Chapter 4

 

CHAPTER 4

“Good morning,” said Tepin to her guest as Shayla brought herself in out of the downpour. She was dressed in hides and a tunic just as Tepin was. She pulled her cloak off and laid it to dry by the door. Tepin had spent the evening the night before setting out shelves and furniture from her spirit hold. It looked similar to her apartment in Masari Castle.

“Good morning, Protector. This rain is going to put a delay to building. Were hoping it will stop today so that we can set the foundation for the estate,” Shayla sat and began filling a plate with meat and bread.

“How long will it take to build the estate,” Tepin asked.

“With everyone helping it shouldn't be more than a few weeks, M'lady. There's word that there are two kingdoms near us. One is to the west, that's Kalasta,and the other lays south, called Raftinse. There's one beyond the southern that's practically an empire. It stretches on forever. It's called Dawrik. Romah is sending messages of friendship to both of the closest ones. We expect he'll be opening trade to them before the summer is over,” said the regent.

“Do you ever not think of work,” asked Tepin?

“Forgive me Protector, There's always so much to do. I feel if I stop for a moment it'll delay us forever. Did you rest well,” she asked.

“It wasn't restful. I never slept in a tent before now. I requested bones, has a place been set up for them? I was hoping a tent could be set up where I can go and convert the bones to mana,”asked Tepin

“I've ordered all bones placed in a pile outside the camp near the river. There was concern about predators. I'll show you to it when it stops raining M'lady. If I may, what will you do with them? I mean it's a rather odd thing to request,”asked the regent.

“I draw magic from the bones,” said Tepin, “my magic comes from life. The little bit of life left in a bone is enough to do almost anything.” She picked a small bone off the tray of meat and held it in her hand summoning all of the life energy left in it and opened her hand showing Shayla the ash. “When they're truly dead they turn to ash.” She closed her hand again and molded the ash into a little bone chunk and put it on the table. “I can then imbue these bone bits with magic to create a magical object. I can take magic from living things but I don't like torturing animals. Plants however don't seem to mind it much.,” She explained.

“I've never seen magic like that,” admitted Shayla.

“My form of magic is very rare. I can effect living things. Its how I healed Rainferrin's injured,” said Tepin.

“A powerful and beneficial gift,” said Shayla.

“What about you? How did you become my regent,”asked Tepin.

“I was the governess for a nobles children for a very long time. I learned a good deal about how to run a province from Lord Gathimor. Im from Talandria, When the king set his mind to be rid of his own sister, Princess Liam, she fled and came to my lords keep. Everyone loyal to her fallowed her. It was quite a number. Most are here with us still. The war fallowed her and Lord Gathimor sent me with Liam. The infighting in Talandria was terrible. Provinces not wanting to expel there mages. I'm told that after Talandria had been completely reclaimed, and it didn't take long, the king sent his armies north to conquer the Jenkarin,” Shayla sounded sad from her own tale, “After a few days here Liam recommended me to be your regent.”

“Maybe in this new republic we wont have to deal with all the warring,” said Tepin

“I hope so Protector, It took us a hundred days to find the Masari Badlands. We are far from the many conflicts in the northern world.” said Shayla.

The conversation finally returned to work, one of the merchants wanted to build a bank. A concerned citizen who loved reading wanted nothing more than to see a library built. Her friend Daman's family was planning to build an inn. The woman who wanted the library was also offering reading lessons free to the public. Tepin agreed that these all would be good things. They where going to have a fine city indeed. The rain finally lulled to a drizzle and the women walked through the encampment to where the bones had been set out. There was a good pile of them. Seemed everyone was eating a lot of meat. The pile was half as tall as Tepin and wide as a soldiers tent. She'd have a bit of work to do. She cast it all into a spirit hold little bits at a time and Shayla watched marveling at how they disappeared seemingly into thin air. It took half an hour to clean up the pile completely. Tepin asked that there be a tent placed where the bones where to be deposited and it should be guarded. Shayla agreed that it would be wise and also suggested a bone tax. Tepin disagreed, and said that she should pay a copper piece per pound for the bones people brought her. Shayla agreed it would be more likely to get people to cooperate. They walked back to Tepin's tent and Shayla said she'd return later as she had a good deal of work to do. She'd be at the construction site for the estate if Tepin needed her. Wolf yipped happily when she saw Tepin and insisted on having her ears scratched. She sat converting bone to ash removing there magic and reforming the ash to blocks of very dense bone. She worked for a few hours before the days bone donations where completely gone. She looked at the crystal pendent that she hadn't taken off and wondered just how much magic she could put inside of it. She also wondered why she was collecting mana when she had very little knowledge of her abilities. Romah arrived near noon and they had lunch together. She told him her concerns.

“Your worried you don't know any spells. You're at the point, Tepin, where you can create your own. You don't actually need runes you just need magic, your will, and your intentions for a spell. Runes are a way to document your spell and pass it on to other mages. Life energy is the source of your magic you can do nearly anything with it once its been turned to mana. You can effect anything, and have a gift for affecting living things,” he explained.

“So I can learn spells from your books and be able to cast them,” she asked?

“Oh definitely but not all of my spells will work. My mana is drawn from shadows it has characteristics. Yours is drawn from life and has its own characteristics. We'll have some common spells and you will be able to make spells specific to your mana. As I said when you started your apprenticeship you're welcome to my library.

“So I have to search through your books and find spells that work for me,” asked the girl, “I was wondering why you weren't teaching me spells anymore.”

“I was waiting for you to start creating your own, but perhaps you're not ready for that yet,” he said.

“Is that why you told me you where at the limit of what you could teach me,” she asked?

“We'll go back to the old way of study and I'll send a book with Choba if you'll let him come back with me.” he said.

