Wizard's Education (Book 2)

by James Eggebeen

  Chihon struggled, briefly coming awake at the touch, but quickly succumbed to the potion. Her breathing returned to the steady deep rhythm of sleep, and Tass withdrew the cloth. She sat on the bed and leaned in to Chihon, whispering in her ear. She repeated the words over and over again, words that would replace Chihon's true memories with the ones she had planted there and cultivated so carefully.

  When she finished, she slumped onto the bench and sighed at the mirror. Tass carefully lit a candle and focused on it. Quickly, the flame turned to the image of a thin birdlike Priest sitting behind his desk. "Tass. I trust you have good news for me?"

  "I do, Father Sulrad. The potion has done its work. Tomorrow I will allow her to wake naturally, and we can begin the next step in the process. I am optimistic."

  Tass looked back at Chihon lying on the bed. She'd spent their travel time struggling to keep the girl under her spell so she would not wake fully. It had been exhausting. She was glad to be able to relax even a little bit.

  "Is she truly as strong as they say?" Sulrad asked.

  "Yes; even with the web around her, I can feel her magic struggling to get out. Although fast asleep and drugged, she still emanates the power that she carries as if it were a beacon. We must be extremely cautious."

  "You are correct, especially now that Lorit has pierced the web around the Princess. He knows that we have the girl, and he's coming after her."

  "How long before he gets here?" Tass knew the Temple had arranged plenty of diversions for Lorit, but she still feared that he might see through them and arrive before her plans for Chihon were complete.

  "My report says he is ready to make for Relynn. When he gets there, he will find yet another diversion, and another. We will try to distract him long enough for you to complete your work."

  "I will be most careful, Father." She bowed her head in supplication.

  "All you have to do is turn her. If you can, Lorit will come along with her, and that ends it. I have confidence in you, Tass, don't let me down." With that, Sulrad faded slowly back into the candle flame and vanished.

  Tass turned to the bed and bent over Chihon whispering softly, as she passed a gnarled staff above the sleeping girl. She repeated her version of Lorit's adventures again and again, reinforcing it with her magic, as she replaced Chihon's own memories with her tale.

  When she was satisfied with her efforts, she packed her bag, and cleaned up the remnants of her craft. She cleared away all evidence of her magic and anything that might remind the girl of the truth. Satisfied with her efforts, she released the spell that bound Chihon in sleep, allowing her to wake naturally when the time came.

  Chihon woke to find herself in a large bed with a rich decorative canopy. She sat up and looked around the room. It was adorned with hangings depicting rocky hills with the Ice Father in the background. There were several showing a large and imposing castle sprouting from the peaks that withstood the face of the ice.

  She reached up to shove her hair out of her eyes, only to find skin where her long brown locks should have been. She rubbed her head in disbelief. What had happened to her hair? She was clean shaven and quite bald. She jumped up and rushed to the mirror, staring at her reflection in horror. She was completely bald and had lost weight. Her scalp was well tanned, indicating that her hair must have been gone for quite some time.

  There was a scar on her cheek that she didn't recall. Had she been injured in the fall of the Temple? Was that why she couldn't remember anything? The last thing she could recall was when Lorit had defeated Vorathorm and brought the Temple down around them.

  She remembered how Lorit had wrested her power from her against her will, and used it to help him deliver the final blow to the Wizard Priest, Vorathorm. Lorit had taken the power from Vorathorm and broken the link the Priest had with the Temple, bringing the structure down around their heads.

  She'd been charged with helping Lorit avoid that path, but she couldn't remember why. She just felt that when it had really mattered, she had failed Lorit. Things were fuzzy after that point.

  She reached out for Lorit. He would be able to explain what had happened. She could not locate him, his magic was heavily shielded, and even his location was hidden from her. She called to him, trying to strengthen the connection they shared, but he did not respond.

  She panicked. "Lorit!" she thought. "Where are you?"

  Still nothing.

