The Novice (47 page)

Sonea shrugged. “Are these boxes for the Magicians’ Library, too?”

“Yes. Nothing too exciting. Just more textbooks.”

They picked up a stack of boxes each and made their way through the passages. Lord Jullen’s eyebrows rose as Sonea followed Tya into the Magicians’ Library.

“So you’ve found yourself an assistant,” he remarked. “I thought Lorlen refused your request.”

“Sonea has offered her time of her own choosing.”

“Shouldn’t you be studying, Sonea? I should think the High Lord’s novice would have better things to be doing than carrying boxes.”

Keeping her expression neutral, Sonea looked around. “Can you suggest a better place to spend my spare time, my lord?”

His mouth twitched, then he sniffed. “So long as the time
is
spare.” He looked at Tya. “I am retiring now. Good night.”

“Good night, Lord Jullen,” Tya replied.

When the stern magician had left, Tya started toward the storeroom. Sonea chuckled.

“I think he’s jealous.”

“Jealous?” Tya turned and frowned. “Of what?”

“You’ve got an assistant. The High Lord’s novice, no less.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “You’ve put a high value on yourself.”

Sonea grimaced. “That wasn’t of my choosing. But I’d lay a bet that Jullen’s a bit peeved that you’ve got a willing helper.”

Tya’s mouth tightened, as if she was resisting the urge to smile. “Hurry up, then. If you’re going to be of any help, don’t stand around speculating.”

Following Tya to the back room, Sonea set the boxes down on top of a chest and began unpacking them. She resisted the temptation to look at the cabinet of old books and maps, instead concentrating on stacking and sorting. Tya paused to yawn several times.

“How late
did
you stay back last night?” Sonea asked.

“Too late,” Tya admitted.

“Why don’t you leave me to do this?”

Tya sent her a disbelieving look. “You really have too much energy, Sonea,” she sighed. “I shouldn’t leave you here alone—and you’ll be locked in. I’ll have to come back and let you out.”

Sonea shrugged. “I’m sure you won’t forget me.” She looked down at the books. “I can help with this, but not the cataloguing work. You may as well go back and finish it.”

Tya nodded slowly. “Very well. I’ll come back for you in an hour.” She smiled. “Thank you, Sonea.”

Following the librarian to the door, Sonea watched her walk away. She felt a growing excitement as Tya’s footsteps faded into the distance. Turning, she regarded the library. Dust hung in the air, tinged yellow by the glow of her globe light. The shelves of books extended into darkness, as if they stretched on forever.

Smiling to herself, she returned to the storeroom and stacked up the textbooks as quickly as possible. She counted the minutes, conscious that she only had an hour. Once the boxes were unpacked, she abandoned them and moved to the cabinet.

She inspected the lock carefully, both with her eyes and her mind. Tya had spoken of a lock, and it made sense that an important store of knowledge would be protected by magic. Her search proved her suspicions right.

Though the physical lock was no more complicated than any she had picked before, she had no idea if it was possible to foil a magical one. Even if she managed to, the meddling might be detectable, and the meddler identifiable.

When Cery had taught her how to pick locks, he had told her to look for another way first. Sometimes there were quicker ways to get into something than picking. She looked for hinges on the doors, and cursed softly as she saw they were on the inside of the cabinet.

She began to examine the entire unit, inspecting the joints and edges carefully. The cabinet was old, but sturdy and well made. She pursed her lips thoughtfully, then fetched a chair and stood upon it so she could check the top of the cabinet. No weaknesses there, either. Sighing, she stepped down to the floor again.

That left the back and the base. To look underneath, she would have to lift it with magic, then crawl under to examine the bottom. Though she had recovered enough from the previous night’s exhaustion to tackle her lessons, she wasn’t sure if she could lift and hold the cabinet steadily. Did she really want to find the map that badly?

She peered through the glass at the books and rolled papers. A thin sheet of glass and wire mesh was all that lay between herself and a possible escape from Regin. She chewed her lip in frustration.

