Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 ============================================ BOOK III: CELENA: WISE WOMAN
OF VIRTUSAR



   ============================================

   Continued from Ch 70, Conventional Wisdom)

   The Chronicles of Rapina Chapter 71, Springville (rv8)





   Bellany washed the mud from her face and groaned with pleasure as the
heat of the bath water and the energy she had released from her reserves
soaked into her aching muscles.  She had ridden hard for over half the
night since escaping the convent.  Once Nimbus had helped her find the
right inn, it had taken her only about an hour to reach it.  Before she
actually approached the inn to rent a room for the night, she had spent a
good half hour creating a facial illusion that she thought would appeal to
the men of Daelrath.  It was a slightly refined version of the face of the
woman she had seen in her dream as she was preparing to merge minds with
Nimbus to find the inn where the Dealraths were staying.  It was the same
inn that had provided her the bath that she was now enjoying.  In many ways
the face was the opposite of the rugged lifestyle of the men of Dealrath, a
refined beauty that would shine like a rare gem.

   While riding to the inn she had considered going for a plain,
unobtrusive look, but that notion had not lasted long.  If she was going to
attract a substantial number of fighting men, plain was not going to cut
it; instead she went for breathtaking.  She had refined the face she had
seen in her dream towards that end.  It would incorporate a nose
reminiscent of Larissa Jordell's, cheekbones like Glenda Gransward's, and
lips that were a bit different than any she had seen at Vargrend's, but
were uniquely beautiful.  She saw them as a fuller, more refined version of
a combination of Bianca Bristol's and Cleopatra Gleton's lips.  She used a
version of Mary Duffy's chin and the lovely shape of Bernadine Belgado's
eyes, but with a sky blue coloration.  For her hair color she was
originally going to use brown because it was the only major hair color that
she had not yet used.  She tried it, but it was just too plain.  Instead
she chose a light strawberry blonde - a shade lighter than the hair color
of the woman she had dreamt about that could be seen as a captivating
mixture of Valkura and Bellany.

   She decided to call her new persona Celena because it seemed like the
name the young woman in her brief dream had used.  She would come up with a
last name later.  The illusion of her new look was just a temporary
measure. She would have to create her new visage from her flesh sometime in
the near future.  Once her appearance was correct, she would try to get a
job in Daelrath, and if all went well she would meet Kroz there when he
came to re-supply the Daelraths with glyphed arrows for use against the
trolls.

   In spite of the initial chase within Avengene, she was satisfied with
her night's travel.  Thanks to her magic, she felt sure that she had
outdistanced Darl Norwit's patrols by a wide margin earlier that night. 
Once in the Barony of Bristol, her cloud of magical darkness had rendered
her invisible to anyone that might have seen her on the road.  The men of
Avengene would have no witnesses to give them a clue to her whereabouts,
and the hounds were too slow to catch up with her for at least a day,
assuming they were allowed into Bristol and were able to find her scent at
all.  It was true that a superb tracker might be able to follow
Starstruck's hoof prints down the many roads, but the more use those roads
saw, the slower and more difficult that job would become.

   Once she had cleaned herself up, she hoisted her tired body out of the
bath, toweled herself dry, put on a robe and left the bath house to make
her way upstairs to the room she had rented.  She lit every candle in the
room and moved them all to the dressing table before digging through her
saddlebags for her spellbook.  Once she had completed a brief review of the
Malleable Visage spell, she looked into the mirror and made sure she had
thoroughly memorized her new facial illusion before canceling it.  Suddenly
Bellany Norwit stared back at her from the mirror as the illusion
disappeared.  It was time for Bellany to disappear for good, or at least to
retire for the foreseeable future.  She began casting Malleable Visage. 
After several unsuccessful attempts she got the spell to work and let her
face shift back to its true form.  Instead of staring into the mirror at
Bellany she now beheld Brianna.  It was funny.  She knew that she was
Brianna, but she was so used to being Bellany it felt a bit strange to look
at her true self.

   She thought about continuing to use her facial illusion in front of the
Daelraths in public while revealing her true identity to Baron Daelrath or
one of the knights she knew.  On the surface it seemed like a good plan. 
The Daelraths knew her and they would no doubt agree to take her to Rath
Keep.  She could then help the Baron by using her skills until she could be
reunited with Kroz and Karmoz - the characters Thane and Rames played when
they were re-supplying Daelrath with glyphed arrows for use against the
trolls.

   She had spent a little time with the Daelraths in the past, but always
under the watchful eye of Karmoz, the Baron or one of the knights of
Daelrath that she had come to know.  She had a vague recollection of Thane
warning her that Daelrath was once heavily under the influence of Avengene.
Since the Avengenes knew she might occasionally visit the Daelraths, it
would not be surprising if they were to send an assassin to infiltrate the
keep and lie in wait for her.  If they suspected that she was behind the
failure of Leland's plot, they would have yet another good reason to kill
her.  There was no doubt in her mind that the safest course of action was
to obtain employment at Rath Keep without revealing her true identity to
anyone.

   She considered using the facial illusion temporarily.  That way she
could get some sleep and create her new face with Malleable Visage later.
She dismissed the idea.  Even the fairly sophisticated facial illusions
from the shape-shifting book did not always hold up under intense sunlight,
and they did not always move quite right when a person made faces or
expressed emotion.  They also did not bruise and mud did not stick to them.
An illusion simply would not hold up under sustained scrutiny.

   Brianna released a bit of energy from her reserves into her tired mind
and began working on her new face - the face of Herbalist Celena.  For the
first hour she could not get it right.  In the end she willed her features
to return to those of Brianna rather than allowing them to solidify into a
flawed form.  The only thing she had got just the way she had wanted it was
the strawberry blonde hair.  She had been able to imbue it with a rich
waviness that she thought looked quite captivating.  She left her new hair
as it was when she otherwise returned to her true form for a few moments to
collect herself.  _How am I going to make this work?_ Suddenly the energy
bouncing around in her mind recalled a solid idea, an idea that she had
read about in her book on illusion and shape-shifting.

   She cast a variant of the facial illusion that she had worn to the inn
for use as a template.  This time she put less power into it so that the
image was transparent, as if the ghost of Celena were occupying the same
space as Brianna was.  Rather than using shading to fool the eye, Brianna
allowed parts of her face to obscure the illusory visualization of Celena's
face even as parts of the illusion of Celena's face obscured Brianna's. 
Once she had the illusion just the way she wanted it, she completed the
spell.  She used the extended duration enhancement with the spell, since
she was not sure that she would be able to get her face just right before
the regular spell duration lapsed.

   Brianna then cast her Malleable Visage spell and began working on
changing her face to that of Celena.  The facial illusion now defined the
precise contours Brianna's new face was to take while still allowing her to
see the current shape of her flesh.  This allowed her to concentrate fully
on moving and shaping her flesh instead of splitting her focus between
shaping and composing the face to be created.  Nevertheless, a lot of the
work was guided by the sense for shape shifting that she had inherited from
the lust spirit.  She could not help but conclude that were it not for
Vulvilea's influence, it would have taken her years to learn to safely make
even the simplest alterations to her face without disconnecting muscles or
something equally tragic.  The example of shifting from Bellany to Brianna
and back had taught her that all elements of the face must remain.  Sizing
and positioning of various elements required relatively minor adjustments
to change her look.

   In spite of the illusionary template, Brianna strained hour after hour,
focusing relentlessly on getting the form and texture of the new face
perfect.  After several hours of work, the lighting in the room improved as
the sun rose and light streamed in through the windows.  She realized the
Daelraths were now probably downstairs eating breakfast, but she was in a
bit of a bind.  She could not go down to greet them with no face.  If they
left before she finished she would simply have to pursue them.  After
several more hours of work she felt she had the muscles, contours and
textures just the way she wanted them.  She was about to apply the duration
extending element when she realized that her voice would also have to be
changed.  Thankfully she had a feel for Bellany's vocal apparatus.  She had
little experience with creating the forms that produced voice, but she
thought of a work-around.  She merely shifted her vocal apparatus towards
what Bellany's had been.  She tried variation after variation, shifting her
interior forms from Brianna to Bellany with an added twist or tightness
until she had a clear voice that she felt had a light, lyrical quality that
somehow seemed right for her new look.

   At last Brianna finished casting Malleable Visage with extended duration
and then she canceled her illusion.  When she let her concentration lapse
she realized how profoundly exhausted she was.  She allowed herself a brief
smile as she looked in the mirror at the spellbinding face of young Celena.
"Finally!" She half mumbled to herself as she stumbled to the bed and
collapsed.  Her head had barely hit the pillow before she fell asleep.
-------

   "Miss Celena!  Miss Celena, wake up!  Are you all right missy!?"

   Celena felt hands on her shoulders.  Someone was shaking her.  Hadn't
she just fallen asleep a few minutes ago?  How had they got into her room?
Her eyes fluttered open.  She was looking into the face of a maid.

   "We let ye sleep several hours past the normal checkout time since ye
got in so late and since we had plenty of other rooms ta clean.  With the
Daelraths staying last night, most of our rooms were occupied.  Otherwise
we'd 'ave woke ye long afore now.  We tried poundin' on yer door, but ye
were sleepin' like the dead.  The manager sent me in ta wake ye.  It is
well past lunchtime.  If ye want to sleep more, ye'll have ta pay for
another night!"

   "Oh goodness, what time is it?" Celena asked.

   "Ye sound different, Ma'am."

   Celena blinked.  "Oh, that's to be expected.  I am a little groggy at
the moment.  I am so sorry I overslept.  Have the Daelraths left?"

   "They had breakfast and left first thing this morning, long hours ago,
Miss Celena."

   "Drat!  I've missed seeing them in their finery, their coach and their
horses.  Where must they be now?"

   "They were headed north into the Barony of Daelrath, as ye might 'ave
expected.  I'm sure they're 'alf way ta Springville by now."

   "Springville?  I thought the Baron lived at Rath Keep?"

   "He does, but the country in the Barony of Daelrath is rough, and the
roads, when there are any, are not well-traveled.  I doubt anyone could
make it all the way to Rath Keep in a coach before nightfall.  I am pretty
sure I heard them say they were spending a night in Springville before they
press on to Rath Keep tomorrow morning."

   "Yes, I suppose that makes sense.  I am so sorry I failed to wake up."
Bellany rummaged in her purse and slipped three silver pieces to the maid.
"I will be down shortly.  Do you think you could use some of that coin to
get someone to pack me some sort of lunch for the road?  I am afraid I
missed breakfast."

   "Yes, thank you Miss Celena.  I'll see to it."

   It took Celena only a few minutes to gather her possessions and head
downstairs.  Since her lunch was not yet prepared she went to the barn to
saddle Starstruck.  Her stallion snorted and sniffed her all over as she
entered his stall, even though he had seen her wearing the Celena illusion
last night.  Apparently she smelled the same as she had as Bellany. 
Starstruck began nuzzling her cheek and ear once he had thoroughly
inspected her.  Celena kissed her stallion's nose and then checked him for
any infirmities, but he was healthy and in good spirits.

   After saddling her mount, she took him out into the yard to check his
coat, to make sure she had not missed any spots.  She was underneath him
casting Tone Hair when she heard the hooves of approaching horses.  She
scarcely had time to finish her spell and get out from under her horse
before two riders rounded the hedge, thundered into the yard and reined
their horses in to talk to her.

   "Excuse me, Milady, I wonder if I might ask ye a few questions?"

