LEGEND OF THE LOST HOMELAND
There once was an ancient civilization that thrived in the middle sea, the kingdom of Aileach. It existed for many thousands of human years and was very prosperous, the inhabitants working together toward the common good. The people of the ancient land were a harmonious mixture of various races....humans, dwarves, fae, elves, mer, and more. All of the people were so industrious and cooperative that the land was very fruitful, everyone prospered, and Aileach grew into a powerful, wealthy kingdom.
The royal family was of elven descent and had been on the throne for many, many generations. They were very beloved and respected by the people of the land. The land was ruled by the Queen and her consort, whose title was Prince. Besides being the ruler, the queen was also the High Cleric of the land. Now, this may seem like a conflicting role, but it was not as you might expect. It was said that the power of a timeless goddess was a guiding force for the queen, coming to her in dreams to provide knowledge and wisdom. When a problem or illness would arise, the queen would contemplate on it, and before long, she would dream of the solution or cure. Was it magic? No one knew for sure, but everyone was happy to have a good, wise, and powerful ruler. And the queen shared her knowledge with a group of healers--women who traveled throughout the land and neighboring lands to provide care and assistance for the people.
There came a time when the Princess of the land and heir to the throne, whose name was Adela, became of age. Adela was very beautiful and had many admirers. But, she only had eyes for the prince of a neighboring land, Prince Callen. The young couple had grown up in each other's company, being friends from the start. Their childhood fondness eventually grew into love, and it seemed that they were destined to rule the land together.
But Adela was not the only princess of the land. She had a younger sister named Esme, who was also beautiful, but not nearly as good hearted and beloved as Adela. While Esme had been given love and the same opportunities as Adela, she spent so much of her time being envious of her sister that she herself did not thrive. Her accomplishments never seemed to be equal to Adela's, and over the years bitterness grew and burdened her heart. Adela was completely blind to her sister's jealousy and resentment, and loved her dearly.
When it was announced that Princess Adela and Prince Callen were to be wed, Esme was enraged. Her anger and envy ate away at her so badly that she decided she would take Prince Callen for her own. At first, Esme simply tried to tempt the Prince, but when this failed she decided to seek assistance. Now, Esme had heard that on a nearby isle there lived a wizard named Roldan. So, one day, she slipped away and set out in a boat to look for him.
Esme found Roldan high in his tower room and explained that she wanted a potion to help her take the prince from her sister. But the crafty wizard was full of evil and spite, and he saw an opportunity. He found Esme to be very lovely and wanted her for his own. Here was his chance to defeat those despised people, take Esme as his bride, and become the new ruler of Aileach. He rummaged through his paraphernalia and produced a small pouch which contained several black seeds. He instructed Esme that she was to crush the seeds and mix them into Adela's and Callen's food. This would cause strife between the happy couple, and Esme could then take Callen from her sister.
He saw that this pleased Esme, so he decided to proceed further. He told Esme that she should not stop at that. He flattered her, telling her that she was so beautiful and smart and that she should have been the chosen heir. Esme fell for this completely and asked what she must do. The wizard told her that she should mix the crushed seeds into the food of her mother and father as well. He said that the seeds would not harm them, but that the magic would simply make them see the error of their ways. They would make Esme the heir, and Esme would be the next queen.
Esme took the pouch of seeds and set off for home. She waited until night time and made her way to the kitchen. She stole the cook's mortar and pestle and crept back to her room. Esme poured out some of the seeds and tried to crush them, but they were hard as stone. She worked and ground, grumbling the entire time. After a while, she lost patience and decided that she had crushed the seeds well enough. She poured the seeds back into the pouch and hid them in her desk.
Now, unknown to Esme, a maid named Beatrice had been busy tidying her room when she had arrived. The shy little maid was much tormented by Esme, so she hid in the wardrobe when she heard her approaching in order to avoid a confrontation. Beatrice overheard all of Esme's grumbling and mumbling, and realized what she intended. So, when Esme left, Beatrice came out and found the pouch. She peaked inside, and realized the the seeds looked a good bit like peppercorns, so she cleaned the pouch very carefully, filled it with hastily crushed peppercorns, and returned it to the desk.
Beatrice took the seeds and threw them into a garbage heap in a nearby village, satisfied that she'd done a good deed. The next morning when the maid arrived at work, she was very happy to learn that she was to travel with Princess Adela to visit Prince Callen. She helped the Princess pack her chest, and off they went. Beatrice was certain it was her just reward for the good deed she had done.
