The Ways of Mages: Starfire (9 page)

Ta
p…
Tap Ta
p…
Ta
p…
Kadrean looked up, searching for the noise.
Tap
. He peered at the window. There on the sill was a Red-wing black bird. It eyed him impatiently. Kadrean walked over to the window, unlatched it, and let the bird in. In a flurry the red-wing swept in. He flitted about the room once. He passed the desk, the closed door, the closet, and then settled on the bed next to the map. Kadrean closed the window.

“
Hello Razyan
.”
The Red-wing blinked. An emerald haze blanked the bird. When it lifted, Razyan the man was there.

“
It still puzzles me how you can tell
.”
Razyan said with a slight frown
.“
I did
n’
t talk or anything
.”
The thing was, Kadrean could tell a mage-animal from a true animal. He always had the ability; even before he knew he was a wizard. Razyan, who was a scientist/ scholar by nature, had been trying different experiments to see what exactly Kadrea
n’
s magic used to tell mages from animal. So far, he could only say that somehow, Kadrean could feel anothe
r’
s magic without concentrating like other mages. That answer was too vague for Razyan. He wanted to know exactly how it happened. Kadrean, on the other hand, did
n’
t really care. It was a nice ability to have and it had saved him from a few embarrassing situations.

Kadrean shrugged
.“
I could
n’
t tell you. I just know
.
”

“
Really
?”
Razyan asked raising a thick black eyebrow. He crossed his arms, capturing Kadrean with his dark green eyes.

“
Well, it could be I have seen you change so many times that I can just recognize tiny details that most people would miss
.”
Kadrean said with another shrug. That was Kadrea
n’
s only explanation.

“
Hmm
.”
Razyan looked down at the map beside him. He picked it up
.“
Trying to plan where you are going next
?
”

“
No
.”
Kadrean replied
.“I’
m not
.
”

Razyan looked up at him with a question in his eyes.

“
Do you see a town called Plarn anywhere on that
?”
Kadrean gestured for Razyan to read the map
.“
Do you see any town where this one is supposed to be
?
”

Razyan studied the map with a frown
.“
No
.”
He said at last, returning his gaze to Kadrean
.“
Is this the most resent one? The one made earlier this year
?
”

Kadrean nodded.

“
Odd
.
”

“
Indeed. Do you make anything of it
?
”

Razyan snorted
.“
Make anything of it
?”
He repeated
.“
What am I to make up? A town pops out of nowhere and Zeeve claims there is a girl with magic here
.
”

“
Is that why you are here
?”
Razyan looked up a Kadrean with a frown
.“
Zeeve called you. I know I did
n’
t. Why else would you come to a town tha
t‘
poppe
d’
out of nowhere
?
”

Razyan rolled his eyes
.“
Aye, he called me, but as soon as I answered him the link failed. I became worried that something terribly wrong had occurred. I traced the spell all the way here. And after all my trouble, he just wanted a way to test if someone had magic.  He could have asked you for a stone
.
”

“
He could of, but I just arrived myself
.”
Kadrean shrugged.

Razya
n’
s eyes glinted
.“
He told me earlier that he had been tossed around. Is that true
?
”

Kadrean nodded
.“
The whole thing happened just after I arrived around noon
.”
Kadrean shook his head slightly.
 “
Zeeve must have been really upset to come out into the open like he di
d…
Say, who did he think has magic
?
”

“
He did
n’
t say a name
.”
Razyan thought a second
.“
But I did see her. She actually passed under the branch that I met Zeeve on.
I’
d say she was five-foot-five. Coppery-red hai
r…
eyes I could
n’
t tell you because of the angle, but she was young. Nineteen or so
I’
d think
.”
Razyan replied thoughtfully.

“
There is only one that fits that description here
.
”

Razyan raised a brow
.“
How long did you say yo
u’
ve been here? Not even half a day? How do you know there is only one
?
”

“
Razyan, the whole
town
came out to see me. There was only one redhead. Besides, she was the only one Zeeve talked to
.”
Kadrea
n’
s eyes shadowed
.“
It was disgusting to watch. Some boys, twins by the look of them, started tossing Zeeve between them like a rag doll. I
t
…
”
Kadrean shuddered
.“
And the worst part is you would have thought the adults would have done something about it. But they did
n’
t. The
y…
they seemed to enjoy their childre
n’
s antics. I caught Zeeve and she took him back. When she lef
t…
I thought I saw steam rising from some of the buildings. One building was giving off quite a bit. It had a little garden in front. I think it might have been the twi
n’
s house
.”
Kadrean snapped out of his reverie
.“
If anyone in this town has magic, I agree with Zeeve. That girl seems the most likely
.
”

“
Do you know her name
?
”

“
No.
I
…”
 
There was a soft knock on the door. Razyan instantly shifted into a wolf, shook his head as if to sa
y‘
this wo
n’
t d
o’
and changed into the Red-wing. He then disappeared under the bed.

