Daughter of Ashes

by Esther Mitchell

  Talking was the last thing Nacaris wanted to do, but he grudgingly followed the older man toward the stable master's house. There, the grizzled old stable master thunked a tankard of rich amber brew on the scarred trestle between them and nodded for Nacaris to pull up a seat.

  "Drink up, lad. You'll be needing that for the tale I'm about to tell you."

  Nacaris winced at those words. He already knew from the way Telyn was acting that her past with Seoman wasn't an easy one. Truth be told, he'd much rather this story came from Telyn. He hated already feeling like a thief and a cheat because he kept secrets from her she might never forgive if she ever learned the truth. But to steal around inside her past without her permission just made him feel like a filthy cespolis.

  Picking up the tankard, he downed a gulp of the rich, heady brew the Gild so loved, and then grimaced at the taste. Personally, he preferred the lighter Endland malts, or even Borderland mead. Lately, he'd even found himself missing the finely aged wines of his homeland -- not that he intended to go back, Paduari or no.

  Setting aside the tankard, he stared morosely at Carmyd. "So. Seoman."

  The older man clicked his tongue regretfully and took a long pull from his own tankard before answering. "A sadder tale you're likely never to hear, unless Mistress Gwneth ever decides to tell the tale of Telyn's father. In truth, it'd be small wonder to me that Seoman became the foul-mouthed prig he is, were it not for that lady's early teaching. He should have known better."

  Nacaris lifted one brow. That was hardly a ringing endorsement for empathy. "What do you mean?"

  "Seoman," Carmyd began as he settled back with his tankard, "has no past to speak of. Before Mistress Gwneth -- and there's the kindest lady I've ever met -- took him in, he barely had a name. Poor little tyke had no memory of his parents, no idea of his origins. Some still wonder, to this day, if it were Majik that birthed that lad, and not a woman at all."

  "What does this have to do with Telyn?"

  Carmyd chuckled indulgently. "Ah, our Telyn. Heart of gold, that girl's got -- like her mother. She took one look at Seoman, and declared him her little brother, no questions asked. As protective as a mama Letheri with cubs, though she was barely five cycles her small self."

  Nacaris' eyes narrowed as his heart clenched. Here was yet another clue to the scars Telyn bore, the reason she wouldn't let him near. Could she have grown to love Seoman as more than a brother over the summers? "How much older than Seoman is she?"

  "Bare a cycle." Carmyd brushed aside the question as if it held no more significance than a bothersome gnat. "Seoman was in their home bare a fortnight when the dreams began."

  Nacaris straightened as the memory of a trailside nightmare returned. "Telyn?"

  "Thank the Old Gods, no." Carmyd shook his head. "No, it was Seoman. Telyn was the first to know -- she hid that knowledge so carefully, did everything her young self could to protect him. She knew they'd take him away if they ever found out, and she was determined that not happen."

  "They?"

  "The MajiMasters, of course. Telyn's always had a fear of the Majikal, and she was doubly afraid of what they'd do to Seoman." The old man shook his head sadly. "Didn't work long, more's the pity. Within the first season after he'd come to live with them, Seoman was taken away."

  Nacaris nodded. This much, he knew from Telyn. "I still don't understand why she's afraid of him. I'd think she'd be eager to see him."

  Carmyd shook his head again. "Because she knows Seoman blames her for not saving him."

  Fury poured through Nacaris, shooting him to his feet. "What? She was just a child!"

  "And so was he," Carmyd reminded him sternly. "A child ripped from the only loving home he ever knew, and made to endure terrible tests and training. The path of a Majin is no easy one to walk. Mistress Gwneth gave her honor to shield Telyn from that path. There was nothing she could do for Seoman. Nothing either of them could do. But he was too young for such training, and it warped his mind -- turned brilliance and talent into depravity and rage. Telyn most likely fears the guilt of having to come face-to-face with what she, too, views as her own failure."

  Sick dread tightened like a knot in Nacaris' chest. Whatever the outcome of her visit to Seoman had for Telyn's quest, Nacaris couldn't halt the terrible certainty that her visit would be the beginning of the end for them.

