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Once they returned to the healer’s home, the guards left for their barracks and Faramond went back to the Crone to tell her what had happened. Rain sat at the table with another cup of tea. Lynara stood at her book stand, pouring over the book an elf had died for.
Rain tried not to think about what had happened and sipped the aromatic tea for something to do. As she drank the last of her cup, she looked over at Lynara, who hadn’t budged since she found the right page.
“How is everything looking?” she asked quietly, afraid to break the healer’s concentration, but unable to hold in her anxiousness.
“If you’d come a while ago, I would be sure I could do all of this. But as my power’s weakened… I don’t know if I can.” She looked at Rain peculiarly. “You have innate magic, right? How much do you know about it? How much can you do?”
“A fair amount, I think,” Rain said.
“Who taught you? You couldn’t have figured it all out on your own.”
“Do you know Whis—Deaglan, I mean? Wizard Deaglan?”
Lynara stared. “Deaglan? Of course I remember Deaglan…” She shook her head. “I miss the man. I was his teacher, you know. For innate and spirit magic. What colors have you studied?”
“Red, orange, yellow, and I’ve touched on blue.”
The healer frowned. “You skipped green? How long have you been studying?”
“I’ve known Deaglan my whole life, but I only knew about my magic a few weeks ago.”
“Weeks. You’re kidding.” she said. Rain shook her head. “Has he been rushing you?”
“No, actually. I figured yellow and blue out on my own. He didn’t want me learning too much, in case the enemy was able to control my powers. But it’s kind of too late for that,” she mumbled.
Lynara shook her head in amazement. “The Crone must have sensed a lot of power in you. There hasn’t been a moon elf with your amount of power for a long time. How old are you?”
Feeling strange to be asked that so often, Rain said, “Twenty.”
“Goddess, but you’re young. The only ones equal to you in potential are more than five times your age. They’ve studied for most of those years, and none have reached white energy yet. I bet you’ll get there faster than they will,” she said with a wink.
Rain didn’t know what to say.
“Using magic in Straldun is difficult to say the least. Even for someone of your talent. But if we do as much of this without magic as possible, and you do the parts requiring innate magic, we can do this spell. It’s a bit of innate and elemental put together.”
“I’ll do it,” Rain nodded.
Lynara smiled. “Good. First, we need wood for the fire and water for the pot, which would be easier to gather than to try and conjure.”
***
They worked hard through the day and into the night, Lynara occasionally checking on her patient in the bed and in the other buildings. When they had spare time, Lynara shared a few tips about conjuring, as it was her strength in innate magic. Rain learned how to visualize more clearly so she’d always create exactly what she pictured, and how to use as little magic as possible, something it was necessary to learn in Straldun.
Faramond came to see them, but left when Lynara complained he was only in the way. Rain prepared to leave for the palace to sleep, but after hearing thunder overhead, Lynara said it would be safer to stay inside. She instead curled up with spare blankets on the floor near the stove, exhausted.
By midday the next day, they were nearly done. Rain and Lynara stood over the boiling pot, and Lynara read off the ingredients.
The healer plucked off the leaves of a sprig of basil, the last ingredient, and dropped them into the pot. The liquid inside was now dark brown. “The last ingredient is over there,” she said, pointing to a basket of red berries. “One cup of sweet red berries, for taste.”
Rain scooped them in her hands. “Is this about a cup?”
“That’s fine. Put it in.”
She watched as Lynara stirred one more time. “Now, we let it simmer for about an hour, or until the color is deep red from the berries.”
After giving the pot a stir, Lynara went and sat in her chair at the table, and Rain took the seat across from her.
“I’m so happy you could help,” Lynara said. “I couldn’t do this alone in my state, not only from weakening magic but because of all the patients I have to attend to. I really have to watch my magic use these days. Besides, the recipe says it typically takes about three days to prepare, but we did it in less than two.” She put her hand over Rain’s on the table. “Dear one, I hope you can save your friend. Love like rarely comes more than once in a lifetime.”
Rain blushed and nodded, looking down at the table. “I just hope he’s not too far gone.”
