Visions of Power

by Jeffrey Quyle

  Chapter 35 – Merle’s Proposal

  Alec tried to take Merle’s pronouncement in stride. He failed. After a moment of silence, Alec said to Merle, “How can it be that I’m an ingenaire? I’ve taken on power from others twice, but I’ve never generated or created any power.”

  “Perhaps that’s what you believe, but your images tell the truth to be otherwise,” Merle calmly replied. “I’ll admit that I’m surprised too, but then again, I’m not.”

  “Alec, I think the image of the caduceus indicated the potential to be a healer ingenaire. I’m pretty sure of that but I’ll need to research the images. I told you there are houses of ingenairii that are empty – the healer house has been one of those for a long time. But the fact that you saw the blue halo surrounding the healing symbol means that it is already an active power you can exercise.”

  “That alone would mark you as a very remarkable ingenaire in-training, but you have two other symbols in addition. Those mean you can be an ingenaire in two other houses as well. You could master the power of three houses Alec, which would make you one of the very top ingenairii if you gain sufficient power in your disciplines. That fourth image that didn’t develop intrigues me as well, but regardless of it, you are a power in waiting.

  “The sword shows that you can be a warrior ingenaire. There aren’t many of them, and some of those aren’t very savory in my eyes, but they carry a lot of clout in our world. Their services are in great demand among the princes, dukes, and other rulers,” Merle explained.

  “The crucifixion shows that you can be a spiritual ingenaire, able to commune with God’s will, and it consequently means you may be able to sense the honesty and feelings of others, or perhaps interpret the signs that he places in this world. We have some spiritual ingenairii, but many of them are a very introspective group. They usually seek personal ecstasy in God instead of going forth into the world. The practical aspects of spiritual ingenairii are that they can bring counsel and comfort to those who are troubled, they can interpret the souls of others, and can discern truth in those they examine. Their introspection is precisely the opposite of the aggressive seeking of the warriors. You’re going to be a young man torn in two if you follow both paths fervently!”

  “And your mysterious fourth symbol…the one that didn’t form, well, I don’t know what it means. Time will tell, I suppose. I’ve never heard of such a manifestation,” Merle finished.

  “But I don’t have a mark to show I’m an ingenaire,” Alec protested, again raising his sleeves.

  “Your mark is yet to come. You haven’t fully used your powers to the greatest extent possible,” Merle surmised. “You have only begun to exercise them without really stretching your abilities.”

  Alec tried to consider the future. Merle’s revelations left him stunned. “So my powers as a healer are really ingenaire powers? What do you think I should do, now that you know this?” he finally asked Merle.

  “Is there any doubt in your mind that you should begin training?” the ingenaire asked him while watching intently.

  “I suppose not. I don’t know. I already have other plans for my life, and this hasn’t been part of them,” his shaky assumptions about his future were being rent asunder by the mental gymnastics his mind tumbled through.

  “Alec, it is your decision, and as I said before, the fact that you are not consumed with a desire to be an ingenaire speaks well for your fitness to be a good ingenaire, in my opinion,” Merle began. “I would suggest that you begin your training here with me, so that you understand how to call upon your powers and control them. That way you will be protected from claims that you are a non-ingenaire practicing our powers, even though your healer abilities are something you can now claim as defense; although claiming membership in an empty House won’t be routinely accepted. As your abilities advance, you might go to Oyster Bay to finalize your training. You could be an asset to the ingenairii, to the Dominion, and in the battle against the lacertii threat we’ll face soon.

  “There are good folks here training to be ingenairii. I think you would be good for them and they would be good for you. You could actually have some friends your own age instead of dealing with all these old men you currently seem to be with,” Merle concluded, a glint of humor arriving in his last comment.

  Alec felt his spirits raised by Merle’s arguments. The prospect of going to Oyster Bay for ingenaire training solved his dilemma of finally having a reason and a means to follow Natalie, and Ari, he told himself. And Merle’s last argument appealed to him more than he had expected, even while seeming to confirm in a backhanded way Inga’s warning about the isolation and clannishness of ingenairii. He realized that he did miss having companionship with others his own age. That was a small part of what made him want to go find Natalie, that yearning to be an equal instead of the youth in any group, or the healer, always the person who was different from the rest.

  “Merle, which of the three ingenaire ways would you try to teach me first, if I begin to attend here? How much time each day would I spend in lessons? How long would it be before I went to Oyster Bay?” he asked.

  Merle thought about that. “I think we could train you best to learn to tap into the ingenaire power, and focus perhaps on the warrior discipline, just because I know something about it. The healer discipline you already know more about that anyone else, so all we can do is teach you to understand your powers. You’ll have to follow your own discoveries in that field because there are no healers to teach you. I make no promises regarding spiritual ingenaire powers; I’ll leave that to you to find the right teacher at the right time should you want to learn more.

  “If you could attend for a half day each day, that would be satisfactory. More time each day would be better, but I suspect you are going to have other demands on your time as it is, so a half day would be satisfactory,” Merle said.

