"But I doubt it." Jess gave a cold shake of her head. "Whether this involves the dark goings-on here at the school or some infernal plot to facilitate the downfall of your family hardly matters. We need to get you out of here, and we need to do it now! Quit staring at me like a frightened child, Raphael, and move! Grab what you need, and let's get out of here this instant!"
Raphael wasted no time in false modesty once he got over his initial shock, quickly dressing himself, including belting on both rapier and main gauche, as well as a shirt of finely woven steel mail.
Raphael caught Jessica’s gaze, flashing an apologetic smile. “Yes, Jess. I know it’s hardly your preferred style of combat, but it suits me well enough, and I am rather pressed for time, I’m afraid.”
Jess grinned. “Sorry, Raphael. I’ve never been one for rapiers, and that mail shirt stops at your hips. Your thighs and all those vital arteries beside your groin are completely unprotected. At least I can tell your gloves are lined with mail.”
Raphael gave a satisfied nod as he hurriedly packed away a small cache of gems and gold from a secret compartment in his desk upon his person. “A rare enough affectation I learned from you, my dear Jess. My torso and hands are well protected. I shall just have to count on my own skills to avoid dying of a thrust to eye or fatal slash to my thigh. Either that or depend upon you to keep us out of trouble, I suppose.” He chuckled softly even as Josie, still blushing furiously, did her best to dress herself under cover of blankets.
Jess nodded in all seriousness. “Any foe that tries to harm you while you are under my care will die by blade or spell. This I swear.”
Raphael blinked, oddly touched, giving Jess a grateful smile, even as Twilight nipped Jessica’s ear.
“Ouch!”
Raphael’s gaze turned puzzled.
“Twilight nipped my ear,” Jess grumbled.
“That's because you're making poorly thought out oaths again, Jess," Twilight quipped. "What if you decide you don't want to butcher whatever fool threatens Raphael in a drunken stupor?"
Jess smacked her forehead, realizing her cat was right. “But I deserved it. Try not to piss off any drunkards on our travels. I’d hate to have to run them through.”
Raphael’s laugh was strained. “Somehow, I sense you’re not kidding.”
Jess shook her head. "Less chatting, more packing."
Soon enough Raphael was ready to go, Jess's cool smile making it clear he didn't have to worry about the sudden hammering upon his once more sealed door, utterly impervious to the blows rung upon it or the cold sibilant voice of a not to be put off Lord Borson, for all that the locks and spells had been blown free with Jess's hurried entrance only moments before.
Josie paled when it became clear what Jess intended for them, though Jess's cool gaze made it painfully clear that she would brook no dallying with their enemies at their very doorstep.
“You are going down that window, Josie. Twilight reports that our enemies have yet to gather any men below.”
Josie whimpered, her gaze a desperate plea even as Jess snugly looped silken bed sheets around her waist, thankful that Raphael had splurged on so many sets.
“You have to understand, there is a certain... elegance to the indulgence,” he began when Jess cocked one bemused eyebrow.
“No need for explanations, my friend. It is getting us all out of here, after all.” Jess quickly lowered both her friends down the silken rope with her Delver's strength before making her way down the tied-off rope last of all, a final grateful caress of Raphael's happily vibrating door leaving her comfortably assured that her enemies would not be breaking through any time soon.
Twilight chuckled. “Don't worry, Jess. Somehow I doubt that door will be budging till long after all of us have returned to the great garden once more.”
Jess grinned at this as she snapped free the silken rope, darting with all haste for the stables, exhilarated beyond words to see all her friends safe and sound. Then anxious moments spent mounting up and ambling away from the stables, counting every second no hue and cry was raised a blessing. Jess let out a great sigh of relief as they managed to reach a dip in the fields behind the stable, out of line of sight of the main keep, even as they used half-forgotten paths through bramble and bush that Eloquin's Squires were well versed in traversing.
13
Midday found Jess and her companions riding due south, the anxious compulsion to flee their enemies that had plagued them all morning easing at last, their pace having slowed to preserve their horses after seeing absolutely no signs of pursuit. Much to Jess's surprise, she soon found herself enjoying the fresh breeze and the pastoral countryside as she lost herself to the flow of Mercy's stride, humming a contented tune her friends only occasionally begged her to stop, Twilight curled up behind her.
