Текст книги "The Horn of Moran"

Автор книги: Mark Forman

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Текущая страница: 5 (всего у книги 20 страниц)

Chapter Five

Two Weddings

For the rest of the day Michael continued to stare at Alex. Whenever Alex looked at him, however, Michael would look away. Alex wondered what he could do to take away the boy’s fear.

Alex had other things to worry about, too. He’d almost lost control of his emotions and let loose his magic. Some of his magic had slipped away before the strange voice inside his head had stopped him. The voice, however, had also come with the feeling of being watched. Something was going on—something important—but Alex had no idea what it could be.

It was late afternoon before Skeld and Tayo appeared, ready to lead the company to the feast. Alex followed his friends into the street, trying to be cheerful and not worry about what had happened.

“Michael told me about your run-in with Otho,” Andy commented, breaking Alex’s train of thought. “Did you really threaten to turn him into an ox?”

“I did,” said Alex. “And I’m sure he believed I was about to do it too.”

“But you wouldn’t really do it, would you?” Andy asked, sounding slightly concerned.

“Well, it would help if I knew how,” Alex admitted. “After all, I’m only a wizard in training, but Otho doesn’t know that.”

“Wizard in training or not, I reckon you could have done it if you really wanted to,” Halfdan said from Alex’s other side.

“As long as Otho believes that I was going to . . .”

“I wish I’d seen the look on his face,” said Andy. “I think you’re the first one to ever stand up to him.”

“I think Michael might be a little scared of me. You know, after what happened this afternoon,” Alex commented.

“Oh, no,” said Andy. “I think you’re his new hero.”

* * *

As soon as the company reached the feasting hall, Skeld and Tayo made the introductions. Alex met Lilly and Indigo, his friend’s future wives, as well as a horde of relatives he was sure he wouldn’t remember. There was one person, however, that caught his attention. Cara, Lilly and Indigo’s mother, had a soft golden light around her, a light that only Alex could see.

Alex didn’t have time to think about this new mystery, though, because as soon as the last introduction was made, the feast started. Even with all the distractions, Alex’s thoughts kept going back to earlier that day. He tried to pay attention to the conversations around him, and nod or comment at the correct times, but questions continued to pop into his mind. Who or what was watching him? Where had the voice in his head come from? And why had it come? Why couldn’t he see what was happening around him?

“You seem troubled,” a soft voice said from Alex’s left.

Turning, Alex saw Cara standing next to him.

“Yes,” Cara said, seeing the look on Alex’s face. “I have magic. Have you not seen a person’s magic before?”

“No, I haven’t,” Alex answered. “I’m fairly new to magic, and I was told by my teacher that it would take some time before I would be able to see magic in other people, or at least see it clearly.”

“I remember the first time I saw the magic of another person,” said Cara. “Seeing what others are, what powers they have, is not always an easy thing. You see the light around me—my magic—and you have many questions.”

“Yes, I do,” said Alex. He suddenly remembered Halfdan’s words: “It’s as if you are both bewitched, and I don’t mind saying that it scares me.”Could Cara have used magic on Skeld and Tayo so they would fall in love with her daughters? “And I wonder what you use your magic for.”

“I did not use magic on your friends, if that is what you fear,” Cara said after a moment of silence. “I would not do that.”

“I see no magic in either of your daughters,” Alex said, feeling relived by Cara’s statement.

“Lilly will never have any magic of her own,” Cara said, nodding toward her daughters. “Indigo may have some magic one day—it is hard to tell. The magic of my family does not begin to grow until after the daughter has a child of her own.”

“Then how do you know that Lilly will never have any magic?”

“Because only girls with dark hair receive and pass on the magic. It has always been that way.”

“Always?”

“My family is an old one, and we have kept records,” Cara answered. “In all of our history, only those girls with dark hair have the magic and pass it on. It is part of the legend.”

“Legend? What legend?”

“Of course, forgive me,” Cara said with a smile. “You are from a distant land and are unfamiliar with the legends of Norsland. There is an old legend about a wizard and the Tower of the Moon. From my family line a wizard will be born, the son of an adventurer. There are many details to the story, things that have been added over the years, so I don’t know how much of the legend is true. What I do know is that one day a true wizard will come to take control of the magic that lives in the Tower of the Moon and use it to save his people.”

