by A E M
Where is it?
I have no idea. Better cover everything you can.
Charlotte laughed and scratched Ebby’s skin. You’re such a cat.
Dragons and cats are not so different.
Come find me for a scratch anytime.
I’ll take you up on that. Remember what I said. You have the power within. Trust your process.
David walked over with Vincent. “This is Ebby, I presume?”
“Yes.” Charlotte said as she stopped stroking her.
“I’ve never seen one this close. She’s handsome and beautiful wrapped up together, isn’t she?”
He has good taste. Ebby curled around Charlotte more and preened herself.
“Can she speak in this form?” David asked. He was wearing a suit and tie with a plaid shirt this morning under his robes. “I know dragons don’t speak, but I wondered if the fairy part of her allowed for speech.”
“No, she doesn’t speak.” Charlotte said slowly. She felt a tug on the bond and looked over to see Vincent frowning at her. She directed her attention back to David, who was looking at Vincent now. The two men stared quietly at each other for a moment before David looked back at Charlotte and smiled. So they were both finding their new feet. Two days ago David would have been overpowering this conversation. Today he stood back and let them navigate it on their own.
“I guess she can’t help you.” David said as he circled Charlotte to get a good look at Ebby.
“No, she can’t. I will ask Lodestar, though.”
“I suppose she doesn’t have to worry about the fairies much.” David said as he stopped circling. “I’m sure she’s the top of the food chain.”
“David, I must speak with you.” Bouldershaker called to him from across the room.
David left and Ebby flew off to perch again on Lodestar’s back. Zorach caught Charlotte’s gaze and nodded at her. She returned the nod. Lodestar turned and looked disapprovingly at her before turning back to Zorach and their conversation. Same old Lodestar.
Vincent leaned over and whispered in her ear. “You’re a terrible liar.”
“Whatever do you mean?” She asked coyly.
“You and Ebby speak, don’t you?” He asked.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She started to walk away.
He kept step with her. “No, I won’t do the lying thing with you, remember? I need to know what you know in order to help you.”
She looked over at Ebby. She wasn’t sure exactly what the range was. It just usually happened.
“Charlotte?” Vincent asked.
“Just give me a moment.” She finally looked him in the eyes. “Please.”
He nodded.
She looked over at Ebby and projected her thoughts. My annoying master wants to know everything about me. Can I tell him about our connection? He suspects we can talk.
Ebby and Lodestar both looked over in her direction.
Don’t shout. Lodestar yelled at her.
She’s learning. She probably didn’t know she could even reach us this far. Yes, you can tell him, but only him and only because he needs to know.
Why is this even a question? Lodestar asked. If he’s your master, you should obey him.
That’s what he claims.
Lodestar shook her long hair at Charlotte from across the room. Have you been giving him trouble? If I were your master I would have rid you of your attitude by now.
Well, it’s not like he’s not trying. Charlotte put her hands on her hips.
I hope he wrings you out and hangs you up to dry.
Thanks. I love you, too.
Lodestar snorted. Bah, foolish girl. Unitaurs don’t love.
Charlotte turned back to Vincent. “They say it’s okay for you to know.”
“They?” He asked. “How many others can you do this with?”
“I’m not sure.” She confessed. “Two that I know about.” She nodded towards Lodestar. “Lodestar says you’re slacking since I’m still giving you attitude. She told me she hopes you wring me out and hang me up to dry.”
“Unitaurs.” Vincent mumbled. “She looks like she might try to eat me alive.”
Tell him I like to play with my food first.
I will not!
“What is it?” Vincent asked.
Her eyes widened and she stumbled over her words. “She says she loves me like her own.”
“Again with the lies.” Vincent said, one hand on his hip.
“What is it with you and lying? Haven’t you heard of little white lies?” Charlotte demanded. “You know, between that and your whole issue with people saying sorry, I wonder if you were dropped on your head one too many times as a child.”
Vincent went still as stone. “This is neither the time nor the place, Protégé. Now what did she actually say?”
Charlotte looked over at Lodestar, who wore a wicked smile upon her lips. Tell the man-boy the truth.
She cringed as the words left her lips. “She said she likes to play with her food first.”
Vincent’s eyes widened. “Unitaurs aren’t tacky enough to make comments like that! Making stuff up is even worse than a white lie! You and I are having a long talk about honesty later.” He said with a scowl before walking off.
Thanks a lot! She yelled at Lodestar. We were doing fine today until you messed things up.
You have much to learn about life, young one.
Thanks for the vague instructions.
Still the attitude I remember so well.
Charlotte looked around her. Everybody else was involved in a conversation with somebody else. She looked back at Lodestar and calmed her inner voice. So you and Ebby are going away?
Yes. But we will keep an eye on you.
How far can I project?
I guess you’ll find out.
Again with the vagueness.
Lodestar looked over in Vincent’s direction. Charlotte, learn well. Trust your master to guide you.
My trust is in short supply these days.
Which is good. You’re learning. But you will learn so much more when you learn to let him guide you.
I told Ebby this earlier. We clash.
