Monday, September 29, 2003

Erin of Calway 5

"Erin Lopez always knew that her father was a paladin. But now, she has just learned that her mother is an escapee from a line of sorceresses who jealously guard their secrets. The knowledge that she carries a heritage of forbidden power weighs heavily on Erin's mind, as she is asked to make a choice. Laurel Weaver, a visiting wizard, has asked her if she wants to study magic in Noks and risk being found by foreign assassins, or to stay in Calway and risk being destroyed by her own powers."

Horse and Rider

Erin considered Laurel's question. Finally, she shrugged, shook her head, and said, "I don't know enough to calculate the risks and the strategy here. You all can figure out what plan is most likely to leave me alive and healthy. But I will just say that, all things being equal, I would like to explore the world like my parents did."

Mei Lopez, who was sensitive to her daughter's moods, simply nodded. Laurel started to say something, but Erin waved her hand impatiently, as if brushing the words away. "I don't want to think about this anymore. I am going to ride." With that, she turned around and headed to the stables.

Laurel caught up with Erin as she was putting a saddle and bridle on an old but healthy mare. The horse was tan, with a white blaze on its face. Laurel didn't know much about horses, but it seemed like this one had spent most of its life pulling carts.

The wizard smiled, and asked, "What is your horse's name?"

Erin ignored her as she finished preparing the saddle. It was only after she had slung her hunting bow over her shoulders and jumped smoothly into the saddle that she said, "Her name is Horse."

Laurel scampered out of the way as Erin gently urged the mare out of the stables and onto the path that led out of the Lopez manor and onto the main Calway road. Horse moved surprisingly quickly, and it was only a few seconds before she had borne her rider to the gate. Erin turned Horse sideways, leaned down, and opened the gate with her left hand while holding the reins with her right. She then guided Horse through the gate, switched the reins to her left hand, and closed the gate again with her right hand. This maneuver was done with practiced ease on the part of both Horse and Erin.

Erin nudged her mount into a trot, and then quickly into a canter. Horse had a good canter, and it quickly took them out of the town and into the surrounding fields. The road ahead was clear, so Erin pushed Horse into a gallop. Horse was not very fast, but her gallop was smooth, and the speed was enough to make the wind brush past Erin's face.

Erin simply rode, letting her thoughts float away on the wind. All of her worries about the future, all of her doubts about her place in the world, and all of her memories of the last few days were forgotten, lost in the simple joy of movement.

After about a mile, she let Horse stop and get some water from the creek. Then she kept going along the road at a trot. She knew that she might need to be more alert as she went further from town, even though she was heading away from Bluke territory and toward Elit territory.

She reached their forest without incident. Moving beyond the hot, dusty, sunny farms and into the refreshingly cool shadows of South Calway Forest improved her attitude even more. It always seemed that there was something magical and special about Elit territory. Passage in their lands was a privilege only granted to members of her family.

And Linebarger.

Erin could not keep her thoughts away from the cheerful Litling merchant who had been killed in the recent Bluke raid. He had ridden into town, as always, on his signature giant shelled slug, but he would never ride out. He would be missed. The peddler had been an important lifeline for Calway, bringing in much needed cash and manufactured goods. Someone would have to replace him, but it would be hard to find a good trader willing to risk the wilds surrounding Calway.

Linebarger's slug was still contained in a warding circle in the middle of town, because nobody had figured out how to control it. Several of the villagers had started to complain about its presence, and it was the general expectation that the wizards would take it with them when they left. Unfortunately, both Laurel and Theodore seemed unwilling or unable to do this. Erin didn't see why they should be hesitant; the slug seemed like a nice and friendly beast whenever she had fed it.

Suddenly, Erin's thoughts were interrupted by a great explosion of noise and movement to the side of the road. A flood of adrenaline rushed through the paladin's daughter, sharpening her senses and making her heart beat faster. Erin's mind also sped up, so much so that the world seemed to be moving slowly. Horse's gallop felt more like slow rocking. Erin focused her eyes on the source of movement as she readied her bow and an arrow.

Erin immediately saw that she had flushed a covey of quail from the bushes beside the road. They were running away, scattering into the underbrush, but it seemed to Erin that they were running very slowly. Rather than wonder why this was happening, Erin simply released her arrow and shot at one. Her arrow pierced the bird directly in the breast, killing it instantly. Its momentum carried it along, but Erin did not follow its path. She drew another arrow and shot another slow-moving bird, and then a third. Each shot hit its mark. Erin drew and nocked a fourth arrow with the same speed as the previous three, but by then all of the remaining quail had vanished into the underbrush.

Erin forced herself to relax, and as she did do, it seemed to her that the whole world somehow ... snapped. Suddenly, everything was moving as fast as it should. The first bird that Erin had shot bounced and skidded to a stop in the forest floor. Erin discovered that she was hot, tired, and short of breath, as if she had done a great deal of exercise in a very short time.

Erin stopped Horse and turned her around. She felt dizzy and light-headed, so she started a deep breathing exercise her father had taught her. It seemed, somehow, more effective than usual. Her body cooled off, and her energy was restored. As this happened, she felt an odd sensation, a kind of tingle. She guessed that it had something to do with the newly active God's Blood in her body.

She dismounted, wrapped the reins around a tree branch, and went into the forest to collect the birds she had shot. She was not thinking of how she had possibly managed to shoot three running birds in such a short space of time. Instead, her thoughts touched briefly on "These are going to taste good!" before settling on "It's going to take me all afternoon to pluck and scald these things."

Point and Counterpoint

That night, after a dinner of roast quail that even Theodore Bassi found excellent, the two wizards were discussing Erin's future with her parents. Erin and her brother Andrew had excused themselves when the conversation started. Andrew naturally avoided confrontation, so his absence was no surprise. Erin should have been a part of this, however, and her absence worried her parents.

