(Continued from Ch 63, Mistress Bellany)

The Chronicles of Rapina
Chapter 64, The Chill Curse of Winter


Bellany was dreaming of pirates, an endless stream of them coming to her on a 
longship coursing down a winding river, when the ship suddenly began rocking 
wildly.

"Bellany, wake up, dear; you must get ready for the honors banquet!"

Bellany opened her eyes and blinked. She reached out and pulled Mary's face down 
to hers and kissed her on the mouth. "Good morning, Mary," she said cheerfully 
yet blearily.

Mary blushed. "It is not morning, Bellany; it's nearly Saturday evening."

"No."

"Yes. You missed dinner last night, breakfast this morning, and lunch this noon. 
It is nearly five o'clock. It is not surprising. You haven't had any real sleep 
since last Saturday night."

"No wonder I have to pee so badly," Bellany said as she mentally amended that 
estimate to the Thursday night before last, and scrambled for the chamber pot. 
She had been awake most of the night the Friday before last, setting up _being_ 
up all night at Cooyman's last Saturday. She was already missing last Saturday's 
party. The considerable reserves she had built that night were exhausted and her 
bladder definitely agreed that Mary was right about her having slept for nearly 
twenty-four hours straight.

After relieving herself Bellany returned to Mary, who began undressing her. 
"Come on, we need to get you cleaned up and into this dress."

"What dress?" Bellany asked groggily.

"Lord Jordell sent it," Mary handed Bellany a note. "He also sent jewelry that 
would pay for my schooling and my children's schooling, unto seven generations."

Bellany grinned and read the note, "For the awards banquet, please accept this 
dress and matching accessories in place of the travesty you had planned to wear. 
I cannot be seen with you in one of those vindicator crimes against fashion. 
-JJ"

Bellany snickered.

"Jamie despises vindicator fashion. I trust the dress he sent is not too 
risqué."

"Not at all, it is tasteful - although it will certainly show off your figure, 
and it looks as if it is worth a king's ransom."

Bellany smirked, "That sounds like Jamie's work."

A few moments later Bellany entered the cafeteria building with Mary. Bellany 
made her way over to Charles and Jamie.

"Jamie, thank you for the new dress, it is exquisite. You did splendidly with 
the winter colors."

"Why thank you, milady Bellany, but you needn't mention it. Seeing you in a real 
dress rather than one of those rags from the northlands is reward enough. 
Besides, I enjoy all the jealous stares you get. I get a rather precise grading 
of each of my creations by watching Bianca when you come in. Tonight her look 
was absolutely precious! It's the true measure of my artistry. Did you have a 
good nap? Mary sent master Leafwhisper and me a note that you had been sleeping 
since shortly after your last final yesterday and she did not want to wake you, 
since she was pretty sure you had not really slept for the better part of a 
week."

Bellany put her hand to her mouth as she realized she had missed a lesson in 
swordsmanship. "I am so sorry to have missed a lesson, Jamie! When Mary woke me 
something over an hour ago, I had no idea it was already Saturday evening."

"'Tis quite all right. Mary is delightfully devoted to you. She let us know 
ahead of time that she was going to let you sleep. That detention should have 
destroyed you academically. I do hope that the assistance Mary and I were able 
to render will, at least, bring you up to passing marks. I spoke with 
Headmistress Vargrend about a month ago and she would not reduce your sentence 
by so much as a day. I can't imagine what came over the woman, treating her 
betters in such a manner."

Bellany whispered in Jamie's ear, "Headmaster Bristol tried to get her to see 
reason and privately apologized to me for her behavior, but she had made up her 
mind and refused to budge. Headmaster Bristol is also going to try to get me 
into the boys' math program during the new semester," Bellany confided.

Lord Jordell nodded. "Noted, and congratulations on higher mathematics in 
advance. I have no doubt that, after tonight, Headmistress Vargrend will see 
things in a different light. Please sit down at the table nearest the stage. 
That is where we will be sitting. My parents are visiting, and I will introduce 
you to them shortly," Jordell whispered.

There was no time to get to know Jamie's parents, beyond a brief introduction. 
His father Gerald was not quite as rugged as his elder brother, Red Jack, but 
there was enough of a resemblance to remind her of a few cherished moments with 
Jack. James' flawless good looks seemed to have come primarily from his mother, 
who was about ten years younger than her husband and less than twenty years 
older than Bellany. After the brief introductions and a delicious dinner, the 
honors speeches began.

Headmaster Bristol stood. After a brief speech addressing the crowd, he got to 
the heart of the matter:

"Distinguished guests, faculty and students, valor begins at home, and the 
academy was the home of a truly valorous assortment of athletes this past 
semester. Many of them are destined to be future knights and peers of the realm.

"In the joust, Sir Abraham Steefl and Lord Loyd Carnarvon have dominated their 
opponents and remain undefeated!"

The audience cheered enthusiastically as Headmaster Bristol pinned a medal on 
each young man's chest.

"The mighty force of the knight is not the only thing at which the Bristol 
Academy excels. With wit, guile and pure finesse, Lord James Jordell taught 
opponents of the academy lessons in the art of swordsmanship that culminated in 
yet another string of undefeated victories for our one-man rapier team this 
year."

Bellany punctuated the respectful applause with a loud squeal that might have 
seemed more at home had it been sounded along with its many sisters during the 
applause for the men of the joust.

Lord Joredell bowed gaily and received his medal.

"Not all of our athletes went undefeated this year, but there are a few whose 
accomplishments were nearly as valorous as our undefeated champions. Our 
wrestling team captained by Brand Brickner, our crossbow team captained by 
Charles Norwit, and our two-handed sword team captained by Bart Blaxton all made 
it through this semester with but a single loss..."

The speeches and medals continued until all of the notable athletes had been 
recognized. Then the academic achievements of the boys were celebrated. The 
Bristol Academy's Top Scholar Award went to a boy that Bellany had never even 
heard of. Bellany applauded politely with the rest of the audience. Then the 
boys' honor roll was read and the scholars came up to receive their citations 
for conspicuous academic excellence. James Jordell, Abraham Steefl, Vernon St. 
Varlans and Erol Fobs were all honor students. Once the honor students sat down 
the boys' merit roll was read. Lawrence Eagan, Bart Blaxton, Leaf Windswhisper 
and Daniel Dudak, all athletes that Charles and Bellany knew, were among the 
young men on the merit roll. Bellany noticed that Charles did not make the merit 
roll this semester. She guessed his marks were just high enough to keep him on 
the crossbow team.

Finally they started with the girls' events. There were awards for poetry, 
music, drama, dance, sewing, art and culinary artistry. Afterwards Headmistress 
Vargrend addressed the crowd concerning the top scholar of the Vargrend Academy 
for Girls.

"Our top scholar this semester combines a strong academic record with an 
unblemished disciplinary record and a truly impressive social calendar. Ladies 
and Gentlemen, please recognize Larissa Jordell, the top scholar of the Vargrend 
Academy for Girls."

Bellany applauded strongly. It had not been lost to her that the headmistress 
had looked at her when she said that Larissa had an unblemished disciplinary 
record. She was glad that one of her girlfriends had claimed the top scholar 
award, since Bellany herself was too naughty to do so.

After Larissa received her award, the honor roll was read. Jamie squealed and 
Mary practically crushed Bellany in a hug when Headmistress Vargrend read 
Bellany's name. Mary whispered in Bellany's ear, "You are such a brilliant 
woman, Bellany. Headmistress Vargrend would have destroyed anyone else's 
academic standing with that detention but you made her eat crow."

"Thank you, Mary; I could not have done it without you and James." Bellany gave 
both Mary and Jamie a hug and a peck on the cheek. She then hurried up to 
collect her citation.

After the honor roll students collected their citations, the girls' merit roll 
was read. Bellany was able to return Mary's hug when the headmistress read 
Mary's name from the merit roll.

Several contributors to the academy then stepped up to pledge their continued 
support. The last was Jamie's father, Lord Gerald Jordell:

"I congratulate the many scholars and athletes on their night of victory that 
finishes the first semester of the year. Honor and victory define and protect 
this realm. Lords, Knights and their stalwart servants forged in this academy 
are the shining weapons that serve the peers to defend the Kingdom of Clairmont. 
Not all weapons are of equal temper; some serve us better than others. Tonight 
we recognize Headmaster Bristol, because he serves our best interests even in 
the face of hardship and humiliation.

"It is customary that each semester our endowment produces wealth for both the 
Bristol and Vargrend Academies. This ancient endowment is often taken for 
granted, but it remains forever under the control of the Jordell family to 
reward those that serve the realm and us. This year, rather than letting the 
endowment feed into the coffers of both Academies, we have decided to give the 
entire endowment to Headmaster Bristol, for we know he serves and respects us 
even when doing so involves bending to our wishes to at least some degree when 
he would rather not. He may of course disburse any part of the money that he 
wishes to the Vargrend Academy, but he shall have complete control of our 
funds."

Headmistress Vargrend straightened as if she had just been impaled. She 
attempted to stare daggers at Jamie, but his sweet yet icy smile froze her where 
she stood.

Once the awards and contributions were done, additional refreshments were 
brought and there was a social hour punctuated by many handshakes, hugs and 
congratulations. A waiter bearing drinks on a tray stopped before Bellany. She 
shut her open mouth as she realized that it was Dempsy.

"Would you like a drink, milady? There is no sense in letting delicious 
drinkables go to waste. A week from now I fear there will be no awards dinner 
leftover wine party. Yet that would be an idea that would receive my own hearty 
endorsement. Would you endorse that idea as well?"

Bellany took the drink and whispered, "Tonight?" into Dempsey's ear. He gave her 
a single nod. The smile she gave him in return was pleasant enough, but it would 
not have been enough to convey her answer had she not also tingled Dempsey's 
lust to the core.

A few minutes after Dempsy left, another servant whispered into Bellany's ear, 
"Milady, would you please report to the infirmary? Someone wishes to speak with 
you there."

Bellany nodded and after a few moments made her way to the infirmary. She let 
herself in only to be faced by Lord Gerald Jordell, his wife Lavinia Jordell, 
and a pair of their retainers.

"Lord and Lady Jordell, it is a pleasure to see you," Bellany curtseyed 
graciously.

"We need to talk with you, Lady Norwit."

"Of course, Lady Jordell, I am at your service," Bellany said courteously.

"James said that you are the only lady that he respects. We have been trying to 
make sense of his logic," Lady Jordell said.

Bellany smiled. "James does not measure women by the standard yardsticks. If he 
did he would be as scornful of me as is Lady Bristol. He respects the strengths 
of men more than those of women. I am one of the only women at Vargrend's who 
has a good sword arm and I am one of the few women who is not after his money 
and title. The orcs that abducted me on the way to school last year saw to it 
that I would not be marrying a peer of the realm. They also forced me to stand 
on my own two feet or die.

"I really don't blame James for his distrust of women. He has an uncommon grasp 
of subtlety. What may seem to be a group of dainty ladies to an unschooled man, 
he sees as a school of treacherous sharks. The way women who could marry him 
behave around him, I would say his assessment is largely correct. I don't envy 
him his position, but he is a good friend and the more I have got to know him 
the more I have come to respect his ability to see the motives of others."

"You are a great beauty - has James expressed any... manly interest?" Lord 
Gerald Jordell asked hopefully.

"James is the perfect gentleman," Bellany said. "He has never made so much as a 
single advance," Bellany frowned and then shrugged as she subtly tingled 
Jordell's lust.

Jordell blushed and shared a look of concern with his wife.

"Has he taken an interest in any of the other women?" Lady Jordell pressed.

"Plenty of young maidens try to gain his interest, milady Jordell, but he finds 
their motives suspect and their sophistication below his standards. He used to 
take Bernadine Belgado to the balls at the beginning of the year, but he has not 
been taking anyone but me since the ball at Jordell Manor. He claimed Bernadine 
was simply a drinking buddy. Since I am a very light drinker I suppose from an 
activity standpoint I am a dancing, swordsmanship and fashion buddy. I think he 
also gets bored with social routines. He enjoys the controversy surrounding me 
and the jealous scorn that the other girls lavish upon me, especially when he 
designs a particularly beautiful dress for me to wear." Bellany smiled impishly.

"Jealous scorn?" Lady Jordell asked.

"As you know, I was abducted by orc raiders last year, milady Jordell. Bianca 
Bristol is of the opinion that there is nothing fitting for a young noblewoman 
who is besmirched in war but death. Obviously I disagree. I may not be fit to 
marry, but there are many other possibilities for a worldly woman."

"Is that dress one that James had made by Larissa's seamstress?" Lady Jordell 
asked.

