Disclaimer: I don't own the universe this story is set in, but the plot is my own.
Sign-Seeker
For Emrys, the next weeks passed in a blur. Will took him to an isolated manor, explaining as he did about the great Doors that took them through both time and space. It was a great deal to take it, but he accepted Will's promise that he would understand all of it someday.
They were still in the same time, Will assured him, even the same country. They were so far removed from other first because they would be coming and going at odd times, and secondly because the fewer who knew of them in this time, the less they would affect history. "You will find that is often the case, Emrys. We move quietly, where and when we are needed and no more, and most people who know us believe us only a dream."
He soon settled in, but the lessons he was set confused him. He'd expected magic and wonders. Instead he got letters and sums. "You're going to be the best-educated man on this island when I'm through with you, cub. You'll be able to go anywhere, speak to anyone, and blend in." There was really no room for protest, so Emrys just signed and picked up his slate again.
There were other lessons as well, ones that seemed to follow no pattern at all. Will taught him to ride a horse and to fight, but also to dance and play chess. And there were long conversations about the way people thought, and right and wrong. The older he got, the more it seemed Will was determined to make him think more than anything else. He said as much once, and Will laughed. "If you've caught on to that, then you're ready for a new set of lessons," he said. And so finally Emrys began learning the magic of the Old Ones.
Once these lessons were proceeding apace, Will began taking him on journeys to witness important events. He watched, quiet and unnoticed, though Will seemed to be known to many people. "Not as what I am," Will explained to him. "A noble, a scholar, a wizard, a monk, a wanderer… I have been many things to many men, but those who know me as a servant of the Light are few and far between."
Emrys was eighteen when he met some of those who knew what Will was. They took a journey through the Doors into a green realm of fields and forests. "No lesson for you here, cub," Will said as they stood outside the gates of a great city. "One of my devising, at least. But keep your wits about you; this place is closer in spirit to the Wild Magic, and neither Light nor Dark have any sway here." And so saying he led the way into a city that hummed with people and danced with light.
The people seemed to know Will; they waved and caroled greetings as he passed. But Emrys felt oddly invisible in his master's wake. Eyes that touched him slid away without any light of acknowledgement. Unnerved, he dogged Will's steps more closely, half-afraid of becoming lost among people who could not quite see him.
At last they came to a vast hall, its double doors almost as large and ornate as the great Doors in time. Will strode in without pause, but Emrys hung back a moment to appreciate the intricate carvings that covered every available surface. Inside, he discovered that the walls were covered in murals and the floor composed of large mosaic panels. Even the high ceiling was decorated. Trying to look at everything at once soon made his neck ache, but he couldn't help himself. When he caught up to Will, he was speaking with an older man.
"—is almost finished," the stranger was saying. "The engraving will take longer."
"Far be it from me to rush your work," Will said easily. "May I see them?"
"Of course, Sign-Seeker. This way." He motioned them to a small doorway behind them. As Will and Emrys followed, the boy was interested to note an eager lightness in his master's step. He seemed almost… boyish.
Hesitantly, Emrys began, "Master –"
Will did not turn, but he chuckled. "You are in the Hall of Makers, in the great City of Ceredigion. You are unseen by many because you are untested in the magic of the realm, and you will find that some people see you perfectly – perhaps better than you would like." He chuckled again. "Does that answer all your questions, cub?"
"Almost, master."
"Ask, then."
"What is it we're here to see?"
"Several objects of great power are being made here, at the Light's behest. There are not yet completed, but I go to see the progress made." He paused a moment, then added gently, "You do not have to come if you are bored."
Emrys shook his head, even knowing that Will couldn't see it. "I'm not," he said.
Their guide turned aside, opened the door to a small chamber, and motioned them in. To Will, he said, "The iron is here."
"I can feel it," Will replied, nodding. "It is well-wrought."
"In form as well." He walked to a counter and opened a small box, removing something from it. Will extended a hand, and the man dropped it into his palm. Emrys edged closer to see.
It lay in Will's palm, dark iron against the pale skin, a circle quartered by a cross, unornamented. But it had a beauty all its own; dull though the metal was, it had a sheen like silk, and a power in the simple shape tat drew the eye. Will was transfixed; he stood unmoving, just gazing at the Sign.
"Will it suit, Sign-Seeker?"
Will blinked, and raised his head. "It will suit," he said huskily, returning the Sign to its box. "The others?"
"The crystal and gold are with the engravers, as I said. The bronze is cooling in the mold."
Emrys barely heard, still looking at the Sign in its cloth-lined box. He reached out to touch it, only to have his wrist suddenly seized. Startled, he turned to Will, who held him.
"Patience, cub," he said, letting go. "It will come to you soon enough. Do not be too hasty to take on this burden." Something in his face shifted, though Emrys could not put a name to it. "One of these Signs, at least, you will have no joy in." There was a tight note in his voice that disturbed Emrys.
Frowning, he began, "But, if they –" Only to be cut off by a sharp gesture from Will. Before he could begin to frame another question, their guide spoke.
"Your apprentice?"
Will mustered a smile. "For a time yet."
"I didn't think you took apprentices."
"Only special ones." Will turned back to Emrys. "Go explore, if you like. I'll be a while here. But don't leave the Hall." And with that, he swept off, leaving Emrys alone in the corridor trying to shut his mind to the half-understood call of the iron Sign.
Author's Notes:
I just want to say 'thank you' to everyone who reviewed; you helped me get moving on the next chapter when I thought the story had gone dormant. I anticipate there being about two more chapters to this.
About people's confusion as to the time-frame: I hope this chapter cleared that up. There were clues in the first chapter, and I thought they were prominent enough... maybe I should go back and look again. There's also one huge give-away clue, but it requires pretty esoteric knowledge to get, so I don't suppose it counts. :-)
Also, it's come to my attention that I forgot the disclaimer on the first chapter. So, retroactively: I am not, have never been, will never be, Susan Cooper. Hence, I own this world not. I do own this plot, though.
Thanks again! R/R.