Cast in Fire

by Zora Marie

  Zelia grinned as she bowed her head and headed off to the stables to do just that.

  >

  “So, did you talk to him? What did he say?” Thunder neighed when she entered the stables.

  “He gave me permission to turn you out. So, come on, I need to get back in time for breakfast.” She opened the stall door and waved him to follow.

  “Back already? What are you doing with him?” Donequen asked as he entered the barn.

  “Yargo gave permission for me to put him out in the pasture, where he’ll stay from now on.”

  “Good. Less work for me,” Donequen replied with a shrug of his shoulders, but his hint of a smile showed he cared more than he let on.

  After she let Thunder into the fenced meadow, where he bounded across the lush green field, she hurried across town to get back in time for breakfast.

  “So, is Thunder happy now?” Yargo asked when she entered the dining hall.

  “Yes, and he might let someone ride him besides me for a change.” She took her seat by Rog at the long table.

  “Wait, you rode that wild bay horse?” Zivu asked, eyes widened with concern.

  “He’s not wild, but yes, we went for a walk through the woods yesterday.”

  “You should never get on a horse you don’t know,” Zivu scolded.

  “I asked Thunder first. He was happy to get out of the stall and stretch a bit.”

  “You asked him?”

  “My dear, Zelia can talk to animals.” Yargo took Zivu’s hand and her jaw tightened for a moment.

  “Still you should be careful. He is a large stallion and even if he does not intend to hurt you, you could get injured accidentally.”

  “I’ve been riding since before I could walk.”

  They all stopped and stared at her, and she shrank back in her seat. I shouldn’t have said that, they still don’t know who raised me. She closed her eyes, and a white mane rose before her. Starjaina. Memories of riding alongside Alrindel played through her mind and renewed her longing to be there alongside him again. She shook her head. No, I can’t go back there, not while Eleanor’s alive.

  She forced herself to look back at those around her and Rog clasped his hands together.

  “Well, let’s eat.”

  Once Rog slowed down and ate like a civilized Hyperian, he and Terik told Yargo about what they had done on the previous day and their progress in their studies. Rog even gushed about Zelia’s ice magic. Yargo just nodded his encouragement to the boys, but Zelia could feel his gaze fall on her with every pause while her mind continued to wander back to her time with Alrindel.

  “Glad to hear you had a good day. Now, off to your studies.” Yargo turned to her. “Zelia, may I have a word with you?”

  She continued to pick around at her food in silence and the others left the table.

  Yargo took Rog’s seat beside her. “Zelia, is something wrong?”

  She set her fork down, her plate hardly touched.

  “Just thinking.”

  “About what?”

  “The past and the people on Mineria who once considered me kin. They’d hardly remember me anymore.” Her shoulders sagged, laden with the weight of her past.

  “You mean Asenten did not always hold you captive?”

  Her jaw quivered for a moment before she answered, “It doesn’t matter,” and shoved back from the table.

  Yargo grabbed her wrist to stop her. “Obviously, it does matter, or you would not be so lost thinking about it. Why did riding remind you of them?”

  “No, please don’t. They think I’m dead and it’s best that way.” She ripped her wrist from his loose grip and headed out of the room.

  “Best for who? You, them, or Asenten’s cronies?” his voice echoed down the hallway after her, but she slipped out a door to the grounds outside.

  Her heart hurt as her core froze, her power swelling with her anger at her past, at herself. When she skirted around the edge of the pond, she couldn’t hold it in any longer. She flung a tense open hand at the water.

  All the water leapt from the pond in a wave of ice, and much of her anger went with it. When she realized what she was doing, she snapped her hand into a fist and held it back, parts of the water still trying to expand as it froze.

  She stood frozen as the ice before her when a hand touched her arm.

  “Just let it go,” Zivu assured her.

  She unclenched her fist, and the ice shattered into a rain of tiny crystals.

  “Come on, you will need to sit after a burst like that.”

  She wavered for a moment, then followed Zivu in a daze.

  “Are you okay, Zelia?” Rog asked.

  “I shouldn’t have done that.”

  “Zelia, Asenten is dead, you won’t get punished for something like that. It’s not good to hold everything in like you do.”

  “Please just go back to practicing Rog. I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “Fine, but if you ever decide to, I’ll be here.”

  She nodded, acknowledging his offer even if she never intended to take it. She sat and watched them practice the water magic lessons, the first being how to turn ice crystals to fog.

  After a few hours, Zivu decided Rog had practiced enough for the day and sent them on their way. When they reached the turn in the path, Zelia stopped.

  “I’ll pass on the swordplay today. Would you let Steffon know for me?”

  “Sure. But why don’t you come watch? That’s all father wanted you to do until you’ve healed, anyway.”

  “I... I want to go for a walk. I might come watch later.”

  Rog’s shoulders slumped. “Fine, please just be careful.”

  She could feel his disappointment as she walked down the hill, but she needed time to think. So much had changed in a matter of days, she needed some time to step back from it all.

  On her way to the woods, she passed Thunder’s pasture. Excited to see her, he jumped the fence and trotted up.

