Part 23 (1/2)
Lute, however, was unworried on this point
”Have I not said that I have the way of it from ift of the Goddess? I auide you But it is you who must actually perform the task, or the spell will have no power”
”I will-put these things in that bag?” Veverain asked ”That is all?”
”Not quite all Each itee The best technique is to pick up a single iteht-the connection between Rowan and the object In this manner, the spell will build, piece by piece, each piece interlocked with and informed by the others”
Which was as apt a description of spell structure as she had ever heard, thought Moonhawk But Veverain had no glis of talent she soht from Lute were not nearly sufficient to build and bind the spell he described
Even if such a spell were possible
At the table, Veverain glanced down a her choices, and put forth a hand Moonhawk leaned forward, witch-sense questing, shi+vering as she encountered the raging gray torrent of Veverain's grief
Veverain's hand descended, taking up the bright lock of hair
”This is Rowan's hair,” she said tentatively, and Moonhawk felt-soainst her witch-sense ”When we had kept household less than a year, he was chosen by the Master of the Vine to work a season at Veyru, in exchange of which we received a vineation and petitioned my permission for Rowan-as if I would have denied hiether so short a time, and Veyru is no snize him when he returned In answer, he cut off this curl and told me that I should always know him, by the flame that lived in his hair”
Carefully, she put the lock into the s still as a statue of hireen rock
”When Rowan left home for that season in Veyru he bore with him this stone from our land, so that,wherever he was, he would always be ho and there was definitely so now
Moonhawk could see two thick lines of fla just above Veverain's head She held her breath, staring, and Veverain picked up the scrap of paper
”The winter after Rowan returned from Veyru was a bitter one We spent the days in the , a book between us, while I taught him his letters He learned to read-and write!-quickly, nor, once he had the skills, did he rest He read every book in the village, and ca to tell me that he had determined to write a book on the lore of the vine, so that the young vinemen would have a constant teacher and the old a check to their memories He wrote that book, and others, and kept his journals More, he passed his skills to other ht their sons, so Karn need not forget the cure for a vine blight encountered inthe scrap
”This paper bears his signature-the very first tily, the scrap of paper went into the bag and Moonhawk very nearly gasped The third interlock was a bar of fla a pure, luminous white
Carefully, Veverain picked up the scrap of wood
”This is a piece frorapes, the wine”
A fourth bar of fire joined the first three, blazing Stretching her Witch-sense, Moonhawk found the other wo, like heavy fog, in the brightness of the spell she built
For the last time, Veverain reached to the table, and picked up the scarred silver band
”This is Rowan's pro,” she said, so quietly Moonhawk had to strain to hear ”He wore it every day for twenty-five years If anything on this earth will remember Rowan, this will”
The fifth bar of fire was so bright, Moonhawk's Witch-sense shi+ed fro was built, and a powerful spell it was, too But it wanted binding and it wanted binding now, before the heat of it caught the tiht hand rose, the fingers flickered, and there between finger and thu he had broken from the herb bundle
”Rosemary, Queen of Memory,” he intoned, sole in the bag Reaching out, he took up the rawhide cord on which Veverain had worn Rowan's ring, and began to tie the spell-bag shut
”In love, memory; in life, love” His handstwo elaborate knots, and half of a third Sternly, he looked at the wo is sealed with the third knot, the spell is , the final knot incoht, above the woman's head
Veverain took the cord in her two hands, and with infinite care made the final knot coet,” she said, and pulled the cord tightAbove her head, invisible to all but the staring Witch, the fla behind, for those who could hear such things, the definitive snap of a spell sturdy-built and bound
”Stand,” Lute said, doing so hi on its rawhide cord about her neck ”Wear it And never forget”
Froht-footed on the table Tween the cat buainst the housemother's arm, tail held joyously aloft Veverain sician asked his apprentice as they walked toward the high village in the ed with broo open to receive the day
”You know I haven't!” his apprentice retorted, hotly ”If you must know, Master Lute, I don't think you ever made that counter disappear in the first place-youyou had done so!”
”Ah, very good!” Lute said unexpectedly ”You have learned a basic truth of our trade: Peopleof what had gone forth last night ”Master Lute, the spell you ht for Veverain”
”An illustrative case,” he said, refusing to meet her eyes
”No,” she said, and put a hand on his ar hih she did not compel him do so-indeed, she was not certain that she could coh she was
The black eyes were on hers
”I wanted you to know-the spell you ; I saw its binding”
She took a breath ”It ell done, Master Lute”
”So” He sighed, then shrugged ”But that does not change the original preic, just as many see only what they wish to see Now, about the disappearing counter” He flipped his cloak behind his shoulders and showed her his hands
”If you wish to make counters appear and disappear, you would do well to supply yourself with several of the same color and hide thereen counters behind rand style, and there they were-four green counters held between the fingers of his left hand
”Your belt!” protested Moonhawk ”You never-”
”I also,” Lute interrupted, irand flourish and there were four ht hand
”Master Lute-”
”And when you are done with the to put theoneMoonhawk drew a deep breath
”Of course,” said Lute, ”it is often wise to keep a counter or two elsewhere than upon one's person
Like the one I store behind your ear”