Grey Tidings: Chapter 1 (v4p2)

Chapter 1

Lorelei Black was in the middle of enchanting a crystal, when the bells above the Black Family Magic Shop door chimed. She was a young woman in her twenties and wore a black apron over a simple orange dress. A matching orange headscarf kept her black hair from obstructing her vision. By her feet, in a box with a blanket, lay her familiar, a white goose named Honkers, that was presently sleeping.

“Good morning Danny,” Lorelei said without turning from the crystal. Danny had been their postman for five years and was always there punctually at 8:30 am. “Give me a moment to finish working on this crystal. We have some parcels going out today.”

“I have some mail for you as well, including one from out of town,” Danny said. He was in this late thirties, with an athletic build, and he always wore his postal uniform. He was good-natured, with a weakness for gambling. “If you can guess where it is from in five guesses, I’ll give you a copper piece.”

“That’s generous, but I probably only need— OW! HONKERS! Don’t be a nuisance!” Lorelei said. Her goose familiar had apparently awoken and poked her ankles. Honkers rewarded her with a mischievous honk and waddled away. Lorelei turned back to the crystal, only to find the magical filaments in tatters. She would have to try again. She dismissed them and there was a faint smell of ozone, instead, she turned to face Danny.

“Did he get your foot again?” Danny asked, amused.

“Yep,” Lorelei answered, pulling a copper piece from her coin purse and putting it on the counter. “Five guesses to name where the letter is from? I will probably get it in three,” Lorelei smiled slyly. Danny matched her smile and put his own copper piece on the counter next to hers. He then pulled the letter from his mail pouch.

“Here it is,” Danny said, holding up the letter, being careful to cover up the address and the name of the sender. There were other clues Lorelei available to Lorelei.

“Two silver pieces for postage?” Lorelei gave a low whistle. “That rules out Lake Junction and the Quiet Sound area. Is it from the Crownshold?”

“Nope! Four more guesses.”

“Too bad, I was hoping the King would send us some work. Errol’s Pass? They have some mining operations down that way.”

“Try again!”

“Crescent Beach? I heard there was a ship from there in port with some wealthy merchants,” Lorelei asked.

“Not this time! Two left, better make them count,” Danny said. Lorelei paused and thought carefully. She had passed the three guesses she had thought it would take and Danny seemed a great deal too confident. She closed her eyes and tried to remember.

“There was another ship that came from the south. From one of the feuding clans,” Lorelei said slowly. “Haleford?” Lorelei asked.

“No! Last chance!” Danny looked triumphant, then froze as he looked behind Lorelei.

“Good morning Mrs. Black,” he said. Lorelei turned to see her mother coming. Lorelei had inherited many of her mothers attributes, including the same black hair and physical traits. However, she wore an elegant dark blue dress instead. Her eyes carried great wisdom and she was no one to be trifled with. In her hand, she carried a bag she used to perform house calls.

“Good morning Danny. I hope you aren’t gambling with my daughter when there is work to do,” she said sharply, putting her hands on her hips.

“Oh, please Mrs. Black? I have her down to her last guess out of five,” Danny pleaded.

“Five guesses?” Lorelei’s mother looked intrigued. Lorelei saw her mother scan the room and found no customers in the shop so far. “Very well, but do hurry up Lorelei.”

“If it isn’t Haleford, then I’ll guess it’s their rivals in Briarsgate,” Lorelei said.

“Nope!” Danny said triumphantly, before handing the letter over to Lorelei’s mother. She snatched it immediately from his hand and read the envelope.

“Haven,” Mrs. Black said, looking at the letter thoughtfully. “I don’t think we’ve ever gotten a letter from there. I didn’t hear of a ship from there coming into port either.”

“That’s because the ship from Haleford stopped by Haven on their way up the West Coast. Better luck next time,” Danny winked at Lorelei as he collected the two copper coins from the counter.

“Don’t spend it all in one place,” Lorelei said with mock indignation. Danny laughed at that.

“Lorelei, get the parcels for Danny,” her mother said. Lorelei retreated to the backroom and brought them back out. Danny was still smirking. Lorelei handed him the packages and he carried the packages towards the door. Lorelei didn’t bother to watch him leave, turning to her mother instead.

“Who’s it from?” Lorelei asked her mother as the door chimes signaled Danny’s departure.

“Lord Marlon Grey apparently,” Mrs. Black said, opening the envelope. “He must be new, I’ve never heard of House Grey before. His handwriting is a bit difficult to read though, can you make anything of it Lorelei?” Lorelei took the letter and began reading it.

“Dear Mr. and Mrs. Black, I have had the pleasure of purchasing a number of fine enchanted items from your shop in the past and I hope you can help supply with something a great deal rarer. I would like your assistance in locating a mage that would be willing to live and work in Haven, as I expect demand will be picking up for magical services in Haven for the foreseeable future. I hope that you will assist me not just in locating applicants, but also in screening them, as House Grey has no means of assessing their magical capability…”

“Definitely new nobility,” Mrs. Black said. “All the established houses can afford to learn magic themselves, rather than relying on a mage.”

