Snarl ran ahead, while Aubrey and Albreda made their way into Hawksburg. The war had not been kind to the city, and burned-out skeletons of houses lined their progress.
"Good gods," said Albreda, "the city is devastated. I knew they'd torched it, but I didn't expect this level of destruction. Did they leave any buildings standing?"
"A few," said Aubrey, "mostly those without thatched roofs."
"The troops were lazy," said Albreda, "and likely didn't want to take any extra effort. What about the manor, is it intact?"
"It is," said the Life Mage, "but most of the furniture is gone."
They rode up the street, the sounds of chopping wood coming to their ears. Soon, they could make out the manor house, its front courtyard packed with people. Orcs mingled with the Humans, cutting wood into more manageable sizes.
Albreda halted, dropping to the ground. There was no use bringing the elk any closer. Aubrey did the same, and they continued on foot, the wolf trailing behind them.
"Lady Aubrey," called out a rough voice.
The crowd parted, and the Orc shaman, Kraloch, came forward. "It's good to see you again," he said. "It has been some time since you last visited us."
"Good to see you, Kraloch," Aubrey said. "What progress have you been making?"
"We have set up temporary housing in the common," the Orc replied, "and started building more permanent structures. We aim to have a number of them done before winter arrives."
Aubrey looked around at the crowd, Humans and Orcs working together to rebuild the city. "Will it be enough, do you think?"
"Hopefully," said Kraloch, "we started by building longhouses, what you would call barracks. They will hold people until the spring thaw, though it will be crowded."
"I'm surprised by the number of people here," observed the druid. "Didn't many flee when the attack came?"
"Yes," answered Aubrey, "and most of those went to Queenston to settle. I doubt they'll return."
"You still have a sizable population from the look of it," observed Albreda.
"Indeed we do," the Life Mage replied, "but I wish we had some defences."
"The war's over," Albreda reminded her.
"For how long?" asked Aubrey. "If the Norlanders find out how weak we are, they'll make a move against us."
"Defences will have to wait," said the druid. "The people must be protected from winter above all else."
"I suppose you're right," she said. "What can we do to help?"
"Talk to your people," said Kraloch. "That alone will give them hope."
Aubrey turned to Albreda, but words failed her.
"Go ahead," offered the druid, "the circle can wait. See to your people first." She turned to the Orc, "Master Kraloch, how may I be of assistance?"
"What can you do?" asked the shaman.
"I can move earth. Perhaps I can clear away the remains of the burned-out houses?"
"That would help immensely," replied Kraloch, "for it would allow us to concentrate solely on building."
"Show me the way, my friend," said the druid.
The two women worked in Hawksburg for almost a week, clearing away rubble and helping wherever they could. It soon became a common occurrence to see them walking through the devastated area, the large wolf trailing them.
One evening, as they sat on makeshift chairs before the fire, cold winds blew in from the north.
"Winter will be here soon," mused Aubrey. "You need to get on the way to Weldwyn."
"True enough," replied Albreda, "but we haven't looked at this circle of yours. Perchance we should do that first?"
"When?" asked Aubrey. "We seem to have had no time."
"Why not now?"
"Now?" asked the Life Mage.
"Why not?" asked Albreda. "We are merely sitting here, we might as well put the time to good use."
"Very well," said Aubrey, rising. "Come along, and I'll show you the old manor house. It was used by my great grandmother."
They made their way out back, crossing the grounds to the structure. Aubrey led the way, carrying a lantern, while Albreda followed, along with Snarl.
The Life Mage entered the building, turning to the left and what was left of the old library.
“For Saxnor's sake,” she said.
"What is it?" asked Albreda.
"They stripped away most of the books, there are hardly any left." Aubrey knelt, picking up a ripped cover and showing it to the druid. "This was signed by Califax himself," she said, "and look at it now, nothing but a ripped and torn cover."
"Why is the bookshelf crooked?" asked Albreda.
