Angee pushed her gently away, "Yes and no Mol, it's Angee now not Ang."
"Angee, that's a girls name!", Mol said with a tone of worry in her voice, Angee nodded with a friendly look, "yes it is, I'm a girl now thanks to the Goddess", Mol fainted.
Angee's friends galloped over. "Is everything all right?" Allia asked as Bria dismounted, "let me look at her" she said concern colouring her voice and bent down to put two hands on either side of Mol's head, a few seconds later she looked at Angee, "she's alright she just fainted, do you want me to bring her round?".
Angee knelt beside her childhood friend, "yes", Bria placed one hand on Mol's head for a moment, it glowed briefly with a green and white light and Mol's eyes started to open.
Mol looked frightened for a moment and then focussed on Angee, "what happened?" she said, Bria answered her, "you fainted , I brought you around."
Mol shook her head, "no I mean to you Ang." Angee looked at her friend, "Mol,like I said my name is Angee now and these are my friends, Bria, who's kneeling beside you and this is Allia."
Mol seemed doubtful. "Are you a Bard then?", Allia held up her arms to look at her uniform "Well, if we aren't there are some angry Bards somewhere, but seriously, yes we are, we all became Bards at the same time." Mol studied Angee, "so it's true, you are a Bard and a girl?".
Angee nodded solemnly, "it's alright Mol, I've never been happier", which she reflected was true.
"I'll explain it all later, but right now I need to know something, has anything changed in the Village?".
Mol thought for a moment, "no, everything's the same, we do have a troupe of wandering players here at the moment." Angee's sense of interest kicked in, "how many are there? and how long have they been here?".
Mol looked confused. "What's wrong with musicians and acrobats?, there are only ten of them."
Angee looked at Allia and Bria, they felt the danger too.
"I suppose we'd better deal with this, I don't think it would be a wise idea to go into the village alone, do you have your plain clothes?".
Both Bards nodded, "lets get changed into them."
Angee unhitched her saddle bags and took out some plain trews and a tunic, the others had similar outfits, they started to get changed, Angee had forgotten Mol until she heard her gasp, "you ARE a woman." Angee looked down at her exposed breasts, "yes, didn't you believe me?".
Angee felt hurt her friend doubted her, Allia and Bria must have sensed her emotions for they both paused and looked at her and gave her a reassuring sense of support.
Mol looked as if she wanted to ask something, Angee looked a question at her.
Mol flushed, "well, I was just wondering about your stars, I know what the green and blue stars mean, but I thought the only other kind was grey?, that's all they say there are."
Angee shook her head and knelt down beside Mol placing a hand on her arm, "I'm something not seen for a millennium.
A White Bard" , she still looked puzzled, Angee continued, "A white Bard uses magic."
Mol looked scared, Angee stood up and finished arranging her tunic, "don't worry Mol, I may be a woman now, but who I am hasn't really changed", Mol looked doubtful.
Angee looked down at Mol, "now, I want you to stay here Mol while we go to the village, there may be trouble."
Angee and her friends didn't wait for an answer they headed for the village, Allia and Bria walking with swords in hand just behind Angee.
The village seemed fairly quiet which seemed unusual for this time of day, she could see where the so called players had set up, and they were entertaining even now.
A man with black hair was talking to most of the village, he was dressed in a parody of a priests outfit and his tone while comical hid the poison in the words he conveyed, "and so I say to you friends, verily the king will destroy the kingdom with the help of the evil Bards", his words were accented by outlandish gestures and people laughed, but his message was getting through, he carried on, "so we must bring this king low ...". Angee had heard enough and decided to confront this creature directly.
"Evil are we? and do you always preach treason to an audience?".
The 'preacher's ' face contorted with hate, "You!" a snarl contorting his face, suddenly other players appeared out of nowhere. "You think you can face us Bard?" he laughed, "ten against three ?", Angee smiled and said one word in a soft voice, "shield".
The crowd ran in all directions, the preacher looked shocked and raised a hand, black lightning flew from his fingers and impacted harmlessly on the shield, bolt after bolt flew harmlessly at them, the preacher stopped after a few minutes panting for breath, Angee smiled again but this was not a nice smile and slowly the front of the shield raised.
As Angee lifted her hands to point at the preacher she noticed the crowd was watching from windows and doorways, she could see her father, although it was plain he didn't recognise his child. Angee's hands glowed white with red streaks and the fire mist flew at the preacher enveloping him and two of his cohorts nearby, then they started to scream.
Her stomach turned but she held the mist on them for two minutes and when she released it they were nothing but blackened bones, "release the shield" she said, and drew her sword.
The remaining six charged them but their weapons skill was no match for these three with their heartswords, in short order five were killed and the sixth wounded. The last one must have bolted for they could find no sign of him.
Angee and her friends picked up the wounded dark servant and carried him out of the village.
"We need to know what they were doing here."
The man struggled and they dropped him, "you'll get nothing from me!" he spat, and pulled a hidden dagger stabbing himself before they could stop him, he went limp instantly.
Bria knelt beside him, "poison."
