111 – About roads and Karen

  Steven escorted Caspian around, after getting him his canteen from the inn. The smell of the carriage pony’s had triggered Caspian’s nausea a second time, so Rox drew the lot to get their stabled horses and cart, after first changing clothes. Caspian had simply given her one of his money pouches to draw from. Steven and Caspian had then gone shopping for the food.

  Rox had the help of the stable hands to groom and harness the horses. Caspian had traded out the large four wheel cart for a smaller two wheel one with no bench. She purchased good provender for the ponies and walked out leading them. Rox encountered Steven and Caspian in a market. Caspian looked mostly recovered from his alcohol induced illness.

  They secured the groceries in the cart, picked up a few more, including a water barrel, and went back to the inn. They cleaned up their rooms, and packed everything, taking it down to the cart. Caspian had chosen well, as everything fit with some room to spare. As they cleared out, Caspian paid for the rooms.

  Just before dinner Karen rode up on a laden horse. She looked more like a gaucho than a local, having dressed for the late fall local weather by wearing a woolen poncho, and trousers with boots that came to her knees. Earlier she had not worn a bonnet as many of the local women did. Now she wore a round brimmed ladies sun hat, though the poncho had a hood hanging on its back. Steven and Rox noticed a few knives here and there on her costume. She had a large bedroll, and full saddle bags front and back. Yielding to the rest of the party, Karen dismounted and walked with them, hanging her reins on the back post of the wagon.

  Rox fell into step with Karen as they walked behind the cart and horse. Cyrril lay on the top of the cargo on the cart, and dozed in the evening light. Both women were sure that he was somehow watching them, more specifically watching Karen. They left the city gates and Karen stepped up and asked what the plan was.

  Steven spoke, Caspian having yielded the lead to him all afternoon while recovering from the ale.

  “First, you tell us which way we should be going. Then we go to just before dark, set up camp, eat and turn in. In the morning we eat, break camp, and set out. We pause to unpack lunch, and eat as we go. We rest as the animals need.” Steven recited the schedule Caspian had set since day one.

  Karen nodded. “We can head out this road, take the first south heading fork. Pass through a village in the morning. About mid afternoon tomorrow we turn off the secondary road, and take a small road that will go more or less straight line for another day and a half of walking to the Ring Road. We go south on it until we get to the correct secondary road and then east most of two days to the mountains, and the correct canyon and cave mouth.”

  Karen continued. “Were you riding, we could cut that time in most of half. But as you are not it is an easy five day walk . . .” She waved her hands and let the subject go. Having them on foot actually made it easier for her. She hoped.

  The road traveled into a forest. Young trees were clumped about with a few larger old trees here and there. The trees here were leafy, or they were during the spring and summer. This late in the season, the leaves on the ground did not even crunch anymore. They did not find any dead-falls, but there were stumps that showed the attention of woodsmen. Brush and bushes were scattered about. Birds and other animals were about filling their spots in the cycle of things.

  That evening, they stopped and camped in a bare spot beside the road. The three horses were hobbled together. Karen’s all but immediately went to sleep, the other two settling down shortly after. The cart was next, with a tarp covering the still packed supplies. The Caplan’s tent was set up relatively next to the cart. They did not set up Caspian’s tent. The fire was between the road and the cart.

  Steven and Rox noticed a change in Caspian’s usual magic setup around the camp. Rox could tell that there was an extra spell, and it organized on an inward direction, rather than as a barrier or outward direction. The magic in place, Caspian turned in underneath the cart wrapping himself as usual in his coat and cloak, having already filled and then relieved himself from his canteen twice. Cyrril disappeared for a while, to hunt.

  Steven sat down opposite Karen at the fire, Rox joining him. She watched them easily interacting and felt a mild pang of jealousy. Every other couple she knew behaved according to the formality of Skarg Society Rules. This meant being quite formal in public. The informal times when she interacted with them was usually delivering an inebriated person to their home, or in some other semi-formal setting. As it was, Jasper and his wife were the only couple that Karen ever saw completely informally. Watching the familiarity of Steven and Rox reinforced Karen’s desire to find a man for love, and not just for formal society’s sake.

  Journal of Steven Caplan: Day 139

  “On the road again . . .”

  Karen. She is a mystery. What is her real roll in this story: The help at the fortunate moment? The spy sent to spoil things? Something else? Whatever, we will find out. Just hope it’s not the hard way.

  Rox narrated their adventures to me as we walked. I don’t like swimming in Tahoe in July and August. She said the river was colder than Tahoe in March.

  The morning found them all stiff from sleeping on the ground, and late fall chill. Rox commented that when they had left the elf city, it had been just getting to comfortable late spring or early summer weather. Now here they were in cold weather again.

  “Still in cold weather,” commented Steven.

  Caspian kept quiet, moving little. Karen was most adapted to the situation, so she made little noise about anything; she dressed for walking, instead of riding. This morning at Rox’s permission and Steven’s non-commitment Karen added her saddle and bags to the load on the cart, and her food to the common store. Karen’s horse was too big for the cart harness, so she simply tied it off to the back.

  The day found her walking beside or around Caspian, as Rox and Steven kept to themselves. One couple led the cart the other either ahead or behind it. Though neither Caspian nor Karen knew it, Rox and Steven did this deliberately. Neither had much to say, but soon the mere proximity required them to talk about something. So Caspian started with what interested him: the local plants and minerals. Karen was soon outstripping him on herb lore, within in a limited scope. Caspian demonstrated a larger base, Karen a more focused knowledge of herb and counter, medicinal and edible.

  As and after passing through the farm village Steven and Rox both noticed that Karen walked as if she felt a bit light. Just before lunch Steven deliberately put his sword on, and Rox put her weapon harness on, putting her staff into her quiver. They then watched Karen, and decided that while her physical movement showed she was used to carrying equipment weight, she was a good enough actor to not display any discomfort with being apparently out of uniform.

