Quake Chapters Two & Three

We arrived at the Lonely Pelican right on time. I was ushered inside, thrown a notebook and a maroon colored apron and put to work. I was extremely rusty since it had been several years since I had waited tables at the Pelican though I still knew most of the customers by name. The locals were very curious as to why the owners son and now daughter were back working at the Pelican and asked no end of polite but probing questions. By lunch time my feet were swollen and my cheeks were sore from smiling so much. I caught a glimpse of Dirk lounging out back and headed towards him. Instead of tall, dark and handsome, Dirk was long, light and lean. He was tall like our mother with strikingly defined features, also like our mother. He had light blue eyes and pale blonde hair. His shoulders were not broad but they supported lean muscular arms. He looked quick and light on his feet. Whereas Dirk got his hard good looks from Mom, I must have gotten my features from my Dad though no one had ever told me so. I am average height with features that are rounded and soft. My lips are fuller and the only way you can find my cheekbones is by touching my face until you find them. My eyes are rounder and the blue of my eyes are dark turbulent waters compared to their sunlit ocean. I did get the trademark pale blonde hair but if I dyed my hair brown no one would ever guess I was related to the striking Maebell Glick or her achingly handsome son Dirk Littleton.

“Lunch break?” Dirk asked as I approached.

“Yes.” I said and let out a long sigh. “I am wore out already.”

Dirk laughed. “Been a while since you have done actual work huh?”

I made a face at him.

“So…when did your money run out?” He asked smirking at me.

Dirk was referring to the money our mysterious Uncle gave us at every visit. Our Mother always split the money down the middle and put them into separate accounts for us. She sure didn’t need it. When we turned eighteen she gave the money to us. Dirk got his three years before me but Mom still split the next three years down the middle since the amount was unchanged. Dirk took his money and moved to Atlanta. Mom paid for him to go to Georgia State so the rest was his to do whatever with. When I turned eighteen I went straight to Hollywood and went to acting school. The money was enough for us to live on without having to work much if any.

“About five months ago. I would say it was a major factor in Sean’s decision to split.” I said though really I had just worked that part out myself. “I had been looking for work, acting work, and couldn’t find any so I had to start relying on his paycheck because he had a dedicated role in a soap opera.”

“Wow.” Dirk exclaimed, impressed, “Mine ran out over two years ago.”

“Well Dirk, I wasn’t trying to live in penthouses.”

“Me either, it just kinda happened.”

“Riiiiiight.” I said rolling my eyes at him. “Want to go grab lunch with me?”

“I would but I have already had my lunch hour. This is my last break then I leave in an hour. You know you should really check out the new bakery across the street, Colossians, they have really good sandwiches and some pretty awesome bakery things too. Plus there is this really hot girl that works there that I have been, you know” He leaned over and winked at me. “trying to ask out.”

“Trying? I have never known you to have to try before.” I laughed.

“Well there is this guy that works there and he looks to be her age and I didn’t know if…….” He trailed off. “You know, if they are dating or not. They don’t seem to be. I go in there almost every time I am working and I have never seen them act all touchy feely or look at each other with that…..look.”

“So what makes you think they could be dating? Does she not respond to your…look?”

“You would just have to see him and she responds just fine. I just want to be sure. I don‘t want to have to fight the guy if I try to ask her out and she‘s his.”

“Ok.” I said, my curiosity peaked. “I will go scope it out over a rueben.”

“Thanks sis and their ruebens are tha bomb.”

I grimaced. “Aren’t you a bit old for slang?”

“Nope never too old.” He said and winked at me again. “Peace out, my sista.” He threw up two fingers at me and walked back into to Pelican.

I rolled my eyes. There was just something about my brother that made me roll my eyes more in five minutes that I usually did in a year.


I pushed the button on the street pole and waited for the light to change. I studied the deli/bakery with the funny name across the street. It used to be a souvenir shop with airbrushed t-shirts and gaudy knick knacks in the windows. Now the windows were devoid of the clutter but replaced with decals advertising their selection of meats, sandwich styles and baked goods. The little walking man appeared on the crosswalk sign and I crossed the street. A bell chimed overhead when I swung the door open. The intoxicating smell of deli meat and bakery bread assaulted my senses. My stomach groaned in anticipation. The shop was tastefully decorated with a few posters of old deli menus and pictures in black and white and sepia of old time delis and bakeries. They had a handful of round bistro style tables and chairs, now empty, and two long glass displays separated by a counter where the register sat. The left display held slabs of meat and cheeses while the right offered several different types of bread along with cannolis, doughnuts, cupcakes and other delightful baked goodies. I sidled up to the counter and looked up at the menu board.

A pretty dark haired girl emerged from a doorway to the right, behind the counter and smiled broadly at me. Her nametag declared her to be Robin and I could tell right away she was the girl Dirk was after. Dirk liked fragile flowers he could protect and treat like they were endangered species. He took the ‘southern gentleman’ cliché to the next level with women. Well all women with the exception of his sister. I liked it that way. I was no fragile flower and while some women liked being treaded like one, I was not one of them. Robin was short and petite, with long, thin brown hair that framed a face of small, delicate features. Her eyes were an odd shade of hazel that was almost green under long luxurious lashes. I could just picture her looking up mournfully at Dirk, batting those lashes and him rushing to get her anything she wanted.

“Hello, welcome.” She said in a distinctively northern accent. “What can I get for you today?”

I smiled back at her. “A rueben for sure. My brother says they are wonderful.”

She cocked an eyebrow at me. “Oh? We just opened a few weeks ago. I will probably remember him. What does he look like?”

“Tall, lean, blonde hair and blue eyes.”

“Works across the street?” She asked.

I nodded. “Yep, that’s him.”

“Oh yes he comes in quite regularly. He also likes the BBMT.”

Was that a slight blush coming to her cheeks, I wondered? I was pretty sure it was. That was a good sign. I glanced up at the menu to see what a BBMT was. Bacon, Basil, Mozzarella and Tomato. “Yum that does sound good but I will stick with the Ruben for today. What is the soup of the day?” I asked.

She gestured to a blackboard on the far left of the wall where “Minestrone” was written in pink chalk.

“I’ll take a small cup of that too.” I said.

“Would you like anything else?” She asked.


I walked over to the bakery section. “I am pretty sure I can’t leave without something in this case. It keeps calling me.” I grinned at her. She grinned back knowingly.

“Imagine working here.” She said.

I groaned longingly. “I would love it until I stepped on a scale. Baked goods are my weakness.” I confessed. “What is this little lovely here?” I asked pointing to a dusty white biscuit looking confection with a buttery cream on top.

“I really can’t help you with this side of store. I am not the baker.” She smiled at me. “But my cousin is and he will help you.” She walked to the doorway and yelled for Simon. I heard a gruff male voice call back that he would be right out. “I will go ahead and get your soup and sandwich going while you decide.”

I noted the word cousin and was bursting to tell Dirk he had nothing to fear after all. “Thank you.” I said and began looking at the pastries again. The front door chimed and a small group of old ladies came bustling in. They chattered happily, ohhhing and ahhhing over the meat case and Robin told them she would be right with them. I smiled at one of the ladies who I recognized from having served just that morning at the Pelican. Only then she was accompanied by her husband. She smiled back at me then her smile faltered and her face went a little slack as she looked at a point above my right shoulder. I turned to see what caused her distress and I am sure my face made the same maneuver has hers. Before me in the doorway to the backroom stood a man straight off the cover of a cheesy romance novel. Tall, maybe six foot one with broad shoulders, he wore a white button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up almost to his shoulders displaying arms with neither too much nor too little muscle. Soft hazel eyes surveyed the room. His full mouth wore a small half smile. His chiseled features were framed by a mane of dark almost wavy hair. He was pretty, too pretty to be real. All we needed was his shirt to be unbuttoned, showing his chest and a light wind to ruffle his hair and we’d be set. He was wiping two massive hands off on a white half apron tied around is waist. I tried so very hard not to dwell on those hands. Big and manly, they were a working man’s hands. They looked like they would be equally at home swinging a hammer or clamped around some evildoer’s neck. I found it hard to imagine those same hands in the backroom working dough and forming delicate confections. He was wearing light blue denim jeans that hugged muscled thighs. I couldn’t see his rear but if the rest of him was any indication then I was pretty sure it was a fine specimen as well.

