Meditation continued in the compound. Mac met more people than she could name and within weeks she began to forget Mistress Sheleigh and Maybeth. The Hushai Masters and other Hushai-in-training taught them how to strengthen their minds and bodies.
It saddened her when she realized after the first month that the other children she arrived with would not train with her. They were divided by skill: Philip, Jarvin and Tarq-- because they had trained with the men-at- arms in their homes already had combat skills and went to train with others who matched their skill. Lindy and Katherine too were sent to more advanced lessons. After they were seperated Mac was left alone with Master Garvin and felt miserable about being excluded.
"Come," he tapped her shoulder with a long pole, drawing her out of her thoughts, "It's time for you to run the wall."
With a nod, Mac lifted the two rocks that Garvin had instructed her to carry and made her way to the stairs leading to the highest wall. Once at the top she ran the length of it and back.
As she ran Mac stared forward, not watching her feet but watching where she was going. She knew Garvin would have her running for the morning so she settled into an easy gait and kept moving.
"How is she?" Evans asked, coming to stand next to Garvin.
"I've never seen the like," Garvin shook his head, "she's tireless, doesn't complain and she is strengthening twice as fast as the others. Yet she's insecure enough that she believes her training with me means she's weaker than the others."
"It's been six months," Evans was amused, "she can't be that good."
"She could best about half of the older students." Garvin's face didn't show the pride he felt, "she can run longer and jump higher. you'd think she'd been here for years but it's just her processing. I can't believe a four or five year old has the ability. " he pointed, "she won't rest until I tell her to."
"I don't believe it."
"Watch," Garvin shrugged.
Mac was oblivious to the discussion: she had settled her breathing and mind into the steady patterns that they used for meditation and she also took in the things she saw in the distance. Evans stood for three hours watching with Garvin: the girl never faltered as she ran, moving smoothly from one direction to another. At two hours in Garvin had signaled another Hushai who took different rocks up: these were bigger and heavier. The girl had barely broken stride at the exchange. Mac knew she'd been running longer than usual, but she showed no outward signs of her exhaustion or dehydration-- Just kept running. She didn't want anyone to be punished for her failure.
When the dinner bell rang Garvin called her down. She came but her legs felt limp. "well done." he told her, "but you'll seize if you stop now. Go through the Sun-Meets-Moon patterns followed by the third hour poses, without the stones and after dinner do it again and rub that ointment I gave you into your calves."
With a bow Mac moved into an open space, stood in crane position and began the pattern he'd identified. Her body moved fluidly from crane to tree and on into other posses and movements that worked the muscles and relaxed her body. When she finished with a bow, Garvin dismissed her.
"Incredible," Evans agreed.
Jarvin had saved her a seat, "Are you sure Master isn't trying to kill you?" he asked as she sat beside him. He'd served her a plate before the platters of food emptied, it was cold but she didn't care: she knew she couldn't eat much of it without getting sick.
"I heard today that Master Garvin only works with especially gifted trainees." Lindy whispered conspiratorially. "you must be super special."
"Did you see me up there?" Mac asked quietly, "there's nothing special about someone who runs all day. You guys are practicing to block and punch, I am practicing running." she fought to keep disappointment out of her voice.
"She's right," Tarq speared a piece of meat off Mac's plate as he walked by, "I told you that you were too weak and not cut out to be Hushai. They're not even training you properly."
Mac balled her fists in her lap, but didn't eat anymore. Was Tarq right? "I have more training," she told them and went to leave. Despite their achievement of getting over the wall together on that first day Tarq had gone back to being spiteful and hateful.
Lindy stopped her with a soft touch, "I think I'm right, not him. You should ask."
But she wouldn't ask, Mac left the hall and went back to the training grounds. Before meditation she needed to redo the Sun-Meets-Moon and practice her kicks and turns, punches and blocks.
"How many patterns does she know?" Evans asked Garvin as the two watched her from the Council hall window.
"Fourteen," Garvin admitted. "It's like watching a dancer. She moves through the patterns like a hot knife through butter. If she can handle the pudao while she does them she will be one of the deadliest children we've trained. She doesn't think I know, but I'm certain she's practicing in secret. Her knuckles are developing calluses and her form is too practiced to only be from the time I watch her. "
"Is she ready?"
"Even if she's not, it's time to find out. I won't waste my time if she doesn't have the potential. Kurt says she's picked up the medical skills quickly as well; she has no aptitude for magic but she has compassion, patience and determination. I think she's still afraid of what punishment will come if she fails."
