again.
“Your mastery of the Lightning Calling was very impressive. How long did you study that calling?” Doren asked casually, walking a bit more easily as his muscles worked out the kinks.
“A day,” Kade said as he was watching the king and queen talk amongst themselves.
“I mean…how long did you study it before you mastered it?” Doren said as he watched Kade, trying to be patient while repeating what should have been an easy question to comprehend.
“I learned this calling in one day,” Kade said casually as he glanced at Doren and then looked back at the spiders.
Kade did not see the look of disbelief on the Master’s face as Doren came to a stop. Kade glanced over and ground to a halt when he noticed Doren was no longer with him. He turned and saw the man standing there with his mouth hanging open as if trying to formulate words.
“Master?” Kade asked in confusion.
“It’s true,” Doren said, his eyes distant as his mind worked rapidly. His eyes focused when he realized Kade was watching him. His composure returned instantly and Kade would have never known the level of the man’s shock had he not just seen it with his own eyes. “Zayle said you held the key to our salvation,” Doren said as he looked at Kade as if seeing him for the first time. “Zayle was able to…teach you that complex a calling in a day?” Doren asked, but his tone gave away his disbelief. Kade sighed.
“Zayle was…” Kade started to say and then stopped.
“Zayle was what?” Doren asked as he stared deep into Kade’s eyes, as if trying to detect deception.
“Zayle had been killed by that time. I found the book and learned it on my own,” Kade said, firmly vowing to keep the despair from surfacing at the loss of his cherished master.
“Who taught you the Calling?” Doren asked suspiciously, not believing what he was hearing. Or, maybe it was that he did not hear the response.
“I did. I learned it on my own,” Kade said.
How much more clear can I make it? Kade thought as he watched the Master Chosen. Kade could see that Doren was like a volcano getting ready to erupt and flinched.
“Kade!” Doren exploded. It reminded him of how his master, Zayle, used to react when he had made a mistake that was life threatening. “That was foolish! Foolish beyond words!” Doren exclaimed, anger reddening his face. “You could have easily destroyed yourself! You are too important to take irresponsible risks like that!”
Kade sensed that Doren was not just angry at him for putting his life in danger, but for something else, also. He recalled the cabin he had lived in for most of his life and could not help but to agree. It was foolish. Was he ready for so much power and responsibility? What was past is past and cannot be changed now.
No reason to dwell on it, he told himself, but he was not able to shake it off.
Doren clenched his fists in anger as his mouth worked. Kade was certain that if any sound accompanied those unspoken words, they would be harsh words indeed. He could not bring himself to speak as he tried to comprehend all that was happening. Doren began to walk again as his mouth twisted without saying the words that formed on his lips.
As they walked, neither said anything for quite some time. Kade avoided looking at Doren, sure he would see a scalding glare. It must be a requirement for Masters to know how to scold, Kade thought as he recalled how proficient Zayle was at it, also. Kade did not speak and dearly hoped that Doren would let the silence stand. He was relieved beyond words that the Master Chosen decided to stay quiet. As time passed, Doren softened, and inevitably, started to talk once again.
“Zayle used to have an extensive library,” Doren said in as relaxed a tone as he could muster. Kade was not
“Your mastery of the Lightning Calling was very impressive. How long did you study that calling?” Doren asked casually, walking a bit more easily as his muscles worked out the kinks.
“A day,” Kade said as he was watching the king and queen talk amongst themselves.
“I mean…how long did you study it before you mastered it?” Doren said as he watched Kade, trying to be patient while repeating what should have been an easy question to comprehend.
“I learned this calling in one day,” Kade said casually as he glanced at Doren and then looked back at the spiders.
Kade did not see the look of disbelief on the Master’s face as Doren came to a stop. Kade glanced over and ground to a halt when he noticed Doren was no longer with him. He turned and saw the man standing there with his mouth hanging open as if trying to formulate words.
“Master?” Kade asked in confusion.
“It’s true,” Doren said, his eyes distant as his mind worked rapidly. His eyes focused when he realized Kade was watching him. His composure returned instantly and Kade would have never known the level of the man’s shock had he not just seen it with his own eyes. “Zayle said you held the key to our salvation,” Doren said as he looked at Kade as if seeing him for the first time. “Zayle was able to…teach you that complex a calling in a day?” Doren asked, but his tone gave away his disbelief. Kade sighed.
“Zayle was…” Kade started to say and then stopped.
“Zayle was what?” Doren asked as he stared deep into Kade’s eyes, as if trying to detect deception.
“Zayle had been killed by that time. I found the book and learned it on my own,” Kade said, firmly vowing to keep the despair from surfacing at the loss of his cherished master.
“Who taught you the Calling?” Doren asked suspiciously, not believing what he was hearing. Or, maybe it was that he did not hear the response.
“I did. I learned it on my own,” Kade said.
How much more clear can I make it? Kade thought as he watched the Master Chosen. Kade could see that Doren was like a volcano getting ready to erupt and flinched.
“Kade!” Doren exploded. It reminded him of how his master, Zayle, used to react when he had made a mistake that was life threatening. “That was foolish! Foolish beyond words!” Doren exclaimed, anger reddening his face. “You could have easily destroyed yourself! You are too important to take irresponsible risks like that!”
Kade sensed that Doren was not just angry at him for putting his life in danger, but for something else, also. He recalled the cabin he had lived in for most of his life and could not help but to agree. It was foolish. Was he ready for so much power and responsibility? What was past is past and cannot be changed now.
No reason to dwell on it, he told himself, but he was not able to shake it off.
Doren clenched his fists in anger as his mouth worked. Kade was certain that if any sound accompanied those unspoken words, they would be harsh words indeed. He could not bring himself to speak as he tried to comprehend all that was happening. Doren began to walk again as his mouth twisted without saying the words that formed on his lips.
As they walked, neither said anything for quite some time. Kade avoided looking at Doren, sure he would see a scalding glare. It must be a requirement for Masters to know how to scold, Kade thought as he recalled how proficient Zayle was at it, also. Kade did not speak and dearly hoped that Doren would let the silence stand. He was relieved beyond words that the Master Chosen decided to stay quiet. As time passed, Doren softened, and inevitably, started to talk once again.
“Zayle used to have an extensive library,” Doren said in as relaxed a tone as he could muster. Kade was not
Similar Books
