(Continued from Ch 66, Snowed)

The Chronicles of Rapina
Chapter 67, The Snowflake


Bellany nestled in a chair in the student family room listening in to one side of a conversation on the other side of the large room. She was too far away to actually hear the conversation but she was listening to the thoughts and feelings behind one of the young lady's words using her Telempathy spell.

"But she has no idea if he even likes her."
...

"I know, but he probably talks to all of the ladies. It is wishful thinking if you ask me. He hardly knows she exists and she is practically already planning the wedding."

Bellany smiled at the beam of sunlight that warmed the top of her head in spite of the back of the large chair she sat in. 

It was not exactly spring but the first great blizzard had blown over nearly a month past. Winter was finally showing its kinder side after a solid month of record cold temperatures that seemed to alternate with intense snowfall. Her friend Nimbus the raven was outdoors and flying once again. The weather was still cold, but the aspect that had led Headmaster Bristol to ask Bellany if she were practicing weather-cursing spells was over.

The mid-winter snowstorms that prevented the teaching staff from getting to work afforded Bellany substantial blocks of time for the in-depth practice of certain spells. It was unfortunate that her teachers heaped on the work after the storms to catch up, but for work on difficult spells the storms were a blessing. Between storms during the month of February she had also got a fair amount of practice with her Telempathy spell. Even if few of the other girls would talk with her, she had the gist of the current gossip from listening in on their thoughts. Most of what she had learned had no practical use, but it was nice to know what she had been missing just the same. She had also learned and practiced several spells including the Fumble spell, an upgrade to the Twitch cantrip, and the Mend Bones spell, a specialized upgrade to the Mend spell. They had proven relatively easy to learn whereas the second Illusion of the Mind spell had been a little more challenging. Nevertheless she had learned it. She was positive that the ability to cloud a person's mind in order to make their senses lie to them would come in handy.

None of the spells she had learned in February had been as interesting as the impromptu spell research she had done during the late winter nights. She knew she was essentially goofing off, but she neglected her priestly studies somewhat in favor of playing with the magic of the Firefinger cantrip. In one version of the spell she had learned to make the magical flame last longer. She called this refinement Flaming Finger. She also created a ranged version of the Firefinger cantrip that she called Ignite. Finally she added the increased duration to the ranged flame and called the resultant spell Mystic Candle. Ignite was extremely useful in that one could make a candle flare to life across the room and it was more efficient than Mystic Candle unless one needed to light a fire in several places within a fireplace or many candles in a single area.

It seemed as if she had spent an enormous amount of time on magic this year, yet she knew she had been very fortunate to pick up as many spells as she had. According to Baladus, magic came more easily to her than it did to most students of the arcane arts. Nevertheless she doubted that she would recommend the touch of the god of the dead and resurrection with the life energy of a great shaman as means of giving a person a good feel for magic. Nor could she imagine that many young women would think it wise to become infused with the essence of a lust spirit, yet that definitely had its up side. The down side weighed on her more heavily than ever. 

She yearned to be herself. As Rapina during her pirate days she had been forced to hide the powers of the lust spirit that dwelt within her, but at least she had been able to play the part of a lusty pirate wench. Now, as Bellany, she had to be good most of the time. She expended a great deal of effort taking care not to draw on the lustful energies of others. The entire aspect of trying not to call attention to herself was contrary to the nature of a lust spirit, a nature that she had inherited a good measure of. She supposed that was why she had been working on her magic so passionately. She would need arcane skills in order to hide from the Avengenes. Perhaps someday she could create a disguise that had her personality if not her appearance.

In spite of countless hours of work, she could easily sum up her current magical knowledge. She had gained a rudimentary knowledge of the necromancy of life force and darkness. She had a firm understanding of basic illusions and telepathy. Her Fear spell was potent and could be cast at range but she was at a loss as to how to remove fear once cast. She was moderately adept with telekinesis and she had acquired a basic understanding of elemental magic in regard to fire and light. In addition she could speak with ghosts and cast a few petty curses. She also knew a few practical spells that served the same functions as glue and grease. 

The effects she could create seemed so inconsequential compared to the years of work she had put in to develop her magical talent. Yet she knew that she had accomplished in a few years what had taken others a lifetime. Her own native intelligence coupled with the powers she had inherited from Vulvilea and the feel for magic that she had from Mortaebius and the High Shaman had seen to that. It was all very subtle, but magic was also subtle. Having a feel for how to approach a spell could make the difference between learning it in a day and learning it only after several months of failed attempts.

Baladus felt that she was doing very well, but she was still working on her program to master essential magic. The Remove Fear spell still topped the priority list, but she had several other spells she was working on when Remove Fear grew tiresome or when she lacked a subject to cast it on. Tele-empathic Projection was her longer-term project since it was a complex spell that depended on the caster already being very practiced with the Telempathy spell. 

Technically she could cast the Tele-empathic Projection spell but it required a great deal of practice in order to utilize the senses of the subject while also sending and receiving thoughts and emotions. So far she had been able to see only a few flashes through Nimbus' eyes but it was not for lack of trying. When she was bored with working on the Tele-empathic Projection spell she worked on Transient Shield or experimented with her globes of light. In order that she would not run out of spells to work on, Bellany had scribed the illusion-based Night Vision spell and the Charm Beast spell into her spellbook.

Her experimentation with globes of light was part of working towards mastering the Willowisp spell that was supposed to create one or more globes of bright, white light. She could now create globes of quite a few colors. She was getting nearer and nearer to a successful casting of the Willowisp spell, but at the moment she was just using a modified version of the Bluelight cantrip with which she could cast globes of light of any color. While doing twirling patterns with three tiny globes, one red, one green and one blue, she had discovered that she could make nearly any color of light by superimposing the globes each upon the other and playing with the intensities of the three colors. White had been her latest addition. 

Her swordsmanship was coming along smartly. Master Leafwhisper had run low on tournament moves to teach her and was now liberally adding techniques culled from street fighting, wilderness fighting, dueling and elementary acrobatics. He was also working on her rhythm, speed and the integration of the countless moves she had learned in the past few months. Part of this integration was further concentration upon the melodic movement of blade and body that was the heart of the elfin system of swordsmanship.
-------

"Do we dare take a walk outside?" Bellany asked Cleopatra during her lunch break the next day.

"We must. This is the first nice day we have had in over a month. Yesterday had its high points but today the sun has been out steadily since morning. Have you heard that Vargrend's is sponsoring the traditional Snowflake Ball on Emerald Lake this Sunday? They want to take advantage of the ice while it is at its thickest. This year they have nothing to worry about with regard to thin ice. You should get yourself fitted for skates."

"Jamie is going to have me fitted this evening after dinner and before the second part of my sword lesson," Bellany said.

"Do you really have a sword lesson?" Cleopatra asked.

Bellany giggled. "Yes I do. Have you been hearing that I actually spend my afternoons and evenings bedding all of the most handsome noble boys?"

Cleopatra blushed.

"I thought so. I heard that from one of girls on the kitchen staff and was instantly envious of the Bellany from her fantasy." 

"Bellany!"

"I see that look on your face. If you don't believe me just arm-wrestle me. You'll see I really do have a sword arm."

"But that's a boy's thing!" Cleopatra exclaimed.

Bellany shrugged. "I guess you are not as curious as you looked."

"I am curious. We can do it outside on that stone table," Cleopatra whispered.

Bellany nodded and grabbed the food she had set aside for Nimbus before racing after Cleopatra, who was hustling out of the cafeteria.
-------

Bellany had only been out of the building for a few minutes when she heard, "Gwoaark, Gwoaark" from the air. She removed her left glove and raised her left forearm.

"Gods, Bellany, Nimbus is landing on your arm these days?!"

Nimbus ruffled his feathers and scooted up Bellany's wrist and then dipped his head down to rub it against her left palm.

"As you know, Headmaster Bristol took Nimbus in during the worst of the cold weather. I do not think he ever forgot whom it was who pulled him out of the deep freeze. He is a smart bird. I just have to watch out that Reverend Leland does not get wind of my friendship with a raven. It would mar the finish on my good little vindie girl act."

Cleo giggled. "You are so bad!"

"But I do have a sword arm," Bellany said as she sat down at the granite picnic table that was part of one of the many donated landscape gardens that made up the girls' grounds at Vargrend's. Bellany set some food aside for Nimbus on the edge of the table and the raven hopped off her arm to eat it. "We can do this the fair way instead of the way boys usually do it. Start pushing now and nod when you are at full force. I will not try to get the jump on you and put your arm down before you have time to react or to muster your full strength."

Cleopatra nodded and gritted her teeth as she exerted the full force of her arm. Bellany equaled that force so that their arms stayed upright. After Cleo nodded, Bellany casually overpowered her and pushed the back of Cleo's hand to the table.

"Gods you are strong, Bellany!"

"I am hardly Abraham Steefl, but I do get a lot of exercise," Bellany said as she got up and continued to walk with Cleopatra. 

"It is so sad about Abraham's face. He has a magnificent body."

Nimbus fluttered off the table and landed on Bellany's arm as she began to leave. She was surprised she had been chosen over biscuits until she got a short lecture from Nimbus in raven-ese. She dutifully went back to the table and gathered up what was left of his food and brought it with her to feed him during the walk.

"You are right; I am more partial to Vernon St. Varlans and his cute rump, but Abraham's rump is not bad, and he does have a very impressive body in a warrior sort of way."

"He does, and he is better at the joust than anyone. He is also in love with you," Cleopatra proclaimed.

Bellany grimaced. "Do you think?"

"I have seen the way he looks at you," Cleopatra said.

"Poor Abraham, that can never go anywhere. Can you imagine me being married to a paladin? I could no more be faithful to one man than I could walk on the ceiling. Jamie is a much better boyfriend for me. He does not expect me to be faithful, and he has as much interest in men as I do. Abraham is a sweet and honorable man, which makes our relationship all the more tragic."

"How sad." Cleopatra sighed.

Bellany nodded. "The orcs wrecked us both, but I can no more change my nature than he can change his face."

"Goodness, Bellany, that arm wrestling had me believing that you spent your afternoons practicing skill at arms and now this talk of your naughty nature has me right back to believing that you are James Jordell's mistress."

Bellany grinned. "It is not that I would be against an indiscretion here or there, but you cannot honestly believe that Jamie's parents would let him have sex all afternoon every afternoon with both men and me."

"I suppose not," Cleopatra sighed.

"Cleopatra, I get so jealous of the fantasy Bellany!"

Cleo slapped Bellany on the rump.
-------

"One blade or two, Bellany?" Jamie asked.

"Two seems more stable," Bellany conjectured.

"Oh, but one is the latest thing! Once you get the hang of it you will be so much faster and more maneuverable on the ice with one blade per foot," Jamie urged.

"Then one is more stylish?" Bellany asked.

"Indeed," Jamie affirmed.

"Then one it is. I am just glad I have something to fall back on since I will no doubt be falling on my butt a few times before I get the hang of these new skates."

"Nonsense, your pert bottom has better things to do than to be fallen upon. We can take a few hours to practice our skating before the Snowflake Ball."

Bellany turned as she sensed the quiet approach of Master Leafwhisper.

"Theau Sola, Master Leafwhisper," Bellany greeted the swordsmaster.

"Theau." Leafwhisper nodded to Bellany, and then turned to Jamie. "Lady Norwit is of sufficient skill to spar with you now, Lord Jordell."

Jamie looked taken aback. "You don't say? You said she was a rapid learner, but I had no idea! I cannot imagine she would last a minute with that clunky blade of hers. It must weigh a ton! Nevertheless I cannot doubt the word of the finest blade master in the land. I will join your lesson shortly, milady."

A little later that evening Jamie came out on the practice floor to spar with Bellany. 

"En garde," Leafwhisper ordered. After assuming the on guard position, Jamie suddenly launched into a flurry of thrusts, attempting to unnerve Bellany with speed. She was forced to release some energy from her reserves just to keep on top of the speedy onslaught, but once she realized that Jamie was short on defense while trying to overwhelm her with attacks she used his momentum against him. She got under his guard and scored.

