The Wizards' War

by Angela Holder

  At least Nina was with her this time, squeezed into a crevice between her hip and a rack of bottles. Nalini had wanted to put the squirrel inside a pot, but both of them had insisted they be able to touch, just in case some emergency required them to use the Mother’s power. Kevessa reached for her familiar’s mind. Comfortable?

  More than you are. Nina wriggled for a moment, then stilled. Want me to open a window so we can see where we are?

  Better not. Someone might notice the glow.

  She should have made one of the others do this. It had made sense for her to go, because she was the smallest of the three wizards, her familiar was the smallest and easiest to conceal, and if she was caught there was a slight chance the Matriarch’s soldiers might hesitate to kill a girl. Not that being dragged before the Matriarch would be a better fate; Kevessa doubted she’d exercise any such restraint. Except maybe to keep her alive long enough to attempt to torture the location of the other wizards out of her.

  The wagon lurched to a stop. Kevessa heard faint muffled voices outside. She froze and held her breath, praying the guards wouldn’t insist on searching the wagon.

  Apparently Nalini’s casually arrogant drawl was enough to reassure the gate guard, because the wagon jolted into motion again. The vibrations became much worse as the wheels left the dirt of the road for the cobbled city streets. No springs supported this wagon like the ones she was used to in Papa’s luxurious carriages. Kevessa shifted, trying to find a more bearable position. Nalini had promised it wasn’t far from the gate to her new building.

  True to her word, after a few turns that pressed her against sharp protrusions and a number of potholes that rattled her teeth, the wagon stopped. Kevessa heard Nalini shouting instructions to the workers Elder Davon had assigned her.

  This was the riskiest part of the escapade. Dim light filtered through the gaps in the crate as boxes and barrels were removed from around and on top of it. She swallowed a gasp when without warning the crate lurched up.

  “What’s she got in this thing?” a gruff male voice asked. “A body?”

  Another man chuckled. “Maybe she keeps one to cut up and sew back together when she can’t get live victims.”

  The first man laughed coarsely. Nalini hollered, “Be careful with that! Do you want those bottles of acid to break and splash all over your worthless hides?”

  Kevessa nudged the rack of bottles so they clinked against each other, only belatedly wondering if they really did contain dangerous acid. Knowing Nalini, she wouldn’t be surprised. The motion of the crate abruptly became much smoother.

  To the accompaniment of more shouting and cursing from the Girodan, the men carried the crate into a darker space and set it down. Kevessa pillowed her head on her crossed arms and closed her eyes. Not much longer.

  Finally the noises of unloading stopped. An interminable time later the lid of her crate lifted. “I expect you’re ready to get out of there.”

  Kevessa unfolded stiff limbs and let Nalini give her a hand up. “You could say that.”

  Nalini chuckled. “I once bribed a silk merchant to smuggle me out of town rolled up in one of his bolts. At least you could breathe.”

  Kevessa stepped out of the crate. Nina sprang out and scrambled up her body to her usual place on Kevessa’s shoulder. Her claws pricked Kevessa’s skin through the thin silk of her garments. “Ouch! Careful!” She rubbed self-consciously at her legs. She felt nearly naked in the Girodan-style clothes Nalini had loaned her, but she could never have squeezed into the crate wearing her normal corset and full skirts.

  “Come on,” Nalini urged, opening an ancient-looking door onto a steep, narrow staircase. “I couldn’t clean much without raising suspicions. But no one will look for you here.”

  Kevessa climbed up behind her. At the top was a tiny landing with three rickety doors. Nalini opened one. “I think this room’s been locked for generations.”

  It certainly smelled like it. Ancient dust, mold, and rot assailed Kevessa’s nose. A wooden chair with peeling paint and broken slats stood by a wobbly bedframe strung with rope. Clouds of dust billowed from the thin mattress when Kevessa patted it.

  “The shrine’s that way,” Nalini said, gesturing toward the wall opposite the door.

  “Are you sure it’s within a mile?” They hadn’t been able to get Nalini to commit to a firm estimate of the distance. If it was too far, there wasn’t much point to this venture.

