Chapter 10 Part 5

They spent two weeks in the Janus Valley. The story had to be told and retold at least three times a day of the great battle on the plains of Gly-ou-vogue against the horde of the White Hand, but of the Overlord and the Abomination, none of the three were inclined to speak, for as Ultrecht stated, it was impossible to describe.

At the end of their stay, Regalus and Yoan, who had recently become close friends, accompanied Sam, Calista, and Nikki back to Nikki's cabin, by way of Ultrecht's teleportation spell. With all of the enemies out of the way, Armegon and Ultrecht were again feeling their magical oats.

Armegon and Ultrecht in turn accompanied Avery to Haganaw where they visited the Great Western Library where Ultrecht and Armegon purchased copies of some of the more interesting books. Then they went on to Pandara where they booked upper berth passage to Minota.

They spent almost a month relaxing and enjoying the excursion. Ultrecht and Armegon spent many long hours lazily discussing what they had learned in at the library.

Avery excluded himself from most of the discussions, and talked the ship's captain into letting him ride in a small dingy towed from the rear of the ship. After several days, the ranger managed to befriend some aquatic mammals. He even learned of an underwater society of water breathing humanoids.

When Avery recounted his discovery to Ultrecht and Armegon, they merely scoffed. "So now you want to go swimming?" Ultrecht asked.

"No," Avery assured the mage. "I’ve had all the excitement I want for a while. Someday I may make an attempt to visit them, but not now. I have a family to attend to."

"That’s true," Armegon reminded himself. "That means educating and training two young children."

"What do you think they will become when they grow up?" Ultrecht asked.

"Who can say?" Armegon replied. "Let them decide for themselves."

Avery just grunted and stared blankly at the blue sky. "Things sure are changing fast."

"They never stop changing," Armegon pointed out.

"I mean big things are changing fast," Avery elaborated. "I’m not talking about a tree growing or the change of the seasons. The single sun, a new family, the absence of pain in my vision, they’re not common changes."

"Big things are always changing, you’re just getting too old to change with them.," Armegon needled.

"Old?" Avery asked bewildered. "You’re calling me old?" He snorted. "Now that's the pot calling the kettle black."

"I’m not the one complaining about the world changing around me," Amregon pointed out.

Ultrecht observed the halfelves resume their age old habit of arguing. He chuckled silently to himself and picked up a special book that he had copied from the library.

"Hey what are you reading?" Armegon asked, breaking up the verbal combat.

"Oh, it is nothing," Ultrecht assured them.

"I'll be the judge of that," Armegon said leaning over to peer over Ultrecht's shoulder.

Ultrecht quickly closed the book. "Do you mind?"

"Uh-oh, Avery warned, "Ultrecht has a secret."

"Speaking of secrets," Armegon sat before Ultrecht defiantly. "After the battle with the Abomination, you mentioned that the Creator had given you a secret."

"Yeah," Avery recalled. "Okay buddy, talk. We don't keep secrets from each other. We’re too powerful not to trust each other."

Ultrecht looked from one to another. Avery was right. They had long ago agreed that each one was too powerful not to be trustworthy. If they lost faith in him, he would have to live the rest of his life wondering if they considered him a threat, and if so what they would do about it.

"Do you remember my old master?" Ultrecth asked.

"You have told us about him enough," Avery stated. "You said that he was efficient but not powerful as a mage. You said that he could travel freely between worlds."

"That is right and it has always been a secret desire of mine to do the same thing--to travel freely from one world to the next," Ultrecht admitted. "Well that was the secret that the Creator gave me. I now understand how to do it, it is just a matter of creating the right spell for the task."

Armegon became worried. "Uh, you aren't planning a permanent change of residence, are you?"

Ultrecht grinned. "Not in the sense you are meaning," he replied. "But I am planning to swing back by the old place and check up on our affairs and see how the others are making out since they got back."

"It’d be nice to see some of them again," Armegon agreed. "I sure could use the services of Keeneye or Norwind again."

"Do you by any chance expect to leave soon?" Avery asked.

"Not at all," Ultrecht pledged. "It will be several years before I can even begin to experiment with formulations."

"Maybe by then, you’ll want some company," Armegon offered. "We could leave Calista and Sam with Nikki and Avery and the twins."

"We shall see," Ultrecht agreed. "But that is a long way down the road."

