In Search of High Society

by Katie Holmburg

  He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply before opening them again, a determined look crossing his face. “You’re right. I’m sorry. Feel free to kick me if it happens again.”

  She searched his eyes before nodding and releasing him, allowing him to stand back up to his full height. “Don’t think that I won’t.”

  He smiled and it was small but genuine. “Of course you would. Sorry.”

  She grumbled, “And quit apologizing, you’re just irritating me.”

  She saw him open his mouth and glared at him, causing him to snap it shut. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he shook his head as if to clear it. Turning to the sideboard, he started searching through the covered dishes. Without looking at her, he said, “In answer to your earlier question, it’ll have to be cleared with the local guard in order for you to be permitted a firearm. As a guest to the Glade, you are permitted to carry two daggers, neither one longer than your forearm. You’ll have to apply for a permit for any other weapons and be sponsored by a resident.”

  She nodded thoughtfully. “Makes sense. I can live without my gun, but I think I would like to have a dagger just in case. Do you have one I can borrow? Just a small one, I don’t think I need one anywhere near the length of my forearm.” She offered him a teasing smile and was relieved to see the tension in his shoulders ease slightly.

  Kneeling, he pulled a dagger and sheath from his boot and offered it to her. She took it gingerly, unsheathing it to exam it closer. It was a double-edged blade, the hilt and blade about the length of her hand from her heel to her fingertips. It was light and balanced and Aletta knew that Lirim would have honed it razor sharp. Sliding it back into the sheath, she tucked it in the small of her back where she could easily reach it with either hand but her shirt would conceal it from view. “Thank you, that helps a lot. And if you say sorry, I will smack you.”

  He got to his feet and continued raiding the pans. He sniffed haughtily, “I was going to do no such thing.”

  She drawled, “Sure you weren’t. Are you going to eat breakfast?”

  He turned so she could see the sandwich that he’d compiled from the breakfast ingredients. “I’d rather walk and eat. I wanna be out of here before Meara gets up.”

  Aletta laughed but obligingly started towards the door. “Your sister seems to be a lovely girl. The extra time would be appreciated though. I overdid a bit yesterday so I’m moving a bit slow today.” She saw Lirim glance at her, so she added, “I stood for too long with the seamstresses. Next time shouldn’t be so bad, it’ll just be making final adjustments. Really, Lir. Promise I’m fine.”

  They stepped out the front door and Aletta drew in a deep breath, savoring the variety of smells that composed the Glade. She smiled at Lirim. “This place smells so amazing. It’s such a nice change of pace from the city.”

  They set off down the street at an easy pace while Lirim replied, “It’s one of the few things that I miss about this place.”

  Aletta thought about questioning him about what he meant, but he seemed to be fragile and withdrawn today. Something was definitely bothering him. She knew that if she tried to discover what it was right now, he would shut down on her. Better to wait and try again at a later time.

  They’d walked for a few minutes in silence when Lirim finished his sandwich and brushed the crumbs off his hands. Clearing his throat, he broke the silence. “So, I talked to Aunt Awena yesterday briefly while you were getting fitted. I asked and she agreed that it was time for you to move to the next stage of your training.”

  She hedged, “Is my control good enough?”

  Lirim nodded decisively. “I’ve been checking it every few days as has she. Your control has improved tremendously, especially since you helped Lena out. So now it’s time to move on.”

  She paused to rest her leg for a moment, “So what comes next?”

  Lirim gathered his thoughts for a moment before replying. “You have gained control of your Magia Centrum, which is the biggest step. The second step is communication. As you know, we can communicate from your Centrum while we’re meditating. Now it’s time to learn how to communicate without having to meditate first and while staying aware of the world around you.”

  Aletta’s eyes lit up with interest. “We can do that?”

  “Yes, but you have to have control of your magic before you can attempt to do it. It takes finesse and a fine touch, but you have both so it shouldn’t be a problem.”

  “Do you have to be a magic user to be able to do this? Can any magic user do this or do you have to have a special type of magic?”

  Lirim grinned at her rapid-fire questions. “Non magic users can receive messages if the sender is strong enough, but they cannot send on their own. The magic user uses their own magic to power both sides of the conversation, creating a faster drain than if both sides were contributing. This doesn’t require a certain type of magic but it does require a certain amount of strength. Also, like I said, it takes a certain amount of control. A sender who doesn’t have full control will end up blasting out the message to anyone within range. It’s like hearing a public speaker versus having a private conversation with a friend. It can also potentially damage unprepared or non-magic receivers.”

  Aletta chewed on her lip while she thought it over. “How can you protect against a blast like that? And can someone intentionally do that? For example, if you’re surrounded by enemies can you do a mental shout to disorient them? And what happens if it happens unintentionally, like how you yell when you stub your toe.”

  He nodded approvingly. “Most sentient creatures have a natural shield that helps protect them. As we advance in your lessons, you’ll learn how to augment your shields with your gift. It can be used intentionally, with varying effects. A mild enough message can be used to draw a group’s attention, a strong one can disorient people. In extreme cases, it can be used to kill people. One of the most famous assassins in history would use a piercing mental blow to kill his targets. But if you use it this way, there will be a price extracted. Backlash. The energy that you send out will come back along with echo energy from the other minds caught in the call. The avalanche effect can be incapacitating and even fatal.”

