Attaly woke early that morning. She glanced around, looking for the others.
Blearily she recognized her brothers' forms, along with Cal's fellow
wizard, and the thief. Looking to her left, she saw Alth and Osprey keeping
watch. Standing, she walked over to Osprey. The young boy was perched upon
his horse, seeming as if he was made in the saddle.
"Hello," she told them quietly. Alth jumped slightly. He hadn't heard her walking.
"Hello," he replied gruffly.
"Good morning, milady," Osprey said, bowing in his saddle. Attaly smiled up at him, absently stroking Valdis. "I was born with the name of Attaly Clearwater – please use it."
"Yes, milady," Osprey answered, then, his ears turning slightly pink, he corrected himself. "Attaly."
The girl turned to Alth. "See anything?" she asked anxiously.
"None at all." He answered without turning. Attaly breathed a sigh of relief. Then, hesitantly, she asked the question that had burned on her lips.
"Why am I so important?"
Alth was silent. Then, "Didn't the wizard tell you?"
"He said only that I had power…magnificent power."
Alth turned to her. "You do. I am able to sense it. Yours is stronger than your brother's, or Rahm's. Stronger even then their master, the High Wizard. You were born with this power, given to you by the gods. It was given to you, because you are the only one who can harness it. Vassals do not come easy, so I'm told.
"Vassal? Why do the gods need a vassal?"
"They needed a vassal when the God rose. Again."
"Again?"
Alth sighed. "Some believe that the God existed long, long ago. Far before your time. Eons, even. Legend has it that the God tried to destroy the world. But he was weak then. Weaker than he is now. The gods were able to stop him. Then, they hadn't needed a vassal. But, the gods can be compassionate. They let Him live. Then, it seemed he disappeared from the face of the earth."
"What happened to him?" Osprey asked. Alth glared at him, having forgotten he was there. His ears turning pink again, the boy looked down.
"No one knows." Alth continued. "But, he came back. Around fifteen to sixteen years ago. I joined with him." Attaly gasped, and Osprey stared at him.
"Y-you're working f-for Him? M-my brothers were right! I-" Attaly looked around wildly, ready to dash away. Alth, seeing the crazed look upon her face, grabbed her hand, covering her mouth with his other hand incase she decided to scream. "I do not work for him anymore." He said, his voice tight with anger. Attaly stopped trying to break away, he cheeks darkening in shame. Alth sighed and released her. "I…fifteen years ago, when you were still an infant, I was sent to find The One. You. I was supposed to locate, kidnap, and take you back to my master." He spat the word out as if it was a poisonous fruit. However, I could not be sure if you were the right one at that point. You radiated such power – more, now – but you were just a baby! How was I to know it was you? So, I observed you family. For at least three years. I sensed your brother's power growing along with yours. I could also sense your brother's strength – I believe he has the ability to produce magic, but he has focused his energies elsewhere. One day, your father brought you and your brothers to the city, showing you the guilds the town had to offer. You stayed in the temple. Acolytes had taken your brothers and father on a tour of the temple. They expected you to follow. However, you walked up to the alter in the back of the room. I watched you, that day. You stopped before the alter, and reached your arms out, as if you expected to be picked up. You started to…glow. You shimmered, a color of each god shining upon your body. And I'm sure it's happened again." He said it as a statement, but Attaly was sure it was meant as a question. She looked down at her hands, then at the distant city she had escaped. Her face was troubled.
"It happened before," she said haltingly. "I…woke up, and…m-my hands w-were glowing. It was right after I had the dream about…Him."
Alth nodded. Osprey looked over to where the others lie. He cleared his throat as the wizards, rogue, and warrior began to wake. Alth looked over, then started to move away, closer to the edge of the wood. Attaly bowed her head a moment, and looked again over to where the city lay. Sighing, she moved closer to Alth, away from Osprey. Moving to stand in front of him, Attaly watched Alth until he looked at her.
"Help me," she said. Alth, taken aback, answered gruffly.
"Help with what?"
"Help me learn."
"Learn…your magic?"
"Yes."
"I can't…"
"Then how will I ever learn?"
"Your brother. And Rahm."
"But…if what you said is true, then my power exceeds theirs. How am I to learn from them?"
"They will teach you the basics. From there…I might be able to help. I can tell you if you get stronger. Or at least get your power under control. Right now, your magic is a tangled mess of threads about you. You must have some control by now, or you'd be dead. But, you need to maintain that control. And to do that, you need to learn."
"How long will it take?"
"It depends on you're ability to learn. Any young person of your age should learn the basics of magic within two to five years."
"That long?" Attaly asked despairingly. "I need to learn before the God has a chance to gain more power."
"It depends upon your abilities." Attaly bowed her head, then, nodding, she turned and went to talk to her brother and his fellow wizard.
