Read Online Blades of the Old Empire by Anna Kashina - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Anna Kashina
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herself. Kyth, Evan’s rightful heir, was alive and well, under the Majat’s protection. There shouldn’t be any problems, should there?
Mother Keeper only smiled, as if oblivious to the unspoken question. “Now, let’s try a different one. Odara Sul learned to cook from her grandmother, who was also a Keeper of high standing.”
Ellah hesitated. “A lie.”
“Which part?”
“I am not sure. Both?”
Mother Keeper shook her head. “The first part is almost true. Odara Sul’s grandmother was a great cook, but she never was a Keeper. She died when Odara was very young, so Odara never had a chance to learn much cooking. We continued her training as a cook in the White Citadel.”
“There is something wrong about the way you said it just now.”
“Which part?”
“The last one. You almost believe it, but not quite. Which makes it not exactly a lie, but…”
Mother Keeper gave her a long look. “You’re better than I thought. The part you are sensing is about cooking. We didn’t exactly train Odara to cook . But it’s not important now. Your purpose is to try to understand how you can tell.”
Ellah closed her eyes again and relaxed back against the blanket, listening to Mother Keeper’s next statement.
“Ghaz Shalan Testing was first instigated in the Old Empire, when the court alchemists came upon a substance that can boil when it comes into contact with the blood of the gifted. The gift was later proclaimed to be a curse, and the liquid was adopted by the Church as the way to test all the newborns in the Empire.”
“It seems like the truth,” Ellah said, “but it shouldn’t be. The Holy Book says that Ghaz Shalan Elixir was discovered with Lord Shal Addim’s guidance by Father Bertoldos, nine hundred years ago, to help eliminate ungodly creations of the Cursed Destroyer.”
“Yes, the Holy Book does say this, doesn’t it?”
Ellah sensed a smile behind the older woman’s calm tone. She sat up. She knew that many in their kingdom opposed Ghaz Shalan Testing, and that quite a few people – including Kyth and Ellah herself – would have been dead if the priests had their way all the time, but to say that the holiest elixir in existence came from anywhere else but Shal Addim’s grace was blasphemy. At least it had been, in the world where Ellah had grown up.
“And you think you know better, don’t you?” she asked.
Mother Keeper smiled. “ You tell me .”
Ellah hesitated. This is just a lesson , she reminded herself. Besides, what Mother Keeper said didn’t have to be the truth – she just had to believe she was telling it.
She closed her eyes and lay back again.
There was a brief pause before Mother Keeper went on. “A large part of the Bengaw province is covered in swamps that originate from the Dark Mire in the Forestlands.”
“True.”
“Aghat Mai is looking at you,” Odara Sul suddenly said.
Ellah sat up so quickly she felt dizzy, and spun around toward the fire. Mai was still turned sideways, deep in conversation. He wasn’t looking her way at all.
Ellah glared. “You lied, didn’t you?”
“Yes, and you believed me!” Odara doubled over with laugher.
“But –”
Mother Keeper’s glance silenced them.
“It’s the most important part of your lesson today,” she said to Ellah. “You can’t sense the truth where your emotions are involved. And this is your most vulnerable spot. We must learn to overcome it.”
“But how?” Ellah felt helpless. Despite Mother Keeper’s words she found it so difficult to draw her eyes away from Mai’s perfect profile. Why did he have to be so handsome? Why did he have to catch her alone this evening and sneak up so close to her? Why did his smell, the faint scent of pine and spring water, make her feel so weak inside?
“Try to think,” Mother Keeper said. “What makes you feel something is a lie?”
Ellah closed her eyes one more time.
“Colors,” she finally said. “When you speak, I see colors. Blue
Mother Keeper only smiled, as if oblivious to the unspoken question. “Now, let’s try a different one. Odara Sul learned to cook from her grandmother, who was also a Keeper of high standing.”
Ellah hesitated. “A lie.”
“Which part?”
“I am not sure. Both?”
Mother Keeper shook her head. “The first part is almost true. Odara Sul’s grandmother was a great cook, but she never was a Keeper. She died when Odara was very young, so Odara never had a chance to learn much cooking. We continued her training as a cook in the White Citadel.”
“There is something wrong about the way you said it just now.”
“Which part?”
“The last one. You almost believe it, but not quite. Which makes it not exactly a lie, but…”
Mother Keeper gave her a long look. “You’re better than I thought. The part you are sensing is about cooking. We didn’t exactly train Odara to cook . But it’s not important now. Your purpose is to try to understand how you can tell.”
Ellah closed her eyes again and relaxed back against the blanket, listening to Mother Keeper’s next statement.
“Ghaz Shalan Testing was first instigated in the Old Empire, when the court alchemists came upon a substance that can boil when it comes into contact with the blood of the gifted. The gift was later proclaimed to be a curse, and the liquid was adopted by the Church as the way to test all the newborns in the Empire.”
“It seems like the truth,” Ellah said, “but it shouldn’t be. The Holy Book says that Ghaz Shalan Elixir was discovered with Lord Shal Addim’s guidance by Father Bertoldos, nine hundred years ago, to help eliminate ungodly creations of the Cursed Destroyer.”
“Yes, the Holy Book does say this, doesn’t it?”
Ellah sensed a smile behind the older woman’s calm tone. She sat up. She knew that many in their kingdom opposed Ghaz Shalan Testing, and that quite a few people – including Kyth and Ellah herself – would have been dead if the priests had their way all the time, but to say that the holiest elixir in existence came from anywhere else but Shal Addim’s grace was blasphemy. At least it had been, in the world where Ellah had grown up.
“And you think you know better, don’t you?” she asked.
Mother Keeper smiled. “ You tell me .”
Ellah hesitated. This is just a lesson , she reminded herself. Besides, what Mother Keeper said didn’t have to be the truth – she just had to believe she was telling it.
She closed her eyes and lay back again.
There was a brief pause before Mother Keeper went on. “A large part of the Bengaw province is covered in swamps that originate from the Dark Mire in the Forestlands.”
“True.”
“Aghat Mai is looking at you,” Odara Sul suddenly said.
Ellah sat up so quickly she felt dizzy, and spun around toward the fire. Mai was still turned sideways, deep in conversation. He wasn’t looking her way at all.
Ellah glared. “You lied, didn’t you?”
“Yes, and you believed me!” Odara doubled over with laugher.
“But –”
Mother Keeper’s glance silenced them.
“It’s the most important part of your lesson today,” she said to Ellah. “You can’t sense the truth where your emotions are involved. And this is your most vulnerable spot. We must learn to overcome it.”
“But how?” Ellah felt helpless. Despite Mother Keeper’s words she found it so difficult to draw her eyes away from Mai’s perfect profile. Why did he have to be so handsome? Why did he have to catch her alone this evening and sneak up so close to her? Why did his smell, the faint scent of pine and spring water, make her feel so weak inside?
“Try to think,” Mother Keeper said. “What makes you feel something is a lie?”
Ellah closed her eyes one more time.
“Colors,” she finally said. “When you speak, I see colors. Blue
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