Fire Study

by Maria V. Snyder

  “Marrok! What—” An arrow struck a tree next to me.

  “Drop your weapons and dismount. Or the next arrow goes into her heart!” the Ixian shouted.

  I tossed my bow to the ground and gestured to the others to follow. Tauno slid off Topaz, lowered Marrok down, then removed his bow and arrows. Moon Man frowned but released his scimitar before getting off Garnet. Leif tossed his machete next to my staff.

  “Step away from the weapons and raise your hands.”

  We did as instructed. I made sure to step closer to Marrok. An arrow had pierced his side.

  The ring of Ixian soldiers closed in. I counted four men and two women. Armed with crossbows and swords, they advanced on us.

  “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t send you back to the squad of southerners?” asked an Ixian captain.

  His uniform was mostly black except for a row of yellow diamond shapes down his sleeves and pant legs. We had crossed into Ixia’s MD-7.

  “Because it wouldn’t be diplomatic to turn away a Sitian delegation,” I said.

  The captain laughed. “Delegations come with honor guards not fleeing guards. Want to tell me another one?”

  “I’m Liaison Yelena Zaltana. I’m here to speak with the Commander even though my visit is not sanctioned by the Sitian Council.”

  “Yelena? The ex-food taster who saved the Commander?” the captain asked.

  “Yes.”

  “But you have magic. Why would you want to come back to Ixia? I could kill you now and be considered a hero.”

  “I see your reputation has preceded you,” Leif said, grinning. I hoped his good humor was relief over seeing Moon Man alive and well and not over the death threat to me.

  I frowned at him. Leif didn’t understand just how precarious a situation we were in. The captain’s boast had merit. I was quite sure the rumors about the order for my execution had traveled throughout Ixia, while the fact that the Commander had ripped up those orders when I agreed to be a Liaison probably had not.

  Especially since everyone in Sitia and Ixia believed the Commander had stayed behind in Ixia when the Ixian delegation visited Sitia a couple months ago. The Commander had been disguised as Ambassador Signe, and she had no authority to cancel an execution order.

  Because of the edict that magicians were not allowed in Ixia unless invited, and any Ixians discovered with magical powers were put to death, I had one volatile situation on my hands.

  While killing us wouldn’t be easy, the captain had what amounted to standing orders to execute us on the spot. If he succeeded, though, he would have to face Valek. I shied away from that line of thought.

  Instead, I said, “The Commander has appointed me as a Liaison with the Council. I am a neutral third party so I would not come with an honor guard of Sitians. I come with friends. Those guards had been chasing him.” I gestured to Marrok’s prone form. “I need to discuss something important with the Commander right away.”

  The captain’s crossbow wavered. He appeared to be considering my answer. I pulled a thread of magic and skimmed his mind, touching only on his surface thoughts and emotions.

  His ambition warred with his intelligence. Tired of guarding the border, the captain wanted a promotion and reassignment. Killing these southern magicians would give him enough recognition to become a major. But what if Yelena told the truth? The Commander wouldn’t be happy to have his Liaison killed. Still, bringing a magician close to the Commander would be dangerous. What if Yelena lied and planned to assassinate him?

  I nudged his thoughts to trust us and to believe that if he led us to his commanding officer, he would be doing a commendable deed.

  “You will accompany me and my squad,” the captain said. “We will confiscate your weapons and horses, and you will obey all orders. Any trouble or signs of revolt and you will be incapacitated.” He signaled for a few of his soldiers to approach us. “Search them. What about him?”

  I looked at Marrok. “Let me attend to his wounds, Captain…”

  “Nytik.” Again the captain signaled to one of his soldiers. “Lieutenant, search him for weapons.”

  After the lieutenant secured Marrok’s sword, he gave me permission to examine him. The arrow had pierced Marrok’s right side, missing his ribs. There wasn’t much blood and the arrow hadn’t gone deep. Why was Marrok unconscious?

  Accessing my magic, I scanned the rest of his body. He had been beaten. Two ribs and his collarbone were broken. A mass of bruises covered his body and his jawbone was cracked.

