by Taki Drake
Pawlik was bearing up well, supported by Cal and his crew. Ruth wandered by and tucked herself close to him periodically for reassurance, before continuing to circulate separately.
The lawyers were being interrogated by those that had avoided the fund but were all refusing to speak of any particulars. They were, however, looking more and more amused as individuals and groups come up to interrogate them.
About a half hour before the funeral meal would end, the two girls returned to the room, talking quietly with each other. They noticed where Ruth was standing and headed directly toward her. The brother of the younger girl attempted to intercept them, starting to harangue her, but the older girl seemed to accidentally bump into him and knock him flying. He yelled at the tall, curly haired blonde in embarrassment while she apologized profusely. He attempted to recover and go after his sister, but the blonde insisted on brushing him off which further delayed him. Carla managed to get next to Ruth and asked if she might speak to her. Ruth nodded her agreement but waited for the other girl to join them. She noticed from the corner of her eye that the mother of the two young children also had approached. She stood patiently, waiting for them to speak, looking as non-threatening as she could manage.
Carla asked with a nervously shaking voice, “Is there anything I can do for a job with you, Lady Mage?”
The tall blonde interrupted before Ruth could respond to add, “There are always things that need to be done, and we are both hard workers,” looking quickly at Carla, she said, “We really want to work for someone who respects all people, especially women.”
The young mother joined her voice to theirs and asked, “If there’s something I can also do for employment I would like to work for you, Lady Mage. Anything at all, as long as there is a safe place to raise my children.”
Ruth agreed to employ them and told them that they could stay at the castle if they chose. They all accepted the job offers with relief. Carla thanked Ruth in an undertone, explaining that she took nothing but her own belongings and pets. She expressed the hope that there will be no problem with the animals at the castle, looking worried. Ruth smiled, thinking of the variety of livestock and wildlife that were part of the inner keep before informing her that her pets would not be a problem.
It was 15 minutes before the end of the banquet. The oldest lawyer looked over at Ruth and cocked his head in question. When Ruth smiled and nodded, he grinned mischievously and turned to talk to the other lawyers. All of the attorneys began to wander through the remaining crowd, collecting their clients for a final discussion. Most of the people that have been so gathered looked a little bit nervous.
The lawyers herded them into separate areas, trying to distance them from the other people at the banquet. Some of the most curious of the others attempted to listen in but were kept at a distance by guards. As the lawyers spoke to their clients, expressions change from worry to astonishment. Some of the people began to even cry with joy. A few of them started to dance.
This unusual behavior drew the attention of the remaining people at the banquet, even those that had not been trying to eavesdrop. Questions began flying around the room regarding the strange reaction of the attorneys’ clients. One brave soul even had the temerity to ask Ruth.
The Mage stared at her questioner long enough to raise his discomfort level before finally telling him that the initial quarterly disbursement from the fund was being made to those participating in it. She added that the lawyers were telling their clients the amount that had just been transferred into their accounts. The man opened his mouth to ask Ruth the details but was stopped by the power of her gaze.
An outraged yell erupted from one of the men who had been insulting in his refusal to participate in the fund. “How much?!” he roared in astounded anger. Apparently possessing excellent hearing, he had been standing at the fringe of the protected area around one of the groups. His furious reaction touched off a wildfire of questions and angry comments. Many people attempted to get closer to the lawyers, but the Mage Guard kept them at a distance. That restraint did nothing to calm the room down.
The movement of the crowd reminded Ruth of an amoeba moving across the floor. Her guard contingent could read the motion even more accurately than she, so they were ready when several groups attempted to speak to the Mage. The guards were polite but relentless. No one was allowed to approach Ruth. However, they were trying to control the crowd with a total lack of force, which finally failed. As two large and angry men charged around one of her guards, Ruth decided to remind them who exactly they were attempting to confront.
No One Messes With The Mage.
Shouts of “I want in,” “Why didn’t you tell us?” resonated until fire flashed from Ruth’s hands, raising a three-foot wall of angry green and red flames in a circle around her. The Mage’s voice cut through the noise like a sharp blade. “I made the offer, you refused it. I warned you that your decision was irrevocable, you ignored it. I have no obligation to any of you, especially after your disdain.”
