“Justin! Wake up!” she shouted.
“What’s going on?” asked Taran as he shook Gavin awake.
“I’m not sure. We are being attacked with sleep spells from something. I have no idea what it is, but it’s over there in the pines. It’s large and it’s coming this way,” Lucy motioned to the left.
“Farfinfallinin,” mumbled Justin.
“What?” asked Lucy.
Justin shook the last vestiges of sleep from his mind and tried again.
“Farnim. They hunt by putting their prey to sleep, which I’m sure you already figured out,” explained Justin. “Nasty things, sneak up on you and kill you in your sleep.”
He took over shielding himself. Lucy focused on shielding herself and Gavin.
“Taran?” she asked.
“I’m not as adept with magic as you or Justin, but I can produce a decent one to protect myself. It seemed like a useful skill to learn.”
Lucy nodded and dropped her shield from him as well. They were all alert, back on their feet, and ready to fight. Lucy wrinkled her nose. A smell was wafting their way and it wasn’t pleasant. It reminded Lucy of dead fish and seaweed overlaid with mold. They looked at each other in disgust. Besides his wrinkled nose, Gavin looked angry. Lucy guessed he felt that using a sleep spell was unfair and cowardly. He was looking for revenge.
“Is it still coming?” asked Gavin. He couldn’t sense it like the others could and he wanted to make sure he was still going to get to fight.
“It paused,” said Justin. “It wasn’t planning on finding us awake. It’s assessing the situation. Farnim don’t like to fight if they can avoid it. The easy meal is always the safer one. It’s probably deciding how hungry it is and if we are worth the effort.”
They continued to wait in an adrenaline-filled state of alertness. Nothing happened. Finally, they could hear rustling in the pines. The smell faded. The sounds grew fainter as the Farnim moved away. Gavin looked disappointed. The others were happy to breathe fresh, though moist, air again. They picked up their packs and began to walk.
“That was an exciting morning,” commented Taran wryly.
“Do you think it will find the Darrowlings?” wondered Lucy with concern. “The Farnim?”
“Perhaps. It or something else. That was the risk we decided to take. Most things here don’t mind a sleeping victim,” said Justin. “It’s an easy meal. We’re the exception to the chain of life around here.”
That bothered Lucy, but no one else seemed concerned so she let it go. She felt foolish about the shields though. Eric would be angry enough when he found out they were in the mists, but he would be furious and disappointed if he found out they were wondering around without shields.
“From now on, shields up,” suggested Lucy. “I’ll cover Gavin if you scan the area around us,” she told Justin.
“We should have had magical shields up the minute we left Corealanna,” said Justin with a rueful shake of his head. “I was thinking of other things. There usually isn’t enough of a magical threat on the other side of the mountains. You’re more likely to be shot by an arrow than run into dangerous mages. I always have shields up that will stop an arrow. We set wards against magic at night when we camp, but I should have thought of protecting us against magical dangers as we travel long before this. I’m sorry.”
“It makes me wonder what else we are forgetting or not thinking of,” said Lucy.
Chapter 8
Lucy, Taran, Justin, and Gavin continued to trudge through the mists. After such an action-filled morning, they were all on high alert. Lucy wasn’t sure she would be able to sleep comfortably again until they were out of the mists. It made her feel a little paranoid. The mists let you see only a few feet in either direction. Part of Lucy felt safe in her bubble because if anyone could see you, you could see them. She still worried about what was out there that she couldn’t see. She longed for an open field with unimpeded visibility for miles in any direction. Half the challenges of the journey through the mists were physical. The other half were mental. Travelers had gone insane there. Even though she was alert, it didn’t take Lucy long to get lost in her thoughts. That was the problem with the mists. The miserable, wet travel was mostly boring tedium interspersed with high-adrenaline, life-threatening situations. She was startled out of her thoughts by an exclamation from Justin.
“Dang it!”
“What?” asked Gavin, drawing his weapon and immediately ready for a fight. He peered intently into the mists trying to locate the threat and cocked his head listening for it.
