Enchantress Awakening: Part One of the Book of Water (The Elemental Cycle 1) (17 page)

"A man with fire?"

"Quite so, and what does a man with fire bring to his tribe?"

"Light and warmth?"

"What do these things do for the tribe?"

"They can cook?"

"Any tribe with fire can cook, this is a tribe who have fire to command. Light and warmth greater than all others. How does this make them different?"

"Forgive me, I am bereft of thoughts." Caleigh waited in silence for the answer. "Mayhap they can work in the night as well as the day?"

"Indeed. Control of fire enables them to break nature's rules; to work when the sun is low, to be warm when snows surround them, to fashion tools for tasks beyond human strength. Thus the metaphor here is of inspiration and invention, the ability to make a wish become real." A glowing red spider formed where Tovrik pointed his staff and weaved a fiery web across the wall behind. Tovrik turned again so that it was web of air that was growing up behind him. “And last but not least we have a tribe amongst whom we find a revered man, able to see dreams with his waking eyes and converse with ancestors long departed. What does his gift mean to the tribe?”

“I know not, in honesty this is the element of magic I understand the least.”

“That is quite understandable for it is the magic of the unknown.” Caleigh thought back to Gideon’s lessons about perceiving spells and the difference it made when a spell could be recognised.

“Then mayhap, if this man can reveal the unknown to them, this tribe is less afraid than all others.”

“Quite so, they have a strong religion and belief system and do not see death as the end as others are wont to do.” A final spider appeared, silver-white, and commenced its web-building in the unoccupied part of the room where it appeared. Soon the whole room glimmered with the multi-coloured fibres growing up about them. “This is not all of magic still as there are two final elements in this room we have yet to discuss. Do you know what they are?”

“I can think of no others.”

“Truly? Then what it is that falls from this ceiling and touches every strand?” Caleigh looked hard but could see only what had already been identified.

“I can see only…” Caleigh paused seeing the glint of encouragement in Tovrik’s eyes.

“You can see, yes.”

“I can see because there is light.” She finished with a smile.

“Indeed, light and shadow touching all things. There is goodness and evil within every being, choices made for good and ill, a way to aid and a way to harm. Not that all life is so simple or all choices are made with clarity of vision. Even so, the path towards light and the path towards shadow is there for each of us.”

“Is there then magic of light and magic of darkness?”

“Yes and no. There is light and darkness in all forms of magic as there is light that can be used for evil ends and darkness that can be used for good. The branch of magic to which these refer, however, is the magic of the gate, through which creatures can be summoned from other plains in service of both darkness and light.” Tovrik then gestured to the room as a whole now filled with interlacing webs. “This may have been how magic began; we cannot now know. It is for certain how it was left after the great cataclysm of a thousand years ago. Before this there may have been other branches of magic of which there is no longer any record. All magic that is left in the world is that which came from the survivors of that great struggle and represented here in spider form.”

“Am I to understand that all our present knowledge of magic comes from those who betrayed Loreliath.”

“Quite so, even the magic of Loreliath is in her absence lost to us. She was a Summoner and there have been no others since. Her presence is still felt though, as the light keeping the darkness at bay.”

“And the darkness represents the Beast?”

“Not precisely, the Beast is simply the worst denizen of the plain of darkness. The true counterpoint to Loreliath would be Xyraxis.”

“Is there not a plain of light also?”

“There is.”

“Why does not a creature equal to the Beast emerge from thence and thus spare us?”

“That is not a question to which I have an answer.”

Caleigh did not query this final statement instead her attention was caught by the spiders and their webs. At one point the strands from the water spider and earth spider had crossed and glowed with emerald light.

“What has happened here?”

“What do you imagine has happened?”

“A new kind of magic has been born?”

“Can you say what it is?”

“Well…I assume ‘tis some kind of meeting between empathy and err, things.”

“On the water side that becomes the lore of living things. Does that sound familiar?”

“Ah, this is druidry?” Tovrik nodded in confirmation. Caleigh walked over to where the water and fire strands met with magenta light. “This is Enchantment.” Where air crossed water she stopped amid electric blue strands. “Sorcery and” moving to a far point where water and the unseen met to glow a deep purple “Illusion, which is your art.”

