by Pam Uphoff
Xen was still grinning. "Simon's a physicist. Probably knows all about vibrations."
Hours later, surrounded by hand and instrument drawn charts and graphs, and piles of books, Simon realized that Xen was gone.
"He's gotten stuck back in college. Poor boy isn't going to be allowed to be a simple cavalry officer." Dydit shrugged. "Fortunately he slipped out of the pool of potential royal heirs. A bit of formal education away from Ash will be good for him."
Nil chuckled. "We'll see how long it lasts. He's bound to get into trouble."
"Well, tomorrow's the first day of the spring quarter classes. I suspect he can stick it out long enough to finish a few courses. Eventually he'll accumulate enough to graduate." Dydit studied Simon. "I haven't the faintest idea how much has changed in physics, as it is now taught. You'd certainly be qualified to teach in old Scoone. Here? You'll have to test the waters."
Chapter Nine
Late Winter 1393
King's University, Karista
Staven scowled at the towers of the King's University. "Blech. Two history classes?" The guard at his shoulder looked a little sympathetic. They were both in civilian clothes. Staven had the cuff of his right sleeve pinned inside his jacket pocket. Little hope he wouldn't be recognized in class, but a little bit of anonymity just walking across campus couldn't hurt. "Plus Civics, Sociology, and The Modern Court system." He blew out his breath. "By the time I get to the Criminal Court, I hope I know all about it from experience."
Sergeant Passe nodded. "The students all look so young. Worse, begging your pardon, than the lords on their Two Year Rotation."
"I suppose they're all about the same age. I'm twenty-three, about the age of the grad students." He studied the children scampering between buildings. First day of school nerves. Or maybe they always trot about. He strode up the steps of the Bentmar History building. He'd only had a couple of classes here, years ago, when he was studying Military Science.
He spotted a familiar tall figure, scanning room numbers, and walked over. "Ha! Rufi roped you in too?"
Wolfson turned around. "Yep. Garit's the only one who talked his way out of it."
"For now. Once he's finished this assignment he'll be right in here with us."
"Heh." Wolfson looked glum. "I'll bet neither of you will get stuck in remedial History."
"No. Instead I've got 'History of Law and Civilization' followed by 'History of Law and Fundamental Rights' as well as Sociology and Civics. And topped off with 'The Modern Court System.' Blech."
"Sounds like you're on the Law School track. I got talked into Statistics. I have a nasty feeling I'm not going to enjoy it. Nor Civics." He stared down at the papers in his hand.
Staven craned his head. "Three science classes?"
"Yep. My preferred major being biology."
"Huh. Just add magic. You're already miles ahead of most veterinarians."
"Probably not what Rufi expected me to take, but I'm going with it until he catches me, and hauls me off to Poli Sci or Law School."
"Smart man. I'll see you in Civics."
"Only if I survive remedial history."
"Room 12 is all the way down that hall then work through the maze to the left." Staven grinned. "It a big lecture hall, added on a few years ago. You'll have a lot of company."
The man grunted and moved off.
Staven turned right. For better or worse, he was in a fairly small classroom.
Passe frowned at it, and the children spotted around it, then nodded at a desk, and leaned against the wall where he was between Staven and the door, and could get between Staven and the other students quickly.
Notebook, pen. Damn it taking notes left handed was going to be a chore. And probably rather slow. I wish I were in a huge classroom. He eyed the young man who stomped in and thumped a book down on the lectern at the front of the room.
He ran a supercilious eye around the room, and paused on Passe. "Why don't you sit down."
It wasn't a question, but Passe answered it anyway. "Because I'm Prince Staven's bodyguard."
Twenty stares turned toward Passe, and then moved on to Staven.
Staven waved his fingers. "Hi." Then he picked up his pen as if he was naturally left handed and turned his attention to the . . . Surely the man was too young to be a professor? "Just pretend he's invisible and we'll all be happier. Apart from tripping over him."
