Autumn,
in the 25th year of the reign
of
Jonathan IV and Thayet, his Queen,
464
Caelin of Harowyn pulled up her bay mare and surveyed the sight unfolding in front of her with a mixture of wonder and fear. The city of Corus stretched as far as the eye could see, a mass of brilliant colors and sounds. From the tempting call of a merchant advertising his wears to the scolding of a mother for her rambunctious sons, the cacophony of sound was completely foreign to Caelin's ears. In the far distance, she could make out the tall spires of the palace, home to King Jonathan IV, Queen Thayet, and the center of the Kingdom of Tortall.
"Pretty impressive, isn't it?" Caelin had been so entranced by the commanding view the hill offered that she hadn't noticed the second horse standing next to her own mare. Domitan of Masbolle, the commander of the Fourth Company of the King's Own, also known as Dom to his friends, offered an encouraging smile to Caelin that only helped accent his handsome features. "I felt the same way when I first saw it; don't worry, you'll get used to it soon enough. Before you know it, it'll become home."
Caelin smiled shyly in return, knowing Dom was doing his best to cheer her up, and replied, "It's a lot bigger than I thought it would be." That had to be one of the largest understatements Caelin had ever uttered. For someone that had never been beyond the small village in Fief Harowyn until three weeks ago, Corus was a place far beyond anything she had ever imagined.
Thoughts of her home brought back terrifying memories that Caelin promptly stuffed to the back of her mind. She was becoming an expert at doing so. The rest of the Fourth Company pulled up behind Caelin and Dom gradually, and she let their cheerful chatter wipe away those thoughts. The men talked of their plans for when they arrived at the city and the slew of balls and other social events that would be taking place as autumn proceeded on.
Dom let them chatter for a few minutes longer and enjoy the view before he raised a hand and stopped the talk. Caelin pushed back a strand of blond hair from her face and admired the man standing next to her. Dom had dark hair that fell slightly below his ears, a friendly, handsome face, and large frame. He sat on his gray gelding with an ease that spoke of many years in the saddle. When he spoke, every man gave Dom his undivided attention, despite the fact that their leader was only in his mid to late twenties, younger than some of the men he commanded. Caelin had learned during their travels that Dom had once been a sergeant in the Third Company of the King's Own, under Lord Raoul of Goldenlake. Because of his service and brave actions during the Scanran War, of which Caelin admittedly knew almost nothing, he had been given command of the Fourth. He was the youngest commander in the history of the King's Own.
"Well. We're finally here. It's certainly been an interesting and educational trip." Though his words were joking, Caelin knew that he never treated any of his missions as jokes. "You deserve this break. I expect you to behave honorably and stay out of trouble for as long as we're on leave. Don't get into trouble, don't pester any city women that don't want to be pestered, report for duty whenever I ask you to, and stay in shape. You know as well as I do that even our breaks aren't always breaks. And do try to have a little fun before we're sent out again. But if any of you plan on squandering all your pay on drinking and gambling, don't expect a sympathetic ear when you come back. Dismissed."
The men let out a spontaneous shout of excitement, and most spurred their horses down the hill, onto the road, and into the city. Caelin and Dom watched them go until the last had disappeared into the mass of color that was Corus. Finally, Dom turned towards her and shook his head. "They never seem to remember that they'll be on duty most of the time we're here. Oh to be young again-I know all too well how much work we'll be doing here. Are you ready to go down, Cae?"
Caelin grimaced at the nickname Dom and all the men had unceremoniously granted her and nodded affirmatively in answer to his question. She let her mare fall in behind Dom's gray as he led the way to the city path, content to follow Dom's lead. She had never been on a horse before she met Dom, since only nobles and soldiers rode horses in Harowyn, and she still wasn't entirely comfortable with the whole process.
Anvil, Dom's gelding, kept up a lively pace as they reached the outskirts of the city and began weaving their way through the crowd. Caelin could barely keep herself from gawking at the sights surrounding her, but she was determined to avoid attracting attention. Of course, it was hard to avoid being noticed when they were almost the only people on the streets riding horses. Anvil and Kerry, Caelin's mare, were fine animals, and Dom's uniform attracted even more attention. Children pointed at Dom and voiced their desire to become soldiers just like him; many picked up sticks and began playing swordsmen with each other.
Dom ignored the pleas from merchants to sample their products, though he was tempted to stop at a particularly fine blacksmith shop that had dozens of weapons to choose from. After eying a broadsword, he continued to weave his way through women carrying baskets, children running to and fro, and dogs and cats wandering the streets in search of their next meal. His path led them ever closer to the palace, until finally they came to the main gate and were stopped by soldiers wearing the livery of the palace guard. Dom explained why they were coming to the palace, and once his story was checked, they were both let through.
