Stars' Light, page 23
She turned as Ivana came bustling in. She was carrying a very nice looking hair brush and a small stool. She smiled and quickly placed her stool behind Sarannya and sat down. “You have such pretty hair. We need to make sure that it gets brushed everyday, or you will have tangles and it will be a mess.” She spoke softly and began brushing Sarannya’s long hair out.
Sarannya and Ivana sat in silence for a time. “Are you going to be my lady in waiting?” Sarannya asked finally.
“No.” Ivana responded very quickly.
Sarannya turned around, her eyebrows coming together. “Then why are you being so nice? Why are you doing all of this?”
“I would like us to be friends. When I was young, I use to always brush and braid my friend’s hair. It was something that we did. Did you not do these things as a child?” Ivana asked.
“No. My mother and our ladies in waiting did all of this for my sisters and myself. Our hair had to be done perfectly.”
Ivana smiled. “Good then. I can teach you. It’s actually a lot of fun. I prefer the braiding. It just makes us look more pretty.”
There was silence again as Ivana finished brushing Sarannya’s hair. “Do you have many friends here?” Sarannya asked quietly.
“No, I do not,” Ivana said, putting the brush down. “Most of the people who say they are my friend just want to have sex with me, and the other girls see me as competition. So, I do not have any real friends.”
“I don’t have any real friends either. I mean…my brothers, sisters, and I get along, but they have to mostly like me because we are family. The others, well…” Sarannya paused not knowing what to say. She could not really comment on it without giving away her noble status. She could see Ivana smiling behind her in the small mirror on her desk.
“It is okay. You do not have to say anything more. I understand.” She wrapped up the first braid and pinned it in place with a long Niparian pin, which looked like a miniature curved sword. There were small chimes on both ends of the pin.
Once the second braid was done and pinned up, Sarannya stood, admiring her hair in the mirror. She loved it. Her braids were pinned into two buns on top of her head, with what looked like two small Rimerian swords. They each curved to the outside of her head. It almost looked like she was wearing a crown.
“You are really good at this! I love it!” Sarannya’s face lit up with a smile. She turned towards Ivana, not quite knowing what to do.
“I am good at what I do,” Ivana laughed. She moved forward and gave Sarannya a soft hug. She could feel the resistance at first, but then Sarannya relaxed and hugged her back.
Sarannya stepped back. “I would appreciate it if we spoke informal. Is that…is that okay?” She took another step back as Ivana hugged her again.
“We’re going to be friends. I’m so excited. You better get going. Breakfast will be on the table by now.”
“Where is that damn girl? We have work to do, and she’s probably still asleep.” Jorian looked back upstairs for the tenth time. “Kiril, go and get her.”
“Me? Why me?” Kiril responded with horror.
Jorian gave him a flat look.
“Okay, okay. I’m going.” He got up from the table and headed for the stairs.
Masamiria turned to his friend. “What is wrong with you? You and I both know that girls are different than boys. You raised daughters! By the light!”
Jorian ground his teeth, and then he saw her coming down the stairs, holding her sword in her left hand like he had taught her. He smiled to himself and shook his head. Her clothes were cleaned and pressed. Her hair looked immaculate. In short, she looked as cute as could be.
“What did I tell you?” Masamiria whispered.
“Be patient with me, old friend. It looks like I have training to do today as well. We’ll start in the forge. What do you think?” Jorian turned away from Sarannya and Kiril, who were walking towards him. Kiril was frowning, and Sarannya was smiling from ear to ear.
“Good morning, my Mirogen.” She bowed her head.
Masamiria laughed. “I think that’s a great idea. I’m looking forward to this.”
Jorian did not pay any attention to Masamiria. He smiled at Sarannya. “Good morning, little bug. Let’s eat, and then we have training to do.
The forge was cold and dark. The sun was just starting to peak over the mountains. Masamiria lit the forge and got the coals going. There was a whole cart of rocks in the corner. Kiril was looking around at everything.
“Kiril, you and Masamiria will start drawing up the defense of the city. Asenath’s people have begun to shape a tunnel out the back of the mountains to evacuate the civilian population. We will not be able to protect the city indefinitely. We shall hold as long as we can, to give the population time to escape, and we shall whittle the enemy down as much as possible.”
“Why don’t we just evacuate the city now?” Sarannya asked. “The civilians could make a break for it on the plains, and we could give them support.”
“The civilians are too slow. They would be caught out there with no real protection. Plus, we can’t control the ground on the plains. There aren’t enough of us to do that. We need to bottleneck the enemy, so their overwhelming numbers can be mitigated. Hence, the shaped tunnel going out the back.”
“Will they expect that tunnel and send troops behind us?” Kiril asked.
“They could, but it would take a lot of troops. That is a large mountain range behind us. It would take them time to march around it. More time than they want to spend.” Jorian paused for a moment. “Remember, we are their primary enemy. They are coming here looking for us and the Throne of Light. This is why they have split their forces in two. They believe that the Throne is either in Marpesia, or here.”
