Chapter 19 - Potential

Without warning, the sensation of the ground beneath her disappeared, and she opened her eyes, trying to keep her breathing steady and calm despite the fact that she felt like she was falling. Instead, she found she was actually floating. There was a thin tendril that ran from the center of her chest. It glowed and when she reached to touch it, she found that her hand went right through. Her hand seemed to be translucent, and as she looked through it curiously, she realized she saw herself, lying on the ground beneath her. The glowing tendril seemed to end at the chest of her real body, connecting her to it. She tried stepping backwards a little, and sort of floated backwards. The tendril grew longer, keeping her connected. She realized there was a dim feeling of her physical self in her mind. She quickly pushed it back, however, as she felt herself drawing towards it as she concentrated on it.

That's how I get back, she theorized. Now to find the Elar before this runs out.

Floating through the air was a bit tricky at first. She found it a bit like swimming, but without the tension of the water to kick against. It took her a couple of moments to learn to use her thoughts to push her forward more than the representation of her body that she saw. The book had said that the body she saw was just a figment of what her mind expected to see, and that she could look like anything or anyone she wanted if she chose. She didn't try that yet, however, focusing on the task she said she'd do. She willed herself to move quickly, back in the direction that the Elar scouting party was supposed to be. When she caught sight of their camp, with several campfires and tents, she slowed back down and hovered above it, immediately starting to count tents, people, and horses. A part of her mind realized that she wasn't even winded from the effort of moving so quickly.

In this form, I don't even need to breathe, she thought to herself as she moved to a closer vantage point. She didn't stop the facade of breathing, however, not wanting to risk her mind misinterpreting and thinking she was suffocating. She floated closer, hovering just above the Elar camp, trying to see what armor and weapons they had so she could tell Ullden. She could see everything with a crisp clarity, but it seemed ominously quiet without the crackling of their campfires and the conversations being heard. She hadn't realized how disturbing it would be to not hear anything. The absolute quiet seemed almost deafening. And, without being able to hear, she never heard the demon return to the camp. It wasn't until a whole bunch of the Elar looked over in one direction that her attention went there as well.

The demon was looking straight at her, as it landed on the ground in the camp. Then it slumped to the ground strangely. At first, she was confused, as she looked at it's dark form lying there with it's dark, scaled wings and spikey head, one eye open, as if keeping an eye on the Elar around it. Then she watched in horror as a translucent version of the demon rose from the physical one, doing a mind walk of it's own. The tendril that bound it to the physical body was black, with a reddish glow around it, unlike the yellow color that hers had. The translucent demon form turned towards her with a practiced motion and began moving in her direction.

At first she found herself backing away from it, just as she would have with her physical body. The demon stood taller and kept advancing. She ran away.

She headed north, not wanting to lead it back to their camp. Suddenly she remembered the yellowish cord stretching off straight towards her body. She cursed in her head but no sound happened in this plane, so there was nothing to hear.

The demon was still coming after her, seeming patient, not closing much distance. She willed herself faster, and she flew through the landscape, partly losing track of where she was. The demon could move just as fast as she could.

She turned and stopped, knowing that escape wasn't an option. The book had warned that it was possible to die here. There was no way to cast a spell, since she had none of the physical components that were always required. But the demon did not attack her. When she stopped it stopped. It seemed to be watching her more than anything.

"Fight it," a voice said. She looked around out of habit, trying to find the source. It was in her head; the demon hadn't heard it. The idea was ridiculous, of course. But she lunged forward to punch the demon. It dodged effortlessly and hit her in the back with the back of a clawed hand, sending her flying.

"Not like that," the voice said. She panicked and fled back to her body. The demon sped ahead of her, stopping in the camp and blocking the way to her body. The rest of her group stood and sat around, watching but seeing nothing.

The demon lashed out with a claw and tore at her, ripping open her arm and chest. She only felt a little pain, but matching wounds opened up on her physical body. Father Marus moved to her body, saying something but making no sound.

"Light banishes the darkness." It sounded like something Nordithet would say, but it was not his voice.

Suddenly symbols flooded her mind. They looked crudely drawn, white on a dark, rough surface. She did not recognize them, but somehow knew they were forming words.

She read the words aloud, not knowing what they were, hearing them only in her mind. A swirling light started to form around her, seeming to thicken more and more. The demon looked confused, and hesitated. Suddenly the light condensed down to one point that lanced out at the demon. It tore through the demon, exposing bone and dark gray innards. It blasted a wing right off.

Everyone in her group turned as one to the direction of the Elar camp. The demon sped away and the light blinked away.

Her heart pounding, Jetha fled back to her body, focusing on the feeling of her physical self. At first it seemed as if she was drifting down towards it, then all at once she fell, seeming to slam to the ground and back into herself. In a rush, the sounds of the world around her seemed loud and sharp pain tore through her arm and chest where the demon had clawed at her.

"Damnit, Marus, she said not to cross the circle," she heard Ullden's voice saying. "We don't know what effect it could have."

"Something has obviously gone wrong already!" Father Marus protested. "How much worse could I really make it? The girl needs healing!"

"She's back now," another voice said. "It's done."

Jetha sat up abruptly, feeling a bit dizzy as she did so. She stared at the owner of the last voice - Alldeh.

"It was you!" she said, not trying to conceal her surprise at the realization. "It was your voice I heard! But... how?" The man's eyes were clear, full of the intelligence she'd seen before.

"Shhhh," Alldeh said, putting a finger to his lips. He spoke quickly, with some urgency. "Still too dangerous yet. But you must learn. Remember what you've seen. Use it." He closed his eyes for a moment and then his head lolled to one side and he began humming something that sounded vaguely out of tune. When his eyes opened again he was gone, The madness having taken over again. She found herself sitting there, staring with her mouth half-open, dumbfounded.

"Is it alright to cross the circle now, Jetha?" Marus asked her quietly.

"Yes," she answered, reaching up and wiping the air symbol off of her forehead almost absently. The effort reminded her of the pain she was in, and she looked down at her chest and arm and the blood that was now soaking into her shirt.

Father Marus moved in and placed his hands on her arm, next to the wounds, and began the healing prayer to Kielle. She watched as the bleeding stopped and the skin mended itself back together. Niza had gotten a bowl of water and a cloth, and began dabbing at the blood after Marus was done, attempting to help clean it up. Jetha went to take it from her, to do it herself, but realized her hand was shaking and she was exhausted. She shifted position a little instead, and let Niza help her.

"Thank you," she said, trying to convey her gratitude in her voice.

"What happened?" Ullden asked quietly. She looked over at him and saw the concern across his face.

"We're going to need to break camp early in the morning," she told him. "The demon knows where we are. It saw me and then did a mind walk without using a ritual. I think I hurt it though."

"We heard it scream," Niza said. "It sure didn't sound happy."

