Firebrand

And now she stared at the ceiling with glassy eyes.

“Sophina?” Karigan asked quietly.

Sophina’s gaze did not waver, and she extended her hand toward the ceiling as though to touch something that was not there. “The light reaches down like the fingers of a hand.”

A NEW DUTY

Karigan glanced at the ceiling as if she, too, might see what Sophina saw, but there was nothing. Then Sophina’s hand fell to her side, and she staggered backward. Karigan dropped her bag of knitted goods and hastily shifted her jug so she could help steady Sophina. Sophina shook her head as if to clear it.

“Are you all right?” Karigan asked.

Sophina looked around as if she didn’t know where she was at first. “What happened?”

“Your ability just now,” Karigan replied. If she’d heard right from Mara, this would be only the second time it had emerged. “Do you remember anything?”

“No. Did I say something?”

“The light reaches down like the fingers of a hand.”

Sophina laughed derisively. “Is that all? Ridiculous.”

“It could mean more than it seems. You need to report it to Captain Mapstone.”

Sophina shrugged and went on her way. Karigan shrugged, too, and headed to the common room where she deposited the sail bag of mittens and hats for anyone who wanted them, but for one set she removed to give to the captain later.

• • •

“I brought you a hat and mittens my aunts knitted.” Karigan passed them across the worktable to the captain.

She looked delighted as she tried on a mitten. “I must write to thank them. You saw them off?”

“Yes.”

“Good-byes can be difficult.”

Karigan wondered if she was thinking about her own parting with a certain merchant.

“And your eye?” the captain asked. “How is it feeling?”

“All right. It’s been worse.” Before the captain could dig deeper into the subject, or address what had caused her eye to hurt more recently, she asked, “Did Sophina come by?”

“Sophina? No. Why?”

Karigan described her encounter with the Rider.

“Light reaches down like the fingers of a hand.” The captain sat back in her chair. “It appears the Eletians do not hold dominion over mysterious visions and pronouncements. I will share it with the king and his other advisors, and I will also speak to Sophina. Her attitude is much improved compared to what it used to be, but sometimes she has lapses. I’ll drum it into her that she is to report any time she has a vision.” Then she smiled. “Or maybe I’ll have Mara do the drumming. She’s good at it.”

Yes, she was, Karigan thought.

“As for you . . .” The captain gazed appraisingly at her. “Since you are now off leave, besides your usual duties, I think I will assign you to help Elgin in the records room in his research of old Rider documents. Your hand is better than most, and there are old documents that need transcribing.”

Karigan tried to conceal her lack of enthusiasm. Transcription reminded her too much of keeping the Rider accounts, but at least when she was doing that, she was actively solving problems.

“Appreciate the quiet time,” the captain said, detecting her disappointment, “for spring will soon be upon us, and not only will there be many message errands going out, but conflict with Second Empire will reignite. We’ll be looking back at this time with some longing.”

She was right, of course, Karigan thought as she headed back to the castle with reports tucked under her arm that were to be delivered to the records room. It was just that she’d never been one for stillness, and even less so now. She’d rather be moving, keeping both mind and body active so she did not end up dwelling on loss. And not just loss, but all the changes wrought upon her by whatever forces sought to manipulate her. The gods, specifically Westrion and his steed Salvistar, seemed to have some claim on her. Then there was the mirror man and what had become of her eye. Mirare, Somial had called her. Who or what were the Mirari? Ghosts had also manipulated her from time to time, and the Eletians, as well. It just wasn’t normal, her life, and she had no idea what to expect next, or how she would be used. It seemed no matter how much she fought it, fate led her on its own course.

When she reached the records room, she found not only Elgin Foxsmith sitting at a table full of scrolls, manuscripts, and ledgers, but Estral and Connly standing behind another table looking over a map. Everyone glanced up at her arrival and exchanged greetings.

“I was expecting Elgin to be here,” Karigan said, “and maybe Dakrias, but what are you two doing here?”

Connly and Estral exchanged smiles.

“We’re looking at old tax and landholder maps,” Estral said.

Karigan stepped up to the table and gazed down at the large curling sheet showing Sacoridia in detail. She’d seen plenty of maps in her time as a Green Rider, and this was nothing new.

“What are you looking for?”

“My father,” Estral replied. “When Connly stopped in Selium and talked to the dean and others, there was some agreement that my father intended to travel north.”

“North” encompassed a lot of territory in Sacoridia and beyond. North was where a lot of the action against Second Empire had occurred. Eletia was also north and slightly west. Lord Fiori would be but a grain of sand on all the beaches of Sacoridia combined.

“We are looking at villages and towns that are north, in both Adolind and D’Ivary,” Estral continued. “But I suppose much has changed since this map was last updated.”