Trail of the Gods Part 13

"You're welcome," he replies. In a world where every woman can sew, there may not be a great market for this, it's true. But hopefully, initially, it will sell well. If nothing else, it will bring the children happiness.

Chapter Nine.

The next morning, Arkie is inseparable from his teddy bear. Wherever he goes, he drags it along behind. "That was a good idea," states his father as he watches him toddle across the floor. He glances up to James, who has just left his bedroom.

"He does seem to like it," he agrees. Moving into the kitchen, Ezra gives him a quick breakfast before he heads out to the forest where the stool marked with the 'X' lies. He casts the spell of concealment upon it he worked out last night before dinner.

Once it's cast, James returns to the workshop and picks up the mirror lying on his workbench. Concentrating hard, he attempts to locate it. The image settles upon the spot where he knows it to lie but sees a black spot where it should be.

That's no good! Whoever is looking will know where it is even if they can't see it! Canceling the spell he sits back and considers the problem once more. He needs to prevent someone's magic from even knowing where it is, not just being unable to see it. Canceling the spell he sits back and considers the problem once more. He needs to prevent someone's magic from even knowing where it is, not just being unable to see it. Maybe warp the magic around it, so whatever spell is cast will pa.s.s it by as if it wasn't even there? Perhaps. Maybe warp the magic around it, so whatever spell is cast will pa.s.s it by as if it wasn't even there? Perhaps.

Excited by the idea, he tries to come up with a way for it to work, keeping in mind that the box will need to be able to absorb magic from the surrounding area in order to sustain the spells. If the magic is unable to be drawn to the box by the crystals due to the effect of the concealing spell, then he's got a problem.

He considers the problem and then a thought comes to him. Is there a difference between magic at large in the natural world, and magic that is being manipulated by a mage? Could there be some slight alteration that he can exploit to make this work? Is there a difference between magic at large in the natural world, and magic that is being manipulated by a mage? Could there be some slight alteration that he can exploit to make this work?

The difference could be likened to a river and a lake. A river being the force driven by a mage, and the lake being the static magic in every living thing.

So intent is he in trying to figure this out, that he doesn't even realize it's getting close to noon until Ezra sends Miko out to retrieve him for lunch. "But I've almost got it!" he exclaims to Miko.

"She said to get you or we don't eat, so get you I will," he says. "It'll wait a few minutes longer James, you need to keep up your strength."

Feeling slightly light headed from the intense concentration he's been doing all morning, he says, "You may be right. I think I could use a break."

"What do you say we go and take a bath after lunch?" he suggests. "You haven't taken one for several days, that's not like you."

Suddenly feeling quite dirty, he says, "You're on." He walks with him back to the house where Miko holds the door open for him.

With a quick, "Sorry" to everyone, he takes his seat and the meal commences. Afterward, he and Miko, along with Illan and Jiron go out to his bathing pool.

They settle in and are ten minutes into it when they hear someone approaching. He hears Miko give a short intake of breath and looks up. There stands Errin several feet away and she's looking in their direction with a smile on her face.

"Get along with you!" Illan hollers over to her from where he sits naked in the water.

Giving them all a mischievous grin, she continues with her patrol and soon disappears in the trees. They can hear her begin to whistle a merry tune.

"She's got more pluck than any of the others," Illan tells them.

"I have to agree," adds Jiron. "Definitely more dedicated and takes to instruction better than the rest."

"Women can be fierce fighters," comments James. "Why, where I come from they tell of a band of women, Amazons they're called and..." For the rest of the time they spend in the bathing pool, they argue the various merits and handicaps of having women fight. The consensus seems to be, that though they don't figure into the armies of this world, they can be good fighters.

After they get out of the bathing pool, James heads back to his workshop, resolving to figure this whole thing out before going to bed tonight.

"Need any help?" Miko asks when he sees the direction James is heading.

"No," he replies. "Not with this, anyway. Thanks."

"Alright," he says. "Might go and see if I can't bag some rabbits, Tersa asked me earlier if I could."

"Why?" he asks.

"She said their fur would be good for her teddy bears," he explains.

Nodding, James says, "They would at that." Leaving Miko behind, he makes for his workshop. Good to see she's taking a real interest in this. Good to see she's taking a real interest in this.

Entering his workshop he begins working on the problem. It takes him the rest of the evening and almost the entire following day before he gets it to work. Ezra had sent Miko to fetch him for dinner but he didn't even bother answering his call, so engrossed was he. She finally relented and allowed everyone else to eat and was mollified by Miko bringing him out a large platter of food to the workshop.