Later that morning, one of the local farmers went to work in his garden and noticed that in the garbage heap had grown a mount of the most beautiful red flowers. He was a very experienced gardener, but he'd never seen anything so beautiful. So, he picked some of the flowers and took them to his wife, who then gave a couple to her sister in law, who passed one along to her best friend. Before long, the red flowers were in every garden in the land. They filled the air with a most pleasant scent and the petals were sweet to the taste, so the livestock began to nibble on them.
It was shortly after this that things began to change. Neighbors were seen arguing, things turned up missing, there were disputes over transactions and money. The tension and strife grew and grew until people were not just arguing, but fighting. Even the Queen and Prince began to argue.
Princess Adela and her escorts arrived at the homeland of Prince Callen, where they spent several pleasant weeks. There were feasts and even a ball to honor the Princess. But, one night, when Adela fell asleep, she had a disturbing dream. In her dream, Adela was sitting on a pristine beach, and a very fair woman approached and sat beside her. The woman began to speak to her, calling her not Princess or Your Highness, but simply Lady. She told Adela that she must not return to her homeland. She explained everything that had happened. She told Adela that the seeds were known as The Seeds Of Discord, and that their magic brought out greed and meanness in all who encountered them. She told Adela that she could not return to her home. The land had been corrupted so badly that even her magic could not save it, so she planned to wash it into the sea so the corruption would not spread. She told Adela that she had to send word to all of the traveling clerics, telling them not to return home.
Adela awoke the next morning in great distress. She found Callen and told him about her dream. Callen listened very thoughtfully, then told Adela that he believed it was all true and that she was not being misled. He said that he would send a ship to check on the situation, and he did.
Two weeks later, the ship returned. The ship's Captain came to Callen and Adela to give his report. He told them that he could not find Aileach. He was a very experienced sailor and knew he was on course. He visited several nearby islands, and was told that there had been a great disturbance in the distance. There had been an explosion and large, crashing waves. None of the traders had returned from that area, and everyone was concerned. The Captain then returned to the spot where Aileach should have been, finding nothing but a very tiny isle and rubble.
Adela was beside herself with grief. Callen sent the Captain out once more, instructing him to locate as many of the traveling clerics as possible and tell them the news. The next few nights,, Adela could not sleep. Finally, she was so exhausted that she slept and slept......and slept. When she awoke, she found that many of the traveling clerics had arrived and she was not alone. She had them gather round and told them of her dreams. She said that the same pretty lady had come to her again, and told her that she must set sail once more. The lady said that if she would sail toward her old homeland, she would find that a new island had appeared from the nearby sea. This small land was to be the homeland of the clerics from now on, and it would always be safe and peaceful, a haven for people in need. One of the old healers nodded. She said that this was the old mother guiding Adela and that they should do as she said.
And that is how the Lady and the healers came to live at their new home, which they called Brigantia.....
BEATRICE AND THE SEEDS OF DISCORD, As told by Beatrice herself
Beatrice had gone to work as a chamber maid in the big castle at Aileach when she was just a girl. She was proud to say that she worked there, and she was the best, most loyal maid in the keep. Bea’s father had taught all of his children that it didn’t matter what your job was, you should do it to the best of your ability, and take pride in your work. Bea had learned the lesson well and taken it to heart.
There was only one thing that she did not enjoy about her job…….the Princess Esme. Unlike her sister, Princess Adela, Esme was mean spirited. She took delight in saying unkind things to all of the maids and in making them do the most unpleasant tasks she could find. Bea had taken to hiding whenever she heard Esme approaching, and one such time, she overheard something most disturbing.
Bea had tucked herself inside a big wardrobe in Esme’s room. Esme entered and proceeded to open a small pouch, pour the contents into a mortar and pestle, and then start crushing. Whatever she was working on was apparently much more difficult to crush than she had anticipated, and Esme was mumbling and cursing as she worked. “I will crush you! Then I will feed you to my sickly sweet sister and my goody parents, and I WILL have it all. I will be the queen. You will see! I will be in charge, and I will have everything I have ever wanted. People will bow down to me instead of looking at me with distaste.” Finally, Esme gave up, refilled the pouch, tucked it into her desk and left.
