Yesterdays start. enjoy. 2796

(Just one little note I changed the name of Charity's brother, so any who read a bit of Finding Self might get confused by that.)

Return to Clark’s down.

6 Years after finding self.

 

Prelude

In the Dark Tower.

Charity woke up slowly and smiled thinking of what Luke had told her last night at the bar., Wonder just what her father was going to do when they showed up? I have changed a good bit in the last years, and with his ability to feel magic he will no longer be able to pretend I am not a mage.. I am not the unsure, scared, girl that left there four years ago. Hiding is not something I do any more, and I will not just because I am there. I had best ask Luke if he to Father I had married. Likely though he didn’t. I am sure he wouldn’t want to have that conversation, even by letter. That will make it all the better when we show up. I do wonder how he will take it when he learns having the officers in the house means having me there as well.. There is no way I can get by with staying in the bunks in the field. De will need Warren and Jabari with her and they are not going to let me be without one of them. Funny how well that works for them I thought Jab would have a problem with Warren coming around and so wasn’t going to let him, only to hear him asking Warren to keep me company that first time we had to part. It is odd the path I have been on.

She sat up and carefully slipped out of bed, so as to not wake Jabari, as she knew he needed a bit more sleep, he had gotten in late. She still found her self up at dawn most days, the habit was just to ingrained for her to break. Though these last two years she often got talked into go back to bed. He was good at that. She walked to the bathroom then returned to the other room and found, as she had expected, Asaim sitting tray of food on the table. She shook her head no matter what she said he was there every morning. With the food, and would be checking on her servile times though out the day bring her things and scowling when she wasn’t letting him wait on her. Just how he had translated Misa’s telling him to watch over us, into the fact he was to serve us is beyond me. I told them all that there were not servants in a mercenary unit before any of them commuted to coming. Yet when we got here they frowned at the fact that I was bunking in the barracks with the rest, felt it was beneath me. They wasted no time in moving my things in here once De asked Jabari to take over Mitch’s empty place with the mages before he tried to go into the field again as it was vacant.  Not even giving him time to say yes or me to explain that we were together, and make sure she didn’t mind me being here. “You know that is not needed, it is not that long until breakfast.”

Asaim bowed said. “Yes it is ma’am. You don’t eat enough even yet for all you are doing better. Misa would be upset if we let you get by without eating, as you well know. For all you are far better then you were when you came to us.”

Charity shook her head. “Thank you Asaim, and yes we will be at breakfast. I don’t know about you guys.”

He bowed again. “I will pick up the tray, Now those rolls are hot, and there is coffee there.”

Charity laughed. “Yes I will eat it, and will leave it and for you to pick up.”

Jabari said. “Been trying to pick up after yourself again dear? I thought by know you would know he won’t let you. That is why Mother sent him with us. She did eat while I was gone didn’t she? She does look a bit warn.”

Asaim nodded. “Yes Lord, she ate better this time actually. Not as well as when you are here, Luke and Mark were here to help Sir Warren see to it. I hope you had a good trip, I will leave you so you can wake up.” He bowed low and backed out the door.

Charity shook her head, and turned to her husband. “I was trying to let you sleep a bit dear. I am fine really. As I keep tell you all I am not made of glass, and am no where near to starving. I just do not like being waited on. Something that the maids at home could tell you has been the case since I was little. I do try, but well it is hard to leave things a mess. Did you get a chance to talk to De? It seems we have a new job offer, from what Luke said. That reminds me I had best see that Stive made it off all right, he was a bit drunk, but I think he made it to the wagons. Father needs to realize that he is not fit to lead a trade caravan. He was very close to ending up in the guard house when I saw him but I think I got it stopped. As long as he didn’t find more trouble between the bar and the wagons.”

Jabari smiled at her, she was a wonder. Still worried about them, after all they had put her through. Luke had explained a bit of it, trying to help him see why she often looked guilty when she was reading, training or casting, but still it was hard to take in. At least he could understand a bit more why she found it hard to eat like she should. He was just glad the traders realized what she was and talked them into making the trip south with him so they could help her learn. The change was hard enough on her that first time as it was. Having been taught all her life she was some kind of monster, that would have truly convinced had she been alone. It still was hard for her to believe that he wanted her, even if the tie hadn’t been there. “I will get Asaim to check for you, he will be delighted. As you know, and De doesn’t mind him waiting on us, he does but his job here over his need to see to us. Now then shall we have some breakfast? De did say there was an offer she was looking over. However as late as it was I didn’t take time to find out much about it.”

Charity looked at him, and wondered how to say it. He was ready to strangle Feather a lot of times those first months none of them could understand him casting me out, and labeling me is unfit. Then he just added in the priests and the Chosen once we got him to understand it was the way things were done. No doubt that is why Luke had told her, they wanted her to break the news. “Seems as like they realized the Tower is gearing up for good sized another push. As I take it Father was informed he needed to host a company again, so sent Stive to us. On the grounds it was best to go with the Devil he knew. It is going to be interesting especially as I can’t convince Asiam he doesn’t need to bow to me. I don’t think Luke told him much about the trip to South.”

He looked a bit stormy but just said. “I do hope I get to meet Beth at last and thank her for keeping you alive. So shall we see if anything is going on at the Tower this morning Love?”

