Chapter 01 - The Day Before

“YOU’RE WRONG!”

Izrya stomped her silk shoe so hard it made her toes hurt, but she refused to let it show on her face. She spun on her heel and padded heavily to the window, crossing her arms and staring outside. The breathtakingly beautiful city of Amberscar spread out before her like a shimmering jewel but she didn’t take notice.

She pouted, it always worked with her father, “Child, you must learn to not allow every impulse to dominate your behavior and you must learn to walk before you learn to fly.”

Izyra turned and glared at Elora, “Don’t call me ‘child’!”

“But you are a child, young one, and what's more you are acting like one.”

Izyra uncrossed her arms and flexed her fingers as her face went flush, “I turned 18 last week! I am not a child any longer!”

Elora’s face reflected the grace and patience of a seasoned mentor. She waited a moment as she watched the lines of defeat begin to form on Izyra’s face, “Time logged is not necessarily time earned, young one. You may be alive 18 years, but you are not experienced enough to be an adult.”

“I’M TELLING MY FATHER!”

Elora did all she could to stifle the laughter, two years of this apprentice and still she thought to pull the ‘I’m telling’ defense from her quiver of reasoning, “Tell him, I will go fetch you raven, a quill, and some parchment so you can more easily write it down.”

Elora turned and Izyra spoke with haste, “Elora!”

The wise Archmage turned and looked at her young pupil, “Yes?”

Izyra was caught in her own foolishness, her master had called her bluff. She did all she could to save face, “I…, well I don’t want to be assigned to anyone else, surly Father would see to that if I told him this news. Let’s just, well let’s just put it behind us.”

Elora nodded and tucked her hands into her robes, “Yes, I think that is probably best. What parts in particular would you like to see put behind us?”

Izyra chewed her lip, she didn’t like being caught in these battles of wit when she wasn’t going to win, and she knew she was not going to win, so she turned the table yet again to find a new angle pointing at the blue spined books on the shelf, “I know I can cast those spells, I just want a chance to prove it.”

“No, you can’t. They are far too dangerous for someone of your learnage, and I will not unlock the warding to the volumes.”

“But…”

“No.”

Elora’s face was suddenly stern and serious, she was done with this silly argument. Izyra knew that she would not get her way on this, and she knew she had no power to undo the magic that bound the more advanced books to their shelves. She sighed heavily and walked to her desk, sitting and flipping her spellbook back open, “Blur, the castors body becomes unfocusable, disorienting an attacker for up to one minute…,” she let a long, dramatic sigh escape her lips, "Yes, this out to be useful someday..."

Elora twisted her lip at her Apprentice's sarcasm but let it go for now. She turned back to her alchemy and fired up two burners so she could begin work on another set of potions. After a few minutes Izyra’s voice filled the air, “Master?”

Elora spoke without turning around, “Yes, young one?”

“I’m sorry.”

“I know you are.”

“Are you even going to turn around and look at me?”

Elora continued to cut chunks of amberroot, “No, but I still know you are sorry.”

Izyra sighed and closed her book. She turned and looked out the window again as the spell of burnt cherry and crushed bone filled the room. The rise to the north where the city went up the hill spread out and shimmered. She watched the smoke coming from countless hearths as dinners were being cooked and men were returning home to their families from long days of work. Families. She missed hers right now, well, as much as a true wizard CAN miss their family she reasoned. She was, after all, the only one of them talented and gifted enough to wield the mysterious powers that flowed across Malarindan, her parents recognized it early in her life.

They gave her the best teachers, the finest robes and components so she could increase her talents and abilities. The first Wizard in the Sueridis lineage for 15 generations to cast a spell! Even more on her mother’s side. She was the one nature chose, and so now, her she sat, studying cantrips and smelling burnt herbs.

She had barely moved when Elora spoke, “Where are you going?”

“To get some fresh air, the burning components are giving me a headache.”

“This is part of the process young apprentice, you must learn to be near it.”

“No I don’t, I will hire people to do that for me.”

Elora turned and looked at Izyra, her face showing her exhaustion with this game, “Then you shall grow up to be the worst wizard to ever walk Malarindan.”

Izyra’s face fell with shock, how dare this woman insult her like that! Even if she was the grand Archmage Elora Yornell, Izyra was a Princess and was entitled to respect, “I demand you take that back!”

“I will not, I am telling you the truth. If you don’t learn to make your own components and weave them with your own magic during the process you might as well try to cast with a handful of beach sand, and you know it. Besides, what wizard would take the time to complete the finite task of making reagents and components for another? That’s simply nonsense.”

Izyra leaned back heavily on her desk and sighed in frustration, “May I go get some air?”

“Yes, I will go with you.”

Izyra rolled her eyes, but she did not argue, she did want out of this stuffy room and decided that to go was better than not, despite the company. Elora wiped her hands and extinguished the flames before coming up alongside Izyra. She smiled warmly and led her young apprentice out into the courtyard.

