Ancient Magic

by Blink, Bob

  Finally he found it. The water flowed out of the side of the hill less than a man’s height above the outside ground level. A large pool had formed, which drained into a disappearing stream that wound through the trees and more than likely joined with the main stream they had seen as they rode into the camp the day before. Rigo could see the slots cut into the rock. He climbed up onto the rock alongside the swiftly flowing water that was rushing out of the slots. Darr’yl’s description had been accurate. There were a half dozen of the slots. Each was easily high enough to accommodate a man, but the slots were far too narrow to do so. If a couple of the stone “bars” could be cut away, then a hole that a person could pass through would be achieved. Rigo tried pushing and pulling on the stone with his magic, but to no avail. Nothing he tried had any effect. He would have like to try his fireballs, but past experience had shown him they would be noisy enough to be detected and hadn’t had much effect on stone before when he tried them. Perhaps Jeen’s energy bolt might be more effective, but he couldn’t think of a way to get her out here to try.

  He spent more than a glass examining the water flowing out of the mountainside, then left it to continue his explorations. He resumed circling the mountain until he came to a dead end, sheer walls of almost vertical stone that blocked his way. Then he returned, seeking out a better path now that he knew where to go, passing through the camp, and checking to see what might be on the far side of the mine. Once again, he was cut off by the stone walls of the canyon. The only way out was the way they had come in. He hiked for almost a glass down the road, seeing there was virtually nowhere to hide. One would have to be a long way down the canyon before being able to find any kind of cover at all.

  Then he returned to the camp. He could sense where the staff was, and took a moment to have a look. It was thrown with the rest of their belongings in the back of an older tent. Everything was there. That surprised Rigo. He’d expected their stuff to have been thoroughly sorted through, but that appeared not to be the case. Even Kaler’s sword was there. Whoever was in charge must have iron control over the men and was waiting to see what was to be done with them before deciding what to do with their belongings. Both his staff and the walking stick that Ash’urn used had been tossed casually in a corner. Most of the weapons were too large, but he retrieved a pair of small fighting knives belonging to Daria to take back into the cave with him. Then he walked away. It was almost time for the door to be opened.

  “What did you find?” Ash’urn asked when he appeared suddenly at the cell door amongst the confusion of the shift returning. Quickly he slipped inside the cell and locked the door behind him. He passed the two knives to Daria, who accepted them with a happy grin.

  “Any problems in here while I was gone?” Rigo asked before he replied.

  “Darr’yl wanted to know where you were,” Kaler replied. “We told him you went exploring. It’s going to be difficult unless we get him on our side somehow, unless you do any future exploration during the shift he’s in the mine.”

  Rigo nodded. He explained what he had found and described the situation outside. He also explained his lack of effect on the stone.

  “So even if we get out, there’s not much choice of where to go. We’d have to get far enough away before they discover we’ve escaped or we’ll be easy to catch,” Kaler said.

  “I might be able to get a couple of the horses away at night without being seen,” Rigo said. “I’ll have to study their watch. I didn’t have time to do that. But we need to think what can be done about the stone grating. Jeen, do you think your energy bolt might be able to break it?”

  Jeen flushed. “I don’t know if I can do it again. It was only that one time I was able to call on it. I’ve tried again and haven’t been able to make it appear. I don’t know why.”

  “How would you get her out there anyway?” Daria asked. “She hasn’t been able to do this invisible thing you find so easy.”

  Ash’urn seemed to be lost in thought. Finally he spoke up. “Can you make ice?” he asked.

  “Ice?” Rigo asked.

  “Yes. Can you freeze water into ice? When I asked you and Jeen what abilities you have, you didn’t list that. She said she could.”

  “I’ve never tried. What good would that do? We want to open up the exit, not make it solid with ice.”

  “Yes, I know. But what I have in mind requires you to be able to make ice. Can you do it?”

  “I wouldn’t know where to start,” Rigo admitted honestly.

  Jeen smiled. “Maybe if I show him what you mean.”

  Ash’urn looked at her, then walked over to the single water skin they’d been given and poured some water into a depression in the stone. “Show us,” he said.

  Jeen smiled confidently and a moment later the small puddle gleamed at them as it turned crystalline.

  Ash’urn reached down and felt it. “Very good. Now, can you turn it back to water?”

  Jeen complied.

  “How much water can you turn and can you control which water you convert?” Ash’urn asked.

  “What is this about?” Rigo asked, but Ash’urn held up his hand.

  “In a moment,” he said.

  “I could change a full tub of water back home easily enough. I never tried to see just how much I could change, but it was straightforward. I also never tried to simply convert some of the water. I always transformed all of it. Why?”

  “We’ll have to experiment,” Ash’urn said. “Maybe if you can make blocks of ice in the stream it will be a good indication.”

  Rigo was becoming impatient, so Ash’urn left off his questioning to explain. “When water turns to ice it grows. It expands. If Jeen could freeze the water in the passageway between the stone grating you described immense pressure would be brought to bear. It might take a couple of freezing and thawing cycles, but it is likely she would be able to crack the rock and open up a passage.”