"Oo-eeee!" Jamie squealed. "What nerves you have. You called my bluff and trounced me roundly. Roundly like your lily-white buns. They could certainly use a poke."

Bellany grinned. She had heard Jamie use the same line on male opponents many times.

She knew that any response on her part might provide the distraction Jamie needed; yet saying nothing would imply that she could not walk and chew at the same time.

"Then why don't you unsheathe that stiff sword and we will have at it!" Bellany exclaimed, turning aside the thrust she knew would come the moment she opened her mouth.

"Lovely parry!" Jamie quipped after Bellany turned aside his thrust. He then switched to a defensive stance and scored as Bellany attempted to go on the offensive.

"One for one," Bellany said just before they reengaged.

Jamie fought defensively but interspersed a few lightning quick lunges that were obviously designed to take advantage of his lighter blade. 

Bellany parried the first and then realized that Jamie was attempting to get her to overreact so that her heavier blade would carry too far. She gave him what he was after; she pretended to throw herself out of balance before whipping her blade into action as he came in for the kill. 

"Wench!" Jamie squealed as she scored a hit to his forearm. Both fought too defensively to score for a moment after she scored against him, but Jamie's greater experience and lighter blade eventually won through Bellany's defenses for another score.

"Even two," Bellany quipped.

"All the men seem to stare at the two peaks upon your chest, but there is no muscle in them, not like a real man's," Jamie sniffed, switching gears away from the lines he used on men but obviously trying to get her goat.

"You are dreaming of Carnarvon's chest then - isn't it fantastic?" Bellany grinned knowing what might distract her sparring partner.

"Oooh, touché," Jamie said as he deftly turned aside the attack that was supposed to land while he was distracted thinking about Carnarvon's chest. The two of them traded thrusts and parries with Bellany barely managing to hold her own against Jamie's swift blade. If not for the extra life force zinging around in her head she suspected she would have already succumbed to Jamie's attacks.

Bellany knew it would be customary at this point to lose to Jamie, since he had the higher social standing, yet one could never be sure whether Jamie would find such formalities tiresome. Suddenly Jamie left an obvious opening and then another. Bellany waited until he left an even better opening and then slapped him on the rump with the flat of her blade.

"Oh that was such an obvious opening. You are just trying to tempt me to go against social custom, you naughty boy."

Jamie squealed. "Guilty! You mustn't allow custom to throw your matches when we are alone. If you beat me fair and square then I should be the first to know about it. Otherwise why would I redouble my efforts to practice for a match? Besides it would be so novel to be beaten by a girl! Master Leafwhisper trounces me regularly. It is a must if I am to maintain perspective for competition."

"All right, when we spar without an audience I will not hold back or bend over like you just did." Bellany bent over in an exaggerated manner to illustrate her point.

She was rewarded by a swift swat from Jamie's blade.

"Eeee!" she squealed.

"Goodness, it seems like only yesterday that you lasted scarcely a minute. Yet just now you might have beaten me," Jamie marveled.

"Perhaps, but you opened yourself up by using the flurry at the start," Bellany observed.

"True, but swordsmen of lesser skill would have found my advance overwhelming. They would have been too busy defending to launch an attack that took advantage of the openings my all-out attack left undefended," Jamie countered.

"I cannot argue with that. I barely had the necessary skill."

"Sometime nerve is as important as skill. Men will assume that since you are a lady, you lack nerve. My insult about your lovely chest was meant to strike your nerve, to make you feel uncomfortable for at least an instant. If you can make an opponent lose his nerve then you will win the match! You are as fearless a woman as I have ever met. In order to win, you must cultivate that quality in yourself."

"I am glad you admire my courage. The rumor at Vargrend's is that I spend my entire swordsmanship lesson each day on my back."

"Bah, those ladies have no conception of your true mettle. They think you are nothing but a pampered twat. What they do not seem to realize is that I could have any number of mistresses - or a wife for that matter - if I were interested. Yet when a woman views sex as a means to a comfortable living, that is when she becomes a whore. It is just like business. If you want to know what is going on you have to follow the money."

"Well, you do lavish dresses and things upon me. They probably think they _are_ following the money," Bellany pointed out.

"Appearances can be deceiving. I know you enjoy the finery I create for you as much as I enjoy creating it, but if I did not send it you would simply come to balls in those loathsome Vindicator dresses and you would not give it a second thought. I, on the other hand, would have to bring a leather sack to puke in!"

Bellany giggled. "I see, so you are really just saving yourself from overwhelming nausea."

"Exactly!" Jamie grinned. "Speaking of dresses and pampered twats, I noticed that your practice with Master Leafwhisper has provided another unexpected dividend for you."

"It has?" Bellany asked.

"Indeed, evidently you have toned up and lost weight around the middle. Your waist measurement has been gradually diminishing," Jamie observed.

Bellany barely caught her grimace of trepidation and turned it into a smile of triumph. "Leech Phallon was right. Exercise really is good for women as well as men!" _Gods - it _is_ more than my nipples reverting to my true form! My real waist was narrower than Bellany's. The disguise is slipping away!_

"Oh, there is no question that exercise has been your benefactor. You are far more attractive than women composed entirely of fat and fluff. Such a gem of a body deserves proper embellishment. That is why I simply had to have some platinum and diamond jewelry brought up from Jordell for you to wear to the Snowflake Ball!"

"Ooo, I am sure it will be breathtaking, but I hope you also have a few retainers in the crowd carefully watching for jewel thieves."

"A thief who steals from the Jordells is a fool," Jamie said dismissively.

"I have no doubt about that, but I will still have Mary keep an eye on me to make sure bits of very expensive 'ice' do not suddenly melt from me."

"That will be a job I am sure she will enjoy performing." Jamie tittered.

Bellany smiled meaningfully but said nothing.
-------

The Snowflake was unique among balls in that it started in the afternoon after church. This was probably a good thing since Bellany did not feel entirely comfortable on the ice. James had taught her to stay upright but she was by no means skilled. Few of the people skating were skilled. The ball was more of a promenade than an actual dance. Couples circulated in a ring around a centerpiece with frequent trips to the refreshment tents to warm up, eat, drink and gossip. Later there was to be a vote to crown a Snow King and Queen. Thus far Bellany had managed to make it through the daylight hours with only one minor fall. As it got dark, servants were lighting lamps on tall stands all around the ring of ice that had been cleared of snow for the ball. 

Bellany reminisced about the first Ball held by the academies. She recalled that because of Bianca Bristol's snub no one but Abraham Steefl would dance with her. Things were very different now. After the ball at the Jordell's, several young men had taken the plunge and word had spread among the young men that dancing with the Fallen Angel was a treat. Only a few young men had respected Bianca's wishes after Jamie had countermanded them. Women, on the other hand, had scorned Bellany since the beginning. Yet her work keeping them all fed during the great midwinter blizzards had given her a measure of respect. The young ladies of Vargrend's still shunned her, but when they did interact with her most of them treated her with a grudging respect.

Bellany's dress was white with just a hint of ice blue trim and the jewelry she was wearing was a breathtaking combination of platinum, diamonds and sapphires. The many stones gave her costume a theme of snow and ice.

Bruhnhilda Daelrath shook her head. "That dress is breathtaking, Lady Norwit. I am sure you will be a contender for the Snow Queen."

"Thank you, Lady Daelrath. Jamie did a wonderful job on the design as always, but I think this crown should be won on personality. That is why Lady Bristol is getting my vote," Bellany smirked.

"I just cannot imagine what might be cold about Lady Bristol's personality," Daelrath said without even the barest touch of sarcasm in her voice. 

Bellany smiled. She was secretly glad that Bruhnhilda had allied with Bristol over Avengene. At that moment the musicians finished a number and several young men looked for skating partners for the next work to be played.

"Might I have the next Promenade, Lady Daelrath," Charles broke in.

"Yes, Lord Charles; please excuse us, Lady Norwit."

"Of course, Lady Daelrath," Bellany smiled.

"Milady Norwit, would you care to take the ice with me?" Abraham Steefl asked.

"It would be my pleasure, Sir Steefl," Bellany replied.

It took less than a moment for Bellany to realize that Steefl was nearly as unsteady on the ice as she was. The two of them skated slowly around the ring of ice. The setting sun filled the western sky with color.

"Over there!" a young man suddenly shouted.

The shout startled Bellany and she slid into Abraham. She twisted to avoid falling on any of the Jordell jewelry and inadvertently brought Abraham down behind her. He held her so that she would land on him rather than the ice as they both went down.

"It's the man in rags!" a couple of boys shouted - and there he was across the lake towards Vargrend's.

Bellany silently cursed the fact that she had not cast her Life Vision spell earlier. Then she realized that there were no windows or bushes between her and the man in rags. The distance to him was fairly considerable; nevertheless she sat up on top of Abraham and brought her left hand up to her forehead as if to wipe her knuckles across her brow. As she raised her palm a guardsman dressed in Jordell livery galloped from the shore nearest the party towards the man in rags. Bellany's palm tingled in two converging places, one larger than the other because the Jordell guardsman was mounted. In spite of the bluish cast to his skin and the shadows around his eyes, it seemed that the man in rags was as much alive as the mounted guardsman. Yet her hand did nothing to explain why someone was apparently impersonating a ghoul in spite of the cold weather.

The man in rags disappeared into a stand of trees on the edge of the lake with the Jordell rider in pursuit. Bellany checked her jewelry to be sure that the man in rags was not working to cover the escape of a jewel thief but the Jordell jewelry was fine. She felt strong hands on her waist and an undercurrent of lust.

"Is milady alright?" Steefl asked.

"Yes, I am sorry about using you as furniture, Abraham. The sighting of the man in rags startled me. Then suddenly I found myself trying to avoid falling on Jamie's expensive jewelry. After that I could not resist sitting up to catch a glimpse of the man in rags."

"It is quite alright, milady. I would gladly fall for you again to save your bottom from a bruising on the ice."

"Ho, it looks like a lovely lady and a man in rags have done what the flower of chivalry has failed to do in the joust," Carnarvon crowed as he skated up with Bernadine Belgado to see Sir Steefl on his back. "Allow me to lend the lady a hand."

Carnarvon helped Bellany up.

"Thank you, Loyd. Good to see you, Lady Deena!" Bellany shared a brief kiss and a smile with Bernadine Belgado as Loyd helped to hoist Abraham back to his feet. 

"Ho, Sir, it is no wonder no one can unhorse you! The weight of your mighty frame is considerable. That was quite a spill, Abe, but look at the bright side. There are many worse and few better things that can happen to a man than being sat on by Lady Norwit!" Carnarvon grinned like a pirate.

A few minutes later, Charles and Bellany were standing with James Jordell in the refreshment tent near a table. Charles and James were busily drinking wine and talking about Bellany's progress at swordsmanship when the Jordell guardsman dismounted and ducked in to speak with James. 

"The ruffian in rags was nowhere to be found once I reached the edge of the forest, milord. He disappeared completely as if he had ducked beneath a blind. Shall I get the hounds?" 

"That's a splendid idea. You fetch the huntsman and I will inform Headmaster Bristol."

"I do not know what is wrong that the constable cannot catch that beggar," Bianca Bristol said with her nose in the air. "They should hire you, Miss Duffy. I am sure you could lick him. You do such a wonderful job on Lady Norwit."

Bellany turned to stare daggers at Bianca Bristol, but Bianca was too focused on Mary to notice. Mary's face was a mask of embarrassment. 

"Excuse me," Mary sniffled as she practically ran from the refreshment tent in tears.

"I am surprised you are not heavier with all the bacon you eat," Bianca called to Mary's retreating back.

Bianca and Glenda tittered as their victim fled.

A minute or two later Bianca was on the ice with George Gransward. Bellany had excused herself to go find and comfort Mary, but she had not yet found her roommate. Instead Bellany had taken a position behind the refreshment tent in silent fury. She could hear Charles and Jamie talking within the tent as she began quietly casting her Slip cantrip with a vindictive flare. She whispered and moved her hands as little as possible in order to shape the magic. The idea was to be so subtle with her casting that even if someone she failed to see was watching, that person would see nothing particularly amiss. When she was nearly finished casting she took one step from behind the tent so that she could see her target and then unleashed the magic at Bianca from considerable range. 