“What magic lives in the Tower of the Moon?” Alex asked with interest.

“Why, all magic. The tower is the center of magical power for all of Norsland. Without a wizard there to control it, the magic will become weaker and start to fade.”

“Does the story say when the wizard will be born?”

“It would hardly be a legend if it gave such useful and specific details,” Cara sighed. “But I am hopeful that one day the wizard will come.”

Alex’s thoughts slipped away from Cara and the party around him, racing off to a distant tower and an unknown point in time. Somehow he knew there was trouble in Norsland, trouble caused by an unseen evil that wanted to take control and rule all of the land and its people. But to do that, it had to control the magic of the Tower.

His thoughts shifted to a frozen plain where two figures carrying staffs struggled to move forward against a howling storm. His vision zoomed in on the figures, and in his mind’s eye, Alex found himself looking into his own eyes. The face was an older version of himself, the older Alex from his dreams.

“Alex?” Cara said softly. “Is everything all right?”

“I will hope with you for the wizard’s appearance,” Alex answered as he forced his thoughts back to the present. “However, if this legend is to come true, there is something you must do.”

“Oh? What is that?”

“You must tell Indigo and Lilly about this legend. And you must tell Indigo that she may one day have magic of her own,” Alex answered. “You must also tell Skeld and Tayo about this. Now, before the weddings take place.”

“Why trouble them with this, now?” Cara asked in a slightly alarmed tone. “They are in love, they want to be married—why disturb their happiness?”

“Because they have a right to know,” said Alex. “Cara, I can’t really explain why. I know you don’t want to upset them, but I must insist. They must know about the legend, or I will be forced to stop the weddings from taking place.”

“You would do that? You would take this happiness from your friends?”

“You see only a hope of having a wizard in the Tower of the Moon, but I see more. You said the wizard would take control of the magic and save his people. If the people need to be saved, there must be some great danger they need to be saved from. I will not let my friends walk into that danger blind.”

“You saw something,” Cara said slowly. “As I told you the legend, you saw something.”

“Yes.”

“I . . . I never thought about the danger.” She paused, then nodded. “You are right. They should know. I will do as you ask.”

“Don’t worry,” Alex said in a reassuring tone. “I’m sure the weddings will still take place. I just think it is for the best to let them know what their futures might hold.”

* * *

That night, when he was alone in his room, Alex wrote a second letter to Whalen. He explained what had happened with Otho, including his feelings of being watched and the strange voice inside his head. He wondered if Whalen would be angry with him for threatening to turn Otho into an ox, and he worried about what Whalen would say about his near loss of control.

It was a longer letter than normal, and Alex had a lot of questions that he hoped Whalen would have answers for. He asked about any legends that Whalen might have heard or read about the Tower of the Moon and about the magic of Norsland. Alex knew that there were centers of magical power in other lands, but he didn’t know much about them. When he’d finally finished writing his letter, and had sent it with a geeb, he lay awake on his bed. His mind was still looking for answers, but until Whalen wrote back, he knew the answers would not come.

The days leading up to the weddings passed swiftly, and they were not all full of fun and parties. Bregnest ordered the company to pack items for their journey, and he insisted that they not spend all their time wandering around the city. Luckily, packing the food didn’t take long, and there was little to discuss about the road they would be following. Alex tried to find as many maps of Norsland as he could, but sadly none of the maps he found were any better than the map in his Adventurer’s Handbook.

The day before the weddings, Alex and Halfdan returned to Elwig’s shop to collect Alex’s gifts. Elwig was delighted to see them again, and even more pleased when Alex praised the work he had done. His smile flickered only when Alex insisted that Elwig keep the rest of the true silver as payment for the work.

“You are too generous, Master Taylor, I cannot,” said Elwig with a deep bow.

“Perhaps you would consider a trade,” Alex suggested. “After all, I’m sure you could craft wonderful things from the true silver, and it does me little good in my bag.”

“If it’s a trade, perhaps we can make an arrangement,” said Elwig, stroking his gray beard.

After a long debate, and Alex’s continued praise of Elwig’s work, they finally settled on a price. When Alex and Halfdan left the shop, Alex had five hundred gold coins in his magic bag and a beautiful golden brooch to go along with his other gifts. Alex planned to give the new brooch to Andy’s mother for her kindness to the company during their stay.

