“I talked to Eric,” said Justin. “He has no problems with your idea. It takes effort so he isn’t willing to do it a lot. Tonight you should dream of Peter. Eric will arrange for Peter to nod off during the Sermon since he’s still at church. It will only take a minute, and no one around him will notice. Eric will make the dream connection. I don’t know how to do that. We don’t know how much Peter will remember when he wakes up. I don’t know how much control you will have, but that’s the best we can do for now.”
“Thank you,” replied Lucy, both relieved and nervous.
“Goodnight Lucy,” said Justin, kissing her forehead.
“Goodnight Justin,” Lucy replied.
That night Lucy did dream of Peter. They were sitting in the basement of their parent’s house eating chocolate chip cookies and drinking lemonade. She ran her eyes hungrily over the familiar wood paneling, the fireplace, the antique spinning wheel, the cuckoo clock on the wall, the TV, and the old, ugly faded brown couch that her parents had had forever. When Peter was home for a weekend from college, they often spent time this way at about 2am after a few games of ping pong. Lucy was aware of who she was and what had been happening in her life, but she wasn’t sure if Peter was. He might think he was dreaming a memory rather than something new.
“How’s the trip to Mars planning coming along?” asked Lucy.
“Good,” said Peter as he took another bite of cookie. “Now, if they could find a way to get to Mars in less than three years, I’d be in business. We need to move faster than the speed of light. I’m sure there is some base 12 math involved there somewhere. Until they get that figured out, I’m not sure how I’d feel about three years on a spaceship. Then, we would have to build something we could live in on Mars.”
“Kind of like hopping on the Mayflower?” teased Lucy.
Peter laughed, “I don’t think I can swim in outer space like I could the ocean and at least the New World was habitable. We need to find a way to adjust the atmosphere so we can breathe without oxygen masks. The whole thing is more complicated than jumping on a spaceship with a direction but no plan. So what are you up to these days?”
“I’m at magic school,” replied Lucy.
“I support that,” said Peter, toasting her with his lemonade glass. “Are you happy?”
“For the most part. There are ups and downs. I’m really good at magic and I love it, but I’ve been put in positions where I had to kill people.”
“Had too? You’d think if you were that good with magic, you’d think up a different way to deal with the problem.”
“I know,” replied Lucy although she was surprised by his nonchalance. Then again, it took a lot to get a major reaction out of Peter. “I’m working on learning how to react differently. I can put a group of people to sleep now. I don’t like killing people.”
“I’m sure you don’t. Why did you?”
“They were going to hurt me or people important to me. I got scared and lashed out. I ended up in a battle. Not the best place for me. I’m going to try to avoid those.”
“That sounds like a good idea. Don’t put yourself in positions that force you to do things you don’t want to do,” said Peter.
“As much as I agree, what if you find yourself in those positions anyway?”
“Change positions,” said Peter with a grin as he reached for another cookie.
“Helpful,” pouted Lucy.
“You’ve always been capable, imaginative, and too smart for your own good. You’ll think of something.”
“I appreciate the vote of confidence,” laughed Lucy.
“Confidence I can do. Trouble with boyfriends, and you have to talk to Susan.”
“His name is Justin and things are good.”
“I’m happy for you.”
“I missed you and wanted to tell you,” said Lucy earnestly.
“I appreciate it,” said Peter. “This is much more real than most dreams I have. I wonder if any of this is true. I wonder if I’ll remember any of it when I wake up.”
“I hope so.”
“If I do, I’m calling you when I wake up,” Peter warned.
“I won’t be there,” replied Lucy. “Please know I’m happy.”
Peter smiled and disappeared. Lucy sat by herself in her parent’s basement. She wondered if cookies in dreams had calories. Thinking of her physical activity level of late, Lucy laughed and reached for another cookie. Who cares? She was half way through it when she phased into another dream. A less happy dream. A dream that did not involve cookies.
