Heliopath’s World: Ildieu: Falcon: Kestrel’s Kidnap (part 3)
This entry is part 15 of 28 in the Heliopath's World collection
Part 1
Part 2
This entry is part 15 of 28 in the Heliopath's World collection
Lars studied Falcon in such a way that Falcon wished he knew what his old friend was thinking. “Are you actually a threat?” Lars finally asked.
“I don’t know.” Falcon sighed. “To be honest I think Father was just telling me that, when really the true threat to the mages outside the city is Kestrel. When the time comes that she is taught magic she will easily reach black, if she can deal with the way our bodies react to the magic that we use, and that is what is going to change things for the city. We’ll have two black mages, one of each gender, which, from what Father said, will keep us safe, although I don’t know exactly how.”
“Why have you always chosen to follow his orders?”
“That’s a question I keep asking myself, hoping I might be able to answer it some day, because there are times when I hate that he’s forced me into this position. He was always the one who told me we couldn’t teach Kess how to use the magic that flows through her and I accepted the reasons he gave me without stopping to think why. I always knew the time would come when she was permitted to make the decision for herself, but that couldn’t happen until Ash arrived, and then it was better for us if it was Ash who taught her.” Falcon shook his head. “Sometimes I think Father wished he was my uncle. Like me he was never comfortable with being the leader of the Black Hollow, but he followed his father’s orders.
“By doing that he’s forced us all into a difficult position. None of us really know where, in the end, Grandfather’s plans will get us. He never explained more than he had to and now he’s disappeared we can’t ask him the questions we really need answers to.” He bit his lip. “There’s a drawer, in Fat… my desk, that will apparently open when the time is right and everyone believes holds Grandfather’s journal, written when he created the Black Hollow. I don’t know if I believe that, but I can’t help hoping it’s true, because then, maybe, we’ll be able to understand why he made the choices he did and why he forced his children, and grandchildren, into the positions we are in now.
“Did he know that Kestrel would only survive to this age if she didn’t learn magic? After hearing what happened to Mina I can’t help thinking it’s a possibility, especially as I’ve heard rumours about the abilities of a female black mage that makes me think Kess might be able to help Mina if she manages to reach that level. Lars, everything I have done in my entire life has been decided by someone else, whether that person is my father or grandfather, and I don’t think I know how to be Falcon. I’m not certain I even know who I really am and I hate that, because it makes me feel like I’ve been moulded by people I barely know.”
Mirrored from K. A. Webb Writing.