Enchantress Awakening: Part One of the Book of Water (The Elemental Cycle 1)

by Whitmarsh, J. W.

  “Vaughn deserves the credit for that. In any case, I definitely prefer travelling the proper way; it was much less upsetting.”

  “Ah ha, well, we had much power to draw from. I would ask you to draw your hood up for the moment. I do not wish to spoil that surprise for the Cruxiars.”

  Led by Tovrik the party met no opposition until they were inside the broken outer walls. At the overgrown cobblestones of the inner courtyards a horn rang out and soon the sound of iron-shod boots on stone echoed throughout the ruins. Three Cruxiars appeared ahead of them at full charge, holding their greatswords aloft. With a wave of his staff Tovrik sent all three rolling and skidding backwards over the smooth surfaces as though they had been knocked down by an invisible tidal wave. Tovrik then calmly selected one of the four wands kept in place about his staff head and started to weave it in the air. In unison, Gideon, Vaughn, Mabon and Diarmund joined him drawing thick threads of magical power between all the gaps in the stonework around them.

  Caleigh concentrated as hard as she could to deem the work in progress until the whole area seemed to be glimmering as with spider webs. More Cruxiars rushed into the courtyard and at once came to a stop where they entered caught of the threads they could not see. Tovrik replaced the silvery wand in his hand with a bright ash wand and with it made a whipping action bringing forth a trail of flame that connected with the floor racing along like it was burning a line of oil. The flame turned on the ground and circled around the group then shot towards the walls where the Cruxiars were, becoming airborne and circling around the shattered archways in rings of falling orange sparks then at last rising in the shape of a phoenix before bursting into a flash of blue and white stars. No few of the party laughed in wonder, Caleigh included. Tovrik turned to her with a smile. “I think we have their attention.”

  The Cruxiars, who had retreated back from the dancing flames now pushed again at the barriers holding them back becoming entangled with them and each other. Horns rang out again and those who were still mobile pulled back into formation. At the centre the Cruxiars parted and Sir Oswald came to the fore of their ranks.

  “What mayhem is afoot here?” He demanded.

  “Ah, Sir Oswald, I request an audience concerning matters between our Orders.”

  “And this is how you request an audience?” Sir Oswald gestured to the flames and groups of trapped Cruxiars.

  “Indeed.”

  “Hmph! Release my men and thence we shall speak.” Tovrik stamped his gnarled staff on the cobblestone and in an instant all the Cruxiars suspended where they stood came tumbling to the ground. “Follow!” Oswald led off the corridor he had taken Vaughn and Caleigh down on their previous visit and stopped outside the same chamber he had dined with them in.

  “Master Tovrik, that chamber is protected from magic.” Caleigh warned.

  “Fear not, I will permit no ambush.” Oswald opened the door and after letting through eight Cruxiars gestured to Tovrik to follow.

  “Only you, Tovrik.” More Cruxiars had followed so that the corridor was filled.

  “I think not. You have proven untrustworthy therefore I shall afford no greater trust than you offer to me. If there are to be nine from yours we too shall be nine.” Without any discussion the group divided into two. Mabon and Diarmund stood facing down the corridor at the following Cruxiars and the three knights took position ahead of them so that the breadth of the corridor was covered. Walter and Abigail lingered uncertainly behind while the rest moved into the council chamber. The Cruxiars stood as a group at one end of the long table, beneath the robed statue, and the Librarians stood at the other end close to the door. “You sit where Albion once did. That is a bold presumption.”

  “We honour what was once here; we do not compare ourselves to those who were.”

  “I see that the statue is changed. The White Lady was not so shrouded in times past.”

  “The prior monument was ruined beyond repair.”

  “And so you remake in the image of your choosing and also for the end.” Tovrik pointed his staff head at the statue. There was a brief hum and then the quiet of an indefinable noise being silenced. Oswald’s cheek twitched in annoyance.

  “So be it, Tovrik, you have made your displeasure felt speak on.”

