Secrets and Spellcraft

by Michael G. Manning

  “Are you sure?” she whispered, her eyes ranging downward. “You seem to be enjoying it.”

  He pushed her hand away. “I said, enough!”

  “So testy,” she replied. “I only did as you required.”

  “You were doing more than that,” he accused.

  “And how do you know?”

  “I’ve helped people before. None of them started writhing and moaning.” He turned his back on her, hoping to hide the more physical aspects of his condition.

  “Maybe you weren’t doing it right,” she teased. “I could teach you the trick to it.”

  “No, thank you.”

  “Are you sure? That human girl you like might appreciate it. Wouldn’t you like to please her?”

  “I need to get going.” His face was beginning to turn red.

  “Part of it is blood flow, sending it to the right places. The other part is in the brain. Find that center within yourself and you’ll be on the right track. It’s much the same, whether you’re dealing with men or women,” she advised.

  Will started walking; he knew the way home.

  “If you do decide to experiment, be careful. A rough touch could kill the one you wish to pleasure,” she called after him. “It’s best to practice on yourself until you get the hang of it.”

  Will walked faster, wishing he could plug up his ears. Tailtiu’s laughter followed him, ringing through the woods like silver bells as he made his escape through the congruence.

  ***

  Sammy jumped to her feet when he crossed the threshold. “Will!”

  He caught her as she charged into him. “How have you been, Sammy?”

  “Bored. Nothing ever happens. Auntie won’t let me leave the house.”

  Will pushed her out and held her at arm’s length. He’d only been gone a few months, but his cousin seemed to have grown almost an inch. “It’s dangerous out there.”

  She shook her head. “Not anymore. They’re building a fort in Barrowden. Eric’s there now. He’s been here to visit several times now, but Auntie still won’t let me go to town.”

  He should have realized. He hadn’t thought about the fact that Barrowden was now back in Terabinian control. Still, he agreed with his mother. “Sammy, listen, the town is full of soldiers. I wouldn’t want you there by yourself.”

  “Our soldiers,” she argued. “It’s perfectly safe.”

  “It’s a place full of nothing but men. Until things settle down more, you should listen to her.”

  She looked up at him, batting her eyes innocently. “Why?”

  Will grimaced. “You know why.”

  “Are you saying I’m pretty?” There was mischief in her eyes.

  “I just know how men are.”

  “Do you mean how you are?”

  “Huh?”

  She stared hard at him, her eyes like green agate. “Is that what happened with Annabelle?”

  Will stepped back in alarm. “What are you talking about?”

  “She’s pregnant.”

  It took him a moment to process her words and the accusation in her glare. “Wait! You don’t seriously think it was me, do you?”

  Sammy shrugged.

  “Where’s Mom?”

  “In the bedroom.”

  “What about Uncle Johnathan and Annabelle?”

  “They went to trade in Barrowden,” she answered.

  Will went to the bedroom door and opened it. Erisa looked up from where she sat at the desk. “William!”

  “Mom.”

  He crossed the room to greet her, giving his mother a big hug. Before he could say anything, she asked, “Where have you been? We got worried when the army showed up and Eric came to visit. He told us you were imprisoned.”

  “There was a misunderstanding. They thought I had kidnapped the king’s daughter.”

  “What? How?” Erisa was confused.

  Sammy figured it out first. “Selene! Great goat tits! She’s a princess?”

  Erisa glared at her niece. “Samantha, language!”

  Will’s cousin looked defiant. “Teats isn’t a swear word.”

  “It is when you say it like that,” said Erisa sharply.

  Will wanted to laugh, but he had more important things on his mind. “Mom, Sammy told me about Annabelle. It isn’t my baby.”

  His mother looked at him seriously. “I had my doubts, but your uncle said he saw the two of you together.”

  Sammy’s eyes lit up. “He did!” Then she wagged a finger at Will. “For shame.”

