A Coursing Passage (A Life of Magic Book 3) (30 page)

"What is it?" Amelia asked Stain.

Stain unwrapped the bundle and stared down at what it contained, a small book. "I believe it is an ancient book. Perhaps spells?" He opened it and he smiled suddenly.

"Why are you smiling like that?" Tulip asked him.

He looked up, "Unbeknownst to Errock he has given me a very valuable book. A history and chart of this region." He held it up, showing charts, maps, and descriptions of the land around us.

"Why does that make you smile? We know this area well already." Ruth was confused.

Stain grinned wider, "Because this book is ancient. It documents many things, from what I can see, that existed before the current powers were around. Things that might be hidden from the people now." He flipped through the book, sometimes shaking his head. "Also it is a common man's book, not a noble book. It is for pure information, not entertainment. The information here might just serve as our guide to the secret pass." He stood up and sat beside Tulip. "Let us see if we can find any information that would serve our cause." They sat like that until the fire burned down, discussing what the different pages were describing It seemed as if they were going to stay up late, exploring this book.

"I am going to bed." Ruth was the first one to call it quits. Amelia and Robert were right behind her.

Raven nudged me, "I am tired." I stood up and pulled her to her feet.

"We are going to bed." I told Stain. He nodded and went back to the book. I shook my head and took Raven to our wagon full of creatures to sleep.

***

"The book you gave us is more than enough payment." Stain was reassuring Errock the next day. We had loaded the camp back up and were preparing to leave. "It has revealed the path we were searching for in our travels."

Errock nodded, "Then my debt is paid." He turned and headed back to the fields.

"An odd man there." Ruth commented.

Stain shook his head, "A man of no nonsense and straight forward. We need more like him in our world."

Tulip looked at Stain, "Time to leave?"

Stain nodded, "I checked on Tabby earlier. She is healing, but time will be the true healing. We can leave anytime you desire."

Tulip grinned and climbed her wagon, "Off we go!" She called out. We all rushed to climb on our wagons and followed her. She headed back the way we had come. The book had revealed that the path to the pass lied off the road we had been traveling, but we had missed the turn. Mid-morning she led us off the road and onto a path that was churned almost to the point of useless.

"Heavy wagons pass through here on a regular basis." Tulip commented when we stopped to water the animals. The goats were appreciative of the break. "We will make slow time today."

Stain looked around, "Do you think smugglers made these tracks?"

Tulip nodded, "That or timber wagons. They are the heaviest I have ever seen, twenty or thirty animals pulling each wagon." She stood, "The book said that this path led to a small village high in the mountains. From that village we follow a rock path through the pass." She climbed aboard her wagon and it rolled forward. Stain smiled, "It would be nice if we were back home in just a few days." He followed after Tulip. Raven grinned and scampered up the side of the wagon, getting it moving before I had climbed up beside her.

"Wait on me wife!" I said playfully, tickling her ribs as I sat beside her. She grinned and elbowed me gently, causing the reins to jangle. One of the goats looked over it's shoulder and shook it's head at us. We both laughed and enjoyed the ride.

***

"I guess this is where the village once stood." Stain looked around at the remains of a few burnt out buildings and stone foundations. No one had lived here in a long time, not in my lifetime anyway. "It looks like someone burned it down to the ground."

Tulip nodded, "This was probably one of the villages that suffered from bandits years ago. They would ransom the village's safety for food, gold, even people. If the village did not meet their demands they burned it to the ground, killing or enslaving all who lived there." She shook her head. Ruth walked up and put her arm around Tulip's shoulder.

"Enough of that. That was another life. We need to keep moving." Ruth looked around. "I think our path is obvious. That rock path over there must be the way to the pass." She pointed to a dark line of rock headed straight at the mountain.

"Then let us get to it." Stain motioned and we were off again. The wagons bumped and rolled over the stones in the path. It was worn, many had obviously traveled this way before. The path passed through the village and into the trees. Always climbing. We climbed the rest of the day and the air grew colder and colder. Soon we could see our breath frosting in the air.

The sun started to set before we reached the pass.

"We need to make camp!" Tulip called out. "We will not make the pass tonight."

We went through the motions of making camp and quickly had the wagons arranged and food cooking.

"When do you think we will make it to the pass?" I asked Tulip.

She thought a moment, "The book stated that one might make the pass by nightfall if you left the village at day break. So, I guess we will make it midday, since we left the village at midday." She looked at Stain. "Does that sound about right?"

Stain nodded, "That makes sense. I bet we get a great view from that pass. It seems as if it will be quite high up in the mountains." He stood. "I am going to bed, I was up too late last night." He climbed into his tent and was soon snoring.

Tulip chuckled, "I am tired myself. Good night all." She mounted her stairs and was soon fast asleep.

Ruth smiled, "They were up most of the night looking through that book." She stood up, "A day on the road makes me tired. Good night younglings." She went to her wagon.

Amelia and Robert smiled at each other, "She hates to admit it but she gets tired easy now." Amelia commented. Robert nodded.

Raven smiled, "I get tired after a day riding the wagon. It looks easy but it does wear you out." She leaned against me. "Perhaps we should seek our bed also?"

I nodded and we went to our wagon, leaving Robert and Amelia looking into the flames.

The next morning I was woken up by the fairies, "It is cold!" One of the faeries stated as he poked me. "Stir yourself and light a fire." The faerie looked annoyed.

I looked around and realized there was frost on the walls. I poked Raven, "Wake up." She mummered something and rolled over and went back to sleep.

