Boomer watched from the shade of the Kinsmen’s hut as the various members of the Ladysmith Magic Society practiced on the grassy field just up from Transfer Beach. There were twenty-six of them now, far too many to house at the Trav, and especially far too many to be practising Fire Magic in an old Edwardian building that was already on its last legs.

Their practice sessions had already attracted the attention of onlookers. Some, Boomer sensed, were genuinely curious about the process involved with magic. Others were there to keep an eye on them. So long as nobody got hurt, it was fine.

He was starting to grow used to picking up on people’s surface thoughts. Reading minds was not at all like he’d pictured. He didn’t hear voices at all, it was more like having a thought himself, only it bore a clear distinction from his own thoughts. The thoughts of others came into his head like it was riding a wave, and was soon gone as he got out of range, or shifted his focus to another.

Thankfully, it wasn’t explicitly overwhelming. At least, not when it came to the surface thoughts. But surface thoughts were not the limit of his abilities. Lily, who he’d known since he first moved to Ladysmith, trusted him enough to give him opportunities to how much of a deep dive he could do trying to pull information out of her head.

That was overwhelming. He sifted through her thoughts, broke into her memory, and a flood of images and pictures filled his head. Not all of them were the sorts of memories she wanted to share. The death of her mother. The bad memories of her father. Her first day at school. All the memories flooded into his head at such a speed that he could only really capture brief glimpses of each one.

And unfortunately, Lily was part of that experience. As Boomer explored, she found herself suddenly faced with each of those memories, and suddenly thought of all the memories she didn’t want Boomer to see. Her first kiss. Her most humiliating moments. The day she discovered what an orgasm felt like, and the unique way she achieved it. All of her most awkward, candid and private moments flowed into Boomer’s head, and she was mostly helpless to prevent it. In the end, Boomer broke the connection out of sheer second-hand embarrassment.

Then there was Arie. Boomer had been avoiding going anywhere beyond her surface thoughts, mostly because many of her surface thoughts when the two of them together were filled with concerns about whether or not Boomer could hear her. He didn’t want to breach her mind and discover things, he wanted her to trust him, so he purposely avoided such things.

Every so often, however, her surface thoughts would flow into his head unbidden. In a moment of reverie, she would picture her brother, her mother, or imagine the face of a man she hadn’t talked about. The man was clearly important to her, but Boomer felt a stab of anxiety from her whenever she pictured him. She wasn’t frightened of him, not exactly, but the thought of him filled her with anxiety nonetheless.

And then there was Lily’s insistence that Arie had a thing for him. Boomer was still sceptical of the idea, but it wasn’t without basis. He’d felt her embarrassment when he would catch her looking in his direction, despite the lack of reaction. She seemed to stare at his forearms an awful lot. But there was something else in how she looked at him that made him second guess it. Perhaps she found him attractive, but he also knew he put her on edge. She still wasn’t sure what to make of him, and that made him a mystery to her.

Not to mention the fact that Boomer, with his history of failed relationships and trust issues all his own, had no intention of falling in love with the girl.

Although he had to admit he found himself second-guessing his own feelings on the matter every time he caught her smiling.

He was enjoying the shade under the roof of the hut when Lily suddenly clapped, signalling that was enough practice for now, then directed everyone to the hut to make hot dogs in the built-in barbecue. It was Lily’s idea. Community outreach, she’d called it. Since the encounter with Kayla Winder the day before, Lily felt it would be beneficial to engage themselves with the community to alleviate any notions of fear, so Shannon Driscoll provided them with a bunch of hot dogs to hand out to the public after their practice.

“But what kind of meat is it, really?” Arie asked as Lily pulled a weiner from the fire and loaded it into a bun.

“Truth told,” Lily began, “I don’t really know. But on a hot summer day, it’s delicious.”

“It’s one of those foods you probably don’t want to question,” Boomer added. “But it won’t kill you, and everyone loves them. Well, except Vegans.”

“Vegans. Yes, I’ve heard of them. People who only eat plants, right?”

“We have Vegan hot dogs for them,” Lily said. “But between you and me, they taste horrible.”

Boomer, Lily and Arie generally stuck together for most of the evening after the barbecue, and stayed behind to help clean up and load the trunk of Lily’s car with the leftovers. As the sun started to sink down over the horizon, the three of them decided to walk along the shore. Raine had also lingered around the beach, but mostly because he had appeared to catch the interest of a girl from his school who was interested in his powers.