"Gaaah!" Bianca stopped her conversation in mid-word as her feet shot out from under her. She fell backwards head over heels. She landed flat on her back and hit the back of her head against the ice as she landed. The impact forced all of the air from her lungs. She immediately gasped and cried out in pain before beginning to bawl like a child.

Bellany stepped back behind the tent and held her breath for a moment as George Gransward helped Bianca up. Bellany had made sure to release the magic from her right hand because she had no wish for the spell to attain the unexpected power that her Ice Sickle cantrip had attained when she had cast it on Headmaster Bristol. In spite of the woman's incessant abuse, she hoped that Bianca was not badly injured. Nevertheless Bellany got a certain vindictive satisfaction in seeing Bianca pay for what she had done to Mary. She decided she would only feel guilty if Bianca was hurt more severely than she so richly deserved. Bellany could hear Charles talking to Jamie within the tent and chose to concentrate on them for the moment rather than worrying about Bianca.

"Oh, it is so novel! She is not so good that she can beat me with any regularity, but she is as challenging as many of the boys I face," Jamie said from within the tent.

"Ho, watch out, James; when I was teaching Bellany she was really lousy at first, but she improved rapidly! When she started getting the hang of it I was happy my teaching was bearing fruit, but before long I realized that my little sister was getting good, and then she just kept getting better. After a while it was all I could do to hold my own against the girl. That is when I realized that I had created a monster! After a while, fighting her was like fighting a hydra. Just when you thought you had cut off her head, two more grew in its place."

"Goodness, thank you for the warning, Charles; I will be sure to take good care of any extra heads that sprout due to her efforts!"

Bellany found Mary sniffling behind a tree. Mindful of the chaperone she saw lurking nearby, she took Mary into her arms and comforted her.

Bellany whispered in Mary's ear. "I see Mrs. Perkins is watching over you. Don't let Bristol get to you, Mary. You are a dear, sweet woman and Bianca has no right to abuse you like that." 

"She is so mean, how can she say things like that in public?" Mary sniffled.

"Bianca is a hateful girl who needs to grow up."

"I can't stand her. I think I'll go back to the dormitory."

"Nonsense, don't let her ruin your evening, Mary. I promise she will not be bothering you again soon."

"Goodness, Bellany, you didn't hit her did you?" Mary gasped.

"I would have loved to smack that spite right out of her, but unfortunately her social rank is higher than mine. Thankfully she saw to her own punishment."

"She did?"

"Yes, you missed it. She took a nasty spill on the ice not long after delivering the venom she sent your way."

"Really?" Mary sniffed.

Bellany nodded and squeezed Mary's hand.

"I suggest we make the best of the ice while Bianca is recovering from her bump on the head."

Bellany took Mary back towards the ice, but she had to steer Mary clear of the area where a group of people had gathered around Bianca after helping her off the ice. 

"Oh you poor thing, that has to hurt," Jamie crooned to Bianca. "Come into the refreshment tent and have a few drinks of this. It will help the throbbing."

"She certainly got a lot of sympathy," Mary whispered.

"She may be a shrew, but she comes from a good family of shrews," Charles whispered back as he caught up with Bellany and Mary. "Besides, if I know James - and I know him well - his devious mind is right now cooking up a way to make the situation more entertaining for all."

"It is?" Bellany asked.

"Have patience and let the maestro work." Charles nodded. "May I have this promenade, Miss Duffy?"

"Of course; thank you, Charles."

"Don't mention it. I am always willing to step in when a beautiful Lady is experiencing moments of weakness."

Bellany giggled.

Vern smiled as he approached, "Care to slide with me?"

"Certainly, Vern, let us dance the slippery dance." Bellany grinned impishly.

Several dances later Bellany ducked into the refreshment tent and noticed that Jamie had not moved from Bianca's side. He seemed to be enjoying himself and if Bellany's lust sense was to be believed he found Bianca more attractive than he admitted, perhaps even to himself. He was maintaining a constant banter and if Bellany did not miss her guess, Bianca no longer grimaced when she drank from the glass that James kept refilling for her. 

"Is that feeling any better? I am so sorry I didn't have anything stronger for you," Jamie said gaily.

Bellany decided to avoid Jamie for the moment. It appeared as if the naughty man was getting Bianca drunk. Bellany was not about to ruin his fun by distracting her. She was glad to stay on the ice instead.

About half an hour later, Jamie left Bianca's side and wandered out to the edge of the ice. 

"Care for a promenade, milady of the ice?"

"Of course, Jamie; you were so sweet seeing to Lady Bristol's wounded head." Bellany smirked.

"Can anyone doubt my charitable intent?" Jamie proclaimed.

"Of course not; I am sure she is feeling _much_ better."

"Indeed she is. The lump on her head is but a faded memory." 

"How fortunate it is that she has a gentleman of such renowned charity as you looking after her, Jamie. Has she let you in on any gossip?"

"Oh, she has been talking my ears off. She is not at all the young lady you suggested had an icy personality."

"I guess I was mistaken. My sincerest apologies," Bellany said with considerable irony.

"Oh you mustn't apologize to me. It is Lady Bristol who must hear of your changed opinion."

"Then I will go to her the moment the promenade ends."

"Splendid. You know I was astonished, but Lady Bristol is convinced that rumor about you spending your swordsmanship lessons on your back is absolutely true. She has insisted that a lady cannot possibly wield a blade."

"Perhaps we should invite her to view our practice."

With that, the number ended and Bellany and James made their way back to the edge of the ice to doff their skates. Once finished they joined Bianca where she sat near the refreshment table.

"James, you brought Porkwit!"

Bellany smiled politely. "James was saying your personality is really not icy at all. I apologize for believing it, Lady Bristol."

"Of course I brought Lady Norwit, Bianca, she is my date and I did design the dress she is wearing this evening. You have a good sense of fashion, Lady Bristol. What do you think of my creation?"

"Oh it is beautiful, James, but it is just not fair! You looked around for a woman with _that_ kind of body and you put her in _that_ dress. How are real ladies supposed to compete?" Bianca blubbered. "Mistresses have no business at Vargrend's."

"Come now, Bianca, you may look askance at Lady Norwit's pedigree due to the common blood of her father, but Lady Norwit is the legitimate granddaughter of Marquis Avengene and her father is a general of renown. If it came to war, Marquis Avengene would have a very reasonable chance of devouring Bristol and its allies without so much as a hiccup. As a noble lady you are in the business of building and nurturing a dynasty that is several generations old. Yet if Avengene is serious about this religious conflict, your dynasty teeters on the brink of extinction. Are you seriously suggesting that the granddaughter of your better should be excluded from Vargrend's?" Jamie asked sternly.

Bianca stared crossly at Bellany for a moment. She was a bit lubricated with liquor, but Bellany had expected worse.

"But it isn't fair, she is a fallen woman!" Bianca stammered.

"Whether she was abused in war or not, her pedigree is unchanged. I grant you that her war experience has allowed you to classify Lady Norwit as a fallen woman. Yet if she is not suitable as a wife, then why worry about competition from her? Powerful men choose their mistresses for beauty and for their spirit in the boudoir. Their wives are chosen for pedigree; for marriage among nobles is the joining of two dynasties. Lady Norwit will never have your pedigree, and although you are a comely woman, few noble ladies should measure their bodies against women with bodies like those of wealthy mens' mistresses unless they enjoy disappointment. Perhaps it is fortunate that Lady Norwit is an exceptional beauty since the orcs have besmirched her prospects for marriage."

"It would be fortunate if she had gone to school in Li'Yieraun like the other Avengenes," Bianca said crossly.

"I disagree. No matter what Avengene is trying to do, this academy is still the proper place for young nobles. That Lady Norwit is a genuine peer with the body of an angel simply makes her an appropriate date for a Jordell. Most of the Ladies at Vargrend's are not sophisticated enough to appreciate that men of great power normally have both a wife and a mistress. Since Ladies here cannot grasp such an arrangement, they are inappropriate as marriage partners for the most powerful of men unless the man in question does not mind lying to his wife. I find the Ladies at Vargrend's too simple to be seriously considered as wives or perhaps I am simply too honest. Maybe that is why I enjoy men. They tend to be so much more direct."

"I could never put up with a mistress! How could any respectable lady?" Bianca snapped.

"Perhaps you should ask the queen. You certainly do not have to put up with a mistress, Lady Bristol, as long as you plan to marry _below_ you," Lord Jordell said pointedly.

"Well everyone knows I am here with George Gransward. He is not below me."

"Then you are saying Baron Gransward is a more powerful man than your grandsire Baron Bristol?"

"No!"

"Then you must face the facts. George is below you. Reiterating the old alliance between Bristol and Gransward is like reinventing the wheel. If a lady plays chess without insight she will naturally lose. The tragedy is that in the game of dynasties her children and the elders of her family lose with her. No one has to like Lord Avengene, but if the balance of power currently favors him, we would both be fools if we did not take notice."

"My grandfather and his friends could whip that frontier upstart!" Bianca sneered.

"Actually, I was curious so I had a strategist compare sides. Your grandsire and his friends could field approximately the same number of soldiers as Lord Avengene and his friends. The difference is that Avengene's soldiers are already equipped and seasoned. My analyst believes that, all other things being equal, Avengene's seasoned professionals would trounce anything your grandsire would have time to throw at him. Were Avengene to attack rapidly and without warning before Bristol had time to raise a larger army, then even your fortifications would probably fail to provide sufficient advantage to repel him. Of course expert conjecture is still conjecture, but I tend to agree with the Jordell strategist. 

"Your grandsire will never admit to desperately needing his favorite little granddaughter's help, but your marriage may decide the fate of the Bristol line. Joining Bristol with Gransward when Gransward is already your ally is simply redundant. If you were to marry well, perhaps drawing someone like Brickner into your alliance or stealing one of Avengene's current allies, you might turn the tide if conflict erupts. Otherwise I would not bank on your family's survival."

"James you cannot be serious!" Bianca protested.

"I would not jest about such things, milady. The burden of power lies heavily on your dainty shoulders and you have no idea of the stakes. It would be callous of me not to inform you of your importance. After all, if war erupts before you marry and you find yourself rotting in an Avengene dungeon, your power will be lost and besmirched Lady Bellany whom you despise may become the daughter of a baron if her father ascends to true nobility to replace your grandsire. If that were to happen, then the Jordells would have to do business with him in lieu of your grandsire."

"James, how can you say that? Your family is obviously against the Avengenes. Your uncle Jack has been a venomous thorn in their sides!" Bianca argued.

"Jack is as unpredictable as the wind, Bianca. We have no control over the man. He is disowned. My guess is that he wants to carve out his own barony as near to Liaern as possible without conquering elfin land. Rumor has it that he still carries a torch for Countess Cinid of Li'Yieraun. My parents, on the other hand have been staunchly neutral because it is far more profitable to ship for both alliances than to ship for just one. It is simply not practical for the Jordells to choose sides in this conflict unless forced to do so by the realities of war or politics."

"Oh," Bianca grimaced.

"Don't worry, Bianca. I would not wish torture and malnutrition on anyone. If worst comes to worst I will try to see that you are incarcerated in a convent rather than a dungeon." Bellany said cheerfully.

"Why you Avengene bitch," Bianca screeched savagely as she flew at Bellany with claws bared.

Bellany had not expected Bianca to fly off the handle, but thankfully the noblewoman's savage scream kicked Bellany's combat reflexes into gear. She sidestepped the angry lady, caught Bianca's right forearm and twisted her around so that Bellany held Bianca's arms pinned behind her back. The entire exchange took only a second.

