Hearthglen

by Daniel Schinhofen

  “It’s the same for me,” Eva nodded. “I was going to ask if they had stopped by. They seemed leery before, but I guess they’ve been talked to since then.”

  “That’s going to be a problem,” Sean sighed. “I need gems for some of my projects.”

  “If you don’t mind reducing the percentage of payment, I can make it up with gems instead,” Fredrick said.

  “Same with me,” Eva added. “If you’ll take partial payment in gems, I’ll use those and coin to make up the percentage.”

  “Err, yes, I can match Eva in that,” Fredrick said quickly. “Not a reduction, but a shift of coin and gem.”

  “That will be good. My first iteration of what I’m trying to do works, but requires energy to function. I need gems to see if I can get the enchantment to work for those without energy,” Sean said.

  Everyone at the table besides Ida and Ryann looked shocked. “You’re going to enchant something that anyone can use?” Watercaller was the first to ask. “That can’t be feasible.”

  “I’m going to find out,” Sean said firmly. “If I can get it to work, Denmur is going to rapidly lose any influence he thinks he has.”

  “This will be interesting to see,” Fredrick chuckled and raised his glass. “To our growing cabal.”

  “Oh, before I forget,” Eva said, “I’d like to join the bathhouse project.”

  “Any objections?” Sean asked. When no one said anything, he smiled, “Welcome aboard, Eva. Fredrick, have your people gotten a good idea of what we need?”

  “They were out there with me today,” Fredrick replied.

  The next hour was spent discussing the bathhouse and what each person could do to best help. When the group finally broke up and headed home, Ida was giggling slightly while she walked along beside Sean. “You really do change the course of events around you, sir.”

  “I guess I do. Then again, that’s what I’ve been told by Morrigan.”

  “Do you think she’d listen if we… prayed?” Ryann asked.

  “Yes. I’m sure she would. You should talk with Fiona and Myna; they admitted to me that they already do.”

  “Yes, I’ll do that,” Ida nodded.

  “Me too,” Ryann said, giving Ida a hard look.

  The rest of the walk home was in silence, which Sean was glad for. Well, things seem to have progressed well with the others. Maybe it’ll stay calm for a bit? Guy has to have hopes, right?

  Chapter Thirty-three

  Up again before his wives, Sean slipped from the room and out the backdoor. Going into the bathhouse with another freshly made kettle, Sean took a seat on the newly installed bench off to the side, smiling as he took in the new additions. The washtub was now copper with a stopper at the center of it, and had a water cleaning rune etched into it. They had a number of wooden benches spread out around the room, while a clothesline hung near the door.

  He shook his head at how much the others had done while he’d been at the inn, and it made him want to work harder. Shaping a lid for the kettle, Sean removed it and contemplated his next step for reaching his goal.

  If a rune can be made to function like I want, it might work. It would still need an energy source, but it would be a step forward. Currently, I can just push my ability into the kettle and then any energy will make it work. If I can get a rune, maybe it will only function when the rune is lined up?

  Humming to himself, Sean began to Shape the outline of a teapot onto the lid of the kettle. The spout and handle were etched into the inside of the kettle with the rest on the lid. If I believe it’ll work, it will. That’s what everyone has told me about magic here. Let’s see if that works for enchanting, too.

  Putting the lid on the kettle and turning it so the small ridges he Shaped in would lock it in place, Sean took a deep breath. Pushing a trickle of energy into the kettle, Sean felt resistance at the rune. Frowning at the unexpected pushback, Sean focused on the kettle with Mage Sight, and saw his rune didn’t line up. Shaking his head, he erased the rune and remade it with the lid locked on tight.

  Take two, Sean sighed to himself. He let the same trickle of energy flow into the kettle and could feel it contact the rune, then begin to activate. A moment later, hot water began to flow from the spout of the teapot rune into the kettle. Chuckling as it worked, Sean grabbed the top of the kettle, then let it go immediately as his fingers burned. “Fuck.”

  Cutting the flow of energy into the pot, Sean waited for his hand to heal the burns, which didn’t take long. He touched the lid again to find it warm, but not burning. Unlocking the lid partially, Sean tried to send energy into the rune again and was met with resistance.

  Okay, so the idea worked, but I need a way to store energy in it so others can use it. From what I’ve heard, gems are the best way to do that. Watercaller’s rune only works when water flows past it... he said that the rune had to be perfect, which means it’s unlikely my twist lid would work without a stored point of energy.

  Sean was sitting there, kettle in hand, when Myna came for him some time later. “Master, breakfast is going to be ready shortly.”

  “Okay,” Sean said, getting up and bringing the kettle with him. “Here, tell me what you think.”

  Taking the kettle as they walked to the house, Myna examined it. When they reached the dining room, she set it down. “I take it the teapot emblem has a point?”

  “Try giving it some energy.”

  Everyone was looking at the kettle when Myna reached out and pushed energy into it. “I can’t…” Myna grumbled.