After a few minutes, Bea crept out of the wardrobe. She thought for just a moment and decided that she must see what was in that pouch. Bea easily located the pouch in Esme’s desk, opened it and peered inside. It appeared to be some sort of seed that resembled a peppercorn. Bea then decided that she could not let Esme get away with her evil plan, even if it was all in her vindictive mind. Bea went to the kitchen and, when the cook wasn’t looking, took some of the precious peppercorns from the cupboard. She hastily crushed them, took them upstairs, and switched them for the contents of Esme's pouch. Now what to do with them? Bea figured that a compost heap was the best place for them. They would disintegrate and not harm anyone or anything, if they in fact really would do harm at all. So, on her way home, when she passed by the first farm on the right, she tossed the seeds into the compost and covered them deep into the pile. That was that. Everything would be fine and everyone would be safe and happy.
The next morning when Bea reported to work, she was told that she should pack a chest for Princess Adela and that she, Bea, would be accompanying the princess to visit Prince Callen. Bea was overjoyed! She went to work immediately, packing all of the princess’s lovely dresses, shoes, and jewels with great care. She packed herself a small bag as well, and off they went. It was a most pleasant journey aboard a large ship. The weather was fair, and in about a week, they arrived.
Now, the holiday was going well. There had been feasts, tours, and even a ball! But then, one of the ships from home arrived with bad news. Tragedy had struck. The ship’s Captain reported that there had been a natural disaster, a storm, or perhaps a quake, and Adela’s home and everyone there had been washed into the sea. The captain said that he’d sailed back and forth, but only a very tiny island, just a forgotten clump really, remained. Princess Adela was grief stricken and spent days closed in her chamber. Bea tried to coax her to eat, but the princess refused and just stared out the window.
One evening, an exhausted Bea tucked herself in for the night, but there would be no rest, only dreams. In Bea’s dream, the seeds she had tossed into the compost heap had sprouted and grown into a mass of beautiful, sweet smelling, red flowers. The farmer had picked some for his wife, who had given some to her sister in law, who had shared them with her best friend. The animals had nibbled at them, for they had a very sweet taste. Before long, they were to be found everywhere. And, strangely, as the flowers spread, so spread a haze of evil over the land. Neighbors began to squabble over borders and livestock. Merchants became greedy and raised their prices, some even cut portions as well. There was fighting in the streets, and people had to bar their doors to keep out burglars and thieves. Wickedness infiltrated the entire kingdom.
Now, six of the good women who were clerics of the land saw what was happening and realized that a curse had been unleashed. They traveled deep to the bottom of an undersea cave, where a magic fountain flowed. They approached the fountain and were admitted to a secret tunnel where only those of good heart and intent were allowed. This was the path to the sacred Crystal Cavern of the goddess. In the Crystal Cavern could be found a sparkling white stone that was very precious. The clerics were permitted to harvest small amounts of the stone to use in very powerful healing potions. And in the center of the cave was a large, glowing crystal—the Crystal of Purification. Only the clerics knew the power and purpose of the great crystal.
Without their High Cleric, who was also the Queen, the six good women were unsure what to do. They stood around the Crystal of Purification and joined hands. They closed their eyes and sang a sweet song. But, nothing happened. After a time, the cavern itself began to rumble and shake. The six ladies each backed against the walls of the cave and shook with fear. Then, darkness fell.
On the surface, there was also rumbling and shaking. The land cracked and spewed forth fire. Then, great waves arose and washed the people and the land into the sea.
Bea awoke with a start. Could she have been dreaming of the destruction of her homeland? Was it real? Was it a vision? And what did those seeds have to do with it all? She was stricken. What if she, Bea, had been responsible for the whole disaster?
The next day, Bea went about her work, but not with her usual zeal. That night, she fell into a deep sleep……and she dreamed once more. In her dream, she was sitting on a glistening beach watching the waves break gently on the shore. A beautiful lady with golden hair walked up the beach and sat beside her. The lady seemed to know her and called her by name.
“Bea, I have come to tell you that you should not despair. You did, indeed, spread the Seeds of Discord throughout Aileach. But, your intentions were pure. It is truly Esme who was to blame. The evil power of the Seeds had to be contained, so the land was washed clean. And now, you and the Princess Adela must travel to a new land. It will not be a big, powerful kingdom like Aileach. It will be a small land, a sanctuary, and I will protect it so that nothing like this happens again. But, you and your descendants will carry the burden of the Seeds of Discord. As with most things, there is both good and evil in the seeds. I cannot allow the seeds to be lost completely, but they must be protected. When you get to the new land, you will take a boat to the small island that is the remnant of your old homeland. You will dive into the water and swim through the ruins to an underwater cave. Enter the cave and climb the steps. There, you will find two paths, one light and one dark. Take the dark path on the left, Bea, and in that dark place, hide the seed. From now on, the red flower will be spellbound. Only those with pure intent will be able to capture a seed from the flower, to be used carefully and only for good. Those with bad intent will never leave the darkness with one of the seeds. You are now the Guardian of the Seeds of Discord, and in each generation of your family, there will be one chosen to be the guardian. It is done.”
