Ember (6 page)

He finished with a huff. I was impressed if
not a little embarrassed. Cornelius just looked at him.

“What's not fair? The fact that she's going
to stay, or that I wanted the reigns?”

“Well the fact that . . . wait a minute.” He
stared off for a moment then looked to Cornelius, then me, then
back to Cornelius again. “She's staying.”

“Yes—” big grin “—but Ikovos, this is not a
party, this is serious,” said Cornelius. “And you aren't to tell
anyone, not even Jaden.”

Ikovos’s smile grew. “Ah-ha! Who's in the
know now Jaden?” We both stared at him and he cleared his throat.
“Promise . . . how did you change his mind anyways?”

My mouth tipped. I tried to think of
something witty to say. Only when I pictured myself saying them I
almost laughed out loud. I just shrugged, smiling to the older
man.

“Now, will you please give me the reigns?”
asked Cornelius.

Ikovos handed them over.

“Good. I'm going to go tie these fellows up
in the woods, if Thoran sees them back this soon he's sure to
suspect something. Ikovos, you can take Eve back to the study and,
if you would like my dear, begin training.”

My head bobbed up and down.

“Wait, I'm training her?” asked Ikovos.

Cornelius nodded. “All part of our master
plan.”

“Sweet, I'm up for that,” said Ikovos.

He says sweet?

Cornelius started heading towards the woods
with the two horses. He stopped short. “Oh, and can you get the
horses in a few hours and bring them back to the stables?”

“Sure, but where are you gonna go?” asked
Ikovos.

He started walking off again. “I have some
errands. I'll leave them by the riverbank.”

“Okay then,” said Ikovos, he had to yell for
Cornelius to hear it. He turned to me. “Well, he got in a weird
mood all the sudden.”

“Yeah . . . kinda peppy,” I said.

“But serious.” We both nodded.

“I still can't believe you're staying.”

I met his smile. “Me neither . . . what was
your plan anyway?” I asked.

He pursed his lips. “It was definitely a last
resort option.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“Let's just say it involved baggy clothes and
a good pair of scissors.”

I winced and grabbed a strand of hair
protectively.

Ikovos did a palms-up.

*

“Okay, so . . . I just realized Cornelius
didn't tell me
what
to train you in,” said Ikovos.

We had just gotten back to the study. I had
resumed nibbling on my croissant and Ikovos was standing in the
middle of the room.

“Well, I know he mentioned history and also
how you guys run things here,” I started. “And, you might not
believe this, but, he actually said I should start learning magic.”
Even as I spoke the words, they surprised me.

“Wow, really? He must really like you.”

I smiled.

“He's right though,” said Ikovos. “I get the
feeling you’d be good at it, and Thoran won't be able to resist
another artisan.” He scratched the back of his head for a moment.
“I have to tell you though, I can't say I've ever heard of a girl
being able to use magic.”

Once again, zeal for the defense of my sex
rose up within me. “It might help if you knew some girls.”

Ikovos grinned. “Finally breaking through the
wall, am I? You know you're kind of sassy when you're not being
shy.”

I went a little red and bit off a piece of my
pastry. His grin widened.

“In my defense I do know some girls, I'm just
not around them that often . . . or ever. Except for Sophie.”

“Sophie? So there's another girl here?”

He shrugged. “Woman actually, she cooks, been
here as long as I can remember. She's pretty old.”

“So, she just
cooks
for you guys?” I
asked.

He nodded. “Most people think so. But it's
just a front if you ask me.”

“For what?” This whole place was just one big
mystery after another.

“I have no idea. It's just a feeling. She
knows Thoran to well, they’re almost always together.”

I considered this and, before I could stop
myself, a series of possible explanations ran through my head, all
extravagant and highly improbably, of course.

“Anyways,” he said. “Where were we?”

“Training.”

“Right. We have about two hours and then I'll
need to get the horses. We should start with our operation. It'll
be good for you to know what we're really doing here.”

“Sounds good to me.”

Two hours later my excitement over staying
had doubled. I was on a bit of a talking overload though . . . I
was used to being alone most of the time.

