All Things Impossible: Heartstealer Read online

  "I fought with Silver Dawn's ranks at Gladioli Fields."

  "You've fought. You've done quite a bit of fighting. That's only one side of the military coin. You haven't lived as a soldier among soldiers."

  "I will soon though."

  "If you're accepted."

  She looked at him pleadingly like a puppy staring at food.

  "Alright, I'm damned certain you'll get in too, but don't go around saying it. Oh yes, another thing, you might be the only girl out of the lot of recruits too."

  She shrugged. "That doesn't upset me, sir."

  "Good. It might upset some of the other recruits though."

  "What do you mean by that?"

  "A quirk about any of the three dragoon orders is that we will accept anyone. Yes, we are very select, but we don't turn away people because of race or gender, and we never have in our history. There are dwarves and elves and all different types of humans, any other race - male and female alike. This is often troublesome for many recruits. Some of them don't want to accept female fighters and others may just be awkward because of it. Most don't dare ask the dwarves if they're male or female. Hell, even I can't tell." He frowned. "That is one of the major sources of troubles in the first year. The other is between the races, elves don't get along with dwarves or humans well; part elves are stuck in between; humans are ridiculed for having such short life spans, and so on. Some don't like women in the military - and there has been trouble with that before."

  "So, me being a barely part elven female warrior means I'm going to be the most awkward."

  The knight grinned. "Not for you, but maybe for everyone else. I daresay you won't even notice."

  "The concept sounds unsteady, sir. People don't just overcome that."

  Jakkobb winked. "Oh, the first year is the hardest, but we sweat it out of everyone."

  Der leaned back in her saddle. "Now, I'm beginning to become worried."

  "You should be," he whistled cheerfully. "We make training our recruits - none of whom are novices to combat - hell. We have the harshest training of anyone in the world."

  "Thus, you remain the world's elite."

  He laughed. "Yes, but that's not why we do this to ourselves. It's because the battles the dragoon knights and soldiers choose are the ones no one else dares to."

  She straightened her shoulders and grinned. "I think I'll fit in perfectly."

  "If you make it through training, fellows often leave."

  "You know me better than that, sir."

  "Oh, right. In a few years, you'll be our youngest captain ever."

  She flashed a white grin. "I think so too."

  "Der, I was joking."

  "I know, but I wasn't!"

  "The day you're the same rank as me is the day King Edillon decides to abdicate to Prince Alsalon."

  "That'll never happen."

  "You're right. Besides, if you even - years down the road - become a captain, you'll always be junior to me."

  She pretended to frown. "Well, I'm not going to grow another three feet, sir."

  "That was a low blow." He wagged a warning finger at her.

  "With you, it has to be." She reined her horse away from his, grinning in both amusement and wariness.

  Finally, Jakkobb smiled too. He halted Spike. "Derora, I think it's time I see how much your swordplay has advanced since last winter."

  She shook her head. "Oh no you don't. You'll grind me into the dirt."

  "I am your captain, recruit."

  "I still have the interview first!"

  "Dismount!"

  The order didn't register in the mind until her body was already through the action. Der blinked and she was standing on the ground holding her horse's reins.

  "Take his bridle off, Spike'll make sure he doesn't wander."

  Grudgingly, she obeyed. Then she started to stretch her muscles and limber up. It wasn't going to stop what was coming from hurting though. She jumped up and down in place and a smile broke onto her face. How much she'd missed fighting with a real warrior!

  She gently freed the Pallens sword from its sheath. It was perfect to her hand, in weight, size and length. She never sharpened the blade, because it had never nicked or dulled.

  "You're going to fight with the Pallens sword?"

  "It feels better than the other." She nodded to the elven longsword on her saddle. "I mean that other is marvelous, but this one has my personality. It responds to me, sometimes before I know what I'm doing."

  "It's a relic from the Empire! You can't just fight with it."

  "It's meant to be used, sir. I don't think I rescued it from the chemmen not to use it. Swords like these have a purpose."

