The Mage of Orlon: The beginning

by Gene Rager

  No, Kyne would not approve of what she was planning, but Kyne was taken from her by the bandits, and she was alone. Ileana dressed and darted into the forest to get the food for breakfast that morning and the herbs needed for Lela’s food.

  The air filled with the smell of fish and lemon, fresh roots from the forest, and fresh baked bread. Nate roused from his sleep to find Lela on the floor of their room. After they had returned from Ileana’s hut Lela decided to sleep on the floor instead of next to Nate. Strange woman Nate thought.

  “Lela, wake up. I think someone is cooking.”

  Lela cracked her eyes and stretched. When she sat up the smell seduced her nose causing her stomach to growl.

  “It is probably Ileana; she seems to have taken a liking to you Nate.” Lela felt a twinge of something and wished she had not said the last part out loud.

  “Really, because I didn’t see it last night. She looked like she was in shock, I mean she opened the door and was naked.”

  Lela rolled her eyes, “Did it ever occur to you that she might sleep in the nude, and most likely is not used to strangers spending the night?”

  “I wonder if the food is for us, or if we are dinning on the pack rations again today?”

  “Nate, why don’t you go out and ask her?” Once again that feeling happened again. What was wrong with her? If she kept pushing Nate to talk to Ileana he might, might, might what? I cannot fall in love with another human, mage or otherwise. They die too quickly, are way to rash, and are not very strong. Lela what is wrong with you! The debate waged its war inside Lela for a few more minutes until Nate spoke.

  “Okay, I will ask about the food. Are you coming?”

  “I will in a few moments Nate, go ahead without me.” Lela managed a smile.

  Nate looked at Lela for what seemed like hours, and then turned and left the house. As soon as Nate cleared the door way the smell of the food entrapped his sense of smell. He followed the smell to Ileana’s hut, she could cook! He felt foolish for thinking that, she might be blind, but she had to eat too. Nate knocked on the door, a little afraid that Ileana might be nude again. The door opened to a fully clothed Ileana.

  “Good morning Nate” she chimed, “How did you sleep?”

  “Okay, thanks for asking. How did you sleep, after the bad dream?”

  Her smile illuminated her face. He did care about her!

  “Better, thank you for checking up on me last night.” Her cheeks burned from blood rushing to them.

  “Come in Nate, breakfast is almost ready for us, where’s Lela?”

  “I almost forgot, I need to let her know you made this wonderful smelling food for all of us.” Nate turned to leave only to nearly run into Lela.

  “I am here.” Lela looked at Ileana’s face as she heard her voice the smile had faltered just a bit.

  “Well come in and be my guests! I have prepared fish, thorny bush roots, and grain bread all gathered fresh this morning.” Ileana said with pride.

  “What herb is that on the fish Ileana?” Lela asked, “It smells divine!”

  “I used lemon grass, some flecked ginger, and salt.”

  The three sat at the intimate table with plates dished up by Ileana. Nate plunged into his food with gusto, while Lela slowly ate each thing one at a time. Everything was going according to plan, the sleeping root was placed in Lela’s bread, and she had finished all of it! In a half an hour Lela would be so drowsy they would have to stop and she would have Nate all to herself.

  If she could seduce him, he might get to know her better and then fall in love with her over time. For now she just had to get rid of the pesky elven woman long enough to start seducing Nate. Then he would be Ileana’s forever!

  After the meal, they packed up what little was needed for the trip and left Santrose. Half an hour into the hike Lela began to yawn, finally she stopped.

  “Sorry, I guess I did not sleep as well as I thought I had.”

  “We can take a break Lela, go ahead and get some rest.” Ileana chimed.

  “Nate, could you get me a little water from the stream over there?” Lela asked around a yawn.

  “Sure Lela.”

  “Thank you Nate.” Lela smiled weakly as Nate walked into the forest.

  “Lela there isn’t a stream over where you sent Nate.”

  “I know Ileana.”

