SEARCH FOR THE LOST SOUL (9 page)

“I know what
an impediment is.”

“That is
good.” He took a deep breath before continuing. “You cannot continue your
lessons until you replace your soul.”

She jumped
to her feet. “My soul. What has that to do with anything?”

“Your soul
is missing.”

She sat down
hard, staring at the wizard in shock. “What could have happened to it?”

“We believe
that it was stripped from you while you were in Gregory’s castle. As a
consequence of the magical spell that you and Chris were placed under.”

She shot an
unreadable look at Chris but said nothing.

“But there
is no reason for you to fret over this. We believe that we have located where
your soul is being kept. All you need to do is go there with Dominic and Chris
and retrieve it.”

She was
silent for a moment as she digested this bit of information. “I don’t think
that it’ll be as easy as you make it sound.”

Loren
chuckled. “I believe that you are correct in that.”

Kelly
started to say something else but one of Loren’s two mentors spoke before she
had the chance. “Excellent. You should leave in the morning after receiving a
good night’s rest. You have no way of knowing when the next time opportunity
for adequate rest will be.”

Kelly rose
and started for the door, then turned and faced Loren again. “If I have no
soul, does this mean that I’m evil?”

“No, it
means that you cannot choose between good and evil. However, if you were to go
for an extended length of time without your soul you would most likely tend to
lean towards the evil side as evil is always easier than good.”

“I wouldn’t
want that.”

“Neither
would we. That is why you must retrieve your soul as soon as possible.”

She sighed
as she turned to continue her exit from the room. Chris waited until he was
certain that she was gone before speaking again. “What can I do to prepare for
the journey?”

“There is
nothing you can do except sleep. There is no way to know what you will face on
your quest.”

“Do I need
to pack anything?”

“No, you
will be traveling as light as possible for increased speed. However, you will
be provided with a backpack that should contain everything that you will need.”

Chris nodded
and left the study without looking at Dominic. He wasn’t in the best of moods
as he climbed the stairs to his room; not only was he certain that Kelly now
hated him, he was also facing an extended journey with the sour Dominic.

Although he
had the impression that Loren, Michael and Joshua didn’t blame him for Kelly’s
condition, he was almost certain that Dominic did. This looked to be an
uncomfortable time for him. He sighed as he reached his room.

He settled
in his chair near the fire and reached for the book but quickly discovered that
he was unable to concentrate on it. He finally laid the book aside and stared
morosely into the fire. Some time later he heard movement in Kelly’s room.
After a moment of indecision he rose and crossed to the connecting door,
knocking lightly.

Moments
later Moira opened the door. Chris smiled at her. “Can I speak to Kelly for a
moment?”

Moira closed
the door. After a few minutes she reopened it and ushered Chris inside. Kelly
was seated in her chair near the window, staring out at the light snowfall that
had begun early that morning. Chris crossed the room to where she was sitting,
but she didn’t look up at him.

He sighed.
This was going to be difficult. “Can we speak alone for a moment?”

Kelly looked
up and nodded to Moira who hurried from the room, pulling the door shut behind
her. Chris waited for her to leave before speaking.

“Kelly, I
just wanted to apologize to you again for my actions. I’m very sorry that they
led to the loss of your soul.”

“I told you
before that it’s not your fault,” she said in a small voice. “You were under a
spell. Even I know enough about magic to know that you are not responsible for
your actions while in that condition.”

“Then you’re
not angry with me?”

“No, why
should I be?”

“I don’t
think I could be so forgiving if I were in your shoes.”

“Well,
luckily I’m in my own shoes and I can forgive you. No, you are not the one I’m
angry with.”

“Gregory?”

She was
silent for a long time before answering. “Yes. I want to learn enough magic to
break him in half for what he did to me.”

“That’s just
the evil speaking. When we get your soul back you’ll feel differently.”

There was
another long silence before she spoke again. “Somehow I don’t think so.”

