"Errold's Journey" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lackey Mercedes)ERROLD'S
JOURNEY by
Catherine S. McMullen
Catherine S. McMullen was just twelve years old at the
time of the writing of this story. She wrote her first story when she
was seven, but that one is still buried in a drawer somewhere. She
has had six stories published professionally or sold, starting with
"Teddy Cat" in the August 1999 Interzone. She has been
involved in the writing community since she was two, and is
constantly reminded that many people used to know her when she was
"just a kid." She loves to write, and is fascinated by the
peculiarities of the English language. She is also an avid reader and
has read as many as one thousand books in one year. Her work has
appeared in such venues as Interzone, A Drop of Imagination,
Spinouts, and Thrillogies. Ma'ar was closing
in, and while everyone was to be evacuated from the Tower area
eventually, the non-combatants were leaving first. Urthro didn't want
anyone nearby who would panic and cause disruption. Some large groups
had already been sent to places far enough away to be safe from
Ma'ar. Everyone was being spread out so thinly that Ma'ar would never
have a large group close to him. It was true that the precautions
might not be necessary. Ma'ar might eventually be defeated, but
unfortunately it was unlikely to happen now, if ever. I looked at the
organized chaos and turned to Master Thomas. I had not counted on
being part of the evacuation. I was apprenticed to a great war mage!
Surely we would be needed? "If we're
packing our tent, we are going to be evacuated, Master Thomas. I am
right in assuming this?" "You are
correct, Errold. You and I are going to go with a large group, about
three hundred people, who are to be Gated to safety. The requirements
of precisely where are not very rigid, the place just has to be
fairly safe: that is, not a swamp or a lava pit, and very, very far
away. It will be a one-way Gate; once we are gone, we will be cut off
from Urtho's camp permanently. Ahhh, and I can see another question
in your eyes. Why are we going with this particular group? They need
us as mages: to heal, to defend, and to lead. The group was most
reassured when they were told that we were to come with them. They
asked for a mage because where they are to be Gated is the farthest
away of all. We don't even know what animals live there, what the
land is like, or even if there are any other humans there. This group
is a special case, and you and I fit the requirements. More people
have been watching your development as a healer than you realize. My
leadership experience, and probably my reputation, help keep the
group together." "But what
about the war here? Don't they need you to help defeat Ma'ar?" "I am known
as a very powerful war mage, I'll grant you that. But what about the
people who are being scattered? Who will teach them our skills?
Besides, I want to have a place to settle down, where I can
live...with challenges to cope with, but none of them named Ma'ar. I
am heartily sick of that name, and all the troubles that go with it." "Well...I can
understand why the group would need a leader, but why not have a
professional healer with the group? I mean, I am not really qualified
as a mage or even a herbalist, let alone a healer yet. And a group of
this size will need a proper healer, won't they?" "Have you
listened to anything I've been saying? You are known to be a
dedicated student, and are well versed in herbal techniques. You
would be able to cope with any injuries that occur on the journey,
without a doubt. It would be perfect for both of us to go with them.
Are you prepared to go? You do have a choice, you know. If you don't
want to go, you don't have to. I would understand." "When are we
leaving, Master Thomas?" Master Thomas
smiled. "That's the
spirit. We are leaving soon. Very soon. Our group is ready, and we
are only waiting until our Gate gets set up." "About how
long will that be? I haven't finished packing." "About a half
a day, but you'd better hurry. I've already almost finished getting
my own things together." "You just
wanted to get a head start on me so the master wouldn't be shamed by
his student's fast progress. Hah! I'll show you." And with Master
Thomas' laughter ringing in my ears, I left to pack for the journey
of my life. * * * I had a list of
what I needed to pack and how I needed to pack it. I had decided,
after many shorter trips where I had been badly equipped, that I
would not make a single mistake. It would be faster to pack
everything slowly but correctly the first time, instead of throwing
everything together and having to repack a hundred times. First in
were some of my softer clothes, with no metal buckles or straps in
them, placed against the back of the pack so that I had padding
against my skin. I had made the mistake of putting a belt buckle at
my back once before, on one of my short journeys into the forest.
Needless to say, after a day of it rubbing against me, that was a
mistake I intended never to repeat. Next the seeds
went in, a vital component of my supplies. When we reached a place
where we could settle down, the seeds would be needed to grow crops,
and for my herbs. I placed the seeds in specially prepared bags that
were proof against water and fire, and woven through with protective
spells. The spells had been done by me, not Master Thomas. Master
Thomas was an expert on war magics, but he recognized that I knew
more about the smaller, more useful spells for daily chores. It
wasn't something that was likely to get me recognition as a great
mage, but I had a knack for it. After I had learned all the simple
spells that Master Thomas could teach me, and after that had become
apparent that I would never master the really powerful ones, I
started turning to books. I had had to learn
most of what I knew by myself, deciphering the spells alone. I still
hadn't learned even half of what I wanted to know, so I was taking
some books with me. It had been hard to decide what books to take and
which ones to give away, but it came down to what I would really need
and, eventually, what a village would need. I carefully packed five
spell books into my pack, wrapping them in more clothes. I had also
prepared a whole range of herbal remedies, but only a little of each.
Someone in the group was sure to need them as we traveled, and I
didn't want to be caught unprepared. Lastly, I packed
the food, water, and metal tools that Master Thomas had given me to
carry for the group. These all went at the top because they would be
needed most often. I did one last check of the list, making sure I
hadn't left anything out, then I struggled into the straps and heaved
the pack onto my shoulders. I had been confident that I could cope
with the weight, or that I would get used to it in time, but it
turned out that I had a previously undiscovered ability to
underestimate weight. Well, I would have to adapt or die...guess
which one I thought was more likely at that stage! I took a last look
at my bare tent. It was a sobering sight, seeing the emptiness of it,
when only a couple of days ago it had been full of furniture, books,
clothes, and other paraphernalia. Everything had either been packed
to be taken with us, or given away. There was no point asking people
to save things for us, as we would never be coming back. There were
some very happy mages as a result of the grand book handout that
Master Thomas and I conducted. So many loved, well-used books, now in
so many different hands. Oh well, at least they would be appreciated.
