Chapter 3 - Binding

Cody has been rudely awoke to something beyond his imagination.

Havel - Day 1

He awoke with a sudden start. That happens when you fall two feet to hard stones.

“Ouch,” Cody said as he banged his elbow and knee hard on the unrelenting on the ground.

His first thought was his dad was being as a*s again and pulled him off the bed. He’d done that once as a joke Cody hadn’t found funny. If it was dad Cody was going to make him pay later.

Something felt distinctly odd to him. It was bright as noon in his room and he heard the sound of laughter. He tried to organize his dream muddled brain as he blinked past the light. There was loud talking as he tried to get up. Sleep filled his eyes and he rubbed the gunk away. His body felt like he’d only gotten two hours of sleep maybe. It should still be dark out unless he had seriously slept in. That didn’t explain the bright almost bluish light blinding him. He saw people now, young like him and they all shook with laughter. Boys and girls all had costumes on like they were acting in a play. There was a sudden bellow from a deep voiced man and silence followed. Then another loud command called in his direction. Not quite at him, he saw her then. A girl a bit shorter than him with long jet black hair and pale skin. She was his age maybe with fine almost hawkish features. The teen wore dark rich clothing and an honest-to-god cloak. It was black on the outside and brown on the inside as it billowed about in the light spring breeze. She was looking at him like he was covered in the blood of a child. This made him look down and finally notice his nudity.

“Great, I’ve had this dream before.” Cody muttered under his breath. Just about everyone had that ‘nude in front of the class’ nightmare. This one though felt a little more real than he liked. He stood in a bluish white glowing set of circles. Blackened weeds poked up between the cracks. As he continued to look around he finally took in the castle he stood next too. It was like the photographs of historical landmarks. This castle though had the look of being lived in. Windows were casually thrown open with white drying in the sun. High up someone was leaning out of one and pointing down. Cody stood within the walls of this courtyard. Now he saw other towers attached to this monumental building. There were four of them each a different height. Like the builders couldn’t decide how tall they should make them.

His eyes went back to looking at the girl as she started chanting. Awareness tickled him and he felt an energy inside. It was like noticing a life-long ignored arm. Instead of an appendage it was a well and he briefly wondered why he’d never noticed it before. The pool of energy was right there, had always been there. The thin hawkish girl was doing something between them. Cody couldn’t see the effect but he felt it. Almost like perceiving a new color in the spectrum of light. The threads were growing as he watched. The animal part of him wanted to pull away, to tear apart the threads. Those spun filaments suddenly bridge the gap between him and the raven haired girl. He felt connected to this girl like he’d never touched anyone else. Cody sensed her presence force into his thoughts. At first her will was clumbsy like a mallet. She pushed against his mind forcing him into a corner. He grabbed at her wanting the girl to stop. It was easy, laughably so to arrest her mental avatar. She felt tired and struggled against him. Instead of forcing her out though he held her there accepting the presence. She was worried, scared at his mind’s power. He pulled her down into himself and she let out an audible gasp. Deeper he brought her until they both swam in the core of his well. His energy surged between them like two bodies of water merging. It fled into the girl and the threads continued to spin between them. She stared at him now as many eyes watched on. The glowing lines faded and tension seemed to leave the area. For a few seconds she continued to look at him.

Cody tilted his head at the odd dream. At least he was still debating between dream and insanity. The feeling of the girl was not as strong now like she’d receded. The older people as well as some of the boys were pointing sticks at him. Most of the tension was gone but he didn’t like the look in some of their eyes. Especially a rather corpulent boy in the middle of crowd. His little stick shook and a murderous gleam lit his pupils.

With a weak voice she spoke. The words themselves meant nothing to him but in head he felt her intent. She gestured as well, casually pointing in his direction.

“Your name shall be, Havel.” The thought passed through his mind and he pondered that. He already had a name actually and he felt it. He was still Cody but a thought bubbled up. He’d read enough novels about magic to had a suspicious moment. His gram’mama had often told him old English tales as a child. Her voice entered his mind like she stood right next to him.

“Names are powerful things Cody, take care who you give it too.” She’d said to him in her old wheezing voice.

So he nodded his head slightly. This was exactly what they all wanted to see. Sticks dipped away and the snickers started up again.