  Chapter Ten

  Telyn chewed her lip nervously as she entered the lavishly appointed rooms. Beads of every color she could imagine swayed across windows, doorways, and against the parquet walls. Plush cushions that looked exotic and imported from some faraway land -- no doubt through the liberal use of Majik -- lay scattered along the walls, inviting visitors who sought the wisdom of Seoman the Wise to make themselves comfortable. Telyn bit back a bitter laugh. As if.

  Moving across the room, she stared out through the swaying curtain of beads, into the courtyard beyond, where exotic birds fluttered in the mesh-domed courtyard, free to fly, yet captive all the same. Sadly, she knew exactly how they felt. Surrounded by all this display, she already knew the Seoman she remembered -- the boy who valued love and family above all else -- was gone, replaced by a virtual stranger who clearly loved his wealth.

  "Beautiful, aren't they?" The voice behind her was husky, but pitched high enough to be neither male nor female. Telyn winced, wondering if the rumors of Seoman becoming a eunuch as part of his training were true.

  She turned to face him, and sadness enveloped her. If she knew how those birds out there felt, then Seoman was their intimate confidant. Despite the rich trappings of his home, and the silk robes and expensive jewelry draping him, Seoman looked like little more than a scrawny, caged bird. He wore an expression of boredom and malcontent that masked a seething well of bitter pain. Deep in her soul, Telyn's heart mourned the little brother she must finally accept was truly dead.

  "Hello, Seoman."

  His gaze raked over her with clear disdain, and blunt accusation.

  "I wish I could say this was a pleasant surprise." He crossed the room with a sashay that would have done any harlot proud, flicking a careless gesture toward one set of cushions in grudging invitation. "I assume you'll be paying for your visit."

  Telyn sighed, and emptied four gelem into her palm. "Aye. Seoman..."

  "I've dreamed of you for a while, now, you know. I figured you might show yourself around here, sooner or later. Though I have to say, I'm surprised you actually found the guts."

  The cold, clipped delivery of that thinly veiled insult sliced Telyn clear to the core, and left her reeling. Oh, she figured he'd be bitter and angry. Nevertheless, she also thought she'd be able to talk to him, to explain herself. Instead, it appeared Carmyd was right -- the boy she knew was gone. The loss hit her hard.

  "What happened to you?" Her question emerged little more than a whisper. She was afraid she didn't want the answer, even though she knew the question would haunt her forever.

  "You did," he sneered, that cold gaze pinned on her with accusatory hatred. "I loved you, and you let them just take me away. You told them what I could do, what I confided in you."

  The inequity of it stabbed Telyn between the ribs, and she shook her head bleakly.

  "I fought for you," she whispered hoarsely, bitter memories replaying in her head. The revilement of her mother's people, calling her a liar, a little thief, and most damning of all, a half-breed curse. "I didn't tell them anything. They took it from my head, and I couldn't stop them. I was only a child. What could I do?"

  "You did what you always do," he hissed the words in frigid rage. "You ran away. Poor little Telyn, too afraid to stand up and fight for what she loves. Always afraid caring will make her look weak. You look more like a coward every time I see you."

  She blinked. "I haven't seen you in cycles."

  His laugh was harsh. "Really? I see you every cyclath, in my dreams. Like the little thief you are, stealing away my rest."

  "I don't--"

  "Understand? No, I don'
t suppose you would. Too afraid of Majik to understand it, aren't you? But I've been keeping an eye on you, Telyn. Ever since I left Gwneth's household, I dream of you each cyclath."

  Her brow furrowed. "But, why?"

  "I ask myself the same question. So far, no answers." Icy humor tugged at the lines on his unnaturally aged face. "I know what you did, though."

  Telyn blinked. "Excuse me?"

  "Do you even know the man you're fucking? Do you even have an idea what you've done?"

  The snide, gloating tone of his voice plunged a cold fist of dread straight through Telyn's gut. She told herself sex with Nacaris was permissible, last night. She told herself she could keep it neutral, friendly, and uncomplicated. All along, she knew she was lying to herself. And all along, she couldn't help the small trickle of doubt, that he wasn't telling her the truth.

