Techromancy Scrolls: Adept (22 page)

I grinned as the archer rolled his eyes and reached for my turkey. I started to pull away and Scot held a hand up to me. “You did the killing, the others do the hauling.” Then he added as I let Pete take my prize, “Actually this is much easier since I don't think you would have been much help to me hauling that buck back.”

I pouted. “Hey. I'm not that weak.” He cocked an eyebrow and I crossed my arms then smiled. “Fine. Maybe I am, but shut up, I bagged lunch for you.”

Pete chuckled as he walked past both of us with the Tom slung over his shoulder, “Touche. She's got you there big guy.” I was treated to Sir Scot's laugh again as we headed back to the roadway.

We had just got to the horses and found a small clearing by a brook when the company came to a halt on the roadway. We walked out to greet them and Peter threw the turkey up to the porters in the wagon. Lady Beth said, “Grand! Turkey! Good show Pete.”

Sir Scot laughed and said loudly for all to hear, “Actually that is Laney's kill. We needed something to eat after Peter missed a shot at a deer.” I heard a couple gasps. I guess he doesn't miss much.

He protested in good humor, “Hey, she knocked my arm away.”

I raised an eyebrow imperiously at him and repeated, “It was not our buck.”

Scot laughed and told a thoroughly amused Celeste, “A cougar was on the scent before us. Laney wouldn't let us... what did she say? Steal from the mouth of another.” Then he pointed at my leg. “So then she used that tiny paring knife in her boot to bag the trophy to stop our whining.”

Everyone chuckled at that and then started laughing harder when I said, “Hey! It's a dagger, not a paring knife.” I grumped until Celeste slid off her mount and bumped my hip. Then you couldn't have wiped the grin off my face.

Less than an hour later we were all eating a hearty turkey soup. I was surprised when Fredrick ushered me in front of him and Lucia in the line to dish up first. I must have looked terrified because Lucia prompted quietly so the others didn't hear her showing me a kindness, “You supplied the meal, you are served first.”

Oh. I bowed to her, then turned with my bowl and one of the porters, Darin I think his name was gave me an extra half ladle with a grin. Then we all sat as Sir Scot recounted the tale of Lord Peter's first missed shot, to our company's amusement. I was ready to melt as Celeste had me sit between her legs and use her as a backrest as we ate. She whispered, “You are one surprise after another.”

After we had been on the move again, Celeste was fidgeting around in her saddle, with the minimal head movement I could tell she was scanning the forest. I fought off the compulsion to look around like my head was on a swivel. I asked, “What is it?”

She responded in a low tone, “There are eyes on us. Start a rotation and discretely let the other squires know to double the frequency at random intervals. The Knights will pick up on it and understand.” I nodded and she added, “They have to be a lot closer than when we were traveling through the flats, visibility is limited in the forest, so keep on guard.”

Without a word, I peeled off and motioned to Bex and Brenda with my eyes as I passed and they started a sweep with me. Under my breath, I filled them in, prefacing it with, “Don't react and don't look around. Our shadow is back.” They nodded and we tarried at the back of the caravan for a few extra minutes.

I could see the knights and archers react to the change, they seemed to all perk up and were more alert, nobody looked around. If you hadn't been specifically looking for it like I was, the casual observer would have seen no change. I marveled at how much more aware of things the Knights were than I was. Was it instinct or was it something learned with experience I wondered.

Two of us moved back to our Knights, leaving Bex to move back whenever he felt like it made it a shell game how many defenders were at any given point at any given time. I understood the strategy now. Unless they were directly upon us, none would know that we were simply squires and not knights.

We pushed on into the night until a suitably defensible position was found at a clearing under a rock overhang near a little vale. No open flame was the order of the night. Pete and another archer disappeared into the forest after the horses were tended and we broke bread. After laying out my bedroll next to Celeste's, I made my way silently around and up to the top of the overhang where she sat first watch. It was just above the trees and the night sky looked to swallow the world, blanketing it in a quilt of stars.

