"Are you going to go out there?" Hallahna's amused voice jolted Amischel from her worrying.
"I don't know why I said I would do this. Just because I'm a good shot doesn't mean I can teach others to be as well...I've always had a knack for the bow—you can't teach people how to do something that feels as natural as breathing," Amischel said.
"Well you certainly cannot teach them anything if you stay back here," Hallahna said wryly, "Besides, I think Calistra asked you to do this because of more than just your archery talent."
"That thing you said I have...affinity. That's supposed to help me do this?" Amischel asked skeptically.
Hallahna shrugged. "Maybe. I do not know how it works. It is your gift."
"I don't think it's something I can just do on purpose...what if they all get frustrated and decide not to help us and...
"...and what if they all turn out to be just as skilled as you are and help us overthrow the king and defeat Keburukan and you become a hero?" Hallahna interrupted.
Amischel gave her a flat look. "I don't think that'll happen."
"Well, they probably will not turn out as good as you...take some of that confidence in your skill and use it to get you out there."
"I wasn't...I meant that I doubt my teaching them will have any significant impact on the war, not that they wouldn't be as good as me." Amischel rolled her eyes.
Hallahna gave her a long look, then shrugged. "Ok, I will do it." She grabbed Amischel's bow right out of her hands and walked out to stand in front of the crowd. The talking didn't stop, if anything it got louder when they saw that she was Shaari.
Hallahna smiled, aimed the bow into the air over their heads, and shot an arrow into the sky.
"Oh for Light's sake!" Amischel murmured under her breath, running out to snatch her bow from Hallahna. At that moment Hallahna’s dragon snatched the arrow from the air and shrieked playfully, diving towards them while several people screamed and ducked in fear. Hallahna plucked the arrow from her talons and handed it to Amischel. "There you go, you have their attention now."
She walked calmly to the edge of the clearing with Irakyll perched on her shoulder, crooning and praising the dragon for retrieving the arrow so well.
Amischel stared after her for a moment, then cleared her throat and looked at the crowd.
"How many of you already know how to shoot a bow?" She asked shakily. Most of the hands went up. Well that was a relief. "How many of you have ever killed something with one?" Only a few hands went down. Most of these people were too poor to buy meat from a butcher, so they hunted instead. That was good. Shooting a deer wasn't so different than shooting a soldier...except that if you missed, the soldier would try to kill you.
"Shooting during a battle is much harder than on a hunt. Instead of the quiet rustle of trees to draw your focus, you'll have to tune out shouting, running, and screams of pain. Instead of waiting a breath to narrow your aim for the kill, you will have to shoot when told. And if you fail to hit the target, a part of the blame for every person that soldier kills, lies with you. We are the first line of defense and offense. If we do our job right, everyone else has their best chance of winning the battle. If we do it wrong, more of our people will die."
The people were silent, some looking determined while many others shifted uncomfortably. They weren't ready for how candidly she spoke about the grim realities of war. Her nerves were too high strung for her to stop and dwell on it too long. If she kept talking she'd be fine, but if she paused for too long, she was afraid she'd freeze up again.
"Let's break off and shoot now so I can see what I have to work with. I want three equal groups."
The people scurried to do as she directed, one group facing the trees on one side, another behind them facing the opposite direction, and a third collecting arrows and fetching any other supplies that became necessary.
Amischel still wasn't sure she quite believed Hallahna's assessment of her abilities, but she did notice that as the session went on the people she interacted with directly started to relax much more quickly than the ones she did not. She wasn't entirely convinced it wasn't a result of something more mundane...maybe she was just likeable? Then again, who was to say people who were naturally more likeable didn’t also have a touch of the same gift? She shook her head absently to clear the distracting thoughts. For now, she should just focus on doing the task she’d been assigned...whatever her special “talents” she was pretty sure they weren’t going to magically make these people better at shooting a bow.
