Hearthglen

by Daniel Schinhofen

  “They honestly care deeply about you, and have asked us how to proceed, since we are your wives. We told them the only way is through a Life Bond. That is our condition to anyone who would wish to join our family in a more intimate way.”

  “You know I’m not really thrilled with the idea of Life Bonds,” Sean sighed.

  “I know, and I’m sorry, but it’s for the best. You do trust me, right?”

  “With my life.”

  “Thank you, dear. Just trust in what Myna and I are doing.”

  Sean nodded but didn’t say anything more as they had reached the inn. Following the other two into the building, Sean saw that everyone else was already present. Heading over, he watched Ida head for the table where Hans, Derrin, and the other youths he had been teaching all sat.

  “There he is,” Joseph said loudly. “Let’s welcome the man who helped get our children apprenticed to Shapers.”

  All the smiths at the table stood up and applauded him. Sean looked away, only to see all eyes in the inn on him, causing his cheeks to redden a little. “Knock it off,” he grumbled as he got to the table.

  “Told you,” Eva laughed lightly. “For a man who shapes the world around him, he truly dislikes being the center of attention.”

  “Welcome,” Lilly said, getting to the table. “The cooks have been hard at work making a feast of desserts for you. It’ll be out shortly. Can I get you something to drink, sirs and ladies?”

  Lilly got their drink orders, but before she left, she gave Sean a hug that put his head firmly into the overabundant flesh of her chest. “Thank you for taking care of our friend, sir. The others will be by over the next few days.”

  Gasping for air when she let him go, Sean’s face was beet red. The table was laughing at his lost look, and Fiona patted his leg. “I see that Myna was telling me the truth; you’ve been attracting the maids.”

  “It—” Sean started to object but cut off when Fiona claimed his lips with hers.

  When she broke the kiss, Fiona gave him a wink. “Shh now, husband. Men who do great things will always have women who are attracted to them. She’d never accept the conditions for being with you.”

  “Conditions?” Eva asked with a smirk.

  “Life Bonded,” Fiona said loudly enough that Lilly heard her as she came back to the table. “Any woman who wishes to be with Sean will have to Life Bond with him, as Myna and I have. I dare say that not many would accept that easily.”

  “I would say not,” Eva said. “Though I wouldn’t be surprised if a few close to him did.” Her eyes flickered briefly to Ryann, then away.

  “Your drinks,” Lilly said, placing them down. Serving Sean last, Lilly touched Sean’s shoulder lightly, “Sir, is what your wife said true?”

  Sean paused, then nodded, “Yes. I won’t accept everyone who asks, but I won’t marry or accept a relationship with anyone who isn’t Life Bonded.”

  Lilly’s lips dipped a little, her eyes glancing to the band on her wrist. “I see. The food will be right out.”

  “So, who apprenticed to who?” Sean asked, cutting off any further conversation along the previous line.

  “I’ve taken Hans Tackett under my wing,” Fredrick said.

  “I was glad to welcome Derrin Werrick,” Eva said. “I am surprised at how far along he is.”

  “Jerad Knox has agreed to apprentice to me, and be betrothed to my niece,” Ryan Watercaller said. “My brother is quite happy.”

  “I’ve taken both Maddox and Jeno as apprentices,” Italice commented.

  “That means I have no students left,” Sean chuckled.

  Avery and Callon began to speak up and Sean held up his hand to stop them. “I’ll come over tomorrow and we can talk.”

  “About our Agreement?” Joseph said, the other smiths all nodding.

  “I hereby agree to dissolve the Agreement between me and any smith whose child is now apprenticed,” Sean said.

  The five smiths whose sons had been apprenticed today agreed to dissolve the previous Agreement with Sean, and an unseen weight lifted from his shoulders.

  “The food,” Lilly said, coming to the table followed by four Moonbound, all of which had rabbit ears. “If you need anything else, don’t hesitate to ask.”

  Chapter Thirty-four

  Myna murmured sleepily as Sean got out of bed. Waiting a second, her sounds turned back into happy purrs when she pulled his pillow into her face. Stifling his chuckle, Sean quickly dressed and left the room, the satchel of gems over his shoulder.

  Swinging by the kitchen, Sean noticed Andrea pouring herself some hot water from the new kettle. “I was hoping to get a cup for myself, as well,” he said once she set the pot down.

  She let out a small gasp and braced against the counter. “You gave me a start again, sir.”

  “I thought I might, which is why I waited for you to put the kettle down,” Sean said. “You are making tea, right?”

  “Yes,” Andrea said, picking up the mug she had filled. “You can take this one; I’ll pour myself some more once my heart stops racing.”

  Sean took the mug from her, seeing the tea-ball at the bottom of the cup. “Black, and steeping nicely. Thank you.”

  “I’ll get used to having you up in the morning about the time you stop, I don’t doubt,” Andrea replied as she took another mug from a cabinet. “I prefer black first thing in the morning. I know you like it with breakfast, yourself.”

