AutumnQuest (3 page)

My first class after breakfast was Ancient Lore. I set my translation of
Galina’s Travels
on the table and reread it whilst waiting for Master Tenna to arrive. If I concentrated hard enough, perhaps I’d forget about that stupid dragon.

“Donavah, what did you get for line 1,782?” Balon plopped down in the chair next to me.

“Oh,” I grimaced when I found the line he referred to. “That was the hardest one. I’m still not sure I got it right.”

“Same here. So what did you get?”

I frowned at the page as I read, “‘And in Stychs, Galina found her soul’s anguish.’”

Balon groaned, but before he could tell me his translation, Master Tenna entered the room.

“So,” she asked, once everyone had settled down for the lesson, “how did you all get on with the assignment?” She bounced up and down on the balls of her feet, as if in anticipation.

Balon, always bold, spoke first. “It wasn’t too hard until near the end.” Nods of agreement from all around. “But I couldn’t figure out the correct translation for
cinnerai
, and after that, I couldn’t make much sense of it.”

“Ah, yes.
Cinnerai
.” Master Tenna smiled. “How did you translate it, Donavah?”

I swallowed. She never called on me first. “Um, ‘soul’s anguish.’”

“Yes? And how did you come up with that?” Her voice was neutral, not giving me a clue whether I’d got it right or wrong.

I blushed a little. “Well, the word wasn’t in the lexicon, so I tried to figure it out from the context.” The master nodded encouragingly. “In the next stanza, Galina speaks of finding no one like herself, her feelings of isolation. There was even that bit about pain.”

One of the other girls cut in. “But it wasn’t her own pain she was talking about.”

Master Tenna asked her, “And how did you translate
cinnerai
then?”

“Happiness. She’d just traveled to Stychs away from the war raging on Hedra—”

This time, Balon interrupted. “But how did she get from here to Stychs, anyway?”

And so we went on. No two of us had translated the word the same: paradise, torment, joy, true love, magic, truth; the list went on and on. Master Tenna always encouraged us to debate freely, and she obviously enjoyed moderating our discussion. Finally she raised both hands into the air, her signal for us to stop talking.

“You have all done an excellent job.” Balon and I exchanged confused frowns. “This is the most difficult passage in the saga, and scholars have never been able to agree upon it.”

“Why not?” Balon asked.

Master Tenna smiled. “That is the crux of the matter. No one knows what Galina meant by “Stychs.” There is no such place on Hedra. Of course, the saga was composed long, long before it was ever written down. But no known lore other than this from anywhere in the world mentions a place named Stychs.”

“So it was in her imagination?” asked a boy in the back of the room.

Someone else said, “I bet it was dolg powder.” Sniggers at that suggestion.

“No one knows. You will have to draw your own conclusions.” The tocsin rang out. “Translate the next fifty lines for next class.”

“Well, that’s a first,” Balon said to me as we left the room. “No one got it wrong.”

I chuckled. But before I could reply, someone tapped my shoulder. I turned to find Isol, Headmaster Foris’s assistant, beckoning to me. My stomach plummeted as the memories of last night’s and this morning’s events rushed back into place. Surely, though, it couldn’t be anything to do with Breyard. Breakfast was scarcely two hours past.

But as we passed through the corridors, I began to feel a strange vibration in the air. A master I didn’t know came towards us, and when she saw me, she bit her lip and hurried past, eyes averted. A chill went through me.

Isol led me to the antechamber of Master Foris’s office. She motioned me to sit on the padded bench, then disappeared out the door through which we’d entered.

I’d waited long enough to break out in a cold sweat and for my stomach to tie itself into knots before I finally heard voices from the inner chamber. The door opened.

Master Foris and a soldier came out. The soldier, dressed in the purple and scarlet accoutrements of the Royal Guard, clicked his heels together and bowed slightly, then strode out of the room, never even glancing my way. I’d never been so close to a Royal Guardsman before, and even though I couldn’t help but notice how handsome he looked in the impeccable uniform, something in my gut told me that things were very, very wrong. Master Foris’s serious expression when he faced me didn’t make me feel better.

He gestured me into his office, which I’d never been in before. I looked around at the shelves filled with old books and scrolls. A telescope next to a window was pointed at the sky, a half-played game of Talisman and Queen sat on a sturdy oak table, and where bookshelves didn’t cover the wall, tapestries and masks did. If I hadn’t been so scared, I might not have been able to resist looking around more, but now I couldn’t take my eyes off Master Foris.

His red master’s robe billowed behind him as he swept around his desk. He sat down and motioned me to do so as well. I dropped down onto a chair facing his desk, glad that I wouldn’t have to try to stand, what with the way my knees were shaking.

I looked down at my hands folded in my lap, unsure of what I was supposed to do or say. Master Foris cleared his throat.

“Thank you for coming, Donavah.” His voice was kind and gentle, a deep bass voice a lot like Papa’s. I licked my lips and nodded, then looked up as he said, “I’m afraid I have some bad news.”

