(Continued from Ch 58, Memories)

The Chronicles of Rapina
Chapter 59, Inmates


Bellany repeated the magical exercise in her mind,
focusing on an ever-smaller particle just in front of
the sermonizing face of reverend Leland. She half
wished she could curse him rather than just ignoring
him by doing mental exercises that she remembered from
her apprenticeship in magic. Yet, she knew she must
keep up appearances if she was to get along in the fold
of the vindicator. She glanced at Mary next to her.
She
felt sorry for the girl. Mary really believed the words
reverend Leland spewed yet the more time she spent
around Bellany, the more difficulties she had with her
own sexual nature. Mary had started the week trying to
ignore her attraction but by the end of the week
Bellany noticed how Mary always appeared to help her
dress and at times her hands lingered. The depth of
Mary's longing had steadily increased since the day she
had first met Bellany. It was as obvious to Bellany as
her lust sense, but she realized Mary herself tried
every method she knew to rationalize what she did and
to sweep her nature under a thick rug of denial.
-------

"Therefore I say unto you once again, creativity is of
the vindicator, but to use such a gift for sin is a
most heinous crime in the eyes of the lord of justice!"
Reverend Leland finished off his sermon on the second
Sunday of Bellany's education at The Vargrend Academy
for Girls.

This sermon had started well. It had praised
creativity. Then it had degenerated into a nonstop
guilt-fest about the many ways one could use creativity
for sin. From the sermon, one could easily have
concluded that creativity was too dangerous to use at
all. Leland's words were wasted on Bellany; she knew
far too much to be a good little automaton that did not
think for herself. Nevertheless, Bellany was glad when
the sermon ended.

She had read the two books from the church of
Mortaebius and they had done their work. She had
remembered her patron deity and more prayers than were
contained even in the meaty volume that Cleopatra had
borrowed from the temple. Bellany also remembered many
rituals, including the rite of consecration. She was a
deaconess of Mortaebius and a member of a secret order,
The Order of the Shroud. She was a spy yet, if she was
on a mission, she did not know what her mission was.
Something must have gone terribly wrong to put her into
her present situation, or perhaps she had merely been
lucky to escape her former life. Was it right to be
homesick when formerly she had spent her life working
with undead monsters? She now had the chance to be a
noblewoman. So far, she had got off to a very bad start
because of the feud between Bristol and Avengene.

Bellany got up and filed out of the sanctuary with the
others. The buzz of conversation amongst the
parishioners picked up as soon as she got out of the
room.

"Milady Bellany, it is good to see you again. I enjoyed
the ball last night a great deal. I hope Bristol did
not spoil it for you completely," Sir Steefl said.

"What Bristol did hurt, but I still had a good time,
thanks to you Sir Steefl. You kept me busy on the dance
floor, and I got to watch all the people. I was even
able to engage Lord Jordell in conversation, but
Bristol was unhappy about that.

Charles arrived, having already left the church to
retrieve Loyd Carnarvon, Brad Bostwick, and Vernon
Saint Varlans from their respective chapels. Charles
clapped Abraham Steefl on the back. "Have you told
Belle about the conversation Jordell had with Bristol
at the ball? Charles grinned.

"Nay, such delicate matters should not trouble a lady's
ears," Steefl said.

Charles chuckled, but at that moment reverend Leland
passed and Sir Steefl spoke to him.

"Congratulations on a fine sermon, reverend," Sir
Steefl said. "It was especially good considering the
rumor I have heard from the girls side about a creature
in rags. Do you think it could be such a monster as
you
described last week in our study group haunting the
keep to this day?"

"Thank you Sir Steefl. Such creatures are said to exist
until destroyed, but I am sure what you heard was
simply a story made up by the girls to scare one
another. Such a creature on academy grounds would be a
serious breach of security. It would endanger the
children of the peers of the realm. Just the same, I
will caution the headmistress to check her crypts
should this man in rags prove more than a story."

"Of course, Reverend," Steefl agreed.

After the reverend passed Charles whispered, "Abe, what
was that all about? Did you learn something at that
study group last Sunday that you have been holding
out?"

"Reverend Leland went easy on the Bristols last week,"
Steefl whispered. "There is a old account of Bristol
keep. It was said that there Baladus Vargrend made an
evil pact that caused the dead Bristols and their
retainers to arise as all manner of undead monsters who
then destroyed the enemies of their family."

"You mean the academy is a former spook factory?"
Charles asked half seriously.

"Yes according to one account," Sir Steefl replied.

"That's quite a change going from churning out dead
minds full of worms to young minds full of wisdom. If
the story is true, I would say we owe those Vargrends
an award for white-washery. That has the makings of a
great ghost story for around the campfire."

"What campfire?" Bellany asked.

"It's just a tradition. Lord Caernarvon likes to get
the guys together after tourney practice some Saturday
nights."

Unwittingly Bellany stuck out her lower lip in a
pouting expression.

Charles chuckled, "You would not want to sit around the
campfire with a bunch of sweaty guys anyway, Belle."

Bellany raised an eyebrow. "Oh of course not," she
said, her voice dripping sarcasm. "How would I preserve
my chaste reputation if people knew I had spent time
cavorting about campfires with young warriors?

"Eh, I see your point," Charles grimaced.

"I spend most of my time pretending to be something
everyone knows I am not. I find it absurd," Bellany
snapped before she realized what she was saying.
Celibacy was getting to her.

Bellany put her hand over her mouth. "Sorry Charles. It
is just the imprisonment getting to me."

Charles nodded. "It's okay Belle. I would be in worse
shape if I never got out."

"Good day young lords," Lieutenant Herrington said as
the constable emerged from the throngs of other
vindicator worshipers. "Lord Norwit, here are those
posters you asked for. I appreciate the interest you
young men have taken in bringing the enemies of
Avengene to justice. None of the constables here in
Bristol seem to be interested in posting these since
the Baron worships Mortaebius. They do nothing in my
office but collect dust."

"Thank you Lieutenant. It is no problem at all. My
friends and I travel frequently. We never miss a pretty
face, so there is no doubt we would spot Barter in a
crowd."

"Of course, it was a fine idea you had Lord Norwit. Now
that the service is over, I must return to work.
Farewell young lords, milady."

After the lieutenant was safely out of the church and
Sir Steefl had excused himself to go to his vindicator
study group, Charles led the others to the chapel
library. Once inside the library Charles shut the door.
"Here they are guys, official Brianna Barter posters
just as I promised. I think you asked first, Vern, the
rest of these guys are copycats. Charles handed the
first poster to Vernon Saint Varlans and then began
handing them out to the other young men.

"May I have one too, Charles? I am attending an
enrichment course on drawing and painting a few nights
a week after supper. If I get good enough, I will make
Vernon something a little more elaborate than the
poster that just shows her face."

"Of course, Bellany, there are plenty of them here.
Vernon can't need more than six or seven for those cold
winter nights. I will keep these others in reserve.
Just let me know when you need an unsullied copy Vern."
Charles chuckled.

Saint Varlans blushed.

Bellany took the wanted poster and looked at it. The
likeness was quite good. Obviously the Avengenes had
spared no expense when finding an artist.

"I should head over to my room and put this away before
it gets all wrinkled up," Saint Varlans said. Are we
still on for some extra practice today?

"I am up for it, Verne. We have a tournament coming up
next Saturday. We had better get in every hour we can,"
Charles said.

The other men nodded.

"Okay, I'll catch you guys on the field. Goodbye Lady
Bellany," Vern said pointing at the ceiling with his
thumb as he left.

"Goodbye Vern," Bellany said with a warm smile before
tuning back to the other young men. "Will there be a
ball after the tournament?" she asked.

"There always is, Belle," Charles said.

Caernarvon shook his head. "Bristol is throwing the
first ball this season. Technically Lord Jordell could
since he holds the highest social rank but the
tradition is for the Bristols to hold the first ball
each year. After that it is usually the Eagans and then
the Jordells."

Bellany frowned. "Bristol would not even let me crash
her ball."

"Crashing balls is not healthy anyway," Eagan said.
"Lieutenant Herrington and his men are very serious
about keeping the riff-raff off of Emerald Lane and
that means anyone not on the list of invitations.
Sometimes ladies get away with it by claiming some
unattached gentleman on the list as their date. Certain
unscrupulous ball-throwers have even been known to
invite extra men who realize they are not to come just
so that extra women who are to come can be invited,"
Eagan grinned at Caernarvon as he said, "unscrupulous."
"Then again some just put extra women's names on the
list. It depends on a lady's reputation how she wants
it done. Some of the guys do not know whom they are
going to bring until the last minute but most know.
Only a few of the ladies coming are not on the list.
Choosing an unattached man who is also on the list as
your supposed date requires inside information," Eagan
said.

Bellany nodded. She realized how strict Herrington was.
He was a former officer of Avengene and he took his
job
as the lieutenant of the constabulary seriously. "And
you might be privy to such information?" Bellany asked.

"My father usually throws the second of the tourney
balls. I would have access to that list," Eagan said.

"I see, so really it depends on who is throwing the
ball. You can choose your crashers as well as your
invites," Bellany said.

Eagan nodded. "You can also say who is not invited, so
beware of balls thrown by Bristol, Gransward, Rose and
the other emerald ladies who are tight with Bianca
Bristol.

Bellany smiled. "Thank you mister Eagan."

Lawrence Eagan smiled. "Don't mention it milady. You
are one of the three B's of Vargrend's. Most of us guys
would be happy to have you up to our balls if it
weren't for Bristol's social maneuvers.

Bellany giggled.

Charles grinned. "Good try Lawrence. I used to be able
to sail one after another of those over Belle's head
and she never got even one of them. Since the orcs I
have not been able to get even one to fly over her
head. She's ruined."

Bellany smiled. "Are you sure I am a B, Lawrence? There
was some doubt last week."

"That was before we got an inside source to talk to
your roommate," Loyd Caernarvon said.

"I am surprised she actually said anything," Bellany
said.

"She was reluctant at first, but once our source got
her talking she practically sang in praise of your
beauty." Caernarvon chuckled.

Bellany rolled her eyes.

"We better get going, Belle. We will all see you at the
tourney this coming Saturday. Are you going to compete
at anything?"

"I certainly will not be in the poetry contest,"
Bellany frowned. Reverend Leland is encouraging the
vindicator ladies to compete in the baking contest. I
might do some sweet bread but I will probably just
mingle. Maybe I'll do something musical at a later
tourney but I have not really relearned everything I
knew about music yet. Is it possible to mingle given my
lack of social standing?"

"You will be fine there," Eagan said. Everyone comes to
the tournaments from the lowliest scholarship
recipient
to the mightiest lord. See you there. We had better get
off to practice."

"Goodbye Lawrence, goodbye Lord Caernarvon."

"Farewell milady," Caenarvon said with a bow.

Bellany smiled, "Farewell Loyd. Good luck in the joust.
Charles, I'll be cheering for you at the crossbow
events."