  “Better check.” Nalini looked at her expectantly.

  Kevessa sighed and put out her hand. Nina pressed into her neck and made a window appear over her open palm. They traced the streets while Nalini watched and gave directions. Kevessa had a nervous moment when no matter how hard the two of them pushed they couldn’t quite reach the corner, but the intersecting street cut back toward them at an angle, so the shrine itself was within range.

  She peered into the empty room with the vividly woven curtains, softly glowing lamps, and proudly displayed scroll. There was an odd beauty in the combination of chaos and peace. It felt vaguely wrong to be using the Mother’s power to invade the stronghold of those who hated the Mother. Simultaneously as if she was betraying the Mother by acknowledging the holiness of the place, and committing a transgression against the Faithful by trespassing on what should be private. Elder Davon wasn’t there, so she had Nina scan the rest of the building. The other rooms were empty, too.

  “I expect he’s gone home for the night. From what I’ve been able to gather, he spends most days inside, hearing confessions and assigning penance. The meeting with the Purifier agent yesterday took place in the midafternoon,” Nalini told her. “You should probably check every hour or so. Who knows when they’ll be scheming together again?”

  Kevessa looked around the miserable little room and sighed. This was going to be the most tedious duty she’d ever had to perform. Scanning the past few months to locate and review Elder Davon’s past meetings with the Purifiers would keep her occupied for a few days. But unless she found something unexpected, after that her vigil would be as dull as her life before she became a wizard, when she’d spent her days on endless rounds of visits where she was expected to make polite small talk, long lessons in subjects she had little interest in, and hours of instruction in the skills a young lady was supposed to possess. She wouldn’t even have riding and embroidery lessons to look forward to.

  Although maybe… “Nalini, could you bring me some cloth and embroidery thread when you get the chance? It would help me pass the time.” Kevessa grimaced. “Although I suppose it would be too suspicious for you to buy any.”

  Nalini tilted her head. “I always need linen for bandages and silk thread for stitching folk up. I doubt anyone will notice if I pick up a bit extra. I’ve got plenty of needles you can borrow.”

  “Thank you,” Kevessa said with great sincerity. It had been months since she’d had a chance to indulge in her favorite art form. She wouldn’t feel as useful as she did when she was spending her days using the Mother’s power to heal, but this spying assignment might prove even more important. She started imagining scenes to recreate in shimmering thread. Maybe the moment the Mother had stood before her, offering her the power she’d always dreamed of…

  Nalini surveyed the filthy room, wrinkling her nose. “But first I’d better bring you some water and rags.”

  Kevessa sighed and nodded. Cleaning, too, would pass the time.

  * * *

  Tesi withdrew the last hair-fine needle from the man’s lower back and set it aside. She stroked firm hands over his skin, smoothing the disturbed qi into its new patterns. She visualized the flowing energy as her mentor had taught her. He’d claimed to be able to sense the motion of qi within his patients’ bodies. She hadn’t reached that level of the Art yet, but occasionally she felt something, a tingling prickle in her fingers. She felt it now, like a faint echo of the crackling sparks in Mimi’s fur when she’d stroked the cat on a cold winter morning.

  She worked on the
man’s back until the sensation faded. Then she drew his shirt down and stepped back. “You may rise.”

  He rolled over and swung his legs off the cot. He twisted his torso from side to side. “Ah,” he said, startled.

  Tesi suppressed a smile. “Is your pain less?”

  “Much less,” he admitted. He bowed and arched his spine, as if still not believing he could do so without discomfort. “Perhaps I didn’t waste my money after all. My cousin kept begging me to come, she swore you’d be able to help me the way you helped her with her female troubles, but frankly I thought the whole thing was a scam.”

  Even after months of encountering the same attitude, the skepticism bordering on outright hostility so many of the Ramunnans felt toward the Art still caused Tesi to seethe within. Most in Giroda might consider her needles an offense against the Mother, and the use of them might be forbidden by law, but at least no one questioned their efficacy.

