The Lord of All - Chapter 7.

[Chinaren]

I've been to Macs today, so here's another step on our journey...


Chapter 7 - Eye Trouble.

Velvet hesitated when it came to making more potions, but Nurn pointed out that she’d already managed to successfully make several batches without her head exploding, so the likelihood was she’d be able to do it again. She did notice that he stood further back when it came time to perform the incantation though.

The potion she’d decided on this time was a Warmth one, inspired by the horrible journey back to the hotel.   The recipe was actually very simple, though it involved burning a lot of ingredients and then making passes with her left hand over the ashes as she said the spell.  Despite the fact the incantation wasn’t as long as the others the added hand gestures made it much harder, and she was sweating heavily by the time she’d finished the final syllable. 

The mixed ashes on the table turned red as she completed the work, and she slumped back, exhausted, and somewhat relieved, she was still alive. 

“Is it done?”  Nurn asked.

“Yes, you can come out from behind the chair now,” she replied, mopping her head with a cloth.

“I was just looking for something I’d dropped,” he said, radiating innocence as he stepped over to Velvet’s work desk.  “This isn’t a potion!” 

“I just need to add the ash to the mixture I prepared before.”  Velvet gestured towards a large container full of clear liquid.  It was mostly boiled water, but she’d had to add several drops of blood and the juice of a Firefruit.  She’d been lucky with the latter, Firefruit was usually only available in summer, but the hotel had some that had been magically preserved.  Even so, it had taken some hard bargaining with the kitchen staff to acquire it. The blood had come from her finger, pricked with a pin.

“So, this will keep us warm will it?”  Nurn sniffed dismissively.  “I assume you have to drink it.  Please don’t ask me to test it.”

“Yes, it needs to be taken internally,” Velvet replied, smiling.  “The effects should last a day, and it will prevent frostbite and other effects of the cold too.”

“Well, we’re going to need it,” Nurn said, looking over at the window. 

Velvet nodded.  It had been several days since they’d returned to the Duke, and the weather had been as bad as anyone could remember for the whole time.  Fierce snowstorms buried everything outside under a thick coat of white, which was blown into huge piles by the freezing wind that battered and rattled the windows.  To add to the misery, the temperature had dropped still further.  Even the hotel’s wonderful heating system was struggling to keep the residents warm.

“You don’t seem to be cold though,” Velvet said, as she carefully swept the prepared ash into a small mound.

“My race originated on a cold planet, we’re pretty much immune to such weather.  Anti-freeze for blood.”  He grinned. 

“What was… is your civilization like Nurn?”  asked Velvet, suddenly curious about this alien creature.

The Grey shrugged.  “Pretty much on a par with every other major race.  There tends to be a fairly standard pattern to things across the Universe, when there was a Universe that is.  People live, try and do interesting things, then die.”

“That seems a little depressing.”  Velvet concentrated as she weighed ash on a small scale, trying to work out the proper ratio to use.  “There must be more to it than that.”

“Not really.”  Nurn wandered over to the window and stood on tiptoe to look at the raging gale outside.  “Life is life wherever you go.  It’s just how things are.  Most civilizations go through stages where they have lots of religions.  They try and make out there’s something special, something more, but that’s just stupid.  Eventually most species work out that there doesn’t have to be more, Life is magical enough on its own.  Once people realize this, they tend to settle down and get on with living, rather than worrying about what comes next.”

“Oh.  You mean there’s no afterlife?  Our priests…”  Velvet stopped her weighing to look at the Grey.

“Total rubbish usually, though there have been instances of some species having a kind of continued incorporeal existence after body death.  Not humans though.  Not my species either.”  He grinned again.  “Sorry.”

Velvet sighed, nearly blowing her carefully arranged ash over the table.  “Well, I never was very religious anyway.  You’d better not get into a discussion with any of our monks though; they tend to be a bit… protective about their beliefs.”

“Duly noted.”

“Right, I think this should be about ready.”  Velvet took a small portion of the ash and set it to one side. Then she picked a vial and filled it with some of the clear liquid from the big bowl.  Finally she sprinkled the ash in.  Immediately the potion bubbled and turned blood red.

“That looks rather gruesome,” commented Nurn.

“Maybe so, but it’s exactly what should happen, according to the book,” she replied. Velvet waited until the bubbling had ceased, and then corked the potion, shaking it slightly to ensure there was no cloudiness, as per the instructions.  “Perfect,” she said.

“You hope.”

“Hush, I’m sure it will be fine.”  She wiped her hands on her tunic and looked up.  “Now, we just need someone to test it on.”

* ~ *

“You don't need to actually test in on a person my dear!  Good grief.  If we did that there would never be any new spells made.  We'd run out of test subjects very quickly.”  Rumpold chuckled at the thought.

“So how do I test my potion then?”  Velvet asked, turning slightly red.  Somewhere behind her she could hear Nurn muttering about rats.

“We use a simulation spell.  I'll show you how to cast it, as long as you promise you'll never tell anyone I did so.  It's very easy, every apprentice learns it once they start using magic to help them practice.  You will need a mannequin of some kind though, or something human in size and shape at least.”

“I'll go and ask the hotel staff,” Velvet said, feeling a little foolish.  “Thank you sir wizard.”  She nodded politely to the mage, and, not daring to look at Nurn, left his room.

“You can be quiet too!” she said, as soon as they were out of earshot.  “If I hear one word about exploding rats, I'll slip some of the potion in your drink when you aren't looking!”

“I would never dream of mocking your efforts,” the Grey replied, a look of pure innocence on his face.  “I'm shocked you would even think I would stoop so low.”

“Right.”

“I'd be a dirty rat to even consider it.”

“Nurn!”

The small creature's death was prevented only by Lord, who chose that moment to step out around the corner into the corridor. 

“Good timing boss,” Nurn said, grinning at Velvet.  “What's up?”

“Puzzle's found it,” he replied simply. 

“The Eye?” Velvet gasped, and then clapped a hand over her mouth, not wanting to be overheard.

Lord nodded.  “He left a message this morning.”  He opened his hand to reveal a small golden object.  Velvet leaned forward to examine it.  Much like the horseshoe, it was a miniature sculpture.  However this one was a smiling clown's face.

“Creepy,” she said, shuddering.

“What does this mean?” Nurn asked.  “We don't have to go to that damned inn again to we?  Assuming we could manage it in this weather.”

“Well, the last message was a golden horseshoe,” Velvet said.  “This one's different.  A clown.  What could that mean?”

“Is there a circus in town? We won't have to go will we?  I hate clowns,” Nurn said.  “They're just not natural.”

“I don't think a circus would be in town in this season,” Velvet said.  She frowned, and then clicked her fingers.  “Of course.  I have it.  Fool's square.”

[Chinaren]

Nicely caught and re-engaged in the action.  Interesting turn of events as I thought the end was closer than it seems when the group found the box.  Looking forward, as always, to more chapters.

