Tales of Asculum

  “Show me what magic you can do and I will tell you where he said he was going,” the man replied.

  Fanchon motioned him over to a nearby tree. Fanchon stood so that he was hidden from the camp by the tree and grasped a dead limb that was only as long as his forearm. The limb separated from the tree and the man gasped. Fanchon pulled the ends and soon had it lengthened into a bow.

  “For you,” Fanchon said. “I can work wood with my bare hands, but like the rest of my group I know that people fear what they don’t understand so we must hide our abilities.”

  “My bow broke the day before you arrived,” the man said with a smile. “Sethan said he was heading south and west.”

  “Thank you. Let’s go eat.”

  The men thanked them before they crossed the bridge to continue south. The smooth road was easier to pull the carts over. After passing through a tiny village they travelled another day and a half before the forest thinned and was replaced by grasslands with short bushes. It was another day before they found a group of horses. They followed the horses off the road before camping for the night. A large black horse paced between them and the rest of the herd. The horse whinnied and snorted, pawing at the ground with his hoof.

  “The lead horse is very wary of us,” Jerron commented softly as he and Fanchon stood watching the horses in the fading light. “He has warned me not to approach the herd.”

  “Then it is him you must talk to,” Fanchon replied.

  “Come and talk. We promise no harm will come to you. You can see the others are lying down to sleep. This is our leader,” Jerron said and motioned to Fanchon.

  The horse reared up on its hind legs and pawed at the air.

  “He will strike us if we move,” Jerron said.

  “Understood,” Fanchon said as he nodded.

  The stallion finally moved closer until it was an arm’s reach away from them.

  “We seek any of your kind that would be willing to pull our carts or carry one of us,” Jerron said. “We promise they will be well cared for and treated kindly.”

  The horse snorted and made some soft noises.

  “No, we will not be returning to this place. We hope to find a home which they will share. We will find a place of grass with water available,” Jerron said and the horse responded again. “No, we don’t expect all females, but if you could spare one or two then a new herd could be formed in the new home.”

  The horse whinnied and snorted again before looking directly at Fanchon and sniffing at him. Fanchon held perfectly still.

  “He is good, kind and wise. He will make certain they are well cared for,” Jerron said and Fanchon nodded. “My own father entrusted me to him.”

  The horse made some noises before turning and leaving.

  “He will decide by morning about the females, but he has some young males that he has been driving away for the last couple of years. They’ve been more persistent than others in the past. He wants rid of them and will convince them to come with us.”

  “Good. Let’s get some sleep. We’ll have work to do in the morning to ready the harnesses and carts.”

  Fanchon settled into the bedroll next to Aloysia. Now that she was a titled noble woman she deserved a home worthy of her title. He thought about building her such a castle as he fell asleep.

  Chapter Seven: Working for Supplies

  Fanchon was awakened by something soft nudging his cheek. He opened his eyes to find the black stallion standing over him.

  “Jerron, wake up,” Fanchon said without moving. “Lie still Aloysia.”

  The horse lifted his head and made some noises.

  “He’s made his decision,” Jerron said as Fanchon carefully sat up.

  The horse backed up allowing Fanchon to stand. There were almost twenty horses in a group behind the stallion. Some were very young.

  “These horses are to come with us. Not all of them are old enough to be ridden or pull a cart,” Jerron said.

  “We are grateful,” Fanchon said and bowed to the stallion who nodded before turning and galloping off toward where the rest of the herd remained.

  He approached the group of remaining horses slowly and heard Aloysia follow him. He reached out to a young black stallion who sniffed at his hand before moving forward to sniff his face and make soft noises.

  “He will be your horse,” Jerron said. “He says he is called the blackness before the sun rises.”

  “That’s a little long,” Fanchon said. “Would he be alright with me calling him Midnight?”

  The horse nodded. He heard a giggle and turned to find Aloysia stroking the neck of a white mare.