But then, perhaps it was for the best. Erin had no patience for the formality and deception required to keep Theodore, the senior wizard and representative of the Council, unaware of the Lopez family's connection to the Purple Roses. Aaron and Mei were insisting on keeping Erin at home. Their true motive was to protect her from discovery by that sinister organization, but they could not reveal this.

Theodore, who had a duty to ensure proper training of all powerful magic-users, could not allow Erin to remain at home. He knew the dangers of allowing untrained wizards to roam freely, and was growing increasingly impatient with Erin's family.

"The fact remains that you do not have the ability to teach your daughter the ways of magic and protect her as she learns." said the senior wizard.

"Now that she has been exposed to magical powers, she cannot be who she once was and she cannot remain as she is now. The only way for her to go is forward. You know that, in your heart." added Laurel.

"But why does she have to go somewhere else?" asked Mei. "She likes it here and we like her being here. We have Kantz and Yoder; they would be happy to help her and I still think that they can."

Theodore snorted. "Your daughter follows a path that is beyond their understanding. They will not be able to help her in the future any more than they have helped her the past few days."

"I just don't like the idea of my daughter in a court." Mei insisted. Her eyes lost focus as she gazed into her past. "I have seen what such places can do to people. The ones who rise to the top come out worse than the ones that are pushed to the bottom. She must not be subjected to that atmosphere. At least, not yet, not while she is still so young."

Theodore took offense at this. "The Council of Wizards is not a place of idle pleasure. It is a place of work and study."

Aaron finally spoke. "The same is true of a barracks. But there is still intrigue. I do not wish for Erin to be thrown in such an environment. She could not begin to understand it."

Theodore glared at them. "Given your history, I find it strange that you would not wish your daughter to leave her house.

"I grew up in a miserable slum," replied Aaron. "I had nothing to lose and nowhere to go but up. Mei was a slave in shackles when I found her. We worked very hard to get to where we are now, and I see no reason for Erin to lose all of that."

Laurel regarded this, and then quietly asked. "Do you believe that your daughter is weaker than you are?"

"No." said Aaron hastily. "But she does not have the preparation for city life. She has never needed to know how to manipulate others and avoid manipulation. And she is not yet powerful enough to survive as an honest person."

Theodore stood up, and declared, "Then it seems we are at an impasse. You cannot allow her to leave, and we cannot allow her to stay. This must be decided by the law. By the power vested in me by..."

Laurel grabbed his arm. "Please, stop. There is no reason to rush a decision. We can leave and rest and decide something in the morning, when we are all calmer."

Theodore looked down at her. "I see nothing to be gained by waiting. We can never abandon our duty."

Laurel was whispering now, "But time may help them come to realize that Erin must go. There is no reason for the separation to be filled with animosity. Think of how that could taint her training and growth."

Theodore sighed, "Very well, we can discuss this in the morning."

Dream and Plan

Outside, Erin had that attitude of resigned depression of one who knows she is being talked about and also knows that she can add nothing to the conversation. She was standing beside the slug's head and rapping her knuckles gently on its armor plating. The slug seemed, in some indefinable way, to be enjoying this.

Laurel walked up, as gently as the night breeze. "She likes you."

"Yes, I know." Erin paused. "I like her too."

Laurel stood quietly and looked at the stars.

Erin opened up. "In a strange way, we have a lot in common. We both had a nice life before now, but that life is over. She lost Linebarger, and I lost, well, I don't know exactly what I lost, but anyway we are both important nuisances now."

"Now, it's not exactly fair to... " Laurel began to protest.

"But it’s true!" Erin exploded. "You think about us both in the same way. 'What are we supposed to do with this slug now?' 'What are we supposed to do with Erin now?' I have become a duty and a responsibility, not a person."

Laurel had nothing to say to this.

Erin had nothing to say either, so she talked about something else. "You are a lot like my father, you know? You have all of these rules and duties and they make you do things and you really believe that you have to do them but really you care more about people than rules. I wish more wizards were like you but it seems that they are all like Yoder and Theodore, all high and mighty and cold."

Laurel did not react to this. Erin paused again, and then her mind bounced to a subject that was almost, but not quite, completely off topic. "I used to think that The Apprentice was a worthless clod. He said the stupidest things and he was always tripping over himself and everybody laughed at him but then he turned into a wizard and I realize now that he was a better person before. He never ever wanted to hurt anybody but he just didn't understand us. Now when he looks at us it feels funny, like he is mocking us all on the inside and he thinks he is better than us. Maybe he is and maybe he deserves to be better than us now but it just feels wrong."

"And then Theodore comes in and looks down on Yoder the way Yoder looks down on us, and he wants to take me away and make me like The Apprentice. I don't want that to happen. I don't want to turn mean and cold."

Tears started to well up in Erin's eyes. "I don't want to hurt anyone else." she sobbed.

Laurel moved closer and hugged Erin, calming and comforting her. Eventually Laurel said, "You can never truly become someone you do not want to be. If you focus your will, then you can always remain true to yourself."

Erin did not react well to this comment. Her face twisted up, and she pushed Laurel away. "The time I used magic is the only time in my life when I lost my will and lost myself. And you want me to do that more!"

Laurel was stern now. "The magic you used in that battle was exactly what we are trying to prevent. It was uncontrolled and violent. If you had the proper training from your youth, that would never have happened. If you do not receive proper training now, it will happen again. That is why Theodore and I cannot allow you to remain here unsupervised. We cannot allow such violent flashes of magic to continue. It will destroy you, and it will destroy this village."

