by P. G. Thomas
“Earth Mother’s arguments are strong,” began Brook, “If we have to stand alone against the invasion, we will not stand any chance.”
“Or I can issue an Earth Bond, having a hundred elves report here for duty as Earth Scouts,” advised Lauren.
“Now, Earth Mother, please calm down.” Arora continued, “We shall send Earth Guards into the shantytown to look for elves that are without forests. We will see if they would like to join these Earth Scout like you call them. There shall be issues with compensation, as they will require mounts, coin for food, and such.”
“Alron, can we afford to pay for some scouts?”
“Yes, I think we can afford ten, which will be sufficient to start. We shall secure mounts and provide each a small stipend. If they do well, we shall give them a bonus of some kind. It shall most likely take months before we will start to see results from this, so we have some time as much can change.”
“Alron, did you bring the map of the west that you purchased?”
“Yes.”
“Bring it out, and let’s have a look at it. The dwarves can mark on it where their mines are. Maybe we can spot some prime locations for elves. At least we can get an idea how large the area is.”
Pulling out a map, it was two feet square, “We are here,” and he pointed to a large dot. On the map, the distance from the town to the mountain range was six inches, or a day’s travel, and a week to the other side of the range. The entire map only covered about four days travel. A road paralleled the mountains, and on the bottom and top of the map were directions, advising how far it was to the nearest towns.
“We’re going to need a bigger map,” advised Lauren.
*******
Zack spent the night on the ground in wolf form, as sleeping in trees provided little comfort. Even though he was able to get relatively close to the mayor’s camp, their conversation failed to provide any details on what they were doing, and in the morning, they took to the road early. Other than a few rabbits, it was a boring day.
*******
Mirtza, John, and Gayne had gone through all of the shops but had little luck. John did find one piece of green crystal, which he asked Gayne to purchase, promising to pay him back the following day. Returning to the house with it, John had Mirtza write a message on a white piece of paper with red ink. After checking to make sure the two elements were interacting correctly, John had Gaye look through the crystal to see what was written on the paper.
“What does it say?”
“I am unsure. I doubt if he even wrote anything down.”
“Look at the piece of paper without the crystal now.”
Lowering the green glass, Gayne saw the two words: red ink.
John saw the look on Gayne’s face, “That’s what I meant. The wavelength of the light that passes through the green crystal is shorter, so it can’t see the red ink, which technically has a higher frequency. We need to find more crystals, in different colors and thickness. With them, we’ll be able to see that which we cannot see.”
“Never would I have believed you. I thought you were mad.” He looked at the paper through the crystal again. “If you could find the right ink and crystal combination, you could send secret messages, and none would be able to read them. It would be like writing with magic ink.”
“I have some other stuff to work out,” advised John, “Can you and Mirtza scour the stores and markets to see if you can find crystals tomorrow?”
Gayne shook his head, “No, but I have twelve students eager for a new assignment. Like I said, we started the school for free labor.”
Mirtza walked to the door, shaking his head.
*******
It was the following day when Zack took to the ground when the last sun set. The mayors had pulled over to the side of the road to make camp. IT no like. (“Closer, I need to hear them”). IT want hunt. (“Later or tomorrow”) IT bored. IT not like. (“Just wait but get closer.”) An hour after sundown, they heard the sound of horses approaching in the dark. Watching, four black-clad soldiers approach the campfire. While they were close enough to hear, they were unable to see who spoke.
“What news do you bring?”
“The girl is an Earth Mother.”
“So.”
“The other Earth Mothers came to her defense.”
“And the Earth Daughter?”
“Yes.”
“As did the elves.”
“And the dwarves.”
“So? Arrest her. Arrest them all.”
“She issued an Earth Bond.”
“No one will arrest or harm her.”
“What?”
“It is an ancient gift from these lands.”
“It has powers over the people.”
“And us.”
“So you are helpless?”
“They will not be pleased with the news.”
“No, they will be greatly disappointed in your efforts.”
“We never knew.”
“You should have known. That is part of your payment.”
“How many were there?”
“She has five or so friends with her.”
“Over a dozen dwarves proclaimed her Earth Mother.”
“Are there still only four Earth Mothers in town?”
“Yes.”
“You should have acted after the first night.”
“You are weak.”
“We did not know, we thought her a child.”
“And now instead of one, there are sixty.”
“Incompetence!”
“Before we had a bug to squash, but now we have a hive.”
“What are you going to do?”
“We can do nothing.”
“The bond prevents us from taking any action.”
“Not all.”
“I do not know. We never talked about any plans.”
“We came here to advise you and to... to... to ….”
“We pay for information, not for failure.”
“We provided you information.”
“You should have brought her head as you were told.”
“Your purses will remain as empty as your promises tonight.”
“I strongly advise that next week your news is more to our liking, or you will not enjoy the payment you receive.” After one of the black-clad soldiers had slapped one of the mayors, the soldiers took to their horses, heading into the darkness.