She just smiled at me as I walked up. She held open her riding cloak and I nestled in as she wrapped me in it. Then we just sat and watched the night, knowing that somewhere nearby, it was watching back. I actually made it through her watch without dozing off this time.

Celeste nodded at a grinning Lady Beth as the burly blonde relieved us. The Knight reminded me of a smaller Verna... nobody had the muscles of Verna. We made our way down. Pausing once when my Lady cocked her head slightly, listening intently, then we went down to the camp, our breath fogging the chill air.

The cone of heat from the electric space heater was a godsend. We laid on my bedroll and she pulled her blanket over the both of us as she draped her arm over my waist and we fell asleep in our familiar configuration.

I awoke with a start, the world was lit brilliantly and the colors were so rich and vivid. Celeste's hand was over my mouth and she was scanning the party. When she knew I was fully awake, she released me as her keen eyes scanned the area. I noticed brilliant emerald sparks were dripping from her eyes and I had matching amber trailing my head as I followed her gaze.

It was still night, it was my magics allowing me to see as though it were day. I tried to figure out what had awakened me and Celeste in this state. Then I could feel it, taste it. Someone was using magic nearby. They were quick because the position kept shifting. She slowly drew a dagger that was almost as long as my sword, I drew my own dagger.

Tennison was on alert and I saw Duke Fredrick poke his head out the tent, silver power sparkling in his eyes. All the magic users were awakened by the taste of magic in the air. Tennison gave Fredrick a reprimanding look and the Duke disappeared back inside the tent.

Celeste whispered, “We are missing one. Figuring three sentries, we should have eighteen here. A porter is missing.” She made a hand motion to Tennison and the other knights who were awakening. Then she whispered, “With me Laney.” We slipped into the woods. My heart was threatening to pound out of my chest as we made our way around the camp.

I saw one of the porters ummm... squatting by a tree, doing his business. Then everything happened at once. Celeste's eyes shot up above us then over to a stump near the porter. She held a hand out and I had to squint as the very air around the stump got unbearably bright. I realized it was just my enhanced vision. She was illuminating the area.

There was a man in a dark brown cloak crouched by the stump, he was looking at the porter and energy was gathering in his hand. He had been preparing to strike at the man when he could not defend! How cowardly was this magic user? And I heard the first arrow fly from almost directly above us.

The Rogue redirected the power he was going to use to attack the porter to deflect the arrow and he ran. Weaving through the trees so the archer who was sitting in the tree above us couldn't get off another shot. I went to persuse, but Celeste had a grip on my collar.

She grinned at me and shook her head. “Not in the woods at night Laney. I know the fire in your heart. Just know our man is safe.”

The porter had fallen over on his ass during the excitement, uttering a, “The fuck?” I looked away from the partially exposed man. Celeste chuckled then looked up and made a slight motion with her head and I saw the archer bound away from tree to tree in pursuit of the Rogue. I think it was Pete.

Celeste chuckled, “For god's sake Henry, wipe your ass and pull your britches up.” I waited until he joined us to turn back around again.

He looked back to where the rogue had been then at us. “What the hell is going on my Lady?” She rolled her eyes and gently shoved the man back toward camp. We followed and I kept looking back, Celeste whispered, “He'll not be back tonight.”

We arrived back at camp and it was bustling with activity. Three knights were guarding the tent. Celeste spoke loudly with humor tinging her voice. “Henry went out to take a dump and wound up almost shitting himself when our shadow decided to thin the herd. He was a target of opportunity.”

There was restrained chuckling and she got serious. “For the duration of the mission, nobody leaves camp without escort, buddy system, and nobody leaves camp unarmed. The assailant was a rogue. Peter is tracking him now.” Everyone sobered and gave nods of understanding.

Tennison called over to me, “For the love of God Laney, turn it down a notch, he's gone.” I squinted at him and looked down to the rivulets of amber energy arcing down my arms and dripping onto the ground.” The big man smirked at me and I sighed and closed my eyes and took three deep breaths, calming myself. I opened my eyes and the world darkened to twilight. Sunrise was maybe thirty minutes off, with tinges of orange on the horizon. Tennison chuckled and winked.

