Doubleborn (28 page)

“And you’re coming back with me,” Flaxfold told Sam.

“We’re staying together,” said Tamrin. She banged her fork on the table.

“You are,” said Flaxfold. “You have no choice about that. But you’re going your separate ways, just for now.”

Smith had been eating steadily, paying close attention. Now he joined in.

“Was that really Flaxfield?” he asked. “In the room just then?”

“What?” said Sam.

“You don’t know?”

“What are you talking about?”

Smith explained what they had all seen, that when Sam and Tamrin stood together, looking into the mirror, they had become Flaxfield. Sam argued and he questioned Smith and the others. They made him understand.

Jaimar came in with a dish of mushrooms fried in butter.

“I’ll leave these here,” she said.

“Stay,” said Flaxfold. “Please.”

Jaimar found another chair and joined them.

“What do you think it was?” Flaxfold asked Vengeabil.

“I’ve been thinking about it. Could it be this? I was Flaxfield’s apprentice. Tam’s mine. Sam was Flaxfield’s apprentice, too.” He looked at the old woman. “Were you?” he asked.

She shook her head and strands of hair fell loose.

“No. I wasn’t.”

“Well, anyway. An apprentice always keeps something of the wizard who trained him. And more than that, Flaxfield sealed Ash in Boolat with that very seal. There was a lot of Flaxfield in the room just then, and it looked to us as though he was there himself.” He shrugged. “That’s as good as I can do.”

“It sounds very reasonable,” agreed Flaxfold. She touched the seal around Sam’s neck. “Is this where it stays now?”

Sam unfastened the knot and handed the seal to Tamrin. She tied it round her neck and it stayed there.

“It goes to either of us,” said Sam. “I think.”

Tamrin untied it and held it in her hand.

“May I hold it?” asked Dorwin.

Tamrin hesitated. She didn’t want to hand it to anyone but Sam. It had become important to her.

“I was there when it was made,” said Dorwin. “Would you mind? I’d like to see it again.”

“You can’t have been,” Tamrin argued.

“At my forge,” said Smith.

Tamrin allowed it to pass to Dorwin.

“It’s beautiful,” she said, turning it in her hands. It was a dragon’s head, with flames pouring from the mouth.

Smith touched it with his fingertip.

“I was there when it was made,” he said.

Tamrin had to know.

“Tell me.”

“The girl who made this,” he said, “she was the one, the one Slowin stole the magic from. She came to me afterwards, and she made that.”

He put his hand into his pocket and took out a small iron bird, the one Tamrin had liked.

“Here,” he said. “You can have this. Have you still got the scissors?”

She nodded.

“Did they come in useful?”

She nodded again.

“Take it,” he said. “It’s yours.”

Tamrin cupped the bird in her hands.

“Thank you.”

“Now,” said Smith. “The mirror.” He stared at Flaxfold. “I should take it. Guard it.”

“I think I’ll look after it.”

“Where?”

“At my house.”

“You’ll never get it there. It’s too far.”

“I think I’ll manage.”

Tamrin had never heard an argument carried out with such quiet voices, such polite words, such a friendly-seeming manner. She had no doubt it was a real fight.

“Now see here,” said Smith. “I made that mirror. It belongs to me. I’m taking it back.”

Tamrin needed to have the seal again. She took it, too quickly, not politely. She smiled an apology to Dorwin.

“You can’t have made it,” she said, when the seal was safely back in her hand.

He leaned back and smiled.

“And why not?”

She gave him a look that suggested he was mad, or stupid.

“Because it’s the mirror. If you’d made it you’d be older than magic. That’s why.”

In the long silence that followed this, Tamrin felt the dragon seal in her hand move. The head turned. The flames grew warm. She looked at it and it was just the same. Nothing had altered.

At last, Flaxfold spoke.

“Solder,” she said. “It’s been very nice to meet you. We’ll meet again, I think. You’re going back with Smith now? And with Dorwin?”

“Yes,” he said. He spooned some mushrooms on to his plate. “When breakfast’s over.”

Flaxfold stood up. “Jaimar, your food’s better than ever. Thank you.”

Jaimar hugged her and cried a little. Then she hugged Solder and cried some more.

“Vengeabil,” said Flaxfold. “It’s been a long time.”

“It has.”

“I don’t think it will be so long before we see each other again.”

“I think you’re right. Look after Sam.”

“And you look after Tamrin.”

“I’m not going,” said Tamrin.

Vengeabil faced her.

“If we forget the indenture,” he said, “if we lay aside the fact that you’re bound to me, do you want to leave me, before we’ve finished? Do you want to be a spoiled apprentice?”

Stars dribbled from his fingertips.

