Gathering Reeds

1200, Winter

Lucien had been on the reed gathering expedition before and remembered the process - since it was winter he was to look for black reeds and gather them as close to the root as possible. He recalled that Osprey would usually grasp the reed and cast a spell to make sure that the reeds were the ones he sought and not just coincidentally the right colour - although the reeds often had more than their colour to distinguish them.

Following breakfast, Lucien bounded down the tunnel after grabbing his heavy cloak, a Torch of Sweet Air, and suiting up in his warm, outside clothes. The winters were brutal and spending as little time as possible outside was advisable. He slung a basket for the reeds over his arm and headed off to find Conrad or Xavier. Inwardly, he hoped that Conrad would be available. Lucien had more in common with the local hand always had enjoyable conversations with him. Xavier, on the other hand, frightened Lucien. The mountain of a man was coldly silent, through no fault of his own, and failed to appreciate Lucien's joie de vivre. Although, if there was a chance for trouble like a hungry wolf then Xavier's strong arm would be most welcomed.

Coming to a skidding stop Lucien nearly ran headlong into the left leg of Xavier who was coming down the stairs and thanked God for the avoidance of certain harm were he to collide with the limb. Xavier squinted as he looked down from his height and raised an eyebrow while brushing snow from his shoulder.

"Master Osprey has sent me to fetch some reeds from the marsh," Lucien stammered.

Xavier exhaled, sending two columns of chilled breath into the heights of the tunnel. Slowly he turned toward the inner caverns, his thick fur cloak frosted with freshly fallen snow.

"Um, it was suggested that I ask you or Conrad to escort me." Xavier looked back and nodded as he lumbered down the tunnel, which Lucien realized led to the cavern where the Hermes Portal was located.

The rabbity Lucien ran alongside the giant to keep pace and bounced in place to keep warm as Terrus' bodyguard lofted his massive mace to his shoulder and led the way down to the Portal.

Lucien led Xavier to the remote cavern where the Hermes Portal was located. They set down one of the Torches of Sweet Air and Lucien spoke the invocation word as he and Xavier stepped into the archway on the wall. There was a moment of black disorientation, then the two men were standing in a different cave near the lower village.

Lucien set down his Torch and the pair stepped out into the cold snowy valley. Above them the trail switched back and forth as it rose nearly one hundred meters up to the lake level. From there it was a long walk all the way around the lake to the marsh, they'd be lucky to be back before dark. Across the valley, smoke trickled out of the huts of the villagers - they had no chores that took them outside in this cold.

Lucien chattered incessantly for the first few minutes of the journey, packing a few snowballs and whizzing them into the white countryside. Xavier looked on unfazed, only choosing to grunt when Lucien feigned a toss at the giant. Off toward the marsh they treked as Lucien peered into the white hoping to see some reeds peeking out from the snowfall.

Several hours later they reached the lake, hot and sweaty despite the cold. Ahead of them lay the village, again closed up against the cold. Lucien opted to pass through the village, since there was a clear path at least that far. All too soon, though, they were through the few huts and breaking new trail toward the marsh. An expedition had been made a couple of weeks ago, but fresh snow had obliterated the trail. The extreme cold made it a little easier to walk, though, since the snow hadn't become slushy.

Even so, it was after noon when they reached the marshy area where the reeds grew. As always, Lucien was struck by the beauty and clarity of the marsh. Osprey had told him that the marsh was at least partly the domain of the Fair Folk, though none had been seen in it in any one's memory.

Lucien remembered a song from his youth about the denizens of the woodlands but thought against asking Xavier if he wanted to hear it. The marsh looked different in the winter, but Lucian had a good idea of where the reeds had been found earlier, so that was where he chose to begin.

Soon he spotted a stand of reeds that looked promisingly black and started to make his way gingerly across the ice toward them

Lucien heard faintly the howl of a wolf from up the valley. Wolves didn't get this far up all that often, but the cold winter could be driving them from their usual haunts.

"Xavier," Lucien whispered, although in the silence of the wintery stillness it seemed loud. "A wolf, I heard a wolf." The behemoth did a double take out toward the valley and look unconvinced. Lucien pointed to his ears, and Xavier nodded knowing that the teen had exceptional hearing and would not joke about anything that could bring him harm.

Xavier took a couple of steps in that direction and hefted his mace into a ready position, becoming like a statue he tensed to protect his charge like the bodyguard he was trained to be.