Angee shook herself, "lets go get changed, best uniforms I think", Allia and Bria followed her back to where Mol was waiting with the mounts.
"Is everything alright?" she asked , looking them over for any sign of injury, "it is now" she said as she unpacked her best uniform.
Once all three of them were dressed in full formal Bardic uniform they remounted.
"We despatched some servants of the Unnamed one,do you want a lift?", Angee asked Mol, Mol shook her head, "no, I think I'd rather walk."
The three Bards rode into the village to scenes of people crying and panic, they rode to the inn, Angee's father stood outside eyed them warily in the fading daylight, "hello father" Angee said, recognition dawned in his eyes.
"Ang!, what has happened to you!, were you anything to with the people who murdered the travelling players?".
Angee felt shocked, "Murdered!, they were not murdered, they were the Unnamed ones servants, we took them in fair combat!".
Angee father looked stunned, "you!, but...",Angee held up a hand , "father, lets continue this inside, we're rather tired and would like a warm drink."
Angee and her companions dismounted and tied the mounts to the rail in front of the Inn, they walked inside where her father and most of the village Council stood waiting for them.
They sat at a table and a girl Angee did not know brought them some mulled wine, she looked at the girl as she was leaving, probably hired to replace me she thought.
The Council and Angee's father looked at them and Angee could tell they were waiting for an explanation, Angee sighed and began, "Alright, I was coming home to see you with my friends father when we sensed danger as we approached the village, we dressed in plain clothes and entered the village, those so called players of yours were not players at all but the
Unnamed one's servants, they recognised us when I challenged them."
Angee saw the look on her fathers face, "yes, father that was me in front, and I used magic to defeat that sorcerer and we dispatched the rest with our swords" this was beginning to pall,they owed no explanations.
A man stepped forward, "what about the man you carried off?". Angee recognised Seb's fat
her, Perr, the local miller and sour tooth, "he killed himself when we tried to question him."
Perr sneered, "we only have your word for that."
Angee and her friends stood up suddenly, Angee's hands glowed white. "What! you doubt the word of three Bards!". Righteous anger flared in all three of them, Perr shrank back as did everyone in the room, Angie sighed and released her magic, she sat down slowly as did her friends.
Ten
After finishing their mulled wine Angee stood up and walked over to her father.
"We need three rooms, and don't worry I will pay for them." Angee saw she had gauged her father's reactions to the request for rooms rightly and she blessed the Mother Abbess for insisting she take a pouch of silver with her.
Angee walked over to her companions, "come on, I'll show you where your rooms are, the atmosphere in here isn't very nice." Allia spoke under her breath, "too true!".
Allia felt real compassion for Angee as they walked upstairs, she dreaded to think what growing up in a situation like this could have been like, and as a boy at that!
At least she had grown up in a small town with a loving mother and father, it had been a real wrench to leave them when she was told by her Bard sponsor she'd been chosen, her two sisters were inconsolable, but being sixteen and eight years old, the eight year old didn't really understand and the sixteen year old was a bit jealous.
As they got to the top of the stairs she impulsively hugged Angee, "what was that for?" Angee asked in surprise. Allia smiled, "because I thought you needed it and deserved it" she said with a blush.
It got a bit awkward then with all three of them blushing furiously, "these two are your rooms", she indicated two doors, "I will be having a talk with father shortly , so if it gets rowdy, you know why." They both gave her a knowing look and closed their doors.
Angee entered her room and locked the door, she needed a wash , she felt so grimy, and the battle she'd just fought was not one of the most pleasant experiences she'd ever had, killing for whatever reason was not a nice thing to do.
Angee had just finished washing and was partly dressed when someone tried the door, her father, she knew without asking.
As she tucked her shirt into her trews she noticed her breasts were very pronounced now, looking in her shirt she hadn't noticed they'd grown over the past few weeks, oh well, she thought and went to open the door.
As she opened it she was nearly knocked over as her father barged in.
"Come in", Angee said sarcastically, this was not going to be pleasant.
"What do you mean locking the door?" Ing demanded as he sat in the chair without looking at her, "and what..", he stopped as he looked at her his face suffusing with anger, Angee stepped in before he could shout at her, "I am a Bard now father, and yes the Goddess has made me a woman."
A base roar erupted from Ing and he launched himself at Angee. In times gone by he would have pummeled her now, but Angee's battle reflexes kicked in and she easily avoided his charge, he went crashing into the table. Angee pounced and got him in an arm lock, but he managed to straighten and stamped on her foot which made her release him.
Ing whirled and tried to deliver a roundhouse that has floored many a rowdy patron but Angee ducked and rolled past him, enough of this! she thought and her hands started to glow with power.
Angee knew in that instant she was master of not only the high magics, but the middle and low magics and she knew what to use now, a web of light flew from her fingers and instantly paralysed her father, he stood there immobile but able to see speak,see and hear.
Angee edged past him and out of the door, she took a deep breath, she knew her friends had sensed the magic and would be concerned.
As if on cue both their doors opened and Bria was the first to speak, "is everything alright?", Angee shook her head wearily. "Not yet, but it will be, my father took it worse than I thought." She could feel the sympathy coming from them and smiled.
