The Choice of Magic

by Michael G. Manning

  Will hit him again, and the man cried out in pain.

  “We didn’t do nothing to you! Have mercy!” The soldier’s words were slurred due to the damage to his mouth and jaw.

  Will hit him again, and the man rolled onto his belly, trying to crawl away. Why won’t he just pass out? In the stories told by the bards, the villains always collapsed after a single blow, but it was quite obvious to Will that he wasn’t in some hero’s saga. Clenching his jaw, he moved to one side and aimed for the space just below the man’s helmet, where the soldier’s neck met the base of the skull. There was padding there as well, so he brought the staff down as hard as he could manage, closing his eyes at the last second.

  The man stopped moving, and when Will knelt and felt for a pulse, he realized the soldier was dead. He nearly threw up then, but though his stomach heaved once, there was nothing in it. He was racked by guilt, something he hadn’t felt after rescuing Sammy in Barrowden. That fight had been quicker, and he’d done it in the heat of the moment. The shock of losing his cousin and aunt had overshadowed the remorse he might have felt at killing them.

  But this—this was murder, cold and cruel. He couldn’t even hate them for what had happened in Barrowden, for from what they had said they probably hadn’t participated directly. It had sickened them too.

  After several moments, Will got his emotions under control, or at least managed to bury them deeply enough that he could function. When he checked the other soldier, he was relieved to find the man was still breathing. A short inspection showed him that the man’s arm and jaw were broken, but aside from that he didn’t seem to have any serious injuries.

  Returning to the dead man, he began stripping the body, which took nearly half an hour, during which time he worried constantly that more soldiers would come. He wrapped the surviving soldier in his dead friend’s cloak, thinking it might keep him warm enough to survive until he woke. Then he put on the dead man’s gambeson and steel cap, which made him feel a lot warmer.

  It did nothing for the cold, dead place in his heart, though.

  The sky was beginning to brighten as he strapped on the dead man’s sword belt. Will wrapped Tailtiu in his cloak and lifted her in his arms, then began retracing his path down the mountain. It was obvious to him now that he couldn’t get through the pass, certainly not while carrying a body.

  He jerked with surprise when he heard Tailtiu mumble against his chest. “Next time, once they’re helpless, take one of their swords to finish them off. It’s a lot quicker than beating them to death.”

  Chapter 33

  Will walked downhill all morning, and if there was any pursuit, he saw no sign of it. He felt a profound sense of relief when he finally got back into the Glenwood. Tailtiu still hadn’t moved, but she had remained awake. “Put me down,” she said once they had entered the denser undergrowth.

  He laid her carefully on the ground. “Are you starting to recover?”

  She shook her head.

  “I thought you were immortal?”

  “In the fae realm,” she whispered without opening her eyes. “Here the connection is too weak. You shredded my insides and exhausted my power. If I don’t go back, I’ll die.”

  Something occurred to him then. “Would it help if I gave you some of my turyn? Like before—?”

  “I’m too weak. It would only make me sicker,” she answered.

  The only entrances to the fae realm that Will knew about were in the vicinity of his grandfather’s house. It would take the rest of the day to reach either of those—longer since he had to avoid the road. “It will take a while to get you back,” he told her. “How long can you last?”

  “There’s a place close to here,” she replied softly. Tailtiu lifted her arm to point toward the south, and Will couldn’t help but notice the tremor in her muscles. “That way.”

  Lifting her again, Will began walking. He began to wonder at his own stamina. He had been at the end of his rope the night before and he still hadn’t eaten or had a proper rest, yet he felt no hunger. His body was tired, but when he drew in more turyn and focused it, the fatigue in his arms and legs all but vanished. He could only think that Tailtiu’s healing had done more than cure his frostbite.

  As the sun rose toward the middle of the sky, he noticed that his vision seemed better as well. In the past, things at a distance had always been slightly blurry, but everything was razor-sharp now. He could see the flows of turyn more easily as well, though his grandfather had told him that that would improve naturally over time.

