The Chronicles Of Ixia (Books 1-6). Maria V. Snyder

muscles bunched and she danced to the side. I caught a glimpse of what had startled her. Stop. A man.

      She held still, but her legs trembled in terror. Bad man. Shiny thing.

      I yanked myself upright in the saddle. Bad man. Run.

       13

      KIKI TOOK OFF.

      I held on to her mane, and tried to stay in the saddle. After a few strides, I looked behind just in time to see Goel’s sword flash in the sunlight.

      When Cahil saw us racing across the pasture, he raised his arms and shouted. “Whoa! Whoa!”

      Kiki galloped straight for him, her mind so focused on survival that I had to wait for Goel’s scent to disappear before she would respond to my calming thoughts.

      Man gone. It’s okay, I said to her. I patted her on the neck and whispered the same thing into her ear. She settled and halted mere inches from Cahil.

      “At least you stayed on the horse.” He grabbed Kiki’s reins. “What happened?”

      I jumped down from the saddle and examined Cahil. He didn’t look surprised. In fact, he seemed mildly amused.

      “What do you think happened?” I countered.

      “Kiki spooked at something. I told you horses are skittish, but you had to go off before you were ready.”

      Something in Cahil’s eyes made me suspicious. “Did you send Goel to ambush me?” I demanded.

      “Goel?” Cahil seemed taken aback. “No, I—”

      “You set that up. You wanted Kiki to panic.”

      Cahil frowned. “I wanted you to learn. Horses are prey animals and will react to the slightest noise, scent or movement long before any logic can kick in. And if you’d fallen, you would know it’s not terrible. Then you wouldn’t be afraid to fall or bail off a horse when you need to.”

      “How nice for you that you’ve already forgotten I’ve fallen off a horse. Actually, shoved off a horse. Your horse to be exact. It’s a memory I wish I could forget so easily.”

      Cahil had the decency to look contrite.

      “So sending Goel was a lesson?” I asked. “I don’t believe it, Cahil. He was armed.”

      Fury flashed across Cahil’s face. “I asked Erant to help me. Goel is supposed to be guarding Tula. I’ll deal with him.”

      “Don’t bother. I can take care of Goel. At least he had the decency to warn me of his plans. Unlike others.” I glared at Cahil, snatched the reins from his hands and strode back to the stable with Kiki. It had been a mistake to go to my lesson unarmed. I had foolishly assumed Goel wouldn’t try to attack me while I was with Cahil. Lesson learned. Cahil should be proud, even if it wasn’t the lesson he intended.

      The next morning, I set out to find the market. I kept a wary eye on the people in the streets of the Citadel. All seemed headed toward the center square. Amazed by the number of people crowding around the market stands, I hesitated.

      I didn’t want to push my way through them, yet I needed to shop.

      I spotted a few of the Keep’s workers, and had decided to ask one of them for assistance when I felt a tug on my sleeve. Spinning around, I reached for my bow on my backpack. The small boy flinched. I recognized him as the beggar I had given my Sitian coins to on my first day in the Citadel.

      “Sorry. You startled me,” I said.

      He relaxed. “Lovely Lady, can you spare a copper?”

      Remembering what Irys had said about the beggars, I thought of an idea. “How about you help me and I’ll help you?”

      Wariness filled his eyes. In that instant he seemed to grow ten years older. My heart broke, and I wanted to empty my purse into his hands. Instead, I said, “I’m new here. I’m looking to buy paper and ink. Do you know a good merchant?”

      He seemed to catch on. “Maribella’s has the finest stationery,” he said, his eyes alight. “I’ll show you.”

      “Wait. What’s your name?”

      He hesitated, and then lowered his eyes to the ground. “Fisk,” he mumbled.

      I dropped to one knee. Looking him in the eyes, I offered my hand. “Greetings, Fisk. I’m Yelena.”

      He grasped my hand with both of his, his mouth agape with astonishment. I guessed he was close to nine years old. Fisk recovered with a shake of his head. He then led me to a young girl’s table at the edge of the square. I purchased writing paper, a stylus and some black ink, then gave Fisk a Sitian copper for his help. As the morning wore on, Fisk guided me to other stands for more supplies and soon other children were “hired” to help carry my packages.

      When I finished shopping, I surveyed my entourage. Six grubby children smiled at me despite the heat and searing sun. I suspected that one boy was Fisk’s younger brother; they had the same light brown eyes. The other two boys may have been his cousins. Greasy strands of hair hid most of the two girls’ faces so it was impossible to tell if they were related to Fisk.

      I realized then that I was reluctant to return to the Keep.

      Sensing my mood, Fisk asked, “Lovely Yelena, would you like a tour of the Citadel?”

      I nodded. The midday heat had emptied the market, but as I followed the children through the deserted streets, a feeling of unease settled over me. What if they were leading me into a trap? My hand sought the handle of my switchblade. Concentrating, I pulled a thread of power and projected my awareness.

      My mind touched life all around me. Most of the Citadel’s citizens resided inside, their thoughts focused on finding a cool spot or a quiet activity while they waited for the sun to set. No threats. No ambushes.

      I heard the sound of water before I saw the fountain. With squeals of delight, the children put down my packages and ran to the spray. Fisk stayed by my side, though, taking his role as tour guide seriously.

      “That’s the Unity Fountain,” he said.

      A circle of waterspouts surrounded a huge stone sphere with large holes spaced evenly across its surface. Nestled inside the sphere, I could see another smaller sphere with holes of its own. The deep green color of the fountain wasn’t veined like the marble of the Citadel’s walls, yet the stone hinted that it held something else within.

      “Marble?” I asked Fisk.

      “Jade mined from the Emerald Mountains. This is the largest piece of pure jade ever found. It took a year to get it here and, because jade is so hard, it took over five years to carve it with diamond-tipped chisels. There are eleven spheres and all of them were carved inside that one stone.”

      Amazing. I moved closer to the fountain so I could see the other spheres. The cool mist felt good against my hot skin.

      “Why eleven?” I asked.

      Fisk stood next to me. “One sphere for each clan. And one waterspout for each clan. Water represents life,” he explained. “See the carvings on the outer circle?”

      I risked getting soaked to examine the intricate lines on the fountain.

      “Mythical creatures. Each represents one Master Magician. Ying Lung, a sky dragon for First Magician; Fei Lian, a wind leopard for Second; Kioh Twan, a unicorn for Third; and Pyong, a hawk for Fourth.”

      “Why those creatures?” I asked, remembering that Irys had worn a hawk mask when she had visited Ixia as part of the Sitian delegation.

      “When magicians reach the Master level, they endure a series of tests.” Fisk sounded as if he quoted a schoolbook. “During that time, they travel through the underworld and meet their guide. This creature