“You drive a hard bargain, my friend,” said Halfdan. “And I’m afraid you bargain against yourself.”

“It’s a fair price,” Alex replied. “And I’m sure Elwig will make beautiful things with the true silver, so that’s good enough for me.”

Halfdan shook his head as the two of them made their way back to the Goodseed house. It was obvious that he thought Alex was far too generous, but Alex didn’t mind. His mother and stepfather had taught him about generosity, and he knew that it had little to do with money. It was more about helping others, and giving Elwig some true silver to work with would only help the smith improve his craft.

That night at dinner Alex showed Elwig’s work to the rest of the company and Andy’s family. They were all impressed by the brooches Elwig had made and with the design Alex had come up with. The two brooches were almost identical and were made of true silver in the shape of a dragon’s head. The head was edged with gold and each brooch had a large gem set as the dragon’s eye. Lilly’s brooch had a large white diamond, while Indigo’s had a dark blue sapphire. Around the edge of each brooch were eight small rubies, which Alex explained represented each of the members of the adventure they had been on.

“I may have to find a wife myself if you give such fine gifts,” Andy joked, his voice lowered so his parents wouldn’t hear him.

That night in his room, Alex took some time to put a spell on all three of the brooches he’d received from Elwig. The spell was a simple one designed to protect the brooches from loss or theft. When that was done, Alex took the two true silver brooches in his hands and focused his mind and his magic on them. He formed a link between the two brooches, a magical connection that would let him know if his friends needed him. He hoped the spell would let him know if Cara’s story ever came true.

* * *

When the wedding day arrived, Alex felt a bit nervous and out of place in his new blue clothes as he walked along the streets of Oslansk toward the main town square where the ceremony would be held. It seemed as though the whole city had been invited.

Fortunately the wedding ceremony was simple, and all Alex had to do was offer the rings to Skeld and Tayo when they asked for them. It was after the ceremony, as the festivities were about to begin, that things got interesting.

Just as Alex was sitting down, the feeling that someone was watching him came once more. Trying not to be obvious, he scanned the crowds, hoping to find the source of the feeling but there were too many people and too much excitement and movement for Alex to really see anything. Whoever—or whatever—was watching him had chosen the perfect time and place to do so.

“I hope you can dance,” Sindar commented.

“Wh—what?” Alex asked, his eyes stopping on a figure on the far side of the square. Alex thought there was something suspicious about a man wearing a heavy cloak on such a warm spring day.

“Dance,” Sindar repeated and paused. “What is it?”

“I need to check something. I’ll be right back.”

“But the festivities are just starting.”

“This won’t take long. Enjoy yourself. If anyone asks for me, tell them that I’ll be back shortly.”

Alex moved away before Sindar could ask any more questions. The figure he’d spotted was also moving, walking slowly to the edge of the square. Alex tried to keep the dark cloak in sight, but with so many people it was difficult.

Alex was certain that whoever was watching him was under that dark cloak. He feared that the watcher had noticed his gaze. Did the watcher know that he was trying to follow him? There was no way for Alex to be sure, so he readied his magic, just in case.

As he emerged from the crowds, Alex caught sight of the person he was trying to follow. He was leaving the square, heading down one of the narrow roads that led deeper into the city. Alex quickened his steps, trying to close the distance between himself and the cloaked figure. He could feel his magic growing as he hurried forward, and he let a little of it move ahead of him, looking for possible traps.

His magic didn’t find anything, and Alex relaxed a little. The watcher must not know he was being followed. Alex wondered if he should try to catch the stranger, or simply follow him to see if there was something more to discover.

“Do you have a reason for following me?” A deep and strong, yet oddly soft, voice questioned.

Alex spun around. The figure he’d been following was behind him, and even with his magic at the ready he hadn’t noticed until it was almost too late. Without thinking, Alex summoned up his defensive magic to protect himself from both physical and magical attacks.

“Oh, very good,” said the stranger, a smile in his voice. “So fast to defend, yet holding back any attack until you know what you face. You’ve learned a great deal, young man.”

“Who are you?” Alex demanded, a spark of anger igniting inside of him. “Why have you been watching me?”

“For the obvious reasons of course,” the figure answered. “I wanted to see you, to see what magic you have, and to get some idea of what you might become.”

