The High-Wizard's Hunt: Osric's Wand: Book Two (7 page)

“Yeah, and he knows Happy’s name. If you know his name, you’re his best friend, whether you like it or not.” Fallon snickered and looked back at Bridgett.

“Sure, you say that now, but just wait ‘til you forget to serve him his dinner on time.” Gus walked in the direction Pebble had gone. He felt more worry than he expected at that moment. Pebble was his only Wand-Maker born child, and his only chance to pass on the skills he had honed through his life. The thought of losing him to a dog was wreaking havoc on his nerves.

“Oh, come with us, you old grump.” Fallon turned and began to walk toward a large, hilled area of the grove. “He doesn’t eat anything unless it’s cooked, and he waits patiently for our leftovers. So you have nothing to worry about.”

Gus eyed Fallon with uneasiness, but Bridgett winked at him and gestured for him to follow. He did trust Bridgett, so he was put at ease a bit by her attitude. The slopes grew as they ventured farther into the grove, and Gus found himself standing on top of a large hill very unlike the others.

The hill was flattened on top, which was obvious to Gus as a prairie dog. Although whoever, or whatever, had flattened the hill had done a fantastic job. It would look natural to anyone but a ground dweller. There was no sign of flat-topped hills anywhere in the distance, nor was there any evidence of streams or glacier movement, so that only left manual manipulation of the terrain. Gus had spent a great deal of his life walking through various open spaces. He had witnessed many different methods for clearing land for whatever purpose men had in their heads, and he recognized the signs in the landscape. All around him were rolling hills and trees. Someone had
flattened
the hill for a purpose he could not yet see, but he knew the reason was not on the surface of the hill. He wondered what might be beneath his paws.

In the center of the hill was a small, well-built shop. Gus could see several women working metal inside through the open door. What the Maiden of the Unicorn would need a forge for, Gus could not imagine, but the familiar smell of heated metal, oil, and the sound of a hammer on anvil grew louder the closer they came to the shop.

They made their way around to a path that led down the hill, slightly concealed by a heavy concentration of trees. It meandered downward, following the curve of the slope. The side of the hill became a carved wall as they got closer to the base. Gus was impressed by the skill that it must have taken to design. It was adorned with stone etchings of many different kinds of animals. If it hadn’t been for the worry he felt for Pebble, he may have allowed himself time to gaze at the intricacy of the carvings. As it was, he had a hard time keeping himself from running back to the top by the forge to try and see Pebble’s whereabouts. Once they had traveled to the base of the carved hill, Fallon pulled the carved horn of a unicorn down, triggering a hidden switch. A space in the wall on their left opened up to a chamber within. She smiled and motioned them both inside.

“Welcome to the underforge,” Fallon stated as she followed after.

“Underforge?” Gus questioned, as he gazed at what looked like a massive library, filled with scrolls and abundantly stuffed furniture. Several women gathered around the tables, reading in the well lit room. “I would have thought the Maiden could come up with a better name than that!” He felt a bit ashamed of his tone, but the anxiousness he felt at Pebble’s absence was growing. The lack of concern she showed for his safety seemed to make it worse. “Underforge? The imagination that went into that name makes me question your intelligence.” Gus snorted with more vehemence than he intended.

“Oh,” Fallon rolled her eyes to look at Bridgett, “this one’s going to be a HOOT to have around.”

“Don’t worry,” Bridgett smiled, “you’ll learn to love him. He usually only treats men this badly. You may get tired of the flattery that comes out of his mouth before he leaves.” She leaned over and winked at Gus as she spoke.

Their mocking was only making him grumpier, and he needed to try to make friends if he wanted to learn anything about the unicorns. “If you’re the Maiden of the Unicorn,” Gus cocked his head to the side in an attempt to change the subject, “why didn’t I see a single one of the beasts as we came here?”

“There were dozens of them just beyond the hill Pebble went over with Happy,” Bridgett answered.

“Yes, and they are accompanying Pebble to the underforge right now.” Fallon closed her eyes and smiled. “They seem to be taken by the little guy, too.”

“So, you’re an Empath as well?” Gus raised an eyebrow toward Fallon.