"I am counting on it. Goodbye Belle." Charles waved as
he and the other young men left.

"Goodbye Charles," Bellany said.

Bellany looked over the books in the chapel library but
nearly all of the titles brought a grimace to her
face.
She was sure there would be some books on elfish or
music that she could read in the library of the
academy. She would go there instead.

As she emerged from the library she saw one of the
parishioners point Abraham Steefl towards her. He
thanked the lady and rushed over to see Bellany.

"Lady Bellany, I am so glad I caught you before you
left. I had been putting it off, but reverend Leland
reminded me that I must use the same courage in life as
I use in battle. I know some would think ill of me to
ask you whom they deem a fallen woman, yet I too have
fallen at the hands of the orcs. Abraham traced one of
the scars on his cloven face. I wonder if I might carry
your favor in the jousts this season. Even if I were
not a vassal of your father I would consider it an
honor."

Bellany hesitated a moment and then escorted the knight
into the library and closed the door.

"Sir Steefl, I would be honored. Yet I must caution
you, I have no problem appreciating courtly love from a
fine and noble man such as yourself, but do not loose
your heart to me. I will break it."

Steefl looked crestfallen. "Is it because of my face?"

"I wish it were that simple. If only I could tell you
Abraham, but I cannot. Your faith would instruct you to
make reverend Leland torture me for what I am. I have
healed but my scars are a part of me now and they are
as irrevocable as the ones on your face. I am only
telling you this because even if I have no virtue, I do
have honor."

Steefle looked confused. "Milady I do not understand."

"I cannot tell you more, Sir Steefl, without bringing
Leland's torture down on myself," Bellany said.

"Milady you have my word as a knight. What you tell me
here will be kept in the strictest confidence," Steefl
said.

Bellany frowned. "Very well. By your standards I am a
very bad girl. I doubt that I will ever marry unless I
find a man who is as I am and would regard what you
must believe to be vice as a virtue."

"Milady?" Steefl asked, his confusion unabated.

Bellany sighed. "The problem is that I cannot be
faithful to any man, Abraham. If I say more you will be
obliged to preach a heartfelt sermon that will make
you
feel better but will do nothing for me but make my
scars bleed."

Steefl grimmaced.

"You have my affection, Abraham. Your faith as a
paladin will not allow you to take its full measure,
but what of it you feel comfortable with is yours. As
long as you do not try to make me into something that I
can no longer be, we will get along just fine. I will
trust you to keep your word both letter and spirit, Sir
Steefl, on your honor," Bellany said.

"It will be as if this conversation never took place,
Milady."

"Thank you Sir Steefl." Bellany embraced the knight
with genuine affection. She hoped what lust slipped out
would not adversely affect him but she felt him
shudder
and realized that she had all but driven him to tears.

"I am so sorry, Abraham. The chaste lady that Charles
told you about last year is dead. We can mourn her but
no one can bring her back. I cannot imagine a paladin
would want to wear the favor of the fallen angel of
Vargrend's. The insults you would suffer would be
withering," Bellany said.

"If your virtue is dead, milady, let it rest in peace.
Yet you said yourself that you still have honor. I will
fight for your honor," Steefl said.

Bellany blinked. It was her turn to be confused. "Well,
I guess you shall have my favor then, Sir Steefl,"
Bellany said.

"Thank you milady," The knight said as he bowed and
left the room.

When Bellany arrived at the library, she found she had
mail from Bernadine Belgado. The letter was an
invitation to Bellany to tour the clothing stores of
the town of Vargrend with Miss Belgado. Bellany
shrugged. She certainly was not doing anything
important Monday evening. She might miss her enrichment
drawing class but attendance was not mandatory. She
wrote back that she would be happy to accompany Miss
Belgado.
-------

Bellany closed the art book she was reading a bit
harder than she needed to. She punctuated the act with
a few choice words in orcish that would surely have
landed her in detention if she had not said them under
her breath in a tongue no one seemed to understand but
her. If she thought about it, she would have admitted
she was irritable due to celibacy, but she chose to
keep it out of her mind for the moment. She was glad to
have got out with Dina Belgato the previous day, but
she had sworn herself to secrecy as far as revealing
what they were up to and with whom.

It was now Tuesday and she had finished the book on
magic that Cleopatra had left out for her and had gone
on to finish the art book that she had concealed it
with. Even the boys' library at the Bristol Academy For
Boys had books on magic that were usually irrelevant
to
actual spell casting. Nevertheless, Bellany was
determined to read everything they had in order to
leave no stone of memory unturned. The library was just
about to close. She put the books she had read in the
return carts and left for her room.

Mary was not in. Bellany smiled and launched herself at
Mary's dresser. Carefully she opened the bottom drawer
and removed the key that Mary kept there so that she
could open the library each morning. Bellany sat at the
keyhole to her room peering out until she saw the
librarian's assistant pass and knew the girl had closed
and left the library. Bellany ghosted out of her room,
closed the door, locked it, opened the library door
with Mary's key, went in and locked the door behind
her.

"Hello Timothy," Bellany said softly as she approached
the bars and looked over at the male librarian's
assistant as he tidied up.

"Uh hi." Timothy blinked as if he were trying to make
sure Bellany was not an apparition.

"I probably should not stay too long since we might be
missed, but for a few minutes at least we can have a
little fun." Bellany smiled as she tugged Timothy's
confounded lust more strongly than she had meant to.
She tried to maintain her sweet expression and not let
her hunger scare the poor boy away.

He flew to the bars as if shot from a catapult, reached
through and grabbed her. His kiss was awkward but
electric. Inside of two minutes he was doing much
better. He caught on quickly from her example. Bellany
held his butt with one hand while squeezing him and
pressing him against the bars. His erection felt as
hard against her abdomen as the bars.

She stepped a half step back from the bars and undid
his belt and buttons so that she could reach in and
grab his erection. He was panting like a wolf when
Bellany raised her dress, turned around, slid her
panties down, bent to touch her toes and pushed her
bare rump against the cold iron bars. She reached
behind her and guided him in. Then she took his hand
and rubbed his fingers against her clit while he
pounded the bars behind her. It took only a few minutes
for him to build to his peak. She drew on his energy
savagely as his first orgasmic contraction pumped a jet
of his sperm into her. She gasped and forced herself
to
relent for half a second only to let loose of her
control for a fraction of a second with each
fountaining contraction of his orgasm. He cried out,
but softly, as he spent with power he had never known.
Bellany wrestled with herself and finally managed to
relent, letting his orgasm subside after several times
the usual span. She had taken more from him than she
had meant to, but not dangerously so.

Bellany turned and kissed him again and then whispered
warmly in his ear as she tugged on his lust, "Sorry for
using you like this, Timothy. Not being a virgin, I
tend to start climbing the walls if I go too long
without a few good men."

Timothy grinned stupidly although Bellany knew he had
to be quite bright to have a scholarship to the Bristol
Academy.

"It's okay, I really enjoyed it. I have been going
crazy too," he said grinning from ear to ear.

"I hope we can do this again from time to time when
opportunity knocks, but you never know how the comings
and goings of my roommate will play out," Bellany
whispered.

"Ooo!" Bellany jumped. "Damn that ghost!" Bellany
whispered vehemently. "Lady Weepins seems to have a
vendetta against me.

Timothy chuckled in spite of himself.

"It's not funny! She really has it in for me. She's
right here on my right and she loves to jump at me and
give me chills. Bellany looked to the left. "Do you
suppose she is trying to push me? Lately her chills
seem always to come from this side.

Timothy looked in the opposite direction as he got
himself buttoned back up. "Maybe she wants you to go to
the stairs."

"What is in there?"

"It is a spiral staircase about ten feet in diameter.
We are only supposed to go down one floor to the
offices or up one floor to the stacks where books not
in the library are stored. Above that is the entrance
to the smaller tower atop the keep. That is Headmaster
Bristol's quarters. Below the offices, there are three
more doors. The first is a basement, the second a
dungeon, and I am not sure about the third, but judging
by the Mortaebian symbols I would say it's a crypt.
Maybe Lady Weepins lives in the crypt."

"You might be onto something there, Timothy. Does the
library key work on the doors to the staircase?"

"No, but you can get into the girls side of the
librarian's cage with that key. The key that opens the
staircase doors hangs on the bars that separate the
boys' and girls' sides of the cage. In order for my
door to the stairs to unlock, your door to the stairs
must be locked, and vice versa. Since there is only one
key, only one side has access to the stairs at a time.
Since the doors are solid and fit tight, you cannot
hand the key back into the cage. That prevents the
boys' assistant and the girls' assistant from being on
the stairs at once."

Bellany frowned. "That's too bad. I thought maybe
Weepins was helping us get together without the bars,
but perhaps she just wants to take me down to the
crypts so she can eat me."

Timothy chuckled. "Maybe so."

"Oh well, I suppose we had better go before some nosy
soul figures out what we have been up to. Lets make
sure no evidence lingers on the floor," Bellany said.

Timothy inspected the floor and wiped it with a
cleaning cloth he had been using before Bellany
arrived. Bellany carefully looked at the bars on her
side. She had her nether lips tightly closed and was
deliberately holding Timothy's seed within her, lazily
pulling every bit of the life force out of it.

"Could you inspect the back of my dress and the hem?"

Timothy nodded and made sure Bellany was presentable.

"Thank you. That was marvelous, but we had better go."

Timothy stood at the bars and reached in. "We could do
it one more time."

Bellany danced out of his grasp. "I would love to, but
there is too much risk. We need to get out of here so
we can do this again another night with none the wiser.
Farewell!" Bellany whispered and quickly retreated
through the library. She remembered the first time she
had taken a bath with Rames. It might have helped if
bars had separated them just as they separated her from
Timothy. Bellany got to the library door and peered
out
the keyhole until she was sure the hallway was clear.
She quietly unlocked the door, checked the keyhole a
second time and exited the library, locking the door
behind her. The door to her room was thankfully the
closest door to the library. She slipped in and greeted
Mary who was getting ready for bed.

"Good evening Bellany, I was surprised you were not
here when I got in."

Bellany immediately started removing her dress. "Oh I
was just downstairs for a bit. How did your day go?"

"Fine. The library was slow so I got some of my
homework done this morning and was able to attend a
vindicator study group this evening. I would have asked
you to come but I know you probably would not have
wanted to. Some of the girls are worried about your
lack of faith."

Bellany smiled, "They needn't worry about me. I have
art and reading to busy myself with." Bellany made sure
to keep to the dim light and keep her legs together,
brushing them together to smear any semen across her
skin before taking her dress off completely. As usual,
Mary was all about helping her.

"But that is no substitute for faith," Mary said.

"Faith is a sore spot with me right now, Mary. Please
leave it alone. I do not want to get into an argument
with you or to make you stop speaking to me for the
next three weeks after I yell at you for acting like my
mother."

"Sorry," Mary apologized.

"I am sorry too, Mary. Some fights are best left un-
fought."