Boomer laughed as he picked up the surface thoughts from each of them. She wanted him to make a move, but he wanted her to make the move. Ah, young love.

But eventually the sky started to dim, and the three of them started a fire at the end of Slag Point, an area north of Transfer Beach made from coal slag leftover from the town’s history as a mining town. Arie found herself enrapt by the glow of the water as it washed ashore, illuminated by the bioluminescent organisms present in the water. She had seen the effect before, but thought it to be a property of the water itself, and had never imagined they were tiny animals.

Finally, Arie sat down with them by the fire. “Tomorrow I have to give Lieutenant Wicket my decision.”

“Have you made a decision?”

She sighed. “The Dance of War isn’t something to be taken lightly. There is a real chance of harm. Raine’s abilities are impressive. As is the unique way you use yours, Lily,” she said. “I could not speak for the Halish War Mages, but I suspect you two might hold your own. If I were to agree, the two of you would be my first choices.” She looked to Lily. “So long as you agreed.”

“I’m not even sure yet,” Lily said. “Raine’s eager, but he wants a chance to show off. But even if he and I agree to it, what about our third?”

“Possibly Misty or Martin,” she said. “The two of them work well together, and they’re good training partners, but the choice would mean putting three of you at risk either way.” She gently rubbed her Widow’s Tear.

Boomer caught a brief image of Tam from Arie’s surface thoughts. At least, what he used to look like. He was always smiling in Arie’s memories.

He suddenly felt a sense of sudden resolve coming from Arie, which drew his attention to her. The look on her face shifted from one of wistful ponderance to one of determination. She stood up and walked to the shoreline, then placed her hand onto the sand.

Boomer watched as the sand started to bubble and erupt beneath her hand. It started to rise out of the ground, forming a distinctly human-like shape. He suddenly realized what she was doing.

Once the shape had formed to her liking, she took the Widow’s Tear from around her neck and placed it in the torso of her sand-person. She looked back at them. “He may be alarmed. Stay calm, he will not hurt you.”

“Oh shit, you’re waking him up?” Lily asked.

With a nod, she stood above the human-shaped mound of sand and closed her eyes. The sand formation started to vibrate, and to Boomer’s surprise, instead of loosening up, it seemed to contract, as though the particles of sand were growing closer together, connecting.

Finally,the vibrations stopped, and Arie dropped her arm.

“Tam?” she asked.

The mound suddenly shifted violently, casting loose sand in every direction. Boomer instinctively covered his eyes while Lily squeaked in surprise, falling back over the piece of driftwood she was sitting on.

“Aaaaaaaagh,” came a voice. A new voice. Boomer realised the mound of sand was speaking. “What? Arianell, are you there? I can’t see!” The mound suddenly rolled over, kicking more sand around and then sat up. “Oh, that’s better.”

Boomer wasn’t sure what to make of what he was seeing. He looked over to Lily. Like him, she was also speechless.

“Arianell?” Lily asked.

Arie ignored the query. “Tam, how are your senses? Can you hear me?”

“I…” the sand-golem said. “I can hear you, but… Where are we?” It looked around. “Is this Caede?” It suddenly levelled a gaze at Boomer and Lily. “Who are they? And what are you wearing?”

Arie sighed. “Tam, this is Lily and Boomer,” she said. “They are… friends.”

“What is that?” Tam suddenly asked. He pointed one of his sandy arms out to the water, where a fishing boat floated past lit up like a Christmas Tree. He looked back to Arie. “How long has it been?”

“Three weeks,” Arie said.

“Three?” Tam exclaimed. “Arie, I told you you shouldn’t be left alone for so long!”

“I was only alone until recently,” Arie said. “Until I found these people.”

Tam looked to the two of them, and what Boomer assumed to be his face settled on Boomer. To his surprise, he felt a stab of distrust. Did his ability also work on Golems? “What has happened? Where is this place?”

“It’s a long story,” Arie said. “And time is always short with us, brother. But I need your help.” She gestured toward Boomer and Lily. “This place is Ladysmith. It’s… difficult to explain, but it is a town that comes from another world.”

“Say again?”

Arie shook her head. “I know it’s a lot to take in,” she said. “But know that I feel safe here. You can trust them.”

Tam once again looked to the two of them. “If Arianell says you can be trusted, then you have my trust,” he said.

Boomer immediately got the sense that Tam didn’t believe his own words.