Bex stepped beside us. “What was he talking about?”

I shrugged and went to start rolling up my bedroll. Celeste said in a voice full of humor, “Magic users tend to bleed power from their eyes and it is visible to other magic users. Laney, for how under powered she is, is pretty spectacular to look at. She has an unusual amber signature, and it seems to flow over her entire body.”

He looked at me and squinted. Kristof cuffed him lightly on the back of his head and said with humor, “She's not doing it now, and even if she were, we can't see it. But you start to get a feel for it. The hairs on your arm and neck will stand on end whenever one of the techno-dweebs powers up.”

He deftly caught the pebble Tennison chucked at him for the insult and grinned. Celeste rolled her eyes with a smile and backhanded him in the gut and joined me breaking camp.

Peter reappeared just as Father Sol peeked over the horizon. He looked annoyed and just shook his head once at Celeste. The Rogue had escaped. He passed Tennison and grumped out, “Fuckin' magic users.” Which just got a chuckle from the big man and they exchanged smiles.

I got a smug look on my face when I mounted Goliath on my fist attempt. Then I promptly rode into a branch and almost fell off while I gloated. Celeste just chuckled at me as she rode past. We waited, eyes scanning the shadowed forest as the wagon and coach were checked and loaded. Then we were on our way along the cobbled highway.

I don't know if it was the close call earlier that had me nervous or not, but I think I felt the uneasiness Celeste did when she was being watched. I scolded myself. Just great, don't get paranoid Laney.

Things were pretty routine and the novelty of the never ending dark forest was starting to wear off by lunch. I mean it was beautiful and spectacular, but there were only so many trees you could marvel at, at one time. I did enjoy the more frequent little stone bridges over small creeks we crossed over as we neared the Whispering Walls.

I've heard so many stories of how plentiful running water was in the mountains and was just starting to witness it in the foothills of the forest. I noted we had been steadily heading uphill for hours when we stopped for the midday meal.

After we broke bread, I sat on a stump and pulled out my father's tool pouch. I got a thread and needle out to repair a small hole I got in my riding cloak when I dove over the log to catch the turkey. Lady Beth was watching me intently.

I finally broke and stopped as I was tying off my stitches. I looked at her and then she blinked. “Oh, sorry Laney. I didn't mean to be rude. You can sew?”

I gave a crooked smile. “Of course I can sew. Everyone can sew.”

She shook her head. I was about to ask what kind of person didn't learn to sew. Then paused and asked, “Who mends your clothes for you.” I nudged my hands toward a hole in the tunic she wore under her cloak as I bit the thread to sever it. Then I checked out my patch.

She made a chuffing sound and said as if it were common sense. “We just send it off to the seamstress for repair or a new tunic and cut up the old for cleaning rags.”

I nodded and patted the stump next to me. Celeste was watching our exchange carefully. Beth sat next to me as I knotted the end of my thread and started repairing her tunic. I asked, “And what if you couldn't? What if you had to pay for that new tunic, but you had no coin and the seamstress was away?”

She grinned. “Then I'd have a chambermaid or a...”

I stopped what I was doing and looked at her, meeting her eyes when she paused, understanding lighting her eyes. I said, “Serfs do not have the luxury of chambermaids and servants. The keep does not furnish their clothing. They have to pay for every scrap of clothing they own, and the coin is far too scarce. So they learn to repair what they have, get the most use out of it. It is as natural to us as reading is to a noble.”

She cocked an eyebrow as I bit off the thread and checked my repair on her tunic. “Us?”

I exhaled as she smiled at the patch. Then I said, “I do not forget from where I hailed. I am no noble no matter what my title may say. This is not my world. I do my best not to embarrass you true knights, and do you proud.” I looked over at Celeste, who was pretending not to listen. “To do my Lady proud.”