His eyes opened. Was that it? Knowledge was power after all. He'd always believed that, even as a young boy sitting at his grandfather's feet as he read to him tales of ancient power he'd believed were nothing more than that, tales. Until he learned the truth that it was history he was listening to.
He turned to Ninian. "I dismissed the importance of what this entity is, thinking I could destroy it...whatever it is. I learned the error of that assumption."
"So, we have to do more research?" Ninian queried.
"The broken crystal sent me here for a reason. You were sent to find Remelin and break her connection with the entity. I was sent here to destroy it."
Ninian frowned. "But we've tried to use the crystals again to no avail."
"I wasn't looking for the right answer, so I instinctively posed the wrong question," Jhond murmured. There was no verbal interaction when using a crystal, but a link was made just the same. The crystal somehow formed a link with the user's thoughts and provided whatever information was required in connection with the purpose of the crystal. Jhond smiled at Ninian. "We try again."
"Try again? You mean with the crystals?"
"Yes. It's possible they still have more to tell us. They were together in proximity and their visions are linked, yet still we have too many questions. Maybe that's where we will find our answers."
"You're right. It's worth a try." Ninian glanced toward the bedroom door. "Do you want to do this now while she's safely locked away?"
"I'm not sure. I've also been wondering if perhaps she should try touching a crystal. We know she has power, and you let me touch a crystal before I had any training whatever."
"Yes. I admit my uncertainty about our young friend has made me keep her at a distance." He met Jhond's gaze. "I will abide by whatever you decide, though perhaps I should admit something first."
Jhond frowned, saying nothing. It was now Ninian's turn to rise, but he stood steady and faced Jhond squarely.
"I've sensed your interest in Remelin and suspected she shared it. I imagine you know more about her emotions than I do--"
Jhond interrupted to admit, "I haven't been able to read her personal feelings."
"Ah, that's surprising. I was about to tell you something she has confessed to me. Now I don't know what to say."
"Tell me the truth, Ninian, whatever it is. It may even have some relevance to our situation."
Ninian studied Jhond for a moment before he nodded and said, "She told me she has personal feelings for you, strong feelings; she asked if you have anyone waiting for you."
"Did you tell her about my interest in her?" Jhond asked softly.
"Of course not. Besides the fact it's your business, I wouldn't presume to tell anyone my assumptions about you."
Jhond frowned, sensing there was more that Ninian wasn't saying. "And?"
Ninian blew out a breath. "And I don't believe you should be...involved."
"With her, or with anyone?" asked Jhond, an undercurrent to his words.
"Both, either." Ninian shook his head. "No, I don't trust her and don't believe you should either. I'm not suggesting she's an evil person the way Suvran was, but I do think she could be under the control of something worse. And besides, I don't believe now is a good time for you to be concerning yourself with anything other than being the Eynan."
"And how long am I supposed to be alone, Ninian?" Jhond's voice was laced with frustration as he leaned forward in his seat. "Am I supposed to be like you, spending your life as little more than a hermit? Do you never feel the need for companionship, for love? I don't want to live like that. She's the first person since Gallia that I've had such a...reaction to. I've known love and want to feel like that again. To know I'm truly alive!"
Ninian rose to his feet, shoving his chair back as he did so, and leaned on his hands on the table, an air of anger surrounding him. "Have you forgotten I had a wife once and a child? I lost them both in one day, and I wasn't even there! I've never forgotten how much I loved them or the pain when I lost them. Of course I would've liked to find that again, but I..." He stopped, swung away from Jhond and stormed out of the small house, slamming the door behind him.
Jhond was filled with anger and shame. At himself and the world. Ninian had been a rock when Jhond needed one, a mainstay when he'd had nothing and no one else. He well remembered the pain in his friend's voice when Ninian had recited his personal history. How could he have been such a heartless bastard!
Should he follow and apologize, or leave Ninian alone to regain control and then accept whatever vitriol Ninian had to throw at him?