“They are Feral Mages, Tam,” Arie said. “Just two among many. But they are more talented than most Mages I’ve known.”

“What is it you need from me?”

“In this town are War Mages from Halen–”

“War Mages? Arie, you must–”

“They are not here for me, Tam,” Arie said.

Boomer and Lily suddenly looked at each other. Why would War Mages be looking for Arie? Boomer had the thought the same time as Lily, but both decided to keep it to themselves, at least for now.

“The Halish are here because Vector is here. The rumours of them enacting a claim against the Free Lands? They are true. They are here. And these people– my friends. They are stuck in the middle of it all.”

Tam suddenly stood up. “Vectorans? Arie, we can’t involve ourselves in the affairs of Halen and Vector, we–”

“We are not,” Arie said. “We are involving ourselves in the affairs of this town and the people who live here. They are new to magic, Tam. They need my help.”

“Let another help,” Tam said. He looked to Boomer, specifically. “I do not mean to offend, but Arianell cannot–”

“For the last time, Tam,” Arie snapped. “I will make my own decisions.”

“Arie, your decisions are what put us here. You would have been fine if you just–”

“But you wouldn’t!” Arie exclaimed. “You would still be sitting upon a pedestal at the Tear, ignorant to all that happens in the world forever. If I hadn’t come for you–” she trailed off, then looked over to Lily and Boomer. “I’m sorry… perhaps this was a mistake.”

“Hold on,” Boomer said. This was cascading out of control. He had to say something. “Look, it’s clear there’s a lot more going on between you two than we know.” He stood up. “This is all very new to us. The politics of this world and whatever secrets you’re keeping– they’re all mysteries to us.” He sighed. “I won’t lie to you. We’re concerned about that, but we’re way more concerned about keeping everyone safe. The people of this town, and by extension you two as well.” He looked to Tam. “Your sister has been the sort of help to us that has given us hope that whatever is happening here, we’re going to get through it. She’s been single-handedly showing us the ropes of magic, and for that, we are extremely grateful.”

“It is not her respons–”

“I chose to, Tam,” Arie exclaimed.

“Arie can leave whenever she wants,” Boomer added. “But here’s the thing. When we say we’re from another world, we mean it. That ship out there, that’s just a taste of what we have. We don’t know why we’re here, but there must be a reason for it. There has to be. Whether it’s by… divine hand or chance, there’s meaning in why we’re here.” He pointed to Arie. “And there’s meaning as to why she’s here. Your past is your past, and we won’t pry. You can tell us when you’re ready. But for now, we need your help. Both of you. Tam, she loves you. You can see it every time she touches your Widow’s Tear. There’s pain in her eyes, and even without my abilities I’d know that. And it’s clear you love her. So here’s the thing. Arie has a place here. Whatever her past, she’s welcome here. And so are you. When she came across us, she was wandering across the Free Lands, aimlessly. She had no direction. No purpose. Here, she has one. You’re concerned for her safety, but you don’t seem to bbe so concerned for her well-being.”

“You wouldn’t understand the first thing about–”

“Hey, I get it. You don’t want her burdened with responsibility,” he said. “But Arie is willing to take on that burden. That is her choice.” He shook his head. “I don’t know what’s going to happen in the coming days and weeks, but I will say this. Arie is our friend, and we want nothing more than her well-being. And yours.”

Boomer could sense Tam wrestling with his words. There was still resistance, but his silence showed he was more willing to listen.

“Arie is taking a risk by helping us,” he said. “But that doesn’t come without recognition. If she’s putting herself on the line, that means we all have to. We’re not going to ask anything of her that we wouldn’t do ourselves.” He looked over to Lily. “Lily, are you willing to fight?”

Lily paused for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah,” she said. “I am.”

“I was asked to do something dangerous recently. Something I never saw myself doing. Something that might just have me risking my life. And you know what, to protect Lily, to protect Arie and even to protect you, I’m going to do it.” He looked to Arie. “She brought you out of the Widow’s Tear because wants your help, not your judgement. She needs a brother to support her, not to tell her what to do. All she’s asking for is that brother. So are you going to support her, or just be another person telling her what to do?”

Boomer felt that Tam was considering his words carefully. Tam’s thoughts were chaotic, his emotions wild. But at the core of it was a central premise: he loved her.

“I… will support her,” Tam said.

Boomer looked over to Arie. Her eyes were filled with tears, but he sensed… contentment? Relief? He was still not used to how the emotions of others translated themselves once they got into his mind, but there was something promising about it.