“
Sir
?”
It was a woma
n’
s voice.

“
Just a second
.”
Kadrean called. He made sure that Razyan was out of sight before he opened the door. Lila, the headma
n’
s wife, was wringing her hands. She was a short, plump woman; a head or so shorter than he was.

“
I’
m sorry for disturbing you, sir
.”
She said shyly. She took a breath before continuing
.“
But if you want dinner, i
t’
s ready
.
”

“
Thank you;
I’
ll be down in a minute
.”
Kadrean shut the door. It unnerved him to be calle
d‘
si
r’
all the time. The Red- wing had come out from under his bed
.“
Do you want me to bring you anything
?”
The bird nodded
.“I’
ll bring you something, then
.
”

Down in the dining room the Seedman family had gathered. There was Mrs. and Mr. Seedman, an older woman who had to be a mother-in-law to someone, and a man who was about thirty or so. His hair was a mud brown with flecks of gold; a mix of the Headman and his wif
e’
s own hair leaning toward the headme
n’
s.  He could have been well built, but for the thinness of his body. He looked almost like he was sick. Resting against the table near him was a crutch.

When Kadrean entered the room, Sean Seedman and Lila stood. Lila gestured for him to take the seat near her son
.“
Sir, welcome
.”
She smiled
.“
Please sit. I think there are some introductions to be made
.”
Lila remarked, tucking a gold strand behind her ear
.“
You know my good husband. The older woman sitting beside him is my mother, Lily. And this is my son, Liam. Forgive him for not standing. You see, his leg has been paining him greatly recently
.
”

Kadrean nodded understanding. That explained the crutch.
 “
Thank you for troubling yourselves on my behalf
.”
He said before taking the offered seat.

“
There is no trouble
.”
Sean remarked as he and his wife sat
.“
We are honored. It has been so long since we have seen anyone from outside the town. Nineteen years in fact
.
“

“
Nineteen
?”
Kadrean asked, surprised.

“
Aye
.”
Liam added
.“
Nineteen years; ever since that woman stumbled into town
.
”

“
Liam
!”
Lila protested
.“
Do not trouble our guest with such talk
!
”

“
Trouble
?”
Kadrean asked puzzled.

Lila glanced at him with her mouth slightly open.
 “
Sir, it is not a story for polite conversation, especially at the table.  Besides, it could
n’
t possibly interest you
.
”

“
It might
.”
Kadrean returned his gaze to Liam. Lia
m’
s eyes had a dreamy cast that seemed lost in the past
.“
A woman stumbled into town
?”
He prompted.

“
Aye. A pretty lass, even under all the dirt and leaves and blood. Pregnant too. Something had sliced the poor thing to near slivers
.”
Liam shook his head as he recounted
.“
She was pale as fresh snow from the loss of so much blood. Exhausted too.  Could
n’
t keep her feet under her when Chris and Sharon dragged the poor thing to the heale
r’
s home. Kept mumbling nonsense, the only things that a person could understand were the word
s‘
seit
h’
an
d‘
shado
w’
. 

“
The child that had resided in her swollen belly exhausted her even more when it decided to be born
.
“

“
Liam
!”
Lila protested
.“
This is not the place for such a topic
!”
She ground between her teeth.

Liam ignored her
.“
She mumbled and sobbed even more after the bundle of joy was delivered and wrapped. Although
,”
Liam tilted his head in thought
.“
Yes, she became rather understandable after that. She could actually form sentences. She begged that her child be cared for. Chris and Sharon, who had a son of two at the time, could not resist taking in the child. She asked them if they would raise her daughter as their own. They swore they would. The woman then kissed her daughte
r’
s fuzzy copper head and fell asleep to never wake up again
.
”

Kadrean was interested. A daughter with coppery hair? Could this child be the same girl that was in the square earlier trying to get Zeeve away from the twins
?“
What did she name the child
?
”

Liam blinked.  It was Lila who answered
.“
Terana. The woman named her. Why such an unusual name
I’
ll never know.  Nor do I want to. She came in such a state that I do
n’
t want to know of the world she came from. If it was
n’
t for her, my son here might have had his leg set correctly. Now he is crippled
.
”

There was a wealth of emotion behind what she said. Puzzled, Kadrean aske
d“
I do
n’
t understand...
?”
Why there is such ill feeling behind your words,
he finished in his head.

Lila sighed
.“
The healer was working on my son when the woman came in. The healer left
my
son because the
woma
n’
s
needs were
greater
than his
.
”

“
It is my mothe
r’
s greatest woe
.
”
 
Liam murmured, a glint in his eye
.“
Her only son is crippled and thus a 'perfect' thing is flawed
.
”

“
Liam! Please! Do not try my nerves so
!”
Lila cried, her eyes were wet.

