Floating in Time Page 2

  Tia had dreaded what was happening to her when she first began to see flashes of other Sight. Worried that she was going to end up as an old woman tied to a bed frame, she had prayed until her knees were bloodied for deliverance.

  She thought that God had answered her call when one of the high-level priests of the church stopped by the village on his annual visitation. Each of the unmarried men and women had been called up for a hands-on blessing and Tia had been in line along with everyone else. When she reached the head of the queue, and the severe-faced man had murmured the benediction in a bored tone, she hoped that God would send a sign.

  The priest had reached out to make the Sign of the Cross on her forehead. At the touch of his hand, a vision had flashed across her eyes that showed him as an older man accepting the mantle of the Patriarch of Moskva. Her indrawn breath had rushed sharply through her throat, and she had been lost briefly in the vision, moving mechanically through the rest of the ceremony.

  Only later on did she realize that the vision had been shared. So lost in her own desperate clutching at the world around her that she missed the priest’s reaction, Tia had stumbled to her feet and escaped from the church as soon as she could. Ill to her stomach and with a pounding headache that made her eyes want to cross, the young woman had managed to force herself through the remainder of her day.

  She was about to crawl into bed between her sisters when a pounding at the door of her parents’ home caused everyone to look up in concern.

  The unforeseen pounding in the night was never a good sign in the world that Tia lived. It usually announced some new disaster, something that was going to cause pain and suffering. One of Tia’s younger sisters whimpered in fear, and Tia’s mother clutched her youngest baby to her breast.

  After a desperate look around at his cowering family, Tia’s father had moved over to the door and flung it open. Trembling visibly, the brave but helpless man had stood there and faced the expressionless visage of the priest’s head guard.

  The man was a Cossack, big and blonde with the well-worn saber of a lifetime fighter. The man had glanced past Tia’s father as if he was not there, sweeping the chamber with his eyes until he spied on Tia’s pale face. The observant young woman noticed a faint look of satisfaction that flashed over his face as he said, “My Lord, Father Romanov, wishes to speak with the daughter that was blessed today. He requests that she be accompanied to his presence by one of her female kin to both guard her reputation and to bear witness.”

  Tia had stood as if struck, unable to think of what she should do. Dimly, she had been aware that her father had babbled questions that went mostly unanswered. Tia’s mother had looked in anguish at the small baby that she carried in her arms and up at Tia. Torn between her youngest and her eldest, the woman wavered, unable to make a decision.

  “Oh, let me through!” The annoyed voice that came through the doorway sounded like Tia’s Aunt Alayna. The bustle of the forthright woman’s arrival followed the sound of her voice, and the eldest sister of her father pushed her way into the room, slipping past the stern Cossack as if he was not there.

  “Tia, sweetheart, I will go with you. Do you have any knowledge of why Father Romanov would like to speak with you?”

  “Tetka Alayna, I am not sure. He only gave me a blessing, and then I left.”

  It was at this moment that the guard captain chose to interrupt, saying, “Father Romanov would like to speak with you for a short period of time. He believes that you may have a skill that one of his mentors has been seeking. However, the night grows colder and darker. I would complete this errand as soon as possible.”

  Still ignoring the other people in the room, the formidable Cossack looked at Tia and said, “Your aunt, your tetka, is an acceptable companion. How quickly can you be ready to leave?”

  Tia’s answer was nonverbal. Reaching out a hand, she grabbed her cloak from its hook next to the door and slipped her feet into waiting shoes. Without another word, she went and stood next to her aunt who was similarly garbed.

  Smiling faintly, the guard captain nodded his head to Tia’s now silent father and led the way out the door. Within just a few minutes Tia, her aunt, and the guard captain were gone from Tia’s family home, leaving her parents and siblings to stare wordlessly after her in shock.

  The village gossip network had been working efficiently, as usual. The last half of Tia’s short trip to the church for her interview had been blatantly observed by curious villagers, all pointing and whispering. There was even a group inside of the church, supposedly praying but looking more like an ambush to the frightened young woman.

  Her aunt was a staunch presence next to Tia, holding her hand in a comfortable grip and offering acerbic comments under her breath about “People who didn’t have anything more important to do than stand in their doorway on a cold night watching someone take a walk.”

  When their small party entered the church, and Tia’s Tetka Alayna had seen the supposed worshipers, the comments became more audible, causing even their stern escort to fake a cough to conceal a spurt of amusement. Tia also laughed, her humor seeming to confuse the watchers, when Alayna said, “So that is how you get Marina into the church. Christmas and Easter won’t do it, but rampant curiosity does the trick.”

  >>

  That night had changed Tia’s life. The priest made it very clear that he had shared part of her vision. He had also informed the stunned young woman and her aunt that finding Tia and bringing her to his old mentor was one of the few ways that he could pay back the old man for his teaching. Tia could tell the priest held this mysterious instructor with affection. Rather than fear, thankful gratitude had threaded its way through the man’s description of his teacher.

  Father Romanov had also made it very clear that she was a Seer. The relief that Tia felt hearing that she was not insane was worth the fright that she had felt as she had followed the guard captain through the streets of the village.

