Faerling

Book 1, Crystal Mirrors

Part IX

Alec stood, his back to the room, gazing out the window to the treetops beyond. He glanced at the darkening sky, watching the shadows cast by the waxing moon creep across the treetops. -Not much longer,- he thought to himself. He thought of Genna, of whom he had become quite protective since meeting her less than two weeks past. Soon he would have to rely on her ability to take care of herself, if only for a short while. -Only two days...- he thought, turning to lean against the window sill.

"Greetings!" The door slammed open and Donal entered the room, striding quickly to the table and slapping a deck of cards down upon it.

Alec grimaced. "For one in your profession, you can be very loud."

"And you can be very grim," Donal returned. "Now, relax a little for the night. I found some cards to help us while away the time in this dull village, since you refuse to allow me to engage myself in anything more interesting."

Despite himself, a smile came to his face. "I thought you had already found a, um, diversion..." Alec commented, moving over to seat himself at the table.

Donal shrugged, shuffling the cards with the grace of an experienced player. "The wench is willing, 'tis true, but not till after the hours of the Merry Lady." He raised an eyebrow and grinned. "I am to meet her later." His fingers flew and the cards were dealt rapidly.

Alec took the cards before him and leaned back. "You do understand, we will not play for money."

Donal placed a carefully innocent expression on his face. "Why not? After all, 'tis a simple game between gentleman to pass the time."

"No wagers."

Donal sighed. Well, if he couldn't actually earn anything this night, at least he could hone his skills for the next time he could get a *real* game.

Gil leaned close to the flickering candle, barely able to make out the words in the book before her. Genna already slept on one of the cots in the room, and Gil dared not use a better light for fear of waking the girl. But this late at night was the only time she could be sure of no interruption to her studies. During the day Genna and Donal would constantly bother her, neither showing an ounce of patience as they waited in this town. She dipped her pen in the inkwell and began that night's entry in her studybook.

<PRE>

This inn sucks. Yeah, I know that doesn't have much to do with magic, but hey, this place is deadly dull. Ugh. Scary to think I agree with Donal on that point, too. But at least *I* don't go around annoying people. I have my studying to keep me busy. Sigh. But we *have* been here a week already, and so far we've gotten some menial labor, but nothing really interesting. I mean, I've used my magic more while practicing this week than actually *doing* anything. Ah, well, back to the books.

My project for the day was the geas on Donal. And a little study tonight on the idea of creation magic. I mean, I can create some small things (tiny flames, little sparks, stuff like that), but I've been having trouble making of the any really cool stuff... like giant flaming spheres raining down from the sky. Hm. I *could* always try to do it as an illusion. Illusion magic doesn't take so much out of me. But if there is anyone else out there who can see magic like I do, illusions are pretty obvious.

I got sidetracked. Back to Donal's geas. Okay, it's a really different form of bonding magic. I mean, there are a *lot* of forms of bonding magic. Some are imposed upon people, some are by mutual agreement (like the mental bonding that occurs during a marriage ceremony here - it really *is* a binding ceremony here!). This appears to be an imposed bond, but the magic is completely different from any I've seen before. I can unravel a little of it, but it seems like it's a lot simpler than I expected. The problem seems to be that the source is a lot, well, I'd say *older* than I've used before. I mean, *magic* is really old here, and the version we use isn't the one that's been around for eons. So this seems like the same stuff, but just enough different so I can't really understand what it says or where it comes from. But I can tell one thing -- it's a kindly binding, not a maleficent one. I mean, its for us, not against us. So it's okay that he travels with us. Giggle. In fact, I think it may well be the reason he hasn't left yet. I mean, Donal doesn't seem the type who'd normally travel with a group. As for me, I don't really know much about this world, so staying with this group or leaving is all pretty much the same to me. So I think I'll stay. Safer for the time being.

Yawn. I'm too tired to deal with this tonight. Besides, I'm sure there'll be plenty of time tomorrow to study. So much for adventure, hm?

</PRE>

Gil set the pen down slowly, so it didn't spatter, and closed the book. She held the book in one hand, laying the other hand on the cover, and concentrated. The book began to warm in her hands, and she smiled, satisfied, and set it down. She had already warned the others not to touch her book, but she saw nothing wrong with reinforcing the idea. She went to her cot and was quickly asleep.

A loud scream split the still of the early morn. Alec sat bolt upright, sleep quickly flying from his brain. The scream had come from the room next door, and his first thought was Genna. He scrambled out of the bed, pulling on his pants as he ran towards the door. He nearly bumped into Donal in the hallway, coming from the stairs, apparently just returned from his rendezvous. The both burst into the other room just as the screaming stopped.

Genna sat up in her bed, sheets clutched up against her chest, staring wide-eyed at Gil. Gil was standing in the center of the room, her nightshift swirling around her as she looked back and forth. Her eyes, black as night, focused on Genna momentarily and she intoned, "All around there is crystal." Her voice was hollow, and unusually formal. She turned again and stopped when she caught Alec's eyes. "In the crystal are the reflections of the soul and the reflections of the outer body." She stopped to breath deeply before turning to look at Donal. "'Tis time to choose and time to see what is truly visible. And four shall travel and four shall return, and how shall they be changed?"

The girl stiffened, and then relaxed, so suddenly that Alec had to move swiftly to catch her before she fell to the hard floor. He picked her up and set her back on her bed, while Genna looked on, a confused expression on her face.

"What do you think she was talking about?" Genna whispered.

Alec glanced at her, then back at Gil. "Seems to me, Faerling, that she was just dreaming. Perhaps it meant nothing at all." He turned back to Genna, a smile on his face. "Go back to sleep, little one." Motioning for Donal to move out, he left the room, shutting the door securely behind him.

As they walked back to the room they shared, Donal asked, "Do you really believe her chatter meant nothing?"

Alec shrugged. "Why should it mean more than the ravings of one who is asleep?" He knew he lied as he said it, for Gil's words had reminded him of his own strange dream when he first met Genna.

Donal shrugged in return. "It just seems to me, when she spoke of four people, that we are a strange traveling group."

"Do you plan to continue to follow us, elf?"

"Half-elf, if you please. And yes, I find myself with no desire to leave your company, strange as it seems."

Alec sighed as he got ready for bed again. It seemed that his life had been taken from his own control. The problem was, he wasn't entirely certain *whose* control it *was* under now.

Faerling is copyrighted by Deb Atwood.

Copies may be kept for personal use but may not be redistributed without the expression permission of the author.

Tryslora Eloran (deb_atwood@fac.com)