"The God Child - Ch. 2 & 3" by Gwenivere Stephan

"Mama!" a shrill cry rang out and the queen’s eyes darted over to the chubby, beautiful blonde toddler. Her violet eyes were full of tears.

"What is it, baby?" the queen called out, reluctant to stand up and move to the child. She was very comfortable and it was good to rest away from everyone else.

"Sena aid a deef," the little girl cried, tears overflowing and running down her cheeks. The queen sighed and stood, moving quickly to the little girls. Sena was slobbering green leaf all over her chin, whimpering but not crying.

"Sena, why did you eat a leaf?" the queen asked, kneeling down and wiping the leaf chunks from the little blind girl’s chin with her shawl. Then she turned and wiped the tears from Iola’s cheeks with a quiet shushing noise.

"I banted to know what taffed ‘ike," the girl said. The queen frowned over the child’s speech for a moment before she realized what she had said.

"You wanted to know what it tasted like? Sena, some things will make you sick. You can’t eat things unless one of the servants or I tell you to, okay?"

"Okay Mama."

"Yeah, right," the queen murmured as she got to her feet. She ran her hand over her son’s head as she breezed past, back to her bench. Kat bounced past her with a high-pitched squeal. The queen sat and motioned for her maid to sit next to her.

"What do you think of the children, Yamma?" the queen asked with a faint smile.

"They are lovely, my lady. Though… if I may speak freely," the maid hesitated but the queen nodded and waved her hand, her rings glinting in the bright sunshine. "I do not think you should associate so closely with the God Child and Sena now that they are getting older. You cannot be their mother forever and it will only hurt all of you if you continue treating them just like Princess Katriana and Prince Paul…"

"Enough!" the queen snapped, turning on the woman, who went pale at the expression on the woman’s face. "I will hear no more from you. Be gone!"

"Forgive me, your majesty, I only speak out of concern…"

"I will do what I want!" the queen cried, rising to her feet with a swirl of fabric. "Iola must remain here, anyway, and Sena is an orphan. Who else will be their mother?"

"Forgive me, forgive me…"

"Go. Send another maid to me," the queen commanded, sitting down and pointedly ignoring the woman’s pleas for forgiveness. The woman left but the day was soured. The queen stared at the children, the younger three still playing mindlessly, Kat staring at her mother with curiosity. The queen sighed and extended her arms to her daughter.

"Time to go in, Katty," she said with a smile. The girl frowned but silently collected her brother and Iola. Sena followed her cousin closely, holding onto her arm in a tight grip. The queen scooped up her son and took Iola’s free hand in hers. Kat took Sena and her mother’s skirts and followed closely as they returned to the palace.

Perhaps Yamma was right, the queen thought sadly. Perhaps it would be better if the two girls grew apart from her. She had her own babies to look after, and they would need to be separated some day, anyway. Why bring more pain upon herself and the sweet children?

She looked down at Iola’s lovely face and set her jaw. No. It would hurt too badly. She would wait until she absolutely had to before giving them up, else she would die.

They are my children, now, she thought with a nod and a broad smile. Things would be okay.

I was shivering and grasped the back of Sam’s shirt tightly in my hands. The smell of the forest was all around us, dark and sweet. I liked the smell, but the sounds were terrifying. Branches creaked all around us and little animals made strange noises. The feeling of smallness swallowed me, and it had hit me for the first time that my entire life was dependent on Sam.

My heart was beating loudly in my chest and my palms were clammy. I had no idea where we were going, and there was no way for me to find out. I had never been outside of my city before.

"Are we there yet?" I whispered.

"No. But we’re about to stop for the night," he said. "Stop grabbing at me."

"Sam… I’m really scared. Are you sure we have to stop for the night? The sooner we’re back in a city, the better," I replied, my voice shaking a bit. I winced. I hated to admit that I was scared.

"Yes, we have to stop. We have to give Sergeant a rest and we have to eat something. You’ll be fine. Once you get used to it out here, you’ll like it. I promise you," he said. I could hear a smile in his voice. I sighed and relaxed my hold on his shirt. A bird trilled loudly nearby and I heard a twig snap. I jumped and grabbed at him again. He sighed.

"Sena, relax. It’s just the animals," he said impatiently. "Stop pinching me!"