  Knowing that she wasn’t going mad was like a burden had been lifted off the young woman’s shoulders. Rather than a sign of a tainted bloodline, the visions were the outward manifestation of her gift. This would not change the difficulty in mastering her abilities, but it did explain what was tearing her apart.

  Just knowing what was going on made it easier for Tia to bear. When the knowledge that Father Romanov knew someone that was willing to train people even if they were peasants was added, it seemed like a miracle had happened to the young village woman. Tia almost danced as they were personally escorted through the church proper by the visiting priest and the Cossack guard.

  The church pews were even more crowded as Tia and her and headed out. Out of the corner of her eye, the young woman saw her aunt glancing around the now very crowded church. The same predatory expression that Alayna wore when she sat down to a strong bargaining session was etched across her face, and Tia knew that their visit with the priest would only become stronger and more embroidered as the days went on.

  With a pang of grief, Tia realized that she would not be there to see her aunt’s triumphant smashing of old malicious gossip and years of swallowed insults. This was the last time the young village woman would probably ever set foot in the church where she had been baptized and confirmed. Tomorrow she was leaving with the priest’s party. Father Romanov had already sent for one of the holy sisters to act as her chaperone during the trip. The woman would arrive the next morning, and the plan was to immediately leave for Blagogarsk, the city that was home to the priest’s mentor.

  Stopping at the door to the street, Father Romanov smiled at Tia and her aunt. Blessing them with a gesture, the canny priest showed his familiarity with the church’s flock when he said in a carrying voice, “I am most pleased that you have agreed to study with the esteemed Master Seer. As soon as your travel chaperone arrives, we will be prepared to leave and carry you with all possible speed to Seer Aleksander’s tender care. If you have any problems or questions, Guard Captain Nicholai will be pleased to assist you.”

  The Cossack guard escorted them from the church back to Tia’s home. Only his presence prevented the villagers from stopping Tia and Alayna with the questions that were obviously burning their tongues. Once again, the young woman’s Tetka Alayna made running comments that embroidered the walk with ruminations of the best way to disseminate information and how best to take advantage of the change in status. Several times in that short walk the young woman noticed that the guard captain’s expression of remote disinterest fractured into what could be charitably called a smile.

  Their arrival home quickly became a confused swirl of relieved tears and babbled questions after the Cossack guard left them at the doorway. Tia’s mother flung her arms around her daughter and broke into heartrending sobs of relief seeing her daughter safe and sound. Those tears soon transformed into expressions of grief when it was explained that Tia would be leaving home. The young woman was kept busy dealing with the emotional responses of her mother and siblings. Over the babble of remembered fright and curiosity that surrounded her like a cloud of chattering birds, Tia could hear her Tetka Alayna explaining what had happened to her father and a collection of members of their close family.

  Alayna’s husband, Gaviirl, organized the older cousins in a type of guard perimeter to keep neighbors from listening in through windows and doorways. A quiet man, he was the sort of dependable organizer that made life easier for all of those around him. He and their eldest brother, Dimitri, decided that the first telling would be for family only. Depending on what the situation was, they would choose as a group who to tell and what to tell them.

  Tia’s father, Faddey, was the youngest brother. Usually a cheerful, hard-working man, he seemed stunned by what had befallen his daughter and by extension, t
heir family. Part way through Alayna’s recounting, he had gotten to his feet and moved over to wrap his arms around Tia and his sobbing wife. For a moment, he just stood there holding them.

  Tia could feel his love in the strength of his embrace and his sorrow in the trembling of his arms. She knew her father was saying goodbye to his eldest daughter, realizing that she was leaving and that he might not see her again. When she looked up at his face, she thought that she would never see such a smile like his. An expression of love and joy, it contained a mixture of pride in her and relief for her safety that was shadowed with future loss and remembered pain.

  With only a slight tremble in his voice, Faddey said, “I have been worried that you inherited my mother’s curse. Now I find out that it was a blessing that we didn’t know how to value or train. I know you have to leave, but your home will always be here, and our love will go with you.”

  >>

  Her journey after that was rapid. The next morning she had packed her few belongings into a bag and been attached to the train of the priest to travel back to the city where the mentor lived. Uneducated in geography and other subjects, Tia had merely done what she was told to do and went where she was told to go.

  Adrift from her family and the comfort of familiar spaces, the young woman had been frightened and buried under feelings of disorientation and loss. Luckily, the nun that had acted as her chaperone had been pleasant company.

  It had only been two days of travel until they had gotten to their destination but to Tia, it felt like a lifetime. She had never been away from home for more than a few hours, and everything in the changing landscape was strange. Her blanket roll was lonely, her back cold without her sisters cuddled around her.

  The situation did not improve when they finally entered Blagogarsk. Tia’s poor village-raised nose recoiled at the intense smells of a city of many people. The towering spires and huge buildings intimidated her, making the young woman feel like a little mouse creeping along the shadows.

