Author's Note: There is a new cover :) and I am terribly excited about it seeing as I made my first cover on Paint. It is by NightFreedom and I believe she did a wonderful job.. so SHOUT OUT to NightFreedom.
ENJOY!!!!
Mají was silent on the way back to the ship. His thumb rubbed worried circles on the back of my hand, but he brushed off my attempts to ask what was on his mind. He pulled me close as we approached the ship, hugging me tightly before kissing my forehead absentmindedly and climbing the rope ladder up the ship. I moved to follow him, but was cut off by Flint’s beaming face.
“Bet’cha didn’t hear me coming that time, did ya Flame?” he rushed out excitedly, bouncing on his toes.
“No… I didn’t,” I said slowly, glancing up the side of the ship once more.
A hand brushed against my shoulder. I glanced over to meet Briamy’s knowing eyes.
“We can do this another time,” she whispered.
I shook my head. “I’ve been putting this off for long enough, with both of you.”
Briamy stepped to my side, never taking her hand from me as I led her and Flint back into the forest, headed for the clearing where I used to train with Obsidarian.
“It’s not fair that you can hear my thoughts but I can’t hear yours,” I muttered. “That’s what you should be learning to do.”
“I have been practicing a little,” she said. “I’ve gotten a little bit better at distance, but it’s still only with those who are close to me. I can’t tell you what Flint is….. never mind now I can.”
“You can tell what he’s thinking?” I asked. “You mean he actually has thoughts?”
She smiled at me, shaking her head and laughing. “He’s wants to know what we are talking about. I can hear him because his thoughts concern me remember? It’s like when he called me from the floor above, when you learned he was in your debt. He was able to call me because he was focused on me.”
“So I can send you messages if I’m focused on you?” I said thoughtfully.
I stopped suddenly, pulling my shoulder out of Briamy’s grasp as I backpedalled to stand by Flint. He looked at me curiously, smirking at Briamy as I began to walk beside him instead. I focused on Briamy, the gentle smile on her face as she shook her head at Flint’s petty jealousy.
Briamy? I thought.
She raised her right hand in the air, waving nonchalantly as she walked ahead of us.
Did you hear me? Raise your hand like that again if you did.
She waved her hand again and I grinned. She could hear me.
“Flint,” I said softly. “I want you to sneak up on Briamy.”
“I can hear your thoughts!” Briamy sang out. “He can’t sneak up on me while he’s thinking about me!”
Flint growled and I laughed.
“She has been practicing every moment she is not aboard that ship,” he grumbled. “I thought you were training me today.”
“I didn’t know she had really been working on her own,” I said, shrugging. “I’m focusing on you today anyway. She is going to sit on the sideline and try to figure out how to speak to me with her thoughts.”
Flint nodded, putting more spring in his step as we entered the clearing.
“Alright,” he asked. “What’s first?”
“I want to know what you learned from Obsidarian,” I answered. “I need to test you to see where you are.”
Flint nodded, his expression growing serious as he drew his rapier. I nodded to him, drawing my daggers as I watched Briamy sit at the edge of the clearing.
“I’m not taking it easy on you,” I warned.
Flint nodded again, stepping toward me cautiously. I waited, crouching slightly as watched for his first attack. If he was smart, he would try to stay out of my range, depending on the range of his rapier instead of trying to go blade for blade. After another step, Flint roared and jumped toward me, catching me off guard with his stupidity. I sidestepped him easily, watching him fly past me before turning to meet his next attack. He rushed in again, skittering back and forth like a deranged crab as he tried to pick a side to attack from. I met his steps with my own, presenting no option but to meet me head on. When he had edged just within range he lunged at me. I met his lunge with one of my own, moving my body out of harm’s way as I locked the hilt of my dagger in the guard of his rapier. I rotated my wrist, flipping his weapon into the dirt.
“Range is only effective when used for defense,” I lectured. “If I get within your guard your advantage is lost. Wait for an opening, don’t force it. Now, again.”
Flint backed away from me to retrieve his rapier, careful to keep his eyes on me the entire time. I smiled at his effort, recognizing Obsidarian’s handiwork and making a mental note to thank him later.
“Come at me slowly,” I instructed. “Watch my feet, mirror my movements, take the care you put into keeping me in your sight, and make that your first priority. Do not let me move into a blind spot. Thieves must be aware of their surroundings at all time, blindness is death.”
