Chapter 2: The Doomed Sorcerer

Ina’s dream that night was unlike any other dream she had experienced before. She dreamed of being trapped in an endless prison where eyes stared at her from hidden crevices. One pair of orbs seemed to be advancing yet she held her ground, a hand rose, ghostly white, and……

   A force suddenly pressed on her face to cover her mouth, she wanted to scream but the force was too great. She woke up and stared into nothingness for a second. Her eyes adjusted to the gloom and she saw Bordan above, it was his hand and he seemed shaken by a mysterious air. He motioned her to follow but to remain silent. She nodded then followed, wondering what was wrong. She headed over with Bordan and they seated themselves on Kelar as they had done for the past week and a half.

   A faint growl sounded to her right and she turned her head only to be de-saddled by something large and powerful. She crashed to the floor and heard her attacker land nearby. She scrambled to her feet to face the noise, and saw before her in the shadow of the moonlight a dog-like shape. A wolf, she thought, but no, this was too big to be a wolf. He bolted forward and she tried to run backwards but tripped over a loose stone. This was the end, after her short taste of freedom; she would never know what lay beyond in the far reaches of Forenai.

   She covered her face with her arm, ready to take the bite that would stake her life. It never came, she waited, but it never came. She lowered her limb a small way and saw Bordan had placed himself before her. The wolf-creature had halted to this unexpected challenge. The animal bolted for Bordan but became the victim of an unknown blow. Ina stood, and as Bordan turned to see if she was hurt, she saw he held, in his right hand, an arm length sword of intricate design, now dripping with fresh, scarlet blood. He quickly stowed it away beneath his cloak.

   ‘A morg,’ he gasped and pulled Ina to Kelar, who shook with terror. Ina thought back to what Bordan had said about him and thought that she should be very scared right know. She climbed onto the horse and Bordan climbed up behind her and kicked the horse into a canter. This was not a time for questioning Ina knew, and she was too terrified and shocked to even speak. She fell asleep, Bordan carried on their intense escape until the sun was high enough in the sky for them to let go of fear. Bordan halted Kelar, and faced the sky, smelling the air and hearing into the distance. Although they had now reached the western side of the range he still seemed weary of the attack. He pressed Kelar on, at a steady trot.

   They stopped for a late lunch on a grassy hill, the mountains behind them now. Ina still felt as if she was being hunted but knew she was safer in the light of day.

   ‘I should have expected an ambush later in our journey. Forgive me, Ina, I did not mean for that to happen,’ he said, resentfully.

   ‘It wasn’t your fault; we were bound to be tracked easily so near the capital.’

   ‘Yes, but that is no excuse. I should have kept watch that night of all nights we were in the valley. They would only have followed us until we reached the other side. Then, when we thought we were safe, attack.’

   ‘What do you mean by them? It was only one big dog.’

   ‘That morg, as they are called, was a tracker for the Dremas. They are sent out to follow a said trail and their masters follow them. If I had not heard that one, we would have been caught and killed hours ago,’ he explained. Ina filled up with dread and thought of her warm bed miles away.

   ‘What makes me being with you so dangerous? They’re either now after me or us both.’

   Bordan let out a deep sigh and looked at her with sorrowful eyes. ‘I’m not just an ordinary member of the rebellion,’ he started. ‘I’m also one of their masters of the Power.’ He paused. Ina looked at him curiously, yet held deep suspicion. ‘I’m a sorcerer. When the Dremas, back in Jerash, sensed who I was they sent a mind message to all their fellows. If they had caught me they would have tortured me, to tell them all the rebellion knows of their king and his plans.’ She bolted up onto her feet and backed away slightly. Her eyes were wide with shock and sympathy.

   That explains the flash when Martha died, she reasoned. Bordan watched her closely, neither taking their eyes off the other.

   ‘If you’re thinking of heading back I won’t stop you, but let me tell you why you shouldn’t. Although you would not be with me, you are still one who the king is after. Why, I do not know. Also, it would take you more than two weeks to get through the valley and even then you would most likely become lost.’ He finished his explanation of her return and left her with no choice but to travel with him, never to return again to her previous service. Ina looked down at her feet. ‘I don’t mean to be cruel but I will not risk the taking of a life because of my mistakes.’ He paused with a heavy sigh. ‘We should get going; I would like to reach Benora in under a week. We’ll buy you a horse and clothes, and food for us both. Then the rest of our mission should become quicker and more open.’ He stood up and smiled and Ina, lifting her head, reluctantly smiled back. Even though she had to look at how much she actually trusted Deland, she now realised that he did risk much and was willing to take on a second companion. She did not, however, know Bordan’s more personal background, that deep down he truly regretted who he was and that his life was full of daunting corners, that once turned would reveal unexpected events. Meanwhile, his heart travelled to his home land where his friends and past companions long awaited his return, if he could survive that long. Also, now he had to care for two, as Ina had no experience of any travelling or extreme cautiousness.