Mary nodded. "The September nights are going to start
to get chilly soon."

"Yes we have been here only two Sundays and already it
is mid month. I am going to miss all the strolling
around the grounds I do with Cleo once the weather gets
bitter. What happens to the tournaments in the dead of
winter?"

"Oh, they stop them by mid December. After the Winter
Solstice festival there is a long dry spell until mid
March when the tournaments begin anew. Sometimes they
will actually reschedule them for midweek and give us a
half-day off the next day when the weather is too
inclement to hold them on a Saturday."

"Oh that's nice," Bellany said.

"Of course we have to attend classes on Saturday, but
that is not unusual during the times when there are no
tournaments," Mary said. "The worst part about mid
winter is that, in spite of the stoves and fireplaces
in the building, it is still dismally cold. I wound up
sleeping with my roommate all last winter. It is not
uncommon."

"If you sleep with me you will be sleeping at your own
risk." Bellany smiled.

"Oh I never do anything untoward," Mary said.

"Well as long as you don't start anything, I should be
okay. If you do start something, you are in big
trouble, young lady," Bellany giggled.

Mary shook her head. "You are so bad, Bellany."

"Yes I am. We should get to sleep though. The clock is
sounding ten bells now. The hallway monitor is no doubt
here and will soon be all ears."

Mary nodded. "Goodnight Bellany."

"Goodnight Mary."
-------

It must have been half past midnight when Bellany
awakened and remembered that Mary's key to the library
was still in the pocket within her dress. Thanks to
Timothy, she did not feel particularly tired. She
slipped out of bed and into her slippers. It was nearly
pitch dark in the room. Only the smallest amount of
light leaked under the door from the candelabras in the
hallway. Bellany slowly felt her way to her closet.
Once she had the key from the dress and was feeling her
way to Mary's dresser, she had a thought. She crept
back and snatched the single candle and its holder from
her nightstand then made her way to the door. She
waited at the keyhole for a moment until the monitor's
measured footfalls passed. She strained to hear the
monitor's feet on the stairs and then quietly opened
the door, slipped out and closed it behind her. Before
she knew it she was in the library with the door locked
behind her.

Aside from a few windows, the library was also totally
dark, but she had lit the candle from a candle in the
hallway. She made her way to the librarian's cage and
opened it, then searched for the key to the staircase.
She found it, opened the door and peered inside. The
spiral stair went both up and down. She decided on up
first. The crypt would be locked but she knew she could
open the door to the stacks. After carefully re-
locking
the door to the library in case Headmaster Bristol was
to pass it on his way up to his quarters, she began to
ascend.

The next door she encountered led to the stacks, the
floor above the library where the old and restricted
books were stored. Bellany closed and locked the door
behind her. She found a dusty candelabrum and set it on
a small table as far from the door as possible. After
looking over the signs on the many venerable
bookshelves, Bellany began to understand the way the
stacks were organized. She had looked at the card
catalog and remembered the call numbers for some of the
magic books she had read most recently thanks to
Cleopatra. She went to the area where the catalogued
books on magic were stored and found several others in
a boxed off area of the shelf labeled, "For special
reports only." Bellany could tell by the covers alone
that the books were old yet exceedingly well made. She
grinned like a pirate.

She took them all to her table and began to glance
through them to determine which would be the most
valuable to her. One she recognized the moment she
started to read it. It was a book on theory. Guardian
Thane had a copy of it in his library. It discussed
certain principals of magic using simple spells to
illustrate the applications and workings of the
theories explained. Bellany read feverishly while
looking out the slit of a window at the stars trying to
determine how late it was getting. She did not want to
take any chances, as she knew Mary rose early to open
the library. If she did not get back on time, Mary
would find her key to the library missing. Bellany
wished she had her own key. That way she could claim to
have risen early and left so as not to disturb Mary.
Perhaps she could make an impression in sealing wax and
take it to Cooyman. He had said he worked in steel.

At one point shortly after she arrived, she heard what
must have been Headmaster Bristol making his way up the
stairs. Thankfully, he passed without incident.
Bellany
was glad she had set up her reading as far from the
door as possible. She worried that someone would notice
that the candles on the old candelabrum had burnt down
considerably lower than they had been. She decided to
go directly to the part of the book that used the
bluelight cantrip as an illustrative example. The
little globe of light was perhaps the second magical
effect she had learned after having her breakthrough
with an energy drain spell. She had also used the globe
on many occasions including while she was with the
orcs. She needed it now if she were going to avoid
using the candles up completely. She wished she had a
stronger light spell.

Before her accident, she had learned all of the
cantrips she could find and was ready to move on to
spells of greater power. Thane had been pleased that
she was able to master cantrips from such a broad
number of theoretical categories. He felt that his own
magic was too specialized on necromancy because he had
lacked the library for a broader approach over the
years he had taught himself magic.

She rushed through the less relevant areas of the
volume and managed finish it by just a little past the
time that she felt she should get back to her room. The
memories it had brought back were tremendous. The
blank
areas in her mind that the books on alchemy had failed
to jog were coming back nicely. She put the books back
on their special shelf in the order she had found them.
She replaced the candelabrum in its old spot and left
the room, locking the door behind her and creeping down
the stairs with just the stub of her single candle
left
in its holder. Curiosity got the best of her and she
continued down the stairs after passing the door to the
library.

She then passed a door that probably led into the
offices. After descending further she peered through a
barred window in a door that probably led to a
basement. The next door probably led into the dungeon
but her vision could not penetrate the gloom through
the barred window by more than about six feet.

"Aah!" Bellany stifled a scream as a savage chill ran
up her spine. Bellany ran headlong forgetting she was
on a stairway for a second. She stumbled, jumped down
six stairs and threw up her arms just in time to bounce
off the stone wall, loose her balance and tumble down
the final stairs to the bottom. The candle went out as
it hit the ancient floor. For a moment she felt as if
she had been dropped into a dungeon. She shook
uncontrollably on the floor. "Noooooooo, she wailed,
and the ghost struck again, with savage fury.
Reflexively, Bellany moved to fend off her attacker as
the many months training in unarmed combat took
control. Her left hand hooked into something. It felt
almost as though she were grabbing and in so doing
tearing through a spider's web. Fear bolted up her arm
like a chill, yet it was not her fear.

"Shame on you Lady Weepins!" Bellany growled in a low
yet forceful voice as she shook the delicate structure
in her hand. "From now on you will behave! I did not
appreciate the way you made me take those last stairs.
The new scratches and bruises from that fall really
hurt. I would have got up and run strait into a wall if
I had not been so shaken. Now I am blind in this
darkness without a candle because of you." Bellany
pushed the ghost forcefully away from her and released
her. It streaked away from her and disappeared.

Bellany went to feel the last place she had sensed the
ghost with her palm. It was a door, the door to the
crypts, no doubt. "You may be able to walk through that
crypt door, lady ghost, but I cannot," Bellany
whispered. "I can feel it has a keyhole." Bellany tried
the key to the staircase to no avail. The key to the
library did not work either. "Neither of these keys
work and I really need to get back before Mary wakes
up." Bellany gathered her wits. She could try to feel
her way all the way up to the library and back to her
room but she did not like the idea. Instead, she
expended the last of her stores of power gleaned so
recently from Timothy to heal her bruised nose, the
bruise above her left eye and the scrape on her chin.
The side effect of releasing the energy into her facial
area was a modest influx of alertness. She began to
attempt the bluelight cantrip, a little too feverishly
at first. After what seemed like half an hour of
fruitless attempts the familiar globe of wan blue light
burst into existence only to fade out again as she
transferred it to her left palm and held it aloft.

"Gods!" Bellany blurted. The illumination had not gone
out at all. When the ball hovered over her left palm it
had simply gone black. The frightening thing was the
head and shoulders of the apparition she now clearly
saw sticking through the door to the crypt. The ghost
was a conglomeration of silvery lines encapsulated in a
slightly bluish nimbus. The hues of the nimbus changed
and undulated not so unlike the halos that surrounded
moaning skeletons. The chest area of the ghost appeared
to be damaged. The silvery web work was twisted and
frayed. By the flowing silvery hair, Bellany realized
that the ghost must indeed be a lady.

"I can see you clearly now with my eyes and this black
light, Lady Ghost," Bellany said over her shoulder as
she got up to began to mount the stairs. "You are
mistaken if you think I am your enemy. I must be gone;
dawn is far too close. We will speak again. I cannot
hear you but I can now see you gesture or nod." Bellany
turned, grabbed her candleholder and practically ran
up
the stairs.

Bellany shifted the ball of light to her fingertips so
that it would become visible blue. The black light was
very like Thane's vision in darkness spell but not as
powerful. The black globe had allowed her to see the
ghost well enough, but not the walls. She remembered
seeing skeletons while she was under the influence of
Thane's vision in darkness spell. The un-life force of
skeletons outlined their bones with delicate webs of
silvery lines similar to those she saw looking at the
apparition she had left behind. The difference was that
the ghost's lines were not tied to a skeleton but
simply took the shape of a non-corporeal entity.

Once she had opened and locked the doors into and out
of the girls' side of the librarian's cage She made her
way across the library and waited at the keyhole of
the
library door. It seemed an eternity before the hall
monitor walked down the steps at the other end of the
hall. Bellany slipped out of the library, locked the
door and slipped into her room. She replaced the key in
Mary's drawer and crawled to her bed. She had barely
situated herself under the covers of her bed when the
hall monitor knocked for Mary to wake up.

"Thank you," Mary said blearily.

Under the covers, Bellany let the globe of blue light
sitting on her right palm wink out of existence as she
released a silent sigh of relief.
-------


"About 235 years ago a struggle for control over the
village of Augustana river towns, particularly
Rosehaven took place. Who can recount for me the
political postures of the various factions in the River
Rose Wars?" Miss Griffin asked her temporarily
rescheduled history class, her sharp nose bobbing with
precision. "Miss Dryer?"

"The powers were, Warlord Bristol a power north of the
Augustana river, Warlord Brickner, a power south of the
river and Mayor Rose, a power on the river. Each
wanted
to control the town of Rosehaven thereby gaining
revenue from river trade," Dryer said. Mayor Rose
controlled the town at the beginning of the conflict
but his power did not reach far beyond Rosehaven.

"Good. Of these powers, who had the strongest army?"
Miss Griffin asked. "Miss Gransward?"

"It is thought that Warlord Brickner had the most
soldiers, but Warlord Bristol's army was not a lot
smaller. Each numbered something over two hundred men,
whereas Mayor Rose had less than half those numbers in
a town that was not heavily fortified."

"Good. Either Warlord had the power to take the town of
Rosehaven. Then how did Mayor Brandon Rose survive as
an independent? Miss Rose?"

"He played one Warlord off against the other. He was a
diplomat as well as a businessman. Unfortunately as the
town grew so did its value as a prize."

"What else was at steak besides the town of Rosehaven,
Miss Rose?"

