Original: To Fire It Shall Return

Chapter 10

Alainna lay in the cool water with her eyes closed. Her blond hair floated in a fan on the surface of the water and her naked body twisted and glided effortlessly through the cool, clear liquid. Suddenly, a harsh voice rang out, echoing off the rock walls of the cave.

"Alainna! Stop swimming in your vision pool and for Koldar's sake, put some clothes on!" She started and scrambled out of the shallow pool before she remembered from whom the order had come. The White Sorceress glanced briefly at Sharra, who was perched happily on a ledge in the corner. The raven seemed almost to literally grin in amusement as Alainna composed herself. After a pause, too short for the speaker to notice, she turned to look into the pool, beads of water standing out on her body like diamonds. The speaker's face was reflected in the clear waters of the natural pool, far below her stronghold. Alainna knew he was facing a similar pool wherever he was. He was currently covering his eyes in feigned disgust.

"What's wrong, Isak?" said Alainna teasingly. "Jealous?"

"What are you talking about?" he snarled.

"Well, I know it bothers you, but give up. Magic can't improve what one doesn't possess." She turned away with a smile, allowing him to make obscene gestures at her back in complete freedom. She wrapped a large towel around herself and looked back at Isak's reddened face with as much seriousness one could muster in a towel.

"Well, Presider, did you have a reason to contact me, or was it only to gawk?" He nearly choked, but managed to speak anyway.

"We are having a special Guild meeting, tomorrow." Alainna waited for him to elaborate, but he just glared at her as if expecting a response.

"I assume you mean to say that you don't want to tell me what it's about because this can be monitored." Isak winced.

"Yes."

"Are you at least going to send a Horse, or can that be monitored too?" she said sarcastically.

"No, we aren't going to send a Horse." He smiled at her consternation for a moment, savouring his victory, and continued. "Just be in your front entranceway at three o'clock tomorrow afternoon. Has that girl you live with been Confirmed yet?"

"Lelahn wants nothing to do with the Guild. Frankly, sometimes I see her point. Why? Do you want her there?"

"No. Tradition dictates that she can't come to the Guildhall, and now we need to cling to our traditions more tightly than ever. Report back to her after the meeting, and let Kelden know about it if you see him. He's not avoiding this meeting." Before Alainna could ask another question, the pool grew cloudy. When it cleared, Isak was gone. There was a knock at the door and Lelahn entered, wearing a blue dress. She hadn't aged a minute since they had met seven years before. She was truly a sorceress - albeit one with very specialized and unique powers.

"Who was that? The light went on, but I knew you were down here, so I didn't come to answer it." Alainna had set up a spell which activated whenever the vision pool was used. A red light, set into the wall, came on in each of the rooms in Solarna so she would know when someone was trying to contact her.

"It was Isak." Alainna said with a grimace.

"That's nice. What did he have to say?" Lelahn smiled, "Did he catch you?"

"Yes, he did, but I was too much for him. I have a meeting tomorrow. He also asked about you." Lelahn raised her eyebrows.

"Does this mean I have to come with you?" She sounded vaguely plaintive. Isak and Chenam had reluctantly allowed her to come to several Guild meetings during the first year after her rescue. She had found them… tiresome, to say the least.

"No, just that I have to tell you what went on when I get back," Alainna assured her.

"That's a relief."

Alainna dried herself and dressed as Lelahn went back out to the main part of the stronghold. When she was ready, Alainna also left the room and navigated the caves and tunnels, passing storage rooms and darkened tunnels that lead nowhere. Her path twisted and turned until it ended in a featureless wall. Alainna pressed against a tiny indentation on the wall to her left. The wall in front of her slid aside, and she exited the catacombs into her main spell room. A moment later, the door slid closed behind her, leaving only a bookcase where the cave had just gaped.

She exited the room just in time to hear the knock on the front doors. Lelahn was closer, ahead of Alainna in the straight corridor, so she reached it first. She pushed the doors open to reveal Kelden, shivering on the doorstep.

"Hello Kelden," she said, a little frigidly. Lelahn had come a long way since their adventure together in the Badlands, but she was still uncomfortable around him. Alainna smiled and embraced him warmly.

