Fleet of the Mage Read online

  Gathering up the reality that was that song, Pawlik blended it with his emotions and the mental sense that was him. Trying again, he pushed tendrils of energy toward Ruth, desperate to infuse his mage with life-sustaining vigor. This time, his attempt was successful, and he could feel the strengthening of Ruth’s heartbeat and the healing of their bond.

  Dribble by dribble, moving cautiously and carefully, the Anchor infused his depleted mage with enough power to stabilize her. He stopped only when a subconscious feeling told him that he had done enough for now. Stretching his body up slightly and leaning back more firmly on his knees, Pawlik drew the first full breath that he had taken in that chamber.

  The noble could feel his tension starting to dissipate as Ruth continued to breathe strongly. However, after a short while, he grew concerned with her unchanged, unconscious state. Leaning over her, he reached out a hand to brush her hair back so that he could see her face more clearly. Astounded by the trembling in his hand, he began to realize just how closely they had bonded.

  “My Lord? If it is all right with you, I would like to check my Lady Mage,” said a diffident voice.

  Turning his head, Pawlik saw one of the Marines accompanied by middle-aged, gray-haired woman that looked vaguely familiar to him. It was not until she spoke that he remembered where he had seen her, and remembered that she was one of the victims of the unlamented former cook. If he remembered correctly, her expertise was in herbal remedies both good and bad.

  The Marine continued to speak, “Medea and I are the closest we have to on-site medics. If we can provide any assistance to you or to the Mage, my Lord, please let us know.”

  “Thank you, Stuart. Since I am not a doctor, I would appreciate if the two of you could please check Ruth out before she is moved. I have done what I can to replenish her energy, but am concerned that there may be something else going on.”

  Stuart and Medea bent over Ruth, evaluating the damage to the Mage from their own perspectives. After a short examination and a shorter consultation between the two of them, Stuart turned to Pawlik and said, “At this point, sir, it looks like she is sleeping normally and is quite deep in slumber due to exhaustion. Our joint recommendation is that you get her someplace quiet and protected from drafts where she can sleep undisturbed.”

  Medea contributed, “Make sure that she drinks as much water as she can when she wakes. Since she’s not showing any pain responses, it seems likely that it is just pure exhaustion rather than more immediate injury.”

  “Thank goodness! I was afraid to do anything more for fear that I would just make things worse.”

  The woman responded, “It would seem that you stopped at the right point, sir. Just keep her quiet and unstressed until she recovers.”

  “Both of those are going to be a challenge if you know my mate.”

  Both Medea and Stuart started to laugh. The shaky, relieved laughter was amplified when Jenna joined in.

  << <> >>

  After allowing Ruth to stabilize a bit longer, Pawlik gently picked her up. He was glad to see that his movements were smooth and in control after the heart-pounding fear that had accompanied him as he had run toward his mage in her distress.

  Still focused on Ruth’s well-being, Pawlik started to carry her from the room, calling out to those around him, “I expect everyone concerned with the situation to meet me in the small study attached to our bedroom in 30 minutes. At that point, I would like to understand how the situation was allowed to happen.”

  << <> >>

  Pawlik had carried Ruth to the bedroom and placed her gently on the bed. Straightening her limbs and removing her footwear and outer clothing, Ruth lay in the bed dressed only in a chemise and her long beautiful hair. Concerned that she might be cold, Pawlik climbed into the bed and pulled the covers over both of them. Just holding her in a movement that betrayed both his affection and his need to reassure himself of her continued existence, the nobleman lost himself in the vibrations of her heartbeat and the hum of their bond.

  When Pawlik heard the sounds in the study next door to their suite, he knew that it was time to get up and meet with the others. He needed to understand how both Troyer and Ruth had been left unprotected and without supervision.

  Slipping from the bed carefully, absurdly concerned with disturbing Ruth, Pawlik straightened his clothing and brushed his hair before turning for one last look at Ruth. Seeing no change in her slumber, he took a deep breath before walking out of the bedroom and into the study.

