'I'll get you some food, my friend. I know it must be hard for you right now. But just you watch the spectacle. Your mate might just come up and nuzzle my arm as well.'

  She reached round for her staff and as she thrust it into the air, a translucent cloud burst from its shaft. The glare shocked the alpha male to retreat for a moment, but keeping an eye on his family, he moved forward again. The cubs hid under their mother, whimpering and jostling. The she-wolf stood firm. The cloud grew strong and fierce and sucked up the debris like a spiralling tornado, scouring the land for sludge and mud. Within moments, gallons of water had been extracted from the deluged soil. Once the cloud was full, Sansara sent out another blast and it vanished from sight... to empty its deluge in some other vortex, she demanded. Then she curved the staff into an arch and created a rainbow of light which brought a palette of colour to the island again.

  Minute by minute, the contours bloomed, trees climbed higher, and the scent of life breezed through the windows. The sky returned to its natural shade of azure, and the lake responded. A brand new carpet rolled out on the hills to reveal vibrant blooms and joyful colours. The hares jumped, the lambs frolicked, and the horses bucked. Life had returned to the island.

  With another tap on the ground, she provided food for the wolves. It was then that the alpha male ran up to her, and with his front paws on her shoulders, reached down to lick her face.

  'I know you are pleased, my beautiful boy, and I hope we can be friends now.' He continued to lick her face in joyful emotion and jumped down when Sansara ordered a juicy red steak especially for him.

  She stood for a moment or two, watching the lay of the land change back to what it was before. And her heart strings pulled at the sight of the cubs having their first meal in a very long time. She laughed out loud at the sound of them pushing and jostling, but the mother and father were too busy themselves to sort them out.

  'Don't worry, Pilot. I'm not going to leave you out.' She conjured up a bucket of oats and a bag of hay. Pilot nickered in response and submerged her head into the bucket.

  'Well, that's the first time I've ever seen anything like that.'

  Sansara spun around at the sound and looked at Raoul, propped up on one elbow, watching her.

  Chapter Eleven

  It was morning. The sun hovered just above the trees casting earth's first shadows. Her face bore a look of happiness, eyes bright and wide, lips just parting, long dark hair spiralled in a coil that hung to her waist. But he had watched her. He had seen everything.

  Sansara stared back at him. She couldn't help herself, though she knew it would make him feel awkward. He had discovered her secret, and there was nothing she could do. She would have to tell him the truth. But that wasn't the reason that made her stare. It was because he was so handsome. Of course, she had spent several hours looking at him while he was asleep—she hadn't left his side. But that was when he lay with his hair brushed off face, covered with a poultice on his eye, and an unguent on his body. And yes, the symmetrical features and strong jaw had been plain to see. But now, with straight black hair falling past his chin and vivid blue eyes set in a thicket of black lashes, he was like a magnet. He must have put a spell on her when she wasn't looking, she thought. For long seconds, she stared, held there suspended, and she couldn't seem to look away. And he stared right back at her with the curl of a smile lingering in the corner of his mouth. She tore her eyes away from him as the flush rose up to her cheeks and looked to the ground as she tried to regain her composure.

  She was probably the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Certainly the strongest. No wonder she was able to pull him up out of the boat and support his weight. Did she use that wand to save him? Was the horse magic as well? And the wolves? A woman who commanded respect from an alpha male—now that was even more incredible than turning a dying island into a paradise again.

  When the beam of rainbow light burst through the shutters, he thought he was dreaming. But when he sat up and removed the poultice, he saw what she was doing through the open door. He was relieved when she turned around, for it proved he wasn't hallucinating.

  There was an innocence about her, as if she had never seen a man before, and yet her body was that of a mature woman. Though he instantly felt as if she bewitched him—such was the effect she had on him, even if she wasn't a sorceress—he would still have found her enchanting.

  'I'm sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you.' His voice was like velvet to her ears.

