Natalya: Wizards of White Haven

by Frances Howitt

  ‘How? I didn’t think an animus could do spells.’

  ‘They can’t initiate but their magic is real and when they’re in human form they’re not using it. Right, where’s Freddie?’

  ‘I must warn him,’ Natalya objected instantly, her gaze turning to him.

  ‘Attached to you as usual,’ Jim muttered. ‘Well that makes things simpler.’ Whilst she hastily told Freddie that Jim had plans for using his magic, Jim explored her spell. He transferred the power from her to Freddie then cut her out of it entirely.

  Freddie gasped at the very strange and essentially physical blow that landed on him, courtesy of Jim. Both he and the stag stumbled, feeling the lurch.

  ‘Is he coping?’ Jim asked her.

  ‘I think so, just.’

  ‘Good, go to the next man and link with him so I can detach you from that one,’ Jim told her.

  Natalya hastily told Dustin what was about to befall him. The link with Jim buzzed at her. She was aware that Jim was mentally calling someone to ask for his horse to be saddled, while he waited for her to get into position with Dustin. Dustin then became responsible for his doe. She knew Jim had already hurried out of the house and down to the stables. He only paused to link each hunter to his doe.

  ‘Jim’s just come through the people gate and is on his way to us,’ Natalya announced. The men had slowed the pace, definitely feeling the strain. At least knowing Jim was on his way was reassuring. Natalya’s strength was almost gone, but she guided Jim to them. She also helped the men as they flagged, or if they let their spell slip and she had to act quickly to reinstate it before the animal woke. Certainly the animals weren’t as far under as before and were thus more troublesome. But the men were able largely to keep hold and control their charge’s wayward steps.

  Jim crested a small hill and stopped. Approaching was a most startling sight, even though he’d been prepared for it. Four men each had their arms around the neck of a large wild deer, one of them a magnificent stag, and were walking with them as though the deer were tame. Few horses would walk as tamely without a bridle. Natalya walked on the other side of the stag to Freddie. She looked like it was only her arm around the animal that was keeping her upright. Jim hastened to meet them and instantly pushed each animal into sleep.

  ‘Thanks for coming Jim,’ Natalya said looking up at him. Her legs had folded along with the stag’s.

  ‘I thought you’d gone out today with the hunters to hunt something? You’re meant to kill these things rather than have them kill you,’ Jim chided. ‘Can I ask why?’

  ‘To start our own breeding herd,’ Freddie responded. ‘They can live wild in the grounds and be a reserve for times of need. We thought it a good idea, but were a little too successful in the numbers we captured.’

  ‘I see. You were planning to bring them all back alive?’

  ‘If it was possible. We thought it’d be easier to have them walk, rather than carry them the whole way,’ Natalya told him.

  ‘Yes, you have a point; they do look heavy,’ Jim conceded. He watched her dig in a pouch at her belt and bring out a sandwich. Her hands shook but she ate unaided. Freddie followed her lead, eating a very similar looking sandwich. The other men ate if they’d remembered to bring something. They all began to look better for the food and rest. But whilst they rested Jim held the animals under the spell alone. He couldn’t give them the full time they needed.

  Jim helped Natalya to her feet. ‘Are you ready to get going again?’

  ‘No, but we need to,’ she conceded. ‘How are we going to do this? You can’t run the whole spell all the way back.’

  ‘You take the horse Natalya. Freddie you go ahead and check the way is clear. Fortunately this spell isn’t a loud one, but if a wizard is nearby he could sense it. Using animus magic to help power it has helped dilute the wizard signature and help spread the load. Men get into position with your deer,’ Jim instructed. He took Natalya’s hand, merged them and let her know how he’d done that. He then set to work with their combined strength setting each man to power the spell on his own deer. Jim took control of the stag, broke physical contact with Natalya and urged her onto his horse. Now both he and Natalya were beside the men they could help power those spells reducing the load.

  Natalya grimly held on, providing her strength where necessary. She was glad she didn’t have to walk; guiding the horse in her weakened state was taxing enough. She glanced back at Jim and realised he was having more difficulty with the stag than she had.

