Chapter 5

“I said to concentrate,” Tobian corrected me again.

“I’m trying,” I grunted from my weird pose. My feet came together under me, legs straightening, as I rose to my full humble height. “What’s with this position anyways? It’s hard to focus while I’m squatting like that, and you haven’t done that once while you used magic.”

“That’s the point,” he said with a sigh, as if I still didn’t understand the most basic of concepts, which may or may not have been true. “You have to be able to focus on your mana; if you do that without distraction, you’ll only be able to do it without distraction. What you’re doing is called the ‘Apprentice Stance’ and it’s traditional for basic training.”

I sighed, understanding enough of what he said to be contented in returning to the tiresome posture. I looked to the sky again, the sun still making its slow but steady progression across the sky, but I closed my eyes again. Just ten more minutes, I told myself as I stood for another twenty. I felt the flow of mana in my body passing from one side of my body to the other; it was like pushing a rubber ball through a hole just a bit smaller than the actual circumference, forcing it a bit.

When I finally opened my eyes, I saw Tobian staring me face to face. His scruffy face was full of stubble as usual and his beady eyes stared into my soul. “Getting better,” he confirmed. He rubbed his chin, narrowing his eyes at me. “I think… the day after tomorrow. We can do the ritual then.”

“Really!?” I exclaimed, excited that I had managed to shave off a couple more days.

“Yeah,” he confirmed. “Also, how’s your sister feel about all of this?”

“Oh, I haven’t told her. But I’m sure that she’ll come around when she sees it, though.”

He hemmed and hawed for a moment as he meandered back to the base of the tree, settling himself in between the base roots. “Well, why not bring her around for the ritual in two days?” he suggested.

I smiled at the thought of getting my magic in front of her. “Yeah, I’m sure I can get her here,” I said with a chuckle. “She already seems interested in the military mages; saw one the first day of her apprenticeship.”

Tobian’s head twitched towards me as he quickly looked up. “She saw one already?”

“I think she took his measurements. My father nearly lost it when she told us that,” I laughed. “And— Oh shoot, I gotta go!” I cut myself off, looking up and realizing how much time had passed.

“Aye, go on,” Tobian nodded. “Just remember, bring her with you the day after tomorrow.”

I nodded, waving as I turned and started jogging back. It didn’t take incredibly long to get back to the house but I could hear the sounds behind it as I got closer. Curses, I wasn’t supposed to be late! I told myself off as I circled around the cottage to the back. Tall touches stuck into the ground and bathed the early evening in a fiery light. The flowers all around added to the colour of the atmosphere as people laughed and danced. About a dozen couples and some children all milled around the area, running around excitedly as a few had taken instruments and were showing off their amateur mastery.

It felt warm, the small gathering of neighbouring farmers. In my old life, I would have called it a decent get-together, but to our humble life in the new world, it was the grandest of parties.

Horray and his wife were bringing out platters of meat as I nearly bumped into them from behind. A few heads soon turned as the smell of roast beef and pork filled the air but the true centre of attention was my sister, head and shoulders above everyone. “HUZZAH! HUZZAH! The greatest twin of all!” four of the men chanted as they lifted her chair in the air, parading her in a small circle in the middle of the gathering. She held a death’s grip on the edge of the seat, terrified of the height but her face still lit up with excitement and admiration from the procession.

Across the lawn, my father was the only one whose eyes locked onto me. His conversation appeared to end as his eyes narrowed slightly but he gave a quick nod, clearly not pleased with my tardiness but it was not severe enough to warrant any reprimand.

From her vantage point, sitting above the heads of others, Rose was the second to see me, and the first to acknowledge it. “Oh, Ren!” She waved, one arm swinging wildly in greeting. “Ren, you made it— Woah!” Her grip redoubled as the seat wobbled as heads turned to me. Her hands clung to the hoisted chair to prevent sliding off before she was quickly righted.

Horray’s wife, Cynthia, whirled around in the indicated direction, almost smacking me with the plate of meat. “Oh, Ren dear, there you are! We were wondering when you would arrive!” She quickly pushed the platter onto a garden ledge beside her before wrapping me in a big hug. “My, you’ve gotten so big,” she exclaimed as she squeezed the air out of me, as if she hadn’t seen me a month ago. “Come come, eat!” She finally let me go, and I tried not to visibly gasp for breath as I followed.

