Ghosts Of Alfhaven (Book 2) (7 page)

“
So, you survived. Very good. Now, time to decide if you passed.”

He paused for a moment and looked them all over closely. Sawain's heart raced in his chest as anxiety plagued him. Nerelis spoke again after an agonizing eternity.

“You were sloppy. Your formation was a mess. Your lack of communication nearly killed a team mate. You made so much noise that you drew every enemy in the grove to you, including an angry Razorthorn Elemental. Yet, through quick thinking and an impressive show of skill, the newcomer pulled this wreckage of a team through and brought you safely to the other side. Naralei, you have failed as a leader, but Sawain, you have shown promise, though you are completely unorthodox. Perhaps you can be shaped into something useful after all.”

Sawain could not hold back the smile on his face. He was not completely certain, but it sounded like Captain Nerelis, the scourge of his existence, just paid him a compliment. Things were already starting to brighten in this dark forest.

Nerelis used the rest of the day to drill the basics into the team. They worked on swordsmanship, stamina, and communication skills for hours. The Captain kept his word to hold Mirehawk an hour longer than usual. He worked them hard until they did not have the strength to complain.

Everyone on the team was so tired after he released them that they all dragged themselves straight to their rooms. Sawain had every intention to do the same. A firm hand clasped his shoulder and stopped him in his tracks. Captain Nerelis' voice rumbled in his ear.

“Hold on a minute, Thrallborn. We need to talk.”

Sawain stared longingly at his team mates, who were already out of earshot and did not notice he was not with them. He warily turned to the Captain.

“What did I do this time?”

Nerelis furrowed his brow, “You will watch your tone around me, understand?”

Sawain grit his teeth, “I understand.”

Nerelis glared into his eyes. Sawain felt his soul wither somewhat under the scrutiny of the stare. Nerelis waited a moment longer before he spoke again.

“You made a very bold claim earlier today, Thrallborn, when you claimed to be the son of Skalda Briaredge. I do not think you realize just how bold it was. I want to know where you heard the name.”

Sawain's curiosity outweighed his distaste for Nerelis, “Briaredge? That's the first time I've heard that name. My mother was just called Skalda. We were thralls, so we did not have last names.”

Nerelis stared hard at him for a moment. His arms folded across his chest. He finally spoke again.

“
Maybe you are not related to the Skalda I know... but you look so much like her... I am tempted to believe you.”

Sawain perked up, “You knew my mother? Did you really know her or did you know her like a commoner knows who the Segrammir is?”

Nerelis did not answer his question. His eyes were glazed over, as if he was lost in thought. His eyes focused a few seconds later.

“
Tell me about your mother, Thrallborn. Tell me everything.”

Sawain scratched his head and searched his memory. “Well, I don't remember much. She died when I was still very young, maybe three or four years old. I remember that she had long blonde hair, like gold, that she wore in braids. She also had green eyes, like mine. She used to sing me a lullaby. I don't really remember much of it. It had something to do with the trees of Alfhaven.”

Sawain was shocked to see a smile slip onto Nerelis' face. The Captain quickly covered it up and cleared his throat.

“
Is that all?”

Sawain thought for a moment, “Well, when she died, I remember that she looked so pretty. Master Torval treated her better than the rest of us. When she died, instead of being burnt in the ditch, like a thrall, he made a funeral pyre for her. I remember that day well. She was wearing a velvet green dress and a crown of  vines with a gem of some sort set in the middle.”

Nerelis interrupted Sawain's description with a shaky voice, “It was Skalda Briaredge. He gave her a hero's funeral, even after he kept her a slave all those years. I believe you, Sawain. Unlike the rest of the city, I was, and still am, one of your mother's supporters. We grew up together and were very close. I was told she died years before you could have been born.”

Sawain shrugged, “Well, here I am, so I guess you were lied to. The Triumvirate, no doubt, told you that. What do they have against my mother that would push them to trying to kill me off, too?”

Nerelis sighed, “They are not trying to kill you, Sawain, but they do not believe you will succeed. There is much corruption in the Triumvirate of late, but they would not resort to murder. They don't want your story to be true because it would mean that they would have to deal with another war so soon after the last one your mother started.”

Sawain's anger swirled in his stomach, “What do you mean? My mother did not start a war.”

Nerelis nodded slowly, “Yes, she did, but I am not saying it was an unjust war. I believed then and hold to it today that what she did was for the greater good of the Forest.”

