by J. P. Larson
“I was supposed to uproot your life? And it’s not like I planned anything.”
“Like I said: you were an idiot.”
I didn’t answer her. Instead I turned and leaned against the railing again, staring at the water. After a moment, she turned with me but moved closer until our arms were touching. “Say it.”
“I wasn’t an idiot.”
“You went to Quartain’s expecting some sort of confrontation, but you didn’t talk to any of us about it first. You should have talked to both Eva and me, but you didn’t talk to either of us. Idiot mistake number one. Then, instead of acting calmly and carefully, you advertised you were leaving. You and I should have made a plan. We could have been gone two weeks before they knew to look for us, and you would have been a whole lot safer besides.”
“I can’t make that decision for either of you, Lunia!”
“You wouldn’t have been.”
I spun to her but leaned sideways against the railing. She turned more slowly and then poked me in the chest. “Where you go, I go. Say it.”
“I can’t make those decisions for you!”
“That’s the decision I made when I asked to come here,” she said. “It’s the decision I made that first week when you asked me to be your swordswoman, and it’s the decision I’ve made over and over since.” She poked my chest again. “Where you go, I go. That’s what it means when you invite me to be your swordswoman. How do you think I’d feel if something happened to you, Kia? Look. Everyone loses her temper. Everyone makes rash decisions. We all need someone else to do our thinking for us sometimes. You needed Eva and me back then, and you didn’t give us a chance.” She poked me. “You were an idiot. Now say it.”
I stared then nodded. "I was an idiot."
“Better,” she said. "I will never do something so stupid again."
"I will never do something so stupid again."
"When contemplating something stupid, I will always, always, always talk to Lunia before I actually do it."
I laughed and repeated it.
"Yes, I'll be your swordswoman, if you really mean those."
I thought about it. "I was probably an idiot, but I don't think running was evidence."
"Running without me was."
"I’ll stand by the rest."
"Good." She pulled me into a hug.
* * * *
The queen sent us to Northmere in a carriage. As we grew closer to the school, I grew quieter.
"It will be fine," Eva said.
"Why are we going here?"
"I have a house here," Eva said. "Excuse me. The four of us have a house here. I don't know if we'll be keeping it or if the queen will give us a small house in town."
"My things?"
"I have everything, Kia," she said.
It felt weird.
The carriage deposited us right to our front steps. It was the house Quartain had once offered me, kitty-corner from Iladarta. We arrived to no fanfare, unloading our things and getting them into the house without anyone noticing.
Eva gave me a tour. There were two bedrooms, an office, a sitting room, kitchen, and water closet. There wasn't a plant in sight, and I asked about them.
"I knew I couldn't keep them alive so I gave all your plants to Iladarta. And we won't be here enough to care for them now."
I felt sad about that.
The four of us congregated in the sitting room. "We'll go shower at the barracks," Lunia offered.
"The one downside here," Eva said to me. "There's only one shower. But we have hot and cold water, so it's not all bad. Loralai, can you find Quartain and arrange an appointment, no sooner than two hours from now?"
Loralai smiled. "I can do that for you."
"Before either of you go, I want to point something out. You are no longer swordswomen assigned to the school. Loralai, you work directly for me. Lunia, you work directly for Kia. Neither of us are assigned to the school, in spite of having a house here. To be clear, that means you are not obligated to answer the questions of the senior magus or anyone else here."
Loralai grinned.
"This appointment is for me. I do not want either of you indicating whether we found Kia and if we did, whether she returned with us."
Loralai laughed. "If she throws a truth spell on me-"
"Then you will point out that her heavy-handed games are what landed us in this mess and ask her if she wants a repeat."
"This is going to be interesting," Loralai said.
The two of them collected fresh clothes and then left the house. Eva waited for the door to close before she turned to me. "Now, as for you." She gave me a push.
"What?" I said.
She pushed me again, and she was still bigger than I was. She pushed me all the way into the bathroom. "Get those clothes off. We have business."
We showered together. And then we engaged in that business. And another hour later found us back in the shower again before finally dressing.
"I love you, Eva. I'm so sorry."
"Shut up," she said. "But don't stop."
* * * *
By the time we were dressed, Lunia and Loralai were back. They were playing cards in the sitting room.
"Fifteen minutes in Quartain's classroom," Loralai said. "Journeywoman 641."
"Whatever shall we do?" Eva asked, leering at me.
"You two already did that part," Lunia said. "Come on, we'll play a hand or two." She stole all of Loralai's cards.
"Hey, I was winning."
"Tough," Lunia said. She shuffled while Eva and I sat down, and a moment later we were playing a game I could barely remember. But we only had time for a hand before it was time to go.
Eva grinned at me. "Stand up and hold still." She prepared a spell and settled it over me. I didn't know what it was, but I saw it was complicated.
"What is it?"
"Camouflage," she said. "The one I normally gave Loralai during our games. If we're careful, we can get all the way to the meeting without anyone seeing you."
I laughed.
"Remember to stay quiet," she said. "Come on."
It was actually a little difficult to walk across the campus like this. I let Eva steer us, and she managed to keep me far enough away that no one saw me. Climbing the tower wasn't so bad; we waited for a calm moment then climbed quickly. We made our way to Quartain's classroom, and Eva turned to me.
