The Five Elements (15 page)

Ursool took quiet steps toward him. "Be welcome in my home, Aaron."

Before he could ask how she knew his name, she stepped around him, putting her hands to his shoulders to help remove his sodden cloak. Aaron allowed her, finding the release of its weight instantly comforting. Then he followed her the short distance to the fire where she laid out his garment next to Ensel Rhe’s jacket.

Aaron took a seat upon the bench, holding his feet to the fire directly. He had no shoes to take off and his socks had gone threadbare traipsing through the wilderness. Though the rain had softened the ground, there'd been brambles and thorns. Ursool took one look and shook her head. She went and got an earthenware basin that she filled with hot water from one of the pots. This she put on the floor in front of him.

"When the fire has restored some warmth, place your feet in here. The water will soak deeper than the flames can. In the meantime, can I get you both something hot to drink?" She looked from Aaron to Ensel Rhe who was just finishing clean-up duty. She didn't wait for a reply as she went to the other side of the room. She returned with two wooden cups which she promptly filled with a dark, steaming liquid from a small kettle resting near the fire. She handed one cup to Ensel Rhe, who took it with a slight nod before he sat, and the other to Aaron, who accepted it with a look of suspicion.

Once more, Ursool laughed. It was a soft, brief sound filled with amusement. "You are right to be apprehensive. We do not know each other. But no need to worry, it is only tea. It will warm your bones and chase the chill away."

Aaron sniffed at it. It smelled of berries. Next to him, Master Rhe held the cup to his lips and drank. Aaron did the same. It was strong and tasted much like it smelt. Finding it quite agreeable, Aaron took a longer sip, letting the warmth course through him. Then, delicately, he eased his feet into the hot water. Pain stabbed them, but it was only temporary before the hardships he'd endured began to melt away.

Ursool took a seat opposite them upon one corner of the hearth. Though she said nothing, allowing her visitors time to warm themselves and drink, she began humming a tune. Aaron found his gaze drawn to the woman as she continued to defy his expectations. She was much younger than Aaron had imagined her, perhaps only ten summers older than himself and possessed of a quiet patience that settled Aaron's fears and suffused him with comfort. He couldn't imagine how anyone so lovely could eat children. Then he saw those sparkling eyes returning his stare, studying him in kind. Heat rose in his face. He buried it in his cup, sucking in too much of the hot liquid and, gasping, nearly spilling some onto the floor.

Ensel Rhe cast him a long, unamused stare before he said to Ursool, "We cannot spare much time here. Have you food we can take with us? I suspect we'll have few opportunities for hunting."

The woman nodded. "I have dried boar meat, breetha nuts, and berries. Take all you can carry." She rose. "But you must be hungry now." Retrieving two wooden bowls along with two spoons, she returned to the cauldron set bubbling over the fire. Dipping a ladle in, she filled the first bowl with a thick stew that she handed over to Aaron. Hunger pangs he'd suppressed since entering the house and smelling the cooking food returned with a vengeance.

"Thank you," Aaron said, dipping the spoon into the bowl without hesitation this time, the ache in his stomach overriding any sense of caution. The stew consisted of chunks of meat that tasted of venison along with potatoes and carrots seasoned with herbs. It was delicious.

Ursool handed a bowl to Ensel Rhe who let it rest on his lap for a moment. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled slowly, then asked, "How much do you already know?"

Ursool stirred her stew while she answered. "The fury of the Elements has been unleashed. That much is plain. But I am uncertain as to who or what has summoned such power."

"There were dwarves—"

"The dwarves had nothing to do with this. Not directly, at least."

Ensel Rhe stared at her a moment longer, then he lifted his bowl and ate. He said nothing more. Aaron, who'd stopped eating only to listen to the brief exchange, now finished his first helping and was just thinking how best to ask for more when Ursool swept his bowl from his hands and re-filled it for him. Then, when he and Master Rhe had both finished eating, Ursool carried the dirty bowls away. By the time she returned, Aaron was just stifling a yawn.

"You've had a long journey, with little rest. Please," she said, gesturing towards the only bed in the house, "take my bed."