The Tower of Brume sat on the highest hill in Amberscar, on a clear night one could see 30 kilometers in any direction, and tonight was especially clear. Izyra walked and looked out across the landscape, Elora staying right beside her. Finally after a few minutes she looked up at her mentor, “Master Elora?”

“Yes?”

“I…, I really am sorry.”

Elora looked at her and spoke with a nod, “I know you are.”

Izyra felt the sting of frustration, “Why is it that you always say that, ‘I know you are’?”

Elora smiled warmly and spoke with a soft voice that demanded attention, “Because I know you are sorry. What else would you like me to say?”

“How about, ‘I forgive you?’”

“How about not continuing to do things that you will have to apologize for?”

Izyra withdrew, she stared at her master and was at a loss for words. After a few seconds Elora continued, “Izyra, you could be a fine wizard one day if you would stop focusing all your efforts inward. Magic is not about what you can cast, it is about how that magic affects others. Self focused magic users rarely navigate through life without eventually hurting themselves in very serious ways.”

Izyra looked at her and nodded without a word. Elora’s eyes went up to stare into the dusk sky and she smiled, “Oh look, a shooting star.”

Izyra turned and watched as a beautiful streak of light fizzled out and burnt up in the atmosphere. Then, suddenly, two more. They were bright and vibrant, alarmingly vibrant in fact. Within moments they started coming more rapidly, a couple dozen a minute, and all the students stopped their practice and studies to watch, gasping in awe with each shooting start that illuminated the sky.

“They are beautiful.”

Elora didn’t respond, she simply kept watching, Izyra spoke again, “There are so many, have you ever seen anything like this?”

Elora shook her head, “No, young one.”

Izyra laughed as the streaks of light left burnt tracers in the sky, “It’s as if the gods are putting on a special light show for us! Like the Gnomes with their entertainment wagons!”

Elora nodded but kept her eyes fixed on the sky, “Yes, but Gnomish lights don’t burn this bright.”

The night was quiet. But then again, that was the case when it was in the wee hours of the morning. That in between time where it was well after the taverns kicked out the last patrons and before the sun rose. Those few precious hours when everyone and everything was sleeping.

Well. Almost everyone.

The lone figure was barely distinguishable in the shadows of the night. Dressed all on black and making no noise, it rivaled a church mouse for silent movements. Slender in build and lithe as a feline, the figure moved about the darkened alley making its way to a certain point. Pressing their back up against the cool stone of the building, the figured dared to move and peer around the corner of the establishment. The face partially concealed in a black scarf from the bridge of the nose down and the head covered by a dark hood, the only thing visible was an opening large enough for a set of eyes that were barely distinguishable among the dusting of charcoal that had been applied on the skin to help conceal them even better in the shadows. But one thing was for certain, they were very familiar with their surroundings. Casting eyes skyward, there was no doubt of the scowl beneath the scarf. Something was different tonight. Something the figure could not place a thumb on but definitely different.

Slinking back into the darkness when the guard patrol strolled by softly talking to each other, the figure became one with the night and shadows as it waited for the sound of silence once again. When the coast was clear, a mental timer began ticking down and with a fluid movement, the figure climbed upon some well-placed barrels, jumped a short distance then grabbed a hold of an anchored post and pulled itself up onto the roof of the building.

Rolling over onto its back, the figure once more grew still and waited to make sure no one heard them. Not that anyone could as quiet as they were being but hey, one could never be too sure. Especially with extra patrols happening around the place. The figured rolled back onto its front and in a single movement was up on its feet, bent slightly at the waist and moving to the next roof on silent footsteps. The figure crept along the rooftops with a fluid gracefulness that would rival any elf in the forest.

And so it went until the figure reached the final rise of the buildings. The quarter moon was not all that bright but it was enough that the guards passing could have seen the figure if it had not been able to conceal itself so well. Still, it was clear the person was not taking any chances.

Peering up at the small balcony overhead, the figure took another cautious look around before turning to look out over the sleeping little port city of Burgess. While it was not near the size of its sister city of Ravenshire; the capital city of the humans of Malarinden that lay across the Great Dingal Sea, it wasn’t anything to sneeze at either. Taking a moment to take in the view, the figure stood statue still as eyes scanned the horizon. While the moon was only a small sliver in the sky, it still reflected off the shimmering waters of the sea beyond the docks of Burgess. The air was cool indicating winter would soon be upon the land but the crisp, freshness of the salt water was something the figure had always loved and admired.

With a small, soundless sigh, the figure looked up at the small balcony once more. Crouching then jumping up and grabbing a hold of the black, vertical iron bars that made up the railing, the figure pulled themselves up off the lower rooftop then pulled their legs up towards their chest. Using the momentum of the movement, they pushed up with their arms and extended their legs up so they were momentarily doing a handstand. Bending perfectly at the waist, curling their legs around the top railing, the figure landed on the solid stone floor of the small balcony and immediately knelt in a crouching pose with the left, gloved hand hoovering over the outer side of the left boot. Waiting a few moments to ensure nothing was heard, the figure reached into a slit on the inside of the wide belt they wore around the slim waist and withdrew something. With a cautious look in all directions, the figure leaned forward and expertly picked the lock on the closed window.

