by Linda McNabb
“Runeweaving only helps for a short distance and now she is beyond our help,” the weaver replied in a tone that said Zaine should have known the answer.
“But the weavers aren’t much help at all then!” Zaine said angrily, and he wondered why anyone had bothered to help at all.
He jumped with surprise when someone grabbed him by the collar. The blue robe was ripped off his shoulders, his sleeve was pushed up and the ink runecircle was smudged and ruined by a wrinkled old finger.
“You!” It was Master Pavil and he looked furious. “What are you doing here?”
“I only came to watch,” Zaine replied, trying to push the old man away so that he could see if Maata was okay.
“You were supposed to wait in my room,” Davyn said as he turned and saw what was going on. He didn’t look angry though, as he was obviously too worried about what was going on in the Circle of Dreams.
“Why can’t we help?” Zaine asked his father as he pulled free of Master Pavil and jumped down the stone steps to stand next to Davyn.
“The further away she gets the less our weaving helps. I thought it would go much further than this, but when the bridge disappeared I knew we couldn’t help anymore.” Davyn had turned back to stare into the field as Maata struggled to climb what had now become a mountain. “The more she fears it the bigger it gets.”
“Why don’t we send someone to help her then?” Zaine asked, ignoring the shocked stares from the gathered runeweavers, including his mother.
“Only runeweavers and the contestants may enter the field. It will not allow anyone else in,” Davyn explained. As if to prove his point, a couple of children who were rolling around the ground, fighting for some unknown reason, suddenly rolled over the runes and into the field. But they didn’t appear in the strange land; instead, they seemed to be shadows against the landscape. An angry parent pulled the children back and they continued to fight, totally unharmed by crossing the runes.
“So we go in.” Zaine couldn’t see the problem. The longer they stood around out here, the less help they were to Maata, and that was supposed to be the whole idea of them being here.
“If a runeweaver goes into the circle they can never leave it,” old Master Pavil hissed from several steps up.
“She has help anyway,” Davyn said quietly and pointed to Prince Varan.
Zaine suddenly realised what the prince’s reason for going into the circle was. He had almost reached Maata and was heading straight for her, even though he could have gone around the mountain easily and carried on.
“But if he doesn’t win the crown, he cannot leave.” Trianna seemed to find the prince’s sacrifice difficult to grasp.
“He doesn’t plan on leaving,” Davyn pointed out bluntly.
Prince Varan was leading Maata back down and around the mountain now to show her she didn’t have to climb it. The princess seemed confused by Varan’s help, but when she saw Theodane up ahead she broke into a run to catch up with him.
All of a sudden Prince Theodane turned and saw that they were catching up. He scooped up several white rocks from the ground and hurled them towards Maata. It all happened so quickly that Zaine couldn’t believe it even though he saw it. The rocks soared through the air, directly at Maata. At the last second Varan pushed Maata out of the way and one of the rocks struck him on the head.
The prince went down instantly and lay motionless on the hard, rocky ground. Maata paused, unsure what to do, as she looked at the unconscious prince and then up ahead at Theodane. With one final touch on Varan’s head, she stood up and ran after Theodane with a rush of energy brought about by her anger.
Zaine sank down to the stone bench feeling helpless as he watched Maata and Theodane race for the crown. All the runes he had learnt were no help at all, and now Maata was on her own again. The crown didn’t seem too far away now and it looked like it would all soon be over. He had no idea whose mind was afraid of getting lost in a forest, but that was what suddenly appeared in the circle. A dense forest swallowed both contestants and neither could be seen.
“Davyn, no!”
A shout brought his attention to the group of runeweavers around him. Trianna was trying to hold Davyn back.
“She needs help. She doesn’t know about forests or how to stop from getting lost. I can cut a path through with runes easily,” Davyn said as he shrugged her off and headed for the rune circle on the ground.
“For once I agree with Trianna,” Calard said as he hurried over to join them. “It would not be fair to have one contestant being helped by a runeweaver, even if he is dumb enough to sacrifice himself.”