   Celena smiled pleasantly as she recognized the livery of Avengene worn
by the pair of soldiers.

   "I would be glad to answer your questions, but I doubt my answers will
prove useful unless you have questions about flowers.  This is a lovely
yard, isn't it?  Those plants there will produce lovely purple flowers, and
the plants themselves have medicinal properties."

   "Yes, they keep this yard up nicely for the guests, milady.  Might we
inquire if ye've seen a young lady about yer age?"

   "Certainly."

   "Hey that's the horse isn't it?" The second soldier said to the first as
he pointed at Starstruck.

   "Man how can ye call yerself a cavalryman?  Ye got the breed right, 'e's
an Andalusian, yes, but th' 'orse we're after is a black, not a bay, man."

   As the men scrutinized Celena's horse, she looked up at them and drew on
their lusts.  She hadn't seen any missed spots other than a small one
between Starstruck's rear legs, but a little distraction would keep the
soldiers from looking past the obvious.  She also got a certain perverse
satisfaction from tempting agents of the Vindicator.

   "Who are you looking for?" Celena asked with a sultry smile.

   The pause between Celena's question and the men's response was almost
comically long.

   "Uh hem, we're lookin' for Baronet Norwit's daughter...  Bellany.  She
ran off!  If ye find her there's a ten gold piece reward!"

   Celena smiled at the two soldiers as she caressed their lusts.  "I could
use that kind of money.  What does she look like?"

   "She's about yer size and build, but 'er hair is a much darker red than
yours and she 'as 'azel eyes.  We will be 'anding out posters soon, but
we're still waitin' on the printer.  I do 'ave a hasty sketch 'ere." The
solider pulled a sheet of parchment from his saddlebag.  The likeness was
not bad, although it was a bit rough.

   "Hmm, ten gold pieces you said?"

   "Aye."

   "The picture doesn't ring a bell...  How long has she been missing?"

   "Just since she ran off last night," the soldier replied.  "If ye do see
'er, we'll be leavin' an address at inns and restaurants in the area, an'
the Baronet'll pay any messenger a reasonable fee if ye send word of seein'
'er.  If yer word pans out and leads ta her recovery, ye'll get the
reward."

   "I will keep an eye out."

   "Thank ye, milady.  We'd best get on to speakin' with th' inn keep."

   "Good luck...  and good day gentlemen."

   Once the men were out of sight, Celena breathed a sigh of relief.  Darl
Norwit had been astute.  He had guessed his daughter had packed money and
assumed she might stay at an inn or eat at a restaurant or tavern, thus he
had dispatched men to such establishments ahead of the slower tracking
efforts, in an attempt to quickly recapture his daughter.

   Celena had fooled the soldiers for the moment, but if they had been
given a good description of Bellany's gear, they might shortly realize
that, although she rode a light bay horse, her dress and gear matched the
description of Bellany's.  She needed to make tracks.  She used the door
directly from the yard to the kitchen and got her lunch just as the cook
finished wrapping it.  After thanking him she made a hasty retreat to her
horse.  Celena headed south for a short while to confuse her trail before
doubling back on a patch of road that was exceptionally rocky.

   She then headed north while attempting to avoid the softer areas of the
dirt road.  The fresh wheel marks the Daelrath coach left in the road
wherever there was mud or sand would not be too difficult to follow.  She
approached the inn at a leisurely pace, so as not to bring suspicion on
herself should the soldiers emerge.  Thankfully, she passed the inn without
incident.  Once she had put a little distance between herself and the inn,
she urged Starstruck to a brisk canter and headed north in earnest.  She
regretted having to ride as hard as she had the night before, but needed to
put Bristol behind her.

   Celena was not on the road for more than a quarter hour before she heard
familiar croaking from a nearby tree.

   "Hello Nimbus!" Celena waved.

   The raven tilted his head and looked at her from a variety of different
angles before flying off.

   A few minutes later he swooped down and flew just over her head.

   Celena slowed and raised her left arm.

   Nimbus fluttered down and perched on her left wrist before rubbing his
head against her left palm.

   "Nimbus you are so astute!" Celena complimented.  "You recognized me in
spite of my new look!"

   Nimbus puffed up his plumage and replied, "Gwark, gwark pruk-pruk-pruk."

   After a brief moment of pride, Nimbus pecked at Celena's sleeve and
began complaining.

   "Na-na-na-ni-mrunglegrungle."

   Celena smiled and reached into her saddlebags.  She broke some bread and
meat from a sandwich in her packed lunch and offered it to Nimbus.  He
wolfed his food and then burst into the air and flew off.  Celena guessed
he flew off to find a stream for a drink after his meal.  She was confident
that he could catch up, now that he knew about her changed appearance.  She
urged Starstruck back to his previous pace and concentrated on putting more
distance between the Avengenes and herself.

   Only an hour or so later, Celena slowed as she came to the border
crossing between Daelrath and Bristol.  There was a cabin and a guard tower
enclosed in a high stockade fence on the Bristol side of the border.  A
short distance farther at the far end of the fence, there was a sturdy post
on each side of the road.  One of the posts was a signpost.  It read:
"Welcome to The Barony of Daelrath." Higher up the post was a sign pointing
south towards Rosehaven and another pointing north towards Springville.  As
she rode up, she smiled and waved at the soldier of Bristol manning the
tower.

   "Ho there!  Where might ye be going lass?" the soldier called down.

   "To Springville!" Celena called back up.

   "I'd advise against a young lady ridin' it alone, but if ye insist ye
better make tracks an' get there 'afore nightfall.  Ye got at least four
hours o' hard riding milady, 'an only three an' a half hours o' daylight.
Ye could ride right past the gate in the dark.  The road there is nothin'
more than a stream that runs through a canyon and a cave, ye know!"

   "Then I had better get moving if I am going to prove you wrong and make
it in three!"

   "That be a good plan!  It looks like ye've got enough horse fer th'
challenge, but ye better get those 'oofs on th' pave right away!" The
soldier waved her on.

   "Thank you soldier!" Celena called back.

   Celena urged Starstruck forward until he was moving at the familiar
brisk canter and then settled into his rhythm and her own thoughts for a
long ride.  She began to think about what she knew of Baron Daelrath and
how she might gain employment with the Baron without telling him who she
was.  Letting anyone know she was Brianna Barter so soon after having
foiled Reverend Leland's plot was definitely asking for trouble.  Thus, she
intended to avoid revealing her true identity at all costs, for if it
became known, she was sure that Lord Avengene would find out and send
assassins to kill her.

   She thought back to the time she had spent in the Barony of Daelrath and
went over the events that had transpired in her mind as she traveled.  The
Barony of Daelrath had once been a client state of Avengene.  She had
helped break that tie as Valkura, Necromancer Kroz' apprentice.  She had
later been discovered to be Brianna Barter, and the Baron was going to hand
her over to Lord Avengene.  While she was in Baron Daelrath's Dungeon, a
priest of the Vindicator named Vindictine raped the Baron's Daughter,
Bruhnhilda.  On the way to Rath Keep trolls attacked the party sent by Lord
Avengene to retrieve Brianna for execution.

   Baron Daelrath reluctantly sent Brianna with what was left of the party
because he had given Avengene his word that he would.  He did not spare
many men to help them make the trip, however, and he sent the priest that
had violated his daughter with them in chains and bid them tell Lord
Avengene that the priests of the Vindicator were no longer welcome in
Daelrath.

   On the way back to Avengene, trolls had destroyed the party that was
taking her to Avengene.  Brianna escaped the trolls and backtracked to
catch up with the escort from Daelrath, thanks in part to the Daelrath
mount she was riding.  Once she caught up with them she recounted the
attack of the trolls.  Baron Daelrath had faithfully sent Brianna to
Avengene, but Lord Avengene's men had failed to deliver her.  Accordingly,
Lord Daelrath felt his word of honor had been satisfied.  When Brianna came
back to him he pardoned her as he now felt that Reverend Evangeline had
raped and tortured Brianna and had got exactly what he deserved.  Later
Brianna found out that Thane, also known as Kroz, had rounded up some
trolls and staged the attacks to chase the forces of Avengene out of
Daelrath and to rescue her.  The Barony of Bristol now helped support the
frontier Barony of Daelrath in Avengene's place, but Celena was pretty sure
that Baron Daelrath had not allowed himself to depend on Bristol as heavily
as he had once depended on Avengene.

   Baron Daelrath and his men worshipped Virtusar, the god of war.  Thane,
acting as Necromancer Kroz, had given Baron Daelrath a long list of
addresses for temples of Virtusar throughout the kingdom.  It was his hope
that Lord Daelrath could recruit a healing priest of Virtusar to replace
the priest of the Vindicator that the Baron had thrown out.  Kroz also
began selling healing potions and glyphed arrows to Baron Daelrath to help
bolster his defenses against the trolls.  Celena was certain that the baron
had eventually found a priest of Virtusar, but she had never met him.  She
knew little about the god of war other than he was said to be the greatest
warrior amongst the gods, and she also knew that Virtusar had tireless
concubines because Sir Coshus had compared her to one.  She regretted not
having studied the god of war at Vargrend's, but there was nothing for it.

   About two and a half hours into the trip Celena slowed her pace.  The
terrain had been growing progressively rougher during the past hour or so.
What little soil there was was very poor and often eroded so badly as to
lay the bedrock bare.  Celena conjectured that the terrain was the work of
some forgotten stream or glacier.  The wheel marks of the Daelrath coach
had become increasingly fresh as she gained ground on them, but they were
faint and infrequent due to the dried clay paves and stony surfaces of the
road.  Celena was mindful to stay away from any sand or mud in the road, as
she wanted to make herself very difficult to track.  She got the feeling
that the road might suddenly turn into a river during hard rains.  With
that thought in mind, she decided to speed up whenever she was in a canyon
that would prevent the Daelrath coach from heading off in some unforeseen
direction.  During one such burst of speed the road diverged in two
different directions.  One fork seemed to head right into a stream bed, and
the other headed over a hillock and then out over a plain that seemed to
consist primarily of numerous small hills, gravel, stunted pine trees and
boulders.

   Celena followed the road over the hillock and continued onwards for a
few minutes before realizing that she had not seen anything resembling the
marks of a coach wheel.  The sun was beginning to set, and although the
colors were beautiful, Celena knew the day was nearly over.  She decided to
go back to the intersection while she was still very close to it.  She
reasoned that there might be mud near the watercourse she had seen and if
the coach had driven in that direction there would be marks.  After
returning to the fork she had passed, she found what she was looking for -
two furrows left by coach wheels in a mixture of sand and gravel on the
edge of the stream.  She proceeded up the stream following the furrows,
soon noting that the canyon around her became taller and narrower with
every step.

   As she rode, she realized that Springville could not be far and she
would soon catch up with the Daelraths.  Celena petted the brown neck of
her stallion.  She knew she would need to cast Tone Hair on him every day
or so to keep him from getting black roots.  She worried about what would
happen if she were magically exhausted when it came time to cast, and
wondered if Bruhnhilda would recognize Starstruck or Bellany's riding
dress. It was possible that Bruhnhilda knew what Bellany's stallion looked
like from the school stables, even though she had never gone riding with
Bruhnhilda.  Celena dismounted and returned Starstruck's coat to its
original black.  She felt certain that, in the long run, someone would see
through the disguise.  Baron Daelrath was a very lawful man and he would
not take kindly to a horse thief taking up residence in his keep.