"Religion. Warlord Brickner was a follower of Rom the
righteous, god of light. He thought that the worship of
Mortaebius was dark and that all should worship his
god
of light. He felt the bloodthirsty Bristols had
perverted the darkness further. In a way he thought he
was a holy warrior, but he wished to supplant all other
gods with his own.

"Good. How did Warlord Brickner attempt to skew the
odds in his favor? Lady Bristol?"

"He planted a spy among Warlord Bristol's men and
attempted to wrest Bristol Keep from the Bristols as
we, ah they, had wrested it from the Crabetts," Bianca
Bristol answered. I have always thought it ironic that
the followers of a righteous god of light would use
such tactics as Lord Brickner did.

"Go on, how did his plan go?" Miss Griffin asked.

"Around midnight, the spy let soldiers of Brickner into
the courtyard around the keep that currently houses
the
academy offices, of course it looked different back
then. He was letting those soldiers into the keep
itself when a guardsman of Bristol realized what was
going on and raised the alarm. The warriors of Bristol
and Brickner fought each other to a stalemate that
ended with the Bristols holed up in the upper part of
the keep with the Brickners below. The narrow doorways
and corridors made fighting difficult since one man
could hold off many when the quarters were very close."

"What tactic proved decisive Miss Norwit?" Miss Griffin
asked.

"Fear, Miss Griffin," Bellany said, resisting the
impulse to yawn. It was not that she found the material
particularly boring, but she had sneaked to the
library
stacks the night before to read two more of the special
books on magic. She had decided not to look for Lady
Weepins as she felt it important to remember her
magical training before dealing with spirits. At least
she had made that excuse to herself. Perhaps the real
reason was that her episode earlier in the week had
scared her more than she liked to admit.

"Explain further Miss Norwit," Miss Griffin said.

"Several of Bristol's men were not pinned in the upper
part of the keep, but were hiding in the lowest part of
the keep, the crypts. They were led by Baladus
Vargrend, the son of Alistair Vargrend. Baladus was a
priest of Mortaebius. He was a scholarly man who had
spent many years in the south being trained by priests
in the Mortaebian Order of Death's Peace. Baladus used
the resources at his disposal in the crypts and dressed
himself and the men who hid with him like spooks. They
surprised the Brickner officers while they were
conferring about their next move to root out the
Bristols above. The spooks were successful at striking
terror into the hearts of the Brickners.

Bron Bristol, a mighty warrior, was the first son of
Warlord Bristol and Lady Elaine Crabett. At that time
he was the Bristol heir apparent. When he heard the
screams from below, he led an attack on what had now
become their enemy's rear, for the spooky opponents now
occupied the attention of the Brickners. Surrounded
and
terrified, the Brickner soldiers were defeated, but
Bron was killed in the battle.

Lord Bristol's second son, Terrance Bristol, was not as
fine a warrior as Bron but took after his mother. He
was cultured, educated and proved to be a fine
diplomat. After both armies were weakened in the battle
at the keep but before Mayor Rose knew the full
impact,
Terrance quickly negotiated a solution. He offered to
give Rosehaven its own charter much like a southern
city. Although the town would share revenue with Lord
Bristol, it would have its own independent mayor
elected by its own town council. Mayor Rose believed
that it was the destiny of his town to become a city
like the cities of the south. He felt that he could
work with Terrance Bristol and the idea of a charter
pleased him, thus an alliance that defeated Lord
Brickner was born."

"Very good Lady Norwit. What is it Miss Hadrian?" Miss
Griffin asked.

"Miss Griffin, I know Headmistress Vargrend is busy, it
being the day before the tournament and all, but when
you switched class periods with her, did she ask you to
keep an eye out for the man in rags? If you can sneak
to the window on your left...

Griffin darted to the window as if she already realized
what Miss Hadrian was getting at. "Goodness it is not
just a story after all. Raise your hand if you saw the
ragged man out the window." Miss Griffin said.

Nearly one third of the hands on the right-hand side of
the room rose. Bellany half stood to behold the
creature, then sat back down as he disappeared into the
bushes. _Was the man in rags a ghoul? He had certainly
looked like a ghoul, but the day was just dawning and
it was still too dark for details._

"I have nothing against reenactments of historical
events, but this prank has been unconscionably blown
out of proportion. Take a break, young ladies. I will
be back shortly. I do not appreciate whoever is trying
to bring an outrageous version of history to life. The
constable must be dispatched to round up the man in
rags." Miss Griffin left the classroom in a rush.

"Who was that in the rags?" Glenda Gransward asked.

"More like what was that?" Miss Hadrian asked.

"Well it was not a ghost. The ghosts seem to stick to
the library," Bellany said.

Bianca Bristol stared daggers at Bellany but said
nothing.

"It looked like a zombie," Cleopatra Gleton said.

"I thought zombies were slow. It moved rapidly,
especially once it realized we had spotted it," Miss
Hadrian said. "Maybe it is a wight or a ghoul."

"It was a man dressed up as a ghoul," Bristol snapped.

"Bristol might be right. I don't think real undead
would be outdoors when the day was starting to dawn."
Bellany said.

"Why Norwit, it is good to see you have some sense."
Bristol scoffed.

"The orcs pounded quite a lot of sense into me,"
Bellany said before covering her mouth with her hand.

"Bacon for brains with Nor a wit," Gransward giggled.

"I assure you my brains are fine. Thankfully most of
the orcs pounded elsewhere," Bellany said.

"Oh my heavens, Norwit! You shameless harlot," Bristol
squealed.

Bellany shrugged. "I am sure nothing I could say could
compare with what you have already imagined. I hear
someone even made up a dread disease that I am supposed
to have although I am perfectly healthy. Some are so
pure as to have no idea what orcs might do to a woman
but that seems the exception, not the rule."

"It is still quite dark this morning, but I suppose it
would be strange for a genuine undead to be out so
close to day," Miss Hadrian said, still hanging on to
the former topic. Then as an afterthought she added,
"What really happened to you Lady Norwit?"

"If I despoiled your virgin ears with that,
Headmistress Vargrend make me suffer daily whippings
and five years of detention and frankly I have been
through quite enough of that sort of thing already,"
Bellany said. She could tell some of the girls were
very curious.

"Don't you cry when you think about it?" Miss Hadrian
asked.

"I suppose I might if I remembered it better.
Thankfully the bits I do remember are softened by the
wreck the shaman's spell made of my memory while nearly
killing me," Bellany said.

"Do you ever wish you had died?" Bristol asked.

"No, I was lucky to have survived and I feel lucky even
when you ladies are picking on me and abusing me,"
Bellany said.

Some of the girls looked quite embarrassed but Bristol
simply stuck her nose in the air. "A harlot deserves
the scorn of her betters."
-------

The sun was just a rosy promise in the east when people
began arriving at the academy for the first tournament
of the year. This tournament was against The Rosehaven
School for Boys. Unlike most mornings, there was no
rush to get finished with breakfast before the boys
were scheduled to eat because on the morning of a
tournament all were allowed to eat together. Instead of
the usual strict segregation, there were chaperones
and
monitors ensuring that the young men and women minded
their manners. Although there were some mixed groups,
it was surprising how many tables consisted of all
girls or all boys with a visiting parent or two thrown
in for good measure.

Bellany scanned the cafeteria as she entered. Charles'
red hair was not difficult to spot in the crowd. He was
sitting with his friends, many of them athletes or
emerald boys. She was glad to see them, but irritated
by the stony stares and whispered remarks of the
ladies. Usually she would not let them bother her, but
on occasion, her guard slipped a bit and this morning
was one of those occasions. She resented what Bristol
was doing to her socially because it kept her away from
social contact with men, men who she wanted more with
each passing day. She could not tug their lusts too
obviously. Instead, she avoided Charles while caressing
the boys around him with her need.

Charles rolled his eyes when most of his friends' heads
turned abruptly as Bellany strode into the cafeteria.
"Gentlemen, gentlemen that is my sister you are staring
at."

"Oh, sorry Charles," Saint Varlans said breathlessly. A
few of the other boys murmured apologies as well.
Nevertheless, most of them seemed unwilling to take
their eyes off his sister.

"Mom would die seeing you men slobber all over
yourselves in spite of Bellany's neckline coming up to
her ears. On the other hand, It is amusing to see all
those proper ladies turn green with envy at your
collective reaction to the entrance of the fallen angel
of Vargrend's." Charles chuckled. In a lower voice,
Charles went on. "It is a pity we cannot get Belle to
dress a little less conservatively. If the ladies get
the idea that vindicator dresses are what draws a man's
eye we are all in for some grave disappointment."

"Gods save us from vindicator fashion," Jamie Jordell
said as he briefly stuck his finger down his throat as
if to puke.

The other boys laughed. "I thought you never looked at
the ladies, Jamie," Charles said.

"You don't have to look to be revolted by those
mockeries of fashion that Eleanor Norwit dresses
Bellany in. They draw the eye and severely punish it."
Jamie held his nose for emphasis. "The fabrics are
sometimes passable but the cut seems bent on
accentuating a lady's ugliness. Yet she still grabs the
attention of more young men than I can imagine. I am
so
jealous," Jamie feigned distress.

"Why don't you bring her over to eat with us Charles?"
Lord Carnervon whispered. She is your sister and you
haven't seen her since last Sunday. The ladies will not
be able to say a thing about it if you invite your own
sister to sit with you."

Charles grinned. "Carefull with Bellany Loyd, if a man
she likes tries to take advantage of her lack of
virtue, she would likely to set his bedclothes on
fire."

"Charles!" Caernarvon said.

Charles chuckled. "I may be her brother, Loyd but I am
not blind. The whole orc thing changed Belle
completely. I never used to catch her looking at men
the way she does now. She sometimes tries to hide it
but I am no idiot when it comes to reading people. I
cannot shake the feeling that I have one baaaad sister.
I cannot defend her virtue in the traditional sense,
and I don't plan to squeal on her if she wants to be a
little naughty. On the other hand, if any man is fool
enough to force her or hurt her, I will nail his balls
to a wall with every bolt in my quiver and think of the
consequences later."

"Don't worry Charles, you can trust me and I think that
goes for every man at this table, am I right?" Lord
Caernarvon asked in a whisper.

There was much nodding and murmuring of assent.

"Vernon discrete-gentleman Saint Varlons at your
service Charles," Saint Varlons bowed in his chair.

Charles shook his head and chuckled. "You guys sure
know how to inspire a man's confidence. I'll go fetch
Belle. She seems to enjoy the company of my friends a
lot, probably because just about all of them are men.
Remind me to work on that problem starting with this
tournament."

Although she could not tell exactly what they were
saying, Bellany got the gist of it as she watched
discretely while filling her breakfast tray. Just as
she was beginning to look for somewhere to sit, Charles
stood up and came to her.

"Bellany, It is good to see you. Why don't you come
over and sit with me. I haven't seen you since last
Sunday."

