Sorcery, Schemes and Skelt: The Kinowenn Chronicles Vol II Read online

Lucy took three tablespoons worth out of the jar and put the yellow dust in a small plastic bag. She labeled the bag and handed it to the lady. “Do you mind if I ask what you use it for?”

  “You work here. Don’t you know what everything does?” she asked, surprised.

  “Goodness no. I help Ted. I’m sure he knows everything about everything in here, but I’m still learning. Also, I tested out of potions before we used it,” Lucy shrugged apologetically.

  The lady smiled, “You must be Lucy; I’ve heard of you.” Lucy blushed. She wasn’t sure what all was being said about her, but the odds of it all being good were slim. It made her uncomfortable. “My name is Mary.”

  “Are you a student here?” asked Lucy.

  “Yes. My children are grown and live in different parts of the world. My husband died. I was looking for something to fill all the empty hours in the day. Preferably something that would pay,” Mary smiled. “I saw the ad in the paper and figured ‘why not?’ The people in charge might decide I’m too old, but I certainly don’t think I am and they couldn’t decide if I didn’t apply.”

  Lucy smiled, “I don’t think you’re ever too old to learn magic or have fun.”

  Mary nodded in agreement. “They did have to make some allowances for me. For instance, I had to walk through the obstacle course and do the challenges I could manage. However, they did expect to see improvement. At this point, I can do everything but climb that blasted wall and I jog through.”

  Lucy nodded again. This made sense. Students needed to be in good physical shape, but there were limitations on the body at certain ages. As well as slower reflexes. Lucy had heard of 80 year old people running marathons, but they trained, rather than simply running them.

  “Also, my fighting style is more defensive than most.”

  “Do you have plans for your skills?” Lucy wondered.

  “I do,” replied Mary. “In the world of Tourquis, the Duchess of Tunassis has an orphanage and school of sorts for girls. She has sheep. The girls learn to care for sheep, shear them, card wool, dye it, spin it, and weave with it. They farm a variety of vegtables for food and sell the surplus. They also learn to read, write, and do figures. The ones that show interest and promise become involved in trading the wool and the garments and blankets they create. The Duchess also teaches basic hygiene and healing. Some of her girls become midwives. She provides girls with skills and hopes instead of having to resort to prostitution.”

  “That sounds fascinating,” said Lucy. “How do you fit in?”

  “The Duchess likes to have a magic user on hand. Some of the girls come in with natural magical abilities. It is best to identify them, and teach them rather than letting their abilities overcome them or create fear. Their magic user died and the Duchess contacted Eric to see if he had any interested students. He thought of me and asked. I said yes. I love the idea of helping girls and teaching them basic magic skills. The Duchess also wants me to teach classes on basic healing potions. The ticha dust makes a potion that, when drunk, helps reduce the pain of childbirth. After childbirth, using the leftover potion to cleanse the area helps reduce the chance of infection.”

  “That should come in handy,” replied Lucy.

  Mary nodded. “The Duchess hopes that creating smart, healthy, independent women, will help the whole area. Her girls learn a trade other than selling themselves. This helps them survive on their own or find better husbands. If they have children, they know a good midwife and tend to raise healthier and better educated children. I support that plan of action.”

  Mary thanked Lucy. Lucy wished her luck in her new position and Mary left. Lucy was suddenly curious about her fellow students. She had always been so preoccupied with her own studies and thoughts; she hadn’t spent much time observing the other students. How many of them were older, like Mary? How many different job opportunities were there? She had never thought to ask after finding her own niche. It was good to learn that if she decided she didn’t want to do quests, there were definitely other options out there. Also, she was comforted by the reminder that there were other worlds. Now she wouldn’t have to worry about making too many enemies on Kinowenn. The fact that everything was a choice, limited complaining. It gave you a sense of control in your own destiny, which Lucy enjoyed. Lucy’s thoughts were interrupted by Ted’s mumbling growing louder. Ted wandered back in carrying a three foot long box of plants.

  “You see?” he asked as he came back. He blinked at her earnestly a couple of times and looked around the room.

