Diary of a Conjurer Read online

  Ivar shuddered. He had never been involved in a war that he could remember, so the thought made him sick to his stomach. “I’m sorry. It must have been hard.”

  “Bah,” Silvio waved him off as quickly as Ivar spoke. Silence returned and the two walked side by side.

  By midday the landscape changed. Huge cliffs lined the diminishing beach to Ivar’s left and forests covered their crests.

  “There! Up that way.” Silvio pointed to the bluff that they now approached. Fir trees stood regally above them and the steep incline seemed barely passable.

  “There’s no trail.”

  “Trust a conjurer,” the old man waddled toward the cliff.

  Shielded by boulders the color of ewe’s cream, and with little effort Silvio slipped into a hidden passage that switched back to the top of the hill. Ivar followed up the stony stairway.

  Once at the crest, Ivar looked out over the vista. The clouds had been swept away by the constant wind, save for a few white cumulus puffs that melted into the horizon. White caps still stirred on the gray sea, but there was blue sky in places where the sun peeked through. A dot on the ocean caught Ivar’s eye.

  “What’s that?” he asked.

  Silvio squinted.

  “Do you see it? It looks like a ship.” Ivar’s heart skipped a beat.

  “Foulflickers!” Silvio mumbled under his breath. “If it looks like a ship than it is a ship.” He grunted and turned inland, his feet shuffling as fast as they would carry him. “And if it’s a ship it’s probably Hacatine’s. Hurry, if you know what’s good for you. And I’m telling you what’s good for you.”

  The ship’s course remained southeast. Either it was sailing to the island of Taikus, or it would soon moor near the Bandene forest. If the latter, Hacatine’s army would find the campsite they had just left. They would find the statue.

  “Wait a minute! Promise. Is she still stone?” Ivar ran to catch up to the conjurer.

  “Maybe.”

  “Because if she is, what will happen to her? What will Hacatine do to her?”

  “What concern is that of yours?”

  “She saved my life. Do you think Hacatine will hurt her? Is what Promise did considered treason?”

  “Treason? They’re all traitors. They have no rules, nothing that binds them to one another save for their common enemy. If Hacatine can use your Promise girl to get to you, she will.”

  “Common enemy? Who’s their common enemy?”

  Silvio smirked and peered at him from the corner of his eye. “Where have they been hiding you?” he asked.

  Ivar felt the heat rise to his head. “What do you mean?”

  “You’re their common enemy! I am. The Kaemperns. The North Wind. Anything that stands in the way of what they want.”

  “What do they want?”

  Ivar’s question was answered with a scoff.

  “I owe Promise my life,” Ivar muttered, fearing the conjurer wouldn’t understand. “I don’t know about wizards, but to a Kaempern, it’s the noble position to take, the Kaempern way. She risked her life to rescue me. Aren would insist I owe her, and he’s right.”

  “Why did she save you?”

  “I don’t know. All I know is that saving me from drowning isn’t something my enemy would do.”

  “Bah.” Silvio played with his beard as he walked. “You don’t know what her motive was. Maybe she just wants to torture you later on. Those sorceresses, they do that. They’re deceptive. First she’s sweet to you. Woos you. Heart all fluttering, you can’t resist her. And then bah . . .” he shouted, his green eye popping out at him. Ivar jumped back in surprise. “She lures you into her den and devours you. Sorcery, I tell you. You can’t trust any of them.”

  Ivar glanced over his shoulder. “No! You’re wrong. She had the chance to do me harm, and she didn’t. She could have let me drown.” When Ivar looked up to see what Silvio’s reaction was, he caught the old man staring again.

  “The Kaemperns’ power, it’s a mighty force, is it?” Still stroking his beard, he combed it with his long twisted fingers. “Something your people commit to following?”

  “Yes, we believe we have the force of creation on our side. It’s a power we choose never to abuse or neglect.”

  Silvio grunted. “Hmpf,” he said. “And how strong is your conviction?”

  Ivar laughed. “My conviction?”

  “That shouldn’t be hard for you to answer.”

  Ivar stuttered, his mind had gone blank. My conviction? “To be honest, I’ve never been tested. I think that’s what this Crossing is about,” he said.