  “Only because coffee doesn’t exist here,” Sean sighed.

  “What was that word?” Andrea asked.

  “Coffee?”

  “Yes, that one,” Andrea nodded.

  “It’s a type of plant seed from my old world that looks like a bean. It was ground into a powder then mixed with hot water to make a very bitter drink.”

  “You like bitter drinks?”

  “Just coffee. It’s high in caffeine, a type of chemical that stimulates the body to help people wake up faster.”

  “Oh. I think the nobles have something like that.”

  Sean rolled his eyes, “Figures they would. Thanks for the tea. I’ll bring the mug up when breakfast is ready.”

  “As you wish, sir… Um, would you have a preference this morning? We should be getting our egg delivery in a few minutes.”

  “You can make a scrambled mess, mix in whatever you think will be good. Maybe serve it with some bread and cheese?”

  “I’ll handle it, sir,” Andrea smiled. “Also, let me say thank you. When I agreed to take this position, I did so because I felt an obligation to you for saving me from those men. Now I laugh at how simple my thinking was. I’m truly honored to have been selected as your maid.”

  Sean gave her a strained smile, “You’re welcome. I keep being told how different what I do is, but to me, it’s just what feels right.”

  “The fact you think what you do is right is just another reason to be grateful, sir. For a tenth of what you freely give us, many would have us Bonded for years, and have demanded other… attentions... from us.”

  Sean’s lips pulled back in disgust. “Those kinds of guys should die in a fire.”

  “It is just the way the world works, sir. Not all do that, to be sure, but the more powerful the person, normally the worse they are about demanding things in return.”

  “Yeah, I had a hard enough time accepting the love from Myna and Fiona. I would never try to coerce others into bed.” Backing away, Sean lifted his cup, “Thanks for the tea. I’ll see you at breakfast.” Quickly leaving the room before Andrea could continue the conversation, Sean headed for the backdoor.

  Settling in on one of the benches in the bathroom and putting the gems beside him along with a couple bars of copper, Sean let out a deep breath. Taking a sip from the still hot tea, he picked up one of the bars of copper and began to Shape another kettle. He was fairly certain that even this iteration would sell to places like the Oaken Glen.

  Not having to keep a kettle on the stove would free up more space. All it wou
ld take is a person with energy to make it work. The inns and maybe some well-off merchants should want it for status, if nothing else. Maybe bring one with me tonight and gift it to the Dame... that should absolve any debt.

  Taking another sip of his tea, he put it to the side when the kettle was fully formed. He made the lid and split rune, then made another kettle. Taking another drink of the cooling tea, Sean pulled the satchel of gems into his lap.

  Going through what was inside, Sean pulled out the smallest gemstones of each kind and the largest chunk of amber. Starting with the amber, he pushed energy into it, surprised at how readily the gem seemed to accept it. Once it felt full, he moved onto a pearl. Filling each, he noted how much each piece took, chuckling when he finished.

  The Mohs scale? Funny that the amount of energy you can stuff into them seems to correlate to that. Though I did notice that the ones with fewer flaws did seem to take more. Let’s see what the amber can do for the kettle.

  Picking up the amber chip, Sean positioned it on the middle of the lid and Shaped it in place. Once it was ready, Sean took a deep breath and locked the lid. The moment of tension stretched out, but when nothing happened, Sean let out a frustrated sigh.

  “Fuck, guess it’s going to be harder than I had hoped,” Sean grumbled.

  “That’s life, though, isn’t it, dear?” Fiona said from the doorway.

  “Breakfast?”

  “Aye. Let me help you gather your things.”

  “Thanks.”

  Settling into the sitting room with the gems and kettles, Sean sighed. Breakfast was good, he complimented Andrea a couple of times. I’m supposed to head over to speak to Avery and Callon today. I’ll do that in a couple of hours.

  Blinking when the door opened, Sean saw Ryann staring at him. “What?”

  “You’re going to speak with Avery and Callon, aren’t you?”

  “Yeah,” Sean replied as he put the kettle on the table. “Is it already noon?”

  “Yes. Myna told me to remind you. She figured you were likely to get lost in your research.”

  “I did,” Sean admitted while he put the gems away. “I’m not having any luck getting the gems and the rune to work together like I think they should.”

  “Fiona sent word that she has gotten more lumber to improve the bathhouse.”

  “I wonder who sent it,” Sean said, stretching. “We’ll figure it out later. Let’s go.”

  Stepping into the front room of the shop, Sean found another Moonbound speaking with Chastity. “Afternoon, ladies.”

  Chastity gave him a bright smile while the Moonbound ducked her head. “Afternoon, sir,” the Moonbound said softly.

  “Everyone is equal here. No need to be subservient,” Sean said as he walked past her. “Chastity can Shape you anything you wish, better than many in the city.”

