Page 72 of Charmed

Yet behind their welcoming smiles, I sensed the strain and weariness that lay beneath their patched clothes and simple means, their hunched posture evidence of the invisible burdens they bore. It took some exploration along the winding dirt roads before we came upon the source in the form of a well; rather than being filled with refreshing water to alleviate the thirst brought by the warmth of the day, it was nearly dry, with only a pittance of muddy liquid at the bottom.

A wizened man with a stooped back was perched on an overturned bucket nearby. At our questioning looks, he shook his head.

“The rains didn’t come this year as they usually do,” he said simply, spreading his arm to indicate that the recent lower amount of rainfall had affected not just the well, but the nearby fields.

Alden peered into the nearly depleted well with a concerned frown. “As the reigning monarchs and crown princess, my parents and elder sister are already heavily involved in the needs of the kingdom…but they can only do so much on their own. As a result, I imagine smaller villages and hamlets such as this one are too often unintentionally neglected. I should have been doing my part instead of focusing solely on my magic that in the end led to nothing; without it, I’m not sure how much aid I can offer now.”

“A prince doesn’t need to possess the power to command the rain in order to restore a well.” I possessed some knowledge of the small task force required to dig a deeper well after the one in my own village had nearly dried after a long drought that had hit our area of Rosileya a few years ago.

In our wanderings we’d discovered that this particular hamlet’s population consisted mainly of the elderly, women, and children, limiting the manpower that would be required to engineer such a project. As a royal, Alden possessed the resources to provide the required assistance, but I wondered if there was something more he could accomplish.

I stood on tiptoe to reach his ear. “Though as a royal it would be easy to hand the project over to a committee, I wonder if there’s something moreyouspecifically can do, especially as this situation is urgent and there would undoubtedly be a delay before any help could be sent from the palace.”

His eyes bulged. “Me?”

I nodded. “I’ve never quite understood the reasoning for your being so at odds with your royal identity. There are many princes in the world…but there is only onemagicalprince. Rather than try so hard to separate yourself from the role you feel you did nothing to earn, perhaps instead you can instead find a way to embrace it in a way that only someone of your rare abilities and position can accomplish.”

I saw the change bought by my words—life flickered in his eyes that for so long had been overshadowed by discouragement. He slowly took in the hamlet with a look as if seeing it for the first time.

“For years I’ve always feared who I’d be without my magic…only to finally be faced with the reality of needing to find purpose outside of being a wizard. Should my powers ever be restored, I resolve to use my magic for the benefit of my subjects. Until then, I will work towards non-magical solutions while tutoring you in magical ones.” At my startled expression, the corner of his mouth curved up into a mischievous grin. “Did you already forget my promise to continue your magical education?”

“I didn’t expect to resume my apprenticeship with a task well beyond my abilities. I feel I have little to contribute beyond my current advisory role offering creative solutions to magical problems.”

“Unfortunately we don’t have such a luxury when the one you’re mentoring is nearly entirely out of magic.” As if to emphasize his point, he held up his empty hands, devoid of any magical life. “Luckily, my misfortune will provide you with the perfect opportunity to grow in your powers.”

My anticipation at the possibility was nearly eclipsed by my rising apprehension. “You could always borrow my own reserves.” It was a spell Alden had stumbled upon midst his research in the siphoning force, but as before when I’d made the suggestion, he shook his head.

“I could never take your power for my own selfish whims.”

Using my power to help his subjects and also to win a competition whose prize I had a vested interest in wasn’t at all selfish, but before I could protest, he waggled his finger.

“Even if your gesture is for a noble cause, I wouldn’t be a proper mentor if I failed to provide you with an opportunity to stretch yourself as a witch, just as I’m stretching myself as a royal.”

The part of me used to putting others’ needs above my own ached to protest, but his words alit my mind with possibilities that I’d previously shelved with all my other interests and dreams. His invitation allowed me to tentatively peer into the locked trove containing my curiosity and enthusiasm for magic, along with my desires to further develop my power.

My enthusiasm must have reflected in my expression, for Alden took it as acceptance and rolled up his flowing sleeves. “The first spell I’ll need to teach you is how to wield your first element: water.”

I’d seen enough of his prowess with elemental magic to guess which type of water spell would be required, similar to when he’d refilled my spilled bucket the day we’d met.

Alden began our lesson with his favorite topic: the theory behind the spell. “For all of magic’s power, it can’t create something out of nothing, but must rely on a foundation that already exists. Wielding the elements begins by summoning the required matter; once we possess the material, we can then manipulate it to do our bidding in a variety of spells.”

“Which means we’ll be summoning water not from thin air, but from another water source in order to replenish the well?” That wasn’t as complicated as I’d initially imagined, especially since summoning charms had been part of my basic arsenal since the early days of my training; though I still struggled with the charms, at least I wouldn’t be building my knowledge from nothing.

While I understood the theory, it was another matter to implement it. It wasn’t enough to summon water by creating a magical connection between my current location and where I was drawing upon; I had to forge a magical trench in my mind’s eye for it to flow so that I could continuously pull from the source as often as I needed.

As much as I anticipated finally exploring the magic that had captured my interest from Alden’s very first demonstrations, I couldn’t help but recognize its limits. While restoring the well would help this little hamlet, it would do little to replenish the damage brought by the lack of rain in the nearby fields…at least without additional labor from the worn out villagers as they repeatedly carted water across the vast distance in order to water them. I winced at the thought of the stoop-shouldered man now seated next to the well painfully hauling small bucketsful of water over and over.

“Are you alright, Mae? Would you like me to explain the spell again?” Alden’s patient tone coaxed my thoughts from the puzzle that had distracted me from his tutelage. At his inquiry, the spellbook flew closer, already open to the section on elemental magic in an effort to be helpful.

I blinked rapidly to clear the lingering wisps of thoughts away. “I was wondering if there was a way to tweak the spell to not only restore the well, but transport the water to the far fields to help the suffering crops.”

He glanced towards the fields, whose dry soil had caused many of the crops to wither, which would likely result in a poor harvest and a long, hungry winter for the residents of not only this hamlet, but all those in the region.

“I’ve never considered combining elemental magic with a transportation spell, but it’s not outside the realm of possibility; spell patterns can be layered on top of one another prior to casting.” He considered the puzzle. “I wonder if by creating a permanent summoning spell we could create some sort of magical irrigation system between the well and fields.”

Though the idea seemed sound in theory, the application turned out to be much more difficult. While I possessed enough skill to create the spell’s foundation, unfortunately the final layering magic was beyond my current ability.

After several attempts to teach me what would be required, Alden eventually realized this too. He frowned. “The weaving of the two spells is too complex for your current abilities; I will need to lend you my powers in order to complete our vision.”

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