“Disciplines?”
“I was able to perform magic from several theurgia: fire, air, water ...”
“This was special?”
“Yes. In Kendra.”
The woman laughed and shook her head. “Not on the Oceans of Grass. Imagine learning to crawl, but not to walk or run or climb. This is a mystery to me.”
“Are you a teacher?”
The woman shrugged. “Lasthear is many things,” she said. “I am rider, warrior, mother, magicker and sometimes, only sometimes, a teacher.”
“Are there many like you?” Jenrosa asked, surprised.
“Every clan has at least one magicker; some have two or more. I am a good one, many will tell you, but no Truespeaker.”
“A Truespeaker? Like Gudon’s mother?”
“Gudon of Korigan’s clan?” Jenrosa nodded. “Yes, she was the Chetts’ last Truespeaker. Alas, a Truespeaker is rare, maybe one every two or three generations among all the Chett. They are honored by every clan. Gudon’s mother taught me when I was young. Since she died, none have come to claim her place.”
“Lasthear, could you teach me?”
It was Lasthear’s turn to be surprised. “I would like to teach you, but you are with Korigan.”
“Why is that a problem?”
“I am Ocean clan. It would not be proper for me to teach you. You should find a magicker in the White Wolf clan.”
“But the Truespeaker taught you, and she was of the White Wolf clan.”
“The Truespeaker belongs to no clan, no matter which one she is born into.”
“Oh.”
“I know there are good magickers riding with Korigan,” Lasthear said.
“I have two, in fact,” said a voice behind them. Jenrosa turned to see Korigan herself. For a moment she could not help feeling envious of the queen’s noble and athletic frame, not to mention her beautiful Chett face.
“The weapon-making goes well,” Lasthear said.
“I can see,” the queen said, but did not seem interested in what was happening at the furnace. She joined them, smiling easily at Jenrosa. “Could we talk?”
“Of course.”
“You must excuse me,” Lasthear said diplomatically. “I am tired and must rest before it is my turn again to sing to the fire.”
Korigan nodded and Lasthear withdrew. Jenrosa looked after her with some regret. She wished they could have continued their discussion.
Korigan put an arm through Jenrosa’s and started walking toward the lake. The still blue waters seemed like the sky turned upside down, and the reflections of clouds scudded across its surface.
“What is it you wish to talk about?” Jenrosa asked.
Korigan hesitated, then said: “About Lynan.”
“Lynan?”
“I think he has demonstrated a great deal of maturity for one so young.”
“You mean by agreeing with you on matters of strategy?”
“Perhaps,” Korigan said uneasily. “I was thinking more of the way he handled his responsibilities as a leader.”
“Essential qualities for a future king.”
Korigan stopped suddenly. “Are you making fun of me?”
“I don’t even understand you; how can I make fun of you?”
“My motives are clear enough.”
“Are they? I know you want Lynan to be king of Grenda Lear. But why should you risk the whole of the Chett nation on such an unlikely horse? The Oceans of Grass are practically inviolate.”
“They weren’t once. You are too young to remember the Slaver War.”
“You’ve banded together since then. The mercenaries aren’t a threat to your people.”
“You underestimate the ability of the mercenary captains to learn and adapt just as we have.”
Jenrosa nodded, conceding the point. “But this is about more than Rendle and his ilk, isn’t it?”
“What do you mean?”
“This is about you and your crown.”
“I cannot pretended that Lynan has not made my position among my people more secure.”
“But it isn’t enough, is it?”
“Not for the Chetts. Ever since we came under the sway of the throne of Grenda Lear over a hundred years ago, we have paid obeisance to distant monarchs. It has cost us nothing. Now it may cost us a great deal.”
“Because you support Lynan?”
“Of course, but there are other factors. If Grenda Lear is unstable, then Haxus may try and bring us under its influence, and its king sits much closer to our territory. Or what if Hume secedes from the kingdom? Where can they expand? Not south into Chandra—Kendra would never allow that. North into Haxus? No, they are too small, and would fall to Haxus instead. They can only expand west, into the Oceans of Grass.”
“But why push Lynan to be king?”
“Because I know that Hume is pushing the throne for increased trade benefits. Now that Areava needs all the support she can get, she is likely to give way to those demands.”
“What has that to do with Lynan?”
“Hume can only increase its trade two ways. The first is at the expense of those trading rights given to its greatest rival, Chandra. Areava won’t do that because she also needs King Tomar’s support.”
“What’s the second way?”
“Areava can give Hume control over the Algonka Pass, the only link between the east and west of this continent for most of its length. As far as anyone in the east is concerned, ownership of the pass would give Hume symbolic control over the Oceans of Grass.”
And suddenly Jenrosa understood. “But King Lynan would support you against Hume.”
Korigan nodded. “We don’t want possession of the pass. We want it to remain a free caravan route, belonging to no king or queen. That way trade continues to flourish between east and west.”
“For someone isolated in the Oceans of Grass, you have a very good grasp of kingdom politics.”
“Don’t make Kumul’s mistake of thinking we are nothing but nomad barbarians.” Jenrosa opened her mouth to object, but Korigan held up her hand to stop her. “You know it is true. I can see it in everything Kumul says, in the way he looks at me and other Chetts. Most in the east look down on us as being little more than herders and horse warriors and potential slaves; Kumul may be more generous than that, but we are still barbarians to him.
“We may not have great cities or palaces, Jenrosa, but that does not mean we are stupid and ignorant.”
“No. No it does not.”
“I see you have some influence with Kumul.”
Jenrosa looked up sharply. “Meaning?”
“You and Kumul are more than friends.”
“Have you been spying on me?” Jenrosa demanded.
Korigan smiled ruefully. “You are in my kingdom now, Jenrosa Alucar. Nothing happens here without my knowing about it. But I did not spy on you. Your relationship with Kumul of the Red Shields is common knowledge among my people. Although I cannot say if Lynan is aware of it, I think not.”
“It is none of your business.”
“In and of itself, no. But I am concerned what effect it might have on Lynan if he learns that you and Kumul are in love with each other.”
Jenrosa blushed, making her sandy hair stand out even more than it usually did among the Chetts. “Who said anything about love?”
“I will speak of it if you won’t. I don’t think Lynan is in love with you, but am I right in suggesting he once thought he was in love with you?”
“That’s something you should ask him.”
“But I’m asking you.”
“Perhaps he once thought that.”
“The fact that he may no longer think that will not stop him being jealous of Kumul. Losing love is one thing, but losing it to another is a hard blow.”
“I can’t change the way Kumul and I have ... grown ... to feel about each other.”
“Will you tell Lynan, then?”
Jenrosa moved away from Korigan. “I told you, this is no one else’s business.”
“I wish it were so,” Korigan called after her, but Jenrosa did not answer.