Lucinda stretched her back before sitting down behind Kota as she adjusted the black straps around her waist. The leather straps held a sheathed sword behind her back, slightly above her waist. She placed the fabric of her black skirt under her crossed legs. Then she adjusted the white fabric of her tight blouse, which had fallen down to her knees, to the side of her covered legs. Taking off her black leather gloves, she held out her hand over Kota's bare, bruised back.
Lucinda studied the depth and size of the bruises scattered over his back. She moved both of her hands over a mark near his right shoulder. He lurched forward in reaction as she began mending, and she grabbed his left shoulder, bringing him back to the required position. "Stay still. Maybe if you hadn't been tossed around that room and defended yourself, it would not be this bad."
Kota sat silently with his head resting on his knees, which were covered by his brown trousers. After a moment, he broke that silence. "As Sonya can attest, that thing was huge. At least seven feet tall."
Lucinda looked over to Sonya, who came out from behind a tree with her hawk, Arro, on her shoulder. Examining her gear, Lucinda saw chain mail that stretched from underneath Sonya's right shoulder to over her left shoulder, a brown cloth underneath it. A small leather shoulder piece with brown straps lay over her bare right shoulder for added protection. Around her waist sat a black leather belt, from her hips to just above her stomach, holding various weapons and supplies. A red cloak ran from her neck and past her left shoulder, covering most of her left arm.
Sonya reached around her waist, pulling a few berries from a pouch, and placed them in her hand. Light-brown leather vambraces covered her wrists to her elbows. As she stepped closer, she avoided broken branches on the ground, and she made little noise with her leather boots. She fed the berries to Arro as she glanced over at the two of them and shrugged. "He is not wrong. That thing was pretty big. Kota got some good hits in."
"Fine, but at least one of you came away with nary a scratch on their body."
Lucinda then pulled her hand back to continue her work on Kota's back. The mark she was mending slowly shrank while his skin returned to normal.
Kota turned around, seeing Lucinda wearing her fitted white shirt, which spread out on either side of her waist, fanning out the closer it got to her knees. A leather breastplate that was dyed black lay across her chest, stopping a little above her waist. She wore no metal armor, only leather, and a belt wrapped around her waist, holding various pouches for supplies. Kota could also see that she was wearing black leather knee boots before she pushed his shoulder, so he faced forward.
"Thanks, but only one of us can call upon fire with a snap of their fingers. She has an advantage."
Sonya signaled Arro to fly into the trees before tying her hair into a ponytail. Then she picked up a small twig lying on the ground beside her. Snapping her fingers, she held the twig as she created a spark with her hand, lighting the twig ablaze. Sonya flicked her fingers as the twig fell to the ground, turning to ash on the way down.
"Is that why you do not wear any gloves?" asked Kota, keeping his body still as he moved his head to see her better. "I thought I saw the gloves you were wearing burn up during the fight with Cordelia."
Sonya nodded before flexing her hands in front of her. "Unlike you two, I have my own inner warmth, so I do not need gloves or thick clothing. All those layers would just impede my calling. I need my hands free, anywayâthey are my channels for my calling."
Kota glanced around the area, keeping his body straight, before turning to watch Sonya wiggle her fingers. He was about to ask a question when Lucinda pushed him back forward. "Stay still, please. Otherwise, I will let these heal with time."
"Fine⦠Just don't go overboard with your calling, Sonya. At the party, I could have sworn I saw burn marks on your hands," replied Kota, facing forward again in reaction to Lucinda pushing down on one of his bruises. "By the way, have you seen Alexis?"
Sonya moved in front of Kota and sat down a few feet away from him, crossing her legs. He saw her armor more clearly now. She sat dressed for close combat, and her calling abilities. She ate a berry from her pouch as she shook her head.
Lucinda moved her head around Kota to see Sonya. "Has she said anything to you since that night?"
Popping another berry into her mouth, Sonya shook her head again.
