Diary of a Conjurer (36 page)

Amleth stood motionless.

“I gave it to him in the midst of angst. It
was either give it to him or Hacatine. She had me a prisoner and I
had to release it to someone before she took it. There was no other
choice. Thought the boy would give it right back when I caught up
to him again, but I never did.”

“What kind of magic?”

He peeked up at Amleth, who stood still as
the giant firs in the forest. “Very specific if you find out how to
use it. Willpower. You will think things into being.”

Amleth’s eyes did not leave Silvio.

The conjurer looked up again. He knew he had
to continue. “The fool youth took someone else’s power after
that.”

“Whose? What kind of power?”

Amleth’s not going to like it either, not
one bit.

“What does this other magic do?”

“Sight. Hindsight you might say. You can look
into the past with it.”

Amleth’s hands went to his face and he fell
on the bench next to Silvio. They let the silence speak. When
Silvio thought the leader was ready to hear the res, he
continued.

“From all that’s been happening, I kind of
figured who Ivar was. Not sure of all the details, but worried for
him nonetheless. He’s not a bad boy, just confused. This magic
doesn’t help anything, and it’s what Hacatine is looking for. That
and something else.”

Amleth wiped his face with his broad hands,
and inhaled deeply. As if he knew what Silvio was talking about he
spoke quietly, looking through the golden globe toward Deception
Peak. “Is Ivar on the mountain?”

“I was hoping he was here.” After a low groan
from Amleth, Silvio continued. “Wanted you to know, though, the
girl he took the sight from, she’s blind now.”

“Girl?”

“Well, a sorceress. She’s helpless out in the
woods. Wanted to know if you’d let me bring her back here, maybe.
Keep her safe.”

Silvio wanted to kick himself. What an inane
request to ask a village under siege by a sorceress queen. “Well,
you know. I’ve done my part. I can’t leave her there, not like me
to leave a helpless creature at the mercy of a wicked queen.” He
stood.

“Is she a friend, Silvio? Do you know that
she’s a friend?”

Silvio shrugged.
“Says she’d lift a sword to Hacatine in mutiny is
what she told me, for what it’s worth. She’d defend her friends,
though, so I can’t rightly say. Can’t believe anyone anymore,
though. Trust fate, I guess.”

It took a while before Amleth even moved
Silvio was out of solutions. Hopefully this young man will know
what to do. Hopefully! Silvio chewed on his saliva.

“If Ivar is on the mountain, and in the
caves this is a very dangerous situation,” Amleth pushed his hair
away from his face. “If he goes to the ice caves, and has willpower
to do almost anything . . .” He looked at Silvio, his eyes begged
for Silvio to give him reason not to believe what he was
thinking.

“Don’t know about any ice caves. But he has
the willpower to do . . .” Silvio shrugged. What would he do? He
supposed Amleth was thinking the same thing, and he couldn’t tell
the man anything less catastrophic.

Takes time to think, to process everything
through. That’s what I like about the Kaemperns. They don’t
rush.

Finally, the young chief looked up and took
in a long breath. “I’ll go with you to the sorceress. I have some
questions to ask her before I can bring her here.”

Passion

Ivar felt much better now that he’d come to
a decision. He stepped outside the cave and breathed deeply.
Familiar smells of pine, mossy earth and frost, all the scents of
home, refreshed him and cleared his head. He no longer felt the
pressure of confusion. No. He had made up his mind.

I started out on a Crossing
to discover who I was. Now I know. And now,”
Ivar picked up a rock and tossed it gently into the air,
catching it with one hand as it fell. Smooth, round and black as
the night-cold to the touch, the stone fit perfectly in his hand.
He clenched his fist. Magic glowed in between his fingers as the
stone drew from his body heat. “And now there are scores to settle.
Tonight.”

The stone traveled far when he heaved it.
Out over the cliffs into the night sky, disappearing into the
heavens, spinning and reflecting the gold of the Dragon Shield as
it flew over Menek, over Hacatine’s ships and then far beyond
Ivar’s vison, finding its place among the stars.

“Tonight!”

Ivar hiked along the ridge above the
Kaempern forest until it met the trail to the Eastern Edge, and
from there he began his descent. Finding his way was no problem.
The glow from the Dragon Shield lit up the entire side of the
mountain. Except for the shadows which fell across his path, the
trail was easily navigated. Smoke tainted the air once he reached
the foothills for forest fires burned across the valley, appearing
as a flaming crown on the head of the city.

