098 – A Queen's Transformation

  Swiftly his mind raced to some old memories. Karen had not grown up in Skarg. proper but in the area beyond, so she had never seen The Queen as human. But the memory was of the guard having sex with a beautiful black-haired woman. But only once, as the binding of him to her service. Then Karen guided his dream to the time when The Queen changed, and what she did to accomplish this. His memories again played out, Karen now in his perspective, with commentary from his memories.

   This guard watched as The Queen stood in her chamber. All was prepared. She was looking herself over in the mirror, admiring her flesh for the last time. She had worked hard to stay fit, young looking and strong. She regularly commented about how she was still desirable above all others to her husband, The King. Three virgin women had sacrificed their blood three separate times for that. Now, though, she commented on a different desire burning in her heart. Age was continuing its inexorable march, dragging her to eventual ill health, ruin and death. She had lost her interest in The King. He still held the seat of power, but their almost twenty year union had proven a barren one, and she wanted to have offspring as strong as she which would strengthen her. The dark arts had led her to an answer. It had taken some time to find the answer, and then to find it palatable. But now she found it desirable, more than anything else.

  Briefly other memories flitted past of the dark haired Queen reading and doing research. Then the narrative returned, as did the guards commentary.

  The preparations were accomplished, and she was ready. The last thing to be done was this last ceremony. The warlock and witch were waiting, as was the sacrifice, and the rest of her personal guard.

  Karen had to suppress the thought that this man had been in the queen's personal guard and thus her personal company for near twenty years, lest it direct his dream to other less needful memories

  The witch had helped her bathe, and purify her body this morning, then departed to the Arbor for the final preparations. Now The Queen looked her naked body over for the last time in this flesh.

  Karen dove into peoples dreams rare enough that it was always uncomfortable, like swimming naked in ice water, or more so swimming in someone else's body in the ice water. But she always marveled at how much meaning she picked up, as opposed to just the memories of the observable.

  The Queen put on the black silk shift and her black robe and left the chamber, her entourage stepping in to plate to escort her. She entered the Arbor and walked to its center. The guards had seen to the Arbor’s construction on an unimproved section of the fortress island, after the pattern of an orchard she had spent her childhood in. After the conquest of her father’s kingdom, and its mergence to Krogg, the Crown Prince had taken her to the same orchard and raped her, claiming her as his own conquest, or so her story was told to her guards. She had been at Crown Prince's side ever since helping his rise to King, and had come to love him, and by extension her own power. Now she was going to gain her own measure of power, though shared with a different lord.

  In the center of the Arbor she had a place cleared and prepared. One tree stood in the middle. It was a relatively young tree, of an old species that would grow tall and straight. A monarch of the forest found and transplanted here especially for this. It stood nearly four stories tall, with a trunk small enough to reach completely around. The bottom half of the trunk just went straight up, before any branches came out. These branches then spread to a ball of branches and leaves around the top of the tree.

  The warlock and witch had been drawing on the ground around the tree and laying patterns in the soil; a sigil for summoning. One of the carpenters, working with a woodsman had carved a spot on one side of the tree earlier this morning; where the sacrifice would be bound to the tree. As she stood and watched the witch and warlock finished their preparatory chanting. A low level of static charged the air around them. Then the witch motioned and others of The Queen’s guard brought the sacrifice.

  He was a loyal, willing young man, chosen for just those qualities. He also had spent the morning purifying himself. He removed his black robe, letting it fall to the ground. He wore nothing, and his freshly shaved head gleamed slightly. He walked across the boundaries of the magic circles, and the sigil, on a proscribed path. He stopped in front of the tree, and turned his back to it. The cuts in the trunk matched his head, neck, back, and part of his legs. The witch and warlock backed him against the tree, and then produced knives. They sketched from the top of his head down to his legs, where his body touched the tree, with the sharp blades. They had him step forward, and used magic to peal the skin from his head to his legs, along the line they cut, exposing his flesh and blood. The removed skin was placed on the side of the tree opposite the young man as he was backed against it again. The witch and warlock chanted and danced around the tree and young man one complete revolution. The young man spoke his one line, inviting acceptance of his offering to this daemon.

  For a moment, nothing happened.

  Then the young man grimaced in pain, as the tree convulsed. In a spurt of energetic growth the tree expanded to twice its width, its roots writhing across the sigil to trace it themselves. Its height increased and it shot out several new branches. The young man sagged a bit, but under his skin it looked like myriad shoots connected to the tree where their raw flesh had been touching. His head was immobile, looking straight at The Queen. Then his mouth moved. The voice was still that of the young man, but with more behind it.

  “What would you have of me, mortal?”

  The witch and warlock remained silent. Only The Queen had its attention.

