Seventeen Stones (5 page)

Mia
had her own pair at home, but she hadn’t brought them to the City.  Emma wore
hers everywhere, ignoring the startled glances as they entered the shops around
the City.  The old healer seemed to take no notice of the fact the moccasins
were too thin to walk comfortably on the stone sidewalks.  Mia’s slippers had a
full inch of padding, and her feet still hurt at the end of a day of shopping. 
The moccasins were most suitable for ghosting through the deep places in
Forestreach, where speed and silence were more important than protecting one’s
toes from branches and brambles.  Emma picked up her old olive green shawl and
hurried her charge into the waiting cab. 

Tea
time occurred that day at the exact time it did every other day.  Mia fidgeted
while the cab made its way to the college, three miles taking thirty minutes because
of the heavy traffic.  She hadn’t realized how much quieter the bed and
breakfast was until they were bouncing down the street in the cab.  Mia
wondered a little about how much Mrs. Sullivan must pay for the sound dampening
spell she had on her grounds.  The guard at the college opened the wrought iron
gates for them, and suddenly, the noise of the streets, the venders, the
carriages, the horses, and general hum of humanity disappeared.  The only sound
was the clip-clop of the horse trotting down the lane to the Headmistress’
domain.  Mrs. Sullivan’s sound dampening spell was good, but the college’s was
better.  It was even quieter than Emma’s cottage.    

The
Headmistress’ traditional residence and office was a gray tower that stood
majestically on a hill somewhat removed from the rest of the campus.  It was a
jewel of a building nestled in ivy, perfectly preserved.  Ancient oaks grew in
a little wilderness to one side, giving the impression that you might wander
into the shrubbery and end up in a forest as large and old as Forestreach.  Mia
guessed that it was part of the original fortification from when the City was
built.  The grounds around the tower were manicured and neat, but somehow
wilder than the rest of the campus.  Perhaps it was the ivy that gave the impression. 
It wound around the base of the tower so thickly that no stone was visible.  The
cab deposited them directly in front of the courtyard.  Mia glanced at the new
watch that resided in a special pocket in her uniform jacket.  The golden hands
indicated that the time was slightly earlier than she had expected.  “Do we
knock?” 

Emma
never had the chance to respond.  The same footman who had delivered the note
that morning opened the door before they had even reached the stone pathway
that led to the steps.  “Madam, Miss, may I show you to the sitting room?”   Mia
took a long look at his wig as she walked behind him.  There was no way to tell
if he was using adhesive by simply looking at it.  She firmly resisted the urge
to tug the little tail on the back to see what would happen. 

He
led them down the hall to a small sitting room, slightly shabby around the edges,
as if the decor was original to the tower.  Mia noted with shock as she passed
a window that they seemed to be several flights up, but they had walked into
the room from the ground floor.  The footman waved them to the sofas, murmured
that the Greatlady would be with them shortly, and closed the double doors
behind him.  The pillows on the sofa and chairs were faded, and just a bit
dusty, either from constant use or because the room sat unused most of the time. 
A cheery fire in the fireplace and sunlight streaming in from the windows
provided enough light for Mia to examine an intriguing curio case full of odd
objects and the paintings that lined the walls. 

The paintings
were of historical figures: wand wielders who had held the post of Headmaster
or Magus, including a portrait of the current Magus.   His ice-blue eyes and
long streaming black hair were untouched by any hint of a wrinkle or streak of
silver.  He was undoubtedly one of the oldest wand users in the City bounds,
yet he looked no more than thirty in this portrait.  Only constant spell work
would preserve a person so well, though Mia suspected that he moved like a
clockwork figure.  Old wand wielders tended to be very stiff.

Headmistress
Villanova entered with a laden tea tray floating smoothly behind her.  Emma sat
patiently on the sofa, but Mia was still staring at the painting.  Something
about the subject seemed hazily familiar. 

“Hello
Amelia.  I am Headmistress Villanova.  Won’t you join us?”  Mia drifted back
toward the fire.  There was something about the painting’s chilly stare that
made her glad of the warmth. 