There was silence as Kiril and Sarannya absorbed what was being said.
“How will Marpesia hold out without you?” Sarannya asked, her voice breaking with concern.
“Analia is there. My wife. She is a fully trained Tracian Knight; a superb warrior and tactician. Marpesia will hold until we can get there to help.” Jorian’s green eyes seemed to have a light of their own, catching the glow from the hanging lanterns.
Sarannya nodded her head. Lady Tal was a knight!
“As the enemy gets closer, they will begin to test the defenses and scout, looking for our weaknesses.” Masamiria said. “We must be ready for that. We should find out who our hunters are, and use them as forward scouts to spy on the enemy.” He stood away from the forge. The room was starting to warm. “We must go to the library and order copies of the city map. It will help in our organization. Also, we need to get the mayor to give the call. That will bring the people in, so we can start to organize them into units.” He crossed the room, heading towards the door and the street.
“You mean the men? Are we going to organize the women into medical units for the wounded?” Kiril asked, following Masamiria towards the door.
“You need to start thinking in an unlimited manner. Do you think war is only fought by men? Many of these women are going to want to fight. Are you going to tell them no?” Masamiria turned back to Kiril, and the boy came to an abrupt stop on his heels.
“No. No I’m not.” He turned to Sarannya quickly. “I’ll be honored to fight beside them. It’s just… how are the men going to respond? We’re about to change everything that everyone knows. We are about to change the structure of people’s belief systems.”
Jorian interjected. “You’re correct. We’re going to show the Ten-Thousand Nations a war it has never seen before. This Darkening will be different, and belief systems need to be changed. How things have been can no longer stand. We have to be the light that allows people to see the truth as it is, not how we want them to see it.”
Masamiria smiled and bowed low from the waist. “As you wish, General. It is good to hear the old words again.”
Jorian shook his head with a frown. “Out with you. We have a lot to do, and not a lot of time to do it.”
Sarannya moved, catching the stone in the air with the Essences, and throwing it back at the General. Sweat was running down her face. They had been doing exercises since Kiril and Masamiria left. She was exhausted. She moved to the side as the General moved in and cut at her. Their wooden swords clacked against each other.
“No.” Jorian shook his head. “You have to meet the sword, but not clash with it. Catch it like you would a ball being thrown at you. By clashing, you are destroying the edge of your own weapon. No fighting; not external or internal.” He waited for a brief moment. “Breathe… now, again.”
Sarannya moved, catching the next stone and skipping it off the floor as she moved in. She buffered herself and her sword in air, attempting to magnetize herself to the energy of the General’s movement, but she wanted it to be like when children played with magnets, flipping them around, and they repelled each other.
He smiled at her and adjusted to her movement, and his sword slid around her. With a little push, he broke her magnetism, and his sword swung free from her.
Sarannya felt his sword slide around her. The magnetism broke, and she became heavy. As she moved, she realized she was not going to be able to stop the General’s sword. She pushed herself with the air between them, and flew back, escaping. She landed a bit harder than she anticipated, her feet sliding on the dirt floor, and she stumbled.
Jorian stood still. “Nicely done. But softer. You’re too big in your movements, and how you bring forth the Essences. Softer. They will come. You don’t have to yell at them. I want you to think about that today. Sit down and drink some water.
Sarannya tucked her wooden sword into her belt and sat on a dirty stool that was covered in soot. She attempted to softly blow the soot off, but it billowed about her.
Jorian laughed. “See. Soft; feminine. That is how you need to think about strategy. Men want to fight straight, using power and strength. They want to dominate. You want to use that against them. Make them feel powerful right before you kill them. Never fight them head to head. Leak their strength and power into the space around you. Nothing is more powerful than the space. In the space, is where all the energy resides. That is where you will win, even against Fallen that come for you.” Jorian stood briefly in front of her as a stool of earth formed in front of him. He moved forward and sat down.
Sarannya was shocked for a moment, watching the earth form a stool, so her Mirogen could sit down. What could he actually do if he were mad, or in war, she wondered.
“A lot.” Jorian answered her questioning thought.
Sarannya gasped.
“You were thinking too loudly. I could see your thoughts.” He took a drink from his canteen, and motioned for her to do so as well. “As you learn to be softer with the Essences, your thoughts, and your movements will be harder to see and perceive. You will then know what I’ve been meaning, when I tell you that you need to develop more self-control. Drink; you need it.”
Sarannya took a drink. The clear, cool water felt really good. She was more tired than she knew. There was a brief flash of light above the General’s head. No, they were light motes. There was a slight ringing, but it almost sounded like they were singing to her. She could almost hear them. She squinted and leaned in, trying to hear what they were saying.
Move. Move, he’s going to attack you by drawing his sword.
Sarannya jumped back, accelerating her movement with the Fire Essence, using the energy from the water she just drank. Her body rocketed backward, the stool flying out from underneath her. The General’s sword just missed her.
