DISCLAIMER - T.P. owns most of the stuff in my story but I own the plot, or rather, Kodi owns the plot, as she decides what happens.
CHAPTER 8
The next morning, Kodi woke up early to a loud bell. Daine and her two children were still asleep. Kodi eased out of her cot and quickly made her bed. She pulled on a soft, white shirt, loose breeches, and sturdy boots that reached up to her knees. Tying her hair back with a cord, she stared at herself with amusement. I look like a noble, she thought. Wanting to complete the look, she put on a golden chain belt and hung her dagger on it. She was used to waking early from her months of hard traveling, and she had no desire to sleep in. Also, from what she had seen of Daine's children last night, she didn't want to be exposed to their wildness any more than she had to be. She would never tell Daine that, though. Grabbing a half loaf of bread and a wedge of cheese, Kodi ate as she traveled.
Walking through the halls with Captus at her side, Kodi wandered aimlessly. She wasn't worried about any of the squires jumping her in the halls because from what Daine had told her, they were kept hard at work during the day. During their walk, Captus started to lead and Kodi absentmindedly followed. They wandered for about half the day, ate a quick lunch in a kitchen, and continued wandering.
Finding herself in front of a pair of wooden doors with a sun on them, Kodi reached for the iron handles. Pulling the doors open just a crack, Kodi slipped in and shut them behind. She couldn't honestly say why she had come here, but she felt drawn to it. The room was a chapel with benches. It was otherwise unfurnished, but there was an altar covered with a gold chain cloth and golden candlesticks sat on it. Behind the altar there was a golden sun disk on the wall. To the right of the disk there was an iron door. Kodi slowly walked towards it, ignoring Captus' warning growl. Nervously, she touched the door and winced when she heard a voice.
Greetings, Princess. Kodi jumped back and looked at Captus.
"Am I going crazy, dog?" she asked. She wasn't really reassured when Captus nodded. Reaching forward, she touched the door again.
You are not going mad. The voice said. I am the Chamber of the Ordeal.
"The one that squires take?" Kodi was surprised.
The very one. The Chamber sounded smug.
"I'm not a squire. Why are you bothering with me?"
You have a task to complete.
"That's what the gods told me. I'm going to be queen of Scanra, or I'm going to try. I just don't know how."
What are you planning to do here?
"I was planning on learning how to rule a country."
Don't worry about that. You can already rule better than your father and his predecessors. Learn to make friends and love.
"Well that's helpful." Kodi said sarcastically. "Just forget about ruling a country and have a good time. I'll be sure to take up your advice on that, Chamber."
Good. Next time you want to talk me, I won't do it through the door.
"Well, good-bye for forever, because I'm never going into your chamber. People are killed there. Besides, only squires go in and aren't you supposed to only deal with them?"
I have many purposes. Goodbye till next time.
"There won't be a next time!" Kodi retorted but only silence followed. "C'mon Captus. Let's go make friends." she said mockingly as she strode out of the chapel, closing the doors quietly behind her.
Captus disappeared almost the moment they left the chapel. Mumbling something about stupid, lazy dogs, Kodi mindlessly wandered. Admiring tapestries and suits of armor, she was redesigning the Hamrkeng Palace in her mind. She did away with the tapestries of the bloody conquests and moved them into a dark, damp storeroom. Kodi made changes to her palace for half through the afternoon. Immersed in her thoughts, Kodi didn't notice the king and queen until she bumped into the king.
"I'm sorry, your Majesty. I didn't see you, sire." Kodi wasn't worried, but she played the part of the upset child and stammered.
"It's no trouble, my dear." The queen spoke kindly. She was the most beautiful person Kodi had ever seen. She had black hair and ebony features.
"Ah, just the person I wanted to see." King Jonathon said it in a way that made Kodi sneer. She had thought that the King had forgotten about her being a Shifter, but she was wrong.
"I did some research on your ability to change your eye color. It wasn't an illusion because Kel wears griffin feathers that allow her to see through illusions."
"You researched it yourself? Don't you have servants to do that for you?" Kodi decided to just speak her mind for once. Thayet chuckled and Kodi flushed. Maybe the speaking her mind wasn't a good idea.
"You haven't had much experience with royalty, have you?" King Jonathon said with a grin. Kodi almost corrected him, but she caught herself just in time. "We are normal people."
"I wouldn't go that far." Kodi mumbled.
"Anyway, there are a group of people that are called Shifters. Have you ever heard of them?" Kodi put on a blank face.
"Shifters? I don't think so. Maybe I just don't remember."
