Eolyn by Karin Rita Gastreich Page B

a warrior maga like my mother.” Eolyn’s voice cut sharp through cool morning air.
    Ghemena gathered a handful of bean pods, set them in her basket, and observed her charge for several minutes. Vexation marked Eolyn’s every move as she wrestled carrots out of the soft earth.
    “But there is no war to fight,” Ghemena replied. “Why learn the arts of war if no war exists in which to apply them?”
    “It would serve to defend myself against those who would punish me for my magic and…” Eolyn forced another carrot out of the ground and threw it in her basket. “It would serve to avenge the destruction of my village and the murder of my family.”
    “There are many strategies for self-defense that do not require wartime magic. As for vengeance, who speaks to you of such things? The impulse for revenge has no place in this household, much less in your lessons.”
    Ghemena received the girl’s cross silence with concern. An agitated glow tinged Eolyn’s aura, accompanied by a surprising spark Ghemena had not noticed until this moment.
    “You have a friend you haven’t told me about,” she realized in astonishment. “Who would have thought? A child in this corner of the woods. And a secret you’ve chosen to keep from me.”
    Still Eolyn did not speak. She wrapped her fist around another bunch of carrot greens and pulled hard. Tension creased the girl’s brow and the sweat of her efforts dampened the fine roots of her hair.
    “Why did you not tell me?” Ghemena insisted.
    The earth released the carrot unexpectedly, throwing Eolyn back on her heels. She stared at the vegetable for a long moment and then tossed it in a basket. “He asked me not to.”
    “Oh for the love of the Gods!” Ghemena lifted her hands to the heavens. “What is it with men that they can smell a virgin across such distances? Who is he, Eolyn? The son of a forester? He cannot be a thief, or I would have lost you to some terrible fate long ago.”
    “He’s not a thief or a forester. He’s just a boy who comes to visit the forest, a student of magic like me.”
    The words hit Ghemena in the stomach. The ground lurched and her vision blurred. She caught herself on unsteady hands and tried to recuperate her breath. A harsh rattle invaded her lungs.
    Eolyn rushed to place her hands upon the old woman’s back, but the girl’s healing powers had not matured enough to penetrate Ghemena’s brittle ribs.
    “A mage!” Ghemena gasped. “But how? Where did he come from?”
    “I’m not sure.” Eolyn sounded distraught. “He just appears. He told me he lives in a forest like this one, only everything is made of stone. Ghemena, what is wrong? Where has your breath gone?”
    The old maga closed her eyes. Her head sank into shaking hands. Only one place could be described as a stone forest, the great city of Moisehén, the King’s City. A student of Tzeremond had somehow crossed the kingdom, penetrated the South Woods, and found Eolyn.
    I do not have the strength at this stage of life to confront a disaster of such magnitude.
    Ghemena lifted her face and found it wet with tears. “You cannot see him again. And we, we must leave this place at once to seek a new refuge.”
    Even as she spoke Ghemena recognized the impossibility of this task. Varyl would not return before spring, and Ghemena was too old to move without his help. At least two moons would pass before winter rendered the South Woods impenetrable. If the mages wished to track them down, they could do it before Samhaen.
    She drew a deep breath. “Perhaps we can find a new place for you, Eolyn. Somewhere to hide in the coming months. You could stock it with supplies from the cottage and wait for spring to show you another path. I am too old to ask for a longer life. If they find me, little will be lost. But you, you cannot die now. You must run and hide.”
    “No, Ghemena,” Eolyn protested. “I will not leave you.”
    “You have no choice! A student of Tzeremond has found you.