A Song of Snow and Ashes by S.J. Drew
odd, gold light.
Davin was surprised, but kept quiet.
She went over the process on her mind, thinking of all the characteristics she wanted the Mark to have, all the subtle layers of enchantment that had to fit together perfect to create one complex effect. She gently traced out the shape of a bow on his arm above the elbow. The Mark glowed gold for a moment, then faded after she released him. "How long did that take?" she asked, opening her eyes.
"About five minutes. But there's nothing there."
"Of course not. I didn't want the Mark to be obvious. Just rub your hand over it for a second and think about making it appear."
"Alright," he replied skeptically. He rubbed his arm, as instructed, and then moved his hand. "Hey, it's there," he remarked, clearly surprised. After a moment, it faded away again.
"You shouldn't sound so shocked," she said in a teasing voice. "I knew I could do it. And I see no reason why such a thing should interfere with using other magic."
He tugged his sleeve back down and shivered. "Glad I could be of service. But don't ask me to show the Council this. I don't want them thinking I want to actually be a Hunter, whatever that is."
"Of course not." After a moment, she ventured a question. "Why don't you want to be a Hunter?" she asked cautiously.
"I'm not a warrior, not for the demians, and not for the LightBearer," he replied harshly. "No offense to you personally."
"Of course not." After a few minutes, she said, "We should do something. I'm so pleased this actually worked I feel like celebrating or something. I think I'll head to the dining hall and beat some people at chess." She stood up and headed to the branches. "Are you coming?" she asked.
"No thanks," he replied, staring at the sky.
Frowning slightly, she descended the ladder and went to the dining hall. The young men seemed pleased to see her, and she was immediately dealt into a card game. She went to bed at a decent hour and fell into a dreamless sleep.
"Well, my Lady, your time is up. What have you got for us?" Hialmar asked immediately.
"I have figured out a way to endow a magical Mark on a willing subject."
Jomei gave her a quizzical look. "How long does this take?"
"Only about five minutes, and I'm sure it won't interfere with other magic. And I'm ready to demonstrate if I can have a volunteer," she answered quickly, hoping to avoid any questions about whether she had already done tests. She wanted to respect Davin's privacy, but she didn't want to outright lie.
The men looked a little apprehensive, but Hialmar came forward. "Alright. I'll go first. What do I need to do?"
"Pull up your left sleeve and allow me to concentrate."
He did so, and in five minutes, the golden bow Mark was set on his arm.
"Just rub your hand over the area for a few seconds, think about making it appear, and it will be visible for about ten seconds," she explained.
"That's amazing," Jomei commented after Hialmar demonstrated its effectiveness. "Will this be permanent?"
"It ought to be, although I confess I have no way of knowing that for sure."
"Why did you pick a bow?" the priest asked.
"It's what hunters in this area use, right?"
He nodded. "Very good."
"Well, Jomei, will this satisfy your brethren?" Hialmar asked.
"Yes, I think so."
"Good. Then Eliora will go talk to them tomorrow."
"So soon?" he blurted, surprised.
"It's already taken a lot longer than I wanted," he replied, a bit angrily.
"I should warn them."
"If you can do it by tomorrow, go ahead. But Hialmar is right. We've wasted a lot of time. I'll go tomorrow," Eliora spoke up. "We need as many allies within the trades as we can get before the spring thaw, when their activity is sure to increase."
The next day, Jomei told the Council that the Order was expecting Eliora, and gave her a time to show up at the main Temple of Day in Renfrew. He also advised her to wear a proper dress, she guessed so that she would look less foreign and less rural. She was cautioned by everyone to be careful in case the ShadowWalker was around, and she was instructed to appear and disappear directly in the building, in the main worship room. A little before midday in Tallis Marrom, she vanished.
