Page 5 of The Seventh Swan
"Good morning, Sorcerer," Lady Celina greeted, her gnarled hands tangled together in front of her.
"Your hands," he said, "why did no one ever heal them?"
Lady Agathe's mouth twisted."We tried three different healers, and they all said that true repair would not be possible because of the magic that made them this way."
Lady Celina gave a bitter laugh."The man who made Oskar's arm offered to make us hands as well, like the legendary Queen Silverhands herself, but we refused because ugly and mostly useless they might be, they are still our hands."That laugh again, that for a second sounded like a sob."Then like a twit I said, of course you should cut off his wing and replace it, why wouldn't he want that?"
"You did not cut off his arm, Your Grace, only eagerly agreed to an action that should never have been taken.You are not blameless, but the true blame lies with an unethical healer who knew better than to do something so drastic without first speaking with his patient.Healers refuse to heed the words of loving, misguided family all the time.He should have refused to heed yours.That is all there is to it.Between how Lord Oskar was treated and how three healers failed the two of you, my opinion of them is quite low right now.I would like their names and addresses before I leave, if you do not mind."
"I'll get them to you today."
He crossed the room to join them at the window, as Lord Althaus stared on, silent and pensive now, all interest in his food lost.He presented one pair of gloves to each of the women."Wear these, starting now, for three days and three nights.Do not take them off, or even pull them off slightly just to scratch an itch.When they fall apart and fade away on their own, the magic will be done.It is true that your hands will never be as they were before.You will always carry scars, they will always ache, especially in the cold weather.A sacrifice was made and a sacrifice cannot be undone, but the suffering was never meant to be this deep.Three healers failed you, and for that I am sorry.Wear the gloves as I've bid, and in three days and nights your hands will be muchly improved."
The women started crying, pulling on the gloves without hesitation before hugging him tightly, tears soaking into the dark purple tunic he'd chosen for the day.Althaus rose from his seat and gently took his wife and sister to get them seated at the table with cups of coffee."It really will help?I do not doubt you, Sorcerer, it is simply..."
Saveli smiled."I understand.It will help, on my family's honor.Now if you will forgive me, I did not sleep last night, so I will go rest now."
"Take some food with you," Althaus admonished."You are skin and bones, Sorcerer.Does anybody in your life keep you fed?"
"They try, when I am around for them to do so.Magic consumes a great deal of me, and I travel more often than not.Thank you for your caring.Do not remove the gloves, even slightly, remember."He took the tray of food and coffee and returned to his room, where he barely finished eating before he was crawling into bed and falling right to sleep.
His dreams were filled with wings as black as night, fanned out across a moonglow pond as they filled with the wind and lifted high into the sky and were lost.
He woke feeling bereft, and pulled on his beloved midnight cloak, his feather in his hair, as he ventured out.
It was early yet, for visiting the pond, the sun still setting, turning the water wine dark and scattered with flashing gold.The pond was occupied this time, as Oskar swam back and forth, occasionally dove deep, as though looking for something he would never be able to find.
Eventually, Oskar climbed out of the water.Saveli took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he averted his eyes, keeping them on the water as he felt the weight of Oskar's stare.Eventually, he left, and Saveli was left alone by the shore of the pond that was slowly turning black as the sunlight faded.The moon was not as full tonight, set on its waning path now, but it was still bright.
The cold air grew chillier still, but he remained where he was, until the creatures that favored night had all come out and the winking of fireflies had long faded, and a familiar form reappeared beneath the weeping willow.Saveli ached to join him there, but Oskar seemed determined to keep his own company, no matter how heavy it grew.
"My sisters told me they call you Saveli the Silverspun."
"Because of the obvious, yes," Saveli replied, lifting his gaze from the water."My father is named Grey, and my mother is called the Golden, and my godfather, when I was born with a full head of pale hair and pale eyes and skin so much paler than the rest of my brown-skinned family, jested that they must have spun me from silver.And because my magic most often takes the form of spinning, on a wheel from a long-lost kingdom that was cursed by it."
"Like my sisters spun the flax filled with flowers and thorns to make us human again."
"Spinning is one of the oldest magics in the world.My godfather, who trained me, was proud that I mastered it.He did not, for his training was unconventional, and he performs his magic other ways."Through word and will, powerful and dangerous in their own right, closer to the wild magic of the deepest, oldest forests where few dared to tread."Your sisters were fortunate to survive the magic they performed, for they had no knowledge or training of what they did, and had their will faltered even once, they might have died, horribly and in great pain.They were braver than they will ever know."
Oskar drew a deep breath and let out a trembling sigh.
"That does not forgive the mistake that was made, that she agreed when a healer offered to take what was not his to take.Two things can be true at once.She was brave, and she was foolish."
"I know," Oskar whispered to the dark water, his metal fingers curling into a fist."I should be grateful.I am less of a freak this way.I look more like what I am."
"Not everyone looks the way they feel.You are not obligated to feel the way you look.The wing was yours, to keep or to discard.No one else's.I am sorry that choice was taken from you."
Oskar didn't say anything, only turned and strode off into the dark.
Saveli went to stand beneath the weeping willow, carefully gathering the leaves most soaked with sadness and longing, and wrapped them in a clean kerchief.He gave the pond a last look, then glanced up the dark path where Oskar had vanished before slowly returning to his room.
Wide awake despite the hour, he sat by the fire and combed out his hair, treated it with special oils that smelled of the violet roses picked from his uncle's garden.Then he braided and bound it and wrapped it securely so it would not get tangled or make a mess in the night while the oil did its work.He set the carefully wrapped willow leaves on the table close to the spinning wheel, then spent the rest of his night composing letters home.
When the sun rose, he dressed and ventured out again, wearing a dark blue cloak that protected against the rain that fell just a few minutes later, his hair falling in a heavy braid down his back.After posting his letters, he went to work.
This time, instead of golden wool, he went in search of sheep as black as night, which he found grazing in a field of wildflowers that looked like someone had planted a rainbow.They were minded by an old woman and her three daughters, who were happy to trade for small magics that would comfort their aging mother and a few coins.
In the village, he visited the jeweler, where he requested silver dust and other scraps, the leavings of her fine work.Though she stared at him in bewilderment, she gave what he asked, in exchange for a small emerald worth far more than the scraps.He tucked the tin of metal dust and shavings away, and finally returned to the manor.