  Tucking a curl behind her ear that had already managed to escape her braid, Aletta said, “That doesn’t sound fun.”

  “It’s not and it’s not something to play around with. As for unintentional shouts, they do happen although it usually takes a traumatic event to call forth such a mental call. However, this type of sending usually dissipates after a very short distance, so the damage they do is very limited.”

  “What are the benefits to this type of communication?”

  He ticked the points off on his fingers. “First off, privacy. It is a conversation that cannot be eavesdropped on, no matter if other people have strong enough magic or not. Next, distance. Strong senders can have conversations with people miles away from where they are. Finally, discretion. With a little bit of practice, you can smooth away any tells that indicate that you are having a silent conversation with someone.”

  She weighed the pros and cons for a minute before nodding. “All right, how do we do this?”

  “Visualize reaching down into your core and pulling out a thin strand and throwing it towards me. The thinner you can make it, the better.”

  Unconsciously setting her breathing in a pattern, Aletta focused and did as Lirim instructed. Mentally, she pictured a hand dipping in the golden pool of her magic and teasing out a thin thread. It was uneven, some parts too thick and some so thin that they were in danger of breaking so she let it go and it melted back into the pool. It took several times before she finally pulled a thread that met her approval. Grasping it firmly, she tossed it lightly towards Lirim.

  She felt him catch it and give an experimental tug. She gave him a little more thread but made sure that her grip on the thread remained firm. He smiled and she felt the connection between them settle and start almost humming. She could feel the silent words t
ravel across the thread. “Very good. On your first try too.”

  She grudgingly admitted, “It wasn’t my first try. None of the other threads were quite right though.”

  He frowned, “Did you try sending other threads? I didn’t sense anything.”

  “No, I only sent the last one. But it took several tries before I was able to get a thread that I felt wouldn’t break.”

  “Good. Too many beginners try throwing the first one and it usually breaks or isn’t tight enough to keep from leaking conversation. It can be painful, but some students need the pain as a reminder to take things slowly. Of course…”

  She completed his sentence. “Most magic users are children. While their thinking is more fluid, they oftentimes lack the control that most adults take for granted.”

  He laughed aloud but answered silently, “Well, some adults. Some are just spoiled brats. Still, very good, Aletta. Memorize how it felt to call it up and get it right. However, you need to let it go now. Like any time you use a new muscle, it will take time to build up before its comfortable to use it. We’ll try again after you’ve been tested by the healers.”

  Aletta reluctantly let the connection fade and it took a moment for her to readjust. A thought occurred to her and she asked, “What is the etiquette for this type of communication?”

  “When you reach out for someone, it will create something like knocking on a door. You will have the ability to accept it and open the door or ignore it and keep the door firmly closed. Most of the time you’ll be able to recognize who sent the ‘knock’ as this is typically used amongst friends and co-workers or people who are in some way tied to you. If you don’t recognize them, you can send a query asking for identification before opening the link. However, links can be forced. To return to the door analogy, it’s like someone breaking down your door and storming inside. That’s why we’ll be working on heavy shielding now as well as layered shields. Once you are a little more advanced, you’ll be able to create almost an antechamber to receive these calls in, thus protecting the rest of your mind from potential invasion.”

  She frowned, “Why don’t you start with shielding?”

  Lirim gave a tiny shrug. “Every living creature has a natural shield. Some people have such thick natural shields that they cannot lower them at all. These individuals can be either gifted or ungifted, but they usually are survivors of severe or long-term trauma. As you learn to control your gift, your natural shield gets more refined. However, it also starts to limit the escape and intake of magic. If you close your shields tightly before learning how to communicate, it’s much harder to raise and lower them at will later. But if you learn to control your magic and how to communicate before learning shielding, your shields are much better.”

  “But what happens while people are learning how to control their magic? Are they open to possible attack?”

  “Yes, that’s why teachers and family shield them until they learn how to do it on their own.”

  Aletta clenched her fists and then forced herself to loosen them. “And have you and Awena been shielding me without my knowledge?”

  Lirim looked at her, appearing startled by her sharp tone. “No, we decided that you didn’t need any help. All of the psychological training and conditioning you had to go through for the force and HSI helped enhance your shields to the point that you were safe enough from attack without leaving you too closed off to learn the control you needed.”

  She said softly, “Oh, I didn’t think of that. Sorry.”

  He bumped her gently with his shoulder, careful not to unbalance her. “It’s a lot to take in and this is all new for you. Give yourself a break.”

  They stopped in front of a warm sandstone building. She looked at him inquiringly and he said, “This is the healer’s guild. Your appointment is with Healer Betony.”

  Aletta caught the slight hesitation in his tone. “Aren’t you coming with me?”

  He shook his head regretfully. “I can’t. I came here to investigate the attacks and if they follow pattern, it will happen again today. I need to get fully up to speed. You’ll be perfectly safe here, I promise. Also, I’ll be at the nearest guard post should you need me. It’ll only take a couple of minutes for me to get here.”

