Essence of Chaos Read online

  “I think it’s the least I can do, being as I brought her here. Besides, you know home, they’re more used to me being gone than being around.” Storm interrupted himself with a huge yawn. “If you don’t mind?” He nodded toward the short hall that led to the two non-vortex bedrooms in the cottage.

  Ghortin’s mind was already filled with the spells needed to retrace what had happened to the unfortunate village. “No, not at all. You’ve done more than enough to warrant a good night’s rest.” He waved Storm off, but the exhausted kelar was already gone.

  Ghortin drained the last of his ale, still lost in thought. Things were changing too fast, but he’d told no one how serious he feared it might become. Partially because he was wary to start a panic, and partially because he was loathe to admit his inability to track down the cause. It was as if bits and pieces of the world were going wrong, slowly enough for most people not to notice. And unless he started putting the pieces together quickly, by the time the rest of the world figured things out it would be too late.

  5

  Jenna woke slowly, which, with all things considered, was probably the most normal thing about the entire situation. As she stretched and snuggled under the warm blankets, bits and pieces of the events of the previous two days trickled through her mind. She’d always told her mom she wanted to explore a real unknown culture, something not examined to death by a million anthropologists. Guess Mom was right when she always said to be careful what you wish for. A stab of pain and sorrow went through Jenna as she thought of her family. If the timelines of the two worlds were in sync, then today her parents and older brother would be making her funeral arrangements.

  The images of going back to her former body were vague and terrifying, but it had been clear that there was nothing left of her back there. She shut her eyes and let herself grieve. If she could find a way back, she would. This body was hers now. She’d do no one any good crying about her lost life. That Reilly pragmatism finally rose to the surface. She was here now, and finding a way to survive in this strange world was going to be difficult enough without worrying about what she had lost. She took a deep calming breath and bid her family, friends, and former home a silent good-bye.

  Time to face her new world. She wiped away her tears and really looked around. The room was small, but the warm tan walls and undefined ceiling made it seem cozy instead of cramped. The ceiling matched the strange hall they’d come down, so she was still in the vortex. A simple desk and chair stood next to the cot, but unlike the library furniture, neither of them looked to be animated. At least they didn’t respond when she said hello. All in all, it seemed to fit the bill of student quarters.

  She hadn’t seen anything that looked like a closet on her first visual inspection. Upon standing up, she remembered the elementals that Ghortin had used to call open the library door. Or maybe they were the door, it wasn’t clear.

  “Hello?” It was kind of silly talking to the air, but no more so than trying to talk to the desk or chair. “I’d like a door to my closet, or wherever the clothes will go.” An open door against the far wall led to a bathroom, but a bath wouldn’t be good if she had to put these filthy clothes back on. Hopefully a former student left a robe or something.

  A faint collection of lines formed on the wall near her. As she approached, the outline of a small door came into focus. She gently pushed it to one side.

  “Uh, thank you.” She wasn’t sure if it was appropriate to thank an elemental, but she figured she’d thank everything until she knew which things understood her. She couldn’t be sure, but it seemed that the door’s outline briefly glowed brighter.

  Either the former student had been exactly her size, or Ghortin knew how to use his magic to size clothing just from looking at someone. The small closet was filled with clothes similar to what Storm wore, but in her size. A collection of new undergarments were in a small chest inside the closet. It took her a moment to figure out this world’s version of a bra, but after a few twists she thought she could make it work. She took out dark gray leggings, a loose blue tunic, and soft black boots that hit mid-calf. She’d bathed and finished dressing when Storm knocked at her door.

  “All ready for your first day in Ghortin’s house of wonders?” Storm was clearly one of those wicked souls who was not only used to being awake at the crack of dawn, but was cheerful about it. He also managed to look even better than he had yesterday. His long hair was combed back, and, while still rustic, his deep blue shirt made his eyes more dramatic than they already were. “How does everything fit? I told Ghortin he should wait for you to wake before trying to do the sizing.”

  “They’re not too far off,” she said, still fiddling with the belt. She finally figured out how to wrap it without a buckle. “Not as far off as my stomach is right now. Do apprentices get fed in this deal?”

  “Definitely. As Ghortin would say, you’re of no use if you keel over.” He led the way out the door. “I took the liberty of coming to get you this morning. Getting in and out of this warren Ghortin’s created can be a bit difficult, even once you know it. But you should probably learn it quickly. No doubt Ghortin will let you fend for yourself when he gets back.”

  “Where did he go? Is it something to do with me?” She wasn’t exactly certain of all that had happened last night. So much of it seemed like a dream. Most of it she wished was a dream.

  “Actually, he’s off running some mage errands. There was an emergency in a village a few days from here,” Storm said. “I don’t keep up on magic issues.”

  Was that bitterness Jenna detected? She couldn’t be sure. Storm was smiling as he spoke, but there was a brief tightening around his mouth. She had been planning to ask him some of her questions concerning magic in this world, but maybe it would be better if she saved them for Ghortin.

