Disguises can be achieved in various ways. Trelleir used magic to hide his dragon form. Unless he chose to reveal his true self, all anyone saw was tall, thin man, a scholar who was totally unskilled in the handling of weapons. In reality, his abilities with a sword were impressive, even more so when supplemented by dragon strength.
In Dragon Destiny, Anastasia donned a physical disguise that of a teen-age boy so that she could attend the Ceoltier Guild, the disguise was necessary because only new could study at the guild and be the historians and jurists. The masters and students all knew Anastasia's true gender, but didn't care. Anastasia, or Stosh, her cover identity was one of them.
However, no disguise is perfect as seen in the following excerpt. To set the stage, Anastasia is at the Ceoltier's Guild and is lonely. Adding to her melancholy is her part in the death of a man.
Excerpt:
Anastasia put a finishing touch on the sketch of the high peak on the easel and laid the charcoal stick down. Aches in her fingers reminded her of how long she had been at work. Her quarters on the top floor of the building offered more benefits than the bright, autumn colors of the Revarn Mountains in the distance. The buzz of speech drifting up from the open windows of the eating hall caught Anastasia’s attention. A familiar voice sent her racing to the other side of the room and the window that overlooked the courtyard. Down below, a dappled brown horse stood at the rail.“Uaine’s here!” Anastasia cried. Throwing on a faded apprentice tunic, she ran down the stairs two at a time until she caught herself on the locking bars of the front door. A tug and the heavy wood panel swung open to reveal a changed Uaine. No longer the beardless youth of her first acquaintance, a muscled, self-confident male stood before her.
“It is good to see you, Anastasia,” Uaine said. He picked her up and swung her around in an abundance of exuberance.
She felt a warmth creep up her back. The power of his arms brought back a reminder of another embrace, one now seasons past. Branin was far away, Uaine was here.
A cough broke the direction of her thoughts. “I don’t want to intrude on old friends reuniting after several seasons apart,” Vivel’s wry tone said. “However, two male apprentices embracing on the front steps might set tongues wagging.”
The emphasis on male reminded Anastasia of the slip of her disguise.
“Sorry.” Anastasia wriggled out of Uaine’s grasp. She bowed to Vivel. “Master Cuisle is in the eating hall with the other masters. Would you like me to take your bag to your room?”
“Thank you, Stosh,” Vivel said using Anastasia’s apprentice name in gentle reminder of her place at the guild hall. “Cuisle has called a cloak ceremony for dinner tonight. You are dismissed from your lessons until then.” His gaze turned stern. “And dressed appropriately.” Uaine draped the carry strap of his bedroll over his shoulder and picked up Vivel’s travel sack. “I’ve got it. Just show me where to go, Stosh.”
The sparkle in his eyes awakened a long suppressed feeling. Grabbing his free hand, Anastasia pulled him toward the stairs.
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I hope you enjoyed this excerpt. ~till next time. Helen
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