To Cast the First Spell Read online

  So much for diversions, the drummer always had a way of finding his way back to an old trail. “Yes. What about it?” Daniel replied, doing his best to keep his tone neutral.

  “Some people think an Aakacarn cast a spell,” Tim replied, and then added, “What do you mean, what about it? This is the biggest thing that’s happened around here since Darby Jack killed old Long Tooth with a single arrow after being bitten by a slitherhead!”

  Daniel sighed. People already suspected the worst and no doubt it was Orin Netless who sparked the notion and fueled the fire. The man seemed to get pleasure out of frightening folks, especially children, with his gruesome stories of the ancient Accomplisheds. Daniel was tempted to turn around and go home, but decided another change in subject would be better. “Last one to the inn is a hound pup,” he said, and then broke into a sprint.

  Tim lost only a moment before accepting the challenge and breaking into an all out run for it. He rarely refused a challenge.

  The exertion served to drive away the negative thoughts and leave all of Daniel’s worries in the dust. He maintained the lead down the trail, although he could hear Tim close behind. A large building came into sight, five floors high and about a hundred strides wide. The inn occupied the center of the village. Henri’s establishment was by far the largest building in Bashierwood and certainly was the largest Daniel had ever seen. He ran up the dirt road, past Chad Grening’s stable, and onto the long porch of the Polkat. He opened the door and glanced back, “Hound pup,” he said, and then went inside.

  Tim stuck his thumbs in his ears and waggled his fingers. “Only for today, you’ll be scratching fleas tomorrow.”

  Daniel laughed until coming face to face with Henri at the kitchen door. The innkeeper stood tapping his foot on the hard wood floor and wearing clean buckskins along with a scowl, which seemed to be an accessory to whatever he chose to put on.

  “There isn’t any time for fooling around. Daniel, I want to see my face in those tables,” not that it was a pretty sight to behold, better to see Val. “Tim, start on the floors, I don’t want to see a single scuff mark. There had better be a sheen coming off the tables and floors when I look in here again,” Henri said, and then went into the kitchen. He never seemed to give anyone a cheerful greeting, unless they happen to be a paying customer. The aroma of bacon, sausage, eggs, and all sorts of breakfast foods drifted into the hall and made Daniel’s mouth water.

  He glanced at Tim and grabbed a cloth and a container of polish. “You heard the man, let’s work.”

  The tables shined up nicely and the fact that no one had come in for breakfast made the job even easier, most folks in the village ate at home. The inn currently had only one guest, a man from Bolen on his way to Lamont. Both of the towns were small, yet huge in comparison to Bashierwood. The Ecoppian harper did not count as a guest, although he too was passing on his way to who knew where, he never said. Daniel glanced at the walls and decided the wood paneling could use a polishing and the baseboards as well.

  He wondered what would happen if the villagers found out who cast the spell. The notion was not pleasant to contemplate and served no good purpose. He did not feel any different; meaning the change in him was not physical in any way. Otherwise, Tim would have made some remark. The drummer had sharp eyes and few details got past him. Daniel could not fight off the negativity or the sense of foreboding tugging at the back of his mind.

  Val and Gina entered and sat down at table four. Daniel wondered if the beautiful sisters would change from buckskins to dresses. He knew Val certainly preferred to remain as she was and he did not particularly want her to change, she looked good to him in whatever she chose to wear. Besides, buckskins were better for working in and he did not picture her sitting at home waiting for him to bring food. She was more likely to go hunting with him. She wore a straw hat exactly like his, made of flat blond strands of grass weaved out to a broad rim. Tim’s hat had loose strands sticking out every which way from the rim.

  There was no mistaking the silent invitation in Val’s eyes. Daniel worked his way over to table four while thinking of the many hours they spent together in the shade of the great pine. Her kisses left a lasting impression. Gina’s too, although that experience was long ago before he and Val became interested in each other and Gina became interested in Tim. Thoughts of the tree provoked the all too recent memory of what occurred there last night. The good feelings his wife-to-be stirred up were squashed under the weight of what he now knew himself to be, an Aakacarn.

