As We Go Along, Ch. 9

When we got back, Carrington had started to make a bird-looking thing out of his block of wood, and Braydon and Vesperzo had returned without finding another crossing point. 

"It's worse in other places. We'll just have to wait it out," Braydon said. He refrained from cussing this time.

They unburdened the horses and sat down on various stacks of stuff. I sat down, took off my backpack, and rifled through it, trying to remember what I'd put in there. I found a notebook and pen and began to record the experiences of the past day and a half. That took a good half-hour, during which Carrington whittled, Vesperzo read a book, Braydon disappeared, and Colin sat in silence.

When I'd closed my notebook and put it away, I spent a few frustrating moments wondering about the Fading, the Darkwood, the powerful magic-user, and Colin's memory loss. Then my thoughts drifted to my family. How did time work in Chaeselor? Was it like Narnia, where I could return to Earth as though nothing had happened? Or was it the reverse, and thousands of years would have passed by the time I got home? Would I ever get home?

I'd never missed home before, not at summer camps or on vacations, because I knew I would go back all too soon to schoolwork and being called Mad Madalyn by my brother and his friends. But now I missed it, and I hadn't been gone that long. Preemptive missing, I thought. Grieving the loss of something before it's happened, because we know it will happen. Deep in the pit of my stomach, I had the suspicion that I wouldn't see my room or my friends or my family again.

"Miss Harper, I'd like to speak with you a moment. In private," Braydon said out of the blue.

I looked up. I didn't feel like speaking at the moment - I was in danger of crying - and even if I did want to speak, Braydon wouldn't be my confidante of choice. I didn't say any of this. I just nodded and stood up.

We walked upriver until we were out of earshot, though not line-of-sight, of camp.

"You've talked with Colin?" he asked.

"Yes," I said, unsure of where this was going.

He hmphed. "So, you know he's from Earth, too?"

"Yes," I said. "Is that why we can both hear the dryads?"

His eyebrows shot up. "So, he told you that, too. I don't know if that's what you're hearing. That's Vesperzo's idea, and the nitwit would say anything to sound smart."

That hadn't answered my question. I needed to change the subject so I wouldn't have to listen to a rant about Vesperzo.

"Colin says you used to be a magic-user," I blurted. "You all did."

At this, Braydon scowled. "He did, did he?"

Me and my big mouth. "Yes."

He continued to scowl at me for a while. I stood there waiting for him to talk.

"It's the Fading," he said.

"Colin doesn't think so."

"Colin doesn't know what he's talking about," Braydon said harshly.

Another silence. More scowling.

"Why did you want to talk to me?" I asked.

He glanced around. "There's something you should know about Colin."

"Okay..." Curiosity piqued.

"Carrington, Vesperzo and I used to be magic-users. The Fading took us one by one. Colin still is a magic-user, even though he's from Earth. And he keeps getting stronger."

Oh snap. "How can you tell?"

He shrugged. "He's tried to keep it a secret, but I've seen him practicing it. He's turned invisible once or twice. Levitated a few objects. Even levitated himself. He's borrowed some of Vesperzo's books - the kid's probably trying to learn some enchantments."

"Why is he keeping it a secret?" I asked. And why are you telling me this?

"He probably thinks it's a kindness to us. He doesn't want to hurt our feelings. Doesn't want us to be jealous, either - that's probably more for his own good than ours."

"Okay..." I said again.

He studied my face. "There are two reasons I'm telling you this. First because he talks to you. He doesn't talk to the rest of us. If he's going to befriend you, you should know this, and since he won't tell you, I will."

"And the second reason?"

He shrugged. "Figure it out. You're not a complete fool, from what I've seen."

He'd seen me run through the woods like a ninny straight into an ambush.

He returned to camp and almost immediately started an argument with Vesperzo, which I could hear from where I stood. I sat down on the moss by the riverbank and stared out over the water.

Colin and I were both from Earth. We could both hear the dryads. He was a magic-user, and the Fading (if it existed) wasn't affecting him.

How did magic work? Colin had turned invisible. When Braydon had described it, he hadn't mentioned a spell of any kind. I wondered how he'd done it.

I closed my eyes and tried to imagine being invisible. I'd remembered the times I'd been sitting in a corner reading and an adult had wandered in with a glint of chore-delegation in their eyes. I remembered how I'd felt then, how I'd longed for them not to see me. How I'd willed myself to be invisible. When I opened my eyes, I looked down and sighed. I could still see myself.

I got up to return to camp. As I walked towards it, I noticed something was missing. The bags and tent-bundles were still there, but Braydon, Vesperzo, Carrington, Colin, and the horses were gone.