Spellscribed: Conviction (4 page)

Gnaeus tipped his muzzle in a faint nod. "The journey will give her time to get used to you and the humans. Then when you return, she should be able to get along better with your people."

"She?"

"We have a female child of yours, so it would be balanced to have the same." Gnaeus stated.

"I... I guess so." Endrance replied. "I'm certain my journey is going to be dangerous. Are you really sure?"

"Danger is a part of life in this world." Gnaeus replied. "We are familiar with it better than even the barbarians are. Do your best to keep her alive, and we shall do the same with Kaie."

Endrance nodded, resigning himself to the new life he would be responsible for. "Just one more question." he said.

"Yes?"

"What's her name?" he asked.

Endrance touched the now unnecessary bandages around his torso and smiled. The light of the suns felt warmer, and for the first time in days, he felt healthy. His injury was healing constantly, and was almost gone in the hour since they had left the wolfmen's camp.

He rode near the front of the line, with Tanya up front, Joven and the child behind him, Bridget after that, the messenger and the remainder of his escort next, and Selene taking up the rear. Gullin soared overhead, now that the worst of the clouds above had dispersed.

"Her name is Giselle?" Joven asked, carrying the rambunctious ball of fur in one hand, and then the other, as she attempted to scramble up one beefy arm and across his shoulders. The little brown wolf was a scrap of a thing, barely three feet tall. She was dressed in a tube of gray cloth with cut out sleeves, clasped at the back of her neck by a leather buckle. It was obviously at one point a human girl's dress, for the back had a rough cut in the cloth to allow for her bushy tail to jut out from. Her eyes were pale brown, and her nose was constantly sniffing about as she moved. Her fur was a lighter shade of brown under her chin and down her belly.

"Yes." Endrance replied, astride his horse.

"Cute name." Joven replied. Giselle paused her climbing to stick her nose in Joven’s hair and sniff deeply. Joven's eyes widened, as he resisted the urge to shake her off.

Endrance nodded. "She's very excited. Oh, and she likes you."

Joven pulled some of his hair out of her mouth before she started chewing on it. "I had no idea." the barbarian replied sarcastically.

"She says you smell nice." Endrance observed.

They were riding now along the Crystal River. The wolfman camp was closer to their goal than originally estimated; and it would only be a few days until they reached the nearest mountain pass into Ironsoul.

Joven grunted as she slid down his chest to sit in front of him on the horse. "She hasn't said anything." he observed.

"So far, she's only been talking in Ulfreau." Endrance replied.

"What?"

"The growling, yipping, barking noises she's been making." Endrance explained. "It's their native language."

Joven looked down at the girl, who looked up at him. She made a strange yipping sound and nuzzled the leather chest plate of his armor. "Uh..." Joven began.

"Oh yeah. She likes you." Bridget observed, grinning.

"Hey, aren't we near Crystal River Village?" Selene called from the back of the line. Ezeilo and his two men looked more weary than anything, but they shifted so she could be better heard. "Isn't that where you and Tanya were born, Bridget?"

Bridget closed and opened her false hand. "Yes." she said absentmindedly.

"We should stop and resupply there." Joven said. "But we don't have time to stick around."

Ezeilo finally spoke up. "Wait!" he called. "We can't stop where there would be warm fires?

"Or beds?" one of the soldiers piped in.

Endrance looked back at Joven with a bemused smile. "What do you think, Joven?"

"I think we don't have time to rest." he replied.

"What about your new lady friend?" Endrance teased.

Joven looked down at the young wolfman child, who had managed to curl up on the saddle against his abdomen and was dozing. "Uhh..." he began, remembering she was there. "Dammit, fine. We can stay one night."

"Ooh!" Selene called from the back. "Can we get some new clothes for Giselle?"

Tanya slowed her horse, looking back. "I can see the village from here." she called back. "Looks clear."

"Thanks Tanya." Endrance responded.

"I think she'd look good with something red or black." Tanya offered.

