King Edward, Part VIAnonymous) <J ^ o"$x'+.U3Z69<King Edward, Part VI Chap 6: Training The day Edward was to leave the Archmagister summoned him,presented him with a mithril staff and bade him farewell. Back in his small cell Edward removed his novitiate robeand donned the grey shirt, black pants and red sash he'd wornto the Tower. He fingered the sash lovingly. His mother hadpurchased the shirt and pants, saying they looked sturdy andmaybe wouldn't show the dirt from the journey. Moraelyn hadgiven him the silk sash with its embroidery of twined leaves and flowers, birds and butterflies in mithril, dwarvenand elven metallic threads. But he'd waited until they were across thechannel. Aliera had said it cost too dear; she'd suggestedcutting down one of Moraelyn's old ones to fit, but the elf had adamantly refused to lether have any of them. Edward smiled, remembering, andwrapped the sash twice round his waist then knotted the endscarefully. He took the staff and ran down to meet hisparents. He'd meant to fling himself at them, but Moraelyn was alone and Edward stopped still."Where's my mother? Is she--?" "She wanted to stay and choose a horse for you. Didn't trustit to Beech." "A horse? For me! Really?" "Of course. You can't walk all the way to Morrowwind." "I thought I'd have to ride behind--someone. Look, theArchmagister gave me my staff! Isn't it beautiful?" The elf took it and hefted it, trying a few swings andfeints. "Good balance and weight for thee, I think. Light forme. Show me how you use it. Suppose I attack you." He usedhis bare hands and Edward fell into a defensive position,blocked him, then thrust the staff toward Moraelyn's ribs. Hedanced easily aside, but praised the boy. "A mage should have a dagger, too. I thought you might liketo have Tooth here." Edward's eye popped. Tooth had anebony blade and a hilt made from a real dragon's tooth. The elf slid it from its sheath and handed it to Edward who took it carefully.The blade had a wicked point and the edge was sharp enough toshave with. Mats borrowed it sometimes. He'd carved the hilt,too. "Are you sure Mats doesn't mind?" "Quite sure." Moraelyn unbuckled his belt and slid the sheath off it. There was a new belt forEdward of snakeskin, soft and pliable and a buckle with the black rose of Morrowwind on it, just likeMoraelyn's. "It's from the Companions." He knelt to fit thebelt and dagger and the sash over it properly, and Edward threw his arms about his neck."It's wonderful. I do thank thee and them, too! And oh, I'vemissed all of thee so much." "We missed you, too, son. Let's go or we'll miss our tide." "I wouldn't want to worry mother," he said, trying tosound casual about having a mother that would worry abouthim. "No fear; I told her not to look for us until tomorrownight....just in case. But we'll surprise her." "Good thinking." They made good speed and reached the inlet before the tidewas full. "Shall I show you how to use Tooth, or would you ratherrest?" "Tooth! I can rest in the boat while you work." Moraelyn shielded himself and Edward too, saying thatTooth's bite was no joke. "I could have shielded myself,"Edward said proudly. "I'm good at that. But my Heals goall wrong." "It'll come. Give it time." Evidently Tooth wanted time too. Try as he might, hecouldn't get near the elf with the blade, even thoughMoraelyn kept his feet planted and simply swerved his body,ducking and weaving...and laughing. Frustrated, Edward sheathed Tooth and picked up the staff and whacked at him,swinging it with both hands. It wasn't doing any harm, butit made satisfying sounds as it thwacked against the spellshield. Moraelyn let him hit, but stopped the staff easilywhen the spell had been used up. Edward threw it on the ground and turned away; the elf reached for him inconsolation. Edward snatched Tooth from the sheath andthrust it straight at the elf's heart. The blade was knockedspinning from his hand. Edward had braced to stop the thrustand hold it and he felt the shock even through his shield. Then Moraelyn waskneeling before him, nursing his left hand across his right knee, his face grey with shock and disbelief. Blood wasgushing from his wrist like a fountain. "Give me thy sash!" "I--I didn't--" Edward's teeth were rattling in his head. Hefelt sick and dizzy. Bile washed up in his mouth. "D-d-didn't--m-m-mean." So much blood. "Boy, don't faint now. I need thy aid. The sash. Now, Edward! Pack it into the wound. Gods, what a mess!" The hand washalf severed at the wrist. Edward sat down abruptly,shaking all over, but his hands packed the sash into the open wound, then he wrapped therest round the hand and wrist. "Take my sash and make a sling." Moraelyn eased the injuredlimb into the sling and then released his other hand. He tookthe water bottle from his belt and drank it down. "I needmore water. Where's thy staff? There's a well two milesback. Where's Tooth? Go find it and don't cut yourself onit." "I don't want it." "Not many blades have bathed in Moraelyn's blood. 