Silvertree Chronicles Bk. 01 Ch. 29

Tranosa sighed, "What would it involve?"

I looked at him, "You can talk with Charlemagne on that later, but most of it is what you have already been doing here minus having to assign patrols as that would fall to me or Captain Blaze. For those that do not know Blaze is one of the Queen's nephews and was knighted by the Queen as well."

They all looked at Blaze and he rolled his eyes, "I went off on my own and my family was not happy that I did. I was doing caravan protection. Heard what you were doing and thought it was worth checking out. He hired me before he found out about my royal connection."

That got a few chuckles. Hunter looked at Eldar, "Guess his premonition stuff was not working for that one."

Eldar shook his head, "It worked, it told me he would be a good leader."

That got a few nods and some giggles. "Anyway, this is the untold story to go with what I told the Elders."

Cook looked at him, "This explains a lot of what has been going on and why you have been all over the map. Thanks for letting us know. What was it like coming face to face with a Draco-lich and dragons?"

He shrugged, "I only faced the one breath weapon but that battle looked pretty intense for the dragons. Bone breaking for the Draco-lich."

He got a few groans for that comment but it gave them time to eat as they thought over the news he laid upon them. He went over and unlocked the door.

It opens as one the new lieutenant fell through. He looked at him as he hit the floor. Then he looked over at Tranosa, "This fish on the floor, one of yours?"

That got a few chuckles. Eldar extended him a hand and helped the lieutenant to his feet, "Something wrong?"

He nodded, "We have been knocking on this door for almost an hour with no answer. We thought there was a problem inside. I came to give my status report on the troops to Captain Dusk Moon."

He nodded, "If the door is locked the house is silenced then there is a reason and you just have to wait. I will leave you to talk. I am going to check on my apprentices."

He walked through the door and enjoyed the moment of relative silence as he approached his apprentices' home. He walked in as Moon Ray was getting up. Strong Oak appears to still be writing. He looked at what he was doing. He was being very careful in his penmanship as it appeared, from the above section, he tried to copy the text down to the smallest detail. He looked at Moon Ray's book and she has all the details but it was obviously her own hand.

He saw he was almost finished so he let him complete before he talked with them. He pulled out his own spellbook and showed that same spell to them, "This is the same spell and I want to know what you see that is different."

Moon Ray was reading it and Strong Oak examined the print.

Apprentice Moon Ray looked up, "It is the same spell, Grand Master."

Apprentice Strong Oak looks up, "But it is not printed the same, Grand Master."

He nodded, "You are both correct. The idea is not to make an exact copy of the print. Instead, get the spell into a readable and intelligible style. No two spellbooks from a wizard should ever be exactly the same. The spellbook you had before was done by a scribe."

He flipped to a different spell, "What can you tell me of this spell?" They looked at the jumble of letters and symbols and he watched their faces. Until Strong Oak states the obvious, "It says it is a mirror image spell but the text looks garbled, Grand Master."

He nodded, "The mirror image spell in my spellbook some would call it more powerful while others would call it riskier. My mirror image spell is not one that is taught by the Academy books and you will not find it in a standard spellbook. Unless it is really old. He stopped and waved his fingers over the page as he thought and he turned it back so they could read the text. He looked at them.

"Wizards are particularly secretive on some of the rarer spells. They use ciphers to cover over the text. The cipher can eventually be broken but it prevents the casual viewing of spells. I have several spells that are ciphered. The ciphering process is a cantrip you will learn and this version of the mirror image spell is one you will add to your spellbooks.

I expect to always see it coded if I ask for your spellbooks. The cipher you use will be your own. I know one wizard who found a way to do a fireball with earth instead of fire. Where fire will burn combustibles like wood the sandstorm could blind a target for a time while ripping their skin off. He would not reveal how he did it and he kept his book closely guarded and warded.

That spell was lost to him because of the ward. He used a fireward instead of a paralyzing ward and the room was filled with papers and the book burned up in the ensuing fire. He was a researching wizard and did not carry his research into his traveling spellbook. His mistake."