Dom's first stop was the royal stable, a building almost as large as the Harowyn castle. He took Caelin to the section reserved for horses of the King's Own and helped her stable Kerry. As they were finishing up, a short man with pale blond hair and blue eyes came over to greet Dom. "So ye're back then. How're the beasts? Any injured?" Although his voice was quiet and he seemed unconcerned, Caelin got the sense that he would be deeply upset if any of his horses were hurt.
"Fortunately, Stefan, none of the horses were hurt, although we lost Hammin a few weeks in. Caelin here has been learning to ride on Kerry, his old mount."
Stefan turned his gaze to Caelin and looked her over, his eyes wise and gentle. "Kerry been treating you well, then?" He wanted to know, stroking the bay mare's nose with a soft, experienced hand.
"Oh yes," she replied, feeling at ease with the man. "She's very nice, and patient. I'm afraid I've been a trial for her, but she puts up with me."
"And she should. I've raised this little lass since she was just a wee bit. Any time you want to ride, just ask for Stefan."
"Thank you," she said gratefully, giving Kerry a last pat for the time being. Dom said goodbye to Stefan and led Caelin out of the stable and up to the palace. Caelin kept her eyes firmly on her feet and only looked up when Dom greeted someone. Her stomach was hopelessly knotted with worry as they entered the main palace. Instead of going to his rooms, Dom led her through a twisting maze of hallways until she was thoroughly and completely lost. The outside of the palace didn't give justice to exactly how huge it was on the inside. She had never thought so many halls and rooms could be contained in one building. Finally Dom paused at a door and knocked briskly.
After a long wait, loud crashes, and several muttered curses the door swung open to reveal an exceedingly tall man with jet black hair that just touched his shoulders, a long nose, and an imposing presence. "How many times have I told you not to disturb me when I'm working? Is that too much to ask? Just a few hours of peace and quiet would be appreciated, especially when a mistake could blow the whole blasted palace apart!" The man paused for a breath and looked at his guests for the first time. Recognition dawned, and a charming smile replaced the previous scowl as he waved them into the rooms with a long fingered hand. "Welcome Dom. I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow. I've been interrupted by servants or people that desperately need my opinion on something or another every ten minutes for the past three hours, and it's wearing a bit thin." Caelin could hardly believe the complete roundabout in personality the man had pulled.
Dom grinned cheerfully at Caelin and entered the room, motioning for her to follow. "We had a stretch of good weather and rode hard so we'd get here a day early. We didn't mess up any important spells, did we?"
"Nothing that can't be fixed quickly-I just lost my temper. Daine would be scolding me if she were here, so I ask you not to tell her I was cursing. She's trying to cure me of all the bad habits I've picked up, but so far none of her lecturing has sunk in." He paused and looked at Caelin, studying her with inquisitive eyes before saying gallantly, "And I am being unaccountably rude to not introduce my name. I am Numair Salmalin, and you are?"
Caelin blinked, never more aware of her shabby clothes and commoner's status, as well as terrified of offending the man in front of her. Numair Salmalin was the most powerful mage in Tortall, and some said the world. It was rumored that he had once turned an opposing mage into a tree, and he had been one of the deciding factors of the Immortals War. Caelin could barely believe that she was meeting someone who was already a legend before he was dead. "My name is Caelin of Harowyn, my Lord."
"Please, Numair is enough. It is a pleasure to meet you, Caelin, a pleasure indeed." His sharp eyes studied her critically, but he didn't allow his perusal to affect his manners. "Sit, please, both of you."
Dom and Caelin sat in the proffered chairs, and Caelin observed quietly as Numair made tea and chatted with Dom. The tea was just ready when the door to the rooms swung open and Caelin was greeted with yet another extraordinary sight. A young woman with curly brown hair and blue-gray eyes walked into the room, followed by what looked like a huge, colorful lizard. The woman was covered in bird droppings and cradled some type of large bird in her arms. When she saw who Numair's company was, she smiled with delight. "Dom, what a surprise! We weren't expecting you until tomorrow. How was the trip into Corus?"
As Dom and the woman became acquainted, Caelin guessed that she was Numair's wife. Even though she was much younger than he was, in Harowyn, such pairings were commonplace. She didn't realize the woman had noticed her until she said in a pleasant voice, "I must be a sight to behold to the uninitiated, hmm? My name is Veralidaine Sarrasri, but you can call me Daine. You must be Caelin. We've been expecting you."
