Chapter 4 – The Fall of the Axe
Ebony's bleary face brightened when she read the timetable nailed to the back of her door. She was going to spend all morning doing one of her favourite things - riding her horse, Erone. There it was, horseback combat followed by horseback archery. Ebony was a capable rider, not brilliant but confidant enough to be good. She was a skilled archer to, her Mother had taught her, but she had never had to shoot while moving. This could be an amusing and dangerous morning.
An hour later and she sat listening to Sir Eviner grunting about the proper way to hold an axe while in the saddle. He had described, in minute detail, the correct position six times, and it didn't seem as if they would be getting actual practice this week.
Hadrick, who was in front of her, had his face buried in his horse's mane. Justard was reading a pocket "Important Dates In The Tortallan History" book that he refused to be parted from. Taylor sat swinging his axe from side to side carelessly, his horse watching it warily. Rickad was positioned next to Ebony, and he sat staring into the sky, obviously daydreaming.
"Right" barked Sir Eviner, waking them all up, "Let's see if you have been listening. The course you will ride is marked out with flags," he pointed to each red flag stationed around the field as they flapped in the light breeze. "I want you all to follow it at a gallop, holding your axe in the correct combat position the whole way round. In a line" he barked, "I'll tell you when to set off"
There was slight pandemonium as Pages tried to usher their bored horses into something that resembled a line. Erone led Ebony into the middle of the queue, in front of Justard and behind Taylor. Sir Eviner began to send them off, leaving a gap of about ten metres between each person.
It took about five minutes for Ebony to reach the front. She watched Hadrick get the correct distance ahead, and watching for the quick nod from Sir, she urged Erone into a quick trot, then a gallop. She lifted the axe to the correct height, and then made for the first flag.
At first the course was easy, just small turns and straight going. Then it began to get more twisting, probably representing the dodging of enemies from all sides. Ebony found it harder to get round the flags quick enough, especially when she had to turn Erone and half-double back to get to one. As she came up to the sharp bend she knew her weight wasn't right. She could feel herself shifting in the saddle, her weight to far over. She tried to pull up, but it was too late. As Erone rounded the curve, Ebony's whole weight flew over the edge of the saddle. She tried desperately to cling to the reins but it was no use. They slipped from her grip, leaving burning red marks and she fell from the saddle, landing flat on her face.
She groaned and lay there for a few moments. She felt so embarrassed, falling like that. She rolled over, keeping her eyes tightly shut. She didn't want to open them and see all the other Pages laughing, grinning faces. She pushed herself up, eyes still closed and almost screamed. Wincing she clamped her mouth shut, and pressed a hand to her shoulder. Opening her eyes she looked down at it.
It was covered in blood. She was covered in blood. The whole right side of her tunic looked as if it had been dyed scarlet. She looked round her on the ground and saw her axe where it had fallen. It to was covered in scarlet.
She heard the thudding of horse's hooves coming toward her and looked up as Justard approached. He pulled up his horse quickly and jumped down.
"What happened?" he cried, "One minute you were galloping away ahead of me and the next you were-Oh Gods what did you do?" he flung himself onto the ground next to her hurt shoulder and pulled away her hand. He pressed his own to it and Ebony jumped. He pulled away, hand covered in scarlet.
"I fell" Ebony said giddily, "I fell on my axe"
"I can see that" he muttered, looking round to see if Sir Eviner was coming over. "Sir is on his way over now. I'd heal you but I'm really not very good yet and I might make it worse" he tried to smile apologetically. He again pressed his hand to her wound. She winced.
"I've got to" he said, "I need to stop the blood" Ebony's head began to spin.
"Ebony, Ebony" he cried in alarm, "Ebony are you-"
But he didn't finish. Ebony's world went black and her whole body slumped. Justard caught her and leant her body on his.
"Sir" he cried, "Sir"
"Nasty" she heard a voice above her say, "Very nasty indeed. Good thing there was a healer there Numair. We might not have been able to save that arm"
Ebony choked, arm what arm? Save what arm? She jerked awake looking wildly around her. She calmed when she saw her Father, looking decidedly pale, sat next to her.
"Sweets, your awake now" he said, stroking her hair. She tried to smile, but it came out shaky and wobbly.
"How are you feeling Ebony? Are you in any pain?" Duke Baird's face came into Ebony's view. He was a kindly old man, but at the moment his features were overcome with worry.
"Yes, a bit" she said, her voice croaky, "My right shoulder hurts more though" In truth her whole body felt on fire. But her shoulder felt strangely cool yet painful.
"What did I…what happened" she strained her memory of that morning. She had woken up, Chandra had had a bath ready for her, and then she had read the timetable (horseback combat and archery), she remembered the combat position for the axe, the course and then she remembered taking the turn wrongly, and the floor as she hit it but after that nothing.