The table was decorated with candles and clothes, a patchwork of patterns that matched the mixed potluck on top. While Horray and Cynthia’s contribution stole the show, it would have been wrong to write off the breads and salads and pastas and other dishes that lined the table. It looked as if twice as many people had brought food than were present and I guessed that desserts were being held back as well.

I took my indicated place at the front of the line as others began to trickle toward the head of the joined tables, none wanting to appear as if they were rushing but no other path than a straight line was taken. I grabbed a plate from the stack but waited as Rose came close to join me. The four rowdy neighbours tried to lift Rose to waist height with the clear intention of carrying her through the buffet line but she seemed to quietly plead with them to let her down. Her hands were shaking just a bit as she came up and hugged me from behind. “Missed you!” she whispered into my ear as she pulled the empty plate from my hand and scooted around me, helping herself to the gleaming spread before us. I chuckled at her antics as I took a second plate, following behind as she took the lead in stacking her dish with all manner of roast meat, potatoes, salads, and other dishes, giving everything in front of her the courtesy of attendance on her plate. By the time she was through, her food was stacked on other food in what appeared to be chaos but on second glance, I realized was carefully designed to keep anything from truly mixing. Mine was a bit more lopsided, heavy on the meats and light on the greens. Normally I would have considered how this would incur a small lecture from my father but today I had the privilege of self indulgence.

I followed Rose to one of the benches where some who missed the first line up were still idly chatting. She easily slid in and joined, talking with adults and peers close to our age. The evening continued much the same way, friendly conversation and food and some games on the lawn.

“I still remember the day you were born,” Cynthia reminisced as she topped her cup with more sweet wine. “Lily was so proud; twins for a twin, I joked,” she said with a belly laugh.

“AHEM!” Jard tried to cut her off and moved the wine bottle away from her. “I think your cup’s full enough.”

I looked up though as she said that. It didn’t quite sound right. I knew that my mother and Cynthia had been good friends before I was born, but I could have sworn my father always saying that they weren’t expecting twins, either ‘one big baby or a real good swimmer’. I shrugged it off though; it was almost a village joke about how Cynthia would say anything while just a bit tipsy.

Across the tables I heard a “Excuse me.” Rose stood, a calm smile on her face as she left her second plate on her seat. I glanced her way as she stepped away to the back door, only to turn and head around the side rather than head inside. I repeated her to the others as I stepped up and followed, making a nearly direct path between the gardens that dotted the yard to where she went.

“So, ‘the greatest twin of all’?” I questioned as I rounded the corner, seeing her sitting on the wooden edge of a garden section.

She looked up in surprise at my appearance before soon blushing a bit in embarrassment as I repeated the phrase. “It was just something that Clives started and the others joined in,” she explained. “Could have been ‘twins’ though; where were you?”

I looked away slightly as she turned the question back onto me. “Just… out,” I didn’t explain. “I was just doing something… I’ll explain later.”

She cocked her head a bit at that but didn’t question it further. We sat in silence for a moment longer, the merriment of the adults and other children audible just around the corner. Either our joint absence from the gathering had not yet been noticed or was being intentionally overlooked to give us a reprieve from the festivities.

“Still, would have been nice if you were getting hoisted up there with me,” Rose eventually said, giggling, presumably at the thought of my panicked face beside hers.

“You know I don’t care for heights,” I said with a chuckle back.

She lightly punched me in the arm. “Me neither; you know that,” she laughed, her soft smile returning. “Sorry, I don’t mean to keep you. Just needed some fresh air.”

“No no, I could use a moment from the noise myself,” I reassured her, not wanting her to feel like I felt obligated. “And maybe in two days, when you have a day off… perhaps you could join me for a walk? I’ll show you what I’ve been up to.”

She raised an eyebrow inquiringly but didn’t speak the question surely on her mind, just as I gave no elaboration. “Alright,” she finally said. “I’ve just been wondering though about—”

“There you are!” Cynthia popped around the side with rosy cheeks and a plate of cookies in hand. “It’s dessert time; come before the good stuff is eaten!” she beckoned us and we stepped to for another round of food, the conversation left in the wind.