  Then Karen began dropping the bombshells. “Caspian, do you have any kind of fore-knowledge?”

  This was a non sequitur from their prior conversation about shipping goods.

  Caspian answered before he could catch himself. “Not usually. The last time was a few months ago.” He paused, and asked the follow up question. “Why do you ask?”

  Karen kept walking. “Part of my job. My Guild maintains a general understanding that the local wizards let us know when one of us is to be involved. Of course more times than not, this is not honored. But then we would usually not be sent after them if they were honorable.”

  Caspian’s mind caught up to his feet. “So you are admitting you are an assassin?”

  Karen smirked. “Journeyman in good standing. It’s not something I talk about openly.”

  Karen closed that conversation and turned the conversation to lunch, and the boulder that was the landmark for the road they wanted.

  That evening as they sat around eating dinner, Caspian tried to sit away from Karen. For her part, Karen told a little more. Steven thought to himself, and later told Rox that Karen’s speed at putting forth information was giving Caspian a taste of his own medicine, compared to how forthcoming he was. The most significant difference being that they knew she knew, and Karen admitted to knowing, more than she was willing to tell.

  Karen had first started the business part of the dinner conversation with re-confirming she was a Guild Journeyman. Next she casually mentioned that she had assignment to kill Caspian before she was done. The Caplan’s she had been given the option whether to kill, or not. She was going to wait for Caspian to tell her it was time for her to kill him, and that in the meantime she would do what she could to reunite the Caplan’s with their kids. Karen then told them that she would not tell them who hired her or why, until after this was over, and that this was a Guild policy, so there was no sense pushing her on it. Would they please pass the bread?

  The Caplan’s were a bit surprised by Karen’s forthrightness, and put on edge, but quickly relaxed. Steven summarized their conclusions.

  “However you came to be with us, you are with us now, and so far not a threat. You have had opportunity to kill us, and passed on it. So we may as well be hospitable and friends until whatever happens.”

  Caspian finished his meal, and then set up his tent, cast a spell on it, and crawled inside. Cyrril was unaccounted for, out hunting as usual for this time of day.

  Rox and Steven cleaned up the meal. Karen fed and looked over the horse and pony’s, and then sat back down at the fire. Rox sat down beside her at the fire as Steven put things away, and worked on some bread starter he had picked up in Skarg. It was almost ready to use. He could probably cook it tomorrow.

  “So, you’re an assassin?” Rox started.

  “Yes.” Karen kept herself as matter-of-fact-conversational as she could.

  “Here only for Caspian?”

  “Yes, generally.”

  “So why haven’t you killed him yet? I was not paying full attention when you explained that.” Rox had heard, but wanted to reinforce this.

  “The Guild’s understanding is that most Wizards know when they are to die, a few days before they do so, generally. The honorable ones that are to be assassinated have the grace to tell their assassins when this happens. Sometimes they lie. Either way, Caspian is my contract, and being honorable I expect he will let me know.” Karen continued watching the fire burn down to coals.

  “Caspian prefers the title of Mage. And announcing you are here to kill him seems rather cold blooded to me. Have you killed any other wizards?’

  “Permanently?”

  “Is there any other way?” Rox remembered her fight in the palace.

  “It took you two tries. ‘If a magic user’s body is not permanently decapitated, or otherwise destroyed beyond habitation by the soul, there is a chance that he will come back’.” Karen recited this from her lessons.

  “So how many have you permanently killed?”

  “Three wizards that I was paid for. One for personal reasons.” Karen did not have to try to remember her tally. Ask her about others, and she would have to sort it out.

  “What made the one different?”

  “He was a necromancer. He raped and killed my sister, then raised her to be undead and continued to use and abuse her.” Karen rubbed a spot on her left shoulder without thinking about it.

112 – Karen gives exposition; Caspian makes an offer

  “Care to say how you killed him?” Rox found she was morbidly curious.

  “He was in the middle of another undead binding, and I deprived him of a suitable person to use in the spell, and it turned on him. Then I had to hack my sister to pieces, and see to her cremation.” Karen continued to be matter-of-fact, to keep the grief from rekindling. She felt she was mostly over her sisters death . . . mostly.

  They sat in silence for a time before Karen spoke again.

  “What’s it like in your world? To have all those marvelous things?” Karen was genuinely curious. She had heard of going off world, but had not before met anyone who had done it that she was aware of.

  Roxanne thought for a moment.

  “It’s convenient. But there are still lots of things to waste your time with. Laundry can take just a few hours instead of all day. There is a larger variety of food, both in type and quantity. Clothes are softer, and stronger. Homespun is virtually unheard of, as are some of the uses of leather. There are more durable man-made materials available. Like this top I am wearing. The fabric impressed an elfin tailor. He said that there is nothing like it in this world. But with all the things, it is still family that matters most.” Rox did not know quite what to say.

  “I would like to visit your world, but would not be able to live there.”

  “How so?”

  She stood up. “What am I wearing?”

  “A woolen skirt, a blouse with a bodice”

  Suddenly the skirt and bodice changed to a ball gown. “How about now?”

  “What magic are you using?” Roxanne could not sense any magic being used.

  Karen’s costume changed one more time. Trousers and jerkin of black cloth, with canvas shoes and a black head wrap. Then a dark cloak, and back to the skirt and bodice, this time without the blouse.

  Karen spoke, letting her concentration loosen a bit, her costume returning to normal. “It’s not magic. I am a Psi-witch, a talent. Within parameters I can make you see me how I want you to see me.”

  Karen turned and walked away into the shadows beyond the firelight, picked up the latrine shovel from the cart and disappeared into the dark.

