16: For Solamnia

Pela was listening intently to everything Kali told her. She was trying to wrap her head around the sort of magic casting Kali was referring to and here and there she was gaining understanding. She found the idea of losing spells from memory disturbing but she kept that thought to herself. Still, she couldn’t help but think if it were so much trouble memorizing the spells why they didn’t find alternative methods of casting. She thought of what she wanted or needed at the time, got a picture of it in her minds eye and it would just happen. While sometimes it would be a little more or less than she had originally thought, the end results were still the same.

She found Kali’s spell book binding to be both beautiful and mysterious. And she did remember seeing Rayann and Ceridwyn reading through equally elaborate looking books that were slightly different than the one Kali held. That much she understood, that a wizards spell book was unique to them just as a wizards tower was. Eventually, she was sure, all of the pieces would fall into place snd she’d fully understand everything.

As Kali enchanted the parchment to accept the spell she was about to teach her, Pela backed up slightly from the warmth she felt. It wasn’t uncomfortable, just something she tried to avoid at all costs when possible. As the ink well and quill were moved for her to reach, Pela picked up the quill, dipped it into the ink and focused on the words Kali was reciting.

While she may have been raised with a mostly unemotional creature, her penmanship was extraordinary. Her letters were elegant yet simple and feminine. Each line was written perfectly straight upon the parchment and there not one time she requested Kali to slow down, repeat a word or wait for her to catch up. Her brows furrowed as she concentrated on the task at hand and listened to the sound of Kali’s voice as the wizard repeated the spell for her.

After the first hour, Pela was able to speak the words at the same time Kali did. As she continued to write, the words rolled off her tongue as though she’d been speaking them all her life. At some point, Kali grew quiet and listened to the words Pela was saying to make sure she didn’t say one incorrectly. Only once did Kali have to correct the word and whihle it didn’t appear as though Pela was paying attention, she wrote the word correctly then repeated it correctly as well to make sure she had it correct.

Finally, after about two hours, as Kali stated, the writing part was completed and Pela sat back in the chair and flexed her fingers and hand. She never stopped, never asked for a break and never said anything about her hand hurting but it was clear she was feeling it now. She massaged her fingers and the palm of her hand as she looked over at Kali then glanced at the velvet bags then back to Kali.

”I was not trying to misspeak about regents earlier, Kali. I heard you, your mother and Ceridwyn discussing the shortage of them and from what I could tell, they sounded like spices and I thought perhaps there was something here that could help. I meant no offense to your studies.”

Kali nodded as their exercise ended and she took note of the girls tenacity when it came to learning. She smiled softly as she rubbed her finger across the binding of her spell book and tucked it back into her robes. As Pela spoke Kali smiled her familiar, crocked smile and spoke, “There was no offense taken Pela, but you are taking your first step onto this road and that is the sort of thing that would be better learned at the beginning than a year from now.” She smiled and spoke again, “And I knew you were outside the room.”

She saw the look of surprise on Pela’s face and to clear the confusion she spoke again, “When you grow further into the world of magic, should you choose a path of more formal learning in magic you too will be able to detect when other magic user’s are close by. Every magic user, despite their being a High Sorcerer or a Wild Sorcerer such as yourself exudes a magical signature. Once you learn that signature by spending time with them you become attuned to it and start to feel when they are near. It isn’t the sort of thing that works across long distances but within 30 to 50 meters is quite typical. I am certain that Ceridwyn and my mother felt you too, but we understand that your curiosity is much larger than your manners right now.”

The last sentence might have sounded slightly offensive, and the exact motivation behind them was unclear, but Kali went on with what she was saying without skipping a beat. “So, now that you have your parchments I will teach you the order of the casting. Some spells require you sprinkle the reagents as you cast, others before, and some, after some don’t require any at all, as you are well aware of. It all depends on the spell. For this spell we will apply reagents to the blade and then perform our incantation to cast the spell. Without the reagents the spell is just words. The words, hand motions and reagents work together to pull the magical energy from the air and become real. In the case of this spell the reagents bind the spell to the blade, but it can only be done once. For example, we can’t cast the spell on the blade and then cast it on the blade a second time to make it double in strength, nor can we cast this enchantment and then a second, different one on the same blade. It has to do with the mixing of magic’s and how they can’t exist in the same place much like you and I can’t stand on the exact same spot. We can go further into detail on that later if you would like.

Kali walked over to the table and Pela instinctually followed with her stack of parchments. Kali looked at her and spoke, “Do you remember the words of the spell up here?” She tapped on the side of her own temple. Pela nodded and she smiled in response, “Good. The first time, I want you to cast the spell from memory and recite it while you mimic my hand movements. I want you to feel the pull of magic through your body, be aware of it and how it is affecting you physically. I am sure you have felt that you get tired as you cast, all magic users experience it, but what I want you to be aware of is the pull of magic through your body, the way the magic courses through your body. Having that awareness is what will make you a more effective caster because knowing the exact affects of a spell on your body will let you be prepared with the appropriate counter measure so you can recover quicker. This is especially important for battle casters like you and I. My mother and Ceridwyn are more protective casters, using magic more as a defense than an offense, however don’t let that lead you to believe they aren’t capable of erasing an opponent, Ceridwyn vaporized a black robed wizard with such intensity that all which remained was an outline of his body on the wall behind him where the light didn’t hit the stone.” She saw Pela’s eyebrows raise up and she nodded, “Yes, for as sweet and passive looking as Ceridwyn is she is quite capable of defending herself.”

They spent the next half an hour going over the hand movements and Kali explained the ingredients used in the reagents. When she handed Pela one of the twenty four velvet bags she spoke, “Pull the drawstring and pour the contents into your palm,” As Pela did this Kali continued, “I want you to feel them, they are as of right now, nothing more than a specific mixture of natural materials which have been gathered and processed for our needs. When combined with your words however they become the catalyst to power. Sprinkle the reagents evenly on the surface of the blade there.”

Pela did as she was instructed and Kali pointed to a couple areas to rub the reagents across with her finger. She turned and looked at Pela and spoke, “OK, here we go. Inhale deeply and follow the motion of my hands exactly.”

Kali began to move her hands over a blade beside the one Pela was standing over. Kali whispered, “Good … now, recite the words, feel the magic as it pulses around you, it will synch with your heartbeat, it will begin to prickle at your skin and move through your skin, down your spine, up your veins, into your hands.”

The sensation was like a very mild tingle, similar to when you cut off the blood from a limb for a short time and it pricks as the blood rushes back in. Pela’s face twisted slightly and Kali’s voice came, soft and reassuring, “That’s good Pela, good… I can feel it, the magic is drawing to you…” Suddenly Pela’s hands began to glow and a small burst of blue light shot from her palms and hit the reagents on the blade. They crackled and sparkled as a blue glow flowed from the spot the spell had hit and surrounded the blade. Pela’s eyes went wide and Kali giggled with a nod of her head, “You have just taken your first step into a much larger world Pela, congratulations.”

Kali spoke again, “Do you remember the spell?” Pela crinkled her brows slightly and shoke her head, it was fuzzy at best, there were slight bits of the spell in her mind but it was spotty at best, she then turned and looked at Kali, the light had come on, she was beginning to understand the sensation of a spell being erased from memory. Kali saw it and nodded, “That is part of the reason I had you write it down, you won’t have to memorize the spell over and over, at least not for this 24 times, “She pointed to the parchments.” Unfortunately we have many more than 24 blades to enchant, but it is all immaterial because we only have enough reagents to do 24 so until my mother returns with more, we will do what we can.”