“Nothing major,” said Justin with a sigh. “I simply led us into a bog and now am sinking.”
He sounded more annoyed than worried. Gavin checked his own footing and then held out a hand towards Justin, who shook his head and waved them back. Then, Justin used magic to harden the bog underneath his feet until he was standing on solid ground again.
“More annoying than dangerous. I hate having wet feet,” he explained as he magically dried off his socks and boots.
“Everyone tie on,” said Taran, handing out rope. Justin tied himself to Lucy, who tied herself to Gavin, who tied himself to Taran, bringing up the rear.
“Ready?” Justin asked when they were tethered in a line. They nodded. “Stay close. I’m going to harden a trail for us to follow through the bog.”
It was slow going. Justin hardened each piece of bog in front of himself before carefully testing it with his weight. Then, he stepped forward and repeated the process. There wasn’t much they could do but wait and follow. It had been quiet in the mists, but in the bog there were plenty of muffled noises. Lucy could hear frogs croaking, insects chirping, and the bog itself bubbling and slurping. Lucy decided to scan the area. With Justin concentrating on the ground, she didn’t want anything sneaking up on them. They seemed to be alone in a bog as far as Lucy could tell. She decided to check in the bog as well, under the water and in the muck and mire. The mud was teaming with hungry life forms with malicious intent.
“Justin,” said Lucy, slightly alarmed. “There are things in the mud.”
“I know. Why do you think I’m being so careful?” he asked, running his fingers through his red hair.
“What are they? How big are they? When will they attack us?” wondered Gavin.
“Any number of small, carnivorous fish, frogs, worms, and burrowing bugs,” responded Taran so Justin could continue to concentrate. “They won’t attack us, but if we fall in, they may eat us alive before we have a chance to fight our way out.”
“Comforting,” intoned Gavin. “Why didn’t you warn us?”
“I didn’t want to worry you unnecessarily,” answered Taran with a shrug. “Justin wasn’t in danger when he stepped in before because few live in the outskirts. They don’t travel quickly in the mud, and most of them were in a state of semi-hibernation. Now, they know we are here, are coming our direction hoping we fall in, and are telling everything else in the bog to wake up for a possible meal.”
“Good to know,” said Gavin stepping gingerly behind Lucy.
It took a long time to cross the bog. At least it seemed that way. Time was deceiving in the mists. The clicking noises emanating from the bog announcing the presence of flesh-eating insects didn’t help matters either. Lucy did her best to shut out the incessant clicking, but she didn’t have much luck. Lucy pulled out her water-skin and drank while waiting for Justin to take another step. Sweat ran down her back. With the chill air, the dampness of the mists, and her sweat, Lucy was shivering. Finally, the ground was firm under Justin’s feet without him making it so. They walked a little farther to make sure they were clear of the bog and then, sat down with relief.
Thankfully, the clicking noise died down, as if the insects could sense they had moved out of range. Gavin’s stomach rumbled with hunger. It was decided without discussion it was time to camp for the night. Gavin set up their tent. Taran started a fire to brew a stew. After a day like that, they needed some warmth b
oth inside and out. Justin turned back to the bog and let their firm trail return back to a squishy death trap. If anything was following their path, it was in trouble now.
“Someone’s coming,” warned Lucy. While setting up wards, she sensed a presence. It didn’t feel menacing, but she still felt they should be ready, in case. She strengthened her shields and felt Justin and Taran do the same.
“How many?” asked Gavin, rising to his feet and drawing his sword.
“One, I think,” replied Lucy.
She pointed to their northwest and they waited. Shortly, a girl appeared in front of them. Lucy’s first thought was confusion followed quickly by curiosity. The girl looked to be about ten years old. She was slight and pale with delicate features, overly large dark eyes, and long black hair. She was dressed in a knee-length tunic and trousers, both the gray color of mist. It gave her head the curious illusion of floating in mid-air. What was a girl doing wandering around in the mists? The girl smiled shyly at them.
“Thank you for returning the bog to its original form,” she said in a quiet voice. “That is as it should be.”
“Are you the keeper of the bog?” asked Gavin in a teasing voice.