  “Put the lid on and lock it, then try again,” Sean grinned.

  Myna did as he said, getting the lid on firmly and trying to push energy into it again. The sound of water flowing was audible, and steam began to pour out of the spout. “Oh, it works if the lid is on,” Myna smiled. “This is what you wanted, right?”

  “It’s a step in the right direction, but it still takes you using energy for it to work. If I made a handful of these, I’m fairly certain they would sell to some of the rich merchants and nobles.”

  “That isn’t a bad idea,” Fiona nodded. “Why a wood handle?”

  “The lid is part of the rune. It gets really hot when the water is being summoned,” Sean explained. “I’m trying to think of any other way to store the energy so it’ll work without gems, but I can’t infuse the rune with it being in two parts, on the lid and on the kettle. I tried.”

  Fiona took the kettle and opened it up, sending steam wafting past her face. “Hmm, yes, I can see that. I can see about trading the monocle for some gems with Silvertouch, if you’d like some today.”

  “We don’t need the monocle, and it would be best to trade it through a friend,” Sean nodded. “Go ahead. Get a variety of stones though, from cheap on up. I want to see what each can do for enchanting.”

  “I’ll handle it,” Fiona smiled at him.

  “Breakfast is ready,” Andrea said, coming into the room with a pot in hand. “Frumenty is on the menu this morning.” Setting the pot on the table in front of Sean, she went back into the kitchen and came back with honey and some berries.

  “Use this kettle when we ask for tea, Andrea,” Sean said, motioning to the one he had made on the table. “You just need to lock the lid and put a little energy into it.”

  “I will, sir,” Andrea said, collecting the kettle and taking it to the kitchen before she took her seat.

  Breakfast was finished off with minimal conversation. While Sean was finishing up, Ven stood up quickly and blurred off toward the front room. All eyes followed them, wondering what had caused them to zip off.

  “Sir,” Ven said, flying back in and coming to a halt in front of Sean, “there is another Fairy here speak with you. They represent the Dominguez family.”

  “Invite them in, please.”

  Ven zipped away, and a moment later, two Fairies came to rest next to Sean. “This is Omin. They are here on behalf of the Dominguez family, sir.”

  “Thank you, Ven.” Tur
ning his attention to the other Fairy, Sean nodded. “Morning, Omin. Go ahead and relay the message.”

  Omin glanced back and forth between Ven and Sean. “I come on behalf of the Patriarch of the Dominguez family, sir. I’m to let you know that half of the healer fee was paid by him. That is all he will pay, as you took away Ida Bronzeshield even though they said they were going to take her to a healer. You absolved them of care at that point, but the Patriarch is a generous man and decided to pay half.”

  “I see,” Sean said.

  “He should pay the full amount,” Fiona said. “Considering it was the lack of care at their own estate that caused the injury, I’m somehow not surprised that this is their response.”

  Sean raised a brow, as Fiona normally wouldn’t be this blunt. “Tell the Patriarch that I have heard his message, please.”

  Omin blinked a couple of times, then took to the air. “I shall deliver your message, sir. I… I’d also point out he will ask me what else was said.”

  “The conversation about the message is over,” Sean said gently. “Do you not care for you current work conditions?”

  Omin’s eye twitched, “I’m cared for better than a number of others.”

  “Not as well as we are,” Venn said from their spot at the table, taking another bite of food while staring at Omin.

  “The rumors are true, then?” Omin asked.

  “We are Bonded, have energy, Talents, and are treated as family,” Ven replied. Placing their hand on the table, Ven Shaped a cup they could use. “As you can see.”

  Omin’s jaw dropped, and Venn gave a small laugh, “Give them the cup, Ven. Let them see how generous our family is.”

  Ven held the cup out to Omin who took it slowly, examining it before clutching it to their chest. “I shall report… wait, I can’t get past the walls with the cup…”

  “Deliver the cup to your pair bonded from me, as a sign of good faith,” Ven smiled.

  Omin took a deep breath as they bowed, first to Ven, then Venn, and finally Sean. “I shall deliver your message, sir. I’m sorry for what occurred with your apprentice.”

  “Thank you, Omin. I hope your day is a pleasant one.”

  Omin bowed again before they blurred off in a silver streak right at the nearest wall and vanished. Sean watched it before he finally asked a question that he had kept meaning to but hadn’t gotten around to.

  “How does that work?”

  “As long as we are delivering a message, we can pass through obstructions,” Ven said, going back to their meal.

  “And the cup?”

  “As long as the item is small, we can take it with us if there is a message attached to it,” Venn said.

  “If I gave you a silver, you could take it to the healer and tell them it’s for my bill?” Sean asked.

  “The normal coins, yes. The large ones… maybe?” Venn replied.

  “Huh.”

  “It’s an innate ability, not a Talent,” Fiona said, seeing the gears spinning in Sean’s head. “Only Messenger Fairies can do it. None of the other Fairies can.”

  “Ah well,” Sean said, setting the thought aside. “I should still try it once, but later.”