  “Far from it, Sir Oswald, you have seen naught close to my full displeasure so far. Yet you are right in thinking I take issue with you. When did it become your pleasure to imprison members of our Order?”

  “They were not imprisoned; only delayed so that they might not interfere with our duties in Stonecairn. I truly regret that we failed in this and I can only begin to express my sympathy for your lost sister.”

  “Stay your regret Sir Oswald.” Tovrik put his hand on Calieigh’s shoulder prompting her step forward and pull back her hood. Oswald stared in shock.

  “They said that you burned!”

  “I recovered.”

  “I am most gladdened to hear that. You must know we never intended for you to face any harm.”

  “I doubt it not, yet you did wish harm on Cedric.”

  “He is not one of your Order.”

  “Sir Oswald, is it for you to say who is and who is not part of our Order?” Tovrik asked.

  “Perhaps not, yet you cannot expect me to extent the tolerance I show for your Order to all that use magic when they do not have your colours or follow your code.”

  “Maybe not of a time I would not. Things have changed; henceforth this is precisely what I expect.”

  “You mean for us to tolerate witches? To take no action against the like of those who murdered our King and his son.”

  “If you mean by tolerate not to kill without pause, then yes. It is not so easy to tell witch from wizard as you may think. Therefore why not leave that distinction to us?”

  “Why should I do as you wish? The Order of the Knights of the Cross number ten thousand while your Librarians are little more than one hundred. You cannot compel us this way or that.”

  “I can think of three reasons. For one, be not so sure of our numbers we are growing and our friends number a great deal more than our members. For two, do you really believe that mere numbers tell the whole of the story? You have here a hundred men to our sixteen. If you are sure that gives you superiority then you should eject us immediately and hear no more.” Tovrik paused dramatically to emphasis Oswald’s lack of action. “And lastly and most importantly, because we shall be allies at the end so much for the better if we can be allies for the journey also.”

  “Of what end do you speak?”

  “Caleigh, I believe Sir Oswald would like to know what the White Lady truly portends.” Caleigh looked up at Tovrik and he nodded in confirmation. And so Caleigh told Sir Oswald of how the corruption of the world had led to the return of the Beast and of how the White Lady could no longer prevent this doom coming to pass. Sir Oswald sat without interruption though his face grew sour at the telling until by the end he sat shaking his head in disbelief.

  “This is heresy.”

  “No, Oswald, heresy is twisting a truth that is sacred. Rendering the truth plainly is merely that, the truth. Or would you prefer we spoke of how your Order has adapted the truth of Albion and the White Lady to serve your purposes?”

  “How can it be that the corruption of the world is too great? We have fought corruption constantly.”

  “You have not done so well enough, nor have I nor has anyone since the fall of the Kingdom.”

  “And in times such as these you ask us to show tolerance towards the very corruption that has brought us to this pass?”

  “Indeed not, I ask you to open your eyes to what corruption truly is rather than burn potential allies against evil. When the dark one comes our ranks may be thin, surely it is better to work in common purpose ere that day dawns?”

  “I will think and pray on this. Mayhap you speak truly; there is much to be considered.”

  “Then we shall leave you to your thoughts as soon as we are settled in o
ur dispute.”

  “What settlement do you seek?”

  “Only the return of what is ours.” Oswald looked uncomprehendingly for a moment then turned to the nearest Cruxiars and whispered in his ear. The Cruxiar disappeared through a side door and reappeared carrying a bundle of cloth which he brought over to where Caleigh was sitting and deposited it in front of her. She opened up the cloth and saw two wands inside one hazel and one birch, which she recognised as her own. Vaughn promptly reclaimed the other.

  “Until next time.” Tovrik bowed and led the Librarians out of the council hall. The waiting Cruxiars in the corridor hesitated before giving way at the appearance of their chapter master behind the departing group. Thereafter they were left unharried all the way back to the outcrop of standing stones. Here Diarmund, Rhiannon and Dana held back and Caleigh with them.

