Gilmreth the Awakening

by Raymond L. Weil

  “It’s the truth, I swear it!” the man mumbled, quickly stepping back lest she strike him again.

  “I may have employment for you and your friend if you’re interested,” she continued coolly, measuring both men. “I wish to go to Firestorm Mountain, to a certain area on the far side.”

  The other man came over, frowning. He had recognized Jalene’s use of sorcery and had hung back, uncertain whether he should come to his friend’s aid. Sorcery was the only explanation for the flash of red light that had struck Clyton and slammed him into the floor. He had thought sorcery was a myth. You only heard about it in legends. But there was no doubt in Clyton’s mind what he had just witnessed. Recalling some of the abnormal things he had seen on that infernal mountain, sorcery wasn’t that difficult to accept. Perhaps he could learn her secret, find out what power she possessed and some way to gain control of it!

  “You must excuse Clyton; he doesn’t have any manners when it comes to the ladies. He also can’t hold his liquor very well, either,” he added, glaring angrily at his friend who cast his gaze down toward the floor. Returning his eyes to Jalene, he continued calmly. “My name’s Kason. So you want to travel to Firestorm Mountain; what is it you seek on the mountain?”

  Jalene noticed this man seemed to be at least sober and sounded partially intelligent. “A cave that is supposed to exist on the far side, it’s two thirds up the side of the mountain. I have a map that gives directions about how to locate it.”

  “A cave, huh?” the man said. He stepped back and stared at Jalene with a hint of suspicion in his eyes. “Just what is it you’re looking for in this cave? There’s nothing up on that mountain worth anything other than the animals we trap, not even stories of hidden treasure. I can’t remember seeing a cave anywhere.”

  “The cave is there!” Jalene snapped sharply, clasping her amulet, her piercing gaze traveling over both men. How dare this man question her!

  “Two thirds up the far side of the mountain,” Kason mused, pulling at his beard, frowning, looking thoughtfully at the slim woman who had just put a man twice her weight down on the floor. “It would take us at least five or six days just to reach that side of the mountain. We would have to use the upper passes instead of the lower ones the trade wagons use, and we would need several pack animals and a lot of supplies. It’s a very dangerous trip, particularly this time of the year.”

  “I can pay for the supplies,” Jalene said stiffly, shaking her small purse that rattled with heavy gold coins. “Just get what we need. I will pay you six gold coins apiece if you’re interested; half when we leave and half when we get back.”

  “Six gold coins apiece?” Kason repeated with greed edging into his voice. From the size of her purse and the rattle it made, she had considerably more than that. Six gold coins apiece were more than he and Clyton could make in a year’s worth of trapping and for just one trip! He made a quick decision. “You have a bargain, lady. My friend and I will make all the arrangements. It will take about two days to gather the supplies we will need. Give us two gold coins now to pay for them. When you’re ready for us you can find us here, or leave a message at the bar. Just ask for Clyton or Kason.”

  Nodding, Jalene handed over two gold coins and turned her back on the two. Returning to her table, she found her food waiting. The server had once again disappeared from sight. The savory, spicy smell from the stew and hot buttered bread set her mouth watering. She would have to avoid casting spells for several days and build up her strength. She would need it for the trip, and to deal with these two men she had just hired. This thick, meaty stew would be an excellent beginning.

  She wasn’t concerned about the men who were back at the bar with their backs turned away from her, talking in quiet, subdued tones. She knew they would keep up their end of the bargain. Their desire for her gold coins would ensure that. She would also keep a watchful eye on them. If two rough characters like these were to disappear, no one would be asking any questions, she was quite sure of that.

  It wouldn’t be the first time she had gotten rid of excess garbage. Just the thought brought a slight smile to her face. Disposing of them could be quite enjoyable. She finished her meal, thinking of the many different painful spells she could use. She also reminded herself she needed to be more careful about using her abilities in public. She wasn’t ready for her sorcery to become common knowledge. The clerk wouldn’t say anything, the gold coin she had paid with would ensure that, and the server would be too frightened. No, only Kason and Clyton would have to be silenced, and those two could easily be disposed of.