"Chaperone! We require a chaperone!" Jamie ordered in a surprisingly commanding tone. As Headmistress Vargrend converged on the scene James explained the situation. "Lady Bristol decided to take great offense at Lady Norwit for volunteering to help keep Lady Bristol out of Avengene dungeons should war erupt and Bristol lose, a strategic conjecture that I myself raised without any note of malice. Nevertheless, the physical attack that Lady Bristol launched at Lady Norwit served to prove my point. Lady Bristol is now intimately familiar with the likely result of a green recruit attempting to attack a seasoned veteran. Thankfully, Lady Norwit has sufficient skill at arms to enable her to restrain rather than harm. She should be commended for maintaining a level head in spite of Lady Bristol's savage outburst. Lady Bristol would surely have inflicted considerable lacerations to Lady Norwit's face if not her eyes had it not been for Lady Norwit's considerable defensive skills."

Then James spoke more quietly into Bianca's ear. Bellany doubted anyone but herself and Headmistress Vargrend were close enough to hear Jamie's remarks. 

"Bianca, you really should be too sophisticated to resort to physical violence... I will not stand by and let you use your rank to incriminate Lady Norwit for violence against your person that she did not initiate or match in kind. Considering the insults you have heaped upon her since the first day of school and her obvious physical superiority, it is a tribute to her self-control that she has never launched herself at you in a similar manner. You must outgrow this infantile level of political sophistication or you will compromise the best chance that your family has to beat Avengene's game."

Headmistress Vargrend waited a second for James to finish his whispered remark and then looked at Bianca crossly. "Shame on you, Lady Bristol, you will calm down this instant! There now, you may release her, Lady Norwit. I appreciate the fact that you did not let this degenerate into a brawl."

Bellany stepped back from Lady Bristol, released her arm-lock, and then briefly curtsied to Headmistress Vargrend.

"Honestly, brawling is for errant schoolboys, not noble ladies. Obviously you have not paid attention to my command to treat Lady Norwit with common courtesy, nor to Lord Jordell's. I am going to write a letter to your grandfather, Lady Bristol. I am sure he has his plate full enough of this conflict with Lord Avengene without you making trouble with an Avengene granddaughter. I am not about to allow the petty bickering of schoolgirls to have any part in inciting a war that would kill thousands. For now you are to go directly home."

In a louder voice Headmistress Vargrend announced, "Lady Bristol is being sent home for disciplinary reasons. She is thereby disqualified from being elected this year's Snow Queen. If you had planned to vote for her you had better think of someone else to endorse!"

After Lady Bristol had left in disgrace, Bellany took Jamie's hand and led him outdoors to get some air.

"Bianca has disappointed you, but you care about her, don't you, Jamie?" Bellany observed once they were clear of the crowd.

Jamie raised an eyebrow. "You heard that bit I whispered in her ear, didn't you?"

Bellany nodded. "I did not feel it would be advisable to let Bianca free while you whispered to her. Proximity is everything in both combat and eavesdropping."

"Your sense of hearing is too acute to be trusted, but you are right. I have known Bianca and many of the other nobles since we were children. Bianca is bright and charismatic. She is a natural leader, but she has allowed herself to become spoiled. She has failed to develop subtlety and diplomacy in her political manipulations. She needs to realize that if one must stab someone in the back it is best done when they are off guard. By going after you so bluntly, she revealed her hand and that often forces her allies to reveal their hands as well. It is a shame that a young lady with her basic potential is squandering it all on this idiocy."

Bellany nodded, though she dreaded the thought of Bianca developing more subtle and sophisticated attacks against her. "It was fun to see her get in trouble for a change, but you are right, a young lady with her ability to influence people should put her talents to better use. Thank you for intervening on my behalf. I am sure she would have twisted the truth around had you not been there."

"I have no doubt that she would have," Jamie agreed.

"I do not know if Charles has told you about Evangeline, but if you will keep it in strictest confidence, I will tell you," Bellany whispered.

"Oh, you have some privileged bit of information for me, how sweet! I am not sure that Charles has told me anything concerning Evangeline, but of course I will keep it in confidence if you wish to reveal something," James declared.

"I really prefer to keep my friends informed. The only exception to that would be if I knew a secret that might get my friends or me or both killed were it revealed. This is a dangerous secret, but hopefully not deadly and it has already been hinted at by rumors. Anyhow, this winter Charles decided to check out the story Bruhnhilda Daelrath was telling about reverend Evangeline. As you know, she actually knows Brianna Barter. Charles found a man of some rank who used to work under Evangeline. He knew what really went on during the final chapter of Evangeline's life. Charles used his charm, his position as a nobleman and the power of ale to loosen the man's tongue."

"Oh really, what did he find out?" Jamie asked.

"Brianna Barter accused Evangeline of being a serial rapist, torturer and sometimes murderer of the young women of Evandell. In spite of a good cover-up, Charles found that she was telling the truth. I sometimes get very cross with Bianca, but off the record, I want you to know that I think this brewing religious conflict is a shame," Bellany confessed.

"The question is, is religion wielding Avengene, or is Avengene wielding religion?" Jamie mused.

"That is a good question. Do you suppose Lord Avengene really just wants a port on the lower Augustana River? Perhaps Bristol is merely in a convenient location."

"One should never discount any reasonable theory. Avengene is a Marquis. He did not gain that title through lack of ambition. He wishes to push the northern and eastern border outwards and to do that he needs rich lands that are far enough away from the battlefront that they can produce significant wealth to fund and supply his expansion. It is also important to remember that people do not have to act for one reason alone. Often there are a number of motivators. It is just that some are more politically palatable than others. Thus ulterior motives may be hidden while certain more acceptable ones are often touted before the public eye. Sometimes the more acceptable motives are real, but just as often they are nothing more than fabrications," Jamie explained.

Bellany nodded. "I do not know if I will ever learn to grasp politics like you do."

"I hope not, but I fear so. You are becoming so devastating with a sword that I must have some arena to retreat to where I can still hang onto a shred of pride." Jamie huffed, exaggerating his consternation.

"Pff, you are a Jordell, that alone guarantees you respect."

"True, but being respected for wealth and power is a given. If I am to be distinguished among my peers I will be distinguished by my own virtues. One of those virtues is as an oracle of fashion. That reminds me, now that Bianca is removed, I must get the opinion of several notable ladies on my latest creation of fashion."

"You cunning fox, Jamie, you contrived these recent events to teach Bianca a lesson about both war and politics."

"Touché," James smiled.
-------

As it turned out, once Bianca was removed the vote of the ladies for Snow Queen became split between Larissa Jordell, Glenda Gransward, Bruhnhilda Daelrath and Bernadine Belgado. In addition, the exquisite ensemble that James had put together dazzled a few honest young women. They gave their votes to Bellany as the best-costumed young woman. That coupled with the fact that the largest block of young men voted for Bellany granted her a decisive victory. The vote for the Snow King was even more fragmented than that for the queen, but the fame Loyd Carnarvon had from being a Lord and a champion at the joust trumped even James' considerable assets.

Thus Bellany undertook the final promenade of the Snowflake Ball as the Snow Queen, crowned next to Lord Carnarvon. Bellany could hardly believe it.

-------

A few days after the ball, Peter Patel stopped in town as he traveled from Turnmoor to Rosehaven on business. He only had a single night at his Emerald Lake estate, but he made the most of it by inviting Bellany to come to dinner so that she could eat with Charles and Paul. 

When she arrived, Peter Patel was at the door with the butler to greet her and the chaperone from Vargrend's. "Good evening, Lady Norwit and Mrs. Perkins. Charles and Paul are running a little late at Lord Carnarvon's Manor. I have had a hot bath drawn for you in the guest suite in case you would like to clean up before dinner."

"Oh that would be wonderful, Mister Patel. The baths at Vargrend's are not exactly luxurious. I much prefer the bathing accommodations here and at Jordell Manor."

"Marvelous; I have business to attend to but my man Frederick will take you to the suite. If you desire, Mrs. Perkins, Frederick can bring you a book from the library to pass the time. I trust you will find the suite's sitting room comfortable."

"Thank you, Mister Patel. I am sure I will," Mrs. Perkins confirmed.

"Now I really must be going. I will have someone from the kitchen staff give you the twenty minute warning when the boys return and then we will see you at dinner."

"Thank you, Mister Patel," Bellany said and then she followed the butler on what was the start of a route of deception. Soon she was in the guest suite bathroom, having left her chaperone behind. Two maidservants had accompanied her into the bathroom to undress her and a third young woman appeared from a secret passage just after they closed and locked the door. The new arrival disrobed and waited to get into the bath while the other two hastily undressed Bellany. Evidently the new arrival was to take a bath in Bellany's stead so that if Mrs. Perkins inspected the bath after Bellany emerged it would appear to have been used. Bellany noted that the young woman's hair was nearly the same color as hers. The other two young women escorted Bellany through a secret passage and into another suite. Bellany went into the bedchamber of the master suite where Peter Patel was waiting.

Bellany smiled. "I see you have made some improvements to your staff."

"Indeed, I believe I have contrived a way to buy five or ten extra minutes. I have no doubt that it will be well worth the cost to be able to spend a slightly longer time with you before the chaperone begins to suspect that something is amiss. I am sorry I have not had time to come to Emerald Lake more often. The trouble with successful businesses is that they take at least as much time to run as unsuccessful ones. I find it infuriating that I haven't the time to do the things I love. I will be so happy when Paul is older and can take some of the burden from my shoulders."

"There is no need to apologize," Bellany murmured as she embraced Peter and kissed him while caressing the top of his bald head. "I love getting out to see you, but I realize it is not everyday that your business travel schedule allows you to come up and spring me from Vargrend's Prison for Girls."

"True, but it is always so great to see you! I cannot tell you how much I enjoy our time together. No woman I have ever known can hold a candle to you. You are the most delightfully wanton young woman I have ever known, and so bold about it, yet so bright and cultured. I wish I could help you realize your fantasies as much as you realize mine, but getting you out of Vargrend's for time alone is difficult. The chaperone that the school sent is astute. There are rumors that she frequently listens at the door to privies containing girls under her charge. I was obliged to find a young lady whose hair and voice were reminiscent of yours. The match is by no means perfect but I believe she will suffice for the purposes of our current deception. Were it not for the secret passages I would get no time with you at all. Yet I worry. A chaperone can only be misdirected for so long before suspicion sets in."

"Why don't you hire Professor Howard to be your chaperone? The school certified him and he is very old to the point that he has exhausted his retirement funds. He is a good man, but his situation has given him the vision to realize that those who attempt to preserve my virginity are profoundly out of touch with reality. This winter at a certain social event Professor Howard was in desperate need of winter fuel. He risked his livelihood and took a young lord's gold in return for allowing the young man to give me the tour of his home unescorted. That compromise saved Professor Howard from freezing to death this winter but the underlying difficulty is still there. Professor Howard is a very nice man in a very bad situation, thus I hope you are generous with him, but my suspicion is that if you were, you could count on him to fall asleep by mistake nearly anywhere in your house for as long as you wish."

Mister Patel grinned like a pirate as he embraced Bellany. He kissed her, caressed her back, and then squeezed her pert rump. She pulled him down onto the bed atop her as he continued talking. "Milady, Professor Howard will have the full force of my gratitude if he is able to secure your freedom from time to time! Not only that, but to ensure that he is not left hanging I will hire him myself should his livelihood become compromised by our dalliances."

"That sounds wonderful, Peter," Bellany crooned as she reached to guide Peter into the warmth between her thighs. "I have no idea if he will go for it, but I suspect it is a shoe-in with your experience at negotiating and the obvious advantages the deal has to offer Professor Howard."
-------

Bellany paced from one side of the musty subterranean classroom to the other. 

"I have become proficient with both mental illusion and telepathy but I still cannot shake my own fear spell. I am afraid my Remove Fear spell is a flop. I have tried both the touch and ranged version of it. Headmaster Bristol says that he can feel a twinge of relief but not enough to relieve his terror for more than a split second. I must be missing something, but I cannot figure out what it is."

"Mmmm," Baladus said consideringly. "I can see no fault with the mechanical aspects in your demonstration of the Remove Fear spell. Let us assume for a moment that you have mastered the mechanics and the emotional portion of the spell. Yet you cast your fear spell with the hand of Mortaebius. Thus it may act as if a supremely adept caster cast it. There is one component that we have not been giving a great deal of attention to because it is a component that hails from a more difficult yet more general spell."

"What's that?" Bellany asked.

