Spirit Past (Book 8) (14 page)

"Very well, I would advise that we disperse immediately, break into three distinct groups based on Reiculf's objectives. We know he wants Neltus and the elf elder. I also believe he will set his sights on Enin. Those three should initially be separated."

"Shantree will not leave without the protection of the elf guard!" Birk argued.

"Am I to be interrupted in the middle of every suggestion?" the sorcerer objected in growing frustration.

"You will be questioned, and you should expect as much," Holli responded, her resolve equal to the sorcerer's irritation.

"Fine, but have the courtesy to at least let me finish. If you wish to leave the elder under the protection of the elf guard, so be it, but then Enin and Neltus must seek sanctuary elsewhere. It is clear to me that Reiculf will wish to extend his reach, which means possessing those few individuals that can be turned into his pawns. He has three servants at the moment, we must not let him increase that number."

"But why separate?" Ryson questioned. "Shouldn't we consolidate our strength?"

"You don't fight Reiculf in a broom closet. You utilize mobility on a wide battlefield. You of all people should understand that. We force him to spread his own forces to create an opportunity that can be used against him."

"What kind of opportunity?"

"Whatever kind emerges. You do not place limits on such things. It is important to remain fluid in action."

The delver could not argue the point. Speed and movement saved his life countless times. Where there was space, there was opportunity.

"But what are
your
objectives?" Holli pressed. "We can not simply fight a defensive war. How do we engage Reiculf to our advantage?"

"We attempt to cut his reach. As I said before, he has three pawns he can utilize to extend his power. Not only do we hope to limit that number, we have to reduce it. We take back what he has already captured."

Holli looked to Enin and nodded.

When Shantree Wispon was called away for a private meeting with the camp council, Jure stood patiently beside the elf sorceress, Haven Wellseed, and waited for the elder's return. He accepted the conference as part of normal camp activity, nothing more and nothing less. The surrounding forest remained mostly quiet and calm. The wizard noted some activity to the northwest of the camp's center, but nothing that raised his concern. He remained protective of the elf leader, for her defense had become his mission, but he had to allow Shantree some latitude to meet her responsibilities.

Before Ansas had left with Enin for Connel, the sorcerer of ebony magic insisted that both Jure and Haven remain near the elf elder. Together, they had sufficient power to protect Shantree from certain threats. If they were overwhelmed, they were to teleport to safety. It was a strategy with which Shantree, Jure, and even the captain of the elf guard, found difficult to criticize.

Jure was actually very thankful for the opportunity to remain with the elves. He found their lifestyle intriguing, and he could not deny he enjoyed the company of the elf elder. With the harvest season coming to a close, he could enjoy the colors of the forest while watching the elves prepare for the dormant season. If it hadn't been for the looming threat of Reiculf, he would have found his time with the elves totally restful.

Several days had passed since the attack on the elf camp. The slaughtered rogues had been removed and the elf dead had been buried. Those who were injured were already healed, many by Jure and Haven—another benefit to Ansas' overall plan.

Initially, the entire camp remained on edge, even the chaotic movements of small goblin raiding parties took on greater significance. But such incidents had always been common in the forest, and every encounter was easily handled. With each passing day, the tension slowly subsided. While the elf guard appeared more watchful around their leader, the rest of the elves eventually returned to a more normal routine.

In order to ease the guards' task, Shantree had remained with Haven and Jure near the center of the elf camp. The three passed the time with earnest discussions of elf history and magic. Jure could not forget why he was there, but he also vowed to make the best of a stressful situation. Remaining watchful for a possible attack from the daokiln was somewhat like waiting for an executioner's blade to fall, but the three managed to find a level of comfort in each other's company.

When the elf council called for Shantree's attendance for a confidential meeting, Haven understood the request, and Jure believed it was nothing more than standard practice. Whether Reiculf was willing to attack or not, life for the elves continued to march forward, and their leader was required to make certain decisions that need not be discussed in public.