  'No, no, you didn't embarrass me, I am just surprised to see you up so soon.'

  He rubbed the back of his head and winced. 'Well, I might have still been asleep if I hadn't been woken by spells and magic.' He dipped his chin while still looking at her and was pleased to see her furtive expression crack into a warm smile.

  'I haven't ever done that before.' Her face flushed again. 'Well, not to that extent.'

  'It was very impressive, and the wolves enjoyed it the most, I do believe.' His chin jutted out to the family grooming themselves in the sun.

  'Yes, poor things. Now there will be food for all the animals again.' She looked at them adoringly but turned back quickly when she heard him moan.

  'Here, let me help you sit up. You can have this rocking chair by the fire.'

  'Where will you sit?'

  'I have another wooden chair here at my table, I will move it round.'

  She poured him a cup of willow-bark tea and cut off a hunk of bread. 'I will make something a bit more substantial when I have been out in the garden.'

  He looked at her quizzically again.

  'I don't do everything with magic you know—only when I have to.'

  He smiled as he eased himself back into wearing the clean shirt and newly sewn breeches. 'Thank you for saving me and cleaning me up.'

  'You are very welcome.' She sat down opposite him and sipped on her tea. 'So, tell me how you got washed up on my island. I haven't seen another soul for many years, you know.'

  'Well, your story sounds far more interesting than mine. But I will tell you my story, if you will tell me yours after.'

  She nodded. 'That's a deal.'

  Chapter Twelve

  'I remember the excitement surrounding my first sea voyage,' he began. 'Leaving my comfortable homestead behind, my mother tearfully waving me off with her handkerchief, and my father comforting her with a strong arm around her shoulders, though they knew it was the start of an adventure for a twenty-year-old lad. It was something I had wanted to do from when I was a small boy: to be an ardent explorer. My grandfather used to tell me stories about seafarers finding hidden continents or small island gems. Of shipwrecks and monsters, and pirates and buried treasure. Though, for me, it was more about the being the first to discover something, to be one of the first to walk on unchartered territory and leave my mark somewhere. So, with a heavy heart, my parents let me go, and even helped me secure a position on a boat.

  ‘It was a grey morning when I wandered down to the harbour to board my waiting ship. The chill was biting and whipped across my face without reason. This same raw chill was to follow me from that very day.'

  He took another sip of willowbank and pulled his rug up to his cheeks.

  'The ship was very similar to yours, I remember: a lean vessel with a high prow. It bore the figurehead of a serpent; but it was the wealth of savage-looking sailors that unsettled me more. Half of them had black teeth while many of them had no more than one or two that hung jagged from discoloured gums. Their beards did little to conceal the monstrosity, and their rags and old furs merely added to their animal-like persona.'

  Sansara winced at such a spectacle.

  'I remember how the narrow plank heaved and swayed dangerously, and I had to hang on for dear life. I lost my hat to the wind which caused an eruption of laughter from the deck as I tried to catch it. Hanging on to my bindle, and on to the rope, as well, caused much amusement among the ranks. All these toothless grins laughing at me as if I were merely put there for their entertainment. But I laughed along with the best of them, even though I didn't find it amusing at all.'

  Sansara put a hand up to hide her broadening smile.

  The look didn't go unnoticed by Raoul. 'I went below deck to secure a bed and lay out my few belongings, then I ventured back up to get my orders and prepared to sail.'

  "Ever been on a ship before, lad?" A burly sailor asked me.

  "Oh yes, many times." I lied. The sailor flipped his chin up as if to say If that's your story lad, then who am I to disbelieve you. But, of course, he didn't believe me. I looked no more a sailor then than I do now, but I was eager to sail around the world and explore the wondrous things that no one else had seen. I yearned to be an explorer.'

  Sansara nodded in agreement. She had to venture to new continents to find her calling and was yet to discover more. She stopped in mid thought as Raoul carried on.

