The Dragon Stone

Chapter 5

                  The Prince walked into the stables hopping to see all of the party getting their horses ready for the long trip a head. He was concerned that Kalin would not be joining them this morning. The guards had been watching her chambers and had not seen anything the entire evening. But of course she was a thieve and could have escaped if she was good and it would appear that she is very good, the way she was able to steal the stone from two very clever elders.

The stables where busy with movement as the squires were readying the horses. Pyria was shouting orders and running the stables as though they were all the knights in her charge. Pyria looked at Darion and thn to Kaston standing behind the prince then went back to giving orders. She had gotten her ten favorite knights to come along with them with a few squires to help along the way.

The mage walked up behind Darion and Kaston observing the movements and said, "So she is not here, yet." He walked on to his stable to check his black stallion.

Darion was worried and waved over two squires. "Go fetch Kalin now." The squires bowed their heads and ran out the stable doors. But then walked back in quickly, "Prince, Madam Kalin is here." One of the squires announced. Darion and Kaston turned quickly. Kalin walked in and asked, "Are we ready".

Hours later they were making good time for a party their size. Kalin had road most of the time by herself which she preferred. Occasionally looking at the stone always with her left hand, thinking to herself "Why her??" She was just a common thief, well a really good thief but nothing magical. Speaking of magical she kept looking over at the mage, Orist. She wanted to talk to him really badly but would never let herself approach him directly. Luckily after lunch they were riding the road north and the mage approached her.

"Kalin, how are you feeling today?" Orist asked her while riding his black stallion next to her white one.

"Orist, I am good?" she said cautiously.

"Good, I was glad to see you this morning. I was not sure you would show." Orist said.

Kalin smiled and looked over at him, "Honestly?? I was not sure either."

Orist chuckled at this and continued, "I would like to ask you a couple questions, if you would not mind?"

Kalin continued to mile and said, "If you do not mind that I might not answer them."

Orist chuckled at this also.

"Actually, I have a few questions for you as well. Regarding magic."

Orist was surprised by this but answered with, "Well I hope you do not mind that I might not answer them as well."

"Understood" Kalin said. "Ask away."

"Where does your family come from, where were you raised?"

Kalin looked over at Orist and said, "Why would you want to know this?"

"I find you interesting," He replied "Also, I would like to know about the stone and why it affects you the way it does."

"Well, so would I. I have been thinking of little else since last night and really that is the only reason I showed up this morning. I was raised in Weramis by the Sisters of the Light but have no idea where I was born. I was told by the sisters that they found me wondering the forest when I was only three or four years. I was badly burned and they thought I would die for sure. They healed me and raised me for ten years until their missionary was destroyed by a massive fire."

"Really?" Orist asked. "So you were burned as a young child and then just ten years later your home was destroyed by fire? Curious." He looked straight ahead but not really seeing anything, he was deep in thought.

Kalin had never really put that together for herself either.

"Have you ever seen that stone before yesterday. Ever in a market or at the missionary? Anywhere??" Orist asked.

"No, I have never seen anything like it before. I did not even know you had a stone like that when I chose you." She replied.

"Why did you 'choose' me and Elmar to steal from?"

"Oh that is simple, you appeared to have valuables and looked like easy targets." She said. "No disrespect."

He laughed, "No problem, but I am not sure how easy of a target we were, I had a spell on my pocket to keep any wanted hands out of it. But you somehow got in my pocket and removed that stone."

"Really, that is strange." Kalin said with surprise.

"Yes, I believe that is the only reason I knew you had taken the stone. I felt it leave my pocket." He said with all seriousness.

Kalin thought on this for a while as she and Orist rode together quietly.

"Kalin, what do you know of magic? Have you ever been around magic??"

She thought or a moment. "Not really, not that I am aware of. Sisters of the Light really did not believe in magic as I am sure you know."

"Well what have you been doing since the fire at the missionary?" He asked.

"For the past four years I have been stealing my way down from Weramis by way of Olorin. I got here about a year ago." She answered.

"Hmm, I will have to give this more thought". He told her.

"How about my questions about magic". She asked.

"Of course," He replied.

"Well, not sure how I should start." She looked at him.

"Well, I can tell you the basics of magic". If you think that will help you.

"That sounds great." She said happily.

"As you may know magic is a power within certain beings that can be channeled to do certain things the being wants it to do for themselves. That power is passed from parents down to their children as long as both parents are magical." Orist told Kalin.

"Can you pretty much do anything with magic??" Kalin asked.

"The one most important thing to remember about magic is that you cannot create something from nothing."

"Really?" Kalin asked.

"Yes, and really most people know this without actually realizing it. In a battle I could use magic to remove your hand, but I could never grow it back. This is why if you should die I cannot use magic to bring you back from the dead. Understand??"

Kalin thought for a moment and then nodded. "I think I do."

"Well, if you do then you are ahead of most people." He said.

She smiled and asked, "So is there bad magic and good magic?"

"That is a misconception that a lot of people have about magic." Orist said to Kalin and he pointed toward's Kaston's horse riding in the front of them. "See Kaston's arrows? Are they good or bad? No of course they are no bad or good, they are just neutral. Kaston has provided dinner with several arrows, he has defended the Prince many times with those arrows. But Kaston could easily kill you, me or the Prince with those arrows also. It is not the arrow which is good or bad but the person using it. Same thing with Magic. I could start a fire with my magic and that fire could warm us when we are cold or cook our meals or I could use it to burn down an entire village. It comes down to me to use my magic for good or for bad."

"Hmm, that makes sense" Kalin said.

The two rode together for hours talking about magic and about Kalin's childhood.