Sword and Mind

4

Rumah rubbed her forehead, hoping to massage her headache away. She stretched her shoulder blades and stood. Why could she not move this tiny feather when just a few nights ago she could hold a flame still? The first few incidents Rumah excused as either hallucinations or dreams, but over the past months, the foreign thoughts and emotions and strange mental abilities all proved one thing. All this was real. Very real.

She blew out a long stream of air and tried to recall what holding the flame felt like. Her mind concentrated on the operation after several minutes the feather moved straight up and then down. Rumah nearly jumped up and out of her skin. With determined hands on each side of the feather, she began again. She pushed her mind harder now that she knew she was capable of the ability on her own and not with someone else in her head. No sooner than she began than she felt like her mind exploded. Pain speared through her head as surely as if someone bludgeoned her.

Her mouth let out a silent scream of agony as she dropped to her knees and again she felt that Other in her head. Rumah guessed the Other was a female from her cries of pain. Help me! Rumah screamed to the Other.

What are you doing?! Other yelled back with a mixture of annoyance and sympathy.

I tried ta do whatcha ya made me do.

Rumah felt a sigh of resignation shutter through her. You've pushed yourself too hard. Remember this feeling and you won't do it again. Give it three days before you try again. Understand?

Aye. Just make it stop.

All you have to do is calm yourself. You'll have a bad headache afterwards, but you'll have to calm yourself.

Calm meself!? Calm meself!? How am I ta do that when I feel like me head's being smashed ta bits!

Other sighed. You cannot make it stop on your own. It just dissipates. Mine's already leaving me.

Several curses ran swiftly through Rumah's mind at Other's words. Dissipates. If her trying to move something with her mind made the pain, why couldn't she just turn it off?

Because just like when you overuse a muscle it gets sore and cramps so does your mind. This is a mind cramp.

Another stream of curses came to mind which to Rumah's surprise Other did not balk at Rumah's thoughts but laughed heartily. That's how I felt the first time.

Other's words were somewhat of a comfort and gave this strange female whose thoughts she could hear in her head a less frightening feel. Rumah relaxed a bit and just as Other said the pain began to slowly die away.

What's your name?

Rumah hesitated before saying, Rumah.

Well met, Rumah. I'm...

The young woman waited for the female's reply. None came. Rumah tapped the side of her head as if the action would make Other's voice come back. It didn't. Hey, come back. I'm not done. Where ya be? Hullo?

Nothing.

Rumah slapped her hand on the table and with that gesture of frustration the headache Other had spoke of came blaring into her thoughts. Three days she had told Rumah. Though the young woman did not understand why she had to wait so long to begin again with the feather she began to realize that her headache was lasting an awful long time. Three whole days in fact.

****

"Pallu," Sardena called, her voice full of fear and concern. "Are you alright?"

Why did this happen now? Why not when Pallu was alone? After her mental conversation with this Rumah woman, Pallu rose to her feet and nodded to Sardena. "I'm fine now."

"What happened? You looked like you would pass out. I've never seen anyone in that much pain before. Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'll have a bit of a headache for a while, but that's it."

"Come on. Let's get you something to drink and have a seat." Sardena ushered Pallu to the inn and had drinks brought out. Normally Pallu did not drink wine or mead as it slows her mind, but at that moment Pallu's mind needed to be slowed. There was nothing good about hearing voices other than her own in her head. She downed the tankard of mead in three swift gulps.

"Good. Let's get you to bed. I know there's not for me to do but get some sleep when I've got a headache."

"Oh no, Sardena. I can't do that. I was to start showing you sword stuff today."

"That'll wait 'til tomorrow or the next day. You must rest." Sardena dragged Pallu up the stairs and forced her to lay in bed. "I'll be back to get you for the Festival. Rest until then."

Rest did not immediately come to Pallu as she laid in bed. She considered trying to contact this Rumah again but realized that Pallu may hurt her more by doing so. One thing was for certain. Rumah must be trained before she hurt herself. And starting in three days that is what Pallu planned on trying to do.

For the moment, however, her mind needed to attend the very real fact that in mere hours she would be attending her first dance. Ever. And Yunin, though immensely annoying, would be there. She hated to think he would see her make a fool of herself.