I just nodded again. My heart pounded so hard that he must have felt the vibration himself. I clenched my fists until the knuckles turned white. My mouth went dry, and I didn’t think I’d be able to speak even if Master Foris expected me to. Then, when I thought my head must explode, he finally spoke again.

“Breyard has been arrested.”

My son~

I trust that all is well with you and that your share of our task is well in hand.

Our “esteemed” leader believes himself to be growing stronger as he and the people fall prey to our deceits. I never weary of concocting some new tale of his terrors to whisper amongst his subjects, though I confess I weary greatly of hearing him crow over his supposed conquest of the kingdom’s heart. It will not be much longer now.

We have played our Talismans well, and the trap will soon be sprung.

Convey to me as soon as you can news of your own status. We cannot Secure the Queen’s Heart until we are sure that you have readied all.

I look forward to the pleasure of seeing you again after all these long years.

~Your father

My vision seemed to go black. The pressure that had been building inside me finally burst as I jumped to my feet and shouted, “
NO!”

Master Foris also rose to his feet. He raised his hands, palms towards me, and slowly lowered them as if he were pressing on my shoulders. I felt a sense of calm come over me, spreading through my chest and up into my brain. Master Foris dipped his head slightly, and I noticed how grey and haggard his face looked, especially in contrast to his bright red hair.

“Sit, my dear.”

I took a deep breath and did as he said. He followed suit.

“I realize you are distressed. But you must believe me when I say that you are scarcely more so than I.”

“But . . . but . . .” My voice was so tense it practically cracked. I paused a moment to get control of myself. What was all that meditation for if not this kind of situation? I tried to clear my thoughts. Then I spoke as calmly as I could. “What could Breyard possibly have been arrested for?” Of course, I knew the answer but felt some peculiar need to carry out the charade.

“For stealing a dragon egg,” came the expected reply.

Another calming breath. “But he doesn’t have any egg. Surely they must have checked his cell and seen that.”

Master Foris raised his eyebrows. “They did indeed. But I’m sorry to say that the hounds led them straight to Breyard’s room with no assistance on our part at all, and not even I could deny the presence of bits of egg shell on his cot covering and meditation mat.”

I closed my eyes against the guilt that washed over me. If only I hadn’t told my friends. If only Loreen hadn’t blurted it out to the entire school. If only . . . if only. There was but one truth to cling to.

“But he didn’t steal a dragon egg. You
know
he couldn’t have.”

“I don’t
know
it any more than you do, my dear.” All of a sudden, I hated being called that.

“Well,” I said, my voice shrill, “I do know it more than you, then. I know Breyard could never steal anything, much less a dragon egg. How could he have? He’s been here, and the capital is far away.”

Master Foris put the tips of his fingers together. “I asked the same question. It appears that the egg was in transit from Prince Havden of Ultria to our Princess Rycina, as an engagement gift. As a subterfuge to keep it safe, it was sent in a plain carter’s wagon.” My heart sank. “This carter says he was robbed of the gift yesterday by a young man of Breyard’s description. So you see,” and his voice grew even more gentle, “I had no choice but to let them take your brother away.”

“Take him away?!” I leapt to my feet again. “He’s already gone? But I haven’t said goodbye.” I took a step towards the door.

“Donavah.” The master’s command stopped me. I turned to face him, almost against my will. He stood up and walked towards me. “He is gone. There is nothing you can do. The egg was very valuable—a variety of dragon only newly developed. I doubt the king’s court will be lenient.”

“No,” I whispered, my knees buckling. “No . . .” I bit back the words “it’s all my fault,” but that didn’t stop them resounding in my head. A sob rose in my throat, and I broke into tears. Master Foris led me to a couch I hadn’t noticed before. He held an arm around my shoulders as I wept, all the time muttering soothing words in a language I didn’t understand. It felt as if I were betraying Breyard to allow myself to be comforted by this man who had willingly turned him over to the Royal Guard, but I couldn’t help it.

Eventually, I regained control. Master Foris wiped the tears from my cheeks with the sleeve of his robe.

“There. Now you’ve got that out of your system.” He took my hands in his. “I will make arrangements for you to go to the retreat house. It will be better for you to be away from here until the furore settles. You can continue your studies there, but still remain secluded. How does that sound?”

All I knew right then was that I wanted to be far, far away from here. I nodded.

When Master Foris went to the door to call for Isol, I quickly wiped my nose on the inside of my own sleeve. I couldn’t believe it. This time yesterday, my biggest care was whether I’d remember all the herbal properties Master Larmstro, the healing master, had lectured on the previous day. Now I was personally responsible for my brother’s arrest and probable execution. A lump rose in my throat, but I swallowed it down. Right now, I had to figure out a way to make things right again.

The master turned back to me. “You are, of course, excused from the rest of your classes today. I will have meal trays sent to your room. You can pack this afternoon, and we’ll send you off tomorrow morning.”

Master Foris led me out of his office and through the antechamber, then closed the door softly behind me. The wood seemed to vibrate in sympathy as the catch clicked into place.

