To Challenge a Maestro Page 26

  The silence in the city was profound as people digested the news. There was no more celebrating. The mood in the cafeteria was somber and most everyone, although saddened by the Silencing, agreed that the Grand Maestro had made the right decision. Samuel wanted to scream at them and speak of the unfairness of it all. It was he who reported the incident with the oak tree. And now it was being used as a justification for the Silencing. There was little time to reflect on the matter because now everyone was asking questions. He, by the order of Instructor Renn, never mentioned his part in the Battle of Bashierwood, allowing the Accomplisheds to reveal what they wanted and when. Now, the truth was out and Talenteds were pelting him, Jerremy, and especially Tim, with questions. The Ducaunan had actually been to the lair of Balen Tamm and witnessed the challenge; everyone wanted to hear from him, including Samuel. It was obvious the mountaineer did not tell all, but told enough to satisfy the questioners.

  Chapter Seventeen: Upon Awakening

  Sunlight beamed in through the prism window bathing the room in rainbow colors. The chrono disk was half way between the twelfth and thirteenth mark. Good, that meant the cafeteria would be open and still serving the mid-day meal. This was the first time Daniel had ever slept half the day away, although it was not surprising after all he had been through. He sat up in bed and noticed Simon sitting across from him on bed number three.

  “How are you feeling?” the Talented asked delicately, the way one would speak to another who has been stricken with an incurable malady.

  Daniel smiled and his stomach growled in protest at being empty. “I’m hungry, but other than that, right as rain. Have you been here all night?”

  Simon stood up. “No. Tim stood guard for awhile and then Samuel and Jerremy. I took over a little while ago; we wanted to make sure no one disturbed your rest.” Simon went on to tell of the official version of events and the Grand Maestro’s justification for the Silencing. “Even though many people believe Efferin Tames was justified in Silencing you, I, for one, don’t believe you would kill us all in your sleep.”

  “Thanks, I appreciate that,” Daniel replied and then reached for the ebony baton. “This is a level four crescendo with an amplification factor of six. I want you to have it.”

  Simon took the baton from Daniel’s hand as if receiving the greatest treasure in the world, and for an Aakacarn it was. “Are you sure you want me to have this?”

  “Yes, it is of little use to someone who has been Silenced and I want you to have it. You kept my secret and proved yourself to be a friend. However, you may want to keep quiet about the level and amplification factor. Crescendos like this are rare enough that some people might try to steal it,” Daniel told him. “Use it well.”

  “I will, and thanks,” Simon replied and then hid the baton in his silks.

  “Are you coming?” Daniel asked and started for the door, letting Simon know his company was welcome. At least Tim received honorable mention in the Aakadon version of events and Daniel was satisfied with that.

  His first thought had been to go to the washroom and bathe but the water could only be summoned by spell, being Silenced was becoming a bit of a nuisance, although losing the ability to summon potential was worth being freed of the cursed link. His plan had worked and was in fact still working. Soon he would be leaving Aakadon and the self-serving Accomplished running it. He did not want to ask his friend to summon the water so grabbed his straw hat and headed down to the cafeteria.

  Talenteds he only knew through brief encounters smiled and waved greetings as he and Simon strolled through the halls; not a single Aakacarn looked down on his wearing buckskins. They entered the cafeteria and he spotted Sherree and two of her friends eating what appeared to be fried chicken at table twenty-one. He waved at them and then stood in line for his own tray of chicken. Talenteds actually bowed to him and the cook made sure Daniel was given a double portion, two breasts and four legs, which was very much appreciated, Simon received a normal portion but seemed content with that.

  Daniel carried his tray toward the tables and glanced at Sherree. He would miss the way she looked at him; not seeing her again was one of the few regrets he would have over leaving Aakadon. She looked up from her plate and smiled. Joanna and Charlene followed her gaze and then, seeing what had drawn her attention, smiled at him as well.

  “Daniel, come sit with us,” Sherree invited. “And you too, Simon,” she added with a kindly smile directed at the sandy-haired Talented.

  Daniel sat down across from the female Aakacarns and Simon took the chair beside him, but most of Daniel’s attention was focused on the beautiful Lobenian. Her yellow-gold hair was well hidden under the hood of her white silk cloak. He remembered seeing her luxurious tresses twice, once after the yetis attacked Bashierwood and the time Harmon Gramm stripped the cloak from her. “How are you feeling?” she asked.

  “I feel great,” Daniel replied.

  They looked at Simon as if he knew differently. After all, how could anyone be Silenced and say they were feeling great? The quiet Talented shrugged his shoulders as if he did not understand the emotion either. “He feels great,” Simon told them with emphasis on each word. So they were to humor him.

  Sherree nodded understandingly and forced a smile, and it was forced. The hawk to mouse looked appeared in her eyes, the look that seemed to be reserved only for him, and then she spoke. “You should feel great. After all, you’ve been asleep for three days.”

  Three days, Daniel could hardly credit it yet had to admit he did not feel the least bit guilty for having done so. Simon nodded confirmation of the fact, Joanna grinned, and Charlene stared at Daniel as if he was something new and beyond her experience. “Well, I was exhausted,” he replied unashamedly.

