by Mark Hockley
REAL MAGIC
When they came upon Dredger his head was bowed as if in prayer. He no longer stood within the boundary of the megalithic circle, but just beyond, half concealed within the shadows of the looming pillars of stone.
There was an atmosphere of veneration about the place and sensing this, Tom and Jack refrained from speaking, only looking on in wonder at the huge monoliths, majestic structures of elementary power. Tom guessed that they towered perhaps twenty feet above his head and were at least eight feet in width.
After some time, Dredger lifted his head and turned to gaze down at the badger, his face grim. "It is true then," he said stiffly, forcing the words. "Everything is gone."
Mo made no reply and coming to stand beside the boys, the warrior addressed them all. "Now we must take a different path," he growled, then turning to Tom, "boy! Come here." He pointed at the ground in front of him, his grey eyes never leaving Tom and reluctantly the boy came and stood before him. "I am now a man without a past. Perhaps I have no future either." Dredger said this with a mixture of bitterness and sorrow. "So now it falls upon you to lead the way."
Tom just stared up at him. "Aren't you coming with us?" he muttered, not really certain if he wanted the man to say yes or no.
"That is not the issue," Dredger snapped and Tom almost recoiled beneath the warrior’s intense scrutiny.
The truth was Tom couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Him lead!? What was the man talking about!?
"The road is treacherous," continued Dredger, "but there are some things I can tell you, to aid you on your journey." This was all happening too fast and Tom didn't know what to think. He just looked on dumbly. "I do not know the path you must take," went on the warrior, "but a place exists where the way might be shown to you." He paused and turned to the badger. "You know where I speak of?" The animal nodded. "It is a perilous place, but nonetheless you must go."
"Why do things always have be dangerous around here?" commented Jack, suppressing a yawn.
Dredger gave him a dark look, but did not respond. Instead his attention seemed to be fixed on Tom.
"Where do we have to go?" Tom asked eventually, deciding he might as well know the worst of it.
Dredger stood before him, a commanding figure and yet apparently incapable of leading them. All at once, Tom was overcome by despair, his own inability to cope with the events which had overtaken his life weighing down upon him.
"You must pass through Issylvan, the forest of ice and then enter the caves of Rith-ran-ro-en. There you may find your path," the warrior instructed.
"And what dangers must we face?" questioned Tom, forcing himself to ask.
"All kinds of evil," Mo warned, "all kinds of magic. We must travel across a land of snow and ice. And snow and ice is white, as you know."
Tom sighed. He was only a boy. But he was expected to be more than that. How could he lead them? If only he could be just a boy again, with no troubles or responsibilities.
Jack came over to him and eyed his friend. "I think I should have stayed at home," he said with a small smile, apparently back to his old self again.
"And I think I should have gone to your house for the holidays!" Tom finished and they both chuckled briefly, but the situation was too bleak for their good humour to last very long.
"Perhaps now would be a good time to consult the map," suggested Mo, "it will show the way to Issylvan."
Tom did as the badger asked him, kneeling down on the grass and unrolling the parchment. "Yes," he established after a few seconds, stabbing at the map with a finger, "it is marked here."
"Which way must we travel?" the badger enquired.
"East." Tom gathered up the parchment and returned it to its place beneath his shirt.
Dredger went to stand apart from the others. He was now a desolate man. All that he believed in had seemed to disappear before his eyes and his heart was empty. Where did his destiny lie now? His mind turned, as it always did, to the Wolf.
Do you think you have won, beast? The game is not yet over.
He bared his teeth in a bitter smile. "Not yet," he said harshly under his breath.
"Well, Tom," spoke Mo, "shall we move on?"
"Oh," the boy replied tentatively, "I thought we'd be resting here awhile."
The badger gave a cursory glance in Dredger's direction. "I think perhaps it would be better to make camp elsewhere."
They headed east, the enigmatic signposts ensuring that they did not stray too far from their course.
After a while, when they had walked for some miles, Tom suggested that they make camp. Of course, with no sun to reckon by and never knowing when the light would fade, it was difficult to judge how long they had spent travelling. He remembered going to sleep when it had become dark before, but was uncertain of when the light had returned. He could not say how long had passed since then. He had lost all sense of time, if that term could even apply here at all.
Dredger had become withdrawn since they departed from Thauma's Ring, speaking only when addressed and then offering no more than a curt reply. He now sat beneath a small tree leaning back against it, his face blank.
"I will keep watch," the badger said and moved off toward a thicket of undergrowth that grew wildly about their camp place.
They had settled down below a mossy bank, a stream idling by a few yards in front of them and laying back, their heads resting comfortably against the embankment, Tom and Jack let their bodies relax, but even so their minds remained troubled.
