by Tom Larcombe
I sure hope Michael's proposed defense force knows how to clean a new weapon, Rynn thought. This stuff is just nasty and I hate stripping a rifle all the way down just to clean this stuff off the metal parts.
“Remember, try not to get any of the solvent on the wooden portions,” Bill said, “it'll discolor them badly.”
Dan stared at him in disbelief.
“Bill, I know you love these rifles. I know you're very excited about seeing them in pristine condition. But we don't really care if the wooden parts get a little discolored. They aren't collectors pieces, they're going to be used, probably used hard.”
Bill's face fell and he went back to cleaning his rifle. The others could all hear him muttering under his breath. They made out a few words like sacrilege, and vandalism, before his muttering got too soft to make out anything else.
They finally finished cleaning the rifles, having gotten a great deal of the cosmoline onto themselves while getting it off the guns.
Luke looked around the office.
“Ammunition?” he said. “We need to test fire these as a sample of the batch.”
“The entire wall behind the crates of rifles is lined with smaller crates of ammo,” Michael said.
“How many rounds?”
Michael shook his head.
“No idea, but it ought to be enough for a good long while.”
Luke went over to the open case of ammunition Michael pointed to and started pulling some out.
“Hot damn! It's already in the clips. I hate loading clips.”
Luke handed out five clips to each of the people in the room.
“Forty rounds ought to be more than enough for testing and zeroing, right?” he said.
“Forty rounds is overkill for that,” Bill said. “But if you're just wanting to fire the rifle for a bit? Well that leaves you a bunch of rounds after you test and zero.”
* * *
They went out to Michael's firing range as a group. Bill went first since not everyone was familiar with the Garand. He kept up a running monologue as he went through testing, then zeroing, the rifle. After he was done, he turned to Dan.
“You're next, Dan. If you don't remember any of it, just ask. I'm right here.”
They went through the men who'd come up with Dan one at a time. Luke was last. After he tested and zeroed the rifle, he turned to Rynn.
“Now watch this. This is how we protect pretty ladies like yourself.”
Then he turned and fired all eight rounds from the fresh clip he'd just inserted, one after the other. All eight were in the black on the target with the rough shape of a man that they'd placed out there before starting, but they were staggered around the central circle, only one of them making it into the bullseye.
I hate guys like this, ones that think I'm helpless because I'm a woman. Should I? Why not.
She inserted her own clip and, before even testing and zeroing the rifle, flung it up to her shoulder.
Gotta keep my concentration on the rifle in case it's bad. Then move my thoughts to the bullet just to make sure.
“This is how I protect men who can't fire straight,” she said.
She fired all eight shots off, one after the other like Luke had done. When she was done, there was a circle in the middle of the bullseye that had no paper remaining. She'd shot out a piece the size of a silver dollar.
Luke stared at her while the others laughed. Michael was staring at her also, but she could tell that he had questions, as opposed to Luke, who was just dumbfounded.
“Guess she showed you,” Dan said.
Luke stalked off towards the office, rifle in hand.
Michael held Rynn back when they went to return their rifles to the office.
“What did you do there? You hadn't even zeroed the rifle yet,” he said.
“You know I'm Fire and Air, right? Dad showed me the trick after he was convinced I could shoot well without it. You use Air magic to help guide your bullet so it hits exactly where you want.”
Michael shook his head.
“Crap, I was hoping you could teach it to me. Better be careful around Luke though, I think you've made an enemy, or at least someone who's never going to think of you as a friend.”
“That's fine by me. I could feel his eyes crawling all over me ever since he showed up.”
“You're an attractive woman Rynn, I'd think you'd be used to that.”
“I'm used to being looked at, but he was undressing me with his eyes. That just creeps me out.”
“Well, let's get these rifles cleaned and racked. Then we can find Bobby and Anne to see if they'll watch the kids for us this evening.”
By the time they got back to the office, everyone but Dan was gone.
“I'll let you know when we need to get in here Michael. For what it's worth, I agree that whatever you do for security ought to be pretty severe, even lethal like you said. I don't want to think about all this stuff getting into the hands of someone that might misuse it.”
Dan left after a couple of minutes of small talk. They cleaned and stored their rifles, then headed back for the house.
* * *
After they returned to the house, Michael started a stew. He said something about it being a dish he could just ignore, but he still went over and stirred it every fifteen to twenty minutes, occasionally adding this or that to it.
While he wasn't working on dinner, Michael and Rynn helped the kids finish up loading the bags.
“I'll ask dad if he can take these down to the church tomorrow in his truck. It should only take him two loads and I think he might like Father Anderson when he meets him,” Michael said.
Bobby and Anne returned about a half hour before dinner with Jeff and Liz in tow. The four of them were chatting about something that Rynn didn't catch since she was trying to squeeze in some lessons for the students before dinner was ready.
When they sat down, Rynn found herself pulling all the venison out of the stew and wolfing it down. Michael noticed and slid a few pieces of the meat from his bowl into hers. Eventually she got around to eating the rest of the stew as well. She knew her body needed the vegetables, but it craved the meat.