"Yes, James designed it. He is so talented and he really cannot stand vindicator 
fashion. I suppose it might seem that I am just a doll he fancies dressing, but 
I enjoy his insight about fashion. It is so foreign to what I grew up with and 
there are very few women who will talk with me about such things given my bad 
girl status here at the academy."

"Are you a bad girl?" Lady Jordell probed.

"I am as pure as the driven snow," Bellany's wink and the tingle of lust that 
followed it were enough to make Jamie's mother giggle like a schoolgirl. "You 
are at least discreet aren't you?" Lady Jordell said as she caught her breath.

"Indeed, I am despised enough by the other ladies. No sense adding insult to 
injury," Bellany said.

"Speaking of injury, you must let our physician check you for any diseases you 
might have caught from the orcs. James said there were rumors flying about and 
we mustn't have that."

"Oh, is that why we are in the infirmary?" Bellany asked.

Lady Jordell nodded.

"I have not had any symptoms of a sexual disease, nor did my father's physician 
discover any such thing; however, I was hit by a powerful necromantic spell that 
nearly killed me and I am sure the physician was concentrating on that. As for 
sexual diseases, it is better to be safe than sorry," Bellany said.

Lord Jordell cleared his throat. "That went more easily than I had expected. 
Headmistress Vargrend said that you were intellectually gifted, but far too 
headstrong for your own good."

"It sounds as if she has been looking in the mirror, but she is essentially 
correct. Yet I stand by my decisions, even if she sometimes finds me a pain. 
I've been to a leech, but not one so skilled or thorough as one who might work 
for you. I would appreciate the peace of mind of knowing that my health was on a 
firm foundation, and I have no worries about a physician touching me and 
disturbing the maidenhood I no longer possess." Bellany sounded very sure of 
herself, yet she worried that such a physician might find out more about her 
than she wanted known. Nevertheless, offending the Jordells was not done. She 
did not want to make the same mistake as the Headmistress.

"Good, then our leech will see you when we are through here. James said that 
Lady Bianca Bristol has picked you as a rival," Lady Jordell said.

"I don't think she really wanted a rival. She wanted the satisfaction of 
socially crushing a granddaughter of Avengene to prove her superiority on the 
social battlefield. Thankfully I am the least of Avengene's granddaughters. It 
would be a shame if Bianca were to start a real war. She may be more socially 
seasoned than I, but neither she nor her father's troops are battle hardened and 
I have no wish for my social life to cause the loss of innocent lives. Given my 
dubious pedigree and the fact that the orcs had already stabbed me, it was a 
simple matter for Lady Bristol to twist the knife in the wound. I think James 
decided his chess board would be far more interesting if there were a red queen 
on it," Bellany pointed to herself.

"Not a black queen?" Lord Jordell asked.

"Nay, the Bristols' color is black, but I am hardly the standard lily of 
Avengene. If I were, James could not respect me. He has seen far too many naïve 
yet pompous noses in the air in his lifetime. I think Bianca's nose was what got 
her in trouble. It was just too fine a target for James to resist."

"Do you see yourself as James' social pawn?" Lady Jordell asked.

"If I am James' social pawn, I am only an actor playing a role. I really have no 
need for the gilded cage of the social circle but it is an interesting diversion 
that James and I enjoy together. Also, I agree with James when he says that we 
naughty people ought to stick together. He has helped me socially and I am 
always there for him if ever he needs me."

"But didn't you say James was a perfect gentleman?" Lord Jordell asked.

"All too perfect," Bellany nodded. "I think he was referring to other forms that 
naughtiness might take."

Lord Jordell grimaced.

"That may be another reason that James finds me pleasant: since I can no longer 
think of myself as a paragon of purity, I can accept people as they are. James 
has a wonderful wit, a fine sword arm, and uncanny ability in the social arena. 
I share some of his other interests as well," Bellany smiled meaningfully.

"But you say you have no interest in marrying our son?" Lady Jordell probed.

"As I mentioned earlier, I am realistic about such things. If I ever had a 
chance to marry a nobleman, the orcs took that from me. My life has been 
redirected. In a way I am glad that it has been. I have become too independent 
for the role of dutiful wife or even that of a favored mistress. I will stand on 
my own merits. The best any man can hope for is that I will be his friend, and I 
am as loyal a friend as James has."

"Thank you, Milady Norwit," Gerald Jordell said.

"It was my pleasure, Lord and Lady Jordell."

Lady Jordell looked at Lord Jordell.

"Uh, there is one thing I do not understand," Lord Jordell said.

"What is that?" Bellany asked.

"Why you do not seem to hate us?" Lord Jordell said.

Bellany smiled. "It is horrible what Red Jack is doing in Avengene, but I can 
hardly blame James for it, or you. I am aware that settlements along the river 
in Northeastern Avengene are poor compared to settlements outside Avengene 
farther south and west. Jack is not helping the Jordell river trade monopoly any 
by being way out on the frontier of Northeastern Avengene. I know because my 
father has some business interests in Turnmoor and the absence of Jack has been 
good for business. If anything, Jack has stopped working in his family's 
interests and is now working in his own interests. My guess is that he is trying 
to take over Avengene east of the river to start his own barony, or he is 
working with Bristol, the Church of Mortaebius, the orcs, or maybe all of those 
things. In any case, if he was ever under your control, I doubt he is now.

"Whatever Jack is doing, he will either win or lose. If I am wrong and the 
Jordells are in control of Jack and are intensely interested in acquiring 
Eastern Avengene, then knowing James is not going to hurt me regardless of the 
outcome. I rarely consider such implications, however. Mostly I just think that 
I am a schoolgirl who was in a very bad social situation and James was gracious 
enough to help. Others have followed his lead since then and I am very grateful 
for it. I realize it could just be a way to put some false distance between 
Jordell and Bristol but there is little utility in that, so I doubt it. I have 
faith that James is helping me for my sake and to make things more interesting 
for all of us here at school."

Lord Jordell nodded. "It has been a pleasure speaking with you, Lady Norwit. 
Those rumors we have heard deriding your wit were groundless. If our physician 
finds the other rumors false as well, then we will see that Lady Bristol's 
reputation for truthfulness suffers accordingly."

"Thank you, Lord Jordell," Bellany said warmly. She now saw that following the 
orders of the Jordells without complaint had its rewards. She was glad she had 
made the snap decision she had. She mentally thanked Headmistress Vargrend for 
illustrating the pitfalls of noncompliance.

"This is our physician, Henry Phallon. He is a priest and will use magic. He 
will also need to see you in all of nature's glory and will touch you as much as 
he wishes. If your parents should ever ask about this checkup, you will tell 
them that you noticed that we had our personal physician with us. You were eager 
to get a checkup because of your ordeal with hostile magic and you requested the 
favor of an interview with our physician," Lady Jordell said.

"Of course, Lady Jordell; I realize my parents attitudes about sex are a bit 
provincial. I will do exactly as you have bid me," Bellany said.

Lady Jordell smiled approvingly. "Good evening then, Lady Norwit."

"And a good evening to you, milady and Lord Jordell," Bellany said.

After the Jordells left, Bellany immediately began to disrobe.

"Heh, well, I guess I'll not need to coax you out of that dress then." Leech 
Phallon chuckled.

"Believe me, Leech Phallon, if I did not start undressing now and with your 
assistance, we would both be here until long after the hall was closed for the 
evening."

"Yes, well, let us talk then while you undress. You seem to be a lady that's 
possessed of common sense so let's get straight to the point. My perception of 
the matter is that the Jordells believe James to be exceptionally sensitive in a 
social sense. They are worried that they gave James a bit too much exposure to 
boys and not enough exposure to girls as he was growing up. Most boys shrug that 
sort of thing off and get down to chasing women just as soon as they hit their 
teens, but somehow James does not seem overly interested. James' rank and title 
complicate matters. His parents believe exposure to beautiful women will be 
helpful for James, but they want to shield him from bad experiences. That's 
where I come in.

Now, I am going to cast a bit of magic - nothing to be frightened of, just an 
elementary spell that allows me to view the flow of life energy as it moves 
through your body. It's a very useful spell for spotting disease."

"Oh... I am not supposed to be curious about magic since I am of Avengene, so of 
course I am not," Bellany winked. She watched as the man cast a spell. It was 
clerical magic that she had never seen done before, but she could understand the 
verbal components of the spell as he was saying them in archaic common. "You're 
a devotee of Libraziera, goddess of wisdom, then?"

"Yes, you have a good ear for the old language if you could pick that up from my 
mumblings."

Bellany nodded. "You said the name of the goddess a time or two in your 
mumblings. That was what gave it away."

"I see, and how has your general health been of late?" Leech Phallon asked.

"It was finals week and I hardly slept, as I was way behind due to a detention. 
I slept the twenty-four hours between my last final and the banquet though. I 
hope that helps," Bellany said sheepishly.

"Ordinarily your energy should be showing definite signs of depletion, but you 
must recover from ordeals rapidly. I see no lack of power in your aura, quite 
the reverse actually. Your aura is exceptional. If you received proper training 
I believe you could be a spell-casting priestess or magician. On the physical 
side of things, I've never seen a noblewoman so fit."

"James has lent me the services of Master Leafwhisper. I train several hours 
most days in the art of the sword."

"Obviously you do not merely play at swordsmanship. You have the fitness to show 
for it," Leech Phallon said appreciatively.

Bellany stood up straight and flexed her right arm, drawing attention away from 
her closed left hand.

"Breathe for me," Phallon ordered.

Bellany breathed as the leech poked, prodded and listened.

"I see a faint scar on your outer shoulder here, what caused that?" Phallon 
asked as he probed and prodded the area.

"A highwayman shot me through the outer muscle of my shoulder with a crossbow 
bolt as I was coming to school from Avengene this year."

"And this is all you have to show for it?" Leech Phallon marveled. He looked at 
the back of her shoulder.

"Yes, I put herbs on it from our military stores and changed the dressings twice 
a day."

Phallon nodded and then had her move her shoulder in every possible manner as he 
squeezed it. "You heal exceptionally well."

"Thank you, Leech Phallon."

When he was satisfied with her upper body he had her sit on the edge of the 
examination table and spread her legs. He got down on his knees, examined her 
vulva, and then took a swab from within her vagina. He sniffed the swab then 
stroked it over the surface of a slab of glass. He took several potions from his 
bag and spread a drop of each over a patch of the lubrication from her that he 
had spread on the glass. Some of the potions changed colors.

He then pulled a strange looking instrument that looked a bit like an open 
telescope with a built-in mage light from his bag and applied lubricant. "This 
is going to feel cold," he warned.

Bellany squealed in spite of herself as he thrust the instrument into her vagina 
and used it to peer around inside. He had another such instrument that he used 
on her rectum.

Afterwards he felt around inside her vagina.

"Close down on my hand if you can, please."

Bellany gripped his hand, but she did not use her full strength because she had 
been told many times that she had exceptional internal muscles and she did not 
want to seem too out of the ordinary. As it turned out she had still gripped him 
too hard.

"You have exceptionally powerful internal muscles. That is unusual."

Bellany cleared her throat. "I spent the better part of a year as the single 
concubine of a whole tribe of young orc raiders."

"Yes, quite a frightful workout. Have you talked with a priest or midwife about 
your ordeal?"

"I hope you will believe me when I say that talking to a priest of the 
vindicator would do nothing but make the trauma worse. Thankfully I only 
remembered bits and pieces at first because of the spell that nearly killed me. 
Last spring I would have done anything to have had you around. I was bruised 
clean through most areas of my body by the spell. The leech said it looked as 
though someone had applied magical healing to my head, particularly my eyes, and 
my chest just above the heart. Otherwise I would not have made it to the Leech's 
in the first place. Nevertheless I nearly died of kidney failure weeks later."

"Your powers of recuperation are most exceptional. I can detect no lasting 
damage from your ordeal."

He cast a few more spells on her. He looked perplexed.

"Have I got a disease, Leech Phallon?" Bellany asked.

"Nay, I'd say not. Actually you are the picture of health, but that is what is 
confusing me. You should not be. If the hostile magic was as serious as you said 
it was, you should show a few signs of permanent damage from the magic and you 
ought to show signs of depletion from your considerable efforts on behalf of 
your grades here at the academy. Yet you have fully recovered. It may have 
something to do with the unusual power and patterns I see in your aura. Were it 
not for the fact that I have worked on a few magicians and priests I might never 
have seen anything like it. Of course, if I were not a priest myself, I could 
not have seen it at all.

"There is one more thing," Leech Phallon said sharply as he suddenly grabbed 
Bellany's left hand.

Bellany grimaced. "I think I held that hand out to shield me from the spell that 
nearly killed me. It's not quite right, but I don't think it's contagious. It's 
just something that I don't want my mother to know too much about. She is very 
zealous in her faith. Because of an ambush by highwaymen, we were forced to 
place the bodies of several casualties with a priest of Mortaebius on the way 
here at the end of the summer. He happened to see my palm. He said it showed 
signs of residual magic."