   Instead of covering her stallion's appearance, Celena decided that she
would just have to pretend that she had purchased Starstruck from a young
woman who had desperately needed a fresh horse.  Towards that end she took
up the blank book from her saddlebag and hastily wrote out a bill of sale
of sorts in Bellany's script.  The transaction was for a swapping of
possessions, but the most detail concerned her stallion since he carried
the greatest value.  She made sure to list the Stallion's previous owners
as Bellany Norwit, James Jordell, Darl Norwit, and a priest of Mortaebius
in Rosehaven.  She did not want there to be any chance that Darl Norwit
would eventually get her stallion through legal wrangling.  Jamie had
legally purchased Starstruck before gifting him to Bellany.  He was
Bellany's to sell to Celena.  Darl could not claim to be the owner, or even
the owner previous to Bellany.  Once Celena was satisfied with her
stallion's situation, she looked up at what little of the sky she could see
above the canyon walls.  It was getting dark.  She cast life vision first
on herself and then on Starstruck, before remounting and continuing on her
way.

   At about the time the canyon turned into a cavern she saw a huge bronze
portcullis barring the way forward.  Behind the portcullis on each side of
the stream were stone buildings pierced with multiple arrow slits.  On one
of these buildings there was a sign that read "Springville Gate." Celena
could feel several archers caressing her with their eyes from behind a few
of the arrow slits. -------

   A soldier of Daelrath came out of one of the buildings and spoke,
"Heheh, yer horse seems jus' a might winded, milady.  Could it be that ye
were racin' th' sun?"

   Celena smiled as she pulled up to the portcullis.  "That certainly was
the case!  Good evening, Sergeant, is it?"

   "Yes, Sergeant Vale it is, Miss ah..."

   "Celena is my name, Sergeant Vale." Celena smiled.  "I am afraid I am
guilty of travel on impulse, but fortune has smiled upon me thus far.  I
hope it is fate speaking and not mere happenstance.  Earlier today I
visited an inn called Sunny Hallow and heard that the Daelrath coach had
been through.  I decided that I should make my way to Daelrath.  I thought
perhaps the baron might have medical work for me.  I have been racing to
find Baron Daelrath ever since."

   "Well met, Miss Celena!  Ye may make it yet!  Rath Keep is the kind o'
fort where fightin' men see battle with trolls an' get wounded or worse! 
Th' Baron lives there.  He an' 'is men came through 'ere a few hours back,
an' I expect they'll be headin' on ta Rath Keep tomorrow or th' next day.
Come on through.  'ave ye got a torch or lantern?  Ye're goin' ta need one
ta get through th' cavern."

   Celena wrinkled her nose as she realized that the one thing she had not
packed was a light source, since she really did not need one.

   "Don't worry, I have good night vision, and if I cannot make it through
on that alone I can light a candle.  Is the way through the cavern well
marked?"

   "Aye, it be simple enough, ye jus' keep headin' upstream as' ye did ta
get ta the gate 'ere.  Once ye leave the cavern, jus' keep followin' the
stream.  It's flowin' down from Springville pond, see.  Keep goin' north
till ye get near Springville pond, then ye'll be headin' some combination
o' north an' west along the shore th' whole way ta town.  Ta get ta th'
Baron's place ye'll keep followin' th' shore north outa town and east some,
once ye start roundin' the pond.  The path'll take ye around th' west an'
north sides o' Springville pond and then north alongside the stream that
runs down ta th' pond from th' springs.  The springs are on th' Baron's
land.  Once ye're past th' pond an' followin' th' stream, jus' keep yer
eyes peeled for th' big ol' stone farmhouse.  Gunther Bower an' 'is clan
runs th' farm fer th' baron.  That's where 'e'll be stayin'.  It's getting'
dark so ye may be tempted ta meet with th' Baron tomorrow, but when 'e goes
'e leaves a bit 'afore dawn, so don't let 'im give ye th' slip!

   "If ye'll be wantin' ta find some lodgin' I imagine a respectable lady
might stay with Misses Katherine Harrell, over next ta th' little town
library.  She takes in the occasional boarder of the female persuasion. 
Most of the traffic we see 'ereabouts is tradesmen comin' up with goods
from Bristol.  They usually stay up over th' Springville Tavern.  It's not
a quiet place at night, what with me rowdy men stoppin' in for ales, but
they got a few rooms with beds an' a bath shed out back."

   "Thank you, Sergeant.  I may call on Misses Harrell, unless I find I'm
in the mood for an ale." Celena smiled conspiratorially and waved as she
headed into the cavern.

   "Ho, milady, I wouldn't say that so close to the garrison house. 
There'll be a mob o' soldiers at the tavern tonight!" Sergeant Vale called
after her with laughter in his voice.

   Celena rode through the cavern at her usual brisk canter.  Obviously
light was not an issue, since she had already cast Life Vision as it
started to get dark.  She simply followed the stream as Sergeant Vale had
bid her, and was soon leaving the cavern.

   As she exited the cavern into a hidden valley, she could still see light
on the western horizon.  She rode up a hill near the cavern exit so she
could get a look around.  The valley was fairly large.  Rock cliffs and
very steep stony hills bordered it.  In the center of the valley was a
lake. Most of the valley looked to be under cultivation, but there were
still areas of forest here and there, particularly around the perimeter. 
Celena made her way north to the shore of Springville Pond.  It was a bit
large to be called a pond, being about the size of Emerald Lake. 
Starstruck moved rapidly down the path that ran along near the lakeshore
toward the town of Springville.

   Soon she rode into Springville.  It was a small town that consisted of a
tavern, a guard post, a smithy, a few shops, a cluster of farmhouses and a
few small temples.  The temple of Mortaebius sat between the temple of
Virtusar and the temple of Nurtriste, goddess of agriculture.  Celena
supposed this made good sense, because the temple of Mortaebius probably
handled funerals and most of the people who died in this area were probably
farmers and soldiers.  Apparently there had once been a temple of the
Vindicator in Springville as well.  She saw a building that looked the
part, but the sign on it read: "Springville Library."

   She brought Starstruck to a stop and then abruptly turned as she saw
movement from the corner of her eye.  Starstruck reared up, whinnied and
pawed the air as he responded to Celena's abrupt nudge ordering him to
turn. Starstruck turned on his rear hooves and then dropped back on all
fours.  Celena smiled.  The movement she had seen was Nimbus landing on the
roof of the temple of Mortaebius.  Celena jumped down from Starstruck's
back with a thud and took a few steps towards Nimbus with her left arm
cocked over her head.  Starstruck followed her, nuzzling the back of her
neck.

   Her attention was diverted for a few minutes as she watched Nimbus take
off from the roof of the temple of Mortaebius.  "Croaak, Croaak!" He called
as he circled around to her before landing on her arm.  When she brought
her gaze back down to street level she was surprised to see two men, one
dressed in black robes and carrying a funerary lantern, who came from the
temple of Mortaebius on her left, and the other dressed in soldierly attire
and carrying a rugged storm lantern, who came down the walkway from the
tall, fortress-like temple of Virtusar.

   "Good evening, Guardian Grailings.  It's after dark.  What has brought
you out of your crypt?" the priest of Virtusar asked the priest of
Mortaebius with a chuckle.

   "Good evening, Vicar Royce.  I keep my ear out for omens.  I heard the
call of this raven very near the temple of Mortaebius.  What about you,
Reg?"

   "Omens it is.  I could swear I heard the battle cry of a warhorse, and I
am seldom mistaken about such things, Mort."

   "You two know each other?" Celena asked.

   "Of course, it's a small town," Guardian Grailings replied.

   "Are war and death ever far apart?" Vicar Royce jabbed Guardian
Grailings in the ribs with his elbow as they both chuckled.

   Celena smiled as she looked from one priest to another.  "Do you think
you clergymen could help me?"

   "You've certainly got our attention, Miss.  Your warhorse did call out,
and I don't think I've ever seen a raven that big in my life!  Is he a
pet?" Vicar Royce asked.

   "He's wild, but he knows the value of a free meal."

   At that moment Nimbus rubbed his head on Celena's left palm.  Mortimer
raised an eyebrow.  "He seems to like you.  Have you named him?"

   Celena thought better of calling Nimbus by his original name.  She did
not want to take a chance that someone might recognize his name from her
days at Vargrend's.  Instead she decided on a similar sounding name that
her raven might still answer to.

   "The raven's name is Cindus."

   "He is quite handsome.  Even given the free meals, you must have a way
with animals," Guardian Grailings observed.

   "How did a young lady come by a warhorse and how is it that you know how
to ride him?" Vicar Royce asked.

   "That is a story in itself, but let me start at the beginning." Celena
paused for just a moment before coming up with a shred of background that
might fit her manner of speech.  "I come from a family of healers.  We fled
Avengene when the priests of the Vindicator started rounding up their
rivals."

   "You don't say?  You know I was a mercenary in Avengene years ago,"
Vicar Royce confided, his eyes glazing slightly at the rush of memories. 
"There was a healer who lived in what is now west Central Avengene.  She
had a few whelps around.  I never paid much attention to 'em, but you look
a little familiar.  It could be I saw you as a child.  You're just about
the right age to be her granddaughter.  Her name was Crystal Medea, any
relation of yours?" A look of fierce sadness came over Reginald Royce's
face as he finished speaking.

   Celena paused because Nimbus, or Cindus as she was now calling him, took
wing and flew back to the roof of the temple of Mortaebius, where he began
to preen his feathers.

   "Crystal Medea was my grandmother, but the Avengenes took her, I barely
escaped to Bristol."

   "Yes, I know what the Avengenes did to Crystal and I will never forgive
them for that!  Damned priests of the Vindicator!  Crystal Medea never hurt
a fly and she was a damn good healer!  She had pluck too.  She had to.  She
dealt with a lot of wounded mercenaries!"

   "After Avengene we moved around some..." Celena paused as she cradled
her forehead in her left hand.  She needed an identity and Vicar Royce was
helping to volunteer one, but she was worried that she might get it wrong
or that he might test her by deliberately communicating faulty information
to see if she corrected him.  If she slipped up he would realize that she
was lying and would probably stop helping her altogether.  Suddenly she
felt the brief presence of Morteabius' power and a dark shape formed in her
mind.  It was the ghost of a young woman and she began to speak. 
Dream-like images from the ghost's mind flitted eerily across the backs of
Celena's eyelids.  Celena latched onto the dead woman's story and began to
tell it.

   "In Bristol it was just my father and I - my mother and the other kids
didn't make it.  When the Avengenes came I was out gathering herbs for
grandmother.  Father sent the others with mother and came after me.  That
was the only reason we got away.  After we fled, Father was working as a
farm hand just inside Bristol.  He made a few forays over the border to try
to find more of our family members, but they were gone.  I remember some
mercenaries coming to the farm.  They said they were what was left of a
unit of The Crescent Blades, a mercenary company out of the Barony of
Carnarvon.  They had responded to an advertisement placed by Lord Avengene.
He needed mercenaries for an offensive against the orcs last fall.

   "The Crescent Blades became the advance horsemen for a unit of Avengene
infantry.  Lord Avengene sent them into a hot spot of orc activity.  The
mercenary company rode into a trap and was ambushed.  A small sea of orc
warriors soon surrounded them.  The mercenaries fought a pitched battle. 
By the time the Avengene regulars caught up with the horsemen and pushed
the orc front line back, only a few of the Crescent Blades remained.

