by Sandra Elsa
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The sun shone weakly through the watery ceiling. Johann rose and led her up the stairs. This time she kept her eyes open and it amazed her to see the water flow about her as though she were wrapped in a layer of air. "Where did the Lodges come from?"
"Nobody knows anymore. They’ve been here as long as anybody can remember. They're mentioned in most of the ancient historical texts. When anybody with magic travels through the mountains and has need of a place to stay, they need only look for the Travel Oaks.” He pointed to the nearest of the behemoth oak trees. “They show the way. Food is always well-stocked, blankets are always clean, and the straw always fresh. Nobody ever sees the caretakers, but everybody who stays, leaves a token of thanks."
So saying, he turned from the shoreline and placed a gemstone on the ground, similar to the one that had been outside his cottage. Pink knew enough about precious things to realize that this was not even close to valuable. In fact, it appeared to be little more than cheap decoration. She raised an eyebrow in unvoiced accusation.
"You think I'm being cheap,” he said with a smile, “but you see only the bauble. It could be a chunk of granite for all the caretakers concern themselves. The value is not in the stone, but in the shield spell contained within.” He gestured to the stone and it melded into the nest of grass he had placed it in. “It will protect this place from being noticed by anyone without magic. When the next wizard or witch comes along, they'll reset the spell when they leave. Unless something else is requested that's the cost of a night’s lodging."
“Then how did Garec notice your cottage when he returned?”
Johann raised his eyebrows. “Saw that did you? Garec knew the cottage existed. He knew its exact location. That shield stopped anybody from seeing us leave. It was temporary.”
"Do the Caretakers often request another type of payment?”
Looking up from the gem hidden in the grasses, Johann said, “Sometimes they need a Travel Oak replanted, along with the accompanying spells to speed its growth. Often they want nothing more than restocking the pantry. It's always something you're able to pay.”
“How do you know the price? It’s not like they left a note.”
Johann began walking away. “How they pass on their desire is a mystery. But if you stay in a Lodge, you awake knowing the cost.”
“Can all wizards do shield spells?"
"Certainly. They're the first thing which must be learned when one starts mucking about with magic. Even if you never have to shield against an enemy, you must be able to protect mind and body from any backlash, should something go wrong.” The tight line of his lips, and the deep creases between his brows told her he’d seen things go wrong, more than once. “While teaching personal shields, the next logical step in developing an apprentice's skills is to teach him to create an area shield like the one I leave here.” His fingertips fluttered back toward the still surface of the pond. “This is a simple, 'On your way, don't notice me’ shield, but you can shield an area physically, to prevent danger from entering or leaving."
"Could you teach me?" Pink asked, enchanted with the very idea of magic.
"I'll check tonight to see if you have a glimmer. I suspect you do after what happened with my webs this morning.” His lips pulled downward in a tight line. “If there is even the tiniest glimmer, I'll instruct you."
They left the Lodge behind but instead of returning the way they had come, Johann climbed to the summit of a small hill just beyond the Lodge. When they stood at the top, he turned her in a full circle and at each cardinal direction he paused long enough to point out the distinctive crowns of the Travel Oaks in that direction.
Pink found it odd that there was a western line leading deeper into the mountains. When he spun her back to the north, she could follow the line of trees to where it joined once again with the winding brown ribbon of road. Without hesitation she followed them northward.
Before they reached the road she felt the twinge of Johann's snapping web. Garec had wasted no time riding south.
The terrain they traveled over became difficult. As the road ran higher in the mountains, Johann’s pace dwindled to a crawl. The sky began to darken, and Pink found herself searching for a Travel Oak.
Johann noticed her watching the side of the road and smiled. "It will still be awhile until we come to the next Lodge,” he told her. “They are designed to be a solid day’s journey apart. Of course that means if you wish to use them you must do a solid day’s journey, and I've traveled much too slow."
The pitch black of the new moon wrapped gentle arms around the travelers long before they found their goal. Johann hefted a globe of wizard light into the air above their heads but its light diffused into the rough landscape around them. Stumbling on, tripping on stones in the traveled way, Johann bumped into Pink as she stopped without warning, distracted by a soft green glow coming from the side of the road.
Johann turned to see what she was staring at and turned from the massive tree, to look back at his traveling companion. "That is a Travel Oak. You must have a glimmer if you can pick it out of the forest with no light to see it by.”
Waving a barely visible hand toward the tree, she said, “When they glow like that, they are hard to miss.”
He scratched his head and looked back at the tree, sinking into a mild trance to view the energy of the tree, to be certain of what he was looking at. “Whether you’re aware of it or not, you're already using your glimmer. The trees don’t glow in the normal world, they glow to the second-sight--the vision you use to detect the magical energies.”
