Sorcery, Schemes and Skelt: The Kinowenn Chronicles Vol II

by Rachel Ronning

  “You’re probably right,” said Eric. “Elves give forests credit for having a lot of power. As long as the Skelt were not an obvious threat they would leave them alone. They should be told about what Justin and Lucy found.”

  “I agree. Allar and Kinda were at Taran’s when we left. If you are quick, you could get a message to them,” suggested Justin. “Although, I wouldn’t put it past those two to have plans of their own. They saw some of what the Skelt can do and we told them the rest. Allar might not live with the Elves all the time, but he still has family there and wouldn’t want to see the Elves at any disadvantage. Especially, against Skelt.”

  Quinn and Eric nodded. They agreed to get a message there as soon as the interview was done.

  “I’m assuming this is where things go bad and you get captured,” said Eric with a raised eyebrow.

  Justin ran his fingers through his hair before continuing. “Yes. How did you know about that? Taran said you sent him. How could you know we’d need him? You said a few minutes ago that you were as ignorant of Skelt powers as we were.”

  “I was. I did not know. What I did know was that the Skelt had been way too secret and non-aggressive for too long. I assumed something was being plotted and the rumors of anderi worried me. I was afraid your group might attract attention that could lead to capture. Best case scenario, they were doing nothing, you were in and out, and had a lovely trip back with Taran. I don’t know the details yet though, so continue.”

  Justin explained about getting captured, the Garden Gnome Apocalypse, and why they hadn’t brought back any anderi. Although Lucy was sure they were disappointed not to be able to study any anderi, both seemed to find Lucy’s reaction to them and subsequent destruction of them understandable. Quinn looked at Lucy with concern.

  “We need to work on control. Uncontrolled bursts of magic when angry is not good. I think some lessons with myself and Eric might be in order. Now that you know who I am, I might as well help with your education.”

  “I would appreciate that,” said Lucy honestly.

  “I think, for your safety and the safety of the school, I should try to do something about your dreams. May I?” asked Quinn.

  “Please,” said Lucy with relief. She didn’t want to burn down the school having nightmares. Also, she didn’t want to be dependent on a potion. Dependencies could be used against you and were often inconvenient.

  Quinn smiled kindly at Lucy, walked over to her, put her hands on her head, and closed her eyes. She maintained this pose for a while. When she finally opened her eyes, she looked at Lucy quizzically.

  “Someone else has healed your mind before,” Quinn said.

  “Ishalla,” said Lucy nodding.

  Quinn raised Lucy’s wrist and looked at the tattoo there. She nodded.

  “The healing will help, but it is not a solution. It cannot be permanent if you cannot learn control. Every time something happens that refreshes the memories, the pain and the nightmares may return worse than before. She has helped, but with a condition.”

  Lucy nodded.

  “We will start tomorrow.”

  With that they were dismissed. Eric and Quinn discussed what they wanted to tell the Elves. They wanted to get a message to Taran before Allar left. Currently, Allar was their quickest, most reliable, and convenient way to get a message to the Elves. Lucy and Justin left Eric’s office. They walked to Lucy’s room.

  “Joss, Allar, and Kinda know, don’t they?” asked Lucy.

  “Yes,” affirmed Justin. “Joss and Taran have been friends for years. I’d heard of him, but hadn’t met him until that night at the inn. Allar, Kinda, Taran, and I have been friends for much longer. Allar is an Elf, of course, he knows Eric and Quinn from a long time ago. He knew about us and as an Elf traveling with a Dwarf, holds fewer prejudices than most. He told Kinda and she never had a problem with us either. I’m sure they all wondered why I hadn’t told you considering the obvious closeness.”

  “That explains the looks they gave you and me when I asked about Ostrakans and Elves. I couldn’t tell if there was something I was missing or if I was asking unusual questions.”

  They reached Lucy’s room so she opened the door and went in. Again, it felt odd to be back. Her room was exactly as she had left it and yet she was not exactly as she had left. On the definite up side, it did feel safe, smell safe, include a comfy bed, and she couldn’t wait to take a shower.