  “Even if she could, she can’t get out there where she has access,” Kaler pointed out.

  “One problem at a time,” Ash’urn replied. “I’m hoping Rigo can see how it is done.”

  Chapter 45

  That night after activity in the caverns had quieted down, Rigo and his companions slipped quietly out of the cell and made their way to the stream in a quiet section of the cavern.

  “See what you can do,” Ash’urn encouraged Jeen. “Try and make something the size of a man or perhaps a bit bigger. Don’t freeze the whole stream. That would cause problems.”

  At first it seemed that Jeen was daunted by the task Ash’urn had set for her. Nothing happened for long moments. Then suddenly a small ragged chunk of ice formed in the center of the water and floated away.

  “It would be easy to freeze the whole surface,” she said. “I had to think how to make only some of the water change.”

  “Try to make something bigger,” Ash’urn suggested.

  Jeen concentrated, and soon a bigger block was formed. Then two more.

  “Good,” Ash’urn praised her efforts. “Try and make one deep under the surface.”

  That didn’t seem to be a problem for her. She made several. It appeared that with practice she was able to make larger blocks with greater ease.

  “Let’s go back to the cell and talk,” Ash’urn said after a bit.

  Once the group was assembled back in the cell, Ash’urn said, “I wish we had one of the slots where we could practice. From Rigo’s description, the water is flowing rapidly through the opening at the exit. That might complicate the procedure somewhat.”

  “You really expect this to work?” Kaler asked.

  Ash’urn nodded. “You’d be surprised how destructive ice can be given the proper circumstances. The problem now is how to transfer abilities. Either Jeen needs to learn the invisibility trick, or Rigo has to figure out how to make ice. Isn’t there a way you two wizards can exchange knowledge?”

  “It’s not something I’ve had to think about before,” Rigo admitted. “I d
on’t know if it’s an inherent limitation, or just a skill that can be learned if one simply knew how to teach it.”

  “Well, it’s something you need to sort out quickly. I think we have the skills we need, but they are split in a way that might frustrate our efforts.”

  All of the next day was spent trying to exchange skills with little luck. That evening Rigo had a chance to talk with Darr’yl about the mine and the layout. The stories that Ash’urn had told them were well known by the miners, and the way that had been used to cross under the mountains easily found. It was also known that way had been closed for many years, and that the mysterious creatures were thought to come from that direction. He was curious why Rigo wanted to know such things.

  The next morning Rigo decided to go out with the first shift. He wanted to do some more exploring, and was frustrated at his inability to perform some of the magic that Jeen could do. Ash’urn promised to work with her on the invisibility spell while Rigo was gone. He spent the day in the mine easily finding the old pathway that led deep underground. He couldn’t go far without drawing attention. The torches didn’t go this way, and if he used his ability to create light he was afraid it might be noticed.

  “I think we have to go through the mine,” Rigo said that evening when they were alone.

  “I thought it was sealed?” Kaler asked.

  “I am doubtful how well they could have sealed it,” Rigo explained. “It is not an easy thing to close off something like this. With our magic, we might be able to find a way through. Certainly trying to get down the valley is unlikely to be successful. The guards watch the horses too closely and going on foot would take too long. We’d be almost certain to be caught before we could get out of the valley.”

  “What if the cave is truly sealed and we can’t get out?” Daria asked.

  “Then we’d have to come back this way. But it would be a number of days later. By then they wouldn’t be searching as carefully. The guards would have checked everything and assumed anyone they hadn’t found had somehow gotten away. After a few days it might be possible to sneak down the valley at night. I can’t see any other way and we don’t have time to wait for some unknown option.”

  “How would you work it?” Ash’urn asked.

  “I think we need to bring the miners in on this. I can’t see how we would be able to do it without their being aware we were up to something anyway. We wouldn’t tell them our plans beyond how to get out of the caverns. After getting out, they would be told it would be every man for himself. When they started coming through after us, there would be a large group trying to make it down the valley. That would keep the guards busy while we went our own way. No one would expect us to go into the mines.”

  “This still means we need to be able to break away the stone that blocks the exit. Neither you nor Jeen has been able to demonstrate the skill that is required,” Ash’urn pointed out.

  Rigo nodded unhappily. “I realize that. But I haven’t been able to think of anything different.”

  For the next several days they tried everything they could think of to transfer abilities between the two wizards without success. When not attempting to transfer ability, they spent time examining the problem from the inside. It didn’t seem possible. The exit slots were well under water and out of sight from where they would have to perform their magic. While they might be able to temporarily block the flow of water, that would be self defeating as the water was needed in the gaps so that Jeen would have something to freeze.

  It was on the fourth day that Rigo accidentally discovered he could make Jeen invisible if he was in contact with her when he executed the spell. He had tried with Ash’urn and Daria when he’d first discovered his ability and it hadn’t worked. He hadn’t thought to try it specifically with Jeen. It had to be related to her facility with the power, but if he was touching her hand or skin in any place, then she became invisible along with him and remained so as long as they remained in contact. It wasn’t a perfect solution, but given their situation it would have to do.