  Myna snickered, “Can I watch?”

  Glancing at her, Sean stood up and faced the door. “Okay. Fiona, give me a message to deliver.”

  “Let Sam know that we enjoyed having her over for dinner the other night,” Fiona said with an amused smile.

  Nodding, Sean walked at the door. Holding his hand extended before him, the door opened normally. “Damn.”

  “He used his hand,” Myna snickered again. “At least we know he’s not an idiot.”

  “Okay, we all have things to do. Let’s go to work,” Sean coughed, finishing his exit from the room while laughter followed him out.

  ~ * ~ * ~

  Sean was surprised when Chastity entered the sitting room as he was setting it up. “Problem?”

  “Maddox Gralik just stopped by to let you know that he was going to see Stoneeyes,” Chastity replied. “There’s also a Moonbound in the front room who’s hoping to speak with you.”

  “You left them alone?” Sean asked.

  “No, sir. Myna is with them. She’s waiting on Andrea to finish cleaning so they can spar.”

  “Ah, okay. Let’s go then, shall we?”

  Sean noticed Myna chatting with a bunny-girl who was looking a bit nervous when they got to the shop. “Morning, miss. You wished to speak with me?”

  Eyes flickering from Myna to Sean a few times, the Moonbound bowed. “I’m sorry for taking your time, honored Shaper. I was informed by one of my… associates… that you are willing to custom make hair clips... for us…?” Trailing off, the rabbit looked like she was about to flee.

  “That’s right. I told Lilly that. You must be one of the cooks at the Oaken Glen, right?” Sean smiled pleasantly. “What are you looking for?” Opening Mage Sight in his left eye when he asked, Sean studied her energy and saw she had a mixture of yellow-black mixed with a faint but distinctive gold.

  “I saw the hair clips the maids had and… can you do one that shows me cooking?”

  “Of course,” Sean said as he pulled a blank clip from under the counter. “Is that the only one you want?” Sean asked while he took in her very short white hair. It was very similar to Myna’s in everything but color. “I could also make rings that would fit your ears nicely if you’d like that, as well.”

  The Moonbound seemed taken aback, but moved a little closer to him. “You could?”

  “Easily,” Sean said as he Shaped the hair clip without looking at it. “I can do them in wood, copper, bronze, or brass. I can fit them to your ears specifically, so when at the base, it would fit without chafing or pinching.”

  “You have this well in hand, husband,” Myna said, kissing Sean’s cheek. “I’ll go see about Andrea.”

  “Thank you, dear,” Sean replied, handing the wooden hair clip to the Moonbound. “How does that look to you?”

  ~ * ~ * ~

  Sean pushed his plate away with a contented sigh. “Delicious as always, Andrea.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “Fiona, I’ll be checking the gems tomorrow morning. Thank you for getting them from Silvertouch.”

  “My pleasure, dear,” Fiona smiled. “Glad I made it back for the normal sparring and bathing. I’m really beginning to like having our own private bathhouse.”

  “It is very nice,” Ryann nodded. “I never thought I’d be lucky enough to take baths daily.”

  “It’s a luxury I never expected to have,” Ida agreed.

  “Or I,” Chastity chimed in.

  “Since my family owns an inn, I was a bit spoiled in that regard,” Andrea said softly. “Not every day, but much more often than many.”

  “It’ll be even better if I can get my plan worked out,” Sean shrugged. “Anyway, I’m off to the inn to celebrate with the smiths on their apprenticeships.”

  “I’m going to come with you tonight,” Fiona said. “There is a party at the Lord’s Manor tonight, so Dame Mageeyes shouldn’t be at the inn.”

  “How do you know that?” Sean asked.

  “Silvertouch let me know,” Fiona replied. “I would like to make an appearance there, and this is a good chance to do so.”

  “I’ll start up the new apprentice table tonight,” Ida smiled as she got to her feet.

  “I’m going to stay behind tonight, Master. Please enjoy the time with our loving wife.”

  “Silly kitty,” Sean smiled, giving her ears a quick rub. “Have a good night. We’ll be home later.”

  “Enjoy yourselves,” Andrea said as she began to gather the plates.

  “Let me help you, Andrea,” Chastity said, gathering the cutlery.

  Sean, Fiona, Ryann and Ida soon found themselves on the street. Sean was smiling during the walk to the inn with his arm around Fiona’s waist. Ryann and Ida were ahead of them, speaking softly.

  “Have you considered askin
g either of them, dear?” Fiona asked just loud enough for Sean to hear.

  “No. I’m not going to ask them. You and Myna are really okay with the idea of more wives?”

  “As long as they are Life Bonded, yes. That way, we’ll know they will always have your interests ahead of theirs. Before their years are up, they will ask. Both of them have asked to pray with Myna and me to Morrigan.”

  “Yeah, they asked and I told them to speak with you. You seem awfully sure that they’ll ask to Life Bond. I was sure that Life Bonded were looked down on, so why would they do that?”