“
It is also why my mother shuns the child
.”
Liam continued.

“
Liam
!”
Lila turned to Kadrean.
 “
Forgive him sir, we also fear tha
t
…
”
At this point, her voice dropped to a whisper
.“
He hit his head falling down. He used to be a normal boy, but since the accident he has bee
n…
wel
l…
out of it. He drifts upon the winds of fancy. When one talks to him, you can feel him slipping away. He goes alone into the woods; he does not help with any of the farming. Nor does he try to find a wife and build himself a home
.
”

“
My mother also seems to forget that her son is in the room and that she is talking to a complete stranger
.”
Liam said lightly
.“
She also has tried to say that I am useless; that I should help with the farming. But what she seems to forget is that none of the other men will allow me to help. I have tried to show them how they coul
d…
ah never mind
.”
He shook his head. He then smiled at Kadrean ruefully
.“
It could have made farming so much easier in these parts, but you know how it is, no doubt. No one will listen to a cripple
.
”

Kadrean shook his head at the situation. His gray-eyed gaze glanced at everyone in the room
.“
It does
n’
t have to be that way. I am a healer, as I said
.”
Kadrean met Lia
m’
s eyes.

“
It has been a long time, sir
.”
Lila said sadly
.“
I doubt you could do much
.
”

“
I could at least see what
can
be done
.”
Kadrean replied.

“
Good
.”
cut in Sean
.“
I believe the food is getting cold
.
”

“
Ah, yes
.”
Lila said
.“
You will love this, sir. It is a recipe that my mother taught me
.”
At this, Lila began serving them all potato stew. Her attitude was brisk and she seemed glad to do something with her hands.

As she served, Kadrean leaned toward Liam
.“
Remind me to help you with that leg
.”
Liam merely nodded. During the meal, Kadrean noticed Lia
m’
s gaze had wondered away from what was around him. Did he really hit his head? He seemed well enough while he had told the story of Teran
a’
s coming to Plarn. Liam had seemed happy to tell a story that his mother despised. In fact, he had been having trouble in containing his joy about it. It seemed that Liam denounced the way in which the town treated Terana.

As Kadrean ate, he slipped the only food he could into his napkin lined pocket; a dinner roll. He then, when no one was watching, magicked some soup into a ball that also found its way into his pocket. There it rested without making a mess. It had taken him months and many pairs of pants to learn how to do that. 

After the soup ball made it to his pocket Kadrean stood
.“
Thank you m
a’
m for the soup. I enjoyed it
.”
Lila beamed with pride
.“
Now, if you do
n’
t mind, I think
I’
ll retire for the night
.
”

“
Goodnight, sir
.”
Sean said. Kadrean nodded his thanks and headed back up stairs. He was curious. All of Plarn seemed to have a nasty opinion of Terana. And by the sound of the dinner conversation, it looked as if Lila Seedman was the instigator. She had wanted revenge. As Lila saw it, Teran
a’
s mother was to blame for her so
n’
s crippled leg and odd behavior. Since Teran
a’
s mother was dead, Lila had to attack the woma
n’
s daughter. And that daughter was clueless as to why.

***

Perhara- near the City of Pershara

Perela walked along the hard packed path that served as a small road between the tents. Behind her walked Duncan and
T’
Garen. The retired general and her knight were discussing strategy.  She glanced back at them and shared a smile with Duncan. She turned back to the front.  There was hope in the plan they had now. Hope in the fact that they had a direction in which to go. She tilted her head in thought. The idea of using sound as an effective rest depriver and perhaps a door maker was fascinating. She pondered if perhaps, when the generator arrived, she could use magic to increase its effectiveness. Perhaps even hide it if the Kin
g’
s Guard left the palace walls to investigate.  

She stopped outside the tent she shared with Duncan. Something moved inside. 
Dearest, there is someone in there.
She thought at him.

Duncan gestured for
T’
Garen to keep silence. The solider immediately went on the alert. His and Dunca
n’
s hands went to their swords. Perala focused on her magic.

The sound came agai
n…
a low whimper. Deciding that surprise would be good, they charged in and froze. Bracing himself against Dunca
n’
s chair wa
s
…

“
Ryan
?”
Duncan asked.

Ryan looked up, his auburn hair was free from its usual braided queue. His dark bronze skin was pasty in hue. His face was tense when he turned to look at them.  He smiled wanly
.“
Greetings, Duncan
.”
His breathing short, as if to cover something, he stood straighter. He inclined his head toward the other two
.“
The lovely Perela, it is an honor. And retired General
T’
Garen, i
t’
s a pleasure
.”
Rya
n’
s cultured voice was only slightly strained.

“
How did you get here and what happened
?”
Duncan asked.

The thief waved away the knigh
t’
s questions
.“
Neither of those is of concern right now. What
is
of concern is what I have come to tell you
.
”