Chapter 04

Upon another continent, "Alexandra! How could you?" SaVannah admonishes her. "He is not your betrothed. You should not have kissed him. What will I tell your Father? He will be furious."

"Nothing. Tell him nothing. I simply returned a gift with a gift."

"Oh. Of course. I should have realized. You simply returned a gift with a gift. It certainly looked like a gift all right," the young Feline sulks, as the roomful of Sisters break out in laughter forcing SaVannah and Alexandra to remember where they are.

SaVannah leans over to Alexandra and whispers, "Alex, may I see the... the Rose?"

Alexandra holds it a moment casting a preservation spell over it to allow it to remain as it is for many days and weeks to come, then hands it to SaVannah.

SaVannah looks at it carefully and sniffs the delicate fragrance. "Alex, this is a treasure."

The other Sisters come over to the table to also look at the Rose. "You have an admirer, Alexandra. He is your soul-mate and, perhaps, your breeding mate as well."

Alexandra's face turns red with the contemplation of that possibility.

"Your young man is quite an accomplished Sorcerer. He does things no one else may do, but he cannot extinguish a candle?"

"That is because he didn't know how. He will do better now that I told him of a way to begin learning."

"True. But I find it interesting that he burns his own hand with the flame he purloins. Some Sorcerer," sniffs the Sister.

"What do you want from someone who has only started three weeks ago? He is a Warrior just now becoming a Sorcerer," Alexandra retorts defensively. "I like him."

"That is quite obvious to us. You seem to like him very much."

A murmur goes through the group at the disclosure of the information Andrew is only recently started at Sorcery with some light laughter at the remark she ‘likes him'.

"He is a Warrior? Three weeks and he is able to project at each end of a link many hundreds of times the distance anyone else may accomplish. He may transport a Rose in a split second of time from his hand to yours and he may... may... travel? through the link to receive a kiss where you both may touch. Yet he is still in The Shambles in the garden where he plucked that Rose. Oh yes, he is only three weeks a Sorcerer. And pigs fly. I am messaging Sister Kaitlyn at The Shambles. I want to know more about this Sorcerer who isn't a Sorcerer."

"Don't tell them to do anything to hurt him. I like him. He is nice and considerate and he is very shy. I think I'm the first woman he has spent the time to try to get to know."

"Alexandra, I think it would be best if we keep you here for a while. If he is able to travel, for lack of a better word at the moment, his link then what is to prevent him from coming here or taking you there? Most have the ability to travel short distances but to link and then travel through it at this range? This is something I have never before seen. I seriously doubt anyone has seen this before. SISTERS! We need a combined session. I want this entire building warded. At least until we know more about this ‘soul-mate' of Alexandra's."

Alexandra is furious about this attempt to block Andrew's link but she is outvoted. Even SaVannah favors the idea.

"Alex, with this power of his he could kidnap you. We know nothing about him, we have only his word and that of those around him of who he or they are. There are rogue Sorcerers just as there are rogue Warriors. He could be working for bandits."

"Missii, if he was working for bandits I would already be gone."

SaVannah must agree with Alexandra about that. All things considered it is unlikely he is with the bandits but, "it never hurts to be careful. Until this is resolved I am wearing my weapons and I am sticking with you better than glue."

Perhaps twenty minutes later Alexandra and Missii leave the meal hall returning to their rooms for the remainder of the afternoon. Alexandra spends most of the afternoon studying as she muses, ‘I wish I had some way to contact Andrew. I don't know how he reaches out like he does. He needs to teach me so I may contact him when I need to do so. The next time I speak with him I will insist upon having a way to reach him.'

Suddenly the soft sound of a chime gently rings in her room. Alexandra looks around beginning to think she imagined the sound or perhaps it is outside her room but nearby. A few moments pass and she hears the sound once again.

Abruptly smiling, "Andrew. Is that you?! If it is come on, I'm decent, it's ok."

The link fully establishes and Alexandra may see several Sorcerers including the one she remembers from the mist, "You! You are Sorcerer Gabriel?"

