Chapter 13

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Aeronwyn stood on the ledge where she had closed the tunnel and reached out into the stone.  It was as she had suspected.  They were chipping away at the stone, digging towards where she and Keri were.  Aeronwyn had already closed the rest of the tunnel , shaping the rock to fill it in, so she knew it would take weeks for them to break through. Still, it was time to see if there was any way to leave this sanctuary.  Best to have a back door when the front door is under siege, she noted.

                Keri had demonstrated that she could manipulate water and air but no better or worse than Aeronwyn.  Not her strength, Aeronwyn had told her.  Every day they worked magic together, Keri becoming more proficient with all of the elements.  Meanwhile, Aeronwyn had taught her the basic of the theory of magic in the patterns and was pleased that Keri not only understood but seemed to have an intuitive grasp of the complexities involved.

                "I was thinking," Keri said one day, "that if manipulate air to bring me a storm or water to change a current so my boat can move faster as you have said can be done, then I might just be doing damage somewhere else.  A farmer's field might not get the rain it needs, or some sea creature might be thrown off its natural migration by the change in currents."

                They had discussed those ideas for hours. Aeronwyn recognized that among Keri's strengths, her quick mind was the greatest.  As Aeronwyn made her way back to temple area she felt a hint of sadness.  She realized that she had been enjoying this time with Keri more than she realized.  For a while, the demands of the Old Gods that Aeronwyn restore them to the world had been forgotten as she worked with her newest apprentice.  Aeronwyn sighed.  The holiday was coming to a close, she realized.  Time to get back to work.

                Keri was sitting on one of the stone benches, staring at the statue of the Goddess Althene.  Aeronwyn walked over and sat beside her.  For a while, neither woman spoke.

                Finally, Keri broke the silence. "Is she really a Goddess, Aeronwyn? I mean, the Old Gods you have told me about.  Are they really Gods or do they just have more magic than we do?"

                "Now that, I was not expecting. Keri, you continue to amaze me with your quick mind." Aeronwyn considered Keri's question carefully. "I don't know.  I know that it was the Old Gods that taught the first human being how to use magic. They were, in ancient times, our instructors. They gave us writing and aided us in many ways.  I know they can't die, they are immortal.  Still, they are not all powerful or the spell that threw the old world into chaos would not need to be broken for them to be free! I have long suspected that the Old Gods were themselves brought into being by someone or something even more powerful than they are. Still, until we can prove otherwise, best to be cautious and accept that they are Gods, at least of a sort."

                Keri snorted and looked at Aeronwyn. "Of a sort? Althene seems pretty helpless. If I hadn't stopped giving you that narcotic in your food, there didn't seem to be much she could have done to help you."

                "Perhaps not," Aeronwyn agreed, "but remember that of all the people in the world, it was you that found that necklace. It was your dreams that Althene's priestess appeared in.  It is no small chance that made sure that a mage was the one contacted to help me out.  Whatever their current weaknesses, I know that they have magnitudes of magic beyond my understanding.  Perhaps that is all being a God is?  Being able to do things that mere mortals cannot?"

                Keri nodded. "And I am her priestess, supposedly. I don't know what that means but I will try and find out."

                "What did you say?" Aeronwyn was surprised. "You never told me this part!"

                "Didn't I? Sorry." Keri smiled. "It was in that dream. The old priestess said that Althene had chosen me to be her priestess and that is why I received the necklace. Does it matter?"

                "It might. I don't know.  I was young when the old world was destroyed so I don't really have a clear idea what a priestess was, other than someone that served a God or Goddess.  In any case, that's not why I wanted to talk to you," Aeronwyn said, changing the subject. "Either from knowledge or just to cover all the bases they have started tunnelling through the rock where our footprints disappeared.  It is only a matter of time before they break through."

                "How much time? Do we have to leave right now?" Keri was clearly frightened. She stood as if to start running.

                Aeronwyn laughed and grabbed Keri's arm, pulling her back down onto the bench. "Not this minute. A week, maybe two.  We have time to organize.  The only problem is that I don't see any way out of here. Do you know of one?"

                "No, but there is another door behind the statue. I don't know if it leads anywhere because I could not open it." Keri stood again but this time offered her hand to Aeronwyn. "Let me show you."

                They walked hand in hand, Keri leading Aeronwyn behind the large statue of the Goddess down to the door she had found. The dust of years stirred as their feet passed and Keri chattered on excitedly.  Aeronwyn looked at the young woman and realized that she might be grown in body but she still lacked the worldly experience that matured the mind.  Aeronwyn would have to protect her until she did.

                "Here it is," Keri said, pointing at the door. "I don't sense any magic and as hard as I tried I couldn't open it.  It might not go anywhere."

                Aeronwyn carefully examined the door, first with her hands and eyes and then with her magic.  Keri was right, there was no magic but there was something.  Aeronwyn closed her eyes to better concentrate and sent her senses into the stone of the door.  The shape of the stone was interrupted by some kind of mechanism.  Aeronwyn felt the patterns surrounding the mechanism, not changing anything but just touching them lightly.  After a few moments, she opened her eyes.

                "It's some kind of lock.  That is what is keeping the door closed.  Metal of some kind, not rusted, just locked. Can you see a key hole anywhere?"  Aeronwyn asked.

                Keri looked carefully. "Perhaps it is covered by dirt. Here, let me just brush it off."

                As Keri placed her hand on the door, she felt warmth emanating from it. "It's warm!"  Aeronwyn said nothing as Keri brushed the dirt.  There was no keyhole but now they could see a slight indentation about chest high.  Keri instinctively placed her palm on it and was rewarded by the sound of a click as the door unlocked.

                "Was that magic?" she asked excitedly.

                "Yes but of a sort I don't yet know.  This seems to be keyed to touch.  Shall we open it and see what's beyond?" Aeronwyn said.  Keri nodded and they both pushed the door.  It was still stiff but slowly gave way to a hallway.

                "Try making a mage light Keri." Aeronwyn said encouragingly.  Keri focused and a bright light appeared just inside the hallway.  From the doorway it was clear the hallway branched after only a few feet.  Keri was about to step inside when Aeronwyn stopped her.

                "I think we should gather some supplies with us first before we explore.  One of these might lead us out of her and, if it does, we might not be coming back.  Weapons and food, water. That sort of thing." Aeronwyn looked down the hallway.  If this is a place where only priestesses could go it might lead nowhere useful and we just might return to a temple full of armed guards.  Aeronwyn kept that thought to herself.

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