I'd say the box was about two thirds through the (estimated) story.  By chance I wrote another couple of paragraphs of this yesterday.  I plan on doing a concentrated write of LoA during November, as my version of Nanowrimo, so look out for more coming soon.

EDIT:  Getting up in the middle of the night - every night I think has impacted my brain.  I just wondered what would happen if Velvet and Nurn every got together (if this is even possible), what the kids might look like?  Little balls of fur with a shock of black at the top?

OMG.  ROFL.

[Chinaren]

"Go into the kitchen Velvet, just in case," Lord said.  He stood up and, hand on sword hilt, and walked over to the door.  Waiting a moment until Velvet had retreated to the cover of the kitchen, where she grabbed her potions again, he opened the door.

"Inspector, what a lovely surprise," she heard him say.  "And you've brought along your manservant too."

Velvet peered around the corner, in time to see Inspector Sharp scowl, and his colleague, standing next to him, narrow his eyes.

"I'm sure you are very aware that Wilson here is a fully active member of the city Militia. A sergeant in the special guard in fact."

"How fascinating," Lord replied. "I assume the special guard has one, perhaps even two extra weeks of strenuous training.  Wilson is to be congratulated."

"Enough of this rubbish.  Stand aside please, we wish to enter."

"This isn't my house," Lord replied.  "Still, in the interests of courtesy, and also because you're letting the heat out, I shall comply."  He stepped aside to allow the two policemen to enter.

Sharp strode into the living room, leaving muddy footprints on the carpet, and stood next to the table where Nurn was just finishing his meal.

"I'm afraid you're too late for dinner officer," the Grey said conversationally.  "A cup of tea perhaps?  Or maybe something stronger?"

"We're on duty," Sharp replied, forestalling Wilson, who had opened his mouth to answer.  He flipped his blue cloak back over his shoulder and turned to face Lord once again.  "What is going on?" he asked.

"We were just finishing dinner..." Lord started.

"Don't take me for an idiot!" Sharp interrupted.  "In the past three days there have been several street battles, mostly in this area, and they aren't your usual gangs fighting either.  These are professionals, mercenaries and assassins, and they're deadly serious.  One encounter even had battle spells being cast, so I'm led to believe.  People are scared to walk the streets, my streets."  The inspector leaned forward and poked Lord in the chest, something that few people would dare to do. 

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean officer."  Lord looked pointedly at the other man's finger, until it was withdrawn.

"Don't give me that!" snapped Sharp.  "This house is right in the middle of all the violence.  You are right in the middle of it!  Start speaking, or you'll be accompanying me down to the station, and we have ways of getting information down there."

"I'm sure you have," Lord said.  "And as much as I would like..."  He was cut off by a voice from above.

"What is going on here?"

Everybody looked up, to see Rumpold, dressed in his finest wizarding outfit, walking down the stairs.

"Sir Wizard." Sharp gave a very small bow. 

"This is my house inspector, and these people are working for me, I do not wish them bothered."

Sharp visibly bristled.  "With all due respect Sir Wizard..."

"We are on official guild business," Rumpold cut him off.  "This matter is none of your concern.  I suggest you do your job, which is to keep the streets safe."

Velvet, standing in the shadows of the kitchen, thought that Sharp was going to explode.  However, he took a deep breath and composed himself before speaking again.


"Very well Sir Wizard, but I shall be checking in with our Guild representative."  He looked back at Lord.  "This isn't over.  Come on Wilson."  He stalked over to the door, flung it open and stormed out into the night.  Wilson gave Lord a strange look and scurried out after his master.

Rumpold sagged. "That's torn it," he said.  "He'll check with the guild and they'll be all over me.  We need to get this box open quickly!"

"It seems we've stirred things up more than I thought," Lord said, walking over to the door and closing it. 


"Who are all these people fighting?" asked Velvet, coming out of the kitchen.

"Probably Streed's people trying to get to us," Nurn said.  "Puzzle's men don't want that, so they're running interception.  That would explain why only one group has managed to make it through to us.  I thought it was quiet."

"Well, the militia and the wizard's guild are going to be joining the fray any moment now," Rumpold said, "That's not going to make things any calmer."

"You'd better get ready with your battle spells then."  Lord turned to Velvet. "This is going to get serious,  he said.  "If you would like to go and hide somewhere, I can help finance…"  He stopped as she held her hand out.

"No. I've come this far. I want to see things through."

"Good girl." Lord smiled.  "In that case, prepare your potions and you can also help Nurn gather supplies for us.  I'm not sure what will happen in the next day of so, but it may involve sleeping rough and on the run.  We'd better be prepared."

"Yes sir," she replied, saluting.  "Nurn, we'd better see how much food is left.  And no snacking!"


~


Over the course of the next day tensions built. Outside the city seemed to be at war with itself.  Smoke could be seen rising over various areas not too far from their hideout.  The city militia, and then later on the army appeared.  At one point a small group of black clad men went by the house, pursued  closely followed by a squad of soldiers.  Rumpold came down for a rest, and reported that he'd detected large amounts of magic being used in the surrounding area. It seemed that the wizards had also become embroiled in the fighting.

"I wish I could cast a spell, rather than just using potions," Velvet said wistfully.

"Well, I suppose I could teach you a simple stun spell," Rumpold replied. 


-----

Gosh I've not written very much of this the last year.  This section was written Dec 2010!  Still, there's half a chapter or so left to post, and I'm still writing bits here anad there.

[Chinaren]

Here's another part of Lord.  We're up to about 62,000 words of the story posted on Tome.  The current version of the story is roughly 73,000 words.  I'd say I'm about seventy percent complete, and I'm hoping to finally finish this this year!! 

Anyway, on with the show.  I don't think this section is the strongest, storywise, and there's a part after this I've decided to cut altogether.  That's for the future though.

Any feedback on this story welcome!




"You could?" Velvet looked at him, eyes wide.

"Why not?  It's certainly easier to learn than those enchantments you've been casting to create your potions.  I'm sure you could pick it up very quickly."

In the end, it took Velvet just under an hour before she tried her first real spell out on the testing dummy.  It really wasn't that hard to cast, just requiring a short spoken incantation combined with a brief hand gesture, ending with her pointing at the target.

"Of course, it's hardly serious battle magic," Rumpold warned her.  "Small targets, such as dogs and so forth, will be stunned for a minute or so, but an enraged warrior will probably be affected only for a second or two. Still, it may allow you to escape a fatal blow, or a chance to slip away.  And it won't affect anyone with magical defense warding of course."

"Thank you sir mage."  Velvet bowed low to the wizard, who blushed.

"Think nothing of it.  An exchange perhaps, for opening my eyes to the possibility that commoners, even girls, may have more potential than we had thought." He pulled at his beard.  "If we ever get out of this mess I'll be busy with some serious research.  Don't forget, casting spells will use energy, just as running a long distance would.  If you overdo it, you could collapse."

"I'll remember," Velvet replied. She'd had to bite her tongue at the 'even girls' comment the mage had made.