Tepin agreed and Romah began teaching her a new spell this one was a levitation spell. It would hold items wherever they where placed in the air. It took some practice but she finally got it. She could physically move the little rock to where she wanted it but it simply wouldn't fall. She thought it would be a great thing for her glowing stones. She created one and levitated it to the top of the tent. She'd learned how to make them glow only at night and now had a means to put them in an effective place. Spells he explained often needed something to work on. Reagents where often needed. Magic effected things in certain ways she could use the bone chips she'd created and charge them with spells. He taught her to create an exploding bone. They went outside for this and away from people. Tepin realized it was just a couple of cantrips tacked together that caused the effect and the effect was amazing. She was happy she'd found a way to use the bone blocks she was collecting. She asked if she could put any spell in a bone like imbuing and she was told it was exactly what it was and definitely. Romah checked with Shayla about Republic matters and Tepin went back to her tent to add her new spells to a book she'd decided was her new spell book. Her mind wandered to what other things she could command a bone to do and set to making chips from blocks. She managed to make one invisible to the eye, but she could still feel its magic and knew where it was. She negated the spell and it turned back to visible ash. She once again took to keeping bone chips in her pockets. They where incredibly useful.

Construction on the city was coming along nicely. The estate was finally finished and she and many of her staff moved into it. Houses where springing up practically everywhere. The City of Rainferrin seemed constantly in a state of being built lately. You could forever hear someone driving nails. Construction of the castle began but progress for that would be slow. Stone had to be carted in from other locations. Wood for it came from the surrounding forest and mortar was a combination of mud and clay brought in from the river. At one point Tepin offered to help with construction using magic only to be told that the builders had matters well in hand. The Inn that belonged to Daman's family was nearly complete. It was only slightly smaller than her estate and could benefit twelve guests at a time. What surprised Tepin was they actually had business. Merchants where making there way to the city from Masari and from the nearby kingdoms. They brought nearly everything with them and it often sold quickly. One merchant was selling food and he always managed to sell his wares completely in a day. Farmers had just managed to get seed in the ground and most where expecting some kind of harvest come fall. Hunters and trappers where always bringing game home from the wild. Villages sprung up. Tepin had no idea they where so close to the ocean until fish from it made there way to the marketplace from a new fishing village called Tellag. There where six villages in all, spread out around the province and roads where being cut through the forest to each of them by the army. Her gold mine was producing about a hundred coins a day and it was set to the treasury. It was one of the first things being built in the castle and it was a massive underground vault.

It was mid summer by the time the last of the tents had finally been picked up and stored away. Houses had

taken there places. The foundation of her keep was complete along with the wells she had insisted on. She'd moved

from her commander's tent to a large estate near where the keep was being built. Tepin had been upset that Shayla had

insisted on putting walls around it with gaurds at the gates of the estate. A bank had been built, and the economy picked up and brought wit h it a city coin. Tepin spent her days talking with Romah about magic theory, playing and

fishing with her friends. Every day had brought morning reports from Shayla. Tepin found it easier just to let the

woman be in charge as she had many other things she wanted to do. Occasionally a task was put to her that would

have her making decisions but they where often simple and had no real impact on provincial matters. Choba had

made a permanent home of Tepin's pocket and Wolf was content just to follow the little mage around. She wasn't as

little anymore. Everything was fine until a merchant came calling on Tepin. His name was Joman, and he had items of interest for Tepin. Books, and three of them found throughout the badlands. Each, of them he said held powerful magics that Tepin would find useful. To Tepin's eyes he looked like the poorest merchant she'd ever seen. Dirty black hair and green cotton clothes that where in need of mending. Shayla was even less impressed.

“You say these books would be valuable to me,” said Tepin, “ are you a mage?”

“I'm a simple merchant, M'lady.”

“Can you read?” Asked Shayla. The man admitted he could read very little.

“Then let her see the books, and she'll tell you if they're valuable or not.”

The man grudgingly handed the books to a guard who brought them to Tepin. Once she had them she could

feel the life magic in the books and opened one. “Spirit Work,” one was titled. The pages where old and delicate. She

opened another and sorted through the pages. “Spirit charms,” the other was labled. It seemed to be written by the

same person. The same seal was on the inside of each cover. They both contained spells. The next book practically

glowed with energy. “Days of Falrothen Giremin.” it had no seal but looked to be a journal of sorts. Reading the first

pages proved that it was. Falrothen Giremin was a spirt mage.

“These books are valuable, especially to me,” she whispered to Shayla.

“How much do you want for these books,” Shayla asked the tattered Merchant.

“A pittance really, twenty crowns per book,” said the merchant.

“Sixty Crowns,” shouted Shayla! The woman looked ready to throw the man out.

“They're worth it. Books regarding my form of magic are nearly impossible to find.” interrupted Tepin.

Shayla thought about what she'd said and grudgingly conceded.

“Very well then, take this note to the bank. They'll give you your money.”

The merchant now wealthier turned to leave. Tepin called after him, “if you find anymore like these bring

them to me and we'll talk about a price.” She turned to Shayla, “I'll be in the library.” Tepin excused herself from the

courtroom and took the books to the library. She made her way to the library and told the guards at the door that she wasn't to be disturbed. She sat with her new treasures at a desk and set to reading the diary. Falrothen was not much older then her when he discovered his magic. There was no one to instruct him and no books, so he found a place on his own to study his magic alone. He felt it was safer that way. He'd learned by accidents that his magic could be directly harmful if not deadly. He told about loneliness and had forged a solution to it. Grek was forged from three living animals mended together given the shape of a small man. The book went on to describe it. Small but powerful, Loyal as he was part dog. More intelligent than the three animals combined to create it. It was a female and was soon found pregnant, though Falrothen knew not how. He described spells that he'd devised. One would siphon life from creatures. It caused things to die quite painfully. Falrothen found himself filled, when he once used it, with raw magic and it most often mended any wounds that he would have. He called it '”Syhpon'. Tepin had already discovered something like this. Another spell in later days mended wounds. Yet anotther could teach rocks to see and report what they saw to the mage. He saw it in his minds eye and at will. He'd made other things. Mostly inanimate things gifted with life energy and living abilities such as sight, hearing, motion, growth, reproduction even speech. So that was her gift. It was natural for her to imbue things with life energy. It was how her magic worked best. As with Falrothen it had to be taken from something, the more powerful the spell the more life that had to be taken.

Tepin closed the book rubbing her eyes and left the study. She needed fresh air and time to think about what

she'd learned. She left orders for the guard that the library wasnt to be entered and set out for a walk. It was a cool

afternoon as she made her way through the town. Choba was still in her pocket and wolf followed close behind her as

she made for the woods. She walked for what seemed an hour and sat down by the riverbank. Choba hopped out of

her pocket when she called for him.