As Pela felt the regents in her hand, she closed her eyes and let her sense of touch and smell remind her what they smelled and felt like. She’d learned early on in life your eyes could deceive you but your other senses weren’t as easily fooled. When she opened her eyes and poured the mixture of regents onto the blade, she heard the sound it made and again committed that to her memory.

It was the strangest sensation Pela had ever experienced. Just as Kali said, she felt the magic being drawn into her body and it pulsated with her heartbeat. She could actually feel the magic making its way down her arms and when it reached her hands she saw the blue glow form in her hands then shoot out at the blade. Again her mouth formed an O as she saw the affect the spell had on the blade.

”By the Gods…..that was incredible….”

Her elation was short lived, though, when Kali asked her if she remembered the spell. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t remember the spell. Bits and pieces of it, yes, but she couldn’t remember it in detail. It seemed to be just beyond her grasp and her frustration at not being able to remember it clearly showed on her face.

”Well this is rather disappointing. To learn such a wonderful spell only to have it vanish from my mind like a wisp of smoke on the wind. It is like having a delicious piece of candy snatched from your hand.”

She looked at the velvet bags and furrowed her brows then looked at Kali again.

”Are you sure there are not some natural components in the nearby area that can be used to help restock your regents? I would be willing to go look for them. If I knew what I was searching for. I rather like the weather like this. I know it bothers most but it does not bother me in the least.”

She sighed heavily then looked at the other blades there for her to practice on.

”In the meantime, I believe I have some more practicing to do.”

Bringing the next parchment closer to her, Pela silently rtead the spell that was written on the parchment then closed her eyes as she silently recited it several times again to herself. Opening her eyes, Kali could see the concentration in her gaze as she reached for the velvet bag containing the regents for the next enchantment.

As before, she emptied the regents into her hand then carefully spread them evenly over the blade. Once she had that done, she moved her hands and recited the spell and felt the magic coursing through her body and eventually out through her arms and hands. As the blue glow erupted from her hands and hit the regents causing them to sparkle and crackle, she smiled brightly. She looked at Kali with that bright eyes look again.

”Father will be very pleased to know I have learned something new. He tells me often I should learn something new everyday to keep my mind sharp and I have tried to always do that. Like, just this morning, I learned the rules of snowball fighting. I never knew I could have so much fun with others as I did.”

Kali smiled and nodded as Pela expressed her frustration in not being able to remember the spell, “That is the balance that all Wizard’s must endure. To keep Wizards from becoming too powerful the gods put two checks on us, physical exhaustion when we cast too much and the vanishing of the spell from our memories. The more powerful the spell, the higher the draw and the longer it takes to rememorize it.” She shrugged gently under her red robes and continued, “You have mastered a few very formidable spells as a wild sorceress, and as such you have been able to use magic in a very limited fashion, but what you know is a moon cast shadow to the magic that is out there.”

Kali’s eyes seemed to go distant for a moment, as if she was no longer in her body. She turned and looked out the window across the snowy landscape, she spoke, “That lust for power is what drives many wizard’s to pursue goals beyond the comprehension of others, it is why some choose the black robes.” She turned and looked at Pela, “Black robed Wizards are considered evil, but evil is relative. Is it really evil to pursue the path of more power for one’s self? Is it noble to pursue the path of the white robes so you can assist and benefit the needs of others? These are the sorts of questions only you can answer.”

Kali listened to her talk about the possibility of components in the nearby area and Kali smiled with a nod, “I am sure there are, but they are buried beneath half a meter of snow. I would be more than willing to teach you how to gather the right spells and herbs for yourself as we walk this path together, but unfortunately now is not the time for that. Yes, we could probably find much of what we need around the area, at least for some spells, but other components are rare and harder to come by. This spell for enchanting the blades with cold is relatively simple, and I am certain we could find some of what we need at least. For now, we need to concentrate our efforts on getting done what we can and let my mother do her job of getting more components for us.”

She smiled and walked back over to Pela, “You did well for your first time, I honestly was giving you about a 20% chance it would work for you on your first go at it.”

Pela read the spell off the parchment and cast it again, this time on her own. Kali watched with a proud nod as she successfully cast the spell and when Pela looked up at her and spoke about learning something new every day she pointed to the parchment she had read from, “And here is something else to learn, just as the spell is erased from your mind so it will be erased from the paper…” she pointed and Pela followed the path of her finger to the parchment on the desk. It was blacked and burnt as if it had been lit on fire, yet no fire had ever been there to consume it. She looked up at Kali and Kali spoke, “As I said, that is why I had you copy it 24 times. The same thing will happen if you read the spell directly from your spell book, it won’t consume the page in the same manner, but it will be lost from your book and you will not be able to read it and memorize it again until you find another copy of it to transpose back into your book. That is why you should never read a spell from your book and cast it directly from the pages unless it is an absolute emergency.”

She saw the understanding look on Pela’s face and she nodded with a motion of her arm towards the swords, “Repetition breeds perfection.”

”I do not think a person is evil for wanting to discover and learn more power. It is when they use that power for purposes like what those two mages did in creating the towers and causes others as a whole to suffer that is evil. But that is just the way I see it.”

Pela was finding all of this information extremely interesting and as Kali told her more about it, she was starting to put many pieces together. She was far from having the full picture but she could see enough of it to know there was so much more than simple casting of spells that made one a wizard.

When Kali showed her the parchment and how charred it was, Pela’s eyes grew wide and she felt her heart sink.

”OH! NO! All my hard work! It is just….gone…..this is just so unfair. Those Gods are just…..oooooohhhhhhh…..”

Furrowing her brows, she shook her head as she looked at the next parchment and picked up the next velvet bag.

”I do not like this part, Kali. Not one bit….that does not mean I do not understand, I just do not like it.”

With each blade after, Pela recited the spell after sprinkling the regents on the blades and felt the magic course through her body and exited through her hands. Each time she could feel the physical pull on her body but she refused to give into the urge to rest. She needed to practice this as much as she could so when they enchanted the rest of the blades, it would be as though she’d been doing it for a long time.

By the time she finished the sixth sword, Pela could feel the physical drain on her more so than she ever had in the past. AS the glow settled down she felt herself stagger slightly as her head felt much lighter than it ever had.

”Oh…..I suppose I am experiencing that physical exhaustion you spoke of earlier. Just in case you did not know, I will state this plainly. I do not like this either.”

She glanced over at Kali and saw the young woman’s face swimming before her. Ever so carefully she found the chair she’d been sitting in earlier and while she tried to be elegant about sitting down, Pela ended up flopping down rather tiredly.

”Does this part get any better?”

Rose nodded her head in response to the young man's words. "Your word is your bond and I except that." She looked back to one of her guards and nodded her head and the man disappeared down the hall and returned shortly with the keys to the cell. Rose took them from him and opened the cell herself swinging it open before passing the keys back.

"Lady Kellan will see to your needs for the trip Saul." She smiled slightly and gave a slight nod of her head before spinning on her heel. Something about Saul gave her little doubt that he would not go back on his word. Be it the strength of his words or the look in his eye she felt it was the right path to follow. With her guards in tow she left Saul there with Kellan disappearing down the hall. She paused long enough to have the keys returned and and inform her men of the change in the prisoners status. There was a nod and salute and then Rose was leaving the prison all together.

