Disclaimer: Everything you recognize belongs to Tamora Pierce.
Chapter Five – Magic Lessons
The frozen girl, the ice child, stood staring out the window upon the shifting mists of gray fog, as the two maids spoke about her as if she was not there. And perhaps, she was truly not there, instead imprisoned inside of her own mind, a blank stone. No one heard her silent screams, for she threw up an unbreakable shield against the world, which covered everything but her eyes. Those lovely, expressive green eyes, told that she was as vulnerable as any other girl of thirteen, no matter what others said. She refused to discard her mask, for years and years of her depths of power being used for evil and living in the presence of the coldhearted sorceress Delcroix had quickly banished the notion that anyone cared about her.
Halris knew things that no one should have known, and saw things no one could have seen. And now she saw the redheaded girl with the sharp violet eyes. And she saw how the lady had dreamed of Prince Jonathan drenched in burning blood. That lady had the hand of at least one god, maybe more upon her. Her cat, that feline with the unnerving violet stare so similar to the lady's own eyes had proved it. He had told her to retire for the night, and she had unquestioningly obeyed, trusting him for some reason.
She had felt drawn to the redheaded girl, known she was important for some reason. As soon as she had arrived from the convent, her nose had begun to itch and she had closed her eyes and when she had opened them, she had been at the window, looking out upon a violet-eyed lady.
She suddenly felt the cold fingers going through her skull once again (1). She breathed deep; hiding what she knew about the girl Alanna behind a mental shield so subtle that one would not notice anything was being hidden. If Delcroix had known that Halris was hiding something, she would have come to Tortall at once, to tie their powers. If she did this, the magic would be greatly decreased, which is why she risked the child having her own mind (2). What she did not know, was the Halris was old enough to deceive her and was doing so now. The harsh probing stopped, as abruptly as it began. If someone looked at the girl's green eyes, they would see that they were changing, now black and ancient looking, now cunning and narrowed. They were hollows of madness.
~&~
'Wake up!' yowled Faithful. 'Wake up right now'. He was on the red-haired girl's chest, scratching at her face in a desperate attempt to wake her, but she did not stir. The violet mist around her glowed more and more strongly, and she was pouring her magic into it. The black cat scratched at her ear, but still she did not wake, although blood was pouring from the cuts.
~&~
Halris, herself once again, trotted down the halls, following the cat to wherever he was leading. The cat had woken her up a few hours before dawn, obviously terrified, and she sighing and knowing that she was not going to get anymore sleep, had woken up and washed her face.
The cat arrived at the door of Lady Alanna's rooms and Halris followed him inside, and saw the copper-haired older girl upon the bed, glowing with a violet light. Instantly, Halris knew what had happened.
"She's pouring her magic into a vision." She explained to the cat. "We have to break it."
'I tried.' Mewed the cat and Halris noticed the many scratch marks around the girl's face. Sighing, she flicked a finger at the girl, slamming her power into her easily, then withdrawing when she felt something give.
Alanna saw the man, standing in the blood. "Alanna!" he screamed. He could see her- was this real? Was it not the vision? Or was it real? "Alanna, help me!" The man was pouring his own Gift into the fight, but something, some orange-colored magic was still in him, and he was losing the battle.
Alanna thrust her magic into the man, trying to fight the stuff in him, but suddenly a tiny orange flame caught on the blood and she could feel the pain bursting through her. She bit her lip so hard, that she tasted her own blood. She resisted the pain, pushing her magic into the man. She saw the orange magic, it was dimming…dimming! She was winning.
Determinedly, she pushed even more into the man,
trying to slam out the magic, but the orange magic started glowing fiercely
once more. And suddenly, a tendril of
green magic, and a tendril of yellow magic twined around her, and she couldn't
breathe or think or anything. It was
pulling her, pulling her away. She was
suffocating,, she couldn't breathe. And
then she saw the Goddess.
