by Beach, B. J.
Karryl put a finger to his pursed lips and frowned as if trying to make a difficult decision. Aenys played along, and stamped her foot in mock indignation, just before Karryl put both arms around her and began to guide her across the crowded floor.
The final bars of the last dance faded away. Guildmasters and apprentices alike began to gather coats, cloaks and each other in preparation for their homeward journey. Domestics had already entered the Great Hall and begun clearing the long tables and removing them, along with the chairs, into storage until the time for the next function rolled around.
Karryl and Aenys were standing by a large marble pillar, engaged in what seemed to be an earnest conversation. Braen wandered across the rapidly emptying dance floor and, after giving a polite little cough, stood a couple of paces back.
Looking over her shoulder Aenys smiled at her brother who lifted one arm, over which was draped a midnight blue woollen cloak trimmed with fur.
Aenys gave a brief nod.”I won’t be long. Will you wait for me by the door?”
With a cheery wave to Karryl, Braen nodded his agreement and left the young couple to finish their conversation and say their goodbyes. A few others were also hanging back a little, but the hustle and bustle of the clearing up operation soon prompted them all to hasten towards the exit, if only to avoid being clipped around the ankles by a busily wielded broom.
Soon they found themselves among a small crowd loitering in the wide arched doorway, all seeming reluctant to leave the warmth and camaraderie behind them. Karryl and Aenys stood facing each other, suddenly bashful and tongue-tied, twisting their fingers and looking at their feet. Finally, Karryl looked up.
Catching sight of Braen waiting just inside the doorway, he broke the awkward silence.”I hope we can keep in touch. I could write to you if you’d like.”
Once again the two bright spots of rosy pink appeared on Aenys’ cheeks, and she nodded. “I would like that, and I promise I will write back. Send it to the Guild of Silversmiths, and Braen will pass it on to me. Now, I must go. Thank you for making my evening so enjoyable.”
With that, she leaned forward and planted a kiss firmly on Karryl’s cheek. Turning away, she wove through the remaining stragglers towards the entrance. Karryl recovered from his unexpected bounty just in time to catch a glimpse of Braen’s bald head and the back of Aenys’s cloak as they crossed the wide torchlit courtyard and ducked through the postern door in the main gate. It was only then he realised that in all the excitement he still hadn’t found out to which Guild Aenys belonged. He had noticed a tiny jewelled pin fastened high up near her shoulder, but he hadn’t recognised it. Suddenly feeling rather alone, Karryl gave a great sigh. He turned and looked back to see if there was anybody he could walk home with.
Catching sight of Pedar and his brother shrugging into long, leather ridingotes in the wide entrance porch, he ambled over to them. “Hi. Pedar, Jonas.”
Pedar straightened his collar, looked at his brother, then at Karryl, and they both grinned. “Just in time. If you’re going our way you can tell us all about your conquest. We saw you dancing with her. I think you’ve made an impression there.”
Karryl shrugged. “There’s not much to tell really. Where do you live? “
Pedar and Jonas pointed together towards the left of the courtyard. “We go that way out, through a little side gate. Our house is about a mile down the hill. What about you?”
Disappointed, Karryl shook his head. “That’s a pity. I’m going the other way. Anyway, I’m glad we met.”
The twins nodded, and Karryl gave a little chuckle. “I hope we don’t have to wait for the next Apprentices’ party before we meet again. I’ll look out for you in town.”
“Same here. We’ll look out for silent people, or clouds of floating engineers. We’ll know then that you’re about somewhere!”
With a laugh and a wave they turned away, and Karryl watched them until they reached the end of the building. They looked back and gave him another wave before disappearing round the corner.
Thrusting his hands into his pockets Karryl half-heartedly replied to one or two last shouts of “Goodnight!”. As he turned and headed in the opposite direction, a large snowflake drifted slowly and softly down, to settle on the very spot on his cheek which Aenys had kissed. With a wistful smile he turned his face up to the steadily increasing snowfall. Holding his hands out to feel the soft chill on his palms, he stood for a few moments listening as the distant voices of those last to leave the party carried across to him on the still night air. Shaking the snow-melt from his hands, he stuffed them in his pockets, turned away from the sounds, and started ambling homewards.