"Hello my friend," she said, trying to ignore the warmth spreading from his hands where they were place chastely on her back. They released and stepped back, while Lelahn closed the door.

"I didn't want to touch that door again. I'm certain I'll be knocked off the platform or otherwise injured one day," Kelden said. Alainna laughed.

"I'm certain of it. By the way, Isak had some kind words for you." Kelden reached out and fingered her wet hair.

"Caught you swimming in your vision pool again? Silly girl."

"Well, yes, but that had nothing to do with it. Even Isak wouldn't blame you for my breakages of tradition. We have a Guild meeting tomorrow, and they aren't sending Horses."

"What? Tomorrow? Are they expecting us to walk?"

"Apparently not, we just have to be here in the main entranceway at three," she shrugged, "I have no idea what's going on."

The next day, at the appointed time, Alainna and Kelden went to the entranceway. They had no idea what to expect, so they didn't allow Lelahn to join them as they stood there, fidgeting. After a few minutes, the impatient Kelden was almost ready to leave when they felt a tingle spread over their bodies. Invisible hands gripped them. Darkness and deathly cold surrounded them.

After an eternity, their vision cleared and they found themselves in the centre of the landing hall, surrounded by bustling white sorceresses and wizards. The sun shone unobstructed through the open space above them - for the first time, there wasn't a single Horse in the sky. Alainna dimly registered Isak step forward gingerly, ready to greet her, but all she really saw was the girl.

Between Isak and Chenam stood a woman possessed of ethereal beauty. Her face wasn't pale, like many sorceresses, but the delicacy of her features and the inner glow that radiated from her suggested magic enhancement. She had long, luxerient, brown hair that hung almost to the floor, and a slim body that hinted at riches beyond what could be descerned without careful examination. The perfection of her face, body, hands - everything - was so obvious that it was almost painful to witness. Alainna had never seen anything like it before. The woman didn't even have an amulet from which she could draw her power, though she did have a dim aura. If it weren't for her incredible beauty, Alainna would never have thought she was a sorceress.

Alainna had seen many beautiful people since she had joined the Guild. Magic enhanced a person's natural beauty until a mortal would have found it breathtaking, but exposure had dulled the impact on her over time. Despite this, Alainna couldn't help staring at the girl, enchanted. Isak stopped his advance short, his arms out to envelop Alainna in a hug as he noticed where her attention was riveted.

"Uh, this is Illyanna. She's the one who brought you here." Alainna tore her gaze away from the girl to give Isak a disbelieving look. The girl glided over to Alainna, her simple white robe whispering along the stone floor of the cave in which the Guildhall was situated.

"Sorceress, it is an honour to meet you. Ever since I was born I dreamed of this moment." Despite the childlike words, her voice was composed and adult, so breathy and rich that it seemed as if the words were not coming from out of her mouth, but simply existed as if they had always been in Alainna's mind. This was definitely a sorceress.

"How did you bring me here?"

"I've just always been able to do it. I was born with this ability. I have never had any training as a sorceress, as you have, but I am told that you can't do this." She seemed puzzled, as if Alainna should be able to perform magic that hadn't even been conceived of before this moment. Illyanna glanced at Isak before continuing. "Isak has told me that there are more like me. Including the woman you rescued from The Black Wizard, there are now ten of us, all female. We were all born sorceresses, though some of us did not discover our power until later in life." Isak draped an arm around Illyanna's shoulders protectively. His eyes still contained his cold, arrogant look, and it belied the charming smile and easy stance that he had affected. She wondered for a moment why he would be concealing his natural bent until Sharra spoke up.

He's pretty impressed by that girl, eh love?

Oh. Of course. So that's why he's acting like that. I thought for a moment I should check for a fever. She hid the smile that bubbled up inside her and forced herself to pay attention to what he was saying.

"It seems that magic is becoming a woman's profession." He chuckled good-naturedly, but Alainna had known the Presider long enough to sense an undercurrent of resentment in his words. She ignored the impression and answered.

"Well, it's about time. Maybe we can get men like you out of office that way," she said teasingly. A number of people, all familiar faces from countless other meetings, had drifted over to greet Alainna. They kept a respectful distance from the three as they spoke, but Alainna could hear them talking as she looked at Illyanna and Isak. Illyanna spoke up then, her voice causing a hush to descend over the crowd.

