The Assassin's Tale (Isle of Dreams) (57 page)

‘Just because
the Divinus is unable to see through his eyes and barely leaves his tower room
doesn’t mean that he can’t
See
Mistral.  I thought you would be the
one to grasp that concept better than any of us.’

Mistral
frowned while she absorbed that rather uncomfortable piece of information, ‘It
feels odd knowing we’re all being watched by someone we can’t actually see
doing it.’

‘Why? 
What have you been doing?’  Phantom suddenly asked with a sly grin.

Mistral stuck
her tongue out at him then grinned, ‘I bet Leo has made the Divinus blush this
year!’

The twins both
laughed. 

‘Maybe he’ll
approve Golden’s application on amusement value alone,’ smirked Phantom.

‘Please
stop!  I don’t need any more horrifying images in my head!  Did I
ever tell you that I once walked in on Columbine in the shower?’

‘Mistral, we do
not want to know about that!’ interrupted Phantasm with a shudder.  ‘Now,
can we please clear this matter up?  So, if you are both happy I’ll check
these over and hand them in first thing tomorrow morning.’

‘Fine by me,’
said Phantom.

‘I suppose
so.  Consider my fate sealed,’ Mistral sighed and watched Phantasm slide
the bundle of parchments beneath his shirt.

‘When do we
find out if we’ve been accepted or not?’  Phantom asked.

‘At the
Qualification Ceremony,’ replied Phantasm.

‘What?  In
front of all the others?’  Mistral asked in a horrified voice.

Phantasm
nodded, ‘And for some apprentices I am sure that their being turned down in
front of everyone else is the final insult, however, I feel very strongly that
we three have strong cases for being accepted.’

‘It helps
having an over-ambitious megalomaniac with a personal interest in our abilities
as one of the people approving our applications,’ muttered Phantom.

‘When exactly
is it?’  Mistral asked, now chewing nervously on a fingernail.

‘Winter
solstice.’

‘But, that’s
next week!’  Mistral cried in alarm.

Phantom rolled
his eyes, ‘With observational skills like that next year is definitely in the
bag for you Mistral.’ 

‘But what do
we actually have to do to Qualify?’  Mistral asked, looking slightly
panicked. 

Having been
completely disinterested in the looming event for the last three months she was
now overwhelmed by the sudden realisation that her second year rested on her
successfully Qualifying – and that she had next to no time left in which to
prepare.

‘Why don’t you
ask your Mage?  He did two years,’ Phantom said and then grinned
mischievously.  ‘It’ll help pass the time as you two obviously will have
nothing better to do – ow!’

‘Please stop
beating up my brother Mistral, it really isn’t very productive.’  Phantasm
rose to his feet and walked towards the door.

‘No, but it’s
quite satisfying,’ muttered Mistral, getting up to follow him.

‘Fine, I’ll
just escort myself to the Infirmary with head injuries then shall I?’ 
Phantom grumbled, rubbing his head and stomping after them. 

The next
morning the apprentices were all gathered in the Refectory having
breakfast.  Xerxes was having a lively debate with Cain over a card game
that had been held in The Cloak and Dagger the night before.

‘You were
definitely cheating,’ he was insisting.  ‘No way was that a dealt hand!’

‘Just admit
you were out-played,’ responded Cain with a smug smile.

Saul was
seated opposite them with a distant look on his face.  Mistral glanced
across at him and felt a pang of guilt. 

‘Do you think
I should say something to him?’ she muttered to Phantasm while she picked
distractedly at a piece of bread.

Phantasm
irritably brushed away the crumbs Mistral was spreading everywhere and shook
his head.

‘What could
you say?  Better luck next time?  I think you’d best just leave him
alone.’

‘I just feel
so guilty!’

‘I don’t see
you trying to console Grendel or Konrad,’ Phantom said archly.  ‘Is that
because they’re not as handsome?’

Mistral opened
her mouth to deliver an angry retort only to be quickly silenced by Phantasm.

‘Shh! 
Not now you two!  Look who’s here!’

They all
immediately looked towards the Refectory doorway and Mistral felt her eyes
widen.  There in the doorway stood the Divinus.  He paused for a
moment then entered the room followed in formal procession by the Magnate and
the three Training Lieutenant.