CHAPTER THIRTYSIX
Lost in thought, Karryl hardly noticed the little lane along which he was walking. With a start, he realised he was on the path which came out in the glade at the rear of Symon’s tower.
Bewildered, he looked about him.”This isn’t where I’m supposed to be! Now I’m going to be late home. How did I end up here?”
Realising he had spoken out loud, he looked about him once again, then peered through the snow-dusted branches of the trees. From where he was standing he could just see the top of the tower and one small window. No light showed, but that was something he could understand. Symon was still in temporary residence at the palace, and was probably still at the Great Hall or visiting with King Vailin. What Karryl couldn’t understand was how he had found his way here in the first place. The only way to this little glade was along Symon’s secret route, and as Karryl now knew, that route was magically guarded to prevent anyone from wandering along it accidentally. He didn’t even remember finding the path to begin with. Baffled and bemused, he carried on towards the tower until he spotted the narrow pathway which followed round the base of the tower to the front door. Trotting along the path, he was about to turn the corner and approach the door, when he felt a now familiar prickling sensation in his hands and arms. Rather alarmingly, his scalp also began to tingle, and he could hear a faint humming sound.
He stopped and looked around. “Master Symon? Is that you?”
His call went unanswered. Tiptoeing cautiously round the base of the wall, he moved forward until he could see the little porch which sheltered the door, then stopped once more and looked about him. Snow was still falling, though not so heavily, and its reflective whiteness clearly revealed everything around. From where he stood he could see the vague snow-filled outline of the path which would take him past the huge oak tree to the parade ground. Uncertain whether to find the key and let himself into the tower, or to start making his long way home through the streets of the city, he called out once more. “Master Symon? Are you here?”
The magician’s calm mellow voice came from behind him. “Indeed I am, and it would seem that my arrival is most opportune.”
Karryl spun round, his explosive sigh of relief forming a small cloud in front of his chilled face. “It was you! I don’t even know what I’m doing here! I suddenly found myself in the glade, and then I felt the touch of magic on my skin, and my head prickled and my ears hummed and…”
Symon frowned and held up his hand. “Wait! A little more sense and a little less hysteria if you please. I am well aware of what you felt. I felt the same things myself. However, I have the advantage. I am fairly certain I know the reason. It is just rather unfortunate that it should have chosen tonight of all nights.”
Karryl scratched his head as he stared open-mouthed at his mentor.
Symon frowned. “Close your mouth Karryl. I have not lost my wits. Take a few deep breaths and clear your mind. Your relaxation technique would be most appropriate at this time. While you are doing that I will have a message sent to your family, then we will venture inside. Hopefully everything will then become clear.”
He turned sharply and scurried round the side of the tower, his small feet sending up little puffs of powdery snow. Karryl craned his neck to watch Symon’s progress along the side of the tower, hoping to see who o
r where this messenger might be, but the magician rounded the angle of the wall and disappeared from Karryl’s line of vision.
Karryl had just finished the mental exercises which would enable him to think clearly and remain relaxed, when Symon returned. “A message will be sent to your home shortly. Now if you are ready, we will go inside.”
Pleased to discover the humming in his ears and the prickling in his scalp, although still present, were significantly reduced, Karryl placed a restraining hand on Symon’s arm. “Before we go in, can you tell me how I got here? I seem to have come along the secret path, but you never showed me how to use it, and I had every intention of going home anyway. So what am I doing here?”
Symon cocked his head on one side and looked thoughtfully at Karryl, as if deciding on a suitable answer. “You were brought here, as was I. Now I am hoping that something about which I have had my suspicions for some time, will be confirmed. If I am right then there is nothing to fear. Now, no more questions. Be guided by me, and we shall see what we shall see.”
As Karryl was letting the cryptic remark sink in, to his surprise Symon retrieved the door-key from under its flowerpot and opened the door.
