Darkover

I was far our in shadow when my teacher, Darkstar, caught up with me. No great feat for him, he had a habit of showing up without warning, but he never set off alarm bells when he did so. He approached with what was, for him, an easy grin.

"Celeste" he said easily, "I have an interesting offer for you…one I believe you’ll find, shall we say, irresistible?"

"Greetings Darkstar" I replied, "what’s up? What’s this all about?"

He incongruously perched himself on top of a nearby rock, a mischievous expression across his features. "First, let’s see your latest work."

I sighed, and pulled out my trumps, selecting my latest creation. I handed him a trump of my home shadow of Erelorne. Recreated from the faded memories of childhood, I didn’t suppose I’d gotten it quite right. This was confirmed by his silent scrutiny.

"You haven’t been there for some time?" he asked.

"No, I haven’t seen it like that since I was a child. But I couldn’t bring myself to draw it as it is." I felt sad, thinking of it.

He nodded slowly. "You’ve embellished, quite a bit. But technically…technically it’s not too bad. You’re getting better."

I looked up, surprised at the unexpected compliment. He regarded me thoughtfully.

"Would you mind a few…breaks…in our lessons Celeste?" he asked carefully.

I considered. "If you think that’s best." I’d never known him to suggest things too frivolously, so I assumed he had a good reason. Probably testing me.

Darkstar nodded again. "Your Grandmother has, shall we say, empowered me to make you an offer. She’s willing to take you on as a…project."

I was very surprised.

"When?" I stammered, not knowing what else to say.

He shook his head, his carapace making a sinuous sound.

"There is more to it than that, child" he warned, his voice taking on that instructor’s edge, "This is no ordinary opportunity and it comes at no small cost." He looked away, almost diplomatically.

"I’m sure your have, friends, you could ask." His faceted eyes focused on my again, seriously.

"This offer is made but once, and when you accept you will stay with her until your ‘studies’ are complete, by her standards. Do you understand me? It is a serious commitment."

I sat in contemplative silence, considering his words. A question, well many questions, came to mind.

"Do you mean once I go, I can’t leave? Will you be there to continue our lessons as well?"

He nodded slightly. "You comprehend correctly. But my visits will likely be sporadic; when I can, when there’s time, when it’s allowed, you follow?"

I pursed my lips thoughtfully.

"When is my answer expected?"

His eyes fixed mine strongly and deliberately. "Once the invitation is given."
Slowly I nodded my understanding of his message, and his face shifted in what I understood passed for a smile.

"Can you postpone making the invitation for, say, a day or two?"

"I will find you tomorrow and you will have your answer ready" he agreed.

I started to thank him, but he waved me off impatiently.

"No longer than that Celeste, I’m quite serious. Tomorrow, whether or not you’re ready." With that, he was gone.

I spent maybe half an hour of my now precious time gathering my thoughts before I trumped Brand. I suspected Darkstar had been referring to him, which meant we weren’t always as circumspect as I’d hoped. Then again, if he was collaborating with my Grandmother, I imagined his information sources were far superior to the people I truly worried about.

The trump grew cold instantly, a phenomenon I’d noticed more and more as of late, and then grew alarmingly colder still. My fingers felt numb as an almost arctic chill radiated from the card. Brand came into focus with snow swirling over his boot tops. Vicious winds howled over icy peaks behind him. He looked tired, annoyed and very cold. I wondered again how he did that with trump calls.

"Celeste" he sighed through blue-tinged lips, "let me guess. It can’t wait, can it." His eyes clouded over slightly, losing focus.

Ruefully, I ducked my head to hide a small smile. "No, I’m sorry Brand, this time I don’t think it really can."

His fingers curled to fists as he looked away slightly. He closed his eyes, lips moving silently. He shook his head as if shedding the memory of a bad dream, then raised his gaze to me again, eyes slightly more in focus as he spoke through clenched teeth.

"Give me an hour or two, I’ll be" he stared past me for a moment, "there. Alright?" The last word was clipped short as the contact severed abruptly. I sighed, rubbing feeling back into my hands and settled in to wait. Finding a small tree, I leaned back to close my eyes and rest.

"Celeste? Celeste!" Someone was shaking me awake, not ungently.

"Mmm?" I woke up slowly, feeling exhausted. It was almost dark, and a blazing fire burned nearby in a small but cheerful camp. I wasn’t quite sure just how I’d slept through all that getting set up. Brand was crouched down next to me, looking amused.

"Are you alright? You talk in your sleep you know."

"Mmph" I agreed sleepily, accepting the cup I noticed him holding out. "This place give you strange dreams, but I’m fine." He regarded me closely for a moment, still looking vaguely amused, then nodded.

