Master Novice - Part 05

Natasha awoke with a start. She was laying on something soft - she must have rolled onto the chieftain's furs, and would surely be beaten for it...

Then she remembered the happenings of the previous day, and relaxed. She had been rescued by what appeared to be a group of middle-aged heroes. What were their names...? Let's see, there was the dark one... Diana. Such a rare skin tone for this region - surely she was from the south, yet there had been no noticeable accent in her voice. And the one with flame-hair - Sheila, yes. The mage was... Prissy? No, no, no. Preston, that was it. Must remember that - she was going to need to get a new spell-book from him somehow. And Robert, the healer. He appeared to be a monk of some sort. The cavalier, dressed like all the other buffoons she had been forced to spend time with before - Aaron? No, close, but not quite. Ah, well, like all other buffoons, she'd just ignore him.

But the one that was apparently their leader - he looked boyish, yet was more obviously a man than the other three males combined. HIS name was certainly odd. What kind of a name was Hank? He might as well have been called "Tuft." She chuckled at the thought. His light hair marked him as having his roots in the far north, which might explain the odd name. And yet, it sounded familiar, somehow, as if she had heard it before. She shrugged. Perhaps he had done a service for the duke she served. No matter - names were of little consequence at this point; far more important to her was the rescue of her father.

Still, after two and a half years - years! Two and a half years! - it was going to take some time before she would be used to sleeping on anything other than the cold, hard ground.

And what of Aurora...?

After a breakfast of jerked meat and fruits, Hank leaned back against a tree and asked, "So what are your plans, Natasha?"

Natasha looked up, startled. "Why, I must continue my journey, of course. My father is surely still imprisoned."

Hank thought for a moment. "That may be true, but you are sorely unready for any kind of long trip - after what you've been through, I mean."

She grimaced, and replied, "That doesn't matter - my father is far more important to me than my health - indeed, without my father, I might as well lay down and die right here."

Eric spoke up. "I will gladly accompany you on your journey, my lady, if you would have me. I believe that you will need some kind of company on this trip - besides your daughter, I mean - and I am a warrior of some ability."

Before she could answer, Preston said, "I'll come with you, too, if you'd like. My powers are likely to come in handy on such a trip..."

Natasha looked at him for a second, then slowly said, "Perhaps... but, um... I'm also a mage of no small power myself. It might not be wise..."

Hank said, "Actually, if you're really going to continue on, I was thinking that maybe we should all go with you."

Sheila grabbed Hank's ear and whispered, "What are you doing?! We have to get back home! I'm worried about the twins - they've never been without us for so long..."

Hank gently removed her hand and kissed it. "Don't worry about them - they've got lots to entertain themselves with, and their tutor will keep them studying. Besides, they're getting old enough to start taking care of themselves - this isn't Earth, remember?"

"But Hank, that's not the only thing..."

"Hank," said Robert, "I tend to agree with my sister. I would return to my brothers sooner than later - this sort of stuff is not for me anymore."

Hank considered. "Well, I..." Something occurred to him. "Natasha, did you just say you're a mage?"

She nodded. "Yes, I am. I am... was... 'Court Sorceress' for Duke Leto."

Eric seemed startled. "Duke Leto? But his Court Sorceress was at least a hundred years old, last I saw her!"

Natasha smiled. "Yes, it was quite a convincing illusion. I used that guise whenever I traveled, because who would believe that someone looking as young as me was really a 'powerful wizard'?"

"Why didn't you just magic yourself out of captivity then?" ask Diana

Preston shook his head. "How could she, without spell books and materials?"

Natasha nodded. "Right. Speaking of which, do you have something I can use for a spell book? Mine was destroyed when I was captured."

A look of horror flashed across Preston's face. "Destroyed your spell book? How could they!"

Natasha smiled again. "Quite easily - it warmed their bones in the evening fire."

Holding aside the flap to the tent, Preston said, "In that case, would you care to join my within? I believe that I can help you."

