Bridgebreaker (The Echo Worlds Book 2) (11 page)

“This is what I think we should do.  You stay here, in this clearing, and I’ll go and see if I can find a Grower to talk to you.  You stay here and practice.  This area is set up for new students to practice on, so you can’t really harm yourself, or anything else around here.  Within reason.”  Heather paused.  She looked at him with a sad expression, but said nothing and walked off.

Cendan wondered if she had wanted to talk about last night again.  Maybe not.  Setting that series of thoughts aside, Cendan turned his concentration to practice.  A quick glance around the clearing showed him that he was alone, at least as far as walking around people were concerned.  A deep breath, and Cendan willed himself to relax.  If he truly used magic every time he did his mental exercise of the Branches, then he could do this without thinking too hard about it.

Touching something with his mind, without touching it with his mind but knowing about it, was not something that came easy, Cendan decided rather fast.  He half imagined it like one of those ‘if a tree falls in the forest, does it make a sound?’ things.  He could feel them, but the moment he paid attention, they would slip away; almost oil like.  He tried again, remembering the specks of light, the raw magic.  Five tries in, finally the magic moved into a pattern for him.  A simple pattern, but a pattern.  He wanted the magic to make a light, a visible, simple light.  The pattern they sprung into, once he had control of them, was once again a far more orderly and straightforward one than the one Heather had made.

Chalking the difference up to the known differences between the Shrouded and the Bridgefinders, Cendan practiced ‘saving’ the pattern in his focus.  A light could always be a useful thing to have whenever he needed it.  And normally, a light would be a pretty safe thing to do.  He set the pattern to flow through his Key, watching it move in orderly motion around the metal and through it.  Heather hadn’t really said how long a pattern needed to be set on his focus before it got saved to it, but he figured a few minutes later, after watching the pattern repeat itself ten or more times, that things were good.

With another soft touch, he searched for and found the point of magic to pull out of the pattern.  That was in fact getting easier to do.  It occurred to Cendan he’d never had to unravel his pattern-thinking; the skill that Heather said was a form of scrying.  He made a note to ask about it.  Maybe he was unconsciously doing it just as he was unconsciously forming the pattern?

Looking around and seeing no one nearby, Cendan decided to try to retrieve a pattern from the key.  Heather hadn’t actually told him how to do this, but he wanted to push himself.  He once again made contact with the magic, and this time fed it into the key with no pattern in mind, other than to make light.  Nothing happened.  Frowning, Cendan released the magic and searched through the key with his mind, looking for the light pattern he had just ‘saved’ to it.

Eyes widened and breath stopped at what he found.  The Key was full of patterns.  Patterns of great complexity; patterns that he wasn’t sure what they were.  He found his rather simple pattern, alongside works of art.  Oakheart.  This must be part of what Oakheart transferred to the key!  Cendan couldn’t believe his luck.  It was a treasure trove of knowledge, one that Cendan had not expected.

Heather.  He had to find Heather.  He needed to know how to access patterns on his key.  He started off in the direction she had headed, but stopped after a few steps.  Heather had told him to stay here.  She’d been pretty adamant about it.  The other issue, of course, was that he wasn’t sure he wanted Heather to know about all the patterns on the key.  The trust level between them wasn’t high, and that level of knowledge…

He also wasn’t sure if he wanted the Shrouded to know as a whole.  The information that Rivenwood had shared, that there were some here who didn’t care if Grellnot wiped out the Bridgefinders, had been an eye opener.  Did he want people or tree people to know about the patterns?  Could they somehow take them if they knew?  Trust.  He didn’t trust anyone, really; only himself.  He didn’t trust Marcus, he didn’t trust Rivenwood, and he didn’t trust Heather.  The closest he got to trust was Jasmine, and he wasn’t sure even about her sometimes.  Her loyalty to what she thought the Bridgefinders were, had been strong.

Cendan decided to keep it to himself, for now.  Just the light and the recharge patterns were the only ones he’d talk about, until he could get a chance to practice away from the Shrouded; away from any other prying, interested eyes.  He did continue to practice getting control of the magic, forming a pattern, and releasing it again.  He soon found his mind wandering, however, before realizing with a start that he was performing the actions without thinking!

“See I knew you could do it.”  Heather’s voice came from behind him.  “You just had to learn to do something you already did.”