"I saw their camp though. I tried to get as much information as I could," Jetha said. "It looks as if they had eight tents. Five seemed smaller, for the soldiers, two sleeping in each. One seemed larger, as if for an officer. Another seemed to be a supply tent, and the last seemed to be for the two slaves they have with them. The slaves are human. They looked like they might be from the grasslands - some of the sava... I mean... tribal people." She remembered briefly about what Nordithet had said about the savages, and amended herself at the last moment. She figured she'd better start thinking of them in a better light before the last woman joined the group.

"Of the ten soldiers, it looked like four of them are archers," she continued, "although they did seem to have smaller swords too. They weren't as heavily armored as the rest either. The other six and the leader all had armor that was a combination of the chainmail and plate, and they had either really large swords or small axes with shields. They have enough horses for everyone, although it looked as if four of them were pack horses. I expect the slaves are riding those, while the soldiers are on the others. They don't have any wagons. Two of the slaves were women, but not the woman who's supposed to join us. Unless their summoner dresses like a soldier, I don't think he's with them right now. That's about all I could see before the demon showed up."

"You said you heard Alldeh?" Marus asked. "He was just sitting here, quiet, while you were... gone. What did you mean by that?"

"I heard his voice in my head. I didn't recognize it at first. He was trying to tell me how to fight the demon." Everyone looked over at Alldeh, who was sitting calmly counting his fingers, seemingly delighted each time it was the same ten.

"Makes you wonder what else he has locked away in there, doesn't it?" Father Marus asked. "All the more reason I'm reluctant to sedate him away completely."

"Damned if you do, damned if you don't," Ullden grumbled. "But now they know where we are. That isn't going to make things easier."

"I take it there's little point to concealing tracks, now?" Marus asked.

"No, not really. How far away are they?"

"I'm not really sure," she admitted. "Distance and speed were hard to judge."

"Well, if the demon can see you when you're doing that mind walk, then no more scouting them," Ullden suggested. "Scouting out places we need to go...that could be useful."

"Father," he continued, "we probably need to push your training a little harder. I'm worried at this point that we're going to need to find a place to make a stand, or start making some strikes on them to reduce their numbers. Whatever we do, it'll be important to do it at times and places of our choosing, not theirs.

"Very well," Marus nodded. "We can work on more right now if you like. Perhaps tomorrow night we can get an earlier start if the girls are willing to take over the evening cooking?"

"We can try," Jetha said with a concerned look.

"We'll figure it out," Niza said confidently, giving Jetha a smile. "Don't worry, we just won't try anything fancy is all. I've cooked a little before, I just never had much to work with."

"That's settled then," Ullden said. "Father? Let's get back to work."

The two men stood up and returned to their sword and shield practice. Jetha found herself sighing as she looked down at her shirt.

"Most of the blood should come out when we have a chance to wash it," Niza said. "It needs mending though. I don't really know how to sew, so I can't help you there."

"I know how to mend, it's one of those things my mother insisted I learn," Jetha told her. "But I don't have anything to mend it with, so I'll have to wait until we visit a town and purchase a needle and some thread."

"At least none of your other clothes were damaged," Niza said brightly.

"And my mother's not here to scold me for damaging my clothes again," Jetha chuckled. "I was always trying to hide clothes that were singed or damaged in some way from a spell I was learning. Fortunately, blood was rarely an issue. Occasionally some components mixed together would eat right through cloth though. Mother didn't find the whole thing very ladylike."

Jetha suddenly found her eyes welling up with tears, as a sadness washed over her.

"You miss them very much," Niza said quietly. "Your family, I mean."

Jetha couldn't speak, but just nodded in reply. She suddenly missed even her mother's scoldings and her younger brother's habit of interrupting everyone in his attempts to be center of attention. She missed her older brother's advice and her father's warm smiles and hugs. A part of her just wanted to turn around and run home to them more than she wanted anything in the world just then. Another part of her felt foolish for letting Niza see her like this. She'd been trying so hard to show Niza that she wasn't just some spoiled brat like some of the other girls she'd known back home.

"That spell seems to have taken a lot out of you too," Niza commented, as if reading Jetha's thoughts. "You should probably turn in early and get some rest if we're going to get an earlier start that usual in the morning."

She did feel exhausted--a little shaky, even. She crawled into bed thinking about how the demon was only able to hurt her if it could reach her. But in a place where movement was just a matter of thought, she did not know how to keep it at a distance.

There were protection circle spells intended to keep spirits and such away. She wondered if maybe they could keep a mind walking form out of the camp. She also wondered how she had been able to cast whatever spell that was that she had done. Magic was supposed to be impossible while mind walking. The book had warned specifically about that.

She was too tired to sort it all out. She spent a few minutes clearing her mind with one of the exercises Nordithet had taught her. She crawled into her bedroll and was asleep within just minutes.

Morning seemed to come right away. Niza was gently shaking her shoulder.

"It's time to get up and going," Niza whispered.

It was still reasonably dark in the tent. She could tell that it was lighter outside than in, but it was clearly not really day time yet.

"Why are you whispering?" she asked, whispering herself.

"Oh," Niza said, still quiet but no longer whispering. "No reason I guess. The sunrise is just starting. Ullden wants to get going. He's already put together a breakfast we can eat while we ride."

"Okay, let me get dressed and get my stuff together," she nodded, noticing that Niza was already dressed and her bedroll was rolled up. Niza gave her a nod and grabbed up her bedroll and backpack before leaving Jetha alone in the tent.

Jetha realized she had been so tired she was still wearing the clothes she'd been in the day before. She quickly dug different ones out of the bag, trying to choose the clothes she'd worn the least since leaving the church. She wondered at what point they'd get to do laundry and it occurred to her that she wasn't entirely sure how to do laundry. She thought it was basically done by rubbing at the clothes with soap and water, rinsing them out, and then hanging them to dry. She'd seen people back home with large washtubs and boards, working on the laundry before. She knew they didn't have anything like that with them on this journey, however.

She left that thought for now, stuffing her dirty clothes in with the others in her bags and rolling up her bedroll for travel. She quickly combed her hair out and re-tied it, having taken to keeping it tied back or braided so that it wasn't flying in her face all day when the wind shifted while they rode. She tucked the comb away and pulled her cloak around her shoulders, wondering if the clouds that had been gathering would start raining that day or not. She could feel the moisture in the air already, but when she made her way out of the tent with her belongings, it wasn't raining. Instead, there was a heavy fog that blanketed across the countryside. With the sun's rays only just beginning to try and break across the horizon, the fog looked thick and gray all around them. She realized that she couldn't see clearly much further past the horses at the other side of their small camp. Niza was settling Alldeh into the wagon, and Jetha found herself relieved to see that Alldeh hadn't managed to wander off on them again. Ullden and Marus were working on breaking down the tent that Alldeh slept in. The one the two men shared had already been dismantled.

She made her way over to the horses and set her burdens down while she saddled up the horse. By the time she had the bags and bedroll secured in place behind the saddle, Ullden and Marus were already dismantling the tent she and Niza shared. She looked around and realized there wasn't much else for her to do. Niza was busy with her horse, which had been switched with the one pulling the wagon, and Alldeh was sitting in the wagon, staring out at her. She found herself taking a step forward, looking at the man's eyes to see if he was really aware or not just then.