While they were eating, Michael broached the subject of Bobby and Anne watching the kids for a couple of hours tonight. The couple was more than willing, especially when Michael mentioned the possibility of fresh fish when they returned.
Andrew returned a while after the rest had finishing eating.
“Me and my bright idea about walking to Pete's place. Even with the bicycle he loaned me, I'm exhausted just from getting back here.”
“You should use your truck dad,” Michael said.
“Yeah, but no-one else is using their cars. I don't want to stand out.”
“I'm going to ask you to use it tomorrow, if you're willing.”
“Only if it's something I can do first thing in the morning. I promised Pete I'd be back by ten.”
“What are you two doing out there anyhow?” Michael asked.
“I'm not saying, remember? That way if it doesn't work, we won't be embarrassed. What did you need me to do?”
“I've got a whole lot of food to go down to the church. We repackaged all those old rations so Father Anderson can distribute them with fewer questions. I could take them down in the Jeep, but it would take me five or six loads. I figure you can do it in two with your truck.”
“How early is he awake?” Andrew asked.
“I think he's an early riser. Besides, once word gets out that you took some loads of food down to the church in your truck, I don't think anyone will say anything about you using it regularly.”
“You might have a point there Michael. I'll do it. Since I'll be driving my truck, I can leave a lot later and get to Pete's on time. Then we can start earlier on the following days.”
“Good, thank you.”
“I've got a favor to ask myself,” Andrew said.
Michael gestured for him to continue.
“Do you have a bunch
of those storage crystals you use that are all close to the same size? I'd like a few to experiment with. The more we can get in the same size, the better, at least assuming our idea works. We'll eventually need some smaller models of your solar panels as well.”
Now what is Michael's father up to? Rynn thought. I know he has a Talent for engines and Pete is a tinker. What are those two trying to make?
“I think I've got a few crystals that are close to the same size. The panels will take a while though, I have to make each of those by hand. What kind of capacity are you looking for?”
Rynn stopped following their conversation as they drifted off into technicalities. A few minutes later, after Andrew had finished eating, Michael stood and offered his hand to Rynn. She'd been lost in her thoughts and didn't even notice until he cleared his throat.
She blushed and stood, taking Michael's hand. They were ready to leave for the lake when Bobby caught the two of them on the back porch.
“Michael, speaking of favors...” Bobby said.
“What do you need Bobby?”
“Well, Anne and I couldn't help but notice how crowded it was here. I'm not complaining, mind you, but you know it is. We were thinking about moving back down to her place. She had her water piped in though, so we need to do something about that.”
“Yes?”
“I was wondering if you'd be able to help us dig a well down there. I figure with Earth and Water magic it ought to be a piece of cake for you.”
“You going to use a bucket to pull it up?”
“Nah, your dad said Pete has a bunch of hand pumps. He thinks he can get us one of those. Then we'll just need to install that and we'll be all set. Jeff's pretty sure he can set up a garden down there if we can keep the prairie dogs out of it, and I should be able to handle that.”
“You've got this all planned out already?”
“That's where we were today. Looking it over and trying to figure out what we'll need.”
“I'll do it, I just don't know when. My schedule's a little busy currently.”
“I understand. Just let us know if there's anything we can do to help with that and we'll be glad to.”
“Now, if you'll excuse us, Rynn and I have a date.”
Bobby mumbled an apology for disturbing them and went back into the house. Michael and Rynn went out to the shed to get the fishing rods and then headed for the lake.
The fish were biting surprisingly well for as much fishing as the lake had seen recently. In the darkness Rynn felt safe gobbling down the first three fish she caught, whole. After that she ate about one in three of those she pulled in.
How embarrassing, she thought. I'm glad it's dark out so Michael can't see what I'm doing.
The two of them talked softly while they fished. Michael hinted about her secret, and she knew he'd noticed her scratching again.
I wish I could just tell him, she thought. But I have to ask dad about it first and every time I talk to him there's always something more urgent to discuss.
Two hours of fishing filled the creel they'd brought, even after Rynn had eaten a lot of the catch. They picked up their gear and headed back for the house. The back porch light was on, and they paused there for a moment.
“I'd ask for a kiss,” Michael said, “but from the sounds of it, you ate about half our catch while we were down there. So, no offense intended, but I'll pass.”
Rynn felt her cheeks burning. She thought he hadn't noticed, but he'd just been polite enough not to mention it at the time. She would've felt worse still if she hadn't heard the humor in his voice.
“How about a hug then?” she offered. “I was very careful not to wear any of the fish at least.”
He stepped up and put an arm around her, then guided her out into the darkness. The two of them sat down on the rock he used when he was checking his garden. With their arms around one another, they stared up at the stars in the night sky.
* * *
* * *
Chapter 11
Michael waited until he'd seen Rynn off to bed before heading back to the kitchen. He wasn't feeling tired at all, at least not in the sense that his body wanted sleep. He was tired of all the responsibilities he'd somehow fallen into and the fact that they were keeping him as busy as he'd ever been in his life though.
