A Coursing Passage (A Life of Magic Book 3)

by Matthew Mitchell

  "Why hello you two!" Mort called out. "I was just on my way to your campsite. Shall we walk together?" He continued walking slowly, allowing the four goats to look around as they followed him. Occasionally a goat would ask a question and Mort would answer. Much like a father answers a child asking questions about the world around them. We finally entered our campsite, Mort pulled a large set of leather and metal from a massive sack that he had been carrying. He pulled it out and straightened it up. It ended up being the pulling harness needed to hook the goats to the wagon. While working he gave brief comments to each goat. He eventually hooked up the goats and showed us how the harness worked. "Make sure to always check with them about how it feels. It might look perfect to you, however you are not pulling this wagon." He unhooked the goats and led them off to the side. He then showed us that there was a chest located under the wagon for the harness. Coming back to the fire he sat down and proceeded to tell us about how to handle goats as opposed to donkeys. "A treat is always nice. Also talk to them while you are working around or with them. It makes them feel better."

  Stain asked, "What about food for them?"

  Mort smiled widely, "They will eat on the road most times. The rest of the time just a hay and some treats. They survive pretty well. They will need slightly more water than your friend the turtle." He looked around, "I heard you had a little excitement after leaving my place last night." He paused , "Any ideas who might have done it?"

  Stain replied, "Not yet, however I think we will after Tulip returns."

  Mort nodded, "Mind if I stay until she appears?"

  Raven responded, "Please, we would enjoy it very much."

  Mort grinned broadly and soon was sharing tales about goats that had us laughing at their antics.

  ***

  "Well, I know a bit more. However, I think I mainly just have more questions." Tulip sat down by the fire. She looked very frustrated.

  "What happened?" Stain handed her a drink.

  She took a long gulp of juice and sat there a moment. "Evidently there is some opposition to my being the vine for Raven and Ott. Most of them just feel that it is an unwise idea. There are some who feel neither should be in grafted Some are just unsettled. But all claim that not anyone of the people could have done such a horrid act." She looked disgusted at this.

  Raven sat back, "All people are capable of horrid acts, they just need the right push." You could tell by her expression she knew from experience.

  I sat beside her and put my arm around her shoulders. "It will be okay. We just need to be more careful."

  Stain leaned forward, "Any ideas about what we need to keep an eye out for?" He addressed this to Tulip.

  Tulip threw her hands up, "Just more of the same. That is all I can tell you." She huffed to herself. "People are stupid."

  Ruth sat down and grinned, "You are just realizing this fact?"

  Tulip threw a wad of leaves at Ruth, "No, I am just amazed that even the smartest people have such tragic moments of stupidity."

  Robert walked up and nodded, "We have noticed this also. It is sad." He sat down. "On a different note, my task has borne fruit. There will be a few craftsmen coming to work on the wagon over the next few days. Windows, storage, and the stove will all be installed tomorrow. They will want to ask you questions about details before they get started, however, once they know what you want they will work quickly."

  Amelia walked up, dusty and tired. Yet she looked pleased with herself. "I have food. Also there will be deliveries for the wagon in three days time. I figured by then most of the storage construction will be complete." She dropped down beside Robert. "I am tired." She handed over a large basket. Opening it up we discovered it was full of excellent cheeses, meats, and pickled produce. We passed this all around and ate quietly. Everyone taking time to think on the next thing that needed to be done.

  "The painting needs to be done the day after tomorrow. Most of the main changes to the structure of the wagon will be complete. Painting before then means having to go back and fix anything that was messed up." Amelia grinned. "What colors are you two doing for the outside of the wagon? And will there be a design?"

  Raven smiled, "We discussed a purple background with green vines and leaves."

  Amelia looked thoughtful for a moment and then smiled, "I will have to check, but I believe that is a unique design. It should be allowed. What about the inside?"

  I smiled at this one, "I was thinking about what if we painted the inside ceiling like a bright sunny day with some clouds. Maybe make the lower surfaces look like grass and rocks?"

  Amelia's eye's sparkled at this. "I know who we need to do the painting. I will find her tomorrow. She will be delighted to do something more creative."

  Raven nodded, "I think that would be best. My painting ability is limited to putting one color on one wall. I like the cloudy sky idea."

  "One of the craftsman will be bringing some different stoves and heaters around for you to pick out. Most vent out the same way, but he wants you to pick which one to use. They all have their positives and negatives." Robert stated this calmly. "I would suggest you listen well and then discuss it at length. The wrong one could destroy your wagon or make cooking on it impossible due to the heat it puts out."

  I nodded, "I guess the next week or so will be a lot of decisions."

  Raven poked me in the side, "But of course. We have to get this right." She grinned and I knew she teased me.

  "What about the rest of today?" I asked Stain. "What do we need to do?"

  Stain smiled, "I believe that we are going to finish putting our camp back together and then putting a few protections around it. Also you need to make those masking amulets for us three."

  Tulip nodded and pulled out a sheet of paper, "Here is the spell."

