The (sort of) Dark Mage (Waldo Rabbit)

by Nelson Chereta

  “Ignorant savages.”

  The idea that he, a Corpselover, would have to deal with such people as near equals was humiliating. That Alice would have to serve them was sickening. He was supposed to be the only one she served.

  XXX

  “What are you doing?” He had demanded right after she’d made her agreement.

  With strangers watching she had stepped close to him and lowered her voice. “I am paying for our room and food. I am also going to make some tips too.”

  “You don’t need to do that. We can just pay for our stay.”

  “The room would be half a silver per night, and you don’t know how long we’ll be here. The food and drink would be on top of that. The supplies we just bought were three dalters. I don’t want to waste any more coin if we don’t have to.”

  “We can afford it. I don’t want you serving all these peasants.”

  “Aw, that is so sweet.” She picked up the cloth sack with one hand and tossed it to him. It was heavy and he stumbled back a couple steps after catching it. “You don’t need to worry, I’ll be fine.”

  She began serving and he was forced to trudge upstairs alone.

  XXX

  He heard a fresh round of laughter coming from downstairs. Waldo considered going down and observing whatever was going on. He dismissed the notion almost immediately, as it would be beneath his dignity. It was also foolish. Alice was used to dealing with this sort, and if worse came to worse she was a succubus. It wasn’t as though she needed his protection.

  Waldo shook his head in mild frustration. What were these feelings? Why did the thought of those mundanes ogling her bother him so much? Why did he feel so possessive of her? He did not want her around other men.

  Waldo knew these thoughts and feelings were not a normal part of the master servant relationship, but then what part of his connection with Alice was?

  “I am wasting time,” he said to himself. “Let me take care of the things I can actually fix.”

  Reaching into a pocket he took out his wand and pointed it at the bed.

  “Levitaros.”

  Just as had happened in the forest, he felt the mana flow through him and into the wand. The force of his spell was greatly magnified and the bed rose a foot above the floor. Levitation was one of the basics every magic user could use. Before though, Waldo had never been able to lift anything heavier than a book. Now, with his wand, he could move something as large and heavy as a bed with almost no effort.

  He remembered the stream of fire he had cast. Though they had been ineffective he had been able to really work destructive magic. It had been no fluke as he’d done it a number of times. His new wand really fit him perfectly; with it in his hand he was immensely stronger than he had ever been before.

  The thought both pleased and worried him.

  On the one hand, acquiring power was everything. Finally being able to use combat magic was a tremendous achievement. He was now a genuine threat, and if worse came to worse could fight on his own.

  On the other hand, all this new found strength came from a soulwood wand. Such wands were used almost exclusively by White Mages. What did that say about him? What would the Council and others make of that? He was going around in white robes using a soulwood wand and acting as a White Mage. When all this was over, assuming he survived, what sort of reputation would he have?

  Why is nothing ever simple?

  He set the bed down in the center of the room. He then went over to the large sack that he had left in the corner. Before coming to the Inn they had stopped by the general store that was next door to it. There they had bought some spare clothes, blankets, a tent, and some equipment he would need.

  From the sack he took out a piece of chalk. Getting down on his hands and knees he began to draw a circle around the bed. When that was complete he drew runes and symbols inside the circle. He also intended to put wards on the door and window to prevent they entry of any sort of undead. While far from perfect, he would do everything possible to protect both himself and Alice while they were forced to remain in this place.

  XXX

  The Inn of the White Horse was only about half the size of the Inn of Lost Sighs, it was also not as busy. At her old place more than two hundred men would sometimes pack in the common room. Here, Alice never counted more than about forty. This place was also nowhere near as clean or as polished as her old one. Elsa had always insisted that everything had to shine; she had always wanted things as close to perfect as possible. As long as the doors were open Elsa would always be there, riding her to make sure she was working. By comparison, Tyrone hardly said a word to her once it was clear she really was a barmaid. He was happy to just stay behind the bar mooning over her as she went from table to table. With three girls to share the work Alice found it pretty easy.

  Two things remained exactly the same though; the other girls she worked with hated her and all the men wanted more than just her attention.

  “Don’t think you’re special just ‘cause you have a nice figure.” Brieene had said to her almost as soon as they were introduced. “Your eyes are ugly and your hair is as pretty as a shep dog’s.”

  That had gotten a squeal of laughter from Nicola along with a quick nod.

  Alice had merely smiled. She had learned to ignore much worse. “You don’t need to worry; my husband and I won’t be here long.”

  “Who’s worried?” Brieene snapped.

