Rising From the Ashes: The Chronicles of Caymin by Caren J. Werlinger Page B

the fatigue had passed, replaced by a feeling of euphoria. She’d never felt as powerful doing magic before.
    When Ivar dismissed them, the others crowded around her.
    “Tell us what happened, Ash.” Diarmit grinned. “Sorry. I mean, Caymin.”
    She told them of Enat guiding her through her spiritwalk the night of Bealtaine, of seeing her village and her mother, and learning her name.
    “You really saw all that?” Gai asked.
    “I did.”
    “We felt it,” Cíana said. “We didn’t know what it was, but we felt it. Almost as if the earth shivered.”
    “Maybe you’ll be able to channel your magic more strongly now,” Diarmit said. “Now that you have your true name.”
    Caymin rubbed her backside. “If it gets any stronger, I may need to carry a pillow with me everywhere.”

    “Show me again.”
    Caymin leaned over the miniature map of Éire she had copied onto a spare bit of parchment. She was trying to figure out where everyone was from. Enat had shown her approximately where the badger sett was, and the village nearby, located in the northcentral part of the island, not too far from the lake they had rowed upon. She had also shown Caymin where she’d grown up, in her fishing village on the northwest coast, in a sheltered bay. Cíana and Diarmit were both from the southern part of the island. Cíana’s family lived on a lake, and Diarmit’s were cattle farmers, living in the hills.
    “Ivar came for both us of us,” Diarmit said. “I was to begin schooling with one of the monks near our village. The only magical thing I’d ever done was when my little sister fell into the river, suddenly she was with me on the bank. I couldn’t remember how I’d done it. But Ivar said I should come be trained.”
    Daina was from the north, where Méav and Niall were also from. “When I was old enough, the mage near our village brought me to meet Neela.”
    Gai’s family lived near the west coast.
    “My father’s keep has held off invaders for ages,” he told them. “These clans are all loyal to us.” He pointed to the entire southwestern part of the island.
    “How could they protect that much coast?” Cíana asked. “Invaders could come in anywhere.”
    Gai shook his head. “Much of it is steep cliffs, straight down into the sea. It’s said the cliffs used to be protected by dragons, but I don’t believe that.”
    Caymin looked up, frowning. “What are dragons?”
    Diarmit went to the shelves and shuffled through the scrolls there. “This is a dragon.” He unrolled the scroll to reveal a brightly colored drawing of a fantastic creature with enormous wings and flames erupting from its mouth. “But they don’t exist.”
    “Is not that what you said about the giant elk?” Caymin asked.
    Cíana laughed. “She’s right. Who knows? It could be dragons do exist.”
    “Well, if they do, I’ve yet to see one,” Gai said.
    “Enough of this,” Diarmit said. “Let’s play a game.”
    Caymin looked up from the map. “What is ‘a game’?”
    A short while later, she and the others were on the sparring ground, chasing a small leather ball about the size of her fist with sticks, called hurleys, that looked like long spoons, flared on one end, trying to hit the ball between two of the archery targets. Diarmit used his bulk to shoulder others out of his way as he worked the ball along the ground with his stick. He passed the ball to Caymin. She saw Gai coming toward her, and she quickly dodged, using Daina as a block, and slapped the ball toward the targets.
    “Yes!” Diarmit yelled, thumping Caymin on the back as the ball rolled through.
    “Lucky,” Gai said, frowning.
    Caymin grinned, but the grin soon faded as Gai had the ball, feinting left and right, easily out-maneuvering Caymin and Daina to send the ball between the opposite set of targets.
    “Ha!” He shouted, thumping his fist against his chest.
    They played until they were breathless, and then flopped on the ground, panting.
    “Let’s