Phallon nodded. "He was right. It shows signs of residual necromantic magic to 
be exact. This little patch in your palm does not even have a living aura. It 
has a negative life force, yet energy cycles into it and out of it from the rest 
of your body like the cycle of life and death itself."

Bellany swallowed. "The death part is what I'm trying to keep from mother. 
Witch-hunts in Avengene are not unheard of."

Phallon nodded. "There is wisdom in your caution. It is rare for those who serve 
the goddess Libraziera in the never-ending search for the wisdom and knowledge 
that she represents to be persecuted. Yet I have heard that even we receive a 
cold reception in Avengene. I will make sure that this does not become common 
knowledge."

"Thank you, Leech Phallon. That is such a relief to me."

"Having seen that, I now know that you do indeed show one very definite sign of 
having survived an onslaught of powerful necromantic magic. Yet somehow your 
body has adapted in a constructive manner. In any case, I am as certain as my 
art allows that you harbor no contagions from the orcs. The Jordells will be 
relieved that Lady Bristol's allegations are groundless."

"I did not think I had anything from the orcs, but I am glad to have the 
additional peace of mind your expert opinion brings," Bellany sighed.

"I can attempt to heal your palm if you wish. Actually the Jordells asked that I 
use powerful healing magic on your female organs even if they showed no signs of 
disease, but I believe I have enough energy to channel two such spells."

"Alright, let's do the feminine organs first since that was the spell the 
Jordells requested."

"I agree. The casting will take time, so please bear with me."

Bellany nodded and watched carefully.

The priest put on a mantle and began casting. Bellany clandestinely faced her 
left palm towards the priest so that she could sense his life force while she 
watched and listened. Her best guess from listening to the words of the spell 
was that it conjured a channel to his goddess so that her energy could flow 
through him. Bellany decided that if the energy were much like the life force 
she used to heal people, she would need to consciously keep herself from storing 
any excess energy in her reserves even though they were empty in the aftermath 
of her exhausting week of day and night study. She did not want the priest to 
see such an odd energy pattern as the storage of life force would no doubt 
provide.

She was not prepared for what happened next. Leech Phallon released the spell 
against her vulva and powerful energy went straight up her vagina. She moaned 
loudly before the ecstasy of the moment knocked her out completely. She came to 
on the examination table a second later with a big grin plastered across her 
face.

"I'll bet you are very popular with the young ladies, Leech Phallon."

Phallon blushed profusely. "I've seen many reactions to that spell used on the 
feminine organs, including intense pleasure, but yours was probably the most 
profound."

Bellany used the Leech's moment of embarrassment to gradually release the bit of 
energy that had found its way into her reserves while she was overcome.

After a few moments rest, Phallon stood up once again. "Hold your palm out like 
so."

Bellany nodded and watched the leech carefully.

Phallon cast his spell once again, then sandwiched Bellany's left palm between 
his two palms.

His expression changed from a sort of loving concentration to shock almost 
instantly. Bellany forcefully snatched her hand away.

"Sorry, I took a bit of fright when the look on your face changed," Bellany 
said.

"I appreciate your concern. It was the strangest thing. I've cast that spell 
many times before. Healing energy flows at a certain rate. Once the spell is 
cast it takes perhaps ten seconds or so before all of the healing energy has 
been bestowed. In this instance the spell energy was expended almost instantly. 
It must be that the negative life force inherent in the necromantic magic drew 
the power from me at the same time as I was channeling it into your palm. The 
energy was being pulled into your palm and pushed out from my hands at the same 
time, thus the rate of flow was greatly increased. I am sure it would have 
stopped on its own, but it was considerate of you to snatch your palm away when 
you saw that something was amiss. Does the palm feel any better?"

Bellany poked her left palm. "It is still a little numb, but that is how it 
always feels."

"There is one other thing that I can do for you," Phallon said. "Of course the 
Jordells know nothing about this offer, but I have certain herbs that you may 
use to ensure that you do not get pregnant when you do not wish to. I realize 
that you believe you are barren, but I would not be so sure. My magics showed no 
conclusive signs of infertility. A couple of your energy patterns are associated 
with infertility. Yet the consistency of your lubrication and the robust health 
of your female organs indicate that you are extremely fertile. It is quite 
perplexing. It may have something to do with the way the energy of life and 
death cycles through you because of your necromantic palm. Yet it may have 
nothing to do with that. Sometimes starvation or even fear can keep a woman from 
conceiving. It is better to err on the side of caution where pregnancy is 
concerned."

"Yes of course," Bellany smiled and listened while Leech Phallon explained 
things that she already knew.

"I will give you a supply of herbs that will prevent pregnancy and also herbs 
that will restore your menses if you suspect you got pregnant by mistake if you 
wish it. That way you will be covered in case anything should ever develop 
between you and Lord Jordell, or some other young man here at school," the leech 
said.

"That would be wonderful. You are all about bolstering my peace of mind today," 
Bellany said.

Leech Phallon smiled. He gave her such a generous and well-preserved supply of 
several herbs that she suspected the Jordells knew exactly what he was doing, 
but had set things up so that he could take the fall if Bellany's parents found 
out. She did not dare tell the leech that she already had a supply of 
contraceptive herbs that she had dried during the summer, because she did not 
want to reveal just how naughty she was. She thought about James for a moment. 
_Has Jamie been avoiding me due to possible health issues? I hadn't thought so, 
but one can never tell what reasons might be weighing in on Jamie's inscrutable 
mind._

"That concludes your checkup. I cannot say that I understand what has happened 
to you, but I will venture to guess that you were extremely lucky in the way 
your body adapted to it," the leech concluded.

Bellany nodded as she recalled the way Mortaebius had surged through her to take 
the souls of Vulvilea and the High Shaman of the orcs back to his realm. Somehow 
he had restored her soul to her body, although her body had been much the worse 
for the wear. "I've always felt that it was a miracle that I lived through it at 
all."

"You may be right. Have you considered the priesthood as a vocation?"

"No. The priesthood of the vindicator has very limited opportunities for women. 
It involves cloistered living, endless prayer, and perpetual celibacy. Convents 
are places one tries to avoid being thrown into as punishment for perceived 
misdeeds."

"That sounds even worse than the perpetual study I was subjected to in my priestly training," Phallon mused.

"They study too: endless prayers and dogmas, but no real knowledge. At least you 
could study real knowledge like medicine. I can only read certain medical texts 
because others contain information about alchemy and magic, and I am not allowed 
to see those things," Bellany said.

Phallon grimaced distastefully. "Perhaps associating with James is a means to 
escape Avengene?"

"Vargrend's is a means to escape Avengene, but it is true having friends outside 
the marquisate cannot hurt me, not to mention saving me from the hopeless 
boredom I would suffer everyday without them," Bellany said.

Phallon smiled. "I can see why James likes you. You are exactly the opposite of 
what a stereotypical lady from Avengene is supposed to be. There must be a bit 
of the rebel in you."

"Shhh, don't let my parents find out." Bellany grinned.

"I have no intention of doing so. James would never forgive me and the Jordells 
are of the opinion that he should spend time around ladies as long as they are 
healthy. Since you have a few masculine interests such as swordsmanship and 
fitness, you may be able to reach him where other women would simply be too 
foreign," Leech Phallon said.

Bellany nodded. "We have a lot in common, but if he really is not attracted to 
women, then nothing is going to happen. I am not out to seduce him and become 
his mistress. I am much too independent for that. Of course I am not out to 
preserve the virginal purity I don't have either. That's what my mother would 
like me to do and it just seems ridiculous. I'm probably less a virgin than she 
is."

Phallon thought for a moment. "I cannot see how you could be wrong, but she has 
had children and as long as you catch no sexual diseases, childbearing puts more 
stress upon the feminine organs than sex could ever hope to. In that way your 
body is in mint condition and your mother's is not."

Bellany pursed her lips. "I suppose you are right. Besides, mother does not 
exercise because she thinks it unladylike."

"I assure you that exercise is essential for good health. One's gender is 
immaterial to that fact," Leech Phallon said.

"May I quote you on that?" Bellany asked.

"You may indeed, milady."

-------

When Bellany came out of the infirmary, the awards dinner was over. Only the 
servants remained, as they were cleaning up. Bellany winked at Dempsy as she 
left the building and went to her room.

"There you are, Bellany. I looked all over for you. Jamie said not to worry, 
that you would be with me within the hour. It was longer than that. What 
happened?"

"I was in the infirmary," Bellany said as Mary began to undress her.

"Are you sick?"

"Not according to the Jordells' physician. I saw that he was in their retinue 
and realized that if the Jordell physician checked me out and pronounced me 
healthy, then Bianca's rumors would be blasted to flinders because saying I was 
sick would be contradicting her betters."

"That is brilliant," Mary said. "Are you sleeping with James?"

"It isn't that I could spurn him, or most anyone else for that matter, but the 
naughty thing has not expressed interest in women as contrasted with my virginal 
roommate."

Mary swatted Bellany's rump. "I couldn't help it. You are so dreamy and hot!"

"I'm hot?" Bellany whispered. "You're the one who kept jumping in my bed kissing 
and snuggling until you drove me nutty. I would say that makes you the hot one. 
I was forced to teach you what you did not know or lose my sanity completely."

"You made me lose my sanity first, Bellany. You are so beautiful. The way you 
move and even the way you smell is positively intoxicating." Mary swooned.

By this time both roommates were naked and Mary was carefully hanging the new 
Jordell dress in the closet. Bellany went over to the door and put the key 
outside so that the hall monitor would not have to open the door to confiscate 
it for the night. Having it in the keyhole also blocked spying eyes and gave an 
audible warning if the hall monitor turned the key.

Mary came at her from behind as Bellany fed a few billets of oak firewood into 
the heating stove. Bellany could feel Mary's hardened nipples against her back 
as Mary caressed her sides and abdomen and then cupped her palms under Bellany's 
expanding nipples. Bellany turned and they kissed deeply. When they separated, 
Mary looked into Bellany's eyes and then smiled. She tweaked both of her 
roommate's nipples with her fingertips.

"Your breasts are still filling out a little. I love it. Your areolas used to be 
flat but they are starting to plump, especially when you are excited and at 
certain times of the month. I think your nipples are growing more robust too, 
but I cannot be sure. I just started to notice it last week."

Bellany looked at her nipples. The change was very subtle but Mary was right. To 
a barely perceptible degree, her nipples looked more like Brianna Barter's 
nipples and less like Bellany Norwit's nipples. She covered the realization with 
a bit of misdirection.

"Maybe they are just getting plumper because you kiss them so often."

"Well, in that case I will have to kiss them even more and suck on them harder."

Bellany threw her head back as Mary latched onto her left nipple and began to 
kiss and suckle. Mary pinched Bellany's right nipple lightly with her fingertips 
at the same time. Mary's left hand was clamped onto Bellany's rump, squeezing 
and enjoying the fullness of it.

"Just don't neglect one nipple for the other. I don't want to be lopsided." 
Bellany smirked.

Mary giggled, vibrating Bellany's nipple. "Oh, I won't. I love them both."

-------

As Mary slept the sleep of countless orgasms beside her, Bellany worried about 
reverting to her true form. She reasoned that the change in her nipples might be 
from the considerable reserves she had stored after last Saturday's party. They 
were exhausted now, but at the beginning of the week they had been considerable. 
Bellany got up quietly and dressed once she was sure that Mary was asleep. One 
thing was certain. She was not going to miss the party that Dempsy had invited 
her to tonight because of some minute change in her areolas. She craved what the 
men could give her and she knew she could not resist going to Cooyman's for a 
repeat of last Saturday. After all, she had deliberately used the power of her 
own orgasms to influence the men to repeat last Saturday night. It would be 
silly not to reap the seeds of lust that she had sown.

Once dressed she cast her traveling spells and spied on the monitor until she 
was sure the coast was clear, then she unlocked her prison with telekinesis and 
made her way out into the hall and through the library. She confidently unlocked 
and relocked the doors as she went through. Once outdoors she kept an eye out 
for Herrington's men and kept to the shadows. She got to Cooyman's without 
mishap and knocked on the bedroom window. Dempsy and Stratton dressed her and 
she went into the main room and began to dance. This week her dance lasted only 
half as long as it had the week before, on account of grabby men. Before she 
knew it she was in the bedroom sweating and rutting beneath one lusty commoner 
after another. It was wonderful, until a loud knock resounded from the door.

"Open up," Constable Herrington's voice came from the door.

Bellany whispered to the man in the bed with her, "Oh gods, whatever you do, do 
not admit that there is a female present. Pretend you are in the bed because you 
are sweating ale and have had too much to drink. Make a show of it and let them 
drag you from the bed if they will, but do not budge under your own power."

