Wielder: Apprentice: Book 1 of Lady Shey's Story (The Wielder Cycle) (7 page)

Sheyna shrugged her shoulders.

“I see. Well, Marella insisted that she train in the Tower of Morgoran if you should train there. However, since you are staying, she is wrought with anger. Maybe not at you, but at something. Mindwielders have notorious tempers.”

“So, is she why I am staying here to train? I am confused.”

“Marella? Certainly not. She does have some persuasive power through the station of her king father, but when it comes to the true business of wielding, not even kings dare interfere. Ianthill and Morgoran, two members of the First Trine, sent word that they wanted you to stay put. All three of the First Trine are coming here to assess the situation, and one will most likely apprentice you. It is an exciting time for you, I would think.”

Sheyna knew she should be happy about the news, but what about Marella? She had been the closest person to a friend she had. Even if the girl was spoiled and hard to get along with, she liked her. “What about Marella?”

“I thought you two got off on the wrong foot, yet both of you insist on being placed with the other.”

“I just know she will not look too kindly upon the First Trine coming here to apprentice me and not her.”

“Hmm.” Enowene did not appear to completely buy into her statement. “Marella is predominantly a mindwielder. She did keep you safe here in the tower.”

“She did? How?”

“It might be a good idea to keep her near you. She might be able to protect you in ways no other could.”

“What are you talking about? Please tell me,” Sheyna pleaded.

“Mindwielders can create illusions in the minds of others. They can make people see what they want them to see. They can create a scene of something that isn’t really there. Marella created such a scene and convinced the person hunting for you that you were no longer a threat.”

“Why would she do such a thing?”

“I believe she acted out of instinct. You were in danger, and she reacted.”

“I don’t remember any of this.”

“You were sleeping when it all occurred. Regardless, she bought you some time.” Enowene changed the subject nonchalantly. “I think we should dye your hair blonde and give you a different color dress to wear now. I think if we change your appearance, you will remain safe for quite some time.”

Sheyna decided to let her change the subject. “All right. I will go along with that. I have often wondered how to change hair color. Only, could I ask for several colored dresses? Why must I wear one color?”

“Traditionally the color of the dress signifies the level of your achievement. The blue dress you chose to steal off the line was for new apprentices. Marella wears grey for one who has studied for over a year but is still not apprenticed to a wielder. It is a bit more difficult to apprentice a mindwielder; they require so much more specialized training. When she wears a different color it will mean she is apprenticed.”

“I don’t mean to interrupt, and this is all very interesting, but unnecessary. Just tell me what color you wish me to wear.”

It was clear that Enowene was frustrated at the interruption, but she recovered from it quickly. The fact was that Sheyna didn’t care what the colors meant. She just wanted clean dresses. She hoped for multicolored ones, but she realized if she wore a yellow dress or some other color not normally worn by the apprentices, she would call attention to herself.

“Since you have not been apprenticed formally, I am going to put you in grey. I do not personally take apprentices, but I will train you until the First Trine arrives to start the selection process.”

“Thank you, mistress.”

“Be here tomorrow morning bright and early. Follow Marella when she goes to her classes and come here at the same hour.” Not knowing what else to do, Sheyna bowed awkwardly. “That’s all,” Enowene said, waving her along with the back of her hand.

When Sheyna returned to the common room between her bedchamber and Marella’s, she peeked carefully around Marella’s half-closed door. Marella was not home. Sheyna had hoped to have a conversation with her about what she learned from Enowene, but it would have to wait. She thought that if she tried to include Marella in her life and goings on, the girl might soften up to her some. Maybe it was a foolish notion.

She went into her bedchamber and used essence to light the oil lamp like Marella had shown her. The second night Sheyna stayed in the chamber, Marella scorned and scolded her for not knowing such a simple task as lighting a lamp, and had reluctantly showed her.

Sheyna felt in her pocket for the jade statuette, finding it there, and absently looked out her window. Curiously, there was a shadow appearing on the left side of the windowsill as if someone stood just outside and to the right, out of sight. The sun was shining from the opposite direction. Any shadows should be falling to the right, not the left of the windowsill. If someone stood to the right of the window, she would not be able to see the shadow at all. She leaped to the window and pressed her face hard against the glass to see what or who was standing beside the window. The shadow flowed away; she saw no one.

“You don’t know what you have, do you.”

Sheyna whirled around and let out a screech. Kyrie stood with his hands on his hips at the doorway. Sheyna reacted instinctively and rushed a column of essence through her fingers at the small Kylerie elf. He deflected it without a care.

“Weak, very weak. You still have much to learn here.”

“What do you want? Were you just outside my window?”

“The little statue, and no, I wasn’t.”

”Why do you want my trinket, and aye, I just saw your shadow outside the window, you little liar!”

“It’s enchanted.” He went to the window and peered out. “You must be so careful, so careful. There are things in the night watching you.”

“
So
, what does that mean?”

“It means I want the trinket, and it means you are in danger.” He shook his head. “I don’t want your statuette because you enchanted it, I want it because it was already enchanted before.”

“Oh yeah, by whom? My mother gave me this statue. You can take it from me, but I will always be able to recover it.”