"The same, dear lady. I understand Andrew plucked one of our Roses and gave it to you."

"He won't be in trouble will he? I'll return it."

Gabriel chuckles, "No, he is not in trouble and you may keep the Rose. I have two very befuddled Sorcerers here who happened to witness him giving it to you. That and the kiss you provided in return."

Alexandra blushes at the comment, "I... don't know why I did it. I have never kissed anyone before, except my Father, and that was on his cheek."

Several of the Sorcerers laugh momentarily at the remark, one answering, "I like her, she will be able to handle this bundle of mischief just fine. Her idea about a way to start learning to put out the candle is something I think I will begin to use to assist our young apprentices in their learning. If you don't mind of course, Lady Alexandra."

"Of course not, go right ahead. The important thing is they begin to learn to use their talents. The proper method will eventually come to them."

"Thank-you," as he nods a courtesy to her.

"Andrew, is that Chime the way you are going to ask me if you may establish the link?"

"I think so, was it too loud?"

"No, it was perfect. Is there some way I may tell you if I need a link with you? The Sisters decided, after you gave me the Rose and I gave you a kiss, they are very uncomfortable with the idea you may travel or send and receive things through the link. They are preparing to ward the entire building so you will not be able to reach into it."

"Oh, does that mean we won't be able to talk anymore. I need to be able to do that."

"I'm afraid so, unless I am outdoors and you won't know when that will be unless I have a way of contacting you. I have tried to reach out and link with you but I cannot sense you in order to do it. Could you, perhaps, teach me how you do it?"

The Sorcerers are now listening intently for they too would like to know how he does it.

"Alexandra, I have an idea about how you might contact me so I may establish the link, and I'll give some thought to how I accomplish it so I may teach you. There may be a way. For this moment, could you think about a little bell, one like you would hold by a handle and shake so it rings. When you have that firmly in your mind then gently shake your hand."

Alexandra closes her eyes and visualizes that little bell then she shakes her left hand. Hearing the bell ring she opens her eyes abruptly but there is no bell in her hand. She shakes it again and hears the bell.

Smiling, "Are you able to hear it at your end?"

"Yes, but the trick will be to be able to hear it when the link is gone. Just a moment and I shall close the link. Wait a few seconds then ring the bell."

"All right." Alexandra sees everything fade away.

"Andrew do you hear me? Andrew are you there?"

With no reply, she imagines the little bell and shakes her hand. She hears it and wonders if Andrew may.

"Alexandra may I establish the full link?"

"Yes, didn't it work?"

"Oh yes. It was fine. A little loud, it broke one of the windows so I reduced it a bit. Sorry."

"It sounded perfect here."

"Good. This is a trick I am just learning, each end needs to be set independently. If I want to contact you I shall chime you and if it is OK for me to establish the link then you may ring the bell. If it doesn't ring then I won't establish the link. If I have not chimed you and you ring the bell then I will establish the link unless I'm in a bath or something that I may need to wait. If I do, then I'll chime you before linking and wait for your bell again."

"I like it. Let's try it that way once to be certain. Close the link and chime me then I'll ring the bell back to you, OK?"

"Sure. Bye." Just like that the link is gone.

‘He's getting really good at this'. A chime sounds in her room. She imagines the bell quickly now and rings it without moving her hand. In a moment the link is established again.

"I like it Andrew. That way if I'm dressing or bathing I won't ring the bell and you won't suddenly surprise me. Thank-you. I like this much better. The way it was happening before I was a bit apprehensive that you might link when I was bathing. Look I may ring the bell just by thinking about it." The sound occurs at both ends of the link.

"Not only that but wherever you go just ring the bell and I may link to you. So for instance if someone is causing you a problem you could ring the bell and I could drop a rock on their head or something."

"I hardly think that would be necessary. I'm not too bad with the use of magic, myself."

"Alexandra. I, uh, I asked Gabriel if I could give you some more Roses. Would you like them?"

