Ulorna
The king’s smile faded.
“I am sorry to say the Mages keep their thoughts their own. It is likely though that the wish to have a tale of event from you, and learn what magic you used.” The healer had said much the same to her, so Ulorna hoped it might be true. But in her chest a nasty feeling grew, one she hoped to conquer when meeting the king, but now it seemed not so. She would conquer this when she met the Mage Council.
She did not wait long to be summoned, as during the return to her room, a man dressed in black wearing a blue robe fetched her away from the guard who escorted her. The blue robe fetched her into a courtyard, where a horse less carriage awaited them. He helped Ulorna into the carriage, and then she fell blind.
“A precaution,” said the blue robe. They rode for a time, and when Ulorna’s sight returned, they were before a great structure made of crystal spiraling up into the clouds. The clouds were thin, though allowing her to see a castle, perched in the clouds. The mage in blue robes gripped her arm and walked toward the great spiral, pressing his hand against it. A moment later, they were in front of the great castle, walking on a rocky structure that remained unseen to Ulorna’s eyes. “Come, and do not dawdle; the Mage Council awaits you.”
She said nothing, but followed him into the castle. The corridors here twisted and turned at a greater rate than King Aldin’s castle, and though Ulorna tried, she felt she would never remember the way back out. For the second time in a day, Ulorna stopped in front of a set of great doors, while the man in blue robes knocked thrice.
“ENTER!” At the great command the door swung open and the blue robe strode it, followed by Ulorna whose stride came more slowly and filled with caution. The room was round, and filled with a round desk, which sat twenty or thirty men and women, all wearing black, but with different colored robes. They muttered to themselves on Ulorna’s dress and her resemblance to Bohs, but the man who sat directly in front of Ulorna, wearing a robe of many colors spoke loudly,
“Ulorna of the clan Ghent, daughter of Bohs, you were the only one left to see the death of Bohs of the clan of Ghent and Magvim of the clan Hofio. As such, the Mage Council has reached the conclusion that you were responsible in some manor for these deaths, and caused other magics at the scene of this battle. How do you say to this?”
“I say I saw Magvim Hofio kill my father, Bohs Ghent,” Ulorna replied. “In my anger, though I know not how, I summoned predators from the wood and air. And in my anger, I launched myself at Magvin Hofio and killed him.” The council began to roar with protests and claims, but Ulorna slipped the medallion from around her neck and held it up. “Master Hofio gave me a charge with his dying words. He commanded me to give you this, and to tell you that he forgives me. He asked that I teach his son, when he is found, the ways of a mage, and to mend our family lines.”
The council went silent.
“She speaks the truth,” whispered a mage in yellow.
“And Bohs of clan Ghent?” asked a mage in purple. “What were his last words?” Ulorna, though it pained her to unstick her tongue from its cave, related the story of her conception, finishing with,
“I am not a wandering mage. My destiny is different, and I have been blessed.”
“And it was your father who said these things to you?” asked the mage in the robe of many colors. Ulorna nodded. “And by whom have you been blessed, child?”
“In the north, it is called the Hunter,” Ulorna replied. “I know not if it is a god or a spirit who gave me such a blessing. It was not for me I asked.”
“It was because of this you were blessed, no doubt,” said the mage of many colors. “Master Relivian, will you take this woman into the ranks of the warrior mages.”
“I will,” said a man, dressed in black robe, armor decorating him underneath. He threw something at her, and Ulorna caught it, feeling the weight of the knife belt catch her shoulder as she did. “Even with the beasts of the earth and air, if you killed twenty-five battalion soldiers and a fully trained mage, you will be accepted into the service of the warrior mages.”
“And my weapons?” she inquired. “What has become of them?”
“Safe in my care,” Master Relivian replied. A woman in grey cleared her throat, and all eyes went to her.
“Shall we vote to accept this candidate into the Mage Academy for Magic and Learning?” The mage of many colors nodded to her, so she inquired, “All in favor?” A rainbow of arms shot into the air, though some straggled behind. “All against.” Not one hand raised. “Then welcome, Ulorna of the clan of Ghent to the Mage Academy.”
The heaviness on her heart, which she now realized she had carried from the mountains of the north, released itself. She belonged, here with these mages and with the king and queen and Frey. She was Ulorna Ghent, daughter of Bohs, soon to be a mage and a warrior. She had a place in the world to call her own. It made her warm, somewhere deeper than her heart.