  It was still hard to leave her side.

  Striding determinedly into the small room, Pawlik saw that all of the chairs were filled and several people leaned against the walls. In addition to representatives of the inner keep guard and the castle staff, Cal was sitting at the table holding Troyer tightly in his lap with Techla standing beside him. Hunter, the Catog, was also sitting on one of the chairs and gazing balefully around the room.

  Pawlik took everyone through a reconstruction of how the problem had happened. Overall, it didn’t appear to be a single shortfall but was instead a combination of blind luck and coincidence. Jenna muttered quite audibly, “There is no blind luck when it comes to Ruth!”

  In the general laughter that followed, some of the tension in the room eased, and everyone’s tempers settled.

  “One thing that confuses me is how Troyer managed to move through the castle without anyone picking up on the fact that he was unattended,” said Jenna.

  Cal chimed in, “That could have been quite serious.”

  “I know, which is why I raised it as a point at this time. Someone is supposed to be with the children at all times.”

  << That would be my responsibility, my fault. >> Hunter’s mental voice resounded through everyone’s mind.

  “Not your fault! Troyer said that he remembered where I had left my doll and Hunter went with me so that none of the bad people would get me,” cried Techla.

  << It was still my responsibility and my error, little one. Thank you for the defense, but it could have been much worse. I should have let someone know that Troyer was by himself, even if I thought we would be gone just a matter of a few minutes. >>

  Pawlik sighed before responding, “That was very understandable, but you are right, Hunter. We need to avoid having this problem in the future.” Obviously thinking that enough had been said on the subject, the nobleman moved on to a slightly different topic.

  “Troyer, why did you go wandering in the castle and up to the casting chamber? Did something happen that made you leave the room? Did your grandmother call you?”

  “No, Grandpa. I just felt that it was what I was supposed to do. Leaving the room just seemed right, and then I sort of heard Grandma wanting me.”

  “What do you mean, Troyer? Did your grandmother call you?”

  “No. I just knew that she wanted me.”

  Realizing that there is no more to be gathered from questioning the little boy, the subject moved on to how alerts could be handled differently by the members of the security details. As the full group started to dissect the processes and procedures again, Pawlik noticed that Cal had a concerned and thoughtful look on his face. For the boy’s father, the subject was not closed yet.

  Chapter 21 - Recovery

  Planet – Borachland Castle

  Ruth’s journey back to consciousness took multiple days. The first found her unmoving in the big bed, lost in the depths of exhaustion. However, by the third day, the anxious Anchor was encouraged by sporadic, unconscious movements and increased signs of arousal. Still, the Mage did not wake. Night after night, Pawlik held Ruth, wrapping himself around her like he had done when she was entombed in her chrysalis of metamorphosis.

  He could feel her underlying comfort and satisfaction in his presence. It was not something he could actually put a finger on and say, “This, this thing, is what tells me that she knows I’m here.” Instead, it was as if their mage bond had a song that threaded through it at all times and when he held her, the song
changed.

  For a somewhat unimaginative man, even thinking about how this impossible, unlooked for force in his life had come about was enough to make him uncomfortable. But Pawlik knew what he felt, and he didn’t shy away from that. To the senses that he had never used before bonding with Ruth, wherever she was he could feel the bond that said, “I’m here, I’m yours.”

  When he held her, that song changed to, “I am safe and loved. All is right with the world.”

  << <> >>

  Pawlik had moved some of his paperwork into the bedroom so that he could sit beside Ruth while he reviewed the variety of documents that required his signature or decision. The responsibilities of his job never ceased, but he was uncomfortable leaving Ruth for any length of time. This is the best compromise he could work out, even though he knew that his mate would be unhappy with the presence of paperwork in their bedroom.

  It was the fifth day since Ruth had overextended herself and collapsed. Pawlik was sitting on the bed next to her with one of her restless hands in his larger palm. He was holding it idly, brushing his thumb over the back of her fingers as he read the seneschal’s report.

