The Price of Magic

by Gavin Neale

  ‘I think you should find something in there,’ Einion said. There was a small selection of belt buckles, clasps, a couple of brooches and other objects, all made in the same angular style. Rhiannon immediately picked out a simple iron ring with wound copper edges that matched some of the others she already had braided into her beard and long auburn hair.

  ‘That will work nicely,’ said Abby, impressed. She wished her choice were as simple. ‘Does anyone have any ideas?’

  ‘Let me have a look, dear,’ Daphne said. She looked over Abby’s shoulder into the drawer. There didn’t seem to be anything obvious. ‘Einion, do you have any more silver work, maybe something finer?’

  ‘Not that has been prepared as a talisman.’

  Daphne muttered something under her breath but Abby couldn’t catch what it was. ‘Hold out your arms and give me a slow turn.’

  Abby held out her arms and shuffled in a circle.

  ‘I’d forget my own head next. I’ve got just the thing back in the workshop.’ Daphne reached down into the drawer and selected a small silver clasp which had a solitary rune carved on it. ‘Are either of you any good at jewellery?’

  The two dwarves looked at each other. Rhiannon deferred to Einion. ‘I’m sure both of us are more than capable,’ he said. ‘Although I think it would be fitting for Rhiannon to attach the clasp to whatever you have planned.’

  ‘Come on then, dears, let’s get this sorted out.’ Daphne waited as Einion hurriedly tidied up the chest and lifted it back into its secure locker.

  The four of them left the camp and walked back across the garden towards the workshop. One of Nora’s goats bleated as they passed making Abby jump, much to Rhiannon’s amusement. They all squeezed into the workshop and Daphne headed straight for her multi-coloured carpetbag on one of the cabinets. She rooted around in it for a long while before she found what she was looking for. Finally she turned and held up a three-strand woven-leather friendship band. ‘A couple of charms will make sure that the leather won’t wear and the clasp is bound in such a way that it won’t come off. Do you like it?’

  Abby held up her right arm and Daphne tied it loosely round her wrist using the small tie. Abby turned her wrist to look at it carefully. ‘Yes, I do like it,’ she said quietly, untying the band and handing it back to Daphne.

  ‘Thank you, dear,’ Daphne said. She immediately handed the band to Rhiannon.

  ‘We may well need your charm to make the leather last, but no dwarf work requires a charm to hold a clasp on.’ Einion sounded proud and stared at Daphne.

  ‘I wasn’t questioning your workmanship, Einion.’ Daphne smiled broadly. ‘I was simply thinking we would lay a possession charm on the bracelet so no one but Abby could put it on or remove it.’

  ‘Aye, that would help,’ admitted Einion.

  Rhiannon produced a measuring tape and checked the size of Abby’s wrist several times. She carefully measured the bracelet and the depth of the sockets on the clasp they had selected. As she was doing this she asked, ‘Daphne, would your possession charm enable the band to grow as Abby does?’

  ‘I hadn’t thought of that,’ Daphne replied. For the first time she was hesitant.

  ‘Just make sure that it fits Abby properly,’ Nora interrupted. ‘I am sure that between us and Pedir, we can rustle up the right combination of charms to suit our purpose.’

  17

  Preparations for Magic

  It took a surprisingly long time to get ready. To begin with, Abby watched and helped Rhiannon as she cut the leather thongs that would be attached to the silver clasp. The dwarf measured everything numerous times before she was prepared to cut and then fit the clasp.

  Once Rhiannon was finished, all the while being supervised by Einion, the three of them found the other magical members of the council deep in discussion. They were standing by an old school blackboard mounted on a stand in the back corner of the workshop behind the door. The blackboard was now covered in strange chalk symbols, which occasionally one of the magical practitioners subtly altered.

  ‘Hmm, they could be some time,’ Einion said, looking thoughtfully at the board. ‘Let’s see if I can help.’ Einion led the way across the workshop and Nora turned as the group arrived.

  ‘Will the charms conflict with your runes, Einion?’

