Ten

“It is possible. It is possible in this world to find something new under the sun.”

–Raine Silverwind

“But that’s extraordinary, Friday,” Raine exclaimed when she had heard all.

She, Friday, and Aurora sat in chairs in a bedchamber of Raine’s Ahroun home as Andis dressed behind a painted screen.

“I’ve never heard of such a thing,” Raine continued.

“No, nor I,” concurred Aurora, “It was something to see. And I might admit, a little frightening. He couldn’t transform again. It’s as though this ‘revealing,’ as she calls it, rendered him powerless.”

“He will be able to transform again in a few days,” Friday piped up, somehow knowing that her words were true, “I could have taken the power away forever. But I didn’t.”

Raine sat back heavily and the stout wooden chair creaked. “Unaccountable,” said she.

“But the real question,” Andis said, coming out from behind the screen, “is whether or not you’ve ever been able to do this before.”

“No, I’d never even met a Fantastic before you all.” Friday stopped and smiled, “Or, at least, I don’t think I had. And I’ve certainly never felt the way I did when I looked at him. It was so clear. Please believe I haven’t hidden anything from you.”

“Oh we know that, dear girl,” Raine assured her, “but I would like to know more about this power of yours. Here’s what I think we should do: I should ask my father for an envoy to Fenris domain to see why you all were being tracked. That bothers me. Secondly, Friday, I think we should take you to see our augur. She will tell us what she can about your past and your gift.”

For the first time in days, Friday felt truly affected. Could it be possible that there was someone who could tell her about the blank of her past? She had lived with it so long. What would it be like to have the canvas painted in?

The party set out to hunt for a gift to present to the augur. They walked the five miles into the high street that led to a row of clean, neat shops, over which towered an old, small castle on a motte, home to the Duke and Duchess of the Silverwinds, Raine’s parents.

They were just preparing to go into a shop when the people going to and fro stopped suddenly and began to look northward and began to talk amongst themselves and, eventually, bow. A woman seemed to be the focal point of all the commotion. She was very beautiful, her deep blue gown flowing behind her as she proceeded down the street surrounded by a small guard. Her hair was white as white could be, and her eyes were an icy blue. The resemblance was unmistakable.

“Mother,” Raine greeted her affectionately.

“Ah, my dear,” the lady said smiling and taking her daughter’s face in her hands, “I was just coming to see you.”

The shop-goers, having done their duty, began to disperse and move about their business again. The Duchess’s guard were as unobtrusive as one might wish. But Friday noticed their golden eyes. The Duchess then turned to the rest of them.

“Your majesty,” she said to Aurora, “You are welcome.”

Aurora gave a nod of her head.

Her voice grew stiffer when she addressed Andis but managed to remain cordial. “And you, Lady Hawkwing, it is good to see you.”

“A pleasure, your Grace,” Andis replied.

“And who is this?” the duchess asked, her gaze falling on Friday.

“Mother, may I present Miss Friday Moore, our new assistant, and an excellent sort of person. Friday, my mother, the Duchess Silverwind.”

Friday curtseyed duly and felt those eyes studying her cautiously.

“You are very young, child,” the duchess said.

“I am, your Grace,” Friday replied.

“Still, we welcome you.”

“Thank you.”

“I was going to come to you and Father,” Raine began, “I have some things I wish to discuss.”

“Well you have ample opportunity, my dear. I was coming expressly to invite you all to dine with us this evening.”

“Oh, excellent. We will certainly be there.”

The shops in Ahroun were surprisingly commonplace. There was the butcher’s and the baker’s and the grocer’s. There was a bookshop and a printshop adjoining. The dentist and the doctor stood near each other. And then there was a crooked sort of place that seemed squashed between the more modern buildings. Friday left the older women talking and went toward it. She entered it and heard the light tinkling of a bell.

“Well, dearie,” said an old man from behind a giant desk, complete with giant, dusty ledger, “What’s it to be?”

“I was just browsing, sir, for a gift.”

“For your sweetheart, then.”

“No, for the augur.”

“Going to see her, are you?” His voice changed from bored to interested, “Then you needn’t bother with the junk on the shelves.”

Friday approached the desk. He put three items on the desk: a golden ball, a crystal glass, and a sapphire necklace.

“There’s a deal in this shop,” he continued, “Gifts for the augur come free for those who can choose aright. Those who choose wrong simply don’t get to see her. Do you accept it?”

Friday looked into the old man’s yellowy-orange eyes and nodded.

“Well then, dearie, take your pick.”

Friday picked up each of the items he had placed before her. They were each of them finely crafted and brilliant. And they were all desperately wrong. Friday let her gaze run among the shelves on the back walls until it settled unshakably on a bouquet of brightly colored glass flowers. They were bright and simple. She decided in an instant; she would take them.

“I’ll take your flowers there, if you please.”

“The flowers, young miss?”

“Yes, the glass flowers just there.”

He laughed from his stomach. “Well bless me. You’re a queer one.”

He retrieved a footstool and brought the flowers down. He wrapped them with care in thin paper and placed them in a box. “On the house,” he said approvingly.

“Where have you been,” Raine asked when Friday rejoined her party.

“I was getting a gift for the augur.”

“You are a marvel, Friday Moore,” Andis laughed.

#

The augur’s house was not very far from the high street, where the Forest began to thicken a little around the small city. Her house was little more than a cottage but gave the feeling of warmth and hospitality. The woman herself sat on a stool near her garden weaving a tale to a group of utterly enthralled children. She saw them coming. Her face revealed that she had been expecting them. She stood.