"I don't know what we'll find," she said. "We'll go in and you'll move to one side or the other. Stay hidden until it's time to show yourself."
I nodded. She kissed me quickly then opened the door. "Senior Magus Quartain?"
"Eva?"
We slipped in the door, and I had to move sideways quickly, as Quartain moved towards the door. She was the only one waiting for us, which I found a relief.
It hurt to look at her. She had noticeably aged and looked, well, I wouldn't say terrible, but terrible.
"Eva?" Quartain asked. "Where is she?"
Eva moved past her into the main part of the classroom. "Why are we meeting here?" she asked.
"Eva, where is Kia?"
Eva didn't answer but moved further into the classroom. Quartain checked the hall then closed the door, following Eva. Eva moved to the far side of the circle, then when Quartain was standing in the circle, stepped past her, causing her to turn. I found myself watching Eva's back and, just past her, Quartain.
"Why here, Senior Magus Quartain?"
"Where is she, Eva?" Quartain yelled.
I stared.
Eva responded softly, "I'll answer your questions as soon as you answer mine. Why are we meeting here instead of your office?"
"Oh," said Quartain. "I thought she'd come with you. I wanted to evaluate her magic and see how much she's slid. Why did you think?"
"I didn't know, which is why I asked," Eva replied.
"I answered your question. Now you will answer mine. Did you and Marie find Kia or not?"
"We did."
"You did?" Q
uartain began to smile. "But where is she? Did you tell her how sorry I am? It was my fault. Did you tell her it was all my fault?"
Eva didn't say anything, but she held a hand out to me, and I stepped forward. When I got close enough, I knew Quartain could suddenly see me. Her eyes latched onto me.
"Kia," she said softly, as if she couldn't believe it, then louder. "Kia!" She threw herself on me, pulling me into her arms. I was stunned by the reaction.
And then she was sobbing.
"I'm so sorry! Oh Kia, I'm so sorry! Please forgive an old woman."
I let her get away with it for a minute, but then I pushed her off me and stepped away. “Don’t try that ‘old woman’ crap on me,” I said.
“Kia?”
I put my hand on my hip, glaring at her. There was a part of me that wanted to just give in, to forgive her, to pretend I trusted her again. “I’m not sure we’re friends. I’m not sure we ever were. I’m the girl you had kidnapped when she was twelve, and who you have repeatedly hurt.”
“Kia-”
“You’ve done a good job teaching me I can’t trust you.”
She pressed her lips together into a thin line then said, “I know.”
"I'll make a deal with you, Quartain. If there are things you can't tell me, fine. But you at the least will tell me you have had dreams. And if the dreams don't forbid telling me what's going on, then you will tell me. Are we agreed?"
"Yes,” she said. “Kia, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” She rubbed her eyes against her sleeve.
"I am so sure that would be a demerit if I did it," I told her.
"Not anymore," she said, straightening a little taller. "As much as I would like to at times, I can't give demerits to adepts."
She looked me up and down. "I am going to go clean up. I would like to assess your skills."
"She isn't your student anymore, Quartain," Eva said.
"You are both always my students," Quartain said, "At least until you have learned every spell I can teach you. Which you haven't." She looked back and forth between both of us. "Any arguments?"
I turned to Eva and let her answer for us. "No, Quartain," she said.
"Good." She turned back to me. "I want to see you build a spell requiring a Mobius strip. Get started."
She turned to the door, and a moment later, Eva and I were alone.
I turned to Eva, who hadn't stopped smiling. "Your home is here. You belong to me. Those are two facts that are permanent. Agree now, or we're having a very, very large fight."
I thought about it. I realized I was half holding my breath, and I let it out. I’d been holding in quite a bit of stress. I gave myself a little shake, trying to let the stress go with the breath I’d been holding. "I agree," I said with a smile. But then I eyed the circle dubiously.
"What do you remember?" she asked.
"Well," I said, "I can still do this." I made a Mobius strip, holding it in the air between Eva and me.
"That's a good start," she said.
"I've been a practicing healer and botanist," I said. "There are a few spells of each I haven't had to use. I haven't cast a tangle spell in over two years."
"Like you could forget," Eva replied. "You know that's not what she wants to see."
"I only know two spells that require a Mobius strip."
"Well then," Eva said, "create one."
"Tell you what," I said. "Magus Eva."
"Yes?"
"Did you ready-spell the containment spell?"
"No."
"I'll race you."
Eva laughed. "And when I win, what do I get?"
"What do you want?"
She smiled then, right at my feet, she lowered herself to one knee and took my hands. "Kia Shortshadow, will you marry me?"
"Eva?"
"Will you?"
"Yes!" I said. "Yes, I will marry you!"
She kissed my hands then pulled me into her arms, hugging me while still kneeling. We were standing there when Quartain walked back in.
"Quartain," Eva said, without climbing to her feed. "Do you believe the queen would want to officiate our wedding?"
Quartain began to laugh. "I believe she would."
Eva climbed to her feet. "Kia, I want children. Do you want children?"