"Oh, no, ma'am, the floor will be just—"

"Tsk, tsk." Ursool waved her hand in dismissal. "Just be sure to get out of those wet clothes first. You don’t want to catch a cold."

Aaron stood, only to have Ursool take him by the arm and guide him to the bed. He was surprised his feet, which had groaned at every step a short while ago, made no complaint. He'd only soaked them in hot water, hadn't he?

"You'll find fresh bedclothes and even something for when you wake in the chest there," she said, pointing at a trunk at the foot of the bed. "Shoes, pants, and all the rest. Should be about your size, too."

While Ursool returned to the fire, allowing Aaron some privacy, he dug into the chest and found a nightshirt that looked about right. Quickly undressing, he made sure his laboratory vest with its alchemicals was set aside separately—it wouldn't do to have it mistakenly placed too close to the fire—and pulled the long shirt over his head. Then he lay down and tucked himself beneath the covers. The bed's mattress was no more than straw with a thin sheet thrown over, but it felt like goose feathers to his aching body.

The witch returned, though she said nothing immediately.

"Ma'am?"

"No need for such formality with me. Ursool will do."

"Ursool." The name seemed strange as it rolled off his tongue. "When I first walked in, you called me by my name even though I hadn't given it. I didn't hear Master Rhe say it, either. How do you know who I am?"

Ursool looked thoughtful for a moment, then she took a stool and situated herself next to the bed. "There is an old tale told in these woods of a boy, a sorcerer's apprentice, who will come from a great city laid waste. Though the boy will venture abroad, he will return someday, riding a flaming chariot and righting all wrongs. The tale names this boy Aharon, or Aaron, which means 'mountain of strength' in the old tongue. That is how I knew your name."

Aaron thought for a moment. He'd never heard or read of any such tale, though he had to admit legends and fables were not his usual subjects. Still, a story about
him
? It was ludicrous. Something in the witch's expression—a half-formed smile—related as much.

"You made that up, didn't you?" Aaron asked.

Ursool confessed. "Yes, yes, I did. It did sound rather nice, though, didn't it?"

Aaron sank into the straw mattress. "I'm not really a sorcerer's apprentice and I don't know any magic." A flaming chariot, indeed. "I'm just—"

Ursool leaned in close, placing a hand on his arm. Even through the blanket there was something about her touch. "You bear the mark of the great Elsanar himself. Did he not select you as his apprentice, above all others? That means something."

"But, he never taught me—I mean, he taught me a lot, but—"

"Aaron," Ursool said, the sudden sound of his name silencing him. "The fact that you are here, that you survived this far, tells me something of who and what you are. Never belittle yourself, or your accomplishments." Ursool lifted her hand from him and rose. "Now, get some sleep. Ensel is a hard taskmaster. No doubt he'll have you up and on your feet long before you'd like."

She gathered his wet things—all but the vest—before leaving, drawing a curtain that allowed him additional privacy while blocking at least some of the light from the fire. Aaron closed his eyes, listening for a moment for any conversation between Master Rhe and Ursool. He didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but it would be hard not to. He still didn't know where he and Master Rhe were going. But there were no words exchanged outside the curtain, and soon, as weariness swept over him, he decided he didn't care right now, anyway. He let the warmth of the blankets and the crackle of the fire take him away.

* * *

The first thing Aaron wanted to do upon waking was roll over and fall right back to sleep. But a nagging suspicion that he'd already slept too long refused to yield despite his best efforts. Ultimately, there was nothing to do but get up. Rubbing sleep from his eyes, he threw aside the covers and immediately grasped his arms to his body as a chill swept through him. He let it pass before he swung his legs over the side of the bed and gingerly let his feet touch the floor. Curious that there was no pain, he held up one foot for inspection. Remnants of some paste or unguent remained stuck between his toes, but his foot was otherwise clean and healthy and completely devoid of scratches or cuts. The other was the same. Aaron flexed his toes, not quite believing what his eyes told him, but further examination revealed nothing troublesome. The damage was gone and they felt as if they had never known hardship.

