A Coursing Passage (A Life of Magic Book 3)

by Matthew Mitchell

  "Very well. If she so desires and there are no objections from your group, I have no choice but to allow this to occur." Sven slumped his shoulders. "Good evening. I am retiring for the night." He wavered as he flew to our wagon, his wings beating out of normal rhythm.

  Maria looked worried and watched as Sven flew off.

  "Go after him. Even though you do not agree and you two fight, he is your father. He is hurting now, he needs you." One of the fairies stated this simply and gave Maria a shove. She took off and headed slowly to the wagon.

  "Those two will drive one another crazy one day." The same fairy stated. He rolled his eyes. "That is what happens when you only have one child." He flew off, most likely to check for danger.

  Stain grinned sadly, "The guard is quite right." He stood and headed to his tent.

  "The trip to the ocean will be easy enough. Mostly downhill and on established roads." Tulip stated this matter of factually "We will have to see what captains are there and which ship might handle our group."

  Amelia spoke up, "What about using more than one boat? That would spread the load out some."

  Tulip nodded, "That is an option. For now we will camp here tonight, tomorrow we head back down the road." She went to her wagon and closed the door.

  ***

  The next day we reached the crossroads and turned back towards where Stain had healed Tabby. The rest of the fairies took off, amidst some tears and comments. Maria stayed behind, riding atop the wagon. She was quiet for a time. Finally she flew down and landed on the horns of a goat.

  "I will miss my family, but I feel I must go along with your group." Maria stated this gently. "With any luck I will return with many new stories for them."

  Raven looked at her a moment, "If I might ask. Why did you refuse to follow in Sven's footsteps?"

  Maria shook her head, "He wanted me to become a spell keeper. One of those who gather spells and work magic for the greater good. I choose instead to become a scout. This is a position that requires very little magic but makes a large demand on the body. My father could never understand." She bowed her head. "He almost disowned me when I told him I was training to be a scout. He eventually thought I would grow out of it, that it was a phase. That was five years ago." She smiled gently. "He still thinks that someday I will set aside my bow and take up the spell books."

  Raven nodded, "It seems as if you care deeply for him, yet you also are very independent."

  Maria nodded, "He claims I am just like my mother. She was quite independent when she was here." A deep sadness filled her voice.

  "Travelers up a head!" Tulip's voice called out loudly.

  We all looked up and realized that another set of wagons were heading down the path in our direction. These wagons were all alike and dark. The drivers seemed to all carry weapons and serious expressions. We pulled over to allow them to pass, as the path was a tad too narrow here.

  "Who was that group?" Raven asked. "They did not look like Wanderers."

  Amelia, who had walked up beside our wagon answered her. "They are not Wanderers. They are guards. The wagons most likely carry either valuables or prisoners. Those style of wagons are the property of a rich land owner. You can tell which one by the emblem on the outside of the wagons." She pointed at a drab circle. Inside the circle was a carving of a tree growing on a boulder. " As Wanderers we attempt to avoid conflict with such as those. They dislike us and we avoid them." She went back to her wagon as the line of guards passed by. A few of the guards were watching us at all times. Finally the line passed and we continued down the path.

  That night we paid a farmer to allow us to camp in his fallow field. After setting up camp we all worked on various tasks, knowing that time was creeping by and that we must make haste to reach the coast.

  Each day was the same and very little occurred

  Chapter 5: Some surprises

  An unusual smell filled the air. Something akin to the river but with more scents.

  "What am I smelling?" Raven was the first to speak up.

  Stain smiled up at us and laughed. "Why the ocean my dear." He pointed off ahead of us. "It can be smelled many days away. We will reach our departure point in a few days. Till then the smell will increase until it is the only thing you might smell. Everything will smell like the ocean, including us."

  We looked ahead and could see that the hills we traveled were slowly leveling out and getting shorter at all times.

  The path so far had been uneventful, if interesting. The plants and animals along the road were diverse and beautiful. Stain had Raven or I filling our various pouches with all manner of plants and minerals. We would have plenty to trade if we needed it. Some we passed back to Tulip's brother. He provided us with news and treats.

  "We need to be careful now. This area is controlled by bandit leaders. They constantly fight with one another." Tulip was watching the land around us. "Most leave Wanderers alone. There should be a campsite near the coast that we can use while gaining passage."

  We traveled farther and made do that night, but the next day we reached the campsite Tulip mentioned. It was obviously a Wanderers site. The smell of the ocean was overpowering now. It smelled of water and salt, of plants and fish rotting.

  "Make camp. Stain and I will travel to the harbor here and see if we might purchase passage aboard a ship." Tulip stated this seriously. "Keep watch at all times, alarms need to be set." With that she and Stain left the campsite and headed down a small path that was lined with gray stones. Within a short period of time the campsite was set up and we had food cooking.

  "I wonder how much longer they will be?" Ruth asked this as we handed out food.

  Amelia shook her head, "Knowing Tulip, it could be all night."

  I was surprised at this news. "Why all night?"

  Amelia grinned, "Well, she likes to haggle. So when I might settle for a specific price, Tulip will haggle for hours to save money."