“Ask him, Arie,” Boomer said.

Arie nodded. “The people here, the Feral Mages,” she said. “They are unrefined, but many have a grasp of their abilities I’ve never witnessed before. The thing is, we need the help of the Halish War Mages to help refine them further.”

Tam listened, then nodded. “But they may not be willing. Their creed prevents that.”

“Unless we can prove the worth of these mages,” Arie said. “Yes. We believe we may be able to challenge them with the Dance of War. And if they win, ask the Halish War Mages to help train them before Vector invades.”

Tam remained silent for a moment. “Do you believe they can win the Dance?”

Arie thought for a moment. “I believe they stand a chance, yes. Two of them in particular. Perhaps a third, but we need three for the Dance.”

“There’s no guarantee of survival when it comes to the Dance, I hear. I’ve heard of many a War Mage in training losing their lives.” He looked to Boomer. “Are your people prepared to die to prove your worth?”

“That’s not my call,” he said. He looked over to Lily.

Lily remained silent. “Since we arrived here, every day has been a never-ending parade of what-ifs,” she explained. “What if Ryan and Terra never make it back from Halen? What if Vector overruns us? What if this whole initiative fails?” She paused. “What if I die?” She sighed, then clenched her fist. “I’m sick of what-ifs.” She looked to Arie. “Yes. I’ll risk it. If it means freedom, if it means our continued existence, then yes. If I don’t take the risk against the War Mages, then I take the risk against Vector or whatever else this world had to throw at me.”

Tam nodded. He looked to Arie. “Then I think you have your answer.”

Arie didn’t react at first. Boomer could tell she was overcome with emotion. Slowly, she began to nod. “Thank you,” she said. She looked to Tam and smiled, then looked over to Boomer. “And thank you, Boomer.”

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

“We got your back, Arie,” Boomer said. “As long as you got ours.”

“There’s something I have to tell you,” Arie said. She looked to Tam. “I trust them, Tam.”

Tam nodded. “If you think it wise,” he said.

She smiled. “I’m not sure wisdom has anything to do with it.” She looked again to Boomer. “But trust does.” She sighed.

“We’re all ears, Arie,” Lily said, laying a hand on Arie’s back.

“I was not completely honest as to why I was this deep in the Free Lands,” she explained. “But it is true that Tam was wrongfully tried and sentenced to a Widow’s Tear. That was the doing of a man that… I thought I trusted. My mentor. Erron Tome.”

“He framed Tam?”

“He did,” Tam said. “Because I learned the truth.”

“The truth about what?”

“Our mother,” Arie said. “Years ago was a servant at the Seat, the palace of the Sovereign of Shavi in Dey. She was an attendant of the reigning Sovereign at the time, Jerra Windchaser. Jerra had two children, both daughters. The first daughter, Mystra, rose to take her mother’s station as Sovereign of Shavi nearly twenty years ago, while the second daughter was killed in an accident along with her father. After Jerra died, our mother took Tam and I to a village on the eastern shores of Shavi, where we were raised.”

“When I manifested my abilities, our mother was very hesitant to send me to the Academies. She wanted to keep it hidden. I didn’t understand. I even resented her for it. After she grew sick, I maintained that anger, and without her blessing I ran away to the Academies when I was just fourteen. There, I was taken under the wing of my mentor, the Earth Mage Erron Tome. He took a special interest in me. He was always so kind, so patient. He took me under his wing and trained me. I thought he had seen some talent in me, and sought to foster that.” She motioned to Tam. “I was always close with Tam, and as our mother grew even more sick, he would act as the bridge between us. Then, last year, she passed away.”

“She had revealed something to me before she died,” Tam said. “Something I never expected to learn. So I sent Arie a message by Swift. The message never made it to her.”

“Swift, those are… messengers, right? I heard Keltz talking about them,” Boomer said.

“The Swift are elite. They stay true to a creed. There’s only one thing that can prevent a Swift from delivering a message, and that’s their death.”

“So the messenger died?”

“The Swift didn’t just die. He was killed,” Tam said. “The next day, our home was invaded by the Shavian Authority. I was taken, accused of murdering a Swift, and before I knew it I was carted off to Dey and put to a Widow’s Tear.”

“It was months before I discovered what happened,” Arie said. “But then, one day at Tome’s estate, I overheard a heated conversation between him and another man. He was a High Magus,” she explained. “A member of the council.”

