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Several days before he arrived at the mountains, he paused when he noticed a small cabin nestled quietly at the edge of the trees. Something about the cabin wouldn't let him pass – his curiosity, and something else he couldn't determine, seemed to insist he stop.
He felt a need to discover what was drawing him to it. He walked warily to the door, knocked, waited for it to open and was surprised he was met by a frail and wrinkled old woman.
"What may I do for you, young man? I have very little to offer, if you are here to steal from me," the woman rasped.
"No, no, I am not here to steal, but to ask for a small meal for which I am willing to pay," Pet'r answered, bowing his head slightly as he spoke.
The woman looked at him, her head askew. She squinted against the sunlight lying across her face and craned her head to look up at the Pet'r's face.
"You are big one, you are," she croaked, pausing while survey the man, “and, if you think you might not eat me out of house and home, you are welcome."
"Thank you very much, ma'am," Pet'r said to her, ducked his head, and walked into the cozy front room. He surveyed the inside of the cabin with a quick, perceptive glance to verify there were no dangers here.
"What's your name? And where ya' goin'?" she asked, indicated Pet'r should sit at a small table in the dining area. She began shuffling back and forth from her cupboard, bringing more food each time.
"Pet'r," he answered slowly.
She looked at him with her head cocked to one side. "Doesn't seem like the right name for you," she spat out, leaned closer and peered into his eyes. It seemed she was trying to determine whether he was bad or good by what she might see.
"Pet'r," he repeated, ignoring her. He seemed uninterested in the talking. He paused a moment waiting for the old woman to draw her head away and began to look around in the room.
It was rectangular with a fireplace, its great hearth taking most of the area on the inside wall. There were windows in each of the smaller walls, partly opened to allow the breezes to blow into the room.
Around each end of the hearth, a door passed into other rooms. Pet'r couldn't see from where he sat, but he could hear no unusual sounds from those rooms, and he also didn't sense any danger from those areas. So he assumed they were empty. He was thinking more about Geth'n and Anisah, wondering how they were doing. It had been a while since they were together on the road.
"So where did you say you were goin'?" she inquired again, not turning away from her preparations.
"North," he answered solemnly, largely ignoring her though trying to be polite. He was eating now and was enjoying the meal; the tastes were somewhat unusual but still delicious.
"Just wondered. Ya' know those mountains are hard to travel in, especially this time of the year" she turned, bringing more food, but he held up his hand, resisting her new offering.
She stopped and gazed at him intently.
"Do you plan to travel west at all?" she asked as she turned to shuffle the logs on the fire. The flames jumped into the chimney.
Pet'r thought he noticed a greenish burst from them as they leaped about, but the flames died down, and he decided he was mistaken.
"No, I plan to travel more toward the east. Try to avoid most of the high peaks."
"That way can be dangerous to. Will you go to the forbidden lands?" she asked, "I hear the passages by the sea are terrible and cold this time of year."
"No, I believe I can find a pass through the mountains," he said, finishing his meal and shoving the plate away from him, rising to go.
"No, no, you should spend the night here, my young friend, there is ample room and possibly you haven't had a good rest in a bed for a while," the old lady insisted, "there is no need for you to go out in this weather."
Pet'r hadn't noticed the change before, but the winds now howled outside the cottage. He looked at one of the open windows and noticed the curtains were whipping in the wind.
He was certain a moment before the sun was shining.
Curious? I've not seen storms come up so quickly as they do here, not even at sea.
"Maybe I will take your offer, but I can go to your stable, if you have one," he explained, not really wanting to take advantage of this old lady who was being overly kind to him.
Intuitively, he learned to be wary of others' kindness. Being offered and almost forced to take this hospitality seemed odd to him, "but I insist on paying for the meal and the lodging."
"Do what you will, young man, it isn't necessary to repay me, but you do as you will," she responded.
Pet'r, noticing a slight difference in her speech, it seemed he heard the sounds of a younger person, but he looked at her again and only shook his head at the error.
The winds became more intense outside; the woman shuffled over to one of the window and slammed it shut.
Pet'r aroused from pondering the memories of his friends, was startled by the windows shutting so violently.
Suddenly the storm ended.
How is it possible for a storm to end so quickly?
He looked around toward the windows and another woman, not the old woman, was standing there glaring at him.
"Surprise, my young friend, and I have many of those for you," the woman raised her arm, pointing in his direction with her finger, "many more than you would want."
She waved her extended arm and Pet'r was flung from his chair and almost fell into the fire.
"You are a nuisance. I have in mind to simply destroy you as my guards failed to do, but you have a undeniable strength so we shall play a game," the woman spoke harshly, looking down at him laying on the floor.
