Chapter 13

The following day of training occurs in the Scearnvale garden as it is raining in Percoin and the Garden there is not enclosed. Additionally, in Scearnvale it is a sunny day. The children continue to practice vision and travel links, with some now able to hold their travel link for as long as fifteen minutes without assistance. Missii and Kayla practice also. It is strange to see the weather from so many different places upon the world. Fourteen simultaneous vision links show rain in some, bright sun in others, with cloudy windy skies in yet more. The advantage of a vision link is that it allows one to prepare for whatever weather is going to be experienced prior to opening a travel link.

Andrew has still been concerned with the necessity requiring some prior knowledge of an area, object or person to which a connection may be linked. Present methods allow only for linking to known places much as if using a scanner which requires both the origin and destination to be registered. Some method must exist which will allow a link to a location where one has never been or which has not been seen before. He and Alexandra have tried many experiments to find some method to make this possible but thus far have been unable to discover it.

"Andrew, it must be possible. We could never have linked originally with each other if it were not."

"True. That may be the key. I must give that a great deal of thought since at the time I simply accepted it without examining how it happened."

"Perhaps there are undiscovered threads?"

"Maybe. I'm looking but I don't see anything. Just the children practicing."

"How are you seeing them?"

"Each time one of them opens some link I see what looks like a slight shift in colour or shadow some small distance away. It's difficult to explain. Try looking at the threads and wait until one of them opens or closes a link and you may see what I mean."

Alexandra begins to watch the magical activity much as she followed that original thread attached to the ‘bell' she used to contact Andrew. Rather than holding her ‘sight' tightly to the thread she widens it to allow a larger area to be seen. It basically appears as a dark room with small faint changes in the texture of the darkness. Suddenly she sees something bloom and fade, starting bright and dropping back to near the level of the darkness of the visualized area. Allowing herself to continue to ‘see' with her mind she also looks with her eyes placing the two locations together and discovering one of the boys has just opened a vision link. Another variation in texture winks out with a faint burst of light and she looks to see one of the girls has just closed her link.

"I see what you mean. It is difficult to explain, but I see the effect."

Just then they both notice a small momentary flare in the dark and both fix on it then open vision links to see what or who is causing it. Halfway across Scearnvale a very surprised Sorcerer finds them watching him just after he magically brought his coin purse to himself. It is far wiser to travel without coin and bring it only when it is actually needed. Since everyone knows Sorcerers travel without money on their persons, no one tries to rob them. Who would rob a Sorcerer anyway when they may retaliate using magic. Alexandra and Andrew smile and offer greetings then close the vision links.

"Andrew, I think we need some kind of link which allows us to watch without those whom we are watching knowing about it. We may find ourselves in a bit of a problem should whomever it may be take a dislike to our intrusion, accidental or otherwise."

"Agreed. I thought we were about to watch one of the children. Distances in the real world are much greater than those in the ‘murk'."

Alexandra laughs, "Is that what you are going to call it? Murk?"

"Seems as good a name as any other. And it is Murk. No detail, no hint of the real surroundings, just... Murk."

"I may just imagine you explaining this to the adults we are going to be teaching. Now, please observe the Murk," she laughs quietly, "I wonder if we could somehow see the children's magic as a colour in the ‘Murk'. That way we would know if it is one of them or someone else and not go barging in somewhere we aren't wanted."

"One more thing we need to figure out."

"For now you continue to work on the problem of going places we've never been and I'll work on the way to determine if it is one of the children or someone else."

"Thanks, I think."

"Don't mention it. You came up with this new magic so I felt it only fair to give you the more challenging problem."

"As I said, Thanks. Seriously, the ability to see or travel to a location to which we have never been could be very important."

"So long as you look first, Andrew. I wouldn't care to find my self inside a rock or a wall. Even with places we know, we are noticing small errors in our placements. Going somewhere we have never been could be much more hazardous. For instance if we needed to go into a mine. An error could be fatal."

"People do that now."

