Well, here you all go.
As always, comments and criticisms welcome.

D.Fire


Sword and Sorcery (tentative)
Chapter 8

by D.Fire
phongb9@idt.net

	Raeni was laying on something soft, she realized, as she
slowly regained consciousness.  A soothing voice murmured in her ear
as someone placed a cool, damp cloth over her forehead.  As she opened
her eyes, everything was a blur but slowly came into focus.  A face
loomed over, initially hidden in shadows, but as the head moved, a
kindly face was revealed.  It was a woman's face, someone with long,
dark hair tied in a bun.

	The woman removed the warming cloth from Raeni's brow and
turned to wash it a small basin beside the bed.  As she turned, the
dancing light from the fireplace on the other side of the room
revealed a familiar face.

	Bolting up straight, Raeni shouted, "Ukyou!"

	The woman, startled, jumped back a ways from the bedside.
Regaining her composure, she quickly returned to Raeni's side, saying.
"Hush, little one.  You are safe.  I know not what this 'Ukyou' you
call for is.  But if you tell me what it is, I may be able get it for
you."  As she spoke, she gently pushed Raeni's shoulder, urging her to
lay back down on the bed.  "You must rest.  You must have had quite a
scare today."

	Shrugging off the soothing hand, Raeni shook her head, "No,
no," she said, vigorously shaking her head.  "Ukyou isn't a thing.
It's ...  I mean ... she's a person.  You."  She pointed at the woman.

	Blushing, the woman answered, "Oh, my.  Little one.  You must
be mistaken.  I am not Ukyou.  My name is Keili.  But you must rest."
With a firm hand, the woman pushed Raeni back down.  "Lay down and I
will answer your questions."

	Indeed, after taking a close look, Raeni could see that the
face the woman wore looked very similar to her old friend, but the
face looked ... older.  Now that she had a chance to take a good look,
this woman actually looked like what Ukyou's mother might look like.
No longer lithe in build, this Keili had a somewhat plump and motherly
figure.  The face, which Raeni had only known in its young visage, now
had cracks lining the skin from age.  Crows feet lined the startling
green eyes that peered down at Raeni, and the woman wore a simple,
dark dress.

	"My pardon, Madame," Raeni spoke softly from her prone
position.  "The Ukyou I knew was my own age.  I see that you could be
my own mother's age."  Remembering her manners, she introduced
herself, "My name is Raeni."

	"That all right, dear.  You must have had a horrid experience,
trapped in that sand boggle's pit," Keili reassured her.  "Let me
extend my family's hospitality to you tonight.  Now that I see that
you will be fine, I suggest you get some sleep."  When Raeni did not
respond, she continued, "You must be exhausted and confused.  Sleep
now and we will talk in the morning."  Keili rose from her sitting
position, and saying, "Sleep well, little one," she left the room.

	Raeni lay there, eyes closed, furiously thinking.  'Man, that
was such a shock!  Seeing Ukyou twice in a row.  But if that woman
wasn't Ukyou...  Then that guy I saw earlier...  He was my age.  Could
it be that he's Ukyou?'  Shuddering a little, she wondered, 'What
happened then?  Ukyou didn't have a man-curse.'

	Although Raeni was sure that the older woman had left the
room, she still feigned sleep, just in case Keili came back to check
on her.  She thought, 'I can't stay here though.'  Even with Kieli's
resemblance to Ukyou, staying did not feel right, and judging from the
woman's motherly demeanor, she was not likely going to be allowed to
leave without a scene, which Raeni didn't feel she was up to dealing
with at the moment.  Calling out mentally, she asked, ::Azure, are you
close?::

	<I'm right outside the window, Raeni.>

	::Did you follow me here?  What happened?  Where am I?:: she
asked.

	<Uh.  I'm not too sure.  I had left the pit to find a rope or
something, like you told me to.  A couple minutes later, I came back
fearing the worst, but you were long gone,> Azure answered.  <I caught
your scent trail through, at the edge of the pit, and I tracked you
several miles to this town.> Azure paused in thought.  Then he
continued, <I also caught another scent, Raeni.>

	::Why so hesitant?  Was there something wrong?::  Raeni let
worry creep into her mind-voice and she began shifting around.  She
still kept her eyes closed so as to maintain her illusion of sleep.
She kept her ears alert for any sound coming from beyond the doorway.

