AUTHORS NOTE:
Slyksylva - Thanks so much for the review, I'm glad you're enjoying it!
TrimusicaDrag00n90 - Thanks for the favourite! I hope you follow so that you don't miss any updates :)
Archer1eye - Any revelations about why Sharein can do what she does are going to be a long time in coming :) Sorry, you'll just have to keep reading (insert evil laugh).
Drouppi - THANK YOU! Thanks for picking that up, I'll have a look at it and maybe edit, you're perfectly right and there should be quite a bit more there. Haha! My note for this chapter specifically says "Sharein shows off magic to family". Not so ominous unfortunately, just a natural response to shock ;-)
Chapter 28
19th Day of Late Winter 768 n.c
I woke up rubbing my eyes and wondering about the strange dream. Was it a dream? It seemed so real. I couldn't even remember coming to bed. I shifted a little under the blankets and realised with a start that I was still wearing my trousers, that wasn't right. I realised with a start that the door to my room was wide open and tried to remember something. I couldn't come up with anything. A knock on my door made me whip my head around to look down the length of my bed as Malkarov stuck his head into my room.
"You're awake!" He said with concern, "how are you feeling?"
"I feel alright," I replied after running through a mental checklist, "I can't remember how I got to bed though."
"Ah! That would be Alladrial and I," Malkarov explained, "he heard you collapse in the hallway and we carried you to bed. He was very worried about you, that you might have become ill."
"I was worried?" Came Alladrial's voice from behind Malkarov, who jumped a little bit and turned around to admonish the elf about "Sneaking up on people!"
Realising that I was still decent, I got myself out of bed. I wavered a little when I stood up, slightly light headed, but I came good quickly. Malkarov saw me wobble and came rushing towards me. I held my hand out to him though.
"I'm fine, I'm all right," I reassured him, "I'll just use the in-house and then I'll start on breakfast."
"It's well past breakfast time Sharein, in fact we've already eaten and were just coming down to check on you," Malkarov told me, much to my surprise, "get yourself ready with everything you need and then I'll teleport you to near your farm."
"Like the wall in your room?" I asked.
"Similar to, I'll explain once you're up and getting some food into you," he said as he exited my room, closing the door behind him.
I quickly used the in-house and only washed my face. I brushed my hair quickly and tied it back before I headed upstairs. On the table at my place was a plate with a full fried breakfast. I looked at it and then at Malkarov. Alladrial started laughing and Malkarov put on a shocked face as he looked between the two of us.
"You told her?" he asked the elf incredulously.
Alladrial just laughed louder and motioned me to sit down and eat, "Never fear Sharein, I cooked the meal."
Alladrial bent close to Malkarov as I sat and gave him a peck on the cheek, whispering something into his ear. Whatever he said quickly mollified the wizard.
Breakfast was delicious and I devoured it just barely slow enough to not be rude.
While I ate Malkarov explained, "The rune circle in my bedroom is a Teleportation Circle keyed to a similar one to Alladrial's bedroom in Kaz Sarion. It is permanently set because I added enchantments to make it so, otherwise it would have to be re-cast everytime we wanted to use it. But there are also other options, the Teleport spell is a Summoning school spell that allows the caster and one or two others, or one or two others to be sent to any destination that the caster is familiar with. This is why I told you I could send you close to your farm, to the big rock specifically as that is the area I am most familiar with."
The big rock was a large boulder part of the way to town that the path curved around, it marked the edge of the forest before you reached the plains closer to Easthaven. It would cut a goodly amount of time to be sent directly there.
At the end of my meal I thanked Alladrial profusely, for such a delicious breakfast. He responded by practically eating up the compliments, beaming brighter and brighter with each one.
We did the dishes and Alladrial said goodbye as I collected my bag. As we left the kitchen I noticed that Malkarov was behaving a little bit nervously, halfway up to the roof he finally spoke, "Alladrial heard when you collapsed last night, is there anything you want to ask me?"
I stopped, stock still. Why was he asking me that? Was the dream real? I'd mostly discounted it and then refused to think on it, but was it actually real? Everything that he said?
"Is there…" I began, timidly and unsure, "is there something wrong with me?"
"Wrong with you?" he almost shouted, "Wrong with you? You have the potential to be the most famous wizard ever! If anything I feel that there is something wrong with me! Teachers always want their students to surpass them… eventually, but not before their apprenticeship ends! I feel inadequate!"
I was shocked all over again. How could he feel inadequate when he knows so much more than me?