The building she entered was made of white stone and two stories high. The main worship room's ceiling was the full two stories, supported with graceful stone arches. The spandrels were decorated with intricate, knot-like carvings. The floor was made of gray, square stone tiles. The arch-shaped windows were at the height of the second story, and were set with clear glass panes cut with slight, clever angles designed to scatter light across the room. The room was divided in half, with solid wooden benches stretching back from the altar to the main double doors. The double doors were a pale wood, decorated with the same knot-like carvings. The sides of the benches also bore these carvings. The altar area was raised up a few inches from the rest of the floor. The altar itself was a massive piece of solid white marble with a few streaks of gold running through it. In front of the altar was a wooden podium, which she assumed held up the Book of Sol for services. The back of the altar was covered in tapestries with abstract knot-like patterns in rich hues of purple and blue, with silver and gold threads. To the right of the altar on the eastern side was the Wall of Jubilation, a three-tiered wooden shelf system, again intricately carved, that held rows of different colored candles. To the left was the Wall of Lament, an identical shelf system with subtly tinted black candles.
"This is so opulent," she thought, taking in her surroundings and remembering the temples in Nahaar. All of them had been identical in style and furnishing. Even the largest temple, the two-story main building at the center of the city, had a worship room that was only one story, and it contained long, low cushions for seating, much larger Walls, a smaller altar, and no decoration of any kind. Seeing no one around, she walked up to the shelves. "The Walls haven't even been used. They don't even have incense or fire-starters. What a waste of money to put all these up and not use them." Then she noticed the two normal-sized doors on the back wall of the altar area, near the side walls. "I thought Jomei told me the clerics here were taught to counsel people. But these doors are nearly hidden. Do they not want visitors?"
The door on the left suddenly opened, and a short, skinny, pale, priestess walked out. She was wearing the robes of an acolyte and looked to be Eliora's age, or a little younger. "Excuse me, miss, but the temple is closed for services right now. Please leave and note the sign on the door." Her tone was unmistakably condescending.
Eliora realized she still had her hood up. She lowered it. "I have an appointment to see the head of your Order today."
The acolyte gave her an appraising look, her watery green eyes resting mostly on Eliora's dark complexion and braided black hair. "I think you may be mistaken."
"Did Jomei forget to tell these people what I look like?" she thought. "Or did he forget that it might matter?" With a frown, she replied, "I'm not mistaken. The priest Jomei of Tallis Marrom should have warned the Head Priest of my arrival. I was told to come here at this time."
"Well, no one told me," she replied haughtily.
Now Eliora was starting to get a little upset, but she kept calm. "Iridescent," she called in the Light language.
One appeared beside her.
The pale acolyte gasped.
"Can you find the Head Priest of this Order for me?"
"Yes, Mistress," it replied, and disappeared.
"How-how did you do that?" asked the girl, looking confused.
She didn't answer.
The acolyte scurried off without another word.
In less than a minute, the iridescent returned.
"I have found this priest."
"Lead me to him."
The creature bowed, and both of them vanished.
It lead her to a door in the back of the tem
ple building. As she raised her hand to knock, the acolyte she had met turned a corner in quite a hurry. She stopped upon seeing Eliora already there.
"Can I-can I go in first?" she asked in a small voice.
Graciously, she backed away from the door.
The acolyte knocked.
"What?" came a male voice.
"Um, she's here, sir."
The door was jerked open, and there stood a short, rather skinny, pale faced-man in his fifties, with graying blond hair, hazel eyes, a mustache and graying beard that didn't quite hide a weak chin. He was wearing a pair of gold-rimmed reading glasses and robes that were much more elaborate than the acolyte's, and even to Eliora's untrained eye, more expensive. He then bowed deeply. "My Lady. Please, come in." He shot an angry look to the acolyte. "You may go now."
She bowed nervously and scurried off again. The family resemblance between the acolyte and priest was unmistakable.
The office was large and elaborately furnished. Three walls were built in shelves of rich, red wood, stuffed full of leather bound books and scrolls in scroll cases. The desk was also of red wood, and the chairs were upholstered in brown leather. The stone floor was covered with a green and gold carpet. There were windows on one wall, the same style and cut as the main worship room. She guessed that this office was on the second floor.