He grinned at me, flashing his perfect pearly whites and I had the mad urge to giggle like a schoolgirl. I was so glad Dirk wasn’t there and totally understood the basis for his concern. Dirk was handsome but this Simon was…….breathtaking. Not to mention he looked like he would be ruthless in a fight. I wouldn‘t want to tango with him either.

“What can I help you with?” He asked also with a north of the Mason Dixon lilt.

I pulled my actress face down like a mask and gave him a small, friendly, not giving any emotion away smile. I was certain this man was used to women drooling over him and I would not give him the satisfaction of seeing me do the same. I asked about the buttery confection and he started to explain its name and what was in it but I must admit that while my face looked as if I were listening I heard not a word. I was marveling at how the light from the overhead pendants seemed to create a soft haze around his chiseled features and put an almost mischievous twinkle to his eyes. He looked at me and for a second our eyes locked and held. I held my breath and a knot formed in my chest. This man was mine. Why the word flashed in my head I will never know but looking into those twinkling eyes I thought “Mine”. I knew it with absolute certainty. For some reason I thought of how explorers used to sail around the world, claiming land for their home countries by sticking a flag into the ground. I desperately wanted to find a flag and suction cup it to his forehead. I looked around frantically, having temporarily lost my mind, for a napkin and a straw so I could fashion a flag and claim him for my own. My gaze fell on his again. His grin was stretched so wide I thought it would crack. Then it did just that. He doubled over laughing. I looked at him confused and horrified. Had I done something? This diatribe I had had in my head only lasted a few seconds what could I have possibly done that was so funny? The realization hit me.

“Did I just say that out loud?” I asked the room in general. Robin and the old ladies were looking at us quizzically. Simon laughed so hard he had to lean against the counter for support. After he regained a little composure he excused himself and retired to the backroom but I could still hear him sniggering.

Robin walked over to me grinning. “No, he’s a mind reader.” She said in a low voice so that only I heard her. “I must tell you that women have thought all sorts of things at him and he never breaks down laughing. He has conditioned himself to maintain control no matter how bad the thoughts are.”

I really wish I could have seen my own face at that moment. I couldn’t speak, I didn’t know what to say. She handed me a tray with my food on it. “On the house.” She said.


“Um, can I get it to go?“ There was no way I could eat in there.

She nodded sympathetically.





I don’t remember the walk back across the street. I sat down at the break table in the back of the Pelican and stared at the brown bag. It had a round stylized logo with Colossians Deli and Bakery written on it in bold black type. I thought for half a second about not eating it. I thought about driving home, curling up in my bed and never getting out again. Unfortunately I was more mortified by the fact Simon had read my mind instead of the fact that he could read my mind. Looking back I didn’t even see where it was that funny. I guess I got points for originality or total lunacy. I am sure of all the things he has heard women think they want to do to him, suction cupping a flag to his forehead wasn’t high on the list. And what was with that strange feeling of possession that came over me when our eyes met? It was unlike anything I had ever felt before. It was probably my actor side playing up the drama of the moment. He was so totally out of my league it wasn’t even funny. I am passable, he is fantastical.

“Mine.” My mind thought despite me.

I shook my head trying to clear it. The smell of the corned beef and minestrone was intoxicating. I caved and ate every bite.





Chapter 3


From that moment on my world totally and irrevocably changed. Through all my twenty odd years I have never met, known or heard of anyone else with powers like ours outside of Hollywood make believe. To say it rocked my world was putting it mildly. Sure I figured there were more of us but being confronted with one, possibly two counting Robin, was a different matter entirely.

I thought about telling Dirk but decided against it. I wanted to find some things out first. Like how they knew they could tell me Simon was a mind reader without fear of me not believing them. I also wanted to know if there was an anti mind reading trick I could learn and quick.

Needless to say I didn’t get much sleep that night. I wish I could say it was because the thought of there being others like me thrilled and terrified me at the same time and that is party true. But no, I was up mainly because of the mortification I felt every time I thought of Simon and unfortunately I thought of him often.



The bell chimed merrily over my head when I walked in the deli the next day. I was a little later than the day before owing to a huge lunch crowd I couldn’t get away from at the Pelican. It looked like they had all come to Colossians for dessert. The place was crowded with most of the patrons clamoring around the bakery side. It took me a second to realize why. The whole crowd consisted of ladies. Old ladies, young ladies and all ages in between ladies. All vying for Simon’s attention. It took a massive effort but I didn’t roll my eyes. It was becoming a habit.

As if drawn to each other like a magnet our eyes found each other and locked. Luckily for me I had put my acting face on before I came in. I saw Simon didn’t have an acting face. He grinned at me, a glint appearing in his hazel eye. My face remained unmoved and I began humming furiously in my head. I was trying to mask my thoughts. Either it was working or it was amusing him because his smile ticked up a notch.

I avoided all pretense and walked straight up to the counter and looked him straight in the eye.

“I need to speak with you. In private.” I said in my best business-like tone.

I was so frustrated by the devilish grin he gave me I was a heartbeat from southern girl arm waving.

“Certainly.” He said and gestured for me to join him behind the counter. “Robin, can you cover for me a moment?”

Her eyes were huge as she looked at us. “Ummm, I’m a little busy at the moment Simon.”

“Thanks ok, I will just wait in the back.” I said as I walked around the suddenly still and silent gaggle of women. They looked at me with evil eyes as I passes them. I had the unthinkable urge to bare my teeth at them and growl. I forgot to keep the humming up and I heard Simon laugh. I felt my face and neck grow hot. I felt heat flush my face and neck. I was a trained actor, meaning I had one hundred percent control over my emotions, meaning there was no way I was blushing! I stalked past him with my eyes looking anywhere but at his face.

It took about twenty five minutes for him to join me at the small table in the back. The small work areas were meticulously clean. There were trays of already made pastries and one tray of delicious looking chocolate and caramel drizzled doughnuts.

Simon strode in from the front, picked up a small sheet of pastry paper and swiped one of the doughnuts from the tray. He walked over to the table and placed it in front of me. I groaned. “Is the humming not working at all?” I asked him.

“Oh yes the humming works just fine. I can only read what is at the foremost in your mind. You were concentrating on that doughnut so hard I could have picked it up outside.”

He walked over to a counter and poured two cups of coffee. Do you take cream or sugar?” He asked.

“Do whales blow bubbles?” I asked.

“I believe so.” He said, smiling as he poured cream and sugar into my cup. He took his black.

He sat the coffees on the table and sat down across from me. “So who told you about the humming?” He asked.

“Nobody.” I replied. “Just a guess.”

He smiled. “I would have liked for you to have never found that out.”

I felt my face trying to go hot again. “Is Robin coming soon? I wanted to speak to both of you.”

“She should be along shortly.” He said.

“I only have an hour for lunch and I have used up forty minutes of it already. I don’t think it is going to be enough time for me to ask all the questions I want to ask you two.”

“We can meet you and your brother for dinner if you would like.” Robin said walking into the room. “I think we all have some questions.”

“Where do you want to meet?” I asked.

“Let’s go to Rivera’s.” Simon suggested.

Rivera’s was a high end restaurant on the square. It was a popular place to take a date or celebrate an anniversary. I gaped at him. He must be joking. Before I could protest Robin spoke.

“Let’s meet there at eight o’clock.”

“Sounds good to me. Would that be suitable for you Shia?”

I was momentarily awestruck by the sound of my name coming from his lips. “I have no problem with the time but wouldn’t you rather meet at the Burger King instead?”

“Not a chance.” He replied. “It’s a date then.”

“A double date.” Robin said and blushed a little.

“Um, I just have one question before I go.” I said.

“What is it?” asked Simon.

“How do you know my name?”

“Lets leave that for tonight.” Simon said and gave me a cryptic smile.

“Fine, whatever. See you all then.”

