First Comes The One Who Wanders by Lynette S. Jones

watch, never allowed to influence the outcome, poor Chidra."
    "But I don't just want to watch, I want to help," Leilas cried. The picture in her mind swirled away, replaced with a breathtaking view of the Ceryk Chasm, a gash that cut through the Mountains of Crogmanland, a mile wide at its greatest point. There were places where the depths it reached couldn’t be measured.
    "Then deny what you are and join me. Together, we could do so much for the people."
    "Who are you?"
    "It's too soon. In time I'll reveal myself to you. In the meantime, think about this. You have the power to do whatever you want, if only you choose to use it, to bend it to your will. You could create places as beautiful as this Canyon, or create a river that provides water and food, save your people from men like King Darryl, whatever you wish to do."
    "Crafter’s aren't allowed to use their power in this way," protested Leilas.
    "Because some old man said that was true?" scoffed the voice. "You can do whatever you wish to do."
    "I was born a crafter, I must follow the rules set for people like me," said Leilas in a bewildered voice.
    "You were born with power," the voice disagreed with her. "That's different. Now they call those with this power crafters and they've made rules to control you. It wasn't always so. You can do whatever you wish to do."
    "I'm not sure I understand."
    "Now, those who're in the guilds seek out those with power and train them. They control them by binding them to a guild or to a school. This is to keep them from doing exactly what I've suggested that you do, use your power for the good of Preterlandis. They want to keep the balance, because someone said that's the way it should be. Is this what you want?" Leilas didn't know how to answer the voice. With her silence came darkness and then the voice was gone.
    Leilas shivered as she opened her eyes to find herself in the cave with her mother, brother and Joshuas. The older crafter appeared to be sleeping. Obviously, he hadn’t heard the voice that had awakened her. Was it just a dream and the voice merely a redubbing from this afternoon? Or had she been shown Dirth and the Chasm of Ceryk because someone wanted to make a point? Wrapping her cloak around her closely to ward off the cold that seemed to have seeped into her bones, Leilas shifted on the dirt floor and winced in pain as she brushed her injured leg. She tried to find a comfortable position as she thought about what had just occurred through the fog that seemed to have descended on her mind.
    If Gidron had been here, she would have shared this experience with him and let him help her understand it. Glancing at Joshuas, she shook her head. Hadn't he already berated her for her actions today? What would he think of her if he knew that someone could slip into her mind at will? Nothing good that was for certain. She'd be glad to be rid of him in Menas. Maybe once he was gone she'd be able to think clearly again. Her usual aplomb seemed to disappear around him.
    Her dream reminded her of her time in the mists. What she saw were pieces of her life, bits that affected her. The only difference had been the voice taunting her. What was she supposed to make of this voice? Was she going crazy? Was someone playing with her? If they were toying with her, why were they doing so? Leilas shook her head wearily and slumped against her saddle. She was tired and whatever this dream meant it would have to wait until she’d had some sleep. Listening to the quiet noises of the horses, she spoke a quiet spell of protection against nightmares, closed her eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep.

CHAPTER 4
     
    A hand shook her less than gently and Leilas woke from a dreamless sleep that had been less than satisfying. "It's your turn to keep watch," said Brenth as he dropped to the floor, wearily.
    Although he'd been an almost silent partner on their journey so far, it hadn't escaped Leilas' notice that he'd done his fair share and more. Knowing