Free To Be Chosen by John Buttrick Page B

brother. Perhaps it was their shared experience at the Battle of Bashierwood. She had told both girls over the years to forget about boys and concentrate on their studies. They would laugh at her and say, “One of these days a Talented will arrive, make your palms sweat, and cause your heart to go aflutter.” Well, she thought, the event her friends spoke of happened. Daniel made her palms sweat and her heart go aflutter. She found herself flirting to catch his interest, caught it, even though she knew better, kept on doing it, only to watch him leave Aakadon at a gallop. Nothing could come of the flirting or the feelings she stirred in him or in herself, and those emotions still tugged at her heart. Her friends had noticed the flirting and teased her about it, sometimes in front of him, although he either did not notice or chose not to.
    Burying herself in the library, studying journals, learning new Melodies, and striving to perfect her craft were some of the ways she avoided thinking of Daniel. Even so, thoughts of him crept back in from time to time and she would remember how good he felt in her arms when they hugged or his amazing ability to heal the most severe of injuries in mere minutes. The day he departed the city she almost kissed him, what a disaster that would have been. The mountaineer had gone from Potential, to Talented, to Accomplished so fast he never learned to fully accept the rules pertaining to celibacy. She knew he understood intellectually, but doubted he did emotionally.
    She sighed, trying to think of something else, and suddenly realized Barbara was staring at her. “No, I have not seen this procedure before,” she told her and swallowed. “The operation I observed was completely different and it seemed the spell caster did it all with one spell.”
    She did not want to say his name. Daniel healed General Tallen of Ducaun after the senior officer was injured in the Battle of Bashierwood. At the time she had watched in awe as Daniel healed the man’s spinal cord, vertebra, veins, muscle s, and skin all with one spell.
    Barbara leaned back against the glass while her lips formed into a smile. “The Ducaunan?” she asked and then nodded her head, answering her own question. Daniel did have a broad reputation; that was for sure. His brief career as an Accomplished was still on everyone’s lips. “That young man did some remarkable things. Maestro Terroll Barnes taught him well,” she said and then rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “Daniel Benhannon was strong and swift in the craft; perhaps he cast the Melodies so quickly it only seemed he was using just one.”
    Sherree nodded as if in agreement. “Perhaps,” she said but did not believe it. “Thank you again for allowing me to observe the heart operation,” she added, both to express her sincere thanks and to get off the subject of Daniel. “This must be the best healing team in the guild.”
    Barbara stepped forward while adjusting her black and crimson silk cloak. “You are most welcome and yes, I believe they are the best. We can all benefit from watching them,” she added while gesturing toward the operating room. “I’m glad you had the opportunity to observe this operation and the kind of teamwork involved. Especially since it may be a good while before you see the like again.”
    Sherree began to worry. Did her flippant remark offend the Practitioner? As a mentor Barbara should expect the occasional ignorant statements of an Intern. Sherree wondered what it would take to get back into the Pentrosan’s good graces. Perhaps more diligence in study and an effort not to make flippant remarks, she thought.
    “You are being assigned to another mentor and will be turned over to him in a matter of days,” Barbara told her in an even, controlled tone, as if making an ef fort to hide her true feelings.
    It was unheard of for a mentor to be changed. Usually, a mentor stays with the Intern until he or she reaches the level of