  "But, for sparring?"

  The point of the sword sagged. "Oh." She switched the blades around. "Well, when you word it that way."

  They began to circle each other. Der clenched her jaw while Jakkobb merely grinned. He may have been the only elf in the world to use an axe, but he had yet to meet someone who could best him with it. Battle and hunting scenes adorned the sides of the blades. The knight also wielded it on a short handle.

  She closed distance first. After a convincing high feint, she dropped her point and slashed at his waist. The axe, against common sense, was faster than the lighter weapon and circled downward to block her blade.

  "I saw you coming," he said conversationally while attacking.

  Der didn't waste breath replying. She was too busy keeping the axe away.

  "You bunch your muscles; it's obvious when you're going to attack." He suddenly increased the speed of his onslaught, his axe moving like an attacking dog.

  She flailed to make her parries, and found herself moving quicker than she had in months.

  He stopped abruptly. She attacked immediately.

  "Good!" he shouted above the clashing metal. "You'd have been in trouble if you'd stopped too!"

  She couldn't find an opening and didn't expect to, no matter how hard she worked for it. Suddenly, his axe wasn't where it should have been, and she reeled forward. She turned as fast as she could, but it was too late.

  Der's face slapped against the side of his weapon at full speed. She fell to the ground and blinked stupidly. Above her, the axe vibrated slightly.

  Jakkobb chuckled and reached down. "Sorry about that. You might get a pretty bruise."

  She rubbed her cheek. "Well, it's not usually the flat of the axe, so it could be worse."

  "Yes, it could be." He pulled her to her feet. "Don't forecast your moves. Be relaxed and then just go." He dueled them for another sweat stained half hour. When he finally called halt, she was red in the face, but still willing. "We may make a soldier out of you yet."

  "You still beat me."

  "I've survived doing this for a long time. If you could beat me, I'd know it was time to quit."

  A pained expression painted her face.

  "Der, don't take it personally. You are good, but I fought in the Centum Wars. That was over two thousand years ago."

  She sighed. "I know, I know. I just won't ever be that good, if for nothing else because I'm mortal. Age will claim me."

  He glanced around awkwardly. "I know. But, you held your own against the chemmen, and they're immortal too. You also have a sword from Pallens, and who knows what history's tied up with that thing? Although, I am still upset with you for disobeying my order and going back for that blade. I won't forget that in a hurry." He retired the axe in its custom made sheath. "Speaking of that. Spike! Over here!"

  The warhorse lifted his head and trotted over. His shoulders were higher than her head as he passed by. Jakkobb removed a pale scroll from the saddle. "Get the sword, Der."

  "Yes, sir." She returned with the Pallens sword in hand. "What are we doing, sir?"

  "Most people probably wouldn't know that as a treasure from the Empire, but they can recognize shiny gems."

  Der frowned. "If the chemmen couldn't destroy it, a thief certainly couldn't."

  "But the thief w
on't know that." He handed her the small scroll. "On this is a specially prepared disguise spell. The knight-commander thought it to be a good idea. Just hold the sword in your right hand, and the scroll in the left and read it aloud."

  "I don't know magic, sir." She tilted her head. Surely, he knew that.

  He shook his head. "You don't have to, the magic's already there, you just have to read it."

  "But, I thought you had to be a magic user to be able to do anything magical."

  He sighed. "Magic's a world of complications. Let's just say for now a competent wizard prepared the spell for you, and you just have to read it."

  "Is it written in a language I know?" she asked suspiciously.

  "Elvish, most likely."

  She unrolled the scroll, and held it and the sword at arm's length. She cleared her throat and looked at him again.

  "Go on, Der, you won't explode. Probably."

  She cleared her throat yet again and began to read. The words weren't any more lyrical than standard elvish speech, which was far more lyrical than Common, and they didn't rhyme. She read ahead and glanced over at her sword. The sapphire still protruded from either side of the pommel. She looked back to the scroll and said the last phrase. She didn't feel any strange swirling energy around her.

