Identity (part 1) & Acceptance (part 2)

Chapter 13

(5/12/11 - added picture of Lydri in his wielder outfit (including jacket))

Chapter 13

After Lydri mounted Cardoch, Shania attempted to show off, but it was in vain. Lydri told Stee that the two horses were communicating, learning about each other. Stee also noticed that Lydri appeared happier reunited with his horse.

“You never told me what your name meant,” Stee said as they trotted along a road leading to the Jackhives.

“My surname means ‘Star Blossom.’”

Stee was surprised that he was answering and stayed quiet in hope that he would put forward more information, maybe even about his past.

“The patriarch of my family found the first ‘perfect blossom.’ He was a philosopher and invented many of our concepts although he had little powers compared to others at that time.”

Stee wanted to learn more about his family by Lydri felt that he had said enough and distance needed to be covered if they wished to reach the intersection of the capital, the Low Lands and the Jackhives by the following night.

That night they slept in a small wooded area and then continued their journey early in the morning. Cardoch never tired at all, but by mid afternoon Shania was very tired.

 Lyam spoke for the first time since they had left their camp on the side of the road that morning. “Stee, your horse will not be able t go much further if she is not given more energy. Do you consent for me to use a spell so that you and her share energy?”

Stee nodded, she had noticed Shania’s tiredness and had wished that there was something that she could do, but wondered why Lydri wasn’t just teaching it to her so that she could do it herself so she asked why.

“If you made a mistake, then we would have big issues, it is not a spell to be taken lighter, the mindset of the caster at the time of casting is crucial, I will teach you one day because it is useful.” He was silent for a few seconds then spoke in Memme, casting the spell. “Anect zi skia o Steenilana ni Ahdrappa Shania.” Once cast he decided that it was now time to tell Stee the truth about the spells that she had cast throughout her life. “When you cast spells do you know what they mean?”

“I know what they do, is there another meaning?”

Yes, she didn’t know anymore than Lyam had thought. “When you cast a spell, you speak Memme, the language of my people, my first language. So far you have memorised many spells, but what you actually need to learn is the language, then it is very easy to make spells as you just say what you wish to happen in Memme, and put powers with the words as you already do. That is why names are important to us, because our names are always words in our language.”

“So what did you say earlier when you gave Shania some of my energy?” She could feel the slow drain of energy but only a minimal amount of her total energy had gone.

“Anect zi skia o Steenilana ni Ahdrappa Shania, meaning join the energy of, you and Aharoman horse Shania.” He was her teacher and decided that he would teach her as much as he could before they reached her mother. “Anect zi skia o translates word for word for join the energy. Ni means and. Ahdrappa means Aharoman horse, drappa is horse and Ah, short for Aharoman is a prefix which is added to nouns to say that something is Ahroman.”

This all made sense to Stee, “does my name have a meaning?”

“Yes of course,” but how to explain it? “It is a Memme word, but it does not have an equivalent in Aharoman. To understand you name must be broken into three parts, ‘stee’ ‘ni’ and ‘lana.’ As I just told you, ni means and. This makes stee and lana. Stee and lana are complete opposites, as black and white are among colours. The two extremes are said to complement each other in a way that opposites such as good and evil do not. It is a difficult concept, but very powerful. It is also a suitable name for you, half Aharoman half Memme,” and the sole heir to both thrones he completed in his head.