Frozen Prospects

by Dean Murray

  Va'del didn't even wait for the instructor to turn to him before answering. "I accept."

  Sighing heavily, the instructor nodded and then pointed to a weapons rack a little distance away. "You, go arm yourself with a dagger if you so desire. Be'ter, run the cavern."

  The surly teenager looked like he was going to argue, but the Guadel moved into the other boy's personal space. "You challenged him, which means he can pick the time of the duel. Do you really expect him to fight you now while you're fresh and he's been through numerous bouts? You'll run until I tell you to stop. At least with you both tired there is less chance you'll kill each other."

  Be'ter turned away and started jogging around the circular cavern, but his manner seemed to say that it wouldn't matter, that he'd win regardless.

  Va'del found a practice dagger that was the right size and weight, and then paced back and forth across the slightly-rough rock floor to avoid cooling down and tightening up too much before the fight.

  The Guadel forced Be'ter in a more rapid pace, and then once the candidate was panting and sweating from the exertion finally allowed him to stop. Va'del shortly found himself across from Be'ter, surrounded by a circle of youth and adults, nearly all of whom seemed to be hoping Be'ter would seriously injure him.

  Va'del was familiar with the rules surrounding an honor duel. He'd learned everything he could about them while still at Bitter Rocks. The idea of challenging Jas'per to a duel had been a heady fantasy until it became obvious Jas'per would always win.

  Everywhere I go there are bullies. Just need to force him out or execute a strike that would be considered killing.

  Be'ter moved in, now only slightly winded from his run, and executed a simple set of strikes designed to test his opponent's skill. Va'del stepped back out of the way of some, and parried the rest with his sword. Convince him I'm not very skilled with the dagger?

  Va'del launched his own attack, slashing at the older boy's head, but the blow was deflected by Be'ter's dagger. Not bad, but not as good as I expected either. I think I have a chance.

  As much as possible, Va'del dodged, trying to force movement, trying to take advantage of the fact that Be'ter's legs might be tired. Be'ter attacked relentlessly, trying to force Va'del to use his exhausted arms to deflect blows that were increasingly brutal.

  As the fight progressed, even the faces of the youngsters in the circle became grim. Be'ter obviously wasn't going to be satisfied by pushing his opponent out of the circle. Every blow was being delivered with bone shattering strength and one of them would eventually get through.

  Va'del did his best, but his strength quickly wore thin. The tempo of the fight subtly changed, and it became apparent that Be'ter was now controlling the engagement. He's a better swordsman, but I don't think he's been exposed to some of the dirty tricks that Jas'per used to use on me when his father wasn't watching. He's also starting to rely on the fact that I'm not using my dagger for anything.

  Be'ter came in with a complicated double attack, for what he obviously assumed would be the last pass. Va'del blocked with both his sword, and the dagger he'd been carefully not using up to that point.

  A flash of surprise crossed Be'ter's face, and then Va'del's forehead crashed into his nose. Before Be'ter could recover, Va'del spun him around and pressed a practice dagger to his throat.

  In the awkward silent that resulted from Va'del's unexpected win, the Guadel who'd been overseeing the fight proclaimed the younger boy victor.

  Carefully releasing his opponent, Va'del backed away, and turned to leave, only to hear a gasp from the crowd as Be'ter rushed him. Va'del spun around to find that the Guadel weapons instructor had blocked a downward strike that otherwise would have broken Va'del's neck. Before anyone else could move, the instructor kicked Be'ter in the stomach, knocking him to the ground. Be'ter stared up from his back, shock evident on his face while the Guadel called for someone to get his sponsor.

  Forgotten in the ensuing pandemonium, Va'del racked his practice weapons, and slipped away into the darkness.

  Chapter 11

  Jain picked up a new spool of gurra wool yarn that she'd finished carding and spinning the week before, and wished once again that her life wasn't quite so regimented as she began stringing her loom.

  Mali looked up from where she was working next to Jain, and sighed as she pulled her long black hair away from her face. "I can't believe that vile boy broke Be'ter's nose."

