great wizard

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Then he spoke. “Your tale is almost unbelievable, but I feel compelled to help ye. I have no answers for your questions, but I think I know someone who might. We have to find the Ancient Wizard.”

Golden felt a surge of hope. “Who is the Ancient Wizard?”

“His name is Alasdair, and he dwells in the Darach realm. He is spry for an old fellow. The people say he is known to walk ten miles in a day without effort. Legend has it he is more than seven hundred and fifty years old.”

Golden gasped.

“The Great Wizard wanders throughout the land, but sometimes he is a bit absent-minded,” Button continued. “Some people think the reason he has lived so long is that he accidentally stumbled across the fountain of youth in his travels. No one knows for sure if he has a permanent dwelling or not. At least, no one had seen it.”

“What does he look like?” Golden asked, intrigued.

“I have only seen the Ancient Wizard a couple of times. He never changes. He is tall and slim and appears youthful. Rather than the grey hair you would expect in someone so aged, he has red hair down to his shoulders and a long red moustache and beard. He typically wears a dark-green tunic, a green hooded cloak, and soft brown leather boots. He always carries a tall walking staff. It is carved out of a single piece of oak and stained to a dark walnut colour, and has a large oval amethyst set into the tip.”

Excerpt from Dagger of Urachadh: Attack from the Underworld, p. 83-85.

Many years ago, I was asked at a job interview “Who has inspired you in your life and why?”  The person that immediately came to my mind was my Great Uncle Leon Mosier. He worked hard all his life. An avid conversationalist and storyteller, he was friendly and kind to everyone that he met no matter what their nationality. Uncle Leon had done it all from working on the farm to selling cars to fixing tractors to driving the canteen truck in World War II. He was an amazing man. Many times I visited him and he always said that if I worked hard I would have something someday. He was immensely proud of me when years later I graduated, got a job working at the university, and got myself financially back on my feet again.   

He died on November 22, 2020. He was a special great uncle to me. We both had the same birthday so this made me feel like we had a special bond. I still miss him, but every year on my birthday I remember him and his words of encouragement that spurred me on to success.   

Karen E. Mosier