Noble Solutions

by Schinhofen, Daniel

  Sean gave her a tired smile. “Thank you, Quinna. That would help a lot.”

  “They won’t be here for a while,” Fiona said. “Let’s go inside so we can hear about the party.”

  “You all should know about what happened,” Sean nodded.

  “I’ll get some drinks,” Cali said, running to the manor.

  “And some snacks,” Lona added, quick to follow her.

  ~*~*~

  Sean told them about the party and what he had done, and Helga filled in what’d happened when Sean chased Sharpeyes. Sean listened to Helga explain Hallie’s death, and his fists clenched until Fiona touched his hand. When Helga was done, Sean picked back up from the point he got back and brought people back to life.

  “He’s at the bog?” Andrea asked.

  “All of them are,” Helga said. “The field should be full.”

  “I’ll be making sure he’s tormented even worse than Denmur,” Sean said. “I want to go tell our wives and make sure Rosa is okay.”

  “Sean—”

  “Yes, Rumia, you’ll be coming,” Sean said, cutting her off. “I’m going to ask the rest of you to keep watch in shifts for us.”

  “We will,” Glorina said first. “Anything we can do to help, we will do.”

  “You all did very well,” Fiona said.

  “What happened with Rosa? Why was she alone out there?” Sean asked.

  Rumia sniffled, looking down. “We had been speaking with Clara and Eva. Mother… felt out of place, so she wanted to go to our rooms and sleep. I offered to go with her, but she told me to stay.”

  Sean felt a shiver travel down his spine. “Rumia, if you’d been there, you’d both be dead.”

  “I know,” Rumia swallowed. “I know, but I still keep thinking that… that maybe…”

  Andrea rubbed Rumia’s back. “Fel can help.”

  “If you want it,” Felora nodded. “The guilt I can help with.”

  “Tomorrow?” Rumia asked. “After the viewing?”

  “Of course,” Felora said, sitting on her other side.

  “She went to go to bed and they caught her in the yard?” Sean asked to make sure he understood.

  “Yes,” Myna said. “A few minutes after Rosa left, Ursa howled. The Fairies came and told us, as they had seen Ursa die. That was when we rushed out.”

  “We slaughtered them,” Xenta said softly. “They weren’t prepared for everything we could do.”

  “Crushed a number of them,” Quilla nodded. “Aria was a big surprise, though. That Fireball… I want to learn it.”

  “You all will,” Sean said softly. “We’ll make a point of it when we head to Accord.”

  “Lady Sharpeyes is going to have a hard time,” Fiona said. “Between the guards, the nobles, and the crafters, this city just lost a lot of people.”

  “She’ll survive,” Sean said. “We won’t be here if trouble comes, and our friends are powerful enough now to protect themselves.”

  “Sean,” Helga said softly, “can I ask?”

  “Go ahead.”

  “Aria, Hallie,” Helga said with gravitas, “My Lord has given me the chance to see if you would wish to join the ranks of his Choosers.”

  “Yes,” Hallie said instantly.

  “I would,” Aria said, giving Hallie a knowing smile.

  Helga stood and motioned them to her. “Come. Kneel.” Her wings appeared behind her, folded and waiting. A heartbeat later, her armor also covered her.

  Both women went to kneel before Helga as the others watched with interest.

  Placing her hands on their heads, Helga took a deep breath. “You have come before me to join the Choosers. By the power of My Lord, Sean MacDougal, I grant you the power to guard the souls of his faithful and to reap the souls of his foes. You must open your soul to show him your faith in him. Open yourself to him and welcome this charge in his name.”

  Sean jerked, as his very being felt like someone had plucked at his soul.

  Hallie and Aria both gasped as black-white flames suddenly burned in their eyes. As everyone watched, Bonds formed on Aria’s and Hallie’s necks and arms, matching the complex designs that Helga bore.

  Sean exhaled slowly— he felt the barest inklings of emotions in the back of his mind, knowing that both of them now also had the same empathic link to him that Helga did.

  Hallie gasped again and arched as wings of pure energy flashed into existence behind her. They were identical to Helga’s, black and white in coloration. Aria let out a soft moan as she bent forward, her wings coming into being. Everyone watched as hers shifted in coloration to match Hallie’s.

  “Can we join, too?” Quinna asked.

  Helga exhaled slowly. “Not right now. I feel a limit. As Sean grows, the number of Choosers will grow, as well.”

  “We can wait,” Quilla said.

  “Ladies, we can discuss that later,” Fiona said. “Sean, did you wish to go to the manor now?”

  “Yeah, and maybe some sleep… after Felora helps me,” Sean said, his forehead creased.

  Felora gave him a soft smile. “I will help, Sean.”

  “We’ll go start on the bodies,” Quinna said, standing up.

  “And watch to make sure nothing else happens,” Cali said.

  “Thank you,” Sean said. “I’ll see you all in the morning. Please make sure to get some rest.”

  “We’ll do our best, sir,” Tiska said. “Ladies, come on. We have tasks to help the family.”

  They all left, leaving Sean and his wives in the room. Myna and the others were looking over Aria and Hallie’s markings and wings. He let them for a minute before he finally stood up.

  After a quick shower to clean up, all of them went upstairs. Once they were settled in bed, Sean blinked when he found Rumia in bed with them. He didn’t gainsay her being there. In fact, he gave her a soft smile and held her hand over Felora’s hip.

  Rumia’s lips trembled. She wanted to smile because she was ecstatic to be with them all, but the death of her mother dampened those feelings and made her want to cry.

  “Here we go,” Felora whispered, placing her hand on theirs. “Dream... sleep, slip sideways between the planes and find the place of rest and love.”

  ~*~*~

  Sean got out of bed and went straight to the stairs. He heard the knock on the door when he was at the top. Hurrying down them, he got there just as Chastity opened the door.

