The Shadow Isle - Katharine Kerr [64]
“Ye gods!” He wanted to throw back his head and howl with joy, but regard for the sleep of the house stopped him. He contented himself with grinning.
When he looked into the black stone, he saw only darkness, though here and there the dark seemed to be moving. Water, most likely, and if so, the white crystal still lay at the bottom of the lake. When he placed his scarred palms on either side of the crystal, he felt a quiver of force that might have signified some sort of link between the pair.
“There are too many beasts in this lake for anyone to try diving for your twin,” Laz said aloud.
The crystal’s emanation never changed. He set it aside, then considered his dweomer light, the visible sign that once again, he could work magic. He basked in its glow for some long while before he dismissed the Wildfolk and allowed the light to fade. By then he felt far too excited to sleep.
When he went to the window and looked up, he could see by the wheel of the stars that dawn lay close at hand. He dressed, then made his way downstairs and through the dark and silent great hall. Outside, the stars gave just enough light for him to pick his way down to the lakeshore. Slow waves lapped onto the graveled shore with a pleasant sound, and the fresh breeze smelled of spring and growing things. He breathed deeply and smiled, telling himself that yes, he was still a sorcerer.
Footsteps crunched on the path behind him. He spun around and saw a slight figure walking toward him. Cats darted around her.
“Mara?” he said.
“It be so,” she said in her odd dialect of Deverrian. “You did rise early, Tirn.”
“So did you.”
She laughed and came to stand beside him. “Be it that you feel the difference in this world?” she said. “I do feel power flowing all around us.”
“I do as well, most certainly. What about you? You told me that your dweomer might blossom here.”
“It has.” She sounded as exultant as he felt. “Already have I learned new things.”
He smiled, waited, but she said nothing more, merely turned away to look out over the lake.
“I’d not pry into your secrets,” Laz said finally.
“My apologies. I did but wonder if you knew how the two worlds differ.”
“Do you remember what I told you about the etheric plane?”
“I do.”
“Well, here the etheric flows freely into and out of the physical plane, while back in Alban, there was a rift between them, a chasm is probably the better word. If we can’t draw upon the etheric, then we can’t work dweomer.”
“I do understand now. It gladdens my heart that we’re back.”
“Mine, too.”
In the east a thin sliver of gray appeared, the herald of the sun. Seeing the light, knowing that it shone upon his homeland, filled Laz with such good cheer that he held out his arms to the silver dawn and chanted the first few words of an ancient Gel da’Thae prayer.
“Be that your native tongue?” Mara said.
"It is.” He let his arms drop to his side. “Welcome, O light of truth that shines upon our land. That’s how it begins.”
“Lovely, that.”
By then the sky had lightened enough for him to see her smiling at him. Perhaps it was the mention of truth, but Laz felt an odd sensation, something he’d never felt before. At last he deciphered it. He felt dishonorable, that he’d lie to someone who had healed him.
“There’s somewhat I have to tell you,” Laz began. “About my name. It’s not truly Tirn, you see. That’s a name I’ve used, but the name my mother gave me was Laz Moj. When your boatmen fished me out of the loch, I was frightened. I didn’t want them to know I’m Gel da’Thae, because I thought they might throw me back again to drown.”
“I do understand such a fear.”
“My thanks, but truly, it weighs upon my heart that I deceived you.”
“You have my thanks, as well, for that truth. I did wonder about your name, truly, because I did see somewhat of the liar about you.”
Laz winced, and she laughed at him.
“Do let us go inside,” she said. “There be a need on me to see how my mam does fare, and a need on you to tell the others the truth about your name.”
Laz winced again at the