“Trust me,
you will. I know you and this isn’t the way you think. I mean, I’m the one who
performed the actions that cost you your soul and you forgave me just a few
minutes ago.” He looked down at her for a moment before continuing. “Will you
promise me something?”

She looked
up at him. “Perhaps.”

“Don’t dwell
on your anger at Gregory. It’ll just eat you alive. Try not to think about it
until we get your soul back and you can think clearly.”

“What you’re
asking for is difficult.”

“I know, but
will you try?”

She was
silent for a long time before nodding her head. “I will try but I can’t
guarantee any success.”

“I’m not
asking for guarantees, only that you try.”

“I promise
to try.”

“Thank you.
Good night.” He quickly crossed to the interconnecting door, making sure that
it was secure behind him. He moved to his chair and resettled himself. After a
few minutes he reached for the book on magic again; how could he ask Kelly to
do something he wasn’t willing to do himself.

Conrad woke
Chris more than an hour before dawn saying that Loren had ordered him to dress
quickly. Chris complied, appearing in the dining room less than five minutes
later to find Kelly and Dominic already in place.

after eating
quickly, they met Loren at the huge front door, standing with Godfrey who was
holding two large red backpacks. The butler helped Dominic and Chris into the
backpacks. Chris was surprised at how heavy his backpack was, shifting it on
his shoulders so that it would be more comfortable as Godfrey showed him how to
buckle it correctly.

“What’s in
here?” he grumbled.

“It contains
everything that Loren, Michael and Joshua thought that you might need on your
quest.” Godfrey answered in his quiet voice. “There are cooking elements,
bedrolls, a few tools, and about a weeks worth of food.”

“No
weapons?” Chris asked.

“There is a
sword inside Dominic’s backpack.”

“One sword.
Wouldn’t a gun be a better choice?”

“There will
be no modern items in use during your quest,” said Loren.

Chris turned
to look at him, a frown on his face. “Why not?”

Loren
laughed softly. “Did you learn nothing from your book on magic? When you use
magic, the more complicated the items that surround you the more difficult the
magic and the greater the possibility that something will go wrong. All of the
tools inside the backpacks have been specially crafted, using ancient
techniques. Guns create a lot of difficulty; which is why you will find none
anywhere in this castle.”

“Great,”
Chris muttered. He wondered what kinds of tools the wizard had deemed
acceptable for their use but decided that now wasn’t the time to find out.
Dominic was already glowering at him and he didn’t want to give the apprentice
any fodder for the fire that was already burning inside him.

Loren spoke
to Dominic in a language Chris didn’t  understand before Godfrey opened
the heavy door. despite the swirling for they stepped into, it was obvious that
the sun had yet to rise. Chris found himself wondering how familiar Dominic was
with the countryside; from what he had seen, it was dangerous territory to
cover in the darkness.

As they
started down the drawbridge over the brackish waters of the moat, he wondered
about the clothing that had been laid out for them to wear. Conrad had helped
him dress this morning as he had been unfamiliar with the fastening on the
woolen pants and shirt he had pulled over the loose linen undergarments;
probably
they had been woven on an old fashion loom in the bowels of the castle
, he
thought
gloomily.

As they
stepped off the drawbridge the cold wind hit them; they were no longer
protected by the bulk of the castle. Chris pulled the black cloak closer,
another item that had been provided by Loren. It definitely looked like
something out of the past but he had to admit that he liked it; wearing it made
him feel like a dashing hero out of some epic tale that they were creating as
they went. He glanced over at his two companions who were similarly clad,
wondering if they felt the same way.

His eyes
lingered on Kelly, admiring they way her long, blond hair was whipping in the
wind; although she had taken to wearing it bound around the castle Loren had
insisted that she had to leave it loose for the duration of the quest, the only
word he would use for their journey. She had frowned but complied. He also
admired her green cloak, which had been dyed to match her eyes. He thought she
had never looked more beautiful.

He looked
past Kelly to Dominic, who was striding forward, eyes staring straight ahead.
Chris decided that he would rather have had Dominic’s cloak which was a nice
blue but he doubted that the apprentice would give it up. He just wished that
the man would smile. He smiled wryly; the apprentice’s face would probably
crack if he did.