The Slug shifted, and a groaning sound issued from somewhere in her bulk. Erin turned around and began to rap its shell again. "Now look, we went and made her upset." Erin started to tap the slug with both her knuckles and the base of her palm, drumming out a simple little tune. The slug relaxed, stopped moving around, and began to breathe in deep slow breaths.

Erin, too, became calmer. She closed her eyes and lost herself in the simple music she was creating, burning away her stress and energy with the rapid controlled movement of her hands.

Laurel observed this silently for a time, and then said, "What you are doing now is good and proper magic. You are easing pain and keeping the world in harmony. You would learn things such as this, if you trained with us."

Erin laughed. "This can't be magic. It's just husbandry. This thing is just like a big horse."

Laurel smiled. "This creature is far more complex and alien than a horse. Kronak Shelled Slugs are notoriously difficult to tame and control. There are very few who can manage them, and none can do so without magic."

"What about Linebarger?"

"I suspect that his cane gave him the ability to control the slug."

Erin looked concerned. She turned to Laurel hopefully and said, "But surely you can control her?"

Laurel shook her head sadly. "No, I am afraid not. I can contain her in a warding circle, but I cannot control or direct her."

Erin looked very worried now. "So what will happen to her? If nobody can ride her like Linebarger, what will become of her? We cannot just let her loose; she would never survive alone in this environment."

Laurel's face mirrored Erin's worry. "I honestly do not know. Unless we can somehow find someone willing and able to direct her, the best we can hope for is a menagerie."

Erin seemed close to tears now. "That's horrible. She would hate being put in a cage, almost as much as I would." Erin looked up defiantly and screwed her face into a stern pout. "I wish that I could just ride her away and disappear!"

Laurel Weaver's eyes widened, and her face filled with liveliness and hope. "Maybe you can! I have an idea. I cannot promise that it will happen, but I will do my best to make it happen."

Wariness and excitement clashed within Erin. She trusted Laurel now, or thought she did, but still suspected a trick. "What is it?"

Laurel calmed herself down. "I must not be hasty. First, I have to know if you can guide and control the slug. If I dispel the warding circle, do you think that you can make her go to the Lopez Manor?"

"I think I can." Erin leaped nimbly onto the saddle on the slug's head, then nodded to Laurel. The Green Wizard waved her staff, and the glowing runes on the ground drifted away like feathers in the wind.

Then, Erin pressed her palms against the slug's shell and began drumming her fingers softly. The slug slowly lumbered forward.

Erin looked down at Laurel and called, "She is happier now that she is not caged. I think we can get along just fine."

Erin was able to guide the slug to the gate of the Lopez manor without any problems, but it took some effort to maneuver the slug's vast bulk through the gate into the yard. Erin winced as a fence post was bent sideways by one of the slug's spines, but they made it through without any major damage.

After Erin took the slug to the back pasture, she hopped off and walked over to Laurel, who had fixed the fence post and closed the gate. "Well, I got her in here, and I think that she will be content to stay the night. What is your big plan?"

Laurel's voice revealed her genuine excitement. "Simple. You and I can ride the slug on Linebarger's route while I teach you magic."

Erin beamed. "Really? You can do that?"

Laurel's tone became more serious as she calculated the possibilities in her head. "I think so. I may be able to convince Theodore to allow you to learn wizardry from a single teacher, like in the old days. It would be slower, but I can show him that you would enjoy it much more and be more successful."

Erin cut in with her own excited chatter. "Moving around would be so much better for so many reasons I would see a lot more than just Noks I would get to see everything that Linebarger talked about! And..." Erin glanced around, to see if Theodore was around. Then, she said more softly, "It will be much better for security. Nobody from the Purple Roses will have a chance to study me, and if anyone did detect my powers, we could run off to the next town. I think that my parents would like the fact that I was moving around."

Laurel nodded. "We must work together to convince them of this. Tomorrow morning, we must be ready to make our case to both my master and your parents.

Deed and Title

"So, what do you think, father?"

Aaron looked from Laurel's anxious face to his daughter's excited one. He nodded slowly. "I cannot say that I like it, but I understand that it is a good plan, certainly better than being trapped in the court."

He studied Erin. After about a second, his face melted into a warm smile. "Yes, I can see the desire for adventure in you. You are ready to explore the world, just as I was at your age."

Aaron turned to Laurel, and his smile faded into a wary gaze. "But there is still a question of trust and understanding. I must know that you will do the right thing for Erin. I must see how the two of you interact."

He paused, and looked at Erin again, then back at Laurel. "I, too, have reason to travel, at least for a short distance. I need to pay the Elit a diplomatic visit, and discuss with their chief the future of this valley after the recent disruption."

Erin knew what her father was about to say, and spoke up. "Linebarger always visited the Elit, and then he visited the Antfolk and came back here. You can come with us on that part of his trade route. That will take a couple weeks at least, so we can see how things are going before Laurel and I decide to head out for good."

Laurel looked up at Erin and smiled at her. "I like this idea. It will provide a helpful transition, allowing you to become accustomed to journeying and learning magic, while remaining in the comfortable presence of someone you trust.

"And I will get to see what and how you teach my daughter." Aaron added. "Now, we need to talk to your master."

After everyone finished explaining the idea to him, Theodore paused for a few seconds to consider the plan. Then, he said calmly, "You presume much, Laurel. You know that a wizard of the second rank does not have the right to take an apprentice. You also know that doing this would mean ending your studies under me. If I agree to this plan, I am forced to promote you now, before you have finished a full course of study."

Laurel met his gaze. "This is the only course of action that will result in Erin learning proper magic and being happy while doing so. If she stays here, her growth will be uncontrolled and dangerous. If you force her into the University, or give her to any other master, then her magic training will be tainted by anger, sorrow, and bitterness. You know what that leads to."