They giggled and nodded. Moon Ray looked at him, "So the lesson here is to always keep a backup of your spells somewhere safe, Grand Master?"

He smiled, "Points to you. I have a book of rare spells I keep separate and then I have those spells I carry in my traveling spellbook. In my case, I can store them in a couple of different extradimensional spaces as well as being encrypted and warded. Capturing a wizard's spellbook can be a trove of new knowledge, or in some cases, pages are a glyph that when read sets them off. Be prepared. Now, off to bed."

He got a response in unison, "Yes, Grand Master."

Then they shot off upstairs to their rooms. He returned home to find a mostly empty house. He saw Tiger and Silver Moon and looked at them, "Silver Moon you will be teleporting out and back every day for the next few days as Charlemagne sets the schedule. You know several places in which to do that, teach others that spell.

I would pick one spot at House Silvertree to speed things along. As we will be out of town for the next week, at least, you can borrow our room. Tonight, you can lay your bedrolls out down here or you can use one of the few wagons sitting outside. I have requested carpenters to come in and assess and fix the Moon Ray home while I am gone, so keep an eye on that. Let them know I am not concerned with the cost, just the quality of the work."

Silver Moon looks at me, "You are not going to tell everyone what you saw?"

He shook his head, "Though I found that position unusual."

Tiger smiled, "You need a copy of this?"

He held up a book, and while he could not read the language the pictures were quite detailed and graphic. Eldar looked at him, "I have Charlemagne making copies of another book for me. I could have her make up 20-30 of these for our officers. Share the knowledge so they are not asking for demonstrations."

Tiger nodded, "We will be good without it for a while if you want to make copies."

He smiled, "It will be translated of course as I am sure the text is just as erotic. Does Keyno have a copy of this?"

Tiger shrugged, "I do not know. She may, but I doubt it."

He nodded, "You will make sure she gets it as a late wedding gift from us."

He smiled, "That will embarrass her getting it from me."

He looked at Silver Moon, "Not so much if she got it from you."

She smirked, "Understood. I will see that she gets it."

He nodded, "I will have Charlemagne distribute the other copies, including one to my father and Jarron."

They both laughed at him as he headed upstairs with the book in hand. Charlemagne had already stripped and crawled into bed. He looked at her, "Do you remember the last time it was just the two of us in bed together?"

She smiled, "You are right we do have that agreement; you spent the last solo night with Annette. I am still a little sore so what do you have in mind?"

He smiled, "Tiger showed me this book, and I want you to add it to the copy list. It will have to be translated but it has some interesting ideas. I want 30 of those and one is a gift to the Queen."

He tossed her the book and while she starts flipping through it, he got undressed and slid over to her in the bed.

She smiled, "I cannot read it but the pictures are inspiring, but let us limit to 2 tonight.

He nodded as she grabs him by the cock and sucks it into her mouth. He grabbed her waist and pulled her cunt to his face. The book has done its job as she was already dripping. He stayed away from her clit for now just stabbing his tongue in as far as he could. He licked slowly this causes her to slow down as they slowly work each other up. He massaged her back and her ass while her tits rubbed against his stomach.

Her hands ran up and down his thighs. He brought his hand over her ass and slid a couple of fingers into her cunt. She decides to speed up the action and sucked it in really hard as she shoves a finger into his nether-hole to bring him off first.

He moaned into her cunt as his seed went into her mouth. She spent a few minutes cleaning him up and he had still avoided her clit.

She was tired of it as she slid her clit into his mouth. He massaged her slit with his tongue still he avoided her clit which had her gyrating as she tried to find his tongue. He shoved two soaked fingers into her nether-hole and attacked the clit at the same time. She started to shutter and then moaned a long release followed by, "You are such a fucking tease at times."

He smiled at her as she got off of his face, "Glad to see you still have some patience."

She came down and kisses him. She sighed, "Yes I have lost some of my patience. Especially with the long absences."

He nodded at her, "Well you will have Annette to play with when she gets back, it is rare for me to get either of you alone."

He grabbed the book. He flipped to the page that showed what Tiger and Silver Moon were doing. He looked at her, "Why don't we start with this one. You can tell me if the others are going to like this book."