At that, the lady rose and walked away, down the beach and into the distance.
Bea awoke the next day rested and refreshed. And, there, on her pillow lay a small shiny seed. She took the seed, carefully placed it into a pouch and tied it to her skirt. When she went with the Princess Adela to their new homeland, she did as she was instructed.
This was ages ago, and the details of the happenings have long since been lost. But, legends say that once there was a beautiful, thriving land named Aileach that was destroyed by the goddess herself. Not as an act of wrath, but to cleanse the land and return the balance of good and evil. It is said that, to this day, there can be found ruins of the forgotten land. And that there are secret caves beneath the sea where powerful things are hidden. It is said that deep in the tunnels there is a crystal cavern, and that the largest crystal was placed there by the goddess herself and watched over by the spirits of six ancient clerics. It is also said that there was once an evil wizard named Roldan, who played a part in the destruction of the ancient land, and who lives to this day. But, they are only legends…
THE WIZARD'S TALE, PART 1
Once upon a time, there lived a farmer named Edward Aregood and his wife Jane. They had a very happy life together and ran a bountiful farm. When Edward went to market, there would immediately be a crowd at his stall, and he would sell out and be ready to go home in just a short while. People came from miles around to buy their produce because it was said that Edward Aregood had a magical gift for growing things and that his fruits and vegetables were the sweetest and biggest in the land. And, indeed, Edward Aregood did have a gift.....
Now, you might just envision Edward and Jane on a day of rest, with a big family of children, siblings, cousins, and elders, can't you? But, sadly, they were very much alone. Jane had been orphaned at a young age and had been raised by her very elderly grandmother. Edward never really spoke of any family, so Jane assumed he had none. And, sadly, they had never been blessed with children. So, the Aregood farm was a very quiet place on days of rest. But, by and by, it became evident to Jane that things were about to change, for she realized that she was with child.
Roldan came into this existence on a cold, clear autumn night. It is said that on the night he was born, there were masses of falling stars, and that it was an omen he would do great things. Roldan was a delightful child. He was bright and inquisitive, and he grew strong and healthy. He was his parents' joy.
But the joy was not to last. One bitterly cold winter when Roldan was a small boy, Edward fell ill. After many days of sickness, falling in and out of consciousness, Edward weakly called Jane and Roldan to his bedside. He told them he did not feel he was long for this life and that they must remain strong. He instructed them to listen carefully, for he had important things they must know and do. He told them of his life prior to his arrival in their small village, and revealed information about his family. He had grown up in a happy family. His parents were both gone, but his older brother was, in fact, still alive and well. He lived in the magnificent kingdom of Aileach, and was tutor to the royal children. Edward told Jane that she must pack up and go to his brother Darwin Aregood in Aileach. He had Roldan hold out his hand and placed his ring on the little boy's finger. As if by magic, it fit! Edward instructed Jane to show the ring to his brother and he would know them for his kin. He told Jane that Darwin would help them and care for them, and see that Roldan was properly educated.
So it was that a week after Edward’s death Jane and Roldan Aregood left their beautiful farm and set out for the bustling kingdom of Aileach. Upon their arrival, it was obvious where they might find the royal tutor, for in the distance there was a huge, glistening castle that was the home of the royal family of Aileach. Jane made her way to the castle and approached a kindly looking man who was one of the guards. She explained to him who she was, and that her husband’s brother was tutor to the princesses of Aileach, and that she must speak to him. The guard, in fact, was a good man, and he could see that Jane was and honest woman and weary from traveling. He sat her and Roldan in the guard house, offered them something to eat and drink, and sent one of the younger guards to fetch Darwin Aregood.
