Part I - Nárhin

“Nárhin! Where are you?” 1

Hearing his father calling, Nárhin climbed down the oak he’d been sitting in and dropped the last five feet to the ground. 2

“There you are,” Fendil said with a stern voice. “I’ve been searching all over for you.” He looked at the ten year old boy. “Have you forgotten? You are supposed to be at the Arena for the Trial in five minutes. I don’t want you to be late and draw shame on you,” he said. 3

Of course Nárhin hadn’t forgotten. How could he? Every autumn there was held a trial for those children ten years of age or older who wanted to become magicians. The trial was held in the big clearing in the middle of Aldëa Osto, the tree-shadowed city. There, emissaries from the elves’ world-famous school of magic, Ingolë, sought for those who had sufficiently strong magic gifts. To be accepted was a dream to many a young elf. 4

“I haven’t forgotten about it,” Nárhin said truthfully. “I just forgot the time,” he added with a sly grin. 5

“Either way, you are going to be late,” Fendil said. 6

“Don’t worry father, I’ve just called on one of my friends,” Nárhin replied. “He will take me there in no time at all.” 7

Fendil looked troubled. “Which one of your friends is it this time?” he asked. “You know what I feel about them. You could get hurt.” 8

Last week he had found Nárhin tumbling around with a couple of young bears, the mother bear close by keeping watch. Terrified, he had woven a spell that instantly had separated Nárhin from the bears. Then he had snatched the boy away and the arguing had started again. 9

“There’s no need to be worried,” Nárhin said with the tired voice of one who has had this conversation many times before. “If it makes you feel better, it is no bear this time,” he added. 10

“Then what is it?” Fendil asked, not completely trusting the boy. 11

“You’ll see,” was all the answer he got. 12

Before he had time to inquire further, something big and brown bounced through the bushes, scaring some birds out of their nests. It raced straight at Nárhin and Fendil with great speed, but at the last instant the animal stopped and neighed, stomping its hooves. 13

Fendil was at a loss of words, staring at the unicorn in front of him. He had seen one only once before in his life, when he was young. He and some friends had tried to catch it, cocky as they were as newly graduated students from Ingolë. The memory still made his back ache. A unicorn was one of the more powerful magical animals roaming these forests. They weren’t seen often though, shy as they were. Because of this, not many people knew that – contradictory to the popular legend – unicorns came in all kinds of shapes and colours, just like their horse cousins. This one shimmered like oiled mahogany, with a deep black mane. Its muscles rippled like water under the sleek hide while it stepped to and fro, clearly nervous to be out in the open like this. It eyed Fendil with a big, dark eye and snorted irritably, rustling its mane. The horn swung menacingly, a more than one foot long pike, sharp enough to skewer a fully armoured man. 14

Before Fendil managed to stop him, Nárhin walked over to the magnificent animal and extended his left hand, palm upwards. In it he held a small, red apple. The beast moved closer to the tiny boy, obviously interested in the treat. As it did, Nárhin gave it the apple and patted the shiny neck with soft hands. It seemed like magic – and perhaps it was – because the animal shivered as if waking up from a bad dream and then stood still, calm as a trained horse under Nárhin’s touch. Fendil blinked in surprise, once again impressed and amazed by the boys hand with animals. 15

“See, no bear,” Nárhin said to Fendil, a wide grin on his face, and before Fendil had time to react the boy leapt onto the back of the beast. It remained completely at ease, showing no signs of discomfort at the human on its back. “Don’t worry; he carries me because he likes me, not because I force him to. He won’t attack me,” Nárhin said as he saw the expression on Fendil’s face. 16

“Very well,” Fendil said, still taken aback. “I suppose I cannot watch your every step. I just hope the instructors at Ingolë will teach you some proper sense.” He shook his head. It took an effort to say it, but he knew the boy would do as he wished anyway, and Fendil had no desire to be an overprotective father. The boy had to learn by his own mistakes sometime, and Fendil was not overly afraid that the unicorn would hurt Nárhin seriously if it came to an accident. They were peaceful creatures by nature; it was only if threatened that they were really dangerous. Besides, the boy did have an uncannily good hand with the animal, and it had to count for something. “Now off you go or you will be late, unicorn or no unicorn,” he said with a sigh. 17