One task for the day done and out of the way Rose headed for the war room to get caught up on the battle plans she had been missing out on these past few days. Occasionally she stopped to look upon the new fallen snow outside. It brought a slight smile to her face as she saw the people out and about. It reminded her of the things potentially at stake and re-affirmed her devotion to her duty. Thoughts of things that need to be done were filling her head while she walked. Her pace slowed however as she felt a wave a nausea wash over her and she had to stop a moment. Her hand went out to the wall as she felt herself going off balance. Leaning heavily on it for a moment before she regained herself. She shook her head as one of the guards asked if she was all right.

"I'll be fine... just got dizzy for a moment..." She forced a smile and through sheer will made herself move on. The sleepless knights were starting to take their toll upon her body but she dared not speak of it.


Myth stood patiently awaiting Nol's arrival and when the silver appeared in his elven guise Myth greeted him with a smile. Myth bowed his head slightly in a show of respect before he spoke. "My only regret dear friend is that our meeting is not a social one." The smile on Myth's face faded slightly "We received word that there is a force of the dark one moving about Northkeep. The Lady Rose has asked Ceridwyn, Aeolis, and Lady Kellan to investigate their presence to ascertain their intent. I am wondering if you could shed any light upon the matter for us." Myth took note of the faintest reaction on Nol's face when he mentioned the mission and Kellan's participation.

"More to the point though Nol I want to know if I should consider embarking upon this journey with them." Myth could see the look on Aeolis's face out of the corner of his eye but he kept his gaze on Nol. In truth Myth knew Nol had information but he wanted to know just how dangerous this trip would be. He did not relish the thought of leaving his wife's side but he couldn't stay here in Heartlund if his blade was needed elsewhere. Draconians were nasty enough business on their own, but they wouldn't be the only things present at Northkeep. Myth waited patiently for the answer.

Kellan smiled as Saul was freed from his cell. When he walked out and looked at her, she gestures for him to follow.

”Come on, Saul….let’s get your things returned to you and find you a place to bunk for the night. Ceridwyn wishes to leave first thing in the morning. It’s not a pleasant experience, by no means, but it does save time. Just make sure to eat lightly because you may be seeing it again.”

She led the way out of the cell block, up the stairs. Walking over to a wooden cabinet with licking doors, she got the key from the guards and opened it. Reaching inside, she withdrew his knap sack and his blade. Locing the cabinet back up, she handed the keys back to the guard then walked over to Saul and handed him the items, nodding.

”Go ahead. Make sure everything there.”

She watched as he took inventory of his things then nodded to her. With a nod in return, she led him out of the stockades. When they were outside, both had to squint to keep the sun from hurting their eyes as it reflected off the bright, white snow.

”Welcome to freedom, my new friend. We’ve cleared as much of the snow as we could but as you can see, we’re still working on it some. At least we don’t have to trudge through knee deep piles of it to get where we’re going.”

Leading him through the streets he could see those who weren’t on duty protecting the Keep were busy making sure the snow was removed and paths dug to walk through the streets. They finally reached the dorm where the squires were housed and she walked in. Several of the squires were in there getting ready for one thing or another and saluted sharply when she walked in. She returned the salute and led Saul to the end of the hallway. Opening the door, she walked in and gestured for him to enter. The room had four, single beds in it and three of them were occupied. The last one had the blankets folded and piled neatly on the down pillow.

I’m afraid we’ve had to combine ourselves in rooms to accommodate housing the citizens. Put your things there. No one will bother them. We’ll go get you some more supplies that you’ll need for the trip.”

Stepping back into the hallway, Kellan waited for the young man to join her again and she walked back out of the dorms. Once back outside, she led him to anther building where she instructed a couple of squires to make sure they got the same things ready for Saul they got ready for her. She looked over at Saul then and quirked a brow.

”How good are you with a bow?”

Kali watched Pela, indeed the girl was determined, but she didn’t say a word as she saw her young face go pale on the fifth casting of the spell. When she did it a sixth time and the toll on her body was too much to bear Pela wobbled slightly and Kali was ready to catch her if need be, but showed no signs towards that end. She let Pela navigate her own way to the chair and sit. Kali reached and grabbed the chair she had been sitting in under the window and brought it over next to Pela. She then went to the fireplace and took the kettle that had been simmering and brought it over to a table between them. She poured the hot liquid and its scent filled the room. It was a delightful aroma and she picked up a cup, handing it to Pela, “Honey Licorice, one of my favorites. It will calm you.”

She sipped her tea and looked at Pela over the rim of her cup, then brought the cup down and rested it in her lap. She spoke quietly, but there was some authority in her words, “Pela, who are you to question the gods?” Pela looked at her sharply and Kali brought up her hands, “Let me finish.” You have said that you are upset about the way of magic, that your scrolls are consumed, that your body is tired, but let me ask you a question and I want you to think long and hard about it before you answer. What would happen if we were to memorize the spell fireball for instance, or maybe in your case, a freezing spell that did massive amounts of damage over a broad area with no effect on us or the way we cast it? If a Wizard had the ability to simply start blasting away everything in their path how long before our natural, greedy tendencies would take over and a handful of Wizards would rule the whole of Krynn?”

She sipped her tea again, “Magic is a very powerful thing, in fact, it is the single most powerful force on the planet. No tidal wave or sea storm can match the power of magic. If the gods were to allow us free reign with our power it would be catastrophic. Even if all but one wizard used their magic only for the purest of intentions, one wizard alone could destroy the planet if there were no checks in place. We may not always like the decisions of the gods, but we cannot blaspheme or become angry with their systems. They designed and created this planet, it is not our place to despise them for the very life and place to live they have provided.”

She leaned back in her chair and rested her face on her hand as she leaned on her elbow, “Part of being a wizard is learning to work around the limitations, the wizards that become the most powerful are the ones that devote themselves to their god, and their study, and the reward for enthusiastic pursuit of their ways is more magic. I venture that in some form or another you have forgotten your spells, but were able to recall them over time. That is because you are dealing in minor magic as a wild sorcerer, you are only scratching the out crust of a much deeper well of knowledge. Frankly put, your spells are simple and basic. I don’t mean that in a negative way, all wizards start there, and yes, you are formidable but only because you have been able to find a way to do it with no training. There is nothing wrong with that, at least not in my eyes. Some High Sorcerers see your kind as a blight to magic, I say, none of us would be here if not for dabbling in magic as youngsters.”

She sipped her tea and looked across at Pela again, the silence hung there a moment and she spoke again, “You mentioned that the towers were created by evil wizards, but what is evil? What is good? Where do you draw that line, and who has the authority to hold that quill?”



Nol returned Myth’s smile. He was not intending to be rude, but he was curious as to what this visitation request meant. When Myth mentioned it wasn’t a social visit Nol nodded his head and spoke, “I figured as much my friend.” Myth went on to explain and Nol listened, waiting for him to finish before he responded.