'Twillbring you luck. Do as I say." "The tide's in." "Aye and Firsthold could be on Jone for all the good it doesus. I can't row one handed." "I could--" "No, you cannot. You haven't the strength. The current'sswift here. I prefer to die on land. Edward, we cannot stayhere. The blood smell will draw beasts. If I faint, get well away and climb a tree. And pray." He climbedto his feet and leaned on the staff, breathing hard. "Stayclose, but don't grab at me, no matter what happens." He tooka small step, then another. "I'm sorry." "Doubtless. You picked a poor time and place to turnassassin. A good assassin always has an escape planned." "Yessir." Edward sniffed back his tears. "Sir, I cannotHeal you, but I can restore some vigor." "Can you? 'T'would be of great help." The spell Edwardcast shook the elf; he gasped, but stood straighter and firmerafter the shock wore off. "I can do it again," Edward offered eagerly. "Nay. You have plenty of power but want finesse. But 'tis much better, now." Moraelyn was walking better; he sounded better too. Edwardtried to blot the picture of the injury out of his mind. Theymoved slowly, Moraelyn leaning against a tree from time to time to rest. Nothingmolested them. After an interminable time of silenttravelling they reached the old well. Moraelyn drained thefirst bottle and Edward refilled it, drank himself, thenfilled it yet again. "We'll spend the night in there." 'There' was a largeramshackle building, apparently deserted. The elf kickedthe locked door open. Inside it was pitch dark. "Light?"Edward offered. "Nay. I can see. Save your power and stay by me." Therewas a skittering noise. Rats! Edward shielded them bothwithout thinking, pulled Tooth out, and placed his back tothe elf's. A rat leaped and drove itself onto the blade.Moraelyn swung the staff and laid out two more. Othersscurried off. "Well done, lad!" They found a small windowless room and shut the door behind them. Thereseemed to be some wood about; probably it had been some sort of storage room off the kitchen. Moraelyn sat downagainst the wall. "So. You can use a knife. Was all that pretense? To put meoff my guard?" Edward was appalled. He burst into tears, protesting thathe'd never harm Moraelyn willingly. "I meant it for jest;I thought it'd make you laugh...I was angry, at first, butat myself, my clumsiness, not you...it was a sudden thought....I love you dear!" The elf reached out with his good arm and pulled Edwarddown to him. "That's worth a hand, then, any day." Edward sobbed against his shoulder while Moraelyn soothed him withpats. "You are my real father." "Edward, I am not..." "Nay, thou art. Thee puts my well-being ahead of thine andloves me when I least deserve it. Thee's been kind andgenerous and never asked anything of me save to my ownprofit. Thee'd give thy very life for mine. That's what realfathers do. And I've given thee naught but pain. He who siredme despises me and my mother because we are unlike him. We arenot like you either, and yet you love us well. I will dobetter by you, dear Father." "I gave thee cause enough for offense. I took thy mother fromthee." "You risked losing her because you would not part me frommy father. You did not know me and my father was your bitterenemy. And yet you took thought for us. You could not know how unnatural he is. It isn't in you." "Granted. And yet the offense and your anger at itremain." "I love you!" Edward protested. But he heard an angry edgein his voice. "And hate me." Moraelyn's voice was so calm and quiet thatthey might have been discussing the weather. "I can't do both....can I?" "Can you?" "I didn't mean to hurt you." "I believe you." "Am I -- am I, evil? I _was_ sorry; I'd give anything if ithadn't happened, but--I--". "Took some measure of satisfaction in it." Edward's throat was choked with sobs; he couldn't speak, butnodded into Moraelyn's shoulder. The elf's hand stroked himgently. "Did I'ric tell you of the Daedra?" "The demons? No. Is it a demon makes me do such things? I amevil, then." "No, you are not. But the daedra feed on actions such asthat. They--encourage them. And your anger draws them. Butthey can't make you do anything. And they or it's not insideyou. But it is connected to you." "I don't want it. I want it to go away. How can I make it goaway?" "Why don't you want it? You draw power from it. That's what let you shield us both with the rats attacked." "Mana? That doesn't come from demons." "No, but the ability to use it can. Look, some of your deedsfeed the daedra. But you draw power from it at the sametime. Then the power's yours, to use as you choose." "Do you have a daedra?" "I do and it's a big one, too, but I think everyone has oneor more. Some are stronger than others, that's all. Butdon't go around asking after them. It's not polite." "I want mine to go away!" Edward wailed. "So you say. But pretending it isn't there will not accomplish that. Having a daedrais a bit like riding a horse. You must keep control. The daedra do not care for you. It would as lief feed off yourpain or injury or death as any other, and find a new host. Theydo not think or plan as we can and I do not think theyexperience time as we do. So acts that feed the daedra takeplace in the moment and while you are caught up in them, pastand future cease to exist for you too. It is an intenselypleasurable experience, but it can also be very dangerous.And very addictive, so that you begin to