  There was a knock at the door, and a voice called softly, "Mother, are you awake?"

  "Just a moment," Chihon answered. She tried again to reach for Lorit. Where was he? Why wasn't he answering her?

  She heard the door open and a woman entered. She was holding a kettle of hot water and fresh clean towels were draped over her arm. She set them on the table and rushed over to Chihon.

  "What's the matter, Priestess?"

  "Lorit. I can't reach Lorit. Where is he?"

  "It's alright, Priestess. Lorit is on a mission. He is shielded so that the Wizards cannot locate him. It's nothing to worry about."

  "What do you mean, on a mission?"

  "He's on a mission for the Temple. He's carrying strong shields to protect you both until he's finished. He will contact you when it's safe. Don't worry."

  "Why did you call me Priestess?"

  "Sorry, Mother. You are not yet a Priestess. I know, but the ceremony is coming soon and you will be. I should not assume." The old woman bowed deeply then backed away. She opened the wardrobe and pulled out a long black robe trimmed in silver, which she hung on the end of the bed, smoothing the wrinkles out of it.

  Chihon had a vague recollection of heading for Calrick to be installed as the High Priestess there, but she couldn't remember more. Why Calrick?

  "My memory is a little fuzzy." She ran her hand over her shaved head once more, grimacing at it.

  "Don't worry about it. You were seriously injured when the Temple came down. You took a pretty hard hit to the head. The healers say you should recover your memories, but it's going to take a while. Until then, I will keep filling in the missing pieces as I have every day for this past moon."

  The woman rummaged around in the wardrobe and came out with a pair of sturdy boots that matched the color and trim of the robe. She placed them on the floor next to Chihon and sat on the bed. She motioned Chihon to take a seat next to her. She grasped Chihon's hand and looked her in the eye while she filled in the gaps in Chihon's memory.

  "We're on our way to Calrick, where you're taking over as High Priestess. Lorit will be installed as the High Priest there at the same ceremony. The two of you will shepherd the Temple and the surrounding kingdoms as chief servants of Ran."

  The woman released her hands and picked up one of the boots. She held it out and guided Chihon's foot into it.

  "We're about half way through our journey there," the woman continued. "It won't be more than a half a moon before we arrive. There's no rush. Lorit is taking the Southern route through Amedon so he can take care of a couple of meddling Wizards before he joins you."

  She guided Chihon's other foot into the remaining boot and stood up. "Are you hungry?"

  She helped Chihon into the heavy black robe, pulled it tight and tied it quickly. To Chihon's surprise, if fit her perfectly, even though she was sure she'd lost weight recently.

  Chihon reached back and pulled the hood over her head to conceal her face. It was heavy and she could feel the material rest against her bald head where the seam joined the cloth. She flipped it back and felt the slight breeze of its passing on her exposed skin.

  After breaking their fast, Tass took Chihon to see the market. Chihon was familiar with the market from her days spent with her Grandma'am selling bread back home, but she was unprepared for the grand bazaar in Gwitney. It was so large that the whole of the market in Bebrook could easily have fitted within one of the specialty areas and still leave room for more.

  The market was divided up by product, gathering all of the tanners into one city block, all of the herb
alists in another, and so on. As they walked, Tass explained to Chihon what was expected of her as the high Priestess.

  They stopped at the herbalist stall. The stalls here were permanent structure, not the carts Chihon was familiar with in the Bebrook market. These herbalists were here day in and day out selling their wares. Tass purchased several herbs, explaining to Chihon that they were used in the potion she prepared to help Chihon heal from her injuries and regain her memory.

  As she completed the purchase, a woman approached the herbalist. She wore a peasant's rough homespun dress that was threadbare and was stained and dirty.

  "Please, kind Sir. Do you have anything that can cure my daughter?" she asked. "She was taken with the fever six days ago and I am afraid for her life. She has three small children and no husband. If she doesn't get better, what will I do?"

