reen Master, Slave Daughter

Kariina smiled. The energy around the corpse still flared and sparked. The jagged streaks showed a slow death, giving the slaver time to reflect, and many painful signals that he should do so.

"Is that him?" Milren asked.

"Yes."

Milren knelt down beside the dead slaver. Reaching out a hand he stroked the flickering energy above the body. Kariina closed her eyes and focused on the energy's path. She created images to guide the energy to the heart of the world. Once there it would become cleansed, and eventually fuse with the thera, the luminescent all-encompassing world force.

When Kariina came out of trance, Milren was staring up at

her, his green and gold flecked eyes bright.

"You helped him go?"

"I have no use to keep him here," she answered. "It's enough to know he's gone into thera. The world's safer now."

Milren stood. Surveying the burnt out wagons and dead slavers, he asked, "Is it... didn't they find someone worse?"

"Let's clean the energy here and report it to the Keep. Looks like they're out of our range for now," she answered.

They had only the last energy of the dead to tend. The robbers had taken all the valuables, zocca, and slaves.

On the ride to the Keep, Kariina stayed beside Milren instead of pushing ahead as usual. The memories came and she withdrew to a place she could watch, but where she hoped Milren would not follow. When a thought of him emerged, she looked up and gazed at him in wonder. He loved her.

The slaver, Palmic, had owned her ten years ago. A lifetime it seemed before Milren, with his wide shoulders, curly pale hair and quick smile came into her life.

Landholding Masters claimed the few powerful energy channels in this land. The wonders of thera touched the slavers lives so rarely, they never recognized a child born among them with the talent. From her first memory, she could see the colors dancing around Palmic and others. By accident and trial, Kariina discovered ways to use thera to protect herself. The knowledge came slowly and in such pieces that it could not protect her from a life of agony and abuse. A silent psi scream grew to a howl. The slavers were deaf to the painful vibration's meaning.

A green Master, trained to feel the wellness and heal disease, came to the land in service of a Melian quest. Amara heard Kariina, and using her skills and training, freed her from Palmic. Amara took the foundling as an apprentice, beginning her training to the Mastery. Together they adventured and conquered the Melian quest. On Amara's induction, Kariina swore that one day she too would stand before the Melian Guild.

A sudden guilty pang brought Kariina's gaze back to Milren. With his long curls tied back, she admired the strong line of his jaw. He rode easily and sat the zocca as an aristocrat is taught. The son of wealthy land holders, he had been raised in a far different world than she.

Amara would understand, Kariina temporized. With her mastery nearly complete, the wedding not so long after. Amara would know that she hadn't given up her vow. Once the wedding was over, and they had settled down, she would petition the guild and take the quest.

Palmic's dead face swam across her thoughts. She had wanted to see that for so long, so long ago. Now, when her life was different, when she was so close to belonging and happiness, now he had to reappear. At least, she thought, he's dead.

"And gone to thera," Milren said. Kariina jumped at the sound of his voice. She'd forgotten his sensitivity to thought talk.

"You've been listening all this time?"

"You're not very quiet. Besides, I can't help it. It's my 'special talent.'" He smiled. The Mastery of blue energy was to be in tune with mental vibrations. Milren was extremely sensitive to the mental condition of those around him.

#

Kariina sat at the long table, her dinner half eaten as usual. Coming in late always meant eating alone for the most part and lucky if the dinner was warm. She watched the students and apprentice masters gathered at the hearth. The log cracked and sparked occasionally from the energy released by the animated discussions going on. Milren stood out, moving and gesturing.

The bench sagged as Cererra sat down.

"You're a short timer now, huh?" she asked.

Kariina nodded. Cererra shared their chamber and could be Kariina's only friend besides Milren. Yet, they hardly spoke anymore.

"How long?"

"Five days."

"Five days? That's all? Milren too?"

"He's done. He's just waiting for me."