“Who are you?” Alex asked again. He didn’t like being watched, and the answers the cloaked figure had given weren’t answers at all. Alex hated it when adults gave meaningless answers: “Because I said so”; “That’s how it is”; “You’ll understand when you’re older.” Alex had heard all those answers many times before. But today that kind of answer would not be enough. Today Alex wasn’t just another teenager asking questions. Today he was a wizard in training. Today he would get a real answer, whatever the cost.

“Then again, you may get no answer at all.”

“Wh—what?” Alex asked in surprise.

“Control. That is your weakness. You let your emotions run wild, and you lose all focus.”

With a wave of his hand, the cloaked figure brushed away Alex’s defensive magic as easily as brushing away old cobwebs. For a moment Alex was too stunned to react, but then the figure started to laugh.

Rage surged though Alex like an electric shock. His anger blinded him, and his magic went wild. Without thinking, he attacked the figure in front of him, attacked to make the laughter stop. It felt like a thousand little needles poking him, a thousand little voices jeering and making fun, but anger was all Alex could feel.

“Enough!” The cloaked figure said, and Alex’s magic shattered like glass.

Alex felt as if he’d been doused in ice-cold water, water that simply washed away his rage. He shivered and stumbled forward, only to be caught by the strange man.

“You had better learn some control if you want to survive,” the figure whispered, lowering Alex to the ground. “If you can’t control your own emotions, how can you ever hope to reach your full potential?”

“Who . . . who are you?” Alex asked once more in a desperate tone.

“Another time, young one. When you are ready.”

“It was you. It was yourvoice I heard when I confronted Otho.”

“Yes,” the figure answered. “You were about to let something terrible happen, and I could not allow that—even if that fool deserved it.”

“I don’t understand . . . Why?”

The figure turned and started to walk away, but Alex still wanted answers. He focused his mind, pushed away all of his emotions and questions, and reached out with his magic alone.

“Wait!”

It was a demand, not a request. Alex’s emotions were completely under control as he focused all of the magic he could muster toward the stranger. He tried to capture the figure with his magic, just as he might capture an object in his hand, but again he was surprised. There was nothing there, nothing at all for his magic to hold. The cloaked figure stopped dead, however, and turned slowly to face Alex once again.

“The day may come when you can hold me with a word, but it is not this day. Learn your lessons well, young wizard. If you manage to survive long enough, we will meet again.”

“But . . .” Alex started, stopping short.

The figure that had been so solid only a moment before suddenly changed to smoke. As Alex watched, the smoke began to drift away, and when he blinked, it was gone. There was no sign of the stranger he had followed, not even the smallest trace of magic. Then a soft whisper came to Alex’s ear, a whisper that seemed to come from all around him and inside of him at the same time.

“Be careful, young one. Evil is already close to you. If you do not learn to control your emotions, they will destroy you. When you send word to Vankin, tell him the Watchers have seen you. He will try to explain.”

* * *

It was a long time before Alex was even able to move. He felt completely drained. Slowly he got to his feet and leaned against a nearby wall. He closed his eyes for a moment as he tried to recover his strength. The sound of hurried footsteps forced his eyes open once more, and he turned to see Val heading toward him.

“Alex, are you all right?”

“A bit winded, but no harm done.”

“Sindar said you were checking on something, and he seemed worried,” Val explained. “I told him I’d come find you. You don’t look so good.”

“The emotions of the day,” said Alex.

“Yes, of course. I’ve heard that wizards often feel the emotions of others, and with so many people in the square and emotions so high . . .”

“I haven’t learned enough to control it all yet,” said Alex, not bothering to correct Val’s assumption. “I’ll be fine now. We should return to the party.”

Val nodded and walked with Alex back to the main square. The dancing appeared to have ended, and the wedding feast was about to begin. Alex wondered how long he’d been gone. He couldn’t seem to remember.

The feast was grand and long, and Alex’s strength slowly returned. He was glad that Sindar didn’t ask any questions when he sat down beside him. It had been a far more interesting day than Alex had thought it would be, and there were far too many things for him to think about. Besides, he already had enough questions of his own.