Bellany picked up a flagon of ale from the nightstand and splashed it on the bed 
sheets and the man that she was currently with. He was in the process of quickly 
donning his breeches.

"That should cover the smell of sex, now get under the covers. Hide your face."

The man was so stunned that he actually did what she said. When his face was 
covered Bellany cast clinging darkness tight to her body, slid under the bed and 
rolled against the wall.

Cooyman opened the door and Herrington came in.

"Well what do we have here? Welcome to me humble abode, Constable. What'd be 
bringin' ye to this neck o' th' woods? Did I forget to invite one of me 
neighbors to th' party an' 'e's sore about the noise o' laughter?"

"Just a routine check is all, Armorer Cooyman. It's just you foundry men who 
live in these few cabins near the forge, but you know the mayor does not 
tolerate prostitution in his town, so I have to make sure there are no ladies 
present."

"Hmm, no actual women that I am aware of 'less one of 'em snuck in a window."

"Good, then I'll have a look around and leave you men to your ale."

Herrington entered the bedroom and opened a window. "See anything out there, 
deputy?

"No sir, Constable."

"Good." Herrington shut the window. He tore the blankets and bed sheets back and 
his nostrils were assaulted by the smell of ale.

"Whew."

"Hey, don'd hoggg the c-covers. I pud away a few too many flagonzz bud after a 
liddle nap I'll be back oud an ready ta dlink ye all off yer asses."

Herrington threw the covers back, set his lantern on the floor and checked under 
the bed. Bellany was sandwiched against the far wall. Herrington's lantern could 
not penetrate the darkness that enveloped her, thus he saw nothing. He got up, 
took his lantern and went back into the main room.

"Sorry to doubt you, Cooyman."

"Nay, don't worry none about distrubin' us, Constable. I know ye was just doin' 
yer job."

After the constable left, Cooyman quietly slipped into the bedroom. He looked 
around. "Medusa?" he asked quietly.

"Under here in the shadows," Bellany whispered. "Please wait a few minutes, then 
send someone out to stroll around and check for deputies."

"Aye," Cooyman whispered.

As it turned out there was a deputy lurking outside, but he left after the two 
men Cooyman sent out to get some air offered him some ale.

After they were sure no deputies remained, Bellany sat down on Cooyman's lap 
wearing only her mask and sandals. As she tugged on his lust she whispered into 
Cooyman's ear, "If you can think of a way to handle hiding me from the 
constable, I would be happy to come to a party for the men every Saturday. It's 
no end of fun for me and I don't mind chipping in to help you cover the costs of 
ale." She nibbled his earlobe to reinforce her point.

Cooyman smiled lustfully and made an impromptu speech, "Listen, I know the 
constable can be intimidatin', but luckily we don't have any actual women here. 
I know he might figure a medusa is close enough, but still we ain't exactly 
lyin'. If there be any of ye not man enough to take a little risk fer a really 
good cause then ye can stay home." Cooyman squeezed Bellany's breasts as he 
spoke about the cause for added emphasis.

"On th' other hand I weren't born yesterday. At all times from now on I'm goin' 
ta need a few rotatin' volunteers. Ye're goin' ta be out getting' a little air 
because ye had a few too many ales. If ye see a deputy ye're going to start up 
loudly with the heaves. That'll be the signal. I'll also take care o' havin' a 
place ta hide medusa in and gettin' a few glass panes for me windows ta replace 
a few of the oiled paper ones. That way folks in the main room'll be able to 
keep a lookout as well. We'll put 'em up high or behind somethin' so no one will 
be able to see in when we are not lookin' out. I am a man an' I am going ta have 
me fun. We ain't got no women here and even if ye figure medusa counts as close 
enough, we're not payin' 'er nothin' more'n our manly respects, so there be no 
prostitution goin' on, just good clean fun. 'Course the constable is a former 
Avengene an 'e's allergic ta good clean fun so what he don't know won't hurt 
'im."

Bellany drew heavily on the lusts of the men present; their sentiments combined 
with Cooyman's leadership produced a sort of fanatic zeal.

"I say we have areselves a party like this'n every Saturday an' take advantage 
o' Medusa's pent up lusts while we can borrow 'er from me friend," Cooyman said.

"Damn right. I work metal all day with Cooyman an' th' guys. I'm a man, gods 
damn it! I'm not goin' ta let some Avengene prude force me ta keep it in me 
pants!" With that the man named Byrnie stood up, grabbed Bellany from Cooyman's 
lap, and hauled her into the bedroom accompanied by the cheers of the other men.

He took her abruptly, thrusting like a madman. She drew on his power and met 
each thrust with her own until Byrnie bellowed like a wounded ox and spent 
copiously. After collapsing for a few minutes he got up and strode out of the 
bedroom grinning like a pirate. "Damn she's hot! Who's got our girl next?" 
Several men stood up.

Bellany smiled greedily. She had felt a little guilty about using the charm 
power of her orgasms to sway them towards making the Saturday parties a regular 
event last week. The same sense of guilt assailed her for her recent actions, 
but she saw the opportunity to shed her limitations and increase her learning 
speed. She was a bit worried about having been subjected to the scrutiny of a 
first class leech earlier in the evening, but she was pretty sure the Jordells 
would not speak to her parents about the matter, since getting her checked for 
sexual diseases was overstepping the rules of propriety. If they did mention it 
to her parents, it would likely be to shrug it off as a favor they had done for 
Bellany.

-------

The next day, Bellany sat through a solstice sermon entitled "The Vindicator: 
Bringer of Light." After the service, Charles caught her and spirited her off to 
the church library. "I've got bad or good news depending on how you look at it, 
Belle."

"What is it?"

"Dad says as much as he would like to see you, he has a winter campaign going 
and there could be enough orc activity to make the roads dangerous. Since your 
record of being attacked is two for two, he and mom agreed that it would be 
safer for you to stay here for the solstice break. That may break your heart but 
there is an upside to it. James is going to be staying in residence throughout 
the break because his parents are here. That means Master Leafwhisper will be 
here as well."

Bellany grinned like a pirate.

"Hah! Vindicator's cheek, Bellany! You should at least pretend not to be happy 
about it."

Bellany held up her hand for a moment as she regained her composure, then she 
put on a frown and wept. "Oh Charles, that's terrible, I will miss mom and dad 
and Darren so much! I am sooo disappointed that I cannot spend the solstice at 
my home church," Bellany added some sniffles for effect.

"Good work, Belle; now I can tell them how broken up you were. It is just as 
well that you are not going. I know you can be extremely helpful in certain 
types of dealings with men, like when we had to get the ghoul priest to store 
the bodies of our dead on the way to school, but I am aiming to do some research 
to help my standing with Bruhnhilda Daelrath and for that I need to work alone."

"Research?" Bellany asked. 

"Yes, I talked to Lady Daelrath at the awards banquet and I am going to check 
out the Brianna Barter story for her."

"But Charles, you know as well as I do that if reverend Evangeline actually did 
anything untoward, the Avengenes will have long since covered it up rather 
thoroughly."

"Are you saying you doubt my powers as a sleuth?"

"I am saying the trail is likely to be beyond cold even if the official story 
_is_ just a story. I really doubt you'll find a herd of illegitimate children 
sired by Evangeline or a Saturday tour of places Evangeline stashed young women. 
I would certainly milk Lady Daelrath for every detail. You may need to come at 
the investigation from a number of angles even to have a chance at finding out 
what really happened," Bellany said.

"I see your point. I need to milk Daelrath for hours and get every detail that 
she remembers."

"Yes, milk is the key. Once you have the details of who was involved and where 
it happened you could use your considerable sleuthing and social skills to get 
at the truth."

Charles nodded. "Plus it would be a good excuse to take Daelrath out to lunch 
before I go."

"Indeed."

"Bellany, you are brilliant. I don't know what I would do without you."

"I guess you'll find out during the solstice break, Charles. I'm going to miss 
you," Bellany said.

"I'll miss you, too. I will expect to see some improvement in your swordsmanship 
by the time I return, however."

"I'll do my best to deliver on that, Charles," Bellany smiled. "As a matter of 
fact I'm going to a makeup lesson this afternoon. Whenever you can't find me at 
school, just assume that I am probably at the Jordell's. Stop by and give me a 
hug on your way out of town."

"Will do, but I will not be leaving for a couple of days. Right now I have to 
dash over to the temple of Virtusar and see if I can catch Daelrath for a lunch 
date."

"Okay, I hope you don't get an overly zealous chaperone. Good luck, Charles. I 
will be over to sketch you at crossbow practice tomorrow morning. I had to 
neglect my artwork in favor of tests and essays and so on, but with solstice 
gifts to consider I am going to get back on the job."

"Okay, Bellany. I'll see you later," Charles called as he ran off to find 
Bruhnhilda Daelrath.

Bellany peered out from the gate of the churchyard of the vindicator. When no 
one she knew well was currently walking through the courtyard beyond the gate, 
she hurried across it and into the stables. There she cast draining touch on a 
few stallions before scooting out and boarding the Belgado coach that had come 
sometime during her foray into the stables. She had an appointment to sketch 
Bernadine for a portrait she planned to give Larissa Jordell. After completing 
her sketching, she thanked Bernadine and left for Jordell Manor.

When she arrived at Jordell Manor she gave Jamie a hug and then changed clothes 
and got into one of her training outfits.

Once she got to the practice room she saw Master Leafwhisper was ready for her.

"It is so good to see you again, Master Leafwhisper, and without distracting 
schoolwork. I am feeling very energetic today. I could handle a very brisk 
lesson indeed."

"The winter winds quicken your spirit. That is well."

"I have been meaning to ask you. I know you teach James tournament swordsmanship 
and have been trying to get me to the point where I can spar with him. That's a 
good thing. I just don't want you to be under the false impression that I 
believe I will ever be in tournaments. I am much more likely to be in battles 
with orcs, highwaymen and thugs in the street. Therefore if you feel like 
teaching me a few dirty tricks I would be much obliged."

Leafwhisper smiled. "Tournament swordsmanship can become dull with repetition. 
If you perform well and learn quickly, we will have a little time for the 
secrets of street swordsmanship, battle swordsmanship and swordsmanship without 
a sword."

"Oooo, well then I will be most diligent, and this is just the time for it 
because I haven't the worries of school wearing me down and sapping my 
strength."

In truth, Bellany was just setting herself up to work while under the influence 
of full reserves. She worried that it might be the energy stored in her breasts 
that had been responsible for the slight changes in her nipples, but she 
reasoned that even if she used a great deal of energy to heighten her ability to 
learn and vanquish fatigue, the concentration of energy within her skull would 
not be near what it was within her breasts. Plus she would try to keep the 
energy in her brain and not let it mess with the shape of her skull or the color 
of her eyes or hair. She had checked her body thoroughly and had found that her 
nipples were the only part of her that had changed. She hoped that would be 
that.

She picked up the pace considerably at her lesson that day and even managed to 
get Master Leafwhisper to break a sweat. That was a first. She learned and 
perfected twice the moves she had ever managed in any previous lesson. She knew 
it was a bit much, but she had a solid relationship with Leafwhisper and wanted 
to make every second she spent with him count. There was a certain amount of 
risk associated with being a little superhuman, but there was more risk in not 
learning to be the finest swordswoman she could be. She hoped Leafwhisper would 
pass her progress off as the product of an energetic mood and no pressing school 
obligations.

She would have slowed down when Jamie's parents came to watch but she knew 
Leafwhisper would notice and frown at her. He would know that she was holding 
back.

As he watched Bellany and Leafwhisper dance across the practice room, their 
practice swords a blur of precise motion, Gerald Jordell's mouth dropped open. 
He whispered something into his wife's ear and she nodded.
-------

Bellany visited Headmaster Bristol on Sunday night after Mary went to sleep. 
After using him for sex, she got him to set her up in his study. She had a lot 
of artwork to finish for solstice gifts. When Bristol saw her pen and ink work 
he praised the intricacy of her style, the wonderful accuracy of perspective and 
proportion that she used, and the speed with which she worked.

The next morning was Monday and Bellany continued with her brisk vacation 
schedule. She went over to the Patel's to sketch Charles at crossbow practice 
while James worked with Master Leafwhisper at Jordell Manor. When it was time 
for her rapier lesson she arrived at Jordell Manor and kept up an inhuman pace 
until half past eight in the evening. On Tuesday she asked Jamie for an early 
invite so that she could sketch him and Leafwhisper as they practiced. Not only 
did she increase her artistic skills but she also picked up moves that James was 
practicing.

