R. L. Stedman - A Memory of Fire

About my wrist is a tattoo of flowers; six roses, strung like beads on a bracelet of thorns. I have a past, if only I could remember. But I cannot remember.

Twice a day a serving girl delivers food and water. Her dark hair swings across her face like a curtain. She reminds me of a shadow.

Who am I? Why am I here?

I open the door to my chamber. Two guards in chain mail stand on either side of the entranceway. For a moment they look surprised, then their spears bar my way. Behind the soldiers I see wide wooden stairs, leading down into darkness. From the shadows comes a dry rustling, like leaves scudding in the wind. In the shade of the stairwell something moves. There are more guards than just these men.

Thoughts fragment. The world turns. The serving girl appears and departs again. Days become nights and nights become days. I lie staring at a white ceiling from which hangs a red lamp. I have no name, no voice.

Below lies a city and a courtyard with a silver fountain. Far in the distance are snow-capped peaks, with names I do not know. In dreams I feel the tug and pull of planets, the cold dust between the stars. There is music here; I sing fragments of song to tie the memory to my heart. If I can capture the truth of my dreams, I might remember who I am. And then I will be whole.

Time continues onwards until, without any warning, I have another dream. And it changes everything. This was my dream.

And then I woke. I was a dream within a dream.

Will never enjoyed sea travel. At best it was boring; at worst it was downright dangerous. He preferred solid ground. Traveling on foot might be tiring and hard on the shoes, but it carried one advantage: you couldnt be drowned.

Ready? TeSin asked.

Will settled the blindfold across his eyes. Not really.

The strangest part of this journey was that TeSin, a warrior Will had left for dead, was teaching him a new fighting technique! Who would have thought an enemy might become a teacher?

TeSin laughed. I will be kind.

Will doubted this, but he raised his staff anyway. Clack! TeSin knocked it aside. Hey! Will rubbed his stinging palms.

You must try, TeSin said.

I am trying.

You think you try.

Lifting his blindfold, Will peered in irritation at the older man. What more can I do?

TeSin raised his staff. Try again.

Will huffed out, replaced his blindfold and raised his staff. TeSin swiped at it, but Will heard the movement, and ducked. TeSin circled around him, feet moving softly on the deck. Will raised his staff and tried to follow the sound.

You listen hard, TeSin observed.

Will said nothing.

Some enemy, they make no noise. TeSin stepped closer. Will felt his presence: his heat, his breath. What then you do?

Will swung his staff toward the mans voice, but hit only empty air.

Ha! TeSin said, and the sailors in the rigging laughed too.

Calm, Will whispered to himself. You can do this. Jed would have laughed at him. You! Fight a Noyan blindfolded? Not a chance.

Jed was right. TeSin, being a Noyan, was a battle-hardened general, skilled in ruthless combat. But Will had once been an elite warrior of the same army so really, he shouldnt listen to an imaginary Jed. Besides, the man was thousands of miles away, with his arm around some pirate-woman. What gave him the right to mock Will?

TeSin stalked along the deck. Above in the rigging sailors made bets with each other: which fighter would take the first hit, when would Will be knocked out, how long each bout would last. None of the bets favored Will.

Focus.

The sailors fell silent. TeSins feet moved just as the ship lifted on the swell, and for a moment Will knew exactly what TeSin would do; he would lift his sword arm, raise the other as a guard, then lunge forward, drive the point home. Will swung his staff down, blocking the lunge, and twisted. A sailor howled in annoyance (ha! Someone lost their bet), and the Noyans warm breath touched Wills face. Will swept his left leg forward and bashed his head toward TeSin. Their foreheads connected, hard.

Ugh! TeSin grunted.

Will heard the man stagger sideways. The Noyan was a bad sailor. Perhaps he had a chance after Uh! he grunted, as TeSins staff caught him in the belly. Will staggered backwards and fell hard on the wooden deck.

From above, the sailors cheered. Come on, lad! My moneys on the foreign one! Get up, boy!

Awkwardly, Will got to his feet and, catching his breath, stood listening. The soft plut-plut of the waves; the snap of the wind in the canvas above; the shouting of the sailors; the soft glide of the Noyans bare feet on the deck.

And here comes the lunge. Will ducked, felt the sideswipe skim across his back and his kick. He jumped backwards and felt the Noyans foot just miss his face. Quite suddenly, the dance of the fight caught him. Oh, he loved those moments; when everything focused on the now. Will didnt need to see. In the very centre of his being, Will knew TeSins next move. He feinted; left, right, and barreled forward. His shoulder caught the Noyan hard in the belly (fighting like children!) and the man toppled backwards.

Go lad! shouted one sailor, but the rest booed. Doubtless they had lost money.

Will grinned and tore off the blindfold. TeSin lay on the deck coughing, but he smiled, and lifted an arm to Will. You do well.

Will took the offered hand and pulled the Noyan onto his feet. Thank you. He waved the blindfold at the sailors. So. Who bet on me? Two swarthy men raised their hands, grinning. Thank you, boys. When were next in port, Ill be buying you drinks.

Good move, whispered Jed, from the back of Wills mind, where he seemed set to stay. Aint nothing like drink to keep a sailors favor.

The sailors cheered. Will grinned at them, and at the blue sky beyond and the white clouds and the limitless horizon. For a moment he felt truly happy.

You saw me, TeSin said, but you not use your eyes.

Will nodded.

Good. Good. Is start.

Will wiped sweat from his eyes, then he and TeSin settled in the shade and shared a draft from the water barrel. For a time they said nothing, each catching his breath. Will sipped the brackish water and tried to work out what had happened. Fighting without vision was twice as exhausting, because of the effort of concentration.

It was strange, Will said finally. I knew what you were going to do.

TeSin wiped his mustache and set the mug on the deck. How?

Will shifted uncomfortably. How to describe the moment? I dont really know. At first I heard you. I knew you would lunge, because thats what you do.

TeSin looked startled. You know how I fight?

Of course. Will could tell from the set of his shoulders that the man was troubled. Its not a bad thing.