With a soft ‘click’ the window snapped open about an inch. The figure froze and waited. Moving like a stalking feline, the figure carefully eased the left side of the window open and slithered within. Soft snoring filled the room as the figure saw the raised lump of two bodies resting peacefully in the soft bed. Each figure was what one would consider ‘plump’ with one being more so than the other.

Feet covered in soft, leather boots moved silently across the partially rugged floor. The air still held the smell of strong perfume from the ladies attire that now hung carefully on the wardrobe. It was an unpleasant smell the figure cared nothing for and if the face could be seen beneath the scarf, it would have clearly shown the distaste it held.

Slipping effortlessly over to the mirrored dresser, the figure looked down at the jewelry that lay carelessly about. Eyes admired the baubles but not for long. While they were pretty, they were not what the figure had come for. Letting their gaze ease slowly around the room, they lighted on something that appeared to be promising. Silently making their way to the wardrobe that was cracked open, a black gloved hand reached out to slowly open the door just a tad bit more.

An audible creak sounded in the room just then and the figure quickly crouched low as the soft snoring stopped and a slight shift of one of the figures in the bed took place. The dark clad figure dared not move. Not even to breathe for fear of waking the patron from their slumber. Seconds seemed to drag on into minutes and hours when finally the soft snoring began again.

Taking a soft, deep breath, the figure kept eyes on the bed while reaching into the wardrobe and groping until it found what it was searching for. After an agonizing few seconds, the hand withdrew and in it was an ornately decorated small box that was about six inches long, four inches wide and about 2 inches deep. The figure seemed to savor the weight and feel of the box before slowly turning it so the clasp opening was directly in front. A steady left hand reached forward and slowly unclasped the hinged lid from the base of the box and opened it.

Admiration filled the gaze of the figure as they beheld the treasure within the box. Even in the darkness of the room the figure could see the warm, rich emerald coloring and the diamonds glinting in the barely visible moonlight. Picking up one of the pieces, the figure admired the delicate bracelet that was emeralds, about the size of unshelled peanuts, each one surrounded in tiny, delicate diamonds. Placing it back in the box, the figure took inventory. Matching earrings with slightly larger emeralds and diamonds lay in the box. But it was the matching necklace the figure seemed to be drawn to.

Dangling on a delicate, gold chain of about 12 inches was a row of about six emeralds slightly larger than those of the bracelet with the diamond surrounding, then dangling from that was a teardrop shaped emerald about the size of an elongated acorn topped by a cluster of small diamonds. It was almost as if the diamonds were crying the emerald.

A shift on the bed made the figure snap out of their admiration. Tucking the jewels into more little pockets on the inside of the waist belt, the figure reached under the hood that covered its head and withdrew a single, black feather and placed it in the box before silently closing the lid and placing it back inside the wardrobe as though it had never been disturbed. Carefully easing the wardrobe door back to its original position, the figure slowly, methodically made its way back to the window and eased outside. The air had grown slightly cooler indicating the darkness of night would soon give way to morning, and with it, the light of day.

Silently closing the window, and locking it from the outside then tucking the instrument back into the waist belt, the figure moved stealthily down the different levels of the buildings before landing silently on the ground along the side of the building it had started from. Once again making sure the coast was clear, the figure made its way back through the dark streets, disappearing into the darkness as though it was the darkness itself.
Little did the figure know, this was going to be the last time for a long time they could indulge in this sort of adventure. And even then, it wouldn’t be for sport as it is now. No. All too soon the figure would be doing this for one reason and one reason only: survival.

Dawn broke awakening the citizens of Burgess to another new day. The sounds and smells of vendors preparing for the customers they would be serving filled the air. Within the Larkins estate, activity was starting to be the norm as well. The help was up and preparing breakfast for the Larkins as usual while getting a fire going in the large fireplace in the dining room. Heavy drapes that kept the chill of the night air from seeping in from the windows were being opened to allow the morning sun to warm the rooms of the home.

It wasn’t a mansion by any means but it wasn’t a dirt floor hovel either. Elijah Larkins had done well for himself as a Reeve. He was a just and honest man who always made certain the punishment fit the crime. While some thought he was too lenient at times, he always made certain those in lower standing had a voice in his court. To Elijah, all men were equal, regardless of their class. King Bartelemi and Queen Adelena been pleased with Elijah’s overseeing of the areas judiciary and saw no fault in his dealings with the citizens so therefore, there was no need to replace him. And Elijah’s jurisdiction had less crime than others in the nearby territories so why change anything.

A tall man, Elijah stood every bit of six feet and three inches. And while he was starting to show his middle age, he was still quite lean and fit. His hair was a mix of black and gray with the gray being predominant at his temples. His brown eyes held slight wrinkles around the outside corners and his jawline was strong looking but not overly so. He had been a widower for all of his daughter’s life having lost her mother when the girl child was born. But instead of casting the child away and blaming her for the death of his dearly beloved Liza, he embraced her and made her a part of every aspect of his life. There was nothing he did not discuss with her. In fact, others had made remarks he treated her too much like an equal when she should have been learning to be a Lady of a household. Elijah refused to listen. In his eyes, she was his equal. After all, with no sons to pass along his knowledge to, he decided at to teach her all he knew about life an early age. But along with that, he made sure she was educated and knew how to conduct herself like a Lady proper. While she was as well versed in swordsmanship and hand to hand combat as he himself was, he made certain she knew when she was to set that aside.