Flint walked toward me slowly, his eyes flickering between my blades and my feet. I let him get a few feet away, then began to circle him. Around and around we went, switching directions as he analyzed my guard. As we neared the edge of the clearing I put his back to the trees, weaving back and forth as I drove him back, waiting for him to notice what I was doing. His eyes were narrowed in concentration, working not to trip over anything as he looked for an opening. When I had him where I wanted, I moved my dagger to the right, opening my left side for attack. As he shifted his footing I slid forward, kicking him in the middle of the chest. He stumbled backward, fighting to regain his balance as he walked into a bush, the momentum of my kick knocking him into it. He struggled with the whippy branches for a moment, cursing his luck as Briamy and I laughed.
“I kept my eyes on you,” he complained.
“And were completely oblivious to the rest of the world,” I countered. “You should have known I was steering you toward that bush. It shouldn’t have taken you by surprise.”
“How am I supposed to focus on two things at once?” he asked.
I sighed, sheathing my daggers. “It may be difficult for you,” I explained. “But you have to try to clear your mind. Don’t zoom in on your goal. See everything around you. That is the difference between a thief and a pirate Flint. As a thief we need to watch our step to remain silent, while looking for anyone that could raise an alarm, while searching for emergency escape routes, and of course heading toward the objective.”
“You can do all of that?” he asked, eyes wide with awe.
I smirked and nodded, laughing internally at the things that I was saying. It was good advice of course, but I had never really thought of any of that stuff before. I hadn’t practiced to be a thief; it was a part of me. Nonetheless, I hoped it would work for him, even if I had no idea what I was talking about.
“Try again,” I said. “I’m going to sit in the middle of the clearing with my eyes closed. I will listen for you, and you will attempt to sneak up and tap me with the flat of the blade. If I hear you once you’ve extracted yourself from the bush, I will throw a dagger in the earth at your feet. You will then have to find a different approach. Fair enough?”
“Sure,” he muttered. “Beats me being knocked around anyway.”
I turned away from him and smiled over at Briamy.
I have no idea what I’m doing with this kid, I confessed. I feel like I’m making it up as I go along.
No luck yet? I thought.
She shook her head, scowling as I grinned at her frustration.
Keep trying, you will get it soon.
She rolled her eyes and I plopped down in the middle of the clearing, closing my eyes and resisting the urge to lie down and take a nap. Knowing Flint I would hear him coming even if I was asleep, the kid possessed no natural stealth.
I focused on my breathing, attempting to take my own advice and clear my mind as I listened for my student’s approach. I was assaulted by the sounds from the world around me. I could hear the wind rustling the leaves in the trees and my own careful breathing. The loss of crashing from behind me told me that Flint had freed himself from the bush, and would now be headed toward me. Once his bare feet hit the packed earth of the clearing I could no longer hear his steps. Yet I doubted he would go for a direct approach after me tossing him around so easily before.
I began to count in my head, waiting until two minutes had passed before I began to grow nervous. I still heard no noise from my student. Maybe I had overestimated my own ability, and underestimated his? I would look foolish if he got this right on the first try. I opened my eyes slightly, seeing Flint at the corner of my peripheral vision. He wasn’t moving, his eyes narrowed in concentration as he tried to look at everything at once. I barely contained the smile that rose to my lips, the boy must be planning. I let my eyes fall closed once more, content to let Flint lay his plans. I would not move.
I heard a crack from in front of me. I sighed and shook my head, throwing one of my daggers in the direction that the sound had come from. And here I was thinking that Flint had learned something. Only seconds later I heard another sound from my right, leaves being disturbed from their place of rest. My second dagger was blindly sent in that direction.
GITTORAN!
The sound forced its way into my mind, resonating within my skull and sending every nerve on end. I snapped my eyes open and jumped to my feet, snarling as I felt a blade pierce the upper section of my right arm. I turned and glared at Flint, hissing in pain as I pulled his dagger from my arm.
“I… I… but you…” he stammered.
“I was startled,” I growled, fighting the tears of pain that threatened to spill down my face. “Congratulations Briamy, you have learned to speak.”
“It was an accident Gittoran… I didn’t mean to,” she said softly.
“All is forgiven,” I sighed. “It was my fault for being caught off guard by the force behind your thought. I truly am happy you learned to do that though. Can you do it again?”
Anything you wanted me to say in particular? She thought.
I started to laugh, then remembered the pain in my arm. No, I only wanted to tell you that my arm hurts like crazy.
We should get you back to Narasia…
I nodded to her, looking over at Flint. He looked away guiltily, as if I had caught him staring, and fumbled to look for a way to clean my blood from his dagger.