“No, but I can sense what is proper.”
“It seemed to make sense,” said Justin. “Safe as well. Anything following us is stuck or dead by now,” he shrugged. “I am Justin. This is Taran, Lucy, and Gavin,” he introduced.
“I am Ora.”
“Are you alone?” asked Gavin. He still held his sword.
“Is traveling alone safe?” asked Lucy at the same time.
“I am alone. I’m as safe here as anywhere,” she said vaguely.
That didn’t make a lot of sense to Lucy. She looked more closely at Ora, this time using her senses. There was a lot of power there. It reminded Lucy of a deep well, not like the river of power she sensed flowing through Justin. It seemed more like something Ora could draw out of, or cap shut, as needed. It was both interesting and odd. She wondered what Ora could do. She wondered what Ora could teach. Young as she was, she was traveling in the mists by herself. Ora had to know something that kept her alive. Perhaps the youth was an illusion. Lucy focused on her eyes. Ora’s eyes were dark. They didn’t seem blue, or black, or brown, simply dark. More importantly, they seemed endlessly deep. Her eyes made Lucy shiver. Other than that, there did not seem to be any malice or mischief about her. Ora watched as Lucy studied her and then smiled.
“Yes, I know things, but I don’t know how much I could teach you. I sensed Corealanna’s ring and decided to introduce myself. You might need me,” said Ora.
Lucy looked down at her finger. The ring seemed content with Ora’s presence. It certainly wasn’t burning her like it had with the Farnim. Was Ora a bit of the luck Corealanna said the ring could bring? So far it had saved their lives. Lucy decided to trust Ora. She sat down by the fire and took off her boots and damp socks. As she warmed her toes by the fire, she motioned for Ora to sit next to her.
“Come warm yourself,” invited Lucy. “You must be cold. Taran makes a delicious stew.”
Taran took Lucy’s lead and began adding ingredients to the boiling water. Justin sat on Lucy’s other side. After cocking an eyebrow at her, which she smiled at, he took off his own boots. Gavin shifted from one foot to the other. He wasn’t sure he should trust Ora, but he felt silly towering over a tiny girl while holding a sword in his hands that was almost as long as she was tall. He sheathed his sword and sat down on the other side of the fire. Taran handed him a bowl of stew. Lucy held her bowl in her hands for a while before eating it. The warmth of the bowl felt wonderful in her cold hands.
“What are you?” Taran asked Ora after a while. “I’m not trying to be rude, but you can’t be a ten year old human girl wondering around the mists.”
“I understand,” said Ora, staring intently at Taran with huge dark eyes that could drown someone in their depths. “I am not human. I am mostly a sprite, of sorts. I don’t think I’d like to explain what I can do, for now. Perhaps…after a couple of days. Suffice it to say, I am a friend of Corealanna and mean you no harm.”
“Can you prove it?” asked Gavin.
“That I know Corealanna or that I mean you no harm?” asked Ora seriously.
“Either,” said Gavin.
“Nut likes me. That should mean something if you have met him, too. As for causing harm, I can’t say. We both keep secrets from each other. We both must learn to trust each other. First, we try, then we trust. If neither of us harms the other in the next couple of days, I will tell you some of my secrets. Perhaps you will tell me about your quest,” said Ora.
“How do you know we are on a quest?” demanded Gavin.
“So suspicious,” laughed Ora. “It is good to be suspicious in the mists. It will keep you alive longer. You are a well-armed, human. You are traveling with the half Elven brothers and a human mage seething with power. What else would you be doing in the mists?”
“Sight-seeing?” suggested Taran with a smile.
They all laughed. They had to admit it was obvious they were up to something. They finished dinner and felt better with the warm stew in their stomachs. Lucy was debating turning in for the night when Gavin asked a non-inflammatory question.
“Do you live here?”
“Sometimes,” replied Ora vaguely.
“Do you know what the lights are?” Gavin asked almost desperately. He was still bothered by the lights they occasionally saw. They were always ahead of them and either to the left or the right, never behind.
