"Yeah, I know the way. But Alicia knows the way beyond that, which I don't. She's done a good job so far, so I saw no reason to bring it up."
The unexpected compliment seemed to pique the Mage's interest. "Thanks," she said, wiping her hands on her trousers in a distinctly unladylike fashion, having finished her food. "I had to make the trip to Rhensford alone, but I did it with a caravan, so I am mostly going off of memory."
The fact that she was willingly forthcoming seemed to surprise both of them, but Jared was quick on the uptake, "You're a wizard. Why don't you just like, I don't know, use your magic or something? Can't you just appear at places on whim?" He slapped his hands together lightly to colorfully illustrate a poof of smoke. To most observers it would seem as if the blonde man was teasing the woman, to the point of being flirtatious, but Marcius knew the swordsman better than that.
It was an obvious attempt to piece some self-appointed mystery together. He had seen Jared do this far too often to not recognize it. In fact, the method of gathering information reminded Marcius a lot of the Bloodhound; apparently the blonde man had inherited more from his father than he would freely admit.
"It's not that simple. The complexity of transporting an object, even more so a living person, over a great distance is difficult," she responded, seemingly a bit offended and not at all receptive to the dry humor of the comment. She reluctantly added, "And it's something that I just can't do yet. I've got a long way to go with my studies and developing my innate power before I can do something like that."
But Jared was not one to be deterred as he gently added more wood to the fire, both literally and figuratively. He pressed on with fervor. "Well, what use is magic then? Is the only thing you can do is throw fireballs and blow things up? I mean, what use is it if you can't at least make yourself live comfortably?"
Alicia rolled her eyes. "Of course not, I have used magic. Just because you're too much of a dolt to notice it, doesn't mean it's not there!"
"Oh? Care to elaborate for us dolts? Preferably in small words."
Instead the Mage reached over and grabbed her pack, tossing it to the swordsman. "Here look inside. It's where I have our food stored, among other things."
"What? All of it? Impossible!" Marcius had to interject; the pack was little more than a small backpack. Most certainly not big enough to handle all the necessary food supplies for a two week, give or take a few days, trip. He felt a little dumber for not even wondering why their pack provisions had seemed so light.
"I see. . . nothing!" Jared exclaimed, interrupting his friend as he stared inside the light brown pack with amazement. "Nothing but blackness."
"That's because it is enchanted to hold more than any pack should. It sort of holds the items in a pocket of 'not space.' The pack will summon what you need, as long as it was put in previously. Just think of it and reach in. And Marcius, you of all people should know that nothing is impossible for those who can do magic." Marcius blushed at the criticism, with all that had occurred the past few days, his mind was still a bit addled.
I agree, Marc. Nothing is impossible. I'm a living example of this after all. How could you forget me? It's not every day that you give a part of your soul to a creature, I would think. Faerril interrupted in an offended tone, but the slight hint of levity over their emphatic bond they shared gave away the fact that he was just having a bit of fun at his Master's expense. The lithe creature was curled up invisibly on Marcius's bedroll, contently basking in the heat of the fire.
You know, I liked you better when you didn't understand humor! Marcius responded wryly, making sure to impart the mental equivalent of sticking out one's tongue, just to show the little wyvrr that he, too, was only joking. Once he had explained the concepts of humor to the familiar, he had taken to it surprisingly well. He now used every opportunity to try out the newfound concepts, like a child with a new toy, much to Marcius's chagrin. Despite everything, he found himself grinning at the private conversation, something he had not done much of since this whole trip started. I must look like a madman, with this stupid smile on my face for no apparent reason.
Yeah, you do look pretty stupid, Marc. I think it is an improvement. It's much better than looking ugly stupid.
Marcius just shook his head, refusing to take the bait and offer the familiar further ammunition. He instead turned his attention back to his two comrades. Jared had attentively followed her instructions, inching his hand carefully into the pack as if it was the maw of some great monster. Marcius was amazed as the swordsman's arm slowly disappeared into the confines all the way up to his shoulder. It was if the pack had swallowed it whole.