“I didn’t expect you to move my Queen,” he whispered. “If you demote me to servant I will understand.”
His wide brown eyes met mine for a moment before focusing on the blood that was still flowing freely from my arm. The pain in his face was horrible; he was giving himself a tougher time on this than I ever would have. Yet he needed to learn from this, and I knew I had to make him remember this moment.
“Learn the difference between the flat of the blade, and the point,” I said coldly. “Training is done for the day.”
I stepped away from Flint, gritting my teeth against the pain as I walked toward Briamy and the ship. She had torn a strip of cloth from the sleeve of her shirt, and was slowly trying to bind my arm as we walked.
“This would be easier if you would hold still Gittoran,” she muttered.
“I will be fine once we get to Narasia,” I said, forcing myself to keep my tone light. I knew I was losing a lot of blood, not enough to be fatal, but it could easily knock me out if we didn’t go straight to her. The blood had already run all the way down my arm, creating a steady stream that fell from my fingers and stained my skin scarlet.
What little conversation there was fell silent as we made our way back to the ship. Briamy never left my side, hovering in case I wanted support. Flint however, stayed a few paces behind us, undoubtedly wallowing in his guilt.
I stared up at the rope ladder once we reached it, realizing I didn’t have the strength to climb it on my own.
“Flint, bring Obsidarian here,” I ordered. “Make sure you tell him I’m the one asking for help.”
Flint scampered up the ladder and onto the ship, returning a few minutes later with Obsidarian in tow. The large man smiled down at me, his expression quickly changing when he saw the blood soaked bandage and trails of blood dripping from my fingers.
“What happened?” he asked, scooping me up into his arms before I had a chance to speak. “Were you attacked? Who did this to you? Does the captain know yet?”
I shook my head and curled against him, feeling safe in his strong arms. My vision was starting to blur around the edges, I didn’t trust myself to speak. Obsidarian took me to Mají’s cabin, slamming his fist against the door impatiently as he waited for Mají to answer.
“Captain Mají-jalio is not here right now,” a voice said coolly from behind us. “Beating down his door will not hasten his return either.”
Obsidarian spun around, letting the speaker see the mess I was in. “Gittoran Flame is injured,” Obsidarian growled. “Jumé-falio, she needs to see the healer that the captain keeps in his quarters.”
“Of course,” Jumé said. “I will take her there. Though the captain may stop believing she is the finest thing to walk this world once he has learned of this. Who did she say did this to her?”
“She didn’t,” Obsidarian rumbled. “And she won’t unless she gets attention, so let us in!”
“On whose authority?” Jumé asked.
“Mine,” I rasped. “Mají… you have to listen now.”
Jumé scowled and drew a key out of his pocket, unlocking the cabin and letting Obsidarian carry me in.
“The others will not be following,” Jumé stated. “They are not needed here.”
I wanted to argue, but didn’t have the strength. Jumé slid Mají’s rum cabinet out of the way, revealing a narrow set of stairs.
“The healer is kept down here,” Jumé said. “I will take care of Flame now. She will be safe.”
Obsidarian nodded, gently setting me on my feet and leaning me against Jumé-falio. Jumé’s arm was cold as he supported me; the light grew and shrank in my field of vision as I tried to remember how to walk down stairs without falling on my face. There was a hall at the base of the stairs. Jumé took his key out and opened the first door on the left, guiding me inside. The room was stark and white, lacking even a window to add color. Narasia had been sitting on the bed, humming a haunting melody that sounded familiar. She stood up when she saw me, her eyes wide as she focused on my arm. She helped Jumé lie me down on the bed, glancing over at him as he unwound the blood-soaked bandage.
“I will dispose of this,” he said, holding the strip of cloth safely away from him. “And leave you to work. I do not need to inform you of what would happen were she to die.”
“I will do my best,” she answered.
I heard the door shut, and the loud click of a key being turned in the lock. Narasia visibly relaxed, reaching over and planting her hands over my wound. I felt the effects of her magic immediately, spreading heat through my veins, slowing the frantic beating of my heart. The pain lessoned, and I began to feel the tingling of muscle knitting itself together beneath my skin. Yet what energy I possessed also began to fade away, and by the time I had healed fully I was exhausted.
“Sleep,” Narasia whispered. “I’ll keep watch.”
I tried to fight it, but her gentle voice began to sing what she had been humming earlier.
“Sing to me softly,
Dream nights away.
Whisper of days yet to come…
Tell me High Griffon,
Name your child in her day,
Watch her when power she frees.”
I tried to stay awake, but the lull of her song toppled me into sleep.