Forged Bonds (Binding Words Book 4)

by Daniel Schinhofen

  “Scrape and hiss? Come on Andrea, you can do this,” Sean said. “Ida can, Ryann can, even Chastity is coming along,” he continued, trying to push her. “You can, too. Remember, minor injuries will heal. If getting a solid hit on your opponent means taking a minor injury, take it.” Jumping back, Sean rolled his shoulders. “Now, attack me like you mean it.”

  Andrea stopped where she was. Her energy had gotten away from her when he talked about the others. She pulled it back in, even tighter and stronger than before. When he saw her get serious, Sean dropped Mage Sight and waited for her.

  There was no shimmer, nothing to give her away except for the muted footfalls just before she reached him. Acting on instinct, Sean was able to deflect the first knife with his sword. He slapped out and felt the sting of a wooden blade as he deflected it. Grimacing, he stepped forward and slammed into Andrea, knocking her back. Andrea fell backward, but rolled with it. She came back to her knees as Sean came forward, her Camo slipping again so a shimmer gave away her position. Sean never saw the knife she threw, until it impacted his neck.

  Gagging, Sean winced as his neck healed itself. “Gack! Nicely done. You turned a failed attack into a success.”

  Andrea let Camo drop, a little pale as she looked up at him from a few feet away. “You’re okay, right?”

  “Yeah, but if I’d been an average person and that had been a real knife, I’d be dead. I thought you’d panic when I knocked you down.”

  “I did, but I knew what I had to do,” Andrea admitted, still on her knees. “If you hadn’t been giving me the energy, I’m not sure I could have managed all of that.”

  “It was a good start. If you want to test what you can do going full out on your own, we can do that, too,” Sean eased off the energy he was giving her, letting it drop to the normal amount. Stepping forward, he offered his hand, “Ready?”

  Andrea’s cheeks heated as she blinked up at him, “Of course.” Getting to her feet, she walked away from him to pick up the knife she had thrown.

  Sean watched her go with a curious expression. When she got the knife back, he looked away. “Andrea, fix your skirt,” he coughed.

  Hands darting behind her, she quickly brushed her skirt back into place. Both of them were red for a long moment, but Andrea did not ask the question she already knew the answer to. Instead, she vanished with not a shimmer to be seen.

  Sean quickly brought Dark Cutter up as he began to shift, eyes moving to find any hint of her. His ears strained as he tried to catch even a whisper of sound that could help him find her. A stone moving behind him made Sean spin, but almost instantly he realized that he had been duped. Continuing the spin with his sword coming around, he felt two hard points dig into his back along his spine. Sean dropped Dark Cutter, sure that he would hit Andrea otherwise. He was proven right a moment later when Andrea appeared next to him. She swayed in place, and Sean managed to catch her before she hit the ground.

  “You okay?” Sean asked, immediately feeding her more energy.

  “Yes. That was all I could do,” Andrea said breathily as she leaned against him. “I did it, though.”

  “Yeah, yeah you did,” Sean agreed. “The rock distraction was a good idea.”

  “You would have hit me if you hadn’t dropped the sword,” Andrea whispered.

  “You would have paralyzed me if those had been real blades. I would have dropped it and fallen to the ground,” Sean told her. “You okay now?”

  “Give me a moment,” Andrea said, staying leaned against him.

  “Sure, but if you push too hard, you’ll end up like I was the other day. It’s a good idea to make sure to keep a little back so you don’t collapse next time.” Sean said, becoming all too aware of her bountiful chest pressing against him.

  “I’m good now, thank you,” Andrea said, pulling away from him. “Maybe we should just spar without Talents for the rest of the hour?”

  “Probably a good idea, but we know you can take out any single attacker now and can easily flee multiple foes.”

  Andrea gave him a bright smile, “I’ll not be held against my will again. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, Andrea. Now, let’s start with what Myna would want us doing.”

  “That would be good,” Myna’s voice whispered from directly behind him.

  Sean jumped with a start, “Fucking hell, Myna!”

  Myna appeared, stifling her laughter, “Afternoon, Master. I thank you for helping train her, but I think I should take over from here. Andrea needs work on the basics more than she needs to do what you had her doing. Andrea, you did well with the attack, but now we will work on your blade work itself.”

  Heart still unwinding from the jump-scare, Sean shook his head. “I thought you were at the bathhouse.”

  “Ryann came to relieve me so I could train Andrea,” Myna replied. “You can stay and train if you want.”

  “Training would be good,” Sean admitted.

  “Good. You two will face each other without tricks,” Myna smiled. “Get ready.”

  ~*~*~

  Between sparring and working on the next enchantment, the day sped away from Sean. He had crafted a new enchanted kettle for Andrea and set the older one by the door so they could take it with them after dinner.

  Dinner that night was a barley stew that had everyone taking seconds. Myna promised to take some to Chastity and her mother. After dinner, Sean headed out with Ryann and Ida for their regular visit to the inn.

