenched her fists. "You've been off with Mas-ter Raa-hin. You know you're not allowed to be a Cha-ai. I'm gonna te-ell!"
"Care to repeat that on the practice courts, Naddy?" Kasa asked, using his hated nickname.
"Naddy" gulped. The practice courts were warded against spells being preformed. Kasa could easily beat him there. Her twin stopped teasing.
By the time the main course came out, Kasa was bored to tears. If only she could be in the Chai village court with Master Rahin! Well, she thought, brightening suddenly, I can always meditate! Kasa made her face a bright, cheerful smile, as Rahin had taught her, and then retreated into her soul. She pictured Master Rahin shaking her earlobe-length blonde hair, and instructing Kasa to sit up, straight, strong. "Open your mind," she would instruct in her brusque voice.
Kasa unlocked the mental door of her mind and felt herself flow out of her body. It was always strange for her to see her own face smiling sweetly, nodding at what everyone said. She reminded herself that she had to find another expression to use during meditation, and settled down, waiting for the sense of peace that came with the exercise.
But this time, it was different.
Kasa felt very odd. Not pleasantly odd, but not nastily odd either. Just-strange. Then the light came.
It wasn't a physical light, but a mental one. She was soaked up into it, and found herself in a different state of mind than when she usually meditated. She didn't have the feeling of being cut off from everything, in fact, quite the opposite.
Then she knew-she was everything.
She was, just simply. In those minutes she forgot who Kasa was, who her parents, Naddr, Master Rahin, Jansi were-she just existed, and yet she was everything-
Fire and water, metal and rainclouds, stone, plants, pain, suffering, joy, light, love, fear, power, stars-she was all those things and more-
She continued to be, laughing, crying, giving light, hurting, loving, having no sense of who she was-
Until she felt a pull from her own body.
Instantly Kasa's life came back to her, and she was terrified. What in the gods had happened? She frantically retreated to the safety of her physical self to find her father shaking her.
"Kasa! Kasandrei Quintain! Wake up, girl!"
Kasa got up, shaking. She saw a hint of concern in her father's eyes. "What in the gods happened, you look like you've seen a ghost! Where are you going?"
For Kasa had just sprinted out in the direction of the stables. Nearly crying with fear, she mounted Jansi and galloped towards the Chai court, to the only person who would understand her.