are young yet, Ellyl."
Collun thought Silien looked somewhat nettled by Crann's words, but the Ellyl said nothing.
"It looks ill. The boar did this?" the old man asked as he took a clean cloth and a small packet from inside his cloak. He rubbed salve on the cloth and held it against the wound. Talisen described the attack by Moccus's sow.
As Talisen spoke, Crann's face seemed almost to visibly age. Collun felt a cold stab of fear. When the old man spoke, his voice was weary beyond measure. "An eyeless boar ... It is what I have feared. She has found a way to unseal the Cave of Cruachan."
He stared at the ground for several moments and then, recalling himself, he set about making a bandage of the cloth, affixing it to Collun's leg with two thin leather thongs. Then he rose to his feet and walked away from them. He supported himself with a long staff made of oak.
Crann stood motionless, looking up at the branches overhead. No one dared to speak.
Finally he turned back toward them and said with a deep sigh, "If it is done, it is done. We will make camp here."
They gathered wood for a fire, and Crann sparked the blaze with such ease Collun thought he must have used magic. He had not seen him use a teine stone.
The old man then passed around small dark blocks.
"Here, eat these." Crann smiled. "It is not mysterious, Talisen," he said as he caught the boy eyeing the block with curiosity. "Just honey, grain, and berries."
When they bit into their blocks, the taste was delicious. The sweet flavor of blueberries mingled with honey and cracked wheat. They ate quickly, thinking it would take many such blocks to make even a dent in their deep hunger; but, surprisingly, they felt full when they had finished just one. The buzzing in Collun's ears lessened, and his skin did not feel as hot.
"Your cloak," said Brie, "it is the same color as the light we followed. Did you send it?"
Crann nodded. "Until I could get to you myself. Although the fire very nearly outpaced me."
"'Twas a narrow squeak, all right," said Talisen. "Are you a wizard?" he asked bluntly, licking the last crumbs from his fingers.
"I have been called so."
"Why do you disguise yourself as a kesil?"
"There are many reasons for disguise." His eyes rested lightly on Brie, and Collun realized that Crann knew her for who she was, too.
"There was a time when it was very nearly true," Crann continued, "when I was lost in madness, like a kesil. But that was long ago. And now, you need rest," said the wizard with a glance at Silien, whose eyes had already closed.
The exhausted travelers needed no further urging and all were soon quickly asleep.
Collun slept deeply for a time, but then his rest became fitful. Finally he rose and limped over to join Crann at the fire. The wizard was preparing a pan of hot chicory, sweetened with honey and apple.
"My mother spoke your name to me," said Collun slowly, as Crann poured him a cup of the steaming beverage.
"I know," the old man replied.
"She said you would explain."
Crann did not speak.
"Why did you come to me in the garden? What do you know of my mother and of Nessa? Why do the scald-crows follow us? And the morg?" Collun's words tumbled over one another.
Crann returned Collun's gaze, unblinking, but again Collun could not read what lay there. "Of your sister I know little except that she is in great danger."
"But she is alive?"
"I cannot be sure, but yes, I believe she is." He paused. "Your mother is very ill."
"More so than when I left?"
The wizard nodded, then spoke again, softly, and it was as if he could read Collun's thoughts. "It would avail you little to return home. Your sister is the one who needs you now."
Collun cried out, his voice shrill. "What is it? What is happening to me, to my family?"
Crann shook his head. "I made an oath to your mother and can say no more of her. Not now. But there are other things I can tell you, and, indeed, it has become vital that you know them. But first, I want to hear
Collun thought Silien looked somewhat nettled by Crann's words, but the Ellyl said nothing.
"It looks ill. The boar did this?" the old man asked as he took a clean cloth and a small packet from inside his cloak. He rubbed salve on the cloth and held it against the wound. Talisen described the attack by Moccus's sow.
As Talisen spoke, Crann's face seemed almost to visibly age. Collun felt a cold stab of fear. When the old man spoke, his voice was weary beyond measure. "An eyeless boar ... It is what I have feared. She has found a way to unseal the Cave of Cruachan."
He stared at the ground for several moments and then, recalling himself, he set about making a bandage of the cloth, affixing it to Collun's leg with two thin leather thongs. Then he rose to his feet and walked away from them. He supported himself with a long staff made of oak.
Crann stood motionless, looking up at the branches overhead. No one dared to speak.
Finally he turned back toward them and said with a deep sigh, "If it is done, it is done. We will make camp here."
They gathered wood for a fire, and Crann sparked the blaze with such ease Collun thought he must have used magic. He had not seen him use a teine stone.
The old man then passed around small dark blocks.
"Here, eat these." Crann smiled. "It is not mysterious, Talisen," he said as he caught the boy eyeing the block with curiosity. "Just honey, grain, and berries."
When they bit into their blocks, the taste was delicious. The sweet flavor of blueberries mingled with honey and cracked wheat. They ate quickly, thinking it would take many such blocks to make even a dent in their deep hunger; but, surprisingly, they felt full when they had finished just one. The buzzing in Collun's ears lessened, and his skin did not feel as hot.
"Your cloak," said Brie, "it is the same color as the light we followed. Did you send it?"
Crann nodded. "Until I could get to you myself. Although the fire very nearly outpaced me."
"'Twas a narrow squeak, all right," said Talisen. "Are you a wizard?" he asked bluntly, licking the last crumbs from his fingers.
"I have been called so."
"Why do you disguise yourself as a kesil?"
"There are many reasons for disguise." His eyes rested lightly on Brie, and Collun realized that Crann knew her for who she was, too.
"There was a time when it was very nearly true," Crann continued, "when I was lost in madness, like a kesil. But that was long ago. And now, you need rest," said the wizard with a glance at Silien, whose eyes had already closed.
The exhausted travelers needed no further urging and all were soon quickly asleep.
Collun slept deeply for a time, but then his rest became fitful. Finally he rose and limped over to join Crann at the fire. The wizard was preparing a pan of hot chicory, sweetened with honey and apple.
"My mother spoke your name to me," said Collun slowly, as Crann poured him a cup of the steaming beverage.
"I know," the old man replied.
"She said you would explain."
Crann did not speak.
"Why did you come to me in the garden? What do you know of my mother and of Nessa? Why do the scald-crows follow us? And the morg?" Collun's words tumbled over one another.
Crann returned Collun's gaze, unblinking, but again Collun could not read what lay there. "Of your sister I know little except that she is in great danger."
"But she is alive?"
"I cannot be sure, but yes, I believe she is." He paused. "Your mother is very ill."
"More so than when I left?"
The wizard nodded, then spoke again, softly, and it was as if he could read Collun's thoughts. "It would avail you little to return home. Your sister is the one who needs you now."
Collun cried out, his voice shrill. "What is it? What is happening to me, to my family?"
Crann shook his head. "I made an oath to your mother and can say no more of her. Not now. But there are other things I can tell you, and, indeed, it has become vital that you know them. But first, I want to hear
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