by Vance Huxley
Abel saw the sudden alarm and remembered Effy’s link to Pendragon. “That’s Kelis’s idea of a joke. My current girlfriend is plenty old enough for me, thanks.” He smiled, hopefully reassuringly, and carried on before Kelis made a joke about Ferryl’s age. “You really will learn glyphs when Melanie and Diane do, because you’ll supervise their practice as much as possible. That means you stopping them or telling Zephyr if they get too ambitious. You couldn’t do that on a normal tether, not if they ordered you not to.” Abel did his best to explain exactly what he meant.
Eventually he ran down and Ginny looked around at the small group. “So I’m to be a part-time magical babysitter and bodyguard to a pair of fourteen-year-olds, tethered but only so they can shout for help or I can warn or protect them. I’m to be your chauffeur, and help out any other Taverner in trouble. The only one who’ll give me orders down a tether is a being called Zephyr, who doesn’t actually like being in my head so she won’t be reading my thoughts very often. I get a car if I play taxi now and then, a home and some sort of wage, and extra magic to practice glyphs every time I fill up a few hexes.” She burst into almost hysterical laughter as the eight heads now watching her all nodded. “That’s a punishment? Oh Gods below I wish Denethor or Celeborn, or any of the other apprentices, could hear this. I left school at barely sixteen because I was already tethered and didn’t need an education to learn magic.” She broke into laughter again, a good part of it relief because she’d been sat for hours wondering if Abel would decide killing her was simpler. “I’ve spent the last twenty years as Pendragon’s apprentice, living in a house with the others, taking shit from the seniors like Galadriel and Celeborn and filling hexes until I’d barely got the magic left to practice.”
“I thought you were one of the senior apprentices?” Shawn wasn’t the only one looking baffled. “Didn’t you get a car and a big salary and all that?”
“Oh yes, but only so I could look good for the master. I’ve got a wardrobe full of expensive clothes, nice jewellery and shoes to die for. I had my hair and nails fixed in the best places, drove a swanky motor, and got to let my hair down in the nightclubs if the master hadn’t got a job for me. That was after my promotion. Before that I had good clothes and jewellery and a decent salary but not much spare time. I spent my days going where the tether told me, when the tether said, filling hexes and being very careful what I said in case the tether was open.” She waved her hands around, taking in all those watching her. “When you killed Elrond, all the glyph-fillers had to show the master how well they controlled air and fire. I won, so I got the promotion. Pendragon gave me Elrond’s room, his car, two charms and taught me the water and shield glyphs. He promised me a healing glyph in ten years if I worked hard. I concentrated on the shield, so I’ve barely managed a bit of mist. Half of you were throwing ice, which is advanced water, heat and wind combined, and you’re still at school! I want to hate you but I’m too damn jealous.”
That sounded like a really complicated way to say yes, but Abel wanted to be sure. “So you don’t mind the three tethers?”
Ginny undid a couple of buttons on her blouse, bared the top of her shoulder and smiled happily. “Bring it on.” Her face fell just a little. “What about my clothes and stuff? Can I have some of it back? How many will be sharing out my wardrobe?”
“Our oldest female is nineteen so they probably won’t want your clothes even if they fit. If you behave you’ll eventually get your jewellery back.” Because despite Una’s attitude to loot, taking personal possessions seemed like stealing to Abel. He kept talking while Zephyr, coached by Ferryl through a ball of mist around her fist, extended a thicker version of spooky-phone.
“I will remove the rest of Pendragon’s tether. Ferryl thinks anyone tethering the two escaped apprentices might learn how to break it, so we don’t want it included. While working out how to break tethers we created a way to stop anyone else trying. I will add something that will bite back if interfered with.” While Zephyr worked, Abel talked about where Ginny would live, in Frederick’s house for now, and her wages. Ginny told him she’d earned thirty thousand a year, though she accepted she’d get less now. The thirty-six-year-old kept breaking into giggles or laughter when discussing her conditions. If she wasn’t a magic user, Abel would have suspected drugs or booze. “She is telling the truth. The tether is in so I know. Ask her if she would prefer to be asleep while we put in her imperatives. I would like to come back home first? To be just me.”