Once they were out of site, Hank said, "Well, then, it's obvious that he'll be going with her. My wife and her brother both want to go home. How do you two feel about it? Eric, you're still going to go with her?"

Eric nodded. "If she wants me to, I will."

"Okay. Diana?"

She chewed her lip for a moment before answering. "I don't know. This whole thing is becoming very, uh, reminiscent of the old days. Dungeon Master, long trips, uncertain goals, et cetera."

Hank nodded. "I agree with that, but still, where there's a need for heroes, if there aren't any real ones around, we should take up the slack."

Eric threw a piece of jerky at him. "Hey, watch the cracks about 'real heroes,' buster!"

Diana sighed. "I guess you're right, Hank, but I'm afraid we'll end up fighting Tiamat again, or something."

Robert said, "Not unless the trip lasts 85 years - she's banished from this plane for a century."

Hank said, "Let's take a vote. All for going?" Eric raised his hand, and after a few seconds Diana slowly raised hers. "All against?" Sheila and Robert raised their hands. "Well, that settles nothing. You two would go; you two would stay. We know that Preston will go, and if Sheila returns home, so do I. So it's three to three."

Diana said, "Aurora, do you have any thoughts on the matter?"

Everyone else started. The girl was so quiet, they had all forgotten that she was even there. Now they all looked at her. She blushed and shook her head. "Well, which way do you want to go? Home...?" and Diana pointed to the west, "or to where you grandfather is?" and she pointed east. Without a pause, Aurora stood and pointed firmly east.

Robert bowed his head. "If she goes, then I must go as well. She is not in good health, and travelling a long journey won't help at all."

Sheila sat for a while, thinking. "If Bobby's going, then I guess that I may as well go, too. After all," she added, flashing a half-hearted smile at Hank, "the boys are in good hands, and probably having the time of their lives, right?"

Hank breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't wanted to split the team up, and he hadn't really wanted to go home yet, either. There was something about that woman...

"It's agreed, then. We will accompany Natasha and Aurora east, and, I presume, back west as well?" There was general assent, and Aurora smiled brightly. "So be it."

"Wow. This is better than I had hoped for."

Preston looked at Natasha. "What do you mean?"

She blushed. "Well, all I've seen you do so far is a simple illusion, and turn yourself invisible. I wasn't sure if you could do anything else. No offense."

He smiled. "None taken. I'm fairly powerful - enough so that I was able to grant Sheila those spells that she used yesterday - fly and what-not."

Natasha returned the smile. "Yes, well, I can see that now. It's a shame that I didn't realize those creatures could be fooled by a simple cantrip, or else I would have been free a long time ago."

Preston stood up from the trunk he was digging through, a small book in his hand. "Here we are. I haven't used this for years - it's pretty rare for me to go adventuring any more, and since I, uh, acquired this tent, I haven't really had much need for it. Here. The spells probably aren't very complex, and it's pretty old, but you're welcome to it."

She accepted it with a simple, "Thank you." Opening it, she leafed through a few pages. He was right, most of the spells were almost childishly simple, but there were a few here and there that she hadn't seen before, and one of moderate power.

"And, uh, I'll let you look through my book, for spells you want to copy down."

Natasha was shocked, although she didn't show it. This was something that most mages wouldn't ever do! It was a rare occurrence for a master wizard to give a single new spell to his own apprentice, much less a complete stranger, and his entire book, too! She realized that he was stricken with her beauty. She looked at him over the top of the book. Not bad, but she'd had better. Still, it was useful information...

Smiling sweetly, she said, "Thank you, that's so kind and generous of you, but I could never return the favor... that is, unless, you'd like to..." She let it trail off, and gestured at her body.

He blushed so deeply Natasha thought his head would simply explode. "Th-think nothing of i-it... I... I c-couldn't..." He swallowed, then quickly turned and started walking away. "I-it's this way."

She smiled. This could get interesting. She wiped the smile from her face and followed the flustered wizard further into the tent.