Quake Chapter One

The earth trembled and bucked around me. People started pouring out of buildings, clogging the streets. In the state of California and especially in this neighborhood everyone knew the drill. I clutched my cell phone in my hand so hard my knuckles were turning white.
“What a low life bastard!” I thought, clenching my teeth. “How dare he break up with me and on my facebook page!” Luckily my phone alerts me when I have a new wall post so his note “I think it’s time for us to see other people because baby, I already see one I like” comment was deleted after only being in cyberspace a few seconds. I was not naïve enough to think that out of my two hundred and fifty friends that no one saw it. I just couldn’t believe that after three years together he could just throw me away so easily and so callously. I thought I knew him. I thought I might even love him. My phone vibrated in my hand and it wasn’t caused by the earthquake.

“Honey.” A woman’s sooth southern voice said from the receiver. “I just got a notification on my phone and read what Sean wrote.” The earthquake went up another notch on the Richter scale. “Baby you need to calm down. Take a deep breath. I am on my way to work so I can’t turn on the TV. But I am assuming there is an earthquake going on right now?”

I took a deep breath. “Yes.”

“Oh Shia, you have been doing so well. How long has it been, three months? Please calm down. Think about all the people you could be hurting. Think of all the priceless family heirlooms crashing to the floor right now as we speak. He is just a boy, baby. Trust me there are lots of them.”

“Ok Mom. I am calming down.” I said still deep breathing.

“Imagine yourself sitting on the beach. How about laying in your hammock. Hear the waves crashing against the shore? Maybe you should come home for a nice long visit. It would do you good to get away from all that Hollywood drama.”

“I’ll think about it Mom and call you back.”

“How’s the quake?” she asked.

“What quake?” I asked and hung up. I turned my phone off, not wanting to risk hearing from anyone else and started walking again towards the flat I shared with Sean. A little ripple of energy escaped me as I thought of the possibility of him being there. I doubted it. I was just getting home from a week in South Beach with a friend and auditioning for a part in a daytime soap opera.

“See this is what happens when you leave a guy alone for an extended period of time.” I berated myself aloud. “They find somewhere else to put their private parts.” I rolled my eyes. I had thought Sean was different, even perfect but on reflection he is an aspiring actor so his acting skills must be pretty good right? Was our whole relationship an act? Had I just lived with Sean the actor and Sean the real person was someone I never met? I mulled this over as I rode the elevator up to our fourth story flat. I unlocked the door and tried to brace myself for whatever was inside. It didn’t work. As expected he had already moved out. He had left all of my things in the exact place I had left them. But that wasn’t the shocking part. The shocking part was the whole flat was covered in paint. It looked like he had went to the big box store and bought every paint color from SpongeBob Squarepants. Gallons of bright orange, lime green, neon pink and electric blue were thrown all over everything. My 42 inch plasma was a brilliant shade of yellow, the floor to ceiling windows gave a new meaning to ‘stained glass’. Our bedroom door was open and I saw my beautiful white lacy duvet splashed with electric blue. On reflection it was a pretty good color to describe that area of our relationship. I stood there gaping like an idiot for several minutes then the anger that flashed up in me caused the earth to shutter violently around me and all the windows in the building exploded at once.


****




I sat in the airport awaiting my gate to be called watching the news. Of course the airport was too loud to hear it but I was reading the captions.

“……earthquake in Anaheim a 4.0 on the Richter scale came at 12:56 pm today. The aftershock came in a 4.9, twenty minutes later. The aftershock blew out all the windows in the Shady Palms complex which was particularly devastating for a young tenant who had just come home to find out her boyfriend had dumped her on her facebook wall and had thrown gallons of paint all over the apartment they had shared.” Here the reporter smirks and they show a slow sweeping view of my apartment. My cheeks burned but I kept my energy under control. “Curiously this region of Anaheim has been particularly prone to quakes in the last decade. Fortunately other than the broken windows the damage was minimal with no injuries other than a broken heart perhaps.” The news anchor smirked again at his own joke. My seat shook a little at this and I turned away. I had called the cops before I left and filed charges. The landlord was understandably too busy with glass installers to help us right away but he assured me he would get the hallway surveillance videos to the police. The cop was pretty sure I had an ironclad case against him. It really was silly of him to wreck the flat. I mean we didn’t even break up on bad terms. I rolled my eyes again “Actors….so full of drama.”

****


I arrived in Gulf Shores Alabama six and a half hours later. It was suppertime but I knew as the taxi dropped me off Mom would still be at work. I dropped my suitcases at the backdoor and walked down our old weather-beaten boardwalk to the beach. The sky was clear and a cool breeze ruffled my hair. I collapsed in my favorite spot, the hammock strung between two palm trees. As I lay there I evaluated my life; a twenty seven year old aspiring actress who after ten years had starred in a grand total of two commercials with very minor parts and three scenes in a now cancelled soap opera with the distinguished title of “Bar patron number three”. Never married, no kids, no talent and no future. Oh and lets not forget freak of nature. Can’t forget that little juicy tidbit.

I tried not to. I really did but once a few tears leaked out it was like a dam failing and it all just gushed out. I stared up at the sky with my vision blurred by tears when a man’s head leaned over me, blocking out the sky. I was so startled my body jerked and I flipped spectacularly off the hammock landing on all fours in the sand.

I looked up at the handsome blonde who had wrecked my pity party. “Damn it Dirk. I hate it when you do that!”

Dirk was doubled over laughing. “I’m…sorry….” he got out between guffaws. “was…only trying….to say…hello.”

“Riiiight. Like I believe that.” I said brushing sand of my knees. “What are you doing here anyway?”

“I was wondering the same thing about you little missy. I happen to live here now.”

I looked at him incredulously. “You live here? Mom didn’t tell me that. I thought you were living it up in Atlanta with some politician’s daughter.”

“And so I was.” He said puffing out his chest. He reached for my hand and led me back up the ramp to the patio where we sat down together. “She was a sweet thing.” He said looking up to the sky ruefully. “But alas she started saying these sentences with words like ‘love’ and ‘marriage’ in them so I had to say goodbye to the high life.” He sighed dramatically.

I laughed. “Dirk your such a jerk. Your telling me a rich pretty girl loved you and wanted to marry you so you split?”

“That about sums it up.” He stretched his arms and legs and yawned. “Really sis I just didn’t love her so instead of stringing her along because I liked being with her I packed up and moved home. I thought I was being noble. It hasn’t been easy on me you know, going from caviar living to this.” He turned and gestured to our multiple thousand square foot, beachfront familial home. “This is a far cry from Atlanta penthouses.”

I laughed again. “It’s good to be home. I missed it too.”

He nodded appreciatively. He reached across the table and poked my arm. “Tag, your it.”

So I told him all about the cheating bastard actor Sean. I thought about leaving out the news report but I couldn’t help telling him. He jumped up and went inside with a hurried “be right back”. When he reemerged he had his laptop in hand. He scooted his chair next to mine and pushed play on the screen. We watched the news report on you tube again, and again and again. It had over a thousand hits already. We laughed until we cried. It was so much more comical hearing the news anchor’s voice instead of reading it.

While we were laughing a tall slender woman with short blonde hair and a pretty but lined face walked around the house. Her heels making a clicking noise on the patio stones.

“What’s so funny?” she asked in her smooth as honey southern drawl.

Dirk swiveled the computer screen around and pushed play. My Mom sat down and watched. Her lips quirked but she didn’t laugh out loud. “You got to admit baby, he’s got and eye for color.”

I was horrified but Dirk fell out of his chair laughing. “Gee thanks Mom. Nice to see you too.”

She got up and kissed the top of my head. “I missed you too much baby girl. I am glad your home. You hungry?”

“Yep.” Dirk chimed in before I could answer. “Come on sis, last one to the door is a dead opossum.”

I rolled my eyes but ran after him anyway.

