“I thought of this story earlier today but I have never heard it told in its entirety. I missed the beginning of your telling, but even so, it was truly fascinating. I had no idea you had any scholarship in myth, Master.” Usher Wen rolled the cart in as he spoke, handing the Ironkeeper a mug and settling a tray with a bowl of stew and the other mug on Eldan’s lap.
The Ironkeeper wrapped her hands around the mug, taking a small sip before she spoke. “This story seemed important to me from the moment I heard it, strange as that may sound. I’m afraid I likely retold it with a few inadvertent alterations of my own, this is how stories evolve over time, after all. Memory can be a fickle thing.” She took another sip of her tea. “What is your take on the meaning of myth, Wen?”
Eldan had the feeling she was choosing her words carefully for his benefit, having a separate conversation with him as she spoke to the medic. His mind was scrambling trying to keep up with everything that had happened so far that day, his thoughts feeling like gears in a clockwork that wouldn’t quite catch.
The medic smiled ruefully, shaking his head. “Ha! You don’t ask easy questions. Like most, once my path was set I studied little outside of my field, so while I may be something of a scholar of medicine, I have little to draw on in the discussion of matters beyond my specialty, outside of idle musings. That caveat made, what I do know of the old myths leads me to say they are an attempt to personify and humanize the unknown, to ascribe meaning to what would otherwise seem meaningless.” Usher Wen’s eyebrows knitted and he frowned, appearing unhappy with his explanation.
“That sounds trite, but to apply it to the story you were just telling, my understanding is that the myth centers around the terrible loss of life during the first great flood. Without that story the handful of survivors would have been left with nothing more than utter despair and helplessness at the realization that everything they had built to that point was meaningless against the power of a storm. But the story creates a narrative with a hero and villain, along with a lesson about hubris. It makes order out of chaos.”
“Mm. Astute observations for idle musings.” The Ironkeeper’s gaze flicked back to Eldan. “Eat, boy, you must be hungry.”
Eldan felt uncomfortable eating in front of the two instructors but he was too hungry to refuse permission. The stew was rich and fragrant, laden with vegetables, so he dug in his spoon and awkwardly began to eat.
“I had not considered this aspect of the story before, but is this also something of a tale of the first Ironkeeper? I know the Keepers such as they are now emerged much later in our history but it does sound like a reference to a very early master of ironwork.” Eldan was grateful as Usher Wen resumed the conversation, drawing attention back away from his eating.
The Ironkeeper gave a thin smile. “If the woman in this story existed, I believe she would see my work as an extension of the hubris you mentioned rather than a continuation of her own. My interpretation of that part of the tale is that the river was limited in its understanding of the laws of the world, seeing them only through its own experience, as do we all. It saw the liquid stone and metal in its depths through its own liquid existence and believed that was its true form. So the girl, by that point more a creature of the river than of land, manifested iron with those same properties. It did not occur to them that it would behave otherwise for people whose experience was of a world which operated with entirely different laws.”
She paused and tapped the rod on her lap thoughtfully. “The old myths weave in events that we would call fantastical or magical without comment. There is considerable debate about what exactly the ancients meant, or if it had meaning at all. A girl who can breathe water, a person shifting form to become an animal, elements behaving with unusual properties, and a mythic, formless beast, all exist in this tale as though they are simply remembered details.”
Usher Wen looked confused. “Surely that, at least, is simple to explain? A primitive people without knowledge of the mechanics of the world would have viewed much of what we now understand with superstition.”
The Ironkeeper raised her eyebrows as she took a long sip of tea, lowering it from her lips with a sigh. “Primitive. That is an easy word to bandy about though, yes? It was not so long ago that we casually dismissed the citizens of Helios as primitive. For centuries we hadn’t interest in making an attempt to travel into the desert, so met only their scouts at its edges. Our scholars went so far as to say with confidence that they had no evolved language, and only mimicked the sounds of their mounts. It was not until our more recent ancestors attempted to subjugate the people of the region, driving deep into the sands to claim them as our own, that we discovered the truth. Imagine the shock they must have felt when the city of Helios rose up before their bedraggled war party in all its glory, with its great citadels, streets and libraries, and borders protected by a sophisticated military formed from two proud species working in tandem. Primitive, indeed.”
Usher Wen lowered his eyes. “Portions of our history are truly shameful, few would argue otherwise, and the failed invasion of Helios was executed with terrible and myopic ignorance and greed. However, surely that is an enormous leap from saying there is meaning beyond allegory in the fantastic events described in myth?” He folded his arms across his chest as he finished, challenging the Ironkeeper confidently.