"Alldeh?" she asked quietly, peering in at the man. She wanted to ask him a thousand questions, but was frightened of him at the same time. She really wasn't sure how to approach him. She envied Niza the ability to calm him down. It seemed as if Alldeh had taken a liking to her right away. Every time Jetha got too close to him it seemed as if he wanted to hurt her or something.

But it was his voice last night, she reminded herself. He knows things I need to know. She took a few more steps forward, getting closer to the wagon.

"Alldeh?" she tried again. "Can you tell me how I was able to use spells in the mind walk last night?"

"Walk last night?" Alldeh asked.

"The mind walking I did last night."

"No, no walking last night. Tent."

"Yes, you were in your tent last night. But before I went to sleep I was mind walking, and was able to--"

"Shouldn't walk at night," Alldeh interrupted. "Sword man doesn't like." He looked down and started investigating the buckles on his shoes. She sighed, disappointed.

Niza came over. "Come on, we're ready," the girl said, actually sounding excited. The two girls climbed up onto their horses. Niza already seemed perfectly used to it. Ullden led them off.

Breakfast was handed around. It was smoked bacon and thin sausage wrapped up in some bread. It was very dry but had some flavor and was filling. She drank plenty of water and didn't complain. Niza led her horse over to chat with Father Marus, and Jetha found herself for the moment riding alone with her thoughts.

She watched the approaching heavier clouds, starting to feel certain that they would all be wet before the end of the day. She pulled her cloak tighter around her in anticipation. "Rain!" she heard Alldeh giggle loudly just before the first drops fell around lunchtime.

Father Marus ended up having a hard time keeping Alldeh in the wagon after that, the man seemed to want to be dancing around, trying to catch raindrops in his hands or mouth. On one hand, Jetha had to admit, he seemed very peaceful and playful just then. On the other hand, Ullden kept getting more frustrated at the delay. Eventually, Marus managed to compromise and get Alldeh to sit next to him at the driver's seat. It wasn't designed for two people, but both men were thin enough to barely fit on the narrow bench. Father Marus attempted to get a cloak around Alldeh, even without having the hood pulled up, but Alldeh would have none of it. Finally Marus just gave up and let the man sit there, getting drenched.

The rain started in small patches of cool droplets that seemed to get heavier as they continued through the afternoon. By the time they stopped for evening, however, it had been raining down hard on them for a couple of hours. Jetha's cloak had stopped being effective, and by that point it was really more of a blanket of cold and wet around her head and shoulders. There was no chance of a fire, but at least the tents had mostly stayed dry on the inside. She was suddenly glad that Ullden knew how to roll a tent up properly and had always taken charge of that particular task. Ullden also had some canvas that he rigged up between trees and poles, creating a covered area for the horses to be under.

Despite the rain, Ullden and Marus still practiced fighting, Marus slipping and falling in the wet grass several times while Ullden always managed to keep his footing. Despite Ullden's insistance the night before about them practicing for more time each evening, it didn't seem to take as long as Jetha expected before Ullden stopped them for the night. She thought she saw Marus limping as they walked back to the tents.

She and Niza had it easy preparing dinner without a fire. It limited their options considerably, and dinner was not altogether too different than what they had eaten for both breakfast and lunch. Afterwards, everyone turned in pretty early as there was nowhere dry to really sit and talk. Once she was inside the tent for good that night, she changed into dry clothes from one of her bags and followed Niza's example of hanging her wet ones up on a string they ran along the middle peak of the tent.

"They won't be dry," Niza explained. "But they will be drier. You'll want to make sure you don't put them in with clothes you want to wear tomorrow night."

She tossed and turned in her sleep with fitful dreams. In one, Alldeh chased her with a thin stick, hitting her with it. He wasn't hitting her hard at all, and each time he said, "teach!" and giggled.

It wasn't the first night that she had slept poorly due to strange dreams. Alldeh had figured into many of those dreams. Usually they were nothing that made sense. There was never anything about magic.

She sighed with frustration. It wasn't raining, so she crept out of her tent. Alldeh was sitting at the fire, tending it carefully with a thin stick. She sat across from him, staying out of reach of the stick to be safe. Stars filled every inch of the sky--there was not a cloud to be seen. It was the most magnificent sky she had ever seen. She forgot about not sleeping and about dreams.

A bearded man in robes walked casually towards the fire and asked if he could sit with her. He was clearly no Elar, so she saw no polite way to refuse. She gestured at a spot on the ground, and he sat down, rubbing his hands before the fire to warm them.

"You're a wizard," the man said. "Is this man here your teacher?"

"No," she said with a little laugh. "My teacher is back home with my family."

"You should listen to this one," the stranger said. "He knows many things which have been forgotten--more than just his name."

"Wait," she said, "how do you know all this? Is this a dream?"

"It is normal to wonder what is a dream and what is not. Less common is to wonder whether there is a difference."

She took that to mean she was dreaming. She remembered there had been no fire because everything had been too wet. The ground she was sitting on was dry, but it felt real enough, as did the fire.

"There is always a more complicated truth, a more complicated answer to every question," the stranger said. "You will find the same holds true with magic. What Nordithet taught you was one answer. There is a more complicated one. But though you will come to understand it, it will not come easily, and perhaps it should not..."

--She was woken suddenly in her tent. Niza was shaking her and calling her name. Rain fell on the canvas above her head.

"Get dressed quick," Niza insisted. "Alldeh is drawing things in the mud. Father Marus thinks you should take a look at them."

She hurried into her clothes, making a point to set her night clothes aside so they would stay separate from yesterday's still-wet clothes. There was a little bit of puddle under where they hung, still damp.

She crawled outside into the rain. Ullden was already pulling one tent down. Father Marus was watching Alldeh in the middle of the camp. The madman looked all too calm, studiously and meticulously drawing something in the dirt with a thin stick. It was the same thin stick from her dreams.

She tossed and turned in her sleep with fitful dreams. In one, Alldeh chased her with a thin stick, hitting her with it. He wasn't hitting her hard at all, and each time he said, "teach!" and giggled.

It wasn't the first night that she had slept poorly due to strange dreams. Alldeh had figured into many of those dreams. Usually they were nothing that made sense. There was never anything about magic.

She sighed with frustration. It wasn't raining, so she crept out of her tent. Alldeh was sitting at the fire, tending it carefully with a thin stick. She sat across from him, staying out of reach of the stick to be safe. Stars filled every inch of the sky--there was not a cloud to be seen. It was the most magnificent sky she had ever seen. She forgot about not sleeping and about dreams.

A bearded man in robes walked casually towards the fire and asked if he could sit with her. He was clearly no Elar, so she saw no polite way to refuse. She gestured at a spot on the ground, and he sat down, rubbing his hands before the fire to warm them.

