Prith and the Well

Colleen Forrest

Topic : The Art of Compositon.

A thick layer of brown leaves from last year's fall crunched underneath with each of the boy's footfalls, stirring up the scents of mold and decay. The odor trail Noah Verdi was leaving could be followed quite easily if the Oglith decided to track him from the ground.

The lizard-like Ahren Noah had hidden under his jacket shivered.

"Please, Noah! Don't let them find me! Not now!" the Ahren thought to him.

"They won't, Prith," he told her, trying his best to believe it himself. "I'll get you to the well. I am sworn by the Elioum."

But then, what was one boy against the Oglith. In battle, the Oglith blood-sorcers had proven themselves the equal of the Elioum Ahren-mages. Even Johna's magery couldn't keep the Oglith commander, Skeen, from occupying the citadel of Preaport, and Johna was the greatest Ahren-mage the Elioum had ever seen.

"They are arrogant", Prith told him. "That is their undoing."

"They can afford to be arrogant," Noah thought back.

In the distance, he could hear the low hum of an Oglith scout ship reverberating through the steep forested hills. It was hard to tell from which direction the sound was coming from and the boy dared not to localize it least he give away his own position. He extended his Reach as far as he dared, just enough to assure his footing would be stable underneath the leaves.

"I can help." Prith offered. "I can find the boundaries of their sense-scanning. They wouldn't notice me."

"Thanks anyway. But Johna said you needed your rest."

Noah reached inside his jacket and gave Prith a reassuring pat on the head, careful not to let the burning sunlight scorch the creature's fragile golden skin. Ahren’s were naturally nocturnal creatures. They had no defenses against sunlight. Prith was rather large for an Ahren, a sign of her great age. From head to tail, she was slightly over two feet long and weighed about 15 pounds. Not a small weight for the boy to be carrying all this way.

"How much farther is it to the well, Noah?"

"I think it's just up the next hill." He hoped it was just up the next hill.

Overhead, the rancous call of birds suddenly quieted. The low hum was definitely coming from behind him now, and growing steadily louder.

"What is it?" Prith asked.

"Oglith scout ship, heading this way!"

Noah picked up his pace trying to stay ahead of the hum and at the same time, trying to find a place to hide. All he sensed were trees. They offered no protection, from bio-scanners that detected heat, sound, and motion. Not from blood-sorcers who could detect any magical attempt to hide from the bio-scanners. To be this close to the safety of the well and not reach it—

And then he remembered who he was. He was of the Elioum. Noah stopped running and dropped to his knees. He took a deep breath and brought himself to Center. He let his mind wander over his lessons, and focused on the memory of Johna’s voice.

"Remember your training, Noah," Johna had told him. "Fear and despair are a waste of time. The Universe will never leave you wanting. Use what's around you."

Of course! Noah thought. The leaves.

He found a low spot in the forest floor and quickly dug himself into the pungent carpet. Not only would they offer cover from a visual sighting, but the heat from the decaying matter would help to shield him from the bio-scans. For the rest, he’d have to rely on his training, and that hadn’t all been in magic.

Several small forest creatures scampered over their hiding place, trying to get away from this strangeness that had invaded their once peaceful homes. Noah had no time to worry that, in their haste, they might uncover his hiding space. Instead, he listened to the memory.

"Focus on the Center of your Being. Pull yourself into there. Don't extend your Reach outside, not even a little. Keep your mind clear. Think of Nothing, and you become Nothing."

Noah wrapped himself around Prith to shield her from the bio-scans… he pulled his reach inward, as far as he could… and thought of Nothing.

"Noah! Noah, wake UP!"

Prith's thoughts were like a pebble being dropped into a still lake. A single ripple radiated outward, advancing across the boy's mind. Tiny bursts of activity followed in its wake. Time began to have meaning for him again.

"NOAH!"

The boy jumped with a start. He took a deep inhale of breath and his heart was racing.

"Wha--" Noah said out loud.

"Are you all right?" Prith asked. "You're heart stopped beating, I thought maybe--I've been trying to wake you for over an hour!"

"An hour? How long was I in trance?"