  “Hi Daniel,” Val said, and propped her foot up on the table, like her sister’s. They would definitely leave behind smudges.

  “Hi Val,” Daniel replied, gazing into her large brown eyes and knowing she deserved a more cheerful greeting.

  Val sprang from her chair with the grace and speed of a jaguar, wrapped her arms around him, and pressed her lips against his. She did feel good, soft and warm in all the right places. She sustained the kiss until seemingly satisfied his passion had been ignited, and then pulled away. “That’s better,” she said breathlessly. The igniting evidently went both ways.

  Several moments passed before Daniel realized he was wearing a silly grin. He cleared his throat and went back to work feeling much better. She would probably go into the cabin with him tonight if he asked her to. The notion was tempting but he still feared telling her the truth. If he were never to cast another spell, his being an Aakacarn could remain a secret shared between him and his parents. But no, Val had a right to know who and what she would be marrying.

  The harper entered the dining area while wiping his mouth with a napkin. He had eaten his meal in the kitchen because the hired help were not permitted to eat with the customers, although Val and Gina would not have cared one way or the other. Terroll Barnes, a truly talented musician, sat down and unpacked his harp. He seemed to know every melody and song that was ever written. No one in Bashierwood had succeeded in requesting a song he did not know.

  “Terroll, would you play, Riding the Wind?” Daniel asked, hoping the up lifting tune would help clear his mind so he could decide what to do about inviting Val into the cabin.

  “Ah, my first request of the day,” the harper replied, and then delicately plucked the strings of the mahogany instrument, filling the room with cheerful tones.

  Daniel wished he had his guitarn so he could play along. He was not sure if the musician would take kindly to the notion or be insulted at the thought of performing with a backwoods amateur. The man certainly had style. Listening to him play raised the spirits and made work seem less burdensome.

  Val and Gina waved farewell and went outside, probably to hunt. Few people knew how different the sisters were from each other, mostly because not many people took the time to find out. Gina was by far the more aggressive of the two, a trait that seemed to attract Tim. Val, on the other hand, was sentimental and only acted aggressive to keep from getting her feelings hurt. Daniel was pleased she allowed him to see her true self.

  The man from Bolen came in and sat down at table three. He wore a black silk hat and clothes fit for a noble. The white ruffles on his collar and cuffs looked freshly laundered and his black shoes were shiny. Tim came out from the kitchen carrying a tray stacked with pancakes and sausage and set it before the customer.

  Terroll Barnes began another melody, one of his own choosing. It was a song about a wayward lad who loses the woman he sought to marry, a most depressing dirge.

  Daniel wiped the boot marks off table four and tried not to let the song get to him. He applied the polish and began a circular motion. The blue light suddenly appeared, surrounding him. It was only a flicker, lasting not much longer than two blinks of the eye. He had not played a Melody so why would the glow of a spell emanate from him? He struggled to control the panic swelling in the pit of his stomach. He spun around, taking in everyone and everything in the room. The traveler was eating his breakfast with a zeal and likely would not have noticed a mountain lion if it came runn
ing in through the door and jumped out the far window.

  Daniel began to wonder if the whole thing had been a trick of the mind, his guilty conscience. That’s it, guilt made him see the glow because he actually considered inviting Val into the cabin without telling her the truth. The depressing song ended, thank goodness. An uncomfortable feeling came over him, like when he knew a predator was stalking him in the woods. He glanced at the harper and for the first time did not see the man as a harmless traveling musician.

  Terroll was watching him with an intensity that made Daniel even more suspicious. Why was the musician staring? The Ecoppian smiled and winked his eye. He had seen the glow, it really happened! No, the man probably had something else on his mind, nothing to do with spells or the Aakacarns.

  Tim came out of the kitchen again, this time carrying two glasses of citrus juice, and sat down at table four. “Break time, have a drink,” he said and grinned.

