Wanderer

by Nancy E. Dunne

  Five

  Nelenie crept through the forest, on the move and on the hunt. Though it was generally her way to stride boldly into conflict and combat, daring anyone to engage her, she decided that a slightly subtler approach might be interesting to try. Her backpack was nearly dragging the ground with the treasures she had looted so far. The orc younglings were the best to engage, she thought. They often yielded up cash in addition to bracers and weapons.

  Suddenly her skin was alive and tingling, as if someone using magic on her. She spun around, looking to either thank or punch her invisible benefactor for startling her, but saw no one. “Gin?” she said, carefully inspected each tree near her to make sure there was not an elf hiding inside.

  “Gin?” said a familiar male voice. “What’s a Gin? Isn’t that the wood elf that used to follow you about?”

  “Ben!” Nelenie exclaimed, leaping into the air with delight. Taeben had long been a friend and schoolmate of Nelenie’s. They were the same age, and Ben often joined in the games that Nelenie and Gin would play in the forest. Nelenie had just begun her studies to become a holy knight, the defenders of Alynatalos and the elven races who were able to use healing spells and some defensive magic, as Ben had left the citadel to apprentice as a magic user. The two had not seen each other for a very long time. Ben's departure had left a huge hole in Nelenie's heart, and seeing him now overwhelmed her somewhat. She ran to her friend, and Ben swept her up in his sinewy arms and spun them both around in circles. They fell to the grass, laughing and dizzy. “What are you doing back, Ben?” Nelenie asked, nearly breathless from laughter.

  “My apprenticeship is done,” Ben said. Nelenie noticed, with some pleasure, that when he spoke his now deepened voice seemed to resonate throughout her body. She looked up at him and felt as though he was looking straight down to her soul. His hair was a deeper red than she remembered, probably due to more time indoors studying and less time out in the sunshine. He had grown into a handsome young male and was just a tad bit taller than Nelenie herself.

  “Hello? Nel? You in there?” Ben was waving a hand in front of her eyes when she returned from her memories.

  “Yes, sorry, what did you say?”

  “If you’d stop checking me out and pay attention you’d know what I said, ya dumb blonde,” Ben said, playfully punching her in the arm. Nelenie’s jaw dropped in mock indignation, and she punched him squarely in the chest. Ben doubled over, the air knocked out of his lungs. “Where…did you…learn that?” he wheezed.

  “I’m a knight now, remember?” Nelenie said, grinning. “I could take a little wizard like you with no problems.” She hopped to her feet, fists balled. “Come on!” she taunted him, using just a little of the magical skill she had learned to pull her opponents to her. Ben rose to his feet slowly, much like the adversaries she had taunted in the past, and came toward her, his hands out in front of him.

  “You think so?” he said, and a blueish-purple light shot from his hands, blinding Nelenie for the moment. She felt like she could not move but did not really want to move anyway. Everything was peaceful and calm and she even contemplated taking a nap.

  Just then, Ben burst through the purple-blue haze and grabbed Nelenie by the throat. As quickly as the happy and contented feelings had come on, they dissipated, and Nelenie was left with the cold reality of Ben’s lithe fingers pressing into her windpipe. She felt as though she was rudely awakened from a deep sleep.

  He pulled her very close to his face and whispered, “Don’t ever underestimate me, my sweet Nelenie.” Before she could utter a word or writhe in protest, Ben brought her face to his and kissed her roughly. Nelenie fought him a moment, but then gave in and let herself go limp against him, eyes closed. He released her slowly and carefully, and when she opened her eyes, he was looking at her as though amused.

  “Still my beautiful girl, are you?” he asked, eyes twinkling.

  “Always, Ben,” she said. “But I’ll get you back for that cheap shot, though. I can fight as well as any boy, my trainer said so,” she said, pouting slightly. Ben smiled and smoothed a hair away from her face.

  “Aye, you can. That was quite a punch you dealt me, Nel.” The young elf rubbed his chest. “Quite a punch. You with a weapon and that strength…the mind reels.”