Below, him the globe that protected the
village would have, at one time, been pleasing to him. When a
child, Ivar was awed by the magic of The Dragon Shield. He no
longer felt that way. The newly discovered truths made the glow
repulsive, reminding him of the arrow that Amleth had buried in his
heart. Penetrating his flesh and racing through his body, it was
this same golden illumination that had resurrected him from a death
he deserved-restoring him to a life of no merit. A life he now
abhorred. A life that destroyed the people he had come to love.
Ivar hated that he would be tied to Daryl forever. The magic of the
Dragon Shield bound him to the past. Not only was the shield to
blame, but Amleth the archer was, as well.

Dread stung for a second at
the sight of Hacatine’s ships against the dark waters, but then his
fear turned to rage.
She doesn’t scare me
anymore. What can she do that she hasn’t already done? Kill me?
She’d be doing me a favor!

Ivar stood on the cliff overlooking the sea,
the constant lights of the ships reflections shimmered the in the
water. “Come on Hacatine. Where are you? I’d like to see you again!
I have a present for you. Something you deserve!”

The trail leveled near the city where the
world around him was as bright as day. Voices interrupted his
thoughts. Near the junction where the Menek trail meets Moor Cove,
people congregated outside the shield’s protection. Curious, Ivar
stopped to see if he recognized any of them. At that same moment,
the people turned and looked at him. They stood as still as
statues.

His mouth curled into a grin. “Look who it
is! Now comes our moment of truth! Who’s ready?” he whispered to
himself, a sneer parting his lips.

Ivar walked slowly and as he neared, his
heart quickened when he saw a bow raised against him. The Dragon
Shield light glowed on the face and on his thick red hair. Ivar
stood tall, held up his chin, and stepped boldly into their
view.

“Amleth! You’ve found your target
again.”

He paused hoping the arrow would fly at him.
He didn’t fear death. “What are you waiting for? Shoot!” Ivar said
as he rested his tongue between the gap of his front teeth.

The earth held its breath. Even Hacatine’s
missiles had stop flying. All that was heard was the faint chorus
of the Dragon Shield children singing inside the golden globe.

“Why do you hesitate? You’ve shot me before.
Why would tonight be any different?” Ivar asked.

Amleth lowered his bow.

“What?” Ivar jumped on a boulder beside the
road, positioning himself above the company. He wanted to be close
enough to see Amleth’s sea blue eyes that had so often commanded
his respect. Now as he looked at the Kaempern chief, his insides
fumed. “You weren’t hesitant to drive an arrow into me before. You
weren’t afraid to shoot a child. Why are you hesitant now? Are you
afraid I’ll die?”

“I wish you no harm, Ivar,” Amleth
answered.

“No? Why not? A chief of your stature should
be the first one on the field to defend his people.”

There was a long silence before Amleth
spoke. Ivar waited, curious as to how this brave leader would take
the truth.

“What are you saying, Ivar? There’s no need
to defend the Kaemperns against you. You’re family. You know
that.”

“Am I?” Ivar jumped from the boulders and
walked up to him. “If I’m one of you, then why did you hide my
identity from me?”

“What are you talking about? We hid
nothing?’”

“You knew who I was. Every other Kaempern
alive knew who I was. The only one who didn’t know was me! Why not?
Why was Daryl a big secret?”

Amleth sighed, he opened his mouth, but no
words came out.

“Your plan is working, Amleth. Your torture
is being carried out this very moment.”

“That was not our plan. Why else would we
forbid you to go through with this ceremony?” Amleth’s voice was
gentle.

Ivar spat on the ground by the leader’s
feet. Amleth stepped back.

“Did you really think you could conceal who
I was, who I am? Didn’t it ever occur to you the past would catch
up to me?”

“You aren’t the same person, son. What you
did is buried. You’re Ivar, not Daryl. You’ve been . . . forgiven.”
Aren said.

“Forgiven?” Ivar’s face heated, he spun
around in rage. “Who forgave me? You? Aren?”

“Yes. Among others.” Aren said.

“Everyone in Kaempern forgives you,” Amleth
added.