Shortly thereafter, the door to the guard house opened quietly, and in walked a tall elven man. He was middle aged, with greying hair, and wore fine dark green robes the likes of which Jane had never seen. His eyes were alert and sparkling, like those of a much younger man. As those eyes scanned the room, he addressed the older guard, “Sir William, I understand that we have visitors who wish to speak to me?” The guard waved toward Jane and Roldan, who was staring wide-eyed at the tall stranger. Jane stood and curtsied, then explained who she was and showed the man the ring on Roldan's little finger. While Darwin carefully inspected the ring, Jane made note that he was wearing what appeared to be an identical ring. Darwin stooped down to take a good look at Roldan. “So, young man, you are Roldan, son of Edward Aregood?” Roldan nodded mutely. “Well, then, I am your Uncle Darwin Aregood. And you are the image of your father when he was a boy.” Darwin stood and explained to Jane that he had no wife of his own to make her welcome, but that he had spacious quarters in the castle where she and Roldan were welcome to have a room of their own. He said that once they were settled in, Jane could no doubt find some occupation in the castle, and that he himself would provide for Roldan’s education. And just as he'd said, before long, Jane was a chamber maid in the royal quarters and Roldan was happily studying with his uncle.
Now, Darwin Aregood was no mere tutor of languages, math and literature, although Roldan was certainly expected to master all subjects. At least twice a week, though, Darwin would lead little Roldan to a secluded room where Roldan received lessons of a more unusual nature. Uncle Darwin explained to Roldan that he was descended from a line of great wizards, and that his father’s gift of the family ring indicated that it was Edward’s wish that Roldan follow in the family tradition. Darwin explained that it was the family way not to flaunt their gifts, but to quietly use them for the good of everyone. He told Roldan that at some point, he must take an oath that he too would discreetly use his gifts for good.
Roldan studied diligently with his Uncle Darwin, and he and his mother were very happy in Aileach. They became familiar members of the household and took their meals along with everyone in the great hall of the castle, where the royal family dined at the front dais. Now, it so happened, that one of the royal heirs, and the future queen of Aileach, was the Princess Celine, who appeared close in age to Roldan. Princess Celine was a bright, vivacious girl, with the slender, graceful appearance that was the mark of her elven heritage. She greatly enjoyed her studies with her much admired tutor, Darwin. She was free to wander the castle, and would often visit Darwin to ask questions or simply to pay a visit at tea time, for Jane always set a fine tea table. Thus it was that Roldan became friends with the Princess, and as they both grew taller, his fondness grew as well. He would watch her from a distance, and he would follow her to make sure that no harm came to her. But he knew well that he must keep his distance.
Then, one day, as Roldan was sitting quietly in a favorite spot along the back of the castle wall, enjoying the sunny day and the view of the forest beyond. He heard soft footsteps approaching below, and looked to see who it was—it was Celine. She walked very close to the wall, and kept looking around as if she was afraid she might be followed. Then, she stopped as if examining the castle wall, and vanished into the wall! Roldan couldn’t help but gasp. He jumped up to run to Celine’s rescue, when he heard a stone tumbling down outside the base of the castle, and glanced over the wall to see Celine appear on the other side. Roldan was no stranger to secret passages, so he raced to the base of the wall, stood where he had seen Celine exit, and he pushed. Nothing. He frantically inched his way this way and that, pushing with all his might, but could find no secret doorway. Finally, frustrated, he crossed his arms in a huff and leaned back against the wall. Bam! There was a flash of darkness as though he had fallen into a pool of murky water, then Roldan found himself lying dangerously close to the edge of the rocky cliff outside the castle wall. In a moment he was on his feet, marking the spot where he had simply fallen through not a doorway, but the wall itself. Then, down the embankment he inched in the direction Celine had gone. He ran across the meadow and into the woods.
Roldan silently followed the forest path, but lost Celine’s trail. He stood there with his hands on his hips, looking about, when something small hit him in the back of the head. He ducked and looked around, then up into the trees. There was Princess Celine sitting on a high tree branch smiling mischievously. Celine jumped down from the tree and proceeded to show Roldan some of her favorite spots in the woods, and her favorite hiding places. After that day, they would often slip through the wall and into the forest for happy adventures. Over time, although each knew their place, they had to admit that they were very much in love.
One day, Roldan and Celine were in the forest on one of their adventures. It began to rain heavily, and they ducked into the entrance of a cave for shelter. The entrance was small, and they had to stand so close that Roldan could feel Celine shivering with cold. So, without thinking, he wrapped his arms around Celine. Before either knew what was happening, they kissed. But, within seconds strong arms came out of the darkness of the cave and pulled them apart. Roldan looked into the stern face of one of the queen's guards, who had also sought shelter from the storm. When the storm let up, the guard marched Roldan and Celine back to the castle and through the front gates, then up the corridors to the queen's chambers. While Roldan and Celine stood dripping on the carpet, the guard told the queen what he'd observed, then he bowed and left the chamber.