“Word is that the Her Dark Majesty has discovered that her agents Fifth and Piramay have circumvented her command and gone to work on their own. To what end, none of us know, but the three towers are the created evidence of their scheme. To date we have little to no intelligence as to what or why the towers were created, but the traditional towers of High Sorcery exist to be a sanctuary for the followers of the gods of magic. Since there are no followers of these two, at least, not as of yet, we don’t know if the towers will be serving that purpose or something more diabolical. The fact is, a building is a building, neither good nor evil, but its manner of use is what determines its alignment. The towers of high sorcery are shared by wizards of all alignment, aside from Cells at Glen Durel, but Cells is not a wizard’s tower more than a depository for many magical items. It is protected by wardings and strong enchantments modeled after those around the three towers of high sorcery but it is not a wizards tower by the traditional definition.”

He turned and looked out across the landscape, “These three towers however, the mimic much of the established order of things. There are three, much like the three original towers of high sorcery, they are also set in balance with each other, much like the red moon, the white moon and the dark moon. One can see that this is because of the rules set in place by the gods.” He turned and looked at Myth and Aeolis, “What this means is that even though Fifth and Piramay feel they will ascend to some sort of higher status with this plan ultimately they are still playing in the same system the gods have put in to place, and ultimately, under their rules.”

Myth looked at him, there was a look of acknowledgement but also slight puzzlement, “What I mean Prince, is that they are not unbeatable. If they are still playing under the gods rules, they are still subject to their command, and ultimately defeat if they throw their hands in the gods faces.”

He turned back around and looked at Myth and Aeolis, “As for North Keep, Her Dark Majesty knows that was their last known location. I have flown over the area several times gathering intelligence for the High Born with many of my dragons, it appears as though they are gathering information to bring back to the queen. They are looking for clues as to where they went after the left North Keep. Her Dark Majesty is a god, but she is not omnipotent or omnipresent, like all of us she needs to investigate and gather information before she can make a plan. I can tell you we estimate approximately 200 draconian and human soldiers, and they are being coordinated by a Draconian Commander but we have not identified which one. None of us have been able to get close enough to identify him.”

He looked at Myth as he spoke and he simply locked eyes with him, giving a hint of a smile, “As for your going with them, I am in no place to make that decision, that is entirely between you and your wife, and I would assume the Commander of this Keep who organized the mission.”

His gaze then softened slightly from warrior to friend, “Also, since we both know it is bound to come up eventually, I did not intend to hurt your daughter. She had broken things off with me ten months before I met Kellan and I did not do anything out of malice or intent to harm her. I do not feel that I have any need to justify what I did but as Kali’s father I at least wanted you to know that side of the story.”

His face remained bold, it was obvious that Nol knew his place in the order of things. As a dragon he was literally one of the gods children, but there was also the humble side of him and Myth would detect that though he was a higher level of being than humans and elves, he did want to at least clear the air between them regarding that matter.

Saul thanked the commander and stepped out of the cell, walked with Lady Kellen down the corridor, up the steps and collected his belongings. Inspecting to be sure all was as it should be, more out of obeying instructions than mistrust, the stepped out into the sunshine. Squinting, until his eyes adjusted, Saul took a deep breath, exhaled slowly and turned towards Lady Kellen. "I wish to thank you for your assistance, your kindness and trust will not be forgotten.”

They then proceeded to the dormitory, where Saul assured Lady Kellen that the accommodations were quite adequate and far superior than his previous lodgings had been. Nodding occasionally to the squires as they busied themselves with their duties, Saul, followed Lady Kellen as he was issued various items. When asked by Lady Kellen ”How good are you with a bow?” Saul unslung the bow from his back and looked around .... "Do you see that harness hanging from the peg on the post across the parade ground?" He asked as he pointed the end of the bow towards it.

Saul then quickly drew an arrow from the quiver, notched the bolt to the string and pulled it taut. As the arrow left the string on its flight, Saul quickly drew a second arrow from the quiver, fitted it to the string, pulled back and let it fly. The first arrow struck the leather harness in the third hole from the buckle. It had barely stopped its subtle vibration before the second split the first in half. Saul slowly lowered the bow and looked to the ground.

Pela took the offered cup of tea with slightly shaky hands and sipped it slowly, enjoying the taste. She listened to Kali explain how things worked as far as the Gods were concerned and she began to understand why her magic was so erratic at times. It made sense to her as explained why there were such checks and balances in place. She knew there was more at stake here than simply doing a job and collecting her money but it never made complete sense until Kali explained it like this.

”How does one find a wizard to teach them the art of this sort of devotion and learning the ways of magic while following the Gods rules?”

It was clear Pela was beginning to look at the bigger picture. For so long it had just been her and Bad Rock but now she was starting to see it was much more than that. There was a whole other world out there and she was starting to get a good taste of that world.

She chewd on her bottom lip between sips of tea as Kali explained how one became a student and learned the ways of spell casting. Again she began to understand how this could be extremely beneficial to her but to hear she would have to leave Bad Rock to study under the tutelage of a stranger, Kali could see the fear flash in her ice blue eyes as she leaned forward slightly.

”But….I have never been anywhere but with Father…..I would abandon him.”

She shook her head as she sat back.

”I do not know if I could do such a thing. Or who would want to take the time with me. I am far along in years for someone to think of taking me on as a student.”

She shrugged her shoulders slightly then as she looked into the remaining liquid in her cup

”Perhaps it is for the best. Father tells me I can be quite head strong at times.”

She looked up at Kali then.

”What is it like? Having a mother? I know Bad Rock is not my Father but he took me as his own child shortly after I had just been born and detached from my real mother.”

Kellan nodded.

”Impressive. Hope your accuracy is that good on moving targets.”

She turned on her heel and had him follow her again. As she walked, she talked to him.

”We’re headed to North Keep to investigate the Dragon army movements, as you know. Your spy glass will allow us to watch them from a distance. Don’t think this is an easy task, though. The army doesn’t follow the rules of engagement other armies do. If they see you, and you’re not part of their group, you’re killed. Period. We’ll have to be extremely careful. Draconian soldiers are not the most dim witted creatures to roam Krynn. In fact, some of them can be down right intelligent. I guess what I’m telling you is to be prepared for almost anything.”

She looked skyward then nodded.

”Only a few more hours of daylight and then we’ll turn in for the night. Come, I’ll show you where the chow hall is so you can get a good, hot meal and meet some of the other Knights.”

Kali listened to Pela as she spoke, and she was beginning to get a good picture of what this girl was like. As she saw her struggling with the commitment it took to become a wizard she leaned back in her chair and spoke before sipping her tea again, “Well, one does not need to align themselves with a stranger necessarily, it could be someone you know, and even if mildly, trust… it’s all a matter of finding the strength within yourself to ask the question.”

She smiled softly as the cup came to her lips again and she drank. Pela was staring at her and she spoke again, “Just so you know, you are in no way too old to become an apprentice, in fact with your background you are ahead of many 14 year old apprentices. Most apprentices of human descent are brought in between the ages of 12 and 18, it simply depends on the person.

She nodded slightly to herself as Pela spoke of having a mother. Kali inhaled deeply and let it out in a slow, deliberate manner, “To be honest Pela, I have only had a mother for 18 months.” Pela’s eyes narrowed as if she was being lied to and Kali giggled, “Pela, let me tell you a story…”

After about 30 minutes Kali had finished telling Pela the whole story of a pair of human twins, the promise of balance in magic given by the gods themselves, the severing of the gift, the fall from grace of a promising male wizard, his descent into darkness and ultimately his death at Glen Durel by the hands of Ceridwyn. Kali tucked her hair behind her ear to reveal her slightly pointed ears and spoke, “I am the half elven child, I was and in some ways still am Shulamite, the Dark Wizard of Tahkisis armies. I am 127 years old, and I have only had a mother for 18 months as I said.