	After a moment, Azure continued speaking.  <The scent was the
same as before, Raeni.>

	::Before.  Before what?::

	Frustration slipping into his mindvoice, Azure reminded her,
<From that big mistake you made this morning.  The scent was the same.
That fiasco by the river.>

	Involuntarily, Raeni's eyes popped open at the revelation.
::What?!  You mean that guy that saved me this morning saved me
again?::  Peering around frantically to see if her ruse had been
pierced.  She sighed in relief.  It looked like she had not been found
out.  Once again she closed her eyes and slowed her breathing.

	::You mean that pervert from this morning pulled me out of
that pit and carried me here?::

	<Uh, Raeni.  Aren't you being a little harsh here?  After all,
the guy did save you twice.>

	::Don't give me that!  I'm a guy!  I can save myself!:: she
replied fervently.  Her facial expression twisted up without her
conscious control.

	Azure broke into the middle of her rant.  Forcibly, he stated,
<No, Raeni!  You couldn't save yourself the second time.>

	::What?!  Whaddaya mean I couldn't save myself?::

	<Don't you remember your studies?  What's the one special
property of boggle sand?> Azure patiently asked, taking on a lecturing
tone.

	As the answer came to her, she calmed and she blushed though
no one was in the room to see her.  In a tiny voice, she recited,
::Sand boggles are very dangerous to those trapped in their pits.  All
levitation, flying, and air magic will be dispersed by the natural
properties of the creatures imbued on the sand.::  Reluctantly, she
admitted, ::Okay, Azure.  I can see that I owe this guy.  Twice.  But
I can't stay here cowering like a girl, regardless of how grateful I
am.::

	Cracking her eyes open, Raeni slowly scanned the room.  Seeing
no one, she slowly sat up and crept over to the window.  It was a
simple affair, basically just a hole in the wall.  Glass had not made
much of an impact on the lives of this world, or else people lacked
the ability to manufacture it.  The metal shutters covering the
opening were a different matter.  Beautifully engraved, the shutters
had mythical animals running and playing across them.

	Unfortunately for her, the shutters were closed tight for the
night.  An intricate latching mechanism completed the shutters.  At
least the metalsmiths of this world were advanced and masterful.
Puzzling at the latch for a moment, she managed to undo it after a
moment's time.  Pushing at the shutters, she slowly pried them apart.
CREAK!  At the unexpectedly loud sound, she quickly stopped her
efforts.

	Sucking in her breath, Raeni paused as she listened for any
signs of movement behind her.  She made ready to thrust open the
shutters at any noise whatsoever that indicated that someone had heard
the shutter's loud squeak.  Luck was on her side, though, and no one
came to her room to check on the noise.

	::Azure, I'm not going to be able to get out this way without
alerting the rest of the house.  Meet me at the front door,:: she
decided.  Turning away from the window, she tiptoed over to the
doorway leading out of the room.  'I'm on the second floor,' she
realized as she plainly made out a staircase leading to the first
level of the house.  Unable to make any details in the darkness, she
took the steps one at a time, as she slowly made her way downstairs,
testing each step for creakiness before placing her weight on it.
Although she was careful in her steps, intermittent creaks and groans
accompanied her down the stairs. As each sounded, her imagination
amplified the noise to an incredible degree.

	Raeni made it without mishap to the bottom of the stairs.  Two
doors adorned the room at the bottom of the steps.  The whole house
was shrouded in darkness, with no light sources evident.  Choosing the
sturdier of the two, she glided over to it taking graceful, silent
steps.  Another intricate lock greeted her.  The similarity to the one
she faced upstairs allowed her to make quick work of this one.
Fearing another squeaking hinge, she slowly pulled the door open.  The
door had barely moved six inches before a hand snaked through the
opening and grabbed onto her wrist.