  "What do you know?" She rasped.

  Seoman chuckled in that sinister, high-pitched way of his that set her teeth on edge and made her consider bodily harm as a means of getting what she wanted from him. "Ah, so that's not why you came here. Still, this man is a shadow from your past -- a shadow you would do best to face before the end of your journey."

  She blinked at Seoman. How could Nacaris have anything to do with her past? She'd only just met him at Raiador. Hadn't she?

  She wanted to ask more about it, but Nacaris wasn't why she'd come here, or parted with so many of her small stash of gelem. She had more important tasks.

  "I'm looking for something -- an artifact. It was stolen from its rightful owners a long time ago, and I want to return it."

  Seoman's gaze probed hers intently, and suddenly he looked far too interested. "A book."

  "Aye." Wariness crept through her. She always hated that probing look that said he was looking into her mind and soul.

  "A very special book, indeed. It belonged to... the Aerai Majin?" His eyes widened in surprise. "It's the Phoenix Book."

  An uncomfortable feeling passed through Telyn, and she saw his eyes narrow further as his gaze bored into hers, clearly searching for something.

  "Can you tell me where it is?"

  He sat back, blinked, and his eyes went glassy in a way Telyn recognized. He was having a vision. "A tome resides in the Keep of the Risen Dead, guarded by He Who Steals the Bones, but beware its lies. To vanquish its keeper, ye must ford the River of Fire, and free the soul of She Who Guards the World Forge. Be mindful, for two who share the same Majik and space are like swords striking in the night."

  She had no idea what he meant by the last statement, and she wasn't interested in pursuing it. She was more interested in her prey.

  "How do I find this man you speak of?" She wasn't even sure he could hear her.

  "Within the City of the Holy Tower rests an ally to your quest. Hie there and find the Puppet Child who bears the secrets of the one ye seek."

  The city of the Holy Tower? Telyn's heart leapt. That could only be Ulambara, a city on the edge of the Purat Mountain Range, where legend said the Aerai Majin's Tower was. She was already heading toward the door, new energy coursing her veins, as she tossed out her farewell. "Thank you, Seoman."

  "Beware, Phoenix." His voice stopped her in her tracks, but she dared not turn around. She didn't want to see that blank look of prophecy, following those words.

  "Beware the Man with Two Faces. He holds the Key of Past, Present, and Future. Give him your heart at your own peril."

  A chill passed through Telyn at those words. Of any uttered today, they held the most damning ring of all.

  *****

  You really must learn to master your emotions better, young Phoenix. Else others like Seoman will destroy you. Sala's lecturing voice filled her head as Telyn watched her that night dance in agitation within the heart of the room's grate.

  "What would you have had me do?" Telyn hissed, unable to deny that she often questioned her own impulses. "Should I turn my back on an old friend? Should I abandon twelve people guilty only of being human, and thus fallible?"

  You should have considered how this new quest of yours might distract you from the duty you already possess.

  Telyn cast a glance toward the door to be sure Nacaris didn't enter, then glared at the Elemental. She wasn't used to having her every action criticized by someone no bigger than her finger.

  "Are you saying I shouldn't have gone to Seoman? Or that I shouldn't be concerned with twelve lives?"

  Sala flickered bright blue. We are discussing the fate of the world. You have put this world at risk by confiding in Seoman, and for what? Your childish desire to avoid rejection.

  The words stung, but Telyn couldn't deny the truth in them. She truly hadn't stopped to consider her responsibility as a Chosen when she confided her mission to Seoman. Even she had to admit that his sudden interest at its mention had unnerved her. Still... "You said it will be cycles yet before the Aerai Majin awakens, so we should have plenty of time to find the Phoenix Book. And Seoman would have found out, one way or another. He always does."

  Sala flared in bright hues, her annoyance palpable in the waves of heat rolling from the fire. So, you believe you have mastered Fire so well that you deem all rituals in the Book easily performed? Then I challenge you, Telyn Gwndal -- put out this fire by act of your will, alone.