  Daniel welcomed the company. “Thanks,” he said, and then gulped down half the liquid before placing the glass back on the coaster.

  He tried to ignore the musician, who even now was getting to his feet. The man probably needed to stretch his legs. The sound of boots on the hard wood floor grew louder; maybe the fellow was on his way to the kitchen.

  Terroll pulled up a chair and sat down, glancing at Tim. “Would you excuse us a moment, I would like a word with your friend?” he asked, in a casual tone, no sound of a threat in his voice.

  “Sure,” Tim replied, and stood up. He headed for the kitchen and then turned, shrugging his shoulders behind the musician’s back before going through the door.

  The man wants to play a duet. Of course, a harp and a guitarn would sound good together, Daniel tried to convince himself. It was a stretch but better than the other nine out of ten possibilities flickering through his mind.

  “I owe you,” Terroll whispered, although there was not much chance the man at table three would over hear anything by the way he was gobbling down those pancakes. “Meet me after closing and I’ll make payment,” the harper added, and then went back to his chair and began another melody as if the peculiar conversation had not taken place.

  What was the man talking about? No deals of any kind had ever been struck between them, nor could Daniel remember having done any special favors. A thorough summing up of the events of the previous week failed to provide an answer. He could think of nothing beyond a few cheerful greetings and the occasional song request. A dark thought entered his mind and made a tingle run up his spine. Could one of the Aakacarns have come for him already? He immediately banished the horrible notion, but still felt jumpier than a squirrel in a hound kennel.

  “What did he say to you? Your face is paler than Lydia Polkat’s sheets.”

  Daniel glanced up and found his friend had returned. He wanted to unburden himself; explain all about the spell and the terrible truth behind it, but the need for secrecy prevailed. “The harper wants to pay me, I think,” he replied, figuring that was as much unburdening as he could afford.

  Tim’s eyebrows arched up, “For what?”

  Daniel shrugged and sighed, “I don’t know and I’m almost afraid to find out,” he began, and then laughed. He once killed a mountain lion with little more than a hunting knife and the determination not to be the big cat’s meal, and now he was afraid to ask a traveling musician a simple question. “He’s going to meet me later.”

  Tim nodded his understanding. “Maybe he needs a job done and figures you would be best able to do it. Or, maybe he wants to buy your guitarn. He seemed to enjoy hearing you play it.”

  Daniel had his doubts. “It’ll be coins if I’m lucky,” which had not been the case lately.

  Tim smiled, clearly he had been joking, and leaned over the back of the chair, “That would be great.”

  The drummer’s idea was not original but it was definitely accurate. Daniel felt better about the prospect of marrying Val and raising children. Would she marry him once she knew him to be an Aakacarn? Would she ever forgive him if he did not tell and the truth came out later? He took a deep breath and shook his head, not wanting to torment himself with the possibilities. He would explain to her about the spell, what little he did understand, and let destiny take its course.

  Henri entered the dining area looking as though he just had a good whiff of rotten eggs. The yellow stains on the front of his shirt offered a clue to what his breakfast had been as he inspected the cleanliness of the room. “Very nice,” he said, grudgingly. “Clean up after our guest finishes his meal. Todd has already cleaned up stairs so, Tim, you’re free for the day. Daniel, you can go after you take care of that last table,” he added, and then winked his eye. “I understand your cabin is nearly finished.”

  “Thanks,” Tim said with a grin, and then headed quickly for the front door, no doubt to wherever Gina would likely be hunting.

  “By your looks, one would think I just strapped you for stealing a piece of pie,” Henri noted.

  Daniel glanced at the harper and then back at the innkeeper. “I am grateful for the time off,” he said slowly. “I just have a few things on my mind.”

  Henri grinned, which was one of the rarest sights on Tannakonna. “Oh, you’re having doubts. Don’t worry, most young men get a bit jittery before asking a woman into the cabin.”

  Having doubts seemed to be an under statement, Daniel wished the jitters were his biggest concern. “Thanks, I’ll try to remember that.”