Chapter 22
The next day was both easier and harder. She felt better having talked to Peter, even if it was a dream. She thanked Justin for helping make that dream possible and for being there when she woke up from her nightmare. She had an idea of what to expect in her training which helped. Mac’s class was attacking her again, but this time she was supposed to attack them with emotion. She wasn’t supposed to use anything else unless they were able to overcome the emotion enough to do her harm. This was a good exercise for them as well. They needed to work on overcoming emotion, which was the only way to throw off an emotional spell.
First though, she put up shields. She wouldn’t put it past Quinn to follow through with the threat of an archery class or even an archer assassin ready to shoot her. She discovered she did not like using emotion as a weapon, but she could not deny its effectiveness. It was hard to watch five strong men sob on the ground, or shiver in absolute wide-eyed terror. However, it was yet another weapon she could use without causing emotional trauma to herself. Sobbing men were not burning men. Also, she could choose the emotion. It didn’t always have to be a bad one. Strong men lying on the ground in fits of giggles were just as unable to attack.
The afternoon was much more difficult. Knowing what to expect did not diminish the exhausting effects. It was even harder knowing they were still dealing with raw emotion. She knew eventually she would have to face emotions connected with memories. She had many memories involving charred flesh that she didn’t want to think about. Despite knowing it wouldn’t help in the long run, she favored the box-it-up-and-forget-it strategy.
Tired though she was, it was a welcome relief to go see Ted. She loved the apothecary. The bottles, organized clutter, and cacophony of smells wrapped around her like a warm blanket. There was something reassuring and comforting about Ted, despite his oddities. Even though her attendance at his apothecary was haphazard at best, he had not asked for any other students to assist him. She was the first student helper he had approved of in years. He was willing to take her when she was available.
“Punctual today, I see,” Ted said as Lucy entered the apothecary. He was combing out the fronds of a very furry looking fern like plant.
“Yes,” Lucy smiled in greeting. He didn’t mind if she couldn’t come, but if she was going to come, she’d better not be late. Not even by one minute.
“Back from another quest,” he said. “Safe and sound,” he looked up at her and blinked. “No, not totally sound. You are hurt here,” he pointed to her heart. “And here as well,” he pointed to her head.
Lucy nodded, not sure what to say. Usually, Ted did not bother noticing things about her. At least, she wasn’t aware of him noticing. Ted seemed so haphazard that Lucy sometimes forgot his precision and perceptiveness.
“You will heal,” he nodded with authority. “Here, come comb out this ferlecctuala. You must be very gentle and soft. Careful. You must not pull. It will not like pulling.”
Ted handed her the comb and watched as she slid it gently down a frond. He nodded in approval and walked to the back room. Interestingly enough, combing out a ferlecctuala seemed to be exactly what Lucy needed after all the emotional upheaval. There was something calming about the brushing motion. The ferlecctuala seemed to like it too. It curled fronds around her wrist. A low hum emitted from it. She smiled and began to hum along with it as she gently slid the comb through the fronds.
“Interest
ing plant, you know,” said Ted as he appeared with another one and a second comb. “It flowers twice a year. The flowers can be red, purple, or pink. The same plant can have blossoms of different colors or bloom all the same color. Each plant can bloom differently each time it flowers. No one knows the reason for this. I find it fascinating. The different colors have different healing properties. Not strong ones, of course, but never underestimate a little help.
The purple blossoms will calm anyone down. Great in times of stress. The effects last up to four days after being picked. The pink take away headaches. Always useful to have a headache cure nearby. You never know when you will have a headache. The red flowers can help you have a dreamless sleep. Some people who dream all the time are bothered by a night without them. Every now and then a sleep without dreams can be restful. I consistently take a drink of tea made with the red flowers four times a year. No more, no less. That way I am always assured 4 nights of good, dreamless, sleep a year. However, I don’t approve of or believe in dependency. Always beware dependency.”
