Storm Warning - Mercedes Lackey [154]
But the voices all stopped when people noticed just who it was that was standing in the doorway. Natoli hurried over to them, and Master Tam was right behind her.
“We’ve got notes and charts for you,” Natoli began.
“And I’ve got notes from the mages’ meeting for you,” he replied. “And more than that, I’ve got a mage with me who wants to show you some of how magic works.” An‘desha clearly wanted to shrink back away from all the people, but only his trembling hands betrayed his nervousness. “An’desha, this is Natoli, and this is Master Tam. Ladies, this is An‘desha; he’s both Shin’a’in and Tayledras, and he’s one of the mages that works with Lady Herald Elspeth.”
“Very pleased to see you, Master An’desha,” Master Tam said, folding her hands together and bowing a little to him, rather than seizing his hand to shake it. That was a rather tactful gesture on her part, Karal thought. “We badly need someone to help us understand how these magic powers of yours work. Right now, we’re in the position of trying to read the wind.”
“I can understand,” An’desha replied, so softly that Master Tam had to lean forward to hear him. “I am happy to be of help.”
“Well, come over with us, then. Karal, I think Master Henlin wants your notes so he can have copies made; join us when he lets you go.” Master Tam took charge of An‘desha as if she were used to shepherding shy youngsters all the time. Perhaps she was; it occurred to Karal that many of her students might be just as shy and introspective as An’desha. Intelligent children generally got into trouble with their less intelligent peers; it had happened that way to him when he’d been taken by the Priests, after all.
I only hope none of her students have had half so exciting a life as An’desha. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.
He brought the notes to Master Henlin, who was in the Masters’ Room at the rear of the tavern, presiding over a sea of paper, hundreds of sheets of it, covered with figures and diagrams. Then, relieved of his burden, he hurried back out to see if An’desha was still holding up well under the scrutiny of so many strangers.
He was; in fact, he was deep in a discussion of where magic energy came from.
“—so some mage-schools have built up reserves, like a cistern or reservoir, and that is what their Master mages can tap into when they need it,” he was saying. “It all comes from the same source, though—the energy of life that is all around us. All of us living creatures shed it as we breathe and move.”
“And what about the Adepts you mentioned?” Natoli asked. “Do they use something special? Or are there other reserves only they can use?”
“There are,” the young Adept replied, nodding. “But they are not the reserves that have been built up by other mages. Rather, they are the reserves that exist where two or more natural lines of force meet. These are called ‘nodes,’ and they are so powerful that only an Adept can control the energy that pools in them. Anyone else trying would either be unable to touch the power, or would be engulfed by it and devoured. Charred.”
One of the boys shivered. “Not a pleasant prospect.” “No,” An’desha replied soberly. “It is not. But you see, now, that this all does respond to natural laws. The power comes from somewhere, and goes elsewhere, like water flowing to the sea. Where it goes eventually, is to a place we call the Nether Planes, where everything is made of chaos and energy. And I suspect that it comes back into our World Plane from there, through the medium of living things.”
“Time to speculate about that when we have the leisure,” Master Levy interjected, spreading a map out on the table in front of An’desha. “We’ve been over every thumblength of ground a half day’s ride from Haven, and this is what we’ve found so far. Transplanted areas are in green, blasted areas are in red, transformed areas are in yellow.”
An’desha bent over the map to study it; Karal whispered to Natoli.
“Transformed areas?” he asked. “What are those?” “Places