  Something made him look up, some change in the pressure of the air or a soft brush of someone else’s consciousness against his. Turning toward Ruth, he saw that her eyes were open. Before he could say a word, she had drifted back off into slumber. Heart warmed, and fears eased, the Anchor turned his attention back to his reports.

  << <> >>

  The next time that Ruth regained consciousness, it was at the moment that Pawlik had crawled into bed and pulled her skin-to-skin against him, before closing his eyes to sleep. He had reached his arm up over his head to turn off the light when a scratchy voice that he barely recognized said, “Feels good. Love you.”

  The Anchor’s eyes snapped to her face in astonishment. Ruth still looked frail, but the light of intelligence was shining through her eyes and a tremulous smile balanced shakily on her lips. He had time for one short deep breath before he clutched her to himself even more tightly, covering every inch of her exposed face with kisses.

  Finally, his first intense rush of thankfulness ebbed, and he pushed her slightly back so he could gaze into her eyes. Smiling broadly, he just let the sight of her, alive and awake, feed his soul like water into the parched soil.

  That moment of intense gratitude flashed into the pendulum that had been held the whole time that she had been unconscious, as thankfulness gave way to the fear-driven anger that he had felt ever since rushing into the room to find her lying senselessly on the ground.

  Grabbing her by the shoulders, Pawlik said, punctuating each word with a tiny shake, “Never. Do. A. Large. Working. Without. Your. Anchor!”

  A rusty and faint laugh was his only reply for a moment. Pawlik could see the exhaustion that was still bone deep in Ruth. It hovered in the shadows under her eyes that look like pools of ink spilled down from tears. He could feel it in the slight tremble of her body that he held next to his. Even more, could he sense her depletion across the Mage bond. His mage needed to recover and heal.

  In the next few seconds, he could feel the tension in her body once again dissipate into the reluctant relaxation of exhausted slumber. Ruth’s eyes were closed, and her face had relaxed into the formless and innocent expression of someone sleeping where they know that they are protected. The weight of her care and the responsibility of her protection was a large burden. But it was one that he was happy to take up. His mage was asleep and healing. He would guard her sleep and ensure her recovery. Even if he had to sit on her to do it.

  << <> >>

  For the first time since Ruth had been injured, Pawlik went to breakfast in the dining room. His entry into the room interrupted a sad and dismal atmosphere with a spark of hopeful interest. Cal, Mary, and the children were sitting around the table. Hunter and Jenna kept watch from positions against the walls, unobtrusive but overt in their presence.

  “Grandpa, does this mean that Grandma is awake?” tumbled out of Techla’s mouth.

  Tripping over Techla’s words, Cal’s louder voice asked, “Is Mom better? She awake now? Can she have visitors?”

  “Ruth is waking more frequently. Last night she woke enough to talk briefly before going back to sleep. She is still very weak, and we are going to have to be careful of her for a while. But she is awake and coherent.”

  Mary offered Pawlik a blinding smile and exchanged hugs with Techla who was now crying in earnest. All around the room, the tension eased. Body language and facial expressions telegraphed relief at the Mage’s recovery.

  Applying himself to the first decent meal he had had in over a week, Pawlik asked something that had been bothering him the entire time, “Troyer, what were you and your grandmother doing in the spell circle? I didn’t recognize the spell setup, and I certainly did not realize that that room was a casting chamber.”

  “Grandma and I were looking for Mommy.”

  Pawlik exchanged astonish looks with Mary and Cal before turning his attention back to the little boy. Trying not to startle or frighten Troyer, Pawlik said, “I am really not sure that’s possible Troyer. It was a very dangerous thing for your grandma to do. I have never heard of anyone who has managed to do that sort of thing.”

  “But Grandpa, we did find Mommy. Grandma had me think about how much I wanted Mommy really, really hard and then it felt like she was following me like a rope.”

  Amazed, Pawlik asked, “You found your mother?”

  “Yes, we did. I could feel Mommy, and she even talked to grandma a little, so she knows that we were there.”

  “Then what happened, Troyer?”

