Centaur Love Ch. 05

Sir Fellis frowned, "Felicia was trying to explain it when you rode up, but what I gathered is that you harvest some roots of a plant that grows in your oak forest."

"Yes, we harvest the roots of Dragon Claw for the potion trade. Then we dry it, then grind it into powder and bottle it up. The roots have to dry so long to have the right medicinal properties. Grind it too early and the enzymes in roots outer skin are toxic ruining the batch you're working. If you wait too long, the root turns brittle and the roots splinter, scattering the centers powder which holds the healing proteins."

"So what sort of time frame do you have here?"

"Four to five months before we need to process, we can raise the humidity in the drying room and add another month or two, but that would push us into falls harvest season."

Mathew pulled the extra blanket off the mare, swung the saddle over her back. He then started clinching the various straps on the war saddle. Sir Fellis checked on Rullis and Tarn as they were replacing the broken wheel. Once Mathew finished saddling the mare, he watched them tighten the locknut on the wheel with it rolling with just enough resistance. He crawled down and lowered the jack.

"Will you boys grab a trace and wheel the wagon into the barn?"

As Tarn and Rullis pulled the wagon up to the barn, Sir Fellis waited until they were far enough away before saying, "With the last of the damage cleaned up from that small raid. I think we should have a day of thanks. Then have a meeting of the valley here about taking a week to ride over to Woodshome."

Mathew nodded yes, "Tomorrow or week's end?"

"Week's end. That will give Burt and Chester a little more time to heal up. I am sure everyone would like to learn what you know about the raids in Freetown, Woodshome, and the larger force on the eastern side of the mountains."

"And you don't think they might take the news more intently coming from you Sir? You were the High Kings Field General." Mathew saw the tightening around the eyes and the stiffening of his posture.

Johnathon closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "That was a long time ago Mathew, almost another life. The people here only see me as Jonathon Fellis. Only your family has ever called me Sir Fellis. I think many know who I was. However, everyone here knows your family are mages.

When your father or mother spoke, many here listen more closely. Like I said, centaurs are a non-magical folk, and mages have always fascinated them. I think that information should come from you for that reason, my son. And it would be a good way to gauge how they react to you, being a young mage, but also the head of your family's farm now."

Mathew nodded yes in thought, "I think that would be a good gauge...,"

"Mathew!" Felicia came Galloping down from the main house followed by her mother. "Mathew! I did it... I did it, Mathew!"

Mathew and Jonathon looked up as Felicia skidded to a stop in front of them, "Mathew look, I did it!"

"Did what?"

Felicia held up the little training box, "I was showing mother the training box, and I wanted to show her and this happened." She pressed the painted end and the little blue ball appeared, Felicia frowned at it and the little ball stayed on the trainer's tip. Carefully she held it up, showing Mathew, "See! I can hold it there now!"

Mathew clapped his hands, "That is wonderful Felicia!" Then he turned to look at Sir Fellis.

Perth stood next to Johnathon holding him with a worried expression, Johnathon only held one of pure wonder, "Mathew did you turn my daughter into a mage?"

Mathew laughed, shaking his head no, "No sir, not really. Let me explain, you see most of the elder races carry some residual klatha. The Mage School uses a point system to measure it. What I had learned is that most dwarfs, gnomes, and centaurs carry around anywhere up to three to seven points worth, just enough to power some magical devices. Some small folk like leprechauns can have more, Fairies and elves use a different form of Klatha, but some can carry astronomical amounts."

"What about humans, you didn't mention them," Perth asked.

"Humans or the younger race doesn't have any klatha naturally, it usually takes a crossbreed with one of the magical folks, ware blood being the most common, but there are some half elf's, and other less savory mixing that has shown the ability to manipulate klatha.

"Goblins?"

Mathew shuddered, "Thank the gods no, but goblins and their cousins' hobgoblins are copper-based blood, and their green blood don't mix with the red blood of humans. But orcs and ogres can produce half breeds."

"So can all half breeds perform..., magic?'

"Not all, only a few of non-human types have magic. However, most have some residuals, and if they learn to use what they have, they can throw some spells. Like what Felicia is doing, she is learning is to call on what nature has given her to use. This trainer box is a self-powered toy that manifests klatha into a visible and tactile form that you can learn to control what nature had gifted you."