  Glancing up, the Moonbound saw Chastity blushing and shot Sean a quick glance. “My sister said you were different, and all the maids say so, as well. Thank you for welcoming me into your shop, sir.”

  “You’re welcome, and please let the others know it’s the truth. Chastity, I’m heading over to Avery’s and Callon’s if anyone needs me.”

  “I understand,” Chastity said, her blush fading.

  Sean sighed as he started down the road. Ryann fell into step beside him, her eyes moving from person to person, assessing threats.

  “Problem, Sean?”

  “No,” Sean said. “Just getting used to everything still,” he added softly.

  “I understand,” Ryann nodded. “I never thought I’d be happy to be under Bond again. Not after Oriv Bonded me, that is. Since I met you, I’ve been happier than I ever have since I reached my majority. It makes me wonder about the year ending... scares me a little, actually.”

  “That’s still a long time off,” Sean said, placing his hand on her shoulder. “I’m sure everything will work out in the end. I’ve had no complaints about you being with us, so you’ll have the option to extend the Bond when the time comes.”

  “Thank you,” Ryann said, her eyes locking briefly onto a nondescript man until he crossed the street away from them. “I’m just letting my fears get the better of me. I know you’re not Oriv, but…”

  “I get it, Ry, I truly do. I have my own issues with accepting things. I’ve decided to accept what comes. I need to embrace the idea that this life is different and wonderful, and not stay stuck in my old ways.”

  “Maybe I should, too,” Ryann murmured.

  “This is the place,” Sean said, tapping her shoulder. “I don’t think this will take long.”

  ~ * ~ * ~

  Sean was right, and making Agreements with both families did not take very long. Heading home afterward, Sean rolled his shoulders. Both sons had been Bonded for four tendays, though their fathers had been leery of the short Bond periods until Sean reminded them that his other students had all been apprenticed to other Shapers after just one or two tendays as his students.

  “It will be good to work on pipes again,” Ryann said as they walked home.

  “I’m glad that both of them are working on finishing the pipes. We’ll need to improve them and rune them, but that still makes it less intensive for us.”

  “You think this will really work?” Ryann asked.

  “If I can get the damned enchantment to work, it’ll revolutionize the way bathing happens,” Sean chuckled darkly. “Denmur is going to hate me, and I find that I like that idea a little more each day.”

  “How is the research coming?” Ryann asked.

  Sean sighed, “Badly. I’ll figure it out, even if it takes me a few days or tendays.”

  “I have faith in you,” Ryann said. “Umm…” Dropping her voice, she moved a little closer to Sean, “Last night after praying to Morrigan, I had a dream. Does that happen to you?”

  “A dream of Morrigan?” Sean asked back.

  “Yes.”

  “Once or twice. What did she say?”

  “Just that she was glad that I had faith in her, and to keep you safe.”

  “Sounds like her, alright,” Sean replied. “We need to stop by the guild on the way back so I can patent the kettles, not that I think anyone can duplicate them.”

  ~ * ~ * ~

  Sean felt his frustration wash out of him as the hot water flowed over him. All day and he still hadn’t figured out how to get the gem to integrate with the rune. His frustration had carried over to sparring, and he had paid for his lack of focus with a couple of bruises.

  “Master,” Myna said from beside him, “what’s the matter?”

  “I thought I could get it to work, and it’s still not,” Sean sighed. “I’m frustrated. I’d gotten used to not failing.” Turning the water off, Sean grabbed the bar of soap and began to scrub up.

  “You are trying,” Andrea said from where she was scrubbing their clothing. “We all believe in you. You’ll get it to work, sir.”

  Sean dropped his head, muttering under his breath, “No pressure, right?”

  “None at all,” Myna said as she stepped behind him and began to scrub his back. “Now stay still, I’m going to get your back and then you can get mine.”

  “That isn’t a bad idea,” Fiona said from where she was soaking in a tub. “Maybe we should introduce a rule, get each other’s backs under the showers. Last one to shower does Andrea, too.”

  A prickling sensation ran along Sean’s spine as he felt six pairs of eyes staring at him. “Err…”

  “Sir,” Ven said from near the washtub, “do you think you could make a smaller shower and tub for Venn and I?”

  Looking over at the sexless figure, Sean nodded. “I’ll do it tomorrow morning, Ven.” They both look like dolls... no hint of gender at all, Sean thought as he went back to scrubbing his front.

  “Done with the laundry,” Andrea said with a happy sigh, pulling the last shirt from the tub and hanging it up.

  “I’m done cleaning your back, Master,” Myna purred in his ear. “Go claim a
tub. I’ll scrub Andrea down this time.”

  Touching the pipe to summon more water, Sean’s cheeks heated slightly as he pushed the image of Myna scrubbing Andrea from his mind. Once the soap was sluiced from him, Sean went to one of the tubs and began to fill it with hot water. I’ll act on it; just give me a chance to accept it a bit more first. I’m afraid it will lead to people being hurt more than anything, Sean thought as he finally climbed in.