  “Yes, I do see,” said Lucy. “I’m very sorry. It won’t happen again. I understand a minute is very important.”

  “Good. Good. I see you do. In the minute or two I was gone, you cleaned the room. A minute can make all the difference. Very important,” Ted blinked at her earnestly again. “I have plants for you. They need potting. Too many for this box, you see. Pots are under the counter. Wear gloves.”

  “What kind of plants are they?” asked Lucy, curious.

  “Flowering moss finetta.”

  “They are pretty.”

  “They are poisonous. Under the flowers, there are spikes. They prick you with poison. The poison works in 30 seconds. You die. The plant grows over you and eats you for food. They can live off dirt and water and air, but they prefer flesh. Wear gloves,” Ted repeated with a decisive nod and he walked into the back room again.

  Lucy put on a pair of gloves that reached up to her elbows. She used magic to put an extra protection spell on them. She added a leather apron for good measure and began replanting the flowering moss finetta. She paid careful attention to what she was doing. She did not want to get pricked, but she did want to recognize it if she ever came across it again. Lucy stayed one minute late to make up for arriving one minute late. She wasn’t sure if Ted paid attention or not. It was always hard to tell with him. He seemed absent minded and oblivious, but he was very specific and observant. She vowed never to be late again, not even by a second.

  One day, Eric summoned Lucy to his office. She was very curious to find out what he wanted. Why couldn’t he talk to her about it after class one day? She understood once she got there. She wasn’t the first to arrive. Justin and Maya were already there. Gavin walked in last, still chewing the last bites of his sandwich. It always amazed Lucy how he could eat so much and not gain any weight. Granted all the weapons training he did burned a lot of calories, but still. Lucy shook her head and looked around.

  Lucy liked Eric’s office. Behind his desk was a beautifully embroidered tapestry. It was an outdoors scene full of trees, flowers, a waterfall, and mythical animals. She noticed something new in the picture every time she looked at it. Today, it was faces in the flowers in the lower left hand corner. The other walls of the room were mostly filled with bookcases. Under the window, Eric had added a fourth plant to his usual three. The room smelled like cedar. She wondered where the scent came from. Not from the floors. They were obviously old. She focused her attention on Eric. He studied the four of them from behind his desk.

  “How have the last few weeks been?” he asked.

  He was answered with nods, shrugs, and mumbled “okays” and “goods”.

  “You are looking rested and well fed. I’ve been told you’re all excelling in class. I’m not sending you off again yet, but if you are interested, I’d like to tell you about the next mission we have in mind for you.”

  They all brightened and expressed interest. School was enjoyable, but they were all starting to wonder about their next journey. Rest was good, but quests were better.

  “There are rumors a group of Skelt have somehow acquired and are using anderi. We don’t know how they procured the anderi or even if the rumors are true. We want you to investigate and act accordingly. If they have anderi, bring the anderi here or destroy them. Try not to kill too many Skelt in the process. I may not care for Skelt, but a death vendetta is not a good situation to be in. Questions?”

  Lucy was very confused. Once again, Eric,
was brief and to the point, almost abrupt. He often left a person with more questions than answers.

  “When do we go?” asked Justin.

  Somehow, this did not seem to be the most important question to Lucy. How about, “What are Skelt?” or “What are anderi?”

  “A few more weeks, at the very least. We have other sources that are trying to gather information. You have this time to prepare. Maya, I expect you to learn Skelt and brush up on any other languages in the region you might need. The rest of you should study the northern topography of Kinowenn and learn more about Skelt culture.”

  “Even if we know the right direction to go, the trails are treacherous. We could still use a guide,” suggested Justin.

  “A valid point. I’ll let Taran know and he can work on acquiring one. For now, enjoy classes and I’ll try to give you at least three days-notice before departure.”

  They got up to leave, but turned back as Eric spoke, “Don’t get captured by the Skelt. It would be highly inconvenient at best; terribly annoying at worst.”

