Chapter 9 - Social Circles

However, at mother's insistance, one of father's hired men stood in on the sessions and reported back to her parents. Nordithet was angry. Not at Jetha, thankfully, but at her parents. The only good that seemed to have come of the whole mess was that he had finally started teaching her some offensive spells. She'd happened to see the list of spells he had intended to teach her first - simple flashes of light to blind a person with and other, similar ones - but he'd skipped most of those and gone right in for the serious stuff. She'd thrown her first fireball only the day before. Mother hadn't been pleased about that either. Jetha was sure that mother had had enough of her "wizard nonsense" and was looking for a husband for her now. It hadn't helped when the rumor about Duke Arlington's daughter had been confirmed. While she wasn't marrying Duke Lagenz's son, who's coming of age party they would attend tomorrow night, she was engaged. Mother would have to find some other girl for Karic. Since it wasn't exactly Karic's fault, Jetha found herself as the sole target of mother's unhappiness.

"Quit fidgeting Jetha, or we'll never be ready in time for dinner," mother complained. "While we won't be at the table with the Dukes that are here, we will be in plain view of them. We must never look less than our best."

"Yes mother," Jetha said, in her meekest voice possible. She returned to the trick she'd been trying before - not breathing at all - and counted how long she could actually manage to hold her breath without her face starting to turn red or look strange. It helped that she was in front of a mirror and could see herself. She knew there was a spell to make it so one didn't have to breathe for a duration. She wondered if Nordithet would think this was an "appropriate application" for it or not. Considering his current opinion of mother, he probably wouldn't mind much. Since he'd joined them for this excursion from the estate, she thought she might ask him later if she had the chance. She'd been surprised they'd brought him along, but he explained that having a proper wizard on the payroll was enough of a status symbol that even mother would want to flaunt it. She agreed with his opinion that it was highly ironic.

Eventually they finished dressing her and fussing with her hair. Mother proclaimed it "as good as it's going to get," and they proceeded out to find her father and brothers. All were dressed in their finer clothes. They all had their best outfits set aside for the ball tomorrow, of course.

Nordithet looked the most impressive of the bunch. He seemed taller than normal. He was dressed in fancy black robes with gold and silver symbols embroidered along it. Most of them she recognized. One row of them marked areas of magic he had mastered, with gold and silver noting a degree or accomplishment for each. There were more silver than gold, but it proclaimed him a perfectly competent wizard. Nordithet stood with his staff, a gently spiraled shaft of wood the color of old bleached bone.

Her younger brother, Oddan, looked uncomfortable and fidgeted with his belt where his sword would tie on. Karic looked less uncomfortable, but still looked nervous. Father was saying something to him quietly.

"Well, we should walk slowly to the hall," Mother decided aloud. "We don't want to be the first, nor the last, to arrive." Father nodded and offered Mother his arm. She took it and they led the rest in procession. Karic walked ahead of Oddan, and Nordithet walked next to Jetha at the end. None of the servants came with, of course.

It turned out that they were neither the first, nor the last, to arrive in the dining hall. Of course they would not have been the last unless they had been late. It was customary for the host to arrive on time precisely, which made an unspoken rule that the guests arrived in the hour of time before that point. Usually there was servants who weaved their way through the gathered guests, carrying small trays of appetizers, as people mingled and caught up with each other before the arrival of the host was announced. Tonight was no different.

The dining hall was huge, with the ceiling rising up three stories. Long, thick chains hung down, supporting large chandeliers of what appeared to be oil lanterns instead of the usual candles. Sconces on the walls, and candles on the tables provided additional lighting. There was also two large fireplaces nearest the head table, where Duke Lagenz and his family would sit with whomever they had chosen to dine with them that evening.

Jetha saw many people she recognized from other functions her mother had insisted the family attend, and many new faces as well. Although the room was bigger than most she'd seen, it still felt crowded with so many people moving about the tables, talking to each other. She had been given strict instructions to stay near her mother until after dinner, so she could only spare quick waves for the friends of hers she saw before mother called her attention back to whomever she was being introduced to or supposed to remember from a previous party. Jetha nodded and smiled and said very little, not wanting to risk saying anything that mother might disapprove of just then. With a growing pit in her stomach, she realized that mother was seeking out the elligible bachelors in the room. Jetha hadn't even gotten her dance card for the ball yet and it was already filling up. By the time the trumpets sounded, to announce the arrival of Duke Lagenz, she realized she wasn't hungry anymore at all.