"True. But they don't do it without knowing where they are going. Another example would be like when Sister Ashley came to my Father's home. She brought two others with her so now there are three who know the arrival location. The way we are traveling is much different yet we still rely upon the knowledge of someone else. In this case it has been the children. The other method with no previous reference seems much more dangerous."

"I know. I still feel it should be possible, but I agree it is more dangerous and an exploration of the area by vision should be made first. Here let me show you the kind of vision link I am talking about. It doesn't require a person's eyes but relies upon the actual surroundings for information. Watch."

Andrew brings up something which looks like the garden at her father's home.

"How did you do that? You've never been there."

"I have been to his home. I just worked out the path to the location where we spoke with him, then moved it around until I found the garden. Is there more than one?"

"No Andrew. But how are you allowing us to see it when no one is in it or you have no link anchor at the garden?"

"Back when we were first beginning the training, I was experimenting with that candle holder and with moving it from one location to another through a link. At that time I used it to allow me a focal point then allowed myself to see much of the room. It is possible to rotate around the selected item in order to see in different directions."

"So what did you use as the focal point to start your observation of the garden?"

"The fireplace in your Father's study. Look at the edges of the vision. See how they blur and fog? If the vision was locked on accurately to a point in the garden then the edges would be sharp. Watch how they change as I move the vision back to the study."

Alexandra observes the edges and sees them sharpening as the vision path moves back to the area closest to the fireplace.

"Alexandra, I think the edges are a good indication of the accuracy of placement. In other words, the closer my vision of the location is to the actual location, the sharper the edges of the vision. If the entire vision is blurred then we best not travel the link but if it is sharp then we may safely, or at least with great confidence, travel the link to the location seen."

"How are you rotating this vision link and how do you move it?"

"Here, watch what I do, much in the same way you followed the thread on the bell."

Andrew opens a vision link to the Sorcerer's meal hall and then slowly turns the link to allow them to watch each part of the hall in turn. Alexandra tries it using the Sisterhood's meal hall where she has eaten. With some practice and trial links to several other locations she has quickly mastered the new link.

"All right, now how do I... wait... Let me try it without you telling me."

Alexandra thinks about possible ways to move the focal point of the link and finally is sliding it down a hallway and eventually out of doors. The edges remain sharp.

"How are you keeping the focus so sharp?" Andrew asks.

"I've been all these places and have some idea of where they are. Now I'm going in a direction where I have never been."

Slowly the edges begin to fuzz a little and then more.

"You are going much further than I did and the edges are still much sharper than mine were. How are you doing that?"

Alexandra pauses as she explains, "As I move the link to a new location, I then move my original focal point to that new location allowing me greater range without so much error. It isn't easy but I think it is working. Is there any way we could safely test it?"

"Yes. I think so. Here open a small travel link and I will toss this silver through. That will allow two things. First we may see where it lands compared to where we think it should land, and second it will give me a focal point to open a separate link so we may go check the accuracy of your link."

"Good idea. Are you ready?"

"Any time."

Alexandra opens a small travel link to the area and Andrew tosses the small coin through. It shimmers for a moment and lands a few centimeters from where they expected it to fall, not a surprising event. Andrew opens a travel link to the coin and they examine Alexandra's vision location to the reality of the spot seen through the focused travel link.

"About four centimeters. Four centimeters out of about 800 meters from the starting point. That's quite good, less than an error of one part in 20,000. Good enough to look into and enter the mine you spoke of. We need to see if the children are able to do this. And also learn if practice grants greater accuracy."

"Actually, I believe we cannot measure from my starting point because I moved the focal point along the places I knew until we exited the door."

"Alexandra, that's still four centimeters in 400 meters then. One part in 10,000. That's still good enough for your mine. Say we needed to go 1500 meters deep, that would be an error of only 15 centimeters. If we remained in the center of the passage we would still be safe. We need to practice this variation of the link."

They stop their experimenting to suddenly realize the children are still there and still working with their links. As they look around they see Alice and Grace working together.