	Raeni nearly shrieked in surprise when the hand clamped down,
barely swallowing the scream in time.  Forming a fist with her other
hand, she noiselessly kicked open the door and punched at her unknown
assailant.  Rather than waiting for the person to throw another
attack, Raeni leapt through the doorway, vaulting over the figure
before her in an attempt to break the hold on her arm.  Her tactic
succeeded, separating her from her attacker.

	From the shadows, a feminine voice growled menacingly at her,
"What have you done to my mother!?  What are you doing sneaking out of
my house like a thief?"  The voice was familiar and tickled the back
of Raeni's memory, but the anger in the voice forestalled any attempt
at recognition.

	Dumbfounded at what the questions revealed, Raeni could only
wave her hands in denial and stutter out gibberish in reply, the
connection between her brain and her mouth having been temporarily
severed.  Her lack of clarity seemed to only incense the unknown
figure further.  "How dare you?  Attacking a defenseless woman!" the
voice continued.  "Die, murderer!"

	Raeni clearly heard a sword being drawn from a leather
scabbard.  The next move came so fast that, in the darkness, she could
barely see the sharp edge as it came down to cleave her skull.
Blindly leaping backwards, she landed in a battle stance as her long
ago training took over.

	"I see you know how to fight.  I wouldn't want you to die so
easily.  Hiyaa!" screamed the cowled figure as she charged at Raeni.
The figure ran at her with sword at the ready, held in a two-handed
forward slash position.  As the girl reached her, Raeni jumped
straight up, neatly avoiding the horizontal blow delivered at her.
Landing lightly on the blade as she came down and pushing the tip into
the ground, she forced the wielder to retreat as she delivered a
retaliatory leg sweep at the arm that held the sword.  Letting the
blade go, the dark figure jumped back and, reaching down to her boots,
withdrew two daggers and made ready to continue the fight.

	Suddenly, a loud voice rang out from behind the mysterious
figure.  "Uerris, you put those weapons down, NOW!"

	The figure, now a silhouette in the light coming from the
doorway, stopped short at the command and immediately dropped the
daggers she held.  The daggers slowly tumbled to the ground, bouncing
a short distance and landing with a double clang on the stone path.
Turning sideways but still keeping one eye on Raeni, the hooded girl
turned around and yelled, "Mother!  You're all right!"  Raeni could
tell that the mother stood a few inches taller than her daughter.

	Raeni, in the meantime, started slowly backing away from the
house and the pair at the door.  Her slow backwards shuffle halted as
she ran in something soft and furry laying in a disorderly lump on the
stone path.  Looking down, Raeni gasped as she saw Azure laying at her
feet, apparently unconscious and hurt.  "Azure!" she cried as she bent
down to pick up the silent panther.  Tears in her eyes, she turned and
fled with the panther held gently in her arms.  Blurred shadows and
silhouettes battled in her way as she sought an exit from the town.

	In her distress, she did not hear Keili behind her calling out
to her, "Wait, stranger!  Please come back!"

	***

	"Oh, Azure," Raeni whispered to the unconscious panther.
"Hang on.  Don't die on me!"  She could feel wetness on the panther's
fur.  Taking to the treetops when she reached the edge of the little
town, she paused to examine her familiar.  In the moonlight, she could
see a deep cut on his shoulder, and it seemed like the wound still
bled.

	Propping him securely on a tree branch, she used one hand to
keep him balanced, while with the other, she reached down and tore a
strip from her shirt to field bandage the wound.  Comparing the wound
and the piece of cloth in her hand, she clearly saw that she needed a
much larger bandage, so disregarding her own modesty, she quickly shed
her entire shirt for use.  Besides, in the darkness, no one would see
anything, if there was anyone around to see at all.

	Before she bandaged him, she cast the only healing spell she
knew.  Holding her hand mere millimeters above the wound, she closed
her eyes and concentrated.  "Ubiderus," she whispered with care
evident in her voice, hoping that her magic would be enough.  Her hand
glowed a soft green which spread to envelop the wound.  After the glow
faded away, Raeni looked at the wound again.  Sighing with relief, she
saw that though the wound had not closed, at least it no longer bled.
Finishing it up, she used her shirt to bind the shoulder tightly,
hoping that it would hold until she got away.