  Outside the office, Lucy looked at the others. “Am I the only one who doesn’t know what anderi are? I assume the Skelt are a group of people, considering they have a language.”

  “I’m not sure I would call Skelt people. They would probably object to being called that as well. They are Skelt. We’ll get you some good books from the library. Briefly, the story goes that Skelt were once shape shifters that could transform from humans to cats and back. One day, they suddenly and collectively lost their magic mid-transformation and got stuck somewhere in between. There are no magic users among the Skelt, hence the anderi. I wonder what they’re planning,” Justin mused and then returned to his explanation of Skelt. “Skelt have tails and are covered with fur. Their ears are tall and pointed. They retained human hands, feet and eyes, but their faces have a catlike caste with whiskers. They are very proud, and come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from your common house cat size to lion size. Like I said, we’ll get you some books,” said Justin.

  “And anderi?”

  “Nasty creations,” said Maya with a shiver.

  “Believe it or not, they were created with a good purpose in mind,” said Justin. “Anderi are similar to handcuffs. Think two bracelets only a longer chain connects them. They were created so that wizards could wear them to create a connection between two or more of them to enhance their powers. Then, like what often happens with powerful items, someone got the idea to alter them. Now, the person on one end controls the magical powers of the person on the other end. Essentially, the one person is a prisoner. They can’t use their magic and they can’t take off the bracelet. Unless the prisoner is more powerful than anything I’ve read about, the only hope would be escape, so they’re usually well-guarded. We, at least Lucy and I, are prime candidates. We’d be tempting and valuable, so diplomacy may be out. Secrecy and subterfuge might be our best options.”

  “What are the Skelt doing with anderi?” asked Gavin.

  “That’s what we’re supposed to find out. It could be anything from the latest novelty item to plans for war. I don’t like either option,” said Justin.

  “Novelty item?” questioned Gavin.

  “A powerful and dangerous status symbol. Look at my tame wizard on a leash. I can take his magic and make flowers bloom in my footsteps,” said Justin, mockingly.

  Everyone winced at the thought. Lucy didn’t want to meet creatures that thought pet wizards were novelty items. It sounded dangerous and stupid to her. Lucy didn’t care to spend much time around a collectively dangerous and stupid group, especially if they were trying to outdo each other.

  “I’m off to the library,” announced Maya.

  Gavin followed her, though Lucy was sure he was skipping the books in favor of more food.

  “What are Skelt like?” asked Lucy.

  “Cats,” said Justin with distaste.

  “Yes, I did listen to your earlier description. I prefer dogs myself. I meant more than their appearance.”

  “So did I,” Justin smiled. “They are graceful, quick, and have amazing reflexes. They are also smart, easily bored, dismissive, and superior. Most of all, remember they are predators. They have a deadly sense of humor and like to play with their prey.”

  “Sounds dangerous,” said Lucy.

  “It certainly can be,” replied Justin. “Never trust Skelt.”

  Chapter 6

  The next few weeks sped by. Maya was busy perfecting Skelt. It was a pretty language interspersed with purrs. The language was low and soft with many words using sounds in the back of the throat. Lucy enjoyed hearing Maya speak it, but had a hard time pronouncing anything herself. It sounded more like she was choking on something than attempting to make words. Maya laughed at her attempts claiming it was a good thing Lucy had other talents. She’d never be a multi-lingual diplomat.

  Lucy worked hard in her classes. She had some catching up to do, compared with the others, but was determined to narrow the gap considerably. Darren was still a problem. Lucy might have felt bad if he’d acted hurt at all, but he mostly came across as angry and jealous. He glared at her a lot, making her uncomfortable. She avoided him as much as possible. Perhaps that action didn’t improve the situation but it certainly didn’t make it any worse. Combat Life-saving, on the other hand, continued to get worse.

  “This morning,” said Clause, “we will discuss loss of limb.”

  “Could you post a syllabus outside the door so we know if we should eat breakfast before coming to class?” asked Sara. She already looked green.

  “The class title is Combat Life-saving,” he said gently. “You have to assume, in order to learn about saving a life in combat, that something life threatening occurred.”