  When they arrived, everyone else was already gathered. Ida went for the apprentice table, Ryann to the smiths, and Sean walked over to Allonen behind the bar.

  “Allonen, missed you yesterday,” Sean said in greeting. “This is for Dame Mageeyes.”

  “It was my day off, sir. I will make sure she gets this. She has been awaiting it.”

  “Have a good night,” Sean said, then left the bar for his regular table. “How are you all tonight?”

  “We’re good,” Sam smiled. “We were discussing how different things have been since you showed up.”

  “Only the good parts, I hope,” Sean laughed as he took his seat.

  “What can I get you tonight, sir?” Lilly purred from behind Sean a moment later.

  Sean inhaled sharply. He had not even seen her when he approached the table. “Lilly, we missed you yesterday,” Sean said after he exhaled. “I’ll take a Dark Delight, please.”

  “Same,” Ryann said with a smirk, one of her fingers tapping the band on her wrist idly.

  Lilly took in the Life Bond markings, deflating a bit. “Of course, and congratulations to you. I heard from Bemin that you have two more wives now.”

  “Yes, I’m a very lucky man,” Sean nodded. “A round for the table as well, please.”

  Once everyone had their order, Sean caught Ryann smirking at Lilly’s back, clearly happy that the maid was not as flirty today. Sean was going to address it, but Fredrick coughed and got his attention.

  “Sean, I arranged to get a tour of Sharpeyes’ bestiary tomorrow. It’ll be just after midday,” Fredrick said.

  “I’ll make sure to be at your house at midday, then,” Sean replied.

  “Ryann won’t be able to come with us; the invite was for me and one other,” Fredrick apologized.

  “Do you think we’ll have any trouble?” Sean asked.

  “No, it would tarnish their name if guests were hurt while on a tour,” Fredrick said.

  “Ry?” Sean asked.

  “I’ll escort you there and then wait for you,” Ryann said.

  “I’ll make sure that Roberta takes care of you,” Fredrick smiled. “I know you take guarding him seriously.”

  Ryann nodded and was about to reply when Lilly came back with their drinks. Getting to Sean last, Lilly paused as she set his down, “Sir, Dame Mageeyes wanted me to thank you for delivering the kettle.”

  “Of course,” Sean said. “It is a pleasure doing business with her.”

  “Enjoy your drinks,” Lilly said. W
hen she slipped away, her hips were swaying, but not as much as they had in the past.

  Ryann looked triumphant as she watched Lilly go. Taking a drink, her lips twisted, “You like this, Sean?”

  “It’s good,” Sean replied. “Don’t like it?”

  “I’ll finish this, but I don’t think dark ale is for me.”

  “Anyone doing anything at the bathhouse tomorrow?” Sean asked.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Sean set aside the pipes he was working with and frowned at them. “I’ll be ready in a minute,” he told Ryann.

  “Troubles again?”

  “Yeah. Trying to find a way to get the enchantment to work without someone needing to hold their hand to the gem. I figured out how to summon cold water, at least. Now, I want to work on getting it to supply the water I want when I want, and adjusting the flow.”

  “I don’t understand,” Ryann said as he put things away. “Why would you want to adjust how they flow?”

  “To give different temperature ranges,” Sean replied as he finished. “I might like my showers hotter than you or colder than you, but we can use the same shower area if the water flow from the hot and cold sides can be adjusted.”

  Ryann’s brow furrowed, “Is that even possible? Water coming out of pipes above us is amazing already.”

  “Thinking about it that way, the bathhouse really would be exciting for many if we just enchanted the pipes so they have to be touched to dispense water. Might be best if it was that way anyway, otherwise, we’ll have a lot of excess water being used. Reminds me, I need to talk to Ryan and Italice about overflow precautions.”

  “That might be for the best. You also still need to finish the kettles for the Den.”

  “I just need to do the enchantments. Fiona was handling the kettles and emblems. Yeah, I can’t just focus on the bathhouse— there were a lot of other things I wanted to work on. I haven’t even touched on trying to wield battle magic yet.”

  “That could be a problem if you try to practice inside the yard,” Ryann said, looking worried.

  “I know. We might have to take a trip out of the city for me to really give it a go. Won’t be in the next handful of days, but it’s something I’ve wanted to try ever since I got hit with a fireball.”

  “I don’t think I heard this story,” Ryann frowned.

  “I’ll tell it as we walk,” Sean said.

  ~*~*~

  Arriving at Fredrick’s, Sean and Ryann were ushered into a study. They were only waiting for a couple of minutes before Fredrick arrived with Roberta trailing him.

  “Sean, Ryann, it’s good to see you both. The carriage is being readied. Would you care for a snack while we wait?”

  “I’m good,” Sean replied.

  “Very well,” Fredrick said. “How goes your attempts at making our lives even more amazing?”