  Journal of Steven Caplan: Day 140

  Ok . . . so . . . she’s an assassin. At least she’s not the Gate Keeper looking for the Key Master. On the other hand, she is apparently our current local information and exposition source, having usurped that roll from Caspian. Upon her telling Caspian what she was about, he went into his tent for the first time in a while, and generally stayed there. The man can be downright rude without thinking about it. In some ways he is ruder thoughtlessly than when he tries to put effort into it.

  The next morning, Karen was the only one sleeping in the open under the trees, having taken up place under the cart. She noticed by the tracks in the dirt that Caspian’s spells had kept two of the local bears out. The creatures should be hibernating, and were probably after some last snack. The horses either did not sense then, or were too scared to react. Cyrril was curled up on the shoulders of one of the dormant ponies.

  Karen stirred the ashes in the fire pit, turned up a few coals and restarted the fire. She dressed in part of her working clothes. She did not need the under-armor, so it was left off, but her trousers and shirt and non-armor part of her harness were put on.

  She had accomplished her first session with Steven and Rox last night. She had spent time in the Guild library examining the records of the path to the two villages, and had even found a few people who had traveled them. Similar to diving into dreams, she had borrowed memories from them and combined these with the narrative from the library. This last night at dinner, she had arranged for both Steven and Rox to get up in the night and relieve them selves. When they came back, Karen ambushed them and then in a variation of her ability to read a person’s thoughts, she put the information into the Caplan’s minds. Today, she would be telling Caspian verbally about the path to the elf village. She would also take time to verbally tell the Caplan’s generally the same information she had implanted. She had concluded after her research that Rox would be better suited to go after her daughter, who had been given to the elves. Steven was better suited to go see Karen’s distant kin in the psi-warriors village, and retrieve his son.

  This next night, she would be instilling them with a bit of her local fighting skill, and tomorrow, drilling them to see how well the skills stuck. This was on its surface for the villages, but actually for confronting The Queen and King. Her one question had been where to get some silver, for Rox. She had answered that herself, and brought some along. While the three were underground, she would be preparing it for use.

  Karen reviewed this as she set about preparing breakfast. Once awake, Caspian refused to eat, even when Karen served herself and the Caplan’s from the same pan. Only when she ran through the ingredients, and swore an oath that she had not done anything harmful to it, did he finally consent. Karen quickly proved herself the best campfire cook of the four.

  As they walked along later, Steven walked next to Caspian behind the wagon and called him out for his behavior.

  “You know you are being a real jerk. Karen has been as honest as we can expect. She told you plainly, that you need to tell her when she is to kill you. In the mean time she has already shown herself more helpful than Abey was, in many ways. But you are treating her worse than the three critters in that pit. Them you at least were mercifully quick and considerate of.” Steven kept his voice level as he spoke.

  “She is here to kill me, and I should just accept it? ‘Hi, nice to meet you, I will be your undertaker for the day’? And you believe her?” Caspian almost spat this out.

  Steven stayed as neutral as he could. “She seams to have the information we need. We won’t know for sure if she is being honest until we get there. We are at least doing something. I think she is generally honest. Your magic has not gone off in response to her starting to attack in any way.”

  A thought came to Steven. “Why don’t you try to magic her, see if she is being truthful. You can do that, can’t you?”

  Caspian had already thought about this. “Yes, but not without her consent.”

  “You got that one merchant’s consent over Rox’s rings. That did not seem to bother you. Ask her straight out. Be as honest as she is. And thank her for the delicious breakfast.” Steven did not give Caspian time to respond as he stepped out front to where the women walked, leading the cart.

  For a time they walked this way, and Karen talked to both Caplan’s.

  Soon Karen stood aside and waited for Caspian to catch up. She then fell into step with him. Caspian noticed she rested her palms on the butt-ends of her sai’s on her hips as she stood.

  Karen spoke first, motioning up to Steven and Rox. “They are a nice couple. I have just been telling them about the path’s they will need to take to the respective villages, from my research.”

  Caspian derailed this attempted conversation, and pointed it to what bothered him. “Steven thinks I should use some magic on you to see if you are being truthful. Not that he doesn’t believe you, but because I don’t.”

  Karen considered this, as she glanced at Caspian. Cyrril was not on his shoulder just now. Since becoming a Journeyman, she had worked alone, mostly. Adding to that, most of her interaction with magic users was to get rid of them, whether socially, or by proper use of her steel. Also this was an important job. She had become the focus point of the Viceroy’s plans to get rid of a pair of terrible monarchs. Karen was partially apathetic about the monarchs, as were most of the subjects of Krogg, but recognized that this was a task that would ultimately have to be done one way or another.

  Karen responded. “Well, I have been hit by magic a few times in my life. I don’t suppose a truth-spell would be that painful. I will warn that there are some things I would rather not answer just now, that would most likely provoke a violent response. But within those limits, go a head and try it right now, if you want.”

  Caspian had not expected this response. He had to stumble through his answer. “Um, uh, I will need to sit down, and do some preparations. Either lunch or dinner time.”

  Karen smiled, amused at his being off balance. It made him look cute, for all his road-dirty unshavenness. “Fine. I won’t be far away. Now let me tell you about the path to the elf village. Like the psi-warriors village, we are going . . .”

  “Psi-warriors?” Caspian interrupted, asking at the unfamiliar term.         

  “My term, for them, how I have always thought of them. I believe you call them ‘talents’. Anyway I am taking us to the main highway entrance. Follow it for a day, and the paths split, for the elves, stay on the main one until you get to the bottom of the cavern . . .”

113 – Karen tells the truth, somewhat

  They set up camp for the evening. Caspian sat on a log putting his thoughts and reagents together. Karen had waited in good humor through out the day, and now helped Rox put up the Caplan’s tent. Steven was preparing their dinner a bit aside. Cyrril was on the ground, helping Caspian set up a magic circle. This had a triangle circumscribed by a circle circumscribed by an octagon. Finally he was ready. Cyrril hopped up onto the log next to Caspian and sat next to where Caspian’s staff lay. Caspian turned to where the ladies waited. Karen stepped over, careful not to step on the drawn lines, and sat in the triangle.