Cererra looked surprised. "Married?" she asked. Kariina smiled. "Oh, how romantic." Cererra sighed. "I'm so happy for you. I always thought..."

"What?"

"You were so set on going to the Melian Guild when you finished your mastery. I thought you'd do that before you fell in love."

Kariina shrugged. "I still can. A lot of the guild members are married."

"Milren's family will want babies soon."

"They're Masters too, they'd understand if I got a sponsor. You don't just go to the Melian Guild and say 'Take me.'" Kariina's dark honey-colored braid whipped across her shoulder, thrown by the emphatic toss of her head.

"I'm sure you'll get a sponsor, you're so talented. But the quest can take a long time, years sometimes, and be dangerous."

Kariina looked across at Milren, watching him for a moment before she sighed and said, "It's a dream of mine. So many miracles have happened for me. I won't let it go for a while, at least."

"Make sure your dream includes him." Cererra paused. "You know what happens when you set the energy. Remember, you get what you want. So be specific!"

Kariina leaned back to look at the colors flickering over Cererra's aura.

"You are in a mood tonight!"

Cererra turned her gaze from Milren. "He's kind and good, Kariina. Please don't break his heart."

#

Kariina tossed back her covers. Had she sounded like that? The howling, a soul so mournful, so lost. An ability so powerful to carry over miles and miles to wake the Masters in the Keep. Or was she dreaming it, and only hearing herself from that time?

"We could send her a healing and maybe she'd shut up," Cererra said from her bed against the wall.

Kariina wasn't dreaming her old pain.

"I'll do it," she said.

The healing quieted the howl for a few hours. Kariina knew she would ride out before dawn to find the girl.

#

Kariina awoke before the light tap sounded on the door. Cererra made muffled snores under her pillow. The student assigned to check the fire came in and began stoking the ashes on the small hearth. Setting the short logs on the cinders soon brightened the room.

"What time is it?" Kariina asked.

"Dawn check."

Kariina jumped out of bed with the nervous energy morning gave her. She poured some cold wash water in the basin and splashed the sleep grit out of her eyes.

The kitchen was just opening when she stopped in with her pack. She filled her bag with last night's meat and fresh bread. They gave her a skin of water and one of wine.

As she entered the barn, Tozed nickered at the familiar sound. She set the lamp on the ring and dropped the gear on the floor. Taking up his brush, she made the zocca twitch his brown wooly skin to her rough caresses.

"Have to trim you up. Before we leave anyway." She quickly rebraided some of the mane wool that had come loose.

The barn door creaked. Kariina recognized Milren's sleepy shuffle. Knowing better than to touch him with thought or sound this early, she shook her head that he would take the task just because she had. The howling had started again. She realized that the Keep's five blue Masters were all ready to ride out to stop it. Milren had been deputized to the task.

Snugly, Milren's multicolored zocca, pawed and nickered at the blue Master's welcome attention. Kariina led Tozed out of the stable to the saddle post. She positioned the lightweight saddle and cinched it up tight. As she fitted the food and skins, Milren and Snugly emerged.

Milren nudged Snugly to follow Tozed and settled into a balanced seat where he could sleep and ride. Kariina felt his consciousness lift and was relieved. There were times when the constant touch of his thought wore her protection thin. The howling eroded her finely-trained stoicism and she couldn't stop the flood of memories and fears.

Her thoughts swirled around: Why was she riding through the dark with only a flame of hurt and sorrow as her guide? Why not heal it from her warm room? She had trained under the most famous of Masters. The gift she bore in the green Mastery could heal from miles away. Why not this time? Why did she have to see this girl, touch her, save her? Did this howler really exist? Or was she a ghost from her past, a vibration set to destroy her happiness when she was most likely to have it? Was this her own creation? Was she trapped to do this because Amara had been there for her anguish? Could she take in a foundling as Amara had? She felt the darkness formed by that thought. In her heart she could not see herself as loving and selfless as Amara. She would fail this test.