"One would hardly think we're just past the winter solstice, it feels almost like spring!" Josie happily declared.
Upon Jess's gentle probing, which Raphael was far too savvy a player in the great games of Court and trade to not catch onto near instantly with the most bemused of smiles, Raphael made it utterly clear he had no idea who or what might be making a move against him or his clan, let alone why.
"I swear as I live and breathe, Jess, I have no idea whatsoever as to what could be the motivation for this move against me and mine. It goes without saying, I hope, that I am guilty of no further crime than being a savvy trader in my own right, able to see an opportunity and grab onto it, while avoiding any tricks or deception designed to catch the over-eager amateur unawares." Raphael gave a pained sigh even as Josie gazed forlornly at her lover, having herself announced quite fiercely that she adored Raphael with all her heart and would stay true to him even if they lived as humble villagers in distant lands that had never even heard of the diOnni clan.
He ventured Jess an anxious smile, even as he gently stroked Josie's hand. "You must understand, Jess, my father is a careful man who has his hand in many pies, so to speak, with a great number of friends in high places. I find it extremely unlikely that anyone save the Royal Family themselves could tear our House so completely asunder without even sufficient warning as to assure we were all safely ensconced with a great deal of our resources in lands safely beyond even the borders of Erovering's neighbors, thus far from her realm of influence."
His lips had pressed into a firm grimace at the thought. “Yet the king has absolutely no reason to stab us in the back. Father and Grandfather before him have always been extremely careful to assure that our trading networks were first and foremost at the king's disposal, supplying our rulers with whatever vices and pleasures we had access to, from the finest pressed bars of opium and hashish to be found in the steamy kingdoms of the south, to the most exotic of harem girls you could hope to find west of the great basin.” He blinked, as if suddenly realizing the exact nature of his audience, and flushed at Josie's suddenly frosty demeanor. “Most of this was before my time, my dear, and I assure you all diOnni transactions are engaged aboveboard, with the utmost taste. No one has ever unwillingly been forced into our caravans, to the best of my knowledge.”
Malek had just given a bemused nod of his head. “And of course, the king has access to diverse foreign courts worldwide, and your caravans are in an excellent position to facilitate the placement of any number of Crown Agents, I have no doubt.”
Raphael winked. “We do serve the Crown as best we may in our own way, of course.”
Jess gave a tight nod. “Which makes it all the less likely that this move was sanctioned by the king. No ruler as tactically savvy as Erovering's would arbitrarily throw away such a proven font of information, resources, and luxury goods.”
Alex nodded in accord. “To say nothing of added tax revenues.”
"Well that settles it then," Malek said with a certain amount of relief. "It must be a gambit enacted by someone with a lot of local influence and perhaps a most excellent forger."
Jess nodded. “Not to mention our opponent may well be
an infernalist, if Mord's counsel, however unexpected, is at all reliable.”
Alex gave an angry shake of his head. "And against such infernal magics as he might practice, we have little defense, even at the college. And this is why Rens and I must work with ever greater dedication at uncovering and learning to master the words of power we suspect serve as the lynchpins of all magic. It may well be our only defense, with the wand stolen from us."
The mood had turned grim at that point, the group riding in silence, until Raphael's golden laughter washed over them, meeting everyone's gaze with a beaming smile. "Cheer up, my friends! We have escaped the trap laid out for us, outmaneuvering our foe even as he sought to corner us in our own den! No doubt we have already left him far behind, outside his sphere of influence, and my own family retainers will be alerted to pay special attention to any forged documents being used to curry favor or pressure among our clan. I have no doubt that the bravest Delvers that Erovering has had the privilege of hosting for generations will make things right in terms of recovering the college's loss, and all that awaits is for us to uncover the vermin behind these pathetic schemes, and give them the king's justice! In the meantime, let us appreciate our journey for what it is."
“And what is that?” Josie smiled warmly at her lover, happy to get into the spirit of things.