As the sun began to set, the wedding guests formed a line to present their gifts to the new couples. Alex suddenly worried about what Skeld and Tayo would think of his gifts. Tayo had been badly injured when they had fought Slathbog, and he hoped his gifts would not bring back bad memories for his friends now.

To Alex’s relief, Skeld and Tayo were pleased with the brooches and impressed by his design. Both Lilly and Indigo beamed at Alex as they pinned their new brooches on. They each took a turn to kiss him on the cheek in thanks. Alex was glad that he had been able to make his friends—and their new brides—happy on their wedding day.

That night before Alex went to bed, he wrote another letter to Whalen to let him know what was going on, but the more he wrote about his encounter with the cloaked figure, the more worried he became. Alex thought about everything the cloaked figure had said, including the promise that Whalen would try to explain who or what the Watchers were, but Alex felt certain that no explanation in a letter would be enough.

Alex felt even more unsettled about the fact that the cloaked figure had been able to brush away his magic with no real effort. The warning about evil being close was easy enough to understand, but not at all comforting. Alex didn’t know where the evil was coming from, and even worse, he still didn’t know how to control his emotions.

Whalen will know, Alex thought as he drifted off to sleep. Whalen will have the answers I need.

* * *

Alex woke early the next morning to a familiar dinging noise. Sitting up, he saw a geeb standing on the edge of his bed. He paid and thanked the geeb, then swiftly opened the letter from Whalen.

Dear Alex,

I must apologize. I should have prepared you better and pushed you harder to learn more than you have. I also should have taught you to control your emotions before now. I am truly sorry. I hope that you can forgive an old fool for trying to teach you as he would any other apprentice. But you are not a normal apprentice, Alex, and I must remember that.

You will, of course, have dozens of questions about the Watchers. Sadly, they are more myth than fact, and it is unclear how many of them there are. What little I can tell you is that they are known to appear from time to time to give warnings and advice, so you should pay attention to what was said.

I can also tell you that the Watchers are known to work for good, and to help where they can. They are incredibly powerful, but seldom use their magic directly. The fact that a Watcher actually let you see him—let alone spoke to you—is very impressive. Sadly, you will have to do as he said and wait for the answers to your questions, as only the Watchers can really answer them for you.

Regarding the Tower of the Moon. There are many stories and legends about the Tower, and once Bregnest told me that you would be going that way, I’ve been asking questions. You are correct that the Tower is the center of magical power for Norsland. But it has been more than two thousand years since a wizard has lived there. I’m sorry I do not have more information, but I’m still looking, and I have sent several letters to friends. As soon as I learn anything that might be helpful to you, I will send it along.

Now, as for your training, I’ve included some exercises to help you control your emotions. I want you to do them every night before you go to sleep and every morning when you wake up. They may seem boring or a bit odd, but they will help you more than you might think.

I’ve also included a list of books for your future reading, including instructions for transfiguration, which I believe you are ready to attempt. Start with small things at first—leaves, small rocks, things like that. If you have difficulty with the magic, let me know and I’ll do what I can to help.

Keep me informed on how your adventure is going. Keep your eyes open and study hard. I will hope for your success.

Yours in fellowship, Whalen

P.S. You might ask Sindar about how to control your emotions. He knows a great many things, and he might be able to help you even more than I can.

Alex considered Whalen’s letter for several minutes. It seemed that Whalen didn’t have all the answers he wanted, but he did have some good advice. Worrying about the Watcher wouldn’t do any good, but learning self-control would. Alex thought Sindar might be able to help him control his emotions, but he would have to wait until later to ask—the list of things he was supposed to start reading was surprisingly long.

Alex promised himself that he would do Whalen’s exercises every night and morning, even though they seemed strange to say the least. Most of what Whalen wanted him to do was concentrate and breathe slowly, but there were other things as well. Count backward from a thousand while controlling the speed of his breathing. Recite the alphabet backward as fast as he could in one breath. Even balancing objects on top of each other with his magic while reciting the alphabet backward and breathing slowly were part of the list. It didn’t make any sense to Alex, but he knew he would have to try.

* * *

Alex and his companions joined the Goodseed family for breakfast as usual the next morning, but there was a strange tension around the table. Michael seemed painfully excited, but nobody mentioned his birthday at all. At first Alex thought that Michael’s parents didn’t want to say anything in front of their guests, but then he saw Bregnest and Argus exchange knowing looks and he couldn’t help but smile at Michael’s impending surprise.