* * * * *
Calistra watched the training session from a discreet distance—no need to make Amischel nervous all over again. She'd come to see how the villagers responded to the woman, and she wasn't disappointed. Despite her natural shyness, Amischel had a talent for leadership and diplomacy. She soothed fears, diffused frustration, and raised confidence levels as naturally as breathing. When Calistra looked to see if there was magic in play, she could just sense a vague whisper of power trailing in Amischel's wake as she moved from person to person, correcting stances and offering advice. It was subtle, specific...and somehow performed unconsciously.
Amischel was definitely not using a spell.
It was magic done in a way Calistra hadn't thought possible...except, hadn't she seen something like it before? Her mind flashed back to the ball they'd held for Ky'ara's birthday, hadn't her ability to dance come from a similar sort of magic? At the time she'd assumed Taren had used a spell behind Ky'ara's back...but now that she'd evaluated Amischel's brand of magic, she wasn't so sure. How was it even possible? This wasn't the uncontrolled accidental magic of an untrained mage. It was as though it was an inherent part of who Amischel was, much in the same way that magic was a part of the dragons.
It was a mystery for another day. For now, she would just have to be content with reaping its benefits, even if she didn't fully understand how it worked.
* * * * *
Ky'ara put down her pen and rubbed her temples wearily. She'd spent the last few days reading and rereading the two books of history and prophecy, copying notes and relevant passages into a small, leather bound journal Calistra had supplied her. Now she was attempting to record everything she could remember about her conversation with Arys. There was a lot she was sure she was forgetting, but the things she had already written down had given her new food for thought and a spark of hope that she could figure out a way to defeat the Destroyer...or at least a way to survive an encounter with the Destroyer long enough to rescue Taren.
"Any luck today?" Joran asked. Ky'ara looked up and gratefully took the cup of water he had brought her.
"Nothing in particular...I'm still trying to wrap my head around some of the basic principles of magic that Arys taught me. I wish Calistra had time to sit and discuss it all with me...I don't know what meshes with how she was taught magic and what is totally new information. It'd be nice to get another perspective."
Joran looked thoughtful. "Maybe Lauryn could help with that? Though I guess she may not know much about the types of things you want to discuss...and magic is a bit of a sore subject with her."
"What do you mean?" Ky'ara asked, looking up from where she'd just jotted something down.
"Well, she always felt like Myrnai was disappointed that she didn't have the ability to do magic. She couldn't really be a full apprentice without it...and I think she feels the same way about her father. Like maybe if she had the talent for magic he wouldn't have left them, since magic seems to be all he cares about.”
Ky'ara mulled this over. "I don't think it would've made a difference with her father, and Myrnai loved her regardless. She should know that." Internally, she wondered though...if Lauryn's father was such a powerful mage, why didn't she have any magic? Unless she had the potential, but somehow it hadn’t been activated yet? Lauryn didn’t believe that was the case, but hadn’t Arys said something about belief and emotion-oriented mages…?
Joran shrugged, breaking her out of her musing.
"Maybe, but it's still a sore topic. I wonder though...Iregh may have done some truly terrible things, but he does love magic...Maybe you should try to talk to him about all this." He waved his hand at her research. "It's risky to give him any information he might not already know, but it also might be our only chance of finding out how to defeat the Destroyer."
Ky'ara nodded. She'd thought of that, but after her last encounter with the enemy mage she wasn't sure she could control herself around him. If he so much as hinted at what he'd done to Taren...She made the conscious effort to unclench her hands. Getting angry at nothing wasn't going to help her. She needed information, and strangling Iregh was unlikely to result in his cooperation.
"Err...maybe we should send someone with you, if you do go. Just to be sure you don't accidentally break through Calistra's shield spell and attack him," Joran said.
"I think Calistra said she has to be there anyways, so I'm back to waiting for her to be available." Ky'ara sighed in frustration.
"Sukylar can get you in. Calistra gave him the key-charm to access the prison room."
"Isn't he out scouting?"
"Not today...his unit is on prison-tent duty instead. Hence why Calistra gave him the key.”