"I’m sorry!" I cried, tightly wrapping my arms around his waist and pressing against him. I squeezed my eyes shut and wished I could do the same with my ears. Any minute now, for certain, an evil slavering beast would leap from the underbrush and gobble me up. I was sure of it.

"This looks like a good enough resting spot," Sam said after a few moments, oblivious to my inner panic.

"Oh, yeah, looks great," I muttered. Sam snorted and pulled Sergeant to a stop. He dismounted and then helped me down. I took a few steps away, giving him room to unpack our bags. He passed me a bag that I recognized as my own by the soft feel and the faint familiar smell of my own body. I took a few steps around, feeling with a hand and a foot outstretched. We were in a small clearing, surrounded by trees on one side and a downward slope on the other. I could not hear the sound of running water, but I had the feeling there was a stream nearby. I unpacked my bag so that my back would be to the trees, not the open air. I heard Sam rattling around, setting up his sleeping mat and getting out our pots and pans. Soon a fire was crackling merrily. I felt a little better.

Sam left me alone for a few minutes as he went in search of water. I shivered there alone, listening to the fire and to Sergeant’s munching at his food. I tried not to hear the sounds of the forests. The air was getting colder – the sun was setting. I wrapped myself in my cloak and waited for Sam to return.

It didn’t take him long – I had been right, there was a stream nearby, though not within hearing distance. He put a pan full of water over the fire to boil and set about preparing our food for the night. He put a chunk of bread in my hands. I didn’t feel much like eating. My stomach was still twisted up with fear. But I swallowed it down anyway.

"Here," he murmured, giving me a large piece of pie. I bit into the flaky crust and tasted the cold meat and vegetables. It was very good, made by the palace cook. I swallowed what I had put in my mouth and pressed the pie back at him.

"I’m not very hungry, Sam, really," I said.

"You have to eat."

"My stomach hurts," I winced and he sighed loudly, taking the food back. I sat, cross-legged and nervous, my hands twisting around each other like two cats fighting, my teeth sinking into my bottom lip.

"There’s nothing to be scared of," Sam said, his voice muffled. Talking with his mouth full again. I rolled my eyes.

"Of course there is. There are tons of nasty little… creatures… that would just love to come and chew on my head," I replied. He laughed and I almost smiled. I liked the way he laughed. I ran my fingers through my hair. "I’m serious, though, Sam. This is really… scary."

"It’s scary for anyone, their first time away from home. But you’ll get used to it, I promise. You’ll learn what the sounds of the forest mean, and then you won’t be scared any more," he said. "First or second watch?"

"I’ll take first," I shrugged. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to sleep right away, anyway.

"Good. Now, please… eat," he placed the slice of pie back into my hands and I blew out a sigh, feeling the fringe of hair on my forehead lift with the wind of my breath. I forced myself to eat, for Sam. So he could feel like he was doing a good job of protecting me.

When I had finished I drank from the water he had boiled. It was still warm, but it tasted good in my mouth. Then I got to my feet.

"Don’t wander off too far," Sam said.

"I’m not wandering off anywhere. Where’re our things?" I replied.

"To the right of Sergeant, left of the fire," he said. "Why?" I didn’t reply. Instead I moved carefully toward the horse. I reached out, my fingers touching warm flesh. He snorted in my ear and I giggled. I moved my hand away from his shoulder, stepping to the right and carefully feeling around with my feet. The toe of my boot touched a pack and I bent. It took me only a few moments to find my staff. I picked it up and returned to the place where I had been sitting, caressing the wood gently.

"You know, I could have gotten that for you," Sam said. I heard a frown in his voice and I shrugged.

"I like doing it myself," I explained. He wouldn’t understand, I knew. I could practically hear his eyes rolling in his head. I dismissed it, letting my fingers play along the smooth wood of my staff. Heavy in my hands, solid and familiar. It felt good to have it next to me.

"You’re not going to need that."

"Better safe than sorry."

"Well, I’m going to go… uh… relieve myself. I’ll be right back. Don’t let any squirrels eat your face off while I’m gone."

"No problem," I smiled in his direction, then stuck my tongue out at him when he turned around and walked into the forest. Alone, the noises around me seemed to intensify. I forced myself to focus on the sounds of Sergeant. I ran my thumb over the single knot in my staff, feeling the softness of the wood. I would learn to like the forest, or at least to tolerate it without fear. I would.

