The Assassin's Destiny (Isle of Dreams) (25 page)

‘This is Mistral we’re talking
about!  I’m sure all of those things will happen at her wedding!’

‘You’re right.’  Cain grinned. 
‘It’s going to be great!’

‘Shh!’

‘What?’  Mistral demanded
grumpily, dumping a tray of full tankards on the table. 

‘For us?’  Xerxes gave her a
simpering smile.  ‘How kind.  Is this your stag night then?’

Mistral swore and everyone
laughed. 

‘That’s a new one!’

Mistral shrugged and reached for
her tankard, ‘New Training Lieutenant, new batch of swear words.’  

‘You should have heard the
language her Mage knows!  You can tell he’s high-born though.  He
even swears in French.’

‘Phantom!’  Mistral
warned. 

‘Are you training this afternoon
or staying here with us?’  Brutus asked, sliding a tatty deck of cards
onto the table.

Mistral set her tankard down with
a belch, ‘This is my third tankard brother.  I would either kill one of
the first years or myself if I tried to train now.’

‘Ah, just like old times.’ 
Brutus offered her a grin and began to shuffle the pack.  ‘Small wager?’

Mistral smiled, ‘How about a nice
round gold coin apiece?  You lot can put your money where your mouths are
for a change.’

Cain gave her a narrow-eyed look
and pulled his hand of cards closer, ‘Still no Sight?’   

Mistral gave him a withering
look.

‘I thought not.  You’ve
still got that tense look about you –’

‘Oh for crying out loud! 
Will you all please quit with that?’   

It was early evening by the time
Fabian returned from his meeting to retrieve a half-drunk Mistral from the card
game.  She left willingly, happily clutching a leather pouch full of
coins.

‘Are you sure she hasn’t got the
Sight?’  Cain demanded moodily while Fabian steered her across the room
towards the door.  ‘Only she plays damned well now!’

‘Definitely not got the Sight
yet.’  Phantom confirmed.  ‘The poor first years get annihilated in
training every Monday morning.’

Xerxes laughed, ‘I almost feel
sorry for them.  She’s a handful enough without all that extra pent up
energy!  Damn it!  Which one is that brother?’  he hissed
urgently when an angry looking blonde burst into the tavern, obviously looking
for Xerxes.

Brutus eyed the girl
unconcernedly, ‘It’s sweetheart, isn’t it?’

‘No you idiot!  I’ve had to
stop calling them all that since they told each other!’

‘They talk about you?  Is
there a special weekly meeting for all your ladies then?’  Phantom
enquired curiously.

Xerxes muffled voice came from under
the table, ‘Don’t know, but it’s starting to feel like it!’ 

Mistral woke in the cool light of
dawn to find that apart from her snoring dog, she was alone.  Her
recollection of the previous evening was slightly hazy.  Fabian had eaten with
her in the Refectory then left to travel home, stating firmly that he had
business to attend to.  Mistral had promptly returned to The Cloak and
Dagger and elicited more money from her brothers in a series of card games that
had run on into the early hours. 

Dragging herself from her bed,
Mistral staggered to the showers and returned feeling slightly more
alive.  She whistled Prospero before striding purposefully along the
corridor towards the stairs; today she was going to begin her mission to master
Sight. 

Skipping breakfast she went
straight to the Infirmary to find Serenity to begin her new daily
routine.  Once there she would spend the morning sitting quietly in a
corner while Serenity worked, reading her calm blue aura and straining
desperately to see beyond the swirling colours to hear her actual thoughts.

After a quick lunch in the
Refectory Mistral would return to the Infirmary and repeat the process, only
leaving when Serenity politely but firmly asked her to go, stating that the
patients liked to sleep without being watched.  Mistral would then go
straight to the stables and saddle Cirrus for a long ride in the meadows,
desperate to escape and be alone for a while.  Fabian had not managed to
persuade Leo to completely rescind her ban but had successfully negotiated
making the meadows her boundaries, and for that she was eternally
grateful.  By evening she was so tired that she barely felt the ache of
missing Fabian.  She would eat a meal in The Cloak with either the twins
or any of her brothers and then yawn her way through a game of cards. 
Thankfully, the subject of her impending nuptials seemed to have become old
news and the talk each night was either of the Contracts they were being
assigned or Xerxes’ girlfriend problems.

By Saturday morning she was sick
to death of reading Serenity’s aura and went down to the Training Arena instead
to find Leo taking the session.