***
Having nothing better to do, Rain helped clean up. After they ate a filling lunch of thick stew and homemade bread, the cure looked ready. The room was filled with the sweet smell of the berries and spices.
“The smell is so strong,” Rain said as Lynara lifted a spoonful to smell it carefully and judge the color. “It’s almost… enlivening.”
“Everything about it makes the cursed ones in charge of their own body again. All of your senses are affected. Besides being an intense red color, it has a strong taste and smell, is naturally warm even when not being heated by fire, and after we chant over it, it will contain that chant and enhance the hearing when ingested.”
Rain imagined trying to give this cure to the many, many people who needed it and realized how daunting a task it was. “May I ask… why couldn’t you teach me a spell or a certain way of healing as a cure? It will be such a big job to give this to everyone who is sick. Do we even have enough?’
“That is one reason why it is good we had to use elemental magic and make a physical cure. Innate magic takes energy from our bodies, but this holds its own energy. Anyone can give the sick this cure, they only need a drop—on the body or in the mouth, either will work. And spirit magic is tricky. It’s known as the darker side of elemental magic, so for some of these counter-spells to work, we must use the elements.”
“But… how can this small pot of the cure help so many people?”
“The herbs in this remedy are very strong, and certain ones have their own magical properties. With this cure, if you put a drop of it in water, the whole pot will be just as strong as the drop, and undiluted. With a small bottle you will easily be able to save everyone who is sick.”
Rain watched as Lynara held her hands above the simmering pot.
“I command, by the power of my magic, the curse of darkness to leave the bodies this cure touches. May the senses be awoken and the soul returned from the mind that controls. So it is.” She flicked her hands over the pot, as if throwing the words themselves into the remedy.
The remedy stopped bubbling and steamed for a minute, then went still. She removed it from the stove with oven mitts and placed it on a counter. Then she went in one of the back rooms and came out with a small bottle with a thin cord hanging from the top and carefully filled it with the red liquid.
“The one thing you must remember is to not touch the cure with your skin, or it will enter your body. If you ingest too much, especially when you’re not afflicted with the Soulblight, your senses will be enhanced so much that it will be painful. It could last for a few minutes to a few hours, until it passes through your system.” She tied the string to itself so it made a loop and then handed it to her. “Guard it well.”
“I will,” Rain said, slipping it over her neck. She held the vial in her hand for a moment and noticed its natural warmth seeping through the glass. She put it under her shirt, beside the aegis.
Lynara looked outside. “I think you’d better head back to the Temple of the Crone before it gets dark. Would you like me to escort you back? The streets aren’t exactly safe.”
“I’m fine, I wouldn’t want you to walk back alone either.” She gave the healer a parting hug. “Thank you for your help, you’ve saved more people than you can count.”
Lynara smiled. “It’s what I do. Go, child. I hope to see you again before too long.” They waved to each other and Rain started up the road toward the main plaza.
***
The wind howled down the street as Rain walked. She remembered the way back because it was nearly a straight shot, but being alone in the desolate city made her uneasy. She peeked down a particularly dark alleyway and though she saw nothing, she began to walk faster. For all she knew about this place, shadows could chase after her. She clutched her dagger tightly under her cloak.
A shriek made her stop, draw her dagger, and look around wildly for the source, expecting to find a spider from the library. Instead, a black vulture flew above her in a straight line toward the plains. She sighed with relief and started walking again, but didn’t put her dagger away.
She tried to keep her eyes from wandering to the shadows, but she couldn’t help herself. It was easier to imagine evil things when she didn’t know what was in the darkness, so she decided to peer into alleyways and abandoned buildings as she walked, just in case she saw something dangerous.
For a while, her plan worked and she felt a little safer. But as she passed another building, she saw something move in the shadows. She drew in her breath sharply and stepped up her pace again, now edging on a run.
She could hear light steps that she knew weren’t hers. Don’t look back, don’t look back, she told herself, but she eventually had to take a look. Whatever it was whipped back behind a building so fast that all she saw was a blur of black. Like a shadow.
