“Careful, if you’re waiting for that, it’s going to be an awfully long wait.”
“The longer I get to enjoy your company,” replied Joss with a wink.
Maya sighed and rode forward setting them on course to skirt to the south of the next town. They traveled without incident that day, and Gavin had the presence of mind to shoot a few birds for dinner when they startled out of some rushes. Maya stuffed the birds with herbs and wild mushrooms she started collecting as soon as Gavin killed them and roasted them over the fire. They weren’t enough to fill everyone’s bellies, but they were succulent, and supplemented with bread and dried fruit from their packs, it was a feast.
Joss looked dubiously at their small tent but followed them in with his bedroll, prepared to be cramped. He was pleasantly surprised when he saw how it had been expanded, although he was disappointed when he realized that the tent was segmented off to give the women some privacy.
“Some people don’t like magic, don’t trust magic, and therefore keep a fair distance from magic users. I think I could get used to traveling like this,” Joss said as he pulled off his boots and wiggled his toes.
“You’re a magic user,” said Justin.
“I think the better way to phrase it would be to say that I know a little magic. I don’t know how to do this,” he waved at the tent. “Most of what I know is for survival rather than comfort.”
“Would you like to learn more?” asked Justin, sensing that there was unused potential there.
“Perhaps next time we meet,” said Joss with a shrug.
“Next time?” asked Gavin.
“You may be leaving, but I’m sure you intend to come back. If I’m bored enough, I might track you down. You seem like the type of people who attract interesting scenarios.”
Gavin grinned at him. They lay down and went to sleep.
The rest of their journey was relatively easy. Joss and Maya bantered, while Maya led. Justin worked with Lucy on healing. Unfortunately the best way he knew how to do this was to give himself small cuts and talk her through mending them back together. It gave them something to do in between scanning the area surrounding them. Lucy would never be as good as Justin when it came to healing, but she could do enough minor things to help them get by. Gavin always brought up the rear, watchful and alert, running through weapon drills when he needed something else to do.
They were tired, dirty, and in the mood for a hot meal when they rode up to Taran’s cabin. Taran was repairing his roof but climbed down excitedly when they arrived. He hugged everyone, including Joss. Apparently they had met before. Taran directed them to a bath house and went inside to work on dinner. He had been making a stew for himself so he added a lot more meat, potatoes, carrots, herbs, and broth for his sudden guests. Unfortunately, they could only bathe one at a time so Maya and Lucy went first while Gavin and Justin rubbed down the horses, fed and watered them, and loosed them in Taran’s paddock.
After dinner, they sat outside Taran’s cabin and told him all about their adventures. He was eager for details and asked a lot of questions. He also had questions for Joss about events happening elsewhere. When they started to yawn, Taran sent them off to bed. It felt good to sleep in beds again, and everyone fell asleep quickly, except Lucy. After awhile she gave up and went back outside again. Taran was still where they had left him.
“Couldn’t sleep?” he asked Lucy with a smile.
“Physically tired, but mentally awake.”
“Ahhh, yes, I’ve been there.”
Lucy sat down next to Taran. “I don’t mean to sound rude or overly bold, but I think you know more about all this than you are telling us.”
“That in itself is not a bold or rude statement. Have you anything specific you’d like to address?” Taran seemed more curious than anything else.
“Certainly,” replied Lucy. She held up her left wrist. “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.”
Taran smiled and pulled off the gauntlet she’d never seen him without. He held up his left wrist and there, like a tattoo, was the same pattern that was on Lucy’s.
“When did you figure it out?”
“At dinner, when we were telling our tale, your hand went to your wrist when we got to that part. It made me wonder. Also, Joss has the same tattoo, and you know Joss from somewhere. It occurred to me that perhaps you searched together.”
“Very astute,” acknowledged Taran. “Have you told Justin?”
“No, I wanted to be sure, and it’s not my place to tell. The better question is why haven’t you told Justin?”
“The Lady told me that anything I did to help Justin find his way to Kleth would hinder him with the chance of being fatal. She said that Justin would have people with him who would help him and it was not my fate to be on that journey. By choosing to take that journey without him years ago, it meant I couldn’t take the journey with him later. I could only wait and hope.”
“Will you tell him now?”
“I’m not sure, but sometime I will. He needs to get the Eye to the school and my telling him would involve a long conversation that he doesn’t need to have right now.”
“I’ll let you tell him in your own time.”
“Thank you.”
“I would like to hear about your adventure sometime.”
“Sometime I’d love to tell you, but not tonight.”
“Does this mean that you might be able to go on other journeys with us?” asked Lucy hopefully.
“I might; we’ll have to see. I honestly do like my life here. Why go looking for things when I have what I want right here?”
Lucy nodded, partly in acknowledgement and partially in agreement.
“Think you can sleep now?” asked Taran.
“I think I can try. I’ll have more chances to talk to you.”
“Count on it. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
Lucy went back up to the loft and fell asleep.