  Sara groaned and put her head down on her desk. The class laughed, but weakly. They understood the class and the reason for it, but loss of limb was never an easy discussion.

  “Always see to your own injuries first. Then, help your comrades. If an enemy hacks off the arm of the guy next to you with a battle ax, what should you do?” asked Clause.

  “Not die,” suggested a boy in the back row to heartier laughter.

  “Good first step,” replied Clause in all seriousness. “Let’s say your attacker is pierced with a spear and falls at your feet.”

  “Can limbs be re-attached?” asked Lucy.

  “That is not something I would count on. I have seen a great healer do it once. So, I would leave the limb where it falls. If you think you are a good enough healer to do that, a battle field is not the best place to try limb reattachment for the first time. If you really are that good, you have no business being on a battlefield and should be in a healer tent close by,” commented Clause.

  “Can limbs be regrown?” wondered Lucy. Before she could suggest a possible next step, she needed to know what kind of parameters they were working with.

  “I’ve never seen it happen. I’ve heard a rumor that it happened to a man who found inner balance and peace with the Krythonians or some other group. There are always rumors of that type. It gives people without limbs hope and something to search for to give their lives meaning if they don’t have anything else. I wouldn’t bet a limb on them being true. Again, limb regrowth is not something I would try on a battlefield.”

  “You have to stop the blood loss and pay attention to shock,” suggested another boy from the back. Like Gavin, he was more of a warrior than a magic user. Although a discussion on limb regrowth was potentially interesting, it would be beyond his abilities. He wanted to know what he could do immediately, rather than hoping to find a great healer, in an emergency situation.

  “Yes,” said Clause. “First though, you need to get your comrade out of immediate danger.”

  “Doesn’t loss of limb qualify as immediate danger? Blood loss?” asked Sara, still looking green, but paying attention.

  “Absolutely. This is where a lot of tough decisions are made. If fighting is fierce, you might have to let your
comrades do what they can for themselves while you continue fighting. If you can safely drag them away from danger, do so. Then, assess shock, apply pressure, apply tourniquets, and try to stop the bleeding. Once you’ve stabilized them enough to take them to the healer tent, continue on. If there are only two of you against a small number of highway bandits or such rather than armies, take care of the bandits first. Then, asses your friend and do what you can. Tourniquet, bandage, and clean as necessary. At that point, hope you can find a healer before infection sets in. Keep assessing shock. Cauterize only as a last resort.”

  “In other words, you’re pretty much screwed. Today’s lesson seems to be less on what to do with the loss of a limb and more on don’t lose a limb,” said the boy in the back.

  “Precisely,” said Clause.

  Lucy went into her Battle Magic class feeling slightly sick and unsure about the usefulness of what she learned. She knew she wasn’t the best healer, but that was okay because Justin could heal anything. Couldn’t he? What couldn’t he heal? What should she be learning how to heal? Were there things that she could do magically that he couldn’t? What would happen if Justin was either not there or not conscious during an emergency situation? Suddenly, she felt like she was taking Justin’s healing skills for granted.

  “Hello,” said Justin sitting down next to her.

  “Can you regrow limbs?”

  “Do you mean is it hypothetically possible or can I do it?” he asked.

  “Can you do it?”

  “I’ve never tried. Why? You look like all your pieces are in-tact.”

  “We covered loss of limb in Combat Life-saving,” Lucy explained. “Could you teach me? Could we learn together?”

  “Theoretically, we could,” mused Justin. “Where do you suggest we find a number of limbless people?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. Have Nerek look for animals missing a limb or call us if any freshly injured ones come in. I’d feel better starting with animals. As for real people, I’m sure any inn in Kinowenn has a battle hardened surly veteran missing a limb. I’m not sure traveling from inn to inn experimenting with limb regrowth is a good idea for a variety of reasons. Although, if we are successful, it might be a very lucrative quest alternative. Traveling limb regrowers instead of traveling minstrels. I’ve never been much good at singing or instruments.”