by A E M
Lennox frowned and tapped his foot on the floor for a moment. “I think I understand. So about five years old?”
Charlotte stiffened. Five years old? He couldn’t be serious.
“I was thinking about that age.”
He was serious. She tried to catch Vincent’s eyes, but he was focused on Lennox. She pulled on the bond. He ignored her. She tugged harder. He pulled some it over and then let it snap back. She reeled from the sudden shift in gravity. Frustrating man!
“I want to warn you that I’ve been given a specific time frame.” Lennox stepped away from his desk.
“How long is this time frame?”
“A couple of weeks.”
“What?” Charlotte asked. “You can’t be serious!” She looked over at Vincent. “I thought this would be couple of days, tops.”
“We don’t know the entire plan.” Vincent looked back at Lennox. “But I also thought it would only be a few days.”
“Stonebinder and the others want to make sure they have enough time.”
“To do what?”
Lennox shrugged. “It’s all on a need to know basis, and I was only told to change you and given the time frame.”
“Isn’t that a long time to be under a transformation?” Vincent asked.
“Perhaps for a weaver who isn’t skilled in transformations.” Lennox said with a smug grin.
“We have to go ahead.” Vincent said to Charlotte.
“That’s too young.” She argued. “It’s not even normal for an apprenticeship.”
“It’s not unheard of.” Lennox said.
She shook her head at them. “Will I still be myself?”
“In a way.” Lennox said. “You’ll have access to your memories, but you will be susceptible to normal childish things like needing more sleep.” He looked back to Vincent. “Are you sure you want her that young? It’s going to be a lot of work on your part, and you will have to keep her safe. What happens to her while she is this young could cause unpredictable damage when she’s changed back.”
Charlotte looked over at Vincent and raised her eyebrows. “Really?”
He shook his head at her. “This is your life we’re talking about. It’s best you are hidden away as a child for now, and you need to be fairly young since we are still ironing out behavior issues.”
She glared at him.
“Okay, who first?” Lennox interjected.
“I’ll go first.” Vincent offered as he took the packs on his thigh off and placed them on a chair. “Could you do the basic version for learning purposes?”
“Sure!” Lennox closed his eyes and put his hands together. Dark green magic collected in the middle and Charlotte saw an image of Vincent that slowly faded into a clean-shaven man with mousy brown hair in jeans and a sweater. His face shifted slightly, and his skin lightened. Lennox pushed the magic from his hands out, and it swarmed Vincent for a minute before returning to Lennox’s hands.
“There is a mirror between my bookshelves.”
Vincent looked at himself from the front and side. “You did well, thank you.”
“It’s my honor.” He turned to Charlotte. “Are you ready?”
“Wait, what will happen to my clothes?” She asked.
Vincent rolled his eyes. “Perhaps you should change into something more appropriate first.”
“That door is a bathroom.” Lennox said. Charlotte grabbed her pack and ducked into the restroom. She tucked her clothes and the robe into the pack before grabbing jeans, a shirt, shoes and socks, and a sweater. She looked down at her arms. No more gloves. She shoved them in her pack. She paused. Would she need a bra? Not if she was a child. She undid her bra and shoved it into the pack. She hurried into her clothes and stared at her rosy complexion in the mirror. Would walking out of the bathroom backwards be more or less awkward? She kept her eyes straight ahead as she walked out, put her pack back on the chair, and stood in front of Lennox.
“The showy version this time?” Vincent asked.
“I’d love that.” Lennox said. He smiled at Charlotte. “This will be fast. I already have the image ready.”
“Okay.”
He separated his hands and then clapped them together. Magic pulsed out and Charlotte felt like she was being smashed and then the sensation was gone. She looked around. The room looked much bigger. She ran to the mirror. She didn’t even look like she had as a child; she was a tiny thing with brown hair. She walked back to the men, who seemed to be mostly legs now.
“Wow.” She said. Her voice was foreign to her ears.
“Okay, I think you two look good.” He paused. “I am the only one who actually knows what you look like. I’m not privy to who Bouldershaker might have told about you, but they won’t know who you actually are, only that you’ve changed. Please be careful.”
“We will. Thank you.” Vincent changed his bag to a briefcase and Charlotte’s bag to a duffel bag.
“We have a room set aside for you at the very end of this hall on the same side my office is on. It’s yours for the duration of your stay. There will be a door to this private hallway, and a door to the public hallway. There is also a bathroom. It’s not much, but I figured you still carried a sleeping bag.” Lennox told them as he opened the door back to the private hallway.
“You know me well.” Vincent said and bowed. “Thank you again. We are honored by your hospitality.”
“I taught him that.” Lennox smiled at Charlotte as they left.
They made their way to the other room, which turned out to be another office. Bookshelves lined the wall. A great fireplace of rock stood in the middle of the wall that bordered the private hallway. There was a desk with a large moose etched into the middle. One large leather chair sat on one side of the desk, and a couple of wingback chairs sat on the other side. In one corner by a lamp was a recliner with a stack of books sitting on the floor by the wall.
