nervously.
‘All right, here goes,’ he said, closing his eyes. As he lowered his hand the stone glowed and small blue streaks of energy flickered up from the book. When the glow faded, the boys turned expectantly. Loras appeared almost unchanged; the difference was in his eyes.
‘What is it, Loras?’ whispered Pardigan. ‘What happened? What’s it done to you?’
Loras shook his head. ‘I don’t know. I don’t feel much different, except…except it all seems so…so clear in my mind, like…like a cloud has been lifted.’
‘I’m not sure I want to put my hand anywhere near that book,’ muttered Quint. ‘I think it’s messed with his head, he’s gone a bit weird, hasn’t he?’
‘Weird!’ said Loras. ‘No, I’m not weird, watch.’ He pointed at the mast and everyone fell to the floor. It wasn’t wise to be anywhere near Loras when he was pointing at anything, lest you lost an ear or something.
They glanced up when there was no explosion.
‘Oh Source!’ said Pardigan, peering over the table that he’d dived under. ‘Loras, that’s incredible!’
Loras was still pointing at the mast but tears were streaming down his face and he was smiling. ‘Do you know how long I’ve dreamed of being able to do that?’
From out of the old wooden mast, a single small branch now grew with three leaves and a tiny acorn.
‘The book has taught me to control and understand the magic I’ve practised, and the chance to learn more and become a real magician.’
It was the first time any of them had heard Loras say anything like this; he was always one to argue that he was already a real magician. They glanced around at one another and then down at the open book, another page had become visible.
Seeing that Loras was all right, well a bit strange, but apparently unharmed; Pardigan moved his hand to the book. Again the gem flared a dazzling blue and Pardigan felt fingers of ice creeping up his arm and down his spine. Pressure built behind his eyes, then the gem, and his world, returned to normal. He noticed firstly that he was wearing different clothes, which startled him. Everything was a light grey - a cape with its hood folded down was draped over his shoulders, soft black boots came up almost to his knees and he instinctively knew he had a knife tucked in the left boot. He was also aware of another knife at his side and checked his belt to confirm this.
‘Well?’ said Quint, concerned for his friend.
‘I’m not sure,’ whispered Pardigan. ‘I don’t feel very…different…yet.’ He glanced around the boat and then out of the porthole, ‘I do feel something…calling me…it’s…strange but…’
Outside, the moon was up, its reflection dancing upon the water. Pardigan felt something within him leap forwards and before he knew it, he was over the water and on the jetty opposite, looking back at The Griffin as it lay by the harbour wall some thirty spans away.
What by the Source was that? He swayed on his feet and the answer came to him as if whispered in his ear: ‘place shifting.’ He glanced across at The Griffin again and imagined himself in the hold with his friends, and then with a whoosh and a rushing of air, he was there. The worried looks on his friends' faces made him smile. ‘Well that’s going to take some getting used to!’ and he explained what had happened.
Mahra raised her head. ‘I’ll help you all to understand your gifts, they were all explained to me such a very long time ago, but I do remember.’ She yawned. ‘Think, hide.’ He did so and vanished from their sight.
‘Oh Source, that’s incredible,’ came a voice from roughly where Pardigan had been standing. He reappeared, grinning at everybody.
‘Those are your working gifts but you also have gifts of defence,’ purred Mahra. ‘If I remember correctly you should be able to find one if you point at that cup and think burn.’ She indicated a cup near her then moved out of the way.
Pardigan
‘All right, here goes,’ he said, closing his eyes. As he lowered his hand the stone glowed and small blue streaks of energy flickered up from the book. When the glow faded, the boys turned expectantly. Loras appeared almost unchanged; the difference was in his eyes.
‘What is it, Loras?’ whispered Pardigan. ‘What happened? What’s it done to you?’
Loras shook his head. ‘I don’t know. I don’t feel much different, except…except it all seems so…so clear in my mind, like…like a cloud has been lifted.’
‘I’m not sure I want to put my hand anywhere near that book,’ muttered Quint. ‘I think it’s messed with his head, he’s gone a bit weird, hasn’t he?’
‘Weird!’ said Loras. ‘No, I’m not weird, watch.’ He pointed at the mast and everyone fell to the floor. It wasn’t wise to be anywhere near Loras when he was pointing at anything, lest you lost an ear or something.
They glanced up when there was no explosion.
‘Oh Source!’ said Pardigan, peering over the table that he’d dived under. ‘Loras, that’s incredible!’
Loras was still pointing at the mast but tears were streaming down his face and he was smiling. ‘Do you know how long I’ve dreamed of being able to do that?’
From out of the old wooden mast, a single small branch now grew with three leaves and a tiny acorn.
‘The book has taught me to control and understand the magic I’ve practised, and the chance to learn more and become a real magician.’
It was the first time any of them had heard Loras say anything like this; he was always one to argue that he was already a real magician. They glanced around at one another and then down at the open book, another page had become visible.
Seeing that Loras was all right, well a bit strange, but apparently unharmed; Pardigan moved his hand to the book. Again the gem flared a dazzling blue and Pardigan felt fingers of ice creeping up his arm and down his spine. Pressure built behind his eyes, then the gem, and his world, returned to normal. He noticed firstly that he was wearing different clothes, which startled him. Everything was a light grey - a cape with its hood folded down was draped over his shoulders, soft black boots came up almost to his knees and he instinctively knew he had a knife tucked in the left boot. He was also aware of another knife at his side and checked his belt to confirm this.
‘Well?’ said Quint, concerned for his friend.
‘I’m not sure,’ whispered Pardigan. ‘I don’t feel very…different…yet.’ He glanced around the boat and then out of the porthole, ‘I do feel something…calling me…it’s…strange but…’
Outside, the moon was up, its reflection dancing upon the water. Pardigan felt something within him leap forwards and before he knew it, he was over the water and on the jetty opposite, looking back at The Griffin as it lay by the harbour wall some thirty spans away.
What by the Source was that? He swayed on his feet and the answer came to him as if whispered in his ear: ‘place shifting.’ He glanced across at The Griffin again and imagined himself in the hold with his friends, and then with a whoosh and a rushing of air, he was there. The worried looks on his friends' faces made him smile. ‘Well that’s going to take some getting used to!’ and he explained what had happened.
Mahra raised her head. ‘I’ll help you all to understand your gifts, they were all explained to me such a very long time ago, but I do remember.’ She yawned. ‘Think, hide.’ He did so and vanished from their sight.
‘Oh Source, that’s incredible,’ came a voice from roughly where Pardigan had been standing. He reappeared, grinning at everybody.
‘Those are your working gifts but you also have gifts of defence,’ purred Mahra. ‘If I remember correctly you should be able to find one if you point at that cup and think burn.’ She indicated a cup near her then moved out of the way.
Pardigan
Similar Books