She sighed, “To get back to your question it is hard at times, she sees me as a child at times and as an adult at others, as does father. They never got to hold me as a child, or raise me, or mentor and teach me their values, ultimately however, through the struggles and with the times of frustration comes the moments of unconditional love. My father, like yours, lacks many emotions towards me, however, he does love me, and he would protect me, even if it means from myself.” Her face went slightly sad at the thoughts going through her mind, how she and her father had made a vow that he would slay her on the field of battle should she turn on her allies. She blinked and looked at Pela, forcing a smile. “I guess in that regard, I don’t have near enough experience to tell you what it is like except for what I have already shared.”

Slinging the bow over his shoulder, .... "I was not attempting to impress, just illustrate that I could handle a bow. Besides it was not that impressive, I was aiming for the first hole below the buckle." Saul said as he lifted his head, knelt down and picked his sword back up, cradling it across his shoulders and began to follow Lady Kellen. He listened intently to her words and nodded. "I have learned to expect the unexpected." he said quietly. Saul scanned the skies as if looking for something, when Lady Kellen mentioned a hot meal. "That would be most welcomed, indeed, and I look forward to meeting some of your fellow knights." Saul then fell in step beside her, his eyes occasionally scanning the skies and the spire peaks of the fortress.

Pela found the news she wasn’t old enough to become an apprentice good yet she still struggled to think of her life without being with Bad Rock every day. It was something she would have to think about for a while. But at least the seed had been planted and Kali would be able to see that.

As she heard the story of Kali’s life, she blinked. She knew Rorie was Rayann’s brother but she didn’t realize he was her twin. Why that struck her she didn’t know why but Pela found the news both sad and disturbing. How could someone hate their sibling so bad as to kidnap their infant child then try to kill that same sibling? Then again, Pela, like Kali, got a sad look on her face. It was the first time she had ever shown that sort of emotion.

”You are lucky to have parents who accept you, despite all that has occurred. I hope it will be the same on the other side of this massive job ahead of us.”

Pela stifled a yawn then and set her empty tea cup down.

”I am very tired, Kali. May I please excused to go rest?”

Kali could see the expression on Pela’s face and she was about to say something when Pela interjected about her own parents. She smiled and nodded, placing her own implications on the statement about hoping it would still be the same. She inhaled deeply and spoke, “Me too Pela, me too. It’s hard to say what will happen on there, primarily in regards to me.”

She looked over at the confused look on Pela’s face, “There is no guarantee that the sway of these towers won’t twist my mind into a scrambled mess.” She sighed heavily, “I have been struggling, to say the least, with the pulse of magic coming from these towers, but there are safeguards in place should something go wrong with my mind.”

She looked up and nodded as Pela requested time to rest, “By all means Pela, I didn’t mean to keep you so long.” She smiled and stood, walking the young girl to the door. She spoke as she pulled the door open for her, “I will see you tomorrow, my gut tells me that based on this being your first real session of casting like this you are going to sleep like a baby.”

She wanted to reach over and hug her, in a way she was very proud of her, but she put the feeling aside and simple gave her a nod of respect, “Until tomorrow my friend.”

Pela nodded and blinked slowly as her eyelids grew very heavy. She looked at her guard that still stood outside the door of Kali’s room.

”Come along you…..it is time for me to get some sleep.”

She saw the look he gave her and she rolled her eyes.

”Oh do not give me that look. If you were as tired as I am you would be looking for your bed as well.”

The guard merely shook his head as he escorted Pela away from Kali’s room and through the Keep. She stopped by the War Room and poked her head in to let Bad Rock know she was heading to their quarters so she could go to sleep.

Leaving that behind, she made her way through the Keep and across the compound to reach her quarters. When the guard started to post himself outside, she shook her head and gestured for him to come I.

”No….come inside. It is warmer and you can build a fire.”

She saw the look on his face and the hesitation. Putting her hands on her hips, she gave him another look.

”I give my word I shall not harm you. Besides, I am far too tired to do anything but lie down on that mat over there.”

The guard seemed to relax slightly and nodded then furrowed his brows.

“You’re not going to eat anything?”

Pekka shook her head.

”I do not think I could hold my head up long enough to finish anything that I get and I do not want to waste food.”

The guard frowned even more.

“No. I’ll send for something. I’ll keep you awake until it gets here.”

Pela frowned as well.

”Why are you insisting on this matter?”

The guard leveled his gaze to hers.

“Because it’s my duty to see to your well being. Besides, you need the food to help restore your physical strength as much as the sleep.”

Pela quirked a brow

”You seem to know more about magic recovery than I do. Why is that?”

The guard nodded.

“My sister is a wizard apprentice. She shares things with me and one thing she tells me is important is making sure you eat even if you’re too tired.”

Pela studied the guard for a moment before she waved her hand.

“Very well then. If it will make you happy, get some food for me…and you.”

Rthe guard blinked and started to protest when Pela interrupted him.

”When I am this tired, my patience is very low and when my patience is low I tend to lash out as opposed to discussing matters. Now….order US some food before I fall asleep arguing with you.”

The guard didn’t say anything right away then chuckled softly and shook his head and turned mumbling to himself.

“Women…”

It was a few minutes later that a knock came on the door and the guard left the fireplace and walked over opening the door. Accepting the tray from the squire, he nodded his thanks then turned to Pela as she sat in a chair far enough away from the fire to keep from feeling the affects. He turned and smiled as he nodded towards the table.

“Come, Miss Pela….your meal has arrived. Best you eat it before it gets too cold to enjoy.”

Pela grumbled but got up from the chair and walked over to the table. AS the guard uncovered the food and set the plate out for her she heard her stomach growl and looked up at him. Her cheeks colored slightly as she looked back down at her food and started eating with the appetite she had. Again the guard chuckled as he sat down and started eating his own meal with her.

A little while later, the plates were completely clear and Pela was standing, wiping her mouth daintily then stretched. If she was tired before, she was exhausted now. Turning she walked over to her sleeping mat and mumbled a good night to the guard. As she laid down as was soon fast asleep, the guard furrowed his brow in concern. How many meals had she missed over her short life? It was something that bothered him and he would discuss the issue with Trystan when he made his report.

He cleaned up the plates and put them back on the tray then went to sit over by the fire and wait for Bad Rock to come in and his replacement to relieve him from duty. Occasionally he glanced over at Pela as she slept and wondered how his sister was doing.

Myth listened to the information that Nol provided scratching his chin once or twice as he listened. The notion that Fifth and Piramay had gone rogue alone was unsettling. The fact the queen was now actively searching for the pair was equally unsettling. This did answer the big question of why the force was there. Now the pressing matter would be whether they would march on Heartlund en-route to the towers as they would be the next logical choice. The weather would be the only thing keeping them from arriving during the assault on the third tower if they chose to move within the next day or two. Small fortunes Myth mused to himself.

He was letting out a sigh when Nol addressed the more personal matter of Kali. With a slight nod of his head Myth spoke his voice calm and quiet. "I am aware that she chose to part the relationship. I would not hold such a thing against you knowing what I do." He smiled "The past is the past so let us look to the future. I only ask you visit occasionally so I can get in a good work out." Myth let out a hardy laugh before letting it die out.

