Festival of The Sun Return

   Today when I woke up at dawn, I saw that the rain had ceased and I discovered a little sleepy otak in folds of my cloak, which curled up to stay warm.  I wondered about this animal because it was rare and lived only on a few southern isles of the Archipelago. Although it looks cute, it has cruel teeth and a fierce temper.  When I was stroking the otak, it woke up, not being afraid of me. I called him Hoeg because it is it's true name in the Old Speech. I put him on my shoulder and since then we traveled like this together. 

  I was fasting because in today's night we celebrate the Festival of The Sun Return. Finally I saw the Great House, and entered it. It was like returning to my own home for me because I was welcomed by my Masters and companions in the firelight hall. I was happy at the sight of Vetch, who I have not seen throughout the year. We talked together about many different topics and I felt how much I missed him! Of course, Jasper had to partially destroy my well-being by his irritating comments, but despite this I still tried to spend a nice and cheerful time.

 This night the Lord of O is a guest of the school - a renown sorcerer and old Archmage pupil. He also came with a beautiful woman, who filled young people eyes with delight. She did not do such an impression on me as on others - I found her to be a simple woman. But Vetch even compared her to the elven princess Elfarran, a woman of the old legend, who was so beautiful that she caused the wars for her, so I tried to look at her in another way. After we finished singing the songs, suddenly Jasper came to our guests and showed them very impressing illusion. Even the Lady of O wanted him to live with them in the O-tokne. He pleased everyone, except of me. Now I join them only in my voice but not with my heart. Inside, I only feel  jealous and bitter envy. Wait till I show him who's better! 

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The Isolate Tower

  In the winter I was sent along with seven other boys across Roke Island to the farthest Northeast cape, where stands the Isolate Tower. Master Namer was living there alone. He was bearing a name that had no meaning in any language - Kurremkarmerruk. He taught us the true names of things. It looked like this:  Kurremkarmerruk sat on his high seat, writing down a list of names that we had to learn before the ink faded at midnight leaving the parchment blank. We were overwhelmed by the silence, cold and darkness. The only sounds we were hearing was the scratching of Namer's pen and our barely audible sighing. I did not complain about it because I knew that behind all those things there was a strong power as precious stone in the bottom of a dried well.

  I learned that everything in this world has it own name. So there is a name for water, but there's also a name for each sea and each harbor. And the most important - you have to know the true of something to elicit some power out of it. And that is the reason why people don't want to give up their true names. If it was not like that, Equilibrium would fail and the world would be destroied. I were thinking for a long time about these words, and they went deeply in my understanding. I learned from Kurremkarmerruk that the real, true magic lives only with those beings who speak the Hardic tongue of Earthsea, or the Old Speech from which it grew. Dragons are an example of such creatures. It really fascinated me.

  At the end of the year I was released from the Isolate Tower, sooner than the boys who had come with me. The reason was that I had learned quicker than others, but I did not get any more praise. It was early winter and I walked alone across the island, to the south. The roads were empty, and there was no town nearby.  As night came, it started to rain. I didn't use any weather charm. Thinking about my old master Ogion, I smiled to myself and fall asleep under a great pendick-tree ,just like the old days, with a peaceful heart in the darkness.

Picture from: 1.http://lareth.deviantart.com/art/The-Sunset-the-Tower-and-the-Witch-284235786?q=boost%3Apopular%20mountain%20tower&qo=21

Months of learning

  I wanted to fulfill the words of Ogion that I would be the greatest wizard of Gont, so I focused all my strong will on the lessons, the work and everything taught by the grey-cloaked Masters of Roke, called the Nine. I have learned many valuable things and gathered some useful information. For example, The Master Hand, who taught us tricks, illusions and the lesser arts of Changing that I really wanted to know, gave me a long speech whose idea was that in order to change a thing, you have to change its true name which can result in violating the world balance, so you have to act carefully and wisely because it is dangerous. I was lucky because I quickly assimilated the knowledge and within a month I became better than the lads who had been in Roke a year before me. I was doing particularly well with the tricks of illusion and I felt as if I was born with it. 

 One day I met Jasper, who, despite speaking to me in a way that seemed more friendly was, in fact, scoffing me. Again he began to beat me with words in his mocking manner, so I swore to myself to outdo him in a test of power. I really want to prove myself and humiliate my rival because I can not stand his hateful behavior. But I know that I am not yet a worthy opponent for Jasper, so I keep increasing my knowledge and go on as usual. I spent the final months playing nicely and laughing, but in the autumn we once again returned to our tasks, practising new magic. And so my first months on the Roke Island went quickly , full of magic and experiences.

