Fires of magic book 3 in.., p.13
Fires of Magic: Book 3 in the Chronomancer Series, page 13
“They haven’t been able to protect us at all. The snow didn’t stop the ones hunting the girl.” Voices from the gathering raised their volume, and Lin’s eyes bounced between the agitated speakers.
“The witch.”
“Larine, please,” Holgar said.
“We can’t let the girl stay here. Whatever is after her threatens our families and our lives,” another woman added.
“We should discuss this with the trolmandr,” one man added.
“Olaf, we know the answer if we ask,” Holgar said.
“Then we should not fight the wishes of the trolmandr," Olaf said.
“The trolmandr will protect your village.” Lin’s voice added to the conversation. Her words brought an end to the discussion. “They want to protect the valley and the village from harm. And they want to learn more about what I can do.”
“You should not be here,” Larine said.
“Yes, I should leave.”
“You can’t, Lin. The trolmandr are still trying to help you,” Mel said.
“You will not get any help from the village, Melburne.”
“I understand, Holgar. But I’m not going against the wishes of my family and the trolmandr.”
“Mel, wait.”
“No, Lin. The people of the village have made their voices heard. We know what they want. But that doesn’t change the snow still falling, and my parents are still willing to keep you under our roof.”
The faces of the people in the hall were set in stone. None would stand with Mel and his family. Lin stood at the edge of the rift she created in the village. Even when she wasn’t using her powers, she was a destroyer.
Twenty-Nine
Joen
Lin and Mel got up from their seats and moved through the hall. She ignored the silence as they made their way through the chairs. Lin kept her gaze forward and didn't acknowledge the looks of the people of Grondahl.
I need to get out of this village. Mel can’t live like this, and I can’t let anyone else die for me.
The blast of winter air refreshed her spirit after the intensity of the meeting. Fast footfalls caught her attention, and Lin spied someone running toward them through the snow. Skirts flared out as a woman continued at a full sprint. A woman skidded to a stop near them.
“Mel, you need to get home.”
“Clara, what’s going on?”
“Bridgette needs you home.” Lin expected the worst, and she watched the realization hit Mel. He took off in a full sprint neither she nor Clara could keep pace.
Mel barely stopped to open the door. He burst inside to the sound of sobbing. Clara stopped at the door and glanced toward Lin. The village woman gestured for the guest of the family to enter and then followed.
Lin was not prepared for the sorrow in the room. She never slowed down to grieve for Johannes, and now she would carry the burden of Joen. She ran from everything since the tannery, and she hadn’t reflected or worked through her loss. Mel and Bridgette felt the loss now.
Joen lay on the straw pallet. A gray wool cloth covered his still form from the neck down, and his face was colorless. His chest no longer rose or fell, and his face lost the tension of pain or the labors of injuries. Bridgette sat near the body and gripped his hand as if the touch with the living would convince his soul to stay. Mel stood behind his mother and kept one hand on her shoulder. His chest shook as grief overcame his posture.
Lin caught a sob next to her and turned to face Clara. Tears ran down Clara’s face as she tried to wipe them away. At that moment, Lin accepted she wasn’t part of this village. She struggled to find sorrow in her heart to weep for this family, and her soul carried the death she caused. Her feelings were for Mel and his loss.
Maybe it’s the guilt of making this happen. That’s blocking the pain away. Joen wouldn’t have died if… No, everyone dies. But…
Mel turned around and reached out with one hand. He gestured for her to come closer. Lin complied and took the two steps to hold Mel’s hand. She stood by his side as Bridgette and Mel mourned over the loss of Joen.
As Mel and Bridgette cleaned up the body, Lin grabbed her borrowed cloak and headed outside into the snow. She looked up into the gray sky and let the flakes cool her skin. The storm continued its unrelenting snowfall and accumulated on the ground. The snow layers' uniformity smoothed the uneven terrain, almost as if ashes had fallen from some distant fire. Lin didn’t reflect any longer.
“Lin, where are you going?”
She hadn’t taken her first step yet, and Clara stopped her in her tracks.
“You can’t just walk away from Mel and this family.”
“I’m not.”
“They need you in there, and you’re walking away.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Be there. Be close. Help them.”
“Joen died because he wouldn’t give me to those hunters.”
“So you are going to run away from the problems? The ones you created?”
“What? I… no.”
“I was born in this village, Lin. People from this village are born, marry, raise their children, and die here. We look at the other children around us and start thinking about a husband or a wife.”
“And yours was Mel.”
“I’ve never seen him happier.”
“With his father dead?”
Clara gave Lin a look that should have melted the snow around her for being so dense.
“You give him something no one else in this village can. You give him something fresh, and he likes it.”
“Until now.”
“Do you think life is supposed to be easy?” Clara’s glare could melt icicles.
“You know nothing about me. I didn’t grow up in a rich house. Look at me.”
“I see a woman who’s afraid.”
Lin’s stomach dropped as the truth sank her feelings. “What am I supposed to do?”
