Chapter 3 Rabbit: A Talent Mark Novel

Chapter 3

As she ate, Rabbit watched the group. The girls were polite to Harmony and seemed to like her, but there was still a layer of distance between them. The others didn't fear her, which seemed like a good sign to Rabbit, but she was not a close friend. Guardian was the term Harmony used with her the night before, but she had the feeling Keeper was closer to the truth. The comments the girls made were all answers to direct questions and not the idle conversation she would have expected.

'Which makes sense, ' she thought. 'All of the others would have been bought the same as I was. Aeries have a Falconer, hounds have a Houndsman, even bees have a bee keeper. I suppose Harmony fills that role in relation to us.' Rabbit wasn't sure how she felt about the situation, but decided analyzing her feelings could wait. At the moment information collection was more important than taking offense at being regarded as a new type of hound.

The meal wound to a close and the dishes were taken to the small kitchen Rabbit had seen the night before. Mouse and Robin washed, dried and stacked the dishes in a basket to be brought back down to the main kitchen. They then emptied the used water into a drain drilled into the corner of the small kitchen. Rabbit got the impression the meals in their quarters were less of a treat and more to keep them from mixing with others although she couldn't quite say why she felt that way.

'Perhaps it is that nothing we ate actually came from this kitchen, ' she thought. Even though the scents of their breakfast still lingered in the air, the scent of cooking did not. And the girls washing did not have any cook pots to clean.

"There is a system for washing, " Harmony told her. "You will sort your place out with the others. Although having an even number should make things a little easier." Harmony looked around, making sure everything was in its place.

"Excellent, " she said in a satisfied tone. "We shall retire to the work rooms and find out just what it is Rabbit can do." The other girls looked a little surprised by the comment and Rabbit swallowed hard. Her heart increased its pace. She thought of all the skills she had been taught and blanched at the thought of using them here. She thought of her dream.

'Art, ' she thought. 'I could stick to artistic designs. Trinkets like I made for Becca and Nessa. Especially if they don't know what my mark means.' Harmony led the way out of their quarters. The group moved silently down the same hallways Grayson had brought Rabbit the day before. She realized they were nearing the rooms where the well dressed man, Lord Tessian, dwelled. Instead of going to his quarters, the group turned and followed the hallway to the left. This was not the direction she entered the castle but an entirely new one.

Rabbit counted four turns, a small set of stairs and three more turns before Harmony pushed open a set of double doors. The group entered the workroom and Rabbit looked around as two of the others closed the doors behind them. The room was large and fairly open. Stationed around the wall were various work areas, some occupied, some not. The air smelled comfortably of herbs and leather. There was a slight scent of animal in the air but it was faint; more like animals routinely passed through, but did not dwell in this room.

"I believe Rabbit will feel more at home here if she can see some of what you do. Shall we show her?" Harmony's question sent the others into motion as they each walked to a different work station. Rabbit stood where she was, unsure what to do. Harmony smiled at her.

"Come, I believe we will start with Mouse." Harmony led Rabbit to Mouse's work station. Her station seemed to be where the smell of green growing things came from. She had a small greenhouse filled with plants as well as a rack containing drying herbs. There were also a wide assortment of bottles and boxes, some full, some empty. Several mortar and pestles in various sizes were arranged on a shelf. As she watched, Mouse poured and mixed contents.

When she reached for the plants, the hair on the back of Rabbit's neck stood on end. She felt the magic of earth being used. Mouse held the plants in her hands and Rabbit could feel the plants changing. It wasn't as physical a change like when she melted glass but there was a change. Mouse then added the plants to her mixture, grinding the lot into a thick paste and scooping it into a jar.

"Mouse has a talent for working with plants, " Harmony explained. "She has used her abilities to magnify the plant's natural use so that it is more effective. What is this cream for?" she asked Mouse.

"Treating burns, ma'am." Came the soft reply.