Ky’ara hesitated, it was risky talking to Iregh...if he managed to escape, any knowledge they gave him might give away their strategy. It could ultimately mean they lost any element of surprise and failed at their attempt to rescue Taren. Then again, right now they didn’t have a strategy, so what did they have to lose?
* * * * *
When they had moved the prisoners to the main camp, Calistra had arranged to have a special prison tent placed adjacent to her command tent. The walls of both tents were spelled to block all sound, and Calistra claimed the small risk that Iregh might find a way around these spells was mitigated by her desire to have him where she could keep an eye on him. When Ky'ara and Joran reached the command tent, the guard at the door indicated that Calistra was in an important meeting and was not to be disturbed, so they headed into the prison tent instead.
Sukylar looked up from his conversation with one of the other scouts on guard and raised an eyebrow. "Joran! What brings you here on such a fine day?"
Ky'ara and Joran exchanged a look. Sukylar was certainly more cheery than normal. "I've been researching for days, and I needed a break...I also realized I don't know much about magical theory..."
"And we have a prisoner who has spent his life studying it. How convenient." Sukylar surmised.
"If he'll talk to me about it," Ky'ara said.
"He is a slippery one, that's for sure. Calistra said he's got a rare talent for frustrating his interrogators...but then, as long as you don't ask anything that directly betrays his loyalty to the Destroyer, you may be able to get something out of him. He does seem genuinely interested in any type of magic." Sukylar shrugged and dug in his pocket for the key: a small piece of white cloth that flickered purple in Ky'ara's peripheral vision. He motioned to one of the other scouts with a quick turn of his wrist, then met Ky'ara's eyes with a serious look.
"Calistra gave me some very strict instructions regarding standard procedure for anyone entering his cell: I have to remain on the other side of the door so I can seal it once you go in, which means you must be accompanied by another guard. You have no more than half an hour to speak to him. If you need out before then, tap on the wall like this." He used a finger to lightly beat out a pattern on her wrist. Ky'ara nodded her understanding.
"Is a guard really necessary?" Joran asked, "Don't I count?"
"You don't get to go in," Sukylar said blithely, "Your sister seems to think you might do something stupid."
"Oh for Light's—Ky’ara's going to be a lot safer with me in there than some half-wit scout, and she's more likely to do something stupid to him than I am!"
Sukylar shrugged, "Sorry, orders are orders. She said you weren't allowed in without her. She never mentioned Ky'ara."
Joran grumbled, but settled back to wait.
The scout Sukylar had called over joined Ky’ara by the wall, and with a start she realized that it was Norika. The woman looked totally at ease in the scout uniform, the formal tunic somehow lending her an air of authority that masked how short she was until she was up close.
“You seem to have adjusted to life with the rebels quickly,” Ky’ara said as Sukylar murmured the words to activate the key-charm and reveal the door.
Nori shrugged, motioning her forward. Ky’ara looked at Sukylar and tilted her head towards the diminutive Elysian. “Are you sure you aren’t sending me in there with two enemies?”
Sukylar looked startled at the suggestion. “Nori has been a valuable addition to our squad and will protect you better than any of the others. Besides, she won’t do anything to jeopardize her deal with us.”
The Elysian woman shot him a wry look, to which he responded with an easy smile.
“Yes, I trust you. So far you’ve earned it. Don’t prove me wrong, alright?” He said, nudging them through the door. “Remember, thirty minutes only.”
As he sealed the door behind them, all sound from the outer room cut off. The silence was sudden and unnerving. Ky’ara looked across the room at the enemy mage. He looked altogether too comfortable sitting in the chair, despite the shackles on his ankles and wrists. Sunlight penetrated the light-colored walls of the tent just enough to cast a dull glow throughout the room, throwing Iregh’s face into shadow.
“I don’t suppose you brought dinner with you?” the man said, looking up disinterestedly.
Ky’ara took a steadying breath, preparing herself to deal with his attitude. “I imagine you’ll get fed when you usually do.”
