Thawed Fortunes (8 page)

The quiver had built as Jain's tears had
arrived, and she found herself shaking, but unable to decide if it
was a result of fear that Va'del would hate her now, worry for his
life, or from the sheer violence of Be'ter's attempted murder.

For several minutes Va'del didn't say
anything, and Jain started to lose hope until she felt a pair of
strong hands reach out and grasp hers.

"What about the other boys that I beat? They
haven't been changed, so my beating them won't be any more fair
than Be'ter's beating me."

Jain tried to understand. "But you won't hurt
them like Be'ter did you, so it shouldn't matter."

Va'del sighed. "It isn't that simple. The
level of competition among the boys, candidates and trainees alike,
is unbelievable. Right or wrong, we all believe that at least some
of our value lies in how good we are at the various things we are
learning. By beating them in this way I'm taking something from
them, and cheating to do it."

"I guess it would be like finding out that
all of the other girls were stronger than me not through an
accident of birth, but because the instructors liked them
better."

Jain leaned into Va'del as she felt tears
start to come. "I'm sorry, I think I understand and I'm so
sorry."

"I just wish that they'd quit using me to do
all their dirty work. They won't let me be one of them, but they
are just fine with putting me in situations where I can get killed,
if it means they won't have to do anything themselves."

The bitterness hadn't gone away, but it
seemed that Va'del didn't hate her after all.

"I can't believe Ah'bi let you come here just
so you could tell me what they did to me."

"No, obviously I wasn't supposed to tell you.
I think they hoped not knowing would protect you. You would be able
to honestly deny everything. They let me come here because the
modifications aren't completely done. Once they are done though,
I'll still need to monitor them fairly regularly to make sure
everything's working properly. Otherwise your body might stop
making blood, or your muscles might go into seizures."

Va'del nodded sadly. "I guess that makes
sense. Nothing is free. If you become more than merely human then
there are bound to be complications like the potential for sudden
death."

There was something else there, part of the
root of what was really bothering him was contained in that
statement, but Jain couldn't make out exactly what he was getting
at. Rather than badgering him for an answer, Jain remained silent,
hoping he'd give her more of a clue so she could slowly draw it out
of him, but instead he turned and pulled her face towards his.
Their kiss was more forceful than usual, with a surprising
undertone of need. She was so overwhelmed by the urgency in
Va'del's touch it was several seconds before she realized he was
talking again.

"...my life I've never fit in. I was always
the orphan, or the half-breed. When I'rone's family sponsored me, I
thought I'd finally be somewhere I belonged. Instead I'm stuck
partway between worlds. I'm not a candidate, but I'm more than a
trainee. Now you tell me I'm not really even human anymore, that
someone needs to monitor what they've done to me or I could
die."

Jain was surprised to feel Va'del's tears
slip down to join the ones already running down her face. "I won't
let you die! Even if they kick us both out and try to exile us to
different villages I'll find a way to get back to you. I don't care
what it takes, you saved my life and I love you."

##

Va'del rubbed his eyes and tried to will his
exhaustion away. Jain had promised that subsequent modification
sessions would go much more quickly now that she'd be seeing him a
couple of times a week. He certainly hoped so, otherwise they'd
both start falling asleep in their classes.

Of course, he couldn't blame all of his
tiredness on the late night. He had a suspicion that even with an
extra couple of color cycles worth of sleep that the subject matter
he was supposed to be studying would have made him want to close
his eyes. He wasn't scheduled to start his comparative religion
class for several more months, but he'd been apprehensive about it
ever since he'd returned to the Capital.

Not that anyone really talked to him, but he
overheard plenty of discussions where his fellows lamented the
difficulty of that particular subject. That would have been enough
to make him nervous, but he'd quickly realized just how little he
really knew about what the rest of the People believed.

Nobody had bothered teaching 'the orphan'
much of anything, so he was starting at a real disadvantage, and he
hadn't forgotten that it would only take one set of bad marks for
him to be kicked out of classes altogether.

Having once again reached the end of a page
without really understanding anything he'd just read, Va'del sighed
and started back over. Before he could make any progress, a sharp
shove from behind sent the book flying out of his hands to bounce
off of the dark rock wall, just missing landing in his food.

"Oh, sorry, Va'del. I don't
know how I could be so clumsy. I guess I'm almost as bad as Alir
was. Always tripping over the
little
things you find littered all
over the place these days."

Pretend it doesn't bother
you.
Va'del knew he couldn't afford to put
any of them in their place. If he rocked the boat, the Council
might decide against him, and then not only would he likely never
become a candidate, he'd probably end up back in that prison
cell.

Four collisions later, a tiny boy that Va'del
thought he'd heard someone refer to as the newest candidate, sat
down with his food two seats over from Va'del. It would have been
comical watching someone so small shove food in his mouth so
rapidly, but it made Va'del suspect that the boy had spent at least
part of his life afraid someone was going to come along and steal
his food.

"Whatcha readin'?"

The question, heavily accented as it was and
coming from someone who looked so timid, took Va'del by surprise,
but he closed the book and tilted it so that the boy could read the
cover.

"Oh, I wish I coulda be readin' that kinda
stuff. They're makin' me study law 'n stuff."

The curiosity flashing across the boy's face
was completely at odds with his retiring demeanor from a few
seconds before.

"I'm Tim'i, what'chor name?"

"Hi, Tim'i, I'm Va'del. That's quite the
bruise you've got there. Training accident?"

Some of Tim'i's earlier shyness returned.
"Um, ya. I'm not ver' good at that stuff yet."

Watching the boy eat with such abandon
reminded Va'del his own food was getting cold, so he closed his
book and picked up his spoon.

"I wish I could trade you. I'd gladly do
double weapons instruction and law classes if it meant I didn't
have to try and make sense of what the lowlanders believe when I
don't even know what we believe."

