Lumi's Spell Read online

  Mother smoothed her dress. ‘We can’t very well call her Girl.’ She lowered her head and studied my face. ‘How about you come up with a name for her until she has worked up the courage to speak?’

  I looked at the girl again, but she showed no reaction.

  ‘Lumi,’ I said, remembering a tale about Nords who fought the great mage, Achr.

  My father laughed. ‘You have learned a great deal from your teachings. I must thank tutor Marco for managing to keep your interest in scrolls for so long. But I believe it’s time for you to step away from the libraries and focus on your sword skills before he turns you into a scholar.’ He drained the last of his ale and wiped his beard. ‘Hyllus grows in power and we’re the last remaining stronghold this far north.’

  Mother’s face went pale. ‘He is too young for that. Leave the blood and the Varls for your men to deal with.’

  ‘No, I’m not too young, Mother.’ I sprung to my feet with a burning need to convince her that I was ready to become a warrior. ‘I’m taller now, and even Father said I’ve grown. I want to learn how to handle a real sword so I’m able to protect you and the fort when he’s away.’

  Father laughed at that. ‘That’s the spirit. Fierce, like a true Nord.’

  Mother placed her hand on mine. ‘Time for that will come soon enough. For now, take Lumi, as you have named her, and show her around the fort. Perhaps, she will be happy to talk to you. But before you go, thank the gods for the food they have placed on our table today.’ She joined her hands together.

  ‘The gods didn’t give us food, Argil brought supplies from Hvitur,’ I said. ‘We should thank him instead.’

  ‘Jarin,’ my father said in a sharp voice, ‘do as your mother says.’

  I sighed and closed my eyes whilst Mother sent her thanks to Yldir in a sheepish voice. I cared little for the gods. How could they know what we ate? They’ve been sleeping for as long as I could remember. But defying Mother meant defying Father and I wasn’t foolish enough to test his patience.

  Once the prayer was over, I turned my attention to the girl. The way she made me feel earlier made me want to find out more about her. I took her hand and noticed how cool it was to the touch. ‘Come, I’ll show you the best places in the fort. You don’t have to be afraid, I know Stromhold better than anyone,’ I said, leading her away.

  We walked to the library where the wooden shelves stretched all the way to the ceiling and weak light streamed through a set of windows high above them. The room was vast and the beams loomed above us, curving like an archer’s bow. A distinctive smell lingered in the air, the smell of ancient scrolls and charcoal. Dust motes floated around Lumi when she made her way to a wooden table in the centre. It was covered in waxy patches and half-burned candles. She ran her fingers across it, tapping the uneven surface.

  ‘Here, this is my place.’ I pulled her to one of the scroll cases at the back. ‘Sometimes, I hide here from Marco.’ I looked over my shoulder, for my tutor had been known to spring up from nowhere when I was least expecting him.

  The floor in this little corner was lined with pillows and blankets and a small box, filled with candles, was hidden in the gap between the shelves. ‘My mother doesn’t like me to light candles, so I have to keep it secret. Now you know, too, but you mustn’t tell anyone.’ I hesitated for a moment.

  Lumi looked around and her blue eyes met mine. She nodded and a shy smile spread across her lips.

  ‘This place is full of stories,’ I said, pointing at one of the shelves. ‘Scrolls talk of legendary battles and fierce warriors.’ I picked one, bound in leather, with a female warrior etched on the cover holding a spear against a mage. ‘This one is for you.’ I handed her the scroll. ‘Lumi was the greatest warrior in the North. She battled Achr and killed him with only her spear, despite fighting against the powers and magic the mage had at his disposal. Hers is my favourite tale.’

  Lumi placed her hand on the cover, feeling the image with her fingers. She pointed towards the shelves then back to me.

  I tried to guess the meaning behind her gestures. ‘Do you mean have I read them all?’

  She nodded.

  ‘I’ve read many of them, but I haven’t much time for reading now. I must train, you see. My father expects me to join his men and prepare myself. Nordur must be protected and I need to keep my mother safe from Varls.’ I placed my hands on my hips. ‘Now that you’re here, I’ll have to protect you too. You’re safe in Stromhold. My father leads the most powerful army in the North.’