Bellany smiled. "Thank you Charles, it is sometimes
hard for me to find a table. All of the Emerald ladies
are so busily snubbing me."

"Don't worry about that Bellany. This is the first
tourney of the season, Lords, Ladies and commoners
alike will all be arriving here to have fun and watch
the competitions.
------

Jamie Jordel smiled seductively at his opponent and
swished his rapier in a come hither circular motion.

Bellany grinned as she watched from one of the
hillsides surrounding the natural amphitheater. The
other young man was a touch taller than Jordell. He
lunged too powerfully and Jordell stepped in and scored
before his opponent could recover. Jordell's effete
mannerisms and seductive taunts were obviously getting
under his opponent's skin. The noblman's gay laughter
taunted his opponent further with each mistake. By the
end of the bout Jordell's opponent was red with anger
and the young Lord seemed quite pleased with himself.
-------

"Right here Mary?" Bellany asked.

"Yes, but only a finger's breadth apart we must fit
them all in. Thank you for helping, Lady Bellany. I
know it is a snub not to be able to help officiate."
Mary said.

"Oh I understand the sentiment. Ladies do not want
their husbands tasting pies tainted by the presence of
a slave of orcs. Once the crowds come I had best make
myself scarce or you will have no end of dirty looks,"
Bellany said.

Mary sighed. "I wish it were really not that bad, but
when Reverend Leland suggested that you officiate, he
was struck down by cross ladies from the chapels of
several different gods." Mary looked up as she heard
the fluttering of wings. Oh! She said.

"Mary do we have any food other than the contest pies?
There are a few for sale. Give me one. I'll buy it
later. I think I had better draw off the bird before he
does something untoward to the pies." Bellany said.

"Of course, good thinking. Mary handed Bellany a pie
and began waving her arms around. I will play scarecrow
but that bird is far too large to be a crow."

Bellany nodded and scurried towards the hedges and
trees holding the pie above her head. Once out of sight
she set a piece of pie on a broad branch as high as
she
could reach. The raven immediately landed and began
devouring the pie, taking time out to croak at her.

Bellany giggled. "Nimbus you have to learn that all
food does not belong to me and therefore to you. I'll
bet you would have landed and sampled each of the pies,
much to the chagrin of the contestants."

"Wonk, wonk, pruk-pruk-pruk," The raven replied.

-------
The snapping of pennons in the brisk breeze could
barely be heard as the air vibrated with the thunder of
hoof-beats. Two armored warriors charged towards one
another, their blunted lances pointed with deadly
intent. Bellany stood on her tiptoes trying to get a
look over the shoulders of the commoners in front of
her. Bristol had made sure she did not have access to
the seat she should have had in the stands but she was
not about to miss the jousts. Abraham Steefl was
wearing her favor. If only he could see the irony in
it. A cloud of splinters rose as a lance broke against
Steefl's breastplate. He was nearly unhorsed but
managed to right himself before his center of gravity
gave way to ruin. His lance had slid off the
breastplate of his opponent with far less fanfare than
his opponent had created.

Bellany cheered and then shouldered her way through the
crowd. She had been looking for Cooyman and had
spotted
him on the other side of the lists. She barely saw
Caernarvon unhorse his opponent as she came up behind
Cooyman. She carefully looked around without appearing
to look around. With any luck, the army of chaperones
had their eyes trained either on the joust or on the
stands seating the wealthy ladies. While the crowd
occupied itself with the joust, Bellany spoke into
Cooyman's ear in a hushed voice.

"Good day, stranger. You know, it is a wonder any
knight can go at lancing while trapped in an overgrown
tin," Bellany said.

The grin that briefly creased the armorer's face
revealed he was no stranger, but such nuances would
have been nearly impossible to pick out in a crowd.

"A good armorer provides enough movement in those suits
for fine lance handlin'. Ye need plenty 'o steel for
protection but ye have to have enough freedom of motion
ta get the job done."

"Yes, freedom of motion seems to be the key here,
otherwise no lancing would get done," Bellany observed.

"Aye, every good armorer knows he must grant that
freedom to his knight if he is to win.

"What if another armorer developed a trick to grant his
knight greater freedom of motion. Would you copy it
even if meant that no one would know that you had done
the work since it was in another man's style entirely?"

"Ifn it made the difference 'tween drivin' a lance home
and missin' entirely you bet I would."

"Then your lancers are in capable hands," Bellany said
as she clandestinely pressed an object against
Cooyman's belly and halfway into his breeches. "I must
make my way forward and see if I can get a better look
at this contest. Steefl wears my favor. I must see how
seriously he takes this whole notion of courtly love."

"Heh, well I hope 'e likes that there courtly love.
Seems like a whole lot 'o smoke with no fire ta me."

"Shuush, you reveal you are no courtly poet but a
practical tradesman," Bellany said.

"Hehe aye! That I am," Cooyman replied.
-------

Bellany peered out from the cover of the bushes. Mary
had just announced the winner of the pie bake. Now many
of the men were bidding on the winner's remaining
pies.
Suddenly she caught sight of Timothy. It had been too
long since the night she had him through the library
bars. She tugged on his lust and ducked behind cover.
When she came back up he looked a little confused but
began walking in her direction. She kept back and
tugged on his lust again. In a few minutes, he was out
of sight of any chaperones walking down a path. Bellany
stepped out of the bushes with her finger over her
mouth to let Timothy know not to talk. She took his
hand and walked him down the path to the thicket she
and Cleopatra had adopted.

"We need to be very quiet. I do not trust those
chaperones. Sorry I have not been able to get to the
library," Bellany whispered into Timothy's ear. My
roommate usually gets to bed early save on Tuesdays.
Timothy nodded. "I could not believe you let me..."
Timothy's whisper trailed off.

"You didn't enjoy it?" Bellany whispered back.

"No, no I, you, it was like a fantasy come true."
Timothy whispered. "Do you do that with other boys?"

"I am very naughty, Timothy," Bellany whispered.

"Timothy stifled a giggle. "I noticed."

"It mustn't get back to my mother though, or I am sure
I will be doomed, so you must promise me that not even
your best friend will know."

Timothy nodded. "No one would believe me even if I
told, but I won't."

"Thank you, Bellany said, her hands already wandering
over his chest.

"Can I kiss your nipples? Timothy asked."

Bellany smiled. "You men always want what you can't
have. It is not that I would not enjoy it. It is just
that vindicator fashion is so ridiculous I would have
to take my entire dress off for you to get at my chest.
We cannot risk that. It would take far to long to put
me back together. Bellany had already worked her hands
down to Timothy's butt. She could feel him shaking with
lust in her arms as she slid her fingers between his
legs from behind and caressed the base of his already
hardened shaft. She kissed him and then stepped back
and turned to hike up her dress. By the time she had
her panties down and was ready for him, he had loosed
himself from his breeches. He took hold of her hips and
thrust his erection into her. It was good to feel his
loins against her bare butt as he thrust. The library
bars had reduced the impact of his thrusts and she
rather enjoyed a bucking stallion. She took one of his
hands from her hip and guided it to her clit. It was
difficult not to moan just a little, but she dared not.
His thrusts grew more rapid and forceful with each
passing moment until she felt the ecstatic rush of his
energy and the gush of his cum inside her.

She wished she had more time for her own pleasure, but
she knew one could not disappear for long before
chaperones met and checked their lists of young women
seen. After Timothy spent, she held him for a moment.
She had winded him. She looked into his lusty eyes. "I
wish I could stay to do it again but the chaperones
would surely catch us. We must get back now or they
will catch us and then they will watch me like hawks
for the rest of the year. I will go north and you work
your way South right away." Before he could protest,
Bellany ran off. She would go to her room so that the
monitor would see her and then she would return to the
tournament grounds after freshening up.
-------

The sun had passed its zenith perhaps three hours past
and the crowds were still quite dense as the crossbow
event unfolded. Bellany sat next to Peter and Paul
Patel in the stands. Peter had been out of town since
shortly after he had demonstrated his fetish for young
women to her. By some coincidence, Headmistress
Vargrend had attended when Mr. Patel invited Bellany to
take a seat with his son and him for the crossbow
event. Her presence had forced Bristol to behave
although Bristol sat not far away in the row above
Bellany.

"Ooooooo!" The crowd gasped as Charles missed the
scoring rings completely.

"Charles Norwit holding at a score of seven for the
match with two shots remaining!" The Herald announced.

"Gods, poor Charles. He can be so erratic sometimes. He
has made some magnificent shots but that one is really
going to hurt him. If he does that again, it will
probably cost him the match," Bellany observed.

"He is a bit inconsistent, but he is young," Mr. Patel
said. "Yet, he obviously has a great deal of talent.
Does he practice often?"

"As much as he can here at school, but he is not
sponsored like Erol Fobs or many of the other
athletes."

"Sponsored?" Mr. Patel asked.

"Bristol's family boards Fobbs and the longbow
champion, Leaf Windwhisper on their estate. It is a
common practice for emerald families either to have
their own champion or to sponsor one from the lower
classes in order to improve the academy's chances at
tournaments. Sponsored athletes are spared the drudgery
and chores of academy life and spend most of their
time
practicing at arms."

Bianca Bristol interjected from behind, "Bristol has
long sponsored archers, but we cannot be expected to
sponsor an Avengene. How unfortunate that your brother
will cost the academy its previously matchless standing
in the archery events,"

"That would be tragic. Would you like to see the
academy win in archery, Lady Bristol?" Mr. Patel asked.

"Of course, why else would we be sponsoring the
academy's finest bowmen?"

Patel nodded. He had a brief whispered conversation
with his son Paul as the team from Rosehaven took their
shots.

Bellany stood then sat again as Charles' shot struck
the outermost ring. "Gods Charles," she said through
her teeth.

"It appears as though your brother is going to loose
the crossbow event for us as I predicted," Bristol
sneered.

"Charles Norwit, with a one-point shot brings his long
range score to 8 points

Erol Fobbs, Charles' teammate, planted his shot in the
ring around the bulls-eye.

"You see Mr. Fobbs is much better. He should be the
captain of the team," Bianca Bristol said.

"Erol Fobs, with a three-point shot brings his long
range score to nine points. The Bristol Academy total
stands at seventeen," The Herald announced.

"Now the Rosehaven School, with nineteen accumulated
points will take their final shots."

Bellany grimaced as the Rosehaven boys scored a one and
a three point shot, thus bringing their combined total
to twenty-three points.

Erol Fobs fired and barely scored three points as his
arrow stuck just inside the yellow ring.

Charles stepped up to the line and fired as though he
had not a care in the world.

"Bulls-eye by Charles Norwit!" The Herald announced as
the crowd roared its applause.

Paul Patel wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Charles Norwit and Erol Fobs,
have come from behind to gain victory in the long range
event by a single point!"

By the time Bellany got through the throngs to
congratulate Charles at least a dozen people had shaken
his hand.

"Congratulations! Gods Charles you know I calculate the
scores. I could not believe you managed to win."

