Winterbound, Part 21 - News

They all but crashed into Madiza's room, making her jump as they appeared from behind the door curtain. She barely had time to turn to look at them before Kimo was already talking.

"I grew a soul stone!"

"You what?"

"He grew a soul stone," Tiu said, with almost equal enthusiasm. Madiza stared at them, her gaze moving from person to person. Eventually they settled on Anaya, begging for an answer. All Anaya could do was shrug.

"He grew a soul stone?"

"Well, no," Anaya said. "He happened to find one in his enormous stone collection."

"How did one end up in his collection?"

"I guess you pick up enough rocks, sometimes one of them happens to be useful."

Madiza stared silently for a long moment more. Anaya knew the feeling.

"So you can use it to anchor?" she finally asked.

"I don't know," Anaya said, her quiet calming down Tiu and Kimo's excitement. "I'll need to talk to Kaneq first."

"Then what exactly are we still doing here?" Madiza asked and started pushing them all out of the room.

~x~

'A brand new soul stone?'

Anaya nodded.

'Curious. The boy found it?'

She nodded again.

'Where did he find it?'

"Kimo!" She saw him jump, startled, as she turned to look at him. "Where did you find it?"

The boy shrugged.

"Somewhere in the north, I think, when we were visiting Zuzun. I don't remember."

'Hmm. Show me.'

Anaya held out her hand to Kimo. He looked at her hand for a couple of heartbeats, then pulled away from it, just a little.

"I need the stone, Kimo."

"But it's my soul stone," he said, defensive.

"Not anymore it isn't. If you didn't want me to have the stone, you shouldn't have brought it to me."

He stared at the hand for a moment longer, then closed his eyes, sighed, and handed the stone to her, pouting.

Anaya took it and lifted it for Kaneq to see, sending her feelings of what it was like to hold it through the loom. It didn't feel like much, just a stone, warm and smooth in her hand. But she thought it would be important for Kaneq to know.

'Hmm,' Kaneq's voice hummed along the fabric. 'It would always be best to have the stone passed on from others, one that already knows the connection, and knows me, and knows the anchors. Another stone may make it all fail. It has happened before, and I do not want to see it happen ever again. It would be unpleasant for everyone.'

She quieted for a while, but Anaya could feel her thinking it through.

'But perhaps, the situation being what it is, starting again with a new soul stone is appropriate. It is by no means necessary, your friend's stone will work excellently when she reunites with her dragon, but I admit I like the feel that it has. This is a fresh start, after all, for us and for you.'

"So you think it will work?" Anaya asked, hopeful now.

'Yes. Although we must make sure that we are both ready, and that we perform the anchoring perfectly. And we cannot do it here. Your uroxoo is powerful and it holds great spiritual strength, but it is not enough. But I believe I know a place that will work.'

An image appeared on the loom. She brushed her fingers along it. It was a place, somewhere in the midst of mountains, whether the mountains they had been to only this morning, or mountains somewhere far away, she didn't know. The view was beautiful. Peaceful. She could almost feel the energy making its way from there to her even just through an imagining of an image of it.

'But,' Kaneq continued, 'the new stone is not ready. It is not strong enough. It will need time and magic to grow before we can even think of attempting the anchoring.'

"How long?" Anaya asked.

'Depends on the talent and strength of those casting the magic. And on the will of the stone. Some are easier to cultivate than others. I do not yet know about this particular one. I will help, that will make it much faster, but it may still take time.'

Anaya nodded.

"Tiu is the best mage I know, the strongest. I'm not too bad, but she's much better than I am. And Madiza," she turned to look at Madiza, grimacing. "I think she's probably better than I am. No. I know she's better than I am."

She looked at the two of them.

"You'll help me make my soul stone strong, won't you?"

They both nodded, smiling, and Anaya smiled back at them.

"Then let's get to work."

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The topic for tomorrow is Rider.