Caelin glanced sharply at Dom, wondering why he hadn't mentioned that, but then the woman's words sunk in. Daine, known throughout Tortall as the Wildmage, was just as well known as Numair, her lover. She had the ability to talk to any animal, heal them, and some said, even shape shift into the animal of her choice. She was the caretaker of the only dragon in the mortal realms, and she had been the deciding factor in the Immortals War, using animals and immortals to gain the upper hand, and some said, even communing with the gods. She had proved her usefulness again in the Scanran war, when her animal spies kept the Tortallans one step ahead of their enemies.
Caelin gulped, wondering if Daine could read her thoughts with those big eyes of hers. She trembled a little at the realization of the company she kept, and couldn't decide how to respond. Her silence and shaking alerted Daine to trouble, and before Caelin knew it, she had rushed over and was placing a mug of tea in one hand and throwing a blanket over her shoulders. "Dom, I suppose you've been driving her into the ground without a thought that she isn't as used to heavy riding as your men, right? She's probably sick and exhausted, and now you're subjecting her to Numair and I, when she should be sleeping? We're a big enough shock to somebody who's expecting us. I thought you had more sense that that."
"It's not that, Lady," Caelin gasped out, not wanting Daine to get the wrong impression of Dom. "Please, he took very good care of me."
"Of course he did," Numair reassured her, a friendly grin spreading across his face. "Dear, go take care of your friend there, change into some decent clothes, and then we can talk." He sent Daine into one of the inner rooms with a gentle kiss to her cheek, and then a swat to her behind.
Caelin hid a giggle and contented herself with listening to Dom and Numair discuss what had been happening in Corus in the two years he'd been out and about the kingdom on duty. That most of the stories were amusing anecdotes designed to make her laugh escaped her notice. Her favorite story was one where the king had a dream the palace was under attack and ran into the hallway wearing nothing but his sword. Caelin could hardly believe that someone as dignified as the king would do something so silly.
Daine returned wearing breeches, soft leather boots, and a blue shirt, but she was still followed by the colorful lizard that had to be her dragon, Kitten. In her arms she cradled the bird she'd been carrying earlier, but he looked much more alert and healthy. Daine let him go and he immediately flapped over to a desk close to Caelin. She stifled a gasp, not wanting to show Daine that she was scared of the vicious looking bird, and nervously turned her attention back to her hosts.
"All right then. As Daine said, Caelin, Dom contacted me not long after the events at Harowyn and told me a little about what happened there." Caelin gulped and tried to push back the irrational panic that consumed her when she thought about her home. Numair fiddled with a lock of his ink-black hair and looked at Caelin in concern. "However, I'm not going to ask you about what happened there. Dom has already passed on your testimony, so there's no need to make you re-live the details."
"We just want to find out more about you-specifically, your magic. You don't have to tell us anything you don't want to, but we'll be able to help you more easily if you talk to us." Daine's voice was calm and gentle, as if she were speaking to a frightened animal. Caelin met Daine's bluish eyes with her own pale blue eyes and decided that Daine, at least, was worth trusting.
Hesitantly she began. "I was born in Harowyn to a serving girl at the village tavern and a traveling merchant. He left the village soon after and didn't bother taking my mother. She died a few days after birthing me, but she made the tavern owner promise to take care of me until I could fend for myself. He swore by Mithros that he'd take care of me, and he did, until I was six. Then he sent me to Lady Seldina and her daughters. They taught me to read, write, and do some figuring, and sometimes Lady Seldina even let me read the books from her library. That's how I learned how to make shields with my head."
Sweat broke out on her forehead and Caelin wiped it away with a nervous gesture. "I've always been able to do things, things no one else could, but the tavern owner said it was a curse and told me he'd beat me if he ever saw me use it. I guess I have the Gift-that's what the books said it was, but I never read much about it. Lady Seldina didn't like magic either, and she wouldn't have let me keep reading if she knew I was fussing with it. I can light candles and do shields, but that's it, I swear. May the Goddess strike me if I lie. I don't know how I did what I did that night. It just happened!" Her voice was trembling by then, and she could see like they were right in front of her the faces of the men she'd killed. Staring at her, wondering how a slip of a girl could have killed them.
She looked up, and could see the disgust plainly written on Daine and Numair's faces. Even Dom was openly staring at her. They were just like everybody at Harowyn. Once they knew about her magic, they would despise her. "Caelin, don't look at us like that. We don't think anything is wrong with you. How could we, when we're both filled with magic up to our necks too?" Numair spoke calmly and without blame. "But I do need to ask something from you. I need to determine just how much magic you have, and what kind it is. It sounds like you have the Gift, but you never know. Will you let me look?"