Mom fixed us peanut butter and banana sandwiches, chips and sweet tea. We all stood in the kitchen talking and joking. It was so good to be home. It had always been like this. Just the three of us. Our dad had split on us when I was just over one year old and Dirk was three. Dirk had only a couple vague memories of him and I didn’t have any. Mom didn’t talk about him as a rule. Our Mom was and is a strong woman so we never felt like we were missing anything by not having a father. She came from a well to do southern family and was an only child. When Maw maw and Pawpaw Glick died before we were born Mom got all their wealth and property. She didn’t have to work anymore but she did anyway. She bought a southern cookin’ restaurant on the strip called The Lonely Pelican. Growing up the only family we had was each other and a mysterious Uncle on our dad’s side that visited us every year while until we hit eighteen. He was the only relative of our dads we had ever met or heard of. We never knew when he was coming, he just showed up. He stayed one night with us, gave us money from our father and left. The first few years we asked him about our dad endlessly and asked if there were any other Littletons we could meet. He never answered so we stopped asking. He never talked about himself or his family. He only wanted to know about us. How our schooling was getting on, etc. When we got older he would ask us when Mom was out or occupied how we were getting on with our ‘other’ studies. We didn’t know what he meant at first until he formed a three foot high tornado on the living room carpet. Dirk and I walked around the tornado in awe, plunging our hand or foot into it’s core. Dirk, being a wind worker also proudly showed him all he could do. I however told him that I could do nothing. He was surprised at this at first but kept telling me it would come in time. Dirk didn’t question me on why I wouldn’t make the earth quake for him, he already knew. My abnormality was not something I could hide in my room and work on perfecting like Dirk could. I had no control over my power and spent all my time learning to suppress it while Dirk spent his learning to prefect his. I was jealous of him and his ability growing up but it never made me bitter or resent him. I just wanted to know why I had to be the freakier one. Why couldn’t I just be normal freaky? Uncle Strep, as he told us to call him began to stare long and hard at me when I, year after year maintained I had no ability. I don’t think he ever believed me but at age fourteen he stopped asking. He said if it hadn’t happened by then it wasn’t going to.



The next morning Mom woke me up early and told me to get ready for work. I groaned and grumbled but did as I was told. Mom popped a few frozen waffles into the toaster for me. “Your brother is already gone to open up the Pelican. He gets there at five so the ladies can start making biscuits for the breakfast crowd. It’s Friday so we will be busy. You can take lunch at one till two then get off at four thirty. You will be waiting tables today so you can keep your tips plus a dollar an hour. We are leaving at seven.”

I looked at her cross-eyed. “That is way too many words this early in the morning. You have coffee somewhere?”

Mom sighed and poured me a cup. “Do you still take cream and sugar?”

“Do monkeys eat bananas?”

“Absolutely”. Mom replied passing me the mug. She dug some cream from the fridge and the sugar bowl from the counter and handed it to me. “I am really sorry about Sean. I thought he was a nice boy even if he was an actor.” Mom distrusted actors as a rule and now I was beginning to see her wisdom in it. “But sugar I can tell you why the relationship didn’t work out if you want to hear it.”

I groaned. “What Mom? Should I have cooked him three meals a day? Set his clothes out for him for work the next day? Rubbed his feet after a long day of prancing in front of a camera?”

“The cooking thing sure wouldn’t hurt. There is no quicker way to win a man’s heart than through his stomach.” Mom replied.

“Not any man I ever met. They only want one thing and it isn’t my crème brulee.”

“I said to a man’s heart not his pants baby. And there in lies the problem. As it is ordained by God, and your mother, you should find a man who wins your heart and you have won his and then you get married.” She put extra emphasis on the word. “You will never have a satisfying relationship if you keep shacking up with whatever guy you happen to like at the time. Trust me baby, it will never work out. If a man really loves you he will have the crème brulee first and wait for the rest until your married.”

“There are no men like that anymore Momma!” I said waving my hands in exasperation. “That is not the way the world works anymore.”

“And that is exactly why the world doesn’t work anymore. Everyone wants to do what they want to do, when they want to do it. No one cares about anyone else. Well I am not buying it and I hope and pray I have raised my babies to do the same. Now eat your dad gum waffles and lets go to work.” She strode out of the room, her heels clicking furiously.

I had heard this same speech from Mom several times and it usually ended like this. With arm waving and Mom reduced to her special brand of cursing. This time I must admit I felt finally mature enough to see it’s wisdom and thought God must be on to something, as he usually was. After this horrific blind sight to what Sean truly was I was beginning to realize that I needed to stop looking for love. I should just hang back, lay low and let love find me. Or something like that anyway.

Blade's Fall Chapter Three

Chapter 3


Loflan awoke with the vague sense that something was wrong. He glanced up from his pallet of blankets on the floor to see Maude darkening the doorway.

“Get up. I want to do a reseeing.” She said, her voiced clipped and businesslike and walked briskly away. It reminded him of his apprentice days.

Loflan fought the urge to fall back to sleep and failed. A few minutes later a loud boom jolted him up. He stood panting, heart hammering with Banisher already unsheathed in his hand. It was not glistening with molten fire so whatever it was was not a threat. He heard Maude chuckle from the other room. Clearly Banisher had a loose definition of threat.

Grumbling he resheathed Banisher and got dressed. He walked into the kitchen and saw Maude had made him breakfast. He forgave her instantly for her precussion spell as he inhaled eggs, toast and cheese while washing it down with strongly brewed tea.

Maude breezed in as he was finishing the last bit of cheese. “Ready then?”

“After a breakfast like that I am ready for anything.” He replied “How’s our little ward.”

Maude shrugged. “Much the same. Her fever hasn’t broken but it didn’t rise dangerously high last night either. I think tonight will be the night. If not tomorrow for sure. Then she will really start to recover.”

Loflan nodded shrugged on his coat and followed Maude out the door.

“Take me to where you found her.” She said.

As they passed by the stables Loflan remembered something. “Lets check in on our four legeds.”

“Good idea. I need to send mine on the long journey home for my things.”

They walked into the stable and were met by a black horse and grey donkey. Maude went up to the donkey after giving Loflan’s horse Glydenhall a nod. She stroked the donkey affectionately and he nudged her back with equal affection.

“Did you enjoy your company?” Loflan asked striding over to pat Glydenhall’s flank. “It has been a while since you have seen old Brute.” The horse grunted and nodded it’s magnificent black head. Loflan smiled at him and glanced over at Maude and Brute. They looked like they were having an intense staring match. Loflan sighed. “I wish we could communicate that way.” He mused. Glydenhall snorted. “Maybe one day I will be strong enough for the binding. If it was a matter of love and respect you we would be bound already.” The horse nudged his shoulder affectionately. He knew the feeling was mutual. It was a powerful and difficult thing to bind ones self with an animal. Brute and Maude were the only bound pair he knew of. The binding was not unlike what he did to objects but an animal is immensely more complex. He just hoped he would be able to pull it off before Glydenhall died. Brute, being the lesser of the two speices would live until Maude herself expired. Since Loflan had a sneaking suspision Maude would be around an extra long time he figured Brute would outlive his own life. “Well I will see you a bit later Gly.” Loflan said noticing Maude and Brute breaking eye contact and Brute slowly making his way out of the stable.

They left the stable and watched Maude’s ass retreat slowly in the distance. “Maude?” Loflan asked. “How old is Brute?”

“Old.” She replied.

Loflan rolled his eyes. “Can I get just a tad more than that?”

“Going on seventy eight.” She said. “Lead on, dear boy and no more questions.”

“Oh just one? Please, please, please?” Loflan whinned.

It was Maude’s turn to roll her eyes. “Oh all right.”

“How old are you?” He asked studying her face for a reaction. It stayed serene and slightly amused..

“Older than Brute.”

“By how much?”

“Loflan you know I am not about to answer that. Why even ask?”

“I thought I would catch you off guard. I hoped one day you would tell me.”

“How about this. One day I will tell you but today is not the day.”

“What if you die first?”

Her serene expression broke and she looked at him seriously. “I won’t.”

That gave Loflan much to ponder of the mysterious mysteries of Maude that they didn’t speak again until they reached the corn field.

He didn’t need to point out the exact spot as there was still blood staining the ground.

Maude walked a little way away from the scene and raised her right hand, palm up, in front of her face. “When I tell you to close your eyes, close them. When I tell you to open them, open them.”

Loflan watched her as she called to her magic. He felt the air become laced with it, the earth tremble with it. Hell fires she is powerful. He thought. The irises of her eyes began to slowly turn liquid silver.

“Close your eyes.” She barked, silver vapor escaping her lips. Loflan did as he was told.