“My magic is evil Choba,” if I use it too much for too big a spell..”

No. Choba answered her. Neutral.

“How can it not be, I have to destroy a living thing to make magic,” she said tears coming to her eyes.

Other ways. The little shadow was somber.

“Like bones? They're still dead things. And they’re not enough. They'll never be enough. Nothing deserves to

die for my selfish magic,” she began crying in earnest. The little shadow hopped on her shoulder and petted her hair to

comfort her. Tepin grieved for a time and finally quieted. Plants, Enemies. Lifestock, Criminals. Nobody miss.

“Is that how other spirt mages did it,” she asked. The little shadow nodded. She guessed nobody would miss

a murderer. And if she owned a goat nobody would care what happened to it. Most times livestock was killed to be

eaten anyway. Plants? She could have a farm of plants to tap the life energy from. They seemed to have half as much

life energy as an animal, but could be grown more easily and in far greater numbers. Born,grow,die, life. The little

shadow explained it to her. Plants. She would draw energy from the very grass if she needed to. She walked back to

the estate her mind swimming with ideas. It was nearly sunset before she found Shayla.

“I want a farm,” she said, “My magic comes from living things. I need a farm to draw life from.”

“There's a large tract of land a half a days ride from here that was never claimed. It's a bit late for planting

don't you think?”

“I don't need a harvest I just need plants. At least for now. I can grow a harvest crop later. Whatever we have

leftover seed for,” she explained.

“We have no seed left over. Everything was planted. You wont see seed until this fall, I can order some for

you but your farm wont be planted until spring,” Shayla looked a bit flustered by this sudden demand. She was

looking at Tepin as if she'd gone mad.

“Im going to my fathers farm,” said Tepin and Shayla insisted she take some of her guard with her. She

gathered her guard and set out riding. It was nearly dark before she made it to her parents home. The guard set

themselves outside and father welcomed her with a hug.

“What brings my daughter home,” he asked smiling.

“I'm starting my own farm, Papa, I can't find any seed in my province it's all planted. Do you know anyone

who may have seed stored from last season,” she asked.

“What does a mage need a farm for,” asked her mother as they all sat down for dinner. Tepin explained that

she could use the plants as food for her magic. She explained that she could make things grow and wanted to

surround herself with living things rather than all of the dead bones and animal corpses that she'd been taught to draw

life energy from.

“That makes it more pleasant for certain Tepin,” said her mother.

“Do you need a specific plant,” her father asked? Tepin admitted she could make due with weeds if need be.

“I thought you wanted to raise chickens and pigs,” he said.

“I can do that too papa,” she said.

“Then, I'd suggest growing corn,” he said, “ so you have something to feed the chickens and pigs.”

“Why not plant flowers, Tepin, you use magic to make things grow faster why not take wild flowers, grow

them till they go to seed and then plant the seeds?”

“Why dont I just grow everything I can find,” she asked?

Tepin was invited to stay the night and the soldiers given permission to camp in the barns. The ride back to

Rainferrin the next day seemed shorter to Tepin, her mind was dead set on turning the walled in land of the estate into

one big garden. The estate was massive and all of the land it was on was grass. It wouldn't be for long. She set out

with a wagon digging up plants that she thought would look lovely around the estate and began transplanting them.

Shayla seeing what she was doing informed her it could be done quicker if everyone helped. She put out an order that

everyone in the village was to find and dig up one flower or attractive plant that wasn't a weed and bring it to the

estate gardens. She called in several farm wives to help and in less than a day the front an back courtyards where the

most beautiful garden shed ever seen. She used magic focused on the front garden and commanded the plants to grow

for a moment, to give them a little boost. Leaves everywhere got bigger flowers started to bloom and the spaces that

where between the plants vanished. Onlookers where astounded. Then she did the same with the garden in the back

courtyard. She wasn't going to be a death mage. She would be able to take from these gardens what was needed.

There was enough energy in the two gardens to cast any spell she could think of. Tepin sent the building master out to

the farm. It would be fenced in and sectioned off with walkways and a fountain in the middle. The great garden he

was laying the foundation for would be beautiful. The days led her to wandering in the woods more and more. She

never brought a guard nore did she allow wolf to follow her, Shayla and the housekeeper would throw complete fit

when she got back. Time and curiosity brought her to the road that led from Rainferrin to Jenkirk it was a little village

that had sprung up. She decided to walk to it. It wasn't more than an afternoons walk and she could buy a horse to get

back with. Atop a hill she saw a cart resting in a clearing below. It looked like someone had camped there for the

night.

“Well what do we have here,” was all she heard before the lights went out. She woke what seemed only a

moment later, Her hands and feet where bound and her necklase was gone. There was a smelly rag stuffed in her

mouth and a stinking bag had been put over her head. She was moving. She could tell she was in the back of a cart.

Her head ached along with everything else. The bumps on the road caused the cart and everything in it to bounce. The

sound of the horses hooves told her there was more than one and they where traveling fast. She faded out again and

woke a nightmare later.

“Suppose I better feed you since your awake. Don't think for a minute that Im untying you,” the man attached

to the voice pulled the bag off of her head. “Keep your mouth shut or I’ll just kill you.” a knife was at her throat. He

lifted a water skin to her mouth and poured water down her throat. She swallowed fast but still found a way to choke

on the deluge. “Your going to make me a pretty penny little lovely. Canterfall has a fine slave trade. They pay more

for the young ones.”

She cursed at him her words earned her a punch to the stomach and a slap to her face. Tepin was dizzy with pain.

From the dark she couldn't see his face. Her tears would have made it impossible anyway.

“I can do far worse to you, if you want food keep your mouth shut,” he ordered. He slowly began feeding her

spoon full after spoon full of some kind of stew. He spoon fed her an entire bowl of it. She heard him set it down and

the bag went over her head again and something wet was splashed on it. “Sleep,” she heard him say. Canterfall is

just a couple days away. The fluid smelled more intensely of what the bag smelled like before. Sleep overcame her.

She went through another battle of sleeping and waking. Another night the bag was pulled off of her and she was

spoon fed.