"Can you remember falling from Erone?" asked her Father. She nodded, her face creasing as her shoulder ached with the sudden movement.
"Do you remember the axe, and Page Justard?"
"No" she said, not braving another nod.
"When you fell you landed on your axe, sweet" he continued, "You've had everyone extremely worried I must say. Your friends came at lunch but you were still unconscious. That Justard is a fine boy. If it wasn't for him Duke Baird said you would have lost all use of that arm. The cut was very deep"
The Duke nodded his agreement, "He'll make a fine healer one day that boy"
"What did he do?" asked Ebony
"He put the shattered bone back together on the training field while you were unconscious" said Duke Baird, "Left very little for me to do actually. It was a near perfect job. Nealan would of loved to have seen it. Very good work indeed"
He busied about putting various bottles and jars back into his bag. "I'll leave you that ointment," he said pointing to the glass jar on Numairs lap, "It will combat any infection. I will come back tomorrow to change your dressing" he stopped and smiled kindly at Ebony. Then shook his head and wandered out, muttering about the scrapes Pages get into.
"Father what time is it?" she asked trying to crane her head around a cushion to get a look at the timetable pinned to the door.
"They are just finishing their last lesson" he replied, getting up and crossing the room to place the ointment on Ebony's desk.
"You had us all so worried" he sighed, his features clouded with fear, "Your Mother was screeching about stopping you becoming a Knight. Don't worry" he reassured, seeing the argumentative look cross her face, "I talked her out of it. But still, Ebony you know she can't go through this sort of worry ever week, not since…" he broke off as Daine came through the door.
"Your awake sweetheart" she said, walking over to her daughter and giving her a gentle hug. "I've asked Chandra to bring you some dinner up. You can eat if you feel like it. How are you feeling?"
"Ok now Mother," she said, "My shoulder stings a bit now but I'm just stiff. I hit the floor pretty hard"
Daine gave a choking laugh, "Well we have to fall sometime. I remember when your Father-"
"Daine" he said, "I'm not being the laughing stock again"
Ebony knew how much her Father disliked riding. She smiled, "I took the turn a bit to wildly" she said, "It wasn't anyone's fault"
"I know" said her Mother, "And I'm sure you'll be back out there practising in no time, I know you and your Father don't like to sit still" She pushed a curly lock back from Ebony's forehead.
Chandra entered the room holding a wooden tray laden with food. She set it down on a table Numair had conjured up next to Ebony's bed.
"I wasn't sure what you'd feel like Miss, so I got a little bit of everything. How are you feeling?"
"I'm feeling better now," Ebony said as she tried to push herself to a seated position with her good arm. Both her Mother and Chandra rushed to help her, propping her up with cushions and wrapping the blanket tightly around her. Ebony's stomach began to growl. She hadn't thought she would eat again, the pain she was in but the hot soup and warm, buttery rolls Chandra had brought were delicious.
No one spoke while Ebony was eating. Chandra took some laundry to be cleaned, including Ebony's bloodstained tunic, and her Mother and Father sat whispering in front of the fire. A light tapping on the door broke the silence. Her Father looked across at her and she nodded. He got up and pulled open the door. Ebony could see Justard freeze mid-knock when he saw Numair. His mouth opened and closed rapidly, words failing him.
"Justard" she called happily, "Meet my Father. Father that's Justard the Duke was talking about before"
Her Father smiled and grasped the shocked Pages hand, "Thank you" he said, "Thank you so much"
"It…it was nothing" Justard managed to squeeze out, "Just a simple healing, really nothing"
"Duke Baird said it was one of the best he's ever seen. He's thinks you'd make a great healer, J" Ebony called, beckoning him into the room with her good hand.
He let go of Numairs hand slowly and crossed the room. He looked in a daze and almost missed the chair by Ebony's bed. She stifled a laugh.
"Well E we'll leave you alone for a bit. Don't tire her Justard," said Daine quickly getting up and moving across to her husband.
"Sorry" Ebony said apologetically, "Justard meet my Mother, Daine"
She smiled at the boy as he turned and inclined his head to her. "We'll be back soon, ok?"
"K" she said, as they left the door half-open. She looked at Justard. He was still recovering from his shock.
"You, you, you could have warned me" he managed to get out, a look of mock-annoyance crossing his features.
She laughed. "Thank you, for before I mean. Duke Baird said if it wasn't for you I would've lost my arm"
He blushed, but only slightly. "You'd have done the same for me" he replied, gingerly patting her hand.
"If I could," she said, sighing, "But I have nothing, no magic at. Everyone thought that with my parents I'd be all-powerful but no"
"Are you sure you have no Gift? Have you tried everything?"