She looks at it, "Looks like it will be hard on your legs and back but I am willing."

He sat up next to her and pulled her head up to suck his cock hard again. It did not take long. He stood and grabbed her legs. He moved her to the middle of the bed. He took her ankles and handed them to her so she could hold them. He stole a kiss along the way. He then stood with one leg beside her and the other behind her.

He lined up his cock into her and managed to physically go in sideways for a change. He crouched over her. He slid all the way down and got deeper than he thought possible and she noticed. He looked at her and she nodded and he started off slow driving up and down and she found a few new sounds as he slowly picked up the pace until he pounded into her cunt.

She clenches up again and again as He bottomed out on her cervix. She moaned out another one and he sped up faster as she stayed clenched. He slammed down and delivered his seed deep into her cunt.

She releases the leg in front of him. He stood and pulled out of her. She sighed as he withdrew. He remained standing for a second before he moved to lay down on her left side. He looked at her, "How well do you think the book will be received?"

She looked at him, "I think we will need more copies of that one."

He chuckled and curled up with her. They just held each other to go to sleep. They knew that tomorrow they would be separated for a while. They were asleep in no time. He awoke early again. While he would like to have spent the morning in bed, he had two apprentices. He got dressed after cleaning up.

He walked over and kissed Charlemagne, "I have two apprentices to get started on a full day of work so we can leave tomorrow. You have to head back after checking in with Greentree. Tell him to come by here at midday-meal so I can talk Garrison Keep with him and he can direct the surveyors. Bring a couple of the stonecutters with any designs they have so we can get that settled. Then after midday, you can head back to the city, take your horse with you.

She nodded, "Bring your apprentices for midday-meal. I will make sure Cook has something for us all."

He left the room and passed the sleeping couple on the floor as he opened the door. Silver Moon looks over, "I heard you had the patron of my house at the Palace."

He nodded, "To discuss the changing laws and the fact that our houses should be setting the example on marriages that produce mixed race and elf-blooded children. Marriage for love and all of that. The Grand Cleric is from your house and it was his deity that ordered the changes.

As a Patron, there is a responsibility. The Queen concurred with me. The process of disowning based on marriage to a human or half-blooded member would be in violation of the new laws."

She smiled at him, "You did that for us. I finally laid everything out about my departure from here. What she did to hurt me. What I was doing to heal. I told her the next move was hers because I was already pregnant and loved the man. She was not stopping me from having a loving partner of my own choosing. I think it broke her heart to hear how much of a hold she had over me. The fact that hold was gone as soon as the sword was cleansed. She cannot disown me. Corellon told me at the ceremony privately. He told me he thought I found a good match with Tiger, a human. You went the extra distance though and ensured she knew it in front of the Queen. For us."

Eldar smiled, "I did it for all of us, but especially for you two."

She smiled at him as he left the house. He again enjoyed the silence away from the city as he walked toward the home of his apprentices who sounded like they just started sword practice. He walked into the house and they looked at each other and followed. He went upstairs to look at their rooms.

He walked back down, "You need to straighten your rooms, put your clothes that need washing into a pile. This place will be kept neat. Just as your appearance should always be neat. Unless you just finished combat. When your rooms are done come downstairs and I will give you the cantrips you must know to begin with."

He went downstairs and waited for them to finish. He looked at them both, "You will need to have three sets of clean clothes ready to go including what you are wearing. Else you will need to do laundry after the evening meal. This should hopefully be one of the last times you ever have to hand wash clothes as the clean cantrip or as it is better known the prestidigitation cantrip is on the list."

He gave them a list of 10 cantrips, 4 more first level spells, and 3-second level spells."

He looked at them, "I know Apprentice Strong Oak second level spell is a scorcher or scorching ray as some call it. What would you like Moon Ray? For your first and second spells that are not on the list, I gave you?"

She thought, "Acid arrow for the second, and witch bolt."

Eldar nodded, "Not bad choices. Get started on your cantrip list." He looked at Strong Oak, "Your first level spell?"