Chapter 58
Lucy awoke the next morning ready to get back to the school. She had had a series of interesting adventures, but it was time for a rest in a safe place. Also, it would be pleasant to be properly clean for an extended period of time. Her clothes could use a decent washing, and some of them needed mending. She’d worn through a pair of boots. She wasn’t sure how long it would take her to brush all the tangles out of her hair, which now hung a little past her waist. She dressed quickly and made sure she had all her belongings. Then, she joined the others for breakfast.
It was wonderful to have a hot breakfast. So often, they didn’t have the time or the ingredients. Taran had made pancakes. That along with homemade syrup, fresh sizzling bacon, corn muffins, and fresh (rather than dried) apple slices made it the best breakfast they had had in days. Lucy sat down and quickly grabbed some pancakes. Gavin, with a smile on his face, was eating with wild abandon and Lucy wanted to make sure she got some of the hot food before it was gone. Eventually everyone sat back, full and happy, but each debating if they should eat that last piece of bacon or the final muffin.
They quickly discussed Joss’s plan to spread the word that the Eye had been taken out of the land. A potentially dangerous truth for him to spread, but he assured them he would be fine. Lucy also worried about Taran. Would people show up and try to get through the doorway to go after the Eye? That might put him in danger. Taran assured them that there was adequate protection in place for that sort of possibility though he did not go into detail.
Having nothing more important to discuss, they thanked Taran for the wonderful breakfast. It was time to say goodbye. Lucy didn’t know Taran particularly well, nor had they spend a lot of time together, but she still found it hard to say goodbye. It was pleasant here at his cabin, and she wanted to get to know him better. She hugged him warmly.
“Sure you don’t want to come with us?” she asked, knowing the answer.
“Some other time perhaps. I like it here better, and you’re not the only travelers from the schoo
l that I provide brief lodgings and food for,” he smiled.
She nodded to show she understood then arched an eyebrow at him and let her eyes roll in Justin’s direction, hoping he would understand her unspoken question.
He nodded and answered, “Soon.”
She smiled, hugged him again, and moved on down to say goodbye to Joss. He was jovial, gave her a hug, and promised to see her next time they were in the area. She realized she knew Joss as a person pretty well, but almost nothing about him. How did they travel with him for so long and not even learn what town he was from? Questions for next time. Then she waited by the place in the rock that would take them back to school. She watched as Gavin clasped hands with Joss and Taran. Thanking Joss for his help with the erdette and promising Taran a sparring rematch. Justin and Taran hugged, and Justin promised to come back soon for a longer visit. Then he shook hands with Joss as well. Maya hugged Taran, thanked him for his hospitality, and turned to Joss. Whatever quick goodbye Maya had in mind, Joss’s roguish smile told Lucy she’d better watch out. Before Maya could make a move, Joss grabbed her, dipped her backwards, and kissed her soundly on the lips. He smiled as he put her back on her feet.
“Something to remember me by,” he said with a smile.
Maya stood there at a loss for words. Then she smiled, mumbled something, and joined the rest of the group by the door.
Eric was waiting for them on the other side. Lucy didn’t know if he had somehow communicated with Taran earlier and knew they were coming or if there was a warning that went off every time someone used a doorway to enter the school, or if he simply knew everything.
“Hello,” he said demurely with smiling eyes.
“Hello,” they greeted him back.
“I take it you were successful,” said Eric.
“Yes,” replied Justin.
“Wonderful. I think you should take that to Quinn directly. You have all done well. I think you should clean up, rest, and relax for today. Get more clothes if you need them. It happens to be right before a weekend so you can enjoy that as well. Quinn and I will discuss possible options for what we might like you to do next if you are still willing to participate.”
They nodded their willingness to continue to track down objects for the school.
“Good. However, you must remember, this is a school and while here you are students. On Monday, we expect to see you back in class and at your jobs. I’m sure after some time away from here you have found where some of your education is lacking. Now, you have the chance to correct that. Here are your schedules. Please see me if you have any questions.”
With that he motioned to Justin to follow him, and they walked off. Lucy stood there for a moment unsure of what to do. Besides, after all they went through, that somehow seemed…abrupt? Callous? Too normal? Anticlimactic? She wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but perhaps not that. She thought she would at least finally be able to meet this Quinn person. She shrugged, and the others shrugged with her. They had been thinking similar things.
“Well, I don’t know about you two, but I have plans,” said Maya, and she walked away with purpose.
Lucy had no idea how she could have arranged plans but didn’t care to ask. She shrugged again, and Gavin returned the shrug. She walked back to her room. It was exactly as she had left it. Not that she was expecting it to change, but it seemed odd because she felt that she had changed. For the first time since her arrival, it also seemed very small. First thing she did was send all her clothing to the laundry. Then, she took a long hot shower, using plenty of conditioner. She put on one of the few outfits she had left behind because the skirt and top seemed impractical for traveling and sat barefoot on her bed brushing out her hair. She needed to get some more clothing, she mentally noted.
She wasn’t sure what to do with herself. Most of her time had essentially been planned for her since she arrived. She didn’t even feel like glancing at the schedule Eric had given her. There would be time for that later. Besides, she was sure that he somehow knew precisely where her education was lacking. She wasn’t sure she was ready to go back to classes on Monday, but she wasn’t sure what she would do with herself if she didn’t go back to classes. At least it was something to do. She had gotten used to being busy.