"Take this from my hand" said the Great Mother. She reached out, fighting the green and yellow, and took it- it
was an ember stone, encased in some sort of glass. Suddenly a tendril of the green and yellow magic reached out
around her waist and pulled her back, shutting off the lights. She was sunk
into darkness.
"She's just sleeping now. She'll be hungry when she wakes." Rasped Halris. If Thom had been there, he would have stared at her in awe, and even been frightened, for here was a little girl who was still standing after pulling someone back from death. The ill effects of the great magic she had performed were merely the dryness of her throat. Perhaps an untrained girl of thirteen was the greatest mage in the world.
Halris knew that she had to get back to her chambers, had to run as fast as she could, because somehow she knew that even now Delcroix was preparing to look through her mind and see through her eyes. She turned and ran out the door, through the grim hallways, not ceasing her frantic race until she was in her own chambers, heart pounding and breathless.
~&~
Alanna winced as she woke, not knowing why she felt so sore. She ran a finger through her hair, surprised when she felt her forehead bleeding sluggishly. She felt her ear doing the same, and she sat up straight, confused. What had happened? Her stomach growled at that second, and she realized that she was starving. She quickly washed herself and dressed, wincing when she looked in the mirror and saw the scratches all over her face. She cleaned them the best she could, but she was certainly going to give that cat a piece of her mind! When she came out of the privy, she saw Ani awake, with a large tray of food in her hands. The girl had obviously only woken a little while ago, because her eyes were still glazed over from sleep, and her hair was tousled.
She blamed how late she slept on the journey, because she must have still been tired from it. Either that, or Thom's spell had only just worn off. The sun was high in the sky and if she had been a page, or even a squire like Thom, she would have had to be up and about hours before.
"Here you go, miss." Ani said with a yawn. The journey had definitely taken its toll on the brown-haired girl. "Faithful woke me and told me to get you some food, because you weren't to leave the room until he came back. Did you know that he could talk?"
"Yes." Said Alanna grimly. "Thank you."
"Great Mother Goddess!" Ani cried when she saw the cuts all over Alanna's face. "What happened?"
Alanna swallowed. "I don't know. Let me eat" she snapped at the girl, her fear making her sharp.
"Okay miss." Said Ani dully, and Alanna instantly felt bad.
"I'm sorry, I'm just a little grumpy."
"It's okay miss, my Da was always cranky when he woke up too. Shall I go get a healer?"
"That's alright. I'll go find one after I eat."
"Alright, miss, if you're sure."
"I'm sure. And call me Alanna." Alanna said, descending upon the tray of food hungrily.
While Alanna was sipping an amber liquid that she had never tasted before, Faithful scratched at the door, and Ani let him in. 'Dreams are all well and good, if you don't kill yourself while you're having them. And the Duchess of Crismon is on her way. Do you enjoy eating as if you have no manners? I doubt she'll like it.' He mewed.
"What do you mean, dreams? And killing myself?" Alanna asked, something tugging at the back of her mind.
'It's not important'
"Don't tell me what's important or not! I say it is important!"
Faithful didn't say anything, just stared at her as someone knocked briskly on the door. Ani went to open the door, while Alanna hissed that she would find out later. The black cat, however, merely licked its paw. However, now the dreaded task of going to class was coming. An over painted woman swept in, her makeup cracking on her face, revealing harsh wrinkles near the eyes, the result of years of frowning.
She glanced, once, disdainfully at Alanna, and with a barely audible sniff, told her to hurry up and finish her breakfast because she was to be her chaperone for the classes in magic. She makes eating sound like an insult! Alanna thought wryly to herself, but was suddenly all too aware of her slightly mussed hair and wrinkled dress. Sighing, she put down her glass, and stood, smoothing her skirt and curtseying once.
"Wait! You forgot your shoes!" said Ani, as Alanna prepared to leave with the Duchess. Alanna shot death glares at the girl, as the lady raised both her eyebrows. She detested shoes! The corsets she could bear, the dresses she could tolerate, and the face paint and hairstyles she simply ignored, but those damnable pinching things which wouldn't let her walk properly she abhorred.