Tuesday, Bellany came to Jordell manor in the morning and watched Jamie train 
while sketching. After lunch she had a great rapier lesson that lasted from 
about one until dinnertime. Using power from her reserves judiciously she was 
able to improve her alertness, to pick up one technique after another, and to 
integrate them speedily. During sparring sessions she sometimes used things she 
had seen James doing in the morning. This often prompted comments and sometimes 
corrections from Master Leafwhisper, but watching James was allowing Bellany to 
absorb swordsmanship by means of both watching and doing. Given her excellent 
memory she found the combination accelerated the rate of her learning by quite a 
bit. That night she again worked in Headmaster Bristol's study until near dawn. 
In the morning, after just a couple of hours of sleep, she woke up with Mary and 
then put her artwork into the frames she had purchased earlier. She breathed 
easier now that her projects were complete.

On Wednesday morning Charles and Abraham came by Jordell Manor to bid Bellany 
and James adieu, and to thank the Jordells for keeping Bellany safe during the 
solstice break. Sergeant Lime was with them. Evidently, Baronet Norwit had sent 
several men down from Avengene to pick Charles up. Bellany remembered that 
several cavalrymen had accompanied Charles home at the beginning of last summer 
when she had first laid eyes on him.

"Sergeant Lime!" Bellany squealed and hugged the man. "It's so good to see you!" 
No one was in a position to see behind Lime and realize that Bellany got her 
hand under his chainmail skirt and gave his rump a squeeze as she hugged him, 
but the blush on his face told the tale to a discerning eye.

"It is very good to see you too, milady Bellany, but after last summer's events 
I am glad Lord Norwit has bid you stay here rather than brave the roads. You are 
two for two as far as mishaps that 'ave befallen ye on the way here. I am afraid 
we had best get moving if we are to make it in Charles' usual two days," 
Sergeant Lime said as he regained his composure.

Bellany nodded and then took a box from one of the Jordell servants and gave it 
to Sergeant Lime. "Here are my gifts for Mother, Father and Darren."

"I will see that they get them, milady," Lime said.

"Thank you, Sergeant. Charles, promise me you will gallop briskly by the falls."

"Vindicator's foot, Bellany, you can bet we will be moving through that stretch 
of road as if our horses' tails were on fire."

"Good. Take my love to Father, Mother and Darren. Here, I want you to have your 
gift from me before you go. There is no sense wrapping it when you may have need 
of it on the way up. Jamie helped me make the order and one of the Jordell ships 
brought it up the river from Rosehaven with supplies for Jordell Manor, but here 
it is." A Jordell servant unveiled the gift and presented it to Bellany. She 
handed it to Charles. It was a duplicate of his triple-X crossbow.

"It was made by the same bowyer that made your first one," Bellany told him.

"Bellany! This is a fantastic gift. With six shots at the ready I will own any 
group of orcs or highwaymen small enough to surprise us."

"That was the idea. I want to see a living Charles at the beginning of the 
spring semester," Bellany said.

"That's one wish I aim to grant. I'll be carrying two quivers for this ride, one 
on my horse and the other on my back. Sergeant Lime brought down your gifts from 
mother and father, Bellany. I gave James the one from me to you as well. I am 
pretty sure you'll like the ones from dad and me but you don't get to open them 
until the solstice," Charles said.

"Thank you, Charles. Have a safe trip," Bellany said as she briefly embraced her 
brother.

"I'll do my best to get back in one piece," Charles promised; then he embraced 
James Jordell. "Goodbye, James, thank you and yours for watching Belle while I 
am gone. I really appreciate it."

"It will be our pleasure. It was not without trepidation that I introduced her 
to my parents but they have assured me that they found her engaging. They said 
that she is a strong woman who nevertheless knows her place and minds her 
manners. I am much relieved." James wiped his hand across his forehead for 
emphasis. "That is about as good a report as one could expect from a couple 
that, I fear, will soon be Count and Countess Jordell."

"Aren't they already?" Charles asked.

"Heavens no, my grandfather still lives, although I hear that lately he is much 
the worse for wear. Father has been running the family empire for several years 
but grandfather still bears the title."

"If you don't mind me asking, where does Red Jack fit into all of this," Bellany 
asked.

"Jackson Jordell the second, known to the common people as Red Jack, is my 
grandfather's disowned firstborn son. He secretly impregnated Heinrich 
Li'Yieraun's wife and then openly declared his love for her. I believe the idea 
was to get Heinrich to challenge him to a duel but Heinrich was just short of 
hotheaded enough to do it. You see, the Jordells have traditionally been fine 
swordsmen. I doubt Heinrich would have stood a chance of beating my uncle 
wielding any weapon, and Jackson refused to agree to a battle of champions. 
Things degenerated from there, with skirmishes between Jack and Heinrich's men 
over the possession of Synid, Heinrich's wife. Heinrich's indignation spread to 
many other noblemen, until Count Jordell had to disown and disavow Jackson 
Jordell the second in order to save face before the duke.

"Once disowned, Jackson went rogue and became a river pirate. He enjoyed 
terrorizing the river trade and settlements in the domains of Heinrich and his 
friends. Soon people began to realize that only ships owned by the Jordells 
could sail the river unmolested. We began shipping things for others as favors 
to them and wound up building a shipping empire. The consequences of Jackson's 
social gaffe have made us Jordells very wealthy indeed."

"Oh, so Jack is your uncle," Bellany said, glad that she finally had the story 
straight.

"Yes, you sound almost as if you know him," James said.

Charles smirked. "Does bedding him a thousand times in her pirate fantasy 
count?"

Bellany blushed crimson and then spanked Charles. "I couldn't help it. I was 
just a cloistered girl. I saw his wanted poster in church and he was so handsome 
in a rakish sort of way."

Jamie squealed. "You hussy!"

Charles chuckled. "If fantasy counts, James, she knows Jack so well she ought to 
be counted as one of the family."

"I assure you she will be treated like one of the family since she is spending 
the solstice with us Jordells. We will take good care of her, Charles. You had 
better get going. Sergeant Lime is wearing that expression one's retainers get 
when one is in danger of being so late that they will not make a certain inn by 
nightfall."

"Oh yes, you are right, James. We had better get underway. Goodbye, Bellany! See 
you later, James." Charles waved as he and Lime mounted up and trotted off down 
Jordell Lane.

"So is that why you came to talk to me at the rankings ball? You were infatuated 
with my uncle?"

Bellany blushed once again. "It was just a fantasy, but it did help that you 
looked something like him and the curiosity gave me the courage to approach you. 
Otherwise you might have been too intimidating to someone as besmirched and 
snubbed as I was at that time."

"Was I anything like your fantasy?" Jamie asked.

Bellany smiled. "No, but you were such a character I found you fascinating in 
your own right."

Jamie smiled. "I am pleased that you did. Come on into the Manor. Master 
Leafwhisper will soon begin to wonder what is keeping us. He says that you pick 
things up so rapidly and completely that if we continue to allow you to watch my 
lessons and train you in the afternoons as well, you will soon make a worthy 
sparring partner for me. Tell me, did this fantasy of yours have anything to do 
with why you took up the rapier?"

"Of course it did. When the orcs caught me I sometimes used my pirate fantasy to 
protect my mind by substituting Jack and his men for the orcs. I also fantasized 
about a heroic escape wherein I bested the orcs with a display of swordsmanship 
that dazzled even Red Jack and prompted him to make me queen of the pirates."

"Oooh, how exciting," Jamie squealed.

-------

The next two days Bellany spent on swordsmanship and artwork. She had decided to 
give Jamie pen and ink portraits of his three favorite young men at school, 
Charles, Vern, and Loyd, so that he could remember them as they were during 
their school days. She had done a slightly larger full body portrait of 
Bernadine Belgado for Larissa. She also made several versions of her favorite 
breads in the Jordell kitchen with the help of Jamie's chef. She was practicing 
and experimenting to ensure that she chose the right variation of her favorite 
recipes to make the breads for the Jordell feast on the solstice.

Bellany took Mary to the Jordell kitchen early on the Friday solstice. Bellany 
had volunteered to make the pies and breads for the feast as her gift to Jamie's 
parents. In truth it was Mary who made the pies. Bellany counted on her 
roommate's expertise since Mary had won the autumn pie bake-off at the academy. 
Bellany concentrated on the breads. She had to leave the last part of the actual 
baking to the Jordell chef so that she could get into her dress for the feast. 
It was another beautiful garment that Jamie had worked with Larissa's seamstress 
to create.

Bellany should have been exhausted from all of the artwork and insane 
swordsmanship practice she had been doing since the beginning of the break, but 
if anything she looked more poised and content than she had in previous times. 
She did everything more efficiently thanks to Cooyman and his many friends. She 
worried that Lieutenant Herrington might get wind of things, but Cooyman had 
said he was going to freeze membership in the medusa club and make some 
improvements in his cabin to prevent Herrington from sneaking up too easily. For 
two weeks straight Bellany had felt much more like the self she remembered from 
before her misadventure in the land of the dead. She was not about to give up 
the progress she had made. As soon as the solstice was over she was determined 
to learn a few more spells that would help fortify her independence.

The solstice feast went well. Thanks to a few tips from the Jordell chef in 
regard to the presentation and appearance of foods, Bellany's breads and Mary's 
pies were hits at the feast. After the feast it was time to open gifts. The 
Jordells were generous with one another in view of their wealth. James received 
several new rapiers for his collection, clothing, accessories and a summerhouse.

When James opened his three portraits he cocked his head. "I recognize the 
framer but not the artist."

"You're looking at the artist." Bellany pointed to herself.

"Nay, it takes years to develop this sort of accuracy," James said.

"Mrs. Sedell said that what I lack in practice I make up for with an exacting 
sense of proportion and an uncanny memory for detail."

"Well I can't argue with that, and the subject matter is marvelous: Charles, 
Verne, and Lawrence, three of my favorite young men. I have seen many portraits 
that look more like the artist than the subject but these are exceptional 
considering your maturity. There is no question about whom the portraits depict. 
I cannot complain about your pen and ink work, but I do hope you plan to take up 
painting. I have a penchant for large, impressive nudes," James gestured 
extravagantly.

Bellany giggled. She failed to mention that she had wound up reading several art 
books at the beginning of the semester because they were large and were useful 
for concealing other books that she was not supposed to be reading. Even though 
she had originally read them so that she would know what was in them if asked, 
they had certainly helped augment her training under Mrs. Sedell.

Next it was Larissa's turn to open her gifts. She received even more clothing 
than James, as well as cosmetics, perfumes and accessories. When she opened 
Bellany's gift she smiled. "This is excellent work, Bellany. You are so 
talented. I will have to show Bernadine when she comes over. No wonder Master 
Leafwhisper thinks so highly of you. You pick things up so quickly. He told me 
you could already carry on simple conversations in elfish."

"Yes, I love the language. Thank you, Larissa," Bellany said warmly. "I have a 
good memory and that helps a lot with learning." She was much relieved that her 
humble gifts had gone over so well. She had been more than a little nervous 
given all of the priceless art the Jordells owned. They were so wealthy she 
could not have hoped to buy anything that would have been up to their standards. 
She had used the same local framer as they did. Beyond that she had been forced 
to trust her talent, the personal nature of her gifts, and the favored subjects 
she had portrayed.

When it was Bellany's turn to open gifts she found that Larissa had given her a 
huge array of cosmetics. "Goodness, thank you Larissa. I recognize some of 
these, but I am afraid I may need lessons on the use of the rest."

"Bernadine and I were counting on that. We have to steal you away from the boys 
somehow," Larissa smiled wickedly.

Bellany blushed.

Jamie pushed a gift to her. "Open this one next; it's from your mother. I 
suspect it is clothing," James grimaced.

Bellany held up a new dress.

James tried not to screw up his face but failed miserably.

Bellany laughed.

"Well don't let your mother know that I said this, but putting a woman with a 
body like yours in a dress like that is cruel and unusual punishment meted out 
against the public. Why, I would not be caught dead in a dress like that," James 
sniffed.

Bellany giggled. "I hope not. Actually, I am sure this is the latest thing in 
the Avengene court. Mother really outdid herself. She must have read in my 
letters that you were making me dresses, so she pulled out all the stops. Of 
course no seamstress in Avengene could compare to the Jordell seamstress, but 
she gets an 'A' for effort!"

"It's a pity the fashion in Avengene is so repulsive," James said. "Why don't 
you open this one to take our minds off that eyesore?" James held his nose. 
"This is from Charles."

Bellany opened the package and smiled. It was a stout main gauche in a black 
sheath from the Montfort Forge. The blade itself had a matte black or rogue 
finish.

"This is perfect and it looks sturdy enough to parry the weightier blades."

"Yes, it is quite practical, a perfect companion to your pirate fantasy," Jamie 
teased.

Bellany blushed. It was obviously a custom made item and was even better than 
the one Thane had bought for her from the Montfort forge. She suspected the 
Jordells had put in a word on behalf of the order to improve the quality. She 
supposed Thane had simply bought her the best standard main gauche, so that it 
would be more difficult to trace if lost.