When exhaustion finally takes him, he falls asleep at his workbench. In the morning when he wakes up, he's disoriented at first, not realizing where he is. Then he recognizes his workshop and resumes working.

Just before dinner of the third day, he has everything set. He's taken one of his crystals that had been charging and places it upon the stool in the woods. The crystal has been infused with spells which he believes will hide the stool from any type of magical searches.

Holding his breath, he picks up his mirror and lets the magic flow as he concentrates on finding the stool. The mirror remains normal, the image never even so much as flickers.

Excited, he puts more and more magic into it as he steps up to more intense searching. Still, the mirror remains blank. Finally, he's putting so much magic into it that his head begins to hurt and his vision starts growing hazy. Suddenly, the image in the mirror begins to s.h.i.+mmer and with a loud crack, the gla.s.s in the mirror shatters.

"Yeah!" he yells as he stands up quickly. But the intense use of the magic has weakened him greatly and his legs fail to hold him. Cras.h.i.+ng to the floor he lies there, bruised but smiling. It worked! It worked!

The door to the workshop opens up and Fifer comes in, sword in hand. Seeing James lying on the floor and the shattered mirror on the workbench, he begins to sound the alarm.

"It's okay," James croaks from where he lies on the floor.

Pausing, Fifer comes closer to hear him better and asks, "What?"

"Don't worry," he tells him. "Everything is alright."

"You don't look alright," he says, returning his sword to its sheath.

Jiron rushes into the workshop and Fifer says, "He's okay."

Giving James a cursory glance, he asks, "Do too much again?"

James nods as Fifer helps him to his stool before the workbench. Sitting down, he rests an arm on the top to keep himself steady. "I had to," he explains. "I had to see if it would work even with everything I had working against it." Giving them a smile, he adds, "And it did!"

"Congratulations," Jiron says. "Now, let's get you inside to rest."

"No, no, no," protests James. "I'm not that bad off, just give me a moment to catch my breath. I need to go see what happened to the crystal which was hiding the stool I was searching for."

"We'll go with you," Fifer says.

"If you want," he tells them. "But I'm okay."

After resting a moment to regain some of his strength, he gets up and finds his legs are still a trifle wobbly. Jiron lends him a hand and they make their way into the forest to where the stool sits.

The crystal sitting on top of it, the one whose spells prevented him from seeing the stool in his mirror, still has a barely discernable glow within it. It would seem the effort to counter what James had been doing took almost all of its power. Had James possessed more power, then the crystal would've exhausted its internal supply and the spell would have failed.

James cancels the spells of concealment that are still active in the crystal and replaces them with the slow leech spell. He then takes it over to where the other crystals are sitting in the woods absorbing power. The other crystals have a deep crimson glow within them, indicating they have maxed out their capacity.

Leaving them there, they return to the house where Ezra has dinner almost prepared. She's setting a bowl full of steamed tubers on the table when the door opens and turns to see him being helped in through the door. Taking in his condition, she gives a small shake of her head.

He flashes her a grin as they help him through to his room where he collapses on the bed, feeling completely drained.

As they leave, he says to them, "Tell Ezra I'll not be joining you for dinner."

Jiron pauses at the door and replies, "I'll tell her. You just get some rest." He closes the door and leaves James by himself.

Too tired to even attempt to get out of his clothes, he tries to get comfortable and allows sleep to claim him.

The morning drill of the recruits again disturbs his slumber. Going to have to ask Illan to take it somewhere else. Going to have to ask Illan to take it somewhere else. He just lies there listening to him instruct them in proper defensive techniques for awhile, too comfortable to get up despite having slept in his clothes. He just lies there listening to him instruct them in proper defensive techniques for awhile, too comfortable to get up despite having slept in his clothes.

I did it. I can now hide the Fire with the concealing spell. Feeling very good about himself, he relaxes and tries to put the rest of his cares out of his mind. The money situation continues to plague him, disturbing the inner tranquility he was trying to achieve. Feeling very good about himself, he relaxes and tries to put the rest of his cares out of his mind. The money situation continues to plague him, disturbing the inner tranquility he was trying to achieve.

With the money he has now, both here and at Alexander's, he can keep this place running for several months with no undue hards.h.i.+p. However, he's got to figure out a way to generate a steady, reliable source of income that will last for years. The teddy bears will bring in some, but not nearly the quant.i.ty he's figuring to need.

