Chapter 11
I returned to my camper, and changed into dry clothing. I fired up my stove and put a steak on, to celebrate. I had done it! Doing the gate had not seemed difficult to me, at all. Of course, I'd had a lot of power available.
Now, if I did get this gate set up, I was going to want the land it was sitting on. It would not do to have hikers or people around, when I wanted to operate the gate. When I went through, until I figured out how to open it from the other side, I would have to leave it open. I didn't want any 'mystery of disappearing people' on my hands.
I made a fruit salad, sampling as I went along. I was feeling very hungry, so I decided on a rare steak, instead of well done. Coffee went into the maker, and soon the smell of coffee and steak filled the air in my camper.
Mashed potatoes and gravy, and canned corn, topped off the meal. I was just finishing when there was a knock at my door. A voice called out. I opened the door, and saw a foul weather gear uniform, protecting a female officer from the downpour.
"Come on in, Officer. I have some coffee on. Would you like a cup?" I asked her, wondering what she was doing here.
"Sir, you can't camp here. It's private property. The owner does not allow camping on his land. I saw you here, and thought I should tell you before he finds you. We have had problems with him wanting to prosecute campers for trespassing," the officer said, still standing outside.
"You mean Mr. Hank Shelton? I know. I asked him, and he gave me permission," I replied.
She gaped at me and asked, "How on earth did you manage that? His land has some very prime locations for camping. But he has always refused to allow anyone to camp, before. I am going to have to call this in. Are you sure you don't want to change your story?" she asked in a friendly tone of voice.
"Be my guest. Call whomever you want. I have his phone number here, if you want to call him yourself," I told her.
I gave her my name, so she could check.
I was glad I had gotten permission to camp, after all. It had only taken a little magic to get him to agree. He was actually a lonely old man, and I spent the better part of two hours talking with him, and doing a little persuasion spell. I had given him a bit of company. He gave me permission to camp. Seemed a fair trade to me.
The officer went back to her car. I could see that she had a partner inside. She was gone for about 5 minutes, when I heard a knock again. This time she came inside, along with her partner.
"You must be a magician," she said, and I tensed.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"I just got off the radio with dispatch. They called Uncle Hank, and he confirms your story. He has never given permission before!"
"Uncle Hank?" I asked.
"Yes. He is my uncle. By the way, this is my partner, Officer Hatten. We would like to take you up on that coffee," she said with a smile.
"And you are?" I asked her as I got two cups out of the cupboard for them.
"I am Officer Shelton, at your service," she replied with a grin.
She had a very nice smile. Her partner was a quiet man who obviously was uncomfortable in this situation. I didn't know why.
We talked and they drank their coffee. They refused a second cup, and said they had to be on their way. They had a patrol to run during storms like this. I let them out, and watched as they drove away into the storm.
Nice people. They really cared about people. At least the woman did. Her partner didn't seem to be too talkative. She had been nice enough to give me a chance to recant my story, pack up, and move. Sometimes you just run into good cops.
Two days later, I was back at the gate. This time I had placed a general spell over the entire area, that would cause anyone nearby to want to go in other directions. My general, 'avoidance spell', I called it.
This time I had a backpack with me. It was packed with enough supplies to last a couple days, if I decided to stay that long. I pulled in power, and started to generate the pattern that I had formed during the storm.
No problems. I had the gate open in no time at all. I stepped through it. I looked carefully around. No one seemed to be near. I turned back to my gate. I concentrated, and started to make markings on the face of the gate. Only now, I made them on this side of it.
I concentrated. I could see the pattern of my world easily, as I looked through the gate. Funny, I had never noticed it before. Maybe it was like that old saying about 'you can't see the trees, for the forest'? Oh, well. I was sure I would figure it out eventually.
The markings had come instinctively. Now, I connected the markings of the pattern I could see of my world. I reached for power, and the very air seemed overflowing with magical energy! God! There was more energy here, just for the taking, than I had ever remembered seeing in my life... with the exception of the storm of two days ago.
I wondered why this world had so much magical power, and the world I just stepped from seemed so lacking in power, by comparison. Another thing I had to think about. I put it in the 'queue'. I didn't have time, right now. If I found my family, I am sure they could tell me everything I wanted to know.
I set up a spell here that would allow me to find my way back, in case I got lost. Having done that, I went around the rock face. I walked off towards where my camper was set up. That is, if my camper was in this world.
While things were very similar, there were differences. This world was not an exact carbon copy of the one I had just left. Still, they were enough alike, that I was able to recognize where my camper should have been standing... Nothing.
There was a small hill off in the distance. I decided to climb it, and have a look around with my binoculars. I glanced up as I climbed the hill, and saw something flying very high in the sky. I frowned. It was not like any bird I had ever seen before.
I finally reached the top of the hill and saw a small group of buildings off to the west. I got my binoculars out, and focused on the buildings in the distance. There were a few small buildings with grass or sod roofs. But what drew my attention the most was a stone wall.
From what I could see it totally enclosed a building. I would not actually call it a castle, but it was something similar. I could see people in the distance too, and a rude dirt road. Well, I had to start somewhere. I repacked my binoculars, and started for the buildings.
While traveling, I reviewed the spells I had at hand. I am glad I had taken the time to load myself heavily with spells at the ready. No telling what I might have to use, or what I would run into. I had been creative with the spells. My staff was full of power for the taking, as was my ring and watch.