“You've been sleeping for two days. Its time for you to wake up and stay awake. I don't want you sick when

you get to the slave yard.” He gagged her to keep her quiet after her dinner was over, “No point hiding you now,

slavery is legal here and you're my property until I sell you. The guards on patrol wont even question it. So mumble

all you want through that gag pretty one.” She got a look at him as he got off the wagon and went to the horses. It was

a merchant she'd seen in the village not three days before her walk. Tepin shot him an angry look as he walked past. She tried calling on magic but was too sick from the sleeping tonic. They resumed there motion. The trees dizzied there way past Tepin's eyes. She was regretting asking Choba and Wolf to stay home. Hours passed and they crossed a bridge. The slave trader finally stopped the cart, pulled her out and tied her to the we'll of the carriage. She wanted to throw up from the motion. This couldn’t be happening. She was being sold. Hours passed people took no notice of her. Finally, an apparently wealthy couple walked by and spoke to the slaver that had put her in chains. A rope was tied to Tepins wrists which where now in front of her and she was led off by the couple. She wondered how much money they'd paid for her. They walked from one section of the city to another. It was the high quarter her owners told her. She would be fed when she got to there home and Tepin would start work after a nights rest. It wasn't illegal to kill a slave in Canterfall. She'd be given clothes and her old ones would be burned. She'd work as a serving girl, that was her life now. She would speak only when spoken to or she would have her tongue removed. If she was a good servant they would consider mating her with another slave when she was older. Days passed and became very routine. Clean the kitchen and wait for instructions. Then move quickly to do what had to be done. She was given two meals each day. She was locked in her room at night. She shared it with three other girls. None spoke her language. It came to Tepins understanding that she'd been very lucky. She was a privileged slave. She served a local lord and was, as far as slaves where concerned, spoiled. Her mind was constantly on home. She still couldn't use her magic. She was always sick feeling but it was slowly getting better. She could sense life energy again and learned that there was very little other than people. There was no hiding the fact that she was someones property. Her skin was fair in comparison to other peoples. She looked out of place. If that didn't convince people the slaves clothes would. Very little was said in her presence. Slaves weren't privy to matters of importance. She didn't honestly know where she was and had no idea how to get home. She wasn't allowed in certain areas of the house. Meals where most often a thin soup and contained no bones. Not that it matter if they'd given her any she was still too sick to do anything with them. She thought about every spell she knew reciting there process in her mind. She had money, In most places if you had gold the markings mattered very little. In her spirit hold where other things. Including bone chips. Days became weeks and her health improved. While cleaning the kitchen one night she found a collection of bones. She slowly began absorbing life energy from them. One or two a day so no one would notice. She threw the ashes into the fireplace. One of the books shed purchased for a good deal of money had outlined how to make objects see and hear. At night she worked on it, hiding under the wool blankets of her bunk with a pebble. Practicing over and over again she finally managed to see through the pebbles 'eye' and later learned she could hear with its 'ear' both she had imbued it with the abilities of. While alone cleaning a room she wasn't often allowed into she dropped the pebble using magic to make it transparent and nearly invisible. Alone at night she willed the pebble to move seeing and hearing what it learned. With her vision stone she traveled t he house and slid it under the door to the study where her Master Telthrorin often sat with guests.

“.. Im telling you Handrin it's not wise. A conflict now would jeopardize the security of the empire,” said

Telthrorin

“There's rumors of great magic, natural resources, and more importantly gold. Surely we can spare ten

thousand troops to send east,” said Handrin.

“The benefits are definitely quite large but why should I contribute men to this goal. The new republic that’s

arisen in those lands controls little. Better to have them as a trading partner then to have a conquered subject,” said

Telthrorin

“The emperor is affording compensation to those that contribute..” Tepin's concentration broke, as a little shadow made is presence known. Tepin was thankful that the other

girls where sleeping.

“Choba,” she whispered! She was surprised and delighted. Tepin safe?

“No I'm not, Im a slave here. I've been very sick,” she said. Escape. The answer was an order. Fallow Choba.

“the doors locked,” whispered the girl almost too loud. One of the girls rustled in her bunk and Tepin quieted

her heart racing.

“I used any magic I have to spy on the master,” she said more quietly. Wait. The shade creature vanished.

Tepin waited. An hour seemed to pass. And he returned. Bone, he said. Tepin found the bone he was sitting on and

she absorbed it completely. She felt the magic flood into her as the large bone turned to ash. She slowly slid out of

bed, desperate not to wake the other girls. They'd call for the slave keeper as soon as they saw her doing anything

unusual. She passed magic into the lock of the door commanding the locking mechanism to turn. It opened with a

small click. Choba told her to wait and he passed through the door and came back. Follow Choba. She did and

opened the door and he slowly led her down the hall. They wound through the house making there way to the front

doors which Tepin had to unlock with magic. Choba led her out into the night. She had no idea where he was taking

her.

Around corners into the spaces between houses he finally stopped over a sewage grate. He hopped down and

then climbed back up. The grate was too heavy to lift she flooded it with just enough magic to lift it. With magic it

came away easily and she dropped down with a splash. Soaked to the waist she used her magic to replace the grate to

its place and stood up.

“Gross, Choba,” she complained. She fished at the bottom of the sewer for a pebble. She found one and

charged it commanding it to glow. The sewer filled with a dim light. The little guy could walk on water apparently and

lead her through the sewer for hours. She used her magic to sense when people where nearby above her. They would

stop at grates and wait if there where people. They must have walked for miles. Finally they came to a grate above

her head and Choba stopped. Up. Tepin used magic to lift the grate up and off. A small vine was leading down into

the water. It was so thin and Tepin had an idea. She caused it to grow. The vine got thick as her wrists and heavy.

Leaves extruded everywhere. She hoped it was enough and started climbing up. Out of the stench she pulled every

ounce of life from the vine and watched as it turned to so much dust. Her head was swimming as she replaced the

cover. She finally stopped and looked around. They where on a hill miles outside the city. Walls towered into the

horizon the city went on and on.

“Im tired Choba,” She was desperate for sleep. Fallow she was exhausted but followed him. The sun was

rising and they where deep in the woods. They found a very massive tree that had a hole under it between the roots. It

made a little cave. He went into it. Tepin would barely fit. He came out and insisted that she get under the tree. She

surrendered finally and squeezed into the little hole. As she entered the small cave became larger Tepin could sit

upright. Safe. Sleep. Her small friend was more relaxed now. His tone comforting. She needed no further encouraging.

