Maker of Fire

Aylem, Healing Shrine of Mugash

I arrived on time for the second bandage removal. My worry was about infection, especially since a few pieces of hot glass penetrated through the cornea. I hoped that the pain was related to recovery, and not to an underlying low-grade invasion of some sort of germ. Early infections were harder to heal than mature infections or physical injuries. I had no idea why it worked that way.

I was to be disappointed since the little Coyn indicated there was still some pain, though she could tolerate more light this time. She smiled when Asgotl gifted her with more treats. I think it was the first time I had ever seen her smile. It surprised her three caretakers too.

We bandaged her up with plans to revisit in another two days. I decided not to push her for an answer about visiting my villa. I wanted her to realize that not everything about the world was primitive and oppressive. I was doing what I could to improve things, but what can one woman do, even with my power?

I left the little Coyn's room and turned to leave when Lisaykos pulled on my sleeve. "I would like a word with you, oh most difficult of all my students."

Years of practice maintaining an aloof visage kept my reaction from showing but inside I was already nervous. Lisaykos was a master of beating down even the most magical of people with just a look. I sometimes thought that it might be a unique magic skill of hers. Regardless, I followed my old tutor to her study with my stomach fluttering, stopping only to bow my head to the statue of Mugash in her aspect of the world healer.

"Tea or beer?" My former tutor gestured toward the pair of lounges by the window, not the chairs at the work tables.

"Beer, please." That was one thing I had accomplished in this place. I introduced far better ways to make beer and ale and took credit for inventing mead.

"I am concerned," Lisaykos brought a pitcher and two beakers of beer over. "I know and sympathize with your concerns over the Coyn, but why does this one require such extraordinary care and a constant watch? You could have taken her to your estate and done the healing there. I think she would be more comfortable there."

"I am hoping to get her consent to attempt the restoration of her speech, and you are the best person for that."

"Sandyskus is the best at restoring speech after a head injury, especially with an injury as old as the one she has. He's better at it than me. He has more patience."

I looked at my hands, trying to think how to say what I wanted to convey, "Well..."

"Yes, he's male. That's a problem. Isn't it?"

Lisaykos had already guessed. I sagged, defeated.

One of Lisaykos's eyebrows slowly floated up, "You think I missed all the scars on her backside or the brand on her butt? I looked up that brand so I know exactly which crap hole in Blockit is to blame, and it belongs to someone in your husband's family. Put her in the same room as a large Cosm man and I'm not sure what would happen, but most outcomes I could foresee would be ugly."

"She's branded?" I popped up and looked at her, questioning.

"You missed the brand? I'm surprised at you."

"That will need to be fixed. I'll take care of it before I leave."

"I already took care of it," Lisaylos gave me a wry look. "A breeding farm brand but no fake charm gem of control? That's not your usual way of dealing with things. Please explain this to me."

"I'm not sure you need to know," I said in a tone of voice that did not invite any further questioning. It worked with almost everyone, except my former teacher.

"Try me." We ended up glaring at each other.

Lisaykos folded first, "must be nice to be the Queen."

"That's not fair."

"Life's not fair, Oh Great One!"

I sat back and sniffed the air. "Huh? Is that sarcasm I smell?"

"Very droll, mighty queen!" Then it was Lisaylos's turn to sigh. "Her wrists are smooth and strangely unscarred unlike the rest of her arms. Did she have slashed wrists, by chance?"

"Yes."

Lisaykos rolled her now-empty beaker between her palms. "She is going to run on you. She doesn't want to be here. We make her nervous. She twitches at every unexpected noise. She's as stiff as a rock when carried or picked up. She hates to be touched. And this is with the three kindest, gentlest healers in the entire shrine."

Lisaykos refilled her beaker and then topped off mine. "She can't allow herself to trust us. She never saw any kindness before you found her, and she doesn't know what kindness is or what to do with it now that it has been offered. What is so important about this particular Coyn that makes you so obsessed with her?"

"She rescued my children."

"It's more than that. I know that face. It's the one you make when you're not telling me the whole of the truth."

"That's my business."

"Yes, and she's staying at my shrine. I need to know."

I took the small sheathed knife out of my belt pouch and handed it to Lisaykos.

"It's a knife. What's the..." She unsheathed it and frowned. "This is sky metal."

"No, it's not," I replied, hoping the diversion worked. "That little Coyn made it. It has all the qualities of sky metal but she made it from rocks on the other side of the lava plains. She lives alone over there and has done so far a long time. She made a home in some caverns and she makes strange and wonderful things there."

"Who knows about this?"

"My son, though I'm not sure if he knows what he was looking at when he saw her knife," I shook her head. "He's more likely to say something about her making instant fire without magic. I told him not to speak of it and I had him watched up to the moment he left with his father for the army camp. He might tell his father or his father's staff. I'm hoping no one believes him but I'm worried. I want her somewhere safe, where no one will force her to do things against her will."

Lisaykos had that look that told me she suspected I wasn't telling her everything, but even if she was my childhood tutor, she knew that she could only push so far. She could take greater liberties with me than anyone else but at the end of the day, I was still the Queen.

"You could use a charm of compulsion," she suggested.

"Not an option," I shook my head sadly. "I would lose what little trust I have built so far."

"Aylem, dear heart, she will slip your snare if you don't."