"Can you change more than just your eye color?" Queen Thayet asked.
"I wouldn't know." Kodi lied. "I've never tried."
"You really can tell us the truth. We could really learn a lot, if you are a Shifter. They usually hide their skills and keep to themselves." The king sounded sincere, but Kodi wasn't sure. Then, remembering what the Chamber had told her, Kodi trusted these monarchs who she barely knew.
"Yes. I'm a Shifter. I can change my whole body if I want to and it's not just an illusion." Kodi threw her years of hiding to the wind and blurted the words out. The look of astonishment on their faces was worth it a hundred times over.
"So you could change into any body shape in an instant? Can you imitate other peoples' images?" The king sounded impressed.
"What I tell you will stay here and no one will ever hear of it." The last time Kodi had sounded so imperious was when she had ordered her lady-in-waiting to leave her alone for the night. That was the night that she had run off.
"We swear by the gods that we will not tell anyone without your permission. If you don't trust us, we could swear a blood oath." King Jonathon fumbled at his belt knife, expecting her to make them swear in blood.
"I trust you." Kodi mentally kicked herself for being so trusting. "Yes, we can change into any body shape, but it isn't immediate. It takes a long time the first time we change into a shape and it makes us tired. We usually pick a variety of forms and stick with them."
"What about imitating other forms?" Queen Thayet asked eagerly.
"That's very difficult, but we imitate it as best as we know the other person's body."
"Can you switch genders?" The king sounded like Hartok, asking questions excitedly.
"Would I want to?" Kodi's face was a mask of disgust just thinking about it.
"Could you?" King Jonathon asked again.
"I don't know and I'm never going to figure out." Kodi almost gagged when she further thought about it. "Nothing inside my mind changes when I switch. It would be… awkward."
"To say the least." Queen Thayet said dryly. "Would you mind showing us the form that you were born in?"
"This is the one." Kodi said with surprise. Did they suspect that she was part of the Rathhausak line? She doubted it.
"Well, another form then. Please." King Jonathon pleaded.
Kodi couldn't very well change into the Scanran princess's form, so she picked her third most used form. Her body size didn't change much, but this form was stockier than the Kodi form. The form had dark and curly hair that went halfway down her back. She had her mother's laughing blue eyes and soft features. Kodi's mother had taught her to Shift, although she herself couldn't do it. Her Third form was prettier than her Born form, but not as beautiful as her Princess form. Being a Shifter was so complicated.
"Fantastic." King Jonathon breathed. "I've never seen anything in the like. Can you imitate voices?"
"Not really. Voice cords are hard to change. They're like fingerprints, every one is different. I could never get a perfect match." Kodi in her Third said.
"How could someone with your special abilities in Scanra escape the former King Maggur's notice?" King Jonathon asked thoughtfully. Kodi changed her Third into her Born form.
"My mother didn't ever let me Shift. She never told anyone."
"You could be lying." Queen Thayet pointed out.
"It would be plausible." Why was Kodi being so cursed trusting? A bell rang overhead.
"Ah," said the King, "We had a meeting that we were supposed to be at five minutes ago. Thank you for your time, Kodi." Offering his arm to the queen, they went down the hall.
Cursing the Chamber and its ancestors for making her so foolishly trusting, Kodi sat down in a niche and waited for Captus to find her. She was still hopelessly lost, beyond knowing which direction she had come from.
Kodi waited for about half an hour, but Captus didn't come. Sighing, she walked down the hallway that she had come from and took random turns after that. These particular hallways were deserted of anyone. Hearing clangs and clashes of steel, Kodi swiftly and silently followed the noise.
Instead of a bloody battle scene, a group of pages were apparently practicing their sword skills in a practice court. Fascinated, Kodi crept along the shadowed wall. Her teacher had only taught her how to fight unarmed and with daggers. This was something new.
"Do you need something?" a sharp voice asked. Kodi jumped; she hadn't heard the man. At first she stared at him in surprise. He was tall and tanned with dark brown hair and piercing black eyes.
"No, sir. I was just watching. I'll leave now if you wish." She bowed politely.
"You don't seem the type to watch the pages because they're lads." Was he inwardly laughing at her?
"No, sir. I was watching the swords mainly." Twisting her hands nervously, Kodi hoped that he'd let her stay. She might have learned something by observing.
"Who are you?" The question was so unsuspected that Kodi stared at him again before answering.
"I'm Kodi of, well, Scanra I guess."
"Ah, you're that one." He said thoughtfully. "Can you fence?"
"No, sir. I'm going to learn though." Kodi didn't like when adults asked her questions that might somehow be possibly connected to her past.