Mia
studied her hostess as she walked toward the sofa.  The Headmistress of the
college was Greatlady Villanova.  Her hair was so black it held hints of blue. 
Her eyes were deep green, marking her as something other than pure ‘old blood’
though the rest of her coloring fit the familiar stereotype.  The overall
impression was that the headmistress was a handsome woman, though her nose was
a bit longer than it should have been for real beauty, and if one were being
objective, her lips might have been a little higher on one side than the other. 
Her unlined face somehow gave the impression of great age and power.  Her
near-perfect preservation was a signal to anyone who knew anything about wand
wielders: this was a woman who was accustomed to performing the most powerful
spells, and had been doing so all her life.  Still, there was a certain
affability in her manner, and something that might have been kindness lurking
in her eyes.  

Mia
willingly consumed the delicious tea she was served and politely answered innocuous
questions about her shopping expeditions. When the last canapé was consumed and
the final tea cake devoured, the lady brought up the subject that Mia believed
had led her to invite them.  She turned the conversation to Mia’s testing.  “I
don’t know if you realize how unusual it is for a student to raise all
seventeen stones.”  Mia had the impression that the lady was looking at her in
a keen manner, but didn’t know for certain because she was staring fixedly at
her hands.  “In fact, my staff has searched the admissions records, and there
is no other record of a student raising all the stones.” 

She
brought out a delicately carved wooden box, and began laying out the stones in
a precise order as she spoke.  “I hope you don’t mind, but I would appreciate a
demonstration.  As head of the college I admit a certain natural curiosity.” 
Mia glanced at Emma, but there was no way to object, nor any polite reason to,
though it made her slightly uncomfortable.  She concentrated on the stones and
they rose, stopping at different levels, each glowing like a brightly colored firefly.

“Fascinating”
breathed the headmistress.  “I don’t know if you realize it Amelia, but each one
of these stones represent an acknowledged area of magical ability.  The yellow
one, the citrine, is the ability to calm, a useful gift to have.  The emerald
is growth magic; the beryl beside it is healing.  This ruby and the tourmaline:
see the two raised the highest?  Those are stones for creation and
transfiguration. They are the most sought after gifts in the entire City, and
as necessary to our survival as the air we breathe.” 

“If
a boy raises seven of these stones he is asked to attend the college.  I’m
afraid that the standard is somewhat more exacting for girls; a girl must raise
no less than ten to be invited to attend the college.  The imbalance happened
for a very good reason, because there can be no doubt that a wanded female
tends to produce fewer children, and as often as not, she might produce none.  If
the City were not constantly in desperate need of more wand wielders, I doubt
that this institution would admit girls.  As it is, most of them are here to
marry a boy with the proper pedigree, with no view of being remotely useful to
the City that protects us all.  Their magical skills will be devoted to
producing exceptional house parties and dinners for extremely important people,
and of course the required heir.”

As
they chatted quietly, Mia tried not to reveal how odd this seemed. 

Green eyes met golden-brown. 
The headmistress cocked her head to one side.  “You look more like your
namesake than your mother did.”

“You knew my mother?”

“I
taught her.  She was the same age as my youngest son.  I attended with your
grandmother, Amelia.  You resemble her, but you also remind me of Alexandria. 
Amelia was exceptionally kind, but rather lacking in ambition…Alexandria…”

Emma
laughed.  “Alexandra had spirit, drive, fire…but she was not so kind.  She
always felt like she had to earn her place and she didn’t have much tolerance
for those who could not or would not.” 

The Greatlady covered her
mouth with her napkin.  “Alexandria had quite the temper.  I imagine that you
inherited a bit of that.

Mia blushed.

Emma patted her on the knee. 

“She knows how to mind her
manners Headmistress…and she’s not so angry as our Alexandria was.”

“Nor
so reckless I hope.  Amelia’s death at a young age was a tragedy,  but to
follow  with Alexandria  dying  before she’d even had a chance to begin…the
entire City mourned her death…such a bright, talented woman to die so young…” 
The headmistress looked down for a long moment.  There were unshed tears in her
eyes when she looked up.

***

Mia
and Emma finished tea and escaped outside into the bright sunshine.  Mia was
relived.  The gate guard called a cab while they sat on one of the spotless
white quartz benches in the shade of an old oak.  He raised a simple yellow
flag to hail it while they waited.  “Funny.” said Mia.  “I expected that there
would be a magical way of hailing a cab, here in the City.”  Emma laughed. 
“Magic takes energy.  You’ll see.  That’s why so many wandless come to the City
as servants and shopkeepers.  Leave the wanded magic for those things that only
wanded magic can do.”