  Will ran a hand across his face in frustration. “That wasn’t what he thought.” Will explained how Annabelle had snuck into his bed, and how he had rejected her advances.

  “The truth would have come out anyway,” said Erisa. “She began to show not long after you left. So, unless she was carrying twins, it didn’t seem possible.”

  Will breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s not that I don’t want to help her. I just don’t want to take the blame for something I didn’t do.”

  “I’ll take care of it,” said his mother, her voice cool.

  “You won’t kick her out, will you?” asked Will worriedly. “She still needs our help.”

  Erisa gave him a hard look. “William, you know our history. Do you really think I would turn the girl out? I just don’t appreciate her lies.”

  “I don’t think she’s all there,” suggested Sammy.

  “That goes without saying,” said Erisa. “Still, the girl’s been through hell.”

  “What will you do?”

  “She’s a hard worker,” said his mother. “I can’t deny she’s been a big help, but she’s lost her family. We’ll make her part of ours, so long as she can behave herself.”

  Will gave his mother a panicked look, waving his hands. “Oh, hell no!”

  Erisa shook her head. “Not like that, William. We’ll adopt her. I wouldn’t mind having a grandchild.”

  “Oh.” Will paused. “Wait, would that make her my sister?”

  His mother scratched her head. “I don’t know. We’ll figure it out later. First I want you tell me where you’ve been and what you’ve been doing.”

  Will gave them an abbreviated version of what had happened to him after his last visit. He glossed over his time in the royal dungeon, making it sound as though the misunderstanding had been resolved as soon as he got to the capital. He also played up positive side of his time at Wurthaven, omitting his duel with Dennis Spry and the fact that he had to come up with a colossal sum of money.

  “So, why are you here now?” asked Erisa. “You could have sent a letter. Is it all right for you to miss your classes?”

  Will dissembled, “I wasn’t sure a letter could reach you. I didn’t know you’d made contact with the town.”

  His mother appeared suspicious. “You still should have waited. You must have needed something to come all this way.”

  “It only took me a few hours to get here,” Will bragged. “With Tailtiu’s help long journeys are easier than you might think.”

  “I’m not sure that makes it any better,” said Erisa. “I know how dangerous the fae are. I don’t think your grandfather would have approved of you using their help for something so minor either.”

  Will played his final card, completing his lie. “Well, actually I did have another reason for coming.”

  “I knew it,” said his mother.

  “I need to use Arrogan’s workshop.”

  “They don’t have workshops at Wurthaven?”

  “It’s a class project. I have to bring something back from another plane,” he lied, praying that his mother didn’t know enough to know that wizards no longer traveled to other worlds voluntarily.

  “What does that have to do with the workshop?”

  “There’s a crossing point in the workshop. I want to use it to bring something back from Muskeglun.”

  “What’s Muskeglun?”

  Will felt the tension leave him. If she didn’t know that, then she wou
ldn’t know the danger. “It’s another plane, like Faerie, but much less dangerous. I want to collect some plants there.”

  Erisa’s eyes narrowed. “Less dangerous? A pit of snakes is less dangerous than Faerie, but I still wouldn’t let you jump in one. Be specific.”

  He got creative. “Well, it’s a swamp from what I’ve heard. So, it isn’t completely safe, but I don’t have to stay very long. Don’t worry, though. I’ve done a lot of reading and I’m prepared for the worst. There aren’t any monsters, though, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

  Sammy had been listening with interest. “If it’s that safe, maybe I can come with you!” she interjected.

  Will and his mother responded simultaneously, “No.”

  “Why can he go, and I can’t?” demanded his cousin.

  “For one, he’s almost reached the age of majority,” said Erisa.

  Will finished for her, “And for another, I’m the only one who can move through congruences, and I won’t take anyone else.”

  Erisa turned back to him. “How long will you be over there?”

  He had no idea of course, but he hedged on the long side to keep her from worrying. “A few days, a week at most.”

  “Will you have dinner first?” asked his mother.