(“Now we hunt.”) Exposed white canine teeth would suggest that IT smiled.
*******
It took Zack two days of hard travel to get back to the town. Landing on the roof, he climbed in through the window. After spending the last few nights in the cold forest, he was looking forward to his warm bed.
Alron opened his door, “What news do you bring?”
“Sons of a bi…. Can’t it wait, I’m tired.”
“No, Zack, it cannot wait.”
“Nobody saw me enter, so how did you know?”
“Our defenses are not your issue. Get dressed and meet me downstairs.”
Sitting at a table, Aaro and Bor were with Alron when Zack appeared at the bottom of the stairs; the dining hall closed, being near the midnight hour. Walking behind the bar, Zack poured himself a large mug of ale, and before he joined the three, drank half of it. “It helps with the hairballs,” and all three grimaced. Whenever somebody started to pull one of Zack’s legs about his abilities, he would describe the varied menu that he experienced on his adventures, and the amount of jests would diminish dramatically. “I followed them for two days. At the end of the second night, they made camp, and four black-clad soldiers joined them. Their guests weren’t happy, as they were supposed to bring Lauren’s head.”
“What?” demanded Alron.
“They didn’t go into details. All I heard was they were supposed to bring her head.”
“Other words, what did you hear?” asked Bor.
“They told them she was an Earth Mother, and the elves and dwarves cam
e to her defense. They told them about an ‘Earth Bond,’ and how they cannot arrest or harm her. They said other stuff, but I couldn’t tell who was asking the questions, or who was answering.”
“This is not good,” added Aaro.
“They know that Lauren doesn’t stand alone,” began Zack, “and that over sixty are willing to stand in front of her.”
“They will attack, Alron,” advised Bor, “Plans we need to make.”
“No, they won’t attack,” replied Zack.
Alron was enraged, “Why? When they hear this news, why will they not attack?”
“Because, Dude, they didn’t live long enough to tell anyone. It had been a long day, and I was hungry. Rabbits weren’t providing much sport, so we went after bigger.” He took another big drink from his mug, “I don’t know what they feed those guys, but it gives me indigestion, and they smell odd.” After letting out a large belch, he continued, “The mayors also receive payment for the information they pass on.”
The anger was building in Alron, “It is not bad enough that they fleece those here, but they also receive payment from those who invade. I knew they were not good men, but snakes have more pride than the mayors.”
“And they taste better.” Finishing his drink, Zack headed up the stairs.
Going behind the bar, Aaro poured a small pitcher of ale, walking it back over to the table, “I need something to drink. Hair balls, snakes. Mammy of her new son, think, what would she?”
“Like him she would,” suggested Bor, “Her meat log, eat it he would and complain not.”
Aaro drank the last of his ale, “Right brother may be. This news, what do we do?”
“I am sure right now as I need time to think, but we shall not tell Earth Mother right now.”
Hearing the cough, they turned, seeing Lauren.
“Earth Mother, Zack has just returned from his trip. We have just finished our talk with him.”
“What did you not want to tell me?”
“His diet, raw meat and more,” replied Bor.
“Aaro, please go and get Zack. Maybe he can suggest some new dishes that your brother Gor can prepare for us. NOW.”
Zack was nodding off when the door opened.
“Sons of …What now?”
“Earth Mother.”
Zack started to open the window.
“Find you she will. You cannot hide.”
Zack followed Aaro down the hall, knowing if he did not, that Aaro would disappear into his own room.
As they returned to the dining hall, Bor was walking over to the table with another pitcher of ale. Lauren looked at Zack, “I hear you were sharing stories of your gastronomic delights. Since I couldn’t sleep, I would enjoy hearing some bedtime stories also.”
“Lauren, you wouldn’t enjoy them. I just tell them those stories so they’ll leave me alone.”
“Well, then tell me about your activities in between your meals.”
“She will find out sooner or later,” advised Alron.
Zack took a big drink of ale, “It helps with the hairballs. Alron asked me to watch the mayors, and Riblo and Bince left the town four days ago. They met with some black-clad soldiers two nights ago.”
“So they have a night life. What else?”
“They were supposed to bring them a gift: your head.”
“Not an item I would be fond of losing right now but continue.”
“They told them you were an Earth Mother. They also told them of the other Earth Mothers, the elves, the dwarves, and the ‘Earth Bond.’ The soldiers weren’t happy. They brought the mayors a payment but didn’t give it to them.”
“Alron, why would you have Zack spy on the mayors?”
Being tired, Alron needed more time to digest the new information. Even before he said it, he regretted it, “John does say…”
“Bor, could you please go and get John for me? Thank you.”
As Zack finished his mug of ale, Lauren asked, “Of these soldiers? What of them?”
“They took their news to their graves.”
“That seems fair from my perspective.”
When John came down the stairs, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Bor was absent, and Aaro silently cursed.
Lauren looked at him, “John, Zack started a story that started with Alron, and it seems to have started with you.”
He saw the anger in her eyes, “I didn’t start anything.”