  “Reels? Bah! It should quake in fear!” Nelenie said, rising to her full height and placing her hands on her hips. She pouted slightly as Ben broke into laughter, but soon joined him in a giggle.

  “Someday soon you and I will go out hunting, my beautiful Nel,” Ben said, taking Nelenie’s hand and beginning to stroll through the forest. "How is that younger sister of yours, by the way?”

  “Tairneanach is the same spoiled child she’s always been, only taller,” Nelenie said with a scowl. “Her latest trick is to use one of her spells to reappear as a human or a half-elf, of all things! She always does that when I’m mad at her.”

  “Ah, yes,” Ben said, a hint of malevolence creeping into his eyes. “A good spell indeed, but she must be careful with that one. She might reappear in a more dangerous situation than the one she’d have just left.” His eyes quickly shifted back to their regular shade of silvery gray. I’d love to see her,” Ben said, absently stroking the back of Nelenie’s hand with his thumb as they walked along, fingers entwined. “Where is she, do you think?”

  Nelenie’s face fell. “I don’t know,” she said, “and further, I don’t care.”

  Ben bit his lip and then smiled halfheartedly at her. He was clearly irritated with her lack of knowledge but tried to hide it. “Come sit here, Nel,” he said, sitting on a downed tree and motioning for her to join him. “I am just curious to know if your sister is following the same training I did,” he said gently. Nelenie nodded. “I’m curious about her transport magic.”

  “What do you mean transport? Stop talking to me like I’m a child.” she said, eyebrows knotted in confusion.

  “I mean it’s like a magical doorway. You know how you never play tag with a Druid because they cheat?”

  “Yes.”

  “Same thing. Druids can jump from one place to another. That is how they cheat. We all can do it; wizards have the same magic ability druids have whereas others simply have to find the portal. For you, it is like finding the doorway to the hall that will take you somewhere else. Druids and wizards like me and our Ginny can just cast a spell and poof!” Ben smiled a genuine smile at Nelenie’s confusion. “Perhaps I should show you?” Nelenie nodded, always up for an adventure. “All right,” he said, standing and taking her hand in his, “Come with me. We’re going to take a little trip.” Ben spoke ancient words as Nelenie held onto his arm tightly, making him smirk. She gasped as a column of fire formed around them and let out a shriek that was cut short as they winked out of existence in the forest, leaving a rustle of leaves in the trees in their wake.

   For a moment, everything was dark and Nelenie, who had closed her eyes tightly, had trouble taking a breath, but then she felt the ground under her feet again. She opened her eyes and discovered that they were under the tree city, a good distance away from where they had started. She looked around and started to ask how it had happened. “Ssh, let’s go back now, I just wanted to show you how it works,” Ben whispered in her ear. Nelenie clung to Ben’s neck, her entire body trembling, as he once again spoke the ancient words that brought up the column of fire around them. She closed her eyes, pressing her face into his cobalt robes and whimpering.

  “Don’t worry, love, you won’t get singed,” he whispered to her as the spell took hold. “There, see? Open your eyes; no worse than it was on the way there, was it?” Nelenie tentatively opened her eyes and looked up at Ben, then around behind them. They were back in the forest, in the middle of enormous marble spires, very close to where they had been before. She tried to step away from him but found her legs to be as uncooperative as a newborn foal’s, and she stumbled. Ben caught her, pulling her back close to him. “How was that, then?” he asked, his silvery gaze
traveling all over her face before settling on her eyes.

  Nelenie coughed, managing a large gasp of air. “Ben, let go, you’re hurting me,” she said, pushing back on his chest with her hands. He released her, but locked her gaze with his.

  “Just making sure you could stand on your own first, love,” he said, his tone icy. “And yes, anyone can transport themselves about that way, really, even without magic. All you have to do is find the portals…go to the servants that wait here in the spires and ask to be transported to wherever you wish to go on Orana.