  The flatness in her tone sounded bad. Lela’s hand went quickly around the front of Ileana’s throat. Ileana was slammed into a thick tree having the wind knocked out of her and no way to breath she slapped weakly at Lela’s rock like grip.

  “Sleeping root, really Ileana? Before you become a tragic victim of a roaming forest beast who tore you apart, I will give you one chance to explain.”

  “How did you know?” Ileana whispered.

  “I smelled the scent of sleep root the moment I stepped into your home; I chewed some caff root to counter the herb that was in my bread. So tell me why!”

  “I wanted some alone time with Nate, I thought if I could seduce him he might stay with me and send you back home alone. I’m sorry I tried to trick you, but I am so lonely in Santrose. He was the first person in a very long time to even care enough to ask me how I felt after a dream. I know I am pathetic, but that is the truth. I wanted to break you two up so I could have him.”

  Ileana started crying, she had gone from a feared demon archer to a conniving, weak little girl and all because of a few moments of kindness from a boy. How could she tell the woman who had her pinned to a tree about all the times the children never wanted her to play because she was different, or of all the lonely nights she had silently cried because no boys would ask her to the festivals the village had every year?

  Lela began laughing, a thick joyous sound that starts from the bottom her soul until it tumbled out of her mouth. Lela released her grip on Ileana’s neck. To think all this was about, was getting to know Nate better. More laughter erupted from Lela, she couldn’t help it.

  “At the risk of being pinned to the tree again I ask, what is so funny Lela?”

  With tears in her eyes and hiccupping for enough air to talk Lela finally answered the confused demon archer.

  “If you want him then take him! You think we are a couple. We are not; he is the next mage of Orlon. I am helping him restore the spell book that he destroyed. That is why we are here. You thought we were a couple! Oh, oh my, I have been torn about how I feel about him, but I would never drug the competition just for alone time. When this is over you two can figure out if you are a good match or not I am staying out of this one.”

  “But Lela, you two sleep together! That means you are a couple.”

  “Ileana, we slept together for warmth before your nightmare, but I slept on the floor after we got back. We are not lovers! I think if I gave him half a chance he would fall in love with me, but I have been in love with a mage and it ended badly.”

  “So you are not mad about the sleep root?”

  “Mad, no, furious, yes! You made a mistake this time. Do not try that ever again with me, or you forfeit your life. Ileana, I know the sight, smell and texture of every known plant in these forests do you understand!”

  “I am sorry Lela.”

  “You will earn your forgiveness from me by taking us the quickest route to Lex’s house. If you want Nate, then by all means have him, but do not betray me again!”

  Lela slid down on the ground just as Nate came back through the bushes.

  “I’m sorry Lela I couldn’t find the stream.”

  “It’s okay Nate; Ileana gave me nice herbal drink that should have me back up and running in a little while. Why don’t the two of you go out and find some more of those delicious thorn bush roots. Ileana can show you how to find them.”

  A smile spilled across Ileana’s face, Lela was not going to tell Nate about the sleep root. She would never betray Lela again. Ileana took Nate by the hand and pulled him behind her as she started searching for the thorn bushes.

  Lela laid
back and smiled, she might have just sent Nate off with someone who would love him back as much as he could love her. So why was sadness creeping in to her good mood? It had been a good plan, and anything to keep Ileana from trying to drug her again or do worse was a nice bonus. The feeling persisted; finally she had to admit that Nate had grown on her. She had tried everything she could think of to stop these feelings, but deep down inside her she loved Nate, through all the things that he had put her through, she loved him. A tiny tear slid from her eye. She loved him and had just pushed him into the arms of another woman.

  Chapter 20

  “This way Nate!” Ileana nearly squealed with delight.

  “Ileana slow down, how do you even know where we are going?”

  It was true she was running with abandon, the elf girl didn’t tell about the sleep root, and told her Nate was all hers. Ileana’s heart pounded in her chest like a drum. Finally she wouldn’t be alone! Running through the trees she caught the faint scent of flowers, a nearly too sweet smell that of the thorn bush.