Ted continued to calmly talk and pull the comb through the fronds of the second ferlecctuala. That one started to hum too. Its tone was slightly lower than the one Lucy was combing. She wondered if specific plants were male or female, thus accounting for the lower toned hum. She didn’t feel like asking Ted. For one thing, she didn’t feel like talking. It was much more relaxing to comb and listen to the hum of the ferlecctuala. Talking would almost feel like interrupting the hum. It felt like it might be rude.
The second reason was simple too. When you asked Ted a question, you never knew what kind of answer you were going to get or how long the answer was going to be. It was always interesting information to learn. Once you got Ted talking, any subject was possible. His chosen discussion may or may not include your answer. Right now, she didn’t feel like learning, at least not any more than she already had about the plants. She felt like combing, humming, and just being. When it was time to leave, she felt a little sad. It had been a much needed relaxing time.
After a few days of training, Quinn brought Eric to their morning training session. Lucy smiled at him, but felt apprehensive. What had they planned this time? The two of them together did not bode well. It implied that whatever was going on required the supervision and protection of both of them.
“Good morning,” Lucy said. “What’s the plan for today?”
“Mac and his class will be on horseback. You will be on foot. Eric is here for better situation control. Feel free to put people to sleep. Eric and I will make sure they don’t get hurt.”
Lucy wasn’t sure how she felt about this situation, but she couldn’t deny it was good training. Anything that required strong magical people as possible situation control sounded dangerous. She nodded that she was as ready as she would ever be. While she waited for Mac’s cavalry to show up, she put up her shields, bounced up and down a few times, and did some stretches. Even though magic was more of a mental than physical exertion, she tended to use motions or tense muscles as she worked. Stretching felt good and made her feel prepared.
She did not have to wait long. Mac and his class came around the stables and rode towards her. Horses move a lot faster than people. She had less time to think and less time to react. One of them shot an arrow at her and she was glad she already had her shields up. Then, she froze both horses and riders. Mac’s horse froze close enough for her to reach out and touch his nose. That was too close for comfort.
“Good,” said Eric. “Let’s unthaw them and go again.”
This time, they came around the other side of stables. Galloping horses may be fast, but they sure weren’t quiet. At least they couldn’t sneak up on her. This time she put them to sleep. She winced as the guys fell off the horses and landed on the ground. She hadn’t put the horses to sleep, but she had no problems with them. She simply greeted them with her mind and talked with them for a while. This helped her plan for the third attack.
This time, the guys started on all sides of her. She was surrounded. She asked the horses to stop. They did. The horses were amused by this exercise and had no problems switching to Lucy’s side. They felt she was outnumbered. Also, she had talked to them. They liked her and they were friends with Ash. If they could help Lucy, they would. The guys didn’t appreciate when their horses suddenly refused to listen to them. Then, they adjusted, slid off their mounts, and approached Lucy on foot. She wiped their minds clean of any thought of attack. They sat down and stared around them blankly, wondering what they were supposed to be doing.
Mac had been working on ways to fight off magic since the first training session with Lucy. He may not be able to do much while asleep, but he could certainly try to work against any emotion or confusion she cast at him. He fought the spell and stood up facing Lucy. He smiled at her in triumph, raised his sword in her direction, and immediately had to pee worse than he ever had in his life. He looked embarrassed and ran around the stables for some privacy. When he came back, Lucy was laughing.
“You’re lucky we’re here at school. In a real battle, I probably would have simply wet myself and cut off your head,” he was annoyed and amused. He might have been willing to embarrass himself if Eric and Quinn hadn’t been there too. That was a bit too much embarrassment.
Lucy laughed, “I’m sorry. It was kind of mean. To be honest, I had no idea if it was going to work or not.”
“It worked,” he said with a glare. Really though, he was too good natured to stay mad for long. He grinned and said, “I like this training. I never know what you are going to try next.”
“Can I tell you a secret?” asked Lucy. Mac nodded. “I have no idea what I’m going to try next either.” They both laughed.