She wasn’t tired enough to sleep. She felt oddly alone. She debated going to visit Ash, but she thought that might be a better idea to do tomorrow. Besides, she couldn’t go riding in what she was wearing. Well, she could if she wanted to try riding sidesaddle, but that was a ridiculous idea. She could put in some extra hours, or make up hours, depending on how you looked at it with Ted. She decided against that as well. She was going to need things like that to help fill her weekend. Right now, she only needed to fill the time before dinner. She didn’t feel like shopping for things she needed. She could do that tomorrow.
Briefly she thought about her family. Had any time passed there yet? She decided she would talk to Eric about that as soon as possible. She was sure he would want to talk to everyone in their group after that adventure. She missed her family. However, she still had no idea what she would tell them about what she had been doing. She was sure Eric would have some ideas about that so there wasn’t much more she could do until she had a conversation with him.
Since she was also going to have to find a way to fill her weekend as well, she decided to see if there was anything interesting to read in the library. She left her hair down and loose, something she hadn’t done for weeks, slipped into some soft slippers, and took the long way down to the library.
Lucy enjoyed hearing the sounds coming from classrooms. Most of the classes were hands on rather than lecture. There were small explosions coming from the potions room, the general hustle and bustle of students moving around to do various tasks, and laughter coming from an Intro to Magic course so anything could have happened there. It was probably something similar to Lucy’s pumpkin fiasco. That felt like a long time ago.
Eventually, her feet led her to the library, and she began to peruse the shelves. She was looking for something that was either interesting and educational or purely for escapist pleasure reading. She decided against 100 Ways to Kill a Man Without Ever Being Suspected. She felt she already knew enough ways to kill a person, and if she was going to have to kill again, she would rather it be in self-defense than cold-blooded murder. The Top Ten Reasons Why I Never Want to Be King was about three inches thick. In Lucy’s opinion, anyone who needed thousands of pages to sum up ten reasons was overly wordy and thus unlikely to be enjoyable. Millions of Plants and Things to Do With Them sounded somewhere between too vague, too tedious, and too much information she was likely to forget. She did a better job learning about plants from Maya.
Lucy could have wandered around reading every title, but it started to feel too much like their search in Kennemt. Lucy decided to limit herself to books in Kinowenn languages. She needed practice, and it would be educational. She left the library with Fairy Tales and Furry Tails, it was always a good idea to know local fairy tales, Erdettes and How to Kill Them, which looked necessary if not recreational, and The Long Lamented Romance of the King Who Was a Very Foolish King and the Unfortunate Fairer than Fair Lady he Courted. Lucy hoped that the author of the last had the sense of humor his title implied. If nothing else, she hoped to gain insights to a land and a culture she planned to be spending a lot of time in. She went back to her room and sat on her bed to read until dinner.
Chapter 59
Dinner, as always at school, came sooner than Lucy expected. She put down her book of fairy tales which was entertaining and disturbing. If they were anything to go by, there was a definite dark and superstitious undertone to some of the Kinowenn regions that she would have to keep in mind. Also, if any of the creatures described were based at all on fact at one time or another, Lucy had more to watch out for than being tracked by an erdette.
Lucy made her way down to the Dining Hall and was suddenly at a loss of what to do. It was like her first d
ay all over again. It felt odd to stand in line for food and to have so many choices. She had gotten used to simple travel fare or eating whatever was being served. She filled her plate with hot food and made sure to grab some chocolate cake for dessert. Then, the question became, where to sit. She thought the others might have friends to sit with and catch up with, but most of her time had been spent with Justin, Gavin, and Maya. She would feel weird sitting with someone else. The only other people she knew well enough to sit with were Darren, Grant, Chloe, and Phillip. She was sure they would welcome her company, but she wasn’t sure she felt like dealing with Darren, especially after her archway experience. So, she made her way to their usual table and decided she could always eat alone.
She hadn’t been sitting their long when the catcalls started. How mature, she thought and continued to eat. They were probably teasing a new student. The calls didn’t subside and in fact increased to the point where Lucy was curious enough to see what or who was attracting such attention. The guys were all catcalling Maya who grinned openly at the attention. It was then that Maya’s plans for the afternoon became clear. Her long blond hair was all gone. Instead, her hair was short and sassy. The longest sections were about an inch. The cut accentuated her bone structure, and she looked fabulous. She walked over to Lucy and winked.
“You look wonderful,” said Lucy.
“Thanks. I decided that if we were going to make a habit of trouncing around the wilderness with the nearest decent bath days away, I was not going to deal with long hair,” replied Maya.
“I can understand the sentiment,” said Lucy, fingering her own hair. “Couldn’t you have done that at any time during the journey?”
“I could have done a decent job, but it was monumentally relaxing after all that travel to go to the salon here and be pampered for the afternoon. Besides letting someone else wash my hair and massage my scalp, I also got a pedicure. Well, I’m starved. I’m going to go find some gorgeous guy and give him the pleasure of staring at me during dinner. You’re ok here on your own?”
The Eye of Elicion: The Kinowenn Chronicles Vol 1 Page 44