"Thanks, Tanya." Endrance replied with a chuckle. "I'm glad to see you're all taking this so well.

Ezeilo cleared his throat. "We're not!" he called.

The mage nodded. "Well that's because you, my friend, are a normal human being."

"Hey!" Joven exclaimed as they made their way towards the village. "I'm normal!"

"Oh sure," Endrance quipped. "You're about as normal as hulking juggernauts of muscle and destruction can get."

"That's right!" Joven responded in turn. "And don't you ever forget it."

Crystal River Village was defended by a thick outer wall. Eight feet tall, it was made of varied sized stones mortared together, with reinforced two foot rises every thirty feet. Since it was the farthest south village in the northern wastes, it was one of the few where there was a full snow melt in the summer. The tallest structure of the town was a wooden lookout tower, so Endrance was certain that their group had been spotted coming a long way off.

His suspicions were correct, and a group of townsfolk awaited them at the gates; two women in fur-lined armor and longswords, flanked a man in leathers with a bow.

Tanya's face brightened when she saw the man, but then she looked back at the group, her expression darkening.

"Tanya!" the leading man called, waving them down. "So glad to see you!"

She looked back at Endrance, concerned. The mage nodded to her, waiting to see what happened. She looked back to their greeter and waved in response.

"Hello father!" she said.

The man was like many of the barbarians of the kingdom; he was physically superior to most men in Ironsoul. However, it looked like he had lived a life of plenty, as he had packed on a little more weight than most people this far north seemed to sport. He had sandy blonde hair and brown eyes, and a patina of freckles across his face. He was wearing a sleeveless fur lined vest and breeches, with a wide belt and heavy boots complimenting the leather quiver and horn bow he carried in one hand.

Endrance understood then what the problem was. She had just joined them a scarce few weeks before, so they had made it to the town before the news had reached there. They didn't know that she was Draugnoa now.

As a woman of the owl totem, the Ergkinoa were the educators and historians of the  barbarian peoples. However, the Spengur, Endrance, was supposed to have three of them at his disposal at any time. Those given to him were his for the rest of their lives, and they were called Draugnoa, the ghost women.

This meant that even the families of the Draugnoa considered them dead, though they walked. They were ignored as if they were real ghosts, just a phantom in the minds of their people. Those who did interact with them, were believed to consort with spirits; which was why only the Spengur was allowed to work with them.

Endrance saw Tanya's father register her companions, and settle his gaze on him. Almost as quickly as water poured out of a cup, his face drained of color. The man's shoulders started to slump and he walked forward. Tanya's face registered momentary confusion as he walked right past her, quickly dropping into barely suppressed grief.

"Spengur." The man said, his voice wavering. "You bring me sad tidings."

Endrance climbed off his horse. "It was not what I wished." Endrance replied. "But it was a necessity. You know the laws."

The man squeezed the grip of his bow tighter. "I do."

Endrance stepped close to the man. Behind him, out of his sight, Joven crossed his arms, his fingers on the handles of throwing knives he could fling in an instant's notice. The mage placed a hand on his shoulder. "She gave her life in the protection and service of the kingdom. There is no greater honor to your people."

The man trembled, and Endrance could not tell if it was from grief or from rage. It didn't matter, he supposed. It was his fault his daughter couldn't come visit, or talk with her family. At least, she couldn't do so and be acknowledged...

Endrance turned and pointed to Tanya's horse. "I need something."

"What?" Tanya asked.

"I need something you carry that you've been given by your family." Endrance said. "I will do what I can to bridge the gap."

"The gap?" Tanya asked.

"Do you have something?" Endrance asked insistently. Her father looked confused.

Tanya grimaced and dug into her saddle bags. She pulled out an amulet and tossed it to Endrance. He caught it by the cord, and looked it over. It was a simple necklace made of three thin leather cords braided together. The amulet was a steel coin, one that Endrance knew was used to barter material goods from a smithy. It had an X-shaped cut in the center. He turned and held it out to her father.

