The Spell of Rosette - Kim Falconer [50]
Rosette swallowed hard. There was no question about who stood directly alongside La Makee. It was the man who called himself Rowan. As if he knew he was being watched, he glanced down into the crowd and winked at Rosette. Without breaking eye contact he leaned towards the shorter man beside him, whispering something out of the side of his mouth. Both now looked in her direction. She felt her face flush.
Why would he deceive her like that? Her mind spun. Trickster!
‘Is that…is he the…?’ She didn’t avert her eyes from Rowan as she tapped the young girl next to her, pointing towards the man on stage.
‘The Sword Master?’ the girl finished Rosette’s sentence. ‘Yes, it’s An’ Lawrence. He’s amazing. Unbelievably fast. You’ll see. They’re going to give a demonstration.’ She looked down at Drayco and her smile fell. She edged away.
‘Hush!’ A woman standing behind scolded both girls. Drayco turned his head, but she didn’t flinch. ‘La Makee is about to speak.’ She glared at Drayco and he glared back. At least someone here wasn’t intimidated by the feline. Rosette nodded at the woman and looked back to the stage.
‘For those who are new…’ La Makee paused to scan the crowd as if she identified them immediately among the hundreds in front of her, ‘welcome to the coven of Treeon Temple.’
Everyone raised their hands over their heads and cheered their greeting, Rosette joining them. Drayco sprang up to rest his front paws on the edge of the wide stage, whiskers twitching as he took in the scents.
‘I have one thing to impress on you today,’ she continued. ‘It’s a simple thing. It takes only a moment to say. You’ll spend the rest of your life considering it.’ Makee’s voice boomed out into the crowd. Her head turned slowly, scanning each face.
‘There is no turning back.’ There was no other sound in the entire valley. ‘When you enter Treeon Temple for training, you make a binding commitment to this coven and to the gods. It will not always be an easy bond. There will be times when the growth and development of your skills will be arduous. You may question if there is any progress at all. These are the times that test your will, your power to become who you are meant to be. The path is not simple or straightforward. It is not one to choose lightly. Make certain you understand this without question, before you commit.’
She paused and drew her sword, raising it above her head. ‘I say it again, one last time: there is no turning back.’ She looked down at Rosette then, her eyes boring into the girl.
Rosette broke out in a sweat. No-one spoke. The valley seemed to echo with La Makee’s voice, though she had stopped speaking. The sun shone directly overhead, making her sword tip flare, lighting it like a beacon. Far off towards the cider barn, a dog barked.
Then a cloud passed over the sun, dimming the light and breaking the spell. Cheers welled up and the crowd became animated. The High Priestess spoke in detail about commitment and intention. She talked of the mentors and tutors, of the masters and how they chose their apprentices. Rosette was riveted, her senses catching every word and nuance.
Directions were given. Her name was called, along with a dozen others for the dormitory of Mistress Savine. She hoped all her dorm-mates would cope with Drayco. She didn’t notice any other familiars in the crowd and Dray had spoken of only one other—apparently bonded to the Sword Master. Rosette didn’t imagine she would be coming into contact with him again, or his familiar, at least for a while. She flushed at the thought of her casual manner only moments before. Did he assess all his potential students in such a covert way?
The clash of steel on steel grabbed her attention. Two apprentices were giving a demonstration, the arc of their swords slicing through the air with choreographed grace. It was the beginning of the forms, the prescribed movements exhibiting calmness, strength, dexterity and precision. She watched, transfixed, as the two apprentices,