I sighed and staggered off to find Master Thomas. I hoped that he
wasn't moving around, as I didn't want the camp's last memory of me
being me hyperventilating as the pack became too much. Probably a
forlorn hope, unfortunately. * * * Our Gate was
finally ready. A place sufficiently far away had been found: a
forest, with really huge trees. It was so remote that nobody even
recognized the types of trees. We all lined up, all loaded down with
our carefully prepared and very heavy packs. Have I already mentioned
heavy? Anything that couldn't be carried just wasn't taken. When
people complained about their packs being too heavy, Master Thomas
just took out the really useless things—like jewelry, coins,
and so on—and showed them the differences in weight. It worked
every time. As soon as everyone was ready, the Gate was activated,
showing the forest on the other side. When the last person was
through the Gate, it closed. The light from the camp on the other
side disappeared, and we were left in the half-light under towering
tree giants. We were a long way away from home, with no chance of
ever returning. Master Thomas
clapped his hands for everyone's attention. "We have one
long-term problem and a lot of short-term problems," he began.
"The long-term problem is finding a place with suitable
resources to settle down and build a village. The short-term problems
are who will cook, who will hunt, who shares tents with whom, what
the rotations of lookouts are to be—in other words our
organization for traveling and getting along together. Before we
start moving, we must have a meeting to sort everything out. Anyone
who has anything to contribute, or who thinks they can do something
particularly well, should speak up. This meeting is essential to the
group's well-being, so everyone must come along." The meeting had a
really long agenda, and it lasted until after dark. Master Thomas was
quickly confirmed as the leader of our group, because he was already
experienced with organizing large numbers of people. After that was
established he ran everything efficiently, but it still took a long
time and a lot of talking. Everyone had to do something, but he
arranged duties so that people did what they were good at or enjoyed.
The only people who did not have mundane tasks assigned to them were
Master Thomas and myself. Master Thomas actually had the hardest task
of all: running things, making decisions, sorting out disputes, and
shouldering the heavy burden of responsibility. My trouble was that
quite a few people didn't realize that I was his student. After a few
complaints along the lines of "What about 'im, he don't have to
do no dishwashing!" everyone was treated to a lecture from
Master Thomas, about who had heated the water, driven the insects
away, made the tents waterproof, and many other things. It then
became established that for the little spells, you came to me, not
him. After that, I not only didn't have to do chores, but I was
called on to do a lot of spells that I had never tried before. I knew
I would have to study my books a lot more, and find new possibilities
in some previously useless spells. I did some reading
by the campfire's light, then returned to the tent that Master Thomas
and I shared. He was outside, staring up at the sky through a break
in the trees' canopy. He stood up and asked me to walk with him. We
had only gone a short distance when there was a flash of light in the
east, but it was the sort of flash that blazed out but just kept
getting stronger and stronger for a few seconds. Slowly it began to
fade. Everyone had stopped talking by then, and they were all looking
across at us. I had to turn away, so that I did not show the worry
that I was feeling for the people nearer to the blast. Many of my
friends had been very much closer. "That must
have been the magical weapon of Urtho's combined with the Tower being
annihilated," said Master Thomas. "Hurry, we don't have
much time." I had to start to run to keep up with him. "Why are you
running? What's the threat to us?" "Think. We
are at least an ocean away from all that magic, yet we still saw the
flash! We must shield the campsite from the magical blast which will
follow. If we shield the group, the effects on us might not be too
bad. We can only hope." We gathered
everyone together and began putting up the shields. A lot of people
were scared, but Master Thomas reassured them by explaining what the
flash of light had meant, just as he had explained it to me. Once the
shields were up, we just settled down to wait. People began to relax
and make themselves comfortable. It had been lucky that nobody had
put up their tents too far away from anyone else. A smaller area
meant a tougher shield. Master Thomas and I walked back the short
distance to our tent and went inside. I was worried, but I hadn't
wanted to ask any questions in front of the rest of the group. It
would only have scared them. "Master
Thomas, if you think the magic will be dangerous for us, all the way
over here, what would it be like over there?" I asked. "Will
anyone have survived?" "I think
Urtho's remaining people will have survived. They have experienced
mages who are experts at coping with the unexpected. But I don't
think the land or the animals on it will ever be the same again."