  “Did you do something to my eyes?” he asked as he went.

  “You asked me to heal you,” answered his aunt, her voice sounding raspy and faint.

  “There wasn’t anything wrong with my eyes.”

  “They weren’t quite round enough,” she responded.

  Will wasn’t sure why that mattered. He thought about what she had said for several minutes, then asked, “So you fixed everything you thought was wrong?”

  She smiled faintly in his arms. “Who knew humans had so many flaws? I fixed as much as I could—before you tried to kill me.”

  The first thing that came to mind was his cheek. The scar there had bothered him for years, though he rarely admitted it. “What about my face?” he asked, since his hands were full and he couldn’t check.

  “You went berserk before I could,” said Tailtiu. “Besides, it isn’t so bad. It makes you look a little sinister.”

  Will didn’t really agree with that assessment, but there was no point in arguing. It was then that he noticed a strange movement in the turyn flows ahead. Coming closer, he realized it must be the congruence she had been referring to. It was definitely easier for him to spot them now. He wondered if there was a connection between his physical sight and his magical sight. Could one have improved the other, or were the two entirely separate?

  He stopped next to the congruence and Tailtiu spoke before he could ask. “You’ll have to take me across,” she said.

  Will started to, but she shook her head. “Wait. The place this touches is dangerous for you. It’s very close to the Lord of the Hunt’s home. Leave me there and return as quickly as you can. I will find you once I am recovered.”

  He shook his head. “You don’t have to do that. I feel bad already for what happened to you.”

  “Three days, William,” she responded, her voice firm. “My service isn’t done.”

  Will nodded, then moved forward. Standing in the right spot, he could see both worlds at once in a sort of double vision. Moving sideways in that odd way that he had done once before, he took them to Faerie.

  As before, the other side was very similar to his own world, though the colors seemed brighter and the turyn in the air was much more concentrated. Taking a couple of steps, he knelt and eased Tailtiu to the ground.

  “Who are you?”

  Will froze at the sound of the stranger’s voice, then slowly turned his head. A man stood not far away, though perhaps the term ‘man’ was a bit generous. The fae had small horns sprouting from his skull, and though he wore no armor he carried a long, deadly-looking spear in his hands. It didn’t have a metal point, but the tip was carved bone or horn of some sort.

  The man pointed it at him with the confidence of someone who knows what he’s about, and the abundance of muscles in the fae man’s arms and chest only served to underscore the danger. Will and the stranger stared at each other for several long seconds without saying anything.

  The guardian’s eyes fell on Tailtiu and he hissed. “What did you do to her?”

  What do I do? Will had no idea, but past experience had given him one role model. He straightened up slowly, keeping his hands relaxed and away from his weapon. There was no need to tempt fate. Grinning slowly, he made sure to angle his face so the stranger could see the scar on his cheek. Maybe looking sinister will help. “She displeased me,” he said coldly.

  The fae soldier’s eyes narrowed angrily. “You dare?” When Will took a step tow
ard the congruence, the fae threatened him with the spear. “Don’t move.”

  Keeping his eyes cool, Will responded, “Don’t interfere with our bargain, or your fate will be worse.”

  The horned man studied Will’s face, focusing on a point just above his eyes. “You’ve been marked.” His features showed uncertainty. “Who are you?” he challenged, regaining his resolve.

  “Abelund, don’t,” warned Tailtiu from her position on the ground. “He’ll destroy you.”

  “My name is not for your lips,” said Will arrogantly, warming up to his role. “You need only know that I am Arrogan’s student. If that name means nothing to you, I will be glad to teach you one of his…lessons.”

  The fae soldier took a step back, and before he could say anything else Will stepped into the congruence and shifted back to his own world. Once there, he drew his sword and waited. If one of the fae followed, he would see just how effective iron really was against them.

