by Peter Wacht
"What did you do next?" asked Rynlin, captured by the story.
"It was getting dark, and I had to get back to the Crag, so I decided to try one last time. I closed out everything that was going on around me — the breeze pushing against the branches and leaves, the sounds of evening in the forest — and focused completely on the tree. Everything else disappeared. I kept pushing out with my mind, trying to force it into the tree. I guess that's the best way to explain it." Thomas shrugged his shoulders. He had never had to discuss this before, and he was still having a hard time with it. Rynlin gave him a nod of encouragement, so he continued.
"It was like trying to shove a huge rock up a hill, and every time you got it to roll forward, your feet would give way and you'd slide a little farther down the slope, so you actually weren't making any progress at all. I was about to give up since it was so frustrating. I think that's what did it."
"What did it?"
"The frustration. I was getting irritated because I could still hear the sound, however faint, and nothing was working, so I poured every bit of energy I had into what I was doing. And then it happened." The look of wonder on Thomas' face spoke volumes.
"I could feel everything there was to feel about the tree, not just its rough exterior against my hand, but the tree growing, stretching for the sun, and so much else. I knew that tree as well as I knew myself."
"And the sound?" asked Rynlin.
"The sap," replied Thomas. "That was the sound. The sap running through the tree. Anyway, after awhile, instead of focusing on a single tree, I concentrated on several. It still took some time, but it got easier since I had already done it once. And it worked. I could feel the trees, and even more than that. I knew there was a redbreast in one of the trees, guarding three small eggs until they hatched. And the squirrels. There must have been several dozen just in that small area. "The more I did it, the easier it became, and the farther I could extend my senses. Now I don't know how far I can go."
"The island?" asked Rynlin. "Can you extend your senses all the way around the island?"
"Yes," said Thomas, "I know that for sure. I think I can actually go farther, maybe as far as the western edge of the Highlands. I just haven't tried it yet."
"And the animals?" asked Rynlin.
“That started when I first met Beluil,” said Thomas. “His mother had been killed and I needed to speak with him. But I don't communicate with animals in words. Maybe it's because they can't actually say words. I don't know for sure. When I communicate with animals, it’s all based on emotions that I translate into images in my mind. At least that’s the only way I can explain it." Thomas shook his head in frustration. Though he could do it, he wasn’t quite sure how he did it.
"The hard part is translating the emotions. For example, the raccoon on the windowsill. I had never met him before, so when I entered his mind the first time I had a hard time figuring out what he was trying to say because I was unfamiliar with the images passing through my mind. It didn't take long though before I got it. I translated his primary emotion into hunger, and from there it was simple. With Beluil, it's a little different because I know him so well. The more time I spend with a particular animal, the easier it is to communicate with them. I'm sorry I can't explain it any better than that, Rynlin. All I know for sure is that I can do it."
"That's all right, Thomas," said Rynlin, knowing how hard this must have been for him. A fair comparison would be trying to grab hold of the fog. "That’s enough questions for now. Let's see just how far you can extend your senses."
"All right," agreed Thomas with some enthusiasm. Thomas turned away from Rynlin and focused on the surrounding forest, seeing the individual trees clearly in the darkness. He closed his mind to everything else around him.
Though his eyes were still open, he really couldn't see anything now, not even the trees. Instead, the surrounding forest appeared in his mind. One tree became several, which then became even more, until he glimpsed leagues and leagues of heart trees running along both sides of the mountainous spine of the Isle of Mist. Not too far away, he found a raptor reveling in the strong breezes coursing off the cliff faces and a bear waiting patiently at the shore of a river for a fish to come within reach.
Whenever he extended his senses, it felt like his spirit had left his body. He could look down and see himself standing there, as well as Rynlin, and now Rya, who watched from her seat on one of the roots of a heart tree. Though most of his awareness was focused on the forest, a detached part of his mind remained with his body, and that part heard someone talking to him. It was Rynlin.
"Now I'm going to do something so I can see what you're seeing," he said. "Don't worry about me, just stay focused on your task." At first, nothing changed. Gradually, though, Thomas sensed that he was not alone as he looked down at the Isle of Mist. Rynlin. It felt as if Rynlin was riding along on his shoulder.
"Go as far as you can, Thomas," ordered Rynlin.
Taking one final look at the Isle of Mist, he pushed his senses out slowly, reaching for the Highlands and beyond. He imagined he was a raptor soaring through the sky. The rush of speed thrilled him as he flew through the Highlands and quickly arrived at the Crag. He picked out the remains of the once formidable fortress, the forest having already reclaimed some sections of it. Though that terrible event had taken place only five years before, the grass and moss that had found a home on what had once been the walls of the stronghold appeared to have been there for centuries. With a sense of loss now weighing down his heart, Thomas continued to push his senses outward. The feeling of Rynlin sitting on his shoulder remained.
Viewing the Crag depressed him, so rather than take his time as he viewed the Highlands, he moved as fast as he could toward the western boundary, skimming over the tops of mountains. Certain peaks — with clouds ringing their slopes like a crown on a king or queen's head — he circled around because of their tremendous height. Reaching their summits would have wasted both time and energy.
