Feldare Tales: Dual Apprenticeship

Wenn had never seen so many people laying around nude before. Hell, he had never seen more than one or two other boys nude before tonight. He saw Simon lying with a barmaid in his arms, snoring happily with a broad smile upon his face. The image of the priest flashed in his head. Oh my, he thought. Looking about with panicked eyes. He did not see the priest, though, much to his relief.

Had Crissa caused this? He wondered. Obviously she had, part of his mind replied. He moved quietly through the common room. Luckily, most of the people had gone to bed prior to them going upstairs. It looked almost like a slaughterhouse, all the bodies lying about, but most of them snored and several of them were still locked in positions of rather explicit openness. They were all out cold, though.

Wenn managed to fetch a mug from behind the counter and filled it with mead from the keg. He saw the bartender back there, still hugging his wife to him, both slumbering in post coital bliss.

Shaking his head as he went up the stairs, Wenn crept back into the room he and Crissa shared.

He touched her cheek and she blinked her eyes open part way. He held the mug to her lips and she sipped the sweet mead. "Ah." She said. "That's what I needed." She smiled at him. "Come to bed, Wenn. Hold me."

He stripped off his clothes again and laid down next to her, she curled up against his side and they both fell asleep quickly.

---

They were awakened by a rapping upon their door.

"Yes." Crissa called, being more awake than Wenn.

"Um. Miss Crissa?" A female voice said. "And Mister Wenn, your wagon is leaving in half an hour, if you wish to eat, you should move quickly."

The both slid out of the bed, kissing only once, and then only briefly. Wenn realized he was, in fact, quite hungry and looked forward to some biscuits or oatmeal. Crissa was thinking much along the same lines.

As they descended the stairs, Wenn secretly braced himself for a volley of accusations and pointed comments. However, the people were quite well-mannered when they walked into the common room, what people were there, only about half a dozen, including the priest and Simon.

They grabbed a plate full of biscuits and some jelly and a flagon of goat's milk and sat beside Simon at the table nearest the door.

"Good morrow." Said Simon, smiling at them. "I trust you slept well?"

Crissa and Wenn both looked at him a moment. "Yes, thank you." Crissa said, Wenn nodding agreement.

They all ate in relative silence after that, with only the priest's brief prayer and the round of 'arguer's that followed it interrupting the silence.

After that, Wenn helped Simon load a few things into the wagon and Crissa made sure the horses got water. They all clambered aboard the now more lightly loaded wagon.

They bucked and rolled out of the compound and back onto the main road toward Norboro. It was cooler today, and there were quite a few clouds in the sky, but it was far from rainy weather.

Simon looked back at the two young people sitting in the back, propped against the tailgate and smiled. "You cost me five marks." He said after they had traveled almost a mile.

Wenn blinked. "What?" He said, lifting his arm from over Crissa's shoulder.

"You cost me five marks." Simon repeated. "That girl I wound up with was no skilled amateur." He laughed. "She was an expert."

Wondering if he should laugh or not, Wenn said. "I'll repay you as soon as I'm able."

Simon glanced back again. "Bah, it was a lot of fun." He said. "Worth five marks just watching old Marik and his wife going at it. They've got energy, I tell you."

The priest looked at them all a bit askance, but held his tongue, realizing he was outnumbered by the perverts on this wagon.

Crissa giggled. "What are you people talking about?" She asked finally.

Wenn explained what happened to the people in the common room to her, watching her eyes widen with alarm and mirth at the same time.

Simon added a few details he had heard about. "It wasn't just the common room, lass." He said. "There were shenanigans all over the compound. Everyone who wasn't asleep."

The priest coughed and muttered something about being glad to have been abed at the time.

"I'm just glad you didn't discover that ability in town, Crissa." Simon said, turning his eyes back to the road ahead. "Else it might have started a war. Or at least a riot."

By noon they were all chatting about the countryside, Simon pointing out the local landmarks and giving a running commentary about the history and significance of a given feature, including some rather interesting ruins near the road.

The again stopped at a small farmstead to eat lunch, stew again. The four simply chatted lightly again during the meal, but Wenn and Crissa were careful to always sit side by side everywhere, and held hands whenever they walked anywhere.

A couple of hours before sunset they arrived in Norboro. The two young people looked around excitedly, especially at all the old, grand homes and the tall towers of the Academy of Norboro. They trundled through town until they reached the market square.

Marrat was waiting nearby, at a small table outside of a tavern. He had a large mug before him and as Wenn and Crissa debarked and thanked Simon and said farewell to Menlo he ordered two more beers for the newcomers.

They approached him slowly, and with some measure of trepidation. Both feared that their involvement with one another would somehow forfeit their agreement with Marrat, and he would send them home. They still held hands, though, determined for him to know the truth of it quickly.

Marrat did notice, raising one bushy white eyebrow at their clasped hands.

They stood before him, Wenn bowing and Crissa giving a quick curtsey. Marrat appraised them. "Is there something I should know?" He asked in his elderly, wizened, but still strong voice.

Crissa, as usual, spoke first. "Master Marrat. Wenn and I are lovers." She said, simply putting it out there, and leaving it to garner what it may.

Marrat got a long, considering look on his face. "Good." He said. "It saves me having to worry about it."

Crissa blinked for a moment. "Master?" She asked.

He looked at her then at Wenn. "I will speak the truth, for we must have a bond of trust to be Master and Apprentices." He said. "Wenn, I asked for your apprenticeship after Crissa had been brought to my attention and I had already promised to take her into my tutelage." He took a long pull from his beer. "There was no way on Feldare I was going to have a young woman alone in my home with the abilities she had without someone to absorb the backlash when she sets herself to. It would likely kill me the first time she lost control."

Crissa blinked. "I may loose control that badly?" She asked, alarmed.

"You would have eventually, even at home, Crissa." Marrat said. "There is going to be no avoiding it." His eyes showed a great deal of sympathy. "I'll be honest, I made sure Wenn was going to be around any time there was a risk of it, so that someone who could actually not be injured by it happening would be available."

Wenn chuckled. "I was going to be a grounding pole?" He asked.

"In a manner, yes." Marrat said, laughing. "But, mind you, you have the potential to be a great wizard, lad, else you would not be here."

Wenn nodded. "That is good to know." He said.

Crissa squeezed his hand under the table, and graced him with a smile.

"Now, since you two are already lovers, it will be nothing of import except me to excuse myself for a while when it happens." He chuckled. "And it will. At least I can keep it from affecting anyone outside of you two, I've already set wards around my home for that purpose. But you two must always, well, do what you will do inside the house, else the surrounding folk will be most discomfited."

Crissa nodded. "We will Master." She said. "But I must say, this is a most unusual arrangement."

Marrat nodded. "It is." He replied. "But your talent is worth developing, Crissa, it's a rare one."

She nodded. "I will try to be studious." She said.

"As will I, Master." Wenn chimed in.

"That is all I can ask." Marrat said. "Well, that, and please give an old man warning before you start ripping off each other's clothes, hmm?"

Crissa smiled at that. "I'll try, Master." She said, again squeezing Wenn's hand.

Wenn nodded agreement as well.

"Master." Crissa said. "I think Wenn and I should retire to your home. Now." Her expression was somewhat embarrassed.