"Very well. Now, excuse me, I have to continue my own preparations."  With that he turned around and ascended the staircase to his workshop.

"Pompous ass."

Velvet jumped.  "Nurn! How long have you been standing there?"

"It doesn't matter." The Grey smiled. "So, you're now a wizard are you? Spells and everything!"

"Hardly," Velvet grinned back.  "One very minor spell and some potions doesn't make me the Archemage."

"Still, it's a start. Now, help me with these bags will you?  I think the emergency supplies are just about ready."


~


They were all well prepared before the time came.  It was another day before a massive battle involving the black clad warriors and a large army unit spilled into the street outside.  The soldiers were slowly pushed back by the warriors in black, who had formed up into a wedge formation. 

"Hello, this isn't your average fight," Nurn said.  He was peering out of the window, watching the action. 

"What do you mean?" Velvet asked.  She was standing further inside.  They'd seen archers before, and though Rumpold had cast some kind of minor shield around his residence, she wasn't taking any more chance than was necessary. 

"The leading edge are elite forces," Nurn replied, indicating the fighters pushing back the city force. 

Curiosity overcame caution, and Velvet joined him at the window.  Carefully peering outside, she saw a raging battle.  The soldiers of the city, dressed in their maroon and black armor were on the defensive, even she could see that.  They were slowly retreating, keeping good order under the guidance of what had to be their commanding officer, a large man wielding a gigantic sword. 

"He's good," Nurn said, following Velvet's gaze.  "Oh, spoke to soon."

The army captain had just gone down, hit square in the eye by a well-aimed, or lucky, arrow.  The effect was almost instantaneous.  The city troops, already under heavy pressure from the lead attackers, who each wielded a sword in both hands, crumbled and broke.  In seconds the squad was streaming away from the fight, a mass of individuals rather than a coordinated unit.

Lord shook his head.  "That's the easiest way to get everyone slaughtered.  They're sitting ducks now."

Yet the massacre didn't come.  Instead the victorious warriors advanced slowly, moving into a defensive formation that encircled Rumpold's house, facing outwards, watching for any counter attack.

"I think we're about to have visitors," Nurn said.

"I'm guessing this is them now."  Lord pointed as a small carriage, drawn by a single black horse, pulled up within the protective cordon.  The door opened and none other than counsellor Streed stepped out.  She was wearing a long black fur coat with a matching hat and veil that covered her face, but it was obviously her. 

The group watched as, flanked by a pair of the double sword wielding fighters, she marched up to the front door and, surprisingly, knocked.

Lord opened the door, causing Streed's bodyguard's to flinch. 

"Good afternoon Counsellor," he said, as if such a visit was an everyday occurrence.    "This is unexpected.  Please, do come in, though I'd prefer it if your men wait outside."

Streed pushed back her veil, to reveal her scowling countenance beneath, but then nodded at her guards, who took up station either side of the door.  She stepped inside and looked around the room, sharp eyes missing nothing.

"Do you know," she said, returning her gaze to Lord, "how much trouble you have caused?"

"I have some idea," Lord replied.  "Trouble that could have been avoided if you'd only agreed to my initial, very reasonable proposal."

"You have the Eye," she said.  It wasn't a question.

"It's in a safe place," Lord acknowledged, which was the closest Velvet had seen him come to lying.  The artefact was upstairs in Rumpold's lab.  Hardly safe if Streed's men decided to force their way in.  She was a little puzzled as to why they hadn't simply done just that.

"I'm sure it's right here," Streed said.  "And no doubt you're wondering why I don't just take it."

"I'm sure you're going to enlighten me."  Lord nodded.

"Circumstances have changed.  "My... backers have switched their allegiance to a certain enemy of mine.  With their help and knowledge the balance of power has shifted.  What you see here," she indicated the force outside, "is my last ditch effort."

"You're losing," Nurn said.  "And now you want our help."

Eying the Grey with distaste for a moment, Streed sniffed and addressed Lord again.  "The situation isn't currently in my favor, I will admit.  So I've decided to offer you an alliance."

"And what do you have to offer us, exactly?"  Lord asked. 

"A way to open the box," she replied.  "I know you haven't opened it yet, and if you haven't managed to do that by now, then I doubt you ever will without my help."

"So what's your proposal?"  Lord glanced back out of the window.  There was renewed movement outside.  Some sort of counter attack was in the offing.

"It's your proposal," she replied.  "You get to use the Eye for... whatever you need it for, for a limited period, and then you return it to me, once things have calmed down."

Lord looked at the floor for a second, making Streed wait for a long moment before answering.  "Very well.  Where is this key?"

"Not quite so fast."  The woman held a hand up.  "I have two more conditions."

"Go on."

"Firstly, two of my men will accompany you, for protection."

"Agreed."  Lord nodded.

"Secondly, if you double cross me, I will use all the resources at my disposal to hunt you down and have you killed.  All of you."  Her eyes travelled over the group.

"I can assure you that I have every intention of upholding my side of the deal," Lord replied.  "However," he leaned forward, looming over Streed and making her step back a pace.  "If you try anything, I will take action of my own.  Are we clear?"

Velvet was impressed by Streed.  She recovered quickly, and stood straighter, matching Lord glare for glare.  "We have an understanding."

"You'd better hurry up then," Nurn said.  "I think someone is about to come and have a chat with your men."  He indicated the scene outside.  Streed's forces were moving to intercept what looked like several squads of City forces.  Velvet spotted the blood red robes of battle mages amid the newcomers.  It seemed they meant business.

"Very well. Take me to the box," Streed said, as the door opened to reveal one of her guards, who indicated they should go.  "Hold your position for a few minutes more," she commanded.

Lord indicated that Nurn should escort the counsellor upstairs. He unsheathed the la-sword and took up station at the entrance. 

"You should stand back," he said to Velvet. "They have mages this time. I don't want you getting hit in the crossfire.

Nodding, Velvet retreated to the kitchen again, pulling the packs they had prepared earlier into a small pile, and then sitting behind them.  Outside there came explosions, followed by the clash of metal on metal and the screams of the dying.  She shuddered.

Movement from the stairs caught her eye, and she looked up to see Streed hurrying downstairs, followed by Nurn and the wizard.  Nurn was holding something in his hand.

"Do you have it?"  Lord asked.

"Here," Nurn said, holding up the thing.

"Very well counsellor, I will be in touch."  Lord peered out of the window and then opened the door for the woman.  "Have a safe journey."

[Burningplain]

Nice parts Chinaren. I Look foward to reading more.

[Chinaren]

With one final glare at the large warrior, Streed pulled her veil down and hurried outside, where she was bustled away by her guards.  Lord closed the door behind her and turned to face the others.

"Get ready, we need to move.  It won't be long before Puzzle hears about this and figures out what has happened.  He'll try and move in as soon as the way is clear."

Velvet hurried to get her warm garments, pulling on her cloak as Nurn sorted out the bags, passing them to Lord and the wizard before slinging one over his own back.