  “Leif, I’m going to need some help.” Healing the extensive damage in Marrok’s body would exhaust me and I needed to reserve some energy in case Captain Nytik changed his mind.

  “A poultice?” Leif knelt next to me.

  “No. His story threads are frayed.” Moon Man placed his large hand on Marrok’s forehead.

  I glared at Moon Man. “Stay away from him. Leif, let’s deal with the physical injuries first.”

  Moon Man retreated. Leif and I drew power from the source. With my brother’s help, I assumed his injuries and repaired them. When Marrok woke, Leif gave him water and a sustaining tonic to revive him.

  I questioned him on what had happened and why he was here, but Marrok just stared at me with a wild, unconnected look in his eyes. Worried about his mental state, I projected my awareness into his thoughts.

  A cacophony of images flooded his mind. Memories and emotions and secret thoughts were exposed, unlocked and left to run amok, as if someone had taken a library full of books and torn and scattered them all around the room. The sheer amount of disarray overwhelmed Marrok. He could no longer bring two thoughts together to form a coherent sentence.

  And there in the middle of the mess, gleefully shredding what remained of Marrok’s mind, was Roze Featherstone, First Magician.

  She turned to me. There you are. I knew I’d find you in here if I looked hard enough. Now I can discover where you’ve been hiding.

  She advanced, but I held my position. I’m not a memory, Roze. You won’t be able to extract anything from me.

  I wouldn’t be so sure. Too much confidence can be a weakness.

  You tried twice before and failed. I’m feeling pretty certain about my prediction. Why did you destroy Marrok’s mind?

  She glanced around at the chaos. He’s a criminal. And you shouldn’t be so shocked. It’s no different than when you destroyed the Soulstealer’s mind.

  I ignored the jab. Marrok isn’t a criminal and you know it. Did you force him to make a false confession?

  He was honest, unlike you. You’ve been lying to us and to yourself, thinking you can be a benefit to Sitia. Now the Council knows the danger and I have permission to eliminate the threat you pose.

  Again I failed to be impressed with her boast. How did Marrok and the others find us?

  Roze smiled. You’ll have to figure that out on your own.

  Are you trying to tell me I have a spy in my midst?

  Dishonest people tend to find each other, Yelena. It’s the price you pay for associating with the criminal element. Frankly, I was surprised the Council hadn’t given me permission to neutralize you before. After all, how can they trust the heart mate of the most feared man in Sitia? Think about it. How could you be a Liaison when it’s obvious where your loyalties lie? First sign of trouble and you’re running for home. I will tell you one thing. You won’t be safe in Ixia.

  I didn’t say anything, but she laughed. I have found what I needed. Good luck trying to put the pieces of Marrok’s mind back together.

  She faded from his consciousness. Standing in the middle of the destruction she had left behind, I knew restoring order would be an impossible task. I returned to my body. There was nothing I could do.

  Roze had the Council’s support against me. If I hadn’t known any better, the web of lies Cahil spun made complete sense. Roze even made sense. If she was as dedicated to Sitia as she claimed, then her efforts to discredit me were valid. Why trust me? I�
�m a Soulfinder, the one type of magician with an evil history. It would take a major effort and physical evidence to counter Cahil now.

  “Moon Man, how did you find us?” I asked.

  “Logic. I knew you would go to Ixia and I knew you would not cross the Avibian Plains in order to go around Featherstone lands. So that left west. Tauno found your trail in the Krystal lands.”

  It was too much of a coincidence. “But Leif saw you disappear into the fire. And what about Marrok and the horses? How did you get them?” He had help and must have been sent by Cahil or Roze. Moon Man worked for them now.

  “Gede pulled me from the fire. Marrok had been dumped in the infirmary and left unguarded. The horses came when we needed them.”

  It still sounded too easy. “Why did Gede insist I go into the fire?”

  “You will have to ask him. He is your Story Weaver now. I can not guide you.” His tone held sadness.

  “Why did you go into the fire, Moon Man?” Leif asked.

  “Gede is the only surviving leader of my clan. I follow his orders.”

