To Be Chosen (The Maestro Chronicles)

by John Buttrick

  At dawn they started out with David and Silvia walking for half a mark while Jared and Marcus rode, and then they would switch. Daniel dismounted to allow Silvia to ride Sprinter. “Here it is my turn to walk,” he told her, while the account keeper rode Whisper.

  “Do I look frail to you?” the female Teki replied, refusing to mount the Stallion.

  “No, you appear to be perfectly fit,” Daniel answered quickly, and then turned to David.

  “If I wanted to ride I would not be walking,” the juggler told him before being asked.

  Daniel swung back into the saddle until both Teki were riding again and then dismounted and offered Sprinter to Marcus, who refused and then to Jared who also refused, none of them would even hear about him taking to foot. The pace was half what Daniel had expected and there was no chance they would make it to Jeeter before dark.

  The forest had given way to farms with crops of corn and wheat in the fields and ranches with horses, cows, and bulls ranging the tall grass on both sides of the river. Most of the farmers lived in A-frame houses with barns in the back, but some of the larger properties had two and three storied homes with huge stables. Coming up on the right was a spread with forty head of horses in the field and likely more back behind the stables. Daniel made a decision; he needed to buy two horses, and he was absolutely terrible at bargaining. He stopped at the wooden gate of a fence that stretched all around the property out to the road.

  “How much should a couple of good horses cost?” he asked without addressing the question to any particular companion.

  Silvia answered, “Twenty silvers should buy a decent pair of mounts,” at the same time David spoke up saying, “Thirty silvers will get a pair of mounts with some staying power.”

  “With six Ducaunan gold pieces you can purchase a pair of purebred Battencayan horses, of which I see half a score in this field,” Jared replied, with Marcus nodding agreement with him.

  They were a good breed, no doubt about it, likely worth the money, and Daniel certainly had enough coins to buy them. He had to admit to being inexperienced when it came to handling coins, having earned coppers working for Henry Polkat at the inn, and only rarely had a silver coin. Now he had a bag full of gold coins and none of lesser value. Well, he had just hired an account keeper, maybe Jared should be allowed to hold the bag and take care of those things he is used to doing; it was also a way to see how trustworthy and honest the man actually was.

  “Here, hold this,” Daniel told the account keeper while tossing the bag to him.

  Jared snatched the bag out of the air, took a look inside, and then closed it quickly. “A goodly sum to be entrusted to someone you just met on the road.”

  “A trustworthy man is more valuable to me than gold. If I can trust you with this, I know I can trust you with more important matters,” Daniel told him while glancing at Marcus.

  “So this is a test?” Jared said, paused and then added, “If so, I am glad for the opportunity to demonstrate my integrity. I will begin by telling you we should exchange some of these coins for those of lesser value when we reach Jeeter. Second, if this is all the coins you have, I caution you not to spend them too rapidly. Finally, while I am a skilled negotiator, I suggest Silvia do the bargaining for the horses. I seriously doubt the rancher will get the better of a Teki in the art of deal making.”

  “Why her instead of me?” David inquired. He did not seem upset, just curious.

  “Because with the exception of Daniel who is immaculate, she has the cleanest apparel of those in our party and will make the best impression,” Jared explained, and he made a good point.

  “Acquire however many coins of lesser value you see fit. And you, as account keeper, need to know these are all the coins in my possession but I have access to more gold if the need arises,” Daniel replied and turned to the crossbow-wielding-acrobat. “Are you willing to haggle for the horses?”

  Silvia’s lips formed into a predatory smile and her eyes seemed to dance with delight. “Oh yes, I will get you the absolute best deal,” she replied and turned to Jared. “Give me six coins.”