   "The surviving Crescent Blades fled Avengene because they felt that
Avengene's general had treated their company as if they were expendable. 
They were also fed up with the poor care they were getting from the
Avengene leeches.  They were obviously at the bottom of the list of medical
priorities.  They had intended to go to Rosehaven, but by the time they
crossed the border into Bristol one of them was doing so poorly that they
had to sling him over his horse's back.  They talked to some farm hands on
the road from Avengene and found out that the granddaughter of Crystal
Medea lived nearby.  When they first came to see me, the Crescent Blades
had six horses between them, but they did not have a lot of money.  Lord
Avengene refused to pay them for their entire tour of duty since they no
longer had the numbers to fulfill their contract."

   "Marquis Avengene certainly knows how to be a ruthless son of a bitch
when he wants to be!  He was using those Crescent Blades as throwaway
soldiers.  Back when he really needed us he treated his mercenaries
better," Vicar Royce grumbled.

   "The one named Luke was wounded very badly.  I did what I could for him,
but his wounds had become infected and he did not last the night.  The orcs
had shattered Jasper's left leg and he had some other fairly serious
surface wounds.  Jud's right arm was in a sling, but he was in the best
shape of the three.  Jud gave one of the Crescent Blade horses to the
farmer that my father worked for in exchange for boarding their other
horses and providing a farm hand's cabin for the mercenaries to stay in
while they were receiving treatment.  Their cabin was not far from the one
I lived in with my father.  Jud really liked me and he let me pick out one
of the horses in exchange for the care I was providing.  He started
teaching me to ride it during the late fall, the winter and the spring that
followed.

   "Jud's arm mended and he mostly just helped me take care of Jasper and
took me riding.  My dad didn't like Jud much, but I tried to convince him
that Jud always behaved like a gentleman." Celena smiled, "Which he did
except when I didn't want him to.  Anyhow, warhorses are worth a lot of
money, so dad put up with Jud for quite a while, but late in the spring dad
caught us in the barn together.  He was so mad he grabbed a scythe.  I
tried to get between them, but all I managed to do was get in the way of my
father's scythe.  I got a deep cut behind my knee.  My attempted
intervention slowed dad down, and gave Jud enough time to run for a
pitchfork.

   "Dad managed to cut Jud horribly as he reached for the weapon, but he
had no business attacking a soldier!" Celena sobbed as she was carried away
by the emotions of the ghost in her mind.  "Before Jud went down he stabbed
my father right through the chest with the pitchfork.  I tried to save them
both, but the wounds were just too deep.  There was blood everywhere!  I
shredded my dress making bandages, even though I knew there was little
chance of them helping.  It didn't take long before they were both dead. 
After that I realized I had forgotten my leg wound.  I tried to put a
bandage on it but I was clumsy.  I tried to ride to the farmhouse for help,
but I was so dizzy I blacked out and wound up in the woods!  At some point
I fell off my horse."

   Celena saw through ghost's eyes as her body tumbled from her mount.  Her
perspective changed and she looked down on her body from above.  The face
was familiar.  Celena's current face looked similar to the ghost's, but
every minor flaw had been erased and a few modifications had been made to
enhance her beauty.  It was almost as if she had died, only to rise again
in a perfected state.  The resemblance faded as time for the body in the
vision accelerated.  The body bled out, crows and insects devoured it and
what was left in the end was a set of weathered bones.

   Celena jerked her left hand away from her forehead.  She felt shaken,
and when she realized that both priests were staring at her she nearly
panicked, but she reined in her fear and put her mind back to work. 
Mortaebius and Bellany had helped her this way when she had taken Bellany's
identity, but she had been too confused about her identity at the time to
realize just what they were doing.  There was nothing to be afraid of.  She
needed to focus on the conversation at hand and fix the last part of the
story.  The horse in the vision from the ghost was neither black, nor
Andalusian, and the young woman had died.

   "When I woke up it seemed like I had slept for days, and all I wanted to
do was get a drink of water and just go.  I found my bay horse in a nearby
meadow, but I couldn't bear to go back to the farm.  I just rode out of
there and lived off the land while I tried to get my head together.  Late
last night I was riding aimlessly when I finally decided to take hold of my
life again.  I booked a room at the Sunny Hallow inn and got a hot bath. 
It was wonderful!  I overslept horribly, but the maid who woke me said the
Daelraths had come through and I realized that I might be able to get real
work with them.  That morning, while I was taking a look at my horse in the
yard of the inn, two soldiers from Avengene accosted me.  They did not seem
to know me, and they seemed to be in a hurry, so I just played it cool.  I
acted interested in what they had to say.  They were looking for Baronet
Norwit's daughter, Bellany.

   "Less than an hour after I left the inn I met Lady Norwit on the road.
Her horse was sorely winded, but she was desperate to go on.  She said that
there were men from Avengene after her, and I knew she was right. 
Naturally, I had to help her since I had once been in that same position
myself.  I told her where the soldiers were the last time I saw them and
how they would no doubt be checking inns, taverns and restaurants
throughout Bristol.  She wanted to trade clothing and mounts.  I hesitated
at first, but she kept offering me more money and possessions.  It took me
a minute, but finally I agreed to the trade.  She insisted that her black
stallion was worth more than my bay warhorse.  My horse was not so
different from hers, so I figured he must be worth about the same.  Did I
mess up?"

   "I seriously doubt that ma'am.  I don't know what breed of horse you had
before, but I'm guessing it was a typical cavalry horse from the stables of
the Crescent Blades, but even if it was a bay Andalusian similar to this
one, black is the more rare of the two colors and is more valuable.  You
definitely took a step up!  Horses like this one don't come cheap.  Did the
young lady write out any kind of receipt for you?" Reginald asked.

   "She did, but I would have to go through my things to find it.  It's in
a blank book."

   "Normally I would recommend that you take it by and show it at the guard
post in the morning, but I would save it for your interview with the baron.
I am betting Lord Norwit would want to question you and to get his
daughter's things back if he knew who you were, but if you traded for them
then you own them and that's that.  You have the best reason in the world
not to want to talk to Baronet Norwit or set foot in Avengene.  As far as
I'm concerned Norwit can stew.  I don't blame his daughter for running, and
the Avengenes are no allies of ours!"

   "I'll bet she didn't like the straight jacket the priests of the
Vindicator keep the Avengene women in.  I hope she gets away!" Guardian
Grailings laughed.

   "She seemed old enough to be her own woman.  She didn't say where she
was heading, but I hope she gets there," Celena affirmed.

   "So you are Celena Medea!" Reginald Royce exclaimed.

   "How did you know my name was Celena?" Celena asked with a note of
confusion in her voice.  She was sure she had never used the name since she
had been letting the vicar lead the conversation.

   "I am Springville's priest of Virtusar!  I know the entire garrison and
they like to talk.  A guy I know named Knar heard your story from some
soldiers down in Bristol at the Broasted Ox Inn.  He knew that I used to
know Crystal Medea - so did Baron Daelrath, actually.  She was a damned
good healer!  Anyhow, that's why I know about what happened at that farm.
Two confirmed dead and one presumed dead by the blood trail she left.  That
blood was yours.  You shed quite a bit of it, but the trail lightened up
after a while.  They thought that was because you were bleeding out, but it
may be you tightened your bandage at some point.  They might have found
you, but by the time they realized what must have happened time and a spot
of heavy rain had rendered the trail too faint for the farmer's dogs to
follow.  Reasonably enough, they presumed that you were dead.

   "Obviously they got the death part wrong.  They never did find the body.
It warms my hart to know that you are still alive, Miss Celena Medea!  That
is cause for celebration!  The rest of the story Knar told me is exactly
what I just heard from you, only your tale is enriched with more details. I
knew the mercenary boys were Crescent Blades though.  The Blades are an
excellent company.  I served with them back in the day, so did Baron
Daelrath!  The company has been around for quite some time.  Their training
facility is in Carnarvon like you said, and they hire groups of their young
men out every year.

   "What is it you need help with, Miss Medea?  I'd be glad to do what I
can for you.  I had a great deal of respect for your grandmother.  She
mended my right arm, among other things."

   "I want to learn more about Virtusar.  Jud and Jasper taught me quite a
bit, but I have no way of knowing how accurate they were.  Jud used to say
I was like a concubine of Virtusar.  Is that some kind of a priestess?"

   Vicar Reginald Royce chuckled and raised an eyebrow.  "The actual
concubines of Virtusar see to the war god's manly needs, and there is also
an order of priestesses of Virtusar called the Concubines of Virtusar. 
What Jud probably meant was that you are a very beautiful and athletic
woman.  You see, Virtusar is a very virile god with incredible staying
power!  A normal woman could never keep up with him!  His concubines have
more beauty, lust and endurance than any earthly woman could hope for. 
Members of the order of priestesses named after the concubines usually
serve as garrison courtesans.  They keep men cooped up in fortresses from
climbing the walls or puncturing each other's butts!

   "Baron Daelrath doesn't believe in keeping concubines of Virtusar, but
his views about such things are similar to those held by the Avengenes.  I
think that might have something to do with him wanting to shelter his
daughter from the worst of military life.  When he was a young man, he had
a favorable opinion of loose women, but he was always a man of principle.
Once he knew how the business usually worked he was never one for whoring.
He refused to feed the greed of the men that enslaved or coerced women into
selling sex.  I happen to know Sir Coshus would love to have a concubine of
Virtusar at Rath Keep, but the Baron won't have it."

   "I think Jud was just complimenting me by comparing me to the
concubines. I know it's silly, but I dreamt about becoming one while I was
unconscious from blood loss in the forest.  When I woke up I was so addled
I thought I was a concubine of Virtusar.  I wonder if my dream about them
was even accurate, and it would not hurt to check out whether the things
Jud and Jasper taught me were correct."

   "Heheh, you think Jud was prone to embellishment, do you?" Reginald
asked.

   Celena sighed.  "Yes, I do have my suspicions.  Anyhow, if I could
impose upon you to let me look at any books you might have on Virtusar,
perhaps I could separate fact from fancy and dream from reality.  I also
have an ulterior motive.  I want to interview with Baron Daelrath for a
healer's job and I don't want to put my foot in my mouth."

   "You're going for an interview as a healer?" Vicar Royce asked.

   "Yes, I want to make a living as a healer.  I am pretty good, although I
could use more training."

   "Baron Daelrath has a leech and priest of Virtusar up at Rath Keep named
Vicar Fryske.  We call him Vicar Frisky in front of the ladies just to
watch him blush.  He's a great kid.  I like him!  He is a trained
physician, a full priest, and he can even call down a little healing magic
from Virtusar.  That is a special ability that I only wish I had!  He's a
very talented young man.  He is a little green, having just got out of the
seminary, but you could do a lot worse than to work under him."

   "Does the church of Virtusar have lay priests or deacons or anything
like that?"

   "Of course we do.  They are called the Champions of Virtusar," Reginald
Royce confirmed.

   "Is there a test?" Celena asked.

   "Yes, we have a test.  I see where you are going with this.  If you were
a champion of Virtusar it would look very good for your interview."

   "Do you think it's possible for me to learn enough to become one in time
for an interview with the Baron?"

   "That depends on how many days the Baron spends conducting business
here, how much you know already, and how quickly you study.  It is
certainly worth a shot!  I have a spare room you can stay in and a stall
for your horse if you don't mind being seen with a man," Vicar Royce
suggested.

   "That would be wonderful!"