The queen did not yell, but she lectured Celine on her duties as the future queen. She reminded them that Roldan was a commoner and that it was not proper for him to even approach the royal princesses, most especially the heir to the throne. She told Roldan to return to his uncle's quarters and that she would think on what she must do.
Several days passed. Finally, Uncle Darwin called Roldan to his chamber. When Roldan arrived, Uncle Darwin had a grave look on his face. He told Roldan that the queen had told him what had happened, that they understood it was only one of many such occasions, and that the queen was very displeased. Princess Celine was to be confined to her chambers with her lessons while she considered the consequences of such actions. And Roldan......was to be sent away.
Now, Roldan's mother, Jane Aregood, had at some point met a man who owned a big farm just outside Aileach. He was a good man and eventually Jane had agreed to be his wife. Roldan did not want to spoil his mother's happiness, so he told her that she should marry and not worry about him. Uncle Darwin had arranged for him to go to a neighboring kingdom to continue his studies with a good friend, who was also a wizard and a fine man. Roldan traveled to his new home, but he never forgot his Celine and vowed that somehow he would at least continue to watch over her from afar. Jane Aregood married her farmer. They had a very happy life, and they always thought of Roldan, sending him small gifts, new clothes, and writing him letters about their farm and his new half brother and sister......Micah and Beatrice.
THE WIZARD'S TALE, PART 2
After Roldan was banished from Aileach, he went to study with his uncle's friend Ludloe. The ancient elven wizard was very eccentric and lived alone in a tall, dark tower in a remote region. Ludloe was an even more demanding teacher than Uncle Darwin has been, and Roldan was his only apprentice. After quizzing Roldan thoroughly, Ludloe declared that he had enough book learning, and it was about time to learn to actually do something useful.
Ludloe led Roldan to his workroom, which was a study in organized chaos. There were stacks and stacks of books, papers, and scrolls. There were dusty shelves filled with bottles, jars, and boxes, some that looked too old to be of any use. There were cauldrons, flasks, and more. Roldan first assignment was to clean. Ludloe instructed him that he was to move nothing from its place, but was to sweep away all of the dust. Roldan wondered what this had to do with being a wizard, but he did not complain. He took to his task with zeal, and after about two weeks he had the workroom meticulously clean, even if it was still a cluttered mess. In the process, he learned every nook and cranny, the contents of every shelf and drawer.
Ludloe inspected Roldan's work and declared the task successfully complete, then he showed Roldan his book of potions. Roldan was to start at the beginning of the book and, with Ludloe's guidance, prepare each one until he got it right. In the meantime, Ludloe took Roldan on many excursions into the surrounding woods and wetlands to search for potion ingredients. Sometimes, they would travel far and be on the road for days or weeks. Occasionally, they would travel to a town or port and barter with merchants for obscure ingredients from faraway places. Roldan, who had never been far, learned much more than just how to procure goods. He learned how to navigate the world, how to go about unnoticed, how to deal with people without finding trouble, how to be small.
One day, Ludloe had gone on an errand and there came a soft knock on the door. Roldan opened the door to find an extremely old, grey haired crone. She said that she was an old friend of Ludloe's and asked if she could see him. Roldan explained that Ludloe was out and the old lady said she would just come in and wait, but Roldan blocked her entry. He told her that he had been instructed never to admit unexpected visitors and caught a mere flash of anger on the crone's face followed by studied innocence. The old lady said that she understood and would come again at a better time, then turned and left.
Ludloe came home brimming with news and assignments, and Roldan completely forgot to tell him about his visitor. But about a week later when Roldan was once again alone, the old lady tapped on the door again. When Roldan answered, she told him that she had brought sweets for her friend Ludloe, and that he was certainly welcome to some as well and offered a basket. Roldan hesitated, but then accepted the basket full of tempting cakes. The old lady began to chat, eventually describing all of her aches and pains. Then, out of nowhere, she declared that she had heard tell that Ludloe had a formula for a rejuvenating potion. She fell to her knees and begged Roldan to give her the recipe. She swore that she would give him anything if only he would do her this one kindness. Roldan told her that he knew how to make a tonic, but the woman said it was not enough. She did not need a tonic, she needed the rejuvenating potion. Roldan told her that he knew of no such potion, and the woman turned and left, grumbling to herself.