  Silvio nodded, his eyes pierced into Ivar’s, his brow raised. “So it would seem. They must trust your loyalty then, eh? Your Kaempern family that is?”

  Ivar hesitated before he answered. He wasn’t sure anyone at home had confidence in him aside from his hunting abilities. Amleth had taken so long to consent to this trip, and even after he consented, the leader had shown great remorse at the final decision.

  “The North Wind called me,” Ivar finally answered.

  Silvio’s eyes grew wide. “It did?” He inhaled as if using his breath to filter the thought. “Yes. So it did,” he whispered. He cleared his throat and continued, “Well then!” He once more waddled over stones and logs on the narrow forest trail. Ivar kept pace.

  Who is this Boy?

  “Now you, watch!” Silvio said to Ivar when they came to a stand of oak trees. He whistled once and listened to the rumble under the ground. “Good,” he thought for it sounded as though everyone was there.

  “What are you doing?” Ivar asked.

  “It’s the end of the day. Time to meet up with the Xylonites.” As soon as he mentioned Xylonites, little people appeared from holes in the ground. “Come on, come on,” Silvio bid them to join him at the campfire with a wave of his finger, nodding and smiling a welcome as the miniature folk scurried from under ferns. Soon the wizard was surrounded. “That’s it? Is everyone here?”

  A chorus of yeses and no’s sang in unison, and Silvio scratched his head. “Well, go find them if they aren’t here and hurry!”

  None of the little people moved. “We’re all here!” a voice finally crowed.

  After they dusted their tunics, they scurried about the forest where they rolled out beds of soft moss for the wizard, and one for Ivar so the two could rest comfortably. A dinner of vegetable broth brewed from herbs the little people gathered, and water from a spring, completed Silvio’s day. He nestled in his bed and closed his eyes. He pretended to snore, peeking continuously at Ivar. Maybe the boy would settle down and stop asking questions if he thought Silvio was asleep. Better yet, maybe Ivar would fall asleep. The boy had better rest since he might have to run, or hide, in the morning!

  Silvio, on the other hand, had no intention of sleeping. Danger hovered over the company. No one but he could understand the peril that pursued them. The static of Hacatine’s presence made his hair stand up like stickers on a prickly cactus. It would be his duty to protect this callow Kaempern from harm.

  Too old to fight the wicked queen, and lacking any kind of magic that might defeat her, his only hope would be his cunning. He’d out-smarted her before; he could do it again, that is if Ivar didn’t botch things up. Silvio scowled at the boy, now peacefully curled on the mossy bed. Wizardry still rumbled inside of Silvio like roaring thunder, but he was old and bent, and his bones ached constantly. He didn’t know how much longer he could go on. There was a lot of responsibility, taking care of the Xylonites, protecting the forest, keeping the evil Queen of Taikus from finding him and stealing his powers, and now a fool youth to worry over.

  Maybe I need an apprentice. Maybe this magic wind of the Kaemperns sent Ivar to me for that purpose. Fate knows if I were still living on Taikus, if Taikus were still free and ruled by the King, I’d’ have been given someone to train and transfer my powers to.” He licked his chapped lips, a cold sweat rolled from his brow as he took in the stars. “I cannot ru
n from the witch queen forever. The Xylonites lack thinking abilities. To whom, then, do I hand my staff? I live the life of a hermit and rarely see another soul. And then comes this young mudblaster wandering in my forest. A quest he says. No other reason to be here.

  Silvio listened to the distant surf and the singing crickets near his bed. Ivar would need to be tested. He’s not too smart, but I’ve seen some honor in him, misplaced though it be.” Misplaced onto a sorceress. Silvio tossed on his bed and closed his eyes. “Bah! I don’t even know who he is!” he mumbled.

  Before he let himself doze, Silvio eyed the young man, his dark lashes sealing his eyes, his mouth half open revealing those two flat teeth with a space between them. Looks familiar. Looks like the boy I saw when King Ian was still here. Bah!

  Silvio looked again. Could it be?

