After her strange encounter with the elf councilor, Caeli purchased a room to rest in. She slept for hours and bathed before purchasing as much food as she could carry, grabbing a few extra apples for the gelding, and walking out of the inn. As she left many eyes shifted in her direction
"Miss I think your encounter with the councilor will be more problematic than you think.", Aurum said so softly she almost didn't hear what he had said.
"Mmmm." , Caeli replied half agreeing with the reptile and half distracted. She had been in the city for only a few hours and already she had been given an offer she had never imagined in her wildest dreams she would have gotten.
She threw her satchel across the geldings back and mounted him in one swift movement. She would need to find new clothing. Although she was clean, her clothes were not and she didn't need anymore reasons to have to answer questions.
She moved through the city, realizing that a large river ran through the majority of it. Many traveled in long skinny boats, carting goods or families. Small stone steps jutted out into the water as tiny ports for people to anchor their boats. Here and there large flowers and leaves grew in the water making natural landing places for wildlife, the leaves large and thick enough to support the weight of birds and frogs.
Occasionally there were large, arched, stone bridges to connect one side to the other. Although some people used them as crossings others sat on the edge and enjoyed their lunch, others read books or played music for coin. Some of these bridges held posts with large stones in them. Some where cloudy white, others a light pink
It had to be quartz, Caeli thought to herself. Quartz could absorb warmth and light during the day and would often release that accumulated energy when their surroundings became dark. She had even read that the energy of heat could be transmitted as light and vice versa.
She was fascinated.
Within a few hours she had visited a small shop that sold sturdy traveling clothes at a fair price. She had purchased a cream blouse made of linen with long sleeves and a pair of leather brown pants from a stout gnome woman with bright red cheeks and curling white hair. Thankfully Caeli's boots were in good shape as she was sure she couldn't afford it and just as luckily, she had managed not to knock her head on the low ceilings.
She bid goodbye to the kind gnomette and ducked into a smiths shop to purchase a light weighted sword with a silver hilt wrapped intricately to mimic a bundle of vines. She wasn't entirely sure how to use it, but she figured she could practice and learn on her own. It was dangerous to travel unarmed. She also purchased a new piece of flint.
As she exited the smiths shop she shook what little coin she had left into the palm of her hand. Hopefully she wouldn't need much more for awhile. At least until she had a skill that could earn her some money.
Caeli and her companions left the city as quickly as they had come.
...........
Callon stood in his study that encompassed the majority of the top floor of the capital building that he called home now. The floors were made of river stone from the O'Nay that ran through Flumen, the walls made of wood from the nearby Cheshire wood. The same forest that was said to be protected by a spirit that embodied its inhabitants. This spirit was often known to test the travelers that wondered in aimlessly or sought passage to Flumen. The rooms high ceilings were supported by lava stones carefully harvested and hauled from the largest mountain of Ausia where the dragon of the continent was said to reside.
In short, the room itself was full of magic.
Quietly and suddenly a dark apparition warbled into existence behind Callon.
Without turning away from the the balcony edge Callon stood at, he asked, "Did you find her?"
The dark cloud solidified slightly more to resemble an elf woman's silhouette but with skin that was as dark as the night and hair that was as white as the moon.
"Yes my lord. She is preparing to exit the city. She purchased traveling items and is heading to the northern gates of Flumen.", the apparitions voice replied slightly echoing, as though coming from far away.
"Follow her. Quietly, carefully. She is sheltered in her life experience but she is smart and has likely grown with the Folk around her village. No creature like her could live among humans and not seek the company of those with magic in their veins. Report to me whenever she stops or anything of interest happens.", Callon said quietly, instructive although seemingly lost in thought.
The woman spirit bowed slightly and dissipated.
"Do what you must Caeli. Find your answers quickly for I have plans for you little fox."
Callon smiled at the city he observed below. She was smart, she was fast, she was sly, but that wouldn't keep her from him. He saw something in her, a vibrant light. One he had never seen before. He intended to figure out what it all meant, and soon.
...........
Caeli, Aurum, and the gelding moved quickly through the gates, thankfully without incident. The day was warm and they made quickly for any shade they could find. For a few hours they followed the O'Nay river as it ran north.
Caeli noted how beautiful the plains were. Wide open ranges with luscious grass, all of which was dappled with small groupings of wildflowers. More than once they passed wild deer grazing.
Despite all of it's beauty she noticed that the gelding seemed on high alert. Was it due to the lack of cover? He would be considered a prey animal.
Occasionally stopping for water and to cool off in the shallow banks, they didn't make it to any trees until the sun had already began to set.
As they entered a small cluster of oak trees Caeli stopped the gelding.
"Let's stop here for the night, it's a small shaded area I can't be sure that we will find more shelter than this any time soon.", she said aloud to her friends.