Cody, or Havel as she suggested was still naked. He was terribly confused but the evidence was really suggesting he was awake now. That didn’t make sense, nothing did. Where was he? Who were these strange people with the sticks? Why the nine hells was that girl in his head? He didn’t even know what just passed between them. He’d done some kind of mental trickery. The boys now were laughing and the girls seems to be giggling. The black haired girl was blushing and absolutely not looking in his direction. Something of a commotion was going on as the older robed people moved together and talked. Still he was frustrated at not understanding anyone. The language sounded something in between Latin and Swedish. Really though, it was like nothing he’d heard before.

Finally breaking apart the grown ups waved at the girl who nods and moved away. She stopped though after a few steps and said something without turning her head.

“Follow me.”

Without anything better to do he walked after her. At least it wasn’t that cold out but he still felt the heat of embarrassment. They went into a thick iron banded door. He was amazed at how heavy the thing was. He was both in shock and awe at what was going on. As Havel stepped inside he gaped at the tapestries and stone tiling.

“I'm in a castle.” He thought to himself in true wonder.

It was exactly like the fortress’s he’d seen pictures of. This one didn’t seen very defensible his engineering brain told him. The walls weren’t very high at about 20 feet and the towers seemed to block each others line of fire. The stone though was masterfully put together as he couldn’t see a single joint. It was like each stone was welded to the next. Plenty of windows were thrown open in the noon sun but the inner hallways are a bit shadowed. Still he followed after the girl, his bare feet smacking the cold stone.

He looked at her more carefully now. She really did look his age, maybe 14 or 15. The long black hair bobbed back and forth across her cloak as she marched forward. They passed a slightly older boy with a small fairy on his shoulder. The boy stopped the gape at the two like he was the spectacle. The fairy herself saw him and giggled at some inside joke. As he followed the girl he decided it was about time to ask his questions. Before he’d been rather intimidated by all the eyes. Relatively alone now he felt safer and more confident. Really he had two big questions, where was he and how could he get home. Instead he decided on some simpler ones.

“What is your name?” He asked and she turned her head to look at him. Maybe she was just as surprised as he to understand the other. This was the first time he’d chosen to speak to her. It was only a glance as her eyes snapped forward again. Something about the color of her neck suggested she was blushing again. He was starting to think he was going to have to name her too when she spoke.

“Gwen.” She said back in that soft voice and it was the first word he really understood. The name hit his ears and his mind at the same time. He rather liked it as he let the echoes played inside his head. That disbelieving part of him thought he might be asleep still so he asked the next question.

“Am I dreaming?” He asked next and there was a sound from her throat. He did ponder how useful it would be to ask an aspect of his dream if she was real. Still he thought the girl might be honest with him.

“If you are its a nightmare.” She said rather annoyed. Like she was also forced to partake in this dark terror. Well he didn’t know exactly how this harmed her. The words also suggested again this was real. It was about then a rotund woman in a simple grey smock came out of a passing door. She openly stared at the two as they approached then she covered her eyes. Her mouth opened and she started screaming bloody murder before fleeing back into the room. He’d seen all kinds of animals and monsters out in the grass. A smoldering goblin, a rock golem, and a large crimson colored hawk. Yet he was the one people fled from? Was nudity such a taboo thing around here? His guide picked up the pace and eventually found an older gray haired man. He wore black pants and a white doublet that almost sparkled it was so clean. The retainer was holding a silver pen and pad doing inventory around some barrels.

Havel, he decided to just consider that his name for now noticed something interesting. When Gwen talked to the old retainer he couldn’t understand her. They said words and the older man bustled over and pull him into another room. He wasn’t getting the dread vibes anymore so he sat there patiently.

About 20 minutes later the door opened and some cloth sailed into the room. He picked up the simple gray clothes. Both pants and shirt were the same color and fabric. Fingers ran over the wool like material but it felt soft as cotton. No shoes, socks, or underwear was included so it took only a moment to dress. Havel tried the door but found it locked. Turning back he looked around the stone room. It was full of old junk and empty wood crates. In one corner sat about ten dry barrels that smelled like stale wine. Sitting back on a wooden crate he took stock. It was probably for the best he got a moment to think. His emotions had been kept in check by the totally strange situation. They threated to spill over just now barely kept in check by his will.

