Diary of a Conjurer

by D. L. Gardner

  He had only been dozing a moon's fall to the horizon when the sound of a tent flap woke him. Wrapped in a hooded cloak, Rosalind moved like a ghost and disappeared into Paulino's shelter. Reuben heard broken whispers at first and then an even more hushed conversation. She must be telling him about the toss of the coins. He rolled over on his side thinking nothing more of the midnight visit until he heard Rosalind again. This time he could not mistake what she said.

  “Think about it, Paulino. A magic baby. This is just what we've been waiting for.”

  “Shh,” came from the tent and then Reuben heard nothing more until the rustle of Rosalind's skirts told him she had returned to her own abode. Not certain what she meant, but suspicious, a cold fear settled in his heart. The coin with the white face, and her soothsaying haunted him the rest of the night.

  Return

  The people of Taikus had a gift of telling colorful stories to their children. Reuben grew up hearing all kinds of tales about magic horses that galloped over icy tundra to the north, sea serpents that paroled the deep of the seas to the west, and slave traders that roamed the secret crevices of the islands waiting to steal children and sell them to the barbaric tribes that lived in lands far beyond the fjords. He had assumed it was a mother's ploy to instill fear in their children so that they wouldn't wander. He had never believed the stories. Not until that night.

  Morning came quicker than he had hoped. Fog rolled in from the sea and left the day as cloudy as his sleepless mind. The blankets smelled like wet lambs left to pasture in the rain. The fire smoldered, smoke stirring a cough from his lungs. Reuben sat, looking for dry kindling to toss on the coals, but Paulino called to him as soon as he had stirred.

  “You! Go now. Never mind the fire.”

  Ruy was on the beach loading oars into the boat. Rosalind, dressed in several layers of brightly colored skirts and a coat made of fur, handed her husband two leather sacks, which he quickly threw into the bow.

  The tents were down already, packed onto traverses that other families were carting into the woods. Many more people were at this camp than Reuben had seen the night before.

  “Come on. We don't have a lot of time before the patrol comes this way. Kick dirt on that fire and let's go.”

  This is it; they're taking me to Taikus!

  Reuben hastily rolled the blankets in a ball and carried them to the beach, tossing them into the skiff, which he helped Ruy push into the water. Rosalind stepped in and grabbed an oar, holding the boat steady for the two men to embark.

  Odd that she's coming.

  “Are you giving me back my weapon?” Reuben asked before stepping in the boat.

  Ruy only nodded, indicating Reuben’s bow and quiver were already in the boat.

  Though it may have been quicker to arrive in Taikus from the west, Ruy navigated the skiff into a narrow channel that passed the high banks of the eastern side of the island. “A lot more rowing, but it's safer this way,” he explained. “The king sends patrols every morning in the western waters. Not here though. It's too shallow for a frigate.”

  “I've seen them.” Reuben said. “Our people are deathly afraid of them.”

  “That ruler of yours, she doesn't have weapons?”

  “She has magic.”

  Ruy glanced up at Reuben and eased on his rowing. “Then why doesn't she use it against Alisubbo? Surely your kind could make the kingdom fall.”

  “She has used it. She sent a sea slave to overturn one of their ships several years ago. And when she did, the repercussions destroyed her fleet, not to mention what it did to her precious serpent. The waves from the blast that came from the other ships washed away homes and half our shoreline on the southern coast. She hasn't the power to match Alisubbo yet.”

  “Yet?” Rosalind asked and sent a curious glance to her husband.

  Suspicious of their silent exchange, Reuben shook his head but sealed his lips. Our internal affairs are our own. She doesn't need to know about the harvest of the wizards, nor how Hacatine is after my blood. The safety of my family is at risk with these thieves.

  The fog still hung low when they reached a beach safe enough to come aground. Reuben jumped out, prepared to say his thanks and farewell for the escort, but Ruy helped Rosalind out of the boat.

  “I'm fine now. I know my way.”

  “No, no, think nothing of it. We've come to help you in case you meet up with trouble.”