"It's real." Milren's thought startled her out of her sinking spiral. "You should be amused."

Kariina looked over at him. She didn't feel too amused.

"Really, I mean how often do you get to see your life's wheel? Most of the time it spins and we live it, but we don't see it to appreciate it. Here you get to experience the howl and the howler, the saved and the savior."

"Amara came alone."

"I'm not missing out on the fun and you don't have to play it out exactly," Milren answered.

"Milren, I'm thinking..." Kariina tried to put her fear in words. Milren answered the unspoken thoughts.

"No, you won't go there alone."

"But you don't know what abilities she's picked up. She has no training, no conscience. This is dangerous."

"But somehow less dangerous for you than for me?"

"I've been here. This world won't shock me... "

"Kariina, I love you. I can take care of myself and I can protect you. I know who you were and who you are."

#

The slave robbers had made camp. Since they were the main threat in the area, they made no effort at concealment. Kariina and Milren hid their zoccas in a wash down from the camp.

"Well, what will we do? Set them on fire? Pop 'em to pieces? Create whirly wind to toss them through the sky?" Milren asked.

"You're so gruesome. I was thinking to come in beside them and drain their minds. Take the slaves. Let them find their way the best they can."

"Mind wipe them? And you're saying I'm gruesome. At least if we blow them up they die fast."

"I don't want to kill anyone. There's ten each. Can you see the ones for you?"

Milren nodded. "Yeah."

"Meet back here when we're done." Kariina winked out of sight.

Materializing under a portable lean-to, she appeared beside a slave driver. The small girl below him stared up at Kariina, eyes wide but not seeing. Tapping him gently on the head, Kariina loosened a burst of power that jolted and forced out the known pathways of his brain. He blinked. His intentions struggled with the lost thoughts. ___

Done with the task, Milren came up leading the zoccas. "We can still make the Keep by dark," he called.

The slaves were milling around directionless. The Masters watched the chaos.

"It will take us days to get them to the Keep," Kariina said.

"You wanted them."

"I guess I didn't see this part," she admitted.

Milren looked at her, his expression saying, "They're your project."

"Oh, all right," she sighed. "But you can do it so much better."

Milren had read the slaves. "I think I can sense the movers. We can do a slave healing, let them eat, then give them the message. They'll be able to lead themselves."

Kariina stood in the middle of the camp of despair. She closed her eyes and strengthened her connection to the heart of the world. To heal this place she must draw the lost energy through her and down the connection. The roiling colors of energy slowed then began to swirl toward her. Making her the vortex, they whirled down to be cleansed of the anger and fear. Once in the world's heart they would be free to be absorbed in the thera energy that was part of every living thing. After the slave energy had cleared away, the camp became more purposeful. The tents were completed, the food prepared, served, and eaten. All the former slaves appeared unaware of the two figures standing on the perimeter.

Kariina saw the girl from the lean-to busily licking the remains from her bowl. Seeming to feel Kariina's gaze, she turned toward her and smiled.

Kariina felt the presence that had touched her. The fear and pain where gone but the ache of being lost and forsaken echoed deeply in Kariina's heart.

"She'll get them to the Keep," Kariina said.

"No, we should take her with us. She'll be safer."

Dumbfounded, Kariina watched as Milren crossed the camp. He took the girl's hand and caught up one of the strongest zocca. Kariina's heart lurched painfully at the love-struck expression contorting his face as he led the girl and zocca back to her.

"Her name is Breea. Breea; isn't that a beautiful name?"

"Yes, it is," Kariina heard herself choke out. It would take more than one Master to loosen Breea's grip on Milren.

Kariina watched Milren get the girl seated on the zocca. She should kill her.

Kill her NOW, quickly.

Though even so, she'd already lost Milren.

#

Tozed staggered to his knees as Kariina pulled him up in the Keep yard. A student rushed up to take him.