Caelin shrugged and nodded her head affirmatively. Numair reached over with a large hand and took her much smaller hand in his own. To Caelin it felt as if someone was probing ever so carefully in her head with delicate fingers. They searched everywhere, leaving nothing to chance. A lifetime later, Numair opened his eyes and shook his head lightly. "Well then. That was very informative. Dom, if you don't mind, I'm going to ask that Caelin stay with us for the moment. I need to place some shields, for her own protection, and she can stay in our extra bedroom for the night. Besides, don't you need to report to Raoul?"
Dom blushed in chagrin and then nodded cheerfully. "Oh yes, reporting. Duty. How could I forget? He's probably waiting for me now." He turned to face Caelin and said, "Daine and Numair will take good care of you. You aren't mad at me for leaving, are you?"
"I'm not mad. Will I see you again?"
"Of course. Tomorrow, actually. Don't worry. Everything will work out."
With a last jaunty nod to Daine and Numair, Dom stood up from his chair and exited the room, hands in his pockets and whistling a marching tune. Once the door was tightly closed again, Numair regarded her solemnly. "Caelin, this may come as a surprise to you, but you have an extraordinarily strong Gift. In someone as untrained as you are, this could be a disaster if you're frightened or upset, as I'm sure you know. You need training, and you need it now, but I'm afraid I can't act until after tomorrow in one way or another. To prevent an accident, I need to put shields on you so that you can't tap into your magic and hurt somebody by accident. Do you trust me enough to do that? I won't do anything without your consent."
The thought of hurting anyone else made her stomach heave. "Do whatever you need to. I don't want to hurt anyone else."
"Excellent. This will only take a few minutes-ask Daine. I did something similar for her once, and she'd still here in one piece." Daine nodded in agreement, and once again that second presence came into her mind. This time, it felt as if barriers were erected around something unknown deep in the center of her being. A spark that could have been ignited at any time was dimmed down, and an intense strain on Caelin's mind that she hadn't even realized was there suddenly eased. Caelin gasped and looked around. Nothing had changed, but she didn't feel like she was hanging off the edge of a cliff anymore.
"That's better, isn't it? Now you won't be able to use your magic until I, or someone with a strong Gift, takes the shields off. I'm afraid that I do have one more piece of shocking news. Because you were involved in the death of ten men, the King has called for a public trial. People are asking questions, wondering how a commoner was able to survive when the rest of the castle inhabitants, including the Harowyn nobles, were murdered. Some think you're a devil that should be killed. Others think you're a traitor and part of a plot to destroy all the Tortallan nobles. I'm not telling you this to scare you, just to prepare you for what will happen tomorrow. Rumors can be wild at the palace, but nobody in a position of power will be jumping to any conclusions. All you have to do is tell the court exactly what happened the day of the invasion. You can't leave any details out, because the court will also question Dom and the other witnesses. You should be cleared by tomorrow."
The thought of giving testimony in front of a large crowd of people, having to admit to the atrocities she had committed, made the tea and cookie she'd just eaten rumble disturbingly in her stomach. "Whom will I be speaking in front of?" she asked hesitantly, hoping that she would only have to speak in front of the city court.
"The trial is to be held publicly in the royal courtroom, as Panen of Harowyn was a loyal servant to the crown and his family well-liked. King Jonathan and Queen Thayet will be there, although they do not have an active position in the trial. Duke Turomot will preside, but as you should know, the way trials are carried out changed last year. Now, one commoner, one merchant or craftsmen, one noble, and a representative to the crown will serve on a panel. Ultimately, they will decide if you are innocent or guilty. Of course, all the nobles at court will be watching, as is their right."
With each word Numair said, Caelin's heart sank a little lower until it took up residence in her stomach. There was no way she would be able to speak in front of all the kingdom's nobles, much less the king and queen! She would probably throw up in front of the assembled court. "I can't do it. I'll drown myself in a horse trough before I go in front of the court," she snapped, forgetting that she was speaking to mages and powerful members of court themselves. "They'll never believe anything I say anyway, so what's the point? It'll save everyone time if I just disappear."
"Yes, but will you be able to forgive yourself if you never try and master your magic? Even though the shields will last, you'll always feel as if something vital is missing inside of you. And you give up the opportunity to make a difference with your magic. You never know when your unique skills will be the difference in saving somebody's life. Can you live your life like that?"