Theodore replied with a simple, "I know." Then, after a short pause, he continued. "I have seen and heard everything that you all have to say about this. Now, let me think."

Then, he sat silently, considering everything all of the information he had obtained. Minutes passed as he stared at every person in the room; Erin, Aaron and Mei, Laurel, and then Erin again. Then, he closed his eyes and began to mutter a divination spell. Several more minutes passed as his mind drifted free of his body and roamed the Etherweb.

Aaron, Mei, and Laurel waited patiently. But Erin felt like she would go crazy waiting for something, anything, to happen. She felt like she could deal with any answer, as long as she got one. The uncertainty chewed at her insides and clenched at her throat. She tried to calm herself with the meditation exercises that her father had taught her, but she could not get them to work. She sat down, then stood up, then sat down again, and finally began pacing around the room, her hands twitching with nervous energy.

The others, despite their more mature calmness, were beginning to be infected by Erin's nervousness when Theodore finally spoke. He looked at Laurel and said, "Linebarger's trade route is more perilous than you know."

Everyone looked like they wanted to respond to this, but before they could, Theodore continued. He looked at everyone in the room as he said, "However, all other paths are even more perilous. I have seen hints of dark powers chasing after this girl." He looked at the Lord and Lady Lopez. "I think you had some idea of this and that is why you wanted to keep her close. I can show the Council that the solution you have chosen is the best one."

Then, he looked directly at his pupil and said, "Laurel Weaver, step forward." She did, wordlessly.

Theodore's tone changed. Formerly, he had spoken in a voice that seemed vibrant, aware, and penetrating. Now, his words bore the intonation of a tired old ritual. "Laurel Weaver, Green Wizard of the Second Rank, do you declare, in the presence of these witnesses, that you wish to be promoted and released from the tutelage of your Master, Theodore Bassi, Red Wizard of the Seventh Rank?"

Laurel replied with a firm but polite "Yes, I do."

Theodore continued, he had a smile on his face as his voice reverted to his original, living, tone. "Laurel, you demonstrated a mastery of your studies in many ways. For five years now, you have been a good student, an invaluable assistant, and, most importantly, an excellent healer. In light of these accomplishments, I graduate you to the Third Rank and release you from my service."

Something happened then that Erin could see, but not understand. As Theodore said these words, Laurel seemed to become more vibrant, more alive, more powerful. And yet Theodore was not diminished in any way. Where had Laurel's power come from? Was it just a matter of psychology, or was there something deeper happening?

The older wizard now spoke in a lighter tone, interrupting Erin's thoughts. "Now, we are confronted with the matter of legal ownership of Linebarger's slug. This fine plan will come to nothing if all of his goods must be turned over to a relative. Do we know what his desires in this matter were?"

Laurel replied, "There is no will among Linebarger's personal papers."

Theodore considered this for several seconds, then said, "I will send a Message to the Council. I will inform them of these developments and have them search the records of the Noks court and the major temples for any will that Linebarger may have filed."

Aaron looked worried. "How long will that take?"

"I would estimate that a proper records and relatives search would take several weeks. In the interim, however, there is the matter of public interest. The Slug must be cared for and the trade route must be completed." Theodore smiled slightly and glanced at Aaron. "Therefore, it is up to the local authorities to appoint a temporary steward to care for the property."

Aaron nodded. "It has been shown that Erin Lopez is the only person in this locality who is capable of handling the property in question. Therefore, I appoint her to be the temporary steward of Linebarger's property, until the true owner is determined."

Theodore looked at Erin and asked, "Do you accept this responsibility?"

"Yes, of course!" Erin replied with excitement and a little confusion. "But what happens after the records are searched?"

Theodore leaned back in his chair. "If no will or heir is found, then all of Linebarger's possessions will be classified as abandoned property. By common law, ownership of such abandoned property reverts to the Lord of the territory it was found in. Therefore, Aaron can distribute it as he sees fit."

"And if you do find one?"

"Then, as steward, it will be your responsibility to deliver the property to that heir. Of course, if that heir is incapable of controlling the slug, you may be able to buy it for a fairly low sum."

"Oh, okay."

"In other words," said Theodore with a calculating smile, "Don't worry about it. The slug, and everything on it, is yours, and will stay yours for some time. I suggest that you become acquainted with your new possessions."

Silks and Daggers

Later that morning, Erin and Mei were happily rummaging through all of the bags, barrels, sacks, cartons, chests, trunks, amphorae, boxes, jars, and pouches that were attached to Erin's slug. As they did so, Mei gave a running commentary on the identity, quality, and likely trade value of each item and Erin was recording these values in a ledger. Most of the stuff was fairly boring, like the thousands of containers of ginseng that Linebarger had bought from the Calway villagers, but once every few minutes they would uncover something that made Erin's eyes sparkle.

They were looking through a bundle of clothing when Aaron walked up. He noticed that they had pulled out a collection of items and laid them out on a cloth on the ground. Aaron nodded approvingly at a quiver full of masterfully made arrows fletched with some kind of feather that reflected light in ever-shifting patterns. He grinned wryly at a jeweled ivory comb. He scowled doubtfully at beautiful saddle, carefully crafted from alligator skin. He glanced quizzically at a pile of eight identical throwing daggers. He shrugged idly at a large book entitled, "The Adventures of Sir Mightenright."

There was something else, a small strange garment made of silks and elastic and straps. Aaron poked it cautiously with his boot, as though it were a poisonous insect. He could feel that it was reinforced with a wire.

Mei noticed him, and saw what he was looking at. He was about to say something when his wife spoke up. "I know what you are thinking, dear. You have only seen such things on actresses and courtesans and other loose women. But there are a lot of women who have good, practical reasons to wear them under their clothing. Your daughter is one of them. This was always meant to be hers; I ordered it last year but I did not get a chance to get it from Linebarger on the day of the battle."