An expectant
hush immediately fell across the Refectory.  All of the apprentices sat up
a little straighter and stared in open curiosity at the Divinus making his way
slowly down the long narrow room.  He moved with a curious floating
motion, like a leaf carried on a current of water.  He drifted ghostlike
past the tall windows.  In the harsh winter light his papery white skin
appeared translucent, creating an impression of insubstantiality as though he
were more a figment of a dream than a real person. 

He reached the
end of the Refectory and turned to face them.  The four members of the
Magnate assembled on either side and Leo’s Training Lieutenants fell silently
into place behind them. 

Mistral’s eyes
ran over the gathered heads of the Valley; the ethereal Divinus, looking
dreamlike as ever, Mycroft Casterton, red-faced and sweating from the effort of
walking to the front of the room, the enigmatic sharp-featured Malachi Nox,
Serenity Lightwater, gazing tranquilly into space, and finally Leo
Sphinx.  His cold blue eyes raked the room while his three burly Training
Lieutenants glowered menacingly out from behind his back.

‘Apprentices
of the Ri,’ the Divinus began in his high, sighing voice.  ‘The
Qualification Ceremony is almost upon us once again.  I lose count of how
many I have overseen now, but I am not sure I have ever witnessed a year such
as this,’ he paused and in the silence that fell his blind eyes moved across
the room, giving Mistral the eerie impression that he was looking at each face
in turn. 

‘I have
received five applications for a second year’s apprenticeship, all of which
have been accepted for consideration.  I shall announce my final decisions
at your Qualification ceremony.’

Mistral felt a
worm of doubt writhe in her stomach.  Did she want this?  Another
year in the Valley?

‘For the
others who have not applied the end of training is in sight.  I am sure
you are eager to begin your life as a Ri Warrior and I ask you all to bear that
title with respect and with honour, for it is neither earned nor given
lightly.’

The Divinus
finished speaking and Leo Sphinx stepped forward importantly.

‘Assessment
begins on Monday.  I suggest you forgo your usual weekend pursuits and
spend the time preparing,’ he fixed Mistral with an icy look.  ‘The
Qualification Ceremony will be held in The Main Hall next Saturday evening.’

Wordlessly the
Divinus began to move forward again, his milky eyes gazing steadfastly ahead of
him while he made his way to the door unaided.  The quiet rustling of his
long white robes sounded unnaturally loud in the tense silence.  The
apprentices sat like statues until the Divinus, the Magnate, and finally the
Training Lieutenants had all filed from the room and the door closed behind
then erupted into noisy speculations about what the assessments would involve.

Phantom
immediately leaned over to Mistral, his expression anxious, ‘Will you help me
practise with the longbow?  Only I’m still a bit off with it ... and can
we practise our Gemini skills on you?  Promise not to make you say
anything you wouldn’t do anyway –’

‘Yes to the
first and I’ll only agree to the second if I can practise reading your aura,’
Mistral bargained.

Phantom
frowned while he considered her offer, ‘Fine, only I don’t want questioning on
what you might see there.’

‘Oh, now
you’ve done it,’ she said with a grin.  ‘I can’t wait to see what you’ve
been hiding!’

Phantom
sniffed, ‘Just remember that we have the power to make you confess your darkest
secrets Mistral.’

Mistral
sighed, ‘Nothing to confess.  More’s the pity –’

‘Did you
notice the strong hint for you not to leave the Valley this weekend?’ 
Phantasm leaned across the table to join in their whispered conversation.

‘Like I’m
going to listen to Leo!’  Mistral snorted.

‘Mistral you
promised to help me!’  Phantom cried looking panicked.

‘Mistral, you
really need to Qualify to get your second year placement,’ said Phantasm with
an all too familiar look of exasperation on his face.

Mistral glared
defiantly at them both in turn and then sighed, ‘Oh, all right then!  I’ll
stay in the Valley and train with you on Saturday afternoon – but on Sunday I’m
definitely out of here!’ 

Phantom looked
relieved but Phantasm pursed his lips, a strongly disapproving expression
marring his beautiful face.

‘Look
Phantasm, if it wasn’t for Fabian I wouldn’t even be here now, never mind
applying for a second year.’  Mistral argued.  ‘I’m going to see him
on Sunday and that’s final.’

