Tangled webs - Elaine Cunningham [126]
"How was this rune formed?
"From life comes magic; from life, therefore, must a rune be formed. I went on a long journey, to see and to learn and to let life shape the rune."
"With what will you carve the rune onto the sacred tree?"
Liriel took the Windwalker amulet from her neck and grasped the hilt of the tiny dagger. She twisted it, and it came free of the sheath to reveal not a dagger, but a tiny chisel. "i will carve the rune with this artifact from a time long past, enchanted by rune-casters and blessed by the ancient gods."
"And how will you do the casting?"
This final, elusive answer was not something she had learned from book or scroll; it had come to her this very night in tbe moonlit clearing. "By the power of the land upon which Yggsdrasil's Child grows, and the strength of the oak, and the magic i call my own," Liriel answered.
The shaman nodded. "You may begin."
Liriel turned to the ancient tree, ran her fingers over the weathered trunk as if seeking a spot that was hers alone. When it felt right, she raised the chisel and closed her eyes, bringing to mind her rune and letting it fill her thoughts.
Long moments passed, but still she did not move. The pattern was not yet complete-the rune had not fully taken shape. Dismayed and puzzled, Liriel stood unmoving, searching her thoughts for what might yet be missing. Fyodor.
The answer hit her like a blow, but she knew it at once to be true. She could not do this without Fyodor, for he was an integral part of the rune she must cast.
Liriel opened her eyes and released a long, tremulous breath. This was almost too much for her to absorb. The young wizard had always thought of herself as the keeper ofboth quests-hers and Fyodor's. She had come to accept him as a partner and a friend, but for the first time she began to realize their destinies were entwined in ways she could not yet begin to understand.
Without a word, the drow turned and walked away from the sacred oak.
Ulf did not question her; indeed, he seemed to understand the matter better than she. "When you are ready, you will try again," he said calmly; "But next time, you will not have need of me."
Chapter 18
Holgerstead
Liriel awoke at sunrise after a scant hour or so of slumber, startled from sleep by the clamor coming from somewhere below her. A moment passed before the usually alert drow remembered where she was, and why. Grumbling, she tossed aside the blanket and crawled out of the cot she'd been given in the loft of Ulf's cottage. Quickly she dressed and climbed down the ladder that led into the large central chamber that served as kitchen, meeting area, and sleeping quarters for Ulfs ~ family.
The room bustled with activity. Ulf's wife, Sanja, a thick-bodied Northwoman whose usual expression suggested she'd recently drunk large quantities of sour milk, looked positively pleasant as she went about her work. She was dressed as if for a festive occasion; her braided hair was wrapped around her head with ribbons and fixed in place with pins of yellow gold, and she wore a bright red shift over a blouse of much-embroidered linen. The woman busily packed pots and clothing and household linens into an enormous chest, all the while happily scolding the thralls who attended the packing and the usual household chores. Dagmar moved to do Sanja's bidding also, but Liriel noticed that the girl was pale and tight-iipped as she went about her work.
"What's going on?" the drow inquired as she helped herself from a bowl of wild berries.
"My daughter travels to Holgerstead today," Ulf replied. "She will enter the household of Wedigar, the First Axe of that village. When the moon is full, they will be wed. It is a great honor to this household," he said, casting a stern glance toward the girl.
Liriel did not need to ask Dagmar's opinion of the honor being dealt her. It astounded the drow that no one seemed concerned by the young woman's obvious distress. Liriel was not certain whether she should feel sorry for the girlwho was clearly being sent