Cody went to bed last night and got teleported here? Was he in some secret magic school? The thought he might run across a Quidditch field in the near future passed through his mind. That might explain why he’d woken up to full sunlight. It should be very late at night back home. So those sticks had been wands? Like real spell slinging pieces of wood? His questions continued to pile up as he thought. Finally he accepted the knowledge that he wasn’t asleep. The way Gwen had blushed and looked flustered was a little too real. Just to triple check he reached over and touched the stone wall. It felt slightly rough to the touch and dust came away on his fingers. Room wasn’t used very often it seemed.

Magic was real. He was here in a real castle. So cool he almost wanted to jump up and shout. Still he’d read enough dark fantasy to keep his emotions in check.

It was during his ruminations that the door unlocked and one of the grown ups from the field came in. He held his wand lightly in his hand. It was a very whitish colored wood maybe from beach or spruce. It wasn’t a gun, or a knife, or any recognizable weapon Havel could detect. Just a carved stick held like he was ready to use it.

He was a severe looking old man with a long beard and balding hair. It was like he’d grown out the hair on the sides and tried for a terrible comb over. There was a burn mark on one side of his face like he’d been in a house fire. Under those layers of red robes he thought the man might be rather gaunt. His wrists and hands were quite bony looking. Over his crimson colored robes he also wore a black cloak. When he moved he saw the cloak’s inside was also red.

“Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.” The phrase bubbled up to his mind unbidden.

He had no way to explain the current situation so he had to simply accept these people might actually use magic. The wand raised in his direction and the man said something to him. It didn’t appear to be a spell but he was asking a question. The wand made his heart rate go up a little. He decided to give a little shrug while keeping his hands in view. Now he was getting scared again. The door opened letting Gwen in and another slightly older female. Gwen was looking like she wanted to be anywhere else.

The woman was brown haired and maybe about 35 or so. Her hair was kept in check by a large pointed hat that was pulled down over her head. Her brown eyes didn’t have the suspicious of the other man. She was short and maybe a little thick around the middle. Her robes were greenish almost emerald colored.

These people were his only way home as they’d been the ones to kidnap him. They spoke a little between themselves and then asked Gwen some questions. Havel caught the things that she was saying about him. It was like listening to one side of a bad phone conversation.

“He can understand what I tell him.” She said still not looking in his direction. Maybe thinking about Havel let thoughts transmit to him. He couldn’t read her mind other than sensing her presence. There was also that ropey thread between them. They were really connected in some way. The older woman was saying something.

“Havel asked for my name. I understood him.” Gwen said and he frowned. Maybe it was for the best they assumed him a simple child. Havel tried hard to make himself look less smart, so he channeled his little sister. Eyes went unfocused in stupification. They seemed to reach some resigned agreement and turned to him.

“What kingdom are you from?” She asked.

“Kingdom?” He asked back and Gwen’s face puckered. It was telling that they’d asked him this first. Who the hell talked about countries as kingdoms? Was he back in middle ages or something?

“What region do you come from?” She tried again.

“Deep south,” he answered honestly. He was from Texas which was about as far south as you could get in America. She relayed the words and this seemed to agitate the little band.

“Your from the desert?” Gwen asked which totally pinned Texas. Anything that wasn’t desert was stepp hills.

“Yes.” He said and the girl looked incredulous. She said a word to the others who looked equally shocked.

“Where are we?” Havel asked before they could say anything else. Gwen apparently relayed the question because the old guy spluttered. He said a nasty few sounds back.

“You are to answer our questions.” Gwen said and Havel decided to play his hand. It wasn’t much leverage as these people had all the control. By all nines would he let the situation be dictated by them. Scared almost witless he grabbed at the anger in his belly. Using that hot emotion he set his determination.

“Then you get nothing. You kidnapped me from my home.” He said to the girl. Her face went white then red all over.

“I did not!” She nearly shouted.