"I'm not sure. I wasn't keeping track while the Oglith were scanning. But they're gone now, and it's after dark."

"What!"

Noah dug himself out from under the leaves and looked up at the stars. He was glad now that Johna made him stay up nights and learn the local stars from the Keeper of Preaport. He could make out the constellation of the Dolphin through a break in the trees overhead. That meant the sun had set two hours ago.

"I've never been under this long before, Prith. I must have pulled myself completely into the Center. Johna said I'd be able to do that one day."

"You were so pulled in I doubt if Skeen's men could have seen you if they were standing right in front of you."

"They would have known, Prith. They would have looked for what wasn't there."

Noah needed time to let himself wake up fully before they continued to the well. He took Prith out of his jacket hiding spot and set her on his lap. The creature was oddly quiet now, and Noah notices she was breathing heavy, like she had been exerting herself. He petted her gently, massaging tense muscles that were in dire need of this attention. With his index finger, he traced down the track of her backbone, right between the two bone-spurs that had formed underneath each shoulder blade. He didn't like those. He wished they were gone and that Prith was as spry as a new-found Ahren. Then they wouldn't be here and Johna would still be alive--not that he blamed Prith for that.

The bone-spurs had started forming even before Noah had taken his apprenticeship with Johna. They were a sign that the mature Ahren was nearing the end of its life. She would go to sleep one day, and never wake up. The spurs were completely grown and hardened. Prith didn't have that much time left. Any use of her power would only hasten her death. That’s why Johna wouldn’t let her Johna didn’t use her when Skeen invaded the citadel.

"You've been scanning for the Oglith while I was in trance, weren't you?"

Prith didn't answer for a long time. She didn't need to.

"I'm tired, Noah."

"I know. We’re almost there." He remembered the curves of the land in this area from the map Johna had shown him. The well was over the next two hills in the middle of a clearing.

Johna has sensed the well before Skeen invaded the citadel. It was only a half-day's run from Preaport, provided one wasn't avoiding Oglith scout ships trying to get to it. The well was fed by a slow-moving underground river that had, a few feet from the well's opening, cut a small cave into the limestone rock. This would provide a moist, but stable, sandy place for Prith to take her final sleep. Oglith blood-mages couldn't sense through water. She'd be safe there until death finally took her. All Noah had to do was get her there.

"These woods remind me of where I was born," Prith said, a little dreamily. "I wonder if there are any other Ahren here, running wild under the moonlight. Maybe they could have helped Johna."

"How could an untrained Ahren have helped Johna? Skeen slaughters Ahren to increase the power."

And that's why Skeen wanted Prith. Killing an Elioum mage-Ahren, at the end of its life would release a huge amount of power. Power Skeen would turn against the Elioum.

"Small ones, like me, yes." Prith continued.

"Small ones? Prith, you're an adult Ahren." She was starting to slip.

"I know. The only Ahren I have ever seen in this world have been my size. But I seem to remember... some that were... bigger."

"Everything looks bigger when you're a child. I'm sure an adult Ahren looked monstrous to you then."

"Perhaps."

It was a lovely dream, though, Noah thought to himself. Giant Ahren, as tall as castles, rushing into the citadel of Preaport and stomping Skeen and his men to pieces, before they had a chance to kill Johna.

Johna was dead. Somehow, his master was dead. His only comfort from that thought was that Johna was in Hanava now and one day would be renewed. Noah felt his DeathWave not even an hour after he and Prith left the citadel. Johna released all his energy back to the Universe just before Skeen had a chance to kill, denying Skeen the prize of all that power. The wave was so strong he was sure they felt it all the way to the Elioum Council. That talent, unfortunately, was beyond Prith’s abilities.

Noah took a deep drink of water from his canteen, then drained the last of it into the cap to give to Prith.

Good thing the well's close.

It was daybreak by the time they reached the clearing. In the distance, Noah could hear the hum of the Oglith ships, continuing their search pattern. Noah had to double back several times during the night to avoid the scout-ships. He wasn't sure from which direction the sound was coming from. The noise bounced off the hills and seemed to be coming from everywhere.

