Alec the Wanderer: Generations of Eredwynn #4

by Daniel B. Harris

  We made plans to build at the back of the property, so we could plant fields between us and the city. We’d be quite close to the lake and I knew that my air sorceress would be able to supply water any time our crops needed it. I found myself wishing that Raven was with us. She could recharge my magic and we could have a nice home overnight. That would really give the local people something to talk about! I had to stop thinking like I was in Eredwynn, and remember that everything we did with magic would be treated with suspicion.

  We returned to our quarters and turned in. Barbara joined me with no formality, but the warning that I shouldn’t plan on sleeping much. She had been missing being with me, too, and planned to make up for it. Luckily for me, she’d underestimated how tired she was, and we all called it an early night.

  …

  The next morning we were supposed to keep our shop closed, so we went back out to our place. Someone had been there, either after we had been or very early in the morning. A wagon, loaded to the breaking point, was parked near where we’d decided to build. It was full of cut lumber, nails and carpentry tools. I didn’t know who our benefactor was, but they must have been watching us last night. It was the only way someone would know exactly where we were wanting to build.

  I had Carol, who was fully rested and happy with the land, bring in a fog bank to block us from the city. With that in place, we could work like we would in Eredwynn, without prying eyes.

  The twins, who were still getting used to magic, stayed out of the way as we floated loads of boards and other items into position. There was no need for the hammers and saws, but it was nice that someone had thought to include them.

  We paced out where we wanted the foundation and I raised the rock from the earth to provide it. From there, it was just a matter of framing the building out and putting a roof on it. Before nightfall we had the exterior done. If we stayed as busy for the next week as we had the past couple days, it might be next Sabbath before we could do the inside walls and furniture. Amanda let me know that the Jewish rule forbade any work of any kind on the Sabbath. She said that we’d need to be careful, if we weren’t wanting to upset any of the population.

  At nightfall, Carol let the fog disperse and we returned to our apartment. We rested up that night in preparation for the coming week. We all loved helping people, but our first couple days here had been trying. We didn’t exactly dread starting again the following day, but we did hope things would slow down.

  And we got our wish. The next day after breakfast, I went down and opened the doors. There were only a handful of people waiting and I ushered them in to get warm. The ladies set up quickly and we had an empty waiting area in no time. It was nice to see the room empty while we were open for business. People trickled in throughout the day and were helped quickly.

  At lunch, fresh bread was brought to us by a baker’s wife. She was a sweet middle-aged lady who fussed over the twins, telling them all about when her children were their age. The bread and rolls she brought were gratefully accepted and she rolled her eyes like a teen when I offered to pay for them.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Winter rolled in and I was very pleasantly surprised by the mildness of the weather. It was almost warm compared to a winter in Eredwynn. The temperature here often got above freezing during the day, and was not terribly cold at night. The people of Nuremberg loved us and we were given donations often. We still worked for free, but wouldn’t turn away a coin or two if the folks could afford it. I’d managed to find a gold buyer who happily purchased twenty gold coins from us. I had to believe that he gave a fair price, because Carol could detect no attempt at falsehood from him.

  Our shop was only open two days a week, in town, anyway. If word came that we were needed for a house call or a sick individual showed up at our door, we were always happy to help. We worked the shop in shifts, with either Carol or me always there. We didn’t want the sisters to run into a problem with the blindfolds, which they still used, without one of us there as backup.

  Our house was a home and we loved it there. I was surprised at myself; I hadn’t felt any wanderlust in a very long time. I still got up every morning and cast for Eredwynn, as I’d promised, but I had finally decided that we were home. Carol magically plowed the fields that we’d decided to plant, a little at a time. I’d go into town and borrow a team of horses, plow and harrow. Then, that night, Carol would plow up what she figured could be done in a day. Her focus and intent were perfect when it came to working the land. She’d seen it done the hard way often enough in her life that she knew exactly what it was supposed to look like.

  The sisters no longer needed to be close to each other to do anything that they wanted to. They still claimed that the magic had shown them things that they could do together, but they weren’t things that they needed around the house. They described those skills as extremely powerful and destructive. Having seen the incredible destructive power of elemental magic before, I just took them at their word and didn’t ask for a demonstration.

  …

  After a relaxing and uneventful winter, spring arrived. With it came a slight upswing in the number of plague cases that we had to deal with. It wasn’t very bad and never made us work like we had when we’d first arrived. It seemed as though we had accomplished our goal of saving a town and the surrounding area. I wondered how that would affect the timeline, but I wasn’t too concerned. I was willing to accept a ripple in the timeline, if that was what I had to trade for all the lives we’d saved.

  One afternoon of what I’d learned was ‘Sunday’, or ‘dies Solis’ to the priest, Father Blaine, our friendly baker’s wife showed up as usual. Usually there was a spring in her step and a smile on her face as she came up our walk. Today she walked quickly, watching behind her all the way. She waved Carol and me inside and gave us news.