  Lumi cocked her head as if trying to ascertain if I was telling the truth. The conclusion must have been a positive one because she smiled again.

  ‘So…is it difficult to be quiet all the time?’

  She placed two fingers on her lips and shook her head.

  ‘Did someone cut out your tongue?’ I asked. I never saw anyone without a tongue before and I found it hard to imagine how it felt not having it in your mouth. I bit lightly on my own to check it was still there.

  She shook her head again, looking around the library. Her eyes drifted to the scroll with the image of Lumi and Achr. She pointed at the mage and touched her lips.

  ‘Magic?’ I asked. ‘Someone placed a spell on you?’ This was becoming more and more interesting.

  A nod was her reply.

  We stood, looking at each other, in the great library that told tales of so many people through the ages. There was something hypnotic about Lumi and I stretched my hand to touch her black, silky hair. The mystery of her, and the fact that she was unable to tell me her story, was intriguing. Surrounded by the towering shelves, she looked fragile and alone, in need of protection—and who was better equipped for the role than the son of the great Nordern warrior? I felt a rush of excitement at the realisation that I could be the hero who would release her from the spell. To hear Lumi’s voice became my purpose.

  III

  A few weeks had passed and it felt as if Lumi had always been here. Where before I pursued imaginary adventures, now I cast them aside in favour of her company. She was real and more fun than any illusive beings I conjured up.

  ‘All you have to do is stand here and keep watch,’ I said.

  We lingered at the corner of the workshop where Einir, Stromhold’s blacksmith, forged new weapons for the warriors. It was rare that he left the building unattended and I wanted the opportunity to try out the bellows. My mother forbade me to venture into the forge but I managed to convince Lumi to take part in this break-in.

  I glanced one last time around the courtyard but the smith was nowhere to be seen. ‘Clap twice if you see Einir,’ I said.

  Inside, the forge was hot and stuffy, stinking of warm brass and coals that tickled the back of my throat and brought on the urge to sneeze. A round stone oven graced the middle of the workshop, and when I came near, the heat radiating from it struck my cheeks and caused my eyes to water. Einir’s tools lay scattered around the platform, the massive hammer among them, and I made an attempt to lift it, but it didn’t even budge, so I turned my attention to the large bellows—the real reason for my visit. Hanging at the side of the oven, supported by chains, the leather contraption and its workings was a mystery, but even so, I wanted to try it out. I fumbled with the bag and its handles and it took me a while to get a grip on them when I realised a certain amount of physical strength was required to bring the bellows to life.

  ‘What are you doing, little whelp?’ Einir boomed in my ear. Busy, I didn’t see him coming up behind me. I jumped and tripped over a bucket. ‘You fancied yourself some mischief did you?’ Einir dragged me up by the sleeve. ‘Should we tell your mother about this little intrusion of yours?’

  My heart pounded in my chest as I jerked away from Einir’s grasp and ran for the door with his footsteps following close behind. Lumi was still outside, busy stroking a horse. So much for keeping watch. I should have known better than to trust a girl with a task of such a high importance.

  ‘Run,’ I urged her and we raced across the courtyard for the watchtower. We scrambled up the ladder and when Lumi was safely up, I closed the trapdoor behind her. ‘You left your post,’ I said, rasping for breath.

  Lumi shrugged and sat on the floor.

  ‘You can’t wander off when you’re on guard duty. It could get us killed.’

  She frowned and picked up some charcoal, showing little regard for my near-death experience.

  The room that served as our hideout was used for storing weapons before my father decided it was too cumbersome to climb the ladder with heavy weaponry. It had been abandoned ever since. Spiders infested its dusty corners, spinning webs that formed curious patterns on the walls. With no hearth to light the fire, the place was freezing. As breath passed my lips it formed into a mist, but Lumi wasn’t affected by the chill and looked as comfortable as ever.