  Telyn gaped at the tiny Salamandar. "That's impossible. No one can do that. Even the greatest Majin couldn't--"

  Wrong. The Aerai Majin could control the Elements. No Majin since has been granted the skill to master Fire, until you. Even Ashes, however, could muster the control to light and douse flames at will. Many Maji can.

  Sala rose steadily from the grate into the air, and Telyn could do nothing but stare as the Salamandar continued, You must become one with your Element. You must control it, harness it, revel in it. It must be the center of your being, the core of your life, and the source of your strength and solace. Nothing should be more important to you than the Forge-fire that burns within you, and the passion keeping that fire alight. But, most of all, you must trust Fire. You must know in your body, mind, and soul that Fire will never mislead you, hurt you, or leave you. It will be the source of your greatest love, and your greatest sorrow.

  That ominous prediction roused memories of Seoman's parting prophecy again, and Telyn's gaze went instinctively to the door again, only to find Nacaris standing just outside the firelight, his eyes wide in surprise and disbelief as he stared at the small flame twirling above the fireplace. She winced. There was no explaining this one away.

  "Nacaris..."

  Sala disappeared back into the grate in a flash, leaving Telyn to confront her lover's stunned expression.

  "How did you do that?"

  She sighed. "I didn't."

  His brow furrowed, and he looked like he might say something else, and then shook his head, shrugged, and stepped away from her. "I'll go get more wood."

  As soon as the door closed behind him, Sala shot out of the hearth again. Telyn saw her out of the corner of her eye, but her attention remained riveted on the dreadful feeling churning in her gut.

  "I can't keep lying to him."

  You won't have to, once you master Fire.

  New desperation gripped Telyn. She didn't know why, but she wasn't sure she could let Nacaris go, if he chose to leave, in spite of what Seoman predicted. "How? How do I do that?"

  The way to the end you seek lies in the tome you would so capriciously disregard to chase wayward Maji. The Phoenix Book holds all the keys to understanding and bonding with your Element, and your soul's desire. You must study it, learn all it has to tell you. Then you will understand.

  Telyn sat back, stunned. She had assumed obtaining the Phoenix Book was everything required of her. She hadn't known she would be required to study it cover-to-cover. This could be a problem. She was never much of a student -- at least, not when it required opening a scroll or book. Her attention went again to the door, and the man who exited it moments ago. Were they really doomed, if she didn't
learn to master Fire?

  "You're talking about a long time, aren't you?"

  Aye, young Phoenix. It is the work of lifetimes, and yet you insist on taking away cycles of that time in futile quests for those who do not wish to be found.

  "Wait a minute." Telyn narrowed her eyes on the tiny flame creature. "What do you mean, 'those who don't wish to be found'?"

  You will learn in time that Fire is the pathway to the heart, and the heart knows even that which is hidden from the mind. Sele Tora-Gild might not have chosen to be abducted, but nor does she any longer wish to be rescued. Your search for her is a futile waste of time, young Phoenix.

  "I gave my word, Sala. I can't back away now, without at least trying to find her."

  Sala heaved a resigned sigh. Very well. You will see the futility soon enough.

  With that, Sala disappeared into the heart of the fire, leaving Telyn staring listlessly into the flames.

  How could anyone not want to be rescued, especially when torn from obsessive study in a safe Cloister and then subjected to a harsh cross-country journey? Sele should be champing at the proverbial bit, anxious to get back to her beloved scrolls, most of which were now on their way to Raiador.

  Sala's prophetic statement wasn't the only thing bothering Telyn about this abduction. Lysha's mention of the Gildgard troop's mental state, and the resulting suicides, troubled Telyn. It would take strong Majik force to reduce a troop of seasoned warriors to a group of babbling, disoriented cretins. Especially Ser Bortand. She couldn't believe there was any force in this world capable of shaking his calm, stubborn disposition. Someone orchestrated this event as much to destroy the Gildgards as to abduct Sele. That thought was disconcerting. Telyn was certain there was powerful Majik at hand, and she worried about Nacaris, uncertain enough of his past to be wary of how he'd react in the presence of Majik. Could she find Sele without risking Nacaris?

  Chapter Eleven