  Stain took the paper, pulled out another sheet, and laid it on the first. A small wisp of magic curled around the paper and the blank sheet copied the spell. He handed me a copy and looked at his. "This is easy enough. It just requires an amulet for each of us." He looked up, "Robert, could you provide such a thing?"

  Robert nodded, "Tulip mentioned the need for that. I have three set aside, one with a purple gem, another with a green gem, the final one holds a black stone."

  Stain nodded, "Those should be fine. Ott will enchant them for us, otherwise they might not work against all magics and mages, especially Raven's."

  Robert grinned, "I will go get the amulets." He stood up and pulled Amelia to her feet. They walked arm in arm from the camp and off to Robert's campsite.

  Ruth watched them go, "They have been working hard, it is nice to pull them away from all of that and let them help others."

  Tulip grinned, "They are a good pair of kids. You should be proud."

  Grinning broadly Ruth replied, "Well of course I am proud."

  "When we are ready for the protections to be laid should I get you two ladies?" Stain posed this question.

  Tulip nodded, "I am going to go take a nap for a bit of time. Wake me when you are ready." She stood and went to her wagon.

  Ruth stood also, "I have a few things to do, then I will come back and help where I can." She followed the same path out of the campsite as Robert and Amelia did earlier.

  Stain looked over at Raven and me. "Let us work on the rest of this gear, perhaps we can salvage some of it." He pulled more stuff from a pile and worked on it. Once it was fixed or he established it was beyond repair he put it in the right pile. We spent the rest of afternoon working our way through all the broken items. When we were done Stain stood and stretched. "Robert should be back before too long. Work on it with him and get the spell enchanted correctly. Ruth, Tulip, and myself will be putting protections up around the campsite." He headed to his tent. "I will be out in a few moments, if Ruth shows up slightly early."

  We sat there for a little while longer before Robert showed up with three pouches. "There you two are, shall we do this minor work?" He sat down and handed the amulets to me. "You w
ill have to cast two spells on the stone. One to provide a small amount of magic to power the other spell. The second spell is the one that hides your skills from others." He pointed to the spell paper, "It is actually a simple set of spells. I brought a few old amulets for you to practice on. I can always sell these, even if it is not perfect." He pulled out an old bag full of amulets of all shapes and sizes, however none were as beautiful as those for us.

  Raven stood up, "I will be back in a bit. Since I am not directly involved I might as well do something productive." She pulled out some of her knives and set down a little bit a ways and started to sharpen and oil them.

  I grinned and then turned my attention to the amulets and spells. Robert was right, the spells were fairly simple, yet they had the ability to become very dangerous very quickly. "Shall we get started?" I asked him as I picked up one of the practice amulets.

  ***

  "Very well done!" Stain exclaimed as I walked up on him. "I would never know you possessed magic."

  I smiled and ducked my head at his praise. "The spells were simple enough. It was getting them to work together and in a reliable manner that was difficult."

  Robert grinned, "He only destroyed a few cheap amulets. I will have a few to sell also. So a good day of enchanting." He took the pouch of enchanted amulets he kept for himself and walked out of the campsite.

  Ruth watched him go and smiled gently, "He is a good man. My girl is lucky."

  Tulip poked Ruth, "You are right." She turned to Stain, "I think we have done all we might be able to reasonably do." She looked around and nodded, "This will provide both a deterrent and a warning." She walked back into the campsite and I could hear her wagon door open.

  "What all did you three do?" I asked Stain as Ruth wondered back to the fire.

  Stain grinned. It was that grin that meant he was about to teach me something, "Look around and see if you might tell what we did. I will answer your questions later, after you look and bring your observations back to me." He followed the same path as Ruth and Tulip, settling in at the fire. He took a large drink and started talking to Raven.

  I looked around and realized that whatever protections had been laid would require mage sight. Focusing I allowed my mage sight to flood into my vision. The world became a haze of magic, some so strong it stood out like beams of sunlight in a darkened forest. I spent some time looking closely until I had a good idea of what all the traps, snares, and warning spells might do. It was a complex labyrinth of spells that would catch or trip up anyone who wished harm to those inside the campsite. It would also send out a large sound. The sound would draw attention to any that might choose to cross into the campsite in the wrong manner. I took a little more time to look at the complex puzzle of spells. No single spell would prevent a recurrence of the damage done, however the hope was that by having such a system someone would have to be very desperate or crazy to broach the defenses. I headed back to the fire and sat down.

  "So, did you figure it out?" Stain grinned.

  "Just the overall idea. It is very complex." I stated this as I grabbed a piece of fruit.

  Stain nodded and grinned, "Both ladies are exquisite workers of magic."

  Raven grinned at the tone of Stain's voice. "It sounds as if you might enjoy working with them again."

  Stain looked at her with a wry look, "But of course. They are both very experienced mages." Seeing the sneaky look on Raven's face he grinned. "It does not hurt that both women are attractive and pleasant company either."

  Raven giggled gently, "I bet that is nice."

  Stain laughed, "It is. I would much rather work magic with a beautiful woman than with an old goat of a man, especially if she is a better mage than he might be. Which both Ruth and Tulip are better than many."