  Sammy’s eyes lit up. “Maybe you’ll cook?”

  “The sooner I finish this the better,” said Will. They sighed as he opened up the trap door that led to Arrogan’s workshop. He started down, then stopped partway. “It’s possible I may take another way back after I’m done. I’ll send a letter to Barrowden if I do, so don’t worry about me.”

  Erisa’s mouth dropped. “How can I not worry? It could be weeks before I find out if you’re all right!”

  Will smiled apologetically. “Sorry, Mom.” Then he pulled the trapdoor down over himself. “Be sure to lock up. I’ll knock if I come back this way!” he shouted.

  He had planned to don his mail before crossing, but he could hear his mother’s steps across the floor above. “William Cartwright!” Not wanting to drag things out, he went to the corner and crossed over into Muskeglun.

  Chapter 26

  The first thing that Will became aware of was the smell. It assaulted his nose and seemed to press in against his skin like a heavy blanket. The air was warm and muggy, and the sky above was a dim yellow, as though the sun was being filtered through a yellow mist. He was surrounded by thick foliage, and his feet had already sunk an inch or two into the soft muddy ground.

  He brought out the limnthal and summoned his gambeson and mail, but even as he shrugged his way into the armor, he regretted it. The heat was oppressive, and the padded coat would only make it worse. I should move quickly then, he thought.

  Calling to the ring, he announced, “I’m here.”

  “Where?”

  “Muskeglun. I took the congruence in Arrogan’s old workshop.”

  “Did you make the preparations I suggested?”

  “I brought plenty of cheap ale,” said Will.

  “Good. How about the elixir of turyn?”

  “I just have what grandfather stored in the limnthal. I didn’t have time to make more.”

  “Idiot. That stuff is probably old, not to mention you’ll have to convert it. Making your own is always better, especially if things get tricky. Weren’t you listening to me?”

  “Yes, I was listening, but things happened. I spent several days in bed. I didn’t have enough time left.”

  “Lazy bastard, you’ll have no time left if a troll rips your liver out and makes a snack out of it,” swore the ring.

  Will looked through the nearest bushes. Beyond them was a shallow lake with tall, graceful trees lining its shores. Other than the stagnant smell of decay, the scenery was pleasant. “What’s done is done,” he told the ring. “Where do we go from here?”

  “If things haven’t changed too much then Clegg’s village should be to the east.”

  “Which way is that?” asked Will. “I can’t see the sun. The sky is hazy.”

  “Do you see water?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Go the opposite direction. The closest water is to the west of where you came in. Are you wearing the antlers?”

  Will paused. “I thought you were joking about that.”

  “No! You fucking nitwit! Do you at least have it with you?”

  “Yes, it’s in the limnthal.”

  “Well get it out and put it on.”

  Will balked. “It’s hot here. My armor is already making me sweat buckets, and the cap will just make it worse. What’s so important about the antlers? There are no fae here to piss off.”

  “It’s not about the fae,” said the ring. “It’s about recognition. Trolls can’t tell us apart; we all look the same to them. Clegg will recognize the antlers. If he thinks you’re me—err, if he thinks you’re Arrogan, he’ll be less likely to do something stupid.”

  “You just admitted you’re Arrogan,” Will pointed out.

  “It’s hard to get used to referring to him in the third person,” said the ring. “I’m really not him, so don’t get your hopes up. I’m just part of what used to be him.”

  “Why don’t you just use his name? It will be easier for both of us.”

  “I don’t think it would be right.”

  “Would you prefer me to give you a name? I think Amos would suit you.”

  “Don’t you fucking dare!”

  Will chuckled. “Then I guess we’ll stick with Arrogan.”

  “Fine,” said the ring sullenly. “But if you start calling me Grandfather, I’ll—”

  “You’ll what? Cuss me to death?”

  “You think I can’t?”

  “Knowing you, you probably could, Arrogan,” said Will, trying out the name.

  “Have you put the cap on yet?”