The duke and his wife lead the parade of people to the head table. Lagenz and his wife sat in the center. Lady Lagenz was younger looking than she expected. She made herself notice all the younger men at the table, knowing that her mother would be checking them out.

And then her heart sank. One of the figures from her vision--the warrior--was sitting at the head table, just four chairs away from the Duke. The lady sitting next to him turned and looked directly at her. The look on her face was one of recognition. Jetha felt small and cold and had to look down. She just couldn't keep that gaze. Even after breaking it off it felt as though the woman was looking through her.

"Mr. Nordithet," she whispered, "one of the men from my vision is at the head table. There's a woman next to him staring at me." Nordithet was sitting next to her, and she felt his hand touch her arm briefly. It was just enough of a reminder that he was there. She felt better. When she looked up, the lady across the room was looking somewhere else.

"That's the Duke's Seer," Nordithet explained quietly. "Do not let her intimidate you. She may be able to see a great many things, but you are a wizard, you can do a great many things, and can also see. You have nothing to fear from her. Indeed, if she is sitting with someone from your vision, perhaps she has had some of her own. It would be arrogant to presume you are the only one who has been given some insight into whatever is happening. You were shown those people for a reason. After dinner we should talk to her and find out what she knows."

She looked over at them once again to find the warrior watching her this time. He had a slight frown on his face, as if he was sizing her up and she wasn't meeting whatever criteria he expected of her. She swallowed the lump in her throat and looked away again, focusing directly on the salad that had been placed in front of her. She somehow managed to start picking at it, eating the occasional bite here and there to keep her mother from thinking she was being rude by not eating. She wasn't hungry at all. She was terrified.

Jetha found herself startled by the fact that her mother was saying something to her and she'd missed it entirely. She hastily swallowed the bite of food she'd been working on and apologized.

"I'm sorry mother, what was that?" she asked. "I was trying to determine which herbs were used in the dressing for the salad. It's a delightful combination," she lied, trying to come up with something mother would approve of as an excuse. Mother raised an eyebrow, which suggested she hadn't believed Jetha, but she said nothing about it.

"I was wondering what you would think if we were to invite Sir Estelan and his family to come and visit us next month?" Mother smiled and indicated the family sitting across from them. Jetha noticed that there was a young man who seemed only a couple years older than she, who smiled politely at her. She gave him a similar smile, recognizing that he had little interest in her and trying to indicate the same.

"I think that would be wonderful, mother," she said. "Will you come?" She turned and looked at the man who was about father's age, who she assumed must be Sir Estelan.

"That depends entirely on the war, young lady," he said with a smile. "Gods willing, the progress of the Elar will slow and we can all take time to relax with friends."

"Is it really that bad?" she blurted out before remembering that mother would disapprove. War was not one of the topics that proper ladies discussed at the dinner table. She felt her mother stiffen next to her and knew she was in for a reprimand for sure before she'd be allowed to go to bed that night.

"I'm afraid it is," Sir Estelan said, not having seemed to notice that it was her who had asked. "The Elar are moving faster than anyone could have predicted. If it continues in this manner, it is only a matter of months before they will reach these lands."

"Please, Sir Estelan, such talk at dinner!" Mother protested, but Sir Estelan waved a hand to prevent her from saying more.

"We must all prepare ourselves, m'lady. We would be fools not to. I arrived yesterday and spoke to some of the refugees who've come here. It is not a pretty tale they have to tell. Many such as yourself might wish to consider packing their children up and heading away from the war, leaving the rest of us to fight."

"If you're suggesting I leave my home - " mother said, sounding both alarmed and angry.

"He is dear," father interrupted her quietly. "And from what I've already heard, his suggestion is not without merit. We will discuss it further later."

Jetha saw Sir Estelan and father nod at one another across the table while mother fumed quietly. Jetha suspected that mother was more afraid than angry, however. Father would not suggest they leave home unless it was truely necessary. Jetha found herself suddenly unable to even pick at the salad anymore. The knot in her stomach had grown unbearable. She was afraid if she tried to eat anything she'd throw up. Especially when she realized that Father wouldn't go with them if they left. He'd stay behind to try and fight off the Elar. Her brother Karic would probably stay too, while Oddan would be deemed too young and sent away with Jetha and her Mother. She noticed that mother didn't eat any more salad either, but just stirred it around over and over again with her fork until the next course was brought. Jetha realized that she and mother were probably thinking the same thoughts just then.