“Then you tell me what’s happening.” Havel was saying but the adults didn’t care to be left out of the conversation. She stopped to relay and the old guys wand came up. Havel was frightened but he stared at the wizened man. It wavered as the words continued to flow. The woman cut in giving the other a hard glare. Even if he didn’t know the words he imagined it was something about his age. She pointed at him and made some sharp motions. Reluctantly the wand was slid into the robes. It didn’t really settle his nerves though as the old guy looked perfectly willing to kill him.

“Are you a savage with the orcs?” Gwen asked next almost with some sympathy. Havel thought this a very strange question. There were quite a few sayings about Texans. Still he didn’t think that qualified him as a savage.

“There are no orcs where I live.” He said going with mostly truth. These people didn’t get out much if they couldn’t recognize English.

“Why did you kidnap me?” He asked again and they talked among themselves. Gwen was looking ashamed and very disappointed but that didn’t really concern him much right now. After about a minute she nodded her head to the conversation.

“You were not kidnapped, it was an accidental summoning.”

“Can I leave then?” He asked next. It would be telling if they let him go. So far he’d been locked in this room while they decided what to do with him. Havel got up to leave and the old guy wiped out his wand fast as a snake. Shouts started going on, probably to the effect of sit down now. Gwen put herself between him and the old guy holding up her hands.

“You’ll die if you go to far from me.” She said to Havel as she glared at the old man. He was trying to put himself into a better position for a shot. Havel remembered the threads and pulling the girl in. So half awake they’d attached him to the little mage. He’d accepted her though, letting the connection go deep. The older female put a hand on his shoulder to stop him but it was not hard. She seemed the more sensible of the two grown ups.

“You are my familiar now.” Gwen said weakly looking over her shoulder at him. She turned her gaze angrily at the old man and said something quick and hard. In his turn he went a little white. It must have been rare to have a youngling talk back to him because his wand was directed at the girl next.

“Those creatures out with the other kids are also summons?” Havel asked guessing.

“Yes,” Gwen said and Havel’s mind whirled. The picture started to become slightly clearer as the conversation went on.

The woman started talking again.

“Your language is unusual, not one Professor Askell has heard even in passing.”

“Same to you.” Havel said quickly. He’d already noticed the odd language and the fact these people didn’t figure out he was from the States. It wasn’t looking good.

“Can’t you undo it? Send me home.”

“No we are… bound.” Gwen said nervously and almost blushed.

“For how long?”

“Life.” Gwen said the single word and it dropped on Havel like a two ton truck. He could never leave the girls side, or at least her proximity. Deep down he knew that too, felt it. They were connected in a way that not even lovers could be.

“What is the place you are from called?”

“Austin,” he said deciding on the city name but this elicited no recognition.

“Texas.” Havel added but to continued stares.

“We have heard of no such place, is it across the sea?” If these rubes hadn’t even know about Texas he was in deep trouble.

“What do you call this place?” He asked in return, not that geography was his strongest class.

“Westmage Castle in Airlin.” To which Havel couldn’t even hazard a guess. No place he’d ever heard of and the blankness must have shown on his face.

“So you are from across the sea,” Gwen said but Havel was really starting to wonder. Maybe he did travel back in time or something. It was totally obvious he wasn’t in a place he could just hitch a ride back. The thought made him weak suddenly. Just crossing the sea wouldn’t help him.

“Maybe,” he said lamely.

They talked for a while among themselves and Gwen looked over at him again. He was to stunned to notice her sympathetic face. They asked her some pointed questions and she reddened a little.

“He’ll never hurt me. You saw the ritual complete.” She said then her hand went to her mouth in a offended gesture. He figured they were worried he could somehow attack her in her sleep.

“You should know he’s bound to follow my orders, Professor Kronis.” Gwen said next and something in him suggested that might be a slight lie. She turned to Havel and gave him a strange look. It was almost pleading as she opened her mouth.

“Hit yourself.” She commanded in a steely voice. Havel just had to trust her for now. He brought his fist up and give himself a good punch on the cheek. His skin reddened immediately as she spoke again.

“Jump on one foot.” Gwen said next and he did so for a little while.

The old man wasn’t convinced as he said something. Gwen went stiff and white in the face. The woman spoke up again keeping an eye on Havel. He decided to keep quiet for now and see how things played out. He was unarmed between three mages even if one appeared to be on his side. Gwen actually back up towards him and he was a little grateful. The two adults conferred again before the man left in a huff. The woman said some thing softly in Havel’s direction.