“And so it is.” With these words all spiders and webs faded to a brightly lit room with white marble walls. “Now you are with us we have great talents in three of the four arts of the west. There are others with us too who you will meet imminently. It is no insult to them to say they that their powers are not equal to those possessed by Gideon, you and I yet they each have skills which are of the utmost value and we are made far stronger for their presence. I hope that more still can be persuaded to join us and, if you are willing, this the principle task I will ask of you from time to time as your training progresses.”

“I am most willing, but why would you entrust this to me? Surely the name of Tovrik would bring more to us than anything I can say or do?”

“There I disagree. You are an enchanter and therefore more persuasive by nature and, moreover, you are Loreliath’s chosen one and her name carries with it greater force than mine. Remember, I am little more than a jester to most.”

“I think you are more than you say.” Caleigh teased.

“Are not we all? Now, I think you have endured quite enough of my words for one sitting. Let us meet some of the other members of our gifted family.”

18. The Librarians of Elevered

Tovrik led Caleigh to a great set of double doors right in the heart of the tower. They stood ajar allowing them to proceed through without pause to the wonder that lay behind. A vast room opened up before them like a mighty arena such as the Senatians used in times past. At the centre was a circular space within which was set a large desk backed by row upon row of scrolls stacked into pigeon holes. Upon the desk sat a handful of thick and heavy-looking ledgers wherein all records of the library were kept. From the doors this central space was reached via an aisle between two descending staircases and either side of the records shelves two further spiral staircases wound upwards into shelf lined heights. Above and all around them balconies loomed over holding further volumes still, sometimes bridged by iron wrought gangways and short sets of steps.

Seated at the wide desk was a balding man of below average stature and the swollen girth of one who had lived a well-fed, indoor life. He was dressed in plain brown robes like a number of the figures popping in out of view on the balconies and staircases. Looking up from beneath his prominent dome he spotted Tovrik and Caleigh’s entrance to the library and moved out from behind the ledgers to greet them.

“Caleigh, this is Mabon our Chief Librarian here in Elevered.”

“It is honour to meet you.”

“Let not his simple habit fool you, Mabon is a man of upper most prominence here. All matters bound in the real world are his domain whether it be the stewardship of our written lore or the ebb and flow of our store of coin, it is he that must be answered to. Indeed, I would not be able to ever depart from here were it not for his tireless efforts.”

“You flatter me Master Tovrik.”

“Nonsense. As I warned you, Mabon may affect a modest air but he is a trickster at heart, just as I.”

“I am afraid Master Tovrik flatters me once more, my talent with the art is negligible compared to his.”

“You see, Caleigh. It is just as I said. Let us leave him afore he blinds us further with his cloak of humility.” With a short bow Mabon took his leave and the two of them started up the left-hand staircase behind the desk. A short way around this climb there was a doorway on the left side leading to a further chamber set with tables and benches and lined with empty shelves. “This here is the study room for the lore of Enchantment. As you can see it stands empty as of present. This is, I might say, despite my request for materials to be brought hither. Alas, your fellow in the art seems likewise absent.”

“There is another Enchanter here?”

“Yes, albeit one who does not seem so willing to embrace learning.” Tovrik chided with a tone less strict than his words.

“Gideon said that there a six wizards at Elevered. Is he one of them?”

“Six? Hmm, that is Gideon’s judgement, by which standard I would say no.”

“So he is a wizard but not of sufficient skill to impress Gideon?”

“You surmise correctly.” Tovrik continued the tour past the Enchanting study room following the steps round the back of the archives behind Mabon's desk until they reappeared on the other side where there was a room on their left level with the one they had just passed. In this room there were many decorations of vivid colour and intricacy, foremost of which was a swirling green disk atop a circular stand. "Come in." Tovrik beckoned. From above it became clear that the green disk was in fact a living map of the region that surrounded Elevered. By its far end there was a large paint stand holding a picture that was facing away from Caleigh and Tovrik as they entered.