"Ready," he said.

"Very well."  Lord was still looking out of the window, monitoring the battle.  "We'll go as soon as the fighting moves away.  We can't afford any delay, so be ready for action, there may be some hostile encounters."

"Where are we going?" asked Velvet, picking up her backpack.

"I don't know," Lord said.  "We have to get away from the fighting, then find a safe place to use the Eye.  Once we know where to head, we can make further plans.  Needless to say, we can't hang around.  Puzzle will be searching for us.  Nurn, keep the Eye safe!"

"No problem boss."  Nurn nodded.

" Rumpold, we need to move, gather your supplies, we may not be back for a while."

"Bah,” was all the wizard said in way of a reply, but he hurried up the stairs anyway, mumbling to him all the way.

Velvet put her bag on the floor near the door and pulled on her warm clothing.  She pondered whether she should use one of her warmth potions, but decided against it just for the moment.  Hopefully she would have time shortly. 

Rumpold clumped downstairs just as she was pulling on her backpack.  Lord had donned his own gorgeous white coat and had the strange helmet under one arm.  He held the la-sword casually in the other hand.  Nurn just had his backpack over his usual brown waistcoat, and Velvet wondered what it would be like to be immune from the weather.

"Hurry wizard, the fighting is moving away," Lord said. 

"I'm coming,"  the mage replied dropping several large books he'd been carrying into a sack that was far too small to hold them all.  They went in regardless, and he passed it to Velvet.  "Hold this girl."

Scowling at his tone, Velvet did as she was bid, taking the bag, which was about as heavy as a bag of feathers.  As Rumpold pulled on some heavy robes, she opened the top and looked inside, and then shook her head. 

Chortling the mage took his bag back and attached it to his belt.  "Confused lass?" he asked as Lord opened the door a crack to peer out.  "It's Trump's Bag of Unlikely Capacity, very useful for this kind of situation, even if it's hard to unpack."

"Enough chatter,"  Lord said.  "Are we ready to move?"  Without waiting for their response, he continued.  "There are still some skirmished nearby, but they're only small groups so we should be able to deal with anyone that notices us.  The main battle has moved on.  You follow me, keep close and keep to cover as much as possible.  Don't get involved with any fighting unless you absolutely have to, understand?"  Again he didn't wait but kept talking.  "Allow me to deal with any obstacles.  We'll just head away from here in a straight line until we find somewhere to hole up and plan the next step.  We need to keep moving, speed is the essence."  With one final pause to look at each member of his party he nodded. "Let's go."

Velvet took a deep breath as first Lord, then Rumpold slipped out of the door.  She followed, with Nurn taking up the rear.

Outside the wind was getting up, and she shivered as it went straight through her clothes.  The results of the fighting distracted her soon enough though, as they made their way through the light snowfall that was stained red with blood and littered with the dead and dying.

Stepping over the body of a city militiaman with a deep gash to the chest, Lord waved them onwards, darting into a narrow alley as the sun started to dip low in the sky.

The journey was like something out of a waking nightmare, as the small group made their way along the darkest lanes in the gloom of evening, slogging through low snowdrifts and across patches of ice whilst leaning into a wind that moaned as it blasted exposed skin with its icy bite.   

Finally, just as Velvet was about to cry out for reprieve, Lord led them towards a derelict looking house at the end of a small, dingy road.  Velvet had no idea where they were, or even how long they'd been running.  All she knew is that Lord kicked the old door in, and she tumbled out of the gale and into the abandoned dwelling. 

"Wait."  Lord gestured for Nurn to close the door, which the Grey did, and climbed a flight of rickety wooden stairs two at a time.  Velvet stood in the dark and shivered for several minutes until the large warrior poked his head back down.  "Come," was all he said.

The three of them climbed up the stairs in silence, into a small space that had once obviously been a bedroom.  A wooden frame was all that was left of the bed, and the whole place smelled like it had been used by someone as a toilet.  Still, it was warmer than outside.

"Rest here for a while," Lord said to her.  She nodded and looked around for a spot that wasn't too dirty, eventually opting for a space in one corner.   She dug into her pack to find her warmth potion as the man spoke to the spell caster.

"Wizard, can you use the Eye to find the Door?"  he asked.

"I can,"  Rumpold replied.  The mage didn't seem troubled by the cold.  No doubt he'd used his own magic to keep warm.  Velvet scowled to herself as she dug out a vial, and then squinted to make sure it was the right one.  It was almost impossible to see in the almost non-existent light. 

"How long will it take?" Lord continued.

"It's a relatively simple thing to do,” the mage said.  "However, when I use it anyone who is looking, magically I mean, will be able to trace our location.  No doubt people are looking."

"Do you have any way of masking it?" Nurn asked.

"No." 

Shrugging, Lord looked at Velvet just as she decided the container was the right one and knocked back the contents in one gulp, then coughed and spluttered as the red hot liquid made its way down.  She'd forgotten what it tasted like. 

"We'll need to move again,” the warrior told her.

"It's alright," she croaked as the effects of the magic began to spread through her body.  "I'm tired, but without the cold I can go on for a while."

"Very well."  Lord looked at the mage.  "Do it."

[Chinaren]

Rumpold nodded and then gestured at Nurn, who passed over the Eye.

Back in the house things had been so rushed Velvet hadn't managed to get a good look at the item they'd been hunting for for so long.  Even in the gloom though, the Eye was somehow easily visible - A  round, dull looking glass ball, about the size of a man's fist.   

Rumpold took the device and hefted it in his hand for a moment, as if contemplating hitting Lord over the head with it and running off.  He didn't of course, but closed his eyes and muttered some words under his breath instead. 

Velvet looked on as the Eye began to glow with a throbbing blue light which filled the room, not making the place look any more attractive.

A yellow mist began to form in the center of the globe, and it slowly expanded, engulfing Rumpold's hand and spreading out evenly for an arm’s length, until it resembled nothing short of a miniature sun.

Squinting, Velvet could just about make out an image within the bright glow.  A wild gray sea crashed against dramatically high craggy cliffs.  Birds of some kind she'd never seen before wheeled in the sky, dipping and soaring under harsh black clouds.  Wherever it was, it looked like a barren and unforgiving place.

Rumpold made a gesture with his hand, one that Velvet recognized from her studies as meaning 'forward' or perhaps 'advance'.  Immediately the image changed, and now she could make out tall trees.  They were of a kind she was familiar with, and they were covered in a thin layer of snow. 

"We're in luck,"  Rumpold said.  "That's Mandrake Forest.  It's to the south of here, easily reachable with horses.  Of course, it's also where the Shadow King is rumored to hold court, but one can't have everything."  He made another pass and the yellow light winked out, causing Velvet to blink madly until she recovered her night vision.

"What was the first place?" Lord's voice came out of the dark.

"I have no idea," Rumpold replied.  "The Everywhere Door moves from place to place.  Without the Eye it's impossible to predict where it will be at any given time, and how long it will stay there.  The first image we saw was where it is now.  The forest was where it will be next, in about three weeks if I read things right."

