Frozen Prospects (The Guadel Chronicles Volume 1)

Chapter 2

Jas'per found Va'del within a few cycles of his being cleared by Sara to begin walking short distances through some of the dark, unused corridors near her suite of rooms. "Oh, look. The orphan finally stopped hiding behind the old lady."

Va'del fingered the knife he'd concealed in the sling binding his left arm to his side. His victim's silence seemed to unsettle Jas'per for a second, but looking back at the two friends who'd come to see him torment Va'del, the bully quickly recovered his balance.

"Maybe if you'd bothered to leave the healer's, you would've had a chance at getting a decent apprenticeship. Now I'll bet they don't even let you stay and carry waste rock up to the surface. You'll be just like a human gurra."

Va'del felt his anger spike at being compared to one of the gentle but stupid creatures that the People used to carry burdens both inside their caves, and also on the infrequent occasions when they traveled the mountain slopes to visit one of the other villages. Jas'per seemed to bask in the younger boy's fury, secure in the knowledge that Va'del would never dare attack him.

"At least whatever position I get will be earned on my own merits."

If Va'del's barb struck home there was no sign of it in Jas'per's eyes. "No, whatever position you get will be because someone felt sorry for you."

Long after Jas'per and his friends had left, Va'del sat alone fingering his knife in the cold darkness near the abandoned mining expansion. Not even his freakishly dark skin managed to hide the veins running mockingly close to the surface.

##

Va'del tried to convince Sara to let him go back to his own sleeping mat, but the healer wasn't moved by his reasoning that the sooner he was visibly up and about the more likely he'd be to get an appointment as an apprentice.

"The masters aren't as foolish as you think. They know what happened and why you are here."

Whether that means I wouldn't get a position regardless, or whether I'll get one despite my status as an invalid she won't say.

Va'del was unhappily working his way through the readings that Pa'chi had brought him a couple of days before, when his friend came running into the healer's room.

"Actual, real Guadel just arrived. They're demanding to speak with Headman Ma'del. Everyone says there's going to be a testing."

Va'del felt his head spin. "Why would Guadel be coming now? There hasn't been a visit since before we were born."

Sara looked at Va'del and shook her head. "Guadel come to the village more than most of you realize. As for the testing, it's not the terror of blood and demons you all seem to believe it is."

Pa'chi's expression was every bit as skeptical as Va'del imagined his must be. For a second Va'del thought Sara was going to yell at them, but she took a deep breath and shook her head again. "Think back to the 'traveling healer' that gives you a checkup at least once a year youngster. Do you really think that's something I can't do myself? Va'del at least has the excuse of never being tested before, but you girls should have figured something out by now. You likely would have if the adults hadn't all bought into Ma'del's edict."

Pa'chi shrugged and turned back to Va'del. "Almost everyone is there already. They're saying the Headman will deny them guest right. People are scared of the Guadel, but they're almost as worried that the Goddess will smite us if we turn them away."

Sara stood suddenly, and pulled Va'del onto his feet. "We'd better go now. If Ma'del denies them guest right the Goddess won't have to smite anyone, the Guadel will do it for her. At least they'll likely stop after killing that pompous oaf."