He felt a burst of magic from Maude that swirled around them. When the magic had ceased being a roiling torrent and became a consistent buzz she instructed him to open his eyes. Nothing had changed. He wasn’t put off by this. This was not his first reseeing. Slowly things began to appear distorted slightly. The corn stalks that had before swayed lazily in the slight breeze slowly began to sway and then more rapidly, swishing from side to side. The sun, instead of its slow trek west raced back eastward across the sky until it set with a hurried blink on the horizon. The night sky appeared and the stars rotated rapidly above their heads. Maude never moved or blinked as time went backwards around them. Loflan was more in awe of her than the sights around him. Besides if he focused on the night sky too long it made him alittle queasy. Suddenly the sun was up, racing across the sky. When the sky started to darken and rain started to fall the dizzing rewind slowed but did not stop. The sun was playing peek-a-boo in the distance. Though it poured rain around them Maude and Loflan remained dry. After a minute or so Loflan had to move out of the way so he could let himself pass. ‘Past’ Loflan was moving backwards. A woman dangling from his arms. He layed her down on the ground sheathed, unsheathed and resheathed Banisher and walked backwards away. Loflan couldn’t help feeling a bit odd and uncomfortable looking at himself in this perspective. His hood was up obscuring his chin length, curling brown hair and casting shadows along his defined features. His lips which could almost be called full were set in a grim line. His smoky grey eyes seemed to have the power to turn unwary glancers to stone. He looked menacing and foreboding. His dark brown duster was made of thick hide and made his shoulders look broader. The whole scene made him look capable of anything while the sword at his side made him look like he was just waiting for the opportunity. Once ‘past’ Loflan’s retreating form was out of sight Maude sped things up again.

Soon the rain stopped and stars raced across the sky once more and when dusk appeared Maude slowed again and Loflan was treated to a spectacular display of rotating yellows, pinks and golds on the horizon while watching a horse cart rumble cart first up the road. The four horse led cart backed up to where the girl lay. There were three men. Two in the cart and one driver. They were all dressed in southlander blue tunics with the gold eagle crests of Palitain Palace guards. The girl’s body lifted in the air and hands rolled her backwards and slid her underneath a ratty blanket under the men’s feet. The cart drove off backwards down the road. Maude stopped the reseeing and the cart started forward at normal speed. We watched as it turned and backed up. The men were singing and laughing uproariously. Loflan felt anger rising in his chest. He didn’t try to contain it he used it to steady and focus his mind. As soon as the men became visible he began memorizing their faces. They were the faces of the men he had sworn an oath to kill afterall. He smiled at the thought and Banisher glowed slightly pink in it’s sheath in anticipation. The driver was a tall lanky man in this late thirties. Clearly the oldest of the three. They all had the short cropped hair of southlander guardsmen. This one had sandy blonde hair with thin lips and dull, unfeeling blue eyes. He giggled like a schoolgirl as Loflan looked at him. He was drunk. The other two looked equally intoxicated and a full ten years or more younger than their companion. They were also identical twins. They both had light brown hair, long, angular faces and bright blue eyes. If Loflan didn’t know of their crimes he would have just thought them carefree young men out having a good time. The coldness and callousness of the men enraged him as they unceremoniously yanked the girl out by her wrist from beneath the blanket. She looked so broken, bruised and filthy and now that Loflan had the opportunity to look more closely and with more time he noticed the blanket they used to conceal her was covered with a multitude of dark stains of blood and urine. A cloud of flies flew off the blanket when the guard had disturbed it. The twins rolled her limp form to the edge of the cart and pushed her over. They laughed and jeered at her. The driver said “Hope you had a nice trip, Love. I know we did.” The three men erupted in laughter, one of the twins wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. Loflan trembled with barely suppressed rage. He watched their laughing forms until they were out of sight. He looked at Maude whos silvery eyes were looking at him, assessing him.

“Close your eyes.” She said in a deeper voice than her own motherly one.

The magic dissipated quickly around him before Maude instructed him to open them again. Loflan looked longingly down the road.

“Tell me it is not true.” She asked looking at him, her eyes back to their usual light grey.

“Tell you what isn’t true?”

“That you did not swear an oath to kill those men.”

“Why do you see it? Does justice prevail?”

Maude sighed and shook her head. “I can’t really blame you, dear boy I wanted to swear an oath myself. Yes I do see your lines intersecting but at this juncture all four lines continue on.”

“Damn.” Loflan shrugged. “I bet I get them the second time.”

“That’s the ticket. Be optimistic.” She grinned at him and they started back towards home.


***
They didn’t talk anymore until they had checked in on their ward and made a pot of tea. Loflan dug a biscuit tin from the cupboard and served it with some leftover bread and cheese.

“Southlanders.” Loflan groaned as he sat down.

“Southlanders indeed.” Affirmed Maude. “Poor child. What she must have suffered.” Maude looked away and stared at the fire in the hearth.

“It is a full four days ride from the border.” Loflan mused. “Four days of abuse.”

“No I think only three nights. They could hardly abuse her in an open air cart in broad daylight. Much less a moving one. They had their way with her at night. Daytime must have been a god sent respite for her.”

They were silent for a few moments trying to push imaginings of her ordeal out of their minds but finding it hard to do. Loflan began talking again. He needed the distraction to redirect his thoughts. “What I do not understand is why four days ride? Why not dump her just outside the border like the rest of the spineless southlander murderers?”

“She must be someone that people would look for. What is most curious to me is why the Queen’s own guards would be the ones doing the dumping. Who is this girl that the Queen would order her guards to dispose of her and in such a way. I can not fathom it. A working girl at that. I have felt her hands and they are rough and calloused. She is no noble’s daughter. To the Queen she would be a mere nothing, a nobody.”

“Well the blasted would be murderers did not do their job. They only left her for dead and not actually dead. Luckily I was summoned to her in time. Now the question is what do we do with her? I can not abandon her but nor do I want to be in the middle of a Southlander political drama. Not to mention most common southlander folk think we midlanders are all evil magic users and would sooner curse them as to look at them.”
Maude poured herself more tea, with a silvery twinkle in her eyes. “You know, dear boy I think she has magic in her.”

“Whaat?” Loflan spluttered. “In her? I sensed nothing from her at all. And believe me I looked straight away.”

“Nor did I when I looked at her but when I try to read her line I can not. Sometimes I can see it when it intersects with someone else’s but never hers alone. I have only ever run across this once before and that was a very powerful user and he was doing it on purpose.” They both involuntarily glanced toward the bedroom door. “I don’t think hers is intentional.”

Loflan knew that is wan’t unheard of for a southlander to have magical blood but it was rare. Even more rare than in North Escapia. In Sorsenia magic borns were more common. In the South lands magic was banned and the youth were conditioned early to think of any person north of their borders to be a magic user and therefore dangerous and damned. There was no trade or communication or passing back and forth. A perimeter fence was erected long ago to reinforce the air of hostility. Sorsenians couldn’t understand the ignorance and stupidity of the southlanders and so chose to ignore them as thouroughly as they were ignored. Typically once a southlander crossed the border there was no recrossing it but palace guards were allowed exit and entry anytime. This made some guards corrupt as they often dumped bodies across the boarder for a fee. No body, no crime.

“Whoever and whatever she is she is ours now.” Maude said. “We will find out more about her once her fever breaks and her healing begins in earnest. Then she can tell us herself. We must be careful what we do and say so as to not alarm her. We will just take it a day at a time and try to undo the damage a lifetime of southlander predjudice and ignorance has instilled in her. I pray we can and that we help her in whatever way we are led to.”

“As do I.” Loflan agreed. “I must go to town now to get the extra provisions we will need for winter for ourselves and our animals.”

“Be sure to stop into the taverns to listen for any talk of men searching for a woman. If you see any such men say nothing until we check them out thouroughly.”

“Just so.” Loflan said as he donned his coat, pulling up his hood. Banisher’s hilt poking out between the flaps of his coat. “I promise not to act unless it is our three jolly fellows.” He smiled mischievously and was out the door before Maude could respond.

