Chapter One

Jaascin moved quickly and silently through the corridors. He didn’t want to wake the sorcerer. He had planned this carefully, so although wary he was not really fearful. Jaascin was his apprentice. Not exactly the typical apprentice. As far as he could determine, he thought he was in about his thirtieth year. He had spent most of his life as an apprentice to powerful sorcerers or wizards, to very knowledgeable healers or prominent scholars.

Jaascin’s distant covering stride, was so smooth and effortless, he seemed to float rather than walk. He was headed for the room he knew the sorcerer had the young woman imprisoned. Jaascin planned to help her escape.

The sorcerer, who was a mystic, bought the young woman from pirates who had kidnapped her from one of her family’s ships. The sorcerer was keeping her imprisoned until she would come willingly to his bed. Jaascin wanted to free her before the sorcerer decided to put her under an enchantment. He knew the sorcerer would do that, when it became evident to him, she was not going to give in to him.

Jaascin had secretly bought passage for her on a ship sailing this night for her country. That had taken practically all the gold Jaascin had, plus what he had stolen from the sorcerer. He knew he had just enough to buy himself passage on a ship from the other port. Jaascin knew he would have to flee. The sorcerer would immediately suspect Jaascin of freeing her. He would be sure Jaascin was the only one that could undo the enchantment that kept the room locked.

Jaascin found the room and undid the enchantment. It took him but a few moments, for which he was thankful. He prayed the energy needed would not awaken the sorcerer. Jaascin wasn’t sure how well the shield he had erected would work. When he opened the door, he quietly hissed,

“Wake up and be silent. I have come to take you to a ship that will take you back to your country. But we must hurry. The ship will be sailing within the hour.”

The woman awoke startled, opened her mouth as if to scream, then realizing it was Jaascin and what he had said, stifled the scream just before it could get out of her mouth.

“I do not have clothes I can travel in. He took everything of that kind from me,” she whispered after a moment. Jaascin did not think she was really asleep. She sounded too awake. He was actually thankful for that.

“I brought clothes for you. You will travel as a cleric. You will wear a hood all the time and stay in your cabin. I have arranged that you will have your meals brought to you,” Jaascin quickly told her. “Here are some clothes you must put on. Hurry, we must reach the dock before the ship sails. It sails within the hour.”

The woman quickly did as told and Jaascin led her out of the house to a waiting carriage. They quickly drove to the dock and Jaascin, using some wizardry, slipped her on board and into her cabin. No one saw her come aboard. Jaascin put the thought in the captain’s mind that his passenger was on board. The ship was preparing to sail immediately. After he had her on board and the ship slipped silently out of the harbor, Jaascin returned to the sorcerer’s house. All was still quiet. He breathed a sigh of relief. He brought his baggage and loaded it onto his horses. He went back into the sorcerer’s work room. From the wall, he stole a red gem on a gold chain. Jaascin didn’t know what great impact this gem would have on his life. Jaascin had felt a powerful energy coming from this gem. Apparently the sorcerer had not felt it, or had been afraid to use it. Jaascin knew the sorcerer had never tried to use it. Jaascin had been intrigued by this gem and the energy he felt coming from it. He thought it might come in handy some time in the future.

Jaascin rode as fast as his horses would carry him to the other side of the bay. There was a smaller port there. Here he knew he could find a ship to take him and his horses for the gold he still had. He would not have to pay as much for passage from this port. This way he could get farther away. He had only enough to pay for passage to a port he would not have picked, if he could have avoided it. However, this would take him as far away as his money would pay for, and he wanted to get as far away as possible. Jaascin thought his horses had better quarters on board the ship than he had. His cabin was small, and with his baggage, he could barely squeeze into the room to get to his hammock to sleep. He hoped the sorcerer would not check on the woman until the following day. By that time, the woman would be far enough out to sea and Jaascin would be far enough to protect himself from the sorcerer’s searching. He did breath a sigh of relief, when the day passed and he had not felt a probe looking for him.

Jaascin was sure the sorcerer would first search for him. He would figure Jaascin had taken the woman with him. That is what Jaascin was hoping would happen. This would keep the woman safe much longer. In fact, Jaascin was sure the woman would be too far for the sorcerer to find her, by the time he decided to look for her and not Jaascin.

This having to flee, was not new to Jaascin. He had fled from men, to whom he had been an apprentice, before. Usually it was because Jaascin had helped someone that person did not want helped. Jaascin never felt he did anything wrong. True, when he left, he usually took something that belonged to that person. Jaascin always excused himself by saying he felt he was owed that, or the coin equivalent. Whether that was true or not, never bothered Jaascin greatly. Jaascin usually did what he felt he should do, regardless of the consequences or how others tended to look at his actions. He usually found he had the power or the talent needed to succeed at it. He bore some scars from sword fights, but those had always healed. These later years however, no swordsman had the ability to even knick him.

