Chapter 4
By the Fire
The campfire roared under a clear, starry night. The night was cool, but could not compare to the nights Locmire had spent in the Dead Lands. Red was much more comfortable since he, doing what pirates do best, looted some clothes from one of the dead head hunters that he had killed earlier.
Locmire and Red sat next to each other sharing a roasted jopie that Red had slain with his pistol. Jopies, according to Red, looked a lot like a rabbit; a game animal in his world. Such an amazing invention, thought Locmire, regarding Red's pistol. Weapons like these could surely turn the tide of battle if acquired in large quantities.
The night lingered on, as did the stories the Wizard and Pirate shared while enjoying their tender dinner. Red told of the world from which he came; a world that Locmire did not know existed, while Locmire informed Red of the happenings and customs of the world in which he was now living. Of all the tales and creatures Red described, the Wizard found mermaids particularly fascinating.
“Nah, a mermaid is a savage. Nuttin civilized bout em. Dey lure sailors out of der ship and drag em down to da deps of da ocean,” Red said, answering Locmire’s question concerning the friendliness of mermaids.
“Fascinating,” said Locmire, with a look of amazement on his face. “What of the males?”
“Ain’t never saw no man mermaid. Don’t reckon thar be’s any of em. Or maybe dey juss not seen much cause thar not be’s many wench sailors on da sea. Me reckons thar could be a few, but me never heard of em,” replied Red.
“What other stories can you share of your world?” Locmire asked.
"She stirs,” Red said, as he nodded in the Mage's direction. “Be on yur guard. Dat one’s blood has been replaced wit far. She probably gonna come up fightin.”
“She will be fine. I am sure she will be grateful that we took her with us,” said Locmire.
The Mage slowly made her way up to a seated position, taking in her new surroundings with fear in her eyes. She did take notice of the fact that iron bars did not surround her, and for this she was grateful. She could not help but wonder about her current situation. As she rubbed the sleep from her eyes she thought, Why am I with these two men? What happened? I can't remember. Her thoughts were running wild. Then, the voice of the Old One cut through the silence.
“How do you feel? Are you hungry?” inquired Locmire.
“I hurt all over. Feels like a horse ran me over,” she said as she arched her back to stretch. Suddenly, with a panicked voice she asked, “What happened? Why am I here? Who are the two of you?”
“My name is Locmire. I am a Wizard from Fogarth.”
“Fogarth!” exclaimed the woman.
“Yes, I am from Fogarth. You have heard of it?” he asked.
“Yes, I have heard of it. Everyone has heard of Fogarth, but if you are a Wizard of Fogarth, what are you doing out here on the eastern border?” she asked. “I thought Wizards never left the desert.”
“We do not usually leave the confines of the desert, this is true. I am the last Master Wizard of Fogarth, and I am on a quest of dire importance.” He pointed at Red. “This is my companion, Cap’n Red Maher of the Sagging Hag.”
Red winked one eye, his good eye, at the mention of his name.
“After the altercation with the ones who pursued you, we decided to bring you with us. You were in no shape to be left alone,” Locmire said as he poked the fire with a long stick.
“What do you mean in no shape to be left alone? What happened back there? The last thing I remember was being surrounded by the riders and -,” she did not finish her statement.
She was trying to remember what had happened. Had I not cast a spell aimed at the guards from Causperias? Yes I did. I am sure of it. What happened after that? I cannot remember.
Locmire finished her statement, “And you cast a spell, undoubtedly a nasty one, considering the aftermath of your spell colliding with the protective spell that I cast over them. If you would have succeeded with your attack, it would have caused you undue hardship. I could not allow that.”
The Mage stood up. She was a Human of average height for a female. A worn, brown pair of trousers, short boots, and a white button up tunic that was torn and tied just below her breasts covered her small frame. Her golden blonde hair came to life by the light of the fire. The high cheek bones of her face, along with her dimples, made her a sight to behold. Her skin had been kissed by the sun. She was breathtakingly beautiful. Her ocean blue eyes held a hint of mystery, making her all the more stunning.