She woke to a pair of large eyes that didn't belong to Choba. She drew back and heard a whimper. It sounded

familiar. They came closer and it took a moment to realize she wasn't about to be bitten by a wild animal. It was

Wolf! She picked up a rock and caused it to glow light filled the little cave and Choba popped out of a shadow it created. He was dragging something. It was parchment. Letter.

Tepin,

Choba say's hes found you and you are safe. Stay with him and he'll lead you home. We're sending your guard

out to meet you half way. I've sent Wolf with Choba to where you are Shes just small enough to travel with him. I wish

I could join you but I cannot travel the way Choba does through shadow. My way is far too random. Everyone was

worried for you and still are. We've set a pile of bones out. Everyone in both Masari and Rainferrin are contributing

to it. Choba will bring you what he can from them every day to see that you have the magic to need to get home safely.

-Romah

“Choba, I need a crystal from my room. And maybe you can bring food,” she asked. The shadow nodded

and vanished into a darkened corner. It was hours before he returned but he brought back a satchel. In it there was

bread and meat, vegitables and an apple. It tasted worlds better then the thin soup she'd been surviving on for nearly a

month! In a side pocket of the satchel she found a crystal wich she molded with magic to the form of a delicate

bracelet. She put it on and Choba started making trips, using the same satchel hed return with bones then go back

with the empty bag. She spent the day and the night charging the bracelet shed made. She slept again and finally

woke the next morning. Another day brought more letters. This time it was Shayla.

M'lady Tepin,

Cheers of rejoicing rang out in the commons today as Choba began making his trips to you and back. We've

set up a permanent fire so that he always has a shadow to get back to the bones we set out for you. Continue using

the bones even if you don’t need the magic right away. The people fill the satchel for Choba and are reminded that

there is a child lost in the wilderness. Filling the satchel for him tells them that your still alive. Its brought them

together and gives them hope. The people are donating meals I’m choosing one volunteer per day, and there's quite a

line, to cook for you. You'll find cookies in your satchel today. The province fairs well.

-Regent Shayla

Tepin summoned quill ink and parchment and wrote back. She told Shayla she was safe. She detailed her

adventure in every way she could think of. She needed clothes that didn't mark her as a slave girl as Choba had told

her she still wasn't out of Canterfall. She warned Shayla of the overheard conversation and what her worries where.

She sent the letter back with Choba and munched on a cookie. She worried about what her vision stone had showed

her. She needed more information and the method was clumsy and very short lived. There had to be another way to

find out what the Canters where planning. She thought about it until Choba returned and came up with no new ideas.

He'd brought back bones this time and she powdered the bag full in short order.

“Lets go home Choba.” she said. Wolf let out a happy bark and they left the tree cave. The sun was nearing

its highest point in the sky and Choba led the way. They walked. Her mind was always going on what to do. Cantrips

came to mind but none made sense to her. The small lyrics that she'd learned just weren’t enough. Tricks, she thought.

She wasn't going to help her people with just little tricks. They'd brought her freedom but would hardly stop an army

of invaders. Trees passed by as she walked and walked. She stepped over roots and avoided places where she sensed

animal life. It wasn't safe to disturb a wild animal. Wolf would probably win a fight against another canine and

smaller animals would run wildly away, it was the larger creatures and ones that held no fear that she worried about.

She stopped for a break in a fern covered area and sat on a log. She told Choba that she'd wait here for him and sent

him back to Rainferrin to get more bones. He returned with his satchel full and a letter was tied to the bag.

M'lady Tepin,

We read your response with great interest. We're sorrowful that you went through that horrible ordeal. The

Canterfall army is of concern to us as they would outnumber us greatly. Thank you for bringing this to our attention

so rapidly. If there's any way you can use your powers to keep us informed of there activities it would benefit greatly.

Romah is dispatching a small group of his shadow warriors to patrol and warn us of pending invasion. He's also

creating more of them. Romah suggests a seeing stone. It would be something to focus on. He told me to tell you to

connect two stones together one to see and one to show whats seen. This makes no sense to me. I hope his babbling

makes more to you. I've ordered the arming of the people. No adult is to be without a blade. Travel safely.

-Regent Shayla

Tepin thought about what she was told, They where arming everyone. It meant they took her warning

seriously. She wondered if it would be enough. She started converting the bones to raw magic. How would she make

a seeing stone? Maybe she thought, two parts of the same stone. Her problem was her inability to concentrate on the

seeing stones for any long length of time. What if something else did the concentrating so she didn't have to. She

found a rock and used magic to flatten it into a round disk. She charged the flattened rock with magic and will. She

broke off a small chunk and reshaped the larger so it was smooth again. She filled the smaller with her intention and

gave it sight and hearing made it small and nearly invisible. She filled the larger plate with color the ability to display

what the other saw and gave it the ability to produce sound. She lifted the seeing stone into the sky and guided it

towards the city at a startling rate. It worked the larger stone showed her everything its companion saw. She searched

the city and followed guards. No one talked of an attack, or of war. She searched and eventually found the home

where shed been held as a slave. Conversations eventually led to the “runaway slave.” Tepin learned that they where

definitely looking for her. Guards where searching the city. “She couldn't have gotten far.” She set the stone to

follow Telthrorin. He wanted the guards to kill the runaway immediately when they found her and that it would set an

example for the others. Tepin swallowed the lump of fear in her throat. She wanted to tap the screen to make it dark

and quiet. The man was met by two others who talked about the merchant quarter. As the day wore on she finally

heard that he'd committed his troops to the assault. In three days they would march on the east. They where only

sending five thousand troops instead of the ten that was originally planned. She told Choba to lead on and shouldered

the satchel. She walked into the night. Tepin wished there was a full moon but the sky was clouded and threatened

rain. She was getting tired and found a tree. She used magic to make the base grow she molded it and shaped it. It

would kill the tree but she. She ate, tucked under a living shelter of tree and it began to rain. The guards where

ordered to kill her. She wrote to Shayla about what she'd learned. Shayla's letter back told her to move fast. The

smaller number was a relief and the Masari may be able to hold there own against that force. Romah had made nearly

five hundred more shadow warriors and was still working. Wolf guarded the door to her shelter and Tepin slept.