  During the trip, the guard captain had gotten a little bit more friendly. He had unbent enough to occasionally provide her with information so that her journey wasn’t so frightening, although he never tried to move their acquaintance any further.

  “Tia, Blagogarsk is a city of rare talents. Governed by a board of many with magic, it is a modern-day wonder, filled with powers beyond measure. Today you will meet with the highest Seer in the land. Aleksander Markov has been the premier Seer for decades, and you are very lucky that Father Romanov was mentored by him. The high code of standards that Master Alexi insists on sets him head and shoulders above any of the others with his ability.”

  Tia remembered shaking in fear as they had approached the door of the house that she now lived in. When an old man had answered the door, she had thought, What a nice old man, I wonder if he’s the doorman? Much to her surprise, it turned out that it was the Master Seer himself.

  Having had a vision that morning, he knew when to answer the door to greet her. They had talked no more than a couple of minutes when Master Alexi had looked at the guard captain and said, “Yes, she is the one. Thank you very much for bringing her and tell Villii Romanov that I greatly appreciate his consideration.”

  The guard captain had bowed in respect and nodded toward Tia. Turning without another word and striding from the chamber, the door closed carefully behind him, and Master Alexi had turned to Tia with words of welcome.

  Chapter 3 – Learning is Hard Work

  That had been several weeks ago, all marked by intense study and the hard work of dedicated practice. The daily effort drained Tia, shrouding her in a clinging fog of exhaustion but she could feel her visions and her control growing stronger every day.

  Each time Master Alexi praised her, the young woman acknowledged that she belonged here. She was earning her place every day, every minute. Tia never lost track of her gratitude and being offered this chance. To someone raised with more wealth and cushioned from life more thoroughly, it might have been a rude awakening to have to strive so hard. But the transplanted village girl that had grown up in a crowded home and in a family that struggled to survive, hard work was not a stranger.

  Focused and motivated, Tia quickly matured in her talent. Along the way, the young woman found her own center, her own sense of self-respect. Gone were the days when she was easily bumped off stride. No longer did she doubt her own worth. Tia knew that she was giving her all to learning the lessons that Master Alexi was teaching. Trusting him, she obeyed him without question, throwing her whole being into each new challenge.

  Tia luxuriated in a nuanced feeling of growing skills. She wasn’t arrogant enough to lose her perspective on the success of each lesson learned. She knew that what she was gaining was only a small part of what she would need to make the visions useful to others and keep her from madness.

  It might have been more difficult if she had been the only student that Master Alexi was teaching. For good or ill, that was not the situation now.

  The first day of her training, Tia had completed an exhausting set of exercises that Master Alexi had assigned her in the morning. Looking back at them, she knew how fundamental they had been, but at the time it had taken her over four hours of sweaty, aching effort to complete. The young woman had been sitting in her Master’s study hearing him critique her performance while trying to stop her hands from shaking when the echoing sound of vigorous knocking at the door drew everyone’s attention.

  It had been an envoy from the palace. Excused by her master from his presence, she had been directed to go into the garden and sit down at one of the benches to study. The seat was sun-warmed and protected from the wind, and the village-raised Tia had found it pleasant and comfortable as she struggled through her assigned reading.

  Desperately curious and more than a little frightened, Tia wondered if she was the problem, but caught her train of thought before it ran amok. I have to be pretty full of myself if I think that the palace really cares about somebody like me! she thought to herself.

  Nonetheless, she strained her ears to try to hear what was being said in the study as tantalizing snippets of conversation floated out through the open windows.

  Master Alexi’s annoyance was apparent as she heard him say, “I gave him multiple chances to recant and bow to my authority. He did not. He escalated and tried to manipulate the situation. I will not tolerate that. Especially in an apprentice.”

  The answering voice was utterly unfamiliar to Tia. It was placating and persuasive, cajoling rather than demanding. “Having a member of the French ambassadorial party suddenly develop Seer abilities is very disruptive to the entire court. I know that you had not planned on taking another apprentice, but now that you have one, surely you can allow this young man to learn from you also. Otherwise, he is at a fragile point in his maturing of talent and skill. If we try to send him back to Paris, the chances of him dying during the journey are very high.”

  “I know. But I will not tolerate his questioning my authority, nor will I tolerate him assuming airs. As far as I am concerned, the two apprentices will start as equals and will differentiate themselves based on the skills they develop and how much effort they spend on learning. Within these walls, there is no difference in class between them. If he cannot treat her as his equal, then he has no place here. And that is my final word on the matter.”

  “I am sure that he can be brought to understand that. I will go back and sit with him and his parents to make sure that they all understand the ramifications and the requirements. If they agree, may I bring him back to you tonight?”

  “I suppose, although the first time he complains about something or attempts to lord over my other apprentice, I will eject him onto the street without warning. Do you understand?”

  “Absolutely, Master Alexi. If the young man isn’t appreciative of this rare opportunity, he deserves what he will get.”

  >>

  Jean had returned that evening, a much chastened young man. Stumbling over the words in his throat, he had asked for Tia’s forgiveness and assured Master Alexi that he had learned his lesson.