After a three hour ride, Oren turned off the main road into the woods. He and Loril wended their way through the trees and dead underbrush for another two hours. The large densely populated trees kept the bulk of the new falling snow from accumulating on the ground, but enough of the white stuff was falling to give the area beneath the trees an inch or two. Occasionally the barren tree limbs became too heavy with snow and large deposits of it dropped to the ground making a strange whipping sound as the branch whooshed back into place. It also wasn't uncommon to hear the loud snapping of branches so laden with snow that they broke under the weight instead of sheading their burden. Each time a branch moved or broke, Oren flinched and scrutinized the area, in the general direction of the noise, intently.
"Worried we're being followed?" Loril asked after one such tree snap.
"Wouldn't surprise me none." Oren said in his low, grumbling voice.
"But, there are no tracks to follow." She pointed behind them as they rode.
Oren squinted in the direction of the latest snapped branch, "Don't be fooled. There are folks who can track us, regardless of tracks."
"How?"
Oren wasn't sure if she was asking out of curiosity or disbelief. He removed his hat and scratched his head. He put it back on and cleared his throat. "Smell, for one."
"Smell?" Loril sniffed her underarm and Oren cracked a rare smile. He quickly returned to his sour face, though, as soon as she looked back up. "I don't smell!"
"We all smell." He said. He pointed to her horse, "Your horse is the stronger scent. Unfortunately, horses also tend to leave their own trail behind."
"I see." She said. "How much longer to your hiding spot?"
Oren looked around, "We're here, but I dare not enter until I'm certain we haven't been followed." He looked at Loril, trying to see any change in her expression.
She noticed. "Why are you staring at me that way?"
"You ever hear of an Earth Node?"
"No, what is it."
"How do you feel right now? Headaches, tingling, or anything out of the ordinary going on?"
Loril looked around at the falling snow. "I feel cold and maybe a little tingly."
"Oren made a deep humph sound and reined his horse to move toward a boulder lodged in between two trees. "This way."
"What was that noise you made for?"
"We are right over what is known as a perpetual Earth Node, a place of magical power that is stationary. Most Earth Nodes are mobile, moving with the natural processes of the Earth, but there are some like this one that remains fixed."
"I have no idea what you're talking about," She said, "it's all nonsense to me."
"Mind your step and stride, there is a descending ramp just before you get to the boulder. It's an optical illusion. You would miss it if you didn't know it was there. The ground hides the way down." He returned to his previous line of thought, "Nonsense or not, you are about to descend into the heart of an Earth Node."
The ground sloped as he rode closer to the boulder and Loril followed. They both disappeared beneath the boulder.
"This is amazing." Loril said.
"You haven't seen nothing yet." Oren told her. "Wait until we get farther into the node."
They descended in a zigzag pattern until they emerged into a large cavern covered with vegetation. Light came from somewhere up above, and water trickled down the sides of the rocks. Oren was satisfied when he heard Loril gasp that she was sufficiently impressed.
"Where is the light coming from? It's snowing outside, but in here it's warm and bright as daytime?" She asked.
"You won't believe it." He answered.
"I might."
"It's magic! There are crystals embedded in the rock somewhere up there and the magical power of this Earth Node keeps them glowing brightly and giving off heat. This cavern is always the same temperature and the same brightness, day and night, all year round. It's truly a wonder."
"Wow, is that true? Why doesn't someone live down here?"
Oren shrugged, "Sure, it's the way it is. You can't live here, though. The power of the Earth node will cause side effects in the long term, especially to your kind."
"My kind?"
"I will explain when we get to the cabin. We have much to discuss."
A few more minutes and they came to a grassy clearing with a small cabin at its center. Everything was green and lush. Oren removed his coat as the temperature was much warmer. "My friend will be at the cabin. We can unsaddle the horses and let them graze freely here. They won't run off."
"How is this possible?" She marveled, "It's as if this place is not of this world.
"I told you, it's the Earth's magic. There are rumored to be many such places throughout the world, but I have seen very few of them. As far as I know, this is the only one around here for miles, perhaps this is the last one, for all I know. We call it the old place."
"The old place," she repeated, "It's simply beautiful. No wonder you didn't want us to be followed down here."
"I have more reason than just its beauty. There are some bad men in this world who would like to see this place gone for good."
"You know, you have a funny way of putting things."
Oren gave her a sideways glance, "How so?"
"You say just enough. As if there is much more lurking in the words you imply."
"If you say so. I talk normal to my ears."
As they approached the cabin, a man stepped out of the doorway, "Welcome to the Old Place." He said. "I see you found the Diabolist."
"Loril, this scruffy-looking fellow is Tobias Cain." He gestured for his friend to approach. Cain rushed up to Loril and took her hand, kissing it. "My friends call me Cain." He let go of her hand, "You may call me Cain, m'lady."