Cendan turned to see her alongside a non-descript woman in a brown and grey robe watching him.

“I see you decided to make a light spell.  Practical,” Heather noted.

“Yeah, but I can’t figure out how to use the pattern for it in my Key.  The pattern is there, but how to use it...”  Cendan finished with a shrug.

“Ah yes.  The order on things like that are a bit different.  First you find the pattern in your fetish, then you draw the magic to it.  It will flow into the pattern on its own.  Patterns are better used for really complicated spells, however.  Simple ones, it isn’t really needed for.”  Heather motioned to the woman by her side.  “This is Gardener Xid.  She’s willing to talk to you about how your abilities are different than others who can use magic.”

Gardener Xid gave Cendan an appraising look.

“I never thought I’d meet a Bridgefinder, and certainly not a... Maker.  A Maker, right?”

Cendan nodded.  The woman reminded him of a teacher he had years ago in primary school.

“Yes.  I’ve not really made anything, though.  All I have is notes and journals.  Long on theory, very short on specifics.”

Gardener Xid smirked a bit at that.

“Based on what I know, or at least have bene taught, I should say that doesn’t surprise me.”  The Gardener turned to Heather and motioned her off.  “Leave us now.  This is not a subject of conversation for non-creators.”

Heather’s face had a ghost of an annoyance, but she nodded and walked away, towards the woods.

“Non-Gardeners always want to know how we do what we do.  They wouldn’t understand it, and couldn’t succeed if they tried.  But they might do something stupid, so we don’t let them watch.”  The Gardener turned and walked away, down the path that Heather had originally left down when she had gone to find her.  “Come on Bridgefinder!” she yelled without looking behind her.

Cendan paused and then followed.  It wasn’t like he had much choice.  Staying wouldn’t get him anywhere.

“I’m going to take you to where I work.  Where I grow things.  I’m not sure how things will be different for you, being as you’re not one of the Shrouded, but hopefully this will fill in some gaps.”  The Gardener walked quickly, efficiently.  Cendan kept up, but kept looking around.  He had never closed off his sight, and could see all the surrounding patterns, and was very unclear on what any of them did.  The Gardener disturbed his thoughts.

“I do ask for something in return.  I’d like to see your fetish.  No sorry, Bridgefinders call them… a focus, right?”  Xid shook her head.  “Gardeners learn about our cousins more than most, but it’s been a long time since I was taught any of that.”

Cendan paused.  “I don’t know...  This Key is very important to me.”  His grip on the key tightened.

“I don’t mean it any harm.  And I won’t try to access the key; I simply want to examine its construction.  It will be a learning exercise for us both.”

Cendan still felt unsure, but the Gardener didn’t wait for him as she continued to walk.  Jogging to catch up, he decided to try to be social.

“My name is Cendan, by the way.  Cendan Key.  Pun not intended,” he said, as he waved his focus a bit in his hand.  “Heather said you were Gardener Xid, right?  How many Gardeners are there?”

“Three,” came the reply, with no other information.  Cendan waited for some other acknowledgement, but no other words escaped her.  Finally, he could see a low door ahead, cut into the hillside.  He stopped mid stride, however, at what his magic sight showed him.  The pattern, the magic, was different here.  Very different.  There was, to his mind, what appeared to be a fountain of magic literally spurting the lights into the air as they flowed.

Just as when Heather worked the stuff, this seemed organic, grown.  A pattern of intricate beauty, one that seemed to flow with the earth itself.

“This is a special place.  It’s why I chose to work here.  A place where magic, the raw magic of our world, is created.  There are layers upon layers of subtle workings here, subtle calls and patterns.  Generations of Gardeners have worked to create this place.”

Cendan nodded; he could believe it.  Gardener Xid came to the door and took something –  Cendan couldn’t make out what – and moved it rapidly across the door in a pattern.  The door opened without a sound.  The Gardener stepped through and motioned Cendan to follow her.

The room they walked into was the first somewhat familiar thing he’d seen today.  It was a work room.  Tools lined the walls, all hand tools, but they were recognizable.  In fact, the room gave him the feeling of purpose and creation in a way he was somewhat surprised by.  A low laugh came from Xid.

“If I had any doubts you were a Maker, it’s gone now.  The look on your face as we walked in gave it away.  Only those with the talent react the way you did.”