"What are they doing?"

"I don't know. Let's go take a look."

They walk over to watch the two girls and suddenly realize the girls have a vision link open and are working together to produce the one link. They are not just sharing energy but are sharing the link as they do what Andrew and Alexandra were just doing, moving the link to watch different areas.

"That's my next door neighbor's house and the front yard over there has flowers in it. Mother always tells me to be careful not to hurt them. They are for decorating and belong to Mrs. Holdein. If we go down the street this way we may see Mr. Johnson's bakery, he gives me a cookie whenever we come to purchase bread. See that building near the top of the hill? That's where I used to go to school but when I started having visions they told the Sisters, so I go to school here now. Where did you go to school?"

"Before Mommy and Daddy got sick I went to school over here."

The link shimmers but in moments solidifies again, a different village is visible and the two girls are again on a tour, now of the area where Alice lived before coming for training at the Percoin Sisterhood.

"When they got sick I didn't know enough and couldn't help them. Then the Angels came and took them. I wish I knew Andrew and Alexandra then. Maybe I could have learned enough to help my parents. Now I know enough but they're not alive so I can't help them. Maybe we can go soon and help my sister. Look, we have a bakery too, it's over here."

As the girls continue to explore each other's villages, Andrew and Alexandra move away to see how the other children are doing.

"Andrew, perhaps we should check Missii and Kayla. It might be a good idea, for now, to show them how to do this new movable link since the girls are already doing it on their own. We need additional eyes to watch the children AND the adults when we start with them."

"GOOD idea. Right away, I should think."

Andrew and Alexandra observe the rest of the children and then check on the SaVannah sisters finally interrupting the practicing they are doing and introducing them to the altered link. After allowing them to practice for a while it is time to check on the children again. A count is made to be certain no one wandered off through a travel link and then the children, after a quick test, are given the rest of the day off as it is nearly time for lunch. The decision is made for the four of them to return to the garden to continue experimenting with the concept of a migrating link immediately after lunch.

The SaVannah sisters are happily going to work with it as four pairs of eyes have twice as great a chance to notice something as do two. Three hours after lunch the four have exhausted their options for the moment and decide to allow themselves so rest for the remainder of the day. Andrew and Kayla return to Scearnvale and Alexandra and Missii take a short rest before supper.

Not long after supper one of the Sisters comes knocking on Alexandra's door.

"Yes?"

"Alexandra, please come quickly. Grace is missing. We are checking now to see if anyone else is gone."

"I'll be right there. Have them check to see if Alice is missing as well, while I notify Andrew and Missii."

"Immediately."

Ring... Ring... Ring... Rin...

"Yes Alexandra? What is it?"

"Grace is missing. They are checking on Alice and the other children now. Please bring Kayla and come here. I notified Missii and we are dressing now."

"We'll be there in just a few minutes."

Andrew quickly dresses in his trousers and tunic, ignoring his robes. He rushes over to Kayla's room and knocks on the door, "Kayla. Kayla are you in there?"

"Yes. Just a moment."

"Get dressed we need to go to Percoin. At least one of the children there is missing."

Faster than Andrew expected, Kayla is out the door fully clothed and wearing her armor and weapons as well.

"I don't think we will need those."

"We don't know yet why the child is missing. It is only prudent."

"Agreed. Good thinking," as he opens a link to a location near Alexandra's room in Percoin. Knocking on the door, finds no response. Kayla rushes down to Missii's room but there is no response there either.

CHIME! "Where are you Alexandra?"

"I am at Alice's room, she is missing also."

"Okay. Check to see if her ring is gone. If she is wearing it we may link to her quickly. The two of them are probably together somewhere. Are there any others missing?"

"Yes. Four other young ladies are also gone. Apparently they have something specific in mind since there are six of them gone."

"Six... That's interesting. Are the four others good at energy transfer?"

"I don't... Oh... Andrew, I think you have hit on it. Alice can't transfer energy but the other five are able to do so and quite proficiently. Missii and I are almost back to my room, I see you. We will be there in a moment."

