by Kelly Carr
“Are you alright?” the Oread boy asked, his voice full of concern.
“She’ll be fine by tomorrow,” Jina promised him. “Run along now and find another partner.”
The boy did as he was told.
Jina helped Valeria to her feet and watched as she tested the ankle.
“It’s much better, thank you,” said Valeria.
Jina nodded. “Good. Have a soak in the hot springs tonight, and it’ll heal even faster. No more sparring today.” She gave Valeria a little push in the right direction.
Valeria sighed but did as she was told, glancing back just once to see Jina leaving the field in the opposite direction, arm in arm with her Aidan friend.
The entrance to the hot springs was difficult to find if one didn’t know where to look. In the foothills of the Lorenai mountains was the mouth of a cave, concealed by foliage, but easy to enter. The opening itself was low and narrow, but the network of caves beyond stretched for nearly half a league. There were small caves and large ones, some with openings above and some without, but most contained pools of steaming water. The depth and temperature of the water varied, but many Trevi liked to relax there in the evenings.
Many of the pools were already occupied when Valeria arrived. She walked deep into the tunnel in search of an empty cave. When at last she located one, she removed her clothes and dipped a toe in the water, grimacing as she found it too tepid for her taste. Kneeling down, she conjured flames in both palms and shot them into the water until steam billowed up to fill the cave. She sank into the pool with a small groan of pleasure and closed her eyes.
Valeria lay relaxing in the hot water for some time. Finally, the sound of rustling clothing made her open her eyes and look around.
“Mind if I join you?” Liana asked, already slipping off the elegant dress she had worn to meet with the Avenai Jevar.
Valeria shrugged, and her friend slid into the water across from her with a sigh.
“How did you find me?” Valeria asked.
“Jina told me what happened,” Liana said simply. “I figured I’d join you. Anything to escape the Avenai Jevar. I can’t believe Jina wants to be one of them.”
“She might actually do them some good if they’d allow her to join them,” Valeria said.
Jina had twice attempted to participate in the elections for the Avenai Jevar. Each time, the council members claimed that, as someone of mixed Trevi heritage, she wouldn’t be able to devote her full attention to the people she was elected to represent. It was utter nonsense, of course. Anyone could see that Jina was a born leader.
“What did they need to discuss with you anyway?” Valeria asked.
“All the usual complaints of the Trevi. Nothing particularly interesting. Not much changes here. I could make some changes for the better if the Avenai Jevar would let me, but their support of me is all for show. The Trevi would be shocked to know how little political power I have.”
Valeria knew it. Jina, Davu, and Elias had always hoped that, as she grew older, Liana would be able to assume more true power and use it to help the Trevi, but age was a relative thing among the Trevi, who could live for nearly a millennium, barring any accidents or illnesses. They came of age at twenty-five but continued to be viewed as immature children until they had lived at least a full century.
They sat in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. Finally, Valeria splashed Liana and climbed out of the pool to retrieve her clothes.
Liana followed her, and together they wandered back down the corridor and out into the cool evening air. Suddenly, Valeria felt a restless need to move.
“Come on, I’ll race you back to the city,” she said and leapt into the air without waiting for a response.
Chapter seven: Elias
In the indigo light of the early morning, Elias left his small dwelling on the outskirts of Ozryn. He was no hermit, but it had been centuries since he enjoyed the large crowds inside the Trevi capital. His breath blew out like smoke in the chill of the pre-dawn air as he made his way quietly through the sleeping city.
Liana’s small room, the only place in the entire Erean Forest that she claimed as her own, was located in the densest part of the network of buildings in the treetops. The light grew brighter as Elias climbed up the trunk of an ancient oak tree. By the time he reached the top, the sun was just rising above the horizon.
Liana opened her door just as he was about to knock. As usual, she was clad very simply, in a tunic, leggings, and hunting boots, with her long hair tied out of the way with a simple leather band.
Elias smiled warmly and embraced her, surprised, as he always was, at how quickly she had grown. To him, it seemed only a moment ago that he had first seen her, a fierce and frightened little girl named Lydia. He wondered if she remembered too. They never spoke about it.
“Welcome home,” Elias said, reaching into his bag to retrieve the two honey cakes he had baked. He handed one to Liana, still steaming hot. She took it from him with a grin, and his tired old heart melted the way it did every time she smiled.
“Thanks,” she said, biting into the cake with a small moan of satisfaction. “Mm! You should have been a baker, Elias. Your talents are wasted on storytelling.”
Elias smiled at the compliment but made no reply. They climbed down to the ground and walked along in silence, eating their cakes. They were just licking the last of the honey from their fingers when they arrived at the edge of the sparring field. Already, several Trevi were duelling one another.
Elias took a seat at the edge of the field while Liana retrieved a sword from the weapons hut. She looked around eagerly for a partner, but there was none to be seen. He saw the sidelong glance she cast at him, but she knew better than to ask him to be her opponent.