  ‘Why do you think that is?’ Jim asked her, aware of her observation.

  ‘Your eyes have gone yellow as they do when your lion is close to the surface. The stag probably senses your lion and that would of course make him uneasy.’

  ‘He might feel my lion even when I’m in human form?’

  ‘Why not? You’re touching his mind. He will feel the predator in you,’ she explained. She felt Jim make an effort to suppress his lion character. It was difficult, because his lion always came to the fore under duress and these spells were taking a great deal of strength. It surprised her he was so willing to accept her advice, although the stag did become calmer after that.

  It seemed to take forever to reach the walls and finally enter through the People Gate. Freddie closed and bolted the gate behind them. ‘All secure. You can release them now.’

  Jim cancelled the spell with a sweep of his hand. The men stepped back from their deer just as the creatures showed signs of waking. They watched in silence as the tiny herd bolted away across the grass, clearly none the worse for their unusual experience.

  The men however collapsed in the grass. Natalya slipped off the horse to join them. Jim sat with them, sapped of his usual great strength.

  ‘We’d better spread the word that these are not for hunting,’ Freddie said. ‘It’ll be most annoying, after this effort, to find someone’s gone and shot them.’

  ‘Too true. I’ll tell the school if you can spread the word in the village,’ Jim said glancing at each of the men so they would all take responsibility. Natalya had curled in the grass and fallen asleep. He wasn’t surprised she slept only that she had just here and out in the open.

  ‘Thank you for aiding us,’ Freddie said formally.

  ‘Calling me wasn’t her idea, was it?’ Jim asked. ‘She certainly implied that from the outset.’

  ‘It doesn’t matter who the idea came from; she knew I was right that we needed assistance.’

  ‘So she really didn’t want to call me?’ Jim sighed. ‘I’d hoped her call meant she was starting to trust me. Clearly I was wrong.’

  ‘Actually I think you’re right,’ Freddie contradicted. ‘She has spent a lot of time with Cassy. She could have called her instead.’

  ‘Cassy would have struggled with this spell. It was hard enough for me,’ Jim admitted. ‘Your Natalya is very strong, but these hair-brained schemes are going to be her undoing if she’s not more careful. All wizards have their limits and until she learns the boundaries and what is and isn’t possible she may be a danger, not only to herself, but those around her.’

  ‘You mean she needs training?’ Freddie clarified.

  ‘Yes. She’s like a child that’s been given a razor edged sword to play with and is only supervised by other children. Accidents are inevitable and unfortunately you wouldn’t necessarily be able to tell when she was heading for one.’

  ‘I understand,’ Freddie said shortly. ‘I’ll speak with her.’

  Jim nodded, knowing when a subject was closed. ‘Do you have a link with her?’

  ‘No. Why do you ask?’

  ‘You’re no longer broadcasting. In fact you appear to be shielded,’ Jim told him and noted Freddie’s surprise and quick glance to the sleeping woman beside him.

  ‘She’s done that then? She’s not powering a spell on me is she?’ he asked, suddenly worried.

  ‘She’s created it for you but you’re powering it. Don’t worry; it’s only a very small shield, similar
to what we wizards use for mental privacy. That’s very unlikely to sap your strength.’

  ‘That’s a relief to know. So you can’t read my mind?’

  ‘I could but only by breaking your shield. You would certainly know if anyone tried to do that. This kind of shield prevents accidental or casual snooping, as she puts it. Finding one tends to remind a wizard they are trespassing.’ Jim glanced at Dustin and noticed he was watching Freddie idly stroking Natalya’s hair. ‘You’re shielded too!’ Jim exclaimed, then looked more closely at the others. ‘All of you have mental shields. She has been busy! I see what she thinks is a priority. Any idea why she’s done this?’

  ‘On a few occasions wizards have told me my thoughts are sufficiently loud that they don’t need to be searching my mind to hear what I’m thinking,’ Freddie said slowly, whilst thinking it through. ‘She seems to want to protect me,’ he added cheerfully. ‘I suppose that while that wizard is out there and inquisitors as well, giving all of us shields will stop them reading our minds without us knowing. She’s given us a small defence against them.’