  "Does she cough?" the herbalist asked. "If she does, you want Fenugreek seed. You moisten it and grind it into paste, then make a tea of that and have her drink it. It will help clear her cough. For the fever, I would recommend either Bloodwort, to cause sweating and release toxins from her body, or else Yarrow, to help cool the fever."

  The herbalist held up the vials of powder and seeds as he described each then restored them to their proper place in his display.

  "She coughs, and she has a fever. How much for the Fenugreek and the Yarrow?"

  "The Fenugreek is three coppers and the Yarrow is one." He held up the small vial that contained the seeds, showing her how much she could purchase.

  "Please, kind Sir, all I have are two coppers. Can you see it in your heart to have pity on an old woman?"

  "I'm sorry, but this is my livelihood. I can't just give these herbs away; my sons work hard to collect them. This is how we feed our own children. The price is three coppers for the Fenugreek and one for the Yarrow." He returned the Fenugreek to its place on the cart. "Perhaps just the Yarrow then. You can afford that."

  "She coughs so hard, Sir. Please, I beg you. I'm too old to bury my daughter and raise her children. How about half portions? Could you spare those?"

  "I'm sorry, but I can't." He placed the remaining vial back on the shelf. "Half portions won't work. You'll waste your money and be upset with me because they did not make her well."

  "Please, I beg of you, she's dying." The old woman dropped to her knees and grabbed at his hand.

  He pulled his hand free and pushed her away. "I can't do it. I have a family to feed, too."

  Chihon rushed over to the stall. She bent down and helped the woman to her feet. She looked at the herbalist with a scowl, reached into her robe, and found a silver. She handed it to the herbalist. "Here, this should cover it."

  The herbalist touched his forehead and bowed. "Of course, Mother." He packaged up the herbs the woman had requested and handed them to Chihon.

  "Here, take these to your daughter." Chihon gave the herbs to the woman. "I hope she recovers." She turned back to the herbalist. "I believe you owe the woman some change?"

  The herbalist scowled at the woman as he counted out six coppers for her.

  "Thank you, Mother. Thank you so much." The old woman grasped her hand and touched it to her forehead. "I know it's a lot to ask, but could you please come to my house and bless my daughter? I know that would help her get well all the sooner."

  Chihon looked over at Tass, who shook her head. Chihon wondered why she shouldn't help this woman. She was clearly a good woman who wanted her daughter and grandchildren to have a decent life. She felt sympathy towards the woman.

  Her own mother had died while she was so young that she never truly knew her. Her Grandma'am had raised her. She wanted the woman's grandchildren to grow up knowing their mother.

  "Take us to her," Chihon said.

  Chihon and Tass followed the old woman to her cottage, outside of the city proper. It was in the district where the produce dealers and hunters congregated. The cottage was small and poorly maintained. Chihon would have been surprised if it were even watertight in the rain.

  They entered, and found a young woman asleep on a straw mattress in the rear. She was sweaty and feverish, and it looked as if she'd been neglected, as she lay there ill. Her shoulder length brown hair was matted and wet from the accumulated sweat, and she had sores on her arms.

  "This is my daughter, Neuld."

  Chihon bent down and looked her over carefully. She reached out to examine the woman with her magic. She could feel the fever running through Neuld's veins, like a thick dark fluid that contaminated her blood.

  Chihon summoned her strength and visualized the dark brown coursing through the woman, willing it to change to a light green. She imagined the color shifting to that of spring grass and forest leaves, instead of the dead, brown, rotting color of the infection. She could feel her power flowing into Neuld as she concentrated.

  After a while, the color of the infection shifted towards a lighter spring green. Chihon relaxed, hoping it was enough. She was tired and slightly dizzy from the effort.

  "How is she?" asked the old woman.

  "I think it's working. I'm parched. Do you have anything to drink?" Chihon was hoarse and could barely get the words out.

  "Peyet, go fetch the Mother some water."