Because you fight him for control. Lodestar stomped her front right foot.
You don’t understand.
Child, it is you who doesn’t understand. Trust him. Try it consistently and see what happens. What can it hurt?
My pride.
Exactly.
Charlotte found Vincent sitting in the back of the room. She sat down on the bench beside him. The bond between them was tense. She looked over at the lines etched across his forehead and the tense hold of his lips. Would he believe her even if she told the truth? Could he feel truth through the bond? She wanted to know more about the bond between them, but part of her wished that she could learn in private instead of having to learn with him attached to her like this. She looked down at her lap and traced her fingers over the fringes in her robe. “Lodestar did say that, by the way. She knew it would get me into trouble. She seems to think I fight you for control.”
“Thanks for your honesty.” He scrolled through his Quire.
She fought the urge to call him out on his sullenness. She watched the room instead. Bouldershaker was speaking to every person, one after the other. Zorach and Barnabas were talking now. Lodestar and Ebby had wandered farther across the room away from the others. Beau and David were deep in conversation. Charlotte turned to look back at Vincent. He shifted closer to her and placed the Quire where she could see. “You’re father’s library is impressive. I haven’t found what I’m looking for yet, but I know it’s got to be there somewhere.”
Charlotte watched him searching. Maybe he wasn’t being sullen. Maybe he was just focused on helping her. She looked down at her fidgety hands and wished that she knew him better. How much would the current of animosity between them lessen if they knew each other? Wasn’t it easier to overlook the annoying when there was love between two p
eople? That’s what her mother had always said. But what kind of love would she have for him? He was resistant to the friendship she offered him; at least he said he was. She was resistant to the guardianship that he had imposed upon her. That left them with nothing unless one of them budged. Was there an alternative? Or did she need to trust that time would take care of things?
“What is it, Protégé?”
She bit her tongue.
Vincent slipped his Quire in his pack. “Want to talk?”
She shook her head.
He put his arm around her shoulder. “How about I just sit quietly with you and whatever is going on in your mind?”
She sat back against his shoulder.
“Beau and I talked. It was a good talk.”
Charlotte looked over at Beau, then back at Vincent. “Good.”
“He and I are going to spend a day or so together soon and get to know each other better.” Vincent tapped his fingers against her shoulders. “David said he’d babysit.”
Charlotte clenched her teeth. Dueling. Diapers. High heels. He’d get his someday.
“We’ll work on normal living arrangements and a routine once we get through the meeting.” Vincent’s fingers lay still on her shoulder. “We’ll start having Beau and David over on weekends. How does that sound?”
Like a peace offering that wouldn’t save him from an embarrassing duel later. “Sounds good.”
They sat there quietly, watching the room until Bouldershaker sashayed over to them and sat down by Charlotte. “I know you must be interested in attending the Alliance meeting later today despite the threat to your life. I believe I have a way to sneak you two in safely, but you may not like it.”
“What is it?” Vincent leaned forward.
“I’ll address you two personally in my office after the meeting.”
“We will see you then.” Vincent sat back against the wall. His grip on her shoulder was firmer; the pull on the bond was tighter. Charlotte settled her hand into his. The tension in the bond relaxed, but his grip remained firm.
Bouldershaker winked at Charlotte. “You have done well trying to handle yourself, all things considered.” She patted Charlotte’s leg through her robes. “I once was young like you. Be strong.”
“You honor me, Bouldershaker.”
“You honor me, Hoyden.”
Bouldershaker continued to dart from person to person throughout the room. Charlotte’s hands itched for her quarterstaff. Her mind itched for information.
Vincent tapped her shoulder. “Patience.”
Her eyes darted across the room until they settled on Beau’s face and he smiled at her. She smiled back. He finished his conversation and sat down beside her. Vincent dropped his arm and shifted away. Beau put his arm around her and pulled her close. Charlotte melted into his side and closed her eyes.
“David and I are going to leave for an errand before the Alliance meeting right after we are dismissed. Vincent, take good care of my girl until we all meet up again. Thanks again for taking care of her last night.”
“No problem, Beau.” Vincent said.
“And you take it easy on him.” Beau teased Charlotte. She raised an eyebrow at him. “I need you back to me completely as soon as possible, and if you keep acting up, it’s going to take longer.”
She shook her head at both of them, but a smile crept across her face.
Bouldershaker called everybody to order. “I’ve given you all my instructions, so let’s proceed from this point. Good luck, and thank you all.” She left the room with a sweep of her skirts.
Beau tugged her closer and leaned in. He left his lips just a fraction over hers for a moment, and then lowered them until they brushed over hers slightly. His hand slipped into her robes and crept up her leg.
Vincent cleared his throat loudly.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Charlotte started to say, but Beau turned her head back to him and kissed her hard. He pulled his hand out and rested in on the outside of her robes, but she could still feel the warmth of his skin on her thigh. Finally, he pulled away.
“It might be a few days before I see you again. I hope that will last.”
“It will.” She traced the tops of his wings. “I can’t wait to see you again.”