Aurum nodded where he rested on the saddle and the gelding bobbed his head in agreement.
Caeli dismounted and reached her hand up to Aurum. Aurum slithered up her arm and gently wrapped himself around her shoulders. Caeli gathered what she needed for a fire and got everything settled.
Caeli took out a hunk of meat she had purchased in the city and placed it in a large cup she had with water. As her meat boiled she walked around the fire searching for edible things in the undergrowth of the forest.
She moved in circles around the fire, wandering further and further away each circle she made. She found a handful of mushrooms that she was sure weren't poisonous as she recalled her readings from, "Mavis's Guide to Edible and Poisonous Wildlife", a journal that had been published with sketches and descriptions of almost anything you could think of in the wild. Many of the items listed came with recipes as well.
As Caeli continued to look, she noticed something gleaming in the dirt, it was small but it had caught the reflection of the fire a few times, just enough for her to notice.
Caeli stuffed the mushrooms and various herbs she'd found into one of the pockets of her mothers cloak. She crouched in the dirt and gently coaxed the dirt away from the object. As she moved the dirt away the object was seemingly larger than she had expected.
"Miss Caeli? Miss Caeli are you alright?," she heard Aurum say behind her. The snake slithered up next to her and looked up at her face before looking down at the task her hands were at. He cocked his head to the side as he also saw what she was trying to get to. He slithered around the object to the opposite side to try and have a better look.
Caeli unearthed the object gently. It was a stone. At least that's what she would call it. The stone was cloudy white with strips of light blue, the color of the sky, and reflective pink. It looked like a sunset in the summer as the clouds turn pink and orange with a blue sky behind it. She slowly turned it over in her dirt covered hands. It was incredibly smooth, like a jeweler had already taken the opportunity to work on the stone. Shaped in an oval it caught the fire light brilliantly, as if it was glowing and flickering. Strangely the stone felt warm in her hand despite it having been in the dirt just moments ago.
As she brought the stone closer to her face to inspect, the stone began to vibrate in her hands. The sensation startled her and she dropped the stone back to the ground. She looked at Aurum and she was sure she saw the look on her face reflected there only a little muted as it was reflected on a reptilian face. Shock.
What on earth was this thing? She went to touch the stone again and hesitated right before placing her fingers on it.
"Miss Caeli, I believe this stone belongs to you.", Aurum whispered across from her.
Caeli sharply turned her head up to look at the snake and looked back down at the stone.
"Why would you say something like that?," she whispered, not with doubt or disbelief, but strangely with a feeling of confirmation. Yes, yes this stone did belong to her. But how? From when? From where? She had so many questions.
"Well that's what the stone is saying to me.", the reptile said.
"The stone can speak? You can understand it?," Caeli said raising her eyebrows in surprise.
"Hmm not quite the way you think. I am a creature of magic, admittedly not a very powerful magic creature, but I am closely connected to it. It's not that the stone "speaks" necessarily but it's more of a feeling. Magical items can be almost sentient depending on their level of power. This stone is filled to the brim with magical force. I am honestly shocked I hadn't sensed its presence, although it seems that once you were holding it in your hand I was suddenly able to feel its strength. I think that means it's yours miss. As you were bringing it closer to yourself the stone was emitting a powerful sense of belonging. Like the stone has been waiting for your, or, maybe that it was waiting for your return? It's hard to say as, like I mentioned before, magical items don't speak, more that they feel out-loud for those who can hear or see it. ", Aurum said thoughtfully turning his head to the side using the tip of his tail to stroke his chin like a human.
"I see...," Caeli said quietly in thought. "So you think it's ok for me to keep? Although I'm not sure if I should be touching it.", she said thinking back to how it had started to vibrate in her hand.
"The way it seems to me, the stone wants to be with you. It doesn't give off any sort of malevolent feelings, so I don't think that it will bring harm to you. Of course it's your decision miss.", he replied.
Caeli looked at the stone again, although it glimmered slightly form the fire it didn't glow like it had when she touched it. She raised a skeptical eyebrow at the object. She had never own something that contained magical power in it before, what if she broke it? Or if she accidentally did something wrong with it? Magic was powerful and mysterious, she'd done enough reading and made enough Folk friends to know that magic, especially powerful magic, can be unpredictable.
But what if she could use it for good? What if she could use it to help find her path in life?
She picked the stone up again and it began glowing. She brought it closer to her face and the stone began vibrating again. She suddenly felt an overwhelming desire to hold the stone to her heart. She closed her eyes and held the stone against her chest. The vibrating of the stone felt like she was holding a fluttering bird in her hands, beating its wings against her chest. Her whole body felt as though it was on fire, in the most wonderful way. She felt the warmth in a way she had never done so before. It was as if she had been wandering through the cold and the warmth chased the cold away in every corner of her body, from the top of her head, to the tips of her toes.