Jaascin decided, as long as he had to travel in a northerly direction, he might as well set out to find his friend. This friend had left him many years ago. He said he wanted to find a place he could have the peace to contemplate what he had learned. He had set out for the far north country. Jaascin had promised he would some day come looking for him.

Jaascin disembarked at the port with his horses and his baggage. Although this was not the port he would have chosen, he was glad to get off the ship. He loaded his baggage on his horses and then somewhat amusedly considered his situation. This port was as far as the captain would take him. Jaascin had spent practically all his money getting this far. He considered it a stroke of good fortune he had money to get this far. He hoped it was far enough.

Jaascin claimed he was a wanderer. He said he could prove that. He was also somewhat of a rogue, albeit a very charming one. He was a highly educated wanderer, inclined to be a joker at times and enjoyed life whenever possible. He accepted his fate in good humor, whenever fate dealt him a bad hand. He did not suffer life, rather took charge and did the best with the hand that fate had dealt him. That is the situation he now faced.

He was somewhat lacking in money. The possessions he had, he was not anxious to sell. They were things used by healers, wizards and scholars. He was sure they would come in handy in the future. They had at times in the past. His problem was, this port bordered on an Elven forest. He knew the quickest way to get to where he wanted to go was through this forest. He had heard you needed the Elves’ permission to enter their forest. He decided to check to see if this was true.

Seeing a man who looked like he was reasonably intelligent and a native of this place, Jaascin approached him.

“Kind Sir,” Jaascin said in his most charming voice, “Can you tell me the quickest way to get to the Kingdom that is north of the border of this Elven Forest?”

The man looked him over for a moment before replying. “If you were an Elf, it would be through the forest. As you are not an Elf, there is no quick way. Unless, that is you take a ship. It is possible to follow the coast for some distance, but that is not advisable,” the man told Jaascin.

“In other words, I would have to be an Elf to be able to travel through the Elven forest?” Jaascin questioned. “Is it not possible at all for someone other than an Elf to get permission to travel the forest?”

“Not unless you were clergy or noble that had a compelling enough reason for the Elves to allow that. However, that is highly questionable. I have never heard of such a case,” the man said rather emphatically. Jaascin heaved a small sigh, it was as he thought. There was absolutely no reason, he could think of, for Elves to grant him special permission.

Although he had the looks and speech of a noble, he was neither noble nor clergy. He would give this serious thought. Maybe he could conjure up a reason for the Elves to allow him to cross their land. It didn’t seem to worry him greatly, but then nothing seemed to worry Jaascin greatly. At least that is the impression he left on most people. Actually, Jaascin never felt it worthwhile to worry unnecessarily, it solved nothing.

He could follow the narrow band of coastal land, but it was a forbidding land. From what he had been told, he might not be able to reach his destination by following this coast. It was full of reptiles and other rapacious and poisonous creatures. Much of it was marshland with only occasional bits of high ground. You could never tell where those bits of high ground were. They were hidden by the tall marsh grasses. Much of the land was soft mud in which you could sink to your waist or even deeper.

Having no choice, he set out. It proved slow going. He had to test the ground at every step. He was now on foot. His two horses, he loaded down with his possessions, mostly things used by wizards and healers. He never really considered himself either a wizard or a healer. He just used whatever talents and knowledge necessary.

He was tall and muscular like the people from the northern countries. He had grey-green eyes that were somewhat iridescent, like those of the elves. He had long black hair that tended to wave like that of the southern people. He had light brown skin like the people from the east. He had lived in all of those places, although he was still a young man.

His name, at least he claimed it was his name, was Jaascin Wanilain. He carried the papers of a man from the Auriscenia Duchey. It was easy to get papers from that Duchey. All you had to have was a few coins and a little charm. He usually could produce both. He found a way to get the necessary coins if he didn’t have them. His papers said he was a traveling merchant. He seldom was asked for any identification. He had the speech and bearing of a noble and carried two wicked looking swords. This was usually enough to get him treated with some respect. He was dressed well with soft leather boots and a long dark brown cape, almost the color of leather.

Jaascin was born the son of a minor trader, with whom he traveled, since he was very young. He had no recollection of his mother or any other family. His father had apprenticed him to an eastern sorcerer when Jaascin was eight. He had appeared to be much older than that. By then, Jaascin spoke many languages and knew the customs of many people. He had an ear for languages and found it easy to learn new languages. Jaascin later learned his father was killed shortly after Jaascin was apprenticed to the sorcerer. He would now have to trust in himself.