Aaron glanced down at the thing. He did not trust anything that looked like that, but he did trust his wife, and knew from her tone that she was serious. So he simply said, "Yes ma'am."

Aaron shifted his attention back to his daughter. She had found and untangled a series of black leather straps and dagger sheaths. After some experimentation, Erin attached one of the sheaths to her upper arm, concealed under her sleeve, and put one of the daggers she had collected into it.

Erin flexed her fingers, and then, in several swift motions, drew the dagger and threw it at a wooden chest. It embedded itself in the wood at an angle, the blade sunk in slightly.

Erin and Mei smiled, but Aaron did not. Erin sensed his mood, turned to him, and asked, "What's wrong? Do you think that this is a dishonorable weapon, that I shouldn't use it?"

Aaron paused for a moment, a faraway look in his eyes. "No, I think that you are not using it properly."

Erin had not been expecting this, but she recovered her poise quickly. "So, can you show me how to handle these right?"

"Yes." Aaron picked up one of the other holsters and started to attach it to his arm, guided by long-buried memories. "First, the holster needs to be set up like this. This allows you to grab the handle with..."

After over an hour of instruction, Erin could see how clumsy her first effort had been. She could now draw and throw any of six concealed daggers with a single fluid motion. These throws were not nearly as accurate or powerful as her well-practiced throws of hatchets and larger knives, but she felt that she would soon adjust to the balance of the smaller blades.

Mei had also been watching and learning along with her daughter. Although she had never practiced throwing weapons, and did not try to start now, she was very fast at drawing the knives. She was also better than her daughter, and even her husband, at concealing them.

Erin stopped practicing and looked at her father hesitantly. Aaron asked gently, "Is something troubling you?"

Erin glanced at the archery target they had been aiming at. Aaron's latest throw was sunk deeply into the bull's-eye. "How is it that you know how to handle these things so well? They are really not a paladin's weapon."

"I was many things before I was a paladin," Aaron replied soberly.

Erin twirled a dagger around in her hand. "I knew that you had a hard childhood but this knowledge scares me and I don't know why."

Aaron considered this. "For your entire life, you have known me as a person who confronts all challenges boldly and honestly. But these weapons are neither bold not honest. The knowledge that I use them skillfully causes you to question my past character and actions."

Erin did not confirm or deny this. Instead, she asked, "What about my character and actions? What does it say about me that I found them so appealing?"

"It says that you are smart. You are showing that you understand the value of a diverse set of skills and tools. You are heading out into a dangerous world, and you need all of the strength you can get."

Mei nodded. "I agree. Things can be very rough out there, especially for women."

Erin looked at her parents. "Do you really think that I should wear these all of the time? I never really considered that; I was just having some fun with them."

Aaron answered this question by pulling a dagger from his boot. It was not one of Linebarger's daggers. Almost before Erin could react, he slipped it back into its concealed holster.

Erin was stunned. "Oh."

Aaron looked his daughter in the eyes and said, "Honor is a matter what you do and how you act. It is true that many foul crimes have been committed with hidden daggers like this. But carrying them does not make you a criminal. A weapon is a weapon."

Erin was still unsure. "But isn't it like lying, to have a weapon when it looks like you don't?"

Mei answered this question. "If you meet anyone who cares or thinks about what weapons you may have, then you will need to have weapons to deal with that person."

Plants and Insects

Later that evening, Laurel and Kantz were enjoying an evening stroll through the church gardens. All of the patients in the church had been healed, and all of the conflicts had been resolved, so there was nothing to stop them from simply being together and talking. They talked about magical theory, ancient legends, current events, and, finally, each other.

"Oh, and congratulations on your promotion." Kantz smiled. "You certainly earned it."

Laurel smiled too, but not as widely. "Thank You."

Kantz looked at Laurel's staff, which was covered with live plants; moss, lichen, tiny flowers, and, nestled in a crook at the top, a bromeliad. Well, it was almost covered. "I notice that you are still missing a patch of moss. It looks like the one you used to heal Erin."

Laurel nodded, and Kantz continued, "I assume that you use those plants to store life energy, and then release it for monumental tasks."

"Yes, it is an old-fashioned technique that I adapted to life on the road."

"Will the moss grow back, or do you need to replace it?"

"It grows back, with time. The plant can be replaced, but finding the right kind of plant is very hard."

"Maybe I can help. Come, let me show you my greenhouse."

Kantz led Laurel off the path and through a cleverly concealed opening in an apparently solid wall of hedges. Laurel saw another garden area, and also a small structure nestled against the southern wall of the church. It was built with a metal frame and thousands of glass panels in various colors.

Laurel was impressed. "That is a nice structure. How did you get the resources to build it in such a rural area?"

Kantz shrugged modestly. "I had a talk with the local Antfolk tribe. They had to set up a glass workshop to meet my order for the church remodeling, so it was little trouble to keep making the glass for this. I repay them with a steady supply of healing potions. That reminds me; I will have to make some more. My supply has been exhausted by the recent crisis. Come on in."

Laurel hesitated. There was a ring of paving stones around the greenhouse, and the green wizard saw that each stone had a fairly powerful rune of warding on it. "What do you have in here that is so dangerous?"

"Nothing, why?" Kantz turned around, and then followed her gaze down. "Oh, those are there to hide this place from Red Oak Spirit. He wouldn't be too happy about a slice of foreign ecosystem in his domain."