"Will Felicia be able to throw spells?" Perth asked.

"Minor ones, or apprentice type," Mathew said.

"Mainly the common ones needed around the farm mom," Felicia explained.

"Dear?"

Felicia was at a loss so Mathew said, "Mainly to power the charms needed to hide the person from the magical lines, 'Ley Lines' that crisscross the plateau. An unshielded person can disturb them and that can kill the Dragon Claw vines. That is why we discourage people from going there; one person walking around can kill half the groves vines and ruin twenty to thirty years of hard work."

"Didn't the goblins cross the grove?" Jonathon asked.

"Yes sir they did, but we got there in time to smooth the flow with several spells. Thankfully, my Uncle arrived the day after and could use his considerable klatha and range to calm the ley lines and reinforce the spells on the magical cairns. I just had to fix the physical damage they did to one tree. We were lucky that they did not know the groves true worth as a source magical healing potion ingredient."

Sir Fellis frowned, "Mathew, can you explain this to me, so it takes a mixing of blood for humans to become mages. Why are some more powerful than others? Why is one mage a Master level mage and others Grand Master level?"

"That again is luck of the draw Sir, some mages, and I stress mages. Are born with a set amount of stored klatha, no matter what spells they cast they only recharge back to that same level of klatha. Now one in about a thousand mages can not only recharge their klatha, but in using it, they gain a little more each time, like exercising certain muscles."

"Is there a way to tell?"

"Not truly Sir, what they do is, they first measure your klatha level, then you work a few spells, and the next day they measure again. Sort of unscientific method, but it is the only method available."

Sir Fellis nodded in thought. Just as he was going to ask another question a soft roll of thunder rolled across the valley. Everyone looked up to see if a storm was rolling in except Mathew and Felisha. Mathew licked his finger and touched the clairvoyance spell, confirming that the general store delivered their order.

Felicia laughed seeing the confused looks her parents had and explained what the thunder was. Once she explained it they seemed interested. Asking if they could do the same. Mathew explained what he knew of the costs, and the need for a mage to set up the book and screening orb. Then any low-level mage could recharge the orb every week.

"Johnathon, Perth, we need to go, we have foodstuffs that need to be put inside."

"I, we, understand Mathew, you and Felicia run home and do what you need to do."

Mathew mounted up as Felicia went to get the cart pony, Sir Fellis looked at Mathew, "Be here early on week's end so we can discuss what you will say."

Mathew nodded yes, as he and Felicia said their goodbyes. It only took them a half a glass to make the crossroads and start up the road to their farm. The afternoon was getting warm, and he wanted to get the food inside so he pushed Felicia to a fast gallop which was a good trot on the mare. The pile of food waiting for them was more than Mathew had seen before. Mathew laughed at some things sitting inside the circle.

He put both horses in a side pen and walk over to the circle. He didn't know if he had enough storage for everything. "It is like Yules day," Felicia exclaimed!

The main bulk was ten small kegs of Five grain. A new staple in the Lindrose house. "Lend a hand dear," Mathew said as he grabbed a case of preserve's that was on the side. After the tenth trip, both were sweating.

"I could use a bath," Felicia said as she moved another keg to the smaller bedroom. There was not enough room to store all the five-grain kegs in the pantry. Another thing to add to the honey-do list.

"We still need to go check on the gatehouse before we can do that."

Felicia frowned, "That will take all afternoon to get there and back."

"Not really," Mathew replied, "We might be able to cut across the grove this time. An hour there and a couple back."

"Why didn't we do that this morning?"

"Because we didn't have fathers bridle and saddle with charm crystal's, now that we got them we could ride, er, run across the grove."

"OH!"

"And on the way back we could take the footpath down to our pond."

Felicia smiled at that. With everything stored Mathew removed the pannier rack from the cart pony and put her in the large pen. Saying the masking spell and putting a single klatha into the warhorse's crystal, he re-cocked the spell and walk over to Felicia.