"Thank you, Charles, wherever you are, and thank you, James, because this main 
gauche looks suspiciously like you added a few words to the original order 
regarding the quality."

"Who, me? I merely made the shipping arrangements. Charles paid for everything." 
James tried to look innocent.

Bellany smirked at him.

"This one is next," Jamie indicated. "It is from your daddy."

Bellany opened the package to find a rapier and sheath that matched the main 
gauche. "Oh, this is beautiful. I will have to write a thank you to daddy."

"Actually I believe it is far too heavy, but I made sure it was at least 
superbly balanced. The edges have been razor-honed so that you can cut candles 
in half without knocking them off their moorings and all that swashbuckler 
nonsense. Of course, I never sharpen anything but the point on my rapiers, but 
Master Leafwhisper said that you were learning a slightly different flavor of 
swordsmanship and that the blade you wanted was in keeping with the tavern and 
the battlefield."

Bellany smiled and took several steps backward. "Clear," she said and then 
tested the blade. "Oh, this is magnificent! And I would not be as afraid of 
parrying a heavy blade with it as I might with the light rapiers that you favor, 
James. It is another perfect companion to my pirate fantasy."

"Oh indeed. There is a weapons belt in there too, as you see."

Bellany nodded and re-sheathed her new rapier.

"Charles was going to give you his old boyhood bow, but I told him not to 
bother. In view of the highwayman story I have a different bow for you instead. 
It was made by a desert bowyer and designed for use on horseback."

James handed Bellany a package that contained a curious short bow, quiver, thumb 
ring, armguard and shooting glove. "Wow, James, this is magnificent. This isn't 
wood. What's it made of?" Bellany asked as she ran her hand along the bow.

"The front is horn and the back is sinew. It is surprisingly powerful for its 
size but a bit trickier to shoot than a longbow because it is recurved. It's 
really just an accessory for my other gift to you, a gift for which my father 
threw in yet another accessory as his gift to you, but I will show you that gift 
later as it is not the sort of thing one wants in their parlor. For now open 
this one. It's from my mother," James instructed.

"Okay, thank you, James. A horse bow is perfect for me," Bellany said as she 
began to open the next package. It was a breathtaking lute. "Oh, Lady Jordell, 
this is beautiful."

Lady Jordell smiled. "Yes it is, but I did not buy it for its look. Strum a few 
chords and see what you think."

Bellany tuned the instrument first, and then played a simple melody. "It has 
exquisite tonal quality. Thank you very much, Lady Jordell."

"It was my pleasure. James says you are an excellent sight-reader. Perhaps you 
could accompany Larissa and me as we sing."

"Certainly," Bellany agreed.

After all of the gifts had been opened they did indeed sing, and Lady Jordell 
had an excellent voice. The day went by rapidly, and Bernadine Belgado came by 
after the feast to join Larissa.

"Want to come up to my suite with Bernadine and me, and learn how to use your 
cosmetics, Bellany?"

"Sure," Bellany said.

"Oh wait, let me borrow you for a few minutes and you can go directly up to 
Larissa's room afterwards," Jamie said.

"Okay. I will see you up there in a bit, Larissa and Bernadine."

Jamie led Bellany through the house. "I was able to get you something that has 
far more sentimental value than some new item you care nothing about," Jamie 
said mysteriously.

"Really?" Bellany asked.

At that point they donned cloaks, stepped outside and headed for the Jordell 
stables.

"Yes. I was tempted to get you a replacement but the story behind this 
particular item was so intriguingly wrong for a vindicator girl that I had to 
have the original."

James opened the door to the Jordell stables and let Bellany in, then closed the 
door and caught up with her.

"You got me a horse bow and we are in the stables... Oh my goodness, Jamie, you 
bought Starstruck for me!?"

"I did, and since he was no longer to be a breeding stallion I had him gelded."

Bellany froze in mid step; a look of pain and horror blanched her face.

Jamie squealed.

Bellany realized she'd just been had and spanked Jamie smartly on the rump. 
"Jamie, you scoundrel, you did not geld him at all! You just wanted to see how I 
would react and I utterly fell for it!"

"You did and the look on your face was priceless! How ever could your parents 
have mistaken you for a good little vindicator girl?"

Bellany quickened her pace and began to lead the way through the capacious 
stables. She knew her beloved black pony had not been gelded because she could 
hear Starstruck calling to her like a stallion called to his mares. Evidently he 
had heard her talking to Jamie.

"At one time I really was a good little vindicator girl, but people change."

"Where are you going?" Jamie asked as he rushed to follow Bellany.

"To my pony of course, he's calling to me," Bellany said.

"Oh goodness, you two are close," Jamie smirked.

"I could try to deny that, but it would be futile considering how I blundered 
into your cunning trap," Bellany rolled her eyes.

"Don't fret about it, dear. I already suspected you were a naughty girl. Your 
horrified reaction to the fictitious gelding simply confirmed what I already 
believed," Jamie said as Bellany opened the door to Starstruck's stall and the 
stallion began nuzzle-kissing her as if she were a long-lost lover.

"Jamie, is that a funerary crest Starstruck is wearing?" Bellany asked.

"Yes, an authentic Mortaebian funerary crest. I thought it would be fun to 
return him to his roots. Did you have any idea that your stallion was originally 
the property of a priest of Mortaebius? He was filling in for one of his elder 
brothers pulling a hearse in Rosehaven when your father first saw him. It was 
obvious he was just a colt and his coat was too dark to match those of his 
brothers. Their coats were more a dark bay rather than a true inky black. At 
first the priest would not sell the colt to your father for any price, but when 
a flock of ravens landed in the tree behind Lord Norwit, the priest took it as 
an omen and sold the colt for a reasonable price... Heavens, it is winter and 
his shaft is drawing as if he were in a springtime glade full of nubile 
fillies," Jamie said gaily.

Bellany blushed profusely. There was nothing subtle about her stallion's shaft 
and Jamie was watching it like a hunter with his eye on an eighteen point stag.

"I see why you like him. His length would spit a man but he does taper nicely 
from base to tip," Jamie observed.

"I see you had him thoroughly cleaned up," Bellany observed as she looked where 
Jamie was looking.

"Yes I did. He is a gift; he had to be groomed to the most exacting 
specifications. I got you a saddle and accessories to match his coat. I even got 
you the Mortaebian funerary crest as a gag. Father threw in upkeep for 
Starstruck. You may freely stable him here or at the Academy and he will be 
treated as royalty."

"Thank you, Jamie," Bellany hugged James. "I missed him so much. He is awfully 
excited. He does not know it but getting prepared for him takes a lot of work," 
Bellany said.

"Might I lend a hand?" Jamie asked gaily.

"If you dare," Bellany smiled. "Not now, though. Larissa and Bernadine may have 
naughty things in mind, and there is no way I could conceal what he can 
deliver..."

"I see your point. Might I suggest pretending you tripped in the stables and 
became soiled? That would necessitate a bath. The girls might join you but I 
could run interference for long enough for you to clean yourself up within."

Bellany smiled. "That might work. I know the tools for a proper cleansing are 
available in the Princess suite bathroom. I saw them while exploring the 
cabinets, smelling all of the bath oils and things."

Jamie nodded, "How do you manage this brute?"

"He is really very mannerly for a stallion. It took a bit of training. I will 
just need a hand getting ready for him and you can steady his chest afterwards 
if you like so that he does not lurch forward too much."

About twenty minutes later, Bellany was sitting on the rail in the empty stall 
next to the one Starstruck occupied. Her dress was hiked up and Starstruck was 
stretching his neck as far as he could in order to nuzzle her labia as Jamie 
used his hand to stretch her open further and further. At last he managed to get 
nearly his whole hand inside her.

"That should be fine. Thank you, Jamie," Bellany panted. Once Jamie withdrew his 
hand she hopped off the fence rail and Jamie followed her into Starstruck's 
stall.

"Steady, Star; easy, stud." Bellany hiked up her dress and grabbed the 
stallion's erection about eight inches behind the tip.

Jamie was of little help as he got behind her and watched her rump and 
Starstruck's monstrous cock with rapt attention. Thankfully Starstruck 
remembered how to service his smallest mare. Bellany made sure her grip was 
locked around his shaft before pulling Starstruck's erection aside and plunging 
it into herself. The stallion thrust so vigorously he knocked Bellany down in 
the straw once, but she was up in a flash and back at it.

A minute later Starstruck nickered throatily as his tip expanded within her. 
Suddenly he shuddered and began to pump a pulsing torrent of cum into her, along 
with a delicious flood of energy. Bellany was glad that Jamie had taken up a 
position behind her, rather than the one at Starstruck's chest that she had 
suggested. Her look of concentration as she struggled to enhance Starstruck's 
pleasure by pulling more energy from him than he would have naturally given her 
would have seemed odd. The look of utter bliss on her face as the stallion came 
might have given her away too, but all Jamie saw was her stretched vulva and the 
copious squirting cum that did nothing to give away her deeper secrets.

After Starstruck shrank and pulled out of her she kept her stance and looked 
back at Jamie, her nether lips dripping copiously.

"You are such a bad girl, with such a creamy cunt," Jamie said.

"I enjoy my cream," Bellany said, subtly tickling James' lust.

James took a few steps forward and plunged his hand back into her. Cum drooled 
from her vulva as his hand filled her.

Without really thinking about it she reflexively clutched his hand and drew on 
his lust.

Jamie inhaled sharply, "You are such a naughty girl, and so lively inside." He 
plunged his fingers in and out of her until Bellany came powerfully. She allowed 
the power of her orgasm to underline her affection for Jamie and the natural 
lust that he was already feeling. She did not feel comfortable with anything 
more than that. James was far too important to her as a friend and she felt no 
need to substitute compulsions where a good natural alliance was already in 
place.

Bellany sighed as she stood and embraced James. "Thank you for lending a hand, 
Jamie; that was the finest solstice gift I've ever had," she said as she lightly 
kissed his earlobe and then pulled away slightly so that they could converse 
intimately.

"It was my pleasure. You are such a sexual thing. It practically oozes out of 
your pores without your meaning it to, especially right now." Jamie giggled.

"Pfff, I am rather drenched," Bellany snorted.

"I have noticed that there are women who seem lustful, but it is actually just a 
practiced tool or a put-on that they use to get something else."

Bellany nodded. "I simply appreciate the pleasure of sex and crave the lustful 
energy of others. I enjoy it a great deal," Bellany said as she drained the 
energy from what cum remained within her. "In your own way, I think you enjoy it 
as well."

"There is no question that I favor naughty people," James admitted.

Bellany lowered both of her hands to feel Jamie's butt through his breeches. 
With her right hand she reached between his buns to massage the base of his 
penis below his balls. After a brief surge, James' lust suddenly modulated as he 
reined it in. Bellany beat him to the punch before he could speak.

"This is where you remind me that Larissa and Bernadine are waiting, isn't it?" 
Bellany smirked.

"And the fact that you have a cunt loaded with stallion cum," Jamie added.

Bellany grinned. "Okay, let's be off to the bath then," Bellany briefly kissed 
James and then turned to kiss Starstruck's nose. He nuzzle-kissed her face wet 
as she bid him adieu. She then took Jamie's arm and walked back to the house 
with him. Since she had taken a spill in Starstruck's stall she did not even 
have to lie about falling in the stables. Before long she was in the princess 
suite cleansing herself from her latest adventure and thinking that she really 
should not have been so wanton in front of James. There was something about all 
the lustful energy she had been absorbing lately that had made her feel 
invincible and overly bold. She would have to curb herself, but after that 
performance in front of James the cat really was out of the bag where he was 
concerned.

She had barely finished cleansing Starstruck's considerable contribution of cum, 
when Larissa and Bernadine joined her in the bath. Unlike the bath they had 
taken with her before, this time Larissa and Bernadine could not seem to keep 
their hands off of her. Bellany nearly missed the subtle tingle of Jamie's lust 
as he watched the young women through the secret grillwork. A few torrid hours 
later she was feeling wonderful and pretending to be as exhausted as her two 
friends. They had a light evening meal with the Jordell family and then returned 
to Larissa's chambers for a sleepover. Bellany got very little sleep that night, 
but she was by no means exhausted the next morning.

On Saturday morning Bellany sketched Jamie as he practiced under Master 
Leafwhisper. She noticed that Master Leafwhisper mentioned and demonstrated 
simpler moves that combined into those things he was currently teaching Jamie, 
so that she could follow along and could better bridge the gap between what she 
was learning and what Jamie was learning. After Jamie was finished, she took her 
turn at training and learned more in that single lesson than she had ever 
learned in a single lesson before that. Thanks to using energy from her reserves 
to sharpen her alertness, she was able to retain the flood of knowledge with 
just a little practice of each new item.