  “Are you ready for a ride again today?”

  “Sure.”

  She climbed on the fence as if it were a ladder and eased onto his back. Her mind already lingering in the past, with stirred memories.

  >

  She was lying across Starjaina’s bare back as she grazed and went racing across fields only to be stopped by Eadon.

  “Just what do you think you are doing?” he would ask.

  “Riding.”

  “Zelia,” his short reply was accompanied by his stern stare.

  “I’m sorry Eadon. I couldn’t sleep and Starjaina was up, so I went for a ride.”

  He heaved a heavy sigh and pulled her from his horse’s back. “Come on, it’s time for breakfast.”

  >

  The trickle of water pulled her from her memories. When she reached the edge of the pond in the woods, she slid from Thunder’s back and sat against a log near the water. She leaned back and listened to the voices of the woods. Birds sang as they darted back and forth between trees. Snakes slithered across the ground and leaves rustled as they went. Bugs buzzed and hopped around. A dragonfly neared the water, and a fish jumped out and caught it with a big gulp. A few frogs croaked from their lily pads and then she noticed it... the sounds of the trees themselves.

  She had never spent time being still in the woods before, so she hadn’t ever noticed the sounds that emanated from the trees. An audible raspy voice, or rather the sounds of many voices, vibrated through the forest as the trees called out to each other.

  She sat and listened for a long while.

  “What’s your name?” She looked at a huge tree across from her.

  The trees quieted to a murmur. “She can hear us? But how?”

  “Yes, I can hear you. Please, what’s your name? I take it you’re the oldest of the trees in
the area, you are certainly the loudest and the largest.”

  “Trees do not keep names, that’s an animal thing. But yes, I’m the oldest amongst the trees here. Why do you ask?”

  She scanned the trees. “Just curious. I hadn’t heard the trees until just now. I didn’t know that trees had voices. Out of curiosity, how old are you?”

  “I’m nearing forty thousand years old, and you my dear?”

  “I’m almost five hundred years old. Can others hear you?”

  “The animals can when they take the time, but your kind doesn’t. Or if they do, they don’t show it.”

  The trees talked amongst themselves and the slow chatter picked back up to a steady hum. She nodded off to the sounds of the forest and of Thunder munching grass at the edge of the pond.

  “Zelia!” She woke to the sound of Rog, Terik, and Donequen’s calls, “Zelia! Zeeeellliiiaaaa!”

  She blinked and propped herself up, the faint sound of chanting still ringing through her mind. The back of her arm brushed against something furry and she shot around, now face-to-face with a wolf as he stood.

  “Good, you’re awake. People call for you.”

  She rubbed her eyes in disbelief and realized it was already dark out.

  “Over here!” she called.

  When she turned to speak to the wolf, she found that he had disappeared back into the woods. There are wolves on Hyperia? She shook her head. Why is it always wolves? A wolf in the mouth of the cave and now a wolf while I’m sleeping on Hyperia. I didn’t even know there were wolves on Hyperia.

  “Thunder, why didn’t you wake me?”

  Thunder looked up from his grass chewing.

  “You looked so peaceful, I didn’t want to disturb you. Besides, I was not going near that wolf.”

  She rolled her eyes at Thunder. “That wolf wouldn’t hurt you, you big lug. He was protecting you as well as me.” Even if I don’t know why.

  Rog tackled her with a hug. “Oh, thank heavens you’re okay. We were worried about you!”

  “I just dozed off listening to the trees talking.” She gasped as the pain of the sudden embrace took her breath.

  “Just dozed off? You’ve been gone for hours. Wait, listening to the trees talking? Trees can talk, too?” Terik asked.

  She looked over at the huge tree.

  “They can. I hadn’t heard them until today, so it must be another thing the wizards blocked from me. How did you find me anyhow?”

  Donequen raised his hand. “Um, I told them you went into the woods when I noticed them looking for you. The guards won’t be far behind us, so maybe we should head back.” He gave a sharp look at Thunder. “Would you mind getting him? He doesn’t seem to like me too much.”

  Zelia knew the horse’s mind well enough to know Donequen was right.

  “Thunder, back to the pasture.”

  “You want a ride back?”

  “No, you go ahead. I’ll walk with them. Try not to scare any of the guards on the way.”

  Thunder nickered as if to laugh and took off towards the pasture with a flick of his tail.

  Zelia started after him. “We’d best get going then.”

  “So, how did you sleep without your heart stopping this time?” Rog asked and walked alongside her.

  “A wolf kept watch over me while I slept. He disappeared right before you got there.”

  “So now you have a wolf watching over you, and you can talk to trees and animals?” Donequen chimed in with his own thoughts.

  “Well, now I just sound like a lunatic, but yes, that’s correct.”

  Rog stepped in front of them and walked backwards. “Aw, you are my sister after all. We can be crazy together.”

  He flashed a grin and fell over an exposed root before he could turn around.

  The laughs of the trees popped through the air in loud creaks and cracks, drowning out the chanting that ate at the edge of her consciousness.

  “It seems the trees have a sense of humor,” she said.

