Day 7 back on track.

Kell smiled. “Remember how I was all most late for the morning service a couple of days later? That was because I watched the sunrise from the chapel roof. I felt that if I was going to be punished for something I might as well earn the punishment.”

Jones shook his head. “I will have to remember that. I think I have a lad that is likely to try it here, though it is not as high as Santh.”

Kell smiled. “Good for them. Just don’t forget to make them scrub the floors for a month if you catch them.”

“I wonder if they knew you were up there?”

Kell smiled. “Father Garther and Master Job did at lest. Though it wasn’t tell graduation that Master Job told me. He said that was the day he was sure I would graduate. Master Janet had told him I would, but he had his doubts tell that day. He was all so harder on me after that. I take that they had been watching us from when we started waiting to see if we would make a mistake so they could catch us. Oh and the tile that I was about to grab was loose so even if you hadn’t of screamed they would have had us.”

“Just what would have you done if one of us had slipped?”

“Well as we were being watched there is little I would have had to. But I would have caught us, more likely you. “ Kell shrugged. “There was no danger.” The steaming pot lifted its self and filled the waiting cups.

Jones shook his head. “Thank you. I still don’t see how you can do it. Live as though you have no magic. I can see why, all most, but not how you do it, or how you get away with it.”

“Well they know I am a mage so I do use some magic, and when I fell the need to do something big I just take a road trip. As to get away with it. Well I am sure that there are some who are sure I am more then I let on. Expressly after this last job. I goofed. But no one in the Dragons pries into anthers past. Makes it the perfect place to just be.”

Jones looked at her. “Just what is going on? You don’t just goof.”

Kell took a sip of the drink and smiled. “The taste of home, without the stress. Thank you.” She took anther sip. “Well it all started shortly after we left here last time. A wrong turn end up with us getting involved in a petty border dispute. Or so we thought. But the thing just kept going. We were to give pardon to all who asked, only the wrong one weir asking. Not the farms, but the solders you know. There were no homes involved, so it just didn’t make since. Then one day I had a chance to get to the guy that looked to be in command. I went for it, thinking that if I took him prisoner the war would end and we could get out of there. I got there, he grind and lowered his weapon. I swear I was planning on take him prisoner.” She stopped and took a drink. “Honest I was lowing my blade so I could bind his hands Next thing I know though my blade is at his neck. I do not remember swinging it. However the fight ended the same time his head left his body. I mean it just stopped, blades fell and the guys that had been fighting like there life depended on it just stopped. But I didn’t know that then. What I knew was that the guy whose head I took had an arrow wound where his heat should have been and a stab wound in his gut. I showed them to the guy who was yelling at me, then turned to go. There was a necklace in the dirt. I picked it up with my sword and noticed an odd medallion hang from it. Then dropped it as it had my skin crawling. Rob went back to take care of it and made a copy of the symbol.” She empted her cup.

“Shit.” Jones sat there for a bit. “If it was anyone else I would ask what they had been drinking.  There’s more?”

Kell nodded. “We have run in to them five times that we are sure of. More that we suspect, but cant be sure. The five that we are sure all ended like the first. This last though.” She shuddered. Everything was going as it should. I had just come back from escorting the mages on a run to blocking a pass and was looking for to a spot of rest before get back in. Out of some place their side got some reinforcements and was rushing us. I took the left, with a smaller force, but should have been enough. For some time after the fighting on main started we saw nothing. Then the landscape shifted. It was hard to tell, but three of us agreed it did. I throw up a shield and yelled for a mage. Turns out we only had one, and he was not to strong, but would be able to bust the illusion and had word that help would be to us shortly. So I told him to go ahead. He did. When it fell we were out numbered, but not to bad. I told them to stay. Things were going all right. There was a mage, but my shield blocked him. I did think it odd that there were no archers on there side, but did not dwell on it. The fight seemed to be going like it should. Then I had three options on me. Dealt one a blow that should have put him out of the fight, but he kept coming. In doge an attack I caused him to run on his friends blade. Even a hardened soldier would have paused then, and theses guys weren’t. That was when I knew. As soon as I could I stepped back and started engaging the mage. But I did not get though until well after the other mage showed up. Then after his, the enemies, shields fell it was anther five strikes before he went up. The mage that came to help was an adept, I would bet five stairs. He was out for two days and week as pup for a week after the battle. You know what it takes to do that to one that strong. And this is after a complex illusion was blasted. If there was anther mage on their side that person was not found.”