Mia
pretended to be engrossed in a book while Emma sat by the fire with her
knitting and let her pretend.  She would have dearly loved the opportunity to
go for a long walk to think, but everyone had emphasized that the streets
weren’t safe for a young girl to go wandering alone in the City.  As if she
couldn’t take care of herself.  How many times had she met up with and escaped
deadly creatures in the forest?  Not every village girl went traipsing about
the forest.  How much more dangerous could a City, with magical protections, a
City Guard, and Dragons on the wall be?      

By
dinnertime Mia had shaken the odd feeling from her interview with the head of
the college.  Her fellow boarders told her amusing stories and directed her to
the best shops where she could make the most of her copper.  She laughed and
played a few rounds of cards with a nice old lady from Lambton who was in the
City to shop. 

They
were hurrying down the street on their way from the milliner’s when Mia saw the
wand maker’s shop across the street.  A quick glance at the road showed only
slow moving cart traffic and she hurried toward the wand display, wondering if
her wand might be in that case, waiting for her.   The noise of a rattling
coach and six made her look up suddenly.  She stood, in the middle of the
street as she watched pedestrians and carts duck out of the way of the fast
moving coach.  She started moving toward the street as soon as she realized
that they were not slowing down, but she wasn’t going to make it.

No
sooner had that thought crossed her mind than she felt a sudden lightness…she
was lifted up and over a parked cart and deposited safely on the sidewalk. 

She
turned and a young man with old blood coloring was frowning as he put his wand
away.  “You have to be careful Miss.  Some of these drivers are truly reckless.”  
An old man with a hand cart sputtered as he picked up his wares from the
street.   “Greatlord Strathorne races through here whenever he’s a mind to…and
he sets a bad example for them young bucks that hang about him like the
pestilence too.”  

The
young man frowned.   “I’ll file a report, but I’d mind my tongue if I were
you….”   The old man snorted.   “Aye…but if you were me, you’d have little or
nothing to lose young ‘un…  So would you still mind your tongue, or would you
start saying what everyone knows…that the Magus himself better watch his back
the way Strathorne is actin’?”   

The
younger man smiled a little.  “Trust me old man.  The Magus has nothing to fear
from Strathorne, and he can keep him in line too…go file the report yourself
with Mr. Ainsley, his private secretary.   The Magus can still keep the other
Greatlords in check, never fear.”  He turned as Emma rushed up and gave a
slight bow.  “Ethan Fain, at your service…”   No title.  He must be an
apprentice.  Emma introduced them as the street venders worked to remove the
vestiges of the reckless coach.   Mia wondered why the coach had been in such a
hurry. 

“Why
yes, I think she could use a bit of a snack…”  Mia’s focus snapped back to the
conversation.   The young man smiled a little.   “I’m a bit hungry myself, and
it’s almost tea time.   There’s a sweet shop a block from here that you really
should try…if you don’t mind my escort?”  

Emma
nodded.  The healer was probably wondering if Mia was going into shock…but Mia
followed as Ethan showed them to a tiny shop.  Emma chatted along the way about
Mia’s admission into the College and Ethan threw her several reassuring glances
as he let the older woman ramble on.  The door was made of glass and it was
covered in steam as they entered.  It smelled delicious.  Mia smiled.  The
tables were fashionably tiny, with barely enough room for the piled sweets.  If
the tea hadn’t been served from a cart, they would have never been able to make
do.  

Mia
focused on not spilling her tea as Emma carried the conversation.   “So Ethan,
I’d guess you are in your last year as an apprentice?”   The young man
smiled.   “Yes ma’am.  I’ve spent two years as special apprentice to the
Magus…but this year he’s loaning me out to Headmistress Villanova.”  He took a
large bite of his pastry.  He wasn’t kidding about being hungry.  Emma took a
delicate sip of her tea and beamed at him.  “That’s quite an honor.  Do you
know what you’ll be doing for the headmistress?” 