"Tell me something," Jack said, staring up at the featureless sky, "how can there be a land of snow and ice anywhere near here?"
Tom pulled a face. "Anything can happen in this place I suppose."
"I wish we were back in your garden," Jack whispered, a tremor in his voice. His mind was beset by strange thoughts and he was becoming more and more afraid, although he did his best to hide it.
"I know," Tom agreed, unaware of his friend’s private turmoil, "but don't worry, we'll get back there."
They remained silent for a time before Jack spoke again. "How far is this snow anyway?"
Tom adjusted his position a little in an attempt to make himself more comfortable. "Not far, I think, judging by the map."
"Well I suppose it's something to look forward to," murmured Jack with a yawn.
"Go to sleep, will you," Tom said, smiling.
Jack closed his eyes and once again he dreamed.
He was walking through a brightly lit forest of vibrant colours, some of the trees clad in tawny leaves. Others waned to yellow and gold and fell about him as he hurried on,
carpeting the floor. He knew that he had an appointment to keep and it was very important that he get there on time. He must not stop for anything.
Passing beneath an archway of tall trees that leaned toward him on either side, Jack stepped into a long garden covered with flourishing plants and flowers in full bloom, making him feel as if he were emerging from autumn into glorious summer. A myriad
fragrances assailed him as he walked quickly along a pathway that led through the centre of the garden, before coming upon a large willow tree, its branches hanging very low, long leaves brushing the ground. Underneath it, seated upon two wooden chairs, he saw a badger and a wolf playing chess at a stone table and they smiled at him as he passed by. No time to stop and play, thought Jack moving swiftly on. Turning a corner, he squeezed through a narrow opening in a thick hedge and immediately noticed a pretty, golden-haired girl perched on a swing. She moved back and forward, her skirt riding up around stockinged thighs. "Hello, Jack," she called, but he didn't have time to answer.
Leaving the girl behind, Jack walked in the shadow of an ashen tree and looking up into its spreading branches he saw a man with red hair, sat astride a forked bough just above his head. "Why don't you climb up, young Jack. You can see things better from up here," he said but Jack just increased his speed.
I must not stop. He tried to think where it was t
hat he was going? Must get home for tea, came the answer. It's tea time and I'm late!
He began to run and passing by an ivy covered wall, he saw a cottage just ahead. The white walls of the building glinted like ice.
Opening the door, Jack breathlessly peered inside. "What's for tea?" he called with
anticipation.
At a table, the woman in white waited for him. "Come here and see," she said.
Tom couldn't sleep and he wasn't certain that he really wanted to. His mind kept telling him to stay awake, an insistent voice that nagged at him.
What am I going to do? His thoughts turned back to what Dredger had said. It was
stupid, how could he be their leader?
I suppose I could find the way to the forest of ice, whatever that might be, but what then? The map doesn't say anything about the caves of, what was it again? Rith-ran something or other. How do I find them? It all seemed impossible. He knew he could depend on the badger and there was always Jack. And he supposed Dredger would come in handy if they had to fight. But still he felt very alone. He was conscious of a burden upon him, although why or how he came to carry it was beyond his understanding. He was certainly having to grow up. An old man at fourteen! He smiled to himself, closing his eyes. He thought about the girl, Lisa. He liked to think about her.
You're the girl of my dreams.
"Shall we play a game?" she asked.
"Yes," agreed Tom.
"Then try to catch me if you can!" With that she ran off into the mouth of a dark cave and laughing, Tom went after her.
Jack sat at the table and waited.
The woman stood over him and smiled gently, her red lips a smouldering contrast against the pure white of her dress. "Have you been a good boy?" she asked. Jack nodded fiercely. "I've got something for you then."
He opened his eyes wide with expectation. What could it be?
She held out her hand and offered him a parchment tied with a white ribbon.
"What is it?" he wondered aloud, trying to hide his impatience.
"A map, of course, you silly boy," the woman told him, her smile never faltering.
Taking it in his sweaty palms, Jack clutched it tight to his chest. "It's lovely," he drooled, "thank you. Thank you very much."
The woman touched his cheek, running a long fingernail gently across his skin. "Remember Jack. The map is yours. Do not let anyone steal it away from you. Keep it safe, especially from dirty little thieves. The map is yours."
Jack held the parchment even more tightly, hugging it to himself and nodded earnestly. "Thank you," he said again, grinning.
Dredger too found sleep elusive. His mind slipped back through time, searching the depths of memory, desperately seeking for something that might restore his stricken faith. One small hope.