Now, this time when Ludloe returned, Roldan told him about the old woman. Ludloe immediately snatched up the basket of cakes, made certain that Roldan had eaten none, then tossed basket and all into the fire. A rush os red flames and smoke blew up the chimney, causing Roldan to jump back. Ludloe calmly set about making tea, then sat Roldan down for a tale. He told Roldan that the old crone was Agatha, who as a young woman had been his apprentice. Agatha had not been a very good student, always wanting to take shortcuts, making excuses for not doing her assignments, even lying about her whereabouts when she'd sneak out and be up to no good. Ludloe eventually gave up and dismissed her. Years later, he heard that she had taken up with a dark sorcerous, and after the old sorcerous died had taken her place. Now, being human, she had grown old and was obviously looking for a potion to extend her life, and that she knew he had at one time stumbled upon an immortality potion. But Ludloe would offer her no help. He said that she was pure evil and the world would be well rid of her, that he certainly could not allow the potion to fall into her hands. He told Roldan that he had destroyed all record of it. That evening, Ludloe taught Roldan how to place wards to repel evil from their home.
Months and years passed. Roldan learned not only how to make potions and place wards, but how perform magic. Powerful magic and spells. Roldan was very dedicated to his mentor, learned well, and became a good and powerful wizard.
Then, one day, Roldan was in the market buying supplies, and Agatha appeared before him. She informed him that she knew he was the nephew of Darwin Aregood, that he had been banished from Aileach because of his love for the Princess Celine. She appeared very sympathetic. She told him that Celine was soon to wed, and that if he would but make her the potion she sought, she would cast a spell that would make Celine his own. Celine, in exchange for the potion of immortality. Roldan told the old sorcerous that the potion had been destroyed, and he could not help her. He hurried home and went about his business, but his mind stayed on Celine.
The very next day, while working, Roldan in haste dropped a drawer, sending it's contents flying. When he picked up the drawer to clean up, he realized there was a false bottom, and beneath it a yellowed scrap of document. Out of curiosity, he studied it and soon realized it was the potion of immortality. He carefully replaced it into it's hiding place and went about his business.
About a week passed, and Roldan was once again in the market. This time, the market was abuzz with tales about the Princess of Aileach. The poor thing. Here she was, so beautiful, about to be wed, and she'd fallen deathly ill. Even the great healers of Aileach seemed to be unable to save her. There were rumors of dark magic at work!
Roldan was beside himself. After much consideration, he took the document from the drawer and began to make the potion. He would never give it to old Agatha, who he suspected of being behind Celine's illness. No, he would travel to Aileach and use it to heal Celine. He worked through the night and made the potion, tucked it away in his cloak and set out for Aileach.
Roldan arrived in Aileach. He listened for news of the princess, and heard that she was hanging on but not expected to recover. He made his way to the castle gates, but was stopped by the guards. Roldan argued with them, causing quite a scene. Then, a woman appeared...the queen. Roldan called out to her. He told her he had come to save Celine. The grieving queen told him that she was very aware who he was, and that she was certain there was nothing he could do. He insisted that he had a potion that would cure the princess, but the queen stopped him short and had the guards expel him from the city.
Roldan remained just outside Aileach, plotting how he could sneak into the city and save Celine. After all, he knew the secret entrance. That night, he crept along the walls, heading for the door, when before him appeared Agatha. This time she made no effort to hide her evil nature. She demanded the potion, for she had witnessed Roldan's confrontation. He told her it was meant only for Celine and pushed past the sorcerous. She began to cackle, and when Roldan turned to look at her, she gleefully told him that he was too late, Celine was dead. Roldan was struck for an instant, and the old woman lurched toward him, but he was quick. He avoided her, reached into his cloak for the potion, and without thinking of the consequences, pulled the cork and drank down the potion. The crone spun out of control with fury, lost her footing, and fell, screeching, down the steep embankment to the rocks below. Roldan climbed down, and found her dead body already turning to dust.
The young wizard did not return to Ludloe, for he was consumed with guilt and grief. He wandered aimlessly for years, as his bitterness consumed him and drove him to darkness. Many years later, after the old elf passed, Roldan returned to the secluded tower that had been his home. He stayed there even after it grew dank and dark...for he was just as dark himself...and immortal.
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