“Okay, absolutely no formal names at this point, and I say this to remind myself, mainly. I think you’ve got it down.” Vincent set the briefcase on the desk and the duffel bag next to the desk on the floor.
Charlotte climbed into a chair in front of the desk and swung her legs back and forth underneath. She smiled up at him sweetly. “If I do something now, let’s say just to keep up appearances that I’m a kid, I don’t get in trouble for that, right?”
“Wrong.” Vincent said firmly.
“You’re no fun.” She pouted.
“You expected that to change?” He pulled off his gloves and laid them on the desk. “The meeting starts soon. We should find seats.”
“Let’s go, then.” She slipped out of the chair.
Vincent crossed the room and opened the door to the public hallway. “Okay, now hold my hand out there. I don’t want to lose you, shorty.”
She looked at him crossly. “Aren’t I old enough to not have to hold an adult’s hand?”
“Not during a large conference, young lady. So hold your Maven’s hand.”
22
The Power of Words
David rolled over and opened his eyes. The boy was there, trembling beside the bed.
“Vincent? What’s wrong, buddy? Did you have a bad dream?”
“He might come for me. He got everybody else but me.”
David sat straight up. No. No. No. How could this be happening?
Vincent had never spoken of that night, but obviously something had triggered his memories.
“But he didn’t.” David said. “I got you and you are safe with me.”
He read the boy a book until he fell back asleep, then left him in the big bed and sat down at the kitchen table.
He had wanted to only erase his memories once. But wouldn’t it be okay to do it again for this?
The hallway was more packed than when they had come through the first time. Vincent’s hand was sweaty, but at least it wasn’t shaky. He was frightened out of his mind to be holding her bare hand, so he shoved the fear as deep down inside as he could mana
ge. He frowned. He shouldn’t be feeling so much fear now. He remembered the bond. Of course, it wasn’t all his fear. He looked down at Charlotte, who was clinging to his hand and trying to bury herself into his leg. She was getting bumped. He scooped her up and stood back up.
“Remember the flame, Protégé. Remember the cool, dark cave. Watch the flame as it steadily burns.” He shifted her to his other shoulder and studied her face.
“I don’t like this.” She admitted. “And I’m a little mad at you for making me so young.”
“Trust me on this.” He reminded her. “I’ve got you.”
“You look funny without a beard.”
He chuckled. “You look funny without several inches.”
She giggled. “Maven, when do I get to learn how to transform people?”
“Don’t even think about it.” He laughed. He knew what she was up to. He already knew the glimmer in her eye and the twist of her mouth that she got when she was daydreaming duel revenge between them. And while the thought of her being positive about finishing her apprenticeship reassured him, he was also a strange mixture of amused and hesitant. She was planning very early. Her eyes widened a little. The little twerp thought he didn’t know what she was up to, but now she did.
Vincent walked the short distance to the main hall, which was packed with magani and rows and rows of benches. Vincent found them a couple spots on a bench against the left back wall. Charlotte fidgeted in an attempt to get comfortable. She sat up at the end of the bench with her legs dangling over the bench. She scooted back against the wall and crossed her legs in front of her. He chuckled. She glared up at him before returning to her quest for a comfortable spot.
Suddenly there was a murmur in the room. Vincent looked to the entrance. He and Charlotte were standing at the entrance. Well, a false pair of them. They were identical; down the same outfits they had both been wearing that morning. He looked down to the real Charlotte, hidden away by youth. She frowned up at him.
He shook his head firmly when she started to say something. “Not here. We can talk later, but really, this is out of our hands.”
It started. There were a couple of older weavers on their left. The short, thin one who wore formal robes snorted as the false Charlotte entered and crossed in front of them. “She’s the one, the one who burns people with her touch.”
His companion of average build also wearing robes said, “Don’t worry, Carl. The fairies are trying to capture her so she can’t hurt anybody else.”
“Thank goodness for that.” Carl said. “The nerve of her showing up here where there are so many present, including children.” Both men looked over at Charlotte quickly. There were a few children scattered through the room, mostly other apprentices.
“I heard her parents left her.” Carl’s friend said.
“I hear they were executed as soon as they hit the fairy border.” Another man in normal clothes near them piped up.
“Oh, I doubt that.” The woman next to him said. “This isn’t the dark ages and we aren’t danes after all.”
Vincent wrapped his arm around Charlotte. Hopefully the talk would die down soon. He gently tugged at one her braids. She scooted back to the wall and against his side.
The false Charlotte and Vincent sat down in the front on the left side of the room by Beau and David. Vincent wondered how much Beau and David knew about the plan. The rumors continued to swirl.
“Why would they have ever gone back anyway?” The woman asked.
“I heard there was no choice.” The man next to her said.
Carl laughed. “I bet it’s all a cover up.”
“I’m sure they are actually in hiding somewhere.” The woman said and nodded firmly.
“Why would they leave their daughter, though?” The man next to her asked quietly.
“Who would let the child be born in the first place? I would not have.” Carl said loudly.
