Chapter two is here! Rejoice! A few spoilers:
Sahara Silverrain makes her debut appearance
Roger discovers he has a spy
Alanna is sedated (ooh-er)
R/R as usual please.
Chapter 2.
Her name fit her well. Sahara; hair the colour of sand dunes, eyes the vibrant green of a desert oasis, humour as dry as the desert in drought. She trudged heavily along the bumpy track, leading her placidly plodding mare in one hand and clutching her mage's staff in the other. She was tired and hungry and in desperate need of a bath.
"Hello? What do we have here?" Her roving eyes- forever on the look out for highwaymen- had caught sight of a black window, about a sqaure metre in size, hanging in midair. She pushed her staff into it and closed her eyes, sending her Gift to probe it.
"Ouch!" A spark of energy had flashed down her arm into her heart. The portal was clearly dangerous, as a great mage she knew better than to climb in. Instead she kneeled and opened her water flask, pouring a little on the earth and sculpting it into a little bird shape. She then pierced a finger and let some blood drip on the clay model.
"With my blood I bind thee, do my will as I command, never falter till death breaks your body and returns you to Mother Earth," she chanted. Pure white fire flowed from her fingertips and shrouded the clay bird. She held the flames in place until she heard an avian cheep, then waving away the magic she admired her handiwork. It was a perfect model; a small brown sparriw, completely unobvious in every way. She picked it up and carried it to the window, then cast it in with a mental command. Spy, she thought. Watch and learn.
***
Roger was watching at his mirror, gazing at Alanna asleep in bed. He had loved her, once. And who could not? Her beauty was not obvious but her inner fire was irresistable. He had glimpsed it once, a purple pool deep inside her glowing brighter than the sun, brighter than any star in the Universe. Dying once had not destroyed his love but the second time had hurt him more. He had got the message that she did not love him at all and that had set him on revenge. Bribing the Black God was not hard, the god hated his brother Mithros. All Roger had to do was persuade him that when he ruled Tortall he would rise up against the Gods and crown the Black God king of the Divine Realms. An idiotic and impossible idea but the god of the underworld had fallen for it however, hook, line and sinker. He could not free Roger completely but instead restored his Gift and placed him in limbo where he could work his magic. Something twittered nearby and he looked up, ruining his concentration and his grip on Alanna. A small brown sparrow was peeping at him from midair. Roger frowned and recalled the Black God's words.
"Nothing mortal can get into this safehold. It will disintergrate when it passes through the barrier between the Mortal Realms and the Great Abyss. Gifted individuals can go through but they will be weakened and unable to perform magic for many days. Gifted creations are the only thing that can pass through the barrier." Roger snatched the bird from the air and squeezed it hard. It crumbled into a pile of dust and earth. Someone was spying!
***
Sahara shook her head. She had watched everything through her spy's eyes, right up to when Roger had killed it. The handsome man inide the window was obviously mortal but a very Gifted and powerful one. She dared not go through the portal yet but she vowed to return one day. In any case the sun was setting and she wanted to reach Corus before midnight.
***
Jon caressed Alanna's sleeping face gently. Duke Baird had given her a sleeping drug to calm her down. He still worried about her but whilst she was in the chief healer's care, nothing would happen to his beloved wife. A knock jarred him out of his daydreams.
"Come in," he commanded, using his royal voice. Timon, the chief steward, poked his head round the door and cleared his throat.
"Your majesty, the mage Sahara Silverrain of Scanra." Jon was on his feet immediately. Scanrans made him suspicious, especially after the wars a couple of years back.
"Don't worry King Jonathan," said Sahara, "I'm not that kind of Scanran. I haven't been there since I was three." Jon gaped.
"How did you know what I was thinking?" he gasped.
"I'm the greatest mage this side of the world," she said, spreading her arms. Underneath her dusty green travelling cloak there was a beautiful black dress that fit her like a glove.
"I thought I was the greatest mage," someone drawled. Numair Salmalin appeared out of the shadows with a pop. He opened his arms for an embrace. "Welcome, Sahara." The mage allowed herself to be hugged then stepped back.
"Nope, second best now Numair," she said with a grin. Numair shrugged and the King smiled.
"Modest too," Jon murmured.
"Now, now Jon. Don't insult royalty, it's rude," Numair chastized. Jon was perplexed.
"Timon said nothing of royalty." The steward shrugged.
"She said nowt about royalty," he explained.
"I am a honorary Princess of the Yamani Isles," she said. Jon and Timon gaped. The Yamanis did not grant nobility to anyone. It had never happened.
"What did you do?" they chorused. Sahara smiled.
"It's just a little scrap of my crazy past..."
What secrets does Sahara hold? Find out in my next chapter!