  On the other hand, it's a very good thing they keep such a close eye on us considering how foolish some of us are.

  The rest of the girls in the room twittered at the reminder that Mali had a crush on the older boy. "Don't worry Mali, healer Pati will fix him up just as handsome as always."

  The last thing anyone needs to be doing is encouraging her to set her heart on that monster.

  The shock that anyone could believe such stupidity made Jain forgot her normal timidness. "Be'ter deserved that, maybe worse, for the way he acted yesterday."

  "How can you say that? That failure attacked him for no cause. He was well within his rights to challenge, and then the boy used such underhanded tactics to win. Why, I've never seen someone drop their sword like that. It was shameful. No wonder Be'ter got a little angry."

  Jain briefly considered a stronger response and then mentally shrugged. It was becoming evident to her that nothing was going to convince the other girls that Be'ter wasn't who he pretended to be. Even the instructors seemed to be realizing what a snake Be'ter was, but the rest of the Daughters seemed largely to think he was perfect.

  "He insulted Va'del, lost the fight fair and square, and then tried to attack Va'del from behind. You can't say the attack on Be'ter's was unprovoked but the one on Va'del's wasn't. Be'ter ended up with a fat lip and a broken nose--Va'del would have been killed if Guadel Fi'lin hadn't stopped the blow."

  Mali tossed her hair and then turned her back to Jain. "You sound like you like the ugly, scrawny thing. You're obviously not objective."

  The willful, honest corner of Jain's mind that inevitably got her into trouble wanted to press the argument, but it was obvious the rest of the girls were all firmly on Mali's side.

  Sighing once again, Jain returned to her work. He's actually quite attractive. Exotic, dark skin, and he's not scrawny, just tall.

  As she listened to the other girls fawn over Be'ter,she wondered if even the Council would be smart enough to stop him from being made a full Guadel.

  ##

  On'li walked into the suite of rooms her family shared and wished for the thousandth time that she and Javin didn't have to sit on the Council.

  Mar'li looked up from the book she'd been reading as her sister wife arrived. "Bad day?"

  "Very much so. The girls in my class seem more inane every year. I refuse to believe I was ever that foolish as a teenager."

  Mar'li chuckled as On'li kicked off her shoes and buried her toes in the thick, red gurra wool rug, "Careful. It wasn't that long ago that I was in your class behaving as if I didn't have a brain. You'll hurt my feelings."

  "Hardly. It's been more than ten years since you were a student, and even when you were, you were too quiet to have possibly said half of the stupid things I hear on a regular basis."

  Mar'li got up and poured a cup of tea. "Be that as it may, you've had plenty of time to accustom yourself to the frustrations of teaching. There must be something else going on to put your back up like this."

  Accepting the tea with a nod of thanks, On'li sighed. "You wouldn't have heard yet, of course, even though the rest of this part of the Capital is positively abuzz with the news, but Va'del was in an honor match against Be'ter."

  Mar'li's soft eyes momentarily showed a brief, poorly-hidden flash of pain at the reminder of her isolation from the rest of the Guadel, before her mind processed the rest of On'li's statement. "He what?"

  "Apparently Be'ter mocked him, and then insulted I'rone and his wives. Va'del knocked him to the ground, which wasn't the most diplo
matic action, but doesn't really surprise me. That boy is a bundle of raw nerves about everything that happened. I think the four of them became much more attached to each other than I'd have expected in such a short time."

  Holding up the book she'd been reading, Mar'li nodded. "Jasmin's journal indicates as much. It isn't surprising though, you know how much of a sucker all of the women in our bloodline end up being for the emotionally injured. We can't help it after marrying who we marry and seeing how far they've come from the wounded little things they were when they were selected."

  On'li took another sip of tea. "Of course, and on Va'del's side, the three of them rescued him from a state of utter misery. He was almost completely unloved, so it's only natural he'd come to love them, especially considering how personable Jasmin in particular is...I mean was."