  The account keeper for the Daniel Benhannon estate, which included everything that can fit onto one horse, doled out six gold pieces to the Teki, and they all watched as she rode through the gate and up to the ranch house. Three quarters of a mark later she came back leading two Battencayan stallions, one jet-black and the other beige with a dark brown mane and tail. Both were saddled, ready to be ridden, looked healthy and well muscled, and good representatives of their breed. Daniel figured it would fall to him to decide which man would ride on which horse, but Marcus went for the jet-black at the same moment Jared began rubbing the beige on the nose, the choice was clearly made. They were still Daniel’s horses but these men were the ones who will be using them for as long as they are in his employ. He almost laughed at the notion of him employing anyone, and wondered what he would do with the animals if the others chose to part ways.

  “The black is Nightwind and the beige is Sandstorm,” Silvia informed them and then handed a gold coin and two silvers back to the account keeper, whose eyes widened momentarily before he placed them in the bag, she was an excellent bargainer.

  Daniel needed more bags to hold the lesser coins, but that would be taken care of when they reached Jeeter. With the additional horses and Silvia’s quick negotiation skills, the possibility of reaching the town before dark was suddenly back within reach. He congratulated her, as did David and Jared; Marcus was too busy speaking softly to Nightwind.

  Chapter Three : A Change in Mentors

  Looking through the glass of the observation room, Sherree Jenna watched the five highly skilled Accomplisheds perform a delicate operation. The patient, a corpulent nobleman from the kingdom of Fon Kay, suffered chest pains while awaiting an audience with the Grand Maestro. Lance Constentine, a Three-bolt Accomplished born in the kingdom of Cenkataar, determined the man’s heart was enlarged, had a blockage, was scarred from past coronary events, and needed open heart healing. Fransheska Kabler, a Two-bolt Accomplished, assisted the more experienced Three-bolt by controlling the patient’s entire circulatory system. The ebony-skinned Ecoppian stood a full head taller than the Cenkataaran. Three One-bolt Accomplisheds stood on opposite sides of the patient, each responsible for maintaining a specific bodily function. Everyone in the room was glowing with potential. The entire area was bathed in violet, purple, green, blue, and yellow light as the surgical team labored over the nobleman.

  Carl Bartesen used the spell, Breathe Deep, to control respiration. The Accomplished was slim with sand colored hair and blue eyes. A thick mustache covered his upper lip and yet in no way diminished the beak-like slant to his nose. His crimson on black silk shirt was a match for his pants and hooded cloak. The hood was swept back, leaving his head uncovered. His garments were a match for Sherree’s own, and every other Accomplished in Aakadon. His silver medallion with a golden five-pronged plant representing the Aloe Guild was slightly smaller than the one Sherree was wearing. The medallion she chose upon entering the guild was large, mostly because she worked so hard to attain it, and wanted everyone out side of her affiliation to know how proud she was to be a member of the Aloe Guild.

  Sarah Talisman was utilizing the spell, Easing the Pain, to control the patient’s nervous system and numb his pain receptors. The spell also kept the patient immobilized. The hood of her cloak was up and covered most of her prematurely gray hair. The color had to be by choice because any Accomplished, especially one of the Aloe Guild, could have whatever hair color they wanted. Like Sherree, she was born in Lobenia, although in the rural area around Mount Shantear.

  William Sloakum, a stocky fellow with thick bushy hair, kept one hand on the patient’s forehead while casting, Diagnosis, a spell that allowed him to monitor the patient’s body as a whole and determine if a life threatening imbalance has developed. The Demfilian-born Accomplished stood five and a half cubits tall and his arms were bigger around than Sarah�
��s waist. The powerful arms were a common trait among his countrymen, who mostly labored in the mining profession.

  Sherree observed Lance’s precise handling of the slim surgical blade while listening to Barbara Cofer, a stout woman with long black hair; describe the procedure step by step in her thick Pentrosan accent. “He will now cut into the arteries and then draw out the fat using the spell, Storing The Lard,” she explained, although it was not necessary.

  Sherree had read of the procedure the night before and knew what to expect, but listened politely to her mentor. The lead Accomplished had repaired all damage to the patient’s heart and was working on the blockages.

