by Taki Drake
He had become quite animated, and the 15-minute discussion that the three of them had was the only quiet time in what proved to be a very long day. All too soon, the discussion had been broken apart with much hugging and many smiles, and they were off to another store.
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Shoes, shoes, and lots of shoes. When the Mage ran out of fabric stores, the rampage switched to accessories and other fashion items. The men in the group were numb, overwhelmed past their ability to cope. The women grew even more energized, laughing and talking in a language that was incomprehensible, except to themselves.
Jewelry and adornments were next. This was even more frightening than the previous purchases to the hapless escort. Perhaps Ruth was wearing down also, but her strategy for these purchases was different.
Walking through the jewelry shops at a fast pace, Ruth passed by the display cases pointing and saying ‘yes or no.’ Those things she identified with an affirmative were purchased, the others were not. Ignoring any attempt by the clerks to divert her, the Archmage rolled through Jewelers Row like a destructive tsunami.
A few of the merchants were quick to adapt to her methods and succeeded in interesting her in many of their items. One of the snapshots that was permanently etched in Victin’s memory was the shocked, but thrilled expression on a high-end jeweler’s face as he stared at mostly empty shelves.
Settling back into the limousine, Ruth sighed in satisfaction, saying, “That was fun! We should do it again sometime.”
Hesitantly, Victin ventured, “Should I direct our shuttle back to the shop?” His heart dropped as the women laughed in chorus. It reminded him of the sound a hunting pack of bloodcoursers made when they first sighted their prey.
Finally taking pity on him, Ruth said, “We can head back to the Spiked Blade if you send three shuttles to this address.” The Mage commed over the address of the warehouse that was located on the outskirts of the city.
When Victin stared dumbly at Ruth, Jenna explained, “Master Perre arranged for equipment to outfit the studio that Ruth and Linie wanted. It’s waiting to be picked up.” The befuddled man just shook his head in wonder but quickly told the driver to get them back to the weapon store. He didn’t think he could handle any further shopping.
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Chattering and laughing, the four women invaded the Spiked Blade arm store in a flurry of smiles and riding a wave of energy. The first thing they saw was Alan in his chair sitting at a table talking to a strange woman and Anthon. Instantly, Jenna and Margot bracketed Ruth and Linie, weapons appearing almost magically in their hands.
Alan spoke immediately, “At ease, she is a friend.”
When neither of the two women stood down, the retired commander of the Marines raised his voice in a roar, “I told you to stand down!”
Without taking her eyes off the stranger, Margot said in a voice of frozen helium and shattered glass, “Apparently, Major, you failed to realize that we are not in your chain of command any longer. It is our responsibility to safeguard the Mage and yours to deal with the Marines as designated by Lord Pawlik. Do not presume to order us around.”
Taken aback, Maj. Alan Culhane (retired) took a second and then said an apology, “You are correct, Guard Captain. I will try to remember that in the future. However, thinking that the Archmage might benefit from meeting this woman, I took the liberty of asking her to stay and talk.”
Ruth walked between two bodyguards to advance to the waiting woman. Sweeping her with a comprehensive glance, Ruth suggested, “Alan’s recommendation is a good place to start. How about if you and I go to the conference room, accompanied by my Security Captains and we see if we can understand why Alan is trying to play matchmaker.”
The woman laughed and stood up, saying, “Sounds good to me.”
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Getting settled in the conference room, the four women quietly looked at each other for a few minutes. Ruth liked what she observed on many levels. The woman was calm, and obviously not rattled by the impromptu interview. Neither young nor old, her figure was sturdy and extremely fit-looking. The woman exuded competence and control. She looks like I could depend on her, Ruth thought to herself.
Almost idly, the mage noticed that her prospective employee was substantially taller than her own, smaller frame. All three of these women make me feel like a dwarf. Perhaps it’s because the Kherisians are generally taller than humans. At least, that’s what I can keep telling myself.
While Ruth had been lost in internal dialogue, Jenna and Margot had been taking turns interrogating the woman, who introduced herself as Arani Whoward. Redirecting her attention, the Mage set herself to listen and gather impressions that would help her make a decision.
Arani was talking, “… my expert certifications were typical for the Devils. I have primary for explosives, hand-to-hand, and medical. Secondaries include sniping, although I prefer spotting for snipers, heavy arms, and boarding. I am more than competent in computer usage since many of my last jobs have involved research.”
Obviously following up on a thread, Margot asked, “Why did you leave the Devils? I know that you had your twenty in, but you aren’t anywhere close to normal retirement age.”
“My sister and her husband were killed in a shuttle accident, and there was no one else to raise my niece and nephew. I never expected to have kids, but family obligations are important.”
At this point, Ruth interjected, asking, “How old are they? Do they live with you? Or have you boarded them someplace?”
Arani jumped slightly, switching her focus to the Mage. She answered, “They are three and six years old. My sister would come back and haunt me if I put them in a boarding school, even if I was hardhearted enough to do so.”
When the Mage didn’t have any further questions, Arani returned to answering Margot’s question, saying, “I was doing research for an Alliance noble, and he thought that that included more ‘personal’ services. I disagreed, and he pressed the point. When I broke his arm, he fired me.”
