Analindë (The Chronicles of Lóresse) (34 page)

No one noticed, and if they did, they didn’t say anything. Except for Andulmaion who wished her luck with the dragon on alternating days, and Master Roshär who had pulled her aside one day to say, “Your mother used to wear her hair like that when she was in school. You remind me of her when she was your age. She’d be so proud.” After which they’d both cried and she’d had to escape to pull herself back together.

Analindë had risen again on Harwyn’s list of least-favorites, but fortunately not to the top. Whether due to
Verdûr
’s lack of diligence in studying or her attentiveness to appearance, she didn’t know nor care. She was simply relieved to not be
the
target.

Master Harwyn and Analindë established a working relationship, of sorts. Analindë acted and dressed the part of a lady, studied hard, and paid attention. Master Harwyn did not acknowledge that she existed. They were happy days. At least as happy as one can be under vast amounts of stress.

Analindë’s afternoon was free. She’d finished all of her coursework and she didn’t have anything to do until dinner. Pleased, she set off in the direction of the library. A short while later Analindë sank into her favorite chair near the windows and set her stack of books on the side table nearest her. She wiggled down into the plush contours of the chair and braced her feet on a footstool. Comfortable, she reached over and pulled a slim volume out from between two advanced shielding and warding books.

She’d spent several days searching to find this volume, or something like it. The book had definitely
not
been on the shelves when she’d begun her search, and she was anxious to read it as quickly as she was able in case it decided to desert her. She reverently brushed her fingertips along the blue leather cover and opened it to the first page.

It was blank.

She turned to the second page. It was blank as well! And so was the third and the forth. She began flipping through the slim volume and realized that the text on
every
single page had vanished. Her heart sank and she began to cry.

She wasn’t sure
why
she was crying, she only knew that she was. It was most likely a cumulative thing. One too many things gone wrong on top of another. She’d felt so hopeful when she’d caught sight of the title stamped into the cover of the book.

Horrified, she wiped the wetness away with a fierce brush of her hands and took deep breaths to steady herself. The other books she’d found regarding
Gette lor’ de lissance
only vaguely mentioned the binding pledge. They never actually told her what it was or how it worked. She needed to understand what had happened to her and Pedar. It was so much more powerful of a bond that she’d been led to believe. And she’d had such high hopes for this book.

The slim volume blazed hot in her hands. She glanced down, half expecting it to catch fire. A moment later it cooled to a gentle warmth and it felt like it was . . . purring?

Curious, she slowly opened the book to the first page and her heart lifted.

Gette Lor’ de Lissance

The Binding of Allies to Each Other

By:

Saara

For:

Her good Friend Lithilwen of the Yeslinthan Mages.

Analindë took a deep breath and exhaled, stress seeped from her body. The book had decided to let her in. She turned the page and began to read.

A cycle exists in the world of the living. It is repetitive, it never ends, and it builds and feeds off of hopes, dreams, greed, and fear.

Rare and beautiful are the times when there is truly a state of peace. For the world of the living spends most of its time in the two states of not-war and war. During one particular time of not-war that led up to The Great War of Andahessar there arose a desperate need. A need so strong, it trumped all others. And so found Lithilwen of the Yeslinthan Mages begging her good Friend Saara of the Tapioeppo for help.

Saara of the Tapioeppo, being three-thousand-twenty-five years older and wiser than her good Friend the mage Lithilwen of the Yeslinthan Mages, recognized the need for what it was and agreed to help.

And so Saara of the Tapioeppo left Lithilwen of the Yeslinthan Mages for a time, much to their mutual sorrow, and returned to her own people.

She counseled with the Wise Ones and they, together, devised a way to assist her good Friend Lithilwen of the Yeslinthan Mages and the friends of her Friend.

After much discussion and reasoning, the details to the way were smoothed, and when all was ready, Saara of the Tapioeppo and her people petitioned the Stars themselves for aid. For if they did this thing it must be unbreakable and last forever.

And so it began, the binding of Allies to each other.

After the Stars had granted their favor, Saara of the Tapioeppo returned like the wind to rejoin her good Friend Lithilwen of the Yeslinthan Mages and was overjoyed to find she yet lived. Good news was shared, instructions given, and the resultant affects explained.

Lithilwen of the Yeslinthan Mages was pleased to hear the good news her Friend Saara of the Tapioeppo brought her, and for the first time in many years she felt hope.

The binding came with a heavy burden, but brought light and life in those darkest of days. And so Lithilwen of the Yeslinthan Mages went forth and shared the binding with others of her Friends and Allies. There was much rejoicing as forces aligned and much sorrow when dear friends proved false. But so it is, was, and always will be among the living for hopes, dreams, greed, and fear rule us all.

My good Friend Lithilwen of the Yeslinthan Mages and her assembly of Allies won The Great War of Andahessar and a long period of not-war blessed the living for many generations. So the cycle continued.

As my good Friend Lithilwen of the Yeslinthan Mages aged, she began to fear. Fear that war would rise again and that the world of the living would have need of the Binding of Allies, Gette Lor’ de Lissance.

And so she asked, and so I write the different bindings we wrested from the Stars. So that in time of great need in the dark days of not-war leading up to war Friend may find Friend and stand together and fight, as Allies.

Respectfully Yours,

Kaljari EikkiUsko,

Saara of the Tapioeppo

Analindë sat back in astonishment and let the words she’d just read circle around and settle down in her head. She’d never heard of The Great War of Andahessar. Any memory of it having been long since lost to history. So much had been lost to war. The recurrence of books being destroyed had been the reason mages had begun to spin weaves upon their books so they could hide and be safe. Which brought up an entire host of problems on its own. Books hiding and not being found.

She didn’t recognize the family name of Yeslinthan and felt sad for a moment that the entire family line had been lost. She gazed out the window and traced the sinuous pattern on the front cover with her finger. It began to heat beneath her touch, so she stopped.

She opened the book again and began anew to read.

The Binding of an Ally

The binding of a Friend as an Ally should not be done nor treated lightly for irreversible changes are made and all sworn are linked together as one.

Thus it is done so that two unknown Allies can meet and immediately know the other can be trusted. Should newfound Allies wish to repeat the binding with each other, they may do so.

There are always two parts to a binding: one who pledges and one who accepts. Thus it has been decided, and so it is.

When a person reaches out to pledge loyalty to an Ally, he or she must only do so with full acceptance and without doubt, for to bind oneself is to fully open one’s Soul to view.

When a person accepts a binding they should only accept if they are willing to return the openness of Soul, for in that moment there are no secrets of the heart or mind.