The Chimera's Curse by Julia Golding

Author:Julia Golding [Golding, Julia]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9780761454403
Publisher: Two Lions
Published: 2007-01-01T08:00:00+00:00

Connie and Gard had retreated to the front parlor for her training that weekend. No longer allowed to go to the Mastersons’—too near the moor and the chimera, in the opinion of the Trustees—she and Gard had been forced to improvise a new routine. Today they were planning the next steps for her training. She had mastered the shield, sword, and helm—they were now second nature to her—and felt fairly confident with the hauberk, which she used to assume the protective powers of a mythical creature. The lance and the quiver and arrows were next on the list.

“So,” grumbled Gard, leafing through the notes she’d made in the universal’s reading room some months ago, “how is this quiver supposed to work?”

“I think,” said Connie, leaning over to check her notes as she sat beside him on the old sofa, “it’s a way of storing small bolts of energy from encounters to use later. It sounds quite vicious, actually—one of the warrior tools. The example given in the book was gorgon darts—like cold paralyzing stings. Not as powerful as the real thing, of course, but enough to take out an enemy for a few minutes. It said you could do the same with any other projectile power.”

Gard raised his craggy eyebrows at her. His dark eyes gleamed under the overhang of his jutting forehead. “And the lance?”

Sitting next to him like this, Connie could smell his breath, which carried a scent like that of a sooty chimney.

“The lance is more powerful. It comes from the powers of your companion. Unlike the sword, which the universal directs on his or her own, you guide it to the target together so it takes a bit of practice. It can’t be stored up like the quiver and arrows. I think I did something like this with Storm-Bird the first time we met.”

“I see.” Gard got to his feet, creaking at the knees as his legs took his formidable weight. He walked to the fireplace and stood in front of it, deep in thought. “Can I ask you a question, Universal?”

Connie could tell he was concerned about something. “Of course.”

He turned so he could study her face. “Why do you want to learn more warrior tools? Are there no defensive or healing tools that you could undertake first?”

She wasn’t sure she wanted to admit the truth to Gard, knowing he wouldn’t approve. “Oh, I’m just following the sequence of chapters in one of the books in the library. I thought that made sense.” The book did indeed run in this order, but that was not why she was doing it.

“I had a long talk with Jade a few weeks ago,” said Gard, turning back to finger the marble figurine of a white horse on the mantelpiece. “She told me you were talking about challenging Kullervo.”

“Oh?” said Connie, trying to keep her tone light as if the subject was not of huge importance to her.

“You wouldn’t be thinking of training yourself with the aim of taking him on?” he asked, stroking the smooth back of the horse with a chipped fingertip.

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