  Both of the women were silent for a moment as they tried to fight off the feelings of grief that were part of losing someone in the close-knit family of a Guadel bloodline.

  On'li was the first to speak. "I understand why Va'del reacted as he did, but it was less than ideal for us. While Fi'lin was trying to reprimand both boys Be'ter demanded an honor match. Since Va'del isn't really a candidate, or even a trainee right now, there's enough fuzziness in the law that Fi'lin decided he couldn't get away with refusing Be'ter."

  "Not with bladed weapons surely?"

  On'li's cup was empty. She thought about pouring herself more water and indulging in a second cup, but tea had to be brought up from the lowlands, and consequently wasn't something even a Councilor could really indulge in on a regular basis. Or maybe I should say especially a Councilor. We should be the first to go without for the benefit of the People, but there are a few of my fellows who can't seem to understand that.

  "No, he bluffed Be'ter into accepting a match fought with practice weapons. Not that it would have made much difference from what I hear. The boy was out for blood, and if Va'del had been one bit less skilled, he'd be in the healers care right now, or possibly even dead."

  Mar'li's eyes widened again, "You mean Va'del won?"

  "He did. Even more astonishing, considering that Be'ter's got at least a couple of years of instruction on him. Of course you know how that fool is. He spends more time making sure his sponsors are wrapped around his fingers than he does actually trying to learn anything. Fi'lin said he came into the fight overconfident as anything, and then Va'del tricked him into thinking he didn't have to worry about the boy's dagger."

  "He'll be Va'del's enemy for life after having lost an honor match. Powers, that's the last thing the boy needs with everyone else's hand already turned against him."

  On'li rubbed her temples, hoping to stave off the headache she felt starting to build, and nodded. "Worse than that, Be'ter lost his head and attacked Va'del after the match. So, now he is disgraced even more, but there isn't anything we can do about it because as long as his sponsoring family continues to support him, he'll continue with his training."

  Mar'li rinsed her sister-wife's teacup and then sat back down with Jasmin's journal. "I've never liked that rule. It lets far too many of Be'ter's type get away with too much."

  "I agree in his case, but it's also what we are counting on to get Va'del back as a candidate despite half the Council being convinced that I'rone's death was all the poor boy's fault."

  An expression of pained sympathy crossed the younger woman's face. "Isn't there something you can do about that? Somehow make people understand he wasn't to blame, so they'll stop ostracizing him?"

  On'li shook her head, "We've already interfered enough that certain people on the Council have tagged him as our special project, and will oppose his advancement solely on the basis of trying to cause us problems. If he shows the level of sorrow that everyone expects it will go easier."

  "Can't you tell him and just have him pretend to still blame himself?"

  "I wish we could, but he wears his thoughts on his sleeve. He's just not deceptive enough to pull something like that off. We'll have to wait until Piter and his wife get back next month so that they can sponsor him."

  The twinkle in Mar'li's green eyes was something few people ever got to see, but it heralded some of the gentle teasing she was so fond of with her close friends and family. "And there is, of course, no doubt that Piter and Bay'del will choose to sponsor young Va'del. After all, Piter thinks you and Javin can do no wrong, so even if Bay'del doesn't want to sponsor the boy, Piter will bully her into it."

  The mental image of mild-mannered Piter bullying his wife into anything drew a short laugh out of both women. On'li shook her head. "Fat chance of that. The closest Piter gets to bullying is simply setting his foot down regarding some issue and refusing to budge until Bay'del finally decides it isn't worth the effort to keep arguing. Which has happened all of twice that I know of in the last five years."

  On'li shrugged. "I do however think that they'll choose to sponsor him. The boy has more potential than anyone we've seen in the last century. Not only that, I think he has the hunger to help people, and it would be a true shame if he never got to do so."

  "Jasmin said as much in her journal, but I still find it hard to believe he could be that easy to link with."

  "It's the truth. Half-trained as he is, there was still barely more resistance when I linked with him than some of the boys we've shepherded over the years just before they took their final vows. When I think of what he'll be able to do when he's had another year or two of training and truly trusts the person linking to him, it takes my breath away."

