The Druids' Legacy

by Trenna McMullin

  * * * * *

  “You summoned me?” Iregh bowed low, trying to hide his irritation at being interrupted during his study of the magical methods recently employed by the rebels.

  His master gazed down at him, icy blue eyes unreadable. Iregh waited, but no response came. The minutes ticked by. Did Il’esandra sense his impatience? Was she punishing him for taking a minute to finish his notes before responding to her call?

  Just as he was about to break the silence and ask why he’d been sent for, she spoke.

  “I’ve ascertained the source of her breakdown last winter. Despite your inability to take advantage of that weakness, I am giving you another chance. I believe we can recreate her state of vulnerability.”

  Iregh pushed his annoyance aside, intrigued by the challenge of a new problem to tackle. “What do you need me to do?”

  Il’esandra smiled coldly and told him her plan. He grinned. While he doubted the efficacy of the overall scheme, the magic it involved was certainly going to be fun.

  Chapter 8: Falling Apart

  Lauryn kept her head down as she dashed between tents, hoping no one would see her tears and know how pathetic she was.

  “Watch where you are going!” a woman’s voice said, her unmistakable accent followed by angry chittering from the dragon flying above her.

  Lauryn mumbled an apology to the Shaari woman she’d just shoved past. A strong hand gripped her upper arm, keeping her from continuing to flee.

  "Let go of me," Lauryn said, hearing the hitch in her voice and hoping the foreigner wouldn't notice.

  "Lauryn, is that you?" A softer voice spoke from beside the Shaari warrior, and Lauryn finally looked up. Amischel was standing next to the Shaari woman named Hallahna, looking at her with concern. Lauryn hadn't talked to the woman since rejoining the rebels, but Ami had traveled with them from Doraicolé to Kaltor on the first leg of their journey to look for Eléirathös, so she was more familiar to Lauryn than most of the other people in camp.

  "Sorry Amischel," Lauryn said more sincerely, wishing her cheeks weren't shiny with tears and her nose wasn't streaming.

  Hallahna cocked an eyebrow at Amischel and let go of Lauryn's arm. "You are the healer's girl, right?"

  Lauryn nodded, trying not to let the reminder bring fresh tears to her eyes.

  Amischel rested a hand on her shoulder. "I heard about what happened from Joran. I'm sorry for your loss."

  Lauryn nodded again, still not trusting herself to speak. The dragon chittered suddenly, sounding distressed, and Hallahna looked at it in alarm. Lauryn shifted nervously, wondering if the creature was going to breathe fire. The Shaari woman spoke firmly to the beast in low, calming tones.

  Amischel rested her hand on Lauryn's shoulder and drew her aside while the Shaari woman talked to the dragon.

  "You seem upset, Lauryn. Is it anything I can help with?"

  Lauryn opened her mouth to say no and instead found the whole story pouring out. How Myrnai's death was Ky’ara’s fault and she hadn't even told her about it. How alone she felt, what had happened when she went to talk to Ky'ara about it. Everything.

  As she spoke, her anger seemed to slip away with the words, and as the anger left, so did a large portion of her grief. Amischel nodded understandingly and gave Lauryn a brief hug when she had finished.

  "Loss is difficult. I lost my mother and brother as a young girl, and my father when I was only a little older than you. Don't let it make you feel like there is nothing for you...believe me, there are others who care for you now, and many others who will in the future, if you let them in."

  "Thank you," Lauryn whispered, feeling as though an oppressive weight had lifted from her mind. She turned to find the Shaari woman giving her a piercing look, the dragon hovering above her fixing its whirling eyes on her as well.

  Lauryn bid them goodbye and headed to find Joran. She needed to apologize for blaming him, before he gave up on her.

  * * * * *

  Amischel looked after the girl and frowned. It wasn't like Lauryn to be so volatile. Unlike most girls her age, she had a good head on her shoulders. She didn't usually let her emotions override it.

  "Something was off about that girl,” Hallahna murmured.