  “Really, I can travel faster on my own,” Reuben argued, his fears tempering his heartbeat as he slung his quiver on his back.

  “We're coming with you. There are cougars on this island,” Ruy said with a laugh. “And we've brought more powerful weapons than yours.” He pulled a musket from one of the bundles as Rosalind handed her husband a pouch. Reuben had never seen a firearm before, though once he and Kaempie had come across a deer wounded with shot in Bandene forest. He had watched the helpless creature die, the meat too mutilated for consumption. It was then that Kaempie explained to him what a gun was.

  Reuben stood still, his mouth agape.

  “Don't fret,” Rosalind said. “We're not going to hurt you. We've taken a liking to you, handsome man that you are. Paulino would never forgive us if we let something happen to you.”

  “What am I to Paulino?” Reuben's surprise turned into a scowl.

  Ruy laughed. “An investment.” And then he pointed the gun at Reuben. “We just need to know a little about your island. After all, though we're men, we aren't subjects to the King. In fact, we're a free people. Since we've brought you this far, we'd like something for our efforts—something that the Taikans have.”

  “Something like what?”

  Ruy shrugged. “Beads, trinkets, something magic.”

  “Taikans don't trade with strangers.”

  Ruy laughed. “Who said anything about trading?”

  With an angry glare, Reuben cast his power at Ruy in an attempt to gather the man's thoughts, but Ruy looked away. “Oh no you don't. You got me once, it won't happen again.”

  “Dear Reuben,” Rosalind had been watching the two and now she walked up to him, a sly smile on her face but she avoided his eyes. She touched his shirt, working her gentle fingers across the neckline, tickling his skin. “We're going to help you get to your lover. We want to make sure you're both safe before we go home. All we ask is the opportunity to bring back a jewel or two. It doesn't have to be yours, or hers even. Maybe someone you know, or someone you don't like very much. Just tell us where they live. We're very good at being discreet, we make a living at it.” She rested her deep brown eyes on his, but again his magic did nothing. He couldn't see inside her head. “It's either that or we kill you now. What a shame that would be. Just let us follow you. That's all we want.”

  “What makes you so certain you can kill me?” Reuben asked. The couple stood their ground. They offered no answer to his question neither did they relent.

  Reuben had never come face to face with a gun before, and he wasn't sure if he had any magic that was capable of countering a stream of bullets. With a final reassessment of his situation, Reuben turned toward the sandy shore and walked inland thinking he might lose them in the hills.

  Lelanie

  He'd been on this side of the island before, but not often. The lands were barren with nothing more than scrub brush to dot the horizon. No shade or shelter protected the traveler, as did the forests that surrounded Hacatine's city of Telamande. It was a desolate country wiped clean of vegetation either by the icy winds from the fjords that tore across the islands eastern channel, or baked by the sun when the winds had ceased. Only wild hare too tough to eat, and an occasional vulture visited its plains. Even a wizard in chase would not resort to fleeing here.

  Reuben walked, his anger prodding his pace, wishing Ruy would somehow lose track of him. He tried concentrating on Lelanie, though whenever he could see her in his mind he cast a suspicious glance at Rosalind, worried that she'd read her whereabouts as well. She smiled every time he lo
oked her way.

  Focus, Reuben. Find her. Once you know where she's at and how she's doing you can trick these people, or lead them astray somehow. But think about Lelanie. Think!

  The day wore on. The sun burned through the clouds and soon heat slowed the travelers’ pace. Rosalind dropped her pack, her hands on her hips. She wiped her brow with her blouse, her bracelets chiming an unnatural sound. “Tough country,” she said. Her thick hair now hung in strands matted from sweat. “I'll have a drink of some of that cold spring water you've got there, Ruy.” To Reuben, she called out, “Have you made contact with her yet?”

  Reuben ignored her and kept walking.

  “Hey!” Ruy hailed, his voice carrying an air of command.

  Don’t turn back.

  The land was gradually rising into foothills, rocky and dry, but scattered cacti covered the landscape. Reuben peered over his shoulder only once. His two companions sat motionless where he had left them.