“The summoning of a common race hasn’t happened in recent history. We are currently looking into the records.” Gwen relayed and Havel relaxed.

“So what happens now?” He asked.

“Each mage is to spend tonight and tomorrow with their familiar to get to know one another, bond.” Gwen said and Havel understood the previous conversation now. Considering their general attitude with nudity he had no doubt their views on propriety among men and women. She’d have a hard time finding a husband if people thought she was easy.

After some other awkward fruitless questions the two left him in the room and locked the door again. This served to reinforce the notion of his being a prisoner here.

The Bond - Gwen -

Why her? Oh goddess why didn’t you send a demon, or a plague beast instead? Her cheeks burned again at the memory of it. Him, so uncooth! A barbarian at that, she knew it in her bones. He didn’t act civil in the slightest. He’d made no attempt at all to cover himself after the ritual. Didn’t even look seriously fazed by it. Gwen also knew he was lying, about what she couldn’t tell. Now… now he was sitting in her study looking stupid. Here he was surrounded by knowledge and he couldn’t even bother himself to seem interested.

First Year Tower - Havel -

“Oh my god, I need to figure out how to read these books.” Havel thought to himself once again. He could learn everything he needed to know about this place if only he got a chance to read them. The shelves in this small study easily equaled his own back home. Books, tomes, and little scrolls filled the shelves with little copper book ends. These were a myriad of mystical creatures in statue. As evening had fallen balls of colored light had turned on around the walls. Still he channeled his annoying 5 year old sister with every fiber of his will. It helped that the atmosphere was so uncomfortable. Gwen just sat there ignoring him, pretending he didn’t exist. That large rotund woman who’d screamed at him was sitting halfway between them. She actually had a set of knitting needles in her hands and was making something like a sweater. It figured though they’d never leave the girl alone with him. He’d gotten more information during the interrogation than now. Being together had just clammed her up.

Havel loved his fantasy novels and he tried hard to remember all the social etiquette. Not that he was intent on mimicking her, but he hoped to find a chink in the armor. Part of him wanted to go over to the tiny couch they’d brought it. The ugly looking thing was to be his bed for tonight. He wondered if after tonight he’d spend his nights sleeping in the stable. With that thought in mind it was time to try and talk.

“I'm sorry for the use of such strong language.” He said casually, tried to say it noncommittally. Instantly he realized his tone probably made very little difference. The fat woman stiffened suddenly like she’d just remembered he was in the room. So did the young girl who wasn’t looking at him.

“It may have been an accident but I let you do the next thing. Bind me…” Havel said testing the phrase.

“How did you do that?” She asked back which left him a little confused.

“Do what?” He asked still having a hazy memory of what happened. Gwen checked herself as her eye flicked to the woman. She immediately switched topics.

“We could still die, if my fathers enemies whisper to the right people. At least that old geezer Kronis will swing too. Probably why he wanted to kill you so badly.” She said in a gush and the woman knitting made some clucking sounds. This was rather unlady like language. Apparently the looming threat of hanging did loosen her tongue.

“Why is that?” Havel asked curious by her announcement.

“The Church and the Queen both absolutely hate slavery. The wrong people might consider this a magically induced chain. I would be hung, thereby killing you too.” Gwen said and Havel understood the connection. This did cheer him up slightly as it started to set the mood for this world.

“You were lying, before.” Havel accused next.

“About actually binding me. Was a reason you didn’t tell them I'm not really bound?”

To this Gwen just shook her head and let her eyes flick to the big woman. He supposed it was her turn then.

“Well ask your questions again, I won’t lie.” Havel said to the young girl.

“Are you from Hamlin?”

“No,” he said and thanked himself he’d decided to speak. Maybe he could get some answers. It must be another kingdom nearby, possibly at war with them.

“Where are you from?”

“Austin, Texas.” He said again.

“Is that across the sea?” She repeated the question. The air felt thick and he wanted to see them again. He got up and crossed to the window. As soon as he stood Gwen shot for her wand and the woman clutched at her needles. Ignoring them he unlatched the small window and looked out. The fact that two moons hung low in the sky left him speechless once again. One of them was much bigger and pinkish. The other was tiny and floated just off to the side, this one yellow. Maybe the tiny one orbited the larger moon like its own little satellite. He was no astronomer but he recognized the big and small dipper. In fact most of the constellations looked pretty normal.