The well was a welcomed sight, even though it meant saying good-bye to someone else he loved. At least Prith would die in peace. Johna hadn’t had that option. Noah made sure Prith was securely protected from the sun, then headed into the clearing, careful not to step on any of the small animals heading down the hillside for the protection of the trees.

The well was a bunch of large stone encircling an opening in the side of the hill about three feet wide. It was hard to say how long it had been here. Somewhere along the line, someone had tied a Xeoprine rope to one of the rocks attached it to a Xeoprine bucket that would hold about two gallons. Xeoprine didn’t rust or mold. Noah suspected the newer material had replaced the more traditional wood and twine which had rotted away.

"It's a long way down" the Ahren thought ominously.

"I can lower you down in the bucket. Can you swim?"

"I-I think so. Noah, I’m so tired. We don't have a lot of time. Why does the air have to hum so loud?"

"Don’t worry about that. It’s just the doors to Hanava opening for you."

Noah carefully put Prith into the bucket, careful to keep the morning light from touching her. Noah dropped the bucket as quickly as he could while steadying the Ahren’s decent. As the bucket hit the water the world erupted into a violent humming that nearly deafened him. The Oglith scout-ship had cleared the top of the hill. Not one, but several. The hill had blocked the noise of the ships behind it. Noah froze, daring not to move. He pulled himself inward as quickly as he could and prayed they hadn’t seen Prith. They’d come back with earth-disrupters and level the hill till they found they found the cave. His only hope of protecting Prith was to rely on his training.

Nothing.... Nothing.... Noah thought. I am Nothing.

Skeen himself had decided to lead the search for the boy and the precious Golden Ahren. Sometime around mid-morning, he sensed a feeling that was unusual in Oglith held territory. Hope.

"Lt. Ratha, order the scout-ships to gather behind that hill. " He thought which hill he meant directly into Ratha’s mind.

"Order confirmed, Sir," Ratha snapped back.

Once the ships had gathered, Skeen ordered them to rise in unison. As they crested the hill, Skeen was rewarded by the sight of a small boy matching the description the Keeper of Preaport had so willingly provided during his interrogation. The boy was hiding behind an outcropping of rock in the middle of an open field and broadcasting the thought I am Nothing so loudly that any member of the scout-crews with even the slightest talent for sorcery would have no trouble locating him. Skeen laughed.

"Land."

"Order confirmed, Sir."

The boy was smart enough to know the game was over. He stood up from behind the outcropping and locked his fingers behind his head.

"Let’s go greet our little apprentice, shall we?"

Skeen bounded out the door of his command ship and headed towards the boy. Lt. Ratha was right behind him. From the other scout-ships, armed men locked their weapons on the boy while the Oglith sorcerers set up wards against the boy from using magic.

"Well, well, well," Skeen said mockingly. "What are you doing out here all alone?"

The boy said nothing. He just stared back at Skeen with blank eyes.

"I know you, don’t I? From the citidel. You’re name’s Noah… something, isn’t it?"

"Y-Yes, Sir," the boy said.

"Lt. Ratha, what was the name the Keeper of Preaport gave us. The name of Johna’s apprentice."

"Noah… something, I believe, Sir." Ratha replied.

"Yes. I thought so."

"I am Nothing," Noah thought.

"Foolish child! You have to think on the Nothing," Skeen chided, "not the word 'nothing'. Johna hasn't taught you very well--or should I say `hadn’t?`" The words dripped off Skeen's lips as he savored his victory.

"He's just a boy," Lt. Ratha said, deciding to join in on the fun. "What time has he had to learn anything?"

"Yes, he is just a boy," Skeen said. He tightened his grip on Noah's arms. "A small, frightened boy." A frightful smile filled Skeen's face and Noah hit the ground before he realized Skeen had dropped him. Skeen looked up towards the sky and laughed.

"It's over now, Johna. Do you hear me?" he said, shaking his fist. "Up there in Hanava or wherever is was I sent your retched soul? It's over! I won! Ha!" Skeen turned his attention back to Noah. "Hand over the lizard, boy, and I might decide to kill you quickly!"