  Maybe they’ll go back home now.

  Just when he thought he might be free of them, a blast rang out, echoing through the hills. His heart skipped a beat and he turned to face Ruy who had his gun barrel aimed at his chest.

  Dare I move? The weight of his quiver tugged on his back. Can I shoot before he fires again? Not likely.

  “We're not letting you go yet, Mr. Magic.”

  Reuben conjured his power, attempting to heat the musket in Ruy’s hands just as he had Paulino's dagger the night before.

  “Not a good idea,” Ruy warned. This thing's filled with gun powder.”

  “Then set it down.”

  “Ruy, let's do this peacefully,” Rosalind interjected, slapping her husband’s shoulder. “Reuben, we don't mean you any harm. But we don't want to be left here in the wilderness alone, either.” Rosalind whispered something in Ruy’s ear and he lowered the gun.

  “I'm not resting until I've found Lelanie,” Reuben said. “I'm not waiting for you to keep up either. Why you’re even following me I have no idea. I don't trust you.”

  “It was our boat that brought you here. You owe us your trust, at least,” Rosalind said. She gathered her things, glancing over her shoulder at Ruy as she started up the hill. “You really do need to find your sweetheart. I mean, in your mind. If we wander around senselessly it's only going to make our journey harder. Time is important.”

  Reuben leaned against a lone scrub oak, letting the branch shield his face from the sun.

  “Take a rest.” She stood next to him, her voice gentle. “I know you feel her pain. She's in labor isn't she?”

  How can she know unless she has sorcery in her blood?

  “Who are you?” Reuben asked.

  “Just close your eyes and think about her. It'll come to you. The sooner you find her the better off she'll be. The better off we'll all be. I'll keep Ruy in line. He won't shoot his gun again. I promise.”

  “I would hope not. The sorceresses of this island have very keen hearing and they roam these hills. If they see us, they wouldn't bother to take us captive Especially you two.”

  Rosalind's lips turned into a wry smile. “And what would they do to you?”

  Reuben moved away from her, but not before she grabbed his arm. “I saw your spirit in those tokens. You're in trouble aren't you? Both of you.” She laughed quietly. “All three of you.”

  “What is it to you?”

  “Ruy and I are committed in helping you reach your destination.”

  “Why?”

  “We promised Paulino.”

  “What did you promise him?” Reuben's face flared with anger. “I heard you last night.” He brushed her arm off of his. She stepped back. “Something about our child. You promised to steal our child, didn't you?”

  She stood, stunned into silence.

  “I'll kill you before that happens. Both of you will burn and you'll never see Paulino again. You should go home before you do something you'll regret.”

  She laughed. To Reuben it was the devious laugh of someone whose secret motives were suddenly revealed. “A baby thief I am not. It's no mystery that you're running from your queen.” Her voice softened again. “You don’t know our people. We run, like you do, from both the people of Alisubbo, and from their enemies. There is no one we can trust. They would all rather have us hang. We have no other existence but to hide, roaming the countryside from one camp to the next. We have no protection save for our soothsaying and fortune telling, skills that came from our ancestors who once inhabited your island. We covet your powers, but we’d be fools to try and rob you of them. Ruy and I can bring you and your family back with us. We'd be more than thankful to have a Taikan on our side.”

  “Your side?” He searched her eyes, trying harder than ever to penetrate, but there was a wall he could not pass. “Stay away from me,” was all he could muster.

  Abbott

  Perhaps Rosalind convinced Ruy to stop his threats. He heard them arguing once, still no more gunshots rang out that day, and the two followed at a distance. The foothills turned to mountain as the day waned.

  Though he wasn’t ready to accept their allegiance, Reuben worried less about their motives and consequently his foresight became clearer. In his mind's eye, Lelanie lay alone on a bed of pine needles, her long auburn hair the only cushion. Beads of sweat trickled down her cheeks, her lashes held drops of tears. Pain was written on her face and her lips mouthed his name.

  “I'm coming,” he whispered, his heart aching to see her, and to somehow help relieve her pain. “Show me where you are.”