"See, Breea, this is the Keep where I live. You'll be safe here. I'll take care of you." Milren rattled away, oblivious to the students who pulled him off the saddle. With her attention so completely locked on Milren, the girl only objected when someone blocked her view of him. Milren paused against his holders and maneuvered to pull Breea under his arm. "You're fine. You're with me," he crooned reassurance.

Kariina watched as Milren guided his foundling to the main hall.

"What happened!" Cererra's voice erupted behind her.

Kariina stopped. Chewing her bottom lip, she considered, "We have a problem."

"I guess. The dressmakers are waiting for you."

As Kariina started for the dormitories, Cererra followed. "You should have killed her. At least mind wiped her," she cried, sounding like Kariina's own conscience.

"And then what?"

"It might have broken his attention."

"It happened too fast. One minute he was normal, the next... Just seconds, and their channel was too strong."

"But you could have..."

"Ahhh!" Kariina threw her arms out, exasperated.

"It'll take a council of Masters to get them unchanneled."

"And then, I've lost him anyway."

"You can't be sure. He loved you."

Kariina stopped. "Think about it, Cererra. He loves to fix people." She tapped her head. "He loved you when you were broken; he loved me when I was more broken than you. And now Breeeea," she elongated the name. "The ultimately broken and infinitely fixable."

"No, he loves you."

Kariina entered their room. She poured water into the wash basin. Moving purposefully, she splashed her face. Head down, she took up the towel and seemed to focus on drying her hands.

"I guess I'll go see what my wedding dress was going to look like," she said, setting the towel down beside the bowl.

The gown had been first created for Milren's grandmother. When his father and mother married, the dressmakers embellished it with firestones and white starstones. For Kariina, they had replaced the firestones with green starstones that reflected in all the other jewels so that even the least capable would see her Mastery in the glowing aura. It was more beautiful than anything Kariina could have imagined. A gown a Demian princess might wear, her hair braided with a thousand braids, each threaded with starstones and gold.

The dressmakers had pinned up Kariina's braid for effect. She stood before the oval mirror they had brought. Milren's mother-- a Master of Blue, like her son-- had cast her psi on Kariina and chose the dress's embellishments with love and kindness. The effect was stunning. In the mirror, a stranger stood before Kariina. Tall, straight, shoulders wide, a strong feminine presence she rarely saw in herself.

So beautiful, so close to being real. Tears welled up and began to slide down. The dressers smiled.

A head popped in the doorway. Cererra looked wide-eyed a moment.

"Kariina, you have a visitor..." Before she could finish a woman radiating the strong green of her color Mastery stepped through.

"Magnificent! A most beautiful bride," the woman exclaimed.

"Amara!" Kariina stood open mouthed. Recovering, she turned to the dressmakers. "Oh, yes this will be perfect." She began the chore of getting out of the gown.

Once back in her own clothes, Kariina led Amara along the balustrade. Alone more or less from the main Keep, Kariina embraced her savior and friend.

"Oh, Amara how I've been thinking of you."

"You've always telepathed louder than you realized." Amara patted her gently. "You complete your Mastery in a few days. What are your plans?"

Kariina smiled. New tears crept out the corners of her eyes. "Well," she began, "besides sending my wedding dress back and attending a dechanneling instead of a wedding, I haven't thought it out yet."

"I remember when you vowed to become a Melian like me."

"Like you," Kariina repeated. "That has always been my dream. I had thought that when we were settled, I could seek out a sponsor."

"Now you don't need to wait," Amara offered.

"Amara, is it my destiny to belong to the Melian Guild?"

Amara's expression took on the reader's look as she studied Kariina's energy. "You have created the opportunity, but what you want may change. The quest they assign may kill you or at least kill your desire to become a Melian." Amara took Kariina's arm, and gazing steadily into her eyes she said, "Kariina, you may become a guild member but you belong in the hearts of those who love you. You will always belong to me."

Copyright 2005 Suzanne Driggs