Havel was on another planet in universe. Before he’d conjured thoughts of time jumping or even something inter-dimensional. Nothing should have changed the fact he was looking at a new sky. He was close, maybe in the same milky way galaxy as his own Earth.

These thoughts had left the girl’s previous question hanging.

“Maybe the sea is bigger than you first thought.” He answered letting his depression sink into his stomach like a stone. The girl didn’t like having to keep herself turned to watch him. Maybe she had trouble thinking while he stood behind her.

“Sit down,” She ordered and Havel had to grimace.

“Yes, master.” He thought to himself.

Havel wanted to say it, but that would end any hope of an understanding. He would truly be just her slave then. Some ground rules needed to be laid out right now. He turned and started for his previous chair.

“What if I don’t?” He asked her as he passed close. She held her wand out as she turned her head to follow him. Black hair shone and brown eyes watched him. She must have been thinking hard or simply ignored the question. Havel got to his chair and turned to her, but didn’t sit. His light green eyes found hers and they stared. Their wills met in the space before them. She was so much stronger now that she was rested. Thankfully Havel too was more than just half awake. They pushed hard against one another as time ticked on. 10 seconds passed then 20 as they battled there, he was winning again. The big woman came up at him but he wouldn’t be distracted. She stepped close needle aimed at his face. The contest was suddenly over as the girl’s will dropped. She said a word quickly, probably the woman’s name. The weapon stopped but not before pressing deep into his cheek.

“Sit down.” She said once again but it lacked the steel this time. He did so as his skin burned from the shallow stab. The woman over his chair glared at him with open hatred.

“You were right that I’d never hurt you. I don’t care to die. Maybe you should send the guard away.” Havel tried to say casually. The effect was a little lost as his voice shook. He had to appreciate the old lady had picked a totally non threatening hobby. Those needles of hers didn’t look dangerous until it was jabbing into his cheek. Still she loomed over him and her big chest heaved. Personally he felt her quite a bit more scary with those long piercing objects than the old man had been. The girl said a few more things next. They weren’t directed at him but the large woman backed off. He felt a trace of blood from where she’d almost broken the skin. They talked some more before he caught.

“As you saw he has a strong will but obeys my orders.” She said to the woman who had returned to the middle chair. The woman was shaking her head vehemently but the black haired girl pointed and said a single word. It must have been the equivalent of leave. Murderous eyes came back to him and he looked away from them. It wasn’t often anyone glared at him like that. She picked up her basket and left the little study. As soon as the woman left the room Gwen held her wand tightly. She apparently wasn’t taking any chances. She pointed at the door and uttered some words in a different tongue. A little white and yellow bolt hit the door and slid towards the door knob. So she was making sure they wouldn’t be disturbed.

Havel figured she’d start making demands of him. Maybe order him to always obey her in public. In fact he was starting to think he really might begin calling her master. If Havel was forced to play the part then he’d make sure she knew her place as well. She surprised him though.

“For what its worth I’m sorry too.” She said deflating a little but that wand didn’t move away. He wanted to continue to bark, to really let the girl have it. He’d been kidnapped and imprisoned for hours. No one had given him a drop of water or food. Even inmates could expect a meal before their execution. Then he’d been nearly killed for refusing to sit in a chair. They had called him a savage back in that interrogation but the word seemed oddly fitting for these people.

Carrots always worked better than sticks and he did want to get along with this girl. They would be together for life after all.

“Apology accepted,” The words left his mouth and she nodded but he didn’t feel quite right. They were true enough, she couldn’t help how the spell had worked. In the rush of events that followed she’d been just a 14 year old girl. He gathered she’d been ordered to continue the spell. Havel smiled at her then, a little.

“I'm still freaking out magic exists.” He said and the girl looked at him stunned.

“Your people have lost the art?” She said still looking shocked. Maybe she really was thinking him a savage. It made him chuckle a little as he looked around the room.