“It was enchanted by dragons, silly girl. It’s a soul well.”

Marella entered the common chamber, whistling. She shrieked as soon as she saw Kyrie and cast a ball of essence at him. He deflected it, and it crashed into the wall, leaving a round depression.

“You girls sure are quick on the attack. It is possible that I could be friendly, you know.”

“I remember you are fond of turning into things.” Marella stepped deliberately toward him.

“Wait, what are you doing? You can’t force me to . . .” He shifted into a small wooden table.

“I can’t stay in his mind long; go get Mistress Enowene,” Marella stated.

Sheyna had an idea. She used her ability to enchant and concentrated on the table.
I have to hit this just right
, she thought. She released the enchantment, and Marella staggered back. Kyrie was stuck as an enchanted table.

“What was that?” Marella asked with surprise.

“Hurry, my enchantments don’t always last. Help me get this table down to Enowene.”

Marella grabbed a side of the table. It wasn’t heavy. The two girls traveled down the stairs. The table started wiggling, and Marella dropped it. Sheyna tried to recover, but the Kylerie elf shifted back and scurried down a hallway at the bottom of the stairway, much too fast for the girls to follow even though they tried. They had chased him only a few doors down from Enowene’s chamber when he disappeared.

Marella chuckled. “That was amazing. I have never seen anyone enchant something before.”

“A lot of good it did. It wore off entirely too soon.”

“I am sure he used some of his own magic to break free as well. It was still a brilliant move for you to enchant him.”

Sheyna grinned.

Marella pointed to Enowene’s chamber door. “Enowene should know about this.”

Sheyna nodded. “All right, let’s go talk to her.”

Enowene locked down the tower in a search of the strange little thief, but even after several hours of searching, nothing had turned up but a pair of muddied, tiny footprints leading from the flower bed one story below Sheyna’s window. Mistress Enowene would not allow Marella or Sheyna to return to their chambers until she had the two girls’ rooms searched for the mischievous Kylerie elf.

Sheyna took the opportunity to sneak out of the tower and find her former hiding place where the broken wall met the old, disused guard tower. Enowene had Sheyna’s personal items cleared from the site, the day she moved into the tower, and taken up to her room, but the headmistress had not yet made the repairs to seal off the wall. Buried at the base of the slab of stone Sheyna had used as a makeshift table, wrapped in oilcloth, were two shiny daggers. Her mother had once carried them, and Sheyna was under the impression they had belonged to her father, whom she had never met. Sheyna opened the cloth and inspected the daggers. Satisfied that they were rust-free and intact, she folded the cloth back around them and tucked them under her arm. She avoided the other girls and took an unorthodox route back to her room, which Enowene had deemed devoid of hidden creatures. Thankfully, Marella had not yet returned from her studies. Sheyna had time to hide the daggers.

When Marella did return to the common room, she appeared content, as if nothing had happened before. The pretty blonde girl opened a book and sat it down at the table, pouring over the book’s pages. Sheyna curiously approached her.

“What, you’re reading?” Sheyna asked. “You don’t seem concerned at all.”

Marella glanced up from her book. “That weird little elf isn’t after anything of mine. The rooms were searched. Really, Sheyna, what do you expect of me? You’ve already changed how I live here in the tower. I will not cower in the corner, not with you here to wield alongside.”

After a moment of silent, contemplative staring, Sheyna spoke. “You feel safer with me around?” She felt honored and terrified all at once.

Marella nodded. “Aye, I do. You
have
made my stay in this tower more interesting, of that I’m certain. You are quite, how do I put this, creative!”

Sheyna sat down at the table, opposite Marella. “You must consider me a good friend, then.”

Marella flinched. “Let’s take it one step at a time, shall we? I still don’t understand why you’re here exactly. Mistress Enowene says you are important, but she would not say any more about you to convince me. I’m no fool; I suspect you are considered special for that enchantment ability you displayed. In fact, the more I am around you, the more of you I see. Perhaps your actions will tell me all I need to know about you.”

“Perhaps.” Marella garnered Sheyna’s interest. “What else did she tell you about me?”

“Didn’t you hear me? She wouldn’t say any more about you.”

“Are you sure?” Sheyna asked. “This is important, and you didn’t take as long as I thought you would to warm up to me.”

“Aye, I’m certain.” Marella cupped her chin in thought. “Wait . . . except that she did go on to say she wouldn’t be able to apprentice you personally. One of the First Trine must teach you.”

“She told me that as well. Does that mean something to you?”

“It means that when you’re to be chosen to be an apprentice, someone from the First Trine will choose you. That’s unheard of. It is the equivalent of a king choosing a peasant to become their heir.”

Sheyna shook her head. “I still don’t understand what you are talking about.”

Marella pushed back her chair from the table. “I will explain it to you, although I don’t understand how you are so important if you can’t even think this through on your own.”

Sheyna ignored the sarcasm.

“You understand what a wielder is, right? And you know about the First Trine?

“Aye, I learned about wielders from Enowene’s private lessons. A wielder is one who may draw upon the magic essence of all things and wield magic, and the First Trine are the wielders who ruled the kingdoms before the highlord came to power. They wander around now visiting villages and talking to elders about crops and weather.”