  Henri nodded his head and gave a hard slap on the back. “Buck up my boy, you’ll feel better once she’s in the cabin with you,” he stated sagely, and then walked into the kitchen looking pleased with himself.

  Daniel sat, waiting for the traveler to finish eating. After what seemed like an eternity, but was actually about half a mark, the man pulled away from the table and walked out looking full and satisfied.

  Polishing the table did not take long, although being alone in the room with Terroll somehow made it feel otherwise. The harper quietly packed up his instrument, having no guest to entertain, and walked into the kitchen.

  Instinct told Daniel to get up and go quickly. With no need for extra encouragement, he hurried outside and up the sandy street. Chad was busy giving one of his horses’ new shoes while his son, Tom, stood not far away giving a dapple mare a thorough rub down. Neither father nor son seemed to pay any attention to what was happening beyond the stable doors, no doubt because nothing going on outside was worth staring at.

  Daniel passed the village limits and headed on up the north trail. Squirrels scampered in the branches of the trees lining both sides of the pathway. A chirp of protest followed by the sound of fluttering wings meant one of the critters landed a bit too close for the other’s liking. He smiled, feeling more at home in the woods.

  Dark thoughts tugged at the corners of his mind, demanding to be considered. He had little choice but to meet Terroll Barnes, considering how serious the harper seemed to be about making some sort payment. Daniel could not shake the dreadful feeling that his life would be forever changed after being paid. Actually, the memory spell started the whole thing. Why did he play the melody in the first place? The question troubled him almost as much as the one coming up on its trail, what’s going to happen next?

  “Good, I see you’re alone,” Terroll said, while riding up and matching pace on a brown gelding. After raising his right hand in a gesture of greeting, he proceeded to dismount smoothly. “Come; let us walk to your home.”

  “Okay,” Daniel agreed, without stopping. His hunter’s instincts were on full alert, flatlanders could never be fully trusted, and everyone knew that.

  Terroll hesitated as if trying to decide how to begin. He cleared his throat several times and then nodded affirmatively. “I know Ducaunans dislike all Aakacarns and you mountain folk like us even less, so I’ll try to be delicate.”

  Aakacarn! A word that stood boldly above all others the harper had uttered. Daniel wanted to scream. He would have laughed at hi
s own bad luck if the situation was not so terrifying. Fate just had to place a spell caster in the village at the worst possible time. He wasted few moments deciding what to do. The trails were only for convenience, he knew the woods like the strings of his guitarn. He sprang sideways off the trail and ran as if the Dark Maestro himself was chasing him.

  A silver mist appeared, tightened around him, and he was lifted off the ground, trapped like a bird in the paws of a bobcat. He could do nothing but wait for his captor to finish him off.

  “Now, Daniel, that’s no way to begin a conversation,” Terroll scolded, mildly. He made his way off the trail and stared up without a trace of anger in his dark eyes. “I won’t hurt you, my fellow Aakacarn. A spell most definitely originated from you last night, although I’m not sure how.”

  Fire and wind, I’m doomed! The words screamed in Daniel’s mind. He remained silent, needing time to think of a way out of his predicament.

  Terroll scratched his chin and picked up the conversation where he left off. “Your High Power casting restored my knowledge of Melodious spells and freed me from the wrongful Silencing I’ve endured over the last seven years,” he said, in reasonable, almost friendly tones. “Honor demands that I give a gratuity for the services rendered. Clearly, you are in need of training. I’ll gladly escort you to Aakadon, if this is sufficient payment?”

  To Aakadon! Daniel wanted to pinch himself to see if this was just a bad dream. Unfortunately, he was wide awake and could not even move his arms or legs. He was tired of being afraid. Enough was enough; he took a deep breath and hardened himself. “No, I won’t leave my home. You can force me to go, but I’ll find a way to escape.”

  Terroll tapped his thumbs together while pursing his lips and finally nodded his head. “As you wish,” he said, and then paused. “We have much to discuss. If you promise not to run I will let you down.”