Sawain was taken aback, “Why are you telling me this?”

Nerelis sighed, “I'm telling you this because I needed to know. The Triumvirate called me last night and told me you were a false prophet that needed to be punished. They ordered me to work you so hard that you would break, then expel you from the program. They cannot pass a death sentence on you because the Council of Ancestors believe in your cause. I side with the Council's wisdom over the Triumvirate's. I want to see you succeed. All of that aside, I will still try to follow through with the Triumvirate's orders. I will try to break you. You must be stronger than anything that I can throw at you, or you will never live up to your mother's legacy. Just remember this when I am pushing you beyond your limits every day: I do it because I know you can defy the Triumvirate and survive the training.”

Sawain was speechless. All he could do was nod. He tried to comprehend this sudden shift in Nerelis' attitude. Nerelis shooed Sawain.

“Get to bed, son of Skalda. Tomorrow is going to be worse than today. I promise you that.”

Sawain turned and silently walked away. So many questions formed in his mind, though his tongue did not try to form them. He was so tired that he could barely retain all he just learned. He made his way to his dark bedroom and fell into his bed face first. He tossed and turned for an hour as he thought of all the answers to his past and his heritage Nerelis must have had. Sleep eventually took him.

He dreamed of his mother for the first time since he left Anvilheim.

Chapter 7

Training continued the next day. Everyone's attitude toward Sawain was already changing. That morning, at breakfast, the entire team sat together, boasting and chattering excitedly about yesterday's events. Loraleth, who sat at Sawain's right elbow, fawned over Sawain's heroics.

“
When Sawain threw that fire knife at the Razorthorn in mid air and swung on that Hanging Death vine, that was the greatest thing I've ever seen!”

Mariten, who sat diagonal from Sawain's left chimed in next, “My favorite part was when the Razorthorn took a nosedive into the quicksand pit!”

She made a motion with her arm as if it was the Razorthorn diving into the deadly sand on the table. She whistled lower and lower the closer it got to the table, then made a crashing sound with her mouth as her hand slapped the wooden surface. Timbrel jumped up and down on her shoulders while he chanted victoriously.

“
The beast is dead! The beast is dead! Long live Sawain, slayer of pointy things!”

Mari joined in the chorus Timbrel struck up.

Naralei was not as thrilled about all the praise Sawain received. She sat on the other side of Mari and stirred her oatmeal slowly. It looked untouched. Sawain noticed that she would not even look at him. He tried to not let it get to him and instead bask in the praise of his newly found friends. The harder he tried, the sooner his mind went to feeling uneasy. He needed to say something to ease his tension.

“
It wasn't all me. We would have never made it if we didn't have Mari and Timbrel's magical music. And Tobi, You helped me find a way to stop that thing in just seconds. Banthan and Loraleth saved us the trouble of dealing with those dark elves, and Naralei held us all together with her quick acting and leadership. In fact, Naralei saved my life in the beginning. I flew into a rage and almost ruined the entire mission. She pulled me back to sanity.”

Naralei looked up from the table she was staring at and gave Sawain a shocked, but grateful smile. Sawain caught it from the corner of his eye. The others were silent for a moment. Everyone looked thrilled to be complemented, even Banthan.

The conversation picked back up shortly and Naralei contributed to it this time. Breakfast ended and Mirehawk made their way to the training field indicated to them in the notes on their doors when they woke up. They walked to a grassy hill that was enclosed by a short wooden fence. A gray robed figure stood at the top of the hill. The figure's face was shrouded by the shadow cast over it by the gray hood.

The young team approached warily. Sawain sensed something different about this person. They climbed the hill and lined up, as if out of habit. Naralei spoke to the figure.

“Are you our teacher today? I know my father said he would not be here.”

Sawain glanced sideways at her. She did not mention this to anyone at breakfast. He wondered if their conversation last night had anything to do with Nerelis' absence. The hooded figure pulled back the veiling cloth. The beautiful, but deadly face of Lady Tirinele greeted them with a venomous smile. Sawain's shock rooted him to the spot. The others took an instinctive step backwards. He thought he heard one of the girls gasp, though it could have been Tobi.

Lady Tirinele grinned at Mirehawk's surprise. She placed her hands on her hips and surveyed the team with skepticism.

