Master Penbrook tried to help her with her sorcery, but he
was a wizard, and her magic was different. He studied, and learned
magic, but she was just magic. It was there whether she liked
it or not. As much as he liked magic, and loved his work, he
did not envy her. Penbrook told her there would always be something
chaotic in her magic, something she could not control.
He did help her though. Before she met him she had no idea
what was happening, and now that she knew and knew what was
possible, she had a focus to work on. The magic frightened her,
and her village, but it didn’t frighten Penbrook, or his
rabbit. They would just watch her, and when something went wrong,
he would fix it, or control it, or stop it. It was safe with
Penbrook.
She cleaned his house, and made his food and took care of his
cloths. She was happy in his house, but she knew she could not
stay. He practiced powerful magics, and she was a danger to
him, and herself if she was there while he did his serious work.
He liked her, but he loved his magic.
Penbrook said he would find her father, it would be better
to be with her own kin anyway, rather than being a maid for
a stuffy wizard. She agreed, because he wanted her to agree.
He taught her the elf language. She worked hard to learn, part
of her believing that if she tried hard to learn, and worked
hard to control her sorcery, he would say it was okay for her
to stay. He didn’t though. He was nice, and kind, but
he would not let her stay.
She reached for him now. Not to call for help but to thank
him for his kindness. She did not know if she could see him
that far away, but she tried. He was powerful, maybe he could
hear her.
Her mind raced across the land and then across the sea. Starlight
blurred into long lines of light in the early gray morning.
Suddenly she was surrounded by shadows and standing in a gray
world. She stiffened and tried to pull back, but she couldn’t
move. Someone or something was there with her, watching her.
“Who,” she whispered, “who is there?”
“A friend of your father’s.” came a voice
from the shadows. “You must be very powerful to have come
to this place.”
“Where am I?” She asked.
“You are safe, for now.” The voice said.
“I’m not safe. They will kill me soon. This is
just a wandering.” Elaine said.
The voice laughed, it was a warm laugh, the laugh of a loving
sister, or mother.
Elaine felt her cheeks blush. “Is that funny?”
she asked.
“You are not going to die my child. Your father is on
his way. He will be there soon, and you will be in his care.
Nothing too terrible is going to happen today, or tomorrow.”
The voice said.
“Is he really coming?” She said, trying not to
show her wonder.
“Yes,” the voice said, “and you need to leave
now. You don’t want to sleep here. It is not safe to sleep
in my world.”
“Will I see you again?” Elaine asked, as she felt
the world around her blurring again, and the starlight stretching
across the sky.
The laughter came again, warming her body and mind. “What
a wonderful child!” The voice said, to someone else, and
then.”Oh yes Elaine, I’m sure we will meet again.”
Then she saw Shelzar below her, as she fell, like a star from
the sky. The city was wrapped in fallen clouds, as if it were
curled up, and sleeping on its side, with toes and fingers poking
out.