In a matter of seconds he came to the edge of the Western Highlands. The Breaker was visible to the northeast. This was the farthest he had ever gone before.
"Can you go farther?" asked Rynlin, his question a small voice within Thomas' mind. Not bothering to answer, Thomas extended his senses to the west, pushing into the Clanwar Desert. He marveled at the endless sand flowing beneath him and running far to the west. A dark patch appeared within view far off in the distance. Curious, he rushed forward. Suddenly, swirling sound clouded his vision. He realized he had flown into a sandstorm and was amazed at just how quickly it had engulfed him. One moment the sun was shining brightly, the next he was in darkness and in danger of becoming disoriented. Rising above the storm, he continued his journey to the west, now angling to the south as well. Sand was definitely not the most exciting thing to look at, and he had just found out how dangerous it could be.
As Thomas pushed his senses farther to the southwest, he felt his body back on the Isle of Mist begin to sweat. The strain of extending himself so far was beginning to affect him physically, and his attempts to go even farther took more of his strength. Gritting his teeth, he tried one final push. As his energy dissipated, he passed over the border of the desert, where sand fought with grass for dominance. The grass soon rushed beneath him as he headed south, the strain of his efforts forcing him to fight harder and harder to maintain his concentration.
He knew that he was close to his limit. Finally, he stopped at a large river that sliced across the land. The Corazon River. He was close to Armagh, halfway across the continent. His efforts had strained his strength and exhaustion was quickly consuming his body. Thomas decided it was time to return home. At least he didn't have to follow his trail all the way back to the island. Relaxing his concentration, he was back on the Isle of Mist instantly. Rynlin now stood next to him in case Thomas needed support, a look of concern on his face. Rya perched on her rock, worried as well.
He couldn't understand why until it hit him as to ju
st how tired he felt. Rynlin hovered at his side as he walked unsteadily to the heart tree and sat down next to Rya.
"Not many can do that, Thomas," began Rynlin, adopting the scholarly tone he favored when explaining something. Rya smiled at Thomas. For both of them, it was a common occurrence. "In fact, I don't think there are any who can go as far as you can. Years ago, some could, but they're gone now. Rya and I are about the same in terms of strength regarding your particular skill, what we'll call searching. It's also known as wandering, or traveling, but I think searching will do just fine for now as a definition. Anyway, both of us can only search as far as the western edge of the Highlands, and even then it places a great deal of strain on us. If we tried to go any farther, we'd soon feel the same way you do now."
Thomas had listened with one ear, much like he did during his lessons with Rynlin. He was exhausted and almost completely spent. His mind quickly latched onto what Rynlin had just said. If he had heard Rynlin correctly, that meant Thomas had searched several hundred leagues farther than either of his grandparents ever could.
"You mean I can search farther than you can?" he asked. "How is that possible?"
"Well, Thomas," said Rya, cutting in before her husband could reply. "It's much like anything else in life. A jeweler has a particular skill in shaping gold or silver into intricate designs, while a blacksmith can do much the same with steel when making a sword. You, too, have a particular skill with searching. Both Rynlin and I can do it, but it's not one of our primary abilities. It stands to reason, then, that you should be able to do more with it than we can."
"And that ability will only grow stronger as you get older and become more experienced in it," interrupted Rynlin. "Within the next few years you'll probably be able to search on the other side of the Heartland Lake, maybe even to the western shore of Kashel."
"You think so?" asked Thomas excitedly. It didn't seem possible to go that far, but then again, he had just gone farther than he thought he could. He smiled at the idea of seeing the Western Ocean while standing on the Isle of Mist. That would indeed be a remarkable achievement. His grandfather, Talyn, had once told him about his mother's ability to do very much the same thing he had just accomplished, though he had called it by a different name. The people living in the Crag called her a witch because of it, but his grandfather had simply said that she could do something that others could not, and that it was a gift to perform magic of that sort.
Magic. Many people in the Kingdoms spitted the word out as if it were a curse. Dark Magic. Black Magic. He had never thought that searching or communicating with animals was magic. But maybe it was. Then again everyone said, including the taletellers, that magic no longer existed in the Kingdoms.
The most common story involved the Sylvana. Though the Sylvana had practiced magic for millennia, after the Great War the Sylvana left the Kingdoms and took the magic with them. Therefore, anyone who could still perform magic was automatically associated with Dark Magic — and the Shadow Lord.
When Thomas asked Talyn whether there were people still alive in the Kingdoms who could perform magic, he had answered yes. Thomas didn't know anyone in particular, except perhaps for his mother, but that didn't mean there weren't any left. He could almost feel the wheels churning in his head as the logic worked itself out. If his mother had performed magic, it stood to reason that he could. Perhaps he could do other things with this magic. But first, he wanted to confirm a few things.
"Rya?"
"Yes, Thomas?"
"My mother, was she able to perform magic?"
The question hung in the air for a few moments, as Rya looked to Rynlin for help. He shrugged his shoulders in response. A great help he was. Always willing to answer the easy questions, but never the hard ones. She didn't know how she was supposed to answer, and she didn't want to lie. Thomas was only fifteen. Then again, she had been about the same age when she learned about some of her special abilities.