  Joanna leaned forward. “Your friend Tim told us all about how you defeated Balen Tamm and killed hundreds of enemy Aakacarns and thousands of yetis and sasquatches. He added greater detail to what was announced through the Grand Maestro’s office. Word is spreading to every kingdom, you are becoming quite famous, and the Maestros have declared you a hero,” she said with a twinkle in her hazel eyes.

  Daniel was pleased, not over the fame, he was happy Tim had told the story so he would not have to repeat it over and over again to every individual wanting a personal report. “You see, sleeping three days has its benefits. I can leave the story telling to Tim,” he told them.

  “I’m glad you’re up,” Sherree replied and her smile became genuine rather than forced. “I was afraid you were going to miss my graduation.”

  “I surely would have hated that,” Daniel replied and made an on the spot decision to stay in Aakadon long enough to see her raised to the level of Accomplished. “I’m happy for you. What about Samuel and Jerremy, are they graduating as well?”

  “Yes, ten in all. Would you believe Jerremy and Samuel argued over which of them should take the platform after Sherree? Samuel insisted that Jerremy go first and Jerremy insisted that Samuel go ahead of him. I almost think they actually like each other,” Joanna replied and her dimpled smile turned into a pretty little pout. “I’ll not be graduating until next year.”

  Sherree’s eyes focused on Daniel’s plate and then on his stomach. “You better get some food into that before you starve,” she told him.

  Daniel picked up a chicken breast and began eating; he would get to the other breast and legs later. Sherree sipped from her cup and waited until he was through chewing before asking, “What does Tarin Conn look like?”

  Having to think about the Dark Maestro took some of the pleasure out of the mid-day meal, but if she really wanted to know, he would tell her. He made a face sure to convey disgust, as if what he was about to describe was truly loathsome and hideous. The Talenteds’ reactions were proof he was succeeding. Simon was wide-eyed eager for the gory details, Sherree swallowed hard as if preparing to accept something awful, Joanna and Charlene seemed caught between wanting to hear the description and wanting to be elsewhere before he spoke, alth
ough they did not move from their seats. “Tarin Conn looks like Jerremy only bigger and more mature,” he answered and could not keep from smiling.

  “No, seriously,” Sherree said while Joanna and Charlene giggled.

  Daniel grabbed a chicken leg, took a bite, chewed thoroughly, swallowed, and even took a swig of fruit juice before making a reply. “I’m serious. Tarin Conn is a Serinian, a fact history seems to have omitted. He looks nothing like the descriptions I have heard all of my life. My favorite is; he’s bigger than a yeti and uglier than a toad, although I thought it best not to tell him that. In actuality, he looks kingly; some might even consider him handsome, though I am no judge of such things.”

  The Talenteds seemed both satisfied with his answers and disappointed, no doubt he had shattered some of their notions of what the Dark Maestro looks like. Simon nodded his head, Charlene pursed her lips in thought, and Joanna smiled. “I can’t wait to tell Jerremy,” she said with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

  “Why didn’t you share this with us before?” Sherree asked.

  Daniel finished off the other breast, the other chicken legs, washed it all down with his fruit juice, and then stood up. “First off, nobody asked. Second, Efferin is also a Serinian and I wanted to be on his good side. The Grand Maestro would probably think I was making it up just to make him look bad. And finally, it never occurred to me,” he replied knowing they would think his reasoning rather weak, seeing as Efferin did Silence him and by most people’s reckoning that would be counted as having been on the Grand Maestro’s bad side.

  “Mountain folk rarely volunteer information to anyone born less than six hundred cubits above sea level. They must be primed and pumped like an old well in order to get anything out of them, especially Daniel,” Sherree told her friends, although her voice was warm and hers eyes never left his while she was saying it.

  “I get into enough trouble over what little I do tell,” Daniel replied with a grin. “I shudder to think what would happen if I told everything on my mind.” Especially while gazing into those emerald eyes. He suppressed the thought instantly. “Thanks for the company. I know you must be anxious to prepare for graduation,” he finished and made a hasty exit before his tongue could get him into real trouble.

  “Simon, stay with us awhile,” Sherree’s voice came to Daniel’s ear.

  “I never met a Talented like him,” Charlene said.

  “He is an Accomplished,” Simon corrected her.

  “Yes, but one who doesn’t show his rank and, judging by the way he stared at Sherree and practically ignored the rest of us, needs to hear the Aakacarn rules of celibacy again,” Joanna said. It was definitely her voice carried over the din of noise coming from the kitchen.

  Daniel could swear he heard Charlene say, “He’s not the only one,” but he did not want to think about what she meant by the statement and was glad when he reached the hall and could not hear any more of what was being said. They obviously could not tell the difference between being attracted to a person and inviting them into the cabin, perhaps Sherree would explain it to them. Yes, he found Sherree attractive and she invaded a dream or two, but there could never be more than that and he knew it. He had no need of anyone going over the stupid Aakacarn rules to him again; his experience with Val made the lesson clearer than any lecture Terroll of Jason ever gave.