  “One second.” Will summoned the antlers and put the cap over his head, tying the attached strap beneath his chin. “There. All set.” Facing away from the stagnant lake, he set off through the ferns and bushes.

  He began to get tired within minutes. “I don’t feel very good.”

  “Your turyn is getting low.”

  “This fast?”

  “You’re spoiled. You’ve gotten so used to absorbing whatever you need you’ve forgotten what it’s like to run out,” said Arrogan. “Get one of the elixirs out, but just sip it as needed.”

  Will did, and though the taste made him gag, he began to feel better.

  “Another thing you can do is expand your area of absorption, like you do when you’re about to cast something big. It won’t do much, but you’ll absorb slightly more, even here. Every little bit helps,” suggested the ring.

  Will took its advice. He summoned his saber as well, using it to cut a path through the dense undergrowth. It wasn’t strictly necessary—the foliage wasn’t too thick to pass through—but he figured it would be easier to find his way back later if there was a clear trail. Using a dueling sword in such a fashion wasn’t something most would do, since it would rapidly dull the edge, but now that he knew the spell to quickly sharpen a blade, he wasn’t worried.

  Fifteen minutes later, he took another sip of the elixir. It cured his fatigue, but did nothing for the heat. His gambeson was beginning to show sweat stains under his armpits, despite the fact that the sweat had to soak through multiple layers of linen. “How far is it to his village?”

  “About an hour’s walk.”

  “Ugh.” He wondered if the armor was a mistake. “The heat is killing me.”

  “You haven’t even been here that long,” said Arrogan.

  “I’m wearing a mail shirt.”

  “Did I tell you to do that? You’ll sweat to death.”

  “It seemed reasonable,” said Will defensively. “They have claws, remember?”

  “So it will take them a few minutes longer to rip you to pieces. Listen, if it comes to a fight, run. And if you’re running, the mail will only slow you down. Are you sure you were really m
y apprentice? I’m allergic to stupidity.”

  That was all the encouragement Will needed. He started to shimmy out of the armor, but he paused as something rustled in the brush to his right. “I heard something,” he whispered. Before he could say anything else, a tall figure came into view, striding toward him.

  Will’s mouth went dry as the creature stepped over the closest ferns, stopping in front of him. It was humanoid in shape, standing somewhere close to nine feet tall. Its skin was a mottled grey and looked to be covered in lichen or some similar growth. Though it was standing erect, its arms were impossibly long, such that its hands hung almost to its knees. The fingers were tipped with long, green claws, which matched the thing’s teeth when it opened its mouth to gape at him. “Grhllk!”

  He held up his hands, then pointed to himself. “Friend!”

  “I don’t remember agreeing to that,” quipped the ring. “I’d say we’re acquaintances at best.”

  The troll’s eyes were small, black beads set deeply within a heavy brow. It bent forward to examine him, inhaling deeply to get his scent. Then it growled.

  “It’s a troll,” said Will, trying to keep his voice calm.

  “Where?” asked Arrogan.

  “In front of me. It’s smelling me now.”

  “Point to the antlers, then show him the ale.”

  Will lifted one hand to point at the antlers on his head. Then he summoned the ale cask he had bought. It wasn’t large, being only a rundlet that held perhaps eighteen gallons of cheap ale, but he hoped it would be sufficient.

  The troll took a step back in alarm when the wooden cask appeared. Will pointed at it and said the word, “Ale.” Then he pointed to the troll.

  The creature seemed to understand. “Lrmeg reth,” it pronounced, pointing to itself.

  Will nodded, then pointed at the knotted, gnarly protuberance between the troll’s legs. “I’ll trade for that.”

  The troll turned its head to one side, then uttered a long string of nonsensical syllables, followed by a series of strange coughing sounds.

  “Will, are you making gestures?” asked Arrogan.

  “Yeah, I’m trying to explain what I want.”

  “Well, you’re confusing him. Lrmeg seems to think you want to have sex with him. You should let me do the talking.”