A couple of snickers from the students, and the teacher relaxed a bit. At least the supercilious expression was gone.
"I'm Kristopher Gordon, a doctoral candidate here. This is History 103, Law and Civilization. I'll be getting you started today." He cleared his throat. "And Professor Solovin will be in to cover the more interesting stuff."
Staven translated that easily enough. As soon as the professor heard about the potential Crown Heir being in his class, it would no longer be within the competency of a mere grad student, who had probably taught it multiple times already.
He made note of textbooks and other recommended reading materials, and the high points of a canned introductory speech, then escaped.
To Civics. A huge lecture room. Passe nodded to the side, the back corner, where he only had to watch two directions.
The guard knelt down beside the next desk. "I'll try to not get you noticed, again." His eyes tracked to the right. "And here's Wolfson."
The tall man grinned. "Would you be happier with me half the room away?"
Passe waffled. Staven snorted. "Please do join me in bodyguarded purdah."
"You mean you aren't sitting back here so you can catch a nap?"
"No. And if you snore, I'm going to kick you."
Wolfson just grinned, and fetched out notebook and pen.
Staven pretended to not notice how many students started their direction, then veered off to sit elsewhere. Is the wizard doing that or does Passe scare them off?
This class at least had an actual professor, a bouncy round faced gentleman who wrote the test dates and the textbook they were expected to buy on the slate board behind him, then swung straight into his first lecture.
Wolfson sighed. And very quietly muttered something about wishing he had Easterly's memory.
No. Kidding. Staven couldn't keep up, and started listing the high points. I hope to hell the text covers this stuff.
He glumly realized that he simply could not be a full time student and work. And I won't quit. I will continue working. Even if it is just watching a proper detective do the real work.
Then back to the history building for Law and Fundamental Rights. Sociology was halfway across campus. Then off to the law school for the Court System class.
His next stop was the administration building. Drop Courts. Drop Sociology.
"Maybe next semester, I can tackle a full load. Right now, half the day is going to have to satisfy Rufi."
Passe eyed him, and steered him toward the nearest street while making a gesture to some unseen person.
Outer perimeter guard. And here comes a shay, just happened to be nearby. He shook his head. "I really miss being in the army, and not needing a half dozen nannies."
Passe sniffed. "Don't be silly. There's only four of us. Per shift."
Staven groaned. And didn't argue when Passe told the driver to take him home.
***
Biology was going to be interesting, Physics a challenge. Chemistry . . . well apart from them not being open to explosions and so forth . . . was going to be good. Statistics . . . eh. History wouldn't be so bad, so long as he just parroted their version and kept his mouth shut. Civics . . . well, he hadn't expected Ash to be an example of how the country operated. But even on the first day he'd had to face just how different it was. Really, really different.
He headed for the barn and Pyrite. "You would not believe the nonsense they're going to try to teach me. The nobles as the backbone of the nation? Their wise direction of the lesser classes?"
Pyrite snorted, and sent a picture of Xen and Quicksilver wea
ring crowns and walking through Ash with everyone curtseying as they passed . . .
Xen burst out laughing. "Oh my God! Thank you, Horsie, I needed that." He cleared his throat. "I have a nasty suspicion I may flunk. Maybe I can manage to keep my mouth shut. Maybe." He sighed. "And I probably won't have the time to finish working out how to make sheep grow wool made of something like that optical fiber in Dad's old books. I think it would have potential for this cloak of invisibility thing some people want."
Pyrite pointed his ears at Xen. :: Invisible sheep? ::
"Oh . . . I don't think the sheep would actually be invisible. I hope."
Chapter Ten
Late Winter 1393
Ash, Foothills Province
"Obsidian, why don't you take Mihaela, Cordelia, and Grace off for a bit of practice. I'd value your evaluation of their training, so far. River . . . " The old woman surveyed the women around them. "Let's start you off with Yellow and Zebra Stripe."