“Be here for the family. Be here for the funeral rites.”
“What is the custom for a funeral here?”
“Custom?”
“Yes, people in the cities bury their dead away from the city. I’ve also heard different things about the north.”
“We burn our dead up here. We don’t need animals trying to tear up the shallow graves to get the bodies.”
“Do you think we can burn anything here?” Lin gestured around her.
“No.”
“I don’t think the right answer is to let Joen’s body sit in the snow until the weather thaws again. Do you?”
“No.”
“Then, I need to make a trip.”
“Where are you going?”
“To see the trolmandr.”
Thirty
Nature Magic
Lin didn’t wait for Clara's response. The villager made her point, and Lin hurt. Lin needed to do something for the people of Grondahl and what they risked for her. She set her jaw and moved through the snow.
The flakes were light, not enough to keep accumulating, but the sky was dark and heavy. Lin wondered if the snow and sky reflected the trolmandr’s feelings. Their magic was impossibly strong, and they controlled nature's strength with a personal touch. Lin realized she would already be dead if she tried to keep snowfall over an entire village going for days. The magic flow would burn her from within and leave an ancient woman dead on the river bank.
Not something she needed to consider right now.
Travel was slower once she got out of the village. The trails through the town kept her feet moving, but the snowfall buried her previous paths up to the trolmandr house. Snowfall erased her existence.
She wished.
Lin felt beads of freezing sweat forming on her back and the wet snow seeping into her boots. By early afternoon, she faced the trolmandr house and its single trail of chimney smoke.
Lin pulled her cloak back and looked up at the sky one last time. Lin let the snow melt into her eyelashes. Her mind emptied, and she thrust her senses to the power of nature. The cold, the quiet, the gray, and the patter of falling snow flooded her with new sensations. Magic was right there in her mind, closer than ever. Her soul longed for the burning caress, to reach out and hold nature in the grip of her power. But she couldn’t. Not yet.
Lin made the last part of the journey and pushed open the door. Would there ever be a time where they weren’t waiting for her? She didn’t like the scowls on their face.
“You came back alone,” Turbin said. Lin didn’t immediately turn around with the curt tone in his voice. Instead, she took a few moments to hang her cloak and take off her wet things.
“I did. I came to ask you to do something.”
“No,” Almeta said.
“You haven’t heard me out. My request is reasonable.”
“Your magic is powerful, Lin. But you cannot use it to convince us,” Almeta said.
Lin cocked her head to the side. Where was this coming from? Her mind was clear and focused. Lin knew she could pull the arcane forces into her soul faster than her mind would register any danger. But she hadn’t expected trouble coming to this house.
“I’m not here to use magic, trolmandr. I’m here to ask you to help the people of the village."
“We are already taking care of them,” Turbin said.
“Not very well. Two are dead, and several are wounded. Your snow stopped no one from doing what they wanted.”
“The warriors wouldn’t stop, no matter what we did,” Almeta said.
“And you wouldn’t stop whatever else is coming with your magic. The one who is doing this is powerful and won’t stop. He’ll kill anyone to get at me.”
“Why?” Turbin’s tone softened.
“I don’t know. I would pay any price to change the outcome.”
“You need to understand your magic,” Almeta said.
“I agree, but you aren’t the ones to show me. I think you can help me understand more, and you might even extend my life. But we are too different.”
Their faces set again. Wrong thing to say. Lin needed them to soften their stance, not harden it against her.
“I’m sorry, trolmandr. Joen’s death hurts me in ways I didn’t expect. Bridgette and Mel aren’t doing well.”
“We understand,” Turbin said.
At least the door was opening again.
“Perhaps we could make a bargain?”
“We do not know what you could offer us,” Almeta said.
“But we will listen,” Turbin said.
“The people are suffering. The heavy snow isn’t protecting them, the crops will surely die, and the dead need to be placed to rest.”
There, all out in the open. Make it about the village, the valley, and the people. Listen.
Lin’s mood picked up when they didn’t respond.
She continued, “You need to stop the snow. Give the people in the valley a chance to recover.”
“The danger to the valley grows,” Turbin said.
“The people need something to believe in. They need to see your power. They need hope.”
“What do you propose, then?” Almeta asked.
Good, we’ve moved past the stone wall and on to what we could do. Carefully.
“Can you make it stop snowing just in the valley? Give the people some time to gather wood and burn the bodies. A farewell to the fallen.”
They were taking too long to answer what Lin thought was a reasonable request.
“Just the valley. Keep the passes blocked. If you believe the snow will slow down the danger or make it look in other places, then keep it up elsewhere. Can you do that?” Lin asked.
“What is your bargain?” Turbin asked.
“After the funerals are complete, I’ll come back and let you find out more about my magic.” Lin let the last words trail off. She didn’t realize how hard it would be for her to say them.
“We can agree to this, Lin,” Almeta said.
“You can’t do this alone, and you need our help. Mel was wise to bring you to us,” Turbin said.