"Ah yes, one of the cook's favorites. Burn ointment usually merely soothes the burn. When Mouse has done her job, the ointment will actually help the burn to heal more quickly." Rabbit's eyes dropped to Mouse's wrist. Seeing this, Mouse turned her wrist over and sure enough Rabbit could see the sign of earth on her skin. Harmony moved to Badger's work area. Here, maps dominated the table top while boxes of what looked like dirt were lined up in neat rows. As Harmony and Rabbit watched, Badger reached into a box and dug her fingers into the dirt. She rolled around the dirt clumps in her fingers and closed her eyes. To Rabbit she appeared to be listening and Rabbit felt the magic tingle.

When she opened her eyes, Badger pulled her hands from the dirt and wiped them on a waiting towel. When they were clean she reached for a set of grease pencils, each in a different color. She chose one red and one white from the bunch and made a small x in each color on the lid of the box. She put the pencils back down on the table and fitted the lid on the box. When she was done, she turned to Harmony who waited expectantly.

"The boxes contain earth taken from various locations, " Harmony began. "The maps show the location. Badger is looking through the earth to find out what useful things can be found there. And what did you find?"

"Lead and Iron, Ma'am, " Badger replied. Like Mouse, Badger turned her wrist and Rabbit saw the same earth symbol on her wrist. Rabbit kept her face neutral, neither frowning nor smiling. She tried to keep her thoughts blank, unsure exactly where things stood.

'Focus on the now, ' she mentally reminded herself. 'Get information, sort later.' Harmony led her to Wren's work station. Her desk was also littered with maps. Instead of boxes, an assortment of feathers was lined up on her table. As they watched Wren picked up a duck feather and ran her fingers along its length.

Rabbit's eyes widened as the air fairly crackled. She swallowed hard as Wren turned towards a window that held no glass. Wind rippled her hair and she smiled, leaning into the breeze, her eyes closed. After a moment or two she leaned back, opened her eyes and turned back to the map. With a stick of charcoal she marked a line of x's on the map.

"Wren is tracking migrations so that our hunters know where best to find game, " Harmony said as Wren set the charcoal and the feather down. "And what did you see?"

"Ducks, ma'am, the first of the winter migration has begun."

"A fact that our huntsman will no doubt be pleased to hear." Wren turned her wrist up and Rabbit was unsurprised to see the symbol for air. Harmony moved on and Rabbit was surprised to see Robin and Tortoise sharing a work space. They stopped in front of the space and Tor placed a large bowl on a small stand. Robin filled it with water and the two each took a place on either side of the bowl.

They each held their hands up in front of them. They pressed their palms together and laced fingers, Tor's right hand to Robin's left, and Robin's right hand to Tor's left. Slowly they lowered their hands into the water until they were submerged to the wrists. This time Rabbit tasted the magic on the back of her tongue, like standing too close to a lightning strike.

Both girls bowed their heads and instead of closing their eyes they stared deep into the water as if seeing something no one else could. After a time they looked up, both of them moving in unison. They raised their dripping hands and slowly pulled apart. Each reached for her own towel and dried her hands.

Tor moved the bowl, with its stand, out of the way and Robin unrolled a map. They both leaned over the map, Robin had the charcoal in hand and she passed it to Tor, Each marked on the map. It was as if one was finishing the other's sentences only written and not verbally. The charcoal was set aside and they turned their attention to Harmony, the strange unity dissipating as they each sunk back into themselves.

"Robin and Tortoise join their strength to seek out storms so our ships can get safe to harbor without losing lives or cargo." Harmony said when she was sure the girls were once again themselves. "What did you see?" Unsurprisingly, it was Tor who answered.

"It will be ten days before the first of the winter storms begin to the south, Ma'am, " she responded. Both girls' wrists, when shown, bore the symbols of water. Harmony turned to Rabbit, a smile lighting her face.