   "It's the least I can do for a granddaughter of Crystal Medea.  I've
heard that the Baron is only staying a day or two, but some of his knights
are bound to be at the tavern tonight.  If you'll take a late dinner break
from your studies in a couple of hours, perhaps I can get us a more
accurate estimation of how much time we have.  I have a few things to take
care of first.  Let's get you started studying.  I hope you can pass the
test.  I will write you a recommendation as well, or deliver one in
person."

   "Thank you, Vicar Royce!" Celena beamed.

   "I guess Vicar Royce has you all taken care of then, does he young
lady?" Guardian Grailings asked.

   "More or less, but there are a couple of dead men I would like to
remember as they were before their tragic fight.  May I drop over and pay
my respects in the temple of Mortaebius sometime soon?"

   "Of course you may.  I think that is a healthy thing to do, young lady.
You have suffered a horrible trauma.  I cannot imagine how you must feel
after losing your father and your boyfriend in one tragic altercation!  The
loss and heartbreak would be unimaginable!"

   "Conflict can temper a soul or break it!  It is much the same with brine
water and swords.  Time is wasting!  Come this way young lady.  Let's get
your stallion in a stall and I'll get you situated with your room and the
temple library before I get back to writing this week's rousing warrior
sermon!  I suspect Mortimer needs to get back to creating his funeral dirge
as well." Vicar Royce chuckled.

   "That I do, the dead have infinite patience; nevertheless, they put up
quite a stink if you let their arrangements slide for too long."

   Celena grinned, waved at the guardian and followed Vicar Royce, who had
already started down the path.  The temple of Virtusar had a considerable
stable behind it, with its own driveway.

   "You can put your stallion right here next to my old nag.  He'll make
her feel ten years younger!  Tack goes in the tack room over here.  I lock
that up, just in case any of the drifters that come through town get any
ideas."

   Celena removed Starstruck's bridle and saddle and put them in the tack
room.  She shouldered her saddlebags and then followed Vicar Royce into the
temple.

   "Would you fancy a hot bath?  I could put some water on.  It should be
ready by the time we are due to prepare ourselves for the walk to the
Springville Tavern."

   "Thank you Vicar Royce, I feel like I am caked with road dust."

   "Heheh, you are, but I've seen a lot worse, young lady."

   "You can call me Celena if you like, or Miss Medea in public."

   "I'll do that, Celena.  Vicar is fine for me unless there's another
priest of Virtusar in town, and that's not likely because Rath Keep would
become a troll lair if Vicar Fryske left it for a few days."

   "Are things really that bad up there?" Celena asked.

   "It's been a rough year for Baron Daelrath.  Apparently the giants moved
westward and that left the local troll population with people as their only
real enemies.  Thank Virtusar the baron hired Nick Stonewright after the
idiot got himself black-listed.

   "How did he get himself black-listed?"

   "Apparently he felt his master was cutting corners on one of Baron
Bristol's barbicans and he called him on it.  A fight erupted and Nick
flattened his master with a couple blows.  He didn't really win the fight
though.  Nick was just a bright commoner who rose rapidly through the ranks
of his master's company to become a journeyman mason, but his master is a
gentleman, so Nick caught hell.  He might as well have punched out his
career!  Baron Bristol allowed Baron Daelrath to hire Nick in spite of the
blacklisting because he knew Baron Daelrath could not afford to retain a
real master architect and mason.  Now that Nick calls the stonework shots
at Rath Keep he is as happy as a clam, even if the baron can't afford to
pay him what he's really worth.  He has done wonders for the Keep though.
The trolls would have cleaned the Baron's clock if it weren't for the
additional fortifications Nick and his crew have put in."

   The vicar led Celena through the door at the rear of his temple and down
a short corridor.

   "This is my guest room.  It's yours for a couple days while you train,
but if you want to try to pass the Champion test you're not likely to have
a lot of time to sleep in the bed.  You can leave your saddle bags in here
if you like."

   "I will be using my journal and pens," Celena reminded the vicar.  "You
can check my bags before I go to make sure nothing of yours rides out with
me."

   "I doubt that will be necessary, but I appreciate the gesture.  This way
to the library."

   The vicar motioned her to follow.  He led her into a room with high
bookshelves and a couple of small tables with chairs.

   "Make yourself at home.  I will take down a couple of the books that
give a good basic overview of the worship of Virtusar." The vicar perused
the shelves and pulled one book and then another.  "This book gives the
best summary of the worship of Virtusar today.  This one is not as
succinct, but it goes into a lot more history.  That explains its larger
size.  If you can skim through the first volume before our late supper, you
should be protected from the worst gaffes during the conversations we are
likely to have with various soldiers of the garrison.  The privy is back by
your room, and my study is in my cluster of rooms.  They are on the
opposite side of the rear of the temple as your room.  You will know you
are getting warm when you cross through the kitchen.  I will be in my
study." The vicar smiled.

   "Thanks again Vicar Royce!  When I first woke up I was so confused.  Now
I feel like I have the chance to become a real person!"

   Vicar Royce clapped Celena on the shoulder.  "I am pretty sure you are
not a ghost, and just in case you wake up tonight to find that you really
are a concubine of Virtusar, I'll leave my bedroom door ajar," Vicar Royce
winked.

   "Heheh, I'm just kidding, young lady.  I find you very attractive, but I
doubt you would have any interest in an aging priest like me.  I imagine a
woman as beautiful as you is no stranger to men making fools of themselves
in front of her.  I can hardly wait to see how the young soldiers behave
when we go to the tavern for dinner - hah!"

   After Vicar Royce left her, Celena released a bit of life force into her
mind from her reserves and set to work.  She skimmed through the first book
on Virtusar as rapidly as she could while still catching most of the
detail. Once she was sure she could speak about Virtusar without
embarrassing herself, she got her blank book and pens out of her saddlebag.

   Celena realized that she needed to know how to write like Celena.  She
had been in this position before.  Previously she had been obliged to learn
to write like Bellany Norwit, another dead woman.  Celena found it a bit
eerie that Mortaebius had given her the identities of dead women to assume,
but he was the god of the dead.  It made sense that he used the resources
he had at hand.  She inked her pen and turned to an empty page in her blank
book.  If Mortaebius had asked Celena's spirit to help her, then she
reasoned that she should be able to get the ghost of Celena to move her
hand so that she would have a sample of the dead woman's writing to
emulate.

   A cold chill shot up her spine and her hand began to move:

   "My wound has laid me low.  With pain and loss still burning, I welcome
the peace of Mortaebius' embrace.  But within death's peace I feel Amorra's
love, and all my love calls to my fallen warrior's spirit!  The strength of
Virtusar is the catapult that slings my soul from the hall of judgment!  I
rise to greater beauty than I ever knew in life, and land softly in
Virtusar's embrace.  When my training is done, I will see my fallen warrior
and a thousand more!  I shall be a concubine of Virtusar!  In golden
finery, resplendent, I will feast with the gods, reward the fallen heroes
and bask in the luxury and drama of the war god's court!"

   Celena blinked and focused her eyes back on the real world and the
writing in front of her.  She saw what her hand had written and realized
that Celena's ghost had penned something that supported the story of the
dream that she had made up for Vicar Royce.  Either that or the ghost was
training with her to become a concubine of Virtusar.  Celena decided not to
sit and think about it.  Instead she chose to attend to the matter at hand.
The handwriting was a bit shaky and the penmanship could definitely use
some work, but Celena knew she would have no trouble refining what she saw
into a new lexicon that she would call Celena script.  On the next page of
the book she wrote some notes in Celena script concerning Virtusar.  She
made it seem as if she were really confirming knowledge originally imparted
to her by Jasper and Jud.

   Once she was satisfied with her writing she thought about the message
the ghost had written and wondered about her own relationship with the
gods. Obviously Mortaebius was her patron, but she realized that she had
been blessed with gifts kindred to Amorra, the goddess of love, before she
had ever been introduced to the god of the dead.  If she looked back at the
martial training she had received from various teachers since joining Red
Jack's band, she got the feeling that Virtusar's mighty hand had been
helping her all along, but with such subtle grace that she had not realized
it until now.  It was ironic that the god of war would wind up being
subtler than the others, but it stood to reason.  The warrior's art could
be taught by mundane means, but death and love were more abstract and thus
magical.

   Since she had a little time, she decided to look at the titles of the
various books on the shelves.  She paged through a book of prayers and
rituals that looked like it was a training manual for priests.  She was
especially interested in the prayers used by priests calling down healing
energy from the god of war.  An hour and three quarters after he had left,
Vicar Royce marched into the library to find Celena looking at a priestly
manual.

   "What is the verdict?" the Vicar asked.

   "Jud was actually quite accurate, I am relieved to say!  I was afraid I
might have to relearn everything I had learned about Virtusar."

   "I am not saying that a young man couldn't embellish on what he had
learned, but I will say that every Crescent Blade attends services at the
temple of Virtusar while training at the academy.  It does not surprise me
that the balance of what Jud taught you was sound.  I have your bath water
ready.  If you have another garment suitable for dinner you can wash your
dress in the water like a good soldier might, but make it snappy, I don't
want to arrive so late that Arvid does not feel like cooking for us."

   Celena scrubbed her body and her dusty clothing as quickly as she could
before donning the change of clothes she had in her saddlebags.  The vicar
showed her to the clothesline and once her clothes were hung on the line
they were ready to go to the tavern.

   "Heheh, it's been a while since I've had women's underwear hanging from
my line.  It's too bad it's after dark.  I doubt anyone will notice."

   Celena smiled, "I take it you are trying to enhance your reputation with
the local men."

   "Trying has nothing to do with it.  A good warrior takes tactical
advantage of a stroke of luck!  You never know what you're going to get in
life or on the battlefield.  A warrior who keeps his wits about him can get
far more benefit from a lucky break than one who stands there with his yap
open.

   "It is a beautiful summer night out.  We had better get to the tavern
before Arvid decides to shut down his kitchen - this way to the tavern
milady." Vicar Royce offered Celena his arm.

   Celena smiled as she enjoyed the company of the rough and ready warrior
priest.  She guessed Vicar Royce was five or ten years older than Baron
Daelrath.  He seemed in his element as he walked towards the tavern with
Celena on his arm.

   Vicar Royce pointed up at the stars.  "Look it's Amorra's Rose!"

   "Yes, the stars are wonderful tonight.  There's Virtusar's Sword."
Celena pointed, recalling many of the constellations from her navigation
training with Red Jack and his crew.

   "I am impressed that you know the constellations!  Warriors and sailors
depend upon the stars for guidance.  If the tip of my patron's blade were
to move just a jot to the left it would point us to the door of the
tavern!"

   The Springville Tavern was a two story stone building with a wooden
lodge attached to it on the east side.  The front entrance went right into
the lodge part of the building.  There was a staircase that went up to the
second floor of the stone part of the building left of the entrance, with
its foot near the left end of the bar.  As they entered the establishment,
Celena caressed the collective lusts of the men in the room.  Heads turned
and conversations ended abruptly as she suddenly became the center of
attention.  The smile tugging at the Vicar's lips blossomed into an
infectious grin.

   "Good evening everyone!" the vicar said as he strode towards the bar
with Celena.  "Miss Medea and I didn't come to interrupt your drinking! 
Now get back to it!" The vicar chuckled and lowered his voice somewhat as
he reached the bar.

   "Arvid, have you got any food left?  The lady was on the road all day
and could use a bite to eat!"

   "It's your lucky day, Vicar.  One of the hunters gave me a good deal on
a buck he bagged this morning.  I've got venison steaks or venison stew,
take your pick!"