Ethan
nodded.   “I’ll be teaching actually.   Finding teachers with the proper
talents who aren’t desperately needed elsewhere has been a real
struggle…particularly in the area of Creation.   The Magus decided that my
talents were better used at the college.”  There was a lot of pride in his
voice…and no wonder.  He was effectively getting to skip his final year of
apprenticeship.  

“Have you picked up your
schedule Mia?”  

She
nodded and dug the parchment out of her old brown bag, wishing suddenly that
she had bought something a little nicer to haul her books and things around
in.     Ethan’s eyes widened as he read the parchment.   “That’s a full
schedule.  You’re going to have to work hard to keep up.  You must have gotten
top marks when you raised the stones.” 

Emma
beamed at her.  “She raised all seventeen.”  Mia tried to sink into her chair
to hide her blush.  She really wished that people would stop looking at her
like that.  Ethan seemed to sense her discomfort and took a large bite of his
second piece of cake. 

The
subject turned to other things as Ethan quietly kept Emma’s attention while Mia
managed to stop blushing.  Tea time came and went as they discussed art and
then history, where Mia found herself able to hold her own in the discussion,
though Ethan did make some points she was unfamiliar with.   “You need to read
Gothart’s
The Dragon Hunters
and Mayard’s
Requiem
if you want to
know what I mean.  They originally only printed a couple hundred copies of
Requiem
before the Guildmaster in charge of printing was stopped …but one of the press
boys smuggled out a dozen copes before they burned the lot, and
Requiem
has been circulating underground ever since.  One of the underground movements
made thousands of copies.”  He chuckled lightly.  “And since it’s banned,
everyone
has read it.”  He smiled wider now.  “It’s a lot more popular than
Yammering’s work, that’s for sure.”  

Mia
laughed, but noticed that she’d had so much tea that she felt sloshy inside.  
If they stayed much longer she was going to have to excuse herself to use the
ladies’ room. 

Emma
finally ended the conversation.  “Ethan, I have to say it’s been a pleasure.  
Thank you again for pulling her out of the way…”   He interrupted.  “Anyone
would have done the same.”   Emma nodded.  “But you are the one who did.”   She
stood up.  “Come along Mia.  We need to get back to the boarding house before
dinner.”  Ethan smiled at her as they were walking out.  “I’ll bring those
books to Creation.”   She bobbed her head nervously, thinking about facing all
those other students.  Emma huffed as she glanced down the road and at the
setting sun.  “I think we’ll call a cab.  I’m a bit too full to favor walking
as far as the boarding house!”  

The
next day Mia snuck another look at her brand-new wand out of the corner of her
eye.  Emma was having trouble keeping a straight face, but Mia couldn’t help
herself.  It was just so pretty.  The wand maker had really done an outstanding
job on it.  She picked it up again just to hold it in her hand.  It fit
perfectly of course; wand makers used the blood gathered at testing to sync the
wand to the wielder.  Everything about it was balanced perfectly as far as Mia
was concerned.  Mia liked the low hum of magic that she could sense when she
held the wand.  It wasn’t like hearing it; it was more like a low vibration
that she could feel in her bones, but that wasn’t exactly right either…

The
shopping continued until the final day before class began.  They ate breakfast
for the last time with the landlady and their fellow boarders.  Then they
slowly packed Mia’s new possessions in a cab for the trip to the dorms.

The
goodbye between Mia and her guardian was emotional, but quick.  Emma didn’t see
any reason to draw things like that out.  Mia was installed in the dormitory
and Emma boarded a stage coach back to Forestreach.  Post was delivered every
second day, and Emma had bought a large bundle of parchment for the express
purpose of keeping Mia up to date on all the goings and doings in Forestreach. 
Mia had promised her guardian full details on her life at the college, but Emma
shook her head.  “Just be sure you drop me a note at least once a week so I know
you’re still breathing.  You’ll have much too much to do to write me every day.”

The
dorms were something of a shock to Mia.  There were six beds in hers, each with
a nightstand, wardrobe, trunk, and magelight at the head of the bed so you
could pull the curtains and study quietly after your dorm mates were
sleeping.   She’d never actually seen a magelight before she’d come to the
City.  The streets used them, and Mrs. Sullivan had them in the drawing room. 
She’d never had the opportunity to turn one on and off before.  This one had a
full range of light: six levels of brightness, red, blue, and yellow lights to
read encrypted spells, even a night-light setting, of all the absurd things.  She
played with the magical orb for a good fifteen minutes, tapping with her wand
to change the levels. 