  “She is called the white bones of the fallen,” Jerron said.

  “Such a sad name for such a beautiful creature,” Aloysia said. “What if I call her Snowy?”

  The horse nodded and nuzzled her cheek. Soon all the horses were named and matched pairs were chosen to pull the carts. It took some time for them to get the harnesses on the horses and adjusted. At last they were ready to travel. At the end of the day Fanchon was sore from riding. They had no saddles, but had rigged a harness of sorts to give loops for stirrups. They still got odd looks from passing travelers.

  It was nearly ten days over grassy plains, through forests and mountains before they arrived in a large city. The residents called it Ikthalmai. They did some work for different shopkeepers in exchange for saddles, bridles and additional supplies. The people seemed a bit wary of them at first, but the blacksmith was happy for the help when he realized Fanchon knew what he was doing. They stayed two months before leaving.

  The winter snows made the journey slow and sleeping in tents cold. They passed through a few villages over the next several months. In each place they helped the villagers in exchange for things they needed to continue their journey. Speaking the language was getting easier. They found a city called Sirl am Mond. The people there were friendly once they offered to work for supplies. One day Fanchon found a man standing with his hand on the door latch of a shop and his head on the door.

  “Is something the matter?” he asked the man as he climbed down from the cart seat.

  “This was my uncle’s shop,” the man said. “He had no children and none of the family wants anything to do with his things.”

  “He died recently?” Fanchon asked and the man looked up at him.

  “A month ago,” the man said. “Since I’m the eldest of the family I need to clean out his shop and dispose of his things. He valued his business over friends and family. He made jewelry and many enemies among his competitors. I’ve tried getting someone to buy the business, but none want anything to do with it.”

  “Is there anything I can help you with?” Fanchon asked. “I don’t have money to buy a business, but I could help you clean out the shop so you can see if there is something of value you could sell.”

  The man stared at him.

  “What would you want in return then?” the man asked at last.

  Fanchon shrugged his shoulders and said, “My friends and I are travelling and they all have work they are doing in exchange for food and other supplies. Perhaps there is something among his things that could prove useful when we find a place to build our home.”

  “My own wife refused to help me clean out this place,” the man said as he opened the door. “I am glad to let you help me.”

  They entered the small dusty shop. There was a solid counter that cut the room in half. They were forced to climb over it to get to the back of the shop. Everything was locked up tight.

  “He lived upstairs,” the man said. “Perhaps the key is up there somewhere.”

  He opened a door and found a hall. There was a door at one end and stairs at the other. Fanchon followed him up the stairs. There was a single room that had a bed in one corner and a kitchen in the opposite corner. There was a table with a single chair. As Fanchon put his hand on top of the post at the end of the stairs he felt that the wood was hollow.

  “There’s re
ally not much here,” the man muttered as he opened a drawer in a night stand. “The key to the door was on his body when he was killed, but nothing else.”

  Fanchon knocked the post top with his elbow as he began to cross to the kitchen and the decorative top popped off onto the floor. The man spun around and looked as Fanchon picked up the top.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to break,” Fanchon began.

  “Wait. What’s that?” the man said as he pointed to the post.

  The man crossed the room and Fanchon joined him. There was a box that had been hidden under the top piece. Inside was a small ring of keys.

  “He never trusted anyone,” the man commented as he lifted out the keys. “It would have been impossible to find these.”

  The keys indeed fit the locks on the cabinets behind the counter in the shop. They also found a door in the floor beneath the stairs that was opened by one of the keys. In the cellar they found the jewelry making tools and more than enough gold and gemstones to make the man very rich.

  “Half of this should be yours,” the man said as Fanchon looked at a beautiful ring that was lying next to the tools on the table.

  “That’s way too much,” Fanchon protested. “Maybe just this ring for my wife.”

  “You can have the entire table along with anything on or in it,” the man said. “I don’t think anyone else would touch it, but the rest I can definitely sell.”