When they arrived at the island of the minotaurs. They found it surprisingly easy to locate Ruk. The vast majority of minotaans were red in color and Ruk's solid black skin made him easy to identify.

Of course the giant they had come to call a friend was certainly happy to see them as well and spent a full three hours introducing them to his three wives and many children.

In addition the visitors were pleased to discover that news of Ruk's completion of his life-quest had earned him an knighthood from the Minotaan courts. A bonus, that Ruk confided in a whispered voice, that made supporting three wives much easier for his knighthood entitled him to a share of the society's tax revenue.

Ruk himself was eager to hear of their adventures, for the battle between the two juggernaughts had been sensed all over the world.

"A fantastic tale," Ruk applauded as Ultrecht closed the story. "I doubt not a word."

"I do," Avery griped. Ultrecht had spiced many of the details quite liberally. The comment caused Ruk to break into a fit of laughter.

"I think," the giant mused. "That when you depart I’ll join you. It’s time for me to move on again."

"But you haven't been here that long," Armegon objected.

"Of course you’re welcome to go with us," Avery offered, “but what of your wives? Surely they miss you."

"Yes, they did," Ruk confessed. "But I’ve found that the best way to keep my wives happy is for me to be away as much as possible and to keep them pregnant."

"Do you mind not using that word?" Avery begged.

Ruk looked puzzled. "Is there something I should know?"

Ultrecht and Armegon were all too glad to spread the news of Nikki's blessed event.

"And you say that when confronted with his first offspring, Avery fainted?" Ruk laughed.

"It couldn’t have been funnier if it had been rehearsed," Armegon replied. Avery took the roasting in good faith, for he knew that it was all in fun.

"I must return with you," Ruk resolved. "I wish to see Cal again as well as the lovely maid who has such control on Avery. And if it you don’t mind, I’d like to bring one of my own children with me. He still has four years before he gets his own life-quest.

I didn’t train my eldest well and he failed at his task so he now wanders the seas as a deckhand. On my second eldest I won’t make the same mistake."

"We’d be glad to have the both of you with us," Armegon assured him.

In all they spent three weeks with Ruk and his wives. Finally, they departed with Ruk's second eldest son, who stood as tall as Avery even though he was only ten years old.

The youth had not sprouted horns yet, and was still fairly clumsy, but he had a fine sense of humor and was a fairly sharp thinker. Ruk had introduced the boy as Belvorden, but Armegon had dubbed him, Junior.

They sailed north and back to Pandara where they purchased a wagon and some horses. Instead of teleporting, it was decided to take the overland route so that they might see the sights. Ultrecht also bought a cargo of wine to deliver east for a profit.

It took several months and they enjoyed many minor encounters with travelling merchants and other types of rogues.

One morning Ruk awoke to see Avery standing near the fire gazing at the single sunrise.

"Good morning my friend," Ruk greeted the ranger.

"That it is," Avery replied.

Ruk noticed that Avery was distracted. "Is there something wrong?"

"Can you feel it?" Avery whispered. "On the morning breeze, a chill is in the air."

Ruk nodded. "Aye, I feel it. It’s the end of the hot season isn’t it?"

Avery nodded. "Soon the northern seas will freeze over and the ice boats will begin running. We promised you a job on one of them if you’re still interested."

Ruk rubbed his hands by the fire. "That I am. I’m anxious to show my son how to sail."

"It won't be long," Avery said. "We’re near the Glass Desert now. Within a few days we’ll reach a port and we can get a craft to take us up the Strip to a that pass we used earlier. Then we can go to the cabin. From there it’s just a week or so to the Twin Cities."

"I can hardly wait."

"To get to the Twin Cities?" Avery asked.

"No, to get breakfast," Ruk laughed.

Avery joined in. "Then by all means pass your bowl and fill it before the others wake. I can hear their bellies grumble into the night. When they get through with this pot of stew there won't be much left."

Two days later they climbed aboard a craft called the Falcon's Wing. It was small and fast specifically geared to carry passengers up and down the Strip. They made only three stops in six days and within the week were climbing into the lower Orkon Mountains. Four days later they left the pass and after another three days they approached Nikki's Cabin.

The place had not been kept up, but there was very little left to keep and with two babies to care for, Nikki was kept very busy even with Calista's help. Sam had removed most of the debris, but he too had been kept busy trapping and foraging with Calista for food.

