Tower Gardelle

10: TO LEARN OF MAGIC

The grass felt soft under her feet. The wind caressed her shoulders gently, blowing away her uncertainties. No longer was the sky attacking the world. It was no longer angry and sullen, like a rebellious teenager trying to fight away all who disagree. The world was just quiet. So, so blissfully quiet.

One step, new feelings. Grass and little beads of damp dirt. One step, lost it all again. It was wood, soft and damp and hard. It wasn't splintered but soon would be. Anyone could tell. Anyone would have to tell.

Groggily, Mirianette moved her feet again. Her eyes were thick and heavy, making it near impossible for her to see anything. Everything felt like she was moving through molasses, very thick and slightly sweet tasting. There was no tang of harsh, badly made magic, only the sweetness of a spell done right. Little sparkles of light that would explode in front of her vision, giving her only glimpses of the ground under her feet, of the things she was exploring. Her little toes, very cold and chilly, were bare and wiggling in the dirt. The dirt, the grass, everything was coming alive. It was moving and breathing and all so sudden--

A swift kick to the gut replaced all her thoughts, and suddenly she was coughing. It hurt to breathe in until the foot was pulled away, and then she was left clutching at where it used to be. "Stop," she muttered, though she knew it wouldn't change anything. It just felt good to say it.

"Get up, pathetic child," Arabelle said. Her voice was rough and cracked. "I will having you slack not off while the rest of my children working."

And I will never cease to be amazed by how awful your language is to translate, she thought. Mirianette stood up, legs shaking and uneven. She took a deep breath, then nodded. Her voice was quiet when she spoke, "Yes, Master Arabelle."

"Today you learn magic."

"Yes, Master Arabelle."

Arabelle frowned, then picked up her cane and began to walk. Mirianette followed her silently, keeping her eyes trained on the ground in front of her feet. To look up, she'd learned, was disrespectful and would earn her a kick to the gut. Arabelle wasn't anything like Destrim, though they were both old and cranky all the time. But Destrim never hit her. He would hit Luistia, she knew, but only because Luistia would hit him back, and harder. The old man was lazy, though, where Arabelle hated not doing anything. She woke up before dawn, making sure to wake up Mirianette as well, and she didn't go to bed until late after the stars had awoken.

"You are pathetic and weak and useless. I should not even bother with you," she said, not looking back as she walked outside of the house. Mirianette was already dressed, having fallen asleep in what she'd worn the day before, but she still felt off about walking outside. Still, she followed. "But you hath magic inside you of, which makes for a good magician. You art not all a failure," Arabelle told her, slamming the door shutbehind them both, "but you art still a failure in most. That magic hard to find and hard to understand."

"Yes, Master Arabelle."

"You will train hard to fix that."

"Yes, Master Arabelle."

"Doth thy find it funny, child? Doth thy mock me?" Arabelle asked, turning around and holding the cane high above her head. Mirianette took a few stepsback, eyes widened in fear. Then, the old lady softened again and smiled. "Good." The smile was lost again as she started to walk, beckoning for Mirianette to follow her.

The citizens of Partrall glared at her as they passed. Someone even ran up to them, a young boy that looked like a whiter version of Bostrim, Mirianette's best friend. "Master Arabelle," he started, near breathless, "did ye hear?Did ye hear?"

"Hear what?"

"War! The barrack's filled up now, since almost every guy's been recruited! They came by last night and took away Johnathan, Louis, and Arnold," he whined. "Richard and Philip aren't at their houses either, I think they've left too. So none of them will be here today to train-"