Sam’s footsteps made me jump, but I composed myself before he entered the small clearing where we had set up camp. He went to the saddlebags and rummaged around loudly, then passed me a heavy blanket. I wrapped it around me, grateful for the extra warmth. I hadn’t realized how cold I was until then. I heard a match strike, then Sam blew it out. Finally, Sam arranged his bed, then settled down with a sigh.

"I’m going to sleep now."

"Okay."

"Don’t freak out."

"I’m not freaked out!"

"Oh, please. Good night." I heard him yawn and roll over. I chewed on my lip, listening to Sergeant and Sam’s breathing, deepening and slowing. Falling asleep. Leaving me alone…

A twig snapped and I nearly jumped out of my skin. "Sam!"

"Wha?"

"Are you awake?"

He rolled over with a groan. His tone was dripping with sarcasm, making me wince. "No, I’m just replying to you in my sleep. What do you want?"

"I think I heard something. It sounded like something moving around out there."

"Sena!" he growled. "We’re in a forest. There are tons of living things out there. Things that move. You’re going to have to get used to it."

"But… what if it’s a bear?"

"Sena!"

"Or a cougar?"

"Sena, I’m going to sleep now," he hissed. I bit my lip and pulled the blanket tighter around my shoulders. "If you wake me up again, you won’t have to worry about animals eating you."

"Sorry, Sam. G’night," I said softly, hunching my shoulders and tightening my grip on my staff. He rolled over and sighed. Soon, his breathing was growing sleepy again. I fought back a yawn. I hadn’t done that much today, but I was tired. Just as I was wondering if I shouldn’t take the second watch, I heard a shriek. I gasped and pressed a hand over my mouth.

"Just an owl, Sena, just an owl," I whispered into my palm, squeezing my eyes shut and pulling my staff close to my chest. "Nothing to worry about."

It was with this mantra that I passed the first half of the night, fighting back the urge to wake Sam, cry, or scream (or all three).

The night was a long one, and when I woke Sam for his watch, I was exhausted from anxiety. I slept fitfully, waking up several times, listening intently for something (though I wasn’t sure what that thing was).

The morning came all too soon, and Sam woke me up later than normal. Feeling grumpy, I complained.

"It’s too late now to practice. Why didn’t you wake me up earlier?" I asked huffily.

"I figured you could use the extra sleep. We’ll practice tomorrow. One day off in eight years isn’t going to kill you," he replied. His voice was low and hoarse, like he was annoyed at me just as much as I was annoyed at myself. He had already packed our things, all but what I had been sleeping on. I packed that myself, and he put it on Sergeant while I walked into the forest by myself to empty my bladder. I didn’t go too far – I was too nervous. I hurried as best as I could, and managed to find my way back to the camp without getting eaten. Sam lifted me onto Sergeant’s back and then climbed up in front of me. In silence, we began to ride again.

"Are we going to get more candles while we’re in a town?" I asked as we started out of the forest.

"Why? We have plenty."

"Not enough for a year’s trip. We could use more," I shrugged.

"Don’t worry about it. We’ll be fine," he said.

"But maybe we should get them while we have the money…"

"Sena! By the time we run out, we won’t need candles any more!" he snapped, shrugging my hand off of his shoulder. I could imagine that he was scowling, so I scowled, too. If I hadn’t been riding a horse, I would have leaned back and folded my arms, the perfect picture of a pouting child.

We used candles as timers. Because I couldn’t see to wake Sam when the moon was at a certain point in the sky, we bought three-hour candles and put pins in them. When the candle melted down past the pin, it would fall and clink against the little tin candleholder. I could hear the noise and know that it was time for Sam’s watch, or time to wake up for the day. We had about thirty three-hour candles. I couldn’t imagine that in a month I’d suddenly get a fantastic sense of time and be able to know exactly when three hours had gone past.

I could tell when we left the forest. The sounds gradually faded away and the sun was suddenly warm on my left side when we broke out of the trees. The sun was still low in the sky – barely dawn. But already it was shaping up to be a much warmer day than yesterday. I was surprised.

"Uh-oh," I said, forgetting my annoyance.

"What?"

"It’s going to rain."

"Why do you say that?"

"It’s too warm to snow, but the air feels like snow," I explained.

"How can you… never mind," Sam sighed and his heels tapped Sergeant’s sides. The old horse began to move a little faster. Good old Sam. Even when he was angry with me, he trusted me. I smiled and put my arms around his waist for a brief moment. I heard the sound of his lips parting as he grinned.

