Excerpt: Everyday Magic

"Congratulations, Meedy." Rowena appeared beside her. She was wearing a gauzy top over full trousers. There was a lot of fabric in each piece, yet somehow she managed to look like she was wearing almost nothing. "I'm so proud of you."

"Why? I cried like a baby and made a complete fool of myself."

"No, you didn't. You let everyone in the village know how much their gift meant to you. They love you, Meed. You made them happy."

"It's such a wonderful gift. I've been trying to convince myself I haven't bankrupted Riverbluff."

Rowena was shaking her head. "The money didn't come from the village treasury. People made donations just for this. Frederick sold a lot of apple brandy to the army officers last spring. Harriet said he paid for half of your knives from his profit."

"When did you find out all this? I just told you about the apprenticeship this morning."

"I already knew." Rowena leaned back so her face was in the shadows. Meedy couldn't see her expression. "Starla asked me what I thought you'd like. Although, I admit, it was Rosa who thought of the knives."

"So how many people were in on this?"

"Harriet, Rosa, me and Starla, to begin with. Plus Frederick, Charles, Montgomery and Emily. I have to admit that I've been avoiding you lately; I was afraid I couldn't keep the secret if we got to talking."

"I forgive you," Meedy said. This day had started out so awful and looked to be ending on a high note. Rowena would still be leaving in the morning, and taking Sareef with her, but Meedy would leave that for tomorrow.

"Are you ready for another mug?"

"What, are you trying to get me drunk? This is the third one I've had and it's been less than two hours. I think I should nurse this one."

"Well, let me top it off, anyway." Rowena pulled the mug from Meedy's hand and jumped to her feet. What was wrong with her? Meedy glanced down at the dancers. Evan was there, with Emily. He was doing everything he could to stop Montgomery from cutting in. The laughter of the other dancers covered Rowena's footsteps.

They covered Sareef's footsteps, too. Just when Meedy decided Rowena wasn't coming back, she realized someone was behind her. She started up and was halfway to her feet when a cool mug was pressed into her hand.

"It's just me," Sareef said. She peered at him. He was a dark blot against the skyline, until he sat down beside her.

"You shouldn't be here. Someone might see you." Her heart pounded. She took a swig of cider, feeling brave.

"So what if they do? In the morning, I will be gone." He didn't sound happy.

"I wish you weren't going."

"I should have gone long since. My commander will think I've deserted." He took back her mug and drank from it.

"You would've been dead if we hadn't found you. Would your commander prefer that?"

Sareef shrugged. Meedy thought she saw the gleam of his teeth. "I shall have to ask him," he said. They sat for a time in silence. Meedy wished she were braver. She hated to think that in the morning he'd be gone and she hadn't even kissed him. On the other hand, what if he didn't feel the way she did? She couldn't think of anything more embarrassing than to kiss him against his wishes.

"I'll miss you," she said.

"And I, you." With his black hair, skin and clothes, he blended into the basalt wall at his back. The sun was definitely down now. The moon had moved without her notice, making shadows that stretched halfway down to the dancers. The clear sky did nothing to capture the day's warmth. Meedy shivered. What had happened to her shawl? Somewhere between leaving the house with it and coming up here to sit, it had disappeared.

"Are you cold?" Sareef slid closer and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She couldn't help noticing it was his right arm. That was for the best, really. She'd noted some residual stiffness in the left that would make this too uncomfortable a position to maintain for long.

"Here." Rowena appeared with three fresh mugs. Meedy started; she hadn't seen her friend coming. Sareef must have, since his only reaction was to tighten his grip on Meedy's shoulders. Meedy took the new mug, too aware of his arm around her to think of anything else. Rowena set the extra mug down and raised hers in salute.

"To the best friend I'll ever have." She brushed her mug against Meedy's. They all drank. "I'll miss you, Meed. I promise I'll write as often as I can."

"Why would you need to write to Meedy?"

Evan's question came from above. Sareef dropped his arm from Meedy's shoulders and rose into a crouch.

"Because I'm leaving, Evan. I told you that." Rowena stepped back into the moonlight. Despite her feminine clothes, she looked dangerous. Meedy wondered how Evan couldn't see it.

"I came after you tonight to apologize." Evan dropped off the top of the outcrop, catching his balance with a light touch of his hand against a basalt column. At some point he must have returned to his father's house, because he now wore his battle sword strapped to his hip. Meedy scuttled back against the rock. She had a bad feeling about this.

"For what? Trying to take my job? You can have it."

Evan froze, his hand still touching the basalt. "You don't mean that."

"Why is it, Evan, that you never believe me? When I told you I didn't intend to spend the rest of my life in Riverbluff, you waved it off. When I told you I wanted to be a soldier, you laughed. Now I say you can be the sole hunter for the village, and you say I don't mean it."

"You can't be a soldier."

"Why? Give me one good reason why I, a woman grown, can't be a soldier."

"Because you're a woman. Soldiering is for men."

"That's not a reason, that's an excuse."

Meedy couldn't tell whether Evan knew Sareef was there, in the shadows. The al-Zajeeran was so dark, he was almost invisible.

"I won't let you go."

Rowena laughed. "Let me? What makes you think you can stop me?"

Evan pulled his sword half out of its sheath. Meedy gasped and Sareef exploded into action. In the dark, she couldn't tell what was happening, but by the time everything was still again, Sareef held the sword. Evan was on his back, with Rowena kneeling on his chest, a knife Meedy wasn't aware she'd been carrying against his throat.

"I gave myself to you, and ever since you've acted as if that meant I belonged to you," she said. Meedy could tell she was gritting her teeth and trying not to cry. "I belong to myself. I thought you would understand. I was wrong."

Rowena stood up, still clutching the knife. "I could have loved you, Evan. But you don't love me, you love some imaginary creation. I'm going to Dinal to be a soldier."

"With your lover?"

Meedy cringed. Sareef stepped forward, raising the sword. Rowena stopped him.

"Oh, I see. If I'll sleep with you, I'll sleep with anyone, is that it? A woman can't have a lover without being a slut. Well, not in this case. You're the only lover I've had, Evan, for what that's worth. Sareef's my teacher. You could've been both, lover and teacher, if you hadn't been an idiot instead." Rowena wasn't trying to hide her tears, now.