Over the years, Jaascin learned to handle a sword, dagger, bow and other weapons. He had become very good at all of them. That he was alive today was due to both his skills with weapons and his knowledge of sorcery and healing. He was disarmingly humble, while having the manners, learning and charm of a noble. His bearing, knowledge and diplomacy made others assume he was a noble. Jaascin never implied he might be of noble birth. However, he seldom if ever denied that when someone assumed that.

Jaascin decided to keep very close to the Elven forest. The water and mud was not so deep there and there was more solid ground. He would stop at various places along the way and try some of the sorcerer’s tricks. He knew he could make it look like he was a very knowledgeable mage or wizard. He thought he would probably be watched, especially when he stopped. The Elves, he heard, kept constant watch on their borders. He did know several spells he could cast that would keep all creatures of this area at bay so he could sleep at night. Besides he could always use a ring of sorcerer’s fire to protect him and his horses. He had been taught how to make these things look very easy, but now he would use a lot of motions and muttering. He was hoping some elf might require the services of a sorcerer, mage or healer. He might be invited into their land, then get permission to cross it. Jaascin had nothing to lose. It really was his only chance. He did not want to continue to travel this uninviting land. He figured it would take too long to get to the end of the Elven Forest.

He didn’t have the money to hire passage on another ship. He barely had enough money to buy some provisions for himself and his horses. He hoped it would last him until he could get more money. He would have to be careful with what rations he had. He knew how to live off the land, but this land did not offer very enticing fare.

He spent the first two days fighting the insects that plagued him and his horses. Actually, the horses were suffering even more than he was. The insects were particularly bad because of the swampy area he was traversing. About noon of the second day, he remembered the incantation a Raj had used, when crossing a swampy area. It was designed to keep the insects from plaguing him. He tried it and it worked. After several more days, Jaascin was becoming very tired of slogging through the mud and water all day. At times he had to practically drag his horses after him. They didn’t like this land anymore than he did. By this time, he felt like he was mud from head to toe. He was looking for a piece of high ground, close to the forest border. He was also looking for a stream that was flowing out of the forest. He knew there would be some along the way. These streams fed the marshland that ran down to the sea.

Sometimes the forest came right up to the marshland, but occasionally there was a piece of high ground outside of the forest. It was close to sundown when Jaascin found such a place. It was large enough for both his tent and his horses. It even had some good grass the horses could eat. There was a good-sized stream running through this piece of high ground. Jaascin washed the mud off the horses legs and then off himself and his boots and clothes. There were even some bushes he could hang his clothes on to dry. There seemed to be a cool and surprisingly dry breeze blowing from the forest here. He hoped it would dry his clothes by daybreak. He was able to wash himself off in the stream and then changed into some clean clothes. He prepared himself a light meal. He was carefully husbanding what supplies he had. Having eaten and seeing his horses were contently eating, he prepared to sleep.

Jaascin was sure he was being watched so he went through a lot of motions and chanting to produce the enchantments that would keep the creatures at bay during the night. He then created a ring of sorcerer’s fire to surround him and his horses and put a quiet spell on his horses. Then he lay down and went to sleep. He could feel a number of eyes watching him as he wove the spells he needed. Happily everything worked as it was supposed to do. Jaascin knew he would awake if anything threatened him. It was a habit he acquired early in life. He lived with danger most of his life.

As he woke, rose, dressed and undid the spell for the ring of scorcerer’s fire and the spell over the horses, an Elf appeared out of the forest. Jaascin knew he was being watched, so he was not surprised. Jaascin could see the entrance to the forest from which the Elf stepped. He momentarily remembered only Elves were supposed to see that. He pushed that thought aside. He concentrated on the Elf who had appeared. Here might be his opportunity, if this Elf was friendly, as he appeared to be.

“Our Prince has need of a man who is both a man of magic and a healer to rouse his daughter from a spell caused by the bite of a serpent,” the Elf said. Jaascin found, to his surprise, he could understand the Elven language. He thought for a moment. He wracked his memory for something that might serve. Something from his knowledge of healing. He could get into the land of the Elves if he said he could help. At least he could get a few good meals for he and his horses. He did not want to lie, but he was desperate. He hated to lie because it was always possible to be caught. He was not sure how the Elves would react. Besides, he might have the knowledge hidden somewhere in the recesses of his mind. He thought for a moment, then he decided it was worth a try.

“I would need to see the girl and learn of the type of reptile. I may be able to help,” Jaascin told the Elf. He tried to not make that sound too positive. He knew he didn’t have to in this case. The Elves sounded desperate for help. He would at least be taken into the forest to where ever the girl was lying. Possibly far enough so he would be allowed to travel to the northern boundary of the forest. He had no idea how extensive this Elven forest was. If he could help in any way, he might get permission to travel north through their land