| |
A Tale of Faytaisie
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eyden Elwinnian glared at his reflection in the quiet pool of water before him. He wished he could wear his hair loose, covering his strange unpointed ears, but only girls wore their hair like that. Besides, no hairstyle could conceal the absence of wings on Eyden's back. "Face it," he told his wavering image. "You're a freak."
At least he didn't have feathers on his head. The elders of Lirien told stories of such things, of children born with feathers in place of hair. Eyden didn't believe such a thing was possible. In his case, something was missing; but a replacement? Feathers for hair? It sounded like a tall tale.
Eyden sighed and hefted his carrysack to his shoulder. It was getting late and he should get home with the herbs he had gathered for his mother. She would be pleased. He had found large quantities of every herb she needed for her healing potions.
* * *
As Eyden neared home, his steps quickened. He could see the lights of the village peeking through the trees. It was late enough that most people would be indoors, allowing Eyden to avoid their gazes. It would be restful to watch his mother and her apprentice prepare the herbs he carried. They would be too busy to stare at him.
Eyden stopped short, dismayed at the sudden appearance of someone directly in front of him. He had heard nothing. How was this possible? Then Eyden realized who stood before him, and he understood.
Naelym Wyyn, Master Wizard of Lirien, smiled at Eyden. "Good evening, Eyden Elwinnian."
"Good evening, Master Wizard," Eyden replied, wondering why Naelym would stop him in the forest at dusk. The wizard must have something important to tell him.
Naelym smiled again. "Have you an apprenticeship yet?" he asked.
"No, Master Wizard," Eyden said, puzzled.
"Good," the wizard replied, causing Eyden greater confusion. Then he cleared it away by continuing, "Would you consider becoming my apprentice?"
Eyden's eyes widened. "Me?" he asked in disbelief. "Yes! I mean, I have to ask my mother, but... why me?"
"I can teach you," Naelym said. "You are my choice. With your mother's blessing, will you learn from me?"
Eyden took a deep, calming breath. "Yes."
"Good." The wizard turned to leave, then turned back to add, "Come see me tomorrow and, if you have permission, we will begin." He turned away again.
Eyden blinked, startled. Naelym Wyyn had vanished. Shaking his head slowly, Eyden resumed his trek. To think that he, Eyden Elwinnian, the round-eared wingless freak, had been chosen by the Master Wizard! Eyden's step was much lighter as he ended his journey home.
* * *
The next morning found Eyden on his way to the Master Wizard's house. His mother had readily given her blessing, pleased that her son had been chosen to be apprentice to the most respected man in Lirien. Eyden had never been so happy. He even found it possible to ignore the stares he hated so much.
Arriving at his destination, Eyden knocked at Naelym Wyyn's door. Almost immediately, it swung open and the wizard stood before him, smiling. "Come in, Eyden Elwinnian," he invited, stepping to one side.
Eyden entered, gazing about him with much curiosity. He had never seen the inside of the wizard's house before -- as far as he knew, no one had.
There were books everywhere. Every wall held shelves full of books that stretched from floor to ceiling, tables and desks supported stacks of books, and even the floor had piles of books here and there upon it. Eyden was amazed. He had never seen half so many books before, let alone all in one place.
Naelym lifted an armload of books from a chair and deposited them on the floor. "Sit down," he invited. Eyden sat, still staring open-mouthed at the books. Naelym removed a stack of books from another chair and sat facing Eyden. "Do you like books?" he asked, smiling at Eyden's wide-eyed wonder.
"Oh, yes," Eyden said. "But I haven't had the chance to read many."
The wizard waved one arm expansively. "You are free to read any and all of these. In fact, I will require you to read some of them." He plucked a volume from a nearby table and handed it to Eyden. "You can begin with this one."
Eyden took the book and read the cover. It was titled "Spelling for Beginners." He opened it and found it was a book of simple spells. He was actually going to learn magic!
Naelym leaned back in his chair, smiling at Eyden's excitement. "We will begin at the beginning."
|
Help Us Stop Plagiarism -
Nearly all works at PnP are original. However a few people choose to plagiarize.
To check, choose a phrase from the work, then either drag and drop to the search box or copy and paste.
click on search and works at Google will be shown which match. Just to be sure, please do this before
you recommend or rate the work highly...
|
 |
|
|
|
Select a Random Work
from Stories
|
|
Welcome !