  “Coming?” she asked Justin. “I’m actually surprised you didn’t have your stuff moved in while we were gone. We can take care of that tomorrow.”

  “I’m confused.”

  “About what?”

  “You want me to move in here?”

  “Sure, why not? I thought you wanted to. It’d be much more convenient. When I’m having nightmares, you don’t have to run up a flight of stairs in the dark half clothed. We spend most of our time together, and I’ve gotten used to having you around.”

  “What about what other people will think?”

  “I don’t care if you don’t.”

  “I don’t,” he said with a smile. “What about the fact that I’m a half Elf?”

  “I don’t care,” replied Lucy, meaning it.

  “You don’t?” he asked in confusion and relief. “I’m honestly waiting for you to break up with me.”

  “Why would I? I didn’t grow up with some weird prejudice against half Elves. You could be half turtle for all I care, as long as you were still you.”

  “You don’t have any major questions or concerns? You know we can’t have kids, right?”

  “I still don’t care. I don’t want kids. I want you. Besides, right now, I think we are more worried about me accidently losing control and blowing up the whole school. Do you think adding a lot of hormones and a baby is a good idea?”

  “No, but what if you change your mind?”

  “We’ll deal with it then. I’m sure we can find a street urchin somewhere to adopt if we have to.”

  “But,” started Justin.

  “Justin, would we be having a conversation about having children in this stage of our relationship if you could have kids?”

  “No.”

  “Then there is no need to have it now.”

  “But,” started Justin again.

  Lucy didn’t let him finish. She kissed him. Smiled at him and kissed him again.

  Chapter 19

  Lucy woke up in the morning cuddled up next to Justin. They had magically widened the usually single bed to allow more space for themselves but had still ended up sleeping entwined in the middle. Lucy yawned, stretched, detangled herself from Justin, and went to take a shower. When she finished, Justin was at the door.

  “Leaving?” asked Lucy with a questioning look on her face.

  “I’d like some clean clothes,” responded Justin with a smile.

  “What’s the plan for today?”

  “Do you still want me to move in here?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Great. Then, I’ll go shower, change, and meet you at breakfast. We can discuss the rest later,” he winked, kissed her, and left.

  Lucy made the bed, sat down, and brushed out her long hair. Since she didn’t have to ride a horse today, she left it down instead of twisting it up in her usual French braid. She walked down to the dining hall, grabbed some fresh fruit and still warm banana bread, and made her way to their usual table. She wondered if it stayed empty when they weren’t there or if other students took it over. She was surprised to see Maya sitting there alone. Gavin was once again siting with Gina. His mouth was full and his plate was piled with sausage, muffins, bacon, eggs, and waffles. He looked very happy. Lucy smiled to herself and wondered if Gavin ever took more food than he could eat.

  “I like your hair down and free,” said Maya. “You should leave it like that more often.”

  “Good morning,” replied Lucy, sitting down next to her. “I thought I’d give it a try since we aren’t riding horses or fighting today. I
thought you’d be sitting with some of your other friends.”

  Maya shrugged, “I’m not sure what we would talk about. I think I may have outgrown it here. I didn’t enjoy taking care of all the wounded soldiers from the battle, but I liked that I was able to. I liked helping others for the few days we were there. I like applying what I’ve learned. I would enjoy being an ambassador and using my skills to diplomatically avoid battles. Or, think of what I could accomplish if I had my own potions room and time to work. I could help so many people.”

  “I agree. Aren’t there any more classes you want to take first?”

  “Funny you should ask,” said Maya. “At this point, I’ve taken most of the classes the school offers in my areas of interest. They have been bringing in tutors for my language classes. Until our meeting with the Skelt, that would have been an easy question to answer.”

  “After our meeting with the Skelt?” prompted Lucy.

  “Remember that scary female?” Lucy winced and nodded. “She knew things by listening to our voices. She could tell when we were lying, telling the truth, or when there was more implied behind the words. Since then, I’ve been wondering if that is possible. Could I learn to sense that?”