"What happened will be most difficult for her and our siblings. I have known for a long time that he wasn't my actual father." Kota said as he dropped his left hand into his right and rubbed the mark under the bandage. "It still hurts knowing he is gone. I think what hurts worst is knowing that whatever Cordelia's plan is, she is hurting not only me but those who are close to me."
"Do not fret. William will keep them safe," said Lucinda, continuing to mend. "What do we think Michael will do with this news? He was away from the kingdom."
Sonya glanced at Kota, asking him, "That is your oldest brother, yes?"
Kota nodded as he looked up at the sound of the rustling of leaves in the trees above. Focusing on the sound of the leaves, he felt more relaxed as he answered her question. "He has always been power hungry and worked to surpass Alexis and me in combat. I just hope he hears the news from William instead of someone else, because I know he will hunt us down otherwise."
Lucinda moved from one bruise to another, making Kota lurch forward because of the change in her position. "Do you think he would do something that rash?"
"Well, he has always hated me, thinking I would one day want the throne from him, although he has the birthright before Alexis," Kota said, placing his chin on his knee. "He will not like the fact that I am even involved. Truly, he was probably excited to hear that I was dead."
Kota looked at Sonya as she appeared to be rooted in thought about something, but then she got to her feet. She spun in the opposite direction before stopping as Kota asked her, "Where are you going?"
"This conversation is too⦠emotional. I'll try to find Alexis and bring back some more food. Almost out of berries," answered Sonya.
She tossed the small pouch of berries at Kota's feet before walking into the forest. Kota reached down and grabbed the small pouch, feeling a few berries left inside. He grabbed a little blackberry and popped it into his mouth.
Lucinda focused on his bruises before she leaned forward a bit. "Do you believe we can trust her? She is always so distant from the rest of us, and we barely know anything about her."
Kota sighed as he ate another berry before he turned his head to see Lucinda in his peripheral vision. Keeping his back as straight as he could, he met her eyes and answered her in a mildly agitated tone. "She has saved your life and my life twice now. I think she has earned your trust. We know little about you other than you used to be a thief."
"I prefer the term' shadow or acquirer. I was more than a thief back then." She moved her hands away from his back before adding, "I am just looking out for you, but you are right. If she wanted to harm you or us, then she has had plenty of chances to do so by now. I will keep my unease to myself."
She stood up while tapping him on the shoulder as she walked in front of him, where she crossed her arms, staring up into the trees above. After watching the leaves blow in the breeze, she turned her attention back to Kota. "What do you think Cordelia wants with you? Are you sure she has said nothing about what she is after?"
Grabbing a black shirt that was near skintight, Kota glanced up at her before putting it on. As he stretched out his arms, he felt his back was a little less tight before fixing the sleeves, which went down to his wrists. Grabbing a light-brown leather breastplate, he lifted it to his body, and it covered most of his torso. He started tightening the straps that crossed his back. Lucinda walked around him and helped him tighten some fastenings that were harder to reach.
"Thanks," he said. "I do not know what to believe from Cordelia. She is looking for something, but thinking back to what she said before she captured me, it seems like she needed me more than some object that some woman hid."
Lucinda took a step back and watched as Kota pulled on light-brown leather gauntlets, which he tightened over the black shirt at his wrists. Lucinda thought for a second before turning around. She put her hand on her chin. "What if she kidnapped you to start the turmoil with Alexis and the two kingdoms?"
Kota draped a small black cloak over his shoulders, then flipped the hood up and tightened its leather buckle at his shoulder. Shaking his head, he turned to face her back. "She could not have known Alexis would react like she did when I was gone for all that time. And why kill the king but leave us alive?"
Lucinda stood still, looking off into the distance. "Obviously, to blame you two for killing the king, but does she want the throne? I doubt it."
"She kept William and Michael alive. If the queen still lives, then it is still her kingdom for another year, at least." After finishing the last strap on his leather gauntlets, he stopped talking to place his hand on his forehead and rub his temples. "I feel like we are a pawn in her game, reacting while she stays a few steps ahead. Whatever her gambit is..."