"Truly it may become a woman's profession. There are ten naturals now, and no one knows how many others haven't been found. We are neither White nor Black. We need no familiars or power gems; we simply perform magic. Perhaps we are the new generation of sorceresses and the rest of you need not concern yourselves with the minutiae of governing Anata anymore. Surely we are better equipped with our greater variety of talents." This caused a grumble of dissent to rise up from the crowd. Alainna frowned; did she really mean that she believed the trained sorceresses and wizards were obsolete? She decided to say something before the crowd became too angry.

"You could be right, but I doubt it. Stability is essential to the government of a planet. You may have talents that we lack, but every one of us has the same talents, to varying degrees, and we can train more any time we need to. One can't rely on the accident of birth - and the further accident of discovery - to find the next White Sorceress. Perhaps you are a new breed - the Grey Sorceresses perhaps - as you say you are neither White nor Black, but you can never replace us. It would be much more productive, and beneficial to Anata, if we cooperated. There is no reason for the White Guild to die because of this discovery." A ripple of ascent flowed through the crowd and the volume diminished. Illyanna smiled, nodding.

"You misunderstood me. I would never suggest that you are obsolete, Sorceress. I haven't met any of my kind yet, but I hope to soon. Perhaps when we have all met, we can find some use for our individual talents."

After an awkward pause, Alainna, Isak, and Chenam departed the front hall to consult before the meeting. An hour later, Alainna took the stage with a feeling of disquiet, and sought Kelden's face in the crowd. It took her a few seconds to locate him among the sea of white, but his long ash-blond hair was unmistakable. He flashed her a smile and she returned it, encouraged. She stood to open the meeting.

"Thank you all for coming on such short notice, and with little or no explanation. I am sure that all of you have noticed that something very serious has happened. Two days ago, all of the flying Horses in Anata vanished. You all know about the unusual departure of the Black Wizard, seven years ago. It is unclear whether the two events are linked. We intend to find out." She paused, glancing at Isak, who frowned, wondering what she was about to do. Chenam seemed perplexed, but smiled, promising her support of whatever Alainna decided to do. Alainna took a breath and plunged onward, "Kelden and I intend to travel across the Great Ocean to the east and find the Black Wizard. We must determine what his plans are - even if he has nothing to do with this incident. I am certain that he is up to something." She had begun to shout over the rising clamour of dismay that the audience was voicing, and forced herself to remain silent until the tide had subsided somewhat. Kelden was sitting in his chair with a stunned look on his face and Alainna's ears were ringing from Isak's enraged shouting. He managed to calm himself enough to speak to the congregation.

"We must put this to a vote. There is obvious division here and we must determine the true feelings of the Guild. Do you concur, Presider?"

Chenam sighed, "I concur," she said apologetically. Oh no you don't! Alainna thought. Isak had defeated her plan to travel to Koranna with this, he wasn't going to stop her this time. She cut off Isak's next words with an appeal.

"Fellow members, I understand that Marsia's memory is still very near and painful to all of us. But this is a serious situation and only I can deal with the power of the Black Wizard. We can not simply hide and hope that the problem will go away, like it did last time." Isak spoke up to her left.

"What if you are killed? You have not yet chosen a successor."

"I have discussed this previously with Lelahn, she will take over my larger duties until another can be trained. There will be no chaos this time."

Isak was fuming. "Lelahn isn't even a Guild member! She can't lead."

Chenam spoke up, and the room fell silent as the audience strained to hear her soft words, made more striking by the fact that she spoke so rarely. "Are you questioning the choice of the White Sorceress, Presider?" The crowd stirred and shifted uncomfortably.

Alainna didn't wait for Isak to retort, the time was perfect. "Shall we put it to a vote then?"

The vote was not unanimous, but the conclusion was definite: they were going. Now Alainna had to return to the stronghold and inform Lelahn that she was to be the White Sorceress until she returned. The lie had been worth it. The future of Anata may have depended on it.

