The Awakening (15 page)

The fight went on a few minutes more but finally the other girl raised her arm calling, “Truce! You do know what you’re doing!”

Jahrra almost fell over in surprise when the girl smiled at her, reaching out her hand in introduction. “I’m Torrell, and you are?”

“J-Jahrra,” she breathed.

The girl called Torrell looked over at Senton, who had gone to tend to the horses.

“He’s not much of a fighter,” she said, tilting her head in his direction.

“He asked me to teach him,” Jahrra answered, shrugging.

Torrell nodded then looked Jahrra up and down.

“What is it?” Jahrra asked, suddenly feeling strangely exposed.

“Nothing, just a rumor I heard,” Torrell sniffed, stabbing the wooden tip of her sword into the ground.

She gathered up her curly hair and wrapped a string of leather around it.

Jahrra froze. “Rumor?” she asked.

“Yeah, something about the dragon Raejaaxorix finally returning to Lidien to stay for more than a fortnight.”

Jahrra’s heart skipped a beat. Senton may be a bit oblivious to the obvious but this girl surely wasn’t.

“Oh?” she said, trying to sound as casual as possible.

“Yup, my mother overheard an acquaintance of hers telling her employer about it. Said he was back and this time he brought with him a young woman who is supposedly the human the Oracle’s promised.”

Jahrra felt her hand start to shake.
No, don’t panic. It’s not the end of the world. They’re all going to find out eventually.

Torrell continued on as if she hadn’t noticed Jahrra’s change in demeanor.

“She’s supposed to have blond hair and blue eyes, my mother’s friend said. She’d seen the girl herself you know, riding a marble gray semequin with the dragon Jaax.”

Jahrra closed her eyes and swallowed. It was pointless to keep up this façade.

She took a deep breath and said, “Look, what is this all about? What do you really want? An autograph, the chance to go home and tell your mother who you saw today?”

To Jahrra’s great surprise, Torrell snorted.

“Well, don’t we have a rather high opinion of ourselves? So you are her then. Shorter than I imagined, though. But you are good with a sword. I figured if you are destined to save the world, you’re probably really good at fighting. I needed someone with a decent amount of skill to practice with, so, you’re it.”

Torrell had her chin in hand, her dark brown eyes narrowed as she looked Jahrra over. She had an inch or two on her, but she was far more slender and her eyes slanted just enough to remind Jahrra of Gieaun and Scede. Unlike her two best friends, however, this girl was all fierceness and sharp wit. Despite her seemingly insulting way of going about things, Jahrra liked her. She went straight to the point and seemed to avoid unnecessary nonsense.

“I’m sorry,” Jahrra said, feeling slightly embarrassed by her assumptions. “That’s just how most people have responded to me so far. If you can believe it, I just found out who I was a few months ago.”

Torrell arched an eyebrow. “How is that possible?”

Jahrra laughed. “I was told I was a Nesnan while growing up. Jaax only told me the truth recently. So,” she continued in order to keep the conversation off herself, “what is the general opinion of Jaax, in Lidien that is?”

Torrell grinned. “He’s well liked by most. Severely stern and unyielding, I’ve heard, but no one dares disrespect him. What’s he like in private?”

Jahrra laughed out loud.

“The same, I’m afraid,” she said.

Senton, having worked up the gumption to rejoin them, walked up. “What’s so funny?”

“Your swordplay,” Torrell said with a sniff.

Senton blinked at Jahrra and she merely shrugged, grinning hugely.

“Did you know that your friend here is the human the Oracles promised us?”

The question caught both Jahrra and Senton off guard. The young man looked at Jahrra with wide eyes, then his eyes grew larger and he parted his lips in a silent gasp.

“Are you?” he asked in a whisper.

Jahrra crossed her arms. Torrell’s blunt acknowledgment of the truth just a minute ago had chased away all of her jitters.

“Afraid so,” she said. “Are you going to hold it against me?”

Senton shook his head, the shock apparently still keeping him from speech.

Taking advantage of the sudden silence, Jahrra introduced her two new friends to each other. “Torrell, this is Senton, Senton, this is Torrell.”