“They were going to kill me! I had no choice. I was not going to . . . I didn't want . . . ,” frustration overcame her face but was quickly replaced by relief. “Thank you. Thank you for helping me. You saved my life. I would be dead right now if the two of you had not come along,” said the girl as she sat back down with her hands on her forehead and elbows on her knees.
“What be yur name gal, and where do ye hang yur head” asked Red.
“Excuse me?” asked the Mage with great confusion in her voice.
Locmire chimed in, “He asked to know your name and from where you hail.”
“Oh. Sorry,” she said shaking her head. “My name is River. River Tolcutt. I come from a small fishing village in the Free Lands, near Lake Ormavon.”
“Nice to make your acquaintance, River. May I ask what brings you to these parts in such dangerous times?” inquired the Master Wizard.
“No particular reason,” she answered as she took a portion of jopie meat from Red and began to eat. “I got tired of living in the village that I grew up in. The only life awaiting me there was that of the wife of a fisherman. I set out on my own, well me and my friend Tolfar set out. We wanted to see the world. It wasn't long after we left the village when we joined up with a group of travelers who took us in as family. Not long after that, they revealed to us that they were in fact mages.”
“Ya mean fake Wizards. Aren't dat right?” Red asked.
“What? Fake Wizards? I-," she suddenly had a very confused look on her face. "Anyway, we traveled for several years visiting all of the Free Lands and unrestricted areas of the kingdoms. They taught me the art of magic. They became my family. Seven years had come and gone and we never had any problems with anyone, until we came close to Galdarath,” she paused as she took another large bite of the tender game.
“River, you must surely have known that mages are frowned upon in the kingdoms. Why travel so close to Galdarath?” Locmire asked.
River thought that this mysterious Wizard with the hood covering his eyes asked a lot of questions, but he had saved her life, so she at least owed him the pleasure of sharing her story and letting him know why he had risked his life for hers.
“We were making our way to the forests of Lasticall when we ran into trouble. Tolfar and I were down by the river with a few others. We had just began to wash our dirty linens when several men came bounding out of the forest. They became very violent, throwing our wash in the river, tossing several of the women in our group to the ground, and slapping the men around. It was Tolfar who acted first. He picked up his staff and cast a spell, his only spell. One of the large men went flying across the river and tumbled into the forest. Someone cried out, ‘mage!’ and an axe sank into Tolfar’s head. He fell to his knees, plunged into the water, and floated down the river. That was the last time I ever saw him,” River paused as she wiped a tear out of the corner of her eye.
Locmire made his way over to River and sat beside her on the soft ground. He pulled a torn cloth from his satchel and gave it to her to wipe the tears that flowed down her cheek.
“Thank you,” she said.
“So dey started killin yur crew. What happen afta dat?” Red blurted out.
Locmire quickly snapped his head toward Red, giving the captain a stern look of disapproval. Realizing his words were poorly chosen, Red lowered his head and prodded the smoldering fire, deciding to add another log since it was sure to be a col
d night.
“What happened next, River?” asked Locmire with genuine concern in his voice.
“The rest of us ran back to our camp. Strangers were there as well. The rest of my friends were down on their knees with their hands bound behind their backs. We were quickly rounded up. No one even tried to fight off the attackers. No one except me.” She paused for a moment taking a swig of water.
“I killed several of the men, but their numbers were too great. The next thing I remember was waking up in a town square with the sun beating down on me. My head was exploding with pain. As my eyes began to focus, I noticed I was not alone. I saw the rest of my group tied up beside me. We had ropes tied around our necks, and a crowd was gathered to watch us meet our death. As they began the trial, if you could even call it that, I noticed a familiar face in the crowd. As the man accused us of witchcraft, the crowd began screaming 'hang them' and ‘get it over with.' I knew there was no chance for us to be pardoned,” she paused again trying to hold back tears. “Rhel was first. The floor fell out from under him. He twitched for a moment as the noose squeezed the life from him. At that moment, the person in the crowd, Cabus, drew his staff and started blasting the ropes that held us captive. As each of us was freed, panic began to set in. The mob began to scatter, and I made myself lost in the chaos. I escaped Galdarath and have been on the run ever since, until I was captured, and the two of you showed up. And once again, here I am on the run.” She fell backwards, sprawling flat on her back, covering her face with her hands.