The Gardener looked Cendan up and down, examining him as one would examine a block of wood, or clay.  Cendan got the distinct impression she was sizing him up to see what she could do with him.

“Cendan, right?  Cendan, I will tell you a few things, show you more.  But just like what you practiced with our young chosen diplomat to the Bridgefinders, Heather, the best thing is practice; lots and lots of practice.”  Grabbing a stool under the workbench, Xid sat.  Cendan followed her lead and sat facing her.

“Now.  I understand Heather told you the three main lessons of working magic.  How to hold it, making a pattern and how to release it, and why.  She even told you about making a pattern permanent, yes?”  Cendan nodded.  “Good.  Now, what Heather doesn’t know, and anyone with the talent for creating does know, is that all of that carries a big fat asterisk.”  Xid held up a pendant that she wore around her neck.  An intricate knotted work pattern covered it and formed tiny cages where even small wood balls floated around.  “This is my fetish.  I grew this myself.  Here, in the workshop.”

“I’m sure you all, you Makers, do things differently.  I can’t help you with that.  But I can cover what I think are similarities.  Now, you have the sight open, yes?”  Cendan nodded.  “Good.  Now, what do you see when you look at my fetish?”

Cendan peered at the pendant, now seeing anything other than the wood itself.  He looked harder.

“No, it just looks like wood to me.”  Cendan paused.  “You know, that doesn’t make sense.  We have these foci, or fetish, or whatever you call it.  We work magic with it.  You can imprint magic on it.  You can even store magic in it.  But yet, on the sight, you see nothing.”

The Gardener smiled.  “Exactly.  What Heather doesn’t know is that there are two kinds of sight.  One all users of the magic can use, and one that only those with the talent for creation can use.  You can do this.  Keep your sight open, but with the same light touch you use to take the magic up before forming a pattern, I want you to take the un-patterned magic and flow it through your sight.”

Cendan cocked at that.  “I thought all magic needed a pattern?”

Xid just smiled.  “For someone without the talent, that’s true.  Just try, Cendan Key.  Just try.”

Letting out a long breath, Cendan looked at the fetish with the sight and tried to follow the directions.  He fumbled with the magic a few times in his attempt to have it flow through his sight.  Then, on the fourth try, it worked.

The Pendant lit up like a rainbow in front of him.  Bright colors, near gem-like clarity, enveloped the pendant.  It in no way resembled wood anymore.

“That is amazing!” Cendan burst out.  Holding onto his new sight, he looked at his own focus.  The thing was covered with grooves with the new way of looking.  Each groove held magic, moving like electricity, but the colors were as vibrant and strong as the pendant had been.  And oddly enough, the parts that didn’t have light on them were dark, nearly black.  But even there, he could see... something.  Even smaller channels, maybe?  And even smaller lights?  He found himself wishing for a microscope to look at it with.

“Yes.  Your... focus you called it?  Your focus is very different from our work.  But based on what I’m seeing, just as powerful.  But let’s continue.”

Gardener Xid pointed to her pendant.  Now, what you’re seeing is the combination of both the pendant itself, and the magic stored in it.  If I were to discharge the well, it would still glow in your sight, but far less.  I imagine the same holds true for your Key.  Xid held up her hand with two fingers held up.

“Call these supplemental rules for those with the talent.  One: any pattern can be tied to an item wrought with the magic.  Once it’s tied, its permanent to all but another with the talent.  Two: to unravel another’s work is very, very hard, and carries great risk.”  Xid pointed to Cendan’s key again.  “That was Oakheart’s focus.  He created after he left us and joined the Bridgefinders, right?  That gives you some level of protection from the possible harm if you ever unraveled a bound-magic created by Oakheart.”

“Normally, if I tried to unravel something you created, something bound, I’d have to be very careful.  One wrong step, and I could lose my power forever.  I could die, I could kill someone else depending on what the item was and what it could do.”  Xid looked at Cendan with a decidedly serious expression.

“My teacher told me once, years ago, a Gardener created a gate.  A gate that formed a Bridge to the Echo world.  A permanent gate.  The Gardener in question made it for a nymph – yes, a classical nymph and all that the name implies.  And it worked; the nymph could use it to come here, and by the virtue of him having the talent, he could visit her.  But another Gardener saw the nymph, and as is the way sometimes, was overcome by lust for her.  He couldn’t bear the thought of seeing them together.”

