"You used her of all people as your centre?" Numair exploded. "What in
Mithros's name were you thinking?"
"There are reasons for everything that has happened," Aratus answered tiredly, "if you would calm down for long enough to listen to them."
"Does her father know?" George asked anxiously. Now that he knew that the unconscious girl was of the Hy-Bresain royal line, he joined Aratus in his pacing.
Jonathon nodded. "It was with his permission that we continued with this. In fact, he encouraged it as part of her Tar-fheis. Both he and the flaithainn are on the way from Hy-Bresail now."
Numair opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it and turned back to Anneleise.
"As part of her Tar-what?" Alanna questioned.
"Tar-fheis," Jonathon repeated. "It's their version of the Ordeal for royal children. Only it has to be in service of another nation. This was to be hers."
Alanna nodded, a shiver running down her spine as she remembered her own Ordeal. She might have said something else, but Numair spoke, turning to face her, "Alanna, you're better at this than I am. No matter how much of my Gift I feed into her, she doesn't seem to respond."
Alanna reached automatically for the ember stone around her neck as she thought. As her fingers touched the stone, she gasped.
"What is it, Alanna?" George asked instantly, his hand flying to the hilt of his sword. Jon's hand had done the same.
"Blow out the candles," she responded.
"But -"
"Blow out the candles," she ordered, blowing out those nearest to her. The others moved reluctantly to do the same. When the last flicker of bright flame had been extinguished, they could see what the light had been hiding.
The spell was still in place. The ever-changing script and designs were still etched in faint white light. The colour was completely gone from the design, but the intricate patterns wrought in living fire still held the form.
"She still holding it?" someone breathed incredulously.
"Amazing," someone else answered.
"You'll have to take it from her, Numair," Aratus said practically, "otherwise we'll never be able to release it."
Sighing, Numair began mumbling something beneath his breath. As they watched, the white began to darken, first to grey, and then black. The black wavered for a moment as the last of the white faded, then steadied. "So mote it be," Numair said, each word ringing with power. Then the lines vanished, plunging the room into darkness.
With a flick of his wrist, Aratus set the candles back to blazing merrily. Numair again placed his hands on Anneleise, but this time the results were almost instant.
After only a few seconds, her eyes fluttered and opened. They were only open for a second, then she closed them again, reaching a hand up to her head.
"Fylacht fya, Draoia," she murmured, turning her green eyes towards Numair. "Thank you, Master." Her eyes fluttered closed again.
"Wait, open your eyes," Numair called. Her eyes opened again in response. "We'll let you sleep soon, but you've got to break the circle first."
Slipping an arm around her waist, he helped her to her feet. They carefully stepped over to the circle. With Numair's support, Anneleise bent low, lifting each of the four shrouded bundles into her arms.
"Is there anything else, Draoia?" she asked Numair, sinking onto a nearby stool and setting the bundles carefully on the table before her.
Alanna and Jonathon both stepped over, each resting a hand on her shoulder. After a moment, Jonathon asked, "Feeling a little better now?"
She nodded, looking gratefully at them. "Fylacht fya."
"It's we who should be thanking you," Aratus said, motioning to the bundles on the table.
"It was nothing," she answered. Standing, she curtsied low before Jonathon. "King Jonathon of Tortall, I present these to you with the grace of Hy-Bresail." Her voice had a lilting accent, almost musical.
Taking the first bundle, wrapped in crimson silk that was finer than the gown Alanna wore, she said, "Fragarach, the sword of fire." Pulling of the wrapper, she held the sword out to Jonathon simply.
He reached out to take it, but he was unable to hold it for more than the briefest moment. Hastily, but with extreme care, he set it on the floor near his feet
But already she was reaching for the next bundle. The veil on this one was of violet. "Cealodhain," she said, presenting the gently curved bow, "the bow of the air."
Again, Jonathon accepted it, quickly setting it on the ground beside the sword as Anneleise reached for the blue shroud. "Sliabh Cualann, the spear of the waters," she continued.
This too was accepted and quickly abandoned. The final bundle was freed from its green covering. "Gae Bolg, the axe of the earth." This final presentation proceeded much as the first had.
When the four weapons were on the floor by his feet, Jonathon bowed low, "Naithainn Anneleise of Hy-Bresail, I receive these treasures in the name of Tortall and its people and surrender them back into your care."
Again, Anneleise curtsied low. Jonathon continued, slipping uneasily into the Hy-Bresain tongue, "Fylacht fya ap chayd mil'fallcha, Ny-flaithainn." Then he repeated it in his own, "Many thanks and a hundred-thousand welcome, Anneleise."
"Ny-flaithainn?" she whispered, eyes wide.
"Congratulations on completing your Tar-fheis," he said, nodding. "Your parents are on their way here now. Hurry back to your room, I've had palace servants lay out more appropriate garments for you."
Nodding, she broke out in a wide smile. "Thank you, King Jon-"
"Jon's enough, we don't stand much on formalities here, at least when we're not surrounded by diplomats." He grinned back at her. "We'll be waiting at the palace."
"Come on," Alanna said, beckoning to the hall, "I'll help you get ready. Or at least I'll help as best I can," she added with a laugh.