  Einion took a closer look at the board before replying. ‘No, but if you change a couple of the elements we can make them harmonise, given that they share the same metal and rune. Do you mind?’

  Nora nodded and Einion dragged a pair of steps across to the blackboard, clambered up so he could reach and made some adjustments to the chalk marks.

  ‘Of course,’ Daphne said. Nora nodded approvingly. Pedir remained silent, as he stared at the board.

  ‘Pedir?’ asked Nora.

  ‘There will be some loss of magical energy as it flows between charms and rune, particularly as Abby gets older and changes. If I may make one final suggestion?’ Pedir waited for Einion to move out of the way before he selected a piece of red chalk and changed some of the symbols.

  ‘There has to be another way!’ Daphne said, as she turned to look at Abby.

  ‘What is it?’ Abby asked, scared at the old woman’s reaction. When Pedir had made the changes, Abby had seen a pattern for the first time in the scribblings on the board; they seemed to split into two different groups.

  ‘It’s a small talisman. We can take enough blood without causing any problems,’ said Pedir, eyes remaining fixed on the blackboard in front him.

  ‘Take what?’ asked Abby, looking increasingly worried.

  ‘We will need to take some of your blood for this spell. It’s an old magic, but effective. We will destroy any blood that we don’t need.’

  ‘You want some of my blood?’ Abby watched Nora carefully, wondering what the old witch was up to, ‘Why is Daphne so upset? Will it hurt?’

  ‘It won’t hurt, dear. It will be fine, just like having some blood tests.’ Daphne tried to reassure Abby before she turned and spoke sternly. ‘But what you are suggesting, Pedir, is to bind Abby permanently to the council. That is an escalation I was not expecting.’

  ‘Aye, this was meant to be a temporary measure. And no one seems worried about removing Rhiannon’s talisman.’ Einion scratched at his beard and frowned as he watched Pedir carefully.

  ‘You know as well as I do that dwarf blood would be no use in a spell,’ Nora said, her eyes narrowing. ‘And Rhiannon is not growing. We don’t know what will happen to Abby if she steps back into the Land of Fairy. We have to be prepared for all eventualities.’

  ‘But I’m not going to the Land of Fairy… How long are we going to be here?’ Abby was feeling very nervous now; she knew they had to get Thomas back but all she wanted to do was go home and see her family.

  All four of the Guardians looked at her. Rhiannon stepped up beside Abby. ‘You are planning to send Abby into the Land of Fairy, aren’t you?’

  Abby was surprised to hear Rhiannon being so direct with the Guardians; previously she had always been so deferential. But she was immensely reassured by having the young dwarf by her side.

  ‘Yes, we are,’ Daphne said. Her words were more hesitant than usual. ‘It will be easier to explain once you are bound to the council, but it appears in this matter I am outvoted.’

  ‘Aye, I don’t like it but she will be safe once she is back in the human world,’ Einion said, scratching at his beard. ‘Or, for that matter, with us dwarves if necessary.’

  Pedir raised an eyebrow but did not say anything as he watched the results of the suggestion that he sadly felt was necessary. He did wonder how a human child could be so caught up in such major events among the magical folk.

  ‘I would be bound forever and always have to wear the band?’ Abby tried to imagine what this could mean.

  ‘Only you will be able to remove the tali
sman. But it is immensely powerful and you would be in terrible danger if it fell into an enemy’s hands,’ Daphne said. ‘So it would be best if you kept it on. You will still only be bound as a delegate. Once this is all over, you can go back to your normal life again.’

  ‘But you will always be linked to me? All of you?’

  ‘We will be able to find you, if necessary,’ Pedir said. ‘Talk to you. Ask your advice even. But we would never interfere where we were not wanted. Nora had to work very hard to call me to this most important of tasks.’

  ‘Aye, Pedir, but she can’t go wandering across worlds like you can,’ Einion retorted.

  For a moment it looked as if Pedir was going to say something in reply to Einion but he stayed silent as he waited for the witches to take the lead.