Lucinda saw the stress he was exhibiting, and she reassured him. "I am sure this friend of William's will point us in the right direction. We cannot be on the defensive forever. In time, we will strike back."
Kota moved his hand away from his face and nodded in agreement as he eyed the blade on her lower back. "You used to use a short sword. Why change to a long sword?"
Lucinda looked down at her weapon's hilt on the right side of her back and grabbed it before unsheathing the blade. She held it out with the blade alongside her arm. She flipped the blade, facing it forward as she moved the sword within her hands, feeling the weight and the size. Lucinda spun the sword as she tested its reach before meeting Kota's gaze. "When we fought that earth caller in the woods, I did not have any way to get close to him and strike with my smaller weapons. I have used a blade like this before, but I need to be more capable in combat to protect those around me."
"Fighting an earth caller is not a simple feat, even for another caller. They can use close to anything for an advantage," said Kota, eyeing her stance and posture as she nodded. "You did well that night."
Lucinda walked a little closer to him. "Alexis gave me a little training on fighting Callers. Before I met you two, I only dealt with small indirect combat and non-callers."
Kota crossed his arms and grunted slightly in thought. "Was that your first time fighting a caller? Directly? I assume your previous life had you doing some unsavory things when people were not looking."
She smirked slightly before nodding in agreement.
Kota continued. "Well, you were a shadow, so you are quick and quiet on your feet, which helps. While we wait for those two, I can show you some other techniques that Alexis taught me to use against callers."
"We might as well. We have time, and it will get your mind off a few things," answered Lucinda as she sheathed the blade on her lower back, moving to stand in front of Kota.
Circling Lucinda, Kota said nothing, thinking about the best way to approach this training session. After looking up at the light shining through the trees, he stopped on her right side. "Let us start with the topic itself. Everyone fights differently. Even between you and me. This can change dramatically between callers."
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"Like the differences between Sonya and Alexis fighting with their calling?" asked Lucinda, not moving but keeping her focus on Kota.
Kota nodded as he shifted back in front of her, and he looked into her eyes before continuing. "Sonya uses her hands and her breath to channel her calling, as she said earlier. Did Alexis ever tell you what her channel was?"
Lucinda shook her head in response before Kota answered his question. "She needs a tool or weapon to use her calling more accurately. Now, that does not mean she cannot use her calling without holding something, but it affects how she can use her abilities. Less offensive and more⦠creative."
Crossing her arms, Lucinda watched Kota, and he could see her deep in thought. "When we were younger, Lex trained me that, as a non-caller, I would have to observe my target and then strike when an opening revealed itself. You and I are at a disadvantage, but that does not mean we are weak."
Lucinda stood looking up at the sky. "Is that how you could keep pace with Cordelia in Elida? You waited for an opportunity?"
Kota nodded as he turned away from her, then smiled. "I am not sure I would call what I did keeping pace with her before Lex's help. The point is never to underestimate your opponent, and always look for an opening or way to stop their channel."
Kota turned to her, drawing his blade, and he aimed it at Lucinda. She drew out her short sword from her lower back, holding it alongside her arm. Before moving closer to her, he reached down and picked up a handful of dirt, then threw it to her right side as she stepped out of the way. He thrust his blade at her stomach, and she redirected the attack, moving Kota to her side. "Different weapons have different reaches and styles."
Pausing, he moved away from her, lunging forward with his sword again as she defended herself against his attacks with relative ease. He took another step back and stood still. "An example of a difference in callers is Alexis using her calling to direct her opponents, to make it easier for her to attack directly with her spear. The calling and weapon working together."
Kota turned around as he rubbed his chin. "Sonya seems to be more direct in her attacks, using her ax to attack ferociously and strike first within the fight." He lunged forward, striking down at her shoulder, and Lucinda continued to deflect his attacks. "I believe she uses her ferocity andâ"
Lucinda promptly maneuvered her feet and reached up to take his right wrist, then stripped the blade from his hand. Finally, she tripped him, making him fall to the ground. As he landed on his back, he groaned in pain.