  After her meal, Jalene returned to her room to spend the rest of the evening reading from the two books and the scroll she had taken from the archives. With any luck, they would add to the considerable wealth of information she had already found about the Sylvars and Gilmreth. She felt her plan was falling into place remarkably well. Very soon, everyone would know who she was and would fear doing anything to displease her.

  Chapter Four

  Several nights later, Lynol was arduously studying in one of the small rooms in the remote end of the house. She and her father had spent the better part of the afternoon cleaning the room and furnishing it. It had been emptied of most of its contents, swept clean, the floor meticulously scrubbed, and the walls washed down. Its single large window could be unshuttered and thrown open to allow fresh air and bright sunlight unhindered into the room during the day.

  It now contained a single large study table upon which Malcon’s sorcery book lay open, and a comfortable chair. Several large wooden shelves on one wall reached toward the ceiling, filled with books. A small wood burning stove sat in the corner keeping the room at a pleasant temperature with its yellow flame slowly consuming the small logs inside.

  Lynol currently sat at the solitary table, her hands flat on its hard, unyielding surface, staring frustratingly at the small white candle sitting rebelliously before her. The window was closed, keeping out the cool night chill, and an oil lamp was burning brightly on one end of the table. For the last half-hour, she had been trying to light the candle with a sorcery spell that was supposed to bring fire when enacted. All she had accomplished so far was to strain her eyes looking for just the smallest flicker of a spark in the unyielding, defiant candlewick.

  Feeling irritated, she looked at the open book and the lines of writing, which described in detail what she was supposed to do. Why is this so hard, she wondered? Were her abilities so weak that she couldn’t even perform one of the most elementary spells described in this wondrous book?

  Sighing dejectedly, she took a deep breath and read the writing for the twentieth time, running through the elementary gestures associated with the spell in slow motion. Then, concentrating on the inanimate candle and picturing it burning, she repeated the incantation aloud, tracing the symbol for fire in the air before her. The candle just sat there unsympathetically, its wick not even warm, as it defiantly refused to light.

  “This isn’t going to be as easy as I had hoped,” she mumbled to herself, shaking her head.

  Brushing back her hair with her left hand, she folded her arms despondently across her chest. What was she to do if the spells just wouldn’t work? Maybe she wasn’t meant to be a sorceress, or if she was, definitely not the one mentioned in the prophecy if she was this incompetent. She had hoped that with Malcon’s book everything would be easier, that she would be able to learn sorcery, but so far, she had failed. Lynol allowed her eyes to roam about the room, feeling crestfallen at her most recent failure.

  “Still no luck with the candle, I see,” her father spoke softly with a humorous smile from the open doorway. He had been quietly watching his daughter struggle with the incantation. He knew the frustration she was going through and wished there was more he could do to help.

  Lynol looked over at her father and shook her head, not sure what to say. She didn’t want to disappoint him, but the candle wouldn’t light. She had tried everything to get the spell to work. She
felt like crying, but managed to hold back the tears.

  Damon knew there was very little he could do to help his daughter. Sorcery had been gone from the family for many generations and very little had been passed down as to how to train someone who had the gift of the old Sylvar powers. Reaching into his right pant’s pocket, Damon took out a gift for Lynol, which he had been saving for a special day. He hoped this particular item would aid Lynol in her studies. “Take this; perhaps it will help.”

  Walking over, Damon dropped a finely crafted golden chain with a delicately cut dark blue sapphire gemstone hanging from it into her open hand. “This was your mother’s necklace. She wore it constantly and it was her most treasured possession. All sorcerers had an amulet they wore to help them focus their power. Perhaps this stone will help you. Try again using the stone as a focus,” he said encouragingly, remembering how Lynol’s mother had worn the beautiful necklace every day. He couldn’t remember ever seeing her without it.

  “This belonged to Mother?” Lynol asked, immensely surprised by the unexpected gift. She had never seen this magnificent necklace before. Her father had never hinted that he still possessed some of her mother’s possessions.