Smiling at the obviously flustered young man's question, she holds out her hands ready to receive the flowers.

"Remember watch out for the thorns."

She watches as his hands reach out above hers while holding a bouquet of the Roses, moments later he releases them and they land across her hands and arms.

"Ow." She recoils as one of the thorns sticks her. She carefully checks her arm where the thorn pricked her, then gathers the flowers which fell to the floor as a result, placing them on the table and passing her hand over them to preserve these flowers as she did the first.

"Thank-you Andrew and Thank Sorcerer Gabriel too, for allowing you to give them to me. They are beautiful."

"You're welcome Alexandra, I must go. I have more testing to go through. Bye."

"Good bye Andrew. Thank you for the bell," she rings it just before the link dissolves.

A single chime answers her ring.

She decides she needs a vase and wonders if there are any available when a light knock occurs at the door. "Come in." SaVannah enters and closes the door again, then realizes the table is covered with flowers.

"Alexandra!"

"Now Missii, don't be upset. Sorcerer Gabriel wanted to see Andrew send a flower to me so he gave permission to Andrew to send these so he could see it happen." A little white lie...

"Oh, well... if it was to test his ability then I guess it's all right. Now that you have so many do you suppose I might have the first one. I like it's scent."

Alexandra laughs, "tell you what, let's go find two vases and we'll split them, half for you and half for me."

"Vases? Vases! Yes! Come, I think I know where I have seen some."

SaVannah rushes out of the room with Alexandra following behind trying to catch her. They discover several but they are in use, so they continue searching until Alexandra realizes, "Oh, how stupid of me. Andrew must be wearing off on me. I'll just make them. Closing her eyes she visualizes a vase of green crystal about thirty centimeters tall made of material which she has seen broken in fragments at what remains of the old library. She holds out her hands and visualizes the vase just above them allowing it to drop into her waiting hands.

"Two may play at that trick."

Handing the first vase to SaVannah, Alexandra quickly creates a second slightly smaller one since she cannot locate enough material for the second, then they are on their way back to the room and their Roses.

"Thank-you Alex. I think I shall pretend an admirer gave them to me since I don't yet have an Andrew to do it. Keep at it. You'll catch him yet. These smell gorgeous. Did you spell them? I don't want them to ever fade away."

Alexandra smiles at her friend, "Yes they have been preserved. They should last a month or more."

Another knock at the door and it opens to reveal a Sister. "We have warded the... MORE? Well, you had best preserve them because they are the last that will be coming for a while. The wards are in place so he will be unable to link into the building. We will conduct your mutual training outdoors or at the pavilion. Have you been studying or have you been spending all your time gathering... gathering flowers?"

"They are called ‘Roses' Sister Margaret. Watch out. They have thorns," she warns the Sister, who is about to grasp the stem of one. Margaret examines the flower and it's stem then carefully grasps it and brings it up to smell the delicate and different fragrance.

"They are interesting... Roses... I must check the library to see if we have had anything like this in the past. You had best begin studying, tomorrow shall be a difficult test." She sniffs the Rose once again before turning and walking out of the room, closing the door behind her.

SaVannah and Alexandra smile at each other over the Sister's obvious envy.

"Thank you for the Roses, Alex. I will place them in my room so each time I enter I may smell the room filled with their fragrance," SaVannah is beaming with pleasure.

"You're welcome Missii. There are more than enough. I wonder if he may be able to obtain a plant which we could begin to raise in the garden at home. The next time he calls I must remember to ask him if we may have one."

"Well, right now you better study. You have that test tomorrow."

"Oh pooh. I may master that silly old test anytime they wish to give it. I am much more interested in learning how the bell Andrew gave to me works. There must be some kind of link involved or he couldn't hear it."

SaVannah looks around the room, "Bell? I don't see a bell, perhaps the Sister took it with her."