"Yes. But I'm not sure we can make a baby."
"Not directly," Quartain said. "But indirectly."
"Winner gets to decide which of us carries the children," Eva said. "Agreed?"
I eyed her dubiously. "I am not sure I want either of us doing what it takes to make a baby, Eva."
"There are ways," Quartain said.
"Then yes, Eva, I agree. Winner picks who carries the children."
She smiled. "You're going to be so sexy when you're fat with children," she said with a laugh.
"There is a wager?" Quartain asked.
"Yes," Eva said. "She thinks she can make a containment dome faster than I can."
"What do we do if it's a tie?" I asked.
"It's not going to be a tie," Eva replied.
"What if?"
"Then no winner, I guess, and we'll decide another way."
"All right," I agreed. "Everyone step back. Quartain tell us when to start and call the winner."
We cleared out of the circle, Eva and I taking up distinct positions a short distance apart with Quartain in between us.
"Ready, begin," Quartain said.
I made a Mobius strip then frowned at it. Eva also made a Mobius strip and began the attachments to it before glancing over at me. "What's the matter, Kia? Get a little cocky?"
"I'm trying to remember," I said. Then I waved my magic away, concentrated for a moment, waved my hand once, pouring magic out, then threw the spell at the etched circle. The containment dome burst into being, strong and steady. "Oh, I guess I remembered," I said.
"You cheated!" Eva said, "You suckered me."
"How did I cheat?" I asked.
"You have that as a ready-spell!"
"Why yes, yes I do."
She sputtered at me, so I walked around the circle to stand in front of her. "Eva, I'll agree to start over and do it the slow way for our original wager if you'll give me something I want."
She eyed me dubiously. "What?"
I leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "I really, really want to lose a tickle fight before bed. I don't care how you do it as long as it's not in front of the entire school."
Eva laughed and agreed immediately.
I dispelled my dome and she waved away her magic. Quartain smiled at both of us. "Call the start, Quartain."
"Ready, begin."
I struggled. Eva didn’t, and she won easily. But I made one, and that was good enough for me.
Duties
The four of us left Nalori a week later, furnished with everything I would need as a traveling healer and a course of study for Eva to begin teaching me. We devoted an hour twice a day, which wasn't that intensive, but it was what we could arrange.
Before we left, we decided there would be a spring wedding, coordinating the date with Queen Hallamarie. Marie was delighted and begged to officiate even before we could ask. I sent letters home, apologizing for disappearing for two years, begging forgiveness, and announcing the date all at once. Eva also wrote home, minus the apologies.
We traveled south along the coast. We were to make a big loop all the way to the Garandoria border near the coast, then head east before working our way back home. We would winter at Northmere.
Eva wasn't assigned to any specific cases. She was simply to keep her ears open. There were always reports of a certain amount of unrest and intrigue, but usually they were based on nothing.
Before we left, just about everyone made sure I understood the relationship. "You report to Eva. Period."
I kept telling people, "Whatever Eva says." Eva was the only one who believed I meant it. Well, Lunia and Loralai probably believed it, too, but for some reason, no one ever asked their opinions.
I didn't
understand what the big deal was, so I met with Quartain in her office and asked.
"Kia, you have a history of challenging authority. The last two years serve as a dramatic example. You've been a challenge to me at times. Eva isn't remotely ready for that."
"Name one time I challenged your authority when you weren't being heavy-handed."
That stopped her cold.
"If you can't do that, how often have I challenged your authority after you took the time to explain your reasoning?"
She didn't have an answer for that, either.
"Oh, wait, I know. When was the last time I didn't give you ample opportunity to explain before reacting poorly?"
"We've had arguments when you have jumped to conclusions."
"Yes, and you tell me to let you explain, and I always do."
"I suppose you do, Kia." She sat back and looked at me, smiling lightly.
I shrugged. "Between Eva and me, I've never wanted to lead. Why would anyone think that has changed?"
"You're right, Kia," Quartain replied. "None of us thought about what you just said. But now it's my turn, just for clarity."
"You're about to remind me that this is Eva's first time in the field with this type of responsibility, and she doesn't need me to create any headaches for her."
Quartain laughed. "I wasn't going to put it that way, but yes. Kia, I hated that you were gone, and I really hated that I drove you to leave. But I think it was good for you at the same time."
"I think so, too. It was hard."
"You've always been good at dealing with things that are hard."
I thought about that as I left her office.
* * * *
We traveled along the coast for two days before we were sufficiently far from the capital that my services were likely to be useful. Our first such stop was a small fishing port called Livendar. Livendar was a small collection of houses arranged haphazardly on either side of a descent cut through the cliffs to a sheltered beach on the ocean. I couldn't have told you what geologic process created the original descent, but it had been enhanced by man in more recent times. The houses were small and the people poor, struggling to make a living from an unfriendly ocean. And so, we were met with a certain amount of skepticism when we set up our tent.
I'd encountered this before, of course, but I wasn't expecting it so near to the capital, or more exactly, so near to Northmere School of Magic. It was unfortunate that the only visual display of magic I could readily do was the light spell, and that the villagers couldn't see my raw magic when I summoned it.
