James Ward - Pools of Darkness

The cat was already on his feet. If I didn't know what a strain you'd just been through, I'd tease you about looking like a carnival clown. But you need rest.

Without a word, Evaine brushed the dust from her face into the cloth in her lap. She carefully gathered the corners of the fabric, then held it up to Gamaliel, who took the cloth in his mouth and deposited it carefully into a metal cup near the bedroll. The powder would be used as a component for another spell.

The cat returned to his mistress, allowing her to lean on him to rise to her feet. Then he led her to the bedroll. She slid to the ground. Gamaliel grasped a corner of the blanket in his teeth and pulled it up to Evaine's shoulders. He muzzled her cheek and ear, purring. Are you going to be all right?

Evaine didn't open her eyes, but answered the cat. "Yeah, Gam, I'll be fine. I just need to rest. Take care of things for me, will you?"

Gamaliel stretched out on the blanket alongside Evaine. His front paws lay extended in front of him. Don't worry about anything, mistress, he said, nuzzling her hair. We've been here before.

Evaine was already asleep. Gamaliel knew she might sleep for a long time. His job was to protect his mistress as long as necessary.

The sorceress awoke in complete darkness. The coals left in the firepit had died, but she saw two points of light in the dark. "Gam? I sure hope that's you."

The cat was at her side in an instant, ready to mother her. You slept nearly a full day. It'll be dawn in another hour. Here's the waterskin and some dried fruit. You'd better eat something so you can begin to recover. The cat dropped the items into Evaine's hands. She followed his orders without question.

After a few minutes, Evaine felt better. Her mind was clearing, and her body was regaining energy. "Gam? Thanks for looking after me. Sometimes I don't know what I'd do without you."

I know. Sometimes I don't know what you'd do without me either, answered the cat. Now that Evaine was recovering, Gamaliel had reverted to his usual teasing self.

Evaine just laughed. She couldn't find it in herself to be upset with the cat-she was too accustomed to his attitude. In fact, she often thought to herself that she wouldn't have him any other way, but she'd never admit that to the feline.

"I'm going to lie here until the sky lightens, Gam. Have you eaten anything? Why don't you find yourself some breakfast? I'll be fine." Evaine really was feeling better and knew her companion must be hungry.

Gamaliel hesitated, but then decided that it wouldn't take long to hunt up some food. He rubbed her hair with his nose, then crept into the woods.

Evaine dozed. When she awoke, Gamaliel was polishing off a large trout. She wondered why he never tired of eating fish. She watched as the cat finished the last scraps, then meticulously began to wash himself. It was a careful, perfect habit that Evaine never tired of seeing. In her life of adventure and challenges, simple, normal routines were a comfort.

As Gamaliel finished, Evaine rose and stacked tinder and kindling onto what used to be the fire. She spoke a single word of magic, and a bright green flame appeared on the tip of her finger. She held it to the tinder, and, in moments, the wood was ablaze.

Are you sure you should be doing that? You've had a rough time. A person can handle only so much magic, you know.

"Are you kidding? This is nothing. I hardly have to think about this trick anymore. I can remember when I first learned this spell. I was so impressed with myself that I did it all the time. But now it's almost second nature." She smiled. "Don't worry, Gam, I'll be fine. But I won't be spying on the pool for at least a week. That spell would be too much." Much as she hated to admit it, Evaine was drained by the pool spell. The incident would have killed a weaker wizard.

So what happened, anyway? It didn't look like your scrying went well. You looked as if something went wrong. Gamaliel was eager to hear the story, but knew he had to wait until she was ready to tell it.

Evaine sighed. "Something did go wrong, I think. I really don't understand it." She looked at the cat in the growing light and suddenly noticed great ragged scratches on the side of his face and along one shoulder. "Gamaliel, what happened to you? You look like you were in a war! What went on while I was asleep?" Evaine instantly arose and picked up her pack, rummaging for a healing ointment.

Oh, it was nothing, really. The four wolves ran off as soon as they got their noses singed on your protective spell. It was the pair of owlbears that gave me a little trouble. Gamaliel was obviously proud of his victory, and his feigned modesty made Evaine laugh.

"Mister Tough, eh, kitty? You amaze me sometimes. How did the creatures get through the ward, anyway?" Evaine rubbed the ointment into the cat's wounds. The scratches healed before her eyes.

The first three got cooked when they touched the ward. That broke the spell, though, and the other two just sauntered in. I was ready for them, of course, and made short work of them. And to answer your next question, I dragged the bodies into the woods. They didn't smell too nice, and I didn't think the first thing you should see upon awakening was a pile of disgusting bodies. Gamaliel tilted his head proudly.

Evaine scratched the cat's head vigorously. "You're worth you're weight in catnip, Gam. I guess fate was on my side when I hooked up with you." All the wounds that were covered with the magical ointment had closed completely. "Feel better, Gamaliel? I think I got all the scratches." The feline responded by rubbing his face against her shoulder and purring.

"We'd best get ready to hit the trail," Evaine noted. "After we're packed, show me where you put the owlbears. Their feathers make great spell components." She stirred the fire, leveling out a small heap of coals. After setting a metal cup filled with water on the coals, she went about packing her gear. Evaine carefully gathered the quartz powder and poured it into a vial, shaking out the cloth, then tucked it away.

By the time the water boiled, Evaine had everything packed. She carefully removed the cup from the fire and added an herbal mixture. Leaving it to steep, she followed Gamaliel to the stream to fill the waterskins. By the time she returned, the brew was ready.

The herbal mixture was her own recipe. It was a combination of soothing and healing herbs that smelled like mint and raspberries. She drank it as hot as she could bear, then dropped the cup into her pack. Gamaliel was already brushing their footprints from the camp.

Evaine gathered her pack and scanned the area. Everything looked to be in order, and she was feeling much better already. Gamaliel finished hiding their footprints. Seeing that his mistress was ready, he led the way toward the owlbears. After the sorceress had gathered what she needed in the way of owlbear feathers, Evaine told Gamaliel what had happened in her spell. While they talked, the sorceress puzzled over the meaning of the spell.

"Gam, you've been with me long enough to know how the spell should have worked. Normally, the pool pulls my mind along until I arrive at its location. Then I can see precisely where it is and what conditions surround it. And usually, I can learn something of the evil nature of the pool."

She frowned and paused. "But this time, I didn't even see the pool. I didn't even see Phlan. If I had to guess, I'd say that some catastrophe of epic proportions had befallen the city. I'm almost afraid to speculate. I guess I'll just have to wait until we reach the city."

Gamaliel didn't always understand magic, but he knew his mistress. He always offered his support. It isn't often that you question the outcome or success of your spells, Evaine. You're careful, and I've rarely seen your magic go awry. Trust your instincts. They're usually right.