"Let me put this into perspective," Malkarov explained, "when a wizard has finished their apprenticeship they might have been taught the twenty cantrips, the minor spells such as Light, Manipulate Elements, Message, Mage Hand, Mending, Minor Illusion. A brand new journeyman wizard will also have learned two or three minor spells. These spells could never be learned until all of the cantrips are learned. Comprehend Languages is one such basic spell. Once a wizard becomes a journeyman, they leave their master and go out into the world. They might join an adventuring party or choose to study at the guild straight away. Further spells must be learned from another wizard and wizard's guard their spells jealously. Some spells are shared with the guild and thus taught to all, but the rest are sold. From one wizard to another, either with gold or service. The Teleport spell cost me about five hundred golden suns."
I gasped in shock. Five. Hundred. Gold. Five hundred? I couldn't even imagine such a sum! Malkarov just chuckled at me.
"The wizard who taught it to me spent two ten-days doing so. It takes time and a wizard's time should be compensated." Malkarov explained, "For you, I have the feeling that as soon as I cast the Teleport spell in front of you, you will be able to repeat it. You will never have to pay to learn a spell, so long as someone will cast it in front of you! Not to mention spell-song! I'll tell you the story one day of the things I had to do to petition the elvish court to allow me to study their magic. I'm jealous Sharein. I'm jealous of your talent and I can't wait to see what you will do with it!"
With that, he walked to the top of the steps (with me following) and lifted the door to the roof. We both climbed out to a bright and sunny day, dark grey clouds stretched across on the Westward horizon, but there on Malkarov's towers roof… It felt almost like Late Spring.
"Now, before I cast the Teleportation spell, I should warn you. There is a slight chance that you could end up not quite where I intend you to," Malkarov warned.
"What do you mean not quite where I intend you to? I asked, suddenly suspicious.
Malkarov thought for a moment, "Well, at the distance I shall be sending you it is slightly possibly that you could end up within a mile or two nearby, rather than exactly at the big rock."
I wasn't entirely sure exactly how far a mile was around the big rock, but that didn't seem far at all, "I'm sure I'll find my way," I replied confidently.
"Oh," Malkarov stuttered then continued with a sudden confidence, "let's continue then."
As he cast the spell, I paid attention to the words he used. I could feel the echo of magic inside of me, but it felt muted somehow. It was as if it were stuck behind a wall, or barrier or some kind. It felt like water lapping against the sides of the bathtub in my room, like there wasn't enough to push it to overflowing so it was sort of trapped in there. I could feel it though, I knew how it felt and was confident that I'd be able to remember it. As soon as he finished the spell, though, he touched me and simultaneously I felt his magic discharge and everything shifted around me. I fell a short distance, about a foot, lost by balance and collapsed into a heap. I let out a groan and lifted my head to look around.
'Curious. Very curious,' I thought, recognising where I was and recognising that it was not, in fact, near the big rock.
In front of me sat Shard's altar. I was in her clearing. I worried for a moment that Malkarov had sent me there deliberately, but soon discounted that. How would he know anything about Shard? Did Shard intervene? I couldn't tell, but no matter the cause the outcome was beneficial. It saved me having to walk out here to talk to her today.
I told her everything.
Everything.
Even the embarrassing things, even the chicken incident. Even seeing Alladrials penis. Even seeing what Malkarov was doing to said penis.
I told her about what Malkarov had said to Alladrial yestereve, I told her about my rapid progress and the spells that I had learned. I told her about the runes and enchanting and my absolute failure at brewing a potion. I told her about cooking and going into town and the gossip from the girls.
By the time I finished, my throat hurt a little and I was sure that by looking up I could tell that it was pretty much mid-day. I said goodbye and told her how much I loved her. I then walked back to the farm. The forest was very well lit with the sun out and my journey back to the farm was pleasant despite the weight of the pack on my back. I arrived at the farm at lunch time, by my guess (and the lack of Father and the boys in the field or shed).
I stood at the door, hesitantly.
Do I knock? Do I just go in?
Not even a full ten-day and home no longer felt… like my home. How strange it felt.
I settled on a compromise, knocking and walking in.
"Sharein?" Mother called out, from the kitchen by the sounds of things.
"Yes," I answered, "It's me."
"Oh good, oh good," she said, "I wasn't sure what time to expect you. I'll just plate up some more lunch for you."
"Don't mind that Mother," I replied quickly, "I'm not all that hungry at present. To tell the truth, I actually slept in and have only just eaten breakfast."
I put my pack down near the front door and walked into the kitchen. Everyone except Mother was seated around the table. She quickly rushed over to me and engulfed me in a hug, which I eagerly returned.
"Come sit, come sit," she bustled me over to my chair, "at least have something to drink, you must be parched. It almost feels like Early Summer today."