  ‘That does sound like her,’ Jim conceded. ‘Anyway I’d better get back to work.’

  They watched him catch his straying horse and canter back up to the school’s stables.

  ‘How is she?’ Dustin asked once Jim had gone.

  ‘Exhausted, but I’m sure she’ll be fine after some decent rest and food,’ he added, glancing at the dead pheasant wistfully. ‘Guess I’m cooking tonight.’

  ‘She’s been cooking for you too?’ Dustin asked with shock. ‘You have a warrior wizard beauty stuck indoors slaving over a hot stove for you? No wonder she wanted to come hunting instead. Don’t you remember she’s not only a big capable wolf, she’s a terrifying tiger and a wizard as well?’

  ‘I know. I suppose she makes it easy for me to forget that bit. She’s so considerate and is always doing things for me. It’s hard not to enjoy being looked after. My problem is that she doesn’t want us to think she’s a burden. She wants to help pay her way and earn her share. She fears we’ll think she’s too much trouble and force her to leave.’

  ‘For pity’s sake Freddie, marry her. You can’t let her slip through your fingers.’

  ‘I’ve no intention of letting that happen, as you well know. But it would be wrong of me to demand such a decision and commitment from her yet. She’s barely been here a fortnight. That’s too soon for any relationship.’

  ‘Are you having doubts then?’ Dustin asked in surprise.

  ‘No. I fell for her from the first moment I met her in human form. I didn’t even know she was a wolf at that point and then our wolves howled together.’ He sighed heavily. ‘She’s a powerful warrior wizard. Any day now she’s going to start her training to be a real wizard. I cannot do spells nor understand wizard magic. She will leave me behind.’

  ‘Freddie?’ Natalya said drowsily. ‘What’s wrong? What’s upset you?’ She was wrapped in his arms, his face buried in her hair. She could feel echoes of strong emotions coming through his shield.

  ‘Nothing’s wrong,’ he assured her, disgusted with himself for waking her. ‘I’m sorry to have disturbed you.’

  Natalya looked around them, wondering what had distressed him. The pack sat peacefully in the grass beside them, all present and unharmed. No-one else was nearby. She got to her feet slowly and took his hand. ‘Are you going to tell me?’

  ‘It’s nothing,’ he said evasively.

  ‘It didn’t feel like nothing. It felt like you were in pain.’

  ‘I was being silly and scaring myself,’ he admitted, ‘over something that might never happen. I’m just letting my fatigue get the better of me. Can you walk? You’ll rest more comfortably at home and if we’re going to enjoy this pheasant any time soon I need to get it prepared for roasting.’

  She let him drop the subject, not having the energy to pursue it. Freddie had said enough however, for her to know he worried about the future. What aspect she didn’t know but she would find out. Right now all she could think of was making it home. The knowledge a soft comfortable bed awaited her and the promise of roasted pheasant later spurred her on.

  The men followed, all exceedingly tired. But they had succeeded in bringing home the core of a new breeding herd and that was a considerable achievement.

  13. Close Ties

  Cassy walked up the lane and saw Natalya on her veranda working on something. ‘Hi Natalya, where’s Freddie?’

  ‘Hunting; I didn’t think I ought to inflict my presence on them two days running. I heard they were complaining up at the school that we’d failed to bring home a kill. They didn’t consider those deer a success, just because we decided not to kill them. They were moaning too that Jim said no-one else could shoot them. Someone told Freddie he should have found something else to put in the meat locker if we were going to do something weird like this!’

  ‘Yes, I heard that. Some people are so blinkered. They fail to see the need to plan for the future,’ Cassy remarked, falling into the chair beside Natalya. ‘Congratulations on them by the way. I think it’s an excellent plan to farm deer. We have the perfect place here for it.’

  ‘I thought so,’ Natalya added glancing across the wide meadow where any number of herbivores would thrive. ‘So, are you finished for the day? It’s early isn’t it?’

  ‘I’ve just got a free lesson. The others are learning something Jim already taught me. It’s nice to have a couple of hours added to the lunch break.’