Numair's words had exactly the effect on Caelin he wished. She scowled fiercely at him, but in the end, she agreed to go to the trial. Once he'd received her agreement, Numair stood up, stretched his long legs, and went to go take care of some unknown business, leaving Caelin inside the room with Daine.
"I didn't want to learn to use my magic at one point either, you know," she said after a long, uncomfortable silence, in which Caelin nervously picked at her fingers. "I lost my family when I was a little younger than you, so I know what it's like to be alone. People thought I was crazy, and they even tried to kill me. I didn't think I would ever want to use magic again. But Numair's right. You can't ignore something that's a part of you without living a lie. And you never know what the magic will bring you-I was just a poor bastard from a tiny town, and now I'm living in court. Perhaps magic will be kind to you as well."
Caelin was about to respond to Daine's astonishing story when something from behind grabbed her ear gently. She yelped in surprise and turned around to find the bird staring at her with mischievous eyes. He was a handsome fellow, larger than most hawks with golden feathers and dark brown eyes flecked with gold. Looking down, Caelin noticed that his claws were silver. Suddenly, she realized that this bird was no ordinary hawk. Slowly she backed away, not wanting to antagonize the creature.
"That's enough out of you, sir. She doesn't have anything to eat either, so pecking her won't get you anywhere." Looking at Caelin, Daine shrugged in amusement. "This is Baron. I became acquainted with him when a hunter decided his feathers would fetch a pretty price on the market, despite the royal ban on hunting immortals. I healed his leg while Numair was busy embarrassing the king."
Caelin looking at the bird in complete fascination, and he regarded her with just as much interest. When a few moments had passed, he clicked his beak in annoyance and hopped onto her lap, startling a squeak of surprise out of her. Daine giggled and said, "I guess he wants you to pet him. Stroke the top of his head and the soft feathers under his chin. He likes that."
As Caelin complied, she asked, "What is he? He's definitely not normal."
"He's a phoenix. They're very rare; they mate once and only hatch one chick, so there aren't many of them around, unlike spidrens, which nest every year and produce hundreds of young in their lifetime. Phoenixes are very intelligent immortals, smarter than some humans, but usually friendly. They only fight humans to protect themselves or their family. Baron here is a young male, just fledged and out on his own. He's a bit embarrassed to have been hit by a human hunter, but he says you are very good at scratching."
Caelin laughed and continued to pet the delighted phoenix, who was now humming in rapture. "Can you really talk to them? I mean, animals and immortals? I heard you could even turn into them."
"Yes. I have wild magic, from my da's side of the family. Believe me, sometimes being able to talk to animals is a chore. They chatter worse than some humans," Daine said with a laugh. Now that Caelin had relaxed some, she noticed that there were assorted animals in the room, from strange looking birds to cats and dogs to animals that Caelin had never even heard of. Kitten clamored into Daine's lap and whistled and squeaked animatedly.
After a while, Daine put her down and stretched. "It's pretty late. Would you like to go eat with the other youngsters, or should I bring something to eat up here?"
Caelin looked at the quiet room and the colorful phoenix in her lap and said, "If it's not too much trouble, could I eat up here?"
Daine nodded her approval and left. Several minutes later she returned with two trays filled with bread, part of a roast on one, vegetables, juice, pie, and a bowl of raw meat. When Baron saw the meat, he let out a squawk and hopped over to Daine, who proceeded to stuff his face with the bloody meat without a qualm. Caelin resolutely ignored the phoenix's feast and turned to her own food. The tantalizing smell showed Caelin just how hungry she was, and she dug in with gusto.
The food was of a far higher quality than any she had ever tried before-she ate every last morsel on her plate, only feeling filled up by the last bite of pie. Caelin was now completely satisfied, and when she looked over at Daine, laughed. Baron too had eaten his fill, and was now asleep on Daine's lap, making a whistling sound every time his feathered chest rose and fell. Watching the bird sleep drew a yawn from Caelin, and she realized that she was exhausted from the day, even though it was still bright outside.
Daine took one look at Caelin's face and put Baron onto a perch in the corner of the room. Then she came over and led Caelin to a small chamber to the right of the main room. Ignoring Caelin's protests, she helped her undress and put on some of Daine's own sleeping clothes, which fit almost exactly. "Of course you're tired, from the ride here and Numair playing around with your magic. You've got a big day tomorrow. You'd best get some sleep while you can. Goddess bless, Caelin."
Caelin murmured the blessing back and closed her eyes. The bed beneath her was deliciously soft, and she was having a hard time remaining awake. Even the mention of tomorrow's trial couldn't keep her awake, and after a few minutes, she fell into a deep sleep.