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Every man is surrounded by a neighborhood of voluntary spies. Jane Austen Acting provides the fulfillment of never being fulfilled. You're never as good as you'd like to be. So there's always something to hope for. Washington Irving Lead, follow, or get out of the way. Thomas Paine

Chapter Two: Stonekin (Helena Story)

Chapter Two

Stonekin

I awoke with a start to water being thrown over me. Sitting up with a start I looked at my assailant. Standing above me was Saga with a unlit candle, her green eyes bright with fear and confused. She looked at me, horrified as if I had just come back from the dead. I tried to stand up to face her and find out what was wrong. Instantly the world started spinning and I laid back down letting the contents of my stomach spill onto the stone floor. Quickly stepping back from me she now looked like she wished I really were dead.

Finally Saga broke the silence, “You are...you’re glowing…and disgusting” she stammered looking from me to the floor. I reached out my hand to rob my eyes to see if I was awake, but I stopped midway. My hand was glowing. It was like there was a blue light escaping from every pore in my body. Even as I examined my hand Saga spoke, “A…A maid came to get you at…at about seven. She said…told me… that you had faint…fainted with flash of bl…blue light…and you’re…still glowing.”

Saga moved back another step, putting her face into shadow. I looked at the candle in Saga’s hand and wished it were lit so I could see her face. Something clicked inside my head and without thinking, something I was not doing a lot of lately, I felt energy leave me. Blue light shot from my fingers making a bridge between the candle and me. With a burst of light the candle lit and illuminated Saga’s face. I gasped and starred at the candle. Frightened Saga dropped the candle and ran out of the room slamming the door and locking it fast. The candle went out as it hit the floor. Slowly I crawled over to the candle, and picked it up.

I had lit it just by a simple thought. Did I really have magic now? Everything had happened so fast I had not been able to keep up with it. My hands were still blue and I could see a blue bathing the floor with it’s light. I really was glowing, and I really was magical. Following the now increasingly familiar path I looked in on the blue globe floated within me. Cautiously I touched it again, but nothing spectacular happened. I just felt the power surge within my minds hands. My weariness from the night before seemed to melt away as I touched the globe. Slowly I investigated every section of this new part of me. Finally I knew I had to pull away, and soon found it hard to do so. The power and feeling of being whole was difficult to leave, put as I opened my eyes I still had the memory.

I stood up finding my legs now had strength and walked towards the door. Looking at the doorknob and knowing it was locked I grabbed it and slowly savoring the feeling I let the blue magic flow into the doorknob. “Unlock,” I said finding it easier to say what I wanted. Immediately I heard a click as the lock slid away. The door opened easily on my touch, and I stepped into the corridor. I went down the stairs and started walking not knowing where I should go. I abruptly heard running footsteps coming my way. Instinctively I stepped aside in the shadow of the corridor, just in time to see Saga and Aunt Rose rushing past me. I heard a portion of their conversation. Saga was saying swiftly through soft breaths “She was glowing…really she was…and she lit the candle in my hand with a bl…blue spark. It was just like magic. I locked...” She walked out of earshot, and I could no longer hear anything. I knew I did not want to see them for a while, so I walked to the only place I could think of, the stables.

Aren was standing in his stall looking at me as if expecting a long ride. I decided would oblige him just to get away, to think, and then return after I sorted out everything cluttering my mind. I remembered a grove in the middle of the forest just outside the village that surrounded the castle, that would be perfect to sit, think, and be alone. I grabbed a brush and moved to start getting ready for the trip, hoping no one would stop me. I stopped for a moment and just looked at Aren. You could be a stead fit for a king, I thought as I placed my hand on his shoulder.

Thank you. Taking my hand off of Aren’s back I looked around to see who spoke. You found your magic. I turned around searching for someone. The voice seemed to resond in my head almost like me own thought, but with it’s own voice. Over here, Helena it is me who called you. It’s Ca… Aren. I looked at Aren flabbergasted, “You…you can talk?”

Of course I can talk, did you think all I could do was neigh. Aren gazed at me with his brown eyes, expressive eyes.

“But…but how?” I sputtered.

You couldn’t hear me before because I can only talk to those who are able to do magic.

“Can other’s talk.” I said allowing his voice to fill my mind.

Only u… gifted animals can talk to you. There are not lots of us here on earth. It was odd having a voice in my head and I did not know what to make of it. Everything was just so weird right now, and this was not different. I decided just to accept it along with everything else.

I walked to the tack room to get my saddle and bridle. Then for a moment I stood there not sure what to do. How did you go about tacking up a talking horse. What he would say or do? I had no idea. As if sensing my hesitation he said, Just tack me up and we’ll get out of here before you get stopped and then I won’t get my run. Quickly I did as I was told, just as eager as Aren to go, but took special care to not make him feel uncomfortable. At times I heard a rumbling in my head, almost like stifled laughter. Offended I suddenly yanked the girth too tight. The loud Umph in my head brought a smile to my face as I climbed onto Aren’s back. I had not known a horse could be annoying.

“Are you ready to go” I said addressing him before I used the traditional commands.

What speed would you like, a little fast, fast, or really fast. Aren said

“Let’s just get out of here,” I said. Okay I’ll take that as really fast, and with that we bounded out of the castle at a full Gallop, oblivious to the other people around.

