A deal worth making

I am sitting in the little alcove above the gate room looking onto the snowy landscape illuminated by a full moon shining through a gap in the clouds. Branislava is watching Julia. I’ve finally asked for her name. Am I really mooning over people doing what I want them to do?

I can throw lightning and teleport. I am providing health care in a place cut off from all external help with a hugely pregnant woman under conditions that imply very cold temperatures and war. I make the food. If I show signs of mental issues, there is ample cause for alarm. Yet they don’t trust me. Of course not. I don’t know myself whether I am worth trusting. Have I told them that I’ve figured out how to teleport?

---

Anjali is showering extra thoroughly. She’d consider shaving some delicate parts, but what with? The spell the hotel put on most of its entertainment staff to block the growth of hair on ordinary body parts is still holding. Presumably the other spell blocking some functions is also still active.

She would like to put on her bracers. She decorated a pair herself. Engraving is a talent to be encouraged in a mage. The look of true delight on her mother’s face still warms her heart.

---

Hildegard is coming to the entrance. He is there, like he promised. „ Under the light of the moon on the snow tranquility is brought to me. What do you seek from life?“ he uses a question as greeting. She refuses to be shocked „The war of the gods changes everything. The Rabenstein clan stands above me. It serves the clan if its blood is in two places.“. „Does clan Rabenstein hold the castle whose name you hold? Does it protect your mother and father?“ he asks with genuine interest. She shakes her head „We are the clan from the rock of the raven. We are the junior line to whom a castle with a village of fishermen was given, when the Franks took the Saxon lands. At the old castle the clan at and of the rock of the raven lives. The grandfather of my grandfather is common to us.“

A cadet branch is the oldest story in the world. I guess they’ve done better than most comparable clans. She is not really a princess whose father can mobilize thousands of soldiers. A dozen maybe. In any case the Saxons do not live on the Adriatic I suppose.

„Our castle is located on on a big rock of chalk on the shore of Lake Bothnia“ she continues. „Lake Bothnia?“ I ask. After a bit of discussion it becomes clear that this world has not Baltic Sea, but a string of lakes, the largest of which is Lake Bothnia. Now it is time to ask her concrete desire for tonight. She turns a bit red. It can’t be that can it? „Everybody of our clan carries a sigil drawn with ink visible to mages only, which if a mage pours his energy in, sends a message to the holder of the clan’s gem.“ she explains and lifts her shirt. With my mage sight I indeed see an impressive work of magic craftsmanship on her quite pretty belly. This is remarkable. This is a way to put a spell into, well, something. I am pretty confident it would work at least with some objects and some spells. Links lead from the spell to her major internal organs, her voicebox and even, well, very initimate parts of her anatomy. This thing would send a message she speaks together with a report on her health and other states. She has taken a piece of paper out of her bag and is ready to read it aloud. „It is necessary to put a hand on your body“. Now she gets really red. I am enjoying this.

---

There are not many corridors to walk in this base, if one wanted to emulate the perambulating philosophers. So I am heading to bed. I have resigned myself to their plans. Losing old memories is one thing. Even so, I still hope the condition to be temporary. But losing new memories, that is a whole other story. If that is the case, I need help. There is no avoiding that.

Somebody’s waiting before my door. „Anjali, that is a nice, but unexpected visitor. I hope you haven’t been waiting for long.“. She smiles with a hint of laughter „This base is hardly a gigantic city you could get lost in. No, I have been waiting for as long as was good.“. She tilts her head in the direction of the door. I am surprised, open the door and make a vaguely inviting hand gesture. „I helped storing the vegetable chains.“ she says with a voice slightly higher than usual and goes on after a small pause „You killed for us.“. I stop and respond „We must assume that Fimbulwinter will last a long time and the next harvest …“. She puts a finger over my lips. „I appreciate that. I approve of it.“ Her voices goes a bit deeper and adds a rough quality „I enjoy it. All my life I was used. Sold. Even sacrificed. I like a man to kill for me.“ She demonstrates that the way she is wearing her blanket includes a quick release feature.