	Once again gently lifting Azure to her arms, she began her
retreat from the area.  As she hopped from treetop to treetop, she
cushioned Azure from each landing.  Tears blinded her as she jumped
away.

	***

	Miles later, Raeni found a clearing large enough for her
purpose.  Feeling that she had lost any pursuit, if they had even
bothered to follow her, and deeming this spot a location safely far
enough away from the village, she laid Azure gently down on a patch of
clear ground and searched for dry firewood.  Her task a success, she
gathered the sticks into a pile and ringed them with stones.  Quickly
clearing the immediate area of flammable objects, she pointed at the
firesite and said, "Orus," and, putting some power behind the command,
she soon had a strong fire going.

	Pulling a pot and a full waterskin from her cache in the
pocket dimension, she filled the pot with water, and after creating a
makeshift rack, she hung the pot over the fire and waited for it to
boil.  Minutes later, the water sizzled and bubbled.  She removed it
from the fire and cast a spell over the water.  Again using her
healing spell, she spoke, "Ubiderus."  Unsure of the what effect it
would have, she could only hope that further healing would work.
Again, the soft green glow emanated from her hand.  The glow then
traveled from her hand and sunk into the water, quickly disappearing.

	Knowing that the water was too hot to use, she then cast
another spell.  "Kirus.".  The spell cooled the water.  Holding her
hand near the pot, she felt no warmth, but she made sure by quickly
testing the water with her forefinger.  Icy coldness greeted her, and
she smiled in satisfaction.

	"Now to wash that wound out," she spoke to no one in
particular.  Taking great care to not jostle her friend, she laid him
out so that the wound would be accessible.  Removing the makeshift
bandage, she saw clearly for the first time the wound on his shoulder.
In the light of the campfire, she saw that it wasn't as bad as she had
first thought.  The wound was clean and didn't look like it reached
any organs or pierced deep enough to damage bone, but in her hasty
escape, despite her care, the wound had begun to bleed slowly again.  

	'I've never seen purple blood before,' she thought wryly to
herself as she cleaned the wound.  Using a stack of clean, white cloth
she pulled from her cache, she carefully wiped away all the blood.  As
she gently removed the clotted blood, she could see the wound visibly
knitting itself back together.  'Hmm, it looks like Azure's taking
care of himself.  Or maybe that healing spell is working.'

	Azure stirred as the cold water brought him to slow
consciousness.  <Ow,> he moaned.  <What happened?>

	Greatly relieved that her familiar was well enough to speak,
Raeni weakly joked, "Ha, it looks like I'm not the only one who gets
hurt."  Then throwing her arms around him, being careful to avoid the
wound, she whispered in his perked ears, "I'm glad you're all right",
as a tear slipped free.

	Straightening up and flipping the tear away, she commanded,
"You didn't see that.  Let me finish bandaging you up.  So don't
move."  After that, she worked in silence, cleaning and then finally
binding the wound, this time with a real bandage pulled from her
pouch.  She had paused mysteriously once during the cleaning, but she
finished quickly, saying, "You look pretty good, Azure.  You should be
up and about soon, I think, from what I saw of your regeneration."

	Standing up, she gathered up all of the used, bloodied towels
as well as her bloodied shirt.  In picking up her shirt, she realized
that her top was still bare.  Blushing a little and feeling
self-conscious, she chanted, "Uir Regalis," conjuring up a shirt from
her endless store.  Feeling a little better, she picked up one of the
used towels and waved it in front of Azure's nose.

	"Hey, Azure," she pointed out, "look at your blood."  She
gleefully waved the purple encrusted rag at her familiar.  Grinning,
she said, "Now it really looks like I can't call you Azure anymore.
You're purple inside AND out."

	In a pained tone, Azure replied, <I thought we settled this
already.  My name is Azure and if you don't call me that, I won't
answer.  Hmmf.>  Azure sniffed delicately and looked haughtily away.
Glancing back with twinkling eyes, he added, <Besides, purple is the
color of royalty.  You should bow to me, slave.>

	"I don't think so, Azure," Raeni joked back, happy that he was
feeling well enough to make jokes.  After she checked once again for
any bloodied scraps she might have missed, she gathered all of the
material and made her way to the fire.  She tossed each piece in, one
at a time, making sure that each burned away completely before
throwing in the next.  The effect of the first piece on the fire
surprised her.  When she had thrown it in, the fire had roared to
life, and while the cloth burned away, the flames danced with a violet
tinge.  Each subsequent rag had the same effect.

