WinterMaejic by Terie Garrison

the rest of the group. Anazian was nearest, and he had to be at least twenty feet back.
    “I do not know how long we will be on the move, and I do not want to neglect your studies any more than necessary. We cannot do much, but what we can do, we shall.”
    “Sounds good to me.”
    Yallick gave me a sharp look, as if in disapproval of my light tone, but he didn’t remark on it. “How are you bearing up under all the tension in the air?”
    “What tension in the air?” And then I caught my breath. I had always been extremely sensitive to the life vibrations all around me. But until Yallick mentioned it, I hadn’t even noticed their absence the past few days.
    He frowned. “Do you not feel it? Between this gaggle of mages and the forest itself, the cacophony is palpable.”
    “I . . . I don’t understand. I don’t feel anything. That’s very strange.”
    For several moments, Yallick looked deep in thought. Then his eyebrows shot up. “Try this. I know you cannot close your eyes as we walk, so it might not work. But try anyway. Clear your thoughts.”
    Just like the meditation routine. I tried to allow the rhythm of my steps to substitute for blocking out sight. I’d learned back at Roylinn that rhythm could work that way, although I’d never tried it.
    Yallick must have been able to tell when my mind had cleared. “Now focus. Feel what is around you. Life. Heart. Thought. Song. Feel the forest.”
    It was as if a brick wall crashed down inside my head. Yes, I could once again feel the vibrations around me. The heartbeat of the forest. The thought of the earth itself. The song of the wind. And more. The agony of defeat. Fear of the future, of the present. Terror for an end. An end to what? I staggered under the burden. The screaming earth rose up and slammed itself against me.

    What have the dragonmasters to do with us? Why do they pursue us? And more to the point, how did they find us?
    All the world is in upheaval now. A red dragon. A powerful new mage. Our ancient nemesis attacking. Portentous signs indeed, but to what do they point?
    Is this the darkest hour before the dawn?

Ididn’t pass out. But my collision with the ground didn’t stop the onslaught of vibrational activity. I clamped my hands over my ears to try to lessen the effects, but since it was a spiritual awareness, that didn’t work.
    Yallick knelt next to me, and the mages began to draw near.
    “Stay back!” Yallick’s arm shot up and I felt power emanate from him. To me, he said softly, “Focus again.” But I couldn’t. He placed a forefinger in the center of my forehead. “Focus on this spot.” That was easier. “Clear your mind. Concentrate on the place where my skin touches yours.” I took deep breaths, slowed the beating of my heart, and tried to ignore the noise inside my head. And suddenly, it was gone. I blinked in surprise and sat up.
    In such close proximity, I could see in Yallick’s eyes a deep concern, almost like a father’s for a terribly sick child. “What did you do?” I asked.
    His expression turned quizzical. “Do?”
    “The noise . . . the vibrations . . . it all went away. It’s gone.”
    He let out a long breath, stood up, and pulled me to my feet. Then he beckoned the watching mages, in front of whom I saw a very anxious Anazian, and we started moving forward again.
    “Well,” Yallick said, cocking he head slightly to one side, “that was an interesting experiment.”
    I scowled at him, and he burst out in laughter that rang through the forest. A sarcastic remark rose to my lips, but I managed—just barely—to suppress it.
    “In truth, I cannot teach you what you already know. I can only teach you how it works and how to control it.”
    Not in a mood to solve conundrums, I just kept walking and didn’t say anything.
    “Today I thought to teach you how to block outside vibrations. I know how sensitive you are, and with the air around us so unstable with them, I knew you must be struggling. Only I