Elias never participated in sparring of any kind. He was simply the ancient storyteller who kept to himself. If it hadn’t been for the unnaturally slow rate at which he aged, he doubted anyone would have taken any notice of him at all, though during the last few years, his age had finally begun to show in the lines around his eyes and mouth. He sometimes wondered if it was the Mother of Magic’s return that had caused the change.
Liana’s eyes brightened as Davu entered the clearing and called a morning greeting.
“Good morning,” she replied. “Are you looking for a partner?” Her voice was eager, and her eyes were bright.
“As it happens, I am,” Davu said, disappearing into the weapons hut for a moment and returning with a heavy, double-bladed axe.
Liana grimaced, looking doubtfully at her sword for a moment, then set her jaw and sank into a defensive pose. For several moments, neither of them moved. To untrained eyes, it might have appeared that nothing was happening, but Elias knew that each was analyzing the other’s position and determining whether to attack or defend.
Suddenly, Davu struck, but Liana spun out of the way in a flash and counter-attacked. The two met in a flurry of blows, and the clearing rang with the sound of metal on metal.
Elias’ eyes flew back and forth, measuring each of the combatants’ chances. Davu’s muscles and size were definite assets, but Liana’s speed and flexibility were more than a match for his brute strength.
The bout lasted for several minutes until Davu over-extended his arms on a swing. Taking advantage, Liana grabbed the handle of his axe and pulled, setting him off balance. By the time he had regained his footing, Liana’s sword was at his throat.
“That was a dirty trick,” Davu said with a scowl that was only half-serious. Elias could see the pride in his eyes. Davu had trained Liana in swordplay himself. The fact that she could now best him, even if it was through trickery, meant that she had learned her lessons well.
“Well I won, didn’t I?” Liana said.
“This time,” Davu grumbled, then let his face relax into a grin. “You won’t be so lucky next time.”
In response, Liana took a ready stance, but just as they were about to begin again, Jina’s voice echoed
out across the field.
“Davu!”
Davu winced guiltily. “Uh-oh.”
Liana raised an amused eyebrow. “Were you supposed to be somewhere else this morning?” she asked.
“I might have made certain promises…” Davu said.
Jina marched straight up to them and placed an accusing finger squarely in the middle of Davu’s chest. He looked down at it, slightly cross-eyed, then flicked his gaze back up to his sister’s face.
“Good morning, Jina,” he said cheerfully.
“You promised, Davu! You promised we could practice our performance for the festival this morning and then you snuck out here to play with Liana. Good morning, dear,” she said, bestowing a brief smile on Liana before turning back to glare at her brother.
“The sun’s barely up, Jina, we have the whole day to practice,” Davu said, patting her on the arm placatingly.
“It’s a complicated routine, and we only have a few days left to perfect it,” Jina insisted. “We need to practice. Now!” She grabbed him by the wrist as though he were a misbehaving child and started pulling him away into the forest, pausing briefly to turn back and wave at Liana.
Liana grinned and waved back.
Elias just shook his head. For as long as he had known them, Jina had been the responsible one. Davu always seemed to be shirking his duties in favor of having a good time. Elias had never understood the strange rapport between them, half fighting, and half teasing, but simply put it down to them being twins. He shrugged and got to his feet.
Liana turned her attention back to him.
“So,” he said, “Will you wait for another partner, or have you had enough for one morning?”
Liana sighed. “I’d like to wait for another partner, but I have too much to get done.” Her disappointment was evident, but Elias nodded his approval at her practicality.
Together, they strode back into the forest and down many hidden side paths to the small house that Elias called home. Liana was one of only a few people Elias had ever permitted to visit him, and she had once told him that his house was one of her favorite places in the Erean Forest.
It was simple in form, constructed by hand rather than molded from the tree by magic as most buildings were. The interior was warm and friendly, with many books piled in the corners. There were a few comfortable places to sit, and the air always smelled faintly of baked bread.
Liana took a seat in her usual chair, across from Elias, and her lesson began. Most Trevi completed their education by the age of twenty, but they only needed to know of their own tribe and the Trevi’s general history and politics. Liana needed a complete knowledge of all the tribes, languages, and magics, of the Trevi, as well as how they related to one another. Her lessons were likely to continue for years, but she didn’t seem to mind.
Usually, many hours a day were devoted to Liana’s education, but with the Trevi all gathered and eager to see their leader, they had little time today for more than a general review. Elias baked as he talked. Years ago, he had attempted to teach Liana how to cook and bake, but anything more than the simplest dishes was beyond her. No matter how hard she tried, something always went wrong. However, she seemed content to watch and hand him whatever he needed.
To Elias, it felt as though the hours passed too quickly. Before he knew it, the table was piled high with cakes and bread, and Liana was packing them carefully to be brought to the spring festival.
“Come on, Elias,” Liana said when he hesitated at the doorway. "I can’t carry all this by myself.”
Reluctantly, Elias grabbed a tray of cakes and followed her, a gentle smile on his face at her eagerness. A grown woman she might be, but in his eyes, she was still the sweet child who had softened his heart the moment they met.