Vincent felt Charlotte shudder. He looked down at her tear stained face. The words would be hurtful no matter what the age, but she was stuck in a small body with childish feelings. The tears continued to spill. He pulled her on his lap and wrapped his arms around her. He was already regretting making her this young. He wished David were here. What was he supposed to do with this crying girl child?
“Do you see the pain she wears?” Somebody further down the bench asked.
“More like the pain she bears.” The woman close to her responded.
“Why is she here? What party does she represent?” Carl’s friend asked.
“She shouldn’t be here.” Carl stated.
“She did help win the battle.” The man by the woman said.
“She hardly knows how to fight. I’m not saying that she wasn’t brave and didn’t do her part, but there’s no reason for her to be involved. We have the Maguard.” The woman said.
“Who do you think is behind this?” Carl’s friend asked as he sat back on the bench.
“That’s the important question.” Carl said as he sat back, too.
The woman by them finally looked over at Charlotte and Vincent. She nudged the man hard in the side. “Hush, now. You’re frightening that poor child.”
“What are you doing here with one that young, anyway?” The man grumbled at Vincent as he held his side. “Fool.”
The woman elbowed the man again. She looked back at Vincent. “Sorry, good sir. Here you get stuck by all these cranky old fools.”
“It’s alright, thank you.” Vincent said.
He rubbed Charlotte’s back until after she had stopped crying. Formal introductions had already started, and it would be several more minutes before they moved onto the meat of the meeting. Charlotte kept her face buried in his shirt. She didn’t respond to hair tugging this time. He sighed and laid his head on top of hers. “You okay?”
“People are mean.”
He patted her back. “People don’t always think about the effect of their words on others. Words can wound or heal just like swords and medicine.” She wasn’t crying anymore, but she wasn’t turning back around, either. “Hey, look at me a minute, would you?” He asked quietly.
She shook her head in his shirt. “Please, no. I’m a mess.”
“That’s nothing new.” He teased and she did look up to glare at him then.
He smiled, and tipped his head. “Good, just wanted to check on you.”
“Do you have something to feed the dear?” A woman on the right side of Vincent asked.
“Oh, no, I’m afraid I’m new at this.” He confessed.
“Well, that’s obvious. Come here, child.” Charlotte scooted off of his lap and sat back down by the woman, who wiped her face with lavender scented handkerchief and handed her a cookie. “There, now, child. You don’t worry about anything, least of all wagging tongues.”
“Thank you.” Charlotte smiled at the woman.
“I appreciate your kindness.” Vincent added.
The woman smiled back and nodded. “She hasn’t been away from her mother very long, has she?”
“No ma’am. She hasn’t.” He replied.
“Well, you look kindly enough, holding her. I’ve seen some masters with little ones get all frightened at the sight of tears. You’ll have to remember you are her parent right now, as well as her instructor.”
“Yes, Ma’am. I had a kind master myself, and I was also young.”
“Ah, good. Then you will figure it out faster.” She looked down at Charlotte. “You be a brave girl and do good work for him.”
She nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Ah, a polite one. Good.”
“She’ll do well for you, I can tell.” Her husband whispered to them.
Vincent smiled. “I have no doubt she’ll do great things.”
Stonebinder finally sat back into his chair and the meeting began. It wore on for hours. Each magani was represented and there was much discussion and voting. Breaks were taken. Supper was served, and then they all gathered back in the great hall. Th
e consensus was that they were now at war. An overall panel was formed. David and many of his colleagues were given the task of increasing communications between settlements immediately. The Maguard was to increase the patrols they had already started. Every magani was to start training groups for combat with help from the Maguard. Everyone was on alert, and all eyes were to be watching for signs of trouble. Josef was in attendance, and the original idea that Isaac had had of centralizing communication and meetings at the castle was realized. It would now be the central base.
Charlotte kept dozing off and leaning into his side. Each time she hit his side, she would jerk back awake and rub her eyes.
“Stubborn.” Vincent teased her. “It’s okay if you want to go to sleep, you know.”
“Get me some coffee.” Charlotte blinked up at him.
“Right, the lady next to us would confiscate it and give me more lessons.” He winked down at her.
She giggled and Vincent found himself not as perplexed at the giggling anymore. He preferred it to the tears, anyway. The meeting wound down and closing remarks and formal goodbyes were started.
“Get that girl to bed.” The man on the left mumbled to Vincent.
“He’s right.” Vincent whispered to Charlotte. She was leaning up against his side, eyes closed and breathing deep and slow. He scooped her up onto his shoulder and headed down the hallway. He snapped his fingers once he was in the room. A lamp turned on. He snapped his fingers again. A protection spell spread over the walls and door. He pulled their sleeping bags out and laid them across the floor while he tried to keep the sleeping child balanced on his shoulder. She only stirred a little when he tucked her in the sleeping bag. He laid down in his sleeping bag and snapped his fingers. The light went out.
“Maven?” She whispered.
“Yes, Protégé?”
“I didn’t like the dark. Back then, you know?”
He snapped his fingers again. Stars sparkled across the ceiling. “How’s that?”
“It’s perfect.”
He waited until she fell back asleep before he closed his own eyes.