A Storm in the Desert: Dragonlinked Chronicles Voume 3 (29 page)

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Willem staring at her and looked at him.

He cleared his throat, turned back to the road, and said. “It must be fun, going out investigating things.”

Ah. Aeron had mentioned something about this. “It can be exciting, I suppose. But also terribly boring.”

His brows scrunched together. “Boring?”

“Gods, yes. For example, on the last trip, we sat around for hours watching that stupid camp. Just the two of us and those poor excuses for horses.” She shook her head. “Our dragons weren’t even there to keep us company. We did talk a little about different stuff, but, I dunno, before long we ran out of things to say and just watched the camp. Aeron did complain every now and then about how he wished you were there.” She chuckled. “He thinks you’re beautiful, by the way.”

“What?”

“I prefer straight black hair, myself, probably because it’s what I’m used to, but he thinks you’re very attractive. And in addition to all your frosting, he thinks your cake is good, too.”

“Cake? Frosting?” The poor boy looked completely confused, now.

Laughing, Polandra said, “How do you like the new training schedule?”

Apparently still trying to figure out what cake had to do with anything, it took him a moment to respond. “The what?”

“Guildmaster Millinith’s new training schedule. I like it.”

“Oh, yeah. Me, too. The day off between fight training days makes sense.”

Mindays and hemdays were devoted to hand to hand training, now. The other two weekdays were for Magic Craft and Animal Craft, and lately, a little Investigation Craft as well. One day of the weekend, leday, was also assigned for hand to hand training, but once everyone was farther along, that day would be dropped.

“Fillion seems really interested in Investigation Craft,” she said.

Willem smiled. “Yeah, you could say that. You could also say that he’s consumed by it, devoted to it, and more than a little in love with it.”

She chuckled. “The passion he has for it is pretty plain. His idea as to why we’re being trained in it makes sense, too.”

Willem nodded. “It gives more dragonlinked the ability to handle nahual attack investigations.”

“As busy as the Guildmaster is, she won’t be able to personally investigate all the nahual attack sites anymore.”

The stables were just ahead. Polandra thought about the lesson she and Renata were going to teach today. In the afternoons, combat training involved physical aspects of fighting. Using hands, feet, arms, legs, weapons like daggers, bos, and anything else at hand to attack and defend. Morning training, like what they were going to do soon, had to do with the sorcerous aspects of it. Countering spells, using offensive and defensive spells, and the like.

Actually, countering lessons could happen at any time. Polandra still smiled when she thought about how upset Aeron had been when she’d snuck into his and Willem’s room the other night and cast a spell on him. As pissed as he’d been at being awakened in the middle of the night, the fact that he’d successfully countered the spell as he woke up had impressed her and him. Willem, too, had been impressed, once what was happening had been explained to him.

Guildmaster Millinith had instructed her and Renata to continue with those surprise lessons until further notice.

“You never know when you’re going to be attacked,” she’d said. “You must be ready to counter at any time.”

Along with other enchantments, all spells that a manis might cast against them would be practiced with. Many of them were deadly, however, so special arrangements were made for those. Arrangements like what these stands would be used for.

It took the better part of half an hour to get the two wooden stands off the wagon and to the side of the courtyard. Renny, Willem and Polandra got help from a few of the other dragonlinked as well as the wagon driver. The devices had been specially constructed for the dangerous spell lessons they would start today.

“So,” Renny said, once they were done. “Is it alright if I look around?”

“Sure,” Polandra said. “But only look in the stables that are open. And these are also our homes, so don’t go snooping around.” She smiled. “You really don’t want to get a dragonlinked angry.”

“Not an issue. I just want to see the dragons.” With a grin, he ran off.

“I still don’t understand what these are for.” Willem eyed the five-foot-tall stands.

“These,” Renata said as she walked over, “will allow us to use deadly spells and still not kill anyone.”

“Well, that’s awfully nice of you girls.” Fillion smiled at them. “I like my lessons with as little death as possible.”

Liara laughed. “I agree.”

Movement above caught Polandra’s eye. Aeron and Anaya had returned with their part of the ‘arrangements.’

“Willem,” Aeron called out after Anaya landed, “can you give me a hand with these?”

“Sure.” Willem made his way over and untied a large hind leg from Anaya’s saddle.

It looked like it came from a deer. Aeron removed the other leg and, was that the deer’s head?

“Why do you have that?” Polandra raised an eyebrow.

“Antlers,” Aeron said, toting the head by the large, branched horns. “The Woodworking Craft Hall pays a mark for them, at least for a rack this size. They use the antlers for handles, buttons, and who-all knows what else.”

She grunted. Selling them had never occurred to her. She wouldn’t miss that opportunity in the future. “Okay, let’s get those strapped in.”

Aeron carried his deer leg to one of the stands.

“Make sure it’s in there snugly,” Polandra admonished. “The lesson requires it.”

Cheddar ran over to help him. “You field-dressed the deer yourself?” He used the leather straps hanging from the stout wooden arm to secure the leg.

“Yeah,” Aeron said. “Well, I didn’t butcher the whole carcass. I removed the hind legs and let Anaya eat the rest.”

A happy rumble came from his bond-mate and she chirped. She must have enjoyed the snack.

The other hind leg was handled the same way. When they were done, each large haunch hung three feet below the wooden arm in their stands.

Willem stood back. “A bit grisly, and I’m still unsure what we’re going to do with them, but there they are.”

“As you all know from Magic Craft studies,” Renata said, “spells are built using different kinds of magical foci.”

Several heads nodded.