“Sounds like ye be one lucky gal. Glad ta have ya wit us, River Tolcutt. Ye'll be safe wit us. Me an da Old One will look afta ya,” Red declared as he picked his teeth clean with a jopie bone.
“May I now tell you a story?” the Old One asked.
She rose from her back and assumed a squatting position once more.
“Yes. I would love to know why a Wizard is all the way on the easternmost part of the continent. Go ahead and spin your tale,” River said as she lay back down.
After Locmire told River the same story he had told Red, all was silent for a moment. It seemed that the Wizard’s story had this effect on people.
“So, what do you say, River? Will you travel with us? I am sure you are one of whom the prophecy revealed to me. You are a capable Mage. You are just like Red. . . well almost like Red,” he said as they both looked over to see Red fast asleep with his hand down the front of his trousers.
River glanced over at Red, and a smile grew on her face.
“You are in this world all alone at the moment, with great capabilities at your disposal. I am a firm believer that one does not acquire special abilities without a divine purpose for them. This is your purpose. Nothing is holding you back, River,” Locmire paused as he removed his cowl and stared into her eyes with his dark lenses. “I know, without a shadow of a doubt, you are one of the three prophesized, one of the three destined to help save the world as we know it. Will you embrace your destiny?” Locmire asked as River stood up, pacing around the campfire.
“You say the first Savior is located in Galdarath. How do you expect me to show my face there?” she asked.
“They will not expect you to return there. Once the first Savior is recruited, you will no longer need to hide your face. All will be well.”
“What man has the power to grant me a pardon of my so called crimes?” she asked.
“Thaddeus Graystone,” Locmire replied.
“The King?” she asked with a hint of amazement in her voice.
“Yes. The King of Galdarath,” the Wizard replied.
“You actually expect to just walk into Galdarath and have an audience with the King?”
“Something like that. Tomorrow, he is to be wed. We will be attending the wedding,” Locmire replied.
“Ha!” River laughed loudly. “And I suppose you have an invitation?”
“Actually, I do,” Locmire said as he produced the invitation from his robe. “The Kings of Galdarath have always extended an invitation to the Wizards of Fogarth for such joyous occasion. I suppose this will be the first time one of us has ever attended.”
“Amazing,” River said with a look of admiration. “You have this all figured out.”
“Do you think I would set out blindly without any preparations in place?” he asked.
River glared at Locmire as if she was trying to read his thoughts. Her gaze sat heavy upon him. She did not move. She did not appear to even be breathing.
“If it is my destiny, then what choice do I have? I am not ready to end my travels just yet, and I do not wish to return home. They will find me sooner or later, for I am a wanted woman. Too many people are afraid of me now. Every single head hunter or capable man will be looking to cash in on the bounty on my head. I have nothing to lose. If you think there is even the slightest chance that I can have my so-called crimes cleared, then I have no other choice. Take a shot at freedom, or become an outcast always on the run, always watching my back. That is no life.” She gave him a long thoughtful look. “So, yes, I will join you and your friend on your great quest to save the world.”
“Thank you, River. You have made the right decision. Now get some rest. We leave at dawn,” Locmire said as he strolled over next to the fire, lay down, and immediately fell asleep.
River stayed up most of the night thinking about her life and where her travels had taken her. This would be a new chapter in her book. From this moment on, her past would be behind her. Locmire and Red would be able to protect her from any future attempts of capture. A feeling of guilt suddenly weighed heavy upon her heart. The Wizard seemed so sincere and honest with her. She knew he had been completely truthful with her. She, on the other hand, had not been completely honest. Why should I feel guilty? He does not need to know everything about me. Besides, I am starting over fresh. I will be helping save the world. That surely should make up for my past transgressions. Wouldn't it? That does not matter. I will not let the evil that has consumed me so many times before rear its ugly face again. I will not let my secret consume me ever again. A new person is inside of me striving to get out. . . a good person. I just have to take control of my life and control of the dark secret that haunts me. I can control it! This she hoped, not just for her sake, but for the sake of her new found companions.
Locmire's Quest: Book One A Tales from Calencia Novel Page 16