Tsiann hid behind the woodpile, a small blue crystal clenched in her fist. She opened her fingers slightly, just enough to see the soft glow coming from the stone. So beautiful. But was it powerful enough?
- start -
And how much time did she have? The woodpile might give her a few minutes, but not much longer. The Mage’s eyes were going bad and he might mistake her skin for the wood around her, but It wouldn’t be long before he conscripted the help from some off-duty Squires, and then she would have her work cut out for her.
If she was caught here, it would mean another 30 days of chore duty. Cleaning the Tower from top to bottom. Organizing the Mages papers, trapping and releasing the rats, bats, and owls that found their way inside. If she had to hand wash Virgo’s undergarments one more time she just might run away.
No. The losing streak was over. She had already completed the first half of the challenge: Steal a Stone of Power from the Tower archives. All she had to do now was to keep the Mage from stealing it back from her, and only until the moon was directly above the Tower’s Spire.
The witching hour. That’s what the Mage Virgo had always called it. The time when Witches reveal themselves - the time where all magic comes into this world. If she could succeed in these challenges then she was worthy of being taught, despite the risks. That’s what he always said, at least.
They went over it every month - whenever the moon was going to be full that night. As soon as the sun would set he’d walk her to the edge of the village, only feet from the Wall. He’d say the same thing every time.
“The other Twelve forget where their power originally comes from. The old men in their crumbling palaces of overcompensation, forget that we stole Magic from the Witches.”
She would march forward ten paces, so that her back was just grazing the shimmery surface of the Wall. It was supposed to hurt, but never had.
“The power stored in those stones, my child” He’d say, pointing back to the tower. “is yours by birthright. Take it from me, and keep me from them until your hour arrives. If you can manage that then I can teach you.”
“Same rules as last time?” If she didn’t ask the bastard would change them. Fool her four times…
“No Magic is allowed by either party, but soliciting outside help is encouraged.”
“And another month of chores if I lose…” Tsiann would chime in.
“Eventually I will die, and the rest of the 12 will want my Magic back. If our plan is to succeed - I need you to be stronger than even the best of us. So yes, another month of chores.”
“You ready to teach my again, old man?”
“Prove to me you are deserved of your name and attitude, Tsiann the Quick.” He’d disappear into the brush - almost melding into it. “I’ll give you a 5 minute head start.”
The past 6 months had been chore duty. Tsiann couldn’t remember the last time she had cast a spell. It’d had been easy at first, but the past few months Virgo hadn’t pulled any punches. When pressed, he told her she had been “resting on her laurels.” and needed a reminder of how serious what they were doing was.
Tsiann heard the boys before she saw them, though wasn’t that always the case? Young knights might be tenacious, but they lacked even an ounce of stealth. They were approaching from the other side of the pile, but did not yet know she was there. This gave her a few options:
Option 1: Kick the pile of wood onto them.
That might scatter and delay them from the chase, but would reveal they were on the right track. Evading boys her age who were filled with confidence was not the ideal scenario.
Option 2: Try and talk her way out of it.
The Mage had no doubt given them a sum of coin that she could not compete with, and none of them harbored any young love for her. That did not leave a lot of room for negotiation.
Option 3: Misdirection.
If they only had a vague idea of where she was, she could throw a rock into a nearby bush - and while they investigated run in the opposite direction. But were they dumb enough to buy it?
----
Their Knights must be so proud. Tsiann chuckled as quiet as she could, running deeper into the forest, away from the squires thoroughly investigating a bush. She rather hoped an angry pheasant might snap at them, just to complete the picture in her mind.
She checked the sky, and saw that the moon had traveled a quarter of its journey across the sky. She had to expect the squires would move on eventually, and only become more determined as it came closer to the deadline.
As she ran, Tsiann considered her next moves.
She’d have an easier time hiding in the forest, but it was more dangerous - without Magic or proper weapons a 14 year old girl stood no chance against a wolf or worse, a bear. The Squires had weapons, and and were most likely skilled hunters.
