For notes and disclaimer see Chapter One
Chapter Five
"So you have returned at last, to bring joy to an old man's heart," the voice was rough with age and gentle with affection.
Trini stood in the doorway, noting the robed figure had not turned before speaking. "Master Mantis, I see your ear is a quick as ever."
"A blessing for a man as old as I am," the master replied, turning at last to look at his most prized pupil. "As is the sight of you a blessing I must remember to be thankful for."
"I've missed you. Not a day has gone by that I've not thought of you, that I've not been grateful for the lessons you gave me, the perfection you demanded. You have saved my life more times than I can count," she said in a formal tone, but her eyes misted as she looked up at her teacher and mentor.
"Ah, I must hear of your adventures. Come. Sit. Have a meal with an old man and tell him tales from beyond the walls he scarcely dares to leave." The Zahara Master rang a small bell, requesting a light meal be delivered to his quarters as Trini looked curiously at the statuettes adorning a shelf above the fireplace.
"There are more than there used to be," she observed.
"I have many friends, they send me new ones from time to time. Come. I want to hear your adventures." He urged her to sit on the soft carpet in the center of the sparsely furnished room while he lowered himself to the floor on the other side of the low table. They had no sooner settled when the servant arrived with steaming bowls of soup, earthen mugs of fragrant tea, and an assortment of fresh fruits, cheese, and a loaf of still-warm bread.
Trini did as requested, and told of her various exploits since leaving the temple eighteen moons before. Master Mantis listened quietly, only asking an occasional question to clarify one point or another, letting her set the pace of her tale. The dishes had long since been cleared and the sun was setting before she finished, ending with the story of their rescue of Kymberly.
The master sat quietly, obviously deep in thought, his eyes distant as he contemplated the tales he'd heard. Trini was content to sit quietly, her heart at peace in the familiar presence. She had come to the Temple at age seven, a bit younger than most disciples, but such was her determination and dedication that waiting seemed a waste of time. She knew - had always known it seemed - that being a warrior priestess was what she was destined to be. Her mother, born poor in the Privileged Caste, had married into the Nobility Caste to try to better the family situation. But, hearts being unconcerned with finances, she'd managed to marry one of the poorer of that caste, leaving her virtually no better off than before. Because of that 'genteel poverty' Trini's older sisters had been groomed from earliest childhood to try to secure a wealthy mate, an ambition the practical minded Trini eschewed. She didn't want her future to hinge on a man, she wanted to be responsible for her own destiny, at least as much as was possible in a male dominated society. And she had succeeded, far better than any other student Master Mantis had trained. Which made the current situation so intriguing.
"Do you know where the Portent Orbs are?" the master queried.
"I think so. At least, between Will and me, we know where they are supposed to be," she replied.
"So you know one is rumored to be here in East Amber, correct? Do you know where it is within the area?"
"I knew one is supposed to be around this area, but not where exactly. I was hoping you could help me with that," she said after considering the question.
"Perhaps I can, child. But that is dangerous knowledge, not to be given lightly. You will have to prove yourself worthy. Will have to prove you know the difference between what is perceived, and what is real," he said at last.
"How can I prove that?"
"We will talk more in the morning. Discuss the details. In the meantime, your old room awaits. Sleep well, Trini." His voice held an unmistakable dismissal, which she heeded without protest, rising gracefully and striding toward the doorway.
"Meet me in the gardens at dawn," the master requested without looking and without waiting for an answer. Not that one was forthcoming.
They both knew she'd be there.
She'd always been there, wherever her Master requested her. Her Uncle Hauward, king of East Province, was the one who noticed the light of honor that shone in his niece's eyes, and it was he who convinced her reluctant parents to allow their daughter to pursue a different path than most young women chose. He was familiar with the Temple of Zahara, knew many of the Masters, and realized his niece would benefit from their teachings. He used his influence to gain her approval as a disciple at an early age, and for that Trini would be forever grateful.
Under the tutelage of the Masters, Trini absorbed lessons as a sponge does water, each bit of information served, not to satisfy her hunger, but to feed it. Answers only led to more questions...