“Bid welcome to The Lady Silverwind, children,” she said. Her face was kind and motherly. Friday liked it exceedingly.

“Good afternoon, Lady Silverwind,” the children chanted as they bowed and curtseyed.

Aurora had been right. All of these in the Silverwind domain were most handsome group of creatures she had ever seen. There was not one plain child among them.

“Well, children,” the augur announced, “I have done for today.”

There was a general grumble of disapproval.

“Perhaps, if you all are very good, I will finish the story tomorrow. But remember, I shall know.”

She smiled again and they all clamored around to give her a kiss on the cheek before running away towards the high street.

“How are your honorable parents, my lady,” the augur joked.

“Very well, as you know, Ylva,” Raine returned.

“Still the sharp wit. I taught you well.”

Ylva embraced Raine. The she took Aurora’s hand.

“Your majesty, hard times, I know. But buck up. As you would say, the hour is changing.”

Then she turned to Andis. “You are a Hawkwing,” Ylva pronounced matter-of-factly, “But I know my Raine could not have a better friend. Your closeness in beyond houses.”

Andis smiled her thanks. Then again eyes fell on the unknown Friday.

“And you are the reason for the visit, are you not?”

“Yes ma’am.”

Friday presented her with the gift. Ylva took the box and unwrapped it. She seemed surprised which in turn surprised Friday, since she had seemed to know so much about other things.

“You went to Wolfram. His gifts, you see, I can never perceive. They are somehow blocked of my vision. I thank you for these beautiful flowers. But I am surprised that one so young could have chosen correctly on her first try. That is saying something. Come inside, all of you.”

She ushered all the women into her parlor and served tea and cakes. It felt much more like a social call than a formal visit to a soothsayer.

“Yours is a difficult case, Miss Moore,” Ylva began after a few minutes. “I have been trying to discover the intricacies of your life as soon as I know that you were coming to me. But they are veiled in heavy shadow. Your mother, I know, died after she saw you safe in an orphanage. She could not live after giving birth to you. And something most serious is happening to your heart. I hardly know what. The question on everyone’s mind has been if you are a Fantastic.”

“Yes, Ylva,” Raine said, “Can you tell us that?”

“I think you are not, Miss Moore. I do not know what you are, or where your power comes from.”

Everyone’s brow was deeply furrowed at these revelations that only served to uncover more questions.

“I am very sorry not to be able to be of more help to you.”

“It’s alright,” Friday replied. She was no different than she had been before; her past still lay blank behind her.

After finishing her cup of tea, Friday rose to leave and the others followed suit. Raine embraced Ylva again before they exited the cottage. Ylva stood out to watch them on their way.

“Raine,” she called out as they were walking away, “Try not to be too angry with your father.”

Then she went inside and closed the door.

#

Once again they left in the middle of the night, beginning the three day journey west to Hawkwing flying grounds, and once again they went sleepless as Raine’s anger affected them all. Her face had been full of hurt only two hours ago, while they dined with the Duke and Duchess; now it was set hard as stone. Friday thought she had never seen anyone look quite so injured before. And it had been a surprise when they had arrived to find the Count Fenris sitting at the table. Raine’s mother had looked suitably uncomfortably but unwilling to cause a scene but Raine’s father’s jaw was set stubbornly.

“You must be the one,” the count had said without much ceremony when he saw Friday.

“I beg your pardon?” Friday answered.

“My best soldier, my own son, comes walking home to his father, naked, unable to transform as is his natural right, robbed of his power by some w—”

“Mind your tongue,” Aurora had said quietly, danger sounding in her voice.

“This is the one Vale wants, Bardolph,” the count continued addressing the duke, “He’s been scouring everywhere for her. The price on her head is absurdly high. We could hand her over easily and maybe Vale would stay out of the Forest and we could avoid a fight.”

“You are overly confident, Count Fenris,” Andis had replied.

He snorted his dismissal.

“You knew,” Raine accused, “You knew Fenris had decided to hunt down my friends.”

The Duke set his jaw again. “You do not seem to understand the seriousness of the situation, daughter. Your friend, there, has lost control of her kingdom, the very one closest to us and not a day goes by when this Vale and his Protectorate doesn’t attack a Fantastic here. What has your friend done about that? Abandoned her palace to her enemy.”

“Only because she is too good a woman to attack her people when she firmly believes they are out of their own control.”

“Then she’d be right. We have found that Vale is using a Fantastic of some kind to his advantage, a dark one.”

“Relative of yours?” the count asked nastily, looking at Aurora.

Her slap was quick and hard on his cheek. He bore his teeth, snarling viciously, prepared to pounce.

“Fenris,” the Duchess yelled, “Don’t you dare.”

He settled back in his seat lightly, anger shooting from his eyes. Raine’s anguished eyes had never left her father’s face.

“So you defend him because you are frightened that some people may come and poke at you with their sticks. I never knew you were a coward.”

The Duke shot up, making the table screech as it scraped against the floor, and the Duchess, likewise, placing a hand on her husband’s arm.

She made a visible effort to control her voice. “You had better leave, Raine.”

“You’re right. I should. You all make me ashamed that I know you.”

Raine had turned on her heels and walked out of her parent’s house in anger, in disappointment, wounded and bleeding. Friday felt it.