"Never underestimate your opponent, remember?" she asked. "As a shadow, and being a smaller size, I have learned to use my opponent's weight and momentum against them."
Kota stared at the tip of the blade that Lucinda was holding inches away from his chest. Then she smiled at him. Lucinda put the sword down at her side and flipped it, grabbing the blade in her right hand and holding the hilt out to Kota.
"Yes, well, it is tough to mimic someone else, as I am not trained as Sonya has been in her style," said Kota while he pushed himself off the ground.
Reaching out for the sword hilt, he grabbed the sword and spun it in his hand before aiming it back at Lucinda, ready for another round. "Ready for round two? Just one more question, though," she asked.
The two jumped when the sound of clapping echoed in the clearing. Turning, they saw Alexis clapping as she walked toward them, with Sonya behind her. Alexis was wearing her new armor, as were the others. She wore a silver breastplate underneath a blue cape that hung down past her knees, stopping at her brown leather boots. She had two rabbits around her waist, next to a sword sheathed on a leather belt. The belt held blue cloth faulds that wrapped around her waist and stopped above her knees, and a gray material lay underneath them. Skintight black cloth covered her legs and her arms.
She stopped a few feet away from them. Kota glanced above her head and saw the tip of the spear strapped to her back. He grabbed his blade and sheathed it before turning back toward Alexis. "How long have you been watching?"
"Long enough to know that she can hold her own in a fight, maybe even better than you," said Alexis as she placed the two rabbits down on the ground next to the two of them. "And that you might need some more practice."
Kota crossed his arms while looking at Alexis, tapping his foot, before focusing back on Lucinda. She smiled as she crossed her arms. He then turned to Sonya as she carried the firewood. "Sonya, were you in on this?"
Sonya laughed as she placed the firewood around a small ring of rocks that they had placed earlier in the day. She focused on organizing the wood within the circle. "It was Alexis's idea, but we do not know what Cordelia will throw at you next. A little training hurts no one, and Lucinda can always heal those injuries that she causes."
"If you are planning impromptu training sessions between siblings, then I would say yes." He gave his sister a small smile before focusing on Lucinda, telling her, "Looks like we will have to do this another time."
Lucinda smiled as Alexis sat on the ground across from the fire pit Sonya was creating. Watching Sonya position the firewood, she began taking off her gloves. Then she took out a cord and tied her long hair into a ponytail, moving the rabbits in front of her. Bringing out a small blade, she grabbed one rabbit and looked up at Kota. "I am fine, Kota," she assured him. "No need to worry about me. You just get that wound looked at."
Kota looked down at a slight cut alongside his elbow. Lucinda walked in front of him before grabbing his arm in her hands, and she moved her palms over the wound. "Sorry, I tricked you. Alexis wanted to make sure you remembered your training."
Kota watched her hands move and create the warmth of her calling on his elbow. "It's all right. When I was younger, Alexis used to do this stuff all the time. She had Lukas ambush me once when I was studying, and I ended up breaking one of his fingers during the scuffle."
Kota glanced down at Alexis, and she smiled as she skinned the rabbits. Sonya sat down next to her. She flicked her wrist at the wood, sparking a fire.
Lucinda let go of Kota's arm, and he sat down across the fire from Alexis. "How do you think the rest of the Castle is faring?"
"I am sure they are doing the best they can. William will handle the situation," said Alexis, handing the skinned rabbits to Sonya to place over the fire. "The message we received from Arro the other day said that Mother and Grace are fine. Someone saved the two of them from the assassination. A young warrior, actually."
Kota nodded before bringing his knees up and wrapping his arms around them. "I am just glad I could see Grace before everything happened. I do not believe she recognized me, butâ"
Lucinda placed her hand on his shoulder, and he turned to see her shaking her head as she looked at Alexis. His sister silently stared into the fire, watching Sonya cook the rabbits.