  Ruth grinned, "She has always been that way. She hates to pay more than she must for anything."

  Raven nodded, "I have noticed she works at it quite well. I have known people like that. She must have fought most of her life to get what she has now."

  Ruth agreed, "She had to make her way through the world, often under her own power."

  "It taught me a lot. Including how to make good bargains" Tulip walked into the camp, a slight grin on her face at catching us off guard. "Now, is there any food? I am famished."

  Amelia handed Tulip a bowl while I gave Stain a platter.

  "How did it go at the harbor?" I asked Stain.

  He shook his head, "There are no boats large enough to transport Tag or Evins."

  We all sat there a moment.

  "So we must travel to the Waste and cross the desert?" Raven asked, her tone full of frustration.

  Stain shook his head, "I believe that we might have a solution, but it is a risky one that relies on magic solely." He looked over at Tulip, who nodded. "We can book passage for all of us, including the wagons. But nobody will take Tag or Evins. Now Evins can float a short period of time and Tag can swim about the same length of time. Unfortunately, the trip to our kingdom is about three times that length of time. However, if we can surround both of them in a shield of the right construction we might be able to pull them along behind us using magic." Stain looked over at me. "I have no doubt that we can do this easily, the concern lies in doing it in such a way that the sailors have no idea that a giant turtle and snail are behind them."

  I looked at Stain and nodded, "So we would have to cast a spell that hides them from all who might see them?"

  Stain nodded, "Which is tricky. People see more than they care to admit. A turtle and snail are not something they can explain away in the middle of the ocean." He took a few bites of his food. "Perhaps we might figure out something in the morning. I am tired and we have a few days before a large vessel can be made ready." He finished off his food and went to his tent.

  "What are we going to d
o?" Raven asked me quietly.

  I shook my head, "I think we have to figure out a spell that hides both of them."

  ***

  "I think I have it!" I called out across the camp. Everyone came running.

  "What have you figured out?" Stain asked, a little breathlessly.

  "How to hide Tag and Evins while we are on the boat." I grinned broadly.

  "Well, share with us boy." Tulip sat down and waited.

  My grin grew, "First, where is Raven?"

  Everyone looked around and suddenly grew concerned. "She was right here!" Amelia exclaimed. They all stood and started looking for her.

  I waved them down. "She is fine. I hid her from you, but she is right here." I dropped the spell I had cast upon Raven and everyone jumped back from her standing among them.

  "How did you do that?" Stain asked. He looked closely at Raven.

  I grinned while Raven smiled and hugged me. "Hiding someone from human sight is too hard. I have been trying the past couple of days. All that happens is the eye knows something is wrong and the illusion falls apart." Everyone nodded, we had all been working on this very issue. "So I decided to see if I could make the eye forget that the object or person was even there. I worked out a spell that caused each and every one of you to avoid looking at Raven directly. Your very mind made you forget that she was there. She could have walked beside you and still you would not have seen her."

  Stain crowed and hugged me and Raven. "Brilliant! Simply brilliant!"

  Tulip looked around and frowned, "Does it take much energy?"

  I shook my head, "Since I am not hiding something, but instead distracting your mind it takes very little energy. I can attach the spell to an object and leave some charged gems on the object to allow the spell to run until they empty. Each gem might be good for a day."

  Stain nodded, "This can work. If we can do this and then also cast a shield that will allow Tag and Evins to float behind the ships without them having to work, we might just succeed." He pulled out some gems. "We will need a lot of energy. The boat ride will be three long nights." He handed gems out to everyone. "Everyone charge them until we have enough. Ott can cast his spell while Tulip and I cast the shields. I will work out some manner of towing the shields behind the boats." He turned to Tulip. "I think we can arrange for a boat now. Give us another full day and then we will be ready to leave."

  Everyone sat and worked to prepare for our leaving. Finally things had worked out to the point of being able to depart. Maria even helped to charge some gems, it took her much longer but she did her part. Mophar worked to help pack up those little things that always seemed to get lost when camp was pitched. That evening Tulip entered the camp excited.

  "A new boat has arrived. From your kingdom!" She waved a small group of people into the camp. We all stood, worried about who might Tulip be bringing to our camp.

  "Stain! My friend!" Captain Ob Veeuhs walked into camp with Suzie and his trusted men following.

  "Suzie!" Raven yelled and flew across the camp to hug her friend. Suzie hugged Raven tightly.

  We all looked on for a moment as the two women talked quietly.

  "Captain, what are you doing in this part of the world?" Stain asked after hugging his friend.

  The captain smiled, "Why, pretending to be pirates and smugglers." He grinned broadly. "The king figured you might seek your way back to the kingdom. He has sent out King's Men to find you and provide a path back to join him. There is a war going on, in case you forgot."

  Stain shook his head, "But you are a river captain."

  "River, ocean, pond. It makes no difference. I live on the water. We have a new ship though. It has been a trial. Not as peaceful as my lovely barge." The captain looked around. "Although my daughter has made me proud. A right powerful battle mage on the water."

  Suzie heard his comment and grinned, "I wanted to survive. That is a powerful motivator."

  "Yes it is." Tulip commented. "We have the same problem with Tag and Evins." She told Stain.