"Sometimes it is necessary to unravel the underlying magic of a spell before we can hope to force a reversal of its effects upon the mind. Your next approach should be to work on the Cancel Magic spell. Keep trying to perfect the Remove Fear spell as you work, but remember that part of the Remove Fear spell is a very specific version of the magic that underlies the Cancel Magic spell. If you can crack one of the spells it will assist you on the other and vice versa. These spells are very important. Knowing how to dismantle one's own magical effects and those of other casters is a fundamental no magician can afford to be without."

Bellany nodded. "Thank you, Baladus. Your advice makes good sense. I will begin to study the Cancel Magic spell."

"Do not feel as if you are a failure. Because you have been touched by Mortaebius your fear spell is exceptional. I also recommend you become more familiar with the line of fear spells in my book to increase your insight as well. The next one to learn is Scared Stiff, a spell that duplicates the phenomenon caused by the scratch of a ghoul. It is a very handy spell. Your victim stays put so that you can follow up with spells that lack a ranged component. Other fear spells make the victim run madly about so that you are forced to follow up with ranged magic. I believe you will find the ranged version of Scared Stiff to be a highly useful spell. Do you have any other questions? I have not noticed you being this nervous about setbacks in magic in the past. Is there something troubling you?"

Bellany nodded. "I think the lust spirit, Vulvilea, changed my body to look like Bellany Norwit's for the high shaman of the orcs. She did it just before Mortaebius rescued me. I had previously thought that Vulvilea's shape-shift was permanent, but I have reason to believe that I am reverting. For a while it was just my nipples. Now it is my waist as well. I am worried that my face and hair will start going next. So far they seem okay, but I am concerned. I have looked around for a volume on shape-shifting among Headmaster Bristol's books but I have not found anything other than the purely theoretical."

"Sadly I was never any good at shape-shifting. Some necromancers are, but my art was in lifeless flesh, not in creations of life," Baladus affirmed.

Bellany sat down and cradled her face in her hands. She shook her head slowly. 

"I know what happens when a disguise slips. I will have to run away if I can no longer look like Bellany. The last time a disguise failed me it was much less elaborate, but when black roots appeared beneath my blonde hair I wound up incarcerated for killing reverend Evangeline."

Baladus smiled. "I said I was never good at shape-shifting, but do not fear. Transforming reality is the ultimate accomplishment of the illusionist. It seems to me that Headmaster Bristol has a very thick old book of mine that came from a particularly troublesome illusionist. He and his apprentices did a lot with disguise. He could spin a glamour that made him look and sound like anyone he chose."

"But I have people touching me all of the time. An illusion might work for my hair, assuming I could maintain a spell for days on end but what about my face?"

"As you can imagine, the illusionist I spoke of faced similar obstacles. That is why he made it a point to master the rudiments of shape-shifting. Mind you, he could make only cosmetic changes that did not change his weight or drastically alter his form, but he was able to emulate most humans and he was able to cast lasting disguises, or he would not have been able to infiltrate courts and the like. I do not recall exactly what he was capable of. He spouts a great deal of theory to go with just a few actual spells. Yet Lady Elaine and I had foreseen the possibility of your disguise beginning to decay and we felt that his theories and techniques might grant you sufficient understanding to renew what has already been done by the lust spirit."

Bellany sighed with relief. "Thank goodness! I saw that book on illusion, but I did not look through it for shape-shifting spells. Thank you, Baladus. That knowledge may save my life or at the very least my ability to stay here and learn."

"It is my pleasure. If you can develop some of the skills that this individual had, you will increase the potency of the Order of the Shroud appreciably. Although if what you say about Avengene is correct, the time for diplomacy and espionage may be largely over, with an actual war looming on the horizon. Nevertheless, your pretense for attending school and the possibility of your gathering important information about forces and tactics should a war begin justifies any effort you may wish to apply on behalf of keeping the appearance of Lady Norwit. 

"I have no doubt that you will apply yourself. Lady Elaine and I talked about broaching this topic earlier, but we felt that your Saturday night excursions would provide sufficient motivation for you to develop the basics of illusionism. This knowledge is a necessary prerequisite, as the study of magic that deals with illusionism serves as a foundation for defining actual physical change. I am glad you were able to pick up the necessary skill in basic illusion spells before your shape-shift began to fade too much," Baladus said reassuringly. "Judging from the length of time that it has lasted, I would say that it was set up to drain a miniscule amount of magic from your reserves on a continuous basis in order to maintain itself. 

"There is a whole class of enchantments and longer-lasting spells that utilize that technique. You have experience with maintaining certain spells such as telekinesis and telepathy for long periods. It is a bit annoying to pay attention to such things. Many more advanced spells make their maintenance an essentially unconscious act. You must be mindful, however, that you do not deplete yourself by keeping large numbers of self-maintaining spells running at the same time. My guess is that this shape-shift was done with enough finesse that its power requirements have been very minimal. Otherwise you surely would have noticed the drain. I suspect the main power requirement comes in making the shift in the first place."

"It is a lucky thing my disguise has lasted this long. I have noticed that the more sexual life force runs through an area, the more likely it is to revert."

"Shape-shifting is magic of life and creation. It stands to reason that the energy of life would also tend to render changed flesh fluid, since it is the same sort of power that allowed the flesh to flow into a new shape in the first place," Baladus reasoned.

"I suppose it does make sense. I had better get to work or my flesh may flow into a shape that will get me killed."
-------

Winter faded as time marched on, but winter was not the only thing that was fading. Bellany's waist continued to narrow and her hair began to darken at the roots. She hid the book on illusionism within the false bottom of her trunk and read it day and night, whenever she could find time. The basic shape-shifting spells were supposed to last for a few hours, but if more advanced versions of the spells were cast they could last indefinitely. As Baladus had conjectured, maintaining a shape-shift took an extremely small amount of energy and the energy was spread so pervasively that it was not normally detectable as a spell. This was especially true if it was lost in an otherwise naturally powerful aura. 

The more advanced versions of the various shape-shifting spells all seemed to have a similar maintenance component added for long durations. Bellany thought that perhaps Baladus would have written up the component that made the spells last as an addendum, much as he had documented the thought-sending aspect of his Telempathy spell. The illusionist who wrote the book that included the Shape-shift spells chose to tailor the maintenance component into each spell, most likely so that each spell could be fine-tuned to keep energy costs at a minimum.

As her theoretical understanding grew, she realized that what she needed to do was to renew the aspect of Vulvilea's shape-shifting spell that took care of the maintenance of her shape. The maintenance spell for the shape-shift was running in her subconscious but she was not aware of it. Somehow she needed to become aware of it. The book contained the necessary magic to renew it if she could isolate it, but she suspected that she was not adept enough to modify the magic of another caster. Unfortunately, if she messed up, the consequences could be dire. To complicate matters, before she could learn a complex spell to maintain her overall appearance, she needed to do something to lighten the roots of her hair. Thus far she had told Mary that her hair always grew a little darker during the winter and then lightened up as the result of exposure to the sun. She knew that excuse would not hold up if her roots darkened any further. 

After telling Mary the lie about her hair, Bellany spent time learning a glamour from the beginning portion of the illusionist's book before she began to get into the advanced topic of shape-shifting magic. The illusion spell was tailored to modify one's appearance. She would have liked to learn a shape-shift spell, but she knew she could pick up the illusion in a few days since it was basically a more efficient and specialized version of the illusion spell that she already knew from Baladus' spellbook. Once she learned the glamour, she applied it to the roots of her hair. Evidently the color of hair, once changed by a shape-shift spell, became fixed, but if the shape-shift governing the follicles that grew the hair became compromised, the color of the hair that they produced began to change. The glamour that she had learned did not change the true color of her hair; it was just a temporary measure to cover it up. She had to cast the illusion several times a day until she was able to learn a long-lasting version of the spell. 

The illusion spell proved to be an important stepping-stone since its extended version made use of magic similar to the extension component used by the shape-shifting spells in the same book. Bellany used the illusion to make the roots of her hair seem to grow gradually lighter towards their original color, because she was supposedly making a point to get a little sun. In truth her roots were actually growing gradually darker.

As she worked to shore up her appearance, Bellany began to realize just how little time there was until she would be sent home to Norwit Keep for the summer. She was not sure she would be able to continue to be Bellany, but she felt sure that Mortaebius had his reasons for casting her as a noblewoman of Avengene. She just wished she knew what they were. In any case, she decided she had better prepare for such a summer even if she was not sure that she would continue her life as Bellany. 

Alternatively, she was thinking about leaving the Norwits. She could travel east and north from Norwit Keep to find Red Jack on the upper Augustana River. Assuming Jack was still working with Thane, she would be able to return to her apprenticeship and The Order of the Shroud. Alternatively she could travel northwest to Daelrath and wait for Thane to come to re-supply the keep with glyphed arrows for use against the trolls or she might go to Rosehaven and try to get in contact with her order through priests in the Order Of Death's Peace. 

In any case she felt it would not hurt to scribe spells into her book that she could work on during the summer. It was unlikely that she could contrive a way to stay at Vargrend's all summer and study magic under Baladus. Thus, in addition to scribing the Cancel Magic spell and making sure that she had scribed everything available on Tele-empathic Projection, she added the Scared Stiff, and the Disease Cloud spells. She had seen Thane cast the cloud spell and was curious about how he had done it. She made sure to scribe both the touch and the ranged version of Scared Stiff as she felt both would be useful. 

Bellany also perused the various more advanced life draining and bestowing spells, as she thought she could probably clandestinely practice them on animals at Norwit Keep over the summer. In the casting notes to the first multiply targeted life-drain spell she found several targeting addenda. The most interesting addendum gave targeting instructions that allowed the caster to target hostiles in a mixed group of friends and foes. Another addendum instructed how to target a particular creature in a mixed group of creatures. Thus if orcs and men were fighting one another in a confused melee she could target orcs based on their species, thus affecting only the orcs in the group without harming the men or vice versa. She had no delusions that she was going to be able to drain a great deal of life force from more than a few people at the same time, but the casting notes described a secondary effect of group draining spells. Soldiers who were already frightened of necromancy could be terrified by even a modest drain of vitality such as a cantrip might produce. Few soldiers would fight effectively once distracted by their own terror.

An additional addendum went into a specialized utilitarian version of species targeting for insect infestations. Thus one could drain all of the life out of insects that infested a person, animal or undead corpse without draining the life out of the person, animal or corpse. The insect application required a less powerful draining component, but a more intricate targeting component since there could be an extremely large numbers of insects present at various stages in their life cycle. Bellany reasoned that the insect spell would make a perfect primer for learning the drain spells that targeted smaller groups of larger creatures. Since she had a pet raven and a stallion she felt the spell would also be very useful to help keep both her and her pets free of vermin. 

She spent time scribing the life-drain spells into her book so that she could get the casting notes to the first multiply targeted spell in its proper place. Perhaps out of guilt for scribing more about harming than healing, she penned several of the more advanced life force bestowal spells as well. Not surprisingly, the targeting addenda for the multiply targeted bestowal spells were similar in many ways to the ones used with the draining spells. She suspected that truly adept casters would drain an opposing group and then bestow the resulting life force on their own group to skew the odds in a fight. 

Since she could not be sure what she would be doing during the summer and when she might make it back to Vargrend's, she felt it was imperative that she have a variety of spells to learn. In addition to the more advanced life-drain spells, she penned the first skeleton animation spells. They seemed creepy, but surprisingly simple. Yet she knew they were probably not simple at all. She also penned several more spells involving light. These included Flash of Light, Light, and Lasting Light. The first spell was for use in temporarily blinding enemies; the second spell was similar in strength and duration to the clerical light spell that the Avengene priests were casting when Lieutenant Harms and his men captured Rapina. The last spell was the one that Thane probably used to create the mage lights. It made use of a type of object enchantment that Bellany did not yet understand.