Watch and try to feel as I cast the masking spell on myself. Mathew carefully said the spell slowly and pulled the klatha from within himself and laid the spell on his charm. "Now pull yours out." Felicia pulled hers out. "Now say the spell slowly and I will add the klatha for you, just make sure you try to direct it once I touch your sapphire."

"Direct it? I don't understand Mathew."

"When you say 'interius', as you take your next breath, mentally push the klatha into the sapphire and hold it there as you say the second part of the spell."

"No wait, what if I mess it up! You do it I dont...,"

Mathew grabbed her hands, "Shh baby," taking a point of klatha on his fingertip, and touching her wrist, "you feel that?" Felicia nodded yes. "Good, now when you get to the end of the first stance, you will feel the klatha as I touch your stone, through it, once you do mentally push it onto the center of the stone, then hold it there as you finish the spell. I won't let anything go wrong, and I will be right here with you."

Mathew nodded at her, then mime her to pick up her sapphire in both hands. As she started the simple spell he mouthed the words with her, as she was coming to the end of the first stanza he touched her stone. He could feel her feeble grasp of the klatha and slight hold of it as she started the second stanza of the spell. He mentally held the klatha there. But as long as she had a feeble grasp of it, her will was giving it the commands to form a masking shell.

As she finished the last part of the spell, the klatha moat flared to life. The simple commands gave it purpose, and it acted on those commands. It formed a large circle centered on the sapphire, encompassing her in a simple masking shield from the natural ley lines that ran across the plateau.

Mathew stepped back, then canted another spell that drew a bit of power from ley lines just enough to hold it in his hands. As he extended it towards Felicia, it hit her shield spell and resisted going any further. Mathew let the spell go, "Did you see that Felicia? You cast your first spell!"

Felicia just stood there staring at him. "I did?" Mathew nodded yes. "Does that mean I am a mage now?"

Mathew laughed, but seeing Felicia's serious look he stopped, "Well yes I guess you are." The bright smile was all that he needed to know. "But Miss Apprentice, we need to get moving if we are going to try to run across the grove before the water gets there."

Mathew walked the mare up the narrow walk path and mounted up, he could already see water pooling in eastern parts he turned west to go down the one-lane the hobgoblins took. Mathew let Felicia set the pace. Her gallop was a slow trot to the warhorse. It took them over an hour to reach the far side. But after turning east they had to ride upon the bank to keep from splashing through the water coming from the first outlet pipe. Once they made the gatehouse Mathew looked in seeing all three pipes were flowing fine. He locked up, and they headed south.

They had hoped to make their pond before dark, but the trip back took them longer and the sun was setting by the time they made pond. Seeing Felicia's disappointment, Mathew suggested that they do an early dinner and practice on Felicia's magic. Felicia brightened up at that idea.

After dinner Mathew worked with Felicia on throwing a light spell, but after the first time when he used his own klatha, he tried getting her to call her own klatha to power the spell. She could draw it to her finger but was having trouble pulling it forth from inside her to insert it into the spell. After the eighth attempt she hit a wall and couldn't call her klatha anymore.

Seeing her disappointed hurt Mathew, he knew this would soon pass because he went through the same thing about ten years ago. Just being able to call your klatha in less than a week's practice was a miracle. No matter what he said or tried to do, to reassure her, it didn't help, she looked dejected. He thought about writing his Uncle, but first he had to help Felicia to her stall. The first time a mage hits their wall, they get so tired that they need a night to recover. He kept trying to tell her that this is what he was hoping for and tomorrow would be better because as a mage she just exercised her magical muscle.

After putting Felicia into her sleeping stall, he wrote his Uncle, letting him know her progress. Also how disappointed she was when she hit the wall. And he was not sure what to do to get her over this part. Knowing it was near midnight in Kingsholm, his Uncle would read it in the morning and most likely give him some suggestions. With that done, he took his mom's bag of magical chalk and walk over to the water closet. He carefully drew the chalk lines along the cement lines to remove the center towel racks and wall. He chanted the spell several times, calling no klatha to power it, until he felt that he had the right plane and depth. Once he broke the cement bonds, he eased the wall down to the ground then drew a circle around it to disintegrate it. Using his hand, he measured the pipe and chalked it to polymorph it.