Koldar strode purposefully through the empty streets of the mortal town, a forbidding look etched into his fair features. He had chosen a black tunic and a cloak, both edged in gold, for this particular occasion. This was his first time out in public since his recouperation, and Karanis had recommended it. His blond hair was tied back with a simple leather thong and a slim gold coronet glittered from his forehead. It passed across his forehead and under his blond hair. A small diamond, to match the one on his chest, flashed from the centre of the coronet. It, like Alainna's ruby, was etched with the symbol of his office. He felt the scar on his cheek like a brand, but knew intellectually that no one would think it odd, or even unattractive. Not that it would really matter.

The cloak flared behind him as he entered a small bar in the centre of the city. He had no idea where he was; he had flown across the ocean and landed in the first Anatan town he had come to. The building was sparsely populated, but brightly lit and cheerful, as if to drive away the darkness of the outside. The patrons fell into an oppressive silence as Koldar entered the room and everyone turned to look at him. He looked around and spotted a girl sitting at one of the tables roughly in the middle of the room. She was wearing a pale green dress and light brown hair cascaded down her shoulders. It framed her face prettily, and accentuated the fragile quality of her features. She was nothing like Karanis. She looked up suddenly and met his eyes, her brown eyes framed by long black lashes. There was fear reflected in those eyes, but an understanding as well; an acceptance of her fate.

He stepped further into the bar, and his voice rung out in the silence. "I am the Black Wizard, Koldar. I have returned, and you," he said, pointing at the girl, "are coming with me." The girl stood up slowly, clearly trembling. Koldar began to walk towards her - and suddenly found his way blocked by someone. Her companion at the table had stood up as well, trying to save her from certain doom. Koldar didn't bother to look at the mortal, but stared over his shoulder at his prey. "What do you want?" He demanded of the hero, still not looking at him. The man interposed himself between Koldar and the girl, and tried to attract the Wizard's attention.

"You're not taking Farrina anywhere. We have the protection of the White Sorceress." Koldar allowed a smile to play across his features.

"Are you sure of that? I assure you, you are quite mistaken. There is nothing in the world that Alainna can do to help Farrina. The White Sorceress is not here, nor would she dare to interfere if she were. This is my right, so step aside." Suddenly Koldar looked into the mortal's eyes, allowing him to see the ferocious determination that the Black Wizard felt. The boy shrank under his gaze and offered little resistance as he was siezed and pushed aside. Koldar stepped past him and up to Farrina who looked at him boldly. He caressed her soft cheek and she sighed as The Touch consumed her.

"Do you want to come with me?" he said, just loudly enough for the people in the still-silent bar to hear.

"Yes," she whispered.

"Speak up," he urged her, still cupping her upturned face in his hands.

"Yes," she said firmly.

"Come with me then," he replied. She walked with him past her companion - who Koldar now realized was her brother - and out the door of the bar into the cool night air. At that moment, her courage failed her and she turned away, attempting to flee back into the safety of the bar. Koldar grabbed her arm and she struggled, but was unable to loosen his grip. "Wait, Farrina!" he exclaimed. Amazingly, her struggles ceased and she turned to him.

"Let me go!" she demanded.

"But why, my darling?" he said softly. "You don't know why I've come here, or even what I want. I certainly couldn't have explained it in that bar, for everyone to hear."

"What are you going to do to me?" her voice trembled like a leaf and she cringed, as if she didn't want to know the answer to her question.

"Nothing you don't want me to do," he assured her. I'm finished with that. Forever, he resolved, not for the first time. "I promise, you will be home with your brother in the morning. Do you trust me?"

She looked up at him, her eyes shining. "Yes, I trust you." She seemed surprised to hear the words herself.

"Good, then follow me." He released her arm, gingerly and stepped away slightly, daring her to betray him and flee. She stepped toward him and put her arm lightly around his waist. He smiled and draped his hand on her shoulder, just in case her nerve failed her again. He led her down the street to the hotel where he had already booked a room. They remained unseparated until they reached the second floor room and he closed the door behind them. This was the luxury suite and was lavishly decorated in shades of red velvet. She broke from him and looked around herself, her mouth open in awe.

"You don't live here do you?"

Koldar chuckled. "No, of course not, dear. I live at Akarris, as I always have done." She turned to look at him then and he admired how her slight figure was accentuated by the decoration of the room.

"Then why are you here in Lacuna?" He took her chin in his strong hands and tipped it up toward him.

