Moongrace

Part 34

With those little tricks, she gathered more and more information in the next days. She learned, that the power of volition was tight-knit with the power of the magician. That's why she practised to have a clear, strong will. Meino was a strict teacher and spent a lot of time on her lessons.

As a side effect, she got to know Meino better and he seemed to trust her. He also tried to touch her every time he came to her lessons. Often, he sneaked up behind her or petted her hair, thinking she wouldn't notice. But she was on the watch and kept him at distance. At her third lesson though he gave her a blindfold and asked her to wear it, for he didn't like her silver eyes. She didn't mind though and started wearing it always during daytime.

Lenrio never spoke a word to her but she knew that he was standing often at the door, as if to protect his treasure. From Cathryn she knew, that Lenrio was deeply attracted to treasures and hoarded them like a dragon. So, she concluded that he kept an eye on her, because she represented a possibility to great treasures for him. Nioru was the only one that didn't visit her regularly. Eleeza guessed that he didn't like to be noticed unless he showed himself. But she could hear him whenever he even stepped on the stairs that led to her room.

After approximately two weeks they brought her to another room on the ground floor, for Cathryn had protested that she no longer wanted to climb third floor three times a day with her iron feet. Her canopy bed was seized by Lenrio. And Cathryn reported, that he had lifted the heavy bed on his own and carried it all the way to the top floor.

The real reason why Cathryn had begged to get Eleeza down, was that now they could spend more time together. The men had forgotten to take the horreummeomrial from her that had the power to extend the rope that was now fixed to her foot. The two of them were often alone when the men went hunting. As she had promised, Eleeza taught Acuandela to Cathryn while Cathryn on the other hand gave Eleeza a lot of information about the men. Cathryn knew quite a bit about them and Eleeza often wondered, if Lenrio knew just how much Cathryn knew.

After four weeks Eleeza succeeded to turn a small stone into gold. Without her sight, it had been difficult to make up, why gold should be more pretty than a grey stone. She had managed to change it, because touching gold felt different from touching stones. Imagining a soft surface and the material gold had led after many attempts to her success. Calling magic several times a day and being enervated every time, had eventually resulted in more power and a strong will.

The men celebrated her success and gave her a full sack of stones that she should turn to gold. When she protested that she was still worn out fromthe spell and begged for a break, Lenrio freaked out.

His heartbeat rose.

His tone grew louder by the minute.

He threw everybody from her room.

Then he started shouting and bound her with the magical rope to chair and desk, in a way that she couldn't move no longer.

"You will stay this way without any food or drink until you have changed all those stones to precious gold!"

After some more insults, he started pacing, then placed himself behind her and watched her. In the beginning, she had tried to keep strong and done nothing. But then he took a stick and whipped her hands as if he was mad. Each stroke tore away her skin. Each time she had to keep from screaming.

Being tortured like that, she had eventually called magic and managed to change three small stones being totally exhausted afterwards. For the moment satisfied Lenrio had stopped the whipping, but the torture wasn't over.

It took her three days to find the strength to convert all the stones. Three very long days with no food, no water, no possibility to move and only in Lenrio's unpleasant company. When he opened the rope, she fell from the chair, totally exhausted and unable to move from the long time being bound up. Meino rushed in and lifted her on the bed.

"You are a monster, Lenrio!", he shouted. It turned into a fight, but Eleeza didn't notice anymore, sleep finally coated her. When the moon rose, and entered her room, she woke and called magic to fulfil her gift. All her marks and cuts vanished overnight. Her control over her magical gift had increased and she used it to her innermost wish: beauty.

On the next morning, Cathryn brought her breakfast. The smell of it alone, made her mouth water.

"Good morning, Cathryn. You are heaven-sent! I am dying of hunger!"

"Oh my dear, Eleeza, are you alright? What did Lenrio do to you? Even Meino was worried about your safety!"

"I am still alive and quite alright, don't worry. In the end Lenrio got what he wanted."

She took the cup of tea that Cathryn pressed in herhand and held it in her cold fingers. The warmth did her good. Slowly she atethe bread and the apple, carefully aware that her stomach wasn't used to takingfood. Then Cathryn walked her to the toilet. When they got back to the room,Cathryn said:
"The men will be gone the whole day. I will return later!"

Eleeza nodded. Her strength was almost completely restored. It surprised her, just how quickly it had returned. She assumed that, because her bond to magic had been intensified, she could take more energy from it.

Her mind though, was something completely different. On the past days, she had to think a lot of Evan and her days in the castle. Lenrio's torture had been comparable with the cruel acts of the Queen and she felt very much reminded of that time. Evan had always been able to lift her mood and give her the strength to survive. She dearly missed him and hoped, that he hadn't forgotten her yet. Maybe he had given up searching her after five weeks. Or he thought, that she had simply left him. She regretted very much, that she hadn't left a notice that she had only gone to take a small walk. Tears ran down her face.

At least Lenrio didn't bother her on that morning. The men left simply and flew away.

Shortly after the mens' departure, Cathryn knocked on the door and scuffled inside.

"We need to get out of here!", she stated plainly, taking in Eleeza's filthy appearance and torn, blood-stained gown.