  ‘We’re safe for now. Let’s hope Einir won’t go to my mother.’

  Lumi was hard at work, drawing on the parchment that we smuggled from the library when tutor Marco wasn’t watching. I joined her, labouring over my own blank page.

  After some time had passed, I turned my attention to her drawing. ‘Is it a horse?’

  She nodded and with a few additional strokes of charcoal drew a long, messy tail. She picked up the drawing with her blackened fingertips and showed it to me, her blue eyes gleaming. I examined it against my own picture of men engaged in battle—it was much better than Lumi’s creature, but I didn’t want to make her sad, so I acted impressed.

  ‘You’re getting better,’ I said. Drawing pictures had become our game for the last couple of weeks and we tried hard to outdo each other.

  She placed her right palm over her heart—a gesture for ‘thank you’ that we had worked out together. We created more gest
ures every day. Lumi tapped her palm with her finger—she wanted to know more about my drawing.

  ‘This is my father’s army slashing the Varls without mercy.’ I swung my invisible sword from left to right. ‘They’re fighting in a snowstorm. Do you like it?’ I asked, worried by the lack of reaction.

  Lumi rested her hand on the empty surface depicting the sky and brushed her pale fingertips across the yellowy parchment. The room was still, the silence within disturbed only by the muffled sounds from the courtyard and a whistling wind trying to force its way in through the gaps in the shutters. Transfixed, I followed the movement of her fingers across the page where warriors and beasts remained locked in a struggle, swords piercing armour, arrows raining down in all directions. Our room in the watchtower ceased to exist and the drawing took on a life of its own as the battlefield came alive with the sounds of men urging their comrades forward or screaming for help in their final hours. The air around us grew colder and ice flowers spread across the page, little shards connecting the frozen petals that fell on the warriors, bringing winter into their world. I watched in amazement at Lumi’s finger as it transformed the plain background into Nordur’s wintery landscape.

  She lifted her hand and looked at me, lips pressed together.

  I drew the air in. This mysterious ability came as a surprise and I wasn’t sure how she did it. The warriors in the drawing were still again, fighting their battle in the snow—blood smeared in black across the page and Lumi’s frozen flakes falling on the battlefield. I wanted to try it, so I placed the tip of my finger in the exact spot she did earlier, but ice melted under it, leaving a wet patch.

  ‘Who showed you this trick? Can you teach me, too?’ I pushed my fingertip harder at the parchment, trying to mimic her.

  Lumi frowned and shook her head.

  It was unfair that she was able to create magic with her fingers whilst I still waited for my real sword. ‘Never show it to my mother,’ I warned her. ‘Magic is forbidden by the gods and she’ll be angry with you.’

  Lumi pressed two hands upwards in agreement.

  I wanted to ask her about her ability, where it came from and who taught her, but it was time for my study session with Marco and he would be looking for me if I didn’t get to the library on time. Besides, without a voice, Lumi would never be able to explain things in a way that made sense.

  This was another of her mysteries that needed solving. Breaking the spell and getting her voice back became even more urgent. The only question was how.

  * * *

  Days at Stromhold weren’t as lonely as they had been before Lumi’s arrival. My father went away again, but his absence was no longer so disheartening because I had Lumi to keep me company, and although she couldn’t speak, she was great at acting out schemes I coined for us. I ran to her with my troubles or when I had something joyful to share, she joined me in my escapades around the fort, and we played games in which she pretended to be a princess captured by the enemy and imprisoned in one of the hallway rooms. In my search to save her, I scoured the dungeons of Stromhold, killing the ferocious Varls that crossed my path, and calling her name. I could never tell if she was pleased with the game, but she looked happy enough once released from her captivity.

  Lumi’s favourite game was when we took turns hiding from each other. Stromhold was littered with nooks and places where an eleven years old could easily disappear. On one such day, standing with my eyes closed and listening to Lumi’s fading footsteps, I felt a pleasant tingling in my hands and feet at trying to guess where she would hide this time. When silence filled the corridor, I went forth, checking every corner in case she was concealed behind one of them, lifting drapes and inspecting storage rooms.

