Alec the Wanderer: Generations of Eredwynn #4 (19 page)

As morning turned to mid-afternoon, I went out to check on the waiting people. We had five in the waiting area and only twenty or so left outside. I told the guard that we’d stop for the day when we’d finished those. He nodded and I returned to work.

Finally, our last few healed and happy people were sent out the back door. My healers came out looking tired, but content. I walked to the front and was met by a gentleman. He looked heathy and I wasn’t sure what he could be there for, until I saw his long necklace with the cross Amanda had described. I sent everyone upstairs and turned to chat with the man.

“Good afternoon, sir. We’re just closing up, but if you’re in need of healing, I’d be happy to help.”

He smiled a friendly smile. “No, my son, I’m not here for healing. I’m Father Blaine; I’m attached to the local monastery here in Nuremberg. I heard that there was a man and some women working as doctors here. I also heard that you were preforming miracle cures! Now, anything that would be called a miracle would be of interest to the church, of course.”

I gave my most harmless smile. “What we do isn’t miraculous, it’s just different from what most people around here are used to. I’m sure you can tell that we’re not from around here, and we learned these skills in my home country. We just couldn’t bring ourselves to pass up people in need.”

“I’ve also heard that you’re healing Jews, too.”

I chuckled. “Sir, I couldn’t tell a Jew from a member of your church if they were standing side by side. If there is a sick man, woman or child in front of me, that is who I’d help. I was raised to believe that people are people, and what they believe makes no difference to me.”

“Hmm… interesting thinking, and not at all common. Personally, I agree with you, but I fear that there will be some that won’t approve of your methods, or the people you heal. I’m sure that our wandering priest, Father Francis, will see things differently. He’s quite set in his ways. But since I’m not, and I see no claim of miracles, you have my blessing to continue with your good works. Bless you, my son. Rest well and welcome to our fair city.”

I let the man out, locking the door behind him. At the top of the stairs, I almost knocked the girls over where they were listening at the door.

Carol looked concerned. “That Father Francis comes here, too? That means that we’ll be running again soon.”

I shook my head. “If we can prove to these people that we’re not doing anything that could be considered evil, they should be able to convince him. We can’t spend all our time here running. We have to accept that this place and time may be our new home. Someday we’ll have children, and a life on the run is not the legacy that I want to leave for them.”

It was silent for a moment, then Barbara asked, “When you say that we’ll have children, you mean you and Carol, right?”

I nodded. “Of course I plan on having children with my wife. I’d love to have children with my Consorts also, if they wanted them. I thought that you’d learned all about that at the knee of the great Queen Isabel!”

Amanda laughed. “We did, and we met all your aunts and siblings, too. It had never really clicked that you’d be the father of our children. We know that you’re the kind of guy that would always be there for his kids. That’s something that is pretty rare in the world we came from. Personally, I’d love for you to be my baby’s daddy.”

Barb nodded. “Me, too.”

Carol was a bit confused, but that still happened when we talked to the sisters. “Me, too, I think. Then we’re going to make a stand here? Blaine talked like he was running a fairly large operation. He might have men working for him, soldiers even, and they could run us out of town.”

I raised my eyebrows. “The sisters’ powers have advanced by leaps and bounds, just as yours did. I’m sure that they are able to do things that would make soldiers stop and think. I’ve seen your impressive displays and I’d stop and think twice before crossing you. With you three and my parlor tricks, we don’t have to run.”

Mary sighed. “And Martha and I will just stay out of the way.”

I took a knee and hugged them both to me. “No army can move without support. You two have already taken it upon yourselves to cook for us and clean, whenever we’ve had floors. You
ladies
are a very important part of our group, and I don’t want you to forget it!”

They gazed at me with adoring eyes, and I looked at Carol. She was staring back at me with that ‘I told you so’ look that I’d expected to see. I winked and shook my head. She just shrugged and began cleaning and folding clothes out of a pack.

I stood up and continued, “Let’s not borrow trouble from tomorrow, all right? We don’t know if or when Father Francis will show up, so we’ll heal like we have been and cross bridges as we come to them.”

