The Weaving of Wells (Osric's Wand, Book Four)

by Jack D. Albrecht Jr.

  “Not even by half.” Osric smiled. “We need to see what else the book can show you.”

  He took her hand, and after a few words they appeared back in the library with everyone exactly where they had been when they left.

  As soon as they appeared, Eublin excused himself politely and walked quickly from the room. He had been gone a few moments and no one had asked if they had been successful in finding the well.

  “Is he all right?” Chanda asked.

  “He’s fine,” Gus said. “He drank too much rulha and he’s been squirming in his seat since you left. He’ll be back in a moment, and then you can tell us all about your trip.”

  “Why didn’t he just go while we were away? What if it had taken us a long time to find and explore the well’s location?” Chanda was confused.

  “There could have been danger that demanded an early retreat, or any number of other things that could have brought you back at an unexpected time. We have lost men from the use of that spell, so we take every precaution to keep things exactly the way they were when someone leaves. It makes it far more likely that someone who is scared or injured can successfully return with the traveling spell if they can just think of the room as they last saw it. Besides, it was funny to watch the brilliant little guy squirm.” Gus shrugged playfully.

  “You’re one to call me little. I could still step on you with little effort, if the mood so inspired me.” Eublin slipped back into his seat, and Gus jumped slightly at the sound of the gnome’s voice.

  “Ah, see. There he is now. We were just saying how much we missed you, Eublin, since we had to await the arrival of your empty bladder to hear about the well.” Gus smirked, and Eublin’s cheeks colored a pale pink.

  “I apologize for the delay. How did it go?”

  “We found it, just as I saw it in my vision, but we didn’t go inside.” Chanda sounded a little disappointed.

  “She did a great job, but we have a great deal more to do before we can attempt to enter the wells that we find. Let’s see if the book shows her any more locations.” Osric held a hand out, indicating Chanda should sit back down and flip through a few more pages.

  She sighed and sat down, still showing her weariness from the trip to the green hills. As she began flipping through the pages, Osric stepped out and brewed her a cup of tea. Bridgett had mixed the herbs specifically to aid in her recovery from travel fatigue. She sipped the hot beverage slowly and turned the pages of the book with renewed determination. Once past the place where the first vision had occurred, it took several moments before she found a second trigger. She sat silently for a short time, obviously occupied by her ability, before she sighed and returned her focus to the group of people in the library.

  “What did you see?” Gus stepped forward with a great deal of curiosity on his face.

  “This was much different than the last. There was no building or any ruins, just a large hole in the ground. There were no symbols or anything, but there was a long walkway that spiraled down into the hole.” Chanda looked at the expectant eyes all focused on her, worried that she would disappoint them.

  “We can’t expect everything to present itself to you without a puzzle to solve—that wouldn’t be realistic. It’s obvious they hadn’t finished constructing this one. Let’s go and see how far down the walkway goes.” Gus shrugged.

  “There is ominous portent in letting her take me there, but not in my leading the way. I need to know if there is a way for me to see what you witnessed in the vision.” Osric stepped forward and placed his hand on her shoulder. “Is there a way you can show me?”

  Chanda looked at her trembling hands, fatigued by the use of her gift and of the traveling spell. She looked at him and winced. “I don’t suppose you have a large water dish?”

  “A water dish?” Gus frowned.

  “I use a small basin of water to show people what I have seen in their futures.” She paused, casting her eyes downward and pressing her lips together as guilt flushed her cheeks. “At least I did before I met Serha.”

  “Let’s get this lady some water!” Osric shouted.

  He smiled as several nooks and shadowed corners throughout the library erupted with movement. It didn’t take long for five young Aranthians to come back bearing small vessels full of water, all of which were set on the table in front of Chanda. She pulled the largest vessel toward her and smiled at the rapid response to her request.

  Once the five Aranthians had melted back into their previous positions in the library, Chanda took a small vial out of a side pouch and dropped a single drop into the water and looked into Osric’s eyes.

  “Sit down and look into the water.” She had a serious expression on her face, as if she were in her element.

  Osric did as instructed.

  Slowly the ripples in the water faded and an image of a forest surrounding a large opening in the ground came into focus. A faint outline of the bottom of the hole could be made out, so it wasn’t too deep. Circling the interior was a circular ramp that led to the right, directly in front of his feet, in a shallow decline to the bottom. He was disappointed by the simplicity to the vision as he found himself back in the library.

  “Well, that one won’t prove too much of a challenge. The issue is arriving at the right location because there were trees all around it. But I think I know just where to go.” Osric recalled a large patch of dirt on the opposite side of the hole. It was no larger than his bedroom inside the Aranthian habitat, but it was the best location he could see from the brief vision. He grasped Chanda’s hand and checked for portent as he whispered the words that would take them anywhere they chose.

  Upon arrival, Osric could see the danger in letting Chanda utter the spoken spell. In the location that they would have appeared across the chasm, there were several new, young trees. It would have been a fatal mistake to appear where the trees now stood. The location he had chosen was only a year or two from yielding the same result to new arrivals—not from new saplings, but from dirt collapsing into the hole before them. It would have been a long fall, and only a few Aranthians knew how to keep their wits about them when in freefall.