Choba would scout during the night and would see her in the morning. In the morning she ate a meal sent to her from

home, read a letter and sent one back. The sent her clothes and she greatfully put on the hide tunic and trousers.

Shayla informed her about the status of the province as she would every day. She destroyed her shelter, taking all of

the life from the tree leaving ash behind. The ground under it sank as the roots turned to ash as well. Long walk. No

rest. Choba led the way and Tepin walked. She ate lunch while walking and it unsettled her stomach. He seemed

excited and was running faster than normal. He had to pause from time to time to let her catch up. He wouldn't answer

her when she called after him. He just kept running ahead, saying almost there. This went on for three days. She

hardly got a break. They came to a clearing and Tepin stopped dead. This had been a battlefield. Skeletons littered

the ground as far as she could see. Tepin's Army. The little shadow was bouncing off the ground in excitement.

“These men are all dead, Choba. Dead for ages. How can they be my army,” she insisted. And startled at his

answer. Magic. He wanted her to animate these bones. Of course! She went from bone skeleton to skeleton imbuing

them with magic as she went. She found this a slow process but by the end of the day she'd raised nearly all of them.

She charged all of them with magic and commanded them to rise giving them every intent to destroy and intelligence.

As each one rose they picked up centuries old weapons. She ordered them to march west destroy the city. They where

to kill everything in there path. She didn't know how many there where but Tepin guessed at least a thousand. She'd

worked fast and by the end of the day she was exhausted. Tepin walked through them and made her way nearly a mile

to the opposite tree line. She was six days days away from the city. She doubted they slept and she figured her

soldiers would meet the enemy at a day or two from the city. It wouldn't stop the invasion but it would slow it down.

She made a shelter from a tall tree and sat in it writing a letter telling the regent what she'd done. She sent it and used

the seeing stones to watch they progress of her army. She watched as they marched through the woods killing every

animal and moving on. Two days, she thought. The Canters where in for a shock. Choba returned with a letter saying

little more than “Well done.” Wolf curled up beside her and she slept, visions of an undead army filled her mind. The

next two days passed and her legs where sore from walking. She needed a day to rest. She told Choba who

grudgingly agreed. He insisted she stay inside if she wasn't traveling. She hoped the army she'd raised from there

grave yard was strong enough to slow the five thousand that where heading there way. She used the time to watch the

armies progress using the viewing stones. She found she could command individuals by focusing on them with the

stone and willing them to do a thing. Of course she could. There magic was life force mixed with her own. Each

skeleton had a kiss of her life energy in them. The way Romah described it, the persons magical energy tainted

everything that was touched. There where magical means to identify the creator of a spelled object. She could even

cast spells through other spelled objects.. Tepin wondered if she could do that with these bone warriors. She

commanded one to stop and focused her attention on it completely. She nearly gasped as she realized she could see

through its eyes. She could even feel what it felt. That wasn't much considering he was made of bone. She reached out

from him and felt magical energy around him and drew some to the skeleton. She cast it into a rock and it started

glowing. She neutralized the magic of the rock and it stopped. She could cast spells from a distance. She was about

to raise all manner of hell with that army. She returned her focus to the viewing stone. Focused completely on it. She

ordered it to move and it did. Back the way she'd traveled. She found a road and discovered the army there. She drew

life from everything she could find and started creating and throwing shadow lances from the viewing stone as fast as

she could. Hundreds fell from magical injuries. Some died. She used the viewing stone to raise those that died and

ordered them to attack there comrades. The effect was absolute chaos. She'd injured hundreds. She turned a dozen of

them completely to ash drawing life from them. She didn't stop until she grew too tired to focus and returned the

viewing stone to her. It took time to find her but eventually it sat in her hand. She slept absolutely exhausted.

Morning came and she decided to stay in her shelter. Choba brought food and relayed letters. One was from Romah,

praising her for her hindering of the approaching army and for remembering a lesson that he'd taught her. She was to

attack them nightly, and not give them a moments rest. Shayla considered it a great victory. Told her the people where

rejoicing that there protector wasn't just fleeing from the coming conflict. Choba told her that she was still six days

away from home and they could take the river as it would flow right to it. She would have plenty to drink and a much

needed bath. She wrote back of her plans and promised to show the approaching army every kind of misery she could

dream up. She used the viewing stone to listen in on the Canterfell soldiers. Rumors where spreading that the forest

was haunted, another was of demons besetting them. Still another was of evil pixies protecting the forest. Her army

was half a day away from the approaching hoard. They where also sending for reinforcements. Shed let them rest.

She needed to herself. She whiled the rest of the day away converting bones to raw magic and storing it in her

bracelet. Tepin found it nearly as relaxing as knitting. She dreamed up ways to make an army miserable. Darkness

fell on her camp and Wolf took her station by the door of the wooden shelter. She began her assault. Many troops

where camped near trees and Tepin pulled the life from each felling the trees at times on the campers. She used the

life energy and shattered each camp with spirit lances. Tepin Kept it up for hours. Soldiers fell screaming parts of

there bodies that where hit by the lances aged rapidly and the flesh in most cases died. She wounded hundreds more

that night and killed another fifty.

Two days passed before she made it to the great river. Both nights she did her best to reap more havoc. She

used magic to fell a tree. It fell into the river and she shaped it into a raft. She called it to her moving it ashore with her

gift. Choba made his way to her shoulder and she and wolf got into the water tight little craft. She straightened a tree

branch and they pushed off. The river moved them downstream. They where supposed to meet her guard in the

morning. She couldn't wait, she missed everyone. She used the time rest and launch more attacks on the Canterfall

troops. She kept the assault up for hours this time. Every company felt the sting of her magic. She fought them

through lunch and created among them three dozen walking dead for them to fight with. The effect was devistating.

She saw upon returning to the city shed been held captive in that more troops where assembling to be sent to join the

others and she hit them with everything she could think of. Lance after lance flew into the assembled warriors.

Soldiers fell and they scattered like ants from a burning twig. She guessed a few thousand had been assembled there.

There where about three hundred or so less now She took the time to turn them to walking dead and ordered them to

kill any soldier. She called the stone back to her and put the matched pair in her satchel. She absorbed life from the

crystal she wore and let it infuse with her own. She'd learned that it was a way to fight fatigue from using magic too

often. The only real cure she realized was food and sleep.