   "Give us your best steak dinner with all the fixings, Arvid!  It's not
every day a beautiful young woman comes to visit me.  I am going to forgo
the usual penny-pinching tonight and treat my guest to a good meal!"

   "I'll get right to it, Vicar.  Why don't you and the lady take the
corner table and catch up with some friends while I prepare your dinner."

   "Thank you Arvid, we will do just that!"

   Vicar Royce pointed to the corner table.  It was actually not quite in
the back corner of the lodge, because the entire far end of the building
was taken up by a cluster of men on one side and a circular hunk of wood
that looked to be a cross-cut slice from a big old tree on the other.  The
annular rings were clearly visible.  Blackened circles drawn on groups of
those rings alternating with groups of uncolored rings defined the bounds
of a knife-throwing target.  All told there were four rings and a bull's
eye.  There was a floor to ceiling wicker partition on the lodge side of
the target to protect patrons from stray throws, but it only ran for half
the depth of the lodge.  A line of throwers that formed an arc from the
near edge of the screen to the throwing line opposite the target screened
patrons further.

   The corner table was close to the throwing line and allowed a person to
see the target if she looked between bodies of the men lined up to throw.
Celena noted that there was a hat containing a considerable amount of coin
held by a large spectator standing in the back corner.  She watched as
about a dozen men took a turn at throwing knives.  Those who failed to land
a knife within any of the marked rings were eliminated first.  The
remaining eight men went on to compete in the second round.  This time each
man got two throws, but each contestant had to land at least one knife in
the bull's eye or one of the first three rings to avoid being eliminated
from the competition.  Some of the throwers were very good.  Celena
realized that if she competed she would lose unless she cheated and used
telekinesis.

   A small, wiry man stepped up to the line to throw.

   "Are ye sure ye can throw that far Pippin?  Maybe we should 'ave another
throwing line for kids!" a burly thrower wisecracked.

   "My name is Papin, ya ass!" the short man spat.

   "Oh sorry Play-pen!  Haha!" the burly man retorted.

   "Good one Brody!  Haaaha!" a tall, spindly young man interjected.

   "Throw the damn knife already," Brody jeered.

   Papin hit the second ring on his first toss and then Brody stepped up.
"I bet ye were fixing ta blow inta town an' take our money, weren't ya
pixie boy?  Well th' men o' Daelrath are not the pushovers ye took us for!
Now let me show th' travelin' pixie boy how this is done!" Brody flung his
knife and managed to sink the point into the third ring.

   "The only thing that throw's demonstratin' is how ta lose!" Papin
laughed.

   "I see you are enjoying the competition," Vicar Royce noted to Celena.

   "Yes, I enjoy watching competitions involving skills at arms," Celena
affirmed, grimacing as the last of the contestants failed to land his knife
within the three rings.

   "That is fortunate.  I wouldn't want to train you as a lay priestess of
Virtusar if you had no interest in war." Vicar Royce chuckled.

   "My interest is more in the warriors and patching them up, but I do
enjoy watching demonstrations of skills at arms."

   "I am glad to hear that you enjoy demonstrations of the skills, because
you will need to do more than watch.  A lay priest or priestess of Virtusar
must have skill in two weapons to pass the exam.  Have you got a couple in
mind?"

   "Yes," Celena hesitated a moment as she remembered that Darl Norwit had
identified her as the entertainment for Peter Patel's friends from her
skill with the rapier.  "I think maybe sling and short sword.  They are
archetypical weapons for conscripts, and I want to be able to empathize
with the common soldier," Celena said before looking back at the
knife-throwing competition.

   "That sounds sensible.  Let me see what your knowledge of the god of war
is like," Vicar Royce challenged.

   As Celena watched the competition, Vicar Royce came up with a steady
stream of questions about Virtusar.  The overwhelming majority of them were
contained within the book she had just read.  Answering them provided
little distraction from the contest she was watching.  A few she actually
had to think about or even guess on, but those questions were the
exception, not the rule.

   For the third round of the competition each of the five men remaining
got three throws, but each contestant had to get at least one blade in the
bull's eye or one of the first two rings.  By the end of the round only
three contestants remained.  Celena noted that the rules for round four
followed the same progression as the other rounds had.  This time each of
the contestants got four throws but one throw had to stick in the bull's
eye or the first ring.

   Brody barely landed his fourth throw in the first ring.

   "Oooh yes!" the burly young man hollered.  "No knife scammer is going to
get the best of me!  Go ahead Play-Pen!  See if you can best that!"

   "Piece of cake!" Papin said as he stepped up to the line.

   His first throw landed in the fourth ring.

   "You're not going to steal our money with that kind of throw!" Brody
chuckled.

   Papin's second shot landed in the first ring.

   "Now let me see if I can keep up with you guys," the tall, gangly young
man said as he concentrated on his throwing.

   It took him three tries but he managed to land one in the first ring.

   Brody stepped up to the line.  "Mighty Virtusar, steady my 'and and let
me beat this little knife hustler!"

   Brody threw five times but failed to hit the bull's eye.

   "That damn pippy is going to walk away with th' pot!" Brody complained.

   "Only because ye're a lousy throw!" Papin sneered.

   "Bah, toss the knife, Play Pen!  Don't be spoutin' off till ye beat me!"

   Papin threw four times, and although three of his attempts landed in the
first ring and two were very close to the borderline, he was still looking
to get a bull's eye with his last throw.

   Papin drew his arm back to throw.

   "Pip-squeak!" Brody hollered deafeningly right into Papin's ear just as
the small man threw.  Papin's startled aim went wide and he did not even
hit the target.

   "Cheater!" Papin growled as he tossed a second knife at Brody.

   Brody quickly brought up his forearms as he realized Papin was going for
a knife.  The blade ricocheted off Brody's bracer.

   "Gaa-haach!" a patron at the bar rasped as the stray knife plunged into
the right side of the back of his neck.

   Vicar Royce sprang from his chair and ran to the aid of the wounded
tavern patron.  Celena followed in his wake.  It seemed as if half the
patrons at the bar clustered around the wounded man and shouted queries at
the Vicar as to his condition, while the other half drew weapons, shouted
at Papin, and moved to bar his escape from the tavern.

   Celena was right behind the vicar and she saw his face go ashen as he
pulled the knife out and blood practically squirted from the wound.  Celena
knew she had to act quickly, but she did not want to use magic in front of
everyone.  Suddenly inspiration struck and she nearly had to shout to be
heard above the din.

   "Oh great god of war!  I spread my soft thighs to the heat of thy
masculine embrace!  Mighty Virtusar, I pray thee, inundate me with a
torrent of thy rampant potency!  Fill me with thy indomitable power!"

   The priestly manual in the library had given several examples of healing
invocations.  The one Celena had paid the most attention was the example
from a priestess of the order of the Concubines of Virtusar.  She knew from
the book that healing priests usually repeated their healing invocation
twice, but that everyone had his or her own style in the delivery.  Celena
leaned forward within the crowd so that the motions of her hands would be
obscured.  She whispered what she hoped people would take to be her second
repetition of the invocation.  She accented the volume of any 'S' and 'V'
sounds to make it seem as if she might have whispered Virtusar's name in
the midst of her invocation.  The noise in the room drowned the sound of
her voice out nearly completely.  In truth she did not whisper a prayer. 
She whispered a spell.  Celena pushed between the vicar and the man next to
him and placed one hand above and one hand below the vicar's hands as he
tried to hold the wound closed.

   She released her Bestow Life Force II spell and shouted: "I who have
been filled with the seed of manly might now fill you with the virility of
Virtusar!"

   "Hooo!  What was that!?" The vicar marveled as his hands soaked up a
small portion of the energy Celena had just released.

   Less than half a minute later the vicar addressed the crowd.

   "Everyone, this is Celena!  And she is amazing!  She is not even out of
training and she is already wielding Virtusar's might!  Look at this wound,
men!  It's shrinking before my eyes!"

   "Me wound may be shrinkin', but somethin' else be growin' like a rod o'
stone!" the victim of the knife spoke up.

   Vicar Royce laughed.  "I don't doubt it, Mack.  I got wood just holding
the wound!"

   Laughter erupted from the men of the tavern.

   "Virile is our mighty god of war!" Vicar Royce shouted.

   "Awaken the steel!" a young soldier shouted from a nearby bar stool and
then suddenly at least half of the people present in the tavern began to
chant:

   "Vir-too-vir-too-vir-too!"

   When the chant died down the vicar's voice took on a commanding tone.

   "No one else leaves the tavern until the constable has a chance to talk
to everyone!  Mord, why don't you run and inform the constable and the
baron as to the situation here!  Papin and Brody will have to face the
baron's judgment and I doubt the other contestants are going to let Papin
leave this tavern until he has!"

   Arvid strode out of the kitchen behind the bar maid who had gone to
fetch him.  He walked to the front door and bolted it.  He picked two young
off duty soldiers from the crowd and asked them to stand guard until the
authorities arrived.  He asked Mack, the knife wound victim, how he was and
once he was satisfied that the farmer was all right he returned to his
cooking.

   "Shall we resume our seats Miss Medea?" The vicar asked.

   "How is your neck feeling?" Celena asked Mack.

   "Oh, good evening Miss Medea - I heared the vicar call ye that.  It be a
bit tender yet, but amazin'ly whole.  I'd say me wood hurts more than th'
wound does!"

   Celena smiled.  "That's good.  I will be right over at the corner table
if you need me."

   "Oh I need ye in the worse way, lass!  I could rent a room if ye'd be
interested." The man winked.

   Celina's eyes twinkled.  "Your offer is tempting, but I have already
promised to dine with the vicar."

   "Hehheh, go on an' eat lass.  I figured it'd be a long shot, but ye
can't blame a man in my condition fer tryin'!"

   Celena smiled at Mack and then followed the vicar back to the corner
table.  He kept quizzing her with questions about the god of war.  She
answered most of them easily enough.  A few minutes later the bar maid
brought their food.  Celena heard loud knocking at the door and saw the
constable being let in.  Once inside he came over to sit by the vicar.

   "Vicar Royce, I heard you were in the thick of this incident.  Why don'
you tell the tale for me," the constable requested.

   The vicar recounted the story well.  He described the rivalry between
Papin and Brody, the tense moments leading up to the final throw and then
Brody's outburst that caused Papin's throw to go wild and his temper to
flare.  He then described how Brody had deflected the knife into the neck
of Mack Villers, the farmer at the bar.

   "After I pulled the knife out I knew we were in trouble.  The wound was
gushing blood!  I applied pressure and then I heard Celena's voice behind
me.  She used the healing invocation normally used by the Concubines of
Virtusar.  She bestowed the virility of Virtusar on the farmer and I saw
that wound closing up before my eyes!  I realize that Vicar Fryske is
capable of the same sort of thing, but it was incredible nonetheless!  I
knew Celena was trained as a healer, but I did not realize that she wielded
such power!"

   "Thank you Vicar, I'm going to go around and get the story from a few
others just to be thorough.  Miss Medea, did the vicar miss anything?"

   "He told the story well.  I don't think he left anything out.  There was
a lot of blood.  I was so happy that I was able to call down the virility
of Virtusar to heal the knife wound.  I had no idea it would work, but it
seemed like the right thing to do."

   After the constable had got the story from a few other people one of the
Baron's knights called him outside.  About fifteen minutes later the baron
came in and spoke before the tavern patrons.