There was a shared moment of commiseration among the women, before Arani continued, saying, “He is influential enough that I have not been able to find another job. With someone of his status telling everyone he can that I am untrustworthy, most of the jobs I would like are unavailable.”
Ruth asked another question, “What other skills do you have? I do not believe that Jenna and Margot are interviewing you for a security job, so I’m assuming that they think you will make me a good assistant.”
The platinum-haired former mercenary had a startled look on her face. Hesitantly, the woman answered, “I am very good at organization and task tracking, and competent with hair and makeup. I can organize dinner parties or large gatherings and write well. However, I’m awfully blunt and not very tactful. That’s probably how I ended up out of a job.”
Ruth Ruth glanced at first Margot and then Jenna. Each of them gave her a sharp nod of acceptance before she turned to Arani and said, “What are your obligations here?”
“I have none.”
“What about where you are living?”
“It’s a month to month rental, and I can leave at any time.”
“How fast can you get your niece and nephew packed and ready to move?”
Arani looked a bit overwhelmed, but said calmly, “A couple of hours at the most.”
Ruth could feel the woman’s confusion and her stubborn will, determined to do her best. Her face breaking into a smile, the Lady of Borachland asked, “Then I only have two last questions. How do you feel about working for a high noble? And finally, do you believe in magic?”
Chapter 37 – Checking In
Theia, New Vesta
Arani had departed in a slightly dazed condition, while Margot had gone out to coordinate the transport of the woman’s household goods with Anthon. Ruth had remained in her seat, and Jenna stayed to guard her.
Stretching her back to work the kinks out of it, Ruth inquired, “Do you really think I
need to be guarded, even here?”
Jenna looked at Ruth seriously, and responded, “The short answer is yes. I know you don’t really want to hear it, but every moment that you’re in an unsecured area you need to have a bodyguard. We will try to accommodate you as best we can, but welcome to the rest of your life.”
The Mage wanted to object, to rail about unfairness and feel justified in whining and whimpering. But she couldn’t. Jenna was correct, it was just the way it was. Life was an ongoing flow of risk and reward, of checks and balances. I vowed to pay any price to keep my son and grandson alive. I was not fast enough to save my husband or dog. It seems silly to complain about that cost now.
Ruth stood up, and her bodyguard did also. They stared at each other for a moment, communications flickering between the two of them without a word or even a coherent thought. As if in answer to a question from Jenna, Ruth nodded and said, “I understand. It is a minor inconvenience when balanced against the benefits that I’ve received. Just remember that I was not raised to this and I might need reminding periodically.”
Jenna laughed and opened the door for the Mage. As they proceeded down the short hallway, Margot came back to join them.
“Everything is arranged for Arani. The trucks will be at her location in a couple of hours and bring her back here. I’ve already commed Luka, and they’re ready to shift anything we sent over out of the circle so that there’s room for more.”
Jenna asked, “Margot, why do you have that strange grin on your face? You look absolutely devilish!”
“When I warned Luka that we had lots of shopping, he told me that he and one other person would be enough to move our purchases into the other room. When I try to tell them that we had more than that amount, he basically told me not to worry about it. He even went as far as telling me that he and Patry were very good at packing things in.”
The three women laughed so hard that Alan popped his head out of the large room in which they had arrived. The Major was much more relaxed looking than the last time that Ruth had seen him. She smiled in pleasure at that thought.
Alan’s echoing smile preceded the sound of his cheerful voice, “I’m glad you had a good time. We can clear some of this stuff out any time that you’re ready. When you want to take a break, I think the staff here has put together some interesting items for you to consider buying from them.”
Ruth responded, “Both of those sound like great ideas. Breaking up the transport effort will help avoid wearing me out.”
Following Alan into the large chamber, Ruth was not surprised at the massive piles that covered all of the room’s walls. She saw that a first shipment was carefully stacked in the middle, creating a mass that was roughly as tall as it was wide. “Alan, this is perfect! Hold on for a minute while I push this one home, and then we can go do something else while people arrange the next load.”
The Major moved his chair to the side, joining Victin and Anthon. Ignoring the spectators, Ruth closed her eyes and repeated the gestures that created the transport sphere. Once the ball stabilized, the Mage opened her eyes and made a pushing motion. There was a crackly moment when the swirling, molten surface of the ball seem to flicker in and out before a rush of air swept through the room, and the center area was empty.
Taking a deep breath, Ruth dropped her arms down and slowly shook her hands. Looking at Jenna and Margot, she said, “let me know when Luka gets things cleared on his end. Until then, perhaps we should join Linie. Hopefully, we can find something to eat and drink since I am starving and thirsty!”
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Ruth had sent nine loads back to Arkken and was thinking about looking at the merchandise that the Spiked Blade staff had laid out for consideration when her comm-unit alerted her of a call from Pawlik. Excusing herself from the group conversation, the Mage walked over to a quiet spot against one wall.
From the corner of her eyes, she could tell that Jenna had followed and had taken a stance between her and the rest of the room. Resigned to the shadowing, Ruth answered the call reacting to the sight of her mate with pleasure.