As he made his way through his estate on his way to the dining room, his brow was furrowed in concentration. It was this look that greeted his daughter, Wynter when he entered the room.

“Really, papa. Already this morning? Haven’t I told you before that frowning will make you wrinkle prematurely?”

Elijah snapped out of his thoughts and smiled warmly at his daughter. It amazed him how much she looked like her mother. Especially now that she was a grown woman. Her smile was nothing less than infectious and he reached for her outstretched hand, pulling her closer to place a soft kiss upon her forehead before guiding her to her seat.

“Wynter, darling, I cannot frown when you are here.”

Wynter smiled even more. She was by no petite woman but she was not overly tall either. Elijah stood a full head over her when he stood next to her. She was slender, but she had the full bosom of a mature woman, a naturally slender waist and lean legs beneath the folds of her morning skirt. With long, black hair that glistened a bluish color when the sunlight hit it, much like her father’s in his younger days, she had the greenest eyes around, a trait passed on to her from her mother, Liza. She was nothing overly beautiful but she was nothing to turn away either. Especially when you got to really know her and know her heart. That’s where her true beauty lived.

“So what has you frowning already this lovely morning?” she asked as Elijah helped her scoot closer to the table, shaking out her napkin and placing it in her lap.

Walking around and taking his seat directly across from her, he waited until the coffee had been poured and he took that first, long awaited sip before he closed his eyes to savor the flavor. Opening his eyes and looking directly into hers, he frowned again.

“The Raven”

Wynter frowned now as well.

“Again? I thought he had left the area for good since it had been a while we heard of his escapades.”

Elijah nodded and took another sip as Wynter prepared herself a cup of tea and sipped it daintily.

“Yes. And this time, that confounded thief has stolen from The Duke of Veris on his way to Ravenshire for the meeting of Sovereigns. Taken his wife’s family heirlooms at that.”

Wynter looked surprised and stopped before she fully put her cup down onto the saucer making a slight chink sound.

“Oh no.”

There was no doubt of the concern on her face as she looked across the table at her father.

“You don’t think he would come here, do you? I mean….we still have mama’s jewels here and the last thing I want is for…”

“NO…”

Wynter blinked at the utter conviction in her father’s voice and he softened his tone slightly but not the look on his face.

“If that bastard even THINKS of showing up here, I will make sure he is dealt with swiftly and justly.” To make sure everyone understood just how serious he was, he pound his fist on the table with this last word causing the delicate dishes to rattle.

Wynter startled slightly at her father.

“Well, thank goodness. And with the extra security patrols you have in place, it sounds as though that thief doesn’t have a chance here, papa.”

Elijah shook his head, “No. He doesn’t. But just to be safe, I don’t want you venturing out after dark. He has kept his escapades, as you call them, to just thievery for now but no need in giving him the chance to think of doing anything more.”

Wynter blinked and swallowed her drink of tea before speaking to her father.

“Oh papa. No worries there. It’s not like I have anything a man is looking for.”

Elijah furrowed his brow even more, “Wynter I’ll not hav…”

Wynter waved her right hand dismissively as she brought the cup of tea to her lips with her left. Swallowing the warm liquid down before she spoke.

“Oh posh, papa. Stop. I’m not upset in the least about it. It’s the truth as far as I am concerned. Besides, you’ve always said whoever came looking for me was going to have their hands full.”

Wynter was in no way a blushing ‘maiden’. She had a very discreet affair with a gentleman the prior year and as a result, she was no longer considered ‘fresh’ in the eyes of proper society. No one but her and the gentleman knew of this affair so as far as her father was concerned, she was still quite unstained. And it would kill him if he ever found out the truth. But she had made the decision to enter into the affair knowing the gentleman was only passing through for a period of time. In fact, deep down, she was certain that was one of the reasons why she had the affair with him. While he was a single man and could have easily courted her properly, she was simply not ready to settle down in marriage and told him so and he agreed to her terms of the heated but temporary arrangement.

Elijah arched a thick, dark brow as he looked over at his daughter.

“Sometimes I think I gave you too much freedom growing up. I fear I may have made you too strong of a woman.”

Wynter shrugged her shoulders, “I’m not complaining. Besides, I for one am appreciative of all that you have taught me.”

Elijah shook his head again and softened the tone of his voice as he looked pleadingly at his daughter, “I know you are, Wynter. But we need to start thinking about succession, child.”

Wynter nearly spit out her tea she was trying to drink, “PAPA!”

Elijah nodded, “You know I’m right, Wynter. You’re 23 now. You need to at least entertain the idea of settling down to start a family.”

Wynter gave her father an indignant look, “Don’t start this now, papa. It’s not a good way to get the day going.”