Davyn continued to walk towards the circle and Calard launched himself at Davyn to stop him. The two began to scuffle on the ground and Zaine looked out into the circle and made a decision. He could help her. He would be going in there tomorrow anyway. If he went in now he could help and Davyn wouldn’t have to go in. He reached the edge of the circle and paused slightly to meet his mother’s eyes.
“Don’t go in!” his mother almost begged, her eyes wide with shock as she realised what Zaine was about to do.
“Why not?” Zaine asked, a hint of bitterness in his voice making his mother’s face colour with shame. “Isn’t this where you are sending me tomorrow anyway? Or are you worried I might harm the princess?”
Trianna’s face flushed an even deeper red, saying clearly that she thought he would harm Maata. Zaine was disgusted that his own mother would think so lowly of him.
“Maybe you should have got to know me before you cast me off so quickly. I’m not the monster you seem to think I am. All I ever wanted was a mother.” Zaine didn’t wait to see if his mother had listened to him. Instead he turned back to the shimmering vision of darkness and shadows and almost threw himself over the circle of runes.
Zaine stumbled as the amphitheatre faded to shadows and he found himself in the Circle of Dreams. He could still see his mother staring at him. Davyn seemed to be battling Calard with both magic and his fists at the same time. They were rolling along the benches, coming alarmingly close to the edge of the circle of runes.
He knew there wasn’t time to stand and watch what was going on outside the circle as he had to catch up to Maata and help her. He began to run across the barren, rocky ground, not even daring to let his mind think about anything except helping Maata. Clouds began to swirl above him, and a crack of thunder made him jump as a bolt of lightning struck the ground just behind him. He stared at the cloud as he ran, watching it building up to another strike. As he neared the huge crack in the ground, he shouted the runes that would create the bridge and ran onto the bridge just as it shimmered into reality.
He was across the bridge in just a few seconds and around the side of the mountain. The distance seemed far less than it had when he had been watching, and he reached the unconscious prince in just a few minutes. He could not run past the prince without checking to see he was okay. Apart from a bang on the head, the prince seemed fine. He was beginning to stir and he looked around in a confused daze.
“Where am I?” Varan asked, sitting up.
“In the Circle of Dreams. This rock hit you,” Zaine told him as he picked up one of the smooth white rocks that lay nearby. He looked at the rock with a frown as something about it seemed odd. It was perfectly formed and smooth with a silver stone set into it at one end. Zaine put it in his pocket to look at later; for there would be plenty of time after the contest… he was stuck here now.
“Maata!” Varan exclaimed as he tried to jump to his feet but he stumbled and fell over again.
“I’ll go get her. You rest,” Zaine said and then hurried off to the forest. He shouted runes to clear a path through the trees and called out for the princess as he ran through the forest. A sudden scream made his heart skip a beat, and he headed in the direction it came from. He saw a huge canyon that hadn’t been there before the forest had appeared, but he still couldn’t see the princess.
“Maata!” he called again
and waited to see which direction her voice came from.
“Zaine?” Maata’s voice was a mixture of relief and desperation. She was obviously directly ahead of him and he stared in confusion for a few seconds until he saw her. Only her fingers were visible as she clung to the edge of the canyon. Zaine hurried forward to help.
“You really do have too much imagination,” Zaine said with a small laugh to lighten the situation as she collapsed to the safety of solid ground.
“The forest wasn’t mine,” Maata replied dryly as she got to her feet and looked around to get her bearings. “Have you seen Theo?”
“No, but we’d better hurry in case he’s already found his way out.” Zaine pointed out the direction they needed to go. He’d never been lost in a forest before, and now was no exception for he had an unerring sense of direction. The clouds were still swirling angrily above him and, from the tension in the air, he expected another lightning strike at any time. He wondered why it was only attacking him and not the contenders for the throne.