  Amischel glanced at her. "You don't even know Lauryn."

  "I do not have to...Irakyll sensed Darkness. That is why she started acting up."

  Amischel's frown deepened. "And she doesn't anymore?"

  Hallahna looked at her with an unreadable expression. "That's the strange thing...she told me it was gone before the girl left."

  "Maybe something flew overhead," Amischel suggested.

  Hallahna shrugged. "Maybe. But I do not think so...she would have told me it was above us, rather than blaming the girl."

  "I did think she was far more emotional than usual...but she also just lost the woman who raised her. I don't know. Do you think we need to tell someone about this? I don't want them to bother her when she's already hurting like this...especially if it turns out it was nothing."

  "I believe we need to tell Calistra."

  "But if Irakyll said it was gone..."

  Hallahna gave her a searching look. "You really do not realize it, do you?"

  "Realize what?" Amischel asked. She was growing more confused the longer this conversation lasted.

  Hallahna shook her head. "You affect people in strange ways sometimes. Irakyll senses it, but it seems to escape the notice of the mages."

  "I have no idea what you mean," Amischel protested.

  "It's like...you calm them...no, that's not quite right..."

  "I'm still confused. Are you talking about my personality or some kind of magic?" Amischel asked softly, “And are we telling Calistra about Lauryn, or me?”

  "Affinity! Yes, that is the word, I think."

  Amischel just gave her a blank look.

  "You have dreams about things that are happening; you settle fights more quickly than my grandmother's glare; and when you focus on someone, their problems melt away," Hallahna listed.

  "Affinity? Isn’t that when someone likes you more than other people...I definitely don’t have that. People tend to just ignore me."

  Hallahna smiled faintly. “Yes, that is the interesting part. You do it and no one notices, but everyone just sort of...meshes better when you are around.”

  “I think you’re giving me far too much credit.”

  Hallahna threw her hands up in the air. "I give up. Either you see it, or you don't." She walked off in the direction of the command tent. Irakyll hovered near Amischel, thrumming contentedly. Hallahna turned back, whistling sharply and giving Amischel an ironic look. "Affinity," she mouthed, pointing to the dragon.

  Amischel furrowed her brow, following the Shaari woman to Calistra's headquarters, trying to make sense of what her friend was trying to tell her. She'd never seen her ability to calm others as anything magical. If you kept your temper in check and helped people see when they were being unreasonable, it was easy to defuse a situation...anyone could do it, right?

  From what she'd learned during her time with the organization, magic didn't work that way anyhow. You used words to cast spells and had to specifically manipulate it...She'd never said a magic word in her life, and she certainly hadn't ever cast a spell. Besides, if she could magically affect people, why hadn't that ever worked on her husband? She shoved that thought away, burying it back where it belonged before the memories could affect her. Horanth didn't deserve even a moment of her thoughts. The man was dead and he would never hurt her again.

  She moved her focus back to the most recent incidents. Now that she thought about it, there were a number of times when she had walked into a conversation and within minutes the tension had dissolved. Maybe it was just coincidence, but perhaps not… and how was it all tied to all the premonitions she'd had? She couldn't ignore all the little things that had happened before Jenie's house was destroyed, how she'd managed to get them all to safety beforehand and keep them fr
om capture afterwards. Then there was her dream about Ky'ara and the others...Hallahna had sent Irakyll to look for them in precisely the place she'd dreamed they would be, and they were there.

  Parts of her life that had never seemed to be important now jumped out at her as glaring examples of similar moments of insight. What did it mean? She felt her heartbeat quicken and struggled to suppress the fluttering of panic in her chest. Would she be expected to do it all on purpose now? Would Calistra laugh at them for even bringing it up? How was she—-

  "Ami!" Hallahna snapped in front of her face, startling her out of the downward spiral she'd started to tumble into. The Shaari woman looked at her gravely for a moment, then smiled and laughed lightly. "You looked more panicked than a rabbit with a dragon after it. Do not let it worry you, ashya, it will all be fine.”

