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Lady Sahedre's tears, there were Fendles. And somebody, somewhere, had to know
what they were for.
Medwind took a long, slow breath to strengthen her resolve and read on.
The Ladie Sahedre challenged the eville Sajes to sette bye their eville, and
joine with the Mages in the pathes of goodeness. In answer, the Sajes did
mehevar upon the children of the Mages of Arisse, pure and innocent, and they
did use them in their terrible rites, and they did kille them and gain power
therebye, and did make their actions known to the Ladie Sahedre, with muche
laughter and mocking.
Then was battle enjoined of which thee shall never see the like (
one hopes, Medwind thought, considering the current situation
), wherein the Sajes and their eville beastiarie of monstrous heroes, their
wind-devilles and fire-devilles, their smoke-demons and watter-wightes, did
align againste the poor, noble Sahedre, daughter of alle that is goode, and
her few smalle Fendelles. And the goode Mages of
Ariss were appalled by the greateness and the wickedness exceeding of the Saje
armie, and by the valiant fighting of the wise Sahedre and her loyal
companiounes, and did lende their armes and their heartes to the battle. Then
there was muche bloode and dying, and great anguishe.
Alle this I saw withe mine owne eyes, that I mae tell thee trulie, whilst I
was but a childe. And mine own mother did die in the battle against the Sajes,
and mine own father did fight on the side of eville, so that now I knowe not
whether he lives, nor care I, for I am not his issue, and he is no father of
mine.
And the Ladie Sahedre and the brave Fendelles foughte to the gates of the
Helles, with all the Mages, and at the laste, the Ladie Sahedre took grievous
woundes and did die, and the Fendelles in their fury did rise up and did make
greate magickes and in their anger at the death of their faire Mistresse did
overcome the Sajes at laste, and did force them back through the gates of the
Helles, and the Fendelles did magickallie lock the gates and did chain
themselves to them, that they might better guard againste the evilles inside
for alle eternitie.
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Thus came the citie to be divided, and the Mages and the Sajes to forsake each
the other.
And all of this historie I have from my mother's mother, that thee mae know it
is true.
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"Not that your mother's mother might have any grudges to bear against the
Sajes, Melipsera." Medwind pulled out her notepaper and quickly wrote the
details the
Historie account added the name of the
Wisewoman, the year, and the name of the ritual, the bit about child
sacrifice.
Child sacrifice is pretty nasty business, she thought, and that part of the
account at least rings true.
But the business of the Fendles working magic...
She carefully closed the book, and nodded to the librarian that she was
finished with it. She handed back the soft leather gloves, as well, and after
brief thanks, left.
Creatures created by magic cannot work magic. Melipsera knew that. She wrote
enough of the standard texts on magic some of her work is still in use.
Medwind grinned suddenly.
Thank the gods, only in revised and updated versions.
Melipsera was my last hope. It took me a full fivedays just to find her
accursed book, and she gave me almost nothing of any use.
She tapped her heels to her horse's flanks and got set to aim him home along
Three Round Way, when the quadrangle of towers of the Faulea Lyceum caught her
attention. The university was within sight but in the other direction, only
about two miles away, and higher on the hub of Ariss. But it was separated
from her by two thick, well-guarded walls, watched over by men who held the
sajes interests at heart.
However, in Faulea Lyceum there would also be a library with books lots of
books. All of them from the saje point of view.
And maybe, just maybe, the sajes will have something to say about the
Wisewoman and her
Fendles that the mages don't.
She steadied her big roan and sat rock-still in the middle of traffic,
ignoring the shouts and curses of the other travelers. She scrutinized the
tower, and then glanced down at the abhorrent red Daane uniform with loathing.
There was no way in Arhel that a tenured frelle from the mage-training
university could get into a saje university library.
A wicked smile crossed her face.
She'd bet anything, however, that a literate Hoos barbarian, bringing gifts
and oozing awe and lust, could.
When she finally headed toward home, it was at a gallop that sent pedestrians
diving for the curbs and that would have lost her her throughway access pass
if she'd gotten caught.
While on the other side of the city, Medwind read of the doings of the Lady
Sahedre and her Fendles, Faia sprawled on her stomach on the big rock,
trailing her fingers into the lake and wiggling them at the fishes. The sun
beat down on her back and warmed the soles of her bare feet that waved in the
air. Her boots and her books lay in the grass on the shore, along with Yaji's.
Yaji finished sweeping the last bits of a fish skeleton she had found lying on
the rock into the water, and with a shudder of revulsion, she turned to Faia.
"I hate this place. We aren't supposed to be here.
Besides, it smells and it gives me the shivers."
"Then go back to the dorm." Faia's gloomy voice echoed off of the water and
bounced back in little whispers.
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"Great. Let's go. We've done with classes and drills. We have the whole rest
of the day to study or read or work on our own spells or something."
Faia lay her head down on her arm and glanced over her shoulder at her
roommate. "I'm not going back to that damned room. If you don't like it here,
you go on back, but I am staying."
"You want me to get in trouble, too? Is that it? You know we have to stay
together."
"I am only saying, you do what you want to do. This place is the only freedom
I have right now. You can go anywhere. You can just find one of our classmates
who can stay with me, and off you could go with someone else out into the city
or anywhere. This is the only place can go that is not four damned stone
I
walls and a roof."
"You're miserable," Yaji snapped. "You have just gotten more and more
impossible "
" You try being stuck on this campus forever with a stupid screaming bracelet
around your wrist and see how you like it."
Yaji stood up. "You've only been stuck here two fivedays, and it isn't like
it's forever. Besides, we need to work on your reading, Faia. You're finally
getting the knack of it. Why don't we go back to the dorm and go over
Pictusa's
Meditative Magic
? You liked that one."
"I am not of a mind to study now."
"But you're doing so well."
Faia sighed. "Go away, Yaji. I want to be alone for a while."
"But "
"Nothing has happened to anyone since we found the bodies and started keeping
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