Blade's Fall Chapter Two

Chapter 2



Loflan leaned against the doorway musing, watching her sleep. Her bruised and battered face was all that was visible above his faded and frayed quilt. She looked so tiny in his massive bed. So helpless. This was not exactly how he had pictured the first time a woman would lie in his bed. It was a rule of his to avoid women in general unless he found ‘the’ woman. Loflan knew as well as anyone else that there was no such woman for him. There couldn’t be. Not with his bloody history and almost certain bloody future. A family would spell disaster for him. Not that he didn’t want such a thing only he didn’t allow himself to think on it.
Her breathing was now strong and steady. Every hour or so she would tremor violently and he would come and stand here and watch her until they subsided. Sometimes she would moan but her eyes never opened. It was nearing dusk and Loflan was exhausted. More mentally and magically than physically. He had spent the time between her chills putting the study back to rights and transferring his things from his own room into the alchemical closet.
It wasn’t really a closet but a spacious room off the study. He just called it that because it was jammed full of alchemical books and other supplies pertaining to the alchemical arts that you couldn’t move in there. He spent many sleepless nights trying to learn the arcane art but had given it up as intolerable, insufferable and utterly infuriating. He just couldn’t bring himself to throw the implements of his torture in the trash so it took him the better part of the evening to rearrange the space to accommodate his cot and clothing. He wasn’t sure how long he would be staying in there but he thought with his guest’s two broken ankles and a concussion it would be awhile yet.
He walked up to her sleeping form and placed his hand above her forehead. His hand warmed. She still had a slight fever. He took a rag from the washbasin by the bed and wrung it out. He cooled his breath and blew into the rag making it cold. He wiped the sweat from her brow. He was amazed his healing had worked so well on her and was able to ease her pain but he had no idea how to break a fever. She would just have to work that one out on her own. He did know of a brew that would keep the fever from spiking too high during the night but he needed to gather some fresh herbs from his garden. He leaned down and muttered above her face and wisps of deep sleep settled on her again. He didn’t think it likely she would wake but he didn’t want to take the chance.
It was mid October and the evenings were turning chilly. Loflan donned his coat and now well broken in boots and headed out the door. Loflan’s house was a bit of an oddity. He had built it himself over seven years. The house was built into the base of Sorsen mountain. He chose the place because Sorsen mountain was special, magical. Not only was it smack dab in between North Escapia and South Escapia in the neutral province of Sorsenia but the legendary Sorsen with whom the area and mountain was named supposedly created, lived, died and was buried in the region. That was all centuries before Loflan’s time. Loflan had built his house directly against the rough stone of the mountain. The whole rear wall of his home was the mountain itself. He build the house with nearby oak. Oak has little magical properties but so close to the mountain it fairly hummed it’s resonance. He was unsure why he was allowed to harvest the trees as most could not damage even a leaf from the trees surrounding the mountain. For Loflan his ax sliced the trees like a hot knife through butter.
A fair amount of sweat and a drop of blood went into every board, anchoring it to his magic mixed with the existing sorsenian magic of the mountain. It would take an act of God to bring his little house down. He also bound himself to the land surrounding his home and almost every object inside it. The whole area was sensitive to his emotions and will and responded to it, sometimes with his direction and sometimes automatically acting as Loflan himself would in whatever situation it found itself. This was a peculiar magic and one of his talents. Having his land and home be an extension of himself and his will had many advantages. One major advantage was that he knew instantly when someone walked upon his land unless they were extremely magical themselves. The person he felt coming up behind him was of the extremely magical sort only she allowed him sense her coming. He did not even look up from harvesting his fever reducing sweat beetle berries when he addressed his trespasser.

“Maude.” He said flatly.

“Loflan.” She replied in a cheery, accented elderly voice.

He stood and turned to face her. She looked the same as she had when he had met her ten years before. Short, round and as stout as an ox. Her hair was grey and curly. Cut short and always frizzy no matter the weather. Her wrinkled face was kind with deep laugh lines around her grey eyes. Her nose was small above her wide thin lipped mouth that was well accustomed to smiling. She smiled lovingly at Loflan, making her grey eyes glint in the rapidly approaching twilight.

“Can I help you with this dear boy?” She asked but didn’t wait for his reply as she bent down to peer into his basket. “Salisory root and sweat beetle berries? Picked two months before harvest time? Does your Lady have a fever then?”

Loflan stared at her, astonished. “How do you know I have a lady here? You could not sense her?”

“Oh no never fear. There is too much magic here to sense anything clearly. How you were able to stake a claim here I will never know. No, indeed I can not sense her but I did see her.”

Loflan knew she was not talking in the literal sense but in the metaphysical sense. Like Loflan’s ability to imbue inanimate objects with his essence, Maude could see time. She could see past things as well as present and future. It had disconcerted him when he had first met her but she had assured him it was even more disconcerting for her. Maude was one of the only people alive who knew who he really was. So far she had not held it against him or used it to her advantage. Instead she had willingly became his tutor, mentor and friend. Though she could be downright aggravating sometimes he was thankful for her. Especially now with a half dead woman in his house he didn’t know what to do with.

“Could I meet her?” Maude asked. “After all that is why I came such a long way.”

“Of course.” Loflan said gesturing her toward his house.

“I hope she is not so very ill.” Maude said as they neared the door. “I have brought a gift for her.”

Loflan looked at her curiously. A gift? What did she bring her a gift for? He wondered.

“I am afraid that she is.” He replied and lead her into the bedroom.

Maude gasped when she saw her, dropping the basket and hurrying to her side. “What happened, who did this?” Maude exclaimed as she drew back the quilts to see her bandaged ankles and brutalized flesh.

“I have no idea. I had a summoning this morning and it led me to her.”

Maude’s head snapped up. “Summoning!” she exclaimed. “Since when have you had summonings?”

“Since over two years ago Maude. Calm down.” The old woman was visibly agitated. Her grey eyes turning silver.

Maude closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. When she opened them again they were back to their usual dull grey. “I am just shocked dear boy. Shocked.” she said “This was not what I was expecting when I came here. Let us put on the fever brew with the herbs you gathered and have some tea while it is simmering.”

All traces of discomposure gone, Maude got up and proceeded to take over Loflan’s house just as she always did. Usually it irritated him to no end how she would breeze in and move things around, relabel jars and tisk, tisk at his organizing skills. This time however, he was grateful for her presence and help.


****


Maude could not believe her eyes when she had seen the woman laying in Loflan’s bed but the biggest shock to her was Loflan admitting he was receiving summonings. Who could possibly be summoning him? It was certainly not her, she could not send him on summonings from so great a distance. One has to be pretty close to send an apprentice on a summoning. She knew of no one alive near here that would have the amount of power needed to do it or could see the purpose of them doing so. He was her apprentice after all.
She put the kettle on the hook in the fire while Loflan put his herbs into a pot of broth to simmer on his small wood stove. Once the kettle was hot they repaired to the dining alcove. They sat staring into their teacups. Loflan spoke first.

“Why did you bring this woman a gift?” He asked.

Maude looked up at him and smiled ruefully. “You remember me always telling you to find yourself a woman? Well I didn’t mean for you to take it so literally, dear boy. I saw the thread of a woman intersect with yours and I saw that this thread remained with you for an indeterminate about of time. The time seemed long enough that my mind jumped to conclusions.” Loflan Guffawed at this but Maude continued as though she hadn’t heard him. “The curious thing about all this was I could not get any definite reference of time. I can usually pinpoint the time almost exactly but in the case of this woman’s thread I can not read her. The only reason I saw what I did was because I was looking at your thread. Anyway, I assumed she was or was soon to be your bride so I brought her a gift as is the custom. Chalk it up to wishful thinking.”

Loflan looked at her for a long moment with his face a stoic mask until all of a sudden it cracked like an egg and he howled with laughter. He even slapped his thigh. She couldn’t help it and laughed too. Loflan had such a forceful personality. He could radiate menace when he was in warrior mode but could just as easily radiate warmth and humor if he so chose. Maude regretted he didn’t chose to more often.

“So you thought you would find me in marital or premarital bliss but instead you found a brutalized southlander in my bed.” He said returning to seriousness. “Your seeing was correct in that she will be here awhile with her injuries. I dare not try to move her and must know more about what her dangers are before I let her loose in the midlands. Being a southlander she may not even know the midland of Sorsenia as we do. I have always been under the impression southlanders live as if northlanders and midlander don‘t exist.”

“Your quite right. You are sure she is from South Escapia then?” Maude asked.

“Not one hundred percent sure but the tatters of her clothing was not northlander or midlander in cut or cloth so I assume she is a southlander.”

Maude chewed on the awhile before she spoke again. “If she is from South Escapia she may bring trouble with her. I have never known a south Escapian not to be. They hate the lot of us.”