"You're a wizard," the man said. "Is this man here your teacher?"

"No," she said with a little laugh. "My teacher is back home with my family."

"You should listen to this one," the stranger said. "He knows many things which have been forgotten--more than just his name."

"Wait," she said, "how do you know all this? Is this a dream?"

"It is normal to wonder what is a dream and what is not. Less common is to wonder whether there is a difference."

She took that to mean she was dreaming. She remembered there had been no fire because everything had been too wet. The ground she was sitting on was dry, but it felt real enough, as did the fire.

"There is always a more complicated truth, a more complicated answer to every question," the stranger said. "You will find the same holds true with magic. What Nordithet taught you was one answer. There is a more complicated one. But though you will come to understand it, it will not come easily, and perhaps it should not..."

--She was woken suddenly in her tent. Niza was shaking her and calling her name. Rain fell on the canvas above her head.

"Get dressed quick," Niza insisted. "Alldeh is drawing things in the mud. Father Marus thinks you should take a look at them."

She hurried into her clothes, making a point to set her night clothes aside so they would stay separate from yesterday's still-wet clothes. There was a little bit of puddle under where they hung, still damp.

She crawled outside into the rain. Ullden was already pulling one tent down. Father Marus was watching Alldeh in the middle of the camp. The madman looked all too calm, studiously and meticulously drawing something in the dirt with a thin stick. It was the same thin stick from her dreams.

She moved quickly over to stand where she could see, still trying to stay away from the stick itself. She found she had to stand next to him, however, in order to read the symbols properly. She recognized one of them from the ones she had used in the mind walk to cast against the demon.

"They're words," she said, studying them. "Variants on the names of spells that are used now. That's why they seem so familiar. I think I can..."

She spoke the symbols, some instinct inside her letting her make the alterations that were needed to change the ancient names the spells were called by into the words that Alldeh was drawing. She began to read the last symbol just as he stepped back from drawing it. Suddenly the stick came up and pushed her arm up, so that it pointed off in the distance, away from the ground and the group of people around her.

She felt the power build within her, seeming to gather from the air around her and draw from inside even the bones of her body all at the same time. For a moment, she nearly panicked, not knowing what was going to happen. It seemed all she could do to breathe. Then, the voice of the bearded man from her dream spoke gently in her mind.

The tree. Focus. Let it flow through you to the tree.

She saw the tree, a lone oak sitting at the edge of a field. She reached towards it, with both her mind and her hand, and Alldeh took the stick away. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him nodding as he watched.

Then the power surged through her, towards the tree. Flame shot across the span of air between her and the tree in a mere moment, despite the fact that it was nearly half a field away from her. There was a huge cracking noise when it hit and it seemed as if the tree exploded. The top half of the tree leaned and fell from the bottom half, its branches bursting into flame. The tall stump that remained rooted in the ground smoked where it stood.

She nearly fell to her knees when the power left her, as she'd never felt so drained of energy in her life. She managed to stay standing and looked over at Alldeh, who had turned towards the tree in the distance.

"Alldeh?" she managed to say, still trying to get her breath.

"Fire!" Alldeh clapped gleefully. "Woo!" He dropped the stick and went running off towards the burning tree in the distance.

"I'll get him," Niza said, quickly running after Alldeh. Father Marus nodded, coming up to Jetha and trying to help steady her with a hand. She hadn't realized she was shaking so badly.

She moved quickly over to stand where she could see, still trying to stay away from the stick itself. She found she had to stand next to him, however, in order to read the symbols properly. She recognized one of them from the ones she had used in the mind walk to cast against the demon.

"They're words," she said, studying them. "Variants on the names of spells that are used now. That's why they seem so familiar. I think I can..."

She spoke the symbols, some instinct inside her letting her make the alterations that were needed to change the ancient names the spells were called by into the words that Alldeh was drawing. She began to read the last symbol just as he stepped back from drawing it. Suddenly the stick came up and pushed her arm up, so that it pointed off in the distance, away from the ground and the group of people around her.

She felt the power build within her, seeming to gather from the air around her and draw from inside even the bones of her body all at the same time. For a moment, she nearly panicked, not knowing what was going to happen. It seemed all she could do to breathe. Then, the voice of the bearded man from her dream spoke gently in her mind.

The tree. Focus. Let it flow through you to the tree.

She saw the tree, a lone oak sitting at the edge of a field. She reached towards it, with both her mind and her hand, and Alldeh took the stick away. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him nodding as he watched.

Then the power surged through her, towards the tree. Flame shot across the span of air between her and the tree in a mere moment, despite the fact that it was nearly half a field away from her. There was a huge cracking noise when it hit and it seemed as if the tree exploded. The top half of the tree leaned and fell from the bottom half, its branches bursting into flame. The tall stump that remained rooted in the ground smoked where it stood.

She nearly fell to her knees when the power left her, as she'd never felt so drained of energy in her life. She managed to stay standing and looked over at Alldeh, who had turned towards the tree in the distance.

"Alldeh?" she managed to say, still trying to get her breath.

"Fire!" Alldeh clapped gleefully. "Woo!" He dropped the stick and went running off towards the burning tree in the distance.

"I'll get him," Niza said, quickly running after Alldeh. Father Marus nodded, coming up to Jetha and trying to help steady her with a hand. She hadn't realized she was shaking so badly.

"Now that's the kind of thing we need," Ullden said from behind her.

She wanted to say something, but words didn't come. Part of her was awed by what she had just done, and part of her was frightened by it. She had felt the power flowing through her.

"Look at her, Ullden," Father Marus said a bit chidingly. "That obviously took a lot out of her. One of the dangers to wizardry is that it's possible to kill yourself working something too big to handle. It's not worth it if it leaves her too exhausted to do anything else."

"No," she said at last, "it's alright. The more I learn, the more I practice, the better I'll be able to handle it."

"I do not believe that the gods intend to kill you out here by having you cast soemthing too big for you," Marus replied. "Ullden, I know you are concerned about the coming battle, but be careful not to push her too hard too fast."

"Have I yet?" Ullden countered. "Have I pushed you harder than you can handle?"

"No--"

"Please, let's not argue now," Jetha said. "Father? You had said you had a book of other things he had drawn? I'd like to see that, I think."

"Now that's the kind of thing we need," Ullden said from behind her.

She wanted to say something, but words didn't come. Part of her was awed by what she had just done, and part of her was frightened by it. She had felt the power flowing through her.

"Look at her, Ullden," Father Marus said a bit chidingly. "That obviously took a lot out of her. One of the dangers to wizardry is that it's possible to kill yourself working something too big to handle. It's not worth it if it leaves her too exhausted to do anything else."

"No," she said at last, "it's alright. The more I learn, the more I practice, the better I'll be able to handle it."

"I do not believe that the gods intend to kill you out here by having you cast soemthing too big for you," Marus replied. "Ullden, I know you are concerned about the coming battle, but be careful not to push her too hard too fast."

"Have I yet?" Ullden countered. "Have I pushed you harder than you can handle?"