Elijah looked desperate, “When else am I to bridge the subject with you? You are either attending some sort of social event, working at the livery stable, or you are out riding all over the countryside. Unescorted, I might add.”

Wynter grew angry then stood up, taking her linen napkin and threw it down on the table, “I don’t NEED an escort, than you very much. I can take care of myself.”

Elijah groaned and bent his forehead into his hand, closing his eyes, “I know, Wynter. I know.” Lifting his gaze to lock with her heated one, he sighed heavily, “Please. Just sit down so we can talk this over without arguing.”

Wynter put her fisted hand on her hips, “Sounds to me you have made up your mind.” Turning, she almost upset the chair she was seated in, “I will see you at supper, father. Have a good day.”

With a huff, Wynter stormed out of the room leaving Elijah there to brood in silence as he looked over at the gaping face of the breakfast server, “Women……” Elijah knew that when she called him father, she was extremely angry.

Wynter made her way to her bedroom and quickly shimmied out of her morning dress, leaving it thrown carelessly across her bed. Angrily pulling on her dark brown trousers and long sleeved, dark blue linen shirt and tucking it in the waist of the trousers. She slipped on her brown leather vest and she looked at herself in the mirror and wrinkled her nose, “Marriage. Who in their right mind would want to marry a woman that looked like this most of the time?”

Shaking her head, Wynter pulled her hair back then twisting it into a bun at the crown of her head, she held it in place as she placed the brown, wide brimmed hat on, stuffing the pieces of her hair that were not cooperating with her bun up under it. She grabbed her worn, brown work gloves and stomped down the stairs to the back door. Slamming her feet into her brown leather boots, she walked out of the Larkins estate heading to the livery stable. At least the horses don’t talk to her about marriage and having babies.

Perhaps, if Wynter could see into the future, she would have done just that: Sat down and spoke to her father about marriage and babies for hours on end. But little did she know that by the end of the day, things would take a very different and dark turn in her life. And all that training and knowledge her father had insisted she learn would be what keeps her alive.

Clacktock walked into his immaculate workshop and took a look around with a smile. The short bench, designed and built to accommodate his Gnomish stature, beckoned to him. He reached to the side and flipped the large, brass, main switch. With a cheerful whistle, he walked to the bench and looked at his latest invention. The pipes above him vibrated softly as they instantly filled with steam, within seconds a small ‘hiss’ sound broke the quiet, as the valves at the end of his workbench came to life. Without taking his eyes off the invention, Clacktock grabbed a tool attached to a braided copper hose and brought his focusing spectacles down over his face. His eyes narrowed and the tiny rotary tool responded as he flicked the switch. Whizzing up to speed, Clacktock touched the diamond cutting blade to the invention, and went to work.

Hours passed swiftly as Clacktock polished and ported the places that needed attention. He soldered in joints and connectors, finally stepping back and staring at the finished weapon. With a massive smile on his face, Clacktock picked it up and went out to the back alley behind his shop. Mrs. Clendson Arterhugh, the butcher's wife, was out back scraping bones when he emerged. With a cheerful voice that echoed all the happiness in his heard, Clacktock chipped, “Good morning, Clendson!”

Clendson’s eyes went wide with worry as she spoke, “What in all the names of the holy ones are you holding there, Clacktock?!”

Clacktock whipped the long invention up so it was resting on his hip and spoke while gesturing to his masterpiece, “This, my friend, is a Bolt Walloper! It fires #7 brass bolts at an astounding speed!”

“Why on Malarinden would you need something like that?”

“Ahh, you see! I don’t, but someone will, and they will pay handsome gold for it!” Clacktock was beaming as he stared at the finely constructed rifle. “I need to make the right thing, the perfect thing, the thing that everyone will want so I can get reinstated into the Inventors Guild! This might be the very ticket!!”

Clendson rolled her eyes and went back to scraping bones so she could crack them and make soup. Clacktock flicked a switch on his invention, a tiny door opened and he inserted a small, compressed piece of coal into the buttstock. With a click on the igniter, the coal lit and he snapped the door shut. Within seconds the weapon hissed and sputtered thin wisps of steam out the end of barrel. Two more flicks of the blue and orange switches and the gauge needle spun over to ‘ready’.

Clendson looked at him with concern, “Should I get out of the way?”

Clacktock turned to her with flushed cheeks, “OH!, Yes, YES, that would probably be best… here, come stand behind me.”

Clendson hastily stood and got behind, for what little good it did as he was, at best, half her height. Clacktock shouldered the rifle and pointed it at her scrap pail, “The secret to a thing like this is to point the dangerous end at the thing you want to attack, you see how the end has a twist? That is so the bolts start spinning to stabilize themselves in the air. I think the bow and arrow will soon be a thing of the past once the Bolt Walloper catches on!”

Clacktock squeezed the trigger and the loudest noise either of them had ever heard exploded from the end of the rifle as the air filled with a cloud of steam which quickly dissipated. Clenson’s scrap pail tore in half as the #7 brass bolt hit it dead center and sent pieces of partly scrapped meat in all directions, some even shot back at them so chunks were hanging off their faces.