  “Father Francis returned at the end of the week. He had mass this morning, after finding out that you had been here. Father Blaine tried to explain that you’d worked with his blessing, but he wouldn’t hear it. He announced that you were working with the devil and should be destroyed! He decreed that anyone having anything to do with you or helping you should be burned for aiding witches! I know that you’re wonderful people and wouldn’t have contact with any evil forces. I had to come and warn you, regardless of the consequences.”

  I sighed sadly. “We’ve been afraid that this would happen. What kind of organization would not want people healed? Why would healing come from some evil force? All we’ve done is been kind and helpful and now this man shows up. He’s not only threating me and mine, but our friends, too. We have to think of a plan to change his mind, because this is our home until we can find a way back to Eredwynn. We don’t know if or when that will happen, so I’ll take any ideas that anyone has.”

  The silence was deafening and finally the baker lady spoke, “I have to return and hope that I wasn’t spotted coming here. I’ll try to come back when I can.”

  I shook my head. “Thank you for everything and thank you for your warning. As much as we love having the fresh bread, we can’t allow you and your husband to be put in danger.”

  She hugged all the girls while tears flowed from them all. I was angry, and I didn’t do angry well. That was another trait that I’d inherited from my father.

  We walked with her all the way to the edge of our property and watched as she walked the short way to the city gate. Before she made it inside, there was a yell and men on horseback, wearing tabards with red crosses, surrounded her. She was grabbed and dragged into the city!

  I looked around at my family. “I’m saving her. You can go back to the house, or join me.”

  Barbara snorted. “You say some of the dumbest things sometimes! Let’s go!”

  I ported the group just outside the gate and we followed the horsemen in. They made straight for the square near the monastery. They had been expecting to catch someone that was helping us, by the looks of things. A pole had been set up, complete with shac
kles. Wood was piled around it and there were torches burning, waiting to set the pyre ablaze. We mingled with the crowd that was friendly with us and helped keep us hidden. The woman was dragged to the pole, fastened to it and the wood was set on fire.

  I prepared to port her out, when the sisters broke cover and ran straight into the flames! They shielded the helpless, frantic woman, freed her from the shackles with a thought, and led her out of the fire. Men with swords and tabards, identifying them as Father Francis’ men, charged toward them.

  I moved them away from my Consorts as gently as I could, considering the circumstances. My telekinesis slapped them backward and tumbled them a few yards. I thought to the sisters, “Take her to the house as soon as you can get out of sight. We’ll meet you there.”

  They nodded and moved close to a pair of buildings, slipped between them and ported home. The men then zeroed in on Carol, the twins and me. We held hands and moved back into the crowd. When we got to the back edge, I pulled us inside a shop, made sure it was empty and ported us back home, too.

  The woman was hysterical, and understandably so. She had been set to burn, saw the sisters walk into a fire that wouldn’t hurt them and then was back at our house in a blink. It was almost too much for her mind to take.

  When the girls had her calmed, she exclaimed, “They’ll be after my husband next. They’ll know that he had sent the bread they saw me bring.”

  I nodded. “We can bring him here the same way we brought you. You’ll have to calm him, because it will scare him worse than it did you. Carol, can you find him?”

  She nodded, with a steely look on her face. “He’s in his shop. They are there now trying to break in. He’s trying to hide behind some bags of flour in his storeroom.”

  The woman looked at Carol with rapt amazement. “There was a new shipment of flour and it is stacked in the storeroom. If you can save him, please bring him to me!”

  Carol glanced at me and I nodded. She ported the baker in beside his wife. He was startled; he jumped and his eyes darted around. His wife went to him and hugged him.

  She gasped, “I don’t know how they did it or who they really are, but they saved us both! Carol, are you really angels? That has been the rumor, but if you are, then why would the Father want to run you off?”

  Carol smiled and shook her head. “You’ve heard us say it before. We’re not angels or anything other than people. If you ask me, and you sorta did, the Father wants to be in control. Anyone else that does anything, good or evil, without his approval, is a target. He’s just abusing his authority and too many are letting him.”

  The baker, who had calmed down quickly after his surprise porting, nodded. “I have to agree, young lady. But now I have to decide what my wife and I are to do. If we could get to Frankfort, we have family there. All of our money is in our home in a box on our bedroom dresser. It won’t do us much good there; the Father will claim everything they find when they search the place.”

  Carol asked, “Is it an ornate wooden box?”

  The baker nodded. “Yes, it is. How could you know that?”

  Carol didn’t answer, but ported the box to the table in front of the couple. They were startled, but flipped open the lid and saw that it was indeed their money box. The baker looked up and smiled. “If you are just people, like you say, you’re people with very unusual talents. Do your special talents have a way for us to escape your home and get to Frankfort? I’m sure that the Father is having your place watched. I wouldn’t be surprised if you weren’t attacked soon. He’ll know who you are and where you live by now.”

  Carol smiled sweetly. “I can send you to Frankfort the same way I brought you here. Not even the powerful Father Francis can stop us from doing that. You needn’t worry about us, either. We’ve been gentle with this situation until now. You see, now my husband is angry, and it will be all I can do to prevent bloodshed. I’ll send you whenever you’re ready to go.”

