“Thanks James!” the mayor hollers as he and the others move quickly around the other side of the building to avoid being found.
“I suppose it keeps his life from getting dull,” Jiron says with a grin.
Laughing, James replies, “I guess so.” Glancing back, he sees her get to the edge of town and stop after passing by the last building. With hands on her hips, she looks both ways and then turns around as she begins combing the other side on her way back.
Ahead of them playing among some trees near the side of the road are five young children, three boys and two girls. When they see him coming, they group together and stare at him approaching. Several of them whisper among themselves and finally one of the younger boys is pushed forward. Glancing back to his friends nervously, James sees the others prompting him to come forward.
Turning back to the road and James, the boy steps forward nervously. As James comes to him, he asks, “Are you the mage what lives outside of town?”
Nodding, James slows down and comes to a halt. “Yes I am,” he tells the boy. He can see he’s nervous so gives him a reassuring grin.
Glancing back to the others, the boy sees them nodding at him encouragingly and then turns back to James. Shuffling his feet back and forth, he asks, “Could you do some magic for us?”
James glances to Jiron and then looks around to see who else may be watching. Not seeing anyone, he turns back to the boy and nods. He holds out his hand palm up. The other kids edge closer when it looks like he may be doing something. Suddenly, his orb appears and the little boy says, “Oooohhhhhh!”
He throws it up into the air and it splits into three. The three orbs hang there suspended for a moment as the other kids approach. Slowly at first, the three orbs begin circling above the heads of the children. Gradually picking up speed, the swirling orbs begin looking like a circle of light above them.
Then the orbs suddenly explode in a burst of sparkles and disappear. “Wow!” one boy says. “Do it again!” a girl exclaims.
Grinning he says, “Sorry. I must be on my way. Maybe next time.”
“Bye!” the kids say as he begins riding away.
Jiron glances at him and sees the grin on his face. “Why did you do that?” he asks.
“Just having some fun is all,” he replies. “Why?”
“Now they’re going to spread even more stories about you,” he warns.
Sighing, James says, “I know. But sometimes you just have to do what you want and damn the consequences.” Turning to him, he says, “It’s for the kids.”
“You have a soft spot for kids don’t you?” he asks.
“I do like to make them happy,” he admits. “I love to see their faces light up.”
“You’re a good man,” states Jiron.
“I try to be.” Glancing back, he sees the kids still standing there watching him. One waves when he notices James looking back. Giving them a wave in return, he then turns back and hurries down the road.
Back at The Ranch, he finds Uther still at the shack. “Tired of guard duty yet?” he asks.
“That’s a dumb question,” retorts Uther. “Of course I’m tired of it. All you do is stand and do nothing. Cant’ go anywhere…”
Holding up his hand, James stops his tirade. “Alright, sorry I asked,” he says. Moving down the lane, they leave Uther behind and come to the house. The morning practice is already over but he doesn’t see any of the new recruits around. Seeing Illan over to the side where he’s sparring with Jorry, he walks over and asks him where they are.
Stopping the sparring, he turns to James and wipes the sweat from his brow. Nodding to the old barn, he says, “They’re in there with Roland working on their letters.”
“Oh, right,” replies James understanding.
“Did you find out what you wanted to know?” Illan asks.
“Yes I did,” he replies. “It’s in northern Madoc, used to be a mining town before the iron ore played out.”
“Planning on going?” he asks.
“Tomorrow,” says James. “I would like to find it before winter hits.”
“Should be a month or more before you have to worry about any real bad weather around here,” Jorry says.
“It’s not around here I’m concerned with but where I’m going,” he explains. “Not sure how far north it is or how long it will take.”
“Who are you planning on taking with you?” he asks.
“Dave for sure,” he replies. “Don’t think I could leave either Miko or Jiron behind.”
“You got that right,” says Jiron from where he stands behind him.
“Also I was thinking of taking Jorry and Uther as well,” he says.
Jorry brightens up when he hears that, “About time we get to get in on some of the fun!”
“Are the recruits improving?”
“Little by little,” replies Illan. “Some will never amount to much more than sword fodder in a real conflict. But I think they’ll suffice for here.”
“Good. Keep up the good work,” he says as he leaves them to return to their sparring. Moving toward the barn, he says to Jiron, “I’m going to check in on Roland.”
“Alright,” he says and then moves toward the house.
The barn is surprisingly quiet as he nears the door. Stepping through he finds Roland’s ‘students’ sitting on benches bent over a shingle on their lap. The thin slice of wood seems to be what they’re practicing writing on. Each of them has a thin, blackened stick with which to write and are currently shaping letters.
Roland looks up from where he was examining Errin’s work when he enters and hands her back her shingle. Heading over to James, he rolls his eyes.
“Everything alright?” he asks. Every head immediately turns at the sound of his voice.
“Get back to it please,” Roland tells them. “I have you little enough as it is.” They all return to their writing with only the occasional, brief glance his way.
Sighing, he indicates for James to follow him outside. Once outside, he keeps his voice low so as not to be overheard by those within the barn. “Some are doing fine. Others not so.”
“That’s to be expected,” replies James, nodding.
“It’s slow going,” he says. “They’re fairly tired out from the hours of practice they’ve put in with Illan before they get to me.”
“Just do what you can,” offers James.
“I do, and they are improving,” he states. “Some have their letters down and are moving onto whole words. Errin is the brightest, I think Miko may be the next brightest in this but he’s not here enough to keep up with the others.”
“I know and we’ll be leaving again tomorrow too.”
“Off again?” he says. “You don’t like to stay in one place very long.”
“It’s not that I don’t want too,” asserts James. “Just that circumstances warrant it.”
“I know,” he says.
“Everything going well with The Ranch and the finances?” James asks.
“Actually,” he says, “while you were gone, Delia returned and dropped off the coins she received from the sale of the gems. It was quite a sum. That alone should last us almost a year. With Tersa’s bears we should be fine through next summer.”
“I’ll have Jiron or Fifer go back for more gems,” he says. “But not until after winter.”
“I understand.” Making to return to the barn, Roland says, “I better get back in there. I only have them another half hour before they have to start their duties.”
“Very well,” says James.
He leaves as Roland enters the barn and goes into the house to check when lunch will be ready. Ezra tells him still another hour or so. Telling her he’ll be in his workshop, he leaves through the backdoor. Crossing the yard he’s soon inside with the door shut.
First thing he checks is the receiving crystal. That’s the crystal which should emit a light if the hiding place of the Fire is disturbed in any way. At some point he’ll have to get this crystal set up in a secure spot where it’ll be visible yet at the same time safe from accidental loss or destruction. When he gets back from his trip to Ironhold, he may try to create a relay which will inform him no matter where he is should the receiver crystal receive the signal. But he doesn’t have time before tomorrow.