Night was falling and They put out on the other side of the river. She turned a tree into another shelter and

climbed in with wolf. She sent Choba to go find her guard. They had to be close by now. She slept until Choba

returned. He sat with her and told her he'd found them.

“Its not right Choba,”she said, “that your a slave to me. From now on your free.”

The little shadow said no.

“I know what its like! I spent over a month as a serving girl for those tyrants! Don't ask me to be like them!”

Tepin not. Choba serves. Choba choose.

“Your trying to tell me you choose to do this? Why Choba?”

Food, the little man told her.

“I don't understand.”

Tepin cast spells. Spells make food. Choba eat afterspell.

“You absorbe the wake of a cast spell,” she asked, “the residual magic? You eat that?”

Yes, the little man told her.

“So your being paid. Your working for your meals.”

Living. The little man shrugged.

“Are there others like you,” she asked.

Yes. Thieves. He hung his head.

So he wasn't like the rest of his kind. He befriended mages offering to work so he could have there magic

residue. Choba didnt want to be a thief.

“Do you get enough residue working for me,” she asked.

Plenty. Choba store.

Now that was clever. For Choba it was like tending a farm she imagined.

“Do any others of your kind do this?”

Some came the answer.

“Are there girls like you? Do you have a family”

Yes. No.

“Is there a shadow girl that meets your fancy.”

No answer came to that question. Tepin giggled. “There is isn't there? And maybe if your wealthy she'll have

you! Is she pretty? Whats her name? Come on you can tell me I wont tattle,” still no response she faked a sigh and

rolled over. “I dont think I'll need to cast any spells for awhile, the Canterfall Army is all out of sorts wondering whats

been hitting them and licking there wounds. Plus the skeletons should find the bulk of them very soon..”

Yindi. Name. The little shadow finally admitted it. She imagined he was blushing. Tepin smiled big at the

flustered little shadowman.

“I won't tell a soul,” she said.

Morning came and she destroyed the shelter. Wolf was a little too close to the entrance when Tepin did it and

got covered by wood dust. They made there way back across the river and set out to find the guard. Choba had said

less than usual to her today. He was probably still sore that she'd pressed him for a secret. He just busied himself

with traveling to her and from the guard pointing the way for both of them so they'd meet somewhere in the middle.

She walked along the river for hours. She encountered horsemen mid afternoon. It was her guard. The pair where

scouting for her. She ran to them.

“M'lady, it's good to see you,” it was Rimala the commander of her guard. The armored brunette lifted tepin

onto the back of her horse. And they started back the way they'd come.

“We're about an hours ride from the rest of the guard. We'll camp once we get there.” The hour filled with

conversations of Tepins adventures and Those of the guards. They'd had to cut there way through a tribe of orcs to

reach her. Tepin began asking about battle tactics. “How do you stop a larger force?” She described the situation

with her skeleton warriors in detail.

“You're not going to,” said Rimala, “you can slow them down. But defeat them you just cant do it. Even as

strong as your skeletons would be they have weaknesses. You'll win the first few skirmishes but your grossly

outnumbered. I'm afraid you've sent them all on to a suicide mission. How long before they meet the Canterfall

Army?”

“I've ordered them to stop and wait on either side of the army out of sight,” Tepin said, “Went the enemy is

close enough i'll h ave them converge.”

“Thats an effective tactic, M'lady, They'll regret marching to war. May I make a suggestion,”she asked?

They made camp towards dinner time They offered Tepin a tent and she declined turning a large tree into a

shelter. One of the men was kind enough to bring wood and start a fire for her. Sitting with wolf she pulled out the

viewing stones made the smallest invisible and sent it to the enemy camp. Finding them took time. Her raids had

slowed down there progress a good deal. Rimala watched in fascination upon being invited into the tent. She watched

the stone and assessed the situation.

“if I may m'lady,”said Rimala, “I'd recommend waiting for your attack until well after dark. It'll create more

confusion, and they'll be unprepaired for it. How far away are they,” she asked.

“About five days from us according to Choba,” she said.

“Well since your waiting for the battle time we may as enjoy a time honored tradition among soldiers,” said

Rimala as she pulled out a deck of cards. She taught tepin to play a game called Jin Bout and they played until the

moon was high in the sky. Finally Tepin folded after winning three games in a row.

“Its time,” she said

“M'lady, how do you know its time,” asked the commander?

“Its nighttime and I got nice and distracted playing cards. By now everyone in that camp is relaxing for the

night,” the other woman nodded.

“

Yes we did, Mind if I watch on in that magic stone of yours?” Tepin said that she didn't mind and set the

stone slate out for both of them to see. She reached out with her mind to her skeleton warriors and ordered them to

attack. She launched an attack of her own, felling trees on the enemy camps and converting several of the watch

guard to ash. She got to a point and felled tree after tree dropping them into the road to cut off any help from the rest

of the army. A quarter of the army was partially cut off from the rest and the skeleton warriors met them. The battle

was brutal the skeletons cut down everyone they met. While this was happening she began throwing spirt lances into

the larger remaining force. She pulled life energy from men to raise the fallen and ordering them to fight. She

ordered her skeletons to retreat. She'd lost over a hundred. The cut off troops where killed to the man. She continued

her magical assault losing bolt after bolt of deadly magical energy. She felled more trees absorbing there magic as she

did. Hours passed and she was weary as she called the viewing stone home. Rimala said that shed estimated over a

thousand where dead and she still had her army. Tepin sent the army marching to Masari. They would be the first line

of defense when the Canterfell made it to Rainferrin. Her guard slept and so did Tepin. They'd be up at first light to

make there way home.

Morning broke the mist and they packed camp. She was given a horse and Wolf trotted along away from

them. She had a tendency to spook the horses so kept her distance. They rode at nearly a gallop. She set her army for

a hard run. She was thankful that they didn't tire. Tepin and her guard rode through lunch they made good time.

They'd be at the borders of Rainferrin the next day. They broke only to give the horses rest and have quick meals.