“We are far more advanced than you, but use science.” He said next and the mental translation must not have gotten quite right. She made a puckered face like she couldn’t believe him.

“Just because I show up naked you think me a barbarian?”

“What would you have done Gwen? Pulled from your comfortable bed and drawn into a strange dream. Something is happening to you beyond your comprehension. Nude in front of countless foreign eyes.” She shuddered then as she finally gathered her empathy. Maybe she really could imagine herself summoned and chained to some man. She managed to stop herself from shaking after a minute. The wand dipped as she clutched one arm over her bosom.

“You asked me before how I did that. I'm unclear what you meant.” He asked her next and she glanced at the door. They were far apart so she got up and came closer. She perched on the chair closest but still held that wand lightly.

“I failed.”

“Failed?”

“You grabbed my will and took me to your source.” Gwen said looking very worried. Havel didn’t quite understand the source reference. Did she mean deep down in what he thought of as his well of energy?

“What is supposed to happen?” He asked and she whitened again.

“Don’t worry, what’s done is done. Lets both tell the honest truth.” Havel said sitting back in his chair. He didn’t think she would attack him and his heart rate was slowing.

“I was supposed to wrap the spell about the… creatures mind. But I failed and you captured me. That’s definitely not supposed to happen. How did you do that?”

“I’m afraid I don’t know that. You were in my head. Its just I liked feeling connected to someone so I imagined pulling you in.” As Havel spoke the pale skin of the girl turn rosy as she blushed.

“We are bound now but not exactly like a familiar.” She almost whispered. If the threads still seemed like chains then they both were locked together.

“So you feel it too?” Havel asked softly and she nodded. Then he felt something like a tug on the thread between them. A bit of his essence spilled down that invisible path to the girl. He too reached out with his mind. Feeling down the path to her and touched gently on her source. Havel felt that bit of his energy mixing with hers. She let out a little sound and her mind batted at his touch. He retreated and laughed lightly. When he opened his green eyes she was looking at him.

“We can’t let anyone know, you have to follow my orders from now on. They will expel me faster than sword stroke. I honestly don’t know what they’d do about you. Maybe because of the bond you’d have to take a servant position in my House. I don’t think they’d try and hurt you now.”

“I will, just don’t order me to hurt myself.” Havel confirmed. She went a little white from what must have been memory. So that’s what the old guy had probably asked.

Havel’s stomach rumbled right then as he was remembering the cell. They hadn’t bothered to feed him all day long. The sound suddenly loud in that quite study. A tiny pale hand came up to Gwen’s mouth in embarrassment. Her wand reappeared and she aimed it at the door again. Another word and a colored bolt hit the heavy wood and crawled to the lock. The was a click and Gwen called a name loudly. The portal almost flew open as the large woman barged in. She held one of those long needles in her hand. She started talking right away in that high proper way. Gwen blushed at her proximity to Havel and went back to the furthest seat. Still she demanded food to the woman in a commanding voice. The girl seemed very angry her familiar wasn’t taken care off. The big woman made a huff and left the room. After she was gone for five minutes Gwen turned back to Havel.

“So what is your name?” She asked almost whispering the question. Havel was feeling much better about the direction of the conversation. Still he didn’t feel quite ready to give that up. His grandma’s advice rang true in his head.

“I’ll tell you my name when you don’t feel compelled to aim a wand in my direction. It seems we both don’t trust each other.” Havel said and she frowned deeply. After a few seconds she nodded though and slipped the wood into a fold of her cloak.

“Gwen Estell Drakin,” She said touching the broach on her cloak. So it was her full name and the words pounded down that pathway into his core. The magical sounds that made up her name echoed for long seconds. It made him want to trust her, to reach out. He got up from the chair and took a step towards her. She made a motion towards her cloak and he stopped. The moment was passed and reality slammed back into him.

He bowed there at the waist and said, “Havel is a good enough name.” She eyed him oddly so he turned towards the book shelf. Trust would be a long road they both needed to travel. He picked out a small volume at random and opened the spine. As he thought the beautiful characters meant nothing to him. The script was hand written and the words seemed to run very close together. There was a lot of symbols around the letters. Lines, dashes, and apostrophe’s around the letters. Phonemic pronunciation?

“So you can read?”

