“It was as well to my grandmother; there were times when she almost seemed afraid—not of what I would do, what it might do to me.” Lindon recalled when he carried Donovan away from Kornas. “Donovan, do you remember when we found you?”
“Yes.”
“You were near death at the time, right?”
“Yes.”
“And what about now—how do you feel?”
Donovan gazed at Lindon, not sure what he was getting at. He said, “I feel pretty good; I mean, I still hurt in places and a little weak, but other then that, it looks like I will live.”
“And don't you wonder why in such a short time you have recovered?”
“Now that you mention it, yes. By rights I should be dead, not sitting on the back of a horse chatting with you like I haven't a care in the world.”
“I think I might have a reason for it, but I am not sure how. When I was carrying you away from the city, I could feel a tingling in my arms where I held you and when we stopped and rested, I could not stay awake no matter how much I tried.”
Both Aina and Donovan were looking at Lindon, not quite sure what it was he was saying. “What I mean is that I believe when someone attacks or transfers magic into me, I kind of store it, and I am able to pass it on to others in a beneficial way. At least that's my theory.”
“I've never heard of anyone being able to do anything remotely like that, but it kind of makes sense if you think about it. Look at when we were attacked today. That bolt should have burnt you to a crisp, and if it had hit either of us, we would have been. I was looking right at you when it hit and if looked like it just flowed into you,” Aina said with wonderment. “And you would think that it has to go somewhere, but where is anybody’s guess.”
Aina was thinking of the possibilities when she noticed that the sun was starting to set. “I think it will have to wait, it’s past time we find a place to camp for the night.”
The supplies they had gotten from the dead men made camp quite a lot nicer having food and supplies to cook with. They still hadn’t been able to find a stream to wash the bedding in nor their clothes for that matter; all three of them still had the stench of the sewer on them.
After they ate, Lindon had an idea he'd like to try but wasn’t sure if Donovan would agree or not. He decided that the only way to find some answers was to take the risk and find out if what he suspected would happen.
Lindon walked around the fire and sat down beside Donovan on the ground. “Donovan, you said that you still hurt?”
“Yes,” he answered guardedly.
“I would like to try something.”
“You want to see if your theory is right, don't you?”
“Yes I do; I mean since I was hit with magic, my body is tingling all over looking for a place to go, and since I had used what energy I had before to help you, I would like to try to do it on purpose. I believe that if I can learn to control it, we will be better off. What do you say?”
Donovan sat looking into the fire for a few minutes before answering. “I don't know if it will work, but I owe you my life more than once and I am yours until you no longer need it.”
Aina gave a startled gasp; she didn't think Lindon fully understood what Donovan just gave him, a Life debt. He had fully committed himself to Lindon and left it up to him when it was fulfilled. She had done the same, she just never told him about it; it was hard for her to put herself into anyone's servitude even if it were by choice. Maybe someday she would tell him but for now, she couldn't bring herself to publicly make the vow to him.
“What do you want me to do?” he asked Lindon.
“Nothing, just sit there relaxed and tell me if you feel anything.”
Lindon wanted to start small, so he gently took the Dwarf’s hand in his own. Feeling trepidation, he closed his eyes, trying to feel the energy in his own body. When he felt he had it, he slowly wished for his friend to be healed of his injuries, and with gentle guidance, he allowed the flow of energy to move into Donovan.
At first, he could feel nothing, then little by little Lindon could feel the same tingling that he had felt the day before caring Donovan. As the energy left his body, he worried that he might be unknowingly harming him, so he opened his eyes to look. Donovan's face was one of total relaxation. The scars that had crisis crossed his face had all but faded and now were only faint lines on his face. Not wanting to overdo it, he cut the flow from his body to Donovan and then released his hand.
It took a few seconds for Donovan to realize that Lindon had stopped his healing and let his hand go. When he opened his eyes there were tears in them; it was like the years of imprisonment had never taken place. His joints and numerous broken bones no longer hurt; he didn't feel any pain.
His body was whole again. He jumped to his feet and gave a great shout of pure joy. He ran at Lindon and before he knew what was happening, Donovan wrapped Lindon in the biggest hug he could. Dwarfs were not known for their overemotional side, but he just couldn't help it. Yesterday he was sure he was going to die and had accepted it, to today he was whole again and had strength in his muscles. His body hadn't filled out again, but that was nothing that some good food couldn't fix.
Still with tears in his eyes, he released Lindon from his embrace, then did something Lindon didn't expect. He bent to one knee, and in a solemn voice said, “I pledge my service to you for as long as is necessary to protect you from all foes. This I pledge by the name of Gal Nola, my god.”
Lindon was stunned; he hadn't expected quite that reaction from Donovan. He didn't think he had really done all that much. When Aina approached, he hoped that she would talk some sense into him, but when she approached, she too sank to her knees beside Donovan. “I am Aina Bow-Strike, I too pledge my service to you to protect you from all foes for as long as is necessary. This I do by the name of Shu Nola, my god.”