think only offeeding your daedra. You cease to think of the gods and thoseyou love and even yourself. When you have walked too far along that path, you lose the will to choose another." "How terrible! What must I do then?" "It is terrible, the worst that can befall a person.Remember this night. How you felt. Learn to recognize thedaedra's hunger for what it is, and think about what you do. You are young and this isheavy for you, but you are at risk. Ah!" The elf's bodystiffened and he caught his breath. Edward guessed that the wound was paining him. Moraelyn said that he must sleep a bit, and could Edwardkeep watch and wake him in an hour's time. Then he could set alock on the door and they could both rest. "Aye, sir...and I might do somewhat more. I cannot set alock, but..." The door would not latch, nor would it stayopen, but would swing nearly shut. Edward felt about nearthe wall behind it and found a wedge. He shut the door anddrove the wedge home with a chunk of wood. "I thought so. 'Tis awkward to pass such a door with both arms full of wood. Wehave such at ho--in Gerald's palace. Now anything trying tocome in will rouse you; you can use your power to cast healinstead of lock." "Why, well thought of, indeed." He freed his blade and laid it on the floor beside him. "We may aswell both sleep then." They slept fitfully. There were often scrabblings at thedoor and in the walls, but nothing entered their smallcloset. Moraelyn cast Heal several time during the night.By morning he pronounced himself as fit "as a one-handed mancan be." He unwrapped the sash-bandage and inspected the wound. The bleeding was stopped; the hand was still warm tothe touch; it no longer hurt him nor was it swollen ordiscolored. But the wound was still open and the handuseless. Nerves and muscles had been severed and some of thesmall bones broken. Such repair was beyond his skill.Edward, feeling the daedra feed on the sight, turned quicklyaway. Moraelyn grinned. "You may as well let it feed; it's aharmless sort of feeding. The damage is done." "I mean to starve it," Edward said firmly. "You can try to do that or you can learn to control itinstead, and still walk with the gods. I think we'd best goback to the Tower." "Aye, they'll be able to heal you there, will they not?" "I know not. At the least they'll be able to attach it more firmly than it is at present. Ah, do not look so downcast. The skill to mend it is somewhere, if not in the Tower.Ssa'ass is good with battle injuries and there are Temples which know moreof the healing arts than the Tower mages. Besides, it's onlymy left hand." He held up the wadded sash, stiff with his dried blood. "The color's more practical than thy motherthought. Let's see if we can wash it out a bit. Never have Icome so ill-equipped on a journey. I might have beenstrolling down the main street in Ebonheart. Thy mother willkill me." "Right after she kills me," Edward sighed. "At leastreturning to the Tower will delay that." They came out into the bright courtyard. The morning sun wasalready high in the western sky. "Not so. Edward, the Companions are coming now! I hearthem. Mara, let me think of a real good lie!" Mith trotted into the courtyard. "Here they are!" he calledback to the others. By Torgo, you ARE injured. Let me seethat. We thought to row across to meet you; we saw the blood on the shore and tracked you here. What attacked you?" "A demon." "A demon! What!? In the open like that in daylight? Gods,what was it carrying, an ebony dai-katana?" Mith whistledas he inspected the injury. Aliera and the others ran up.She hugged Edward, "Are you all right, darling? I was worried." then paled as shesaw her husband's hand. "You must be slowing down. How'd you let a demon do that to you?" Mith demanded. "It was the boy...he grabbed at my arm in fright and myshield spell failed. It wasn't his fault; it was anaccident. Ali, don't look at it. Edward, why don't you takethy mother to see the rat you killed?" "I want to watch Ssa'ass," Edward objected, thenremembered that it would feed his daedra. But he mightlearn something about healing if he watched, which would be agood thing. This was going to be more complicated than he'dthought. "Oh, Edward," Aliera said. "You must keep clear in afight." "He killed a rat in the old inn there, after. Did right well.Kept his head, put his back to mine, shielded us both.Anyone's apt to panic in his first fight. Especially if he isn't expecting it." Ssa'ass came up last, as usual, elbowed the others aside and inspected the injury, hissing. "I cannfixxxx thissss. It'ss cleann." He looked it over carefully,bending the hand back to open the wound. Then he brought the hand forward, so that the edges of the tissue met. He wasvery particular about getting it aligned just so. Then hehad Mats hold it in place while he cast spells over it. Allouter traces of the injury vanished, leaving not even ascar. Moraelyn swung it with satisfaction, twitching his fingers. "Thanks, Ssa'ass. It's stiff, but..." "Tomorrow, I ffinissshhh." "My poor baby," Aliera fussed over Edward. "You must havebeen so frightened. And you spent the whole night in that awful house?" "I'm not a baby. I wasn't afraid; my father was there."