It took a month for Evaliena to take most of the tenants back to their clans. First, to pack up their things. Which were scattered around because of the vicious shaking the Keep had withstood. Second, to give them the time they needed to set their affairs in order. And third, Evaliena repairing her glamour so she didn’t stick out like a golden thumb.
Burr was the next to leave. She was a Floramancer, a mage who used the power of flowers and nature. It saddened her to tear down the little garden and greenhouse she kept. She never warmed up to Jace outside of that incident so long ago, but she kept a cordial relationship with him. The remnants of her clan permanently inhabit a forest somewhere in the continent’s interior. She vocally dreaded going back there, but she really had no other place to go. Evaliena was itinerant, and Burr preferred to stay in one place. She smiled and waved at the four before disappearing into the woods.
Cedar, the old veteran spellblade, getting in his years. He wouldn’t be able to keep up, and he still had a living family left in his own clan. Who inhabited the warmer plains in the south of Eweron’s shelf. “That was an explosive finish, wasn’t it?” He joked as the four walked toward the settlement of his clan. An extensive collection of tents and many large ground drakes. Plots of land set aside for growing simple crops. Jace got a sense that they often moved from place to place. Cedar sighed. “It’s going to take some adjusting to not having a solid set of walls around me.”
“You’ll do just fine.” Evaliena replied. Several Reynards from the settlement were walking toward them. “And I believe this is where we leave you.”
The old fox put a hand on Evaliena. “Aye, Stay safe Sandal.” Then he kept walking while Evaliena, Baysil, and Jace stopped. Jace knew he would say goodbye to everyone eventually when he was ready to leave on his own terms. But fate had other plans.
“Are we not going to join them for a short while?” Jace asked curiously.
“No, it’s better this way.” Evaliena moved and grabbed the shoulders of her students. Cedar looked back as the three disappeared.
Jace could only guess at how Evaliena knew exactly where to teleport for every person. Probably a small enchanted ring similar to Jace’s bracelet. Another woodland area. Different trees. The smell of other Reynards nearby. This was Baysil’s clan. “Will we be invited in?” Jace asked once more.
“I wouldn’t see why not.” Baysil answered as they hiked over rock to climb a hill. “Depends if my parents even recognise me.”
“I don’t plan on staying, Ashwood.” Evaliena spoke, keeping her arms tucked under her cloak. “But if we are invited… I’ll allow it. The less time I spend in one place, the better and the safer everyone else will be.”
The sounds of therians chatting away. Smells of hot meals and drying meat. The stink of ground drakes. Then the shouts of a few on watch as the three crested the hill’s side. “Make yourself known.” One therian male, a darker chestnut colouring to their body compared to Baysil’s, spoke.
“This is your homecoming,” Evaliena whispered into Baysil’s ear. Baysil looked like she was about to have cold feet about the idea of finally being home. She started rubbing her hands together as if trying to remember something.
“... what was the saying…” Baysil mumbled, three therians getting closer, baring glass tipped spears. “This daughter returns to the clan in full bloom… Eyes open to the world.” Baysil spoke to the approaching Therians as confidently as she could.
The interrogating therians asked. “Then whose family do you belong to?” They seemed calm. Did they smell something familiar about Baysil? Jace wondered.
“Healers. My name is Baysil.” Baysil responded.
One of the clanners leaned to another. Likely telling them to head into the settlement as did they turn around and head back into the settlement. “Wait here Baysil, who are your… companions?” they crossed their spears over their chests to lean on them.
Baysil hesitantly looked to Evaliena, then to Jace. Evaliena gave a simple nod. “This would be Lady Sandalwood and my brother in spellcrafting, Ashwood.” Introducing the pair of them. Jace politely bowed, while Evaliena did nothing.
The silence was uneasy. With the ‘guards’ eyeing him, he looked at the ground to observe its interesting detail. The guard that went back into the settlement came back out a bit later, with another in tow. An older looking woman who looked strikingly like Baysil. That must have been her mother.
“I haven’t seen her for more than a decade.” Baysil whispered nervously.
“I basically had wet nursed little Baysil. Her parents pleaded with me to take her. And she was a handful.” Baysil glared at Evaliena with a mild look of embarrassment. Jace raised his hands to cover a smile curling on his lips.
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The older woman walked straight up to Baysil. She acknowledged Evaliena’s presence, then noticed Jace. “Lady Sandalwood.” She spoke formally and did the therian equivalent of a curtsy, tail extending slightly to one side and down as her legs bent and she bowed.