Jones frowned. “How the hell is that possible? They must have a store to pull from, but the secret of how to make them was well hidden. So how?”

Kell said. “ I am not certain, but it makes since, doesn’t it. They had to have been drawing on something. The mages in company and that we have worked with think it is just a blood mage. But as I said I got a since of age from that symbol. If it is something old that is repapering they could have a store stone from before. It is possible, one of the three.” She slid a paper across the table. “This is it.”

Jones picked it up and started at it. “I think I have seen something like this, not quit the same. Give me a few days to check and see, It was on a book for the locked archives so it will take a bit. Why is it that you are thinking Amerdaen?”

Kell looked at him. “Thank you, we have time. The locked archives. That doesn’t bode well.”

Jones said. “It fits with the blood magic, if I am thinking right., like I said it is not a match, just similar, but it might give anther place to hunt..”

Kell nodded. “Amerdaen, well it is a thin lead. Seems they had some trouble seventy or so yeas ago that was shushed up right away. But the bit we found spoke of a snake cult, and the brief description fit. I have been going though Budaen’s records that have for the same time span, and back a few years. But have found nothing. Bree said to tell you we will welcome any help. I am asking you to pass this on up the chain. All so I want to go into the first archive, religious section. Long shot but I might find something.”

Jones, said. “You know you needn’t ask you were give the right to that years ago.”

Kell shurged. “Since I left I have done my best not to leave the public areas when I visit, and thought it only right to ask. Things are not as they were.”

“Not as much has changed as you think. You are still who you are. The grant stands. I will see who is free to take up the hunt, and you should know that I am going to send this to them tonight. Now then about those books you wanted a look at.”

Kell laughed. “I have a list here.” She gave him anther piece of paper.

He took it and looked at it. “Drink up. I won’t be long.” He then stood and left the room. Leavening Kell staring after him, usually there was a bit of arguing before he would admit to having any of the books. Just what was he up to? She shrugged and filled her cup then set back to wait. It was good to be some place safe for a bit.

She had finshed that cup and was going for another when he came back in, carrying five books. He set them on the table. “The top two you can take with you, the top is yours the other I want back. But no hurry. There are a couple of others on you list that I might be able to turn up latter.”

She looked at the books and blinked. The second one was one she had been chasing after for a few years, one he had claimed not to even know about. The top one was new to her, but from the title she felt safe in betting it was one of the spell books the order preferred to keep locked up. “I can’t.”

Jones said. “You can and will. Look it is nothing I do not have permission for. Take and learn. I will check on the other tonight after supper. Now then is your cup empty?’ He went to the desk and took out a flask. She nodded. He brought the flask over and put some in her cup and his. “I recommend sipping.”

She did and blinked. “Credaion rum, well aged. Where ever did you come across it?”

Jones said. “I keep a small supply of it for times when I need to go to supper after talking about thing like blood thirsty cults. Much better to let the students think I am a bit tipsy than that there is trouble. There will be time enough for them to worry about that after there studies are finished.”

“I didn’t relies it was that late all ready.”

“There is time for you to finish your rum and then get those books tucked away in your room.”

“I all most forgot I told the guys I would get them some drinks more to there tastes.”

Jones said. “They should be in your room waiting on you tonight. I thought it was about time you would, this is about as long as you make them do with out.” Kell finished her drink and stood to go, picking up the books. “Jones stood and walked her to the door to leading to the court yard. “This door is never locked, come over any time. Also you are more then welcome to come to any of the services. You know the way. They won’t be quite right, but close.”