It began raining just before we got to Traveler’s Peace. Cold rain, the kind that can kill you when paired with a sharp wind and freezing temperatures at night (if you’re stupid or have no place to go). It was good to be in a town, even if Traveler’s Peace was quite small in comparison to King’s City. I shivered and pressed close to Sam as we rode through the city gates. The rain was sliding down my spine, having somehow gotten through my hair, my cloak, my tunic, and my shirt.

"Excuse me?" Sam asked someone, stopping Sergeant with a soft pull of the reigns. "I don’t suppose you know the way to Pippa Baylor’s stable?"

"That I do, that I do," the voice was male, and pleasantly warm despite the cold rain and wind. "I can lead you there, if you can spare a coin."

"Good," Sam nodded and dismounted. I shifted forward in the saddle. Sam led Sergeant through the city streets by his halter, clicking his tongue now and then. Sergeant needed hardly any encouragement. He was a good horse. The sound of his hooves on cobbled stone and then on a packed dirt road was comforting to me. The sound of human voices all around was even better.

"Where’re you two headed, if I may ask?" the man leading us said to Sam.

"Uh, don’t really know just yet. We’ll know soon enough, though, I guess," Sam replied uneasily. We had decided to reveal my role in the God Child’s life only when necessary, to keep from attracting unwanted attention. It was a good idea, I thought.

"Is she your sister?"

"No."

"Ah. Good of you, to marry a blind woman," the man said, his voice increasing in warmth. I laughed and felt my cheeks heat up a bit.

Sam’s voice was uncomfortable, his laugh forced. "Oh, ha-ha. No, we’re not married. Just… friends. I’m just making sure she gets to her destination safely."

"Ah!" the man laughed with us. "Excuse my mistake!"

"That’s all right," Sam said, but I could imagine that his expression was rather dark. The idea of marrying me? Gods forbid it! I bit my lip and shook the mean thoughts away. Sam was a friend and that was good enough for me.

"Well, here it is. I must warn you, Pippa won’t be happy to see you. She’s been rather busy these last few days," the man finally said. Sergeant stopped and I slid off of his back, taking my staff off of his saddle as soon as my feet touched the ground. It was getting muddy.

"Oh? Busy with what?"

"Not sure. Not really friends with Pippa. She’s a bit… odd," the man replied slowly. "I believe a trader from the North is making an unexpected trip down here to see her horses. Though, nothing’s unexpected with Pippa. Well, good day to you."

"Ah, wait! Here you are, my friend," Sam stopped the man. I heard coins clinking, and then the man chuckled.

"Thank you." He left, his shoes making a sucking noise in the increasing mud. Sam blew out a sigh.

"Why don’t you put on that necklace, Sena, so that Miss Baylor will recognize you as a friend of Pa’s?" he said.

"All right, but let’s get inside first," I said, shivering so hard my teeth clacked together. Sam rapped his knuckled on a wooden door. It sounded rather creaky, not a very warm place. But when Sam pushed the door open and led Sergeant inside, a rush of warmth ran out at me. I smiled and stepped quickly inside, pulling the large door shut behind me.

I turned to face the inside of the stable. The rain was loud on the roof, sounding like tiny fairy drums beating above us. I blew on my hands and slipped my fingers into my pouch to retrieve the magic necklace.

"Just a mo’," a voice called. I wasn’t sure at first whether it was a man’s voice or a woman’s, but I supposed it must be Pippa Baylor. I slipped the necklace over my head, wincing as the ley lines snapped into "sight." It still hurt a bit, although much less than before.

There was a creak and a sound I recognized as boots on a ladder. I turned my head slightly to the right and saw Pippa.

Or rather, saw the bundle of magic that was inside of her. I blinked in surprise and tilted my head to the side.

"You’re rather short, aren’t you?" I mused, without thinking. Sam sucked in a breath and pinched me. I winced. "Uh… sorry."

"Short?" Pippa said, walking up in front of us. She snorted and made a kind of choking noise that I realized was a strangled laugh. "Coming from a blind person, I won’t take that as a compliment or insult."

"Well, I can see you, sort of," I winced and bit my lip. This was not how I wanted to introduce myself to Pippa Baylor. "You see, a man I know gave me this necklace…"

"Let me see that," Pippa’s fingers were hot against my neck as she lifted the necklace off of my skin. The ley lines disappeared and I frowned. I could almost hear them snap into place when she set the necklace back against my skin. "Samja. So… you are Samjakiin?" She had turned her head slightly to talk to Sam.