  “Chas,” Andrea smiled, hugging her lover.

  “It’s over?” Chastity asked, holding Andrea.

  “Sharpeyes is dead,” Fiona nodded, “but it came at a cost.”

  “We know,” Lilly said as she came into the room. “Rosa is out back.”

  Rumia rushed past Lilly. “I need to see her!”

  Lilly let her go with a sad smile. “She’s in your home.”

  “Sean,” Marjorie asked, seeing him coming down, “is it really over?”

  “Yes. Carver, Solanice, and Sharpeyes are all dead,” he answered as he moved to his wives. “I was able to save Lady Sharpeyes.”

  “We all did our best,” someone else said. Sean looked up to where a couple of Fairies were sitting on the rafters.

  “How many?” Sean asked.

  Omin landed on his shoulder. “Six of the clan. Ven should be finding out soon.”

  “Please come here,” Sean told the Fairies.

  All six of them floated down to hover before him. “Sir?” one asked.

  “I want to remember your faces,” Sean replied. “You’ll be joining the wall.”

  They all straightened up a little more. “Thank you, sir,” they said in a jumble.

  “If things change here, then we’ll put them back up after the move,” Sean said.

  “Sean,” Felora said, going over to take his hand, “why don’t we go upstairs? I can help you, and then the rest of us can fill them in on what happened.”

  Exhaling slowly, Sean nodded. “Yeah, that works.”

  Before he could go, each
of his wives collected a kiss from him. Sean surrendered to the kisses, letting their love wash over him and soothe his soul. With that done, Felora took his hand once more and led him upstairs.

  Character Information

  Sean Aragorn MacDougal

  Godling

  Age: 33

  Gifts:

  Metal Bones, Viney Muscles, Mithril Blood, Magic Bond, Mending Body, Death Ward, Linguist, Hunter’s Blood, Infinite Possibilities

  Spells:

  Summon Water

  Fireball

  Flame Arc

  Steam Cloud

  Talents:

  Shaper- (Wood, Metal, Flesh)

  Mage Sight

  Camouflage

  Targeter

  Elemental Manipulation (Water, Earth)

  Enchanting

  Beast Tamer

  Energy Wings

  Battle Magic

  Bonded:

  Fiona Mithrilsoul- Soul Bonded/Wife

  Myna Mooncaller- Soul Bonded /Wife

  Ryann Cullin- Soul Bonded /Wife

  Ida Bronzeshield- Soul Bonded /Wife

  Andrea Brandt- Soul Bonded /Wife

  Felora Somnia- Soul Bonded /Wife

  Aria Swiftwing- Soul Bonded /Wife

  Chastity Bisset- (Deceased)- Soul Bonded/ Wife

  Lilliana Lunatis- (Deceased)- Soul Bonded/ Wife

  Helga Oathsworn- Soul Bonded/Wife

  Hallie Bloodheart- Soul Bonded/Wife

  Ven- Soul Bonded

  Venn- Soul Bonded

  Onim- Soul Bonded

  Jutt- Soul Bonded

  Jott- Soul Bonded

  Arla- Soul Bonded

  Omin- (Deceased)- Soul Bonded

  Marjorie Bisset- (Deceased)- Soul Bonded

  Rosa Rington- (Deceased)- Life Bond

  Rumia Rington- Life Bond

  Glorina Coit- Life Bond

  Lona Lenik- Life Bond

  Mona Lenik- Life Bond

  Quinna Denna- Life Bond

  Quilla Denna- Life Bond

  Tiska Trech- Life Bond

  Cali Ornia- Life Bond

  Xenta Smurm- Life Bond

  Prita Funder- Life Bond

  Arliat Afreghan- Life Bond

  Metal Bones- Your bones are not ordinary calcium, but Adamant and Iron. (Crafted by Goibniu.)

  Viney Muscles- Your musculature is built of Iron Vine, reinforced with traces of Adamant. (Crafted by Luchta.)

  Mithril Blood- Your blood is not the red watery stuff of normal people, but Mithril blended with Iron. (Crafted by Credne.)

  Magic Bond- Able to learn and wield the magic of the world. (Gift of Beag.)

  Mending Body- Your body will repair any damage with time and energy. (Gift of Dian Cecht.)

  Death Ward- Force death away if enough energy is present. (Gift of Aed.)

  Linguist- Know and speak every language. (Gift of Oghma.)

  Hunter’s Blood- Master of woodcraft. (Gift of Cernunnos.)

  Infinite Possibilities- Blessed to be able to learn all Talents. (Gift of Dagda.)

  Author’s Note

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  A big thank you to my editors, Samantha Bishop and Sarinia Phelps. Also props to Geno Ferrarini and Sean Hickinbotham for being my Alpha Readers. I’d be remiss if I didn’t include my beta readers, in no particular order: Ian McAdams ~*~ Dame ~*~ Jay Taylor ~*~ Zee ~*~ Scott Brown ~*~ Kevin Kollman ~*~ Justin Johanson ~*~ Kenneth Darlin ~*~ Rob Bunting ~*~ Aoife Grimm ~*~ Peter LaFemina ~*~ Tanner Lovelace ~*~ Tim? ~*~ Carl Gheradi ~*~ ~*~ Dimitri Shadow ~*~ Matt Case ~*~ Richard G Stahl ~*~ Cheyene Adams ~*~ A Madsen ~*~ J. Stone ~*~ D Smith.

  The cover for Binding Words 7: Noble Solutions is brought to you by Anthony Bishop, a very talented artist. You can find him at https://grimmhelm.artstation.com/

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  Other Books written by Daniel Schinhofen:

  Binding Words:

  Morrigan's Bidding

  Life Bonds

  Hearthglen