As Nárhin urged his steed forward, Fendil stood watching, thinking about the boy’s strange abilities. The boy never ceased to surprise him. Not the fact that he spoke to all kinds of animals; that was not really an uncommon thing among the elves, attuned as they were to the magic of nature. No, what made Nárhin so special was that he not only communicated with animals, but that he oftentimes also preferred them as playmates instead of other children. The animals didn’t seem to mind either; they accepted him as one of their own and sometimes even let him play with their young as well, something that Fendil would have believed impossible unless he hadn’t seen it himself on several occasions. The boy’s connection with nature seemed to reach far beyond the normal, even by the elven standards. The unicorn was definitely proof of that. Fendil could only think of a few elves that might be able to match such a feat. 18

However, Nárhin was human, not an elf – Fendil kept forgetting that – and that made it all so much more astonishing. Fendil had his suspicions about this however. Cross marriage between elves and humans were not uncommon, although recently the political relations with the neighbouring human kingdoms had worsened. It was not at all unlikely that Nárhin had some elven blood in him, something that would at least to some extent explain his telepathic skill. 19

Unfortunately, Nárhin's looks and constitution was all the more human, which meant that he had trouble to fit in among the other children. He seldom joined in their games, not being as quick and agile as they. Fendil suspected that this was why he preferred the animals instead. They didn’t tease him. 20

However, the oddities didn’t end there. Fendil thought back to when he first had found the boy, ten years ago in that burning cottage far up to the north-east. For some reason Nárhin had not been affected by the intense heat, something he would have dismissed as impossible had he not seen it himself. His initial theory about sensational magical abilities had been proven false soon enough, though. As any other child, Nárhin had managed to burn himself on several occasions during his up growth. No, even though the boy definitely had some unusual skills, innate fire protection was not one of them. 21

Then there was the issue with the dead wolves. Fendil's best guess was that at least one of Nárhin's biological parents had also had the telepathic skill Nárhin now showed, and that he or she had used it to call for help from the wolves. It seemed like a stretch, but he could come up with no other explanation. This whole story had far too many gaps for Fendil to like it, and he had only confined it in a few trusted people. Not even Nárhin himself knew all of it. One of those who did know was the cáno, the leader of the city. It had taken a lot of persuasion, and the promise of a few future favours on Fendil’s side to make her accept the human boy as a part of the community, but finally she had given in. She was a lot wiser than most when it came to things like this, and she had a very liberal view on humans, which were unusual among the elves of today. 22

He shook his head as he walked back to the house. Perhaps the teachers at Ingolë might be able to sort it out he thought, confident that Nárhin would pass the tests. Not once suspecting what was about to come, he closed the door behind him. 23

***24

As he left Fendil, Nárhin focused his thoughts on the unicorn. With a careful touch his mind connected with the powerful being, letting it understand that he was in a great hurry. The unicorn’s nostrils flared and with a neigh it set off in a wild gallop through the leafy paths which were Aldëa Osto’s substitute for streets. The houses he passed were mostly made of wood, although a stone mansion could be seen here or there. Aldëa Osto was not a big city but rather a large settlement. Elves who wished to escape the stress and busyness of the larger cities came here, or to one of the other forest settlements, to enjoy the quiet life in the woods. Humans were not usually allowed inside the gates, so for Nárhin to actually live here was a rare thing indeed. As far a he knew he was the only human around, not counting the occasional trader who came up along the river with goods from Miramoon, the elven capital. 25