“The spell we will practice with today, and a few of the others we’ll cover later, are designed to be used on animals or people. In the interests of safety, however, we will use animal bodies upon which to practice them. Or legs, in this case.” She gestured to the stands.

Guildmaster Millinith walked out of the office. The guild’s newest Magic Craft instructor, Adept Liflin, followed behind, carrying two flat wooden boxes stacked one atop the other.

The Guildmaster eyed the stands as she approached. “Well done. Those should work perfectly.” She turned to Adept Liflin. After lifting its hasps, she opened a small box and removed a set of training bracelets. “Renata, you take one pair.” The second pair of bracelets were given to Polandra. “And you take the other.” She turned back to Renata. “If you would, please demonstrate the spell we’ll be working with today.”

Polandra felt a pulse of magic, then a haunch suddenly swung to the side and smacked into the thick wooden post supporting the arm. It stuck there on the post as if glued.

“This spell,” the Guildmaster said, “is a bind spell. The manisi use it to bind people and dragons so they cannot escape. It is similar in concept to Saki’s Binding, but it is different enough that I want everyone to get experience with it. We’ll be binding the haunch to the post, but in practice they’d bind your legs or feet to the ground and your arms to your side.” She glanced into one of the open stables. “They also use it to bind dragons’ wings to their bodies so they can’t fly.”

“The spell can also be used to break bones,” Polandra said. She remembered the day the manis trainers had explained this aspect. The faces around her now reflected the shock and horror she’d felt then.

“Yes,” the Guildmaster nodded, “that would be possible. The spell uses anchors that tie to the calcium in bones. As we go over the spells slowly, you’ll get a chance to note the foci involved.”  She looked over the students. “Alright, we’ll do this in alphabetical order. Aeron, you partner with Polandra. Cheddar, you get with Renata.”

After snapping on her bracelet, Polandra held the other out to Aeron.

He snapped it on his wrist, shook the thin chain connecting the magical bands to be sure it hung free, and moved next to her and the stand.

When Cheddar was ready, Guildmaster Millinith said, “Alright. First couple of times, cast it slowly, and partners, pay attention as they do. Watch the spell progress, note the magic foci, and find the weak points.” She pointed to Polandra and Renata. “Begin.”

Polandra built the spell slowly, watching the different foci appear and move around the large leg. When the leg slapped into the post, she removed it and wove it again.

After the third time, Guildmaster Millinith told them to continue at normal speed.

Two casts later, she said, “Partners, attempt to counter as quickly as you can.”

Before Polandra even got close to halfway done weaving the spell, it collapsed and the magic backlash made her grunt. Aeron nodded.

The other leg smacked into the wooden support.

“Dammit,” Cheddar murmured.

“Again,” Guildmaster Millinith said.

Aeron quickly countered the spell once more.

This time, Cheddar did as well. “Better,” he said.

“Again.”

They repeated the spell five more times before Guildmaster Millinith had them change to new partners. Eventually, all the students had a practice session.

“Adept Liflin,” Guildmaster Millinith said. “You and I will be next.”

“Outstanding.” He set the boxes on the ground and took a bracelet from Polandra.

“It can’t hurt for us to keep in practice, after all.” Guildmaster Millinith moved next to Renata and put on a bracelet.

As they began, she said, “Keep in mind my instructions to the students, study the foci and look for the spell’s weak spots.”

Adept Liflin nodded, eyes never leaving the enchantment.

They worked on countering the spell for several minutes, both of them doing well. Polandra wondered how the junior instructor saw the magic of the weaving. As a flower? A mechanical device? Beams of light? People saw magic in a way that made sense to them, and that usually meant no two people saw it the same.

When they were done, Guildmaster Millinith said, “Good practice, everyone. But keep in mind what Polandra said.”

She turned to the haunch. There was a quick pulse of magic and it slammed into the post, but then there was a sharp, loud crack. The slab of meat twitched, and a shard of bone protruded from its side.

The Guildmaster looked back at them. “The spell can be modified to do more than bind. The bone it is anchored to can be broken.” Her gaze flicked from one to another as she continued. “Your neck, your spine, is made of bones. If you fail to counter in time, you might not just find yourself rooted to the ground, you might find yourself dead. Always remember that.”

Grim faces stared at the haunch of meat.

As Polandra made her way with the rest of the dragonlinked to the Dining Hall for lunch, and with death on her mind, she couldn’t help thinking again about Aeron meeting with the Capu. Would he really be safe? She hoped the Capu would do something to protect Aeron should he somehow be discovered, but she had a great deal less confidence in the Order and the people in it since learning the truth about it.

You worry too much.
Ikan’s deep voice held only the faintest hint of exasperation.

I can’t help it, love. The meeting is important, but so is Aeron. He is the first dragonlinked, after all.
She looked over at the boy. He was laughing at something Willem said.

You will be near, will you not?
Now Ikan’s voice held the patient tone of an instructor explaining something to a pupil.

I will ask to accompany him, yes.

Then I will not be far, nor will Anaya.

I know. I’m just not sure the two of us would be able to hold off a patrol until you and Anaya arrived. Five against two is pretty uneven odds.

Most of the manisi are at that camp in the flats, are they not?

Yes.

And the places to be patrolled around Bataan-Mok remains the same?

Yes, I think so.

As there are fewer manisi to cover those areas, that means each area will get fewer visits from a patrol. Fewer visits means less chance at discovery.

Polandra’s brows raised.
Oh, I hadn’t thought of that.

With so many manisi busy at the camp, right now is actually the best time for the meeting.

“Did Ikan say something silly?” Liara had moved a little closer as they all walked up the stairs at the Dining Hall.