I wandered in a daze. One corridor led to the refectory, but just the thought of food made my stomach turn. After more aimless wandering, I found myself at the head of the corridor that led to the boys’ block. I stood staring. Was it only last night that Breyard had led me down here in that mad dash? I’d been so angry with him. A sob caught in my throat, and I turned and ran to my own cell.

I slammed the door behind me, not caring that it echoed loudly off the walls. I threw myself onto my cot and wept without restraint. With no one there to see me—or comfort me—I didn’t bother with trying to control my emotions or maintain my dignity. I didn’t even care if someone outside my room heard me.

When I seemed to have cried my eyes dry, I rolled over and stared up at the ceiling, thinking through everything that had happened. And no matter what angle I looked at it from, I kept coming to the same conclusion: it was all my fault.

I should have realized it really was a dragon egg right from the start and made Breyard get rid of it. Or I should have said something to one of the masters; they’d have gotten the truth from him and somehow managed to sort everything out. Or at the very least, I should have helped Breyard clean his room afterwards. And I definitely should have kept my mouth shut and not told my friends. Why hadn’t I thought of any of this when it would have made a difference?

Eventually, I got up, went to the desk, and opened the top drawer. Clarity. That’s what I needed right now. I pulled the lavender tapers out of the drawer and noticed the dark blue resourcefulness ones beneath them. Hmmm. Interesting combination.

A rap on the door startled me, and I dropped the candles back into the drawer, almost guiltily. I opened the door to find a lad from the kitchen standing there with a luncheon tray.

“Thank you,” I said, taking it from him.

“Welcome,” he muttered, then looked up at me with large, dark brown eyes. “I’m sorry, miss.”

“What for?” Had he helped himself to some of the food? If so, he was welcome to it; I had no appetite, and besides, he looked scrawny.

“About your brother, miss. We heard in the kitchen. “Tisn’t fair, a good man like Breyard.”

I almost smiled at hearing my brother called a man. “Thank you . . . what’s your name, anyway?”

“Traz, miss.”

“Well, thank you very much, Traz.” I set the tray on my desk, then turned back to the door, where the boy continued to stand watching me with his huge eyes.

“Come in, Traz. Tell me what you know of Breyard.”

He shook his head. “Oh, no, miss. I daren’t. Need to get back to the kitchen.”

I felt a twinge of disappointment. It would’ve been good to hear someone speak kindly of my brother. “Well, all right, but maybe another time?”

Traz grinned enthusiastically, and, with a quick nod, disappeared down the corridor. I shut the door, wondering what he knew—and how—about Breyard.

Back at my desk, I tried a bite of the meatroll, but it was dry and tasteless in my mouth. I washed it down with some apple juice, then decided to go ahead with meditation.

Clarity. And resourcefulness. Trying not to think about what I was doing, I took both sets of candles from the drawer. I didn’t have an extra set of silver candlesticks—silver for Autumn—so I grabbed the first that came to hand: crystal, for Spring. Well, I was taking liberties no matter how you looked at it. I didn’t see how things could get any worse than they already were.

After lighting all four candles, I sat on the meditation mat, breathing in the scents of thyme and rosemary that filled the air. A strange feeling of both calm and excitement flowed through me.

Clear my thoughts.

I slipped into my calm center with more ease than ever.

Breathe deeply.

A slow breath in followed by a slower breath out. Another. An unfamiliar vibration tickled my senses. Another breath.

With the next exhalation, my spirit seemed to slip out of my body like the air out of my lungs.

I walked through a wood. Sunlight shone through the green canopy above and made the fallen Autumn leaves gleam like gold. Energy flowed all around me, through me, strengthening me. Light from my soul danced with the spirits of the trees. I possessed power, power enough to do what must be done. Something unseen, unfelt, unpresent called to me.

“Time to rise up, fulfill your destiny.” “I have no destiny. I am no one.” Those were the words I meant to say, but what came out was, “I hear. I follow.”

“You do not follow; you lead.” The unspoken words echoed in my ears.

Suddenly I felt as if I were waking up, though I still sat upright on the meditation mat. The candles had burnt away to nothing. I blinked. Had I gone into a trance? How could I have? I had no training for that, had never even seen it done by someone else.

But in that instant, I knew with certainty that I could make everything right. I must. For I was responsible for it going wrong.

Sometime after the supper tocsin sounded, someone knocked on my door. It was Traz with my supper and another servant with my trunk. I couldn’t eat with my mind whirling with plans, so I set the tray on my desk and instead of eating, I packed in a frenzy. Had I dawdled, it still wouldn’t have taken long. Novices didn’t have much. Two robes besides the one I was wearing, a heavy cloak for bad weather, my books and writing tools. In the morning, I’d pack my night things, and that would be it.

I’d just closed the trunk when another knock came on my door. Assuming it was someone come to collect the supper tray, I picked it up and opened the door. But instead of Traz or a servant, there stood my friends. From the shocked looks on their faces, it was obvious they’d heard the news. They came in. Loreen and Sira sat on my cot, Marileesa on the trunk, and I on my chair. For a moment we all sat in uncomfortable silence.