"How long will it stay there?" Nurn asked.  Velvet could just about make out the mage returning the Eye to the Grey. 

"I've no idea.  From what I've read the Door never stays anywhere less than three days or more than three weeks.  However, I don't know if that information is reliable.  Not much is known about it." 

'Very well.  Let's move then."  Lord picked up his helmet and pulled it onto his head.  "Are you ready?"  he asked Velvet, his voice sounding both powerful and frightening through the headgear.

"Yes," she said, struggling to her feet. 

The second part of their nighttime journey was hard, but with the potion protecting her, Velvet found the going merely horribly frightening, instead of terrifying and freezing. 

They had one incident when they almost literally ran into a small patrol of three men in black robes as they rounded a corner.  Before Velvet could react, Lord, moving like a wraith, had dispatched the men with a ruthless efficiency that almost scared Velvet cold again. 

They ran on, keeping out of lit areas, not a hard task in the city at night.  As they made their way along Velvet thought she recognized the area they were passing through.  It was a residential district near the steel works.  The small houses lining the street were no doubt full of underpaid workers tired from a long day smelting molten metal.  It was unlikely their passing would be noted here, the mill bosses worked their men hard, getting the maximum value from the unfortunate working class.


"There's the wall," said Nurn. 

"Finally,” Rumpold said.  He looked like Velvet felt.  Tired and dishevelled.  She shivered.  Her potion was beginning to wear off, but she didn't want to take another just yet.  Without the resources to make more she had to ration her supplies.  There was no telling how long they would be out in the cold.  Still, as a particularly violent gust of freezing wind blasted them, she wondered how long her resolve would last.

They were huddled behind a stack of crates, peering through the dark.  Dawn was an hour or so away, and it was still dark, with heavy clouds scudding overhead, whipped along by strong winds.

"The guards don't look like they are on alert," Nurn said.

"Even so, I'm not going to risk being seen if we can help it," Lord replied.  "Streed will get to hear about our passing soon enough, even if they aren't looking for us now, which they probably are."

"So how are we going to get out?" Velvet asked.  "Dead guards will draw as much attention as anything."

"Wizard?  Is there a magical way to get us through the gate?"  Lord asked.

The mage considered the city entrance.  Velvet followed his gaze and understood the difficulty. 

The portals were large, secure affairs.  Whilst there hadn't been a serious assault on the city in some years, the surrounding area wasn't all peace and love.  In fact areas were far from it.  Though the militia and the mercenaries hired as security forces were fairly diligent in keeping the surrounding country safe from bandits and other miscreants, prolonged travel was best done in group and with some form of weaponry close at hand.

All this meant that the city gates were constructed, she happened to know, from Black Giantwood, a particularly hardy and expensive substance.  They were reinforced with metal and, if rumours were true, magical wards. 

Still, the problem here wasn't so much the gates, which were currently open for the small amount of traffic that was about in such miserable weather, but the tunnel through the defensive wall and then past the sentries stationed at the other end.

"There's no good way to cast a spell on the guards," Rumpold concluded.  "They tend to ward these areas with protective magics, and even though there aren't very strong, there's the sentries outside to get by."

"So we either have to sneak through or fight," Nurn said, making a face.

"Now just a moment." Rumpold held a finger up.  "There's more than one way to shave a goat."

"Shave a...?"  Nurn cocked an eyebrow at Velvet, who giggled.

"We may not be able to easily affect the guards, but a simple illusion spell over us should serve just as well,"  Rumpold said, ignoring the Grey.  "They don't really pay so much attention to people leaving the city."

"Very well, let's pull back out of sight," Lord directed.  "Do you have to be close to cast this illusion?  It may be best if we split up into two groups.  Less obvious that way."

"That should be fine," Rumpold said, rummaging through his satchel. "Now, where did I put my spellbook?"

"Let's get to a better position," Lord said, looking around.  "Over there, in that store entrance."  He pointed to a book shop that was currently closed. 

They moved over to the cover he'd pointed out and then huddled around Rumpold as he retrieved his spellbook and flipped through it, mumbling under his breath all the while.  Eventually he nodded and closed the tome with a slam.   

"Stand still," he ordered.  Not waiting for them to respond, he then stood a little straighter and, after taking several deep breaths, started to chant. 

There was no visible effect, but Velvet felt a strange prickling sensation pass over her body.  She shivered. 

"Done,” Rumpold stated, lowering his arms.

"It hasn't worked." Nurn pointed at the group, who looked exactly the same.

"It has, I can assure you," the mage replied.  "However, the recipients of the spell can't see the effects.  By the way, I made you look like a large dog, a wolfhound to be precise.  I thought that would help throw them off, but that means you'd better not talk."

Nurn spluttered in indignation, and Velvet tried not to laugh. 

"Good thinking wizard," Lord said, winking at Velvet.  "Now, let's move out.  I'd prefer to go out in two groups, but the place is so quiet I think that would make things more suspicious, not less.  So, just keep calm and let me do the talking.  Have your weapons ready even so."

They moved out, heading towards the gate down the main avenue.  It occurred to Velvet that she hadn't asked Rumpold what the rest of them were disguised as.  She was probably some kind of serving girl, knowing the wizards' opinion of non magic users.

[Chinaren]

Another part of Lord, just in case anyone is still reading it, and in case anyone is still here. 


They approached the gate together, Lord in front.  Velvet took up the rear with Nurn, who was either getting into character or just growling at the wizard.

The guards at the gate were huddled around a small brazier under the shelter of the guardpost.  They both looked up as the group neared, but, after a moment just waved them on. 

"Thank goodness for the weather," Velvet muttered.  Nurn gave a small bark in response, making her jump. She glared at the Grey, who gave her a feral smile in return.

The tunnel under the city wall was hardly any better than outside.  The wind howled down it, so they had to walk with their heads down into the gale.  Velvet shivered violently, wishing she'd taken another warmth potion after all.  She debated taking it as they walked, but decided she'd better not, just in case someone was watching from a spy hole. 

At least the tunnel didn't have snow, so their pace was a brisk one, and it only took a few minutes before they found themselves emerging into the land surrounding the city.

The gate here was even larger and stronger than the other side had been, and the guards were more alert, although they let the travelers pass unhindered, presumably they assumed the inner guards would have vetted them on the way out.

The walked over the bridge that spanned the moat, now frozen over and coated with snow so it looked just like ground, and past the various city defenses, all either covered up with waxed cloth or snow.  Velvet wondered what would happen if someone decided to attack now. 

"Probably freeze to death before they got here," she muttered to herself, pulling her cloak tighter around her.

The road leading out of the city was covered with shifting drifts, making footing treacherous.  They stopped for a minute to allow Rumpold to cast a magical light, and the illumination that floated ahead of them at least helped to avoid the potholes in the road.  Velvet's resolved crumbled, and she took another warmth potion, coughing and spluttering as the burning liquid made its way down her throat.