Cold Fire Within
Sahara Silverrain makes her debut appearance
Roger discovers he has a spy
Alanna is sedated (ooh-er)
R/R as usual please.
Chapter 2.
Her name fit her well. Sahara; hair the colour of sand dunes, eyes the vibrant green of a desert oasis, humour as dry as the desert in drought. She trudged heavily along the bumpy track, leading her placidly plodding mare in one hand and clutching her mage's staff in the other. She was tired and hungry and in desperate need of a bath.
"Hello? What do we have here?" Her roving eyes- forever on the look out for highwaymen- had caught sight of a black window, about a sqaure metre in size, hanging in midair. She pushed her staff into it and closed her eyes, sending her Gift to probe it.
"Ouch!" A spark of energy had flashed down her arm into her heart. The portal was clearly dangerous, as a great mage she knew better than to climb in. Instead she kneeled and opened her water flask, pouring a little on the earth and sculpting it into a little bird shape. She then pierced a finger and let some blood drip on the clay model.
"With my blood I bind thee, do my will as I command, never falter till death breaks your body and returns you to Mother Earth," she chanted. Pure white fire flowed from her fingertips and shrouded the clay bird. She held the flames in place until she heard an avian cheep, then waving away the magic she admired her handiwork. It was a perfect model; a small brown sparriw, completely unobvious in every way. She picked it up and carried it to the window, then cast it in with a mental command. Spy, she thought. Watch and learn.
***
Roger was watching at his mirror, gazing at Alanna asleep in bed. He had loved her, once. And who could not? Her beauty was not obvious but her inner fire was irresistable. He had glimpsed it once, a purple pool deep inside her glowing brighter than the sun, brighter than any star in the Universe. Dying once had not destroyed his love but the second time had hurt him more. He had got the message that she did not love him at all and that had set him on revenge. Bribing the Black God was not hard, the god hated his brother Mithros. All Roger had to do was persuade him that when he ruled Tortall he would rise up against the Gods and crown the Black God king of the Divine Realms. An idiotic and impossible idea but the god of the underworld had fallen for it however, hook, line and sinker. He could not free Roger completely but instead restored his Gift and placed him in limbo where he could work his magic. Something twittered nearby and he looked up, ruining his concentration and his grip on Alanna. A small brown sparrow was peeping at him from midair. Roger frowned and recalled the Black God's words.
"Nothing mortal can get into this safehold. It will disintergrate when it passes through the barrier between the Mortal Realms and the Great Abyss. Gifted individuals can go through but they will be weakened and unable to perform magic for many days. Gifted creations are the only thing that can pass through the barrier." Roger snatched the bird from the air and squeezed it hard. It crumbled into a pile of dust and earth. Someone was spying!
***
Sahara shook her head. She had watched everything through her spy's eyes, right up to when Roger had killed it. The handsome man inide the window was obviously mortal but a very Gifted and powerful one. She dared not go through the portal yet but she vowed to return one day. In any case the sun was setting and she wanted to reach Corus before midnight.
***
Jon caressed Alanna's sleeping face gently. Duke Baird had given her a sleeping drug to calm her down. He still worried about her but whilst she was in the chief healer's care, nothing would happen to his beloved wife. A knock jarred him out of his daydreams.
"Come in," he commanded, using his royal voice. Timon, the chief steward, poked his head round the door and cleared his throat.
"Your majesty, the mage Sahara Silverrain of Scanra." Jon was on his feet immediately. Scanrans made him suspicious, especially after the wars a couple of years back.
"Don't worry King Jonathan," said Sahara, "I'm not that kind of Scanran. I haven't been there since I was three." Jon gaped.
"How did you know what I was thinking?" he gasped.
"I'm the greatest mage this side of the world," she said, spreading her arms. Underneath her dusty green travelling cloak there was a beautiful black dress that fit her like a glove.
"I thought I was the greatest mage," someone drawled. Numair Salmalin appeared out of the shadows with a pop. He opened his arms for an embrace. "Welcome, Sahara." The mage allowed herself to be hugged then stepped back.
"Nope, second best now Numair," she said with a grin. Numair shrugged and the King smiled.
"Modest too," Jon murmured.
"Now, now Jon. Don't insult royalty, it's rude," Numair chastized. Jon was perplexed.
"Timon said nothing of royalty." The steward shrugged.
"She said nowt about royalty," he explained.
"I am a honorary Princess of the Yamani Isles," she said. Jon and Timon gaped. The Yamanis did not grant nobility to anyone. It had never happened.
"What did you do?" they chorused. Sahara smiled.
"It's just a little scrap of my crazy past..."
What secrets does Sahara hold? Find out in my next chapter!
Cold Fire Within