The Witch of Storn

Chapter 31

Rey pranced down a path lined with pink and yellow striped lollipops, stopping ever so often to take a huge chomp out of the closest lollipop. On either side a field of grass stretched out behind the lollipops, as far as the horizon. Rey could make out a few drops of dew on each blade of grass; the dew looked appetizing and she wondered if it was a sweet, just like the lollipops. However she had no desire to leave the path, her destination much more enticing. Where was she going? She had no idea but she was sure whatever waited at the end of the path was surely worth it.

Suddenly she stopped and looked around. It seemed someone had called her name in the distance, but when she turned round she saw no one, so she resumed her journey. Or she would, if the ground beneath her hadn't trembled at that moment. Rey lost her balance but caught hold of the nearest lollipop stick in time to save heralf from falling over. When the shaking had stopped she let go of the stick, gingerly regaining her footing. All around it was chaos, with lollipops strewn all over the road behind and in front of her. Those that had mangaed to stay standinh were tilted at various angles. Rey took a hesitant step forward, wondering how to proceed when the earth shook again. She fell this time, and with nothing to stop her her bodt soon made contact with the ground--

"Rhaenar!"

Rey was jerked awake, looking round wildly with wide eyes.

"Yes?"

Zaria shook her head at her. "I've been shaking you for a good while now, why is it so hard to wake you?"

Rey glared at her when she heard the words. So Zaria had been the reason for the earthquake in her dream? Why was she not suprised that once again Zaria was ruining something for her?

"Quit the dramatics. Here," Zaria said as she held out a small brown cloth bag to Rey, who realized she had spoken her thoughts aloud. She took the bag, sgakinh it. It made a dull sound when she did so, though she could tell from feeling it that it held a lot of small round objects. She looked at Zaria.

"What's this?"

Zaria turned back to the book on her lap without answering. Rey made a face at her and decided to find out for herself. She undid the knot that held the bag closed and a wide smile broke out on her face when she finally saw its contents. Food! It was only a mixture of roasted nuts and dried berries of all kinds but Rey was thankful. She hadn't noticed at first but her stomach felt hollow, like it was being eaten from the inside out. Rey made quick work of the snack and folded up the bag when she was done, placing it into her bag which lay under her seat. Satiated for the time being, she leaned back in her seat and watched the other passengers. The little girl next to her tried to engage her in conversation, smiling up at the older girl and showing off the gap in her little teeth. Unfortunately she spoke in Stormne and after a little back and forth they decided to let it go because neither could understand what the other was saying. Which was a pity, because the girl was very cute with her beribboned pigtails and chubby cheeks and after a long period with only a crusty old hag for company Rey would have enjoyed a conversation with a child. She nodded to the girl's mother who sat on the girl's other side and returned to watching them, regretting not asking Zaria to teach her Stormne when she had the chance. All around all she could hear was Stormne, and she was about to give up and read the book she had packed for the journey when she noticed the captain of the ship making his way to the passengers' area. The conversations quieted as he approached, and soon almost everyone seated there watched him as he strode to the area where Zaria and Rey sat, except for Zaria who showed no intention of looking away from her book.

Was he approaching them? Rey sat up in her seat but slumped again when he walked past them. He stopped in front of the man who had changed seats earlier, saying a few words to him in Stormne. Rey rolled her eyes and looked away in disinterest, only to look back when something moved in the corner of her eye. The man had gotten to his feet, following the captain to the front part of the ship. Rey eyed his clothes; he wore a dark gray robe which was cinched at the waist with a woven belt of leather. It was knotted at one side, ending in a long cord that hung down. Beside the tail of the belt a brown pouch was attached to his waist. The robe itself looked new and had various images in silver all over it. He was already a good distance away before she could get a good look at the patterns but she managed to make out a silver sun with wavy rays.

"What is he going to do?"

Zaria looked up from her book for the first time since she had picked it up, looking mildly irritated at the interruption.

"What?"

Rey pointed with her chin at the man in the robe. When Zaria saw who Rey was asking about she went back to her book, obviously disinterested.

"Oh. Him. Just a weather wizard."

Rey looked back at the man. "What's a weather wizard?"

If Zaria heard the question she pretended not to. Rey rolled her eyes at the woman and resumed watching the man, who now stood very close to the edge of the boat, such that a few steps would throw him into the sea. The captain stood a respectful distance away, watching him like the passengers.

The wizard took off the pouch at his waist and opened it, scooping out a bright blue substance with his free hand. Then he flung the substance into the air; it shimmered as it dispersed, aided by the wind which had intensified all of a sudden, whipping Rey's hair in her eyes until she brought it under control. The blue dust whirled around the ship, hanging over it but never touching it. One little boy across her stretched out a hand to touch it but his mother yanked him back, berating him in a hushed tone. It made her wonder if the dust had any adverse effects. Then the wizard threw his arms out on either side of him and began chanting loudly. Rey heard Zaria scoff but when she glanced at the woman she was reading quietly, ignoring the scene before them.