  “I should think so. You have such a good musical ear. I bet you hear things in voices all the time that others don’t. Have you talked to Eric about it?”

  “He said it was possible,” said Maya with a smile. “Eric says both he and Quinn can do it. They are talking about who should teach it and if they are going to tutor me separately or hold an open class.”

  “I hope they hold an open class. I would enroll, if they give me the time to,” said Lucy with enthusiasm.

  “I wonder what kind of students would show aptitude for it,” mused Maya.

  “The magically inclined ones, or the musically inclined ones?”

  “Exactly. I wonder how many students would be interested.”

  “I would think a lot.” They ate in silence for a while. Then, Lucy asked, “After you take that class, you’d leave? You want to go back to Lerramorre?”

  “I’m not positive about that, but I may be ready to leave the school. Lerramorre is a bit on the masculine side. Therralla is a matriarchy. There are all sorts of options. I have a lot to think about. What about you?”

  “I must admit I like the dining hall,” Lucy responded with a smile. “I don’t like cooking. I think I need to stay here for a while and work on control. After that though, I may be ready to leave too. We could just as easily leave for quests from a little cabin near Taran’s as the school.”

  “We?” asked Maya with a knowing smile.

  Lucy blushed and shrugged.

  “About time you openly admit it,” said Maya. “The half Elf thing doesn’t bother you?”

  “No.”

  “Good. I didn’t think it would,” replied Maya. “It might be a problem for Justin though. Keep that in mind.”

  “I think it’s all silly, but I will. Do you have any classes today?”

  “Eric told me to take a day off to get my stuff in order and figure out what I’d like to take. Anything having to do with potions, I would probably take as an independent study. I plan to do some shopping,” she said with a smile. “I’d ask if you want to join me, but I assume Justin is going to be taking up your free time today. So, I’ll have to buy you some new things on my own.”

  Justin sat down next to Lucy with a large tray.

  “You don’t have to,” said Lucy. “Really. I can shop with you another day.”

  “I don’t mind shopping alone, but it’s more fun if I get to shop for someone else too. Don’t take away my fun,” Maya smiled and left.

  Lucy sighed. She certainly didn’t want to deprive Maya of any fun, but she was worried about how much fun Maya might have at her expense. She turned her thoughts away from Maya and addressed Justin.

  “I’ve been thinking,” said Lucy.

  “Should I be worried?” quipped Justin.

  “Probably, but I wasn’t thinking about you.”

  “Pity, I feel like thoughts of me should occupy most of your free time,” joked Justin.

  “Right,” responded Lucy sarcastically, “and all your thoughts are on me.”

  Justin grinned, but didn’t reply. “You said you were thinking?”

  “Yes. Could I talk to my brother in a dream? You know, like Ishalla talked to me? I miss Peter, and I know Eric’s told me no time has passed on Earth, but can he take a nap and I show up in a dream? Talking to him might help. Also, I’d feel better if I could let him know about this part of my life even if it is in a dream. Peter might not believe it, but at least he’ll remember having a fun dream about me.”

  “I’ll talk to Eric about it while you are working with Quinn. I’ll let you know what is decided. I think that sounds like a reasonable request and it is possible.”

  “Thanks,” replied Lucy. Then, she added as an afterthought, “Maya is thinking about leaving the school.”

  “I’m not surprised. That is what the school is for; training people to find meaningful lives in other worlds. She’s learned most of what the school can offer in her areas of interest. Anything else, she can learn later if she needs it or, more likely, do without. What about you?”

  “I like the time we spend on Kinowenn. I wouldn’t mind living in a cabin next to Taran’s with easy access to the school, but I don’t think I’m ready to leave here permanently yet. I still have a lot to learn. Every time we leave I find myself thinking about how much I don’t know. At the same time, I need to work on applying what I do know. Kind of a catch-22 as it were. Speaking of which, do Giants react differently to magic?”

  “How so?”

  “If I cast a spell at a Giant would he react the same as anyone else?”