  She looked back to her sword. A sharp but definitely not as shiny blade extended from the hilt. The hilt itself was serviceable steel, and the pommel was just a weight to balance it. She whipped her eyes back to the scroll, but it was blank. She caught the last words evaporating from the page like smoke.

  She dropped both and jumped back. "It worked!"

  Jakkobb nodded. "I would have had a few words with that wizard if it hadn't."

  Cautiously, she lifted her sword. It still felt the same after a few experimental parries and thrusts. "How do I take the spell off?"

  "I think the wizard will, when we get there."

  "So, that means you've already been talking about me - if they know about the sword."

  The captain laughed. "Der, I don't think there's an elf or a dragoon in the world that doesn't know your name right now. The story spread, not just yours, of course, but you were a very instrumental player in the war."

  "But the knight-commander knows about me?"

  "Oh, indeed. At my first meeting with him after the war, we talked for a good ten hours about all the events."

  Der felt her face heating up.

  "It's nothing too bad, I promise. I did, however, mention your little problem with obeying orders that you don't like."

  "Only if they're stupid. That's just common sense."

  "You're going to have to learn this the hard way, aren't you?"

  "Probably." She sheathed the sword and rubbed her hands together. "Ooh! I just want to get there."

  He grinned. "Then, mount up and let's ride."

  The journey through the forests of Thealith was uneventful. They passed around many villages almost identical to Riversbridge, with almost identical people laboring over identical chores. The days and nights and scenery drifted into one blur. Swordplay and training were the only things that kept Der sane.

  * * *

  Der glared into the trees, daring them to look different from all the others. They remained resolute, as they had for days. She leaned forward in her saddle as if she was going to fall asleep. "It's so-oo boring."

  Jakkobb laughed. "A few weeks without a fight and you're bored."

  She shrugged. "I'll get enough of it at Silver Dawn, I'm sure."

  "And then some more." He grinned lopsidedly.

  She nodded. "I have a question, sir."

  "You usually do."

  "Why don't we take the highway?"

  "This way is faster."

  "Thank you for the short and incomplete answer, sir."

  "You're welcome."

  She almost grinned. "I don't think I know an elf who did travel on a highway in human lands - except when he was hiding."

  "We're like that."

  "Right. How much farther to Malfax?"

  Jakkobb looked up at the sun. "Not far now, but I'd rather make camp here than have to pay an innkeeper. We're meeting Kelin there too, remember?"

  They pitched camp with efficient ease and were ready well before dark. Der set down the freshly filled waterskins. "Quail again?"

  "It'll go bad if we don't finish it tonight."

  She poked her face; it was still barely tender. Her complexion had returned to mostly normal by now. She tensed and cocked her ear into the breeze. "Do you hear that, sir?"

  Jakkobb nodded. "Easily." The rhythmic hoofbeats grew louder.

  "Out here?" Both of them rested their hands on their weapons. "He's coming this way."

  The knight shrugged. "We didn't hide our tracks."

  A roan trotted into the clearing, but the rider stopped at a respectful distance. "Hallo the camp!"

  Der leapt to her feet. "Kelin!"

  The large young man laughed. "May I approach?" He allowed the horse to trot forward.

  "What do you think?" She ran over to meet him. "I haven't seen you since last winter. You look the same."

  His curly brown hair fell over into his eyes and he looked, as always, as if he hadn't shaved in about five days. His slightly curved sheath slapped against his leg as he dismounted.

  "Not being a blacksmith I see," she said.

  He flashed a grin. "At least I can mend my own armor."

  "What have you been doing?"

  "I've been with the dwarves and Thistle and Thalon. We went to War'kiln. The dwarves have this entire, amazing city underground. I know you've heard the stories, but they're nothing like what it truly is. Then, this summer we traveled south to the deserts of Quon."

  Jakkobb called, "I don't mind if you stand there talking, but I'll eat your shares of supper."

  Kelin rubbed his hands together. "I arrived just in time."

