Chapter 9

When Elaine walked into the campsite, Margaret greeted her with a warm embrace. She stood up from a log next to a roaring fire. Small items indicated a living space: there were two tents strung up from bows of trees. Twin pillars of sticks held clothes hanging out to dry. Skinned animals hung from bushes, ready to be roasted over the fire. There was even a small writing desk with a quill and parchment. She even saw a bundle of swords near the tents; Elaine wondered what they were for and whether she would be fighting anyone. 

Margaret looked better than she had in Elaine's village, although Elaine was not sure why. She was still old and a bit stooped, with gray hair that stuck out in all directions, and a long, drawn look that reflected years of hardship and sadness. But there was a glimmer in her eyes now, a glint, that had not been there before. She had hope.

"I'm so glad you made it," Margaret said. "Renard, good job." She bent down to scratch him between his ears. 

"It was not easy," he replied. "She kept getting lost, and I had to save her a time or two."

"As I recall, I saved myself," Elaine said with a smile. 

"Of course you did," said Margaret. "That's why you are here."

Elaine smiled smugly at Renard, and he rolled his eyes.

That night, Margaret gave her first lesson of magic. They gathered around the campfire, its embers burning brightly. Elaine was excited and nervous to finally start learning magic officially. Renard was not the best of teachers. He dozed by her ankles, his belly full from dinner.

"Magic is extraordinarily simple," Margaret said. "All you must do is desire something greatly, then let yourself have it."

"If it were that easy, I would have already become a master," said Elaine.

Renard bit her ankle.

"Respect, young one," he growled. 

"My apologies," she said. "But I have wanted things badly, but nothing seems to happen."

"Then you are blocking yourself. Quite often, the biggest obstacle to getting what we want is ourselves," said Margaret. She looked at the stars, then murmured softly, "I would know." 

She was quiet for a moment, then gave a sigh. "Get some sleep," she said. "Tomorrow, we'll start early in the morning."

"When are you going to tell me why I'm here?" asked Elaine.

"Tomorrow," promised Margaret. "Tomorrow I will tell you what I can."

*

The poor thing, she looks half-dead from fright. I can only imagine the route Renard took her on. Knowing him, he took the most difficult paths for her. He does love to build character, that one. 

But she is here, and that is the important thing. I suppose she will be wondering about me. I will tell her all about my past eventually. How I caused everything to come to ruin. How I made this kingdom the disaster that it is. But I must take baby-steps with her. She is still like a little lost lamb, her eyes wide and huge, and she is ready to bolt at the very first sign of trouble. She needs to toughen up a bit for the long road ahead. 

*

"Running?" said Elaine. "To learn magic, I have to run?"

"To practice magic, you have to have a strong mind. To have a strong mind, you have to have a strong body. Now, get moving. Renard will go with you."

Elaine began; she thought she had left running behind after finding Margaret. She did not see the point of the exercise, but she didn't argue. She simply ran. 

For all her fearfulness, Elaine was stronger than she appeared. She managed to run six miles before collapsing back into the campsite. Sweat poured down her body, and she took deep breaths. 

"Excellent," said Margaret. "By the time we're done, you will be able to run twenty without stopping."

Elaine gave a deep groan. She felt exhausted and ready to sleep for an eternity.

"Now, go wash up. There is something I want to show you."

*

The night hung heavy around Elaine. The stars burned brightly above, winking at her, as if they were trying to tell her something secret, something that only they could tell her. The air was growing cold with the coming of winter. Elaine moved closer to the fire. 

Margaret stoked the fire, then said "Now, here is the first thing. I promised I would tell you why you are here. Here it is: A terrible force is rising in the kingdom. There are others like you, others who need your help. Some are locked away, deep in a dungeon, and others have not been seen in years. But you are the only one who can rescue them," she said. 

"The tyrant who sits on the throne is growing eviller by the day. I feared to tell you while you were in the village for several reasons. First, it was to protect you and your family. You never know who is listening when there are people near, and who might catch snatches of conversation unintended for their ears. Bringing you this deep into the forest was the only way we could speak freely, without fear of repercussion from the kingdom."

Elaine sat silently, looking at the fire. "But we've always been told that the king is just and good, and that he protects us from outsiders," she said. 

Renard bit her ankle. "Elaine, think. Do you really believe that is true?"

Elaine thought about the unjustified tax increases, the way people feared to speak ill of the king, the way that he could take away their land or money without any reason at all.

"No," she said finally. "I guess I don't."

Margaret brought something into her lap. It was covered by a deep green, velvet cloth. It was a large object, bulky and flat. She began unwrapping it. As folds of cloth fell away, a beautiful, silver mirror emerged. It was large and oval, the kind you might hang on a lord's castle wall. 

"This mirror can show all kinds of things," said Margaret. "It can show the past, present, or future. Right now, we are going to look into the past, and I want you to tell me what you see."

Elaine turned toward the mirror. She looked deeply into it. 

And this is what she saw:

*

"Your Highness," said one of the king's trusted court advisers. "The monk that lives on the edge of the woods has been speaking out against Your Majesty for some time now. He is becoming more vocal."

