Legal Stuff
Copyright © 2017 Taki Drake and T. S. Paul, All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction of any kind is strictly prohibited unless written permission granted by the editor of the anthology and the individual author.
The scenes, characters, and places included in this story are works of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Dedication
As always, this book is dedicated to my loving and supportive husband, John. Without his unwavering support and love, I would lack the energy and emotion to share the worlds of my imagination with my readers.
Table of Contents
Legal Stuff
Dedication
Chapter 1 - Surprises
Chapter 2 – Elementary Vision
Chapter 3 – Gathering Time
Chapter 4 - Orientation
Chapter 5 - Exploration
Chapter 6 – Mingling
Chapter 7 – Fun or Fight
Chapter 8 - Healing
Chapter 9 – Lessons in Adaptability
Chapter 10 – Practical Wisdom
Chapter 11 – Intelligent Actions
Chapter 12 – To Rank or not to Rank
Chapter 13 – Let the Trials Begin!
Chapter 14 – Adapting on the Fly
Chapter 15 – Running Adaptation
Chapter 16 – Wisdom to Say No
Chapter 17 – Thinking Outside the Box
Chapter 18 – Truths and Consequences
Chapter 19 – Results and Reactions
Chapter 20 - Farewells
Epilogue
Contributing Authors
Author - T.S. Paul
Author Notes - Taki Drake
Heartfelt Acknowledgments
Snippet - Shade of Honor
Snippet - Born a Witch:Drafted by the FBI
Snippet - We Are Not Prey
Chapter 1 - Surprises
There was no warning. The blow that compressed her body and made it impossible to breathe arrived with no betraying sound, no visual clue. Dascha was stunned into momentary paralysis. Her body hung limply, and her mind spun around her skull in confusion. She could feel her fur rippling as she was lifted up into the air. The small cat was helpless and afraid.
There were too many things that she had experienced before for her to stay coherent. Even though the talons of the bird held her firmly and without injury, Dascha could once again feel those earlier talons that had pierced her body and had caused her to bleed so badly that she had almost died. All of the fear and pain that she had felt on that long-ago day crashed into her mind, momentarily overwhelming her ability to think and plan.
Only a split second had elapsed when she moved past her stunned amazement. <<Not this crap again! What is with these blasted birds?>> she thought as she twisted her lithe body into action. There was no way she was going down without a fight.
Stretching as far as she could, the small black cat attempted to sink her claws into the legs of the bird that held her. In the back of her mind, she was surprised that she knew it was a bird. There were flying reptiles and other things that were capable of swooping down and grabbing her, but she had known instantaneously that it was a bird.
It was all up to her. There would be no rescue from this attack. No flying Savior. She needs to be able to do this for herself.
Spitting and yelling at the top of her voice, Dascha was stopped cold by an amused comment from her captor.
<<You need to build up a little bit more muscle before that’s going to work.>>
<<Glenfrey! Why on earth did you grab me like that?>>
<<Because we need to talk and you don’t exactly get email, do you?>>
<<You could have just had Henley call Zhanna, you know.>>
<<This is not about witch business. This is stuff about familiars, and we don’t talk to our witches about familiar business.>>
Dascha turned that over in her mind for a short while, thinking through the ramifications and possible meanings for the things that Glenfrey had left unsaid. She noticed that the steppe eagle had begun to land on a rocky outcropping and held her questions until they were settled on the ground and she could regain her feet.
Standing up and walking on slightly shaky legs after Glenfrey had released her, the small black cat seated herself about 3 feet away from her friend. Carefully wrapping her tail around her paws, she looked over at the huge bird and waited for him to talk. The time she had spent with Glenfrey and his witch, Henley, had taught her that attempting to hurry the bird would simply lead to additional delays.
Shaking his wings out and then settling them across his back, Glenfrey brought first one eye and then the other to bear on Dascha. Of all the things that she could have thought that he would say, what came from him next was so far down her list that it didn’t even appear.
<<Why have you not joined the gathering? Are you not going to the trials?>>
<<What trials?>> she asked.
<<The Familiar Trials. The ones starting soon. Everyone is gathering by the gateway without you. Did the other familiars not tell you about this?>>
<<Glenfrey, there are no other familiars with any of the witches in the village or even in the villages around where Zhanna lives.>>
The large bird considered what she had said. His thoughts came slowly back, <<No familiars. That sounds like it is a bigger problem than I thought.>>
<<What did you think the problem was?>>
<<I thought perhaps that you had managed to annoy the other familiars to the point that they weren’t telling you or bringing you to the trials. After all, you do have a bit of a mouth on you.>>
<<Ha! Who was the person who wanted to teach me how to be snarky? I’m simply applying the lessons that I’ve learned.>>
Glenfrey totally ignored her retort, instead choosing to answer a different question.