Now she was running, and she knew she wasn’t far from the plaza. Her desire to see what was behind her was gone. When she had the temple in her sight, she ran faster. She heaved the large front door open and stepped inside, banging the door shut. She rested against the inside of the door and heaved a sigh of relief.
***
“Sister Rain?”
She started at the voice from deeper in the temple, but then realized it was that of the Crone.
“Yes, Great Mother.” She hurried into the main area and down to the dais where the Crone was.
“Is Faramond with you?” Her voice quivered.
“No, he isn’t, I thought he came back yesterday,” Rain said, immediately thinking about the shadow-thing that followed her.
“He left to check on you but never returned. I was… too afraid to leave and find him. I’ve been worried for you.”
Her eyes widened and she was overcome with dread. She looked behind her again to make sure the shadow-thing didn’t follow her inside. “Great Mother,” she said urgently, stepping closer, “something followed me on my way here. I tried to look at it but all I could see was a blurry shadow. Faramond told me earlier, about shadows in the city. What did he mean?”
She stared into the recesses of the high ceiling and spoke in a quiet, detached voice. “Every time one of us dies, our spirit does not leave this place. We are doomed to roam the streets and barren plains, and usually our spirits stay near where we’ve died. Because of the diminishing magic, which we’ve used for centuries to create our food, we have had a hunger crisis. In many cases we’ve had to learn to grow our own food, but the land here is so devoid of nutrients that many elves haven’t made it. The spirits in the streets are most often those who have died of hunger.”
“Are the spirits dangerous?”
“When they want to be,” she said. “Many are only sad, looking for their lost families. But when someone is killed in anger, or dies with unfinished business, they can be dangerous. They can walk through walls, enter bodies and make them move how they want them to, and move inanimate objects. They’re most likely what made Faramond… disappear.” She looked at Rain sadly.
“I’m so sorry. But who could want to hurt him?”
“I’m not favored by everyone anymore. Many people blame our city’s displacement on me, and it was likely someone’s ghost who wanted to get back at me, and make me vulnerable by killing my closest advisor and guard.” She waved her hand, dismissing the subject. “I’ll be fine. There are others who can take up Faramond’s position. Now, you have your cure?”
“Yes!” Rain pulled it out and showed the bottle to the Crone eagerly. “Lynara was a great help. But I very much regret that you lost a soldier because of me, getting the spellbook in the Library.”
“Yes, He died so many more could live. It is how every soldier wishes to pass. Faramond told me the story.”
Rain tucked the bottle back beside the aegis, and when her fingers brushed it she got a strong wave of homesickness.
“You need to get back home now, do you not?” the Crone said.
“I’m not sure I could find my way back to the Hollow, Great Mother.”
“No matter, you just need a horse, and an escort. Many of our soldiers and scouts know the location of the Hollow. We haven’t discovered any magical properties in our research, but maybe it will work for you again.” She stood up, her robes swishing to the floor. “I’ll take you to the guards’ barracks. Besides, I need to notify the general about Faramond’s disappearance. We can protect each other on the way,” she said with a smile, despite the loss of her second-in-command.
***
The barracks was only a few minutes’ walk away, and with the Crone next to her, Rain wasn’t as worried about the shadow spirits. The Crone led her to the eastern edge of the city, where they found two guards dressed in leather and chain mail at the entrance to the soldiers’ training area. Upon approaching the guards, she realized they were Maruck and Camaran. When they recognized the Crone, they hastily put the palms of their hands together and bowed.
“Welcome, Great Mother, it is a pleasure to see you again. We have been moved to guard duty for the time being,” Maruck said. Camaran scowled at him as if he’d said too much. “What brings you here?” He nodded at Rain, acknowledging her presence.
“Something has happened to Faramond. If he cannot be found, I need to appoint someone new to his position.” She lowered her voice. “Tell the general that the shadows are becoming more restless. And one more thing—Sister Rain needs an escort to the Hollow. Please find a soldier who knows the way, and two more that will go along for protection.”
“Right away, Great Mother,” Maruck said, bowing.
Camaran raised his hand to stop Maruck from leaving. “I will go,” he said, and strode off in the direction of the main barracks before Maruck could say otherwise.