Oren rolled his eyes, "Easy there Cain."
"I am pleased to meet you…Cain." Loril said. "But I am no lady, at least, not the kind you seem to be familiar with."
"You are exactly the kind he's familiar with." Oren said.
Cain's eyes scolded him.
"You're both Charmers." Oren said.
"Sure, Knox, that's what you meant." Cain said. He extended his hand to Loril, "Here, let me help you down from there. We can talk about that charmer business after we get settled."
Cain helped Loril down from her horse and began to remove her saddle. After a few minutes, both horses wandered off to graze.
Cain pulled off his leather working gloves after he secured Loril's saddle and put his hand on Oren's back, "I have a pot on the hearth, black and strong like you like it."
Oren took a deep breath, taking in the nearly impossible freshness of the Earth Node's air. "That sounds really good right now, Cain. Coffee, fresh air, plenty of magical power, it feels like the old days when magic was everywhere."
"What about you, Loril? Do you drink coffee?"
"I never got the taste for it." She said.
"Well, have Knox here conjure up some fresh cream and sugar and I bet we can get you started on it."
"Cain, you know I don't like to take advantage of the Earth Node that way. It feels wrong to waste magic on luxuries."
"Aw, it's not much. This node will replenish the power in less than an hour. Besides, you are going to have to conjure us up some food anyhow."
"What? You didn't bring food?"
Cain looked at Oren as if he had lost his mind, "Did you forget that I barely got away without getting my neck stretched?"
"I'm sure you'll never let me forget. All right, I will conjure. But remember, conjured food won't sustain us for long. We will have to hunt for some real food."
"Of course, I remember." Cain said.
After a meal of roast chicken and mashed potatoes, Oren, Cain, and Loril sat by the fire, which Cain made for atmosphere rather than for warmth, and Oren took out his long stemmed, Church Warden, smoking pipe.
Cain produced his English Billiard, a much shorter, straight stemmed, smoking pipe with a large bowl. "You still smoking those long pipes? There are much easier pipes to smoke nowadays, that clay pipe looks like it came from the middle ages."
Oren looked at his Church Warden, "I believe it is from the middle ages." He lit it. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
"Mmm, I have always loved the smell of pipe tobacco." Loril said. "Is that smell cherry and Vanilla?"
"Good guess." Cain said. "Oren won't smoke anything else."
"I would if I had to, I guess. I just don't have to." Oren puffed out a cloud of white smoke.
"Now that we're full and settled, time to get down to business." Cain said. "First of all, as you can see by the conjuring of the food and drink, the magic here is plentiful." He was talking directly to Loril now. "But it isn't that way all over." He took Loril's hand, "You and I are Charmers, as Oren indicated. Female Charmers are better known as Diabolists."
"Why is that?" Loril asked. She twisted the silver bracelet on her wrist so that it rested more comfortably.
"To keep things straight, I reckon. Female Charmers are much stronger than their male counterparts. The theory is that women are more connected to nature and the Earth due to the fact they give birth and create life and all."
"It's sex." Knox said bluntly, "It has to do with being open and letting the full extent of the worldly ways of man not hinder you."
"Blunt, but I suspect true." Cain said. "Some say virgins have a better connection but we discovered it's exactly opposite. Innocence is ignorance, at least when it comes to rooting out Earth nodes."
Loril squirmed, "I'm not sure I like where this conversation is going."
Cain was horrified. His face turned a bright shade of red, "No, ma'am, we're not suggesting that we all…you know."
Loril exploited Cain's uncomfortableness by leaning in with a seductive glance, "What are you suggesting?"
Oren puffed his pipe, "Stop it, now. We don't have time for all this suggestive nonsense. Diabolists are almost always whores."
"Knox!" Cain scolded.
"You can pretty up your language, Cain, but that's what you're getting at."
"It's all right, Cain," Loril said, "I'm used to men like Knox. Go on with your explanation."
"Yes well, the male role is somewhat limited. We just aren't connected to the Earth the way females are."
Oren sniffed, "Diabolists find Earth Nodes. Not just ones like this one, but also the more rare, mobile ones."
"I was getting to that." Cain said.
"Well get to it. Can't you see the look on her face? She's not interested in the whole history lesson."
"That's not true. I find it interesting." She said. "Go on, Cain."
"Thank you. Now, where was I? Oh yes, Diabolists can find Earth Nodes because they are stronger. Charmers can only sense them when they are nearly right on top of them."
"And I am one of these Diabolists?" Loril asked. She touched the bracelet on her left wrist again.
"Yes, you are." Cain said.
Oren took a long pull on his pipe. "She's messin' with you, Cain." Loril cracked a huge smile. "She's been messin' with both of us. She is completely aware of what she is and what she can do." He reached for her bracelet and she pulled her arm away.