"I believe in rising to the occasion," Charles said.

Bellany smirked. "I knew that, but I wish you were less
fond of tight victories."

Charles groaned.

"Congratulations on a very close win, Lord Charles,"
Peter Patel said as he and his son Paul shook Charles'
hand.

"Oh thank you Mister Patel."

"How did it feel being behind there for a while?" Patel
asked.

"That sort of thing is never comfortable, but unlike
Belle, I am often too lazy to do the math. I have only
a vague feeling of how I am doing until the Heralds
call it out. I try not to dwell on it overmuch and then
when I step up, I enjoy the challenge," Charles said
with bravado.

"There are many challenges to come. I am sure Rosehaven
does not have the finest crossbow team you will face.
I
talked briefly to Bianca Bristol, and she would like to
see the academy win, but refuses to sponsor you
because
you are of Avengene. Paul and I talked this over
briefly and we would like to offer you a place at our
hearth. I will see to it that you have everything you
need to become the finest crossbowman Bristol's Academy
For Boys has ever known."

"Really?" Charles asked.

"Yes, it is customary for Emerald Families to have a
champion or to sponsor one. Paul is here for the social
aspects and as a prelude to studies in business
management. This arrangement could work well for both
of you. Paul could manage your academy business, and
you could help him with social graces and getting to
know the right people. I realize you are not the most
popular young man at the academy yet, but I like your
style, and I am sure your social fortunes will improve
along with your skill with the crossbow," Paul Patel
said decisively. Besides, Lord Avengene is now an ally
of Lord Hartmoor and I am a citizen of Hartmoor's,
largest city, Turnmoor. It is the least I can do after
buying Lord Avengene's manor.

"Wow a sponsored athlete, that would be great!" Charles
said.

"Good, I will talk to the Headmaster straight away. We
will have a suite prepared for you, and I will find out
who built the targets for the academy and have them
duplicated for you on my estate. You shall have
servants for reloading immediately and an instructor
before the next tournament," Patel said.

"That is great, Mister Patel. I really appreciate it. I
will practice madly. My social standing depends on it,
and Bristol is not being easy on us Avengenes of
late."

"Good, then we have a deal?" Patel asked holding out
his hand.

"Yes, thank you Mister Patel," Charles said shaking
Patel's hand firmly.

"It will be my pleasure, Patel said. I realize there is
a Ball tonight, if lady Bellany can spare the time
before she leaves perhaps we can have you moved in by
the time the ball is over, all without ruining your
night of festivities."

"Belle?" Charles asked.

Bellany shrugged. "I have nothing but time. The ball
tonight was thrown by Bristol. You don't honestly think
that she invited me."

Charles grimaced. "She ought to have. You are the
daughter of a peer. It is common courtesy."

"Obviously common courtesy between Bristol and Avengene
is in a state of disarray," Bellany said. "It is a
wonder she invited you. Perhaps not inviting the winner
of the crossbow event would earn her the sneers of the
peers. It's okay, Charles. Let me help move you. It
will take my mind off being snubbed. Perhaps with a
little misdirection I can dine over at the Patels
tonight rather than in an empty cafeteria with girls
who would rather not have to sit with me."
-------

"And where do you think you are going, young Lady?"
Headmaster Bristol asked as Bellany strode into the
Boys building shortly before the dinner hour.

Bellany walked right up to the headmaster and looked
him in the eye from less than a dozen inches away. "You
know what I am doing, headmaster. I am a Lady Bellany
Norwit here to supervise the moving of my brother
Charles Norwit to Patel Manor. You signed the paperwork
yourself earlier today. I am missing the last
tournament events so that I can fetch Charles' things
while the building is empty. I am leading an army of
servants. If his things are to be moved to Patel Manor
before the ball, I cannot afford to waste time. I
require someone to open his room for me.

"Oh and Headmaster Bristol, you said you would read my
father's letter. You briefly tested my skill at
mathematics. Bellany touched the Headmaster's chest
with her finger, drawing on his lust with subtle
forcefulness. I can make your students work like
nothing else. The boys would try twice as hard if they
knew they might score lower on a mathematics test than
a girl. You must take advantage of this rare
opportunity while you can. I want you to teach me
mathematics."

The headmaster looked like his head was coming unglued
as lust, propriety and his own sense of authority and
simultaneous fetish to be dominated warred in his mind.

"Headmaster Bristol, I killed six unmannerly highwaymen
to get to school this fall after surviving nine months
as a slave to the enemies of Avengene. What reason
could you possibly have for denying me my father's
request?

Headmaster Bristol cleared his throat, but Bellany
locked her eyes on his.

"I will talk it over with Headmistress Vargrend, in the
meantime let me get that door for you, milady."

"Good, thank you Headmaster," Bellany said a little
patronizingly as she drew on the lust of the headmaster
with so much power that the poor man stood breathless
for an instant before practically running for the
stairs. Bellany grinned at his back as he went to do
her bidding.

Mister Patel had found a way to crack open the door of
Vargrend's Prison for Girls. With Charles in residence
at Patel Manor, he would have an excuse to invite
Bellany to have dinner with her brother. She did not
know how often Mister Patel might be in town, but she
suspected he would be here often on tournament nights,
cementing social contacts with elder members of the
emerald families.

When she arrived at Patel Manor, Mr. Peter Patel was
there, trying not to grin too broadly.

Bellany smiled. "I can see why your businesses have
prospered," She said.

Patel chuckled. "It was you who provided the solution,
and the more I think about it, the more brilliant the
idea becomes. You were certainly the carrot that made
this old mule move, but I can see many social
advantages to this arrangement." Patel took Bellany's
hand. "While the servants bear Charles' things to his
room, let me show you what I have done with the house."

Bellany giggled as she began to realize that the tour
was nothing more than a headlong rush through the house
towards a destination she could only guess at.

Patel twisted a wall sconce in a chamber that served as
a portrait gallery for relatives and famous people of
Mister Patel's acquaintance. A panel hidden behind a
lance-bearing knight mounted on a spirited stallion
opened. Peter Patel ushered her into a candle-lit
bedroom.

"Did you think of me?" Patel asked. "I thought of you
far too often."

I thought of you, but you know how I am. My mind
wanders from man to man when I have nothing real to
focus on." Bellany turned her back to Patel.

"You're not having second thoughts after all..."

Bellany turned quickly and put her hand over Peter's
mouth, drawing his lust into her through her hand.
"Shhh, don't say something you would regret. There is a
reason why I turned my back to you and it has nothing
to do with what you were thinking and everything to do
with vindicator dress styles." Bellany turned her back
again.

Patel groaned. "I am such a fool. I might have ruined
everything with one great blunder of my tongue. I must
remember my money does not impress but that is
irrelevant since that is not why you are here.

Bellany giggled. "Well said. You need never doubt the
depth of my lust. I am here because I want you inside
me."

"And if you turn it is because your dress buttons in
the back," Patel said.

"Exactly. I do appreciate your sponsoring Charles, but
you did that for your own reasons. Things like that
will never be the reason I make love with you. I will
be making love with you because you lust for me
powerfully, and that is something I find nearly
impossible to resist. Unfortunately, we will have to
exercise a bit of self-control so that the school does
not realize that my dinners with Charles are not
entirely dinners with Charles."

"That will be difficult," Patel said, as he unbuttoned
Bellany's dress.

"Yes, but as long as we maintain your sterling
reputation, you will be able to invite me over whenever
you are in town. If I arrive back to the dormitory
late
or anything untoward, they may begin denying your
requests for passes," Bellany said, slipping her shoes
off and kicking them towards a nearby chair.

"Manipulation of your prison wardens will be a
necessary evil, but one that I will address," Patel
said as he slid Bellany's dress down over her hips.

Bellany stepped out of her dress, tossed it over the
chair then turned and smiled. "Vindicator undergarments
are not the most flattering, but I am sure my roommate
would report me if I wore anything less conservative.
Bellany turned her back once again."

"Your prison has eyes and ears as well as walls," Peter
Patel said as he unlaced the vindicator corset Bellany
was wearing.

"Quite a few pairs, actually," Bellany said as she
tossed her corset on the chair with her dress. She
turned and began helping Peter out of his clothes. Only
a few seconds later he was feverishly kissing every
inch of her body. His fetish undeniably superheated his
lust.

"Your skin is so perfect," Peter said between kisses as
he caressed his way down Bellany's body. More kisses
followed. "You have no peer even among other young
women. There is always a blemish or flaw, but it is as
if a power resides in you to heal such things before
they mar you beauty."

Bellany smiled as Patel added to the flames of her lust
with his kisses. She had never really thought about it
that way, but it did seem that the extra life force
she
held within her had a positive effect on her health and
the health of her skin.

By the time Peter had kissed his way down one of her
long legs and had come up the other she was so wet that
she was thrusting her hips and Patel was licking his
lips at the sight of her copious lubrication. When he
kissed her wetness and teased her clit with his tongue,
he had to hold her hips down to prevent her smacking
into his mouth. Bellany moaned as Patel licked and
licked until the pleasure became so intense Bellany
squealed with orgasm. She touched his mind quashing the
jealousy he felt when she eyed Caernarvon and other
men
by warping its power into a sense of pleasure at seeing
just how lusty she really was. A touch of regret
jabbed
her for playing with his emotions, but she realized she
was doing the sensible thing. Mr. Patel was far to
powerful a man for her to allow his jealousies to blaze
with the heat of his fetish. Instead she must insure
that he be proud of her appetites, not jealous of them.

Bellany had scarcely begun to come down from her orgasm
when Peter lowered her onto the bed, mounted her and
began thrusting like a madman. She grinned and began
thrusting back in self-defense, catching him with her
hips higher than would have been the case had she lain
passively by.

Peter thrust into her with gusto. He lasted
considerably longer than most of the young men she had
been with then spent lavishly just as another orgasm
gripped Bellany's mind. As their minds touched, Bellany
reinforced her earlier suggestion with their orgasmic
rush fueling her power and then she floated down into
afterglow.

After a few minutes of snuggling, Patel led Bellany
through another door into a room with a sunken tub. A
hot bath had already been drawn for her. She enjoyed
being washed by her lover. After leaving the bath there
were hand picked servants to help her dress and
afterward she was able to take a little time with
Charles' things in his new room before she emerged from
Patel manor cleaner than when she had left. Bellany
hardly noticed the chill the autumn air had taken on
since she had left Vargrends that afternoon. She hoped
the prim expression she wore would conceal the
delicious feeling of the power that was glowing beneath
her skin.
-------

"No you mustn't," Bellany whispered recoiling from her
bed and jumping into Mary's now vacant bed.

Mary looked across at Bellany from Bellany's bed. "But
Bellany, aren't you cold?"

"Yes I am cold but you cannot sleep with me Mary. You
will be miserable," Bellany whispered.

Mary climbed out of Bellany's bed and began sliding in
with Bellany whereupon Bellany bolted from Mary's bed
and jumped back into her own.