She put a bottle of ale down in front of me and after I took my first sip I realised that everyone was staring at me. They seemed to be studying me, looking for some sort of difference.
"Do you expect me to have grown horns on my head or something?" I asked jokingly.
Father broke first, then Mother.
"Of course not!" he said unconvincingly, "I'd just forgotten what you looked like."
Mother bopped him on the back of the head for that.
"Eat up your lunch children, " Mother said, which prompted my siblings to break their staring and continue eating. Except for Illian, who continued to stare at me but just cocked her head to one side in thought.
"So Sharein, please, tell us what you've learned," Mother asked, prompting me to regale them all with stories of my lessons. I didn't mention my seeming at all, or describe seemings and I definitely didn't mention the chicken incident. They remained silent for most of my tale, except when I described the Mending spell.
Mother said in response, "I'm sure once you've learned it, that shall be a very useful spell indeed."
I looked at Mother in confusion which in turn made her look at me in confusion. Obviously there was some sort of miscommunication. I looked around briefly for something to demonstrate on and noticed that Jocam's tunic was ripped on one shoulder. I stood up and held up one finger for patience. I Walked around to stand next to Jocam,who twisted his head around to look at me, thus twisting the rip further away, taking his head in both my hands I twisted it back around to face forward. I pointed to the rip on his shoulder, and moved the two pieces together. Then I recalled the feeling of the magic when I cast the Mending spell and very soon the rip in the tunic was no more. The two sides of the rip were joined together seamlessly as if the damage had never happened.
Everyone stared in shock… except Jocam, who was twisting around trying to see what I had done.
Mother asked slowly, "You've learned the Mending spell and are learning the others?"
"Oh no," I replied, "I've learned all of them."
"What else can you show us?" asked Kara, almost jumping up and down in excitement.
I concentrated briefly and cast the Light spell onto the table and the entire table began to emit the strange black light.
"Ooooooh," let out over half of the table.
I told them about Alladrial's visits, painting him as a friend or colleague of Malkarov's, but the mere mention of meeting a real life elf had everyone ignoring everything else I said.
"Are his ears really pointy?" asked Illith.
Jara piped up, "Was he riding a Unicorn?"
"Did you see him shoot a bow?" asked Kara.
I let out a laugh, "Yes, his ears really are pointy but he didn't ride a Unicorn that I saw nor did he shoot a bow. He's a wizard like Malkarov, and he will be visiting occasionally to teach me Elvish etiquette and cooking."
Everyone had finished lunch by now and Mother was collecting the dishes, which reminded me of something I was wanting to ask.
"Mother?" I asked and continued when she acknowledged me, "I was meaning to ask. Does nobody else know about pancakes?"
"What do you mean?" asked Mother in return, confused.
"I made pancakes for Malkarov and he was amazed, he said that he'd never had them before," I explained, "then I asked Mari and she had no idea what I was talking about."
Mother hmmmm'd, "I'm sure that I've cooked them for Missus Meadowbroeke in the past, but perhaps they aren't that common? I don't know, it's not the sort of food you cook for a festival or anything, it might just be a family recipe."
I was just about to rise to help Mother with the dishes when Illith stood up and moved over next to her. I smiled to myself, she really had taken over my position and (as I observed) appeared to be doing quite an admirable job at it. It did leave me feeling slightly out of place though. Back at the tower, Malkarov and I would clean up the table together and here I was feeling like a, guest?
Father and the boys went outside to continue their day's work and once the dishes were done Mother sent my sisters outside to pick herbs and vegetables for dinner. She then called me to follow her into her bedroom, where she pulled out a few pieces of leather that seemed to have been cut into shape.
"I was making these to give to you," Mother said, holding up the pieces of leather, "another pair of trousers. I've heard about you from the other women in town. Despite not actually going into town since the last ten-day. Would you like to help me with them?"
"Use my Mending spell?" I guessed.
"Yes," Mother replied, "I must confess that I'm slightly curious as to how they will look without any seams at all."
Five castings of Mending later I had a brand new pair of trousers. They did look strange indeed, as if they were made wholly from the skin of the bottom half of some two legged animal. Oh.
"They look like I've skinned a person." I said in shock.
"Well, they don't have the hole…" she said, indicating the crotch of the trousers then pursed her lips, "but I do see what you mean. It's not… wrong as such, but there does seem something not quite right about them."
She pursed her lips in thought for a moment before holding up her finger, "I'll cut down the outside of the legs and sew them up, that way they will look like they've been made but without most of the work."
I considered this and nodded, that would make them look slightly less unnatural.
"Sharein," Mother said quietly, "you're happy as Malkarov's apprentice?"
I gave her a reassuring hug.
How could I not be happy?
I was learning magic.