He looked into the distance and seemed thoughtful. "This means
the changing of magic as we know it forever. The people like you, who
can ration their magic, will be the ones who prosper and survive. It
is highly likely that I will never be able to perform really powerful
spells ever again. We have never seen anything like this before, this
kind of magical situation. You have just become part of an event that
will be remembered forever as the day magic changed." * * * Half an hour later
the mage storm hit the shields with deadly force. I soon began to
worry more about us than the people closer to the blast. Master
Thomas and I were the only mages here, whereas they had many skilled
mages to put up shields and protective spells. We really had our
hands full, considering what lay outside of our shields. Out there,
the forest seemed to be in chaos. Magic was swirling everywhere, and
when I looked outside of the shields for too long, my eyes hurt. Just
as I thought we could hold the storm back up for no longer, it
abated. The assault had only lasted for a day, but to me it seemed
like it had lasted for weeks. When we lowered the shields, the forest
around us seemed fairly normal. But then, when night would normally
have fallen, there was only an eerie half-light. There were places
where piles of ash and soot were all that was left of great tree
giants. Flickering lights in the trees had everyone scared, and the
few children in our group had to stay with their parents all the
time. I made an observation to Master Thomas about something that
worried me a lot. "Master
Thomas, I have noticed something and I want to know whether it is
just me. Weren't the leaves green and healthy before the mage storm
hit, and not brown and falling from the trees?" "I think
you're right about that, Errold. But what is your point? There have
been much worse things done by the mage storm than simply changing
the state of the leaves." "That's just
it! All the other effects of the mage storm have been obvious. But
what if there are effects that are even more subtle? If the state of
the leaves could be changed, couldn't berries we know are safe to eat
have become poisonous?" "That is a
very intelligent observation to make, Errold. I will alert the rest
of the group to this new danger. They might not react very well, but
I think it is necessary. Thank you. I wouldn't want to lose anyone
from the group, and your observation may have stopped that from
happening because of foolish mistakes." As I sat in our
tent, I continued to worry, and turned similar thoughts over in my
head. This forest had been changed dramatically by what Master Thomas
now called the "mage storm." But could we survive in it? Or
was even the water no longer safe to drink? And what about the
animals that hadn't been within our shields? What about them? * * * We began traveling
again the second morning after the storm. All seemed well until one
of the scouts saw huge animal footprints. We reported back to Master
Thomas, as he didn't recognize what he had seen. Everyone was told to
be especially careful until we learned what the animal ate, and more
importantly, whether its diet might include us! The next day,
while the group was resting and eating, I wandered off in search of
any recognizable wild herbs. I had no luck in finding any, and
decided that when we settled down I would experiment to see what
those that were new to me were useful for. I was walking back to
where the group was resting when I came upon the type of animal that
must have made the footprints. It was large and woolly, but seemed to
be fairly harmless. I had never seen anything like it in the forests
I had traveled before. I herded it back to the group, and Master
Thomas proposed that it be taken with us. We had no other livestock
for when we founded the village, and besides, it could carry packs. I thought that the
thing probably wasn't safe to eat, because of the magic that had
obviously affected it. Master Thomas called a meeting to discuss
possible problems from changed animals. "As we all
know, the mage storm has obviously affected the land, and the plants
and animals on it. We have one of the results of the storm in our
camp now, the animal we have named Carpet. Carpet will be very
helpful to us when we settle down, but although she is apparently
safe, we do have to look at the wider range of our worries. I
personally have noticed that Carpet is unusually intelligent, and
other people have also commented on this. Forest animals are often
cunning, but never intelligent. We will have to be exceptionably
wary, and closely observe all animals that we encounter. From now on
our scouts will be carrying magical sensors that Errold will make.
These will detect any large animals nearby, and by night I will erect
shields around the camp to protect us when we are sleeping. Does
anyone have anything else to suggest, or does anyone disagree with
our plan?" Now that people
knew the facts, the meeting went well. People who wanted to be taken
off scout duty were reassigned, but generally everybody was fairly
happy with what our leader had proposed. After everyone had
dispersed, I went over to Master Thomas. "Master
Thomas? I have an idea." I said. "What is it?" "Master,
consider the level of intelligence in our friend Carpet. Herbivores
are usually a bit dim, they don't seem to need that much
intelligence, but Carpet is as bright as a dog. If a herbivore is now
that smart, what will the carnivores be like? They may be extremely
intelligent now, possibly even sentient—and all that being
sentient implies." "This is
true, Errold. What are you proposing?"
"Making the
sensors for the scouts won't be hard. At most, it will take a couple
of hours. I must do some scouting myself, though. While you are
shielding the camp, I will set up scanning spells to sweep the forest
for a hundred yards all around. If some of predators in this forest
are as intelligent as we think, they will come at night to observe
us. If I detect something, I will go out and make sure it is harmless
or try to disable it." "That's very
good proposition, Errold. But I don't want you outside of my
protection like that. I am tempted to go instead of you, but I am
used to working with huge amounts of magic and I would not be as good
as you would be against a single animal. You use the smallest spells
to the best advantage. I give you permission for this plan. Do you
really think that the predators will be so intelligent?" "Yes, I do.
Even before the storm, it was thought that some predators in the
known world were remarkably cunning, if only in pursuit of their
prey. I think that any new `smart' predators will be a real threat to
us, if not now, then when we settle down. It is vital for us to
establish that we are not prey and should be avoided." Master Thomas
nodded his head but still looked doubtful. "Better
figure out how you are to disable predators, though. They will be
fast, deadly, and intelligent, while you are just intelligent. You
need a spell that can tell if something really is intelligent." In all my studies,
I had not come across anything like that. "It'll be
tricky, but I'm sure I'll think of something, Master Thomas," I
said, not at all sure if I could actually do it. I lay in my tent
that night, furiously studying the spell books I had brought. I had
an idea that would use a really simple spell. Predators are curious,
and did a lot of patient stalking. Thus, my trap worked on curiosity
and would certainly disable anything watching me. It was the sensing
of large animals that I needed to work on. I stayed up most of the
night, figuring out how to combine shields together, how to get the
right range, and the search requirements. I got it together
eventually, then crawled gratefully to my bed roll. I needed all the
sleep I could get, because I knew that some night soon we would have
company. * * * The following day
everything seemed to go fairly normally. We noticed no large shapes
in the distance, and saw no unusual tracks. I still felt as if we
were being watched, though. Any truly smart animal would stay on
rocky ground or the trunks of fallen trees. It was nightfall that I
was waiting for. That was when we were not moving and the shields
would be up. It would be then that I would be prowling just like a
predator. After we had found
a suitable spot to camp, I immediately cast my sensing spell, but it
wasn't till halfway though the night that it alerted me. I sneaked
out of camp, using a simple camouflage enchantment on my clothes and
carrying a rope. The magical sensor that I carried told me when I was
fairly close to the animal, and it "felt" only one animal
in a hundred-yard radius. This made everything a lot easier for me. I
sat down a few yards from the bushes where my sensor amulet had shown
the animal was. Now I prepared the spell that I had thought of using
the night before. I took my time. Anything nearby that was curious
would be watching intently as I waved my hands and conjured energies.