“Good. You are learning. You will need to drink more, as you just used up your water. You will dehydrate if you don’t stay up on it.” He sat back down, tucking his sword back into his belt with a flourish. He took another drink, and waited for her to sit. “You are using the energy in you instead of the energy that is around you. You want to use the energy in the space. Then, your well will always be full of Mara; you will be able to work true miracles.”
Sarannya took another drink. Her mind was racing, but she was really tired. Her hands started to shake. It was making it very difficult for her to hold the canteen. “I’m not feeling very good. I think I might pass out.” Her breath became labored, and a sheen of sweat formed on her brow.
“Feel the heat in the air about you. Take some of that energy into yourself. Let it flow through you. Just like you are taking sips from a cup. Just like what we did when we camped, where you pushed up the rocks, and you were able to tap into the fire. Small sips.” He spoke softly, watching her closely. She was on the threshold of burnout, which was what he wanted. Every Knight should know what that was like and how to avoid it.
Sarannya reached out, feeling the heat about her; the strands of light became clear. She began to pull them into herself. She reached for more.
“Slowly. Just a few at a time. Taking too much at one time can be as, or more dangerous, than running out. Control, take your time, be patient…breathe.”
Sarannya did as she was told. She could feel a tingling sensation throughout her whole body, as if her body was asleep and now waking up. Her skin began to glow with a golden light. She looked up in surprise to see that the General was also glowing.
“Now, look inside and see your well. See how it is filling from the energy around you. You should always be able to sense and know where your well is, and how full it is. You should never be caught unaware or without light. Remember, there is light even in the darkness.”
Sarannya nodded, just taking in what she had learned and experienced. “So, in essence…” she smiled, “I should never run out of light. I should always be able to use the light around me, and my well should always be full.”
“Yes. But you will make yourself sick if you take in the amount of light that you are expending. You must connect to the space with your well. As you use Mara, it will be replaced. So, you are using your own energy, but its being replaced instead of using it and then refilling. This is a continuous stream. It keeps fatigue down and the risk of burnout to almost nothing. Now, you will use more than the streams will be replacing. You have to monitor that. A Rimerian Blade will help you with that. A Rimerian will augment your abilities, and help you burn less light and replenish faster without getting sick.”
“What happens if I burnout?”
“You stop being able to affect the natural environment around you.”
“Can a Rimerian blade run out of light?”
“It doesn’t store light. It takes from you and the space around you. It amplifies what you can do, and mitigates how much it costs. Using light is like using muscles. You have to condition yourself to be able to do it. Also, eventually, like the art of the sword, you need to learn how to use light with zero effort. You will learn to get into a flow with the light, and it will take you places you’ve never dreamed of.” Jorian spoke the last quietly, a flash of energy running through him. She was the one; the one who would actually replace him. Could it be? After everything that has happened? After everything that has transpired?
Sarannya sat for a moment, just enjoying the silence and the company. This had been the greatest morning of her training. She was looking forward to more like this one, because it almost looked liked she was actually learning. She was still terrible, but at least she was getting better. Would it be enough? Would it be enough to survive combat? She figured the General would keep her safe, but she didn’t like relying on anyone. She wanted to be able to help and to not be a hinderance. In some aspects, she felt out of place.
“So…what am I going to be doing during the fighting? I know that my skill will not be enough to partake, but I was just curious.” Sarannya took another drink of her water, and she noticed that she was getting hungry.
Jorian looked up at her. “You will be leading a unit. You will be in the combat.” Jorian stared directly into her grey eyes.
Sarannya spit her water out, and wiped her nose, water flowing from her nostrils. “What! I…I can’t lead a unit! I can barely use my sword, much less lead a unit.”
Jorian quietly countered her. “You will be leading a unit, and you will be in the fighting. You are becoming a Tracian Knight. If you are to lead the Knighthood after I am gone, you must become a general.”
“Lead the Knighthood after you are gone? Become a general! What are you talking about?” Sarannya exclaimed. She was confused and starting to panic.
Jorian’s eyes opened wide in surprise, as he could see the lines of potential and life surrounding her. He saw what she could be if she kept on this path, and he could see forks in the road that could take her off course, and what those outcomes would be. They looked liked spiderwebs built out of many colors of light, branching away, and for just a brief moment, he saw where hers intersected his. It was a bit overwhelming with so much information, but he could see it! He could actually see it! It was called a life strand. He marveled for only a moment, and then it was gone.
“What? What are you thinking?” Sarannya was off of her stool. “Is this why you wanted to train me, to take over for you? Kiril is right. No one will follow a girl.” Sarannya was beginning to rant.
“You can always go home. No one is forcing you,” Jorian said mildly, bringing her panic to a stop as she turned to stare at him.
“Go home to what? An invading army and war. I would prefer to fight and to help in the protection of my family and my home.” Sarannya sat back down. She was crestfallen, not only at her panic, but at her predicament. She was enjoying this; she had always dreamed of something like this. Well…not quite like this. She laughed to herself.
Jorian smiled at her and waited for her to continue on.
