breaking as they walked
slowly back to the village, and wondered what it was all for. He had just
risked his life to save a girl who no longer loved him. He would pay anything
to read her thoughts, anything. But she would not even speak. Was she in shock?
Darius wanted to say something to her, anything
to break the silence. But he did not know where to begin. He had thought he’d
known her, but now he was not so sure. A part of him felt indignant, too proud
to speak, given her reaction, and yet another part of him was somewhat ashamed.
He knew what his people thought of the use of magic. Was his use of magic such
a terrible thing? Even if he’d saved her life? Would she tell the others? If
the villagers found out, he knew, they would surely exile him.
They walked and walked, and Darius finally
could stand it no longer; he had to say something.
“I’m sure your family will be happy to see you
back safely,” Darius said.
Loti, to his disappointment, did not take the opportunity
to look his way; instead, she just remained expressionless as they continued to
walk in silence. Finally, after a long while, she shook her head.
“Perhaps,” she said. “But I should think they will
be more worried than anything. Our entire village will be.”
“What do you mean?” Darius asked.
“You’ve killed a taskmaster. We’ve killed a taskmaster. The entire Empire will be out looking for us. They’ll
destroy our village. Our people. We have done a terrible, selfish thing.”
“Terrible thing? I saved your life!” Darius
said, exasperated.
She shrugged.
“My life is not worth the lives of all of our
people.”
Darius fumed, not knowing what to say as they
walked. Loti, he was beginning to realize, was a difficult girl, hard to
understand. She had been too indoctrinated with the rigid thought of her
parents, of their people.
“So you hate me then,” he said. “You hate me
for saving you.”
She refused to look at him, continued to walk.
“I saved you, too,” she retorted proudly.
“Don’t you remember?”
Darius reddened; he could not understand her.
She was too proud.
“I don’t hate you,” she finally added. “But I
saw how you did it. I saw what you did.”
Darius found himself shaking inside, hurt at
her words. They came out like an accusation. It wasn’t fair, especially after
he had just saved her life.
“And is that such an awful thing?” he asked. “Whatever
power it was that I used?”
Loti did not reply.
“I am who I am,” Darius said. “I was born this
way. I did not ask for it. I do not entirely understand it myself. I do not
know when it comes and when it leaves. I do not know if I shall ever be able to
use it again. I did not want to use it. It was as if…it used me.”
Loti continued to look down, not responding,
not meeting his eyes, and Darius felt a sinking feeling of regret. Had he made
a mistake in rescuing her? Should he be ashamed of who he was?
“Would you rather be dead than for me to have
used…whatever it was I used?” Darius asked.
Again Loti did not reply as they walked, and Darius’s
regret deepened.
“Do not speak of it to anyone,” she said. “We
must never speak of what happened here today. We will both be outcasts.”
They turned the corner and their village came
into view. They walked down the main pathway and as they did, they were spotted
by villagers, who let out a great shout of joy.
Within moments there was a great commotion as
villagers swarmed out to meet them, hundreds of them, excitedly rushing to
embrace Loti and Darius. Breaking through the crowd was Loti’s mother, joined
by her father and two of her brothers, tall men with broad shoulders, short
hair, and proud jaws. They all looked down at Darius, summing him up. Standing
beside them was Loti’s third brother, smaller than the others and lame in one
leg.
“My love,” Loti’s mother said, rushing through
the crowd and embracing her, hugging her tight.
Darius hung back, unsure
slowly back to the village, and wondered what it was all for. He had just
risked his life to save a girl who no longer loved him. He would pay anything
to read her thoughts, anything. But she would not even speak. Was she in shock?
Darius wanted to say something to her, anything
to break the silence. But he did not know where to begin. He had thought he’d
known her, but now he was not so sure. A part of him felt indignant, too proud
to speak, given her reaction, and yet another part of him was somewhat ashamed.
He knew what his people thought of the use of magic. Was his use of magic such
a terrible thing? Even if he’d saved her life? Would she tell the others? If
the villagers found out, he knew, they would surely exile him.
They walked and walked, and Darius finally
could stand it no longer; he had to say something.
“I’m sure your family will be happy to see you
back safely,” Darius said.
Loti, to his disappointment, did not take the opportunity
to look his way; instead, she just remained expressionless as they continued to
walk in silence. Finally, after a long while, she shook her head.
“Perhaps,” she said. “But I should think they will
be more worried than anything. Our entire village will be.”
“What do you mean?” Darius asked.
“You’ve killed a taskmaster. We’ve killed a taskmaster. The entire Empire will be out looking for us. They’ll
destroy our village. Our people. We have done a terrible, selfish thing.”
“Terrible thing? I saved your life!” Darius
said, exasperated.
She shrugged.
“My life is not worth the lives of all of our
people.”
Darius fumed, not knowing what to say as they
walked. Loti, he was beginning to realize, was a difficult girl, hard to
understand. She had been too indoctrinated with the rigid thought of her
parents, of their people.
“So you hate me then,” he said. “You hate me
for saving you.”
She refused to look at him, continued to walk.
“I saved you, too,” she retorted proudly.
“Don’t you remember?”
Darius reddened; he could not understand her.
She was too proud.
“I don’t hate you,” she finally added. “But I
saw how you did it. I saw what you did.”
Darius found himself shaking inside, hurt at
her words. They came out like an accusation. It wasn’t fair, especially after
he had just saved her life.
“And is that such an awful thing?” he asked. “Whatever
power it was that I used?”
Loti did not reply.
“I am who I am,” Darius said. “I was born this
way. I did not ask for it. I do not entirely understand it myself. I do not
know when it comes and when it leaves. I do not know if I shall ever be able to
use it again. I did not want to use it. It was as if…it used me.”
Loti continued to look down, not responding,
not meeting his eyes, and Darius felt a sinking feeling of regret. Had he made
a mistake in rescuing her? Should he be ashamed of who he was?
“Would you rather be dead than for me to have
used…whatever it was I used?” Darius asked.
Again Loti did not reply as they walked, and Darius’s
regret deepened.
“Do not speak of it to anyone,” she said. “We
must never speak of what happened here today. We will both be outcasts.”
They turned the corner and their village came
into view. They walked down the main pathway and as they did, they were spotted
by villagers, who let out a great shout of joy.
Within moments there was a great commotion as
villagers swarmed out to meet them, hundreds of them, excitedly rushing to
embrace Loti and Darius. Breaking through the crowd was Loti’s mother, joined
by her father and two of her brothers, tall men with broad shoulders, short
hair, and proud jaws. They all looked down at Darius, summing him up. Standing
beside them was Loti’s third brother, smaller than the others and lame in one
leg.
“My love,” Loti’s mother said, rushing through
the crowd and embracing her, hugging her tight.
Darius hung back, unsure
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