"And what was so urgent that couldn’t wait?" he asked with a small smile.

I stretched and moved over towards the fire, settling comfortably with my cup of tea on the cloak spread out there. My gaze moved to the starry deep purple sky.

"I received an…invitation. From Clarissa." I glanced over at him as he joined me near the fire, one eyebrow arching. I went on, choosing words carefully.

"She’s invited me to study with her but the conditions seem fairly stringent. They were detailed to me and I only have until sometime tomorrow to…"

"Take it" he cut me off. "I know the conditions, " I noted he winced slightly, "but you shouldn’t pass it up. I wish I hadn’t" he muttered softly.

I sat up with interest. "You were invited and turned her down? Why Brand?"
He sighed and looked away. "It’s not that simple and that’s not really important now. What matters is that it’s not a chance you should miss." One hand reached out, absently playing with a strand of my hair. "I’d like to know you had a chance. Please, take her offer."

I watched him quietly, quite sure there was more to the story than that and equally sure I wouldn’t hear it. But I was certain he wouldn’t advise me to anything that would hurt me.

"I get the impression" I said softly, "that I won’t see you for a long time when I go."

"Likely not" he agreed, a shadow dancing across his eyes that I couldn’t quite catch. I moved closer to him, whispering, "That’s the hardest part."

He pulled my close into a tight hug, and I almost thought I heard him mutter under his breath, "I hope that’s so."

I turned to question him and ask what that meant, but he drew me in and drove all thought and questions away for the night.

The morning sun had already climbed high overhead when I awoke. The fire was half-smothered embers and Brand was gone. He’d left his cloak draped over me as a blanket and there was a small package left on the ground near my hand.

Sleepily I started to sit up, then realized keeping the cloak around me might be prudent seeing that was all I was wearing.

"Ahem" came a dry, amused voice from behind me, "perhaps you’d care for some breakfast? After you find your clothes? I imagine you’re fairly hungry…"

I whirled around to see Darkstar sitting some 15 yards away. I smiled sheepishly.

"I see you put your decision time to good use" he quipped.

"Sure" I grinned at him, "but you can join me over here."

"Alas" he gestured dramatically, "dear child, I cannot in fact ‘join you over there’. I assumed correctly then that is not of your devising?"

I looked at him in a fairly confused manner I must imagine and he sighed, a ghostly rattling noise.

"Your…campsite…has one hell of a protective barrier around it. I figured it was far easier and less time consuming to just wait for you to wake up. Besides, I wasn't quite sure what it would trigger if I played with it, and I just don’t like those energies."

I stared around in astonishment. Now that I was paying attention the lines of power were obviously there. I couldn’t make any sense out of it however; it was way beyond my skill.

Darkstar sat patiently while I goggled for a moment then cleared his throat again.

"Breakfast Celeste? Remember?"

I grinned again, gathering my things in a rush and tripping over the cape two or three times. Darkstar rolled his eyes.

"Your rather misplaced modesty is slowing you down considerably" he pointed out helpfully while rummaging in a basket. I ignored the jibe and kept the cape.

Crossing the barrier I winced in anticipation, but all I felt was a pleasant tingle.

"Very nice work, that", Darkstar noted.

I looked back and saw the barrier shimmer and fade as I left the area. In just a heartbeat it was gone.

"Thank you for the thought love" I whispered to the deserted campsite, then turned away to see Darkstar busily rummaging through the basket again. He looked for all the world far to busy to have heard me and it seemed just a bit too intentional. I did like him.

"Thank you for bringing breakfast, I was hungry," I said pleasantly as I sat down near him. He gave me one of those ‘just eat’ looks. We ate.

"Well" he said with a flourish, "I have this invitation to deliver to you." We were just finishing the meal, which had thoughtfully included a strong coffee variant.

"Really?" I blinked at him, wide-eyed. "For a party of some sort perhaps?"

"Impetuous brat" he muttered. "Yes or no Celeste."

"Yes, of course, I’d have to be just nuts to turn down such ‘a unique learning opportunity’. Weren’t those your words, oh great teacher?"

He sighed at me. "Sometimes I wonder if you might be more trouble than you’re actually worth. Let’s go, your Grandmother is expecting you today."

"Is she? She knew I’d accept?" I asked.

"Let’s say she was fairly confident" he replied, offering me a hand up. "And get dressed first, will you? I am not going to be responsible for delivering you to your Grandmother in your birthday suit."

I grinned and pulled my clothes back on under the cape. I picked up the small package and tucked it into my trump case for later. Keeping the cape, and abandoning the breakfast basket I took Darkstar’s arm as he trumped us away.

And so I went to Darkover.

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