“Other than some druids, none! That’s how many. It’s a place filled with Sidhe, satyrs, centaurs and all sorts of exotic races that most of us only hear about in stories! It is said that alvaren princes dine there! The noblest of the fey!”
“Are you sure you aren’t just looking to meet a cute nymph?” Jenn asked.
“You really are a curmudgeon!” Gastropé shook his head.
“Jenn!” came a booming voice from down the corridor ahead of them. Jenn’s mood lightened immediately and she took off down the hall to embrace Master Trisfelt. Gastropé caught up with them. Jenn’s wizard friend was being followed by a good-sized woman with a very bright smile, and a young man about Gastropé’s age, dressed as a guard of some sort.
“Oh, it’s so good to see you! It seems like forever!” Jenn gushed.
“It’s been completely crazy, my dear!” Trisfelt laughed and pulled back to look at her. “You seem to be doing well, though!”
Jenn shrugged. “To be honest, I’ve been through hell, literally, a couple times now... but I’m getting used to it.”
Trisfelt shook his head in amazement. “I did hear something about you traveling through the Abyss, but not much more than that.” He looked to Gastropé. “Is this one of your new friends? Rupert’s cousin, maybe?”
Jenn shook her head and gave an exasperated look. “No, Rupert’s cousin is Edwyrd and he and Rupert apparently departed shortly after the demons to make sure they all went back to the Abyss.”
Trisfelt glanced at Gastropé as the wizard made a rather weird face. “Isn’t that a bit dangerous for little Rupert? I mean he is only ten. Are we that hard up for wizards?”
“Tell me!” Jenn almost shouted, raising her hands. “However, he’s infatuated with his cousin, who apparently is fairly powerful!” She was shaking her head. Gastropé coughed. Jenn’s eyes went wide for a second. “Oh, yeah — this is Gastropé. We, uhm, met him shortly after our caravan ambush.”
“Really?” Trisfelt looked curiously at Gastropé. He stuck out his hand and the two shook.
Neither Jenn nor Gastropé had a great desire to explain how they met, so Jenn quickly tried to change the conversation. “So, who are your new friends?”
Trisfelt blinked for a moment and then suddenly seemed to remember his company. “My apologies! This is my friend, Hilda, and her man-at-arms, Danyel!” Trisfelt stepped back to allow the four to have a clear view of each other.
“My dear girl!” Hilda moved forward and gave Jenn a great big hug. “I’ve heard so much about you from Trisfelt, I feel like we’ve been friends for ever!” She pulled back and gave Jenn the biggest, brightest smile Jenn could ever recall seeing. The large woman seemed to have a very calming and welcoming manner.
“And Gastropé, a pleasure to meet you as well!” Hilda gave the wizard a very hearty handshake and another brilliant smile. Gastropé blinked, slightly taken back by her overwhelming presence.
“So, Hilda...” Jenn struggled to recover from the woman’s strong presence. “How did you and Trisfelt meet? Are you a thaumaturge?”
Hilda beamed; Trisfelt got a puzzled look on his face, as if trying to remember what Hilda did for a living. “Oh no, dear,” she replied, “I’m no good at memorizing all those spells and such. I’m a healer, an animage!” Hilda smiled at her and then at Gastropé.
Jenn shook her head and glanced at Gastropé, looking for agreement as she exclaimed, “An animage? I had never met an animage in my life — I was not even sure they existed until all this craziness started — and now you are the third in the last few weeks! All completely independent of each other!” Gastropé shrugged, equally puzzled.
Hilda chuckled. “Well, I find that when ‘craziness starts,’ people in my profession do start to pop up, so to speak. Most of the time we like to keep a very low profile. Who are the other animages you’ve met?”
“Uhm, Maelen the seer, whom you may meet shortly, depending on schedules, and then Edwyrd, Rupert’s cousin.”
“A seer?” Hilda asked curiously and, it seemed, somewhat cautiously.
“Yes, an actual member of the Society of Learned Fellows. No one even knew the Society still existed!” Gastropé chimed in.
Hilda smiled, a bit more formally, perhaps. “Oh, they certainly still exist. They have a definite presence on Eton; not so much on Norelon.” She shook her head. “And this Edwyrd? He is chasing demons with a ten-year-old?” Hilda seemed rightfully puzzled by this.
Jenn somehow managed to nod her head in agreement and shake her head in disbelief in a single motion. “Yes, we met him in Gizzor Del. He is apparently, according to Maelen at least, a very powerful animage. A pyromaster and a couple other terms I’m not familiar with.” Gastropé was nodding in agreement.
“Well. Interesting, very interesting.” Hilda nodded. She looked at Gastropé. “You are, if I am not mistaken, a pyromancer? And also a conjuror, perhaps?”
Gastropé blushed slightly under Hilda’s observation. “I try my best.”
“Excellent.” Hilda gave his shoulder a firm squeeze. “That’s what is important. Always strive to do your best — that is how you grow in strength and talent. I can tell you are young, but I can See you’ve got great promise!”
Hilda beamed in admiration at Jenn and Gastropé. “Clearly you’ve been through so much, far more than wizards three times your age ever have to deal with. I’m dying to hear of your adventures, if you have time at some point?” She turned to Trisfelt suddenly. “You know, I do happen to have a couple of bottles of note with me, and a few alvaren delicacies? Perhaps we could all have dinner this evening?” She gestured to Gastropé and Jenn.
Trisfelt started nodding and Jenn was grinning but then suddenly frowned. “Oh, I’m sorry. Dang it! I completely forgot!” She grimaced in frustration, and Gastropé also groaned.
“What is it, my dear?” Hilda asked.
“We are leaving this evening for the Grove, on an expedition.”
“An expedition?” Trisfelt asked, puzzled.
“To the Grove?” Hilda’s eyes widened. “That is quite an undertaking. Surely, my dear, you’ve had enough adventures for a while?” Hilda asked, giving Jenn a reassuring pat on her forearm.
“Yes, well, the two armies outside are looking for Gastropé, Maelen and me, as well as Edwyrd and Rupert, and the Council wants us out of Freehold as of about a week ago,” Jenn explained.
“So the three of us are going with Elrose and Councilor D’Vils to the Grove and then on to Natoor,” Gastropé informed them.
Hilda blinked. “You are going with Trevin D’Vils to the Grove and then on to Natoor?” She blinked a few more times. “Surely there are... less remote places you could go to get away from the Rod? They have a bigger presence on Natoor than on Norelon. In fact, given the route to get there, you are passing through the heart of the Rod’s operations. Unless you’ve got a gateway?”
Jenn shook her head. “No, we are going conventionally, whatever that means. Given that Trevin D’Vils appears to be about 300 years old, I can’t imagine she actually intends to go on horseback and sailing ship, but you never know.”
Hilda looked slightly puzzled. She mused out loud, “Trevin D’Vils? I’m surprised she’s not dust at this point.” Jenn did not think they were supposed to hear that, but they all did. Hilda seemed to suddenly realize she was thinking aloud and blushed.
Jenn grinned at Hilda and whispered, “She’s ancient, and wears the most inappropriate clothing!”
Hilda laughed, glad not to have offended anyone. Gastropé laughed as well.
Trisfelt just shook his head in amusement. “But why Natoor?” he asked.
Jenn looked around. “My room is just around the corner; let’s go there and discuss this in a bit more privacy.”