Then she noticed something odd about the wooden back. She could see two lines running down the length, too straight to be natural cracks in the wood. The back of the cabinet obviously wasn’t made from one large sheet of wood. Crouching a little, she checked to see if the lines extended all the way to the base. They didn’t.

Moving to one side of the cabinet, she peered along the gap between it and the wall. Using a tiny globe light, she illuminated the narrow space and discovered something strange.

Something about the size of a textbook, but made of wood, was attached to the wall behind the cabinet.

Stepping back, she took a deep breath and slowly extended her power out and around the cabinet, taking care that her magic did not touch that of the lock. With the gentlest flexing of will, she lifted the cabinet upward. It swayed slightly as it rose. Frowning with concentration, she turned it away from the wall like a door and carefully set it down again, a few faren scampering away from their webs in alarm.

Sonea let out the breath, and realized that her heart was beating fast. If anyone discovered what she was doing now, there would be no end of trouble for her. Looking through the glass, she was relieved to find none of the cabinet’s contents was out of place. Walking around the back she found that the object behind the cabinet was only a small painting. She looked at the back of the cabinet and drew in a breath in amazement.

A small square had been cut into the back. She slipped her fingernails into the crack, and the square of wood slipped out easily, revealing the ends of rolled up papers and a few books.

Her heart was racing now. She hesitated, wary of reaching inside. This square hole had been created by someone. Had it been there all along? Or had someone cut it later, so that they could take something unnoticed? Her senses did not detect a barrier over the hole, or any other magic. She slipped a hand in and gently pulled out one of the scrolls.

It was a plan of the Magicians’ Quarters. She inspected it carefully but could find no hidden passages marked. Replacing it, she drew forth another. This time it was a plan detailing the Novices’ Quarters. No secret passages there, either.

The third scroll she pulled out showed a map of the University and her pulse quickened. But nothing mysterious or unusual was marked on it. Disappointed, Sonea replaced it and was about to pick up another when something caught her eye.

Jutting up from between the pages of one of the books was a slip of paper. Curious, she eased the book out from between its neighbors.

“The Magiks of the Werld,”
she read aloud. It was one of the early texts used in history class. Under the title was written, in faded ink: “High Lord’s copy.”

A chill went through her. Suddenly she wanted to replace the book, put the cabinet back in place, and get out of the library as quickly as possible. Taking a deep breath, she pushed her fears aside. The library was locked. Even if Jullen or Tya returned, she would hear them coming. Though she would have to move fast, she could probably put the cabinet back before they entered the storeroom.

Opening the book where the slip of paper lay, she examined the pages and recognized some of the text. Nothing strange or unusual explained the marker. Shrugging, she lay the paper bookmark back over the page.

Then her heart skipped. Three tiny, hand-drawn maps of the University had been sketched on the slip of paper—one for each level. Looking closer, she felt a thrill of excitement. On other maps the walls were thick lines; on this they were hollow, and doors were indicated in them where she knew there were none. Mysterious little crosses had been marked
inside
the walls. The third map, of the ground floor, showed a spider’s web of passages
outside
the University walls.

She had found it! A map of the passages under the University. Or, more accurately, a map of passages
throughout
the University.

Clutching the map, she stepped back from the cabinet. Should she take it, or would someone notice it missing? Perhaps she could copy it. How much time did she have left? Could she memorize it?

Looking down at the map, she traced the passages with her eyes. She noted a little symbol drawn on one of the inner walls next to the Magicians’ Library. Looking closer, she realized it was the wall she was standing next to, marking a place just about…

Turning, she stared at the painting hanging behind the cabinet.
Why hang a painting behind a cabinet?
Sonea took the frame, lifted it and caught her breath.

A neat square hole had been cut into the wall. Peering inside, she could see a corresponding square of light illuminating a stone wall beyond, an arm’s length away.

Hastily, she let the painting fall again. Her heart was pounding now. This was no coincidence. Whoever had made that hole had created it to reach the cabinet.

It might have been done centuries ago. Or it might have been made recently. Looking down at the map again, she knew she could not memorize it, and now that she knew that someone might return to the cabinet and notice it missing, she dared not take it with her. But she couldn’t leave empty-handed. An opportunity to get into the cabinet might not come again.