"Now as you can see each serves Lord Tessian with they skills they possess to the benefit of the people, " Harmony began. "Do you understand this?" Rabbit nodded, still carefully keeping her face blank. "Good. Then why don't you show us what you can do?" Rabbit recognized that this was not a question, but a command and looked around the room. All eyes were on her as they waited. Harmony smiled again.

"As your workstation has not yet been created you may borrow from the others if there is something that you need to use." Rabbit nodded and began to walk between the other girls, looking. They smiled encouragement as she searched. It was in Mouse's space that she found something she could use.

Pushed to the side was a broken jar. It had been of thick green glass with many bubbles of air trapped beneath its surface. It looked as though one of the bubbles had been too close to the surface and caused it to break. Next to the broken glass was a cracked box that looked as though it belonged to a lady's dressing table set.

The box, probably designed for a powder of some sort, had been decorated with various pieces of colored glass. The crack had caused many of these pieces to come loose. She picked up both of the pieces and turned to Mouse. She held the two pieces out and raised her eyebrow in question. Mouse nodded and Rabbit smiled her thanks. Rabbit looked around for a place to work and Harmony indicated one of the empty work tables.

Rabbit took her two pieces to the workstation. She placed them on the table. A chair was placed behind the table and Rabbit seated herself. The others walked over and stood in a semicircle around the front of the desk, watching to see what she would do. Rabbit took a deep breath and separated the glass pieces. She decided simple was better and picked up one of the pieces of green glass. The piece she chose had been part of the bottom of the jar and was nearly as thick as her smallest finger.

'Shoddy workmanship, ' she thought to herself. It was about as big around as the center of her palm. She cupped her hands around it and allowed her fire to turn the glass molten. Slowly she pulled the glass upwards, stretching and shaping as she moved. She stretched the glass thin so the green was translucent. She smoothed the bubbles in the glass out as she went.

Gently she placed the base on the table and continued to work stretching the glass into a graceful vase nearly two feet tall. Rabbit curved the neck of the vase so that it arched like the neck of a goose. At the top, she split the glass into fourths, like the petals of a flower.

With her right hand she picked up a bit of yellow glass that had been tinted to look like gold. She placed it between her thumb and forefinger as if she were getting ready to write with it. She warmed the glass so that it was nearly ready to drip. Into each of the four pieces at the top she allowed the golden glass to streak the center of the green glass. She placed the remaining gold glass down, allowing it to cool.

Rabbit turned her attention back to the vase and the glass petals she had created. One at a time she pulled each of the petals down and away from the top, opening the flower. She then curled the glass around her finger like a decorative ribbon for a package. She curled it around the vase in a slanted pattern and attached the end to the base. She did the same for each petal turning them into ribbons. The yellow was alternately visible and hidden, flashing brightly against the green.

When she was finished, she cooled the glass and pulled her hands away. She looked over her piece, turning it around and looking for flaws. It wasn't the most elaborate thing she had done but she thought it might be impressive enough that Harmony would be pleased and not delve for any more skills.

Rabbit let out her breath, leaned back and looked at Harmony. As the other girls had, she turned her wrist up. Five sets of eyes dropped to her wrist while Harmony continued to stare at the vase. She saw surprise on most of the faces. Mentally, she shrugged. Of the four talents, Fire was the rarest.

"Well, " Harmony said, sounding a little breathless. "I think we know where all of our broken glass will be going. May I?" she asked, reaching for the vase. Rabbit nodded.

Harmony touched the surface lightly as if afraid it would still be too hot to grasp. Finding it cool, she picked it up, turning it around and around in her hands. She was careful to be very gentle with it and Rabbit realized that while she hadn't seen an extensive amount of glass in the castle most of it was a similar quality to the broken jar she had used to shape her vase, making her work seem very fine and delicate. "Can you use things other than glass?" Harmony asked. Rabbit nodded slowly.

"Metal?" Again she nodded. "Stone?" Another nod, this one more hesitant as Rabbit hoped she would not ask about non artistic uses. Harmony's smile widened. "Well that is a nice trick. I am sure Lord Tessian will be pleased when I show this to him.