  The Pentrosan Accomplished equaled her in potential but had four years experience in the guild, giving her seniority. Sherree was an Intern while Barbara held the title of Full Practitioner. The last five days were spent cramming Sherree’s head with new Melodies. She had mastered ten, considered herself familiar with another twenty, and aware of another fifty. This, along with the twenty spells from each guild she mastered to become an Accomplished, gave her a respectable repertoire for a new affiliate.

  “Notice how he trickles potential into the spell,” Barbara was saying. “This is to keep the arteries from collapsing. See how he cuts and cleans out one artery at a time and uses the spell, Mending The Channel, to heal any damage done to the arterial walls,” she added while pressing her nose so close to the glass that it began to fog up. She must have seen the procedure many times yet still seemed captivated by it. “Did you catch how quickly Fransheska redirected the blood flow into the newly healed area?”

  “Yes,” Sherree replied while nodding her head for emphasis.

  She was impressed by the teamwork, how each person knew what to do, and when. She was a little disappointed when Lance finished up using; Stitch The Rip, to close. She had spent a great deal of time searching the Aloe Guild Melody library for one spell that could do both heal and close at once. The diligence gained her knowledge of many types of healing spells, although not the one she sought. “I was hoping he would use one spell to heal and close,” she voiced her disappointment out loud.

  Barbara turned; left eyebrow arched up. “I allow you to watch a procedure a full six months ahead of time and all you can say is; I was hoping to see it done with one spell?”

  The statement sounded awfully ignorant after hearing it from her mentor. Sherree knew there were specific spells for each type of healing like; Cooling The Heat, for first degree burns, Chilling The Singe, for second degree burns, Freezing The Flame, for third, and the list went on and on. “I have seen it done before,” she responded defensively.

  Barbara slanted her head to the right and skepticism flashed in her eyes. “When would you have had the opportunity to see a heart operation?”

  Each affiliation guards its guild specific Melodies with zeal and would under no circumstances, except perhaps the direst, allow a non-member to even glimpse any part of their library, let alone witness a demonstration of that power. Sherree bit her lip, face flushing with heat, realizing it was not a heart operation she witnessed, but a major healing of a different sort, performed by a certain Ducaunan mountaineer. She resented how easily thoughts of Daniel could cause this reaction in her and hoped Barbara would take the blush as embarrassment over the remark.

  Charlene and Joanna, who were still among the Talenteds, had made fun of her about the Potential she, Jerremy, and Samuel had discovered in Bashierwood. Through the years Sherree had managed to deflect the advances of more than a few male Talenteds who had not adjusted to the celibacy rules. She taught them the error of their ways and was so good a teacher in that regard, not even Samuel, whom she thought of as a brother, dared attempt to take advantage of her when they shared a room on the journey to Mount Tannakonna.

  Joanna and Charlene both had formed attachments to various males over the years, although never let those Talenteds know. Sherree always suspected Charlene was fond of Jerremy DeSuan, but doubted her friend ever told the Serinian, who was another person Sherree thought of like a brother. Perhaps it was their shared experience at the Battle of Bashierwood. She had told both girls over the years to forget about boys and concentrate on their studies. They would laugh at her and say, “One of these days a Talented will arrive, make your palms sweat, and cause your heart to go aflutter.” Well, she thought, the event her friends spoke of happened. Daniel made her palms sweat and her heart go aflutter. She found herself flirting to catch his interest, caught it, even though she knew better, kept on doing it, only to watch him leave Aakadon at a gallop. Nothing could come of the flirting or the feelings she stirred in him or in herself, and those emotions still tugged at her heart. Her friends had noticed the flirting and teased her about it, sometimes in front of him, although he either did not notice or chose not to.

  Burying herself in the library, studying journals, learning new Melodies, and striving to perfect her craft were some of the ways she avoided thinking of Daniel. Even so, thoughts of him crept back in from time to time and she would remember how good he felt in her arms when they hugged or his amazing ability to heal the most severe of injuries in mere minutes. The day he departed the city she almost kissed him, what a disaster that would have been. The mountaineer had gone from Potential, to Talented, to Accomplished so fast he never learned to fully accept the rules pertaining to celibacy. She knew he understood intellectually, but doubted he did emotionally.