"In a sense, yes, she could."
"And she could do what I just did? Search, I mean?"
"Yes, Thomas," Rya replied. She knew the next question.
"So that means I can perform magic, as well?"
"Yes, you can, Thomas." The look of realization on his face spread. He had held his breath in anticipation.
"Then both you and Rynlin can perform magic, too?"
"Wait a moment," said Rynlin, sighing in exasperation. "Before we start this discussion, let's get a few things straight. First, it's not magic. That's not the right term. We call it the Talent. Second, yes, Thomas. Both Rya and I have the Talent, but that's really not the right way to explain it. And searching is only a small part of it. Again, it all goes back to an individual's particular abilities. For you, searching is one of your strengths, while you might not be able to do something else as well as I can, or as Rya can.
"And we're not really performing magic, as those charlatans do at the annual fairs and festivals. You know what I mean. Making a rabbit disappear and such. That's sleight of hand, not magic. So don't say perform magic. Say use the Talent, or harness the Talent, or apply the Talent. Make sure you know what you're talking about."
Thomas took in everything Rynlin said in rapt attention. This was much more interesting than his normal lessons. Rynlin again adopted the pedantic tone he preferred when imparting knowledge.
"What you're really doing is harnessing power."
"Power from where?" asked Thomas.
"Where do you think?" countered Rynlin. He'd rather have Thomas figure it out for himself. It was the best way to learn.
Thomas thought about what he had just done. When he searched, he had always been outside. And he didn't like being within stone walls for too long a time. It made him feel as if he were locked away from something. Once he was free of the walls, though, he could hear better, see better, he even had a sharper sense of smell. Put simply, he felt more alive.
"From the forest?"
"Yes," said Rynlin, patting Thomas' shoulder, pleased with his response. "From the forest. That's a part of it, though that's not the actual source."
"Then what is it?" he asked.
"What is the forest a part of, Thomas?" asked Rya. Now she was answering him with questions as well. Thomas forced down his growing irritation. Patience was something he had not yet mastered.
"Nature."
"Right," said Rynlin, clapping his hands with pleasure. "You're exactly right. When you search, you're harnessing a power, and that power is nature. That's why you feel more comfortable outside than in. You can sense the power of nature, and you don't like to be away from it. That's the main difference between sorcerers or sorceresses — that's what we like to call ourselves — and those people who can't use the Talent. We can get closer to nature. We can actually feel it within our blood. When it's taken away from us, we hunger for it. Other people, they can see nature — the trees, the bushes, the water in the stream, the birds, the animals, the mountains — but that's all they can do. They can't feel the life around them.
"Because we can feel nature in a much more direct and intimate way, we can also harness its power. When I asked you earlier how you searched with your mind, you said it's mainly your ability to concentrate. You can close out everything around you, and focus specifically on the trees, then the mountains, then whatever comes next. When you're concentrating like that, you're actually pulling in the power that exists in nature. You're pulling in the power of the heart trees, and the rivers, and the mountains, and redirecting it. You're taking in the energy, and then using your own strength to make use of it in some fashion."
"So that's why I can only reach the border of Armagh when I search," said Thomas. "If I understand correctly what you're saying, I'm not actually using my own strength to go there with my mind. I'm using nature's strength, whatever it might be — the rocks, the trees, the bushes. It doesn't matter. The only thing that's holding me back from going farther is my ability to make use of the strength that nature gives me, because that's wh
at's maintaining control of the energy, or power, that I'm using."
"That's right," said Rya with a smile, pleased that he had caught on so quickly. She remembered that it had been much more difficult teaching this to Marya.
"So in order for me to push my senses all the way to the coast of Kashel, I have to become more experienced in searching so I can control a larger amount of the energy I'm taking from nature."
"Exactly," said Rynlin. He too smiled. He liked it when Thomas got something right on the first try. It helped to puff up his ego as a teacher.
"Then I guess for me to learn how to do something else with the Talent," trying the word out for size, "I need to learn how to redirect the power of nature in a certain way."
"Again, you're right, Thomas," said Rynlin. "All you have to do is take in the power that exists around you — which you have already mastered — and then focus it in a specific way."
"But not tonight," said Rya. "It's almost midnight, and it's time for bed. We can continue this discussion tomorrow morning.” She had seen the look on Thomas' face, and she knew what he was going to ask next. He wanted to learn what else he could do. But it was getting late, and he needed his sleep, especially since Rynlin had asked him to see how far he could go. The test had actually served an altogether different purpose. Yes, Rynlin was curious about how far Thomas could search, but he also wanted to know just how strong he was, and how much of the natural power he could handle at one time. Thomas was only fifteen years old, yet his strength was staggering. He was already stronger than Rya and was just a few notches below Rynlin. And Rynlin was one of the most powerful sorcerers in all the Kingdoms.
Thomas nodded his acquiescence. Lifting himself off the rock, he stumbled more than walked as he headed to the house, and was thankful that the stairs leading up to his room had a banister. Otherwise he wouldn't have made it. Too tired to take his clothes off, he flopped down onto his bed and was asleep in seconds.