  Amischel nodded, taking a deep breath. She would be fine. And if they expected too much of her, she could always just go home and live in the forest as a recluse, right?

  She took another steadying breath, and followed Hallahna into the tent.

  * * * * *

  Calistra looked up from her desk. "Hallahna! What on earth are you doing with your dragon inside my tent? Can you please leave her outside?"

  Hallahna rolled her eyes and murmured something to Irakyll, who scolded Calistra soundly and dove through the tent flap, startling Amischel and blowing papers off the walls and desk.

  Calistra sighed in exasperation. Of course. She got up and retrieved the papers, returning them to their rightful spots before turning back to the two women and giving them a rather strained smile in welcome. Amischel looked a little...harried, while Hallahna seemed unreadable as always.

  "Now, what did you need to tell me?"

  Amischel glanced at Hallahna pensively. The woman shook her head in amusement and gave Calistra a direct look. "Irakyll sensed darkness in the healer's girl...Lauryn I believe is her name.”

  Calistra was taken aback. "Alright, do I need to call her in here for evaluation? Did she do anything untoward?"

  Amischel shook her head hurriedly "No, She's fine. After we talked to her, Irakyll said it was gone."

  Calistra raised an eyebrow, "So it was there for a few minutes, but now it's gone? Just like that? Is Irakyll sensing something else, perhaps?"

  Hallahna shook her head. "I believe that Amischel took care of it."

  Amischel shot Calistra a nervous look, her eyes wide with worry. Calistra met her gaze and held it for a moment, trying to keep her expression neutral as she lightly probed the woman's mind. It was slippery as glass and felt a little...foreign. Yet the general feeling she got was one of goodwill. There was no darkness there.

  "And what do you think, Amischel?"

  "I don't know. The girl was acting out of character...more angry and emotional than usual. I spoke to her for a minute and she calmed down. Hallahna pointed out that that seems to be a common occurrence. I don't know if I just have a natural calming influence or if it goes beyond that."

  Calistra nodded thoughtfully. "The Elysian woman Ky'ara and the others brought with them acted in a similar way...she was disproportionately angry about something, until Ky'ara got rid of the darkness in her mind. I wonder if it somehow infected Lauryn?"

  Hallahna shrugged, looking disinterested. Amischel pursed her lips. "That's worrisome. Do you need to check the others to ensure they didn't get some of it too?”

  "That is an excellent suggestion," Calistra said, smiling at her. "I will make sure I do that as soon as possible."

  Amischel shifted awkwardly. She still wasn't used to being praised.

  "I want you to pay more attention to these abilities as well, Amischel. And I hope you will come talk to me if you have any questions...I certainly don't know everything about magic, but I may be able to help you focus your abilities so you use them only when you want to."

  Amischel nodded. Calistra dismissed them, and Hallahna left with her friend in tow.

  Calistra sat back down and tapped her pen absently on her desk. She didn't know everything there was to know about magic, but she did know enough to recognize that abilities like Amischel's were more than rare—they were unheard of. Ironically, the only person who might know anything about how they worked or where they came from, was Lauryn.

  The only person...Calistra stopped tapping her pen and sat up straighter. With Amischel on their side, she had an advantage no one else knew about...One that no one was likely to believe even if they did hear rumors about it. A slow smile spread across her face. She didn't know exactly how it worked or all the ways it could help them, but she did know that having a weapon no one else had was always an advantage. She just had to learn how to use it.

  * * * * *

  Ky'ara spent the next few days helping complete the setup of camp and tending to the wounded. She was under strict orders not to overextend herself, so for the most part she refrained from using magic, but she could spare the energy to examine a wound more closely or give a little boost of healing here or there. Most of the wounded were discharged after a day or two, their wounds minor and easy to care for on their own as they finished healing.

