The End is Near

Chapter 13

July 14th – Banff

The Seventh strode off but I made no move to follow him. He was almost all the way across the clearing before he realized I wasn't behind him. He looked impatiently at me as I sat on the ground and then came back.

"Come," he said.

I'm sure the tone was not meant to be annoying. But it was. It really, really was.

I'm never at my best when I am hungry or tired, not that I am the epitome of gaiety other times or anything. I tried to take a deep, calming breath and remind myself that the seventh seer was important. I tried to remember that he must have been waiting for our return for a while and that he probably had his orders....or encouragements....because who ordered him around right?

It didn't really help. I could feel my face set in the stubborn glare that had always gotten me in trouble with my mother. It didn't seem to have any effect on him, however. Looking into a cowl that concealed features was very definitely a disadvantage if you wanted to know how someone reacted to your death-glare.

"It's not far...," he said. It may have been my imagination, but there was something softer and kinder in his tone. So I wearily got up and followed.

I have experienced magick in a million different ways and have a score of spells to accomplish each desired end. Yet I had no idea what he did to fold reality the way he did. One second I was walking behind him as he headed across the clearing and in the next we were in a long stone hall.

I blinked quickly to adjust, as the lighting was a little darker than outside. He kept walking along the undecorated hall for a bit before the way opened up and we were in what felt and looked like the great hall of a castle of old. A large hearth at the left end was big enough for a cow to walk into, while at the end across from me a huge table stood on a dais. In the intervening space there were a lot more tables that I estimated could handle at least half of the gathering I had seen. Was it just earlier that day? For now the entire large hall was empty.

He walked over to the left and stairs appeared where I could have sworn there was a blank wall. He led the way up to an internal balcony and then into yet another corridor. This time I was a little more prepared for the door that appeared out of nowhere. This one opened into a huge library that rivalled anything I could ever have imagined. The shelves towered higher than I could see when I looked up and the way between the shelves seemed to disappear into the shadowy distance. Given what I had seen him do so casually I was fully ready to believe that the shelves had no end.

With a gesture the door closed behind me and there was a faint pressure in the air as some sort of spell was activated. Then, and only then, did he raise his hands and reveal the face the cowl hid. I think my mouth stayed open in a very childish and immature gape of surprise.

He was young. And cute. Dark hair and eyes of silver-grey, a strong jaw and generous lips.

I merely gazed at him in silence, when what I really wanted to do was rub my eyes. I realized my mouth was still partially open, so I shut it quickly. He was looking at me as intently as I was looking at him. When I say young I mean that he was nowhere as ancient as one would have expected for a being as revered as the Seventh appeared to be. In fact, I would have put him at being in his early twenties, which was just a little older than me.

"How can you be so young?" I asked.

"You're not exactly ancient yourself, you know?" he said.

I felt that he was being a little touchy, all things considered so I retorted, "My age is not important. There is only one me. And no one has any expectation that I am any older than I happen to be."