Lindon was beyond stunned. Here kneeling in front of him, an Elf and a Dwarf both pledging themselves to him. Why they were doing it was beyond his understanding but something about it seemed right, and he could not bring himself to refuse them.
Seeing them both kneeling in front of him with heads bowed, Lindon stepped up to them. Placing one hand on each head, he wished them both well and with as much ceremony that he could, said, “I accept your service to me and if there comes a day when I no longer deserve it, I free you from your pledge.” Suddenly, Lindon could feel power well up inside him and down his arms to the contact between them, and with a flash, all three were frozen in place as power rushed through them.
When it was over, Lindon felt completely drained; he was barely able stumble over to his makeshift bed before he passed out. Aina and Donovan were still kneeling where they were, looking to one another to find an explanation for what just happened. Both of them could feel something different in themselves but could not pinpoint what it was.
It was midday when Lindon finally woke; he was still feeling the effects of the previous night. He felt like he had been kicked in the head by a horse and every muscle ached from being tensed up as the power rushed through him.
As he groggily sat up, he noticed that he was covered in a blanket, and he was not wearing any clothes underneath. Looking around in panic, he spotted his clothes hanging on a makeshift rack beside the fire drying.
When he had finished dressing, he looked around for Donovan and Aina. Thinking the worst, he quickly he picked up his swords and was just about to go searching for them when Donovan walked back into camp carrying the other bedroll. It was still dripping water as he walked to the fire and hung it up where Lindon had found his clothes.
“Ahh, it’s good you are awake. We were starting to wonder if you were ever going to get out of bed.”
“Where's Aina?” Lindon asked.
“She is still down at the little creek we found, cleaning her clothes.”
“How long was I asleep for?”
“Two days.”
“Two days! Why didn't you wake me?”
“We tried; you just wouldn't wake up. Your heart was beating strong, and you were breathing, but other than that there was nothing we could do, so we decided to just let you sleep.”
“Sorry for being so curt with you, it’s just that my head is pounding, and I feel like I have been running for days. Every muscle in my body aches.”
“No worries, Lindon; I am just happy to see you up and about. I would guess that you're probably a little hungry too.”
“That's an understatement; I’m hungry enough to eat a side of beef by myself.”
“Well we don't have quite that much to eat, but we do have a nice rabbit stew and some wild herbs that Aina found.”
When he was handed the bowl of stew and some hard bread that they had gotten from the dead attackers, Lindon's stomach grumbled loudly. With the sounds of Donovan's chuckling, he went to work on the stew.
“Donovan, I thought you were coming right back.” Lindon looked around to see where Aina was, but she wasn't anywhere to be seen.
“I was, but Lindon is awake, and I was just getting him some food,” Donovan answered, but Lindon could have sworn that his lips didn't move.
“Where is Aina, and how could I hear your voice? Your mouth didn't move,” asked Lindon.
“If you can wait a few minutes, we will be right back.” Not waiting for an answer, Donovan went back down the little path they had made to the creek.
Lindon sat there in confusion, trying to figure out what was going on. How could Donovan talk to Aina when she wasn't here? He decided to try to wait calmly for their return; he picked up his weapons to give them a cleaning while he waited, but when he had them in his hand, they were already cleaned and sharp. He set them back down, giving it no more thought, thinking one of them had done it for him.
After a few minutes, both Aina and Donovan came back up the path, carrying the rest of their gear. It wasn't much, but at least it was now clean. Lindon sat cross-legged waiting for them to finish hanging the wet items. When they were done, they came and sat on the other side of the fire, facing him.
Aina looked at Lindon. “Can you hear me?
“Yes I can, what I can't do is see your lips move as you talk to me!”
This time she spoke out loud. “Well, that makes three of us. While you were sleeping, we found out that after whatever you did to us, we can now talk to each other without our voices. At first, it worried me that Donovan could maybe read my mind, but it doesn't seem to work that way. We practiced quite a lot while you were unconscious, and we have found out that he has to be thinking about me as he thinks his words, and somehow I can hear him, but if he isn't thinking of me, I can't hear his thoughts, and vice-versa. “
Lindon turned to Donovan. “And you can hear when she talks to me in her mind too?”
“The only thing I heard was when she spoke out loud.”
“But I heard both of you when you were speaking to each other earlier.”
“Let’s try something; I will try talking to Aina see if you can hear.”
“Okay.”
“Aina and Lindon, can you both hear me?”
“Yes,” they both answered.
“And now, Lindon, can you hear me?”
This time only Lindon answered “Yes.”
“Okay, this time, Lindon, try to use only your thoughts to talk to one of us.”
“Donovan, can you hear me?”
“Yes. How about you, Aina, could you hear him?”
“No, I couldn't.”
“Okay now, Lindon, try to do it again, but this time think of both of us at the same time.”
“Okay, I will try.” Lindon paused, then thought of his comrades. “Aina and Donovan, can you both hear me?”
“Yes,” both answered.
“Good, it seems we can all talk this way, as long as we are thinking of both other people. Not sure why or how it works, but for some reason, we can.”
“So what are we going to do now?” Donovan asked.