“You do know you can’t leave the circle now?” Maata asked as she headed off through the trees at a fast pace, with Zaine keeping up easily. “I was going to try to change Trianna’s mind after I got the crown. A queen can overrule the runeweavers.”
“I really don’t think it would have mattered. My mother is so afraid of me she would have found some reason to have me thrown in here anyway.” Zaine spoke without emotion, and knew he wouldn’t miss Trianna. Davyn was the only one who he would miss.
They broke through the trees and stopped in shock. Up ahead were both princes, and they were starting to climb the small mountain. Had Varan changed his mind about wanting the crown? Judging by the speed he was going, he must have recovered from being hit on the head. He was within a few steps of overtaking Theodane. A shout from behind them both made him spin around.
“You! It’s your fault I’m stuck in this place!” Calard was yelling, but he didn’t seem to have seen Zaine and the princess yet. “And you’re going to pay for it!”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN - A PRIZE WORTH FIGHTING FOR
“What is he doing in here?” Maata asked crossly, clearly bothered by all this confusion when she should be going after the crown. “And who is he yelling at?”
“Davyn!” Zaine exclaimed in amazement as he saw his father walking up from behind Calard. Zaine assumed Calard must have fallen in at the same time as Davyn. Zaine’s initial rush of pleasure was followed by a stab of sadness that his father was now stuck in the circle as well. He would rather his father had lived an easier life outside the Circle of Dreams.
“You’re a fool.” Calard sneered at Davyn. “I fell in but you just walked into this… this… place! Only a fool would come here if he didn’t have to.”
“Where my son goes, so do I,” Davyn said shortly.
Clouds above them all rumbled loudly and lightning struck the edge of Calard’s robe, causing him to have to stamp on it to put out the flames.
“And why is the lightning chasing us?” Calard screamed as he glared up at the black clouds and then back at Davyn.
Maata looked from Calard and Davyn and back to the mountain that the princes were climbing. “I don’t have time for any of this!”
“Zaine, go with Maata. She still needs you.” Davyn was watching Calard warily and did not look at his son. It looked as if the two runeweavers were ready to attack each other with their magic.
Zaine hesitated for a split second and then hurried off after Maata. He ran as fast as he could, but it was several minutes before he caught up to the princess. He fell into step with her, envying her effortless pace that he was struggling to keep up with. The ground began to slope upwards, but this wasn’t any dream this time. They had reached the base of the resting place of the crown.
“I’m never going to make it in time,” Maata said as she stopped and stared up the slope at the two figures ahead of her.
“Not with an attitude like that, you won’t!” Zaine said bluntly. His breath was ragged and coming in gasps, so he almost welcomed her pausing to worry about her progress.
“But they’re both way ahead,” Maata protested angrily, waving her hand in the direction of the two figures ahead of them. Prince Theodane was the closest one to them, and his progress was slow up the steep, gravel slope. He was struggling through some bushes that hadn’t been there a few seconds ago. Ahead of him was Prince Varan, but he didn’t seem to be hurrying. He was staying just ahead of Prince Theodane and even appeared to be waiting for him to catch up.
“You might as well give up then,” Zaine said with a shrug of his shoulders and an expression that said he didn’t care either. “Who wants to be queen anyway?”
“Give up?” Maata frowned at him, and then glared angrily. “Never! I’ve every right to that crown and I’m going to get it!”
Zaine smiled to himself as Maata hurried off towards the others. It was just the reaction he had wanted. He took off after the princess, who was scrambling up the slope with renewed speed and energy. Prince Theodane had just cut a way through the trees when they caught up with him. He turned with his sword at the ready and a desperate and evil grin on his face.
“You’ll have to get through me to get up there,” he said as he swung the sword and then lunged at Maata. He was the only contender to have taken a sword onto the field and he obviously assumed it gave him an advantage over the princess.
“Keep back,” Maata told Zaine as she crouched into a fighting position.