“
Good morning, recruits. Yes, Nerelis is out on a mission for me today, so I will be training you until he returns. You need some balance in your training. Nerelis is an expert in stealth and swordplay, but he knows nothing about magic, which puts you all at a disadvantage.”

Mari was the first to find her tongue. She stepped up a few feet away from Sawain and quipped at the Director.

“We aren't at a disadvantage. My songs can make even a dragon do my bidding! I'm sorry, Lady Tirinele, but we are covered in the arcane section.”

Lady Tirinele's eyebrow twitched. Sawain noticed her right hand clench hard into a fist, her fingernails dug into her palm.

“Is that so?”

Lady Tirinele raised her fist-clenched hand chest level and opened it, palm down. Drops of blood fell from the puncture wounds to the ground and evaporated halfway down, as if they hit an invisible fire. She turned her palm upward. Sawain noticed that it looked like it was radiating heatwaves like the ones he used to watch rise from the stove in Dawnstar Manor.

Sawain's heart skipped a beat. His arms and legs felt like they were filled with lead. To his horror, they began to move on their own. His left hand raised above his head and his legs squatted involuntarily.

No. Stop it. What's happening?

He tried to take his movements back. He tried to lower his arms and stand up straight, but he could not get them to respond. He glanced out of the corners of his vision to check on his team mates. They were all wearing the same terrified expression he was, even Mari. They all moved awkwardly and took strange poses, as if they were puppets on strings.

Lady Tirinele laughed as she made Mari do a clumsy dance, “Come on, little songbird! Let me hear your song magic now! How do you expect to save your team with a countersong if your will is so weak?”

Sawain continued to struggle in his mind to stop himself from pirouetting in front of Naralei, but he simply could not do it. Nothing he tried could break the deadlock Tirinele's magic had on his body. He grit his teeth and growled angrily at the embarrassment he suffered as his body continued to dance wildly in front of Naralei, who looked as uncomfortable as he did.

Tirinele's laughter filled Sawain's ears. He could feel his temper rise as she continued to control him and his friends. Rage filled his lungs and blood veiled his eyes in a crimson curtain. He roared with all his might, trying to regain control. The harder he struggled, the more his fury grew. The more it grew, the less control he had. Tirinele's chiding voice pierced through his rage.

“Fool! Do you really think that calling on the Berserker within you can help you against magic? When you are in that state, your body grows stronger and you can take significantly more physical punishment, but at the cost of your mental prowess. When you are enraged, you are even easier for me to control!”

Sawain's arms wrapped around Naralei's waist. Sawain's blood drained from his eyes and face as Naralei's arms draped across his shoulders. She looked as mortified as he felt. He tried to pull away, but was held fast by the spell. Their embrace tightened and Sawain forgot how to breath as Naralei pressed her cheek against his. Heat flooded his face as he heard her whisper in his ear.

“Sawain-- I'm sorry. I-- I can't get her out of my head.”

Sawain still could not control his tongue, but that was possibly not the spell's effect. They continued their embrace and Sawain stopped fighting as much. He heard Tirinele's voice from behind him.

“Glad to see everyone on this team loves one another! Come now, pull yourselves together! You'll never break my hold if you don't focus!”

Sawain heard Mari's voice, “How can I focus when Tobi's getting personal with me!”

Tobi's shaky voice piped up, “I'm not doing it on purpose! I promise!”

Mari groaned, “You smell like cheese and feet.”

Tobi was silent. Naralei's voice rang out loud in Sawain's ear. He winced as she shouted at Mari.

“
Now's not the time for griping! Mari, you have to concentrate! We need your countersong or we'll all waste our day dancing and kissing!

Sawain heard a high pitched squeak of horror, but was again unsure if it belonged to Mari or Tobi.

Banthan's voice cracked, “Sis, what are you doing?”

Loraleth squeaked at him, “I swear, I didn't mean to-- Whoa! Banth, watch where you're--”

Banth growled, “This is so wrong.”

Naralei's chin snuggled forcibly into Sawain's shoulder. She let out a low growl.

“This is so embarrassing... Anytime today, Mari!”

Mari's voice came back strained, “I'm trying! Timbrel, can't you do something?”

Timbrel's voice shot back sharply, “Nay, I can't stop chasing me tail! I'm getting sick!”

Sawain found his voice again, “Mari, pull this off and we'll be singing your praises instead of mine at dinner tonight! Be our hero, Mari!”