  A young girl about six summers in age crawled out of the dark corner of the cottage and skipped off. She returned quickly with a jug of water and a battered tin cup. She poured the cup full and handed it to Chihon.

  "Thank you," Chihon said as she drank thirstily.

  "Go fetch a rabbit for me," the old woman instructed Peyet. She handed her three of the coppers that the herbalist had returned as her change, and swatted the little girl gently on the rear. "Hurry back and don't get lost or stop to play along the way."

  "Yes Ma'am," Peyet said and scurried out the door.

  "Let me make you something to eat. She'll be back soon; I will prepare you a meal." She stacked a few dried twigs in the fireplace and lit it, placing a pot above the flames.

  "I don't want to impose." Chihon was still dizzy, but the water helped. She was desperately hungry, but she didn't want to take any of the woman's scarce supplies.

  "It's nothing. You healed my daughter. A meal is the least I can offer you in return."

  Peyet returned cradling a forest hare. The animal was trussed with short cords so it could not escape. Peyet handed it over to the old woman. "Here it is."

  The woman quickly slit its throat and skinned it. She sliced the meat from the bones and dropped it into the pot of water boiling over the fire. She added a few vegetables and stirred the mixture. "It won't take long. You just rest up and let me take care of the cooking."

  Chihon sat back and relaxed. She looked at Neuld still lying there quietly. The woman's breathing was shallow and she gagged out a thick congested cough. Chihon reached out to see how she was recovering only to find the dark brown contamination had almost entirely returned. It was infecting her body again as a weed that returned a few days after being pulled in the garden.

  Chihon knelt down once more to minster to Neuld. She felt around for a source of power to draw on and fuel her magic. There was nothing nearby, so she reached deeper into herself and summoned up the last of her reserves to drive the magic.

  She focused on the infection, willing it to shift color and dissipate. She forced the dark contamination to leave the woman's body, replacing it with a bright spring color.

  Slowly, the color of the infection shifted. At first Chihon could feel it resisting, but little by little, it gave way. It varied slightly at first, but changed faster as she labored. Finally, it settled on a bright spring green, and Chihon felt that she could relax.

  Chihon stood up, but quickly sat down again. She was dizzy, disoriented, and famished. Tass rushed over to steady her. "You need something to eat. You've used up your reserves, haven't you?"

  She led Chihon to the rickety table that served the family. The old woman ladled some stew into a battered wooden bowl. Chihon was surprised that the ste
w was ready so soon; the woman had only started cooking when Chihon had begun her second attempt at the healing.

  When she remarked on this Tass said, "You've been locked in the healing spell all day. It's already mid afternoon." She pointed to the shadow on the floor.

  Chihon felt as if it had only been moments, but she was even hungrier than before. As she ate, she recovered some of her strength. She was soon able to stand with confidence, but she still felt weak.

  She reexamined Neuld. No trace of the infection remained. The sickness seemed to be gone completely this time. Chihon was relieved. She didn't think she had it in her to try again.

  Little Peyet sat next to her mother, stroking the woman's hair and talking quietly to her. Chihon saw the little girl comforting her mother and felt a twinge of sadness that she had never really had a mother.

  The little girl was so loving and gentle, but something was amiss. Chihon probed her and realized that the same sickness she had just driven from the mother was present in the daughter. It was the lightest brown, but it was unmistakable. The infection that had almost taken Neuld afflicted Peyet, too. Not as completely, but it was there and it was growing.

  Chihon felt heartbroken for them. She couldn't stand the thought that the mother would recover only to lose her child. Chihon called to the girl. "Peyet, come over here."

  Peyet came and stood before Chihon, such an innocent little girl. Chihon lifted Peyet onto her lap and put her arms around her, hugging her close. She felt the infection in the girl, and visualized it clearing, just as it had with the mother. Slowly the infection lightened. It was almost gone when Chihon felt light headed and dizzy. She released the girl as her arms dropped by her side in exhaustion.

  "What are you doing?" Tass asked. "You don't have enough strength to heal both of them."