  Caspian used the language from the north to cast his magic. Rox paid attention as first Caspian turned on his safeties, cleared and neutralized the mana in the area, and then he set up a ward against outside interference, a ward against inside interference, and then a requirement that only what Karen believed true could be spoken. He bound the output of this to a pair of stones he held. Caspian finished, and then turned his attention from his casting to Karen.

  “This setup does not constrain you in any way. It will only respond if what you say is not true. Tell me as much of your name, as you are willing to tell us.” Caspian started simple.

  “Lady Dannakarena Konsalva Olegsdottor.” Karen composed her face to neutral.

  “Tell me something that is untrue.” Caspian held up is pair of pebbles.

  “I am a horse.”

  The pebbles vibrated against each other then stopped.

  Caspian and Karen both nodded.

  “Give me an example of a subject that should I ask about it, you would react violently.”

  “My sister.” Karen snapped this out, without having to consider it.

  “Care to say why?” Caspian was slightly curious.

  “No. I don’t.” Karen’s face had hardened slightly.

  The pebbles did not vibrate.

  “To business. Will you tell us now who has commissioned you?” Caspian began.

  Karen did not have to consider this. “No I will not.”

  “Why?”

  “Guild policy.” Karen answered. The pebbles were still.

  “Will you please tell us why you are helping us?” Rox overran Caspian and cut to the chase.

  Karen looked up to Rox, then back to Caspian, glancing briefly at Cyrril. “Because I chose to. There are issues involved that you are not aware of; some you cannot be aware of, some I choose not to tell you about. Suffice to say I have my reasons and they are my own.”

  They waited for her to continue. Karen being a bit taciturn, held her silence. Cyrril shuffled his wings.

  Caspian got to his first issue. “Are any of us in danger in your presence, and whom?”

  Karen countered. “Define ‘Danger.’”

  The pebbles did not move.

  “Do you intend to kill any of us?” Caspian clarified.

  “If need be. I haven’t fully decided.” Karen answered. She was a bit surprised at herself as she said this.

  The pebbles vibrated a little, but not so strong as earlier.

  Caspian said what was really troubling him. “You have already admitted that I am a target. Do you intend to kill me?”

  “If I need to. There is more going on than you are aware of.” Karen had pulled herself back to neutral, squelching her own surprise at her previous answer.

  Steven, watching meal on the fire behind Caspian, grabbed the pieces of information floating around and put them together. “Will you tell us your time table? What order events are supposed to happen in?”

  Karen looked over at him, and paused, then back at Caspian, thinking. That she did not get up actually was comforting to all but her.

  Karen took a breath. “First, I need to get you to the caves, and send you in after your kids. Then after you return with them, things happen.”

  Steven kept up the asking, wondering if the others had picked up on this, or remembered what the Nidaer Elves had impressed on him about this. “Involving the monarchs of this land, and Diana and Alex interacting with them?”

  Karen felt trapped. Her guild training told her not to even be doing this, talking about her assignment. Her professionalism was impressed that the Caplan’s were capable people. She felt she should be slightly resentful of Caspian for doing this truth or consequences test, but was instead a bit put off of herself due to what she realized was some attraction to him. Cyrril was looking at her as intently as Caspian was.

  “I cannot say,” Karen finally answered.

  The pebbles vibrated loudly. Cyrril perked at this.

  “That is I will not at this time if at all,” Karen corrected.

  The pebbles quieted down.

  “I need you to trust me, and not worry about why until later. I cannot say exactly when. Part of the plan is Caspian’s death, but the details have been left to my discretion. Things need to happen, and we all have our parts to play. I will not say more on that.” Karen focused into her professionalism to keep from saying more.

  Rox asked the next question. “Will you be going with us into the caves to the villages?”

  Karen answered this a bit too quick. “No. I will not. I don’t like caves.”

  The pebbles were still. Cyrril stepped up onto Caspian’s lap, putting his nose on the level of Karen’s.

  Caspian let her down on this. “Care to say why?”

  Karen non-verbally responded negatively. Rox picked it up, remembering from the night in city, just after their swim.

  “You didn’t like the sewers after the river. Fine. Is there more information that you have, that you need to tell us right now?”

  Karen looked at Rox, and dissected the question. Then answered with a bit of relief. “No, not right now.”

  Rox looked at Caspian. Cyrril was reaching out from Caspian’s lap looking closely at Karen’s face. “Are you satisfied? It appears to be as Steven said at the Bloody Daggers. There is more going on that we are lesser players in. We play our roll, and learn what we can along the way. And wait for things to happen. Kind of like how you were with Steven versus the elves before getting me. Judging by Karen’s reactions and behavior here, I think she is breaking some of her own rules by telling us anything. But I gather being a trail guide is not a usual task for an assassin.”

  Cyrril turned and jumped to Caspian’s shoulder. Caspian dropped the pebbles, picked up his staff, and planted the point in front of Karen, than dragged it across the three symbols diffusing and dismissing the spells. “I’m satisfied for now. I know of the ‘sense of death’ that you mention some magic users having. It is not as common as you appear to think. But I do not sense my death in the close future.”

  Cyrril clung to Caspian’s shoulder as he stood up, and offered his hand. Karen took his hand and stood up. This was the first time they had actually touched. She felt the warmth of his hand, and sensed his apprehension with her psi-senses. But Cyrril was not visibly upset.

  Karen dusted her rump off. “Well, tomorrow we cross the Ring Road. We head south along it to the east highway to the caves entrance. With any luck we should not encounter any traffic. But there is always traffic, so don’t be upset if we see any.”