  “There is a magical place between the continents where the servants are trained in secret and then sent to the four corners of our world to serve as living conduits for transportation.” Ben pretended to examine his fingernails as he watched Nelenie digesting the information, gauging her reaction. Beautiful though she was, she might not have the mental stamina he needed in a mate.

  “So they have different magic, then, similar to yours?” she asked tentatively. Ben smiled at her, trying to hide his annoyance.

  “Yes, love, they do. Only the magic of transportation, nothing more. Mind numbing work, if you ask me, but useful,” he replied. “Your sister, for example, would need the servants for most of her travel, as she only has one spell of transport that will return her home. Only those that follow the wizard and druid paths can fully access the magic that will permit travel.”

  Nelenie’s face flushed red. “Why is it that Tairn gets that and I don’t get anything?” she demanded. “Is it because she has no other defenses, really, and she’s so weak?” She shrank back as Ben’s eyes narrowed.

  “Your sister is anything but weak. While you and that wood elf friend of yours, Ginny, were playing with dolls and making crowns of flowers for your hair, your sister was out learning how to use a dagger,” he hissed at her. “I taught her everything I knew to keep spell casters like us alive in a fight. I daresay she could match you blow for blow.”

  Nelenie stared at him for a moment, her eyes wide, and then burst out laughing. “You have got to be joking,” she said, punching him playfully in the shoulder. Ben almost lost his balance, which spurred Nelenie to bend over double laughing. “See that? I barely touched you.” She moved back close to him, sticking her index finger at his face and nearly brushing the tip of his nose as he glared down at her. “Warriors like me are what keeps you spell casters alive in a fight, Ben, and you’d do well to remember that.” She grinned up at him, her grin slowly fading as anger crept into his eyes, turning their normal silver into a darkened gunmetal gray.

  “You would do well not to underestimate me,” he said, his voice low and tone laden with malice. “I am much too powerful for you to make an enemy of me, Nelenie.” Nelenie took an involuntary step back, causing Ben’s face to split into a malevolent grin.

  “Nel!” The voice of a wood elf female seemed to break Ben’s hold on Nelenie and he growled low. “I was coming to meet you but they said you weren’t at home so I came out here!” Nelenie turned to the blonde female who stood as high as her shoulder.

  “Elysiam,” she said, her tone level but threatening. “You are early. I told you that you were to wait for me if I did not meet you at the appointed time.” She took Elysiam’s arm, pinching slightly, and turned her back toward the path that led to the Citadel.

  “Oh, we are finished here, love,” Ben said, his eyes filled with amusement. “Do you and your…pet there have somewhere to be?”

  “PET?” Elysiam thundered, yanking her arm away from Nelenie’s grasp and turning back to face the wizard. “I am not her PET!” Ben’s eyes narrowed as Nelenie again grabbed Elysiam’s arm and swung her around. “Let me go! I can practice some of what you…” Nelenie’s other hand cut off Elysiam’s words as her slender fingers wrapped around the wood elf’s face and pulled her backward.

  “Ben, I will see you soon I hope?” she said, her face reddening as she dragged a kicking Elysiam back toward her home.

  “Count on it,” he called after her. Ben watched them go, blonde ponytails bobbing in the dappled sunlight that filtered through the forest canopy. “But in the meantime, what are you and a wood elf doing that no one needs to know about, I wonder?” He watched them until they were out of sight. “I think it may become my business to find out,” he said, murmuring ancient words as he walked.

  Six

  Raedea Dawnshadow shivered and pulled the scratchy wool blanket tightly around her chin. Her pallet in the initiates’ hall was thin and the cold crept up from the marble floor like a sickness worming its way into her bones. She rolled over onto her back and gazed out the solitary window in the room at the moon. “Hello, my friend,” she said in hushed tones to the glowing globe hanging in the night sky. “You look the same to me here as you do at home, yet I feel a million miles away.” Home seemed so far away now, though there was just an expanse of flat lands that separated her home in Ardend on the edge of the grasslands from her new home in Calder’s Port. After quick and furtive glances to make sure that the matron was snoring away in her bed, Raedea slipped from her pallet and crept out the door.