“Come home Zephyr, and take a break.” During the break Abel took the two charms to Kelis, to stop her pestering for them. When he came back Abel asked if Ginny wanted to be asleep when Zephyr put in her imperatives, the ones that made her protect the kids and not harm them or Abel.
“I barely felt the tether going in. Maybe it was the imperatives, the instructions not to kill Pendragon, that hurt? Just in case, I’d rather sleep through that.” Ginny looked down at her shoulder, obviously relieved. “Will the other two be as gentle?”
“We will instruct them. They will only do what we tell them, so there should be no pain.” Ferryl leant forward and tapped her. “Sleep.” As Ginny slumped, Ferryl looked uncertain. “I’ll need a little time with Zephyr to work this out, because neither of us have crafted an instruction like this down a tether. Judging the strength of the imperative isn’t easy. Too much emphasis on protection and she won’t let Diane or Melanie use a knife to cut food.”
Knowing how little Ferryl cared about most people, Abel worried about exactly what the imperative might say. “Don’t make her kill herself like some sort of kamikaze, Zephyr.”
“A dead guard would be no good to Diane or Melanie.” Though Zephyr would strengthen the order just a little. This one had attacked the Tavern, so now she would die if that was the only way to keep Melanie and Diane alive. Zephyr worried that Ferryl might tell Abel about the alteration, but she kept quiet so maybe Ferryl Shayde felt the same. Neither of them were sure how sorcerers did this but Zephyr agreed to dip in and out of Ginny’s mind, with Ferryl coaching her. The tether allowed her to bypass every natural or magical defence the apprentice had. Eventually the imperatives were set, down below conscious thought, and the two tethers were ready. All they needed was for Diane and Melanie to connect their magic to the right spot on Ginny, briefly, to seal the connection. Meanwhile all the Taverners had copied the two charms, simple glyphs, and those with wounds used them. Both worked with just a trickle of magic. The soothing one worked immediately, but the healing charm must be slower.
By the time Zephyr and Ferryl were satisfied, Frederick called upstairs to say the hired minibus had arrived. After confirming it was insured for any driver, Frederick accepted it, so Abel, Jenny, Kelis, Ferryl and Rob could finally go home. Zephyr confirmed that with more time she could unpick the protection on the other two vehicles, so Eric promised the Taverners would keep them safe. They left Ginny answering questions about life as an apprentice, and the sort of places she went for Pendragon. The trip back seemed fairly quiet, with nobody speaking much except Una. She still kept hoping she could work out how to insure the Volvo.
Jenny’s parting shot told Abel why she’d been quiet. “I’ve been mulling it over and we should stop worrying about business, both lots. The employees or Taverners can keep Pendragon Enterprises going, the income will help fix Stourton Tavern Refuge, and Terese reckons nobody else dare bother us for a while. The rest of the Taverners have a sort of system, to help newcomers get through the first few weeks, so they don’t need us for that. The better ones teach basic glyphs, make hexes and help to rid houses of thornies, slimies, gremlins and hoplins, that sort of thing. We’ll be having a meeting in a couple of days to finalise the rules, but then nobody really needs us except for extra magic. I’m going to forget the businesses and concentrate on school until after the exams.” She giggled briefly. “Unless you go to visit all those trees in Sheffield?”
∼∼
Abel wasn’t looking forward to his mum�
�s reaction, while Jenny really did think her dad might lock her up for a month or two. At least a combination of magical medics, new jeans and long sleeves had reduced or covered the worst of the cuts and burns. The accident and fire story would explain his reddened skin. One of the Taverners had even trimmed Abel’s, Rob’s and Kelis’s hair a little to hide most of the charring. Luckily Kelis had plenty of hair to rearrange, while Rob’s and Abel’s hair rarely looked tidy. Jenny’s hair had escaped, probably because Pendragon had concentrated on the stronger casters or maybe just luck. Her leg certainly hadn’t escaped, but hopefully her jeans would hide all the little holes until they healed.
When Una parked up and headed for her mum’s car, Abel fully intended heading for home. Instead, Ferryl pulled him inside the rear of the shop, waiting as Kelis went upstairs. Before he could ask, she wrapped both arms around him and held really tight, tight enough for him to feel her trembling. “What’s the matter?”
