With determined steps Ella walked over to the Block. She could see the runes more clearly now; they hadn’t been activated yet, but the places where she was to put her wrists and ankles were clearly marked.
Taking a deep breath, Ella slowly lay on her back on the Block, gazing up at the blue sky, watching the soft wisps of cloud move in a gentle breeze. The students and faculty looked on as Ella prepared herself, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
"Ak-kara," she cried.
The Block flared to life, the runes glowing red, blue, silver, and green. The cuffs lit up in sympathy, flaring red. The link was made with the cuffs and suddenly it began. Ella’s body was now under the Block’s control
At first it was just an uncomfortable sensation of being stretched. Then Ella felt her back start to twist, her bones rubbing one against the other. Sweat broke out on her brow as her limbs felt near breaking point.
They said that even Stormhand, the bladesinger traitor, had screamed after two minutes of full wracking.
Not a sound came out of Ella’s mouth. Her flared nostrils and wide eyes were the only sign she showed of the pain she was in. She figured she owed Talwin that much, to bear the pain in silence.
17
There is a huge statue in the north of Altura. Half-buried in the earth, it is so old that the writing on its base can no longer be read. It makes the Sentinel in Seranthia look puny in comparison.
— Toro Marossa, ‘Explorations’, Page 51, 423 Y.E.
"IT’S your turn to bring up the water," Miro said.
Ella had just been thinking the same thing about him. It was tough, with just the two of them.
"My turn? It’s your turn."
Miro sighed. "Ella, I do enough around here. Don’t make this into an issue."
He twisted and turned in his wooden chair, stretching, arching his back. Miro grimaced as it made a painful cracking sound. He hadn’t spoken much of his training lately, but he had been finding less and less time to spend at home. His body was changing dramatically — he was always tall and lean, but now his shoulders had grown; the muscles in his chest were rigidly defined.
"You think things are tough for you? I’ve got so much work to catch up on I’m drawing runes in my sleep!"
"Just get the water, Ella."
"No! You get the water."
Miro took a deep breath. "It doesn’t matter anyway. I’ll get the water."
Miro stood up. He looked so tired. There were lines under his eyes. Blademaster Rogan must be running him hard.
Ella stood also. "No, you sit down, I’ll get the water."
When she returned, wending her way through the forested path with two brimming buckets of fresh water, Ella saw her older brother had fallen asleep in his chair.
Without knowing where the idea came from, she upended one of the buckets over his head.
Miro yelped like a dog in a catfight, caught completely unaware. He blinked up at her, shaking droplets from his dark hair while Ella stood over him, bent with laughter.
Quicker than the eye, Miro leapt forward, grabbing the second bucket from her hand. Completely surprised, she didn’t stand a chance. They were both soon standing on the porch, laughing and dripping wet.
"Lord of the Sky, you’re fast!" said Ella. His gentle, protective nature belied such ferocious strength. Such speed.
"Miro, I have an idea," she said seriously.
"What is it?"
"Next week, maybe we could take a day, hire one of the riverboats? It’s their quiet period now so we could get one for a good price. I know, I’ve checked."
Miro’s face fell.
"We could see if Amber’s free. We could spend the whole day together, the three of us."
"Ella, I’m leaving."
"We could visit the Poloplats early in the day, while the best produce is still available — get some sourmelons, maybe a bottle of honeywine, if we have the money."
Suddenly Ella realised what Miro was saying.
"What?"
"Ella, one of the bladesingers with us at Seranthia spoke up on my behalf. Huron Gower, his name is. I’ve been accepted into bladesinger training."
Ella fought to make the correct response. "Miro, that’s fantastic! You, a bladesinger! I can’t believe it!"
She could tell he could see right through her.
"I won’t be around for a long time. I’ll be gone, for at least three months. Maybe a lot longer."
"Of course." Ella tried hard to keep her expression happy. It was good news, it was. "Have they told you anything about the training? It’s so mysterious — all I’ve heard are rumours."
"I don’t know where I’m going or what I’ll be doing really… All I know is the training takes place somewhere in the Dunwood. They don’t talk about it much. I’m a bit scared, to be honest."
Ella waved her hand. Her smiled was forced. "I’m sure you’ll be fine. I have an idea! Maybe one day, when you’re a bladesinger, and I’m an enchantress, I can make you the best zenblade in the history of enchantment!"
Miro smiled. "That would be… wonderful."
They sat in silence for a moment. A wind blew up from the trees, a cold winter breeze — a sign of things to come. Ella shivered; she needed to get out of the wet clothes.