  However, from his new vantage he could see a trail that the vision hadn’t offered to them. That would be the point of entry for any future visits, and he could feel the power emanating from the bottom of the hole. Osric looked over at Chanda with a smile.

  “If we come back to this location, all future arrivals must choose that path as their arrival destination. Let’s make sure they choose the open patch right there.” Osric pointed to a location across the opening.

  “Is this another danger to the traveling spell?” Chanda inquired.

  “Yes. If you appear where something else is, then you’re likely to be impaled on that object,” Osric answered.

  “Before this day is over, I may become a bigger fan of horse and cart.” She shook her head.

  Osric smiled at her, noting that her emotions indicated curiosity and excitement as well as mild anxiety for the spell’s dangers. He suspected that she would be using the spell regularly, with just a healthy respect for the risks, in no time at all.

  “Stay here for a moment. I want to see if I can identify anything more about this location.”

  Chanda nodded and Osric glanced around for a potential vantage point. He was surprised at how cold the air was after the mild temperatures of the fall weather in Stanton. He assumed they must be pretty far north, but there was nothing significant about the forest to indicate its location.

  The trees were dense around the small clearing where the hole had been started for the well, and Osric could see no hills or cliffs to give him a better view. He couldn’t use the traveling spell, but that didn’t keep him from wanting to see the surrounding area. Finding a tall, sturdy tree that had lost most of its leaves for the year, he climbed carefully high into its branches. Soon, Osric could see over the tops of most of the other trees nearby, and he was both disappointed and impressed with the view. T
he forest stretched as far as he could see in every direction. He thought he saw the smoke of a few small fires, or perhaps an inn along a seldom-used path, but there were no towns or other landmarks in sight. It was an immense, flat sea of trees, but the beauty of the forest did little to dull the ache of disappointment about still not knowing where the well was located. He wondered if they were even in the Human Realm, and something at the back of his mind made him doubt it. He frowned and climbed quickly back to the ground, shrugging when Chanda looked over at him expectantly.

  “No luck, but we should probably get back before any full bladders take issue with our absence.” Osric took her hand and spoke the spell. “Eo ire itum.”

  “It’s about time.” Gus responded to their appearance from the top of a low bookcase next to their table. “I chased off several curious Aranthians who weren’t here to read. I was tempted to banish them for spying.”

  “Don’t do that.” Osric looked over at the prairie dog. “They came in handy when we needed these.” He motioned to the cups, bowls, and small basin full of water.

  “It never hurts to have more hands to help, and we have no secrets in this habitat,” Kenneth agreed.

  “Fine. So, let’s hear it. What did you find?” Gus hopped down several stacks of books to the ground, and his tone reflected his excitement to hear their report.

  “Exactly what I expected. It was another well, but the construction was never finished. I could feel the increase in power in the area, but there was no wall keeping us out to require the symbols. Now let’s see if the book gives up any more of them, shall we?” Osric gestured for Chanda to sit at the table again.

  When all was done, thirty-seven wells were located with the aid of the book Serha had helped them find. Several were too small for any significant use, but there were at least twenty-four with larger than expected strand collection, though significantly smaller than the Well of Strands that Bridgett described. Osric still had no idea how they would utilize the wells, but portent showed that they were of vital importance.

  The solution would come to him eventually, he knew. No doubt he would have to bring Bridgett and Trevar to each of the locations to figure a way to enter, at least for those where visions hadn’t shown the symbols. The day’s magical exertion of the traveling spell, Wand-Maker sight, and sharing Seer visions with Chanda had brought him a great deal of fatigue. Entering the wells would have to wait. The group’s excitement had passed, and when Chanda finally touched the last page of the book, they were all looking forward to their beds. When nothing happened, she sighed audibly with relief, and the others nodded and began gathering their things to leave. Osric’s mind was flooded with the images of the various locations, but he was too tired to sort through all that they had seen and learned. Osric slept heavily through the night, the constant portent ignition causing no more than slight stirrings in his slumber. It was the best night’s rest he had had in days.

  19 — Bubbling Black

  Dredek ran the long bone through his hands. Did this femur belong to Aeya? He had lost track of her bones years ago, thanks to an encounter almost a decade earlier with bandits who had dumped the contents in search of coin. He knew they were in one of the chests he had kept safe, but which box and which bones were hers, he no longer knew. Centuries were too long to keep track of something so small, yet he handled each bone as if it belonged to the love he had lost so long ago.

  He hadn’t found her body with his children, and none of the bodies of the young were recognizable. Most had been trampled beneath the hooves of horses and were too badly broken to be salvageable, and he hadn’t gone back to gather what he could until he had formed his plan years later. It was then that he had decided not to bring the children’s bones at all. Someday, he was certain he would have to answer for that, but he couldn’t help but wish his children could rest through the struggles the caldereth would have to face, until they had established themselves again.

  He placed the bones neatly on the floor inside the well. He made sure each and every one was perfectly placed in the correct place to ensure as much success as possible. He hadn’t attempted the spell with only bones before; there had always been some tissue remaining to hold everything in its place. Dredek knew it would be different this time, but with the power of the Well of Strands to aid him, he knew he could do it.