  She was fully dressed still, and had only to grab her cloak from the nail outside the sleeping quarters before beginning the arduous task of finding the exit. The Temple of Isona in Calder’s Port contained a huge oval center, and there were passageways linked by staircases that wound around the center in a corkscrew. It was said that the design was inspired by Isona’s own heart, with its many chambers that held love and mercy for all. For mere mortals, however, the problem lay in knowing where to get off the corkscrew to go out the front door rather than walk in on the elders during their rites…something that Raedea had done on many occasions following her arrival at the Temple.

  Ten seasons earlier, she had knocked on the heavy front doors to the Temple, begging for entry even though she was not a citizen of Calder’s Port. The intricately carved wooden doors had seemed heavy and imposing as she banged on them with all her might. As it often did in that season, it had begun to rain as Raedea stood at the Temple doors. Her ash brown hair was escaping its braid and had begun forming channels for the rain to run down her face and into her eyes. When she heard footsteps on the other side of the door, Raedea tried to smooth the hair back from her face and improve her appearance.

  Sister Serena squinted out of the cracked door into the rainy night. “Who disturbs the Temple at this hour?” she called out, but there was no power behind her voice. Her eyes lit on the young girl standing there shivering, and she immediately opened the door. “Come in, you poor thing,” she said, cooing in the way a mother would to a child. She quickly pulled an initiate robe from a nail near the door and wrapped it around Raedea’s shoulders. “Why are you out on such a night, child?”

  “I…wish to join the Temple,” Raedea stammered, determined to regain control. “I wish to be a cleric in service to Isona, Goddess of Love and Mercy. There is too much anger and killing in our world.” She looked up at Serena, meeting the older cleric’s dark stare with her nearly ice blue eyes. “Please, ma’am, you just have to take me in…”

  Sister Serena’s eyes danced with amusement. “Young lady, we do not HAVE to do anything. I will bring you to our guild master, and she will see if you are fit to begin training in the ways of the cleric.” She put an arm around Raedea and led her further inside.

  Raedea thought back on that first night as she pulled the cloak tightly around her neck and shoulders. What she had hoped would be a new life filled with hope, love, and service had turned out to be near slavery, hatred, and lies. The local militia was a corrupt bunch that was not above taking the initiates of Isona out for “service work,” only to become the recipients of the service. Raedea could still feel their dirty fingers ripping the robe from her back…she could still hear their whispered warnings about what would happen to her fellow initiates who told the guild master…she could still smell the stale honey mead on their breath and in her clothes and hair. How upset Sister Serena would have been had she k
nown what “her girls” were being forced to do! Raedea grimaced as she imagined the sadness that would fill the eyes of the woman that had quickly become like a mother to her.

  Walking quickly, she soon made her way out of Calder’s Port and back to the city gate on the western side. As she passed the guards at the gate, she carefully hid her face with her hood. She had no idea which of the militia were on duty there or if they would recognize her. When she was far enough away from the gate not to alert the guards, she unsheathed her weapon and headed through the gates – hood up – and strode up to a merchant camped just inside the gates.

  “Ah, an initiate of Isona I see,” the merchant said, his booming ogre voice able to be heard for miles. He looked over the weapon she had brought to trade and eagerly began counting out the appropriate coins for an exchange.

  “I am not sure how that is any of your business, good sir,” Raedea said, having noticed that the guards nearby were paying close attention to the merchant and his mystery patron.

  “By that answer I’d judge you really aren’t an initiate in service to Isona and you’ve looted the cloak off the body of an initiate…but that’s none of my business, you’re right little one,” the ogre said, handing over the coins.

  “I thank you, good sir, for your service,” she said, and then leaned in close to the ogre, “and your discretion.” Raedea pressed a platinum coin into his monstrous hand. “You bought nothing from me. You did not see me,” she said, silently reciting the spell to lull a beast and hoping that the ogre was beast enough for it to take hold.

  “Nothing,” he repeated with his booming voice now soft as a babe’s. “I saw no one,” he said, eyes drooping.