“…I am prepared to offer ten gold pieces to cover your expenses on this endeavor, and will pay an additional ten gold pieces to you as a finder’s fee once you have found a suitable candidate. Please write me back if these terms are acceptable to you, and I will send the first installment directly. Sincerely, Marlon Grey, Lord of Haven.” Lorelei folded the letter and handed it back to her mother. “Twenty gold pieces is a pretty lucrative fee.” Lorelei did well to earn three gold pieces a week.

“It would have to be,” Mrs. Black agreed. “Haven is about as far away as one can get from the Capitol. I don’t know a single mage that would be okay with being that isolated for a short-term contract, much less to move there permanently. We might only end up spending ten gold pieces looking for someone that doesn’t exist and then lose out on the finders fee”

“So, do we tell him no?” Lorelei asked.

“Not just yet, let me talk with your father first. Maybe he’ll know someone that’s desperate enough,” Mrs. Black said. Lorelei frowned suddenly.

“What’s wrong?” Mrs. Black asked Lorelei.

“Do you see Honkers?” Lorelei replied.

“Isn’t he in his nest by your feet?”

“No, he wandered off while I was talking with Danny.”

“Go check your room. I’ll search down here,” Mrs. Black said. Lorelei nodded, before going down the hallway and up the stairs to the living quarters above the shop. She returned a few minutes later.

“He’s not up there,” Lorelei reported.

“He’s not down here either,” Mrs. Black replied.

“He must have slipped out behind Danny,” Lorelei groaned, grabbing her green cloak. “That’s the third time this week. I bet he went for Mrs. Pickings garden again. She was so upset last time.”

“Go quickly then, I’ll cover the shop,” Mrs. Black said. “Hurry back quickly, I have a house call with the Stevenson’s in thirty minutes.”

“I’ll be back before then,” Lorelei promised as she went out the door. The streets were busy as Lorelei looked around, soon there would be more customers heading to the shop. She turned to the left to head towards Mrs. Pickings home, when a white goose feather blew in from behind her. Lorelei turned around and saw Honkers pacing on top of a far-away wall that was ten feet high.

“Honkers!” Lorelei called out as she rushed past people to get there. Honkers hopped over the wall and disappeared from view. Lorelei arrived at where Honkers had disappeared and her heart sank. This was Lady Bluchard’s estate, the highest ranking noble in Stonybrook. She was the cities social matron and had a garden that was as famous as it was exclusive. Lorelei had once been invited to attend one of these parties as part of a chamber of commerce function, but she had gotten sick the day of the party and there hadn’t been an opportunity to attend one since. She worried now about meeting Lady Bluchard under the present circumstances.

“Honkers! Get back here!” Lorelei called out nervously. There was no reply.

“If you aren’t back here in thirty seconds, you’re going to be in big trouble!” Lorelei yelled.

“Good morning Lorelei. Has your goose escaped again?” a woman’s asked, startling Lorelei.

“Good morning Mrs. Carrington,” Lorelei replied. Mrs. Carrington was old enough to be her grandmother and her mother often visited her for on house calls that doubled as tea. She wore a shawl and used a cane to walk.

“He slipped out the door while I was distracted with a delivery. And if he doesn’t hurry back over the wall he will be in BIG TROUBLE,” Lorelei explained, emphasizing the last two words for Honkers benefit. She felt the eyes of others on the streets looking at her, but she paid them no attention. Instead of a response from Honkers, there was the sound of shattered glass and the sound of people shouting.

“Oh my, it would seem like he’s already in big trouble,” Mrs. Carrington observed. Lorelei went pale.

“I’ve got to go!” Lorelei said, her fear overcoming her embarrassment, leaving Mrs. Carrington behind as she ran up the street to where the gate was. The gate was shut and next to it was a gatehouse. Lorelei spotted a rope attached to a bell, and rang it loudly. A man emerged from the gatehouse. He was tall, with brown hair and a lanky build, Lorelei recognized him as Jensen, one of her old schoolmates before she had been sent off to study magic at the Royal Academy.

“Lorelei? What are you doing here?” Jensen asked.

“Jensen! Hurry up and open this gate up! My goose is loose in the garden and I need to get him before he runs amok!!” Lorelei said.

“I can’t just open the gate up for anyone,” Jensen said. There was another crash of glass and more swearing.

“Just open the—“ Lorelei wheezed mid-sentence as an invisible force kicked her in the gut, knocking the air out of her. She collapsed to the ground under the blow.

“Lorelei!” Jensen said. Lorelei heard the sound of the gate unlocking and Jensen was there. “Are you okay?”

“Honkers and I are magically bonded,” Lorelei gasped. “Someone just kicked Honkers hard enough that it traveled through the bond. I take the hit, so he doesn’t have to. Help me up.” Jensen helped her to her feet.

“I think that sound came from the greenhouse,” Jensen said.

“Where is it?” Lorelei asked.

“It’s at the center of the hedge maze,” Jensen said, pointing to an opening beyond the gate.

“You need to take me there, it’s a matter of life and death,” Lorelei said.

