The Ways of Mages: Two Worlds (4 page)

“
As I said, most. Not all. Not yet
.”
He said seating himself in a push chair stationed next to the warmly glowing fireplace. His copper hair was slipping out of its queue.  He looked very tired.

“
Council not going well
?”
She asked setting the ribbon in the vase.

Kaizir looked surprised
.“
What
?
”

“
You do
n’t…
look s
o…
u
m…
good
.”
She replied shyly, staring into the fire.

“
Ah, I
t’
s not council. I
t’
s just me
.”
At her quizzical glance he grimaced
.“
I have
n’
t been sleeping well. A repetitive, chaotic dream
.
”

Something about what he admitted pulled at her
.“
Bad dreams
?
”

He snorted. Kaizir was not what she had expected of the Great King of Legend. He wa
s…
human and very easy to like. He was what people here calle
d‘
a man of fait
h’
.
 “
It is very melodramatic. The end of the world, wars, a child of light and a child of darkness..
.”
His voice turned somber
.“
I think the Lord is trying to tell me somethin
g
…”

“
Time has a habit of repeating itsel
f
…
”
Bendon
D’
Armis.

Present Day- Pershara

Gawin felt the bitter cold rush of a winter wind against his chee
k–
reminding him that the snows would return in earnest soon enough.  It had been unseasonably warm the last several days. The snows had melted and the roads were often muddy.  Jewel seemed to like the mud, a fact Gawin found most unladylike. Still, it was hard not to grin when she would see a large stretch of it in the road. She would deliberately pranced her horse
s’
feet to splatter everyone - giggling the whole time.  The last time she did it, Bendon had shared his smile of amusement. There was something else in the old ma
n’
s eye, a sense of longing almost. It was only there for the barest of moments...

The weather had changed overnight. They were back in the icy grip of winter. The going was more treacherous. A light snow had covered deep frozen tracks in the mud, making footing awkward.

Gawin turned in his saddle to face his riding companions
.“
We should be about half an hour out of South Point
.”
He said over the rising wind
.“
You can see how the roa
d’
s chewed up.  More people are using it
.
”

The lanky engineer looked at Bendon, Tommy, and Kindra.  All three were bundled up tightly in sweaters and heavy cloaks; much the same as he and Jewel. Though Bendon had his red cloak on as well.  Only Robert seemed at ease in the biting cold. The old man wore a heavy cloak and a type of woolen riding cap that had been in fashion more than fifty years ago. Still, he wore no sweater that Gawin could see and he kept his hood back. As always, he had that odd black sword of his strapped on his hors
e’
s right side. On his left he had a long wooden tube made out of something he called bamboo which he used to carry his engineering drawings and designs.

Gawin and Robert had spent much of their free time in the evenings working on those design
s–
a fact which had started to irritate the younger ma
n’
s new wife. Still, Gawin was looking forward to an evening by a warm fire in some South Point inn with Jewel on one side and Robert, the plans, a slide rule and a protractor on the other. Gawin did
n’
t really know what they were designing.  Robert would only say that it could be used to take trips.  Gawin did
n’
t really mind the mystery. Robert would hand him small pieces, the designs of which had stumped the older man.  Gawin would work the problem over in his mind for a few days. Once he had figured out how to solve the problem he and the older man would do the calculations and set Gawi
n’
s solution to paper. Gawin suspected the only thing preventing Robert from completing whatever this was on his own was a lack of training in the art of calculus.

Jewe
l’
s horse stumbled on a hidden rut and he was jolted out of his day dream
.“
You OK
?”
He asked while reaching out a hand to steady her.

“
I think
I’
ll never be warm again
.”
She answered through gritted teeth
.“
Other than that,
I’
m fine
.
”

Gawin grinned
.“
I bet I can warm you up
.”
He teased.

“
Is that all you think about
?”
She asked in mock anger.

“
Hey, you said it yourself; w
e’
ve got prophesy to fulfill
.
”

“
Is that the only reason
?”
She said in a suddenly sullen voice.

He raised her gloved hand which he was holding while they rode and kissed it
.“
No. I
t’
s just a handy excuse to be close to you
.”
Gawin kissed her hand again
.“
I love you, Jewel
.”
Gawin continued, his voice losing its teasing lilt
.“
I always have. I always will. Until the end of time if need be
.
”

“
Better answer - Pencil Boy
!”
She said with a smile. She had taken to calling him that as a way of teasing him for spending so much time with pencil-in-hand, working with Robert.

“
Hey you two, knock it off.  There are children present
.”
It was Tommy who spoke.

Jewel placed a hand on her stomach and answere
d“
We do
n’
t know that yet. I only said we should do a testing spell when we got to South Port
.
”

“
Oh, but we
do
know
.”
Said the thief
.“
Anybody wh
o’
s ever seen a woman wake up sick to her stomach every day for a week knows exactly what going on
.
”

“
I could have caught a cold
.”
Jewel protested.

