Into the Fray: Volume 1 of The Sorcerers of Jhanvia Series (13 page)

Cliona emphasized, “Keep your hand on the object all the way to the ground. That completes the directed spell. You best put more into it if you want to take down my defenses.”

The young sorceress picked up a slightly smaller stone, took a deep breath and put her all into it. She slammed the stone to the ground and the energy field was broken.

Her eyes suddenly wide, Cliona drew in a deep breath as the energies of her spell were sucked away from her. She exclaimed, “Oh my, that was a rush! Well done, Kaitra. Anything of the earth element will work for this purpose, such as a staff from an oak tree, but the stone sends a clear message.”

“I understand.”

The elder continued, “Now, defending yourself against directed magics. What does your mind tell you about that?”

“I could use the defensive perimeter.”

“That could be effective. But you could also create a magical shield to deflect another’s spell. Try attacking me.”

Kaitra conjured a light green ball of energy in the palm of her hand and threw it toward her. She raised her forearm and deflected it harmlessly away with her defenses.

The elder explained, “This technique is quicker and easier. You envision something like a handheld shield that soldiers use, fill it with great energy and simply allow the attacker’s efforts to bounce away. Shall we try it?”

She nodded.

Cliona directed a weakened magic at her. Kaitra did as instructed and the energy was deflected left of her and into the ground.

“Nicely done,” she noted, “But how ‘bout this?”

The elder summoned up a much more powerful strike and directed it toward the young sorceress. She reacted quickly and decisively, deflecting it over her head.

“Very impressive,” Cliona complimented her. “These are but a few magical techniques I have seen used effectively. As you go, use your imagination and create your own. You have great talents and a powerful will. Use them.”

“Thank you, both,” Kaitra stated.

Cliona smiled and took her leave.

Destri came over to her and said, “I have something for you. I made a few weapons that you might find useful.” He unfolded a piece of
cloth to reveal his creations. The larger knife had a blade about nine inches long and a beautifully crafted oak handle that had been carved with graceful interwoven patterns painted a deep green with a black background. He continued, “Its blade is made of strong steel and the guard should be able to take a hit from sword blade. This smaller knife is balanced well and could be used as a throwing knife.”

“You made these for me?” she asked with wide eyes.

“They are yours if you so desire.”

“Thank you so much. What can I do to repay you?”

“Use them well,” he said with a smile as he turned, picked up his weapons and walked away.

Kaitra was stunned by the generosity. She knew that the effort needed to forge and finish these weapons was significant. She made her way back to the center of the village to find Kidreyli. There in front of their hut, sitting on that same little bench as earlier, was her friend with eyes closed basking in the sun. She walked up and stood over her, casting a shadow over her face.

The warrior opened one eye and said, “There you are.”

Kaitra leaned over and kissed her.

“Where were you?”

“Cliona was helping me understand my magic.” She held out the knives for her to see and continued, “Look what Destri just gave me.”

Kidreyli was in her element now, “Oh my, these are wonderful.” She took the larger knife from its sheath. “Look at the beautiful carvings.” She flicked the blade with the claw of her middle finger and it gave off that distinctive ring. “This is high quality steel. You would pay greatly for this at market. He just gave them to you?”

“Yes. He told me to use them well.”

The Valtyr placed the blade back in its sheath. “I’m sure you shall, and if you don’t, I will.”

Kaitra took them back from her and said firmly through a smile, “These are mine, thank you very much. I was looking for you earlier.”

“I was with Eirran and Vatal looking over your horse.”

“Can I see her?”

“Of course. I just left her in the field. Come.”

Kaitra paused and said, referring to the knives, “Wait, I should leave these in the hut.”

“Come here.”

“What?” Kaitra stood confused.

Kidreyli walked up and grabbed onto the belt around her waist, unfastening it.

The sorceress asked in a sultry voice, “What are you doing?”

She took the larger knife and slid the loop of the sheath along the belt until it sat properly on top of Kaitra’s right hip. She refastened the belt loop, and then affixed the small knife in her friend’s left boot with the metal fastener that was part of its sheath. She explained, “Weapons of such quality should not be hidden away.”