The two shook hands and after that they all fell into a friendly and relaxed chatter. Jahrra learned that Torrell and her family lived in the city and that Torrell’s uncle taught the style of fighting she had used against Jahrra. She even promised to tolerate Senton if he truly wished to learn. Before long the sun was setting over the bay and Jahrra had to say farewell.

“I’ll see you in Wilderness class in two days. Should we set up a schedule for practice after classes then?” Jahrra called from Phrym’s back.

Torrell, climbing atop her own black and white mare, said she would bring some more weapons to practice with and Senton told her he would figure out when his father would need his help in his shop.

Waving one last time, Jahrra clicked Phrym forward, pressing him into a quick pace as she headed northwest towards the stone house on the hill. As she traversed the busy streets of Lidien, she thought of how her day had gone. Of all the things that happened that day, she never dreamed she would have come out of it with two new friends, both of them seeming so dear to her in such a short amount of time.

-
Chapter Nine
-

The Odd Behavior of Elves

For the next couple of weeks, Jahrra gradually settled into the routine of attending her classes during the day and meeting with Senton and Torrell in the afternoons. Torrell was far better than she had first noticed and the two of them had to pause every now and again in the midst of some battle, for they often forgot that Senton was still learning.

As they spent more and more time together, Jahrra began to learn a great deal about her two new friends. Senton was of Nesnan and Resai descent and he and his family lived on the west end of the city. His father managed a shop near the water front and he and his brothers and sister lived above it.

“It isn’t in the worst section of the port but it isn’t in the best either,” he’d said on their way out of history class one morning. “But the view is spectacular and you can get the best fried fish just around the corner.”

He smiled and Jahrra couldn’t help being cheered a bit. He did have a rather charming smile.

Torrell, on the other hand, was quite the opposite of Senton. Her parents were Resai and her family had lived in Lidien for several generations. Her uncle taught defense and swordplay and her mother owned a restaurant. Torrell never had any fear of speaking her mind, often bringing forth questions and opinions Jahrra was sure were shared by others. It was just that Torrell wasn’t afraid to be the one to voice them. Jahrra could see how people would be easily intimidated or offended but luckily her new friend had revealed her true nature that first day of school. She was as blunt as a battle axe but her honesty was never offered out of meanness. Jahrra had made other acquaintances as well, all fellow classmates ranging in age from a year or two younger than her to several years older. Everyone in Lidien seemed to be quite friendly once they became comfortable with each other.

Jahrra enjoyed her new life in the City of Light and she especially enjoyed her lessons at the University. The wildlife course and the Ethoen mythology classes were easily her favorite. She couldn’t say why, but she got the feeling it was because they reminded her of home, of Hroombra.

Despite Jahrra’s hope for keeping her identity secret, it didn’t take long for her fellow classmates to devise who she was. By the end of the first week of school she started to notice people giving her a wider berth as she passed by; often talking quietly to a friend as they did so. At first she feared that her hair had fallen out or that she had sat in a pool of paint or something along those lines. It was only until Torrell sniffed and tugged her along one afternoon on their way to the practice fields that she was informed of the truth.

“Just getting a good look at the human,” her friend had said in her usual dry, no-nonsense way.

So, the people of Lidien were finally taking full note of her. Jahrra gritted her teeth. Maybe she could dye her hair or wear a disguise. As unobtrusive as it was, she hated this attention, but there was nothing for it. She would just have to bear it and be grateful she had found Torrell and Senton. At least they didn’t treat her any differently because of what she was.

Luckily, Jahrra had school to occupy her thoughts most of the time. Her numerous classes also meant seemingly endless studying, and oftentimes she would meet up with classmates in the University library.

The first time she visited the library Jahrra was nearly struck dumb. The building was located centrally on the campus and boasted great, towering walls with columns and a beautiful granite hall. The ceiling, at least fifty feet high, was decorated in ornate carvings and beautiful paintings depicting dreamlike landscapes. Several pale, stained glass windows, perched just above the tops of the bookshelves, let in a good deal of light and a giant glass oculus in the center of the roof pulled the sunlight from the sky and poured it into the massive room.