"The tree must be cut back when the season turns cold, so it may grow anew when the weather turns fair again," the Garden Master lectured her.
"What happens if it is not trimmed?" Trini wondered, her ten-year-old face wrinkled in thought. "Will it not simply grow larger each season? Is that not what you taught me about the growing seasons?"
"It is, child. But sometimes things must be cut back, excess removed, to allow for growth. Can you think of a way that could apply to your life as well?"
The girl sat quietly, much to the Master's relief, allowing him to concentrate on his task.
"It would be as if I never gave away any of my belongings, but instead kept everything I'd ever possessed. Soon my room would be filled to overflowing, and there would be no more room for me to sleep or meditate. By removing the older things that are no longer needed, I allow room for new items, and for me to do the things I need to in order to be healthy. Is that correct?" she asked, looking up at the old man.
"Very much so," he agreed, impressed with her answer. Trini didn't know it, but she was quite the talk of the Masters, all of whom felt they had a disciple of rare and extraordinary potential in their midst. Great care was being taken to ensure she received all the instruction and encouragement they could possibly provide, and many a spirited debate arose over what lessons should be offered to the raven-haired girl with the serene eyes.
All Trini knew was that she was in a place where she felt more at home than she ever had with her family, despite her love for them. There was nothing the Masters could ask that she would not be willing to try to provide.
Especially Master Mantis....
~*~
The Inn in East Amber was larger, with better amenities than the one in North East Garnet had been, and Tomas was deciding he could definitely grow to enjoy the nicer things in life, like sleeping in a warm bed every night. Though he'd developed a sterling reputation as a hero, he still usually lived hand to mouth, and luxuries such as spending time in well run inns were simply not in his budget.
So, wandering downstairs, freshly bathed and comfortably full from a good meal, he felt on top of the world. He nodded his greeting to the innkeeper, and stepped outside to get a breath of the fresh night air. He wandered aimlessly down the street, feeling no sense of danger in this peaceful town, in fact, he felt a pervading sense of serenity and wondered if it was the result of having the Temple of Zahara there.
Spying a familiar small figure sitting on a low fence up ahead, he smiled to himself and self-consciously patted his hands over his hair and down his body to ensure everything was as it should be. Satisfied, he went forward and spoke quietly to Kymberly.
"Mind if I join you?" he queried with a warm smile.
"Not at all. Pull up a piece of fence and sit down," she smiled back, coloring slightly. Her blush was partly pleasure at seeing Tomas, and partly embarrassment for how she'd behaved when he'd first found her. She took pride in not being a 'quailing female,' and yet she'd thrown herself at this young man in a total, blind panic.
"Are you okay, Princess?" he asked gently.
"My name is Kymberly," she countered without rancor.
"All right, are you okay Kymberly?" he amended with a slight smile.
"Yes. No. I don't know," she said after considering the question.
"I guess that covers all options," he grinned, overcome with a desire to see her smile, if only a little bit. He understood that she was frightened; in her shoes he'd be plenty frightened himself. Her life depended on the ability of five people she'd never met before to pull off a near miracle. He wasn't stupid, by any means. He knew that if finding and obtaining the Portent Orbs were easy, someone would have done it long ago. From what he understood, they were the stuff of legends, and the power protected by the monolith had to be incredible, and desirable.
His attempt at humor won barely a quirk of her lips as she looked up at him. "It all just happened so fast, you know? One minute I'm heading to town, with not a care in the world, next I'm being taken to that dreary place of Skullavich's, and being told I'm his. It was awful," she murmured.
"Did he hurt you?" Tomas asked intently, fully planning to go back and flay the fiend alive if he had.
"No. He just kept me there. Kept telling me I was his. But he didn't touch me. Not even to put this on," she sighed, resting one tentative finger on the gold collar. "I did that myself. How's that for stupid?" she questioned bitterly.
"It's not stupid. You had no reason to know it was dangerous," he soothed her, unable to resist the temptation to put an arm around the small shoulders. She responded by leaning into him with a sigh.