Then closed my eyes and set it off. Even with my eyes
shut, the blinding flash of light still hurt. Judging from the
thrashing noises and growls from the bushes, whatever had been
lurking there had been staring at what I had been doing with intense
interest. I conjured a globe of light and set it hanging in midair.
It showed a huge cat with a high forehead. Its fur was a very deep
shade of green. Using my rope, I
ensnared the thrashing limbs and tied up the cat before it could see
again. Then I sat down in front of it, weaving a rather delicate and
tricky translation spell. Soon I could hear that the animal's noises
were not really just yowling, but some very nasty swear words. After it had
blinked a few times, and seemed to be able to see a bit, it focused
its gaze on me. "Speak, I can
understand," I told it. For a moment it
just stared in surprise. "Well? Why
haven't you killed me?" it asked. "I could ask
why you have not attacked our other scouts," I replied. "But
I already know why. You are intelligent, and you were being sensible
and cautious. Because of that, I caught you with a spell that would
have worked with any truly intelligent species. A more stupid
predator would have just attacked me because I am smaller and look
defenseless." "I do not
care to risk injury by attacking dangerous prey. If I am not fast,
fit, and strong, I will starve." "To answer
your first question, I haven't killed you, because we, too, are an
intelligent species." "That is
obvious. I was sent to watch your camp for three nights, then report
to the rest of the pack. You puzzled us: you do not hunt, yet you do
not graze either. You are soft and defenseless, like grazers, yet
bright and cunning..." "Like
hunters." "Yes. We
would have attacked your camp already, otherwise." "That would
have been very, very silly. Our weapons are not claws and teeth, but
they are still deadly." "Now I know
that your species is truly sentient, not like the mrran." "Mrran? What
is that?" I asked "A mrran is
the animal that you have adopted into your herd—or should I say
pack? It puzzled me greatly when you did not kill and eat the mrran.
The others could hardly believe me when I told them." "We have
other uses for the mrran. It provides wool to cover us. Unlike you,
we have little fur of our own. Do you understand that?" "Yes. In a
way I pity you for not having a naturally warm, glossy, thick coat."
At this it preened a bit. "What are the other reasons?" "Do you
remember what happened a couple of days ago?" "Vaguely.
There was a storm...and before the storm I was something else. As
smart as the mrran, perhaps. Maybe even less smart. During the storm,
I changed. All those of my pack changed." "In a way,
the storm created us as well," I explained. "We make our
own food, we are neither hunters nor hunted. But we are very, very
dangerous. Spread the message to your pack: leave us alone. Soon we
shall stop and make a thing called a village. Stay away from it. You
are most dangerous when you pounce, but we are even more deadly when
we stop moving." "I have seen
that." I slipped the
knots on its bonds and it shook itself free in a moment. It stood and
looked at me. After a moment it spoke. "Something in
me says I shouldn't respect anything without fur. But I respect your
kind if they are all as smart as you. Is this the right thing to
feel, I wonder?" "I respect
your kind." I replied. "But I do not fear them." "Then we are
equal. And because we are equal, I don't think that our peoples
should be enemies."
"Spoken like
a true and intelligent predator. If my villagers and your pack can
stay friendly, then when one of you is sick or injured and needs
care, I can help." "Help the
injured? Why?" "Because it
benefits everyone. Are you intelligent enough to see that?" If cats could
frown, it did. "Fighting
would bring the pack no benefit," it said eventually. "I
assume that you need clear land and nearby water for your village?" "Yes, we do.
That is why we have not settled down yet. There are too many trees." "If you
continue on for about a day, and then turn east, you will come to the
edge of the forest, where the grasslands begin. There is a stream
running close by. We don't like water or open land. You are welcome
to it." "Thank you, I
think we shall like it a lot." I picked up my
pack, but it did not move. "Just one
last question before I go to my pack. Do you know what we were before
the storm?" "You were
cats," I guessed. "All that has been changed is your
coloring, your intelligence, and your size. You weren't dark green
before the storm, and you didn't have language and reasoning. You
certainly weren't four yards long." I hoped that I had
guessed correctly, but soon it nodded its head and padded for the
trees. Then it stopped and looked back. "Perhaps,
sometime, we should talk again," it suggested. "It could
prevent misunderstandings in the future. If you need to speak to me,
just ask one of my people for me. My name is Proouw." "A good
suggestion, Proouw. My name is Errold." I said. Proouw turned and
glided away into the shadows of the forest without another word. After I had had
the meeting with Proouw, I went back to the camp and called a
meeting. I explained what had happened, what he had told us, and what
I had arranged. Everyone was very happy that we would not be hunted
by anything so big and intelligent, and that there was a site nearby
to build the village on. It was felt that looking after Proouw and
his pack medically was a fair exchange. After the meeting was over, I
just sat and thought. I wondered whether the shields hadn't somehow
leaked during the storm, and changed me like it had changed the cats.
The old Errold would have never even thought of that plan, let alone
have insisted that he be the one to carry it out! And the old Errold
wouldn't have negotiated like that with Proouw. But I eventually
decided that it was just me doing what everyone did, adapting as new
things happened to me. After a day of
traveling, and after we turned east, we found the spot Proouw had
mentioned. It was perfect for our needs, and everyone immediately
started talking about what we would do, and how the village would be
organized and laid out. There was also discussion about what the
village would be called. They eventually decided on a name...Errolds
Grove! It was a big
surprise to me, but as they explained, I had done the most in regard
to founding it. The stream was named Master Thomas' stream, which was
just as important, as without water there could be no village. I was
happy, and the arrangement with the cats worked out well, with Proouw
and I meeting like ambassadors, and the pack chasing mrran in our
direction to keep in our flock. I had a feeling that the village
would last for a long time, two thousand years...or maybe more.