"Why not start now?"
"Sir?" Kodi was surprised.
"I'm their training master. I also have the Sight. Something tells me that I should let you practice with the pages."
"Does it tell you anything else?" Her voice was sharper than usual, because she was afraid that Padraig haMinch might be able to tell you she was.
"Should it?" He was beginning to scare her, with all his questions.
"Of course not. I'd like to learn, if you could help me." She replied honestly. Turning around, he strode over to the pages, who were still practicing. Kodi followed.
Grabbing a wooden practice sword from a barrel, Lord haMinch handed it to her. She tried to hold it as she would a dagger and the training master nodded at her grip. He taught her a couple of different strikes and blocks. Kodi learned quickly, not finding it too much different from fighting with daggers. After an hour or so of learning, Lord haMinch deemed her ready to practice with the pages.
They hadn't noticed her yet, they were drawn in to their sparring and a glance away would result in a painful strike. Lord haMinch addressed the pages while Kodi waited in the shadows.
"Pages! We're going to try something different today. I want you all to split up in groups of four. Once you have your teams, choose another group and have a mock battle. Do not try to harm each other, but work on technique and unarming your opponent. Stone Mountain, come here please."
Burch gracefully limped over, shaking sweat out of his eyes. "Yes, my Lord? he said with a bow.
"I want you to spar with this girl here. Go easy on her; she is just beginning." After speaking, haMinch left the pair to observe the pages and make comments.
"Hello, Burch." Kodi said awkwardly. She wasn't sure if she should show that she had already met some of the pages.
"Hi, Kodi. Shall we start?" Burch was patient and he went through his blocks and strikes very slowly. Kodi was grateful for the younger boy's consideration and his help. She soon got the hang of it and was returning his blows with confidence. Kodi was having so much fun that she didn't notice when the dinner bell rang. She followed Burch and put her practice sword in the barrel like the other pages did. The pages mingled and talked; the training master was nowhere to be seen.
"Kodi, what are you doing here?" Ryne ran his hand through his wavy red hair, shaking off sweat.
"She was learning fencing like the rest of us! What did you think?" A very red faced, but grinning Hanna said. Fianola, Hartok, Jasson and Jerom came over to join them, both winded.
"I wasn't near as good as the rest of you." Kodi said honestly.
"You're a natural." Burch said seriously. "You'll learn fast."
"Thank you, but I don't believe it."
"Don't believe it. Burch tells that to all the ladies." Jasson said smiling. Burch lightly punched him on the shoulder.
"So how did you convince haMinch to teach you?" Fianola asked curiously.
"I didn't. He offered and I wanted to."
"He offered?" Hartok exclaimed.
"That's what she said, numskull." Jerom said, making a face at Hartok. Hartok in turn, jumped at Jerom. They wrestled around again and Kodi guessed that this was a usual procedure. The other pages just ignored them.
"Do you want to eat dinner with us?" Burch asked quietly.
"I don't know." Kodi bit her lip. "I would, but I'm staying with Daine. I left before dawn and she doesn't know where I am."
"You're staying with the Wildmage?" Hartok spoke from the ground where he fought Jerom's hold.
"That's what she said!" shouted Ryne and Hartok grinned sheepishly. Jerom made another face at Hartok and the mock fight continued.
"We have a couple minutes to clean up before we have to be at dinner. We could find her so that you could tell her." Hanna suggested.
"You just want to see the Wildmage!" Fianola accused with a grin. "I do too."
Kodi nodded and hauled Hartok off the floor, brushing off his tunic. Jerom also got up, smiling woefully.
"Do I get the same treatment?" Jerom teased. Kodi blushed, although she knew that he was joking. Although Jerom was a couple years younger than her, they were close enough in age for Kodi to be embarrassed. The pages and Kodi left the training court and walked through the halls.
"Hush up!" Fianola told Jerom. "You know she didn't mean it that way. More like the little brother type." Kodi nodded her agreement.
"Alright." Hanna said. "I don't know where the Wildmage's chambers are, so you can lead now." Kodi stopped as if pole-axed. The others looked to her expectantly.
"I have no sense of direction." she told them. "That's why I was lost when I found Hartok."
"I know the way." Jasson assured her, hiding a smile like the other pages were doing.
The group of friends laughed through the hallways until they got to a more deserted part. Sensing something was not right here, and she whispered instead of talking.
"What is it?" she whispered to Fianola. "Beron's Dogs" was the short reply.