  ‘I’m coming for you.’ My voice echoed through the hallway as I ran to her room. The hinges made a sharp noise when I pushed the door open. Empty. ‘Where did you go?’ I asked, blinking away the shadows. ‘Under the bed?’ I checked the eerie space, but no sign of Lumi.

  This part of the fort was far removed from the main living quarters and an uncomfortable silence hung in the air. A floorboard creaked somewhere in the corridor and my skin came alive with gooseflesh.

  ‘I don’t want to play anymore,’ I said, hoping she would reveal herself. ‘You can come out now.’ My voice turned into a whisper in this empty space. The sense of fun from moments ago dissipated and I kicked a shoe across the room. My mother gave her shoes, but Lumi never wore them, she ran around barefoot as if she lived in the South.

  It was snowing outside. Dark clouds rushed across the sky, swallowing the afternoon light and bringing the storm with them. I rubbed my arms at the chill emanating from the walls. Lumi didn’t like fire, so the hearth in her room was always cold. I turned to leave when a clap cracked the silence, chasing my heart to my throat. I spun around to find Lumi with a hand over her mouth and body shaking with silent laughter.

  ‘It’s not funny,’ I snapped, and stormed for the door.

  She ran after me and grabbed my hand. She joined her palms together in front of her face and the creases on her forehead deepened as her eyes met mine in a silent apology. A slight twitching in the corners of her mouth told me she was still pleased with the way she managed to sneak up on me. I tried to hold on to my anger but my mouth betrayed me and I burst out laughing. Lumi’s lips stretched in a grin.

  ‘It’s my turn to hide,’ I said, taking her hand in mine and leading her back to the hallway. It wasn’t possible to stay angry with her for long.

  * * *

  Despite the fun I had with Lumi, my mother still expected me to study under the guidance of my tutor, Marco. She wanted me to learn the language of Vester, and said that it would prove useful if I ever found myself on the wrong side of the border. Marco was a scholar that came here from Hvitur upon her request and spent most of his time buried in the scrolls in our library. He’d travelled far and wide and had many stories to tell, and I much preferred listening to his tales than learning the foreign tongue.

  ‘You’re distracting yourself again.’ Marco looked at me from under his eyelids. Behind him the fire from the hearth wrapped his shadow in an orange glow.

  I turned my attention back to the page in front of me. ‘I’m tired.’

  ‘It’s not a question of fatigue, it’s a question of focus. It’s unlikely your father would stop in the midst of battle due to tiredness.’

  ‘My father never feels tired, he’s the Guardian of Stromhold, the strongest man in Nordur.’

  ‘That he may be, but he’s still just a man in the eyes of the gods. If you wish to follow his path you must learn persistence and that means doing things that aren’t always pleasurable.’

  ‘Have you been to Vester?’ I asked, fully aware that he had.

  He put the scroll he was studying aside. ‘You possess an uncanny ability to divert our attention from the task at hand. Knowing the tongue of your enemies will give you a deeper understanding of who they are. Your mother insists upon it.’

  ‘But I don’t care who they are. All I need is a sword sharp enough to slice them up.’

  Marco frowned, lowering his bushy eyebrows. ‘True strength doesn’t lie here—’ he touched his right arm—‘it comes from here.’ His finger tapped the side of his head. ‘This is where all answers lie.’

  I yawned. This was becoming the most boring lesson ever. ‘You must consider yourself the wisest man in Nordur.’

  ‘Far from it. I have gained only a fraction of the knowledge available to us. There are others more powerful in their wisdom.’

  ‘Others?’ It was hard to imagine someone more adept than my tutor.

  ‘Witches of Sur—old and powerful beings. Their skills are well known in the South, and not many people dare to stand before them. Some say they’re capable of whispering curses that turn living men into ash.’ He lowered his voice. ‘Others claim they have the ability to speak with the dead.’

  I felt a rush of excitement as an idea formed in my mind. ‘Can they cast spells?’