At first Jahrra could only be impressed with the beauty of this huge space, for the walls were lined with bookshelves running from ceiling to floor all the way around the room, and she was soon under the impression that a copy of every book existing in Ethoes could be found in this very library. It wasn’t until later, when someone told her about the several rooms beneath their feet, that she felt even more overwhelmed.
How many books does this place hold?
she wondered in awe. The library soon became her favorite place to study with her classmates and in a very short amount of time she developed a habit of spending at least two nights a week there reading or going over notes.

Besides settling into her classes, getting to know new people and discovering an endless supply of information in the library, Jahrra had her home life to occupy her as well. Her guardian’s residence was by far the nicest place she had ever lived. As she began to learn her way around Lidien she realized that the house was ideally set centrally, though among the tallest hills on the easternmost side of the city. She absolutely loved her room, with the great bed and familiar tapestries, and especially the terrace on the other side of the hallway.

One particularly warm weekend she decided to take her schoolwork out onto the balcony to work in the welcoming sunlight. Neira showed her which window opened out onto the stone deck without causing the rusty hinges to squeak, so Jahrra had gathered her scrolls, inkwell and quill and clambered out. The rooftop terrace looked out over the circular drive below and gave a wonderful view of the forest to the east and a sliver of the bay to the northwest. Jahrra sighed in delight and made her way over to a stone bench and table located on the more northern end of the patio. She turned her head and surveyed her surroundings, her eyes stopping when they reached the outdoor fireplace on the opposite end of the terrace. Maybe Jaax would let her invite her friends over one night and they could have a fire and roast sausages for dinner.

Jahrra took a breath and sat down. She meant to get right to work but she couldn’t help admire the stone garden boxes taking up the last space between her bench and the balustrade across from her. There were two large stone beds, one full of barren, dark soil waiting for someone to plant seeds. She made a mental note to ask Jaax or Neira about where she might get some flower and vegetable seeds, especially since spring was nearly over.

The other stone flowerbed held six young trees. She remembered seeing them the first time Neira pointed the patio out to her but she had never bothered to explore since. Their branches were still spangled in buds but many of the flowers were faded, some even beginning to transform into tiny fruit.

Setting her work aside for the moment, Jahrra stood and reached her fingers out to touch the smooth bark. The bracelet on her left hand tingled and she glanced down only to notice that the rune on one of the beads glowed brightly. The Apple wood bead. Jahrra grinned. She thought these trees might be apples, but she wondered why Jaax had planted them here. Did dragons like apples? Maybe Neira preferred them and had convinced him to plant them. Shrugging, Jahrra plopped back down on the stone bench and submerged herself into her work.

That evening by the fire she asked her guardian about the trees.

“Those are apple trees planted up on the deck, aren’t they?”

The Tanaan dragon looked up from the book he was reading, something large with a dark leather cover. He arched an eyebrow and his mouth worked in a reluctant grin. Jahrra stifled a mental laugh. She suspected that most of Jaax’s moments of good humor were stifled. He couldn’t afford to seem too gleeful with the life he led.

“They are,” he answered. “Do you like them?”

Jahrra blinked then shrugged. “Of course, I love apples, but you make it sound as if you planted them for me.”

That thought was ridiculous. They didn’t look newly planted. In fact, they looked as if they had happily lived in that garden box since they were seedlings. If they had been saplings when they were first planted, they were now at least ten years old. No, Jaax was just asking, in his own way, how Jahrra was settling in. She tried to hide the slight flush on her face by brushing her hair to the side and reaching for her teacup.

The dragon pushed aside his book and gave her a serious look. “I had those trees planted several years ago. Seedlings taken from your foster father’s apple orchard.”

Jahrra felt as if Torrell had just kicked her in the stomach. She choked on the tea she had been sipping and cast Jaax a very surprised look.

“You’re joking,” she managed, her voice very quiet.

Jaax merely shook his head. “I suspected you might one day end up here and I wanted to establish something from Oescienne that might make you feel more at home.”