  “I’m just happy to help,” Fanchon said.

  “I’ll help you load it into your cart.”

  Chapter Eight: The Mountain Temple

  “We were beginning to wonder what happened to you,” Jerron said as Fanchon arrived at camp.

  “You had me so worried,” Aloysia said as she came over.

  “What is all this?” Marcus asked as he and his wife Leora looked at the cart.

  “I helped a man whose uncle had died leaving him a jewelry business. This is what he paid me for my help,” Fanchon said. “All I wanted was this for you.”

  He held out the beautiful ring to Aloysia.

  “It’s far too fancy,” she said. “This is something a regina would wear.”

  “Regina Lurinna herself titled you Lady Aloysia and appointed us to lead the group,” Fanchon said as he slipped it onto her finger.

  “It’s a bit loose,” she said.

  Raynor’s wife Malika touched it and it adjusted to a perfect fit.

  “Keep it,” Ferron said. “Fanchon is right. You are Lady Aloysia.”

  The next morning they continued their journey south. The road turned east before they came to a city. The residents told them the kingdom was called Okiah. Fanchon noticed that many of the people looked him over very closely and some even bowed slightly. One old man stopped them in the middle of the street.

  “Can you take my prayer to the mountain temple?” the man asked as he held up a scroll of paper to Fanchon. “I am too feeble to take it there myself. I can offer your companions a place to stay until you return.”

  “The mountain temple?” Fanchon asked as the man put the scroll in his hand.

  “I know you must be going there for that symbol is carved on the gate of the temple,” the man said pointing to the bracelet Fanchon wore.

  Fanchon glanced at Aloysia who nodded.

  “I’ll take it for you,” Fanchon said. “My wife and companions will stay with you.”

  “Come stay the night before beginning your journey,” the man said. “My name is Aricor.”

  Fanchon dismounted and walked beside the man. They went down a side street and soon arrived at a large gate. Two men bowed with their hands palm together and thumbs on their foreheads before opening the gate. Aricor led them into a courtyard and clapped his hands. Soon their horses were cared for and they were sitting at a large table eating with Aricor and his family. They learned a lot about Okiah from the man who was the cousin of the king. Not long ago they had been a savage people. There was much sickness in the kingdom. At a time when all thought they would not survive the Great Wizard Priest had come to teach them how to be a civilized people. He taught them how to cleanse themselves from the sickness. When they tried to pray to him, he told them to pray to the ancestors that had created them. He taught them prayers of gratitude and prayers of calming. The Great Wizard Priest had taught them to respect the dead by burning them in a funeral ceremony instead of leaving their bodies to be devoured by animals.

  “The symbol you wear is the symbol of the Great Wizard Priest himself,” Aricor said.

  “How long ago did this Great Wizard Priest appear?” Fanchon asked.

  “Almost seventy years ago,” Aricor replied. “I was a young boy at the time. I was near death when he came and healed me with herbs. Rumors say he might still live. Our king gave him his three daughters as his wives and all Wizard Priests descend from him or the royal family.”

  “Do you know his name?” Fanchon pressed.

  “It is too holy to speak aloud without cause but every morning I thank the ancestors for Se-Than coming to us,” he said softly. “I don’t remember much except his eyes. You have the same eyes.”

  “I am certain it is no accident that we met Aricor. If he is who I think he is I descend from his sister. I am charged with uncovering his fate that hearts and old wounds might be healed.”

  Aricor placed his hands together thumbs to his forehead and bowed his head to Fanchon. After the meal was completed they were given rooms to stay in. Aricor showed Fanchon a room with a map of Okiah painted on the wall. Fanchon noticed the road to the mountain temple and added it to his own map. Early the next morning Fanchon kissed Aloysia goodbye and started his journey to the mountain temple. Aricor had packed some food for him in a bag. He followed the road which dwindled to a narrow cart path eventually leading up into the mountains until he was faced by a tall wall and a gate flanked by two men in matching robes sitting cross-legged on stone slabs. On the gate was carved the symbol from the bracelet. Fanchon dismounted and put his hands together bowing with his thumbs to his forehead. The men replied in kind before standing.