Jetha felt horribly trapped. The talk of war had made her entire family uncomfortable, and she was still being watched by the warrior and the seer. It was the seer's gaze that was the most uncomfortable. She felt as though she'd come to dinner without her clothes on and that so far only the seer had noticed. Part of her kept waiting for more people to start staring at her. She knew there was no rational reason to feel that way, but she felt it nonetheless.

The next course was portions of some roast fowl glazed in candied honey. As it came out, so did a group of jugglers who wandered around the room.

"Watch those jugglers some while you eat," Nordithet suggested to her. "Wizards must juggle many things at once, as most people must. A lord must consider all the consequences of decisions, for both himself and his people, and act accordingly. Knights might consider different strategies at once, and be ready to change tactics completely at any moment. Even a farmer must juggle his crops and his animals. Parents must juggle the needs of the household with the raising and education of children. Everyone juggles, Jetha, yet it is not every day that we see this particularly colorful form."

Even people on the other side of the table turned to watch the juggler. Nordithet's words had been heard by all at their table, and she was sure he intended it that way. The mood lightened, and it wasn't long before she heard Oddan's laugh.

She stole a moment to observe her family. Mother put her hand on Father's, and the two exchanged glances that held almost nothing of the tension of just moments ago.

She turned back and Nordithet smiled a brief sly smile. She grinned back at him, understanding his unspoken message that part of being a wizard was being the subtle diplomat. He had mentioned that point repeatedly in the past.

She took a bite of the glazed fowl. It was dark meat soaked in something before it was cooked. There was a very pleasant spicy undertone under the sweetness of the candied honey. It was actually very tasty, and she found herself genuinely enjoying it.

There were side dishes offered to her as well. First there was some small carrots that seemed to have been cooked in the same honey as the fowl. A little while later, someone came by and offered her some sort of stuffing as well, which had bits of wild rice and some of the spices the fowl had been cooked in, giving it a similar undertone. She had to admit that it was one of the nicest meals she'd had. Their family's own cook was not quite as adept at bringing the flavors together as this Duke's was. She realized that even the salad dressing she'd commented on earlier had had some simlar taste to it, as if preparing the diners for the main course. She couldn't remember the appetizers as she'd hardly eaten any, but she didn't doubt the possiblity that they too had been complimentary to the rest of the meal.

The jugglers were replaced by a different set of musicians than the ones who'd been playing quiet music before the meal had begun. These played livelier music and were a much larger group with more instruments. Some of the instruments were items that Jetha hadn't seen before, and made the music sound slightly different. Some songs were had lyrics, which were sung by a woman. Others were danced to by a group of dancers who weaved their way amongst the tables from time to time when they weren't performing in the area of space just in front of the head table. Jetha noticed that the warrior and seer had finally turned their attention to the entertainment, although she noticed that the warrior would occasionally glance her way. She accidentally met eyes with him on a couple of occasions and always found herself looking quickly away. She wondered what it was he knew of her.

The conversation at the table shifted over to the usual small talk and gossip. Sir Estelan's wife and mother were chatting about the various engagements, marriages, and births that had occurred over the last few months, while father and Sir Estelan were discussing horses. Her brother Oddan looked bored when the dancers weren't dancing, and Karic was talking to some other young man about his age that sat further down the table. She noticed that Nordithet seemed to be alternately engrossed in either the dancers or the talk on horses, although he offered no input to the conversation. She tried to pretend to be interested in the conversation mother was having, since she knew that's where mother would want her attention. After a while, she noticed Sir Estelan's son watching her, looking amused. She met his gaze and tried to look inquisitive instead of frowning at him.

"Yes?" she asked, attempting one of her mother's questioning looks. She felt ridiculous doing it.

"I've heard you are training to be a wizard," he said, smiling. "And, by the way, although I'm sure my mother will get to it later, my name is Narren." He rolled his eyes in the direction of his mother, giving her the impression he was about as interested in their conversation as she really was.

"I'm Jetha," she told him. "And yes, I've been training with Mr. Nordithet here." She gestured towards her tutor with her fork before eating the carrot on it.