That evening she returned to her room at Vargrend's. She wished she could work 
on magic or priestess training but she had to do something that Mary would not 
wonder about. She settled on a bit of elfish before an early bedtime with her 
roommate. Early bedtimes usually meant lots of sex and this one was no 
exception. Bellany marveled at Mary's capacity for relatively noiseless orgasms.

When her roommate was fast asleep, Bellany got up and dressed for her weekly 
excursion to Cooyman's cabin. True to his word, he had added a couple of small 
glass windowpanes and the plank floor under his bedroom now boasted a long, 
narrow trapdoor that opened up beneath the far side of the bed. The men were 
obviously becoming addicted to her. Nevertheless she continued to reinforce 
their lust and loyalty to her, and by extension to the Medusa Club, by using the 
power of her orgasms to touch their minds. After getting deliciously slimy from 
so many randy men, Bellany cleaned up a bit and made her way back to Vargrend's.

As she prepared to leave, Stratton gave her a used, non-descript but very warm 
man's cloak that was cut to her height. He also gave her a pair of ingenious 
boots. The boots fit her but had oversize soles that left footprints that were a 
near match for Cooyman's. Dempsy gave her some woolen long underwear to take the 
edge off the cold. Bellany thanked them graciously and admitted that she wished 
she had been able to make personalized gifts for them but with final exams and 
family concerns she had been unable to do so. Instead she provided a gold domain 
so that they could get roast beef from the Broasted Ox for the next meeting of 
the Medusa Club.

Bellany slept an hour and then headed straight for the baths at Vargrend's. 
After her bath she attended the Sunday service that reverend Leland gave. It was 
about the battle fury of the righteous. Even with his much-diminished flock, it 
was obvious that he was still preparing them for war. Bellany spent the 
remainder of Sunday writing thank you notes for her solstice gifts and reading 
the mathematics book that Headmaster Bristol had left for her. With all the 
energy from the night before zinging around between her ears she understood what 
she read quickly and with just a little practice absorbed much of the book's 
knowledge. In the evening she practiced her music. Near bedtime, Mary began to 
sing along with her playing. Mary's voice was clear and sweet. Bellany thought 
it was a shame that Mary had been forced to school herself for silent sex 
because of the hall monitor.

Bellany spent half of the night working up the Darkness III spell. She managed 
to cast a wall of darkness on top of the parapet of the library roof across from 
her window before writing the casting notes and turning in for a few hours of 
sleep. She was happy to have another spell under her belt, but she knew she 
would need to go down and copy more spells soon. Headmaster Bristol had her 
other actual spellbook. She guessed that Headmistress Vargrend might already 
have given the bogus book she had replaced her original with to Charles so that 
he could take it home to her parents.

Monday morning, Bellany went to Jordell manor early to watch Jamie train once 
again. Her swordsmanship and sketching speed were both improving from watching 
Jamie's lessons. Her own lessons were extremely brisk now that Leafwhisper had 
adjusted to her learning speed. He seemed to be trying to catch her up with 
Jamie, so that she could spar with him.

When she returned home after her lesson she read some more about the elfish 
language and then worked on her music. The new lute sounded so good that it made 
music much more attractive. Mary seemed to enjoy singing with Bellany as well. 
The two of them went to bed early once again and had a lot of fun. Bellany had 
been steadily working on Amorra's Channel with Mary's unwitting help and had 
begun to get it down to a science. She was able to easily draw more energy from 
men, but considering Mary had become quite orgasmic, Bellany found sex with her 
roommate was very satisfying from an orgasmic standpoint and still fairly 
satisfying from an energy standpoint. She had toyed with the idea of putting 
more of a drain effect into the channel spell but instead she had gone for 
efficiency in collecting the energy naturally available. The spell was more 
clandestine that way and much kinder to Mary, who had done so much for her.

After Mary went to sleep, Bellany took her spellbook and snuck through the 
library and up the stairs to the base of Headmaster Bristol's tower. She opened 
the door to the roof above the library and retrieved the skeleton key she had 
tossed there just after she had been caught by the monitor for being in the 
library late at night. The key was a bit rusty, but it was nothing she would not 
be able to clean off with a little oil.

When she arrived in the headmaster's suite, she found him, rode him briskly in 
her cloud of darkness and then conversed with him about Mortaebius for about an 
hour. She then went down into the crypt with one of her spellbooks to see the 
ghosts. Lady Elaine came down the sarcophagus-elevator with her.

"It has been so long since we have seen you, Lady Lust. What have you been 
doing?"

"I got caught in the library at night. That was what I was down with Headmaster 
Bristol getting paddled for. After that I spent a month in detention," Bellany 
grumbled.

"Oh, goodness. I shall have to scout ahead for you from now on," Lady Elaine 
said.

"Thank you, Lady Elaine. That would be helpful. I have also made it a point to 
always use clinging darkness when wandering abroad at night. The monitor thinks 
I am locked in my room and have no night-time key to my room or the library, so 
she probably does not suspect that my detention has made me naughtier than 
ever," Bellany said wryly.

"How can you be worse than you were before?" Lady Elaine asked.

"I practiced telekinesis madly during my detention. It was a huge motivator. I 
have grown very adept at Floating Dagger. I should work on Dancing Sword just 
for the extra power. In any case I can open most any lock. However, I am worried 
that the gate locks could become frozen under the right weather conditions. 
Other than that, all I have got done was Darkness III. Catching up with my 
schoolwork was very taxing, but the ability to open locks allowed me to see men, 
and that has helped immensely," Bellany said.

"Lady Lust feeds at last," Lady Elaine smiled.

"I cannot imagine how I did without sex. I just get disgusted thinking back to 
the celibacy at the beginning of my career here at Vargrend's." Bellany shivered 
involuntarily.

The ghost laughed. "Most young women here find sex disgusting. How far removed 
from them you must feel."

"Good riddance to all that virginal purity!" Bellany snapped. "They can have all 
that yearning. I am done with it. Anyhow, after detention was finally over I had 
to make a set of fake coded spellbooks to put in place of the ones the hallway 
monitor and Headmistress Vargrend had stolen from me. After that task was 
completed, it was a mad rush to do the schoolwork that my detention had given me 
no time to do. I hardly slept for a week, but thanks to a bachelor party I got 
in on, I didn't really need to," Bellany smiled.

"You are such a wanton thing," Lady Elaine said and then covered her mouth.

Bellany smirked. "Yes, and I am so much happier now that I've been seeing more 
men. I spent the Solstice with the Jordells. My parents decided that since I've 
been attacked on two trips out of two, I did not need to go back home for the 
solstice break. James Jordell bought Starstruck from my father for me. He is my 
pony now. The interesting thing is that Jamie found out that he was a Mortaebian 
funerary horse when my father bought him. Starstruck saved my life when I was so 
badly hurt and stuck in Norwit Keep, but my father bought him before my 
accident. Do you suppose Mortaebius predicted the whole thing?"

"The wisdom of Mortaebius is renowned. How did a stallion save you when you were 
wounded and trapped in a Keep? You could hardly ride anywhere."

"I think you would like that better as a mystery, Lady Elaine." Bellany smirked.

"Oh goodness," Lady Elaine said as she covered her ghostly mouth.

"Unfortunately, at the awards banquet before the solstice, the Jordells insisted 
that I see their leech, and you do not refuse the family of a Count. Leech 
Phallon knows a little more about me than I feel comfortable with anyone 
knowing. He told me that the numb spot in the palm of my ghost hand did not have 
a living aura at all. I suppose I knew that from looking at it with the Life 
Vision spell, but it had never really hit home until he said it out loud."

"You are not quite used to being the life of death, are you?" Lady Elaine asked.

"No, I can't imagine it could even be true," Bellany admitted.

"Mortaebius and Amorra have a purpose for you. Baladus tested you but he 
suspected right away," Lady Elaine said.

Bellany nodded. "I am glad he knew. It might have taken much longer for me to 
remember the events surrounding my ghost hand had it not been for him," Bellany 
said.

"Has Headmaster Bristol been doing any better keeping Baladus nourished?" 
Bellany changed the subject.

"Yes, he has made an effort to use corporal punishment in preference to other 
forms of penance where it comes to angry young men. He is one of the more 
cunning headmasters we have seen. He says just the right things to make the 
errant boys angrier than they would be with just the paddle alone. It is obvious 
he has applied himself to the task you set before him."

"That is good. I am sure I will need Baladus' advice as I start to work on more 
advanced spells. I need to copy a new batch into my book now that I will have a 
chance to work on them over the break. I was also able to get some friends in 
town to set up a weekly late-night bacchanal for me. The feeding allows me to 
learn more quickly and get along on a fraction of the sleep I would normally 
need."

Lady Elaine shook her head. "What spells will you concentrate on now, Lady 
Lust?"

"I want to do more work on the empathy line of spells, and now that I have 
Headmaster Bristol helping me, I am going to work on Remove Fear. For times when 
there is no one available to practice on, I will go on to the next set of 
illusion spells, and of course more telekinesis. I would also like to work on 
that Transient Shield spell that Baladus recommended," Bellany said.

"That sounds like a prudent course of action. Why are you so interested in the 
empathy spells?" Lady Elaine asked.

"Once I get into the tele-empathy spells I will be able to accurately gauge 
emotions, send and receive thoughts and with the more advanced spells even look 
through the eyes of another person. I think that would be very useful for work 
as a spy," Bellany explained.

Lady Elaine nodded, "You have a point there. I will fetch Baladus when you have 
a question for him, but it seems you must study more spells before you will. Why 
don't you copy the spells you wish to learn? I will come warn you when dawn is 
approaching," Lady Elaine said.

"Thank you, Lady Elaine," Bellany said as she prepared to do some scribing.

Bellany made an empathy section in her spellbook and scribed Empathy, a touch 
only spell that continuously conveyed the emotions and gave some insight into 
the surface thoughts of the person touched, rather than giving a brief 
impression like the cantrip did. The next spell she scribed was Telempathy. It 
was a somewhat more powerful spell than the Empathy spell, in that one could 
monitor both the emotions and the surface thoughts of another at range. With an 
addendum to the spell, one could also influence those thoughts and emotions 
enough to communicate with the subject.

The third spell in the empathy line was Tele-empathic Projection. It was even 
more powerful, and it allowed a person to monitor the thoughts, feelings, and 
the senses of a subject. Using the addendum from the Telempathy spell, one could 
also communicate with the subject. Its main drawback was that it required the 
caster to go into a meditative state during its use. The last spell she scribed 
in the empathy line was simply a refinement of Tele-empathic Projection that 
allowed a person to easily switch back and forth between their own perspective 
and the perspective of their subject.

Once she was done with the empathy spells, she scribed the ranged version of the 
Fear spell, and then the touch version of the Remove Fear spell, followed by the 
ranged version. After that she penned Audible Illusion and Visual Illusion. 
Since these spells required no subject, she felt they would be good to practice 
when she was up late at night. She then scribed the Transient Shield spell. It 
was unlike anything else she had ever done, but she knew it would be very 
useful.

Once she finished scribing the illusion spells, she started putting away her 
supplies. It was a lucky thing because at that point Bellany felt something 
cross her ghost hand even though the palm was facing the tabletop. She reasoned 
it must have been Lady Elaine's hand. She recast Ghostly Whispers.

"The schoolgirls will begin waking up soon. You must hurry," Lady Elaine 
announced when Bellany completed her casting.

"Okay, I'm nearly done here," Bellany said. 

"Good, I will accompany you upstairs,"

"Thank you, Lady Elaine," Bellany said. Bellany cast Life Vision and Clinging 
Darkness and then left the crypts. Since she now had no trouble with locks, she 
actually locked the Crypt door as she left. Lady Elaine passed her on the stairs 
and returned when she reached the top.

"The library is clear," she said.

"Thank you, milady," Bellany whispered. She opened the door and then cast about 
with her lust senses just to be doubly sure. She then locked the door behind her 
and navigated her way through the librarian's cage and across the library to the 
library door. Lady Elaine poked her head through the door as Bellany peered 
through the keyhole. When they were both satisfied that the hall monitor was off 
the floor, Bellany bid Lady Elaine adieu, opened the Library door, locked it 
behind her, and then did the same with the door to her room. Once within, she 
stashed the cloak Stratton had made for her in her trunk, cancelled her darkness 
spell, and then slipped into bed next to Mary. She got only an hour of sleep 
that night but she was happy to have a new batch of spells to work on.

After Tuesday's sketching and swordmanship, Bellany took a look at her 
spellbook. It was good to have it back and to have new spells inscribed in it. 
She saw that there were a few cantrips and spells that had been in the book for 
months that she had never learned. These included the Ice Sickle cantrip, the 
Slip cantrip, the Drain at Range spell, the Leech spell and the Willowisp spell.