“Hello, my dear. I hope your day was productive, I believe mine has been reasonably so.”
Pawlik laughed, saying, “From the huge stacks of items, I would say that is probably an understatement. Luka is at wit's end to find places to store things, even temporarily, but I told him it was his own fault for not listening to Jenna when she talked to him.”
“Yes, we are pretty amused at his response but decided he needed to learn a lesson. How are you doing?”
“I am concerned about two things. The first is that I have pretty solid verification that two separate groups of the aristocracy are actively causing us trouble. One of them seems to be driven by the women, while the other is spearheaded by my unloved cousin, Stefar. He may even be conspiring with Councilor Hawin.”
“That’s not good. I know it must be very upsetting as well as annoying.”
“We just don’t have time or the interest to deal with this sort of petty maneuvering.”
Ruth could hear the frustration in her Anchor’s voice and longed to be close enough to touch him. Startled she thought to herself, When did I start to need to him next to me? I don’t want to be one of those clingy women!
Wrenching her mind back to the conversation, the Mage realized that she had lost part of what Pawlik was saying. She interrupted him apologetically, “I am sorry, but my mind sort of wandered off there for a moment. Could you please repeat that?”
“That is exactly what my other point of concern is. You have been moving a lot of things over a vast distance, drawing energy for your magic from your core. Before you work yourself into exhaustion, I would like you to transport me so that I am with you.”
Shocked, the Mage stared at the image on her comm-unit, mind whirling while she quickly tried to see how badly overextended she had become. Ruth had to acknowledge to herself that she had gotten quite weary without realizing the depth of her exhaustion.
“I will go to the terminal room right now. Without meaning to wear myself out, I am afraid that you are correct.”
Pawlik put his hand on the comm-unit as if he could touch her, and Ruth held hers against the screen surface, imagining the warmth of his palm and the soothing energy that always bathed her in comfort when he was around. In a rumbly, low voice that stirred excitement throughout Ruth’s core, Pawlik said, “I will be ready before you get there. See you soon.”
Briskly, Ruth headed for the room that they were using to transport people and goods. Both Margot and Jenna fell in step with her. Ruth could hear Jenna bringing the other woman up to date on what was occurring in an undertone. By the time the three of them entered their destination, there was no need for further explanation.
Margot stood next to Ruth’s, while Jenna faced the door. Only unconsciously aware of their position, the Mage concentrated on her Anchor. In the vision of her mind, a long glowing thread appeared, stretching off to a distant place. The Mage could feel her Anchor. His heartbeat echoed in hers, and a complex sensory combination tasted, felt, and smelled like him.
Gently, ever so delicately, Ruth reached incandescent hands out and cradled the man waiting to join her. A deep chord of welcome reverberated through the Mage’s body and filled the chamber with the sounds of a masterful organ composition. Carried by the music and protected by the heart of the Mage, a column of light rose in the exact center of the floor.
For a moment, the swirling colors of Ruth’s magic intensified before they snapped out of existence, leaving her Anchor standing calmly. Ruth stumbled slightly, and Pawlik reached to brace her. Pulling her next to his body, the nobleman wrapped himself around her and murmured into her hair.
Although the bodyguards could not hear what was being said, both of them could see clearly the two beams of blue-white light that ran from Lord Pawlik’s hands and into the body of his mage. Frozen, all for the people in the room stood like statues for several heartbeats.
Finally, Rut
h pulled herself back from Pawlik a small amount, and said, “I am so glad you are here. I realize now it was pretty stupid of me to come without you.”
“You and I will be finding the limits of what we can and can’t do for many years. I don’t think it was stupid at all.”
“Okay, not stupid but perhaps silly.”
Pawlik gathered her into one last embrace murmuring audibly into the glory of her hair, “Silly woman!”
She replied, “Silly man.”
Chapter 38 – On the Job Training
Theia, New Vesta
When Pawlik accompanied Ruth and her bodyguards from the back room, Victin rushed over to greet the nobleman. Making a point of introducing his cousin and some of the other people that had gravitated into the store over the last couple of hours, Ruth could see that his place in the hierarchy of merchants on this planet was being reassessed.
No one asked how long Lord Pawlik had been on New Vesta, but there was a lot of whispering going on in different corners of the room. Ruth knew that once they were gone, there would be many inquiries as to their particular mode of transport. Hopefully, it would be a sure conclusion that Victin’s organization had some advanced equipment that was not commonly available.
Alan had obviously been bonding with the staff in the store, as well as some of the other merchants who carried items that might be beneficial to his areas of responsibility. Ruth realized with amusement that the Major’s discussions with Pawlik and her over the last 10 days had borne fruit.
The offer to head up a section of the forces that reported to Pawlik and served the Mage had been initially rejected, on the basis that Alan Culhane didn’t feel capable of combat. Pawlik had tried to convince him of his abilities, but Ruth had been more direct.
The Mage still remembered his startled expression when she had pointed out that without him, their military response would have been absent. The situation that resulted in Mary’s injuries would’ve been far worse.