  Stopping a few feet from the bush Nate opened his mouth. The bush was huge, brightly red with two inch long stickers that lined the spindly branches. There were no leaves only the wicked red branches shooting up from the ground.

  “How do you know this is the right bush Ileana?”

  “Because of the smell silly, do you smell the sweetness in the air?”

  After a few moments Nate did notice the scent in the air. But the bush looked so bright red that surely it was poisonous. Then a thought occurred to him, they had run all the way here to this bush, how had she done that being blind?

  “Ileana can I ask you a question?”

  “Sure Nate anything you like.” She said with a flirty manner.

  It was finally going to happen! He was going to ask her to be his girlfriend! Sure it was irrational, but her only competition could care less! Her joyful daydream was cut short though by what Nate said next.

  “How can you see to run like that, and you recognize the scent of the bush when it is one of the most fearsome looking bushes I have ever seen?”

  “Nate I know these woods like the back of my hand, I didn’t always run through them. Yes the thorn bush is in fact a thorn bush with really long thorns, but the roots are safe to eat if you know how to get them.”

  Not exactly the way she had imagined the conversation going, but maybe he would understand how she survived and fall in love with her because of her cunning.

  Nate watched as Ileana stretched out her hands and slowly walked towards the impending thorns. The tension grew as she inched closer and closer, finally Nate darted forward and grabbed Ileana by the wrists.

  “You’re going to get hurt Ileana, and why to prove a point.”

  Ileana yanked her wrists from Nate’s hands, anger flooded into her cheeks.

  “I am not helpless Nate! I am blind that is all! Do you think someone helped me make that breakfast for you? Or bake the bread that you liked so well? No! I am the demon archer and I am Ileana, both need food, and both are independent. I thought you were different, but you are not. You only see a helpless blind girl, but I am not helpless!”

  She was out of breath trying to gulp in enough air to finish this argument. But something was wrong; it was as if she couldn’t get enough air. Then it hit her, the other scent, poison dust. It came from another plant one that usually grew alongside the thorn bush. If she hadn’t been so distracted she would have noticed the vines acrid smell before now.

  Ileana was gasping for air she couldn’t breathe, but why nothing seemed to be draining his breath was a mystery. Ileana was starting to pass out, she stumbled and fell, but why did it matter anyway the person she thought would be hers forever was just like the rest of the people she grew up with, she faded into the darkness and was glad for the release.

  “Ileana, Ileana, wake up Ileana.” The voice sounded so far away, then pressure on her lips. It was pleasant, the feeling of breath being pushed into her lungs making her chest rise was a little disturbing, but okay. The pleasant voice came back “Ileana, please come back.” The pressure of lips was again accompanied by air being driven into her lungs, this time it hurt. Was someone pushing on her chest? Ileana sat up gasping for air.

  “Whose there?” she asked shakily.

  “It’s me, Nate and Lela.”

  “The poison dust, we have to get out of here!” Ileana nearly screamed.

  “It’s okay Lela found the vine that was causing you not to breath and burned it.”

  “I told him after the vine was destroyed you would snap out of it, but he insisted on kissing you and pushing on your breasts.” Lela teased.

  “It’s called CPR, and it has saved many lives where I come from!” Nate yelled back.

  “Call it what you will, but women generally like to have their breasts rubbed gently, not pushed down on, you nearly broke one of her ribs.”

  “Lela, we weren’t making out, I was forcing air into her lungs to save her life!”

  “You wanted to save my life Nate?” Ileana whispered.

  “Yeah, why wouldn’t I?”

  Tears threatened to slip from Ileana’s eyes. No one ever cared enough about her to help her except Kyne. Nathan had saved her life! He might not love her, but he didn’t want her dead. She might be able to work with that. Maybe he didn’t love her, but maybe she could talk him into living in Santrose with her!

  Chapter 21

  “Meeka, Meeekaaaaaaa.”