  The bones had all been placed carefully in cloth years earlier. Each bone had been collected and wrapped, and then separated into individual bundles belonging to each of two hundred slain caldereth. It had taken him a great deal of time, sitting at the bottom of the well, to put just over half of the bodies in order. It would take him another few weeks to duplicate the effort. Weeks of verifying and correcting the placement of every tiny bone after his tremors forced his hands to shake so badly that he couldn’t control where he placed them.

  “Sir!” a shout rang out from above. A young man, thin yet muscular, in light chainmail that covered his hardened leather armor, leaned over the path leading to his location. “I’m supposed to tell you that it just turned black!” The voice was difficult to hear from the doorway above, but the point had been made. Dredek stood up and craned his neck to reply.

  “Take it off the flames! Take it off the flames and ice it! Go! Tell them, now!” Dredek followed as close as he could, but he was cramped from hours of sorting on his knees, and he tripped over a set of bones at the foot of the stairs, swearing as he fell. “They need to throw the herb bundle in as soon as it hits the ice!”

  The young man ducked his head back into the well and nodded before disappearing again through the opening. Dredek hoped they got it right. He had been expecting it to happen at any time, but sitting in the room and waiting would have accomplished nothing, and sorting through the bones was his task and his task alone.

  The steep incline of the stairs leading out of the well was difficult to climb after spending so much time crouched on the floor of the well, but he found it easier if he used his hands to aid himself as he circled the shaft in a sprint on all four limbs. His natural caldereth speed could easily be a danger on the stairway, so he was careful to stay close to the outer wall. Once he reached the door, however, he could safely and quickly cover the distance to the chamber where the potion was brewing.

  Still, the chests that carried the remaining caldereth bones hampered him in the hall leading away from the well. He wished he had planned for the moment better, but there was nothing for it now.

  As soon as he was past the obstructions, he sprinted on limbs meant for speed. He would pay for the exertion with aches and fatigue, but the next few moments counted toward his being able to revive his people, so he was willing to endure the suffering. When he could finally use the thick, black liquid, the small amount of discomfort he was about to face would seem insignificant anyway.

  In the distance he could hear the voice of the man who had brought him the news shouting instructions with short breath. At least they sent a competent man to fetch me, he thought.

  Moments later, he was entering the room. Three men had already placed the pot in the ice bath he had prepared, and the herb bundle was tossed in as he entered the room. The herbs were only necessary to mask the horrific taste of the potion so he would be able to choke it down, but he was glad they had followed the instructions before the heat of the black liquid lowered and was unable to draw out the flavor from the mint leaves. He smiled at the men, nodding his gratitude for their efforts. It would be a while before it would be cool enough to drink, but the hard part was over. In a few days, he would have his physical strength back, along with the full use of his magical potential.

  20 — Trained but Deadly

  Osric stepped into the cave, knowing the paun would still be where he left them. It had taken time for him to find them after his long period of unconsciousness following his battle with Dredek, but once they had been located he moved them back into the cave he had met them in. They had taken to training faster than any dog he had ever known, but te
aching them to eat all of their prey was the most daunting task he had undertaken.

  Cooking the meat of the animals they brought back had been the solution to the problem, though they still ate the internal organs and eyeballs before bringing their hunt to the cave. Osric felt that it was nearly time to bring the two out to meet his friends. He had kept his nightly routine secret from all but Bridgett, but she hadn’t been eager to meet the beasts. He understood her worries, but he was convinced that the paun could be valuable companions. He had been bringing the two pups along with him to different towns to expose them to human contact for some time, albeit he made sure they remained invisible the entire time. He felt that they were ready to join the rest of the world, though he was nervous about how they would react if everyone who saw them screamed and ran away.

  There had been no doubt in Osric’s mind that they were intelligent, as he could get them to drop their invisibility on command and he had witnessed them using magic to start fires and bury their possessions. Though what the paun saw as possessions was laughable to most humans; they seemed to form odd attachments to different rocks they had discovered in their wanderings. The larger of the two adolescent paun would even spell the area where he buried his rocks to protect them.

  As he entered the room, the two became visible and approached him playfully. A fire was burning and the cave had been cleaned of any evidence of last night’s meal, though there was the last quarter of a doe waiting for him to cook.

  “Looks like you two have been busy. Good job!” He patted them on their backs, feeling strange to treat larger-than-human animals as pets. It had taken him time to get used to the act, but they didn’t speak. However, they responded very well to verbal instruction, learning dozens of commands during his first week of visits.

  He took out his large hunting knife and began to prepare the doe. Most of his actions were habitual, muscle memory from the time he had spent training Happy and a lifetime of hunting. He knew he couldn’t bring them back to the Aranthians without names. Though genitals were not evident on either of them, the smaller size and narrower chest of one led Osric to assume she was female. He called her Vesh. The larger of them was dubbed Kane, because he had taken a liking to the flavor of raw sugar, and Osric often found scraps of sugarcane scattered around outside the cave. He had no idea where the paun found the plant, but the two often wandered far from the cave to hunt and play while Osric was away.