Gazing upon the armed mountain, Lucien sighed with some relief and approached the reeds with care.

The reeds looked black enough to be the ones that contained the precious raw Vis that the Covenant craved.

Remembering as much of his training as he could, Lucien focussed his mind and used the arts of Intelligo and Vim to determine if these were the reeds he sought. He channeled his mind grasping and twisting the power until the sweat broke out on his brow, then as he reached and grabbed the reeds he released it.

For a moment, he saw he reeds he held outlined in colors, glowing internally, then the vision vanished. It was enough, though; these reeds contained Vis, the essence of magic. He bent to cut them free. He heard a grunt behind him and blessed his sharp ears again. A lean and ragged wolf had broken from the scrub and was loping toward Xavier. Clearly the wolf was starving and desperate, otherwise it would never have chosen to attack a creature of Xavier's mountainous size.

Quickly Lucien gathered the reeds frequently, looking over his shoulder at the wolf and his protector. With an equal intensity, he sought out a place that should it be necessary he could run for safety. Securing the reeds in the basket he carried, Lucien stood only to wobble a bit from his fatigue. He fell to his knees to rest and watch Xavier.

Xavier shot a glance toward Lucien and saw him stagger. It would be impossible for the men to avoid conflict, so he hoisted his mace into ready position and began moving to engage the wolf and keep Lucien protected behind him.

Lucien assured the large man that he was well and prepared another spell should it be needed.

The wolf leapt in the air at Xavier who swung his mace with the full force of his eight foot frame. He timed it beautifully and caught the beast in midair. Lucien heard the crack of the wolf's ribs from where he stood. The animal flew sideways with a yelp and landed on the snow, which was quickly stained red as the beast lay helpless on the ground, lungs heaving and white bone showing through its ribcage.

Lucien forgot his fear seeing the wolf so helpless, and in such great pain. He ran to the quivering animal and fell to his knees calling upon the magic arts of Creo and Animal as he laid his hands on the bloody coat.

Xavier stood silently by with his mace ready, scanning the area for more wolves.

Xavier's eyes grew wide and he took a step back gripping his mace even tighter.

The wolf whined and turned her head toward Lucien, licking at his hand a few times, before collapsing back to the snow. Lucien felt almost like collapsing himself.

Lucien breathed laboriously as he turned to Xavier. Seeing the man gripping the mace with even greater intensity he spoke, "We need to get back to the Convenant, the wolf hasn't got much time." Lucien struggled to his feet, slipping once before gaining his footing.

Xavier pointed to the wolf and reared back with his mace. A calming hand by Lucien reassured him, "the wolf will not threaten us, quickly we...uh, you must carry her." With a look of incredulity the giant jammed his thumb into his chest and twisted his face into an expression of confusion, Lucien responded "Yes" and began to trample off toward the Covenant with the basket of reeds in hand.

With a shrug Xavier secured his mace across his broad back and lifted the wolf into his arms and soon closed the gap between himself and Lucien.

If the trip up had been difficult, the trip back down was nightmarish. Lucien was already tired from his exertions, and to make things worse, by the time they had walked back around the lake the wolf's wounds had reopened. His spontaneous spell lacked the power to keep the wound closed for long.

At the village, the paused while Lucien gathered his fading strength once more, this time to calm the beast and try to encourage it to sleep. The beast calmed some, if it did not drift off into sleep completely. Dazed with exhaustion, Lucien depending on Xavier to get him down the trail safely and into the cavern with Hermes Portal.

Lucien leaned against a wall and spoke the words to activate the Portal. Gently Xavier set the wolf to the ground and kneeled on one knee to regain his strength.

"Stay here while I go for help," he reassured the giant. An exhausted nod of the head sent him on his way.

Lucien stumbled through the familiar caverns with his torch held high. Soon enough he was outside the sanctum of his master, where it was death for another magus to enter uninvited. Thankfully, such a stricture did not apply to him as an apprentice. He passed the threshold and saw Osprey hovering near the stove and eating a bowl of the salt fish pottage of which everyone was getting tired by this time.

"Master," the weary Lucien called out before setting the basket of reeds on the table. "I, we, were set upon by a wolf. Xavier withstood its hungry charge and struck it." The apprentice took a deep breath, fighting the buildup in his tired muscles and pressed ahead. "It was badly wounded, and I did what I could to save it. She was driven by hunger and I hoped you could save her from the door of death."