“I nearly lost you. My first friend and I nearly lost you. I promised to protect you but I knew you wanted the others rescued. I thought you could hold out while I did that.” Ferryl sounded close to tears, but didn’t look up so he couldn’t be sure.
Abel wriggled his trapped arm free and put it round her, stroking her back. “But you did. You clobbered the other apprentices and came back to chase off Pendragon.” Abel chuckled at a memory. “Or to discuss the tether, I think you said.”
“You were lucky, I was lucky. I thought there’d be three or four apprentices, at least two of them in the lounge with the Taverners. When I punched him, I hoped Pendragon’s shield would drop and we could finish him there and then.” Abel heard a little catch in Ferryl’s voice, almost a sob. “It didn’t work, it hurt too much for me to cast another glyph straight away. Pendragon called for help on the tether so then I had to stop the others coming out to join the fight.”
“Punched his shield? Is that why your arm burst into flame?” Abel pulled one arm from around him to inspect her hand. “Not a mark.”
Her hand promptly went back around him and hugged tight, but at least Ferryl’s voice firmed up while she explained. “I told you, a close-held shield lets physical shock and heat reach the skin. I couldn’t heal fast enough to follow up immediately. Once I got inside there were gunmen and more and more apprentices.” Abel felt a long juddering sigh. “The last two were almost too much, because most of the apprentices were wearing gold armbands full of magic. Their shields were holding and most of my diamonds were empty, but then Zephyr popped up out of the floor and hit one from behind. I must make more diamonds for my bones.”
“So you had enough. It still worked, and how else could we have done it?” Abel kept up the holding and stroking, because Ferryl’s arms hadn’t eased off.
“Zephyr should have stayed, and I should have stayed so we could stop Pendragon first. But that would have taken too long.” This sigh was followed by a shaky laugh and her hands stroked Abel’s back before tightening again. “Who would have expected Claris to start shooting and Shannon to use the minibus? Without them you would have been dead. Dead! When I promised. I might never have found another friend.” Again Abel thought Ferryl sounded close to tears.
“Calm down. It all worked out and we might have made it anyway.” Though Abel had to accept, privately, it was unlikely. Despite four of them throwing glyphs, they’d never even looked like getting through the sorcerer’s shield. They’d have all run out of magic and Pendragon would have tried to force a tether. “You taught us well, especially how to shield. Though I give that goblin a lot of credit, it did more damage than any of us. I thought goblins never fought sorcerers?”
The little laugh sounded as if Ferryl was recovering. Her grip slackened, altering a little as she cuddled in rather than trying to crush Abel’s ribs. “Another arrogant sorcerer mistake. The other goblins told me Pendragon made jokes about throwing a party, an old-style one with green fireworks. Otherwise I don’t think even an Old would have risked attacking.”
“That was an Old?” Abel hadn’t had time to get a really good look.
“Yes. Not ready for the flame, not yet, but near enough to be willing to go early and old enough to be sneaky. According to the rest it squished down and disguised itself as a paving slab so Pendragon didn’t realise a goblin had stayed in the front garden. It meant to warn you, but didn’t have time. Dryads, goblins, and the church, you had some very strange help today.” Ferryl finally let go, but only so she could push Abel towards her room. “Come and sit with me, please. Hold me for a while?”
“Not in your room, you know the rules.”
“No mum so no rules, but we’ll leave the door ajar if you want.” Ferryl’s arms tightened again. “I nearly lost a friend today. Maybe many friends, I realised.” She pushed again and Abel went in. By the time Abel left and made his way home he was absolutely certain Ferryl had discovered emotions, and friends. Unfortunately, now she had friends, the ancient sorceress seemed terrified of losing them. He’d had to persuade her to let him walk home alone, and it was a stone certainty Ferryl hadn’t introduced herself as his bodyguard on a whim. Though if he had to have a guardian, at least she was a very pretty one.
Abel barely opened the front door before he heard his mum’s voice. “Rob went past here half an hour ago, and he’s got plasters on his face. Where have you been and how bad was that accident? You said it wasn’t much, but you didn’t send any pictures of the minibus.”