The
dorm included a semi-private bathroom, with claw footed tubs in little cubicles
and four water closets with modern flushing facilities.  It would make a nice
change: she’d spent most of her life hauling water to bathe in, and dreading the
chilly outhouse all winter.  Emptying chamber pots was a task that was only
bearable since her powers had developed enough to levitate them. 

The
bathroom also contained an area with three vanities for dressing their hair in
the mornings.  The girls would share a study.  In it sat four desks, three
large leather armchairs, and matching sofa.  All were well worn but clean and
comfy.  There was even a small fireplace to keep the chill out of the air on
winter nights.

The
girl’s dorm looked like a three story building on the outside, but when you
stepped inside you realized it was much larger.  The entire first floor was
nothing but kitchens and dining areas.  The stained glass from the skylight was
so high that you couldn’t even see what the design was from the top of the
triple stairway.  Mia quickly decided that the red, yellow, and blue glass moved
itself around at will.

The
dining areas were curious.  Some of the tables were giant affairs built for
sixty or more, and some of them were tiny single person sitting arrangements
meant for sipping a delicate cup of tea while reading a lady-sized book.  But
most of them were oval or square, mismatched and comfortable, seating four to
eight in wooden chairs worn smooth by generations of loving polishing and student
derrières.

Once
Emma left, Mia fought off her sense of loss by arranging her wardrobe.  It
shouldn’t have held all the dresses, uniforms, alchemy supplies, and newly
acquired books, but she didn’t run out of room.  Each time she unpacked an item
there was a spot for it ready and waiting.  She was beginning to truly understand
the appeal of being wanded.

The
shiny new professional-grade alchemy cauldron took pride of place on a shelf. 
She would have the pleasure of transferring it to the classroom tomorrow, but
for now she flicked an imaginary bit of fluff off of it.  It had an adjustable
flame that automatically heated or cooled potions to the proper temperature and
a set of matching spoons and ladles.  Emma had a gift for flames.  Mia didn’t. 
If she wanted her potions to turn out she
needed
this cauldron.  At
least that’s what she’d told Emma in the store begging to be allowed to buy it. 
Her guardian hadn’t been fooled, but as she had two pounds of leviathan scales
in her own basket (at fifteen gold a pound!) she didn’t argue as much as she
might have. 

Mia
hadn’t quite finished unpacking when a girl walked in.  She had long, curling
brown hair that fell down her back and bright green eyes.  She was carrying one
bag while a veritable flotilla levitated behind her.  She smiled in a friendly
sort of way, and walked over to the bed closest to the bathroom.  “Has anyone
picked this one yet?” Mia shook her head and the girl dumped a large trunk, two
small bags and a hard sided case onto the bed with an audible thunk.   “I’m Vivian,
from Southrun.”  Mia introduced herself and didn’t get another word in edgewise
for a quarter of an hour.  Vivian’s hands were quite as fast as her mouth,
which was saying something.  She pulled a neat box out of the trunk and stored
it on one of the vanities.  The hard sided case was placed carefully in
wardrobe, for, Mia was informed, it contained all of Vivian’s art supplies. 
Mia obligingly perused a thick sketchbook while Vivian stowed frock after
colorful frock away.  Mia quickly realized that either the dresses or case were
spelled to prevent wrinkles, because there was no way you could pack clothing
that tightly and have it come out that neat unless there was magic involved.  Vivian
was still unpacking (and still talking) when Sarah, the pale girl from the
village home, walked in. 

Mia
gave her a warm smile as she quickly took possession of the bed closest to the
study.  Sarah returned it as she quietly deflected Vivian’s probing questions. 
She carried a single ivory case to the bed.  She unpacked quickly, pulling far
too many pale dresses and shoes out of the tiny case.  That was an expensive
piece of wanded magic.  Her supplies were removed and stowed with the same
efficiency in the wardrobe.  Finally, a large, apparently heavy, box was
deposited on one of the vanities in the bathroom. She nodded politely to them
and headed for the study with a pile of books.