Pools of Darkness - James M Brown [64]
Gamaliel suddenly appeared at the edge of the graveyard. "I've found our campsight. Follow me." The companions gathered their horses and set out on foot after the barbarian. In moments, they arrived at a secluded clearing. The babbling of a stream filled the air. Two huge jackrabbits, freshly caught, lay at the center of the clearing.
Anything else I can do? Gamaliel silently asked Evaine.
The sorceress shook her head and chuckled. She knew he had transformed into a giant cat the instant he was out of sight. The others wondered what she found so funny, but were afraid to ask.
"If you'll be coming with us, Miltiades, you'll be needing a horse. Evaine, do you have anything in your magical bag of tricks that'll give him a horse?" Ren's voice was joking, but he wouldn't have been surprised if she had produced a steed.
"No need, ranger. I have my mount." The paladin reached into a pocket and drew out a miniature stallion carved of ivory. He held it out to Evaine, who grinned and nodded, then he set the figurine on the ground and spoke a word of magic. In a white flash, a fully saddled stallion appeared in the clearing. Talenthia eagerly admired the horse, then Miltiades reduced it to a statuette again and slipped it into a pocket.
The group quickly divided up the work of gathering firewood and preparing the rabbits. Evaine announced that as soon as everyone was settled, she would place a spell of protection around the site. Ren asked for volunteers to take turns on nightwatch.
"That won't be necessary," Miltiades stated. "I do not need sleep. I will be awake the entire night, and I am more than happy to serve as your guard." The exhausted party accepted the knight's offer gratefully. Still, Evaine was glad to have Gamaliel around-just in case.
When the meal was finished and everyone was settled, Evaine asked for attention. She would be casting her spell at dawn and insisted on explaining the procedure and giving instructions.
"This is one of the most dangerous spells a wizard can cast. It is not dangerous to the five of you, but it could kill me or render me insane. If anything goes wrong, I guarantee the result will be disaster.
"If no creatures approach overnight, the ward that I place around this camp will still be in place in the morning. Do not enter or leave the clearing or you will be fried to a cinder before you know what has hit you. I require this safeguard because I can't have monsters wandering into camp in the middle of the spell.
"Ordinarily, I must build a fire and purify it. The brazier will allow me to skip that step and conserve some of my energy.
"Once I begin casting, I cannot have any distractions. You must not speak and you must not walk around. If my concentration is broken, we'll all be sorry.
"I will be gazing into a crystal for the greater portion of the spell. My body and brain will be present, but my mind's eye will be elsewhere. Even if you think I'm in trouble, do not disturb me. Follow Gamaliel's lead if you think I need help. He has seen me cast the spell dozens of times."
The barbarian nodded grimly, and the others silently noted their agreement.
"When the spell ends," the sorceress continued, "the crystal will shatter, but I won't be injured. Gamaliel will take over from there. Follow his instructions; my life will depend on him.
"I will be nearly unconscious all day following the spell. Don't think you can wake me, throw me on a horse, and hit the road. I will have almost no powers, and you'll put us all in danger if you drag me along. All you can do is let me sleep and regain my strength. We can start out again the second morning. Any questions?"
Andoralson snickered. "Can you write down the instructions for this spell so I can try it sometime?" Talenthia's elbow landed squarely in her cousin's ribs.
Evaine's green eyes blazed at the druid. "I know you command some magic, but if you were to try this spell you would spend the rest of your natural life in a coma or hopelessly