They walked side-by-side into the open field behind their hut. In the distance, Sestru was grazing on the knee deep grasses that were waving in the warm breeze. She was young and full of life. She had large sections of black fur surrounding smaller patches of brown. A distinctive white stripe went up her nose and split in two between her ears. She stood much shorter than Tyral, maybe sixteen hands.

As they came up to her, Kidreyli said, “Approach slowly, but with confidence.”

The sorceress instinctively put her hand next to the horse’s nose. Sestru took a few good whiffs of her scents, while at the same time testing the intentions within her energy, and then she slimed her hand, an obvious indication of acceptance. Kaitra rubbed Sestru’s nose and hugged her neck.

“She certainly likes you,” noted Kidreyli.

“I have been around horses before and we always seem to get along. She looks very strong.”

“I believe she will serve you well. Vatal has tack for her that we can have, so I think we are well-prepared.”

Kaitra rubbed Sestru’s ears and the horse expressed her appreciation by leaning her neck against her.

Kidreyli confirmed, “She was a perfect choice.”

“Cliona has suggested that I perform a binding spell, so I need a small strand of your hair.”

“To what end?”

“Its purpose is to bind the two of us and this village together in case we encounter forces that threaten us. If something tries to come between us, then this spell is intended protect us.”

Kidreyli took out one of her small knives, nipped off a few tiny locks of her hair and handed them to her.

Kaitra said, “Thanks. I need to go finish this project on my own. How about I meet you at the hut in an hour or so?”

“That will be good. I have a few things to tend to as well.”

The young sorceress patted the horse’s nose and said, “It was good to meet you Sestru.” She smiled at her friend and walked off toward the center of the village.

Kidreyli stood silently watching her away.

Tyral’s thoughts came to her, “I see what’s in your mind.”

Tears fell from both of her eyes as she said quietly out loud, “Then you know I am in love with her.”

“Your timing could not be worse,” Tyral noted.

Kidreyli laughed quietly to herself.

Her Katrion continued, “I’m serious. What lies ahead for you will be difficult enough without this distraction.”

“Kaitra is
not
a distraction,” Kidreyli firmly replied. “My heart sees us growing old together.”

“If you bond with her, you know your people will do everything in their power to kill both of you,” Tyral said. “Can you imagine the repercussions if the Valtyr killed a princess of Dhoya.”

“I know,” she replied sullenly.

Tyral’s tone turned more nurturing, “You would not be the first person who has had to forego love for the greater good. I find it hard to imagine that you would wish to place Kaitra at such risk.”

“I would never want that.”

“And you would never see your mother or your friends again.”

“Yes, yes, I am aware of the consequences,” Kidreyli was noticeably frustrated with the nagging. There was a protracted silence before she continued, “She’s gotten into my heart and I don’t know if I can separate from her now. Everything that I am is telling me to pursue her, and Eirran tells me that I should, as well. Who am I to question the depth of my spirit or the wisdom of the Clannya?”

“And when the elders send an elite force of warriors, how will you keep Kaitra safe?” Tyral posed. There followed a telling silence. She continued, “There is nowhere you could hide. You know how they operate—they would wait for a most vulnerable moment when they would strike swiftly with unmatched precision. You are my closest friend, and I only wish for your happiness, but both of us know that this path has but one end.”

Kidreyli wiped the tears from her eyes, “This is really difficult for me.”

“I know, but consider this option…love her, be with her, hold her close, but do not bond with her.”

“You’re suggesting I settle for…what do they call it?” she could not capture the word on the tip of her brain.

Tyral helped her, “Marriage.”

“Yes, marriage. From what I understand of it, that ritual seems quite shallow.”

“When compared to the way your people bond, it most certainly is, but the humans place great emphasis and value on it, so for them it can be a very deep and fulfilling arrangement.”

“But not so fulfilling for me.”

“Probably not, but it would be safe, since it would not threaten your people, and you could make it as close and complete as you desired.”

“Without the joining of our two spirits,” the Valtyr finished the thought.

“Yes,” was the reply.

