Stone of Tears

She forced a smile. “shall we go start your lessons?”

Above ground again, they passed down halls and through several buildings until they finally reached Gillaume Hall, where his room was. The fabric of Pasha’s dress made a swishing sound as they climbed the wide marble stairway. The walls and columns were a matching tan, variegated marble.

It was a beautiful place with elegant rooms, but it was not as impressive as the People’s Palace, in D’Hara. Before he had seen that magnificent edifice, he would have been astonished by the opulence of this place. Now, he simply noted its layout in reference to everything else. Upstairs, as they went down another wide, carpeted hall, he saw several other young men wearing Rada’Han. At last they reached his room.

Richard caught her wrist as she reached for the door handle. She looked up in puzzlement.

There’s someone inside,” he said.

Chapter 55

“It is my job to watch over you,” Pasha said.

She used her Han, breaking his hold on her wrist and throwing him aside as if with an invisible hand, and then charged through the door. Richard rolled, finishing on his feet, drew his sword, and flew in after her. Only the small flames from the hearth gave light to the otherwise dark room. They both stumbled to a halt in the near darkness.

A voice came from a chair beside the fire. “Expecting a mriswith, Richard?”

“Sister Verna!” Richard slid his sword back into its scabbard. “What are you doing here?”

She rose to her feet and swept her hand in the direction of a lamp, bringing the wick to flame. “I didn’t know if you heard.” Her face was unreadable. “I’m once again a Sister of the Light.”

“Really?” Richard said. That’s great news.”

Sister Verna clasped her hands in a relaxed manner. “since I’m a Sister, again, I wanted to come and speak privately to you for a moment.” She glanced to Pasha. “About same unfinished business Richard and I have.”

Pasha looked from the Sister to Richard. “Well, I guess this dress is, well, not the most comfortable thing to give lessons in. Why don’t I go change.” She curtsied to Sister Verna. “Good night, Sister. I’m so happy for you; you should be a Sister. And Richard, thank you for being such a gentleman tonight. I will return after I change.”

Richard stood facing the door once he had closed it behind Pasha.

“Gentleman,” Sister Verna said. “I’m delighted to hear it, Richard. I would also like to thank you, for my being returned to Sister. Sister Maren told me what happened.”

Richard laughed as he turned to her. “You’ve been around me too long, Sister. But you need more practice at telling lies; you’re not yet totally convincing.”

She couldn’t keep a small smile from coming to her lips. “Well, Sister Maren told me that she had prayed for guidance, and decided I would serve the Creator best if I were a Sister, in view of my experience.” She lifted an eyebrow. “Poor Sister Maren; lying seems to have become infectious since you arrived here.”

He shrugged. “sister Maren did what was right. I think your Creator would be pleased with the outcome.”

“I heard that you killed a mriswith. News spreads through the palace like a blaze through dry grass.”

Richard walked to the hearth. He leaned on the dark granite mantle and stared into the flames. “Well, I had no choice.”

Sister Verna stroked a hand tenderly down his hair. “Are you all right, Richard? How are you doing?”

“I’m fine.” Richard pulled the baldric over his head and set it and the sword aside. He tossed the red coat on a chair. “I’d be better if I didn’t have to wear these silly clothes. But I guess it’s a small price to pay for peace. For now. What did you want talk to me about, Sister?”

“I don’t know what you did, how you got me returned to Sister, but thank you, Richard. Does this mean you would like for us to be friends?”

“Only if you will take this collar off me.” She looked away from his eyes. “someday, Sister, you will have to make your choice. I hope when the time comes, you choose to be on my side. After all we’ve been through, I would hate to have to kill you, but you know what I am capable of. You knew what my answer would be; surely, you came here for more than that.”

“I have told you before how you are using your Han without knowing what you are doing, remember?”

“Yes, but I don’t think I’m using my Han.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “Richard, you killed a mriswith. As far as I know, that has not been done in the last three thousand years. You had to use your Han to do that.”

“No, Sister, I used the magic of the sword to kill it.”

“Richard, I have observed you, and learned a little about both you and your sword. The reason no one has ever been able to kill a mriswith is because they never knew it was coming. Even the Han of Sisters and wizards could not sense its approach. Your sword may have killed the mriswith, but your Han let you know it was coming. You are calling on your gift, but without control.”

Richard was tired. He didn’t feel like arguing, so he didn’t.