   "The constable has filled me in on the evening's events here.  Since I
will be leaving soon I wanted to hold court on this matter right away,
rather than traveling all the way back after having just been here.  Mack
Villers' family has been farming Springville Valley since shortly after
Daelrath became a barony.  He could have died because Brody failed to allow
his opponent to compete with honor and because Papin let his temper get the
best of him and acted rashly.  Their crimes will be dealt with shortly, but
first we must settle the matter of honor.

   "I rule that Papin's last throw was ruined by Brody's dishonorable
outburst.  Yelling in a man's ear when he is about to throw is a cheap
shot! Papin shall receive a throw to replace the one Brody ruined, and then
Stanley shall have his throws.  When honor is satisfied I shall pass
sentence on Brody and Papin."

   Papin stood at the throwing line and a hush fell over the tavern.  He
drew back and threw.  The blade stuck in the center of the bull's eye.

   "You have a damn good arm there, Papin.  I am sorry I ruined yer throw.
Out-of-town hustler or not, it's a man's skill with the blade that
rightfully decides the game!  What I did was wrong, and I apologize to
Baron Daelrath, to Papin, to Mack Villers and to everyone in this tavern!"
Brody proclaimed.

   Stanley was the tall gangly young man that Celena recognized from
earlier.  He stepped up to the line and began to throw.  His fourth blade
hit the bull's eye.

   "Well done, men!  One more time!" the baron ordered and the men repeated
the last phase of the competition in order to determine the winner.

   Papin scored a bull's eye on his third throw.  The crowd applauded
respectfully.

   Stanley stepped up and threw five times, but he failed to hit the mark.
His friends commiserated with him for a moment before the baron spoke
up:"Papin is the rightful winner of this bout, and let no man say
otherwise!"

   The man in the corner of the room handed the hat containing the games'
coins to Papin.

   "Now as to the matter of sentence, had Papin killed Mack Villers, his
head would be on the block, but Papin's luck tonight was outstanding!  Miss
Medea literally prevented Papin's execution!  She prevented it with magical
healing.  Does anyone here have any idea how rare and valuable magical
healing is?!"

   "As valuable as my life!" Mack Villers exclaimed.

   "That's right!" Baron Daelrath confirmed.  "It is also wrong for a man
to profit from an outburst that nearly took an innocent man's life!  Papin,
your head is currently attached to your shoulders entirely because of the
work of Miss Medea.  What is your life worth?  I would suggest that you
express your gratitude to the last penny!"

   Papin handed the hat to Celena.

   "Thank you for saving my life, Miss Celena," Papin said evenly.

   "You're welcome Papin, and thank you for your contribution to the temple
of Virtusar." Celena smiled and handed the hat to Vicar Royce.

   Vicar Royce beamed at Celena, thanked her heartily, emptied the money
into a pouch and handed the hat back to its original bearer.

   "Now, as for the sentence, Brody and Papin caused an innocent man to
suffer a great deal of pain.  Even though that wound has healed, Mack
Villers did suffer!  That is why Brody and Papin will suffer ten lashes
each!  Constable, please take care of the sentence.

   "Might I have a word with you in private, Vicar Royce and Miss Medea?"

   "Of course, Baron Daelrath, would you care to take a stroll to the
temple?  We could use the war room," Vicar Royce suggested.

   "Very well, my knights and I will ensure that the two offenders make it
to their punishment and then we will meet you for a conference in the war
room."

   Celena finished the last of her steak and fixings and stood up to
accompany Vicar Royce back to the temple of Virtusar.

   "Thank you!  That was an excellent meal, Vicar Royce.  I did not realize
how hungry I was.  All that riding I did to beat the sunset must have taken
its toll."

   The vicar dropped a few coins on the table to tip the barmaid as he
spoke:

   "A warrior must husband her resources, but gratitude can be more
valuable than gold.  Besides it was a pleasure to watch you enjoy your meal
in spite of the hubbub this evening.  Heh, I thought I would be spending a
quiet evening writing, but you've livened things up quite a bit!  We had
best get going.  The baron and his men are mounted.  I am the host.  I
cannot have them beat me to my own temple!"

   Celena followed Vicar Royce out of the tavern and down Springville's
main street towards the temple.

   "I would offer to run, but I'm afraid my belly is far too full for
that!"

   Vicar Royce chuckled.  "A good warrior conserves his strength for
battle." If we expend all of our breath running, we will have no wind left
with which to engage the Baron.  A speedy walk should do!"

   A few minutes later they reached the temple.  Vicar Royce lit a candle
from the tallow lamp by the altar.

   "A richer temple would have perpetually burning torches, but I save a
few coppers a week with this tallow lamp."

   "A good warrior husbands his resources," Celena quoted the vicar's own
pearl of wisdom.

   "Heh, so he does!  This way to the war room, Miss Medea, let us make
haste!"

   Celena chased the vicar up two flights of stairs and they soon arrived
in a tower room that was outfitted for conferences.  The room contained a
large table surrounded by chairs.  The entire center of the table was
devoted to a map of the area.  The vicar handed Celena his candle after he
lit the first torch and the two of them moved in opposite directions to
light the torches around the periphery of the room.

   "A true warrior recognizes a fine blade in the grass just as a good
merchant recognizes a diamond in the rough," Vicar Royce said as he walked
from one torch to the next.  "I could be wrong, but I am betting that after
that demonstration of magical healing, we are not going to have to try to
wheedle the baron into giving you a job interview.  I would not be
surprised if that is essentially what this conference shall be."

   Celena lit the last torch and then headed towards the table as the vicar
lowered the candle chandelier above it.  When the chandelier was low enough
she began lighting the candles.

   "I am grateful Virtusar found a way to show me the energies I am capable
of channeling.  I never expected the baron would come to me."

   "Magical healers are rare and their value to warriors that see frequent
battle is considerable.  It doesn't surprise me that the baron wants to
talk."

   The vicar hoisted the chandelier back up to its former position and was
just securing it when Baron Daelrath arrived with three knights.

   "Good evening Vicar and Miss Medea, this is Sir Coshus, chief of my
scouts, Sir Mongrail, chief and arms master of my cavalry and Sir Stallart,
master of the stables, stock and agriculture at Rath Keep."

   "Good evening Baron Daelrath, and good evening Sirs," Celena said
politely.

   "I will cut to the chase here because my knights and I need to get up
early for our journey back to Rath Keep."

   "You are leaving so soon!?" the vicar asked.

   "I wish I could stay longer, but the trolls have been more active than
normal.  Their favorite time for large-scale attacks seems to be the late
autumn, but they have been quite unpredictable since the giants moved west.
The keep cannot afford to go short-handed for long."

   The vicar and Celena looked at one another for just a second.  It
appeared that their original plan was not going to work out.

   "What did you wish to speak with us about?" Vicar Royce asked before the
brief silence could grow awkwardly long.

   "Why was I not informed that you had invited a gifted priestess to town,
Vicar Royce?  I have been looking for a second healer; that is why I came
here tonight to meet with you both."

   "Virtusar knows I would have let you know if I had, but I did not invite
Miss Medea to town.  Guardian Grailings and I met her just this evening. 
She was trained in the worship of Virtusar by a couple of wounded Crescent
blades that she was doing some mundane healing work for.  I am certain she
has sufficient knowledge to become a lay priestess, but I still need to
finish up her training and administer the test before she can officially be
called a Champion of Virtusar."

   "Really!?  Isn't it unusual for someone with so little training to be
able to channel the power of the god of war?"

   "Yes it is, Lord Daelrath, but this is Crystal Medea's granddaughter and
Virtusar has been busy at the forge with Celena Medea of late.  Miss Medea
fled Avengene after priests of the Vindicator abducted her grandmother
Crystal.  I am sure you probably remember Crystal."

   "Damned Avengenes!" Baron Daelrath scowled.  "At one time they had me
convinced that purging wise women from their realm was for the best, but I
could never shake my gut feeling that Crystal Medea in no way deserved the
vile treatment that she got!"

   "A fine sharp sword melted for pig iron that was!" Vicar Royce said
before continuing.  "Anyhow Miss Celena Medea here had fled Avengene and
was living in Bristol with her father.  A small group of Crescent Blades
fled Avengene to Bristol last fall after their unit was nearly destroyed
and lord Avengene essentially discarded them and their contract."

   Baron Daelrath growled, "The depths Lord Avengene has sunk to since he
let the priests of the Vindicator loose cannot be plumbed.  He has utterly
lost his honor!"

   Vicar Royce nodded.

   "The attempt on your daughter and the children of those other peers at
Vargrend's Academy for Girls proved that beyond a doubt!  Anyhow, one of
the Crescent Blades became Miss Medea's lover.  Her father was not too keen
on the idea.  He caught the pair of them in the barn and took after her
boyfriend with a scythe.  The young man got hold of a pitchfork and did
battle with the father.  Unfortunately, each inflicted a mortal wound on
the other and Miss Medea sustained a serious injured trying to get between
the two of them.  After her attempts to save her men proved futile, Miss
Medea tried to ride to find help as she was bleeding badly and in poor
shape.  She blacked out and her horse carried her into the forest.

   "She woke up on the ground a considerable amount of time later, having
dreamt that she had become a concubine of Virtusar.  Until that stray throw
lodged in Mack's neck, I didn't see any great significance in the dream.  I
took it for a flight of fancy typical of young girls.  In light of what she
was able to do tonight I would conjecture that Miss Medea died in battle
and was embraced by Virtusar.  On rare occasion, Virtusar asks a favor of
his friend, Mortaebius, and sends a deceased hero back from the land of the
dead to the earthly realm with a mission.

   "Miss Medea appeared at my temple this evening accompanied by an
enormous raven and riding a black war horse that she had recently purchased
from Bellany Norwit."

   "You bought Miss Norwit's horse?!"

   Celena shrugged uneasily.  "I was inclined to do so anyway since I have
no love for the Avengenes and she was trying to escape them, but I found
the more I hesitated the sweeter she made the deal.  In mere seconds she
had made me an offer I could not refuse.  Now I feel a little guilty about
taking advantage of her, but at the time I thought I was doing a fine job
of negotiating.  I think the truth of the matter was that she had been
riding hard and was desperate for a fresh mount.  I was riding a Crescent
Blade cavalry horse and she seemed to know enough to realize that he was
sturdy."

   Baron Daelrath cleared his throat.

   "I don't know if you are aware of this, Vicar Royce, but if that's the
horse I think it is, Lord Norwit bought him from a Priest of Mortaebius a
few years ago.  How is that for an omen?"

   "She was ushered to the temple of Virtusar by a raven of omen while
riding death's horse!  By the gods, Guardian Grailings is going to love
that!  Now please let me get back to the tale of how Miss Medea came to
us."

   After a nod from the baron, Vicar Royce continued:

   "Guardian Grailings was alerted by the call of a raven of omen, and I
came out because Miss Medea's warhorse called to me - an omen favored by
Virtusar.  Apparently Miss Medea had wandered in grief and confusion for
some time, but when she heard you had passed through the area she was in,
she was inspired to follow you and inquire about work and further training
as a healer.  If I do not miss my guess, Lord Daelrath, Virtusar has sent
you one of his concubines.  Apparently he heard how much you despise them!"

   All three knights broke out laughing.

   Baron Daelrath blushed and shook his head.  "Whoever said the gods have
no sense of humor did not worship Virtusar!  I have been writing temples
and praying for another healer since before the giants moved west."

   "Victory is attainable, but only to those willing to pay the price!"
Vicar Royce exclaimed.