  As she turned, Caspian’s eyes flicked past her rump, and then he went on to his other business of the evening. But either his or Cyrril’s eyes never quite left her the rest of the night; whether it was watching a potential target, or male-female appreciation, Karen could not decide.

  That evening, Karen stayed up, practicing some of her fighting drills. Rox watched. Karen cast about and sensed that Steven was rapidly falling asleep, and Caspian was likewise dozing. Cyrril was asleep curled up on Caspian’s shoulder. As Rox turned to go to bed, Karen though she had a brief opportunity to implant the information in Rox. But she passed, not wanting to stir up trouble.

  As the night before, she waited until Rox and Steven got up in the night and then took the opportunity to implant the knowledge then.

  Journal of Steven Caplan: Day 141

  Communication can do wonders for a relationship.

  Cyrril woke Karen up the next morning. He had a fresh killed critter for her. Karen quickly had it slaughtered and rendered for food for the dragon, the critter being too small for herself or the other three humans. Rox and Steven were quietly enjoying each others morning company; Caspian was still asleep in his tent, so Karen moved a ways off and ran through her exercises again. She noticed Cyrril watching her intently.

  Karen stopped, and looked right at him. All she could tell for sure was the dragon was interested in her. “Well?”

  As nothing further happened, she went back to her drills.

  Rox got up and went to the near by stream where she gave herself a sponge bath. Steven came over toward where Karen was, and ran through his own morning exercises. This was the first time Karen had seen this, as Steven seemed to prefer to spend his time while walking doing his exercises.

  Steven and Rox traded places, evidently having one set of washing things. Rox was a bit different in her exercises. There were the typical grace versus power differences of male to female, but Rox turned her grace toward speed where Steven preferred economy and accuracy.

  Caspian finally roused as breakfast was cooked, by Rox this time.

  As they traveled, Karen made a point of walking with each of the three, and discussing their fighting ability and mindset. She observed that Steven had a military mindset to battle, Rox was pragmatic, and Caspian was a brawler. They lunched as they walked along. After finishing, while walking behind the wagon and Karen’s horse, Karen asked how Rox would handle magic in a fight.

  Rox first outlined what she had done in her fight in Skarg.

  This was not what Karen wanted to know. So she asked “What about fighting a deamon?”

  “I would get a priest,” Rox replied.

  “None’s available,” Karen countered.

  “Use the Nun’s, then,” Rox joked then moved back to seriousness. “I suppose you are suggesting I use magic against the hypothetical deamon. I remember something about ‘bell, book, and candle’ but beyond that am so new to practical magic, that I don’t have a realistic guess.”

  Karen was a bit pleased to hear Rox admit her ignorance. The Society in Skarg had generally developed an inability to admit inability and ignorance. “’Bell, book, and candle’ is also passed around a bit in our literature, but I have never seen it in action. The method recommended in The Guild is ‘silver and fire.’ But that can be a bit hard to arrange. I suppose the source is the scriptures that God will refine the worlds as a silversmith does sliver, by heating until it reflects his image. As such for some reason, evil spirits do not like burning silver.”

  “How do you light silver on fire?” Rox asked. “I understand you can do it with enough magnesium. As you say silver can be smelted, but ignited?”

  “Magic. Or concentrated psi-energy, but that takes some doing. If you are going to look to nature, lightening will do.” Karen answered.

  “Why do I need to know this? Is this some of your ‘further information’?” Rox wondered how much was really going on, and what Karen was apparently priming her to fight.

  Karen though for a moment. “Yes it is. There are things you will need to do, that I need to prepare you for. I don’t know how much more I can tell you, without causing everyone more trouble than is already in store.”

  Rox took up the conversation, partly to let Karen think, partly to clear her own thoughts. “Before I came to this world, I won a few fights in my life that were ‘for keeps.’ Since arriving, I have knowingly killed on two occasioning. The first was in a battle, that I foolishly ran head long into. The second was at the ball, and that mage who I gather was trying to take me back to his place. Now, I get the feeling that you are trying to prime me to be able to win in some fight that I do not as I stand right now have the ability to win. I do not cherish the idea of taking life. Perhaps I come from a world that has grown too soft, or that is so religious or advanced that some of us respect even the life of our enemy.”

114 – Karen provokes reactions, and gets provoked

  Karen spoke as Rox paused to gather her thoughts. “Perhaps there is a different perception or belief on what happens after death. I have met people who believed that the soul did not continue. I know of myself, by my talents, that the soul does live on, but it does not linger here. I leave it to religion to squabble over those questions. What I need to prepare you to do is . . .” Karen paused as she looked for the right words.

  Rox let Karen find the words.

  “. . . is be ready to do whatever the situation will require.” Karen finished.

  Rox could see that Karen wanted to say more, but was not able to for some reason. “For that I need to know how to light silver on fire. All right.”

  Karen paused and Rox took initiative. “You’ve never asked about how we know your language. Why not?”

  Karen pushed this question aside as almost irrelevant. “I never needed to. You have a skilled, non-local wizard with you. Our understanding about their training is that the wanderers pick up a way to learn and share languages.”

  “What about your talents? I have met another talent who was able to understand what I meant just by listening to my thoughts.”

  Karen was a little surprised by this. Few outside the general talent community understand what that really meant, as opposed to ‘reading minds’. She did not immediately answer while looking at Rox in her surprise.

  “I don’t use them that way. It’s not polite most of the time, and the noise of all the minds in a city going can be deafening, so I keep that ability suppressed.”

  Rox nodded, remembering glimmerings of ideas from Macsam son of Voloam, whom she had met in Shalaia; also fragments from her magic training. “Kind of like standing in a noisy room and listening to only one person.”

