Sword and Urn (Edited & Revised)

Chapter 9

"That is kind of you, thank you. I will take you up on your offer. I never thought a cave could feel so cozy."

"Yes thank you. It is not much, but I have grown to love this cave. I have all the room I need and no neighbors to upset with my smoking cauldron of potions. I caused quite a few problems with my neighbors and once even the whole village market before I left. I came from the next village north of here. That is where my nephew and niece live. They are kind folk and it is their stew we have had this night."

"You don't think they would give up their recipe to me do you? If I ever had the time to find them?"

He laughed for a long time.

"I'm sorry," he said, "if you ever meet Helsa, you'll understand why I'm laughing. I'd like to see anyone try to get that recipe from her. It is a well-kept secret. Many people have tried their stew. The smell permeates the market and draws them in. It is somewhat legendary around these parts and even afar. But you were going to tell me your story."

"Your hair looks as though it has dried. Why not try your juggling and then we'll settle into my story?" I suggested.

"That sounds fair enough, I suppose it could wear off and I see I have an interested audience. Let's give it a try then."

He turned and walked back to his table covered in odd items. He pulled at a drawer underneath the table and fished around until he said, "Ah ha!" From the drawer he produced three small balls of red, blue and green. He walked back to the fire, took a step back, and started. Just like that he was juggling with ease.

One ball after another shot up into the air to come back down and hop to the other hand. It was wonderful. I had seen people juggle in the market but never up this close. There was always a crowd between me and the traveling performer. The old wizard's eyes looked like that of a little boy's who received the greatest toy in the world.

"Ha ha! Look at that lad! It works! I knew I got the potion just right this time. Look at me, an old man juggling as if I were limber as a young man fresh from training."

He kept juggling for some time and asked me to start my story. He didn't even have to look at the balls. Their tireless rhythm kept a quiet measure for my storytelling. I told him all that had happened as he continued to throw the balls around with ease. And then just like that, right as I was telling him about selling our house to the new grandfather, he dropped a ball. Then another, and the other. The green ball dropped to the floor and bounced toward its friends.

"What happened?" I said.

"The spell wore off."

"Oh come now, you've been able to juggle all this time. That was amazing! Tell me the truth, just now you lost concentration. That is why you dropped them."

"No lad, the potion's power ran out, just as I told you it would. Watch. I will try with all my might to juggle these balls again."

He picked them up, looking confused, and hesitated a few times as he decided which ball to throw up in the air first. He picked the red one in his right hand, tossed it up, and then lunged for it as he tossed the blue ball up in the air next. He was nowhere close to catching the first ball, and the second landed in what was left of the stew.

"You're not tricking me now are you?"

"I am not! Honestly! The potion wore off."

"Well then I guess that makes you a real wizard!"

My words brought a smile to his face. He leaned back I think so I couldn't see him blush. It wasn't working so he changed the subject with haste.

"I have some more of the batch left without any of Vairgar's hair in it. Would you like some for your journey? It may come in handy now that I've heard most of your story."

"I will accept your gift. Thank you, kind wizard Fezdon. Well done on the potion."

"Thank you."

He walked back to the table, grabbed a tiny glass vial, pulled off the stopper and walked over to his big cauldron. He used a long ladle to pour a bit of the concoction into the thin vial, then stopped it back up and walked over to me.

"Here you go. I hope this helps you on your journey."

"Thank you."

"Now for the rest of your story."

"Yes, I was almost getting to the part where I came upon a cave and met an amazing wizard. That's the best part of the story so far."

Fezdon smiled and I told him the rest of what had happened up to the part where the rain led me to his cave. We talked a bit more and then turned in for the night. It was pleasant to fall asleep warm and dry in my bedroll to the quiet sound of the rain outside.