   Ina, just the same, had problems of her own to consider. Why where the Dremas after her in the first place? Will they now track her down to the end or until she makes an escape, with Bordan, into Mishlar? She was now full of mixed emotions, more than she had ever had at one time in her life. She felt grief, doubt, trust, caution, tiredness and suspicion.

*****

They travelled through a completely, varied scene than that of the rocky, muddy slopes of the Mosh Range. The hilly, grassy plains stretched before them, a gigantic lush green carpet. Bordan told her of the Volten River which started in the Mosh Range and ran north into the Calp Bay. He mentioned the Great Road which was built north to south, leading from Benora to Iphelt, and that all the main roads juctioned off this to lead to the other cities in Forenai. These included the East Road which passed over the eastern border into Mishlar.

The next day they traversed through the same scenery, they heard birds twittering high above in the crystal clear blue sky and slight rushing noises flowing on the strong north wind.

   ‘That is the most northern tributary of the Volten, it travels north-west until it spills into the main-stream,’ explained Bordan. ‘We shall have to follow it until we come across the Great Road and ride to Benora, our first major stop. When we travel on the road we shall have to take up new names and appearances, which is easy enough.’ Ina was once again bewildered, a new name.

   ‘Why must I change my name? The Dremas think I am called Martha, not Ina. Although, they do know what I look like,’ she stated.

   ‘Yes, but it is better to be completely and truly unknown when we enter civilisation. It will make it less likely we are followed when we leave any city. Now, I think it best if we just shuffle your letters around. How about …… Nia?’

   ‘That sounds fine,’ answered Ina. ‘What about you?’

   ‘Me? That will be tough, let’s think.’ He spent a few minutes about how to transform his name. ‘Brandon, with an added ‘n’.’ He paused. ‘Would you like to be related or not?’

   ‘What?’ exclaimed Ina; she didn’t expect him to ask this, she became embarrassed and timid about being seen as a relation to this man, this stranger.

   ‘Sister and brother, just friends, or father and daughter? It won’t really matter once we’re changed,’ he added and chuckled at her reaction.

   ‘Sister and brother. At least you didn’t ask husband and wife,’ she joked.

   ‘I would never suggest it,’ he said, still laughing.

   ‘What about us having one horse, won’t that look out of place?’ she asked.

   ‘I’ll say one was robbed by bandits one night,’ he replied.

   They spent that night camped about quarter of a mile away from where the Great Road bridged the Volten. To Ina’s delight, Bordan built a fire. He asked her to watch the meat warm up in the flames while he went to fill the water bottles, taking Kelar. When he returned the meat was ready, they ate and Ina fell into a sleep of unease, while Bordan took first watch.

*****

The next day they rode about a mile south before coming to the Great Road. Bordan said that the bridge was a likely place for other travellers to stop, and that they would cause slight suspicion if they were seen to just come out of the wilderness, together. They stopped so that Bordan could transform their appearances before continuing. Ina dropped down from Kelar and faced Bordan, but he wasn’t the same man she now faced. He must have changed while she had her back to him. His hair had now changed length; it was now shorter than his shoulder length hair before. It was also blond and straighter. His face was that of a slightly younger man with blue eyes, and his nose and cheek bones were a bit more prominent. She laughed.

   ‘What is so funny?’ he said and she realised that his voice was less deep than normal. ‘Anyway, it’s your turn now.’ She stopped laughing at that comment. ‘I won’t change you much, just your hair, face and voice, like I have done.’

   ‘Does it hurt?’ she asked.

   ‘No, just close your eyes, think of nothing and stand perfectly still,’ he replied. She did so. Bordan raised his left hand, palm facing forward, shut his eyes and the air between his hand and Ina became blurred. Ina sensed her hair ascend up her back until it was long enough to brush her shoulder blades. When he had finished, Bordan lowered his hand and opened his eyes and stood relaxed. ‘There we are.’

   Ina didn’t open her eyes. She reached up to her mid-back to where her hair had been.

   ‘Is that it?’ she complained, slightly disappointed.