The stones, the runes, the poems. The prophecies! Now more than at any other time he had to know what they really meant.
Far down in the dismal pit of his mind he found a verse his father had often recited to him, the words leaping forth from the darkness as letters of fire.
Out of despair will come peace
and sacrifice shall come from the weak,
the warrior must walk his own road,
to find the truth he would seek.
So face the mask of the beast
and remember the wolf and his shape,
for those who drink of the wine,
are only as sweet as the grape.
'Father, I will not forget you'.
Dredger looked out at the sky and in that second darkness fell. Perhaps now he would be able to sleep. A glance at the boys laying nearby assured him that they were already sleeping and he nodded slowly to himself. That was good. They would need all of their strength for the trials ahead.
At the edge of their small camp the badger was on watch, concealed within a dense thicket of foliage and confident that Mo could be relied upon, he let himself relax at last, his muscles loosening. "May my dreams be of the past," he murmured, as the night closed in.
Tom entered the darkness and stopped. "I will catch you," he breathed, peering into the inky regions of the cave.
"Come and get me," the girl's voice sang out and moving as quickly as he could through the blackness, he went toward the sound of her voice.
Just a little way ahead, a tiny flicker of light became visible.
"Tom, Tom," she teased.
"I will catch you," he said again, his voice full of determination.
As he came upon the light he found it to be a small lantern hanging from the roof of the cave. Its shadowy radiance illuminated the place with a pale, phantom glow.
Suddenly, the girl jumped out at him, having been hidden somehow in the shadows. "Boo," she said softly.
She stood just a few feet away from him and Tom was immediately overcome by the impulse to reach out and touch her, to stroke her creamy skin. He looked into her eyes and became lost there.
"You caught me, Tom," she said quietly, her eyes never leaving his.
"Yes." Tom didn't know what he should do, but he thought that he would really like to kiss her. But as he hesitated, a shadow began to rise above her head, a great silhouette of darkness that quickly engulfed her body and blinded him. "No…" he groaned.
"Oh yes," hissed a woman's voice, low and threatening.
With his heart beating very fast, his eyes useless in the blackness, Tom felt the touch of a cold, clammy thing upon his neck. Up it slithered, caressing his cheek, following the line of his jaw until it came to rest upon his lips. He could not move.
Tom closed his eyes even though he could not see, a scream beginning to rise in his throat.
"Don't you want me now?" asked the voice gently at his ear. Icy breath touched him and he shuddered.
"Who are you?" he managed, his mouth dry.
"Rith, Rith, Rith-ran-ro-en,
go to the end
and turn back again.
Rith, Rith, Rith-ran-ro-el,
who is your true love?
only time will tell."
Tom very slowly opened his eyes and before him was a deep blue sea. He was no longer inside the cave.
He stood on a high bluff, overlooking the water that gently ebbed, everything peaceful. In the sky above the sun was a fiery ball, beating down with such ferocity that he felt hot and sticky.
I must find Jack!
He felt that this was very important and looking about him, he scanned the vicinity for some sign of his friend. But there was no-one there other than himself. All he could see was water and all around him, green trees that receded along the coastline.
"Jack! Oh, Jack!" called a voice. From an archway cut and shaped from a nearby hedge, stepped a woman. She was very beautiful, her clothing all of shimmering white.
"Have you seen little Jack?" she asked him casually. Tom shook his head. "If you see him," she said, coming closer to him, her ruby lips seeming to expand, crowding his vision, "tell him that I am looking for him. Yes?"
"I will," promised Tom, slightly dazed.
The woman smiled, perhaps a little thinly, but Tom didn't really mind. After all, she had smiled at him.
"Good boy," she said and then turned to walk away.
"Goodbye," Tom called after her, sorry to see her go so soon, but the woman made no response and soon disappeared back through the archway.
Tom scratched his head. How
did she know Jack anyway? He would have to ask him as soon as he found out where he was. Wherever that might be. Now though, it was time to go home for dinner. He was certainly hungry and Aunt Emily was sure to have prepared a good meal for him. While they ate Ira would probably ask him what he had been up to all day and Tom would tell his Uncle all about the woman in white. But there was just one small problem. He wasn't quite sure which way he should go to get home.
Dredger stood on a mountain high above a city.
"Now the time has come," he said to the wind as it howled around him. Slowly, the warrior came down from the summit, down through the rocks and the livid stones scattered about the mountain face, down across the withered plains and into the dark city. The streets were deserted. With a slight smile Dredger strode along a muddy road, his eyes alert. "Show yourself," he cried as he went.