  “Who are you? My Name is Tirana!” The Queen shouted.

  “Your name is Meeka, why do you not remember?”

  “Show yourself specter! The Dark Queen demands you to show yourself!” The words echoed into the dark room. For some reason the voice unnerved the queen.

  “As you wish your dark majesty. Heh, heh, heh.”

  The room exploded into a white light, when the light dimmed there was a figure clad in a white hooded robe standing at the end of the queen’s bed. The only part of the figure’s face that could be seen was the mouth. The robe clung to the figure’s body revealing it was a she. A thin smile parted the white robed figure’s mouth.

  “Is this better your highness?” She said in an almost musical tone, the voice seemed familiar to Tirana.

  “What are you doing in my bed chamber?”

  “You sound so ferocious, like a lioness waking with hunger pains. He, he, he.”

  “Stop laughing at me! I will have you put to death!” The queen screeched.

  “I sense panic in your words, but I am not here to hurt you Meeka.”

  “My name is…”

  “Meeka! Silly little girl, still playing Dark Queen I see.” The white robe finished for her.

  “I have killed thousands! I hardly call that playing!” The queen retorted.

  “Liar!” The one word echoed the room. “You have only managed to kill one person, Zorn, and it was quite by accident! Stop playing this foolish game, and remember your true name!” The white robe yelled.

  Tirana slunk back as if a punch had been thrown. Why was she so afraid of this white robed woman? Who is she, and how did she know that Zorn’s death was an accident?

  “No more lies Meeka, you will remember your true name! He is going to defeat your little army Meeka, and when he does you will have to make a choice of live or die. Remember your true name Meeka!”

  Summoning all her courage the Dark Queen gathered her legs under her, and lunged forward at the robed woman. Tirana’s hand griped the dagger in mid jump that was built into her canopy. The dagger would at least injure the strange woman. Tirana flew through the woman’s body landing in a heap on the floor at the foot of her own bed. The white robe laughed.

  “I cannot believe you tried that.” The laughter played on every word as if the fatal attempt on the white robe’s life had been a prank that misfired.

  “Meeka, it does not matter what you call yourself; I will always know who you are. You can change your clothes, use magic to shape shift, whate
ver, I will still know who you are! Remember Meeka the mage is coming, and do not disappoint me!” The last words seemed cryptic. The white robe disappeared leaving Tirana in darkness shivering from fright.

  “My Queen!” Chama’s squatty frame ran into the bed chamber.

  “Chama!” It was all Tirana could manage before the tears started to wet her cheeks.

  “What has happened, my lady?” Chama asked.

  “Chama did you see anyone leave my chamber? A woman dressed in a white robe?” Tirana asked desperately.

  “I am sorry my queen, but no one has been here except me.”

  The knife was still in Tirana’s hand, she looked at it as it glimmered in Chama’s candle light. She had drawn it after lunging at the woman in white. Fresh tears threatened to come, it was okay. Chama had been Tirana’s chamber servant for some time now. Chama was the only one that did not receive the potion. Chama had come to castle as an outcast of her own village. Tirana realized that she never knew what transgression Chama had done to get exiled. It did not matter Chama was loyal to her to a fault. In the whole kingdom that the Dark Queen ruled Chama was the only one she ever could call a friend.

  “I…I must have been dreaming Chama, yes a dream that explains it. I must have been dreaming when I lunged and passed through the stranger with the dagger in hand!” Tirana almost believed the words she had spoken when the voice quietly whispered in her head. “Meeka.”

  Chama saw the queen stiffen. Tears began flowing again. Whatever caused the reaction Chama had neither seen nor heard anything, but something had upset the queen.

  “It will be okay my lady. I will make you some tea to calm your nerves and sing you to sleep like I did in the early days of your stay here.”

  Chama went to the fire place, said a few words over the wood that burst into flame. She filled the kettle with water and hung it over the fire, soon the room filled with the smell of flowers and cinnamon, the brew always calmed Tirana’s nerves as did Chama’s song.