Recoiling from the flame and pushed into retreat by the power and coldness of Ruth’s voice, most of the people left the banquet room. Only a few remained. One of those was Carla’s manipulative brother. As Carla and her blonde companion left the Mage Guard perimeter around her lawyer, her brother grabbed her arm and began to speak urgently to her. Carla attempted to pull away, but her brother tightened his grip and yanked her toward him. Before the taller blonde girl could intervene, one of the Mage Guards grabbed him and frog-marched him out of the room, leaving nothing but relief tinged with an echo of the sourness of his personality.
The banquet was finally over. Pawlik closed his eyes briefly in thanks before smiling at Ruth.
All in all, it had been a very satisfying day.
Chapter 21 – Borachville
The village that bordered Borachland Castle was called Borachville in honor of the keep. The village head had issued an invitation to Pawlik and Ruth for a dinner meeting with the local dignitaries which they finally felt able to accept. They knew that the political, religious and educational leaders of the area were all planning to attend so Ruth decided that they needed to honor the invitation by dressing up. Initially, it was planned that the party from the castle keep would be small, only Pawlik and Ruth. Of course, some of the inner and outer keep guards would accompany them, as well as some of the Mage Marines.
It was the first formal event that Ruth had attended as Pawlik’s consort. She literally did not know what to wear, or even if she had anything that was appropriate to wear. The female guards passed on offering advice, saying that they were better suited to helping her choose uniform or armor than selecting a dress.
In desperation, Ruth had asked Mary to help her choose her outfit for the occasion. When Mary entered Ruth’s room, she was accompanied by the young mother with the two children, Grace. The look of stress on the Mage’s face raised smiles of amusement from the two women that they were careful to keep concealed from the rattled Consort. Sorting through the scant closet that Ruth had managed to build up, several garments were laid out on the bed for consideration. Mary’s gestures combined with the diffident suggestions from Grace eventually produced what Ruth thought might be acceptable.
Looking back and forth between the final selection and Ruth, Mary made a series of complex pantomimes that left Grace and Ruth in helpless laughter. Finally, Ruth figured out that Mary was trying to tell her to alter the garments with her magic and make something spectacular. Uttering a very un-Mage like “Duh!” Ruth covered the clothes with combined blue and gray flames. Holding the spell against the fabric only for a few seconds, it dissipated leaving a long dress with gathered sleeves, covered in silver and red patterns on a silk-like black fabric. Ruth grinned.
“Apparently, there are some advantages to being a Mage!”
Everyone smiled, but Ruth noticed that both Grace and Mary were looking a little bit wistful. A momentary impulse caused the Mage to ask if the two of them would like
to go to the party also? Their excited response was all that Ruth needed, and she released them to make their own preparations. The two women hurried off to arrange for their own outfits with Grace excitedly chattering at Mary who gestured her answers in return.
The dinner was being held at the largest restaurant and bar outside of the capital city. It was run by two bartending brothers, one always present during the day, with the other one appearing only at night. The day shift guy was quiet and efficient while the bartender on the night shift was cheerful and fast. You could tell that they had been in the mercenaries together until retirement by their similar accounts of battles and experiences. Both of them carried lasting injuries from their days with the mercenary forces. The day guy was missing part of his left hand, while his nighttime brother had an artificial right leg. Neither injury seemed to affect their ability to bartend or to act as their own bouncers.
They had other similarities. Both of them had tattoos on their arms that helped the resemblance and a variety of runes. And neither one of them could sing. The reason everyone knew they couldn’t sing was that the frequent minstrels and musical groups that played at the bar would occasionally tempt the brothers into trying to sing, which always ended badly. In fact, there was a jar on the bar that held donations from the patrons to prevent any singing by the bartenders.
The party from the castle arrived in the village for the dinner engagement. The driver pulled the vehicle up to the mouth of an alleyway just a few hundred feet away from the restaurant door. Pawlik and Ruth were the first out of the vehicle after the guards had secured the area. They moved slightly ahead of the rest. Mary and Grace came next. Both were carefully dressed and smiling in happy anticipation. Mary almost seemed to be dancing. The sound of her cloven hooves striking the pavement of the alleyway echoed like a snare drum as she settled her jewelry and garments in preparation for the evening’s entertainment. Grace accompanied her a bit more sedately, her smile tentative but bright. Their anticipation and joy in the outing were a pleasure to all that saw them.