<<We can explore the whole issue of why there are so few familiars later. However, we need to hurry if you’re going to make it back to the gateway before it opens and closes.>>
Dascha stared at her friend. He was not fidgeting, he was not looking sleepy and inscrutable. In fact, as best she could read the expression of a different species, he looked concerned and perhaps even a bit worried.
<<What are the trials, Glenfrey? And why do you look worried?>>
<<The trials are how familiars get training and establish rank. They only happen sporadically, and there are a good bunch of instructors for this one.>>
The young cat watched as the eagle started to move uneasily from foot to foot. Deciding that she would not subject him to a cross-examination, Dascha simply asked, <<How long do they last? And what do I tell my witch about why am leaving?>>
<<I just tell Henley that I need to go to a meeting of familiars so that my training can be kept up-to-date. He has no problems with that, and you can always tell Zhanna to call him if she wants more information.>>
<<<>>>
Dascha had adamantly refused to leave without telling Zhanna in person what she was doing. The flight back to Zhanna’s house was made quickly. Even so, Glenfrey had gotten more nervous and irritable during the trip. Dascha knew something else was going on but wasn’t exactly sure how to bring the subject up again.
Glenfrey landed heavily on a fence post that was part of the boundary to the garden of Zhanna’s grandmother. The older woman had been weeding the garden as they arrived. With no sign of nervousness or fear, she moved over to confront the eagle.
Standing les
s than a foot away from the dangerous beak of the large predator, the small but sturdily built woman gazed deeply into the eagle’s eyes. She held that gaze for just a moment before a slight smile appeared on her face, and she turned to address Dascha.
“We had better go talk to her right now. You will have to hurry to be on time.”
Now completely confused, Dascha followed the older woman into the house and through the hall to the large kitchen. Zhanna was seated at the kitchen table with books opened up in front of her and an intent look on her face. Hearing her grandmother’s footsteps, she looked up with a smile.
“I am almost done with my homework, Baba. Do you want me to help with supper?”
“Not yet, dear. I still have weeding to finish, but I think that Dascha needs to talk to you first.”
The young witch looked startled. Her eyes flew to her familiar, and she immediately went down on her knees reaching a hand out to the cat. <<Is something the matter, Dascha? You could’ve called me, and I would’ve come!>>
<<No, everything is all right. Glenfrey came to tell me that I need to go to a meeting and it is one that I didn’t know about before now. I might need to be gone for several days, and I didn’t want you to worry.>>
Zhanna’s eyes grew a little bit wider, and her expression shifted to deeper alarm. <<Is it something I did? Are you in trouble?>>
<<I’m not in trouble, at least that I know of. Well, unless you count the mice that I dropped into that mean girl’s bag at school.>>
<<You did that? Boy, was she mad. She screamed and ran and then was embarrassed. I hope that she doesn’t find out it was you.>>
In the background, there was a smothered laugh from the older woman, but Zhanna was focused on her familiar and ignored her grandmother.
<<Glenfrey says that you could call Henley if you’re worried about it but that it’s just something that happens once or twice a year. I think he really wants me to go because I’m so new at this and there are no other familiars in the village.>>
A wave of love and acceptance exploded from Zhanna through the familiar bond. Dascha felt like she was gently held and petted. She could feel the edge of worry underneath that wave that was Zhanna’s feeling of her own inadequacies in their partnership. Sending a mental purr back at her witch, the familiar tried wordlessly to reassure the person that she loved above all others of her faith and devotion.
The trembling smile that showed on Zhanna’s face was the only thanks that Dascha needed.
<<<>>>
It’d taken Dascha just a short amount of time to get ready to leave. She was very worried about leaving Zhanna by herself, but Glenfrey had certainly made the point that she could use training as well as her witch.
Zhanna had made sure that the traveling harness was set around Dascha carefully before she had sent her off with one last gentle pat.
<<I will miss you, Dascha, but it sounds like it’s a good thing for you to attend.>>
<<Try not to get into too much trouble while I’m gone. I don’t want to find when I come back that you’ve managed to turn yourself into a toad.>>
Zhanna just simply laughed and waved goodbye.
Glenfrey had been waiting outside sitting on the same garden post that he had used before. He very seldom looked nervous or antsy, but Dascha could tell that he was definitely ready to leave. Preferably right now.
<<I’m not sure how you want to do this, Glenfrey. Do you need me to climb up someplace so that you can grab my harness?>>
<<Nope.>>
Dascha kept forgetting how fast eagles were. One second she was carrying on a silent conversation with the large bird and the next he had swooped down and grabbed the back of her harness and was climbing through the air. The breath had exploded out of her body with the suddenness of his movement. There was a split second of fear, and then the same amazement surfaced that she had felt before when Glenfrey had carried her in the harness.
The air rifling through her fur and the lack of anything under her feet gave the normally land bound cat a totally different perspective. She felt free. Nothing was binding her feet, and she didn’t have to worry about balance. There was simply the feeling of slicing through the air, fresh smells hitting her nose in a confusing mixture of tantalizing odors.