Though, since she was an official student of the Academy now, she had a hard time convincing the council that there was one last matter of business for her to attend back at King Aldin’s palace. But, since many of the students were away for the time of year, she would be expected back after the Harvest, when many would return.
The blue robed mage, introduced as Master Gelen, a senior travel mage, escorted her back to the palace, this time without the need to blind her. In the courtyard when they returned was a sable hand sweeping the dust off of the cobble stones.
“Can you tell me where the she-wolf lays with her wolf cubs?” she asked.
“Round in another courtyard, before the throne room, so that all see her as she enters.”
“Thank you,” she replied and he bowed.
It took a greater deal of walking than she thought, and more directions, but Ulorna found the she-wolf, and the cubs, who were playing in the sun as their mother basked in the shade.
“I am not their mother, huntress, but a foster,” the wolf told her. “Their mother died when you used a gift you knew not how to control.” Ulorna knelt, pulling up her skirts so that her bare knees touched the earth, and threaded her fingers through the wolf’s fur.
“Yes, I am sorry. I did not know what I was doing, or even that I was calling any of you.” The she-wolf laughed.
“No doubt you will discover the Great Hunter’s gifts in time. These cubs bear his gifts as well, just as you and I do. It is why they grow so quickly, no doubt they will be trouble as they grow under your charge,” the she-wolf told her.
“My charge?” Ulorna inquired.
“You are the reason their mother is dead. Take some responsibility.” Ulorna nodded and scratched behind the she-wolf’s ears.
“Very well then. Can you tell me what else the Great Hunter might have planned for me?” she asked.
“Oh no, only he can tell you that.” The she-wolf cackled again before she rose. “They are yours now. And worry not; you shall be able to feed them meat. In fact, it is all they shall long for.” The wolf sprinted away the cubs running after her for only a moment before they returned to Ulorna nipping at her expectantly.
“A life I shall not easily escape,” Ulorna quoted. “A destiny different from my forefather’s. Yes, I have a feeling I will be trouble to this kingdom.”
“Trouble?” asked one of the wolf cubs.
“Yes,” Ulorna replied. “Come along, children, it is time for us to walk a new path.” The cubs yipped and followed her into the palace.
“I am sorry to say the Mages keep their thoughts their own. It is likely though that the wish to have a tale of event from you, and learn what magic you used.” The healer had said much the same to her, so Ulorna hoped it might be true. But in her chest a nasty feeling grew, one she hoped to conquer when meeting the king, but now it seemed not so. She would conquer this when she met the Mage Council.
She did not wait long to be summoned, as during the return to her room, a man dressed in black wearing a blue robe fetched her away from the guard who escorted her. The blue robe fetched her into a courtyard, where a horse less carriage awaited them. He helped Ulorna into the carriage, and then she fell blind.
“A precaution,” said the blue robe. They rode for a time, and when Ulorna’s sight returned, they were before a great structure made of crystal spiraling up into the clouds. The clouds were thin, though allowing her to see a castle, perched in the clouds. The mage in blue robes gripped her arm and walked toward the great spiral, pressing his hand against it. A moment later, they were in front of the great castle, walking on a rocky structure that remained unseen to Ulorna’s eyes. “Come, and do not dawdle; the Mage Council awaits you.”
She said nothing, but followed him into the castle. The corridors here twisted and turned at a greater rate than King Aldin’s castle, and though Ulorna tried, she felt she would never remember the way back out. For the second time in a day, Ulorna stopped in front of a set of great doors, while the man in blue robes knocked thrice.
“ENTER!” At the great command the door swung open and the blue robe strode it, followed by Ulorna whose stride came more slowly and filled with caution. The room was round, and filled with a round desk, which sat twenty or thirty men and women, all wearing black, but with different colored robes. They muttered to themselves on Ulorna’s dress and her resemblance to Bohs, but the man who sat directly in front of Ulorna, wearing a robe of many colors spoke loudly,
“Ulorna of the clan Ghent, daughter of Bohs, you were the only one left to see the death of Bohs of the clan of Ghent and Magvim of the clan Hofio. As such, the Mage Council has reached the conclusion that you were responsible in some manor for these deaths, and caused other magics at the scene of this battle. How do you say to this?”