“Hold on, as in the High Magus Council?”

Arie nodded. “I heard them uttering Tam’s name,” she said. “I couldn’t understand why they would be speaking of him. So I did some digging, and discovered what had happened. At first, I didn’t know what to do. Then, one night, someone came to me. A Light Mage. She revealed to me where Tam’s Widow’s Tear was being kept. That night I understood that if I was ever going to have peace of mind, I had to leave Dey, and try to find a way to talk to Tam to understand what had happened. So I broke into the Tear, found him, and made quite a mess breaking back out. That’s when he told me.”

“Told you what?”

“Arie isn’t really my sister,” Tam said. “Not by blood, at least. She is the second daughter of Jerra Windchaser.”

Both Boomer and Lily blinked.

“Wait, what?” Lily asked. “You’re a… princess or something?”

“I am heir to the Seat of Shavi,” Arie said. “Arianell Windchaser. Blood sister to the currently reigning Sovereign.”

There was a long pause. “So what does that mean?” Boomer asked.

“It means Scalzi and Tome know,” she said. “I believe they were… grooming me. Preparing me for the role, but to support their goals. But they wanted it kept from me, I suspect. Until the time was right. Until Mystra– my sister, could no longer reign as Sovereign. So when they got word of my mother dying, I believe they had a role in the death of the Swift, and the framing of Tam.”

“That’s pretty heavy,” Boomer said. He looked to Lily. “But it doesn’t matter.”

Arie looked up at him. “I’m sorry?”

“You’re here now,” Boomer said. He looked to Tam. “Both of you. Which means if this is where you want to be, we’re going to fight for you as well. Our nation has had its hiccups, but the soul of Canada is mired in freedom. Princess, heir, whatever you are doesn’t matter to us. To us, you’re Arie. Whether that’s Boas or Windchaser, it isn’t going to make a difference. What matters to us is that you are precisely where you want to be.” He looked over to Lily again. “Right?”

Lily nodded. “You bet,” she said.

“I’m sorry I kept it from you,” Arie said.

“Hey,” Boomer said. “Like I said, your secrets are your own. But still, the fact that you trust us means a lot.”

Arie smiled. “Thank you,” she said. “My friends.”

----------------------------------------

It was still before midnight when Boomer got into his car and started to drive down toward Kamper’s Korner. Technically the curfew was still in effect, but the town was treating it more as a suggestion than a rule. It was just as well. The existence of the wyverns had facilitated the curfew at first, but now that they understood the creatures didn’t hunt, but scavenged, the restrictions weren’t as strict.

Still, the animals could scent for some distance, and they were big enough to cause major damage to structures, so that meant every bit of roadkill or dead cat had to be taken away and dealt with on the off chance it attracted them. Thankfully, they had a natural aversion to humans, so sightings were rare, and that suited Boomer just fine.

The area around the trailer park had certainly changed in just a few short days, however. A number of barricades had been set up on the highway just adjacent to the park. It made sense, since there was no more highway south of it. When he turned in, he noticed a number of lights in the office, and a large radio antenna had been erected on the roof. Boomer wasn’t sure if that had been there before.

He pulled his car to a stop outside of the trailer park office. He was surprised to see that the trailers in the park had been moved, and some rudimentary ramparts had been set up at the base of the slope that led up into what Arie called the Free Lands. The slope itself appeared to have been packed down and levelled out, and the telltale tracks of all-terrain vehicles led up. He knew the place was being used as one of four proposed military installations within the range of the halo. There was one at the airport, a checkpoint at the logging roads, and the Government Wharf in the harbour.

As he got out of his car, he saw movement from inside the office. A form appeared behind the window and slid it open.

“Who goes there?” came a woman’s voice. Boomer immediately recognized Samantha Whittaker, a resident at the park on the other side of the window.

“It’s Boomer,” he replied. “Is Andy around?”

A second form appeared in the window behind her. “Hey, kid,” Andy said. “Come on in.”

Boomer walked up to the door and opened it. He’d never been inside the office building before. It was cluttered to be certain. Desks and furniture had been moved around haphazardly. At what used to be the service counter were a number of print-outs, mostly maps of Ladysmith. There was one other map in particular he took note of. It appeared hand-drawn and photocopied, and weren’t any land mass he recognized.

The map showed a large central island, surrounded by smaller islands. A red X was marked on the eastern shore of the main landmass, just across from a larger one.