"I tried waking her first. She refuses to awaken. Therefore, you must light the fire. Without it we might perish." The fairy poked me again.

"Fine, back up and let me sit up." I looked around and realized that the fairies were clumped together with Pat and Mophar. Staying warm I guess. "Is everyone okay?"

The fairy nodded, "We are hardy people, but this cold is about to get worse. A fire in your stove please?" He shivered midway through his statement.

I grinned and put some charcoal into the stove. Pulling on a little magic I lit the disc and it burst into flame. "Better?" I asked as warmth started to radiate off the enameled surface.

The fairy nodded and waved everyone down to the shelf beside the stove. The fairies flew down and gathered beside the stove, taking in the heat. Pat climbed down and curled up behind them, absorbing the heat also. Mophar hung lower, to take in some heat also.

"I guess it is getting cold." I stretched and looked around. "Does anyone know how everyone else is faring?"

"I would check on Stain and the animals." Pat commented as he looked over at me.

I nodded and threw some clothes on quickly. Raven still did not stir, simply pulling the covers tighter against the chill. I exited the wagon and realized that it was much colder outside the wagon. The wind was bone numbing cold. I looked around and saw smoke rising from all the wagons. Stain stood beside the fire, wrapped in thick blankets.

"The cold came in over night. We figured someone in there would feel it and start a fire." He smiled. "All the animals are taken care of but I fear that we will not reach the pass today."

I sat beside him. "Is it possible that the pass is open? After all this time."

Stain shrugged. "It could be open or closed. We have no way of knowing."

"I would not say no way." Fiosrach spoke from close by.

"What do you mean?" Stain asked him.

"I can travel through stone. This weather is nothing to me." He grinned his toothy grin. "I could possibly be to the pass and back by the end of the day."

Stain thought a moment and nodded, "That would be our best option. This storm will not pass until tomorrow. My bones ache from it. Make haste and bring us word as quick as you may." He stood and went into his tent. A puff of warm air coming from the open flap.

"He cheats. He has a heating spell running inside his tent." Fiosrach spoke up. "You can tell because the snow keeps melting when it hits the tent material."

I looked and realized he was right. "Thank you for being willing to risk yourself so we can find out about the pass."

He smiled, "It is not a risk. I will be back by dark." He sunk down into the ground. I could even feel him moving through the rock, away from me towards where the pass sat.

I climbed back up into the wagon to find that Raven had awoke. "Snow huh?"

I nodded, "We are waiting for Fiosrach to bring us word about the pass. There is the concern that the pass might no longer exist."

She shook her head. "At least we will know." She handed me a bowl of stew. "With this cold we must eat to keep up our energy. Everyone else is eating, we must also." She picked up her own bowl and took a large bite.

We spent the day waiting. Raven sharpened knives, read through some of the papers Zack had gifted her, and generally tried to stay busy. I spent my day working through spells, trying to go through all the spells that had been gifted to me and those I had learned through the mage puzzle. Overall it was a quiet day. One of quiet pursuits. Soon it grew dark.

"When will he be back?" Mophar had slept most of the day. Although he kept himself occupied by asking riddles.

The fairies nodded, "It would be good to know if we must go farther into this cold or return to the warmth below." Sven stated.

"He should be back soon. He said he would be back at dark." I stated this while I worried about him.

A knocking rang at our wagon. "Ott! Fiosrach is back!" Stain's voice rang out.

We rushed out of the wagon to find everyone gathered around, waiting to know what he had to say.

"The way is blocked. A mountain side has slid down into the pass and blocked it. Ott and Stain combined, even with my energy, could never move all of the rock and ice that blocks the pass." Fiosrach stated this glumly.

We sat there and despaired.

"To your wagons." Stain stated gravely. "Tomorrow we head back down the mountain and take the other route." He stood and went into his tent.

***

"So what is our path now?" Tulip asked Stain once we reached the burned out village.

Stain sat and looked around. "We are left with two alternatives. One is that we travel back the way we came and head all the way around the mountains until we reach the desert. There we might pass through and eventually reach the kingdom. Most who take that way fail and die."

"Well, let's not do that." Ruth stated blandly.

Stain smiled, "The other option is to travel to the ocean and find a boat to take us around the mountains jutting out into the waters. It is a hard journey and most likely our transport will be smugglers and pirates. But it is more likely to succeed." He looked around at everyone. "Any thoughts?"

We all sat there a moment until I stated, "I think going by boat might be the best choice. At least it seems to be the safest of our options."

Everyone nodded, some reluctantly

"I dislike boats." Ruth stated this darkly. "Too much rocking for my taste."

I chuckled and thought of my time on the river.

"Well, if that is what we are going to do then we need to be on the way. It is over a week of traveling by wagon to reach the ocean." Tulip stood up. "And then we have to find a captain crazy enough to take us and our wagons."

Sven cleared his throat. "We will not be going with you the rest of the way." His statement gained him everyone's attention. "I have learned all that I feel is needed. We shall part ways at the crossroads at the base of the mountain."

Stain nodded, "Very well. I hope you gained insight and wisdom from your time traveling with us."

Sven smiled, "I did. But even more important is the things I learned about each of you. I feel that you all shall be on a great adventure most of your lives. I hope that luck will always travel with you."

Maria landed beside Sven and whispered something into his ear. Whatever it was upset and concerned him. He grabbed her arm and they flew a short distance off, to talk privately.

"I wonder what that is about?" Amelia commented as we watched the animated argument between the two fairies.