Deciding he couldn't wait to apologize, he rushed out after Ninian to find the man standing just outside, staring up at the sky. Jhond came to halt directly behind him. He reached out a hand to touch him, halting an inch away. Afraid to touch him. Afraid that his closest friend wouldn't appreciate the contact.
Ninian turned to face him, and the words tumbled from Jhond's lips. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I didn't think."
"I know. I know you don't have an evil bone in your body, but you can be as thoughtless as the next man. I'm that next man, so I know." Ninian gave a lop-sided smile, and Jhond sighed with relief. "Let's both admit we might lack a special someone in our lives, but at least we know the value of a good friend."
"With pleasure. And who knows what the future might bring?" Jhond grinned. "Even I can't see the future."
"Are you sure about that?"
"Sure I've never seen anything in the future unless shown it by an artifact"--he paused--"or maybe a dream."
"So we're back to trying out the crystals again," Ninian said. "And we've yet to decide whether to include Remelin."
"I believe she's involved, whether by choice or not, and perhaps we can learn more about that if she's present."
"And you want her to try a crystal?" When Jhond nodded, Ninian continued, "A small one, I assume?"
"Yes."
"One of the ones you have that are meant to help with training a new mage?"
Jhond smiled. "Yes, a good test of both her skill and perhaps an indication of any possible involvement."
"How?"
"I remember it took me a while to control my interaction with the crystals. If she's too good and too quick, then I'll have my suspicions. If I have suspicions, I'll dig deeper. But I don't think we should attempt this here."
"I don't understand," Ninian said.
"I've become increasingly unsettled by this place, and I think it's past time we got out of here. Retired to somewhere neutral."
Ninian raised an eyebrow. "Where?"
"The
Horologue.
"
Ninian heaved a sigh of relief. "The sooner the better as far as I'm concerned. Will you be able to use the pendant not knowing just where the ship is?"
"Yes. Remember the ring I gave to Amired?"
"Ah, I see. You can use it to track him?"
"Yes."
"No end to your inventiveness, is there?"
"I hope not," Jhond said with a smile. "So, now I'll reintegrate the time in her room, and we can have a talk with our...pupil."
Jhond placed his hand on the door again to remove his spell, causing the time in Remelin's room to catch up to the actual time, while Ninian produced the breakfast table and three chairs. He'd only just finished when the door opened to reveal Remelin robed in one of her plain dresses, holding a cloak, which she draped over the armchair near the fireplace.
"That looks good," she commented.
A few minutes later, they were seated around the table partaking of oatcakes, bread and fruit with a warm drink to wash it down. Remelin ate heartily, while Jhond and Ninian only picked at the food. It wasn't long before she sat back, smiling.
"I enjoyed that," she said, glancing from one man to the other. "Not that either of you seemed very hungry.
"No, but then we're not growing girls," Jhond said with a smile, and she laughed.
"Good thing, too," she said an appreciative look in her eyes as she regarded him.
Ninian coughed, and they both turned their attention to him. "I've been mulling things over, and I think perhaps we need to use the crystals once more."
Remelin stared at him with that trusting look. "Why would you want to go through that again?"
Ninian smiled. "Want to? No, but I don't
want
to, but I think we may need to. You can't assume the one vision you're shown is the only one the crystal is able to display." He glanced at Jhond. "It's one of the prices we're sometimes called upon to pay. It is unpleasant, but we can bear it."
"Are you sure?" Jhond asked, playing along. "Your experience was severe, while mine with the other crystal was normal, at least as normal as such visions are."
Ninian shrugged. "We've both gone through the experience once; I think we ought to be sure."
Jhond frowned, purposely chewing his lip in an attempt to look thoughtful and concerned for Remelin's benefit. "I think if we're going to get the crystals out, perhaps we ought to get them all out. I believe it's time we discovered if Remelin has an affinity for one of the simple ones." He glanced at Remelin, who was brimming with excitement.
"Really? You think I could try? I'd like to." She looked at Ninian for his response.
Ninian shrugged. "Of course, if the Eynan thinks so."
"I do, but not here. We've risked staying here too long in proximity to whatever the entity is."
"What do you mean?" Remelin asked. "Where can we go?"