ERROLD'S
JOURNEY by
Catherine S. McMullen
Catherine S. McMullen was just twelve years old at the
time of the writing of this story. She wrote her first story when she
was seven, but that one is still buried in a drawer somewhere. She
has had six stories published professionally or sold, starting with
"Teddy Cat" in the August 1999 Interzone. She has been
involved in the writing community since she was two, and is
constantly reminded that many people used to know her when she was
"just a kid." She loves to write, and is fascinated by the
peculiarities of the English language. She is also an avid reader and
has read as many as one thousand books in one year. Her work has
appeared in such venues as Interzone, A Drop of Imagination,
Spinouts, and Thrillogies. Ma'ar was closing
in, and while everyone was to be evacuated from the Tower area
eventually, the non-combatants were leaving first. Urthro didn't want
anyone nearby who would panic and cause disruption. Some large groups
had already been sent to places far enough away to be safe from
Ma'ar. Everyone was being spread out so thinly that Ma'ar would never
have a large group close to him. It was true that the precautions
might not be necessary. Ma'ar might eventually be defeated, but
unfortunately it was unlikely to happen now, if ever. I looked at the
organized chaos and turned to Master Thomas. I had not counted on
being part of the evacuation. I was apprenticed to a great war mage!
Surely we would be needed? "If we're
packing our tent, we are going to be evacuated, Master Thomas. I am
right in assuming this?" "You are
correct, Errold. You and I are going to go with a large group, about
three hundred people, who are to be Gated to safety. The requirements
of precisely where are not very rigid, the place just has to be
fairly safe: that is, not a swamp or a lava pit, and very, very far
away. It will be a one-way Gate; once we are gone, we will be cut off
from Urtho's camp permanently. Ahhh, and I can see another question
in your eyes. Why are we going with this particular group? They need
us as mages: to heal, to defend, and to lead. The group was most
reassured when they were told that we were to come with them. They
asked for a mage because where they are to be Gated is the farthest
away of all. We don't even know what animals live there, what the
land is like, or even if there are any other humans there. This group
is a special case, and you and I fit the requirements. More people
have been watching your development as a healer than you realize. My
leadership experience, and probably my reputation, help keep the
group together." "But what
about the war here? Don't they need you to help defeat Ma'ar?" "I am known
as a very powerful war mage, I'll grant you that. But what about the
people who are being scattered? Who will teach them our skills?
Besides, I want to have a place to settle down, where I can
live...with challenges to cope with, but none of them named Ma'ar. I
am heartily sick of that name, and all the troubles that go with it." "Well...I can
understand why the group would need a leader, but why not have a
professional healer with the group? I mean, I am not really qualified
as a mage or even a herbalist, let alone a healer yet. And a group of
this size will need a proper healer, won't they?" "Have you
listened to anything I've been saying? You are known to be a
dedicated student, and are well versed in herbal techniques. You
would be able to cope with any injuries that occur on the journey,
without a doubt. It would be perfect for both of us to go with them.
Are you prepared to go? You do have a choice, you know. If you don't
want to go, you don't have to. I would understand." "When are we
leaving, Master Thomas?" Master Thomas
smiled. "That's the
spirit. We are leaving soon. Very soon. Our group is ready, and we
are only waiting until our Gate gets set up." "About how
long will that be? I haven't finished packing." "About a half
a day, but you'd better hurry. I've already almost finished getting
my own things together." "You just
wanted to get a head start on me so the master wouldn't be shamed by
his student's fast progress. Hah! I'll show you." And with Master
Thomas' laughter ringing in my ears, I left to pack for the journey
of my life. * * * I had a list of
what I needed to pack and how I needed to pack it. I had decided,
after many shorter trips where I had been badly equipped, that I
would not make a single mistake. It would be faster to pack
everything slowly but correctly the first time, instead of throwing
everything together and having to repack a hundred times. First in
were some of my softer clothes, with no metal buckles or straps in
them, placed against the back of the pack so that I had padding
against my skin. I had made the mistake of putting a belt buckle at
my back once before, on one of my short journeys into the forest.
Needless to say, after a day of it rubbing against me, that was a
mistake I intended never to repeat. Next the seeds
went in, a vital component of my supplies. When we reached a place
where we could settle down, the seeds would be needed to grow crops,
and for my herbs. I placed the seeds in specially prepared bags that
were proof against water and fire, and woven through with protective
spells. The spells had been done by me, not Master Thomas. Master
Thomas was an expert on war magics, but he recognized that I knew
more about the smaller, more useful spells for daily chores. It
wasn't something that was likely to get me recognition as a great
mage, but I had a knack for it. After I had learned all the simple
spells that Master Thomas could teach me, and after that had become
apparent that I would never master the really powerful ones, I
started turning to books. I had had to learn
most of what I knew by myself, deciphering the spells alone. I still
hadn't learned even half of what I wanted to know, so I was taking
some books with me. It had been hard to decide what books to take and
which ones to give away, but it came down to what I would really need
and, eventually, what a village would need. I carefully packed five
spell books into my pack, wrapping them in more clothes. I had also
prepared a whole range of herbal remedies, but only a little of each.
Someone in the group was sure to need them as we traveled, and I
didn't want to be caught unprepared. Lastly, I packed
the food, water, and metal tools that Master Thomas had given me to
carry for the group. These all went at the top because they would be
needed most often. I did one last check of the list, making sure I
hadn't left anything out, then I struggled into the straps and heaved
the pack onto my shoulders. I had been confident that I could cope
with the weight, or that I would get used to it in time, but it
turned out that I had a previously undiscovered ability to
underestimate weight. Well, I would have to adapt or die...guess
which one I thought was more likely at that stage! I took a last look
at my bare tent. It was a sobering sight, seeing the emptiness of it,
when only a couple of days ago it had been full of furniture, books,
clothes, and other paraphernalia. Everything had either been packed
to be taken with us, or given away. There was no point asking people
to save things for us, as we would never be coming back. There were
some very happy mages as a result of the grand book handout that
Master Thomas and I conducted. So many loved, well-used books, now in
so many different hands. Oh well, at least they would be appreciated.