"Why it is a vacation, of course! An excuse to escape the boring mundanity of school life and enjoy a much deserved rest deep in the most civilized part of our countryside at diOnni estates well suited to pampering her guests. Our chateau is stocked with the tastiest of victuals, steam baths, and a masseuse to ease road-weary muscles, as well as competent staff to cater to your every whim. If you are looking for a bit of distraction, the property possesses manicured gardens as well as a lake teaming with fish, to say nothing of our modest library filled with adventurer's accounts, fairy tales, and compendiums of Krona's most famous plays, tragedy and comedy both, in addition to more scholarly works. So be of good cheer, my friends. Many a happy hour can be spent in pleasant distraction as we plan our next move."
Jacob's soft lips formed into a mischievous, sensual grin. “I can think of any number of vices I would love to indulge in within those steam baths. Do you suppose the masseuse is the open-minded type?”
“Behave!” Malek gently scolded before hushing his lover with a fierce kiss, and Jess smiled at the warmth of the moment, finally feeling her grim preoccupation ease away to cautious optimism.
Raphael, for his part, did his best to regale the lot of them with the most outrageous tales of fortune Jess had ever heard, painting broad strokes of wild excess and utter folly interspersed with clever insights and brilliant wagers that nevertheless managed to keep that nameless trading company serving as the odd hero of the story afloat, despite its many excesses. Jacob looked particularly captivated by the tale, wondering aloud if Raphael was telling tall tales or if, in fact, he was sharing his own trading family’s convoluted history under the guise of fanciful story. Raphael, for his part, simply shook his head and smiled, seemingly pleased just to be able to entertain them all.
Malek alone seemed too preoccupied to chuckle at their companion's tall tales, staring intently at the ebony box he held in his hand, and Jess found herself having to fight off a trance-like stupor as they slowly made their way down the quiet road. "What's that in your hand, Malek?" she asked, as much to make conversation as for anything else.
Malek grinned. “Would you believe I forgot I even had this box? Before I left, as I was packing my things, I saw this and a journal I had tucked away in my writing desk. I suppose it was something I had found in our explorations, and wouldn’t you know it, the journal contains my notes on what happened.” He shook his head in bemusement. “Seems like I was frantic to write a lot of stuff down. Right now I’m still trying to decipher my own scribble! Not an easy task on horseback, let me tell you.”
“Malek, that's wonderful!” Jess enthused. “As far as I can tell, I didn't think to record anything of our first adventure, which is odd, come to think of it.”
Malek chuckled. “Of course it figures that I make a journal so I won’t forget what happened during my grand adventure, only to then forget that I had even made this Journal! Anyway, one of the first things in it was a quick sketch of this box.” He shook it. “I can tell something’s inside it, but I can’t seem to get it to open.” He shrugged. “Anyway, I’m hoping I can make better headway at deciphering my journal when we stop at an inn or such.”
Jess nodded, relieved her shieldbrother had the grace not to comment on her fiercely blushing cheeks. “Excellent! I’m glad you got something out of there as well. I felt almost guilty being the only one of us who made a find,” she admitted, patting her pale blue surcoat.
“And what a find it was, dearest Jess.” Raphael nodded his admiration, all of them well aware that she was referring to the priceless hauberk of mithril mail she wore underneath the outer garment.
Malek just shook his head and smiled. “It’s just a box, Jess. It would be fantastic if whatever is inside it has some value, of course, but for now it remains a mystery. Anyway, from what the bards said, you did most of the killing anyhow, so the spoils are rightfully yours I guess.”
Jess yawned deep, stretching her arms as they plodded onward. “Honestly, I hardly think it counts. It’s like a barely remembered dream, you know? I have a hard time believing it even happened.”
Malek nodded. “I know exactly what you mean. But that ephemeral sense that we caught a glimpse of something wondrous, something incredible, wanting to relish that adventure again, to feel that thrill even if we know we are doomed to forget it, I certainly feel that, don’t you, shieldsister?”
Jess nodded wholeheartedly at the sentiment. “I know exactly what you mean. And this time, I brought my journal as well, so hopefully I can capture the excitement and savor it, and not feel like it's trickling away from me, and I have to go searching for it again.”
