by M. L. Forman
Let me know how things stand in Nezza and how soon you think you will be available to assist me.
Yours in fellowship,
Whalen
“I need to go,” said Alex as he finished reading the letter. “I’m needed at home.”
“Of course,” said Virgil. “We understand. Is it something we might help you with?”
“No, I’m afraid not,” said Alex, gathering his blankets and putting them back into his magic bag. “I’m not sure what it is, only that I’m needed. I suppose you can all find your way home from here, can’t you?”
“I’m sure we can,” Virgil answered with a smile.
“Alex,” Skeld said as Alex was turning toward the great arch. “I just . . . We are greatly, well . . .”
“I know,” said Alex, smiling at his friend. “You don’t need to say it.”
“I may not need to, but I will,” said Skeld. “Thank you. Thank you for everything.”
“Yes,” Tom and Virgil both added. “Thank you for everything you have done.”
“You are very welcome,” said Alex, bowing slightly. “Take care of yourselves, my friends, and may we meet again soon.”
Alex didn’t wait for his friends to answer. He turned to the great arch, worked the magic that would allow him to pass through it and return to Alusia, and was gone.
Alex instantly changed into an eagle and flew away from the great arch. If Whalen needed him to come quickly, that could only mean trouble. Whalen was a great wizard—perhaps the greatest of all the living wizards—so if there was something he couldn’t handle by himself . . . well, Alex didn’t like to think about what that might mean.
Whalen had mentioned the Gezbeth in his letter, and Alex wondered what his friend could have discovered and how he had discovered it.
The sun was setting in the west as he climbed into the skies of Alusia, only a few hours away from his home and Whalen.
The miles could not pass quickly enough for Alex as his worries continued to grow. There were no answers to be found in the night sky, and Alex feared he would get few answers from Whalen when he found him. He had his own news to share as well, though it wouldn’t be much help in their search. Magnus had known only one member of the Brotherhood—Gaylan—but at least Alex now knew what Gaylan looked like.
Dropping slowly out of the night sky, Alex could see Whalen sitting on the porch of his own house. The old wizard was smoking his pipe, deep in thought. For a split second, a wild idea entered Alex’s mind. He wanted to fly away, leave Whalen on the porch, and never return. It was a mad idea, and it seemed out of place. Pushing the thought away, he dropped to the ground and changed back to his human form.
Whalen looked up with a half smile on his face, but he did not speak for a moment.
“Did you feel it just now?” Whalen finally asked. “A thought, a wild idea that was not your own, entering your mind?”
“Yes,” said Alex, shaken by the question.
“That is one of the reasons I wanted to talk to you, face-to-face. I didn’t think I would get the chance to see you so soon, but I’m glad you’re here,” said Whalen, getting to his feet and moving toward his horse. “I’ve had many such thoughts in the past weeks, and I am troubled by them.”
“Where are the thoughts coming from?” Alex questioned.
“I do not know,” answered Whalen. “I thought there was only one place such thoughts could come from, but now . . .”
“What place? What power could possibly put strange thoughts into our minds?” Alex asked.
“To be honest, I originally believed these thoughts were coming from you,” said Whalen. “I thought perhaps the part of you that is a dragon was doing this, but now I see that is not the case.”
“But how could I put thoughts into your mind?”
“The link between wizards, and especially the link between student and teacher, is a strong one,” Whalen explained. “The only explanation I could find was that link. Now that I’m sure it is not you, it can only mean . . .”
“Yes?”
Whalen shook his head. “I won’t trouble you with my guesses or suspicions. For now it is enough to know that these thoughts are not coming from you. Now, about the reason I wanted you to come as soon as you could.”
“Whatever you need, I am ready,” said Alex.
“Yes, I’m sure you are, my friend. And what I need you to do right now is wait.”
“Wait? Wait for what?”
“Wait for me to send word or to come for you,” said Whalen. “If I send word, be ready to move. I need to find some answers to my questions, but when I am sure, we will need to move quickly.”
“Questions about the Brotherhood?” Alex asked.
“Possibly, possibly,” Whalen answered.
“How long do you wish me to wait?”
“A month, perhaps less,” said Whalen. “Be ready to move and stay alert. If you have more of these strange thoughts, keep track of them when they come. I wish I could say more, but until I find a few things out it is pointless.”
“I will wait until you call or until you come,” said Alex, bowing. “You are my master, and I will do whatever you ask.”
“Ah, of course. You say you are my student and I am your master, yet I have no doubt which of us is the greater wizard,” said Whalen, climbing into his saddle.
“Neither do I,” said Alex.
“Oh, no doubt?” Whalen questioned.
“You are known as the greatest living wizard. You are both feared and respected in all the known lands. Clearly you are much greater than I am,” said Alex confidently.
“So many would say,” replied Whalen. “I, however, know that you are greater than I, and in time you will know it as well.”
“But, how can I be?”
“In time,” said Whalen, turning his horse away. “I will send word when I can. If you haven’t heard from me within a month, come and find me.”
“As you wish,” said Alex.
Whalen galloped away from the house, and Alex was alone.
Whalen hadn’t answered any of Alex’s questions, and now he had new worries to think about. Alex didn’t know what Whalen was trying to find out, but it clearly had something to do with the strange thought that had entered Alex’s mind.
Alex stood for several minutes, watching the darkness. Slowly his mind emptied, and then a memory returned to him, and it troubled him more than anything Whalen had left unsaid. It was a memory of Whalen talking about how many wizards he had trained. In all the long years, Whalen had only ever asked two people to take a staff, and Alex was one of those two.
Could it be? Was it possible that the thoughts that were coming into Whalen’s mind were from the other wizard he had trained? Alex wondered who the other student was and why Whalen had seemed so concerned.
It was pointless to worry, and in the end Alex let his thoughts drift away. Whalen would send word when he was ready, and until then, Alex would have to wait.
Discussion Questions
1. At the beginning of the story, Skeld sends Alex a letter asking for help. Alex immediately starts on a quest to help his friend. Why do you think Alex does this? What would you do if one of your friends needed your help?
2. When Alex is fighting the water stoic, he tries to use the power of the dragon, but it isn’t there when he needs it. Later his O’Gash tells him that it’s because he hadn’t practiced using it. Do you have talents that you don’t practice using? What happens when you don’t use your talents for a long time?
3. While making his escape from the dungeons of Karmus, Alex is overcome by fear. Have you ever been afraid of something? How can you overcome your fear?
4. When Alex talks to Rallian about visiting Tempe, he says that it would be good to know what the possibilities are. Would it be helpful to you to know what the possibilities of the future are? Are there ways to find out the possibilities without talking to an oracle?
5. Alex agrees to teach Thomas about healing, and the
y have a ceremony that links their honors together. What do you think it means to have their honors linked? Have you ever had your honor linked to someone else’s? Have you ever been judged based on the actions of your friends?
6. Salinor tells Alex that even with all his magic and his dragon form, he can’t force the people of Nezza to make peace. Have you ever been forced to do something by someone else? How did that make you feel? Do you think forcing people to make peace really works?
7. After Rallian makes his claim as king, Alex tells him to give all the other kingdoms a chance to join him without fighting. Why do you think Alex tells him to do that?
8. Whalen Vankin once told Alex that a wizard should do his work and then be gone. What do you think Whalen meant by that? Why is it not a good idea for wizards to hang around after their work is done?