I sighed and staggered off to find Master Thomas. I hoped that he
wasn't moving around, as I didn't want the camp's last memory of me
being me hyperventilating as the pack became too much. Probably a
forlorn hope, unfortunately. * * * Our Gate was
finally ready. A place sufficiently far away had been found: a
forest, with really huge trees. It was so remote that nobody even
recognized the types of trees. We all lined up, all loaded down with
our carefully prepared and very heavy packs. Have I already mentioned
heavy? Anything that couldn't be carried just wasn't taken. When
people complained about their packs being too heavy, Master Thomas
just took out the really useless things—like jewelry, coins,
and so on—and showed them the differences in weight. It worked
every time. As soon as everyone was ready, the Gate was activated,
showing the forest on the other side. When the last person was
through the Gate, it closed. The light from the camp on the other
side disappeared, and we were left in the half-light under towering
tree giants. We were a long way away from home, with no chance of
ever returning. Master Thomas
clapped his hands for everyone's attention. "We have one
long-term problem and a lot of short-term problems," he began.
"The long-term problem is finding a place with suitable
resources to settle down and build a village. The short-term problems
are who will cook, who will hunt, who shares tents with whom, what
the rotations of lookouts are to be—in other words our
organization for traveling and getting along together. Before we
start moving, we must have a meeting to sort everything out. Anyone
who has anything to contribute, or who thinks they can do something
particularly well, should speak up. This meeting is essential to the
group's well-being, so everyone must come along." The meeting had a
really long agenda, and it lasted until after dark. Master Thomas was
quickly confirmed as the leader of our group, because he was already
experienced with organizing large numbers of people. After that was
established he ran everything efficiently, but it still took a long
time and a lot of talking. Everyone had to do something, but he
arranged duties so that people did what they were good at or enjoyed.
The only people who did not have mundane tasks assigned to them were
Master Thomas and myself. Master Thomas actually had the hardest task
of all: running things, making decisions, sorting out disputes, and
shouldering the heavy burden of responsibility. My trouble was that
quite a few people didn't realize that I was his student. After a few
complaints along the lines of "What about 'im, he don't have to
do no dishwashing!" everyone was treated to a lecture from
Master Thomas, about who had heated the water, driven the insects
away, made the tents waterproof, and many other things. It then
became established that for the little spells, you came to me, not
him. After that, I not only didn't have to do chores, but I was
called on to do a lot of spells that I had never tried before. I knew
I would have to study my books a lot more, and find new possibilities
in some previously useless spells. I did some reading
by the campfire's light, then returned to the tent that Master Thomas
and I shared. He was outside, staring up at the sky through a break
in the trees' canopy. He stood up and asked me to walk with him. We
had only gone a short distance when there was a flash of light in the
east, but it was the sort of flash that blazed out but just kept
getting stronger and stronger for a few seconds. Slowly it began to
fade. Everyone had stopped talking by then, and they were all looking
across at us. I had to turn away, so that I did not show the worry
that I was feeling for the people nearer to the blast. Many of my
friends had been very much closer. "That must
have been the magical weapon of Urtho's combined with the Tower being
annihilated," said Master Thomas. "Hurry, we don't have
much time." I had to start to run to keep up with him. "Why are you
running? What's the threat to us?" "Think. We
are at least an ocean away from all that magic, yet we still saw the
flash! We must shield the campsite from the magical blast which will
follow. If we shield the group, the effects on us might not be too
bad. We can only hope." We gathered
everyone together and began putting up the shields. A lot of people
were scared, but Master Thomas reassured them by explaining what the
flash of light had meant, just as he had explained it to me. Once the
shields were up, we just settled down to wait. People began to relax
and make themselves comfortable. It had been lucky that nobody had
put up their tents too far away from anyone else. A smaller area
meant a tougher shield. Master Thomas and I walked back the short
distance to our tent and went inside. I was worried, but I hadn't
wanted to ask any questions in front of the rest of the group. It
would only have scared them. "Master
Thomas, if you think the magic will be dangerous for us, all the way
over here, what would it be like over there?" I asked. "Will
anyone have survived?" "I think
Urtho's remaining people will have survived. They have experienced
mages who are experts at coping with the unexpected. But I don't
think the land or the animals on it will ever be the same again."