  Years ago the wizard had been forced to hide from the witch queen, seeking refuge in a cedar tree. Though the sorceress never found him, she caused a great fire in the forest. The heat melted the sap of the cedar and fused him to the tree. Years passed, all the while Silvio was nourished by the life of the cedar. Two wanderers from another world looking for a place to hide their weapons chose Silvio’s stump as a cache. A smile came over the conjurer as he remembered the two. Those were good days. Finally, I had a purpose! He stared at the young man, recollecting that day when a thief broke into the cache.

  A dark-haired boy just like this Ivar. Yes, just like him. Same wide eyes. Impatient. Didn’t tarry long. He might have liked to. Could tell by his grin shining in the dark, he’d come back. The little devil tore through everything. Made a mess. Looking for a saddle. Not one of those big saddles laden with silver and fancy lacings. No he took the little one, and a bridle and a blanket. If he’d been smart, he would have grabbed some saddlebags and some rations. Maybe he didn’t know about the food. Running, no doubt about that. Running scared. I remember that gap between his teeth. Couldn’t mistake it, not for a moment. Could be him, this Ivar. Still in danger, too, more danger than before if it is. North Wind or not, I’d better not trust to give him my powers.

  The Bells of Skerry

  “I slept well, really well.” Ivar yawned and skipped to catch up with Silvio. Perhaps a new day would find a better side of the old man. They descended the steep bluff to the beach. They had bedded in the woods on the bank above the water overlooking a quiet cove. The inlet was well concealed with a passage that only the Xylonites and special conjurers knew about. At least that’s what Silvio told Ivar.

  “Where are we?” he asked.

  “Skerry Cove,” Silvio muttered as he gestured in the direction they were walking.

  “Skerry? My people tell tales of Skerry.” Ivar’s heart fluttered. He loved the Kaempern legends, especially the sailing stories. He absorbed every detail, and now visiting the place of their origins made him lightheaded.

  “Do they? Stories of shipwreck no doubt.” Silvio asked.

  “Yes. Some. And of the bells.”

  “Ah, yes, the bells.”

  The cove was dark, shadowed by vertical pillars of black rock, much like the slate found on the trails at Deception Peak. Ingrained shells and fossils marked the high tide line in the cliffs that came to Ivar’s waist. When Ivar and Silvio entered the cove, the water had already receded leaving tide pools in the crevices of the rocks.

  “Look out that way!” Silvio said.

  Ivar turned to the horizon. “It’s Menek over there, isn’t it?” Ivar asked, shielding the rays of the morning sun from his eyes as he gazed across the water at his homeland.

  “That it is.”

  “What’s to the west of us?”

  “Alcove Forest. A safe place. And Elysian Fields, a peaceful meadow your people visit often. Two days ride to your village from there. Land of wild horses. If you catch one, and if they like you they might take you home.”

  “I’m not ready to go home.” Ivar looked at the wizard suspiciously. Why was he in a hurry to send him home? “Not until my mission is complete. Not until I know who my parents are, and if they’re still alive. I want to meet them. Are there any other tribes nearby?”

  “No. No tribes on this side of the water. Maybe in Alcove Forest you’ll have time to think about whether you should go home or not. That Dragon Shield will keep you safe. Might be the best thing for you. Maybe you’ll gain some sense on the journey. Maybe.”

  “Look!” Ignoring Silvio’s mumblings, Ivar pointed at a small waterspout on the beach. “Look at that! Clams!” He raced down the hill. He couldn’t remember how long ago he had tasted shellfish. He pulled off his tunic, fell on his knees and dug his fingers through the coarse sand where he’d seen the spout. “Food, Silvio. Breakfast!” Ivar smiled at the old conjurer who hadn’t moved. Silvio’s mouth hung low, his eyes fixed on Ivar.

  “What? Haven’t you ever seen a clam before?” Ivar laughed at the look of amazement on the old man’s face when he held up his bounty.

  “Clams on the rocky beaches of the Northland?” Silvio asked

  Ivar’s grin remained, but Silvio’s words confused him. “Are you lost, old man? We’re not in the Northland.”

  “No. That’s just it. We’re not.” Silvio scratched his beard, still gawking. “That’s what I mean.” He added under his breath, “How would you know about clams?”