  “Even when your life’s at stake?”

  “Yes. Loyalty to one’s clan comes before personal safety.”

  “Like being bait for a necklace snake?” Leif gazed at me.

  “Exactly,” Moon Man said.

  “Can your man walk?” Captain Nytik asked. He had been standing nearby, watching us with distaste creasing his forehead. “We need to get moving.”

  Marrok couldn’t walk, but he could ride. Kiki and Topaz’s heads were together. I connected to Topaz, and asked, Go home? Miss Peppermint Man?

  No. Stay.

  Why? Topaz had been with Cahil for a long time.

  Bad smell. Blood.

  I turned to the captain. “He’ll sit on his horse.”

  With the lieutenant in the lead, Moon Man, Leif, Tauno and I followed. The captain and his remaining soldiers formed a rear guard. We traveled north through the Snake Forest. On a map, the forest resembled a thin rope of green that undulated along the entire east-west border from the Jade Sea to the Emerald Mountains. After a half day of travel, we arrived at a guard station and barracks.

  Another round of explanations had to be endured before we could care for the horses and eat lunch. We sat in the middle of the guard house’s dining area surrounded by fifty suspicious soldiers who shot us hard glances between bites of food. Moon Man guided Marrok with a gentle patience. Basic skills like eating and caring for himself would all have to be relearned.

  During our cold meal of venison jerky and bread, I explained to my companions about Ixia’s uniform system. “Everyone who lives in Ixia must wear a uniform. The standard colors for the shirts, pants and skirts are black and white, but each Military District has its own color. We’re in MD-7, which is governed by General Rasmussen, who reports to the Commander. Rasmussen’s color is yellow and you’ll see a line of yellow diamond shapes somewhere on the uniforms.” I gestured to the guards around us. Their uniforms matched the captain’s, but the rank insignia on their collars were different. “A cook’s uniform is all white with diamonds printed side by side across the shirt. The color of the diamonds tells you which district the cook works in. Red is the Commander’s color.”

  “Who’s that?” Leif pointed to woman heading our way. She wore all black, but had two red diamonds stitched onto her collar. Her blond hair was pulled into a tidy bun. She held two bows in her hands.

  “She’s an adviser to the Commander.” I stood and grinned.

  She tossed me my bow. I caught it. The noise in the room ceased the instant it hit my hand.

  “Okay, Puker, let’s see if you’ve been practicing,” she said with an exultant yet predatory glint in her eyes.

  “Adviser Maren, didn’t your mother teach you it’s not nice to call people names?” I hefted my bow. “Especially not armed people.”

  She waved away my comment. “We’ll deal with the niceties later. Stuck in this backwoods, I haven’t had a decent bow fight in a long time. Come on!” She beckoned me to follow as she threaded her way through the dining room.

  “Should we be worried?” Leif asked.

  “She taught me all her tricks, but I’ve learned a few new ones since our last fight. This should be…interesting.”

  “Play nice,” Leif said.

  I navigated through the quiet room. It erupted with sound as soon as I left. A mass of soldiers followed me outside.

  Maren stretched her muscles before picking up her bow. Tall and lean, she made a formidable opponent. She swung her six-foot staff with deft hands. At a slight disadvantage, my bow measured only five feet. I removed my cloak and rubbed my hands along the smooth wood of my weapon, setting my mind into the zone of concentration I used when fighting. Not quite magical in origin, this mental state kept my mind open to my opponent’s intentions.

  As soon as I was ready she attacked with two quick strikes toward my ribs. I blocked both, countering with a strike to her arms. The fight began in earnest.

  The rhythmic crack of our weapons filled the air. I ducked a temple strike and thrust the end of my bow staff toward her stomach. She stepped back and attempted to trip me with her bow. I jumped and did a front kick in midair, hitting her shoulder. Maren retreated a few steps before coming at me with a series of jabs.

  “Did you get tired of losing to Janco all the time and request a transfer?” I asked, knocking her bow aside and executing a flurry of temple strikes. Maren had been a captain in the Commander’s Special Forces, along with my friends Ari and Janco.