  The baker stood and shook my hand. “Go easy, son. I don’t blame you for being upset, but anger causes mistakes.” He and his wife hugged the girls and they were ready to go. Carol paused for a moment to locate the large city and then set them down, out of sight, near the main gate.

  Carol sighed and tears started streaming. “I really loved that woman, and now she is on the run because of us.”

  I shook my head slowly. “She is on the run because of Father Francis. We’ve done nothing wrong and he is the one that labeled her a criminal for associating with us. Now I just have to figure out a way to stop him, so he will let us live in peace. It wouldn’t be fair of me to drag you all away onto the road again. You’ve wandered enough lately and we’ve just gotten the fields plowed. Unless we can find a way back to Eredwynn, this will be our home, Father or no Father.”

  The thunder of hoofs down the path that led to our home interrupted my declaration of war. I nodded to Carol and stated, “Dome shield the house, my love.” Then I turned to the sisters. “Shield yourselves and the twins. We should go see who’s coming for a visit. Everyone follow my lead and don’t kill unless there is no other way.”

  We went out and stood in front of our home to watch the riders approach. Carol pointed to the flower beds she’d dug by the front walk. “The dome shield is just past that point. I didn’t want soldiers walking there. I just softened that soil for flowers yesterday.”

  We all laughed and I kissed her gently, “Only my little farmer girl would be worried about her flowers at a time like this.” She just smiled and turned back to the arriving horsemen.

  They wheeled to a halt twenty yards out and the priest called out, “So we finally have you cornered! And it’s about time, too. Step out here, warlock, and bring the witches with you.”

  I replied, “I prefer and have always been called a ‘wizard’. The ladies prefer the term ‘sorceress’. But you may call us what you will. To what do we owe the honor of your visit this evening, sir priest?”

  “Whatever you choose to be called doesn’t change that you’re all spawn of Satan and will burn. It’s a shame that those lovely young girls got caught up with your corruption. Come here, girls, and your lives will be spared.”

  Years of being taught to obey clergy started the girls’ feet moving. Love for the family stopped them quickly. The angry priest yelled, “So they have you enthralled, do they? We will break their grip on you when we free you. Soldiers, advance, but be careful not to harm the young ones. They might be saved, after cleansing.”

  We stood and watched calmly while the men dismounted and formed ranks. They drew their swords and began marching toward us. Even the twins just smiled sweetly. They’d been around our magic long enough now, and they knew nothing was getting through our shields. I couldn’t help but think that this priest would give his left hand for twenty pounds of the metal buried beneath the swamps, north of Eredwynn.

  We waited as they closed on us, and the twins were fighting hard against giggles as the soldiers approached Carol’s flower beds. Finally Martha couldn’t resist. “Gentlemen! You oughta stop there, ‘cause if you step in Carol’s flower beds, she’ll be quite upset!”

  I suppose that upsetting Carol was something that the men actually thought they wanted to do. They sped up and altered their course slightly to make sure they trampled the freshly excavated soil. Two feet before the crime could be committed, they ran face first, at a pretty good speed, into Carol’s dome shield.

  The impact rang helmets and broke a few noses. I turned to the sisters. “Why did you run into the fire like that? I was scared to death that I was going to watch you burn, too!”

  They started laughing. Partly due to my question, and partly due to my timing. Barbara replied, “We can’t get burned! Didn’t we tell you that? If not, I’m sorry, but you know now, just in case this jackass tries tying us to a post. The only one allowed to tie us up would… never mind, the twins are too interested in our conversation.” She winked slyly.

  Carol rolled her eyes, of course. I turned bac
k to the very one-sided fight. “Father, as you can see, your men can’t get to us. We really would like to end this peacefully. What could we do to prove to you that we’re just people with special skills, and not evil witches in league with the devil?”

  “Recite the Lord’s Prayer, warlock.”

  I laughed. “I’ve never even heard the poem you’re wanting me to recite. How would that prove anything?”

  “Can any of you recite it?”

  The twins both nodded and raised their hands.

  The priest smiled evilly. “I was sure that you two could, but the witches that are holding you can’t. That should prove to you that they are what I claim, and you should come to me.”

  Mary spoke loudly, “Or it could mean that they come from a different country, and never learned it like we had to. We know them, Father, and they saved us from the plague. They are really good people and they aren’t witches!”

  Next it was Mandy’s turn to talk to the priest and confuse us. She called out, “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.” She looked around at us, and we were all staring. She grinned. “I went to Sunday school a few times!”

  “This isn’t over, warlock; I’ll be back.”

  I sighed. “Yeah, I didn’t think it would be that easy. My name is Alec, by the way. When you do return, please don’t force me into using violence. My patience is growing thin, but I have a strong aversion to the taking of human life.”

  As his men were mounting up, he had to throw out one more jab. “I’ve already decided that the young ones are innocent victims in all this. I just have to decide about you, your wife and the whores that are with you.