Charity smiled at him and kissed him. “It wasn’t that bad Dear, and you know it. I was doing alright. Yes I was a bit to thin but I was a long way from being dead. My brother and Warren exaggerate it, you couldn’t count my ribs by looking at me at any time. I was just growing a lot those years, even among you Elements can’t eat enough to keep up during the growth spurts. Given how little we knew I was doing quite well. Relax he is unlikely to even acknowledge I am around, but should he do so he can do nothing but glare a bit as I am not of his house anymore. Now we had best see the others are listening incase there is something to learn. If it is a big push they need to know. Even just one like last time Misa will be upset if we don’t inform her.” Fire flared in her hand and then settled in the fireplace. Then she touched a red gem on her key, asking the Winged ones to listen. He then took her left hand in his right so their bracelets joined, reinforcing the link and letting them share the spell cost and the commutations with the teachers.

Jabari said. “I will reach out to Mother and you get both sets of your teachers in. If it is the big push the Hill folk need in as well as the others. We must do what we can to end there taint.” He did hope she was right and she was ignored if De took the contract. Either way he would see that she was never alone with her father or her twin. They had done more then enough harm. However telling her that would just make her upset, so best not to. She knew what he thought of there lessons, that was enough. It would be interesting to see what they made of her. He was not going top let her even attempt to hide her gifts. Let them see just what they had pushed way with their ignorance and intolerance. Of course he was showing his as well, for they had a right to their beliefs just as he did. However he couldn’t see forcing someone to live a way just because it was how you lived. At home it was understood that not all could walk the same path and some needed other ways. Not all were comfortable with blades just as not all were comfortable making a home.

Charity said. “They are there and watching, the Hill folks say they have been feeling a stirring, but it is vague yet as to how big. However they are sure they at least have the force they did six years ago, and likely a bit more.”

The tower appeared in the fire and Charity shivered, the wind was strong there again. There was no one on the balcony and not but a slave could be seen through the window. He was seeing to the fire though, and there were some papers on a table. Which was a good reason to think someone would be along soon so might as well hang out a bit. They had been watching the tower long enough to learn a bit of how it was run, and could scry a few rooms in it, though looking in the windows was far easier. It was high enough there was ice year round so there was generally a fire they could slip in where the leaders or upper students met, However when the winds were strong it really did make her feel cold.

None of her teachers could understand how she could feel it so strongly, the others didn’t. Which of course helped bring back the old words, but those taunts truly had no power any more. Not since she had learned the truth about who she was, where her gifts came from. Luke had a bit of the elemental power as well, but it was full in her. Which was a bit surprising, given there was no indication that anyone had shown the gifts for at least the length of Crater. She could not see her grandparents having let Father make the match had there been the hint of scandal about the family. And given he had inherited his father would have a say in who his first wife was, just as he had with Palmer’s. She wondered if Peace would tell her more of the family history. It was intriguing, the test had been able to clearly tell it was from her mother’s side, but they were unsure how it came to be so strong in her. There was the whole twin thing as well, twins were seldom seen in Crater and often distrusted. The second born was turned over to the Church to be raised or done away with more often then not. Perhaps there was a history of odd magic about them, that would decidedly see the girls done away with and boy’s with such would be closely watched. She would ask, if any were speaking with her.

Jabari put a blanket over her. “If it is to cold let it go for now and we will check back. If the room is chill it will be a bit before any enter it. You know that poor man there would not risk letting them enter a clod room. From the look of him he is not new to his place there he would not risk the whip over that.” He shuttered, they had seen a bit of one of those sessions. It was terrible, the man they were beating looked half dead and to make it worse they were feeding off it. Using the pain and blood to make their self stronger. Still it was nothing compared to what one of the team had seen done to one of the females. That glimpse had made it clear why so few were ever seen. It would truly be a good thing to see it shut down. Something he hoped he could see happen. It was so hard to know such was there and not be able to do anything but wait.

Charity tightened her grip on his hand, knowing where his thoughts had gone. It had been hard on him to realize that some people would do that to another. It was one thing to read of the evil another to be forced top see it and not be able to stop it. “Dear we will do all they can to end it. it is likely not cold in the room, the slave is not shivering. I am just hesitant about moving inside before they are there. I do not know why, but it seems safe to wait until they are there to enter. It won’t be long, and I feel we should be here. Truly the clod felt this way can not harm me, it is just an irritation.”

Jabari said. “If something is saying stay then we had best. It is always wisest to listen to those voices. I wonder what will shock the folks at your home the most that you are married, or who you are with. They likely have never seen anyone like me.”

Charity smiled and looked at the man next to her again, taking in the well formed body, the orange hair and dark brown skin then his, striking gold eyes. Those eyes were what had caught her from the start. She had not even noticed his hair until Luke asked her if she thought it was a dye. Which had also served to make her area she was staring at him, but then he had been staring at her so it all evened out. after all their eyes were locked. “That love is a safe bet. Mike is tall for home and we each have inches on him now. We are going to tower over most folks. Then, well there are a few red heads, but nothing as blazing as your hair. Yes it is going to be interesting all right. I do wonder how it will play out. If we do go.”

In the room they were watching in the fire a door opened and two richly dressed men strode in. the slave put his face to the floor, and remained kneeling waiting for orders, the two men took no notice of him just walked to the table and laid out more papers. Charity nodded. “This is big all right, the one on the left is Claudius, and the other one is the one I think to be the leader of the Tower.” She entered the fire in the room so they could hear what was being said.