  “We have affairs to finish in Stonecairn.” Caleigh explained. Tovrik nodded and shepherded the remainder of the group around the standing stones. For a moment they blurred out of focus and then simply vanished from sight. After a momentary pause, Diarmund ushered the three women forward.

  “Shall we?” They moved over to the standing stones and with a rush of air a moment of disorientation emerged in Stonecairn within sight of Cedric’s cottage. To her great surprise, while Dana hobbled and Rhiannon had to put her arms out for balance, Caleigh felt no more than a jolt as if she had jumped from a low wall. “You are becoming attuned to the ley lines.” Diarmund observed. “It is little wonder after all your adventures in the last two days.”

  Cedric’s mother was much recovered from the last time Caleigh had seen her and though she was still bed-ridden she was sitting upright and making conversation and giving her full support to the idea of Cedric joining them in Elevered. Confident that all here was fine Caleigh turned her thoughts to other matters. Addressing Cedric and Rhiannon who were stood back from the sickbed she drew out a sack of coin, counted it out carefully and removed a small portion. “I have a present to buy; the rest I entrust to you to pay back some part of what you stole.” She handed Rhiannon the purse. “If there is aught left use it for your supplies.”

  “You haven’t taken anything for your amulet.” Rhiannon stated.

  “That can wait; Gideon’s birthday is tomorrow.”

  29. A Full House

  Things were different from the next day. With the arrival of Cedric there were now four student wizards, enough for classes. Vaughn was to teach them elemental spells, Mabon the methodology of magic, Diarmund druid lore and Gideon was given responsibility for training them in the art of defence. Furthermore, each student was assigned a tutor with whom they were to meet several times a week to improve on what they had learned in classes. Each student was paired with the teacher they knew best or whose knowledge was most relevant to their art.

  Caleigh was not surprised by any of the pairings as to her they made perfect sense. Vaughn was put with Aethelbald, Rosamund with Mabon and Cedric with Diarmund leaving her with Gideon. The first class, nevertheless, was with Vaughn and for that they were unexpectedly taken out of the castle to a place in the woods beyond the standing stone. There they came upon a pool bedecked with lily pads. At its centre was a flat, wide rock and on it a golden chain had been placed.

  “There is your prize” Vaughn announced. “Your task is to find a way to reach it and recover it without getting soaked. How you do this is entirely down to you. I shall now give you a short time to decide what spells you would need to accomplish this then you shall have four days to practice those spells before returning here on Friday to make your attempt. Your tutor will help you learn the spells you choose but will give you no clues about the best way to succeed so the choices you make now are important. Make the most of this time.”

  All the students immediately started to chart the perimeter of the pool searching for the shortest path to the chain. With a thud Cedric appeared on a different side of the pond from where he was standing previously looking pleased with himself. Ignoring him, Aethelbald concentrated on the space between the rocks nearer the banks and the central rock that bore the chain. Rosamund meanwhile used a stick to test the water’s depth. Caleigh watched her pull the piece of wood out again and the waterline was high enough to demonstrate that a plunge here would cause a great more than sodden breeches.

  Think about this, Caleigh told herself, Vaughn isn’t interested in how well we can leap he wants us to notice something we can use in our spells. So...what things here do not sink when they touch the water? The lily pads can support a frog but not a full grown woman. The flies can come and go as they please but they are borne by the air. “That’s all the time you have.” Vaughn concluded.

  “That wasn’t long.” Caleigh protested.

  “The sun and shadows disagree with you there.” Caleigh looked around and, sure enough, Vaughn was right.

  “So, did you notice anything helpful?” Gideon asked when they were together later.

  “Yes.”

  “What was that?”

  “Insects.”

  “This sounds interesting.”

  “Before we go on, I have something for you.” Caleigh presented Gideon with an apple carved from polished yew. “Happy Birthday!”

  “Thank you, Caleigh.” Gideon smiled at her then examined the apple critically. Caleigh waited without speaking until she saw the grin crack upon his face. “Aha, I remember. Is this to spare me from careless fruit throwing?”