As the wizard chanted the wind grew fiercer, and when he stopped and put his arms down it had turned into a gale, whipping at hats and scarves. There were shrieks here and there as the passengers lunged at a stray scarf or a flying hat. As quickly as it had arrived the gale disappeared, replaced with a light breeze. The weather had been fine previously, with a few clouds occasionally blocking out the sun, but now the skies were clear with not a cloud to be spotted. This prompted loud applause from the passengers and crew and the wizard waved at the cheering people. Rey felt like clapping too but didn't because she had a feeling Zaria would have her head for it for some reason.

The captain shook the wizard's hand and gave him a pouch, then the wizard walked back to his seat. As he neared Rey could hear the bag clinking; guessing it was payment for whatever it was he had just done. He swaggered to his seat, sending Zaria a smug look as he sat. To her credit the woman didn't even react, engrossed in her book.

The wizard didn't like that. "What, not going to thank me for a job well done?" He spoke in Revonan, to Rey's surprise and delight.

Zaria closed her book gently, keeping one finger in it to mark her place. Even as she turned in his direction the aura of dignity around her made it seem like she was a queen gracing a lowly subject with her attention.

"You chased a few clouds out of a perfectly fine sky. I'm so impressed."

Rey's lips trembled at Zaria's dry tone and the way the wizard's smug face morphed into one of anger.

"You should be, considering that you witches can't even do something so basic."

Rey's eyebrows lifted. This wizard really had a death wish. Zaria raised an eyebrow.

"What makes you think I'm a witch?"

Rey wanted to know too.

"I can feel your aura, it's not much different from us wizards," he replied. Rey wondered why he was so proud when he said 'us wizards'. Were wizards a special breed?

"So if we have the same aura, what makes you think witches are unable to do what you just did?" Zaria was still calm. It felt like the conversation going on wasn't related to her one bit.

The wizard scoffed in return. "I doubt it. All you know are parlour tricks, nothing worth mentioning."

There was a collective gasp, and only then did Rey notice that some of the passengers were paying attention to the verbal duel. There was even one man at one corner who seemed to be translating the words of Zaria and the wizard to the people around him, and at one side Rey saw the captain leaning against a wall and watching; with folded arms.

Admirably Zaria didn't show any reaction to the insult except for a raised eyebrow.

"Parlour tricks, hmm?"

Rey silently prayed for the wizard, sending him a look of great pity. After all, judging by the smirk Rey could see creeping onto Zaria's lips, the man was doomed.

Zaria chuckled. The woman in between the two cringed, trying to make herself smaller. Rey sent her another look of pity, the poor woman.

"If I hex you right now I wonder if you would still think of it as a 'parlour trick'," Zaria said. The look on her face was one of contemplation, as if she was considering the best way to hex the wizard.

There was only silence following Zaria's words. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw the captain straighten up. Even the wizard didn't have anything to say, looking as stunned as the rest who listened. Rey wondered whether he had finally been quieted; he didn't seem like the type to be cowed by threats --

"You dare?" He had regained his voice at last.

"You want to find out?" Zaria retorted.

The wizard had already risen to his feet when the captain strode over quickly, speaking to him in a low voice. He sat down again, sending a glare at Zaria and then ignoring her. The captain then moved to Zaria. To Rey's dismay he spoke in Stormne, so she had no idea what he said to Zaria, who responded with a few words and picked up her book again when the captain walked away. The other passengers looked disappointed but returned to their conversations, making the area noisy again. On Zaria's other side the woman heaved a sigh of relief.

Rey leaned into Zaria, so close that she was breathing into Zaria's ear.

"Didn't you say rituals needed time to cast?" she said in a whisper.

Zaria eyed her with distaste, pushing Rey's head away from her with an index finger.

"When did I say that? All I said was some rituals take time to cast, depending on how long they last, their purpose or their magnitude."

Rey sighed inwardly. Zaria had gone into lecture mode and she only had herself to blame.

"Hexes aren't very hard to cast because they only last a month at most. Curses, however, last for as long as the caster wants them to or until they are broken, so they take quite a lot to cast."

"Huh." It didn't make much sense to Rey. "What about those stories I've heard about witches cursing people? It never took more than a minute."

Zaria just scoffed. "Gross exaggerations. If that did happen it just meant that all the conditions were right to cast the spell."

Rey wanted to ask more questions, but Zaria returned to her book before she could. She wouldn't be getting any more answers out of the woman before she was finished with her book, so Rey got out her own book.

It kept her occupied until she heard cheering and she looked up to see the other passengers getting to their feet and grabbing their luggage. Beside her Zaria was already standing, putting her book into her bag.

"We've arrived?"

For once Zaria answered one of what she called Rey's 'stupid questions'.

"Indeed, we have. Now get up, quickly. I want to be clean and well rested as soon as possible."