   "I know, I know.  Sir Gehrheart often reminds me that worship of the god
of war cannot be done in half measures.  Do you think Virtusar is telling
me that I cannot embrace him fully unless I embrace his liturgy completely,
including his concubines?"

   "Your thinking seems reasonable to me, Baron Daelrath.  Nevertheless, as
a warrior I hope you realize how truly blessed you are!  Virtusar has taken
note of your plight and he has sent help, a healer to heal your men and
your faith!"

   "But I cannot have a concubine at my keep!  You know I do not agree with
prostitution.  It degrades the women and their male patrons and it spreads
disease!"

   Vicar Royce smiled.  "Perhaps you can convince Miss Medea that she
really wants to be a celibate priestess from one of those zealot orders
that do nothing but train their weapons skills."

   "The real concubines of Virtusar are not prostitutes," Celena scoffed.
"They are lusty spirits that appreciate virility and valor.  I could not
identify with them more!  That and I seriously doubt that I would be able
to channel the virility of Virtusar as a celibate.  You might as well
recommend that I channel the energy of fire by steeping myself in ice!"

   Baron Daelrath grimaced.  "I see your point, and I realize that Virtusar
is a brilliant tactician, nevertheless I will not have prostitution in my
keep!"

   "Then shall I move on?" Celena began to get up.

   "Gods no, young lady!  Virtusar knows Rath Keep needs another healer;
that is why he has put me between a rock and a hard place!"

   The knights grinned and Vicar Royce chuckled in the background as Baron
Daelrath put his hands lightly on Celena's shoulders to keep her from
completing her bid to get up and leave.

   "Hold on, and let me think please, young lady." Baron Daelrath held up
his finger.  You say you believe you must behave like a concubine to
channel the virility of Virtusar, but we both agree that the concubines are
not exactly prostitutes.  They are free agents that reward the valorous and
enjoy the virile."

   "Heroes have been known to give them gifts," Vicar Royce added.

   "I realize that, but I will discourage that practice!" the Baron
snapped. "I will not allow gifts to take the place of cash for the purpose
of hiring sex.  Besides, aren't you looking for work primarily as a healer,
Miss Medea?"

   "Yes, I would love to complete the education that Grandmother Crystal
started, but I would be a second rate healer if I went against my nature."

   "I understand that.  I am looking for a compromise that will work for us
both.  Vicar Fryske is something of an expert on the concubines.  Perhaps
he can help.  If you are willing to risk heading up to the keep without a
firm compromise on the issue of bedding my men, I would appreciate it.  If
you decide you must leave Rath Keep then I swear I will spare the men to
escort you back to Bristol whenever you wish to go, as long as there are
not trolls at the gates."

   Celena shifted her gaze to look straight into the Baron's eyes.

   "I will work with you on this issue as long as you are willing to work
with me, but let me be perfectly clear, milord Daelrath, if you cannot find
it in your heart to respect me then I will shake the dust from my feet and
find a temple of Virtusar that will embrace me with open arms."

   The baron nodded gravely.

   "Virtusar knows the lives of my men depend on my finding a way to
respect you, Miss Medea, and I will make that happen!  Just give me a
little time.  I find the look you just gave me comforting.  Your soul
contains the steel of a finely crafted blade.  You are an instrument of the
god of war and I will use every battle strategy I know to conquer the
issues that separate us.  Daelrath is not a rich barony, but I will make
you the best offer that I can.  What I lack in coin I will make up for with
other things, like time and services, and the latitude to allow you to
tailor your training program.  If neither you nor Virtusar insists on
prostitution, perhaps we can find a way to navigate our way between the
horns of this dilemma."

   "You're not the only one at Rath Keep with a horny dilemma, milord!" Sir
Coshus grinned.

   Baron Daelrath glared at Sir Coshus with an exaggerated intensity that
was positively comical.

   The other two knights struggled to contain their mirth.  Sir Mongrail
vibrated and hunched over, holding his mouth and belly, while Sir Stallart
half coughed, half laughed and half whinnied through his nose.

   "It appears the god of war is not the only one with a healthy sense of
humor," Vicar Royce observed.

   As the men contained their humor, Celena sat quietly with her left palm
against her forehead.

   When silence fell over the room at last, all eyes turned to Celena.

   "Are you all right Miss Medea?" Sir Stallart asked.

   Celena blinked, "Sorry, I got lost in thought.  What is your best offer,
Baron Daelrath?"

   "I can give you free room and board, and pay you as I would a sergeant,"
Baron Daelrath offered.

   Celena grinned at the baron and raised an eyebrow: "Baron Daelrath, I
thought you said you were against prostitution."

   Sir Coshus broke out laughing.

   "Careful Baron, she's got her grandmother's pluck!" Vicar Royce
exclaimed.

   "If I did not know better, milord, I would take you for a worshipper of
Barraff, the god of commerce.  You have an excellent poker face, but my
grandmother was a healer.  I think we both know that your offer would be
perfectly fair if the most magic I could summon was a smile.  If you want
me to call down the virility of Virtusar you are going to have to make me
an offer with considerably more..." Celena held up her hand as if to heft
and caress something from below.

   "I think the lady means _balls_ milord Daelrath," Sir Coshus whispered
just loudly enough for the other knights to hear.

   Sir Mongrail grinned.

   "What is it you want?" Lord Daelrath asked.

   "I would like considerably more gold than what a sergeant makes, further
training in medicine, skill at arms, and possibly various skills and
crafts. I would also like ample time to study, deepen my faith, and to see
men, a certain amount of authority and responsibility in charting my own
course and the opportunity to earn your respect and that of Vicar Fryske,
your knights and your men in your war effort against the trolls and in
general."

   "I realize you are valuable, but I have limited cash flow.  I should be
able to pay you as much as a lieutenant, but I am afraid that if I could
afford another knight, I would already have one."

   "I think we both know that a Concubine of Virtusar is as valuable as any
knight.  If you cannot come up with all of the coin that you pay a knight,
perhaps you can make it up to me in other ways." Celena smiled and caressed
the Baron's lust just for fun.

   Baron Daelrath blushed for an instant but quickly regained his
composure. "A knight receives free boarding for his mounts, a clothing
allowance from the keep's seamstress and various allowances from some of
the keep's other craftsmen, particularly the smith.  I could give you
roughly the same package.  Knights also work an eight hour shift rather
than a twelve hour shift most days, and they get more time off, usually two
days each week, two weeks of vacation each year and sometimes the
opportunity to travel.  Everyone works nonstop during battles, of course."

   "I would expect no less.  I also realize that I may be obliged to work
long hours just after battles if there are lots of wounded.  That is
perfectly fine.  My first priority would be the health of your men at arms.
Are there any other non-monetary benefits that knights receive?"

   "Uh, well they get a seat at my table, this guarantees them good food
and an advisory role, but I am not sure I would want to expose my daughter
to a concubine of Virtusar."

   "Then is she not a worshipper of the god of war?"

   Baron Daelrath looked uncomfortable.  "Damn it!  There it is again!  The
worship of the god of war cannot be done in half measures!  It seems Sir
Gehrheart's prayers are being answered rather than my own!"

   "It is written that a general who cannot commit all of his troops to a
battle may be a wise man, but a general who cannot commit all of his troops
to a war is ah ...  not wise milord," Vicar Royce interjected.

   "This is my daughter we are talking about, not a war, Vicar Royce!"

   "I would like a seat at your table, Baron Daelrath.  It would be a sign
of respect and it would show that you value my skills as much as those of
your knights.  I assure you that I know that the role of a concubine of
Virtusar is different from the role of your heir."

   "I will give you a seat at my table if and when you earn it!  Every
knight at my table has fought for the honor of being a permanent guest.  In
the meantime, I would make sure that the kitchen would provide you with
fare consistent with that served to a lieutenant.  That reminds me, Rath
Keep is a military fortress.  Do you have any skills at arms?"

   "Some, although I am sure I am not the equal of your knights.  My skills
are probably more along the lines of your vicar's.  I can wield small
swords, bows, slings and throwing knives.  I also have some skill in
unarmed combat."

   "It is good you have some weapons skills, but if you come to Rath Keep
you should take up something with a bit more slicing power.  Beheading is
the best way to deal with a troll," the baron recommended.

   "What sort of training options will my package include?" Celena asked.

   "Everyone at the keep may attend training exercises in various weapons
with our arms masters.  If you wish training from any of my craftsmen and
are willing to work while receiving it, I will see that you get it."

   "Do you have any books at the keep that I might learn from?" Celena
asked.

   "Most of my books are military in nature.  I will allow you to borrow
many of them, but you must read those that have particular value to me in
the library.  Since we are on the subject of skills, I need to know
everything you can do in case we need you to fill in in the event of
someone's death during a battle.  I will be very unhappy if I see you
making use of a skill that you failed to mention.  I make it a point to
know my people's capabilities."

   Celena cleared her throat.  "I can read and write and I am good with
numbers.  I can sketch passably.  I have basic knowledge of astronomy and
navigation.  I am familiar with the identification, cultivation and
preservation of some medicinal herbs, including the ones pertaining to
wounds, conception and menses.  I can also do a bit of cooking, cleaning
and sewing."

   Baron Daelrath raised an eyebrow, "You are well educated for the
daughter of a farm hand."

   "I was not always the daughter of a farm hand.  Once I was the
granddaughter of a wise woman who ran a good business.  Now I am studying
to be a concubine of Virtusar.  I have healing magic and what I remember of
my Grandmother's legacy."

   "Hold on young lady, you must tell me if you have any sort of magical
knowledge from your grandmother that might be useful to me!"

   "Milord Daelrath, you cannot expect me to share the wisdom of my
grandmother with you when you do not even trust me enough to let me near
your daughter.  When you feel that you can trust me enough to make me a
part of your family, then perhaps I will trust you enough to make you a
part of mine.  For now you will just have to rest assured that in an
emergency, I will come to your aid with any shred of wisdom that I possess,
and with the healing ability the gods have blessed me with and for which
you may hire me."

   Baron Daelrath thought a moment.  "Then I guess that will just have to
do until we can get the measure of one another.  My men and I will be
rolling through town tomorrow just before first light.  You can stay the
night with us, or we can pick you up here.  Either way I would like it if
you would come and work for me."

   "I think I would like to give it a try at least for the summer, milord
Daelrath.  Can you have one of your knights write up the agreement?  As I
understand it, I am basically getting the pay and food of a lieutenant, but
all the other non-monetary benefits of a knight.  I hope that includes my
own quarters."

   "Yes, that is correct, Miss Medea.  Sir Stallart, please write that up
and have it ready for Miss Medea and I to sign in the morning.  For now a
simple handshake should suffice.  Do we have a deal Miss Medea?" the baron
asked as he offered his hand to Celena.

   "We do indeed, Baron Daelrath." Celena firmly shook the Baron's hand.

   "For tonight I would like to stay here with the vicar if that would be
alright, Baron Daelrath and Vicar Royce."

   The baron nodded.

   "Of course," Vicar Royce confirmed.

   "Might there still an outside chance that I can finish training and
testing to become a Champion of Virtusar, Vicar Royce?"

   "A good warrior does not leave the fray until the battle is done! 
Certainly there is a chance.  I would rather you stay with me than with the
Baron anyway.  It will enhance my reputation with the young soldiers
immeasurably." the vicar grinned like a pirate.

   ------

   This ends, Springville, chapter 71 of The Chronicles of Rapina. The
story continues in chapter 72 The Road to Rath.

   Copyright 2010 by Rapina