  She could sense his growing anxiety at the thought of leaving her and sought to relieve it. Crossing her arms, she rolled her eyes. “Sheesh, it’s the Glade, not the moon. I can handle a couple of healers. Well, not if they’re mutant pixies, but you don’t seem to know what those look like either, so I think we’re safe on that front. That doesn’t seem to be something that you would forget, so I think the ratio of mutant pixie attacks are fairly rare. And you’ll be the one playing with rabid chimas, so watch your back.”

  He scoffed at her concern, but merely said, “Why are you so hung up on mutant pixies?”

  “Hey, after being sparkled, one cannot be too cautious. Also, you know Cass. Now, imagine a mutant Cass.” He shuddered. “Exactly, it doesn’t bear thinking on. Now scat, I have things to do and you should be busy doing something.”

  “I’ll be back in a few hours. Send a message to the guard post if you intend to leave before I’m free.”

  He turned and walked away before she could reply, which was probably a good thing as she probably would’ve said something sarcastic. Turning to face the healer’s guild, she took a deep breath. Putting on her best face, she slowly made her way up the steps.

  Chapter Eight

  As soon as she stepped into the building, Aletta felt a wave of soothing energy wash over her. Walking over to the reception desk, she gave the woman her name and Healer Betony’s name. Noting the woman’s pointed ears and rich green eyes, Aletta guessed her to be a wood type fae but was unable to narrow it any farther than that. The woman directed her over to some chairs and then left, presumably to let someone know that she had arrived.

  Aletta sat and gingerly stretched her leg before delicately crossing her ankles and tucking them neatly under the chair. She sighed quietly, she couldn’t wait to be out of this cast. Getting out of the cast didn’t automatically mean that it would stop hurting however. It would be months before she returned to where she was before the injury.

  The receptionist was back before Aletta could even begin to examine her surroundings, a woman in a pale green robe serenely following her. Aletta rose, careful to make sure that no sign of her pain showed. The woman gave her a shallow bow. When she spoke, her voice was low and warm, “Welcome to the healer’s guild, Miss Sheridan. I am Healer Betony. Sheridan Awena has set up an appointment for you to be tested?”

  Her tone rose incrementally at the end in a subtle request for information. Aletta offered her a polite smile. “It appears over the past few weeks that I have developed a potential healing gift. I would appreciate it if you could help me assess and refine it.”

  Healer Betony nodded, her nut-brown eyes thoughtful. “Of course. Please, this way.”

  Aletta followed her in silence, taking careful note of the twists and turns of the corridors. The halls were painted a peaceful dove grey, but there were different paintings at the intersections, often forest or meadow scenes. In short order, they reached her office and entered. Honey colored wood gleamed warmly from the walls and there were a couple of intricately woven tapestries that Aletta itched to examine closer. However, that was not the reason that she had come, so she resisted the temptation and took a seat in front of the desk. The chairs were covered in a plush deep green fabric and Aletta found that it was comfortable without feeling like she was sitting on marble or sinking into a marsh.

  Healer Betony walked over to a small table instead of sitting behind the desk. She asked, “Tea?”

  Aletta smiled, allowing herself to relax slightly. “That would be lovely.”

  Aletta watched intrigued as the healer scooped leaves from several different containers and mixed them together in a small marble mortar that was veined with deep green. Once she was satisfied with the mixture, she filled two
tea balls and placed them gently in delicate porcelain cups, pouring water from a silver samovar into them.

  Making her way over to the desk, she passed Aletta one and settled the other in front of her. Raising the cup and saucer, Aletta gently inhaled, trying to sort out the myriad scents. She thought that she recognized orange and possibly lavender, but couldn’t be certain. Setting it back down to allow the tea to steep, she turned her attention back to the other woman. The sun struck the healer’s hair, threading the brown curls with red and gold highlights and her brown eyes were warm and patient.

  Healer Betony smiled and broke the silence. “Thank you for meeting with me today. Are you enjoying your visit to the Glade?”

  Aletta didn’t have to think about her reply, “It’s lovely here, different from anything I’ve ever seen.”

  She seemed to weigh Aletta’s words. “Different good or different bad?”

  “Neither really. Just different. Thank you for agreeing to see me so quickly.”

  She seemed amused by Aletta’s quick subject change, but let it go. “Awena and I go way back. I was pleased when she asked me to evaluate you.”

  Aletta sat fractionally straighter. “So how does this work, Healer Betony?”

  The woman stirred her tea and removed the leaves, setting the container neatly in the spoon and motioned for Aletta to do the same. “Just Betony please. I’m going to ask you a few questions and then we’ll determine your specific branch of healing. Once we’ve discovered that, we can set a course of learning for you. It’s all quite painless, I promise you.”

  Aletta took a cautious sip of tea, allowing the flavors to roll over her tongue. The subtle meld of flavors reminded her of a bright spring day, full of life and promise. Setting it aside, she smiled and said, “Ask away. I’ll answer to the best of my ability.”