“No, but this job does come with perks,” she answered with a smile. “Go ahead and look. I know you’re curious now.” Fallon spread her arms in mock surrender as she bowed. “I am actually interested to hear what you see. I don’t think a Wand-Maker has ever viewed a Head Maiden.”

Gus wasted no time in accepting her offer. Activating his gift, Gus gazed inside the young, willing woman. Wand-Makers could manipulate magic strands in such a way as to make a wand to channel magic; Gus made the best wands. However, the nature of the ability also allowed a Wand-Maker to look into any creature, or object, and see how the magical strands were comprised. Peering at the magic strands that entwined themselves into everything was the least impressive part of the gift. Manipulating the magic strands was where talent was involved. The creation of the first wand had transformed Archana into a different place. Yet lately, Gus seemed to constantly find himself in the awkward position of having to ‘examine’ a person, a rather intrusive activity, in order to determine the person’s gift.

Yet, in the Grove of the Unicorn, the same unfortunate situation offered a chance at a real reward. Anything he learned while visiting the grove could only help him find answers to the questions he had.

“You’re a Trust,” his ear twitched, “good for you.” He tried to manage an impressed tone to cover up his disappointment, but he overdid it.

“Oh, there’s that flattery you were talking about.” Fallon giggled. “A nearly useless gift for a woman. Sure, a man can seek employment with the Turgent, a Merchant, or a group of bandits, but what good is a Trust as a cleaning lady or a seamstress? Surprisingly, it works wonders for a Head Maiden. I can be absolutely certain if I can trust someone before I extend an invitation into the grove.”

Gus ignored the chatter, but instead fixated on the interesting part. The gift in itself was unremarkable, but the light purple strands that ran in hundreds of directions from her head were greatly intriguing.

“What exactly am I looking at?” Gus ended the session and peered expectantly up at the two ladies. Further examination wouldn’t aid in any discoveries. From what he could see, they were just links of some sort and the explanation would tell him everything he needed to know.

“We call it the bond,” Bridgett smiled knowingly.

“And only the Head-Maiden has it.” Fallon held her head up in what looked like a tease directed at Bridgett. “It allows me to see through the eyes of the unicorns, within a certain distance, and feel their most intense emotion at the time. We assume the unicorns give this gift to whomever they want to lead, or at least that is the way we have always structured ourselves.” She closed her eyes and smiled again. “They are just a bit down the path with Pebble right now. Should we go get him?”

Gus tried to maintain his composure, but their laughter told him he failed.

“All right, Gus,” Fallon instructed, “turn left instead of the way we came. They will be a short ways down the path.”

Bridgett let him out the door and he took off, scampering down the path as quickly as he could make his body move. There was a slight twinge of pain from the last failed hunt in his leg that slowed him down, yet his mind was focused on finding his son.

Gus heard Pebble’s giggle coming from down the path where it curved to the right, and he ventured into the wood to shorten the journey. He planned on giving Pebble an earful for running off without asking first.

Through the trees, he could make out four unicorns watching Pebble. The dog seemed to have felt neglected and was lying on his back, writhing back in forth to pet himself, sneezing occasionally at the dust stirred up from the motion. Relief flooded him at the sight, and then an idea struck him. He quickly activated his gift to see what he could. Slowing himself to a crawl, he approached as silently as he could.

The unicorns had not yet shielded themselves and excitement coursed through him in the approach. Gus could see colors dancing through the majestic creatures, but clarity wasn’t possible at that range and his age caused even his gift to blur on occasion. He moved as quietly as he could muster, inching himself ever closer. Even without the clarity, he could tell that there were several gifts within them, but the shapes and locations were still difficult to discern. The unicorns seemed to be bathed in magic, and he would need time to distinguish one gift from the other, time he desperately desired. The unicorns all turned in his direction at once, and suddenly their secrets were clouded once again.

Gus approached quickly, trying to look as natural about it as he could. Pebble sat on his rear, a teasing look on his face as Gus approached.

“That’s was rude,” he spoke in a mock lecturing tone.