  A quarter of an hour passed before he relaxed. The adrenaline had worn off, and his body began to shake as the stress of all that he had been through sank into him. I never should have left home, he thought. Mom was right. A few seconds later, he chuckled nervously. Damn, I was cool, though. Even Grandfather would have been impressed.

  In his mind he could almost hear the old man’s reply. Yeah, I was always impressed—by what a witless dumbass you are.

  It was late afternoon already, and Will’s need for rest was starting to make itself known to him again, but he didn’t want to sleep near the congruence point, so he headed north again. After thirty minutes he stopped and decided to make a fire. The forest was thick enough that there were still plenty of areas that hadn’t received much snow beneath the boughs, and he was able to find enough dry grass and small twigs to kindle a flame.

  He was far enough from Barrowden that he hoped whatever smoke rose from the trees wouldn’t be noticeable. Even so, he stuck to using deadwood and avoided fuel that would tend to smoke a lot, such as leaves or greenwood. Once he had a good bed of coals, he used a spit to roast the meat he had brought. It wasn’t until the first bite that he understood just how hungry he really was. His appetite came flooding back to him, and he wound up roasting the rest of the meat and two carrots before he felt full. All he had left now was dried peas.

  He regretted the peas. Without a pot or a container of some sort he couldn’t make porridge with them. Since they were his only remaining food, he would have to eat them dry the next day. The past two days had shown him just how little he really knew about surviving in the wilderness.

  Belly full, he began to grow sleepy. The padded gambeson was sufficiently warm, so he removed his cloak and hung it by the fire. Melting snow had gradually soaked it, and while it still felt dry, the wool was many times heavier than normal. That was one of the nice things about wool. It could absorb a great deal of moisture before it felt wet. He hoped the fire would dry it out somewhat while he slept.

  Leaning back against a tree, he let his eyes close.

  Sometime later he woke. The darkness was thick and suffocating. His fire had burned out long ago, and the moonlight couldn’t reach beneath the canopy of the trees. Will’s body felt cold and sore. And he was hungry again—of course.

  With a groan, he got to his feet and checked his cloak. If it had dried by an appreciable amount, he couldn’t tell. It still felt as though it was made of lead.

  Unable to see the sky, he had no idea what time it was, or which direction was which. Rather than stumble through the dark, he took down the cloak and wrapped it around himself. Then he tried to find a more comfortable position to sleep in.

  It didn’t feel like he slept any, but the sun surprised him, tickling his eyes as it danced between the shadows of leaves on his face. When he opened them, he was startled out of his wits, for just a few inches away were two green eyes staring back at him.

  Tailtiu laughed as he yelped, jumped, and then tripped over a heavy branch. “It’s a wonder your race has survived this long,” she commented. “Your kind slumbers so heavily anyone could kill you in your sleep.”

  Will didn’t reply as he gathered his thoughts. Tailtiu’s face seemed normal, but he could see silver lines crisscrossing her features. “Are you better?” he asked at last.

  “Mostly,” she answered.

  Reaching out, he touched her arm, tracing the lines there. “Will these…”

  She grinned. “I haven’t decided yet. Novelty is prized when you live forever. I may keep them for a while. Do you think I should color them? Red would look wicked, wouldn’t it?”

  “I’d rather you didn’t,” admitted Will. “I feel bad when I see them.”

  “So, I should remove my stripes to make you feel better?” she asked. “Is this part of my service?”

  He shook his head. “That’s up to you.” Then he added, “You only have one day left, then you’re free to do as you please.”

  She held up two fingers. “Two days. My time recovering doesn’t count.”

  That didn’t seem fair, but he didn’t feel like arguing. Either way it hardly mattered. He couldn’t cross the pass and he was nearly out of food. His only option was to return home and accept his punishment. “You may as well return home. There’s nothing else I need.”

  She turned her head to the side once more, curious. “What was it you wanted to accomplish? Were you trying to freeze to death?”