"This is amazing." Caleigh gasped, inspecting the tiny image of Elevered sticking out from the relief and then casting her eyes to the beautifully detailed multi-coloured buildings spilling down from the hills to bridge the river, representing the town of Minerva. Caleigh gasped again when the map changed and Minerva grew in size before her making greater and greater detail evident, until she could actually follow the current of the river Afon passing beneath the grey stone bridge at its centre.

"That is what you wished to look at, is it not?" Spoke a voice from behind the picture. Caleigh stood up with a start and the speaker moved out into view. "You must be Caleigh, I am Rosamund. I've looked forward to meeting you." The woman said by way of introduction.

"I'm pleased to meet you Rosamund." Rosamund was blonde with her coiled up around the back of her head. She had an open face with fair features that were, if not immediately eye-catching, certainly pleasant to look upon. She stood about an inch shorter than Caleigh and had the expected proportions of a slim woman of her age, which Caleigh judged to be within five years of her own. Just as noticeable as her physical form was the apparel in which she had donned herself. She wore and outer robe of sky blue like the cloaks of the librarians that was left open at the middle so it covered only her sleeves and shoulders from the front. Underneath was a long dress that was shades of midnight blue arrayed with silver stars that seemed to sparkle on the cloth. Whilst in her hand she clutched the most intriguing item. At first Caleigh had taken it to be an artist's brush until she realised that Rosamund was holding it the wrong way round and there was no nib of any kind. In a moment it dawned on her that it was in fact a long wand and that all that was wrought with it was by spell work rather than that of oils and paste.

Glancing at the picture board Caleigh noticed a detailed sketch of Minerva more intricate still than the scale town shimmering beneath her. "I've been attempting to add more detail to our map. It is no easy labour."

"You are an extraordinary artist."

"Oh no, it is all but illusion for which the honour belongs to Master Tovrik. I am simply adding a touch here and there."

"You will have to excuse Rosamund, she is another victim of humility, although in her case it is sadly genuine." Tovrik commented. "You are quite right to call her an artist for her creativity is no less than that of those who work without spells. Rosamund, we shall gather for lunch shortly, would you please fetch your errant brother and inform him."

"He is not in the charms study?"

"Not at present."

"I apologise on his behalf. I will find him at once."

"Now Caleigh, are you ready for some refreshment. I dare say I have kept you on your feet quite long enough. I at least require a chance to rest."

Tovrik led her up the stairs by which earlier they had climbed to his study but rather than turn up the second set of stairs they carried on along the corridor and with two right turns arrived in a large rectangular room above the library. Directly ahead as they entered was a large fireplace that seemed to hollow through to the room behind. Either side of the fireplace were two doorways through which daylight spilled into the room in wide strips. To the sides there was a single door at each end of the room though what lay beyond was less clear. Around the floor there were a number of low, circular, wooden tables accompanied by a mixture of similarly low stools and more comfortable padded chairs. Upon one of the stools sat a blond youth on the verge of adulthood laying out a set of oblong-shaped wooden chips with differing runic symbols carved on one side, now tutting, now grinning as he ordered them in a fashion that made sense to him. Caleigh made to step forward and greet him and Tovrik waved her back. From out of the light of the left-hand of the two doorways ahead Rosamund streamed into the room with visible annoyance and went straight to the youth. "You promised you would help. Thus far your efforts have been absent."

"I shall be with you forthwith. Is this not a task for the servants?"

"No, the servants bring what we need up to us. It is our part to array it accordingly."

"We gather in full in the evenings. Otherwise, the kitchen uses a pulley system to bring our food and drink to us and we distribute it according to our appetites." Tovrik explained to Caleigh. Hearing a third voice commenting on their dialogue Rosamund and the youth looked up.

"I was poised to aid my sister, Master Tovrik I..."

"Well, if you can stay your efforts for but a moment Master Aethelbald I should like to introduce you to our newly and well come friend, Caleigh."

"Glad to meet you Aethelbald." Aethelbald looked at Caleigh, taking in her face and figure and at once coloured.

"You, you came." Was as much as he could muster.

"Aethelbald shall be your contemporary, Caleigh, not just in terms of age but in art too."

