Magic of Lowor
from
Finding Magic
By F.I. Goldhaber
The moon was almost half full and Ilyana couldn't see anyone about as she crept around to the far side of the tower. Only when the tall white structure stood between her and the wizards' homes did she uncover her lamp. The moon ducked behind a cloud and an owl hooted in the forest behind her causing Ilyana to jump. Calming herself, she knelt in the dirt next to the tower wall and began to search. All the stones looked alike and she couldn't determine which two she had seen in her mind, hiding the ring. With her fingers and her eyes she searched in vain.
She heard the footsteps of the guards as the watch changed and she pressed against the stones, trembling. When the sounds ceased, Ilyana discovered she had been holding her breath and tried to avoid gasping as she pulled air into her lungs. Ilyana lifted the lamp closer to the tower, but still couldn't find the ring. In the forest she heard the rustling of creatures scurrying through the night. A yelp of pain was followed by the triumphant snarl of a wild cat that had captured its prey. Would a hungry cat venture out of the forest to attack a small woman?
The sun would be rising soon and she was beginning to despair. Ilyana decided she was using the wrong senses to seek the ruby. She pictured the ring in her mind, reaching out with her second sight. Her hand wandered of its own accord along the stones, and her fingers probed below the ground in front of the tower. Dirt jammed under her nails and the stones scraped her knuckles, but she felt a bit of metal against one finger. The ring, nestled in a hidden cavity, was buried in the ground.
The dim light of dawn was beginning to creep along the horizon. Ilyana extricated the ring and slipped it, still covered in soil, into the purse on her belt. Rising, she brushed the dirt from her hands and her robe. She extinguished the lamp and walked into the trees. Digging a pit in the dew-dampened pine needles, she buried the lamp and the mug in the roots of a large spruce. Then she made her way around to the privy, hoping if anyone saw her they would assume she had just risen early for once.
Caught up in the morn's activities, Ilyana had no opportunity to examine her treasure. Too elated to eat, she found her hand kept patting the outside of her purse for assurance the ring was still inside. Did she sense a tingle of Power when she did so, or was it just her own excitement? The night's exertions began to take their toll. Ilyana almost fell asleep during Wizard Teester's lessons and had to endure both the Wizard's scolding and the jeering of her fellow apprentices. By supper, knots in her stomach kept Ilyana from eating whatever she ladled into her bowl. Knowing she would regret missing another meal later, she slipped the bread ration into her sleeve and headed for the stairs as soon as she could do so without drawing attention.
Standing in the darkness of the tiny cell, Ilyana leaned against the door. What if she had found just a rock on a ring someone had lost long ago? Even if she could draw Power through this stone -- would the wizards be able to sense her use of the Magic and take the ring from her?
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