   ‘Yep, we can go now, as soon as I change Kelar.’ Ina opened her eyes and at the word change Kelar reared onto his hind legs and kicked the air before him with his forelegs.

   ‘What’s the matter with him?’ Ina questioned, unsympathetically watching the horse’s frantic air beating.

   ‘He hates it when I transform him, he thinks it makes him less noble,’ Bordan explained. ‘Steady Kelar, you know I have to,’ he said stroking the horse’s muzzle. ‘The problem is you look too lordly and it would seem too unnatural for two average travellers to have a horse so magnificent,’ he reasoned. To this, Kelar relaxed more and stood still and Bordan raised his hand again. Ina was determined to see how it was done. She watched, unblinkingly, then a shield of invisible matter but slightly opaque, surrounded the horse. She saw how his coat seemed to melt and underneath was a new colour. Then the shield disappeared and seemed to flow into Bordan’s palm. Now stood before them was a simple grey bay that looked travel worn, yet still strong willed.

   ‘Now we become Brandon and Nia, two siblings on their way to meet their uncle and aunt. Memorise me closely and remember my new identity, just in case we must both separate in Benora.’

   ‘What exactly is the Power? It looks quite easy, how does it work?’

   ‘Now that’s probably the most hardest question you could ask me. Where do I begin? I’ll have to explain as we ride, it’s a very complicated subject.’ He climbed onto Kelar’s back and Ina did as well. The bay walked on at a walk. ‘Now, the Power is what some people call magic or witchcraft and those who can summon it should be avoided. That is only half true; it all depends on the individual’s intentions on how they use the Power. To some it is a natural thing, to others it may come to them at some time in their lives. To those who do not have the fortune enough to gain it, there is simply the learning (they have to be strong willed and able to understand the rules of certain mistakes). Also, they can learn it only if they are lucky enough to find someone to train them.’ From here, for the rest of the day, Bordan explained the how the Power is summoned, what effects it can have if used wrongly, and the rules and consequences about using the Power. When they had made camp, some way off the road and lit a fire, Ina was full of wonder. Could I get Bordan to teach me? She thought she should ask it out loud.

   ‘Bordan, could it be possible for me to learn the Power?’ At this Bordan looked up and, to Ina’s gladness, bore a wide smile as if he’d wanted her to ask that question for some time.

   ‘Of course, but it would mean a lot of hard work to keep it concealed from the Dremas. Let me explain. When a sorcerer uses the Power there seems to be a small pulse that passes from the user to other sorcerers within about three leagues.’ Ina’s excitement melted away a little. ‘But don’t let that put you off, others have to be concentrating very extremely to find the source of the pulse. Unfortunately, Dremas have been able to become more powerful to trace it, but for some time they may be too busy looking for us than to pay attention to small pulses. Like the ones that you’ll be making when you start. I’ll teach you. It’ll be hard at first, but if you’re willing, we’ll get somewhere. It’s a bit late to start now, we’ll begin tomorrow.’ Just after he had finished speaking, he lay down and seemed to fall asleep instantly. It was Ina’s turn on first watch.

*****

   Early next day, at dawn, Ina was woken up by whistling. Bordan was in an unusually happy mood.

   ‘What’s up with you?’ she asked with a yawn.

   ‘Oh, you’re awake? I thought I’d have to wake you. Here, have some breakfast and we’ll go.’ He tossed her a piece of cold toast. When they’d finished packing away the blankets, they saddled and rode back onto the road, a dusty trail that wound through the lush landscape. ‘The Power isn’t just about will alone. For beginners, such as yourself, you need to know the language of the Power,’ he explained. ‘Once you know the speech the rest is easy.’ For the rest of the day, and the next, Bordan taught Ina the language of the Power, as he put it, and she was starting to think it wasn’t as easy as she first thought. Apart from this slight downside, she pressed on with her lessons and began to control pebbles to float in mid-air and zoom in circles around the travellers. At first she was too caught up in her new found talent that Bordan had to elbow her gently whenever they came across other travellers on the road.

*****

   By the fourth day since the change, Ina was able to lift stones as big as her head above Bordan’s. Once she managed to lift a boulder a few feet off the ground.

   ‘Usually it would take a beginner a week to do what you’ve done in a few days,’ Bordan said proudly. ‘Enough for now, for we are really close to Benora.’ An hour later they were ascending a very high hill which blocked their view further north. They reached the top and before their eyes lay the first sight of civilisation, since leaving Jerash.

*