Sighing, Alanna slipped on the pinching heels carefully, and wobbled up to save face. She followed the Duchess out the door, teetering dangerously on them. The respectable old lady walked a few steps in front of her, as if trying not to look as if associated with Alanna, so she contented herself with walking carefully, one foot in front of the other, behind her.
'I'm not coming.' Faithful informed her as she turned the first corner. 'Don't trust the Duke and be careful.'
She merely sniffed at him, and wanted to say she could take care of herself, but the Duchess was in hearing. Besides, she kind of missed the company of the cat whenever he was gone, even though he was at times quite annoying.
'You can talk to me if you think what you want to say.' Faithful mewed, and then trotted away.
~&~
Alanna sat, spreading her skirts demurely around her in an imitation of the Duchess of Crismon. The two of them sat in the now empty classroom, because even after getting lost once or twice, they were quite early. Lone footsteps echoed in the corridor outside, and then, not a split second after, the maze of Palace hallways erupted into a loud, clanging sound. Voices called to each other as a shuffle of feet could be heard. Alanna did not peer outside of the room to see the cause of such commotion, but merely sighed and rested her head upon her arms. When the Duchess made a disapproving sound, she sat up straight once more, this time craning her neck in the direction of the door as a man walked in.
He was very handsome, perhaps in his late twenties or early thirties (A/N: is that how old he is? I can't really remember) He had blue eyes and coal-black hair. His robes showed him to be a sorcerer, a powerful one at that, and he carried a staff with him, which had intricate designs upon it. Something in the blue depths of his eyes was off, though, something menacing and cold was contained therein. Alanna felt goose bumps rising on her bare arms, and mentally shook herself. I have no reason to be afraid. The man smiled at her, and the smile did not reach his eyes. He was handsome and charming, and the Duchess of Crismon warmed to him in a second.
"Lord Roger." Greeted the aforementioned Duchess.
"Yes, and may I inquire whom your young friend is, beautiful Duchess?" he said to the elder lady, and she smiled, blushing prettily, and Alanna caught a glimpse of the girl she had been when she was younger.
"This is Lady Alanna of Trebond." She said, implying that Alanna was really not a lady at all and Alanna quickly lost all favorable feelings toward her. She hissed Alanna's name warningly when Alanna did not acknowledge the Duke.
"I am Duke Roger." He said, flashing a white smile. Alanna stood reluctantly and curtseyed, not letting her eyes leave the Duke's. "I'm honored, Your Grace" She murmured, but he quickly joked, saying that "Your Grace" made him feel old and to merely call him Duke Roger.
"Alright, Duke Roger." She said, extending a hand for him to kiss. He bent over it, and she could barely restrain a shudder as she felt his lips graze her hand for a second
"I presume you are the young lady whom is joining my class?" he asked. When she nodded, he continued. "Do you mind if I test you for your Gift?"
Remembering what Thom had said about the handsome, smiling Duke not liking people more powerful than he, she fluttered her lashes. "Perhaps another time, my lord, for I am weary as of yet from my journey." She said, playing the part of a damsel in distress quite well. Six years at the convent hadn't been for naught. She knew now not only how to write invitations and dance, but also to evade things politely and give subtle, veiled insults.
The Duke did not look quite happy, but his answer was cut off when footsteps pounded into the room. A boy of about her age with blonde hair entered, rubbing his eyes wearily and sitting down somewhere near the front of the classroom. He pulled out a quill and began writing something or other and when Alanna nervously clutched her necklace, she found that he was glowing with a green light, along with his quill. Surprised, she pulled her finger from her necklace as if it were a red-hot coal. The boy stopped glowing. The Duke was watching her carefully, so she smiled at him and he nodded and went to the front of the class to talk to the boy.