Maruck laughed lightly. “I’m sorry he’s skittish around you, Rain. We both were rather young when the banishment happened, and he is skeptical about the world we used to call home. This place has grown on him, no matter how dismal it is.” He looked up at the eternally gray sky and sighed.
“I understand,” Rain said. “I can’t imagine what it’s been like for you here.”
“It will all change soon,” the Crone said. “For the worse or the better, we have yet to find out.”
Rain tuned out of the conversation as it turned to news around the barracks. It was incredible to her that these people that looked so much like her, and even had the same magic. Somehow, they had been hidden from the world—the world she was from, anyway—for decades. She wondered how many other worlds there were, accessible through the Hollow.
After a few short minutes, Camaran returned from the main barracks. “The general would like to speak with you, Great Mother. The escort for Rain is assembling now,” he said, speaking only to the Crone, “and will be ready in a few minutes. I will take you to the general, Great Mother, and Maruck will take Rain to the escort.”
The Crone turned to Rain. “Then we must part ways, dear one,” she said. “But I expect you will be coming back soon. I sense things are changing, and that you are the one to bring that change.”
“I don’t know if you’re right, but I would like to see you all again,” Rain said. She hoped the change wasn’t for the worse, like the Crone had suggested.
“I sense great power in you, as you know. With the strength of our magic waning, we can use all the help we can get. Keep practicing your magic, and when you are able, come back to our city. You will be very welcome here.” Her smile was warm.
“Thank you, I will do my best.” Rain said.
The Crone turned to Camaran. “I am ready to see the general. Lead the way.”
***
“We’re headed in that direction,” Maruck said, pointing at a large building. Rain nodded as she followed his lead.
They turned down a path that led south, away from the main barracks. They passed a small group of soldiers, both elf-men and elf-women, who appeared to have just come off duty. Maruck stopped for a moment and told her to wait. He alerted them that he and Camaran were helping the Crone, and that they needed soldiers to take their place at the entrance to the training grounds. The soldiers agreed to take the message to their superior and then set off again, waving to Maruck like friends.
“Sorry we disturbed your shift,” Rain said apologetically.
Maruck looked back at her and smiled. “No, actually I’m glad you came. It’s unbelievably dull on guard duty. You helped break the monotony.”
They passed the large building, and behind it there were ten smaller buildings, which Maruck said were the soldiers’ quarters. As they passed, Maruck slowed his pace so they could walk side by side.
“So if you weren’t raised in Dolmeria, where were you raised? With your birth parents somewhere else?”
He seemed trustworthy enough. “I was raised by surrogate human parents in Willshire. Across the Fangs in the countryside. I’ve never met my birth parents. In fact, I’ve never known till recently that the people I grew up with weren’t my birth parents.”
“That must be difficult to find out.”
“They died before I set off to find Ellwood and the elves.”
He looked at her with sorrow. “Many of my friends and close relations have died here in Straldun. I know how that is, to lose someone close. How did they die, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“It was a Wingmaster. She hurt my father and then killed my mother when she tried to protect him.” She was amazed the tears weren’t coming yet. “The only reason the Wingmaster came that I know of, is that they found out I was here, and came looking for me. My father was in the way when they arrived. My friend Whiskey—or Wizard Deaglan to everyone else—is like an uncle to me, and helped me escape before I could be killed or captured.”
“A Wingmaster. That’s spirit magic, right? Myrna’s doing?”
Rain nodded.
“So she found out you existed. I bet she thought she got rid of us all.” He was silent for a moment, and then said, “You might just be our salvation after all.” Seeing her expression, he added with a wink, “No pressure or anything.”
She laughed. “I’ll do what I can, certainly.”
***
They passed the last of the guards’ quarters and entered the stables. Two moon elves were getting horses ready. Two stall doors were open, where the elves were working, and most of the other stalls housed more horses.
“If we’re prepared enough with food and water, and know where we’re going, do we actually need horses?”
“You need to go and come back before the rains come. You were lucky last time, barely missing it.”
“How do you know how far the Hollow is?”
“I was on the team, years ago, that tried to travel back through it. Clearly, we didn’t succeed.”