  Karen was surprised to find that Rox generally understood the concepts. Most non-psionics were not aware of theses ideas, let alone understand them.

  They talked for a while about this and a few other things, and then Karen stepped out and caught up with Steven, walking point. Caspian was leading the cart a few paces behind. Steven was working though his hand drills; blocking and throwing punches as he walked.

  Karen watched for the pattern to finish only to realize he was doing sets, not a pattern. He finished and she spoke.

  “Do you really know how to use that sword?” Karen indicated the sword at his left hip.

  “That depends on what you mean by use. ‘Hold the blunt end; poke the other guy with the pointy end.’ Yeah, I know that. Do I know the entire manual of arms of combat with this general and particular design of weapon? No.” Steven’s hand went down to his sword hilt as he spoke.

  “Have you killed anybody with one?” Karen was curious to know his experience level.

  “Caspian says I did, but I don’t remember it explicitly. After picking up Rox we then headed for the coast, then reversed and headed for the city where her elf relatives live. Along that way we were jumped by a gang. I remember slicing a few people up, but do not remember explicitly killing any of them.” Steven said this with what Karen understood to be a professional’s detachment.

  “So you have not had a prolonged sword duel. Fine, tonight I want to test you, with live steel. As I was just mentioning to your wife, you need to be ready for any situation.” Karen said.

  Steven drew his sword with his right hand. As Karen watched, she though he needed a buckler. The sword was a long sword. In Caspian’s or Karen’s hands it would be a hand and a half. In Steven’s it was more like a hand and a quarter. She watched as he held it out in front of him one handed. He turned his wrist and retracted his arm, swinging the sword back over in an overhand chop. He swung out and back, right and left, underhand, and then from the diagonals, finishing with a straight forward thrust. He twisted his torso in almost the same manor as he did with his empty hands, adding power.

  Then he took the blade at its midpoint with his left and used it almost like a quarter staff. Slashing and stabbing with the pointed end, and similarly striking with the pommel and crossbar. Karen had seen this in the past, but most of the swords in Skarg were of a slimmer blade profile and different crossbar and guard design and so not as easily wielded this way. Further, while this sword had a good edge on it, Steven’s hand and glove were not cut by his grip on it; most local swords were either slim stabbing swords, similar to the stiletto on her left wrist, or single edged curved slicing scimitars. This straight double edged blade was not unheard of, just not deployed among the local populace, despite it being the simplest shape to make a sword.

  As she walked, Karen cast about for an appropriate stick. She soon found one, and using the broad cutting and slicing blade knife from her right wrist, she began carving it down to approximate sword shape.

  Steven watched Karen. “I though you said live steel?”

  “You use live steel. I will use this. I don’t have a large enough sword anyway.” Karen continued shaving the shape to flatten it some. She continued to work on it as she fell into step with Caspian.

  Caspian quietly spoke to her. “What did you do to them last night?”

  Karen worked a knot smooth. “What do you mean?”

  “Cyrril saw you knock each of them over and then kneel over them for a while. Then they got up and went back into their tent. First Steven, then Rox. What are you up to?” Caspian kept his voice low, so only she could hear it.

  “My job. There are some things they need to know that words alone can’t communicate in the time available.” Karen ran her hand along the flat she had carved into the stick. Then she turned it over and started shaving down this side to match.

  “And how much time is that?”

  “We get to the Ring Road tomorrow, and then the cave mouth two days after that. If you want to stop moving, I could sit down and hold a weeks worth of class, each. Or I can use my skills to put the information into their subconscious minds, and talk to them about when this information would be useful.” Wood shavings dropped form the stick.

  Rox walked past, and up to Steven. Caspian slowed his pace slightly, letting the Caplan’s get another pace ahead.

  Caspian spoke again. “Is there anything I need to be taught that way, or am I marked for death before any such information would be useful?”

  Karen did not answer. Shavings continued to fall as one side of the round stick flattened.

  They walked in silence for a while. Finally she began quizzing Caspian on his herb lore. Then when Rox drifted back to earshot, Karen asked Caspian how to attract a lightening bolt.

  “Well, generally, to get a large bolt to come down, you need a small one to go up. Some of the spells I am competent with are throwing single and chain-lightening bolts around. The weather conditions here are not conducive, but that can be overcome through resonance. I may as well demonstrate.”

  Caspian raised his voice. “Steven. Come take the animals, I am going to demonstrate calling down a lightening bolt, from a mostly blue sky.”

  Steven led the cart further along the path as Caspian led the women off the trail and up a hill to a stand of trees.

  “This can be done anywhere, but having trees nearby for the lightening to hit is the safest way.” Caspian explained.

  “Right. Lightening likes to hit the tallest thing nearby.” Rox added.

  Caspian made a snap decision. “I’m not going to cast this. You are. First in an area right in front of you, or wherever, you need to make a miniature thunder storm. Then through a resonance, get the air above your target to also form a storm cell. Then cast a low power lightening bolt up, near the tree, into the resonant storm cell.”

  Karen understood enough magic theory, it being similar to psionic theory, and enough practical theory to know what happened next. “Then duck and cover your ears.”

  Rox was unsure, but decided to start by defining a space in between her hands in front of her. Using her magic ability, she drew on the mana in the area and first raised her shields, and safed herself against surges and stray magics. Then she lowered the air pressure between her hands. She then increased the heat and humidity in a column of air under the low pressure. A small cloud began to form between her hands. Rox then reached out with this form and spread it out through the mana over the hill. A wind picked up around them, and quickly a cloud formed some distance above the top of the trees.

  Caspian and Karen both stepped back, putting their hands over their ears. Rox cast a silence spell over her ears, and let the miniature storm before her dissipate, feeling the larger version running on its own inertia, and already beginning to break up from the flow of the local weather she was disrupting. She felt the energy build and static slightly pick up. She decided she was ready. Rox knelt and as if doing a double palm strike in her martial arts, she punched across the top of the nearby trees into the slowly dissipating heart of the storm pocket she had created, and let loose a small magic powered lightening bolt. The concussion was negligible, but the backwash of heat was impressive, as she was unprepared for it.