“How dare you run off without asking, boy. Come with me, now!” Gus could hardly wait to have Pebble in a safer location, as he still didn’t trust the dog. The dog was excited once again at his presence, but seemed to acknowledge that he was being ignored and didn’t press the issue. Gus turned and led Pebble back up the path, grabbing his wand to help with the door to the room.

“Thank you’s for playin’ with me’s, Happy. You’s can come say’s hi anytime you’s want.”

“Come, boy!” Gus was frustrated by the lack of consideration Pebble seemed to show. “How am I ever going to teach you to become a Wand-Maker if I can’t get you to listen to the simplest instructions?” Gus mumbled to himself as Pebble said his goodbyes and scampered after his father. Pebble showed a great deal of talent when he did listen, which filled Gus with pride.
If I could just get him to act that way all the time.

Gus turned again up the path, and this time Pebble followed. He couldn’t stop giggling as they walked, but Gus didn’t mind too much; just knowing Pebble was safe was calming his nerves.

Pebble smiled playfully, looking back at the group of unicorns and the dog. “I’s like Happy. His hairs is poofy.” Admiration filled his voice. Then a serious expression dawned as he spoke again. “You’s know, you’s supposed to ask before you’s look in someone, silly.”

Gus rolled his eyes as they walked.
Children!

The Hunt

Crouching in the shadows behind a large, fallen tree, Osric, Kenneth and Toby watched a boar rooting through the underbrush in the distance. They had spent the greater part of the day in silence as they followed various tracks, searching for prey. It had given Osric time to reflect on the last month and what it meant to be High Wizard. Truth be told, he was not too comfortable with the title the dragons had assigned him, but at least they were not calling him Turgent like the eagles. He was troubled by the pressure he felt from the dragons and eagles for his future. Yet the hunt brought relief to the building tension, and he reveled in the simplicity and honor that came from it.

Kenneth stood up slowly and drew the bowstring back. Osric recognized the familiar focus in his friend’s eyes when he activated his Hunter’s gift. Osric held a silencing spell on the bowstring and Toby readied the same spell for the arrow in flight. If they could keep the sound from reaching the swine, they could drop their prey without it panicking and causing more pain than was necessary. Fear and pain are the last things they wanted to gift the honored prey with on its last day.

Osric knew the moment Kenneth was notched in and ready. He had felt the same feeling himself since acquiring the gift. It was like the arrow found its own groove for the ideal flight path to its target. Kenneth released the arrow, straight and true, and the bowstring was silent. Toby’s face scrunched in concentration as he focused all his efforts on silencing the arrow’s flight. It hit true to its mark, and the animal dropped.

“Great job, men. Let’s go show it some appreciation and end its confusion.” Osric stood, feeling good about the drop. They ran to the side of the animal laying in the snow.

“Oh, thank Archana! I thought I ate a bad berry and was going to lay here until I died!”

“Are you in pain, my friend?” Kenneth was always concerned for the comfort of his kills.

“It’s Garron, hunter. And no, I felt a pinch, but I thought something bit me, is all. This isn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I have been feeling pretty old lately. At least now, I know I won’t rot.” Garron chuckled nervously.

Kenneth examined the wound and smiled.

“Straight through the spine?” Toby’s question showed more admiration than inquiry.

“Yes, just a pinch was the goal.” Kenneth bowed in respect.

“Is the killing going to hurt,” Garron asked.

“No, my friend. You can’t feel anything below your neck. It will be like falling asleep.” Kenneth located an appropriate vein and readied his dagger.

“Oh, good,” Garron visibly relaxed, “I like falling asleep. It’s like getting to go on an adventure where you are in control of everything.” Peace came over his face.

“Your sacrifice is greatly appreciated. Now, what can we do to honor you?” Osric wondered what being on the other side of the hunt had been like for his parents, and he choked back a tear.

“Tell my wife I won’t end up at the bottom of a cliff like her brother.” He laughed.

“Deal.” Osric and his companions all shared a chuckle at Garron’s timing with his sense of humor. “Are you sure we don’t need to bring her food or anything else?”

“Oh, no. She’s bigger than I am, and the sucklings don’t need anything either. They’ll miss me, but be honored just to know how I went.”

“Where do we find them?” Kenneth stuck the tip of the dagger in and life slowly poured from the wound.