"I had to flee in a hurry," Aubrey explained. "I was in the casting room when they came for me. I grabbed the book and ran. I didn't have time to hide anything."
"The book?"
"Yes," replied Aubrey, "the spellbook of my great grandmother. I have it in Wincaster now, safely locked away in the Palace."
"Show me this casting room," said Albreda.
Aubrey walked over to the wooden shelf that was slightly apart from the wall, revealing the stairs beyond. She pushed it the rest of the way, moving to the top of the stairs.
"There's a single room beneath the library, that's where the magic circle is."
"Lead on," said Albreda.
Aubrey took two steps and then stopped. "There's a body here!" she said.
Albreda moved closer, her interest piqued, but then glanced back to the wolf. "Snarl doesn't detect any danger," she said. "He's got a good sense for that type of thing."
Aubrey moved forward, stepping past the body into the room.
Albreda followed, pausing to examine the body in more detail. "He's been burned," she said.
"How did that happen, I wonder?" said Aubrey. "I had no flame here."
Albreda examined the arch over the door. "I suspect it was a trap, I see evidence of a rune. See this scorch mark here?" she pointed.
"How would that work?" asked Aubrey.
"This rune would likely activate if someone passed through the door."
"But I went through, and I didn't activate it."
"True," said Albreda, "but you have magical potential."
"But my father…" she objected.
"He was in close proximity to you," Albreda explained. "But of more interest is the fact that it was a rune of fire."
"Meaning?" asked the Life Mage.
"Meaning that a Fire Mage must have created it."
"We don't know of any Fire Mages in Merceria," said Aubrey, "though I know of at least one in Weldwyn."
"Your great grandmother lived long before either of us," said Albreda. "I suspect there were many more mages in those days."
"What do you suppose happened to them all?"
"I don't know," said the druid, "perhaps they died off without training apprentices."
"There's at least one other explanation I can think of," offered Aubrey.
"Which is?"
"We know Lady Penelope is an Elf, and they're immortal. Could her agents have hunted them down over the years and eliminated them?"
"It's quite possible," said Albreda, "but if that's the case, why was your grandmother spared?"
"I'm not sure," said Aubrey, "but as far as I know, she never passed her gift onto an apprentice."
"No, I suppose not," said Albreda. "But at least she had the foresight to leave her spellbook here, for you to find."
"Perhaps she had visions," offered Aubrey, "like you."
"An interesting thought. Perhaps she knew more than she let on."
"When I first found this room," said Aubrey, "the magic circle was covered by dirt."
Albreda moved into the room, gazing at the floor. "She must have wanted to hide its presence, I can think of no other reason. What do you know of your great grandmother?"
"Not much, I'm afraid. Her name was Juliana, though she was known as 'Nan' to my parents." Tears came to Aubrey's eyes unbidden. "Sorry, this place reminds me of when my father and I first found it."
Albreda moved towards the young mage, hugging her. "I understand," she said, "losing a family is a great tragedy. Believe me, I know."
Aubrey stepped back, looking at her in surprise, "You do?"
"Yes," admitted the druid, "I lost my mother when I was eight, and my father was killed by Norlanders when I was thirteen."
"So young!" exclaimed Aubrey. "How did you manage without them?"
"I found the Whitewood. It became my home, and the wolves looked after me."
"Is that how you discovered you were an Earth Mage?"
"No," said Albreda, "that came later. I didn't understand it at the time, I was still quite young."
"I'm sorry," said Aubrey, "I had no idea."
"It's long in the past now," the druid continued, "and we cannot live in the past. We must continue forward, as they would have wanted us to."
"You're right," said Aubrey, wiping away her tears.
"Now," said Albreda, "let's examine this circle of yours in more detail, shall we? I've never seen a circle of Life Magic before. I assume that's what we call it."
"Why? Is there another name for it?"
"Possibly," said the druid, "I'm not the expert in such things. I know stone circles are used by Earth Mages, and I read somewhere that Necromancers use pentagrams. I would imagine each school of magic has its own terms, but magic circle would apply to all of them, regardless of their actual type. What do you think we should call it?"