"What?" The distracted magus took a moment to process what his apprentice had said. "Save the creature? Why?" A short pause. "I might be able to help it, but ... again, why? It's a wolf."

"There was no malice, she could have been hunting for her young." Lucien shuddered under his master's ire, but plugged on with explanations that tried to justify his first shot at decision making. "Something here," he tapped his chest," told me I had to act."

Osprey gave him a long searching look. "I have no real skill in healing. The best I can do is make her comfortable." He sighed. "Bring her here."

Lucien took off down the tunnels once again to return to where he left Xavier and the wolf. Once there, he found the giant standing over the wolf with his mace ready should the beast pose a threat.

"Xavier, get the wolf. Master Osprey may be able to help her."

Xavier snorted, obvious that he agreed with Osprey's assessment of the situation, and took the wolf again in his arms and followed.

Osprey took the beast and examined it. "She is sorely wounded. We can do little more than make her comfortable by the fire. Fetch her some of the salt fish."

Lucien ran to do his master's bidding. When he returned Osprey was again hovering above the stove, while the wolf stared at him with fear. "The beast senses my nature. It is interesting that she does not smell the magic on you. Your gift must be gentler than mine own. It would be best to keep her elsewhere if she survives the night."

He turned back to Lucien. "If she does survive the night, what will you do with her?"

"Release her back to the wild," he answered. Lucien's sheltered life was expanding rapidly. He had seen skirmishes as a child traveling with the troupe of entertainers, it was commonplace for some of the shows to get rowdy but he had never been this close to death before. The wolf and he had much in common, he thought. The wolf was just doing what she had learned, and that mistake nearly cost her life; Lucien knew the fear of death for something that was not intended to cause trouble. He subconsciously tugged at his collar.

"She deserves another chance," he added.

Osprey gave him a long look, then shrugged. "It is up to her now." Dismissing the wolf from his thoughts, he returned to his studies.

Lucien sat down to watch and wait. Through the night the wolf struggled for life.

Lucien slept little throughout the night, feeling an obligation to remain near the wolf and try to bring comfort. It seemed that whenever he dozed off, the wolf would begin to labour in her breathing bringing him back to wakefulness. During one bout, Lucien prayed quietly so as to not disturb Osprey's slumber and the wolf began to sleep, allowing him a few moments of rest.

By dawn, she seemed to be breathing easier. When Osprey examined her, his only comment was, "I think the crisis may be past. But she will be a long time healing. Now set her in the corner so we may return to your studies. But first, clean up that mess and stench." He pointed to where the wolf had fouled itelf in the night.

Lucien stretched from his cramped night and went about relocating the wolf to a suitable corner where she would not disturb Osprey. After gently moving her, Lucien took a bucket and scrubbed down where the wolf had spent the night and changed her bandages. Even after the scrubbing the stench still hung in the air so Lucien turned to magic.

He knew the aura was strong in the lab, though not as strong as he had heard it was in Terrus' lab, and he hoped that would help as he prepared his spell. Much to his dissapointment, when he loosed the spell the only result was a faint hint of wildflowers that vanished almost immediately.

Lucien sighed, shrugging toward the sleeping wolf. "Someday," he said softly aloud and fanned the area before heading off to his studies.

A month passed as Winter slowly wore on. The wolf showed signs of healing, and Osprey made Lucien move it out of his sanctum, although he did give permission for Lucien to borrow a a Torch of Sweet Air.

By the end of the month, the wolf was able to move around. It was not fully healed, but was well enough to be dangerous and Osprey asked when Lucien would be releasing it.

"Soon," he replied to his master. "The wolf can survive now, she can once again rejoin her pack, perhaps even tomorrow," Lucien hinted none too subtly for some time from his studies.

"Then do it," said Osprey. "Come spring, I will have need of you in the laboratory and you will have no time to spare on such foolishness."

Lucien shivered at Osprey's rebuke and hung his head. "Tomorrow, I will."

Early, Lucien woke up and gathered his heavy cloak. He coaxed the wolf to follow him with some salted fish he procured from the kitchen for this very purpose. Down the tunnels he lured the wolf, hoping to not make any noise which alerted the others. Upon arriving at the Hermes portal, Lucien spoke the words of activation and pulled the wolf along.

For the first time in a month, the wolf gazed out on the wide snowy expanse and sniffed the clear air.

It turned and got its bearings and then began to limp down the valley, heading for lower ground.

Lucien waved at the wolf, turned, and went back to the covenant.