With a sigh he looked at Aeolis and then to Nol "I suppose I should pass this information along so that it can be taken into account." Myth scratched his chin once more before looking at Nol "I'm well aware of the checks and balances in place by the gods for mages my friend. Fifth is more than aware of his place in the order which makes this matter all the more serious. I know a good deal about this man to know he wouldn't embark upon this plan without taking this into account. Just food for thought."

Myth looked at Aeolis "I'll leave passing what we have learned to Kellan and Ceridwyn to you my friend. I'll inform Kali and Rayann and discuss what would be a good course of action from there." Looking back to Nol he bowed "I thank you for the insight into matters my friend." Myth bowed before he he turned to descend from the tower to seek otu his wife and daughter.

Aeolis took all Nol and Myth spoke of in. Obviously things were going to be a bit interesting to say the least. Still, the fact Ceri was going with them didn’t set well with him but he would bury that to keep from letting her know how much ot troubled him. He just couldn’t shake the feeling there was something about this mission that was….bad. As Myth walked away, Aeolis looked at Nol and nodded.

”Be safe, Nol. I pray we will see each other again. Under better circumstances.”

With a sigh, Aeolis turned and walked away, taking his time walking down the steps and through the Keep. He was deep in thought when he happen to look up and see Pela being escorted by a guard through the place. It didn’t look as though she was in trouble and from the look on her face, she was rather exhausted. Ceri got that same look when she casted a great deal.

With a quirked brow, he watched the girl and her escort until the disappeared around a corner. He looked around and didn’t see Ceri anywhere. He walked past the War Room and glanced in. Commander Rose was getting caught up on the plans but he didn’t see Ceri in there. He walked a little further down the hall when he saw her petite form in the room the regents had been stored in. She was deep in thought and he stood there for a moment watching her. A few moments later he saw her shoulders square and she looked over her shoulder slightly at him. He knew she was upset at him and he sighed softly, rubbing the back of his neck. Speaking in Elven, he stood in the doorway and glanced around then looked to her.

”I know you are upset with me mal’amin and rightfully so. But know that my love for you is what prompts me to want to protect you so. I know you are able to take care of yourself but…..”

He sighed again and shook his head.

”….Please do not think I am trying to keep you from anything. I only want to make sure I have more sunrises to share with you.”









Rayann returned to the War Room when Kali left to teach Pela the enchantment spell on the blades. Commander Rose came in a little later and was caught up on everything that was happening. She was going over some things with Commander Rose when Pela came into the room to let Bad Rock know she was turning in for the evening. She saw the concerned look that passed over the Netherman’s face (or what she thought was concern) as he nodded to his daughter. She could see the exhaustion on Pela’s face and knew she had taxed herself casting the spell. As Pela left, Rayann walked over to Bad Rock and gently touched his massive forearm.

”She’ll recover, Bad Rock. Learning a new spell can be taxing on anyone but Pela is a quick learner and her youth will let her bounce back quicker than the rest of us. Tomorrow morning she’ll be as good as new. I promise there is nothing we are teaching her she can’t handle.”

She saw the gruff smile he gave her and nodded. With a smile of her own, she returned her attention to the plans for the next hour or so. Finally she grew weary and rubbed her neck as she stood up and looked around. She excused herself from the room and had just stepped out and turned to head down the hallway with her escorts when she saw Myth waking towards her. As tired as she was, the sight of her husband walking towards her brought a smile to her face that reached all the way to her eyes. She could tell by the look on his face he had news to share but the smile he returned told her he was just as glad to see her as she was him. Her voice was a soft cares in his mind.

~I can tell you have news, Mel’amin. As do I? Let’s take dinner in our room again this evening and discuss our news over candlelight and perhaps some wine.~

Ceridwyn turned when she heard Aeolis voice and she smiled softly. She listened and nodded as she walked over to him. Her deep, chestnut brown eyes looked up at him like a fawn looking innocently into the sky. Her cheeks were slightly rosy from the cold in the reagent room and she responded to him in their native language, "Mel'amin, you know that you are a gift from the heavens. That my life can be graced with a second male who will love and cherish me for my mortal days is more than I could ask for. Know always that I love you more than the depths of the sea. I understand that you want to protect me, but who among us knows how many our days will be? Understand that I am comfortable with the fact that I will die someday, and though I do not wish that day to come any sooner than the gods will it, it will come. If I am to sit around like a house maid tending to the needs of a household, I would cherish that opportunity, but that is not the life we choose, we are in the world, serving it's people, dedicated to the defeat of darkness. If I am to sit on the sideline at all times merely to stay safe, what contribution am I to the fight?"

She leaned forward and put her right hand flat on the front of his shoulder, while she wrapped the left around his waist and palm flat against his back. She leaned in and rested her head against his chest and she spoke again, "We will be there together, and no matter what dangers we will face, we will face them together, head on. If we die, we die, if we live, we smile to watch that many more sunrises. I do not downplay the danger, and if the reverse is true and it is your life that is ended, I will grieve, I will grieve for a hundred years, but your name will live on in my heart and on my lips. The name Aeolis won't be forgotten. To die for our cause is a noble death, but to live for the length of our natural lives after the cause is complete, that would truly be a gift from the gods." She leaned back and looked into his eyes, "Know that I desire to live out a long, natural life with you. We will face this together, and together we will be stronger for it. A horse can pull 200 stone, two horses can pull 4,000. In our togetherness is our strength, our unity is what makes us unconquerable, whether we are side by side or hundreds of kilometers apart I HAVE to know we are together. If I am called to a fight and you must stay behind I have to leave knowing that you are behind me and support me or my mind will not be on the task at hand."

She inhaled deeply and rested her head on his chest, whispering in Elven, "I love you mel'amin, and I am tired. Take me to our room so we can sleep in each others arms."

Nol smiled and nodded to Myth as he spoke, and when he laughed about getting a good work out Nol laughed along heartily with him. He then nodded when the matter with Kali was addressed and they both understood that the air was clear between them.

"I will continue to patrol the area, not because you are there but because that is what the elder High Born have commanded me to do. Know that the metallic dragon kin of the Isles are in the wings waiting should the fight turn, but they will only commit to battle if it is against Tahkisis, as for these rogues," he gestured to the towers, "They have no interest in the affairs of mortals and I could never get them to commit to aiding the Knights in this matter."

He saw Myth nod understandably and he spoke, "Until we see each other again my friends." He extended his hand and shoke both Aeolis' and Myths before stepping back into the shadows.

In a silent flash he was in Kellan's room. He saw it was empty and he sat at the table to wait her return. He did not know how long she would be gone, but he would wait. He understood that she most likely didn't have time to summon him and give him the information about departing on a mission, and he was not in the least upset. He did desire to see her however, and wish her well as she departed.

Aeolis listened to Ceri and he couldn’t agree with her more. He nodded slightly and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in closer as he rested his chin on the top of her head. He spoke again in their native language.

”Then we will agree that each will worry about the other but have the utmost confidence in our abilities to return. And if the Gods do not wish that for us, we will look for each other on the other side. I am truly sorry for causing you troubled thoughts. It was never my intention, mel’amin.”

He kissed the top of her head before she leaned back to look at him. When she told him she wanted to go to their room, he nodded once more and offered her his elbow to escort her. As their escorts fell in step with them Aeolis glanced over his shoulder at them and gave half a smile.