“Do not follow the lights,” said Ora seriously.
“Why?” asked Gavin.
“It is a trap,” she said simply.
“What kind of trap?”
“It is to lure you in. There is a tree called the villiath. The center of its trunk glows to attract travelers. Once you are close enough to the root system, you are trapped. They produce a paralyzing, debilitating poison. The roots will draw you into the ground for the tree to feast on. In a matter of minutes, the ground will look as though you were never there. It is not a pleasant way to die. Do not be tempted by the lights,” insisted Ora.
“It seemed like one was moving though. If they are trees how can they move?” asked Gavin.
“Sometimes, one tree will grow beside another. They work in teams trying to create the illusion of movement to attract prey. It works. Do not be tempted by the lights,” repeated Ora with intensity.
“I won’t,” replied Gavin with a shiver.
Lucy was glad they had not let Gavin talk them into finding out what the lights were. Thankfully, she had sensed they were malicious and insisted on avoiding them. If she hadn’t sensed their intentions, perhaps she would have indulged Gavin’s curiosity to their fatal end. Lucy yawned, naturally this time, not magically.
Ora’s explanation about the lights had lessened Gavin’s misgivings about her. He didn’t know what she was and that bothered him. He reminded himself that magical intuition was not his strong point. Since everyone else was willing to trust her, he gave in and let her share their tent. They went into the tent and went to sleep. It had been a long day. Lucy slept better than she had since entering the mists. She wondered if Ora had anything to do with that.
Chapter 9
Maya walked distractedly down the hallways of Lerramorre castle. There were many things to do in a castle and there were always people bustling around her. Servants were cleaning. Messengers were running errands. One woman walked by with a basket full of sheets to clean, while another woman followed behind her putting on clean sheets. Another woman carried around a basket full of fresh candles, replacing candle stubs here and there. Maya tended not to pay too much attention to everyone moving around her. She was aware of her surroundings, but did not memorize every face that passed by. She knew the woman that usually cleaned her room and the ones who served meals, but she did not recognize all the messengers, the candle makers, the soap makers, or the assortment of cleaning ma
ids. Maya was thinking about tomorrow’s training session with the girls. She was planning on teaching them different healing songs with actual words, rather than simple tunes to hum. After that, she was going to teach them some simple potions. She was also thinking about what to do regarding Dulcie.
Maya had found Dulcie’s parents. They were relatively unresponsive about their daughter’s magical powers, neither excited for her nor afraid of her. She was the youngest of five. Her parents seemed pleased their daughter might have a place at the castle. Her mother was concerned Dulcie was going to be used as a royal prostitute. Once Maya assured her that was absolutely not the case, Dulcie was packed and placed in Maya’s care within minutes. One less mouth to feed. One less dowry to pay for.
Now, Maya had to figure out what to do with her. If she was going to be a court mage she needed to learn everything from basic magic to proper etiquette at a king’s table. Maya started with teaching her proper dress and conduct for castle life, as well as addressing the common way she spoke. Of course Dulcie needed to learn magic too, but Maya wasn’t sure how or what to teach her beyond the basics. She could teach her everything she knew, but Justin or even Lucy could teach her more. Maya wondered if Eric would take her at the school for a year. Dulcie could only benefit from learning anything the school was willing to teach her. She would return better prepared for her position as Joss’s mage while learning anything else she needed to know as she went along. It had never occurred to Maya to bring her magic books with her. Of course, she had brought some of her favorite potions books, but she had Justin and Lucy along for magic. They were better than books. Maya wanted to do her best for Dulcie.
It was thus that Maya was distracted. She did not notice the busy hallways emptying. Or, if she did, she assumed people had finished their jobs in that area for the day and had moved on to something else somewhere else. She didn’t notice the man behind her closing the distance between them. She didn’t hear him drawing his dagger. She did notice his shadow on the wall as he stepped in front of the window. If she had been a royal woman, she probably would have been dead. Luckily, her hours of training with Gavin kicked in and her reflexes took over.
Ravs Are Rarely Wrong: The Kinowenn Chronicles Vol III Page 6