"Yeah. Father tried allsorts. All's I can do is sense what power others are using"
"What do you mean?" he said, excitement filling his voice.
"I can sense what every person with the Gift in this Palace is using it for now. Duke Baird is helping a woman give birth, the King is using his Gift to move chess pieces, Father is-"
"So if I go outside, behind the wall and used my Gift, you would be able to tell me what I did?"
"Yeah" was the simple answer.
"Do you mind? Have you got enough energy?"
She nodded and watched him leave. He stuck his head back round the door moments later.
"You lit the torch outside" she said, eyes closed.
"Wow" he said, "That's amazing. How far is your range? Can you identify all Gifts or is it just those you know? How do you?"
"I can sense what all people with Gifts are doing, but I can only name those who I know. There is a woman using hers to bake a cake, but I couldn't find out her name, but I can sense my Father trying to blow something up and I know it's him"
"How far can you sense?" he said, eyes flashing.
"I can sense everyone in the palace and grounds" she said, "I can faintly feel Gifts in the city to but that's all"
"That is amazing. Does your Father know? Does the King know? So useful. If we ever went to war again, Gods prevent it, you could sense what enemy mages were doing and stop any atrocities. Wow" he shook his head, a hundred possibilities running through it.
"Course Father knows" she said, "He's been testing it since I was old enough to know I could do it. He thinks it's better than actually having the Gift but I don't share that feeling. He spent ages helping me to recognise the most important Mages in the palace. I know the King, Mother and Father, Duke Baird, Alanna, Sir Nealan, Lin-"
"I get it," said Justard, holding up his hands, "When your better I really want to test this"
"Do I have to?"
"Yes. Humour me or I'm not going to do the arithmetic my Lord sent you"
Ebony was allowed to miss morning training because of her shoulder. Not that she saw this as a good thing though. She wasn't allowed to stand in the heightening cold to watch either. So she used mornings to catch up on her afternoon classes work.
Her shoulder wasn't so much painful as stiff. The first day she had got up she forgot completely about her accident, using her sore arm to lean on, and had bitten her tongue until it bled in an effort to stop herself screaming. She found now, two days after, that her arm was always heavy and she could barely move it.
She did small, gentle exercises though because Justard had told her if she didn't her whole arm would stiffen and she wouldn't be able to move it, let alone lift a sword with it. It was at this moment she was trying to lift it above her head and biting back the squeals that threatened.
Chandra always made sure there was a warm bath waiting for Ebony after her exercises and the girl welcomed it. It relaxed her and always soothed her arm. As she sank into the soapy water she inspected her healing scar.
It was lumpy and red, a deep cut right across her collarbone. The bone Justard had put back together for her. At least she would always have something to remember him by and Alanna had once told her scars were something to look back on and always told a story.
"What a story this would be for the grand-children" she thought, letting her head slide under the bubbles.
"In today's lesson we will be discussing the strange new behaviour of spidrens"
Ebony stiffened. She hated spidrens, hated them with a passion.
"Nobles and commoners alike have been noticing strange behaviour from the creatures. Larger groups than usual, clans you could say. How many are there usually in a group of spidrens"
"Three to five" said Ebony, her voice emotionless, "But if a group makes a good killing they often double to share the blood with others"
"Correct" said Sir Lindhall Reed, eyeing Ebony nervously. She looked calmly at him so he carried on, "But we have reports on groups of twenty or thirty crossing the country. Also a worrying fact is they seem to be congregating around Corus, in forests near here. Even the Royal forest had an unusually large number of spidrens this year. There are rumours of a large, silver spidren, leading them as our King does us…"
But Ebony was done listening. She couldn't, she felt sick. She stood up, chair scraping the floor.
"I'm sorry, I can't"
Lindhall nodded as she left his classroom.
"Maybe I should have waited," he muttered.
Ebony made her way slowly toward the palace stables. She hadn't really known where she wanted to go; she just knew she couldn't stand to hear about spidrens any more. She knew Lindhall would understand. He was a close family friend and understood her hatred of the creatures. She reached Erone's part of the stable and walked in. Erone stood with her back to Ebony, head in her feed. She turned sharply at the noise and whinnied lightly when she saw her master.
"Hey girl" she said, coming round to face her. Ebony tangled her fingers in Erone chestnut mane. Erone whinnied softly, nuzzling Ebony's arm. Her eyes looked sad and she seemed unhappy.
"It wasn't your fault. I took the turn too wildly. I was too confident, I should have been careful. And see I'm all right now. I scared you didn't I? I'm sorry" she buried her face in Erone's mane; hiding the tears she couldn't stop.