We wound through the streets at a breakneck pace until we got to the forest road. Without prodding Aren charged into the trees and went right to the clearing I had previously designated. A mile from the road, away from prying eyes, the clearing was just wide enough to throw a rock across and not hit a tree on the other side. Here I would not be disturbed. The trees around seemed old, and testified of many strange happenings in the clearing. Each tree twisted and withered around almost making them look alive. When I found this grove four years ago, while visiting my uncle, I felt peace among the twisted trees. Since that time, I had made frequent visits here to think and contemplate life.

I sat down on a fallen tree at the edge of the clearing to think about everything that had happened to me within the past 24 hours. Sorting through each memory about the parchment, the barrier, and my magic, I tried to make some sense out of it all. Each event had become all jumbled together until I could hardly untangle the mess. I could not comprehend it all. Acting on impulses that now, as I look back, I can not explain or even begin to understand what I had done or why I had responded in such a way.

Questions also crowded in from every direction. I had broken the magical barrier, but how? Why had it been there in the first place, and why I had never noticed it before? What was I supposed to do with the magic I had found? How could I go back to a normal life, or would run off and not face life? I decided I would just follow what the parchment had said and see what would happened next. One solution could be to find the door hidden in my room and then I would find my fate. But what fate would that be? That was just another question and I had no answers.

Aren then butted into my thoughts, before you get to hasty I thought I’d tell you what is behind that door is like nothing you have ever seen. You need to prepare, before you can take on what’s hidden there. It will be a while before you are ready. I looked at Aren surprised. How did he know what I was thinking? But the real question I needed to answer was, what does he know about the door?

“What do know about that,” I snapped expressing my question.

Too much, but nothing that you need to know at the moment.

Glaring at him I blurted out, “When I get to control my magic I will turn you into a frog and then you will get to know how I feel right now!” All I heard from him was laughter ringing in my head. Changing my voice to a more soft tone I then said, “I want to learn how to direct the magic. I want to become a sorceress, magician, witch, or whatever you call it.”

Someday you will become… whatever you care to call it, but first you need to stop glowing like you are right now. Right now you just look like a blue blur. You need to hide your magic and control it which, at the moment you are doing neither. You have a lot to learn about your magic before you can even think about the what is behind any door.

“Okay, okay, I’ll try to take my magic in but it might take some thought” Reaching inside myself I found the globe and noticed that little string of blue were still escaping. I tried to pull the strands back in, but like a stubborn mare it resisted. Each strand was like a little kid ready to show itself of to the world. I then had the craziest thought. Maybe if I called my magic in it would like a child obey. Using my inner voice I called it and to my surprise it followed. For the first time I felt like my magic could by controlled. When all the magic was contained by the globe I pulled my inner mind out and smiled at Aren in triumph.

All of a sudden my ears picked up crashing through the woods. With a jolt I realized it was a horse and a horse in these parts always had a rider. Someone most have followed me, and I could only guess what they could want.

Get behind me! Aren called just as the horse and the rider burst out of the woods. Without pausing Aren charged toward them head down, then just before he reached them he reared up flashing his hooves.

“Calm down Caston, it is just me!” shouted the rider.

Aren stopped abruptly and then walked calmly towards the man who was now dismounting. He was a tall man with a wiry frame. Long black hair fell on his shoulders. His most striking feature was his unnaturally green eyes. They looked young and vibrant, which looked odd for a man that looked at least as old as my dad had been. At the same time he looked wise and serious, something only his age could give him. On his hip he wore a sword comfortably as if it were a normal part of his wardrobe. His horse was just as astonishing. The coat was red as flame that almost danced in the light of the clearing. Then its hair was whiter than hair I had ever seen. Together they looked like they had appeared out of a storybook.

I stood rooted to the spot starring that the man that had followed me here. Just the fact the Aren had obeyed him made him extraordinary, for Aren rarely obeyed anyone but me. I watched as the man put his hand on Aren muzzle, like they were old friends. Finally the stranger turned to me, after looking at me for a moment he spoke.

“Halena, it has been a long time. Your father stayed away from me so I did not see you grow up. Still without my supervision you have grown into a beautiful young lady. But what bring you here, surely you did come here hide.” He stared at me as if he knew all my secrets from the day I was born to now. I started when he started talking about my father, but by the time he accused me of hiding I was bristling.

She has just found her magic which took a lot longer than you first guessed. Aren spoke to the man, and when he nodded I realized he could hear him. Another question popped into my head, but I could sence now was not the time for stupid questions.

“You seem to have the advantage, because you know my name but I do not yet know yours.” All of a sudden he looked vaguely familiar. As if I had seen him in a dream. I brushed off the thought for dreams were just dreams.

“My name is Stonekin, I was a friend of your fathers. He wanted you to grow up with a normal life and so he kept me away. Maybe if he had not died he would have succeeded.” Smiling he went on, “Know that you have found your magic it will be impossible to have a normal. I will help you find your magic.”

All at once understanding flooded me. Stonekin could teach me to use my magic. Overjoyed I forgot that he still was a stranger and blurted out, “Can you help me with my magic?” I asked.

“Yes, you will come to this grove in one week, choose any time, I will know you are coming. You must promise me that you will tell no one where you are going when you leave. No more using your magic, until give my permission. You understand these conditions?” he asked.

“Yes, bu...”

“Good.” This was all he had to say, and without another word he hopped on his horse and rode off, before I could say anything more.