Tim'i got a faraway look on his face for a
moment and then nodded vigorously. "That'd be a good trade. Ma used
to read the Teachens to us er-night. I don't know forsure what them
others believe, but can't be too much different than the Teachens.
Truth is truth."

Va'del found himself nodding despite the fact
that what little he understood from the book seemed to give lie to
Tim'i's philosophy. It made a kind of sense. You'd think that an
honest search for truth would result in everyone coming to
essentially the same conclusion, and Va'del was hardly expert
enough to disagree.

"Ya hear 'bout the new tests?"

Va'del shook his head. "No, I'm afraid
not."

The smaller boy shrugged. "That's 'bout all I
know. Some new test 's in theworks. Don't suppose it'll make things
differnt for me."

"I don't expect it will make a difference for
me either."

After all, I'm still not even a
candidate.

On'li picked up a small slice of the mushroom
sweet bread that Mar'li had baked before leaving to help the
healers for the day, and reminded herself to thank her sister-wife.
A pair of quiet claps announced the arrival of someone wishing to
enter the suite of rooms, and On'li called out an invitation to
enter with barely disguised glee.

"Pavir, I'm so glad that you've returned
safely, and that you were able to come visit so soon after your
arrival."

The woman who entered the room was unusually
tall for one of the People, with brown eyes that lit up with
happiness at seeing On'li. "Please, as if I would pass up the
opportunity to have some of Mar'li's sweet bread and reminisce with
you about old times."

"It has been too long. I'm so sorry that we
had to leave you out there like that."

Pavir waved her hand dismissively. "It isn't
like you had much of a choice, not now that we're all that's left
of the bloodline."

The offhand remark concealed an incredible
amount of pain. It hadn't been that long ago that Pavir had learned
that the other two families she'd all but grown up with had been
killed.

"I can't believe we're all that's left. It
just isn't right for us to be around after they're gone."

On'li nodded. "I have to keep reminding
myself that the bloodline won't end with us, that there is still
hope. Mi'lo will make a fine Guadel."

Pavir shook her head. "Oh, I agree he is a
fine young man, but he isn't the future of our bloodline. He's far
too timid for that. I suspect we'll have to range further afield to
find someone to replace you. Possibly this young man you've had
your eye on?"

For a moment the comment caught On'li off
guard, and she realized she was spending far too much time with
politicians. It was time to get back to teaching on a regular
enough schedule that it wouldn't surprise her when someone actually
just came out and said exactly what they meant.

"He really would make an excellent Guadel,
but I don't think we'll be able to get him sponsored outside of
normal channels now."

Pavir sighed. "Javin filled Ba'loc in last
night while they were hacking away at each other with big swords
just like the barbarians they are. So what happens now?"

"I don't know. The Council has approved the
creation of an intermediate class. After they've passed some fairly
extensive tests, we'll promote the more advanced students and allow
them to marry. They'll still be operating under the supervision of
their sponsors, but this will allow us to put more people out on
patrol, thereby reassuring the various villages."

"So they'll be promoted before their field
work?"

On'li nodded. "I can put Mi'lo forward for
advancement if you'd like."

"I don't think so, he's only another few
months from becoming a full Guadel following the normal course of
advancement. Throwing him into a new situation would just make life
more difficult. Maybe if he had a sweetheart he was pursuing it
would be a different matter, but I really think he'll be better off
if we just leave things as they are."

Pavir laughed at the barely restrained
expression of disappointment on her hostess's face. "I hope that
you aren't that transparent when you are in the Council chamber.
You were hoping of course that I'd jump at the idea of promoting
Mi'lo, and then agree to sponsor Va'del."

On'li felt herself blush. "I know I shouldn't
presume like that, it's just that he's been through so much, and he
has such potential. It breaks my heart to think of him being stuck
in the Guard for the rest of his life."

The younger woman nodded. "I understand; I
really do. When I think of the lengths I would have gone to in
order to ensure that Joh'nith was sponsored...let's just say it is
a good thing that the Council approved his promotion to full
Guadel, or who knows what would have happened. I'll do the best I
can for the boy, but my first loyalty has to be to Mi'lo. If I give
him anything less than my best, it will set him back more years
than I care to think about."

On'li squeezed Pavir's hand. "I know you
will, and you're right to set Mi'lo as your priority. Honestly,
right now I'm not sure that even sponsoring Va'del would be enough
to ensure he eventually became a Guadel. The boy saved us all, and
in doing so, seems to have earned himself more enemies than any
three full Guadel."

##

Va'del walked over to where Fi'lin was
supervising a practice bout. The bruises were just tender enough to
make him want to favor his right leg, but he did his very best to
move normally. For days now he'd done his best to be a good little
prospective candidate, but the trainees had finally pushed him too
far. If Ah'bi hadn't strengthened his bones he was pretty sure a
couple of the 'accidental' blows would have put him back in the
healers' care.

It was fear of facing him in the training
ring that had made them leave him alone when he'd first arrived. He
didn't have any choice now but to see if the same kind of threat
would work a second time.

The wiry Guadel looked up as the teenager
approached him and nodded. "Trainee, should you be here
already?"

"Sir, I feel fine, and would like to get back
to some limited training."

"What did you have in mind?"

"There are a number of the trainees who I
think would be ideally suited to helping me get back to fighting
trim, Sir."

Fi'lin looked him over with dark, emotionless
eyes for several seconds, and if Va'del hadn't known it to be
impossible, he would have almost thought the Guadel was cataloging
the various bruises and sore muscles hidden beneath his
clothes.

"I think something to that effect could be
managed, trainee. Why don't you go warm up while I see to making
the proper arrangements. Who did you have in mind?"