He anticipated Karryl’s question as he pushed inside.”Our magic will not have any effect here for a while. Greater powers than mine are at work. Leave the door open, so we can see by the snow-light. We must find candles to light our way upstairs.”
On the far side of the small cold room which accommodated the foot of the stairs, Symon reached up to a shelf and took down a cloth wrapped bundle, then patted along the shelf with his hand. With a satisfied “Aaah.” he took down a small wooden box. Returning to the comparative brightness of the open doorway, he handed the bundle to Karryl who unwrapped it while Symon opened the palm-sized box. Inside were stone, flint and tinder. With a practised hand he struck a small flame into life and touched it to the cotton wicks of two of the candles which Karryl had unwrapped. Leaving him to hold the lighted candles, Symon returned the tinderbox.
Choosing two candlesticks from a jumbled assortment perched on the end of the shelf, he firmly pushed the lighted candles into them. “There. That will stop them dripping over our hands . Now, if you will close the door…”
The pair hurried up the first flight of stairs. Symon stopped on the landing in the dog-leg, and looked up to the door to his rooms, his head on one side as if listening.
Karryl stopped beside him. “Did you know your hair’s standing on end?”
Symon gave him a wry smile. “You mean more so than usual? Anyway, so’s yours for that matter. Now, let us go and discover the reason why. I never thought in all my seven hundred years that I would live to see this come to pass.”
Karryl nearly dropped his candle. “Seven hun…what? Do you, I mean, are you really …?”
He stumbled up the stairs behind the magician, trying to phrase a coherent question while coming to grips with this newly acquired piece of knowledge. Symon pressed the thumb-latch and slowly pushed the door open. With his candlestick raised high in the air, he took a couple of steps into the room, Karryl close on his heels. The room was not in total darkness. A soft purplish blue glow bathed a small area on the right of the room, just past the kitchen door. Pulsing slowly and rhythmically, it seemed in unison with some great beating heart. In his eagerness Symon almost ran across the room to hurriedly place his candlestick on the table. Taking a few steps further, he looked up to the apparent source of the light, his hands together in front of his face as if in prayer. Seemingly transfixed, he stood for a few moments, the glow lending an unearthly radiance to his small round face.
Turning only his head, he beckoned to Karryl. “Come in Karryl. There is nothing to fear. After all, this is all for you.”
Still standing in the doorway, his expression that of one who is seriously anticipating flight, Karryl gave an involuntary little shudder. Hesitant and not a little baffled, the magician’s apprentice tiptoed across the room. Having placed his candlestick beside Symon’s, he moved with some trepidation to stand behind him, as if seeking any scant protection his diminutive master might provide. “What do you mean, it’s all for me? What is that?”
Symon gave no reply. Instead, he reached up into the heart of the amethyst hued light. Slowly pulling open the double doors of a small cupboard hanging on nothing, he pushed them wide. The tingling in Karryl’s scalp and the humming in his ears increased in intensity, though not unpleasantly so. As if in response to some given signal, the light ceased its rhythmic pulsing, coalescing into a single shimmering globe of deep rich purple, which confined itself to the deep recess of the cupboard. Within its depths, magician and apprentice could just make out a dark, vaguely rectangular shape. The humming in their ears gradually ceased, rigid hairs drifted back into their approximate place, and the globe of deep purple light diminished until it barely illuminated the shadowed object .
Karryl peered in. “That’s the bag that I found in the old house! I didn’t imagine it was going to do anything like that. What do we do now?”
Symon raised an eyebrow and gave his apprentice a knowing smile. “Now we get a nice fire going, light the lamps, and have a cup of tea. Then we can investigate further. Or rather, you can investigate while I observe. Whatever power lies within there, it has acknowledged your presence and will wait until you are ready.” Patting his palms together in undisguised enthusiasm, he headed for the tiny kitchen. “I’m quite looking forward to this. Oh yes!”
Karryl turned, just in time to see a grey fluffy tail preceding his master through the kitchen door.