The small cat felt excitement welling from deep inside of her. This was going to be an adventure, one that was started with curiosity and interest, rather than pain and injury.
Chapter 2 – Elementary Vision
The day was clear and the sun was warm, even in the cooler temperatures up high from the earth. This time, Dascha was more observant. She was curious about everything, staring around and looking at the pathways of the earth below her. There was a sense of vast speed as the small houses and skinny tendrils of roads seem to almost blur past her eyes.
Once again, Dascha could see the tracery of colored lines that connected clouds in the earth. She could see a slight golden thread that seemed to pulse with Glenfrey’s power. Unsure of what it meant, she simply observed and kept her own counsel.
They continued their flight for the next hour. Dascha stirring up information and simply enjoying the sensation of flight.
The earth below them had changed in character. The uneven ground around the village had flattened out to some degree. Now there were lower and rolling hills rather than escarpments and ravines. The roads looked different even though there were about the same number of them. They tended to be wider and didn’t bother to avoid the hills. Instead, they tried to maintain straight lines whether or not they cut through the hills or went over them.
Up ahead, just coming into view, Dascha noticed that there was a clump of extra tendrils of light that she had learned indicated active magic.
<<Glenfrey, is that where we are going? The area where it looks like there is a lot of magic spiking all over the place?>>
<<Yes. That is the gathering site for this trial. It looks like we are not too late, which I’m very pleased about.>>
<<I didn’t realize the time was that short. I am sorry if you were worried.>>
<<Well, we’re here now.>>
The eagle began a gentle descent toward the clouded area. Dascha found it difficult to look straight at the area inside the cloud. It was as if the haze was trying to convince her eyes to look aside. She could see some of the tendrils of magic that held it together and figured that’s what was happening. She had not noticed that color of the thread before, a purple so intense that it made her want to squint.
The eagle and his passenger approached the edge of the cloud more closely. Dascha’s stomach tensed in response, fearing that they were going to smash into a wall. That did not happen. Instead, there was a strange little popping sound, and they were through the barrier. The lines of magic and the protective haze had both disappeared.
Dascha drew a deep breath in amazement. The ground under them was filled with animals. To her startled gaze, it looked as if there were hundreds, but that was only her confusion. As she regained her composure and started to count, she saw that there were less than 50 overall. The small black familiar saw several more cats and a variety of dogs. There are other animals, including birds, ferrets or weasels, and one tired-looking wolf.
<<I didn’t realize that so many different animals could be familiars.>>
<<There are many familiars and types of familiars. The exact reason an animal can become a familiar is only partially known. The matching of her personality, the capability of handling or storing magical energy, and other aspects are important. As you get additional training, you will learn more of that information, but right now all it would do is confuse you.>>
Glenfrey stopped speaking, instead concentrating on getting his passenger landed safely. The timing was tricky since the eagle was swooping down and needed to release Dascha’s harness at the perfect time. Ideally, he headed to release her so that she did not drop far enough to get hurt but did not have too much momentum.
The eagle did it as neatly and competently
as he seemed to do everything. His release of Dascha let her absorb the momentum with a single, carryover step. His huge form had immediately pulled up and flown further to clear the area after he released Dascha’s harness. The small black cat was terribly impressed. Not only did he execute flawlessly, but he made it look easy.
<<Thanks! At least I didn’t have to fall on my face in front of all these strangers.>>
<<You are welcome! And that way I don’t have to explain why I brought a clumsy idiot to the trials. Instead, I just have to explain your existence in a way that others will understand.>>
No sooner had Dascha’s feet touched the ground then a large badger waddled over to her.
<<Oh, dear. You have to be absolutely, totally, completely new! We don’t see very many new ones, and I don’t have you on any of my lists. Who are you, what and who is your witch, and what is your ranking?>>
Dascha responded to the best of her ability, introducing herself and telling the badger that her witch was named Zhanna. He responded with more confusion, <<Never heard of that witch. How long have you been in the territory? Where’s your sponsor? This is very irregular I’ll have you know. It makes organizing things much too hard! >>
Luckily for Dascha, Glenfrey had circled back and landed on a perch that was close to where she was standing. <<Frank, stop fussing. I am sponsoring Dascha. I have done some preliminary training with her, but she is not yet rated. This is her first gather, and her witch knew nothing about the gathering. So, stop fussing at her.>>
<<Oh! That puts a totally different complexion on the whole thing. I didn’t realize you were confused too, so I must apologize young one. Things will get a lot clearer after you survive the first one. Of course, assuming you survive the first one.>>
<<Frank, stop scaring her. You know we haven’t lost a fledgling for a long time.>>
<<Well, there’s always a chance that it will happen again and it’s not fair to keep them in the dark. We have to at least warn them. I know that you think everything is logical and ordered, Glenfrey, but the rest of us just have to manage to do what we can do, when we can do it.>