The Author

Chapter Nine

            They ran until Alice thought her heart and lungs would explode. When she finally turned, panting, to look at the town, it was a tiny spec on the horizon across the prairie.

            “We can’t stop,” Bo said, urgency in his voice. “When they discover we’ve gone they’ll be hard on our tails.” His flicked apprehensively.

            “I can’t run any farther,” Alice said with a start. She’d forgotten about her voice in her struggle for air and the deep, gruff tone startled her.

            “Please tell me you’re not going to go walking around like that,” Bo said.

            Alice took her paper and pen from her bag and held them up for Bo to see, waving them mockingly.

            “Thank you,” he replied.

            Alice wrote “Alices scose” on the envelope, tore it off and swallowed it like before. Nothing happened. Alice was confused. Where was the coughing?

            “Did it work?” she asked with the deep, menacing tones. She covered her mouth in shock.

            “No,” Liam replied simply.

            “You shut up. You’re no help,” Bo snapped.

            Liam smiled and shrugged. He took the map from Alice’s bag.

            “While you two figure that out, I’m going to check our bearing.”

            “You’re sure you did it just like before?” Bo asked Alice. She nodded. “Same handwriting, spelling… all that?” Another nod, frantically. “You didn’t put an apostrophe in there, did you?” She shook her head irritably. Alice was beginning to panic. “Don’t panic, okay?” Bo tried to reassure her.

            “Bo?” Liam asked.

            “Ssh! We’ll figure this out, okay Alice?”

            “Bo?”

            “Ssh! I’m sure there’s a simple –”

            “BO!”

            “WHAT?”

            “What about this?” Liam held the map in front of Bo’s face. Bo gasped.

            “Of course! Why didn’t I think of that! Alice, this represents you on the map, yes?” He pointed at the word “Alsce.” Alice nodded. “Well, that’s your problem.” Alice was puzzled. “‘Alice’ isn’t your real name. Well, not here anyway.”

            “I’m not following you,” Alice ventured in Recyar’s voice. Puzzlement sounded odd in his frightful tones.

            Alice had no clue what Bo was on about. She had gone by “Alice” all her life. She’d never even had any nicknames. Suddenly she remembered. It was like a slap in the face. Alsce was her Vachnish name. Bo had told her the first time she showed him the map. How could I have forgotten? she asked herself.

            “Remember? Alsce is your Vachnish name. I don’t think it could be any clearer. You belong here. It’s your destiny to bring peace and stability to the Realms. You are the Auth—”

            “Thank you, Bo. That’s enough hero worship. Let’s let Alsce take on the worlds’ problems in her own time,” Liam interrupted.

            Bo glared at him. “I was merely reiterating the importance of this quest, of Alsce herself. If she can’t help us we’re doomed.”

            “Enough!” Alice bellowed in her own voice. While Bo and Liam were arguing she had swallowed “Alsces scose” which had the desired effect. “Let’s just stay focused on what to do next. And don’t call me Alsce. That’s not my name.”

            “But Alsce is your name... as is Alice. And you’ll have to come to terms with that sooner or later,” Liam said in a manner which hinted at a greater meaning in his words. He seemed to understand her thoughts.

            The weight of the situation had come crashing down on her while she was listening to Liam and Bo and the word “Alsce” represented it all: The adventure had been fun so far, except for the dangerous bits, she thought. She was seeing a brand new world with magic and talking cats and a million other wonderful things she’d only ever read about, but never believed existed. Learning the magic was amazing and the language fascinated her. However, she hadn’t given much thought to all this Hallon Bei business. Until now. And it terrified her. She was never a leader back home. Even in school projects at school she shied away from directing the group. She’d never liked the idea of being responsible for anyone but herself and now she was supposed to be responsible for all the people in Vachne Reim and Betton Reim and even probably Nechne Reim. It was a responsibility she didn’t want.

            But then she thought of those innocent people whom Recyar had viciously and remorselessly executed the day she’d arrived in Betton Reim. She remembered her anger and her fear. That memory awoke something in her. It was a flicker of the responsibility she’d always lacked. Just for an instant she felt at home, but it was a home in danger and it was her duty to protect it.

            As soon as the feeling had come it left again. Or had it? Alice did feel different. She felt more resolve than she ever had, but the duty still frightened her and she tried to push it to the back of her mind.

            “I’ve heard all I care to about my so-called destiny.”

            Bo opened his mouth to speak.

            “No,” Alice said firmly before he could say a word. “I just want to get to this Professor Artems, get him to reverse whatever he did with my life in Nechne Reim and then go home,” she said, though she wasn’t sure she believed it. “C’mon. Let’s get moving before they catch up to us.” She began walking.

            “But—” Bo began.

            “No, Bo. Let Alice decide for herself,” Liam said quietly so Alice wouldn’t hear.

            For once Bo took his advice. As they walked he and Liam discussed where to stop next. However, Alice noticed a pattern developing in Bo and Liam’s relationship: Bo disagreed with everything Liam said. Liam was convinced the portal at Golþa was their best shot at making it to Vachne Reim. It was only a couple weeks’ walk to the east and there would be grass, trees and streams the whole way, so food and water shouldn’t be too hard to come by. Bo, on the other hand, vociferously pushed for his hometown of University Town, otherwise known as Etolsvilge. His rationale for turning completely around, walking back toward their enemies, crossing through the forest again and travelling for at least a month through dreary, muddy, marshy goblin territory was that it would be unexpected, quality magic learning time.

            “Trust me, Alice. I can train you up properly in that time. You’ll be quite ready to work with Professor Artems, no matter what you choose to do.” Bo attempted to skirt the issue of her becoming the Author.

            “Alice will be knowledgeable enough for the professor. She doesn’t need to be an expert. Yet,” Liam said. “We’ll get there faster and the route is safer.”

            “But—” Bo began.

            “Gotta go with Liam on this one. We’re already going that direction anyway. Sorry, Bo. Maybe we can visit your city before I go home. Right now I have to work on getting to the one person who can make it my home again.” She patted Bo on the head and continued walking.

            Bo trudged sullenly behind them mumbling to himself. Alice tried not to feel too bad for hurting his feelings. She really did want to see his home and family, but she wanted to see her own again as well. Getting her life back was the most important thing she told herself.