A Kettle, A Stick, and Some Dirt

Balischo replied, "I will do my best, ma'am."

"Why don't you sit up here? There is plenty of room, and it might be more comfortable."

Balischo struggled to rise from the moving coach. He grabbed the edge of the seat, and gingerly raised himself up, trying not to fall back down. Once he had taken the seat, he looked off to the side of the sorceress, not daring to look her in the eyes.

The driver then yelled, "Marcion station coming up." Gloria looked out the window, so Balischo did as well. Riding a horse at a faster speed than the coach was going was no problem for him. But because he was a passenger, and not used to riding in a coach, his belly started to feel queasy. He turned from the window and closed his eyes. His belly started to settle. He took a quick glance at Gloria, who seemed to be smirking at him sympathetically.

The coach slowed to a stop. The driver said something to an official, and the coach slowly advanced a few blocks, turned right, and then stopped again. A man unbarred the door next to Gloria and opened it, and she stepped lightly down on a running board and to the ground. Balischo clumsily followed her. He was glad to be on solid land again.

"Could you help me get some of my tools down?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Be careful with the mirror. I would not want it bent out of shape."

"I do not see a mirror, ma'am. I see a pot, a stick, a small kettle ..."

"The kettle is what I am looking for."

Balishco picked it up. It looked like it was made of silver - and if it was, then it was unimaginably expensive. He could see his face in it, but as a mirror, it was not good. The edges of the mirror were curved and stretched the parts of his face far from the centre. The image was creepy. He looked away from it,and he had to check a pang of fear. It had to be something magical that she was bringing to help the Dunchovian expedition.

The kettle-shaped mirror was lighter than he expected. "Where do you want it, ma'am?"

"Put it inside for now, with the top pointing down. I do not want to scratch it." He was glad to do so.

"Is that part of the magic?"

"Yes. The pot and the stick are all part of the same thing."

The driver brought the pot and the stick and set it on a table in the building. There were a number of wooden benches and long tables, and the floor was covered with cut grass. It looked like it was used for a meeting hall, or for indoor picnics.

Gloria then explained to him. "Please listen carefully, as you might find this useful in helping the expedition. One problem that you all are going to have is light. From what Vedagaisic told me, the steingeweser needs light to stay awake."

Balischo nodded, not understanding what this had to do with the warped mirror - could it shine in the dark? Or did it have something to do with the stick or the pot, which both seemed to be ordinary.

Gloria took of the lid of the pot. It was filled with dirt. That was a surprise. She took some dirt, and placed it in a small cup of baked clay. She then commanded Balishco, "Pick up the stick."

Balischo felt silly, but he picked it up.

"Now, poke at the dirt with your stick."

Balischo did so, but did not see anything.

"Try stirring it."

Balischo stirred the dirt. He was starting to feel very much lost and silly.

"Stir it around a little faster."

Balischo did this. He still did not see the point. This was ordinary dirt. Wasn't someone supposed to say something magical? He persisted. The dirt seemed to be a little paler now. He stopped stirring so that he could use his left hand to grab the cup and hold it steady - and he saw a white glow on the palm of his hand coming from the cup. The light was not bright, but this was no ordinary dirt. But now he thought he saw what Gloria was trying to do. This was like starting a fire without flame or much heat. He stirred hard now. The glow was still faint, but was getting brighter.

Gloria said, "That is enough. Do you see the light that you have created?"

"Yes. So will it be bright enough to make it like daylight in the caves?"

"That is a very good question. Probably better than you know. It does get brighter, but not as bright as day. But it is not like fire in that the white that you get is more like that of the sun. I think that maybe what the steingeweser needs to move in the dark might be a light that is more like sunlight than that of a burning coal.

It was now the second day after Vedagaisic and Balischo left for Aqualaria. Astra had gotten lucky. Perhaps this mission was divinely inspired after all. She was concerned that if she had slowed down, the Dunchovians would prod her to go faster. On the afternoon of the first day, before they could recross the stone bridge, they met a scout from another Dunchovian tribe. The odds against this happening were long, as the tribes by custom kept well apart in the hunting season. Radagaisic ordered that the scout be waved down, and that they talk to him. The scout wondered why the Great Marcion tribe was this far west. There were few antelope here, and this was the land of Red Boar tribe. Radagaisic then told the scout that they would not hunt any animal on the land. They were passing through on an expedition to the Dragon's Cave, and would leave the lands of the Red Boar tribe as soon as possible.

The scout seemed relieved that the tribe of Greater Marcion was not threatening their game, but confused. They were going toward the Dragon's Caves? The tribe then showed him Astra, and explained the story. The scout insisted that he bring his tribe down and hold an Extraordinary Conclave between the Red Boar and Greater Marcion tribes. Radagaisic seemed reluctant, but Viani asked Astra whether this was wise, and she readily agreed by nodding. So the first day was spent waiting for the Red Boar tribe to arrive. Astra learned that late in the autumn, the various tribes of Dunchovians would meet in a large gathering called a conclave. There would be feasting and trading. News would be exchanged, and old friends would meet with each other. These conclaves lasted for about two weeks, and then the tribes would head to winter camp. An Extraordinary Conclave between two or more tribes was called only in case of a disaster, like a war or great fire, or an extraordinary event. The Dunchovians agreed that Astra was an Extraordinary event.

On the second day, Astra learned that the Dunchovians liked to talk. Every important man or woman in the Red Boar tribe would ask the same questions in a slightly different way. Apparantly the Red Boar tribe did not have a full-fledged shaman as Viani was. There was a woman of about thirty years who was a healer. Astra tried to convey a vision to her, but she had more trouble understanding them than Viani did. But after much discussion, it was decided that Red Boar tribe should join the Greater Marcion tribe in the expedition and cross the stone bridge, into the settled lands, and then go north toward the Dragon's Caves. That afternoon, as Balischo and Gloria were looking at the phosphorescent powder, the newly enlarged expedition was on the move again.

1. That day, a weary Vedagaisic, spurred by the adrenaline released by visiting the exotic city of Themyscira, was being entertained by the Aqualarians.
2. Meanwhile, Lord Fred, Thomas, and the fugatives in the Dragon's Valley had been dealing with the aftermath of the battle for five days.
3. Gloria now explained how she was going to transport the magic items to the caves, and discussed ways of meeting the Dunchovians, or getting to the caves before they could do so.

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