"I haven't even got to explain spell nodes yet." Cain said, clearly disappointed.
"She already has one." He pointed to her bracelet. I noticed it when she was fidgeting with it earlier, but I wasn't sure until now."
Loril held up her arm with the bracelet. "This old thing?"
"You've been charging it throughout the whole time Cain was talking."
"I see your reputation is well founded." She said.
"I don't understand. Why would you play dumb?" Cain asked.
She shrugged, "I guess I am just used to it, it's safer that way, being all innocent I mean."
Oren let out another round of smoke. "It's hard to turn off, isn't it."
"It is indeed."
"What are you two talking about?" Cain asked.
Oren took the pipe stem out of his mouth, "She has built up a persona, an act, to get what she wants whenever she wants and still protect herself." He gazed at her intently, "Once you have acted it out long enough, you start believing your own lies about who you are and where you come from etcetera, am I right?"
"Something like that." She agreed.
"Where did you get the spell node?" Oren asked.
"It was my mothers. I can store up enough magic power in it to cast my charm spells, especially over men, for quite some time. It was getting pretty low before you brought me here."
"You didn't sense this place of power?" Oren asked.
Loril thought about the question for along moment. "Not like I usually do. I sensed nothing until we passed the boulder at the entrance."
"Good," he pointed the stem of his pipe at Cain, "That spell you found seems to be working then."
Cain looked pleased with himself. "We can stay here a few days then."
"I don't follow." Loril said.
Oren rubbed is stubbly beard, "We masked the magic here with a spell Cain came across. I don't want to fight anyone over it or force anyone away from it. That would be a terrible waist of the magical power here."
"Besides, you need as much power as you can get." Cain blurted out.
Oren gave him a startled and admonishing gaze at the same time.
"I mean, to charge your own spell nodes." Cain recovered.
"All right let's have it, then." Loril said.
"What?" Oren tried to feign innocence.
"The cat's out of the bag, isn't it." Loril said. "You need a Diabolist to find Earth Nodes when you are standing in one, you need a lot of magic, more than this node contains, which means you are also going to have me find bigger and better Earth Nodes, you are up to something big."
"I think I like you better dumb." Oren said. He gave Cain a dirty look "Yes, I need a lot of magic. Yes, I need you to find the biggest Earth Nodes you can so I can fill spell nodes with as much magical power as we can find. But, I would prefer to the keep the reason to myself."
"Loril flashed her eyes at Cain and smiled. The charm took hold immediately.
"His wife is trapped in a spell node and he can't get her out." Cain announced, abruptly.
"Cain!" Oren was livid.
Cain shook his head to snap out of the charm. "I'm so sorry, Oren. She took me by surprise. There is a lot of magical power here."
"How did she get trapped?" Loril asked.
"It's a long story. I may tell it to you one day."
She flashed her eyes at Oren. He did not waver. "You are powerful, and that's good, but I'm not easily persuaded, unlike my friend here." He seated himself on a wooden chair in order to make eye contact with Loril. "The only question I want to know is will you help us?"
"I find you both fascinating." She said. "I will help you for as long as you protect me from the others. I have a quest of my own and I expect you to help me too."
"As long as you are with me, the other wizards will not harm you, if we even come in contact with any of them. I am afraid that my kind is a dying breed, just like the magic we wield." Oren assured her.
"They are out there" Loril exclaimed. "Desperate men who don't bother to ask or pay Diabolists for their services. I have heard stories of my sisters taken as slaves, forced to find Earth Nodes for their unkind masters."
"Unfortunately, it does happen. I never claimed that all wizards were good, kind-hearted souls, but I hope you know I will never treat you like that."
"Neither will I." Cain said.
"I can sense your sincerity." Loril said. She leaned back in her chair with a mischievous grin. "So, now will you tell me the story of your wife?"
"No, but I will do you one better. Wait until after dark and I will introduce you to her. I can evoke the spell node at midnight and talk to her."
"I thought you said it doesn't get dark here." She said.
"It doesn't, but I can shield the light during the night hours, otherwise, sleeping here would be problematic."
"Why after dark?" She asked.
"It's a night witch spell node. It only works between midnight and six am."
"Black magic!" Loril shrank back.
"Black, white, it's all just magic to me." He said. "Nothing to be worried about as long as I'm around."
"Just how old are you?" Loril asked. "If you are an arcane wizard that means…"
Oren cut his eyes to the fire. "Cain, why don't you prepare us all a place to sleep and I will take Loril to this node's best feature."
"Aw, are you going to take her to the hot springs?"
"Yes, and you need to hang back. I know how you get."
"I'm not shy." Loril said.
"That's exactly what I'm afraid of." Oren said as he opened the front door. He stopped and turned to her, "Well, are you coming? A hot bath in a magical spring is hard to beat."
Loril lit up and grabbed a small bag she carried with her. "Lead on."