"How about a circle of life?" asked Aubrey.
"Life circle might be more appropriate," offered Albreda, "though it matters little. We can call it whatever you like. After all, you're the one that discovered it."
"Then life circle it is," said Aubrey.
Albreda crouched, examining the edge in more detail. It was actually two circles, one inside of the other, with the space in between decorated by magic runes.
"These symbols match those in the Whitewood," observed the druid.
"Yes," agreed Aubrey, "and I think I found the creator's mark."
"Creator's mark?"
"Yes," repeated Aubrey, "just as the Meghara left her mark on the stone circles, so too, did someone mark this one. It's the only rune that isn't part of the magical alphabet."
"So it is," agreed the druid, shifting her position slightly. "Do you recognize it?"
"No," replied Aubrey, "and I saw no indication of it in any of my great grandmother's notes."
"Notes? You found more than just spells?"
"I did," said Aubrey. "Aside from the spells, there was a whole host of additional information, often scribbled randomly in the margins. Most of it was beyond my understanding at the time. I'd only mastered a few spells before Valmar came to Hawksburg."
"What a vile creature he is," said Albreda. "He deserves a terrible death for all the things he's done."
"Agreed," said Aubrey.
"And since then?"
"I've been so busy with the war that I haven't returned to my studies. It still sits, waiting for me to investigate further, and now, with Hawksburg in ruins, I have even less time."
Albreda returned her attention to the floor. "The workmanship on this is masterful. I suspect it must have taken a great amount of effort."
"I noticed that too," said Aubrey. "It looks like it's set in gold. It likely cost a fortune."
"Yes," agreed the druid, rising to her feet. "I suspect the princess's idea of putting circles in all the major cities is going to cost a great deal more than she thought."
"If this is a life circle," asked Aubrey, "can you still use it?"
"There's only one way to find out," replied Albreda. "I'll commit this one to memory, then recall here from close by. I'll stand just outside of the circle when I cast."
"What can I do?" asked Aubrey.
"Some better light would help."
Aubrey cast a spell, illuminating the room with a glowing ball of light, "Is that better?"
"Perfect," said Albreda. "Now I shall get to work, as should you."
"Me? I've already used the circle to cast spells."
"Yes," said Albreda, "but to recall to it, you must memorize it. Now come along, we have a lot of work ahead of us."
It took the rest of the evening to commit the circle to memory. Aubrey found it quite easy to recall to it, but for Albreda, it was a bit more of an effort, no doubt due to the fact it wasn't a stone circle.
They had resolved to return to the Whitewood in the morning, for there was one more location for Aubrey to memorize, and so it was that bright and early the next day, they stood in the basement once more. This time, they had taken pains to close the concealed door that led into the room. Snarl followed Albreda, curling up on the floor within the circle.
"Why are we standing in the circle?" asked Aubrey. "Surely we can cast from anywhere?"
"We can," said Albreda, "but if you cast within the circle, it will amplify your spell."
"I noticed that when casting other spells," remarked Aubrey, "but I hadn't realized it would affect a recall."
"Oh, yes," said the druid, "it will amplify any spell you cast. Even I can feel its effect, and it's not of my school. It must, indeed, be a powerful creation."
"Circles can be of different strengths?" asked Aubrey. "That surprises me, I thought they were all the same."
"No," said Albreda, "they can vary a lot. The two circles in the Whitewood are different from each other. The one in the east is more powerful, though we still don't know how they're created."
"I find this whole topic quite intriguing, I wish I could go to Weldwyn with you."
"I'd like that too," said Albreda, "but you're needed here, there is so much work to be done. Are you ready to return to the Whitewood? We still have a circle for you to memorize."
"Yes," said Aubrey, "though I'd like to return us to the eastern circle first if you don't mind. I want to see how much energy it requires."
"By all means," said the druid.