In contrast to Aldëa Osto, Miramoon was the biggest centre of trade in the eastern provinces; a huge metropolis where many a young elf went to seek their fortune. It was located a few days travel to the south-west of Aldëa Osto; the fastest way to get there was to use the river. It started up in the mountains far to the north and then flowed down into the forest. On its way it gathered strength and width from other mountain streams, until it grew into a wide canal down in the lower woodlands. Just north of Aldëa Osto it turned slightly westwards and continued in a calm pace towards the great lake Caer Carnigan, on which shores Miramoon was located. 26

Nárhin tried not to think about what lay ahead as he continued on his way to the Arena. He felt tense, and his stomach was a nervous knot. He knew Fendil wanted him to make it to Ingolë, to be a skilled magician just as himself, but Nárhin had never felt any attraction to magic. He couldn’t say he’d ever felt the Source all magicians drew their power from, but when he’d told Fendil about it he had just dismissed Nárhin’s apprehension, explaining that everyone experienced it differently. 27

“It can take time to learn, simply because there is really no appropriate way to teach it. For some it goes fast, and for some it takes years, but it does not really say anything about your gift as such. You have to figure it out by yourself, and when you do, you wont understand why you thought it difficult to begin with. 28

Telepathy is almost as a trademark of a magician,” Fendil had continued. “It is true that there exist telepaths without magic gift, but they are rare, and they have all studied long and hard to achieve their skill. Only to magicians does the art of freeing ones mind come naturally, but even for us it requires hard studies to fully master. I would say that at your age, a highly developed telepathic skill is more important than the ability to sense the Source. You will pass the tests, don’t you worry.” Nárhin still did. 29

These thoughts weren’t the only ones troubling him this day though. Nárhin didn’t like big crowds. He felt out of place and everyone seemed to look at him. He knew it was silly but he couldn’t help it. Truthfully he hadn’t put much effort into getting friends, but he still felt a longing to fit in. It was hard, being the only human in town and as such a natural subject of gossip. On the other hand, he didn’t do much to prevent that either, he admitted to himself as he rode past a couple of elven women, having a friendly conversation. Their stares were unbeatable, he mused. They would talk about this for weeks. 30

Ahead of him the trees grew sparser and the path opened up into a big clearing. The Arena was a big oval field in the middle of the city and it was used as a place to perform sports, view plays or for other social gatherings. Today it was a bustling marketplace, filled with the small stands of people who wanted to use the opportunity a Trial offered in the way of customers. Children with their families milled about, talking amongst themselves in small groups as they wandered among the tents. All in all there had to be over a hundred people assembled. 31

When Nárhin entered the clearing, the people closest to him slowly stopped talking. One after another, people turned to look at the unicorn, many pointing, others just gaping. Nárhin already regretted he had chosen this way of transportation. He would rather have come to the Trial short-winded than being stared at like this. Or at least he could have thought about dismounting before entering the Arena. 32

Cursing his own thoughtlessness he slipped off the unicorn and sent it back into the surrounding forest. As he slowly walked across the field he wished that Fendil had gone with him. He had offered to do so earlier but Nárhin had declined, wanting to show the other children that he certainly could do this by himself. Now he missed the extra support. 33

Suddenly he heard his name; someone was calling for him from the left hand side of the field. 34

“Nárhin, over here!” 35

With a feeling of relief, Nárhin discovered Nolwëndil, one of the few of the same age he called friend. Nolwëndil was a thin boy, almost skinny. His eyes were dark brown, a very uncommon colour among the elves and he always looked a little sick, as if he didn’t get enough food or sleep. Just like Nárhin, he seldom joined in the games with the other children. He preferred to read, losing himself in one of Fendil’s many books about magic or history. Today he was there at the Trial with his father Vanrod, a renowned scout and swordsman and also a good friend of Fendil. Nárhin quickly walked over and greeted them, thankful for the familiar faces. 36

“What happened to the bears?” Nolwëndil laughed. “Did Fendil think a unicorn was better?” 37

“No, he didn’t,” Nárhin answered, grinning. “But I was in a hurry and was already speaking to Wind so I thought, why not?” 38