  Nevertheless, she inclined her head in polite deference. “If you are satisfied with the results, you may wish to schedule further appointments. Your qi has travelled in improper channels for many years. I have moved it into its correct place for now, but it will wish to revert to the paths it has grown accustomed to. Further encouragement will be necessary to persuade it to remain in its new configuration.”

  He snorted. “I should have guessed you’d find a way to extract more money from my purse.” He put his hands on his lower back and wiggled a bit more. “Still, it might be worth it. I’ll consider it if the pain comes back.”

  “As you choose, sir.” She folded her hands into the proper configuration for a practitioner acknowledging a patient and bowed as he pulled his velvet doublet back on and fastened the many buttons. Then she gestured toward the opening in the curtain that screened her little room in the back of the tent. He strode through without another word or a backward glance.

  She hoped his qi would be unusually cooperative and settle into the proper channels for good. She wouldn’t refuse to treat him if he returned, because she was obliged by the oath she’d taken when she became a pupil of the Art to offer her skills to any who needed them. But she’d much rather spend her time and effort helping those who appreciated her work than on those who merely tolerated her because of the relief she could offer.

  She waited until he’d had time to move out of sight before she poked her head through the curtain. “Any more?”

  Dayrine shook her head. “That’s all for tonight.” The Tevenaran girl rolled her eyes. “I heard what that overblown windbag said. Please tell me you took the opportunity to give him some ‘male troubles’ while you were moving his energy around.”

  Tesi badly wanted to giggle at the outrageous suggestion. She schooled her demeanor to seriousness. “That would be a violation of my duty as a healer.”

  “Hmmph. You’re as bad as the wizards. It’s only what he deserves.” She pointed at Tesi. “You think about it, if he comes back.”

  Tesi couldn’t promise any such thing, but she inclined her head, giving one of the small smiles that at home conveyed courteous acknowledgement without agreement, but which both the Tevenarans and Ramunnans seemed to find deeply exotic and mysterious.

  Dayrine rolled her eyes again. “Let’s go eat.”

  Tesi followed her, the prospect of Eifel’s hearty cooking making her stomach growl. The food here had seemed bland when she’d first arrived, without either the delicate herbs of her native mountains or the fiery spices of Giroda’s coastal cities. She’d gotten used to it, though, and learned to enjoy its unique combination of flavors. Openness to new experiences was one of the key teachings of the Great Sage. She didn’t always find it easy to follow, but when she did she was rewarded with deeper insight and a greater appreciation for all aspects of the world above the waters and beneath the sky.

  She joined the line of people waiting to receive a bowl of soup and chunk of crusty bread. The long table was nearly full. She hadn’t realized it was so late, but she tended to lose track of time when she worked with qi.

  Eifel pulled a small pot from the back of the iron stove and poured its contents into a bowl. “Are you sure I can’t persuade you to take a little beef today? You could use more meat on your bones, and vegetables aren’t going to put it there.”

  “No, thank you.” Tesi accepted the bowl with a formal nod. “I am very grateful for your trouble making me a separate dish.”

  “It’s no trouble.” Eifel set a generous chunk of cheese atop Tesi’s bowl along with her portion of bread. “Take this at least. It doesn’t violate your Law, does it?”

  “No, ma’am. Thank you.” Tesi nodded again and withdrew. She hated the necessity of drawing attention to herself this way. She would much rather prepare her own meals in accordance with the teachings of the Great Sage, which held all life sacred and forbade killing to eat except in extreme need. But Eifel wouldn’t hear of it. She insisted on making a special portion for Tesi. The Tevenaran was so motherly and solicitous Tesi couldn’t refuse without causing grave offense.

  The only vacant chair left was next to one of the wizards. The one with the eagle, who was also a Temple Keeper. The woman partnered with the squirrel usually sat there, but she’d left with Nalini several days before.

  Tesi swallowed. The wizards made her uncomfortable. She hadn’t argued against granting them a place in the tent, because their risk of death would have been great if the Girodans had refused to give them refuge, but she hoped they would go to some other safe place soon. Until then, she avoided them as much as possible.