  Holding the heavy gold chain and stone out before her, she turned the sapphire over gently in her hand, examining it closely. It was slightly larger than her thumbnail with a delicate, soft inner radiance. A circle of finely inlaid gold surrounded it with gentle designs crafted intricately into the gold. The stone seemed to flicker briefly with a fleeting feeble blue glow when she ran her fingers across it. It actually seemed to warm at her touch; a trick of her imagination she was sure. She had never seen such a beautifully crafted necklace and stone before. It must be priceless. She turned, facing her father with a questioning look upon her incredulous face.

  “It’s beautiful,” whispered Lynol, holding the precious stone in her hand.

  She wished she had been given the opportunity to know her mother. There were so many things she would have asked her. There was so much about her mother she didn’t know. Her father didn’t speak of Lynol’s mother often; she knew that it brought back many sad memories.

  “She wore that necklace constantly. I never saw your mother without it,” Damon spoke, his eyes glistening moistly. “On the day she died, Kathryn asked me to give it to you someday. She was very insistent. I believe that now is the right time.” He could still picture his beautiful wife Kathryn with the necklace around her neck. In his mind, she always had a gentle smile on her face.

  Taking the stone and golden chain out of her hand, Damon placed it gently around Lynol’s neck and fastened the simple clasp. “Now, let’s try that spell again!” Damon saw that Lynol looked skeptical. “Focus on the necklace.”

  Damon watched expectantly as Lynol held the stone in her left hand and repeated the fire spell, making the fire symbol smoothly with her right. Damon gasped quietly in surprise as a flickering of blue light appeared spectrally about Lynol’s fingertips, connecting barely visible ghostly lines. Lynol’s voice flowed smoothly as she voiced the ancient syllables of the fire incantation. Damon looked at the candle, willing it to light.

  Lynol felt a brief flicker of inexplicable heat in her left hand, which held the blue sapphire. Surprised, she opened her hand and stared in astonishment at the stone. The sapphire was glowing softly with an unearthly blue radiance. Concentrating harder, trying to focus on the stone and the candle at the same time, she repeated the spell. She felt a strange tingling in the tips of her fingers and was startled when the candle flared up with a brightly burning two-inch yellow flame. Incredulously, she gazed in amazement at the burning candle and the softly glowing stone in her hand. So, it hadn’t been her imagination!

  Did this stone contain some secret that her father wasn’t aware of? Surely not; it had to be just a coincidence! The stone had served merely to help her focus like the writings in the spell book suggested. The softly glowing blue radiance of the stone was only the aftereffect of the spell she had used.

  “It worked!” Lynol exclaimed breathlessly, amazed with the ease at which the candle had lit.

  She continued to stare at the flickering flame in mute fascination. A feeling of exuberance spread through Lynol as she realized she had actually enacted a spell from the book. She had performed a sorcery spell just as Lys would have done from this very book in the far distant past. Maybe she could learn sorcery after all! Maybe her own self-doubt had been blocking her from tapping her hidden potential to enact these spells. She felt vastly relieved, reveling in her success.

  “See, you can do it!” said Damon, smiling broadly and nodding his head. He was amazed at how easily Lynol had caused the candle to light this time after all the struggling she had been going through with the spell earlier. “Remember, the stone is but a focus.” Turning, Damon left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him and leaving Lynol to her studies.

  -

  Walking down the hall toward the kitchen, Damon felt mystified. He could have sworn he had seen the blue stone on the necklace glowing when Lynol held it. That necklace had been very special to Kathryn. She had never told Damon where she had acquired it, or who had made it for her. He had never seen such a beautifully crafted stone anywhere, not even in the fancy jewelry shops in distant Draydon.

  Damon could still remember holding her hand as she died. In some ways, it seemed like only yesterday. Kathryn had removed the necklace from about her neck and placed it carefully in his open hand, instructing him with her dying breath to give it to their daughter some day.