  “I would have the power of life. The strength of the trees.”

  “What do you offer to me, that I should grant you this?”

  “In this flesh I am barren. In the Power of Life I would have seed. I offer that, and my free will unto thee.”

  The young man/tree stood quiet for a moment, and then spoke again. “Of your own free will, approach.”

  The Queen dropped her robe, and then removed the shift. Naked she followed the same path the young man had earlier. As she approached, she observed that his penis went erect.

  “Make your offering,” the voice intoned.

  She stepped up and mounted. His arms wrapped her, holding her against him. She put her arms around him, and clutched at the trunk. She began grinding against him, reveling in the pleasures she was experiencing. She put her mouth over his, and sought out his tongue.

  The guard remembered the voice came to his mind

  “Your offering is accepted.”

  The arms moved to her thighs, and lifted her off her feet, pulling her closer against the young man/tree. She wrapped her legs around his hips. And her transformation began.

  Again the guard remembered thoughts coming into his mind.

  First the Queen's voice. “For your strength I also offer the two in the circle. One willing and knowing, the other not.”

  “Accepted.”

  Karen was not sure how much of what she was experiencing was memory experienced then or understanding added later on as the guard learned more.

  The guard watched the witch watching as the young man writhed some in response to The Queen. Then the tree groaned. The daemon now within drawing power, a breath before a cry. The tree’s structure suddenly changed again, consuming the flesh of the young man, melding it with its own, wrapping around The Queen. It covered her completely. Then the entire tree began to glow. The warlock gave a startled yell and fell over as the roots grabbed his feet. The tree’s roots and branches pulled the witch and warlock against the trunk, and the bark quickly cut through their clothes.

  The witch had known this was the cost of this summoning, though the warlock had not. The reward for her was death. For her order it would be very great. The bark retracted, scraping off all the skin that it touched, and the meat of the tree within expanded, growing into her flesh. It was rapid enough to be nearly painless.

  With the added mass and energy from these two, as well as the young man, and all the mana already organized and arrayed, the daemon had more than enough strength. The tree’s trunk expanded by the width of the bodies it consumed, and its height near doubled. More branches sprouted at normal points.

  When The King had asked what happened, he was told the truth. When he ordered the tree destroyed they threatened his life, and to reveal what The Queen knew of his doings that would get him dethroned at the least. So he yielded and left.

  Three complete days passed.

  Four members of The Queen’s bodyguard stood vigil in turn. The tree had been quiet after it had consumed the warlock and witch, and finished its initial spate of growth from that.

  Now The King stood with his own guard as the four from The Queen’s guard stood by the tree waiting. Slowly an outline on the trunk became discernible. Body, arms, legs, head, more.

  Like a person releasing a grip, the bark of the tree relaxed and contracted from the form. Its back was to them. First six tubes stood up from its back, then the tail tensed and wings spread. The head rolled back, and the entire creature stretched for its first time, an infant from the womb. It stepped back, and caught hold of the tree as its balance wobbled. Two thickly muscled legs, with high set barbed heals and large toes moved to a wide stance. The tail had a stinger on its end, and swished some as the wings flexed. It stood as tall as the tallest man there, its body shape looked feminine, and covered in bark. After a moment, it turned around.

  The Queen looked at the ten people there to greet her, and smiled. She worked her arms to get some stiffness out. Then her second set of arms. These had some wing to them that looked more like leaves. These limbs had stiff wrists and long single edged blades instead of hands. The third set of limbs at her shoulders had the wings attached to them. Her tail seemed to move almost on its own to balance against her arms movements.

  The voice seamed to speak directly into the guard’s mind.

  “Your structure is not suitable for flight, but it does have the strength you desire.”

  She looked herself over, also noting that her body was now covered in a thin bark. Her long black hair was gone. The Queen took a deep breath and the guard saw the air flow through the six tubes on her back, around her ribs, and to her lungs.

  “Well. It’s done.” She looked at the guards and smiled again. Then at The King, still smiling.

  The King scowled, then turned and left, his guards following him.

  Karen understood from these memories that the guard did not know or care about the magic specifically involved. Only that The Queen now sleeps within the orifice for her in the trees trunk, of necessity.

  She had the dungeons emptied, and the prisoners crucified in the arbor. She occasionally took one and attached that person to her own tree. In the fourteen years since, the tree has grown, so also The Queen has gotten powerful. Not fully a magic user, but very strong.

   Karen was surprised to find veiled disgust and contempt in the guards thoughts. She finished her intrusion by quickly bringing him back to the woman in his arms, and letting his mind go from there.

  Karen returned to the world, finding all as it should be. She pulled the harlot from her imposed sleep back to where she had been. Then she left the room and slipped out of the barracks area.