The preparations for the festival were taking place in a large clearing, not far from the city. Jina and Davu were there, already finished rehearsing their performance for the festival. Jina was busy directing the preparations, everyone following her instructions without question. Already, lanterns were strung across half the clearing, waiting to be lit, and Davu had raised platforms for performers and a table for the feast.
Elias marvelled at Jina’s efficiency. She had even managed to get Valeria involved in carrying messages back and forth from the city about the progress of the preparations.
It pleased Elias to see all the tribes working together so harmoniously, just as they had when he was a young boy. Liana joined the preparations enthusiastically, everyone greeting her with cries of welcome. Elias smiled again and quietly lay his tray down with the rest of the food before retreating into the shade of the trees, content to watch from a distance.
Chapter Eight: Liana
The festival preparations took all day, but Liana didn’t mind. The atmosphere was full of eager excitement. She laughed and joked with her people as she grew wildflowers from the ground. With practiced fingers she wove them into garlands to crown the heads of the revellers and adorn the trunks of the trees.
In other clearings and glades throughout the Erean forest, similar arrangements were being made, but the gathering in Ozryn was the largest and most diverse celebration. The preparations would take days to be fully completed, but by the time the sun went down that first day, Liana thought they had made a good start.
When darkness fell, the crowd dispersed, and Liana and Valeria began to make their way wearily back towards their homes. They weren’t even halfway there when Davu caught up with them, a familiar gleam in his eyes.
Instantly, Liana was alert. She understood what that expression meant. “Humans?” she said, though she already knew the answer.
“Headed south,” Davu answered simply.
Valeria grinned. “Well? What are we waiting for then? Let’s go,” she said, her fingers twitching on her glider with the desire to unfold it.
Liana placed a calming hand over her friend’s. “Be patient. We’ll get there soon enough, and Davu can’t fly. Besides, you don’t even know where they are,” she said.
“I could find them,” Valeria grumbled, but she grudgingly followed Davu on foot.
They slipped through the trees quietly, keeping to the shadows to avoid detection. No one must know where they were going. Liana couldn’t resist a smile. She did everything that was asked of her and tried her best to set a good example and live up to the Trevi’s high expectations, but in this one thing, she broke the rules. Every time there was a party of Humans travelling the road through the forest, she went to see them. Davu’s interest in Humans had never dimmed, and even Valeria, after some initial misgivings, had found the act of observing the forbidden Humans a source of great entertainment.
The road was the only route the Humans were allowed to use through the forest, so their camp wasn’t difficult to find. Liana, Valeria, and Davu crept forward until they were just outside the circle of firelight. There were more than a dozen people around the campfire, along with horses and carts laden with a variety of items. A trading party.
Liana examined their features curiously. She had no memory of her life before she became the Mother of Magic. She had been informed of her Human origins, though it was a closely guarded secret. Every time she observed a party of Humans, she looked into their faces and wondered if any might have known her as a child. Tonight, everyone wore expressions that ranged from anger and frustration to worry and disappointment. Liana listened carefully to hear what they were saying.
“—supposed to do if we can’t sell our goods?” said a young man angrily. “We’ll starve, and so will every merchant in northern Torvain.”
“Don’t be so dramatic,” another man said. “We could always take things to the capital and sell them at the market.”
“And what will the people of Lezar do?” the angry man asked. “They may do well enough through the summer, but they rely on southern goods during the winter. What possible reason could they have for closing their borders?”
In the shadows, Liana raised her eyebrows i
n surprise and concern at this piece of information.
“Perhaps there’s an illness spreading through the kingdom. They might be trying to contain it and prevent it from getting into the other kingdoms,” an older man suggested.
The entire party paused to consider this possibility.
“Regardless of the reason, the best thing we can do now is travel south as quickly as possible and attempt to find other buyers for our goods,” the old man said. “We’ll leave at first light tomorrow.”
The rest of the party grumbled, but no one protested, and soon everyone was curled up under blankets and snoring softly. When it was clear that there would be nothing more to see that evening, Liana, Davu, and Valeria retreated back towards Ozryn.
“What was that all about?” Valeria asked. “Why would one of the kingdoms close its borders?”
Liana shook her head. “I’m afraid I have no more answers on that point than they did,” she said, “but it worries me.”
“Why?” Valeria asked. “It’s not as if we have any trade to worry about with the kingdoms. It has no effect on us.”
Liana frowned. “Perhaps, but I’ve never heard of such a thing happening before. It could be important. Davu, do you suppose we should tell the Avenai Jevar about this?”
Davu looked uncomfortable. “I don’t think we should rush into anything until we know more. To inform the Avenai Jevar would be to admit that we bend the rules about approaching Humans. I don’t know how they’d react to that, but I’m guessing it wouldn’t be good…”
Liana grimaced in agreement. “Alright, but we should keep a close watch on this situation.”
Davu nodded, and they continued back towards Ozryn, not speaking, each considering the possible implications of what they had heard.
As they approached the city, Liana caught the sound of her name being called by many raised voices.