Andrew closes the vision/voice link and waits for Alexandra, Missii and several sisters to hurry over.

"I am going to open a cautious link to see what they are doing. I'll use Alice's ring as the anchor. We don't want to make any noise as that could distract them as we don't yet know how that may affect what they are doing."

Slowly Andrew begins a link, gradually opening it enough to allow the seven of them to see and hear the six girls who are together at some distant location. Two women may be seen in the background and a young boy is laying on a bed with Alice at his side. The five other girls are all surrounding Alice and have hands touching her. Andrew closes the link for the moment and then speaks with the other adults who have just seen this as well.

"Sisters, you may leave. Alice is attempting a healing of some kind. The four of us may watch through the link and if necessary we will move in to provide assistance. There is nothing further about which to be concerned, we will bring the girls back afterward. Thank-you for notifying us in such a timely manner."

As the sisters walk away Andrew tells the others that he will open a small link and the moment the girls back away from the boy on the bed he will fully open the link and the four of them may move into the room seen in the vision.

"Do nothing to the girls. We need to see if further assistance is necessary. If so, and if Alice is willing then we may provide some energy to help her continue the work. Alexandra, do you have any ideas or suggestions?"

"No. It sounds like a plan to me. Missii, Kayla, what do you think?"

The sisters agree that is a good move and that other than startling everyone in the room there is nothing else that appears to be a problem.

Andrew notes, "Just to be cautious, spread out a little. I will open a wide link which will allow each of us to enter the room from a slightly different direction. In this way if anything is amiss we will be able to respond to it more quickly. Missii, Kayla perhaps a dagger would not be too inauspicious just in case."

The sisters each draw a dagger and move to more distant edges of the link in preparation of a potential assault. It is likely unnecessary but prudence is not a bad idea. Less than a minute later the girls are seen to pull away from the one laying on the bed.

"Now," suddenly the four are in the room and the six girls and two women are surprised to see them appear in their midst. The one woman is so frightened she turns to run and finds Alexandra blocking her path.

Just then Grace calls out, "Don't hurt my mother. Mother it is all right, these are my teachers."

Alexandra nods to the woman and in moments Kayla and Missii sheath their daggers. The children are surprised that they have been found out so quickly and that Andrew, Alexandra and the sisters have come for them as if ready for a battle.

"Grace, Alice, I think you have a little explaining to do."

Grace starts talking right away, "I was talking with my mother and she told me that Tommy had been hurt yesterday. I asked Alice to come and try to help him. The others came to help provide energy. It's my fault. I'm sorry."

"The only fault is in not telling us. Trying to help is a good thing."

"But would you have allowed us to come? They can't afford to pay and Tommy is hurt very badly."

"I don't know. You have a valid question, but since we are here let's see if more needs to be done. Alice does he need more healing?"

"Yes. But we don't have enough energy to do it."

"Are you tired? The four of us may provide you some energy which will allow you to do much more."

"I'm not tired. I learned to stop before I become too tired. If I have energy from all of you to use then maybe I could finish helping him."

"All right. Come over here everyone. We will see how far Alice may go."

They surround Alice and begin to provide energy as she continues her healing of the young boy. Slowly his body may be seen to be mending. The dangerous injury healing from the inside and slowly coming to the surface as the skin itself begins to heal and cover over the spot where a grievous wound had been earlier.

Finally Alice stops and turns to Alexandra, "He needs to sleep now. I think everything is healed but he is weak and will need to rest a lot and eat to gain strength again."

Grace goes to her mother and gives her the coin she earned during the healing of Lady Elijah. Her mother wants to know where she got the coin and Alexandra tells her that her daughter earned it. Andrew tells the six girls that his agreement with Alice will apply this one time to them all. He gives each of them three silver for their part in the healing. Grace immediately gives her coins to her mother and Alice asks if she may give her's to the mother of the boy.

"It will help them to buy the food needed for the boy to get better more quickly."