  Stain shook his head. "The problem is much easier to handle. This crew and Captain know me and my companions. Seeing Tag floating along behind us will simply be humorous to them."

  The crew all cheered and Captain Ob Veeuhs smiled, "We are used to Stain's oddness. A massive turtle and snail following us along the water is not the oddest thing he has shown us." He looked over at me, "Although his apprentice has surprised us a few times."

  I blushed and grinned, "It seems as if that will be my legacy."

  We talked deep into the night about how the war was going. It seemed as if there was actually a large army attempting to conquer the kingdom, but with it being forced to spread out all over the land it was having problems winning any real victories. The king had ordered all fighters into hiding and to attack only when escape was possible. A battle of small skirmishes was happening now. The biggest danger was the mages. There were mages brought in from other kingdoms that were assisting the attacking force. Terrible magic had been wrought upon the people and land.

  "Any news of my father?" I asked late that night.

  Suzie answered that one. "Your father leads the fight in the northern woods. He trains those who would fight with knowledge of the forest and bow. He is a great general for our king." She smiled, "Plus he is quite handsome. I see where your looks come from." She smiled at Raven, "I am glad you two finally figured it out." They leaned against one another and talked softly. Occasionally one of them would laugh and shake their head.

  "It is getting late and we have a harsh journey ahead of us." Stain stood up. "With the appearance of our friends that journey shall be better, if not easier. Everyone to their beds. Tomorrow we go home!"

  ***

  "Ah, the Harbor of Lost Souls." the captain took a deep breath.

  "Why is it called that?" Raven called out.

  "Because only those whose souls are lost live here." answered one of the crew members.

  A large group of buildings hung from a cliff face that was pounded by massive waves. Boats floated out in the water, tied off to groups of rocks. The buildings hanging from the cliff had massive ropes anchoring floating docks. Small craft ran from these docks to each ship tied up in the harbor. The entire harbor seemed alive and pulsating.

  "This is the best anchorage along the coast. Everywhere else is pure cliffs. But to trade with the islands and our kingdom, this group of people fight day and night against the anger of the ocean." Tulip looked down at the harbor. "Many lives have been lost in such a battle, yet the ocean can never be beat."

  Stain looked down at the harbor. "Which ship is our transport?"

  The captain pointed at a large ship set close to the mouth of the harbor. "There is our beauty. She is called the 'Raving Mermaid'. We have outfitted her and made those changes that allow us to haul most cargos." The ship he pointed to was massive, yet it was obviously a ship meant for battle at sea. Crew could be seen climbing her rigging and working on her.

  Stain looked closely and laughed, "You took the king's own ship and turned it into a pirate vessel?"

  The captain grinned broadly, "It seemed the right thing to do at the time. He has not yet had me killed. So I guess he is allowing it."

  I looked closely at the ship and could see a haze of magic floating around it. "She is fortified against magic?"

  Suzie grinned, "Those are not just defenses you see. When we get on board I will show all of you. Maybe you can learn a little something." She punched me in the arm and continued down the path, closely following her father.

  Raven smiled as she kissed my shoulder, "She is happy for us, but a little jealous of us also. Give her a few days to come to terms with our marriage." She drove the wagon down towards the harbor.

  ***

  "We leave when high tide does. It will pull us out of the harbor and allow us to travel faster." The captain was explaining to our group. "We have the wagons all stored and tied down. That is an impressive set of wagons." He turned and pointe
d at a hand drawn map. "It will take us a fortnight to travel around the mountain spine that travels out to sea and back to our kingdom. That is if the winds are good."

  Stain smiled, "With all of us mages on board, I can assure you the wind will be good." He looked at us younger mages, "That will be your job. Keep the winds blowing so we make the best time." He smiled at our groans. "You could use the hard work."

  Tulip grinned, "What will we be doing while our youngsters are working the winds?"

  Stain nodded, "We will be preparing for war. From what the good captain told me the beach we will land at was not yet captured by the enemy, however the surrounding land was rife with soldiers and mages. We need to prepare for the fight of our lives."

  Tulip shook her head, "Never did I expect to be preparing for war once more. At least I know what to do." She stood up and left the room. Ruth, with a concerned look on her face, followed Tulip.

  "When we land, we will unload all of you and your provisions. However, I must patrol the shoreline. I have been saving people since this whole mess started and carrying them to the islands for safety. You will be on your own." The captain seemed upset by this fact.

  Stain clapped him on the shoulder, "We will be fine my friend. You are doing a great service, saving those who can not save themselves." He looked around, "Now, shall we get that tour of the ship?"

  Suzie hopped up and led the way out of the room. She spent the next few hours walking us through all the compartments, showing us obvious defenses but also explaining how she had imbued the ship with magic so that it was able to defend itself. The amount of magic woven into the very fiber of the ship was astounding.

  "You have worked hard." Stain hugged Suzie, his pride obvious.

  She blushed and nodded, "Some of the protections were already there, I just added to them."

  Stain shook his head, "I put those protections in place. I know what you have truly done. Be proud of your work." He patted her on the shoulder. "You have come a long way and I am proud to have been your master, even if it was for a short time."