"Yes."

"You do look like him, a bit. Although there is a lot of your mother in you. Your eyes are just like hers were. Beautiful," Pippa mused. "So this must be the Champion."

"How do you know?" I asked.

"I know many things. The birds speak to me," Pippa replied off-handedly. I heard a rustle of clothing – she had shrugged.

"Do you have room for Sergeant? He’s hungry and wet," Sam asked in a moment’s pause.

"Find an empty stall," Pippa said. Her hands touched me again, making me jump. I had not heard her move. She lifted my chin and looked at me thoroughly, turning my head and humming slightly under her breath.

"You are not what I expected. The God Child is blonde, fair. You are…"

"Dark haired and freckled?" I replied with a grin. "I hear that a lot. We are cousins, not sisters."

"Hm. Well, I always prefer a face that has seen the sun more often than it has seen its reflection," Pippa chuckled. "Of course, I suppose you’ve never seen your reflection." I laughed, surprised at her easy-going nature. I sometimes joked about my blindness, but most other people didn’t. They seemed almost scared to talk about it. But Pippa was quite different.

"Now, child. You need an animal. I cannot give you a horse," Pippa began when my laugh had died away.

"Why not!" I cried, surprised. "I can ride perfectly well! I can show you, I…"

Pippa interrupted me, "Hush, child. I don’t doubt you can ride. But horses… they are quite loyal creatures, and if you tell a horse to, say, walk off the side of a cliff… well, it will do so. They are not dumb, but they will follow you if you force them. I am thinking a mule or donkey is best for you. They will stop."

"Sam won’t let me ride off of a cliff…" I started to say, but she interrupted again.

"No, no. But perhaps there will be a time when Sam cannot be with you," she said. "It is a possibility. And, besides, a mule is more of a challenge for me. I like a challenge."

"What are you going to do to it?" I asked, resigning myself to a mule. So it wouldn’t look as noble… what did I care?

"Oh, simple stuff. I will convince it that you are its master, and not to argue with you too much. Simply make things a little easier for you. It will come when you call, obey spoken commands… nothing too complicated. I will explain to you more fully, when I am finished," Pippa said. I bit my lip and looked down at the tangle of magic that was her. The tangle only came up to about my diaphragm.

"What are you doing?"

"Looking at you. I’m sorry?"

Pippa laughed again. "Child, magic is not stored in one’s face."

"What?" I jerked my head up, frowning.

"Already you are trusting your sight instead of your ears. Always trust what is really there, not what is imagined. That necklace shows you something that is false. Oh, yes, ley lines are real, but they are invisible," Pippa paused and I could almost hear her considering. "Why do you two not spend the night here with me. Then I can explain more about magic to you, Champion."

"You should call me Sena. And… well, I’d like that very much, but you’ll have to ask Sam. He wants to make sure we have enough time…" I bit my lip, wondering if he were listening. I didn’t think so. "He’s a bit uptight about making it back in time."

"Things always work out when it comes to the God Child, my dear… Sena. The Gods ensure it," Pippa said. "You will stay the night. My home is warm, and I make good food. Your horse will get a good rest and I will be able to prepare your animal well."

"Thank you," I said.

"Ah, Sergeant tells me Sam is returning. Come and speak to us, Sam!" Pippa said suddenly. I blinked.

"Sergeant… spoke to you?" I asked, squinting one eye and hearing the doubt in my voice. She was a magician, certainly, but it seemed strange that animals spoke to her. Animals were not like humans – they were dumb, they had no sense of language…

"Yes, yes. Do not question magic, my dear. Magic is a strange thing, and can change one’s mind very quickly. The animals speak to me, and I listen, though it is not always with words. They tell me when people are coming to see me, among other things," Pippa said. Sam’s footsteps stopped as he reached us.

"What’re we talking about?"

"Magic."

"Eh," his voice was full of distaste. He was scared of magic, though he hated to admit it.

"Magic can be a beautiful thing, Samjakiin. Do not refuse it just because you do not understand," Pippa warned. "Now. You two will be spending the night here – don’t protest, boy, we’ve all ready decided. We can talk more about magic after we’ve had a good lunch."

Sam mumbled something under his breath, but Pippa had taken my arm and was already leading me away.