Please, she thought. Let me learn quickly. I will defeat him in your names, gods. Please give me the strength to do you honor!
"Hello," she told them quietly. Alth jumped slightly. He hadn't heard her walking.
"Hello," he replied gruffly.
"Good morning, milady," Osprey said, bowing in his saddle. Attaly smiled up at him, absently stroking Valdis. "I was born with the name of Attaly Clearwater – please use it."
"Yes, milady," Osprey answered, then, his ears turning slightly pink, he corrected himself. "Attaly."
The girl turned to Alth. "See anything?" she asked anxiously.
"None at all." He answered without turning. Attaly breathed a sigh of relief. Then, hesitantly, she asked the question that had burned on her lips.
"Why am I so important?"
Alth was silent. Then, "Didn't the wizard tell you?"
"He said only that I had power…magnificent power."
Alth turned to her. "You do. I am able to sense it. Yours is stronger than your brother's, or Rahm's. Stronger even then their master, the High Wizard. You were born with this power, given to you by the gods. It was given to you, because you are the only one who can harness it. Vassals do not come easy, so I'm told.
"Vassal? Why do the gods need a vassal?"
"They needed a vassal when the God rose. Again."
"Again?"
Alth sighed. "Some believe that the God existed long, long ago. Far before your time. Eons, even. Legend has it that the God tried to destroy the world. But he was weak then. Weaker than he is now. The gods were able to stop him. Then, they hadn't needed a vassal. But, the gods can be compassionate. They let Him live. Then, it seemed he disappeared from the face of the earth."
"What happened to him?" Osprey asked. Alth glared at him, having forgotten he was there. His ears turning pink again, the boy looked down.
"No one knows." Alth continued. "But, he came back. Around fifteen to sixteen years ago. I joined with him." Attaly gasped, and Osprey stared at him.
"Y-you're working f-for Him? M-my brothers were right! I-" Attaly looked around wildly, ready to dash away. Alth, seeing the crazed look upon her face, grabbed her hand, covering her mouth with his other hand incase she decided to scream. "I do not work for him anymore." He said, his voice tight with anger. Attaly stopped trying to break away, he cheeks darkening in shame. Alth sighed and released her. "I…fifteen years ago, when you were still an infant, I was sent to find The One. You. I was supposed to locate, kidnap, and take you back to my master." He spat the word out as if it was a poisonous fruit. However, I could not be sure if you were the right one at that point. You radiated such power – more, now – but you were just a baby! How was I to know it was you? So, I observed you family. For at least three years. I sensed your brother's power growing along with yours. I could also sense your brother's strength – I believe he has the ability to produce magic, but he has focused his energies elsewhere. One day, your father brought you and your brothers to the city, showing you the guilds the town had to offer. You stayed in the temple. Acolytes had taken your brothers and father on a tour of the temple. They expected you to follow. However, you walked up to the alter in the back of the room. I watched you, that day. You stopped before the alter, and reached your arms out, as if you expected to be picked up. You started to…glow. You shimmered, a color of each god shining upon your body. And I'm sure it's happened again." He said it as a statement, but Attaly was sure it was meant as a question. She looked down at her hands, then at the distant city she had escaped. Her face was troubled.
"It happened before," she said haltingly. "I…woke up, and…m-my hands w-were glowing. It was right after I had the dream about…Him."
Alth nodded. Osprey looked over to where the others lie. He cleared his throat as the wizards, rogue, and warrior began to wake. Alth looked over, then started to move away, closer to the edge of the wood. Attaly bowed her head a moment, and looked again over to where the city lay. Sighing, she moved closer to Alth, away from Osprey. Moving to stand in front of him, Attaly watched Alth until he looked at her.
"Help me," she said. Alth, taken aback, answered gruffly.
"Help with what?"
"Help me learn."
"Learn…your magic?"
"Yes."
"I can't…"
"Then how will I ever learn?"
"Your brother. And Rahm."
"But…if what you said is true, then my power exceeds theirs. How am I to learn from them?"
"They will teach you the basics. From there…I might be able to help. I can tell you if you get stronger. Or at least get your power under control. Right now, your magic is a tangled mess of threads about you. You must have some control by now, or you'd be dead. But, you need to maintain that control. And to do that, you need to learn."
"How long will it take?"
"It depends on you're ability to learn. Any young person of your age should learn the basics of magic within two to five years."
"That long?" Attaly asked despairingly. "I need to learn before the God has a chance to gain more power."
"It depends upon your abilities." Attaly bowed her head, then, nodding, she turned and went to talk to her brother and his fellow wizard.
Please, she thought. Let me learn quickly. I will defeat him in your names, gods. Please give me the strength to do you honor!