He looked into the distance and seemed thoughtful. "This means
the changing of magic as we know it forever. The people like you, who
can ration their magic, will be the ones who prosper and survive. It
is highly likely that I will never be able to perform really powerful
spells ever again. We have never seen anything like this before, this
kind of magical situation. You have just become part of an event that
will be remembered forever as the day magic changed." * * * Half an hour later
the mage storm hit the shields with deadly force. I soon began to
worry more about us than the people closer to the blast. Master
Thomas and I were the only mages here, whereas they had many skilled
mages to put up shields and protective spells. We really had our
hands full, considering what lay outside of our shields. Out there,
the forest seemed to be in chaos. Magic was swirling everywhere, and
when I looked outside of the shields for too long, my eyes hurt. Just
as I thought we could hold the storm back up for no longer, it
abated. The assault had only lasted for a day, but to me it seemed
like it had lasted for weeks. When we lowered the shields, the forest
around us seemed fairly normal. But then, when night would normally
have fallen, there was only an eerie half-light. There were places
where piles of ash and soot were all that was left of great tree
giants. Flickering lights in the trees had everyone scared, and the
few children in our group had to stay with their parents all the
time. I made an observation to Master Thomas about something that
worried me a lot. "Master
Thomas, I have noticed something and I want to know whether it is
just me. Weren't the leaves green and healthy before the mage storm
hit, and not brown and falling from the trees?" "I think
you're right about that, Errold. But what is your point? There have
been much worse things done by the mage storm than simply changing
the state of the leaves." "That's just
it! All the other effects of the mage storm have been obvious. But
what if there are effects that are even more subtle? If the state of
the leaves could be changed, couldn't berries we know are safe to eat
have become poisonous?" "That is a
very intelligent observation to make, Errold. I will alert the rest
of the group to this new danger. They might not react very well, but
I think it is necessary. Thank you. I wouldn't want to lose anyone
from the group, and your observation may have stopped that from
happening because of foolish mistakes." As I sat in our
tent, I continued to worry, and turned similar thoughts over in my
head. This forest had been changed dramatically by what Master Thomas
now called the "mage storm." But could we survive in it? Or
was even the water no longer safe to drink? And what about the
animals that hadn't been within our shields? What about them? * * * We began traveling
again the second morning after the storm. All seemed well until one
of the scouts saw huge animal footprints. We reported back to Master
Thomas, as he didn't recognize what he had seen. Everyone was told to
be especially careful until we learned what the animal ate, and more
importantly, whether its diet might include us! The next day,
while the group was resting and eating, I wandered off in search of
any recognizable wild herbs. I had no luck in finding any, and
decided that when we settled down I would experiment to see what
those that were new to me were useful for. I was walking back to
where the group was resting when I came upon the type of animal that
must have made the footprints. It was large and woolly, but seemed to
be fairly harmless. I had never seen anything like it in the forests
I had traveled before. I herded it back to the group, and Master
Thomas proposed that it be taken with us. We had no other livestock
for when we founded the village, and besides, it could carry packs. I thought that the
thing probably wasn't safe to eat, because of the magic that had
obviously affected it. Master Thomas called a meeting to discuss
possible problems from changed animals. "As we all
know, the mage storm has obviously affected the land, and the plants
and animals on it. We have one of the results of the storm in our
camp now, the animal we have named Carpet. Carpet will be very
helpful to us when we settle down, but although she is apparently
safe, we do have to look at the wider range of our worries. I
personally have noticed that Carpet is unusually intelligent, and
other people have also commented on this. Forest animals are often
cunning, but never intelligent. We will have to be exceptionably
wary, and closely observe all animals that we encounter. From now on
our scouts will be carrying magical sensors that Errold will make.
These will detect any large animals nearby, and by night I will erect
shields around the camp to protect us when we are sleeping. Does
anyone have anything else to suggest, or does anyone disagree with
our plan?" Now that people
knew the facts, the meeting went well. People who wanted to be taken
off scout duty were reassigned, but generally everybody was fairly
happy with what our leader had proposed. After everyone had
dispersed, I went over to Master Thomas. "Master
Thomas? I have an idea." I said. "What is it?" "Master,
consider the level of intelligence in our friend Carpet. Herbivores
are usually a bit dim, they don't seem to need that much
intelligence, but Carpet is as bright as a dog. If a herbivore is now
that smart, what will the carnivores be like? They may be extremely
intelligent now, possibly even sentient—and all that being
sentient implies." "This is
true, Errold. What are you proposing?"
"Making the
sensors for the scouts won't be hard. At most, it will take a couple
of hours. I must do some scouting myself, though. While you are
shielding the camp, I will set up scanning spells to sweep the forest
for a hundred yards all around. If some of predators in this forest
are as intelligent as we think, they will come at night to observe
us. If I detect something, I will go out and make sure it is harmless
or try to disable it." "That's very
good proposition, Errold. But I don't want you outside of my
protection like that. I am tempted to go instead of you, but I am
used to working with huge amounts of magic and I would not be as good
as you would be against a single animal. You use the smallest spells
to the best advantage. I give you permission for this plan. Do you
really think that the predators will be so intelligent?" "Yes, I do.
Even before the storm, it was thought that some predators in the
known world were remarkably cunning, if only in pursuit of their
prey. I think that any new `smart' predators will be a real threat to
us, if not now, then when we settle down. It is vital for us to
establish that we are not prey and should be avoided." Master Thomas
nodded his head but still looked doubtful. "Better
figure out how you are to disable predators, though. They will be
fast, deadly, and intelligent, while you are just intelligent. You
need a spell that can tell if something really is intelligent." In all my studies,
I had not come across anything like that. "It'll be
tricky, but I'm sure I'll think of something, Master Thomas," I
said, not at all sure if I could actually do it. I lay in my tent
that night, furiously studying the spell books I had brought. I had
an idea that would use a really simple spell. Predators are curious,
and did a lot of patient stalking. Thus, my trap worked on curiosity
and would certainly disable anything watching me. It was the sensing
of large animals that I needed to work on. I stayed up most of the
night, figuring out how to combine shields together, how to get the
right range, and the search requirements. I got it together
eventually, then crawled gratefully to my bed roll. I needed all the
sleep I could get, because I knew that some night soon we would have
company. * * * The following day
everything seemed to go fairly normally. We noticed no large shapes
in the distance, and saw no unusual tracks. I still felt as if we
were being watched, though. Any truly smart animal would stay on
rocky ground or the trunks of fallen trees. It was nightfall that I
was waiting for. That was when we were not moving and the shields
would be up. It would be then that I would be prowling just like a
predator. After we had found
a suitable spot to camp, I immediately cast my sensing spell, but it
wasn't till halfway though the night that it alerted me. I sneaked
out of camp, using a simple camouflage enchantment on my clothes and
carrying a rope. The magical sensor that I carried told me when I was
fairly close to the animal, and it "felt" only one animal
in a hundred-yard radius. This made everything a lot easier for me. I
sat down a few yards from the bushes where my sensor amulet had shown
the animal was. Now I prepared the spell that I had thought of using
the night before. I took my time. Anything nearby that was curious
would be watching intently as I waved my hands and conjured energies.