"Yes, Alice. You may," Alexandra replies.

The other girls want to know if they may give the coins to their own families. It seems many are in need and this small amount could be of great benefit to each family. Again this is agreeable.

Andrew bends down near the mother of the boy, "Excuse me, you dropped this," handing her a gold coin which he obviously is picking up from the floor. She begins to protest but sees him wink and then she smiles.

"Thank-you."

"My pleasure. Come on girls, we should be getting back to the Sister's hall. You frightened the Sisters half to death vanishing like this."

The ten of them say good-bye to Grace's mother and the other lady, who's son is still asleep. He is now breathing much more easily. Andrew opens the link to Percoin and they all walk into the garden, moments later the link is again closed as the two women watch the children and adults, who have just saved the life of the young boy, vanish back into the training center once again.

Back at the Sister's training center, "Out of simple curiosity, how were the six of you planning to return to the Training center? The link you traveled was closed."

"Grace put a new thread on the bench in the garden and attached it to the tree in the yard so she could pull the garden back again," Alice volunteers.

"And if none of you had enough energy to accomplish that after attempting to heal the boy?"

"We didn't let Grace use much energy during the healing so she would have enough to get us back. He was hurt pretty badly. We didn't have enough energy to heal him more than a little. When I used the energy you offered then I was able to heal him completely."

"What happened? How was he injured?"

"A bull hurt him while he was crossing a field. Men from his village were able to chase the bull and bring him out but no one could help him. He was hurt too badly and the village has no healers."

"How did your mother know to contact you, Grace? Also, how did she do it?"

"I told her Alice is a healer. I have been talking with my mother nearly every day by a vision link and I... I, gave her a little bell to ring if she needs to talk with me."

"How did you know how to do that?"

"Alexandra told me you did that for her once and I thought about how to do it. Then I asked Mother to bring one home so I could put a link on it. Now if she rings it, I can hear it."

"So you have been linking to your mother even though we told you it could be dangerous?"

"I... Yes... Please don't make me stop studying magic. I won't do anything else except my link with my mother."

"What other things have you been doing with magic? Other than talking with your mother and the vision link exploring you and Alice have been doing?"

Grace and Alice exchange startled glances at each other, fright of discovery momentarily crossing their faces.

"You know about our exploring?"

"It's a little difficult not to know, you make so much noise at it." A white lie which Andrew hopes will cause them to adopt a little restraint and perhaps involve an adult in any future excursions they might decide upon.

"Oh."

"Now, if I had been a bandit Sorcerer, I could have followed your noise until I found you."

"Oh..."

The girls all exchange glances, their faces beginning to show some fear, they don't want to be captured by a bandit.

"We promise not to go by ourselves anymore. If we need to go somewhere we will tell Alexandra first."

"And I may have Missii go with you as protection," Alexandra indicates.

"I like Missii," Grace turns to the Feline, "Would you really go with us?"

"If Alexandra told me it was necessary then, yes, I would go."

Kayla adds, "As would I. But even though I'm Missii's sister I won't be quite so lenient with wayward children. But if you needed protection then Missii and I could probably handle most of it."

"OH... Both of you?" Grace smiles.

"Yes, both of us. Alice should have known better than to go without telling someone. You all should have known better."

They all hang their heads and say they are sorry. Next time they will secure permission before going.

 © 2010 by Rénae Dáºmas. This work may not be replicated or presented in whole or in part by any means electronic or otherwise without the express consent of the work’s Owner (copyright holder), with the exception of the private and non-commercial viewing by the reader who is also the end purchaser. ALL Rights Reserved, including but not limited to ownership of Characters, final content decision, and more. This is a work of Fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this story are fictional and any resemblance to real people or incidents past, present or future is purely coincidental. Any and all images shown within this work are taken by license under Corel. Sketches are a product originated through the efforts of Terry Volkirch.. No affiliations, involvement or gender assignations through the use of the images provided by Corel, Terry Volkirch or the subjects contained within those posted images or sketches is implied or intended.
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