by Kelly Carr
Katya, Crown Princess of Lezar, got to her feet as the sun began to rise over the horizon. She stood tall and straight, and her eyes blazed with a hungry blue light as she turned and gazed back in the direction she had come, full of a new purpose and determination.
Chapter five: Liana
Liana gasped and jerked awake, unable to remember what she had been dreaming save for the image of a pair of frightening blue eyes. Her hands trembled, and she was filled with a strange sense of dread, but she brushed it off and told herself she was being silly.
Shaking her head, she climbed out of bed and peered out of the window at the misty, pre-dawn world. It was too late to go back to sleep now. She closed her eyes and breathed out a stream of little lights. By their glow, she rummaged in a bag at the foot of her bed and retrieved a simple green tunic, doeskin leggings, and leather hunting boots. A length of soft green silk lay draped across the chair by the doorway. Unfolding the delicate fabric, she launched herself out the door and into the crisp morning air, the wind and her magic filling the glider and carrying her upwards.
The Sylph dwellings of Hofsfell were mostly carved into the warm red stone of a cliff that stood some two hundred feet high. No one else was about at that hour. Most of the Trevi wouldn’t wake until after sunrise, but Liana was always up first. She soared through the morning mist, enjoying the gentle caress of the wind on her skin, then banked and turned back towards the cliff, aiming for a different cave. She tumbled through the doorway and landed heavily on the bed, her glider dropping to the floor behind her.
The occupant of the bed yelped in surprise, and a head of short, tousled hair, pale as moonlight, emerged from under the blankets. Two stormy grey eyes glared up at Liana.
“Must you do that every morning?” Valeria grumbled as she sat up reluctantly.
“Only when my best friend comes to visit,” Liana said, kissing her cheek.
Valeria’s mouth curled into a grudging smile, but she shoved Liana off the bed and onto the floor. “Go away and come back at a more reasonable hour,” she said, making as though to go back to sleep.
“No, Valeria, come on,” Liana insisted. “The sun will come up any minute, and it’ll be a beautiful sunrise today, I can feel it.” She pulled her friend out of bed and helped her dress.
Reluctantly, Valeria took her own glider from under her pillow and followed Liana out and up. By the time they touched down on the top of the cliff, the S’Aidan was grinning despite herself. She threw a companionable arm around Liana’s shoulders while they sat down and gazed east across the hazy green forest.
As the sun rose, it turned the morning mist golden so that the whole forest seemed to glow. Neither of the young women said a word until the magnificent colors of the early morning had faded and the sounds of other Trevi beginning to stir reached their ears.
“Your hair is a fright,” Valeria said bluntly, attempting to comb out Liana’s long wavy locks with her fingers.
“Leave it,” Liana said, batting her hand away. “Besides, yours is no better.”
“Yes, but I don’t have to live up to Jina’s standards. You know she’ll fix it for you if I don’t.”
Liana grimaced, but she knew Valeria was right. As the Mother of Magic she was expected to look calm and collected at all times. Her foster mother had informed her on multiple occasions, that this was difficult to do when one’s hair was in wild snarls about one’s head.
Liana allowed her friend to comb out the thick red-brown strands of her hair and weave them into a braid that wound around her head and fell across her left shoulder.
“There,” Valeria said, “That will satisfy her, though that tunic won’t.”
Liana made a face. “We’re travelling through the forest today. I won’t wear some fancy gown that will rip and be ruined the first time I brush up against a tree,” she said firmly.
Valeria shrugged. “Suit yourself. It makes no difference to me. Come on. We’d best get back before you’re missed.”
Together, the friends dove off the cliff and soared in a wide downward arc that brought them into the large open cave that served as a dining hall and meeting place for the residents of Hofsfell. Already several Sylphs were milling about, filling plates with freshly baked bread and leftover stew from the evening before.
