Secrets Unburdened

  Scholars debate over whether magic always existed on Mani. The Wellspring of Life feeds the Four Rivers, and also acts as the source of all elemental magic aside from Silver, the most elusive and primal of them all. But when did the Wellspring come to be? For it is commonly said that the Wellspring was a gift of the gods in ages past. If that is the case, then when did men come into existence? The gods must surely have created us after the Wellspring, for life could not exist apart from its sustenance.

  — From Secrets of Mani, by Sor the Lark

  (Dri’Shal 20, 997—Night Season)

  We went and fetched Mydia after the feast. Three hours went by surprisingly fast when one had nothing to do. Chara had put us to work sewing in the meantime, so I was relieved when she came and told us that Mydia was done at the meal. Mydia said she had overeaten a bit and was stuffed full. However, she plunked herself down at her desk and took out her book to read once more.

  Proud to see my liege lady so hard at work, I went and sought out Rhidea. I knew that she had stayed a bit after Mydia at the meal, but she was probably ready to go by now. And judging by that strange wink she’d given me . . . she wanted to see me again.

  I knocked on her door. “Come in,” came her muffled reply through the thick wood of the door. I opened it up and stepped inside. “Hello again, child,” she greeted me, glancing up briefly from what she was doing—it appeared to be re-inking some sort of old manuscripts—to acknowledge me. How was she so busy already, changed out of her party dress this quickly?

  “Hello, Rhidea. You wanted to see me again?”

  “Of course—you’re my new pupil after all,” she said, putting away her work and getting right to the point. “Podda . . . or should I say Lyn? Lyn, we need to come up with a plan.”

  “A plan for . . . ?”

  “Don’t be silly. A plan for our partnership.” Rhidea steepled her fingers under her chin. “I still have yet to talk to the princess about this, because I wanted to go over what we discussed last time and start from there. We have your training to discuss, and of course the matter of your friends who are still locked up somewhere in the Palace.”

  “And are we going to get Mydia in on it, too?”

  “Yes, if you are all right with that.”

  I nodded. “I trust her.”

  “As do I. She is childlike and na?ve, but has a good heart, and she seems like she knows how to keep a secret, despite her penchant for incessant talking.”

  “So, about this mage training . . .” I began hesitantly.

  “I’ve got it all worked out. You and the princess will meet me in my office every morning for Coaction lessons—ostensibly only Mydia. I’m good at sealing words using Perception Authority, so unwanted listeners and interrupting maids shouldn’t be a problem as long as we are cautious. Does that sound all right, child?”

  I nodded.

  The mage outlined a few more details before getting back to the matter of our breakout plan.

  “I’ve heard some rumors,” Rhidea began. “I’m sure Mydia has as well. A girl with white hair was seen leading mage soldiers in a chase across the whole city, and then bested two trained magi and escaped with an accomplice. Two hostage girls were kidnapped to try and lure her to Kalceron. I did at least talk to Captain Hespian about that. He’s very stiff and would say nothing, but then again . . . I didn’t press very hard. I could easily find a way to get your friend Kaen into the dungeons, with his being a soldier now, to see them—perhaps we could even sneak you in there—but breaking them out without casting obvious suspicion on all of us would be far more difficult. And I think Kalceron has the girls kept locked up tightly.”

  “So, basically . . . we’re sunk.”

  “Child, remind me again how long you’ve known me?”

  I blushed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. You have been most kind in agreeing to help me. If you could find a way to free my friends, I would be indebted to you for life.”

  Rhidea waved a hand at that. “No need for apologies. Trust me, child—I’ll do what I can for you. I’ll admit that, if you were a simple handmaiden, I wouldn’t be so quick to go to such pains for you, but don’t worry. I’ll figure something out.”

  I took my leave and headed back to find Mydia.

  Later that evening, after the full nighttime cloud layer had come in, Mydia and I snuck out to meet Kaen. Julia and Chara were sleeping, assuming us both to be sound in our beds.

  Kaen was there, just like he’d said he would be. “There you are, Lyn,” he said impatiently. “I was beginning to wonder if you’d show up. And look, you brought the princess. Oh, this is getting better and better.”

  “This is the one you wanted me to meet?” Mydia asked uncertainly.

  “Yes,” I answered, with a meaningful glance at Kaen. “Mydia, this is Kaen. Kaen, Mydia.”

  “So, you really are the princess’s personal attendant, huh?”

  “You don’t have to act quite so surprised, Kaen.”

  “Um . . . why am I here?” Mydia broke in. “Podda, he called you . . .”