River kept a straight face. Witch names! They must have gone through the colors, and gotten desperate when they got to Z. Good Lord. The two witches who edged out of the pack and approached her were both very young. The tanned blonde she'd noticed earlier and a spectacular redhead. They were both juggling babies that might have been a couple of months old.
"Hey, I've heard all about you from Xen." The redhead looked friendly. "I'm Yellow. This is Jaguar. And that's Zee with Fox. C'mon over here, we might as well grab a bit of sunshine while we can."
Zee looked a bit reluctant, but followed the other girl.
"So, you guys just advanced?" How much information can I get out of these two? "And you know Xen Wolfson?"
Zee rolled her eyes. "Yellow's in the Army, she sees him all the time."
"Yep. So . . . " Yellow shot a glance back at Answer. "How well trained are you, and how badly did Answer just insult you, pairing you off with us new moms?"
"Very and very." But River could feel herself relaxing. Witches gossiping. Feels like home.
The girls set the babies down and reached out for each other's hands and hers.
They were well trained, used to working in a triad. River sank into the meditative state, lowering her shields . . . she could feel the younger witches' minds. Strong in power, a bit uncertain about channeling.
:: May I show you the channeling exercises we used to do? ::
Mental nods. River reached for the power of Earth, a bit uncertain about the large volumes of water so close . . .
:: Hydrothermal, it's of the Earth as well . . . :: the other two were familiar with the place, it was their home territory and they sopped up energy eagerly.
River absorbed a bit, then channeled the rest around her. Available for use, unable to harm her. She showed them the games they'd played . . . so long ago, passing packets of energy like a hot potato, channeling it around and around the triad. Then the easy spells, some physical, like push and pull; others mental, like sleep, laugh and spin.
"Very nice. How is your metal working?" The dry old voice intruded, and they wound down, released the energy. "Why don't you two girls repeat those exercises with Eden? River, come over and show us . . . "
Get shown up, more like. The modern witches had a lot more techniques for metal working than she'd ever seen. She joined two of the older Half Moons in a triad to learn the mental twists that refined iron ore, melding the resulting ultra fine powder into an ingot. She twisted and combined copper with tin and then with zinc, formed the bronze and brass into doorknobs, tools, weapons. The iron alloys were harder, but she made stainless steel, and then made forks, spoons and knives. Pots and pans . . .
She staggered off with a throbbing head. Someone pointed her at a steaming pool of energized water, and she stripped down and collapsed in exhausted bliss.
"I guess you've missed working with a bunch of witches for the last two months?"
River opened her eyes. The speaker was another of the teenagers.
This one, by her feel, still a Crescent Moon. A very powerful Crescent, with a shield that let enough glow out to show her strength, without giving anyone a headache. Fluffy brown hair, cut a bit short.
"I'm Quicksilver. Xen's sister. I've been so busy with school that I never made it to Charliesville to meet you."
"Ah . . . Yes, everyone in Charliesville talks about you."
The girl flashed a quick grin. Oh god, she reminds me of the Wolf. Even more than her brother.
"Probably mostly as 'that baby the Dark Lady lugged around while she saved the world.' Or have they finally gotten enough outsiders that people don't believe a word of it?"
"Well, yeah. But there were a few comments about baby witches and fires."
She winced. "Yeah. I hope my daughters aren't as precocious as I was. Poor Mom. We spent a whole lot of time out in the New Lands where there wasn't much that I could burn down. They roped in Xen to help and slept in shifts for years."
"Ummm . . . I take it Xen grasped power later? What exactly is he? He's not a wizard, and he's awfully independent for a mage."
Quicksilver flashed that quick grin again. "Xen grasped power at the age of three, and never accidentally set a single fire. He . . . well, he was conceived while Dad was healing, and dreaming. He sort of took the important bit of mom's wizard X chromosome and substituted it for the part of the witch X that prevents male children. So Xen's got witch, wizard and mage genes. He can do anything." That last had a strong dose of hero worship appended to it.
