"I think the first thing I do when we reach Crow Town, after I take a bath of course, is forge myself a proper knife, I feel so naked out here without any kind of weapon." Katla said as she dumped an armful of sticks and branches on the ground beside the clearing Alexander had made in the dirt.

"You'll need two or three baths, Svinya." Einar said he put down his own, much larger, armful of firewood. The group had moved off the road a short distance to set up camp for the night. Alexander's horse was tied to a nearby tree, a wooded area a short distance off to the west.

"At least if I bathe thrice, I will be cleaned thrice. Three baths for you only cleans up to your arse."

"But I would still smell better than you."

Katla and Einar both made faces at each other, which Alexander attempted to ignore. He wondered if all Starklunders behaved this way with each other or just their siblings, or if these sorts of childish displays were limited to the two travelling with him.

Alexander piled the materials for a fire into the crude pit he had dug. He retrieved the flint from his saddle bag and knelt in the fire, dagger in hand. He focused on his breathing and imaged the sparks from the flint erupting in a great shower, igniting the tinder and roaring into a blazing fire. A few moments passed before the image felt real enough in his mind and Alexander struck the flint and dagger together. Sparks leapt from Alexander's tools and several tiny snakes of smoke began to rise into the air. The Inquisitor focused on the smoldering pile, imagining the embers turning to flame. The smoke grew thicker, a glow appeared within the tinder, tongues of flame began to appear and consume the tinder before spreading to the thicker wood. Within minutes a bonfire was crackling and casting dancing shadows in the fading light.

The Inquisitor exhaled and leaned back from the flames and saw Katla and Einer both staring at him.

"Was that Seider?" Katla asked. "Sorry, magic, 'Calling' I believe it's called in Wolleman."

"It's actually called Thaumaturgy here, but yes, I am a Caller."

"Are all Inquisitors Callers?"

"No, very few are. It's not entirely unheard of but most people born with the gift are discovered much younger than I was. They tend to join with the Imperial College of Thaumaturgists to have their skills trained and put to use. It's only been two years since my mentor, Marcus, tested me and discovered I was capable."

"You did not have to join this college when it was found out? That you were a Caller?"

"No, they couldn't force me and I couldn't have joined even if I wanted to. I was already sworn to the Inquisition by that point, there are almost no ways to be absolved of the oaths, once taken."

"What would happen to someone who wasn't sworn to your Inquisitors? If he was a Caller, I mean," Katla said, staring at Alexander with an intense focus as the campfire flickered in her eyes, "would he be forced to join this college?"

"No, membership is not compulsory except in times of great need, such as the Great Rebuilding, or if the Empire were at war. Most patriarchs gladly consent to their children joining the college, even daughters. It's the only place to learn how to use their gifts to their fullest, members have respectable positions and excellent pay. Very few turn it down if given the chance."

"But you're certain a Caller would not be compelled to join?"

"Yes." Alexander said slowly, eyes shifting being Katla and her brother.

"Can a man who is not a member Call if he is able? Or is that against one of your many rules?"

"No, there's no law against Calling so long as the Caller doesn't use his gifts in a way that harms others, either intentionally or through carelessness. Some people are wary of people practicing magic independently but only because they have a healthy fear of what it can do. People in Croton are more afraid of me for my position as Inquisitor than for my meager talents with magic."

Katla and Einar exchanged glances.

"Why? Are you Callers?" Alexander asked.

"I'm not, Einar is. Show him." Katla said, gesturing at the campfire. Einar turned to face the crackling flame and stretched out his arm. He raised his hand and the flames grew taller, brighter, until they stood nearly the same height as the Einar himself. He turned his hand over and moved as if he were pushing down the flames and Alexander watched as they shrank smaller and smaller until they were nothing but brightly glowing embers. Einar relaxed his arm and the flames returned to their normal height. Katla and Einar both turned and looked at Alexander, who sat with his eyes moving between the two of them and the fire.

"Impressive." Alexander said after a silent pause. Einar grinned and Katla's body relaxed when she saw the Inquisitor did not appear angered by the display.

"Would Einar be able to make use of his gift in Crow Town? He won't have to hide it?"

"No, I think the town will be happy to have its very own Thaumaturgist in residence, you may get more requests for enchanting than you will for smithing."

"Then it is good I will be there to pick up the slack at the forge!" Katla exclaimed happily to herself.

"Do they persecute Callers in Starklund?" Alexander asked.

"No, of course not. Seiderema, uh, Callers have been valued for their talents since forever. When we arrived here and began hearing all of your laws we weren't sure how his magic would be received so we chose to hide it."

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"Could you teach me?" Alexander asked, turning Einar. The man’s grin faded and he began to blink rapidly.

"Maybe." Einar said as he turned his head to face the fire and opened his mouth wide a couple of times. "I'm not very good at teaching."

"You'd have to be better than no one, all I've had to learn from is an old book my mentor found in the study."

"Maybe."

"There will be plenty of time to think about such things later. Right now, we eat!" Katla said.

The trio ate the food Alexander had purchased that morning. The group had arrived in Orenmoth late in the evening the previous day and slept in the common room of the inn by the station. Alexander had made the decision then to ride past Borecester. He knew he could have stayed with Inquisitor Morgan again and have private rooms for himself and his companions but feared what the harsh man would think of the Starklunders. Einar with his silence and his strange facial movements, Katla with her endless stream of careless words. The three could have stayed at an inn but if Morgan heard Alexander had stayed in town with foreigners but avoided him it could appear suspicious, better to simply ride around and if he were to encounter one of Borecester’s Inquisitors explaint he detour as being due to his haste to return home.