“I will keep that in mind, but surly I have taken up to much of your time as it is. I know you have a lot to do.”

“I am never to busy to talk.” Kell nodded and headed to her room. Jones stood and watched her for a bit. Then turned back to the waiting room.

The next morning as they headed into the library Kell told the others. “Ok We can’t keep working on the same thing all the time. So why don’t you two take time to find something you want to read. I have some books from Jones that I will be working on tonight so you might as well find something to do. But it cannot be related to what we are looking for. If we get to singly focused we are going to miss something. I am going to see if Bree won’t suggest that the rest start taking evenings off as well.”

 They nodded. “Who knows we might find something when not looking.”

“Kell nodded. “That is the general idea.”

Bree overhead. “You have a new place to look?”

“Not really, I was thinking that we are spending to much time looking at one thing and need to spread out. So was telling them to find something else to do tonight.” Kell shrugged. “We might find a clue where we don’t expect there to be one, and at the least we will give are minds a break so our eyes will be clear.  Father Jones will be seeing who has the time and will to help us. Might be they will have a new place to look. I can’t believe how good they seem to have been at burying it, what ever it was.”

Bree nodded. “It is odd, what was so bad that they erases it, and how did they. It is troubling. But you are right; keeping on like we are will only drive us mad. We need t spread out a bit. Good call.” She turned to the others and Kell head up stairs to the table she had taken over.

After a bit Kell looked up and stretched. “Guys I am going to go for a walk. Remember what I said about finding something else. All so skip back anther ten years, just to see is there a change in the record between times. If so see when. There might be something we are missing.”

Rick hit himself. “Why didn’t I see it. Look here, in this year every crop is recorded, but not in the next five years, then it starts again.”

Kell said. Interesting, is that just for one providence?”

Just a minuet” Rick sorted though and picked up some other books. “Yes it is and Um” He looked at a map “Yap it is the one on the border. It might be nothing. But”

Kell said. “Check other neighbors, might be nothing but if there is more than one it could tell us something. I will be back after a bit. I will see about send some fresh eyes up on my way out.” They nodded and she headed down the stairs and found Robert talking to Bree. “Hay Rob if you have time Rick has noticed an odd thing in the log books and could use some fresh eyes to see if it is just a wild hare. They are a table just behind the stacks up stairs.”

Rob nodded. “I will go up in a bit, what kind of oddity?”

Kell said. “Some how the border area is missing five years of crop reports, that is the Budaen border. I told them to look in the neighbors and see if there is a pattern. I need to starch my legs and clear my head a bit.”

Rob nodded. “I know how that is. I took off for a run this morning. Catch you latter.”

Kell headed out the door and turned left, and ducked into a side hall a short walk down it took her to archives. She paused took a breath and then entered. She headed to a smaller room off to one side. A monk walked over to her. “I think you might be a bit lost. Why don’t I help you back to the library?”

 Kell smiled and look out a medallion. “I am not lost, but thank you.” She showed him the medal. “I have cleared my visit here with Father Jones as well. I just want to go though the uncommon religion section.”

He looked at the medal then her a couple of times before moving aside. “Well then. But if you would just tell me what it is I could save you time.”

Kell said. “Father Jones knows and that is enough. I know my way around.” With that she continued on her way to the room. Know she was still being watched she thought about just looking in the student texts there, but then if there was anything in them Jones would know. So she went to the wall and pressed on a certain carving, causing the wall to move out enough to let a person pass in. There was a hiss behind her, she ignored and stepped though the door, making sure it closed after her. “Perhaps I will go use the other door when I leave.”

“Oh pleas do. I love how up set he gets when some one goes in but never comes out.”

Kell jumped and looked. “Sorry I didn’t know anyone was in here.”

“Well at lest you didn’t pull a knife on me this time.”