“Remember what David told you.” Vincent said. “Bring a ring and a proposal the next time we are all together.”
“Just what do you think you are doing?” Charlotte turned to Vincent. “The next time I get you and David together in a room, I’m going to knock your heads together!”
“He’s right, Lottie.” Beau laughed and kissed her. “He and David are being obnoxious, yes, but they are looking out for you. I don’t mind.” He stroked her hair. “What do you think I’ll be like if we have a daughter some day?”
She blushed. He was thinking of children already. Could they even have children? She emptied her mind. She was absolutely not inviting those thoughts in her mind right now. She had enough worry over right now.
“Fine then, you foolish man-boys.” She scolded them both with her eyes. Vincent matched the lightening of her eyes in his own. Beau’s eyes of love and familiarity grounded her for a moment. David crossed over to them. He looked at them each, but he pressed his lips together and let his eyes do the laughing.
“Until we meet again, Lottie.” Beau kissed her slowly.
“Fly safe.” She winked at him. “Think of me.”
He chuckled. “Not while I’m flying, for there will be no safe flying then.”
“Enough you two.” David groaned. “Beau, let’s go.”
“Come, Protégé.” Vincent stood.
Charlotte followed him out of the Great Hall. She was irritated with him, but he knew that. Right now they would see Bouldershaker. Later they would discuss his interruptions in her love life.
Bouldershaker sat on the corner of her desk. “Thank you for meeting me privately.”
“Of course.” Vincent said. “I take it that you would like Charlotte and I to attend the meeting in disguise?”
“Yes, but only after you get there. We would like you to be seen arriving. Once you get there, I’d like you to change form as soon as possible.”
“Magic leaves traces.”
“Yes, but one of Stonebinder’s grandchildren is a weaver. You will find him and he will assist in covering up your change.”
“A dwarf weaver?” Charlotte asked before she remembered that she wasn’t supposed to speak. She caught Vincent’s scolding stare and dropped her eyes into her lap. Stupid rules. How was she supposed to learn if she couldn’t ask questions?
“Yes, it’s uncommon, but not unheard of.” Bouldershaker confirmed.
“Do you have a particular disguise in mind?” Vincent asked. “There will also be a trace of magic between us since she is my apprentice.”
“Which is why you will be disguised as a normal master and apprentice while you are there.”
“That will work.” Vincent looked over at her and grinned. “It might actually help us.”
Charlotte frowned at him. He was up to something. She could feel his glee bursting through the bond. Just what did he have planned for her now? She fixed him with a fast, steady glare, then cleared her features and looked back to Bouldershaker, whose lips were twitching at the corners.
“Now, there are very few people privy to this part of the plan. Most everybody else believes that you will be showing up and then hiding away in a room. I have passed on paperwork to grant you safe harbor with Stonebinder’s people. This will make sense to all, as nobody would expect us to keep you here among the women and children.”
“I agree.” Vincent said.
“Find Stonebinder when you arrive and good luck to you both.” Bouldershaker said as she hopped down from her desk and bowed. “We have been honored by your presence here.”
“We were most honored to be here.” Vincent responded and he and Charlotte bowed back.
They turned to the left out of the waitin
g room and walked toward the staircase that would lead them to the hall of portals, but Vincent pulled Charlotte into a small room on the right side of the hallway before they got close to the stairs. It was a good-sized storage room with many shelves and cabinets. Vincent paced back and forth of her in the middle of the room.
Charlotte wished again that she knew how to use the bond. The playfulness she had noticed from him in the meeting was replaced with a substantial amount of fear. “Maven, what is it?” She finally asked.
He waved his arm in the air between them. “There’s this thing called trust. I don’t mind explaining things to you, but Protégé, there will come a time that you will need to trust me and just do. And your life may very well depend on that trust.”
“Okay.”
“I have to know the truth.” He continued. “I have to make decisions to help you, and if I don’t know the truth, the likelihood of me making a bad decision in regards to your care increases.” He folded his hands behind his head. “Do you get that?”
“I do now.”
He stopped pacing. “Now, what was bothering you earlier when you came to sit by me?”
“I felt bad about how I’ve been treating you when all you’ve been doing is try to help.”
Vincent stepped forward and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Let me tell you something right now. You and I will eventually work in unison, but it’s not going to happen in less than a week. I’m not asking you to be somebody you’re not. I’m asking you to trust me, to work hard, and to listen, really listen to what I’m telling you. I’m asking you to let me take care of you right now in this moment. Would I like it easier? Yes! But it wasn’t easy for David and I, either. It took David years to wear me down. Years, Charlotte. This is hard, but we have to both go through the transition, hard or not. Every apprenticeship is different. I didn’t want us to be like this, arguing. But I’m okay with it as long as you know that time and place is everything. You want to gripe and argue? Let’s find a room. In front of others, we need to keep the quips to a silent level.” He smiled quickly before slipping his stern face back on. “And make sure that nobody is around to see the faces you make at me behind my back.”
Charlotte flushed and nodded.
“What else, Protégé?” He said. “The time is now.”