The inside of the greenhouse was indeed a different environment. It felt like the southern coastal jungles. Exotic plants in pots were everywhere. They were sitting on shelves along the walls and hanging from the ceiling. They were obviously thriving, thanks to the hot, moist environment. But there was something more. Laurel could sense the handiwork of Mei Lopez in the design of the greenhouse. The design of the metal, glass, and stone-tiled floor worked, like the courtyard, to focus magical energies of life and health on the plants inside.

As Laurel looked around, Kantz said, "If you find anything here that you can use, help yourself."

"No, I couldn't. I can see that you have put so much care into these plants; you must need them for your own spells and potions."

"That is why I think one of them may be useful to you. These plants have been carefully grown, in a controlled and magical atmosphere, by a healer, for the purpose of aiding in healing. They, more than anything else, would be suitable for accepting and storing your healing power."

Laurel started to protest again, but Kantz was insistent. "You expended a very valuable part of your wizard's staff to aid a member of my congregation that I could not cure. Honor demands that I repay that as best as I can. But more than that, I want to give you something, as a friend."

Laurel nodded, assenting. "Thank You."

As the Green wizard began to carefully examine the plants, Kantz went to the northern wall of the greenhouse, which was simply the outside stone wall of the chapel. There were shelves against this wall as well, but these shelves did not have many plants. They contained a wide variety of fungi, as well as several clay pots and glass jars full of insects, arachnids, and scorpions.

Kantz took a big pot with seven large black scorpions off the shelf and took it to a work table in the middle of the greenhouse. When Laurel saw him do this, she came over to watch. "I remember milking scorpions and spiders at the University. All of the younger students would have to manipulate them into striking a tube or cup to collect the venom for potions."

Kantz smiled and said, "We had to do the same thing at the temple. The problem was, I was never any good at it."

"Would you like some help?"

"Thanks, but that will not be necessary. Look at these." Kantz reached over and took another pot off the shelf. Laurel noticed that the pot had been sitting on a hibernation rune. Kantz took the lid off the pot and let Laurel peek inside. She saw what appeared to be a brood of several dozen cockroaches. They even had the magical energy signature of a cockroach soul. But when she looked closer, she saw that the insects were actually made out of rubber.

Kantz took one of these out of the jar with a pair of long tweezers. He held it out for Laurel to get a closer look. The rubber insect writhed the same way that a real one would, but Laurel could see that the abdomen was a hollow rubber bulb.

Kantz tossed the insect into the scorpion jar. It landed on its feet and tried to run, but one of the black scorpions reacted to this movement by stinging it. The stinger pierced the rubber insect's abdomen, presumably injecting poison. The scorpion then backed up, waiting for the venom to liquefy the innards of its prey.

But the rubber roach was not affected. It continued to run around the jar looking for shelter. One of the other scorpions struck it, again to no effect. Kantz allowed this spectacle to continue for several minutes, as the scorpions continued to try to kill the thing that all of their senses said was a tasty cockroach.

Laurel almost felt sorry for the scorpions, but she immediately saw that this was a much more effective way of collecting venom than milking the scorpions by hand. The rubber roach had collected so much poison that its abdomen was beginning to bulge.

Kantz saw this too, and extracted the rubber roach from the scorpion jar with the tweezers. He then pulled the legs and head off of the insect, leaving a rubber bulb full of scorpion venom. He put this bulb on the worktable, and then tossed the other parts back into the jar of rubber roaches. Laurel watched, fascinated, as the remaining rubber insects devoured these pieces.

She turned to Kantz, who was tossing about a dozen real crickets into the scorpion jar. "What are these things?"

"I worked with Yoder to copy cockroach brains into a batch of carefully prepared rubber insects infused with God's Blood. It took a few dozen tries, but we finally got a race of constructs that can reproduce themselves. They are really easy to take care of; I just take them off the hibernation rune and toss random scraps of organic matter in there whenever I need more for venom collection."

Laurel looked worried now. "They sound dangerous. Are you worried that they will escape and cause an infestation?"

Kantz put the jar of happily feeding scorpions back on the shelf. "No, they require a high level of background magical energy to move around. If I took them out of this greenhouse, they would just sit motionless. Even inside the greenhouse, an infestation would be easy to contain. It takes very little effort to deglamer them. Watch."

Kantz reached into the cockroach jar with the tweezers and flipped one of the rubber insects onto the floor of the greenhouse. It started to scurry away, and Kantz watched it for about a second before snapping his fingers. There was the slightest whisper of magic, and the rubber roach simply stopped moving.

Kantz picked it up and handed it to Laurel. "See, the animating mind has been erased. It is just dead rubber now."

Laurel investigated the insect. She could, indeed, sense no trace of magical energy or active God's Blood at all. But still, the construct felt strange and troubling. She looked at Kantz and asked, "Can I take this one to study?"

"Sure, no problem. In fact, I'll give you some live ones." Kantz picked up a small, round clay jar with hibernation runes on it and began to put rubber insects in it. When there were six of them, he sealed the jar with a clay stopper that also had runes inked on it. Kantz then put this sealed clay jar in a wooden case lined with fabric and handed the box to Laurel.

"This will hold them for your trip. The specimen jar will keep them dormant, and even if the magic fails for some reason they won't be able to eat their way out of the clay. The box will protect the jar from being broken."

Laurel accepted the box. "Thank you. I will make sure to give these to the wizards in the lab when I pass through Noks."

Kantz waited for Laurel to secure the box in a pocket inside her robe, and then said, "I have enough venom here to make seven or eight healing potions. I would like to have them ready before you and Erin leave tomorrow, so that you can deliver them to the Antfolk."

Laurel smiled. "Would you like me to help?"

Kantz smiled back. "I was hoping you would say that."