Tall and willowy, she was dressed totally in black; red-haired flared framing her face; she was almost beautiful. She seemed familiar to Pet'r but he couldn't quite decide why. Her stare was evil and cruel.
She raised her hand and Pet'r rose from the floor, and though he made no effort to get to his feet, he found he was standing.
He was at least a head taller than her, but he knew common strength was not what she meant by her statement, And he knew this was no common foe.
He stood and stared back at her without flinching, his appearance more intense. He simply stood and watched her. She, noticing the change, stepped backward out of his reach.
"And what are you really looking for -- 'Pet'r' is it?" she almost spat the last out, "aren't you a little surprised by what is happening to you now."
Pet'r made no comment but turned to watch her movement as she began to pace the room.
"Perhaps you are looking for magic!" she flung her arms ahead of her violently and the side of the room opened with a great whistling sound as it ripped away from the house and disappeared.
Pet'r did not turn away but kept her constantly in his gaze. He seemed to be changing while she watched. His stature became more erect, his face stronger, his hair flew away from his head as though electric, the great streaks of white hair flashed in the firelight.
Great bolts of lightning struck the trees nearby, but he never flinched nor relinquished his constant grip on her eyes.
"I am Voravia. This land is mine. You are trespassing. I think you are dangerous and here to take something that belongs to me. I was going to poison you with the food, but I decided you would know, or sense, that difference.
I plan to destroy you and dispose of the irritation you will become," she spoke calmly, holding her arms folded at her chest.
She made certain she kept him solidly in her sight, there was something extraordinary about this man, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
"I am doing you no harm," Pet'r spoke slowly but with absolute intensity.
The walls crackled as though straining against some violent outburst expected.
"If this is your land then I will gladly leave. Your concerns about my intent are wrong, but I will not argue the point with you. I simply wish to leave -- now."
He seemed to become larger before her eyes with some manifestation of majesty and strength.
"I do not believe you, fool. You have come for the Ahar'n," she pushed her chin forward, chastising him as though he was one of her minion, "I will keep it because it is rightfully mine."
"I came for nothing." Pet'r spoke the words through clenched teeth. The air around him seemed to whirl in folding white mists with flashes of light swirling inside the clouds. This apparition began to fill the room, and Voravia felt her first sense of danger.
"You are going to die!" she screamed at him, raised her hands above her head to weave another spell over this insolent man.
It never occurred. She suddenly was flying through the air, tumbling end over end as she sailed out through the opening at the end of the room. She was taken by surprise. He hadn't raised an arm, nor seemed to even move at all, but she felt his power surge forth casting her aside like a limp doll.
Where did the strength come from?
She caught herself in flight and quickly returned to the building, but Pet'r was nowhere to be seen. She ran around the end of the hearth to check the passages in the back of the house, but he wasn't there.
"Come out, you idiot. You can't hide from me!" she hurled out as she turned to go back to the front room.
He was standing immediately behind her. She raised her hand again, but he clasped it and the other quickly, not allowing her to move them. She kicked at him with all her might, but missed as he simply stepped aside.
Raising her off the ground, he walked back into the front room, plopped her into a chair and wove an invisible field around her. She couldn't move, though she tried.
"I told you. I am looking for nothing," Pet'r spoke with some force, his face in hers.
"I am not concerned about your little treasures, nor about this Ahar'n. I have no use for either. I cannot allow you to bring me harm. There is a mission, but I am unaware of what lies in store for me. I want you to stop."
She tried to push him back; her surprise now concentrated into anger. He leaped backwards to avoid this attack, landing squarely on his feet but not wavering.
"I have more power than you, young man. I have long practiced the arts, and you are no match for me."
She flung one of the furniture pieces his way; he simply avoided it. She tried to throw him out into the forest as he had her, but he didn't move. He did nothing to attack her, obviously taking a defensive stance.
"You must go, do not come to the west," she scowled, realizing she had no great advantage and her efforts were futile.
I insist you leave. It is obvious I can't bring you harm, but I am more powerful and can bring harm to your world. So, you will leave. Now!"
He bowed while still watching her intently. "It would be my pleasure, madam," he spoke quietly, but the air around him was charged with energy. She could feel it rippling through around her and was now uncertain how this stalemate was to end.
He then simply turned and strode through the open wall and disappeared. She sat astounded when he disappeared and couldn't believe this experience.
A man of great danger. He will be trouble when the time comes. Baalsa'n will not be pleased, but then he never is.
She stomped out of the house and through the trees, to get her horse and the old house disappeared.
UNRELENTING