“I believe she was abused and then dumped here in Sorsenia to cover their tracks. It happens all the time in the borderlands. It is only unusual for her to have been dumped this far north.”

“If you are right then she will be terrified to awake in a magic user’s home.” Maude observed.

“We will have to take care until we can see the truth of what tale she tells. There will be no need to alarm her by casting in front of her. You, Maude need no words to cast so you will have no trouble keeping our true natures secret until it is necessary to enlighten her, if it ever becomes so.”

Maude nodded her approval. “That brings me to the topic of the duration of my stay with you. I had intended to stay at the Inn in town but I believe it would be wise for me to stay here. When she awakes the last thing she is going to want is a man nursing her or anywhere near her for that matter. I had also planned only to stay a week or two so that I would return home before the snows came but now I believe it also wise that I stay through the rest of fall and winter until spring comes. She will hopefully be used to you by that time and needing little attention. What say you, dear boy? Can you handle a house full of women for the winter?”

Loflan grinned. “I guess I will find out.”
“I will send my ass back home to gather my store of food and my other necessities to bring back. I will require him to stay in your stable with Glydenhall and so will also need to purchase hay for him for the winter. Is this doable?”

“Of course. Glydenhall will enjoy the company. I will go to town tomorrow to purchase our extra supplies.” Loflan replied.

“Now for the most serious question, Loflan. Who is summoning you?” She asked.

Loflan looked at her puzzled. “You mean it is not you?”

“No! Could you not tell from my face when you told me you were having summonings that is was not me? I could not possibly summon you. We live too far apart. An Apprentice is never to be given summonings unless the summoner is going to die in the near future or if the summoner is disabled in some way, then a summoning is the only way he could teach you lessons that he would normally accompany you. I do not know of a magic user powerful enough or close enough to summon you. Not only that but you are MY apprentice and no other user should be able to encroach on someone else’s apprenticeship. I am shocked and I must admit a little fearful.” Maude poured herself more tea. “How many summonings have you had?”

“Five, counting this morning. I was shocked by this morning’s summons because none of my other summonings have included other people. They are always events I learn from and my magic is always stronger when I complete them.”

“Will you tell me about your summonings? When did they start and what were the lessons?” Maude asked.

Loflan stretched and leaned back in his chair. “The first time was just over two years ago. I had just come home from a banishing in Tortion Harbor. It was a nasty sea creature that kept scaring the fish away from the harbor. It had caused famine to rapidly spread through the lowest class, fish being their main source of income and their main source of food. Be that as it may it wasn’t until the upper classes became affected did anyone think to do something about it. It was not a man-eater nor particularly vicious. It just liked the algae on the harbor floor and so decided to stay. It would have been fairly cut and dry only when I got there the creature was impervious to magic. My sword could have killed it but I could not bring myself to kill something so relatively harmless. It only scared the fish, it didn’t kill them. It never bothered fishermen or swimming children. To make a long story short I had to physically move the creature to a new home. I caught it in a net, secured it to a commandeered boat and sailed it to a likely spot. As I was cutting away the net to free the thing one of it’s many purple spines grazed my right shoulder making a nice scrape that bled a little. I bound it and started my journey home. When I arrived home It was late afternoon and I was exhausted. I went to sleep almost instantly. I had only been asleep a short time when I awoke with the oddest feeling. My heart quickened and my breathing became labored. Like I was running but I was not moving. I was afraid the scrape from the creature had poisoned me. I kept feeling as though I just needed to get out of the house. So I did. I figured I just needed some fresh air. I checked my scrape as I walked hoping that the sea creature did not infect me with some poison that would make my heart explode. It did not seem to be festering. I walked aimlessly for a short time when suddenly I went in a direction that felt ‘right’ somehow. As I continued in this direction my pulse slowed and my breathing evened out. At last I came to Bridger’s stream behind old man Bridger’s farm. It was quite low so I walked along it, past the farm and on through to where it runs into Hollindale lake. Where the stream meets the lake is quite dark with trees that drape themselves over the banks and vines dripping down from the branches. Sunlight only penetrates in narrow gashes between the leaves. It is a singularly beautiful spot. As I marveled in it’s beauty glimmers of gold in the water caught my attention. Everywhere a sun ray hit the water was shimmering golden light. Not of the sun but reflected by the sun. As I neared one golden place I saw that the top of the water where the sun hit the surface had turned into pure liquid gold. I was astonished. I inspected more and more shafts of light and all ended the same. I placed my finger into a pool of the liquid and it came away coated with gold. I rummaged in my cloak pockets and came up with a small vial of sandalwood I carry for rubbing my sword wrist when it is sore. I emptied the contents and filled it with the golden liquid. It was magnificent. I stayed, marveling at how when new rays broke through the canopy it turned the water to gold instantly. I was in such a state of wonder and awe that when the sun disappeared I was crushed to find that the golden pools disappeared with it. I held up my vial and it was murky creek water once more. I walked home in the dark with such and odd mixture of feelings of regret and joy. I thought all night about what had happened and that day resolved to find out all I could about the phenomenon. I exhausted my regular spell and lore books fairly quickly and decided to skim through my alchemical books. I found it fairly quickly. I read many tales of fairy gold, fools gold and fair maidens jewel to learn that it is a rare event and caused by sediment, alge gasses and the heat from the sun. If a person drinks of the golden liquid it gives you a boost of luck. It does not guarantee success in spell working but it will increase your odds for success. I never did drink of it.” Loflan gestured to a shelf with three bottles on it in the window above the washtub. One bottle was green, one was clear and one was blue. “See the clear bottle of murky liquid? That’s it. A few times since that summons it has turned golden again. I would have liked for it to have been golden today.” He sighed and sat up. “I do not think I would have been able to resist using it to help her healing along.”

“As it were you did a fine job. I am very proud of you, dear boy. Healing may not be one of your gifts but you did better than most.” Maude said refilling their cups.

“The next summoning came six months later. It terrified me. I thought what had happened before was a result of the sea creature. But low and behold the familiar panic started to rise up in me. I did not fight the panic at all but walked straight outside until I found the direction and followed it quickly. I went in the opposite direction from the last time. This time I passed through town and north towards Lakeland hills and the caves. I weaved over and around hills for hours. I was just about to turn around and give up this insane search when I was led to a small, obscure cave opening hidden behind thickets and low brambles.” Loflan rose and went into his study. When he returned he was carrying a box made of mud, hardened in the sun. He handed it to Maude. “This is what I found growing inside the cave.”

Maude opened it and a small gasp escaped her. Inside were dried flowers of a curious triangle shape with blue leaves. “Are these lapis lazuli flowers. I thought they were extinct!” She picked one up and studied it carefully. Her wonder at his summoner increased.

“As did I and everyone else for that matter. One day I will take you to the cave. I have been a few times since. They only bloom in late fall and early spring. I have used them for many things and are still learning what they can do. The list just keeps growing longer.

The third summons was to show me an eclipse. I had seen them before so was unsure why I should need to see it again. When the eclipse was over I tried to go back inside but with each step I took towards home the panic in my chest rose. So I turned and went back to my lookout spot. About half an hour later I noticed something out of place as I looked to the stars. Something was blocking them out. Some dark shape was rotating across the sky but I could not see it.”

“The shadow moon.” Maude smiled. “I too know when it comes and saw it come this last time. Some moon shown magic users are the most powerful when the shadow moon crosses the sky. Perhaps this was a lesson I should have taught you.”

Loflan smiled amiably at her. “I won’t hold it against you. This time.”

“My last was only about a month ago. I was very tired and cranky this time having just returned from a very long journey. I tried to fight it and go to sleep. I failed and almost missed the comet. It was so close I felt as if I could climb Sorsen and touch it. It was spectacular.

I was very surprised by today’s summons for one because it was so soon after the last one and for second it has never involved people before. Also as I also said before after a summoning I get a magic boost that can last up to a week afterwards but this time I feel nothing.”

“I don’t think this was a planned summoning. More like an emergency call.” Maude sat in thought a few minutes trying to digest all this new information. She stood up. “Thank you for telling me this Loflan. I am weary from my long journey and the anxiety of this evening. I need to give our little ward her brew and get my ass squared away for the night.”

Loflan rose. “Don’t worry about your ass. I will see to him and bring a cot into the bedroom for you to sleep on.”