“If you ever get bored with Justin, let me know.”
“If I ever get bored with Justin, what makes you think I wouldn’t get bored with you?”
“Can I have a couple of days to work out a good answer to that question?”
“Sure,” said Lucy. They both started laughing again. She wasn’t sure if he was actually interested in her or not, but he was amusing and they had fun together. Also, he didn’t seem to take getting his butt kicked by a girl personally. He laughed it off. Not every guy here would. Or did, for that matter. She noticed one of the guys getting off the ground after the spell was released glaring at her maliciously. She made a mental note never to drop her guard if he was around.
“A real battle isn’t a bad idea,” said Quinn. “I think we will do that tomorrow. Lucy, tomorrow you will fight Mac’s cavalry, a class of bowmen, and a class of foot soldiers. Eric and I will be here along with some of the other teachers to keep injuries to a minimum.”
“By myself?” asked Lucy horrified. “You want me to fight forty classmates at once?”
“Not fight, successfully neutralize. No fireballs allowed,” corrected Quinn. “You’re right though, forty doesn’t seem enough. We will look into setting it up. You can take this afternoon off.”
“By myself?” Lucy asked again, horrified at the prospect. It didn’t help that Mac’s grin was widening by the minute. “Can I have Justin help me?”
“No,” replied Quinn.
“Gavin? A small personal guard? A horse? A ferlecctuala? Anything?”
“What’s a ferlecctuala?” asked Quinn.
“She works with Ted,” reminded Eric.
“No,” they answered Lucy simultaneously and definitely.
Lucy walked to the dining hall feeling slightly defeated. She was not looking forward to tomorrow, although she was sure Mac and his friends liked the odds. The odds were definitely in their favor. Lucy sat down at the table and picked at her food. She wasn’t particularly hungry, thinking about tomorrow. Maya and Justin joined her.
“What’s wrong?” asked Maya noting her mood.
“Quinn and Eric came up with a brilliant idea. They want me to fight an army tomorrow.”
“I know,” said Gavin enthusiastically, setting down his loaded tray.
He ate a chicken leg in two bites. “They asked me if I would be interested in directing the foot soldiers. I absolutely agreed. We have this afternoon to practice taking on a wizard.”
“I have to fight against you? That’s not fair at all,” complained Lucy.
“I think that’s the point,” said Justin.
“They want me to fail?” asked Lucy.
“I don’t think so,” said Justin pondering. “I think they want to see what you can do. I think they want you to see what you can do. I think they also want some of the students to see what is possible. The ones who are advancing in magic will learn things to try and the ones advancing with weapons will see what kinds of things they might face.”
“I think this is a terrible idea. Why do I have to do it alone? Can’t you talk to them?”
“I could, but I don’t think it will do much good. The point is to get you to know your strength and use it in a way you can cope with. They know you won’t want to kill or hurt any of the students. I think they are counting on the numbers to force you to be creative. They won’t let me help you for sure. They think you defer to me too much and will rely on me and my decisions rather than making your own.”
“Okay, I see the point and the idea, but I still think it is a bad and dangerous idea. What if I hurt someone?”
Everyone laughed.
“That is exactly why they are doing this to you,” said Maya still smiling. “You went from being afraid of facing an army to being afraid of hurting them in less time than it took Gavin to eat.”
“He’s always eating,” accused Lucy.
“I’d defend myself against that remark, but I’m busy eating,” mocked Gavin haughtily.
“Remember a few things. First, there are teachers there to help control the situation. Second, every weapon out there will be aimed at you. Third, Gavin is in charge of part of the opposing force. Fourth, you are severely outnumbered. Don’t worry about hurting anyone. In fact, don’t worry at all. Just go out there and defeat them,” said Justin. “In fact, if you can, have fun.”
Sorcery, Schemes and Skelt: The Kinowenn Chronicles Vol II Page 16