Kota sat forward and asked, "When we get to Pasea, what's our next move?"
Alexis took a deep breath as she watched the fire grow. Kota sat next to Lucinda, and the two of them could feel the heat of the fire as the sun descended above them. Alexis took a breath of the fresh air around them before getting Kota's attention by looking into his eyes. "First, we find this Wanderer, and then we strike back against Cordelia. In whatever way possible."
Sonya prudently turned the rabbits over the fire, evenly cooking the meat, as she nodded in agreement. "William said you two would recognize this person when you saw him," she said. "The kingdom cannot live in fear of what is coming, so we have to make a plan to counter her plans."
Kota nodded, then thought for a second. "I am wondering about something, though."
"What is it?" asked Lucinda.
She scooted over next to Kota, moving closer to the fire as the sun disappeared behind the trees, and the fire's warmth radiated throughout the small clearing. Kota glanced at Lucinda as he tightened his left hand in reaction to a feeling of pain in his palm, radiating from where the mark was. "That other woman at the party. There is something off about the whole thing."
Alexis looked up from the fire in reaction to his comment. "Another woman?"
"This woman with a black dress and the smell of flowers bumped into me at the party and directed me toward Cordelia. We would not have known about Cordelia without her help, but I did not get a look at her face," said Kota, putting his hand on his head as he tried to remember any extra features of the woman.
Sonya sat back as she handed Alexis one of the cooked rabbits. Alexis examined the meat before cutting pieces off with a knife. She took a small piece of meat, put it in her mouth, and nodded, signifying the meat was ready. Sonya grabbed the other rabbit and put it over the fire. "It was probably a ploy by Cordelia to bring you over to her so she could separate you from us."
Kota pointed at Sonya as he looked at the other two. "That is what I thought at first, but when I mentioned the woman to Cordelia, she seemed surprised, like she did not know that someone had revealed her that night. Like she wanted to stay hidden from us to watch in the shadows."
After handing a piece of meat to Lucinda, Alexis paused as she looked over at Kota. "I would not put it past her to trick you, but that is interesting," she said. "Maybe it was that woman William mentioned in the letter. Maybe we have an ally with them."
Lucinda took a bite of the meat, thinking as the fire sparked an ember, before she spoke up. "If she is against Cordelia, then why wouldn't she help us? She knew who you were, Kota, even with the mask on."
Alexis cut up more of the rabbit and handed a piece to Kota, who took a bite of the meat. Enjoying what flavor the rabbit had, he rubbed his chin, turning to Alexis. "Cordelia said she was after something. What do you think it is? She said some woman hid it, and I might know where it is."
"It is hard to say," answered Alexis as she watched Sonya cook the other rabbit over the fire. "What did she say specifically? Did she say this woman's name?"
Kota thought for a second before looking up toward the sky through the trees. The little sunlight that was left pierced the trees as the fire from them illuminated the clearing. Thinking back to that moment, he said, "Cordelia mentioned that some woman hid something from her, and I would know where it was. She made it seem like I knew exactly what she was talking about. Whatever it was, it must be important."
Sonya moved the rabbit out of the fire, and she tested the meat herself before handing Lucinda a piece. "That was right before I walked in, wasn't it? I heard her yelling something through the door, but couldn't make it out."
Kota nodded before his vision blurred slightly. He stood up and turned away from the group, rubbing the back of his head as he felt pressure from inside his head.
Lucinda asked, "Are you all right, Kota?"
Kota nodded as he turned around, rubbing his forehead with his left hand. "My head hurts a bit. I might just be tired."
Lucinda handed him the piece of meat she had bitten in half and watched as he took a bite. He looked down at his wrist, thinking of what had happened when he had fought Cordelia at the party. As he tightened and loosened his grip, Lucinda noticed and asked him, "Do we need another session?"
He shook his head in response before hearing a woman speak behind him. "It wouldn't hurt, Kota. You need to be at full strength."