  “Less than ideal,” Sean replied. “I have the cold running water enchantment working like the hot water one. I don’t have one that can be left running by people without energy, and I haven’t worked out how to adjust the flows yet, either. Ryann made a good point this morning that even just the touchable gem enchantments are more than most could ever hope for. I know I can make them better, though, so I’m still working on it. ”

  “She isn’t wrong, but don’t let that stop you from pushing for more,” Fredrick chuckled. “I’m very interested in what you’ll think of next.”

  “Oh, I have a lot of ideas,” Sean shrugged. “Cost, time, and effort for most of them makes them difficult to work on. Sewers, for instance.”

  “Sewers? What are those?”

  “Pipes designed to carry waste away from your home. It stops people from having to go outside to relieve themselves.”

  “How different,” Fredrick murmured. “The highest ranked nobles just keep a mage on hand to instantly clean after anyone uses the indoor rooms they have. How do these sewers work?” He sounded out the word slowly to make sure he said it correctly.

  “That’s a long explanation, and even longer to explain how the waste is dealt with,” Sean chuckled.

  A knock on the door stopped Sean from elaborating. A refined looking gentleman entered the room. “Sir, the carriage is ready for you.”

  “Thank you,” Fredrick replied. “Sean, if you’re ready?”

  “Let’s get it done,” Sean said. “Do you have the silver, by the way?”

  “I can have it brought down, but surely you don’t intend on working on them while we are led through the bestiary?”

  “I can, and without giving away the surprise,” Sean replied, “but I’ll be making copper models while we’re there to use as templates for the silver. It’s just one of those things I can do.”

  Fredrick stared at him. “You can Shape without having the metal in hand?”

  Sean just looked back at Fredrick with a chagrined expression. “Maybe?”

  “My grandfather could do that,” Fredrick sighed. “No one in the family can now.”

  “Have you tried?” Sean asked as he stood up, mirrored by Ryann.

  “We all do,” Fredrick explained and led them to the door. “Roberta, Ryann is in your care until we return. Treat her as a favored guest, not that I need to tell you that.”

  “I shall do so,” Roberta replied. “Miss, would you care for some tea? Or perhaps something a little stronger?”

  “Sean,” Ryann called out before they could leave, “be careful. I trust Fredrick, but you’ll be inside the home of a noble, so please be careful.”

  Sean gave her a smile, “I will. Enjoy having a small break. The others might be jealous.”

  Ryann shook her head, “No, we all want to do as much as we can. I’ll be here waiting for you.”

  As they were leaving, Sean could hear Ryann ask for some tea and a scone. Smiling, he followed Fredrick through the house until they came out the back and up to the carriage that was waiting for them. Sean took in the dark oak and the Gertihs’ family emblem emblazoned on the side in gold.

  “Nice ride,” Sean said, extending his senses to the carriage as a whole. “The front axle needs a little help. Mind if I fix it really quick?”

  Fredrick blinked before shaking his head, “You’re a guest. No guest should be fixing the host’s items.”

  “Okay,” Sean said as he got inside.

  With the door shut behind Fredrick, Sean felt the carriage shift when the footman got on the back. The sound of the driver lightly snapping the reins was the only warning before the carriage started to roll. Settling into his seat, Sean was surprised at how smoothly the carriage traveled. His time spent with the reenactment society always made him think that carriages were less pleasant than this one.

  Then again, the wagon wasn’t as bad as it should have been, either, Sean mused. Focusing on the carriage, he checked the suspension, wheels, and steering linkage. Not automobile grade, but a damned sight better than what we had for carriages. Would be better with steel, but that’s a no go here.

  “It’ll be a short trip. The manor and grounds are at the center of the city,” Fredrick said. “Not much that can be done about that. I was wondering, just to be sure, you have no intentions toward Eva, right?”

  “All yours,” Sean replied. “I can plainly see you like her, Fredrick. You did get an invite to use her bath the other day. I doubt she would invite just anyone over, especially for that.”

  Fredrick sighed, “That is fair. It’s not as easy as that... she’s been hounded by Denmur and Darkfoam for so long that I don’t think she’d be willing to hear me out.”

  “Maybe,” Sean agreed, watching Fredrick deflate a little, “but, if you never try, you’ll never know. I doubt you making a small gesture would go badly. At the worst, I think she’d gently turn you down, and that would be it. The opposite is also a possibility: she might like the idea and return the interest. If this all works out, you’ll be side by side with her for years. The fact you both have access to my patents makes it increasingly likely that you’ll n
eed to collaborate on some projects, too.”

  Fredrick nodded, “True, true. Still, I’m not sure that I should. It might cause problems for the project.”

  “It’s your call,” Sean replied. He wondered what he could do to nudge the two of them closer. “I think it would work out, but then again, it takes women grabbing me by the ears to make me realize they’re interested in me, so I might not be the best person to ask for romantic advice.”

  “Of course,” Fredrick said. “I was mostly wanting to make sure that you weren’t interested in Eva. Or if she had made it known that she was interested in you.”