“Wind? Is it the name of the unicorn?” 39

“No, he doesn’t have a real name. At least not one we could pronounce anyway,” Nárhin said. “I just call him that; it’s the closest I can get to describe how he pictures himself. He enjoys running like the wind.” 40

Nolwëndil shook his head, eyeing Nárhin with something close to envy. 41

“I wish I was that skilled at telepathy,” he said. “You won’t have any difficulties to get into Ingolë. I on the other hand have difficulties just to tell our dog not to pee indoors,” he continued with a laugh. “How do you do the things you do?” 42

“I don’t really know.” Nárhin felt a little uncomfortable as he answered. He didn’t like when people got too interested in his strange abilities. He didn’t know how he did it, it just felt natural. He’d always been able to sense the nature around him, to feel all kinds of life forms and communicate with them all. To explain it was like trying to explain what seeing was to a blind man. 43

“I’m not so sure it will be that easy though,” he added. “I still haven't felt the Source yet. Not once...” He suddenly felt the knot in his stomach again and he had to take a few slow, deep breaths to steady his churning insides. 44

“Ah, don't worry,” Nolwëndil said. “I had the same trouble at first, but then one day I just felt it, and I have done ever since.” He gave Nárhin a slap on the shoulder. “Besides, there really is nothing you can do about it anyway, so brighten up, will you? And you don't have to be able to touch the Source yourself to do the Trial, they do it for you.” 45

“I guess you are right,” Nárhin said. He was silent for a moment. “So, have you decided which school you want to pursue yet? It would be awesome to be an illusionist, wouldn’t it?” he added with some more excitement. “It would be fun to turn invisible.” He grinned. 46

“Yeah,” Nolwëndil said. “But I hear that it is incredibly difficult. It’s so much technique in illusion; light is so darn difficult to manipulate. Transmutation or destruction is easier to learn, although they require a lot of energy.” His eyes gleamed. “Now there’s another interesting School, destruction. I wouldn’t mind throwing a few lightning bolts every now and then.” He raised his arms in a dramatic gesture and pointed a pair of suddenly white-glowing hands at Nárhin, making use of the one magic skill he possessed so far. “Cover brief mortal, or I shall turn you into a pile of ashes!” he exclaimed. 47

Nárhin laughed. “Yeah, but not if you can’t see me.” He twirled his cloak around himself, pretending to disappear. 48

Vanrod, who until now had stood silent and watched the boys, laughed. It was a hearty, pleasant sound. 49

“Take it easy boys. You haven’t even passed the tests yet,” he said. “There will be plenty of time to consider possible specialisations later on. If you pass, that is. Don’t be too disappointed it you have to try again next year. I know Fendil came in on his second try.” 50

“Yes, he told me,” Nárhin's said. “That doesn’t stop him from having high expectations on me though,” he added with a hint of sarcasm, but with a smile on his lips. 51

He was about to say something more, but he was cut short by a sharp horn-blow which vibrated across the Arena. It was a signal for the assembled people to come to the raised podium in the middle of the marketplace, where the cáno of Aldëa Osto stood, the representatives from Ingolë waiting patiently by her side. Nárhin thought the she looked very beautiful in her flowing green robes. 52

When all the people had gathered in front of the podium, she opened her arms in a welcoming gesture. 53

“Children of Aldëa Osto, welcome!” she said in a clear, vibrant voice. “Today is the day many of you have waited for a long, long time. For some of you it was decided almost at your births that you should apply for Ingolë. Others have showed magical abilities more recently. Either way, you should know that here you will all be judged as equals and individuals. The examiners here are appointed by the school in accordance with the guidelines set up by the High Council in Miramoon. No one here has any bond to anyone of you.” She made a pause. “This is to prevent earlier years’ rumours about unjust acceptations. Other than that, I don’t have any more to say than the best of luck to you all! I will leave the podium to Ramara here. As head representative of Ingolë, she will explain the procedure of the Trial to you.” With those words she turned and made space for a tall, bony elf woman in long ornate robes.