CHAPTER THIRTYSEVEN
Symon emerged from the kitchen with plates of sandwiches and large mugs of aromatic herbal tea, to find Karryl had the lamps lit and a good fire blazing in the hearth.
Placing sandwiches and mugs on the table, Symon looked askance at the merrily dancing flames. “That’s a nice fire.”
“Yes. I cheated. The magic’s working again now. The fire was by way of an experiment.”
They both turned at the sound of voices and the rapid tread of feet on the wooden stairs. Before either of them could query the possible identity of their visitors, Mordas and Kimi had appeared in the doorway. Throwing back the hood of her cloak, the tall physician-mage stamped the last remaining vestiges of snow from her boots then strode into the room.
She stared at Symon who was slowly rocking back and forth on his heels, his hands folded with forefingers held pensively against his mouth. “So-o-o. She has sent for you too. That is indeed a surprise, but you are most welcome. I will make some more tea.”
Smiling to himself, he went back into the kitchen, leaving Karryl with their unexpected guests.
Mordas reached out to take both Karryl’s hands between her own. “It is good to see you again Karryl. I am so pleased you’ve made such a complete recovery. Symon has told me how well you are progressing.”
“Ah. Thank you.”
He glanced round the side of her arm, to where Kimi, clad in shirt and trousers of a soft dark brown leather, was standing looking hard at him from the centre of the room.
Giving the tattooed hill ranger a brief nod, Karryl looked earnestly into Mordas’ stunning green eyes. “Do you know what’s going on? Is that why you’re here? Whatever it is, I think you’ve missed the exciting part.”
Letting go of his hands, Mordas removed her cloak, draped it over the back of a chair and sat down. “Then perhaps you can tell us about it. To be quite honest, we’re not quite sure why we were sent for either. We simply received a message to come to the tower as soon as we could.” Glancing at Kimi, she raised her eyebrows. “I didn’t even have to go and find Kimi, which is surprising. He was already waiting for me at the entrance to my apartment.”
Karryl seated himself beside the Physician-Mage. “What I don’t understand is, who is this mysterious messenger that always seems to be available but I never see?”
The wiry tattooed hill ranger had moved to stand behind Mordas’ chair, and
the two of them looked at Symon who had just emerged from the kitchen with the refilled teapot.
After placing it carefully on the table, the magician sat down, the vestige of a smile twitching the corner of his mouth. “I’m surprised you haven’t figured that out already. After all, you have met her on more than one occasion. However, the time has come to reveal our little deception, as I think matters are about to be taken out of our hands, to a certain extent. It will be better I’m sure, if you are cognisant of all the facts.”
As he finished speaking, the door of the kitchen opened and Karryl jumped to his feet when he saw who was standing there. “Detelia! Master Symon, this is the lady I was telling you about, who gave me the silver pendant on my birthday!”
The fair-haired young woman moved forward into the room, and Karryl looked about and frowned. “I didn’t see you come in. Were you here when we arrived?”
Detelia gave a little chuckle. “In a manner of speaking I was.” Stepping up to the table, she placed her hand lightly on Symon’s shoulder. “Perhaps, dear Symon, you would be so kind as to formally introduce me. Then I believe these good people deserve some explanations, which I will endeavour to provide.”
Symon nodded and stood up, his grey eyes sparkling. “This may come as rather a shock to you all, but I ask you not to be alarmed. It gives me great pleasure, and an inestimable amount of relief, to at long last introduce her glorious divinity, the goddess D’ta. You are no doubt more accustomed to seeing her as a large, fluffy grey cat.”
Responses were mixed. Kimi had dropped to one knee, his hands crossed on his chest, and was staring fixedly at a spot on the floor. Mordas was now standing, her head bowed, hands clasped in an attitude of prayer. Karryl, already on his feet, did none of these.
He first looked at Mordas and Kimi, then with a wide grin of delight on his face, stuck out his hand towards the young woman he had first known as Detelia. “I’m very pleased to meet you…again.”