Finally giving into the inevitable, he swings his legs over the side and sits up on the bed. The room starts spinning and he has to remain still for several minutes before it stabilizes. A slight headache and a trace of fatigue is all that remains from the exhaustion he experienced the day before.

Holding onto the bedpost for support, he stands up and the dizziness returns, but only for a second before subsiding. He slowly changes out of the clothes he slept in and into a fresh clean set Ezra has laid out for him on his chest.

Once dressed, he opens the bedroom door and makes it out to the kitchen where she provides him with a plate with eggs and a ham steak.

"Thank you," he says. The aroma coming off the plate makes his stomach cramp and he realizes just how hungry he is.

"You shouldn't go without eating," Ezra tells him. Sitting down across from him, she begins peeling tubers for their midday meal.

Finis.h.i.+ng the bite of ham, he replies, "I know. But I needed rest more than food last night."

"Are you done with whatever you are trying to do?" she asks.

"I think so," he says. "I shouldn't be doing anything too draining for awhile."

"Good," she says. Then she pauses in her peeling and looks at him with concern in her eyes, "I worry about you."

He gives her a rea.s.suring smile and says, "I know you do. I'll try to be more careful."

Before he's finished with his breakfast, the sound of a wagon coming down the road can be heard. Stuffing the last of the eggs and ham in his mouth, he goes to the window and looks out to see Kraegan the blacksmith, driving a wagon toward the house. One of his apprentices sits in the back with the iron box he commissioned.

Leaving the kitchen through the backdoor, he goes out to meet him. When Kraegan brings the wagon to a stop, James says, "You're done!"

"Just got it back a short time ago," he says as he climbs down. "Thought you may be wanting it so brought it out myself."

James comes forward and shakes his hand as the apprentice brings the small iron box down from the wagon. It's little more than six inches wide and tall, should be just right for the Fire to sit securely within. He can see the crystals are embedded in the sides and top just as he requested.

"Where do you want it?" he asks.

James gestures over to his workshop and says, "In there would be fine." He then turns and leads them over to it.

"Been having trouble?" Kraegan asks.

"Why do you ask that?" he replies as he approaches the door. Opening it up, he stands back as the apprentice carries the box in through the door.

He points over to where Illan, Uther and Jorry are working with the new recruits. "That and the guard I encountered out by the road," he says.

"A little," James tells him. "People keep coming by to see what I'm doing. Annoying."

"I can understand that," he tells him.

To the apprentice, he points to the floor near his workbench and says, "Just put it down there." Once he's set it down, James tells him, "Thank you."

"Go and wait at the wagon," the blacksmith says to his apprentice.

His apprentice says, "Yes sir," and then leaves the workshop.

James comes over and inspects the box, running his fingers over the crystals. He nods his head when he finds them securely embedded, they don't even wiggle a tiny fraction. Opening the box, he feels the soft inner lining where the Fire will rest. It's just large enough for it to sit securely within. Closing the lid, he sees a small keyhole in the top near one of the sides.

"Here," Kraegan says.

Glancing over his shoulder to the blacksmith, he sees him holding out a small key. Closing the lid, he places the key within the lock and turns it. After removing the key, he tries to open the lid and finds it securely locked. Placing the key in a pocket, he stands back up and turns to the blacksmith. "Very nice work," he says.

"Is it what you wanted?" the blacksmith asks.

"Yes," replies James. "Exactly. Now let's go back to the house and I'll get you the rest of what I owe."

Leading the way, he takes him in through the house and has him wait in the kitchen.

"Would you care for anything?" Ezra asks him.

"No thank you," he tells her.

James moves into his room and opens the money chest. Taking out a sack of coins, he removes all but what he needs for Kraegan. He adds two silvers as well as the promised bonus of ten extra golds for quick delivery and then closes the chest.

Coming back out to where he's waiting, he places the sack of coins on the table and then they proceed to count them. When Kraegan sees the extra two silvers, he nods his head and puts the coins back in the sack.

"I appreciate the speed in which you managed to complete the job," he tells him.

"Always try to, if I can," he says as James leads him out the back door to where his wagon waits. The apprentice has already taken his position in the back.

Getting up in the driver's seat, Kraegan says, "Good day to you sir."

"You too, master blacksmith," replies James as Kraegan turns the wagon around and heads down the lane to the road. On his way back to his workshop, he sees Yern out practicing with his sword as he works to regain the strength he lost after being hit in the shoulder. He's moving his sword in a complex pattern as he moves around the ground. His red hair is matted against his face by the sweat his exertions are producing.