"Thank you for saying so," she replied, swallowing around a sudden thickness in her throat. She sternly ordered herself not to cry, she would not give in to her emotions again, not in front of this young man she already realized she was developing feelings for. For a brief moment she allowed herself to savor the feel of his arm around her, to imagine this embrace under different, less dire, circumstances. The blush deepened, and before he could note her reaction, she reluctantly withdrew from his embrace.
"We're going to succeed, Kymberly, you have to believe that. This is too important for us to fail." The utter conviction in his voice soothed her more than anything else could have.
She believed him, and that was enough for now.
~*~
The fragrance of flowers was cloyingly sweet in the morning air, not muted at all by the thick morning dew that coated the Temple gardens. Trini shivered a little in her loose fitting tunic, worn over pants that fit snugly, but had plenty of give so her range of movement was not impaired. Since the Master had not arrived yet, she decided to ward off the chill by doing one of the many exercise routines the master had taught her over the years.
She had just concluded the routine when she whirled around to find Master Mantis standing behind her with a benevolent smile on his face. "I see you've kept in practice," he observed.
"As you taught me to," she responded, bowing in respect to her teacher.
"Come, Trini, it is time to show your old master if you've learned what he has attempted to impart upon you," he intoned formally. It was a ritual they had gone through every time she was tested, and its familiarity was both comforting and disconcerting.
He escorted her to an area of the extensive grounds she had never had cause to visit before, and she turned to the master with a awed expression.
"I am to be tested against the maze?"
"Yes, Trini. What you seek, it cannot be given lightly to anyone. The potential for harm, if it fell into the wrong hands, is terrifying. Before I can tell you what you wish to know, the fates must be certain you are worthy of such knowledge. That is what you must prove this morning. I shall be waiting here when you return," he said gently, settling himself down on a bench, as was the custom when someone was being tested in the maze.
"What will I encounter in there? What sort of test?" she asked.
"The test you need to pass. I can tell you no more. Be at peace child; if you possess the needed skills, you will know what to do. If you don't, knowing ahead of time will not help." His smile was more encouraging than his words.
Trini turned back to the entrance of the maze and took a deep breath, then released it, along with her fears and worries. It was like Master Mantis said-she either had it or she didn't, and it was far too late to be worrying about it now.
The maze was a combination of hedges and walls, nearly ten feet tall and spreading over almost a full acre of gently rolling land. She knew that most who were tested against the maze failed; legends of promising students lost forever amongst the foliage and brick were commonplace.
The sudden appearance of an armor-clad soldier, wearing the trademark crest of a militant faction that attacked villages at random, caused her to fall back in surprise, wishing for her sword. She stood at the ready, wondering what he was doing there, but not curious enough to strike up a conversation. It had been her experience that this sort was not big on conversation, preferring to strike first, and ask questions...never.
She had barely had time to fall back in a defensive posture when he attacked, and she tensed, waiting for the killing blow. It never landed. Or rather, it landed, and passed right through her, like smoke. She watched the fearsome image dissipate, then shook her head in puzzlement.
It hadn't been real.
Was that it, then? Was she to be tested against unreal opponents? That didn't make any sense, what would be the point? Lost in her thoughts she almost didn't see the Tree Dweller that waited around the next turn. She was alerted by the sudden movement as he brought his blow gun up to his lips, and despite knowing it was fake, she still pulled back instinctively. It was a good thing she did. The lethal dart tore a chunk of her tunic out, grazing, but not breaking, the skin underneath.
This one was real.
Trini turned to defend herself only to find the Tree Dweller had disappeared, as was their manner. She paused, considering what had just happened and trying to determine what was actually going on in this maze. She'd faced two opponents; one real, one not. She carefully analyzed each incident, reaching a couple of unexpected conclusions. She had been startled by the first attack, but there had been no fear, no rush of adrenalin. The second attacker had not allowed enough time for defense, but she'd felt a sudden stab of fear at his appearance. Somehow, some part of her had realized the first attacker was not real, but that the second one was. Some instinct, some insight, had almost instantaneously analyzed each situation and had provided an accurate assessment.