  “I’ll start tomorrow morning after sword training,” Alec told Merle. “That will leave afternoons free to return to the shop, or do other tasks.”

  “Perhaps in a few weeks or months you will be ready to go to Oyster Bay; I cannot predict until we see how apt a student you are,” Merle continued.

  Alec pondered that tidbit. He couldn’t wait months, he felt. Even weeks seemed too long, although it would give him time to begin training the medics.

  The man and the boy talked until both were satisfied with the arrangement, at which point Merle showed Alec out of the ingenaire’s rooms. Alec left the palace island to return to his shop. He arrived back in time to help Leah finish the patients who had arrived in the morning, then shared a mid-day repast with she and Ellen and Hannah. Alec remained silent about his morning with Merle, while he listened to the gossip from the neighborhood, wondering if he would ever have enough time there to come to know the people as well as Leah was getting to know them, not just as patients but as neighbors and friends.

  “The folks who come to see me always have something to say about what they think is going on around here. They tell me where the bread prices are best, or who serves the best stew, or who has lost a job,” she explained. “I wish I could see the palace sometime with you though,” she added wistfully.

  “Would you really like to see it?” Alec asked. “Let’s go today. I’ll show you the little bit I know at any rate, and I need to check on how to begin to administer the medic corps anyway.”

  “I’d love to go,” Leah replied enthusiastically. “If you don’t mind being seen with a pregnant cow, I’d be happy to know where all these places are that you mention.”

  “If we’re going to go, I probably should tell you first that Merle believes I do have ingenaire powers, and I’m going to start training with him tomorrow morning for half days after sword training,” Alec felt compelled to say.

  “I wondered what would happen, when you told me about the testing,” she replied as they started down the street. “I think you’ll make a great ingenaire, Alec. You’ve got all the right qualities to be good at anyt
hing you do. But it means we’ll lose you from the shop here for good, won’t it?”

  “We’ll find out. Merle says the fact that I’m not desperate to be an ingenaire probably means I’d be a good one,” he responded. “I’m too confused by all that is happening to know what’s going to happen in my future. I thought when we got the shop that it would be my future, then I thought that working for the Duke and the Guard would always be a part of my life. Now it’s ingenaire powers. Who can tell what will happen next?” he gave voice to the frustration he felt over so much unexpected cloudiness on his horizon. Everything that happened seemed to be another path away from solid plans.

  Leah, responded sympathetically, and they talked as they walked until they came to the guard gate for the palace island. Alec led Leah in. “Let’s go to the Guard quarters first, since that’s the place I know best.”

  They strolled back to the infirmary, where Alec showed her the beds and the supply room where he had spent so much time. They then crossed the yard to the armory, where several Guard cadets were in training with their sword work. Leah watched, fascinated. “Are you as good as they are?” he asked.

  “He’s better than them when he pays attention,” Inga’s voice sounded behind them.

  The two women looked at one another speculatively for a long moment. Alec finally spoke to break the silence. “Leah, this is Inga, the Guard who nearly died protecting the Duke. I nursed her back to health back at the infirmary.”

  “I’ve still got the scars to show from where he had to treat me. Would you like to see them?” Inga asked, starting to remove her shirt.

  “No, that won’t be necessary,” Alec interrupted. He hastily continued the introductions, “Inga is married to Captain Lewis, who I treated out east on the road expedition.”

  “Inga, this is Leah, who has been my companion through more adventures than either of us can recount,” Alec continued.

  “I’ve been very lucky to have Alec to care for me,” Leah demurely said, taking Alec’s arm possessively in her hands. Inga stared at Leah’s pregnant stomach, and looked at Alec.

  “Inga, I need to start figuring out how to do the medical training for the Guard. How should I get a roster of who the medical staffers are? I figure that if I can meet them all and judge their abilities, I’ll know better what we need to improve on,” Alec said, desperate to change the subject of a conversation that he knew in his gut wasn’t going well.

  “You should go to the quartermaster, I’d say,” the Guard replied. “He has a list of the members of the Guard, and should be able to tell you who your folks are and how long they’ve been medics, plus what they usually order for supplies. Frankly, I think you’ll be disappointed by how little there is in the way of medical support.”

  Thanks Inga, I’ll see you tomorrow,” Alec said, and gladly led Leah out of the armory.

  Leah looked at him inquisitively when they were outside. Alec didn’t know what to say about the obvious instant dislike his two friends had taken towards each other, and they remained silent as they left the end of the island.

  He led her through the palace itself, trying to get to the ingenaire’s rooms on the other end of the island, but getting lost in the process. Leah was mesmerized by the beauty of the ducal rooms and the halls they visited as Alec looked for a way out. Finally, he asked a chambermaid for directions, and made it outside the building. With his bearings intact, Alec was able to find the direction to the ingenairii’ rooms, and knocked on the outer door.

  The same youth opened the door again and greeted them. “Welcome back! Are you here to see Merle again?” he asked.

  “No. This time I just wanted to show the rooms to Leah,” Alec replied.

  The youth looked doubtful about allowing sightseeing.