The keep party entered the restaurant filled with an expectation of an evening filled with entertainment and pleasant conversation. The waiting dignitaries stood around the bar area waiting for Pawlik and Ruth to come in. Seeing the castle party enter, they moved to surround Pawlik and Ruth, including Mary and Grace in the shaking of hands and introducing themselves to all.
The mayor was there of course. A somewhat heavyset man, he was welcoming but nervous, endeavoring to calmly present Pawlik and his new consort to the others. Four guilds were represented by the guild masters who seemed more focused on Pawlik than anyone else. The two religious leaders divided their attention between Pawlik and Ruth but seemed far more concerned with the Mage. The local school headmaster appeared somewhat lost until Grace and Mary engaged him in a spirited conversation about children. Grace’s innocent charm and Mary’s calm demeanor soon had him relaxed and laughing. The remaining two attendees from the village were the head of the local healers and the lead judiciary.
The head healer was an imposing woman with gray hair and a pleasantly lined face. Her eyes drifted from person-to-person in the group, observing their posture and facial expressions with a mild air of inquiry. Frequently, she focused on Ruth. Seeming to derive resolution from the air, the healer set her drink down and approached the Mage, murmuring a request for further discussion. Ruth bent her head to the side to better hear what the healer was saying, and the two seemed to enter into their own quiet space and time for an intense, but low-toned conversation.
The judicial representative was entirely different. He was very distinctive and unusual in this group. He had a worn face, with the tracks of pain and triumph graven indelibly into the flesh and skin. His eyes reflected the depths of his sorrow and the power that a rage unleashed would invoke. Men automatically feared him if they had guilt in their soul, while women were fascinated by him and the danger promised by his manner. Most were repelled even in the middle of their fascination. Small children and wounded animals instinctively gravitated to him, unfooled by the facade of his expression and posture, connecting directly to the hidden heart.
The conversation had become general as the group circulated in combination and recombination. Collecting another round of drinks from the bartender, they began to prepare to leave for the meeting room in the back of the tavern. A sharp slap of sound assaulted their ears as one of the men at a card table slammed his cards down on the table. Pinching his nose between forefinger and thumb, he loudly announced, “Someone forgot to wash up after they left the stables. It smells like stinking person here!”
The other card players laughed loudly and started to make jokes.
Mary’s smile disappeared from her face with the suddenness of the sun behind a growing rain cloud. It was as if all of the sunshine in the room was gone. Grace immediately came to her side and put an arm around her in support.
The flustered mayor didn’t appear to know what to do, deciding to quickly usher everyone into the private room for dinner. Ruth was furious, and her temper was reflected in the red tendrils that began covering her hands and crawling up her arms. Pawlik quickly moved behind her and placed both hands on her shoulders to ground her. Across the room, Mary and Ruth’s gazes connected, with Mary attempting a smile. She shook her head. She seemed to say that it wasn’t worth it to protest. Before Ruth could act further, someone else did.
Walking with a deliberate and forceful stride, the lawyer approached Mary. He bowed his head slightly and asked her, “Would you be so kind to save me a chair next to you at dinner while I attend to a bit of necessary business?” Mary reared back slightly in surprise. She locked gazes with him for a brief moment and then blushed intensely. Nodding her agreement, she allowed Grace to draw her along with the rest of the party toward the private room. As they moved out of the bar room, Mary glanced over her shoulder in wonderment.
Picking his drink up from the bar, the lawyer walked over to the card players’ table and set his drink down. Without looking, he casually reached out and grabbed one of the men at the table by the shoulder and threw him to the floor, pushing the chips to the side. Precisely sitting at a comfortable distance from the table, he reached into his coat and extracted his wallet. His long fingers flipped the wallet open and pulled out a huge pile of cash. Dumping the money in front of him onto the table, he looked up and around at the players. Their wide eyes and frightened demeanors made the light in his eye sharpen. Looking across the table to the braggart that had insulted Mary, he smiled menacingly at him and said, “Deal…”
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About the Author
Taki Drake is a long-time reader that was convinced to make her initial attempt at writing fiction in this anthology. Intrigued by the concept and challenge of Inanna’s Circle Game, her efforts found their shape in a story reflective of the complexity of life. She currently lives in the Midwest of the US, happily ensconced in the midst of her cats, dogs, and husband. She can be reached at [email protected], or by signing up for her newsletter at http://www.technologymage.com.