He watched as his friend slowly gained confidence, Jared was now rummaging around, a look of extreme concentration plastered on his face. Suddenly his eyes widened and his hand came out in apparent victory, a strip of the very jerky the three of them had been eating only minutes before in his steely grasp. "Amazing, and useful to boot!" he exclaimed, turning the food around in his hands as if to check if it was truly real. He sniffed it suspiciously.
Alicia nodded. "It has its limits of course, but far more room than any mere pack. It also has all my supplies, books and such that I brought with me to Rhensford. Needless to say, it saves a fortune on shipping costs, since I don't have to pay for a boat to transport my things. My clothing is also enchanted by a friend of mine to weather the effects of hard travel, such as heat, cold, dirt and the like," she looked Jared in the eye pointedly. "I might also add, it was Marcius's fire spell that started the very fire we are all huddled around."
"Why didn't you enchant it yourself?" Jared said, ignoring the later part of the Mage's comment and tossing the pack deftly back to her. Marcius noticed his friend kept the jerky for himself, though. Marcius had to hide a derisive snort, it was obvious that his friend was now just deliberately goading the proud woman, and that he had managed to help himself to second helpings in the same swift stroke! Though the food wasn't great, the quantity they had been eating wasn't nearly enough to really satisfy. Silently, Marcius both applauded and was jealous of his devious friend's methods.
Alicia, apparently growing tired of the conversation and of answering questions, responded simply by laying down on her bedroll, and pulling the covers over herself until only her head was showing. She used the pack as a makeshift pillow. "Marc, you have first watch as usual," she said curtly before closing her eyes and turning her back to the two of them in the same motion. Marcius didn't mind, he preferred to take the first watch anyway, since he hated interruptions when he slept.
"Well, you could've at least answered the question. . . " Jared mumbled to the back of the Mage, however she gave no indication that she heard him. With a sigh and a shrug, the blonde swordsman pulled up his own blankets. "I'll take second watch." he muttered, already half asleep.
"As usual," Marcius quietly finished for Jared as the blonde man took refuge under the covers. With a sigh of his own, he stood up and sat on a nearby log, far enough away as to not disturb his friends, but close enough to keep an eye on things. The chilly night air was quick to take advantage, and Marcius shivered a bit in response. He enjoyed the cold though; it would keep him awake.
Good night, Marc, said Faerril, the covers to his bed roll shifting as the invisible familiar worked his way into a comfortable position.
You too. Sleep well.
You know, I don't like leaving you alone. The familiar said. I worry about you. Thanks to the link between them, Marcius felt the half yawn the creature gave as it slowly succumbed to the pull of sleep.
I'm okay. You don't have to worry about me. Just a bit confused with life at the moment.
You're a terrible liar, Marc. The voice was a faint whisper in his mind's eye, the end part trailing off into nothingness. A moment later it disappeared completely, though the bond was there in the back of Marcius head, sated but still tangible. Faerril was now asleep; a small bundle of nothing in Marcius's bed roll.
Time passed slowly without something to occupy his attention, each agonizing second seemed to last forever as Marcius watched the Wayfarer-a bright, orange-tinged star travelers could use to tell time by its position in the night sky, cross the heavens. Truly, this had to be the worst and best part about traveling all in one package. To be alone with your thoughts, with nothing but the gentle crackle of the fire and the sounds of the forest to keep you company. It was a period to reflect on the path that got you here and of memories past. Though, too often one does not like what they see.
He found his thoughts shifting frequently to the words of his familiar and Jared. Both of them had been supportive, steadfast in their belief that he could somehow make this all work. Alicia, on the other hand, didn't seem all that optimistic, but grudgingly admitted it was a possibility. She seemed more interested in getting to the bottom of whoever was manipulating the Academy. Marcius could understand her feelings. Nothing rankled more than the proverbial slap in the face of being jerked around on a chain like some dog.
He pushed such thoughts away from the forefront of his mind. He didn't want to dwell on what had happened, or what was to happen either. Marcius was half tempted to wake up his familiar, still sleeping soundly in his bed roll, merely for the added companionship and distraction. He resisted that urge though. If he couldn't do something as simple as this by himself, he probably couldn't go through the rest of his plan either, despite what Jared and Faerril said. Plus, the tiny wyvrr was obviously tired. It was hard for his short legs to keep up with the horses from the ground.