Liana was struck as she always was by how much Valeria stood out amongst them. Sylph she might be, with the pale hair and grey eyes to prove it, but she was also an Aidan and had taken much of her coloring and personality from her fiery relatives. Where the Sylphs tended to be pale of skin and hair, their personalities calm and ethereal, Valeria’s appearance was striking, her features angular and catlike, her skin a warm, sun-kissed brown. As for her personality, well, ‘calm and ethereal’ would not have been the way to describe it.
The other Sylphs greeted them politely in their native tongue, but Liana saw the wary glances they shot at her friend. Trevi of mixed abilities were very rare and powerful, but they also found it difficult to truly fit in with any of the Trevi tribes. Liana had always found this unfair because the tribes accepted her without question, and her abilities were more mixed than anyone’s.
“Good morning, Liana.”
Liana turned to find that Jina and Davu had joined them.
“Good morning,” she replied.
“What are you wearing?” Jina asked, eyeing Liana’s tunic with disapproval.
“I told you she wouldn’t like it,” Valeria sniggered.
Liana shoved her. “I’m wearing a tunic. We’re travelling today. I don’t need to look nice. Be reasonable, Jina,” she said.
Jina frowned, but let it go.
“I’m glad we’re leaving today,” Davu said. “I’ll be much happier on solid ground.”
Liana smiled. Everyone without Sylph powers found Hofsfell an uncomfortable place to stay. Unable to use gliders, they were forced to rely on a steep, narrow flight of stairs to get up and down the cliff face and between rooms. Liana had tried them once and been very happy to return to using her glider.
“Don’t worry, Davu,” Liana said, patting his arm, “We can be off as soon as we’ve eaten.”
Liana filled a plate with food and sat at a table already full of people. “Good morning,” she greeted them in the musical Sylph language.
Several of the men and women replied in kind, and the rest smiled warmly in welcome. Liana turned to the children, who were already clamoring for her attention. She reached for one of their cups and upended it over a little boy’s head. He squeezed his eyes shut, waiting to get wet, but she twisted her hand at the last moment and the water wriggled around him like a living thing. It began to weave among the children as they each tried in turn to catch it. At last, one girl smacked her hands together just as it passed her, and it exploded, soaking her dress. Everyone laughed.
Once, Liana had hated the company of children. Growing up, her peers were always jealous of her abilities. Now, as a grown woman, children found her fascinating, and adults were just in awe of her. Only her little family of Davu, Jina, Elias, and Valeria had ever treated her as an ordinary person.
Liana finished her breakfast, tied some bread and cheese in a cloth to eat on the road, and returned to her room to fetch her things. Her red and blue travelling pack had been a gift from a village of Undines on her twentieth birthday. It contained only a few clothes, some medicines, food, a blanket, and a book. She rarely found herself in need of anything else. She, Davu, and Jina were always travelling from place to place, and everywhere they stayed, they were honored guests and well provided for. Once they had had many companions on the road, but in the last few years their numbers had dwindled, as it became clear that she had mastered her powers.
Liana let out a shocked cry as something knocked her over.
“Hah!” Valeria shouted in triumph. “Payback for earlier. Ready?”
“Ready,” Liana grumbled, though she couldn’t suppress a small smile.
They soared to the top of the cliff, where Ji
na, Davu, and a few other Trevi, also on their way to Ozryn, were waiting for them. Together, they shouldered their packs and started down the road.
They talked and sang as they walked, switching from one Trevi language to another. Jina had tutored Liana in all the Trevi tongues from the moment she was placed in her care. Liana spoke all of them fluently, though with a slight accent.
When they stopped to rest at midday, Liana found that Valeria had disappeared. She sighed. Her friend loved to roam from place to place, but she had little patience for travelling on foot. She had probably flown off on her own adventures the way she often did. Sometimes Liana went with her, but mostly she chose to walk with her family.
By the end of the day, however, Liana was wishing she had flown ahead with her friend. Her feet ached, and the city was still four days away. She unrolled her blankets with a groan and stared up at the stars, listening to the breathing of her companions grow soft and regular. Finally, when she was sure everyone was asleep, she rose and crept off into the trees until she found a small clearing.