  They sat with the fire in the center of their circle. Der bit into the meat. "Your parents are doing well, and so's the old blacksmith."

  "Sigard?" Kelin laughed. "Good for him."

  "Oh, Don and Avice are done with their trial marriage and they've decided to stay together."

  "What?" He looked around and settled for staring into the campfire. "Uh, huzzah for them. Avice is a fine young woman."

  "I'm sorry that I pulled you out of competition," Der said.

  He shrugged. "I'm not. My life is turning out just fine. I've seen so many incredible things. It's been great since the war ended. Thalon took to the dwarven caverns like an ant to honey. I don't think that his father was too pleased, however, but you know how he is."

  "How is Thistle?" Jakkobb asked.

  "Alright. He's still, um, angry about the death of his wife. A couple of months ago, he decided to have time with just his son, so they left me on my own. Thalon mentioned something about Thistle taking him to learn about were-creatures, even though they're also supposed to be watching for any chemmen."

  "What, like werewolves?" Der inquired. "Why would the boy need to know about them?"

  "I don't know. Apparently, it's not just werewolves. They can change into just about every creature out there."

  She frowned. "So, one night a wolf, one night, a rabbit?"

  He shook his head. "No, no. What I meant was they only get one animal, and they don't get to choose. But, they don't have to be wolves. There are probably were-horses out there too or something."

  "Oh." She sucked her tongue. "Huh. So, on the full moon, we've probably already seen a fair number of them."

  He shrugged. "Possibly. The full moon is when the magic forces them to change, but they can choose to at any time they wish. At least, that's what Thistle told me."

  "It doesn't matter when?" She glanced furtively into the darkening forest.

  "Yes, it does. They have to change at the full moon. Any other time is optional, day or night."

  "I never knew that Thistle knew so much."

  Kelin nodded. "Thistle's be
en teaching me fighting too."

  "I can't think of a better weapons instructor for you, Kelin," Jakkobb said.

  "I know." He grinned. "We all now have dwarven armor. Personally, I think I like this mail better than the elven mail we were gifted with. That was too light to feel real." He rapped his knuckles against his chest. "Whereas, this has got some comfortable weight to it." He pulled aside his jacket to reveal his mail. Small, overlapping plates of metal shone against the firelight.

  Der frowned. "So, which is better?"

  Jakkobb laughed. "Now, that's a never-ending argument."

  Kelin shrugged. "Yeah. The dwarves even made Thalon a tiny chainmail shirt of his own. He tries to wear it like a warrior."

  Der chuckled. "That sounds like Thalon."

  "He turned seven this summer solstice. That's the last I saw of them."

  "Where'd they go?"

  "I don't know. You know Thistle, he won't tell you anything you don't need to know in order to survive in the immediate present."

  She nodded. "Yeah, that's right. I miss Thalon."

  "He told me to send you his regards, and not to kill too many monsters without him."

  "He's only a boy!"

  "And already a smart fighter."

  "I wonder how good he'll be when he grows up."

  The knight interjected, "Probably like his father. Whatever you do, don't make him angry."

  "Especially since he's lost his mother." Her eyes clouded over with memory. She saw Thalon screaming futilely over his mother's body. He was only six then, but he knew what death meant.

  "We couldn't have had worse timing." Kelin drummed his fingers on his knee. He shook his head. "Oh, well, how have your lives been?"

  She dropped her quail. "Oh! Kelin! I'm on my way to join Silver Dawn! Dragoon knights!"

  He swallowed and coughed simultaneously. "Alright, don't expect me to be surprised." He glanced between her and Jakkobb. "Wonderful, now there will be two of you!"

  "I don't use an axe." She began picking the dirt out of her meat.

  "Yes, but you use your sword to the same effect." He nodded to her hip. "That's not your sword, Der."

  "It's disguised," Jakkobb murmured.

  "Oh. Good idea."

  Across the clearing, Spike neighed and reared. The knight stared quizzically. "What does he want now?"