"Hartok said they rarely bothered the younger pages." Kodi was confused. There seemed to be a real feud going on between Beron's Dogs and this group of pages.
"He lied." Jasson hissed. Fianola held a finger up to her lips and glared at the two. They fell silent. Sneaking through the halls, Kodi felt a bit foolish. What if no one was waiting and they still snuck around?
Daine wasn't in her rooms, so Kodi just left a note. Dinner with the pages was noisy yet fun, and the time passed quickly. After dinner, Kodi and the pages went to the library where they had been the previous night. Kodi helped them with their schoolwork as best as she could, but found an interesting book on Scanra. She had managed to read a large chunk of it before the lights out bell rang. The pages gathered up their books and papers and left quietly, hoping to avoid any of their servants or teachers. Most of the palace was asleep by the time they finally left the library.
Fianola must have been right about being quiet in the hallways, because Beron's Dogs lay in wait for them around the corner. Sneering, three pages and two squires lay in the midst of a empty corridor. There was more of Fianola's crowd, including Kodi, so numbers would not have made a difference. Beron's Dogs however, broke the unspoken page laws and they carried short, stout staffs. Although there was eight of Fianola's crowd, they would most likely lose this fight.
"So now you need sticks to beat us?" Hanna taunted.
"No. We need sticks to spank the children." A handsome Bazhir page retorted.
"You talk of children, but you insist upon keeping grudges that should have been released long ago." Burch reasoned with Beron's Dogs, hoping to avoid an unnecessary fight. Kodi was awed by his maturity.
"We only hold grudges because you accept these unworthy females to fight alongside men who are tainted by their presence!" Beron shot back.
"They are worthy!" Hartok protested. "They have to fight squires which you never had to do."
"We will not allow girls to fight alongside us and get us killed!" The long-haired squire from the past night snapped; Travon.
"You'd rather get yourself killed?" Kodi asked with a snarl. "It's rather tempting at the moment."
"As if you could touch us! You're just another female. You wouldn't be worthy to lick my feet." Travon scoffed.
"I guess I'm not your type then." Kodi scorned. "You prefer the men for that sort of thing."
Travon charged her then, with his staff out in front of her. He was angry and off-balance; she easily whipped the staff out of his unsuspecting grip. She threw the staff to Fianola, who grabbed it and blocked the dark haired Beron. Kodi ducked Travon's fist and kneed him in the groin.
"That's what I think of your so-called manhood!" She hooted and looking around the hallway, she checked up on her friends. Hartok, Ryne, and Jerom were grappling with a fourth-year page and his staff. Jasson and Hanna were wrestling with another fourth-year for his staff. Burch was blocking a third-year's staff with his bare hands and kicking and punching like a Shang master. Watching him in awe, Kodi forgot her own opponent.
Travon jumped at her legs and Kodi came crashing to the floor. Slapping the ground as she fell, Kodi rolled and tripped Travon in the same movement. Wrestling with him, Kodi soon realized her mistake. Travon was stronger and larger than her, although he wasn't too much older. He was soon on top of her and beating her with his large fists. Just like last night, anger filled up Kodi's head until she couldn't think. Not even knowing how she did it, Kodi forgot the pain and head-butted him hard. Travon reeled back and Kodi pressed him to the ground. Her head was bleeding from the impact, but she didn't realize it. This time it was Kodi's time to punch him about his head and shoulders.
Someone grabbed her from behind and choked her with his arm; one of the fourth years who was called Danus. Twisting around, Kodi couldn't break his hold and her vision started to cloud as she gasped for air. Doing the only thing she could think of, Kodi rolled. Danus rolled with her, and she crushed him under her. He wouldn't be getting up for a while, she thought triumphantly.
Travon and Danus were on the ground, along with the third year Quariton. Jasson and Hanna were still wrestling with Shar, the Bazhir fourth year, but it seemed like they were winning. Hartok lay on the floor while Jerom and Ryne knelt by their friend. Danus had obviously beaten them with his staff. Looking around for Fianola, Kodi immediately noticed trouble.
Beron had her backed up against a staircase when Fianola was trying to block his wild strikes without falling backwards. Tottering on the edge, Fianola was quite off balance. Kodi held her breath, suddenly filled with terror for her new friend. Hearing her gasp, all of Fianola's pages looked up.
At that moment, Beron gave a victorious shout and shoved Fianola backwards. Giving a scream that Kodi would never forget, Fianola fell out of sight, tumbling down the stairs.
PLEASE REVIEW
I thank those who have reviewed: Aly the Trickster, Rown of Cantre, DetectiveLivvey, Insouciant and SpectralLady