051 – Taking Stock, Taking Baths

Their business finished, the guards filed away, though the Sorceress and her body guard stayed. She started talking to Caspian.

“Are you the Caspian known for the Hildyar Pass Collapse and the Orders Library Fire?’

Caspian grimaced. “I’m afraid so.”

“By your reaction, I see the popular account must not be the full account.”

Cyrril finally came fluttering in through a high window, squawking, and landed on Caspian’s shoulder.

Caspian looked a bit flummoxed. “The popular account is rarely full or accurate. This is Cyrril. And yes, there is more to the stories. My Lady, is there somewhere we can freshen up? This has already been a long day.”

The Sorceress smiled. “Follow me.”

She took Caspian and Abey to separate apartments in the guest suites, after first getting their required gear from Miri’s pack. She had already told Roxanne that if she left without giving any instruction it meant that Rox had leave to eventually return to her rooms until given further instructions. This was where Rox took Steven when they noticed the rest leaving.

*          *          *

Rox closed the curtains behind them, as Steven stopped and looked around the room. The high ceilings with their windows, the chandelier, and the carved stone work. Then down to the furniture.

Steven stood there looking around, as Rox first pulled his great coat, then sword belt off.

“So, this is where you have been staying?” Steven still had not moved.

“Yes. It’s comfortable, once you get used to it.”

Silence filled the room, as Rox put the sword and coat on a chair at a side table. She turned to see Steven looking at her. She looked back at her husband, and then stood to her full height. She turned to right face, left face, and about. Then back to her husband.

“Well?”

“What happened? Your hair, your eyes and ears…”

Roxanne crossed back to him, and wrapped him up, arms around his shoulders. He responded in reflexive kind, arms around her waist.

“It turns out that my Grandmother’s mother was an elf, native to this world.”

“I’ve been told that already, by Caspian. What of your looks?”

“Evidently elves use magic to disguise themselves. The pentagram and phrase I spoke on the kids? That’s the invocation of the spell. The Sorceress removed the spell from me shortly after I arrived here. This is how I look, genetically.”

Steven did not move, even though he was totally convinced this was his wife. He was still shocked by her appearance.

Roxanne broke the embrace, as Linell showed up with Steven’s cloak and back pack. She handed them to Rox and left quickly. Roxanne put the bag down on a chair and started to empty it. Steven noticed that his crossbow was not in the delivery. The half full quiver of bolts rattled a bit on his right hip as he walked.

“I hope you brought me some clothes. What I was wearing when I was kidnapped is long since gone.”

Steven was suddenly there, helping her pull stuff from the bag and coat pockets.

He had noticed her costume, and how revealing it was, but duty and distraction had kept him from reacting. Now he took her hands in his, bringing her around the chair. He just looked into her eyes.

They were embracing, sobbing, and snogging in the next moment, relieved that they were finally together again.

*          *          *

The Sorceress and two of her guard strode along with Caspian. They left Abey in her suite where she had gone in, exclaimed in excitement at the bath, and closed the door. Caspian had seen his then asked for some food and water. The Sorceress had decided to accompany him to the closest kitchen, and informal eating area. As they went, Caspian began asking what had happened with Roxanne over the last weeks.

“When Roxanne first arrived, she had only an after image of magic to her. I did a general Identify spell, and her aura jumped around, with an active spell operating at a very basic level. I then did a general, deep dispelling of all magic on her. Immediately her hair and features began changing. As her body stabilized, I put in energy to stabilize things. Her aura stabilized, her hair changed color, and her eyes and ears adjusted. Her physiology settled to a higher level of stasis than pervious.

“Since then, physically, her skin has lightened some, she has added some muscle, and her hair has adopted the elf pattern.” The Sorceress gestured to the door they were to turn into, leading the way.

“Like a piece of cloth relaxing after being under tension.” Caspian commented, understanding. He followed her into the dining area. The room opened to a balcony that over looked the north east part of the city which Caspian had not seen before.

The Sorceress motioned for a sandwich tray to be brought over and led Caspian to a table on the balcony.

She continued her story. “Precisely so. But I was mildly surprised to find a latent talent for magic. So was she. Roxanne reported using a spell on her children when they were newborns, and that the same was done to her. Building on that, I have been teaching her the fundamentals of spell casting as I was taught them, and a bunch of house keeping spells. I have not really taught her any combat magic, but she seams the type to come up with things on her own.”

“That does not surprise me. The elves who sent me after her family did not mention anything, but for an elf to pass for a human, that requires some magic talent. I am guessing that her great grandmother, the elf, was also a mage of some skill. Evidently that has passed down.” Caspian nodded.

