Raven of The Darkened Sky

Chapter Five

Raven regained consciousness far more quickly than last time she had woken up, though she had no idea how much time had passed in that time. The wizard was quietly smoking a long pipe with the window lightly jarred open to let the smoke waif outside. Raven watched out of the corner of her eye for a moment and then she tried to sit up, yet again unable to successfully pull herself upright.

    The wizard silently helped her sit up and then he moved her against the corner of the wall next to the overarching bookshelves that lined the room. Raven slowly considered the wizard and found that she felt no incentive to question why she was here rather than back home. Finally, with her mind almost fully in the present, she found herself studying the room with curiosity, her mind void of any insecurities.

    "May I read one of your books?" Raven blurted out, her voice rasping painfully through her dry mouth and she winced at its sound. The wizard chuckled softly and then turned his attention to the young elf in his care.

    "Curious? I knew you would be... Dark Elves are always ready to learn everything they can. But first wouldn't you rather be told a few things? Don't be so hasty to fall into the boredom of recovery! Time for that is later when you know what's going on," the sorcerer declared, his eyes full of a knowing mirth.

    Raven flushed in embarrassment, her eyes still unwillingly following the great tomes that weighed against the old wooden shelves. Elizen only owned a few books which he guarded closely and most of them were books of learning; swordplay, life skills, archery, and other trades. One book he owned was entirely dedicated to learning how to read and write, which he claimed he found to teach Raven and Collin. Books, of course, were extremely rare in the cave-city and anyone who had more than one was extremely prestigious.

    The wizard observed Raven's prolonged silence for a moment then he turned and snuffed out his pipe with his hand. "Stay here while I get some herbs and food for you," the wizard instructed, leveling his hard gaze at Raven and then ambling from the library, his peculiar smell following him from the room. Raven watched the figure turn the corner and then her eyes darted back to the books along all the shelves.

    Ever since she could remember, Raven had been able to read every book she'd ever seen; Elizen had many friends who owned one or two books and he always managed to find a way to let her read all of them, even if the topics were extremely unnecessary or boring. Most of the books were instructional and taught skills to the avid learner of the trade. However, once Raven was able to find a larger journal of an elf long ago and the stories were adventurous and exciting, quite unlike what she was used to.

    Inside the giant bookshelves which swamped the large room, various beakers and substances were on the shelves as well, almost as though they were on display. The colors and liquids inside the glass cases were unknown to Raven and she wondered how it was possible to make such colors in a liquid.

    Beside the substances, Raven caught a glimpse of several vials and strange tools that were foreign to her. This room was a true anomaly, Raven observed, and her eyes followed the rich wooden accents which gave the room a homely appearance. A cushioned rocking chair was in the center of the room with a small table beside it, the still smoldering pipe the wizard had been smoking atop the smooth surface. The front of the room was illuminated by a large, round window which Raven lay partway against, her makeshift bed a knot of blankets underneath the sill.

    The wizard quickly returned, carefully carrying a tray of oddly smelling foods that Raven didn't recognize. She jolted against the wall, unable to stop her instinctive flinch at his movement even though she could tell he meant no harm. The wizard ignored her and gently set the tray in front of her and then lowered himself to the ground so that he could sit facing Raven.

    "Thank you," Raven managed to whisper and then began to eat and drink as though it had been weeks rather than days since she'd eaten. The wizard carefully followed the movements of her shaking arms and her darting eyes for a while and then he relit his pipe, quietly huffing by himself contentedly.

    After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Raven finished her meal and sighed, letting herself relax against the hard wall. The wizard looked at her for a moment and then unfolded a piece of paper he had stashed against the folds of his robes. "So, I assume that you enjoy reading?" The old man observed and tapped his pipe experimentally. Raven nodded and watched the plume of gray smoke drift upwards as the wizard smoked.

    "In that case, I have several books I must show you. Mind you, these books are about magic and things that I'm sure you've never heard of," the wizard cautioned, his bright eyes closely studying her reaction. Raven considered what he said for only a moment, her own mind picking up on the fact that he entirely wanted her to do what he proposed.

    "I know about magic! I know how all people have different magics and how we get energy," Raven haughtily declared, leveling the old man with her own stare, certain that this man underestimated her. The wizard shook his head, calmly puffing another stream of white smoke.

    "That is a warrior's understanding of the magics which govern the world. To understand the roots and know how to weaken the opponent is key to many tactics enemies use. That is why Grondor has effectively trapped all these people in this cave-city. Many of these people are deprived of their life-giving magic," the wizard explained, his talkative tones lulling Raven into complacent silence.

    "Now, true understanding of magic is to use and understand its properties, uses, and limits. I know your father very well young Raven. He is a warrior, an elf of great willpower and courage in all respects. He is a mighty warlord to be entrapped in legends of the ages. However, though he has shown and trained you how to take his path, you are not the same person. Yes, you have the same responsibility as he, yet you can defeat their armies in your way," the wizard declared, his strong voice filling Raven's young mind with ideas and possibilities of what she could do to defeat the Grondorians.

    "What do you mean? What's my way? We both know I can't fight to hurt or kill anyone; that is something I simply will not do. I have seen too much destruction to add to it through war. I want to do anything else other than be put down in history as a deliverer after a long series of battles and a war. I do know battle tactics and I do know how to fight, but I have vowed to never hurt someone using those means," Raven cut in, struggling to lean forward as her voice raised.

    The wizard gently pushed her back against the wall and cupped her cheek in his old hand as he smiled at her. "I have a plan Raven. It's definitely not set in stone but by the gods I've been hoping you would agree to it!" the old man excitedly whispered and his eyes sparkled with true hope and Raven frowned, wondering what kind of plan he had that could possibly work.

    "While you are recovering, you have to stay here and while you're here I'll teach you about magic and anything else you want to learn. In exchange, I'll show you how to get to Zion so that you can convince them to go to war with Grondor. If you can get the other great countries to ally with you, you can perhaps convince Grondor to leave their military presence in peace without bloodshed," the sorcerer proposed, his pipe smoldering out.

    Raven and the wizard sat there a long moment looking at each other and considering what the other said for a moment. Finally, the wizard looked down at his closed hand and smiled wearily. "I suppose you'll want to know my name? My name is Dyels," the old man said brokenly.

    "Let's do it," Raven cut in, determination clouding her tired face. "I'm going to do something to save my people, even if it's such a farfetched idea as that," she declared, watching the man's face lighting up with a tired since of victory.

    "Thank you Raven," Dyels ventured and then shakily held out the parchment he had been clutching in his fist their entire conversation. "Will you sign this to agree to it? Officially?" he asked. Raven smiled reassuringly and quickly signed the bottom of the page with the old quill he offered.

    "I feared you when I first met you Dyels," Raven observed and felt her mind drift in exhaustion again. The wizard gently laid her down and reassuringly smiled down at her.

    "Now are you?" he inquired. Raven shook her head tiredly and found her eyes closing again. Dyels watched her chest rise and fall for a long moment and then he slowly stood, satisfied with his conversation with Raven. He had her signature for an apprenticeship.