‘The drills are for unarmed
training today Mistral.  It will not be necessary for you to attend.’

Mistral stared at her Training
Captain in disbelief.  Leo telling her not to train?  Since when did
apprentices not need to practice?  Hadn’t he bored them countless times
with the tired phrase
“practise is the mother of all skill”
?

‘But I want to train!  Er,
if that’s alright,’ she added quickly, wilting slightly under his hard stare.

‘No.’

Leo promptly turned his back and
began barking orders to the terrified first years.  Mistral was left with
nothing to do but watch them train while she decided what to do with her
suddenly free morning.  The options were decidedly limited.  She was
banned from going home, so seeing Fabian was out of the question.  Hunting
was possible, but she was limited to the meadows and only sick rabbits and lame
deer ended up there, neither of which filled her with any sense of
challenge.  So, it was either drink herself into a coma in The Cloak or
hope that Fabian had finished whatever was so important and came to rescue her.

‘They’re definitely
improving.’ 

Mistral turned to see Phantasm
studying the first years with a critical eye.

‘I suppose.’

‘Busy?’ he enquired, turning to
look at her with his bright green eyes.

‘No.’ she muttered moodily. 
‘Leo’s banned me from leaving the Valley and from training today.  He
reckons “It’s not necessary”!  Can you believe it?  Pompous git.’

‘I think he just wants to keep
his first years in one piece for a while longer.’  Phantom remarked,
drifting up beside her.

‘Well since you’re free, would
you care to accompany us on a Contract?’

Mistral looked up eagerly, ‘I’d love
to!’  her face abruptly fell.  ‘Oh wait.  I forgot.  I
can’t.  I’m banned from going further than the meadows.’

‘Don’t worry.  It’s all
approved by Master Sphinx.’  Phantasm assured her smoothly.  

‘It is?’  Mistral looked
surprised.  ‘Well, definitely then.  What is it?’

‘It’s just your sort of thing
actually.  In fact I think we could all go – brother?  Are the others
still around today?’

‘I think so.’  Phantom
frowned.  ‘I’ll go find them –’

While Phantom went off to find
the others Phantasm reached inside his shirt and pulled out a folded piece of
parchment.  A Contract.  He unfolded it and Mistral watched
impatiently while he studied the requirements.

‘Hmm, it’s a hunt –’

‘Great!’

‘More of a shopping list
actually.  Listen to this.  Six adult deer, four boars, eight brace
of birds, a dozen rabbits –’

Mistral’s eyes gleamed, ‘Who
wants all that?’ 

‘Kitchen.’  Phantasm
responded blithely and folded the parchment up.  ‘Stocking up apparently.’

Phantom returned a short while
later, smiling brightly.

‘All present and correct and
saddling up as we speak.  Oh, I should mention that Xerxes has a rather
amusing injury that may require treatment.  Apparently Cain is refusing to
do the honours.’

‘No problem, my kit’s in my
saddlebag.’ 

It was standard practise for
either Mistral or Cain to treat the others.  They avoided the Infirmary
whenever possible since Serenity invariably wanted to keep them in for the
night, forcing them to miss a night in The Cloak, or a date if it was Xerxes.

Mistral ran quickly up the path
to the dorms and retrieved her saddlebag, crossbow, knife belt and
swords.  Whistling Prospero who was stretched out asleep on her bed, she
left her room and was hurrying back down the stairs when she nearly ran into
the stern-faced figure of Gleacher Shacklock.

‘Sorry Master Shacklock!  I
was just rushing to get out on that Kitchen Contract with the twins.’

To her utter surprise Gleacher
smiled, ‘Ah yes, the hunting one.  I thought you’d enjoy that one so I
persuaded Master Sphinx to temporarily lift your ban.  Well, good
hunting.’ 

Mistral stared in disbelief,
watching him vanish around a bend in the stairs.  Gleacher had
smiled?  He had persuaded Leo for her?  He had wished her good
hunting?  What was wrong with him? 

Prospero whined, breaking the
shock.  She looked down at her dog and shrugged, ‘Probably been spiked
with one of Cain’s potions.’

Prospero wagged his tail and
whined again.

‘I know boy.  Let’s hunt!’

A short while later they were
thundering out of the North Gate to fan out across the meadows with Grendel,
still horseless, running alongside on foot.  Xerxes was loudly taking bets
on who would bag what and arguing with his brother over his wager.

‘It’s all I can afford!’ 
Brutus insisted.