"Come on, let's hurry," said Lord.  "I want to get a good distance away before dawn."

They stumbled onwards, following the snow covered road as best as they were able.   

At least now Velvet didn't have to worry about freezing to death, her potion kept her warm, though she remembered the advice she'd been given before about not getting too wet, and kept her cloak wrapped tightly around her and her hood up over her head.

As they traipsed on in silence it started to snow again, and her world was reduced to a circle of light filled with white specks floating down around her.  The noise of their passage was muffled by the white, and she began to imagine they were alone in one of Nurn's small universe bubbles. 

To take her mind off this morbid thought she tried to concentrate on the stun spell that Rumpold had taught her earlier, revising the moves and words of power in her head.  It helped a little, and she was therefore surprised when Lord called a sudden halt.

Looking up, she'd been staring at the ground in front of her, she saw a signpost, and realized that the road here forked, splitting into two heading off left and right.  The signpost was obscured by clinging snow, but Rumpold declared that the left fork was the one they wanted. 

"We need to rest,” the wizard said, meaning he did no doubt, but Velvet couldn't help but agree. It had been a long hard journey.

"There's an inn some way off," Rumpold said.

"We're not far enough out of the city,” Lord pointed out.  "Streed or Puzzle could easily catch us."

"And they could catch us on the road too," the mage countered.  "I can rig a magical shelter, but it would drain my power and hardly be any less obvious.  Anyone could detect it easily out here.  We need to save it for later on, when there is no other choice, which will certainly be in Mandrake forest.  Only beasts and the dead inhabit that place.  Besides, I'm tired."

"Very well, we'll rest there until noon."

"Good enough."

They set off again, at a slightly faster pace now there was promise of rest and shelter. The sun started to rise too, making their travel slightly easier. Rumpold cancelled his floating light.

It took them the better part of an hour, so Velvet judged, before they arrived at the squat stone building that labeled itself as 'The Swinging Wench' inn.  Smoke curled up from the chimney, a sight that heartened Velvet no end, for it signified a fire, maybe even cooking.  Even with her spell she felt miserable outside.  She didn't want to think about what the forest would be like, and for the first time felt her resolve wavering.

"Don't worry, we'll look after you."  Nurn smiled up at her and squeezed her hand in his.  "We'll be fine."

Smiling back, Velvet nodded and put her fears aside.  She would see this thing though!

Lord banged on the door of the inn, which was locked, until a large man in dark robes opened it.  No doubt they weren't expecting travelers to be out in such foul weather.  Velvet could understand this assumption.

Inside she let Lord do the negotiation, too tired to make the attempt herself.  Shortly afterwards they were led along a short corridor and she was shown a small but cozy room with a narrow bed.  She closed the door, shucked off her clothes where she stood and fell into the cot.  Sleep came within moments.

==

She was woken by a knocking sound, and it took her several moments to orientate herself and rise through her slumber to realize what was happening.

"Are you awake Velvet?"  Nurn's voice came through the door.  "I've brought you something to eat."

"W... what time is it?" mumbled Velvet.  She looked about.  The room's small window was covered in ice, but a weak light could be seen through that.  From outside a howling wind could be heard, rattling the glass.

"It's lunchtime.  Are you decent?  I'm coming in."  The door opened straight after, to allow Nurn, who was carrying a tray laden with bowls, to enter.  "Wakey wakey!" he said, beaming at her.

Pulling herself into a sitting position, a sheet covering her modesty, Velvet watched as the Grey pushed the door closed with his foot and then made his way over to her bed, where he deposited the tray carefully on the bed covers. 

"Thank you Nurn!"  Velvet said, still not entirely awake.  "What's going on?  Why aren't we moving?"  She poked around on the tray until she located a green cup of tea in a porcelain mug, which she picked up and sipped at.  It was tepid, but helped to perk her up slightly.

"There's the mother of all storms outside,” Nurn said, waving at the window.  "No one can travel in that, so the boss said we should stay here until it dies down.  It's lucky we found this inn, otherwise we'd have been in trouble I think, warmth potions or no.  How long do your winters last?  Is it always like this?"

Taking another sip of tea, Velvet shook her head.  "It should be warming up about now, it's the beginning of spring.  This is quite unusual."  She started as a thought hit her.

"What?" Nurn asked

"It just occurred to me," she replied.  "This storm could have been summoned.  Puzzle could have wizards powerful enough to do it.  Perhaps he hoped we'd be caught out in it."

Looking out of the window a moment, Nurn made a face.  "That's a sound tactic.  He probably knows, or has guessed, that we've left the city, but doesn't know exactly where we are.  This storm covers a wide area, it could catch us wherever we're hiding.  Cunning."

Velvet put her cup down and picked up a steamed bread bun.  "So we wait it out then," she said.  "And then?"

"Carry on as before.  We head to this Mandrake forest place and hunt down the Gate."

Suddenly Velvet, who'd taken a bite of the bread, stopped chewing.  She looked at Nurn, who raised a questioning eyebrow. 

"What?" he asked.

"You'll go through the gate!" she wailed, in an almost accusatory tone. 

"That's the general idea," he replied.

"What will I do when you're gone?"  Velvet suddenly found the idea of a life without her two unwordly companions as unthinkable. 

"I assume you'll go back to having normal life again."  Nurn put a hand on where he though her knee was, under the covers.  "Grow up, meet a handsome fellow, get married, the usual stuff."

"But I'll never see you again!"  Velvet took another, absent minded, bite of her bread and sank lower in the bed. 

"Life's like that,” Nurn said.  "We're all sheep that pass in the night, or something."  He paused and scratched at his head.  "Maybe it's ships.  Anyway, we'll always remember you fondly.  And think of all you've achieved!  You can cast magic now, and you've seen the world a bit!" 

"I know."  Velvet chewed thoughtfully.  "My life will certainly never be the same again."  She smiled at Nurn, who was looking at her with large, concerned eyes.  "Thank you my friend." 

The Grey smiled and stood up straight.  "That's more like the Velvet I know," he said.  "Now, eat your breakfast.  I'm going to go back down for seconds.  This place is hardly the Duke.  The portion they gave me was chicken food.  I'm practically starved to death."  So saying, he waddled off to the door and, with one last smile back at her, slipped out of the room.

[ViP Perry Tratchett]

I started to read this some time ago, but seem to have forgotten about it.  I shall catch up.

[Chinaren]

Thanks Petch!

[Chinaren]

Not sure how much of my audience for this is still active, but I'm still working on it, so here's another chunk.  We're up to stuff I wrote in Sep 2011 now.



The storm lasted all day.  The wind battered the inn as if it took a personal affront to the building.  Velvet wondered if Puzzle had located them after all, and was targeting them.  However, Rumpold said that storm magic wasn't that accurate.  It took a serious effort just to raise something of this size, and aiming it at one location was all but impossible.  Looking out of the window at the little she could see outside, Velvet saw several trees that had been blown over, and the landlord had hurried by once, complaining about lost tiles from the roof. 