  ‘It is up to you, Abigail,’ Nora said. She approached Abby, stopping in front of the girl and looking down at her, although they were not so different in height these days. ‘It is a big step but it is the best way to keep you safe. None of us would willingly put you in any danger. If there were another way I would take it. I understand Daphne’s reluctance, but together we can keep you safer if you have a talisman. We have a duty and, in a way, so do you. I know you want to help get Thomas back and that is part of why this has to happen. You are not responsible but you can help.’

  ‘She’s but a child,’ muttered Einion.

  ‘Does anyone have a better way?’ asked Nora, looking round the group. No one answered, so Nora turned back to Abby. ‘So, Abigail, what will you do?’

  ‘I’ll do it,’ said Abby, her voice shaking a little. She didn’t feel up to finding out what else would be asked of her.

  ‘Thank you,’ Nora said. ‘Daphne, if you will take the blood sample we’ll prepare the rest of the elements.’

  Daphne led Abby to the side of the workshop and Rhiannon went with them, intent on making sure that Daphne wasn’t up to anything.

  ‘Don’t worry, dear, this really will be just like having a blood test.’ Daphne motioned for Abby to take a seat then opened a cupboard to produce a pristinely packaged blood-testing kit, complete with sterilised needle, syringe and test vials. ‘We’ll only need a couple of vials. Are you okay with needles?’

  ‘Yes,’ said Abby. She watched carefully as Daphne secured a tie round her arm and slid the needle expertly into a vein.

  ‘This is so much neater than pricking fingers with wooden tools and shaking blood everywhere,’ Daphne said. She quickly drew two vials of dark red blood then removed the needle, carefully pressing down with a piece of cotton wool where the needle had left its hole. ‘Can you hold that down, please?’

  Abby held the cotton wool down until Daphne replaced it with a small plaster. ‘So what now?’

  ‘We make sure we have everything then perform the charms and binding somewhere where there is enough room for us all and where it is safe enough for blood magic.’

  ‘We’re not doing that here?’ asked Rhiannon, looking across the workshop to see the others helping Nora assemble a pile of equipment on the table.

  ‘Oh no, dear. There’s not room in here for the circles we need to perform this kind of magic. I’ll deal with this and then I’d better make sure they’ve remembered everything.’

  Daphne placed the two vials of Abby’s blood with the rest of the things that were being collected before disposing of the rest of the blood-taking kit in various containers on the other side of the room.

  ‘Are you scared, Rhiannon?’ Abby asked.

  ‘I’m more concerned,’ Rhiannon replied after a pause. ‘But it’s not my blood that they have collected.’

  Soon everything was collected up and placed inside Daphne’s multi-coloured carpet bag. They left the workshop, pausing for Nora to lock up, and then the old witch led them into the woods. They walked single file, twisting between the trees and following a narrow trail. The trees thinned at one point; beneath them was a series of low-growing plants with red berries, a compost heap standing sentry on the other side of the cultivated plants. They did not stop to look at this and Abby was too worried to ask about it. She felt as if they were being watched.

  They did not go very much further before they walked into a clearing with a stone circle, which they entered. Nora muttered something and Daphne breathed a sigh of relief as a magic circle sprang up round the edge of the stone circle.

  ‘Right, let’s get started,’ said Daphne. ‘Abby, Rhiannon, you need to stay inside the stone circle whilst we get ready.’

  ‘Okay,’ Abby replied. She looked around her and spotted glittering eyes dotted round the edge of the clearing, hiding among the trees.

  ‘Pay them no attention,’ Nora said, motioning towards one of the four stones that stood inside the circle. ‘Stand by Old John here, so you’re out of the way.’

  18

  The Binding

  Daphne unpacked all the items from her carpetbag and Nora helped Daphne with the preparation. Einion used a pole and string to lay out a series of shapes. Firstly, he laid a large outer circle of a fine black powder on the ground, then he collected three jars of earth and used these to create four circles placed equally round the inside edge of the black powder circle. He created two circles either side of the centre point of the main circle. He started to link the inner circles of the earth together with lines of the black powder, being careful not to disturb any of the earth or powder he had set out already and working round the four standing stones.