  “Yes, I know. My name’s not Podda. I suppose you knew that much. Mydia, I’m going to tell you everything. And Kaen, just hush. You can help me explain. We can trust her.”

  He crossed his arms. “Sure. There you go—tell the royalty everything. Sure way to get yourself killed. But hey, who am I to talk?”

  “Kaen, she funds the Underground.”

  Now he was listening. “Say what?”

  “So, it’s true,” Mydia whispered. “You are the girl the mage soldiers were chasing that day. And those are your friends held in captivity right now.”

  We were all silent for a minute.

  “We have a lot to discuss,” I said. “A lot.”

  The whole story came out for Mydia. The name Podda was thrown out the window entirely—I felt bad for ever having to use an alias with her—and she learned all about my past. Kaen grudgingly realized that Mydia could be a big help in finding his sister, and slowly opened up to her. Then I told them about my visits with Rhidea, the Wandering Mage, and how Rhidea had found out my talents as a mage and wanted to train me personally. Kaen wouldn’t believe that I could use magic at all until I showed him some of the few tricks I had learned. But almost harder for him to believe was that the Wandering Mage Rhidea was going to help us free Mandrie and Phoebe.

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  Next, Kaen filled us in on what he had been up to. “They handpicked me out of the rank-and-file servants,” he explained. “A soldier suddenly drew me aside and handed me a spear.”

  “Just like that?” I asked. “Is that how they normally recruit new soldiers?”

  He nodded. “Like I said, they thought I looked like a decent choice. They have some interesting methods. They test young men like that to see how they react. Apparently, I have a natural aptitude for the spear and sword, so they named me a third sergeant after only one day’s training, and soon promoted me to a First Sergeant of the watch.”

  “Were you able to get access to the dungeons?” I asked hopefully.

  “Yes, actually. I made contact with the dungeon guards, and I’ve been down there a couple times now.”

  “And?”

  He shook his head. “No sign of Phoebe or my sis. I did hear some whispers, though. . . . They were taken to an abandoned tower they call the prison tower.”

  Mydia gasped. “Not that place. That’s where . . .” She gulped and cut off.

  “Where what?” Kaen hissed.

  “Where they take important prisoners for questioning,” she finished in a hushed voice. “Torture.”

  Kaen froze in shock. “No . . . they wouldn’t.”

  “Y-your friends are safe. Your sister is safe; I’m sure of it,” Mydia added hastily. “I’m sure they wouldn’t harm them. . . .”

  “Then why would they take them there?” Kaen demanded through gritted teeth. He looked as though about to strangle the princess.

  “Kaen, calm down,” I said, placing a hand on his shoulder to placate him. “She’s right, they probably haven’t treated them too—”

  He threw off my hand. “We don’t know anything, Lyn! They wouldn’t have taken them to such a place if they weren’t intending them any harm. I just—this is my sister we’re talking about here. I can’t bear the thought of her in danger.”

  I glanced at Mydia, whose green eyes shone with tears, and then back at my distraught friend. “If they wanted information out of them, I’m sure they’ve spilled it all by now. But in any case, we can’t break them out of there by talking and worrying. We need a plan. And that’s where Lady Rhidea is going to help us.”

  At the mention of the High Mage, Kaen huffed and folded his arms. “Right. I’ll believe you about that woman when I meet her myself.”

  After the discussion, which must certainly have lasted well over an hour, we bid Kaen farewell and returned to our rooms. “So . . . it’s Lyn, huh?” Mydia asked me quietly as we went.

  “Yes. I’m sorry I had to hide so much from you, but surely you can see why it was necessary.”

  “Oh, I do. Don’t worry, Lyn; I forgive you. I knew there was more going on here than you felt comfortable saying.”

  “Thank you, although you really shouldn’t call me Lyn in front of any others. If what you said is true about Mandrie and Phoebe, then they would have already at least told them my name.”

  “I understand. Podda it is, then.”

  “I’ll be in bed soon,” I said. “There’s something else I want to do first.”

  Mydia shot me a worried glance. “What sort of thing? Aren’t you pushing yourself at this point?”

  We’ll find out. In answer to her concern, I just shook my head and ducked down the stairs, bidding her a hasty goodnight over my shoulder. I made my way to Julia’s secret hideout. My conversation with her earlier had given me an idea, and I wanted to test out my theory.

  I stepped out into the small, round courtyard, squinting slightly in the dim light of the Night Auroras. I approached the vine-covered wall and, taking a deep breath, gathered my strength and began to climb it. I tested the ivy as I went, finding chinks in the stonework of the wall for footholds, but it really wasn’t a hard climb, thanks to my natural strength and agility and a bit of my secret energy reserves. I soon found myself at the top of the wall, glancing down only to shiver at the sight of the ground some twenty paces below me, half-hidden in the murky, torchless darkness. I could deal with heights. I just . . . didn’t like to.

