Discordant Harmonies 3: Measure of Resistance

Chapter Fifteen

This was one of Auben sresaph's journals, but Géta couldn't keep his mind on it. When his thoughts wandered onto the request Esqué had made of him yesterday again, he huffed a breath and slapped the book's open pages on his thigh. Téus, who sat at his feet, facing away, didn't notice. Or if he did, he didn't react. His voice and the notes from his lyre continued to lilt as Téus sang softly, a love song so old Géta had never heard it—or one specific to Téus's homecountry. Géta wasn't sure which. All the other boy had said about it was that it had been popular back when his mother's grandfather was a child.

But Géta tried reading again, hoping Auben's rich descriptions would drown him in visions of the foreign Mage's world like usual this time. They didn't. When he snarled and hit the spine of the book on his right knee—the one Téus wasn't sitting next to—the other musician stopped singing and playing to set his instrument on Géta's lap, rising on his knees as he turned to face Géta.

"What's wrong, Gé?"

Realizing what he'd done to the book and destruction he could have unintentionally caused, Géta examined the book's spine. "Esqué asked me to channel for other Mages yesterday."

As usual, the fingers of one of Téus's hands idly plucked the strings of his lyre. "Why?"

"For a couple reasons." Géta sighed and closed the journal on the mark he kept for it, shifting in the chair a little. "He said it would be practice for the coming battle. When I went back and asked him later if we will be one of the main ones attacked, he said it's certain we'll be concentrated on. Utevsko's moving a lot of troops to locations close to our portion of the border—more than any other Temple post is getting."

Téus's already pale face whitened further. "Should I talk to Esqué?" His voice was frail, and Géta stared a little. He hadn't suspected Téus could be this afraid of the coming war. When the lyre-player went on, Téus watched him with glistening eyes. "Should I tell him I channeled power for your Mage now?"

For a few minutes, Géta considered this question. He wanted to say his lover should go to the Proxy, but he and Asthané had been discussing this issue on and off since being reunited. The one thing Asthané had been absolutely certain of was Téus's unwillingness to admit to having any Gifts at all. According to Asthané, it took Wodé to convince the lyre-player to even consider channeling magic for him, and he was certain it was only because he didn't make any efforts once his first attempt to bring up the subject of Téus's Gifts had failed.

"It's up to you, Téus. Esqué was firm on the fact we have a chance at survival even if I don't channel for Mages other than Asthané. He's not going to force me into it if I don't want to." He felt it important to say this, because it was something that had reassured him a great deal about the whole request. Not only that Esqué had taken the time and care necessary for asking him—even to inviting him to bring Asthané—but because the Proxy had been so insistent about not forcing him into it if he didn't want to at all.

To his surprise, Téus frowned.

"What?"

Looking more than a little irate, the other musician glared at him. "Your Mage did that, and I know why. It was because I was a brat when he asked me about my prophetic dreams. But you're my sweetheart, Géta. I not only expect you to have an opinion, I want you to tell me what it is, not hear, 'it's up to you, Téus,' from you. I know it's up to me, but what you think about it is as important to me as what I think about Esqué's request is to you."

He searched in his lover's face for sincerity, almost wishing for his Mage's Gift of empathy. When Téus didn't avert his gaze, and his expression remained determined, Géta sighed a little. "All right. I think you should tell him. If you do decide to help other Mages with your channeling, that's even more power than just I'll be able to supply, and they may need all they can get. Utevsko's Mages are all multiply Gifted—Esqué was certain of that—and that means they're all probably at least a hundred or more years old. According to what Esqué's been able to learn, Inski's Mages are all required to take the Path of Wisdom when they Petition for their Gifts. That means all those sent here will be sresaph Jalza _and_ sresaph Teesar. Even if Inski's king may not be smart, and his council may be a crowd of dunces, and his closest advisors may all be fools, but Esqué says every single Mage Utevsko can field will be wiser even if their immediate commanders aren't well-versed in tactics and willing to use those Mages to the best advantages possible. And, if we get intelligent commanders here at our post, you and me channeling for our Mages may be all that ultimately stands between Utevsko's army and our best chance of survival."