“Well, it should be an interesting day,” Argus said enthusiastically. “More feasts and parties with the wedding couples.”

“Perhaps you can tell us of the lands east and north of here,” said Bregnest. “It won’t be long before we are on our way once more.”

“Oh, yes, I can tell you a great deal about the lands you will cross,” said Argus. “But, you know, I seem to be forgetting something—something important.”

“That’s odd, I have the same feeling,” said Bregnest thoughtfully.

“Oh, stop it, both of you,” Mrs. Goodseed snapped, clearly unhappy with their teasing of Michael. “You both know very well that it’s Michael’s birthday, so you might as well say so.”

Alex and the rest of his companions laughed at Mrs. Goodseed’s outburst, and Michael laughed loudest of all.

It seemed that the entire company had bought birthday presents for Michael, despite Andy telling them not to. Val gave Michael a magical flute that played songs by itself. Sindar gave him a large book of stories that included many beautiful illustrations. Bregnest produced a fine new bow and a quiver of arrows, and he was quick to help when Michael couldn’t quite manage to string the bow by himself.

While everyone was wishing Michael a happy birthday, Andy slipped away from the table and out of the house. Mrs. Goodseed seemed to know what Andy was up to because she soon made a point of asking where Andy had gone.

“I believe he stepped outside,” said Halfdan, winking at Alex.

“Outside?” Mrs. Goodseed questioned, though she didn’t look at all surprised. “What in the world is he doing outside?”

“Perhaps we should go and see,” Halfdan suggested.

They all filed out of the front door and saw Andy standing in the courtyard with a beautiful black horse.

“I hope he’s the one you wanted,” Andy said as Michael ran toward him.

“Oh, he is,” exclaimed Michael, hugging Andy. “He’s perfect.”

“A fine-looking horse,” Halfdan commented. “And Alex and I have something that belongs to him.”

“What’s that?” Andy questioned, though it was obvious he knew what Halfdan was talking about.

“We decided a horse was little good without a saddle,” said Alex, smiling at Andy.

When Halfdan produced the saddle from his magic bag, Michael looked as if he were about to burst with joy. He looked around at all the adventurers and at his family, not sure what to do or say. It seemed as if he’d been given more than he’d ever dared to hope for.

“Well, come on then,” said Andy. “You’d best go for a ride.”

Michael didn’t need to be asked twice, and he was soon saddling his new horse with Andy’s help. Alex and his friends watched for a short time, and then went back to the house to finish their meal.

“You have all been extremely kind to my son,” said Argus to the company as he took his seat in the dining room once more. “I am very much in your debt.”

“It is a little thing compared to the kindness you and your family have shown us,” said Bregnest. “It is not easy having so many adventurers around the house.”

“Oh, it’s no trouble at all,” said Mrs. Goodseed. “You are all welcome, any time.”

After breakfast, Alex pulled Bregnest aside for a quiet chat. He told him about the golden brooch he’d received from Elwig and how he had thought about giving it to Mrs. Goodseed. He felt that it should come from the company, as a thank-you gift to Mrs. Goodseed for taking such good care of them. Bregnest thought it was an excellent idea, and insisted that Alex present the brooch on behalf of them all.

“We will compensate you for the cost,” said Bregnest.

“Oh, there’s no need for that,” said Alex. “It was part of a trade I made with Elwig. I have no idea what it would cost by itself.”

“Still, we should make some compensation,” Bregnest insisted.

Alex waved his hand. “It’s a small thing between friends, and the cost is little enough.”

Bregnest didn’t reply, but simply nodded his acceptance.

Alex knew that Bregnest wasn’t pleased with his answer, but also knew he would not argue the point.

That afternoon there was another feast, and Alex was asked to join the wedding table, as he had been the ring bearer. He sat between Lilly and Indigo, answering their questions about his last adventure with Skeld and Tayo.

Alex answered all the questions that were asked, careful to always point out Skeld and Tayo’s parts in the adventure. Skeld and Tayo beamed at him, and would occasionally interrupt to point out something he had done as well. Alex was grateful that no one asked about Tayo’s wounds or how he had magically called Tayo back from near death. He didn’t think either of those subjects would go over too well at a wedding feast.