The First Life of Tanan (5 page)

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Tanan was now able to sing the healing chant in his head as he pulled weeds in the garden. He had a pretty good grasp on the words of the incantation, and learning the melody that went along with it improved the effectiveness. He was no longer stiff and sore after spending the morning in the garden.

Most days, after pulling weeds, Soama and Tanan would harvest vegetables, clean them, and then prepare a salad and some tea for lunch.  Soama introduced Tanan to chamomile tea, which was brewed from the small white flowers of a plant that grew in a large patch on the sunny side of the Abbey.  They would simmer dried petals in a tea pot for the last hour of the morning’s gardening and it would be ready for them when it was time for lunch.  The tea was a little bit sweet, and it smelled and tasted great.  Tanan found that drinking it helped calm him and clear his mind.

The two sat enjoying their tea at a small table on the stone patio outside the Abbey’s kitchen door. Tanan watched as a skinny grey cat with bright green eyes appeared at the far side of the garden and walked between two rows of peas.  The cat jumped into Soama’s lap and put her front paws on the Abbot’s chest, looking him right in the eyes.

Soama smiled at the cat and stroked it from neck to tail, “Hello Leeka.  Have you brought me a message?”

“Is that your cat, Soama?”  Tanan was sure he had seen the cat in Port Billen.

Soama was rotating a narrow leather collar, which Tanan hadn’t noticed before, to get at a little tube attached to it.  He laughed at Tanan’s question. “Anyone who thinks they own a cat is a fool.  Leeka is my friend.”

“She’s pretty,” said Tanan.

“I agree,” replied Soama. He pulled a tightly rolled piece of paper out of the tube on her collar and tucked it into a small pocket in his shirt. He scratched the cat on her neck, prompting the cat to flop over on her side and almost fall out of Soama’s lap. Soama petted the cat a few more times and then, bored with the attention, the cat jumped to the ground and started grooming herself.

“What is that paper you just got from the cat’s collar,” asked Tanan?

“It is a message for me,” said Soama, letting Tanan know that he wasn’t going to discuss it.

“I never knew a cat could carry a message like that,” Tanan said.

“There are many things that you don’t know,” responded Soama, with a mischievous tone.  “Like how to properly weed a garden, for instance. Weeks of practice and still you haven’t mastered it!”

“And I have noticed,” said Tanan, “that you haven’t either!”

“Oh… right.” Soama said with a look of surprise. “I know I’ll get it one of these days.”

Tanan took a drink of his tea. “Soama, how does the magic help my back to not be sore?”

“That’s a reasonable question, Tanan, and one that a man could spend a lifetime trying to answer.  What I can tell you about it, is the same thing I can tell you about all magic. Magic is the art of using the mind to focus and manipulate energy. In this particular case, you’re using a chant to help you focus and intensify the natural healing power of your body.”

“You may have noticed,” he continued, “that since you began using that chant, your appetite has increased.  When you use the energy from your body like that, you have to replenish it.”

Tanan had been pretty hungry lately. “I guess I’d have to eat a lot of food if I wanted to learn harder magic.”

Soama nodded. “Our magic does have limits. The body only has so much energy.”

“Could you use energy from another person,” asked Tanan?

Soama nodded slowly. “Yes, it could be done, but it would be wrong. It is dangerous, and extremely unethical.”

“I understand,” said Tanan.

“Good,” replied Soama.  “Now, I think it is time for our afternoon walk.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

After four long weeks of pulling weeds and talking about magic, Tanan understood just enough to know that he didn’t know very much about magic.  He knew plenty about pulling weeds, though, and vowed to one day invent a spell that made the weeds pull themselves.

One morning after meditation, Soama told Tanan that he would be returning to Port Billen that day. “I have two letters that I would like you to deliver for me. One is for your grandfather and the other is for Sweelin.”

Tanan was shocked.  “You want me to walk all the way to Port Billen by myself?  I don’t remember the way.”

“Well, of course I’m not sending you off by yourself,” said Soama.  “Leeka knows the way.  Just follow her and she’ll lead you right home.”

The thought of following a cat home was both amusing and horrifying.  He trusted Soama, but the idea of Leeka leading him all the way back to his village was insane.

“I can see by the look on your face,” said Soama, “that you are skeptical. You can trust Leeka. She has made the journey many times and she will not lead you astray.”