Marbles and Mourning

The next morning, Laurel left Calway Chapel for a final early morning stroll around the town. At Aaron's instruction, Friar Kantz had told the Elit to expect them in four days. That was the time it would take the slug to carry them to the forest village, if they left around midday. This would leave the travelers enough time to make final preparations for the trip.

Before she got very far, however, Laurel saw that she was not the only person in the churchyard. There was someone in the cemetery, standing over one of the new graves. It was Erin.

Laurel walked up reverently and looked at the tombstone. It said:

Thomas Lail
1533 - 1549
Died defending his home.

Erin was just standing there, seemingly lost in thought. She was not crying, but looked as if she might start.

Laurel hazarded a question. "Was he someone special?"

Erin sighed. "I don't really know. When I first learned the names of the fallen, Tommy seemed like one of twenty-seven tragedies, each one as heartbreaking. But now, he's the only one I think about."

Laurel nodded. "What was he like?"

Erin considered this, then finally said, "Tommy was strong and smart and quick, very active and curious. He was my age, and came from a prosperous farm family. He wasn't intimidated by my station or my strength, which made him different than a lot of other children."

"Tommy and I did a lot of things together, but we were rivals in just as many things. We were always competing on things like who could catch the most fish or run the fastest. He was the only one who could challenge me at sports or weapons training or wrestling. He had a horse too, and we practiced riding together."

"I could always trust Tommy to look out for me, and I would always take care of him. He carried me all the way home the time I broke my ankle, and I scared off a bear that was about to maul him."

"But of all that, it is the silly childish things I miss the most. Because Tommy and I came from richer families, we were allowed to play more than the others. Sometimes we would just walk through the woods, pretending to be great explorers. And we both loved to play marbles. That was one of our longest-running contests. We were always trying to win marbles from each other. Sometimes our games got so intense that we scared the little kids."

Erin lifted a bag that had been hanging from her belt. She opened it, revealing a pile of beautiful glass marbles. Some of them were obviously magical, with exquisite designs or figurines inside the clear glass spheres.

Erin took out two of the shooters and started rolling them around in a circle in her right hand, like medicine balls. One of the large marbles had a hawk inside it, and the other had a butterfly. They flapped their wings when the marbles moved, so it looked like they were chasing each other in a circle.

"Two days before the battle, I did really good and won most of Tommy's marbles. He vowed to get them back from me. That was the last I ever spoke to him."

Erin lapsed into silence as she continued to swirl the marbles around in her hand. Laurel could feel the emotional tension building, like gray winter storm clouds rolling in over the horizon. She also knew that it would be best not to interfere with whatever happened. Still, she raised magical shields to prepare for the worst.

Erin stared at the marbles as she spoke again. "Shooting marbles. That was my idea of challenge and conflict. That was the life that was ripped from me."

There was a brief surge of magic. Laurel felt a blast of cold air and briefly saw ice crystals form on the two large glass marbles before Erin closed her hand around them. With no apparent effort, Erin crushed the marbles in her fist, grinding them down into slivers of glass.

Erin held her hand over the grave, and released the remains of the marbles. The glass fragments glittered in the morning sunlight as they drifted down to cover the final resting place of Tommy Lail.

Erin pulled another marble from the bag. This one was a small marble. Erin held it between her thumb and forefinger and then crushed it, using the same combination of magic and physical force as before. The shards of the marble fell down to join the others.

Laurel watched, speechless, as Erin methodically destroyed the entire bag of marbles. Sometimes Erin would crush one at a time, gazing at it fondly before freezing it and crushing it between her fingers. Sometimes Erin would crush a large handful all at once with a great icy grinding clench of her fist.

When Erin was done, the grave of Thomas Lail was covered with a fine coating of glass slivers, the remains of the marbles that he and Erin had desired and treasured and fought over for so many years.

Erin looked down and whispered, "Goodbye, Tommy." Then she looked over at Laurel and said, in a calm tone of voice, "Come on, we need to get the slug set up."

Laurel lowered her shields. The storm had passed.

Trading and Leaving

Aaron Lopez exited the bedroom of the manor house wearing his well-worn but sturdy traveler's outfit. This outfit was, in many ways, a summary of the life he had created for himself in the wilderness at the base of the Gray Ridge Mountains. The shirts and pants were made by the Calway villagers. The great steel-toed hiking boots were a gift from the Antfolk. The all-weather green cloak was a gift from the Elit. The wide-brimmed hat was made out of the hides of diamondback rattlesnakes that Aaron had killed himself.

Aaron wore, on his back, an old army rucksack that was surprisingly small for the estimated three-week journey. Its efficient packing represented the accumulated wisdom of over a dozen years of campaigning.

The manor house was deserted. Aaron knew that his son Andrew was still patrolling the fields for Blukes, though none had been seen since the attack. He also knew that Erin had finished packing before breakfast, and was in the town saying goodbye to everyone. Mei was with Erin, seeing her off. Aaron left his house, closed the door, and entered the town of Calway.

Before long, Aaron became aware of activity in the town square. Several dozen people were milling about and talking. As Aaron walked closer, he saw that his daughter had unpacked the trade goods on the slug and was holding shop, assisted by Laurel. It was the proper thing to do; the Bluke attack had caused Linebarger's trading to be cut short.

Aaron decided to watch from a distance. He turned into The Granary and climbed the stairs up to the top of the castle-like structure. When he reached the roof, he saw that Mei was already there, watching Erin.

He glanced at his wife, then looked down at his daighter. "I thought you would be down there helping her with the books."

"I spent all day yesterday, and most of the night, teaching her the basics of accounting. When she comes back from this little trip, I will go over the books with her and do another inventory. There will be discrepancies, but it will be a good lesson. I will finish her training then, once she realizes the need for care and precision."