“That’s not exactly how I envisioned the most important relationship in my life, save for the one I have with you,” Kidreyli stated.

“No, it is not, but it would allow you to safely be with her for as long as you desired.”

The young warrior pondered the situation for a few silent moments, and then said, “I suppose I could give it a go. It might be better than I expect.”

A moment of silence, then Tyral replied in her thoughts at the same time Kidreyli said out loud, “No, it won’t.”

The Valtyr laughed, gave herself a moment to ponder, and then said, “You’re a wise old girl, aren’t you?”

“Well, I don’t know about ‘old’.”

“You are correct. I need to stop pushing and just let the situation carry me where it needs to go.”

“Now that’s the Valtyr I have come to love.”

Kaitra needed something to act as a vessel for the spell. As she neared a hut in the center of the village, Jeseti stepped out into the light. She was a bit taller than average and she had a thin build. Her arms and shoulders were quite muscular, and her face was framed gracefully by her bright, long red hair that was braided and laid over her shoulder so that it stopped at her waist. She wore black leather pants and a red cloth shirt, and her belt sported a beautiful knife, along with markings where a sword had been carried.

“Will this do?” she asked without being prompted, holding a small black leather pouch in her palm, her luminescent spirit shining forth from behind her deep green eyes.

Kaitra was surprised, as the pouch was just as she had envisioned, “How did you know…?”

“Jeseti smiled and cut her off mid-sentence, “Cliona told me you might need something like this.”

The young woman looked it over. It was well crafted with a fold-over flap as a cover. “I think this will be perfect.”

“Do you need me to put some loops on the back of it so it will slide on your belt?”

“Thanks, no. I have a different plan for this.”

“Let me know if you need anything else,” Jeseti offered as she turned and went back into her hut.

From that point, the creation of the spell became quite fun for Kaitra. She cut a small lock of her own hair and tied it together with Kidreyli’s. She did the same with locks of hair from Cliona and Eirran. As had been suggested, she gathered several items; a tiny piece of the root of a great oak at the edge of the forest, a tiny red feather which had fallen from a cardinal she had seen flitting about earlier, a small piece of white quartz containing a tiny filament of red color that was lying by the central fire pit and a small amount of moss from the stream. She took a two-pronged green pine needle and interwove it with all the items she had collected. She placed the entire concoction in the small pouch, sprinkled in some rosemary and rue and closed the flap. She knelt on the ground, laid her belt across a flat rock and put the pouch on the belt where she intended to affix it permanently.

She took out her knife and punched a small hole in a vein in her forearm. This was an inadvertent act of magic of which she failed to take notice. Since the first blood drawn by the blade was hers, the life energy within it joined with her spirit and they became as one—a bit of magic always found in weapons crafted from a Clannya forge. She allowed her blood to drip onto the leather pouch, especially around the opening and the edges. She also directed some of her blood to land on her belt next to the pouch. Then, she placed both hands on the pouch and belt and took in a deep breath, drawing up energy from the earth below. Within her mind, she saw the opening on the pouch and its edges fuse together and the pouch itself become one with the belt. The energy she raised caused an alternating red and yellow glow to come up through her fingers as the spell was set. Once she felt the spell complete, she fell back and sat on her heels for a few moments to let the outside energies she had raised return to their source. She picked up the belt and saw that the desired result had been achieved. The pouch and the belt were now as one and all the edges and openings
had been closed as if they had never existed. She put the belt back on as instructed by Cliona, pouch secured firmly over her belly button. She cleaned the point of her blade with the corner of her shirt and placed it back in its sheath. She sat for several minutes, fondling her pendant while her mind pondered on the next things to be done.

She had few belongings to prepare for what lay ahead. Most pressing was the need to quickly become proficient with the bow. She went to the hut, retrieved the weapon and a quiver of arrows and spent the next hour or so honing her skills. Hitting the target seemed to come so easily. It occurred to her later that her innocent heart would soon be tested when this weapon would be needed against another person. Her confidence fluttered a bit. Could she kill another with this weapon for which she possessed such skill? That was the question in her mind that needed a quick and decisive answer.