Maude inclined her head in thanks and went to the stockpot on the woodstove. She strained the herbs and decanted most of the brew for the next evening’s use. She blew the steam off the brew she had placed into a small bowl and no more steam rose. Maude placed the tip of her pinky finger into the liquid and nodded. The temperature was perfect. She carefully poured the brew down the young woman’s throat, gently massaging her neck to ensure she swallowed. By the time she had finished and washed up Loflan had returned and brought in a cot and showed her where to find blankets and spare pillows. He laid a feather mattress on top of the cot and bid her a goodnight.

Maude really wanted to lay awake and mull over all that Loflan had told her and what it might mean but almost instantly she fell into a sleep that was as deep as any bespelled one.

Blade's Fall Chapter One

He awoke with a start. His heart thudded in his chest and he felt sweat beginning to erupt from his pores all over his body. He sat up in bed and looked groggily out the window. He could hear rain pounding the mottled glass window beside his bed and see only a feeble blue light on the horizon. He hoped he had just had a bad dream and could go back to sleep for the brief time before the sun rose. But as his heart rate increased and tendrils of panic rose in his chest he knew it wasn’t going to happen. He sighed and swung his feet off the bed and got up. He walked into his closet alcove carved out of the rock rear wall of his house and grabbed some ratty pants and a ripped and holey shirt that he used for just such dreary occasions like rain harvesting or other dirty work. He put on his sword, boots and coat by the door. His boots were new and he dreaded getting them muddy. His coat was a well worn dark brown hooded affair that had become his signature. Everyone knew him by his coat and either bowed respectfully in his direction or looked pointedly away. His sword was another of his trademarks. No one had ever seen a sword like it and inspired much talk whenever he was inclined to use it. With it’s plain black corded hilt and straight wide blade it looked like any other broadsword but when it was about to be used the blade blazed with a hellish ghostlike fire and strange symbols only known to magic wielders shown etched into to blade with liquid fire. It was not brought out often. It seemed to the villagers around that it was his last resort weapon. No matter if a person was a magic user’s friend or foe they all were glad when Loflan and his sword came to save them. He opened the door and groaned. The rain was glancing down in frigid sheets. He took his coat off deciding it would just weigh him down. He thought for half a second about ignoring the summons but remembering the last time he had decided to ignore it flashed in his mind. He had just gotten through a rather difficult banishing and was dead on his feet tired. As soon as he had fallen across his bed the now familiar pricklings of panic started. He had groaned and tried to go to sleep anyway. It proved impossible. After almost three hours of fighting the panic attack he had given up and went out searching for whatever it was that needed searching for. It had turned out to be a comet. It was the most amazing thing he had ever witnessed. The comet was large and dazzling and trekked slowly already three quarters across the sky. If he had went out when he was first summoned he would have seen it from its beginning to its end. He not only learned from these summonings they always seemed to feed his magic. He could not be certain this was true but after a summons his magic seemed to always go perfectly for several weeks. He sighed deeply and walked out into the rain. He lifted his left hand and made a fist. His hand began to glow between his fingers with a dark yellow light. He flicked his fingers open and a mass of light shot out a foot from his open palm. “Follow”. He said quietly to the light. The light lit the ground all around him but with the rain visibility was still low. He wandered around for a few minutes until his magic found the current of the summonings magic and lead him in a definite direction. From what he could gather he was headed parallel to town towards the road to Jakko and Silverstongue. As the sun gained strength at his back the rain waned to a light sprinkle and his light faded. It was barely a flicker of pale yellow when he saw a dark shape laying several yards from the main road on the boarder of a corn field. He walked cautiously. The dried corn stalks swayed in the early morning breeze. That same breeze carried the metallic sent of blood, human blood mixed with the light fresh sent of wheat. He drew his sword. Never before had a summons had anything to do with people. It had always been things of nature or a rare phenomenon. He bent down next to the figure laying his blade across his lap. The person was laying still on it’s side. He gently turned the figure so that it faced him. It was a woman. She was badly beaten. Her face so swollen and discolored he couldn’t make out any features. Her long black hair was matted and hung in bloody clumps around her face. Her right eye was black and blue and swollen shut. The whole left side of her face was bruised and swollen. Blood trickled slowly from her split and swollen lip. Her clothes were torn and barely covered her. Her body was also bruised and by the look of the unnatural angles her feet lay both ankles were also broken. . He took all this in a glance and knew why he was summoned. She was yet alive. Barely but alive. It was his duty to save her. He carefully took her into his arms. He thanked God he left right away when the summons came. If he had waited three hours this time it would have been too late. That was saying he could save her. Healing magic was not an ability he was born with. He had never healed anyone besides himself before. He hoped he could do it now. He trudged briskly back the way he had come while chanting a subtle warming charm to take the edge off the morning chill. Wisps of orange smoke trailed from his mouth and settled around her, warming her slightly. After twenty minutes of walking he arrived at his door. He gave it an exasperated look and it swung open. He took her into his study. It was the best place he could think of to take her. Everything he would need was there and his large wooden table would be perfect to lay her so that he could work his healing spell. The table was pilled high with books, ink bottles, scales and many other Magic user’s paraphernalia. He shouted at them to clear off and not being used to being yelled at vacated the table haphazardly spilling themselves or fluttering their pages. Not at all like their usual fluid and silent grace. After the things had arranged themselves neatly against the wall, out of the way he gently laid her down. She had not stirred once during their entire trip home and it troubled him. He left the room and returned shortly with a bucket of warm water, washing cloths, towels and a knife. He used the knife to cut away her clothing. He knew he would not be able to save her hair so he cut it too. Making it as even as he could while still trying to be swift. Once free of her clothes and hair he began to wash her body. He started at her hair and face. He chanted softly, putting her in a deep restorative sleep and easing her pain as much as his ability would allow. The magic would keep her in her current state of health, or lack of, until he could get her cleaned and access her wounds. As he moved lower despite the fact the woman was in a deep, restorative sleep be began to feel embarrassed as he cleaned the mud and blood from her breasts. The embarrassment quickly turned to rage as he saw the bite marks that still oozed small trace amounts of blood around her nipples. He clenched his teeth to the point it hurt and moved on. He cleaned her obviously abused privates trying to control his mounting fury at seeing her brutalized here as well. When he had cleaned her front side he gently laid her on her stomach to clean her back. When he had turned her a sharp hissed escaped his lips. He trembled as he stared in utter disgust and her bitten and bruised backside. He got up and left the room. In the hall he rested his forehead against the wall and ground his teeth. He punched the wall and the wood groaned. He vowed he would find the sorry excuses for men who did this to her and he would kill them. Slowly. He did this knowing that once the words left his lips he was bound to them. He didn’t care. He breathed deeply several times before he was able to go back to her and finish cleaning. Once he had finished he took inventory of what her injuries seemed to be. She had broken ankles, at least two cracked ribs and most definitely a concussion. That seemed it be it for her serious injuries. She was badly bruised and swollen pretty much everywhere. She was also malnourished and dehydrated. All of these combined were definitely a deadly recipe. He wondered just how long she had been with those men. More than a day for sure. How long had she lain not fifty yards from the main road? He got up and went to a counter that ran the length of the back wall of the room. Shelves and niches carved out of the rock were filled with jars and rolls of paper. He grabbed one of several mortar and pestles and began grabbing bottles and pouches. After he had finished mixing a curiously shimmering burnt orange substance he picked up a large bristled horsehair brush and daubed some of the liquid onto it. A string of words issued from his mouth from deep in his chest. He took the brush and started to make a line down her chest and abdomen starting on her neck and ending just below her navel. The orange paste made quite a contrast to her blackened, bruised skin. Loflan waved his hand almost impatiently and the substance slowly dissolved into her skin. He waited a minute, then two then three. He painted the line again. He waved his hand over her and again the orange faded into purples and blacks and blues. He waited. Again he drew his line and again he erased it. Almost instantly this time her chest rose a bit more than before and her breathing became audible through her nose. He waited several minutes until her breathing was no longer shallow and her heartbeat less erratic. He released his hold over her sleep and she fell into a deep , restorative sleep of her own which was more healing than any magic sleep he could create for her. He sighed with relief. “Third times the charm.” He said under his breath.