“Rocky?” questions Dave, not entirely understanding what he’s talking about.
“Sure,” he says. “That stone construct you always used to use during our role playing games.”
“Oh, right,” he says. “How do you do it?”
“Just concentrate, think what I want to do, and it happens,” explains James. “That’s the basics though it is a little more complicated than that.”
“Can anyone do it?” he asks. “Could I?”
“Maybe, I don’t know,” he says. “Most of the people of this world can’t. You need a calm mind and concentration, I don’t know if you’ll be able to right now in the state you’re in.”
Holding out his hand, Dave concentrates on forming something similar to the glowing orb he saw James make. After several moments, nothing happens. Lowering his arm, he gazes to him with a frustrated look. “Can’t do it.”
“Maybe once you’re life has quieted down you’ll make it happen,” encourages James. He can see his friend’s disappointment at not being able to summon the orb.
“Maybe,” he says. “What else can you do?”
“A lot,” he replies. “Whatever I can imagine, provided I have enough power to do it, I can.”
For the next several hours, they sit and talk about this world, magic, and some of James’ experiences since coming here. He doesn’t mention the Fire or some of the other stranger occurrences he’s encountered, like spirits of dead priests and headless torsos.
After lunch, he takes Dave back to the workshop where they spend the rest of the afternoon just being together and talking of old times. It seems that reminiscing about the past brings him a better mood, or maybe it’s just being away from the others.
That night during the evening gathering, Dave seems a little more animated, as if his old self is once more trying to assert itself. A smile actually comes to him during one of Tersa’s songs.
Seeing his friend come alive more and more gives James encouragement that the devastation wrought upon him by his time as a slave may not be irreversible. On their way to bed after the evening winds down, he actually hears his friend humming one of Tersa’s songs to himself. He goes to sleep feeling much better about things than he had the night before.
Get out!
A cry startles him out of a sound sleep in the middle of the night. Then another scream followed by the sound of a scuffle. Thinking they’re under attack, he grabs his slug belt and races out the bedroom door.
In the light of a candle held by Roland, he sees Jiron on top of someone outside of Tersa’s door. One of his knives is held to the throat of the man on the floor. As he comes closer, he sees it’s his friend Dave.
“What happened here?” he demands as the others in the house come to see what the commotion is. Illan and Fifer both have their swords in hand believing an attack was in progress.
Everyone starts talking at once. “Quiet!” he shouts, cutting through the noise. Everyone becomes quiet as they look at him. Turning to Jiron he asks, “What happened?”
“Your friend here was about to accost my sister!” he says with vehemence.
“I didn’t do anything James,” exclaims Dave. “I swear!” He may not have understood what Jiron had said, but the accusation in his voice was unmistakable.
From the doorway to her room, Tersa says, “He came in here and grabbed me!”
He sees the pleading in Dave’s eyes and the anger and promise of violence in Jiron’s.
“I’m sure this is all a misunderstanding?” he says.
“Misunderstanding?” shouts Jiron. “I aught to kill him right now!”
“I went to the bathroom and got mixed up in the dark,” pleads Dave. “I got lost and went into the wrong room!” He looks to James, imploring him to believe him.
“Get off him Jiron,” he says.
When Jiron hesitates, he adds, “Now please.”
With hate in his eyes, he gets up off the frightened Dave. The knife in his hand remains out and threatening.
“Dave, get back to our room,” James tells him.
Scrambling to his feet fast, Dave moves quickly to James’ room and they hear the door shut.
Every eye is upon him. “He simply went into the wrong room is all,” he tells them. “I’ve known him a very long time and I assure you, he isn’t like that.”
Jiron comes close to him and says, “Just keep him away from my sister. I held back because he was your friend, I won’t a second time.” After meeting his eyes for a second in defiance, he turns and moves into Tersa’s room and then shuts the door.
“Everyone back to bed,” Illan announces to the rest. “Nothing more to see.” As the others begin moving back to bed, he comes over to James and asks quietly, “Was it a mistake?”
“It has to be,” James says defensively. “Dave isn’t like that.”
“A mistake it may have been, but whatever trust he had with everyone in this house is now gone,” he says. “If another ‘mistake’ occurs, I believe Jiron will make good his threat.”
“So do I,” he says. “I better go see how Dave is doing.” Turning around, he makes his way back to his room.
Inside, he finds Dave sitting on the bed facing the door. “You have to believe me James, it was an accident.”
“I do,” he replies shutting the door behind him. “But no one else here does. You’ll need to step carefully for awhile and rebuild their trust.”
“Why don’t we just leave here, the two of us?” Dave asks.
“I can’t,” he says. “I’ve been through too many things with these people to suddenly turn my back on them. They’re all good, solid friends, you’ve just gotten off to a bad start. But once they get to know you better, they’ll come to see what kind of man you are.”
“Thanks for saving me back there,” he says with a slight smile.
“You’re welcome,” James replies. “Just don’t make that mistake again.”
“Rest assured, I won’t,” states Dave.
“Now let’s go back to sleep.”
Lying back on the bed, he listens to Dave as he slowly succumbs to sleep. He’s worried about his friend. This was not a very auspicious beginning and the others are not going to be too trusting of him for awhile. The worries churning in his mind at last quiet down and he’s able to fall asleep.
The following morning at breakfast, those still there when he and Dave come to the kitchen give Dave cold stares and hardly talk at all. Most excuse themselves as soon as he and Dave sit down.
Ezra fills their plates and Dave’s is decidedly lacking in the better portions of the food. He may have missed that little nuance, but James certainly picked up on it. After last night, it’s only what he expected. He’s actually surprised that Ezra didn’t demand he go out and eat with the recruits. Probably would’ve if he hadn’t been friend to the master of the house.
The morning goes pretty much the same. Wherever Dave goes, the others either pointedly ignore him or slight him in some small way. James feels bad for his friend, but knows only time will heal this rift between his friend and the others.
A little before noon, two notes are blown by the sentry down at the road and every one rushes out to see what’s going on. James and Illan are standing outside the front door as a rider comes toward the house.
“He’s wearing the King’s colors,” Illan says. “Which means he’s on official business.”
“What in the world would bring him here?” asks Jiron.
“I don’t know,” Illan replies.
The man is wearing the coat of arms of the King of Cardri. James recognizes it from his time in Cardri earlier when he met with the Archive Custodian, Ellinwyrd. The appearance of the herald can only be bad news.
As the herald reins up before them, he dismounts, turns to them and says, “I bear a message from King Colbern, King of Cardri for the mage known as James. Would one of you be he?”
Stepping forward, James says, “I am.”
Removing a rolled scroll bearing the wax seal of Cardri, he extends it to him. “I am to await your response.”