  'The Captain, a leathery man of undeterminable age, took his place at the tiller, and the oarsmen took up their places. I was sent up to the crow's nest by the burly sailor, and the ship surged ahead, making for the open sea.

  'Weren't you scared up in the crow's nest?' she asked with concern.

  'Yes, I was terrified, but I wasn't going to let anyone know that. I shimmied up there as if I had been doing it all of my life.'

  Sansara laughed, to which Raoul grunted in return. He winced as he held on to the ache at his side. Sansara rose quickly in concern, but Raoul gestured for her to remain sitting. He still had a long way to go.

  'I slept that night in unbelievably cramped quarters. One minute, I thought I had loads of room, with a spacious hammock and a bearable odour. But by the time it came to bedding down for the night, it seemed that all the oarsmen had decided to kip down with me, and I had to sleep with a blanket over my head. The smell was quite awful.'

  Sansara wrinkled her nose at the thought.

  'After a couple of weeks, we were making progress with a good prevailing wind. The sails were raised, and most of the men were able to rest. I stood on the deck, looking out to sea and suddenly I spotted something. I nudged the chap next to me and pointed to what I had seen. He shimmied up the crow’s nest and shouted down to us.

  "Land ahoy?"

  "Is it an island?" I called up to him.

  "No, it looks like stone or slab coming out of the water..... wait a minute.... there's lots of them ... and they look like towers."

  The Captain stood on the bow and took out his spyglass. "He's right, you know. It looks like a buried city"'

  Raoul noticed Sansara's fixed gaze and paused briefly to finish his tea. He nodded when she gestured to pour him another cup. She took her stance again when she had refilled both cups, and, leaning forward with her chin on the heel of her hand, she pressed him with raised eyebrows to know what happened next.

  'The news of an underwater city travelled fast, and half-dressed men clambered up from below, all eager to witness this forgotten ruin. Some men were arguing that it was just a mass of rocks, but the closer we moved towards it, the more apparent it became.'

  Sansara had her eyes wide open now.

  'The captain had never seen anything like it. He said that in all his twenty years as a seafarer, he had little to show for his explorations, and this was too exciting an opportunity to miss, so he prepared to drop anchor.'

  'I have never seen a ruined city, either,' exclaimed Sansara. 'I should love to, though.'

  Raoul raised one eyebrow at her retort. He responded with a low 'hmmm,' and carried on.

  'Then suddenly, alongside the ship, came the most beautiful sea creatures you have ever seen. Certainly, I had never seen anything like them. They were smooth and silver, almost a blue-grey colour, but their smiling faces were their most amazing characteristic. They performed tricks in the water and jumped alongside us. They were like acrobats and clowns with their dazzling skills. Everyone was cheering and laughing.'

  Sansara looked at him in earnest, her lips parted in anticipation.

  'These mammals swam round the ruins, curling around each other, then they all dived to the depths. As we looked down, what looked like the remains of a palace appeared. The towers were ornate and spiralled down for several fathoms. The bricks were grey and mottled, the texture was of slate. One man shouted that he could see treasure, and another called out that he could see gold. Most of the men swore they could see mermaids—and one by one they started to jump in. Someone threw me overboard. "Get in there and find yourself a mermaid. Might make a man out of you yet" he yelled out. I could still hear him laughing as he jumped in after me.

  ‘I had got caught in a coracle on the side of the ship. I couldn't free myself. I was clinging onto the ropes and shouting for help. I could feel my shirt ripping from the seams. It bunched up and held me there suspended. I didn't know what was keeping me there, but I hung on to the ropes regardless.

  ‘The beautiful gliding creatures had swum away by now, probably from all the noise we were making. With all the men splashing in the water, shouting and laughing and climbing on the turrets, it was quite an alarming spectacle. But, suddenly, there was this huge roar, and the spikes that rose from the sea like towers rose from the depths like teeth. The treasure that the sailors thought they had seen were scales, and the mermaids were the deep yellow eyes of a monster. It rose out of the sea like a serpent, its forked tongue flailed back and forth like a whip from its unhinged jaw. And when its body breeched the waves, I saw a thousand scales shining like wet tar as the sea water clung to them. We had awoken a sleeping giant.