As Jure and Haven found a quiet moment alone, the wizard decided to approach a topic of personal interest. He had avoided discussing the matter in front of Shantree, for he wanted to assess Haven's response without any potential influence from the elf elder. Knowing of Haven's unique abilities—accented by her inspirational aura—Jure hoped the sorceress might be able to add intriguing insight.

"Haven, how much did you see of my fight with Scheff and the serp, Macheve?"

"Very little," the sorceress admitted. "I was engaged with the river rogues. The fog created substantial confusion. Right when the mist was cleared, we were hit by a burst of great power. I was almost thrown to the ground."

"That was a force blast used by Scheff, or rather by Reiculf through Scheff. It was a demonstration... an arrogant one. Reiculf wanted me to know he had complete control of your elf spell caster and that he could bring the full weight of his energy into Uton."

"Not a pleasing thought."

"No, it's not, and that's one of the reasons why I want to know what you saw."

Haven understood that something else troubled the wizard, or at least confused him. She knew he was curious about the transference of energy from Reiculf to other spell casters, but she believed there was something else about the confrontation that bewildered the human. Hoping to offer illumination, she focused on what she could remember after the force blast nearly knocked her from the trees.

"When I regained my balance, I cast several spells to save elves that were not as lucky as I. Many had been jostled from the trees and were in jeopardy from the rogues. My attention remained on the grounds near the center of the camp. I believed the elf guard had taken Shantree to safety, and at that time, I did not realize she was engaged with Scheff and the serp."

"So you didn't see me cast the spells that teleported Scheff and Macheve away from the camp?"

"The casting? No. I did see a flash a bright white light and heard the explosion. There was dirt and rock everywhere. That is when I saw Shantree in the tree above you... and you standing in the crater."

As the elf sorceress focused on the memory, she believed she understood what troubled the elderly wizard. It brought a question to her own mind as well.

"I know you were able to send Scheff and Macheve away from this dimension, but how did you break through their defenses?"

Jure explained the sequence of events in a way only another magic caster could understand, but when he was done, Haven remained confused.

"How were you able to remain here?" she asked.

"I'm trying to figure that out myself," Jure admitted. "When the portal started to form and enveloped Macheve and Scheff, they still had their shields somewhat intact. All that magic I poured into the spell broke their shields, forced them into the portal, and eventually caused some kind of energy surge. I should have either been teleported away with them, or I should have died in the blast. I survived when I shouldn't have. I'm wondering if someone intervened. In all honesty, I thought you did. You're the only one I know who has the power..."

"It was not me," Haven responded with absolute certainty.

"Do you think it might have been another elf spell caster? Is there another in your camp with that kind of ability... strong enough to have protected me?"

"We have several talented casters, but they were all engaged with the rogues."

"But maybe they would have seen us, saw that Shantree was in danger. That would have caused them to forget about the rogues, wouldn't it?"

Haven frowned ever so slightly. She did not wish to reveal the truth so abruptly to the compassionate human wizard, but she knew he sought answers. She did not want to deny what she knew was beyond doubt.

"If any elf of my camp understood what was happening—saw that Shantree was in jeopardy—they would have went to her aid. Though they would have known you were trying to assist our elder, they would have saved their energy to ensure Shantree's survival."

"So they wouldn't have wasted it on me," Jure offered, truly understanding the message.

"The elder must not be harmed," Haven confirmed.

"So I wasn't saved by an elf's magic," Jure noted.

"I cannot see how that would have happened."

"Then I'm back to where I started."

"And you do not have any other clues?"

"I don't really remember much of what happened after the portal formed. I'm not sure I even remember the blast. The truth is... I didn't think I was going to survive even before I cast the spell."

Jure considered what he just said and decided he needed to clarify his point.

"I'm not looking for anything from this other than trying to figure out what happened. I'm not telling you this because I want some reward or anything. I don't want to turn this into some kind of hero's tale."

"I understand," Haven allowed, "but you did a very brave thing. You were willing to sacrifice yourself to save Shantree. It is something every elf understands. You have nothing to be ashamed of in what you have said."