  I just grinned. I enjoyed watching Stain and Raven talk. Many times it reminded me of when I spent time with my father, sitting at a fire and talking about the day. I worked on getting dinner ready, as it was my turn to cook. Working quietly allowed me to think and to listen to everyone talk. Raven and Stain talked the most but I could occasionally hear Tulip talk to herself as she worked in her wagon. It occasionally rocked as she moved something heavy around. At moments of quiet I could even hear others from outside our campsite making noise. The sound of families and animals drifted on the wind, never enough to know what was being said but enough to know that people were there. It was a nice sound to hear.

  "So, is food ready?" Tulip asked, she was leaning out her wagon door.

  "Almost. I just have to add a few last seasoning's and it will be ready." I picked up my powdered herbs and shook a few into the pot. It bubbled and smelled delicious.

  "Should be get Ruth and the other two?" Raven stood up.

  Tulip stepped down from her wagon, "Ruth will most likely be here in a moment. As for the other two, they will be eating with Robert's family tonight." She grinned broadly, "They do not approve of me, in general. So Robert try's to keep the peace by making sure to spend equal time with them as he does with Ruth and myself."

  Ruth walked up about that time. "They are a bunch of snobs is what it is. Just because they think they are special does not make it so." She pulled her skirt aside and sat on a log. "Bunch of annoying people, the lot of them. The only good thing is they do try to be good people and did a good job of raising Robert."

  I smiled and handed out bowls of the stew. Each person took a bowl and a piece of bread. I handed Mophar a bowl of fruit and made sure that Pat had his bowl of food also. Sitting down I sighed.

  Everyone suddenly looked at me and grinned.

  "What?" I looked around and realized they had stopped eating and were all staring at me with bemused expressions on their faces. "Is there something on my face?"

  Stain grinned, "That is one of the most contented sighs I have ever had the pleasure of hearing."

  Tulip nodded, "I would say you are happy with the world at this very moment." Ruth grinned and nodded as she started eating again.

  Raven put her hand on my shoulder, "Happy tonight?"

  I nodded and covered her hand, "We are sitting here, safe and protected. We have enemies but for now we are safe. There are things to do, but nothing that has to be done right now. Everyone is busy but spending time with those they care about. We have good food and friendship. Tomorrow we start work on an amazing new wagon that will protect us and be a home for us for many years to come. Things will get busy and we have a long journey ahead of us but we are heading towards our destination with resources and friends. We could be fighting for our lives, having to struggle with no supplies, or even captured. So yes, very happy."

  Stain nodded, "You have the right of it. Let us enjoy our moments of peace while we can." He looked around, "Now I feel like we need music."

  Ruth grinned, "I will be right back. We need to introduce your group to a few more people." She stood up and headed out of the campsite.

  Tulip smiled, "It has been a while since I enjoyed good music. I never had the ability but I do love a beautiful song."

  "I learned when I was younger. My master felt it was a good idea to develop a wide range of skills, if for no other reason than to understand the work that others put into their craft." Stain grimaced. "Some trades I would have rather avoided being exposed to at any time."

  Now I was curious, "What trades?"

  Stain frowned, "Tanning was one I never practiced again. Too many nasty things used. I disliked it and anything involving animal parts. Being a butcher is very hard also. The worst one was being a public scribe. The things people need written down is so very boring." He shuddered and shook his head, "I would rather heal a thousand warriors than sit through another day of writing letters for people. I was bored to tears. The letters had to be done, no harm in that. I just can not sit there and do it. I respect those who have the patience to do so."

  Tulip smiled, "I also dislike any kind of work like that. Having to write for long periods of time is a chore. I would much rather work with my n
eedle all day long than write."

  Raven grinned, "It is good to know there are things you dislike doing. It makes you seem more normal."

  Stain laughed heartily, "My girl, I am far from normal. But thank you. I understand what you mean."

  Ruth walked into the campsite about that time, "I found them. I had to bribe them, but they came." She was followed by a small group of people, all carrying musical instruments. Some I recognized, others were strange to behold. "You will enjoy this." She stated with feeling as she sat back down.

  The group formed up on the far side of the fire. They even carried stools that folded up, which they used to get comfortable. After shuffling around and adjusting their instruments a man, who seemed to be the leader, made some introductions. "We are the Jovial Banshees. Thank you for inviting us to your fire and allowing us to entertain you tonight. Please enjoy our performance." He turned and made a few motions. The players started to play, a haunting melody that seemed to come alive. The music played a moment before one of the players started to sing along. The song was about a long lost land, the yearning for a place to rest, and a heartbreak. Tulip shed a few gentle tears after the song.

  "That was beautiful." She commented into the silence. The leader of the group nodded his thanks as they started playing a more energetic song. This one danced and jumped. A different player took up the singing and sang of a wondrous time. This continued far into the night. Different people singing, taking turns or even singing in a chorus. Finally they set their instruments aside, some tucking them into cases. They moved closer to the fire and sat down. The leader nodded at Stain and Tulip.

  "Again we thank you for inviting us to your fire. It has been an honor to play for you." He smiled as he stated this.

  Stain handed out drinks, "It has been our honor. I have not heard playing like that in many years."