Lin wondered at the wisdom, and she couldn't fathom what their plan was. Their magic was different. Their goals were different. That meant their plans only overlapped for a short time.
“I agree to my part. What about yours?”
“We agree.” Turbin and Almeta closed their eyes and reached for each other’s hands.
Thirty-One
Lost in Herself
Lin walked outside and stopped in her tracks. The gray sky was lighter as the solid overcast deck broke into puffy clouds, and the snow wasn’t falling. She considered turning around to confront the trolmandrs. Had they planned to stop the storm before her deal? But she let their conversation stand.
It was more than a discussion. Lin accepted her agreement with the trolmandr. In some way, she needed to contribute to this village and the people. They sacrificed for her, expecting nothing in return. More time with the trolmandr would allow her to learn more about her powers. A cure wouldn’t be possible, but she might know enough.
Who am I kidding? The trolmandr didn’t know how to cure anything, and they already showed they didn’t have my interests in mind. The valley and the people. Those were their interests. And they protect in a way that suits them. Besides, the snow didn’t stop the attack, and it didn’t save the village. I’m not sure anything would stop the wizard's pursuit.
The uncertainty of the future. As an apprentice working in a tannery, the future wasn’t a subject for consideration. Each day was enough work that the thought of another day of work wasn’t worth the effort. She remembered not having enough energy at the end of a workday to even dream as her body gave way to sleep.
But now, the future was a gamble. The wizard knew where she was. Lin knew it. Either the warriors sent word they captured her, or her magic was a beacon for his search. But how much time? Every extra moment she stayed in this village, she threatened every family and every person. The wizard wouldn’t care about the people who got in his way.
But if she stayed, she might learn enough to deny the wizard his goals. Lin shook her head. She doubted she could learn anything fast enough to tune her power to beat an experienced wizard. Lin didn’t have life left to train with her magic, and she couldn’t afford endless fights before she gave up her life.
Blue skies peeked through the dissipating clouds. The trolmandr were impressive. Their power over nature was beyond Lin's understanding, but she was curious about what they said. They could only do what nature was already going to do. No, that wouldn’t make sense because that wouldn’t be magic. But the speed of the change in weather meant the trolmandr had fantastic control over their power.
As the sky lightened, Lin’s mood didn’t improve. The signs of the weather breaking meant she needed to fulfill her end of the deal. She couldn’t head off into the wilderness and take the danger with her. The trolmandr expected her to live up to her part when the funerals were over.
She had to change her focus from herself and back to those suffering from their losses. Mel and Bridgette had to say goodbye to Joen.
As Grondahl came into view, rays of sunlight from the mountain tops punched through the clouds. The sight of the village in the glow of spring was enough to bring tears to Lin’s eyes. The scene was beautiful, and she witnessed the gift of her sacrifice to Grondahl. Maybe the trolmandr were right.
Clara waited at the edge of the village. She set down two buckets of water and nodded at Lin’s approach.
“You convinced them.” Not a question, a statement.
“I did, Clara.”
“You should tell Holgar that the trolmandr listened to you.”
“I didn’t do it for them.”
“What did you have to pay?”
“Enough. Maybe more than I wanted. But the price was worth it because you were right. I needed to see that.”
“You shouldn’t have paid too much to the trolmandr.”
“You were right about Mel and his family. This is all I could do to give them a chance. If the village gets the same opportunity, then I’m ready to pay the price.”
“Lin, be careful around the trolmandr.”
“Everyone else speaks of them as some amazing power that looks over the village.”
“Not everyone.”
“But you live a good life. None of you have gone hungry, and your lives are beautiful.”
“And none of us leave. There’s more here, Lin. Please be careful.”
Lin closed her mouth after the surprise. Not even Mel was this honest about the trolmandr. Maybe he didn’t know.
“Lin, you should get back to the house and let them know to prepare the pyre.”
“How did you know the weather would break and stay?”
“I could feel the weather change.”
Thirty-Two
The Warning
Lin pushed the door open to Mel's house and tried to slip inside. Bridgette was waiting and scooped her into a warm embrace. Wet cheeks brushed against Lin's forehead.
“Lin, we thought you left.”
“Only to see the trolmandr.”
“Lin, what did you do?” Mel rose from his father’s body.
“What I should've done a long time ago. I made a deal.”
“Lin, no.” Bridgette let go.
“Bridgette, you and Joen let me into your home. You’ve paid a terrible price for that decision.”
“But we did this from the bottom of our hearts.” Brigette shook her head as Lin cut her off.
“I know. But I also decided I'd stay in the village and work with the trolmandr. The least we can do is allow the weather to break. You need a chance to live.”
“We saw the sunlight coming through the window. We’ll need another day or two for the snow to melt and find dry wood,” Mel said.
“I’ll help. I should be close by in case there’s more danger.”
“Lin, you can’t use your magic again. The cost.” As Bridgette released her hug, Mel moved in. Tears welled in the corners of his eyes as he couldn’t finish the sentence. Emotions were high in the room.