  Daniel walked silently while pondering his feelings. Talenteds bowed to him, even Burten and Darrell. Accomplisheds gave respectful nods as if to an equal and Daniel greeted each of them in the same manner. The thought that he would never marry or father children was depressing so he banished it, smiled, and concentrated on giving each person a cheerful greeting. The ploy worked. Pleasant thoughts filled his mind; the link to Tarin Conn was severed, the way Sherree’s hair flowed over her shoulders and down her back on the rare times he saw it. Oh well, at least it was a pleasant memory.

  He ended up at the stables and decided to check on Sprinter. The horse probably needed grooming after three days. He swung open the massive wooden gate, walked in, and then made his way over to the Talenteds section and stall number two, which not so coincidently was the number of his bed. A mountaineer in dyed buckskins was busy grooming the ashen stallion. “Hey thanks, I was just coming to do that,” he told him.

  Tim kept on brushing, although he did look over at Daniel with a scowl on his face. “I was just keeping busy. How are you feeling?”

  Daniel took a deep breath, which was not particularly smart seeing as he was in a stable. “I feel wonderful,” he replied while trying to ignore the pungent smells.

  “How can you say that after what Efferin did to you?” Tim spat as if the Silencing had just occurred.

  “I’ll tell you that and more, once we leave Aakadon,” he replied evenly. The drummer deserved a more thorough answer after all he had been through.

  Tim actually cracked a smile, it looked painful but he managed it. “You mean we are leaving?”

  Daniel nodded. “Yes, but I want to see the ranking ceremony before we go,” he said while patting Sprinter on the neck.

  Tim mumbled something about it being a pleasure to leave this city and the scum sucking Aakacarn who rules it. The rest of his comments were in words he seldom used accepting when truly angry, and were decidedly less flattering descriptions of the Grand Maestro. Tim was in a really bad mood. He put the brush down, stepped out of the stall, and closed the gate. “I want to see the ceremony as well. I think Samuel and Jerremy are likely to have a lightning bolt each, judging by how well they fought the yetis,” he said casually.

  “Sherree directed the spell, don’t you think she is likely to have a bolt,” Daniel pointed out.

  Tim grinned like a rabbit in a carrot patch. “Yes, but I wanted to see the look on your face when I failed to mention her. Remember, you gave the cabin to me,” he said and then headed out of the stable.

  “I am not getting sweet on her,” Daniel said while running to catch up. The drummer just could not seem to get the idea into his skull.

  Tim led the way around front and down the main street toward the stadium, where literally thousands of Aakacarns sat in rows upon rows of seats, beneath a vast dome that filtered in sunlight, yet kept out the harsh glare and heat. The Maestros and Instructors were standing on the center grounds near a platform, about a cubit in height and ten in diameter, the stage upon which each Talented would perform the Melody of Ranking.

  Daniel remembered his ranking ceremony and wondered if the graduates were going to strip to the waist, something that could be awkward for Sherree, considering her modesty. He spotted Terroll, who motioned for him and Tim to come over, which they did.

  “Welcome back to the waking world,” said the Maestro of the Zephyr Guild while extending his right hand. The sorrow in his eyes indicated he still had hard feelings about the Silencing. “How are you?”

  “Thanks for asking. I’m fine, couldn’t be better,” Daniel replied while giving a firm handshake he hoped conveyed the sincerity of his words.

  No matter how many times he told people he felt great, nobody seemed to believe it, except possibly Sherree and she was probably humoring him. Still, he was truly touched that they cared enough to feel sad on his behalf. His freedom was worth the set back.

  Efferin Tames stood less than ten strides away looking happier than a bear with a honeycomb. His Chief Aid stood nearby looking pleased, no doubt because the Grand Maestro was in a good mood. Daniel damped down the sudden urge to smile at the devious pair; it would not do for them to see him happy just yet, though he truly was happy. They would be suspicious if he were to show too much pleasure. Tim frowned in Efferin’s direction and there was no mistaking the drummer’s feelings.

  The ceremony began. Jason entered the arena leading ten Talenteds, all wearing special off the shoulder white garments. Sherree was the first graduate in line, being first in her class. Her yellow-gold hair hung freely and beautifully down her back. She seemed a little uncomfortable, understand
ably so, this was a major turning point in her life, that and she probably did not like displaying so much of her beauty. But for the life of him, Daniel could not figure out why someone so absolutely stunning would hide the fact.

  The Lead Instructor led the graduates in forming a circle around the platform and the stadium irrupted in applause. It seemed every resident of Aakadon was present, each guild represented and eager to receive the newly raised Accomplisheds into their affiliation. The clapping grew louder as the first Talented stepped up onto the platform. A hush fell over the crowd as Sherree began to hum the Melody of Ranking.

  Bright amber light exploded from all around, focusing on her right shoulder, and momentarily brightened the entire stadium. Daniel could still see the flash with his eyes closed. He blinked and rubbed until his vision cleared, and noticed Tim, and everyone else who did not have enough sense to look away, doing the same thing.