Lord instructed the group to prepare and rest, and had Velvet buy some extra food and equipment for when the weather lifted.  The landlord, who was grumpy after trying to fix up various storm damage, was reluctant to sell any of his supplies though, not that he had a lot to sell.  It was the end of a long winter, and his stock was low.  Still, Velvet managed to get some fruit out of him, at a rate that she wouldn't usually pay.  Here though, supplies were more important, and Lord had a seemingly endless supply of gold.

Once that task had been done, and she'd rearrange and taken stock of her supplies once more, she had nothing further to do.  She ended up wandering down and joining Nurn, who was trying to get more food out of the innkeeper's wife in the small dining area.

"We're guests here!" he was saying as Velvet walked in.  "Isn't it your job to feed us? We've paid your overpriced rate!"

"And you've eaten nearly the food of three nights!" the woman retorted.  She was a big lady, evidently no stranger to large meals herself.  Her hair was pulled back in a tight bun, which gave her a schoolmarm look.

"Nurn, it's not polite to eat your hosts out of house and home," Velvet said as she approached, trying to bring a little peace to the situation.  She turned to the innkeeper's wife and smiled.  "I'm sorry, my friend eats when he gets bored."

"He must be incredibly bored here then," she said, crossing her arms over her ample bosom.

"Yes, he's probably had enough for now," she glared at Nurn, who was about to say something.  "If you could just bring me some of that lovely green tea?  Thank you."

The landlady made a face, but then nodded and wandered off, muttering under her breath.
 
"What did you do that for?  You know I need to keep my strength up, especially in this cold!"  Nurn complained when she'd gone.

"Just take it easy,” Velvet replied.  "And maybe you should consider getting some warm clothing if it will help you reduce your energy usage."

 "Wear clothes!  What an outrage!" the Grey replied.  "What do you take me for?  A human?"

"You're on a human world you know," Velvet admonished.  "Well, mostly."

"It's just not done," Nurn said, scowling under his breath and folding his arms.  "Wearing clothes! Ha!  Whatever next?"  He kicked at the chair legs for a few moments, like a sulky child, and then sighed deeply.  "Oh, very well.  I'll see what I can do."  He nodded at her and slipped off the chair, stalking out of the dining room in a huff. 

Velvet watched him go, half amused, half concerned.  She was still sitting at the table, drinking the tea the landlady had finally served her, when Lord came in and sat down on the same chair that Nurn had vacated.

"How are you holding up Velvet?" he asked.  "I'm sorry to have dragged you into this.  I hadn't planned on pulling you out of the city and into a wilderness trek."

"It's alright sir," she said. "I'm worried about Nurn though, he seems a bit... snappy."

"Don't worry about him, he'll be alright.  Greys get a bit irritable sometimes, the same as anyone.  He’s just a bit hungry.  He'll snap out of it soon, it's not in his nature to be bad tempered for long."

"What about you?" Velvet asked the man.  "Are you feeling alright?  You always seem so level headed and under control, I envy that."

Lord smiled at her.  "I've been trained all my life for command, and to be in the pubic eye," he said.  "I can lose my temper or feel sad too, never fear.  I just control myself better than most.  It's not good for a leader to be too emotional, even after the end of time. In some ways humanity has changed very little over the millennia."

"What's it like?  Where you live I mean."  Velvet leaned forward on the table.

"Well, in many ways it's like your world.  When All was created humanity drew from all the planets and places it inhabited, and even after all of time, they still tended to resemble the basic earth, tree, sky pattern.  Of course, All is huge, and night and day are..."  He paused and looked up for a moment.  "Complicated.  In any case, it has different landscapes, climates and biospheres.  Most resemble environments as they were in the old universe.  Some are more fantastical though.  There's one area where there's not much in the way of gravity, and no ground.  People and things just float around."

"No ground?  How can that be?" Velvet asked, fascinated by this impossible place.  "Surely there must be a bottom somewhere?"

Lord shrugged.  "Not really, All is, at the end of the day, a construct.  The most massive and fabulous ever built, but a construct all the same.  The builders didn't have to follow the rules of the universe.  In this case the 'bottom', such as it is, loops around to the 'top' in some fashion.  I forget the details."

"So these enemies of yours, they don't agree with all this?"

"There are fanatics in every society," Lord said, shaking his head.  "This small group believes that All, and the other constructs by other races, are a violation of the purity of the Universe, or some such silliness, and should be destroyed."

"But they would die too if they destroyed it, wouldn't they?" 

"They're fanatics," Lord said, as if that explained it all.  Maybe it did.

"Well if I lived in such an amazing place I wouldn't want to destroy it, not at all."  Velvet sighed and took a sip of her tea, which was cold.

Lord looked up at the window as a particularly violent gust of wind rattled it.  "I hope your theory about this being a spell is right," he said.

"You do?"

"Yes.  If so then it can't keep up forever, and when it breaks Puzzle's wizards should have cleared the weather for us.  You did say it was spring didn't you?"

"Yes, only just, but yes."  Velvet nodded and looked out at the pure white that was the blizzard outside. "Still, it's going to be hard going until the snow melts a bit."

"We'll manage," Lord said.  "Mind you, maybe the landlord has some snow shoes?"

"I'll ask him later," Velvet replied.  "When they've recovered from Nurn's attack on their larder."

"Never mind," Lord said.  "I'll ask."

"They probably would respond better to you."  Velvet looked at the giant warrior and tried to imagine arguing with him.  Not many people would try, she thought.  "In that case, I shall go to my room and check my things again," she said. 

With a final smile at her employer, she stood up and went upstairs.

~

"Finally!" Nurn said, as they looked around at the snow-covered landscape.

They were standing in the warming light of the sun, just outside of the entrance to the inn that had been their home for the last two days.  The storm had kept going for longer than Velvet would have thought possible, and tempers had started to fray.  Then, the previous evening, the blizzard had suddenly eased off.  With almost frightening suddenness, the wind had died, leaving a clear sky and giving the battered trees respite.  The aftermath has left a world of utter quiet, and Velvet could hear her fellow travelers breathe as they all took in the fresh air.

The snow in the courtyard came up to Velvet's ankles, far less than she'd thought it would be, but Lord pointed out they were in the lee of the inn. 

"Good job the landlord came through with those snowshoes," Nurn said.

"Very well then," Lord said.  "We'll get a good breakfast and then set off."

Nurn nodded, and they all traipsed back in to their lodging where, after Lord had some serious words with the landlord, they were served a breakfast large enough that even Nurn was nearly satisfied. 

Finally they were all done, and they could put off their departure no more. Velvet bundled herself up in several layers of clothing rather than use another of her potions.  The vials she had left she arranged in a way that she could access easily enough if she needed them in a hurry.  Of course, she also had the stun spell, but she doubted that it was a good idea to rely on that very much. 