  “I’m going to start training here tomorrow myself,” Alec added, hoping to build some camaraderie.

  “Merle announced we were going to have a new student,” the boy said. “My name is Roland,” he introduced himself. “Come in to have a quick peek. The training exercises are over for the day, so there’s not much to see now. What’s your name?”

  “I’m Alec, and this is Leah,” Alec introduced his companion, who was staring around the room. “The rooms beyond are filled with strange items. Can we look in at them?”

  Roland seemed reluctant to allow it, so Alec didn’t press the request. He didn’t want to push his luck with one of his potential future companions.

  They turned to go, and Alec promised Roland that he’d be back in the morning.

  “Thank you Alec, for showing me where you belong. It helps me to imagine you doing the things you talk about,” Leah told him as they left the island.

  “I think I belong in the shop as well,” Alec protested. “I just don’t seem to have the time to get there. Maybe I don’t belong in just one place any more.” And still he wondered about where he belonged, especially given his need to see Natalie.

  “You do belong in the shop in one sense, and it’s always good to see you there, but just walking around the palace, I was struck by the notion that you belong in those places doing those things,” Leah replied. “Don’t feel that you have to protest or be defensive. There’s just a rightness about you being there.”

  “Even if it is with that Inga being around, who I have to admit I don’t really like,” she forced herself to admit. “She’s a married woman, and not the right type for you.”

  Alec was startled by the conclusion Leah jumped to. “There’s nothing like that between Inga and I, don’t worry about that,” he said as they returned to their shop in the early evening. “Now, let’s go see what’s for supper.”

  Chapter 36 – Where the Power Resides

  The next morning Alec went to fencing training with Inga. There was a certain coolness in her greeting that he had never experienced before. “It was nice to meet Leah,” she said, although Alec felt she was less than sincere. “I hadn’t realized how close you two were,” she said with disapproval edging into her voice.

  Alec felt slighted by her attitude, which he couldn’t explain, just as he was bothered by the relationship Leah had presumed was budding between Inga and he. As fencing began he started out more aggressively than he ever had with Inga, driving her back in surprise. She looked at him with eyes that narrowed, and then began a counter-attack that forced Alec to give ground step-by-step, although he continued to battle furiously. They slashed and parried back and forth across their fighting pad until they were both drenched in sweat and exhausted as the length of their exercise stretched across the morning. “Take a break before you ruin yourselves for the day,” Colonel Ryder’s voice loudly broke through their attention. They stopped, panting as the colonel came over to them. “I’d say you’ve given enough effort today. Both of you go shower.” Both Inga and Alec realized that the hall was full of guards and cadets who had gathered to watch the sword play take place.

  “Captain Alec, are you available after your shower?” Ryder asked him, using Alec’s rank for the first time.

  “Colonel, I am engaged until noon, but can report then, sir,” Alec responded, worried about denying the colonel’s request.

  “What’s keeping you busy until then?” Ryder asked with a flicker of his eyebrow.

  Alec hesitated to state in front of so many people that he was going to ingenaire training. “Ingenaire Merle has requested my presence,” he equivocated.

  The colonel raised an eyebrow. “Very well, come back here immediately after you visit Merle.”

  Inga had already begun cleaning her weapon and putting it away before taking a shower. Alec joined her in the weapons room to tend to his equipment. “What do you plan to do with the ingenaire?” Inga asked, keeping her head down as she looked at her blade.

  Alec looked at her, and felt his anger drain away as he looked at the usually vivacious guard, who he liked so well. “Why didn’t you like Leah?” he responded.

  Inga turned her head and looked in his eyes, trying to determi
ne what mood he was in. “That woman is too old for you Alec. It’s not right that you should have a child at your age with her. I didn’t realize you had a relationship like that.”

  Alec gaped at her for several long seconds. He’d not heard reference to the age difference between Leah and himself since speaking to Natha and Helen, and had forgotten that it was an issue that roused people. “Leah’s child is not my child. She and I are… companions, but not in that sense.”

  Without a pause he answered her original question. “Merle says that I am an ingenaire, and he is going to begin formally training me. He says that I may become a warrior ingenaire.”

  Inga turned bright red, and lowered her face again. “I’m sorry, Alec. I made a mistake.

  “I won’t tell anyone,” she continued. “You’re going to be an ingenaire and a guard and a healer? Alec, there’s no one else like that in the Dominion! Some rulers’ courts have warrior ingenaire guardsmen who are supposed to be so fast with a blade you can hardly see what they do. Will you be like that? And then will you heal your victims after you best them?” Inga laughed at her own wit.

  “But do you remember what I told you about how the world looks at ingenairii? I warn you Alec for your own good, think long and hard before you take this step,” she said in an abruptly serious tone.

  “Inga, I feel like I’m in several things over my head, and just trying to sort them all out. Things are happening to me now faster and faster, and I have no idea how any of this will work out. I’m just glad I’ve got friends to be with while it’s all going on,” he told her as he racked his equipment and headed to the showers. I’ll see you again tomorrow.”