"Do you recognize this?" he asked. Tanya's father looked up, saw it, and looked back down, nodding sadly.

"Yes." he replied.

"How did she come by this amulet?" The Spengur asked.

"She... was learning to shoot. That was the hardest test she had ever completed. She sent the coin back to us last year, and we returned it as an amulet a month later, as a token of our support."

"You and the rest of her family?"

"Yes."

"What is your name?"

"Teyrn."

Endrance spread one hand, palm up, under the coin and swung it with the other, so that it waved like a pendulum over his palm. Teyrn looked up and saw what he was doing, looking the mage in the eyes.

"What are you doing?" Teyrn asked.

Endrance closed his eyes and spoke several words of power, forming several gestures with his free hand while he did so. The tattoos on his hand began to glow, and with a final word of power, he touched the steel coin. It rung like a chime, a ripple flowing through the air in a concentric circle that slightly shifted the snow falling around them.

The mage opened his eyes, and held the amulet out to Teyrn. "Take it." he commanded.

Reluctantly, Teyrn took the amulet gingerly, holding it with two fingers.

"Put it on." Endrance continued.

Teyrn looked like he was trying to suppress a moment of panic. "What will it do to me?" he asked.

"Put it on." Endrance repeated.

Teyrn gulped, and put on the amulet. Nothing seemed to happen, but the man suddenly started staring wide-eyed at the world around him. "What is this?" he cried out, stumbling back. Flecks of blueish light danced in his eyes. His gaze snapped to Tanya, then Endrance, then around to other members of the village that were spectating the Spengur's arrival.

"I have granted you a boon." Endrance answered. "The amulet will let you see those with whom you share strong spiritual bonds. It will work even on spirits." he gestured back to Tanya. "You can see her now."

Teyrn nodded. "I do."

"You can also hear her and speak to her." Endrance continued. "Since the amulet carries my authority. So long as you wear it, you are doing my work and cannot be held to blame for speaking with the Draugnoa."

He looked to Tanya, tears streaming down his face. "My daughter!" he cried, taking a step forward.

Endrance looked to her and nodded. "It's okay."

As Tanya and her father reunited, Joven rode forward and dismounted. "We need room and food for tonight." he said to one of the armed women still nearby. She nodded, turning and giving directions to the rest of the villagers present.

Joven leaned down to his charge while the men and women came forward to take their horses and lead them into the village.

"That's some pretty new magic, Endrance." Joven said in a whisper. "Where'd you learn that?"

Endrance grinned. "It isn't." he replied. "The spell just makes the wearer able to see a white aura around family members."

"Then, the speaking with spirits?" Joven asked.

The mage shrugged. "The taboo on speaking to the Draugnoa is entirely a social pressure. All I did was say a few words in front of witnesses that gave Teyrn a way out of having to shun his daughter, and he took it."

Joven looked over at the tearful man hugging his daughter. It was an odd sight to see everyone else around him trying to pretend that he was interacting with someone they couldn't see, but failing. "Huh." Joven observed.

"What?"

"That was very kind of you, Endrance." Joven said.

"Thanks. I had been studying up the elements I needed for that kind of spell, but I am glad I could use my practice as a means to help someone." Endrance explained.

"Why would you need that kind of spell?" Joven asked.

Endrance shrugged. "I needed it to see if Valeria is truly my mother or not. So I started researching this spell. The spell should work, so long as they are within a dozen yards or so."

"So you'd need to get that close to the most powerful undead mage in the history of Ironsoul and see if she... lights up?" Joven asked. "Sounds like a tough task."

They walked into the village, and were directed to one of the smaller houses. It was a strange surprise as Endrance, Joven, and the other two Draugnoa stared up at it.

"This longhouse looks exactly like the one in Balator." Endrance observed.

Bridget nodded. "The original had been constructed from wood taken from this area, and the design is very efficient for a home. Yours had some of the rooms converted into a library, but the floor plan is mostly the same."