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1. http://tsabo6.deviantart.com/art/Magic-Scrolls-180341412?q=boost%3Apopular%20magic%20book&qo=2

The School for Wizard

  Today, on the first day on Island of Roke I found the school for wizards. I could not enter the school until I gave the doorkeeper my true name. I wondered about this and stood for a while because man never speaks his own name aloud, until his life's safety is at stake. But finally I granted his condition and after a moment stepped inside. I felt strange as if a shadow followed me... I got to the open courtyard. I stood still with my heart beating hard because it seemed to me that I felt some inherency and strong unseen powers in that place which was not built only of stone, but also of magic. I saw Archmage Nemmerle across the fountain and suddenly, I experienced a moment of enlightenment where it seemed like the birds and the water in the fountain were talking to me. Archmage Nemmerle took me to the ranks of students and awakened in me a feeling of confidence in me. I read the Ogion's letter to Nemmerle, which said that I, from the Island of Gont, will be the greatest wizard. I was surprised and mobilized to work harder to the words of my old teacher. When the archmage asked me about whose volition took me there and I replied that mine he mumbled to himself and I suddenly felt as alone among shadows as in a desert. His raven interrupted his behavior, looked at me askance and croaked words that could be the language of Osskil. I got a tour from an older student named Jasper who seemed like he was mocking me, so I acted rudely back. He was so snooty! This drove me crazy. Hopefully Jasper took me to sit with a heavyset fellow called Vetch who had the accent of the East Reach, and had a very dark skin unlike me and Jasper. I felt a certain liking for him and it was nice to stay in his company. 

  After becoming accustomed to the school and the environment, Jasper and Vetch demonstrated their illusions on the Roke Knoll to me. I was impressed by their magic. But when Jasper asked me to do some Gontish magic I became confused. I couldn't do illusions like theirs. I knew only some casual and common village witchery like spells used to call goats, or mending pots. To avoid ridiculing I pretended to be above such silly illusions. Jasper derided me and since that I felt like a fool I really started to hate him. At night I was dread by the strangeness of the place and I could not sleep. Fortunately, Now Vetch came to me and after talking with him I felt that the friendship, offered and given by him, I really want to return.

Pictures from:
1. http://zsoltkosa.deviantart.com/art/I-see-you-155241523?q=boost%3Apopular%20raven%20wizard&qo=14
2.http://benheine.deviantart.com/art/Castle-of-Beynac-2-173716945?q=boost%3Apopular%20middle%20age%20village&qo=6

The Storm

  A few days ago I told Ogion about my decision to sail to the Roke Island. It was very convenient to live as a student of Ogion, but still, some inner force pushed me to the far lands and adventures. Ogion took me down to the Great Port of Gont, where everyone honored Ogion for stopping an earthquake years ago. He also bade farewell to me and gave me the writing to the Warden of the School on Roke. I got on the ship called Shadow. That was my first time off the island, but fortunately it was not hard for me, because I quickly learned sailing from the sailors. 

  During our journey a great storm unleashed. The ship's crew in which I found myself could see nothing in the dark. Even the rain was very disturbing and captain stated that, unfortunately, we must sail in another direction. I could not let this happen! I went to look for any light. And there it was! It finally appeared! Fortunately we could change the course and now we are sailing to the island of Roke.

Picture from:
1.http://www.voc.iinet.net.au/vergulde.html

The Shadow

  One day when I was going to pick up the flower called white hallow on a meadow between two streams, I met, curious about magic, daughter of the village ruler, the old Lord of Re Albi, who asked me if I can summon the spirits of the dead. I replied that if I wanted, I could do this, but I was not so sure. It seemed to me, however, that she mocks me. She also asked whether I could change into something else, and when I hesitated, she said that apparently I am still too young. Since then, I was looking in the books of my master spells that would allow me to change my shape, but instead of it I found a spell mentioning the dead. When I read them aloud, room was terribly cold and I was seized by fear. I saw that in the door appeared a shapeless shadow that glided toward me. Suddenly Ogion appeared with the light from his rod and shadow disappeared.  It was a very frightening experience. Ogion taught me that every spell is either good or evil, and you need to know it, before it is cast. Now he gave me two options: either I would go to the Roke Island, where all high arts are taught or stay with him in Re Albi. It is very hard decision for me. But I feel that my desire should won and I am going to tell it to him right now...