They sat at a table, Caspian holding the chair for The Sorceress, and then taking his own. Cyrril flew off over the side of the balcony and disappeared.

“So how far have you gotten?” Caspian needed to know what Roxanne thought she knew.

“Well, we started with basic mana theory. We have done some reagents; both in potions and ointments, and larger spells. We have talked about resonance and deconstruction. Echoing was the next theory to address. She was almost inordinately interested in my mirror and using it to scry on her children. I have been putting that off, saying to wait until I could use it in a lesson. Now that they are together, at the right moment, I will let them see if there children are still healthy. The Queen is also interested in who has them.”

The tray of rolls, sliced meats, cheeses, and vegetables was put down between them as was a pitcher of water and two glasses. The guards stood at a taller table near by eating from their own tray and drinks.

Caspian nodded as he began assembling a sandwich. He already knew who had the children, and where they were going. But he figured revealing that information here would be more trouble than it’s worth. So he changed the direction of the conversation.

“I can pick up the teaching from where I understand you have said. You haven’t gotten into diagrams and runes, yet?” Caspian bit into his sandwich.

“No, actually. I don’t consciously use them much, save on others.” She nibbled some vegetables, having had a hearty breakfast, and so not as hungry now.

Caspian paused, looking at one of the rings The Sorceress wore. He had seen it before, but now he remembered where, and derailed the previous conversation for a new one. “Wait a moment. Were you the prodigy student of Master Elinor, who ultimately taught her about combining symbols?”

The Sorceress blushed a little, looking a bit sheepish.

“Your ring gives you away. You went through school about seven years ahead of me. She was still talking about you.”

“I suppose she still is, if she still does magic.”

Caspian had to pause before answering. “She had a sigil turn her inside-out, three years ago. My father tells me that she is reported back on solid food as of last fall. She no longer teaches.”

“Your father is at the school?” She had heard of Caspian The Troubler, but not much about his family.

“No,” Caspian replied. “He is second in the Evocation Order in the School of the Orders. He gets to do all the un-fun stuff, like visiting the training schools and see how well they are doing. And he was an early student of then Journeyman Elinor.”

She nodded. This was new information, but not of any real value at this time, if ever. On the other hand, she might be able to use it to get in contact if she needed to.

Caspian finished his sandwich and turned back to his own business. “So, Roxanne knows a handful of house keeping spells, and basic theory. Have you seen her in a fight, yet?”

The Sorceress shook her head. “No. A little training, but not a real fight. I am told she is good. She has been teaching one of the Pages here to fight. The result of that has been a shakeup of who’s in charge of the Pages. After Rox leaves, my bodyguards are going to take over teaching the Pages.”

The Sorceress continued before Caspian could speak. “I am going to give her a stick I have had. I got it not long after getting out of school. It has magic to it, but I have not stored or channeled any magic in it. She was carrying it when she went with her husband. It breaks in half, for use as two sticks, or magically extends to triple its length for field fighting. I was told it can do a few other things, but I have never been where I could use it. It seems to echo her preferred weapon type.”

Caspian had one or two other questions, but most of what else he was interested in he could learn as they traveled. “To summarize; she is adapted to mana and shown a skill for magic. She is a good fighter. The subtext, and also from what I have learned from her husband, is that she is well disciplined, and will travel well. Now it is time for her to get put together for travel and go retrieve her kids. While traveling, I can teach her more magic, and you want to give her a staff to use. ”

The Sorceress listened, nodding. “That about sums her up. Now, you better go clean up. A tailor will be sent by to get you outfitted. Tonight you dine with The King and Queen, so be on your best behavior.”

*          *          *

Steven and Roxanne sat in the tub, watching the light through the window. Over the last two hours they had tended to and bathed each other and gotten caught up on what had happened to them, generally.

Rox had told of fighting the intruders, and the disorientation of her first days on planet. Then of The Sorceress and what they had done together; of the changes to her body.

Steven told of the annoying deputy, meeting Caspian, and the telephone call from Margot. Also of his trip to this world, and how he finally accepted it.

“I think I killed a half dozen men this morning.” Steven deadpanned it. He had killed as a sniper before leaving the Marines. It was those skills he had drawn upon this morning.

Rox took this in, and one brief memory from her own fight caught her. “I think I may have killed one as well. I remember hitting a man in the throat with the stick I was using. He fell and I moved on to bash another man. Am I supposed to feel numb over this?”

Steven felt a bit of detachment, as he held his wife in his arms. “’Fair is all my guys come home.’ But that is not comforting. We can howl over the nightmares together. But it was a battle, kill or be killed. Survivor’s guilt is something to deal with. But be glad you are alive to deal with it. I am.”