After breakfast, Tanan gathered up his things. Soama gave him a well worn leather satchel, which he slung over his shoulder.  “The letters are in there, and some bread for your lunch. I also put a book in there that I would like you to study.  The next time I see you, I expect you to know the contents of that book from front to back.”

Tanan promised to study.  As eager as he was to be home with his father and grandfather, he was a little sad to be leaving Soama.  He had developed a great affection for the Abbot during the month he’d spent at the Abbey.

Soama bent and scratched Leeka on the head.  “Don’t let him get lost,” he said. The cat started off down the same path Tanan and Lindelin had arrived on a month before.  Tanan gave Soama a quick hug, and then ran after the cat.

“See you soon,” called Soama, waving.

•        •        •

Leeka led Tanan home without incident.  Thanks to the chant he had learned from Soama, Tanan wasn’t even all that tired when they arrived at the Abbey at the top of the hill in Port Billen.  Tanan made a quick stop to deliver the letter to Sweelin and then ran down the hill to see his father.

Tanan walked into his father’s Apothecary just as Anin was closing up.  Anin, being a man of few words, smiled and gave the boy a big hug.  “Help me close up and we’ll go home.”

They closed the shop and locked the door on the way out.  Their single story stone block house was just a few dozen steps up the street. Lindelin walked through the door two minutes after they arrived, and his face lit up when he saw Tanan, who immediately gave him a hearty hug.

“Is it possible that you’ve grown taller in just a month?” asked Lindelin.  “You look taller to me.  I guess Soama’s cooking didn’t stunt your growth.”

While they had their dinner, Tanan delivered a detailed account of his stay with Soama.  When he reached the end of his story, he reached into the satchel and took out the letter Soama had sent for Lindelin, and the book Soama had given him to study.

After dinner was eaten and the chores had been done, Tanan went out the door in search of Jelak.  He had been sad to hear he’d missed Jelak’s retirement party and wanted to go congratulate him now that he was back. Lindelin warned Tanan that the new Constable wasn’t friendly like Jelak, and Tanan should steer clear of the man.

Lindelin retired to his room, where he sat at his writing desk and opened the letter from Soama.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

My Dear friend Lindelin,

I have had a most enjoyable several weeks with Tanan.  The boy’s gift for magic is remarkable.  I believe his talents may be greater than either you or I initially suspected.

During his stay at the Abbey, I observed him manifesting heat and performing energy replenishment on himself in conjunction with stamina enhancement.  You know that I am no master of the temporal arts, but I am inclined to believe that during our many hours of gardening, the boy may have slightly altered the flow of time in his immediate vicinity without realizing it.

The boy has clearly shown an early talent for magic and I think it’s likely that he will master more than one of the five disciplines.

I received your note concerning the new Constable of Port Billen and his interest in Tanan.  I agree that we should proceed with our plan to move him to where he can be properly instructed.  I will wrap up my affairs and arrange for another Abbot to come to this Abbey.  Expect to see me within the week and we will leave at that time.

I have given Tanan a book of basic chants and symbols with instructions to study.  I have also asked Sweelin to open the library in the Port Billen Abbey to Tanan.  My hope is that his studies will keep him busy and out of sight of your new Constable without alarming the boy.

Leeka will be lurking about should you need to respond to this letter.

Yours,

Soama

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Tanan walked around the village for a while, talking with his friends.  He eventually wandered down toward the square.  Jelak was sitting on his refinished bench watching the fishermen come in and the stars come out.  Tanan sat down beside him.

“Nice bench, Jelak,” he said.  “Sorry I wasn’t here for your party.”

“I wish you could have been there, Tanan. It was a nice party.  I hear you’ve been off studying with Soama?”

“Yeah, mostly learning to pull weeds.”

“Well,” said Jelak, “I’m glad you are back.”

Tanan rubbed the smooth wood of the bench.  “It sure is nice how they fixed up your bench.”

“The people of this village have always been good to me. You and I are lucky to live in this village with so many good people.”

Across the town square, down by the water, Tanan saw Grapf and his friends throwing rocks at seagulls.

Tanan pointed toward Grapf.  “Mostly good people,” he said.

Jelak nodded.  “Grapf isn’t all that bad.  Pretty soon he’ll grow up and he’ll calm down. I’ve seen worse than him in my time and they always grow out of it.”

Having apparently grown bored with the gulls, Grapf’s little gang was crossing the square and heading up the hill.