There, she sat and cleared her mind until she felt nothing but the raw power flowing around her. She could feel it humming along her skin everywhere she went in the forest. It practically buzzed when she touched any of the Trevi, though she kept this fact to herself. It was such a constant presence that she hardly noticed it anymore unless she focused. She did that now, drawing the power into her with one breath and breathing it out with the next. She rose to her feet and blew out a soft white mist. With every breath, it grew around her until she couldn’t see the trees at the edge of the clearing.
Safe from any prying eyes, she lifted her hands, and balls of light appeared in the air around her. She made them dance and spin and smiled. Some powers were long gone among the Trevi. There had been no one to teach her their use, and they seemed to make the Trevi uncomfortable, so she had long ago stopped using them, except at night when there was no one to see.
Finally, she allowed the lights to fade and the mist to disperse. She sat and concentrated with all her remaining energy on the one thing she had never been able to do: create a living creature. She had always been told that, as the Mother of Magic, she ought to have that power, but it had never shown itself. Somehow, despite her desire to please her people, she found herself glad that this one thing was beyond her abilities. She often thought she had more power than any one person should.
With a shrug, she got to her feet and returned to the camp. She lay on her bedroll, staring up at the stars and watching clouds drift across the moon until the music of the crickets finally lulled her to sleep.
Chapter six: Valeria
Valeria arrived in Ozryn only a few hours before Liana and her companions. She had spent the intervening time visiting a variety of hidden places in the forest that she had found over the years. Ever since she was small, she had been restless; never able to stay in one place for long. More than anything she loved to travel, but lately she was finding that she had seen most of the worthwhile places in the Erean Forest, vast though it was.
She unrolled a faded scroll of paper as she reclined lazily in a tree, waiting for her friends to arrive. It showed a detailed map of the forest and mountains. All the Trevi settlements were marked, and over the years she had added many of her own discoveries. Now, however, her eyes strayed to the blank spaces beyond the forest. She ran her finger across them wistfully.
“The Mother of Magic! The Mother of Magic is here!”
Valeria looked up at the sudden commotion and suppressed a laugh. The Trevi had called Liana the Mother of Magic since she was little more than a toddler. It had never seemed to suit her, hard though she tried to live up to it. The title sounded so wise and all-powerful. Power her friend might have in abundance, but she never flaunted it, and she was certainly no wiser than any other young Trevi.
Valeria got to her feet and brushed the leaves from her clothes, then retrieved her glider and followed the crowd of people running to meet Liana. When she was just above the small party of travellers, she released one end of her glider and dropped to the ground right beside her friend.
Liana jumped, then gave her a playful shove. “Not fair!” she said. “I can’t tell you’re going to do that when all these people are around me.”
Valeria threw an arm around her friend’s shoulders with a mischevious grin. “I know,” she replied.
At that moment, the crowd made way for four men and four women. They varied in age and appearance, but all were richly dressed and wore serious expressions. They spun in unison as a gesture of respect to Liana, and then an ancient Undine with many glittering beads woven into her snow-white hair stepped forward.
“Welcome to Ozryn, Lady Liana,” she said. “The Avenai Jevar have much to discuss with you. I know you must be tired from your journey, but please come speak with us at your earliest convenience.”
Valeria could tell from the woman’s tone that it wasn’t really a request. The Avenai Jevar was the council that governed the Trevi. Every ten years, each of the tribes elected one man and one woman to represent them. The council was very fond of traditions and less fond of change. They had never fully approved of Liana, but the will of the people had forced them to accept her as a higher authority.
Liana was used to their attitude and didn’t flinch. “Thank you,” she said, “I will be with you as soon as I am able.”
The older woman gave a curt nod, and she and the other council members retreated back towards the city. The crowd descended on Liana.