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“Ah, and yet before we truly met the citizens of Helios as equals, removing our blinders, the idea of a species of animal with language was discarded as storytelling fancy, as well. A single species is well removed from all species, to be sure, but the example holds true. My point is that just as the river in our tale could not imagine what it is like to be solid, each time we confidently pen the immutable laws of the universe we are limiting our own ability to imagine them otherwise, whether we are right or wrong.” The Ironkeeper held the medic’s gaze for a moment, then turned to Eldan, who had finished his stew and was listening intently to the conversation, attempting to parse the dense language and understand what he thought the Ironkeeper wanted him to hear.
“I would imagine the Usher is anxious to return to tending his patients, in spite of his indulging me in this dialogue, so we should return to more practical concerns.” Usher Wen dipped his head slightly in acknowledgement, glancing briefly toward Cale’s bed, before taking the tray from Eldan and returning it to the cart.
The Ironkeeper offered her mug to the medic with a small smile, brushing her hands together briskly as he began wheeling the cart from the room. “Regarding your performance in the aquatics test, leaving aside the animal attack entirely, you and your friend both performed exceedingly well. None of the participants who had attempted to complete all four legs of the swim had reached the dock yet, and assuming you had both maintained your pace you would have been among the first. You both demonstrated exceptional proficiency in the river, especially for wards of the city. Normally, outside of students who were specifically being groomed for the military, we would expect those from the outer annexes with easier access to the river to outperform those from the city center.” One eyebrow quirked slightly as she said this, but she continued on smoothly. “Regardless, the Captain and I have agreed to rate both of your results as though the attack had not happened at all, any actions from that point counting neither for nor against your placement.”
Eldan’s mouth opened in surprise and he wondered what the conversation where this “agreement” was reached had been like, given the level of disgust in his performance the Captain had demonstrated during his visit. It seemed clear that the Ironkeeper outranked Captain Gelth, if indirectly, to some degree, but he could not imagine the enraged man simply accepting Eldan retaining his placement as an order. The fact that the Ironkeeper had specifically mentioned the possibility that their response in the attack could have counted in their favor seemed to indicate there had been some debate on the point, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about that idea. The Captain had introduced doubt and regret about his actions on top of the guilt he already felt, and their survival felt more like lucky chance and a half-remembered dream than accomplishment.
“However, we have also agreed that it is to everyone’s benefit, including your own, that we frame the rescue as a successful military response. It is vitally important that public confidence is not shaken by the fact that a deadly predator which should not have been in this region at all attacked students during a Court sanctioned exercise. By presenting a unified front in declaring the military swiftly returned the students to safety and destroyed the animal, we should be able to mitigate panic. The students who watched from the docks could make out little in the way of specific detail at that distance, so as long as everyone who was participant agrees on the sequence of events, we feel confident we will be able to provide people this reassurance. Given the number of questions that remain around your own participation, I also strongly believe it is in your best interest that the focal point of the event shift elsewhere.”
Eldan nodded in relief at the Ironkeeper’s explanation. He could see the sense in what she said, and having had to try to account for what he had done for even a couple of hours had been exhausting and terrifying. He had no interest in remaining the center of attention.
The Ironkeeper resumed once she had received his agreement. “Now, you and I had to speak today, but when you return to the circuit everything will be as it was before. Should you find you need to speak to me on this matter or any other not related directly to your lessons I expect you to seek me out in private. I will brook no familiarity from this conversation in Court settings.” She fixed her eyes on him with a severe expression. “Are you clear on these terms?”
“Yes, Master,” Eldan said solemnly.
“We will be honoring the soldiers and officers who participated in the rescue and hunt. All you will need to do is maintain that version of events. Your friend will be briefed, as well, when we are able.” She flicked her wrist again, extending her rod to full length and tapping the tip to the floor. “Unless you have any more questions, I will take my leave.”
Eldan hesitated, but had to ask, “Why are you so sure she will wake up? Everyone else has said we don’t know.”
The Ironkeeper pursed her lips. “It would be irresponsible to give you false hope, so I will not. I am sure the Usher has given you a fair account of her prognosis. In truth, I am simply hopeful it will be the case.”
Eldan shifted uncomfortably, his wounds throbbing from staying in one position so long, as the Ironkeeper stood up. Usher Wen appeared in the doorway again at the sound of her rod striking the floor to mark her passage. When she reached the door she stopped, turning back as though she had forgotten something.
“One last point I should mention.. I would imagine the Usher here is planning to excuse you from attending the third portion of the assessments tomorrow.”
Usher Wen nodded briskly. “Of course, he is in no condition to..”
“I would not advise you to take him up on that offer.” The Ironkeeper continued, cutting him off.
Usher Wen sputtered incoherently at the interruption, looking flabbergasted.
“I will expect to see you at first bell, and will have something sent over for you to wear so you may spend the night under care.” She turned around again, pausing briefly to regard the still sputtering medic. “Boys do tend to heal quickly, do they not?” At that she exited the room, the ringing of her rod fading as she made her way down the hall.