As far as practical casting during the present time was concerned, she worked primarily on Tele-empathic Projection and magical disguise. By day she worked mostly with the projection spell, but at night she spent most of her time with the book from the illusionist studying the magical art of disguise. For the moment her priestly training was taking a back seat to learning to maintain her appearance. She still read enough to continue her lessons with Headmaster Bristol, but she let him know that her focus was temporarily elsewhere. Magical disguise was so important to her that she devoted a section to it in her spellbook and scribed the spells the illusionist's book contained even though she did not have casting notes. She left ample space for them and hoped for the best. Thankfully, Vulvilea's shape-shift seemed to be fading very gradually, but Bellany realized that the changes might accelerate at any time. She studied the magic for molding and maintaining minor changes in shape with desperate zeal. The maintenance spells were also of particular interest.

The beginning of the illusionist's book contained disguise-specific variants of regular and mental illusions, but later in the book and more importantly there was a line of shape-shifting spells. They started with the Pock cantrip that caused a welt to form on the caster's skin. After that there were a couple of versions of a spell called Tone Hair, likewise for a spell called Tone Skin. These spells were used to change hair and skin color and texture. There were more complex versions of the spells that were designed to last a long time without thought. In the case of the Tone Hair spell, a change in color would last indefinitely, much as if an advanced dye had been applied. The progression of spells continued with Malleable Flesh, Malleable Visage and Malleable Physiognomy along with long-lasting versions of each. The author was surprisingly well organized even if he often grew very verbose about theory.

The principles behind shape-shifting seemed simple or perhaps they were somehow familiar. To complicate matters there were some details that seemed counterintuitive. Nevertheless, Bellany picked up the Pock cantrip during the third week of March after she felt that she was thoroughly grounded in the principles behind shape-shifting or at least as thoroughly as she could be considering the limited amount of literature that she could find on the subject.
------- 

Her life beyond the desperate struggle to retain her appearance went along normally. Thanks to her continuous practice of magic, the additional drain of maintaining a minor glamour on her hair was manageable. Her lessons under Master Leafwhisper were going well and sparring with Jamie was becoming more fun and less of a frantic exercise in trying to keep up with a superior swordsman. This was fortunate because when she first started sparring with Jamie she was obliged to squander energy on enhancing her speed and alertness. Thankfully, as her technique improved, her energy expenditure decreased. 

School at Vargrend's sometimes seemed to be a relaxing diversion from her real problems. Her normal schooling was going smoothly thanks to having read the course books at the beginning of the semester. Her music, elfish, grammar and mathematics improved daily. She also continued her drawing and even began learning to paint. 

Just after she perfected her glamour spell and the Pock cantrip she began working on Tone Hair, the second of the shape-shift spells. She had not tried the spell earlier because she had read that any shape-shifts applied to an already shape-shifted form could weaken or even cancel the magic maintaining the original change of form if one was not careful. The last thing Bellany wanted to do was cancel Vulvilea's maintenance spell, but when she noticed that the shape of her face was beginning to revert, she knew that Vulvilea's spell would soon fail of its own accord. By the end of a week her face beneath the illusion was largely that of Brianna Barter. 

At the time she began to practice the Tone Hair spell, the roots of her hair were already a very dark auburn all over her body and she was forced to learn the full-body illusion spell from the illusionist's book because her roommate enjoyed subtly watching Bellany dress and undress. Even though the full body illusion was designed for efficiency, maintaining it day and night was taxing enough that she had to manage her energy very carefully. Full reserves of life force helped regenerate her magical energy more rapidly, thus she made it a point to spend as little energy as possible at her swordsmanship lessons and to draw as much energy as she could from the horses in the stables to supplement the energy that Cooyman and his friends provided on Saturday nights.

The first morning that she used the Tone Hair spell it was a disappointment. She successfully got the substance of her hair to become open to change but instead of changing it to red as she had planned, a stray thought caused her to revert it to its original raven black, roots and all. The spell was definitely going to need more work, but she had to attend to the day's classes before she could get back to it. She had hoped the Tone Hair spell would ease the power required by her illusion, but on this day she had to expand the illusion to cover her entire head and her hair.

That night she painstakingly studied her notes and recast the Tone Hair spell. She got the surface substance of her hair to become fluid and then she began to change the color. She carefully retained her concentration as the color began to shift from black to brown to auburn to a shade of red identical to the one that Vulvilea had created for Bellany. As she had expected, having authentically red hair helped cut down on the scope of her illusion slightly and saved her some energy. Until she was able to shift the hair follicles she would have to apply Tone Hair every few days to prevent black roots, but in the long run, that was less costly than maintaining the more elaborate illusion, since her illusion now needed to cover only her head. The gradual change from Bellany to Brianna had got Mary used to Brianna's real body before it had been necessary to apply illusions. Brianna surmised from the comments of the Norwits about how she had "matured" in the hands of the orcs that Vulvilea had cheated on Bellany's body in the first place. Brianna guessed that Vulvilea had liked Brianna's body better and had not changed it as much as she might have when she had first shifted Brianna's shape to that of Bellany. 

Brianna felt that the next step was to perfect the Malleable Visage spell. This spell could be used on one's entire head and neck for situations where bodies were similar enough to seem identical beneath clothing. The neck was included so that the vocal apparatus could be modified to change the voice. She really hoped she could get the spell to work, as lately she had been forced to imitate Bellany's voice with what had increasingly become Brianna's vocal apparatus. Mary had noticed the difference and Bellany had been obliged to make the excuse that she had a frog in her throat from a cold that was circulating around the academy. Bellany was glad that the High Shaman had picked her based in part on her similarity in form to the real Bellany Norwit. He had made her job a lot easier, yet her predicament still seemed insurmountable. She had been forced to dodge Mary's affections or to dive into kissing or sex early in order to keep Mary from touching her face. It was a dangerous game that she played.
-------

Three nights before the first spring tournament just after Mary had fallen asleep, disaster struck. By this time her entire body was fully that of Brianna Barter. Brianna was in a great hurry to get the shape-shifting magic to work before her illusion was put under direct sunlight and the scrutiny of many eyes at the tournament, and before Mary realized that what she saw was not what she touched. In her desperation Bellany attempted to cast Malleable Visage before perfecting Tone Skin. She thought she was doing well. Once she had attained a feel of fluidity she began the shift. She closed her eyes and felt the movement of the bone hasten as she approached the correct configuration for Bellany. Her skull definitely seemed to carry a memory of the form she had spent such a long time in.

It was perfect until she opened her eyes. She had Bellany's bone structure but the skin had not changed, she had Brianna Barter's face. The fit was not quite right. The slight differential of the shape of their faces relative to one another stretched the flesh in some areas and left it puckered in others. A bit of extra flesh wrought havoc with the indexing of the skin with the eyes. Her own eyelids were obstructing her vision. She had to pull the skin to see right. Her whole face was subtly rather than flagrantly grotesque; it was just wrong, like a badly rendered portrait. Bellany frantically reread the section of the illusionist's book on Malleable Visage and then backtracked and read the parts on the Tone Skin spell. She realized that she had neglected changes to her skin and had paid the price.

Bellany frantically rushed to the door and then remembered she needed her traveling spells. Her lips were cumbersome and casting each spell required several attempts. When she was finally ready, she ran down to the crypts with her spellbook. She nearly fell down the stairs, because the skin around her eyes was wrong and she was half blind. She cancelled her darkness and the illusion she used to cover her true form as she rode the elevator down into Baladus' chambers. By then she was crying, but it was not working right because of the mismatch of skin to skull.

"Oh Baladus, I messed up so terribly!"

Bellany felt a chill and then realized she had forgotten to cast her Ghostly Whispers spell. A combination of being overwrought and of her lips not being quite right saw to it that she had to make four attempts on a spell that she should have been able to cast in her sleep. 

Baladus frowned. "It appears the sorcerer's apprentice has got in trouble with magic. Did you perfect the Cancel Magic Spell as I had recommended?"

Bellany blushed. "I have been working on it, but then my disguise started to fail utterly. I have been using a full body illusion but it is taxing to keep up at all times and when my skull started changing shape I was afraid my roommate would notice. We are... very close."

"I see. I suppose that should not be surprising given your nature. In life I would simply have cast Cancel Magic on you until it worked. Shape-shifts can be quite resistant. Yet since I am a ghost, my magic is ephemeral by the standards of the living. My mind-influencing spells such as fear often still work. Yet this spell is very physical, thus the best I shall be able to do is recommend a course of action. Calm yourself and then once you are ready, I want you to tell me exactly what happened starting from the beginning," Baladus instructed.

"I cast the Malleable Visage spell before learning the Tone Skin spell. When I applied the shift, my skull changed but the skin and cartilage of my face did not. I have Bellany's head but Brianna's face."

"First let me say that it is outstanding that you were able to cast Malleable Visage in the first place even if you did bungle it. I am envious, as I could never get the spell to work. As my brightest pupil you have that much more potential to get yourself into trouble." Baladus paused for a ghostly chuckle. 

"You attempted to cut two corners and got stung in the bargain. The first corner that you cut was not developing the Cancel Magic spell before attempting something this advanced. The second corner that you cut was that you tried to do a more advanced spell before perfecting both of its antecedents. This is neither the first nor the last time that this has or will happen to a sorcerer. You know better, but you were desperate. Desperation and magic mix well occasionally, but I do not recommend the combination. Since you do not have the Cancel Magic spell, the simplest solution will not suffice. If you have used the simple version of the Malleable Visage spell without the continuous duration component we can simply wait for your face to return to normal. Did you use the short form of Malleable Visage?"

Bellany shook her head sheepishly. "The long-lasting component for the illusion that I am using is very similar to the one for Malleable Visage. I figured I might as well fix everything at once."

"That was a nice sentiment, but that makes the third corner that you cut. Never add niceties until you have the base spell down."

Bellany sniffed and cleared a tear from her eyes. "I really should have known better."

Baladus nodded. "The simplest solution that I can see is for you to write temporary, partial casting notes. Most of what you did was sound. Once you have done that and collected your wits, simply cast the spell again. Think of it as practice. Once you revert to your natural form, abort your casting. At least then you will have a face and skull that match. That will allow you the greater verbal control you will need to practice in the future. You can feign illness to keep your roommate at bay. I imagine you are already engaged in such a ruse. This is a dangerous thing that you are doing. You must pay attention to the way the magic is shaping up. If it feels wrong you must discontinue casting and start over before you get a result. Begin by practicing small segments of the spell and making what adjustments you need to in order to speak clearly."

After two hours of painstaking effort overcoming her difficulties with speech by practicing bits of the spell and pulling her skin with her fingers, she began making full attempts to cast Malleable Visage. She must have attempted the spell over a dozen times before she felt her skin begin to go fluid but it wasn't right. She aborted and then consulted the notes for both of Tone Skin and Malleable Visage. Afterwards she tried again, and again. Finally she got her entire head, skin and all to become fluid. It was a relief to feel her entire head and face reassume their natural form.

"All right, now you may smoothly abort your casting," Baladus directed.

Bellany stopped casting and felt her face with her ghost hand. She was Brianna Barter again. She could feel that the magic was waning but still active after she discontinued her casting. Suddenly she became caught up in a reverie. It was like a memory plucked from Vulvilea's mind. She was shape-shifting into Bellany. She could feel the power flowing from her reserves, the flesh moving. It all seemed achingly familiar. Vulvilea was able to primarily use life force to effect the spell. She did not use a great deal of magical power that was not from her sexual reserves to power her shape-shifting. Vulvilea had done the entire shape-shift while occupying Brianna's mind. Thus the memory of it was stored in her brain but it had not previously been accessible.

What Brianna was trying to do now was far more limited than the full-body magic that Vulvilea had used; thus it was simple to follow through now that the flesh was fluid. The words of the spell that Bellany had spent so long learning did not seem to matter so much when she resumed saying them. Vulvilea's knowledge was stirring within her mind. It was not so difficult to make the flesh flow and when it was close to a familiar form it was such a snap; the flesh had achieved a memory from spending such an extended amount of time as Bellany Norwit. The really difficult part of shape-shifting, coming up with a new look, was not necessary. As she came out of her reverie, her casting slowed and then she heard Baladus speaking decisively in the background. 

"Resume with the continuous duration component of the spell," he said in a commanding tone.