"Leave you weapon at my door, if you would, please, dear," she told me as she led me deeper into the stable. "They make me nervous."

"Yes’m," I replied, although I hated to leave the staff behind. Somehow, I couldn’t imagine Pippa letting anything bad happen to me. I liked her quite a lot.

And so, Pippa led us from the stable to her house, which was directly connected to it. She made us a warm meal and we ate with discussions of the mundane sort – family and the past. But then, it was time for magic.

"Tell me, Sena," Pippa leaned back in her chair, causing it to creak. "What do you know about magic?"

I thought for a moment. Sam had left us, saying that he wasn’t interested in magic. Pippa had allowed him to go into the stable to keep working on the everyday stable chores that she would be putting off to talk to me. She said that any son of Samja’s was allowed in her stables any day.

"Not a whole lot. I know that the Gods created us, and when they did they left bits of themselves in this world. Some people pick up these pieces when they are born, and these show through when they turn fourteen, or close to that age. I also know, now, that some of the magic is just floating around, in ley lines," I said. "I know that magic can do just about anything, but it takes a lot of work and the blessings of the Gods to use it very well."

"Hm… so you don’t know anything, do you?" Pippa said. I felt my mouth open in surprise and quickly shut it again with a soft snap. Didn’t know anything? I thought I knew more than most people!

"Don’t be insulted, Sena. You know as much as most people do. But they’re wrong," Pippa explained. "Magicians aren’t born with pieces of magic inside of them. Magicians are regular people who are more sensative to the ley lines, and can bend them to their own uses."

"But… why is there a tangle of magic in you, then? And in all magicians?" I asked.

"When a magician comes of age, they are something like a net. When they walk through ley lines, little bits of magic get stuck in their core. The stronger the magician, the more magic gets into them every time. Most everyone is a magician, Sena. It’s just that they are so insensitive that an insignificant amount of magic tangles inside of them," Pippa said. She had leaned forward and I imagined that she had her hand folded on the table.

"But… there are ley lines everywhere! You have to pass through, like, a million of them every day!" I gasped.

"Exactly. That’s a very insignificant amount of magic caught in the people we don’t consider magicians. But, you do pick up enough to produce dreams," Pippa said.

"Dreams are magic?"

"Yes. Dreams reveal things about you, and the places you are in. Sometimes they seem strange or random, but every dream has a meaning that can be important to your life. Some people make fortunes interpreting dreams," Pippa had a smile in her voice. "But very few people have dreams important enough to care that much about. The tiny little bits of magic we pick up every day wash out of our system and back into the ley lines as dreams."

"Why can’t I see the magic in Sam, then?"

"It’s an extremely tiny amount, remember. And you are not seeing the ley lines. You are feeling them with your own core, feeling the magic inside yourself respond to them. The tiny amounts respond so quietly that you don’t see them at all," Pippa said.

"So… magic collects in your core… does that mean that the tangles I see are in a person’s core? Where is that?"

Pippa chuckled to herself before speaking. "A person’s core is in about the same place as their navel. The center of your body, your core."

"Oh," I began to laugh. "So… you’re not short at all. You’re really tall!" I realized now that her belly button would be where my ribs ended. Tall indeed!

Pippa laughed, too. "Yes, I am. Taller than most people I meet, including men. You’re not too short, yourself, Sena."

I grinned. I was the same height as Sam. Seventeen hands tall. She was probably about eighteen hands, then.

"So, continuing then. Ley lines are magic left over from the creation of the word, not of us people. Creatures pick up magic as they live, which is why I can connect with them like I do. I touch the magic inside of them, and make a connection. Then we can communicate," Pippa said after we had laughed a bit more.

"That makes sense. But… I have a question," I bit my lip. Pippa made a soft noise of affirmation. "Why can I see the ley lines, with this necklace? I mean, you said I’m not really seeing but…"

Pippa sighed. "That’s a complicated question. I’m not completely sure of the answer, to be honest. But I will tell you what I think is happening.

"This necklace was created by a woman who could see. A nymph, actually. It was given to Samjakiin’s mother as a gift. Quite a long story, and I don’t know the details of it. But his mother was very talented in languages, and spoke often as a mediator between creatures such as nymphs and elves and fairies. The necklace allowed Samjakiin’s mother to see the ley lines. They trick the mind into thinking they can see them, as glowing lines of light overlaying the everyday images. In reality, the magic of the necklace calls to the magic in your core, which then calls to the magic in the ley lines. The necklace simply tricks you into thinking that what you feel inside your core is something you can see.