“No, not
everyone
.
How
could you justify bringing me back to life as a Kaempern? What do
you think I’d do when I found out what I did to our people? Or was
Hacatine right? Is this my punishment?” Sweat dripped down his
forehead and the energy ran rampant inside. He didn’t dare look at
his burning hands and he hoped no one else would either. “You were
either very stupid, or you planned all of this!”

“What?” Aren tried to touch him but Ivar
jumped away. “I was wrong about you. I thought you were a brave and
an honest leader. I thought I wanted to be like you.”

“We didn’t revive you to torture you,”
Amleth said.

Ivar sneered and looked around. Others were
watching. Silvio leaned against a rock, his head bent low. “I see
the old man found you. What’s your business here in these woods,
Silvio? Looking for something?”

Silvio cleared his throat. “Yes, as a matter
of fact, you have something of mine. I was hoping I could get it
back.”

“It was a gift,” Ivar said. “And I’m using
it.”

Silvio and Amleth exchanged glances, and it
angered Ivar. He wasn’t going to give the magic back. Not now, not
after all the betrayal. “Life is tough for all of us. I’m sorry,
old man, but I have need of your gift right now.”

Behind Amleth a figure moved on the beach,
drawing Ivar’s attention for a brief moment. Her silver hair danced
in the night. Behind her marched an army of women warriors.

Sliding his hand along his waist Ivar grabbed
onto the cold object tucked in his belt.

“Ivar,” Amleth began.

“Don’t!” Ivar commanded, giving Amleth only
half of his attention. He kept a keen eye on the witch queen behind
the chief. “Don’t call me Ivar. That’s not my name.” His hands
glowed, power so strong his palms tingled. His flesh shone green
and yellow as his anger mounted. “It never was my name. Ivar was a
lie. Ivar never was.”

“Ivar was born the moment the shield embraced
you.”

“Don’t talk to me about being born!” Ivar
clenched his teeth. He wouldn’t be able to control the wrath that
stirred inside of him much longer.

Silvio stood and in his crooked way, walked
up to Ivar and reached out to touch him. Ivar jumped away. Both he
and Silvio eyed the power that sparked from his hand. “Don’t touch
me old man.”

Silvio did not relent immediately, his bony
fingers stayed outstretched toward him, the pathetic look on his
face made Ivar sneer. “Don’t touch me,” he repeated.

“You will regret this night,” the wizard
said.

“I hardly think so.”

“Give Silvio his magic,” Amleth said.

“No! I’m not going to be patronized, not
tonight. You knew what I did. It was your job to administer
justice?”

“Justice? For a child? You were under
duress.”

“Duress?” Ivar spat on the ground. His body
shook, his voice mounted like a tempest rolling over the sea. “King
Ian gave knew what to do. You should have let me die!”

“Ivar,” Silvio grabbed his arm and when he
did a spurt of magic escaped Ivar. The power trickled into Silvio’s
hand. Ivar yanked himself away.

“We wanted to give you a chance at a life you
never had.”

“So you created a living lie. No wonder I
was always different. I don’t belong with you. A murderer living a
lie, that’s me. How is that a new chance, Amleth, fearless leader?
After all I did to those people. All the pain I caused. After all
the lives I took.” He meant to kill Amleth but he couldn’t bring
himself to strike. “Why did you bring me back, Amleth? You should
have let me die. You should have just let me die. Even the King
wanted me dead. Why didn’t you?”

“The children, the Dragon Shield, Ivar . .
.”

“The name’s Daryl, and curse your Dragon
Shield.” Ivar pulled the dagger from his waist. His hands pulsated
with the wizard’s power, light flashed from the blade.

“Don’t, Ivar.” Silvio staggered toward the
youth but Ivar stepped back.

“Stay back, you old fool. There’s enough
power in my hands to destroy everyone here, every last Kaempern,
every speck of light in that horrid shield. I can destroy you all.
All I need to do is will it.” He looked into Amleth’s eyes, and
then turned to Silvio.

“That’s right, Daryl. Pay them back.” The
queen’s voice surprised them all when she strolled into view and
stood next to Ivar. The power of her presence caused the men to
step back. Both Amleth and Aren drew their bows. Ivar grasped his
dagger tight. “Their intent is to torture you. It’s the only reason
you’re still here,” she whispered into his ear.