Brian Rathbone - The Dawning of Power

His mention of fish reminded everyone of their hunger. Brother Vaughn led Catrin, Chase, and Strom to a likely fishing hole. They did their best to fish without the proper gear, but their efforts yielded only two small fish before nightfall. On the walk back, though, Brother Vaughn gathered tubers and roots he said would make for a fine stew. It was not the best meal any of them had ever eaten, but it greatly improved the mood.

Chase constructed a wall of branches to cover the archway, and they huddled around a low fire as the evening chill set in.

"I must thank you again, Catrin," Brother Vaughn said, "for having the courage to locate the library at Ohmahold. The treasures within have provided inspiration for every member of the order, and I look forward to sharing much of what I've learned with the farmers and craftsmen of the world. Gustad has examined some of the weapons and armor and claims to have learned more about metalworking in one day than he had his whole life."

"You should see the swords, Cat," Strom said. "The metal shimmers and Gustad said one sword had been folded more than a thousand times. Milo let us look at it with his lenses, and you could actually see it!" Strom said.

"Yeah, and those new lenses came from things Milo found in the library," Osbourne added.

"I'm glad," Catrin said. "Did you find anything to help me?"

"I assembled a team of trusted colleagues," Brother Vaughn said. "We found as much as we could. It was distressingly little, and much of it was difficult to understand, but I'll do my best to help you. We found a text written in the oldest form of High Script, and then we found a more recent copy that had been translated. Using this text, we have been able to translate much more of Om'Sa.

"As I told you before, the first men fled the Firstland because they were losing the war against the Gholgi. Before the war, we believe man used the Gholgi much as we use horses for transportation. The references we've found indicate that they were intelligent creatures, and they learned fast. When they had gained a certain level of understanding, they revolted. The tales of the carnage are horrifying."

"You don't think the Gholgi are still there, do you? I mean, if they are, won't they just kill Belegra and his men?" Osbourne asked.

"We don't know. I'd never heard of them before translating Om'Sa, but I must assume they still exist."

"Hopefully, if any are still there when we get there, they will have forgotten what the first men taught them. Maybe they'll be afraid of us," Osbourne said.

"I'm not sure what to hope for," Catrin said.

"Many of the things we learned are of no consequence here," Brother Vaughn continued. "But Sister Annora found some things that might be helpful. Though I'm not certain I'll get it right, I'll try one with you," Brother Vaughn said, looking at Catrin.

"What do you need me to do?"

"If everyone else could remain quiet for a few moments, please. Catrin, I want you to stare straight ahead and remember exactly what you see, every detail. Then I want you to close your eyes and picture exactly what you saw."

"I see it."

"Now open your eyes. Does it look any different?"

"No. Is it supposed to look different?" she asked, but he did not answer.

"I want you to close your eyes again, and picture exactly what you saw. Do you see it?"

"I do."

"Now I want you to keep your eyes closed, and open this one," he said, and he smacked her hard on the forehead. Catrin sat back from the surprise and the impact, her eyes still squeezed shut, but it was as if someone had thrown open the shutters; a world of energy was revealed to her. She could see everything around her with her eyes shut, but it all looked very different. Rather than seeing colors or texture, she saw ever-moving patterns of energy both intricate and beautiful.

Around each person's wounds, she saw disturbances in the energy fields and areas where nothing moved at all. Oddly she saw a subtle but similar disturbance around Brother Vaughn's ears and head.

"Do you have trouble hearing?"

"Yes. Sometimes I do. At times I get a terrible ringing in my ears. How can you tell?"

"I see disturbances in your energy field."

"It worked?"

"Yes. It worked," Catrin said, and as she opened her eyes, her new vision overlaid what her eyes saw. Though initially disorienting, the combined senses gave her a much clearer picture of her companions' health. When Benjin turned, she saw the injury in his shoulder that pained him so much, old as it was. The more she looked with her new senses, the more natural they became, until she could no longer imagine life without them. Colors were richer and more vivid. Scents on the breeze told stories, and even the caress of that wind felt more personal.

"I'm so very happy," Brother Vaughn said, beaming. "I didn't think it was going to do anything, and then I would've looked quite the fool, smacking you in the forehead and all. Do you see anything else? Is there anything else you can do with your new sight?"

"I can see the disturbances caused by all of your wounds, and I can sense your overall well-being much more acutely now, but I'm not certain there is anything I can do with it besides maybe identify illnesses."

"Give it time," Benjin said. "Some use will present itself."

"Well said," Brother Vaughn added.

"Is there anything else you could teach her?" Osbourne asked, excited by their success.

"There were two more things we could try. Do you feel up to trying something else?"

"I do."

"Are you gonna smack her again?" Strom asked. "I'd like to see that again."

Catrin stuck her tongue out at him and closed her eyes.

"I want you to put your ear to the ground and tell me what you hear. Cover your other ear if that helps."

Catrin did as he instructed. "I think I hear my own heartbeat and a hollow echo."

"Now I want you to listen for words," Brother Vaughn said. "Do you hear a song or melody?"

"I have heard songs of nature, but I don't hear anything like that now. No."

"Try asking a question."

"Ask the ground a question?" Strom snorted, but Chase shushed him.

"Will a ship come for us?" Catrin asked. There was no response, nothing at all. "I don't hear anything."

"Ah well, I suppose it was worth a try," Brother Vaughn said, clearly disappointed.

"What else can you try?" Osbourne asked, his enthusiasm unabated. "C'mon, Cat, you're good at this kind of thing. You can do it."

"The last exercise was said to be the one least often achieved, but I am willing to try if Catrin is."

"I can try one more."

"We have to go outside for this one. Pick any tree that calls out to you."

"Trees call out to people?" Strom asked; Osbourne elbowed him in the ribs.

Catrin ignored him and walked through the trees, listening for the slightest contact. With her new vision, she saw energy fields around the trees and just about everything else. A nearby tree showed signs of disease, its leaves riddled with spots; most had already fallen off. "This one."

"Put your arms around it and pull yourself close. Don't turn your head to the side; look straight into the tree and press your nose and lips against the bark."

"You want her to hug and kiss a tree?"

"Shut up, Strom!" everyone else said in unison.

Catrin didn't let it bother her, she would do almost anything to increase her powers, and that realization was exhilarating as well as frightening. Approaching the tree, she reached out her arms and embraced it. Pressing her face against the jagged bark, she waited. Nothing happened.

"I don't feel anything," she said, her voice muffled against the bark of the tree. Disappointment coursed through her.

"I'm sorry. That's all the ancient druid text said to do. I don't know anything else to try."