Alexandra laughs, "No. Sorry, it's in my head. But still, it must have some way of reaching Andrew. If I may just decide how it works. Maybe, oh! What was that? How did I see... Now this is interesting. There is something very peculiar about this bell. I may hardly see it but there is something. How strange. If I look at it this way, I see something attached to it. This is a strange way to look at magic.

There is a thread attached to it. I wonder whatever made him think of that? It leads off and goes North. This is utterly strange."

"Alex, I'm going to my room. If you figure it out, call me before you do anything. I want to be there to watch too. Please?"

"Of course Missii. Besides we must stick together as there is no telling where this thread, this thread? Yes! Where does this lead? Ohh, that IS interesting. I don't believe the wards will stop this. I wonder if... Yes, I think so. Missii would you sit over there? I'm going to try something and I don't want you standing in the way."

SaVannah moves quickly to the far corner of the room dragging the chair with her and holding her vase of Roses as if to preserve them from all harm. Alexandra gathers her power as she follows the faint thread of magic back to it's roots in The Shambles. With the thread already present it takes very little energy to follow it. She realizes this is an extremely different approach to magic than the way she has been taught. Now she loosens a link which roars down the path of the thread. In less than a second she is looking through Andrew's eyes at a distant room where she sees several Sorcerers standing and sitting.

"Alexandra?"

Coyly, “Yes Andrew?”

"Alexandra, how did you establish the link?"

"Well, a girl must have some secrets now, mustn't she?"

"Alexandra please, I'm glad you can do it, but how?"

"I followed the thread. The thread from the bell you gave me. How did you ever think of doing it like that? That is so different from everything I have been taught, and it hardly uses any power at all." She sees the Sorcerers are in stunned silence and as Andrew's eyes sweep the room she also sees several Sisters there as well.

"Oh, Andrew, the wards are in place here now but... Now that's interesting. As you may see, doing it this way the wards offer no protection at all."

Now everyone in the room, except Andrew, appears shocked. Wards are the only defense Sorcerers and Sisters have against the magic of another.

"Oh? Then I could still link to you if I needed to do so?"

"I think so. At least I may link out through them. Andrew?"

"Yes?"

"Watch the candle on the table in your room." Alexandra directs this new way of using magic and the candle and it's holder in his testing room lift from the table turning completely over with the flame continuing to burn away from the wax just as though still right-side up, the wax continuing to drip upward now toward the holder.

"I thought so. Andrew you have found a new way to control magic. A way that is so much more powerful and the control is completely different than the way we have been taught. This is interesting. Just wait until my test tomorrow. They'll never understand why I may complete it in a split second. This is marvelous. I'm going to break the link. Would you try to reach me and see if the wards stop you from entering?"

"Ok. When?"

"Now." The link breaks. Andrew waits a few seconds and then reestablishes it, the Sisters and Sorcerers look at one another in total shock. Wards offer no defense against this use of magic.

"Alexandra, I had no problem at all. Are you certain the wards are there?"

"Oh yes, the Sister came specifically to tell me they had done it. Andrew, how did you give me the Roses?"

"Oh, that's easy. The way the magic works we are closer together than the distance on the world. We are nearly side by side, or standing in the same place but removed. I'm not certain how to explain it but we are together. If I want to give something to you then all I must do is be certain we are aligned, my hand above yours then I release the object into the link. When it reaches your end it falls and arrives on your hand which was below mine."

"That sounds easy. Here hold out your hand I want to try it. I'll give you back a Rose that I have spelled so it will last for weeks. Go on, hold out your hand."

Andrew cups his hands together out before him ready for her to drop the flower. He sees her move her hand over his and release the flower. A moment passes and the flower drops to his hand eliciting gasps from some of the Sisters and murmurs of astonishment from the Sorcerers.

"Now, how did you come through the link so I could kiss, oh, wait, I think I see it. Yes! That's interesting. You have a very different approach to magic. Now I see why you have so much difficulty trying to do it the way it is normally taught. Don't move now."