  Alice continued to smile and gave up the idea of trying to make friends with her co-workers. She had never had any female friends and would have liked to, but just like always she was going to be resented.

  Dealing with the customers had been just as challenging.

  She was an old hand at serving men who were looking to grab her, or get a quick feel. She knew to always keep her eyes open and how to dance out of reach. In her old Inn the regulars all knew better than to try and clutch at her. Here all the men were determined to pull her onto their laps or get a squeeze.

  Alice must have warned at least two dozen customers that she didn’t like being touched. She was happy to talk to them and listen to their stories, but that was all. Of course none of them believed her. They all thought she was playing some sort of game, and as the night went on the efforts got more and more frenzied.

  Eventually, a bulky blacksmith’s apprentice named Makin succeeded in grabbing hold of her ass when she was looking in the other direction. Her reaction had been instinctive and instant. She’d ‘eeked’ and spun around, punching him in the face hard enough to knock him clean out of his chair.

  The common room had erupted in laughter and cheers. Many of the men lifted their mugs to her. When his friends helped Makin back to his seat they all began to tease him mercilessly. He didn’t seem to mind either. Makin ordered a few more mugs of ale and actually tried to grab at her again. If it had been a man that had punched him like that it would have certainly lead to a fight. Coming from a barmaid it was instead treated as something comic.

  That was how her night went. She served bowls of stew and mugs of ale while enduring the open dislike of her co-workers, and trying to avoid a forest of grabbing hands. All the while smiling at, and playing up to, those exact same grabby men. When one of them tipped her a copper trek she thanked them as warmly and sweetly as she could. It was long, tiring, boring work, but nothing she wasn’t used to.

  Since most of the men had to be at work the next morning, the place began to empty out well before midnight. Alice and the other girls were already cleaning up as the last customer sat at his table, slowly draining a final mug as he stared longingly at Alice as she wiped down tables.

  Finally Tyrone came out from around the bar with three foot long sword in his hands.

  “Come on Mathew, it’s time for you to get home. Let me help you.” The Innkeeper helped the managed up to his feet, and slid the sword into an empty scabbard. Everyone who came into the Inn was required to give up his sword.

  Swaying slightly the man stagg
ered over to Alice and held out a copper trek to her. “You was real sweet gal, hope to see ya tamorraw.”

  Alice took the coin from him gratefully. As she did so he tried to lean in to steal a kiss. She had no trouble stepping back to stay clear.

  Smiling, she shook a finger at him. “Now, now I’m a married woman and my husband wouldn’t like me kissing another man. Especially not one as cute as you.”

  His face lit up and he looked absolutely thrilled. “I wish Ida met ya first.”

  I don’t. “That’s sweet.”

  Mathew clearly wanted to keep talking to her, but Tyrone was at his back gently pushing him toward the door. Once he was gone the Inn was officially closed.

  “He never tips.” Brieene said sounding unhappy.

  Alice slid the coin into a pocket sewn into her skirt. It jingled along with the other tips she had earned. “Then I am grateful he was in such a generous mood tonight.”

  The lighthearted answer only made the other girl look even more indignant. “Why are you staying here anyway? I always heard that White Mages stayed with the Baron when they visited.”

  “My husband has his reasons.”

  “You and your husband can stay as long as you like.” Tyrone told her. “I am right honored to have you both here.”

  “Thank you,”

  “Hmph.” Brieene swept the floor with added fury.

  “Can I ask a question?”

  “Sure now, you can ask anything.” Tyrone was eager to help her.

  “Why do so many of the men here wear swords? I am from Stratford, and except for the city guard and the nobles no one else is allowed to have one.”

  “Oh,” Tyrone sounded a bit embarrassed. “Well, that’s on account of the goblins. Sometimes we have some trouble with them.”

  “Trouble?”

  “Nothing you need worry about. They can get a bit bothersome is all.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “They’ll get it in their heads to just start killing people all of a sudden.” Brieene told her with a smirk. “One will be acting normal, obedient as you please, then bam!” She slammed a fist down on a table. “They just go crazy and try to rip apart anybody close to them.”

  “Really? There are a few goblins in Stratford, nothing like that ever happened there.”

  Brieene shrugged. “We have thousands of goblins here; maybe you just got a few of the timid ones. They’re always dangerous.”

  “No they’re not,” Tyrone said sharply. “There’s hardly ever trouble.”

  “There are always some go crazy every year.” Brieene insisted.

  “A handful.”

  “But enough for most of the men here to carry swords.” Alice noted.

  “The baron’s castle has plenty of guards.” Brieene pointed out. “I’m sure you and your man would feel safer there.”