"No--"

"Please, let's not argue now," Jetha said. "Father? You had said you had a book of other things he had drawn? I'd like to see that, I think."

"Yes, of course," Father Marus said, nodding. "I'll get it to you once the rain lets up or tonight when we set up camp. And, Ullden, we'll discuss this later." The two men seemed to be standing there, in the rain, scowling at one another.

"No you won't!" Jetha said, putting her hands up, and wishing Nordithet was there just then. "You all keep treating me as if I'm some child who doesn't know what she is doing! I'm old enough that my mother was ready to marry me off, and maybe my teacher would have liked to teach me more, but he would not have let me come if he didn't think I could handle myself. And you keep telling me the Gods chose me to do this. Would they send me if I couldn't make my own decisions? You all have your own reasons you were chosen to come, but I highly doubt that any of you were chosen to hold my hand and tell me what's safe for me to do or not! I'll decide what I can handle and if I should try something new or not. If anyone is along to advise me on that, it's Alldeh. NOT either of you."

Alldeh's giggling, as he stomped his foot in a puddle over and over again, threatened to ruin the seriousness of her tone. Niza stood, looking astonished, on hand still holding Alldeh's arm from bringing him back. Marus had a look that suggested she might have been too harsh, but Ullden just looked frustrated. She turned on her heel and managed to keep her footing as she went back to her tent to gather her belongings. Once she was back inside the tent, however, she collapsed onto her bedroll, still shaking slightly from the exertion of casting the spell. She bit her lip to keep from audibly crying, but tears rolled down her cheeks anyway, mixing with the wet drops of rain that rolled down out of her hair.

She could hear murmuring outside in the camp, but the rain falling on the canvas was enough to drown out being able to hear anything clearly. After a moment, Niza came into the tent, and Jetha quickly sat up and tried to look as if she was busy with putting her stuff into her bags.

"Hey, are you okay?" Niza asked, putting a hand on Jetha's shoulder. "That spell was pretty amazing, but you do look really tired. Is there anything I can do?"

"Yes, of course," Father Marus said, nodding. "I'll get it to you once the rain lets up or tonight when we set up camp. And, Ullden, we'll discuss this later." The two men seemed to be standing there, in the rain, scowling at one another.

"No you won't!" Jetha said, putting her hands up, and wishing Nordithet was there just then. "You all keep treating me as if I'm some child who doesn't know what she is doing! I'm old enough that my mother was ready to marry me off, and maybe my teacher would have liked to teach me more, but he would not have let me come if he didn't think I could handle myself. And you keep telling me the Gods chose me to do this. Would they send me if I couldn't make my own decisions? You all have your own reasons you were chosen to come, but I highly doubt that any of you were chosen to hold my hand and tell me what's safe for me to do or not! I'll decide what I can handle and if I should try something new or not. If anyone is along to advise me on that, it's Alldeh. NOT either of you."

Alldeh's giggling, as he stomped his foot in a puddle over and over again, threatened to ruin the seriousness of her tone. Niza stood, looking astonished, on hand still holding Alldeh's arm from bringing him back. Marus had a look that suggested she might have been too harsh, but Ullden just looked frustrated. She turned on her heel and managed to keep her footing as she went back to her tent to gather her belongings. Once she was back inside the tent, however, she collapsed onto her bedroll, still shaking slightly from the exertion of casting the spell. She bit her lip to keep from audibly crying, but tears rolled down her cheeks anyway, mixing with the wet drops of rain that rolled down out of her hair.

She could hear murmuring outside in the camp, but the rain falling on the canvas was enough to drown out being able to hear anything clearly. After a moment, Niza came into the tent, and Jetha quickly sat up and tried to look as if she was busy with putting her stuff into her bags.

"Hey, are you okay?" Niza asked, putting a hand on Jetha's shoulder. "That spell was pretty amazing, but you do look really tired. Is there anything I can do?"

"Sometimes it's all so...overwhelming," she said, trying to keep her voice down. She grabbed her things and started shoving them a little roughly into her bags.

"Nobody's expecting you to do everything all at once," Niza said. Jetha was sure the girl was trying to be comforting, but she obviously did not understand.

"Actually, they are," Jetha tried to explain. "I'm sure Ullden's pretty good at what he does. But they've got four archers, six regular soldiers, and a demon. Just the six soldiers on Ullden is a bit much, don't you think?"

"But Father Marus--"

"Yes, he's trying to learn, but against trained soldiers? Against thieves and brigands, sure... And that still leaves the archers and the demon. Ullden can't fight the demon and the soldiers at the same time. He doesn't even sound confident he can kill it. That leaves me, Niza. It's up to me. And what happens if we fail?"

"You can do it, Jetha. At least you've got a purpose here. When we're done with this, some bard will write a song about it. You'll get flowing praise. Me? I'll just be, 'Oh, and there was this girl along to carry the pointy thing'."

Jetha could not help but laugh a little at the way Niza said it. "Oh, come now. Do you really think the gods picked you out of all this just to carry a scepter around?"

Niza shrugged. "I could steal us some bread and apples at the next town... Come on, let's get that bedding rolled up so we can get moving."

"Sometimes it's all so...overwhelming," she said, trying to keep her voice down. She grabbed her things and started shoving them a little roughly into her bags.

"Nobody's expecting you to do everything all at once," Niza said. Jetha was sure the girl was trying to be comforting, but she obviously did not understand.

"Actually, they are," Jetha tried to explain. "I'm sure Ullden's pretty good at what he does. But they've got four archers, six regular soldiers, and a demon. Just the six soldiers on Ullden is a bit much, don't you think?"

"But Father Marus--"

"Yes, he's trying to learn, but against trained soldiers? Against thieves and brigands, sure... And that still leaves the archers and the demon. Ullden can't fight the demon and the soldiers at the same time. He doesn't even sound confident he can kill it. That leaves me, Niza. It's up to me. And what happens if we fail?"

"You can do it, Jetha. At least you've got a purpose here. When we're done with this, some bard will write a song about it. You'll get flowing praise. Me? I'll just be, 'Oh, and there was this girl along to carry the pointy thing'."

Jetha could not help but laugh a little at the way Niza said it. "Oh, come now. Do you really think the gods picked you out of all this just to carry a scepter around?"

Niza shrugged. "I could steal us some bread and apples at the next town... Come on, let's get that bedding rolled up so we can get moving."

"Hey, at least you've been able to be more help around camp than I have. Even Alldeh seems to like you better," Jetha pointed out. "I feel like he's always waiting to hurt me somehow. And I really do expect that there's more you'll have to do for all this than just carry the scepter. What about the dreams?"

"They're fading," Niza admitted, almost seeming disappointed. "They aren't as clear as they were before. They... shift as if I'm getting to see more than one possible outcome. And sometimes I see stuff I just don't even understand." Niza started rolling up blankets as she talked, not looking at Jetha.

"Maybe if you wrote them down, or at least told me about them, we could figure out what they might mean," Jetha offered.

