over my shoulder for a while, but I'm not sure--"
"It wasn't easy to read it from where I was sitting." She shrugged. "I didn't get past the first chapter, though I already knew most of that part."
"No matter. I have to explain it to Ninian anyway."
Ninian closed the journal then and looked up at Jhond. The look in his eyes told Jhond enough that, as he'd expected, he had been correct to be concerned.
"I think some refreshment would be welcome just now," Ninian said, causing a tray of food and drink to appear in the center of the desk.
"I wish I had your ability," Remelin said, as she took her seat. "I wouldn't have had to go without so often."
"You have the ability were it trained," Jhond commented.
Remelin looked very pleased to hear that.
"But even I have to spell the Judral stone to make it work," Ninian added.
"Can I?" She paused, staring at Ninian intently. "Can I have a look at the stone? What did you call it? Judral?"
Ninian smiled at her and nodded. "It's named for the first mage who created one. I'd never be without it." He slipped a hand into his pocket and took out the stone. As he passed it over to her, he glanced at Jhond, who watched her just as closely as she picked it up.
"Oh, it feels warm," she said, turning the stone over in her hands. "I hadn't expected that."
"Do you feel anything else?" Jhond asked.
She looked confused for a moment. "Yes, I can, though I'm not sure what." Then her face cleared. "I think it likes me." She glanced up then, looking shocked. "How can I say that? It's a chunk of rock."
"Before I became the Eynan, I could sense nothing at all from the Judral stone, not even warmth," Jhond admitted.
"I felt its warmth and its welcome from the moment I picked it up," Ninian said. "Each mage's talent and area of expertise varies. You--and we--will learn more about that."
Remelin's expression was a mixture of excitement and puzzlement.
Very appropriate, Jhond thought. But now, it's time for other things.
Chapter 9
Jhond leaned back in his seat. "If you're ready," he began, his gaze taking in both of them, "I'll give you a précis of the nunnery's history."
Remelin passed the Judral stone back to Ninian, who quickly stowed it away, and then nodded their readiness to Jhond.
"The story begins about eight hundred years ago. It starts simply enough, rather dry in its description of the formation of the nunnery fifty or so years after the wife of the local landowner, on whose land the village of Lumera was built, arrived. She told them she had been sent a message in her dreams instructing her to create a shrine in Quiera's name. In her dream, Lady Emeldis Thail had seen a cavern inside the mountain above Lumera where a river split either side of a slab of stone."
"Thail?" Ninian queried. "Perhaps there is an answer in all of this somewhere."
Jhond inclined his head, but otherwise didn't respond to the comment. Remelin looked from one to other, puzzled.
Jhond continued, "She was to build an altar on that island of stone surrounded by the water of life. The river emerged from the mountain as a waterfall that irrigated the land below before it joined the sea. With support from her husband's coffers and help from the villagers, Lady Emeldis built the shrine, with a bridge across the river to the altar, where she placed a golden statue of the goddess.
"Gradually, word of the shrine spread, and people visited in increasing numbers. Eventually, a nunnery was built, quite a small one at first, paid for by Lady Emeldis' daughter, who became its first mother superior. As the years passed and word of Quiera's beneficence spread farther afield, followers flocked to worship and entreat the goddess for good luck and success by praying for beneficial dreams for their family and friends. Of course, not all prayers were answered, but enough that people came in hope they would be one of the lucky ones. In time, the village became a small town to cater to the visitors as the once little
"It wasn't easy to read it from where I was sitting." She shrugged. "I didn't get past the first chapter, though I already knew most of that part."
"No matter. I have to explain it to Ninian anyway."
Ninian closed the journal then and looked up at Jhond. The look in his eyes told Jhond enough that, as he'd expected, he had been correct to be concerned.
"I think some refreshment would be welcome just now," Ninian said, causing a tray of food and drink to appear in the center of the desk.
"I wish I had your ability," Remelin said, as she took her seat. "I wouldn't have had to go without so often."
"You have the ability were it trained," Jhond commented.
Remelin looked very pleased to hear that.
"But even I have to spell the Judral stone to make it work," Ninian added.
"Can I?" She paused, staring at Ninian intently. "Can I have a look at the stone? What did you call it? Judral?"
Ninian smiled at her and nodded. "It's named for the first mage who created one. I'd never be without it." He slipped a hand into his pocket and took out the stone. As he passed it over to her, he glanced at Jhond, who watched her just as closely as she picked it up.
"Oh, it feels warm," she said, turning the stone over in her hands. "I hadn't expected that."
"Do you feel anything else?" Jhond asked.
She looked confused for a moment. "Yes, I can, though I'm not sure what." Then her face cleared. "I think it likes me." She glanced up then, looking shocked. "How can I say that? It's a chunk of rock."
"Before I became the Eynan, I could sense nothing at all from the Judral stone, not even warmth," Jhond admitted.
"I felt its warmth and its welcome from the moment I picked it up," Ninian said. "Each mage's talent and area of expertise varies. You--and we--will learn more about that."
Remelin's expression was a mixture of excitement and puzzlement.
Very appropriate, Jhond thought. But now, it's time for other things.
Chapter 9
Jhond leaned back in his seat. "If you're ready," he began, his gaze taking in both of them, "I'll give you a précis of the nunnery's history."
Remelin passed the Judral stone back to Ninian, who quickly stowed it away, and then nodded their readiness to Jhond.
"The story begins about eight hundred years ago. It starts simply enough, rather dry in its description of the formation of the nunnery fifty or so years after the wife of the local landowner, on whose land the village of Lumera was built, arrived. She told them she had been sent a message in her dreams instructing her to create a shrine in Quiera's name. In her dream, Lady Emeldis Thail had seen a cavern inside the mountain above Lumera where a river split either side of a slab of stone."
"Thail?" Ninian queried. "Perhaps there is an answer in all of this somewhere."
Jhond inclined his head, but otherwise didn't respond to the comment. Remelin looked from one to other, puzzled.
Jhond continued, "She was to build an altar on that island of stone surrounded by the water of life. The river emerged from the mountain as a waterfall that irrigated the land below before it joined the sea. With support from her husband's coffers and help from the villagers, Lady Emeldis built the shrine, with a bridge across the river to the altar, where she placed a golden statue of the goddess.
"Gradually, word of the shrine spread, and people visited in increasing numbers. Eventually, a nunnery was built, quite a small one at first, paid for by Lady Emeldis' daughter, who became its first mother superior. As the years passed and word of Quiera's beneficence spread farther afield, followers flocked to worship and entreat the goddess for good luck and success by praying for beneficial dreams for their family and friends. Of course, not all prayers were answered, but enough that people came in hope they would be one of the lucky ones. In time, the village became a small town to cater to the visitors as the once little
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