Lindon thought about the question—what were they going to do? He should go find Arden and his grandmother, but that didn't seem like the right thing to do.
They were both looking at him to decide, but he wasn't sure of what to do. “I don't know,” he answered. “I mean, we were going to meet up with my grandmother and Arden at someplace called sanctuary, but that doesn't seem like the right thing to do. What do you think, Aina?”
“I don't know either, everything that has happened, up until now, just sort of happened without having any kind of plan.”
“What about you, Donovan, any ideas?” Lindon asked.
“I have one, but I doubt if Aina would think it’s a good idea.”
“Just say it, Donovan; I promise I won't bite you if it's bad.”
“Okay, here it is then. I was thinking that I might know a person that may be able to explain about what has happened to us and what it might mean.”
Lindon sat up straighter. “Who?”
“There is a Dwarf woman whom they say is a seer—she kind of knows things before they happen, and she is said to be the wisest of our people. I don't know if she can help us understand what is going on, but she is the only one I can think of that might.”
“And why wouldn't I think that is a good idea?” said Aina tartly.
“Well, you see, she lives past where even my people live. To reach her from here would take about two weeks traveling—about a week to my people, and then another week to where she lives—and all of it deep underground.”
“I see; you would normally be right about my going there but this time I think it's the right thing to do. There may be someone among my people that might be able to help, but I don't really want to risk the barrier to get to them, and with a Dwarf and a Human they may refuse to help anyway. Do you think she would help us even with me being an Elf?”
“I don't think my people would refuse to help just because you're an Elf; we don't actually hate your people, it’s just that they don't trust them. However, I am confident that if I ask, they will help.”
Aina looked at Lindon. “What do you think?”
Lindon thought about it for a minute before answering. “I think you’re right; it’s our only choice. I don't think my grandmother can help, and we need to find someone that can. It's our only chance; even if she doesn't know, she may know someone that does.”
Chapter 11
Lindon had been following Aina and Donovan for the last two days, gaining confidence in his riding ability—not quite enough that he would allow Donovan to ride with him, but at least he could now maneuver his mount without too much trouble and was not in danger of falling off at every turn.
As they came over the last rise, Lindon could see the sleepy little village nestled in the shadow of a huge mountain. Sitting on top of the rise, he could see wagons coming and going. He was surprised at the amount of traffic in the little village.
“The village is called Naphara. It's where we send our goods to be traded with the outside world.”
“That explains what all the wagons are doing. You would think though that the village would be bigger for the amount of traffic that comes and goes,” Lindon stated.
“Actually that is by design; we don't really want a large city here. It's too close to an entrance to the tunnels. There isn't any trading going on down there, only the transportation of the goods that have already been bought.”
“I guess that makes sense.”
“Come on, we can get a hot meal before we get the supplies that we need for the journey.”
Riding into the village, Lindon was struck with the impression that the people were quite happy living here. Not seeing the strife that marked the other communities he had seen, everyone seemed to get along and the aura of fear that was prevalent even in his home village was absent.
They made their way through the main street, there were many strange looks directed at them. Lindon realized that a Dwarf riding behind an Elf was probably not something that they saw everyday. They ca
me to a squat building made of stone, stopping in front. Donovan was the first to dismount, Aina and Lindon following.
They had to move quickly to catch Donovan as he entered. Lindon, seeing that the entrance was not made to accommodate people his size, had to duck his head as he entered. When they entered, Lindon was surprised to find the place was full of Dwarfs. Having only ever met Donovan, he was unprepared for the sound or the smell of the place. When he was fully inside the door, the place went quiet. One of the patrons yelled, “Humans and definitely Elves are not welcome here!”
Donovan didn't delay in answering, “They are with me and anyone not liking it can step up.”
Lindon was about to suggest that they didn't want to have to fight their way out so not to rile up the crowd, but before he could say anything someone shouted, “Donovan, could it really be you?”
The place erupted in celebration as Donovan was hoisted into the air and paraded about, being passed from Dwarf to Dwarf before above the ruckus, his voice boomed, “Would you stop all this nonsense and put me down!”
With a kind of reverence, he was gently lowered to the ground. One fellow a little taller than the others came up to Donovan. “We all had all given up hope that you were alive; I mean, it's been almost two years since you vanished,” he said with tears openly running down his cheeks. “Where have you been and what happened to you?”
“Now is not the time for explanations, but the thing you need to know now is that these two saved my life and fought to keep me that way. They will be given every courtesy that you all can give, understand?” The tone in which he delivered his last statement left no doubt in any of the minds of the Dwarfs present. As one, they shouted, “Aye.”
“Now if some kind soul would bring three ales and enough food for hungry travelers, that would be much appreciated.”
They were ushered to a table in a quiet corner of the room. Lindon could tell the Dwarf that had first spoken was bursting with questions, but his respect for Donovan was such that he kept quiet until Donovan was ready to tell his tale. As they were sitting down, Donovan's voice came to Lindon and Aina's mind: “Say nothing to anyone here; we will only tell the full story to the seer. Agreed?”
Shaping Magic (Mistakes Return) Page 9