  Ivar shook his head, disregarding the wizard’s remark as trivial. Perhaps Silvio was older than he looks and lacked some of his mind. “You say some strange things.”

  Silvio grunted and lowered himself carefully next to Ivar, but his hands were slow and his digging unsuccessful.

  “Don’t worry about it. I can gather enough of these clams for you, the Xylonites and me too. Look how many I’ve already harvested!” Ivar pointed to the shellfish stacked on his tunic. “I’m a born hunter. I promise, you won’t grow hungry with me around. I can take care of you!”

  It was clear that the exercise wrought havoc on Silvio’s bones. Once the conjurer maneuvered his crooked body back up, he waddled slowly toward the cliff and sat on a rock in the shade while Ivar harvested shellfish.

  “You know, old man, I have to admit I wasn’t going to stay with you.” Ivar wrapped the tunic around the clams, tied it, slung the bundle over his back and joined Silvio in the shade. “You struck me as being sort of, I don’t know, grumpy. But after thinking about it for a while, I’m a Kaempern, and Kaemperns take care of their elders.” Ivar’s chest puffed a little. “I can take care of you for a while, if that’s what you need!” He sat next to Silvio, resting the tunic bulging with clams on his lap.

  Silvio had no reply, only a steady gaze on Ivar, his fingers combing the sand from his beard.

  “What is it about sorceresses and wizards that they stare so much, like they think they can find out more about me just by gawking?”

  Silvio grunted, but didn’t answer, nor did he drop his gaze.

  “All right, then answer this question. If this is Skerry Cove, where are the bells I’ve heard so much about?”

  “Past that point. Keep walking, and you’ll see the jetty.” Silvio was quick with that answer. “Treacherous waters. These cliffs have witnessed tragedy beyond your years. Some say this is the place where the first portal from the Otherworld spat into the sea. Foreign waters mixed with ours, and when that world's belly had been spewed through the portal, rock and sand followed, piling from the depths to form that jetty. A pretty sight in good weather, but when the winds turn foul no one can sail near. Ships meet their end here, pirates, fishermen, wizards, sorceresses, and vagabonds all lay in her graveyard.”

  “I have to see them! Come on, Silvio, let’s have a look.” Ivar grinned with excitement, offering his enthusiasm to Silvio.

  The old conjurer gave in. “We’ll look.”

  Ivar was in the lead this time, jumping from boulder to rock, splashing in tide pools. The gentle breeze and the cool sea air made him laugh. When he saw the jetty and heard the hollow sound of the iron bells that rang on the buoys near it, he
paused in awe. This was Kaempern legend. On stormy nights the haunting sound of the Bells of Skerry could be heard clear across the ocean, all the way to the Kaempern and Menek coasts. His people say the song will ring forever, so long as the Realm has a sea. And here he stood! Watching them rock gently in the water, the hollow iron clang in rhythm with the breaking tide. How many Kaempern boys wished they could see these bells? Ivar was most fortunate of all!

  The jetty, a narrow gray landmass, meandered out into the sea where it disappeared under white caps. Currents tore at the sandbar from both east and west, meeting together in a spray of foam. The bar itself gave the appearance that a casual walk would take one all the way to Menek. Ivar knew better, having heard the tales.

  To be caught on the jetty of Skerry when the tide comes in meant certain death, be it on foot or by ship. The raging high tide pulls and twists the waters, even in fair weather. And then there are the bells. Something about the long foreboding tone of the clapper beating on iron sparked Ivar’s memory, but he couldn’t place it.

  So this is the secret of sorcery, is it? Ivar thought. A jetty impersonating a beach, having the power to entice its victims until the unsuspecting soul is fully consumed by its trickery. Unaware, the victim is sucked into the shallow ledges of the reef and held under the raging waters until death consumes him!

  Silvio had just rounded the bend when Ivar turned and faced him.

  “Watch this,” Ivar said. He grinned wide and picked up a clamshell, holding it high so Silvio could see. “Watch,” he repeated as he tossed the shell in the air, caught it, and then held up his hand to the wizard. The shell was gone. Ivar chuckled, delighted that the old man’s eyes grew wide. He pulled the shell from the cuff of his sleeve and showed it to the conjurer, laughing.