When Grapf spotted Tanan sitting with Jelak, he shot him a dirty look.  There was a promise in that look.  It was the promise of trouble in Tanan’s future.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Tanan spent the first couple of days at home studying the book Soama had given him.  It was full of intricate symbols and glyphs with detailed descriptions of what each symbol was for.  Lindelin gave him a small slate and some chalk, advising him to practice drawing each of the symbols exactly as it appeared on the page of the book.

“When you can draw a symbol, perfectly, from memory then you will be ready to start on the next,” he said.  “Only draw your symbols on this slate, and when you have finished studying each day, clean it and return it to me.”

On his third day back, Tanan visited Sweelin at the Abbey.  He found Sweelin around the back of the Abbey sitting and reading in a chair that had been woven from long pliable tree branches.  Sweelin was a young man, but very tall and quite large.  Tanan wondered that the fragile looking chair could hold the Abbot’s bulk.

“Good morning, Sweelin.” said Tanan, announcing his presence.

Sweelin looked up from his book and nodded.  “Good morning, Tanan.  What can I do for you?”

Tanan showed Sweelin his book.  “I’ve been studying this book that Soama gave me, and I was wondering if maybe I could look at some other books?”

Sweelin held out his hand and Tanan handed it to him.  The Abbot gently turned the book over, looking at the front and back covers, then carefully opened it and looked at the inside.  Watching Sweelin handle the book so reverently made Tanan feel guilty for the careless way that he handled books.  He vowed to try to be more careful with them in the future.

“This is a very interesting book, Tanan.  If you don’t mind, I’d very much like to borrow it when you’ve finished with it.  I’d like to copy it and add it to the library here at our Abbey.”

“I guess that would be okay with me as long as Soama doesn’t mind.”

Sweelin stood up from his chair.  “Follow me,” he said.

Tanan followed him through the Abbey, which was the largest building in town.  All of the rooms they walked through were tidy, but Tanan had no idea what they were for.  He had only ever been in the main hall of the Abbey.  Sweelin led Tanan into a large room that had bookshelves lining every inch of the walls.  Some of the shelves were so high that even Sweelin would need a ladder to reach the books on them.

In one corner of the room was a tall desk with a slightly slanted top.  Along the top edge of the desk was a small ledge lined with a dozen corked bottles of different colored inks, and a stack of various sized brushes and quills.

What really caught Tanan’s eye was a small globe, about the size of Tanan’s clenched fist, resting on a base of intricately woven silver wire.  The globe radiated a clear, white light over the work area.  A cone had been fashioned out of an old piece of parchment and rested on the globe, presumably to keep the light out of Sweelin’s eyes as he worked.

“Is that globe making light with magic?” asked Tanan.

“Yes,” Sweelin replied.  “It gives me plenty of light when I’m copying books at night.”

“I’ve never seen anything like that before,” said Tanan, clearly amazed with the artifact.

“There’s one in every Abbey.  I’m surprised you didn’t see the one at Soama’s Abbey.”

Tanan hadn’t ever gone into the library while he was visiting Soama.  Probably because there were no weeds to be pulled in the library.

Sweelin cleared the partially completed book that he was copying from the desk and laid Tanan’s book in its place.  He opened the cover to expose the title page, and examined it closely.  He opened a small drawer below the desk and pulled out a palm-sized silver ring with red glass set into it.  Holding the lens just above the surface of the paper, he slowly moved it around examining every inch carefully.

Sweelin stopped moving and held the lens over one place, frowning.  “Look at this,” he said, pointing. “This book was written by Soama and he doesn’t want it to be copied,” said the big Abbot. Sweelin was clearly disappointed.

“Why wouldn’t he want you to copy a book?” asked Tanan.

Sweelin returned the lens to its place and slid the drawer shut.  He carefully closed the book and handed it back to Tanan, who was more careful with it than he had been before.

“Soama is a wise man, and a respected Abbot,” said Sweelin.  “It’s not my place to question his wishes.”

Sweelin stood up from the desk.  “Now then, you’re looking for more books like this one.  Soama asked me to open the library to you.”

“I’m going back to study with Soama in a few weeks,” said Tanan.  “I thought it might be good to get a head start.”

Sweelin held out his hands, gesturing to the book lined walls.  “The library is open to you,” he said.  “However, I will need to be here when you use it, and I have other things to attend to today.  You can come back tomorrow and get started if you’d like.”

Tanan thanked Sweelin and left, promising to return the next morning.