Jahrra’s head was spinning. She thought of the tapestries up in her room, how they were scenes from home, and now the apple trees. She looked back up at Jaax. His gaze seemed wary, as if he expected her to throw her teacup into the fire and bolt towards the door. She took a few breaths. Why was she so surprised? Jaax and Hroombra had known from the beginning what she was; of course they would plan everything out in advance. But for Jaax to take the extra effort to make her feel at home, to feel comforted? To feel safe? She had been so used to his disdain for so long, or what she had translated as disdain, that it was hard to accept this new and improved version of him. Besides, it was an incredibly thoughtful thing to do and she had no idea how to react to his kindness.

The fire crackled and spit sparks as a log fell into the embers below it. Slowly, Jahrra set her teacup down and closed her eyes. When she opened them she was ashamed to feel tears in them.

With a shaky voice she said, “Thank you, Jaax.”

She didn’t dare look at him.

He merely rumbled, “You’re welcome, Jahrra.”

Several minutes passed before she looked up. He was reading his book once again. And just like that, they submersed themselves in the comfortable silence once more.

An hour later Jahrra was done reading her own book for school, a particularly dull tale of dwarves and their discovery of mining. She stood and stretched, wondering what they would be doing in her wildlife class tomorrow. Anthar had told his students they would need long pants and heavy boots. Jahrra hoped they were going to hike one of the several trails that twined up the still-wild hills scattered around the city.

Jahrra called a goodnight to Jaax but before she escaped the common room he called her back.

“Tomorrow after your classes, I’d like you to meet me in the great room of the library.”

Jahrra blinked. “Am I to finally meet
all
the members of the Coalition?”

Jaax smiled, his sharp teeth glittering in the firelight. They had been in Lidien for more than a month but he still hadn’t taken her to one of his weekly Coalition meetings. Jahrra suspected he might be stalling but she couldn’t say for what purpose. If she was being honest with herself she would admit to being glad of it. She was terrified of meeting all those people who wished to someday rise against the Crimson King with her as their beacon. Would they be disappointed in her?

“No, not the entire Coalition, just a single member,” Jaax finally said.

Would that be it then? Introduced to one affiliate at a time? Jahrra thought that was a great idea.

She nodded her agreement then dashed up the stairs, thinking about her classes tomorrow and who she might be meeting this time.

***

The next morning Jahrra and Senton found themselves tolerating their history class with little patience. Once again, the subject was known to Jahrra and it took all her willpower not to get up, feign illness, and leave. Senton, she had learned over the past few weeks, seemed to have a slight aversion to lectures on the whole. Several times during the morning she would glance over at him and catch his eyes drooping as his chin rested on his hand. More often than not Jahrra had to stifle a giggle before elbowing him awake.

After what seemed like ages, the morning’s class was finally over and she and Senton crossed the campus together. The two friends eventually parted ways as Jahrra sought her next class, waving a farewell to Senton as he joined a group of students playing a game on one of the University’s many sprawling lawns. They agreed to meet for lunch outside Carlhoren House just before noon.

Jahrra barely made it through her math class without passing out on top of her desk but only ten minutes or so after escaping the land of numbers and confusing formulas, she was sitting on a small patch of grass beside the creek bridge amidst the small forest near the stone cabin. Senton had been waiting for her and before long the two friends were chatting and throwing bread crust into the water for the fish and crawdads.

Jahrra and Senton finished their lunches and as the time for their wilderness class drew near, they closed the distance between their patch of lawn and the cabin. They were the first at the door but right behind them followed Dathian, his arms, as usual, full of scrolls and small tomes.

The aloof elf piqued Jahrra’s curiosity. For quite some time now she’d been trying to figure out what was so familiar about him. It was only until the week before that she realized what it was. He resembled, to some extent, Yaraa and Viornen. The same pointed ears, the same graceful build. Even the slight, olive tone to his skin was similar to theirs.

One of the many books Dathian was carrying suddenly slipped from his grasp, taking many others with it. Sighing deeply, he put aside his scrolls and bent to gather the mess at his feet. Jahrra and Senton walked over to help and the elf grinned, pushing his glasses back onto his nose and thanking them.