Turning she re-entered the room, she edged past her father again and sat on the bed looking at her feet, after a minute she looked up directly at him. "that is a spell that can totally paralyse you, if you try to shout I will modify it to gag you, you WILL listen to what I came to say."
Ing looked like he was going to fly into a rage, but stopped himself and merely waited for Angee to speak. Angee felt a perverse satisfaction at his predicament and was suddenly ashamed of such a feeling, she realised she'd come close to using a deadly spell on him and it troubled her, this was not right.
A thought drifted into her mind, Very good child. She realised it was Suse and heard a gentle laughter, this was what she'd wanted her to see!.
Angee looked at Ing again. "I know this is a shock for you father, it was a shock for me, the Goddess told me that I was never intended to be a boy, that was done by the Unnamed One to thwart the powers of good."
Angee controlled her peaked emotions,she hadn't realised she knew this till she actually said it.
Ing looked scared, Angee continued, "you know how everyone treated me as I was growing up, it was because my body was male but inside I was female, you can't imagine how hard it's been for me", she looked at her feet to take a pause, this was very difficult.
Angee stood up, "I came home to settle thing with you father. My friends and I will confront the Unnamed One himself sometime in the future."
Ing gasped, "But he's dead!, all the tales say so!", Angee nodded, "It seems we were wrong, for we know he is returning and only I and my friends can stop him.
Those players we fought were here for some reason, I think they knew who you were, now you're safe I have to leave in a few days, to check my friends families too, but I had to settle this first, despite our differences in the past I do love you father" and looking down she waved a hand dispelling the light web that held Ing.
She felt him sit on the bed next to her, "I never realised it was so bad for you" he said , "I only wanted you to stand up for yourself more as any father would do" he squirmed as he uttered quietly "I do love you Ang" , and he put an arm round her and hugged her.
Angee burst into tears and hugged him back. "Its Angee now" she whispered in his ear through a tear choked voice.
After washing her face Angee felt a lot better, she left her room and knocked on Allia and Bria's doors, they both opened them. "I'll explain what happened, which room shall we talk in?" Bria was half way out of her door so they all went into Allia's.
Angee related how she'd solved the problems with her father and they'd leave in two days, "We're going back to the temple?" Bria asked, Angee shook her head, "no, we'll check the village out first then pay calls on both your families.
I'm not sure they weren't here to use father for some reason so we should check your as well", Allia and Bria looked troubled, Angee reassured them , "don't worry, we'll see they're fine."
She hoped those words were true, "now which one of your families is nearer?".
Bria spoke up, "I don't have much of a family left", she said quietly.
"Only my mother is left now, when I was ten a plague killed my father and brother, it's a small town about two days ride south of here called Direm.
Allia agreed. "It makes sense then we'll go to your first, I live south of Direm in the market town of Irek, seems daft to double back." Angee and Bria were happy with that.
Angee thought for a moment. "Do you think we should go to the temple first and let the Abbess know the situation?, or should we send a messenger?".
Allia and Bria from the look on their faces liked that idea better, Angee smiled, "right then we'll do that".
After a sound night's sleep Angee felt a lot fresher, she realised what a strain it had been over the past few days, the journey here and confronting her father, but that was all sorted now, just to check on her friends families then complete their training.
That was all she was prepared to think about at the moment, the thought of facing the Unnamed one terrified her and she knew she wasn't ready to face that ye
t.
She had almost finished dressing when she decided she'd put on the third of her three tunics she had with her, I'll have to get Mother Tolly to do a wash for us before we go she thought .
Angee had timed it perfectly, all three of them were downstairs within the space of five minutes, Angee's father nodded with a grunt that they were all down at dawn like he was, Angee knew that her father had very set ideas about people who stay in bed three hours past cock crow.
"Lazy sluggards" she once heard him say and that thought brought a smile to her face.
"What?" Allia whispered with a grin, Angee leaned over, "it's nothing, I was just thinking back to something my father said about people who don't get up at cock crow." Allia giggled. "He'd make a good match for my father then, he's a baker and up early too."
Angee knew that breakfast wouldn't be ready yet so she got up and said to her friend's in passing, "father's not used to guests up so early, so I'll see about a drink of leaf tea for us", they both nodded and Bria's face lit up, "thanks, I could do with a hot drink, it's a bit of a cold morning."
Angee walked behind the bar and into the kitchen, Sally cook was just getting the porridge ready in a large pot and only glanced at Angee who picked up the kettle which had just boiled, all of a sudden she went dizzy only just managing to stay upright, sally cook screamed, Angee's surrounding faded.
Allia and Bria came running into the kitchen as did her father, he shouted at them, "what's wrong with her?", Allia looked at him sternly. "Be quiet, hysterics won't help now!".
All three of them could see the violent swirls of colour which spun around Angee, Allia knew all they could do was wait.
A minute later the colours faded and Ing only just managed to grab the kettle before Angee spilled it over herself burning his hands in the process.
A Change For the Light Page 7