  Terik laughed at Rog and a branch popped out in his face. He stumbled backward and exclaimed, “Hey! That’s not cool! I didn’t say anything!”

  Not to let Donequen feel left out, a tree goosed him and caused him to fall into Rog and Zelia. For a moment, the chanting in her head grew louder, then stopped as all three of them sprawled across the forest floor.

  Donequen and Rog laughed and sat up, but Zelia kept her place as she struggled to breathe. The chanting, had that been real? She closed her eyes and forced herself to take a deep breath. No, it was just a memory. It had to be.

  Donequen choked back a laugh. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

  She sat back against a tree.

  “It’s fine. I know the trees pushed you.”

  “Little one, are you okay?” a tree murmured in a slow drawl.

  Zelia nodded in reply and the tree helped her to her feet. The blood drained from her face and pulled away from her head as she stood. She paused and leaned against the tree as her vision went fuzzy and disappeared. No. She frantically searched, looking for some speck of light.

  The soft tips of Rog’s fingers brushed her cheek.

  “Zelia, are you okay?”

  She struggled for each breath and shook her head. I can’t see, she thought but couldn’t get the words to form.

  “Terik come here,” Rog called, as he suspected something was wrong.

  She put her hand over Rog’s and ran it down Rog’s arm.

  “It’s fine. I… I don’t need to see.” She forced the words and rested her forehead against Rog’s shoulder. “I just… I want to go to bed.”

  “What do you mean you don’t need to see?” Rog asked.

  Her breath was shaky as he stroked her hair and she felt him struggling to open the connection he usually only felt when they slept.

  “Zelia...” She could hear panic in his voice.

  “I can’t see,” she whispered.

  “What? You mean you’re blind? How? We have to get Yalif.” Rog was in full panic mode and she shook her head.

  “Please, Rog just get me back to my room.”

  She didn’t want to talk, and turned to continue down the path. With a sigh, Rogath led her, leaves crunching under their feet.

  They said not another word until they were met by some guards. Rog and Zelia continued on as she stumbled on rocks here and there, while Terik told the guards what happened.

  When they reached her room, Rog turned about to leave when Zelia’s voice cracked, “Rog, would you stay with me? I... I can’t stand being in complete darkness, not anymore.”

  “Shh, it’s okay,” he whispered and pulled her against him. “I was just going to Yalif, but they’ll send him soon enough.” She clamped her eyes against the dark and fell asleep to the steady beat of his heart, hoping beyond hope that this was just a dream.

  14

  “Zelia, I need to have a look at your eyes, dear.”

  The bed shifted as Yalif sat on the edge. She clenched a wad of Rog’s silky tunic in her fist as she opened her eyes to find there was nothing for her to see.

  “I’m right here.”

  He touched her shoulder and waited for her to sit up on her own. He guided her to drape her legs over the edge of the bed. She could feel his body heat beside her.

  “Keep your eyes open for me, alright?”

  She cringed as her eyes burned for a moment.

  “Your eyes are fine. I will have to run more tests to find out what is wrong.”

  “Yalif,” Yargo’s voice sounded from the doorway behind her.

  “I’ll be right back, Rogath will be right here.”

  The bed moved as Yalif stood and Rog took his place. “You’ll be fine, Zelia, I promise.” He told her, leaning against her in a gentle hug.

  �
��How can you know that, Rog?”

  “I just do.” His fingers intertwined with hers, and she turned her head towards the door.

  “Wizards” was the only word she could make out from Yalif and Yargo’s conversation.

  “Do you think this could be the elders?” Zelia asked.

  “Elders?” Rog asked, “Wait, you mean the other wizards? I thought Asenten was the only one that knew you were alive.”

  Zelia opened her mouth to say something, but she stopped herself.

  “What haven’t you told me?”

  “I... please don’t leave me.”

  He can’t find out now, he won’t understand. She laid her head on his shoulder, his hand clenched in hers. I can’t lose him, not now.

  “Zelia, I need to run some scans on you.”

  “Here, I’ll come with you,” Rog volunteered.

  “No, you stay here Rog. Zelia, I’m going to carry you, is that alright?”

  She nodded and Yalif scooped her up. His footsteps trailed down the hall and when a door closed behind them, he set her down on a hard surface.

  “I need you to sleep. When you wake up, you’ll be back in bed, but I’ll be there.”

  Something soft and damp wiped across her face and she fell asleep.

  >

  “Did you find anything?” Yargo’s voice drifted to her as consciousness returned.

  “Nothing that should have caused her blindness.”

  “But you found something?”

  “She’s related to the old gods. She should be much more powerful than she claims to be.” There was a weird edge in Yalif’s voice, as if he knew that the wizards had planned to kill them, and it was a while before Yargo spoke again.

  “Does anyone else know?”

  “No. Why?”

  “Let’s keep this between us for now and Rog certainly can’t find out about it.”

  “May I run more tests? By all the laws of life, she shouldn’t exist.”

  “Not yet, but soon. Let her rest. Being thrust back into the dark will weigh on her more now that the sun has risen, and her own flames can’t help her.”