“
You caught something
.”
Robert added with a grin from the front where he was riding point.

“
…
and it was
n’
t from hol
d’
n hands
!”
Tommy continued with a smirk while dodging a playful kick from Kindra who was riding at his side
.“
Besides
,”
he added somewhat smugly
,“I’
ve a gold piece riding on the outcome of the spell and, as a professional;
I’
d never take a bet on anything other than a sure thing
.
”

“
What dog would place a bet like that with you
?”
Kindra asked indignantly.

“
H
e’
d rather not say
.”
Robert answered rather hastily from the front. Bendon grinned like a boy getting away with something.

“
I se
e
…
”
Jewe
l’
s mother commented dryly. She raised an eyebrow at Bendon, proving that a mothe
r’
s gaze missed very little. His grin morphed into a sheepish smile.

The conversations ended as they rounded a bend and saw the trees give way to the sprawling town of South Point.

***

The town of South Point was located on the south western shore of the massive lake Egon. There were no rivers nearby and so the town did most of its commerce by lake barges northeast to and from Shenandoah. Rich farm lands and the best freshwater clam beds in all of Pershara provided for a steady source of income to the town. 

The travelers chose an inn near the lakeshore. Tommy, who seemed to know everything about every little town, berg and hamlet they visited had recommended a place calle
d“
Kabe
r’
s Inn and Eater
y”
. As promised, it was modest enough not to draw undo attention and yet was clean and comfortable.

“
Besides
,”
as the young thief had said as they entered the establishment
,“
they have the best clam chowder in the city
.
”

True to his word, as they sat at a table in the barroom half an hour later, the warm creamy white chowder was everything the thief had promised.

Jewel wrapped her fingers around the bowl, allowing its heat to soak into her freezing hands. She sat with her back to a warm fireplace at a table the men had chosen both for its proximity to the fire and its view of the rest of the room.

Several of the In
n’
s cats had made their way over to Jewe
l’
s feet and onto her lap. One was even now reaching a paw to tap her chin as if to sa
y“
Hey
I’
m here no
w…
go ahead and scratch behind my ear
.”
Jewel, of course, complied with a weary smile.

Gawin and Tommy sat on either side of her. Bendon sat on the other side of Tommy eating his chowder and keeping to himself. Meanwhile, Kindra and Robert chatted idly on the other side of the table.  It seemed that the mother dragon and the old man had known each other for quite a while. The conversation had inevitably turned to Joan. Kindra had a kind word and shed a very real tear when she learned of her recent passing.

A well-endowed serving girl with a tight blouse that afforded the men a generous view came by to clear the table of empty chowder bowls. Tommy took the opportunity to ask about a local specialty.

“
Are you running a fish boil tonight
?
”

“
Oh, you know about our fish boils do ya
?”
The young woman asked with a proud smile.

“
Absolutely
.”
Tommy answered before anyone else could say no
.“
W
e’
ll have six if yo
u’
re running one tonight
.
”

“
Well, yo
u’
re in luck then.  The cooks just put one on out front.  The best show will be in about twenty minutes
.
”

“
Thanks
.
”

“
My pleasure
.”
The girl answered with a wink, a bow and a jiggle that afforded the men one last peek at her wares.

“
Her blouse was unusually tight
.”
Kindra commented dryly while giving the thief a scolding look.

“
Had
n’
t noticed
.”
The men lied in unison.

“
I see
.”
Said the mother dragon in a tone that said she was
n’
t buying what they were selling.

Gawin, massaging his side where Jewe
l’
s elbow had just jabbed him, attempted to redirect the conversation
.“
So wha
t’
s the deal with thi
s‘
fish boi
l’?
”

“
I
t’
s a great local tradition
.”
Tommy said
.“
They take white fish from the lake, chop them into two to three inch sections and boil them with chunks of onions, potatoes, corn, and clam
s–
lots and lots of clams. The whole mess is layered in a caldron between layers of salted seaweed
.
”

“
Wha
t’
s so special about that
?”
Jewel asked.

“
A
h”
, he said rolling his eyes with a smile
,“
the combination of flavors is simply marvelous and as in everything
,”
the thief continued with a broad grin
,“
a lot of the meal is in the presentation itself. The pot is placed on a large public fire outside. Just before it is ready to serve a cook will throw a pan of melted lard on the fire. The flames will shoot up and the pot will boil over violently. All the fat and scum that normally collects on the top of the water is lost in the boil over. Makes for quite a show
.”
the thief finished.

“
And great advertising
.”
Robert observed practically.

“
That too
.”
Tommy agreed.

Jewel noticed that Gawin had a slightly distracted look in his eyes.

“
Are you alright
?”
She asked.

“
Me, oh fine
.”
he answered
.“
I was just watching a man and a boy over at the bar
.
”