  Resting his elbows on his knees, he stared at the leaf litter on the ground. “I was trying to reach Branscombe, but that doesn’t seem possible.”

  “Is that where Branscombe lies? It never seemed so mountainous.”

  “No. It’s to the west, on the other side of the mountains. Don’t you know where anything is?” he asked, somewhat surprised.

  Tailtiu laughed again. “Not in this world. When my people wish to go somewhere in your world, we use whatever congruence is closest to our destination. Traveling through your world is too unpleasant.”

  Will stared at her, then asked, “Can you take me there?”

  “It would be dangerous from here. The place you took me yesterday is a long way from the point that connects to Branscombe. You should have called me before you started your journey. There’s a spot behind Father’s house that comes out very close to a place in Faerie that connects to Branscombe,” she explained.

  “Behind Father’s house,” Will muttered, comprehension dawning on him. “You mean Arrogan—”

  She nodded, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “The place where you live.”

  Leaning sideways, he began lightly banging his head against the tree he had slept beside, though the steel cap and padding robbed the action of much of its impact. Will had rarely felt so stupid, even back when Arrogan had been there to remind him daily. “Butter, cheese, beef, spices,” he chanted quietly, listing all the mysterious items his grandfather had shown up with over the years.

  Tailtiu studied him with a look of concern.

  “I thought he chose to live there so he could be close to his descendants,” said Will, still talking to himself. But he was hundreds of years old. He probably had grandchildren all over the kingdom. Now he understood. The old man had hated everyone. The place he had chosen was half an hour’s walk from one of the most remote villages on the edge of Terabinia. He had picked it for solitude and easy access to a town market. Will and Erisa living nearby had merely been a coincidence. “Wow.”

  “Are you all right?”

  “Yeah,” answered Will. “Just amazed at all the things that never occurred to me before. Can you show me the spot?”

  His aunt frowned. “I’d rather not. There’s a creature there that doesn’t take kindly to my kind. If you wish, I can meet you on the fae side.”

  “The goddamn cat.”

  He might have imagined it, but Tailtiu seemed to pale slightly. “Is that what you call it?”

  “What do you call it then?”

  His aunt shook her head, pressing her lips firmly together
before answering, “It can hear its name when spoken, much like my people.”

  Will sighed. “Can you describe the spot to me then?”

  “It is easy to find, just beyond the garden behind your house. Look for the largest tree, an oak. There’s an opening amidst the roots. I should be able to get there before you.”

  He remembered the tree she was describing, though he hadn’t noticed anything odd about it before. Of course, he didn’t think he’d ever examined it after his sight had been awakened. Rising to his feet once more, he gauged the sun’s position and started northward. “I’ll meet you there,” he said. Tailtiu was already gone when he looked back.

  Chapter 34

  The journey back home took most of the day, and Will was forced to stop and hide twice when he heard the sounds of men and horses. It seemed the Darrowans were taking the job of patrolling the area around Barrowden seriously. Then again, it was also possible that word of what had happened to a couple of their sentries in the pass had already been reported. Will assumed that they probably thought someone had attacked the sentries while sneaking into the area around Barrowden.

  He grew nervous when he got to the area near Arrogan’s house. For some reason being caught by his mother was more terrifying to him than being caught by the enemy. He gave the house a wide berth, circling around it to approach the tree that Tailtiu had mentioned from the far side.

  The congruence point was right where she had mentioned, and as Will stepped up to it he noticed a set of claw marks on the ground. Something big had scored the earth as well as the bark on that side of the tree. The goddamn cat, he guessed. Glancing around, he felt as though something was watching him, but he saw no sign of the feline. He suppressed a shiver and shifted himself to Faerie.

  It was dark on the other side, for he had appeared within a small cave. Light entered from an entrance some ten feet away, but the area around him was too dark for him to make out much. He froze when a deep rumbling vibrated through the air, making the hair on his neck stand up.