That had to be the test; whether or not that instinct was accurate, and if she could - or would - allow herself to depend on it. She took a series of deep breaths, focusing her energy, her mind, just as she had been taught so long ago. Knowing now what was needed, she moved forward steadily, reacting to each threat that presented itself based on whether or not it was real. She found herself slipping into an almost trancelike state, as if she were one with the maze, with the living hedges and the unliving stones, and in that state she could tell the difference between shadow and substance with barely a glance.
She kept up the pace until she found herself in a square enclosure, where the only opening was the one through which she'd come. She thought at first that she'd reached the middle, only to realize a half breath later that she hadn't but that she was close, very close. Trini allowed herself to sink back into the instinctual state she'd been in, and immediately turned and walked without hesitation through the solid looking wall to her left. When she was clear of the wall she understood at once that she was indeed to the center of the maze.
In front of her was a statue of the Goddess Zahara, and in her right hand she was holding out a round sphere, perhaps the size of a grapefruit. It was a soft, almost translucent, white, with a slightly rough surface, similar to granite in feel.
Trini stood in awe for a few moments, then tentatively reached out and touched the sphere. At her touch it suddenly glowed a bright yellow, and she knew it was hers to take, and that she was being given an almost sacred trust to keep.
The first Portent Orb had just been found.
She took it in her own long fingered hands, faintly surprised that it wasn't warm to the touch, amazed at the profound weight of the orb. It was so strangely solid for something that weighed so little. How long she stood there, contemplating the enigma she held in her hands, she could not have said, but at last she realized that she needed to get going. She had to say her goodbyes to Master Mantis, and meet the others, give them the good news. That thought was oddly heartwarming, and she briefly wondered when, and how, her companions had come to mean so much to her so quickly.
The trip out of the maze was much quicker, and more straightforward, than the trip in had been, and within a few minutes she had rejoined Master Mantis, who rose with a delighted smile when he saw what his most prized student held.
"You succeeded," he noted unnecessarily.
"It was the most amazing experience, I think I touched the 'higher plane' you spoke of so often," she replied, her eyes glowing.
"If I ever had a student I believed could achieve that, it was you. You have done well, Trini," he praised her.
"A student is only as good as her master," she demurred.
"A master is only as good as his students will allow," he countered.
"A symbiotic relationship, then," Trini concluded, smiling.
"Indeed. But, you must be going, is that correct?" the master queried.
"Yes. The others will be waiting," she agreed, sounding a bit regretful. She really would have enjoyed talking over the experience with her teacher.
She had replaced her dagger and sword, and the purse-like bag she carried now contained the Portent Orb. The two of them walked toward the front gate of the Temple, not hurrying, while Master Mantis told Trini what he knew about the Portent Orbs. .
"Thank you, again, Master Mantis, for all you have taught me, and for setting me on the path to obtain the Orb," Trini murmured when they'd reached the gate.
"You are welcome, child. But, remember this, you achieved that of your own ability and effort. I did but set your feet on the path, you took the journey. Be well, Trini, and remember to return someday to bring joy to an old man's life."
"I will. Be well, Master Mantis, and keep imparting your wisdom to those who seek it, for every bit of knowledge is another small light in a dark room," she countered, smiling a little sadly.
They bowed formally to each other, completing the ritual parting of Master and student, and Trini turned away reluctantly. She'd taken only a half dozen steps when she turned to find the master watching her wistfully. She gave in to an urge she'd felt often enough before, but had never indulged. She ran lightly back to the man who had shaped her future and enveloped him in a heartfelt hug, while placing a chaste kiss on his weathered cheek.
"Thank you," she whispered before withdrawing hastily and all but running toward town without a backward glance.
"Thank you, child. May your future bring you happiness," he whispered after the retreating figure, watching until she mounted her horse and rode out of sight, then turning back to the Temple and the familiar duties that awaited him there.
tbc