"Honestly, sometimes I don't like to think about them," Niza said. "Sometimes they are really violent. Sometimes I see all of us dying in my dreams. And there never seems to be anything I can do about it. Sometimes I think I see the demon we're up against. Not the one the scout party has with them, but the one behind all of this. It's like he's watching me. I get the feeling that if we all die, he'd save me for last so that I'd have to watch it really happen."

"I don't want to think about all that," she said, unhappily. "I want to keep thinking we're going to survive this. That Father Marus didn't save my life just so I can travel a while before the Elar kill me for certain. I feel like the demon can reach me through that scepter sometimes. That he's trying to make sure I stay afraid. I don't know. Maybe it's just that I am afraid that makes me think that." She shrugged and shook her head.

"Maybe the connection to that scepter is stronger than we know," Jetha mused aloud. "Maybe you're blocking the demon from seeing all of us. From knowing more about us and being able to stop us."

"I don't know," she shrugged again. "Look, it doesn't really matter. I just want to live through this and maybe be able to help some in the process."

"The next time we stop while we have some light, I'd like to get a look at that scepter," Jetha said suddenly. "Maybe the symbols on it will mean something to me and give us some more information about it." She chided herself for not having thought of it before, but then she expected that the symbols on it might not have made any sense to her before.

"It could be dangerous," Niza warned.

"I just want to look at it. Not hold it," Jetha said, tying her bags shut. "And I think we should keep it away from Alldeh, especially if he's having one of his clearer moments. But knowing more about it would probably help us a lot."

"Okay," Niza said, shrugging yet again. "But we should warn the others before we do it."

"Agreed," Jetha nodded. "Now let's get these bags out there before Ullden starts taking the tent down around our heads."

"Hey, at least you've been able to be more help around camp than I have. Even Alldeh seems to like you better," Jetha pointed out. "I feel like he's always waiting to hurt me somehow. And I really do expect that there's more you'll have to do for all this than just carry the scepter. What about the dreams?"

"They're fading," Niza admitted, almost seeming disappointed. "They aren't as clear as they were before. They... shift as if I'm getting to see more than one possible outcome. And sometimes I see stuff I just don't even understand." Niza started rolling up blankets as she talked, not looking at Jetha.

"Maybe if you wrote them down, or at least told me about them, we could figure out what they might mean," Jetha offered.

"Honestly, sometimes I don't like to think about them," Niza said. "Sometimes they are really violent. Sometimes I see all of us dying in my dreams. And there never seems to be anything I can do about it. Sometimes I think I see the demon we're up against. Not the one the scout party has with them, but the one behind all of this. It's like he's watching me. I get the feeling that if we all die, he'd save me for last so that I'd have to watch it really happen."

"I don't want to think about all that," she said, unhappily. "I want to keep thinking we're going to survive this. That Father Marus didn't save my life just so I can travel a while before the Elar kill me for certain. I feel like the demon can reach me through that scepter sometimes. That he's trying to make sure I stay afraid. I don't know. Maybe it's just that I am afraid that makes me think that." She shrugged and shook her head.

"Maybe the connection to that scepter is stronger than we know," Jetha mused aloud. "Maybe you're blocking the demon from seeing all of us. From knowing more about us and being able to stop us."

"I don't know," she shrugged again. "Look, it doesn't really matter. I just want to live through this and maybe be able to help some in the process."

"The next time we stop while we have some light, I'd like to get a look at that scepter," Jetha said suddenly. "Maybe the symbols on it will mean something to me and give us some more information about it." She chided herself for not having thought of it before, but then she expected that the symbols on it might not have made any sense to her before.

"It could be dangerous," Niza warned.

"I just want to look at it. Not hold it," Jetha said, tying her bags shut. "And I think we should keep it away from Alldeh, especially if he's having one of his clearer moments. But knowing more about it would probably help us a lot."

"Okay," Niza said, shrugging yet again. "But we should warn the others before we do it."

"Agreed," Jetha nodded. "Now let's get these bags out there before Ullden starts taking the tent down around our heads."

By the time they got the bags and bedding out of the tent, their tent was the last thing left to come down. Ullden packed it up while the girls got their gear situated on the horses. Bedding was all being kept in the wagon to help keep it drier. Nobody seemed to think that a bad idea.

It continued to rain throughout the day, which only worsened Jetha's glum mood. None of them talked all that much as they trekked along. Alldeh was the exception, of course. He seemed to have plenty to say, although none of it made any sense to any of them. Jetha frequently caught Father Marus shaking his head slowly with a sigh.

Jetha alternately worried about the Elar, and the coming confrontations with them, and wondered what else might be in the notes of Alldeh's drawings that Marus was carrying. She wasn't sure whether to be excited or intimidated about what she might find.

They had another cold lunch on the move. Alldeh was given bread, since he was out of the rain. Bread in anyone else's hands would just get soggy.

The hood on her cloak helped for a while. By mid afternoon or so she was already pushing wet hair out of her eyes, and wiping at water dripping off the end of her nose. Eventually they all pushed back their hoods. She offered a small prayer of thanks that at least it was not cold and windy. Even still she started feeling chilled as the sun lowered in the sky.

About the time they were ready to stop, Ullden pointed at something ahead of them. They all stopped, gathered together. Off in the distance, visible largely because the setting sun was partly behind it, was a broken silhouette.

"Those look a little like castle towers," Ullden suggested.

"I don't recall hearing of any in this area," Father Marus suggested. "Unless it's an old one not used anymore. There are some of those here and there."

By the time they got the bags and bedding out of the tent, their tent was the last thing left to come down. Ullden packed it up while the girls got their gear situated on the horses. Bedding was all being kept in the wagon to help keep it drier. Nobody seemed to think that a bad idea.

It continued to rain throughout the day, which only worsened Jetha's glum mood. None of them talked all that much as they trekked along. Alldeh was the exception, of course. He seemed to have plenty to say, although none of it made any sense to any of them. Jetha frequently caught Father Marus shaking his head slowly with a sigh.

Jetha alternately worried about the Elar, and the coming confrontations with them, and wondered what else might be in the notes of Alldeh's drawings that Marus was carrying. She wasn't sure whether to be excited or intimidated about what she might find.

They had another cold lunch on the move. Alldeh was given bread, since he was out of the rain. Bread in anyone else's hands would just get soggy.

The hood on her cloak helped for a while. By mid afternoon or so she was already pushing wet hair out of her eyes, and wiping at water dripping off the end of her nose. Eventually they all pushed back their hoods. She offered a small prayer of thanks that at least it was not cold and windy. Even still she started feeling chilled as the sun lowered in the sky.

About the time they were ready to stop, Ullden pointed at something ahead of them. They all stopped, gathered together. Off in the distance, visible largely because the setting sun was partly behind it, was a broken silhouette.

"Those look a little like castle towers," Ullden suggested.

"I don't recall hearing of any in this area," Father Marus suggested. "Unless it's an old one not used anymore. There are some of those here and there."