Aubrey took her place in the centre of the circle and started to cast her spell. The inlaid gold runes began to glow, and then a vertical wall of bright white light shot up from the circle, obscuring their surroundings. As she completed the incantation, the wall disappeared, revealing woods all around them. Snarl let out a howl.
"Someone's glad to be home," said Aubrey.
Albreda was standing perfectly still as if straining to hear something.
"What is it?" asked Aubrey.
"Someone's in the woods," the druid replied.
"Who?"
"Soldiers," responded Albreda. "They've crossed the river from the north."
"Norlanders!" uttered Aubrey.
"Precisely."
"How do you know?"
"The trees told me," said Albreda.
"What do we do?"
"We shall have to investigate," said the druid, turning to Snarl. She placed her forehead to his for a moment and then the great wolf bounded off into the underbrush. "I've sent him to find the pack. In the meantime, keep an eye out, I'm going to cast a spell."
Albreda closed her eyes, uttering words of power. Aubrey felt the magic tingling in the air, then the druid began weaving about, reminding Aubrey of Revi Bloom when he looked through the eyes of his familiar.
"I see them," said Albreda, her eyes still closed. "It looks like two dozen or so, nothing we can't handle."
"I'm a Life Mage," protested Aubrey, "what can I do against that many soldiers?"
Albreda opened her eyes, "Let's see, shall we?"
The two mages made their way through the woods. The farther they travelled, the easier it became to hear the interlopers.
When they halted, Albreda cast a spell. Moments later, Aubrey's dress turned from blue to multiple earth colours, blending in with the background. The druid soon repeated the process on herself.
"You are now blending in with the woods," said Albreda. "Be warned though, if you cast a spell, the effect will be dispelled."
They crouched, watching the men's progress. They were clearly soldiers, cutting their way through the brush with long knives and axes.
Albreda turned to look behind her as a pack of wolves approached. "Ah," she said, "our reinforcements have arrived. Time to take action, I think."
She beckoned Snarl forward then pressed her forehead to his again. Once she released him, he led the pack off to the side, intent on flanking the intruders.
Aubrey watched the scene unfolding before her as they waited, and then Albreda stood and began gesticulating. The trees surrounding them bent to her will, while the branches whipped out, striking the soldiers. Some fought back, but there was little they could do against trees. Albreda cast again, and this time, a small light sailed across the distance to strike the ground in front of the men.
Moments later, vines erupted from the point of impact, and the screams of pain and terror that emanated from the Norlanders signalled the wolves to rush forward, growling. Aubrey couldn't see what was happening, but she could certainly hear as flesh was rent and swords struck out. Soon, the soldiers ran in fear, but Albreda rushed forward, casting once more. A tree pulled itself from the ground blocking the Norlanders retreat with its branches. The noise of fighting soon subsided.
Aubrey rose from her position. "Should I heal them?" she asked.
"No," said Albreda, "there can be no survivors."
"Surely we could take prisoners?" asked Aubrey.
"No," repeated Albreda, "invaders never leave the Whitewood alive. Their complete annihilation is the price they pay for violating the sanctity of the woods. If any were to make it home with news of what they encountered, they would return equipped to meet us. That must never happen."
A wolf trotted from the fray, limping badly.
"I understand," said Aubrey, "but at least let me heal your wolves."
"Of course," said Albreda, "that would be most appreciated."
Aubrey cast her spell, her hands glowing with energy as she placed them upon the wolf, watching the light absorb into her patient, curing the wounds.
"What now?" Aubrey asked. "Do we bury them?"
"No," responded Albreda, "the woods will see to their bodies. We must travel westward to the other circle and thence to Bodden, the baron must be made aware of this incursion."
"Didn't we leave the baron in Wincaster?" asked the Life Mage.
"We did, but I know he intended to return to Bodden. He's likely there by now."
"And if he isn't?" asked Aubrey.
"Then we'll wait there until his arrival. Don't worry, they'll let us in, they know me there."