He turned suddenly, seeing a robed figure standing at the edge of the clearing. He glanced back at the other three, who sat there eating. Then he turned back around, seeing the robed figure standing perfectly still. His vision blurred, and a piercing pain came from the back of his head. Falling to his knees, he grabbed his head and grunted in pain.
Kota heard footsteps, then felt a hand touch his shoulder as he tried to focus his vision. He saw Sonya's face in front of his own. "What happened, Kota? Are you all right?"
He pointed toward where the robed figure had been standing. Then he fell forward into Sonya as his world went black.
Sonya braced herself as she caught Kota, and he rested his face against her shoulder. She repositioned herself as she fell to her knees, moving his still body to have his head resting on her lap.
Lucinda moved next to the two of them as she asked, "What happened? Is heâ?" She stopped mid-sentence when she heard a deep breath come from his mouth as he lay still with his head in Sonya's lap.
Sonya placed her hand on his forehead. "He is cold. He probably just needs some rest; we haven't gotten many opportunities over the last few days."
Lucinda felt the cold of his forehead. She moved her hands to his left hand and felt the heat of the mark through his leather glove. "Keep him still as I work on mending the mark again," she said, stretching her arms out before taking off his gloves to see the curse creeping slightly past the bandage. "Your natural heat will keep him warm."
Lucinda sat focusing on the mark before she heard Alexis sit down at the fire behind her, watching the flames as they flickered. Lucinda repositioned herself to see Alexis better before she began mending the mark. Sonya moved a strand of hair from Kota's forehead as she placed her palm on his head, keeping his temple warm. Lucinda pressed her thumb against his wrist, covering the mark with her palm.
Sonya asked her, "What were you going to ask him before we showed up?"
Continuing to mend the mark, Lucinda looked over at Alexis. "I was going to ask about why, out of all the siblings, only Kota and Alexis focused on fighting rather than the duties of a royal."
Alexis cut another piece of meat away from a rabbit before placing it in her mouth. Chewing, she looked at Lucinda and answered. "From a young age, I was always more interested in battle strategy. My father tried to change me into a typical princess, but our mother helped me with my path, as she knew my calling and determination to learn to fight would not end with my father's wishes. She sneaked me books on strategy and had an older knight train me in secret."
Alexis paused, smiling as she thought back to those days before everything had happened to Kota and her family. "When I was about six or seven, Mother found Kota within the walls of the castle, with no one around, just a note. He was almost one," said Alexis as she looked over at Kota resting.
Sonya finally felt the heat of his forehead as it warmed up, and she pulled her hand away. She repositioned her legs, keeping Kota as still as possible as she sat on the ground. Sonya looked over to Alexis, who met her gaze. "What did the note say?"
"She never told me, but she wanted me to train him. So that's what I did when he was old enough to learn," answered Alexis as she turned her attention back to the fire. "Father and Mother both accepted Kota into the family, and then shortly after, Grace was born. They connected with each other more than our brothers did with him."
Lucinda stroked Kota's mark with her thumb, feeling the warmth had disappeared from his palm. She examined the bandage and saw the curse was no longer sticking out from the top. She replaced his glove as she turned her attention to Alexis. "William always said Kota wanted nothing to do with the crown, so he focused on the more practical ways that you taught him."
Alexis nodded, then turned away from the two of them before getting to her feet. "Enough conversation," she said. "Let's get some rest before we head out to Pasea. If we leave before daybreak, we should get there before sundown."
Lucinda watched as Alexis wiped something from her face while still moving away from them. Lucinda looked down at Kota before Sonya said, "It's all right. I know you did not mean to bring up old feelings for her. Just give her time. I will watch Kota and the fire, and you get some rest."
Lucinda watched as Alexis moved near the edge of the clearing. She leaned against a tree, using her cloak as a blanket to cover her face and body from the others. "Fine. Wake me if he awakens or needs anything," said Lucinda as she reached for her cloak and balled it up for a pillow before lying next to the fire as the sound of the crackling embers lulled her to sleep.