He rose. Teeth chattering, he tossed a blanket over his shoulders and, sliding the curtain aside, found the room empty but for himself. Only embers remained in the fireplace and the cooking pots were silent. There was a small mat set on the floor. It took one step beyond it before the iciness of the wooden floorboards sent a shock through him. Without thinking, he leapt back to the relative warmth of the mat and immediately glanced about for something to put on his feet. On top of the chest was a neat bundle of clothing: pants, a gray shirt, a pair of shoes that looked about his size and at least two pair of socks—one for now and another for the road. His laboratory vest was there too, its alchemicals safe and sound by the look of it. Still, once he’d dressed, he took a moment to take stock of the vials, something he should have done before he'd gone to sleep. Everything looked in order. Then it was a matter of gathering up his now dry cloak from the hearth and setting out to find where everyone had gone.

Master Rhe was outside sitting on the porch. There was no sign of Ursool. Without asking if he minded the company, Aaron took a seat on the one and only step next to him. Though the rain had stopped, a cold breeze had replaced it. The glow of the moon, low and just rising, penetrated the gloomy sky. He thought he'd slept at least five hours, maybe six. Longer than he thought he would have been permitted.

"Are you rested?" Master Rhe asked without tearing his gaze from the surrounding woods.

"Not really," Aaron said. "I could have done with another day or two of sleep."

Aaron's attempt at humor was lost on the eslar.

"How are your feet?"

"Much better. Did Ursool—"

"Yes."

Aaron scanned the trees. "Where did she go?"

"She left just before the rain stopped. Something about gathering herbs before the moon rose. She should return shortly. The clothes, do they fit?"

Aaron made a show of inspecting his shirt and pants. "Yes, well enough." Then he lifted one foot and set it back down. "The shoes are a little big, but I'll manage." When the eslar said nothing in response to that, Aaron drew his legs close and wrapped his arms around them. "Master Rhe? May I ask something?"

Ensel Rhe looked his way, waiting.

"How is it that Ursool had these things? The clothes, I mean. By all appearances, she lives alone and has no children. So why would she have clothes so close to my size?"

Aaron expected a terse answer, either denying knowledge or, worse, an explanation of a truth he feared. That Ursool was, in fact, the monster he had suspected all along.

"Perhaps she knew you were coming. She is a witch, after all. She ventures out, sometimes, to trade and hear news of the outside world. She probably gathered the items then. Either that, or," Ensel said, casting Aaron a sidelong glance, "perhaps the clothes are leftover from some boy she ate."

Aaron didn't believe it. "Ursool has been nothing but kind. Besides, she looks nothing like a witch. She is…" He struggled for the right word.

"Beautiful?" Ensel Rhe said.

Aaron nodded.

Ensel Rhe returned his gaze to the forest. "You see what Ursool wants you to see."

"What do you mean? Why?"

"Because that is her way. Because her true appearance is… frightening."

Aaron took a moment to absorb the silence of the woods before he said, "She must be lonely."

"She is," Ensel said, too quickly. "She is alone, all of the time. She keeps herself occupied during the day. But the nights, they are harder. She makes use of herbs—sleeping agents—to help pass the time. Such loneliness is consuming."

Something told Aaron he no longer spoke of just the witch, but he kept his peace and did not press him. Instead he ached to inquire about their destination, but just when he'd raised the courage to break the silence again and ask, Ursool emerged from the woods. She held an oil lantern in one hand and a sack in the other. Light from the lantern shone across her and, for just a moment, Aaron thought he saw a figure hunched and limping horribly. But the sight quickly faded and, as she drew nearer, Aaron saw only the young and fair Ursool he'd come to know. Ensel Rhe stood at her approach, confirming what Aaron already suspected.

"We're leaving now, aren't we?" he asked.

Ensel Rhe looked down at him, for once not entirely without sympathy. "Yes."

"Can you at least tell me where we're going?"

The eslar's stare returned to the approaching witch. "Still east, for now. We'll keep to the hills until we reach the Narrow Cliffs. Then, south across the Upper Shelf to Wildemoore."

Wildemoore? "Ansanom's manor?"

Ensel Rhe didn't answer. There was no need, for Aaron had heard him well enough. Ansanom was an associate of Master Elsanar's, a collaborator in their research, and a sorcerer in his own right. But why were they going there?

Before Aaron could ask, Ensel Rhe said, "I know you have many questions. There are, perhaps, some things I might tell you."