Zaine stepped back, knowing that the princess was well able to defend herself against an armed opponent. The fight was evened up within a few seconds when Maata kicked the prince’s sword away into the trees, and it was all over in just a few more seconds. Prince Theodane lay, dazed, a few feet away; staring at Maata with glazed eyes.
“You’ll never reach the crown!” Calard’s voice came from just behind them as they returned to their climbing. Zaine dared a look behind him as he climbed. Davyn was nowhere in sight. Where was he? Calard certainly looked worse than he had a few minutes ago. His cloak was ripped and tattered, almost falling off his arms.
“Help me, Runeweaver,” Prince Theodane pleaded as he tried to stand up.
“What for?” Calard stopped next to his prince and sneered down at him. “If I’m stuck in this place, then I’m going to make sure that you’re all stuck here too. Nobody’s going to get their hands on that crown!”
Zaine was trying to listen to what was going on as they continued to scramble up the slope. He looked up ahead, expecting to see Prince Varan close to the crown, but he was only just ahead of them, sitting and looking down at them all. They reached the top of the slope where the land levelled out to a large plateau. Maata paused just before she reached her cousin. The crown was in sight now, hanging on a tree branch on the top of a steep slope on the other side of the plateau.
“What are you doing?” Maata asked, her eyes flicking from the crown and back to Prince Varan.
Before the prince had a chance to answer, there was a scraping and puffing as Calard caught up with them. Prince Varan rose to his feet and faced the runeweaver. Calard towered over the young man, but the prince did not step back or show any fear.
“Go on ahead, Maata. I’ll keep Calard here.” Varan was staring Calard in the eye and looked sure of his ability to stop the runeweaver.
“You?” Calard blurted out as he sneered at the young prince. “How are you going to stop a runeweaver?”
“He’ll have my help,” Zaine said, stepping forward and standing beside the prince. Fire sprang up in a line between himself and Calard.
“I never wanted the crown. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t alone in here when you needed help the most.” Prince Varan smiled a little sadly at the princess and then nodded in Zaine’s direction. “But I need not have worried. You had all the help you needed.”
“If you don’t want the crown then I’ll have it!” Prince Theodane had recovered and came running around the side of
the line of fire. He was limping and his eyes were still unfocused, but he was heading in the direction of the tree.
“Hurry up or he’ll beat you there,” Prince Varan said quietly, as the fire died down to a smouldering row of ashes. Calard was glaring at them all and his look that said their time in the Circle of Dreams was not going to be a peaceful one.
Maata stared, not moving, and a tear slid down her cheek as she silently said goodbye to her childhood friend.
“Maata!” Zaine leaned over and shook her by the shoulder. “Go get the crown!”
Maata blinked twice and then ran the back of her hand over her cheek to brush away the tears.
“I’ll miss you, Varan,” she said with a small smile. She turned and ran after the limping Prince Theodane.
Zaine didn’t follow. She didn’t need his help any more. The tree was only a few steps away when she caught up with, and overtook, the prince. She threw herself at the tree at the same time as Prince Theodane did, both stretching out for the golden circlet.
A streak of light flashed through the air and green lightning struck the crown. It burst into flames of blue then green. The tree caught alight and a second bolt of lightning snapped the trunk off at ground level. The tree began to tumble down the steep slope with the burning crown still stuck in its branches. Maata screamed as she lost her footing.
“No!” Prince Varan shouted. He shot an angry stare at Calard, who had caused the lightning, and then ran across the plateau.
Both Maata and Prince Theodane fell heavily and slid down the slope as well and disappeared quickly from sight.
Zaine was about to follow when he was tripped up and found himself face-down in the dirt. His head struck a rock and bright colours began to swim before his eyes. He struggled to get up, but a foot on his back held him down firmly.
“Now what sort of spell should I use on you?” Calard drawled slowly. “A nasty one, I think.”
“I don’t think so,” a familiar voice said. Zaine turned his head, pressing his eyes shut for several seconds, and then opening them, trying to force his vision back to normal.