Then closed my eyes and set it off. Even with my eyes
shut, the blinding flash of light still hurt. Judging from the
thrashing noises and growls from the bushes, whatever had been
lurking there had been staring at what I had been doing with intense
interest. I conjured a globe of light and set it hanging in midair.
It showed a huge cat with a high forehead. Its fur was a very deep
shade of green. Using my rope, I
ensnared the thrashing limbs and tied up the cat before it could see
again. Then I sat down in front of it, weaving a rather delicate and
tricky translation spell. Soon I could hear that the animal's noises
were not really just yowling, but some very nasty swear words. After it had
blinked a few times, and seemed to be able to see a bit, it focused
its gaze on me. "Speak, I can
understand," I told it. For a moment it
just stared in surprise. "Well? Why
haven't you killed me?" it asked. "I could ask
why you have not attacked our other scouts," I replied. "But
I already know why. You are intelligent, and you were being sensible
and cautious. Because of that, I caught you with a spell that would
have worked with any truly intelligent species. A more stupid
predator would have just attacked me because I am smaller and look
defenseless." "I do not
care to risk injury by attacking dangerous prey. If I am not fast,
fit, and strong, I will starve." "To answer
your first question, I haven't killed you, because we, too, are an
intelligent species." "That is
obvious. I was sent to watch your camp for three nights, then report
to the rest of the pack. You puzzled us: you do not hunt, yet you do
not graze either. You are soft and defenseless, like grazers, yet
bright and cunning..." "Like
hunters." "Yes. We
would have attacked your camp already, otherwise." "That would
have been very, very silly. Our weapons are not claws and teeth, but
they are still deadly." "Now I know
that your species is truly sentient, not like the mrran." "Mrran? What
is that?" I asked "A mrran is
the animal that you have adopted into your herd—or should I say
pack? It puzzled me greatly when you did not kill and eat the mrran.
The others could hardly believe me when I told them." "We have
other uses for the mrran. It provides wool to cover us. Unlike you,
we have little fur of our own. Do you understand that?" "Yes. In a
way I pity you for not having a naturally warm, glossy, thick coat."
At this it preened a bit. "What are the other reasons?" "Do you
remember what happened a couple of days ago?" "Vaguely.
There was a storm...and before the storm I was something else. As
smart as the mrran, perhaps. Maybe even less smart. During the storm,
I changed. All those of my pack changed." "In a way,
the storm created us as well," I explained. "We make our
own food, we are neither hunters nor hunted. But we are very, very
dangerous. Spread the message to your pack: leave us alone. Soon we
shall stop and make a thing called a village. Stay away from it. You
are most dangerous when you pounce, but we are even more deadly when
we stop moving." "I have seen
that." I slipped the
knots on its bonds and it shook itself free in a moment. It stood and
looked at me. After a moment it spoke. "Something in
me says I shouldn't respect anything without fur. But I respect your
kind if they are all as smart as you. Is this the right thing to
feel, I wonder?" "I respect
your kind." I replied. "But I do not fear them." "Then we are
equal. And because we are equal, I don't think that our peoples
should be enemies."
"Spoken like
a true and intelligent predator. If my villagers and your pack can
stay friendly, then when one of you is sick or injured and needs
care, I can help." "Help the
injured? Why?" "Because it
benefits everyone. Are you intelligent enough to see that?" If cats could
frown, it did. "Fighting
would bring the pack no benefit," it said eventually. "I
assume that you need clear land and nearby water for your village?" "Yes, we do.
That is why we have not settled down yet. There are too many trees." "If you
continue on for about a day, and then turn east, you will come to the
edge of the forest, where the grasslands begin. There is a stream
running close by. We don't like water or open land. You are welcome
to it." "Thank you, I
think we shall like it a lot." I picked up my
pack, but it did not move. "Just one
last question before I go to my pack. Do you know what we were before
the storm?" "You were
cats," I guessed. "All that has been changed is your
coloring, your intelligence, and your size. You weren't dark green
before the storm, and you didn't have language and reasoning. You
certainly weren't four yards long." I hoped that I had
guessed correctly, but soon it nodded its head and padded for the
trees. Then it stopped and looked back. "Perhaps,
sometime, we should talk again," it suggested. "It could
prevent misunderstandings in the future. If you need to speak to me,
just ask one of my people for me. My name is Proouw." "A good
suggestion, Proouw. My name is Errold." I said. Proouw turned and
glided away into the shadows of the forest without another word. After I had had
the meeting with Proouw, I went back to the camp and called a
meeting. I explained what had happened, what he had told us, and what
I had arranged. Everyone was very happy that we would not be hunted
by anything so big and intelligent, and that there was a site nearby
to build the village on. It was felt that looking after Proouw and
his pack medically was a fair exchange. After the meeting was over, I
just sat and thought. I wondered whether the shields hadn't somehow
leaked during the storm, and changed me like it had changed the cats.
The old Errold would have never even thought of that plan, let alone
have insisted that he be the one to carry it out! And the old Errold
wouldn't have negotiated like that with Proouw. But I eventually
decided that it was just me doing what everyone did, adapting as new
things happened to me. After a day of
traveling, and after we turned east, we found the spot Proouw had
mentioned. It was perfect for our needs, and everyone immediately
started talking about what we would do, and how the village would be
organized and laid out. There was also discussion about what the
village would be called. They eventually decided on a name...Errolds
Grove! It was a big
surprise to me, but as they explained, I had done the most in regard
to founding it. The stream was named Master Thomas' stream, which was
just as important, as without water there could be no village. I was
happy, and the arrangement with the cats worked out well, with Proouw
and I meeting like ambassadors, and the pack chasing mrran in our
direction to keep in our flock. I had a feeling that the village
would last for a long time, two thousand years...or maybe more.
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