“Not this, but yes.”

“I thought you were a commoner.” Gwen said a little haughtily.

“I suppose I am, all men are common were I come from.” Havel said from his place leafing through the book. There was a little gasp and he turned.

“Who rules you?”

“The people rule, each area elects a Representative.”

“You are savages.” She said with feeling and Havel laughed. This was the second time he’d been called that today.

“A politician once said Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time." He quoted from his history lessons. Though the name of the person escaped him just then.

“You revolted and killed all the nobles then?” She said darkly and her hand edged closer to her cloak fold.

“I suppose we did revolt against the King. There were no nobles though even then in our lands. We were a settled people, explorers. Good people treated as second class citizens. Every form of injustice was done to them and they couldn’t take anymore. So they kicked what stood for an army off the colonies and broke ties.” Havel lectured but he had to admit it was rather a vague story. He still wasn’t quite ready to tell even Gwen his suspicions of other worldly nature. She looked relieved, sighing a little and let her hand drop.

“Maybe I should continue to pretend to be savage in front of the others.” Havel suggested but Gwen looked deep in thought.

“You mentioned the Queen?”

“She is Queen Delphi Auridite and her royal family. Then the House of Nobles that swears fealty to the crown. The assembly creates the laws, collects taxes, and judicates disputes. The Queen controls the army and the small navy we have.”

“You are a noble then?”

“My father holds a seat on the council, yes.”

“So he sent you here to be a mage?” Havel guessed and she looked away suddenly.

“No he didn’t care for me coming here.”

“Oh?” Havel continued and she didn’t appear to like this train of conversation. Thankfully she was saved by the door suddenly flying open. A silver tray and that big woman stormed into the study. One second there was total silence like she’s snuck up into the suite then she was there. It was like she was expecting the two to be rolling about on the couch. The nanny appeared to relax as they stood as far from one another as they could get. Havel closed the book and slid it back into its place on the shelf. It would be something he’d need to explore later.

She set the platter and its contents on a small desk. Her eyes still glowered at him before she stepped back. The woman didn’t leave even when Gwen spoke a few words and went to sit down. Instead though Gwen stood and made for the door. The conversation for tonight was over. Apparently eating was done in privacy.

“It was just as well,” Havel thought wryly. Whatever progress that had been made was shattered by the patrons re-entry into the situation. Lifting the wooden lid Havel saw slices of meat and some bread. There was also a cup or mug containing ale. He sipped at it and made a face tasting the bitter brew. They hadn’t included a knife or fork he noticed. With the pungent smells of food hitting his senses he felt ravenous. The ham was a little dry maybe from over roasting. The bread though was so amazing, it was almost oven fresh. It beat that white wonder stuff 10 times over.

While Havel ate he pondered the conversation they’d had. The girl seemed just as annoyed to be bound to him as well. It hadn’t taken Gwen long to consider this something of magically induced kidnapping. So others would probably suggest the same soon. If this Queen Delphi felt it necessary to push things she could get arrested. Along with the old angry guy, which would explain his readiness to use that wand. He was very very far from home with little chance of going back. Did he want to go back? He’d dreamed of seeing magic all his life. What did these people want with him? Could he trust Gwen? She certainly didn’t trust him. In fact all of them couldn’t believe even a bound familiar could be civilized.

There was a sound like a click and Havel glanced at the door. A faint white and gold light was fading from the area of the lock. Yes, trust was something neither of them had much of right now. He was suddenly grateful he hadn’t actually acted on his impulse to tell her.

Finished with dinner and alone he went back over to the open window. The moons now were high on the horizon. The tiny yellow one had also moved to be in front of the big pink satellite. To his mind it almost seemed a quaint dance of orbital bodies. Until tired from the long day Havel stared up into the sky. He sought Earth, looking for the smallest pin prick of light. Havel knew Sol was a pathetically small star. Discovery channel showed that even a couple hundred light years made the solar system disappear in the cosmic soup. Star gazing was never a hobby and the night sky looked exactly the same. Giving up he laid down on the couch in a tight ball. Havel had been holding back all day but the events rushed in on him as he tried to sleep. Emotions racked him and he desperately wanted the comfort of his own bed. He cried and was slightly ashamed to do it.