The throne room was richly decorated with banners and tapestries. Candles glowed from the chandelier, and a breeze whipped the adviser's hair. A council was gathered around the king.

"Is he now?" drawled the king from his throne. He stood up and took off his ceremonial robe. "Isn't that the monastery with the rich supply of silver?"

"The very same, Your Grace," said the advisor. "I've often reminded Your Grace that it is susceptible to assault from the roving bands who attack our borders."

The king chuckled. "Indeed you have. Wallace! Ready my horse. We need to make a visit to a monastery."

Elaine saw horses galloping past fields and woods. Their muscles bunched and fired like loaded springs, and the king whipped his horse, urging it to go faster. They came to a stop near an old, thatch-roofed cottage. It served as a chapel for most of the folk who wanted a place of calm to contemplate, pray, or receive a hot meal or warm bed when they were down on their luck. Everyone trusted the monk, who had taken a vow of poverty, with their coin. They knew that he used it to help people in need and not for any other purpose. 

The king dismounted and his knights followed him inside. 

The cottage was simple, with a swept dirt floor, with fresh rushes, and a few wooden benches for travelers. A smell of cooking stew drifted from the fireplace. When the king and two of his knights entered, the monk was carrying firewood to replenish the low-burning blaze. 

When he saw the king, the monk bowed deeply. "Your Majesty," he said. He set the wood down. "This is a most welcome and unexpected surprise. How can I serve you and your fine men today?" 

"Easily," said the king. "You can show us where you keep the reserve of silver you have here."

Unconsciously, the monk's eyes darted to a spot below the table. 

"I would be happy to show you ledgers, Your Majesty, but may I ask why you would like to see the reserves?" asked the monk. 

"You are not one to ask questions of my intentions or my authority," said the king. "Show us." 

The monk leveled his gaze at the king and his knights. The only sound was the crackling of the fire. The monk breathed slowly and deeply. He finally spoke. "I would be happy to show Your Majesty ledgers and also how the silver is being used. Just this month, I have had thirty travelers, and forty needy souls needing food and clothing. That silver has helped countless souls over the years. I have been keeping and using it honestly, Your Majesty."

The king drew his sword. "Enough games, monk. You have five seconds to show us where the silver is, or I will lose my patience."

The monk did not move. 

"Show us!" screamed the king. 

"No," replied the monk softly.

"So be it," said the king. He walked up to the monk and ran him through with his sword. The monk gave a soft cry, and he crumpled to the floor. Blood began pooling around his body. The king took a step back from it. At that instant, the monk's hired housekeeper walked through the door. She carried the second load of firewood, gathered from the surrounding woods. When she saw the blood spilling out from the monk's body, she began to scream. The king walked up to her and silenced her forever. 

He wiped his sword on the monk's tunic. Turning to his men, he asked, "Where is it?"

One of his knights pointed. "He looked beneath the table when you asked," he replied. 

The king motioned with his head. "Dig."

The knights pulled aside the table and began to dig with their hands. Soon, they uncovered a compartment where they found several leather bags stuffed with silver. 

The king took it, then mounted his horse. He turned to his head knight. "Make it look like the northern barbarians attacked. Spread the word that it was them. Return to the castle when you are finished." He nudged his horse and galloped away.

*

As the images faded, Elaine looked up from the mirror. Her eyes glistened with tears unfallen. 

"Why would he do that?" she whispered. "He was defenseless. What a coward to attack a helpless old man and woman."

"Evil has no reason behind it," said Margaret. "It just takes and takes, greedy, always greedy for more. I have one more thing to show you tonight."

They turned once again to the mirror. 

*

Elaine saw a forest, and for a moment, she thought it was the same forest that stood around her, but when she looked closer, she saw a huge, long box made of crystal. It appeared to be a coffin. Six men stood around it, each of them taking turns trying to hit the crystal coffin with a sledgehammer. The mirror zoomed closer, and Elaine saw the face of someone trapped inside. It was a pale face, with long, dark hair. Elaine could not see much more than that; the features were obscured by the crystal. The men around were silently crying or gritting their teeth in frustration that they could not break open the coffin. It was magicked shut, and no matter how hard they hit, they could not even make a crack. 

*

"Who is she?" asked Elaine. "Did she die?"

"Her name is Maria," replied Margaret. "And no, she is not dead. She is held captive within the crystal coffin. Those are her six brothers. She is one of the five who are captured, who you must free. I will let her explain more about herself when you free her."

Elaine grew silent. The stars continued to burn above her. 

"How do you know if I will be able to save her or the others?" she asked. 

"Because you are the only one left with magic," replied Margaret. "You can do it. Now, we will continue your training in the morning. Get some sleep."

That night, Elaine tossed and turned, the images burning behind her eyes. She could not believe that the rumors were true, that the king was evil. She had grown up believing in his benevolence, in his kindness and generosity. Now she saw that was all a lie. 

And that young woman? Who was she? Why was she kept in the coffin of crystal? And would Elaine be strong enough to save her? 

These questions pressed in around her, like the forest. She pulled Renard closer to her, gleaning warmth and comfort from his small body. He too, huddled closer, unconscious of the act in his sleep.