Valeria winced at the press of people around them. “I’ll see you later,” she said, and hurried off in the direction of the sparring field, leaving Liana to greet the rest of the Trevi. No one would notice her absence. They never did, not that she minded. She preferred solitude or the company of small groups to large crowds.
It was tempting to take to the air, but Ozryn was a city best enjoyed on foot. From the air, there was little to see but the tops of trees, no different from anywhere else in the forest. Looking up from the ground, however, was a different matter. The bright light of the midday sun filtered down through the leaves above, casting dappled shadows across the forest floor. High among the tree branches, houses were perched like giant birds' nests, each grown magically from the tree itself. Rope bridges dangled between them, creating paths through the air for those without the ability to fly.
Of course, some of the Trevi preferred to live closer to the ground. The center of the city was split by a deep gorge. At the bottom, the Salzen River rushed by, and along its sides, buildings with tall stone columns and graceful arches were carved into the stone.
Valeria’s favorite thing about the city had nothing to do with its beauty. In Ozryn, all the Trevi tribes came to teach and to learn from one another. Those who lived in the city for a long time came to care less for the cultural differences between the tribes and accepted people like herself, Davu, and Jina more easily. Valeria hoped that one day everyone in the Erean Forest would share that tolerance, but change came slowly to the Trevi.
The sparring field was at the edge of the city, in a large clearing. Boulders were strewn across the ground to provide a more dynamic fight. A small building between two trees housed a variety of weapons, from ordinary swords to rare and unusual items like a pair of metal fans with the edges honed into deadly blades. Most of the practice weapons had dull blades. None of the Trevi had been engaged in real warfare since they retreated into the forest, but many still practiced with the weapons for exercise and entertainment.
Valeria debated for a moment between a bow and arrows and a sword. Finally, she took the sword. She strapped on a simple leather vest and greaves for protection, then strode out onto the field, looking for a partner. Most of the Trevi present were already engaged, but after a few moments, a skinny young Oread approached her. The boy couldn’t be more than sixteen years old, but he had a determined glint in his eye. Valeria smiled.
Without a word, they each gave the other a soldier’s salut
e, one fist clapped to the chest, and took a ready stance. The boy struck first, surprisingly strong for his size. Taken off guard, Valeria retreated a few steps, but quickly regained her composure, parried the blow, and struck back. The bout lasted for several minutes, but finally Valeria saw a small tree root by the boy’s right foot. She made a feint towards his face, and he stepped backwards, tripping and landing on his backside with a grunt. She took that moment to knock his sword from his hand and bring her own up to his throat.
“I yield,” the boy said.
Valeria grinned and helped him to his feet. “You fought well,” she said, “but you must always be aware of your surroundings.”
“I’ll remember that,” the boy said, “Would you care to try again?”
Valeria raised her blade in answer, and they began once more. The boy fought hard, and Valeria found herself focusing all her energy on fending him off.
“My love!” The voice came from the edge of the clearing. Up until then, there had been little to hear but the clash of weapons. Valeria found her gaze drifting in the direction of the speaker and saw a tall, swarthy Aidan man running to greet someone. She parried a thrust and looked again. Jina emerged from between the trees, and the man wrapped his arms around her and kissed her soundly.
Valeria missed a thrust, and her opponent exploited her distraction, striking at her fiercely. She blocked the blow, but stumbled backwards, twisting her ankle and collapsing with a small cry of pain. The boy dropped his sword instantly and knelt beside her. A moment later, they were joined by Jina and half a dozen concerned onlookers.
Valeria’s cheeks burned with embarrassment.
“Are you alright?” Jina asked.
“I’m fine,” Valeria said, attempting to stand. Pain shot through her ankle, and she fell backwards again.
“Someone bring me some water,” Jina said calmly. Someone presented her with a bowl of water from a nearby stream. Jina dipped her hand in the liquid, then lay her palm over the injured ankle. Valeria let out a sigh of relief as the pain eased. Gradually, the spectators drifted away.