He set up the cutting board and started cleaning and filleting the fish as he thought.
I haven't needed nearly as much sleep since a few days after my water magic returned. I always thought that Rynn could do that because of something else, but maybe not, maybe at some level of power the magic starts sustaining you on its own. Four hours a night does me fine now, six if I'm really drained. I used to need eight or more every night.
He'd cleaned enough fish in his lifetime that he didn't really need to think about his actions as he took care of them. A glance down showed him the truth of that; he was already on the second one.
But now I've got an extra two to four hours every day. I think part of the reason I've been taking so much on is to fill that time, but what will I do with it later, assuming there is a later. What have I done that has the Council so bound and determined to kill me?
He kept musing about his situation as he finished with the fish. The fillets went into the refrigerator. The offal he took outside since he knew Calvin would love it.
Crap, I was supposed to get with Calvin and Gerry today and I completely forgot. Maybe there's even more drawbacks to overloading my schedule. I don't normally forget things, especially not ones as important as that. Well, the offal will be my apology and I'll go to sleep now so I can be up before dawn and be waiting for Calvin when he wakes up.
He dropped the offal in a bucket and sealed the lid on, otherwise it would disappear to the raccoons that lived on the other side of the cliff. They'd smell it from up there and be down in a heartbeat. Then he headed back to wash up and go to bed. Despite not being tired, he still managed to get to sleep so he could be up before dawn.
* * *
When the sun came over the horizon, he was waiting next to the bucket. At the first sign of a crow taking flight he whistled softly and called out.
“Calvin!”
The crow came flying down and circled him several times, seemingly hesitant to land.
“I'm sorry Calvin, I completely forgot about yesterday. But if Gerry's up, we'll take care of it right away this morning. After you have some breakfast.”
He popped the lid on the bucket and, ignoring the odor, dumped the offal on the ground in front of himself.
Calvin's reticence to land disappeared immediately. Within seconds he was on the ground, pecking away at the remains of the fish. Michael moved over to his rock and surveyed his garden while Calvin ate.
I just can't believe what the fae do to plants. Everything is healthy, there's none of the bugs or leaf rot you normally can't avoid, the roots go twice as deep into the soil as they usually do, and the plants themselves are more than twice their normal size.
While he trusted the fae, he still sent his senses into the soil beneath the garden. From what he could see the balance between everything the plants needed was as close to perfect as he could remember it ever being. There was something else in there also, something that he couldn't identify, but he was pretty sure it came from the dust that the fae dropped over the garden every few days.
Every plant I can see has its roots traveling through a patch of that stuff. Even when they have to shift a lot sideways to get to it. I wonder if I could get some of it, maybe try to find out what it is?
He was startled into snapping his senses back into his body when Calvin landed on his shoulder. He shook his head and squinted his eyes against the mild headache he got from the unexpected return of his senses. Then he stood.
“Calvin, do you know where Gerry is?”
“Caw!”
“Go to her, I'll follow. We'll see if she's willing to take care of this right now. I'm sorry about yesterday, but there was just one thing after anothe
r, and then I forgot.”
“Caw, Caw!”
Calvin leapt from his shoulder, spreading his wings and beginning to fly. Evidently Gerry spent all her time in the strawberry patch since that's where the crow was headed. Michael walked after Calvin, hurrying his pace when the crow began to circle.
Michael called to mind the words he'd decided to use to apologize to Gerry, then discarded them in favor of blunt honesty as she fluttered her way through the strawberry plants and hovered above them.
“I'm sorry,” he said. “I honestly forgot that I was supposed to meet you and Calvin yesterday. It seems like one thing after another just kept popping up that I had to take care of.”
She looked at him closely and cocked her head to one side.
“You had to take care of? I think not. It is more that you chose to take care of them yourself. You didn't even tell me that you and Calvin were going to talk to me yesterday, I only know because Calvin told me when he was looking for you. You should listen to your mate. She was wise when she told you that you take too much upon yourself.”
“My mate?” Michael said, his eyes going wide.
“Rynn, you call her. Do you truly think that the two of you are not mated? The ways you both changed when she arrived told me everything I needed to know of that.”
Okay... Michael thought. I have to never forget that Gerry is fae and that she knows things somehow. She gets brutally honest and tells me things I don't want to know when I offend her. Even when I had no intent of doing so.
“She and I have not made that decision yet,” Michael said.
Gerry laughed, a thin, piercing sound that should have been irritating yet somehow wasn't.
“Perhaps your minds have not, but there is more to a person than a mind and sometimes the mind is the last to know things.”
Michael shook his head to clear his thoughts.
I think I need to get this conversation back on track. It's not going at all where I intended it to.
“Will you help Calvin and I communicate with each other?” he asked. “That's why we came out here now. I wanted to do it as soon as I could so there was no chance of forgetting again. He's more important than that and I already feel horrible that we didn't get to it yesterday like I told him we would.”