  “I’m not entirely sure how to answer that. I guess, both yes and no. Giants will react like anyone else in the same sense that different people react differently. For instance, trying to turn Gavin into a frog would be easier than trying to turn me into a frog. I would fight against you magically and throw up a shield. Giants have residual magic like Elves and Dwarves. Like Kinda and Allar were telling you, they don’t consider what they do magical either. A normal Giant, Elf, or Dwarf would naturally have some resistance and be harder to turn into a frog than Gavin, but easier than me. A Giant trained in using magic would be even harder, but so would an Elf mage. Does that answer your question?”

  “I think so. I feel like I still need so much training. One thing I do know; reacting better in high pressure situations will help me and everyone around me.”

  “I agree. Speaking of which, Quinn is ready for you whenever you are done with breakfast.”

  “I wonder what she will have me do?” mused Lucy.

  “No idea. If I knew what she had in mind, I’d work with you myself.”

  “She is stronger and more experienced than you,” Lucy pointed out.

  “That’s true,” acknowledged Justin.

  “What are your plans for the day?”

  “Moving in with you?”

  “Yes, I meant after that.”

  “I’ll probably go see if Nerek needs any help in the magical animal infirmary. There’s almost always work to be done there.”

  “Enjoy your day. See you at lunch. Oh, remember, we still need to work on trying to regrow missing limbs so keep your eyes open for a mearcat with only three paws.”

  “I will. Good luck,” said Justin with a smile.

  Chapter 20

  Lucy smiled back and walked out of the dining hall. She took a left and then paused. She knew Quinn was ready to work with her, but she didn’t know where.

  “Quinn?” Lucy asked tentatively with her mind. She knew Eric summoned Quinn to his office the other day with his mind. She should be able to do something similar.

  “I’m waiting for you in a paddock next to the stables,” Quinn replied.

  Lucy walked that direction. There Quinn was, sitting comfortably cross-legged,
in the grass. Lucy was struck again by her beauty, her otherworldliness, and her likeness to Justin. Lucy sat down in front of her and smiled.

  “What has Justin told you about me?”

  “Nothing,” replied Lucy.

  “Good,” Quinn replied with a smile. “You can make your own opinions as we go along without any of his prejudices.”

  Lucy smiled. She thought she would like Quinn as long as she didn’t start worrying about Quinn liking her. She was dating her son after all. The mere idea of Quinn as a mother-in-law slightly terrified her. Although the idea of calling Eric, Uncle Eric, made her want to laugh.

  “There are a few things we need to work on. First, you have a lot of power at your disposal. That’s good. You need to know how to use it and not be afraid of it. Second, you also need to learn to react in situations in ways that are quick, effective, and don’t leave you traumatized. Third, you need to learn to deal with your emotions. I don’t mean that you need to control them or bottle them up. You need to acknowledge them, cope with them, and move on. It is okay to be afraid. Accept it, face it, grow from it, use the adrenalin from it, and move past it. Don’t run from it. That allows fear to grow and become more powerful. You need to learn to accept every emotion. Fear can be your biggest adversary in using your power effectively and finding balance. Fourth, I think we need to build some self-confidence. Trust in yourself.”

  “Those sound like wonderful, slightly demanding, and enlightened goals,” Lucy agreed. “How do we go about accomplishing them?” She was sure this was going to be much harder than it sounded.

  “Slowly,” smiled Quinn. “We need to retrain some of your reactions. So often here at school, we train with our students on even footing in a safe environment. This works well for most of our students. For you, it makes things too easy and does not mimic the real world situations you are finding yourself in. You feel comfortable in your magic here, but overwhelmed and frightened in situations out there. You shouldn’t feel that way. I brought you here for an advanced weapons class. You will be unarmed and outnumbered.” Quinn smiled as Lucy paled, “Don’t worry. There is a purpose to this. They are still students and you don’t want to hurt them. I’ll be here to make sure you don’t. Just because you know someone’s goal is to hurt you doesn’t mean you need to hurt them back. An enemy can be neutralized in a nonaggressive way. You get afraid and lash out. There is nothing to fear here or there. Right now, work on creative reactions in a safe environment. No fireballs allowed.”