Raymond E. Feist - The Complete Conclave of Shadows Trilogy - Talon of the Silver Hawk, King of Foxes, Exile’s Return

Rondar said, ‘I’ll wager a copper it’s a hug.’

Demetrius said, ‘Done. I wager a kiss on the cheek.’

Talon lowered his voice. ‘I’ll take both those wagers, for I’ll have more than a kiss on the cheek from her.’

‘Determination,’ said Demetrius. ‘I like it!’

‘Humph,’ was Rondar’s inarticulate comment.

Talon watched the slender girl as she entered the common building where the students ate their meals. ‘I’ll have much more,’ he said quietly, to no one but himself.

T HE HORSES RACED ACROSS THE MEADOW.

Nakor and Magnus watched as Talon kept low against the neck of his mare, pushing her as much with will as with any skill as a rider. Rondar’s gelding pulled slowly away as he stayed fluidly poised on two stirrups, his back straight and his hands light upon the reins.

Nakor said, ‘For someone who was counted a bad rider by his people, Rondar seems to know his way around a horse.’

Magnus nodded as he said, ‘You know more about the Ashunta than I do, but aren’t they counted as the finest horsemen in the world?’

‘Best light cavalry, certainly. The Empire had to bring fifteen legions into their lands to subdue them in the end. They were key to Kesh’s conquest of the western Empire two centuries ago, but a revolt by Ashunta chieftains ended that.’ Nakor studied the riders, while Demetrius stood whooping and cheering a short distance away. ‘Talon will be a very good horseman soon.’

‘This I understand, Nakor –’ Magnus waved his hand slightly in the direction of the two riders ‘– Talon learning languages, riding, swordsmanship, the rest – but why are you including him in the classes on magic with the others?’

Nakor grinned at his former student. ‘Magic? There is no magic.’

Magnus tried not to laugh, and failed. ‘You can debate that with Father until the universe ends, but we both know your “stuff” is just another way of looking at the process of using magic.’

‘It’s more than that, and you know it,’ said Nakor. ‘It’s a way to free the mind of preconceived notions.’ He paused, ‘Besides,’ he added with a chuckle, ‘it was your father who first said “there is no magic”.’

‘Are you or Father ever going to tell me how he knew to send that message to you with James on his first trip to Kesh? You two hadn’t even met.’

‘He’s never told me how he knew.’ Nakor replied. ‘There are things your father trusts to no one, not even to your mother.’

‘The Black Sorcerer,’ said Magnus with a sigh. ‘It’s too easy to forget it’s not just a role to terrorize sailors who get too close to this island.’

‘No, it’s far more than that, as your grandfather knew.’

Magnus’s grandfather, Macros, had been the first magic-user to employ a Black Sorcerer to secure the island’s privacy. He also had been an agent for Sarig, the lost god of magic, and had given Sorcerer’s Island to Pug and Miranda.

Nakor and Magnus were as highly placed as one could be within the Conclave of Shadows, yet neither fully understood the deepest mysteries of the organization. Magnus had once asked his father who should take control if anything happened to him, and Pug had replied cryptically that everyone would know what to do if that should happen.

Magnus turned his thoughts back to the matter at hand. ‘Still, magic or stuff, you’ve not told me why Talon is studying the mystic arts.’

‘True, I haven’t.’

‘Nakor, are you planning to irritate me all day?’

Nakor laughed. ‘No, I just forget sometimes you have a problem with the concept of humour.’ He pointed towards the other end of the meadow, where the race had ended and the three boys were standing, awaiting instruction. ‘Talon needs to know as much as he can about any potential enemy. Our enemies have relied on the black arts for years, and Talon’s ability to survive the attack of those three death-dancers gave me an idea.’

Magnus was silent. He knew that had he been alone in the hut, those death-dancers most likely would have killed him. He had speculated late into the night with his father why the enemy had taken such a bold step and why he had been selected as the target, but in the end all they were left with was speculation.

Magnus said, ‘You want him able to recognize magic?’

‘If possible. Years ago, Lord James, Duke of Krondor, told me he could always feel the hair on the back of his neck rise when someone was using magic. He also talked about his “bump of trouble”, his ability to sense something was about to happen that was bad. It was a special intuition that saved James on several occasions.’

‘You think Talon might have that ability?’

‘I don’t know yet, but it might prove useful to have someone who is not obviously a magic-user, but who has some sense of it, who can enter places that will have wards set against magicians, and yet be able to act with some knowledge.’

‘Seems a vague enough motive for subjecting the boy to extra hours of study, especially since it will only be in the abstract and he will never be able to put that knowledge into practise.’

‘You never know,’ said Nakor. ‘In any event, it will make him a far more educated person than he is, and that is to everyone’s benefit.’ He watched as the boys switched roles, so that Demetrius and Talon were to ride the next race, while Rondar observed.

‘I’m thinking we must also see to another phase of Talon’s education. I read with interest your notes on his encounters with those two girls at Kendrick’s. I think we need to further those lessons.’

‘Alysandra?’

‘Yes. I think it’s time for her to start using the skills we’ve taught her.’

‘Why?’

‘Because Talon will face things far more dangerous than steel and spell.’

Magnus turned to look back at the large buildings of his father’s estate. ‘How did we become such men, Nakor? How did we become capable of doing such evil things?’

‘The irony of the gods,’ Nakor replied. ‘We do evil in the name of good, and our enemies have at times done good, in the name of evil.’

‘Do you think the gods are laughing at us?’

Nakor chuckled. ‘Constantly.’

‘You didn’t …’

‘What?’

‘When I was your student. You didn’t … Helena … she wasn’t one of yours, was she?’

‘No,’ said Nakor, his features softening. He put his hand on Magnus’s arm and added, ‘That harsh lesson was of your own devising. Life is like that sometimes.’ Then he turned his attention back to the three boys as the new race began, with Demetrius and Talon riding with all the skill they could muster, while Rondar shouted insults at both of them.

When Nakor looked back at Magnus, he found the magician lost in thought. Having some idea of where those thoughts led, Nakor said, ‘You should have found another, Magnus.’

Magnus looked down at his former teacher. ‘Some wounds never heal. You just bind them up and go on with life.’

Nakor nodded. ‘I know, Magnus.’

Magnus smiled. He knew that Nakor understood, for he had once been wed to Magnus’s grandmother and had loved her up to the very moment he had been forced to kill her.

Magnus took a deep breath. ‘Very well. When shall we start?’

‘Might as well be tonight,’ said Nakor.

Magnus started walking. ‘Then I had better go and tell the girl.’

Nakor called after him: ‘Just tell her what to do. She’ll know exactly how to do it.’

When he turned back it was in time to see Talon finish slightly ahead of Demetrius, both boys exulting loudly as they reined in before Rondar. Nakor reflected that youth often understood without having to be taught about seizing the joy of the moment, about not thinking too much of tomorrow and the worries and concerns it would bring, or too much about yesterday, with all its regrets and guilt. Softly, Nakor said, ‘Enjoy this moment, Talon. Savour it.’