He never threw this spell, he wasn't polymorphing it, but trans-morphing it longer. Carefully going over the spell and its variables, he canted it over and over until it felt right. Checking the dimensions one more time, he took a deep and cast the spell. Mathew watched the showerhead slowly move as the pipe grew in length. The moment of truth was when he turned the valve and water came out. Standing there watching the water flow, he smiled as he got wet. He threw his first Elite level spell. Guessing he might be near to hitting his wall, he called it a night and went to bed.

The next morning Mathew felt someone knocking on his conscious. Groaning, he rolled out of bed putting his feet on the floor. Feeling the tapping again, he licked his finger and touched the clairvoyance spell seeking who was knocking on it. He recognized his uncle's touch and tapped back. Not knowing what he wanted, he got up and checked the book. His uncle did not write, so he assumed he would have company soon.

Lighting several branches in the stove, then he put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. He grabbed a quick shower while the water heated up. Mathew was still smiling about the trans-morph spell, as he was seeping the tea when his Uncle Robert knocked and walked in.

"Mathew!"

"In the kitchen Uncle."

"Mathew? Is your Uncle Robert here?" Felicia stepped out as Robert passed the bedroom.

"Good Morning Felicia," he said, leaning in to kiss her cheek, not being disturbed at all from her nakedness. Then he walked into the kitchen, "Thank you nephew I will take mine with honey please."

Mathew laughed and went to get another mug.

Mathew filled another mug besides filling an even bigger one for Felicia. His Uncle filled him in about the latest news from the capitol; the only thing was a message yesterday afternoon from the mages who were sailing north, just before they crossed the equator.

"So the high King knows about the Goblin's now"

Robert nodded yes, "That I am sure of now, it might take him a day or two, but I think, or Grand Master Dorthan thinks, he will send a small detachment from his command staff south to organize the kingdom's response."

Mathew nodded in thought. That meant they would have to start conscriptions into the army. The High King did not keep a large standing army, neither did any of the ruling Barons under the Kings banner. Nearly all of his and the bulk of the ruling class's soldiers had sailed north to face ogre problem. Mathew only said one word, Conscriptions.

Robert nodded yes. "The army and the mage corps. That is one reason why I came am here today, or the official reason they allowed me to come west. I am supposed to be checking on herb growing facilities and securing all growing facilities in the High King name, making sure all 'produce' is sent to Kingsholm."

Mathew frowned at that comment; Robert took a drink of his tea, grinning at Mathew, waiting for him to process that. Mathew took a deep breath and was about to protest when Robert held up his arm, "I know what you were going to say, and no they cannot force you to sell only to the council or it's approved magic shops nor can they forcefully take control of the farm legally. But that won't stop them from trying.

Something that neither I, nor his honor thought the council would attempt. With that said," Robert reached into his robes, pulling out a scroll. "This spell will let you take full control of the ley lines and cairns blocking any mage from attempting to wrestle control of them or casting their masking spells allowing them to work the orchard."

Mathew read the spell; it was a deleterious type of spell. If a mage attempted to wrestle control of the cairns, it would destroy the cairns and the ley lines, bouncing all the stored energy back to the caster in an adverse spell. About halfway through, he frowned, "this isn't just arcane it's... Elven too?"

"Yes, one of my 'QC' guys is half Elven, actually a lot more than half, but he was trained in their magic as well in human type. He helped me write the scroll, since his people helped great, great grandfather create the cairns originally."

Mathew nodded as he continued reading the scroll. On the fourth stanza, he saw 'quod laebat inclusion'. The spell had a backup in case he died without adding an heir to the spell but also masked his secondary heirs.

"Name Felicia your immediate heir," Robert said, then handed him four bottles with a little blood in each. "When you cast that spell include my and your Aunts formal names, also your cousins Derek Arnold, and Beatrice Lafon. Be careful with those bottles Mathew, Derek did not have a problem poking his finger but your cousin Beatrice did not like it one bit. I think that is the last drop of blood you will get out of her.

Mathew gave his Uncle the single eyebrow trick.

Robert laughed, "Show off, but next time you try getting a six-year-old to poke her finger with an en-spelled dagger, saying the formal words. Half the mages in the shop came running thinking we were sacrificing the kids or something."