She’d have a harder time hiding in the town proper, as Virgo would most certainly be focusing his efforts there. The townsfolk were becoming aware of their little game, and most were loyal to the Mage. She might be able to charm them into sympathy, but how long would that last if Virgo decided to press?
She had put some distance between herself and her pursuers at this point, and figured it wise to find a vantage point and catch her breath. Finding a climbable tree was not difficult, and the one that she chose happened to have an abundance of cover-providing leaves.
Letting her mind rest a moment from its analysis and calculations, Tsiann returned her attention to the stone. She hadn’t released it from her grip since she had snatched it from the display hours ago. The maneuver had not gone quite to plan, and with the Mage hot on her heels she paid little attention to the quality and grabbed the first one that called out to her.
Both the power and beauty of the crystal, was soft. It held an azure color - like the sky on a clear day. It was small - smaller than any of the others she had added to her collection over the years. It was easy to write this little stone off as being weak - a throwaway stone of mundane power - but the more Tsiann learned of Magic the more she knew that you could never trust your expectations.
I wonder what spells you have in you, little egg. She held it up, letting the light from the full moon shine through. She watched the light dance a brilliant waltz of blues and whites. She watched her town change through its lens - a sudden blanket of winter snow covering the ground and all the roofs of every building. She could see the snowflakes falling, their crystalline perfection existing for only moments but also lifetimes.
She saw Virgo’s tower, the stone bastion of her town. The dark gray was complemented by the whites and blues of the snow and ice. The usually stark and sometimes even imposing tower now looked as though it were a palace. The palace of an Ice Queen, sure. But she wouldn’t mind the title.
The spire even looks like an icicle. She mused. She imagined sitting in the topmost room, just underneath the spire. Watching the village from on high. She had found a way up there once before, and the view was beautiful. She doubted even Virgo, Sixth Mage of the Twelve knew how to get up there without Magic.
Virgo doesn’t know how to get up there without Magic. Her brain would not let the thought go.
VIRGO DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO GET UP THERE WITHOUT MAGIC! She nearly fell from the tree when it finally hit her.
----
The trip to the Tower had been mostly uneventful. She stuck to the edge of the forest, and made sure not to leave a trail for the Squires to find. She circled the area around the structure a few times, and was able to catch a glimpse of her Mage questioning some stable hands, no doubt about her whereabouts.
That gave her at least enough time to get into the tower proper - if she was able to get to the window in her room before he returned, there would be no way for him to know. She managed that easily enough, and now she stood, atop her windowsill, starting at the ground. The wind was mild on the ground, but 40 feet up even a mild wind could feel harrowing.
She clenched her fist, letting the weight of the crystal fill her with resolve. One final bit of effort and it would be over. The final bit just happened to be climbing up using only the tower’s overhangs as support.
Thinking about it isn’t going to make it any easier. Her brain was right. She hoisted herself up onto the first overhang. See, it isn’t as hard as you remember.
Luckily, she only “almost” fell to her death twice. If she did end up losing, she would have to look into fixing the damage she had caused.
As she crawled onto the floor of the lookout, Tsiann checked the sky. The moon was minutes from being directly overhead. Had she won? Did she finally beat that crotchety old man? She half-expected him to appear, seemingly from nowhere, and crush all her hope.
The minutes passed, and Virgo never came. The Moon reached its apex, and Tsiann could feel the power surge within the crystal, and within herself. Rolling onto her back she raised the crystal high, letting it soak in the Magic cast by the Moon.
You’re mine, little egg. She couldn’t wait, not even to gloat. The stone was calling to her.
Sitting up, Tsiann titled her head back and opened wide. As she lowered the stone onto her tongue, its chill nearly sent her reeling. Her nerves froze as it slide down her throat - sending chills up her spine and down to the tips of her fingers and toes.
The Magic would take time to digest, but it had been delicious.
- end -
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