“Hi mum. My girlfriend was upset, so I stayed to calm her down.” Abel closed the front door, hid his smile and headed towards mum and his roasting. He’d get the seventh degree, then a good telling off, then she’d tweak him about calming girlfriends. After today a good telling off would be a relief and absolutely, wonderfully normal. So would the rest of the school year because Jenny was right, there’d be plenty of time for magic after the exams.
∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼
Ferryl Shayde IV
Storm and Steel
is being written even as you read.
Abel’s World
Brinsford - A small village in rural England, eight miles from Stourton
Consists of:
Main Street - With pub and small shop
Brinn Lane - Off village green, leads to a small bridge then up valley to local farms
Riverside Close - A dozen council houses
Castle Road - Road from village to main road half a mile away
Residents:
Abel Bernard Conroy - 16 - Lives with Mum, Dad died - accident at sea
Christine Conroy - Chris - 42 - Abel′s widowed Mum, has part-time job
John Tyler - Rob′s Dad
Terri Tyler - Rob′s Mum
Rob Tyler - 16 - Abel′s best friend
Melanie Tyler - 14 - Rob′s sister
Samantha Tyler - 19 - Rob′s sister
Jessica Ventner - Kelis′s Mum, skint after recent divorce from abusive husband
Kelis Ventner - 16 - Abel′s best (only) female friend
Stan - Local pensioner and reputedly poacher - has a shotgun and an old Jack Russell called Bugsy
Mr. Copples - Local farmer
Henry Copples - 17 - Local bully
Tyson Copples - 19 - Henry′s brother - bully with crossbreed dog Cooch (Cuchelain)
Mrs. Turner - Local busybody
Stourton - Town eight miles from Brinsford
Briarley - Village six miles from Brinsford, seven from Stourton - home to Petra - active church
Kielby - Village seven miles from Brinsford, nine from Stourton - home of Jenny and Diane
Stourton Comprehensive - Local secondary school
School year groups: 11 = GCSE year, 13 = A-Level year
Mr. Gordon - Headmaster
Mrs. Poole - Deputy Head
Mr. Sanders - Graphic Art master
Mr. Beresford - Sports master
Mrs. Svengy - Biology teacher
Jenny Georgina Forester - 17 - Acro dancer
for school team year 12
Diane Forester - 15 - Jenny′s sister - year 10
Claris Ellsworth - 18 - Bubbly redhead Acro dancer, dates rugby players - retaking year 13
Petra - 17 - Game beta with cat-sorceress costume lives nearby in Briarley - year 13
Warren - 16 - Game beta in town - year 12
Una - 17 - Game beta in town with Robin D′Ritche costume incl. sword - year 13
Sarah Russel - 17 - Game beta in town - year 12
Justin - 16 - Game beta in town - year 12
Rachel - 14 - Justin′s sister - year 10
Fay Shayde - 16 - New pupil - year 12
Kathy 16 - New player - not aware of magic - year 12
Tobias - 17 - Pupil who keeps teasing Abel about the benefits of country living - year 13
Carl - 13 - Pupil year 9 - new magic user
Natalie - 14 - Pupil year 9 - new magic user
Others:
Jake Forester - Jenny′s dad, a local builder and businessman.
Stephanie Forester - Jenny′s mum
Laurence Horatio Sperrick - 18 - Kelis′s ex-boyfriend - minor nobility but not wealthy
Eric - 21 - Warren′s big brother
Shannon - 17 - Game beta - St. Agatha’s church school - carries a cross - year 13
Shawn - 19 - Friend of a friend of a beta
Mark - 19 - Neighbour of Petra′s, game beta & devout catholic.
Frederick - 53 - Adult who sees magical creatures - befriended a dryad - lives near Elmwood Park in Stourton
Effy - 27 - Sees creatures, thought they were ghosts - Shawn brought her to the Tavern
Amanda - 17 - Found seeded in leech lair
Cecilia - 17 - Found seeded in leech lair
Vicar Creepio Mysterio - Kelis′s name for a peripatetic archbishop interested in Castle House
Pendragon - Local sorcerer who has a monopoly on magical contracts in Stourton.
Elrond - 41 - A senior apprentice to Pendragon - hosted blood leech, killed defending Firstseed