He moved
closer to Kelly, hoping to engage her in conversation to help pass the time.
But she wasn’t in a talkative mood and he soon moved away. He just hoped that
she wasn’t dwelling on Gregory but realized that there was nothing he could do
about it if she was.

He finally
gathered enough courage to approach Dominic to ask a question that had been in
the back of his mind since leaving the castle. “Why couldn’t we have ridden a
horse down the mountain? There’s nothing technical about a horse.”

Dominic eyed
him long enough for him to doubt that the apprentice was going to answer him.
But he finally did, in his halting English. “Loren said that we walk so we
walk. I did not ask him the reason behind the statement.”

“What about
when we reach the ocean? We’ll have to use a boat for the crossing.”

Dominic
frowned at him before answering. “We will use a wooden sailboat.”

“But that
could take weeks,” Chris protested.

“Yes,”
Dominic agreed.

Chris sighed
and returned to his previous position on the other side of Kelly. This was
going to be a pleasant journey, was his thought. With Kelly brooding over who
knew what and Dominic being his normal cheery self it was going to be a long,
tedious affair.

*     *     *
    *     *

for seven
days they trekked through foggy, damp weather. the weather improved slightly as
they exited the mountains, entering a large, flat plain  covered with a
beautiful red sandstone and dotted with bogs where, Dominic explained, peat was
harvested. his explanation ended there.

Kelly
explained further when she saw the expression on his face as he scowled at
Dominic’s back. “Peat is organic matter, usually partially decayed vegetation,
you know plants and such, that is used as a heat source. I’d never use it, it
puts more carbon dioxide into the air than coal or natural gas.”

Chris shook
his head but wasn’t surprised at her knowledge. he had already discovered that
her knowledge was extensive and varied. she recited names and uses of the many
plants and trees they passed, identified the different types of rocks they saw,
and noticed the insects that surrounded them, expressing interest in stopping
to watch their activity, which Dominic vetoed.

he
discovered that she was a true animal lover when they spied a hare caught in a
wooden trap one morning. Kelly insisted that they let the creature go as soon
as she saw it. Dominic had looked on without comment, though Chris was certain
that he disagreed with her.

finally,
Chris smelled the tangy salt air of the North Sea and realized they were coming
upon the town of Wick, from where they would sail across the sea. He moved
closer to speak to Dominic, having learned that the apprentice preferred it
when he spoke in low tones.

“How long
will it take to prepare this ship for sailing?”

Dominic
didn’t look at him as he answered, he almost never did. “It should be ready
when we arrive.”

“How did
they know to get it ready?”

“Loren
contacted them and made arrangements.”

“How did he
do that?”

“You ask too
many questions.”

Chris
grunted and returned to his place on the other side of Kelly.

Chris liked
the town as they moved quickly down the clean cobblestone streets. The houses
were tidy little cottages that he was certain had flowerbeds in the front yards
in the spring or summer. Now the yards were covered with a light layer of snow
that would increase as the season deepened but that couldn’t hide the
whitewashed fences and brightly painted houses.

As they
moved further into the town the buildings became older but they had been
maintained with loving care. He wished that he could have gotten a closer view
at the structures they passed; they looked fascinating from the streets. But
Dominic kept up such a rapid pace that he was unable to get more than a passing
look.

They soon
passed through what Chris thought of as the downtown section and entered
another residential area. Here the houses were obviously older than those they
had passed earlier and not so carefully maintained. Not only were the houses
much closer together, these had no fences and the streets weren’t as clean. He
assumed that this was what passed for a slum in this town.

Eventually
they entered the warehouse district, as evidenced by the large buildings and
multitude of trucks spewing thick black smoke as they progressed down the
streets. Chris wrinkled his nose in distaste as the odor of truck fumes mixed
with the acrid smell of rotting fish.