”Gentlemen, we will be supping in our room this eve. I give my word I will make sure Ceridwyn remains there so you can both go enjoy a meal.”







As Rayann and Myth shared their meal in their room, she told him everything that had taken place that day. In particular the fact she was going to have to port herself to Glen Durel and get what regents and supplies she could to complete the enchantment of the soldiers blades.

"I'll have to wait a few hours before I can port myself back. I don't want to take the chance of draining my physical strength and ending up Gods know where...or worse yet....disappearing from this life entirely."






Kellan took Saul around the keep after they got something to eat. As they sat eating, Sir Walter and some of his followers entered and he glared at her but didn’t try to start anything. He looked at Saul then made an off colored remark about prisoners now becoming part of society but Kellan ignored his baited comment.

She wanted to make sure he was familiar with the lay out of the Keep and all the buildings and what they were. She explained the over crowded conditions right now and how they couldn’t turn anyone away who sought refuge within the walls. She did share with him the fact she knew the walls were no match for the mages if they chose to attack and it was an illusion they could protect all of these people but she also explained they would never let the citizens know this. It was the duties of the Knights to protect the people of Heartlund and give them a sense of that protection. Even when the Knight knew it would be a futile effort on their part. It was still important to maintain that sense of security for the citizens than to let wide spread panic and disorder reign throughout the land.

As the sun set and the sky grew dark and the air much colder, she escorted Saul back to the dorms where his room was located and smiled.

”Promise me no late night walks through the Keep.”

When the young man agreed, she nodded then turned and set out for her own room. The wind wasn’t blowing as bad as it had been during the snowstorm but the air that moved made the cold seem all the more colder and by the time Kellan made it through the grounds and found her way to her own room, she was quite chilled.


As she stepped into her room, she saw Nol sitting there and her face broke into a smile. Closing the door quickly behind her, she unclasped her cloak and hung it on a peg near the door. Rubbing her arms to bring some warmth back to them, she walked over to her fire place, poked the logs, added a few more and looked over at him. Her cheeks and nose were a soft pink color from spending so much time in the cold and a few locks of her hair had fallen free of the hairpin to frame her face.

As the fire began to take hold on the fresh logs she’d added to it, she finally walked over to where he sat and reached out, letting her cool fingers caress his warm cheek.

”I was hoping to see you before I left in the morning.”

Nol watched her as she moved about the room, his eyes lingering in their enjoyment of seeing her. He said nothing as she stoked the fire and fixed the thing in her room. As she walked over and touched her fingers to his face he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He fingers were indeed cool and he reached up, placing his own hand over them. The warmth coming from his palm began to comfort her stiff fingers and he opened his eyes again looking at her. “Yes, Myth told me that you were leaving tomorrow morning.”

She recoiled slightly looking at him wide eyed, he had seen… Myth? He smiled and nodded as he brought his other hand up and cupped the back of her head, gently pulling her to his chest as he gently rubbed the back of her exposed neck, “He summoned me, asking me about what was happening at North Keep. He is quite concerned that the three of you are being sent to there to investigate what is happening. I gave him what information I had, but he is considering going with you, of course I don’t know what that will come to as he needs to discuss it with his wife as well as Commander… Rose is it?”

She nodded her head as she snuggled into his chest and he continued, also continuing to rub her neck and down her shoulders and back, “You need to be careful, there are around 200 soldiers of Her Dark Majesty’s army at North Keep, about half of which are Draconian. I don’t know if you have faced Draconian’s yet but…” He paused a moment and she could feel him shiver slightly, “They are born of the corrupt eggs of the metallic dragons. Tahkisis stole them long ago to keep us from interfering with her plans to invade Krynn. The High Born naturally felt more concern for the offspring of the dragons over the lives of Krynn’s citizens and complied, but when the news reached them a few years back what fate the eggs were coming to they got involved again. They will still not involve themselves with the wars and issues of Krynn’s citizens unless those wars are directly confronting Her Dark Majesty. Their war is with her, not rogues mages conjuring towers.”

He inhaled deeply and leaned forward, kissing the top of her head. He rested his warm cheek on top of her head and spoke again, “Draconian’s are not mindless servants, even the lowest intelligent are cunning, crafty, strong and extremely fast. Promise me you will be on your toes and though it is cold do not remove your armor, despite the cold please wear it even as you sleep in case you are discovered and ambushed.”

She pushed back and looked up at him with furrowed brows. He reached down and placed his hot hand against her cheek and spoke, “I know I don’t know a lot of your past, we have not been able to discuss much of your experience in the field, but what your Commander has asked of you is no easy task. She is sending three people into an extremely dangerous situation against a battle hardened army that outnumbers you 65 to one. I am not trying to scare you, but you need to know this is not a walk in the park.”

He reached into his tunic and removed a small stone, about 2 inches in diameter and polished smooth. He handed it to her and spoke, “Reshak, say it…,” she repeated the word. He nodded and then looked at the stone, now say it to the stone, “She did and a burst of golden light erupted from it, dazzling like a thousand stars around them, “Reshak,” he spoke the word and the shield disappeared. He closed his hand around hers and the stone, “Keep this with you, it’s not the strongest magic, but it will offer you some measure of protection in an emergency. Unfortunately it’s power is limited to only one person so it won’t protect the whole party.” He opened his mouth and then stopped, simply giving her a forced half smile and nodding his head. His eyes welled up slightly and he brought his hand up again touching the side of her face. The warmth was again so inviting and sensual, “You are strong and brave, but promise me you will be careful and do your best to come back.”



Ceridwyn and Aeolis made it to their room and she immediately began to undress the second the door closed. She slipped into her night clothes and went over, starting a fire in the grate. She rubbed her hands and held them to the fire before grabbing a wool blanket and wrapping it around herself. She looked over at Aeolis as the knock came on the door, it was the soldiers returning with their food. He retrieved it and brought it over to the table the sat in front of the fire. She sat across from him and they began to eat.

“Kali and Rayann will transport us in the morning, then Rayann will be porting herself to Glen Durel.” He looked up at her and she spoke, “The Keep has a limited stock of reagents to begin with, most of which were extremely old. Knights of Solamnia don’t trust wizards as a rule, it seems they were keeping some ingredients in their stores more out necessity for a case such as this, however we have nearly exhausted what they had. Rayann is fairly sure she can get what we need from Glen Durel and bring them back. When the snow clears we can search the surrounding area for anything else we can find.”

She sighed heavily, “I am not looking forward to this trip. Usually I am excited to go on a mission, but there is something ominous about this one, as if… I don’t know, as if we are walking into a dark presence.”

As Lady Kellen and Saul sat down to eat, Saul observed the glare from the older male knight gave Lady Kellen. He made note of the remark, and raised an eyebow. When the male knight commented that prisoners were know permitted in society, Saul stiffened, but held his tounge. { "You and I shall have a discussion one day, you arragont ass. I will teach you a lesson in manners as well. This I promise you. } Saul thought to himself. As they rose, after finishing their meal, Saul slipped his coat back on, gathered his and Kellen's plates and carried them towards what must have been the kitchen door. Saul had observed Squires with food ladden trays coming out and carrying trays piled with dirty dishes entering. A Squire reached out for the tray, as Saul handed the tray to him, he removed several scaps of meat from one of the bowls, the Squire was carrying, and slipped them in the pocket of his coat, smilling at the Squire and thanking him. The Squire gave him a curious look, as he saw him slip the morsels into his pocket. Saul only smiled at the young man again, turned and rejoined Lady Kellen.