Alexandra begins the attempt and again is aware of that duality which occurred previously when Andrew attempted the same. She looks in astonishment as she actually accomplishes the task and then leans over and kisses Andrew once again on the lips. His arms come up around her reflexively and the kiss lasts for three or four seconds before one of the Sorcerers clears his throat.

"Youngsters, I think you had best retreat to your own ends of the link. I should hate to think what might happed if the link were to dissolve with you in it."

Alexandra leans away as does Andrew but each is intently watching the other as Alexandra retreats to her room in Percoin.

"Andrew, It looks like it should be possible to travel the link. All the way I mean."

"Probably. But I still haven't decided how one could return again if there is no one at the other end with which to make contact. Maybe we both might think about this and continue to compare ideas. We may come up with something. Oh, watch the candle you left burning upside down in this room."

All eyes immediately turn to the impossible. A candle burning as though right side up but decidedly upside down. Andrew turns his attention to the candle and holder and it slowly turns back upright gliding back to it's place on the table. The light winks out and in moments is replaced by a much brighter glow which appears softer on the eyes. The edges of the room now much easier to see with the increased light. He asks one of the Sorcerers near the candle to touch the base of the holder near the candle itself. It immediately goes out. When the Sorcerer touches it again, it provides instant brilliance. The flame is not hot nor does the wax appear to be melting.

"The candle will probably last a week burning that way. You gave me the idea when you said you spelled the Rose to last for weeks. I need to continue my testing. Thanks for showing me you may link, Alexandra. Bye Missii." The link established by Alexandra is dissolved by Andrew.

Again the Sisters and Sorcerers go into shock. These two will teach the world of magic a great deal.

"Alex," SaVannah reprimands, "That wasn't a gift. That was out and out passion. I was right, you are in love."

"Missii!"

"Don't Missii me. I know love when I see it."

"Don't tell Father."

"Are you kidding? I wouldn't tell him. If he can't recognize it then he isn't your Father, and I seriously doubt that. What do you suppose Andrew did to that candle? I could use something like that."

"I don't know. He said he placed a preserving spell on it but the light changed too. Let me examine this one. To preserve it would slow the burning so how does he, come on silly, use your new magic to look at this."

SaVannah smiles at Alexandra talking out the investigation of the candle.

"Let's see. If I preserve it like this, Yes the flame burns slowly now, but it is just the same flame and greatly reduced light. The heat is still there but reduced. What if it burned without wasting any of the energy in the wax as heat? If it creates only light but no heat... How may I do that? Maybe, NO!"

The candle burns VERY intensely and diminishes in height by several centimeters. The heat thrown off in those few seconds has raised the temperature of the room by perhaps five or ten degrees and has given Alexandra a slight burn such as if she had been out in the summer sun for a few hours. SaVannah begs off and returns to her room when no answer is immediately forthcoming.

"All right then. Perhaps..."

The candle flame begins to change colour and produces much more brilliance. Alexandra waves her hand over the candle and finds there is little heat but the appearance is unlike that which Andrew produced. She continues working with the candle for an hour or more until she has something very nearly like that which Andrew had produced. She also manages to spell it to burn or quench by touching the base holding the candle. With some success, Alexandra takes her other candles and places the same magical spells upon them. Finally picking them and her candle holder she walks out of her room and down the corridor to SaVannah's room.

"SaVannah, are you decent? May I come in?"

"Yes, come ahead."

When Alexandra enters the room, SaVannah shouts, "Alex, you did it! Will you spell my candles too?"

Alexandra exchanges her candles for the ones which SaVannah has in her room, spelling those which she has just exchanged, then shows SaVannah how to control whether it burns or quenches. As she is leaving SaVannah's room, she watches SaVannah play with the candle for a few moments. Alexandra smiles as she exits. Closing the door she turns to find a Sister standing in the hall looking at the effect of the light produced by her candle. She explains to the Sister that which was done by Andrew and of her attempts to duplicate it.