  The return downward bolt was almost instantaneous.

  The tallest tree caught the bolt and glowed as the energy crawled down it. The concussion from this was as much larger as the bolt coming down was from the bolt going up.

  Rox had to blink several times to clear her eyes of the flash blindness.

  Elation flowed over Rox, followed by some panic as she saw the tree combust from the lightening. She reached out into the mana, and the storm, and increased the low pressure and humidity, and quickly had a down poor localized on the hill putting the fire out.

  Caspian and Karen stood aside, soaked by the downpour, and awed by what this novice mage had just done.

  Caspian found his tongue first. “Wow.”

  Karen only soberly nodded, thinking to herself. ‘If she can do this, untrained and raw, I see why they are scared.’

  They walked off the damp hill after Rox made sure the fire was out, and soon caught up with Steven. Rox almost floated the whole way, bobbing in elation.

  Steven commented as they approached. “I heard the lightening, and felt a few gusts of wind.”

  Rox smiled. “I called forth a bolt of lightening, and then put out a forest fire. All by magic, by myself.”

  Steven turned to Caspian and Karen, both damp from the rain, who both nodded. Karen had slowly begun to smile at some point. She continued carving her stick.

  When Karen tested Steven’s skill that evening she was equally elated. He chopped her stick to pieces and was almost a match for her general fencing skills. When she drew her sai’s, she had his sword out of his hands in a few moves, but she figured this an unfair test, as it was her best against his novice level. Then she tried to have Caspian strengthen another stick to use for a second sparing drill.

  Caspian and Rox felt the spell take on the stick. Karen felt energy about it. Then as Steven wielded his sword they all felt the energy dissipate and the stick revert to being a normal stick.

  “What just happened?” Karen asked as she put the stick down. She turned over to Caspian. “I felt the energy on the stick, so the spell must have taken.”

  Steven put the sword down, from ready to carrying it.

  The other three felt the energy of the spell reengage.

  Caspian remembered what the elves had said about the sword, at the same time Steven said it.

  “The elves said this sword had negative-magical properties. That is probably a poor translation.” Steven continued to wait, sword just held down.

  Caspian nodded, having neglected to remember. “So when wielded, it negates the magic in a direction, or in all directions. It probably has some aspect of the magic on it that is keyed to intent.”

  Karen nodded. “As you put the sword down I could feel the energy on the stick re-energize.” She turned to engage Steven.

  He put the sword up to a ready position.

  Karen nodded as the energy faded. “Yep. That sword is apparently an equalizer for you, well chosen by those elves. You don’t have the experience to fight on the level of, say, me, without some way to force me down to a level of skill and ability equal to yours. So let’s try that fencing again, and see how quick you can smash this stick.”

  This time Karen started on the fundamental patterns of the style she knew. Steven recognized this as similar but not the same as what the Wolf’s Weapon Master had drilled him on. Karen went in close using the stick as a staff, and getting Steven to use the blunt end in defending himself from her. By the time Rox called a stop and that her stew and bread was served, Karen had broken a sweat, and Steven was soaked. The stick was kindling.

115 – Changes have been made

  As they sat around the fire and ate, Karen realized that there was one subject that had not yet been addressed. When she had thought about it earlier in the day she had looked over the inventory in the cart. Now at a lull in the conversation she addressed this. “Once you get your kids back, where are they going to sleep? Your tents are only big enough for yourself. Unless you are going to squeeze your kids into your tent, they or you will have to sleep outside. Do you have enough blankets for that?”

  Caspian kept eating his stew, staying out of the conversation. The tent he used was large enough for him to occupy with a little extra space. The kids using it and him sleeping outside as Karen did would not be a big issue. But what kids the age of Alex or Diana would want to sleep with an opposite sex sibling?

  Rox and Steven looked at each other. The unspoken conversation was that neither one had really thought about this question.

  Steven turned to Karen. “Is there a village or town along our way, where we could get something?”

  Rox added to the ideas. “Or are we going to have to pick some up when we get the kids?”

  Karen though for a moment. “There are towns and villages along the road, but I did not plan to go by one. This path is favored by the cave-dwellers for overall lack of locals along it. But most crossroads have someone with goods near by. I think there is a farm-village between where we join The Ring Road and where we turn back off of it. We can check there.”

  Steven nodded and looked at Rox. “Sounds ok. Worst comes to worst, we can wrap in our coats and cloaks, and the kids in our blankets. Maybe set the cargo tarp up as a tent against the cart.”

  “How about picking up something when we get the kids?”

  “I don’t know,” Steven answered. “If the locals are wiling to just give Diana and Alex back they may send some supplies, but I am not planning on it. I just hope we don’t end up in a long running fight.”

  Rox considered this, but had not answer.

  Journal of Steven Caplan: Day 142

  Sometimes you need someone from outside to point out the obvious flaws in your plan. We should have got blankets and a second or larger tent while in Skarg. Now we have to see if there is some other place or way to deal with this issue.

  They came to the Ring Road highway just before midmorning. Karen instructed a right turn, to head south. The road was wide enough to drive three large wagons abreast with room to spare, as the highways in the north were. Once they though about it up north, the Caplan’s were not surprised about most of the traffic staying to the relative right side of the road, probably for the same historic reason that most traffic on earth traveled on the right. As they walked they had again paired off, and rotated marching positions randomly. Soon Steven walked next to Rox behind the cart and horse. Karen led the cart for the moment, with Caspian beside to her right, his staff marking time. They went on past two left turns. Karen mentioned that these roads led into the mountains in to their direct east. One to a mining and lumbering area. The other went into a city over the first summit that was known for making musical instruments.