  “Make sure Lynol gets this when she is old enough; you will know when she’s ready,” Kathryn had said weakly, squeezing his hand gently with a loving smile on her face. She then closed her eyes, and Damon’s wife was gone. He hoped Kathryn’s necklace would help their daughter.

  Sitting down at the kitchen table, Damon closed his eyes and thought about Kathryn and the short, wonderful time they had spent together. A sad and lonely smile spread across his face as the memories came flooding back. After a few moments, Damon stood up and walked over to the large window to gaze out at the flickering stars above the mountains as he became lost in his memories. Kathryn used to love to sit outside on the grass and look up at the stars.

  -

  Lynol gazed at the beautiful, finely cut sapphire with growing interest. The mysterious blue glow had gradually faded away. Malcon’s book spoke of the need of acquiring a powerful amulet. Her mother’s sapphire would certainly satisfy that requirement. The book explained that the more an amulet was used, the more powerful it became as it attuned itself to the sorcerer or sorceress who possessed it.

  Lynol looked speculatively at the burning candle, wondering what other surprises her father might have. Feeling more confident, Lynol enacted the next spell, which was supposed to extinguish the candle. Again, she felt the amulet flicker with warmth and saw it glow with a soft blue radiance. Instead of the candle going out as she expected, all the lamps in the house, including the one on the end of the table, were extinguished inadvertently instead. This left only the dim glow from the burning stove and the flickering candle lighting the room, casting strange shadows everywhere.

  She heard her father swear in the kitchen as he bumped loudly into the table in the sudden, unexpected darkness. Lynol flushed, feeling embarrassed as she heard her father stumbling around the darkened kitchen. She could barely suppress a silent chuckle.

  “I guess I forgot something,” she said aloud, looking at the spell in the flickering light from the solitary candle and wondering what she had done wrong this time. This would undoubtedly take some getting use to.

  Leaning back in her chair, still holding her mother’s amulet, Lynol took a minute to rest. She thought back to the previous day when she had gone to the Gors to see WhiteStar’s new colt. Dresdia had been excited at Lynol coming over and highly ecstatic about the colt.

  -

  “Lynol, I’m so glad you could come over today,” Dresdia spoke, pleased t
o see her friend. Dresdia’s long blond hair was pulled back behind her shoulders, and her emerald green eyes shone with an excited light. “Kalvin is busy packing us a lunch to take when we go gather berries. I’m sure he just wants to spend more time with you! After all, he has never volunteered to help us pick berries before. I think Kalvin is quite smitten with you,” she added teasingly with an impish grin on her face, her eyes twinkling.

  “I haven’t quite decided how to handle that,” Lynol stammered, her face flushing slightly, walking with Dresdia toward the small barn where she knew the new colt and its mother were. “Kalvin has been acting so strange recently.”

  “Mother says it’s hormones,” said Dresdia, giggling. “Anytime I bring up your name, he gets all flustered. She says it’s something all boys go through.”

  Reaching the barn the two went inside, and Lynol saw the young colt suckling on its mother. It was dark brown with a white spot on its forehead and looked perfectly formed. The mother stood protectively above the colt, watching Dresdia and Lynol suspiciously. The young colt continued suckling, completely ignoring the intrusion. It was in its own little world, protected from the weather by the barn, his mother at his side, and all he needed to eat. Life couldn’t be any better.

  “He’s beautiful,” breathed Lynol. She reached out with her mind, soothing and reassuring the mother. “There are so few colts born anymore and this one looks perfectly healthy.”

  “Father says it’s because our land was cleaned of much of the poison from the Worldfire and Gilmreth by the Sylvar sorcerers,” replied Dresdia, reaching out and petting the docile mare gently on the side of her neck. The mare lowered her head, wanting the area behind her ear scratched, which Dresdia did.

  “Even with our good land the animals breed so seldom,” said Dresdia, sighing and wishing they had more horses. She loved animals and horses were, by far, her favorite. “Father believes that even the animals have changed over the years. They no longer breed as often as in the past. Someday there might no longer be any horses.”