Book One – Chapter 12

She strained to listen, to understand. Faroah read on her face that she had expected something different from this audience. Well, if people knew what to expect, they would not need him, would they?

With a gentle tap on her right hand, Faroah redirected her focus, prompting her to proceed. By now, he had very much perfected a facial expression, a blend of encouragement and curiosity, that silently said, “Go on.”

“The reason why I seek oracle …” She paused, hesitating

Faroah tapped her hand again.

“The day I escaped the witch coven that had claimed me, I was … ,” her voice was tinged with uncertainty, “I was captured and then sold to a wizard. All I wanted was to return to my human family, but he bound my life to his. Can you sense it? I mean, can you feel the seal in me?”

Tap.

“I believe that he is bound to die soon, and if he does, so will I. I seek oracle to learn if this is my fate, or to learn of his fate, so I may prolong his life and thus mine. Or, if you can, please tell me how I can free myself and reclaim my life. Please tell me what I need to do to make my life my own again.”

“This is a place that grants change,” Faroah said. “A legendary sanctuary where dwarven kings once ascended. Many of them stood where we stand. At this moment, you may sense the mountain’s heartbeat extending towards you, its vein reaching out to connect with you. You may offer it a fraction of your giving heart.”

Her hands trembled beneath his touch, yet Faroah refrained from grasping or confining them. Then, with a sudden jolt, she withdrew her hands, but, equally abruptly, halted midway. Only her fingertips remained beneath his touch. “What is happening?” she whispered.

“Do not be afraid,” Faroah reassured her. “Change is a knife with a blade for a handle. Changing your future needs changing yourself.” His hands remained suspended over the crystal, unchanged in their position. Through his years of experience, Faroah knew that coercion bred resistance, while the allure of free will and curiosity often merged into to trust.

A few moments passed before the witch tentatively slid her hands back under his touch.