Iregh shrugged, looking at her companion instead. “Ahh, an Elysian. How quaint that you’ve started recruiting from the mountains. I didn’t think you were so desperate for followers that you needed to resort to using children as soldiers.”
Ky’ara looked at the scout apprehensively, wondering if she’d keep her cool. Nori just rolled her eyes, “Is that really the best insult you can come up with? That I’m short?”
“I wasn’t referring to your height,” Iregh said blithely. He didn’t elaborate.
Nori’s face darkened, but she held her tongue. Her mother’s people preferred simple lives up in the mountains, away from the rest of the world. Many assumed this meant the Elysians themselves were simple-minded or primitive. It wasn’t a new insult, but it still stung.
Reassured that Norika wasn’t going to be baited into anything, Ky’ara focused her attention back on the reason she’d visited in the first place. She wasn’t sure how to approach the issue. Iregh liked frustrating people almost as much as he liked magic...he might decide that he’d rather toy with her than discuss the creation of the crystal. She had hoped the chance to learn what they knew would be enough to keep his interest, but there was really no guarantee. Maybe she’d be better off playing on a different emotion.
“I assume you didn’t come here just to provide me with entertainment,” Iregh said after disappointedly watching the color of Nori’s face return to normal.
“I thought you said Ekzhad was the one who derived pleasure from people’s pain? Yet you insult people purely for your own enjoyment?” Ky’ara countered.
As she'd expected, his face darkened at the mention of his former colleague.
"The difference between us, dear girl, is that Ekzhad let it distract him from his goals. I have nothing else to do now, so I may as well find what pleasure I can."
"Ekzhad didn't lose to me because he was distracted, he lost because I outsmarted him," Ky'ara said, "just like I outsmarted you."
Iregh snorted. "Ekzhad had centuries to plan and plot and scheme. If you outsmarted him, it was because he let himself be distracted by his desire for revenge."
Centuries? As a necromancer had he been able to extend his life that long? Or had he died sometime past and somehow been resurrected more recently...maybe he'd spent centuries plotting while i
n Death, waiting for the right person to come along...but that would imply that the Destroyer had somehow been manipulated into using him, rather than the other way around...the doors of thought this small revelation opened were so numerous that it was all Ky'ara could do to stifle them for now and focus on pulling more out of Iregh.
The enemy mage was leaning back in his chair with a guarded expression on his face. He seemed to realize he'd just given something away, though he couldn't possibly know how much she could get from it.
"Ekzhad was just like all of you evil mages. He thought he could win because he was more powerful and more ruthless. If anything distracted him, it was his own ego. And I'm pretty sure that's something you two have in common."
"My dear, I don't know what you think you are going to gain from this conversation." Iregh said condescendingly, clearly trying to change the subject.
"I think I've already gained what I wanted to," Ky'ara said slowly, taking a gamble. "Ekzhad wanted the crystal, not for your master like he was supposed to, but for himself! He failed and you were sent to retrieve it instead." She was just throwing random things out now, hoping he'd let something else slip.
He stayed silent.
Maybe he wanted her to think that she was right, that she’d hit a nerve...she knew though, that the crystal was not what they were after...unless, she’d been partially right? The attack by the crow last year had left them thinking that the necromancer wanted the crystal for himself. If Iregh realized that but hadn’t told his master maybe his loyalty wasn’t as strong as they’d thought....unless that was what he wanted her to think. Ugh. This was starting to hurt her head. Trying to manipulate someone who had a lifetime of practice manipulating others was even more challenging than she’d anticipated. Everything she thought she tricked out of him could be exactly what he wanted her to think...but no, some of it had to be right. He couldn’t possibly know what conclusions she would draw. He didn’t know what she knew, and most importantly, he didn’t know her.
“Thank you for your help,” Ky’ara said, knowing that no matter how confident he was, it would send him a niggling bit of doubt that maybe he’d let something important slip. And maybe that would scare him into letting something else slip next time.
The Druids' Legacy Page 20