"To find you, of course." She gasped and he bent his head down toward her to meet her lips with his. She melted against him, overpowered by his Touch. It was a simple matter to lead her toward the bed and lay her down upon it. The hunt was finished.

She responded to his every whim, but he did not neglect her wants either. She hardly noticed when he muttered the spell that would draw that tiny bit of energy off to feed his magic power. He caressed every part of her body, kissing her breasts and neck and teasing her between the legs. She was not a violent lover, but reserved and gentle, and he was gentle in return. He handled her like a porcelain doll that could break under his grasp and she shivered in pleasure at his every move.

Much later, she lay with her head on his chest, watching as the candlelight was refracted in the diamond medallion. He held her gently in his arms and allowed her to recover. After a few minutes she looked up into his face and raised up one fragile finger to trace the scar on his cheek. He forced himself not to flinch at the contact.

"Where did you get that?" she asked. Koldar took her wrist and forced it down carefully. She didn't resist, but continued to look up at the Wizard innocently.

"It was a present from the White Sorceress." A distressed frown clouded Farrina's face.

"What did you do to her?" He knew what she was asking; what terrible atrocity had he committed to deserve such a punishment from the White Sorceress, who would never deliver pain without a very good reason.

"Nothing. I did nothing to her, and she tried to kill me." It was the truth, too. He hadn't even known she existed until she'd arrived at Akarris to kill him. He had killed Marsia, but he had done nothing to Alainna specifically. Farrina didn't respond, but the frown stayed, creasing her features. Koldar smoothed it away with his fingers and kissed her again before laying her head on the pillow beside him. She smiled and fell into an exhausted sleep within minutes. If it was possible, she looked even more innocent when asleep. Koldar stayed awake, reliving that battle with Alainna over and over in his mind and cursing the girl for raising that spectre again. After more than an hour, he finally fell asleep, but he dreamed of ice and fire, and the face of his enemy.

In the morning, Farrina awoke to see that her dark prince was gone. She left the hotel and walked home to the ecstatic welcome of her family. She settled back into the routine of her life, and even Gavin, her brother, eventually stopped mentioning it to her. But for years later, she dreamed of red velvet, and the face of the most tender, most gentle man she was ever to know.

Illyanna sent all of the Guild members home before accompanying Alainna and Kelden back to the stronghold. Lelahn was there when they arrived and was immediately transfixed by the newcomer. Unlike Alainna, the girl's beauty was not what entranced her. She felt as if a thread had been connecting them all of their lives. The thread had been stretched to invisibility by the distance between them so she had never noticed it before. Now the thread had relaxed and she could sense it for the first time. For a golden instant, Lelahn felt all the other ones as well, extending from her in all directions.

"I know you," Lelahn said softly.

"And I, you." The women embraced, hugging like long lost relatives who were finally reunited. When they released, Illyanna's face was wet with tears. Lelahn's eyes were, as always, dry, but she felt the wide grin on her face, stretching muscles that were long unused.

"What's your name?"

"Illyanna."

"Mine is Lelahn." They gazed into each other's faces as they spoke, memorizing every detail. Kelden cleared his throat, bringing them back to the present. Lelahn was momentarily startled, she had forgotten that the others had been there.

"Are you two all right?" asked Alainna. Lelahn forced herself to look away from Illyanna's entrancing eyes and saw the concern in Alainna's. She nodded,

"I'm fine, this is just very strange. I've never seen another of my kind before. Really, you have no need to worry," she said sincerely. Alainna looked unconvinced so Lelahn contrived to change the subject. "What were you supposed to tell me?" Alainna outlined the problem. They would leave the next day, early. Illyanna would send them to her hometown, only a few days from the eastern coast, which would save them a lot of traveling time.

"I want to come with you," Lelahn announced firmly. "I don't want to nursemaid the Guild, I want to come."

"No," Alainna replied with equal force. "You can't. I don't want him to hurt you again, and I need you here. Besides," she continued before Lelahn could voice her objections, "this is an excellent opportunity for you to get to know Illyanna and the other Grey Sorceresses."

Lelahn took a long look at Illyanna, clearly warring with herself. When she spoke, much of the conviction was gone from her voice. "I want - need - my revenge. And I will have it." Belying the strength of her words, they were said quietly and there was little force behind them.