Aaron nodded, giving silent approval to this plan. Husband and wife shared a quiet moment watching their daughter in the bustling square below. Erin was doing a lot of business, and she seemed to be managing both the crowd and her stock fairly well. She projected an aura of calm competence that encouraged a businesslike atmosphere. Thanks to the time with her mother the day before, she seemed to know all of the trade goods on the slug by heart. Often, Erin would direct Laurel to some unopened container in order to dig out something for one of the townsfolk.

As the morning progressed, Aaron and Mei talked deeply and at length. They shared their memories of the fateful days that had just passed, and they discussed their hopes and fears and plans for the future. Mei faced the toughest separation; she would not get the chance to accompany Erin during the first part of the journey. She would also face the responsibility of governing a population that would still be nervous about attack, and made more nervous by the absence of their most powerful defender.

But they both know that Aaron had a duty to make the journey, and that Mei was strong enough to handle her challenges. When they had finished talking of these things and comforting each other, they turned their attention back to the town square below.

Aaron noted with some unease that his daughter was moving a lot of Linebarger's fancy clothing. Linebarger had never offered such things to the villagers, for fear of running afoul of the sumptuary laws. Aaron had no intention of strictly enforcing these arbitrary decrees, but he was slightly unhappy that his daughter took this for granted.

The Lord of Calway watched closely as his daughter concluded a large trade with Mr. Bolch, the blacksmith. She had given him a large pile of nice clothes and other city goods in exchange for a rather larger pile of cleaned, sharpened, and refurbished Bluke weapons and armor.

As Mr. Bolch helped Erin and Laurel load the battlefield spoils onto the slug, Aaron mused that his daughter had solved one of his main problems for him. The laws against the common folk owning implements of war were more severe than any sumptuary law, and Aaron could get in serious trouble for not enforcing them. He had been worried about what Theodore might say and do about that kind of thing.

Where was the Red Wizard, anyway? Aaron had not seen Theodore since the night of Laurel's promotion. The paladin had assumed that the elder magus was still in the Tower of Art, lording it over Yoder and The Apprentice. But surely he would show up to see Erin and Laurel leave town.

Shortly before midday, Theodore did appear. From his vantage point, Aaron saw the wizard leave the Tower of Art and head for the town square. The paladin knew that he needed to be down there was well, both in his official capacity and to see what the wizard would say to his daughter.

Aaron kissed his wife goodbye. It was the lingering, silent embrace of one who is called away from a deep love by an even deeper duty. It seemed that they could stay there forever on the tower roof, and it was all too tempting to try, but Aaron forced himself to leave and go down to the town square.

The paladin reached his daughter at the same time that Theodore arrived at the town square. The wizard was followed by The Apprentice, who was carrying a large glass jar full of some kind of clear liquid. Theodore and The Apprentice went over to Theodore's wizard-cart, and the old wizard opened a little hatch on the side, unscrewed some kind of plug, and put a funnel in the hatch. He then ordered The Apprentice to start pouring the contents of the jar down the funnel, and watched the process very carefully. When the jar was empty, he removed the funnel, closed everything up, and dismissed The Apprentice.

The wizard's timing was excellent; Erin had finished all of her trading and was in the middle of packing up everything for the journey. Theodore turned his attention to her. He wasted no time in greetings but immediately spoke in his ceremonial voice. "Erin Lopez, daughter of Aaron Lopez, Lord of Calway, do you wish to become a wizard's apprentice?"

Erin nodded. "Yes, I do."

Theodore waved at the attentive crowd. "Then, in the presence of these witnesses, I do declare that you are now a wizard's apprentice, training under Laurel Weaver, Green Wizard of the Third Rank. You are bound to follow her guidance in all matters of wizardry. Do you understand?"

Erin nodded again. "Yes, sir."

Theodore nodded. "Very well then. I return to Noks to inform the Council what has happened."

The Red Wizard walked slowly and grandly to the wizard-cart and climbed into the driver's seat. He pulled a key from inside of his robes, put it into a keyhole on the cart, and then, with a series of complicated gestures and procedures, made the thing roar to life. It backed up and turned around. Then it stopped and, after another grand gesture, lurched forward. There was a loud bang, and a cloud of black smoke erupted from the back of the metal beast as Theodore clattered off on the old road out of town.

Erin and the assembled villagers had stared at this in awe, but Aaron and Laurel were not impressed. They busied themselves by securing their luggage to the slug, making a show of their calm deliberation while the commotion died down.

"Well, I guess we're all ready to go." announced Erin after the dust had all cleared away. "Have we forgotten anything?"

"Indeed we have." replied her father. "We have forgotten to give our mount a proper name."

"Of course!" agreed Erin. She leaned over and pressed her cheek against the plate that covered the slug's head and started murmuring. "We can't just keep calling you 'slug'. That is so rude and boring. What would you like to be called?"

Erin closed her eyes and concentrated for a few seconds. Then she snapped them open. "Rose. Her name is Rose."

Laurel smiled. "That is a lovely name."

"And fairly accurate, too." agreed Lord Lopez as he grabbed one of the spines protruding from the slug's shell and used it to hoist himself up. He climbed up until he was standing on a crate on top of the slug's shell, a good ten feet above the ground. From that vantage point, he addressed the crowd of well-wishers.

"As you all know, we are leaving to visit the Elit and Antfolk. This is a trip of education and diplomacy. I must talk with their leaders about the battle and what it means for the future of the valley. We expect to return in three weeks. During that time, my wife and son will handle my affairs. I have faith in you all. Take care of yourselves and take care of each other."

With that, Erin guided Rose forward, and the slug began to lurch down the road at the pace of an oxcart. Aaron maintained his footing effortlessly, saluting the crowd and looking regal until the slug was outside the town.

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