Centaur Love Ch. 10

"Herd Master Lindrose?" Mathew turned as another couple approached him. For the next several hours, various people approached him to talk. Sir Fellis was right, most wanted to know when he was going to be testing colts. Mathew had lost contact with Sir Fellis. Being human height on a field full of Centaurs it was bound to happen.

Mathew finally found Felicia by mentally poking at her through the clairvoyance spell and feeling what direction she was. What felt like hours of being lost in a dense jungle of towering trees, standing and facing Felicia and her friend Rebecca was a relief.

"You found us!" Felicia said. "Mathew I would. Oh! Sorry. Herd Master Lindrose I would like you to meet my longtime friend, Rebecca Drewsdaughter of herd Anderson. Becca my mate, Herd Master Mathew Lindrose."

Mathew looked at Felicia, then turned and smiled at Rebecca. She was maybe a quarter hand shorter then Felicia, making her five, eleven in human standards. She had long raven colored hair. A narrow face, with a pert little nose and those double recurved lips. She was a little bigger in her breast than Felicia Maybe a double 'D'. Same human waist size, but a bit narrower in her second waist, forty two-ish. Her face lit up with a big smile as she looked up at him. She gave a small kneeling bow, "Herd Master Lindrose, it is a pleasure to meet you."

Mathew bowed, "No Rebecca Drewsdaughter, the pleasure is all mine. You are the first friend of Felicia that I have met."

She smiled, "Well those of us with HGDM didn't get out much." She grabbed Felicia's hand and smiled. "To be accurate, we weren't allow too. But you and Herd Master Fellis changed everything." She pointed around her, "This is the first time I didn't have to stand by mother's side, for the after gathering socialization. She even said, I can go visit Felicia tomorrow, during the day, on my own, like a normal Centaur."

Felicia hugged Rebecca, as Mathew tried to wrap his head around the restrictions that the law of seclusion had on those effect with the malady. Banned from simply walking to someone's house, or store during the daytime or even going outside, it seemed crazy to him. Such a stupid law, the first time Felicia told him about it he thought she was kidding him. Even when she said, it was true, it did not hit him like seeing the raw emotions on Rebecca's face. He noticed the girls quit talking, he looked up and both were looking at him.

Mathew smiled at them, "Sorry just seeing your reaction from the law being stricken has brought home the realities of how harsh and draconian it really is. I am so happy for you."

Both Rebecca and Felicia smiled and laughed. "Will you test her now Mathew? Please?"Felicia asked.

Mathew nodded yes.

'"I cant wait to learn magic," Rebecca said.

"Testing doesn't make you a mage Rebecca, please keep that in mind, not everyone has the gift. Out of a million or so humans, only two hundred and fifty had the gift of klatha regeneration. It is a rare gift, so don't be heartbroken if you don't. No one would think anything less of you if you do not. I certainly would not. Felicia, open your farm link and follow me. The spell is a simple one, but is not taught to students, until their sixth year. I am going to colorize the klatha node to give Rebecca something to see."

Rebecca looked at Mathew, "Is it going to hurt?"

Mathew laughed, "Not one bit, but as I do the spell try to feel the little blue ball I am going to touch you with."

Mathew felt Felicia's mind and he mentally went over the spell in two parts saying the words. He looked at her making her repeat the spell several times. When she had it, he softly called the klatha node. A little blue trainer ball appeared on his fingertips. He heard Rebecca say "oh very pretty."

Reaching over he took her hand in his and brought the klatha node to her fingertip. He chanted the spell. The first part forced the klatha node to gather all the klatha in the targeted person's body. Here the spell differed with a just checking your levels, to testing your regeneration ability. He added one more point of klatha. He instructed it, to pull all of the targets klatha for himself. He felt six-klatha transfer to him. Giving him back only one and a half points. The Law of klatha charging stated for every four-klatha put into a devise one will remain, so every four taken, one will remain for use.

Mathew looked at Felicia, "I saw six points of klatha transfer, but eight in the spell."

"Two were mine love. One to call, 'voca', and one to pull, 'abfero'."

"So you call a point of klatha and hold it as you start the spell, then at the second stanza you call a second."

"Yes and you don't have to colorize the first, but for those watching it adds a visual part for them. As my Uncle used to joke, makes them feel they are getting their money's worth."

"Does the mage academy charge to test students?"

"Nope, it's free."

"Well at least you got six klatha from her."

"Law of demising return Love, I think you learn about it in fourth year books. Four for one. For every four transferred one remains. That is why charged cantrip stones are expensive. To get a thousand point stone the mage has to transfer four-thousand into the stone. Moreover, if he or she only regens at a slow rate that is up to eight days of low klatha. Now if Rebecca here heals at least three klatha by tomorrow, she has potential. Normal people will heal maybe one a day, if she heals two, it is possible to teach her but it would take twice as long for her to learn. Healing half rate is preferred. I think my Uncle said they are now accepting quarter heals since the mage potential is harder to find."

Rebecca watched them talk, she did not understand half of it, and the two words he used sounded like a foreign language. However, she could tell they have loved each other for a long time and were very comfortable with each other.

"I would like to try that spell."

"Later tonight, maybe you can try it on Bea or Cherill. I have been telling everyone we will be testing people later after the war council. I can't do both, and it isn't fair that we test a selected few today."

"That seems fair, I am sure both would like you to test them."

Mathew turned and looked at Rebecca, "Now some time tomorrow afternoon either Felicia or I will need to retest you. It is best that we do it twenty-six hours, one whole day after initial testing. A whole day is the best, which will give us the best results."

Rebecca nodded yes, "I was planning on trying out my new freedom tomorrow and trotting over to visit with Felicia."