“Alron, please continue.”
“Yes, Earth Mother. At the town hall meet, John thought he saw an oddity about Hoyle. He was not sure of what he saw, and he simply mentioned it. I asked Zack to watch the mayors at night. The news he brought back exceeded any that I expected.”
“John, did you tell Alron that you saw an oddity?”
“Yes, but I didn’t know if it meant anything.”
“Okay, should you all enjoy your sleep, I advise that you inform me of these things when the sun is still up. Else, we’ll continue these late night meetings until the sun actually does come up. I cannot afford to be in the dark about anything, considering how much I don’t know, and especially from those who’re supposed to be on my side. I really don’t care how insignificant you think it is. I need to know, and I need to know before anything happens, not after. We’ll discuss this tomorrow with the other Earth Mothers.” With that, Lauren went back upstairs to bed.
John turned around, “What happened to Bor?”
He came down the stairs a few minutes later, “She told me not do that again.”
Chapter 15
The next morning, Lauren took Alron, John, and Zack to the Earth Mothers’ house. While Brook suggested that they spend the day outside, Lauren thought it best to stay indoors. The five Earth Mothers were sitting in the big room while John, Alron, and Zack were standing against the far wall. Even though Arora offered them chairs, she advised against it, “They would prefer to stand. It gives them a chance to think.” She was still upset, as she felt uncomfortable stumbling around in the dark, especially when her own friends were the source of the darkness.
Lauren took a sip of her tea, “You stated in one of our earlier conversations that all of my stories seem to be long, that I don’t know any short ones.” The five Earth Mothers all nodded. She sighed, “You may want to place your lunch orders now. Do you remember when I first told you about the attack on the fort? I told you that I did nothing. That Eric with the sword and my brother caused the destruction. I also may have alluded to our pet. When we came into this world, Zack was gravely hurt. He had been working on a project that involved various patches of fur and other animal skins. In the accident, these items were fused to his body. I believe, when we entered this world, some force attempted to heal him, but when they found dead skins attached to a living skin, it tried to heal everything, not knowing that the furs were foreign to that body. With so many different skins, I think that the healing action became confused, and the magic took over. Instead of healing Zack as a person, the world healed all that it found, leaving the rest for him to figure out. Over time, he has gained the ability to control this talent. Zack, please take off your shirt.”
He looked down to the ground, “Lauren...offfff.” He winced in pain when Alron’s elbow slammed into his ribs, and when he had his breath back, rephrased his question, “Earth Mother, do I have to?”
“Yes, they cannot afford to be kept in the dark either.”
Taking off his shirt, he exposed the furs that had continued to grow. His one arm down to the elbow was now almost entirely snakeskin. Numerous furs now covered the rest of his torso, being impossible to tell where one began, and the other ended.
“Zack, come over here so that they can see you better.”
“Lau—Earth Mother.” He could feel the bruise growing.
“Now!”
After he walked to the middle of the room, Nur was the only one who stood up for a closer inspection, “May I touch?” After nodding, she stroked the furs, the snakeskin, and the two dozen feather
s that protruded from his back. “Does it hurt?”
“Only when I sleep on my back.”
“Zack, please show them your talent.”
He glared at her, “Somebody had better be holding up a blanket when I’m done, Earth Mother!” Losing focus, a large bald eagle replaced his image, which was standing on top of his clothes.
IT not like this. (“I don’t either”)
“The wolf if you would please,” suggested Lauren.
Slowly, the eagle lost focus, and a large timber wolf appeared.
“May I pet him? He is beautiful,” asked Nur.
IT not pet. (“Calm down.”)
“Zack, please introduce yourself to the Earth Mother.”
They turned, staring at Lauren. Not pet. (“Calm down.”) Then they went over to Nur, who was now sitting down. Raising a paw, Nur grasped it.
“May I pet him? Please, Please?”
IT not trick. Upset. (“Be quiet, she’s kind of cute.”) They lowered its head to her lap so that Nur could stroke the deep fur, scratching the large wolf behind its ear. IT like that. (“Oh! That is sweet. Stay boy, stay!”) Not funny.
“Zack, another shape, please.”
After shaking his head from side to side, he then returned it to her lap.
“Please let him stay like this, it is incredible,” begged Nur.
Lauren looked at him with his head in her lap, his tail wagging. Every dog deserves its day. “For now, we can continue the story without him. At the fort, he joined in the fight as a frost bear. He was also responsible for freeing my friends from capture, taking out an entire post of enemy soldiers.”
“Please, Earth Mother,” began Brook, “please, tell me this is your last long story. Please.”
Reaching into her bag, Lauren pulled out a bottle of the spiced cider, handing it to Brook, “No, but this should help for today.”
When Brook rang a bell, a servant entered the room.
“Please bring us glasses and pitcher of water.”
Not right. (“What?”)
While the servant returned a few minutes later, she was hesitant to enter the room with the large beast in it. Brook assured the young lady that the situation was safe, but Zack’s cold wolf stare followed her movements.