All of the old unlearned spells with the exception of the Willowisp spell were 
necromantic spells or curses. The Willowisp spell was a light spell that she had 
penned because the casting notes had been helpful when she was doing variations 
on her Bluelight cantrip. She also realized that she needed to practice her 
Bestow Life Force spell for healing. She had learned a simple version of the 
spell while with the orcs, but it had only worked for her when she had full 
reserves. She needed to become adept at doing the spell so that she would not 
need special circumstances.

She studied both the Bestow Vitality cantrip and the Bestow Life Force spell. 
She also studied the Visual Illusion spell, the Empathy spell and the Remove 
Fear spell. Since Starstruck had been given to her, she went to the stables 
about half the nights of the week to check on him. She had to watch out for the 
monitor from the boys' side of the campus who sometimes checked outdoor areas. 
Thus, she always left her Clinging Darkness spell running. While in the stables 
she usually drained energy from one or more of the stallions, played mare for 
Starstruck, or both.

On Thursday night she used her Life Vision spell to check the horses for minor 
cuts, wounds and abrasions. Since most of them were used for jousting practice, 
minor wounds were fairly common. She concentrated on bruises. They could be 
easily seen with the Life Vision spell but were impossible to detect using 
regular vision. She attempted to cast Bestow Life Force on the bruised leg of a 
gelding but instead of healing his bruise, all she managed was to bestow a 
sub-standard amount of energy on the horse. He drew and behaved like a naughty 
stallion for a few minutes and then returned to his normal asexual state. She 
had failed again. Unfortunately just casting the spells necessary to go abroad 
at night cost a great deal of magical energy. She was glad that she regenerated 
her magical energy more quickly because her reserves of life force were now 
being regularly replenished. Without energy in her reserves she would not have 
been able to make such frequent use of her magic.

On Friday night she visited Headmaster Bristol. She told him she needed him to 
help her work up her Remove Fear spell, and took him down to the dungeon where 
she strapped him to the table. As she rode him she cast fear on him, using her 
right hand rather than her left hand to release the spell, so that the fear 
would be milder. She attempted her Remove Fear spell thrice but failed to 
achieve the desired result.

On Saturday the first of January after her swordsmanship lesson she practiced 
music with Mary until bedtime. While Mary was falling asleep she worked on the 
illusion spell and then went to have fun at Cooyman's cabin after Mary was sound 
asleep. The walk to his cabin was exceptionally chilly but she only felt it on 
the way out. Thankfully, Lieutenant Herrington did not come around that night. 
On her way back home she was so loosened up she could not resist going into the 
stables and taking Starstruck to swell her energy reserves even more. After 
nuzzling her stallion goodbye, she tried her bestow spell on a bruised gelding a 
few times but she remained unsuccessful. She could have used her old cheating 
version that only worked with full reserves but she was trying to learn the 
spell by the book. She needed to be able to do it even when her reserves were 
not brimming with energy. The trials did serve to remind her of the way she used 
to cast the spell, however. She thought that a little remembered insight from 
healing Hluck might help her the next time she tried to do the bestow spell.

Sunday morning she enjoyed sitting through reverend Leland's sermon on fortitude 
in the face of adversity. Having so much energy in her reserves made her feel 
extra naughty while in church. The weather had turned very cold, but she hardly 
felt it. It seemed Mary did nothing but stuff wood in the heater all day. As 
Bellany went to the stables on Sunday night she heard a pop and realized it was 
a tree branch exploding because of the cold. She tried to get her bestow spell 
straight but was unable to do so. After returning from the stables she worked on 
the Visual Illusion spell. Just before she turned in for two hours of sleep she 
was able to conjure a foot tall image of Starstruck. She made him prance around 
inside the closet where she was practicing for a few minutes before writing the 
casting notes for the illusion spell.

On Monday Headmistress Vargrend warned everyone not to go outside unless 
absolutely necessary. The weather was unseasonably bitter, even for early 
January. Bellany worried about Charles and Abraham. She remembered Charles had 
said something about Baronet Norwit staging a winter campaign. The cursed 
weather must have stopped them cold. She hoped they were all right. After 
swordsmanship practice Bellany studied the Audible Illusion spell. After Mary 
went to sleep Bellany went to see Headmaster Bristol for a couple of hours. She 
got the feeling that her Fear spell was a little too potent, because she was 
still unable to get the Remove Fear spell to work. After seeing Bristol she 
returned to her room and worked on the Audible Illusion spell for a few hours in 
the closet, but was unable to conjure the sounds of footfalls in the corridor 
that she was trying for.

Tuesday evening Bellany went over the Dancing Sword version of the telekinesis 
spell. She managed to cast it after several attempts but it was such a drain on 
her magical energy that she let it lapse after only five minutes. She took a 
short nap to help recover some magical resources, as she wanted to do much more 
that evening than just squander power on telekinesis. Tuesday night was just too 
cold for a foray out to the stables; instead Bellany repeated her routine from 
Monday night. She was still at a loss for reversing her Fear spell, but she was 
sure she was close to a breakthrough on the Audible Illusion spell.

By Wednesday evening, Bellany had studied the Empathy spell and that night she 
attempted to cast it on Mary as she dreamed. Surprisingly, Bellany succeeded 
after just a few attempts. The Touch Empathy cantrip had prepared her well for 
this next step. She felt her intimacy with Mary might have helped the process, 
but as it turned out she was simply on a roll that night. She woke Headmaster 
Bristol after succeeding at the Empathy spell and - just barely - managed to 
remove the fear she cast on him. She wondered if maybe the insights she gained 
feeling Mary's emotions might have helped her redirect Headmaster Bristol's 
spell-inspired fear. After penning the casting notes for both spells in 
Headmaster Bristol's study, she returned to her room and took up residence in 
the closet. After a few hours' work she created the sound of footfalls in the 
hallway and then went to bed.

Thursday evening, after swordsmanship, it was time to lock in her gains. She 
practiced her Empathy spell in the library by touching the shoulders of various 
people after clandestine casting behind bookshelves. She managed to ask them 
what they were reading in a monotone while she kept the spell going. Most of the 
girls registered annoyance or scorn, but just feeling their emotions was a 
victory for Bellany. That night she briefly visited Headmaster Bristol, but was 
unable to remove the effects of the Fear spell that she cast on him after tying 
him to his bedposts. She now realized just how difficult it was going to be to 
overcome her own ability to cast fear. 

When she returned from Headmaster Bristol's she had no trouble conjuring the 
sound of footfalls. Encouraged by her second success with the Audible Illusion 
spell she made her way to the stables and regretted it. The cold was absolutely 
devastating in spite of several layers of clothing that she was wearing. She 
made repeated attempts on the lock on the gate to the courtyard. In order to get 
it open she had to cast Dancing Sword. She kept the spell up for about four 
minutes and three of those minutes were just maintaining it as she rushed from 
the courtyard gate to the door to the stables. Once inside it was slightly less 
frigid because of the many animals. She would have drained a few stallions but 
she was exhausted from the telekinesis. Instead she played with her stallion. 
Tonight she was glad he was built so big. It was so cold that she just stuck him 
under her cloak and robe once she had warmed and stretched herself within. The 
rush of energy felt wonderful after having exhausted herself on the locks.

She rested and talked to Starstruck for a few minutes before noticing a bruise 
on the fetlock of a nearby gelding. She made two attempts at casting her bestow 
energy spell. The first got the poor horse rather randy, but the second made him 
squeal with pleasure as his wound healed. Bellany applauded herself as she saw 
the surge of life force healing his bruise. She returned to Starstruck and let 
her Stallion nuzzle her face before she kissed his nose, said her goodbyes and 
left the stables. Thankfully she was able to re-lock the door and gate using 
Floating Dagger since the locks had been recently used. When she returned to her 
room she built up the fire and then slipped into bed with Mary to get warm. Had 
she known her foray into the outdoors would be as brisk as it had been she was 
sure she would not have gone. Yet in retrospect she was glad that she had been 
stubborn enough to see it through.

She awakened from her dreams before dawn on Friday morning after only a few 
hours of sleep and was not sure why. The room was positively frigid. Bellany 
groggily got up and quickly threw on both her robe and a cloak. She checked Mary 
with her lust sense to make sure her roommate was still asleep, and then cast 
Life Vision so that she could see. She looked in the heater only to discover 
that even the embers were cold. She put some kindling in. At that point she 
heard a faint tick-tick sound and looked around the dark room trying to figure 
out where it had come from. She shrugged, cast Firefinger and stuck her hands 
into the stove before releasing the tendril of flame from her finger in order to 
ignite the kindling. Again she heard a faint tick-tick. At first she thought it 
was the snapping of the burning kindling but then realized it had not come from 
the stove. She walked over to the window and pulled back the heavy drapes. She 
was just leaving when she saw something from the corner of her eye. It was the 
smallest sphere of life force sitting on the ledge just outside the window.

Bellany shrugged and went back to the fire to stuff the stove with a few large 
billets of wood. She might have forgotten the window but a gnawing curiosity 
brought her back. How could there be a sphere of life force sitting outside her 
window? She lit a candle from the stove and returned to the window to look at 
the ledge. She inhaled sharply, dropping the candle as she wrenched her back 
trying to open the window. Mary stirred and Bellany jumped onto the bed and 
shook her. "Wake up, Mary, I need your help."

"What?" Mary said blurrily. Bellany was working against her own suggestions that 
kept Mary asleep at night. It was no use. Mary burrowed into the bedclothes and 
went limp.

Bellany went back to the window, poured some power from her reserves into her 
back to heal it and hauled at the window sash. It opened with a snap and Bellany 
snatched a bundle of black feathers from the ledge between the decorative iron 
grillwork outside the window and where the window sash had been before she had 
lifted it. The cold outdoors lashed at her face as she took the bird. She 
unbuttoned her cloak and robe and stuffed Nimbus within. She gasped. He was so 
cold it felt as though he was burning her. It took a few seconds to catch her 
breath after Nimbus chilled it out of her. She shut the window and drew back the 
drapes. She was about to attempt her Bestow Life Force spell when she realized 
that a surge of life force would cause increased circulation which was exactly 
what Nimbus did not need at this point. If his blood went into his extremities 
it would freeze. Bellany left Nimbus where he was within her clothing. She 
opened the flue a bit more and stuffed more wood into the stove.

She drew a chair near the stove, sat down, and hugged herself, trying to warm 
her avian friend. She checked his life force periodically to make sure he was 
still alive. About a half hour later after stuffing more wood into the fire, 
Bellany opened her robe and withdrew Nimbus. She successfully cast her Bestow 
Life Force spell against Nimbus' chest on the first attempt. She rested a few 
minutes and cast again. This time she pressed his feet against his abdomen. 
After a false start she sent life force surging through Nimbus' lifeless feet 
into his abdomen. Her third successful attempt exhausted her reserves and then 
some, but sent life force ricocheting through Nimbus' head. His eyes opened and 
he croaked pitifully. Bellany picked him up and carefully stuffed him back into 
her robe before collapsing against the back of the chair. She could hardly 
believe it had taken three castings to bring him around. There was no doubt that 
he had nearly frozen to death.
-------

Bellany opened her eyes after a knock sounded on the door. She heard a key in 
the keyhole as the monitor outside unlocked the door to her room, opened it and 
placed the key on the inside for the day.

"Good morning, Lady Bellany and Miss Mary."

"Morning, Mrs. Perkins," Mary said groggily.

"Woaaaak."

"What was that?" the monitor asked. 

Bellany peeled the covers down to expose her face. "It must have been a bird 
outside the window. I feel so sorry for the birds. The cold must be killing them 
in droves."

Mrs. Perkins nodded sadly. "I cannot see how you could be wrong. Just walking 
back home in the mornings nearly kills me. I am wearing half my wardrobe just to 
keep warm in the hallways these nights, and it is much warmer in the hallways 
because of the stoves in the rooms than it is outside."

"It must be horrible for you this time of morning when so many stoves have 
burned out. I have noticed that if I don't get up to recharge the stove it goes 
out before morning," Bellany said.

"Doesn't Mary do that for you, Milady Norwit?" Mrs. Perkins asked.

"Mary sleeps like the dead, which is good, because that way she does not disturb 
me and I tend to be a light sleeper," Bellany said.

"Pruuck-pruuck mringrl-grungle."

"Lady Bellany, that sound is not coming from the window," Mrs. Perkins and Mary 
said in unison.

Bellany blushed.
-------

This ends, The Chill Curse of Winter, chapter 64 of The Chronicles of Rapina.
The story continues in chapter 65, The Nimbus Of Mortaebius.

My thanks to Graylore and Old Nick for their editing work.
Copyright 2006 by Rapina