  A train of a half dozen carts passed going in the other direction. Karen did not sense anything to impress her about it. Caspian and Rox did not sense any active magic. The train moved on. Karen picked up a few stray thoughts about the two couples traveling together, the humans and the elves. Karen almost turned to correct that, then though better of it, and walked on.

  At the turn off they wanted, Karen paused, bringing the cart to a stop. It was a less used road that the last two. She turned to Rox and Steven.

  “This is the road to where we want to go. I was not certain where or if there is a village in this area. I think there is one a bit further south. I suppose we should have asked the train that passed us. That that is behind us now. So, do we divert and go south, or go ahead and up the road?”

  Rox and Steven had discussed this some as they walked this morning.

  Steven spoke for them. “Let’s go south, at least until lunch, or a hill where we can survey the area if such exists. If we don’t find anything by then, then we turn back and go up the road.”

  So they went.

  Cresting the second subtle rise as they went they quickly found a large cleared area where the forest had been removed for a small community of orderly several farms on one side of the road and pasture land on the other. At the center was a small crossroad and market with a church, a tavern and inn, and two storehouses all built in dug-out pattern for the lower lever, with the framed timber construction similar to Skarg above. They stopped at the tavern where Caspian held the lead for the cart as Karen and the Caplan’s went in. Once inside Karen’s senses pricked. She reflexively passively scanned over the locals as she led to the bar and the proprietor, a few of the patrons sitting a bit apart did not seam quite right. Karen took the lead and inquired about purchasing some blankets. As she did, she cast her senses about listening to what each person though about what was happening.

  The proprietor looked at the local woman and the two tall strangers, and then led them across the street into one of the storehouses.

  Karen paused with Caspian as she went out. “There are a handful of shady characters in there. The locals don’t like them. Be on alert.”

  The storehouse was a cooling house filled with harvested vegetables stored for the winter. That was in the back. In the front were a few shelves of domestic goods. Rox and Steven quickly picked out four thick blankets of good size. There were no tents, nor was there any heavy fabric for making a tent available. Karen and Rox unfolded the blankets and checked them for vermin, then refolded each one; the blankets would do. Steven paid as the last one was being folded. Karen then quickly purchased a few pounds of assorted vegetables which she paid for, and they went back outside.

  Caspian had led the cart around to near the door and they quickly added their purchases into the existing stores and secured the tarp over all, as the weather looked threatening.

  They went back quickly and were back at the turnoff within in time to think about stopping for lunch. They all decided to walk a little and look for a good clearing to pause in, or a good tree to stand under as the weather was beginning to change. Rox could sense almost sense the energy of the area shifting as the storm front approached from the southwest.

  Karen led them east up the road. Her senses shortly told her that eight bandits were now stalking them. Karen wondered briefly why she had not picked them up sooner, and then chided herself for staying in the city among so many minds too long. It led her to automatically dampen her range of senses, simply to keep from hearing so many minds.

  Karen reached out to the three with her. Psionic to psionic this was easy, it was not really telepathy as thinking loud. Now she thought loud to three non-talented minds.

  -There are eight bandits moving to surround us. Be ready.-         

  Caspian jerked his head in her direction. She sensed Steven and Rox start looking around, slightly, as they continued walking normally.

  Karen expanded her range and felt a lot more minds going about their daily business of hunting and gathering and playing. She focused her senses on the eight bandits, but did not want to show off. Neither did she want to show her full capability. If she wanted, she could zap all eight within moments, and then be asleep from before dinner to after breakfast tomorrow. That would not be good.

  -Two for each of us, one with a bow, one with a sack. Take your two, then help whomever needs it. Ten steps, or so-

  Karen walked forward, and then the men jumped out of hiding beside the road. Some were behind scrub, some were under dirty and camouflaged blankets. For a moment four bandits with sacks tried to attack four travelers.

  Rox turned and kicked her sack man mid stride, doubling him over. Steven forearm blocked his across the man’s shoulders and upended him, while turning him into a shield. Caspian raised his hand, and the man felt himself hit by solid wall of force and thrown back. Karen let her man get close, dropped the horses lead, and then chopped the man in the throat, and grabbed his tunic.

  The archer facing Rox let fly, and hit a magic shield. A force grabbed him and pulled him from his tree stand at twice his height to the ground, hard. Steven used his human shield to catch the arrow shot at him, and then still carrying the human shield with an arrow stuck from its back charged at his attacker, who was only half again the archer’s height off the ground. Steven threw his shield against the tree trunk, careful not to drive the arrow further in, and grabbed the archers legs out from under him, dropping him from the limb, and to the ground, breaking the bow as he hit the ground. The archer facing Caspian had his own partner hit him and they flew past two more trees before hitting the ground. Karen held her human shield in place, pulling her stiletto from her left wrist sheath, and threw it at the archer, harder than a normal person could. That archer then fell from his perch.

  The four paused and looked around, and all were still standing.

  Karen let her man fall. She walked the two dozen or so yards into the woods and retrieved her knife, wiping it on the man’s shirt and sheathed it. The horses had started at the four bandits, but were already moving on, as Caspian led them. The Caplan’s were looking around, trying to decide what to do with their bandits.

  “Leave them. If they can get back home, they might decide to take up a more honest trade.” Karen said this as Rox stepped over the man she had possibly sterilized with her foot.

  Steven had left his injured men at the base of their tree.

  Karen’s psi-sweep showed that both of Caspian’s were dead, the one Rox had pulled down was unconscious, with assorted broken bones. Maybe half of the eight would live. She stepped over her bagman as he tried to gasp through a crushed throat, and bled around an arrow in his back.

  Steven took Rox’s arm and led her off, neither wanting to watch or see any more. Karen followed.