They began
seeing rough looking men with scraggy beards and hoop earrings in their ears.
Chris assumed that they were sailors and was glad they didn’t have to talk to
any of them; these guys looked as if they’d just as soon cut your throat as
talk to you.

Dominic led
them to an inn that was located close enough to the docks that they could hear
the sound of the water hitting the docks themselves. Dominic pushed his way
through the swinging wooden doors and into the smoky interior, away from the
other patrons to a long table in the rear of the room, farthest away from the
roaring fire.

The inn
wasn’t crowded but all the patrons turned to look at them as they entered.
Chris felt a definite sense of discomfort as he slid onto the wooden bench that
served as the seat for the table. A few minutes passed before a buxom redhead
in a low cut peasant blouse hurried to their table.

Dominic
ordered for them in his heavily accented English: mutton stew and a stein of ale
for each of them. The barmaid hurried away, holding her tray above the head of
the patrons she moved effortlessly through the crowd.

Only a few
minutes passed before she returned with three large steaming bowls of stew and
three metal steins of a sour drink that Dominic called ale. She plopped a loaf
of brown bread and a tub of butter onto the table before accepting payment from
Dominic.

Chris sipped
carefully at the ale as he waited for the stew to cool enough to eat. Dominic
tore a hunk of bread from the loaf and slathered it with butter from the flat
knife that Chris hadn’t seen the barmaid lay down and dunked it into the stew
before popping it into his mouth. When he finished the bread, he picked up the
spoon and began shoveling the stew into his mouth as quickly as he could
swallow.

Chris tasted
his stew but laid the spoon back on the scarred table as he decided that it was
still too hot to eat. He noted that Kelly was following his lead. He looked at
the other patrons, most of whom had returned to their previous business but a
few were openly watching the three of them.

After only a
few minutes, Dominic pushed the empty bowl away from him and drained the stein
of ale. He glanced at the two of them and noted that they had yet to begin
eating the stew. He eyed them for a moment, his black eyes unfathomable. “Wait
for me here. I will go to see how the preparations for sailing are
progressing.” With that he rose and strode away from the table.

“He’s not a
very pleasant fellow,” Kelly commented as she watched him walk away. “Why does
he always act as if we’re an imposition on him?”

Chris
shrugged. “Who can say? Maybe he had a bad childhood or something.”

Kelly
laughed. “Now you’re starting to sound like me.”

Chris
grinned at her. “Maybe you’re rubbing off on me.”

Kelly shook
her head as she picked up her spoon and began to carefully slurp her stew,
blowing on each spoonful before bringing it to her mouth. Chris grinned as he
followed her lead.

They had
long since finished their simple meals and were talking quietly while finishing
the ale when Dominic finally returned. He stood above them for a minute, eying
the remains on the table before nodding and throwing several coins onto the
tabletop and beckoning them to follow him.

“Would it
hurt him to ask nicely,” Chris grumbled as they scrambled to keep up with the
retreating figure.

“Shush,”
responded Kelly, laughter in her voice. “He’ll hear you.”

“I don’t
care. It might do him some good.”

Chris and
Kelly had to practically run to keep up with the apprentice as he strode
through the narrow cobblestone streets. The din around them became deafening as
the salty smell of the sea became overpowering. And still Dominic continued on.

Finally they
reached the docks and Dominic turned to the right, skirting the hordes of
sailors and laborers that were unloading the large ships that were tethered to
the docks with thick tropes. Chris wondered why they weren’t using cranes or
some other type of machinery to unload the ships then dismissed the thought;
maybe they just had such a high unemployment rate or something that forced them
to use manual labor.

Eventually
they passed the last of the large ships and entered an area that reminded Chris
of the marinas back home in California. There were multiple wooden walkways
extending quite a distance away from the shore with what looked like pleasure
boats rocking gently in the waves.

Chris smiled
as he eyed the larger of the crafts, wondering if one of them would be the one
they would board; they certainly looked comfortable and he looked forward to a
pleasurable trip. But, as he continued to follow Dominic he began to doubt that
this was the type of boat they would use for the crossing, they were too
modern.