“Feast your eyes on the Pactlands,” Andy said. He pointed to the X. “That’ll be us.”

Boomer picked up the map. It was his first time seeing it. There were scribbles on the page made in some script he couldn’t recognize, but there were clear borders drawn across several areas.

“So this would be Halen, right?” he asked.

“Yup. About eight hundred kilometres north through hard terrain,” he said. “As best we can figure. Probably another six hundred to their capital. Thinking about your friends?”

Boomer nodded. Fourteen hundred kilometres could be done in a day on a clear highway, but through forest paths and open country, it made sense that it could take up to a week to travel.

“Then Vector, down south,” he said. He pulled out a second map,which appeared to be a more detailed map of the Disputed Lands. There were two circles drawn, both south of their location. Andy pointed to the closer of the two. “According to our prisoner, this is the camp I was telling you about. Roughly forty kilometres. About a day, day and a half walk.” He pointed at the southernmost one. “This is the rough location of Anastae. That’s a bit farther, about a hundred fifty clicks. Not an easy journey.”

Boomer examined the maps closely. The second map showed a number of what he assumed were paths or trails, all leading through forest and foothills southbound toward Vector. It led up to another mark, upon which the words Stone’s Mouth had been written in English, along with a distance of twelve kilometres, and then continued north. There were a number of other marks on the page.

“So I take it you’re not actually here to brush up on your cartography, kid,” Andy said. “You made a decision?”

Boomer looked up to Andy, then his eyes darted toward Samantha.

“Oh, don’t sweat Sam,” Andy said. “She’s got clearance.”

“You’re damn straight I do,” Samantha commented. “I ain’t sitting in this chair handling comms all goddamn day if I don’t know what’s going on.”

Boomer nodded. “Yeah,” he said. “I’m in.”

Andy nodded. “Good man,” he said.

“I still need to know what the plan is,” Boomer said.

“The Halish boys are going to be lending us a few of their scouts,” Andy said. “Three of them, experienced in survival and the lay of the land between Halen and Vector. We’re still working out the finer details, but the plan is to have them pose as Freemen. I’m told the Vectorans aren’t above conscription of the local Freeman population.”

“So I’m going to pretend to be a Freeman as well?”

Andy paused. “You ever gone hunting, kid?”

Boomer shook his head. “I’ve done some fishing.”

“What about camping?”

“I hiked the West Coast Trail from Port Renfrew to Bamfield last year,” he replied.

“Great,” he said. “So, what’s the name of this mountain right here?” He pointed to a mountain on the map of the Pactlands.

Boomer shook his head. “I couldn’t tell you.”

“Neither can I,” Andy said. “So what are you gonna say if a Vectoran asks you?”

Boomer’s first thought was that he would be able to tell what the Vectoran was thinking, but he didn’t feel comfortable telling Andy about that. Not yet, at least.

Boomer shook his head again. “Nothing, I guess.”

“Exactly. That’s why you’re not going to be a Freeman. You’re going to be a Canadian.”

“A Canadian?”

“We don’t yet know how much the Vectorans know about us,” Andy explained. “For all we know, they think we’re Freemen. But there’s a chance, however slight, that they might have sussed out that we’re from a little further away. And if that’s the case, we need to figure out what they know.”

“But who’s to say they don’t just kill me as soon as they know where I’m from?”

“The one thing we know about them is that they’re going to act. We don’t have any control over that. But whatever information they have on us is very little, which means they’re going to be pretty eager to learn more. You’re going to pose as a defector and offer them information.”

“Don’t you think they might see through that?”

“Oh, they’ll suspect it,” he said. “They’d be idiots not to. But the beauty of that is that they won’t risk harming a golden goose. I won’t lie kid, this is a huge risk. They might try to imprison you, torture information out of you. That’s why we’re going to play it safe and have you tell them the God’s honest truth.”

Boomer raised an eyebrow. “Say what?”

Andy smirked. “Well, mostly,” he said. “We might have you leave a few details out of the stories.”

“You gonna unpack that?”

“The best way to keep an enemy guessing isn’t to keep secrets from them,” Andy explained. “But rather to give them so much information it’s impossible to sift through. Ladysmith is a small town, but the Earth is a pretty big place. A lot going on there. Lots of politics and social problems. Long history, there. A history we’re a part of, but they don’t really need to know that we’ve been separated from a lot of that history.”