  The vision took him through the heavily wooded forest. Higher he climbed, toward the stone buttes that gave the island its profile. The air grew cooler as the sun fell low, but his hope had ignited a fire that kept him warm. He was headed for a familiar part of the mountain, certain now of her whereabouts, and far enough ahead of Ruy and Rosalind that he thought he may have lost them.

  A short distance south stood the cliffs that overlooked the city of Telamande and the queen's bastion. Reuben was treading in dangerous territory, but he pressed on to the one place of refuge he thought Lelanie would seek. By the time he reached a grove of birch that bordered the steep incline, twilight had come. Shadows melted into dusk and colors turned to gray.

  “Lelanie?” he whispered.

  The forest held its breath.

  “Lelanie?” he called a little louder. The rustle of leaves and a groan grabbed his attention. He moved toward the sound but stopped short when a snap of a branch from behind startled him. When an arrow spun out of the trees, he ducked. Another arrow whistled past him. He spun around, releasing an arrow with lightning speed. A body of a warrior woman fell out of the thicket. He ducked into the brush, holding his breath in watch, but stillness returned to the wood.

  Reuben crept to where he had heard the groan. Half buried in leaves lay a woman covered by a woolen cloak, face down. Reuben gently rolled her over. Her weathered face cringed in pain and when she moved her hand, Reuben saw the arrow buried in her chest. He knew her. Charlotte the midwife. No one knew about Leilani’s pregnancy other than Charlotte.

  He reached for the shaft that was buried in her flesh, but the woman pulled his hand away. “No.”

  “I want to help you,” he whispered. Her eyes dimmed as she shook her head.

  “Not the southern entrance. They're waiting for you. Go to the west.”

  That was all she had breath for. Her body went limp; releasing what life she had left. Stunned by her death, he brushed her hair back and whispered a reverent farewell.

  Reuben laid the women gently on the ground and stood. They’re waiting for me? They’re holding Lelanie and the child prisoner in a cave? As bait? Rage swelled inside. It was one thing for the witch queen to seek his end, but to hold his lover and her child captive in order to capture him was more than Reuben could stand. Silent as a deer, he stepped through the forest, following the stone cliffs until they angled west. From there, he hugged the rock walls until cold damp air announced the
entrance to the cavern.

  It was unlikely this slit in the hillside was guarded. The entrance was so narrow here that very few people were familiar with its existence. A favorite hideaway when he was young, Reuben would come here with his friends and practice magic, play games, or spend time talking with his friends. As a teenager, it was a special retreat for him and Lelanie. It was here they shared their dream of spending a life together, albeit a hopeless dream. They both knew what sort of end Reuben was destined for.

  And it was in these caves, though forbidden by tradition, they first swore their love to one another.

  When Lelanie found out she was with child, Charlotte helped to conceal the pregnancy, letting Lelanie live in her cottage in the country. Reuben visited her often, but the closer his time to flee came, the less they had seen of each other. They had hoped eventually he would return and take her away from Taikus to another island where they could raise their child in peace.

  Water oozed from the low rock ceiling in a constant drip, breaking the silence of the hollow mountain. Dark emptiness shrouded him as he drew farther into the cave, listening. The deeper into the mountain he stepped, the more certain he was that he heard breathing.

  A shout echoed in the distance on the other side of the cave. Voices—and then two gunshots. Ruy and Rosalind with their muskets. Reuben hurried through the dark tunnel, feeling his way along the cold rock wall that led to a junction, a familiar arch into the hollow where he and Lelanie had exchanged their very first oaths.

  “Reuben.” A voice whispered from the shadows.

  He froze. “Lelanie?”

  “Here.”

  He felt his way into the alcove where he heard breathing accompanied by a soft whimper. Falling on his knees, he fumbled in the dark until his touch met with blankets and the shoulders of his loved one. A hand took his and lowered it until he felt the warm softness of a baby's cheek.

  With a sigh of relief, his caress met Lelanie's embrace. Her tears dampened his neck, he kissed her hair and they held each other until the baby wiggled between them.