  “It’s safe enough here.” Tyrone said. “The place is clean enough; you can go home now, you and Nicola.”

  “Fine,” Brieene said. She gave her employer a knowing look. “Try not to hurt yourself.”

  As his two other barmaids headed to the kitchen and the back entrance he turned to Alice. “There really is nothing to worry about. The goblins are just dumb animals. It’s sort of the way from time to time dogs go mad. No one knows why, you just know to put them down when it happens.”

  “Goblins aren’t animals. They can talk and think. Doesn’t that make them people?”

  Tyrone’s eyes widened and his mouth opened and closed a few times. “People? Goblins? I grant they can talk and do more than a horse or a dog can, but no goblin is more than a beast. I am right surprised to hear you think that. You being married to a White Mage and all, don’t they say we need to get rid of all the monsters?”

  “My husband is very enlightened.”

  “I am right sure he is.” Tyrone said uncomfortably.

  “I am going up to my room now,” Alice gave him a gracious bow. “Thank you for your great kindness.”

  “You are more than welcomes Alice.”

  XXX

  At the top of the stairs Alice took out and counted what she had earned. Forty copper traks, almost half a silver dalter in just one night. That was not at all bad.

  When she entered their room Waldo was already fast asleep. There was only a bit of moonlight coming in through the window. She could see in the dark though, and saw calk symbols scrawled all over the door, around the window, all over the floor, and much of the walls. The bed had a circle drawn around it with more symbols on the inside of it.

  Waldo had explained to her about protective circles and defensive seals. He had spent quite a bit of time doing all this to help keep them safe.

  She smiled at him. Unlike the false smiles she had kept plastered on her face all night, this one was genuine. She shut the door and slipped out of her skirt and blouse, leaving only her small clothes. Alice went over to the bed, making sure not to step on any of the chalk on the floor. She pulled back the scratchy wool blanket and slid in beside him.

  Alice wrapped her arms around Waldo and rested her head on his chest, careful not to disturb him. He was very warm. The sound of his breathing was comforting. She closed her eyes and drifted off to a peaceful sleep.

  Chapter 35

  Protective Wards

  When Alice woke the next morning she was alone in bed.

  She sat up. “Darling?”

  “Good morning.” Waldo was sitting on the floor with a wooden bowl in his hands.

  “What are you doing? Is that breakfast?”

  “No, these are ashes mixed with a little water. “I need you to take your clothes off.”

  Alice’s face turned beet red and she pulled the blanket up in front of her. “Oh, so you’re done waiting and want to enjoy a husband’s privileges? I… I guess that’s all right. Please just be gentle with me though.”

  “Well of course I’ll be gentle, I’m only going to use my fingers.”

  “Ah, really? Just your fingers? I… I don’t mind if you use something, ah, bigger. You are my husband after all. I don’t expect you to be that gentle.”

  Waldo blinked. “Alice, I am going to draw on your back to place protective runes on you. When we’re outside this room they will help keep you hidden from any scrying or detection magic.”

  “Oh.” She said feeling embarrassed all over again.

  “Now take your clothes off and turn your back to me. The wards are temporary so we’ll have to do this each morning.”

  “Every morning?”

  “That’s right.”

  “Well… if you think it’s best.”

  She turned her back to him and pulled off her shift.

  He sat down on the edge of the bed, and with one finger began to draw runes and symbols on her. As Waldo did so she couldn’t keep from twitching.

  “Stay still.”

  Alice was giggling. “Sorry darling, I’m ticklish.”

  What a fun way to start the day.

  XXX

  “Why are there so many monsters in this city?” Waldo complained. “They’re everywhere! It’s like undead in Alter!”

  Alice looked about worriedly, but no one seemed to have overheard. One of the advantages of people all keeping their distance. “Darling, you need to be more careful with what you say.”

  They were walking along the endless, twisting streets of Middleton. Alice would not need to return to work until late in the afternoon. Right now it was getting on towards mid day. She was accompanying her husband as he searched.

  He looked over to her. “Why?”

  “Would a White Mage know anything about that?”

  “Oh. Right. That just sort of slipped out.”

  “You need to be more careful.”

  “I know,” he turned away from her. “This place is annoying though. Everywhere you go you hear clanging, there is too much light, and I don’t just mean from the horrible ball of fire.” He waved a frustrated hand at the road. There were two wagons coming up
it, both being pulled by goblins. “My spell makes the whole city look tinted with red; it might as well be on fire. There’s so much red light I can’t pick anything out.”

  “I am sure you will find him eventually darling. There is no rush. I wouldn’t mind if we had to stay here a while.”

  “Are you enjoying being a barmaid again?”