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Wizards!” Dartan was afraid it would be his only answer. Then she turned, looked him squarely in the eye, and pointed that finger at him. “You never know what a wizard wants. All you can be sure of is what he asked.” Dartan waited, expecting her to actually answer his question, but the silence that followed made it clear she had no intention of saying anything more. Probably a habit she picked up from being around wizards for so long.
    “What did he ask?” Dartan finally decided to ask. Before she could answer, Mother was interrupted by Alain’s reappearance.
    “We are out of time,” he said. The look on his face upon his return was quite different from when he left. There was something there that made him look even less like the Great Wizard Alain he had heard whispers of all his life. Uncertainty.
    “As I said before,” Mother reminded him, “he’s not ready.” She had not even bothered to look at Alain, but his reply spun her around faster than Dartan had seen her move in years.
    “Ready or not, they come for him.” Mother slowly shook her head, even as she saw the undeniable truth of it in Alain’s eyes.
    “He’s just a boy,” she protested quietly.
    “You, of all people, know he’s much more than just a boy,” Alain soothed. Mother reluctantly nodded. Alain regarded them both for another moment, then gave one last command before disappearing. “Prepare yourselves.”
    The wizard’s reappearance had only raised more questions, but Dartan could see Mother was in no state to answer them. Trying to keep emotion from his voice, Dartan spoke quietly. “What do we do now?”
    “Pack.”
     
     

 
     
     
     
    Chapter Four
     
    Dartan could still remember when they moved to this farm. Their entire life possessions fit into a single small wagon, pulled by their only horse. It seemed a lifetime ago, which made it so strange to see the same size wagon still held all of their belongings.
    “Well, are you going to stare at it all day,” Mother asked on her way back into the house, “or are you going to help me finish packing?” Truthfully, the packing was all but finished. It had taken the better part of two days, but it was done. Since he was being truthful, he should admit it wasn’t the wagon that had his attention, but the rest of the farm around him.
    Things had changed much during their time here. Rugged and stony fields had transformed into rich, tilled soil, and the ramshackle house and barn became sturdy and strong. Now it was changing again. Trees at the field border were beginning to sag, limbs threatening to drag the ground, though they bore no fruit. Crops withered, and cracks appeared in drying soil.
    So much for hard work. Even he couldn’t deny magic had a hand in the prosperity of his farm now, though he still wasn’t sure he had anything to do with it. Mother reappeared from the house carrying her last bag, and one of the door hinges broke as she closed it behind her.
    “Where exactly are we going?” Dartan called out to her.
    “ We aren’t going anywhere,” she answered, throwing her last bag onto the wagon. “I’m going to my sister’s house to meet my nieces and nephews.” She stepped close to Dartan, cupped his cheeks in her hands, and looked up at him with wet eyes. “I have no idea where you’re going, but I pray this is not the last time I see you.”
    He could have argued, insisted on taking her there himself. Maybe he could have even just refused to believe the wizard. Or, with the same success, he could have tried catching the mountain wind with a net. It all amounted to the same thing – nothing. So, he put his hands over hers, bowed his head, and nodded in silent surrender.
    “But, what am I supposed to do without you?” he asked, struggling to keep his own eyes dry. Her response was a gentle laugh.
    “You haven’t needed me around for a long time, child.” He shook his head in protest, but she stopped him. “It’s true, and is as it should be.”