"The Council has a mission for you," Evans said finally, "I shall take her while you're away."
"It's not like the Council to send me when I have a pupil. What is the mission?"
"You know the Council does not share that with me."
"Perhaps I should take her with me: a mission could go on for years."
Evans rested a hand on his comrades shoulder, "you know you cannot. The girl needs to learn more of our ways and you need to focus on your mission." They continued to watch the small girl, "be easy, old friend, I will guide her training myself."
With a nod, Garvin turned to re-enter the Council chamber to receive his instructions.
-----------------------
Mac was awake when the sun came over the edge of the shortest of the compound walls. She'd realized in her first week of training she was weaker than everyone, so she got up earlier to practice in secret. She had found a space outside the compound where she was in the shadow of the wall but where she could see her shadow on the ground. There she practiced the patterns Garvin had taught her. She was there when Garvin left that morning astride a horse and a pack animal trailing behind him. He did not stop and never waved: he'd left her alone.
She shoved back the fear that crept into her mind: surely he would have told her if he could. She knew Hushai went on missions but she hadn't considered he would go. Tarq's words dogged her; maybe he was right, maybe she wasn't good enough. She stopped staring after her Master and resumed the pose for Tortoise-beats-hare. She bowed to an imaginary Master and moved from one pattern into the next, until sweat ran down her back and into her eyes. Wiping it away she moved to the nearest tree and practiced her punches until her knuckles bled. Then she switched to kicks.
"He did not say you were foolish." She spun and assumed the crane-meets-tiger pose. The speaker had the sun behind him so she could not see him so she listened instead. The position of the sun told her she'd been so wrapped up that she'd been there more than half the day. "Sloppy," the voice told her, "spread your legs shoulder width or you will lose your footing against an opponent with them that wide." She adjusted without hesitation, and closed her eyes so she could trust her ears and nose. "I spent most of the day trying to find you, Mackinley," the voice was stern, "Master Garvin would not have had you train here."
"No Master," she agreed, "I come here every morning before lessons. I got carried away."
"I'm no Master," the voice told her, and she heard him settle into a stance, "Master Evans had me seek you out, he's too important a man to be running around after foolish girls." She blocked his arm as he reached out to strike. They moved through patterns together and for the first time she recognized the training Garvin had taught her truly was for attack and defense and not just to keep her busy. She adjusted her strikes and blocks for his height and then fell with an oomph onto her back when she failed to anticipate a change.
"Very good," he reached for her arm to help her up, "I am Daram, Master Garvin also taught me. Master Evans has asked me to introduce you to the pudao, but I think first we should go see Master Kurt about your hands."
"What is a pudao?" Mac asked.
Daram had short dark hair and green eyes; she had guessed he was over six feet tall with their patterns and she saw he was right. He wore breeches and a shirt not much different from her own. "A pole weapon. We are only allowed to use them in training until the Master's say otherwise: most of the others--except Philip--that you came with won't be ready for a pudao for years."
"Years?" she was startled, "but I'm weak and so bad that Master Garvin kept me away from the others' training. All I do is run and patterns."
Daram laughed, "Weak? No," he shook his head, "Master Garvin only trains the exceptional. See there are Masters who train general groups of students but the Elite Masters who are nearly Legends, like Garvin, Evans, Kurt and a few others--they usually only train one or two at a time, students who show promise and ability beyond what most will ever become. If you're really good one of the Legends will oversee some of your training." Mac gapped at him, "I see you were as uneducated as I was when Master Garvin took me on."
"I thought they would eventually send me away," she admitted as they entered the healing rooms kept by Master Kurt.
"I see you found her," Kurt turned Mac's hands over in his own, "and what foolishness is this?"
"She was punching a tree, Master," Daram bowed. "Master Evans asked me to show her Pudao but I didn't think that wise until she saw you."
Kurt instructed for the wounds to be washed, cleaned and bandaged. "I won't heal these," he told her, "this was foolish. Your body is precious. It protects you if you treat it properly. Your Masters are disappointed in your behavior. " Mac nodded, her small face hiding her own emotions. to Daram he said, "No pudao until these heel. Tell Evans I said she is to be taught to respect her body first. She is young but a quick study. tomorrow she will attend me and we will go to Helf."
"Yes Master," Daram bowed. "Come along, young one. If you're to go to Helf there are preparations we must make."