Page 24 of A Tale of Mirth & Magic

I found my paper and quill and, using Pebble’s saddle as a writing surface, scratched out a note to Legus explaining our predicament and requesting his help.

He was no doubt still going to be confused, but I could clear up the rest of the story when I saw him next.

I signed my name neatly and blew on the ink to dry it.

After some time, Elikki came over to me. She scanned the letter and added a couple of lines. Looking over her shoulder, I read:

My bangles are charmed to bring her to you. They’ll fall off when you say the release phrase— the name of the sweet dessert you served us last night. Thanks for your help. I owe you!—E

After a moment’s thought, she added:

Please keep the bangles as a token of my appreciation.

“All right, let’s finish this up,” she said. She folded the letter, and then pinned it to the front of Maerryl’s shirt.

“Look, I think we’re all on the same page now,” the other woman said. “I choked you; you choked me. We’re even.” She tried to shrug, but the bangle-cuffs limited her movements.

“Listen, lady. Be grateful I’m not knocking you out and leaving you tied up in the forest. That was my plan B if this didn’t work,” Elikki snapped.

The half-dwarf looked at me, wide nose wrinkling. “I have information about your boy toy, you know. Someone’s not happy with him either.”

Elikki paused. After a long beat, she said, “Fine. Tell us what you know, and I may release you.”

“Release me first and I’ll tell you everything.”

“Counteroffer—if you don’t tell me right now, I’ll have these bangles make you run the entire way to the inn. It’s what, an hour away?” she asked me lightly.

“More like two,” I said.

“All right, fine, fine. You win.” Maerryl huffed. “Word is Felsith was set on putting a bounty on you too, giant. Lord Renalo wouldn’t let him for some reason. But from what I hear, he might try to go through… less official means to track you down. Better watch your back.”

Elikki and I exchanged a worried glance. I did not like the sound of that.

Maerryl wiggled her arms and legs. “Now come on,” she said, “get these stupid things off me.”

“Sorry!” Elikki chirped. “Can’t do that. But thanks for the warning.”

She made a few abrupt motions with her hands. The bangle-cuffs twirled Maerryl’s body around and sent her on a quick march back down the road. Her arms swung stiffly at her sides and her legs jerked like a marionette.

“Gahhh!” Maerryl shouted. Furiously, she yelled over her shoulder, “You’ll pay for this, Elikki!”

“Bye! Hope we never see you again!” Elikki waved cheerily at the woman as she disappeared around a bend in the path, trees swallowing her up, the last of her spitting curses fading away.

“Well, that’s done,” she said, slapping her palms together. “The charm should last at least until she gets to Legus. Should we have a snack?”

I stared at her. She looked tired, weariness pulling down her shoulders and gathering in the tightness of her mouth.

“How did you even do that? It seemed so… easy. But I’ve seen magic worked before. There’s lots of spells and… and runes. And it takes ages to do something that powerful.”

Elikki reached for the waterskin, taking a long swill.

Thinking carefully for a while, she then said, “I’ve had those bangles for a long time.

Years. I made them myself from a block of silver I won in a card game.

It was more about convincing them I need their help with this than anything.

And pouring my will in to make it stick.

But it definitely wasn’t easy,” she said with a long sigh, stretching out her neck muscles.

“Incredible. Did you ever have formal training? Try to become certified?”

I caught a flash of irritation, but I could tell it wasn’t directed at me.

“When I was younger, yes. Found a master through the Artisans Guild after I joined. She’s a metal mage like me, working with bronze sculptures, but it quickly became apparent that my magic is strange.

Difficult to control.” She reached to fidget with a bracelet that was no longer there.

“I’ve never really been able to use my power in the proper way—my mentor basically wrote me off as a lost cause after a year of failing to improve beyond simple spells—but friendly metal has always felt more malleable. Alive. It’s hard to explain.”

“El, I’m definitely no expert, but the magic I’ve seen you do while we’ve been together…

it’s not nothing. It’s strong. Confident and self-assured.

I think you have more control over your power than you realize.

” I paused, trying to find the right way to say this.

“It just seems to go a bit, um, violent at times. Have you thought that maybe it’s not your magical will that’s the problem, but… but your anger?”

Elikki blinked at me, seeming to consider my words. Then she wobbled over to a large rock by the side of the road and sank down with a groan.

“Goddess, but I’m tired,” she said. “Do we have time for a quick nap?”

I shook my head. Leading Pebble over to her, I held out my hand. She took it.

I wanted to ask her more about her magic, her time training with this mentor, everything.

But Elikki seemed like she was about to pass out from exhaustion.

Holding the stirrup steady, I waited as she clambered up from the rock into the saddle.

I grabbed a few things from Saho’s basket and then patted Pebble’s neck, leading her forward on the road.

“Listen,” she said. “I’m really sorry about earlier. Throwing the knife.”

I swallowed, remembering the way the blade had whistled past me.

“I know,” I said.

“It was just instinct. Reflexes. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

Her voice was strung tight. She gripped the reins with white fingers. I placed one hand over hers as we walked together through the quiet wood.

“I know. It’s okay. We’re okay.” I slipped my hand away and passed her a buttery nut muffin.

We were going to be okay.