"Ahh, so you are the other Enchanter. I am sure there is much I can learn from you."

"Not so, I am not much of an Enchanter...I...I think it is I who will learn."

"Shall we go through?" Tovrik gestured. Passing through the doorway that Rosamund had used Caleigh came into a room with a long table and many tall windows around a central door leading out onto an open veranda where a small patch of lawn had been planted along with rows of flowers beneath three sets of stairs leading up onto what was the battlements of the southern wall. There amid the tiny garden stood Dana talking animatedly to a dark-haired and bearded man in weathered robes. She hadn’t seen Dana like this with anyone but her in a long time and decided not to interrupt.

Aethelbald and Rosamund had laid out several plates along with the bread and cheese and were seated at the end of the table where Tovrik took the head. Caleigh noticed that Aethelbald had opted to sit on the other side of his sister rather than take the empty place next to Tovrik. Rosamund looked a little more relaxed but even she seemed unaccustomed to this proximity to their...Caleigh could not find the exact word and settled on master, though it seemed not quite fitting to describe Tovrik’s position to everyone else but then no word did. Elevered was theoretically a fortress and library of the Order of Librarians yet everyone here seemed to defer to Tovrik as the unofficial lord of the castle.

Caleigh sat in the vacant spot and watched as the others filed in to join them. Mabon was first and he took the seat opposite her, obviously at ease at this end of the table. Dana and the man she was talking to walked in soon after taking their places opposite the siblings. He introduced himself as Diarmund, nominal head of the art of Druidry in Elevered. The arrival of the two last diners prevented Caleigh from learning more. One she knew, Gideon, and with him was a man with short brown curly hair tinged with grey at the temples which seemed to belie the younger face it stood up from.

“I’m glad to see you have found company, Caleigh.” Gideon greeted. “This is my friend, Vaughn, sometimes called the artless bard.”

“An honour and a pleasure to meet you Caleigh.” Vaughn spoke with an accent that was new to her ears.

Once Gideon and Vaughn took their places facing each other there was still ample room at the far end of the table causing Caleigh to wonder whose absence they represented.

“Are the rest of my companions not joining us?” She asked Tovrik.

“They will eat with their fellow warriors. Likewise, the scholars and archivists will eat together as will the household servants.”

“Why do we divide ourselves so? You said wizards should not consider themselves apart from other men. At least I understood as much.”

“Indeed we should not separate ourselves. We dine as one in the evenings; this arrangement over lunch is simply for mutual ease. Our working day is not over and there seems to me some logic in gathering those who work in the same field together at a point so that they may discuss queries with each other.”

“Forgive me this is still unfamiliar to me.”

“No forgiveness needed. Your concerns are quite valid and you are right to question things. It is a sign of an active mind.” Tovrik said with a flicker of a smile and then after a moment added. “And there is so much to question about Elevered.”

“So, is your head spinning yet?” Caleigh set down her empty plate on the sideboard and looked round at Vaughn.

“A little.” Caleigh confessed with a laugh.

“Of course it is. The first day at Elvered is always a bit confusing. When I first got here I thought that the drink and magic had got together and done something to my head.”

“How long have you been here?”

“Nigh on seven years. Course, it was a bit different back then.”

“How so?”

“Fewer people, for a start. Forgetting your soldiers and scholars, of which there were about half as many as now, there was only Gideon and Mabon with Tovrik. He, Tovrik that is, knew Diarmund from before but he was sojourning in the wild when I got here. The biggest change has been the castle itself. It grows every time Tovrik has a bit of coin to throw at it. And the village has got bigger too, we trade more than we used to.”

“How long have wizards come to Elevered?”

“Not sure, myself. Mabon came here twenty years ago expecting to find the ruins of Caerddyn’s old library and found Tovrik rebuilding it. I guess Sir Edgar and Diarmund came by a few years after that. Then as far as I know nobody else came until Tovrik happened upon Gideon ten years ago. It was really after finding Gideon that he got the idea of gathering all the remaining wizards here. I think before he, like all of us, thought that the time of wizards had gone.”

“How did Tovrik find you?”