“IT WORKS!!! IT WORKS!!!”

“HUH?!?!” Clendsone was still clamping her ears after the loud report. She was angry, Clacktock could clearly see that, and making humans mad was rarely a good idea since they were so much bigger, in this instance, however, Clacktock was too excited to hear the internal warnings.

“It works!! Did you see that?!?!?” Clacktock’s face was bursting with happiness.

“What I see is that you owe me a new bucket!!! AND, you get to go tell Stuart why there won’t be any soup tonight!”

As if on queue, a massive sized human wearing a brown leather apron and holding a huge meat cleaver burst out the door, “What in the goblins is going on out here?!?!”

He turned, “Clendie!! Are you alright?!?!”

She responded as she started picking pieces of meat off her clothing, “Yes dear, I am fine. Clacktock here has a new invention, look what it does to buckets!”

Stuart looked at the bucket and then at Clacktock, “That thing, made that noise? And tore the bucket in two?!?”

“YES!!! It’s my newest invention, the Bolt Walloper!”

“It fires brass bolts at an incredible rate of speed…,” The sarcasm dripping off of Clendson as she finished the sentence for the Gnome was more than obvious. She flicked a piece of meat onto the ground and turned to look at Stuart, “Also, there won’t be any soup tonight.”

“Soup? Who needs soup! Say, Clacktock, can you, well can you do it again?”

“OF COURSE!!! Stand beside me here!” Clacktock was giddy as he snapped open the chamber and began placing another smooth brass bolt into the bore.

Clendson sighed under her breath as she whispered, “Men…,” She grabbed the meat cleaver from her husband's hand and spoke as she went back into the shop, “I’m not staying out here to experience that again, I’ll be inside cutting up the rest of the beast.”

Just as she slammed the door, Clacktock shouldered the rifle and pulled the trigger.

KA-BLAM!!!

“AMAZING!!!”, Stuart looked at the massive hole in the side of the building where the bolt entered, “The hole is almost big enough for my fist!” He turned to look at Clacktock, “What else can you point it at?”

Clacktock clicked off the switches and looked at Stuart with regret, “Unfortunately I only polished two bolts to fire, but I will make more and we can fire it up again tomorrow!”

Stuart bent down and slapped the little Gnome on the back, he had to step forward and restabilize so he wouldn’t fall down from the impact, Stuart’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment, “WHOOPS, sorry about that little man!”

Clacktock, cheerful as always looked up with a smile, “No problem, Stuart!”

Stuart leaned down again, “Say, come on over for dinner tonight and we can talk about this Bolt Walloper, I’d love to know more! Clendie is making soup…, oh, well, she WAS going to make soup. We’ll figure it out, just come on over around sunset!”

Clacktock stuck out a hand, “Righty-o Stuart! I’ll be there!”

Lili yelled, slapping her brother on his side with a long stick she had found. He doubled over, laughing, his hands now covered in wet dirt.

"Ha!! You lost. Again." Lili mocked, smiling proudly and propping her weapon against her shoulder. "I shouldn't be able to beat you by now."

"Yeah, well... I focus on the more important things in life." Oliver said, readjusting his foot underneath him and pushing himself up from the ground, leaning lightly against a tree trunk.

"Pft, are you kidding me right now?" Lili said, laughing. She ran at him, stick in hand, and Oliver laughed as he ran around the tree, barely avoiding her swing.

"I surrender!!" Oliver shouted, throwing his hands in the air and dropping his stick, which was significantly shorter than Lili's. She gave a soft "hmph" noise as she turned around, her hair glowing in the sunlight.

"That's what I thought." Lili said proudly. Oliver smirked as he took careful steps, sneaking up behind her before he grabbed her at her waist and lifted her off the ground. Lili squealed, surprised, dropping her stick and flailing her arms about as Oliver swung her over his shoulder.

"Hey!! Put me down!!" Lili yelped with laughter, balling her hands into fists and hitting him between his shoulder blades.

"Who's the loser now, huh, Bugsie?" Oliver said, spinning around in circles. Lili squealed, hitting him harder, before he finally gave in and bend over, resting her on her feet.

"Not funny." Lili said, gaining her composure and pushing him lightly on his chest. "I'm too old for that." she continued, sounding more serious this time. Her smiling face had contorted into something far more angry, almost offended. Oliver took a slight step back, surprised.

"Hey, I'm just messing around." Oliver said, trying to amend his actions, which apparently were wrong. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Lili mumbled, waving her hand as she cut him off. "It's just..." she trailed off, staring at the blue sky above her. White masses of clouds slowly lurked overhead, as big bright lights trailed across the sky. She paid it no mind, figuring it was another meteor shower of some sort. Those seemed to be becoming more common these days.

"Bugs, what's wrong?" Oliver asked, walking over and putting a hand on her shoulder. Lili sighed.