Following the glow from each tree they wound their way to the Lodge. This Lodge was built into a cliff of red rock; the entrance looked solid, but Pink followed Johann through with only the slightest hesitation. Inside, the Lodge was identical to the one they had stayed in the previous night and without even a pause to consider supper, they both made their beds of straw and lay down to sleep.
The following morning when her complaining stomach awoke her, the sun was well on towards noon. Johann was awake, but he too still lay in bed.
After getting up late, feeling the aches of being on the road for two days, and being out of shape, Johann decided they would remain there for the day. After breakfast they went outside the Lodge and collected fresh mushrooms, and some wild onion, to cook with the dried ingredients in the pantry, into a stew for lunch and supper. After preparing the stew, Pink went out into the forest and collected some wild plants that she knew would dry before nightfall.
As she wandered through the forest, careful to stay within view of the Travel Oaks, whispering wind soughed mournfully through the branches of the big trees. They seemed almost to be talking to her. She couldn't understand the words, but she knew if she could, they would convey tales of staggering sadness, of histories past and forgotten, of great deeds, and terrible deeds, done for the improvement of mankind, or for a single man’s lust for rule. They had witnessed many things in their long lives.
Her expedition came to an abrupt halt when Johann's next web snapped. Following the Travel Oaks, she hurried back to the Lodge.
Johann sat outside the lodge in front of the cookfire, occasionally stirring the stew. He looked tired. Pink regretted the selfishness of putting him in this predicament.
He looked up and smiled at her. "Garec's on his way north."
"I felt it.”
She sat down beside him and prodded the fire with a stick. “He won't find us here. Sooner or later he’ll pass us by and then we can be on our way to your friend’s house.” With great reluctance she added, “When we get there, I don't mind if you choose to stay. Just showing me these Lodges you have done much for me. I can't justify dragging you into my problems any further."
He leaned forward and stirred the stew. Then turned to her with a look on his face more serious than she had ever seen there before. "You didn't drag me anywhere. I volunteered to come. I admit until I’m better conditioned, travel will
be hard.” His lips twitched upward in a gentle smile. “I loved nothing more than traveling with my wife. It will do me good to be back on the road.”
“What are you keeping from me?” It was obvious he had more to say.
He exhaled slowly, staring into the fire. Reluctant. What could be so terrible?
Speaking so low she strained to hear, he said, “While you slept this morning, I searched your aura for a glimmer.” The tiny smile fled before a pained expression. “It surprised me to find that you do not possess a glimmer, but a raging torrent of brilliance that is untrained magic.”
If he hadn’t been so serious, she would have jumped in her excitement.
“It’s so blinding, I can't believe I didn’t see it until I looked. I suppose I’ve spent so long denying my own abilities, I closed off the part of myself that would have noticed without conscious thought.” Johann’s hooded eyes reflected the dancing flames. “That is most likely what Garec is seeing when he desires you. He doesn't even realize it, but besides being a beautiful woman, you’ll have strong magic.” He stirred the stew and shifted uncomfortably in his cross-legged seat. “Without me to nudge your gift along, it would remain largely useless, still there but untrained and unseen. So you’ll not be getting rid of me so easily.”
Softness lit his features as he smiled at her. "Haven't you noticed things you could do that seemed easy, though they should have been difficult? An unexpected result to a task you were given to do maybe?"
Pink considered his words and shook her head. "Until I ran away, I can't recall ever having anything unusual happen, accidentally or otherwise.” She grinned. “My stepfather sold me when I was eight. If I was so all-powerful and mighty, don't you think I'd have taken myself out of that situation sooner?"
As she searched her past for anything that might fall into the category of unexpected results, she remembered the hound who had torn her arm to shreds before sitting back and letting her run away. She choked at the implication. She had made that happen. Wiping the earlier smile from her face she told Johann about it.
"Being a slave, I guess I can’t expect you to know what magical energy feels like,” he said. “Was your mother or father, a witch or wizard? Grandparents perhaps?"
"I told you, my father was a sailor. My mother raised six children. We were always poor, and no, she never had magical help. I don't remember ever having grandparents.”
He continued to stare at her, apparently expecting that somehow she would reveal where this unseen and unproven energy he claimed she had, came from.
"If my family had strong magic I would not have ended up sold. My father would still be alive and my mother would be preparing a wedding feast for my marriage to a handsome prince." She laughed at her vision.
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Johann grinned at her fairytale life. Many children were raised on tales of magic, and princes and princesses living happily ever after.
In real life it didn’t happen that way. Magic helped its possessor do things most people couldn't, but only rarely did it come with a happily ever after. It was a responsibility which needed to be handled carefully, and if mishandled could cause harm to many.
The event with the dog told him she was able to tap into her energies. It would be far better if she knew what she were doing. A less caring person with her powers would most likely have left the dog a shredded bloody mess.