The buildings of the city stood desolate, forbidding shapes frowning down upon him, full of shadows, surprises. The harsh wind rattled the window frames and broken panels of the ancient structures, once inhabited, now forgotten. And yet this was not a ghost town.
A thing lived here, a thing old and monstrous and Dredger had come to find it.
Reaching the end of a murky street, he turned to face the creature. It was waiting for him, a twisted gunslinger, ready to draw. "We meet at last," it rasped.
Dredger smiled. "At last."
Mo came and nudged Tom with his nose. "Wake up, Tom. We should be moving on." The boy stretched and sat up, rubbing at his bleary eyes. "Did you sleep well?" enquired the badger.
"I think I must have had a bad dream," Tom answered stifling a yawn.
Mo frowned a little. "Can you remember what it was about?"
Tom shrugged his shoulders. "Not really," he said after a short pause, "just that it was bad." Turning away, he prodded Jack in the ribs until the other boy stirred.
"What...?" Jack mumbled.
"Good morning," Tom said brightly, "remember where you are?"
Jack took a moment to focus his eyes before returning a weak smile and scratching his head he sat up. Running a hand through his unkempt hair he noted that Dredger too was awake, sitting against the tree where he had presumably slept, staring absently into the forest.
Tom got to his feet. "Is he all right?" he asked the badger, also aware of the man.
"Things have been hard for him," answered Mo. "He must come to terms with this in his own way."
Tom nodded and was thoughtful for a moment. "Tell me something," he began, "why can I never remember how long has passed since we stopped to rest, or for that matter how long it's been since we came into this place? I seem to keep losing track of time."
The badger wrinkled his nose. "It is as I have already told you. Time does not exist here. You cannot measure it. Think of it as if you are in a dream, where things are not subject to the laws that you are accustomed to. It’s all quite confusing for you I’m sure, but it is the way of things here. And remember," he tapped at Tom's arm with a gentle claw, "there is white magic and there is real magic. You must learn to tell the difference between them."
Just then, before Tom could ask what the badger had meant, Dredger came over to join them and Mo greeted him. "Are you rested, Dredger?" But the man only stared back at him, with no trace of pleasantry. Tom wondered if he should say something to try to ease the tense atmosphere, but found himself at a loss for words.
"I had a dream," Dredger announced at length. Mo fixed the warrior with a probing look. "…a vision," the man continued thoughtfully.
"A vision of what?" questioned Tom.
"A sign that told me where my destiny lies."
The badger came close to the man and looked up at him. "What did you see?"
"I saw...," Dredger began slowly, "the image of the Second Beast."
Tom stared at the man sceptically.
"The Second Beast," Mo echoed.
"Yes," affirmed the warrior, "the beast who I must destroy."
"But what about the Wolf?" demanded Tom, feeling that things were becoming out of control.
"I must find the lost city of Hydan, in the Land of Scars," stated Dredger, paying no heed to the boy, "the Second Beast awaits me there."
"How can there be another beast!?" Tom started, unsettled by all of this, "there is only one White Wolf, isn't there?"
"Hush now, Tom," said Mo firmly. "Nobody has said there is another White Wolf, but there are more evils at work in these lands than you yet know."
"So Dredger is going to leave us," said Jack from behind them. Tom turned to look at his friend and thought just for a moment, that as he had done so he had seen a tiny flicker of a smile on the boy's face.
"I have my road and you have your own," professed Dredger, unmoved. "When my task is complete, I will seek you out again."
Tom was bewildered by all that was happening. Now that they were actually going to lose the warrior, he was not at all sure he liked the idea. Admittedly, he had never really taken to the man but he understood that without him, they would be far weaker.
"You must do what your heart tells you is right," determined Mo.
"I will journey with you a short while," replied the tall man with a distant air. His heart and mind now dwelt far away, in a city of ghosts, where something hideous awaited him.
Still sitting by the tree where he had slept so contentedly, Jack watched the others preparing to set out again.
So Dredger is going to leave us. Now that really is a shame, isn't it. Jack sniggered to himself, suppressing the sound with his hand, his eyes darting about guiltily. But no-one noticed him. And why should they? Who cared about what he had to say? He was just a nobody after all.
Then Jack remembered something. A voice inside his dream, speaking words of truth.
He looked at Tom with cruel, shadowy eyes. You are a good friend, his mind sighed, but you've got something of mine.
He closed his eyes and thought about the woman in white. It was strange, but before he had gone to sleep, he had almost forgotten he had ever known her before. Now that seemed impossible. He had known her, been with her, all of his life.
I am yours. Always. And her words of love were with him, enfolding him. The map is mine!
"The map is mine," he said very quietly, so that only he could hear.