Alex favored them both with a concerned gaze. "You guys worry me, you know that? You've already Delved twice that I know of, though our masters seem dead set on keeping the details of your second sojourn secret. Yet Eloquin made it clear enough that the school entire owes you two a debt it will never be able to repay, so I can only guess how harrowing that forgotten adventure was. I know with Delvers, power goes hand in hand with peril, and it sounds to me like you two are already becoming infected with an adventurer's craving."
Malek laughed. "The from the student wizard risking his very life striving to discover and master ancient words of power that serve as the foundation of all magic! Come now, Alex. The risks we take are the price we pay for power and glory, my friend. You can't miss it if you haven't felt it coursing through you. I could tell just by your expression the other day how you reveled in mastering your single True Word, for all that it tore out your teeth with a single miscast shout! Yet it didn't stop you from picking up where you left off just as soon as the Healers Wing fixed you up, am I right?"
Malek gave a bemused shake of his head as Alex visibly blushed. "You of all people should understand how Jess and I feel, Alex. I will freely admit that for all my aspirations I will never be your equal as a mage, and I doubt there are more than a handful of people in all of Erovering who can even begin to walk the path of power you now stride upon. Yet for all that we will never have your gifts, Jess and I have the ability to grasp fierce hold of the realm of dreams and bend it to our will. To overcome its obstacles, and claim its power and glory for ourselves! I will not lie to you, my circle brother. I want to feel that again. That rush, that energy, that connection Jess and I felt, fighting in tandem, that allowed the two of us to take down all our classmates, everyone save Eloquin himself. And how much greater that connection will be in the Dreamrealms. To embrace with Jess, once more, that incredible state of being that I know I had experienced, just from the flow of the words in my journal!”
Jera's look was strangely pitying, Jess thought, even as she gave a s
olemn shake of her head. “I just hope you guys will be okay. I can’t believe the school is pressuring you to do this again!”
Jess and Malek shared a look and smiled. "Don't worry, Jera," Jess soothed, "they didn't force it. We want this! This is adventure, this is excitement, this is freedom from all the world's expectations and demands!" Jess sighed happily. "Just think, if we manage to find this artifact that Rens is all excited about, we'll have a thousand gold crowns to our names. Not our family's assets, but our own, to use as we see fit. Talk about a fortune!"
Alex nodded. “True. And considering the present state of our college, the sooner we obtain that artifact which, when used properly, would protect our school from any and all unwelcome intrusions within the worlds of dream and mundus both, the better off we will all be!”
Jess spared a warm smile for her friends. “First things first. We continue to head straight for Raphael’s chateau, a week or so due south. Then we turn west for Pomell, once our friends are safe and secure. Such a roundabout way should help assure that we avoid running into that Galeck Borson, and whatever forces he’s compelled to serve him.”
Malek gave a considered nod. “Make’s sense, Jess. No doubt he thinks we'll escort Raphael straight to the capital, and even if we can clear his name before we make it to the city, it does us little good if he ambushes us on the way with an unknown number of men enslaved to his will, or just innocent fools believing his forged writs, to say nothing of infernal magics he might have at his disposal.” Malek grinned. “I do think Eloquin would approve. We can make up time lost later, but we can't take back a battle we'd rather avoid, once it starts. Still, it would be best to avoid any inns, though. At least until we are well away from the main route to Pomell and the capital.”
Jess nodded in agreement, the group spending several nights sleeping under the stars with only the forest for cover. Fortunately, trees of all sorts were rather fond of Jess, and her friends remarked more than once how peculiar it was that Jess always seemed to stumble upon perfectly preserved stashes of nuts, and pristine streams of ice cold water with which to clean and refill their canteens. Best of all, Josie had archly observed when teasing Jess about her unique gifts, was how she just happened to stumble upon conveniently located great pines when fatigue began to take its toll on their weary group. Jess couldn't deny that it was certainly a serendipitous occurrence, the undersides of said trees thick with a soft carpet fallen needles under overarching bows, their bodies quickly warming up the insides of their improvised nests to a cozy temperature, with their horses contentedly munching the undergrowth nearby, well out of sight of the main road, their steeds somehow knowing never to stray.
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