"I'll take first watch." Alexander said. His two companions happily agreed and settled in for the night. Again, the time between Katla's last words and the start of her soft snoring was so short that Alexander wondered if she was only pretending to sleep. A few moments of observing her still form seemed to confirm she actually did simply fall asleep almost immediately.

Part of the Inquisitor wanted to stay awake all night but knew that he would have to sleep eventually. He had not been worried for the first two nights travelling with Katla and Einar, surrounded as he was at all times by citizens of the Empire. Out here, alone with the two foreigners, Alexander felt vulnerable. Murder of an Inquisitor was not unheard of, though it was exceedingly rare. Citizens knew that anyone who harmed a member of the Inquisition would be harshly punished. Actually killing one would result in the perpetrator being tortured to death in a public spectacle that was so horrific that none who witnessed it would risk earning such a fate for themselves.

Alexander forced himself to trust that the two Starklunders did not mean him harm. He woke Katla for the next shift by prodding her foot until she woke. Alexander lay himself on the ground and closed his eyes. He hoped the next night he would be able to find a proper inn to sleep where he could remove his armor for the night. It was uncomfortable to keep his equipment on but this far from town he didn't dare remove it. The Imperial Legion patrols helped curtail bandit activity throughout the Empire but there were always those who preferred to make a living by stealing from others rather than honest labor. Few weapons available outside of the Inquisition or army could hope to penetrate his armor but it wouldn’t do Alexander any good if he wasn’t wearing it when attacked.

The Inquisitor woke the next morning and the first thought to cross his mind was how grateful he was that his throat had not been cut in his sleep. The rest of the journey to Croton was uneventful. The trio managed to arrive at the next small town or village most nights and slept in a common room each time. Once, the distance had been too great and they were forced to compel lodging from a farmer. Alexander could not tell if the man's fearful expressions he tried so hard to hide was due to the presence of an Inquisitor or two foreigners but he was visibly relieved when his guests left early the following morning.

Alexander wondered if his horse would be grateful she didn't have to carry a rider or frustrated that she had to walk slowly enough for the humans to keep up with her, or if horses could even feel such things. Frustration was surely located in the animal or spirited part of the soul but he couldn't remember if something like gratitude would be there as well or if it would be the domain of the rational part. It was difficult to remember the lessons he was taught in the Academy while Katla's seemingly endless fountain of stories bubbled into his ears.

The arrival of the Inquisitor and the two Starklunders caused an immediate stir in Croton when they arrived in the middle of the afternoon. Einar was the tallest man in the town by a good margin, Katla herself stood eye to eye with most men. The magistrates were summoned to the meeting hall and most of the men of the town crowded in as well, those who were able to put off their work temporarily. The magistrates were visibly upset at first by their new smith actually being two foreigners, despite Marcus' warning that a non-citizen may be required to fill the role. Alexander could tell they were annoyed by the way Katla spoke on behalf of her brother but since he was her patriarch and he did not correct her they had no choice but to tolerate her. Normally, if a woman under a man's control spoke or acted out of place, the man would be approached quietly and told about her behavior for him to correct but Alexander did not think this would accomplish much with Einar and his sister.

The magistrates' attitude towards the Starklunder changed when they learned of his gift. The prospect of having a Thaumaturgist who was also a smith employed for the benefit of the town caused them to be more willing to overlook the giant man's scarcity of words, odd faces, and loud sister.

With Katla and Einar accepted by the magistrates the Inquisitor's job was complete. The brother and sister from Starklund were escorted to their new home as Alexander mounted his horse and rode for the villa. He kept his pace slow, enjoying the first peace in daylight hours he's had since he first left the smith's guild headquarters over a week before. Part of him would miss Katla's endless chattering even as another part of him was glad for the quiet. The foreign woman was one of the only people outside of Marcus and the villa staff that Alexander could remember being friendly towards him in the past two years. In hindsight, though, the people of Croton and the surrounding area were as warm to him as sons were to a kind father compared to the people he had seen on his journey.

Alexander passed the gates of the Villa in the late afternoon. He began to tend to his horse when one of the workers in a leather collar took over. He entered the house, grateful for the peaceful and familiar surroundings.

"Inquisitor!" Chloe cried out from a hallway to Alexander's left. "When did you get back? Just now?" she said in a loud voice as she hurried to meet him. "How was your journey? Were you able to fetch a smith for the town?"

"Hello, Chloe." Alexander replied. "I was, two smiths, in fact. A brother and sister from Starklund."

"Foreigners? I bet that the town was right pleased by that but as long as their horses get shoes and their knives get sharp I don't think folks'll object too much."

"No, I don't think they will. Is Marcus in the house?"

"Yes, he's in the study. Spends most of his time there when he's not out and about visiting folks, making sure they're all behaving themselves out there. Makes a right mess of my meal plans, him just having me bring him cold food instead of sitting down for a proper dinner. I think he missed you while you were gone, kept trying to chatter my ear off about this or that. I'm glad you're back, Alexander, now he can leave me to my chores instead of asking me to play philosopher."

"I'm glad to be back too, Choe." Alexander said with a friendly nod. "Though if you want to stand in for me during his philosophy lessons, you are more than welcome."

"Oh no, that's all you. Now, let me go get a proper dinner started and no matter what Marcus says about reading or already eating, you make sure he comes out and sits at the table when I call for you."

Alexander promised he would do his best to ensure his mentor ate a real dinner and moved past Chloe, down the hall to the study. Marcus was seated at his desk, book in hand.

"Welcome back, Alexander." he said with a friendly smile as he closed his book and placed it on the desk. "Please, tell me all about your journey."