Picture from:
1.http://humarashid.com/2010/08/12/business-casual-superstar-273-the-girl-in-the-white-dress/

Discovering the World Anew

  I thought that the new master would teach me a huge amount of things and that I would enter at once into the mystery and mastery of power. But it didn't happened. Ogion was very silent, calm and mild man. We were walking just ahead and he showed me plants and ordered to learn patience and humility for example by lodging in little villages or spending the night out in the wilderness, like some tinkers, or beggars, or poor journeyman-sorcerers. I started becoming more impatient because I wanted as soon as possible to be a great magician, but I tried to be obedient and to listen what he had said. Finally we came to Re Albi, Ogion's home. All the winter I taught to read and write ancient runes needed to create magic. As now the spring came on, Ogion often sent me to gather herbs on the meadows above Re Albi. I really like it because he told me that I can take as long as I like about it, giving me freedom and choices how to spent all day. But, of course, I do not forget about the tasks entrusted to me.

Picture from:
1.http://dsavin.deviantart.com/art/Mountain-Meadow-134790749?q=boost%3Apopular%20meadow%20mountain&qo=7

Warriors in the mist

  Meanwhile, the pirates called Kargs attacked the towns and villages in the area of Gont Island. When they approached the village of Ten Alders, residents began to flee and hide in the mountain cave. Only a few people stayed in the village, including my father, who did not want to leave his forge. When I saw the blow and thin fog floating above the path before the Kargs I came up with the idea to use a spell that I learned from an old weatherworker of the Vale. The spell was called fogweaving. The fog had thickened all over the village, suppressing the light, blurring the world till a man could hardly see his surroundings. Although the Kargs destroyed a large part of the village and killed several people, they started getting lost in the fog and falling into the abyss. Seeing the frightened Kargs getting lost in the fog, the villagers were able to chase them away. However, because of  keeping the fog for a long time I undermined my strength and got sick.
  As I was returning to health, a mysterious visitor came to the village. He was a well known Mage of Re Albi, Ogion the Silent, who declared that after the ceremony of giving me the name of the male, he could take me and keep as his apprentice. The day of my thirteenth birthday came and the ceremony of the Passage was held. The witch took my name, Duny, and nameless and naked I walked through the cold springs of the Ar and received my new name - Ged. Then I  packed the necessary things : a solid bronze knife my father had forged for me, a leather coat cut down to my size by the tanner's widow and an aldersrick my aunt had charmed for me. After that, now I am leaving the island of Gont with Ogion.

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Others call me sparrowhawk

  One day, when I was seven, I heard my aunt (sister of my dead mother who lived in a village) crying out strange words to a disobey goat that didn't want to come down from the thatch of a hut. I found it very strange that my aunt wanted to oust the goat with words. Suddenly the goat jumped down when she cried a certain rhyme to it. That was incredible! Next day when I was herding the long haired goats on the meadows of High Fall I decided to shout the same words to them: "Noth hierth malk man hiolk han merth han!". The goats came to me very quickly without making any sound. I felt some feeling of power and began to laugh. After a while I felt afraid of their scary eyes, strange silence and ridged horns. I tried to run away from them but it wasn't easy. The villagers ran out of their houses and started to laugh at me. Only my aunt did not laugh and said some words to the goats so they began to behave normally. She took me to her hut where I had never been before because she never let any child enter there, and the children were scared of this place. So it was something new to me. Her hut was really strange. There were no windows and the room was fragrant with herbs. After asking me some questions about my deed, she probably found that I knew nothing and she looked at me differently. I guess that she saw that I must have had some makings of power in me, because after she praised me and  taught the  "real name" of a falcon, by which I could summon a wild bird, she said that she could teach me much more. As I was willing to learn and wanted it, she began to teach me. I quickly learned many words in the so-called ancient language. I only had to promise that I would not tell anyone about this. My aunt bounded my promise and tied my tongue until she chooses to unbind it. I can speak anyway but I can't say the words she teach me where another person can hear it. Now, as I have the knowledge of new spells, I like to walk in the high pastures with a bird of prey flying next to me. This is why others started to call me Sparrowhawk.

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Rise

   I was born in a small village called Ten Alders, on the Island of Gont, high on the mountain on the top of the Northward Vale. My mother gave me the name Duny, but it was all she could do for me because she died before I was one year old. I have six brothers but they are all many years older than me and went home one by one to cultivate the land, sail through the seas or work as a smith in diffrent towns of the Northward Vale. My father is a bronze-smith of the village. He is not this an enthusiastic type of man but he is my father and I love him. Once I became stronger I started working with him but  there was not much work I could actually do. He used to repaid my work in blows and whippings. I felt that smithing is not what I really wanted to do. I prefer roaming deeply in the forest, swimming in the quick and cold pools of the Ar River, or climbing the cliffs and reaching the heights above the forest, from which I could see the sea where no islands are.
  So this is what I mostly wanted to tell you about my life. Since now I will be writing this blog about my experiences and feelings. I hope that someday I will uncover those distant lands and seas of which I have heard so much ...

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