Mary got up and stood over Bellany. "Don't be silly, I
slept with Tammy Wells all last winter. Nothing
untoward happened," Mary whispered as she slid into
Bellany's bed.

Bellany jumped out the other side of the bed and ran
around to settle in Mary's bed again. "Tammy Wells is
probably an innocent virgin with the barest shred of
interest for men and none whatsoever for women,"
Bellany whispered. "Of course you could sleep with her.
Believe me, you don't want to sleep with me, Mary.
Something would happen. Then you would get all contrite
and you would blame yourself or me, it does not matter
whom and then your guilt would get so thick I could
not
stand it. Eventually you would wind up throwing your
ocean of guilt at the feet of Reverend Leeland who
would in turn send us both to separate convents to
contemplate our sins. I think I would like to skip all
that, thank you," Bellany whispered.

Mary sniffed Bellany's pillow

"See, you are sniffing my pillow," Bellany whispered.

"What is wrong with that? I have always liked the way
you smell," Mary whispered.

"That is not a good sign," Bellany whispered.

"It isn't?" Mary asked.

"Men drool over that. They like to smell me, or my
clothes and then they get ideas like dogs when they
smell a bitch in heat," Bellany whispered.

"Bellany, I am not a bore orc. I was just enjoying your
scent is all," Mary whispered.

"All right, all right, let's just get some sleep
please." Bellany whispered.

"I would sleep much better were I not cold," Mary
whispered as she slid into bed with Bellany once again.

Bellany jumped out of bed and approached the wood
heater. "We could build a fire in the heater," Bellany
whispered.

"It is too early in the year, they are not stocking us
with wood yet," Mary whispered. Besides, the fire
always goes out before morning, leaving the room
hideously cold."

Bellany left the heater and climbed into her bed. "Well
you don't want to sleep with me, Mary. It would become
far too hot beneath the sheets and I really could not
deal with a girl being in love with me and hating me
for it because her soul was awash in guilt. Besides,
you would want me to be faithful like a vindicator
husband is supposed to be and that is impossibly
against my nature."

"Nonsense, Bellany. You are being positively paranoid.
Nothing untoward will happen," Mary said as she got up.

Bellany sighed. Oh all right, but either you leave your
vindicator morals in the other bed, or you leave the
instant you feel the slightest tinge of lust. Agreed?"

"Agreed," Mary said. If I feel lust I will forsake your
bed.

Bellany lifted her blankets and Mary slid in and
snuggled against her.

"You see, this is so much better than being cold," Mary
whispered.

Bellany smiled. "You so love playing with fire, don't
you Mary?" Bellany whispered.

"Nonsense Bellany. Go to sleep."

Bellany tried to put her body in neutral. She tried to
keep her lust from reaching out to Mary. She felt she
had achieved a large measure of success, except that
each time Mary stirred or snuggled Bellany could not
help the way her body responded to being touched. She
resigned herself to letting Mary fall asleep so that
she could sneak out of the bed and leave the source of
distraction behind.

Bellany napped as best she could for a couple of hours
and then stealthily made her way to the drawer that
held the key to the library. She waited until she could
hear that the hall guard had completed her round and
was headed down the stairs. Then Bellany left her room,
and made her way into the library to sneak up the
spiral stair to the stacks. There she read the pages of
a book on magic making a game of scrolling her
conjured
ball of blue light back and forth between her
fingertips to follow each line of the text. At one
point she felt a presence but when she looked around
she saw no one. She decided it must be nerves and
continued her reading. She read at top speed for
perhaps four hours. In spite of putting the energy from
her lovers as firmly into storage as she could, it
took
her that long to get tired enough to feel she would be
able to fall asleep when she returned to her room. When
she did return she was able to sleep in spite of Mary.

The sensation of soft lips being pressed against her
own insinuated itself into her dreams and in her dreams
she responded, pulling at the lust of her paramour and
feeling it tingle powerfully down her spine. It took
several minutes before Bellany realized that someone
really was softly kissing her. She heard her roommate
draw her breath in forcibly as she pulled her lips from
Bellany's.

"Ammora's breath, Bellany, even in your sleep you are
not innocent," Mary whispered so quietly that Bellany
could barely hear it.
-------

"Drink seeps into a man's blood and steals his soul,"
Reverend Leeland sermonized. "The Vindicator has need
of your soul, but you cannot give it to him if you have
already given it to drink! Drink drains health, time,
energy and attention. These are all things we need to
raise families, realize goals and prosper under the
righteousness of the Vindicator!

Drink is evil! Yet people find it seductive. Why do
people imbibe alcohol, what means does it use to seduce
the unwary? Charles Norwit, stand up and tell us what
makes alcohol seductive?"

Charles' face reddened as he got to his feet. Leeland's
sermon was hitting him right between the eyes. Bellany
could tell he had a bit of a bellyache from his
drinking at the first Tournament Ball last night.

"Um, social lubrication," Charles stammered.

"Yes, some believe that drink makes a person more glib,
more eloquent, but have you ever spoken to a drunkard?
Was he eloquent?"

"Uh, no."

"Alcohol is a beguiling spirit of evil! What other
beguilements does Alcohol use, Lord Charles?" Reverend
Leeland asked.

"The euphoria of drunkenness," Charles said, lifting a
finger.

"Euphoria! Of course, the seductive power of alcohol
lies in evil pleasure! Intoxication brings pleasure
without accomplishment. Pleasure was meant as a reward
for a job well done, but drink offers a form of
pleasure as an enticement. The more often a man
succumbs to such temptations and imbibes drink, the
deeper demon alcohol sinks its talons into his soul!
Soon he becomes so besotted with alcohol that he
scarcely thinks of anything but his next drink! Mark my
words well and heed my warning; alcohol will become a
god to you unless you resist temptation and give your
soul over to the majesty of the Vindicator!

After the sermon Bellany found it difficult not to
smirk at both Charles and Mary, Charles because he had
obviously overindulged the night before and Mary
because she had got more than she had bargained for
when she had kissed Bellany in her sleep. Mary had been
behaving as though she were alternatively walking on
eggs or clouds all morning.

"Charles! How did the ball go last night?" Bellany
asked as she took hold of her brother's hand and led
him through the throngs.

"It was grand, Belle," Charles said as he and Bellany
ducked into the church library for privacy. I wished
you were there, but I knew Bristol would keep you out
at all costs. Not only are you of Avengene, but you are
the fallen angel of Vargrends."

"Who did you take?" Bellany asked.

"Deb Hartmoor. Her father is an ally of Lord Avengene,"
Charles said.

"You sound as if it were a chore to take her," Bellany
whispered.

"She is not so bad if you get a few drinks into her,
but even then she is prim and stiff. She ought to be
your friend because of the Heartmoor-Avengene alliance
but she is too much the virgin. She probably thinks you
ought to be hidden away in a convent," Charles said
shaking his head.

Bellany rolled her eyes. "Just sort of boring then?"
Bellany asked.

Charles yawned heartily. "Hartmoor is a fine woman, but
you know I have to play the field."

Bellany giggled. "Who will you ask next time?"

"I haven't decided yet," Charles said. I have my eye on
Daelrath but so do half the men at the academy. How do
you break the ice with a girl who is a friend of
Brianna Barter?"

"The guys were curious enough about Brianna to ask for
posters, weren't they?" Bellany asked.

Charles nodded. "That may be a good angle right there.
Barter is a popular bad girl with the guys, so of
course they are curious about her. They have certainly
pelted me with questions. I could ask Daelrath about
Barter and just be myself, curious and charming,"
Charles said with bravado.

Bellany grinned. "Curious and charming Charles might
have a chance. Then again it might be like me trying to
take Bristol to a ball."

Charles groaned. "I will take it slow. I will not ask
her to this ball but a later one. This Barter idea
might help but it is no love potion."

"Are you enjoying staying at the Patels?" Bellany
asked.

"It is great Belle. I have a whole suite to myself. It
is unreal. I am living better than I did at home.
Mister Patel seems quite happy to have me there. Say do
you think he has a crush on you?" Charles asked.

Bellany smiled. "Since I have returned to civilization
I have noticed a lot of men seem to have crushes on me
in spite of the way mother makes me dress.

Charles smiled, "She tries but that waif's figure you
had as a girl is gone, and it is hard to hide the woman
you have become."

Bellany smiled. "I think Mister Patel will benefit from
the arrangement, and you needn't worry if he has a
crush on me. It is the nature of men to look and wish."

"But you have no intention of granting such wishes?"
Charles asked.

Bellany giggled. "None that I can admit to my brother.
For the sake of our parents you must be in a position
where you can honestly say that I insisted that I did
not do anything untoward with anyone. Otherwise you
will either have to lie to mother and father or never
ask me anything about anyone."

"But Belle, that means if you are naughty I'll never
know," Charles said.

"True, but if you knew you would be obliged to stop me
or face the wrath," Bellany said. You will just have to
use your powers of perception and keep the results of
your conjectures to yourself.

"You have a point there, Belle. Knowing nothing is
safer, just not as interesting."

"Perhaps I will be able to tell you if I did anything
naughty at school in a few years, but for now it is
better that you just assume that I am as pure as driven
snow."

Charles laughed.

"Well I know it is silly after the orcs, but the powers
that be do not seem to have any other model for young
women to follow. It is really stupid considering how
many young Avengene women are taken by the orcs."

Charles nodded. "I guess I had better get going, Belle.
We are all going to take a ride on Caernarvon's estate
then start practicing broadsword this afternoon."

"I did not know you practiced with the broadsword."
Bellany said.

"In war, every man must know a variety of weapons. That
is why we get together with the best wielders of a
given weapon each Sunday and practice."

"When will you be doing Rapier?" Bellany asked.

"We usually put that one off. Jordell makes a lot of
the guys uncomfortable, but it cannot be put off
forever. Whatever else he may be, James Jordell is to
be a count," Charles said.

"Somehow I would like to get to that practice. I saw
Jordell fight in the tournament yesterday. He is very
good, but it is hard to tell just how good since he
unnerves his opponents so badly he hardly has to work."

"Jordell is no idiot. He was nearly undefeated last
year," Charles said.

"Nearly?" Bellany asked.

There was a half elf from Liaern that beat him but the
match could have gone either way. In spite of his
foppery, the Academy is going to loose a fine swordsman
when he leaves at the end of the school year.

"This is Jordell's last year?" Bellany asked.

Charles nodded. "No one else can touch him at rapier
and it is not a particularly popular weapon save with
elves and gentlemen of the cities. Jordell is the
entire rapier team. When he goes they will probably
have to sponsor an outsider to replace him.

Bellany's eyes took on a faraway look as she indulged a
fantasy.

Charles chuckled. "Now don't go wishing you could be on
the team, Belle, you know they would never have it."

Bellany frowned.

"You are as good as many of the boys but most of them
don't do a lot with the lighter blades. Jordell is an
artist. It is too bad you can't get out. I'll bet you
would enjoy sparring with him, just to see what it was
like to come up against a real pro," Charles said.