Upon their return, Ultrecht canceled his suspension spell on their prisoner. The imprisoned Doyr priestess was released and taken to a nearby village where she was told to go on with her life. She was none too happy about her loss of stature and the disbandment of the Doyr cult, but she did as she was told and did not remember the events following the ascension of Ragnera.

Armegon and Ultrecht stayed for another week before announcing that they had business elsewhere and would soon depart. There was a big meal the next night where farewells were bidden.

Sam and Calista promised to visit soon and Ultrecht urged Sam to not wait too long. "The Creator Himself gave you a task to do," he said. "When you are ready, I will take you on the road and you can sing your ballads of the battle all over. I am confident that the word will spread well."

The next morning, Armegon and Ultrecht left to meet with the silver dragon, Brandor. That afternoon, Avery and Calista left Sam to help Nikki, and guided Ruk and Junior to Tycho where two days later they left the two minotaans in Regalus' care.

On the way back, Avery had stopped to get some honey from a nearby hive. He had urged Calista, who was walking with him, to stay out of the bees' range. She heard him rustling the bushes quite a bit then she heard him crack with a wonderful and elated laughter.

When he returned, he carried a bundle wrapped in his cloak. The bundle was the size of a small dog.

"What is it?" she asked.

Avery set the bundle down and removed the cloak. Calista instantly knew what it was--a coyodiak pup.

Avery gave her a piece of raw meat from his pack. "Here," he said. "Take this and feed it to him."

Calista took the meat and held it out. The pup shuffled forward and sniffed the meat cautiously.

"Draw it back slowly until he steps forward to get it. Always look him in the eye," Avery advised.

Calista did as she was instructed and stared the pup in the eye. After a moment, her mouth began to water. She grew afraid and tried to calm herself.

"Now push all fear from your mind," Avery directed. "Think of a nice warm blanket on a chilly day and a hot bowl of broth."

Calista did so and soon found the meat pulled from her hand as the pup nibbled greedily at the treat. When it was done, it sniffed her hand suspiciously and then scampered forward and snuggled her ankles.

"You have made a new friend," Avery told her, "a friend that will never leave you and will give its life for you, like Mirfak did for Sam and Nikki."

Calista hugged the creature. She was not a healer, but even she could hear the pain in Avery's voice as he spoke of his dead friend. "He’s our friend," She insisted. "Mirfak was loyal to more than one person. So will this one be."

Avery smiled again. "I’m sure he will. What’ll we call him?"

"I don't know," Calista said. "You choose."

Avery knelt and rubbed the small creature's nose. "Algol," he said. "Let's call him Algol."
Calista agreed. "Algol."

They resumed their walk back to the cabin. "He can't be more than a couple of days old. I found his mother back there in the brush. She was dead. A tree trunk was blown over by the wind and fell on her breaking her back."

"Oh, that’s so sad," Calista exclaimed sympathetically. She snuggled the pup and the small creature returned the gesture enthusiastically.

"You know that you’ll have to train him," Avery said. "Sam’s going to be traveling with Ultrecht a lot. He has to spread the Creator's word. That’s quite and honor."

Calista smiled. "I know, but I can stand it. I can train Algol while I’m getting fat."

Avery chuckled. "I don't know how I failed to notice Nikki getting large," he said. "But there’s no way that you can hide it from me. You will be due next year."

"I know. Sam and I are going to go visit Armegon at his ranch until the baby comes. I’ll stay there while Sam is away with Ultrecht. That will give you and Nikki some time to be alone."

"Nonsense," Avery scolded. "You’re most welcome here with us while the others are roaming about, and I’m sure that you will be happier with Nikki and the kids, than to be alone with a chaotic old sorcerer."

"I am glad you asked me to stay," Calista admitted. "I was getting very tired of all that traveling." She was silent for a moment longer. "I really don’t like all those changes."

Avery laughed. "My dear girl," he said in a fatherly tone, "change is what makes life beautiful."

Calista thought about that as they walked through the forest. The leaves were beginning to change color, and Algol played with a stick Avery was tossing ahead of them. The coyodiak would scamper ahead, grab the stick and return it to the ranger.

Many things had changed in her life within the last two years. She had gone from shy tailor's daughter to wife, to voyager, to warrioress, to huntress, and now she was about to become a mother. Avery was right of course, she thought. Change was the most beautiful part of life.


THE END