“So what if they ask me about numbers, troop movements, infrastructure, things like that? Or to draw a map?”

“Oh, that’s easy,” he said. He reached under the counter and picked up a book and slid it across the table toward him.

Boomer picked it up. It was a book of roadmaps of Vancouver Island from the 80’s. He looked up to Andy. “We’re going to give them a map of Ladysmith?”

“Town infrastructure’s changed somewhat since the 80’s, kid. That’ll give them a layout of town, sure. It’ll show them the main roads. If they’re going to come at us, that’s where we want them to come at us. If they come at us on the main roads where we can see them coming, that’s gonna make the town a lot easier to defend. However, if they’re smart, and we have to assume they are, they’re going to want to try scouting the topography. It probably won’t take them long to find the high voltage aluminum towers and the access road, but we’re prepared for that as well. We’re fairly well protected from the south and west. What we don’t want is them coming at us from the north, so we need them to believe a southern egress is their best option.”

“All right,” Boomer said. “Sounds simple enough. So the big question I guess is how the hell do I get out when the job is done?”

“We’ve got some ideas,” Andy said. “But they’re largely dependent on the information we get once you’re down there. That’s where your partner comes in.”

“Partner?”

“You’ll find out when it’s time,” Andy said. “It’s best that you not know all the details. There’s still information we need before we commit to the final plan, but our main priority is going to be to get you and the Halish boys out of there unharmed.”

“All right,” Boomer said. “So, when do we start?”

“Rest easy for now,” Andy replied. “Go home, get some rest. Be with your friends. It ain’t happening for a few more days yet. But be ready.”

Boomer nodded.

“And kid? Thanks.”

----------------------------------------

They'd been travelling hard since they woke up, taking breaks only for water and to refuel. The land was beginning to level off, the hills turning into low plains, and the forests turning into grassy fields.

At midday, from the crest of the last hill, Terra stopped and pointed to the north.

“Is that it?” she asked, pointing toward the twisting form of a river. On the other side, she could see smoke rising from what appeared to be a small town on the north bank.

“Aye,” Bayne said. “That’s the Cantus River, and the town of Ansem.

“We’ve made good time,” Nalya said. “We should rest in Ansem for the night.” She looked to Terra. “Have a meal and sleep in a comfortable bed. There’s a tavern there with good food.”

A half-hour later, the group had reached the south bank of the river, and stopped at the edge of an old dock, long since turned white with mould and fungus. Cale wasn't sure it would support the weight of the quads all at once, so he suggested they park alongside the dock.

Ryan whistled in approval at the town across the river. It was bigger than Stone's Mouth, but much smaller than Ladysmith. That didn't take away from its beauty, however. He could see the twisting stone spires that lined the high walls of the city. Whatever they were originally built for, the walls would do a good job of repelling invaders. Perhaps it was something that Ladysmith should look into. The Great Wall of Ladysmith. He laughed at the thought.

Looking to Nalya, he asked. “What now? How are we supposed to get across?”

Nalya didn't reply, only pulled a banner from her pack and attached it to the long pole at the edge of the dock and hoisted it up. The banner of Halen hung there, flapping in the wind.

“It's a marker,” she said. “The ferryman will see it and waste no time getting across. He’ll know we’re on the King’s business.”

“Aye,” Bayne agreed. “And if he wants to see some of the king's money, he'll do no other thing.”

“What about the quads?” Cale asked.

“The ferry will support them. It was able to support nearly fifty men, horses and wagons for each trip when we crossed into the Disputed Lands originally. There is room for all of us,,” Nalya explained.

“This is the way you came, then?”

Nalya nodded. “Arronay is a day's walk to the northeast. The roads are wide and well-travelled.”

“We might only have enough fuel left to get to Arronay, then,” Cale explained. “We’re going to have to leave the quads there and go the rest of the way on foot.”

“We can find a coach in Arronay that will take us the rest of the way. We will stay in Arronay tomorrow, and we’ll meet with my uncle. The next night we’ll have reached Hillside Downs, and we’ll be in Cilasia by the next midday.”

“The quads will be okay without us?” Terra asked. “They won't get stolen?”

“Without fuel, these things are about as useful as a horse with no legs,” Cale said. “Besides looking cool, there's no purpose they could serve.”

Nalya nodded. “Thievery is punished severely in Arronay,” she said. “They'll be safe wherever we choose to store them. At least until we can come back for them.”