	"Geez, Azure.  Look what you did to the fire.  My advice would
be that you not sleep too closely to any fire from now on.  You might
explode," she said with a smile.  "Hungry?"

	At his nod, she pulled out a piece of raw meat from her stores
and laid it before him.  "Eat up," she encouraged him. Pulling out a
bowl and filling it with water, she placed it beside him in case he
was thirsty.  Then she just sat there, hunched over with her knees
clasped to her chest, watching as he ate.

	<And what about you, Raeni?  Aren't you hungry?> Azure asked
her while tearing off chunks of meat from the slab before him.

	::Not really, Azure.  I've sort of lost my appetite.  Besides,
I have a little pest to deal with,:: she replied mysteriously.
::Close your eyes, Azure,:: she told him.

	Puzzled but obeying, her familiar stopped chewing momentarily
and squeezed his eyes shut.

	Raeni, too, closed her eyes, and chanted, "Mirus Pocanus
Miranus," and pointed to something in the woods.  As she finished her
spell, a beam of bright, white light shot out of her finger and
traveling a short distance into the forest, it exploded silently into
a giant ball of light.  Even with her eyes closed, the light was still
bright enough to temporarily blind her.

	The effect of the light on her target was even more marked.
Raeni heard something crashing to the ground in the forest from the
direction she felt the intruder perching.  Smiling with satisfaction
as the light died away, she called out, "I know you're out there!
Come to the edge of the clearing when your sight clears, but don't
come any closer than that!"

	Muffled crashing answered her call, moving away from their
location.  Shrugging, she said, "Oh well, I guess he'll be back
whenever his sight clears.  Or not.  I don't care so long's he ain't
dangerous."

	***

	Raeni didn't have to wait long for the return of the stranger.
She sat in meditation, eyes closed, levitating and facing toward the
fire, as she felt his presence in the woods.  Same aura as before, she
was sure, but approaching from a different direction, this time coming
at her back.  Azure lay across from her on the opposite side of the
fire, the day's events having been too much for him.  He slept the
sleep of the dead.

	The figure crept toward their camp, going from tree to tree as
he got ever closer.  Twenty feet from the edge of the clearing, the
figure paused.  A little worried, but not showing it, Raeni did a
closer scan, checking to make sure no ranged weapon was being aimed at
her back, but she readied herself to move at a moments notice.
Although she found several weapons on him, none were currently held in
his hands and trained at her.  Relaxing slightly, she allowed the
stranger to proceed at his own pace.  She acknowledged to herself that
she was dealing with a skilled woodsman, because, although she had
detected him magically, his silent movement would have caught her
unawares, otherwise.

	Finally, hesitantly, the figure reached the edge of the
clearing.  It was at this point that Raeni slid herself via levitation
around to the opposite side of the fire, so that she faced the unknown
person.  This action startled the figure but didn't spook him into
running.

	Opening her eyes, Raeni saw the figure for the first time with
non-magical eyes.  She wore a hooded cloak, drawn over her head to
cover her face, and it was definitely a she.  Rounded curves in all
the right places betrayed that fact.  Wearing splotched green and
brown clothes, the figure stood before her, in a stance that showed
her fear of the sorceress, as well as ... penitence?  A bow slung over
her shoulder, and a sword hung by her side.

	Suspicious of the coincidence, Raeni looked for two daggers,
and she found them tucked neatly in the girl's boots.  With a voice
like fire, she sneered, "So have you come to hunt me down?  The
murderer of your poor, old mother?"

	Wincing from the words, the girl answered in a small voice,
"Please forgive me, mighty sorceress.  I did not know that you were a
guest of my mother's, and I attacked you wrongly."  The girl threw
herself to her knees and begged, "Please.  My mother was very angry
with me for attacking you.  Please come back with me to my house,
where she offered you hospitality."  The girl showed definite unease
and fear at Raeni's seemingly casual use of magic.  Hesitantly, she
added, "At the very least, please let me heal the animal at your feet,
since my thoughtless action caused it injury."