  ‘What of Drako? Are you meeting him?’ Natalya asked casually but observed Cassy’s gaze turn unseeing, and a small smile cross her face before she returned to the present. ‘You’ve just spoken to him?’

  ‘Yes. He’s grouching now at having to work when I’ve got time off,’ Cassy laughed. ‘How does Freddie feel about you putting your feet up today?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Natalya shrugged. ‘He never says anything.’

  ‘I know he’s short of words sometimes but surely you know how he’s feeling?’

  ‘No, not unless he says or does something to tell me; I don’t pry,’ Natalya added a little defensively.

  ‘I know that, I just thought that since you two seem inseparable and you’re actually living in his house, you’d have established a link with him. You haven’t then?’

  ‘No,’ Natalya responded, rather shocked by Cassy’s surprise that she hadn’t yet done so.

  ‘Doesn’t he want one?’ Cassy asked, fairly sure he would.

  ‘He did mention it, but it was pretty well the first day we met! It wasn’t remotely appropriate to be thinking of,’ Natalya said. She guiltily recalled she’d shut him off at that point, not at all liking the thought a stranger could view her mind at will. Doubtless he remembered her reaction and hadn’t wanted to risk upsetting her again.

  ‘I remember when Jim first mentioned the possibility of linking with someone,’ Cassy said. ‘He likened it to making love. You either trust that one person enough to share your body or you don’t. It’s the same, if not even more important, with your mind. A link is private; no-one else can listen in, if that’s your worry.’

  ‘Freddie and I aren’t lovers. I’ve had some bad experiences. He might not want to be linked with me.’

  ‘You don’t honestly think Freddie is the kind of man to run because you’ve had a difficult life. He isn’t likely to be so easily put off. It’s clear to all of us that he has strong feelings for you.’

  ‘So what made you decide with Drako?’ Natalya asked hastily, diverting Cassy’s train of thought.

  ‘I didn’t plan it. We’d only just met properly that afternoon. I’d been in love with Drako for weeks but only dared approach him the first day I saw him in bear form. His bear is cuddly, warm and approachable. He knew I’d designed his house; well the interior anyway, so he was keen to talk to me. But then we got caught in the side effects of Jim changing into a lion for the first time. He was broadcasting raw power and it affected every woman nearby. I
just couldn’t stop myself cuddling up to the bear, touching his beautiful soft coat. But worse, I ended up talking to him mentally, telling him the kinds of things you don’t put into words; things that are reserved for lovers. Needless to say it was awkward meeting him in human form later that night after the spell had worn off. He didn’t know whether what I’d told him was simply spell induced. I shared his mind to find the truth of his feelings, then hearing his fear of rejection I bade him follow my presence in his mind and his link to me was made. Once we’d done that so early in our acquaintanceship he became exceedingly keen on me. He pursued me, or he would say he courted me, rather single-mindedly.’

  ‘You resisted his advances? Why?’

  ‘He’s an animus leader of a hunted people and an experienced warrior. I’m just a junior and insignificant wizard. There were many reasons to go slowly from then on.’

  ‘Something prompted you to make the link that first night. What was it?’

  ‘He kissed me, seriously kissed me and urged me to look into his mind to prove the sincerity of his feelings. I also saw how scared of rejection he was and how nervous he was that I might not truly feel the same way. Without thinking I lowered my guard and suddenly he was reading me as though he was a wizard. That’s all it took to create our link.’

  ‘So you didn’t plan it; but you did love him,’ Natalya mused. ‘Have you ever regretted letting someone see your deepest thoughts like that?’

  ‘No, I trust him. We understand each other and our relationship is wonderful as a result. Yes, it took a little adjusting to, initially. He was essentially a complete stranger to me at the time and we certainly didn’t live together in advance like you and Freddie. Don’t you ever want to know how Freddie’s feeling? Or know if he’s hurting?’

  ‘Yes, the temptation’s always there. I reached for him once when he was chopping wood. Luckily I thought to wait until he was between logs because he dropped the axe. He was immediately aware of me. But it seemed to freak him out that I could tell he was getting sunburn on his neck and blisters on his hands from a split in the axe handle. I haven’t really tried again.’