When he was gone, Alanna sunk into her seat gratefully and unfastened her necklace. Pulling it from her neck, she realized with a shock that it was a red-hot coal, instead of the amethyst necklace that she had been wearing when she slept the night before (the amethyst necklace had been a present from Thom on one of her birthdays- she never removed it). But it did not burn her. Looking more closely, she realized that it was encased in a kind of glass and a silver chain was pulled through it.
What is it? And where is my real necklace? Did somebody steal it? Did ANI steal it? No, if someone stole it, why would they leave a bauble behind? Alanna wondered, and then sighing, started to put the new necklace in the pocket of her skirts. She felt something in it, and pulled the thing out. It was the amethyst necklace. So it wasn't stolen. She fastened both necklaces around her neck. When she finally looked up, she realized the class was almost full of boys, and one particular redheaded, purple-eyed boy was grinning at her. She smiled back at him, but he gestured to keep quiet, glancing towards the Duke.
"Today, we shall work on illusion-magic. Lady Alanna, you may not understand right away, but soon you shall catch up, and you may ask your brother Thom of Trebond for help." Duke Roger said, indicating Thom with a casual glance, while Alanna shifted to a more comfortable position. She glanced at the Duchess of Crismon, but the lady had worn her reading glasses and was now looking at a small book of dress designs.
Some ten minutes later, she was very confused and her pride refused to ask the Duke to explain. She sighed. Everyone else seems to understand. Why don't I? Then, remembering what Thom had said about the supposed uselessness of the class, she proceeded to sit silently and muse about the emberstone and its meaning. She held onto it once more, and saw that the Duke had two stones on his desk. He glowed orange, along with one of the stones.
What does the orange glow mean? And why did the boy glow green as well? Suddenly a thought struck her. She carefully pointed her magic at one of the shoes that she had discarded as soon as she had sat down and grasped the emberstone. Sure enough, her shoe turned purple. She realized that she was glowing as well. So it sees magic. I wonder if Thom put it on me while I was asleep? As a present of some sort? It seems like his kind of thing more than mine. She resolved to ask him, even though something was tugging at the back of her mind, something that she knew was important and obvious, that she was forgetting.
However, Alanna lost sight of Thom in the crowd when the bell clanged, signaling the end of the class. He disappeared into the crush, and she sighed as people rushed out of the room. The Duchess had stowed her glasses and book away somewhere once again and now rose majestically and gesturing at Alanna to do the same. She walked out the door, Alanna trailing behind her, and after the long walk to the girl's chambers, left her there abruptly and left, saying she was going shopping.
"You're welcome to join me." She said, implying that Alanna would not be welcome at all, and that this was mere courtesy.
"Begging your pardon, my lady, but I must… wash
my hair!" Alanna blurted out.
Once the Duchess was gone, Ani, who had been in the other room listening, asked
if she should draw a bath for Alanna.
"That's alright. I think I'm going to go out."
"To where, miss?"
"I don't know." At this, Faithful trotted inside and mildly asked, 'How was class?'
'I didn't learn anything' she thought to him silently, 'I didn't like Duke Roger very much, though he seems kind enough.'
'He's not.' The cat retorted.
A/N:
1. Halris is a child with exceptional power. She is sent to do the bidding of Delcroix, who is the lover of a certain evil Duke, who is also doing her bidding. She is breaking away now, and hiding things from the sorceress, but sometimes her eyes look inhuman and scary, and this is when the sorceress is looking through them to spy on Tortall. When the girl's eyes are like this, Delcroix will know anything that is said or seen around her. However, Delcroix does not watch her at all times, and this is what enables her to speak with Alanna and Thom, and eventually break free of her bonds.
2. The only way for Delcroix to make sure that Halris is obeying her at all times is to tie her powers to the child's. This makes an unbreakable bond between them, but decreases the girl's magic by a lot. She doesn't do this because she doesn't know Halris is hiding anything from her and it seems like a waste otherwise. She doesn't know that Halris is more powerful than herself, which is the only way she could hide anything from her.