‘Come off it brother!’ 
Xerxes retorted with a pained expression.  ‘I know you’ve been taking work
on the side!’

‘Talking of on the side.’
 Cain interrupted with a mischievous wink in Mistral’s direction. 
‘Have you asked Mistral to treat your war wound yet?’

Xerxes shot him a cagey look,
‘Not yet.’

Cain winced sympathetically,
‘Must be getting painful by now.’

‘It’s bearable.’  Xerxes
replied tersely.

‘What’ve you done brother?’ 
Mistral asked curiously.  It wasn’t like Xerxes to avoid being
treated.  None of her brothers were squeamish when it came to being
stitched up.

‘Can we talk about it later?’
 Xerxes muttered, not meeting her eyes. 

Mistral caught Cain laughing into
his hand and frowned, ‘I dread to think this never mind say it out loud, but
have your energetic activities with your ladies finally caused you to rupture
something?’

‘No.’

Brutus started laughing and
Mistral felt herself grinning too, ‘What then?’ 

‘Tell her brother or I will.’
 Cain snorted, trying to hide his laughter.  ‘Because there is no way
I’m treating that!’

‘I don’t think I will be
either.  It’s starting to sound a bit sordid!’  Mistral said quickly.

Xerxes scowled and rode on in
stony-faced silence.  Mistral stole glances at him out of the corner of
her eye and saw him wincing every time his horse moved sharply.  He was
definitely in pain and embarrassed about whatever was hurting him, but she
couldn’t drag up any sympathy.  He deserved some kind of payback for his
callous treatment of the village girls.

They reached the edge of The
Velvet Forests and reined to a halt to finalise a plan for the hunt. 
After splitting into smaller hunting groups they agreed to meet for lunch back
in the meadow and review their hauls before hunting again for the afternoon.

‘This is my perfect day.’
 Mistral said happily, riding off into the forests with the twins. 
‘Well, apart from one thing.’ she added quietly, feeling the familiar ache of
longing.

‘Your Mage will show up this
weekend Mistral.  He never lets you down.’  Phantasm muttered, his
green eyes darting over the undergrowth around them.

‘No, you’re right, he doesn’t
does he?  It’s just me that’s stumbles around causing chaos and
trouble.’  Mistral sighed heavily.  ‘I bet he’s been at the Council
all week, sorting out the mess I left behind.’

‘Never mind that ridiculous kafuffle. 
Do you want to know what’s wrong with Xerxes or not?’  Phantom leaned
over, his eye lit with a salacious glint.

‘Not.’  Mistral said
quickly.  ‘It sounds like something that might put me off my dinner.’

Phantom laughed, ‘You’re going to
love this, and it won’t put you off your dinner.  I promise.’

Mistral suddenly grinned, ‘Go on
then.  What has Prince Charmless done to himself?’

‘It’s more what one of his ladies
has done to him –’

‘Should I be hearing this?’

‘Yes!  You’ll laugh, just
listen!  You remember the blonde that came in the other night?’

‘Vaguely,’ said Mistral with a
frown.  ‘They all start to look the same after a while.’

‘Exactly Xerxes’ problem! 
He thought he was dating her and it turns out he was actually dating her
sister.  They’re not even twins so I have no idea how he made that
mistake.  Anyway, since the whole sweetheart fiasco he’s made an effort to
learn their names –’

Mistral groaned, ‘Don’t tell
me.  He got them wrong didn’t he?’

‘At quite the wrong moment too!’

‘Yuk!  But funny!’ 
Mistral laughed.

‘Worse still, the misnamed lady
took offense and carved her name into his back with her fingernails!’

‘Didn’t he notice?’  Mistral
asked incredulously.  ‘It must have hurt like hell.’

‘I think Xerxes thought she was
just expressing some enthusiasm for his ability –’

‘Oh no!  Stop please
brother!  I feel sick!’

‘Anyway, the other sister
obviously saw the name the next night and all hell was let loose.  Xerxes
was seeing running from the hayloft in his birthday suit in the small hours of
the morning.  Cain refused to treat him as he reckons Xerxes has gone and
ruined his chances of dating the sisters now … something about them not
trusting warriors any more ...  anyway, Xerxes was too embarrassed to see
Serenity and now they’ve gone sceptic.’

Mistral laughed and spent the
next few minutes debating with Phantom whether to tell Xerxes that she knew or
wait until he confessed and told her his version of events before treating
him.