Twenty minutes later, I finally hit the dirt road. It appeared to be well traveled, and firmly packed. Wagon ruts were very evident. I stuck the end of my shoulder high staff into one of the ruts. It went in, to one third its length, before hitting bottom.
This land was more forested than where I had come from. As I rounded a turn, I saw I was near the little group of houses I had seen from the hilltop. I paused and took stock of them.
With only one exception, everything was made from fieldstone to the roof. Then the roofs were all made of sod. The exception was a two-storied stone building, with a split shake roof, that was near the stone wall.
I noticed that I was being watched by several people. I waved to them, and continued into the little... I didn't know what to call this place. It was too small to be a village. Maybe it was the outer farm buildings for the three-storied stone wall protected building?
About that time, a very heavyset man stepped out of the two-storied building. He was dressed as the others were, in pants of some sort, and an over tunic. Both men and woman were dressed the same. He had an apron on, and was wiping his hands.
"Greetings, Stranger. It has been long, since we had someone come from the sea," the man said.
Then it hit me. He had not spoken English, yet I understood him!
"Greetings to you, also." I replied flawlessly, in the same tongue. Now how had I done that?!!
"Could you tell me where I am?" I asked as courteously as I could.
"That be Marald Keep there," he said, pointing.
'So, this community was a 'keep', ' I thought.
"I be his land master, Branny. Let me change, and I will take you to the keep," he said, and went back inside the building.
Apparently, Marald owned the keep, and the land around here. I was the center of curiosity. People gathered around me. They were exclaiming over my boots, clothes, and backpack. I nodded and smiled, but didn't really say anything.
"Have ye nothing better to be doing? Away with you, now. This man must seeing Marald," my guide said, as he returned.
Five minutes later, I was at a door in the wall of the keep. My guide knocked three times and waited. Soon the door opened. It was a very impressive door. It was as thick as all five of my fingers, and was re-enforced with heavy straps of wrought iron. The two men, who obviously guards, stepped out.
"A stranger from the direction of the sea wishes to speak to Marald," my guide said.
The guards nodded, and we all went inside. A third guard shut the door behind us with a heavy thud. I was looking at the building before me.
It, too, was made of fieldstone. It was three stories high, with a tower rising at least two stories higher than that, on the eastern side of the building. I guessed it was a lookout tower more than a place to live, as it was very slender. I did not have time to see the rest of the building, as I was hustled inside the keep proper. We went through another large, heavily re-enforced wooden door.
It was gloomy inside, as there was no lighting except for a few windows which were placed high up. I looked at everything that I could, all at once. I also looked with my 'second sight'. Sheesh! This place was loaded with magic!
I reached out, and gently touched some of the magical spells with my mind. Only one spell was I able to identify. The other spells I touched, were still a mystery to me. That was strange in itself. I was usually able to discern a spell, and what it did, once I touched it.
We waited in the 'great room' that we had entered, while a guard went through another door. He quickly came back, with a man who was much better dressed than anyone I had yet seen.
"I am Marald. Welcome to Marald Keep," he said.
"Thank you. I am happy to be here. But there seems to be some misunderstanding. I am not from the sea," I said.
He cocked his head at me and said, "Then you come from the gate I felt opening two days ago?" he asked.
"You could feel that?" I asked, amazed.
"Of course. When the power of a gate is used, anyone with magical abilities can feel it. Did you not see the dragons flying? The gate you made roused them, and they are now flying. They have marked you, and one has been following you since you arrived. I wondered at that. Usually they just attack, and be done with it. Yet they let you live," he stopped, and looked at me.
I looked back. I saw a man of about fifty. He was wearing black pants of some shiny material, possibly silk, a shirt that seemed to mold itself to his upper torso. He was balding, had a sharply defined nose, and piercing blue eyes. He also had an air of power about him.
"Dragons? I saw no dragons. At least, not that I know of. I saw a strange bird, flying very high, but no dragon," I said slowly.
Marald laughed. "That was a dragon. They have keen sight, and can easily see for a distance that is truly amazing. Still, it is strange that they let you live. The last two gate makers were destroyed by the dragons," Marald said in a musing tone.
Great. Apparently dragons were in this world, and they didn't like gate makers. But were the dragons of this world what I thought of dragons as being?
"Um, could you tell me exactly what dragons look like? Also, if gate makers are so dangerous, aren't you worried about me?" I had to get this out in the open. I needed to know if I was among friends or enemies.
He laughed, and said, "No, I do not deem you dangerous to me. If you had been, the dragons would have already destroyed you. As for what they look like... Come... I have a painting of one in the next room," he said.
Marald led our small party through the doorway the guard had gone into previously, when he had fetched Marald, the owner of this keep.
We all trouped into the room. I was immediately aware of a warm glow of magical power, here. The whole room seemed to pulse, almost as if to a slow heartbeat. My host was pointing at one of the walls.
'Yup, ' I thought. 'It was a dragon, allright. It was flying and flames jetted from its jaws at something on the ground. A flying dragon, that flames. Oh, boy.'
"This is Bel, the guardian of our land. He and his children have watched over my family and our land, for generations," Marald told me proudly.
"Yes, I can see that a 'guardian dragon' would be most helpful," I murmured.
Shit! That strange bird that had been flying over me was not a bird, but a dragon! And a fire-breathing one, at that!
This chapter edited byTeNderLoin