  Mar'li nodded, probably lost in thought at the idea of what it would be like not to have to fight Javin's mind at the same time she was trying to shape the magic that gave him, however briefly, superhuman speed and strength.

  "What about the darkness you said is starting to take root in his mind?"

  On'li cocked her head to the side and considered her sister-wife. There was obviously more to Mar'li's question than just her concern about Va'del. The three of them had been together for years, but there was still a little part of the younger woman that had been kept secreted away from her spouses.

  On'li had a suspicion that it was somehow linked to Mar'li's reluctance to link with Javin, but the time still wasn't right to try and tackle the issue. Instead she returned to their discussion about Va'del.

  "I don't know. Most of the Stephens men have a little darkness inside them as candidates. The things they've gone through can't help but lend themselves to that kind of thing. With Va'del, though, it's worse. He really believes that he killed the three people who loved him most in this world. I hope we can save him, but part of me fears that my need to replenish the bloodline is overcoming my common sense. He could end up as bad as Be'ter if he's not handled just right."

  Chapter 12

  Va'del leaned back against the hard stone of the cave wall and was once again grateful he'd found a refuge. A small hot spring in the center of the cavern heated the air and walls to a comfortable temperature. Bitter Rocks had been heated in the same manner, but after seeing so many villages heated by worked stones he'd almost begun thinking that Bitter Rocks was the exception rather than the rule Betreec had told him it was.

  Makes sense. When the Goddess led the People here there probably wasn't time to create heat spheres, so she brought them to a place where they could survive without them. Bitter Rocks was probably settled for the same reason.

  The teenager had held out some small hope that beating Be'ter would win him a little respect. It hadn't, instead all of the apprentices and candidates had closed ranks against him. In the several weeks since the fight, he'd found it rare to make it through an entire cycle, let alone an entire day, without being tripped, shoved or otherwise harassed.

  The violence was always kept to a level that the trade masters and instructors couldn't really respond to, even assuming that they noticed it and wanted to. That saved Va'del from serious injury, but the small hurts he took over the course of the day added up. Especially bad was t
he way that everyone, even girls so thin as to hardly weigh anything at all, had taken to stepping on his feet.

  Back home it was really only the boys that were mean to me. I wonder what's set them against me so badly here.

  The ever-degrading state of Va'del's feet had finally led him to this quiet pool where he could soak them each night while practicing the meditation exercises Jasmin had taught him.

  As an added bonus it got him out of his room and yet still away from everyone else. He hadn't realized how much of a prison his room would become. He'd expected the isolation to be roughly the same as what he'd experienced back at Bitter Rocks, but there at least he'd had Pa'chi. Having no one at all was making a bigger difference than he'd expected.

  Loneliness and despair had become near-constant companions, but thoughts of Pa'chi brought them back with even greater strength than usual.

  I wonder how she's doing. Have Jas'per and the girls in the village left her alone now that I'm gone, or is she completely friendless now?

  Blinking away tears that tried to form in his eyes, Va'del slipped his feet into the spring, wincing slightly at the heat as he tried to clear his mind. Despite his best efforts, his mind refused to settle down and he instead found himself fingering the little, wickedly-sharp knife that now more than ever went everywhere with him.

  It wouldn't take much. Nobody would miss me for days. Maybe even weeks.

  All the reasons for and against had been through Va'del's mind so many times that he sometimes dreamed about them, but he once again put the blade away. There's still a chance. I can't give up yet.

  The sound of feet drew Va'del's attention away from his exercises once again, and he opened his eyes to the soft white light of a heavily-muffled glow sphere making its way around the corner in the tunnel that led to the springs.

  Anger that someone was about to find his hiding place and deprive him of his sanctuary raged through him in a powerful wave, before subsiding in a resigned acceptance to his fate. There isn't anything I can do, but at least most people my age are kept on a shorter leash than I am. I should be able to find another cavern, and the Capital is full of so many empty caverns that they won't be able to sneak out often enough to discover it very quickly.