  ‘What do you think?’ asked Einion, when he was satisfied that everything was laid out as neatly as possible.

  Daphne checked what Einion had done and was satisfied. ‘We’re ready for you now, Pedir. Nora, if you can place the artefacts in their circles. Einion, if you would be so kind as to cleanse the talismans.’

  Pedir walked round the circles, laying out a mixture of candles and strange blue gems that glowed faintly. He placed the candles on one side of the inner circles and the gems at regular intervals along the flowing black powder lines. Nora started laying out various artefacts round the different circles, while Einion walked to the edge of the circle and started to cleanse the talismans.

  Daphne joined Abby and Rhiannon, who were both shifting nervously by the rock called Old John that towered over them.

  ‘Right, dears,’ Daphne said. ‘There’s no need to be nervous but it is important that we get this right so this is what you are going to do as part of the spell.’

  The instructions seemed simple enough; neither Rhiannon nor Abby were magical practitioners, so the spell would work through their talismans rather than themselves. They were told to wait in their respective circles that lay either side of the centre point of the largest black powder circle.

  Rhiannon smiled at Abby from within her own circle as they waited for Daphne to start the spell. Daphne had led them to their places, making sure they stepped carefully through the lines of black powder and earth, stressing how important it was for them not to disturb anything that had been laid out.

  Abby thought the glowing blue gems were beautiful but she had been around enough magic to know not to touch one unless a member of the council passed it to her. When they had finished, Pedir and Nora walked to one of the circles of earth round the outer edge of the spell. Pedir sat down cross-legged to wait for the spell to begin, his staff resting across his knees, while Nora sat on a low stool in her own circle opposite Pedir, her legs stretched out in front of her.

  ‘How’s it going, Einion?’ Daphne asked as the old dwarf finished washing both talismans in a silver bowl filled with a salt solution.

  ‘Aye, well enough. The ancients really knew their runes.’

  ‘That they did. Take the talismans to Abby and Rhiannon, remind them not to touch them until it is time and take up your position. Even though they are non-practitioners, there is so much residual magic floating around this circle that it would not be difficult
to accidentally contaminate them.’

  ‘Aye,’ Einion replied. He set the talismans on a white cloth that covered a wooden platter. He stood up, picked up the platter and moved cautiously into the magical circles.

  ‘Nearly there, Abby,’ Einion said. He used a clean cotton cloth to place her talisman carefully on top of her magic circle, right where it was joined by a line of black powder that linked back to the other circles. ‘Daphne asked me to remind you not to touch the talisman until it is time. We’ll be done shortly.’

  Abby watched Einion place Rhiannon’s talisman in a similar place on the circle of earth that surrounded her. He returned to his own circle between Pedir and Nora, having placed his platter outside the main circle.

  Daphne started to make her way round the circle carrying a wooden platter similar to the one that Einion had used. She walked anti-clockwise round the outside of the main circle, first going to Pedir, then Einion and finally Nora. Abby couldn’t quite see what happened but, once Daphne left, Abby thought she could see the tell-tale shimmer of a magic circle surrounding each of the council members.

  Daphne went to Rhiannon and spoke quietly but musically, as if singing a song to herself, and another circle sprang to life. The candles inside Rhiannon’s magic circle lit up. Finally Daphne came towards Abby, who could see a silver chalice on the platter but nothing else.

  ‘Well met, Abigail Arwen Cromwell, delegate to the Guardians of the Peace Accords. I light these candles to light your way to us.’ Daphne’s voice had a strange melody as she half-spoke, half-sang the words. By force of will, she lit the candles inside Abby’s earthen circle and they gave off a pleasing vanilla perfume to aid concentration.

  ‘With the essence of your body I anoint thee and your link to us.’ She lifted up the chalice and poured some of the blood she had taken earlier over Abby’s head. Then she bent over the friendship bracelet and, using a brush that was in the chalice, shook droplets of blood over it. ‘Travel to your own world so that we may always find you.’ Daphne reached out and touched the circle of earth that surrounded Abby, creating the fifth magic circle and leaving only one circle of earth unoccupied.