“He decided to unravel the gate with the other Gardener on one side, and the nymph on the other.  But during the unraveling, something went wrong.  The gate ripped a hole into...  Well, we don’t know where.  But the Gardener who was doing the unraveling, was dragged into the gate just for a second and vanished.  Just as quickly, he was thrown back out, but what came back was… not normal.  He was smoking, and held his hands to his head, screaming.  Screaming about whatever it was he had seen.  The gate was destroyed, and sadly the nymph was too, as the gate exploded on the other side as-well.”

Cendan nodded.  “But... how can you all know this?  If someone saw him why didn’t they stop him?”

Xid smiled, a thin lipped one this time.  “In time, some sort of sanity returned; enough to get the story at least out of him.  He was never the same though.”  Xid paused then locked eyes with Cendan.  “He was also my brother.”  Cendan paused and nodded.

“As I said, that key will give you some protection as it is part of Oakheart’s... profile, I’ll call it.  And I don’t think you will need to use it to do so, honestly.  But seeing as how Oakheart was the last one with the talent who was also a Bridgefinder, I thought it worth mentioning.”

Cendan nodded.

“Ok, now: how to tie things to an object.”  Xid handed him a small wooden ball.  “We are going to make this light up, without you needing to cast the spell at all.  First, you need to charge it.  Similar to how your fetish – sorry focus; I’ll get that right sometime – is charged.  Cram it full of magic.”

Cendan did so.  It was hard however; the ball wasn’t a repository for magic normally, and it didn’t want to stick like it did with his focus.

“Not bad.  It’s harder than you think though, isn’t it?  Okay, so it’s full.  Now keep it that way.  At the same time, pull more magic and form the pattern for the light spell.”

Cendan found this to be harder still.  With one part of his mind trying to keep the lights of the magic from spilling out of something they didn’t want to be in, and the other grabbing magic and forming the right pattern, he could feel the sweat forming on him, even though it was cool in this workroom.

Finally, he thought he had it.

“Ok...  I think.”  Xid seemed to examine the ball and gave him a small smile.

“Ok, now you’re going to overlay the pattern on the ball, but instead of having it flow over the ball and off, you are going to tie it to the magic stored inside the ball.  There won’t be a start and an end, but a loop.  A loop that pulls from itself.”

Nodding, he tried to make it happen.  The lights kept wanting to slip away, and the pattern didn’t want to loop.

“Careful.”  Xid admonished him.  “It’s not easy, but you’re doing well.”

Cendan concentrated again.  Suddenly he felt a click, and the pattern stabilized on the ball.

“Great job!” Xid exclaimed.  Cendan looked at the ball with his new sight and liked what he saw.  The stable pattern was there; the magic was there.  But how to make it light?

“Gardener Xid.  I see it all, but it doesn’t glow?”

Xid laughed.  “Will it to.  Just like you will a Bridge to close.”

Cendan shrugged and did so.  Light bloomed, bright and strong, giving everything a slightly harsh look in the bright while light.

“Turn it down a bit, would you?”  Xid laughed.

Cendan felt a little sheepish and did so.  Now a nice soft glow was in the palm of his hand.

“How long will it last?” Cendan asked, studying it.

“Functionally forever.  Barring the total destruction of the planet, the end of magic, or the merging of our world with the Slyph’s echo," Xid answered.  “You have done very well.  Now, practice.  Lots of practice.  Through the door behind me, there are rooms for sleeping, eating, bathrooms, and two smaller workrooms.  Both were set up years ago for students.  For whatever time we have left until either the Slyph or Grellnot wins, you can stay here and practice, practice, practice.”

Cendan nodded.  “Can I go and check it out?”

Xid smiled.  “Of course.  Feel free.  I’ll get a few things together for food.  I’m sure Heather didn’t feed you much.”  At the thought of food, Cendan felt his stomach rumble.

“No, actually.  Haven’t eaten since breakfast.”

Xid nodded, shooing him through the door.

“Go on then, I’ll get it organized.”  Cendan headed off the hall and Xid’s face took on a decidedly darker cast.   “He’s far too powerful to let run around free.  I’ll have to let the Elders know.”