They were not disappointed. Soon, two young women appeared, one Ruta Skadi
with light blonde hair shining and the other...
"Serefina Pekkala!" Kyrie cried, and rushed to hug the witch, who held out her arms and laughed.
"Kyrie, how much you have grown," she said approvingly, and nodded politely to Linder, a strange secret smile on her face. She glanced quickly at her companion.
Ruta Skadi had her mouth slightly open and her eyes pleading, as if she was longing to divulge a secret but could not bring herself to do so. She shook her head slightly, to clear it, and spoke. "You summoned me?"
"We have the knife," Kyrie said proudly. "But it's, well, it's broken."
"I know," Serefina returned. "I made Will break it so that he would not be able to cut any more. I was convinced that the knife was pure evil, because it creates a Specter every time it makes a window, and the windows themselves are tears in the worlds out of which dust can leak. But now there's a need for the knife, Fate itself if calling for it's subtle powers, and I must obey Fate. We must make it whole again."
Linder's eyes shone. "How?" he asked readily.
"A spell," Ruta Skadi answered. "Now. Kyrie was right, there is no time to waste."
The other witch used her branch of pine-cloud to draw a large circle on the forest floor, and both witches stepped inside, holding the bag that the knife was in. Suspending a wooden bowl in midair, Serefina poured the contents of the bag inside, and with a simple gesture, white flames arose knee-high around the outline of the circle.
Chanting, Serefina and Ruta Skadi walked around the bowl, their daemons wheeling overhead around the scorching ring of fire.
"Knife! The earth is your mother, steel drawn from her deepest core
Has formed you sharp and wounding, yet broken you lie helpless
Your remnants, ashes and bright dust will rise at your mother's call
Knife! Commanded to rebirth, obey your destiny."
Linder stood enchanted, watching as the shards trembled in the bowl, and the witches repeated their spell. Suddenly, he felt a burst of energy in his limbs that left him trembling, and the pieces of the Subtle Knife rose in the air and rearranged themselves into their former glory. The bowl dropped to the ground, the fire flickered and smoked until the last flame had died, and Serefina Pekkala emerged from the mist, holding the knife solemnly and reverently.
She gave it to Linder. "You are its bearer now," she said. His fingers closed over the hilt, accepting his fate.
"In the name of the Father!" A cry rang out through the peaceful forest, and Ruta Skadi yelled. The others spun around to see the angel that Kyrie and Linder had encountered earlier with its enormous hands around the witch's neck, swiftly strangling her.
"Serefina Pekkala!" Kyrie cried, and rushed to hug the witch, who held out her arms and laughed.
"Kyrie, how much you have grown," she said approvingly, and nodded politely to Linder, a strange secret smile on her face. She glanced quickly at her companion.
Ruta Skadi had her mouth slightly open and her eyes pleading, as if she was longing to divulge a secret but could not bring herself to do so. She shook her head slightly, to clear it, and spoke. "You summoned me?"
"We have the knife," Kyrie said proudly. "But it's, well, it's broken."
"I know," Serefina returned. "I made Will break it so that he would not be able to cut any more. I was convinced that the knife was pure evil, because it creates a Specter every time it makes a window, and the windows themselves are tears in the worlds out of which dust can leak. But now there's a need for the knife, Fate itself if calling for it's subtle powers, and I must obey Fate. We must make it whole again."
Linder's eyes shone. "How?" he asked readily.
"A spell," Ruta Skadi answered. "Now. Kyrie was right, there is no time to waste."
The other witch used her branch of pine-cloud to draw a large circle on the forest floor, and both witches stepped inside, holding the bag that the knife was in. Suspending a wooden bowl in midair, Serefina poured the contents of the bag inside, and with a simple gesture, white flames arose knee-high around the outline of the circle.
Chanting, Serefina and Ruta Skadi walked around the bowl, their daemons wheeling overhead around the scorching ring of fire.
"Knife! The earth is your mother, steel drawn from her deepest core
Has formed you sharp and wounding, yet broken you lie helpless
Your remnants, ashes and bright dust will rise at your mother's call
Knife! Commanded to rebirth, obey your destiny."
Linder stood enchanted, watching as the shards trembled in the bowl, and the witches repeated their spell. Suddenly, he felt a burst of energy in his limbs that left him trembling, and the pieces of the Subtle Knife rose in the air and rearranged themselves into their former glory. The bowl dropped to the ground, the fire flickered and smoked until the last flame had died, and Serefina Pekkala emerged from the mist, holding the knife solemnly and reverently.
She gave it to Linder. "You are its bearer now," she said. His fingers closed over the hilt, accepting his fate.
"In the name of the Father!" A cry rang out through the peaceful forest, and Ruta Skadi yelled. The others spun around to see the angel that Kyrie and Linder had encountered earlier with its enormous hands around the witch's neck, swiftly strangling her.