  Pulling myself up onto the wall, I surveyed the view, quickly locating the prison tower of which Kaen and Mydia had spoken. That was where those fiends were keeping Mandrie and Phoebe. . . . My heart burned with anger at the thought. But I couldn’t go there tonight. I wasn’t about to risk whatever help Rhidea could be by blowing my cover now. Looking behind me, I saw Mydia’s rooms just above my level, at the top of the nearest tower. A hundred yards to the east lay Lord Kalceron’s tower, the largest and fanciest of the four major towers of the castle. The wall on which I now perched would take me down a winding path to that tower—and how could I give up such an opportunity?

  I crept toward the governor’s tower, keeping my eyes peeled for the roving lights of the guards’ torches, and also any windows of the castle looking out on where I was. I eventually came to the tower and began to climb it, brick by brick. There was no ivy here, but I was able to do it with a large initial leap and a few careful steps and handholds. Slowly, ever so slowly, I peeked my head over the top of a windowsill, scanning the candlelit room inside.

  There was no one. I continued upwards, until I found a good foothold to lean in and peer through the next window up. I quickly drew my head back, however, after catching a glimpse of a figure in a black robe. It registered in my mind belatedly that the figure—a slight woman with long, black hair—was Lady Lieda.

  My heart rate quickened. I stayed exactly where I was, listening. Peeking back over the sill, I saw that she was gone now, but I could hear her talking to another, the Lord of Nytaea himself.

  “. . . The princess.”

  “Yes,” replied Lord Kalceron. He must have been standing just out of sight. “I’m well aware that she holds to the ideals of that woman.” The venom in his words sent a shiver down my spine.

  “No, no, I’m talking about her new handmaiden,” Lieda murmured. “That homely girl, one of the newer maids.”

  “Pah! You think I pay any attention to those wenches?”

  “Occasionally.” There was a suggestive hint of jealousy in her tone. “But perhaps there are a few things in this palace that you should pay more attention to, my lord. There is something strange about that maid. I know it. And I think your daughter knows it as well.”

  “Hmph. Last I was aware, my daughter knows painfully little.”

  So Lieda is onto me . . . and she’s trying to rat me out to her vile husband! I would have to be more careful from now on. I may not be safe no matter where I went.

  After a moment, Lord Kalceron said, “So, are you saying you think she may be the girl I’m looking for, in disguise?”

  “I don’t know that. And it doesn’t seem likely, but it’s possible. Your useless Mage Guard haven’t found any leads on her where-abouts, after all. I will keep tabs on her.”

  At this point, the conversation moved out of hearing range, and I was left hanging there, brain working furiously to process the information I’d just heard. Lieda suspected me, and even Lord Kalceron—whose disdain for the lower class was well known—was mulling it over. I knew I did not have long.

  But for now, I needed sleep. I made my way carefully back across the wall tops, pausing above Julia’s special spot. Mydia’s sunroom window was just a few paces above. . . . The room where Chara and Julia were sleeping was underneath, so they wouldn’t hear anything. Taking a running start, I leaped from the wall-top stones and grabbed the stone ledge. Using the last of my tired strength, I heaved myself up and dropped as quietly as I could manage into the sunroom. One minute of tiptoeing later, I snuck in beside Julia and Chara’s beds and crashed in mine.

  I savored the sleep as it took me.

  ??

  “Lyn.”

  The little voice came from an equally little girl who sat in front of me on a bed of white mist. I stood looking about, confused who had spoken, before registering that the girl was there. Did I know her from somewhere? Had I seen her before?

  She was perhaps seven or eight years of age and fair of skin, with wispy white hair reaching just past her shoulders. Pure, radiant white like Sol. Her form was slender, and she sat in a casual kneeling posture wearing only a white knee-length gown. Why did she look so familiar?

  “Hello, Lyn,” she said again after a moment, eying me with a cool but curious gaze, as though waiting for something. “May I help you find something today?” Her voice was high-pitched, bearing the squeak of a young child.

  I smiled nervously. “I, uh . . . I’m not sure. Who . . . ?”

  The girl put a finger to her lips. “Shhh. Don’t speak; you’ll probably ruin it.”

  “But . . . I don’t understand who you are or what you’re asking.”

  The girl cocked her head, putting on that pouting face little girls use to get what they want. “Now you’ve done it. I knew it. Oh well, goodbye. I’ll see you another time.”

  ??