As everyone nodded, there was a knock on the door downstairs. I
shielded
and went to answer it. A young man was there with some rolled up parchment. “Sir, the Mayor told me to inform you that he’d heard reports of your accomplishments. He has deeded you land and said that if you have trouble locating it or reading the measurements, to let someone in his office know. He’ll send them with you to find it. The land in question is supposed to be staked out, but it might not be clear. I was supposed to remind you that, even if you’re good Catholics, he’d like you to observe the Sabbath. It will help keep peace in the Jewish quarter.”

I thanked the lad, took the parchment and dropped a couple silver coins in his hand. I didn’t know if he could use our money, but it felt right to give him something. It also reminded me that in Vegas our first stop had been to get local money. With all the confusion we’d had here, we hadn’t made time for that task.

I locked the door and went back upstairs. I laid out the parchment on the table and looked it over. Since I’d always planned to be a wanderer, map reading was something that I’d studied extensively. I skimmed over the document and grinned from ear to ear.

Carol and the sisters watched my reaction curiously, so I explained, “I asked the Mayor for land to build a house for you ladies and myself. I guess that he was so impressed by what I did for him and what we’ve all done for everyone, that he granted us this!” I tapped the map. “This grants us a full forty acres southeast of town. I asked for that area because it’s in the direction of that lake we saw when we were coming into town. It’s big enough for your castle, Amanda, but since I’m not my mother, we’ll have to think a bit smaller.”

The girls hugged me in turn and Carol helped pry the twins off of me. We each went about our business getting ready for nightfall. I laid out a pallet in the corner of the bedroom. The sisters soaked both beds in blue, fireless flames and declared them pest free. Carol and the twins began our first hot meal in our newest home.

After dinner, Carol and the sisters tucked in the twins, who complained that it wasn’t necessary. After all, they were ladies now and not children. They still got tucked in anyway, then Carol and the sisters got comfortable on the bed in our room. I tucked myself into my bedding, waved out lights and listened to the inevitable whispers coming from the bed.

Soon, Amanda came over to the corner. “Alec, I’d … how does it go … like to come to your bed tonight. I think that’s right.”

I laughed softly. “Forget the formal phrasing, miss. Lay by me and we can discuss how hard things have been while I’ve been waiting to get you almost alone.”

We made love as quietly as we could, which isn’t to say that the other two ladies in the room didn’t get a bit of an earful. We all slept better that night than we had in a week. Either making love, the turn of events, or a combination of both gave me a brighter outlook.

…

The next morning, we woke early for breakfast. The twins were happy to be back in dresses, now that they would be dealing with the public. I was informed that, while boy’s clothes were fine for on the road, a lady in public had to dress nicely. I started to wonder if my pronouncing those two ladies hadn’t been a mistake. Carol thought it was very amusing, while the sisters seemed to playfully encourage the eleven year olds’ crushes.

We went downstairs and got situated for the day. I unlocked the door and saw that a line was just beginning to form. It was getting quite cold outside, so we brought as many as we could into the waiting area. The large waiting area contained everyone that had been waiting and I went back to my work room. The twins took over and began sending people back. I let the twins know that they should send the most ill people to Carol. Her magic would hold up better under the strain. Then the day became a blur. We stopped for a quick lunch and learned that we had almost caught up.

After lunch, we cleared the waiting area and then just had to deal with a trickle. As folks came in, Carol would take them back, heal them and send them out the back. We were all tired, but Carol most of all. By the time the sun was beginning to set and people cleared the streets, all she wanted to do was lie down.

We all jumped in and took care of dinner. After we ate, I asked if the ladies would like to go out to our land, and see what we had. The sisters and the twins were game, but Carol said that she was going to call it an early night. I kissed her, double checked the locks upstairs and down, then we
ported
out of town. We wandered the area until we found the stakes that marked our new home site. I considered for a moment raising walls and a floor the way my mother did. Considering the level of my magic, I decided against it.

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

W
inter 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 shackles. 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 back 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?”