He thought, "You have magic missile, detect magic, feather fall, and identify. You gave us one offensive spell so I would add another, Thunder Wave."

Eldar nodded, "It is always good to have a mix of elements in your spells. Mirror image, feather fall, magic missile, and your signature spells are what you shall carry in memory for this trip. Any extra end level spells you might have should be another mirror image. Any additional first level spells should be your magic missile."

He paused and looked at them, "Any spell you are missing?" Apprentice Moon ray spoke first, "Shield spell, Grand Master."

He nodded, "Add that to your first level spell list. You should never find yourself in combat in the field. If you do and you are dealing with a caster get a shield up and get as much distance from the group and keep a distance from each other. Your spells and swords are for a creature that breaks through the lines or if we get hit at night. Out there you will grow up fast and see things that cannot be unseen.

Set your mind straight. In a couple of weeks when we get back you will have your ritual to activate Moon Blades. Yes, I got them and they are in the hands of the Queen. Get your mind set on your code of conduct and purging any demons you have about protecting all of the elven people and you will do fine.

I will sit back here if you have any issues. Keep at least 14 blank pages between your first and second level spells. Room to add more in as we go along in the coming months and years. You both get points for your spell selections. When the day is done your old spellbooks will go in the fire. Midday-meal will be at my home today then it will be back to writing.

You will bring your spellbooks and supplies with you as you can continue there. Dame Silver Moon will be at my house now when I am away. You will know where to find her and of course, you know where to find Elder Strong Oak."

They nodded and bent heads over books and got through the cantrips and were working first level spells. They were having an issue with who could flip to what page. He got up and pulled a captured spellbook out of my bag and found a thunder wave spell.

He set it down, "You can copy that from here instead and she can copy from the other book."

They nodded and finished up first level spells and they packed everything up. They headed to his home with books and packs in hand. He finished the first etiquette book during this break.

He got home and found Silver Moon was present, "Could you be so kind as to use a little magic to clean up their clothes? To save them some time tomorrow?"

She smiled and nodded. He looked over at the dwarven stone cutters, "Welcome to our home. At least temporarily until you build the new one. Did you have some designs for me to look at?"

The stonecutter he met before nodded, "Yes, we have several garrison designs."

Eldar smiled "How many with a keep and how many front-line forts with forty-foot walls?"

They looked at him, "Three of the first, we might have a design or two we can adapt to get a 40-foot wall, but why so high?"

He smiled, "We had an incursion with over 200 dead enemies the other day. I want to build a fort in that location that can see farther, and have the height to have giants looking up at us. I am figuring at least ten feet thick on the outside for this fort. Show me what you got."

They flipped through the designs and He found a keep and garrison he liked but they were not on the same design. Eldar looked at him, "I want this keep with this garrison instead of this courtyard."

He looks at it, 'We can make that work, the floors are the same height, the keep is narrower but we can center that. We can make it work."

Eldar sighed, "Something tells me we will need more room. Instead of centering it, widen the keep. Can that be done?"

He sighed and nodded, "Always something."

Eldar chuckled, "You can thank your Dwarven King for part of this headache. He is one of the conspirators that made me a Duke and Field Marshal."

He chuckled and nodded. Eldar looked at the fort design and found one that would house up to 200 humans comfortably. It had 8 towers including one massive one over the main gate with a double portcullis with oil traps and murder holes for the archers to shoot anything that got between the gates.

He looked at him, "I need them both built in less than 20 years. Then I need the watchtowers across here, every ten miles on these hills. I need all of this completed in less than 30 years.

He looks at me, "That is quite a workforce we will have to bring forward."

Eldar nodded and smiled, "We will have war in 40 years and I want to get your workers out of there before then."

He nodded and sighed, "You will have to talk with the Dwarven King. Let him know you will need about 30% of our stone craftsman and masons working on this for 20 years."

Eldar nodded, "I can do that. He knows I am coming. The Human King, Dwarven King, and the Elven Queen made me a Duke over this area on top of everything else so this provides a front-line fort for when the armies are brought in for the commanders to meet at and disperse orders. We want to keep them south of the trade route."