“I don't mind,” Terra said. “Sitting on these things all day make my ass sore.”

“So if you’re going to go see this Blue Seer guy,” Ryan asked. “Does that mean we get some free time?”

Nalya nodded. “It does. But I would ask you to remain close to Bayne. It would not do to get lost in Arronay, especially during the week of the Harbinger’s Festival. There will be many revellers. Easy to get lost in a crowd.”

“Harbinger’s Festival?”

“Every summer across Halen, the Dukes of the eight realms and their Counts throw a grand festival to pay tribute to their subjects. They gather all their artists, musicians and other talents they’ve fostered in that year to provide a great feast for everyone to enjoy. As it happens, we should arrive in Cilasia the night of Harbinger’s Veil, where the best of the performances showcase their talents before the Court of Halen.”

“Aren’t you a Countess?” Terra asked. “Are you participating in it?”

“Alas, no. I hope to next year, though. I have not patronised any artists yet,” she replied.

“But you have a musician right here,” she said, motioning to Ryan.

Nalya looked over to Ryan and raised an eyebrow. “It is a thought,” she said. “But I am not Ryan’s patron.”

“But you could be,” Terra said.

“I wouldn’t mind,” Ryan said. “It might be interesting to show them some music from my world.”

“I also have my playlist,” Terra added. “Ryan’s got that solar charger, we can probably juice up the bluetooth speaker and keep it going for a couple of hours at least.”

“Terra, we’re not throwing a rave for the King,” he said.

“I should have brought glowsticks,” Terra joked. She looked out across the river. The ferry had now left the other side of the river and was quickly approaching them. Terra looked down to Quick, who was standing on the back of Terra’s quad.

“If that little beast is coming, he best hide where the ferryman won’t see. He’s as likely to throw him into the river as give him a ride,” Bayne said.

Nalya pulled a shawl from her back and fashioned it into a sling, then hung it around Terra’s shoulder. “That should do,” she said. She looked to Quick. “Be still, Quick. Once we’re in Ansem we’ll let you loose, but stay close and out of sight.”

Quick gave Nalya a little salute and jumped up into the sling, snuggling himself in.

Terra turned on her phone and slipped it into the sling She’d taught Quick how to use the phone the night before to play some of her games, and the Tyl had taken to it quickly.. “Here, this’ll keep you busy. Just keep the volume off, okay?”

Quick grabbed at the phone excitedly, and nodded.

“Ho there!” came the voice of the ferryman as he approached. “Is that the new Countess I spy?”

“It is!” Nalya yelled back. “We need passage to Ansem!”

“Looking a little light, my Lady,” the ferryman. Terra could see him eyeing up the quads with curiosity. “Is everything all right?”

Nalya nodded. “These are friends to us,” she said. “Come from far away.”

“Is that so?” the ferryman asked as the edge of the ferry bumped against the docks. “They don’t bear the look of Freemen. From where do you come, friends of Halen?”

Nalya gave them a nod. “It’s safe to tell him. News will spread eventually, and I suspect he will be ferrying more passengers than he’s used to in the near future.”

“As hard as it might be to believe, we’re not from the Pactlands,” Ryan said. “Or the Disputed Lands. Or…” he paused and looked to Nalya. “What’s the other place? Caede?”

“Aye,” Bayne said. “Caede.”

“You’re not Southmen, are you? From across the Lost Ocean?”

“No,” Ryan said. “Much farther than that.”

“There ain’t no place farther,” the Ferryman said.

“We’re from a place called Ladysmith,” Cale added. “It now occupies an area along the Aegel Coast. But the truth is, we’re from another world.”

The ferryman shot Cale a skeptical look. “That so?” He looked to Nalya.

“He speaks truth,” Nalya said. “I would not have believed it unless I had seen it with my own eyes. They are a very different sort of people, but they are kind. You have naught to fear from them, and I suspect they will not be the last people of Ladysmith you’ll come to ferry.”

“I see,” the Ferryman said. “Well, as long as the fare is paid, all are welcome aboard this old barge.” He looked over to the quads. “Those are some queer-looking carts you have there. Strange wheels.”

“They’re machines,” Nalya said. “They run on their own power at speeds that would make your head spin. But they’re loud, so we’ll only push them while in Ansem. To hear them roar might cause a panic.”

The Ferryman laughed. “Countess, you are full of surprises, aren’t you? Well then, might as well push them aboard. I’ll have you across in but a few minutes.”