“I say I saw Magvim Hofio kill my father, Bohs Ghent,” Ulorna replied. “In my anger, though I know not how, I summoned predators from the wood and air. And in my anger, I launched myself at Magvin Hofio and killed him.” The council began to roar with protests and claims, but Ulorna slipped the medallion from around her neck and held it up. “Master Hofio gave me a charge with his dying words. He commanded me to give you this, and to tell you that he forgives me. He asked that I teach his son, when he is found, the ways of a mage, and to mend our family lines.”
The council went silent.
“She speaks the truth,” whispered a mage in yellow.
“And Bohs of clan Ghent?” asked a mage in purple. “What were his last words?” Ulorna, though it pained her to unstick her tongue from its cave, related the story of her conception, finishing with,
“I am not a wandering mage. My destiny is different, and I have been blessed.”
“And it was your father who said these things to you?” asked the mage in the robe of many colors. Ulorna nodded. “And by whom have you been blessed, child?”
“In the north, it is called the Hunter,” Ulorna replied. “I know not if it is a god or a spirit who gave me such a blessing. It was not for me I asked.”
“It was because of this you were blessed, no doubt,” said the mage of many colors. “Master Relivian, will you take this woman into the ranks of the warrior mages.”
“I will,” said a man, dressed in black robe, armor decorating him underneath. He threw something at her, and Ulorna caught it, feeling the weight of the knife belt catch her shoulder as she did. “Even with the beasts of the earth and air, if you killed twenty-five battalion soldiers and a fully trained mage, you will be accepted into the service of the warrior mages.”
“And my weapons?” she inquired. “What has become of them?”
“Safe in my care,” Master Relivian replied. A woman in grey cleared her throat, and all eyes went to her.
“Shall we vote to accept this candidate into the Mage Academy for Magic and Learning?” The mage of many colors nodded to her, so she inquired, “All in favor?” A rainbow of arms shot into the air, though some straggled behind. “All against.” Not one hand raised. “Then welcome, Ulorna of the clan of Ghent to the Mage Academy.”
The heaviness on her heart, which she now realized she had carried from the mountains of the north, released itself. She belonged, here with these mages and with the king and queen and Frey. She was Ulorna Ghent, daughter of Bohs, soon to be a mage and a warrior. She had a place in the world to call her own. It made her warm, somewhere deeper than her heart.
Though, since she was an official student of the Academy now, she had a hard time convincing the council that there was one last matter of business for her to attend back at King Aldin’s palace. But, since many of the students were away for the time of year, she would be expected back after the Harvest, when many would return.
The blue robed mage, introduced as Master Gelen, a senior travel mage, escorted her back to the palace, this time without the need to blind her. In the courtyard when they returned was a sable hand sweeping the dust off of the cobble stones.
“Can you tell me where the she-wolf lays with her wolf cubs?” she asked.
“Round in another courtyard, before the throne room, so that all see her as she enters.”
“Thank you,” she replied and he bowed.
It took a greater deal of walking than she thought, and more directions, but Ulorna found the she-wolf, and the cubs, who were playing in the sun as their mother basked in the shade.
“I am not their mother, huntress, but a foster,” the wolf told her. “Their mother died when you used a gift you knew not how to control.” Ulorna knelt, pulling up her skirts so that her bare knees touched the earth, and threaded her fingers through the wolf’s fur.
“Yes, I am sorry. I did not know what I was doing, or even that I was calling any of you.” The she-wolf laughed.
“No doubt you will discover the Great Hunter’s gifts in time. These cubs bear his gifts as well, just as you and I do. It is why they grow so quickly, no doubt they will be trouble as they grow under your charge,” the she-wolf told her.
“My charge?” Ulorna inquired.
“You are the reason their mother is dead. Take some responsibility.” Ulorna nodded and scratched behind the she-wolf’s ears.
“Very well then. Can you tell me what else the Great Hunter might have planned for me?” she asked.
“Oh no, only he can tell you that.” The she-wolf cackled again before she rose. “They are yours now. And worry not; you shall be able to feed them meat. In fact, it is all they shall long for.” The wolf sprinted away the cubs running after her for only a moment before they returned to Ulorna nipping at her expectantly.
“A life I shall not easily escape,” Ulorna quoted. “A destiny different from my forefather’s. Yes, I have a feeling I will be trouble to this kingdom.”
“Trouble?” asked one of the wolf cubs.
“Yes,” Ulorna replied. “Come along, children, it is time for us to walk a new path.” The cubs yipped and followed her into the palace.