"I just... I want to do something, you know?" Lili responded, turning to face him. Oliver's eyebrows were furrowed with confusion, and he slowly let his hand drop to his side. "I don't want to just be your little sister who you fling around when you're a sore loser." Oliver scoffed slightly, trying to lighten the situation. It seemed to work, as Lili smirked a little before continuing. "I want to go out there and do something good, you know? Maybe be an apprentice for a blacksmith or... or become a knight!" Her eyes averted for a moment, as if she were imagining it happening in front of her. "Yeah, I could totally become a knight."

"Lili, you know mom would never let you." Oliver said, blinking a few times and pursing his lips slightly. "Being a knight is... dangerous. Not to mention, doing so as a woman is almost unheard of."

"Ollie, I'm better than that." Lili replied, almost offended. "I've been training with Tyroth, he says I'm getting really good."

"You're still doing that?" Oliver said, sighing. "Bugs..."

"I know, I know." Lili said, shaking her head. With a horrible impression of her brother, she proceeded to speak in a low voice, saying "Dad would kill you if he knew."

"Well... he would." Oliver said, grabbing her shoulder and bending down slightly so he was eye-level with her. "Listen, I want you to be happy, okay? And I know that learning how to wield weapons makes you happy."

"It does." Lili said, nodding. "And I know that mom and dad would flip if they heard that I was still getting lessons from Ty."

"Yeah, they would." Oliver said, nodding as he agreed. "I won't tell them. But you have to promise to be careful."

"Of course, of course I'll be careful." Lili said, smiling and crossing her left arm across her chest to rest it on her brother's hand. "I promise."

"I know you will." Oliver said, leaning in. Knowing exactly what to do, Lili leaned forward, pressing their foreheads together.

"My blood," Oliver started, closing his eyes.

"Is your blood." Lili continued, breathing in, relaxed.

"And our blood is forever." They said in unison, holding each other there for a moment. They gently pulled apart from each other, chuckling slightly when they opened their eyes.

"Where do you think dad learned that?" Lili asked, rolling her eyes. Oliver shrugged.

"I don't know. Maybe he made it up."

"Dad's not smart enough for that." Lili said in a childish voice. Oliver laughed, his shoulders moving slightly as he did. Lili always loved seeing his shoulders shake with laughter, especially because when he laughed, it was quiet.

"I love you." Oliver finally said, lifting his hand from her shoulder and ruffling the top of her head with it. She laughed, lightly punching his shoulder.

"I love you, too."

Wynter spent a good portion of the day in the livery stables.  It helped clear her mind of things she and her father argued about.  Still, when she thought of the brief but heated conversation she had with him this morning her anger would rise once more and she would find herself jabbing especially hard with the pitch fork into the straw or angrily scooping grain into the feed troughs.

All morning long all she heard was talk of the bold presence of the Raven within Burgess.  Men were angry.  Women were publically calling the thief a scoundrel but privately fantasizing about the intruder.

“I heard he left the Mrs. a personal gift.”  One lady said as she walked by.

“Oh the cad!  What I wouldn’t give for a visit from him.”  Said another that was walking with her

“No one is safe with that criminal on the loose!”  She heard a man say as he talked to his friend when they picked up their horses.

“What on earth is Larkins going to do with him once he is caught?”  The friend said as they mounted and rode off.

“I wish he would come visit me.  I would give him a treasure he would never forgot” A particular woman said as she made her way to the general store with her friend.

Wynter was tired of hearing about the escapades of the thief by the time the early afternoon rolled around.  Thankfully the talk turned to the light show that was happening in the sky.

“Oh look!  It’s as if the Gods are giving us a daytime lightshow.”

A gleeful child squealed and pointed skyward, laughing “I wish I could catch just one”

The horses all seemed restless today and perhaps this was why.  Wynter took a break and walked outside to see what everyone was fussing about.  Casting her eyes skyward as she shaded them with her left hand, she frowned slightly.  It was as though the stars were streaking by and leaving bright trails in their wake.  And the frequency had increased then from the time she popped out in the morning to see them.  Surely this couldn’t be good.  Could it?

With her work done, she gathered up Sunflower and secured the filly’s saddle into place before mounting the spirited horse.  Even the usually easy to handle horse seemed on edge.  Her eyes held a slight fear to them Wynter had not seen in the animal before.  Casting a wary glance heavenly once more, Wynter gently nudged Sunflower’s sides with her boot heel and set the horse out of the livery.  Perhaps the horse just needed a good run for exercise.  And Wynter was certainly in the mood to give the horse her head and let her run for as far and as long as she wanted.

As they made the last turn out of the city, Wynter eased up on the reins and relaxed her hold with her legs.  Sunflower knew exactly what this meant.  As soon as Wynter leaned forward slightly, the horse took off at a quick pace.  Wynter’s ears were filled with the rush of the wind and the sound of horses hooves galloping towards the open fields that surrounded Burgess.

Freedom.  It was a beautiful thing.  The rush of the wind past her face and the feel of the air moving over her made Wynter wonder if this is what birds felt when they flew.  Becoming one with Sunflower was Wynter’s own freedom and she loved these moments when she could forget about everything but leaning forward over the horses neck and letting the young horse run and run and run.  And if the smile on her face was any indication of just how much she loved it, then it was an understatement.