  ‘The ship was rocked from side to side as it thrashed about. Tidal waves slammed into the hull. I managed to heave myself into the small coracle and slide down so I would not be seen. I could hear screaming men and gurgling cries for help. The ocean spray was crimson now, and the roar of the awoken beast was unlike anything I had heard before. I saw the huge tail as it came down to thrash the ship in half. My coracle was dislodged at once, and I was propelled far from the squall. I could still hear the sounds of death, of drowning men and bodies being ripped in half. But there was nothing I could do. Nothing at all. I had no oar or paddle, and even if I had managed to use my hands to get within a foot of the men, the creature would have torn me to shreds as well.

  ‘The strength of its wrath propelled me far from the disaster, and as the serpent lowered itself to its slumber again, nothing of the ship remained. I was the only survivor.' He stopped and took in a few breaths as he relived the encounter.

  'Oh, my goodness, Raoul. And you think that my story could surpass that? I don't think so.'

  He shrugged his shoulders in response and pushed out a deep breath through his nose. 'I was lucky, Sansara. Really lucky. I had the Fates with me that day. But I remained in the coracle for days… long days which morphed into one long nightmare. I didn't know whether it was night or day most of the time. I slept for long periods. I tried to catch fish—unsuccessfully. And then came the self-doubt. I should have gone back for them. I could have saved one, maybe two. I thought I was going mad. I thought my Fates had forgotten me. But then the storm came… and brought me to you.'

  Sansara levered herself out of her chair and leaned forward. She stroked the hair from his brow and then touched the side of his face with her cupped hand. He reached up to take it in his own and kissed it before holding it to his cheek.

  'You did nothing wrong, Raoul. Those coracles are only meant for a couple of people. If you had made it back to them, then they would all have tried to get in. But you have already said you had no paddle. It would have been impossible to reach them. Yes, it is a tragedy that those poor men died, but you are not to blame. They made the decision to jump in when they hadn't determined the dangers. Please erase that thought from your mind.'

  'You are right, dear Sansara. Of course, you are right. But this is my destiny. This is my journey of hope. The Fates did not desert me as I imagined so many times out there. The winds brought me to your shores. Not only was I saved from the mouth of a sea serpent, I was also brought to you.'

  She leaned into him tenderly again and kissed his cheek. 'You must be hungry now. I will fix us some dinner, and after we have eaten, I will share my story with you.'

  'Now, this I am longing to hear.'

  He leaned back with his eyes closed and stretched his toes out to the fire. He could hear the sounds of Sansara preparing their food beside him and humming a delightful tune. But he didn't see her wafting a spell over him so that he would forget what he had seen her do. All he would remember was how a beautiful woman had saved his life and how she told him her story of how she was born and raised on the island, and that she lived alone there now.

  'I have been spared by an angry sea serpent and saved by the beautiful Sansara. What a fine story we can tell our grandchildren when we are old and grey.'

  Chapter Thirteen

  A breeze curled around his face, bringing an image of long hair blowing around him and carrying the scent of food to his nostrils. He opened his eyes. Sansara was already up and preparing breakfast.

  'How are you feeling today?' she asked him, aware of his movement.

  'Much better, thank you.' He sat up and felt the back of his head, pleased that the swelling had gone down.

  'And your eye injury? I see that has healed quickly as well.'

  'Yes,' he replied, lightly touching the newly formed scab. 'You certainly have magic hands.'

  She smiled back at him. 'It's the herbs and plants that I use. They are the magic, not I.' She turned back to carry on with her dough making.

  'I love the taste of fresh bread,' he said, remembering how his mother used to bake loaves and rolls for the family.

 

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