Suddenly the stone stopped vibrating and she opened her eyes. She felt like an entirely different person. She felt like she had slept for hours and eaten her fill of a feast. She felt reborn.
She blinked her eyes rapidly in surprise and looked at Aurum. The snakes mouth was hanging open in shock.
"What?", she said squinting her eyes at the snake.
"Miss... your... your hair? Well, everything really but your hair....", the snake sputtered.
"Well out with it Aurum, you're scaring me."
"A part of your hair has turned white miss. And, you look, different. I mean, besides the white hair.", he said quickly.
Caeli reached out and touched her head and pulled her hair forward. There was a strip of pure white hair in her chestnut braid. She furrowed her brow at the sight. White hair? What on earth.....
"What else is different?", she asked Aurum as she inspected her braid.
"Well your skin, it looks like it's glowing, like you've been in the sun all day and it's reflecting the sunshine you exposed yourself to."
She looked down at her hands and saw that he was right. Not glowing like the stone but her skin was dark honey colored and radiated warmth. She also noticed that a large scar she used to have on her hand from farming had disappeared entirely.
"Is this good or bad?", Caeli asked the snake. In response he opened his mouth and closed it again. He looked thoughtful before he opened his mouth again to say something before snapping his mouth shut again.
"I'm not entirely sure miss. I do know though that whatever happened, it gave you some magic. Do you recall how when we first met, I told you that I couldn't sense magic in you at all because you're human? That is no longer the case. Part of your glow is a sign to other magic seeing Folk that you possess magic.", said Aurum gravely.
Caeli dropped the stone quickly. What had she done?
"Is it gone?", she said with thinly veiled fear. Perhaps it is the stone and if she doesn't have it in her possession it will go away.
The snake slowly shook his head back and forth. The magic remained.
"Well.... I suppose there isn't much to be done about the situation now. What's done, is done.", Caeli picked the stone back up and stared at it as her and Aurum returned to their camp site.
She added the mushrooms and herbs to the cup she had placed in the fire and took the stone back out to stare at it.
"And where did you find that?", she heard the gelding speak.
Caeli relayed the entire story to the gelding and he snorted in response.
"That, is a Seeing Stone you silly fool. It's a wonder it didn't blow your hands apart.", the gelding said.
Caeli and Aurum looked at each other quickly.
"What do you mean?", she asked the horse.
"Seeing Stones are incredibly powerful. Only Folk tend to possess them. Mainly witches. They are used for magical tasks and ceremonies. If I recall correctly, witches often are assigned one at birth and pass it on through their family lines. The older the stone, the more powerful. Each family of witch was thought to have a large collection of stones, the older the family line, the more stones they had, the more powerful they were. Of course this was a long time ago when Folk outnumbered the humans. I'm sure things are different now.", said the gelding sadly.
Caeli stared down at the stone in her hand. Witches? Out of all the Folk she had ever met, she had never met a witch. She had read many books about them, some good, some bad. The books had said that the witches were usually in tune with one or more of the elements of nature: Fire, Air, Earth, Water, and Spirit.
The witches were considered some of the most powerful Folk in the world. Every witch was chosen by the power that flowed through the planet to wield magic. With every birth of a witch, it was known that the child was chosen to be magical. Any race or species could become a witch, although it was most common for humans to become them. Many books made it seem as though it was the planets way of bringing balance to the world as it was well known that humans possessed no magic at all and were considered the "furthest" from magic. It was said that the most powerful witches were born human and encompasses all the magic that was denied the humans in the generations before them. Although magic could be inherited and passed down through family lines, often times this made weak witches, witches nonetheless though. The most powerful witches were known to be those born from the worlds divinity. Born with power granted by the earth itself.
"Gelding, what is your name? You know so much and we've been traveling together now for quite some time. I apologize that I hadn't thought to ask you before.", Caeli said softly as she coaxed the fire.
"It's Brego. At least that was the name given to me by my mother as a foal. The humans called me by something different but I can never remember what it was."
"Human "names" are not very powerful, that's likely why he doesn't remember.", Aurum whispered to Caeli. She nodded in understanding. Was there anything humans were good for? She thought dryly to herself.
"Well Brego, it's a pleasure to officially meet you.", she said smiling up at the gelding. He snorted grumpily in response and it made her chuckle. At her laugh the horse glanced at her face. What a strange human. Only stranger now that she found the stone. She was incredibly beautiful and her laugh was like a song bird. It was no wonder they had run into problems in the city in such little time. What a nuisance, the horse thought to himself.
The company of friends ate their dinners and settled in for the night. Aurum had taken to sleeping on Caelis stomach and the gelding had began staying closer to the girl also. They slept and dreamed. Dreamed of their futures, the possibilities, what was to come.
They dreamed of freedom and happiness.