  They only took one wrong turn on their trip out, as Storm hit a dead end that whirled gently before them. Cursing softly to himself, he backtracked and finally got them out of the vortex and into the cottage proper.

  Jenna smiled as she smelled what could only be this world’s equivalent of bacon and eggs. She wasn’t sure if she would recognize the animals they came from, but at this point she didn’t care.

  They walked through the parlor portion of the cottage, then into a small kitchen and waiting breakfast table.

  “I can’t believe how hungry I am.” Jenna held herself back from running to the waiting food. But it was almost impossible.

  “Ghortin is often hungry after over-using his magic.” Storm motioned for her to sit at the small table. “After all that went on yesterday, I had a feeling you might be in a similar state.”

  She flashed him what she hoped looked like a grateful smile, then attacked her food. Maybe that was it—the whole magic thing was making her eat like a mad woman. She hoped so; she doubted this place had a weight loss program. Once she’d taken the edge off, she looked up to find Storm looking at her with what could only be admiration. Although her mouth was full, she managed to convey her question with a tilt of her head.

  “Forgive me for staring. It’s simply nice to see someone who will actually eat their food instead of daintily playing with it.”

  Jenna swallowed and shrugged. “I’m afraid I’ve never been one for false social modesties. I suppose I’ll have trouble fitting in here.” Although she figured that was probably the least of her worries.

  “I don’t think so,” he said quickly. “Really it’s only a small portion of the population that subscribe to them. For the most part Traanafaeren is full of honest people.”

  She couldn’t help but pick up what he thought of the others. She decided to sidestep it for the moment.

  “How big is Trana…how do you say it again?” The long middle was throwing her off.

  “Trah-ah-n-ah-fair-ren,” he said the name slowly. “Our kingdom is not quite as big as Khelaran, but larger than—” He caught her look and shrugged. “Sorry, you wouldn’t know how big those are either. It takes forty days
to ride from Lithunane to Irundail.” He shrugged again. “They’re the two major cities and they lie near opposite ends of the land. Widow’s Rock is at the actual end, and it’s a full day’s ride past Lithunane.”

  Jenna nodded. Of course she had no idea of how many miles one could go a day on horseback. And somehow she didn’t think he would be able to convert days to miles for her.

  “I can’t show you the entire land, but there is a vantage point in the forest that gives you a good sense of this area,” Storm said. “I can take you when you’re finished.”

  Jenna finally pushed away her plate. “We can go now if you’d like. I’m afraid I’m stuffed.”

  “Ah, then I have succeeded in my first task.” He produced an elaborate bow. “Mayhap Master Ghortin will let me stay.”

  “I thought you lived here. Ghortin doesn’t live out here all alone, does he?”

  Storm turned as they went through the living room. “Alas, no, I don’t live here regularly. I live in Lithunane, near my family. I’ve been trying to break free, but they won’t have it.”

  He smiled when the sun hit his face as they got outside, and Jenna was struck again at how almost beautiful he was. Being stuck in a strange world with a stunningly good-looking man had to count for something. The day was warm and sunny with a hint of the coming autumn in the air. He motioned to the trees beyond the cottage’s grove as they walked toward them. “Ghortin’s forest is unique, to say the least. I’d wager there are some things living here that even he doesn’t know about. He made quite a mess here when he set up that vortex. All sorts of things started coming out of it.”

  “What kinds of things?” Jenna froze. Had the fanged creatures from her waking nightmares come from this forest?

  “Nothing dangerous, at least not anymore.” He flashed her a soothing, if still alien, smile. “Huntsmen from leagues around came to prove themselves in his fabulous forest of dangers. Within a dozen years or so they’d killed or chased off all of the worst creatures.”

  They walked across the small clearing that surrounded Ghortin’s cottage and into the forest. The double band of white barked trees were more striking than before. They also seemed to be a dividing line between the dark woods and the mage’s cheery clearing. She said so to Storm.

  “Good eye.” He nodded. “They’re more than just a dividing line though. Those trees were originally planted as a barrier against the local inhabitants of the forest after Ghortin’s little creation. They’re called Bakkera and they’re rare. They act as magic reflectors and are almost impossible to break once they’ve been planted and set.” He looked up at the closest silver-lavender leafed beauty as they walked beneath it. “Ghortin had a feeling that he might need them when he settled here. He doesn’t sense them the way kelars do, but these trees have great souls.”

  Jenna inspected one leaf carefully. It was long and slender with a shiny lavender-tinged underside. But she’d have to take his word for the soul part. “So, where are we going now?”

  “Not far.” He paused, deciding between two pine needle-strewn trails. “The path to the vantage point has a few routes to get there, but I’ll stick with the fastest.”

  They carefully pushed past a small clump of brush. The trail was wider here, but she was certain she wouldn’t have seen it without Storm’s help. This part of the forest seemed to have more old growth trees and was darker than where they’d entered.

  “Just how messed up did things get around here when Ghortin created that tunnel thing?” Now that she’d let the thought creep in, the shadows had taken on a dangerous glint.