"Good, because it really doesn't make any sense to me. I opened myself up to a huge flow of magic. It was enough to break through shields created by Reiculf's energy. That much power should have ripped me apart. You saw the crater the surge left."

"Did you cast a spell of defense? Perhaps the energy offset itself."

"No, I didn't want to risk it. I used all the magic on attacking Scheff and Macheve. I didn't think I could spare any for another spell. I jumped out of the tree with just two spells in mind. One to break through their shields and the other to send them away as far as possible. After that, things get confusing."

"What exactly do you remember?"

"A very bright light. I was in the middle of it. The magic exploded around me, but I didn't hear it. It was calm, almost peaceful. I couldn't see anything. The next thing I knew, Shantree was asking me if I was alright. The light faded and I was standing in the middle of the crater."

"Interesting."

"To say the least. Do you have any ideas on this?"

Haven hesitated, not to reflect upon alternatives, but to consider if she should speak of them openly. Her beliefs were built on a foundation of being an elf, as well as her abilities as a spell caster. She cast not in a perfect circle but in an equal sided triangle, and she understood the balance between her physical being, the magical energy, and her spiritual essence. The wizard was a human with a history that was unknown to her and from a culture that was somewhat of a mystery to all elves.

Jure noted the uncertainty in the sorceress.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked.

"Not necessarily wrong, but my insight may not be advisable."

"I doubt that would be the case."

"Do not be so quick to judge. A discussion involving the phases of life—and death—enter into aspects that may be affected by our differing backgrounds."

"You think an elf's viewpoint of life and death would be so much different from that of a human?"

"The basis for such a discussion requires a certain level of common appreciation. If we do not share certain points of reference, we may only succeed in confusing each other."

"I'm already confused, so what is there to lose?"

"Perspective," Haven responded.

The response surprised the wizard.

Perspective.

He had to admit, alterations caused by magic had already forced him to restructure his views of reality in many ways... his own self-awareness included. By becoming a spell caster, he learned to tap into a source of energy that allowed him to perform tasks which he previously would have believed impossible. In many ways, spells appeared as miracles, and he seemed capable of achieving a transcendent existence.

While he did not seek to limit his potential, he did not wish to dive into a pool of arrogance as Ansas had done. Instead, he hoped to remain grounded in a belief that there was a greater purpose for his growing abilities, and he held firm to an awareness that a guiding hand was always there to help him on his journey.

He wondered what perspective of life—and death—an elf with great control over light might offer. The yellow energy was one of the most difficult elements for Jure to fully control in his quest for casting with pure white magic.

Haven had no such difficulty. Her essence burned with the light, and Jure realized her awareness was expanded by such an inherent quality. He could not deny that her perspective would be enhanced by such a condition, and it might, in fact, be beyond his ability to comprehend.

"You could be right," Jure allowed. "As much as the magic helps me understand all the things around me, I still don't understand it all. You could just end up adding to that confusion. But I'm still curious about what happened. If I was a delver, this would probably drive me crazy."

"But you are not a delver. You are a human wizard capable of tremendous growth."

"I always thought growing meant seeking more understanding."

"There are certain aspects of our existence that are beyond our comprehension. That is the way of life."

"So should I just believe I was lucky to survive and leave it at that? I suppose I can, but what if it's important for me to know exactly what happened?"

"Would it really cause you such great disappointment if you never discovered the answer?" Haven questioned.

"Hard to say. I can handle disappointment, but what if I find myself in that situation again? Reiculf is still out there. I don't think we're done with him yet. Do you?"

"No, I do not."

"Then what happens if we face a similar situation? Do I get reckless because I was saved once? And should I rely on whatever happened to save me again?"

Haven could not dismiss the concern. There was substance in Jure's question beyond basic curiosity. Experience can lead to wisdom, but only if the circumstances are understood properly. She decided to assist the wizard further, but to do so, she needed more information herself.

"May I ask what made you take such extraordinary actions in the first place?"

"You mean regarding my attack on Scheff and Macheve?"

"Yes."

"I didn't think I had a choice."

"Looking back now, is that still the case?"

"Yes, it is."