  She sighed, trying to think of something else, and suddenly realized Barbara was staring at her. “No, I have not seen this procedure before,” she told her and swallowed. “The operation I observed was completely different and it seemed the spell caster did it all with one spell.”

  She did not want to say his name. Daniel healed General Tallen of Ducaun after the senior officer was injured in the Battle of Bashierwood. At the time she had watched in awe as Daniel healed the man’s spinal cord, vertebra, veins, muscles, and skin all with one spell.

  Barbara leaned back against the glass while her lips formed into a smile. “The Ducaunan?” she asked and then nodded her head, answering her own question. Daniel did have a broad reputation; that was for sure. His brief career as an Accomplished was still on everyone’s lips. “That young man did some remarkable things. Maestro Terroll Barnes taught him well,” she said and then rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “Daniel Benhannon was strong and swift in the craft; perhaps he cast the Melodies so quickly it only seemed he was using just one.”

  Sherree nodded as if in agreement. “Perhaps,” she said but did not believe it. “Thank you again for allowing me to observe the heart operation,” she added, both to express her sincere thanks and to get off the subject of Daniel. “This must be the best healing team in the guild.”

  Barbara stepped forward while adjusting her black and crimson silk cloak. “You are most welcome and yes, I believe they are the best. We can all benefit from watching them,” she added while gesturing toward the operating room. “I’m glad you had the opportunity to observe this operation and the kind of teamwork involved. Especially since it may be a good while before you see the like again.”

  Sherree began to worry. Did her flippant remark offend the Practitioner? As a mentor Barbara should expect the occasional ignorant statements of an Intern. Sherree wondered what it would take to get back into the Pentrosan’s good graces. Perhaps more diligence in study and an effort not to make flippant remarks, she thought.

  “You are being assigned to another mentor and will be turned over to him in a matter of days,” Barbara told her in an even, controlled tone, as if making an effort to hide her true feelings.

  It was unheard of for a mentor to be changed. Usually, a mentor stays with the Intern until he or she reaches the level of Practitioner. Being dumped by her mentor after just five days was going to severely hurt her reputation; it could take decades to get over this. What did she do that was so wrong? Her career in the Aloe Guild, in spell casting in general, meant everything to her. All of her determinat
ion through the years to get to this point was so dogged not even her feelings for a certain Ducaunan could pull her from the course she had set. “If I have offended, please allow me to make amends,” she requested.

  Barbara blinked and her expression softened. “No, you misunderstand. The Grand Maestro has ordered this,” she explained and her brown eyes were suddenly full of speculation. “Your new mentor is to be Senior Practitioner Fenton Chen, a Two-bolt Accomplished with thirty-five years experience, one of the most respected members of the guild.”

  Sherree closed her mouth after realizing her jaw had dropped open. It was rare for Efferin Tames to involve himself in guild affairs, especially in matters involving who is to train whom. Maestro Janna Barroon must have been furious over his meddling in her guild. Sherree worked at not letting her resentment toward the Grand Maestro show on her face or in her actions, not because of the change in mentor; that was actually helpful to her career. She hid her feelings out of respect for the office he held, but she would never forgive him for Silencing Daniel. Thoughts of the Ducaunan made her smile. He actually handled the ordeal better than she did and even thanked Efferin for Silencing him. She used the memory to soften her attitude toward the Grand Maestro and gave the formal nod of acknowledgment to her fellow Accomplished. “I am sorry you will not be mentoring me through my internship,” she said, and meant it. The woman had been a veritable fount of knowledge.

  Barbara smiled warmly. “I think you would have been a challenge, one I surely would have enjoyed. You are eager to learn and question everything, that would have kept me on my toes for the next year,” she replied and gave the respectful nod in return.

  Sherree wondered about Fenton Chen. Why would it take days to meet him? “Where is my new mentor?” she asked.