  “I was promoted,” she said. She met my assault and feinted to the right.

  Sensing her intentions, I ignored the feint and stopped the blow to my head just in time. “Promoted to adviser? Sounds shady. Bribe anyone I know?”

  “Once I beat Valek, I could choose any job in Ixia.”

  I froze for a moment in surprise and she hit my upper arm, knocking me over. I rolled, avoiding her jabs, but she pressed her advantage. Two moves later, she sat on my chest and pressed her bow to my neck. The crowd of soldiers cheered.

  “Concede?”

  “Yes.”

  She grinned and pulled me to my feet. “Rematch?”

  “Give me a minute.” I brushed the dirt from my clothes.

  “What’s with the skirt?”

  “It’s not a skirt. See?” Pulling the fabric apart, I revealed the pants.

  She snorted with amusement. “We need to get you back into uniform, Yelena.”

  Her use of my proper name meant that I had at least impressed her with my fighting skills. Which reminded me of her comment that had thrown me off guard. “What’s all this about you beating Valek? You’re adequate with a bow, but, come on, Valek?”

  Valek had issued a challenge to everyone in Ixia. Beat him in a fight with the weapon of your choice and win the right to become his second in command. Many soldiers had tried and failed to win the right.

  “Adequate?” She laughed. “I guess when I beat you again, you’ll up it to decent.”

  “That’s if you beat me, and you haven’t answered my question.”

  “I had help. Happy now? Valek never said we had to beat him one on one. Three of us got together and we won the right to pick any position in Ixia. I chose to become an adviser for the Commander. I’m in MD-7 on a temporary assignment to deal with some—” she glanced at the soldiers “—issues.”

  Three against one was still good odds for Valek. I wondered who the other two were, and the answer came to me. “Please don’t tell me Ari and Janco were your partners.”

  Her chagrined expression confirmed my guess.

  “Janco was insufferably smug before. There’ll be no living with him,” I said.

  “Valek’s challenge has been modified. Since Janco and Ari have been promoted to Valek’s seconds, if other soldiers want to claim the second positions they must beat Ari and Janco, but no more than six can attack at one time. Valek’s seconds should be able to handle three each. If a soldi
er wishes to fight Valek alone, he must beat one of us to have the chance.”

  “Having Janco in charge when Valek’s away is a scary state of affairs.”

  “Not as scary as when you’re begging for mercy.” Maren swung her bow.

  I blocked and countered. Soon we were engaged in another brisk fight. But this time I stayed focused. I swept her feet out from under her and stepped on her bow before she could roll away. I won the match and received a few cheers from my brother, who had joined the audience. Moon Man and the others stood apart. He watched me with no expression on his face.

  “Tie breaker?” Maren didn’t wait for an answer. Round three began.

  We fought until we reached an impasse.

  Leif’s voice interrupted us before we started another match. “As much as I enjoy watching my sister get beaten, we really need to talk to the Commander. You’re wasting time.”

  Maren studied Leif with a dubious expression. “I don’t see a family resemblance.”

  I introduced my brother to Maren. “Although I hate to admit it, Leif’s right. We need to go.”

  Maren shook her head. “General Rasmussen wants to talk with you first. These soldiers have orders to keep you here until he gives you permission to leave.”

  “But I’ve explained—”

  “Everything but exactly what you need to discuss with the Commander.”

  “That’s classified.”

  “That’s what I was afraid of.” Maren leaned on her bow. “The general has become…cautious in his advancing years. He won’t let you leave unless you tell him the reason you came to Ixia.”

  From her choice of words, I could tell there was more to the story. She worked for the Commander but was helping the general, and probably reporting every bit of information to Valek.

  “We’ll talk to the general then,” I agreed.

  “Great. I’ll schedule an audience with him tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow? We have pressing business.”

  “I’m sorry. The general retires early. He’ll see no one tonight.”

  Leif opened his mouth to protest. I touched his arm, stopping him. Maren and I had dueled the afternoon away, and I suspected she had a good reason for it.