"There are reasons for everything that has happened," Aratus answered tiredly, "if you would calm down for long enough to listen to them."
"Does her father know?" George asked anxiously. Now that he knew that the unconscious girl was of the Hy-Bresain royal line, he joined Aratus in his pacing.
Jonathon nodded. "It was with his permission that we continued with this. In fact, he encouraged it as part of her Tar-fheis. Both he and the flaithainn are on the way from Hy-Bresail now."
Numair opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it and turned back to Anneleise.
"As part of her Tar-what?" Alanna questioned.
"Tar-fheis," Jonathon repeated. "It's their version of the Ordeal for royal children. Only it has to be in service of another nation. This was to be hers."
Alanna nodded, a shiver running down her spine as she remembered her own Ordeal. She might have said something else, but Numair spoke, turning to face her, "Alanna, you're better at this than I am. No matter how much of my Gift I feed into her, she doesn't seem to respond."
Alanna reached automatically for the ember stone around her neck as she thought. As her fingers touched the stone, she gasped.
"What is it, Alanna?" George asked instantly, his hand flying to the hilt of his sword. Jon's hand had done the same.
"Blow out the candles," she responded.
"But -"
"Blow out the candles," she ordered, blowing out those nearest to her. The others moved reluctantly to do the same. When the last flicker of bright flame had been extinguished, they could see what the light had been hiding.
The spell was still in place. The ever-changing script and designs were still etched in faint white light. The colour was completely gone from the design, but the intricate patterns wrought in living fire still held the form.
"She still holding it?" someone breathed incredulously.
"Amazing," someone else answered.
"You'll have to take it from her, Numair," Aratus said practically, "otherwise we'll never be able to release it."
Sighing, Numair began mumbling something beneath his breath. As they watched, the white began to darken, first to grey, and then black. The black wavered for a moment as the last of the white faded, then steadied. "So mote it be," Numair said, each word ringing with power. Then the lines vanished, plunging the room into darkness.
With a flick of his wrist, Aratus set the candles back to blazing merrily. Numair again placed his hands on Anneleise, but this time the results were almost instant.
After only a few seconds, her eyes fluttered and opened. They were only open for a second, then she closed them again, reaching a hand up to her head.
"Fylacht fya, Draoia," she murmured, turning her green eyes towards Numair. "Thank you, Master." Her eyes fluttered closed again.
"Wait, open your eyes," Numair called. Her eyes opened again in response. "We'll let you sleep soon, but you've got to break the circle first."
Slipping an arm around her waist, he helped her to her feet. They carefully stepped over to the circle. With Numair's support, Anneleise bent low, lifting each of the four shrouded bundles into her arms.
"Is there anything else, Draoia?" she asked Numair, sinking onto a nearby stool and setting the bundles carefully on the table before her.
Alanna and Jonathon both stepped over, each resting a hand on her shoulder. After a moment, Jonathon asked, "Feeling a little better now?"
She nodded, looking gratefully at them. "Fylacht fya."
"It's we who should be thanking you," Aratus said, motioning to the bundles on the table.
"It was nothing," she answered. Standing, she curtsied low before Jonathon. "King Jonathon of Tortall, I present these to you with the grace of Hy-Bresail." Her voice had a lilting accent, almost musical.
Taking the first bundle, wrapped in crimson silk that was finer than the gown Alanna wore, she said, "Fragarach, the sword of fire." Pulling of the wrapper, she held the sword out to Jonathon simply.
He reached out to take it, but he was unable to hold it for more than the briefest moment. Hastily, but with extreme care, he set it on the floor near his feet
But already she was reaching for the next bundle. The veil on this one was of violet. "Cealodhain," she said, presenting the gently curved bow, "the bow of the air."
Again, Jonathon accepted it, quickly setting it on the ground beside the sword as Anneleise reached for the blue shroud. "Sliabh Cualann, the spear of the waters," she continued.
This too was accepted and quickly abandoned. The final bundle was freed from its green covering. "Gae Bolg, the axe of the earth." This final presentation proceeded much as the first had.
When the four weapons were on the floor by his feet, Jonathon bowed low, "Naithainn Anneleise of Hy-Bresail, I receive these treasures in the name of Tortall and its people and surrender them back into your care."
Again, Anneleise curtsied low. Jonathon continued, slipping uneasily into the Hy-Bresain tongue, "Fylacht fya ap chayd mil'fallcha, Ny-flaithainn." Then he repeated it in his own, "Many thanks and a hundred-thousand welcome, Anneleise."
"Ny-flaithainn?" she whispered, eyes wide.
"Congratulations on completing your Tar-fheis," he said, nodding. "Your parents are on their way here now. Hurry back to your room, I've had palace servants lay out more appropriate garments for you."
Nodding, she broke out in a wide smile. "Thank you, King Jon-"
"Jon's enough, we don't stand much on formalities here, at least when we're not surrounded by diplomats." He grinned back at her. "We'll be waiting at the palace."
"Come on," Alanna said, beckoning to the hall, "I'll help you get ready. Or at least I'll help as best I can," she added with a laugh.