Once everyone was ready, Lord had to pester Rumpold to hurry up, they all put on their new snow shoes, happily sold to Lord for an outrageous price by the landlord, and clumsily traipsed outside.

"I think this will work," Nurn said, testing his footing.  His shoes were the largest, despite him being the smallest in size, but Lord had insisted on this arrangement.  Remembering how heavy Nurn had been when she'd tried to move him, Velvet thought the strategy a sound one.

They set off without any further ado, the team moving slowly at first, as they worked out the best way to move in their new footwear.  Velvet found the going only marginally easier than wading through snow initially, but finally developed a kind of loping gait which was comfortable and didn't take too much effort.

Lord led them off east at first, which was the direction they had come out of the city.  Mandrake forest was to the south, but he deemed it safer to move further out and round. 

"Will we be able to find the gate location though?" Nurn asked Rumpold, as they made their way along a trail coated with windswept snow.

"Mandrake forest is large, no doubt about it," Rumpold said.  "However, we should be able to use the Eye again to determine its exact location.  It can be used like a compass."

"Won't Puzzle's men be able to detect that though?" Velvet asked.

Rumpold made a huffing sound and shrugged, causing his large frame to wobbly.  "We shall just have to hope that we're far enough away to evade them," he said.  "I'm more concerned about the Shadow King."

"Who?" Nurn asked.

[ViP Perry Tratchett]

I've been reading this on and off over the last week.  It's not your usual style China.  Still, quite a good read.  Not quite caught up yet, but I thought I'd just say you still have one reader left!

[Chinaren]

I've had a bit of time to work on this lately, mainly going through and re-reading and editing the whole story.  Anyway, here's another piece for anyone who's interested.



"He's mainly rumors," the wizard explained, "but they say that he's some kind of unholy lord who commands a hoard of dead warriors and takes offence at people wandering into his domain, which is a goodly portion of the forest."

"How lovely," Nurn said.

"Is he real?" asked Velvet, casting a nervous glance south.

"I'm not sure," the mage replied. "There are enough reports and stories of encounters and sightings to think there's something out there, but whether it's some fantastical lich king or not is uncertain."

"Will my potions work on something like that?"  Velvet felt for the vials on her belt.

"Your command ones won’t affect most undead, but your strange explosive ones should.  By the way, please save me one of those.  I'm not sure what you did wrong when you mixed those, but a reactive mix like that should take far more expensive and rare materials.  If I... we can replicate it, there could be some good profit in the venture."

Smiling at the inclusion of her, a mere girl, in the plans of the wizard, Velvet nodded in agreement.  She hadn't thought of how she'd created an explosive potion instead of the one she'd been trying to create, but Rumpold was right.  Potions were expensive, she should know having worked in a magical supply shop, and any way to improve efficiency or lower cost would be worth gold. 

That thought kept her company as they trudged east and then, finally, turned south about midday.  Lord kept them walking, with only a few short stops for breaks.  Velvet didn't mind that too much, even tired as she was.  Moving she was warm, hot even in her winter clothes, but as soon as they stopped the cold began to creep through.  This train of thought led her to think of the approaching dark suddenly

"What are we going to do at night?" she asked Nurn.  "It's going to get a lot colder then." 

The Grey looked up at her and smiled.  He'd succumbed to her advice about clothing, and was wrapped in several warm sheets, jury rigged with arm and leg holes.  He looked a little like a walking pillow. 

"Don't fret.  We've brought something with us that should help.  And if it gets too cold you have your potions."

Even with Nurn's reassurance though, Velvet worried.  She didn't have an endless supply of potions, and she didn't like to rely on Rumpold for warmth spells. 

She should have trusted her two strange friends though.  As evening approached and the temperature started to fall, Lord began looking for a suitable place to camp.  They eventually stopped in the shelter of a group of bushy trees that stood beside a low hill. 

Having declared the place satisfactory, the large warrior dropped his big backpack and opened it.  Fishing around for some moments he finally pulled out a large bundle.

"I had this made in the city," he said, winking at Velvet.  Without further explanation Nurn and he unrolled what appeared to be some kind of heavy sheeting.  Contained inside were thin ropes and a bundle of thin sticks and short metal bars. 

Velvet and Rumpold watched, Velvet shivering slightly, as the two attached the ropes to lower branches and the hammered the rods into the ground.  More ropes were attached and then Nurn scrambled into the canvas.  Suddenly it ballooned up, and, with Lord pulling on the ropes, a small cloth house was born.

"That's amazing!" Velvet said.  "What is it?"

"Of course!  A tent," Rumpold said. "The nomads of Kurt use them on the plains.  They don't roll them up though, but cart them around on large wooden platforms on wheels.  This is quite an ingenious design.  I'm surprised no one has thought of it before."

"I can't take credit for the invention," Lord said, tying off a rope.  "Come on, let's take shelter.  Wizard, I don't suppose you could get a campfire going could you?  Even with the shelter it's nice to have a bit of warmth."

"If you can collect some wood I can do something along those lines," the mage said.

Nurn and Velvet set out to gather wood from under the snow, and occasionally off the squat trees that were hunkering down around the landscape.  It was cold work, but they returned with armfuls of freezing wood.

"Put yours there," the mage said to Velvet, indicating an area that had been cleared of snow somewhat, and circled with rocks.  "Yours can be spare," he told Nurn. 

The two put their firewood down in the designated spots and stood back as Rumpold rolled his sleeves up, evidently he'd cast a warmth spell on himself at some point, and proceeded to chant. 

Velvet listened carefully to the spell.  It seemed to be fairly straightforward, and she could follow at least half of it. 

With a final command (including the gesture for 'ignite' and the rune for 'duration' Velvet noted), the little campfire burst into flame, apparently unhindered by the prolonged exposure to snow. 

"Nice," Nurn said, waddling closer and holding his hands out to catch the warmth.

Rumpold sniffed dismissively.  "Just a minor incantation.  It was almost fun to cast that." 

Velvet moved closer to the fire herself, as much for the illumination it was casting as for anything else.  Night was closing in around them, and the surrounding countryside looked a lot less friendly all of a sudden.  She shivered slightly.

"You get some rest now," Lord said to her, after several minutes of quiet reflection in front of the flames. 

Nodding, she walked over to the tent entrance, her shoes crunching on the frozen snow and with only a little difficulty, crawled inside.  Rumold was already wedged along one side, laying on his back and snoring lightly.

The tent was like a large bag in some ways.  The ground was covered by its cloth floor, but was still very cold of course, so she unwrapped her sleeping blanket from her bag (not without some difficulty in the cramped condition), and then spread some of her spare clothes over the top of it, creating a mattress between her and the ice.

Finally satisfied with her work, she climbed into the makeshift bed and, exhausted from the day's travel, fell sleep almost at once.

[ViP Perry Tratchett]

...and I'm all caught up!

This is a good story you have here Chinaren, enjoyable.  I spotted a few inconsistencies as I went through, but only very small ones which you'll probably catch yourself on a re-read/write. 

So, now you can post more and I'll be up to date.