105 – Exploring The Party, Rox gets in a fight

  Steven went down to the first floor and continued his looking around. He soon found that the lower floor had no balconies that were not also docks, and that this floor in general was designated for the juveniles and teens that were not of sufficient discipline, or interested in joining the adults above.

  Roxanne wandered the second floor, pausing in one room to help herself to the buffet. She found herself making small talk with a few other locals, but most were apparently loath to approach her until she sat. Then she was set upon by a token few who took it upon themselves to interrogate and then properly introduce this elfin interloper.

  Rox did not have long to converse, before being taken from the third floor up to the forth floor and introduced around there. She was soon passed about a dance floor, and learning the local dance moves. As they went, she was able to learn little that was truly helpful.

  Caspian got to the top floor and strolled briskly down the hall, checking the rooms for a balcony, and then went out onto the first one he found, looking over the river. He paused and then seeing no one around he closed his eyes, and relaxed as best he could. Then he turned to his magic sense. The entire fortress was weighing heavily on him, but there was also a brooding malevolence pushing against his awareness. Caspian reset his senses, partially by remembering and concentrating on a ditty from his youth. Quickly it was as if a fog lifted, partially. The old magic that was virtually innate to the fortress was still there and dominating his magic senses, but it was now more bearable. The malevolence was also reduced to a peripheral level.

  Reinforced, Caspian turned and went back inside. As the bulk of the party had not yet reached this level in force, the room buffets were not yet stocked. But he found a staging table outside this levels kitchen annex and helped himself to the meat, fruit, bread, and other foods being prepared.

  Caspian then proceeded to explore the available area. This floor had more dancing rooms than the other floors below, with the bands still warming up. To his surprise, in one smaller sitting room Caspian found a few merchants that he knew from elsewhere, and was able to strike up conversation with them. To no surprise, they had no real understanding of the why's of this particular ball, and were availing themselves of the opportunity to socialize with some they might not otherwise have opportunity to, and perhaps arrange some new business. Finally Caspian excused himself and moved on, working his way down through the floors seeking for anyone worth listening to.

  Karen had her senses going sorting through the static and noise of the various minds to find 'Steven' and his wife. As well, she was partially shrouding herself from the other society matrons, who would no doubt try to bring Karen into their circles and hook her up with some man. Her clean range of pickup was the floor she was on, and either the one below or above; there were enough minds beginning to fill the rooms that to try to scan three floors at the same time was too much. So she moved quickly along the second floor first, with scant attention to the kids’ floor below and more attention to the merchants on the floor above.  Getting around the whole of the palace wing, Karen climbed up two levels and started back the way she had come. She thought she picked up Steven on the lower floor but was not paying enough attention to get a good reading, and was not going to break character by backtracking right now.

  This forth level had more diplomats and socialites to interact with, or avoid. The top level was developing a good mix of everyone, as the primary dance floors were on that level. Karen would have to scan that level on its own. Now she focused on everyone on this floor. She got partway around and got a solid reading on a non-local half-elf female. Karen entered the room and looked around. Sure enough there was the tall female with a white mowhawk that Karen had followed on the streets. She was on the dance floor being passed from partner to partner, as a reel was played. Karen took a glass of drink from passing tray for camouflage and sat at a side table to watch, and wait for an opportune moment.

  Roxanne worked along the buffet, taking a break from the dancing to have a bite to eat while considering how to make the talk go to the subject of the reason for the ball. She had kept up with her dance partners, and realized that most of the locals probably recognized her as a juvenile elf, and therefore maritally unattached. As she looked the fruit tray over, she realized that the fresh stuff was all melons, with a few other candied and preserved fruits from other seasons. This struck her as she was looking for the strawberries and blueberries to go with her melon.

  “Traveling through or settling?”

  Rox looked at the man next to her. He wore white over off-white robes, and tingled of magic. He was tall enough she could elbow his nose without raising her arm. His accenting was not quite local.

  “Passing through. We were conducting business and learned of the ball, and came to see.”

  “Oh, then you have some time?”

  “Not much. This has been entertaining, though we don't know quite what it is for.”

  “I sense magic about you. Do you cast?”

  Roxanne was feeling that something was wrong with this situation and she needed to get out of it. Behind her, the orchestra started a new dance number and the floor filled with moving bodies.

  “I have access to some casting. Why do you ask?”

  “I have long had curiosity about elves and their use of magic.”

  “Then perhaps you ought to visit one of our cities, rather than troll about for someone to bother.”

  With that Rox took her plate and stepped away from the buffet and toward a table, where a few ladies were sitting.

  A hand took hold of her arm, almost gently, and tried to turn Rox toward another empty table. The man asked “Will you join me for a bit more conversation?”