  Geri was a special case. He'd been given a high dose of healing magic the first day, but his injuries were extensive enough that he still shouldn't move more than absolutely necessary till they had ensured that everything inside had healed properly. Ky'ara was reminded of the first little boy she'd tried to heal...it brought her a little bit of peace to finally realize that even if she had embraced her magic sooner and learned the basics, his wounds would probably have been beyond all but the most skilled healers. Still, she took every opportunity to ask the healers questions about how and why they treated specific wounds with certain spells, and she spent a lot of time helping them monitor Geri for signs of infection and evaluating the way his eye healed.

  Taren helped out when he could, but Ky'ara could see it pained him being unable to use magic the way he used to. He'd tried lending some extra strength to one of the boys there, only to find that the pitiful bit of magic he had left was barely enough to heal a scrape. After the second time that he scowled in frustration and looked ready to hit something, Ky'ara suggested he should go consult with the captains and help them design their training exercises and battle formations for maximum efficiency against trolls and soldiers. The rueful smile he gave her told her he recognize that she was redirecting him, but the suggestion also seemed to prove to him that he did still have something valuable to contribute.

  "So you and druid-boy are back together, huh?" Geri asked, cocking an eyebrow as Ky'ara worked on unwinding the bandage from around his chest.

  "Whether we are or not isn't really any of your business," she responded tartly, carefully laying the piece of cloth on the bed next to him.

  He grinned. "Not even as your friend?"

  Ky'ara rolled her eyes. "Don't you think you have too many female "friends" already, Geri? Do you care about their love lives this much?"

  Geri shrugged, then winced. "I didn't know any of them as kids like I did you," his expression sobered, "really and truly though, Ky'ara, I'm glad you're happy. I really am...He might be a little...serious, for my taste, but if he makes you happy, that's all that matters."

  "This wouldn't have anything to do with the way you and Calistra have been carrying on, does it?" Ky'ara asked pointedly as she started to gently probe the side of his head with her fingers. The healers had taught her how to look for soft spots where fluid might build up.

  "What's that supposed to mean?" Geri protested.

  "I've heard about how you two—" She broke off as his eyes suddenly rolled back in his head and he jerked backwards.

  "Help!" she shouted, looking around wildly for a more experienced healer. Geri's body convulsed, his back arching and his head thumping rhythmically against the pallet he had been sitting on.

  Julaine came running over from the other corner of the tent. "Get his head still, now!" She snapped more orders to the other healers nearby
, sending one scurrying out of the tent in search of Calistra.

  Ky'ara moved to the end of the pallet and held Geri's head on either side while the other healers held him down. Julaine laid a hand on his forehead and recited a long string of words in the ancient language, her voice clear and firm.

  His convulsions subsided, and Geri lay still, his breathing labored and his face clammy with sweat. Ky'ara gently sent a wave of healing magic into him.

  "Stop that!" Julaine snapped, "His body is walking a delicate balance right now. You go crashing through there with unfocused power and you could send him into another seizure!"

  Ky'ara snatched her hands away, feeling humiliated. "Sorry, he just looks so weak...is there something I can do to help?"

  "You can tell me exactly what you did before he went into the seizure to begin with."

  "I was just examining his head, exactly the way you showed me to!" Ky'ara protested, "One moment he was talking to me, the next, he was shaking uncontrollably."

  The healer frowned and gently lifted Geri's head off the pillow with both hands, her fingers gently feeling along the same pathways Ky'ara's had. She murmured something and Ky'ara caught flickers of light in her peripheral vision as the healer used magic to examine the area more thoroughly.

  Calistra suddenly burst into the tent and made her way over to them, knocking over an empty cot in her haste.

  "What happened? Why is he unconscious!"

  Julaine fixed her with a withering glare. "Get ahold of yourself Calistra! I have other patients here who need rest!"

  Calistra pulled up short, looking for a moment like she wanted to snap at the woman in return. She looked down at Geri's inert figure, and melted onto the floor next to him, laying one hand over his and smoothing his hair out of his face with the other.