‘Fine,’ said
Phantasm in a voice that clearly suggested it wasn’t.  ‘But if Master
Sphinx finds out you can pretty much wave goodbye to him approving your
application.’

‘I’m sure
someone will be keeping him busy all weekend,’ murmured Phantom and tilted his
head towards a table on the far side of the room where Golden could clearly be
seen gazing dreamily at the door Leo had just exited through. 

‘I’m not
looking forward to another year of Golden mincing around like she owns the
place,’ Mistral muttered, casting a look of loathing in Golden’s direction.

‘Well you may
not have to if we don’t get practising, come on, let’s get down to the Training
Arena and get half an hour in before training starts!’ urged Phantom, leaping
eagerly to his feet and hurrying towards the door.

Phantasm stood
up to leave and glanced down at Mistral, who still hadn’t moved. 

‘Coming?’ he
asked pointedly.

Mistral sighed
and reluctantly got to her feet.  It was going to be a long week with the
twins in one of their bossy moods.

Mistral stayed
true to her word and remained in the Valley on Saturday afternoon, however it
turned out to be not the hardship she expected when Fabian arrived at midday
and stood at the edge of the Training Arena, leaning casually against the fence
to watch them practise.  The other apprentices had all left for lunch but
the twins had wanted to work through. 

Dressed in
close fitting fur-lined leather jerkins over their shirts to keep out the
biting cold, they started with a series of close-quarters drills.  Mistral
was distracted by Fabian’s presence and Phantom grew angry with her when she
allowed him to take her down for the third time in a row.

‘Mistral! 
Will you please focus!  Oh, this was such a bad idea!  Let’s just
train swords,’ he snapped and stormed bad-temperedly across to collect his
sword from the other side of the Arena.

Mistral sighed
and collected her own pair, spinning them half-heartedly by her side to warm
her wrists up.  She was desperate for Phantom to call it a day so she
could go over and see Fabian.

‘Can I
help?’  Fabian’s quiet voice made her jump, nearly dropping her swords in
the process.

‘Really?’ 
Mistral looked at him uncertainly but his dark eyes were completely serious.

‘Actually,
that would be really useful.  We all know each other’s style too well to
practice very effectively,’ Mistral admitted.

Smiling, she
quickly sheathed her swords and moved back against the fence, secretly thrilled
to have the chance to watch Fabian work with a sword. 

Bright rays of
winter sun glinted off Fabian’s sword as he drew it, examining its edges
briefly with a practised eye before grasping it lightly in his left hand. 
Mistral frowned; she could swear he fought right-handed. 

Phantom returned
from collecting his sword and looked slightly daunted at being presented with
Fabian as a training partner but quickly rose to the challenge.  They
began to circle light-footedly, sizing each other up.  Phantom made the
first move which Fabian parried easily, their swords meeting in a ringing
clash.  Fabian let Phantom set the pace, his blows tentative at first, but
quickly growing in speed and intent.  Phantom was more graceful, his sword
arced and spun with almost hypnotic rhythm while he worked but Fabian was
quicker, his actions more precise, wasting no exertion on unnecessary
moves.  The minutes passed by while they continued to circle, striking and
parrying with rapid dexterity, neither giving the other any quarter until
Phantasm grew impatient and interrupted. 

‘My turn now,
I think,’ he said brusquely, twirling his sword in his right hand. 

Phantom
stepped away from Fabian, breathing heavily and Phantasm immediately strode
forward to stand in the exact place where his brother had been. 

‘Ready? 
Or would you like a moment to recover?’ he asked Fabian in a cold voice.

Mistral stared
at him, stunned.  Why was he being rude to Fabian? 

Fabian
appeared not to notice and inclined his head politely towards Phantasm,
indicating for them to begin.  Mistral was impressed to see that he wasn’t
even slightly out of breath.

Phantasm’s
green eyes glinted while he began to circle Fabian. 

‘I think
you’ll find I’m a more challenging swordsman to work with than my brother.’

Without taking
his eyes from Phantasm’s, Fabian switched his sword to his right hand and
Mistral was gratified to see Phantasm’s face fall slightly.  She couldn’t
understand why Phantasm was behaving so disrespectfully towards Fabian when he
was usually unfailingly polite to everyone he met, whether he liked them or
not.