"That must be fascinating study," he said, nodding. "I'm better with animals, myself. I guess I get it from my father."

"And what will you be doing with animals, then?" she asked, half out of politeness and half out of curiosity.

"Breeding and training horses," he said, looking proud about it. She heard a sigh out of Mother, who must have been expecting something more glorious.

"Horses are wonderful animals," Nordithet commented. "What is a knight without one? Horses allow the farmer to increase his yield, to plow his fields in less time, and help him bring his crop to market for others to enjoy. If there were no horses, would silks and exotic spices be available away from the port cities? Ships may be considered the commercial backbone of the civilization in the larger view, but horses are the reason there is any luxury to be found inland."

Her mother made a thoughtful "hmm" sound at that, and Nordithet smiled. Jetha saw more in the smile than she suspected anyone else did. She supposed that anything he could do that made him look better in Mother's eyes felt like a small victory to him.

"I like horses, too," Jetha added. It was true, and although she wasn't interested in an arranged marriage with the boy, he did live nearby and she could use another friend of her own.

The main doors burst open and a tall and regal looking wizard entered. His robes were more ornate than the other wizards she'd seen at tables. There were many symbols on his robes, all in gold. He carried a staff with a small blue flame at the top in place of any kind of crystal. The flame seemed only marginally affected by the wind of moving it.

The wizard walked quickly and directly to the main table. There was no one sitting opposite the duke, and the wizard walked to directly across the table from him. When he stopped, he set his staff down and it ringed on the stone floor. What little conversation hadn't been interrupted by his entrance stopped abruptly.

For a moment, it seemed as if the entire room of people were holding their breath, waiting to see what the wizard would say. The wizard turned for a moment and his gaze swept across the sea of people in the dining hall, as if taking them all in. Then he turned, leaned in across the table, and spoke directly to the Duke in a hushed voice. No one at Jetha's table seemed able to hear, although she saw many who leaned forward as if it would help them to be able. Jetha noticed Nordithet frown at the other wizard. She knew that Nordithet was not fond of other wizards who made such extravagent displays of themselves.

It was not a long conversation between the Duke and the wizard, before the wizard straightened up, nodded at the Duke and strode out of the room as deliberately as he had entered. The doors closed solidly behind him with a thunking noise that echoed across the room. It was another couple of moments before the talking and clatter of forks on plates resumed. There was yet another couple of moments before the music resumed as well, with a nod from the Duke.

Now, around her, Jetha heard voices both wondering and speculating on what the wizard had wanted. Most suspected it involved news of the war. No one at her table seemed entirely sure who the wizard was. Some suggested he might be employed by another nearby duke, as it was known that Lagenz did not maintain a wizard, but had his seer instead. Others wondered if he might have travelled here specifically to deliver information from some wizard's guild or other. Many questioned Nordithet on the meanings of the elaborate robes and symbols upon them, but Nordithet merely raised a hand and said he hadn't been close enough to the man to make any sure judgements on who the wizard had been. Nordithet suggested that someone would probably find out the truth eventually and then everyone would know.

The remainder of the dinner seemed to fly by with everyone speculating, however, and it didn't seem long before Jetha found herself eating dessert. It was a light cake with some sort of sweet, fluffy cream and berries on top of it. She thought it was very good, but knew better than to finish all of it, or mother would chide her for it later. A lady never finished all of her dessert. Jetha had yet to entirely understand why that was, considering she always thought that was the best part of the meal. Nonetheless, she set the plate aside with a few bites still remaining, following her mother's example.

Only a short while after dessert was finished the duke stood up with a goblet in his hand.

"I want to thank you all for coming. I am sure that everyone will enjoy themselves at the ball tomorrow. There will be music and dancing and a variety of entertainments to be had. For tonight, however, there are things I must attend to. Good night."

He finished whatever he was drinking and set the goblet down heavily before striding around the table and heading towards the door. A confused murmur came up among the guests. Jetha noticed the seer hurry after the duke. The warrior man followed, but without any hurry.

"What do you think that was about?" Father asked quietly.

"I don't know," Mother replied. "Most odd."

The rest of the duke's table made their way out, and the guests started shortly after that. She found herself a little behind her family, with Nordithet trailing back as well and walking beside her.