  The timing of the discovery was fortuitous. That evening when they sought out Darr’yl to tell him of their plans to escape, they learned the rumor had been circulating among the guards that day that word was expected within a day or two as to the disposition of the new prisoners. This was a matter of interest to the guards, who were eagerly hoping the women would soon be available to them. Darr’yl didn’t understand how they hoped to break the barrier that blocked the exit, but they assured him they could. They left it up to him to organize the escape of those who wished to try after they had gotten out. The one thing they emphasized was that Darr’yl needed to restrain the prisoners and ensure that Rigo and his friends go first, and those that followed needed to be stealthy as they made their way out of the camp. They set the time for the following evening.

  Now it was time to see if this was all going to work. Jeen was outside on her own, hiding near the exit point. She had to stay hidden because unlike Rigo was unable to make herself invisible on her own. If anything happened to her, there would be nothing those inside would be able to do to help her. Rigo hadn’t liked leaving her outside by herself, but given the kind of men inside and what they were attempting, he felt it was necessary that one of them with power be inside to ensure the exit went as planned. Daria had her knives, and Rigo had brought back Kaler’s sword when he returned earlier in the evening with the return of the second shift so they were at least armed, but the numbers would be stacked heavily against them. No matter how good they were, something extra would probably be needed, and that’s why Rigo had felt he needed to be in here rather than outside with Jeen.

  Rigo held the end of the rope that they had placed this morning. It ran underwater to the exit point and then continued on to the outside. Jeen should have hold of the far end by now and would give a sharp tug to indicate she was about to proceed. When the way was clear, she would tug it twice more. Three tugs would indicate failure. Rigo would respond with the same number of tugs to indicate his understanding. Darr’yl stood nearby as did several hundred of the miners who had hopes of getting out this night as well. The guards would have their hands full if everything went as planned.

  As Rigo looked at the assembled group he was once again convinced he and his friends had made the right decision how to proceed. Early on there had been some discussion about working with the prisoners and assembling a large enough force outside the cave and then attacking the unsuspecting guards. If they could overpower them, they would be able to ride the horses out of the valley to freedom. Rigo had felt that plan was fraught with problems, not the least of which was keeping this group focused on a single plan until they were assembled.

  There was another issue. The guards kept watch during the night hours, using a random time pattern he’d learned the night he’d stayed out after second shift. They couldn’t know when the sentries would pass by the river exit point and spot the group building there as the men escaped one at a time. Looking at the eager faces, some of which clearly reflected a desire to seek revenge on the guards, Rigo was certain that only a fraction of the prisoners would escape before the situation became known. By that time he and his friends would need to be secure in the mine. Suddenly Rigo felt the sharp tug on the rope. It was time for Jeen to start.

  Jeen let the rope fall back to the ground after sending the signal she was about to begin. As Rigo had instructed, she had waited the full two glass before starting. That had provided time for everyone to get back inside, the door to be locked and for everything to settle down outside. She had actually waited somewhat longer than planned because the sentry that made unscheduled walks around the area had passed just a few minutes ago. The man had been distracted, not expecting anything, and so hadn’t been watching very closely. Hopefully he wouldn’t be back until this was all over.

  She felt very exposed out here alone. The escape from the cavern had gone exactly as Rigo had told it would, but she had found the whole thing unnerving. Rigo h
ad made them invisible by holding her hand. That made them invisible to everyone else, but not to one another. As far as she could tell, nothing had happened and they both were unchanged. Only the word of the others had told them that the spell had worked. Then as they waited and then walked by the guards when the gate was opened to allow the second shift to go off to the mines and they had walked mere hand’s breath from the men with their swords and bows, she had been certain they would be seen. But it had gone smoothly, and soon they were outside where Rigo showed her the way to the side of the mountain where the water flowed out.

  Rigo had spent the late afternoon and evening with her, going over the plan. They had chosen which of the slots she would freeze when the time came, even going so far as to form the beginnings of the ice in one to be certain this would work in the presence of the flow. Then, when the time came, Rigo had given her a hug and then made his way back so he could get inside with the return of second shift. Now, after the long wait in the bushes alone, she was about to see if she would be able to open a path for her friends.

  Jeen focused her thoughts on the central opening in the stone. She imagined the ice being formed, and the water stopped flowing as it suddenly froze. She thought she could hear the rock crack in response, although that might have been the ice itself. She was about to turn the ice back to water when she sensed movement behind her. Had she somehow attracted the attention of the guard? For whatever reason he had returned and was headed straight for her.

  Time passed slowly and Rigo was frustrated he couldn’t see anything and judge how it was going. It was almost a quarter glass after the pull on the rope when the felt a shudder in the rock below his feet. He held his breath and then he felt the long awaited signal. Two sharp tugs on the rope. Jeen was signaling that she had succeeded in breaking the stone. Rigo pulled back twice, the confirmation signal. If he’d gotten it wrong Jeen would signal again. Nothing. It was time to go.