  “Then it felt like a big rubber band got stretched before a bad noise, and a flash of light happened, which scared me. Then grandma fell down, and I couldn’t get to her.”

  Troyer started to cry, and soon Techla joined in. Shooting angry daggers at Pawlik with her eyes, Mary reached out and pulled both children to her chest, murmuring words of comfort. Wisely, Pawlik ceased his interrogation and readdressed his breakfast.

  << <> >>

  The next couple of days were filled with brief moments when Ruth awoke and long intervals when she slept. Each time that the Mage regained consciousness she was little stronger, a little more coherent. Consulting with Medea and Stuart, Pawlik was confident that Ruth would eventually recover even if that period stretched out over a prolonged time.

  With Ruth on the mend, Pawlik resumed more of his normal duties. Unwilling to leave Ruth alone, any time that he needed to be absent from her side Pawlik made sure that either Cal or Jenna would be in the room every second that he could not be there himself.

  It was during one of those intervals that Cal found himself in the room when his mother awoke. He had been reading an interesting history book from Pawlik’s library, lost in a world of strange languages and unknown historical actions when a faint voice said his name. He jerked as if stung, exclaiming, “Mom! You are awake! That’s wonderful. Do you have any idea how worried we have been about you? Whatever possessed you to do that without letting anybody know?”

  “Silly man. You were hurting. Troyer hurts. Everyone misses your wife. Troyer craves his mother. Truly, my son, what did you expect me to do?”

  Cal’s mouth opened and shut soundlessly for a few seconds. Frozen in a balance point between concern for his mother and the desperate desire for his wife, Cal was unable to answer his mother. Finally, he managed to stutter out, “Please, just don’t kill yourself.”

  Offering up a peace branch of a loving smile, Ruth nodded off back to sleep.

  << <> >>

  Ruth woke in her bed feeling warm and comfortable. She could feel the softness of Pawlik’s chest hair against her face and purred in sheer, sensual appreciation. Despite the warmth, the call of a full bladder forced her to get up out of bed. By comparison to her warm blankets, the room was ice cold. Drafts swirled around her ankles, sending shivering echoes up her nude body.

  Concentrating
on navigating the floor without accident, she carefully made her way to the bathroom and eased the door closed before turning on the light. The last thing she wanted to do was to wake Pawlik. She had seen how the dark shadows under his eyes had grown while she was recovering. The shadow of that regret was a burden that she knew was her responsibility. Her actions had caused that injury to the man she cared for.

  Rinsing her face and hands off in the warm water felt luxurious like a major milestone had been passed in a return to the land of the living. Conscious of increasingly shaky navigation, the Mage turned off the bathroom light as she opened the door and attempted to walk back into the bedroom.

  The doorway was filled with a warm male wall. Pawlik grabbed her by the elbows and lifted her slightly off the floor. First, he hugged her and then he shook her, saying, “Never do that without me around.”

  Ruth looked at this man, the one who anchored her in reality and promised, “Never again will I do that without you.”

  Pawlik allowed her to see the soul-searing fear that had driven him for days through the windows of his eyes. Ruth was stabbed in the chest with the pain she saw echoed there. The consequences of her actions were plain.

  The Mage’s Anchor looked at her even more intently and repeated, “Not one more time, ever.”

  Turning slightly in his grip to rest her head against his upper chest, soft with a thick thatch of hair, Ruth repeated, “Not again.”

  Reassured and finally content, Pawlik carried Ruth back to the warmth and comfort of their waiting bed.

  Chapter 22 – Vulnerabilities Addressed

  Planet – Borachland Castle

  It had become apparent to Ruth and Pawlik that there were many holes in their plans. Some were weaknesses in structure or process, while others were functions or strategies that had not been fully defined. Ruth’s collapse was only one of the many possible weaknesses that could be exploited by knowledgeable enemies. Moving to more of a war footing, Pawlik drew on his crew and the newly-hired Marine command staff to help shore up the more immediate dangers. The longer-term and more broad-reaching challenges would have to wait while he organized a formal General Staff to create strategies.