Tamrin watched them bounce against the floor and settle. She waited for the cat. It was old and thin. It moved slowly, as though with aching legs. Its rough tongue lapped up the stars. With a final, affectionate brush against his legs it faded and vanished.

“No,” she said. “I want to finish my apprenticeship with you. I really do. But I can’t go back there.”

“You’ll walk through empty corridors, read in a deserted library, eat your meals with me, practise your magic in secret. No one will see you. Frastfil and Duddle will never imagine you’ve returned. You’ll walk in silence, like the night.”

“And Sam?” she asked. “I’ll still see Sam? And Starback?”

“How could you not?”

“All right. I’ll come with you. Tomorrow.”

He smiled.

“I’m leaving today,” he said. “Catch me up?”

“Easily.”

“We leave tomorrow as well,” said Flaxfold to Sam. “With the mirror.”

“With the mirror,” Smith agreed. “It’s pointless arguing with you. Mind you look after it this time.”

Starback swooped down from the top shelf, circled once and sped through the open door.

Sam raced after him.

Tamrin paused.

“Thank you,” she said. “All of you.”

She ran out into the sunlight and up and over the housetops. ||

asked Tamrin.

She stood on a hilltop outside the town.

Sam held her hand and they looked up into the blue sky.

And they looked down from dizzying height to see themselves, tiny on the green slope, heads tilted back, mouths open in laughter.

Sam squeezed her hand.

“That’s easy for you,” he said. “You always wondered who you were and now you’ve found out. I never wondered who I was, and now I don’t know any more.”

“You’re you. You’re me. You’re us. We’re him,” she said, pointing up to the swooping dragon.

“Like a tree,” said Sam, “that’s leaf and branch and root and trunk and all at once, and all different and all the same.”

“Acorn and dry twig, beginning and end, start and finish,” she said.

“And all that’s in between.”

“All that.”

Starback dived and hurtled towards them, only veering off at the last moment and rising high again as swift as sunlight.

Tamrin’s stomach churned with the sudden movement.

“I’ve never been so happy,” she said.

She waited for Sam’s answer, fearful it would be different.

He let her see his mind and she was content.

“Will it last?” she asked. “The happiness.”

“For ever?” said Sam.

“Yes?”

He made his hand tight on hers and they sprang again to fly with dragons.

envoy

It was night when Smith arrived at the small house by the river. There was no moon, but he knew the road well enough not to need light. Sharp stars watched him approach and Sam was in the doorway when he arrived.

“You’re late,” said Sam.

“If I’m late, you should be in bed. Where’s Flaxfold?”

“You know she’s away for the night,” said Sam. “That’s why you’re here.”

Smith closed the door.

“I’m not stopping long,” he said.

“You’ll stay the night?”

“No.”

“I won’t let you see the mirror except by daylight.”

“Then I’ll stay. But I’m up early. All right?”

Sam gave him supper and stayed reading after Smith had gone to bed.

When Smith got up the next day Sam was in the same chair, reading.

“Have you been up all night?”

“No.”

“Come on, then.”

Sam led Smith to Flaxfield’s study. He unlocked the door and held it open for Smith to pass.

The mirror was veiled.

“If you stand there,” said Sam, “you can’t be reflected. I’ll stand here.”

Sam pulled the green damask from the mirror.

“What do you see?” he asked.

“The room.”

“Good.”

“Does Flaxfold know that you look at the mirror?” asked Smith.

“I don’t tell her.”

“What do you see?”

“Wait,” said Sam. “And don’t speak.”

The ash tree in the garden tapped against the window. The river chanted to the willows. The house creaked.

“See?” whispered Sam.

A woman in a grey gown put her face to the mirror and looked at the room. Sam and Smith were out of her sight.

“Does she see us?” asked Smith.

“I don’t think so.”

“Does she see this room?”

“I don’t think so.”

“What is she looking at?”

“She’s not looking at,” said Sam. “She’s looking for.”

He veiled the mirror and they left the room.

“I’ll give you some food to take,” said Sam.

“No. I don’t need any.”

Smith shook Sam’s hand.

“Tell Flaxfold I called,” he said.

“She’ll know anyway.”

“Yes, but tell her all the same.”

“I will.”

“Come and see us. Dorwin misses you. And she likes to share stories about Flaxfield.”

“Flaxfield,” said Sam. “Yes, those are the good stories.”

He watched Smith until the man was out of sight. And then he kept watching.

It was a Friday and they would eat trout later. ||

A
cknowledgements:
No names. No pack drill. You know who you are. I’m hugely grateful, and please accept my apologies for all the times I’ve not been easy to help and support. I’m trying (as you know).