"And you will, dear," said Alainna reassuringly. "Through us." Lelahn nodded, then turned and walked towards her bedroom, silently. Alainna watched her go, worry etched on her porceline face.

Lelahn lay in her bed, staring up at the ceiling, long into the night. She knew Alainna and Kelden were leaving to find the Black Wizard the next day and every fibre of her burned to join them. She found herself remembering the last time - so long ago it seemed - and she pined for the excitement and thrill of those few days. Furthermore, her old desire for revenge was being awakened again, feelings that she had thought long forgotten. The pain and humiliation she had experienced at Koldar's hands were not even a factor, she had dealt with that. She simply had a strong sense that justice demanded action.

She felt her eyes closing and welcomed the peace sleep brought like a flower, opening to greet the dawn. Then she began to dream--

--Lelahn is walking along a coastline. Cliffs sheer down to white water which is smashing against the smooth rocks, seeking to destroy everything within reach. Ahead, Lelahn can see people walking toward a huge structure she immediately recognizes as the Black Wizard's fortress - though she has never really seen it from the outside. As she draws closer, she half-expects to see herself, but it is only Kelden and Alainna, walking confidently toward the building…

Kelden and Alainna are sitting together in a dark, dark place, tears rolling down their pale cheeks. The scars of old burns mar their features, creating paths and runnels that guide the tears down into their open, cupped hands. They bring their hands to their mouths, drinking the spent tears and returning precious liquid to their starved, shaking bodies…

Three people are walking in the valley below the fortress, on the opposite side from the majestic cliffs. Lelahn recognizes two of them, but the third, a beautiful, teenaged girl, is unfamiliar to her. The girl glances disinterestedly at the castle, and they continue on their way without stopping--

--Lelahn woke up with a start. She was in one of the rooms that sat parallel to the edge of the cliff - Alainna's bedroom was the other - and sunlight streamed in through her window. Lelahn bolted out of the bed, struggling into her clothes and racing down the corridor toward Alainna's bedroom. Her heart was in her throat as the thought that she may be too late passed through her head. She burst through the door to see Illyanna, Alainna, and Kelden along with Sharra and Karim in the accustomed places on their familiar's shoulders. They were standing in the centre of the room, clearly prepared to leave.

"Wait!" she called urgently, her heart pounding wildly. Illyanna looked at her with a vague annoyance wrinkling her brow. It immediately melted into a welcoming smile when the girl recognized Lelahn. Alainna frowned kindly.

"What is it, Lelahn?"

"I have to come with you," she blurted.

Alainna frowned. "I already told you, Lelahn. I won't let you."

"I have to."

"May I ask why?" asked Alainna, somewhat impatiently.

Lelahn faced her. "I had a dream - like a premonition - that you and Kelden were going to be hurt because I wasn't there to…" she trailed off, realizing how silly it sounded. Shrinking under Alainna's kindly, tolerant gaze, she cast about for an explanation of why she was so certain that she had to go. Abruptly she squared her shoulders, raising her chin stubbornly, "Well anyway. I have to go. I don't know why; I just do." Kelden shook his head.

"Let her come, Alainna. She has as much a right to this as we do - more." Despite herself, Lelahn felt a touch of gratitude enter her heart at his support. She continued to stare Alainna down, the set of her chin brooking no argument.

Alainna shrugged. "All right then, I'll contact Dorrana and get her to come here. I'm sure she won't mind." She left the room, heading down a side corridor toward the spell room so she could get to the vision pool.

A few minutes later, Alainna returned. "She didn't mind, but she'll need your help to get here, Illyanna. Can you do that?"

"Of course." Illyanna answered and looked at Lelahn. "It's too bad you're leaving. I was looking forward to getting to know another of my kind."

"So was I," answered Lelahn. She squeezed the other woman's shoulder. It was a sisterly gesture and they smiled at each other familiarly, "but we have all of eternity to talk - assuming we defeat the Black Wizard."

"We should hurry," reminded Kelden.

"You're right, of course," said Illyanna as she raised her hands to chest height, palms facing upwards. There was no outward evidence of Working magic, but the three humans and two animals began to feel a tingling sensation all over their bodies. As before, their senses shut down as they disappeared in a flash.

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