"Good either she or I can do it. I can if or when I get back from this war council tomorrow."

Both girls laughed, "You will."

Cousin Barret, Oh! Herd Master Anderson always come back from those meeting, abet angry with his fellow Herd Masters sometimes. With Herd Master Fellis here, maybe things will go better."

Mathew heard several people whistle.

"Well time to go," Rebecca said, "I will see you tomorrow Felicia, around ten-ish, after my chores are done."

"I can wait."

"Herd Master Lindrose, thank you again for what you did. I will forever grateful for you and Herd Master Fellis."

"You are welcome Rebecca Drewsdaughter. Hopefully I will see you tomorrow, if we get done in time." Mathew turned towards Felicia and asked, "Do we do some sort of group thing heading back?"

"No love, go get your mare and meet me on the street. It took Mathew a few minutes longer due to several people stopping him and asking about when he was going to be testing colts. Once he was on the mare, he had no problems seeing through the crowd and spotting Felicia. They joined the crowd and made their way home. Mathew notice they garnered a fair share looks as they walked home.

Once home Felicia went to change out of her armor as Mathew headed to the barn. After racking the saddle, he gave her a wet brushing for making her stand in the sun all afternoon. He left her a small bucket of wet mash and a trough of water. Dinner that night was once again a noisy affair with over nine family's eating dinner together. However, tonight's, dinner conversations seemed a little louder. Mathew tried to listen to all the conversations going on. They ranged from a few comments how people reacted to the law of seclusion being stricken to mating's and deaths. He tried to center on the first.

Felicia notice him picking at his food, "Are you not hungry love?"

Mathew looked up, Felicia had a worried look, "Yes, but I was kind of listening to the people. Trying to hear what they have to say about today's meeting."

"I wouldn't worry about that, I would be more worried about if we find five or six centaurs with potential to be mages. What do you plan to do there?"

Mathew grimaced, "Good question, I haven't thought about that. I guess the better question is, how many here in Midvale have your condition?"

"Love you can say 'HGDM', it is all right. Those of us are used to people saying it. Your refusal to say it is sweet, but when you say condition, it could mean anything. However, to your question, four if you count me. Becca said there is a little mare born a few months ago in East Midvale. The only other was a three year old stallion, but Becca says he is sick all the time."

Mathew nodded, "To be truthful I don't see us finding anyone with potential. But if we do we might have to give thought of expanding the house."

Felicia thought of it, I would say we might have to consider abandoning that one and building a long house on the second tier."

Mathew liked that idea, starting fresh, incorporating, elven, food stasis cabinets. Bigger indoor water closets, he was trying to picture his centaur long house as he ate. However, his thoughts kept returning to stove he had been thing of. He had already worked out the heat source, but was still trying to figure out how to keep the kitchen from heating up, and how to regulate the stovetop and oven heat settings.

Felicia was mentally picturing what the long house looked like. Her own long house, on the second tier. She wanted the counters to be the same as in Mathew's house. She was absolutely in love with the counter height, just that the room needed to be bigger. She did not want to say something to Mathew, but she had a hard time turning around and moving about the smaller human sized kitchen.

Both were lost in thought when Zane set his bowl down next to Mathew's, and took the seat next to his. "Good evening Herd Master Lindrose, Mage Felicia. How are we doing this fine evening?"

Both looked up each lost in their own thoughts, Mathew smiled, "Good Evening Ambassador Goldenroot. How are you?"

"Good, am I interrupting something? You both looked like you were lost in thought."

"No," Mathew and Felicia said at the same time. Felicia explained we have been talking about the future. Mainly how to house any new apprentices. We have been discussing the possibility of building a centaur type of long house on the second tier. But if Grand Master Dorthan's predictions are true and only those with HGDM will have klatha regeneration...,"

"Mana."

Felicia laughed at Ambassador Goldenroot. "Mana, klatha, it is all the same, either way, a long house would be better suited for those with four legs. But some features of Mathew's house would be nice, like counter height."

"Well don't ask anyone from Midvale to build it, don't get me wrong here, the guest house they provided me is nice. But a few things escaped them."

Mathew looked up, "I am afraid to ask."

Zane grinned, "The door being nearly eight foot I can understand. However, the door handle being head high is interesting. Moreover, the counter tops make me feel like a kid again in my mother's kitchen. The bed and chairs are nice. It is a mix of normal centaur height things and human mixed."

Mathew laughed, "I feel like that every time I go to my in-laws place. On a different note have you felt out Clan Master Benton?"

"We had several talks. Right now, they are not having much trouble with the Hobgoblin's. They tried each of the passes, but nothing-full strength. We both think Sir Fellis is right, they are going to try either taking Woodshome first or try heading south through your farm and go west from there."

"A Centaur army would have problems in Woodshome. No enough room to maneuver," Felicia said.

"True," Zane replied. The elves are not good fighters on the plains with mobile tactics the centaurs employ," Zane said. "I don't think there is enough horses in the world to mount all the elven troops."

"Whatever terrain we choose it is not going to be a real mobile battle. Goblin tactics are in mass type fights. In an attempt to over whelm their enemy. I am sure Sir Fellis is aware of that fact. What I am wondering did he give you any indication about joining forces?"

Zane shook his head no, "I have tried to word my way around that subject, but Clam Master Benton has so far declined to go into that subject. I think we should ask Sir Fellis if they have discussed it, because so far he has not indicated one way or another on that subject."

"Since your both finished eating why don't you two go talk to my father before Clan Master Benton shows up and see if you three could feel him out. I will most likely have to help the mares clean up." She stacked their bowls, and tapped her head twice. "Keep me informed."

Mathew nodded yes and kissed her. "And stay out of the dark beer, we have plans later tonight."

"Yes dear."