yes. I am also aware that perhaps a handful of the mageborn will ever attain the power necessary to cast this spell; the attempt would kill them."
"Indeed. I am not one with that power. Meralonne, as I suspect you know, is. Your Jewel ATerafin was with someone who cast the spell."
"You know this?"
"We deduce it. Power is always a personal trait. How it is used is also personal. You are not The Terafin your predecessor was, and your heir—should one ever be chosen—will not be the woman you are. Power makes its mark. Here, Terafin, power has left its mark."
Morretz came to stand beside the woman whose service had become his life's work. The slight narrowing of her eyes told him all he needed to know—but he was certain that Sigurne knew it as well; she was frustrated with the superficiality of her knowledge. "I see nothing."
"No. I doubt that even Jewel would see it, and her natural sight is unrivaled. But a spell was cast here of power sufficient to move two men. And we do not recognize its signature."
Clearly this was a significant statement. To save his lord from the appearance of ignorance, Morretz spoke. "Is this unusual?"
Sigurne's gaze brushed his face. "That we cannot identify with ease a mage of that power? I should leave that for you to deduce, young man. But think on this: Why have there been no sorcerer kings, no blood barons, in the last three centuries? It is certainly not because the magi have become pure and untainted over the course of time.
"You have spent time within the Order's walls; you are bound by the laws that bind us. You know that the paradigm of each mage's magic is unique.
"So, too, is evidence of its use. Those who understand people enough to want a particular type of power
also
have a clear understanding of cause and effect. If they wish to misuse power, or to seek it by the unfortunate… losses… of others, they must do it by conventional methods." Her expression clouded a moment. "There are, of course, many conventional ways of gaining power—but the use of one's own power in the commission of a crime is only done by the young or the foolish."
"Or the desperate," The Terafin said softly.
"Or the desperate."
"We believe that Jewel ATerafin left here injured, but we don't believe that she left dead."
Injured.
"Many of my mages have been trained to deal with minutiae. There is blood on the ground, here and here."
"There's blood everywhere."
"Yes, but within the circle of the power's signature there appears to be only one person's. There were no people here; or rather, there were no bodies."
"Inconclusive."
"Yes. But hopeful. We will pursue this, Terafin, to the best of our abilities."
"You have my gratitude."
The older woman caught the younger woman's hands; spoke three words, all of which were empty of resonant sound.
Morretz could not hear what was being said. Not that this magically induced inability bothered him. The domicis were trained to notice everything, and something as simple as the absence of sound did not hamper their observation.
Sigurne said simply, "I want more than your gratitude. I think it's obvious now what you intended for her; you are present."
The Terafin said nothing.
"If this was an assassination attempt, it is clear that someone has a vested interest in having a… different ruler for Terafin in future."
Again, The Terafin said nothing; Morretz had to stop himself from speaking by force of habit. There were many things spoken about in the presence of The Terafin, but one of them was not, by implication, her death. Not unless she broached the subject first, and she did not do this with strangers.
But… he was not supposed to hear the words, and an interruption of that nature would be awkward. Amarais did not forgive that type of awkwardness easily. As long as he did not break the illusion of deafness, she ignored the fact that all information accrued to him; he stepped around her so that he might also be privy to her response.
"It is not
"Indeed. I am not one with that power. Meralonne, as I suspect you know, is. Your Jewel ATerafin was with someone who cast the spell."
"You know this?"
"We deduce it. Power is always a personal trait. How it is used is also personal. You are not The Terafin your predecessor was, and your heir—should one ever be chosen—will not be the woman you are. Power makes its mark. Here, Terafin, power has left its mark."
Morretz came to stand beside the woman whose service had become his life's work. The slight narrowing of her eyes told him all he needed to know—but he was certain that Sigurne knew it as well; she was frustrated with the superficiality of her knowledge. "I see nothing."
"No. I doubt that even Jewel would see it, and her natural sight is unrivaled. But a spell was cast here of power sufficient to move two men. And we do not recognize its signature."
Clearly this was a significant statement. To save his lord from the appearance of ignorance, Morretz spoke. "Is this unusual?"
Sigurne's gaze brushed his face. "That we cannot identify with ease a mage of that power? I should leave that for you to deduce, young man. But think on this: Why have there been no sorcerer kings, no blood barons, in the last three centuries? It is certainly not because the magi have become pure and untainted over the course of time.
"You have spent time within the Order's walls; you are bound by the laws that bind us. You know that the paradigm of each mage's magic is unique.
"So, too, is evidence of its use. Those who understand people enough to want a particular type of power
also
have a clear understanding of cause and effect. If they wish to misuse power, or to seek it by the unfortunate… losses… of others, they must do it by conventional methods." Her expression clouded a moment. "There are, of course, many conventional ways of gaining power—but the use of one's own power in the commission of a crime is only done by the young or the foolish."
"Or the desperate," The Terafin said softly.
"Or the desperate."
"We believe that Jewel ATerafin left here injured, but we don't believe that she left dead."
Injured.
"Many of my mages have been trained to deal with minutiae. There is blood on the ground, here and here."
"There's blood everywhere."
"Yes, but within the circle of the power's signature there appears to be only one person's. There were no people here; or rather, there were no bodies."
"Inconclusive."
"Yes. But hopeful. We will pursue this, Terafin, to the best of our abilities."
"You have my gratitude."
The older woman caught the younger woman's hands; spoke three words, all of which were empty of resonant sound.
Morretz could not hear what was being said. Not that this magically induced inability bothered him. The domicis were trained to notice everything, and something as simple as the absence of sound did not hamper their observation.
Sigurne said simply, "I want more than your gratitude. I think it's obvious now what you intended for her; you are present."
The Terafin said nothing.
"If this was an assassination attempt, it is clear that someone has a vested interest in having a… different ruler for Terafin in future."
Again, The Terafin said nothing; Morretz had to stop himself from speaking by force of habit. There were many things spoken about in the presence of The Terafin, but one of them was not, by implication, her death. Not unless she broached the subject first, and she did not do this with strangers.
But… he was not supposed to hear the words, and an interruption of that nature would be awkward. Amarais did not forgive that type of awkwardness easily. As long as he did not break the illusion of deafness, she ignored the fact that all information accrued to him; he stepped around her so that he might also be privy to her response.
"It is not
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