As the woods began to grow closer, Sunflower slowed her speed.  By the time the pair made the brightly colored fall colors of the forest, Sunflower had slowed to an easy gate with her mistress flipping the hat back from her head to let it dangle from the drawstring around her neck.  Wynter’s black hair was pulled back in a loose braid that hung heavily down the center of her back.  Many loose strands framed her face as she slipped into the forest.  The world around her transformed into a foliage of colors.  Bright oranges, reds and earthly browns mixed in.  The smell of the forest in fall was something Wynter wished she could bottle and keep close to her.

Sunflower gave a slight start when a particularly bright streak seemed to light up even the afternoon sky.  Wynter shushed the horse and patted her neck in assurance before slinging her right leg over the front of the saddle and sliding off the equines back easily landing with a rustling of leaves under her feet.  

Easing the reins over Sunflowers ears and letting them droop lazily in her hand, Wynter began walking slowly through trees and forest vegetation.  While she hated to admit it, her father was right.  She needed to start thinking of settling down with a family and making sure the family’s legacy continued.  It was times like this she envied other young women for the council with their mothers.  What would it have been like to have her mother with her?  Would she have let her be as free as her father did as she grew?  Would she have been required to wear the more restrictive clothing other young women were prone to wear?  Gods she hoped not.  Even now her nose wrinkled at the idea of wearing the corset undergarments she saw so many of the other young women wearing.

Sunflower startled again and Wynter stopped then walked up to the horse stroking her neck lovingly.

“Shhhhh.  There, there girl.  It’s ok.  Hopefully this will be over soon and you can relax a little.”  Casting her worried eyes skyward once more, Wynter watched the streaks moving over the sky through the thinning trees.  “I’m not sure what this is but whatever it is, I’ll be glad when it’s done.  While it was nice for a while, it’s gone on for quite some time now.  And they seem to be increasing instead of letting up.”

With a heavy sigh, Wynter turned to walk through the woods some more.  She would have to head home soon but for now, she wanted to savor this time alone and clear her mind some more.  When she got home, she would talk to her father over dinner and let him know she would entertain the thought of courtship.  And boy, was whoever that is going to be was going to have their hands full.  Somehow, Wynter knew her father was more than well aware of that fact.

Oliver started walking back towards the house, and Lili quickly followed suit. They dropped their sticks along the riverbank and began the trek back to the house, where they knew a home cooked meal would be made for them.

"Hey Ollie?" Lili started, looking at her older brother.

"Yes?" he responded warmly, glancing at her curious face, almost sparkling in the sunlight.

"Are you gonna stay here forever?" she asked, motioning towards the seemingly endless woods around them. "Working with mom and dad, I mean?"

"I don't know." Oliver responded with a shrug. "I guess it depends on how long they'll need me."

"But... aren't you curious about what else is out there?" Lili asked, staring up at the clouds and nearly tripping over her own feet. Oliver reacted to her stumble, but straightened up when he saw that she was okay.

"Hey, whoa, watch your step there, Bugs." Oliver said, gently patting her back.

"And when are you gonna stop calling me that?" Lili said, swinging around the trunk of a majestic oak tree.

"What? Bugs? I could never stop calling you that." Oliver said, gently nudging her with his shoulder. "Even when you think you grow out of it."

"You're annoying." Lili grumbled, clearly defeated. Oliver laughed.

"Lighten up," Oliver said, sighing softly. "If you want me to, I can distract mom and dad tonight so you can sneak off to a lesson."

Lili's eyes brightened at the proposition, and she stared at him in awe.

"You really mean it!?" she asked excitedly, a smile stretching across her face from ear to ear. Oliver smiled warmly, ruffling the hair on her head again.

"Of course, Bugs." Oliver said, scrunching his nose playfully. Lili laughed, throwing a punch and landing it square on his shoulder. Oliver dramatically stumbled backwards, clutching his shoulder as if he had been shot, making exaggerated noises before falling on the forest floor.

"Ollieeee!" Lili groaned, grabbing him and attempting to pull him to his feet. "Come on, you're fine!" Oliver continued to lay limply on the floor, now poking his tongue out from his mouth to represent his death. Lili laughed, lightly kicking his leg with her dirty boot.

"You're such a drama queen." Lili said, leaning against a tree. Oliver burst into laughter, pulling himself to an upright position and clutching his stomach as he laughed. Lili began laughing when she saw his shoulders shaking uncontrollably, and eventually ended up on the forest floor herself, the two of them just laughing at each other.

"You're stupid." Lili said through laughter, catching her breath.

"Well, I have been spending a lot of time with you, so..." Oliver said. Lili shook her head, standing up and brushing the dirt off her pants.

"Whatever." Lili said with an eyeroll, offering her hand to her brother, who gratefully took it and stood back up.

"Come on, the food's probably getting cold." Oliver said, motioning to the sun in the sky.

"I bet we're having vegetables again." Lili groaned. Oliver laughed.

"When don't we?" Oliver mused, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as they walked.