"Th--th--the what?" Noah stammered.

"Don't play dumb with me, boy. Where's the Golden Ahren you were stealing away with?"

The boy’s face was a mass of fear and confusion. Tears welled up in his eyes and his voice cracked when he talked.

"I-I just came to get some water. From the well?" Noah pointed to the rock outcropping and Skeen noticed the opening in the middle. He looked inside. Smooth, straight sides lead all the way down to the water below.

"Please, Sir," the boy ventured. "We need fresh water. Many of my friends are ill."

Skeen was having none of Noah's little act. He reached into the boy's mind, ready to tear out the secret to where the Ahren was hidden. The boy put up resistance, but he was no match for Skeen’s power. Skeen pushed harder than he needed to teach the boy a lesson. But behind the fear and confusion, Skeen found... nothing.

"Search him!" Skeen ordered. "Search this whole area. I want that Ahren found!"

Two of the Oglith guards approached the boy. The mind scan had left him weak and he didn’t fight them. There weren’t many places on him an Ahren could hide.

"It's not here, Sir." Lt. Ratha finally said. "All we found on the boy was this." He held up Noah's canteen.

"One canteen for a dorm full of children?" Skeen poked at it a couple of times, then knocked it out of the Ratha's hand. "How stupid do you think I am!"

"I-It's all I had, Sir," Noah said.

The search of the surrounding area had also turned up nothing. Skeen turned his attention from the boy and started pacing.

"No...no...no... no!" He emphasized each word by pointing with his index finger. "It has to be here... somewhere close and out of the sun... unless...."

A thought crossed his mind. One he didn't dare believe. "You are frightened, aren't you boy? Johna was always the arrogant type. He never showed his fear. Even when I killed him, he--" Skeen stared at the boy. A look of horror crossed his face. Noah felt Skeen invade his mind again. This time, he put up no resistance. Skeen's fears were confirmed. The boy had no Reach. None whatsoever. There was magical residue on him, but it couldn't have come from him.

"We've been heading in the wrong direction," Skeen said.

"I don’t understand, Sir," Lieutenant said. "The boy--"

"The boy is nothing!" Skeen yelled. "He's not Johna's apprentice, he's a decoy. While we've been following him, Johna's real apprentice has taken the Ahren elsewhere. I should have realized the Keeper would have lied to me. I killed him much too quickly. We have to search this whole area around the citadel now! We have wasted too much time on this one!"

The Oglith guards headed back for the transport.

"What about the boy?" Lt. Ratha asked.

Skeen looked at Noah. His manor was calmer now. It was the kind of calm one should fear more than anger. Noah stared back, hoping he wasn't appearing defiant. All Skeen saw was a frightened little boy.

"Johna's little pawn," he said, more to himself than to anyone else. "He doesn’t have enough magic in him to make him worth killing or training. Just the wards Johna put around him to throw me off track, and those are fading fast." He looked back up to the sky and shook his fist. "You were right after all, Johna. This isn't over! But when I find your apprentice, I will have my revenge." Skeen turned his back on Noah and started walking back to the transport. "Take the insignificant little snot back to citadel," he called over his shoulder. "I'm sure we can find some way to make him useful."

"Yes, Sir."

Deep inside the cave just beyond the well, Prith felt Noah's mind receding, all the while broadcasting "I am Nothing". She had used the last of her energy to guide Noah’s spell around the sorcers’ wards and away from Skeen’s detecting as it wormed its way into his brain. Meanwhile, Noah had retracted his Reach as far as he could while still maintaining consciousness. The ruse had work. It had to be enough to protect Noah until the Elioum could rescue him. Prith had to trust that. Johna had taught the boy well.

She was very tired. Somehow, she managed to crawl up on the shore of her sanctuary and found her way to the soft comfort of sandy ground. The Sleep was coming quickly, now that she wasn't fighting it. She fell into it without resistance. And from somewhere, before the fog completely overtook her, Prith felt the familiar stirrings of a mind far away. It was Johna, welcoming her to Hanava. She felt his presence calm and steady, reverberating like an echo in the darkness.

…And then there was nothing…

-- End --

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