  “What is your purpose here today?” one of them asked.

  “I bring a prayer from the cousin of the king,” he replied. “I also come seeking knowledge.”

  He pushed back his sleeve to fully reveal the bracelet he wore. The two men looked from it to him and each other before quickly opening the gate. One of the men ran across a courtyard to enter a building. He soon returned with a cloaked figure. Fanchon pressed his hands together and bowed again before revealing the bracelet. He was signaled forward by the cloaked figure. He was led into the building and up some stairs to a circular room lined with shelves. The figure motioned to a low table and a cushion. Fanchon sat down. The person turned and went up some stairs out of sight.

  Fanchon looked around wondering who this mysterious person was and if he knew where Uncle Sethan was. He sat looking around the room and noticed the same symbol repeated in the decoration. It was the symbol from the bracelet.

  Chapter Nine: The Great Wizard Priest

  Fanchon heard footsteps upstairs as though someone was pacing. That worried him a bit but all he could do is wait. He looked around the room again to see if he could figure out more about this mysterious person. Obviously Uncle Sethan had been here at one time since the symbol from the bracelet was to be found on the furniture, the shelves and even on the doors. Obviously he had thought about the twin sister that he had left behind as frequently as she thought about him.

  At last the cloaked figure came down the stairs holding something wrapped in cloth. The person set it on the table in front of Fanchon and pushed it toward him. The person’s silence puzzled him as he began to unwrap the long slender item. In the center of the fabric he found a bow that was broken in two places. Fanchon looked up and tried to see the face hidden in the shadows of the hooded cloak. The figure gestured to the broken bow.

  “You expect me to repair the bow?” Fanchon asked and the figure nodded.

&n
bsp; Fanchon picked up two of the pieces and fit them together, healing the wood. He picked up the final piece and fit it into place willing the wood to both heal and form a permanent bond which tempered the wood against future breakage.

  When he looked up the man pulled back his hood revealing a youthful face that looked both like Mother’s and his own.

  “Uncle Sethan?” Fanchon asked and the man nodded. “Mother sent this with me to convince you to come home. She and Grandmother frequently talk about you and cry.”

  He removed the bracelet and held it out.

  “I’ve shed my share of tears over leaving,” Uncle Sethan said softly as he gently took the bracelet from Fanchon. “When I left the seer stopped me and said that I must return when three pieces are reunited. He said I had important work to be done before I could return.”

  “From what I have been told you saved these people and shaped their civilization,” Fanchon said.

  “I thought I would be finding a new home for our own people,” he replied as he finished tying on the bracelet.

  “No, that is my duty. It will be many years before our people are ready to leave Glynis,” Fanchon said.

  “My work here is done then,” he said as he stood up. “My wives are dead, but my sons and grandsons will continue my work. They know the day will come when I must leave. I have hidden my face for many years since I do not age as quickly as they do. You were just a boy when I left but now you are a grown man.”

  “With a wife of my own,” Fanchon said as he stood. “Lady Aloysia, daughter of the seer.”

  “Lady?” Uncle Sethan asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “Titled by Regina Lurinna herself after she married us,” he replied.

  “Come eat supper with us. We can talk later,” Uncle Sethan said as he raised his hood.

  When they entered the dining room all of the men were standing behind their seats. They all bowed with their hands together thumbs to their foreheads. Uncle Sethan led him to the other end of the room.

  “My dear children,” Uncle Sethan began. “I have long known this day would come. My time is coming to an end. It is time for me to appoint a new Great Wizard Priest. You are all well prepared to continue the work I started. I appoint Ki-Mal as my successor. I will leave at dawn with Fanchon who has come to lead me back to my honored ancestors. Ki-Mal will now lead us in prayer.”