  “From what I hear things were pretty bad,” he said. “Not that Ghortin will admit to much these days. But the tales are still passed down of the tortured souls who tried to pass through this forest in those earliest days, and what they became. Many say they didn’t die, but became part of the forest itself.”

  “He was letting those hunters kill people?”

  Storm laughed. “No, even Ghortin wouldn’t go that far.” He turned back and shook his head. “Don’t worry; they’re only stories, exaggerated for effect. Besides, it all happened long ago. Any truth to those tales has long since died of old age. Come on, I think we should see the—”

  He froze, staring deep into the forest. His stop was so sudden that Jenna bumped into his back. She tried seeing where he was looking, but she couldn’t make out anything but more trees.

  “What is it?” She lightly shook his arm. “Are you doing this to scare me? Because if you are—”

  He turned and put one long finger over her mouth. “Listen,” he whispered, still intently scanning the forest.

  She strained to hear, but had no idea what she was listening for. “For what? I don’t hear anything.” She lowered her voice.

  “That’s what I mean.” He studied the trees around them carefully. “No birds. There should be something. Anything.”

  “Maybe it’s because of us?” It sounded feeble, even to her. A forest this size should be humming with animal and bird life. And up until a few seconds ago, it had been.

  Storm studied her for a moment to make sure she wasn’t going to panic. When it looked like she was calm, he nodded and led them both down a smaller side trail. Whatever was out here, it seemed to have moved to the right of them, blocking the path to the vantage point. Clearly, more than one animal or person was out there, and something was also behind them. They’d have to go further into the forest, and then go around it before they could go back to the cottage. Storm wasn’t going to risk Jenna if it turned out to be something big. The hunting knife he carried wouldn’t do much good against anything large. A year ago he would have shrugged it off as a bear or some other large animal out roaming. Too many strange things had been happening for him to shrug off anything at this point. Up to and including the slender woman following him.

  Jenna stayed silent once she realized something was wrong. He was grateful that she followed his lead and didn’t ask any more questions, nor break out in hysterics. He did notice she kept closer to him than she had before, however.

  The forest stayed silent as they slowly tread their way toward a small series of caves. They weren’t deep, nor far from the cottage, but they had some unique formations in them.

  They were also easy to block from the inside if need be. Many an ancient hunter had saved his skin, if not his pride, by hiding in the Stone Angel caves. If they couldn’t get around whatever was menacing the forest, Storm wanted someplace safe to hole up in. He briefly chanced a thought about Ghortin’s earlier direction; the mage would have gone out the other side of the forest, but who could tell how far this danger stretched?

  Jenna sneezed, frantically covering her mouth after the fact. She shrugged in silent apology to Storm, but he couldn’t blame her for the sneeze. The strange smoky odor drifting toward them wasn’t like anything he’d smelled before; but he’d heard of creatures who emitted that smell. It smelled like rusting armor left under a pile of refuse.

  They reached the small cave entrance without problem. After that odor, Storm decided to wait this out. If his suspicions were right, they wouldn’t make it back to the cottage.

  He nodded for her to go in first, then rolled a nearby boulder to the cave mouth. There were more heavy rocks inside that he added to the entrance. As soon as the cave entrance was blocked, a glow rose from the damp walls.

  “Is it supposed to do that?” Jenna whispered, tugging on the back of his tunic.

  “Well, if it didn’t, it’d be pretty dark in here.” He wiped the dirt from his hands on his leggings as he turned to her and the rest of the cave. “I might be able to see, but I know you wouldn’t.” He motioned toward the back of the cave. “Might as well make ourselves comfortable.” He looked back at the boulders blocking the entrance. “We might be here a while.”

  “What was following us? How long is a while?” She managed to blurt the two questions out so fast that they sounded like they came out at the same time.

  “K
eep asking questions like that and you might manage to keep old Ghortin busy.” He led them to the back of the cave. It was larger than it looked at first, and an odd rock formation hid this back section from view of the entrance. A small wooden table, a pile of sturdy blankets, and some rushes lay in a corner.

  “What’s this, the family hovel?”

  Storm held up both hands. “Let someone answer the first dozen questions before you hit him with the next.” He sat down against the unnaturally smooth wall, stretching his legs out in front of him.

  “First, I’m not sure exactly what was out there.” Jenna grunted at that, but said nothing. He wasn’t completely sure what it was, and he certainly didn’t want to explain that to her. Whatever was out there were predators, which was enough for now.

  Storm continued. “This place could hold us for a few days if need be.” He pointed behind her to a crevice running down the wall where a small but steady stream of water trickled.

  “How can that be natural? For that matter, the placement of that glowing stuff is a bit too peculiar to be natural as well.”

  “Adding more questions again,” he said. At least the questions would distract her from wanting to see what was outside. He admired her ability to be curious instead of terrified. “No, this isn’t natural any more than it’s my family hovel. The cave system itself is natural, but there have been modifications built in by Ghortin. He decided he wanted a place to hide out from some of his creations in the early years.” He was going to add more when a loud crash sounded against the boulders.