"Do you trust me?" Jhond queried.
She looked confused, but quickly answered, "Yes."
Ninian held out a hand to her, and Remelin took it. Ninian then gripped Jhond's arm and watched as he operated the pendant and ring. Remelin's cry of shock was lost as they vanished.
* * * *
Captain Amired was just about ready to explode. If Warkist argued just once more, he--
His anger was quashed in an instant at the sudden appearance in the middle of the deck of Jhond and Ninian, with a young woman in tow, who gave a cut-off cry.
Every crewmember on board stopped what they were doing and stared, and as they were in the middle of a storm, it was the last thing they should do.
"Get back to work!" Amired yelled. To Jhond and the others, he said, "You better get below before you freeze to death." He flung open the door behind him to the cabins below, and without a word, the three newcomers dashed below decks. "I'll be down to talk to you shortly," he called, as they disappeared from sight.
"It's probably their fault," Warkist began, "Every time--"
"Stow it, Warkist! I pay you to work with your hands, not your mouth."
Warkist kept grumbling to himself, but he had enough sense not to let Amired hear any actual words.
* * * *
"Don't think the captain was pleased to see us," Jhond said.
"I think it's more that he's got his hands full with this storm," Ninian said. "I could go up and help him."
"You were the one who told me to keep out of his way unless he asks for help."
Ninian shrugged and sat on the bunk, patting the spot beside him. "Sit down, Remi."
"That was amazing," she said. "One minute I'm in my cottage and then, just like that, I'm on board a ship in the middle of nowhere. In a storm, and I'm not even wet."
"Well, not exactly nowhere. We'll have to check with Amired for the exact location, but we're not far from Thurnby."
"But that's about as far north as you can get without hitting the ice shelves," Remelin said.
"Captain Amired always was an adventurer," Ninian commented.
"He didn't seem surprised to see you. Is he a friend, or just the captain of your ship?"
Ninian shook his head. "It's his ship. We just hire its use. But yes, he is a friend. A good friend." He turned to Jhond. "He's travelled farther north than I expected, but then again, being well acquainted with Amired, perhaps I should've known better."
"Yes, the farther away from Garileon the better," Jhond murmured.
"You want to try now?" Ninian asked.
"Why wait?"
"Very well, but let me just warn Amired not to disturb us."
"If he'll take help with the sailing of the ship, it would be better if it were calm."
"I'll tell him." Ninian was back in a couple of minutes, soaked through and shivering. "I should've prepared better for that," he grumbled. Then he grinned and added, "Amired said he was sure his crew would appreciate some help."
Jhond laughed, and Remelin glanced from one to the other.
"Something of a shared joke," Ninian explained. "His crew is scared and appreciative of us all at the same time. Will you see to the weather?" he added, glancing at Jhond.
"Of course." Jhond muttered the words of power beneath his breath as he quickly drew a sigil in the air.
Remelin watched, fascinated as the rolling of the ship calmed almost instantly.
Jhond cleared the few items off the surface of the table bolted to the wall of the cabin and then brought the tiny chest from his pocket, holding Ninian's gaze for a second before Ninian used the wired oval and spelled the chest to return to full size to the accompaniment of Remelin's shocked gasp as she edged closer for a better look.
"Is there no end to your surprises?" she said.
Jhond didn't respond to her comment and opened the chest. "I think we should both touch each of the crystals and see what happens."
"And me?" Remelin asked, staring into the open chest. "Which one will I be allowed to touch?"
Jhond stared into the chest, as if considering. Then he reached inside and removed three small crystals and a scrything block. He glanced at Ninian with a raised eyebrow, and Ninian said, "Yes, that would be a good starting point."
"Perhaps we should test Remelin before we get to our real task?"
"Yes," Ninian agreed. "If she reacts well, she may even be useful."
"Oh, wonderful," Remelin said, almost dancing on her feet. "What do I have to do?"
Ninian placed the three crystals in the appropriate slots in the scrything block. "Take a deep breath, clear your mind and when you feel ready, choose one of the crystals and remove it from the scrything block," Ninian explained.