"Now, as to why you can suddenly see the lines… well, anything… I think it’s because magic object like that necklace can be very unyielding things. Once they learn one trick, they don’t want to learn another. I think that if a blind nymph had made the necklace, you would hear the song of the lines, not see them. But because a seeing person made the necklace and a seeing person wore the necklace, it’s forcing your mind to see for the first time.

"That may also be why you can’t see the tiny bits of magic we pick up every day. The necklace is working harder to make you do something you’ve never done before, so it works a little weaker than it would on Samjakiin or me. Does that make sense?"

I tilted my face up toward the ceiling and chewed my bottom lip, thinking over what she had said. It made sense, but I wasn’t sure if I had picked up on every detail of what she had said. "Well, I think that is good enough for me, honestly."

"Good. Now, let me think…" Pippa leaned back in her chair again, the seriousness leaving her rough voice. "I don’t think there’s anything else I need to tell you. You’re a bright kid, I think you’ve got it all."

"Thank you a ton, Pippa," I said, turning my face toward her (tilting it up, now that I knew where her head was, approximately) and smiling at her.

"Yeah, yeah. Nothin’ to it. Now, I’ve got to go prepare you a mule," she got up and left me alone in her kitchen. I basked in the warmth for a moment longer, listening to the rain on the roof carefully. It hadn’t let up any. I wondered if staying the night here hadn’t been a mistake. It might be too muddy to travel tomorrow morning.

"Chachtava, protector of travelers, please let the rain stop soon," I whispered. "And please let it be sunny tomorrow, so that the rain doesn’t freeze." I felt a tingling of doubt in my chest that praying would work, but hey, what harm could it do?

I got out of my chair and went back into the stable, picking up my staff as I did so. If I was going to spend the rest of the day there, I might as well practice in a corner until nighttime.

I found an empty corner in the stable (not an easy task) and stretched out my muscles before picking my staff up. It felt good to be moving, and the weight of the weapon in my hands was nice. The staff was nearly as tall as I was, about sixteen and a half hands. It was heavy for its size, too, because it held a secret inside.

I began using just the staff. I spun it, striking out and moving quickly, imagining a foe before me as I went through practiced steps. Strike up, slide left, lift the end, duck down, strike middle. A complicated, twisting dance that I knew by heart. Slowly, the speed of my movement picked up. Faster, faster, the staff spinning crazily in my hands, my feet were skipping lightly over the hard packed ground of the stable. I was starting to sweat, and starting to make little mistakes. But I didn’t stop and start over, like I should. I was too excited.

Finally it was time. With a twist of my wrist, I pressed down on the single knot on the entire staff, pushing hard with my palm. I heard a snap and knew that a blade, razor sharp and deadly, had popped out of the end of the staff. No longer a staff, though. A glaive.

A specially made weapon, just for me, by a man named Steel Blade (a silly name, I had to admit, but a wonderful man). He had attached a slim knife-like bill to the end of my staff and had somehow built it to slide in and out with the press of a knob. I loved it with my entire heart. It was not the most impressive of glaives, I knew, but it was very nice.

The dancing slowed here for a moment, but only briefly, and I had to adjust my hold for the extra hand-length of steel. Now there was less spinning, less rolling and striking. There was more piercing, and a few slashing movements.

Just as I was reaching the climax of the dance, I spun my staff out too far and it struck a wall. I stumbled and almost fell, but managed to catch myself. Breathing heavily, I snapped the blade back into my staff. I ran my hand over my forehead – the sweat was making my eyes burn. I panted there, leaning on my staff. It was not good to stop so quickly, I knew, but I needed just a moment to rest. I didn’t expect any fight I was going to be involved in to last so long, anyway.

I finished my practice with slower staff-only movements, then a few hand-to-hand movements before stretching out again. That was enough for one day. I was stiff from riding and from sleeping on the ground, and besides, I could feel Pippa or Sam watching me, and that made me uncomfortable. Probably Pippa.

I found my way back to Pippa’s home, leaving my staff outside the door. She had shown me a short ladder that led to her upper floor, where her bedrooms were. I stifled a yawn and climbed slowly up the ladder. I found my way to a mattress and collapsed.

Before I knew it, I was asleep, without supper.