Tepin sat staring at the river. Two of her guard stood near her. She didn't complain anymore about them always being

there. Look at the trouble not having them there had caused her. Choba found her with a satchel of bones and she

daydreamed while she converted them to energy and stored them. She wondered why she got so tired from her

assaults. They lasted no more than a few minutes. She sent a letter to Romah asking him. Choba skipped behind a

tree with it and vanished. She thought about her friends and how much she missed fishing with them. She missed

Daman's smile. She wondered if he was smiling now? Or did he have that look of worry on his face that he often had

when he knew he was in trouble with his parents. She'd learned already that her magic wouldn't be enough to save

them. She wondered if Romah's was. He had an army too. He'd told her much about them, how there touch would

cause wounds and they could be hurt by very little. Fire was all they really feared. The materials he'd made them out

of where a little flammable. She thought about Liam, and then about Shayla. Could they help keep the people safe?

She reached in the satchel to find another bone and found it empty. She picked up a handfull of pebbles from the shore

and started pitching them in the water one at a time. Each time watching the splashes they made. She let her mind rest

for a time. She wanted a hug from her dad and some of her mom's chuckberry pie. Rimala found the four of them

and asked if they where ready. Tepin nodded that she was and Wolf gave a happy yip. They made there way to the

horses and saddled up. They rode until dark and Tepin got a letter back from Romah finally.

Dear Apprentice,

Whenever you extend your will over distances you expend magic. Try absorbing magic into you prior to your

assaults. In fact do that before casting any spell. You'll last a good deal longer and wont be fatigued when its done.

Every task has a price little one. Something must be taken for something to be created. I look forward to your safe

return.

-Romah.

That night sitting outside of her tent after a few hands of Jin Bout with the guards she took out her viewing

stones setting the larger in front of her. She wished the viewing stone where larger. She'd expanded the size of the

slate to the point where it was nearly brittle. She did as her mentor had instructed drawing magic into her and set the

spy afloat sending it up the river to the road. She followed it back. The army was gone. Rimala told her to search the

ground where she'd set her last attack. Tepin did causing the viewing stone to light up the area where her enemies had

been before.

“Keep going,” she said and from that point Rimala gave directions. Go left here right there. Get closer to the

ground.

“They've gone into the woods M'lady. Maybe they hope it won't be so easy for you to attack them. They

dont know you have a trained scout here,” she said. “They went north into the forest keep the light low and move

slow. Tepin did as she was instructed. They searched for hours until they finally discovered the tents. Tepin drew

magic from her wrist band lifted the viewing stone high in the air looking down. This wasn't the whole force she

realized. They'd broken up into smaller groups. Tepin thought it had been a good idea indeed. There where only a

few hundred men here she couldn't attack the whole army at one time. They made one fatal mistake however. And

Tepin pointed it out to the commander.

“They've put themselves in a place where I have plenty of life to work magic on,” She drew a circle around

the camp with magic. She drew power into the viewing stone and commanded the trees and plants to grow. Every

seed on the ground in that circle sprung up and grew wildly. In less than a minute the entire camp was trapped in a

living wall. She lowered the viewing stone to a mans height in the middle of the camp caused it to glow brightly and

drew life from the first five people she saw. They fell to ashes and the killing began. Two hours later the camp was

silent and Tepin busied herself with raising an undead army. She fasioned exits in the walls and ordered her animated

dead to gather there weapons and march. She used the stone to find the next camp and she pointed her walking

corpses in the direction with orders to kill. When her new found warriors found the next camp she enclosed it too in a

circular wall of plants. No one escaped and she had more troops. She split her troops and sent them to the next camps,

over and over again. Camp after camp fell that night. Her warriors fought to the last man. She was sleepy but not

exhausted as she usually was. She'd decimated eight camps.

“Right then,” said Rimala, “I'm off to bed to have nightmares,” and left the tent. Tepin watched the woman

go. When she thought about it, it was quite terrifying. She imagined being trapped in a room with something that she

could barely hurt that was making ready to rip her to shreds. She wished she'd never had cause to hear of the

Canterfell. It was her fault. That the b*****d that had abducted her had told the leaders of Canterfell where to find

Masari. If she hadn't let herself be abducted this all may never have happened. There wouldn't be an army marching

on her home. She fell into a fitful sleep. All her fault. Morning came and they broke camp. They'd be home by noon. Tepin, who had been happy to talk with her guard along the way was quiet. Guilt pounded on her like a smiths hammer. She just kept her eyes down and followed the horse in front of her. Rimala, slowed her horse and fell back riding along side Tepin.

“You're quiet today,” she said.

“Im fine,” Tepin answered her.

“You look like your about to cry. Your not feeling bad about last night are you,” asked Rimala

“It's my fault,” she said.

“What do you mean, M'lady,” asked Rimala

“That army wouldn't be marching on Rainferrin if I hadn't let myself get slaved. The people would be safe

and Canterfell wouldn't have known where to find us. They mean to enslave everyone you know,” she said.

“What? I. I've never heard anything so preposterous in my life,” answered the commander, “Its not your fault

they're coming. Your right they probably learned about Masari by somebody talking. It was most likely the merchants

spreading word of a new kingdom to the west.” Tepin looked confused.

“The things I've learned of Canterfall from the merchants that travel from it. M'lady they're not good. Its

governed by an Emperor, He loves to conquer to expand his empire. He tortures his people, any criminal and and

anyone that doesn't agree with him is bound for the slave yards. There are also rumors of a religion there that makes

human sacrifices. Think about it. If I learned so much about them since I've been here. How much do you think they

know about us? It takes weeks to plan an invasion. From what you told me they where already gathering an army

when you got there. That takes time M'lady. This can't be your fault.” The guard was making sense to Tepin.

“What if some of this is my fault,” Tepin asked.

“Well, if any part of it is your fault, You've certainly made good on correcting it a long time ago. From what

you've told us and what Ive seen in that stone during your raids your raising chaos with the army they sent to enslave

us. You've put the fear of the gods in them. I find your way of making war frightening. You should imagine what its

doing to them. If anything I'm proud of you. You could have just run for your life, returned home and let the army

deal with it. No I see a young mage who takes responsibility and one who's willing to fight at my side. I'm honored, if

you made any mistake it was getting yourself to believe this was your fault. And, if by chance you feel bad for doing

the things you do to defend your home? Don't. They're planning to do the same things to us.” she concluded, gave her

horse a kick and rode to the front of the guard again. Tepin considered all of it.