"If it's unused, it would give us a night out of the rain at least," Ullden said. "Let's get closer and see."

The idea of being dry and not stooped over in a tent cheered Jetha some as they made their towards the structure. As they got closer, she could see that the towers were crumbling from age and disrepair, suggesting that Father Marus was right about it being old and forgotten. It was only slightly bigger than most keeps she had seen, with four towers and broken walls between them that were falling and even completely rubble in some areas. It stood atop a low hill and had a slight rise around it, suggesting that there had once been a wall as well. When they got to the rise, she could see that the ground was rockier where the wall would have been, but the tangles of grasses and weeds seemed to have taken the land back long ago.

There was no light coming from anywhere within the small castle that they could see, and Ullden had them remain in one spot while he galloped his horse in a full circle around the area to be sure. Afterwards, he came back looking pleased.

"If we were more ready to fight them, this would be a good place to deal with the Elar too," he told them. "However, it will at least give us a dry place to spend the night. The tower on the northeast side looks to be the most intact. Any animals that might have made their homes in there will likely be in there right now, because of the rain. I'll head in first and make sure it's clear. Sometimes wolves and other critters like to take up residence in these kinds of ruins. Niza, you keep an eye on Alldeh. Marus and Jetha, I'll want you to come in a few steps behind me, just in case. Jetha, bring that bag of fireballs you have, just in case."

"In case of what?" Jetha asked nervously as they advanced to the tower and got off the horses. "Fireballs would be a bit much for wolves, don't you think?"

"If there's just wolves, or something like that, I can handle it, Jetha," Ullden replied. "Don't waste your fireballs on them. But every now and again there's something bigger that likes to make itself a lair in places like these. I doubt it will be an issue, or Father Marus might have heard about it this close to his church, but I like to be ready for anything."

Jetha nodded, grabbing her bag and following a step behind Marus. Both men had their swords drawn, although Ullden looked far more comfortable about it than Father Marus did. Ullden stepped forward towards the doorway cautiously, peering into the darkness.

"Wait a moment," Marus said, beginning to chant a prayer to Theran. He pointed, and a small ball of light appeared at his fingertip, over Ullden's left shoulder, making it much easier to see into the shadows of the broken tower.

"We really need to have a chance to overview what all you can do, Father," Ullden muttered, scrutinizing the entryway and the area just beyond. "It would be useful to know in advance."

"You're welcome," Marus replied, shaking his head.

"Thank you," Ullden said, stepping through the doorway and into the tower.

"If it's unused, it would give us a night out of the rain at least," Ullden said. "Let's get closer and see."

The idea of being dry and not stooped over in a tent cheered Jetha some as they made their towards the structure. As they got closer, she could see that the towers were crumbling from age and disrepair, suggesting that Father Marus was right about it being old and forgotten. It was only slightly bigger than most keeps she had seen, with four towers and broken walls between them that were falling and even completely rubble in some areas. It stood atop a low hill and had a slight rise around it, suggesting that there had once been a wall as well. When they got to the rise, she could see that the ground was rockier where the wall would have been, but the tangles of grasses and weeds seemed to have taken the land back long ago.

There was no light coming from anywhere within the small castle that they could see, and Ullden had them remain in one spot while he galloped his horse in a full circle around the area to be sure. Afterwards, he came back looking pleased.

"If we were more ready to fight them, this would be a good place to deal with the Elar too," he told them. "However, it will at least give us a dry place to spend the night. The tower on the northeast side looks to be the most intact. Any animals that might have made their homes in there will likely be in there right now, because of the rain. I'll head in first and make sure it's clear. Sometimes wolves and other critters like to take up residence in these kinds of ruins. Niza, you keep an eye on Alldeh. Marus and Jetha, I'll want you to come in a few steps behind me, just in case. Jetha, bring that bag of fireballs you have, just in case."

"In case of what?" Jetha asked nervously as they advanced to the tower and got off the horses. "Fireballs would be a bit much for wolves, don't you think?"

"If there's just wolves, or something like that, I can handle it, Jetha," Ullden replied. "Don't waste your fireballs on them. But every now and again there's something bigger that likes to make itself a lair in places like these. I doubt it will be an issue, or Father Marus might have heard about it this close to his church, but I like to be ready for anything."

Jetha nodded, grabbing her bag and following a step behind Marus. Both men had their swords drawn, although Ullden looked far more comfortable about it than Father Marus did. Ullden stepped forward towards the doorway cautiously, peering into the darkness.

"Wait a moment," Marus said, beginning to chant a prayer to Theran. He pointed, and a small ball of light appeared at his fingertip, over Ullden's left shoulder, making it much easier to see into the shadows of the broken tower.

"We really need to have a chance to overview what all you can do, Father," Ullden muttered, scrutinizing the entryway and the area just beyond. "It would be useful to know in advance."

"You're welcome," Marus replied, shaking his head.

"Thank you," Ullden said, stepping through the doorway and into the tower.

Father Marus followed, and Jetha crept in after them. The light hovering over Ullden's shoulder followed him, and she stayed close to stay with it. The light cast somewhat harsh shadows on the jagged rock surfaces. A rat scurried away from them and wriggled into a gap where part of the wall had cracked.

The first floor of the tower was one room. There were stairs along the side wall curving upwards. The stairs were timber, and there were a few missing. She wasn't close enough to see the condition of the ones that were there.

The ground was covered with dirt and debris. Much of it looked to be leaves that had blown in over the years and decomposed. There were sticks strewn about, and the occasional bit of small bone showed here and there.

"No real tracks to speak of," Ullden said approvingly. "Rat and some small animals, nothing that looks like a real concern. No droppings from anything bigger, either."

Ullden started towards the stairs, and Jetha took up the rear again. Ullden took the stairs slowly, testing each one as he went. Several of them creaked, and dust fell down from about half of them, but they all supported his weight and Marus'. Once the two had been up she had no worries about following them. She did still step gingerly, but she wasn't expecting them to fall out from under her.

The next level of the tower had four small rooms divided by a central hallway. Only one room still had a door on it. They worked their way from room to room. Each room had a pair of narrow windows for firing arrows through. One room had a human skeleton. She kept her distance from that, not wanting to think about it. Ullden merely commented that it didn't have any bones broken.

There was another stairway up at the far end of the hallway. These stairs were partly built into the tower wall, and were enclosed. They were made of the same stone as the tower, and although obviously aging looked sturdy enough.

She followed as they went up the steps, Ullden testing each one before putting his full weight onto it. There were some loose rocks that scattered out from under their feet, but otherwise the steps held firm, leading to the third level of the tower.

The third floor seemed to have originally been laid out identically to the second, however the floor above it had collapsed down onto about half, leaving two of the rooms and part of the hallway exposed to the rain. The other side of the tower seemed to be intact, although there were areas of the ceiling that seemed to be on the verge of crumbling down into them. In some cases, holes exposed what remained of the floor above them, telling them that some bits were enclosed from the rain by wall that had fallen inward. Other areas dripped as the rain trickled down through the debris, leaving trails of water running down the walls and across the floor.