Bellany did as her teacher ordered. She could not spare the attention to wonder why he had decided to have her cast the last part of the spell. She concentrated more on shaping the magic than on the actual words and gestures flowing from her. There was no longer a problem with her skin getting in the way of speaking and she had the words memorized; yet a spell was more than a pattern of sound and motion. The crux of every spell was the shaping of the magic. Once she had completed the spell she looked up at Baladus.

He chuckled. "Very good, Bellany, it appears that Mortaebius' will is done. If I don't miss my guess, you have bare minutes before your roommate awakens. This has been quite an intense lesson for you. See that you master the Cancel Magic spell and both antecedents of the Malleable Visage spell before continuing with your study of shape-shifting," Baladus instructed.

"Thank you so much, Baladus." Bellany sighed. She was not exactly sure what she had done but she was happy that Baladus seemed satisfied with the result.

"Quickly, you must run, Lady Lust," Lady Elaine added urgently.

Bellany grabbed her spellbook and ran for the elevator. On the way up she recast her darkness spell but found that she was so exhausted from so many attempts at shape-shifting that she barely managed to cast the spell.

"Gods, I can't see in this darkness and I have no more magical energy for my Life Vision spell." Bellany stood there dumbfounded for a moment before releasing a little life force from her reserves into her mind and concentrating on getting some bare trickle of magical energy to regenerate. She idly wondered if there was not some spell she could come up with that would convert stored life force to the sort of undifferentiated mental energy that she used for spells?

"I went to meet you at the library door and backtracked all the way down trying to meet you. What happened? Why are you not upstairs?" Lady Elaine inquired urgently.

"I am afraid I have mystically exhausted myself. I cast darkness but do not have the energy for vision or telekinesis," Bellany admitted.

"There is no time to waste. I will step inside your body with you. Match your body's movements to mine. First we must go back down into Baladus' chambers and retrieve Baladus' key."

The sensation of having Elaine inside her was still novel even though she had been exposed to it earlier when they had explored the area around the tunnel exit some time ago. They rode the elevator down once again and Elaine walked Bellany down the corridor and back through the ancient classroom.

"Lady Lust is mystically exhausted, Baladus. She will need your key and we may need your assistance upstairs."

"Ah, let me fetch it then," Baladus agreed.

Bellany heard the ringing of a key clattering across the floor from the direction that Baladus usually headed when he left to retire. It sounded as if the key was being hit by repeated bursts of telekinetic energy from the ghosts. Elaine directed Bellany's hand downwards and she picked up the key. The two of them rode the elevator up and then rushed out of the crypt and up the stairs using Baladus' key to unlock and relock the door behind them. Bellany tripped once as she ascended the stairs but got right back up and kept moving. Lady Elaine stopped at the door out of the library and stuck her head through to see if the monitor was in the dormitory hallway on the other side.

"The monitor is coming and I fear Baladus' key will not work on the door to the dormitory nor your bedroom door since the locks in the new wing were not here in Baladus' time," Elaine said.

Baladus interrupted near the end of Elaine's statement, "We can still prevail. We must time this carefully. Elaine and I shall use our telekinetic energy to unlock the door to the dormitory." As they unlocked the door out of the library Bellany heard someone speaking.

"Time to get up, Ladies," Mrs. Perkins said from the hallway on the other side of the library door. She put the key into the lock of the door to Bellany's room and turned it.

Baladus poked his head through the library door and began casting.

Mrs. Perkins opened the door and peered into Bellany's room. Thanks to Baladus' mental illusion, the monitor saw the outlines of two girls in the bed just as she had expected. She then left to complete her rounds.

"Quietly open the library door. I shall relock it. Then enter your room," Baladus ordered.

Bellany opened the door and closed it softly behind her. After she crept out of the library, Bellany quietly entered her room.

"Bellany? Where are you?" Mary asked groggily in the dark as Elaine moved Bellany stealthily across the room.

"You are near the door to the closet," Elaine whispered.

"I am right here, Mary," Bellany said as she cancelled the magical darkness clinging to her.

"I can't see a thing. Did you have a candle?"

"Oh, just a moment, I went to the door to start one on the hallway candles but then realized I did not have a candle to start. Let me get one," Bellany said.

Lady Elaine directed Bellany's hand to a candle on her nightstand. Bellany took the candle and set her spellbook down. She then re-crossed the room and went out into the hallway to light the candle from a candelabrum there. 

Mary got out of bed and hugged Bellany. "You have been so tense and distant lately. Is there some reason why you have been avoiding affection if not passion?"

"I am sorry, Mary, I felt guilty about exposing you to my cold. I did not mean to be distant."

"It's okay, Bellany. You needn't feel guilty. I live with you so closely that I am exposed to anything you might catch even if you try not to touch me. You should not give it a second thought."

Mary held Bellany in her embrace for a moment and kissed her.

"I know that's what you said before, but you have always been so good to me. I could not help feeling guilty about exposing you to this sore throat. It is okay now though; my throat feels much better this morning. How is my voice?"

"It seems all better, although you may have lost some weight. Your waist feels a little narrower." Mary observed.

"Yes, Jamie told me it had been growing narrower each time he fitted me for a dress a while ago. I have also been eating less since the discomfort in my throat, but I think it is primarily a fringe benefit of all the exercise that I get practicing at Jamie's."

Mary caressed Bellany's waist and tummy. "If you could guarantee a narrowing of the waist I can think of several ladies who would willingly take up swordsmanship. You've always had such a gorgeous body, but it has done nothing but improve since I first met you. Do you suppose you are still growing?" Mary asked.

"Maybe a little, but I think I am mostly finished." Suddenly Bellany froze. 

"What's wrong?" Mary asked.

"I really have to pee."

"Go ahead then, silly," Mary chuckled. "Here, let me light another candle from yours."

Bellany ignited Mary's candle and then scooted into the privy. She knew that Mary was lighting all of the candles in the room. Bellany realized that she really had no idea what she looked like. Brianna Barter might pass for Bellany Norwit by the light of a single candle, but she would certainly not pull it off in a room that was fully lit.

"Elaine, I am confused about the results of the spell, who do I look like?" Bellany asked under her breath.

"Thanks to Mortaebius' blessing, the Malleable Visage spell was a complete success. Your face, hair, neck and voice are Bellany's. The rest is pure Brianna Barter save the color of your body hair, but the roots are probably black unless you have been applying magic to them," Elaine affirmed.

"Thank you Lady Elaine," Bellany whispered.

Bellany finished, pulled her robe about her and scooted out of the privy. She was relieved that Mary dashed right in after she left. Bellany grabbed a candle and ran straight to the mirror, just to make sure of her appearance. She sighed audibly. It was Bellany Norwit staring back at her, not Brianna Barter. No wonder Baladus had ordered her to complete the Malleable Visage spell. Somehow with the touch of her ghost hand against her face Mortaebius had given her insight from the dead lust spirit, Vulvilea. She supposed it had not been the first time that Mortaebius had helped her in some way, but she was always surprised when he did it. It was actually a bit unnerving. She had been very close, but the bit of divine inspiration had surely got her over the hump. She was so relieved that she had re-shifted her appearance, but she realized that Malleable Visage affected only her head and neck. She checked to make sure the hair on her body was still red from earlier castings of Tone Hair and then breathed a sigh of relief. 

After Mary left for her job in the library, Bellany said a prayer of thanksgiving to the god of the dead. She was so relieved that her appearance nightmare was largely over. She decided to skip skimming over the latest reading for the Trivium and instead wrote the insight she had gained into her casting notes for the Malleable Visage spell. She then began to work on the Tone Skin spell. The Tone Skin spell had to include hair since many men had hair most anywhere on their bodies, but the shaping and coloration of skin made it a more involved spell than the more static Tone Hair spell. Since only her head was under the influence of a shape-shift, she realized that she could practice skin tones and textures elsewhere on her body such as on the bottoms of her feet. After perfecting the Tone Skin spell, she was sure she could render all of her body hair red on a lasting basis.
-------

The night before the first spring tournament Bellany was sparring with Jamie in the practice room at Jordell Manor. She saw what he was planning and used the knowledge to flit under his guard and score.

"Thrash me! Your father's blood must carry a knack for tactics. I am James Jordell, master of the rapier, and you must be the lady who has just handed me my butt!"

"What have you been teaching this girl, Master Leafwhisper?" James called over his shoulder without taking his eye off Bellany.

"There are no tournament moves that she knows that I have not also shown you, milord, but she does appear to be developing her own style and the considerable wrist strength necessary to enable her to compete against your lighter blade. She learns very rapidly. I have been teaching her moves from the street and from unarmed combat to supplement her lessons." 

"Well, I think that was just a fluke, milady. James Jordell is no pushover unless you happen to be the right man! I demand a rematch, but don't you dare hold back. I may be a fop, but I would resent being mollycoddled far in excess of my consternation at being thrashed by a lady."

Bellany smiled as they reengaged. Sparring with James was a lot of fun and considerably easier than it had been at first. She was now familiar with his style and with the way his mind worked. Thanks to the life force that Cooyman and his friends poured into her every Saturday and the grueling exercises Leafwhisper subjected her to, she was in top form. It was also a great relief to have got her face and hair reset to the standard for Bellany. The shape-shift had cost more energy initially, but it took next to no energy to maintain, unlike the illusion it replaced. She always fought better when her reserves contained abundant life force, but today she was simply on a roll. Jamie feinted and then launched a lightning quick lunge. Bellany saw through his feint and was ready for the lunge that followed. She riposted and scored.

"Fast, but not fast enough, Jamie."

"You wench, beating me at my own game!"

Bellany smiled. "You told me not to hold back. I figured you were asking for it."

"Oh touché," Jamie crowed. "I am asking for it. Give me your best!"

Bellany guessed James must have a defensive combination he wanted to try. She stepped forward and lunged at James' side but she never had any intention of following through. James parried air as she abruptly brought her blade down and forward to strike his abdomen before he could recover.

"Goodness you are insightful today, milady, but your luck cannot possibly hold."

The next time she went on the offensive, Jamie stepped back and entangled her blade in a circular parry, but Bellany used a counter-spin, the greater heft of her blade and a mighty jerk of her arm to yank the rapier right out of Jamie's hand. She sent it flying across the room.

Jamie stood there open-mouthed looking at his empty hands.

"Gods, I am so trounced! Charles was absolutely right about you, darling. When we first started sparring just a month ago I felt so happy that you were finally good enough that I did not have to laugh you out of the ring. I quaintly sparred with a lady. It was so novel. Now you are like a force of nature! You tirelessly erode the strength in my sword arm and you seep into the least nook or cranny in my defenses. Not to mention that you seem to be anticipating my tricks to an ever more accurate degree. Your ability to learn and adapt rapidly is astonishing!"

"Charles said that I was like a hydra."

"I cannot picture you as a lizard, nor as a person growing additional heads unless they happen to be sprouting from randy men! You have a superior wit coupled with a wonderful body that has considerable powers of recuperation. Girls are not supposed to have great endurance. Yet you make me look like such a prissy ball of fluff, out of breath after a few trifling matches!"

"My endurance is Master Leafwhisper's fault. He keeps increasing the difficulty of my workout and the speed at which we do our fitness running."

"Yes I know, I have observed that. I have never seen our swordsmaster so ragged as when he leads you in from a run. I have discussed it with him at length. It takes you time to adapt to physical and mental challenges, but it takes you consistently less time to adapt to them than anyone else Master Leafwhisper has trained. That is why you have been able to catch up with me in terms of skill and why you are currently in the process of surpassing me, as much as I despise admitting it," Jamie said with mock hauteur. "That is also why precious Charles said you were like a hydra. Today I understand his feeling that he had created a monster. Now Master Leafwhisper and I have created an even bigger monster. Pretty soon you will devour us all!"

Bellany gave Jamie a lusty look as she subtly drew on him with her power.

"...In one way or another," Jamie winked. "I think that shall be all for this evening. Twice trounced will suffice. It is time for a bath." 
-------

As Bellany lathered her long legs in the Princess Suite bath she felt the familiar tingle of lust and waved at the hidden grillwork with her toes.