He took a seat at the large, plush chair behind the desk and gestured for her to sit as well. "I'm High Priest Derry, head of the Order of Light in Renfrew." The only thing on his desk was a large book, bound in white leather with gold embossing on the cover
Davin was surprised, but kept quiet.
She went over the process on her mind, thinking of all the characteristics she wanted the Mark to have, all the subtle layers of enchantment that had to fit together perfect to create one complex effect. She gently traced out the shape of a bow on his arm above the elbow. The Mark glowed gold for a moment, then faded after she released him. "How long did that take?" she asked, opening her eyes.
"About five minutes. But there's nothing there."
"Of course not. I didn't want the Mark to be obvious. Just rub your hand over it for a second and think about making it appear."
"Alright," he replied skeptically. He rubbed his arm, as instructed, and then moved his hand. "Hey, it's there," he remarked, clearly surprised. After a moment, it faded away again.
"You shouldn't sound so shocked," she said in a teasing voice. "I knew I could do it. And I see no reason why such a thing should interfere with using other magic."
He tugged his sleeve back down and shivered. "Glad I could be of service. But don't ask me to show the Council this. I don't want them thinking I want to actually be a Hunter, whatever that is."
"Of course not." After a moment, she ventured a question. "Why don't you want to be a Hunter?" she asked cautiously.
"I'm not a warrior, not for the demians, and not for the LightBearer," he replied harshly. "No offense to you personally."
"Of course not." After a few minutes, she said, "We should do something. I'm so pleased this actually worked I feel like celebrating or something. I think I'll head to the dining hall and beat some people at chess." She stood up and headed to the branches. "Are you coming?" she asked.
"No thanks," he replied, staring at the sky.
Frowning slightly, she descended the ladder and went to the dining hall. The young men seemed pleased to see her, and she was immediately dealt into a card game. She went to bed at a decent hour and fell into a dreamless sleep.
"Well, my Lady, your time is up. What have you got for us?" Hialmar asked immediately.
"I have figured out a way to endow a magical Mark on a willing subject."
Jomei gave her a quizzical look. "How long does this take?"
"Only about five minutes, and I'm sure it won't interfere with other magic. And I'm ready to demonstrate if I can have a volunteer," she answered quickly, hoping to avoid any questions about whether she had already done tests. She wanted to respect Davin's privacy, but she didn't want to outright lie.
The men looked a little apprehensive, but Hialmar came forward. "Alright. I'll go first. What do I need to do?"
"Pull up your left sleeve and allow me to concentrate."
He did so, and in five minutes, the golden bow Mark was set on his arm.
"Just rub your hand over the area for a few seconds, think about making it appear, and it will be visible for about ten seconds," she explained.
"That's amazing," Jomei commented after Hialmar demonstrated its effectiveness. "Will this be permanent?"
"It ought to be, although I confess I have no way of knowing that for sure."
"Why did you pick a bow?" the priest asked.
"It's what hunters in this area use, right?"
He nodded. "Very good."
"Well, Jomei, will this satisfy your brethren?" Hialmar asked.
"Yes, I think so."
"Good. Then Eliora will go talk to them tomorrow."
"So soon?" he blurted, surprised.
"It's already taken a lot longer than I wanted," he replied, a bit angrily.
"I should warn them."
"If you can do it by tomorrow, go ahead. But Hialmar is right. We've wasted a lot of time. I'll go tomorrow," Eliora spoke up. "We need as many allies within the trades as we can get before the spring thaw, when their activity is sure to increase."
The next day, Jomei told the Council that the Order was expecting Eliora, and gave her a time to show up at the main Temple of Day in Renfrew. He also advised her to wear a proper dress, she guessed so that she would look less foreign and less rural. She was cautioned by everyone to be careful in case the ShadowWalker was around, and she was instructed to appear and disappear directly in the building, in the main worship room. A little before midday in Tallis Marrom, she vanished.