There was a moment of silence, then he thought he heard a fierce growl come from Mari's direction. Sawain tried again to move his body. He strained with all his effort. He felt a finger twitch. It was a surprise, but a happy one. He whispered to Naralei.

“
Try to break loose now, she's weakening.”

Naralei grew red, “What do you mean try now? I have been trying!”

Sawain frowned, “Fine, well, try harder.”

He put all of his willpower into moving his arms. He focused just on his arms and how to move them. He felt another slight response. Mari's voice rang out in a triumphant cheer/

“Yesss! I got it! No more cheddar breath! I can play now!”

Naralei shouted in Sawain's ear again, “Then do it!”

A few seconds later, a dissonant trill split the air with an ear piercing pitch. The magical note filled Sawain's hearing. He was finally able to drop his arms from around Naralei. She quickly pushed back from Sawain. Both of them fell backwards, sprawling out on their backs. Sawain could move again, but his limbs were still numb. He sat up once he had enough feeling in his extremities. The others were sitting on the hill, massaging arms or legs. Mari had the proudest look on her face. The others simply looked ashamed.

Lady Tirinele laughed as she returned her hands to her hips, “Not bad, recruits! Not bad at all! I thought I'd have you dancing out here at least til lunch. You have great potential, but it still needs to be drawn out! So, let's go again.”

A cacophony of complaints arose from Mirehawk Team as Tirinele raised her bloodied hand again. The entire day was spent trying to break free of Tirinele's magic. Sawain was not able to break it himself until the fourth round, when he was forced to dance with Banthan. His aversion was so strong that he easily broke the chains she had wrapped around his mind. He smiled, pleased with himself. Lady Tirinele noticed his pride.

“
Don't get cocky, Sawain. You only broke an apprentice level control spell. You're far from being a master of your own fate.”

This comment stung at Sawain's soul, but he was too afraid of Lady Tirinele to lash back. Mari was forced to sit out of training after the sixth round. Tirinele's constant assault left her with so little energy that she fell unconscious for an hour.

Sawain was not far from that point. He knelt on the ground, panting furiously and drenched in sweat. Lady Tirinele raised her hand again. Sawain tried to swallow the lump in his throat, but had no saliva left to swallow with. She sighed as she looked around at the remaining members of Mirehawk team. Everyone was scattered around the hill, kneeling or sitting in the grass. They all looked as exhausted as Sawain. Tobi finished throwing up for the second time today. Tirinele lowered her hand.

“
Alright, that's enough for today. Dinner's only an hour out. Get cleaned up and see to your team mate. Good job today, Mirehawk. We'll do this again, so be on your guard.”

She pulled her hood over her head and strolled down the hill casually. Sawain was dumbfounded at how she looked perfectly healthy after she used so much blood to sustain that magic all day. He remembered how Kyra looked that time she spent all evening in the library poring over magical texts. Tirinele was at a level of skill far surpassing anyone he had ever trained under. Naralei's voice shook him from his musings.

“Alright, Mirehawk, good job. We survived the toughest trainer in the city and we did it with finesse.”

Banthan's snide voice cut through Nara's compliment, “Finesse? We spent all day being toyed with for Tirinele's pleasure and are now flopping around on this hillside like a bunch of sun baked trouts.”

Loraleth forced herself to her feet. She dusted herself off and glared at Banthan.

“
Stop trying to spoil our spirits, Banthan. Nara's right. We did great today compared to some of the stories I've heard.”

Tobi sat up from his sprawled out position and glanced at Loraleth nervously, “What do you mean?”

Loraleth continued as she checked to make sure Lady Tirinele was out of earshot, “I heard that most of the new teams she puts through that training end up in the infirmary. We could have all ended up like Mari.”

“
So, I guess that makes me the weak link in our chain.”

Sawain turned with everyone else to the direction of Mari's voice. She sat cross legged with her eyes downcast and with a heart broken demeanor on her face. She picked at the blades of grass around her. Sawain's heart sank when he saw just how upset she looked. He knew that feeling of worthlessness.

Timbrel stroked her arm lovingly and looked up at her tear filled eyes, “No, lassie, that's not it at all... You simply wore out first because you had the most work to do. We rely on you to save us weaker folk from the mind-magic.”

Naralei stood up and walked over to Mari. She extended a hand to help her fallen comrade up.

“Timbrel's right. You were our strongest link today. It's training. It's meant to push us past our limits. Come on, let's get you cleaned up and ready for dinner.”