A short while later a secret panel opened. Out came James in his robe with a bottle of champagne and two glasses.

"You really do have an uncanny knack for knowing when you are being spied upon," James marveled.

"I am glad I do. It has saved my life on at least one occasion."

James handed her a glass and then tossed his robe aside and sank into the tub across from her.

"Congratulations on your stellar performance this evening. It is the first time I could be absolutely sure that you had bested me, not through happenstance or luck, but through speed and wit."

"Thank you, Jamie; I am so grateful for all the things that you and Master Leafwhisper have been teaching me. I appreciate your stopping in to visit my bath as well. I realize you have already planned not to do anything naughty, but it is still fun to have a handsome man in my bath." 

"How is it you already know what I have planned?" James asked petulantly.

"You have your lust reined in like an obedient stallion. There is a different feel to the gait of a stallion that is reined in tight compared to one who has his head, likewise with reined in lust." Bellany smiled impishly and sent a tingle through Jamie's lust with her glance.

"You have been predicting my moves far too well of late. If Avengene is as astute in war as you are in lust, this conflict with Bristol will be a farce."

"The Avengenes are practiced generals," Bellany said, secretly grateful that she had read enough in the Norwit library to know something about Bellany's extended family, even if she had not met many of them. "I am not sure if Marquis Byron Avengene still makes all of the battle plans or if his eldest son Alexander is running the show. Lord Byron is not a young man."

"True, he is only a little younger than my grandsire. Yet it is a tribute to Byron Avengene's skill as a general that he has not died in battle after so many years," James said.

"I expect that Alexander's first born, Lord Ryan Avengene, has been commanding troops for at least a couple of years as well. If Bianca's grandfather winds up in conflict with Avengene he will be facing three generations of Avengene generals and my father, Baronet Darl Norwit."

"Not to mention Count Heinrich Li'Yieraun, although I do not know if I would count him as an asset. He is hardly a military strategist of renown." Jamie scoffed.

"True, if he were, your uncle Red Jack would not have been able to operate with impunity on the Augustana River for so many years. Given their relative levels of resources, I have to assume that Jack is by far the superior strategist."

"Indeed," James nodded.

"At least with the silly Vindicator roles for women, Bristol will have no worries from Alexander's daughters, Lady Charlotte and Lady Leondra Avengene."

"I should think not," Jamie said. "The closest Bristol is likely to get to conflict with Avengene in the near future will be at a tournament. The academy athletes will be competing with their male counterparts from The Academy of Yieraun in a few weeks."

"Are they any good?" Bellany asked.

"Yes, although they are not usually good in the rapier event unless they borrow a swordsman that should have gone to The Liaern Academy or if they inherit one from the elfin forest that borders them to the east. Usually it is the contender from the Liaern Academy that the Bristol Academy's premier rapier wielder will be facing in the championships. I have no doubt that this year will follow that rule rather than some exception. The swordsman who finishes first in the second to last tournament this year will likely face the same opponent at the championships. If I am victorious in the next few tournaments I shall be one win ahead of my opponent. Thus even if I lose at the tournament with Liaern I would have a second chance to beat the same opponent at the championships."

"But you will have to win in the championships even if you do beat your opponent in the meet with Liaern, right?" Bellany asked.

"Assuming we are both a bit ahead of everyone else in wins, you are correct. I suspect I will have to face him twice, how boring. Getting back to the subject of the Avengenes, do you still have designs on being an artillerist for Lord Avengene?" Jamie asked.

"I have all but abandoned that idea. I might have been fine using artillery to battle orcs, but I do not think I would like to be responsible for the deaths of innocent people whose only crime was that they worshipped a different god than the one my liege worships."

James Jordell smiled. "I suspect the Avengene men would be too inflexible to allow you to help build or command their artillery anyway. As for the deaths of innocent people, war will always break out for one reason or another, the question is who will suffer the greatest losses and who will reap the largest rewards," Jamie said cynically.

"You sound as if war is business." Bellany swirled the bathwater idly with her toes.

"It is often disguised beneath moral platitudes or various grudges from the past or present, but if you divorce yourself from the inane passions, war often is little more than business," James agreed. "The same could be said of love. That reminds me, I would like to know what my parents had to say to you when they brought the leech by around the solstice. They let Bianca know that she was not to slander your health since our leech had found you perfectly healthy."

Bellany noted that James had apparently spoken with Bianca about the matter. 

"At first I think that they were concerned that you might be doing things with me and that I might not be well. I told them that you were not doing anything or trying to do anything with me. That seemed to unsettle them at least as much as the prospect that you were doing something with an unhealthy woman. It was all very subtle but if I interpreted them correctly they were not against us doing things as long as I proved healthy. I think that they are afraid that few if any women interest you. I told them I was not the type to be a mistress, but that I was your friend and hardly a virgin. Thus if things developed towards intimacy that would be fine, but I was not about to try to force you to have interest where you had none," Bellany shrugged, her lush breasts subtly swirling the water.

"Your answer was a good one. I am sorry they bothered you about it. My parents have been overly nosey about my intimate life lately. I think they are concerned that I will be incapable of continuing the Jordell line."

"I think you are probably right about them, but getting back to your views on love and war, I do not understand how you can look at love and war as business and at the same time take a dim view of the various virginal noblewomen who might be trying to catch you as a mate."

"I have nothing against business if a young lady actually has something to offer that she thinks would be of overwhelming interest to me, but that is not how I am approached. There are those who attempt to ensnare me with their charms in order to capture me as a partner in dynasty building and there are those who are full of romantic notions and yet they are unerringly directed at the man whose family has the most powerful dynasty that they know of. Both sorts strike me as insincere. Either these girls need to do business or they need to go off on flights of romantic fancy for some poet or athlete with whom they share chemistry," Jamie grumbled.

"True, but are you surprised that young ladies act according to their conditioning? We are taught practically from birth that penniless commoners are undesirable and unsuitable, whereas wealth and power are attractive. Of course the hearts of noblewomen flutter for wealthy, powerful men that fit their definition of desirable. It does not hurt that you are handsome either. Nevertheless, I see your point if you are looking at romance from the point of view of business. The ladies trying to entrap you are just harpies who see the business advantage of marrying you, but also conveniently disregard the fact that they would make bad business partners because they have far less to offer a combined dynasty than you do. The ones with romantic notions are in some ways more honest, but they may be turning you into a romanticized version of yourself without seeing realities such as the fact that you might have better chemistry with their brother than you have with them. From a business standpoint, however, they are as much a liability as the women consciously trying to entrap you for their own gain."

"Exactly, whereas men will not have offspring and cannot form a dynasty with me, thus they lack such designs. The business of it is much simpler. We get together for the mutual pleasure of it."

Bellany nodded. "It does keep you free of encumbrance. Making the same contract with a woman would involve more risk since you could never be sure if she would take care not to have a child."

"That is quite true," Jamie agreed.

"It is ironic, half of the reason I cannot marry is the stigma of having been used by orcs, but just as important is the fact that I failed to conceive and am therefore likely quite barren," Bellany contended. "I cannot in good faith make dynastic propositions. If I sleep with a man it has to be on the basis of mutual pleasure rather than on the basis of a mutually advantageous combining of dynasties."

"Perhaps, but fertility is fickle. It is never a sure bet. Thus a man who beds you may not know what he is getting himself into."

Bellany smiled impishly. "I am far too naughty with men to take chances. That is why I have been taking the contraceptive herbs that Leech Phallon offered me. The last thing I need is to be encumbered with a child whose father is impossible to determine. I am sure my mother would have a fit if she knew, but if she could accept me as I really am she would realize that I am quite sensible. I imagine the same goes for you and your parents."

"Touché," Jamie agreed. "I regret that you had to face being ravaged by orcs, but it has given you a rare level of maturity. If I thought it would temper rather than shatter Bianca, I might hire a band of orcs on her behalf!" Jamie smiled.

Bellany jiggled with laughter as she imagined Bianca with the orcs.

"I doubt Bianca would profit from the experience. I will guarantee you two things though, Jamie. I cannot be faithful to any man, and I will not have offspring with any man unless for some reason that man and I think it would be a good idea and plan the conception together." Bellany subtly tingled Jamie's lust as she spoke.

"I believe you said something along those lines before, but I like the formal declaration. You fit neither the wife mold nor the mistress mold. Your guarantee is much more in keeping with the behavior of a merry widow!"

"That is I, Miss Merry. I had better finish cleaning up while we are talking or the servants will think I drowned." Bellany got up and sat just above the water level. She sensually yet efficiently lathered up her chest.

Bellany turned away, keeping her eyes locked with James' over her shoulder. She licked her lips. "Want to do my back?"

"Certainly, but only because I remember something you said about lusting for those that wash you." James came over to Bellany's side of the tub and set his glass down on the edge. He lathered her back and then reached around to pinch one of her errant nipples. "You have the perkiest nipples, darling," Jamie nibbled her ear.

"That is because they are merry." 

"Then perhaps they would like a drink," Jamie said, bringing his glass around from behind her and touching it to her nipple.

Bellany smiled open-mouthed as she recalled the parallel to her first encounter with Red Jack.

"Is that surprise I sense?" Jamie asked as he lifted his champagne glass to her left nipple.

"I guess maybe I cannot always predict your next move."

"Touché." Jamie chuckled lustily as he pulled her back onto his thighs and kissed her cheek from behind.

Bellany turned around and ran her fingers over Jamie's thighs and up his chest.

He fondled her hair and then lowered his lips and kissed her nipple. After a few minutes she laid back and pulled Jamie with her. She felt his tip against her inner thigh as he arched his back. She grabbed his rump and squeezed. He thrust forward and she lifted her hips slightly to engulf him within her. It was a joy to finally have him inside her. She drew subtly and rhythmically upon his lust as he stroked his stiffness in and out of her wet, clutching tunnel. She gave him no time for second thoughts as she squeezed his hardness within her, pulling his lust into her body. When he came she drew on his power sharply, taking him up to new heights of pleasure before relenting as he fountained into her greedy depths.

"Gods, I was led to believe that women were passive, roomy affairs that you hardly knew you had entered," Jamie panted. "I have never been more mistaken."

"Unfortunately, I think there are plenty of women who fit that description. The high cost of chastity is internal muscles that hardly function. I am far more gripping as a fallen angel than I would be as a paragon of purity."

"I knew there had to be some reason why I preferred naughty girls. I suppose it does underscore the overriding importance of dynasty that we prefer to marry sexually crippled broodmares simply to insure that any offspring produced are ours. It might also explain why powerful men keep mistresses."

"Indeed," Bellany agreed cheerfully.

"You brought me to a truly monumental peak, but I must confess that I have only the barest clue on how to pleasure a woman. You are quite titillating to be around, but I have finally decided to approach you out of a combination of curiosity and the wish to be unpredictable. I am much better with men. When a man comes it is obvious, but I am at a loss in regard to women. Surely women must take pleasure in sex if they do it in the absence of men."

Bellany caressed him and nodded. "I come, but since I do not squirt into the air when I do it is a bit harder to tell that I have reached a climax. Yet you have an excellent grasp of subtleties. If you could not see his cock, do you think you could tell when a man came?"

"Yes, I think so, particularly if the man was someone I had experience with."

"Then I suspect you will also be able to tell when I come. If you would like, I can show you the things women do to one another for pleasure and also let you in on the things men have done to me that I have enjoyed. In return, perhaps you could let me in on what you have found that really works on men."

"That sounds like a fun exchange. Consulting one's partner is such a novel approach. Who would ever have thought of that?"

"Pff, there are plenty of men who are too proud to admit that they do not have a lot of experience with women. I am glad you are not one of them."

"This exchange of carnal knowledge sounds far more attractive to me than attempting to fake knowledge that I lack. I am not saying I will have much occasion to use the knowledge, but if I must produce an heir, I have no desire to come off as a complete klutz to my wife. I shall see if I can adjust your swordsmanship schedule slightly to free up more bath time."
------- 

This ends, The Snowflake, chapter 67 of The Chronicles of Rapina.
The story continues in chapter 68, The Understudy.

Copyright 2007 by Rapina