“You look like you could use a break,” said
Ikovos.

I shook my head. “No, this whole thing is
still so amazing to me, I want to know everything. That is, unless
you're tired?” I waited expectantly.

He raised an eyebrow. “You’re one of those
kids that liked going to school, aren’t you?”

I made an innocent face. “
Maybe.”

He laughed. For a guy he had a pretty high
voice, or at least a light one. When he laughed though, it was deep
and throaty. It made me suspect he was a lot rougher than he might
like me to believe.

“I've got an idea.” He stood up. “Why don't
we grab some books and explore the area a little. We could even
pick up the horses then too, if you like.”

In my town horses were few and far between.
Sheep are the big thing there, and, don't get me wrong I love
sheep, I just love horses too.

“You don't think Cornelius would mind if I
left?”

Ikovos thought about it. “Probably, but as
your trainer I can overrule him.”

I smiled. “Good enough for me.” I stood up
and cringed when I felt my hair fall onto my neck. I quickly
searched the room.

“What?” asked Ikovos.

I leaned to one side. “You don't happen to
have a hair-tie do you?

He looked at my hair, then to me. Narrowing
like I was from another planet.

*

Outside it had gotten a little colder and the
sun had moved closer to the horizon. We'd started walking in the
same direction Cornelius had taken the horses, and were now in a
denser part of the forest.

“So Thoran didn't start the group?” I asked
Ikovos as we moseyed along the path.

“Right,” he said.

“But he does lead it now?”

“Yep, well, Cornelius too.”

Including the time spent in the study we'd
been talking for over three hours about the um . . . group.

Actually I didn’t really know what to call
them.

“Ikovos, what do you guys call yourselves?
Like do you have a special name or something?”

“Officially we're called the Order Delavedis,
but that's only when we're dealing with political junk. With just
us it's usually either the order or the guild.”

That “political junk” was the most surprising
thing I'd learned about so far. Thoran and the order didn't just
fight the Meoden, but met with them as well. I had a hard time
imagining one of those creatures in such a moderated arena . . .
then again, Sylvanus, as I'd first seen him, would fit
perfectly.

Ikovos hadn't told me much about how it all
worked. I had a feeling I'd have to find out another way. I looked
over at him. He was swinging a twig absently through the air as he
walked. Since I'd met him he'd been brazenly honest with me on
everything, but at times I could tell he held back. These political
meetings with the Meoden were one of those times.

“Which do you use?” I asked him.

“Huh?” He asked, his features shifting. It
seemed with everything he said there was a different, and quite
exaggerated, face.

“Order or guild?”

“Oh,” he said. “Order usually. Guild sounds
too stuffy. But honestly I've never given it much thought.”

A nice ability. People take it for granted. I
give everything “much thought”, too much. Not by choice, but a fact
all the same.

“So you got a good idea of how things run
now?” he asked.

Thoran and Cornelius lead, men fight, boys
train, Sophie cooks, and I don't exist. . . .

“You're wincing,” said Ikovos.

I looked at him. “Sorry. Yes, I think I've
got it.”

“As unconvincing as that was, it'll have to
do, the horses are just up ahead.”

My eyes veered forwards. I could see a
clearing past the trees and in seconds we were through it. Sure
enough, the horses stood tied to a wooden fence. Behind them was a
pond fed by a slow, soft, waterfall that trickled down a high rock
wall. On the left a cleft of rocks jutted out over the water.
Ikovos pointed to this.

“Me and Jaden study a lot up there. It'll be
a good spot for us to go over some basic spells.”

My attention instantly turned from my
surroundings to Ikovos.

“Already?” I knew the answer. Cornelius had
said as soon as possible.

“No time like the present,” he replied as he
hopped up onto the rock and offered me a hand.

I don't get that saying. There are lots of
times better than the present, for instance a day so far in the
future you won't have to worry about it.

Luckily, this time, present was good. I
grabbed his hand and followed him to the middle of the platform. We
sat down and he popped open a book.