Running to Lord Jullen’s desk she found a thin sheet of paper, a pen and his inkwell. Laying the paper over the map, she began tracing as quickly as she could. Her mouth was dry as she worked, her breathing unsteady. It seemed to take much too long, but finally she was done. Folding the tracing up, she put it in a pocket in her robe.

Only then did she hear the faint sound of footsteps approaching the library. Cursing softly, she hastily cleaned Jullen’s pen and put it away. Running to the storeroom, she replaced the map in the book and slid it back on the shelf. As she pressed the square of wood back into place she heard the footsteps pause at the library door. Dancing away from the wall, she focused her mind on the cabinet.

Steady.
Taking a deep breath, she lifted it and turned it back against the wall.

The library door clicked shut.

“Sonea?”

Realizing she was shaking, Sonea decided she didn’t trust her voice.

“Mmm?” she replied.

Tya appeared in the storeroom doorway. “Are you done?”

Nodding, Sonea picked up the empty boxes.

“I’m sorry I took so long.” Tya frowned. “You look a bit…unsettled.”

“It’s a bit spooky in here,” Sonea admitted. “But I’m fine.”

Tya smiled. “Yes, it can be. But, thanks to you, it’s all done and we can finally get some sleep.”

As Sonea followed Tya out of the library, she placed a hand over the pocket where the map was hidden, and smiled.

Sonea took a deep breath as she entered Yikmo’s practice room. Keeping her eyes lowered, she stopped just inside the door.

“My lord,” she began. “I apologize for disobeying you the other night. You helped me and I was rude.”

Yikmo was silent for a moment, then he chuckled. “You don’t have to apologize for that, Sonea.”

Looking up, she was relieved to see that he was smiling. He pointed to a seat and she obediently sat down.

“You have to understand that this is what I do,” he told her. “I take novices who are having difficulties with Warrior Skills training and find out why. In all cases but yours, however, the novices I have taught have sought my help willingly. When they realize that I am going to raise personal matters that may be the cause of their problems, they have three choices: accept my method of teaching, find another teacher, or choose another discipline.

“But you? You’re here only because your guardian wishes it.” He looked at her directly. “Am I right?”

Sonea nodded.

“It’s hard to like what one is not good at.” The magician regarded her levelly. “Do you want to be better at this discipline, Sonea?”

She shrugged. “Yes.”

His eyes narrowed. “I suspect you are saying only what you believe you ought to say, Sonea. I will not repeat your answer to your guardian, if that is what you fear. I will not regard you badly if you say you do not. Consider the question carefully. Do you
really
wish to master this art?”

Looking away, Sonea thought of Regin and his followers. Perhaps if what Yikmo taught her helped her to defend herself…but with so many novices allied against her what use was there in skill and strategy?

Was there any other reason to improve? She certainly didn’t care about gaining the High Lord’s approval—and even if she became as proficient as Yikmo or Balkan, she would never have the strength to fight Akkarin.

But one day the Guild might discover the truth about the High Lord. She wanted to be there to lend her strength in the fight. It would only increase the chances of beating him if she was good at Warrior Skills, too.

She straightened. Yes,
that
was a good reason to improve her skills. She might not enjoy Warrior Skills classes, but if they helped the Guild oust Akkarin one day she should learn all she could.

She looked up at Yikmo. “If it’s hard to like what one isn’t good at, will I like it more when I am better at it?”

The Warrior smiled broadly. “Yes. I promise that you will. Not all the time, though. We all have to suffer defeat from time to time, and I don’t know anyone who enjoys that.” He paused, his expression sobering. “But first we have some tougher matters to attend to. You have many weaknesses to overcome, and what you witnessed during the Purge has brought about most of them. Fear of killing has made you reluctant to strike and knowing that you are stronger than others makes you even more cautious. You have to learn to trust yourself. You have to learn the limits of your strength and Control—and I have devised some exercises that will help you do that. This afternoon we have the use of the Arena.”