The building she entered was made of white stone and two stories high. The main worship room's ceiling was the full two stories, supported with graceful stone arches. The spandrels were decorated with intricate, knot-like carvings. The floor was made of gray, square stone tiles. The arch-shaped windows were at the height of the second story, and were set with clear glass panes cut with slight, clever angles designed to scatter light across the room. The room was divided in half, with solid wooden benches stretching back from the altar to the main double doors. The double doors were a pale wood, decorated with the same knot-like carvings. The sides of the benches also bore these carvings. The altar area was raised up a few inches from the rest of the floor. The altar itself was a massive piece of solid white marble with a few streaks of gold running through it. In front of the altar was a wooden podium, which she assumed held up the Book of Sol for services. The back of the altar was covered in tapestries with abstract knot-like patterns in rich hues of purple and blue, with silver and gold threads. To the right of the altar on the eastern side was the Wall of Jubilation, a three-tiered wooden shelf system, again intricately carved, that held rows of different colored candles. To the left was the Wall of Lament, an identical shelf system with subtly tinted black candles.
"This is so opulent," she thought, taking in her surroundings and remembering the temples in Nahaar. All of them had been identical in style and furnishing. Even the largest temple, the two-story main building at the center of the city, had a worship room that was only one story, and it contained long, low cushions for seating, much larger Walls, a smaller altar, and no decoration of any kind. Seeing no one around, she walked up to the shelves. "The Walls haven't even been used. They don't even have incense or fire-starters. What a waste of money to put all these up and not use them." Then she noticed the two normal-sized doors on the back wall of the altar area, near the side walls. "I thought Jomei told me the clerics here were taught to counsel people. But these doors are nearly hidden. Do they not want visitors?"
The door on the left suddenly opened, and a short, skinny, pale, priestess walked out. She was wearing the robes of an acolyte and looked to be Eliora's age, or a little younger. "Excuse me, miss, but the temple is closed for services right now. Please leave and note the sign on the door." Her tone was unmistakably condescending.
Eliora realized she still had her hood up. She lowered it. "I have an appointment to see the head of your Order today."
The acolyte gave her an appraising look, her watery green eyes resting mostly on Eliora's dark complexion and braided black hair. "I think you may be mistaken."
"Did Jomei forget to tell these people what I look like?" she thought. "Or did he forget that it might matter?" With a frown, she replied, "I'm not mistaken. The priest Jomei of Tallis Marrom should have warned the Head Priest of my arrival. I was told to come here at this time."
"Well, no one told me," she replied haughtily.
Now Eliora was starting to get a little upset, but she kept calm. "Iridescent," she called in the Light language.
One appeared beside her.
The pale acolyte gasped.
"Can you find the Head Priest of this Order for me?"
"Yes, Mistress," it replied, and disappeared.
"How-how did you do that?" asked the girl, looking confused.
She didn't answer.
The acolyte scurried off without another word.
In less than a minute, the iridescent returned.
"I have found this priest."
"Lead me to him."
The creature bowed, and both of them vanished.
It lead her to a door in the back of the tem
"Can I-can I go in first?" she asked in a small voice.
Graciously, she backed away from the door.
The acolyte knocked.
"What?" came a male voice.
"Um, she's here, sir."
The door was jerked open, and there stood a short, rather skinny, pale faced-man in his fifties, with graying blond hair, hazel eyes, a mustache and graying beard that didn't quite hide a weak chin. He was wearing a pair of gold-rimmed reading glasses and robes that were much more elaborate than the acolyte's, and even to Eliora's untrained eye, more expensive. He then bowed deeply. "My Lady. Please, come in." He shot an angry look to the acolyte. "You may go now."
She bowed nervously and scurried off again. The family resemblance between the acolyte and priest was unmistakable.
The office was large and elaborately furnished. Three walls were built in shelves of rich, red wood, stuffed full of leather bound books and scrolls in scroll cases. The desk was also of red wood, and the chairs were upholstered in brown leather. The stone floor was covered with a green and gold carpet. There were windows on one wall, the same style and cut as the main worship room. She guessed that this office was on the second floor.
He took a seat at the large, plush chair behind the desk and gestured for her to sit as well. "I'm High Priest Derry, head of the Order of Light in Renfrew." The only thing on his desk was a large book, bound in white leather with gold embossing on the cover