As they walked through the keep, he listened as Kellen spoke of the fortifications and the Kight's resposibilities. "I am sure that you and your companions will levy a heavy toll on any that should attempt to breach these walls." Saul said, then paused and added "The older Knight who glared at you and commented so rudely. ..... Of all those I have met here, he is the only one that I would not want to turn my back on, or trust that he would cover my back in a battle. I sense a desire for power in him and the feeling he does not care who he steps on to obtain it. I would watch him like a hawk if I were you."

Before Lady Kellen could respond, they had returned the dormatories, where she said "Promise me no late night walks through the Keep.” ..... "You have my word, Lady Kellen, no late night walks." He said, then bowed his head slightly once again placing the open palms of his hands together at his chest. He dropped his hands to his side, lifting his head to look into Lady Kellen's eyes and said quietly in the ancient tounge "Satlonevethpern wisevlirlis maeyis faerayitheldnaydae, minartaya yidonuneray dilrayethaathmaysat branev faeistlaelinestada wynisatayhin wilhurantir yisoruthay mayorsattae dilethasayithrineld ."
He could see the confusion on he face and added "It is an ancient language, it means .. Sleep well my friend, may your dreams be filled with what you most desire." With that said, Saul turned and entered the dormatories.

Kellan listened to everything Nol explained to her about the Draconians and the size of the army they were going to be encountering. The size of it caused her brows to raise. She’d been in skirmishes in the past with raiding parties and the like, but she’d never been in a fight where there were so many enemy soldiers facing her. And to hear the fact they were outnumbers 65 to one was a bit disturbing. She wouldn’t fool herself on this mission. It was dangerous and she needed to have her senses about her. All of them.


Kellan had never faced a Draconian and she was thankful for the news Nol was telling her about them. To hear how they came about caused her brows to furrow as she felt the shiver from him. She knew they were reptilian in nature but she had no idea they were the product of metallic dragon eggs that had been corrupted. This brought a whole ne level of danger to the mission and she was discovering why he was so worried.

”I’ve never seen a Draconian let alone fight one. I’ve only heard what others have reported about them. What they look like and so forth. But….if they are related to dragons, it goes without saying they are more dangerous than anyone ever realized.”

She found his request to keep her armor on at all times a bit disconcerting. Last trip he told her she should have worn leather but now he was telling her to make sure she wore her armor. Period. She was glad he told her this because she was considering not wearing it due to the cold. The severity of the mission wasn’t lost to her but to hear Nol warn her like this brought a chill down the length of her spine and she shivered uncontrollably.

”I haven’t faced a large number as this but I’ve had my fair share of fights with groups of those who wish to kill me and as you can see, I’ve survived. But I understand the gravity of what you’re telling me, Nol. Especially learning what Draconians really are. I promise to be extremely diligent.”

When he produced the stone, she looked at it curiously. As she repeated the word then repeated it at the stone, she gasped and would have made a step backwards if it hadn’t been for his steady hold on her. When he spoke the word again and the shield disappeared, she blinked and looked up into his handsome face. She could see the emotion in the depth of his gaze and in his voice as he grew quiet as he spoke now. She felt a lump form in her own throat and she couldn’t shake the feeling there was something ominous in the air about this trip. Closing her eyes, she tilted her cheek into his touch then opened her eyes to look into his loving gaze again and saw the swirling silver. Nodding, she spoke in a hushed voice as well.

”I promise, Nol. I will be very careful and come back here. To you. Promise me as well, you’ll watch out for yourself. I’ve just been blessed to have you in my life. I don’t want to have that taken away from me.”

She felt tears stinging her eyes and she blinked then moved in to press her lips softly to his then wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face into his neck and closed her eyes as she whispered softly to him.

”I want to discover more of this love I have for you.”








Aeolis didn’t want to stare at Ceri as she changed into her bed clothes but when a woman as beautiful as her stood before you, it was impossible for you to take your eyes off her. He chuckled softly as she wrapped the wool blanket around herself then huddled into it as they sat down to eat. He listened to what was going to happen while they were gone and he quirked a brow.

”Well, I think I know what Myth’s decision will be. He was debating on coming with us or staying with his wife. I cannot see him allowing her to travel anywhere without him especially if she were to be on her own. I know she is capable of taking care of herself, but she will not be at the peak of her physical strength when she reaches Glen Durel. Besides, I think they are both feeling the heartache of not having their son with them now and will take the time to use their privacy well.”

He nodded as he popped a piece of bread in his mouth.

”Aye. I see darkness when I look towards this mission. The sort of darkness that is like a thick fog hanging in the air. I hope we return with the information needed without incident but I am not getting the feeling that will be the case.”

Morning came too soon and Kali groaned as she reached her hands towards the light coming in the window as if to bat it away. She blinked and rubbed her eyes to get rid of the blur and then panicked, surly they would have come and gotten her if it was too late… but….

She hurried out of bed and got dressed in her red velvet robes, grabbed her spell components and her spellbook and hurried out of the room. Her guards followed with haste as she spoke to them, “What time is it?”

“Half past eight Ms. Kali.” She stopped and turned to look at him, laughing softly, “OH, well I suppose we can walk then.” The guards looked at her and they all started laughing as the slowed their pace and made their way to the War Room. She turned to look at one of her two escorts and spoke softly, “I hate to bother you for this, but because of the later hour could you please go get me some bread, oatmeal and hot tea for breakfast? I need to help my mother make the preperations for the spell we are going to be casting soon.”

He nodded with a slight smile and spoke, “I can do that ma’am.”

“Thank you so much,” She nodded thankfully and then went over to the area she and her mother had chosen the night before to cast the spell. They had originally planned to do it outside in the town square but the idea of too many spectators coming around to watch and create a distraction gave them pause and they decided that a more controlled environment was best. The room was sealed for now except for essential personnel and was eerily quiet. Rayann was already there, making sure the supplies were all arranged in a way that would allow them to be transported and grabbed easily the second the party’s feet hit the ground. They were sure of the area they were sending them but unfortunately they didn’t know WHO might be there, so just in case the supplies were arranged so they could be grabbed and the party could move quickly to shelter. Kali walked up and handed the large bag of reagents to Rayann, “Good morning mother, I am sorry I am late, apparently the morning wasn’t willing to agree with my sleep schedule.”

They laughed and she looked at the arrangement, it all looked right except there was more supplies than she thought was necessary for three people, not to mention they were arranged differently than they had discussed. She spoke to her mother, “Why are there so many supplies? The three of them will be way laden if they have to carry all this.”

Rayann looked up at her with a slight look of concern in her eyes and spoke, “Lady Rose came in this morning and informed me that Saul would be joining Ceridwyn, Aeolis, and Kellan.” Kali looked at her and furrowed her brows, “Does Ceri know?” Rayann shoke her head and stayed silent but the look in her eyes reflected the same look of concern that was in Kali’s, “Well doesn’t this compound the complexity. Not only from our casting but from the perspective of group dynamics, why in the world would….” Rayann gave her a glance and then to the door, Kali stopped abruptly and turned to see Aeolis and Ceridwyn enter the room and begin heading over to the circle where the transportation was going to take place.