  “I thought passers-by might be safer this way, see.” Caleigh flicked her wand at the apple and it caught fire without burning its surface or Gideon’s hand.

  “Very impressive.” Gideon said marvelling at his present. “So, tell me about insects.” Caleigh told him what she had observed and listed the spells she thought she needed to work on. “Have you researched these spells afore?”

  “A little.”

  “Four days is precious little time to accomplish so much, even by your standards.”

  “Is it not worth the attempt?”

  “Indeed it is. I am merely warning you that the task may be insurmountable in the time. As a general course of study, on the other hand, it is thoroughly worthwhile. Let’s us begin then, without further delay.”

  Gideon’s session and further study through the night drained Caleigh considerably and it did not end there for she was also involved with Rhiannon’s preparation of more potions. By the second day these were complete and soon she was dosing herself twice a day. Once, before practicing her charms and once before she went to sleep hoping to both hurry her progress and also perhaps catch another glimpse into Loreliath’s life or even prompt another visitation.

  If mastering more advanced charms occupied all her mind during the day at the end of her labours it was always to this that her mind wandered. Partly, she was anxious to learn anything of aid to them in their cause. Another part of her was burningly curious to find out the identity of the lover Loreliath alluded to in her prior vision. At times she pictured it would be someone like Leofric, someone who stood out amongst men as she did amongst women. Other times, she thought more of someone like Gideon, a quick wit who could hope to keep up with her brilliance. It was to no end, in any case, as no new insights appeared to her. The only parts of her dreams that seemed different to the rest were strange images of soil being disturbed as by many moles though, as yet, Caleigh could not find any sense in these un-associated figments.

  Since she was in competition with her fellow students, Caleigh could not share her progress with them. So it was that the person who was best aware of what she was doing besides Gideon was Ellie, with whom she entrusted her safety in her nightly visits to Elevered’s new bathroom. Such proved a wise precaution the night before the test. Coughing and spitting water Ellie dragged her friend’s head above water. “Are you hurt?” Ellie asked worriedly.

  “No, no I....” Caleigh noticed that her friend was breathing heavily and was red in the face not from exertion. The patter of feet on tiles made her turn t
o see Leofric come bounding around the wooden screen separating their part from the male side.

  “I heard splashing, are you in trouble?” He panted.

  “Thank you, Leofric, all is fine.” Caleigh spluttered her breath catching at the sight of his naked body. He was just as well sculpted as Ellie described and to her amazement was sporting a full erection noticeably bigger than any she had seen before.

  “Caleigh!” Ellie hissed wrapping her arms around her chest. Only then did Caleigh realise that her hands, far from covering her breasts were cupping them in invitation.

  “Forgive me.” Leofric uttered, coming to his senses.

  “I thank thee for your concern.” Caleigh answered as he retreated. “By the Gods.” She mumbled in a low tone. “Did you see him...oh, mmmm.” A pleasant sensation on her neck and shoulders distracted her and she turned in her friends embrace to let the trail of kisses lead up to her lips. Suddenly both of them broke off in shock, although they had exchanged playful kisses many times this felt like something different and darker.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “What’s the matter, Ellie?” She could see her friend was in some distress.

  “Are you using your charm?”

  “In a sense.” Caleigh answered, knowing that she had heavily dosed on her charm potion before attempting this practice.

  “I think it’s affecting me.” She was not alone. In her head Caleigh could see a clear picture of Leofric desperately attending to his large member and was starting to feel every stroke. “I think I have to...” Ellie murmured and Caleigh could sense that her fingers were feeling inside herself.

  “Worry not, I’ll support you now.” Caleigh said holding Ellie steady against the side of the bath and she worked her fingers into a frenzy. Leofric’s release shuddered through her and she held firm wincing her eyes closed in concentration bracing harder still when Ellie came so close to her. Just as this second wave hit her she felt the water rise up beneath them and gently slosh them both onto the tiling.