	At this, Raeni's anger erupted, and the fire before her flared
in conjunction.  The other girl cowered in response.  Raeni yelled in
anger, "Azure is not an animal!"  Her eyes glowed red, too bright to
be a reflection from the fire alone.  She breathed heavily but soon
managed to calm herself.  As did she calm, so did the fire subside.
Softening her tone slightly, she continued, "But you didn't know that,
so I don't blame you for that ... too much."  The frightened girl
winced at the last part of her statement.  "Come closer and show me
your face."

	The girl slowly rose to her feet and walked ever so hesitantly
toward the fire.  When she was about five feet away, Raeni called out,
"Stop!  That's close enough."  The girl did.  "Now show me your face."
The girl pulled back on the hood of her cloak.  Half expecting it but
still somewhat shocked all the same, Raeni stared at the girl as the
features revealed her old friend Ukyou standing before her.  This
time, Ukyou was the right age, about her own, and ice blue eyes stared
fearfully at her.  "Your name?" she demanded.  "Your mother called
you, I think, Euryce?"

	Speaking so softly as to almost not be heard, the girl
answered timidly, "No, milady.  My name is Uerris."

	"Don't move.  I'm coming closer to take a better look," she
commanded Uerris.  The girl flinched as she floated closer.  Raeni
concentrated on the jewel hidden beneath her shirt while floating
slowly around Uerris.  Throughout the whole time, she felt the gem
pull towards the girl.  Without a doubt, Uerris was Ukyou.  "So you're
the one," Raeni softly said.

	Confused, Uerris asked, "Milady?"

	Floating back to her previous position on the opposite side of
the fire, much to the relief of the girl, Raeni snapped, "Nothing!"
Her heart still angered, she continued, "Know this, Uerris.  For now,
I'm still very angry, for the attack upon me and my friend."  She
indicated Azure at her feet.  Her eyes softened as she continued,
"But, it'll pass in time."  'As it must, my friend, Ucchan,' she added
silently.

	Relief evident on her face, the girl hesitantly asked again,
"And my offer of hospitality and the healing?"

	In a wearied voice, Raeni answered, "I'll stay here for the
night.  Give my thanks to your mother, but I am a stranger to these
lands.  I don't feel comfortable staying with strangers.  And the
healing ...  My friend heals well enough on his own.  He should be
fine soon."

	To this, Uerris, with sudden backbone, surprisingly objected,
"But I know the wound I dealt it, er, him, back outside of my house.
And I saw the wound as you dressed it!  Surely, such a wound needs
attention!"  Suddenly she remembered her fear and added demurely, "I
am sorry, milady, for my outburst.  It is just that I can not stand to
see anyone, or anything, in pain if I can help."

	Laughing a little, Raeni answered, "That's all right.
Compassion is an endearing trait, but in this case, uncalled for.
Azure will heal quickly; I saw this myself.  And as for the pain, he
should feel none after the herbs I gave him."  She added after a
moment's pause, "Please, Uerris.  Don't fear me.  My anger will pass.
After that I should be quite reasonable.  Even ... lovable."  She
smiled as she jokingly said the last, although Uerris didn't get it.
That out of her system, she continued, "I will come to town by
tomorrow.  Tell your mother that.  But, for now, go home."

	Not quite reassured, but feeling much better than she did when
she entered the clearing, Uerris bowed in respect and slowly backed
out of the campground.  At the edge of the clearing, she said, "Please
be careful tonight, milady.  The area has been recently overrun with
raiding orcs, but my family and others have driven them out of the
immediate area.  They might come back."  Turning, she swiftly
disappeared, taking to the treetops as had Raeni earlier.

	Sure that Uerris had left the area, Raeni said, "Poor Ucchan.
Alas, I think I scared my cute fiancee out of her wits."  Feeling
guilty, she tried to justify herself, "But attacking me like that --
and Azure, too!"  She seethed but quickly brought herself back under
control.  Sighing, she added, "Maybe tomorrow will be better."