A blonde-haired elf came out of one of the stalls. “Which is precisely why you’re coming with us,” he said to Maruck.
“Really, Tamrin, don’t joke,” Maruck said. “Who’s the third one coming?”
“You are! Gralin here,” he pointed behind him with his thumb at the dark-haired elf in the other horse stall, “thinks he knows the way but isn’t sure. You’re the one who knows the way best, so you’re coming.” He grinned.
“What about my shift?”
“It’s taken care of. You’re really the best one to go.” Tamrin stepped back into the stall and finished buckling his horse’s bridle. “There’s more tack in the back room. Start saddling up.”
Maruck shook his head and walked toward a space between two stalls on one side of the building. Rain followed and they entered the tack room, filled to the brim with saddles, bridles, brushes, and other equipment.
He led her to a line of saddles and pointed out a plain saddle for her to pick up. Rain assured him she could carry the hefty saddle by herself, and then he chose a similar one nearby. They walked back to where Gralin was taking care of his horse and Maruck entered the stall to the left.
“That horse is a good one for you,” he said, pointing at the stall to his left. “Go ahead and see if she likes you. Her name’s Depla.” He entered his own stall and put down the saddle, then hurried back to the tack room to get brushes, picks, and bridles.
Rain entered the stall and put down the saddle. The mare was brown except for her rear end, which was white speckled with black spots. Depla looked at Rain kindly and calmly, and let Rain pet her cheek and neck.
Getting her ready to ride was a breeze, and Rain was finished before Maruck. She found a small bag of carrots by the door to the stall and gave one to Depla. The mare ate it greedily.
“Come on, Amur!” Maruck said. “What’s wrong with you?”
Rain walked to Maruck’s stall and saw him trying to put the bridle on his horse, but Amur kept swinging his head to the side to avoid it.
“What’s wrong?”
“Amur is never this head shy. I wonder if something’s wrong with him. He was fine until I touched his ears.” He sighed. “But we don’t have time to call in the healers. The black rain will come in just a few hours. And I’m no good at yellow energy.”
“Let me see if I can do something. I know a bit about yellow.”
Maruck looked skeptical, as if he didn’t want strangers touching his horse, but then stepped aside and let her in the stall.
Amur moved his head away when Rain reached toward him. She called the yellow energy into her hands and when they glowed, tried again. He must have sensed the purpose for the magic, because he stopped moving his head and let her touch him. She reached out toward his left ear without touching it, but nothing happened. Then she tried the right ear, and the yellow energy swirled from her hand around the ear, healing whatever infection or cut he might have had. She helped it along with visualization. When it was done, the horse nuzzled her energetically.
“Nice work!” Tamrin exclaimed. She turned and saw all three elves watching her from outside the stall. She smiled nervously, not used to other people watching her use her magic.
Maruck made his way into the stall and tried putting the bridle on again. Amur was patient and didn’t swing his head away.
“Thank you so much,” Maruck said with sincerity. He petted his horse’s neck affectionately.
“It’s no trouble.” Rain left the stall to check on Depla, and get away from the prying eyes of the soldiers.
“You three start leading your horses out while I get the pack,” Maruck said. Rain followed Tamrin and Gralin outside, leading Depla behind her.
“You’re lucky to have gotten so far with your innate magic,” Tamrin said. “Many of us, even with moderate ability, find that it’s too difficult to practice magic often, and can’t get much further than red. Right, Gralin?”
The other elf made eye contact with Rain for a moment and nodded, then turned back around to face his horse, fussing with the bridle and reins.
Tamrin leaned closer to her and whispered, “He’s not much of a talker.” He hopped onto his roan horse and Gralin onto his dark black stallion. Rain suddenly realized Gralin’s horse looked a lot like Ahearn. Tears sprang to her eyes.
“Get on your horse, Sister, we best be on our way,” Maruck said from behind her.
She looked at him briefly and when he saw the tears brimming in her eyes, his expression changed to concern. She shook her head to keep him from mentioning it and fought back the tears as she hopped on Depla.
“Let’s go,” she said with the clearest voice she could muster, and then whispered to herself, “I’ve got to get back.”