  Rox felt his hand wander over to her hip and rump.

  Across the room, Karen senses told her that this man did not have the best of intentions toward the half-elf. Then she saw him put his had to her rump. Karen stood up and started around the perimeter of the room to go intervene.

  Rox grabbed his wrist and pulled it away, squeezing the bones together. “Touch me again, and you loose the hand.”

  Before she let go, he tried to cast a spell. She felt a heavier magic pop and fizzle the spell of this man. Rox turned the rest of the way, smashing her stoneware plate into the man's startled face, and twisted her other hand away from his arm. The plate fell to the floor and clattered, but the room was noisy enough that the sound was unnoticed by most. She stepped away and back to put space between them. He followed, and lunged after her, grabbing her arm again. Rox felt him try to cast a spell again, and again his spell was crushed by a heavier spell.

  Karen peripherally felt the enchantments of the castle thrum, then settle a second time. Suddenly there were two guards with pole arms standing and visible at each of the two sets of doors to this room. Karen briefly wondered if they had been there all along, but somehow shrouded.

  ‘Grenade’ began echoing through Rox’s mind, as she tried to get him to let go. She brought her martial arts to bear, and knocked his hands off her, but he was quickly trying to get his hands on her somewhere, even the arms she was using to deflect him. He was also still trying to subdue her using a spell, as they grappled. She could not understand the words, but could sense the direction of the magic. It was not the same that had failed twice. This would try to affect her will.

  “Shields,” was all she got out as he finished.

  “Come with me.” His spell wrapped around hers and they sparked and spat, trying to drive each other to nothing.

  Roxanne was not waiting. She yanked on his wrist with one hand and punched him in his sternum with the other, through the magic between them. He fell to his knees stunned, letting go of her. His spell fizzed to nothing.

  Rox again tried to leave. He tripped her before she got from him. He then started clawing and crawling up her leg to stand while trying to physically restrain her. He pulled her over in the process. Later she would wonder why he did not try to magically restrain her, or teleport again with her. His hand got to her knee, when she kicked him again with her free leg. But he wrapped this up before she could pull away.

  Roxanne had enough of his groping her. “Shields.” Again her magic shields came on at full intensity, using the floor for a locus. “Grenade.”

  She focused her attention and idea on the base of his skull. ‘This is a dangerous way to practice magic,’ she had been told. ‘The idea you have had better be clear, or it could go awry.’ Roxanne had a clear idea. In moments his neck exploded, becoming so much vaporized tissue. His body stayed put, but went totally limp and fell over. His head came to a pulpy stop under the table next to them. Somewhere near by a woman shrieked in instant hysterics.

  Roxanne let her shields dissipate and pushed the body off her legs. Her ears rang, her thighs were numb from the concussion, but she was in one piece.

  She picked herself up, as she heard his voice.

  “That hurt. Very clever.”

  She turned as he stood up from reaching under the table and put his head to his neck, his neck still reintegrating itself, his head inflating back to shape as he held it in place. He then began to cast a new spell. Roxanne felt her hair start to stand on end and crackle.

  ‘Energy is energy’ and ‘Lightening rod’ flashed through her mind. As her opponent set up to cast a lightening bolt at her. Rox reached into her sash and through the illusion of the gown and grabbed her staff, activating the ends. She planted one end on the ground and tilted the staff toward her opponent. The bolt let loose as she got set. The thunder was deafening, and almost a physical force, knocking several people between and around them down. Her staff glowed white for a moment, but all the energy was directed into the floor. There was now a small burned spot where Rox had planted her staff, and she had some tingling in her hands. But she was still standing.

  Rox pulled the end of the staff off the ground, deactivated the length and pointed the staff at the wizard, letting loose with a barrage of magic darts, like a machine gun.

  She pinned him to the wall with this, then turned toward the doors again. He tried to grapple her from behind as she crossed the room to leave, but only got the butt end of her staff in his belly for his troubles. He collapsed on himself as she came back around with the other end, catching him just under his jaw. His neck gave an awful popping sound as his head whipped back, and he rolled onto his back, his body going limp again. His jaw was a mess, and this time he did not get back up. Evidently his spell was either exhausted, or only covered dismemberment and not internal damage.

  The fight had made a mess of this part of the room, right in front of the buffet. Once the guards had become aware of the fight, they had closed the doors they stood at and waited for it to finish. Likewise Karen had stood aside and pulled a few non attentive bystanders out of the way, and set up a spot of cover.

  Roxanne decided not to stick around for the cleaning bill as guards started to come at her. She moved for an exit, staff in hand when a brown haired woman in a light tan gown pulled Rox into a knot of people on the dance floor. “Come with me, if you want to get out. And put the staff away.”

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.”