“Okay,” he said. “You already know that not
everyone can use magic. So don't worry if you can't do this
stuff.”

I nodded.
Sure . . . I won’t worry. . .
.

He looked up at me. “When you grow up being
trained in magic, you learn to think a certain way. You learn to be
aware and in control of your mind with every action you make. You
study your motivations and thought patterns, until you actually
know
yourself better. Eventually you'll find a part of you
that already knows magic, how to conjure it, and eventually control
it.” He gave a lop-sided grin. “I don't know if that makes sense,
but it's the best way I can think to explain it.”

“No, it makes sense,” I said. “I just
wouldn't have thought it worked like that. So if you can't find the
knowledge in yourself . . .”

“Then you're one of the ones that can never
learn it.”

I thought about this for a moment. “Before,
earlier this morning, Jaden told me he didn't think magic came
naturally. It sounded like he was saying anyone could do it.”

Ikovos looked down and shook his head. “He
would say that . . . you know why?”

My head went back and forth.

“Because . . . Ah, I can't tell you. It'd
feel like I was breaking the man's code of secrecy or
something.”

“There's a man's code of secrecy?”

“No, I just sort of made the name up on the
fly. But it stands for something, you know?”

Boys, they always leave you hanging.

“Fine, but this will come back to haunt you.
One of these days you're gonna want to know something from me and
bang
, up pops the woman's code of secrecy.”
Hey, I think
that was pretty witty.

He looked troubled, like he might actually be
regretting not telling me.

I burst out laughing.
There goes my
wittiness.

Ikovos seemed to lighten a bit. “Okay, back
to business. This book pretty much outlines the factual side of the
process, but any artisan will tell it's more about instinct and
practice. So . . . “ He closed the book. “You can read this on your
own if you want, but we'll just start with some exercises.”

For the next hour he walked me through a
spell to conjure a light. So far I hadn't had any luck.

“Try again,” said Ikovos. “Focus on the
nerves in your fingertips, then visualize the light growing out of
them. It sounds corny, I know, but it works.”

I tried for the third time, concentrating on
my fingers like he said . . .

Still nothing.

I looked up at him. “Is this bad? Does it
mean I can't use magic?”

His eyes narrowed. “Do you feel
anything?”

I shook my head.

He looked away. “This is odd, I thought for
sure. . . .”

“Show me something,” I said.

“What?”

“I'm sorry, I mean . . . you're really good
at magic right? Will you show me the spell? The one I've been
trying?”

Big smile. “Sure,” he said, then held out his
palm.

I thought it might take a little while, but
instantly his hand lit a bluish-white. Almost like a glowing fog
had caught unto it.

He waved it around.

“That's amazing,” I said as my eyes followed
his hand. “How long did it take you to learn it?”

“This spell? I did it my second tr—”

I touched his hand. It felt cool. The mist
crept unto my fingertip as I moved it across his palm. For a moment
I forgot everything around me, completely focused on the light . .
. and the tingling in my hand.

Ikovos coughed.

“Sorry,” I said, quickly moving my hand
away.

Ugh, this was the second time I had lost
control of myself around magic.
What am I doing? This isn't like
me at all.
I bit down on my lip.

He looked like he was about to say something
when a voice came from the woods. “Sil!”

“Who is that?” I asked as Ikovos stared off
into the forest.

“Jaden. He's looking for the horses, his
horse rather. He'll check here.” Ikovos kept his gaze turned.

“Look, Ikovos, about what just happened. I
didn't mean to . . .”

He glanced at me and the corners of his mouth
came up warmly. “Don't sweat it.”

I forced a mirror smile and nodded. “Should I
hide?”

“Did it work last time?”

“Well no, but . . .”

“Jaden's smart and I'm a terrible liar . . .
it's not just that though. I know I told Cornelius I wouldn't tell
him, but he's my best friend,” Ikovos delivered this with a shrug.
“We've never kept secrets.”

Everyone keeps secrets.
I let the
thought pass. From what I'd seen of Jaden, he wasn't a person I'd
naturally put my fate in the hands of.