"It isn't quite the same, but it does fit the purpose. Here, take a few of these and put them into your candle holders then just touch the base holding the candle and it will light. Touch again and it will quench. The light is brighter and it is much easier to read by it. Two or three of these candles fill my room with light and they will last several days to a week rather than a few hours. I have much more light and still greatly save on the number of candles I use."

The Sister holds the candles as though they are a great treasure and bids Alexandra to come with her for a few minutes. She leads Alexandra to the library where perhaps a hundred candles or more are in use.

"Is it difficult to spell them? Does it take a lot of time or could you perhaps spell these from the cupboard all at once? This will allow us to have more light with fewer candles. Would you do this? The library is our greatest expense in candles."

Alexandra looks in awe at the number of candles in the cupboard. She sighs, and they place them all on a nearby table. There are perhaps four hundred of them, enough for one night. Closing her eyes, she begins to touch them all with her mind gradually bringing more and more of them into control until she feels she cannot handle more. Now applying that which she has determined by experimentation to these candles she has just selected she begins the transformation of the candles into great sources of light. Once finished, perhaps a minute later, she again opens her eyes and separates the candles before her into those which are spelled and those which are not. The Sister takes some of the spelled candles and begins to replace those burning with those which are spelled as Alexandra selects the remaining candles and again applies that which she learned to those candles.

The Sister quickly returns with a number of partially used candles. Taking more spelled candles she repeats the process twice more, returning each time with partially used candles. Alexandra takes those which have the most wax remaining and spells them as well. Looking at the library, it now appears to be greatly brighter even though only half as many candles are in use. They place the remaining spelled candles into the cupboard, then Alexandra departs to clean up before supper, the Sister's thanks following her.

Along the path to her room, Alexandra spells candles as she passes. Carefully checking to be certain no Sisters are watching before performing the bit of magic. The halls are now bathed in brilliant light. After reaching her room she prepares for the evening meal then hurries off to the meal hall arriving, as she hoped, before everyone else.

Now she selects the candles burning in the sconces along the walls of the great hall and spells them. Then she reaches her mind up to each chandelier in turn, spelling those candles as well. The hall is now lit as bright as day. Mentally selecting every other candle she quenches them then a few more, allowing roughly a third so of the candles to continue burning. The room remains brightly lighted but far fewer candles are producing that light.

Quickly she seats herself and reaches out to find what food has been prepared for the meal. Locating something to her liking she entices it to move from the kitchen to the plate before her along with just a little wine and a glass of water. She begins to eat just as others are entering the hall. Most continue to find their seats and obtain their food as they look about the room, vaguely aware something is different. As they eat they continue looking about clearly puzzled but unable as yet to place their finger on the source of that which is causing them to examine their surroundings.

SaVannah enters the hall coming over to sit beside her. Looking around, she is about to ask about the candles as Alexandra motions for her to be silent then leans over and whispers,"They know something has changed but no one has yet decided what it might be. Don't tell them. Let them puzzle over it for a while."

With a conspiratorial smile on her face SaVannah asks Alexandra to bring some food for her as she begins watching the Sisters who, in turn, are watching everything in the hall. A few Sisters have completed their meal and are still looking about trying to decide what has changed as they get up and slowly leave the hall. Alexandra and SaVannah complete their meal and return to their rooms leaving the Sisters still trying to decide what it is that has changed.

 © 2010 by Rénae Dáºmas. This work may not be replicated or presented in whole or in part by any means electronic or otherwise without the express consent of the work’s Owner (copyright holder), with the exception of the private and non-commercial viewing by the reader who is also the end purchaser. ALL Rights Reserved, including but not limited to ownership of Characters, final content decision, and more. This is a work of Fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this story are fictional and any resemblance to real people or incidents past, present or future is purely coincidental. Any and all images shown within this work are taken by license under Corel. Sketches are a product originated through the efforts of Terry Volkirch.. No affiliations, involvement or gender assignations through the use of the images provided by Corel, Terry Volkirch or the subjects contained within those posted images or sketches is implied or intended.
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