Chương 9: Chapter 9 - Beginning and End
Lindy stared at the expanse between herself and the next roof. All she had to do was run and jump, just like she did every day. It wouldn't be hard, she'd done it a thousand times. "without a broken arm" a voice reminded her in her mind. She shoved the reminder aside. She needed to prove she could do more.
Setting herself back about halfway down the roof to be able to build up the speed she would need, she began to run. As she neared the edge of the wall she could tell something was off but it was too late to stop, she stretched out her legs and her good arm and realized she wasn't going to make it.
Master Daphne was on her way back to her quarters from the Council chewing her out for her behavior with Tarq when the scream drew her attention. She looked around, her body immediately falling into a defensive stance, and saw the girl fall from the rooftop two buildings ahead of her. She ran but the girl had hit the ground before she could get there.
The thunder of feet told her that others had heard and were coming. She checked for the girl's pulse.
"What happened?" one of the healers pushed through the crowd. Daphne shook her head, "She screamed while she was falling, I was too far, there wasn't enough time"
"I remember her," the healer turned the lifeless body, it was still warm but the heat was quickly leaving now that she was dead. "Master Kurt set this arm only a short time ago. She shouldn't have been up there."
Masters formed a loose barrier around the corridor blocking others from getting close. calls of "fetch Master Kurt" and "stand aside there's been an accident".
Mac wondered about the crowd and snuck forward to see. A master stopped her when she got too close. "I know that girl," Mac pushed at the Master when she realized the half shrouded body was Lindy. "No, she has ti get up. She'll be ok right? Where's Katherine, does she know?"
"Come along," Daram grabbed her shoulder, "Let's go talk and find this Katherine you're talking about." He had to half drag Mackinley who kept trying to move back toward Lindy's body. He didn't take her to find Katherine. He took her to the nearest dining hall and called to the kitchen staff for a brandy.
Mac moved suddenly, "she was my friend," her shoulders drooped. "what happened? can they heal her? Does Katherine know? she was always nice to me even though I was the littlest." Snatches of her time with Lindy whirled through her mind.
Daram accepted the brandy and instructed her to sip. Mac pushed it away, "Mistress Sheleigh beat us after drinking, I won't become like her!"
Daram sat, "I'm sorry about your friend but Hushai can't show emotion. This is something you're normally good at, you need to find a way to control your sorrow, your anger and anything else you're feeling and hide it behind your mask."
Mac wanted to yell and scream and cry, but Daram was in charge of her training. Matter Garvin had asked him to make sure Mac's training was complete, to do that Mac knew she had to follow his every instruction no matter how she felt.
"Good. Very good." Daram praised as she he did the deep breathing exercise they normally did with their meditation and regained control. "Now, will you wait here, do you want training or do you want to go to your room while the Council investigates?"
"What about Katharine?" she asked.
"All trainees have someone in charge of their training: Katherine will be somewhere with her trainer and probably drinking enough brandy for both of you. "
"Then could we train please? I'm not sure I want my mind to have so much time to think."
"Let's go outside the walls today," Daram instructed, "We'll start with the pudao."
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"Get up," Daram commanded.
The rain had turned the training yard into mud, yet they still trained. It had been over a two years since Master Garvin had left and almost the same since Lindy had fallen to her death. Daram had been relentless, Mac struggled to her feet despite the mud: they were among the first to rise and the last to sleep.
Mac had fought him at first, especially after Lindy. She'd wanted to grieve, wanted to go home, wanted Lindy back. Katherine was worse. Master Kurt had to keep her asleep to stop her from hurting someone. Tarq had received a punishment from Philip after being unkind about the incident, she had seen most of the others she'd come with since Lindy's death They had come to understand that their reactions were not going to change that Lindy had died and there wasn't anything anyone could have done.
Mac's body was changing. Running the walls was easier, her arms were stronger, her mind sharper. Meditation was helping her focus. Daram had introduced her to other Junior Hushai and instructed her to train with them. their daily lessons including reading, writing, arithmetic and deportment. She learned greetings and manners for all of the countries the might visit. Occasionally another Master would test her abilities with hand to hand or with weapons.
She found training with a group of people different, they had to be careful not to hurt each other: the first time she had pulled her punches and kicks. Daram had not gone easy on her that day, or since. He taught her to jump, to fall and to use a pudao. The pole arm was an extension of herself now.
The dinner bells were calling but Mac knew not to stop until Daram said she could. She was surprised when he called a halt almost immediately.
"Well done, Mackinley," the older boy praised.
Inside she could hear a celebration starting and looked askance, "what are they celebrating?"
"Two Junior Hushai have been named Masters," he told her. "Master Garvin returned with them this afternoon."
"Master is back?" she was surprised.
"Yes," Daram smiled at her, " Go clean up and join the celebration. Master will see you again tomorrow."
"Again?"
"Yes Mackinley, he observed your training most of the afternoon." They walked toward the bathhouse, "You did me credit while he observed."
"I did what you've taught me to do," she said honestly. "Do I need to go to the celebration? I don't know if I want to be around that many people drinking."
"It's up to you," he told her.
She bowed and went to clean her equipment and bath.
The weapons master had gone when Mackinley returned the pudao. It didn't matter, she'd learned the process because Daram kept her training late often.
She tought about Master Garvin, Daram and everything she'd done. she knew she was advanced for her age: they guessed she was eight now; but only in the last four months had she realized how advanced she was because of her individual training.
The last year was hard: Lindy had died first but three others had as well from accidents in training-- one was trampled by the horses when he had hidden in the pen during a storm, but the others had been killed by pudao's improperly used.
She ran her hands up the pudao she was putting away, oiling it with a rag to clean it. The long pole arm had a hooked blade on one end. Daram had one that the blade pivoted to a compartment inside-- she liked it because the blade would be hidden most of the time, disguising the weapon. Another Master had created a pudao that was tapered so the lengths of the pole were disguised into one small section. She liked the theory but when she tried it felt the weight was off and the weapon didn't feel as secure.
As a Hushai they were taught every weapon: the Tzigane fans and shawls were a favorite by many women among the Hushai; Astorium's curved swords and long bows from the forested lands East and cross bows from the west. Tarq had been one of her teachers, showing her the weapons of his people: the round sharp edge disc the called a shakra and the short broadsword.
Daram said she was doing well and he was running out of ways to challenge her.
Instead of going to the celebration Mac made her way to the bathhouse.
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