Bellany nodded. "That would be fun."

"Speaking of fun, I better not miss that broadsword
practice this morning. See you later sister." Charles
gave Bellany a brief hug as he left.

Bellany half followed her brother and wound up in the
courtyard at about the time Charles and a few of his
friends mounted up and rode off.

Nearby she saw Reverand Leland gesticulating in a
conversation with Headmistress Vargrend. Bellany
crossed the courtyard to check the stables in hopes of
seeing more of the young emerald men but their horses
were already gone. When she came out the headmistress
was walking to the offices and passed beside her.

"The nerve of that man," She mumbled.

"Has Reverend Leland now started sermonizing to you
about the evils of your ancestors, Headmistress?"
Bellany asked.

"Just about. He admonished me that there are stories of
a ghoulish figure cavorting about the grounds and
suggested I give Lieutenant Herrington a key to the
crypts. As if I would trust his loyal servant in my
family crypts."

"It is probably nothing anyway, although we saw the man
in rags during Miss Griffin's history class the
morning
she traded class periods with you, Headmistress."

"That is just the problem. This matter would not be
nearly so bothersome if I had not received several
reports about this man in rags. Our dance instructor,
Miss Lesueuer sighted him during an evening enrichment
class and a couple of the students reported
encountering him while strolling. He chased them but
left off when they made it to open ground."

"You could check the crypts yourself," Bellany said.

"Yes of course," Headmistress Vargrend said uneasily.

"Perhaps Guardian Moore could help as well," Bellany
suggested.

"Yes, that would be wise. A guardian must know how to
deal with both people and specters of the dead. I find
Leland's insinuations ridiculous, but it will be worth
a look just to get the fool off my back."
-------

The next two weeks passed uneventfully since Charles
and many of the other boys were away during the weekend
at a tournament in Bostwick. Bellany missed Charles'
bravado and his many handsome friends. She had to
content herself with improving her drawing skills at
the enrichment course she took in the evenings, and
with her lunchtime conversation with Cleo. Nimbus, the
raven that was the closest thing to a pet she had at
Vargrend's helped keep her spirits up in spite of her
gnawing hunger for lovers. Mary seemed to act much as
she always had, but Bellany could not help but feel her
roommate's longing. Mary's conflicted lust was an
annoyance to Bellany and she tried to turn her senses
away from her roommate. Bellany wondered if it was
really fair for Bellany to sleep in a room with anyone,
particularly a vindicator girl whose attractions were
for women.

After the weekend, Bellany received a note from Charles
with his tournament scores. He and Fobbs had won
again,
although Fobbs had outscored Charles in more events
than not. Bellany hoped that Patel's sponsorship of
Charles would soon bear fruit. Meanwhile she wore
herself out finishing the magic books in the library
stacks. It kept her mind off her lack of lovers.

The weekend after Charles' return marked the first
tournament of October. The tournament Ball was to be
held by Mayor Eagan. Bellany knew that the Eagans would
not invite her. They were in the employ of the
Bristols. They would be fools to go against Bianca's
wishes. Nevertheless, Lawrence Eagan privately
apologized to her the morning of the tournament and
that made her feel a little better. Taking Timothy in
the bushes that morning eased her gnawing lusts and
made the tournament much more enjoyable. She regretted
that Peter Patel was not in town for this particular
tournament against an academy in The Barony of
Gransward, but she was overjoyed when she spotted
Cooyman in the crowd during the jousts.

Bellany made her way to smith Cooyman just as Lord
Caernarvon's opponent unhorsed him. A shower of
splinters from his broken lance followed him to the
ground. "Ouch, that knight from Bostwick will be hard
to beat," Bellany said as she came up on Cooyman.

"Aye, me hope is that Lord Carnarvon's bones are
unbroken. The skeleton is the key to the workings of a
knight and his armor."

"It is?" Bellany asked.

"Aye, ye take two knights with similar skeletons fer
instance. They might not look much alike on the surface
but it's what underlies the flesh that matters. If the
basic skeletons of yer knights are the same, a skilled
armorer could easily make a single suit of armor that
would work fine for either lancer."

Concealed by the press of the crowd Cooyman slid a hard
object into Bellany's hand. Bellany slipped the key
into a pocket within her dress.

"It's Sir Steefl up next against this upstart that
trounced th' Lord Caernarvon," Cooyman said.

"Yes, I hope he does not find himself locked in the
basement as Lord Caernarvon did. He bears my favor
within his armor. I hope it proves the undoing of the
knight that bars his way to victory."

"Aye, yer favor is a powerful talisman, but if th'
lance proves fickle, he be stuck in the basement fer
sure."

The clattering thunder of hoof-beats led to an
explosion of wood. This time it was the opponent who
felt the bite of the dirt as Steefl's charger hardly
slowed. The knight of Avengene's unerring aim lifted
his competitor out of the saddle and shattered his
pride as if it were the splinters of his lance.

"Thar's a good omen fer yer favor," Cooyman said.

"Steefl grew up with a lance in his hand. My favor only
strengthened the thirst of his lance for his
opponent's
impalement."

"Hehe, aye skill is essential fer success. Everyman
hopes his skills are sufficient to gain the treasures
of life."
-------

Hours after trading double meanings with Cooyman about
the skeleton key he had made for her, Bellany had
returned to her room and was helping Mary get ready for
the ball.

"Is he a good dancer?" Mary asked as Bellany helped her
dress in one of Bellany's dresses that they had
modified to fit Mary. Usually it was Mary helping
Bellany into one of her dresses, but on this occasion
the roles were reversed. Steefl had invited her
roommate, probably because he was not allowed invite
Bellany herself.

"He will not step on your toes, but he is better with
the lance than at the dance." Bellany grinned, as the
double meaning was lost to Mary's virgin ears.

"That is comforting. Do you think he only invited me
because he could not invite you?" Mary asked.

"Perhaps it is a gesture, Mary, but I am sure he would
not invite you if he found you repulsive. Don't be too
hard on him. He is a vassal of my father. I am sure it
irks him that he cannot escort me to all of the balls
because of Bristol. I think he feels it is his duty and
paladins are very big on duty," Bellany said.

Mary nodded. "I am sure he will be a perfect
gentleman."

Bellany yawned. "Yes, and it is a lucky thing since you
probably haven't got a clue how to kiss a man and you
probably would not enjoy it even if you did."

"Gods stop it Bellany. It hurts when you say those
things. It makes me afraid I shall never have a proper
wedding."

"I am sorry, Mary. Who am I to stand in the way of your
choice to follow your religion over your nature? I
should talk anyway. I would be worse for Steefl than
you. At least you would never look at another man. I am
sure I would do much more than look."

"At least you would know how to kiss him. I haven't a
clue. Would you teach me?" Mary asked.

Bellany giggled. "I would be glad to teach you Mary but
you would get far more than you bargained for if you
got me started."

Mary blushed.
-------

When Mary returned to the dormitory after the ball it
was nearly midnight and Bellany was fast asleep making
up for some of the time she had spent reading about
magic during past nights. She had gone to bed right
after witnessing her brother and Fobbs trounce the
competition. Charles had done as well as Fobs during
this tournament and Bellany had seen that as a good
omen. "Mary?" Bellany asked as the sounds of her
roommate awakened her.

"Yes, it's me back from the ball," Mary said.

"Did you enjoy it?" Bellany asked a little blearily as
she rousted herself and began helping Mary get out of
her dress. The air of the autumn night was
exceptionally chill.

"Yes, I enjoyed the dancing. I took the course last
autumn and it would be a shame not to use it. I went to
a few balls last year. There were more young men of
the
vindicator and I was more popular. Now we are half what
we were and you, the highest ranking of the vindicator
ladies, are being snubbed. I thought I would never get
out again, but instead I was out with a knight. A
rather homely knight, but a skilled knight
nevertheless."

"And a paladin, don't forget," Bellany said.

"Of course," Mary said.

"Perhaps you would make a good wife for him," Bellany
said.

"I thought you said I would not make any man a good
wife," Mary whispered.

"Abraham is a good man but no woman would be attracted
to him for his looks," Bellany said.

"Oh I see what you are driving at." Mary sighed.

"He does have good muscles, though not in the place I
like them best," Bellany said.

"Where is that?" Mary asked.

Bellany patted Mary's rear.

"Bellany!" Mary blushed.

"You assed," Bellany giggled.

Mary shook her head and groaned.

When Mary had finished readying herself for bed,
Bellany let her slide in beside her.

"Aren't you going to protest?" Mary asked.

"No, one of us might as well get a good night's sleep,"
Bellany whispered.

"One of us?" Mary asked.

"It has grown quite chill since I laid down for my nap
this afternoon. The teeth of autumn are sinking into
the countryside. If we slept apart neither of us would
sleep well because we would simply be too cold. If we
sleep together at least you will sleep well," Bellany
said.

"And you will not?" Mary asked.

"I will sleep after a while but I find having others in
my bed distracting. It beats freezing to death
though,"
Bellany said.

"Is it because of lust?" Mary asked.

Bellany nodded. "I have no innocence to protect me from
the snuggle-monster."

"Is that what I am to you, a snuggle monster?" Mary
asked.

"Yes, you snuggle and you breathe in my ear but I am
grateful you do not snore," Bellany whispered.

"Well what would you have me do?" Mary asked.

"Bellany smiled. Your virgin ears are not ready for
that, Mary. We need to do what you want to do because
it would not be fair to you to twist you all up into
knots of guilt. Now go to sleep. You must be exhausted
from the ball."

Mary snuggled; she wrapped herself around her roommate
and planted her lips near Bellany's ear in an
exaggerated version of what Bellany had described.
"Tonight I danced with many men. I had hoped to prove
you wrong about me, but all I could think about when
they touched me was you. Do you think that is wrong?"

"There is nothing wrong with it or you Mary. It is just
your nature and it is as obvious to me as the nose on
your face."

"I kissed you once when you were asleep. It made me
giddy for a week. How can you have such an affect on me
and men do nothing?"

Bellany rolled over to face Mary. "I am swayed by
everyone's lust and in turn I seem to have quite an
affect on others. I have been trying not to turn you
on, Mary, because of your faith but I can see I have
failed miserably."

If you were trying not to then what are you like when
you try to?

"Do you really want me to answer that question?"
Bellany asked.

"Yes." Mary whispered.

Bellany let her control slide as her hand glided up
Mary's leg to the base of her rump. She kissed her,
engulfing Mary's lust with her own.

"Oh gods Bellany, what is happening to me?" Mary asked
as she trembled beneath Bellany's caress.

"Only a virgin would ask that question," Bellany
whispered, kissing Mary on the tip of the nose. "Go to
sleep now, dear. I have no intention of robbing you of
your innocence."
-------

This ends, Inmates, chapter 59 of The Chronicles of
Rapina.

The story continues in chapter 60, Baladus.

Copyright 2004 by Rapina