“You seem in good health, Rosem.” Evaliena nodded politely. “Aren’t you going to address your daughter?” She gestured to Baysil.
“M-m-mother,” Baysil stammered.
“My chaotic Baysil, all mature and grown up.” Baysil’s mother hugged her daughter in a warm, tight embrace. Baysil was a good head taller. She hugged back. “You didn’t send, you didn’t write…”
Baysil looked at Evaliena. “... I… It was my fault I didn’t…”
“No, say no more. I’m just glad you’re back.” Baysil’s mother spoke once more. “Me and Juniper agonised over our decision…”
“Oh, don’t make this more sappy than it was. You two took the chance when I was passing through. I accepted and took your daughter into my care to be trained.” Evaliena dismissed.
Rosem waved her hand and pushed away. “So, who’s the boy? They look like a grey from up north.”
“That would be Ashwood… He’s also Lady Sandalwood’s apprentice.” Baysil explained. Jace just smiled and waved. He felt awkward about the entire situation. “By the way, where is father?”
“Oh, oh. He’s out gathering herbs. He won’t be back until sundown. Ummm.” Rosem looked thoughtful. “Would Sandalwood and her apprentice want to share some tea?”
Evaliena immediately answered. “Sure. I need to rest a while before me and Ashwood here, move on.” The guards, noticing their role was over, went back to whatever they were doing. Rosem took the three into the settlement. Jace had to tune down his nose as the smell was overwhelming to him. Therian children ran past him, giggling and yapping. Older Individuals looked at him while they chatted about their day-to-day chores. They didn’t comment on his appearance. Maybe since an incarnation of destruction walked beside him.
The sound of rocks smacking against each and the grinding of millstones pricked his ears. He did what he could to suppress his own scent, as it must have made others curious about him. But he felt at ease. This was Baysil’s people, and he was welcome. The tea was nice, herbal, and refreshing. The berries from the plant had a peppermint pop to them.
He made a mental note to check in on Baysil from time to time when he finished his studies.
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“I guess this is goodbye.” Baysil said somberly as the four walked back outside the settlement. Baysil’s mother coming along to see Jace and Evaliena off with Baysil.
“For now, at least.” Jace smiled. “I could always come visit.”
Evaliena crossed her arms. “Don’t make a promise you can not keep, Ashwood. Here catch.” She threw a small ring-like object over to Baysil. “This should help, however.”
She caught it, then fumbled, but she kept hold of the ring. “Hey, this is my old training ring… Oh, the enchantment has run out.”
“Ashwood, your hand.” Evaliena held out her hand. A spell construct forming in her free hand. Jace gingerly held up a hand. Evaliena put the spell construct into Jace’s palm. “Now channel that into the ring.”
The spell left a tugging feeling in his core, as if to pull. He carefully held the unknown spell in place and pressed the enchantment into Baysil’s ring. A little flame appeared over the top of the ring.
“I guess that’s one way to keep track of me.” Baysil tucked the ring into her lemis.
“I can not thank you, or apologise enough.” Rosem spoke to Evaliena.
Evaliena paused as if to consider, then spoke. “You don’t have to.” There was a silent acknowledgement between the two. “Come Ashwood, we’re leaving.” The yellow vixen grabbed Jace’s arm. Jace hastily waved to Baysil one more time. As the world twisted.
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Evaliena and Jace sat under covering roofs, behind the walls of a roadside inn. Jace had a bowl of hot broth in his stiff hands. He looked at Evaliena, sitting opposite. Rain pattering down against the roof. “What happens now?” He asked.
“I will finish your training.” She responded. “Now that I’m no longer split between you and Baysil. I’ll be focusing my full attention on your growth as a mage. You may despise me after it.”
“How could I despise you?” He replied with a demure smile. “You took me in, gambled on taking me in as an apprentice.”
“True, I have a soft spot for children in need. Even if they happen to come from another world.” … “However, I intend to teach you everything, more of everything you currently know, spellcrafting, artifice, alchemy, ritual craft. And let’s not forget about all the life skills, too.”
Jace grimaced. “How much longer?”
“As long as I deem it necessary. Or until I figure you can not go any further. I won’t abandon you. There’s still so much to show you. Little things you need to understand about wider society. How to ingratiate yourself in polite society. Skills you’ll require to survive on your own. Much and more.” … “And since you can keep a secret, well, a few things most have forgotten.” She tapped and pushed Jace’s shoulder lightly. “And you will remember it, not write it down. Also, we need to fix Topaz. If only to make her into a proper spirit rather than this half existence she’s currently in. But for now, let’s rest for a bit. We have a lot of work to do.”