The Youngest Mage [Completed]

(8) Sylnaberneath

Dalbreath awoke early to the hustle and bustle of the servants packing away the tent that his mother had slept in. He wondered if he was ever going to get to sleep in again. He had slept under the stars with Leanha, but she was up and helping with the packing away of the camp into the ox carts. He was the only one still trying to sleep.

"Mommy, why do we have to leave so early, we have the whole summer to get there, don't we?"

"Oh no we don't," she said. "Come on now, Merna has fixed your favorite, pancakes, with honey and fresh berries." Merna was the only black in service to the Efaltel family, and she was one of the Sheiwezaa people of Niland. A proud and noble people from a far off world, just like the Fae, whose ship crashed on Avalon long ago. She had chosen to leave Niland a long time before Dalbreath was born, and had been serving Maurinn for twenty years, because the pay was so good.

Dalbreath had to admit his mother always knew how to get him out of bed in a hurry. A few minutes later and he was eating like there was no tomorrow. Leanha chuckled as she watched him finish a large stack of pancakes.

"Where are you putting it all?" she asked with a grin.

"In my belly," he said proudly.
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After breakfast they were soon on the road again. The servants bemoaned the incredibly far distance that Maurinn had set for them that day. Dalbreath sat staring out the coach most of the morning. Then he noticed that his mother was very proud about something.

"What is it mother?" he asked.

She smiled, and seemed about to bubble over with emotion. "Tonight we will not be staying in an inn," she said, excitedly.

"You mean we're going to sleep under the stars again? Can I sleep next to Leanha?"

"No silly," she said. "We're going to stay at a friends house, and, for the rest of the summer we will stay there. I haven't seen them since before you were born. She and her husband live in a little town on our route. I sent them word of our coming before we left, and that we'd be staying with them for a while." Maurinn seemed a little disappointed that Dalbreath showed no sign of excitement. "She's an old friend, you'll like her."

He put on a good face, for he could see how vulnerable she was, but he didn't hold out much hope for a fun time at her friend's house. "That's great mommy," he said, enthusiastically.

She could tell he was pretending to like the idea. It touched her that he was thinking of her. "Wait till you see their house," she whispered, "it's bigger than ours."

"Does she have any children?" he asked, hopefully.

"None your age," she said. "Her children are all grown, much like your two brothers, who never ever come home to visit. I still hope you will meet them someday."

"Mommy, when will I meet them? You keep saying that I will."

"They're like your dad, busy businessmen. Oddly they all moved northward. Someday, Dalbreath, someday you will meet them. We have a family reunion every hundred years, but hopefully you will meet them before then."

Dalbreath sighed, for he could see it already. They would spend weeks visiting her friends, and with nothing to do the whole time, and his mother would keep Leanha so busy he wouldn't get a step closer to being able to shape-shift.