In The Beginning Gail Daley (best books to read all time TXT) 📖

"That’s not true!" Catrin declared hotly. "How dare he say such a thing?"

Rebecca looked up and met her grandfather’s unhappy eyes. "Isn’t it appalling to realize a person you’ve known since you were a child has grown into someone you wouldn’t leave an animal with, let alone a child? If he can't amend his ways, we may need to find a different teacher, especially for the younger children. Will you speak to him, or shall I?"

"I can do it," offered Andre.

"Not this time," Rebecca said, with a grin. "He has trouble recognizing your authority. If he doesn’t mend his ways though..."

She might have said more, but the alarm on the gates sounded.

"We've got visitors, Grandpa," Catrin said.

He nodded. "Since Owen is still out with the drovers who went after the wild unicorn herd, you will have to scan them for intent, Rebecca."

As it turned out, everyone but Catrin, who claimed she had a potion to finish making in the dispensary, went to see who had come. When the family reached the outside gates, they found a group of about thirty men and fifteen women and children. Lewys opened the gate and led them back through the tunnel, where he stopped them at the edge of the courtyard.

The fighters Andre had sent for had taken him at his word and brought their women and children along. It was easy for Rebecca to tell the fighters from the non-combatants, even though some of the Mercs were women. Many of the wives and daughters carried weapons and dressed in breeches and shirts for traveling, but they didn’t look dangerous the way the women Mercs did.

"Andre are these the fighters you sent for?" Lewys asked, gesturing at the group.

Andre looked them over deliberately. "This sure looks like a mangy bunch of rawhiders Lewys. Are you sure you want to take them on?"

The tall, heavily muscled blond in the front roared, "Hammer you rotten son of a—"

He made an "oof!" sound as the woman next to him elbowed him sharply in the gut. "Jors shut your mouth," she hissed. "Can’t you see there are Draya present? My apologies for my husband’s poor choice of words, Draya."

Rebecca nodded and smiled at her. "Thank you, Drame. Apology accepted on behalf of myself and my sister." In her turn, she poked Andre. "Introduce us to your friends, Andre."

Lewys looked sharply from his granddaughter to her betrothed, realizing with a sense of shock that sometime during the journey here and in the battle with the McTavishes, the fictional engagement he had created out of desperation had started to turn into something real for Rebecca.

Andre stepped forward, grinning. "Dracon Mabinogion, this is Captain Jors Swordsmith and his men. I can vouch for their loyalty and fighting ability."

"Are you willing to take service with my family?" Lewys asked Captain Jors.

Jors saluted him with a fist to his shoulder. He drew his sword and held it, hilt first, out to Lewys. "Dragon, we swear our lives and our honor to you and yours."

Lewys nodded. "You do me honor. Before I accept, we have one more thing to do. Rebecca, if you will?"

She nodded, closing her eyes in concentration. When she opened them, she made a small gesture with her hand and a large butterfly appeared. "Do not be afraid," she told the waiting people, "Please stand still as it approaches you. I assure you this won’t hurt."

She made another small gesture as the winged insect fluttered over to the group, pausing at each person before moving on. For Jors and his family, it paused before the two small girls clinging to their mother’s legs, and glowed before moving on. As it passed each person, Lewys gestured for them to move outside the tunnel.

Lewys looked at his granddaughter, who nodded and smiled. Lewys turned to Jors and returned the salute. "Welcome to Ironlyn and the service of my family Captain."

Rebecca addressed Jors wife, "Drame Swordsmith, we have a space on the terrace set up to receive visitors. My sister Selene will take your people over there. I’m sure you are hungry and tired. After you've eaten, I will show you to the cottages you will be living in."

Selene smiled, delighted to be given a part in the welcome. "Of course, please follow me."

As soon as they were out of earshot, Rebecca turned to her grandfather. "Did you see? Jors girls are Magi. We need to find the instructions for using our defensive weapons before the Proctor comes to visit us."

"Aye," he said grumpily. "I know it."

Family Magic

CATRIN'S MAGI TALENTS had always been in the healing arts. She had been delighted to find Ironlyn had a completely equipped dispensary, and consequently spent much of her time inside the infirmary itself, or in the herb gardens adjacent to the keep. Given the responsibility of head healer for the shire, it seemed to Rebecca her young sister had matured overnight. She now gave orders about their health with assurance and authority, even to Lewys, who might gripe about her bossy behavior but yielded to her rule.

To Catrin’s delight, she had found a recipe book with directions for making medicines and potions in one of the cabinets, and was anxious to try them all.

Catrin had found one girl among the staff who seemed interested in learning about the healing arts and begun to teach her the skills of a healer. Although Lela had only a smidgen of Magi talent, she was anxious to learn, and she worked diligently at any task assigned her.

Lela was doing well with her studies, so it troubled Catrin when she came into the dispensary one morning to find the girl sobbing over a potion.

"My goodness," Catrin told her comfortingly. "Don't cry over it. Surely, I am not such a harsh taskmaster. You will get better. What is wrong with this one?"

"Not—thing," Lela sobbed. "It isn't the potion."

"Then what is the matter?"

Instead of answering, Lela sobbed harder. "He said—He said I would be sent