  They seemed earnest and kind, so Tesi should have found it easy to treat them as she did all others who professed belief in the Mother, with polite distance. But each of the three claimed to have had a personal encounter with the being the Great Sage had maintained did not exist.

  The eagle named Tharanirre looked at her with one yellow eye as she put her bowl on the table and seated herself. Vigorre smiled at her in friendly greeting. “Hello, Tesi. How’d your evening go? Were you able to help many patients?”

  “Several. One man suffered from quite severe back pain.” She couldn’t resist letting a little mischief slip into her words, though she kept her tone solemn. “He seemed surprised when his suffering eased.”

  Vigorre chuckled. “I bet he did.” He scooped up a bite of soup while Tesi tore off a chunk of bread and nibbled on it. “Nalini and I teamed up to treat a woman with a tumor in her abdomen.” He sketched an orange-sized ball with his hands. “Nalini put her under with sweet vitriol and cut the tumor out—I was able to show her exactly where it was so she could make a precise incision—then Nirre and I closed the wound and cleaned up the last traces of malignant tissue. Elkan was right, it’s a much more efficient use of the Mother’s power. A case like that would put Nirre and I out of commission for the rest of the night if we handled it alone, but by cooperating with Nalini we were able to take several more patients afterward. And Nalini said she wouldn’t have bothered to operate without us, because she’s had so many people with that sort of tumor die even after she removed it.”

  Tesi swallowed her bread, doing her best to maintain an expression of courteous interest. “I can sometimes use the Art to cause the body to absorb small tumors, but one that large would take a Sage’s expertise to treat.”

  Vigorre nodded with clearly genuine interest. “I really would like to watch you at work sometime. Tomorrow night, maybe? What you do seems so different from what we do with the Mother’s power, but it clearly works. If Nirre and I can see how you do it, maybe we could learn to help people more effectively.”

  “Perhaps.” The wizards said something similar every time the topic of the Art came up. So far she’d managed to avoid the demonstration they wanted without causing open conflict. “If you are not occupied with patients of your own.”

  He grimaced. “Unfortunately, that’s not very likely. I’m glad word’s gotten around about us being here, but we certainly are busy.” His brows drew together. “Soone
r or later someone is going to talk to the wrong person and the Matriarch is going to find us.”

  Tesi welcomed the change of topic. “The people of Ramunna must know that when she learns of your hiding place they will lose your services. Is that not enough to keep them discreet?”

  “They’ll try, I hope. But eventually something’s going to slip.” He shook his head. “No use worrying about it. There’s no point in having the Mother’s power if we don’t use it to help people. And if we’re going to do that, people have to know where to find us.” He smiled at her. “We’re very grateful to you and Nalini and the others for being here to take credit for our work.”

  “You are most welcome.” Tesi had long since gained the discipline to not shift in her seat like a child when she was uncomfortable, but she focused on her soup and hoped Vigorre would do the same. Thankfully, he took the cue and fell silent.

  She had seen the wizards at work. She’d watched wounds close with astonishing speed while bathed in the golden glow that came from a wizard’s hand. She’d witnessed people even the wisest of Sages would have gently advised to make peace with the end of their lives walk away healthy after a wizard’s treatment. She’d watched Vigorre raise his hand and send an object floating across the room. She’d looked into a sphere of light over Kevessa’s hand and seen events she knew had taken place days past. She’d seen Borlen’s deadly cobra behave without fail like a harmless grass snake.

  Their power was undeniably real. That truth conflicted with the teachings of the Great Sage. Five hundred years ago the wisest of all Sages had walked the mountains and valleys of Giroda, telling any who would listen of the truths he had discovered through deep thought and close observation of the world around him. The legends of the Mother and her powers, he had said, were metaphors for the longing all folk felt for holiness and the ability to do good in the world. He had revealed how much more those who set aside the metaphors and sought those things directly were able to do. He had taught his followers to seek true holiness within, and to do good in the world through developing a profound understanding of its ways. His understanding had been so great he had divined the ways of qi, the energy that flowed through all things, and taught his disciples the Art of manipulating it.