“I can’t leave the gate unlocked,” Jensen responded. “Go on ahead and I’ll try and catch up with you.” Lorelei stumbled through the gate as Jensen worked to lock up the gate, then she entered the hedge maze. The shock of the blow was starting to wear off and Lorelei felt herself gain speed. She took a few wrong turns before Jensen caught up to her.

“Lorelei! This way!” he said. He moved ahead rapidly and in under a minute they were at the greenhouse. Jensen opened the door and Lorelei stepped through.

The scene that greeted her was utter pandemonium. Honkers was cornered by two bloodied men in overalls, Lady Bluchard’s gardeners. Trellises were broken, plants hung limply from snapped shoots, and the smell of foul chemicals came from where clay pots had smashed into the ground and mixed with the shattered glass panes.

“We got him cornered! On three we’ll grab him. One. Two…” the head gardener said.

“STOP!” Lorelei bellowed at a volume that surprised everyone, including herself. “THAT IS MY FAMILIAR.” The gardeners hesitated. Lady Bluchard had taught them enough to respect a mage’s familiar. Lorelei used that hesitation to stride forward towards them. Honkers hissed at the men.

“Step aside please,” Lorelei said to the lead gardener. He stepped aside and Lorelei moved past him. She bent over and scooped Honkers up off the ground and held him fast as he continued to hiss at the gardeners. Lorelei checked Honkers for injuries. No bones were broken, but there was a nasty cut. Lorelei took off her headscarf and used it to apply pressure to the wound. She looked up at the gardeners, they had wounds on their hands and forearms where Honkers had bitten them.

“I apologize for Honker’s behavior,” Lorelei said. “Which one of you kicked him?”

“I did, but he didn’t seem the worse for it,” the lead gardener said. “I thought I had missed.”

“You didn’t miss,” Lorelei said, wincing at the memory of the blow. “I took it instead. I’m just glad you didn’t slit his throat.” Lorelei said. The gardener’s eyes widened.

“Would that have killed you?” he asked.

“No, but it would have killed him,” Lorelei said. “Only damage that is lethal to him and non-lethal to me gets sent through the bond.” Honkers continued hissing at the men.

“What have you done?” Lorelei whispered as she tried to soothe Honkers by rocking him back and forth amid fallen orchid petals and broken glass. She looked up just in time to see Jensen, the guard captain, and Lady Bluchard enter the greenhouse.

Lady Bluchard let out a wail and spoke with the guard captain. Lorelei waited, this wouldn’t be good. Finally, the Guard Captain came to Lorelei.

“Please come with me,” he said softly.

Ten hours later, Lorelei was alone in a jail cell with Honkers. The floor was covered in straw. There was a wooden bucket for use as a privy and a bench to sit on. She wasn’t crying any more. Now she was just terrified of what would happen next. The door to the cell opened and her parents came in. Her mother was still wearing her dark blue dress, while her father wore a black coat, white shirt, and black knee-length breeches. Both wore serious expressions.

She expected them to yell at her, so she was surprised when they embraced her with a big hug. Lorelei started crying again from the surge of emotions. It took a few moments for her to regain her composure.

“How bad is it?” Lorelei asked tearfully.

“Bad,” her father said. “Lady Bluchard was upset, but we were able to come to an arrangement. She has offered not to press charges against you, on two conditions. First, we must pay for all the damages caused by Honkers, including the injuries to the gardeners, as well as a fine.”

“How much?”

“Three thousand gold pieces total,” her father said grimly. Lorelei’s heart dropped.

“Three thousand gold pieces? That’s more than the shop makes in two years.”

“Closer to three years revenue. The glass was imported from Crownhold. The orchids that were destroyed were rare varieties worth one hundred gold pieces each. All that needs to be made whole,” her father said. Lorelei was horrified.

“What’s the other condition?” Lorelei whispered.

“Lady Bluchard does not want Honkers in Stonybrook any more. He has a history of breaking into peoples gardens and she says that the people have had enough. She has nothing against you personally, but she believes that Honkers is a menace. He has to leave or die, but because of your bond with him, she will give you the choice,” her father said.

“I’m not going to see Honkers killed,” Lorelei declared. “I raised him from an egg and he is my best friend.”

“Then you will have to leave Stonybrook,” her mother said. “There is a ship leaving tonight.”

“Where will I go?”

“Haven. Remember the letter we got?”

“Haven? That’s a backwater for—“

“For people that want to lay low and get a fresh start. Which is exactly the circumstances you and Honkers find yourself in,” her father said. “The ship that brought the letter from Haven is still docked in port, but it leaves for Haleford later this evening. If you sign the deal, we can put you on that ship and have them drop you off in Haven on the way. But we need to act now.”

“Give me the paperwork,” Lorelei said. Her father gave it to her and she read it, before hesitating.

“If I sign this, I won’t be able to see you or my friends in Stonybrook again,” Lorelei whispered.

“We can visit you once you are settled,” her mother said. Lorelei nodded then signed it. Her father took the paperwork and called for a guard.

“We’ll be back in an hour with your things. Be ready,” her father said. Lorelei nodded. Her parents gave her a parting hug, and then they left, leaving her alone with Honkers once more.