"You're feeling a little nervous about the ball, aren't you?" he asked her.

"Kind of," she said. "It'll be more fancy than anything I've been to before, probably, and Mother will be watching everything I do for any little mistake."

"Try not to worry about her. Be true to yourself and everything will work itself out the way it's supposed to. For tonight we'll work on teaching you some more. That should help keep you distracted," he said and chuckled softly.

"What about the seer?" she asked quietly. "Don't we still need to find out what she and that warrior want?"

"They seemed to be busy for the moment," he replied. "I have a feeling they will seek us out once they have attended to whatever matters have come up. I believe she understands that you are under my tutelage. All the more reason for you to spend your time with me this evening."

"Yes, Mr. Nordithet," she replied. She honestly felt relieved that she would be with him, however, instead of risking meeting the seer and warrior on her own. She pretended not to see the waving of some of her friends, who she expected wanted to get together for the rest of the evening and swap stories. While she enjoyed spending time with them, she had too much worrying her just then. She also didn't want the embarrassment of having the seer or warrior seek her out while she was with them. Jetha wasn't sure the other girls would understand, as none of them were training to be wizards like she was. One of the girls, Lyselle, approached her directly by calling her name and coming up to her.

"Jetha! It's been so long! We simply must catch up tonight!" the girl said excitedly.

"I'm sorry, Lyselle, I can't," she said with honest regret in her voice. She wished things were simple enough that she could just spend the evening with them.

"Why ever not?" Lyselle asked, not understanding.

"Jetha has reached a level of wizardry where she must apply more focus to her studies," Nordithet said, turning to look at the girl. Jetha noticed he was using one of his more stern and authoritative expressions and Lyselle looked like she might faint when she saw it directed at her.

"Perhaps she will have time tomorrow evening, after the ball," he continued. "But tonight I require her diligence in her schooling. Come, Jetha. We have much work to do."

"Yes, Mr. Nordithet," Jetha said, giving the wide-eyed Lyselle an apologetic shrug. "Maybe tomorrow, Lyselle. Tell everyone I say hello!" She gave the girl a quick hug before following quickly after Nordithet, who'd continued down the hall without her in his usual long stride.

It didn't take them long to reach the quarters he'd been assigned, down the hall from the family's suite. He had a small study adjacent to a bedroom, and he gestured to the one of the chairs while he retrieved a couple of bags and put them on the desk. He opened them and laid out packets, bags, and glass vials wrapped in velvet. She recognized most of the items as components for spells she knew. He also pulled out a couple of leatherbound books. He went back into the bedroom briefly with the empty bags and returned again with a couple of small cages, each holding a rat inside.

"I have a few spells I wish you to learn tonight," he told her. "Each of them you will prepare in advance for casting later on. We will use these rats to help us indicate if you have performed them successfully or not."

She spent a long evening of study. They worked on starting putting out fire. They worked on the fireball spell he'd shown her, and he reminded her it was a spell of last resort, to be used when nothing else would work.

He also showed her ways to avoid trouble. He showed her how to make a cloud of choking gas to incapacitate a small group of people trying to attack her. There was also a concealment spell. It wasn't the mystical invisibility that she'd always heard that wizards could do--he had never confirmed or denied it, of course--but a spell that would help keep people from noticing her as long as she didn't attract attention to herself.

Finally there was a sleep spell. It was one of the ones that was tested on a rat. With it she could put one person right to sleep. By the end of the evening he'd shown her as much as he had for most of the previous week. When she asked about it he smiled.

"Perhaps I've been doing some things more slowly than necessary. Trouble is coming along with news of the Elar. I want you as ready as I can make you. Now get some rest for tomorrow."

He used the sleep spell on her before she could get in a word. She woke in the morning, lying on her bed, feeling rather refreshed. She went to the kitchen and found Nordithet and Father talking over plates of eggs. They stopped their conversation when she joined them.

"I am very happy with her progress," Nordithet said, sounding as though he was concluding the prior discussion.

"Did I miss anything interesting?" she asked.

"Nothing you need worry yourself with today dear," Father answered. "Although tonight's ball is foremost on your mother's mind. But it isn't until this evening. You should go see some of your friends. Just be sure to be back by mid afternoon. I'll make sure your mother understands that there will still be plenty of time to get you ready," he said, winking. She thanked him, ate quickly, and ducked out.