Ullden pointed out an area of leaves and dried grasses, with bits of fur and cloth mixed into it, which he said was probably some creature's bedding. He also pointed at some droppings, although he said they didn't look to be from anything large. As he scrutinized the rubble in the rooms that still remained, Jetha noticed a pair of yellow-looking eyes peering down at them through one of the dark, dry holes in the ceiling.

"Ullden, up there," she said quietly, pointing.

As Ullden and Marus looked up at the eyes, a low growling sound came from the creature. Ullden sighed and rattled his sword against the stone wall, making a loud noise. The growling stopped, replaced by a cat-like whining as the eyes retreated.

"It's just a wildcat," Ullden said. "Looks pretty young too. Lynx, I think. Based on the rat we saw earlier, it's pretty unlikely it's even hungry. If we stay further down in the tower and keep the fire going, I doubt it'll even bother with us." He gestured for them to follow him back downstairs.

"So, does that mean it's alright to stay here then?" Marus asked the question that had already been forming in Jetha's mind.

"I want to make a quick check of the other towers too, just to be sure," Ullden answered. "But unless we see anything major, I think we can stay in this one without any real concern. The cat will probably just stay up there while we're here, especially if we build the fire right by the stairs. There's enough dry branches and such that have blown in on the first floor to at least cook dinner and keep a small fire going most of the night. There may be one or two more of the cats in the other towers, but they generally hunt smaller animals, like rabbit and the like. Not much for us to worry over, unless we were carrying a fresh kill, which we're not. I doubt we'll find anything more threatening than that if the lynx has made a home here."

They turned around and headed back down. Once down on the ground, Ullden pointed out how the stairs up should make an acceptable chimney for smoke, and he wondered aloud why there were no fireplaces. None of them had a good theory for that, least of all Jetha.

Once outside they passed Niza on the way to the next tower. Jetha paused to give her a quick summary of what they had found, and to tell her they would check the others quick to be safe. Niza thanked her for the update, and Jetha hurried off after the two men.

The other towers were all in worse states. None of them were suitable for sheltering in, and none of them appeared to be concealing any dens for evil monsters or large predators.

"Well, that was a lot of build up for nothing," Father Marus said.

"I'd rather be ready for something that doesn't happen than not ready for something that does," Ullden said, sounding a little frustrated himself. "Come on, let's go get settled.

They went back and got Niza and they all started moving gear inside the tower and out of the rain. Niza found a piece of wall sconce still attached to the wall inside, and suggested they tether the horses to it and let them out of the rain. Marus asked if they'd be able to sleep with horses in the same space, but Ullden reminded him grumpily about what would happen if the horses got sick from being wet all the time.

"A little care goes a long way, don't you think?"

"Point taken," Marus nodded.

They took care of the horses first and then each took turns going to a room upstairs for some privacy while they changed into dry clothes. Jetha realized that between clothes that needed washing and clothes that were damp from wearing in the rain, she really wanted a day of rest just to wash up and try and do the laundry. She was wearing clothes that she'd worn before at this point, something she was unaccustomed to. She had said nothing, having noticed that Niza had only one change of clothes and didn't complain at all. Jetha, however, was used to having a hot bath at certain intervals, and clean clothes available all the time. She did grin slightly at the thought of how horrified her mother would be if she knew how "unkempt" and "unladylike" she was just then. She was worried, however, that if they didn't stop at a town soon she'd run out of the light perfume she wore to keep from smelling unpleasant. Jetha wished Niza had something similar, as she was starting to notice the smell at night in their tent.

Once everyone was changed, Ullden lit the fire that had been built near the bottom of the stairs, and it wasn't long before smoke was curling upwards to the next level. Ullden and Marus worked on practicing while Jetha cooked with Niza's help. Niza also kept an eye on Alldeh, who had taken a fascination with brushing the horses that evening and seemed content to continue doing so until dinner was ready. He sang to them, in soft, gentle words, from a language Jetha had never heard before. She tried to listen, but didn't recognize anything special about the song or the lyrics. The long strokes with the brush, in time to the music, seemed to be soothing both man and horses, so Niza let him alone but still kept a watchful eye.

They were already coming close to using up the fresh vegetables, Jetha noticed, as she worked on cooking. Most of what remained was dried or preserved meats and vegetables. She wondered how long before they would have to stop somewhere to restock their supplies. When she had traveled before with her parents, they had always had a hunter along with the group to supplement the meat by hunting rabbit, game birds, and the occasional deer or wild pig. Then again, they had also always had someone who could both skin and cook the animal too. She wasn't entirely sure how she'd react if someone handed her a dead goose or deer and expected her to turn it into a meal. She tried not to think about it as she doled out some of the smoked meat into the stew-like meal she and Niza were cooking.

After dinner, Marus brought out his book of notes on the things Alldeh had said and drawn over the years. It was reasonably thick, and he told her to take her time with it. She thanked him and promised to keep it dry before turning and addressing the group itself.

"Niza and I discussed it, and I'm going to take a look at that scepter," she said, attempting to use a tone she'd heard Nordithet take when he expected no arguement. "I think it would be best if we did it a little away from Alldeh, however, perhaps upstairs. Father Marus, it would help if you could make us a little light and be on hand in case anything should go wrong and one of us needs healing. Niza will hold it for me while I take a look and make some sketches of it."

To her surprise, both men nodded agreeably.

"It might be a bit smoky up there now, although it's likely there will be at least one of the rooms clear of it," was all Ullden said.

"I'd be happy to help," Marus added.

"I'll get it then," Niza said, giving Jetha a raised eyebrow in response to the two men and looking like she wanted to laugh. Jetha expected Niza had thought the same as she had - that the two men would try to talk them out of exposing the scepter at all.

Niza grabbed the wrapped bundle, and Jetha led the way towards the stairs.

"I'll wait down here, then," Ullden muttered, "with the madman."

None of them responded to his remark, and Jetha took a deep breath before starting up the stairs. She tried not to linger long on any of them, wanting to get past the smoke. There was a not huge amount of smoke, but it was enough that she didn't want to breathe it.

One of the rooms upstairs was clear of smoke and had some floor space to work with. Father Marus made his light, which filled the room rather well.

Niza laid the bundle on the floor and unrolled the blanket from around it. The red gems on the scepter glittered. The whole thing looked entirely too polished. Father Marus seemed anxious, as if waiting for something to happen.

"Don't worry, Father, I won't touch it," she said to reassure him.

"Back at the church, Alldeh grew very agitated the last time it was out in the open," Marus said. "That doesn't seem to be happening this time."

Jetha was more engrossed in the scepter and the symbols on it. They were very similar symbols to what Alldeh had drawn before that she'd seen. She supposed that she would see much more familiarity in the sketchbook that Marus had made.

Most of these symbols she didn't recognize. They were more words, but she didn't understand what they were trying to say.