"All three . . . umm . . . "
Yellow eased into the pool on her other side. "Yeah. Boy, the glow, when he actually lets it show is irresistible. If he wasn't so darned . . . cautious where women are concerned, he'd be the father of every baby here."
"Ha!" Zebra Stripe splashed into the pool. "Ten babies from that wine-induced orgy at the medical station, and not a one of them are his. What a waste!" She cast a quick glance toward the collection of babies. "Well, not a waste, and there were some wizards there, so the babies will be strong."
Yellow snickered. "It was fun. But not romantic. Very productive, though, and I'm perfectly happy to have advanced at seventeen instead of having to wait until I was twenty-five. How about you, River? Did your senior sister make you wait?"
"Oh yes. You lot are scandalously young to be Half Moons." She touched fingers to her abdomen. Not showing yet. "I was, umm, twenty-five when I . . . well, twenty-six when I miscarried. And now . . . I suppose I'm, um, thirty-nine, give or take half a year. It was summer, when Art turned me into a statue."
Quicksilver nodded. "I don't know if that's good or bad. Trump—the senior sister of the Karista Bay Pyramid—is forty. So you won't be a threat, age-wise. In magical ability, umm, I think you're well ahead, but Trump can surprise me."
"Karista? The capital city? Why didn't your brother want me to start there?"
"Because this is the center of magical learning. You need to know it, no matter where you wind up eventually. Besides, you're too sensible to fit in there. Pity. Because Dr. Golan may want to take a teaching position at one of the university and colleges there."
"Oh . . . I haven't even wondered how he was doing. He . . . never has gotten on well with other wizards."
"Oh, Xen said they were deep into a discussion of vibrations and magical theory when he left. Said they were all enjoying themselves."
"He, umm, talked to you?"
"Oh sure. He stopped by the winery, his two bitches both had pups last night. Dad suggested he shift Silky off his bed before Mom came back from Rip Crossing."
A nervous giggle and Grace slid into the water. Her face was beet red. Not used to casual nudity. "If the Rip lives up to it's reputation, Simon's going to love it." Her blush managed to deepen. "The geology, I mean. I don't believe half of what they told me about the way people behave out there!"
Quicksilver sputtered. "They'd be hard put to find anything that could be exaggerated. And then the Crossers would take it for a challenge." She caught River's questioning look. "It wa
s settled by a combination of powerless witch daughters and powerless Mage children, and some orphaned wizards without prospects, here. Not a single person from a culture that practiced normal marriages or even exclusive sexual relations. When winter closes in, it's party time. Complete with frequent orgies."
River eyed the girl. "Surely you jest?"
Everyone there shook their heads.
Grace grinned. "And of course we'll need to check on the Pyramid there, River. Oh, don't look so dubious. You're not going to leave me behind."
A young woman looked over at them. "You are better off not going. Ick!"
"Mihaela! You didn't!"
"No, I didn't. Well, I looked. Old Gods! Then I left. Quickly!"
They all laughed, a few glances toward the witch with the twin boys, who ignored them all. River rather wondered about her, as there appeared to be tears along with the mineralized hotspring water on her face.
The three pools were getting quite full, as the various witches finished their exercises.
Then babies started getting hungry or needing to be changed. Witches came and went.
Answer joined them. "All told, I'm quite impressed with your training, River. You should stay through the Equinox before you go off exploring the other two Pyramids."
"Two weeks. And excellent idea." River glanced over at Grace, giggling with a group of youngsters.
"Not well trained, but she has a good start and plenty of time to catch up. Curious has room for her." She eyed River.
"I'll stay at the Inn."
The old woman nodded, and the session broke up shortly after, and River just naturally walked home with Quicksilver. And blinked back tears at the familiar angles and warm red wood. The fruity odor, the big casks. The comfortable furniture was different, but similar. The stairs to the attic new. Wolf's office hadn't changed much. The library was sorted by subject, and larger than she remembered.